My teenage highschool romance comedy can't be this perverted!
By: NimtheWriter
Our infamous loner and future house husband in training somehow found himself ripped from his reality and reborn into a new one. Not conscious of the dangers of this world and its chaotic yet perverted nature. How will he adapt and will he be able to free himself from his new attention-seeking 'friends?
Status: ongoing
Published: 2021-11-23
Updated: 2023-11-25
Words: 425348
Chapters: 86
Rated: Fiction M - Language: English - Genre: Romance - Characters: H. Akeno, Rias G., Hachiman H., A. Asia - Reviews: 1,801 - Favs: 3,354 - Follows: 3,970
Original source: https//s/13993957/1/My-teenage-highschool-romance-comedy-can-t-be-this-perverted
Exported with the assistance of
My teenage highschool romance comedy can't be this perverted!
Introduction
A whole new world
I approve
The calm before the storm
Not again
Decisions
A new club?
Hunt
I promise
Vritra
Rias
Danger nearby
Need any help?
Confrontation
Confrontation conclusion
Wake up call
First request (Rewritten)
Turning point part 1
Turning point part 2
Turning point part 3
Turning point part 4
Turning point part 5
Turning point part 6 Finale
Interlude
Issei
Hidden from view
Guilt
Unfair reality
Second meeting
A lost nun
Asia
Want to be my friend?
Guests
Solution
Dodge this!
Dragons and Feelings
Phoenix and Rebirth part 1
Rebirth part 2
Rebirth part 3
Rebirth part 4
Rebirth part 5
Rebirth part 6
Rebirth part 7
Rebirth part 8
Rebirth part 9 FINALE
Night talk
Dawn of the Rating Game
Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess
My prize
Another redhead
Arrival
Sports festival
Morning
Viser
Check
Big sister
The three exorcists
A Witch
Dragon vs Exorcist
Who?
Set in motion
Little girl
A talk
Ophis
Battle
Lædingr
Deal
Choices
The battle begins!
Kokabiel
Scary woman
New Knight!
Date with a redhead
Invitation
To the Underworld
Kuroka
Dinner
Past memories
Beach fun
Doubts
Sona's request
Sisters
Sibling Love
Dragon Attack
Touki
Ane?
OMAKE 1
A whole new world
A Snafu story I wanted to write cause all the good crossover dxd ones are either abandoned or on hiatus. Honestly, I imagine that the DxD environment is a place where Hachiman will honestly adapt quickly and thrive in it.
Many people in the series have their own inner demons but now here comes the infamous loner ready to blast his way into their hearts! Review and comment, let me know where I've done any mistakes or if I missed some crucial details concerning the dxd world.
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi!
-??? -
Had there ever been a time where you wished to be transported into another world? To escape this reality governed by a cruel mistress called life? Cultured people would call it being isekai'd.
Oh, the magnificent adventures filled with danger and obstacles that have killed many heroes in the past. But here you arrive, summoned by the gods themselves and gifted with basically overpowered abilities as you are tasked to defeat the demon king and put an end to the war that has been plaguing their world for millennia.
Accompanied by your party members who are suspiciously all females: a princess who seeks to protect her people, her best friend who tagged along to keep her safe, a cleric who is obviously ill-suited for combat, and a mysterious woman who might be your daughter from the future. And somehow all of them somewhere along the journey fall in love with you as you save them from demons, monsters, and their own past-basically achieving the harem ending of the stereotypical eroges you might find littered around the R-18 section of any game store.
You travel along the continent slaying dragons and demons, and establish alliances with other countries. After completing many quests, saving an unending amount of villages, and collecting every single legendary weapon in existence, is when you finally arrive in front of the demon king's palace. You and your harem members-through the power of love and friendship, are finally able to kill the demon king!
In the end, you become the future king, with the princess now as your queen and the others as your mistresses living happily ever after.
That was definitely what Zaimokusa's wet dreams would be like. And not that I would ever admit it, but it was definitely what my past Chuuni self would pray for every night. Ugh, the memories of my past still made me cringe with disgust and embarrassment. Like, past me, could you not have been any more pathetic? No scratch that, it could have been worse and it was worse.
Why you might ask?
Well, the infamous loner of Sobu High, househusband in training, and brother to the bestest and cutest sister in existence, Komachi-I, Hikigaya Hachiman, was now lying down in a comfortable bed… as a baby.
What!?
Why!?
How!?
At first, I thought it was a prank. My day started out as usual, Komachi nearly killing my eardrums trying to wake me up for school, eating breakfast while listening to the daily news-not that it interested me very much, but I did like to keep myself informed or at least not so out of touch with our wage-slave-creating country's current state.
Okay, I was getting off track here.
Anyways after breakfast, I would ride my bike to Sobu High, arrive early for my Japanese class, then join Yukinoshita and Yuigahama for club activities which mostly involved me reading a light novel or something. Nothing out of the ordinary yet, so what happened?
A white light.
That is all that came to mind; a bright flash. It was abrupt, sudden, and without warning. At first, I thought that I had fallen unconscious for some reason.
It couldn't have been my health-despite what others might see from afar me with my hunched posture and my stick-like limbs, I was in fact quite fit, with formed pecs and the whole package, which had been the result of all the hard labor and my overly active schedule during these last few hellish months.
Never tried nor bothered to show them off in the first place, unlike your regular normie who would have posted a library's worth of pictures on his profile with him shirtless on the beach-I never liked the attention in the first place. Even Komachi would complain about it sometimes. Ah, I was getting off-topic again. All that mattered was that I couldn't be physically unhealthy since I was in great shape to begin with.
It was when I first opened my eyes that I noticed something… off about the situation. First of all, I felt weak, it was as if I spent an entire day running around town while injecting pure MAXX coffee directly into my veins, ultimately feeling its repercussions the next day. My surroundings were different-this was not the infirmary nor my house. The room was unfamiliar, filled with toys, pillows, and cartoon drawings on the wall.
Have I been kidnapped and detained into a nursery room, of all places? It was then that I noticed another major issue which made me fully realize my current predicament; my hands. Not my regular hands, but rather a pair of cute, small, and pudgy hands fit for a baby. That was when all hell broke loose.
"Waaaaa!"
{Break}
(4 years later)
Things finally calmed down a bit. Living in a baby's body for 3 years without being able to do much left me alone with my thoughts for most of my time. I had not come to terms with my situation-to do so would have been no different than accepting my death and moving on, but I couldn't and wouldn't. I still wanted to go back, I wanted to hear the constant nagging of Komachi again, the upbeat and joyful cheers of Yuigahama, the cold stares from the Ice Queen herself, and be comforted by the sweet angel Totsuka. Heck, I was so desperate that I even longed to see a familiar face like Hayama and the she-devil herself.
Many times have I cried and despaired at the possibility of never seeing them again.
I knew about my situation-I'd seen enough times in anime and read plenty light novels to know that reuniting with my precious sister and friends again was nearly impossible. But nearly was not a certainty, and I would rather believe that even a slim possibility existed somewhere. To stop myself from going down a darker path, I kept telling my mind that I would eventually meet them again or that they were possibly in the same situation as me. It helped for now, but I don't know for how long I could distract myself from the truth unless I found a solution.
The first thing I found out was that I was still Japanese. Many signs led me to that conclusion, such as the television featuring channels from Japan, me being surrounded by Japanese literature, and also my parents speaking the language. Speaking of parents, I finally got to know their names, as well as mine.
How was it possible for me to spend my first year without even knowing my name and that of my parents, you might ask?
Well, who else calls out their loved one's or family member's with their full name in a normal conversation, dumbass!
I got to sit by and endure all the cheek grabbing, cooing, and unnecessary name-calling like ' little angel ', ' my precious ', ' woobly-doobly ', and the names just keep on getting worse. It was only through pretending to sleep that I overheard my parents having a normal adult conversation. Surprisingly and unbelievably, I was 'reborn' under the Hikigaya household again! And surprise surprise, the 8th number blessed my life again. My father, apparently, was your regular blue-collar office worker, spending most of his days working-Hikigaya Souichirou. While my mother worked around the house and took the role of housewife-Igarashi Chiasa, or Hikigaya Chiasa now.
Huh, Hikigaya Hachiman reborn as Hikigaya Hachiman. I was generally never a strong believer in faith, but this convinced me that someone up there was messing with my life… or lives, at this point.
Not wanting to seem strange or different from the others, I kept my vocabulary at a minimum to avoid suspicion from my parents-hopefully this would deter them from thinking that I was a genius baby or something stupid like that. Ain't no way I would become a normie or a raijuu! Being locked in a social cage with everyone labeling me a genius and pre-determining my future is something that I would rather avoid.
Besides, how hard could it be acting as a regular toddler?
Hard, super hard!
Curse my past self for jinxing me in the present, may he die as a normie! I completely forgot a crucial factor that was present to all kids my age-pre-school! Hurgh, being surrounded constantly by snot-nosed kids creating a ruckus, I could feel my heart almost giving up from their constant chaotic nature. Kuoh Kindergarten, a non-stop chaotic battlefield.
Kuoh, that is the other thing I found out. Granted I was not the best in geography, but I certainly would have noticed or remembered such a large town in modern Japan, not to speak of its highly coveted status of having one of the best schools in the country, Kuoh Academy-but alas, it was for girls only. This just further cemented how far away from home I was…
"Neh, Hikima, come play with me!"
Now there was my other source of trouble.
A parasite that refused to leave me alone, even when I shot her my distinctive dead fish eyes look that has made many of my ' classmates ' break down in tears and calling me meanie or ugly. Truly, kids were the most brutally honest people. Ha! Guess what, you bunch of amateurs, I have come prepared with one of the 108 skills in my arsenal-'Insult Invincibility'! Nothing could hurt me, hahaha!
Except her…
Himejima Akeno
She was a cute kid. If I was my normal age again, I would no doubt squish her chubby cheeks and empty out a nearby convenience store of its candies, just like I used to do with Komachi. Just being around her triggers my brotherly instincts to their limit. But as a kid myself, it was a whole other story.
Oh, don't get me wrong, I didn't hate the girl. She wS a small kid, for crying out loud! But for some reason, she always found it 'fun' hanging out with me.
No matter how many times I told her to go away, or how many times I tried to scare her with my glare, or just plain ignore her she still clung to me like a damn koala.
"Hikima, you're ignoring me again!" cried out the little girl.
She was pouting-trying to put on an angry face, but it only made her look like a small adorable puppy.
' Heh, chubby cheeks.'
I couldn't resist the temptation, so I pinched her cheeks and put on a regular deadpan face.
"Sorry little one, I was lost in my thoughts for a bit there."
"Hee, shtop puwing ma sheeks!"
Finally pitying her, I let go and apologized.
"Again, sorry, but you are just too cute sometimes."
Her face grew red and she meekly looked down the floor, trying to hide her shyness. "… stupid Hikima."
"Why don't you go play with the others? They certainly won't deny your presence, unlike me." I asked.
Many of these kids wouldn't mind a new addition to their social circle, it was how kids were, no unnecessary drama, no hiding behind a mask, and no harsh judging with malicious intent. It took a few seconds for her to understand what I meant-I guess my vocabulary was a bit too high for kids my age, gotta be careful around adults before they noticed it. But when she got the general meaning, her answer did surprise me.
"I just want to play with you Hikima, you are very lonely and have no friends. But I want to be your friend and play with you so that you won't be lonely anymore!" she replied.
Lonely, huh… I guess I was, considering everything that happened.
Creating new bonds is a needless challenge and was nothing but a complete waste of time and effort-people naturally tended to drift apart as they grow up, this would be no different.
"So, come with me and let's play together!"
I guess it wouldn't hurt to try… for now.
I approve
Hi guys! Second chapter here already! I got it done so soon mostly because I was 80% done with chapter 2 when I published chapter 1.
ArmantusCumPinnae: Yes, thank you for the correction. I got confused and used Hikkigaya instead of Hikigaya with a single k. Thanks.
My grammar is still very rough, so if you spot any mistakes please let me know, I'll correct them as soon as possible.
Don't worry with time and practice my writing will improve so the story quality will hopefully keept getting bettter.
This chapter and the one before will be reworked on later.
Same as always Review, comment or follow whichever you want.
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solidary heart and 8kagi.
- Akeno Third POV-
' School is so boring.'
That was Himejima Akeno's thought when she first attended her class.
She always felt safe at the shrine, where she lived with her mother and father, both whom have taught her so many fun and interesting things.
The former demonstrated how to carry out the numerous chores and duties expected of a future Miko-cleaning, cooking, and even learning how to purify wandering spirits are all taught to her. She genuinely enjoyed every minute of it, even some would find the idea of doing chores boring and her mother always had a bright smile on her face whenever they were together. But her favorite activity so far had been tea making, which she excelled in, much to her mother's joy.
Her father never spoke much, preferring to sit back and observe them as they went about their Miko duties. Many visitors avoided him because of his frightening appearance, but her mother assured her that he was just a big snuffy teddy bear on the inside. He taught her how to use Holy Lightning, a type of magic that only the two of them possessed. He always smiled when he was around her and her mother and gave big booming laughs when she successively achieved a spell.
' At first, I was a bit apprehensive at using it, the loud noise of thunder and its destructive nature always scared me when I was not focusing. But Father showed me how to control and not fear it. According to him, I am a natural with Holy lighting.'
But then came school.
Akeno hated it at first-she was away from both her mother and father, and she was forced to play with strangers. She was even banned from using her powers on the kids.
' Humpf, the boys are so annoying, I wish I could just zap them away.'
Akeno always wanted to try using her lightning on someone, but her parents told her otherwise and that she would have beenin big trouble if she ever tried.
Every day was the same old boring routine. The only time of the day she would enjoy was when the teachers would start their lessons on how to read and write.
But then everything changed when she met-Hikikig- Himiki- Hikaku- Hikigaya Hachiman.
He has a really difficult name to remember, so she just called him 'Hikima'. He was different from the rest, just like her. It was obvious that he didn't like the place and the other kids at all. Furthermore, she found him to be a quiet, a loner, and that he had the scariest looking eyes that reminded her of a dead fish she had seen at the market with her mother yesterday.
Trying to approach him was not easy, he would tell her to go away, but of course, she didn't want to. He was the only interesting person in her school, and she wanted to get to know him, so she followed him around.
Hikima obviously didn't like it and tried glaring at her, probably to scare her off.
' Remember Akeno, those who have the scariest eyes are softies on the inside, just like your father fufufufu. Yes, really soft…'
She remembered her mother's words and how they made her father's face all red. So every time he glared at her with his dead fish eyes, she would then be reminded of her father, thus making her feel safer around him.
He also happened to be super smart. Half of the time he would use difficult words and make it hard for her to understand him, but she persisted. And in the end, it seemed that he just gave up chasing her off and instead would resort to pinching her cheeks. it turned out to be super embarrassing and no amount of protest would stop him from doing that, but she still grew to love her time with him and how nice it felt when he touched her face.
It made her feel warm.
Maybe she could invite him to the shrine so that they could spend more time together and get more of that warm feeling. 'He could become friends with Father too since they both have scary faces.'
"Neh, Hikima come play with me!"
{ Break}
(1 year later)
- Hachiman POV-
I sighed in despair.
What a drag!
That was what a certain pineapple-head ninja in a certain ninja manga I used to read would say, and now I understood why he said it.
I could say for certain that I have never, until this moment, ever felt so relatable with the guy. How else could I not? I was in my last year of kindergarten and would soon start elementary. Which in itself was a huge sort of stress-having already done and passed all of these classes in my past life and nearly graduating, having to restart everything from zero really put a damper on my mood, not that my mood was great, to begin with, but you get my point.
Honestly, how did those other isekai'd or reincarnated protagonists in other stories deal with such stuff!?
'I am no genius, and it's not like I will remember every subject by heart, math, chemistry, and even my Japanese will get rusty.'
A 5-year-old boy suddenly starting to study integrals and differentiation out of nowhere was a big red flag. I may have an additional goal of returning to my real family, but that did not change my past goals at all! I knew that in the end, I would have to get used to this world, grow up, train my skills, find a woman who will accept me as a househusband, and improvise from there.
But first I had to focus on the current issue, specifically with the matters concerning my 'friend', Akeno.
Wow, it felt weird for an adult, at least mentally, to call a 5-year-old girl a friend, 'I swear that I'm innocent!'
We got along together quite nicely, our daily interactions mostly consisted of her dragging me around to play with her or to participate in tea ceremonies-which was mostly juice as hot beverages were banned for kids our age. She was a natural and also genuinely enjoyed doing it. Akeno would talk to me about her family, how she and her mother were Mikos and her father was apparently an important leader of some kind.
' A politician then?'
"Hikima!" shouted Akeno, as the little girl glomped on me from behind, knocking me out of my thoughts.
Oh, yeah she was talking about something. I realized, most of the time whenever she started rambling on, I would just daze off in my thoughts. Guess it was bad timing, better apologize.
"Sorry Akeno, I didn't pay attention. Could you repeat that?"
She started pouting again, making her look cute, "Mou, Hikima you are being mean again, Mother always said that boys should always pay attention when a woman talks."
Woman? Where? I snickered at my thoughts, only this time getting a small punch on my forearm, which actually hurt! How the hell was this cute little munchkin so strong?!
"Hikima!"
Her voice was getting louder, better stop before the teachers begin with the 'married couple' jokes again.
Honestly, they needed to get a life, there'd be no way I would marrying this child.
"Again, I was just laughing cause you look too cute when you get angry."
Her face goes all red, making me grin. Awww, she blushed, my brotherly instincts were pushing me to hug her and never let go!
"M-meanie Hi-Hikima! I was just asking if you want to visit my parent's shrine with me?" she asked with a not-so-hidden hopeful look after she stopped blushing.
A shrine you say? Yeah, I guess I could go for a visit as, unlike the others, she was the closest thing to a friend I had in this world. And also because I was curious how people lived in a shrine. I rarely ever visited one-most of the time, it was just to pray during festivals and holidays with Komachi, and in some rare cases with mom and dad.
Speaking of friends, despite only being a 5-year-old kid, she still somehow garnered the attention of nearly half the kids in my class. Some of them who wanted to be close with her have offered to become my friends too. Yeah right, even with their innocence their friendship would still be fake in the end.
Fake friends are like shadows.
They followed you in the sun but left you in the dark.
For my sake and Akeno's, I always ignored them, never giving them the slightest bit of attention. Akeno, being the koala she was, copied my actions as well. I did not want to meddle with her life much, but she really did not give me the choice to back up. Truly for a five-year-old, she was quite persistent, I honestly couldn't imagine what she would be like in her teenage years.
' She might probably just be your regular girl next door.'
A slight chill crept from my spine with that thought. Somebow, a part of me refused to believe that thought.
{ Break }
- Himejima Shrine, Barakiel POV-
' Akeno will be inviting someone today,' thought a worried Baraqiel.
A few days ago, his sweet little Fallen angel told him that a friend would visit them soon enough. He had rarely seen her this happy before-she even asked Shuri to let her cook some meals for her friend. Both of them were amused by her antics but didn't stop her. Their daughter's happiness was their happiness as well.
It was not until he asked for more details about these friends that all his enthusiasm vanished the moment his daughter told them more about ' him '.
Yes, him-as in a boy-a male! What kind of joke was this!? His little Fallen was too young to be meeting with boys! He might be an angel who fell due to lust, but that did not mean he would let his daughter be close with a boy!
"I swear when he arrives, I'll show that punk to stay aw-"
"Darling~"
"-!?"
The world stopped dead in its tracks, his veins became pure ice as he felt the presence of his beloved yet fearsome wife behind him. Shuri's smile was both gorgeous and innocent, but her eyes were no different from a frozen tundra.
"What is this I am hearing about scaring Akeno's friend?" she inquired, very much knowing the answer already.
"N-nothing de-dear, I just wa-want to make sure that the boy doesn't hurt Akeno's feelings by accident. We wouldn't w-want that, right?"
This was the most logical explanation he could come up with currently, but it failed to save his skin.
"Ara Ara~ brave enough to already start lying to your wife, are we? Fufufu, I guess I will have to whip those bad thoughts out of you tonight, right?"
He was reminded of why he loved his Shuri so much, again. She was the best wife and mother one could ask for. She knew how to press his buttons… and he liked it.
"Yes, dear."
Even with his straight face, he couldn't hide the blush from his soon-to-be mistress.
Her sadistic nature was truly the best.
…
- Hachiman POV-
Getting permission from my parents to visit a faraway shrine was easier than I expected.
Even with my dad occupied with his work, mom was still cool enough to let her small child go outside with a stranger to an unknown shrine in the mountains. If that wasn't top-tier parenting, then I did not know what was.
' But hey, not going to complain about it, and I trust Akeno enough for us to not get in trouble along the way.'
After all, I didn't see myself as some two-bit anime protagonist who encountered enemies in every street corner.
The road leading to the shrine was steep. I was certain that even in my past body I would have been constantly winded trying to walk up a mountain. The current me was drenched in sweat, my knees were weak and my arms were heavy.
But fortunately I didn't have the urge to vomit-yet. Akeno was not normal, she didn't look even the slightest bit tired from all the walking and climbing.
Could this girl be a future gold medalist!? I was pretty sure that this was the type of road every asian parent used to travel to reach their school!
After another painful 15 minutes of walking, we finally reached the shrine hidden deep into the woods. It was beautiful-it had a sort of mystical aspect to it. For something so far away, it was surprisingly well-kept. Its greatest quality so far was that it was quiet and peaceful.
No wonder Akeno loved her home so much.
If I had the opportunity, I would not hesitate to live here-not that mom or dad would accept selling the house in the middle of the city for a secluded life in the middle of the woods, to begin with.
In front of the shrine, I noticed someone sweeping the floor with a straw broom. Akeno never told me she had a sister. Like seriously, they might as well have been twins with how much they looked alike. I guessed now I had an idea what Akeno would look like when she grew up.
She was a beautiful woman who has long flowing black hair, and light brown eyes-again she really resembled Akeno, aside from the purple eyes.
"Mother, I brought my friend Hikigi- Hikima with me!" said an excited Akeno.
Oi, we have been together in the same class for a year, and you still can't say my nam- did she say 'Mother!?'
She looked like she was in her early twenties, for crying out loud! Did she give birth to Akeno when she was still a teenager? Stop! This was not the time to think about random stuff right now. Might as well give a good image of myself, if it was even possible with my looks.
"Ara Ara~ such a cute little boy we have here." she said in an angelic voice, with a beautiful smile to match it.
Many would fall for such a beautiful face, however…
There comes the shiver-but a thousand times worse-accompanied by a sense of impending doom.
' Is that you Yukinoshita Haruno ?'
Did that she-devil somehow find a way to track me down across another reality and reincarnate here just to torture me? Probably not, and I was most likely over-exaggerating things, but with that woman, you never know…
Hikigaya Hachiman would not be defeated with just a pretty face and soothing voice from an older-looking version of his friend!
Curse you, Zaimokuza, to the deepest pits of hell! I never should have read those forbidden love novels you recommended to me before. I did not want to have a crush on her, it felt so weird thinking about it.
All of this happened while I kept a straight face, but somehow this woman gave me the feeling that she could see right through me. Her face and demeanor might be the perfect representation of a Yamato Nadeshiko, but her eyes resembled that of a surgeon's scalpel-able to slice right through me. Hiding my conflicting emotions, I gave her my sincerest greeting.
"Good Evening, my name is Hikigaya Hachiman, and I am a friend of Himejima-san from school."
There, not too formal yet not too rude, just right.
"Ara? A polite one as well. Now isn't that a rare sight, fufufu."
She came forward and rubbed my head. It felt weird especially when you were a grown-ass man inside a kid's body, but I didn't hate it.
"Come along inside, Akeno and I have some things to attend to in the kitchen. Why don't you spend some time with my husband? He is a delightful man."
For some reason, I felt that there was a hidden meaning somewhere between those lines.
After being invited inside, I then came face to face with a giant scary-looking dude who was apparently Akeno's dad. He has the appearance of a middle-aged, gruff-looking man with black hair, a matching beard, and a muscular body. Aside from his eye color, he had no other features passed on to Akeno. Thank God that she mostly inherited her mother's genes, or else I would have had a female hulk as my first friend-not a bad thing, but it would be weird.
For the last few minutes, he kept staring at me in the eyes, his face not betraying the slightest bit of emotions. The same could be said for me as well, making use of one of 108 loner skills, the 'Stone Face' technique, I was successful at maintaining a constant deadlocked state against my current opponent.
Why was he giving me the silent treatment in the first place? I couldn't have angered him about something since I never met him before. was it because of his daughter? This guy can't honestly feel threatened by a 5-year-old, can he? I prided myself in my ability to read people in general, but this guy was somehow showing even fewer emotions than a rock-if it weren't for the fact that I could hear his breathing, I would have definitely mistaken him for a painted statue.
The deadlock went for a few more minutes, until he finally relented.
' Heh, you think you could beat me in a staring contest? Even Yukinoshita could not contend with me, let alone you.'
But the first words that came out of his mouth really threw me out of the loop.
"Hmm, I approve," he said in a rough voice.
"What?"
"Take care of her"
Shit…
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 2 Fate fics are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter.
The calm before the storm
Hiii iiii ~ Another chapter is here!
Got lots of positive responses from my last chapter and it brings me joy that people actually enjoy my story T_T
My grammar is still shit so please inform me if you come across any grammatical errors, I'll correct them as soon as possible.
This is the last chapter before things get hectic, think of it as a three-part prologue.
ArmantusCumPinnae : Thanks for spotting the error for me to correct. As for Hachiman's power, I won't spoil anything for now but what I can guarantee is that I'll stay true to the world of dxd but NOT Canon. If I feel something should go in a different direction then I will write it so.
calderoneric758 : Yep Haruno sometimes really reminded me of akeno.
TheCopyCatMaster : Gracias mi amigo!
To all others who liked the story : Thank you!
Anyways review, follow or favourite, anything you want basically
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi.
- Himejima Shrine, Hachiman POV-
"I approve of you as her friend"
"Oh."
Why did I just feel like I dodged a bullet?
For the last few minutes, I was left alone to probably ' get along ' with Baraqiel, which now that I thought about it, wasn't that an angel's name from the Bible? Though I couldn't say I'd ever heard of foreigners naming their kids after them, aside from the more common names like Michael or Gabriel.
This man's family was either super religious or wanted their son to have a unique name. But didn't Baraqiel fall or something? I was not that familiar with the stories but I did remember bits and pieces.
"Yes," Baraqiel said curtly.
"Um, thanks?"
Now, this was getting awkward. I felt like I was being analyzed from every corner, his sharp eyes didn't help the case as it felt like he was looking down on a criminal or something. Like honestly man I just happened to be a 5-year-old kid if it was someone else besides me, they would have probably shit their pants and cried for their mommy or something.
But not me!
Not yet at least, as my mental barrier kept getting chipped away from all this pressure. I was getting increasingly close to running away from here. Call me a coward, sure, but if it was good enough for Joseph Joestar it was good enough for me.
"It is of no issue."
Again he gave another curt reply.
Oi, weren't you some kind of political figurehead or something? You should really have better conversational skills, or did you expect a freaking child to lead a conversation?
Akeno and her mother, where the heck were those two!? This was way too painful!
' There is only so much awkwardness I could handle. It would be very nice if one of you would come by and start a simple conversation to ease up the mood, right now you could cut the tension with a knife.'
Should I try asking him about his job? No, that would be too weird for a kid my age to ask.
Maybe how was life treating him?
No, what was I? An old man? Oh, yes I could probably comment on how pretty this shrine is! No self-respecting adult wouldn't be happy if one was impressed with their ho-.
"Thank you…"
What? Did he just thank me out of the blue? Give something to work here!
"What for?" I asked with my straight face, not showing any of my turmoil to this confusing man.
"Ever since we enrolled Akeno in school she had lost most of her vibrant mood. Though she has tried to hide it behind a smile both my wife and I could see that she did not enjoy her time away from us."
The man's shoulders sighed in relief.
"But as parents, it is our duty to raise our children properly, so it means making some sacrifices. But then one day she came back home with a genuine smile saying that she met someone interesting. From then on she regained her vibrant smile. Every day she would spend hours talking just about you and nothing else. Akeno is different from kids her age, she is… special. She is in a way more mature than she seems, to the point that she could never get along with kids her age."
Akeno's father was staring right into my eyes.
"But you changed that. Now every morning she is eager to leave for school, all of it thanks to you."
Now that was unexpected. I guessed it turned out to be quite natural for kids to hate the instances when they are away from their parents for long periods of time in a day. I never expected this to affect the Himejima family so deeply. Not like I saved their daughter from a tragic accident or something, I just tolerated her presence since she wouldn't leave my side no matter what I said.
I feel like they are exaggerating the issue here, I knew the girl was more capable than she seemed at first glance. Even if I wasn't here she's more than capable to take care of herself.
They were basically looking at a non-existing problem.
"You don't have to thank me. Your daughter's a strong girl, It wouldn't have mattered if I was present or not." I answered with how I truly felt about the situation.
"Quite humble are you?" commented Baraqiel.
"No, I'm just being realistic."
…
-Shuri POV-
The boy was interesting, to say the least.
He was a smart one for sure, his eyes showing a frightening intelligence. For someone so young, he possessed an unnaturally mature aura around him. Even her daughter, a half-fallen angel, lacked this quality. Akeno, being the child she was, still retained her childlike innocence.
She always felt guilty for the lack of friends around Akeno. The Himejima Clan had more or less disowned her and Akeno for daring to love a Fallen. A heretic they called her, a traitor they sneered at, yet she always kept smiling.
It would have been a lot harder had Suzuka-chan withheld her kindness. If things were different then she and Akeno would have gotten along very well. But, she never got her hopes up when it came to matters concerning the clan.
Despite this, she was happy with her situation. Her husband was by her side and her daughter had finally made a friend.
Speaking of friends, there was something special about Hikigaya Hachiman. When she first looked at his eyes she felt that the boy was well versed at hiding his pain. His fake mask did little to hide from her the loneliness he truly felt. No child should have those eyes and it was so hard to hold back her motherly instincts and hug the boy.
In a way, he reminded her of her husband. When she first found him near death's door years ago, she took it upon herself to nurse him back to good health. Her time with him slowly created a spark within her which grew in time and developed into love.
Even after finding out his true nature her heart never wavered.
He was ancient.
He had experienced grief beyond measure and tragedies she couldn't fathom. Though he hid it well behind his stern eyes, it wasn't long before she broke down those walls of his.
The same could be said with little Hachiman. He was quite adept at hiding it but she knew how to read his kind of people. She knew her husband could see the same look in the boy's eyes like his own. Akeno truly made a wonderful friend.
Speaking of her daughter, the little girl was trying to cook some dishes for Hachiman, or Hikima as she calls him. They looked so cute together, and she could only hope they continued to be close in the distant future.
"Mother, I'm done with cooking, let's go join the others!"
' Oh how she is so excited to have someone special taste her cooking, reminds me of myself when I was young.'
She cooed at her daughter's adorable behavior.
Both of them joined the boys, where Hachiman seemed to be the happiest to see them. Ah, she should have expected her husband to be a bit rough and scary with the boy but she made sure that he knew his limits,
'… or else fufufu.'
Dinner was quite fun, with Akeno pestering Hachiman to taste every single of her dishes while the boy couldn't look any more fed up than he could from the situation.
Even at such a young age, they looked like the perfect childhood sweetheart couple. Despite what his face might say, Shuri could see the happiness and enjoyment in his eyes.
All in all, it was quite a wholesome moment.
All good things come to an end, as they say, and soon the young boy needed to go back home before it became too late. Leaning toward her daughter, she told Akeno to accompany her friend to the stairs so that she may have a few moments with her husband.
Making sure they were alone, she turned towards her Fallen.
"He's quite interesting isn't he, dear?"
Her reply was a short gruff of approval.
"Did you notice anything unusual with the boy?" she inquired.
"He… is a normal human being; I felt no sacred gear in him awaken, no mixed race,"
His voice trailed off as he made a face, "His soul is a different story, however.
Now that caught her attention. "His soul?"
Nodding he explained.
"His soul. It felt much older, though nothing like us angels or devils. It's a 100% pure human soul, I can say for certain it has nothing to do with even past Heroes or him being a possible descendant of one. But still, it's unusual for a regular human to have such a mature soul."
Surprisingly, his tone carried an air of uncertainty, as if he was trying to convince himself or questioning the description itself.
"Are you sure about that?"
"No, not even the slightest bit."
Now that was worrying, even after examining the boy so closely he still couldn't get a clear read on him, "I feel that something is fooling my senses inside his soul, something is creating a false image, I am not sure what, but… honestly I don't know at this point, might be a special sacred gear that masks its users from people like us."
Shuri pondered Baraqiel's words for a moment before responding.
"Well I believe we shouldn't meddle in the boy's life, bringing him on our side will ruin all sense of peace he has. I say we let nature take its course."
If the boy was ever in danger then her family would help him but for now he needed to live the life of a regular human.
'I really hope that it is something minor, as tragedy always shadows those born with strength.'
{Break}
-Hachiman POV-
(4 years later)
Time sure did flow by in a blink.
These were my current thoughts, the thoughts of a 9-year-old, Hikigaya Hachiman.
Thankfully, my stay in this reality grew more bearable with time. I became increasingly more attached to this reality but so did my emotions and memories related to my previous life.
Unlike some reincarnated protagonists who made peace with themselves before dying of cancer or something, or others having no family or just generally living a shitty life, it wasn't the case for me.
Sometimes, I dreamt of waking up on my bed with Komachi blasting my ears off again, I dreamt of waking in the service club with Yukinoshita and Yuigahama, tackling another request. This was followed by an annoying Isshiki bursting through the door and ruining my precious sleep.
But other times it would be the reverse.
That my time in Kuoh was nothing but fantasy and fiction, my bonds with Akeno and the others, being nothing but a figment of my imagination.
My heart was torn between two realities.
' Guess it's another issue I'll have to check up on later.'
But another dream caught my attention, very different from what I was used to, but strange nonetheless. I would be sitting on a chair talking with someone. His or her features were never clear enough to discern the person's gender.
Looking like a blank figurine.
The content of the conversation itself could not be heard, though he still felt, saw, and knew that he was talking about something to this someone. None of the details ever reached him, leaving him with a creepy and unsettling feeling.
' Hopefully, this doesn't stimulate my dark (Chuuni) side.'
Well shit, it wS too late for that, wasn't it?
"Hachiman, it's time for bed!"
I had school tomorrow and I was blessed ' or cursed ' to have the privilege of picking Akeno up along the way.
The girl kept getting increasingly more attached to me over the following 4 years. Somehow, she convinced my parents to have me walk with her every morning to school, then have lunch together and even spend our free time together.
I knew it was a silly childhood crush, but there was no way I would reject her openly after everything I had been through before.
I may be a jerk, but I was not a douchebag. I hoped that her silly crush would slowly fade away as she matured
There was no way she would have been happy with someone like me as her boyfriend in her teenage years. Though we were only nine, I could see the signs of Akeno ' growing up ' earlier on, and there was no doubt she would become someone popular like Miura was in my past life.
And someone like Miura would never want someone like me near them.
It was an inevitable reality to come, so I have to best be prepared for it.
And with those passing thoughts, I got on my bed, curious to which of the dreams would I have next.
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 2 Fate fics are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter.
Not again
Hiiiii~ Wow that last chapter really got some positive responses.
When I first posted this story on I thought that I would only get a handful of favourites and follows. But here we are nearly at a 100 follows in a few days.
I don't think some of you even realise how great it feels for an author to have readers tell them how they like the story by either reviewing it or by favouriting it. I might even cry y'all.
Okay, that's enough fluff, onto the real stuff!
Long ass chapter over 3k words.
Grammar errors? Probably a shit ton so please point them out.
My state? need sleep.
Akeno? Still hottest babe. fight me.
Issei? Still don't like him. More of a Hachiman fan if you didn't notice.
repsev: Dont worry we are 95% done with the childhood arc. Wanted to focus on it mostly because that is when most of the character's trauma occurs and also because I wanted to make the relationship between Hikki and Akeno seem natural and so on.
it not a harem is a waste. I won't just throw dozens of girls on Hachiman all of a sudden, that guy is the opposite of Issei. The harder he pushes away any form of love, then it will push back twice as hard. This is not a battle our boy can win since he really does want to help others.
Solsparda369: Yep, exactly!
That's enough AN so here you go Chapter 4!
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi.
- Hachiman POV -
Early morning was one of the worst times of the day for any self-respecting human being.
' 7:03 AM '
I still had roughly an hour and thirty minutes before school started… and that… one more… hour… of… sleep.
"HACHIMAN WAKE UP! IT'S TIME FOR SCHOOL!"
Like a cat having its tail stepped on, my body flew mid-air for a brief moment before hitting the floor with a loud thud.
' Hmmm, the floor is not too bad to sleep on .'
Mom banged on the door, again. If she put any more force in her hits then the handle would break for sure.
"I said WAKE UP, you lazy bum! Little Akeno-chan will be here soon enough to come pick you up!"
And there went my sleep, utterly crushed. I could feel a headache coming on. Did the devil create early school hours to feast upon the misery and despair of people like me? Probably.
"My back, I'm getting too old for this."
Say what you want about such thoughts not making sense spoken by a 9-year-old but let me remind you that I was mentally 26. Therefore, as an adult ' mentally ' I had every right to be as unreasonable and difficult to deal with as the mighty ' Karens ' from overseas.
Getting up from the floor I checked the general situation of my room. Spartan was an apt description, as aside from my hobby of reading light novels I didn't have much in my bedroom. The room itself contained nothing more than a single bed, an office desk, and a small bookshelf for my novels.
Why didn't I have other things in my room?
Mostly because I couldn't be bothered for the most part and secondly, nearly everything I knew about manga and anime had a bootleg version of it in this reality as well. Dragon ball had its version here called Drag-so-ball, with the plot being identical.
' Seriously, some guy up there is messing with me.'
Getting myself ready with a morning shower and after putting on my school uniform I went downstairs to have breakfast with my parents. As of now I truly thought about them as family, they have done everything in their ability to pamper me with all the love and affection that I had rarely seen with my previous parents.
Don't get me wrong I loved both of my families but my original wage slave parents could have learned a thing or two from Souichirou and Chiasa.
The doorbell rang, I already knew who it was.
"Oh, that must be Akeno-chan, quickly finish your food Hachiman!"
Geez woman, slow down a bit, will you? Besides, I'm done with my breakfast anyway. Grabbing my bag and leaving my house I waved my hand goodbye at my parents. When I walked outside, I came to face Akeno.
' Calling her Akeno now seemed a bit too personal, it was fine when we were kids but now I'd rather add the san part due to our current age.'
"Yo Himejima-san." I greeted her with the same lazy hand wave from before.
Though I expected some sort of negative reaction from her, I didn't expect to have a full-on school bag lightly crash into my face.
"Oof!"
"Mouuuu, Hachiman-kun what did I tell you about only calling me by my given name?"
At least she learned to properly remember my name. Ah, there she goes pouting again. Too bad for her I have developed the ' Anti Akeno cuteness shield', one of my newest 108 skills, to its max. Begone demon, you have no power here.
"Can't do that Himejima-san," I said, "We're no longer little kids so I should be more respectful towards you."
And I didn't want to have another target behind my back. For you see, the little Akeno has grown up a bit too quickly in my opinion, and had the appearance of a 13-year-old teen. Didn't believe me? Yeah even I had a hard time accepting this fact and I hang out with her nearly every day.
Akeno's hair grew down to her back, her violet eyes became more intense, having a more magical aspect to them and she even had small breasts already growing.
From her voice to her height.
' Which she already surpasses me and for which I'm totally NOT jealous, nope, not one bit.'
It all changed drastically. Like seriously, what the heck is up with her family genes? I want some of that too.
God if you're listening, get me out of this childish body.
It shouldn't be a surprise that she already started attracting the attention of the opposite gender from various ages. A bunch of creeps if you were to ask me. To make things worse her sticking to me constantly like glue already garnered a lot of glares and even hate-filled eyes.
Stupid hormonal kids who can't think with their brains.
Now that I thought about it, didn't the concept of being followed by a ' beauty ' kinda mirror Hayama's style in a sense…
I banished the thought as quickly as it came. I'd rather be buried 6 feet under than become an edgy version of that fake riajuu. But there was some truth to it, as I can't even call myself a loner right now.
"Hikima, you meanie!"
Ah, that cursed name! She always brought it back to annoy me, especially around crowds of people as a sign of affection.
"If you won't call me Akeno, you leave me no choice." she started, her voice growing increasingly huskier.
"Looks like I'll have to," Akeno's voice was now downright sinful, "Punish you~"
All the while she was invading my personal space, wrapping around my right arm and pushing herself against it.
I had a chill run up my spine followed by goosebumps.
Wha- Nope, nope, nope. My Haruno-soon to be renamed Akeno-danger sensors were off the charts. That tone of voice should never be used, or even possible for that matter, by a young girl in any instance! That coupled with her current body made me feel like I'd sinned just by being near her.
I swear there is a hidden PSIA agent somewhere keeping tabs on me.
This girl, who used to be an angel whom the likes of Totsuka would feel challenged by, was slowly descending to become something dangerous. Must be her dusty old man's fault, that guy surely has had some porn mags hidden somewhere only to have his daughter discover them or something.
Yeah… Porn magazines were still a thing in this reality, despite having access to the internet and saving everything on the cloud, people still buy physical copies… amateurs.
I hope no one came to see my browsing history before coming to this world…
"Fine. How was your day… Akeno-sa-," she squeezed my arm closer to her chest, "-CHAN?" I squeaked out.
Seriously this girl is way too dangerous already. I better step up my game or else. Trying to regain my personal space I only came to a stop after noticing her iron grip on my forearm.
"Hachiman, will you stop by the shrine later on?" she asked me.
It was not completely unexpected, many times in the past she had invited me over. I rather enjoyed my time there as the peaceful atmosphere always cleared my mind from all my dark thoughts. Shuri-san was very welcoming, always preparing tea or snacks for myself and Akeno-… Chan.
Her father, Baraqiel-san, was complicated. I knew he was hiding something. The man never felt normal, like he was holding some deeply hidden secret. Regardless, his love for his family was genuine and I could respect that.
"I have something important I want to show you… something I wanted to reveal to you for a while," she said in a meek voice.
She refused to meet my gaze almost as if too scared or nervous of something. It must be quite personal.
"Oi don't be so nervous, as long as you don't tell me that you were a boy all along then there's nothing to worry about." I tried being as nonchalant as possible, and she ended up giggling before visibly relaxing.
"Yeah, as long as it's you Hachiman I'm sure you will understand. Come by during the evening. Mother told me that Father would be gone for a bit."
Huh, Baraqiel-san was finally leaving the shrine? Now that's a first, I always see him inside the shrine whenever I visited, I assumed he worked online or something.
"By the way, mother prepared some bento for you too."
Oh, and I also get to eat more of Shuri-san's amazing cooking. Truly food tastes best when you don't have to work for it.
"Tell Shuri-san that I said thanks."
From the moment we first met, Akeno's mother had already started doting on me with love and care. For some ungodly reason, she found my dead fish eyes cute. Seriously, that family really was filled with weirdos.
{ Break }
As always school was boring. I already knew every subject there was to know but I had to force myself to make some mistakes here and there. I never tried occupying the top of my class for long, as I purposely would go for second or third and then back to first. I kept the appearance of a hardworking intelligent boy but in no way could someone consider me a genius.
During my time at school, you could say I'd made… acquaintances. The boys already hated me so most of my contacts were girls and I knew exactly what you were thinking but I swear that I was not a stupid anime protagonist.
Murayama and Katase were some of the kids I knew who treated me normally. At first, they mostly tried to approach me so that they could get closer to Akeno. Of course, I didn't give them any attention aside from a few quotes and jabs that went above their still innocent minds. I never tried nor cared about befriending them in the slightest. They were just your typical girls who already want to form their own clique.
But somehow their attitude changed somewhere along the lines as now they just spend their free time talking about random stuff while sitting near my desk, much to my annoyance. Can't you guys see when a guy puts a book to his face it generally means that he wants to be left alone?
"Hikigaya, you really should do something about your hair, it looks ugly when you don't comb it!" the pinkette said, her brunette friend nodding along, "Yeah, a nice hairstyle would totally suit you. Try combing it backward, it will go well with your scary eyes. Look at Minato-kun and Tendo-kun, they look so handsome!"
This turned out to be another form of torture, if I didn't shut them up somehow, they wouldn't stop.
"Don't put me on their level. I don't care about looking interesting. I am just self-conscious."
There, got it? Now shoo, I wanted to finish this book before school ended.
"Wow, Hikigaya-kun you sound like an old man sometimes but you should really try something or else you won't have any friends," advised Katase.
"Why would I need other friends when I already have you guys?"
Who, admittedly, were already big enough pains in the back. I was a loner for god's sake, not a normie! Now shoo! Being alone is a heavenly experience and I wished to return to it.
Now they grew silent.
Finally.
Blessed silence.
"Geez Hikigaya-kun, you truly are an idiot," said a red-faced Murayama, probably out of anger.
"Yeah, yeah like I haven't heard a thousand times already."
I better pack up; traveling to the shrine does take a while.
{ Break }
Ah, I messed up.
Riding my bicycle along the mountain path made me hit a random sharp stone on the road and now my tires and dead. Now I had to resort to walking all the way while lugging my bike. I may have improved physically but this was still a very tiring activity for anyone unless you were an Olympic athlete in the making like Akeno.
I hope she wouldn't get mad at my lateness.
The Sun had already gone down and the night was soon to follow.
Weird.
Though this path was a bit far from the mainland of Kuoh it was still close enough for people to visit and walk around the peaceful setting. But today I couldn't see anyone present.
Vmmm
"What was that!?"
Out of nowhere I suddenly felt like I passed through a thin layer of water or something. Looking back I didn't notice anything unusual. Maybe it was the wind?
All of a sudden this place went from peaceful to creepy, I don't want to stay another moment here.
Something felt terribly wrong right now. I overlooked the fact that my legs were burning from the pain of walking for so long but this horrible feeling in my guts just kept getting worse. I had to make sure they were alright.
It was when I was close to the stairs leading to the shrine that I noticed it. A red and grey haze, settling over the horizon.
Smoke and fire.
No.
bz
No.
bzt-
No.
No no nonononononoNONONO!
"AKENO! SHURI-SAN!"
I ran using every ounce of strength my body could muster, the sounds of fire crackling and shouting getting louder and louder.
In the distance I noticed a group of people holding torches, spears, and swords. Were these the ones who caused all of this?
I could not allow them to see me, so finding a nearby big tree, I hid behind and listened closely to their conversation.
"Where did that traitor bitch and her demon spawn run off to!?" shouted one of the people who held a long spear.
"We're still searching for them, sir. The clan has dispatched our trackers to locate them as soon as possible."
"Sir, one of our scouts found traces of blood leading into the woods!"
"Then they must have run off there, find them and kill them!"
With a loud shout, the group's leader brought his men to the woods leaving behind an unseen Hachiman.
I had to find those two before these animals do! My knees were quivering from fear, exhaustion, and rage. I used every ounce of the memories I had of these woods to guess the safest place they would have run off to.
The west side of the shrine leads to the mountainous region of these lands. It's quite easy to get lost there as I have nearly done so before. It should be the best place to shake off any pursuers. Just hold on a bit more you two, I'll get you both out of here!
I ran through the forest, making sure to avoid any of those criminals. Fortunately, a full moon was present making my view of the place much clearer. Who were they? Why was this happening? Why would they target Akeno and her family?
As I approached the area I soon heard some faint sobbing near me.
Akeno! It had to be her. I did not shout her name, fearing some of those people would hear me. I carefully followed the sound till I found a scene that would haunt me for life.
A blood-soaked Akeno, her face filled with despair, holding a heavily injured Shuri who was bleeding from a stab wound on her thigh.
Those fucking bastards!
bzt-
I jumped out of the foliage scaring both Akeno and her mother.
Before the former could even scream I covered her mouth and whispered, "Calm down, it's just me Hachiman."
A dam broke loose from her eyes as more tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Hi-Hikima, Hiki-Hikima." I held her and Shuri-san close as she kept repeating my name.
The poor girl was traumatized, she and her mother nearly died. We have to leave.
"It's a-all his fa-fault," whispered the still crying Akeno.
What did she mean by 'his' fault?
"It's all fathers' fault! They came here because of him! They wanted to kill us because of him! He didn't come back! He almost let mother be killed! Why isn't he here?"
The girl was becoming hysterical, she was losing control of her emotions and letting rage take over herself.
"Akeno-chan, look at me."
I cupped her face, wiping away the tears, and brought my own close to reassure her as best as I could.
"Everything will be fine, I don't know the details nor do I care about them, all I want is to bring you and Shuri-san out of here safely."
She held her gaze with mine for a few seconds before closing them and hugging me once again, "Please Hikima… please save us."
"I will."
Looking over them I decided to pay more attention to the bleeding wound on Shuri-san's thighs. I was no doctor but I knew some emergency treatment to block the bleeding until we could get it treated by a professional.
"Leave me be, Hachiman-kun just take Akeno and run away from here before the other finds us."
Even when so close to death, Shuri-san still held the safety of her daughter and me over her own. But I didn't care, I promised to save both of them.
"Please leave me, Hachiman-kun," she pleaded and begged but I didn't acknowledge her words.
I tore away some cloth from my shirt before wrapping it around the wound to stop the bleeding.
"Listen here, I won't abandon you, so you better shut up and let me get you both out of here."
I asked Akeno to help me carry over Shuri-san before a voice sounded behind us.
"Oi, I found them!"
"SHIT!" We needed to move, now!
Completely out of my expectations the people behind us suddenly started shooting out freaking lasers like bolts over us. What the fuck was this shit, since when did magic exist?
Magic-like arrows rained down upon us, and we managed to dodge most of them until one of the attacks connected with my leg.
"ARRGH!"
We fell down the road, and I tried my best to turn my back and lessen the impact, protecting both Akeno and Shuri-san from further injuries, though subjecting my own body to more. Note to self: Road was gravel. Gravel just happened to be VERY sharp.
Yep, this was definitely leaving scars.
The pursuers quickly caught up to us, and I was desperately praying to all the gods I knew for a miracle that would save us.
' If there was an overpowered protagonist somewhere, now would be a good time to intervene!'
Bzt-
"Heh, so the disgusting abomination and her traitorous bitch of a mother have a helper? Fucking heretic," he spat, "you'd be better off dying alongside them."
The guy put on a maniacal smile while pointing his hand towards us with a magic circle forming ready to shoot down anything in front of it.
' Not like this…'
BZT-
I already lost Komachi, my mom, my dad, Yukinoshita, Yuigahma and everyone from my past.
BZZTS-
"Say goodbye you filthy hybrid."
Preparing to shoot us with a magical arrow, my anger finally exploded out in a deadly mix of rage and desperation.
…
- Grigori HQ-
"Penemue!"
The door of the Grigori's Chief of Secretary's office burst open with a disgruntled and shocked Azazel running in.
"Azazel, what happened? Why are you in such a state?" Penemue had never seen Azazel in such a state aside during the Great War so she feared something catastrophic had happened.
"Vri-Vritra!"
"What about Vritra!?"
"One of its Sacred Gears in our possession just vanished in front of me!!"
{ Break }
- Hachiman POV-
As the bolt of magic came closer, time seemed to slow down for Hikigaya Hachiman.
At this moment I was about to lose two of my closest people again.
I had to stop that attack, no matter what. I would do anything and give his everything to stop it.
Even using my body as a shield to buy them enough time to escape.
BZZTZZZZ!!!
The static sound overwhelmed me, a burning sensation came from my upper chest area.
"YOU WILL NOT FUCKING KILL THEM, YOU BASTARDS!"
[V̷R̷I̷T̶R̶A̵-̷ ̶D̶E̵L̵E̸T̶E̷ ̵F̸I̶E̴L̵D̴!̴]̷
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 2 Fate fics are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter.
Decisions
Hiiiiiiiiiiiii~ Another chapter here!
Read the reviews on chapter 4 concerning Hachiman's 'sacred gear'. I won't give too many details about it but this chapter should clear up some confusion about it and how his power is not what it may seem to be.
calderoneric758: Sorry friend I won't spoil anything about the girls and his future romance aside from what is revealed already. Always felt that revealing the multi-pairings from the beginning always somewhat spoiled the story (at least for me). But it IS a harem, that's all I'll tell ya
ArmantusCumPinnae: Well the guy is still not completely stable yet. Give him a bit of time and gather himself up again, it doesn't help that the girls in this reality are a bit too… forward.
About your opinion about his sacred gear, well this chapter might give you a clue or two about it will change things up in the future. It won't answer everything but rather a part of it. Oh and thx for spotting the errors I swear that I corrected some of those but it came back again. I'm currently trying to find a solution to improve my writing soon.
Mistletainn: Sorry bud, till my writing improves and I stop making so many grammatical errors my chapters probably won't surpass the 4k words. But I am aiming for it… one day for sure.
Of course, everyone else who reviewed my story I thank you again, it really motivates me to write more!
On we go with chapter 5!
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi.
- Unknow Location, Hachiman POV-
I never knew what I would do in this new life.
At first, I expected to just go through the regular life cycle, going to school like I was doing currently. After I graduate from high school in a few years, I would then try getting accepted into Tokyo University, always wanted to know if it was worth it or not.
Have a regular job, not something too ambitious but successful enough that it would pay the bills, probably an office worker. Of course, I would still train my househusband skills, just in case, I did find that someone who preferred me more in the house rather than working. I choose not to have any high-reaching dream about my future. In all realities, the pursuit of dreams led to a life so painful and frustrating, that the mere thought of it was enough to merit a sigh. Hard work betrayed none, but dreams betrayed many.
Somewhere along the years, I meet that special someone, we marry, have kids then retire in a penthouse somewhere in the Maldives.
But life sure transpired to be a cruel mistress, at barely 10 years of age I had to deal with criminals capable of wielding magic of all things. Crazy, I know, that was the point where I realized that life wouldn't ever be the same again.
"Isn't that right, Bob?"
Currently, I was not awake nor was I dead for that matter, ' At least I hope so'.
The same wide empty room with two chairs facing one another in the middle. I just sat there for an unknown amount of time, lost in my wandering thoughts. At first, I panicked, I worried about Akeno and her mother, but I had no way of reaching them. I punched myself, banged my head against the floor continuously hoping to wake up from this dream. But a dream it was not, the pain was too real, yet I did not bleed. I then tried calling for help, screaming and begging yet no one answered my plea, or rather there was no being present to hear me out.
I had no option but to wait, which I did.
Didn't know how long I was in this state, with no sun or clock around, my time perception was completely screwed. Furthermore, I tried this one trick I once saw an anime protagonist use with counting every second.
' I think I stopped somewhere around five million… or was it six?'
I forgot.
After that, I just kept staring at the ceiling. Following what felt like an eternity ' which it probably was' something new happened. More accurately, someone else was present in the room beside me.
When I first saw it, I grew shocked, for it was the same being from my previous dream. A blank entity with no facial characteristics whatsoever, almost as if someone dropped a half-done mannequin, completely forgetting about adding any human features aside from its general humanoid shape.
The being sat opposite of me, it never replied to any of my comments, never did it move even the slightest bit… it was just there. Was it mocking me? Probably. Did I become so crazy that my mind created a humanoid shape persona to interact with despite nothing being there in real life? Yeah.
So I decided to call it Bob ' original I know', we talked or rather I talked to it telling Bob my life story, my embarrassing moments, my happy moments, basically everything.
The Hachiman from before would have never done this, but the current me felt that my interaction with Bob was the only thing saving me from pure insanity.
"So Bob, have any interesting stories to tell?"
"…"
It was always the same thing with Bob.
"Probably not, since you are most likely a figment of my imagination, or are you a sign of my soon to come insanity?"
"…"
I asked him random stuff.
"Well, guess we'll never know."
"…"
But no matter what I talked about.
"Are you making fun of me?"
"…"
It never responded nor reacted for that matter.
"If only my attacks didn't just go through you, I would have had a proper way to exercise."
"…" Nothing but just an inanimate untouchable statue.
"You know, I was desperate enough that I thought you were some kind of omnipotent being here to grant me overpowered protagonists powers so that I could crush all the bad guys and stuff."
"…"
But somehow…
"I thought that maybe I needed to accept the fact that I was the main character of the tragedy which is my life. Yet nothing came from all that yelling of me accepting my role sigh another embarrassing moment I need to shelve into the deepest corner of my mind."
"…"
I knew that it could understand me.
"I'm tired"
"…"
And I knew that it was the answer for me to leave this place.
"I don't know for how much longer I'll be able to stay sane…"
Drip Drip
I didn't notice the droplets of tears running down my face.
' Huh, thought I had lost the ability to cry.'
How pathetic I have become, crying over literally nothing.
"Please…"
If Komachi could see me now, she would have smothered me with hugs and compliments, calling me the best big brother.
"Please…"
If Yukinoshita were to witness the current me, she would have probably called me a weakling and told me that I was better than that.
"Please…"
Totsuka would have probably summoned the angels themselves to comfort me, bless his soul.
"Please…"
Yuigahama would have probably cried along with me as well as hugged me at the same time.
"Please…"
Akeno… she and her mother were probably all alone, being chased by those psychos, hating my guts that I abandoned her, just like her father had done so.
"Please let me go."
The sound of a creaking chair reached my ears.
I whipped my head up so hard that I could have cracked my neck in the process. That is to be expected as the most unbelievable sight ever was taking place in front of me, ' Bob is moving!'.
I held my breath, I saw him lean in front, both of its hands extending forwards, handing me something.
"A paintbrush and a sketchpad."
Was Bob truly messing with me? Why hand me those things? He or she can't be expecting me to pass the time by drawing! After everything that I had to endure in this version of hell. Having gone through many stages of depression and despair, this entity had the audacity to hand me a freaking sketchpad- ' No, I need to calm down and check everything first.'
Taking the sketchpad and the paintbrush from his/her hands, I carefully glossed over its content. There were lots of drawings of monsters, beasts of all kinds and even some people or at least humanoid creatures. Some of them weren't even creatures, as there was a drawing of the Sun, the stars, and even just a random dragon arm instead of the full beast.
Many of these were fully drawn and coloured beautifully. One of them was a super realistically drawn red-scaled western dragon with horns and spikes littered throughout its body. It looked both majestic and had an aura of domination coming off a simple drawing. Fire and brimstone surrounded the beast, I could feel the heat from it. I felt that there was nothing else I could add to this drawing to improve it, even if I wanted.
' Kinda reminds me of the dragon depicted in Wales's flag.'
Turning the page, I saw a drawing of another dragon. This one was completely white and had white hair flowing elegantly throughout its entire body. The dragon in the drawing held an aura of power and supremacy itself. It was not as intense compared to the red one, this one felt more silent and in control, but the amount of power rivaled it without a doubt.
And so I flipped through pages and pages, I saw a starry sky, a black wolf, a beautifully drawn mirror, heck I think I even saw Christ himself in some of these drawings. Some of the things depicted with him were a spear, a chalice, and a shroud. I knew enough about history to identify those relics. If I remembered correctly, the spear was used to kill him and his blood came into contact with those three relics. I don't know what they were called individually, but it didn't matter now.
It wasn't until I reached a certain page that something in me told me to stop. Compared to the other drawings that were coloured so perfectly that the image felt like it could pop out, this one was different.
There in front of me was a rough outline of a giant snake/dragon-like creature, asides from its head that was filled in, everything else was blank.
' Jörmungandr? No, this one is also a dragon and doesn't give me the feeling of it being as big as the Norse snake. A Chinese dragon? Again, no, my guts are telling me that it's something else. It wasn't Aztec or even Japanese for that matter. So what was it?'
I looked back at Bob and then at the paintbrush he passed me, "Do you want me to complete colouring some of these drawings?"
I should have expected that but he/she didn't say no, so here I go. Who cared if this turned out to be a mistake, my very existence in this reality was one to begin with. Now wasn't that an edgy thought? But I meant it seriously, if I was truly meant to be reborn here, I was never given an explanation as to why I still held my memories from before.
I started with the dragon's torso which was its entire underside body length ' do snakes even have a torso?' for some reason I already had an idea of its colours and its general appearance. Black smooth scales surrounded by a purple haze.
The more I filled in the colours, the more alive the dragon felt. It didn't even possess a fraction of the power the red one and the white one have previously shown. But for some reason it resonated with me, its presence felt both warm and safe.
I truly felt connected to it.
I had coloured in roughly forty percent of the dragon, I was never an artist, to begin with, so I had to paint every scale as diligently as possible. After I was done with one part, I went to fill in the other areas. But suddenly both the sketchpad and the paintbrush vanished from my hands, returning to Bob and I soon found myself falling through the floor!
I saw Bob waving goodbye, ' I am going to get back at you, mark my words'
"Aaaaaaaaaa" I cried out in fright from my falling only to slowly have my head hazy till I passed out completely.
{ Break }
- Hachiman's Room, Hachiman POV-
"Wah!"
I woke up abruptly, looking at my surroundings. Then the lord of all headaches hit me like a freight train equipped with NASA's strongest rockets.
"Hugh, my freaking head."
I had to close my eyes for a few seconds, after feeling the pain gradually lessen, I opened my eyes and surveyed my surroundings.
' I am back in my… room?'
Trying to recall what happened before, I remember running away from those people who burned down the shrine. I had both Akeno and her mother with me, Shuri-san was heavily injured. We got unlucky when one of the pursuers spotted us and chased us down, ' while firing freaking magic arrows, I still can't believe that happened.'
I was hit, the guy was about to finish us and then… and then… I can't recall what happened next…'
That must be the reason why I had such a headache, first thing waking up.'
But seeing that I am still alive and in my room, I can safely say that we got away safely… somehow.
'I need to check up on Akeno and her mother first.'
As I prepared myself to leave my bed, I immediately found myself stuck. Carefully looking down, I saw a pair of arms encircling my stomach and the person holding me was a very naked Akeno.
I gulped, my throat suddenly dry from the sight. What? You expected a violent reaction from me, like an anime protagonist becoming overly flustered and jumping off the bed whenever he sees the slightest bit of cleavage? Hah! Guess again. But my face was indeed full-on red, and my tension did rise to infinity and beyond.
' She really doesn't look like a kid my age should.'
No, she truly does not, her body already had curves in all the right places and her breasts pressed against my side already felt bigger than before.
Fortunately, my body was still young to have any reactions, but that didn't stop my mind from wandering off down the-
' STOP !'
For some reason, my brain decided that it was a good idea to wake her up. "Akeno-chan, are you okay?"
A sensual moan escaped her lips as she stretched her body, waking up from her slumber. The move exposed everything about her, not hiding even the tiniest bit. Her eyelids slowly opened and for a brief moment I felt like they were glowing in an ominous violet light when she saw me, but in the end, it got suppressed.
"Hikima!"
"Oof!"
Her body slammed me back up to the wall, her entire naked self was pressed against me this time, Her hot breath on my neck as she spoke, ' Oh, sweet lord somebody save me!'
"Thank you! Thank you! Thankyouthankyouthankyouiloveyousomuch…" she spoke so fast at the end that I couldn't even understand her words.
"A-Akeno-chan ca-calm down. Wha-what happened when I was unconscious? How did we escape?" I asked her, trying to gain control of the situation.
And also because I was truly curious about it.
"You don't remember?" she said after calming down a bit.
"I wouldn't ask you if I did, right?"
Again, the only thing I could remember was falling unconscious and then immediately waking up in my room.
Akeno looked at me excitedly while saying, "Mother said that you saved us by awakening your sacred gear!"
Sacred what now?
"Okaaaay, um where is she by the way?"
Since she is the one who told her that, maybe she knows of what happened before. Akeno was probably too scared to remember things as they were. At the mention of her mother, Akeno grew wide-eyed and took my hands, dragging me to the door.
"She is downstairs right now, come on, let's go see her! Oh, I forgot to tell you that we also have a guest."
Guest? I wonder who it might be. It truly felt good watching her being so happy after what just happened to her, but I could not follow her for one reason.
"Akeno-chan…"
"Yes?"
"Wear some clothes."
"Oh, I didn't notice!" Please do not become an exhibitionist.
After we got ourselves prepared, we went to the living room. I wonder how my parents reacted to their son coming back home unconscious and injured, with Akeno and her mother. I hope they didn't overreact or something, and I had to come up with a believable story, there was no way they'd ever believe me when I say we got attacked by some magic-wielding bastards. I could lie about how I tried saving them from a burning shrine and while distracted by the raging flames got a piece of wood stabbed into my legs- ' Wait a minute. I DID get stabbed, then why am I able to walk properly?'
Checking the area where I got injured, a faint white spot was visible on my skin, almost like the wound had almost healed up completely.
' How is this even possible!?'
Another question for Shuri-san.
As we came down the stairs and entered the living, I came to face a stranger I never met in my life.
A foreigner, she is a pretty young girl, white skin, blue eyes, and her most distinctive feature is her long, beautiful crimson-coloured hair that reaches down to her back with a single hair strand sticking out from the top.
' Huh, she has an ahoge like me, must be tough combing your hair every day. I just don't bother.'
We just stared at each other for a bit, and she was the one who decided to break the silence first.
"Greetings, Hikigaya Hachiman-kun, I present myself as Rias Gremory, heir to the Gremory clan, archduke of the underworld. Believe it or not, I am the one responsible for your safe return to your house." She said with a polite smile.
Now that's funny, kids now present themselves as nobles from the underworld. The chuuni spirit must be strong with this one. I did not bother her with a reply, rather, I stared at her with my signature dead fish eyes look.
My thinking must have been visible enough for her to guess, "Ara? It would seem that you do not believe my words." she said, clearly amused about something.
"Sorry if my disbelief is that noticeable but an archduke demon clan from the underworld? Really? You could have at least tried better."
What next, will she say that Lucifer himself is her brother or sister?
' I believe Yukinoshita Haruno is too busy with her work to give her role as the devil any attention.'
"How about a demonstration, then?" she offered.
"A demonstration?"
What was she up to?
"If I can convince you of the fact that I am a devil and that the supernatural does exist, then will you hear me out for a bit?"
I would have heard her out anyway, but it wouldn't hurt to see what she would do next.
Flap !
What. The. Heck. Are those wings!? What situation have I got myself trapped into!? My calm face immediately broke into shock and disbelief, which was enough for Rias to know that she succeeded at convincing me.
"So, will you hear me out now?"
"Ara ara, it seems that I am a bit late."
A second voice came from the kitchen, it was Shuri-san who was carrying a tray of hot tea. I remembered something,
"Shuri-san, how are your injuries? Are you okay?" I asked worriedly.
She proceeded to pat my head lovingly and reassured me that she was fine.
"Don't worry Hachiman-kun, Gremory-san over here healed us all up with her magic. Fufufu in fact, she also taught Akeno some healing art that required skin contact." I was speechless, at least that was another mystery solved.
"I believe that I should explain more." Rias Gremory decided to continue on with her explanation.
What followed was a lengthy explanation of how all the supernatural and magic was real. How the three factions of Christianity were in a state of constant, only for there to be an uneasy truce between them right now, as the last war nearly drove them extinct. I really did not want to believe all of this, but then she went a step further and used actual magic right in front of me by conjuring a red sphere that made my instinct go haywire. The power of destruction she called it, a power unique to the Bael clan and made its way to her clan with an agreed-upon marriage and union between her mother and father.
She talked about the peerage system, an invention created by a super devil scientist or something. Made to increase their species population quickly as well as their strength. By using chest pieces ' anime as fuck ' they could convert any being into a devil with all the benefits of a longer lifespan, usage of demonic magic, and increase in strength. But there was a catch, there always was one, when someone wants to become a devil they HAD to join a peerage, effectively becoming a slave to the peerages king.
The Gremory heir constantly assured us that her clan was different and how they treated every servant as family.
' Humpf like I would ever believe that.'
Even if it was true it does not change the fact that this system at its core was no different from slavery and the opinion of one good family would not change the general outlook of the entire Underworld on those new devils. There would be discrimination, people would seek to differentiate themselves from the 'less pure' not because they were true devils or not.
But because they were sentient beings who created a society and in the end, these kinds of things always lead to civil conflicts, just look at human history it was pretty similar.
This… was a bit too much to take in all at once. I prided myself on my self-control and self-awareness, but I still had limits. I was given a few minutes to digest everything. But she was not done yet for she had a request for me as well as Akeno apparently. I could already tell what she wanted from us a mile away.
"Hikigaya Hachiman-san as well as you Himejima Akeno-san, I Rias Gremory formally invite you to become members of my peerage. I swear on my family's name and honor that I will treat all of you equally and no different from my family." she held out two pieces, a queen and a pawn.
' A deal with the devil… I don't like it one bit. But she could protect us and my family, like hell I'll take any unnecessary risk but… I need to be more informed before making such an important decision. But for now…'
"I'm afraid I must decline your offer on my part for now."
Until I get to know more about everything else.
' Somehow , I know this is all Bob's faul-'
Wait a minute… who was Bob?
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 2 Fate fics are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter.
A new club?
Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Damn, today was a TIRING and EXHAUSTING day. I wrote this chapter basically half asleep lol
So I mentioned in the previous chapter that I'll start with the canon timeline next. But I couldn't do it as there were still many things to cover. So this is more of a time skip chapter.
It does not cover everything but does answer some question people had. I decided to NOT cover all topics in one chapter as it would feel to compact and rushed. Everything will be revealed at its own pace.
Mistletainn : Thank you for understanding. Now about the previous chapters you felt were rushed will be re-written. I will include more details then. Thank you for reminding me of one of the main plot villains in dxd for me.
ArmantusCumPinnae : Yea I too felt similarly. Rushing the story to canon timeline will feel too rushed and many plot holes would have been left unchecked. So I decided to slow down a bit.
Chryshauzer: Don't worry I wrote this chapter cause I had free time and was bored. But if BIG IF a day came when I no longer felt like writing and were burned out. I'll post bullet points of what the plot would have been in my story. I never liked when some stories were abandoned with us no longer knowing what the author had in mind for the plot in the end.
Long ass AN done!
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya Solitary heart and 8kagi.
- Third POV Rias-
After Rias heard Hachiman's decision she was a bit shocked at first, but came to understand his hesitation.
The boy had just come out of a life and death scenario, barely saving both his friend and her mother's life. They were lucky that her Onii-Sama was notified of the fire. As the previous residence of one of the Fallen Angel's faction's main leaders, Baraqiel was kept under constant surveillance while he was on their land. Her clan was still in the process of familiarizing with Kuoh, after its former owner, Cleria Belial's tragic death, the Gremorys were then gifted with the land.
She was a bit skeptical on why her Onii-sama wanted her to go there instead, with Okita-san as her guard. But she didn't question him and used a spell to teleport near the shrine.
"Be careful Ojou-sama, Kuoh may be our territory but this land, in particular, is owned by the Himejima clan. One of the Five Principal Clans, they are a powerful clan of mystics linked to the Shinto gods and have served them for generations and are well known for purifying evil spirits. They do NOT get along with our kind in the slightest." warned her bodyguard.
' Especially now with all the fiasco going on with the church and the death of Lady Belial. Though this place may seem as a calm area at first, it is festered with dangers on every one of its corners.' thought Okita Souji.
He was not a fan of Sirzechs's decision on letting his sister deal with the matter. He understood that the presence of one of the Maous would cause waves but he could have sent Grayfia here to inspect to fire instead. But he relented in the end, he knew Sirzechs had a reason for every one of his actions and as his long-time friend and peerage member, he trusted him.
"Yes, Okita-san, I'll be careful."
Since she would live here in the future, her mother drilled every bit of knowledge into her brain, claiming that a noble lady like her should never be blind about her own territory.
[… D̶E̸… T̴E̵ ̷F̵I̷E̴L̵D̶!̵]̵
"There, near the mountains! I felt a burst of energy!" she claimed, sensing the rather short-lived source of power.
After a few minutes of flying to the source, she had found the trio, but Himejima Akeno and her mother were both unconscious, only the boy Hikigaya Hachiman was left standing surrounded by their attackers who were all somehow unconscious as well, he just stared aimlessly without moving or talking. She wanted to go help them but was stopped in her tracks by her brother's knight as he remained vigilant against the boy.
Only after a closer look did she spot an eerie dark-looking pauldron covering his right shoulder and his right chest with a red sphere-like gem embedded in it. ' A sacred gear!'
Rias grew astonished and a dragon one no less, they were known to be one of the rarest and strongest sacred gears one could hope to have. Even the weakest dragon gear, twice critical, could double a person's power. Now it might not change much for a regular human, but for someone with ultimate-class power, that was a game-changer.
She did not recognize the sacred gear but seeing its aftermath after probably awakening it for the first time, it must be very powerful, probably not a Longinus but close enough.
' With his help, I might… I might finally be set free from that -'
She was interrupted by her brother's knight, "Ojou-sama we need to get them back to safety, you can take care of those two women while I will bring the boy. Use your familiar to track the boy's abode by scent." He had somehow managed to put the boy to sleep and carried him in his arms.
After finding Hikigaya's house, they all teleported themselves to his room. Okita-san carefully place him on his bed, his sacred gear gone. She noticed that despite her being so close to the boy and even touching him, she could no longer sense the draconic aura from the gear. Almost as if he had never used it, to begin with, but she was certain that it was there… weird.
First, she had to take care of the parents, no doubt stressing over the disappearance of their son, finding them in the living room in the middle of dialing the authorities, she used her powers and planted the memories of their son coming back home with Himejima Akeno and her mother both having no place to stay for the night since the shrine burned down.
After seeing them off to their room, she gathered in front of Himejima Shuri and took a bottle from her pocket. Her brother told her repeatedly to only use this for an emergency situation with her life on the line, but she knew that she had to use it to save someone else's life today. A phoenix tear droplet was soon absorbed, and the mother slowly opened her eyes.
A sizzling like sound was heard as gaping wounds healed in a blink of an eye. Truly, these tears were extremely effective as well as previous and this was further emphasized with their astronomical price per bottle, at least something her family could easily afford though.
"Where… where am I?" asked Himejima Shuri, her tone confused and tired only for it to soon be replaced by panic and fear. "Akeno-chan and Hachiman-kun, where are they!? Are they safe!?"
She searched around to find a trace of them, she soon spotted her daughter next to her both uninjured and sleeping, relief flooded her being as her nightmare never came to pass.
' He did keep his promise.' Shuri thought as she remembered Hachiman-kun's words.
When she turned her attention towards Rias, the latter decided to fill her in on everything that happened so far and how everyone else was safe and sound, as well as introduce herself. Even after knowing of her nature as a devil, she still hugged the girl tightly, making the poor princess flustered and blushing.
"A-ano, pl-please do not fret, for your family is now under the protection of the Gremory clan and myself!" she said with a puffed chest.
Rias was happy that everything went well with the healing, if not then she would have had resorted to using her precious chest pieces, but if possible she wanted to save them for people with good enough potential like Himejima Akeno, a half-fallen and Hikigaya Hachiman a powerful dragon type sacred gear holder. She could already feel the immense magical potential inside the half-fallen, giving her the queen piece would tremendously boost her overall strength. While for Hikigaya, she could probably use a few pawn pieces. Since his magical energy was average, giving him the pawns coupled with the ability to promote would be a sound strategy for future rating games.
But all that went into smoke after his initial rejection. She tried multiple times, repeating all the guaranteed benefits as well as the possibility to own his own peerage in the future. But the boy was unshakable, his face remained impassive as his dead fish eyes unsettled her, she felt that he could see right through her soul or something. In the end, she relented, for now, she could try again in the future if he changed his mind and he would only do it after she gained his trust. So she offered him magical lessons and training at using his sacred gear with no strings attached!
For the first time his expression changed for a brief moment,
' Hah, got you !'
He contemplated her offer for a bit, truly caught off guard with the ' no strings attached ' bit. In the end, he accepted on the condition that she would protect them, including his parents. Of course, she accepted immediately, she finally had a potential ally… and possibly another friend besides Sona.
Himejima Akeno, who for the most part remained silent during the entire conversation, had a different opinion on that matter.
"If… if I get to be accepted in your peerage would I get stronger?"
Hachiman by her side quirked an eyebrow at her question. The answer was pretty obvious enough, but he felt that Akeno was searching for something else or something more, he was missing something here. He still hasn't talked to her about everything that happened to her. So he felt that it would be wise to wait for a bit before she answered.
"Gremory-san, Akeno-chan is still a bit shaken up with what happened, could you give her a few more days to think about it?" Rias hesitated, she was so close to getting the help she needed to prevent what was to come in the future.
But she had to remain patient, and a few days is nothing.
{ Break }
- Akeno POV-
( 5 years later)
Time sure does pass by quickly, it has been around 5 years since that incident. A lot has happened since then, thanks to Rias both Hachiman-kun's parents and her mother got a new house like manor to move into. The manor was constantly protected by many magic fields set up by the Gremory family.
It even had a training area underground for Hachiman and herself to use. Rias and Okita-sensei would sometimes join as well and train us but the redhead spent most of her time together while Okita-sensei focused on Hachiman and his usage of his sacred gear, which they had identified long ago.
One of Vritra's five sacred gears, [ DELETE FIELD].
According to Rias, it gave the user the ability to suppress and negate the abilities of an opponent or items within their range. The effects were strong enough to temporarily trap opponents as powerful as Satan level opponents.
Hachiman was someone very prideful of his logical thinking ability. He never relied on anyone else to explore more of his gears powers. He spent days and months coming up with new abilities and new usage for his gear.
What she found funny was how the main role of Okita-sensei was to train Hachiman-kun's physical endurance and stamina. While the latter absolutely hated physical activities and training, would find ways to use most of his gear's power on taking care of his opponent before the fight even began.
Hachiman's favorite quote to say was, "To fight hard is admitting defeat, but to fight smart is to win before the fight even begins."
Concerning Rias, they did get along quite nicely over the years. They have become best of friends and almost like sisters. At first, she thought of Rias as a regular noble girl, always meeting important people, basically your commonly known girl in high society. But it was the complete opposite, the girl was an honest to Satan otaku and a complete weeb! She still remembers when she had accidentally stumbled inside Rias's room in the manor when the girl moved in. It was filled with Gundam figurines, posters, games, and many small trinkets popular in Japanese culture.
Oh, just teasing the girl was such a treat, her blushing face and her quivering self-made it difficult for her to stop. She wanted to torment the girl a bit more, to see her on the floor begging- ' Ah, here I go again, losing control.'
One of the bigger changes to her being was her growing dark desires and tendencies, she noticed during magical training or stray devil hunting whenever she hurts an opponent with her regular lightning, their screams of pain always made her hot and wet. Switching to [Holy Lightning] would just end the fun too early, as they would always be vaporized.
But her body reacted more intensely when she was with Hachiman-kun, the first time she saw him blushing when they were still very young felt like a burst of electricity coursing through her body.
She knew that her nature as a fallen made her mature faster than regular humans and more true to her desires, so she had to hold back her teasing him from time to time. But she was only so strong, from slight verbal teasing to pushing her breast against his body made her nearly lose control and force herself on him a couple of times.
Her childhood crush may be cynic, stoic, and a self-proclaimed loner, which was very contradicting with all the people around hIm, but he was still very perceptive of other people's emotions. It baffled her how he was still in denial of the possibility of a girl falling for him.
' Maybe I should just try a more forceful approach, fufufu.'
"Oi, you're thinking something dangerous right now aren't you?"
A monotone voice interrupted her musing as she turned around to see the very subject of her thinking.
"Ara ara Hachiman-kun, you let a young defenseless woman like me walk alone to school? How cruel." she finished with a slight smile at the end, watching his deadpan face.
"Yes, someone capable of summoning a 300 million Volts beam of destruction is classified as a defenseless woman these days." he replied sarcastically.
After 5 years, Hachiman-kun now sported a medium black haircut that he never combed or took care of with a prominently cute ahoge in the middle just like Rias. His major change in appearance was his stature, even if he tried to hide it, no one would miss seeing all those muscles behind his shirt. He also grew a lot in height, standing a comfortable head above her. He has already unknowingly stolen the heart of half of the girls in middle school.
"Mou, Hachiman-kun that is not the way to talk to a girl, what if I got hurt by a stray?"
"Knowing you probably would have enjoyed that, you pervert."
Aah~ his insults hurt me so well, he is a natural. Oh, he cringed! He probably expected me to get angrier or something.
"Should have seen that one coming." he sighed.
Even after revealing to him about her nature as a fallen angel, he remained mostly the same, at first she was terrified of his response. Would he hate her since she hide such a big secret? She always knew that all that Hachiman-kun desired was a normal life, would he hate her since all of this was her fault.
She had already nearly lost her mother and her father was absent. She did not want to lose him.
But then he proved to her again why he was the one person she fell in love with.
- (Flashback) -
"You can talk to me, you know that, right?" After their talk with Rias, Hachiman brought Akeno back to his room.
He intended this to talk to her and comfort her from what happened.
"If there is anything that is bothering you, please let me know. I'm always here for you."
That was what she was afraid of, if he found out about her… would he still be at her side? She saw how he did not trust Rias who is not human… just like her.
"Hi-Hikima, remember when I wanted to t-tell you something important?" she said with dread already creeping in her voice.
"Yeah, I do." he stood by patiently waiting for her to continue.
"Well, before this incident I wanted to tell you that…"
"… I-I wanted to tell you th-at…"
"… that I'm a…"
"… a… fal-…" she took a deep breath and calmed her nerves.
"… I'm a Fallen Angel…" Akeno whispered so low that even Hachiman barely heard her.
The room became quiet.
"What?" he asked, wanting to rip out the bandage, she decided to reveal her wings.
Flap !
Her wings were nearly as tall as her body, arcing off her back like a concave reflection. Each long, narrow black feather gleamed under the light, showing off its raven-like qualities. They slammed upward once, creating a small air current.
She closed her eyes in fear, ready for any kind of outburst.
"…"
But it never came, or rather something else happened.
"Huh, guess I was kinda right about you not being normal." he commented with his same relaxed tone.
She opened her eyes and saw him walking circles around her, inspecting her wings close up.
' It's somehow embarrassing showing him off my wings.'
"A-aren't you scared of me? Aren't you angry that I lied to you all this time?"
His lackadaisical attitude even after revealing to him the truth shocked her.
"Did you have any bad intentions?"
"Never!" She shouted.
"Then everything's good."
"B-but I destroyed your likelihood to have a normal life, and now you will be in- pa!
"Ouch!"
Hachiman flicked her hard on the forehead.
"Are you TRYING to make me hate you? You lied to me because you wanted to protect me and the bubble around my life, you were scared of how I would have reacted to your nature as a fallen thus possibly ruining our friendship, I get all that. If the truth is a cruel mistress, then a lie must be a nice girl."
"And besides you are part of my normal life-can't have you be gone all of a sudden."
There he went again, saying such things without realizing how they may affect a young girl, '… how it affected me…'
"A-Akeno-chan?"
Too late now Hachiman-kun you better take responsibility.
"Wha-mmmf!"
She smashed her lips against his, moaning as she kept, enjoying every moment. She cherished this moment to the fullest, even if she was nearly suffocating the poor boy.
-( Flashback end)-
"Fufufu, how nostalgic."
After that event, Hachiman-kun had trouble keeping a straight face when he looked at her. To torture him furthermore, she would occasionally claim his lips during their magic training with Rias.
The poor girl would turn into a stammering red-faced mess, after she was done with Hachiman she would then leave with a small peck on Rias's cheeks. Both of those two would then avoid her and each other out of sheer embarrassment for the rest of the day.
Her mother even encouraged her to act bolder sometimes. When Rias heard that, she became as jumpy as a cat whenever she was near her. For every small action, she would flinch in fright, she knew her mother enjoyed the girl's reaction as well.
The girl, who she shared her bed with, was because the princess couldn't sleep without holding someone or something. Had also a bad habit of sleeping naked or walking around with little to no clothes. She found it funny how someone like her could get incapacitated with a mere smooch on the cheeks.
Once, she wondered how the girl would react-if she went a step further. Will she squirm? Will she love it? And what if she made Hachiman join as well? Aah~ her breast jiggled lewdly and her hips quivered at the thought of it.
"Seriously, can you stop it, I can visibly see your sinful thoughts."
"Sorry, I was just reminiscing about some past events. I still can't believe we will soon graduate from middle school."
Akeno felt grateful to Rias for pulling some strings in the back, allowing her and Hachiman to attend the same class.
Not that he needed to know.
"Guess Kuoh Academy is just around the corner." commented Hachima-kun.
It was in fact an all-girls private school. But according to Rias since the school is co-owned by both the Gremory family as well as the Sitri family, they have decided to soon accept male students next school year.
"Will you be joining any clubs?"
Since she already had a pre-planned club, did not have that much of a choice on this matter.
"… I was thinking of creating a club."
Oh, create a club? He never showed any such intentions in the past.
"What would this possible club be about?" Akeno asked curiously.
"The Service Club."
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 2 Fate fics are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter.
Hunt
Hiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
I don't know what is wrong with Fanfiction today since whenever I save my files and then reopen them, all of the spaces between the words are suddenly gone! I tried fixing it but it happened 3 more times! I don't even know if there are other errors I missed so do mention them if you come across some.
Also, I posted the first 2 chapters on Spacebattle, I'll post the other chapters regularly.
Mistletainn : Ha! You underestimate the stubbornness of Hikigaya Hachiman. Unless he finds a way to turn himself into a devil that doesn't chain him down, or create any unnecessary issues in the future he won't budge.
Saif Omar: I will for now post here and SB. I'm also planning on posting the story on Webnovel and QQ.
underwaterflame : Don't worry bro, I changed his name back to Hikigaya.
AmethystPone : Ayo yes I have noticed some of the hate surrounding Rias. But I will NOT be influenced by them, Hikigaya is a logical person who will try and understand her actions. Rias is greedy but not evil in any way. No one is perfect.
This time short AN done!
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi.
- Hachiman POV-
1st day of Kuoh Academy.
You know I usually didn't care that much if my school looked fancy or normal, as long as the department got good teachers and a space for me to take advantage of. Of course, I was familiar with schools made for the elite, where only the best of the best, the cream of the crop, the shining jewels of the country could enroll. Well, it just so happened that I got accepted into one, Kuoh Academy.
Man, feelt like deja vu.
To say that the school was fancy would be like saying the Sun was a bit hot, a complete understatement. I felt like I had accidentally gone through a portal of some kind and found myself stranded in 16th century France with the school being a perfect representation of French Renaissance architecture.
' Did they use the country's entire yearly budget to build this!?'
Even aside from its exotic theme, the school ground was HUGE, easily covering a few hundreds of acres of land! There was even enough space for there to be a small forest.
' God help me, but at least I have more than enough areas for my alone time.'
I could hear them muttering under their voices, probably something bad about me or my appearance-like how scary and unapproachable I looked with my dead fish eyes.
All these not-so-silent whispers from the girls around did not bother me all that much, I used to get psychologically bullied after that confession in my past life. In a way, I am back to where I started, though this time I lacked an embarrassing or tragic backstory, my looks were more than enough to intimidate these school girls from approaching me.
" Whisper th… bo… over the… inda… ot. Whisper "
I could hear some parts of their conversation, but unfortunately I lacked the enhanced sense that the devils have naturally.
Incredibly unfair, if I'm being honest.
But that does not mean I didn't have other ways to enhance myself, magic truly was the ultimate convenient cheat ability. Think of it as me being a bit bored and curious about what they thought about me, it had been a while since I wasn't insulted or treated as a weirdo since my past school life.
Minor hearing Enhancement
A small violet-colored magic circle formed in front of each of my ears. To avoid any weird looks, I used a set of headphones while cutting off the music.
A perfect cover!
It was a small spell I learned from scouring the many magical tomes gifted to me by Rias. Since magic took constant practice and memorization to remember, hard work is a very crucial aspect to have.
' Freaking devils with their bullshit powers based on their imagination and desires.'
Seriously, it was like someone gave an entire race a protagonist-only overpowered cheat skill, and worst of all you didn't even need to train it that much to achieve a hundred times the result compared to regular magic!
Aside from my [ Minor hearing enhancement] technique, I mastered a few other magical spells both offensive and defensive. I won't lie, I got most of my ideas from all the different anime in my past life but recreating them was a challenge and their effects didn't even come close to the original… yet.
First, I learned [Magic arrow], a simple spell that shoots out arrow-like projectiles. I know it was a good spell since I'd been at the receiving end of it about half a decade ago.
Against normal people it turned out to be quite lethal but against supernatural beings like medium-class devils, it barely scratched them. A good distraction spell but not something I should rely on much.
[ Levitation ] The reason behind this one was quite petty.
Seeing Rias or Akeno fly around with their wings always bugged me. I wanted to fly, but I couldn't, so I learned a spell for it… a spell that cost me a year of my time to learn! Why is my talent is magic so shitty? Curse you God!
' Not really since the heaven's faction was a thing, he was most definitely up there. If you can hear me please don't strike me down with lightning… or is that a Zeus thing?'
My third and final magical spell, an original that out of everyone in this world, only I could do! My greatest accomplishment, my piece d'oeuvre [ Absolute silence ] which cancels out any kind of noise in an area range that depends on my magical energy reserves.
What, not impressed?
Weird so were Rias and Akeno for that matter, the former even almost went on a rant about how I wasted huge amounts of time creating such a ' useless ' spell, but unfortunately she couldn't get to say a thing since I accidentally used [ Absolute silence ] on her.
' Heh, that slap was really worth it.'
But joking aside, those were really the only 4 magical spells that I could cast. I tried going for something grander and more useful but without a template or the knowledge on how to create grand powerful spells, I could not do much but continue spending my efforts familiarising myself with my sacred gear which I have been successful so far… to a certain degree.
Vritra was a special case.
It was one of the few dragons that had its soul separated into multiple pieces. And I could not use [ Delete Field ] to its fullest potential without combining every piece. The fallen angel faction was rumored to hold 3 parts while the final part's location was still unknown.
I did NOT want to meddle with other factions more than I needed to for now. I did not hate them but rather feared what they would do if they found a dragon gear holder who was still human by the devil's side. The church will immediately send me to meet Jesus, no doubt. And the fallen might try to sway me on their side with the other 3 pieces as bait.
Of course, things were still unclear with them since Baraquiel knew about me and still hasn't done anything for that matter.
I was no battle junkie hero with aspiring goals like saving the world or some other stupid anime reasoning. I only wanted silence and peace and to live out my life without being in the middle of a deadly thug of war with all three factions.
"Well, I can't complain that much since I do have a sacred gear in me instead of none." I focused my attention on what kind of dark gossip these girls might come up with before I even started my first day of school.
"Hey, look at that boy there, he's wearing a Kuoh Academy uniform."
Why yes I am, and I much like its simplistic design unlike the girl's which seemed to have been designed by a pervert!
"Oh! Look, you can see his muscles through his uniform, he is seriously ripped! Even his arms look like they could crush me!"
Well, I probably could, not that I would in the first. I was not Arnold Schwarzenegger levels of buff, but I was also not streamlined or lith in any way. I guess I was in the middle, my body looked similarly to Eren Yaeger's titan form.
Again unlike devil physiology, I could not keep my appearance the same after getting a few times stronger. In the beginning, it took a few months for me to take the image of Rias bench pressing more than me out of my head even with her small stature.
' Thank god buff Rias is not a thing, and also fuck you devil power, you are basically what someone like Zaimokusa would kill to have.'
Let's see what others were saying, "Heeeee? A boy? Isn't it dangerous for us to be in the same school? What if he was a pervert? He might be a menace for all we know!"
Ah, there it was, that initial assumption against all boys, the fear that we might be beasts under human skin. The slightest mistake, like touching a girl by accident or god forbid made eye contact with one, would immediately label me as a pervert and make me shunned by everyone.
In a female-dominated school that has existed for so long and with such a prestigious reputation to boot, it was expected that all males needed to be prepared for the future discrimination and bias opinions to be used against them. The girl proceeded to add more, "But I wouldn't mind becoming one of his victims kyaaa~".
' Hahaha, lately all this training made me mentally tired as well, there is no way that whatever I heard was rea - I forgot to turn off my hearing enhancement spell.
"With those muscles, he could easily hold me down ha~, somewhere isolated ha~, rip my clothes off ha~Kyaaa!"
"Shhhh! He might hear you keep your voice down!"
' What.'
'The.'
'Flying.'
'Fuck is wrong with this world and its people!?!?!?'
Have I been reborn into a hentai world? No! My hair was normal and I had visible eyes.
' Well with how things are going with Akeno…'
Is the guy messing with me from above the god of romantic comedy or the god of perverts?
' My peaceful time in high school will for sure die in a ditch.'
Was I the one in danger here? Should I be afraid of getting jumped on in the middle of relaxing in school?
I was surrounded by thirsty deviants!
{ Break }
- Kuoh, abandoned school building, Future Occult Research Club room-
""Achoo!"" sneezed two girls at the same time
Akeno, who was cleaning up the room, looked outside for a bit. "Someone is thinking about me, must be Hachiman-kun"
"But I sneezed as well…" Commented Rias, hoping that Hachiman was thinking about her.
{ Break }
- Hachiman POV-
I speed walked towards the front gate since I no longer felt safe with my virginity around these girls.
Honestly, this was the opposite of what I was expecting!
"Hikigaya-kun."
A familiar face greeted me, a young bespectacled woman with a slim figure, black hair styled in a short bob cut and violet eye, Sona Sitri.
"I remember explicitly reminding you to not slouch while walking. It is unbecoming of your image." she warned sternly while pushing up her glasses with her left middle finger making her lenses reflect the sunlight.
' Yeah, that move was definitely practiced.'
By her side was none other than the ever diligent and ever quiet Tsubaki Shinra, her queen.
"Why yes Sitri-san, I have been well, it has been a long time, hasn't it? A year, I believe. Thank you so much for worrying about little old me, after how long time has passed." I replied with as much sarcasm I could muster.
Sona Sitri, a very strict and intelligent person, does not take anything lightly. She had a delicate side to her such as her fragile ego. In a way, she reminded me of Yukinoshita Yukino, minus the whole Ice Queen persona. If anything she was more like a very stern and unforgiving teacher.
Of course, she had her moments.
"Please Hikigaya-san, you don't have to be a jerk about it"
She looked around a bit making sure no one was around to hear her. Even Tsubaki giggled a bit.
"I-I missed you to Hikigaya-san, I'm glad that you are in good health."
She was still as adorable as I remembered her to be, almost called her a tsundere.
We first met through Rias after she decided to invite someone more knowledgeable than her in the field of magic. Sona, being her best childhood friend and rivals, accepted her proposal under the condition that Rias did not intervene during her attempts at recruiting me.
' Not like I could be so easily swayed in the first place.'
From the beginning, we got along well due to our similarities. Both of us were firm believers in hard work and working smart, so it facilitated my time training under her. Along with magic, we both spent hours if not days at some times co-working on ways to use my sacred gear effectively and improving my strategical skills during fights.
Just like Rias, she was a fan of chess and a nearly impossible-to-beat player of the game. The only thing I did not agree upon with her was her superposition of the concept and strategy of chess in real-life fighting. There were too many variables and factors that one had to take into account, unlike chess which is an orderly and fair fight, real-life combat was basically the complete opposite. She did try to debate and prove her point was right, but I stood my ground.
But we did respect each other enough to accept our differing opinions. It still hurt my pride and ego that I could not beat this girl in a game that I honestly thought that I would excel at with my logical thinking. "Hikigaya-san, I have an offering for you-" "Denied!" I quickly turned down her invitation to join her peerage.
"Not that, you idiot- cough I m-mean, it is about us having a Stray problem." Oh, so this was a serious matter.
"Want me to take care of it?" I asked. I have gone to stray hunts with Rias and her peerage before, so I know what I was dealing with here.
"Yes, a low-class devil that escaped the peerage of an Earl. Normally I and Tsubaki would take care of the danger but since we have identified it's the individual and its strength, I thought that it would be a good opportunity for you to train your sacred gear combat skills without any major risks of dying."
Wow, her confidence in my strength was really blinding.
Not like I possessed a dragon based sacred gear or anything.
I sighed, the day had not even officially begun, yet I knew I would be tired by the end of it. "Okay, I'll take care of it after classes. You would pester me every day if I did not accept, right Sitri-san?" I accepted the quest.
Sona gave me a small nod and followed it up with a smile, as we parted ways she told me, "While in the human world, I'll be now going under the name of Souna Shitori, be sure to remember that Hikigaya-san."
Hiding your identity with a similar-sounding name? Good thinking. But still a waste of time, I doubted anyone of the students here was familiar with the Ars Goetia book. And Rias has her entire name on display, they are not hiding from something since every single supernatural being knew about them.
' Shitori? How original.'
{ Break }
- Hallway -
The school entrance ceremony was just as boring as I thought it would be, when we were gathered around the gym hall, I finally understood just how outnumbered the male students were. Out of a hundred students, there was only a single male. Less than ten male students in a former girls school, I smelled a hentai plot or a super ecchi anime plot waiting to be found out.
As we were done listening to the hour-long boring speech, the bell finally rang indicating us students to go to our new classes.
""Hikigaya-kun!""
I was suddenly tackled by two girls, almost sending me falling to the ground but thankfully my training kicked in and I successfully regained my balance.
' When I mentioned that if I will be jumped on, in the middle of school, I meant that as a joke!'
It was only through seeing the identity of my two attackers that I immediately recognized them.
"Murayama-san and Katase-san?"
Those two girls who wouldn't leave me alone for a while, are back.
"Yep, it's been a while hasn't it, Hikigaya-kun? We haven't seen each other since elementary!" said the bubbly spirit known as Katase.
Wow, has it been that long? Felt just like yesterday, you two were hounding me just like Akeno.
"Yes it has, but wait… aren't you both supposed to be a year younger than me or something?"
Even in elementary, we used to hang out only after classes or during lunch breaks. So how come they were here in the same year as me?
"A new rule was established last year if any student was able to pass Kuoh's advanced exams and get a perfect score could skip a year in advance. And guess what? We both did it!"
That was impressive indeed, even though I, coupled with my already existing knowledge, could not achieve a perfect score on that test. I only tried it for fun just to see the level. And if I was not mistaken that exams would only count for students already studying in Kuoh's middle school, both Akeno and I went to a different middle school.
"Anyway, I'm happy that you both worked hard. I hope this year will be a fun one for all three of us. By the way, which class are you in?"
"Katase and I are in classroom 1-A." said the surprisingly shy Murayama. Guess it must be hard for her to act the same with someone you haven't seen for many years. But still, the same class? Now isn't that a curious coincidence?
{ Break }
After school ended, it was only the early evening. I hadn't seen Akeno or Rias for that matter. Akeno did mention to me that they were going to clean up their future club or something. ' Now where is that-' " Fooo~ " "Wah!!!"
Out of nowhere, I felt a small blowing of air on my left ear lobe followed by the wet and hot feeling of someone biting it gently.
BRRRrrrr
I shivered so hard that I felt I broke something in me. As I was about to step away, two arms wrapped around my neck, embracing me from behind. I could not move. "Ara Ara~ Hachiman-kun, I haven't seen you for nearly an entire day, and you don't even come for a visit? How hurtful." Said the succubus.
"A-A-Akeno-chan, I-I was just searching for your club." Even after years worth of going through many levels of intense teasing, I still could not get used to Akeno's aggressive side. She only got this intense when we haven't seen each other for long. "Are you here to spend time with me and the others?" She asked while still holding on to me.
Her public show of affection grew increasingly bold over time. I just hoped that she refrained from doing so in the school of all places. With her looks forget the boys but rather the girls are more likely to target me for tainting their idol or something. I hadseen enough anime to know how these things usually tended to go.
"Sorry, Akeno-chan just came to inform that I'll be going out for a stray hunt this evening." I felt her shift as she pressed her face against my back. Her hug became more genuine, "Is it a dangerous stray?" I almost missed what she said with her voice muffled against my clothes.
"No, just a low-class stray, not something I can't handle," I reassured her.
"Just be careful, alright?" she said while tightening her hug around me.
"I will, Akeno-chan."
It was just a low-class stray devil, what could ever go wrong?
'Yep, I totally just jinxed myself.'
{ Break }
- Old abandoned port side warehouse-
Before coming here, I messaged Sona to send me all the details she had of the stray. Its name, weakness, previous fighting style, and so on. I got my reply in less than a minute.
Bawler, a former rook servant to an Earl in the underworld. Responsible for the death of half his fellow peerage members and as expected from a rook, he possessed great magically enhanced strength. His main fighting style was close-ranged high-speed attacks. Known weakness is heavily arrogant and lacks any defense against long-ranged attacks.
"Simple enough, another brute."
As I approached the warehouse, I could already start to smell the putrid odour of rotting flesh and blood. "I still get nauseous, after many exposures to this stuff."
And then I finally saw it.
"Fresh meat has arrived and just in time for dinner."
A giant monster grotesque ogre-looking beast came out from the shadows. He was chewing on what looked like a human leg.
"Former rook of the house head Raum Visiliere, you are hereby sentenced to death on accounts of mass murder of your fellow peerage members and running away from your king." I rehearsed the same lines used regularly by Rias.
"Weaklings! Need to eat more meat! Need more power!"
Huh, he definitely was already too far gone.
"Well…
"Vritra…"
The monster started charging at me intend to kill me. "Raaaah!"
"… why don't we get things started."
[ Delete Field ]
Let the battle commence!
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 2 Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword having 3 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post monthly commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise and Snafu.
I promise
Hiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Shorter chapter this time, had lots of things to take care of today and had to go to the gym after a long while. As you can guess im absolutely spent.
Received lots of interesting reviews about a pet or familiar that would suit hachiman. It gave me a few ideas.
Zathol: Yes I can't see Hachiman starting of op and crushing everyone in a fight from the get go. He is no god or battle junkie but just a displaced loner teen who loves MAXX coffee. But while in the dxd world he can get stronger.
ruben00: Thanks I changed it back to Murayama. Don't know why my auto correct changes her name to Miyamura.
pavook: Don't worry my friend you'll get the answers you seek soon enough.
reality deviant : Thx I fixed it.
That's all, I'm tired, going to bed.
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi.
- Warehouse-
I briefly triggered [ Delete Field] when Bawler was approaching me with a punch ready to hit me in the face. Although his strength boost was gone, his momentum still had a lot of power.
"Hurg!" I brought up my arms up. The impact was strong enough to force my feet to slide across the concrete floor.
I gathered my strengthed and dashed in front of the monster and aimed for his head.
"You are-" Bawler began, catching my kick against his hands, and threw me across the room, breaking some wooden crates in the process, " Weak! Weaklings like you die!"
It took a bit of effort for me to get up, I had to thank Sona for giving me armor as a gift. Without it, my ribs would have been shattered. "Well forgive me for being weak, but that is why I'm fighting you in the first place, dumbass, to improve." After getting myself free from the rubble, I got back into my stance, "Come at me!"
Oof, I sounded like a douche.
Bawler rushed at me again just like before, but this time I had enough time to use my magic.
[ Magic Arrow ]
A single arrow-like projectile shot into his kneecaps, this spell might not be enough to kill strays like him, but it could still heavily injure them.
The monster fell headfirst onto the ground, allowing me to run forward and slam the heel of my foot on his skull, this time denting the floor and causing a bit of bleeding.
"Damn it."
The attack was not strong enough to knock him out sadly, so I retreated away from him when he got back up and shot down every source of light with more [Magic Arrow] spells, making the whole place too dark.
"Useless! Useless! I am a devil I can see everythin-"
He did not give him enough time to finish before I activated my Sacred Gear again, but this time it was different. I hadn't spent my last 5 years only training with spells and magic, but I also put a great deal of training with my gear. From countless experimentation and failed trials, I had come up with a variant ability.
[ Delete Field] [Restrict]
Bawler was surrounded by a focused violet-colored dome that engulfed his entire body and nothing else. Unlike the last time, the effect did not cover the entire warehouse, but this variant approach allowed me to utilize a stronger form of [ Delete Field] while slowing down my opponent for only a few seconds in a very narrow region.
This version allowed me to not only negate any powers or spells of an enemy but also temporarily disable their race's unique power. Night vision is one of the devil's natural abilities.
But this only worked against beings who are weaker magically compared to me. If it was someone who was way above my weight class, it would become useless.
Using my original spell [Absolute Silence], I created a secondary dome of energy around Bawler, now he couldn't see nor hear me. "AAARRRGH! Where are you?! Where are you, weakling?! Insect! I will eat you alive!" That was what I thought he was saying, under the effect of my spell, no sound could even come out of his mouth.
I shot another [ Magic arrow ] to his second knee since he could neither see nor hear anything for the moment, the attack easily incapacitated him and brought him down on his knees, low enough for me to place my two fingers in a gun-like motion on his forehead.
"Wha-" Too late.
Using everything I had, I release my strongest [ Magic Arrow ] but before I could fire it, I felt something wrong… Bawler never reacted to the pain of having both of his knees being shot.
"… !"
A heavy fist hit me in the stomach so hard that I nearly coughed up blood.
"Ooof!" Bawler swiped his arms against me, second flying back against a wall. I was caught off guard and he was able to recover quickly.
"How is this possible?"
Bawler stood up but this time not even acknowledging the two gaping holes in his knees.
"How are you even standing!?"
"Jihahahaha, my Sacred Gear is the strongest! I feel no pain! Now you die human!"
This time his charge attack was much faster than before, I could barely dodge it in time. A sickening crack sounded from my left arm, "Fuck!"
My left side was caught up and pretty sure I felt something break.
The beast was quickly upon me again, this time stomping me to the ground with his feet.
Bam!
Bam!
Bam!
Bam!
Bam!
He continued to strike me in the chest, causing me to sink deeper into the concrete, creating a small crater around me.
' At this rate, I'm going to die crushed!'
I was grateful for the armour once more, as well as the fact that he didn't go for my head.
' Thank god he's not that smart.'
Just as he was preparing to smash me with his fists this time. I recovered enough to counterattack.
' Sona never mentioned any sacred gear! But if he has one, it must be in the brain since it blocks out pain.'
I was desperate for it to work, the same fear and anger I had experienced years ago came back. My will at its absolute strongest, I summoned the black pauldron again, with the violet gem in the middle shining in an intense light!
[ Delete Field] [Restrict]
"…?"
This time, a way smaller sphere formed around the head of Bawler. I used my ability to its absolute limit, pushing my body beyond what it was capable of. And it seemed to have worked as Bawler suddenly couldn't stand anymore and cried in pain.
"AAAAAAAHHH! PAIN! PAIN! MAKE IT GO WAY SACRED GEAR! MAKE IT GO AWAY! GOAWAYGOAWAYGOAWAY- Hurk !"
I gathered my remaining scraps of energy and fired off my last [ Magic Arrow , and I fired it between his eyes, killing him instantly.
' Take that you Hulk wannabe.'
Boom !
Bawler's corpse fell with a loud crash, leaving me as the winner of the battle.
As my spells and sacred gear faded away, I stood on my spot relaxing my nerves. It didn't help that my reserves were now dry and my body was now sore and broken in some places.
I took a deep breath, relaxing my the tens
"…"
"Bleurgh!!"
I ended up vomiting my afternoon lunch and some blood
' That's not good.'
I was not made for battle or generally any life or death situation. It was not the fact that I was bad at it, far from it seeing how I handled Bawler, it was just I hadn't formed the proper mentality for such things.
"Hugh, disgusting."
That could have gotten better, I could have just used my [ Levitation ] spell combined it with my [ Absolute Silence], and sniper shoot Bawler with my strongest [ Magic arrow ]. But I also needed to know how I stacked up against such foe for future references. If I got one day stuck fighting against someone I couldn't cheap kill, then I was good as dead.
' I still nearly died but that was not my fault, the information was wrong!'
It was during these times that I missed my time at the service club, I couldn't wait to create one back in Kuoh. It might help me relax for a change. But that did not mean that I would stop doing stray hunts from time to time.
I rather not be at the receiving end of what happened during the fire. And now that I was fully involved in the supernatural world, dangerous encounters were guaranteed to happen, sooner or later. I preferred to be prepared when it does happen.
I left the warehouse for some fresh air, the cold breeze did help me cool off. I rummaged my pocket for my phone, when I found it, I sent a text to Sona telling her that the job was done and that the information was either wrong or someone lied. I didn't bother elaborating further, I was too tired and hurt for that.
I stared at the night sky in silence, wondering how the past loner, MAXX coffee-loving, teenage kid, Hikigaya Hachiman came from that to now being strong enough to kill a cheap Hulk knock-off.
"Komachi, if you saw your big brother right now, would you find me cool or call me stupid for putting my life in danger?"
"…"
I sighed while already knowing the answer.
"I hate this."
{ Break }
As I walked ' wobbled ' to my house, I kept reviewing the fight in my head countless times, wondering how I could have done better. I was satisfied with my usage of spells, I did not once miss a shot or waste any magical energy. And I was most happy with how my new sacred gear ability performed, [ Delete Field] [Restrict]
A two-part ability, I could use both [ Delete Field] and [ Restrict ] separately. [ Restrict ] allows me to briefly slow down an opponent's movement. It is still in development, so I don't use it by itself as it won't change much. But when combined with [ Delete Field ] I get the bonus of negating one's powers to a higher degree and it did not use that much of my energy.
I didn't tried using this technique against enemies other than devils, I was quite curious what kind of effect it would have on Heaven's angels or yokai. But I knew that it was strong enough to make Akeno lose her ability to generate [ Holy Lightning ]. But that was only if she did not resist me otherwise with her magical reserves she would utterly crush me.
'I just wish I had a better way to improve faster that does not involve me becoming a devil.' I thought as I finally reached my house's front door.
"I'm home."
I heard footsteps approaching and saw my mom coming over, "Oh, Hachiman you're late today… are you feeling okay? You look tired." Good thing I brought a spare uniform before the battle.
The uniform hid most of my bruises and my most likely broken ribs. I used a simple magic spell to cover up some of the cuts on my face to avoid any suspicion, "Yeah I feel fine, just had some things to take care of for a friend."
My mom came close to me and narrowed her eyes while touching my face, "Are sure Hachiman? You did not get into any trouble, did you?" I avoid making any eye contact with her, it hurt to lie but the truth would create more trouble. It was a necessary evil.
"No mom, I did not get into any trouble, just tired. I'll be off to my room, for now, I'll eat later." I told her goodnight and retreated to my bedroom.
Both my parents were in the unknown about the supernatural world. They did not need to know that their son went hunting dangerous monster criminals in the middle of the night while hanging around with devils. It helped that most of our training and dealings happened in the underground training room that was sealed off so that normal people couldn't access it.
I barely reached my room before I collapsed on my bed, my injuries flaring in pain once more, letting out a long-suffering groan of pain. And it seemed to have attracted the attention of a certain redhead in the room. ' Or is it a crimson head?'
"Hachiman-kun! What happened!?"
A red blur came near my bed, taking my hand into her own, she channeled some of her devil power's healing ability into me. A warm sensation filled my body, though my wounds were not regenerating instantly, I could feel my body slowly recover while the pain faded away.
"Thanks, Rias, I owe you one for this," I called out to her using her first name, too tired to care about formalities. "And to answer your question, I just got caught off guard for a bit. But ended up paying a bit too much for it, hehehe-ouch! Everything hurts…" Laughing was not a good idea with my ribs cracked.
This of course caused Rias to get even more worried about me. "Why do you even accept such dangerous missions!? Akeno and I constantly worry about you when you go alone! I should talk with Sona about offering you these missions! What happens if one day you face a challenge too big for you!?"
There she goes into her mother's hen mode, still checking me for more injuries.
My first impression of her when I met her was that she was a spoiled brat, greedy, and annoyingly stubborn girl. She would constantly try to bait me into joining her peerage as Akeno did. One thing I appreciated her for was not using the safety of my parents and Akeno as a bargaining chip to fold me on her side.
Until now she used money, power, long life, and even a harem as a promise for me to join her. Of course, I constantly denied her just like I did with Sona, but Rias was stubborn if not anything. Along the years this soon turned into a game between the both of us, to see who would give up first.
"Honestly, this could have been avoided if you just accepted my proposal on joining my peerage, you know I will always treat you the same. So why don't you?"
This time I felt she genuinely wanted to know the reason. Rias is a good girl with a great heart, I had more than enough time to notice that quality in her. Even Akeno agreed with me on that observation.
She is very kind, compassionate, optimistic, especially to her servants and people close to her. She got angry and violent whenever people insulted her, her family, or her peerage, showing a fiery side to her character. This also played into the fact that she disliked unnecessary cruelty towards people. All of these characteristics have more than earned my respect and admiration for the redhead.
Though, I also acknowledged that she had her own issues, some of her opinions conflicted and differed from mine. In general she wasn't a bad person.
So it made me feel like an absolute jerk when I saw her hurt expression over my constant denials. She thinks that I still doubted her intentions and that I still didn't trust her. But that was the furthest thing from the truth.
I moved my other hand and placed it on her hand in a comforting manner that I used to do with Komachi. "Rias, listen, neither you nor Sona are the reason why I don't want to become a devil. I don't even care that you are a devil in the first place. You misunderstood my reasons for not wanting to join." I told her, stopping her from fussing over me and gaining her attention.
"Then why?" Asked Rias, looking at me for answers that she's been wondering for years, "Why don't you join any of us if you trust me and Sona? Is it because you wish to maintain your humanity? Is there anything specific you're looking for? Please just tell me, and I'll gladly give it to you." Oh, the tears have begun to flow; I felt like the biggest jerk there ever was for making her cry but I had to stand my ground. I wiped her tears away with my hand as I moved down her cheeks, unconsciously caressing them as she nuzzled my palm.
"My issue is with the system as a whole, Rias. My research into the devil chess system and its politics provided me with a lot of insight into the devil's world, and it isn't pretty. Anyone reincarnated as a devil is bound to remain at the bottom, as it is a type of enslavement from which no one can escape. Those in positions of power and influence will never allow the new devils to benefit in any way. The strays are proof enough that something is wrong with the system, something is broken and it needs to be fixed. Until that happens, I will not join any peerage."
"But, you let Akeno become my queen."
"Yes I did, even after telling her about everything, she still insisted on joining your peerage, and I respect her to make her own choices in life, even if I feel otherwise about it." Akeno did not care about the in-working of the underworld, as long as we were by her side, she was satisfied.
I knew my reasoning probably would not satisfy her, but I was indeed speaking the truth, it was not the aspect of becoming a devil that repulsed me but rather the society they live in. It is a rotten pool festered with snakes that blocked any kind of power to the new devils. "… I'll change that…" Rias whispered.
"What did you say, Rias?"
"Will you join my side if I can reform the system to make it more fair and equal for reincarnated devils?"
She did not, in the end, give up. She was a tenacious young lady, and I admired her for it.
"I'll gladly join you when that day comes."
I would be lying if I said I wasn't moved by her determination. It wasn't every day someone was willing to challenge and change an entire system join just for one person.
"Promise?" she stated this as she closed the distance between us, her eyes bright with anticipation for my next response.
I was running on fumes at this point and was on the verge of passing out. I did, however, want to see her smile at least once before falling unconscious.
"Promise."
I held up my pinky finger like a child, but I wanted to show that I meant it and what better way to show it than a pinky promise. Her face lit up with a gorgeous smile as she wrapped her pinky with mine before she went in for a hug burying my face in her breasts. While I slipped deeper into oblivion, I simply let her do it, the softness was too overwhelming for me to pull away.
'I guess this day wasn't so bad after all.' I said as I sank deeper into the realm of Morpheus.
…
I was completely oblivious at the time that something within me had reawakened after a long time. Even though we were both familiar with each other, we were still strangers. The violet gem of my sacred gear gently glowed with a low hum.
' Partner …'
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 2 Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword having 3 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post monthly commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise and Snafu.
Vritra
Hiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Not much to say, aside this chapter as well as the others will continue having updates to improve their grammar.
That's all
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi
- ???-
Badum
Did you know?
On average a normal healthy person could only stay in total silence, hearing nothing but his heartbeat for about an hour before showing signs of insanity.
Badum
Now taking away one's sight, touch, smell, and taste, leaving you with nothing but your thoughts. How long would one person last in this situation? Half an hour? Fifteen minutes? Even less? Who knows, I couldn't even remember if I've been in this state for minutes or hours at this point.
' Just this morning I was wonderingwhether or notI was in a hentai world, but this situation gives me a strong wuxia-cultivation world vibe.'
I read enough of those stories to know that being stuck in a dark room for a hundred years was just a regular Friday for the protagonist. Thankfully I was not a protagonist.
For some reason I felt like I just jinxed myself.
Badum
This heartbeat seemed weird because it wasn't mine in the first place.
'I can't even hear my own, let alone feel any part of my body.'
I was in a strange yet disturbingly familiar scenario right now. I did not know why, but I did feel that I have been in such a situation before, but I couldn't remember how.
Badum
It was a heavy feeling.
Because of the sheer force behind each beat, my entire being trembled. It couldn't have come from a person. Some may believe that it might have originated from a giant, while others believe it came from a god.
Badum
But, for me, the answer was fairly straightforward. You might wonder why. Well… because I was standing right in front of the source of the heartbeat, which was neither a giant nor a god. But something more unassuming, something no one would expect for a-heart?
Resembling a red crystal-like sphere, surrounded by a dark violet mist with a hint of black in the middle, just floating there.
'Now isn't that ominous.'
I circled the red orb for a bit, inspecting every aspect of it, out of curiosity. It was clear, and the inside looked like it was filled with mirrors. No impurities could be seen inside, in a way it looked even more pristine and mesmerizing than any ruby I ever witnessed on the internet.
"It really is beautiful."
Badum
" Why thank you; I'm flattered that you find my soul so appealing."
The ruby-like gem lit out of nowhere, followed by a heavy, gruff, and menacing voice emanating from it. In dread and shock, I took a quick back step. Out of reflex, I summoned [ Delete Field ] as a way to protect myself from whatever just happened.
"Wait, did this gem just say something?!?"
" Hahahaha !" The voice bellowed in laughter, probably by seeing me panic and finding my actions funny.
' Now isn't this just great, even a random floating red gem is making fun of me.'
" You have a keen sense of observation, partner, and I would prefer you call me by my given name ." It first said sarcastically, before asking me to call it by a name.
"Your name?"
I just met this thing, and it already thinks we somehow know each other? But I had a feeling in my gut, albeit a faint one, that I knew who or what this thing was.
" By your silence, I can tell that you don't know who I am. That's a shame, I have been fighting alongside you the entire time, giving you my powers and even protecting you in the worst of times. Come on, partner, think harder, you know me." It said confidentiality.
The feeling I had before grew stronger with each moment. That was when I felt a small pulse from my Sacred Gear, the more I thought about it, the clearer my answer became. Rias did inform me before about how sacred gears were made and how their powers came to be.
"Vritra,"
" Hahaha, you finally realized it, partner ."
This time the room changed no longer was I in a dark and empty space but standing on a burned field, surrounded by black flames. The sky was covered by the specter form of a giant snake-like beast. Its large serpentine body flew in the sky, covering every inch of it thus blocking out the sun.
A large head stared down at me with its two red eyes. " Indeed it is I,Vritra, the Prison Dragon! I am one of the five great dragon kings who have the power to rival ultimate-level beings and Lucifer himself! I had my body sliced into many pieces and all of them sealed into sacred gears. Though I am only a fraction of what I used to be. I can still rival any god or dragon arrogant enough to look down upon me." Vritra's voice made my entire body tremble, I felt that I could collapse at any moment, but I held on stubbornly.
" HikigayaHachiman, as this era's 'Black Dragon King' we have much discuss."
The dragon descended from the sky, making the air itself rumble, and the earth shake and crack with his landing. My mind went to what he just called me a moment ago,
"Black Dragon King?" A pretty grandiose-sounding title and a trouble magnet for sure.
' All I did was fall asleep, why did that lead me here?'
.At this point, I was resigned to the mysterious power of this world messing against me. I looked up to thebeas-noVritra, he looked more like an eastern dragon rather than a 4 legged western dragon.
Heck, even the former had claws or something.
Vritra instead had tentacles and a long snake-like body with smooth scales.
' Ew, tentacles, reminds me of Chtuluu.'
" I can sense your confusion with my appearance, as you may have guessed I look different from my fellow Dragon Kings ."
No, I hadn't met any of them yet, so I didn't know what they even look like in the first place. I heard about Tiamat from Rias, who apparently lived somewhere in the Familiar Forest, and from her general description he got from the many times, she had the application of a western dragon.
"Kind of, I know that you originated from the Hindu Pantheon. It even mentioned how you were defeated by the hands of Indra."
Grooooooowl
Shit, I didn't mean to offend the guy. But before I apologized Vritra cut in before me.
" That jealous, narcissistic, poor excuse of a god! The mere mention of his name still brings up painful memories. May he one day die, gutted by the veryAsurashe has slain!"
His angered voice thundered across the sky, summoning both a storm and the rain. He then lowered his head until we were eye to eye.
" I commend you for having done some research on my past, many chose to ignore that part and focus more on my abilities. Your actions prove to me that you are a man of great wisdom."
Well sorry to say this pal, but I mostly did it out of boredom when I was eating my lunch. If that is wisdom, then I won't state otherwise.
"Why am I here and why didn't you talk to me before?" I first used [ Delete Field ] about five years ago, I even created a variant ability. So why after all that, did he decide to talk to me now?
" You must understand, partner. Unlike most sacred gears, I am but a piece of the originalVritra, I am wounded, broken and my soul is weak. To preserve whatever I have left, I hibernate for long periods, until my host has enough energy to awaken me. It does not help that your soul is an unusual one as well."
What? My soul was weird? Guess it was related to my reincarnation in this world. I hope that he wouldn't scout my memories and find out about my true origins. That was not something I wished to share with anyone anytime soon.
"How is it unusual?"
I knew the answer but wanted to confirm it.
" Well… for someone so young, you possess a rather mature soul."
Yep definitely because I was close to my 30's and my soul reflected that.
" The other issue came from the fact that I could not fuse with it properly. Before you fret over something unnecessary, know that our souls have fused in perfect harmony now, or else you wouldn't be here. The obstacle I faced with your soul was for its foreign nature, it looked different from the human hosts I had before." he explained it to me.
' It's because I am not from this world, to begin with.'
So it was like my soul was a USB-C port while Vritra was used to souls that came with a USB-3.0 port. So he had to adapt.
' A stupid sounding analogy but one that makes kinda sense to me.'
"So where does this leave us at? Will I be able to grow stronger faster from now on? Can I use other abilities from the sacred gear?"
If I gained any benefit from this, might as well know of it immediately.
"I'm asking you this becauseI'm starting to fall behind my friends in real life. I cannot contest against a devil's physique and its many natural gifts."
" You ask many questions, while I have yet to ask one. But I will humour you, take it as a welcoming gift from me. Now listen well, first of all, it is not up to me to choose how you are to live out your life. I am but a mere tool, a weapon, so it's all your choice. Second of all, sacred gears were created by Yahweh for humans to have the means to defend themselves against supernatural threats. This gift works in accordance with the wielder's willpower and desire to grow in strength. You have already shown so by creating the Restrict ability without my aid. Something not many could boast about. And while in combat, two minds are better than one."
That's good, meaning that I could come up with more variants than I initially thought of. And having a thousand-year-old advisor did not seem too bad. I already talked a lot with myself to the point of dazing off.
Now I have an excuse!
But there was still one matter that worried me.
"You called me this era's ' Black Dragon King ', but I can't become one, sorry. I don't have the drive to rise above the masses or rule over others. I don't even have your entire set, I'm pretty sure others have it already, and I can't just take their sacred gear away from them, can I? All I want is to live a normal life with my friends and family without the constant danger of a random villain appearing out of nowhere."
I told him my intentions. I did not have the drive of a generic anime protagonist, I was a realist, not a dreamer.
Vritra shook his head, " I'm afraid that is no longer an option for you, partner. The world is a cruel place and more so for powerful entities like me, just look at how I died. The moment you came to be born in possession of my gear, especially [ Delete Field ] which houses my original soul, unlike my other sacred gears that only have my will powering them. Dragons by our very nature instinctively attract other powerful beings, it is a natural law and from that, we gain numerous powerful enemies. You have already attracted the attention of a devil and a fallen, it is an inevitable reality. And concerning my other parts, they will come to you, the stronger you become."
" And if a poor soul who possessed one of them, someone who was less attuned to one of my parts, were to face off or even be close to you then the gear… will rip itself out of his own body. Again, forgive me partner, but that is just how reality works."
I already started to feel sick in my stomach, the extraction of a sacred gear was practically a death sentence to its host. I've read many research notes on this matter; none so far have ever succeeded in keeping the host alive.
" My presence is both a boon and a curse to you, partner, you must learn to adapt."
Adapt huh, guess I would just continue doing what I have been doing so far.
A single clear cristaline sound reverberated around the room
The world suddenly started to dim. The billowing flames started to die out and Vritra's shape became even more distorted and transparent.
" It seems that we have run out of time. You held for a long time, but our souls have reached a limit. It is time for us to depart. See you soon,HikigayaHachiman."
Before I could even say something I found myself falling towards the abyss.
' Again, this feels familiar !'
The feeling of falling into the deep void almost brought upon me a memory of which I never remembered having. But it soon disappeared as fear took hold of my heart from the fall.
"Waaaahhhhh!"
{ Break }
- Hachiman's bedroom, Morning-
I woke up agitated, taking heavy breaths while covered in sweat and my heart beating at a hundred miles an hour.
' A dream ?' I thought. ' No, it was too real to be a dream.'
I ran my hand through my sweaty hair, making me feel very uncomfortable. "Right, I did not shower yesterday." The fight really knocked me out yesterday.
As I tried leaving my bed, my hand came down the edge of my bed to find support. Instead, I gripped a soft yet firm material. ' Oh .' It was round and bigger than my hand. I squeezed my hand out of instinct, Moan~
' Oh, no '
My head mechanically lowered to where my hand was, and I was greeted to the sight of a naked Rias Gremory, her crimson hair all tangled up on my bed and my right hand grabbing one of her breasts while she moaned sensually from my touch.
' Why…'
Someone knocked on the door.
"Hachiman-kunit's time to wake up! I also need to check up on you to make sure you're not injured." said Akeno as she opened the door.
' Why me…'
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 2 Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword having 3 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post monthly commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise and Snafu.
Rias
Hiiiii~ A new chapter is here!
Welp came back to story writing sooner than I thought. Thankfully it was nothing major so I had the peace of mind to continue writing.
And holy shit, I got a lot of responses and reviews for the last chapter! It was another reason why I got back to writing so quick. But of course I do plan to slow the updates from 2 or 1 chapters a week. I want to take my time creating a chapter and avoid a burnout.
Concerning my last question, a LOT of you like Rossweiss. .. interesting !
calderoneric758 : It's Odin's fault why she's so miserable. Her pay is bad, she is constantly stressed looking after the guy and gets pranked by him.
ENDDRAGON369 : Vritra is a real Indian legendary beast? human in some cases? I'm sure there are many version of him in some animes but this one is dxd exclusive.
n1ch: Ayo, dude I read your story and is one the works that got me inspired to write this! I wonder if you're still planning to continue?
Slim A Loup Prime : Ayo! Another one of my favourite author reviewed my story! It must be my lucky day and I'm glad that you see Akeno and Rias in the same light as me.
reality deviant : You speak the truth friend!
Guest (Hachiman fan): Yo I wanted to thank you for all your positive responses you've given me.
monkiepawn: Yo I get what you mean, Hachiman may be a logical monster but that is only for normal life situation like social interactions, reading people and other general self awareness. But that does not make him a battle tactician all of a sudden, he will fail and makes mistake BUT he will ALWAYS learn from them.
ArmantusCumPinnae : Don't worry I haven't forgotten about Sajo or Issei. I may not like Issei's personality during certain moments at all and find him cringy as hell. I will still remain true to their character and in no way bash them… or at least try to.
Long ass AN done!
That's all
Author NimtheWriter out!
- Rias POV-
She was recognized as the Gremory Clan's heir, one of the 72 Pillars' remaining Devil Clans and one of the highest-ranking Dukes. They controlled over a big portion of the underworld and possessed immense wealth that only a few other noble families could match.
To top it off, the eldest son of the Gremory family, her older brother, Sirzechs Lucifer, was one of the current Maou, the strongest of the four Satans and the current possessor of the title Lucifer in the underworld.
As a result, the Gremorys had a lot of important roles in the underworld. Many of the other noble clans were linked to the Gremory clan in some way.
It was so unsurprising that they had a great deal of obligation to uphold, including serving as significant role models for the remaining 72 pillars. And it came in the form of keeping their 'pure blood' count.
Devils could live for tens of thousands of years biologically, and some speculated that her kind could live indefinitely. Long before the tumultuous peace treaty between the three factions, the majority, if not all, devils died in battle; dying of old age was virtually unheard of.
Zekram Bael, the direct son of the original Lucifer, was the oldest living devil she knew. Even so, he was in great shape the last time she saw him, but their long life came with a curse. That curse was their low fertility rate, which was so dangerous that if it hadn't been for the help of the peerage system, their kind would have been wiped out completely.
When she thought about it, their common ancestor Lilith gave birth to an entire race by herself, but none of her descendants, with the exception of the Phenex clan, were gifted with the ability of a high fertility rate. The birth of a new member in any of the 72 pillars clans would be celebrated for an entire month.
She still remembered how long her nephew Milicas's party lasted. ' I'd had enough of seeing fancy dresses and champagne for years!'
Now that the peerage system was introduced by Ajuka Beelzebub, thousands of new reincarnated devils began to emerge from every corner, this did not sit well with the nobility. The fear of their pure blood being replaced by the new type of devils brought great fear into their hearts.
They began to encourage unions between high-class devils in order to ' preserve the pure blood' and with her being the next heir of the Gremory clan became engaged to the scion of the Phenex clan, Riser Phenex. ' That pig is the absolute worst person I ever had the displeasure to meet. He only sees me as a trophy wife and a potential sex slave!'
She had tried everything to persuade her parents to call off the wedding, but they refused, claiming that it was her duty as a high-class devil and the heir. Her brother never gave her a satisfactory response. She was well aware that he was powerless to intervene in this matter.
Becoming a Maou also meant giving up all ties to their clan and becoming a neutral party, which included giving up their family name. But he did give her some advice on how to get out of her current situation, a way out.
A rating game.
She had to win a match between her peerage against Riser's, who in addition to having all 15 pieces also had a few victories, secured under his belt.
That was her only chance of setting herself free, and she would do everything to win. But she first needed a full 15 members peerage, and so far she only had Akeno, Gasper, Kiba and her very recent member Koneko.
She loved every single one of them, but she had to admit that perhaps aside from Akeno's [ Holy Lightning ] none were strong enough to compete against Riser. She only needed a single person to join her peerage, as with his abilities and wisdom by her side, she truly felt that nothing could stand in her way, that with him, she could challenge the whole world. That person was none other than the host of [ Delete Field , one of Vritra's five sacred gears; Hikigaya Hachiman.
When we first met, she immediately knew that he would be her key to the way out. At first, she offered him a place in her peerage and in return he would be gifted all the abilities of a devil, from a long lifespan to more power along with all the resources he would ever want and the possibility for him to own his own peerage in the future.
To her surprise, he denied her proposal stating that he required some time to think about it. This of course made her happy and she also offered him some training and protection, he accepted.
To get more familiar with him, Rias decided to live in the same manor, not only because she wanted to get close to him but also because she wanted to be as far away from her home in the underworld as possible, far away from her duties as heir and just experience a semi-normal life.
The first few days living with him was difficult, to say the least. Due to her nature as a devil, Hachiman was initially very wary of her. The girl remembered how closed off he was during their first magical class training. He always doubles fact-checked her every word with the tomes and magical grimoires she got for him. His constant small verbal jabs, his dead fish eyes always feeling like they were judging her every action and his general demeanour made it hard for her to get close to him.
Rias even started wondering how could Akeno even get along with such a rude guy. ' But I can't put all the blame on him, he was heavily disturbed when he found out that I used my powers on his parent's recent memories. I did promise him to never do so again.'
It all changed that one night.
{ Break }
( A few years ago )
- Hikigaya manor, Kitchen-
She couldn't sleep, or rather her mind just refused to relax with the huge amount of stress she had received from a piece of recent news.
Her wedding date with Riser was shortened until she finished her studies in Kuoh. Before she had more than a decade to prepare, now half of it was gone. And worst of all it might happen again, but she didn't know when and her brother could only delay it for so long.
She sighed
'I need a breather, something to clear up my mind.' Her mind felt like it would explode from all the pressure.
As she entered the kitchen, she encountered someone unusual at this time of night. Leaning on the table counter, was Hikigaya Hachiman, drinking a can of SUPER coffee. ' Those things are too sweet to be called a coffee. And why is he having caffeine in the middle of the night!?' Does this guy even sleep? It would explain his dead fish eyes look.
"Oh? Yo, Gremory-san" He greeted her lazily, "Weird to see you here so late at night."
"U-um, good evening Hikigaya-san. May I ask why you're having a can of coffee this late in the night?" Wanting to start a conversation she asked the first thing that came to her mind. ' Idiot! I could have started with something better!'
"I needed my daily dose of caffeine before testing out some new spells, it's Saturday, and we don't have school tomorrow. So might as well train a bit more." Really? He was going to continue training this late?
"I see… it's good that you're working so hard." Though she was kinda put off by his attitude, she still admired the effort he put into his training. Despite not being gifted magic wise and already wielding a dragon based sacred gear, he still chose the difficult path.
"Thanks." He gave her a brief answer.He just continued to sip on his can of coffee, like didn't even acknowledge the awkward atmosphere.
"… want some?" He offered her a sip, somehow not realising that it would count as an indirect kiss. ' Or does he?'
You never know with him.
"No, thank you, I don't think I'll be able to sleep afterwards." She denied it, and boy sleep is something she needed for her growing stressful state.
"Your loss, and I wouldn't have given it to you anyway-since it would count as a cliché indirect kiss."
He went back to drink his beverage completely ignoring her existence.
' This bastard…'
Sometimes it feels like he's purposefully triggering me.
' This is getting kinda awkward.' She didn't know when she sat beside him, not knowing what to say right now. Asking him further about joining her peerage would only ruin the mood and further sour their already strained relationship.
She had gone through a lot of hoops with her schedule, her overprotective brother and her family to move here.
"Something is bothering you, you're barely in touch with reality these last week." Stated Hachiman.
"What?" Rias, while trying to brainstorm a topic for discussion, was caught off-guard by Hachiman's statement. "Wha-what are you talking about Hikigaya-san? I'm completely fine." She put on her best smile to showcase that everything was alright with her.
But she forgot who she was dealing with. "Drop that fake smile, Gremory-san, you ain't fooling anyone with that." He drew on with his usual tone. "For these last few days, you've kept having your mind lost for a bit and that's supposed to be my thing. Sometimes you would stare at nothing for minutes at a time even when we kept calling you. So don't try to act like something isn't wrong with you."
They both remained quiet for the next few minutes, Rias tried to weigh her options on whether to reveal her issues or not. She didn't know if he would take her confession as the truth or as a plot to gain sympathy for her and have encouraged him to join her peerage.
In the end, she came to realise that she had nothing to lose. He already disliked her from the beginning, what could be adding another problem into this situation change?
And she wanted to know something from him.
"Hikigaya-san, what do you think of me?" She asked him. Her gaze looked down at her feet, in a way almost resigned to what Hachiman would say. She expected a certain answer. ' Everyone only sees me as nothing but the Gremory heir, none have tried getting to know me better besides Akeno and Shuri-san. Hikigaya-san will probably have the same mindset as the others since he never bothered to know me .'
They both stayed silent, one was waiting for an answer while the other seemed to think about something.
"You're an annoying brat, Rias"
"Hah?" This was the second time she was caught off guard. Seeing her shocked expression, Hachiman couldn't help but snort in amusement. This made her fume a bit, she then slapped him lightly on the shoulder. "Hikigaya-saaaaaan, please don't make fun of me I was being serious there!" She said while pouting.
The man had the gall to creepily laugh at her!
"Hehe, I'm not lying though. You act all prim and proper but really you're just a brat, you don't like being ignored, and you want to be included. Sometimes you act like an airhead or even a clutz, other times you act spoiled and greedy. You try to act confident like you have everything under control, but the truth is that you're very insecure." That's… not false.
' Did he notice all of that on his own ?' She was under the impression that he disliked her yet none of the facts he kept mentioning about her portray his dislike for her in any way.
"You have done your best to teach me magic and help Akeno and her mother. You never used your role as Akeno's King to your advantage instead you treated her as a family just like you promised to. You're spoiled but pure of heart, you're selfish but in a way that won't hurt others and in the end, you're no different to me than a young naive teenage girl." He went on an unexpected long speech, detailing every single aspect of her personality like an open book.
' Just how much does he know?'
She was stunned, "I-I ho-how do you…" And speechless. She never felt so exposed and embarrassed ever in her life! Her cheeks grew so red that Hachiman even laughed and called her, "Tomato head". That comment nearly squashed the butterflies in her stomach.
"Oh come on, you were doing so well just now! And for your information-I don't look like a tomato!" She hated that vegetable and to be constantly compared to it, just irked her.
"What, you thought I was completing you for brownie points? Get real, I was just stating facts and if that counts as being nice, then so be it; Tomato Princess." Now, it's princess!? Does this man have no shame?
She could see him hiding a grin behind that can, he was totally enjoying seeing her reaction. "You know, I find that question to be very stupid, Rias," Hachiman said in a serious voice, throwing her off for a bit.
That question hurt her deep in her heart.
"Wha-what do you mean? It's a very important thing to know for me. Everyone, I mean literally everyone I met back home always sees me as nothing more than the heir to the Gremory!" She began shouting,
"I don't hate being the heir, but I just want people to see me as Rias and nothing more! From my old friends to even my family members, they all began treating me differently once they found out of my position as the Gremory heir. The love they once showed me was replaced with admiration for my family name! The trust we once had became nonexistent! They began approaching me with fear in their eyes, with prejudice and judgement based on the Gremory name and not Rias! Tell me how is that question stupid!?" Rias screamed at the end, with tears streaming down her face.
With all the accumulating pressure, she just lost it and let her anger loose. Upon realising this, Rias became ashamed, "I-I am sor-sorry, Hachiman… I shouldn't hav-"
"So you want to be Rias, huh?" Hachiman remained calm, not looking the slightest bit offended from her earlier burst.
"Wha-what?"
"Then why don't you? I acknowledge not being that familiar with your culture, but I can't help but think you're looking at this from a wrong angle. You hate the fact that people once close to you changed when they found out about your role as the future head, right?" He stared right into Rias's eyes, garnering all of her attention.
"Then they weren't really that close to you, to begin with. You are the kind of person who doesn't want massive changes in her life- you just want things to stay the way they are. But that is not the case, life is cruel, and relationships are the easiest things to break and change in life. There will always be people who care about nothing else but their gains, they will twist the truth, forge fake relationships and even ruin their past bonds. You becoming a family head didn't change people's perspective on you, or on how they viewed you. It just brought out their real selves, the part that wishes to gain everything they can from the Gremory name."
"You must learn to ignore them, yet you must also keep them close, for they may hurt you unless you're not careful. Keep them apart from your real friends and family, like Akeno, Sona and your parents. Continue being yourself, Rias. Only then will you attract those who are really interested in you rather than the Gremory."
She became silent, lost in her thoughts once more. "So, I should just ignore them and move on with my life, is what you're saying."
"Yes, and if you want more people to learn about the real Rias, you must also be willing to learn more about the other. A two-side deal, an exchange of equal worth."
It was at this moment that she began understanding Hikigaya Hachiman a bit more… and it drove her wanting to learn more about him.
"Do you consider me as a friend?" She asked.
"Who knows," He replied, "You're just tomato head to me."
' Why this little…' He just wouldn't stop with that name!
"Don't call me that!" That was the last straw, she tried to get a hold of him to teach him a lesson!
"Now, now princess you'd better calm yourself before you turn your entire body into a blast furnace." He evaded her while flashing her the smuggest grin she had ever seen.
' It's even worse than Sona's!' she thought.
"Why you!" She started chasing after him, anger visible in her eyes.
"COME HERE!"
"Too slow."
"Argh!"
"Too clumsy."
"You're gonna pay for this Hachiman!"
"Too naive."
They both played their game of cats and mice, from the kitchen to the living room. Hachiman was able to slip past her grasp but he began showing signs of tiredness thus accidentally tripping. Rias capitalised on that opportunity and tackled him on the sofa.
"Huff!"
"Huff!"
"Huff!"
Both teenagers' sweaty faces lay just a few inches away from each other, each taking heavy breaths of air. Rias used both of her hands to pin down Hachiman, unknowingly pressing her breasts on his chest, while her knee was pressed very gently to his lower region.
It was obvious that Rias did not realise how bad their current position looked, Hachiman began blushing at their rather closeness. Still, he kept staring into her eyes, "Feeling better, right?" He questioned.
"What?" She wondered, what was this smug bastard up to.
"I can tell whatever was bothering you before, is no longer on your mind."
"…"
' This guy…'
"You can unhand me now." Realising that she was still holding him down, Rias hastily let go. She took a pillow and buried her face. ' This can't get even more embarrassing, but…'
"Thank you…" She whispered through the pillow. Despite her embarrassment, she felt a lot better than when she first came downstairs. Her head no longer hurt and she no longer felt the pressure building upon her.
"Now will you tell me what's your other problem?" She hesitated, "I can't, you'll hate me even more." How could she tell him? If he found out about her arranged marriage as well as her goal to try recruiting him to help her succeed, he would surely despise her. She faintly heard Hachiman say something about ' Another Akeno case ' or something.
Hachiman sighed, "Is it something concerning your future? Something that has to do with your position as heir?" He asked her a few questions, she nodded at both of them not elaborating further. "Does Akeno know?" Of course, she would know, outside the house, they basically spent every moment together, back in the underworld both her queen and Shuri-san would help her deal with certain affairs.
It was inevitable for them to find out about her engagement. She remembered begging Akeno to not tell Hachiman as she did not want him to join her peerage out of pity. And she wanted to show her queen that she was a capable leader. But time was running out and she still was not anywhere close to being ready.
She nodded her head again.
"How far are you willing to go to handle this matter?" Now Hachiman's voice grew deeper and serious and coupled with his stare made her a bit intimidated.
Her eyes grew heavy, and she expressed her desperation, "Very far, I'm willing to do anything to set myself free. If push comes to shove, I'll throw away my dignity if I have to." She would never abandon her servants or hurt them, but she herself was willing to do anything.
She soon felt a hand on her head, stroking her hair gently, Hachiman came close to her and offered her comfort that she only remembered her brother doing when she was very young.
"If you had to make sacrifices on your own to protect one aspect of your life, you're more likely to lose it completely. Including relationships, you have in your hand now.
"So instead of keeping everything bottled up and thinking that you're alone in this matter, remember you have me and Akeno, your queen, on your side. No matter what challenges you might face we will always be there to support you. So have confidence and share some of your burdens."
'I finally understand…'
It was at that point that the dam burst, and tears streamed down her cheeks. She sobbed uncontrollably while clutching him close. Hachiman never said anything and just patted her on the back, his entire being radiating warmth and comfort. She finally understood why Akeno was so obsessed with him, and she caught a glimpse of the real Hachiman hidden beneath all the layers he kept around his personality.
And she felt something forbidden grow in her heart from then on. ' I'm sorry Akeno…'
{ Break }
From then on she tried her hardest to get along with Hachiman, from school to training she spent most of her time around him with Akeno by their side.
She wanted to bond with him, to know more about him while showing off her real self.
Get to know him more and just to be close to him in general. These were the few moments in her life where she felt like being a normal teenage girl, she cherished every bit of it.
She took some lessons from her queen's book and started doing her own form of teasing to Hachiman.
From seeing her naked after she showered, to her finding every excuse in the book to feeling him up close during training, she grew increasingly excited whenever she saw Hachiman blush. Even when he kept calling her a ' perverted exhibitionist ' it only made her want to do more. She had to restrain herself, for Akeno, but it kept getting harder the more time she spent with him. As he told her before, she is greedy and he didn't mind it. ' He accepts my flaws.'
The reasons she wanted Hachiman in her peerage had shifted from defeating Riser to having him notice her.
And when he promised to become a member of her peerage if she could make reincarnated devils more equal in their society, even though it appeared to be a monumental task that even her brother would struggle to accomplish with his power, she accepted.
"A once in a lifetime promise." She heard him mutter as he fell asleep, and it was then she could no longer control herself.
She took off her clothes. Her now large breast bounced as she unhooked her bra. She then proceeded to take off her panties and throw them in the corner, all the while she kept watching his sleeping face, his innocent, vulnerable sleeping face.
' Again, I'm sorry Akeno it became too much for me to handle.' She loved her like a sister, but siblings also argued over the things they both wanted.
She crept slowly onto his bed, looming over his body, having spent the previous five minutes staring at his expression, seemingly lost in it. She then extended her finger, coating it in a thin layer of her power of destruction, and used it to rip open Hachiman's clothes, revealing his bruises and cuts.
Her hand went over each of them gently, from his chest to his stomach, but she stopped herself from going any further below. She pressed herself against Hachiman, feeling his heat and smelling his scent against his neck, channelling all of her healing abilities through her body.
"… I love you…" She whispered to no one but herself as she fell asleep next to him.
"… so much, Hachiman."
The next 5 chapters of Snafu are already available on my . With 3 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter.
Danger nearby
Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Good news I got someone to beta read my chapters! The quality is much better and I plan to do so with the previously posted chapters.
CRUDEN: It will be fixed, thanks for pointing it out :)
ENDDRAGON369: Schools in Japan on Saturdays are considered optional not mandatory. Think of it like extra tution or cram school. But officially it's 5 days a week.
anapgod1: Yo man I'm sorry if that's how ya feel, but I'm still grateful to you for reading my story so far.
kratos1991 : Ayo my friend I think you got confused here, Hachiman is still 99% human! And 1% pure protagonist.
Also before I'm done with AN, I noticed many people were glad with the Rias chapter. It really made me happy that y'all approved of it.
The reworked previous chapters will be posted in the upcoming days so say goodbye to shit quality format and bad grammar!
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, check out his fic it's amazing!
- Kuoh -
You know I wondered where I went wrong.
I always took pride in my self-awareness and general understanding of how bad life can be.
' Youth ' was a lie, a stage that we all went through at point in our lives.
The mere existence of the word was an illusion; a timeframe in which people who were confused about their own identity and insecurities, developed their own mask. They hid behind it and projected a completely different personality in order to gain attention.
That was one of the reasons I came to despise Hayama; that guy is the best mask user I've ever met. He founded his clique and became its sole supporter.
He was the glue binding everyone together.
Hayama, of course, was well aware of this fact; the guy lived a lie and enjoyed it. His relationship's nothing but a sham.
And you know what frustrated me the most? The fact that the current me could be grouped together with the likes of him!
I wanted to deny it with every fibre of my being, but I couldn't. Especially after seeing what was happening in front of me.
"Rias…"
"Akeno…"
The two girls faced each other, one completely naked and the other dressed in her regular uniform.
"I'm hoping this isn't what I'm assuming." Akeno's lips curled into a smile, but her eyes said otherwise.
When I saw an angry Akeno, I knew it was never a good news.
"And what if it was?" Rias confronted her queen and stood her ground not the least bit intimidated, her stubborn nature showing itself.
"I know Hachiman-kun didn't do anything to you, but for you to show such intention is… unexpected. I would prefer, however, that you could do it with someone else." A dangerous white aura encircled her, with lightning bolts erupting from every direction.
"He is, after all, mine."
This was wrong. Since when did my life become a budget teen rom-com drama?
"But your relationship was never formalized; you kissed him, yes, but he has yet to call you his girlfriend. So, this is fair play, Akeno!" Rias was surrounded by a similarly intense crimson aura, which caused her hair to hover in every corner.
"What fair play? Rias, I thought you disliked him before, and now you're saying you like him?"
The sparks between her fingers gathered into a small sphere, ready to strike.
"Instead of stealing him from me maybe you should be concerned about your own situation. A certain arrangement in the Underworld comes to mind."
This was not their fault… but mine instead.
"This has nothing to do with it! I want him by my side even if he isn't in my peerage." A similar sphere appeared on Rias' palm but this one glowed red, "When I'm with him, anything feels possible."
They were both moments away from attacking each other.
This could not continue on for any longer, so I decided to put an end to this drama. Forcibly.
"Enough!"
[Delete Field!] [Restrict!]
My Sacred Gear manifested on my chest and shoulder as a pauldron, its violet gem radiating power as I unleashed my strongest ability.
Though my powers were not strong enough to rob them of their powers, it was strong enough to momentarily as stun them and make their small spell unstable and cancelling it.
"Before both of you go off and blow the house up we need to calm down and talk like normal people first!"
This was feeling like the ending of a bad joke that started with ' A devil and a fallen angel walk into a bar'.
"We will talk about this later," I said with finality, "and Gremory-san though I appreciate you healing me, you should apologize to Akeno-chan. You were in the wrong this time."
My words appeared to have jolted them a little. Rias slowly began to look remorseful after she was able to think clearly and apologized to her Queen, genuinely sorry for her actions.
Akeno simply smiled and hugged her as she apologized.
They were like sisters, growing up together for years, and they wouldn't be so close if they didn't know each other's flaws and quirks.
I needed to get this mess sorted out as soon as possible. I didn't want to lead Akeno around by ignoring her feelings and advances, as Hayama had done with Miura. This would only worsen in the future, potentially destroying our relationship.
I was… scared.
Scared of accepting her. Or anyone for that matter.
As small as my desire to go back to my previous world was, it still existed. Deep down I knew if I was presented with the opportunity to go back I couldn't predict the answer I'd choose and that terrified me.
It would be hypocritical of me to start something with Akeno only to be possibly gone the next moment, and at that point I would become a hundred times worse than Hayama.
If that did happen, there'd be no one in the world that I would despise more than myself.
{ Break }
I was confused.
Scratch that, I was downright stunned to silence.
Here I was walking to school with both Akeno and Rias and both of them, who had just been at each other's throats not even an hour before, were smiling and giggling with each other!
' Did I overlook something?'
I thought I'd have to be the barrier between you two so that your fights didn't destroy the whole block to ashes! I'm not complaining; in fact, I should be cheering to the skies right now, but the situation has left me with more questions than answers.'
' The female mind is an impossible thing to predict.'
Oh, Vritra nice of you to join me-
' Wait what the fuck!'
It's only thanks to one of my 108 skills, the 'no flinching, be the statue' technique kept me grounded and outwardly indifferent. Inwardly was a whole different story.
' The dream was real? How are you talking to me? Are you stalking me?'
' Hahaha of course it was real! How else would your feeble mind be able to perceive my true form?'
Did he just insult me? Probably.
' So why are you talking to me now?'
As much as would like to have a proper conversation with the dragon, this was not the most ideal of places.
' Remain cautious, partner. I sensed a rather familiar power in this region' Vritra voiced ominously.
My heart almost went still, for such a powerful dragon to grow wary all of a sudden was a major red flag.
' Who or what are talking about?' If there was any danger I wanted to know everything about it and avoid it at all cost.
' Aye, it really is him… the white one has been reborn and he passed through here.'
The white one? My brain went overdrive with anything that had any relation to this title.
But then I realised something.
' You called me this era's Black Dragon King. Does this white one mean I have some sort of rival?'
That was the most logical explanation I could come up with and I really hoped to god that I was wrong.
' You've mistaken, partner'
Yes!
' Though not completely wrong'
Shit. Fuck. Just let me be wrong for a change!
' So what is it? And don't be vague or speak in riddles, I need to prepare for the worst just in case.'
My previous fight showed me how far behind and slow I already was, and I did not want to accidentally bump into a dangerous foe without setting up any countermeasures.
' As you might know, we dragons are the ultimate beings," Vritra stated, pride in his voice.
" No gods, living concepts or even Yahweh himself could surpass us. We do have our own hierarchy, which is based on our strengths. "At the top, there are two beings that you should pray to never meet in any of your lifetimes. The Ouroboros Dragon, Ophis and the Apocalypse Dragon, Great Red.'
Just their title itself made me sweat from fear. I even felt the fear and awe from Vritra.
'These beings do not live in the mortal plane but rather reside in the Dimensional Gap. They are beyond planetary level, representing the concepts of Infinity and Dreams. '
But don't worry, your chances of encountering one are less than none. Now coming in second are the two Heavenly Emperors, the Welsh Dragon, Y Ddraig Goch and the Vanishing Dragon, Albion.
'Both hold power far superior to any living being, during the Great War between the three factions these two idiots kept battling each other and causing so much destruction that, get this, ALL of the supernatural had to unite just to SEAL them away!
'Their strength lies in absolute domination and absolute supremacy; embodying the clash of different ideals. They are strong, easily strong enough to be considered beyond ultimate-class beings.
'I f you ever encounter one, do not underestimate them but as a dragon myself I would prefer you do not cower against them for we are prideful creatures.
'Then the 5 dragon kings of which I am one of them. We hold great power but not to the extent of the others I've mentioned before. But know this partner, what I lack in power I more than make it up in my sheer skill diversity. No other dragons can boast as such besides me.'
I mulled over his words, deep in thought.
' So if we are in a completely different class of strength, why did you say that I'm wrong about me being his rival? I shouldn't even show up on his radar.' I asked impatiently.
And now he had to ruin my mood even more.
' Throughout history, it is not uncommon for hosts of the Heavenly Emperors to battle that era's Black Dragon King, even other alive dragon kings for that matter.'
Great. I was a glorified stepping stone now.
' Do not grow intimidated by this fact, partner. Though I may have been weaker to the emperors in the past this does not mean the future is set in stone.
'In one case Ddraig's host was born with great compatibility with his sacred gear, so much so that he achieved a variant balance breaker.
' The battle was fierce but my host was the most cunning and ruthless strategist I knew of. She did not hesitate to lose a couple of her limbs in exchange for a few critical hits against her opponent.
'In the end she emerged victoriously and stomped on all who opposed her, from armies and even the host of Albion! Truly that was the highest point of my life.
' And surprisingly the only era when the heavenly emperors did not battle each other to death. But instead died to me, HAHAHAHA!'
Vritra went on to lose himself for a bit in his past memories. He showed me a few fragments of their battle and to say that mountains were shattered from the shockwave would be an understatement.
' They freaking sunk an entire archipelago!' From a hentai world to a Dragon Ball world which one was it?
Dragons are indeed a powerful species.
I marvelled at the fact that 3 separate factions had to unite to fight against two of them. And they weren't even the strongest of the bunch.
' So all dragon kings are weaker than the emperors .' I asked him, just to confirm my thoughts.
' Well technically. I knew of Tannin, a king like me, who tried challenging Great Red himself.'
What!? Was that dragon seeking death or something?
' Did he die?'
Surely that would be the case, challenging a broken character seemed suicidal to me.
' Hahaha! No, he didn't. Though he got close with how injured he was, but that guy is the most stubborn dragon I've ever met.'
Good to know that dragons are battle junkies, I hoped that Vritra would not encourage me to do stupid things.
{ Break }
- Kuoh Academy, forest section -
It was finally lunch break. I took off from class and bought myself some SUPER coffee, the closest thing to MAX Coffee that I could find. During lunch break I preferred eating alone, back in Sobu High I would just hole myself up the roof where there was no one to disturb me.
Now, Kuoh Academy was a very large area and it even had a small forest, which currently turned into my safe haven to run away from all my current problems. No one knew of my safe spot and I wasn't willing to share it with anyone.
' Hehe, no mere mortal is worthy to trespass into my abode-'
What was I doing? This world was seriously making me lose my mind. I almost regressed back to my chuuni phase.
But for some reason the air shifted.
Ominous winds brought ominous tidings
I don't know when, and I don't know how, but something terrible just happened.
"Hey, Hachiman-kun isn't it today that you get to start your club?"
An angelic, or rather a devilish voice, sounded to my right.
If I didn't acknowledge her presence she'd leave right?
"Hachiman-kun?"
Thereby my side, eating her lunch was none other than Akeno.
' Why is Akeno here!' I mentally screamed in frustration.
This was supposed to be my safe haven, how had she found me? I made sure to blend in with the crowd when leaving class and secretly escape through the backdoor of the janitor's room.
I even paid the guy to keep it a secret from the teachers and especially Sona, cause as adorable as I found her to be, she was extremely strict when it came to rules and regulations.
"How did you find it?" I couldn't help but ask her.
"Ara Ara, thought you could escape from me Hachiman-kun? Well too bad I have an inward Hikima compass that tells me where you are, fufufufu." She teased me further by poking me on my cheeks with her chopsticks.
"Now about your club?"
I sighed, resigned to her presence and my no longer existing secret haven.
"Yeah, I have to meet with Sona to fill up a few other application forms and then I'm all set up."
"But I thought you could not form a club unless you had more than 3 people, even Rias was not excluded from that rule at first." Akeno questioned.
Hehehe, well it was not easy but I got her to be guilty enough for giving me faulty information for Bawler and basically guilt-tripped her into doing it.
"Let's just say, I have my ways."
Sorry Sona, nothing personal just plain business.
I still needed to find potential members to recruit and trust me this might be the biggest hurdle I'll ever face. I didn't want for just anyone to join nor did I want my club to be filled with dozens of people who cared more about socialising than helping.
"Could I join?" She offered sounding excited about the idea, "The school allows someone to join multiple clubs as long as the club is willing. So I can become your first member and the vice president just like in the Occult Research Club!"
In a rare case, her childlike personality began to resurface.
' Oh, that is not a bad idea.'
Yeah, I did not have any reasons to refuse and even if I did she would just find another way in. Damn this world and their scarily persistent women.
"Sure, why not. Welcome to the club, I guess?"
That was the best I could do.
From this day on the 'Service Club' was back in business!
{ Break }
- Somewhere in Kuoh. -
"So you want me to find who again?"
A handsome young man with light silver hair and hazel eyes could be seen talking on his phone while relaxing on a sofa in an expensive and luxurious looking apartment.
He was wearing a dark green V-neck shirt with a high-collared black leather jacket over it. He also wore burgundy jeans with a silver chain drooping down over them and black leather chaps with three bands encircling his right calf, and black shoes with black buckles.
"C'mon Vali, listen to me seriously for a bit, I already got enough trouble dealing with Penemue and Shemhazai hounding my ass.
"I want you to scout any person with the slightest amount of dragonic energy. We got suspicions that our missing gear's host is somewhere in that city."
The person's voice on the phone sounded almost laid-back and lazy, he sounded like he was probably in his middle ages.
"Humph! If I get to test this 'new host' of Vritra's then I'll happily do it, old man."
"Do not go overboard Vali, he could be an ally." warned the man on the phone.
"Yeah, yeah whatever. I'll call you later, Azazel" Vali did not bother saying goodbye and closing his phone.
"Vritra's host, huh?"
"Should be a bit fun before red shows up." He said with a maniacal smile forming on his face.
He would have fun with his next opponent.
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 2 Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword having 3 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post monthly commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise and Snafu.
Need any help?
Hiiiiii~ x10 Another chapter is here!
Hope that y'all like the latest chapters, they are way better than the first 10. as I've mentioned before they will be reworked.
Wanted to make it longer but the last part needed to be done perfectly, so I decided to dedicate an entire other chapter for it. You'll find out why.
Not much to say today, so let's not waste time.
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, check out his fic it's amazing!
- Kuoh Academy, after class hour-
Slide
I opened the door to my soon-to-be club room.
The inside was large enough to fit in a large table for six people in the middle, a whiteboard near the windows and storage space on both sides.
It looked exactly the same to the service club I once knew. I had to hold back a few tears when I envisioned phantom images of Yukinoshita, Yuigahama, Isshiki, Totsuka and Hiratsuka-sensei all gathered around the table.
Their smiling faces were all looking at me, patiently waiting for me to join them.
By my side were Sona and her Queen, both inspecting the room to make sure everything was in order.
"So, how do you find the room to be?" Sona inquired shaking me away from my pained nostalgia.
"Yeah, it's perfect."
This is all I could ask for. My club room may not be as fancy and gothic as Rias's Occult Research Club, but to me, it held countless memories.
"Thanks again, Shitori-san and you to Tsubaki-san."
I hoped to be able to recreate even just a sliver of what I once had. The setting was perfect, the school was an ideal place, and all that I required now was new members.
'Akeno will be busy for today, she and her fellow peerage members along with Rias got a request for a Stray hunt.'
Normally I would join them and familiarise myself with combat and tactics against supernatural beings even more. It would've also been a good opportunity to get to finally meet the rest of her peerage.
Rias mentioned them countless times, though she never went in too much detail.
There was her knight Kiba, who was a sacred gear holder like me and Tsubaki.
Koneko, her rook, who also happened to be a Nekomata!
Because of course this budget hentai world would have cat girls.
She was the newest member and Rias spent a lot of time taking care of her. Apparently, the girl went through something tragic before she met Rias.
And lastly Gasper Vladi, her bishop and a vampire.
I was told that he and I would get along well by both Akeno and Rias as we supposedly shared some similar traits.
'Though the vampire part does make me hesitate to meet this individual. Don't want to get sucked dry.
'…'
'That came out incredibly wrong.'
"Hikigaya-san," Sona called out to me impatiently, "Are you okay?"
Shaking my head free of my inner musings I quickly replied.
"Sorry, I was lost in my thoughts. Thanks for everything, Shitori-san." I thanked her sincerely.
"Well, that's the least I could do after my nearly fatal oversight."
Ah, I think I may have gone too hard on guilt-tripping her. Now, even after allowing me to open up a club on my own, she still seemed to be sorry.
But I had an idea that would surely cheer her up.
"Want to play some chess?" I offered, "To commemorate this special occasion."
That eased her up a bit and she put on a smile, her eyes glittering with joy.
'She honestly looks like a child that was offered some free candy.'
It was so cute in fact, that my brotherly instincts kicked into gear and I started patting her head.
"Now, now don't just stand there empty-handed, we need a chessboard So-tan."
Huh? She just froze up all of a sudden, her previously blush from the head pat disappeared and her face become stark white, almost as if she saw a ghost.
'Does she not like that nickname?'
I wasn't usually one for giving out nicknames, and even less inclined to instigate physical contact, so perhaps I'd overstepped some unwritten social rules?
Akeno and Rias were surely rubbing off on me (no, not like that reader-san) and I wonder if that's for the better. Time will tell I suppose.
Sona jerked away from me while looking me right in the eyes, "Hikigaya-kun, I would ask you to NEVER call me that ever again."
Ouch, that hurt.
I expected some light anger but not this kind of intense reaction, she looked like the Christian God himself manifested in front of her. Was I mistaken about something between us?
I thought we were close enough to count as friends or business partners, so some joking and teasing would be expected.
Tsubaki-san, the ever-helpful devil came to my help, sensing my confusion.
"Do not mind her behaviour; she's just had a bad experience with that nickname from her elder sister."
Oh, the Maou? I have read about her before, never got to meet the person but she was one of the most popular Maou-and idol-not just in the underworld but the entire supernatural world as well.
Why you might ask?
Well, it was not only because she is another super broken character that could control ice for some reason despite being a Sitri. A clan more known for its water magic. But also because of her side job. A very interesting side job.
Maou Leviathan, full time Satan, part time magical girl.
I thought Sona was messing with me at first. But after Rias confirmed it, I had to again add another thing to my list of ' Things that don't make sense and might kill me in the future.'
What was her name again? Seras? Seraph?
Hmm, almost there… oh yeah! Serafall Leviathan!
I dreaded the day where I would inevitably meet her, and I hope the corporate slave life of a politician forces a professional attitude during her work.
'The universe is laughing at me again, isn't it?'
{ Break }
- Sona POV-
"Check."
Three slender fingers placed a white queen piece on the opponent's last line on the board, trapping the black king in front. Though she may have cornered her opponent, it was not a clear victory. Still there were different strategies her opponent could utilise.
She only narrowly escaped defeat.
Her opponent was a monster.
Hikigaya Hachiman had started to play the game for about a year or so. In fact, she was the one who introduced the game to him, to train his strategic thinking.
At first, he was what one would expect of a rookie. He lost his first game in less than 10 turns. But with each match, that amount of turns would increase and his strategy would evolve at an astonishing rate.
Her confidence in her skills was unquestionable, and at a young age she had defeated world champions more than twice her age. A rookie wouldn't even make her break a sweat.
She had underestimated him. Their previous game took her almost 100 moves to squeeze out a narrow victory. She had only intended for this to be a simple game. It was only a matter of time before he learnt all her tricks and method of play and finally he'd have his win over her.
A win that held more at stake than he would ever know. A win that would force her hand and uphold her promise to her family.
She enjoyed her time with Hikigaya-san, the young man being quick-witted, logical and a joy to talk with. His views on devil's society as well as humans were… interesting, to say the least.
The last thing she wanted to do was ruin their relationship with her own problems and politics.
Hachiman spent the last few seconds inspecting the board for a way to escape but found none.
"Huh, it would appear that I still suck as chess. You win again." He said, not looking the least bit upset with his defeat.
'Your statement couldn't be further away from the truth.'
If he considered himself bad at the game despite nearly being on her level then there would be no master chess player in existence.
"Well played, Hikigaya-san your skills have come a long way since we first played." She said.
"Congratulations on your victory, but I think we've played for long enough. It's already well past school hours now."
He yawned and stretched out his limbs before picking up his school bag and preparing to leave.
"I better get going before either Akeno-chan or Gremory-san destroy my house."
She stiffened in shock.
"Pardon? But it has only been a few minu-" The student president stopped herself when she looked out the window.
The evening orange-tinted sky was long gone leaving behind a dark horizon full of stars softly illuminating Kuoh.
'How did I not notice this?'
Sona gave a slight bow towards the boy in front of her, wishing him safe travels home and the strength to deal with a potentially irate heiress and her queen. Watching him leave, unbidden thoughts of 'what if' were quickly squashed.
That line of thinking was incredibly dangerous.
Tsubaki who at some point fell asleep using both her arms as a pillow on the table woke up.
"Ah! Kaicho, you finally finished having fun with Hikigaya-kun. You two were at it for hours!" She teased with a small smile.
The girl in question blushed in both embarrassment and anger.
"Tsubaki."
{ Break }
- Kuoh streets-
"Man, my back hurts and I have a headache to top it off." Playing chess with Sona happened to be both educational and torturous.
I wanted to leave early but I couldn't just quit the game with how invested Sona was. The image of her thinking hard about her next move really reminded me of Komachi.
It was good to know the power of little sisters transcended dimensions.
"Better hurry home, I need to have a talk with those two before things spiral out of control."
As I continued walking down the streets, I decided to talk a shortcut through the park.
It was a beautiful place, with gardens of flowers and trees filling the area. The place was decorated with stone statues and benches were placed in every corner. Its main attraction was a huge fountain in the middle that attracted both tourists and the locals.
This place was very popular with couples who went on a date; even Akeno dragged me all over this place when we were younger. I had many fond memories here, even met a weird kid who couldn't stop talking about breasts and how he would become a harem king.
' Funny kid, I forgot his name though, I wonder how he's doing right now. Him and that orange-haired tomboyish girl that always followed him around.'
As I reached an area filled with vending machines, I stopped to buy myself a can of SUPER coffee. I had some leftover coins in my pocket, so why not spend it all here?
You may think that it was a bit late for coffee. Then you were not a true SUPER/MAX coffee fan like me.
It was always coffee time!
' I forgot to ask Sona to give me some of the bounty money.'
Deep in my thoughts, I didn't notice another person who came to my side.
"Yo."
Caught off guard by the unexpected greeting I nearly dropped my can of coffee out of fright.
A tall teenage boy, probably around my age, with unnatural silver-white hair and hazel eyes was facing me with a small smile. He looked foreign and not Japanese, his looks were downright criminally handsome.
If I wasn't so cynical and dead inside, I would certainly be jealous of his looks.
"Huh… Yo?" I was unsure what else to say to this guy so I just greeted him back.
"It's quite late at night for a student to wander around, don't you think so?" He questioned.
"Yeah, right back at you buddy. You look around my age as well. I could ask you the same thing," I shot back, "And also why are you here? Do you need my help or something?"
"Yes, well I'm on duty here. My caretaker asked me to look for a thief who stole something extremely valuable and important from him." He answered lazily.
Is his caretaker a mad man? Sending a boy around my age to catch a thief this late at night? That was just asking for trouble.
"You should go to the police and file a complaint about it. I can't help you with something like that."
This guy and his caretaker were both insane.
"Sorry I didn't ask for your name, you can call me Totsuka by the way."
Ha! You think that I would give my name away to just any stranger I meet on the streets even if they were around my age? Think again, I ain't that dumb. Speaking of strangers, I didn't like how he gazed at me like a hawk. It was extremely off-putting.
"My name's Vali, and there is no need for the police to be involved. I already found my target."
I didn't like where this was going.
"What?"
"Before I bring him in, I wanted to measure him up first, you know? See if he is worthy of my time and effort." Slowly a large grin started to form on his face.
' Test ?'
' GET AWAY FROM HIM!'
[ DIVIDE!]
Bam !
A heavy power hit me on the chest, launching me away like a ragdoll. My back hit against a tree trunk, splintering it from the force.
Thankfully, Rias healed my previous injuries or else I would have been incapacitated.
But seriously why was I being targeted!?
' Vritra! What is going on!?' I shouted at the dragon for an answer.
I didn't let my gaze drop from the leisurely approaching Vali, who this time had a pair of blue ethereal and mechanical looking wings.
'Who is he?'
'Listen to me closely, partner. That is NOT someone you want to fight right now! You have to concentrate on escaping him. He is the threat I was talking about this morning, the Vanishing Dragon, host of Albion.
' And the current White Dragon Emperor!' said Vritra in a sombre tone.
My heart stopped and my stomach twisted as I came to learn the identity of my attacker.
"Why are you doing this!?" I shouted at Vali, after standing and putting up my guard while thinking up of a plan.
The guy didn't even acknowledge my question.
"Ho~ You got back up rather quickly. I already told you my reason; I came to take in a thief," He flew towards me at such high speed that I couldn't even see him, "You!"
"Shit!"
[Restrict!]
I did not have enough time to use [ Delete Field, so I used [ Restrict ] as a quick way to slow him down. He became visible again as a blur just a few metres away from me.
I blinked once and suddenly had to twist my neck to the side, his punch a hairsbreadth form hitting my face.
"Oomph!"
Too bad I didn't predict for him to act just as quick and follow up with a knee kick to my ribcage.
The strike nearly turned the lights out for me. As I sailed through the air, I knew I was no march for this guy.
' I need to escape!'
I used the distance that he created between us to use my sacred gear's strongest abilities.
[Delete Field!] [Absolute Silence!] [Restrict!]
Two spheres of deep violet and pure darkness expanded from the gem in my pauldron covering the area between Vali.
' That should keep him occupied for a few seconds.'
My musing was cut short by Vritra who did not share my opinion. ' That's not going to hold him down for long! Run!'
"I'm trying-"
[ Divide ]
A voice sounded off from inside the sphere which should have been impossible. I saw an unbelievable sight of my two fields shrinking down half their size and disappearing away, revealing a bored-looking Vali.
"Interesting abilities, but ultimately quite weak, I'm quite disappointed." Well sorry for being weak mister I have a heavenly dragon scared gear!
[Levitation]
I couldn't outrun him or outfly him, but I was far quicker in the air than on land.
'Any advice Vritra?'
' Try to lose him within the forest, It's our best bet of escaping. I don't think he's trying to kill you. Perhaps we can exploit his deserved overconfidence.'
Oi, that's not reassuring at all!
I pushed my flying abilities to their limit and weaved around the trees trying to lose him to little avail. Faintly, his footsteps echoed through the forest at an unhurried pace.
"Try your best to hide, it won't matter. I will always find you."
Well fuck you too bastard, I'll rip those pair of wings out your back one day for sure!
I soon found an old abandon house near the edge of the park. I dropped down and ran inside while clutching my chest, his strike giving me trouble breathing.
' Vritra, I don't think we can escape that guy .'
' Aye, if the host of Albion is dead set on you then escaping is no longer an option. We need to hide ourselves from the rest of the world.'
' How can I even do that? ' '
Hide from the rest of the world? Was that even possible?
' You forget your most useful spell, partner? [Absolute Silence] can not only negate all aspects related to the senses for our foes but it should work on ourselves if we try .
' And with me by your side, I can find a way to sense the outside while remaining hidden from Albion and his host. This will give us enough time to come up with a plan of attack.'
I really hoped this worked.
[ Absolute Silence!]
Edit: Accidentally wrote [Absolute Silence] as a sacred gear ability rather than a spell. It's a spell.
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 2 Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword having 3 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post monthly commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise and Snafu.
Confrontation
Hiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Man this was a hard one to write, especially when I've been very busy these last few days. But fortunately I got it done in time!
Also played some FGO for a bit after a while and got 3 Achilles and 1 Super Orion with only 180 SQ!!!! My luck rocks!!!
Guest (Hachiman fan): Dude your rewiew comment really reminded me of the arcs found in Wuxia novels. MC gets trapped somewhere, finds super rare op power, trains for 100 years and finds his way back home where everyone thought him dead. Interesting concept in dxd but I don't think it'll fit here.
Solsparda369 : Hehe, don't worry I have plans for for future Hachiman's training.
Shahzeb : Thx Sona is a very interesting person to write. And interesting story about magic you have there with Kuroka.
EL20030408 : I'm glad that you found my portrayal of Vali spot on. Out every power in DxD I love his Divine Dividing the most.
NekaOwO : Yo thx for pointing that out, it's a spell not an SG ability
That's all for AN.
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, check out his fic it's amazing!
- Kuoh Central Park, abandoned house-
Wow, not seeing and hearing anything but my own heartbeat was never something I think I would get completely used to.
I could still breathe and feel my heart. I could even feel the blood flowing through my body more clearly. Too bad it ate away at my magical reserves constantly.
' Yeah, very uncomfortable.'
I still had about five minutes before I collapsed from exhaustion, probably less since Vali is on my tail.
I holed myself up inside the deepest part of the house, a discreet corner hidden away by a few bits of rubble and my own spell.
' Partner, I need you to concentrate on our next course of action.' Vritra chimed in my head.
We had decided to come up with a few solutions that might help us escape from this predicament.
' Yeah, so how do we escape this situation?'
As much as I prided myself with my quick thinking and definitely above average intelligence, I knew that without Vritra's advice I had no way out.
'And also can you guess why he's after me?'
'I do not know, he called you a thief, so I presume he came to reclaim something, for which the object I'm not sure of.
'Now the matter with escaping, I have some options, but it will be up to you to decide which one to pick in the end.
'First option, you choose the hard way out by temporarily incapacitating the White Dragon Emperor. Do not misunderstand my words, this does not mean you can defeat him, his powers and progress with the Divine Dividing gear far surpass yours.'
'I get it, I get it, I'm too weak and all that, don't waste your time with these useless warnings and just tell it to me straight.'
We had to hurry; I could already feel some straining in my reserves from keeping up the spell.
' Aye, forgive me. This method I speak of is sacrificing some of your body parts to me, turning them into that of a dragon. This will heavily boost your strength and grant you far more power and magical energy to use.'
Wait, what? There was such an overpowered cheat way to get strong so fast!? Then sign me up for it- wait a minute.
' What are the drawbacks you aren't telling me about?'
The term ' sacrifice ' did not sit well with me. There was no way in modern hell that I was willing to believe that such an exaggerated power boost didn't just come with its fair share of negative effects.
' Hahahaha, as expected from my current host! You were not blinded by greed with the appeal of easy to attain power. Keep in mind nothing is given without cost.
' But as you have suspected, there are consequences. By replacing a part of a being such as you, a human or even a devil for that matter, with a dragon's does indeed grant you immense long term strength and a short term explosive power boost.
'This is quite a common tactic used in life or death situations. But beware. The human soul, mind and body are NOT meant to sustain such a degree of change. Sure, at first this is not noticed by the dragon gear's hosts, they might have a dragon's limb that could be returned to normal by draining out the draconic energy.
'And if you think that is not as bad as you have thought, then also know that you lose years of your life from changing a single limb.'
Well, that sucked, as a human, I already had a tiny lifespan compared to other races who could comfortably live past their thousand years.
I did not want to squander away what little I had left.
Vritra however was not done.
' But with time they risk losing themselves to madness.'
Of course, there's the main issue, ' What type of madness?'
Vritra became silent for a bit, I could feel his hesitation and regret bubbling inside him.
' A madness, no a curse where they turn into the form of the very being they carried inside their soul.
'In other words, they turn into a real dragon.'
What!
Such a thing was possible?
I was amazed at this revelation; no wonder dragon type sacred gears were so popular among the factions. It had the power to turn any human into the most powerful species in the world! But something was not right. How does this count as madness?
' For a human to suddenly transform into a dragon, it is like taking the mind of a newborn baby, which in this case is the human soul, and placing it inside a grown adult's body with the power to destroy cities, the dragon's body.
'At that point, you do not have any thoughts, any self-control or any self-awareness. You have nothing but your base instincts.
'Of course, this is but a simplified explanation of this madness. In truth, it is a much more complicated ordeal that connects the current user to his predecessors.
'Many enter this stage through rage, anger or grief. When they do so, all they seek is destruction. They will target everyone including close ones and family, followed quickly by the death of the user.
'We call this stage, the [Juggernaut Drive] .'
For some reason, that very name sent shivers down my spine. It's a very anime superpower name, but it did not change how dangerous it was. ' What is the second option.'
Just like Vritra said, I would rather reserve this option for life or death scenarios. According to him, my pursuer was not here to kill me, so I shouldn't reveal my cards so soon. ' And for god's sake, he is a Heavenly Dragon Emperor's host. He can get the same power boost as me but at a much grander scale!'
Vritra for his part told me my second option.
' We fight smart.'
{ Break }
- Vali POV -
Step
Step
Vali approached the abandoned house at a slow pace.
He did not worry about his target running away from him; Albion had already locked on Vritra's energy signature. And he had memorized the boy's face and aura. Escaping was impossible.
When he first came to the park, he thought that a great fight was awaiting him, yet it only took barely two strikes to put his opponent down. To add another layer to his disappointment, he was not even using half his power, let alone his [Balance Breaker].
' What a weakling,' he thought.
' Do not underestimate the current host of Vritra, Vali.' Albion warned him.
' Why? He is barely a middle-class opponent. You saw how easily he got down. And he merely possesses a single sacred gear from Vritra, the weakest Dragon King when it comes to power.'
Honestly, he did not know why Albion was worried about these lesser foes. Unlike his potential rival red, these were just cannon fodders, here to only satiate his boredom.
Albion did not take well to his dismissal, his wings flashed a bright blue showing the dragon's displeasure.
' I will not have my current host die out of negligence. Many of your predecessors have died the same way and one even died to a former Black Dragon King! Never underestimate Vritra, he may the weakest among the kings, but he is the craftiest.'
Well, that was news to him, a dragon king defeated a dragon emperor? What a bummer, he would have liked to battle against the guy.
The current one was a joke.
As he reached the entrance, he expanded his senses to find his target. From every room to every corner, his naturally enhanced senses tried to pick up the slightest change.
"Oh? Interesting."
He could not detect anything or anyone inside.
' What an interesting thing, I don't believe this is one of Vritra's abilities, tread carefully, Vali.' Commented Albion.
He was still here, his guts telling him so. He couldn't have escaped, ' It's probably that [ Absolute Silence] spell he used.'
Yes if he could use that spell on others, what is to say that he couldn't use it on himself?
' Smart move.'
He checked every room until he came across one with a black sphere in it. It was a sound tactic, confusing the enemy to buy enough. He had already spent the last 10 minutes searching every corner of the house.
It wasn't until he reached the last room did he catch sight of an out-of-place looking black sphere in the corner.
He approached the spell, and his wings started glowing blue.
"But ultimately you did not account for the black sphere from the outside, I cannot see you, but I can see your spell."
[ Divide ]
The sphere shrunk twice its size and started crumbling apart.
Vali decided to end this play and prepared a small condensed magical shot on the tip of his finger, to incapacitate his target.
As the sphere finally disappeared, he found no one to be inside it.
"What?"
' VALI, BEHIND YOU!'
Despite the warning, Vali couldn't react in time.
"ARGH!"
Pain! He felt an immense amount of pain from his back.
Two glowing arrows made of magic we're sticking out his wings. While his target was suspended on the ceiling, emerging from another black sphere.
' That spell was a decoy!'
[Delete Field!] [Restrict!]
In his moment of weakness, he lost control of his power for a split second, his pierced wings vanished and he suddenly felt a strong impact against his skull, dropping him knee first on the ground.
Vritra's host used his falling momentum to dropkick Vali. Quickly following up his surprise attack, his opponent swung around and punched his face full force.
"This is for earlier, you prick!"
[ Restrict !]
[ Restrict !]
[ Restrict !]
[ Restrict !]
[ Restrict !]
[ Restrict !]
[ Restrict !]
[ Restrict !]
He could no longer move. It felt like dozens of invisible strands of ropes entangled around his every limb.
Bound in place as he was, there was no stopping another punch to the nose again; the appendage surely broken if not for his devil physiology.
"And that's for ruining my SUPER Coffee drink!"
Immediately after saying that, his attacker started running away from the house.
"…"
Vali was stunned.
A weakling got the drop on him and caught him off guard. If it was one of his enemies, he would have died by now.
"hehe…
"haha haha…
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
His mad laugh echoed through the abandoned house, giving off an eerie vibe.
"Albion was right! Fine. From this moment I will underestimate you no longer!"
His magical energy started to swell at an unbelievable rate, and with a bit of effort, he freed himself from the invisible restraints.
"ALBION!" He called out the dragon, "We are going for it!
His blue ethereal wings once again returned but this time without any damage visible on them.
'… as you wish.'
[ DIVINE DIVIDING!] [BALANCE BREAKER!]
The abandoned house exploded in a burst of white light.
{ Break }
- Hachiman POV-
' That last punch was completely unnecessary, partner. We have lost precious seconds from it.'
Vritra scolded me and with good reason.
' I know, but I was high on adrenaline back there!' I defended myself while continuing to run at full speed.
Like come on, that prick just made me want to bash his head on the floor continuously.
I could feel my magical reserves were drained from simultaneously using two [ Absolute Silence] spells for long periods of time. My stamina was nearly depleted with using the remaining scraps for running.
' Vritra just in case we couldn't shake off that guy, what are my other options?' I wanted to remain positive and hope that our plan worked but unfortunately, I was a realist and things don't always go the way you want.
' We have little to no other choice but to rely on the first option I told you about. Though our lives specifically are not targeted, it would be foolish to take such risks.'
Was that really it?
' Vritra if I sacrifice my arm or any other organs, how long before I'm gone?' If that was my only option then so be it, I very much like staying alive.
' The side effect does not happen immediately. If you only turn one of your parts into a dragon, the chances of activating Juggernaut Drive will happen through pure anger or any other extreme emotions.
'But the stronger you become, the easier it will become. It can take years or decades for you to be in any real danger but if you turn more than one part of you, then that risk multiplies by many times.'
So it was an ever-decreasing slope of no way to return.
[Ba… ce Br… er!]
Whooosh !
From the abandoned house in the distance, a thick pillar of light appeared destroying the house and parting the clouds in the sky!
I think I even faintly heard the mighty roar of a dragon, establishing his supremacy to the world.
A heavy pressure descended on the surrounding area, rippling through the air and forcing me to nearly trip.
"What now!?"
' Don't stop! That's his [Balance Breaker, he is serious now.'
Yeah, I kinda noticed it with the freaking white knight Chūnibyō armour flying straight at me.
I couldn't dodge this time.
My vision blurred, as I saw the scenery of the forest pass by me.
It was a split second later that I felt an intense feeling of pain from my abdomen. 'I didn't even register his attack after I was punched?'
My back impacted many trees, destroying them and a few of my bones in the process and I nearly bit off my tongue from the sheer pain I was experiencing. It felt like someone poured molten lava all over my body.
"I commend you, Black Dragon King. Your tactics have successfully put me down. If it were someone else, I wouldn't even be alive right now," Vali said through his white and blue coloured helmet.
I could barely stand up, my breathing trouble got worse and black dots started appearing in my vision.
"Before I die or get kidnapped,' I spat, as pained coughs wracked my body, 'can you at least tell me WHY you're after me?"
Now was the time I was really regretting my lack of healing spells.
"I told you before, didn't I? It's because you stole something that at first did not belong to you. And some of the people I know are curious about how you did it. So I was tasked to peacefully bring you back." I could just feel his smug grin inside his helmet.
"What part of this do you call peaceful!? And I didn't steal anything, least of all from your group since I don't even know you are!" I shouted out in anger.
For him to accuse me of something I did not do and attack me on top of that made my blood boil in anger. ' Vritra we're gonna go for the first option.'
I was fed up with this guy and I wanted to go back home, alive. I did not have the time, willpower or energy to deal with all this bullshit.
My logical side was screaming at me to think of another plan but I was just tired at this point.
' As you wish, partner.'
Vritra did not argue with me, he could sense my emotions and be a good judge of our current situation.
Vali meanwhile readied his last strike to probably knock me down and take me to whoever was in charge.
"Take pride in the fact that you were one of the few who forced me to use [ Balance Breaker]."
As I was bracing for the impact and being in the process of sacrificing my entire right arm, something else happened.
The air began buzzing all of a sudden, and my hair started to stand up straight.
[ Raigeki !]
The skies became enveloped with heavy black clouds, white lighting snaking around them. Thunder began to boom all around us.
"What is going on-"
Then descended the mother of all lightning bolts, struck from the heavens towards Vali with a thick pillar of golden light.
"Aaargh!" Caught in the middle of the attack Vali's screams of pain were soon drowned by thunder and lightning.
The impact created a large crater that uprooted the surrounding trees and scorched the land. Even the air became ionised by the high-intensity voltage, it was almost like the very heavens or Zeus himself send down their divine punishment.
The shockwave itself sent me again hurtling in the opposite direction and halted my last resort process.
"I got you!"
A pair of arms wrapped around me and I felt my head push itself against two big soft mounds.
As I turned my head around I caught sight of Rias who was holding me carefully. She still wore her Kuoh Academy uniform and her devil wings were unfolded behind her back keeping us away from the ground.
But that is not what caught my attention.
I saw Akeno clad in her Miko outfit, something she wore only during serious battles.
Her eyes sparked with arcs of electricity, she had her right arm extended to the skies with golden and white electricity covering it.
Her usual smile was gone, replaced with an expression I haven't seen since the fire. Something I had always hoped to prevent.
Anger. Pure and righteous, and more than willing to deliver swift retribution.
"Whoever you are, know that for your actions, you won't leave this place alive!" She snarled at Vali.
She then waved her hand again, sending another pillar of lightning but this time it was far larger than her previous attack and was completely golden.
[ Holy Lightning!]
As the attack neared the rubble and smoke where Vali was previously standing, a white figure flew up towards the attack; wings expanded and glowing a bright shade of blue.
[ Divide ]
[ Divide ]
[ Divide ]
The previously majestic looking golden lightning grew so small until it was barely the size of a golf ball. Despite the host of Albion's grunt of pain, his armour was still pristine and clean, with not even the smallest crack or smudge.
Rias who was carrying me was shocked by the sight. "He wasn't damaged at all?"
From her point of view, such an attack would have decimated any opponent. Yet there he was completely unharmed.
I don't think that was necessarily true. He probably did in some way. The quiet noise he made earlier had to have meant something hurt.
The White Dragon Emperor hovered in the sky looking down upon us with the moon behind him, creating a very grandiose image.
"Now this has gotten even more interesting."
Another random question: Who is stronger between Rias and Akeno?
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 2 Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword having 3 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post monthly commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise and Snafu.
Confrontation conclusion
Holly Molly, first time I see so many reviews flooding in just a few hours!
Many people have similar opinions, Akeno is currently the strongest but Rias has the best potential out of everyone. While others contribute her PoD to be too op.
Yeah, I agree on both sides.
SilentXD7 : Thank you and worry not, I have not forgotten about Koneko and the others. They will appear soon.
SolSparda369 : Yea Hachiman could really learn a few things about fighting dirty or fighting better. Now that he is forced to acknowledge his position and strength, that will have to change.
Wicked A: Vritra is not Sirzechs level at all. He is strong enough to be classified as a Ultimate class being but among the dragon kings he is the weakest in terms of power. He real strength lies in many diverse abilities.
EL20030408 : Thx even canon dxd shows that turning a limb into a dragon is very dangerous and can reduce ones lifespan. For some reason this was overlooked in many fics. If gaining power was so easy then Vali would have done it looooong ago.
JAKEkenstein : Akeno tha best!
Slim A Loup Prime: Ayo, I kept having the same issues as well, some story update don't show up after I checked the chapter count. Hope it gets fixed.
To many reviews to answer them all, I'll add more in the next chapter.
AN done!
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, check out his fic it's amazing!
- Kuoh Central Park -
This pain was making me want to vomit.
This situation couldn't be worse, now both Akeno and Rias had to deal with this lunatic. And I couldn't participate since I was completely spent and on the verge of blacking out.
' Vritra how did the limb sacrificing process go?'
Just before Akeno attacked, I was in the middle of it. I wanted to know if it happened or not.
' The process was interrupted before it could reach its critical phase, making it fail. You'll feel some slight pain and burn these next couple of days but that's all. Y ou can count yourself lucky that your mates came to your rescue.'
I didn't bother correcting his last statement about the girls.
As I was being carried in the air, I felt Rias' grip tighten around me, pressing my head further into her breast.
' She's shaking .'
On the outside, she put on a brave front of a fearless king accompanying her queen. But I could tell the girl was a nervous wreck inside.
It shouldn't have been a surprise; she and Akeno have came to face the legendary White Dragon Emperor, someone who even gods stayed clear from, according to Vritra.
I held her hand to calm her down, "Hey it's gonna be alright, he's not here to kill us. I think."
Yep, I was good at comforting people, no doubt.
But at least my small talk did help Rias gather her bearings.
"Whoever you are, know that you have just trespassed into the Gremory and Sitri co-owned territory without permission and have taken hostile actions against one of our own." said Rias with a formal tone but her intentions were clear.
' Do you realise how big you've fucked up?' That was the basic gist of it.
"Reveal which faction you come from and why you've decided to attack him for no reason!"
Ah, she was resorting to hiding her fear behind anger.
Akeno created more lightning around her, "… or else."
Vali for his part remained silent and kept observing us from his position.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the Gremory heiress and current Lucifer's sister, Rias Gremory. To say that I did not expect to see you here would be an understatement." he said, mockingly.
"But to be perfectly clear, this does not concern you. This boy has some business with us and I was tasked to bring him in."
"He has everything to do with us! We are allies and you will not take him away from me unless you want to declare war on the Gremory house!" Rias shouted in anger.
That did not seem to deter Vali in the slightest.
"And what is stopping me to take him away from you by force?" His wings began to slowly glow brighter as if he's preparing for his next attack.
This time it was Akeno who replied, "Then we will make you disappear."
Her magical aura began to grow astonishingly denser. Her previous white and gold lightning began to turn into a darker shade of gold emitting a stronger holy feeling.
Though for me this feeling was comfortable the same could not be said for Rias as she unconsciously put a wider distance between us and Akeno.
I did wonder as a Devil how Akeno could still wield her fallen powers. Devils were notoriously weak to holy light.
What was more interesting were Akeno's wings.
She flew here with her devil wings on full display but as she kept drawing more of her fallen heritage, they began showing.
With a flapping sound, one of her wings changed appearance and turned into a black-feathered angel wing. This time surrounded completely by pure, golden [ Holy Lightning].
This scene really made me realise how far behind I was.
' Partner, as impressive as your mate's power may seem to you, I can tell you for certain even if she was a hundred times stronger she still wouldn't be a match again the White Dragon Emperor.' Vritra warned, making me gasp in disbelief.
This was still not enough?
Just how broken are the Dragon Emperors? How can anyone defeat these overpowered monsters?
' Oi, do not forget that you are in possession of the gear that had previously defeated not just Albion's but Ddraig's host as well. If you have time to grow shocked at such a simple display of power, then train!' Vritra yelled at me.
But he was right, I could barely defeat a high levelled low-class stray while having a freaking Dragon King sacred gear!
Something was obviously wrong with it and I turned a blind eye to it for years putting all my focus on magic.
Now, this gross oversight came back to bite me in the ass and nearly killed me… again. ' Hey, Vritra after this shit is done, we are going have a very long training session. As much as I don't like it, we need a training montage!'
The dragon happily agreed with me though he was a bit confused with the last part.
Vali did not acknowledge Akeno's threat or her [ Holy Lightning] instead he turned his head at me and said, "Is this the current Black Dragon King? Someone who hides behind two girls, like a coward? I expected more from you."
Dude, if you hadn't noticed, I was not in a condition to fight! Half of my ribs were broken and I most likely suffered from both stamina and magical energy depletion.
It took me great effort to stay awake right now than to have any fleeting thoughts of fighting you!
"Yes I am, call me anything you want but I rather like living and not dying, you albino emo twat!" My insults repertoire expanded these last few years.
I also was starting to become a bit delirious with the blood loss and light-headedness, the earlier adrenaline rush finally wearing off.
Rias giggled at my retort, easing her up a bit.
Both parties continued their staredown, the tension rising. Akeno was starting to sweat a bit from using her peak state for so long but she held strong.
Sighing, Vali dropped his hostile aura and dispersed his armour leaving behind his ever majestic looking wings.
"I may look forward to interesting fights but I'm not blind to my current situation."
He descended to the ground and put his hands in the air showing off that he no longer was willing to fight.
"I will leave, for now, I already got to meet Vritra's host. Though you may be weak now, in time you'll grow stronger.
"And until then don't become someone else's stepping stone, cause I'll crush both you and red." He declared and leisurely walked away showing off his back, unafraid that we would attack him.
I thanked the stars and my luck for this fight to not have escalated beyond the point of no return.
Besides me, no one was hurt or gravely wounded which was a huge plus in my book. After all, we did face a being on par with the strongest gods in this world.
This world is dangerous, just from a casual walk I cross paths with a continental destroying douchebag.
What was next?
Meeting the underworld's bootleg sailor moon rip off while going for a coffee break?
Or meeting Lucifer while going to the toilet?
Who knows at this point.
Rias and Akeno did not lose sight of Vali until he left the park. He could very well turn back around and snatch me away by surprise, while I could do nothing but stay motionless.
He got far away enough for Rias and Akeno to relax. Until they both swarmed me checking every bit and corner for any hidden injuries.
Rias also quickly sent her familiar to pass on a message to someone.
Meanwhile, I could no longer hold on and just let myself be taken away by exhaustion.
"Hachiman-kun, don't worry we'll take care of you!" Akeno said while hugging both me and Rias behind me, squashing my head between two suffocating valleys.
' That's what I'm afraid of.'
{ Break }
- Underworld, Lilith Capital, Maou's castle.-
A bat-like familiar flew at high speed in the clear blue sky.
The Underworld was roughly the same size as the Human world, but with a much larger landmass, as there were no oceans just lakes. The sky was originally purple during both the day and night, but the current Four Great Satans adjusted the flow of time to match it in the human world for the sake of the reincarnated Devils. They reproduced an artificial moon using Demonic Powers and made the night's darkness the same as the human world.
As the bat familiar approached the main Maou's castle, no guard bothered to stop it as they recognised the sigil worn by the bat.
Gremory
It reached the inner sanctum and flew into the largest room.
The place was the definition of opulence and wealth. The walls were made of the purest marble with repeating wave-like patterns showing their reflective surface. All four corners of the walls were decorated with designs made from gold and other precious gems.
On the ceiling was the biggest chandelier one could imagine, it was as large as a room made from pure gold.
The pieces of furniture resembled the Victorian era style and looked expensive as hell.
The familiar flew towards the middle where a large office table that could easily fit a dozen people and was made from Rosewood.
It landed on the palm of a beautiful young woman appearing to be in her early twenties with back-length silver hair that features a long braid on each side with small blue bows at the ends, while the rest is let down which ends in twin braids and red eyes. Her large breasts were so big that they rivalled if not surpassed Rias.
One of the most noticeable features about her was the maid outfit she was wearing.
Another person in the room soon reacted to its arrival.
"Oh, is that a message from my cute imouto? Finally! I thought she forgot about her caring big brother." said the man seated near the office table.
He was a handsome man who looked to be also in his early 20's. Having shoulder-length crimson red hair and blue-green eyes inherited from his father, similar to Rias. In fact, he was like the male version of the redhead.
This was none other than Sirzechs Lucifer, Rias' older brother and the strongest devil.
Grayfia sighed at her husband's antics, despite what one might think of a Maou and the strongest man in the underworld, Sirzechs behaviour shattered every notion of it.
He was laid-back, prefered to skip his duties when she wasn't looking and just goof around all day.
She already felt a headache incoming.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch! You will rip my ears out, Fia-chan~!" Sirzechs squirmed and thrashed around like a child when she twisted his ears.
"Don't go ignoring your work for a simple message. What must I do for you to act in a way befitting your station?" she asked exasperated.
"Hehehe, you know very well what to do Fia-chan~," He said perversely.
Wrong answer.
Sirzechs, leader of the underworld, screamed in pain as his wife twisted his ears further.
"Let's just see what Rias-sama has to say, okay?"
He nodded and returned to his seat.
"This is quite worrisome," Grayfia commented as they finished hearing the message, "For the White Dragon Emperor to appear in Kuoh, and to nearly battle against Rias-sama over Hikigaya-sama."
"Indeed," Sirzechs replied, his previous childlike attitude was long gone, replaced with a neutral voice that radiated power.
An image fit for a Maou.
The man narrowed his brows a bit, thinking of something.
Hikigaya Hachiman was someone he had long known about. His Ria-tan wouldn't stop talking about him whenever she came back to the Gremory Castle.
It hurt his heart to see his sister be swooned by this stranger, but he came to accept these changes as a natural thing for a young maiden.
If it helped his sister to keep her mind of Riser and the engagement then he was all for it.
He never met the boy, his sister strictly forbidding him to ever interact with Hachiman-kun. He figured out that she wanted to make him join her peerage with her own effort.
He respected that. Nearly all her current members joined her peerage due to him discreetly manipulating events in the background.
When he found out that the boy possessed one of Vritra's sacred gears, his interest grew and he began to wonder if he really needed to intervene to help Rias on the issue with Riser now that she had Hikigaya-kun as a friend.
But now his gift invited trouble, and this trouble was someone he never wanted Rias or her peerage to ever face.
The Dragon Emperors were known for the tragedy they brought upon their surroundings and for one to be from an unknown faction and a possible enemy was a no go for him.
' If he were in my sister's peerage then I would have gladly welcomed him.' Thought Sirzechs.
But he was a possible enemy instead.
He had heard the Grigori had some dragon gear users but he couldn't be certain. Azazel collected many sacred gears and people born with them, to perform his research.
It wouldn't be so far stretched to say that the Vanishing Dragon's host worked for them.
But then again, Azazel was a peaceful leader who preferred to talk first and avoid any conflicts.
' But I can't say the same with Kokabiel.'
"Tell me, Fia-chan, what do you say we pay a little visit to the human world and see how Rias is doing?" He asked his queen and wife.
It was time to finally meet this Hikigaya Hachiman, he wanted to see first-hand the kind of person his sister fell for.
{ Break }
Elsewhere, Vali who returned to his apartment made a phone call.
"I found the one who got the Vritra piece." He replied as soon as the person on the other side picked up.
"Who is it?" Asked Azazel curiously.
"A student named Hikigaya Hachiman. Albion could sense Vritra's aura quite strongly. Him and his host have bonded well, an untrained fighter with some good instincts." Though weak, landing two punches on his face was still a noteworthy feat.
And yeah, he did not fall for the Totsuka fake name.
"I see, that's quite an interesting piece of new- wait. What do you mean by an untrained fighter?"
"…"
"Vali…" Sighed Azazel, he should have expected this from him. "I told you to just find him not make him our enemy!" It was rare for him to get angry but with Vali, this was a common occurrence.
"I tested him and would have brought him if it weren't for the Gremory heiress and her Queen, Barachiel's daughter."
That last piece of news made Azazel grow silent.
"Don't worry, I'm not stupid enough to harm her in any way.
She's strong, even used her father's lightning on me, kinda stung not gonna lie." He assure Azazel, he knew well enough that this was a delicate topic between both Azazel and Barachiel.
"Thank god for that." Replied Azazel for the other side, "I'll have to talk about this with Barachiel. You need to come back, your stay over there was a mistake on my part and I rather prefer that you don't cause any for more trouble and a possible war with the devils."
With that said the leader of the Grigori hung up his phone first.
Barachiel had previously spoken to him about the youngster, but following the fire, he never mentioned anything about his family or anyone for that matter.
He felt guilty enough calling him over that day, his action nearly killing his closest brother's family.
"Why can't things be easy to deal with for once?" he said while sighing at the end.
This concludes Vali's involvement with the current timeline. He is too powerful to be involved and I want to show that.
There was nothing Hachi and the others could have done against Vali.
Also I won't be posting before the 15th. Felt some procastination and that is not a good sign, don't want to experience the slighest bit of burnout so soon.
Another question: What service do you think a dxd teen school girl would ask for Hachiman's club?
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 2 Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword having 3 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post monthly commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise and Snafu.
Wake up call
Hiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
I've enjoyed my break and it allowed me to think up of all lot of new ideas for the story!
By the way, I would like to thank Micheal for being my first patron supporter!
Yes, I do have one and if ya want to spare a buck or two then you're invited to do so. Don't worry my content will always be free here, it's just for people who want to tip in something so that I can continue writing.
Also got a lot of people pitching in ideas for the service club, I've read through everything and noticed many interesting ones. Also, we will soon reach canon timeline, with only 1 arc remaining so expect it to be done this month.
This chapter is not beta-read yet, but it will be in a day or two so if you still want to wait for a cleaner version then wait a bit more.
That's all!
Author NimtheWriter out!
- Grigori Headquarters, Underworld-
The Underworld, as previously mentioned, was about the same size as the Earth, but it had a vastly larger amount of landmass. Of course, that was the generally agreed-upon term. Many suggested the underworld to have another layer within it for the other gods from different pantheons.
This dimension's large landmass was due to there being no oceans separating the continents, instead, there were many lakes and some seas scattered around the underworld like a planet-sized spider web.
With its large surface area, not all territories were ruled by the Devils but instead other species like the Fallen as well.
After his banishment from the heavens by his father, Azazel had taken it upon himself to build a home for his future brothers and sisters who joined his side and cause.
Upon the free lands in the underworld that remained barren with no powers ruling over it, they've created resorts for allied species who worked alongside them and their new home.
Soon their numbers increased with the birth of half-fallens and other pantheon denizens who joined their ranks.
From all of this, his once small tag team group grew up into a behemoth, even successfully establishing itself as the third faction, the Grigori.
Azazel always felt proud whenever he flew over his territory and marveled at how far they had come.
Of course that all changed with the Great War. To say that it was a difficult battle would be an understatement.
It was a complete massacre on every side.
His once proud nation, populated by millions of his fallen brethren had now shrunken down to the size of a few hundred of thousand, which to this day, continued to diminish at a slow and constant rate.
He despised the war but he knew that it was unavoidable in some cases.
If he hadn't participated in the last one then their numbers would have now been in the few hundreds, if not extinct.
They did not suffer like the devils who had lost their leaders in the final battle and whose numbers had gone down to a few thousand. But they were lucky to have someone like Ajuka Beelzebub to increase their number back up.
They already surpassed both the fallen and angel numbers combined. What was worse was that his species could only rely on existing angels to fall to increase their population.
He had made plans to study the evil pieces. And he could only do that when both their factions were on friendly terms.
Proposing a peace treaty between the 3 major factions was easier said than done. Both Michael and the four current Satans were not opposed to his proposition. But that couldn't be said for everyone else.
Kokabiel was heavily against this idea, to the point of almost rebelling against him, some of the Vatican's high-ranking members were opposed on the angel's side and a majority of the noble clans of the devil's as well.
Many believe for things to be perfect as it is. They did not want to change it after everything that happened during the war.
"But this is only temporary and incredibly fragile," Azazel said to himself. "Look at me getting all philosophical all of a sudden. Hahaha, it is what it is, and all I can do right is ensure everything goes smoothly."
He flew over to the main Grigori compound, his twelve wings proudly stretched behind his back, signifying his strength as a seraph, a being on par against Satan-level opponents. Though he still fell short with the likes of Sirzechs and Ajuka, those two were monsters even among devils.
"Now where to find Baraquiel…" Wondered Azazel as he flew from the main building to the training area. "Probably over there with Vali, beating the devil out of him."
As was about to leave the area, he crossed paths with a patrol group that he recognized. "Oh, if it isn't little Raynare and her cronies!"
Across him was a group of 4 fallen angels performing their routine patrol. The leader, Raynare was clad in black, strap-like objects-resembling leather-around and under her breasts, a thong-like piece held around her hips by three thin straps, gloves that ran right up her arms with small lengths of chains hanging from them, shoulder guard-like objects on her shoulders with three large spikes sprouting from her right shoulder, and black thigh-high heel boots.
She was an incredibly attractive lady who had long black hair and shared the common feature of all fallen, violet eyes
"A-Azazel-sama!" She grew flustered at seeing him, her previous arrogant and mature look doing a 180 and becoming docile and shy. 'She couldn't be more obvious.'
"How is the patrol going? Heard you are doing a good job. Keep this up and I might send you on a personal mission on my behalf." He motivated her on her task. Might as well use her attraction to him to his advantage and use it to make her work harder and grow in strength.
He wouldn't use it for nefarious reasons, but this would benefit her in the future.
"O-Of course, Azazel-sama! I'll do my best!" She exclaimed excitedly.
She looked both adorable and incredibly sexy when she puffed out her chest, making the leather straps dig in deeper into her breast. 'I wonder if those two strands of clothing hold on .' He always appreciated a wonderful view when given the opportunity.
' But they still pale in comparison to Gabrielle .' She was the epitome of every kind of beauty known to women. God, he wished he could grope those breasts once in his life, without having Micheal chop his head off.
Oh right, most fallen were generally sexually attractive whether they wanted to or not.
"Hahaha, that's wonderful, do me proud and continue with your duties now."
"I… I thank you for the encouraging words l, Azazel-sama!" With that said, Azazel gestured to them to continue with their work and continued his search.
"Now where was I?"
Grigori Headquarters, Underworld, Training area
The Grigori training area was divided up into 6 areas.
Each area held a different biome, some were mountainous, and others had a forest and even a plain desert.
In the Mountainous training area, large quakes could be felt throughout the area. With cracks splitting the ground into pieces.
The sky of the underworld was covered in black clouds expanding for kilometers on end. Thunder boomed, each of its sounds reverberating in the air, shaking the ground itself.
In the distance two figures could be seen battling each other, their might and strength reaching the realm of godhood.
One of these figures was a middle-aged looking man, sporting a beard and a stern face. Behind his back, twelve wings were put on display. A Seraph-level being, similar to himself and Shemhazai.
He was none other than the Lightning of God, a former Cadre level angel and now the vice governor-general of the Grigori.
Baraquiel.
[ Lightning Spear]
He used his trademark lightning powers to form a spear and launch it at Mach speed towards his opponent.
The spear was larger than himself and radiated power, containing enough destructive capabilities to turn an entire building to dust.
As it tore through the air, its momentum and power suddenly decreased in half.
[ Divide]
[Divide]
[Divide]
His opponent, this era's current White Dragon Emperor, intercepted the attack and reduced its threat with his Sacred Gear.
Mechanical wings blazing in blue light, he dashed forward, obliterating the spear from existence with a punch!
The shockwave from the impact dispersed the air but the ominous black clouds remained.
But he could not react fast enough for Barachiel, now clad in lightning-like armor, to reach his side and side kick him on the side waist, where his defense was the lowest.
"Argh!" He released a grunt of pain before hurling down the ground at breakneck speed, forming a crater ten times his size. "Albion, analysis."
His Light Wings flashed, followed by Albion's voice. ' A few torn muscles, broken collarbone and a bruised kidney. Nothing you can't recover from.' Albion reported, not sounding the least bit afraid or concerned from the fight.
"Hahaha, now this is what I call a fight! I can't help but wonder how much more brutal it will be against Red!" Vali shouted joyfully out loud and coughed up some blood in the process.
' I might have forgotten to tell you that your lungs were damaged as well. ' answered Albion, that overgrown lizard was making fun of him.
Vali took a few breaths of air and looked up at where his opponent was.
Baraquiel was not done yet, for he had another attack prepared for him.
[ Lightning Spears Volleys]
This time, hundreds of spears started raining down from the black clouds, each spear larger than him and carrying an equal amount of devastating force.
The sky became illuminated with all the white light.
Vali quickly stood up, calling back his [Light Wings] and rocketing up to the sky forming a deeper crater.
He summoned every ounce of his stamina, devil powers and natural magical power to perform one of his currently strongest abilities.
[Half-Dimension!]
Reality itself started to bend at his fingertips.
The kilometer-wide sea of black clouds grew smaller and smaller. The same happened with the many [Lightning Spears].
But it could not successfully stop the attack, merely reducing its power.
A machine gun like noise came from the impact, generating a sea of dust and debris with Vali taking the brunt of what was left. "RaaaaaAAAAAGGGHH!!!" He screamed and pushed his armor to its absolute limit.
His [Balance Breaker] armor started suffering from cracks and dents but it didn't shatter under the unending barrage of spears. "That's all you got!?" Challenged Vali.
Despite the bravado and confidence, he showed on the outside, he knew on the inside that he couldn't win. The man hadn't even used his [Holy Lightning] yet he still gave him a rough time.
'Do not grow intimidated by his prowess, Vali. With the speed at which you are improving, a year will prove enough to stand against this man on equal footing.'
A year, huh? Still too slow. He needed power, a lot more power if he ever hoped to achieve his dream.
Baraquiel creased his brows a bit and readied himself for launching another attack.
"…"
Clap!*
"..!"
"I believed that this had gone off for long enough. Please don't kill the kid." A voice interrupted their duel, completely ruining the mood and shattering the tension between them.
"Azazel…" Baraquiel wondered what the man wanted, he was a bit frustrated that he interrupted the beatdown he was giving Vali for his near battle against Akeno and the injuries he dealt with one of her friends. "Do you require something?"
"We need to talk, privately," Azazel mentioned to his side.
Vali, while dissatisfied, could do nothing against his orders. So he remained silent and focused on recovering. Baraquiel did not try to teach him a lesson, so he just gave him a beatdown in the form of a training session. Because he knew what kind of person Vali was.
Persistent and stubborn to the bone.
He was a jerk but by no means evil.
…
Grigori HQ, Azazel's office
The inside of the governor of the fallen faction was not something one might expect from a leader but rather a mad scientist's lab.
Medical pieces of equipment, surgical tools, unfinished inventions, and literally a wall made out of shelves filled with his research books and some sacred gears put on display.
On his desk were his latest project, a mechanical bionic arm, and a strange golden spearhead on the side labeled 'Downfall D'.
' At least he keeps everything tidy ' Thought Baraquiel as they both took a seat on the sofas with some alcohol poured for them by one of the robot machines.
"What is this about?" Asked Baraquiel.
"You did not check up on your family. Else you would have known about [Delete Field's] new host.
"My family issues are for me to handle, Azazel." Though he did not show any facial changes, his voice carried a hint of warning. He was warning him to not meddle much. "You don't have to trouble yourself with my issues."
They both went down in a minute-long silence.
"I'm sorry." Said Azazel quietly.
Baraquiel was surprised by the sudden apology, it came out of nowhere. "For what? I do not believe you had any reasons to apologize."
Azazel's gaze was fixed on his clenched fists, eyes flickering in regret and self-hatred. "I am the reason why this all went down. That day I could have handled the issue with foreign matters alongside Penemue and Shemhazai.
"Why go so far, I could have done it myself. Yet in my paranoia and laziness, I proceeded to call you for backup when it was completely unnecessary. If because of my selfish action that your family was attacked, it is because of me that you nearly lost them and I should be held accountable for everyth-"
"That's enough Azazel."
Baraquiel raised his voice at him, cutting him off from finishing his speech. "I do not blame you the least bit, brother."
"The attack happened because of me instead of you. Shuri and Akeno became enemies of their clan because of my existence. They never hid their intentions of getting rid of them one way or another, they always made it apparent." Anger crept inside his voice. "I knew that, yet I still failed to protect them when I promised I would. I am not worthy of them, I am a failure!" He lashed out at himself in self-hatred.
"Then why don't you go meet them?" Azazel asked the main question, again.
"I…"
"I am afraid that they might hate me, reject me. I tried many times to go up to them, yet my body trembles when I think about it. My mind shuts down, anguish and terror fill my mind." Tears formed in his eyes as kept talking. "I do not deserve them!"
He blamed no one but himself.
"I heard from Vali that little Akeno used [Holy Lightning] while protecting Hachiman." This seemed to shock Baraquiel, as his eyes opened wide open. "She used the ability you taught her without any reservations nor prejudice. Doesn't that show you how she didn't reject you? How you still have a place in her heart."
Baraquiel became speechless but hesitation and uncertainty still heavily clouded his judgment.
"Did she really?"
Vali may be a jerk but he isn't a liar, so Azazel was sure of that.
"Yes, she did. Instead of drowning in regret and self-hatred here, go out there and meet your wife and daughter for once." He got up from the sofa not even touching his drink and pocketed the 'Downfall D' labeled spearhead before reaching the main door. "Don't be a coward."
With his piece said Azazel left to manage his other responsibilities. The final decision lay in his brother's hand, not his.
He hoped things would improve from now on.
{ Break}
-Kuoh, Hachiman's room-
These last few days have been hectic. I nearly got screwed over twice by some strong jerk and found out some mysterious organization had some grudge against me cause I apparently stole something from them. And worst of all, the would-be anime protagonist's main rival had me on his radar!
Is this 'fuck Hachiman over' week!? I had not even properly started school let alone my club before my ass nearly got fried.
'At least I have Vritra now to help me out.' That was the only positive point. A many thousand-year-old dragon was a major boon no matter what scenario one found themselves in.
'Happy to help out, partner.'
Waking up, I was surprisingly warm and sweaty. Like someone had covered me in blankets while sleeping in a hot room. But I also felt… heav… y.
Alarm bells tolled inside my brain, signaling me of an impending doom scenario soon to come. 'I can't move my arms.' It was almost like they were entangled against snakes.
' I can try to deny it as much as I want to but I can't change reality, curse you God of hentai!'
Indeed it was as I feared, opening my eyes I was greeted by the heavenly sight of both Akeno and Rias sleeping soundly by my side, and do I even need to mention if they were clothed or not?
Just like me, they were all very sweaty but it didn't seem to bother them as it did for me. I could feel every inch of them with my arms, even their heartbeat from how hard they held onto my arm.
Sweat drops traveled from their necks to their breasts and nipples, which were heavily pressed against my arms, before touching my arms.
They looked both innocent and absolutely sinful, granted I am a clear-minded and logical individual but I was still a teenage boy with strong hormones.
And little Hachiman Junior was growing a bit rebellious.
' Think about a naked dude, think about a naked dude… how about Totsuka-NO! He shall not be sullied!… and it will only make it worse. Ah! A naked Zaimokusa .' That thankfully calmed Hachiman Junior for now but I needed to free myself quickly.
Trying to move my right arm first from Rias, my hands I accidentally touched something very intimate… something a bit hairy…'Oh, so she does not shave down there?'
She sensed my touch and in her sleep started to move her hips back and forth.
'AAAAAAHHHHH! DON'T PANIC!'
Being a former avid manga and light novel reader, my mind went through hundreds if not thousands of similar scenarios and how they all ended.
With the MC either being a Chad and giving no fucks, but unfortunately, I was surrounded by girls who could fry me up in a single attack.
MC grew flustered and embarrassed before running away, no I wasn't that kind of guy.
MC gets caught by a childhood friend or another girl who opens the door to call me for breakfast and when seeing the scene calls me a Baka and slaps me? Nope, those girls were already on my bed.
Or worst of all I get caught in a catfight when they both wake up.
My hands felt something wet…
"Aaah~" A silent moan escaped from the mouth of the now heavy-breathing Rias.
'Ah, who cares! I must do something before it's too late!'
I came up with a plan, a path that no other dumb anime protagonists have ever even thought of in their less than bright minds. I wake up each of them at a time and… pretend to still be asleep!
Yes, when one of them wakes up first and sees that everyone else was still sleeping, they would most likely quietly leave the room to prepare themselves for school and not raise a scene.
I wiggle my hands, desperately trying to ignore Rias's stimulated part and pinching her thighs, hard. "Mnng."
Okay, she was waking up, now pretending to sleep, Hachiman!
I heard her release a cute yawn and stretch her legs a bit, she then sat herself on the edge of the bed.
So far so good.
She stayed there for a few seconds, probably letting her mind catch up from her slumber as well.
I sensed her turning around and staring at me and Akeno, 'Please don't get angry, please don't get angry, please don't get angry!' I prayed fervently.
Then two weights pushed themselves around my pillow, probably her hands and she was most likely on top of me. 'What are you doing?' I did my best sleeping expression not giving away any clue.
She came closer, I could feel her hot breath on my face with strands of her hair falling to the sides. Her fingers then caressed my cheek, then proceeded to gently gloss over my lips.
I had a baaaaaad feeling about this.
She then proceeded to gently peck me on the cheek, then kissed it again, again and again. With each of her kisses, she grew less hesitant and more passionate and slowly began coming closer to my lips. 'They are soft.'
Until she kissed the corner of my mouth did she stop. For some reason, I could feel both her hands shaking, like she was holding back. Her increasingly heavier breathing did not help either.
"Hachiman…" She said my first name which she never did before. "Soon…" What?
'Is she turned on by my previous action!?'
Thankfully, she got herself back into control and got off of me and the bed. I heard her wearing her clothes and silently opening and closing the door.
I was safe, the Tiger was gone, and all that was left was the Dragon… or crow in this case. Akeno despite being THE most perverted individual he knew of, surprisingly looked innocent and cute in her sleep, if you could ignore her body that is.
Growing used to her sleeping with me when we were little and when she used to experience nightmares. Holding her as she calmed down became a regular thing. It took a year before her nightmares stopped appearing.
I did not wake her up like Rias, she most likely was tired from what happened yesterday, so I just waited for her to wake up.
It didn't take much longer, as a miko she was used to waking up early and I only wanted for five minutes before she woke up.
Just like Rias she released a cute yawn and stretched her arms. And again just like her King, she came on top of me, close to my face.
I didn't have to wait for long before I felt a minor peck on my lips. Unlike Rias, she lacked any sort of hesitation and was more firm and direct.
Gradually her mouth pressed more firmly against mine, her tongue teasing my mouth and forcing it open. She did not hesitate to explore every inch and corner of my mouth.
Her gesture was wild and hungry, her arms circled around my head pushing it further against hers.
' How does she expect me to stay asleep while she's doing this!?'
I was no stranger to Akeno's affection, but lately, she has kept getting bolder and bolder. 'Probably due to Rias.'
She kept on ravaging my mouth and my lips for the last few minutes before stopping. I could feel her hands circling my abdomen, I did my best to control Hachiman Junior but it was a lost battle.
Thankfully I heard my mother's voice calling me from the other side telling me to get ready for school.
Akeno ceased her actions reluctantly and left the bed.
This day just started and I was already tired, at least I had the club activities to look up to. Wonder what kind of requests I'll get.
As Akeno opened the door I heard her saying.
"You can stop pretending Hachiman-kun or else I won't be able to hold myself back, fufufu." she said while closing the door.
' You know, even if I'm technically a soul stuck in a gear and a dragon at that, I can't help but grow jealous of your love life.'
Shut up Vritra.
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 2 Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword having 3 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post monthly commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise and Snafu.
First request (Rewritten)
Hiiiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Reworked
This is the last chapter before the last arc of this timeline starts. So be prepared cause cause Canon is around the corner.
JAKEkenstein : Aye, don't worry my friend, writing a harem with an absurd amount of girls will be like cornering and killing the story. It is not something I can currently write naturally with my skills and make it work. Though this is a harem story it won't have something ridiculous like 10 girls lol.
Guest : Sorry man, the story will have lewds here and there, while Hachiman is… well Hachiman, this is still DxD. Of course, it won't become a semi ecchi story, but it will have its moments. Soon a serious arc will take place so I don't think it would be possible to write a lewd scene then, if this pleases you.
AkihisatoKaito : Thanks dude, the angels will be a part in the story as I won't leave them out of it. But it is a bit early for them to make an appearance. About the harem members? We'll see…
Maldorth :… yes *hides in the corner*
ArmantusCumPinnae : Ha! Fear the Zaimokusa nightmare, I will fuel it until you see it irl! Though thank you for the comment dude, the pre canon story would have only lasted for 5 chapters when I initially planned things. But as I continued on, I felt the story would be extremely rushed and create many plot holes if I didn't extend the the pre canon part a bit. As you may have noticed some changes have already taken place and some deviation are bound to happen.
XXxxxadisxxxXX: Yo sorry about all the grammar errors, they will be corrected soon enough. I will not stop until all of my chapters are error free!
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi
- Kuoh Academy -
I'm glad to still be alive after the cluster fuck which was this morning.
After finding out that Akeno had already seen through my act, I've felt constant dread for what she plans next. I was wary of the atmosphere around the table during breakfast, fearing that another fight might soon break out and cause me to be homeless.
But surprisingly none of that happened, Rias acted like her usual self and so did Akeno. Maybe I had successfully duped Rias but Akeno saw through me, if the constant hungry looks she was giving me had anything to say about it.
I could deal with her later on, but with Rias, that was just asking for trouble. I ain't no love guru or casanova, and there are some scenarios when even logic won't cut it falls in the realm of fantasy.
Which was ironic, since I live in a fantasy world.
Our walk to school was the same as always, getting death stares from the minimal male population and other kinds of dangerous looks that sent shivers down my spine from the female populace. At this point, I was using both Rias and Akeno as my personal shields against these degenerates, who knows what kind of sinful thoughts they might have about me.
' It is quite peaceful today, isn't it, partner?' Vritra decided to join me for a conversation, knocking me out of my thoughts on using my escape routes if the females decided to attack.
He was right. For now, I managed everything in the Service Clubroom all by myself, it was one of the rare moments where I could have some alone time. As much as I appreciated everyone's presence, it could get a bit suffocating at times, especially for someone like me.
Today everyone was busy with their clients. Apparently, a VIP was asking for some aid from Rias and her peerage. It must have been something important since both her and Sona along with their peerage members were gone.
If they needed assistance, I was just a call away.
"Nice of you to join me, Vritra. I've been getting kinda bored here." I did not bother talking to him telepathically. There was no one present in my vicinity, so it was safe enough.
' Boredom is a luxury, do not squander or abhor it. It helps to ease up on stress and enjoy finer things in life.'
'Spending every waking moment in a high-stress environment is never beneficial for a sound mind. It can gradually break even the strongest beings,' advised Vritra with his ever-helpful wisdom.
"Yeah, I guess so. Doing nothing can be beneficial in some situations." But I can use this opportunity to learn more from him.
"Say, since we finally have some alone time to talk things out, tell me more about yourself," I asked, "We can get to know more of each other."
' Really ?' he asked both surprised and hopeful.
Oi, why did you sound like a naive schoolgirl that was asked out by her crush?
"Why do you sound so surprised? It's just small talk." I wondered curiously.
' Well… you have got to understand partner, most of my previous hosts saw me as nothing more than a tool of power and destruction. Outside of battle or ability related questions nearly nobody ever grew any kind of interest about my personal stories .' I detected a hint of sadness in his voice.
"Really? That's kinda sad, to tell you the truth. Having people ignore your existence and treat you basically like an AI assistant."
Like seriously, the gear had a thousand years old grandpa dragon that retained all of his knowledge. Surely there's gotta be some major advantages one might think of from this.
' Aye, I have grown used to it. I remember my first time being used by my many sacred gears. I was no different from a raging beast that was drowned in my own hatred and desired nothing more than revenge.'
'It was a bit silly of me to have tried to break out of artifacts capable of sealing the Heavenly Emperors themselves in, with a fractured soul. Bah! Flaunting my powers and status as an Evil Dragon King and trying to scare my previous host into eternal servitude.'
' Haaaaa, just thinking about myself from back then is enough to drown me in embarrassment and shame.'
"Hahahaha!" I couldn't help but laugh out loud from Vritra's little story. Wasn't that basically a dragon's version of his Chuuni phase?
I guess we had more similar traits than I previously thought.
'Hmph! Laugh it up all you want, I have long since grown desensitized by these mockeries and humiliation.'
One detail did catch my attention, "You've called yourself an Evil Dragon before, but what does it mean?" Like he seemed perfectly normal and wise to me, there were no hidden schemes of taking over the world or something like that… at least I hoped so.
' Ah, another taint in my history as a Dragon King. Well, to put it in simple words; a feral dragon .'
"Feral?" I repeated.
' Yes, it is basically when a dragon loses all sense of control and causes absolute mayhem to everything; becoming destruction incarnate. If you have time you can gather some research about Crom Cruach, who I and many others believe to be the strongest Evil Dragon, to learn more. Or me for that matter, I do not care.'
Felt like he was grumbling at the last part.
' Evil Dragons are merciless on the battlefield. Cruel and brutal to everyone and everything around them, even if they were destroying themselves in the process. Being calm is an impossibility when the only thought in our mind is to rampage, to just kill anything in our way. It's like being in [Juggernaut Drive] but for dragons and it can last years, decades, centuries or even for eternity if we are not stopped by then.'
That sent a chill up my spine.
' I was one such dragon, the only one among the Dragon Kings to ever become an Evil Dragon.'
Wow, so evil dragons are basically out of control dragons, like rabid dogs. But Vritra didn't seem to be like what he was describing. He was calm, polite and just a general gentle soul. I can't seem to see him as an Evil Dragon.
' You are thinking of how I do not match the characteristics of what I've just described.'
The old dragon is more perceptive than I thought.
' If you have done enough research on me then you should know that I identify as another being as well.' he questioned me. I scratched my chin, trying to recall some information.
"Right, if I remember correctly, in Hindu and Buddhist mythology you're also considered as an Asura. Though I don't know exactly what it means if I'm being honest." I remember this detail about Vritra, he had many titles and origins but the most common ones described him as a Serpent Dragon Asura.
' Aye, you did your research properly, partner. So you should be able to understand why I am considered evil to many of the gods. The slaughter and war waged upon my kind and my allies, the Asuras, by Indra was the final nail in the coffin that made me lose it completely.
'Do not misunderstand, I was a deranged and dangerous being before the war due to my nature as an Asura, but Indra forced me beyond the point of no return.
'It is only by spending centuries in solitude sealed into various sacred gears with nothing but fragments of my soul, that allowed me to calm down. Of course, not all dragons could recover like me; many retain that madness and can be extremely volatile.
'In fact, my nature as an Evil Dragon is another reason why I hesitate to turn one of your limbs into that of a dragon. I am afraid of what you might become, without even going into [Juggernaut Drive]'
"…"
I was silent at his explanation. The idea of changing my parts into a dragon had its benefits and drawbacks.
"Is there a way for me to reverse the process or just try to bypass some of the issues of losing my sanity?"
' To be honest, partner. There might be something, this world is a big place filled with countless miracles and powers, for all we know, we might come across the solution to our problems at some point.'
He did not know of any methods to heal or save his host from turning themselves into a dragon later on. Everyone before me always used this method in a life or death fight and died in the end. So he never had the opportunity to search for a solution.
So this option remains as a last resort. While I desired power, I will not run headfirst into it without some form of guaranteed insurance or safety measure for myself and others. "Vritra, is there a way for me to accelerate my training without any possibilities of going berserk?"
' Haha, of course, there are many! Who do you take me for? I have trained countless Black Dragon Kings and you will not be the last. You should also know that I am a bit of a scholar that had very few equals that could surpass my intellect. And it also helps you are one of the most attuned hosts I ever got in my life ,' Vritra said joyfully.
Wow… Someone is prideful. As expected from a dragon, but his other boasts threw me in a loop. Me being his most compatible host?
"Where did you get that fact from? After witnessing the absolute beating I suffered these last few days, do you still consider me the best? Are you alright in the soul, Vritra?"
There was absolutely no way I was any good.
' You underestimate yourself way too much, partner. Look at your use of [Restrict]. This should be proof enough, and I was not talking about powers but also your personality. Every aspect of yours is both compatible with my powers and my personal characteristics.
'Just believe me when I say that in a few months or a year or two… I can make you supreme!' He said the last part with a booming tone, full of bravado.
Heh, how chuuni of him.
Now isn't that an overblown promise, but I feel rather energized by Vritra's enthusiasm, can't have it be ruined from my opposing opinions.
"Speaking of training," I drawled only to be halted by a sound from the door.
Knock Knock
The door of my clubroom slowly opened up, with a girl peeking half of her face through.
"Ano… Is the Service Club open for requests?" Asked a cute meek-looking girl with a black hair ponytail and also had chubby cheeks.
Must resist pinching them!
"It's finally time for the Service Club to be open for business," I whispered to myself, ready for anything to come my way.
' Are you with me, Vritra?' I asked my new companion and soon to be mentor.
' Always ,' cheered the fired up dragon, still pumped from earlier. ' Which should be expected since I am stuck inside you, so I really don't have much of a choice in the end .'
He just had to add that last part.
Way to kill the mood…
{ Break }
"So you're saying that some creepy dude is taking pictures of you whenever you come to school?" I asked the girl beside me as we walked out of the school building and were heading to one of the gym buildings. "And when you try to look for him, he's already long gone?"
Morimoto Shizuka was her name, quiet and shy with no outstanding features. She's a second-year, making her my senpai. While she looked plain, she still had something that made her stand out from the rest… Those jiggly mass of flesh that looked ready to rip her top.
… Seriously, what the hell are they feeding these girls? Are none of them feeling any back pain? Because this girl doesn't look like she is struggling from the extra weight!
"Y-yes, Senpai! I even heard some weird creepy laugh from down the street too. Please help me!" Oi, why are you calling me senpai? I should be the one calling you that, since you're one year above me… apparently.
Maybe it's because of my growth spurt? I do seem to be pretty tall compared to my last life.
"Did you see his face?" My question was met with a head shake of no.
So we got ourselves an elusive pervert who likes to take pictures of passing girls. Now, how do I catch this guy?
' Any ideas, Vritra?'
' Probably from one of the nearby schools.'
Ah, that is true. According to Morimoto-san, the cameraman appears when classes are done, he should study in a nearby school for him to get here so quickly. But how can I catch him in the act?
"Morimoto-san…"
"Ye-yes sen-senpai?" She really isn't used to talking to others or maybe she is scared of me? I do have the uncanny ability of making people nervous around me. I blame my eyes for that, always getting me into trouble "H-how ca-can I he-help you?"
"This creep, does he only take pictures of you or others as well?" If she was the only one then it would make my job much easier.
She put on a thinking face, "It on-only happens when I'm wit-with the other girls from the ken-kendo club."
Ara? So she's a kendo practitioner, kinda hard to imagine with her squirrel-like face, she didn't look like she could harm a fly.
So this guy targets large groups of girls after their kendo practice. Hmmm, I feel like I'm missing a crucial detail here.
' To know your enemy, you must put yourself in their shoes,' said Vritra, giving me one of his quotes of wisdom.
Hmm if I was a perverted creep who wanted to take pictures of girls why would I target the kendo girls and not anyone else?
Think Hachiman, think.
Channel the spirit of Zaimokuza within you.
I felt the wind pick up speed while my surroundings became eerily quiet and somewhat Zen. I closed my eyes in contemplation, channeling my inner detective Conan as well.
Kendo…
… practice…
… builds up a sweat…
… sweat sticks clothes to the girl!
The image became clear to me, almost like a thousand angels came from the sky playing their trumpets and granting me enlightenment-
"A-Ano, senpai?"
Just like the screeching sound of a record player I was cut out of my daydreaming, snapping back to reality.
"O-oh, sorry about that Morimoto-san. Just got lost in my thoughts." I apologized, hoping that I wasn't making any weird faces. "But I think I may have found the reason why this cameraman keeps targeting you and the kendo girls."
"Really!?" her face brightened up in joy, almost blinding my eyes from her bright smile and nearly giving life to my rotten little heart.
Though this means that I'm going to need from the Kendo Club, which I really don't want to.
' Are you scared of asking for their aid?'
' Not really…' I have long since come to terms that not everything can be done alone. A helping hand is always a boon no matter which situation one finds themselves in. 'I… don't know. As my first request, I want to show that I can handle stuff on my own; that I don't need other people's help to get things done.'
' Are you trying to be a loner?'
Trying? Was I actually TRYING to become a loner than naturally being one? Yes, in a way, I was and it pained me to admit it.
' Do not fret the changes in life. No one remains the same, we all change little by little. Life is not a constant but rather an ever-changing road, filled with unexpected twists and turns. Take that step forward and leave behind any fear you have of changing into another person, sometimes this can be for the better.'
I chuckled, the old wise dragon slapping me with philosophy. What's next? A god teaching me about the beauty of breasts?
Though he was right, I shouldn't be afraid to ask for help.
"We're going to need the kendo girl's help."
"Huh?"
{ Break }
When I entered the room, I felt someone bump into me, quickly grabbing them so we wouldn't fall. Thankfully we didn't fall to the ground.
"Hachiman-kun!"
I looked at the person in my arms, and saw that it was Murayama. The young woman looked like she finished an intense practice as her face was completely red.
"Hey Murayama"
As we entered the kendo dojo in the school followed by Morimoto, another familiar girl saw me and came to greet me as well.
"You finally decided to visit us, didn't you?" Katase said, smiling at us, her gaze focused on us
'Out of necessity, not because I wanted to.' Also, why was Katase's eye twitching? Was this entire situation stressing her out?
She had a hairband on for practice, a Hakama and a loose Keikogi to help complete the ensemble.
This looked even worse on the approaching Murayama since it showed her ample cleavage! I did my best to have my eyes stare nowhere near that area as I felt them press onto my chest. Am I the only one noticing this? I've been to a kendo club in my old world before and no one showed this amount of cleavage.
"Yo Katase-san and Murayama-san just came to solve a problem your club members seem to have," I told them my reason to visit after letting Murayama out of my arms and gesturing at the hidden squirrel girl behind me.
"Kya!"
Why are scared of people you train with regularly?
"Oh, Shizuka-senpai? Wait… is this about that hidden pervert?"
Now both Murayama and Katase looked like they were ready to kill someone, even their shinai had killing intent oozing out. The feeling was shared amongst all the present kendo girls.
Morimoto looked ready to bolt as she quivered at the hostile aura coming from the clubmates. While I wondered if I had to hide a body at the end of this job. Truly a woman's fury is something one should tread carefully, or else doom will befall them.
"Don't worry Hachiman-kun, we will help you!" They all agreed without even hearing out the plan that I came up with.
"But on one condition." This time, it was Murayama who spoke up, seeming to have regained her composure, her face being serious.
I don't know why she was establishing a condition when it was clear that they were the ones who needed the help, not me.
"Okay, tell me what it is… I guess?" Wouldn't hurt to know what she wanted. And besides, I feel bad that I've been ignoring them. They are my childhood friends.
"I-I'll tell you after we finish catching the pervert. But you have to promise to hear me out later!" she demanded with a slight blush on her face once again.
Katase on the side had a grin on her face, who looked like she knew what her friend wanted to ask me.
These two are up to something, I just know it.
But it doesn't seem like it's something bad, so why not, "Sure I'll hear you out,"
{ Break }
( One explanation later)
"So you want us to hang out at the entrance of the school after our workout without showering to lure in our target?" repeated Katase as we and the others made our way to the gates, "That sounds pretty suspicious, Hachi-kun?" She narrowed her eyes on me, but the smile on her face said otherwise at how she was feeling.
Now that she said it out loud, it did make me sound really suspicious. Man, it sounded better in my head.
"No! No, please don't misunderstand my actions, Katase-san. I promise this is just a one-time thing," I reassured her. I don't want the girls wielding shinais to see me as a pervert.
She hummed softly, her eyes eased up as she looked slightly… disappointed?
"Awww~ that's a bummer."
What?
"What? Also call me Katase, we've know each other long enough to drop honorifics"
I froze in place while Katase and the other girls giggled and left me and Murayama behind.This world seriously needs some help!
"H-hey Hachiman, y-you can just call me Murayama as well."
The blushing brunette left before I could answer, leaving me even more confused.
I shook my head to concentrate on more important things. Like finding a spot where I could hide and get a better view of the surrounding area.
Using my athleticism, I climbed over a tree near the entrance for a vantage point and waited.
{ Break }
( A few minutes later)
It had already been 15 minutes and nothing of note had happened yet.
The girls did as planned, hanging out and talking to each other acting all casual. People were giving them some weird looks including the teachers and some students.
At this point, our target hadn't fallen for our bait yet. I was skeptical if he even was present in the first place.
We couldn't wait for hours and the insects on the trees were beginning to bug me.
See what I did there… Yeah I'm not proud of it either.
Fortunately, I didn't have to wait for long with my terrible puns.
Flash !
"Kya! He's there!" Morimoto pulled down her skirt to hide her panties with one hand while she pointed to the area near the bushes where a black shadow was seen escaping, "He's escaping!"
"Don't worry I got him!" I jumped down my spot and sprinted full speed towards that person.
"You better stop buddy, you can't outrun me!" I warned the guy, hoping that he would give up, but just like I expected, it didn't work.
"Fuck you!"
How rude…
He ran towards the street where the light was in the middle of changing and ran to the other side before the light turned red.
But that wasn't going to stop me, for what he did not know about me was…
I know parkour!
I neared the sedan car in front of me and used my legs to slide over the car's hood, earning a shout from the driver and a loud honk. My face burned a bit from the embarrassment after performing the over the top move. I may have performed to move smoothly but doing it in public was still something I still couldn't handle.
' Why is it easier to look like a jerk instead of a cool guy?' In a twisted sort of way, I was more comfortable with people jeering and insulting me than getting their praises. The backlash I got from the incident with Minami was more bearable than this.
' You are getting distracted, partner. Be sure to not get hit by one of these vehicles .' Vritra cut me off my inner monologue.
On the other side of the street was a passing cargo truck, I used my momentum to roll under it successfully-without getting squashed-and vaulted over the metallic bar separating the road and the pathway.
Now that's a scene straight out of a Jackie Chan or Tom Cruise action movie. Past ' Chuuni ' me would be proud but present me is reaching his limit on acting cool.
"Holy shit, this guy is crazy!"
I think so too buddy. As if a person can stay sane in this world.
The guy I was pursuing grew scared and frantic as he kept trying to run away from me.
But he was clearly not physically fit, quickly getting tired and beginning to breathe heavily.
Without breaking a sweat, I closed the distance between us and tackled him down. Of course I made sure to not make him hit head on the ground, this wasn't a police chase after all and didn't want to pay for his hospital bill.
"Gargh! Let me go!"
He was a young-looking middle school teen with shoulder-length messy dark brown hair, thin eyebrows and rimless square glasses.
I saw the camera that he was holding and immediately snatched it away from him.
"Hey! My precious!"
' Damn, it's not like I snatched his ring or something.'
I went through the many pictures taken and noticed nearly all of them being of Kuoh Academy girls, all taken at a low angle showing off their panties. Some of these shots looked like they were taken at an extremely close angle, so close in fact that I wondered how the girls didn't spot him. I nearly cracked the camera when I saw several pictures of my friends changing
"Give it back, you fucking normie!" He tried taking it back from my hands but I easily kept him pinned down. Still, someone else calling me a normie? That stung.
"You are a sick bastard, you know that? Taking these kinds of pictures… this isn't legal you know that too, right? I'm formatting the card." And with a few button pushes, I deleted everything on it.
"Nooooooooooooo!!!!" The boy wailed in grief. Jeez, I didn't kill your family dude, why are you so melodramatic?
Oh wow, already crying? At least save it for the girls, man. You could cry bloody murder for all I care. "Oi, your card is still in one piece buddy, it's not like I destroyed it." My voice couldn't be anymore dry, it just showed how much I cared for the guy. Though I was tempted to break his camera. "It doesn't take a genius to point out that what you're doing is wrong, criminal even… though it does take an idiot to miss the point."
I use my commonly used skills, ' Dead fish eyed glare '. A popular one among my 108 skills. It was working since he now looked rather intimidated.
So I pressed on, "Then tell me, what benefit do YOU gain from it? You don't look like a bad kid to me… if I squint, like really hard. So don't make me take measures to avoid the creation of a future sex offender. Otherwise, I might have to get more serious in dealing with you."
Verbally teasing someone was okay, making inappropriate comments on others, though rude was quite common, unfortunately. I suffered enough harsh words uttered behind my back, and gossips to know how damaging they can be.
I always wondered why such people existed in the world. I forced myself to never judge a person on first meeting them and even to never judge some of their past actions as many factors may have contributed to them doing certain things.
Now I had someone who filled such a description, I almost wanted to know why he was doing such a thing; key word being almost.
"Fucking bastard! It's guys like you who take all the girls for themselves and don't leave anything for people like me. Don't even think for a moment I haven't seen you hanging around tons of super hot girls, especially that foreign one!" Hey, you're making it sound like I have my own harem, which I don't. I'm not the MC of this world. I just happened to be around them due to a certain redhead being a stubborn girl.
And Akeno, Murayama, and Katase are childhood friends, so not much I can do about that. Man, why are the women in my life stubborn..
"Why are you stopping me for something so trivial as this, when you already have your own harem! What gives you the right!? You are nothing more than the number one enemy of all mankind!"
It's called being a normal guy, don't know if he had ever heard such a term.
Also, again, I don't have a harem.
"And what I'm doing is not a crime, but art! I forever immortalized the beauty of women and their wonderful gifts, for all men to see!"
"…" I was speechless.
Did this guy seriously mean every word he said? A strange yet painful thought passed through my mind, 'People like this, actually exist.'
If I was a petier person, the kid would have suffered from a punch or two to the face and much worse. This kid is either brain damaged or a lost cause.
"And also know that with my skill in the future I will…"
And there he goes again on another rant. This time, I chose to ignore him and continued to inspect his camera for any signs of a backup memory card or something. I saw a fine print on the bottom ' property of Matsuda .'
So this guy was called Matsuda, good to know. Might have to report him one day if he does something illegal again.
"Hachiman-kun!" I heard the distant calls of the kendo girls catching up to us, clearly out of breath.
I knew what they would do to this guy and as much I thought he deserved what was to come, I also worried about the girls. Beating up a middle school kid in public with weapons, wooden or not, was not a good image for them or the school.
There were already some people around watching us weirdly.
The street was sparsely crowded and we happened to be a bit isolated but not empty.
"Listen Matsuda, I will give you one chance to run away cause if you don't you'll be in a world of pain." Pointing at the girls with their wooden shinais seemed to get my point across to him.
'Vritra '
I called upon my ever so faithful partner to secretly release some of his draconic energy. For supernatural beings this would pose no harm to them. Normal humans on the other hand would experience the scariest feeling in their life, like have their souls grasped by a hell demon.
"And if I find you around taking pictures of the girls around my school again, or I won't be nice next time."
"Waaaaa!" I got off of him and the boy scurried away, crying and screaming like a madman, completely forgetting about his camera… and his student ID which I pickpocketed.
After the girls caught up to me, I quickly explained to them the situation and showed them the camera and his ID. I told them that if they had beaten him up in public then that would've been in a lot of trouble. Instead I advised the girls to file a complaint to the police or something. Basically I just let them decide what they wanted to do with the items I gave them.
My job was done here.
Though they weren't happy with the part where they didn't get to beat up the boy, they were overall satisfied.
"Thank you for everything!"
"Thank you senpai!"
"You're the best!"
"You were so cool during the chase!"
They all showered me with compliments and cheers, some even hugged me as thanks. It was chaotic but I managed to calm them down and convinced them to return and get changed. I was sweating from interacting with them instead of all that parkour I did before. Oh god, they saw me do all those cool moves! I just know they're going to spread it around the school! I'm never going to hear the end of this!
Though I did not forget about a request to hear someone out. Even if I wanted to go back home, as my social interaction battery was depleted, I had to keep up my promise.
"So Murayama-san, you wanted to tell me something?"
The shy girl was pushed forward by her friend to reveal whatever she had to say, "Um, I was wondering… if… you could… jointhekendoclub!" She spoke very fast near the end but I understood what she had to say.
"Kendo?" Why would I join the club? I didn't have any reason to and I would be associated with the Occult Research Club soon. "I'm not sure about that-'"
'I would advise joining, partner .' said Vritra.
' Huh, why ?' I asked not denying the possibility.
' Learning sword styles of any kind is beneficial for your future, if you ever are in possession of a weapon, you will not swing it around like a fool and will actually have some ideas on how to defend yourself.'
' And you can use this opportunity to train your stamina as well. We will have our own separate training but you should also have something else outside of it. Expand your knowledge and become more versatile .'
He did give a good point, I did promise myself to get better and why not start from here?
"Sure I don't mind learning some kendo." I finally said, make the two smile with joy at me joining their club.
' It's not really that big of a deal…'
Besides, I wouldn't mind hanging out with the two again.
The next 5 chapters of Snafu are already available on my . With 3 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter.
Turning point part 1
Hiiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Well last chapter could have gone better, I believe I rushed a bit with the whole thing. But it is what it is, and I can always do better on the next club request.
Wanted to remind people of an important detail, Hachiman is not the same. Unlike snafu Hachiman, this one grew up again in a different environment, a much more friendly one surrounded by people who really care for him. So he had changed for the better, I tried using this chapter to showcase it. Hope it's good.
Also be prepared for lots of actions and drama cause this is the beginning of the last arc in this timeline and imma give 200% for these next chapters. it's gonna be wild.
No more wasting y'all's time.
Author NimtheWriter out!
Thanks to n1ch, Solitary heart and Shigiya to have helped me writing this chapter!
-???-
In his time dealing with the many hosts who have had the privilege and misfortune to wield him, he had dealt with hundreds and thousands. A variety of morals and values, from the worst wretched scum to the noblest of knights each carried a creed, a belief that they all agreed upon blindly and zealously.
Victory
Of course, they differed from one another, all had a different definition of winning. From the simplest of them all being survival to jumping in scale and involving the state of an entire kingdom, empire, or even the world. That was their main reason to rationalize their most despicable and reckless actions. All for the sake of safekeeping a life may it be their own or others, they were all the same.
He agreed with each of them and even came to expect such belief in all of his hosts. Deep down there was no dilemma or moral questioning, as it was the basic nature of all living kinds to thrive one way or another. Even the acquisition of power relied heavily on ambition and basic instincts, it was a constant and no exceptions existed that he knew of.
That was until he was awakened to the boy, to his new host, to his new partner, Hikigaya Hachiman.
He recognised those same qualities he witnessed a thousand times before in the boy. Self-sacrificing, protecting his family and close ones to some degree, while applying logic to his every action. His ethics were understandable and questionable at times, he adhered to them religiously.
His end objective should have been clear, survival.
Yet, that was not the case.
Doubt stained his soul and mind, and uncertainty festered and brewed in the darkest corner of his being. As a being attached to his soul, no secret could be hidden away from him, all answers should have been clear to him like looking through clear glass. Yet the boy's true self was foggy, he could feel everything yet he could not foresee the reasons behind such negative feelings.
The boy doubted his existence at a spiritual and physical level.
He was lost and kept on lying to himself.
He wasn't willing to die, yet he was hesitant to live. He had ambition, yes, but he did not know how to accomplish them or whether he even had the capabilities to achieve them. It was a chaotic mess, to be honest.
These were not changes, but rather a state of mind that existed long before he awakened, and that should not have been possible in such a young infant.
He saw residues of a heavy distrustful nature in the boy, a cynical person who had difficulties trusting others, let alone communicating his true thoughts.
From scavenging bits and pieces of the boy's past self, he could see him becoming a better person yet some aspects did not change.
' What does he desire?' That was the only question he kept asking himself. But no answers ever presented themselves.
He hid these details from his partner, choosing to observe rather than act, for he knew not the consequences of his possible meddling. If the boy could conquer these haunting thoughts to rest and earn the ability to accept himself then he would become not a wielder of the Prison Dragon, but THE Black Dragon King.
But it was too late, he was too late.
Betrayal for he became the victim, his trust and protection spat onto like a discarded piece of garbage. Indignity, regret, and terror were the sole emotions the boy had left. For a second time in his life, he let his emotions get the better of him which led him to be hurt in the end.
Before him, lied his partner in a pool of his own blood, the life in his eyes leaving him, abandoning him and inviting death itself. Bruised from broken bones to fatal cuts, he bled his life away, unable to stop it. A heartbeat he should have but lacked the heart itself, torn from his chest with the muscle still pulsating.
The bringer of such a tragic fate…
'… was none other than I, Vritra.'
…
( A few days before)
A few days had gone by after my first club request. Apparently, the whole school heard about the story from the kendo girls, they had blown the whole thing up to a ludicrous proportion. From the teachers to the upper-class girls, everyone came to me, watching me like I was an exotic animal at the zoo.
I did not remain idle these last few days, I started learning some kendo, I couldn't master some of the techniques in just a few days but I had ingrained into my brain the proper stances, sword grips to have, and a few defensive moves. Despite her carefree nature, Katase was in fact a competent teacher and Murayama did not show any mercy during regular spars.
I also spent my late-night training with Vritra. I didn't like physical training but that didn't mean that I would avoid them. But what Vritra had given me was something that would even make elite athletes cry!
( Late at night training)
Like seriously, I was given the full-on Goku training experience, the whole package with magically weighted clothes courtesy of Rias and her ever-helpful money*cough*resources!
' Was there anything she couldn't obtain because of her obscene wealth? Maybe I should start referring to her as Batman, because she has at least as much money as the guy. But she did provide me with training equipment and other items, so it's most likely Lucius.'
A grinning Akeno who flew above me, sending down weak lightning attacks that didn't damage me but hurt like a bitch. I wasn't necessarily pumped about the workout session at first, nothing beats chilling in your room but that bastard didn't even give me time to rest!
"Be careful!" Warned a flying Akeno who sent a small lightning charge from her fingertips which I barely dodge by a hairbreadth. Was this even training or was I being chased around for fun!
'For someone who agreed to train with me, you sure do complain a lot.' Why hello there coach, how did I find my suffering to be going? Was your inner sick twisted sadistic nature satisfied seeing my new afro hairstyle. "- out!"
Btz!
"Motherfffffffffffff!" I was struck by one of her lightning making me stumble to the ground, breathing like a dog. I tried reigning in my insults to not cause a scene with my already weirded-out neighbors but it was a lost cause.
"Are you okay, Hachiman-kun?" Akeno quickly descended and immediately performed some minor healing on me. "You were distracted, again."
"Sorry, I got lost in my thoughts." I did that a lot, even Vritra told me to stop overthinking unnecessary stuff, but that was like saying to stop breathing.
I couldn't!
I tried many times to be clear-minded and just think about the road and the female Zeus above me. But then came some passing thoughts about why I was doing such stuff. Where was the bullcrap anime shounen power up when you needed it? And trying to ignore my growing thirst for that sweet sweet coffee that I'm 100% not addicted to- bonk
"You're doing it again, Hachiman-kun. At this rate, instead of physical training, you should do some miko practice I learned from mom, it would definitely increase your focus." Yeah, no thanks. I prefer not waking up at 5 in the morning and freezing my nuts off in a mountain spring. I already see you as a monster for being a morning person don't make it worse
"There is no way I'll ever take you up on that offer, Akeno-chan. I do appreciate my hours of sleep, even if I don't get much of it lately." How I missed the peaceful times, I would very much like to lie on my bed reading a novel or playing some games on my Switch. 'Vritra can I take a break, pretty please?'
'Sure partner, you have done enough for today. You deserve some rest but before you sleep we will do a final meditation session for today.'
"I'm done for today," I said to Akeno as I collapsed on the cold grass below. It wasn't pleasant in the least bit, each blade of grass made my exposed skin itch. Akeno on the other hand didn't seem the slightest bit tired, ' Of course, it's because of those wings, how I envy them.' My Levitation spell was just a cheap knockoff.
"Say, Hachiman-kun, why don't we go have a drink together. You know, to cool off." My childhood friend offered to me as she squared by my side poking me with a stick she found on the road. "Come on, let's go."
"Tsk." I swatted away the cumbersome stick off of my face. This girl zapped me continuously and now expects me to have enough energy to walk!? "No." I ain't got time for you Akeno.
"What kind of guy refuses a drink with a pretty girl?" she insisted.
"A guy who is too tired." My muscles were still twitching sporadically from some remnant electric shocks. But I grew used to them with time, it still hurt but at least I could move. "Go on your own if you'd like."
"O-Of!" Not liking my answer, Akeno sat herself on my chest refusing to budge. Her added weight did make me wince in pain, she wasn't so heavy before. "Get off me, you heavy woman!"
Ptz "Aah!"
I was hit by a small lighting attack, making my recovering strength disappear, again. Guess she didn't like that comment about her weight.
"Ara Ara, someone sure does have some interesting remarks. You know it's taboo to mention a girl's weight? Yet here you are calling me heavy, some punishment will need to be delivered." She gave me her scariest smile while having arcs of lightning dancing around her fingers.
I sighed
There was no escaping it. I wonder if I was the one responsible for her stubborn nature… no, now that I think about it. She was the same since the beginning, a clingy koala became a clingy shocking crow. "Fine, whatever, I want SUPER Coffee though," I said, giving up all hopes of returning home early.
Being familiar with my ways, Akeno just rolled her eyes and giggled. "There is a children's playground nearby, we can rest there, also you'll be getting some tea instead of that unhealthy abomination."
Hey, I resent that! I may have failed to lure you into the dark side of the force with my SUPER Coffee but that didn't give you the right to bad mouth it. "Take it back, you perverted crow. I don't want to hear that from someone who used to sneak in chips in her room." I wasn't above using a many-year-old fact against someone, even if it made me look petty, I would still do it. "I still remember when you once vomited from eating too much." My smug grin was showing.
Too far? Naw.
"You know I was only ten at that time! And mom banned me from eating too much junk food at that time so I wasn't used to dealing with them." She said defensively. "Now I have a proper diet, unlike you!" We continued countering each other back and forth until we reached the playground.
It was dark, the only source of light was the nearby light post and the two vending machines.
Akeno bought two oolong tea instead of what I was craving for, though at this point my thirst was fine with anything. ' Is it heresy for a coffee lover to enjoy tea?' The drink wasn't bad, it was even quite refreshing as I chugged down the entire can in a few seconds.
"Someone was thirsty." Commented Akeno who hadn't even opened her tea yet.
We both relaxed, I took off my jersey to let some of the chilling cold air cool me down. It was late in the night, so there were no car noises or any other type of nuisance. If I had the option I would definitely choose to fall asleep outside on such a cold night with nothing but the stars shining in the sky.
Kuoh was one of the few places that didn't suffer from light and smoke pollution. It made the night sky have quite a pleasant view.
A multitude of stars shone in many different colors, I recognised a few constellations from Leo, Gemini, and Scorpio. But the most prominent one was the Corvus constellation which outshone all the others.
"It's the first time since you've asked anyone to help you with your training," said Akeno. "You always preferred doing your own thing, especially when it came to your sacred gear. What changed?"
What changed indeed, I prided myself on being capable enough to manage my own problems without relying on anyone else. Self-reliance, a lone warrior surviving hundreds of battles, made me never fall for the same mistake twice. "It's just that a lot of stuff is happening lately, I got caught off guard many times due to me lacking and nearly got killed or captured. I just… I don't know… I don't want to feel like a burden I guess."
"Who said you were a burden? You regularly help us in missions with your strategic planning, your unique spells and even your sacred gear's ability saved us many times in the past. What part of that sounds like a burden?" She vehemently denied my claim. I was aware of my usefulness but with stronger strays appearing and monsters like Vali targeting me, I could barely do anything.
I wonder if this was the curse Vritra was speaking of, strong dragons always attract strong individuals, from allies to enemies.
"Yeah, I'm good enough to support small skirmishes and hunts but all alone? You know me the best, so you gotta understand, Akeno-chan. Life is unfair, it will always find ways to screw one over, and it doesn't care whether you're ready or not. I have no choice but to always be prepared to face my problems."
Akeno did not seem to like my response, "Your problems? Excuse me but can you remind me who has the bad habit of meddling in everyone's personal issues and solving them without being asked for help? It's funny that such a guy would think that he has to face certain things alone, right?" She berated me. "Me, Rias, Koneko, Kiba, and even Gasper would help you in a heartbeat."
Not that I thought of them as weak to handle my problems, far from it, but I did not want to pile up more issues in their already kinda messed up past life.
Yeah, they were just being nice people…
Wait…
Nice people…
"Pft Hahahahaha!!" Realization dawned on me, as I saw a glimpse of both of my lives in a parallel comparison, like a film being sped up, I recalled everything at the same time.
"Ha-Hachiman-kun?" Akeno had flinched at my sudden outburst as well as creeped out by it, she was confused on why I reacted in such a way. "You're feeling alright? Your laughter is a bit unsettling."
How I've changed.
I always used to distrust nice people, they gave you that sliver of happiness and joy from a simple hello to a casual phone call. Even after living two lives, I now still scroll through my phone, this time filled with call logs from many people a day.
The same stupid grin I once had would come back to haunt me in the mirror, reminding me of someone who I once was. It reminded me how hurtful nice people could be, they made us hold expectations, they made us believe in something more, only to leave us alone and forgotten.
I sometimes had the urge to delete all of my contacts since I feared they were just being nice people. They probably treated others the same way, a form of politeness. It made me wonder if all of this was just me misunderstanding something, of my hopes and expectations being too large.
If I didn't have Vritra, would they still treat me the same way? Was it all a fake form of kindness directed to what I could become instead of who I am?
Their niceness might be false, I once stopped hoping and caring but the people I had around made it difficult to do so. I was a loner for I feared falling twice, I didn't want to feel hurt, or relive through that hell I once knew of before.
Should I open myself to them?
Yes, yes I should. Even if I may fall again, countless times.
My previous life taught me how to survive that fall, and how to endure the pain. This one though me how to stand up again no matter what happened, to look past the fear and accept the pain
To try again.
I wanted to be happy, but I would still not ask them for help.
Kiba, that guy was barely stable, just one look at him made me think that I was dealing with a more messed up version of Hayama. The guy was not bad by any means, he was genuinely nice to others.
But I could see the hints, the slight cracks in his prince-like mask, he wore so naturally. Behind it was nothing more than a broken, vengeful and rage-filled person who wanted to burn all those who have wronged him in the past. Even just talking to him for 5 minutes made me very disturbed by his two contradicting nature. It made Hayama look like a lesser version of Totsuka.
You know what disturbed me the most?
Why did every member of Rias's peerage have a tragic past?
Though haven't yet met Gasper since he was still acclimating to the human world, he had a loved one die and nearly got himself killed. Akeno and her mom also got nearly killed, Koneko was a case filled with many inconsistent and hidden lies while Kiba was the case of survivor's guilt coupled with nearly dying from a child experimentation project.
None of them was by any means normal and yet they all had special powers unique to themselves or extremely rare in the world. Someone was pulling some strings for this to happen. It couldn't be Rias, cause as much I trust her, she isn't the most cunning or smartest person I knew of who could pull off such things.
No, the only one capable of manipulating certain events for the benefit of Rias was none other than her brother, the Devil himself. Cause who else with strong political power would do it?
I prayed to never meet him or at least not so soon.
"Hachiman-kun!" I got a rather painful finger flip on my forehead making it hurt like hell. "Are you getting distracted on purpose?" Akeno had just about enough with my antics, her pouting face said it all.
"Sorry about that, I'll try not to do it again, also I believe break time is over." Feeling more energized, Akeno and I continued our weird yet effective tortu-training. "Oh, Akeno-chan."
"Yes?"
"Thanks for everything you did for me."
In these rare moments would I see her grinning like a loon unconcerned of her image.
{ Break }
-Back in Hachiman's room-
' As you might know, sacred gears grow stronger based on the ambition and emotions of the wielder. We dragon gear don't require physical training that much compared to other gears like Sword Birth or Blade Blacksmith for example.'
' Since the power already exists within us, it is the duty of the host to find a way to extract it. Now for this training, you must learn to visualize your goals, and what you truly desire in life and make yourself believe that you would do anything to achieve it.' Explain the dragon while I was in a meditative pose.
My goals? What do I truly desire?
I used to have an answer for ' I desired something genuine'. That simple phrase had lots of meaning behind it, yet it was a simple wish. Before I came here, I thought Yukino would be the one to grant my desire, I truly did.
But now after a decade and a half of being thrown into another world, I didn't know what I wanted anymore. To go back? Yes, but then what about the people here? Would I be able to bring myself to forget them? No, I wouldn't, that wasn't something Hikigaya Hachiman could do. Whether I like it or not I grew attached to this reality.
Funnily enough the wish I had of wanting something genuine was nearly granted by Akeno. There were no secrets, secret plots, hidden feelings, and whatnot. To each other or at least to my perspective we were like an open book.
For all her perverted nature, I knew a vulnerable girl hid somewhere within. She held onto everyone around her from me, Rias, the other peerage members, and her mother with a vice grip. Her fear of losing any of us remained as big and constant as it had during the fire.
Her father was also a different can of worms. He vanished without a trace, Shuri-san told me to give him some time yet I could not forgive him. He ran away when his family needed emotional support the most. May it be out of guilt and fear, no reason could forgive his action. ' I will punch him the next time I see him.'
But then comes back the question: "What do I want now? Do I desire to go back? Or do I continue to pursue my wish here? I don't know."
'Your mind is in turmoil, is it that hard for you to adopt a certain ambition ?' Asked Vritra.
"No, it's not that, I know what I want. I just don't know which to choose." I responded without going into details. "How pathetic I have become now, I created myself the illusion of having everything under control, I wonder how much of that is actually the case."
Vritra for his part remained silent for a few seconds before talking to me again. ' You say, but each day our resonance, our bond between your soul and [Delete Field] grow stronger, you will soon reach a critical stage and when you do, I highly advise to have your feelings sorted out.' With that said I did not satisfy him with an answer, I merely continued meditating.
{ Break}
(Back to present)
"Is it true that you caught a raging sex pervert!?"
"No." Leave me alone if you don't have any requests.
"You saved the entire kendo club by yourself!?"
"No." I saved the kid from being murdered by the kendo club, though he might have needed a beating or two.
"Oh my god I saw a video posted by Kurata Senpai of your parkour skills, you were amazing!"
"Thank you." I know, I know I don't need to blow my nonexistent ego, and also please leave. All I did was slide and roll, paired with the fact that I didn't want to become roadkill made me really good at it.
The situation became so bad that I had to skip classes, ' Not my first time .' This time I asked the assistance of Vritra himself to scout out any stalkers. After getting the confirmation that the coast was clear, I stealthily made my way to the rooftop with my box of lunch.
I always had a few SUPER coffee cans ready in my bag, just in case. 'If only I had the gamer ability to have access to an inventory. Life would be so easy.'
The rooftop was a big and bougie area, as unlike other schools, we had a botanical garden. The benches were made of bronze with cushions like a sofa. If I had the opportunity I would sneak in a pillow to sleep here.
"Now onto my lunch." Unpacking my meal I saw a hamburger steak made by Akeno and some sandwiches on the side. She learned cooking from both her mom and mine since she was young. Her culinary skills have improved, she could honestly become a Michelin-star chef.
As I was going for a bite, my teeth instead of coming into contact with the meat, bit into the wooden chopsticks.
"…?"
Did the piece just vanish? I went for another piece only for my chopsticks to touch an empty plastic box.
"…"
Am I going crazy or is someone or something stealing food?
"More."
"… !?"
A voice suddenly came from my side. In my shock, I nearly used [Delete Field] out of instinct, I relaxed after seeing who it was.
"Toujou-san?"
To my side, a petite girl with white hair and gold eyes. At the front, her hair had two long bangs going past her shoulders and several loose bangs hanging over her forehead, while the back had a short bob cut. She also wore a black cat-shaped hair clip on both sides of her hair.
"Oi, that was my lunch, you just stole."
"Good morning, senpai." She said in her monotone voice, she had a familiar cold personality and never showed any sign of emotion, completely ignoring what I'd just said.
It disturbed me greatly, when I first met her, Rias told me about her past, with everything that happened to her and her sister Kuroka, a highly dangerous criminal in the underworld.
Though she was described to have gone mad with power, I couldn't bring myself to believe that, at least I had some doubts. As a former elder sibling myself, I knew we could sometimes do anything to save our siblings. Some may show indifference and cold nature towards their younger siblings but deep down a real sibling would burn the world itself to save their close ones. Coupled with the fact that Virtra laughed hysterically after he heard that Senjutsu made people go mad.
' A pathetic lie .' He called it.
I could see how much the past incident hurt her, she was reclusive and despised her sister. If I had the will I would face Kuroka in the future to get the truth out of her. ' Even if I have to force it out of her.' But of course, I ain't gonna search for her, cause I think it's a stupid idea facing up against someone with ultimate-class level strength without backup.
"Why are you here?" The girl was only thirteen years old which put her in her first year of Junior high. "Don't you have classes now?"
"I smelled food." She was also a person of few words. It was nearly impossible to hold an entire conversation with her as she was more of a passive listener. "Free food is the best food."
Psht
That was the symbolic arrow that pierced my heart. A quote I believed in, was used against me in this way. She was a cultured young lady, and if I had some candy, I would have given it to her without hesitation because she was also very cute, the perfect imouto type of girl. My instincts as a brother demanded it.
"I still want more, senpai." Said Koneko.
Ah, yes, despite her small stature she was one of the biggest gluttons I knew. "Get your own food, I'm tired enough as it is, don't want to die from hunger of all things, which I might know since you've stolen the only meal I had." Ha! Your cute nature won't affect a man when it comes to his stomach. "You better pay up, so I'll buy some lemon bread later on."
Giving me her best deadpan look, "Senpai was mean to his kouhais, asking a small girl for money is a crime too."
"Not when that young girl snatches my stuff without permission, also I know Rias gives you enough pocket money that would make any blue-collar office worker cry out in jealousy. So you ain't poor, brat." I held my hand out motioning her to pay up. She didn't pout but huffed a bit in anger while handing me a few bills from her pocket. 'Yeah, this girl is loaded.'
Did I feel guilty taking money from a 13-year-old girl? No. But was it the right thing to do? Also no.
I wasn't gonna give her back the money since I genuinely wanted to buy food to eat later on. My hunger has been growing a lot recently with my training, so I couldn't be cheap about it. But better give her a little something in return. "Here." I tossed her a can of SUPER Coffee, which she caught on easily.
"Too much caffeine is bad for your health, senpai." She gave me a stern look which honestly made her look as threatening as a kitten and handed me the beverage back. 'Considering what she is, that's no surprise.'
"Come on take it, a single one won't hurt you." I dangled the can in front of her face using her nature against her. Her instincts immediately made her snatch the can out of my hand. She gave it a stare and took a small sip.
"Muuuu~" Her face scrunched up as she made a cute noise. "Too sweet." She said but didn't stop drinking it.
"Heh." I made a smug grin at her display and patted her head, she flinched a bit but slowly grew more relaxed.
The first time I touched her head she jumped across the room and gave me a threatening look. But I didn't stop my action, I recognized a troubled child when I saw one, I recognised a call for help for I held those pair of eyes before. The only thing she needed now was not comfort and sweets that Rias gave her but a genuine elder sibling figure.
She leaned more towards my touch, silently releasing a gentle pur. 'Good, she is getting more comfortable around me.' We stayed in our peaceful environment until Koneko fell asleep, I let her head sleep on my lap and just enjoyed my time before falling asleep as well.
As I was half asleep another pang of nostalgia hit me, ' I wish Komachi was here, she would have made great friends with Koneko.'
…
"Senpai."
Someone was calling me.
"Senpai, wake up." Ah, my neck was stiff. Note to self, never sleep while sitting. I opened my eyes and had the evening sunlight hit my eyes like a pair of needles. "Hurg…"
Oh, it's Kiba.
Just great.
"Yo," was the best response I could give to him. He resembled Hayama way too much for comfort, with nearly the same face, the same nice guy attitude, and he was like a prince in his third year of Junior high. "Want something?"
He gave me that same fake smile, reminding me further of Hayama. "Buchou asked me to pick up Koneko-chan for club activities." Ah, you're an errand boy now, at least you differ from Hayama in that aspect. You don't want to form a clique and just keep to yourself, which I can respect. "I arranged your bag too."
My dude, I may find you uncomfortable and wish to stay a mile away from you, but you'd still make a fine butler. Being a knight did help, making it more realistic. Koneko was standing by his side ready to go.
"Thanks." I grabbed my bag and stood up with great difficulty, my neck was very sore, and just moving it a bit brought me great pain. 'I feel old.' Technically I'm in my 30's, which isn't old but ain't very young either.
' I am a few thousand years old dragon, partner. I feel old too.'
I patted my clothes till I felt a wet patch on my pants, I glanced at Koneko who looked like a kid who was caught stealing some cookies. A slight embarrassing blush on her face. "I'm sorry…" She said in a timid voice.
I just sighed and gave her another pat on the head, it was moments like this when she showed other emotions on her face that I enjoyed the most. "Don't think about it, all kids drool in their sleep," I said with a grin.
That made her frown a bit, "I'm not a kid, senpai."
"Yes, yes you're a big girl who does big girl stuff." I teased her a bit, she punched me in the stomach lightly, not using even a fraction of her hulk-like strength.
"Baka, senpai." She said that as she quickly left the rooftop followed by Kiba who was waving me goodbye. I waved back at their retreating figure. I may never fill up the hole Kuroka had left in her heart but I would definitely create my own presence. 'I will do my best so that she doesn't end up like me.'
I sat down for a bit, waiting for my sleepiness to go away completely. I better find another time for those late-night training, I became so sleep deprived that my eyes were even more dead than usual. I didn't want Rias to go into her mother hen mode.
RING!
RING!
A Gurren Lagann opening song ringtone sounded from my phone. I cringed every time it rang but couldn't bring myself to change it. Rias gifted me the phone with matching ringtones trying to lure me into her Otaku and Japanese-obsessed circle.
' Huh, unknown foreign number?' I don't usually respond to such numbers. It didn't help that the number started with a 33 which wasn't Japan's phone code.
Was it a scam call?
I didn't know why I decided to answer it, but my gut feeling was telling me to do so. It might have been just a wrong number situation.
"Hello," I replied in English for obvious reasons.
"It has been a while since we talked, Hikigaya-kun." A rather familiar voice sounded out, someone I hadn't heard from for years. My eyes shot up in surprise and a tiny bit of anger.
"Baraquiel-san?"
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 3 other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post monthly commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.
Turning point part 2
Hiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
(Reworked)
This chapter was longer, but I had to cut it in two more parts. Its because I felt the imporant talk with Baraquiel needed its own chapter.
Also, I would like to thank my new patron Lee Wei for supporting me and my writing! I am not the best, but you gotta admit there is some progress… kinda.
Also this chapter as well as others will be edited again, and have frequent updates to make it as clean as possible.
Thats all!
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya and Solitary heart.
- Kuoh -
"Baraquiel-san."
After all these years, he finally decided to reach out, huh? But I wonder why he called out to me first.
"…"
His silence was quite telling, a common answer for those who cannot defend themselves, those who didn't have an excuse so I did not ask why he did such a thing, nor will I pretend to care about him. "You messed up."
"I know."
' The guy actually acknowledged his mistake?' Then why was he talking to me on the phone? His first course of action was to contact a boy he'd barely interacted with, a boy who never bothered to get on his good side instead of his daughter. Talk about dad of the year…
"We are going to have a conversation Hachiman-kun-"
"I would prefer you'd call me Hikigaya."
I may have sounded harsh, but the man lost any respect I had for him at the moment.
"Hikigaya-kun… I know of my mistake and I wish to make amends. That is why I require your help, I need you to be the bridge between me and my estranged family. But as you said before, we need to meet in person first, someone is waiting for you at the entrance. He will bring you to me."
Baraquiel put too much hope on someone like me, this image he painted of me being the key to his solution, was a lie.
I was a firm believer in second chances, but considering he was a being born since the creation of Christianity, I wonder how many second chances he'd gotten before. Wouldn't work well for his image if this turned out to be his tenth mistake.
But for Akeno and Shuri-san, I would listen… for now.
{ Break}
-Occult Research Club, Rias POV-
In the darkroom lit by a single source of light, sat Rias filling in some paperwork that came with being one of the co-owner of Kuoh.
As the Gremory heiress, she had the power to grant asylum and residence to foreign beings of different factions in her territory. May they be magicians, youkais, and even other devils, none could settle down without her and Sona's written permission.
"Maous, this is giving me a headache." Lately, with all the commotion between the church and the devils, all supernatural beings decided to maintain a distance from Kuoh. Even if all remaining priests, nuns, and exorcists had long left, no one wanted to live here.
Worst of all, it somehow got out in public that the White Dragon Emperor frequented these parts and no one wanted to confront that monster.
Who in their right mind would choose to live in a city with a roaming Heavenly Dragon Emperor? No one.
No supernatural people meant her title had no power whatsoever. She wanted to prove to her parents that she was a capable ruler and competent heiress, but with an empty territory, it became impossible to do so.
"Maybe I should try to establish a link with the youkais. If it's successful we can have some of their people live here and further strengthen the relationship between our factions."
The only major problem was getting into contact with their leader in the first place. Yasaka was notoriously hard to reach for these last few years. And that was with leaders of entire factions, she was just an heir and not even a powerful individual at that. Without asking her brother or parents for help - it would be pointless.
Last she heard, the nine tails had a daughter. So it was reasonable to assume that Yasaka wanted to maintain a low profile, for now. "Maybe a trip to Kyoto in the future would be worthwhile. What do you think about it, Koneko?"
In the middle of the room, seated on the luxurious sofas was Koneko, snaking on some sweets as she usually did.
"I… I'm not sure about that, buchou." She said hesitantly, not that she was scared of her kind, instead, she feared what they were associated with; Senjutsu.
Not all of them could use Senjutsu as some only practiced with Touki, which was life energy that was present in all living forms. Normal humans could use it, to even devils, but according to her king, she only knew of a single devil who used Touki and he was known as the strongest individual of their generation.
But what she feared the most was encountering her big sister. She still remembered the blood, the fire, the screams, and the carnage caused by Kuroka in front of her eyes.
She was not ready. Not yet at least, if ever.
Rias knew she messed up when she saw Koneko all pale and still from her past bad memories. She shouldn't have brought up the topic of Youkais with her rook, "I'm sorry Koneko-chan, I didn't mean to."
Moving away from her desk, she hugged her precious servant, in turn making the little nekoshou relax.
"Everything will be alright I promise you."
Knock
Knock
"…?" She wondered who it could be.
Kiba, who brought in Koneko, had already left for the Underworld to train with Okita-san. Akeno accompanied him to visit her mother at the Gremory Castle.
"Come in."
Nevertheless, she invited whoever this person was, only to be surprised to find Hachiman walking in with the same slouch and his same lazy demeanor.
"Yo," he waved at her and Koneko.
"Hachiman-kun?"
"Senpai?"
It wasn't every day when Hachiman would visit her club on his own this was the second time. First, she had to resort to both Akeno and herself to drag the lazy boy to her club for him to meet the others.
Though for some reason he wasn't so keen on Kiba, he clicked with Koneko after a few interactions.
"I'm not disturbing anything am I?" He asked.
"No!- I mean, of course not, Hachiman-kun, you are always welcomed here." Not wanting him to go away, she stumbled on making everything feel normal for him.
"Join us for tea." She invited him, hoping he would accept her proposal. She was in no way, near as good as Akeno with tea brewing, but she knew the basic steps to follow.
Her mother made sure of that.
"Sorry, not here for tea. Just came to inform you I will be late today, so don't wait for me." Huh? Was he going on a stray hunt, again? Almost like he could read her thoughts, Hachiman shook his head, "and no, it's not another hunt, I'm not willing to nearly die again this week. Rather I'm going to meet someone… to resolve some past issues."
That was even more strange in her opinion, Hachiman had never done these kinds of meetups before. But before she could ask any more questions, Hachiman took something out of his pocket and threw it at Koneko, the latter catching it perfectly.
"I passed by the canteen and got you something, don't eat it all up." He immediately left after saying that.
"Wait!" Unfortunately, he did not hear her as the door had already shut behind him. She grew exasperated, this day kept getting more tiring and even her devil magic did not help with the headaches. "That man… can be a handful sometimes."
"Agreed." Said Koneko.
Rias, heard the little girl munching on something, on closer notice, she saw Koneko holding a pack of small daifukus. "Where did you get those?" Was it the thing Hachiman just threw at her?
"Senpai." That answered her question whilst munching cutely on her snack.
"Can I have some?"
"No."
Of course, she wouldn't share.
{ Break}
(Hachiman POV)
After notifying Rias, I was set to meet this person Baraquiel had sent.
Walking to the front gate made me feel like I was heading on the front lines of a war or something. It was nerve-wracking and stressful, this would be my first time doing something like this and I was dealing with a Seraph.
'Keep it together, myself. This isn't the worst thing you've done, at least it's not a date with Yukinoshita Haruno.' Not even having all the power in the world would keep me safe from that woman's schemes.
It was then I found the man Baraquiel had sent over. How did I know that this was the guy?
Well, who else would wear full-on tight leather in the middle of a freaking heatwave?
A mentally challenged supernatural dude.
' Hmmmm, that man …' I heard Vritra's mumbling over something.
"Oi, kid over here!" The man noticed me and waved at me to join him. He looked to be in his late 20's or early 30's, black hair combined with streaks of blonde hair and a goatee.
He gave off a chill person vibe that made one want to trust him, and drop their guard around him. He was the opposite of Baraquiel, having a wild Tony Stark look.
What interested me the most was the recognition of this man with my Sacred Gear's dragon. 'Do you know him, Vritra?'
' I… am not certain, for reasons unknown to me, I have this irresistible urge to crush and burn him to a crisp… strange.' He said while growling in anger with a touch of confusion.
Well, wasn't that just swell, a potentially troublesome guy that already set off Vritra. This made me put up my guard even more around this guy as I approached him.
"Nice meeting ya, heard a lot about you from my… subordinate. Call me Az, I'm an old friend of Baraquiel, that old chump helped me out a ton in the past, and not gonna lie, I kinda messed up with him recently so I'm tryna help him sort out his issues." He sure is jovial like I expected him to be.
"Uh… I'm… Hikigaya Hachiman, nice meeting you." I shook his hand while looking around, "So, where are we going? I don't see any vehicles, so around the neighborhood?"
Az, burst out laughing out of nowhere like a psycho, earning some weird looks from the passerby and s step back from me. 'Don't tell me Baraquiel sent over a madman.'
"Hahahaha! You're a funny one, I'll tell you what, just close your eyes and hold my hand. You'll soon be where Baraquiel is in a blink of an eye!" He said before extending over his hand towards me expecting me to hold it.
As if!
"I rather not hold hands with a random old man in front of the school. I may not care that much about my image, but I do like not having more unnecessary attention on me." I was more than capable of following him around, from walking to flying… kinda. So there is no need to make things weird.
My comment was not received well.
"Hurg! Old!? I'll have you know kid, my charms are widely acclaimed, I have won the hearts of countless maidens throughout the world… but I am indeed old." He sighed, "Now come on kid, don't make Baraquiel wait for long, or else you'll be late and worry your girls."
"Oi, I'm not a playboy." Okay, he was getting insistent as well as annoying, very quickly. "Listen, I still would prefer if you'd tell me where we are-"
"Oh, for the love of Gabriel's massive tits, come here!"
In front of me, 12 glorious gigantic jet-black feathered wings sprouted behind Az's back, shadowing the sun itself from me. My eyes popped out in realization. 'A Seraph!'
"!!!!" Suddenly, my hand was caught by force, and I found myself soaring upwards to the skies, beyond any speed I ever experienced!
' Oh, I finally remembered! This guy is the one who has probed my sacred gears countless times as research, Azazel the damn crow!'
WHY DIDN'T YOU REMEMBER THAT SOONER!?
"Waaaaaaaaa!" I screamed my lungs off as I felt the wind pressure hitting my face in full force! My vision went all white from the clouds and the sky being the only thing I could see. "Are you insane!? I will die!"
Out of instinct, I tried prying myself of this crazy lunatic, unconcerned whether I fell or not. At least then I had a higher chance of surviving.
In my panicked state, I called out [Delete Field] and spammed its ability.
[ DELETE FIELD!]
[RESTRICT!]
[RESTRICT!]
[RESTRICT!]
[RESTRICT!]
No matter how many times I used its abilities, it did not seem to affect nor slow down the man at all. My actions only made him amused.
"HAHAHAHA! That tickles, no wonder Vali had some problems bringing you in, his arrogant ass was guaranteed to fail against opponents with tricky powers like yours." I did not hear whatever the guy had to say, as I kept screaming for dear life and wished to wake up from this weird nightmare. "Oh, come on kid enjoy the breeze, the cold air rushing past you, and witness the beauty of nature! You're a dragon, you'll fly sooner or later, so get used to it!"
Not having any idea what to do with this situation, I turned myself towards the only capable person I knew of. ' Vritra, what do I do!?'
'… this is Azazel we are dealing with… just go with the flow partner .' He gave me a brief answer before going completely dark.
' Vritra?'
'Vritra!'
'You're ignoring me now!? Why are you silent all of a sudden! Did I wrong you in any way before?'
In my short moment of clear thinking, I promptly remembered a few keywords uttered by Azazel, ' Vali .'
It immediately dawned upon me who this guy was.
"Wait a minute, did you say Vali!? That silver-haired bastard!? So you're his boss! That psycho nearly killed me, and now you plan to do it yourself!? Let me go!" This was double bad, not only was this guy crazy but so were his subordinates! Was this an assassination attempt orchestrated by Baraquiel!?
' Forget punching, I'm gonna burn that stupid beard off your face, Baraquiel!'
"Ha! Sorry about that kid, he is a bit messed up in the head. But you're right… I should have come by myself and taken you up for a drinking party!"
The high-speed flying, the huge amount of panic, and my constant screaming were getting to me. My stomach churned while I started feeling continuously nauseous. My face was green, moments away from letting it all loose.
"Oh, we're here-hey! Don't vomit on my clothes, these are true vintage antiques!" Too late.
If anyone were to look up at the sky, they would see rainbow-colored glitters falling down. Hopefully, no one was unlucky enough and gets a face full of it.
Trying to compose myself now that we stopped at Mach speed, I tried assessing our location."Wher-where even are we? I only see clouds."
Yeah, being thousands of feet upward made it hard to recognise any sort of landmass.
Azazel merely had a small mischievous grin on his face that did not bore well for me. "Well, you're about to find out." His fingers which were holding my arm slowly loosened themselves.
"… Azazel I swear I will have my revenge if you-" I put two and two together and guessed what was going to happen next. This guy was planning to drop me!
"Don't care, have a nice fallen experience!" With a few twirls of his arms, he threw me away like a wet towel!
"Ahhhhhhh!!!!" Having no control of myself, I kept plummeting down towards the ground while spinning a hundred times a second!
My head felt like it would split in two.
"We'll meet again soon, kid!" I heard his faint voice from far away.
"Fuck off!"
I had to take hold of my current situation fast! My Levitation spell would not work when I was so out of control, I needed to be on stable ground to use it. "Vritra!? How can I survive this fall!?"
Thankfully it seemed he had an idea, ' Remember, a Sacred Gear evolves and changes forms depending on the wielder's will and desires if they are strong enough .'
No shit Sherlock, I was not an emo kid so, of course, my will to live was strong!
"Well, I certainly desire to not die!" And still, I saw no change with my gear! Next time I got an anonymous phone call like that, I would just ignore it and not face potential death like this!
' Concentrate, partner !' scolded Vritra.
Right, no time for snarky comments, I got to make this work… or else I died.
Come on!
I channeled my desperation to survive.
Come on!!!
I had every moment of my past life and the current one flash before me. I still had so much to do, I did not want it to end so abruptly!
Come on!!!!!
And I channeled my anger, my rage at Azazel and Baraquiel for being the ones responsible for literally dropping me into this situation.
COME OOONNN!!!! "You better evolve you useless piece of junk, give me wings!!"
[ B̸̲̋̇̿̇a̶͉̰̳͚̋̔͐̀̃̃͝l̶͎͉̖͕̮̎̾̆̾͑͆͠á̸͖̬̼̳͕̻̿̆̄͛̊n̶͚͇̓͜c̵̦͖̾̊ề̸̠̫̄̌̏͝ ̶̛̫̈͜b̵̧̼͕̦̫͔̬̳́̂̎̾̚͝͝r̵͓̝͇̈́ḙ̴͉̥͔̭͋͛͒̌̅̄̕͝ã̵͈̘͖́͆͆̽̎͜͜k̷͕̭̥̹̽̀̒̉̚͝é̶̛̮͓̦͙̥̰̽̑̍̾͛̚͠r̶̨̋̆̂̽]
[̶M̶A̷*̶*̶B̸O̵L̸*̸E̸ ̴V̷R̴I̴T̵R̵A̸ ̴*̴R̷O̷*̵*̸T̸I̷O̵N̸]̴
.
.
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[̴I̵n̷c̵o̴m̶p̶l̸e̶t̸e̷ ̷g̴e̶a̶r̶]̶[̴E̸r̷r̸o̷r̷]̷ ̴[̷R̵e̸s̸e̷t̵]̶
[Dark Prison Wings!]
The black pauldron that covered the right side of my chest blew in a vibrant black and purple coloured light!
It began changing, expanding, covering both my shoulders and my stomach. It now had the appearance of a black chest plate, a smooth black shiny cuirass with two small glowing gems on my shoulders, and a larger one in the middle of my chest.
Every second, I felt a strong pulse of power streaming through my body, making me feel stronger by the second. 'What is this?'
' This is you tapping into your true potential, partner.' Even his voice became clearer, as if he was by my side talking to me. ' You were just on the cusp of achieving [Balance Breaker].'
The biggest change was my new addition.
Wings!
Resembling those of Vali's, mine was like a black version of the [Light Wings]. Its wingspan was twice of my height, the skeleton was mechanical with sharp stone edges and the wings themselves were like a black holographic-looking glass.
"Yes!" Even as I continued to fall down, I no longer feared for my life and cheered on loudly.
' You did it! As expected of my host !' I could feel Vritra's joy and pride brimming from inside my soul.
Now, I needed to start using my [Dark Prison Wings] before I touched the fast approaching ground.
' Be careful! Relax and let your wings do the rest, let them make you glide through the air.' Don't even think about their movement or anything like that, let them do the work and you just focus on where you want to go.
I listened to his instructions and let my whole body relax, my idle wings reacted and began moving on their own.
' Yes, just like that, you're learning .'
My fall was slowly halted as I now hovered in the air. No… this felt more secure, more relaxed than anything my [Levitation] spell could ever hope to achieve.
This felt right.
I enjoyed this feeling, I basked in the surreal realization that I was now flying for real! 'So this is how Akeno and Rias felt whenever they flew, no wonder they do it often.'
Unfortunately, my musing did not last long as I heard an unpleasant voice behind me,
"See, I knew you had it in you kid, just needed a little push." There was Azazel, acting all cheerful as if he hadn't just kidnapped me and threw me from thousands of meters above the ground.
"You again!? Did you plan on killing me and also, where did you bring me? I have no bad blood with you, why are you after me?" Like seriously what did they want, I was willing to cooperate with them if only they would leave me alone afterwards.
"Don't worry kid, I ain't your enemy, we'll talk about this later, just follow me to Barachiel, he's just over that building." He waved off my question and gestured at a building far away in the distance.
Just like Kuoh Academy, this building was fancy and was a Victorian-era large mansion. The garden alone was big enough to fit an entire Kuoh neighborhood.
' Is every supernatural being a billionaire ?' If so, then I would have to rethink my decision.
Even my hunts only earned me the equivalent of an average yearly wage. I only kept a few thousand yen with me while the rest I would anonymously donate to my parent's savings.
They deserved their early retirement, especially my hardly present father.
What caught me off guard was another monument in the distance.
' Isn't that the Eiffel tower ?' Yes, it was, there is no way I would ever mistake one of the world's most well-known pieces of art."You kidnapped me to Paris!?"
That flight felt like it lasted a minute or two, so how did we end up from Japan to the capital of France!?
"Hey, hey kidnapped is a rather strong word, I would prefer… dragged you against your will to halfway around the world."
"That's the same thing!" This dude was gonna be the death of me if I don't keep my distance. Just why in the world did Baraquiel send him of all people I don't know. But this will affect our talk, and I'll be clear to him about that.
"Haa… Okay, let's just get over this farce."
With a mental command, my wings flashed in a dark purple light as I flew across the skylight like a black beam at speeds I only ever dreamed of.
"Aren't you going to thank me for the new dragon wings?"
This guy just wouldn't leave me in peace, wouldn't he?
Coming to face a man for which I held little to no feeling was weird. The years did not seem to affect him, he remained the ever stoic individual as I remembered.
He was waiting for me, near the entrance of the mansion with no one by his side. Now that I noticed such a big estate I haven't even seen a guard or servant anywhere.
"Hikigaya-kun" I did not miss his now polite tone of voice, which put me more on edge.
"Baraquiel-san." Just like our first meeting, we were locked in a staring contest, once this was between a young child and a father. Now I more or less saw it as a staredown between myself and a stranger. "Your 'friend" kidnapped me and made me fall from the sky."
"…"
"…"
"Wait, what?"
"Hahahaha!" Azazel burst out laughing in the background.
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 3 other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post monthly commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.
Turning point part 3
Hiiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
A very dialogue heavy chapter, which is why is decided to cut it up into two parts, this being the second part.
My entire family cought the cold, expect me… for now. I just had a sore throat not so long ago, hope i dont catch another sickness again.
Welp anyways, Merry late Christmas, I still pray to the pc gods for a new working gaming laptop, which most likely wont happen.
Also I will post today a new story short prologue. A Dragon ball super Broly crossover into the Fairy tail world.
It's something I did out of boredom, I'll work on it only when im done with this fic. So don't expect regular updates on that one.
And if its badly received then I'll leave it for another time.
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya and Solitary heart.
"Wait, what?"
"Hahahaha!" Azazel burst out laughing in the background. "It was nothing, just tryna have some fun with the kid. And look with my little experiment, I even gave him wings!"
It's hard to imagine that the fallen angel's faction was still standing to this day with a guy like this at the helm. In the deepest darkest corner of my soul, I did feel the slightest bit of sympathy for Baraquiel.
It got squashed the moment I remembered that these two probably knew each other for millennia and Baraquiel still sent him to me.
' Both of them need a beating in the future.'
"Azazel when I said I would let you take care of some things I didn't mean further ruining the already strained relationship I have with Hikigaya-kun." Baraquiel was rubbing his temples with dealing with the aftermaths of his friend's slash brother's action.
"You're too uptight Baraquiel, I'm sure that young Hachiman here, didn't mind the fun trip I gave him. And if you think about it, if it wasn't for me, he wouldn't have evolved his Vritra gear to this point any time soon." Said Azazel with a lopsided grin.
Though he was frustrated as hell, he did have a point, my progress was flat these last few days.
With [ Prison Wings] now in my possession, I could manoeuvre around more fluidly as compared with my [ Levitation ] spell. I could even reach speeds I thought impossible before.
And it just looked so freaking cool.
"Azazel, this was supposed to be a simple conversation, you could have teleported him instea-" he was interrupted by Azazel slapping his back with good humor.
"Now where's the fun in that? Listen, I know you got some serious issues that need to be dealt with. But with your serious attitude, I doubt it would have gone smoothly.
"I gave young Hachiman here a quick training trip to show him what we are capable of in training him. He has been under the care of the Gremory girl for years, yet showed little progress.
"In only a few minutes under my care, he gained a newfound power. See this is as a gesture of goodwill from our side."
Don't they realise I can hear their conversation?
Like seriously, the man is going on a tangent on how he planned this all out to gain a positive opinion from me.
"I still expect an apology, Azazel."
Looking at me, Azazel gained a thoughtful look. "Well, I may have kinda gone overboard there. So I'll make it to you in the future. What do you say?"
I just hope it's not something crazy, "sure as long as you tell me, why you sent Vali after me."
I still wanted to know the full story behind it.
…
After sorting out our discussion, Azazel shared his contact number in case I ever needed any help or information.
I may dislike the guy, but having such a powerful person in my contacts was a huge boon. I really appreciated everything Sona and Rias do for me, with the Bawler incident coming to mind, having an extra source of intel wasn't so bad.
He left me with Baraquiel with a few parting words, "Take it easy on the guy, he is just trying to be a father."
In that split second his cheerful expression darkened a lot showing hints of self-hatred and regret. He tried hidding it but it was impossible to do so from me.
Yes, I know Baraquiel was one, but that still didn't excuse his past actions.
"Follow me." Baraquiel opened the door to the mansion and wandered in.
He walked through the hallway while I stared at him from behind before trailing him. Our walk consisted of going through many different areas with some portrays hung in the walls.
Some of these were old, predating some historical eras. From different art styles to vastly different clothing. From the Roman era to medieval Europe, to even the industrial age.
Within each and every one of these dozens of paintings was the same looking Baraquiel accompanied by a different woman by his side every time.
An idea already started to form in my head, I shelved it for later.
It wasn't until we reached something resembling the main office, did we stop in front of a large-looking half-done painting of Baraquiel and Shuri-san who was holding what seemed to be a baby Akeno.
None of the previous women was ever shown to be carrying a baby.
"I can guess you've already figured it out, Hikigaya-kun." He spoke gruffly, looking at me expecting for some sort of comment from me. "You're wise enough to notice the details."
"Yeah." I just gave him a simple answer.
"Along the years since I had fallen from heavens, I partook myself into many relationships with countless women's." He took a seat on the sofa, still holding his stiff posture opposite of my slouched back. "Some I did because of the pleasure, some I chose due to boredom and others for many different reasons. But love from the heart was never a factor."
So a playboy. It's not helping your case man.
"That all changed when I got injured by a sneak attack from an enemy which lead me to be healed by a nearby miko." He gazed at the painting proudly pinned on the wall. "That miko, who despite knowing of my true nature as a fallen, an enemy of her clan, still chose to give me shelter and care."
I could see where this was going. Kinda cliché if I'm being honest.
"Shuri was her name, to say I was smitten by both her looks and personality would be an understatement." A rare smile bloomed on his face.
"The days we spent together created this special feeling between us, something new which I had never before experienced, true love.
"With time, we eventually decided to tie the knot and become a married couple. Of course, the clan was absolutely against that idea, Shuri was labelled as a heretic and a traitor. But she did not care, her love for me made me grateful and changed me from within.
"A year later we had a baby, a half-fallen hybrid born with my powers of [Holy Lightning]. I never had a child before; I never knew how to handle the responsibility. I promised to protect her and Shuri. To be by their side in times of danger.
"Yet the day of the fire, I failed as a husband and as a father. My failure nearly brought death upon them, my existence as a fallen had dragged them in the cursed world of the supernatural."
To my astonishment the man began crying, tears trailing down his face with his fist shaking from anger. "I tried staying away from them, hoping that being under the care of the Gremorys would grant them a safe life."
Which it did, Shuri-san was safe in arguably one of the safest location in the Underworld. Akeno had some issues but overall, she was strong and happy with her current life.
Despite that, I could guess why Baraquiel wanted to meet them again, 'It's hard letting go of past relationships. May they be family or friends, you will always seek to reunite with them one way or another '
I understood that concept better than anyone.
I don't know how time worked in different realities. If I went back, would they all be grown-up adults with a family, living in their own personal life?
I was most probably presumed dead at this point, poor Komachi would probably be the one who got affected the most.
Bet my parents only took a couple of days to mourn before returning back to their jobs.
Hayama, Miura and their clique probably didn't even notice my disappearance. They would assume I changed school and forget about me.
I don't know how Yukino would have reacted, she was a strong woman, so she can get over it easily.
The others may have cried the first few days like Yuigahama, but then moved on with their lives. I wouldn't blame them, I can't, that's how life works.
Not that my presence had any weight in the first place. I was a loner back then, with little to no friends.
Despite all of that, I still wanted to see them again. Just like I couldn't abandon people from this reality, the same can be said for the others.
I stared back at Baraquiel already knowing my answer to his request.
"Your reasoning for leaving them, does not hold any weight," I answered earning a shocked look from him. "It's dumb, stupid and makes no sense. The truth is that you're nothing but a coward who is running away from his mistakes."
"…"
He didn't deny my claim.
"It is not because you couldn't save them or of your nature as a fallen that you are a failure, rather it's because you didn't come back that makes you one." I was going all out on him."You hide in this mansion while your daughter still awaits her father, yet I do not see him when I look at you."
He needed the guts to face his family on his own, not while standing behind me.
And also, "What's stopping you from doing this again?" I was bringing back the point, I thought of back in Kuoh.
"You could abandon them again with another similar excuse, like being one of the leaders of the Grigori. When a situation will present itself to you, where you'll have to choose between your family and thr Grigori, who would you choose?" I questioned him.
"…"
I gave him a few seconds to think things through, thoroughly.
If he had given me an immediate response then I would have doubted his loyalty as well, since the Grigori were also his family.
"I would choose them both, even if I have to one day pay for such a decision with my life, I would do so unhesitatingly." His response was fierce and resolute, I could feel the determination behind each of his words.
It was a good answer.
"I will arrange a meeting between you and Akeno, whether you're forgiven or not, it will be up to her, not me," I said it before and I'll say it again. I am not the key to his solution, I am merely the guide to the key, which is Akeno.
Baraquiel fell to his knees, to my surprise. He inclined his back and head in a deep bow. "That's all I ask Hikigaya-kun, thank you for giving me a chance."
…
Our talk was short, but we got our points across.
I would help him, but only this once. If he fails or succeeds was completely up to him. I would not meddle any more than necessary.
It was still daytime in Paris, unlike in Japan where night-time had already settled in.
I was invited by Baraquiel to spend a day in his mansion.
Honestly, I wanted to travel back to Japan but this time without that mad man Azazel.
This would be a good opportunity to test out my [ Prison Wings ].
Vritra was familiar with every corner of the world, so we wouldn't end up being lost. Unfortunately, according to him, even with my speed, it could still take a day or two to reach Japan.
So I decided to kick back and enjoy the beauty of Paris, the city of lights.
Baraquiel had some important duties to take care of alongside Azazel with the local powers, so he would be back later in the night to teleport me back.
He did not leave me empty-handed, a few thousand euros and an unlimited spending card. I was encouraged to have fun.
The card weighted like a ton in my hands. I was no stranger to rich people and their antics, Rias being a prime example. But still, I couldn't stop my hands from shaking.
I shook my head, trying to compose myself and focus on my stay.
"Now, where should I go?"
Not knowing what to do, I just wandered around the city. I got a few passing looks, I ignored them.
A japanese student in full Kuoh uniform was most likely not a common sight.
I passed by a couple of shops to buy a small trinket for Rias and Akeno, an anime figurine and a limited edition tea set would do the trick. A coffee mug for dad and a pair of stupidly expensive glasses for my mother.
I didn't care about the price since it wasn't my money.
Of course I couldn't forget about Koneko, she wouldn't let it go if I did. So a few boxes of chocolates would do.
I didn't want to make Kiba feel left out, so I bought him a mini sword necklace, for obvious reasons.
Who else was I forgetting…
… Sona!
I ran in an expensive looking chess store and bought their most valuable set. This one had each pieces made of actual diamonds.
Again not my money.
"Phew, is this how rich people feel while shopping?" This card was too powerful.
I continued wandering around, using my English skills asking strangers for direction.
I stopped in front of a small coffee shop, "Ch-Chez Izha Bima?"
I hoped no one heard me butcher the name.
My ever-present craving for coffee was acting up and I decided to have a try at Paris's local bar.
A bit run down and hidden from view in an alleyway. Even a few letters from the sign were missing. But the amazing coffee scent made it compelling for me to go inside.
Ding *
"Bonjour monsieur, que puis-je vous servir?" A young-looking bartender called out to me.
I didn't understand anything, aside bonjour.
"Umm, I don't speak French… English?" This was super awkward. I better come up with a spell for universal translation.
"Mais bien sure-I mean, of course, come in dear sir, it is not always I get tourist in my small bar." He flashed me a wide smile before laughing.
"I wonder why." I did not want to be rude to him by telling the guy that his establishment needed serious renovation.
Even the chairs look like they would shattere at any moment.
"Hahaha! No need to be shy good sir, I know the faults of my bar. I merely take care of it as a hobby." As I took a seat, he handed me the menu.
It was in French, but thankfully I just came for coffee. "I don't need the menu, just give me your best coffee with lots of sugar."
"But of course sir- Oh! Where are my manners, I forgot to introduce myself! The name is Izha Bima, the same name as my establishment." He gave me a curt bow before making his way to the backroom.
' Strange man, with his name he's most likely not French.'
Though, I did say this place was old and decrepit, it did hold a certain charm to it.
The outside streets were filled with hundreds of people and cars making loads of noise. Yet while inside the bar, all I could hear was the slow ticking noise coming from the grandfather clock.
The calm atmosphere was further enforced when I was the only person present.
"Sorry for the wait dear sir, your coffee is ready! I added my special blend of ground-up beans and honey harvested from my homeland." Izha arrived holding a tray with a single gold-accented cup.
"Thanks," I held the cup up to my nose and gave it a smell.
A light, nutty aroma that reminded me of my mother in my previous life. Back before she became a corporate slave, in her free time she would blend me and Komachi some coffee like this.
' Not the time to think about such things.'
I took a sip of the brew tasting the sweet, tart taste of honey and the bitterness of the coffee beans perfectly balancing each other out.
"Amazing," I never had something so good, even Akeno's tea lacked in comparison "it's a shame you don't have more customers, they are seriously missing out."
"Hahahaha! Thank you for the compliment, I try to improve my craft at every opportunity I get."
…
We ended up chatting for a while, I asked questions about Paris while he asked me about Japan.
A few hours went by without me noticing, in the end, I drank half a dozen cups of coffee without realising. ' That ain't good for my health.'
"I say, sir, are you planning to continue your touring so late at night?" Was it really that late? I checked my watch, and damn it was nearly ten.
"I didn't notice the time, I won't be touring anymore, I'll have to go back home soon before someone gets a bit too angry with me." Yikes, I did not want to live through Rias's and Akeno's anger.
"That is a good choice sir, the streets have been a bit too dangerous lately. Cases of missing people and randomly cut limbs started surfacing around the area." Said Izha with a frown.
"Travel carefully sir, you never know when danger is right around the corner."
A wandering serial killer? That's worrying.
"Don't worry I'll be careful." Saying my goodbyes, I left the bar and set foot on the now empty streets of Paris.
I made sure to check my surroundings, this case of a mysterious serial killer that kidnapped people and cut off their limbs increasingly made me think of a stray.
"Thankfully Izha reminded me- oh shit! I forgot to pay!" Lost in my thoughts, I had left the bar without even noticing.
I quickly turned around intent to go back and settle my bill only to nearly collide face-first into a brick wall.
"…?"
"What the… where is the store?"
The bar that I just left a few seconds ago, was gone. In its place was a brick wall with nothing else.
"…"
How is this possible? I was just there a few moments ago, how can it disappear all of a sudden like that!?
"Vritra, am I going crazy?"
' No, you're still sane partner.'
I was about to freak out even more until a piece of paper flew into my face.
"Argh, piece of garbage." It was quite windy outside, and I just happened to be unlucky enough to get hit in the face by a blank-
"… !"
No… there was something written on it.
Unfolding the paper, a single phrase was written on it that gave me heavy goosebumps.
[ It was an honour to have the Black Dragon King as my first customer.]
"…"
We were being toyed with… by an unknown supernatural entity… this is so creepy.
"Nope." I will never come back to this place ever again in my life. If this entity had dark intentions, I would be dead without even realising it. I started to briskly walk back to Grigori's base before something else happen to me, "Nope, nope, nope."
' Wait, partner.' called out Vritra.
"What's now?" Please make it be something small.
'I sense one of my scared gears being active, it's nearby.'
"Oh."
Such misfortune.
Turning point part 4
Hiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
I'm tired. It's gonna be the end of the year soon, so happy new year, I guess. just in case this is the last chapter of the year.
Nothing new, life still sucks and all… hope this chapter brings a smile to some of y'all~
We are halfway through the arc, already planned how canon timeline plot will go on. Some things will be different for sure.
Important notice about Vritra! He has more than 4 major gears apparently, and i mistakenly said that he only had 5, which is false.
4 majors ones and other unknown amount of minor ones.
I will correct the chapters where i tlked about this.
Also same thing, this chapter will be further updated in the future of errors and stuff.
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya and Solitary heart.
Walking through the streets of Paris so late at night, was kind of a surreal feeling.
I couldn't really put it into words, but this feeling of danger, and that I was being watched was a dozen times more intense here than Kuoh.
I was in the lower part of the city, where the beauty of Paris was nonexistent.
Abandoned buildings, broken windows, street rats and this constant sewer smell. I shouldn't be surprised, every country has such areas somewhere.
Vritra told me though he could sense the existence of one of his gears, he could not pinpoint its precise location. So I had to act like a metal detector and just wander around till he could sense it again.
"I don't like being here at all."
This place gave me a horror movies vibe, this was the kind of place where the movie protagonist would be jump scared by a monster or a psycho.
My guard was up, since no one was around, I called up my new and improved [ Delete Field ] with my [ Prison Wings].
Unlike last time when my sacred gear became a full-on chest plate, it had now shrunken down back into a smaller form, a pauldron on both of my shoulders.
"Hey, Vritra, why isn't my gear as cool as before?" I asked.
The black chest plate with the gem in the middle was just a piece of art, if I had the option I would constantly put it on.
' That partner was a particularly complicated situation. Your will to live and desires had boosted your compatibility with gear so much, that they forced it into an incomplete [ Balance Breaker ] for a split second.
'Of course, unless you don't gather my other 3 major gears, stepping beyond that line would be impossible.'
Wait did he say 'major'?
"What, so there are like minor gears?" Just how many gears did this dragon have?
' Yes I have many gears, but they are considered minors since you can gain their exact power by combining the four major ones. They only hold a scrap of my soul to keep it functioning.'
Wow, that was just cruel, just how much did he suffer from having his soul broken like a piece of glass into many shards?
Crash *
My heart lurched from my chest as I whipped my head around in fright. "Who is there!?"
I surveyed my surroundings while having my wings be ready to take off at any moment.
I spotted an old abandoned apartment complex, with a broken door showing me the darkness inside.
As I approached the house, I smelled the old musky smell of the complex.
"Hurgh!" I gaged over a putrid smell that was coming from that building. "Smells like, rotten eggs mixed with sewage waters… and blood."
The stench reminded me of the night I hunted down Bawler, there were dead people inside for sure.
I wrapped my hands around the dusty door handle and slowly pull open the broken door. "Let's just hope there is no ghost inside."
The inside looks like what you'd expect in a horror house. Cobwebs lingered in every which way, and antique furniture layered with dust sat perfectly arranged in the living room.
Even with the moon out this night, it could hardly illuminate the inside of the building.
Cautiously, I walked further into the house to explore. With every heavy step and pressure on the floorboards, it felt as if the house would collapse on top of me.
I made my way into the kitchen. An old wooden table sat in the corner, along with matching chairs. Water dripping out of the faucet in the corner.
I opened the cabinet out of curiosity, but there are only more cobwebs. Anxious to finish scouting out this place, I started to walk back to the door and exit but stopped dead in my track.
Bang!*
My heartbeat increased as I intently listened to a hard pounding noise, that appeared to be getting louder by the second and then just suddenly stopped.
"The sound came from downstairs, the basement perhaps," I muttered to myself, trying to keep my cool.
I should invest in a sword, going in empty-handed doesn't make me feel safe at all.
"Vritra don't these wings do anything else other than flying?" Since I just got them, I needed to know everything.
' Well… that's up to you, I never had wings in my true form. Sacred gears abilities can change depending on the user, not the spirit.' replied Vritra. ' Even my previous host used something different when it came to flying.'
I shelved that info for later as I made my way further inside the building.
Ever since I partially activated my [ Balance Breaker] I had a small boost in my powers and all the training with Akeno helped me increase my stamina.
So I could use [ Delete Field ] more often and for longer periods.
[ Delete Field!]
I activated my sacred gear's ability and encompassed the entire structure from the inside and outside.
Whatever it was inside, it wouldn't be able to use its full force against me.
Rustle *
Rustle *
The inside was a mess, broken walls, more cobwebs, growing moss, insects and rats everywhere. I found many red stains on the floor all leading towards a single door.
' The basement… I feel it there.' Vritra began picking up the signals of his sacred gear.
"How should we proceed?" If I went to the basement, my exit might get closed off. I better have a plan before entering.
' Summon your wings and use them as a shield if you have to. These walls are quite brittle so flying off wouldn't be a problem.'
As I approached the basement door, the putrid stench kept getting worse. Whatever was beyond this point, I better be prepared for.
Inhale *
Exhale *
Taking a deep breath I burst open the door full force, calling out my [ Prison Wings ] that sliced the nearby walls and spammed my abilities!
[Restrict!]
[Restrict!]
[Restrict!]
You might be wondering why I made such a reckless and wasteful move, but something was waiting for me behind the door I would have been caught off guard.
My [ Delete Field] was still active.
As I looked below, I finally saw the source of the stench.
Corpses.
Many, many corpses.
From adults to small children, I could not believe my eyes. Again the cruelty of this world hit me like a freight train. It made me realise, though I treated this world as a cheap budget hentai manga, it was something far more darker.
Their bodies were sunken and pale white, which was likely from being drained of their blood.
Many had their limbs cut and some were half-eaten with bite marks as well as claw marks.
This made me sick to my stomach.
I could feel my anger rising.
' It's near .' Warned Vritra.
Creak *
I stood in the middle silently…
… waiting for something to happen.
The fear I felt was long gone, replaced with determination to kill whatever was responsible for this carnage.
"…"
' It's here, partner .'
"Alright." I tensed my muscles and prepared my offensive spells.
' It's below !' Vritra screamed while I snapped my head downwards.
Crash !*
Spear-like tentacles jutted from the floorboard, red orbs were in the center of the spearheads, giving off an eery red glow. They coiled around me like black snakes ready for a meal.
They all aimed their spearhead at me and nearly killed me if I hadn't activated my wings.
[ Prison Wings!]
My wings unfolded with blinding speed, using its razor edge tips to cut off all the tentacles.
I then jumped high in the air, putting a distance between the floor and me. I unleashed my strongest attack!
[ Magic Arrows!]
A multitude of arrows bigger than my arm formed around me and shot towards the floor with such force that it collapsed the ground filling the room in heavy smoke.
Cough * "That's unpleasant."
"SCREEEEEEEEEEE!" A disturbing screech came from below, a creature jumped out of the smoke and came at with more tentacles.
[ Restrict !]
My sacred gear was much more powerful than before as I now required but a single use of it to slow down my opponents considerably.
[ Magic Arrows!]
I shot another concentrate arrow, now at point-blank of the creatures face!
Crash !*
"SCREEEEE!!!!" Another hellish screech left the creature's mouth, threatening to pierce my eardrums. The sound no doubt altering others to its presence
The impact launched it upwards through the upper floor.
I followed it while I made sure to not get speared through by a hidden tentacle.
The monster had a tough defence, my attack just now couldn't even pierce its face. I was way stronger than I was back against Bawler, I could take it on. "Now let's see what you look like."
As I flew out of the basement, I got a good look at the creature, and to say I was
shocked would be an understatement.
"What the heck?"
' It is as I feared.' muttered the dragon.
The monster heavily resembled Vritra.
It had the same dragon-like face, half of its body was covered in black scales, the arms and legs looked reptilian. What was even more disturbing was the absurd amount of tentacles coming out of every corner of its body.
"Vritra, explain!" I shouted out for an explanation.
' It seems that this… beast possesses one of my minor sacred gears but somehow got affected by the madness aspect. Though it can't activate [Juggernaut Drive] it did have parts of its body turned into that of a dragon's.' he said apprehensively.
"Are you telling me, I would have turned into that abomination, if I had sacrificed one of my limbs!?" This had got to be a joke, what kind of bullshit was this?
' No !' I flinched a bit at Vritra's tone. ' I do not know why this individual ended up in such a state, but you wouldn't have experienced anything nearly as bad!
'Something does not seem right here.'
I did have time to give a reply as the monster rushed forward with a greater speed than before!
"No, you don't!"
[ Restrict!]
[Restrict!]
He momentarily paused before getting a knee kick to its chin! I followed up by taking hold of some of the tentacles and cutting them with my wings.
"SCREEEEE!!!" The monster wailed in pain and anger as its blood painted the surrounding walls.
Its movement became more aggressive and animalistic.
I began shooting arrows after arrows, drowning the monster in a see of yellow lights.
It could not escape nor use its full power with my [ Delete Field] still being active.
But as all my focus was on it, I did not notice a stray red magical shot aimed at me, coming from behind.
' A sneak attack!?'
' Look out !' Even with Vritra's warning, I did not have enough time to dodge. I pulled my wings together as a way to protect myself.
"… !" I braced for impact.
"I got you!"
Only to have a sword intercept the attack.
"What?" I turned my attention to my apparent saviour and saw a beautiful young foreign woman with blonde hair and sky blue eyes.
She wore a girlgakuran, with armour worn on top of it while wielding a rapier.
She stood valiantly on the rooftop, he hair fluttering from the wind. Giving her the usual cliché superhero entrance vibe.
' Great, a wild weirdo has appeared .' Can I no longer take a normal walk, without having something dangerous or over the top to happen?
"Fear not, for I, Jeanne have come to save the day!"
I wonder if she knows that I can see her panties.
So how is your Christmas going?
Turning point part 5
Hiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
I would like to thank Bryan Uy as my new patron, thank you for the support!
Also, I'll be doing regular chapter updates on, where you'll guys will be able to join on topics concerning the future chapters and even decide on how some events can take place.
I'll do some polls with the request club chapters.
At /NimtheWriter
Okay, shameless plug aside, Jeanne was difficult to write. Her character barely appears on screen for long. So we dont know much of her personality and her past aside that she worked for the church as a nun or exorcist.
i tried my best to make her feel… real.
So go easy on me guys.
That's all
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya and Solitary heart
""Fear not, for I, Jeanne have come to save the day!"
"…"
' Who the heck is this weirdo ?' What else could I say besides weirdo? Her get-up was odd, to say the least, a school gakuran with gold plated armour on top? I confess I couldn't speak too out of turn since I had a similar chuuni black chest plate at my old home, and my current Vritra [ Balance Breaker] as well.
Her attire screamed to me of one of those regular-looking high school teenagers, who seem to have an ordinary life, just like the rest. But when trouble arises, they transform through the use of magic and fight off the forces of evil!
"… !"
Panties! Pink! Unexpected!
… she has quite the mature taste for her age, despite the garish colour. At least she isn't going commando, unlike someone I know. My poor heart wouldn't be able to take such a forbidden sight.
But honestly, didn't pick her for a lace kind of girl with her appearance.
"Espéce the sale pervert, THEY WERE THE LAST ONES IN STOCK!"
Oh, I said that out loud.
"Yes, you did. But first let's deal with this monster, non?" The blonde-haired woman replied with a slight blush as she tried to move out of my sight, could still see it though.
' Partner, not the best time to get distracted…' Pointed out Virtra, the sound of disappointment could be heard in his voice.
Oi! What with that attitude!? You try going through puberty twice while being surrounded by beautiful and sexy woman!? Let's see you handle them!
' Heads up!'
… But he's right, don't wanna die because of chuuni's panties. I'm still in the middle of a deadly fight and was a few seconds away from being heavily wounded from a sneak attack. ' I need to focus.'
"Thanks… Ummm… Jeanne?" I was in Paris yet somehow this person was speaking perfect Japanese, which I heavily doubted was because she was familiar with the language.
'It must be a universal translation spell I was looking for.'
"No worries there! Our faction had gotten news of some mysterious kidnappings around this area so we decided to look further into this case." She answered me with a smile, waving off her previous rescue. I guess, she's not mad that I saw her panties anymore.
' A faction, I wonder which one she belongs to…' depending on the answer, she could be either an enemy or an ally if she finds out I'm allied with the devils.
"It also does help that this is also my birthplace, so keeping it safe is my duty just like my ancestor Jeanne D'arc did so before me."
Wait a minute, why did that name sound awfully familiar?
I scoured my brain for any scraps of memory with the name Arc, till it hit me full force!
' The Gacha Goddess !' I screamed in realisation only to have my head metaphorically hit by Vritra.
' You fool, she's talking about the maiden of Orleans. The so-called witch who got burned to the stake for saying that she heard the voice of god." For a dragon stuck in a gear for millennials, he certainly was well informed on our history.
But yeah, aside from her commonly known story, I wasn't that in-depth with her history. In the end, she still ended up becoming a very important person in the history of France.
Considering I was in a magical version of my past reality, I can say for certain that this world's Jeanne D'Arc was someone even more significant.
"I see, that must be impressive… I guess. By the way, my name is Tobi, a wandering tourist who had the misfortune to stumble upon this scene." Just like with Vali, I didn't give her my name. While I'm grateful for the save, it didn't mean I'll trust her completely.
She may seem all heroic as one of your run-of-the-mill protagonists, I still couldn't trust her just yet.
"Even if she did flash me her forbidden garden.
"A pleasure to meet you Tobi! I am Jeanne D'Arc, descendent of the maiden of Orleans, member of the Hero faction, and a fellow human just like you." She gave me a slight bow which I awkwardly returned.
Why did she repeat herself? She already told me who she was a few seconds ago? Does she have a short-term memory?
"SCREEEEEEE!"
Oh right, we forgot about the abomination with our introduction.
Somehow the monster found a way to free itself from my [ Restrict], probably due to that last sneak attack attack disrupting my concentration on my [ Delete Field ]. Thus returning the monster to its full strength.
I guess this became a two-on-one fight.
We clashed with the wild beast, I flew at the monster, confident that Vritra to protect my back in case panty-chan decides to backstab me. I traded blows with my wings and magical spells, cutting off even more of those dangerous tentacles.
Jeanne dashed forward at inhuman speed, her rapier thrusting forward multiple times in a second, increasingly injuring the mister. In its moment of weakness, I kicked its knee caps full force, a sickening crack sounding from my strike. Earning a pained cry from the creature, I took advantage of the moment and used my wings as a battering ram to punch it in the guts, sending it flying away.
Jeanne did not miss out and used an ability I only heard rumours about.
[Blade blacksmith!]
[Light rapier]
The rapier in her hand got replaced by a new one made of gold and light. It's attribute having a similar feeling to Akeno's [ Holy Lightning, the bane of all devils, holy energy.
' A sacred gear!'
The blade pierced the monster's red core.
"SCREEEEEEE!!!!!!!!" Its scream was way worse than before, it jumped away, creating a distance between us while trying to lose us and run away. But it couldn't since Jeanne pinned its legs and tentacles with even more swords.
The beast, now no longer under the influence of my [ Delete Field, broke free from her swords and dodged most of the swords that were ready to pierce it. Fortunately, Jeanne was even faster and successfully pierced the monster, cutting through its arm. I joined in with a few more blunt damage from my kicks and punches, the idea of owning a sword or any weapons, in general, kept increasing. It would be pretty cool if I had one and it might make things easier for me in fights.
' Partner, it's coming from below!' Warned Vritra.
"Jeanne! Another attack from below!" As soon as I said that, the ground light up with a green coloured magical circle forming with a particular sigil.
"That sigil…" I recognized it immediately. "Look out!"
I took Jeanne into my arms not waiting to see if she had a way to escape or not and used my [ Prison Wings ] to soar high in the sky.
Boom !*
The entire apartment complex with the half of the neighbourhood exploded in a dome of fire! I had a hard time stabilizing myself from the shockwave but did it in the end. We flew in the air for a bit more, watching the aftermath of our battle, I took in how greatly the numbers of death would have been if this was in a populated area.
"Darn it, the monster escaped! I'll have to track it down, and be sure it doesn't kill more people." She glared at where the beast once was as the dust settled and it showed that it retreated by going underground. "We make a good team Tobi, meet me again here tomorrow, I'll have gathered enough info on the whereabouts of the creature."
After making sure that it was gone, she turned her sky-blue eyes onto me.
They're really pretty up close.
"Thanks, Tobi, you saved my life there!" Jeanne was still in her chipper mood, not caring about the fact that we nearly died a few moments ago.
"No problem," I mumbled out, still holding her close to my person so she wouldn't fall.
Yeah, I still wasn't used to gratitude from girls yet, especially the pretty ones. Not to mention when I looked at Jeanne's face closer, remembering her personality and her choice of undergarments, she kinda reminded me of Miura.
A friendly Miura? That's a common sight. But a thankful and friendly Miura that has the power to summon swords showing it towards me? That's funny and a little scary.
Thankfully it was just a small resemblance, they weren't twin-faced in any way… must be the blonde hair.
Her rapier disappeared in motes of light after we landed back to the street, and away from the fire. She turned to me a dazzling smile directed towards me, making my heart speed up at the sight.
"As a maiden, I should reward you for your endeavour."
Wait what?
"Wha-"
She showed me a sly smirk before pulling my head close and giving me a chaste kiss on the cheek.
I could feel her soft lips on my cheek before it quickly ended. There was a blush on her face when she pulled back, it quickly turned into a frown that reminded me of Miura when she was pissed at me.
Faster than I could see it, I felt her punch me in the stomach and knock the air out of me. Luckly or unluckly, Jeanne was still holding me in place, so I wasn't sent flying in the air but I took more damage for it.
That really hurt!
"Till then… see ya!" Jeanne jumped off the rooftop and gracefully landed on the streets before disappearing in the shadows of the night. I could hear the sounds of sirens in the distance, but I was a little distracted by something.
Oi! I can see your panties again! Be more careful on who you're flashing Panty-chan! I can't take three devasting attacks in a row!
"What… the fuck." I was still flustered over everything that happen in such a short time, for god's sake this never happened to me in my old life!
… Well, there was one time with Miura, but still! The point stands!
I like keeping my distance from strangers, but to have one suddenly kiss me on the cheeks out of nowhere as if she was a damsel in distress was a bit too much for me. Pretty sure she could kick my ass if she wanted to, making her more of a threat than a helpless young maiden.
She did help me out from a bad spot…
Wait… does that mean that I'm the young maiden!? Shouldn't the guy be the one saving the girls from bad situations?!
I just remember that this is the second time I got saved!? Am I a useless maiden on top of that?!
GAH! My pride as a man took a critical hit!
"What just happened?" I asked no one but myself, just barely recovering from the fatal blow to my fragile ego.
But I didn't expect a voice to reply from out of nowhere. "You got yourself a maiden kid! That's what happened!"
Doing my best not to jump in fright, I turned around to see Azazel sporting a grin on his face. "Not even a day away from your girls and here you are getting close with another one, a sacred gear holder no less. Gotta say, colour me impressed."
After this, I'm going to cleanse myself at a Buddhist temple cause I was surely cursed by protagonist-level misfortune and bad timing.
…
- Baraquiel's mansion .-
We left before the authorities could arrive to the scene and start to ask us questions that I really didn't want to answer.
Our walk back home felt like I was a kid caught doing something bad, which leads me to be summoned by the principal. Only in this case, I have to deal with Azazel, our last encounter didn't go that well.
"Baraquiel is still busy with some foreign affairs, so it's just you and me tonight."
Why did you say it like that!?
I feel like I'm am next to a creepy old man planning to do unspeakable things to poor old me. Unless you don't want a kick to the nuts, you better stay at a distance old man.
"Oi, you got that disturbed look on your face again! Trust me, we're just gonna have a talk over some booze."
When we returned back to the mansion, joined Azazel in the office room where he had a bottle of expensive-looking liquor prepared with two glasses. "I don't drink."
Though I may be at the age of consent for drinking mentally, I still chose to stay away from it. Their sole purpose is to loosen up people and their emotions, I didn't want to lose control over mine.
"You're no fun, kid." He sounded disappointed, but sorry dude, I ain't changing my decision. "Alright, I got some tropical juice here."
He poured me a glass, I tried a small sip. It was nice, certainly tasted different from those cardboard box juice I bought at the store. The bottle itself looked as fancy to the whiskey one. Another case of supernatural wealth.
"I remembered promising you about the details of why I sent Vali at you, right?" I nodded my head, eager to finally have my answer. "Well, seven years ago, back in our Grigori HQ, a strange event took place."
Seven years? But that's about the time when…
"Of the 3 Vritra gears we had in our possession, I used them for research purposes. The process of how God created these artefacts really fascinated me for a long time. So I wondered, why not try to create an artificial one?"
So the rumours are true, they indeed had the rest of the major pieces while I held the fourth. So then how was I involved in this?
"I was experiments on ] Blaze Black Fire, [Shadow Prison] and… [ Delete Field]. And what do you know? It suddenly disappeared in front of me when I was ready to test it." He said the last part while looking at me.
"Pffft!" I spurted out my drink from my mouth in bewilderment! "How is that possible?" I couldn't help but ask. Now realising that I had one of their sacred gears.
All sacred holders are born with their gears locked inside their souls. Only through training or high emotional state can they manifest them in real life.
I always believed that I just happened to be born with [ Delete Field]. But if what Azazel said was true, then…
Azazel's stare continued for a few more seconds longer for my liking, before he relaxed. " * Sigh * I don't know kid, I seriously don't know. I never heard of a case of an individual naturally gaining a sacred gear that they weren't born with."
' Vritra you knew about this?' I asked the Dragon.
' No, I'm afraid this is as much of a shock to me than it is for you. I always thought that my soul remained dormant inside you for years before awakening.'
So even he didn't know about this.
"You must understand my surprise when we tracked down our missing piece in Kuoh of all places. At first, we assumed that it was stolen by our enemies but this was quickly disproven. Instead, I planned to send Vali to recon the area and search out the current wielder, you." Giving a slight swirl of his whiskey, Azazel continued on with his story. "I had explicitly told him to not engage anyone in a hostile manner, but of course, that brat disobeyed my orders. I wanted for you to join us, if possible."
So that is why, but that still didn't explain how I got [ Delete Field].
"Another reason why I'm here beside my work is to propose to you an offer." That was unexpected. "I still want to find out how you acquired the gear without being born with it, and in return, we will offer you training and resource. On top of that, you won't be forced to join our faction and you can still stay around the Gremory heiress."
That… that was too good to be true.
"I'm not lying if that's what you're wondering. We Fallens or at least my group, don't want any more conflict between the races, my goal has always been of a peaceful relationship. You still being on the side of the devil while working with us will be the first step. You can be our neutral ground between us, so to speak." I fiddled with my fingers in contemplation.
This was a lot to take in, I needed time. "Can you give me some time to think over this?" I asked to Azazel.
"Sure no problem, I'm not in any sort of rush."
Ring *
Ring *
The Gurren Lagann opening song ringtone came back and elicitated a snort from Azazel. "Really?" He asked me in amusement.
"It was for a friend!" Try as much to deny it, that smirk still remained plastered on his face.
What does he know, It's still a good song.
Not bothering to talk any longer, I checked the caller's ID and nearly had a heart attack.
Akeno-chan, it showed on the screen.
' Shit! I forgot to call her before! '
I'm so dead!
Turning point part 6 Finale
Hiiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Longest chapter so far, more than 8k words!
That's like 3 chapters in one!
Also I would like to thank this month's Patrons Lee Wei, Michael and Bryan Uy!
You guys rock!
Also chapter 21 has been majorly reworked with nearly 30% of its content changed and improved.
That's all.
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya and Solitary heart.
If death had a voice, it would probably sound something like…
"Hachiman~"
Yeah, something like that.
Walking outside to the balcony for fresh air was a good decision. I knew this conversation wouldn't be easy, so I had put myself in a comfortable environment.
With the cold temperature outside and the illuminating Eiffel Tower shining in the background, I felt a sense of inner peace with the calm atmosphere. The sound of tree leaves rustling and the driving cars added to that experience.
"Hey Akeno-chan, I'm sure you're expecting some answers." My first plan of attack was to know what she knew beforehand. Did she know about Azazel or Baraquiel? Her timing also was worrying, as it happened just after the attack.
"I'm waiting~."
"Right, * sigh * Look, before we talk, I must make sure to clear up any sort of possible misunderstanding on your part. So, what do you know?" Nice, this was vague enough for her not to grow suspicious about anything.
"I heard from Rias, that you had some matters to attend to. A certain 'past issue' with someone." Her voice seemed to strain at that last part. She obviously knew something was up. "Now tell me, what type of issue would require you to be gone all night yesterday?"
Has it been that long already? Oh right, France was a few hours behind Japan, so if it was nighttime here then…"Sorry, Akeno-chan things came up and I had to stay for longer."
"You're not in Japan, are you?" She said it more like a statement than a question.
"No, no I'm not. Listen… It's an important mission I'm on. Something that will heavily affect me. I can't say for certain how much longer I'll have to remain here, but I'll definitely be back before the weekend."
"…" Her line was silent, I knew she was still on the call, so I waited.
From the corner of my eyes, I saw Azazel heading towards the door with his finger crossed gesturing to me ' good luck '. I just gave him a slight nod before he left the room, giving me a bit of privacy. For all his craziness, Azazel certainly knew how to read the mood.
"You really want to help whoever this is, huh?"
Yes, but not just Baraqiel, I wanted to help Jeanne in catching the monster as well and save the people. ' If my past self were to see me now, he would probably vomit .'
This was a stark contrast to the past me. Hiratsuka-sensei forced me to join the service club because she opposed my view of youth. Despite my utter dislike of my situation back then, my actions had shown otherwise.
I attempted to play the bad guy, I hurt the feelings of many, most of my methods not being healthy. But somehow it kept working as a mission failed successfully, people had their problem solved.
I was a socially awkward guy and a loner, I did everything to maintain that image, even if it hurt me. But looking back now, I could have been different.
The current me was more than willing to help others, to offer a helping hand when needed. Some of my quirks remained but I no longer tried my hardest to maintain an image.
I realised…
That I just didn't care anymore.
I just followed my heart, no longer afraid of falling, no longer caring for others. My past self may have said something like that but it would have been a lie.
Just like the rest, I used to always wear a mask as well.
I get rejected? No problem, I'll try again.
Everyone suddenly loves me? A bit hard to deal with but if I'm anything is adaptable.
I'll go out of my way to make sure someone is well, may they be strangers or friends. Because this was who the new Hikigaya Hachiman was, the real me.
A grown-up, Hikigaya Hachiman.
"And I'll always help out people in need," I answered Akeno, feeling my cheeks heat up at the statement.
Though I do feel embarrassed from time to time when I try to sound cool.
"I know, and I love that part of you. But I also hate it. In many cases you keep everything bottled up inside you, never asking for much help. I always knew you had some inner struggles, yet you never brought them up."
"You saved my life, my mother's life, Rias is doing a lot better than before, Koneko is happier, even your parents are living off their dream life. Yet never in our time together have I had the opportunity to truly help you, to share some of your burdens."
I was beginning to grasp on what she was going for. Akeno didn't want me to be left all alone with my own demons. It wasn't an easy topic to bring up, especially with my case.
"I will one day." That's all I could say.
"I'll keep you to your word, call us if you need help, we'll teleport to your side in an instant. Okay?" Seems like I at least had some backup if things hit the fan.
"Sure," I agreed, taking out the small pamphlet that Rias distributed everywhere to her customers.
"I love you." She replied like it was the most natural thing to say to him.
Ba-bump *
This was the moment, say it.
"I…"
Ba-bump *
The past is the past, I just had a long monologue on how I didn't care anymore and just followed my heart.
Ba-bump *
"I…" So I should be able to do it.
Ba-bump *
Say it.
Ba-bump *
Come on!
Ba-bump *
Don't act like a stupid Shounen protagonist!
Ba-bump *
You're better than that!
Ba-bump *
Sigh * "I love you too."
A simple statement that held a lot of power.
Just like a dam breaking, I felt my body flood with a torrential flood of relief and acceptance. ' Sorry Yukino, I had to move on with my life. I can't keep being held down by the past.'
…
- Next day-
You know what? Waking up in the king-size luxurious bed with silk covers and embroidered curtains… isn't that shocking to me at this point.
What? You thought I would be amazed by the rich display?
Ha! Living with Rias was basically being exposed to all the riches the human world had to offer, and her understanding of money and how to spend it is vastly different from a regular person. But I'm not complaining about my manor house back in Japan.
Now on to serious stuff, analysing everything that happened last night.
"Vritra you awake?"
Since everyone in this huge manor was part of the supernatural and knew about my sacred gear, I didn't bother hiding my thoughts. "We need to talk about last night, especially that… monster." Calling it anything else would be wrong.
'I predict some of your questions, partner. As I myself wondered about them in my own spare time.' So he noticed it too, good this saved me some time. ' The monster's gear which was my own did not react to my presence.'
Yes, that was one of my biggest questions, according to Vritra previously, whenever a less compatible Vritra gear would come near me, it had a high possibility of being ripped out from its host's soul. Yet yesterday disproved that claim completely, the monster was fine and did not scream in pain from having its gear ripped out. Not like there was any sign of it even happening in the first place.
"Does it mean the monster was more compatible with his gear than me or were we about the same?"
'I believe I may have half an answer for that.' Vritra said, ' That thing we fought yesterday has completely fused with its gear, in some ways, we were fighting the gear rather than the person. So the question of compatibility no longer applies. Still, it was not natural, something or someone forced it in that state.'
And I may have an idea who that might be from that magic circle that attacked us.
The Nebiros clan, one of the devil's 72 pillars, were the ones who Koneko and Kuroka once served. That whole incident with Kuroka happened after the family head was killed off by her going insane with power, allegedly. From my research, they were a scientifically focused clan, doing research and experiments for ' the sake of devil kind'. For years they went into total darkness from the outside world, remaining hidden and silent.
I took it upon myself to memorise every single sigil of the devil houses and without a doubt, I was attacked by a member of the Nebiros clan experiments.
' The Nebiros clan ' I was a bit shocked that Vritra knew them. ' For a dragon as old as me, I have fought against countless beings of all races. At this point, I have battled every member of the 72 pillars, even Lucifer himself at some point. I will never forget my enemies.'
"What are your thoughts about them?" Since they were related to the events with Koneko and Kuroka, I wanted to know more about this clan, aside from what's written in a book. "They were mentioned to be a reclusive and loyal house."
' Ha! Now that's funny, the people who won't hesitate to dissect their family members in the name of progress, are called loyal? They are nothing more than immoral backstabbing scums!' Now that's a big reaction from Vritra, guess his last encounter with them didn't go so well.
"You think I should contact Rias with this?"
' I can not answer that question, partner. The decision lies with you.' So in other words, you are not sure.
After leaving the bed and getting ready for the day, I left my room and made my way towards the dining hall. Courtesy from Baraqiel, he had given me high-end brand clothes that I would only see those fashion icons on the internet wear.
Just imagining the price tag made me feel like these clothes weighed more than all of the money in my bank account.
As I continued walking, I noticed the many stares from the maids and female passersby. It downright sent an uncomfortable chill down my back from their sheer intensity. I felt like prey being stalked by a predator in the woods, except this time it was in the open.
' At least they don't gossip like the girls from Kuoh'
Another thing I noticed that was a bit suspicious was their rather… well-endowed figure. Every single one of them was capable of passing off as Models and they all shared similar eye colours; violet.
' They're all fallens.'
Oh, no…
I don't know why, but I didn't feel safe around these people. It's the same dread I felt around some of the Kuoh girls but multiplied by a thousand. ' Don't you think they are staring at me a bit too intensely?' I asked Vritra.
' Hahahaha !' Vritra burst out laughing to my chagrin. ' Fallen, especially those who have sinned for lust, are very attracted to powerful individuals, like you.'
Am I gonna be tackled out of nowhere-No!
Nope! I just had a similar thought before and got jumped on by girls, there is no way I'm gonna jinx myself again!
I'm not even that strong yet!
"Hachiman-sama." A voice out of nowhere interrupted my thoughts.
"KYAAA!" I certainly did not jump in the air like a cat or scream like a girl.
I was cool and composed.
Cool…
The person who called me was a very tall and buxom woman with yellow eyes and long, navy blue hair that reached to her legs, while a portion of it obscured her right eye.
Her attire consisted of a maroon, trench coat-like top with a wide collar, a matching miniskirt, and black heeled shoes. The trenchcoat top was open at her chest, giving a view of her breasts and cleavage. She also wore a gold necklace around her neck. She appears to wear a white shirt underneath her top, but it was barely noticeable.
Just seeing her made me feel… uncomfortable in certain areas, my hormones were acting up. I already struggled daily around Rias and Akeno with their exhibitionist tendencies. But this person next to me just oozed that sexy secretary aura. ' This woman is dangerous!'
I can't say how she got so close to me, I could smell her fragrance, feel the heat and my arms were just inches away from touching her chest.
Cough * "Oh, hey there, didn't see you, which surprised me." I tried playing off my previous embarrassing sight by acting nonchalant. "Need something?"
She gave me that 'I know what you did there' face, I ignored it and just looked her dead in the eyes. Her grin showed as she used her hand to push up her breasts in her already incredibly tight attire.
I had to try really hard to keep my eyes on her face, or else I might not survive if I look anywhere else.
"Baraqiel-sama has asked me to escort you to the dining hall and take care of all your needs ." She told me with a purr in her tone as she approached me in a very Akeno manner, sending shivers down my spine.
That squint-eyed, stone-faced, soon-to-be beardless, perverted bastard! Is he trying to test me?!
Jokes on you asshole! I had to deal with Rias and Akeno every day for years! Having to put up with them being naked in my bed, teasing me with their touches! Compared to all that, this is nothing! Even if this Onee-chan is almost on the same level as them, I won't fall so easily!
I laugh at this poor attempt!
"Lead the way." I intentionally put some distance between us, showing her how I wasn't affected by her tactics.
It worked as her smile fell for a bit before returning. "Then please follow me." She turned around and began walking through the halls with a slight sway to her hips.
I wouldn't lie and say that I didn't stare at it for a bit, but I wasn't a horndog about to lose control. It just happened to be in my field of vision.
No, really…
That's it… I promise…
Why does it feel like Yukino glaring at me with disgust and disappointment?
I followed her through this maze-like mansion, all corners looking the same as the last one. Every ten steps I would pass by a maid, it made me wonder why Baraqiel didn't just live with his wife here?
But then again, I wouldn't have met Akeno had he done so.
Our walk was short but it felt too long, with this woman trying to grab my attention. Vritra's laughter at my poor situation was not helping either.
Bastard…
Not too soon after we found ourselves in front of a large door. The woman got to the side and opened the door for me to pass through.
"Thanks…" I forgot to ask her name, focused on not staring at her, "miss…?"
"Fufufu, so you finally asked, I almost thought you would just keep staring at my ass without so much of an introduction." I felt my face heat up at being caught, before trying to regain my cool. Hey, I may be a jerk sometimes but I wasn't a complete douche. "My name is Kalawarna." She said with a beautiful smile, her hair parted slightly showing off both of her golden eyes, which seem to glitter with mischief.
"Nice to meet you Kalawarna-san, I'm Hikigaya Hachiman."
"Oh, I am well aware of who you are, everyone is as well." What's that supposed to mean? But then again, Azazel and Baraqiel didn't make it a secret when they brought me to their base.
While still lost at what she meant, I didn't notice the fallen getting close from behind. I stiffen when I felt her breasts press onto my back, her arms wrapping around, her soft hand cupping my cheek before feeling her breathing near my ear, whispering something that would have sounded ominous if I was in the right mind. Her actions began mirroring those of Akeno's when she is trying to get my attention.
"We'll keep in touch."
With that said, she gave the edge of my ear a slow lick before quickly letting me go and pushing me through the door when it opened.
The only thing that was going through my mind at that moment.
'Dangerous! That woman is really dangerous!'
…
Composing myself after dealing with that dangerous woman, I looked at the occupants that were in the room.
"Oh, hey kid! Hope your conversation last night went well." There seated near the dining table was none other than Azazel, eating the finest delicacies that the country can offer. Being served by maids, all who were certainly fallens like him. By his side, enjoying a cup of tea was Baraqiel, donning his vice governor attire, which looked like a mix of loose black robes, black leather, and black metal armour. He looked a bit tired and worn out, recognizing that face whenever I came out from a whole night doing a long training session.
He gave me a nod after seeing me. "Good morning, Hikigaya-kun. We have much to discuss about last night's monster situation." And boy, did we have a lot to unravel.
"I will share with you some of the Intel and information we have gathered from our discussion with the local powers. Though the local supernatural residents aren't so keen on foreign entities encroaching on their business, they had little to no choice but to request aid from us."
Wasn't that confidential or something?
Noticing my confusion, Azazel answered, "We want you to help us out with this problem, as we have been having trouble catching this beast for a while and it would be in our best interest to not have you go in blind or step on anyone's foot during your hunt."
I nodded at his explanation, not wanting to get another surprise like last time.
Baraqiel continued from where he left off, "We have gathered that for the last few years, several orphanages across the country have been attacked with all the local population forgetting the culprit's existence completely. Until now, a large number of people have gone missing in a short time since it first started. No children or adults from those establishments were ever found, they vanished in the night."
This disturbed me greatly, this wasn't a small number of people like I first thought, and for them to be gone all of sudden without a trace or lead? That's horrifying.
Azazel passed me some documents with all the identities of the missing people. Of course, most of them were children, some very young while others were near their adulthood. The gruesome scene from last night emerged in my head, I feared for the worst yet did not assume anything yet. "How does this relate to the monster?" I asked, shuffling through more of the files.
"Well, it's because similar sightings of such a creature were mentioned by the scouts near those orphanages." This time it was Azazel who spoke. "We do not believe it killed them, no traces of blood or any human remains. Our best conclusion is that the monster is under the control of someone else, who's using it to kidnap these children." I continued flipping through what seemed to me like a never-ending list of names, each picture making my heart grow heavier. ' These are just kids. Why would anyone need so many!?'
I didn't know if I wanted to know the answer to that or not.
"What's more concerning are the orphanages our mysterious monster owner targeted, take a look." This time, he handed me a list of the establishments mentioning who they belonged to. That is when I noticed their similarities. "You've noticed, haven't you?"
"None of them belong to the church. They are all privately owned orphanages built by… vampires!?" I nearly fell out of my chair while reading that part. A blood-sucking being owning an entire establishment filled with young kids!? Wasn't that a tragedy waiting to happen!?
"Now, I know what you may be thinking but remember this is their territory, and they don't just suck the blood out of every single human they see. As the rulers of France, it is their job to create a functioning society and they can't have thousands of orphans on the street. Not to mention that it would only allow the church to spread their control deeper into their land. They usually do a blood drive to get their food from them, while still going under the radar." So only their establishments were targeted while the orphanages owned by the church were left untouched.
And vampires doing a blood drive? Something I should come back to at a later date.
"There is also the matter of the monster having in possession a Vritra sacred gear. Our best option to catch it is to use you like a radar, like those Dragon Scouters from that anime." Azazel chimed in with a reference, but I was too preoccupied with my thoughts to care.
"Listen Hikigaya-kun, this mission is not without its dangers, we have taken measures to accomplish the task ourselves, we do not want to put you or anyone else unassociated with us in mortal peril. You can choose to back down, I have made enough mistakes in my life and I don't want to betray my daughter once more." Baraqiel came by my side and rested his hand on my shoulder. "It is not cowardly to back away, your life must be your top priority. You are young, filled with potential for greatness, so choose wisely."
I understood his concerns but whatever the Nebiros were up to, I had to put an end to it.
"So when are we starting?"
…
I was back on the rooftop waiting for Jeanne, I had told them about her, mentioning everything from her being a hero descendant to being a Hero faction member and her sacred gear.
Both had grown serious when I mentioned the hero faction. I had asked them if they knew about it, but was left with no answers aside, "We have a hunch on who they truly work for, but for now since she is helping you might as well not reject a helping hand. But watch your back around her."
I should feel kinda bad for ratting her out like that, but she never said it was a secret or anything, so my conscience is clear.
' Do you trust her, Vritra?'
' Believe it or not, I have met the maiden of Orleans, or at least one of my previous hosts did. Her bravery, combat prowess, magical gift, and loyalty were among the highest I have ever seen in a human before. Her devotion to Yahweh remained unbroken, even when burned alive.' Would you look at that, high praise from Vritra himself, that was something to be proud of, ' But I can't say the same for that girl, I don't know her as well as I did with her ancestor.'
We continued our small conversation, making jokes, talking about our past, and so on. Vritra had truly become an integral part of me, some may think that having a small voice in your head was the sign of a psychopath, but for me, it was like a sense of comfort knowing someone always had my back.
"-!"
Out of nowhere, I felt an ice-cold sensation on my neck, shocking my nerves for a split second. Jerking around, I saw it was none other than Jeanne with her same attire and armour, holding two cans of cold… Coffee?
"Bonjour mon ami! I brought some refreshments!" Always in her chipper mood, she offered me the can of coffee. I was a bit dazed that I may have potentially met a fellow sweet caffeine fan, but I was bothered by something else. ' How did she get behind me without me noticing? Is her stealth broken like in Skyrim?'
"Thanks." I accepted her gift, the taste was okay, not overly sweet like SUPER but sweet enough to hide all traces of any bitterness. She sat by my side at the edge of the building, someone with acrophobia would faint from the sight, but for someone like me with literal wings and a levitation spell for backup, this was a minor thing.
"It is a beautiful sight isn't it?" Jeanne was the first to initiate a conversation, I glanced at her, catching her gaze on me as she smiled.
"I guess so." Paris had its fair share of beauty, every part of the city had traces of ancient history. It's weird to imagine that this was all maintained by the vampires, for shut-ins they knew how to do their job. "Though it is a bit too crowded for me."
"My homeland is a jewel for many to marvel at, millions of tourists flock to this place alone every year." Jeanne seemed proud of her words, guess she had a reason to be proud of her birth country. "This is what humans are capable of when they aspire for greatness, too bad that most of it are now owned by those rotten vampires."
I was caught off guard by that slight venom in her tone, I didn't think she would dislike them that much. "You hate vampires?" Was she a victim?
"Not just vampires, but every other supernatural entity. They constantly drag innocent humans in their conflicts, use us as pawns and cannon fodders." Now I disagree with that notion, we humans drag innocent people as well in our petty conflicts. War was a good example of that. "They think of us as weak, incapable of even protecting ourselves, I dream of one day proving all of them wrong!"
I sense some hidden personal story behind that reasoning, I didn't comment on it of course.
"You should join our cause, Dragon-kun!" Oi! What's with the nickname you just gave? Also Dragon-kun? I'm not ready to burn down poor villages and take a princess to my man cave.
' Oi! That only happened one time! Those stupid villagers shouldn't have poked me in the eye when I was sleeping!'
Ignoring Vritra's complaint, how did this normal conversation turn into a recruitment process? "The hero faction will gladly welcome someone like you! We can help humanity so much with your help!"
Thanks but I'm already on the side of Hikigaya Hachiman and the devils to some extent… and the fallens… basically anyone who is minding their own business while seeking to help others. Your faction has yet to prove to me anything.
"Thanks but I'm good for now, I'll think about it in the future." I politely declined her offer, we just met so it would be unwise to join her side. "You know where to find it?"
As much as I wished to enjoy our moment together drinking coffee, the existence of the monster weighed heavily in my mind. It ruined any sort of enjoyment I felt, forcing me to get done with this. I also began missing Kuoh, Paris was beautiful and all, but I just didn't feel relaxed like I was at home.
Jeanne seemed to catch on with my mood and let go of her previous recruitment attempt. "Yes, with the help of some of my friends, I got to pinpoint the base of our enemy. Another abandoned house near the neighbourhood we fought the monster." She showed me a paper map of the area, where an area was circled red. From our location it was but a five minutes walk away.
"I'm ready to go whenever you are." I tightened the enchanted clothes, though it was essentially amour, gifted by Azazel around me.
"Then let's do this!"
…
Of all places to search for a crazy devil scientist that owns a monster, the very last place I would suspect them to hide is in a run-down fast-food joint. At least it's not your typical villain underground secret lair.
Malum Nebiros was the name of the mastermind according to Jeanne. A former member of the Nebiros clan, who went missing a few years ago. Some even claimed he had died in one of his experiments. From people who have interacted with him, he was a very goal-focused individual that went on to be obsessive in accomplishing his research. Little to no friends and contact aside from his family to get more funding for his research.
' Proceed with caution, I don't like the feeling of this place.' I heeded his words and surveyed the area for any traps or traces of that monster, and didn't want it to sneak attack me again.
"So what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Jeanne did not seem the least bit concerned by the place and its possible hidden dangers, may it be out of confidence or arrogance remained to be seen. Remembering her using [ Blades blacksmith ] made me think of the former.
[ Delete Field ]
A familiar transparent black dome covered the area, everything within would now have their powers suppressed, to a certain extent. I did not pour a lot of energy into it, since I wanted it to last longer. With my ever-increasing magical reserves and stamina, it would probably last a few hours.
"That's impressive," Jeanne said with a whistle at the end. "But won't it affect me as well?"
Good point.
' Vritra ?'
' Just transfer some of your energy into her so that she doesn't get affected by my ability.' Convenient, though couldn't he have told me this earlier during training?
Nevertheless, I took her hand to her surprise and transferred a tiny bit of my energy. "Ahh~" I flinched at her moan, like seriously does everything have to be sexual in this world? I gave her the look, making her blush. "Sorry… I wasn't prepared for you to touch me like that." She said, embarrassed at me grabbing her hand, before looking a little bashful at me.
She looked pretty cute like this, having to stop myself from patting her head.
"That was my first time holding hands with a boy"
What kind of life has this girl been living? Is she another Ojou-sama with strict parents that control her actions and wanted to find some freedom from them? How do I keep attracting these types in my life?
Another headache for another time. Right now I need to focus on the task at hand.
"Now you can use your sacred gear without any hindrance."
"Sweet!" The moment she said that her stance widened a bit before she brought her arm up. "Get ready to marvel at my sacred gear, [ Blade Blacksmith ]!" A familiar rapier formed in her hands, made from gold and a shining blade of light. I could feel her using a larger portion of her power since this rapier gave me a stronger feeling like I could be pierced by it at any moment.
"Destroy all those who oppose justice, [ Divine Judgement Blade ]!" She thrust her arms forward when a beam of pure light shot from the sword's blade tip. Like seeing a version of the Kamehameha wave, the attack tore through the building, destroying everything in its path before exploding in bright white light. Creating a large shockwave of intense heat and force that uprooted the nearby trees, turned sand into glass and the wind nearly pushed me back a step.
' Impressive ' I agreed. Not even my strongest [ Magic Arrow ] attack could cause such a big impact. This attack could one-shot every stray I met so far as well as other opponents aside from Vali. Though impressed, I wasn't scared of it, with my full sacred gear abilities and that extra armour I got recently, I was confident to survive such an attack and probably even continue fighting.
"SCREeeeEeeeEEEE!" A black shadow jumped out of the rubble, this time heavily injured from the attack, a barely attached arm, hanging by a literal strand of veins, oozing black blood. Its lower jaw was missing, letting his tongue hang down in the air. Some of its spear-whips survived, they began to wrap around its broken hind legs to keep it standing. All in all, it looked to be in a terrible state.
"Why hello there, time for round two." Calling out my [ Prison Wings ] I cleared the distance between us in a blink of an eye. Learning from my mistakes I did not give it time to react [ Restrict !]. Caught up in a bind, I used my wings to slice away its remaining whips, making it lose control of its legs and fall. I shot my [ Magic Arrow ] through its other hand/claw, rendering it completely useless. The monster tried breaking free but had little to no strength left to spare.
"Now for the coup de grace!" Jeanne readied her regular rapier and immediately thrust it in the creature's head, killing it finally. She was sweating and looked tired as well, I guess that previous strike might have taken out more than I thought. "That was easy," Jeanne said, breathing heavily. "It wasn't as troublesome as last time."
It certainly wasn't.
"Wait, the monster!" I heard Jeanne's surprised cry and immediately prepared for an attack, only to see the monster was still dead. What Jeanne screamed about was the peeling scales turning into dust, revealing who was the unfortunate person within it. "Oh, no…" I heard Jeanne mutter beside me but my mind was elsewhere. My heart stilled as I felt the strongest sense of vertigo and nausea when I identified the person.
One of the kids from the orphanage!
I remembered going through the long list Azazel gave me, and this monster was none other than one of those missing orphaned children!
'I just killed a child…' My guilt bubbled inside me, ready to drown me in regret and self-hatred. I felt like I was going to vomit from the constant swirl of feelings. All this time I sliced off parts of the monster, made it suffer an untold amount of pain, was it nothing more than a little kid? I began hyperventilating, my vision disoriented, my hands shaking, I couldn't stop sweating and was about to vomit.
' GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF, PARTNER!'
I was pulled violently from my thoughts by Vritra, disoriented for a bit, I tried getting a hold of myself. ' Vritra… what have I done…'
' You had no way of knowing the monster's identity. If you had not killed it, many would have continued being consumed and killed all around the country. The child was suffering and death was a mercy for him.'
I took some deep breaths, using my logical thinking for everything that happened. I knew Vritra was correct, but my conscience couldn't just accept it so easily. Even when I've killed strays before, none of them were even remotely young. But this time…
Squish !*
I turned my head towards the sound and soon learned to regret it, Jeanne had crushed the child's skull with her boots. With no hint of remorse on her face.
"What are you doing!?" I screamed, outraged by her action. "Why would you do that!? Can't you see that was just a kid!?" I did not expect this type of behaviour from her.
She looked at me grimly, "Tobi, this ' child ' was nothing more than a rabid monster who killed countless citizens in this country, I have to make sure it is dead so it doesn't hurt anyone else." Her tone was steady, devoid of any doubts. Like someone who is used to doing this on a daily basis.
"But still, you didn't need to-"
Clap*
Clap*
Clap*
Our argument was interrupted by someone clapping their hands. Out of the wreckage of what was once the fast-food court, walked out a young-looking man with blonde hair that fell right behind his shoulders, with a piece falling between his blue eyes, with bags from lack of sleep. He wore a white lab coat with gold patterns with the sleeves covered in dried-up blood, rimless glasses that reflected the moonlight before showing, black pants that had seen better days, and long white gloves that look like he just finished an operation. Overall, he looks like a mad scientist.
"What a magnificent performance! Subject 16, performed admirably against two sacred gear holders, with one even being the host of a major Vritra gear!" He spoke dramatically, acting like a director judging the actor's performance. "I did not foresee the usage of concentrated light energy being so destructive from a [ Blade Blacksmith] user. A miscalculation on my part."
Jeanne and I both put our guard up, ready for whatever this guy might throw against us. "Malum Nebiros, I presume?"
Yep, this guy is definitely fitting the bill of a mad scientist. Though I may not know of his exact powers, the guy was confident enough while standing in front of us, so he must either be very strong or have a backup plan or is just insane and overconfident.
I didn't like any of those possibilities.
"Why it seems my reputation precedes me, even the dog of the Gremorys knows it. Which honestly does not flatter me that much, I rather find it disgusting." Okay, I found a real douche. But at least my hunch was correct, this guy is responsible for this whole thing!
"Why are you doing all this!?"
"For progress of course! The devil kind has grown weak and few in numbers these last few centuries, our race of proud descendants of Lilith and Lucifer themselves have been tainted by that blasted Ajuka! A fake two-bit scientist who brought those cancers known as reincarnated devils to join our ranks!" His shouts became increasingly louder, his eyes were bloodshot from anger or maybe insanity. "It is a humiliation! With our prowess, it is our destiny to rule the supernatural world as our ancestors intended us to! Yet here we are, inviting and treating those fake devils like they were one of us."
His gaze locked onto me, his smile widening into a mad grin. "And those Gremory traitors… they are the ones responsible for all this mess, Sirzechs for all his power is nothing more than a delusional fool who believes in the notion of peace with the other factions! He could have easily conquered all of them, yet he remains acting like a toddler working behind a desk like those other worthless Satans!"
This guy is a nutcase. "You're mad, you know that? Then what were all these kidnappings for!?" This time I shouted as well, my anger creeping on me again.
"Humans are destined to be nothing more than lab rats for us devils. Since Sirzechs won't bring back the devils to their past glory and I am too weak to kill him… I decided to create weapons that would do the job for me."
The moment he said that a huge magical circle formed beneath our feet spanning the entire street, with other circles forming on rooftops as well.
"Dragon-kun! Look!"
"-!"
To my horror, from these circles rose hundreds of monsters similar to what we had just killed before. All locking as vicious and hungry as the last one. All had those spearheaded whips, black scales and violet eyes that reminded me of Vritra.
Clearly, I wasn't the only one shocked by this sight.
' Wha-what is this… this… these are all mine… I can feel it…'
RRRRRRR ….*
' WHAT…'
'WHAT HAS HE DONE TO MY SOUL!!! ' I winced in pain as my sacred gear shone a bright purple colour overflowing from Vritra's rage.
"Vritra, calm down!"
' ROOOOAAAARRRRR !!!!' His roar and power were so strong that it could be heard from outside the gear. Jeanne's face grew pale from the realisation of our current situation and the anger of a dragon.
"Hahahaha! Is the Dragon King angered at my creation? My piece d'oeuvre?" He opened his arms wide open, showcasing his accomplishments. "Behold! For I have done something that not even Azazel nor Ajuka could ever dream to accomplish, I successfully managed to copy and reproduce sacred gears! Hahahaha, Senjutsu really is the perfect cure for a damaged soul!" He went on laughing like a maniac creeping both me and Jeanne, but Vritra's next words made me realize why he was a Great Dragon King.
' You shall pay for this transgression, insolent little devil.'
"Hurgh!" I landed on my knees, my heart began hurting like hell as if it was being pulled by something. Malum noticed my state and burst out into a bigger fit of laughter. "You are feeling it, right? That pull from inside your very own soul. Did you know that Senjutsu not only heals the soul of a sacred gear user but also improves their attunement? Hehehe, one minor gear even if perfectly attuned to its host would never bother someone like you, but what if there were hundreds? They pile up and create a greater effect!"
"Dragon-kun!" Jeanne came by my side, supporting me as I had difficulty breathing and standing up. "Are you okay? Can you keep moving?" She sent a barrage of questions, to which I replied with a nod. It hurts, but I can still move.
"Oho? I forgot about you, human girl." He returned to his calm state, which further disturbed me. "You know, I will kill only one of you at a time. The first one to be caught will be my be on my table, never hurts to have another army of sacred gears. And the other one will become… nourishment for my children, hehehehehe! I wonder who it will be first."
How do I get out of this? My exit was blocked, I couldn't fly up in the sky, their whips are locking us in like caged birds. I can't fight properly while fighting to keep my gear from getting ripped out.
'Why haven't Baraqiel and Azazel come yet!?' We had a plan that if I didn't report back after an hour they would fly over to help out.
"Are you wondering where your crow friends are perhaps?" I whipped my head around and saw the smug smile on Malum's face. "I knew they would interfere sooner or later if I didn't take some measures. Hopefully, my allies in the vampire faction will hold them off for long."
"You were allied with the fallens?" I heard Jeanne mutter both in surprise and disappointment.
"I-I will explain later, w-we need to find a way to escape from here first!" I did not want to deal with her apparent hatred of the supernatural species.
For if we ever hoped to leave this place alive, it would be through teamwork.
"…"
All of a sudden she went all quiet…
… I felt a chill travel down my spine.
"Jeanne?"
"…"
"Why are you so quiet all of a sudden?"
"…"
' Partner, behind you!'
Psht !*
I felt a sharp pain running through my waist, but everything around me seemed to slow down to a halt. The approaching monsters, the laughing Malum, the smoke, everything went still. I ignored all of them and looked down…
… there in the middle of my stomach, was the tip of a blade… a rapier.
I turned my gaze and met her eyes as she held her weapon through my back. She was smiling, but it lacked her cheerful aura and was instead showing sadness.
"I'm sorry Dragon-kun…"
Was this a sick joke?
"… but I need to stay alive to accomplish my goal of saving humankind."
I trusted you…
"And for that… you'll have to take the fall for me here, so that I may escape and fight another day."
Yet…
She removed her sword as I fell down, a sick * squelch * from its exit entered my ears before I clutched my stomach at the open wound. I could feel the blood flowing out without stopping. Everything hurt, my heart, my body, and my trust was once again broken.
"Hahaha! This is the true nature of humankind, selfishness."
"Heed my words devil scum, I may have failed today to defeat you, but that won't be the case in the future. I promise you this in my honour as a hero. " With that said, she made a dash to the opposite direction, escaping from this situation while abandoning me to my death.
She betrayed me yet still called herself a hero and spouted bullshit about honour.
Where is the honour of backstabbing your comrades…
' Partner …'
The monsters all ignored her while they made their way towards me. "Hahaha! Now, dog of the Gremorys, experience what it is like to be devoured by your own sacred gear! Eat up my children, hahahaha!"
"Hey, Vritra… do you remember that talk we had a while ago?" I asked, my voice faint, nearly dying out, ignoring the monsters coming towards me.
"Trying to find a way to escape, aren't you human? Completely useless, you'll die like the waste you are." Malum said, disdainfully at his pitiful attempt at survival.
'This all my fault…'
No, it isn't.
'… by my very own soul… a part of me.'
It's not your fault Vritra…
I was the one who fucked everything up.
' Hachiman, do you trust me?'
What a stupid thing to say to me.
"I've always trusted you."
"SCREEEEEEE!" The Vritra gear monsters jumped into action. One of which decided to use its whips to piece my left lung. Another taking a hold of my heart and ripping it out, probably a gruesome sight of blood and gore for normal people to see.
"Heurg!" I vomited blood, bile, and even a part of my shredded lungs. My head hit the floor as I saw the sight of my still-beating heart still pumping before it slowly stopped. The monsters all piled up on top of each other trying to have a bite of it, shredding the muscle piece by piece and devouring it. Death was guaranteed yet I did not fear it…
For he always had my back, never to betray me.
…
- Third POV -
"Tch, what a waste of time this day has been," Malum watched as his creations start to feast on the former gear holder, "At least I can experiment on him with whatever is left over."
Ba-bump *
As Malum was about to leave, a grave feeling just washed over him. "What!?"
Whoosh !*
A giant pillar of dark power appeared around Hachiman's dead body.
[Delete Field!] [Balance Breaker!]
[Error!]
[Reset!]
The once fallen Hachiman now awoke once again, a giant pressure suddenly bursting forth from his body! "SCREEEEE!" The surrounding monsters were thrown back with such force that some even got vaporized by the sheer power.
"N-no, i-it cannot be! H-how is he releasing a power similar to an ultimate-class devil!? He should only be a low high-class devil!" Malum grew frightened by this new unforeseen development.
[Balance Breaker!]
[Error!]
[Reset!]
Black miasma poured out from his skin, forming what looked like a hazy black armour that formed around him. That constantly broke down and kept reforming stubbornly.
[MA*BOL*E VRITRA *RO*TION]
[Error!] [Error!] [Error!]
[Reset!]
" Do you feel fear?" A voice that did not belong to Hachiman sounded out from him, his iris no longer those black dots, instead were now shining in a bright violet light that glowed with power and dominance. His smile was savage and bloodthirsty that starkly opposed his previous behaviour.
"You… are not the boy from before!" Malum instantly came to a conclusion which baffled even himself, "The Dragon King?"
No, how could that be possible? He never heard of something like this ever happening in history.
" A fine judgment, little devil." Vritra moved around in Hachiman's body, inspecting every limb and action of his host. " It has been thousands of years since I last felt the sense of touch or smell. For this body belongs to my host, I am forever grateful for the trust he has bestowed upon me."
Even with a gaping hole in Hachiman's chest, Vritra could still move fluidly as if the damage was minimal. His movements were fluid, elegant, carrying a sense of strength, of power beyond his own.
[Balance Breaker!]
[Error!] [Error!] [Error!] [Error!] [Error!] [Error!]
[Reset!]
"I thought myself incapable of feeling such emotions once again ." His aura kept increasing with every step he took, this time even by just being close to him some of the monsters just collapsed from where they stood, their corpses turning to dust in his presence. " Have some pride for you are facing a true Dragon King."
Space rippled like a drop of water in a pond. Distorting from what was about to happen
" R̶a̷g̶e̴ ̸c̷o̸u̸r̴s̶e̸s̴ ̸t̵h̵r̶o̸u̴g̴h̸ ̸m̶y̴ ̸s̷o̸u̶l̸ ̴o̵n̸c̶e̷ ̷a̵g̵a̷i̴n̷ .̵"̸
̴
Orbs of black condensed energy formed around his being. Those eyes shone with malice and fury.
"̵M̴y̴ ̴b̶r̵e̸t̸h̷r̶e̵n̷ ̷o̴f̴ ̴t̴h̶e̷ ̶A̴s̸u̵r̷a̸ ̸c̸l̵a̶n̶ ̵s̴i̶n̵g̸ ̸m̴y̸ ̷n̴a̶m̶e̷ ̶f̷r̸o̵m̷ ̸t̷h̶e̵ ̶f̸i̸e̵r̴y̸ ̸V̴a̷t̵a̵r̴a̴n̸i̴ ̴r̶i̵v̵e̷r̶s̷ ̴o̶f̸ ̷N̵a̵r̷a̷k̵a̷.̷"̸
The black miasma grew increasingly unstable, with armour forming and dissipating at a higher rate! The helmet is now partially formed with six violet slits.
[ MA*BOL*E VRITRA *RO*TION]
[Error!] [Error!] [Error!] [Error!] [Error!] [Error!] [Error!] [Error!] [Error!] [Error!] [Error!]
[Reset!]
" F̸o̵r̷ ̷I̴ ̴h̶a̶v̷e̴ ̸r̴i̵s̴e̸n̶ ̶b̸e̸y̵o̵n̵d̷ ̴t̵h̷e̷ ̵g̵r̸a̵s̵p̷s̷ ̷o̷f̸ ̷d̶e̴a̸t̵h̵,̸ ̴d̸e̶v̷o̸i̸d̸ ̵o̶f̵ ̷p̵o̸w̵e̸r̸ ̵y̶e̷t̶ ̷s̶e̸a̸r̷c̵h̶i̶n̸g̷ ̸f̵o̴r̵ ̵d̴r̸e̶a̶m̴.̸"̵
His [ Prison Wings ] began cracking and repairing at the same time, their size growing larger with real dragon scales slowly forming and replacing the mechanical parts.
"̷ D̵e̴v̶o̶i̷d̶ ̵o̶f̷ ̴l̴o̵v̷e̸ ̵y̴e̶t̷ ̵s̵e̴a̶r̶c̵h̴i̸n̵g̵ ̶f̶o̷r̷ ̵i̷n̶f̶i̸n̷i̵t̵y̸.̵"̵
Malum knew he had to end whatever was happening soon or else he might be in serious trouble. "What are you all looking at!? Subject 7 to 789, GO KILL HIM!!!!!"
The once frozen Vritra gear monsters sprang into action, with a more frenzied state. "SCREeeeEeeeEEEE!" They all jumped towards Hachiman, their claws ready to tear him up into pieces and their jaws opened to devour his flesh once again.
"I̷ ̵s̷h̷a̸l̵l̸ ̸s̴e̸a̶l̵ ̶y̶o̵u̴ ̷i̶n̴ ̶t̶h̴e̷ ̸m̶y̵r̸i̸a̴d̴ ̶s̵p̵a̵c̷e̴s̷ ̷o̵f̷ ̸r̸e̵a̴l̶i̶t̷y̵,̷ ̷s̷u̵f̴f̴e̸r̷i̴n̶g̵ ̶f̵o̸r̸ ̴a̸l̸l̷ ̷o̶f̷ ̸e̵t̸e̶r̶n̸i̷t̶y̶.̷"̶
With a simple swipe of his arms, black flames emerged from thin air, easily burning away the majority of the monsters, not even leaving behind ashes.
[MA*BOL*E VRITRA *RO*TION]
[Error!] [Error!] [Error!] [Error!] [Error!] [Error!] [Error!] [Error!] [Error!] [Error!] [Error!] [Error!] [Error!] [Error!] [Error!] [Error!] [Error!] [Error!] [Error!] [Error!] [Error!] [Error!]
[Reset!]
"Noooooo, this cannot be happening, Rizevim promised me! I nearly completed my research on the creation of super devils!" Malum kept shooting magical attacks after attacks, none even reaching Hachiman/Vritra. The pressure alone was enough to crush his attacks out of existence.
"No no nononononoNONONO!!!!" He tried teleporting away, but it was useless.
" This is for you, partner."
[Vritra!]
[A̷b̸s̸o̴l̷u̵t̸e̵ Delete Field!]
"RIIIZZZEEvviiim-!" And so Malum the once highly acclaimed scientist of the devil's world vanished into thin air. His soul was not destroyed but returned to the void of nothingness, cursed for all eternity.
On that night, a major catastrophe took place in the city of Paris, for the entirety of its slums was absorbed in a large dome of darkness that devoured everything in its path leaving behind nothing but silence.
…
- Khaos Brigade HQ-
"…"
A little girl looked up at the sky, awoken from her thoughts of returning home.
"Vritra…?"
The Dragon of Infinity sensed her silence in the Enveloper.
Interlude
Hiiiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
I would like to thank Lee Wei, Michael and Bryan Uy for their continuous support. Also thank you to my new patrons BenitoZ, Dev Polar and Unknown.
That's all.
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, and Solitary heart.
- ??? -
I never knew that I would end up dancing with death so often, the horrible cold feeling of loneliness hit me hard. I could not remember how I had vanished from my previous reality, I may have died in an accident or even in my sleep - I would never know.
Nor did I care about it that much at this point, a bit curious but not enough that I would actively search for an answer.
This was why I wondered in what state I was currently, I didn't feel dead or alive. Just stuck in a constant state of limbo in total darkness. I lost my sense of touch, my sense of smell and I don't know even if I can see as everything was dark, I was probably blind as well for all I know.
"I*\[% prom(#)! tra."
I could still hear voices, all around me reverberating countless times. They were heavily distorted, like static, all just messed up jumbles of half-spoken words that I could barely understand, an amalgamation of gibberish that threatened to overwhelm me.
I wonder if I could speak?
"Hel!_?£("
BZZttzz !
Shit! Did I break something by accident by talking!?
A slight crack formed in front of me, bleeding out light in this darkness. I tried to touch it despite not knowing if I have limbs or not. The mere thought of moving my hand and grazing the light made reality around me change. Like a ripple that expanded continuously, I found myself in a new location.
' At least now I can see.' I thought to myself witnessing the breathtaking view in front of me.
I was on top of a snowy mountain, high above the clouds that blocked any sight of the ground below. The sky was clear with the Sun shining, yet I could not feel its warmth. Like an invisible glass surrounding me, I could neither feel the cold nor the heat of the elements.
That was not what puzzled me the most. For whatever reason, everything looked small to me. This mountain that pushed beyond the clouds felt like a regular hill to me. Those dead trees in the distance looked like grass and the ground felt like loose sand despite it being nothing but boulders and rocks.
I looked down and saw my….tail?
Oh, oooh, snake-like body, check, tentacles, check, and a golden pattern that ran along the body, check. Giant body with my entire length being around hundreds of meters, check.
I was in Vritra's body!
"ROOAAAARRRRR!" A thundering roar escaped my mouth as I couldn't control it, the heavens trembled and the clouds below parted ways just from the sheer might! A single action of it made me realize just how majestic and overpowered dragons truly are.
Vritra didn't have wings as one would expect, instead of whip-like tentacles that came from my lower snake back. They moved in unison, creating a similar downward movement like wings which caused a large wind force!
I flew in the air beyond sonic speed, like a coiling dragon. I made many maneuvers that were beyond my skills in the sky before descending downwards towards the parted clouds. I slowly began feeling the rushing wind on my skin, the downforce, the excitement all bubbling up as my vision began further aligning with Vritra's. My being could see through his eyes, feeling what he was feeling.
The further we went down below, the redder the scene became. A once peaceful blue atmosphere soon turned hellish with the approaching ground being a battlefield covered in fire, brimstone, and a sea of corpses. A nightmarish scene straight out of the depths of hell greeted me.
War, one side battling for life against the invader and failing to do so. These people all died in brutal ways, anger evident on their faces even after death. The most noticeable characteristics are their 6 heavily tattooed arms, all carrying different weapons.
I could feel the familiar rage of Vritra growing by the moment, every sight of a dead asura boiling it into a maddening degree. Many creatures, even lesser dragons, tried to take me down, yet none of their attacks could pierce my scales, creating sparks from the mere impact. Like a thrown spear, I crashed on the ground killing many.
"Vritra is here!" They shouted out in fear, retreating, trying to run away to escape the wrath of a Dragon King.
But they had already sealed their fate, "ROOAAARRR!" I let out a powerful roar followed by an expanding violet-coloured dome that encompasses the entire field.
Flames were snuffed out, all forms of magic disappeared and the once-powerful enemy troops found themselves gasping for air as they felt their mortal shell crumble apart.
Only the dragons could continue fighting. Some of them were breeds of Seshas and Naggas, capable of using deadly poison that could even kill a being like me. They proved it so as a miasma of purple smoke swirled around me. I felt my strength draining each second, my resolve waning from thoughts alien to me.
So I sank further into the madness, I rushed forward biting one of the snake's heads off and swallowing it whole. The others seeing their failed attempt at poisoning me decided to attack me with their dragon fire.
The enemy flames just being a mild annoyance, the dragon's once friends to me and my brethren, I pulled them limb one by one with my tentacles. They deserve nothing more than a painful death like the traitorous curse that they were!
The madness inside me continued to grow, slowly chipping away at my sanity.
Mountain dragons whose size dwarfed entire cities died by the numbers, millions of celestial soldiers fell down from the sky like droplets of rain. My beam energy breath attack decimated thousands by the second, piercing through all defenses, none could stand in my way as I avenged my fallen family! I tore their flesh, flooding the battlefield in their blood, cursing the land for thousands of years in my wrath.
Until I heard the voice of my true enemy.
"An evil dragon dares to show its ugly face in the affairs of the Lord of Heaven? Impudent lizard, you shall die by my hands just like your brethren and free this world of your chaotic ways!" Said an individual at the forefront of the invading army filled with golden armored soldiers.
A tall buzz cut haired man with lavender eyes. Downing a golden Buddha armor with little to no fear present in his eyes aside from arrogance. Divine aura belonging only to a god, his power swirled around him like a raging typhoon. "Be granted mercy by the very Heavens and accept death!"
He charged at me with the millions of soldiers heading his call, following their leader to lay waste against all of their enemies. He came straight for me, his famous Vajra thunderbolt held firmly in his hand.
Yet the mere sight of him was all it took to push me over my breaking point, losing all form of sanity as I allowed the absolute rage, the madness to take over, no longer fearing death for I had nothing left.
My vision swam in a sea of crimson fury as I met him head-on like a rabid beast until we clashed in a burst of white light!
"-!" I woke up, back in the darkness in fright, my mind in a haze-like state.
I felt my heart pounding from what I had just witnessed. I could feel my clothes drenched in sweat, my breathing ragged and my hands shaking.
What was that!?
I dreamt about being someone else, as Vritra, the longer I was in his body the more I began seeing the dream as something I went through.
His rage was overwhelming, but I also felt… Anguish?
Yes, unbearable anguish.
I nearly became Vritra, in both mind and body the longer I watched. Which was completely false since… I…
… am…
Bztzt !
Hiki…?
Wak?*("*
Haki….?
"Calm down, take a deep breath." I forceed myself to ignore the pain in my head, taking a few moments to just relax and allow myself a few minutes doing nothing but waiting for the pain to go away - enough for me to think without hindrance.
"Yes, it's coming back to me." Like a cooling effect on my mind, the clouds of confusion dissipated bit by bit till I could finally remember my name. "Hikigaya Hachiman… can't believe I almost forgot about that."
W*)/ake u/p.*
Swisshhh
"-!?"
My surroundings changed once more, but this time no cracks formed in the middle of space but rather the darkness began bleeding away, leaving me standing in a familiar-looking place.
The surrounding walls are now decorated with a black and gold theme pattern. A single gigantic golden chandelier in the middle, being the sole source of light.
I felt the smooth feeling of the carpet beneath my feet, every step made me feel like I was walking on a bed of clouds.
There were no windows or doors. Heck, I expected a piano but saw none.
A fancy room, with two random chairs in the middle.
"I remember this place," I said to myself as I touched the edge of the seat which was made of wood. "I remember meeting someone here… many years ago."
Out of instinct, I sat down as if it was the natural thing to do as if it was about to trigger something, which proved to be the right course of action.
Just like I expected, something indeed did happen. Rather, someone or something appeared in front of me, sitting on the opposite chair.
A faceless being made out of light, transparent enough that I could see through it. Motionless, showing no signs of hostility, which I appreciated very much. His humanoid form was as bland as it came, like seeing a mannequin. But there was something unique about it, something that wasn't there before; a beating heart visible inside its chest.
I instinctively touched my own, feeling its presence I felt assured but I wondered why it felt different. The beats were stronger and slower than what I remembered.
I knew who this was…
"Bob?"
Like a lightbulb lighting up in my head, a slew of memories flashed before my eyes. I winced in pain for a second before composing myself again.
I was back here… after so many years.
"Just who are you really?" Unlike back then, this time I was vastly more knowledgeable about the supernatural world. I studied every powerful being from all the factions, even those who were considered to be just myths.
I can't trace him… her… it to any of those.
With Bob's arrival another change occurred in the room, hundreds of floating motes of violet light came into existence. Each looked like snakes with spearlike heads. They all gravitate around me like a group of lost children who found their parents. They all looked the same, like duplicates of each other acting the same way. I couldn't even recognize the original one.
I had an idea of what these were.
"Tell me… do you still have that sketchbook?"
{Break}
-Underworld -
"In accordance with the laws set by the Camilla and Tepes faction, Cedric Berthelot and his house members are all deemed as traitors to their species, their actions judged to be heinous enough for public execution by the ancestral guillotine. As for another matter, both the major vampire forces of Romania and France have agreed to gather their own resources for the reconstruction of the destroyed part of Paris." Grayfia read out the report she got recently to her king.
It did shock her that the vampires were so unhesitant to kill off such a powerful member of their race. Cedric Berthelot was a powerful being ranked to be on par against Satan-class devils, yet it did not explain his exploits of battling against two of the fallen governors. According to Azazel, the man had been empowered by an unknown power source in the form of a snake. Strong enough to injure them both at their strongest.
She reached out for another report much to the dread of her husband. "The fallen force shall be compensated by the house of Vladi for the damage they received. Azazel and Baraquiel are both reported to suffer from light injuries and are expected to take back their post in a few days."
Sirzechs sighed from hearing the report. This incident was a major hit to the supernatural world, as an entire area of the map of Paris had vanished killing hundreds of thousands of human residents.
The damage control was a nightmare, with the Vampires, Fallens, and Devils running around hiding away any traces the humans could find about their world.
The vampires had guaranteed that they would be done with repairs in a few weeks but that was too long in Sirzechs opinion. He and Serafall, the Maou responsible for foreign relations, sent hundreds of their best forces to assist with construction, reducing the time to only days.
"We also found an underground lab belonging to the Naberius family, through some digging we found traces of human and sacred gear experiments done to children. Including daily reports addressed to… the old devil faction." Her tone turned sour from the mere mention of it. He could understand her anger, after all, he had dealt with them during the Great War as well.
An investigation was launched against the house long before the incident. Sirzechs never liked them to begin with but their contribution to the devil world allowed several houses to back them up for him to make any real progress in removing them.
But now he had the perfect excuse, being potentially allied with their enemy was one of the biggest offenses in the Underworld. The Nebiros could find themselves stripped of their land and their wealth seized. Rias has specifically asked him to launch another investigation on the case of Kuroka.
Apparently, Hachiman had requested it.
"What of Hachiman-kun?" The one responsible for this headache and gift of sorts. At least they now caught some of the hidden spies in their ranks. Vampires in general were an isolated species, so having any kind of affairs with them was hard enough for someone like Serafall.
He had previously planned to visit him and was about to do so hours before this mess went down.
Talk about bad timing.
"Well… he is alive." She said curtly with an uncertain tone to her voice. He didn't like that one bit, Rias liked this boy too much for something unfortunate to befall him. "According to Rias-sama, Baraquiel was the one who brought him back. As expected this did not go well with her Queen, but the boy was conscious for long enough to dissuade the situation."
Oh, it wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. "Then what is wrong with him?"
"You might want to read this part yourself, it was given to me by Azazel and he called it a miracle that he had never seen before," Grayfia said, handing over a letter to Sirzechs. A red sealed envelope with the sigil of the Grigori stamped on it.
Opening the envelope and reading its contents, Sirzechs couldn't hide his surprised expression.
"This is indeed unexpected."
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 3 other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post monthly commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.
Issei
Hiiiiiiiiii~ A new chapter is here!
Thanks to everyone who decided to support me after my last chpater. NekoOwo, DOOMRAIDER, Matthew McGrath, Gerald Smith, John Wright, Alexis Chagoya, Jeremy Hernandez, Murteza Barati, CLOUDZ ARECOMING, Dustin Dubbo, unknown, BenitoZ, Dev Polar, Bryan Uy, Lee Wei and Michael .
Y'all are great!
And yep it's a Issei chapter, dont worry it's a one time thing, he wont steal the show from Hachiman. Left a note below.
That's all.
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya and Solitary heart
- Kuoh -
( 2 years later, Canon timeline)
It was black…
A stark contrast of color to the person's hair color and the black miasma that poured from his being.
That was what he thought while looking at his hand covered in blood.
Black - A pair of midnight black eyes, darker than the night sky, sucking in every color in its surroundings.
Yes, that person, whose malevolent and oppressive aura that desires to swallow his very being, was different from the bright crimson color that was coating his hands and clothes.
"Hey there Issei, got yourself in a bit of trouble haven't ya?"
- Kuoh Academy -
"Haaa, I want to squeeze some boobs."
Hyoudou Issei - that was his name. His parents and friends at school called him "Ise".
A second-year high school student who was currently experiencing the time of his youth. Playing around with friends, discovering more about our mutual interests, and even playing some games together at each other's houses.
There was a time when a student who he'd never met before said, "Isn't that Ise?" So he didn't know just how much his name was known to others. Out of everyone in this school, Hyoudou Issei could easily be placed in the top 10 most recognisable names in Kuoh Academy, something of which he was kinda proud.
Perhaps he was unexpectedly popular, you say? Was he the dashing prince whose every action steals the heart of innocent maidens? The genius student that only appears once every 100 years?
No, that wasn't the case. On the contrary, he was quite infamous for being lecherous and he even got accused of peeping inside the Girls Kendo Club's changing room.
Which wasn't true…
He swore! He just happened to be at the right place at the right time!
"I agree with Issei!" Shouted Matsuda with a fist pump in the air.
One of the members of the perverted trio, Matsuda was a bald monk-looking teenager with dark eyes and a sporty build fit for running. He was surprised to learn about the fact that he used to be part of the track team but soon left due to unknown reasons.
"Stop it, you're making me feel empty." Another person answered by his side. Motohama, another teenager like him, with brown hair and glasses, looked to be the most intellectual member of the group, his expertise lied in the field of photography. It was from visiting his house that he found out that this person was a major lolicon, with fetishes that crept even someone like him and that was saying something.
They relaxed beneath a large tree on a hill, giving them a full view of the school grounds. He couldn't help but wonder, "Matsuda, Motohama, do you guys remember why we enrolled in this school?" Issei said as his attention was caught on a group of PE uniforms-wearing girls doing their daily runs.
"This private school, Kuoh Academy, just turned coed two years ago after being an all-girls school. Due to its sudden development, only certain qualified boys were allowed in past years but now anyone with a high enough score could enter." Motohama, always having his back, replied. A sly grin formed on his face, "Even with this new regulation, the school has an overwhelming girl-to-boy ratio, and many foreign girls are attending as well."
Matsuda excitedly chimed in as well, "Which makes us boys a valuable commodity. This means we'll be popular without having to lift a finger! You basically can't mess up!"
"Which means we can achieve our dreams of having a harem!" The brown haired bow cried out loudly, disturbing some of the girls nearby.
That was right, for his whole life, Issei has been nothing but a virgin loner, never having gotten a girlfriend or female friends for that matter. Seeing those lucky bastards who wrapped their arms around the waist of their sexy girlfriends always brought him to tears! Oh the envy was strong in such cases.
Those damn bishounen ikemen! Showing off their girl to the world so openly like that without considering the feelings of his fellow men!
Ahhh he wanted a girlfriend too! Issei dreamed of going on dates, having each other's phone numbers, sharing a k-kiss, and most importantly… touching their boobs!
Yes, that was his dream and he will go through anything to achieve it while here at Kuoh Academy!
He thought it would be an easy process since he was basically screaming to every one of his presence as a boy in the school. Yet all he received was scorn and disgust from the local female population. A complete shock that threw his expectations immediately out of the window.
Why!? He was the perfect man! He wouldn't do such a shameless thing as peeping into the girls' changing room. He was at the scene, near the storage room wall next to the Kendo Club - trying to peep from the hole in the wall in the Kendo Club's storage room.
Unfortunately, he couldn't have a look. That's because Matsuda and Motohama wouldn't get away from the hole. ' Seriously, those guys…'
Issei couldn't calm himself down when those two idiots said things like "Ohhh! Murayama seriously has big tits!" and "Ahhh, Katase sure has nice legs."
Damn them! He wanted to see the sight of heaven beyond these walls as well!
Murayama and Katase were third-year girls, who were among the top 10 most beautiful girls in the school. Apparently, they skipped a grade before coming to Kuoh Academy, so that was why they are the same age as them. They were smart, and sexy, and were the kendo club's captain and vice. Like, what could a man ask for more?
Nearly all of the male population of the school and some of the neighboring schoolboys as well have at one point or another confessed their undying love to at least one of the top 10 girls. Whether it be through speech or a love letter none were even close. Some rumors suggested that they all had someone in their heart, but it went further beyond by saying it was all the same guy.
He refused to believe such a claim! His heart would not be able to bear the possibility of there being an unknown guy already successful in his endeavor at gathering his own harem.
Wrrrr !
A sudden chill ran up his spine, like a slight sensation of danger, something inside me felt threatened. He looked around and saw nothing to bring up such a weird reaction. "Oooh, he didn't know Murayama wore such risque undergarments!" Motohama's voice broke him out of his thoughts.
' Probably nothing.'
He couldn't stay here for long, the boys wouldn't let him have a turn and Issei was pretty sure he heard the front doors of the club open, meaning someone was coming.
It wasn't until he was a distance away did he hear the painful screams of his friends, "Ahhhh! Issei, help!" Their cries were soon drowned by the sound of impacting shinais.
"So that pervert was here as well!?" Some of the girls' angered voices reached him, he sprinted as fast as he could, trying to escape the kendo girls who would beat me half to death if they caught his sorry ass.
He soon hid in the forest section of the school where the old abandoned school building was located. "Ha, ha, ha there was no way they could find me now." The boy didn't want to admit that he was out-of-shape, but the run definitely took a lot out of him.
WWRRRRRR !
"Oh shit, what the heck!?" This time the shiver became so strong that he felt like he was struck by lightning while standing under twice the gravity of earth. his face began sweating a lot and his hands couldn't stop shaking.
He scowled and looked around.
"-?"
At the corner of his eye, near the window of the abandoned building, someone was looking at me. From the dark shade and low light, he could not decipher this person's features but from the uniform, it was a boy.
' Isn't that the Occult Research Club?' Upon this discovery, he realized that whoever this boy was - had the privilege to visit the same club as the two great onee-sans! How envious!
He threw a glare at this person showing off by flaring nose to challenge him in some sort of way… before he hightailed and left the area because that feeling that stare gave was too creepy.
{ Break }
After school hours, he walked back to his house alone, thinking about who that person might have been. However, something really blissful happened to a guy like him, who would be doing all sorts of perverted stuff every day.
"Please go out with me."
A confession from a girl!
He felt what it was like to be a youth.
For a guy like him who didn't have a girlfriend, it was like a dream come true.
The name of his soon-to-be girlfriend was Amano Yuuma-chan. She was a girl with silky black hair and a slender body. Her innocent angelic face made his heart do somersaults in his chest. Her gentle nature just added more to her beauty, not to mention her huge oppais.
She was so cute that he fell in love with her at first sight.
Wouldn't anyone say "OK" right away if a beauty like her came up to you and said, "Hyoudou-kun! I-I love you! Please go out with me!"
Well, he certainly did, fuck the consequences of not knowing her, he now have all the time in the world as her boyfriend to do so.
That would be like something out of a dream for a guy like him whose age equaled the number of years he didn't have a girlfriend.
It wouldn't be weird if someone said, "What bishoujo game did you get that from?", but it seriously happened! He pinched himself a couple of times to make sure that he was awake.
A miracle certainly did occur! Issei got a confession from a girl. From a real and beautiful girl no less!
The brown haired boy actually thought it was a prank. He even thought several times that it was the result of a penalty game and that her friends were looking at us from elsewhere.
That couldn't be helped. Until now, he believed that he was a guy born to be unpopular with girls. To always be rejected by the opposite gender until he found that one special one or a few more.
But ever since that day, he became a guy with a girlfriend. The world around him changed, it became pink and so full of life. He didn't know how to explain it but his heart was at peace. He wanted to say "It's my win!" to every guy he walked past.
Issei started to feel sorry for his two buddies, Matsuda and Motohama, who didn't have any girlfriends. Their cries of betrayal and jealousy did not affect him negatively the least bit - quite the opposite in fact. That was how confident he became.
They decided to have their first date on the weekend, he sent her a schedule by message, ' I texted a girl!'
Issei was ready to use the plan that he had made a while back. Ever since middle school, he compiled a guidebook filled with every possible move, quotes, and location he could use for his date. "Eroge games don't fail me now!"
"Fufufu, I've brushed his teeth dozens of times since yesterday night." There was not a single place he missed. He ate an entire pack of mint gums and two bottles of Listerine, his mouth stung as all hell but he was too happy to care.
He even bought new pants, which his mom helped me to pick. She cried out of joy when he told her he had a date, stating that she always thought he would be nothing but a lone virgin loser… that hurt. But he still survived the hours of clothes shopping, you couldn't predict what would happen after all.
He arrived at the date spot with the attitude of a super virgin guy. With clothes that were drenched in deodorant, slight makeup on his face, courtesy of his mom, again. And his constant glance at the watch that belonged to his father.
Issei was a jittering mess.
He arrived at the meeting spot three hours before Yuuma-chan did. He counted up to a hundred girls who wore glasses walking past in front of him! Every one of them had some similar features to her, black hair and big boobs.
As he waited he accidentally bumped into someone. "Oh hey sorry about that!" Without even seeing who it was, he immediately apologized. But to his surprise he found that person being none other than that damn ikemen, Kiba Yuuto!
"Kiba!?" His senses were immediately on high alert, here he was on his date with a beautiful girl and then outta nowhere, the prince of Kuoh showed up. He couldn't allow him to stay here any longer or else… Yuuma-chan might…
"Oi, what are you doing here you damn prince!?" The boy put on his best threatening face to scare The Prince away, but it had little to no effect as his face continued smiling. Kiba reached for his pocket and gave me something.
"I heard you got a girlfriend? Congratulations. Take this as a token of good luck for your date." The blonde handed him a leaflet before leaving without giving him the chance to talk.
It was an advertisement of sorts with a weird black magic circle and a sentence - "Helping you to help yourself; Service Club." - was written on it.
Somehow he could feel the pretentiousness from the person who wrote this.
Wasn't that the popular club of which Aika was a member? Why would Kiba give it to him?… He wanted to throw it away, but he decided to put it in his pocket since he couldn't throw it away now. That would be littering.
After a bit more waiting Yuuma-chan finally arrived, he said this to her at first.
"Don't worry, he also just got here." Quote, #420 of his guidebook.
Bullseye! He was able to say it. Issei always wanted to say that!
Then we walked while holding hands 'Waaaaaa!', he was really touched. To have a date while holding hands with his beautiful girlfriend!
He was so moved that he was about to burst into tears.
Better not to rush things, it was not the time to panic yet.
After that, they enjoyed the date by going to a clothing store and having a look at decorations for our rooms.
For lunch, both ate at a family restaurant just like how a normal high school student would, and Yuuma-chan was eating her chocolate parfait deliciously. His stomach was full just by looking at her… but he was still kinda hungry for skipping breakfast so he ate a lot as well.
Yeah, Issei felt as if he understood how other teenagers felt when they went on a date. He felt as if he was alive for the first time. Like invisible wings on his back, floating in complete happiness.
' Mum, thanks for giving birth to me. Dad, he was worried that I wouldn't be able to continue our family line, but it looks like you don't have to worry about that anymore. Issei junior will soon fulfill his role.'
As he was thinking about all those sorts of things, it was already late afternoon. The sun was going down, leaving behind an orange-colored sky.
It was reaching the climax!
Kiss!? A kiss before going home!? His head got hyped just by thinking about that!
Oh, maybe they would go even further! Like being invited to the holy sanctuary of all girls; the bedroom!
That was what a horny male high school student like him constantly dreamt about for years.
They walked to the park that was away from the town. With no sign of people, and no one was here besides us. Thanks to that, his erotic imaginations built up. He should have read a book that taught you to do even more naughty stuff!
Yuuma-chan already let go of his hand and was standing before the fountain.
"It sure was fun today."
She smiled while having the fountain behind her.
'Kuu! Damn, she's cute.' The sunset behind her gave a good atmosphere. Almost like a holy halo which further enhanced her angelic nature.
"Hey, Ise-kun" She called out his name.
"What was it, Yuuma-chan?"
"There is something I want to do to celebrate our first date. Can you listen to his wish?"
Oh yeah. It was here! The moment he's been waiting for his whole life!
This was it! This must be it!
The smell of his breath! Checked! his mental preparedness! Hmm! his heart was beating so fast~!
"W-What is the w-wish you want?"
Aaaaagh. The tone of his voice was deep and he kept stuttering! She would find out that he was thinking of something idiotic! He made the dumbest mistake after coming this far…
But Yuuma-chan just smiled at me. Bless her innocent self, she didn't know what a degenerate like himself was thinking.
She then said it to him clearly.
"Will you die for me?"
"…?"
… Eh? What was that?
"… Eh? That is… huh, sorry, can you repeat that again? I think there's something wrong with his ears."
He must have heard it wrong.
That was what he thought. That must be it. So he asked her again.
But…
"Will you die for me?"
She clearly said it to me again. While laughing.
Her words didn't make any sense. The moment he was about to say "That's so funny, Yuuma-chan" with a smile…
FLAP
Black wings appear from her back.
She then started to flap her wings. The black feathers float in the air and then drop down to his feet.
What was that?
Eh? Certainly, Yuuma-chan was cute like an angel, but…
Angel? No, there was no way that could be true.
Was it some kind of acting?
His beautiful girlfriend was flapping her wings while the sun set behind her. It looks like a scene from a fantasy story or a movie.
But there was no way he could believe something like this.
Her cute-looking eyes changed into cold, narrow, scary eyes.
"It was fun. During the short time I spent with you. It was like playing house with a little child. It's not every day that I get to relax as such."
Yuuma-chan's voice sounded very cold. Her tone was like an adult's, far deeper and mature sounding. Her mouth formed a cold smile.
BUZZ
A sound much heavier than the noise that a game console makes vibrates in the air.
It was making a lot of buzzing noise and it appeared in her hands.
A red spear… one that looked like it was made of crimson light.
"-!"
The moment he felt a burning feeling in his pocket, the spear which was in Yuuma-chan's hand came high in the air ready to attack him.
In his panic, Issei tripped and fell to the ground. Footsteps closed in on me while he tried scurrying away.
Her voice reached his ears.
"Sorry. You are a threat to us, so we decided to get rid of you early. If you want to hold a grudge, then hate the God who put the Sacred Gear inside you."
Sacred, what…?
He couldn't even ask her a question while in a state of panic.
Were you serious…? Was he going to die at this age?
He hadn't even lived half of his life yet!
How could he laugh if he died because of getting stabbed by his girlfriend at this weird park!
Oh yeah, he wondered what was going to happen at school tomorrow?
Would Matsuda and Motohama be shocked? Would they cry for him? No way, not them…
Mum, Dad… he hadn't done anything to please them yet as their child…
Rather… it was not going to be funny if they found those porno magazines he was secretly hiding after his death… now that they would be surprised about them, to begin with.
He wasn't exactly hiding his true nature from the world after all.
Why the heck was he thinking of only these kinds of things with death so close by?
"Goodbye, Ise." She used Yuuma's voice before attacking. He closed his eyes not wanting to witness his own murder.
Psshht !
"Aaargh!" A painful scream sounded out in the park, but to his surprise, it wasn't his.
"What?" As he opened his eyes, he came to witness a horrifying sight of Yuuma's hands and knees pierced by many tentacles looking whips with spearheads. Her blood drenched his face and hands, covering them in a crimson color, while He tried to make sense of reality.
A dark purple magical circle formed beside me, where a young-looking boy came out with a slouched back with his hands in his pockets, his appearance obscured in shadows.
"Wh-who, argh… ar-are you!?" Yuuma spoke with a strained voice struggling with her wounds. She couldn't even move with her limbs literally being pieced to the ground. "Don't you know wh-who you are dealing wi-!?"
She stopped as her gaze turned from angry to recognition and then to fear.
No answer came from that person, he just ignored her, who was trembling in her restraints, far from the cocky woman from before, and looked at me.
"Hey there Issei, got yourself in a bit of trouble haven't ya?"
He knew him, a third-year senpai - The black prince of Kuoh.
Hikigaya Hachiman.
If he was going to die, why was the last thing he got to see was this dead fish-eye handsome senpai? Why not a beautiful woman with huge oppais?
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 3 other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post monthly commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.
Hidden from view
Hiiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Edit 1: For some reason the asterisk in Fanfiction always get deleted, so I had to correct a few words. If anyone is aware how to fix this issue pls pm me. My *sigh* become sigh, so frustrating.
This one was suppose to be release the next day after chapter 24, to tie those two up. But after reading through some of the complains about the many changes in POV, I had to rewrite 25 to 27, all day.
Honestly I think it's way better than before, the original version I was about to post before merely had 4k words this one is 6k !
Also thank you to my new patrons! Robert Andrew, Joseph, Mick, Sardine Power, Ruben La Fuente, Luis Zepeda and Arekcen.
Chapter 26, 27 and soon to be released 28 (in 24h) are already available on my P treon. /NimtheWriter
That's all!
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya and Solitary heart.
- Third POV -
"Queen to H8."
In the Occult Research Club, another chess match was taking place.
"Knight to G6, checkmate."
Unlike the previous matches two years before, this one ended in barely 10 minutes, which showed the vast gap that formed between the two players.
"…* sigh * I can't beat you in chess anymore, Hachiman." Said Rias, slumping in her chair in defeat.
Honestly, she was tired of trying to beat him. If this was two years before, her chances of winning would have been quite high, guaranteed even. The boy was a logical thinker, that alone made him a difficult opponent to defeat in the game. Now coupled with his ridiculous learning capabilities, victory was but a farfetched dream at this point.
"Can Sona even win a match against you?" Aside from herself, the heir of the Sitri house was probably the only person she could think of that had the glimmer of a chance to defeat him.
"Don't know, ever since we got locked in a standstill, she has been doing everything to avoid me playing another game. Whether it be if I visited the student council room, she would always take me somewhere else, to a mission, school inspections, and even tried to hide the chessboard from me." Her eyes widened in realisation. Oh right, she had completely forgotten about that rule Sona put together against her suitors; that she would marry anyone who wins over her in a game of chess
"At first I did not care much, but her reaction just makes me want to see what happens if I beat her in a game of -"
"No! You can't!" She was already losing against Akeno, Rias did not want to compete against Sona as well!
"Wha-what?"
Hachiman was caught off guard by Rias's sudden aggressive reply. He was even more unprepared when the girl with a frown on her face came to his chair and sat on his lap facing him. Her breast squished against his chest and her aroma invaded his nose. Their heads were just inches apart, her eyes still intensely staring at him.
"You listen to her, mister, it's fine for you to play chess with Sona, but don't you ever think of beating her in a match, get it!" Rias drove her point further by poking his chest continuously.
"O-Okay?" Said Hachiman, stuttering a bit from confusion. "Can I at least ask why?"
"We-well, it's because Sona set some rules on what would happen if someone beat her in chess. Trust me you wouldn't want to be the one." Rias tried to find the proper words to explain the situation to Hachiman. Sona had asked her to not make this matter known to people outside the devil circle. Of course, Hachiman was on their side, but then again a promise is a promise. If Sona herself hadn't revealed anything to him, so why should she?
A part of Rias just wanted to forget about the promise and just tell the truth to Hachiman, but that would be betraying the trust of her childhood friend.
"You know what? Forget it." Hachiman just sighed before picking up Rias in a bridal carry, earning a small yelp from the girl with a blushing red face, her arms unconsciously circled his neck as she gazed at him with a lost look… before dumping her unceremoniously on the couch. "Kya!"
He then walked to the windows and noticed a familiar face, hiding in the bushes outside the building. "By the way, do you know that boy's name?" He asked Rias who sported a cute pout.
He just couldn't stop messing with her.
"Oh him? I sent Akeno and Koneko to do some research on him, his name is Hyoudou Issei. A second-year student, who just entered the school this year, he along with his two other friends are quite infamous for their perverted nature and peeking at the kendo girls. Despite getting beaten several times they still have not backed down." According to Koneko, the boy had a slight scent of a dragon lingering around him. A dragon-based sacred gear most likely. "Fufufu, apparently Sona has been getting quite the headache dealing with them, she tried many times to expel them but was rejected on her demands."
"By who?" Wondered Hachiman.
"By me of course, we co-own the school, so she can't make a decision without my explicit consent." The Gremory and Sitri had to work together to manage this land, including taking care of matters related to the academy. "And there is no way she would ask for help from Serafall-sama." She still remembered that frustration etched on Sona's face, she tried everything in her power to hide her smirk and satisfaction from that situation. Sona was a prideful girl, Rias just knew there was no chance of her asking one of the Maou's for assistance on this matter.
Checkmate for Rias.
Akeno really was a bad influence on her.
Concerning the matters with Hyoudou Issei and his ragtag perverted group, even if he didn't possess a sacred gear, she still wouldn't have agreed with Sona to expel them. Their actions were quite fun to watch and not harmful to anyone. Basically, she didn't see a problem with their behavior.
"Humph, well I shouldn't be surprised by your decision, his perverted actions pale in comparison to you and Akeno." Said Hachiman with a smirk. He pinched her cheeks to her utmost embarrassment pulling them like she was a plushie!
"Jeez, stop doing that!" She smacked his hands away playfully, her heart skipping beats from his touch. "By the way, what are your plans for this weekend?" Their relationships had gone well these last few years, they joked around, trained together, and spent generally a lot of time together.
They were very close friends right now, she just needed to push it a little further for it to become something more. But then her mood plummeted with his following words.
"I plan to go on that promised date with Akeno, she has been bugging me for another one for quite a while." He complained but the smile said otherwise. "Honestly, she can be such a spoiled brat sometimes."
"Yeah… you both are now officially a couple…" Even if she knew it was only a matter of time, her heart couldn't help but grow jealous of them. "While I still have to deal with him…" Her problem still lay ahead for her to face.
"Rias," Hachiman saw her depressed face and chose to comfort her by rubbing her hair. "Remember what I said to you long ago back in my house? Share some of your burdens, I will always be here to help you no matter the case." There he was being all sweet and considerate, again. It just made her feel worse knowing that he belonged to Akeno instead of her.
"I know." Even if Hachiman and her Queen were a couple, it didn't mean she would give up. She was greedy, she had long accepted her nature, so she would show it to him why she deserved him as well. "But I also want to show you that I'm capable of handling my problems." And she would prove herself by defeating Rizer on her own.
These last few years, to her immense opposing opinion, she asked for her brother's help on her training. She didn't have a choice on this matter as Akeno had long since surpassed her in all aspects. A king shouldn't let their servants do all the heavy lifting.
Her brother nearly fainted from joy that day, he couldn't stop crying on how his Ria-tan finally came back to onii-chan. Hurgh! She felt like digging herself a hole to hide in for all eternity when her brother does that.
At least Hachiman wasn't there or else she would have died inside from embarrassment.
Rias went a step further and requested Shuri-san for help in meditation and magic control, her queen's mother gladly accepted. She has changed much during her time in the Gremory Castle, Her mother and Shuri-san became nearly inseparable, they would always be together, do everything together like two long-lost sisters. According to her brother, even her father felt all alone these past few months."You are a difficult girl to handle, Rias." Hachiman sighed exasperatedly while scratching his head.
"I know, but it was you who taught me how to handle my problems by myself haven't you, Service Club president?" Rias said cheekily, making fun of Hachiman's habit of teaching people how to solve their problems
The Service Club got quite popular, if anyone had any kind of problems or was going through some depressing moments, they knew who to look for. Another thing that made the club so popular was how difficult it was to become a member, to join in.
Hachiman was especially harsh on people who tried to apply, he showed little to no mercy. Until now only a single person got accepted in; Kiryuu Aika.
This of course surprised everyone as the girl was infamous for her extreme perverted nature on par with the trio. Nobody knew why Hachiman accepted her, not even Rias herself. He never gave anyone an explanation, only telling everyone to trust her.
"Hehehe, I guess I did." He left it up to her to make her own decisions in life. If she thought herself capable enough to handle her problems, then he wouldn't interfere. She has grown a lot compared to her past lazy and selfish self.
"Anyways, I must be going, got to make some preparations for the date." He remembered that he had some plans for his date with Akeno. Hachiman wanted to make sure everything was perfect. So he bid his goodbyes and left the room.
Rias stared at his back before it disappeared behind the doors, she wondered… if things had gone differently… would she be the one in Akeno's place?
"Hachiman…" She contemplated the question of 'What if…' in her head countless times. All alone in her club dyed in orange light by the setting sun.
{ Break }…
- Hachiman POV-
That was awkward.
I wasn't blind to Rias's affection, she never tried to hide it these past few years. Even if she backed down a bit after Akeno and I announced our official relationship, there were moments where I could see that look in her eyes once more.
I wasn't trying to be a jerk by ignoring this issue, but I just came to terms with Akeno. This was new territory for me, even with my decades of experience in life, I was but a newbie when it came to the matters of the heart between couples. I don't want to ruin what I had with Akeno, instead, I am trying to find a solution to this problem.
I knew Rias, she wouldn't give up.
And I knew Akeno, she wouldn't let go.
You might think why not accept them both? Well slow down there buddy, I ain't your generic harem king protagonist who could pull any impossible scenario out of his ass.
I'm not even sure if they'll even want to be in a harem… but then again this world is weird, so it might work… Wait! Am I trying to make it work!?
Man, I've changed way too much from my past self.
*Ding~ *
My phone rang as I received a message from someone. It was Aika who texted me, the message saying to meet her over the clubroom. ' Weren't we done for the day?'
Not wanting to keep that girl of all people waiting, I just head towards the clubroom building. On my way, many people came to offer their greetings and thanks for our club helping them out.
"Good evening, Hikigaya-senpai!"
"Hey Hikigaya, thanks for the help the other day!"
"I made you some cookies, senpai!"
Just why did they never show such behaviour with Rias or Akeno? Every time those two walked around the hall, everyone made way for them like the red sea. While in my case they ambush me like a herd of buffalos. Made my five minutes journey turn into half an hour!
All in all, groups after groups of people made their way to me, with every girl that I passed by, at least one of them would hand me a small gift. Somehow, someone spread rumours about how much I liked coffee which was… not false, but I preferred SUPER coffee.
Anyways, nearly all of my gifts were treats or pastries the girls baked, all made with coffee beans or just ground up coffee. I was grateful to them but the amount I kept accumulating made it impossible for me to consume all of them without dying from caffeine overdose.
' Aika will suffer with me .'
As I reached the door of the Service Club, I couldn't help but stop for a second and marvel at how far this club came from my first year in Kuoh to my third year in the present.
The first time Sona showed me the room back then, the door was your regular old boring grey colour blank piece of wood. But now, it was filled with notes of kinds from past ' customers ' all giving us their blessing and thanks.
Our slogan proudly written on a wooden board.
- Helping us to help you; Service Club-
Other parts had drawings of me or Aika made with super realistic details, drawn by the art club for the time we helped them publish their artworks in a museum. Conveniently owned by Azazel no less. ' Why the hell does he own one anyway? I'll ask Kala when I get the chance.'
As I opened the door, I was greeted by the sight of Kiryuu Aika, the infamous queen of degeneracy, sitting cross-legged on the table, and giving me a view of her black lace panties. I felt fed up at the everyday lewd sight and quickly looked at the perverted woman in the eyes. She was smirking, licking her lips trying to get me to react. She saw where I was looking and I just gave her an eye roll.
She wears pink framed spectacles, has gold-coloured eyes that seem to glitter when she causes mischief, and slightly messy brunette hair tied into braids on each side with black ribbons. She had a modest figure that fit comfortably in her school uniform. She wasn't as fully mature as the other women in my life, but she did have her own cute charms that made her attractive.
Better not let her know I thought that or else she might go a mile with it.
When I say she is the queen of all things perverted I really mean that even after knowing Akeno.
Unbelievable, I know.
Those two must never hang out, or else I fear for my sanity…
… and my chasity.
"Hey there buchou, I see your cock is still as big as ever. Have you found a poor girl to break with that monster yet?" She started to uncross her legs and started to spread them open bit by bit, giving anyone who can see a view of her forbidden garden, "If not, I don't mind giving you a hand… or both in this case. I'll promise to treat you gently if you return the favor. Its my first time, Kukuku~"
She was an evil temptress who likes to tease me every chance she gets.
My eyes stared lazily on her own hungry ones that were tempting me to look, but I'd been dealing with her for long enough to manage.
Stay strong Hachiman.
I've dealt with Kala and Akeno, she is not on their level… yet.
Fuch this world.
*Inhale *
*Exhale *
I could hear my headache approaching, which is supposed to be impossible, but not with this thirsty girl around.
Yeah, I wasn't joking when I said she is a bigger pervert than Akeno. She didn't hesitate to give lewd advice to people, mock some of the boy's sizes and even grope girl's breasts or proposition me every chance she gets. I wonder why she wasn't classified as the 4th member of the trio.
No one was safe around her.
"My eyes are up here, Aika." I would prefer you leave my Hachiman Jr alone you thirsty temptress. "So I'm here, what did you need me for?" I sat down on my seat while sharing some of my ' loots ' with Aika. As a general rule of thumb in this club, if I have to torture myself by eating mountains of snacks, you're joining in as well.
She cringed at the sight of cookies and cakes, and jumped off the table, her temptress persona gone for the moment, and grabbed herself a seat next to me, "Coffee again!? We've been having the same thing for months!" She hesitantly took a bite out of one of those pastries and gagged a bit at the taste.
"Hurg, I hate these… never going to a bakery again in my life."
She used to love these in the beginning, but I believe eating the same thing every day in large amounts would make anyone sick of it.
"I'm gonna hurl if I take another bite, why don't we just throw them away?" Aika suggested as she threw the pastry back in it's container.
"No," I denied, shutting down that notion. "They were handmade, the girls put effort into making them the best they could, so the least we can do is eat them," I said as I ate a coffee cake.
I could barely taste anything.
My taste buds, having died for the last two years.
Maybe I should find a way to get rid of these without throwing them away. Maybe donate them to a soup kitchen?
I gave them to Koneko after a few months of constant sweets, making her more happy then I have ever seen her but Rias said that I should stop spoiling her and that I was going to make her fat from all the sweets.
Koneko wouldn't talk to Rias for weeks, until she let her have some but only once a month.
Sadly, I already gave her some this month.
"Those girls are too horny for you, buchou. Who knows, maybe some of these cakes might even have their love juices as a secret ingredient, to giving it that extra sweet taste." She added with a small smirk.
"Hurk!" Now it was my turn to gag, my brain visualising the scene and forcing me to spit out the food. "Aika! What the hell?! Do I need to get the spray bottle again!?"
"So you wanna get me wet? I'm glad that your finally returning my feelings buchou, I hope your good at eating p, Kukuku~"
I let out a groan, and was ready to go get the bottle.
"Hahahaha! I'm just joking, just joking. Still, I called you here cause I need your help."
I began to clean up the mess from Aika's little prank, no longer in the mood to eat another piece, "With what?"
{ Break }
-Outside-
A cat in a tree
"Of all things, a cat in a tree. Talk about cliche. Why is there a pet here anyway? Isn't that against the rule?" I said to myself as I was joined by Aika and Mono Hanakai, a former human and the newest bishop of Sona's peerage.
A white haired girl, who just like the rest of the girls in this reality had the body of a supermodel.
Seriously, what the hell is up with women in this world? Is overattractness the standard here?
"Hehe, well… the cat isn't really my pet." Momo said embarrassingly, not looking me in the eyes, "I found it near the school gates a few weeks ago and decided to feed it regularly. Unfortunately, it got too comfortable and decided to venture near the clubroom dorm, something scared it and now it's stuck on the tree." Her eyes were locked on me with an accusatory stare.
Oi, don't blame me for your faults woman, the rules exist for a reason, I can't help if the cat sensed something disturbing. "Aren't you a member of the council, I wonder what would Sona say if she learned about this."
' And also, why didn't she just fly towards it? Maybe it must be because of the present students.'
Her face grew pale with horror plastered in her expression, "Please don't tell Kaichou anything, Hikigaya-kun! I'll do anything!" She rocked me back and forward while grasping my collar, pleading with me with tearful eyes.
By my side Aika had her perverted smile, eyeing the both of us in amusement. "Hehe, anything? Why don't we get a room and-"
*Squirt *
"Aika!" I gave the girl a well-deserved spray to the face to curb her desires. She gave me a hiss like an angry cat while hiding behind the tree, "Look here Momo, I'm willing to keep my mouth shut on only one condition."
"… Is it a kis-"
*Squirt *
"Hiss!"
I gave this one another spray as well. Seriously, where did she even get that idea from?
I'm gonna run out of water at this rate.
"That's mean, Hikigaya-kun! Gentlemen shouldn't be getting woman wet in public!" She said with a cute pout, not caring at her words can be misconstrued in the wrong.
"Oi! Phrasing, and I only do it to keep her in line, and not terrorize the female populace. And did you forget I have a girlfriend?"
"I'm sure Himejima-senpai would be angry with you on how you treat woman"
She still hasn't met the real Akeno, since she was able to say that with a straight face.
"Tell that to her then." Our conversation divulged into a series of back and forth. What I've found about Momo is that she can be a calm, serious person at times but also a hard-headed stubborn person the next.
"If you two are done down there, can ya help me out?"
We immediately stopped our small argument and looked up to see Aika somehow having climbed the tree all the way to the top and with the cat secured in her arms.
"Aika!"
"Kiryuu-san!"
Both Momo and I panicked as we feared that she might fall from losing her balance. "How did you even get up there, Aika?"
"Well, I'm quite good at mounting hard stuff." She said, her innuendo so plain to see, as she stared me straight in the eye, "How's the view down there, buchou~?"
"Be serious! You might get hurt, wait up there and I'll try to get you down!" With my strength this is not a problem, I'll just have to be careful abou-
"No need, just catch me!"
"What!?" She tilted sideways and began falling from the tree. Time slowed down, I let my senses work a thousand miles a second, taking into account the best way to catch her without hurting her or the cat.
I ran forward, sliding downwards as I allowed my body to act as a cushion for her to land on. "Oof" She fell butt first on my stomach, my back hitting the ground with a loud thud.
"Hurgh…"
This girl is chaotic to her core.
"Well buchou, it seems that I'm the one who is on top of our relationship." Glad to hear she's fine.
"Mind getting off?"
"Not in public, bucho~. Save it for the clubroom~."
*Sigh * Here comes the migraines.
{ Break }
As we saw Momo take the cat away to a local shelter, the animal kept hissing at me constantly. I don't blame it, honestly. Animals could sense things beyond humans.
That or maybe because of my fish eyes. Who knows…
I made Momo promise to me to keep Genshirou Saji at a distance. To my horror, the man was actually a Vritra sacred gear holder and the events from the past led me to avoid him like the plague.
I even heard from Sona that the boy kept having regular headaches and chest pain since she turned him into a devil. His gear had awakened but his compatibility would never surpass mine. Which would only lead to one outcome…
' I'll need to talk with Azazel.'
"That was quite stupid of you, Aika. What if I couldn't catch you in time?" I decided to take this opportunity to reprimand her actions. "You could have seriously been hurt, a broken bone, a concussion, do you realise how grave those injuries are?"
"Oh lighten up, honey! I trust you to not let me get hurt. After all, we're partners!"
"… partners?"
"Yeah, we always got each other's back and stuff."
Always having each other's back… Partners…
… Partner…
… Vritra… when will you wake up?
I…
… can't keep this up for long.
"Buchou?" I felt a gentle tap from Aika, waking me up from my daze-like state. She gave a concerned look which I rarely see from her. "Are you feeling okay? I didn't hurt you, did I?"
No, "Yeah, I'm fine… I was just lost in my thoughts."
I tried reassuring her but was only met with a skeptical look. Nothing gets past her.
"I'll be going, for now, see ya."
I quickly left the scene, not wanting to let my emotions build up once more, leaving a worried Aika. I didn't notice the worried gaze she was giving me or the hand that was reaching out to me.
{ Break }
As I walked out of the school gates, making my way to the bridge nearby. I couldn't stop touching my chest where my heart was.
Even after two years… I still haven't got an answer from him, not even a pulse.
I had no one to blame but myself for his state.
The constant silence in my head made me feel so lost at times.
*Wshhh!*
As I continued to wander in my thoughts, a sudden chill went up to my spine, not like a dangerous feeling or anything, rather something foreign, nearby.
'A Fallen ?'
"Well, well, well, isn't that a Fallen in disguise?" To my surprise, I caught a disguised Fallen 'confessing' to none other than Issei. What I found funny was her barely hidden killing intent. "Seems like Hyoudou isn't even seeing the irony of a random girl asking him out of the blue despite his reputation. Guess that's how a hormonal teenager will react with a beautiful girl."
Seriously, how can you be that blind? I guess living your whole life in solitude would do that to anyone.
' She looks like Akeno with her hair down like that.' I wouldn't be surprised if they were distantly related or something… but then again Baraquiel supposedly never had any child before meeting Shuri-san.
But it's not her resemblance to Akeno that intrigued me, it's her presence here in Kuoh.
Not to say they weren't welcomed, working together with Azazel has strengthened the relationship between the Devils and the Fallens and we even have some fallen residents at this point.
' Why is Azazel's little patrol group leader here?' Raynare, I think that's her name. I've seen her before in pictures from Kalawarna's phone. From her stories, she is quite the arrogant type with a huge crush on her governor.
After Kalawarna left her post due to her being reassigned somewhere else, she had been informed that Raynare and her group were sent somewhere in Italy.
Which begs the question.
Why is she here?
*Ring*
*Ring*
I felt my pocket vibrate with that same ringtone I kept for two years. To my surprise, the caller was none other than Kalawarna.
' Think of the Fallen and she shall appear.'
And once again, she somehow changed the photo. It was a photo of her blowing a kiss at me
No matter how many times I changed her caller ID, it's always changed to something teasing and downright provocative.
I'm pretty sure Azazel is helping her out.
I accepted the call, "I hope this is about this Amano Yuuma girl that I happened to encounter, Kala." I needed answers.
"Why hello there darling! It's been a while since we last talked, won't you remind your secretary how much you've missed her? Do you want to see the new swimsuit that I'm wearing~?" Remember when I mentioned that she was reassigned? Well, Azazel thought it was a good idea to have someone like an assistant helping me out with my daily affairs of the supernatural world.
And of course, he chose her.
' Fuck you Azazel.'
"Alright, alright, how are you, Kala? Are you doing well? Hope you find that vacation I paid for you in Hawaii enjoyable, would be a shame if it were to be cut off." Hey, I wasn't in the mood to joke around. So understand when I say I really didn't have time for this.
"Oho, is that anger I hear in your voice? I like it! Showing me how dominant you can get, really gets my motor running darling~." And there she goes again. "To answer your question, yes this is about Raynare. I contacted Azazel-sama to know more on this matter, and what do you know, she and her group were sent to Kuoh for a scouting mission. He told me that both of the heiresses had approved of it.
"Oh? Then it's all good I guess, except for that clearly visible killing intent showing off in her eyes! Honestly, if looks could kill…"
This obviously surprised Kalawarna, "What? She was ordered to only spy her target from afar and to never take any hostile actions for he might become a possible ally of ours!"
Is that the stench of hidden political plots I smell in the air? Yes, it is. For someone like Raynare to disobey Azazel so openly either meant she did it on her own accord or got the support of someone else to do so.
"I'll look into it, in the meantime update Azazel on this matter right now."
"Got it, darling. I'll send you a picture of my new swimsuit when this is over. Should really get your blood pumping"
Cheeky woman.
Doing my best to ignore the mental image of the type of swimsuit Kala would wear, I guess I'll have to postpone my preparations for the date.
I am not looking forward to Akeno's ' punishment '.
I dialed another number, a simple task that anyone can accomplish, especially him.
"Hey Kiba, remember that leaflet I gave you?"
"Yes, Is there a problem?"
Before I could explain to him the situation, I got a new text message.
"Hold for a moment."
I saw that it was a text from Kala.
'Enjoy~ 3'
Before I realized the meaning behind the text, another one came through..
*Drip *
"Gah!"
"Hachiman-kun!?"
DAMN THAT CHEEKY WOMAN!
{ Break }
Damn, I felt like a creepy stalker following them around.
I required no sketchy disguises like a black hoodie with sunglasses to hide my identity, simple magic was enough.
With my current powers, someone as weak as Raynare had no hope of sensing me.
I walked alongside them for the whole day, I even sat at the same table and ate Issei's parfait. ' Kinda skipped breakfast this morning.'
Their confused faces did make me laugh a bit.
If I was visible, this would have been like a three-way date.
When we reached the park, I got a flashback from my fight against Vali. 'I wonder if the current me can hold a fight against that prick.'
This place was a magnet for trouble. I wonder if there is a cursed object buried somewhere? Anyways, I didn't miss the growing killing intent from Raynare, someone as clueless as Issei wouldn't ever figure it out.
"Hey, Ise-kun" She called out his name.
That is when I knew it was time.
Her entire appearance changed, black wings on her back, her frilled clothes replaced by dominatrix leather straps clothing that dug deep into her breast. Even her face seemed to grow a few years older.
But seriously, what the hell is up with this woman's outfit? Have some darn decency woman! Or at least some common sense!
Honestly…
The moment Issei started panicking, that teleportation leaflet I gave him began glowing. "Let's see if it works."
Unlike the devils I couldn't just teleport wherever I wanted, not because it was impossible but rather the method required was too difficult too learn. So I just had to resort to basics and place small teleportation anchors all over Kuoh, the pamphlet being one of them. I had originally planned for Kiba to test it out and summon me, but this works too.
For beings weaker than me, I could easily teleport them wherever I wanted in a certain radius but not myself, unfortunately.
And also becaus I had developed a thing for cool entrances, bite me.
As my body was halfway teleported, I willed some tentacles like whips to bust out from the ground and pierce Raynare's hands and knees, sending blood everywhere, ruthlessly entangling her.
I may have gone too far, as I first intended to just capture her without any injuries but the scene of her about to pierce Issei in the stomach brought up some bad memories.
My sacred gear formed around me, lacking Vritra's iconic voice.
"Hey there Issei, got yourself in a bit of trouble haven't ya?"
The Black Dragon King has finally made his appearance.
Some of you may still have unanswered questions, be patient everything will be answered with the upcoming chapters.
Next chapter is heavy.
Guilt
Hiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Good news! My beta readers and I have worked for days to correct the previous chapters from 1-9.
-We corrects some grammar and sentence errors.
-Found parts where the POV was wrong (ex: third person Hachiman) and changed it to 1st person.
-Changed the format and corrected the asteriks error.
-Added new lines and content, some chapters got 300 words added to them and so on.
-We will continue to work on them and the upcoming chapters as well so dont worry.
-Corrected the part where its mentioned that Baraqiel is a seraph, no he's a cadre level being.
Like seriously, how could i have missed so many bs errors!?
Anyways next thing, after posting this i will be working on my other fic, The legendary Saiyan in a fairy's world. Havent updated for a long time.
Warning: This chapter can get dark as it deals with the aftermath with Hachimans void incident so he is a bit shaken up.
Also go a new beta reader! Everyone say hi to 8kagi!
Also chapter 27, 28 and 29 already available on my p@treon at /NimtheWriter
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi.
The soul is an interesting concept; according to Father's teachings, the soul is said to be the only thing that would remain after the corporeal bodies of humankind return to ashes, and thus only their soul remains-immortal, undying. Some would say that it is the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being, animal, and any supernatural species, while others would say it's the emotional or intellectual energy, especially as revealed in a work of art or an artistic performance.
Depending on the context it could mean different things. But what about the soul that acted as the anchor for us to remain alive? When we die, do we remain immortalized forever in our respective pantheons' afterlife?
Well, that's a yes and a no.
For example, Hades, the god of the underworld, guards the souls of the damned with an iron fist, never to let a single one escape his domain, forever doomed to live out their eternity in the darkness of the underworld. Some depicted him as cruel while others painted him as a neutral entity, for his role was to judge the dead impartially.
As for the system created by Father, the souls are spilled in the river of reincarnation waiting for their turn to be reborn. Heaven is not what it once was; it's former splendor faded away with the absence of the Father, and as such, some things were in dire need of change to accommodate this.
In the end, all of this was the journey the soul has to take after death.
I guess what I'm trying to make you consider is this; What makes a soul?
Some imagine it like a droplet of water, which can be divided into infinite portions, while at the same time can be puddled together indefinitely until it becomes an ocean. But unfortunately, that is not the case for most living beings.
It is akin to an infinite puzzle, with each piece showing off a part of the picture with undefined parameters. Every single one of them plays a crucial role and, as such, can't be replaced-for there could never be two of the same piece.
At least, that's what I have gathered with my research.
Now what would happen if a soul is reunited with a small part of it, then it would become whole once again. But what if, there were hundreds of the same pieces of soul, how would the original fuse with them all, without killing itself?
Only one being knew the answer, and unfortunately, he had gone silent for the last two years.
- Azazel's research notes on 'Introduction of the Soul'.
{ Break }
- Hachiman POV-
I have always hated killing others, and I despise it even more now.
Not because I thought no one deserved death, rather I hated taking away their lives with my own hands. I had already taken enough as it is.
I could not remember what happened after I let Vritra take control, I could not even ask him for he had gone silent in a deep slumber once again. Never to respond, never to joke around with me.
I tried everything to wake him up; my sacred gear still worked and I retained my large power boost, but I just feel so hollow without him. He was not just a friend, but a part of me who I nearly lost due to my own hubris. This worsened when I learned what happened in Paris.
Over a hundred and five thousand, that is the number of people who died that night for my mistake. All vanished, turned into nothing, no evidence of their existence, nothing to return to their loved ones, nothing to let them know what happened to them at the very end. The Devils, Fallens, and Vampires did their best to erase the existence of most humans-reducing the official number of deaths to a few thousand. And to further hide the truth from the general populace, the incident will be blamed on an unfortunate sinkhole that had formed under the city.
Many didn't believe the story-blaming the cause of part of the city's destruction to some terrorist attack while others argued it was an attack from enemy nations. But they all got shut down rather quickly and within a few days, there were no more protests in the streets anymore.
This just made me feel worse.
At this point, you wouldn't be wrong to say that I would go down in history as one of the most prolific killers to have walked this planet, literally drowning in a sea of blood. The worst dictators in history never directly killed so many people by themselves-they only ordered their own army to do their bidding, unlike me. If humanity learned of my actions, they would certainly demand my head on a stake or lock me away somewhere for the rest of my life, and I wouldn't blame them.
Due to my actions, I was held in a prison-like dungeon by the Vampires, as they feared that I might lose control once again. At that time they had confiscated all of my possessions, so calling Rias or even Sona for help was currently not an option. I honestly can't imagine what kind of emotions are raging within them with my sudden silence, along with the news of the tragedy here in Paris.
I was thankful that Azazel made sure to inform them that I was still alive. Something that I am still grateful for to him to this day, knowing Rias, she would have recklessly called her older brother for help and it would have caused another needless major political issue.
So I had remained in my cell, all alone, with no one to talk to for days or weeks at a time. The guards hated me, and as such, even the slightest movement would make them twitch-ready to strike me at the slightest sign of losing control
I remembered having thoughts of just killing myself for weeks, wanting to atone for my sins, and I did try. Some of the Vampire guards were nicer than I thought, once they even tried to help out by giving me a dagger.
Yet when I held the blade's pointed tip near my neck, I felt this uncanny amount of dread take hold of me. I suddenly couldn't gather the strength to push it any further.
I was scared of dying and still am to this day.
A genuine instinct for a living being.
In those small fractions of moments, the value of my life exceeded those of a hundred thousand people; my instincts were at war against my consciousness. I stayed in that position for days, the dagger not leaving my grip, the closer I came to gather enough strength, the harder the wall became.
I couldn't do it.
I hated myself, that was one of my weakest moments to date, I cried and cried for days on end. Not even my reincarnation in this world made me feel so depressed.
All alone without Vritra by my side to help me process all of this became too much and the weight of my guilt crushed me. My brain was in constant turmoil throughout the days, which turned into weeks and months. Only one thing made me hold onto sanity; my dreams.
Every night, I would dream about Vritra, living his life, waging war against gods and dragons, crushing all those who opposed him. Just like he once told me, the madness ran deep in his past self, there was no goal behind any of his actions besides the desire to destroy everything around him.
They became my only source of comfort, hearing Vritra's voice in my dreams almost made it feel like we were talking once more. I knew I was desperate but it really did help.
Slowly with time, I stopped thinking of them as Vritra's dreams and began viewing them as more of my own. Not by choice but rather the dreams themselves changed from me seeing Vritra from the outside to literally becoming him.
And during those times, I felt something change within me. Slowly, gradually changing, yet I can feel it vividly.
Over time, my heart strangely became at peace with what I've done. My crime remained heinous-I knew this and everyone else knew this-and yet a part of me remained calm like it was something that should be considered normal.
With each passing dream, this effect grew stronger and stronger to the point my eyes no longer looked lost and empty. They had regained a slight shine to them whenever I would look at my reflection in the water bowl.
The depression and despair that stewed in my mind became subdued, my desire to die-though they still existed-wasn't as bad as before.
These changes got more noticeable to me.
I didn't feel like myself, at all.
Something had changed within me, something I am not sure how to feel about.
Like an invisible hand forcibly suppressing my dark thoughts, almost like a warm blanket wrapped around me in the middle of a cold storm. It reinvigorated me beyond anything in the past, and to my growing horror, I realized that the death of so many people began feeling trivial to me-more of an inconvenience, than a sin.
' This isn't normal! I don't want this to happen! I shouldn't forgive myself!'
I hung onto those words like a lifeline-repeating it to myself constantly and endlessly to keep me grounded to reality, to remind me of my sins. My previously bad state of health due to the lack of nutrients that had once made my body only skin and bones, was returning back to normal. I regained my muscles, my injuries all healed up in a matter of hours not even leaving behind any traces. The only exception being my chest which still looked horrifying and the slight scar in my abdomen.
Slowly but surely, I felt more powerful as time went on, my strength growing, my magical reserves expanding and for a brief moment-unbeknownst to me at that time-my eyes turned slitted with a violet glow before returning to normal.
I was sure that I'm still human, I never doubted that. Even now Azazel kept reassuring me that I wasn't something else-that I wasn't something else.
I'd like to imagine that it was Vritra's doing. Heh, that damn snake, even when he wasn't there, he found a way to help me out, to protect me from others… and even myself.
As a philosopher once said: "He has no worse enemy than himself."
Baraqiel had come to bail me out eventually, he had paid a heavy price for my release. I didn't want to leave at first, a monster like me didn't deserve freedom, yet he did not listen and forcefully dragged me out. He never stopped apologizing along the way, his hands shaking in self-hatred, feeling responsible for my actions.
It was when he brought me back to Kuoh where things took a turn for the worse.
- (Flashback) -
( About two years ago, after being released.)
My head felt all hazy.
After my release from the Vampire's dungeon, Baraqiel didn't waste any time and brought me to Kuoh. Everything felt like a blur, the events passing by too fast for me to notice.
' I really missed Kuoh…'
All I could see was the colour white, everywhere. It was snowing. The town was covered in a blanket of white snow and ice. The sky, dark from the heavy clouds, was raining crystallized water as it fell gently to the ground, making the scene beautiful and captivating to many onlookers.
Too bad that all I could feel right now is emptiness.
Baraqiel landed on the rooftop of the school, his boots crunching the snow on the floor, before gently flaring his power, as a way to notify the rest of his arrival.
It melted everything around him, though there was no heat, the power of a Ten-Winged Angel-although fallen, was definitely not a joke even at its smallest display of power. The aura that he exuded felt just like Akeno's, quite expected since she inherited his powers.
Not long after that, two different magic circles formed on the ground, one crimson red and the other a deep blue. Both sigils represent the house of Gremory and Sitri respectively. It seemed like everyone decided to come, all of them clad in their combat gear. Akeno in her miko outfit, Kiba with his swords, Koneko wearing her enchanted gloves and finally Rias who had a tattooed Gremory sigil shining on the back of her hand, the power of destruction coating her entire arm.
She felt far more powerful than the last time we met-so did everyone, for that matter.
What I did notice was their haggard state, none of them looked like they'd slept for days or weeks. Especially Akeno, her eyes were red and she looked exhausted. It seems that they were worried sick for waiting for me.
'I missed them all as well…'
Sona's case was similar as well, she had two magical water spells prepared while her queen, Tsubaki wielded her naginata.
"Hachiman!?"
"Hikigaya!"
"Senpai!"
They all shouted out in surprise when they saw me in my decrepit state after months of being gone. Akeno was the first one to rush by my side, I let her hug me as I didn't have the strength nor will to resist. In fact, a part of me wanted to feel her touch again. "Are you okay!? What happened!?"
I didn't answer her, as I was just content to have her in my arms once again. Relief flooded my being when I finally realized that I was back home.
"Who did this!?" Akeno screamed in fright and anger, holding me tighter in her arms, nearly suffocating me in her embrace.
She must have seen my chest wound. Though miraculously it somehow healed-thanks to Vritra-the scar tissue had yet to be fully healed. It still looked very raw, the skin still pink as the skin was still regenerating and was basically just muscle that was showing.
"Oh my god, what happened to you!? Why are you missing parts of your chest!? Over your heart!?!?" Now it was Rias and the rest who stormed on me, worried expressions overcoming them. Rias looked the most frightened after Akeno's exclamation, before rushing next to my side.
They laid me down, Koneko was the next to reach me, her hands shakily but gently laying over my chest. To my utter surprise, I began feeling a sensation that I'd never felt before. It not only soothed my wounds on the outside but also lessened the pain I felt on the inside. I looked at Koneko and was surprised once again.
The little girl that never shows emotion, even when I give her snacks or head pats, had tears welling up in her eyes, her lips trembling into a frown. To see Koneko, someone who I treat like a little sister, brought down to this because of me, made the pain come back once again.
' Is this Senjutsu?' I always figured she hated using this side of hers, yet here she was unhesitatingly calling out her nekoshou powers to help me, it must not be easy for her. I grabbed her hand and gently tried to move it off of me but she kept it in place, "It's okay Koneko, you don't have to do this, not for me."
I also attributed her shaking to her sensing my emotions to some extent. She knew what I was going through, she could feel my suicidal thoughts, my self-loathing, my grief and though they might have not been as bad as before, they were still there. It was overwhelming for the poor girl.
"Do-don't leave me, senpai." She was now shedding tears, droplets falling on my chest. "Don't disappear like onee-chan, please." Her trauma was resurfacing, she must think that I'm going to kill myself and leave her all alone, just like Kuroka did.
I need to stop being so pathetic.
"You!" Kiba sprung up and faced Baraqiel, his sword [Holy Eraser] held firmly in his hands, ready to strike him down. Even when faced against such hostility, Baraqiel did not move.
Akeno turned to face her father, the same look of anger which I first bore witness to during the attack on that night was back in her eyes. "You… first you left mother to nearly die, now… because of you… why? Why do you wish to kill those I care about? What have I done to you!?" Akeno's anger reached her peak as she started blasting lightning attacks at Baraqiel.
"Leave!"
The man didn't budge, he took every strike head-on, not even bothering to block. Maybe he did this as a way to punish himself for what had happened. His way of asking for forgiveness, to atone for his sins. Or maybe it was the words of his daughter that dealt him more pain than the attacks did, as she stared at him with such pure and utter hatred.
"Never come back!"
None of her attacks damaged him, to begin with. He was a Cadre, even without armour he could tank all our attacks without effort. His head remained tilted downwards, probably out of shame or heartbreak.
"I hate you!"
But I never blamed him for anything that happened on the mission, the fault lied solely on my shoulders for me to bear, and I'll atone for it in time, without dragging anyone else with me.
So stop being pathetic, Hachiman, and get up!
"Akeno, stop!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, my chest burning in pain even with Koneko healing me, weeks of not using my voice put a strain on it from my outburst. I stood up, much to the worry of the others. "It's not Baraqiel's fault, it's mine."
"You're being too nice, Hachiman. He doesn't deserve it!" No, I was being completely honest.
"Baraqiel saved my life… I wouldn't be here without him." I don't know what the Vampires had planned for me, but it must have been something worse than death. I'm sure that Baraquiel really did save me back there and I at the very least owe him this favour.
"H-he what?"
"Vritra sensed one of his sacred gears back in Paris, I asked Azazel for help in finding it and Baraqiel's presence was just a coincidence. We found out that the Vritra gear we sensed was being experimented on children by a rogue devil."
"He turned them into monsters, I had what I thought was a trustworthy individual or at least someone who wouldn't run away by my side. Our goal was to free those children and capture the mastermind."
"In the end, that person backstabbed me to save their own skin and Vritra had to pay the price to keep me alive. That's when things went terribly wrong"
I had left out the details of the dome of void, suspecting they already knew something or were informed by either the Fallen or Sirzechs, everyone knew of this incident and its cause.
I sprinkled some lies in the story to paint Baraqiel in a positive light. "The Vampires had captured me and locked me up after that, if it weren't for Baraqiel… who knows what would have happened."
There… I gave you your chance, now everything is up to you.
The man stepped forward, he knelt to the ground and brought his forehead to the floor in a dogeza. The sight of one of the most powerful angels in the Christian religion, one whose name meant ' Lightning of God' on his knees, begging for forgiveness did surprise me to some degree.
"I couldn't be there for you and Shuri, and I have always hated myself fo-for that." Baraqiel's voice began breaking up at the end before taking a shuddering breath. "I felt unworthy to return by your side, for I have failed you as a father. I couldn't fail again when it came to Hikigaya."
I placed a hand on Akeno's shoulder, comforting her, "I am still alive and so is Shuri-san, we are in this together, so don't get stuck in the past." I wonder for whom that advice truly was for…
Baraqiel, Akeno, or me.
She stayed quiet for a few moments before taking my hands gently, using some of her energy to heal me up as well. "Let's just go back home."
Well, it wasn't a no, so that's progress.
I turned to Baraqiel, and gave him a nod, which he returned even with tears in his eyes, happy to not yet be completely rejected by his daughter.
Hopefully, things will get better after this…
Hopefully.
-(Flashback end)-
Things had gone smoothly for the most part after that; for the last two years, Akeno's relationship with her father recovered enough for them to talk from time to time, Rias further helped by allowing the Fallens to take up residence Kuoh.
Unfortunately, I still couldn't hear Vritra's voice-not that he was dead or anything-the dragon still resided in my sacred gear, I could still feel him. It's just like he has entered a deep state of slumber, like it probably was at first before I awakened it… I think.
For some reason, a part of me doubts that.
Nevertheless, he was still here and alive, just sleeping.
"I'll wait for you, partner."
To never let such a thing happen again, I had resumed my training and cranked it to a ridiculous degree. I even had a few revelations from the dream cycles I had from Vritra's memories.
' Like those Vajra techniques…'
Aside from that, my condition had also gone better, I refused to turn into an angsty emo teenager/adult! I'm pretty sure that I'm too old for that anyways, and I was mature enough to sort out my own emotions. It was hard, yes and most of it was still a mess but I took my time and slowly started showing results.
It wasn't all perfect, mind you. I had frequent nightmares, and on some rare occasions even panic attacks. When visiting the memorial stone a year later, I noticed that the monument only had a few thousand names written on it, when I knew I had killed over a hundred times more. Though that morbid thought didn't make me feel as much pain in my heart like I thought it would. ' Have I become desensitized to killing?'
Vritra once told me about the madness that plagued him as an Evil Dragon… I wondered… am I falling down the same path?
That really made me worry about my future.
What I did find myself thankful for, was the support from everyone, they wouldn't let me fall into my dark thoughts for long. Somehow Koneko got that sixth sense of hers focused on me 24/7…
… probably to make sure that I don't do something irreversible and stupid.
Even Rias and Akeno for that matter, they would watch me over like hawks, even when bathing they would force their way in. All of these actions slowly made me feel better, they helped me recover.
Though there was little to no pain, the guilt remained.
… It's not an easy thing to get over. I needed to find a way to make peace with myself, because I fear that if I don't take care of this issue soon, I might be gone for good.
According to Azazel, you can never get rid of this feeling; one just needs to bear with it for the rest of their life. Like a permanent lesson that will always remain engraved in our minds.
' That is why, my first step is to-'
{ Break }
- Park -
'- avoid killing unless absolutely necessary.'
"Arrrgh!" Even with the tentacle-like whips piercing her limbs, Raynare still held onto her arrogance. "D-do you know who you are messing with!?" Her fallen angel constitution began showing, as if it was a normal human who had sustained such injuries, they would have long died from blood loss.
"Yeah, apparently you don't." I channeled some of my energy through my whips to overpower her own light-based magical energy. I had to make sure she didn't have any hidden trump cards or secret getaway techniques.
Raynare gasped at the sheer weight of the foreign magical power coursing through her body.
Every fibre of her being felt strained to their limits by just coming to touch with this power. It was too domineering for her to handle. Like an ant slowly being brushed by a human-sized boulder. "Ju-just wha-what are you…"
Her fear was showing, Raynare never in her life thought she would be so easily suppressed by a mere human.
"Hey Issei, you there?" I turned towards the still lying down Issei, his face still in disbelief at what was happening.
"Whu?"
"You know how to swim?" He gave me a ludicrous look, trying to figure out what nonsense I was spouting. "Meh, you'll learn if you haven't yet." With a snap of my finger, another black magic circle appeared beneath Issei.
"W-wait!"
He began sinking further into the ground, "Wait, you fish-eyed bastard! What's this all about!?" He tried crawling out but to no avail, it was kinda funny how he was panicking. Like a deadly quicksand, there was no escape unless you were stronger than me.
… I think Akeno is starting to affect me.
"What happened to Yuuma-chan!?" I ignored him, all will be explained later on, I need time to think about this horrifying revelation.
"Fucking, bastaaa-"
And just like that Hyoudou Issei got saved without any injuries, teleported to god knows where.
- Kuoh School pool, Third POV-
A magic circle formed on top of Kuoh's swimming club's now cleaned up and filled pool.
"-aaaard!… huh? Waaaaaaaah!!!!!"
A panicking Issei fell from the sky, his hands waving in the air like he thought that would help him somehow stop falling.
He splashed flat on the surface of the water, sending water everywhere and certainly hurting him in the process.
"Gggrrlll, Pwa! Wha-where-… what the fuck just happened!?"
The bewildered Issei looked around and immediately recognised the place as he frequently peeped on the girl's swim team during their morning exercise. Too bad their schedule didn't align like the Kendo club's or else he and his friends would have spent their entire break peeping here.
He suddenly felt a towel hitting his head with such force that it nearly cracked it. "Ouch! Who the fuck is it now!?" He turned around only to come face to face with the school mascot, Koneko. She was giving him a disgusted look, like she had seen one of the most repulsive things in the world.
' That kinda hurts.'
"Hachiman-senpai sent me to give you a towel, pervert-senpai." With that said, she immediately left the area, making it clear that she didn't like being near him, and leaving the still confused Issei all alone to dry himself off. It was quite apparent that her dislike for Issei ran quite deep, but he hadn't even met her until now.
As he took the thrown towel, Issei couldn't help but sweatdrop as the thought of drying himself now was pointless as the towel got soaked in the water as well, not that Koneko cared.
{ Break }
- Hachiman POV-
Now that we were alone, I knew that with Issei safe, he had nothing to worry about. I even sent Koneko to check upon him, and bless her soul that sweet little girl will certainly take care of Issei.
"I'm not gonna waste more time with you. Tell me, why did you try to kill Hyoudou Issei?" I immediately began my round of questioning. The girl was at my mercy, as such, she could only comply.
Raynare just gave me a hateful glare and spat at my face with a loogie. ' Ew gross !' I further tightened my hold, applying more pressure on her wounds as payback.
"AAAAAAAHHH!!!" I flinched a bit at her pain-filled scream; I wouldn't kill her so I resorted to this method to get my answers. I wasn't a fan of them, but they were very effective.
And she was asking for it.
"Just tell me, I'll let you go if you do, I promise," I said sincerely. But it didn't seem like she believed my words. Which I wouldn't as well if I was in her position, so yeah, can't really blame her for that. 'I should have gone for another approach.'
"When I get free from this human, I'll kill you like the pathetic worm you are!" She tried threatening me instead, her response was met with my one raised eyebrow. Like was this girl serious? Didn't she realize her situation? How bad is her superiority complex? ' Maybe Azazel can fill me in on the details. Who am I kidding? He'll just redirect me to Kalawarna and she'll be the one to do the actual work.'
"This is going to be a long day isn't it?" I said to no one but myself, as the Fallen continued to struggle, still bound by my tentacle-like appendages. Her wounds already stopped bleeding, she even regained some of her strength. For a weak Fallen, she does have potential.
If only that character of hers was just a bit more… charming?
Now that I say that, this kinda looks like a very stereotypical tentacle hentai from an outside perspective, doesn't it? If you put aside all the blood and gore in the near vicinity . "Okay, this is just not working." With a mental command, her restraints vanished, leaving behind four gaping wounds.
"Argh!" Raynare groaned as she fell over, unable to stand up, struggling to move any of her limbs. It was too pitiful to watch. As much of a ruthless person I tried to be, in the end, I sucked at it.
"Stay still."
I popped the cork off a bottle, the golden liquid inside dripping on her wounds and creating a slight sizzling sound as her wounds began visibly regenerating.
My wealth in terms of cash and money may not be that great compared to the others, but it was sufficient enough to buy a few of those phoenix tears from the Phenex through Azazel. Don't tell me how he got access to it, apparently, these tears were a major commodity in the underworld black market.
"Wha-what is the meaning of this?" As expected, my actions confused Raynare. One moment I was a ruthless jerk who impaled her in multiple places, then the next moment I was healing her using a super expensive healing potion.
"I'm not letting you go, you'll have to answer my questions one way or another. You obviously won't divulge any secrets to me but…"
"-!" Like a lightbulb going off in my head, I finally had an idea how to make her talk and how to make it up with Akeno.
I dialled her number, "Hey Akeno, are you interested in torturing someone for me to get some answers from her?"
"Good!"
At least now I won't get in trouble, and Raynare will be her problem, for now. It wasn't that late, so I had enough time to scout other angels for suspicious activities as well.
I picked her up like a sack of potatoes, "H-hey put me down!" Her spears wouldn't hurt me, these enchanted uniforms were quite expensive to commission. And my natural defenses were strong enough as it is.
With a resounding flap, I called out my wings-even now without the voice of Vritra shouting [ Prison Wings ] from the gear. They have changed a lot in terms of appearance, the part that connected to my back was covered in scales and muscles, like real dragon wings. The fleshy part acted like a root slowly taking over the rest.
With a mighty leap, I flew beyond sonic speed above the clouds disappearing completely from view.
I felt like I was forgetting someone…
Unfair reality
Hiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Damn this one was a pain to write and fix up cause the POVs used to be all over the place. Thankfully it's all better now.
Also thank you to my newest patrons! TheRavenbrand, DeepBlue, Banny Wong, Michael Clifft and SadMerchantOfGermania! You guys rock!
Chapter 28, 29, 30 and 31 are already available on my P@treon at /NimtheWriter
Also… WE REACHED 100k WORDS!!!!! I'm so grateful to y'all for sticking with me and my story. I know the beginning was rough, my writing was bad and still is. Believe it or not, it's all of your reviews that kept me writing otherwise I would have long since given up on this story.
It's fun knowing about your thoughts on this fic and the many suggestions. Hope we can write till 200k!
That's all.
Author NimtheWriter out.
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi.
-- Hikigaya POV -
The sensation of flying will always give me that special feeling in my heart. This sensation of being free from any worries, as all of my problems, is just nothing but small dust in the wind. During every full moon, I would spend a few hours above the clouds just staring at the sky and enjoying my alone time.
"You'll pay for this, you worthless trash!"
I don't understand why Rias and the others didn't take advantage of their wings. I remembered asking her about it and she just told me that there was nothing special about it.
Maybe it's a matter of perspective?
"I'll kill you, you bastard!"
Sometimes, I wondered how the mentality of the supernatural beings worked. Maybe it's because they were born with the ability to fly, so they no longer saw the beauty of gazing at the night sky while thousands of feet in the air.
"H-hey, where are you touching me with those tentacles, you pervert!"
Oops, gotta be careful, these things have a mind of their own when I'm not paying attention.
"Let. Me. Go!"
Just like my friend here, Raynare didn't appreciate the natural scene of the Moon and stars so close by. She kept bitching around for the last ten minutes.
You know, one would expect her to be more grateful when I healed her up instead of leaving her injured all the way. Yet here she is still threatening to end my life. Not to mention her attitude was slowly getting on my nerves, ' I'm really tempted to let my tentacles have their way with her.' Of course, I'm not a depraved pervert, so I wouldn't do that.
"Just shut up, we're here already."
As I began my descent, the sight of my house came into view. Akeno was there in the garden waving at me with a smile on her face. I returned a smile as well, it feels weird now that we were officially a couple. Which didn't change much honestly, she behaved the same as before it became official.
"Welcome home, Hachiman." Her arms came to me for a hug, I tossed Raynare aside to hug her as well. Akeno gave me a small peck on the lips, "Would you like to have dinner? A Bath? Or… me~"
Critical hit!
Who knew some anime words would carry so much power in real life? I always thought I would be weirded out if someone told me that, but no I just felt happy and embarrassed at the same time. "Sorry I couldn't complete the preparations for our date today, but I brought someone."
I showed her Raynare, who tried to escape, only to have one of my tentacles locked around her body in a shibari style. "Motherfu-Puh!" Just to make things easier, I knocked her unconscious. ' Why didn't I do that in the first place?'
Akeno, being herself, looked at the scene with a blushing face. "Ara ara, Hachiman, that side of yours is so exciting to witness. Fufufu, I can't wait for my turn~"
With Raynare now no longer a nuisance, I brought her inside the house and rested her in the basement training area, to keep her away from mom and dad by chaining her to the wall. Unlike me, those two are regular humans, and this Fallen won't hesitate a second to kill them.
"I'll leave her to you, Akeno-chan. She just appeared today trying to kill Hyoudou Issei. I want to know why she did it and on whose orders."
"Don't worry, leave everything to me. It's been so long since I had Fallen to play with~." Akeno said, her smile turning from flirty to sadistic in an instant, but the blush was still on her face.
I almost, kinda feel bad for Raynare.
Now, what was I forgetting?.Oh right, Issei.
"Akeno-chan, take care of Raynare here while I'm out, I need to go pick up the unfortunate boy who went on a date with her." I didn't wait for a reply as I stepped outside, making my way to Kuoh Academy, and wondering how the pervert is doing.
"I'm sure he's fine, " I told myself, I did ask Koneko to make sure he didn't drown.
Down below, Akeno watched as her handsome dragon flew away, she stared directly out towards the trail of light that fired into the sky from the window. That person couldn't help but draw trouble at himself, like a moth to the flame. ' * Sigh* that's just his nature.'
For the Fallen, Akeno didn't recognise her but she knew her way around her own kind. She could feel the sadism inside her, getting more excited by the second at the image of breaking her. "Now little crow, let's have some fun, shall we? Maybe Hachiman might like having a new pet, Fufufu~"
Shuri gifted her daughter the secret stash of toys she had hidden away in the basement of the shrine.
Raynare never felt this amount of danger from anyone, even Kokabiel didn't give her this much goosebumps.
{ Break }
- Kuoh Academy -
Guess I arrived just in time.
I saw him exit the gates, as expected of Koneko-chan, she didn't let me down and Issei was still alive and not drowning.
Such a caring soul.
"Achoo!"
The lone Issei was walking out of the school, huddled in a wet towel that did little to help him from the cold. Being soaking wet with his uniform on already gave me an uncomfortable feeling, and it was freezing today, poor kid
"I-I n-need t-to f-find Yuu-Yuuma-chan." Even his voice was stuttering from the biting cold.
"How has his day gone so wrong? I woke up this morning expecting a wonderful date, followed by my first kiss and finally becoming a man! I would have woken up tomorrow with a hot naked babe by my side!" He screamed in the air.
Wow was he desperate, my wings twitched from the embarrassment I felt in his place.
"But nooooooo~."
"Everything had to freaking take a turn for the worst as Yuuma-chan suddenly transformed into an older, sexier BDSM version of herself and suddenly wanted to kill me! Did I mess up the date so bad that it warrants an execution!? Didn't people say the worst thing that can do is say no?! Maybe it was those stupid quotes I kept using the whole time, or maybe it might have been the gifts I bought her weren't that good."
I wondered why I kept listening to his rants, but gifts? Hmmm, I remember Raynare wearing a bracelet band around her wrist. I don't doubt that she would have either thrown it away or kept it as a sick twisted sense of memorabilia.
"Achoo!"
Shit, he might catch a cold tomorrow if he doesn't get out of those wet clothes. I could probably invite him back to my house.
"Then just like in those magical girls anime, that handsome senpai came out to save me. The famous president of the Service Club, the dark prince of Kuoh, the helping hand of God as some would call him, or the famous "Phantom Eyed Helper"!"
Hurgh, every word that came out of his mouth made me cringe so hard! I hated those nicknames! Why in the name of everything that is sacred would teenagers waste time on giving others such embarrassing titles!?
The dark prince of Kuoh?
I nearly broke down crying just from that.
And since when did this Phantom Eyed Helper come in!? Every day it's just another form of pain for me.
"Yuuma-chan got hurt, and I… I… have to save her. Maybe this was all just a big misunderstanding, she couldn't be an evil person. Right?"
Sorry to say it bud, she sure is evil.
"Achoo! This day sucks."Okay, enough hiding like a stalker, time to make my appearance for the second time in the day.
"It sure does," I said as I landed near a light post, hidden from view.
That certainly surprised Issei as he turned around to face me. I enjoyed his shocked look, to be honest, I might do more of these cool entrances.
"You seem a bit cold there, Hyoudou." I said as I used my phone to text Kalawarna about the situation, not paying any attention to the shivering boy walking next to me, "Follow me, I'll fix you up something to dry yourself with."
He came along without uttering a word, he most definitely held a lot of questions about what was going on. I gave him time to compose himself, "Is… Is Yuuma-chan okay?" He asked.
I stopped for a bit before giving him a sideways glance, "You know she tried to spear you in the stomach, right? Like kill you on your first ever date, so why are you worrying about her?" I was genuinely curious.
"I… I just need to know, please!" He begged, pleading for an answer.
"Well, She's not bleeding anymore…" I said a bit awkwardly as Issei just stared at me, not wanting to tell him that I'm basically having her tortured.
There was a brief silence between us after that statement, like an invisible tension growing in the background. "Listen, Hyoudou, there are some things in the world that don't seem exactly what they are supposed to. People are not truly transparent with their real intentions or personality. In most cases they disguise themselves with a sort of mask, claiming to be people they are not, living a life that doesn't suit them for a short term small benefit or for their own gain."
I showed him the picture of him and Yuuma-chan during their date this morning, eating the parfait that I secretly ate as well. "How did you…"
"The one called Amano Yuuma was such an individual, a liar, a manipulator and an actor. She is not the girl you have visualised in your heart, don't blind yourself with lies by trying to claim her innocence in this whole incident." I didn't hold back with my words.
"You… you don't know what you're talking about! Yuuma-chan isn't such a person!" Issei screamed in denial. He refused to accept such a preposterous thing, probably thinking that she was just an innocent angel!
"Denial is a logical response for anyone going through such a thing, I guess. Apparently, you never had a girlfriend in your life, so, understandably, you're holding onto the persona of Amano Yuuma for she represents what you always desired. But reality is cruel, you don't always get what you want and even if you do, there are always hidden intentions behind each action, different meanings behind each act. It just so happened that you were unfortunate enough to be targeted by someone's malicious plot." I patiently explained to the boy. I suspected it wouldn't be easy to convince him of the true nature of Raynare, but I had to try at least.
"And so what! Maybe Yuuma-chan is a victim as well, huh? Who are you to judge who is evil or good? Stop it with that acting, trying to look cool when you are not!" Issei exploded in anger.
"Take out your anger on me as much as you want, still don't forget I saved your ass today. Like it or not that girl doesn't like you, never will like you, your existence means nothing to her, in her eyes you are only nothing more than her next kill." I was being harsh, I knew it but what other way could I make this idiot understand?
"Wa-wait! Maybe, I can make it up with her! Another date… yeah! Another date to show her that I'm worthy, that I can be something more!" He bargained, trying to repair where there was nothing he could. Chasing after a pointless dream. I could see that, it was clear that Issei understood it as well, but just refused to acknowledge it.
I didn't give the boy another speech, my silence already giving Issei an answer.
"Why… why me?" Issei's voice went down a couple of octaves, no longer having that cheery personality behind it. I didn't pity him one bit, he should have known to never trust a random stranger who suddenly asks you for a date out of nowhere, especially with his reputation.
Those kinds of people are more prone to backstab you at any moment. They are scum, cowards, liars and hypocrites… just like her .- Hikigaya Household-
"Woooooow! This is your house!? It's like a freaking castle in the middle of the neighbourhood! You must be loaded!"
I cringed at Issei's loud reaction. I was grateful for Rias's gift, but I hated when people assumed that I was a rich bocchan. Not like I was poor in my last life or something, my family was comfortably in the upper-middle class, the difference was they had to work for it to keep it that way.
"I'm home!… again."
My mom came and greeted me just like she has always done, her hands holding a whisk while wearing an apron. "Hachiman, you're late today." She didn't ask but I knew her tone when she demanded an explanation.
"I had some club affairs to take care of, Aika got a bit too overwhelmed with the recent amount of requests so I decided to help her as well. I am the club's president after all." This technically wasn't a lie, Aika really did ask me for help. The club was again increasing in popularity and soon, just two people handling the affairs won't be enough. 'I need a third member.'
"Oh, Aika-chan, that sweet little girl, it's been a while since she has come for a visit. Invite her the next you see her, okay Hachiman?" She said sternly, still whisking the bowl.
Sweet girl? Just what black magic did she use on you to fool your senses to such a degree? I would put her perverted nature right above even someone the likes of the Trio! But unfortunately, she was the most suitable member due to her highly analytical eye, which could see other details aside from the size of a male's junk.
Maybe she has a perverted Mystic eye?
And also because she did want to help out, unlike others who either join the club out of self-interest, to play around, or just because they wanted to become one of the popular kids. Aika never had much interest, she didn't even care about her image, I could relate to her to some extent.
Though I wish she would stop teasing me or getting in my personal space or showing me her BL collection.
I wish that she would stop doing that.
"Oh, what is this? You brought another friend!?" Why must you look so surprised with Issei being here? Didn't every devil in the city always stop by here? Not to mention that you had two beautiful girls living here and a hostage who was being looked after by Akeno. And then there's Aika when she invites herself over to play some games. So that is 4 girls in total.
Maybe I should invite Kiba over to calm my mom down? I heard from Rias that he's good around older women. Though he better keep his hands to himself or else I might have to talk with him.
"Yeah mom, this is Hyoudou Issei, he uh… fell into the nearby river, so I invited him here to get changed." Can't really say that I saved him from nearly getting murdered after all. She might ground me for life.
Issei, being a bit caught off guard, decided to play along with me, " A-ano, goo-good evening, Mrs. Hikigaya-san. Thank you for having me and sorry for the trouble."
"Oh please, I don't mind at all. Come in! Come in, make yourself cozy, I'll make some snacks for you boys while you get cleaned up!" Mom was a good host, now that she and dad no longer had the pressure of their day-to-day jobs resting on their shoulders, they now became a constant presence around the house and more inviting to outsiders. Dad regularly went on fishing trips with his friends and mom always brought her inner circle to the mall. Sometimes I would have the unfortunate karma of being forced to join and play the role of their bag carrier, even Akeno joined the fun with mom as well.
Dad was less of a hassle, fishing would have been relaxing if I kept catching actual fishes than snakes! Don't believe me? Just last month we were banned from one of the fishing locations because the locals thought we sneaked in snakes to release them in the river. I had to resort to asking Rias to use her devil hypnosis power to fix this situation. As you can guess, after that incident I quit fishing.
Back to the present, I invited Issei to my room so we could discuss things. The boy couldn't stop marvelling at everything in my house, muttering things like, "Wow, rich people are awesome", "Is that real gold?", "You got a freaking pool table!?", and so on.
I wonder how Rias ignored these reactions when she received guests who acted in such a way. 'But then again, she has a shower in the middle of her clubroom. Compared to that, this might be nothing.'
After we reached my room which further shocked Issei as the inside was big enough to be an entire apartment floor on its own, he sat down on the sofa admiring its texture lost in his fantasy world, while I threw him a towel. The idiot is soaking my carpet. "Oi, get yourself together man, we should start talking about what happened and dry yourself off already."
That brought him back to earth, and he grabbed the towel "Oh yeah… just… just what is going on? One moment I'm having a wonderful date with Yuuma-chan and the next moment she has wings, tells me to die for having a….a sacred… tear?"
"Sacred gear."
"Yeah, sacred gear, whatever that is…" You're about to have your mind blown then, "She gets injured, you appear like magic then throw me in a pool! You still haven't told me what happened to her!" Even after everything I told him about her true nature he still insisted on meeting her.
Damn…
"She is still alive, probably regretting it but alive nonetheless." Especially with Akeno, god only knows what she is doing to her. "I will get to the point right away. I'm part dragon but mostly human."
Well, no one ever said I wasn't a man that got straight to the point.
"Your expression says that you don't believe what I am saying. Well, that can't be helped. You did see Yuuma's black wings, didn't you?"
He nodded his head at my question.
I wouldn't be surprised if he thought everything until now like a dream, but all of this was indeed reality.
"That's a Fallen Angel. They are former Angels who once served God, but they are beings who have fallen from heaven because they had sinned. They used to be enemies with the devils, at least most of them are cool with devils, there are still some stubborn warmongers among them who wants to kill them all."
From his perspective the more I talked about Fallen angels, the more fantasy-like this whole ordeal seemed.
"The Devils had been at war with the Fallen Angels since ancient times. They fought over the possession of the Underworld, which is also known as Hell in the human world. The Underworld is split into two areas, one for Devils and one for Fallen Angels. The Devils form pacts with humans and receive their sacrifices and increase their strength. Some Fallen Angels on the other hand control humans to eliminate Devils, of course not so much now. At this point, the Angels come in to destroy these two races on God's orders, which creates the three forces. This has been going on since ancient times."
I made my point quite clear, Amano Yuuma was a Fallen not a human.
"… If you are joking around, then can you please stop now? I don't want to talk about this. Just w-why did she try to kill me!? Over whatever this bullshit sacred gear is!?"
He was going hysterical, a good thing my room is soundproof.
"Calm down, Ise. It couldn't be helped… No, you were just unlucky or lucky to be born as a possessor…"
"What do you mean possessor?"
"Strap in kid, cause this is going to be a long story."
…
- Issei POV-
- Sorry. You were a threat to us, so we decided to get rid of you early. If you want to hold a grudge, then hate the God who put the Sacred Gear inside you.-
That's what Yuuma-chan said at that time when she was about to kill him.
So there's a Sacred Gear inside his body?
"Sacred Gear is an irregular power that is bestowed to certain humans. For example, most of the people whose names are recorded in history are said to be possessors of a Sacred Gear. They used the power of their Sacred Gear to record their name in history." Hikigaya-senpai explained the details of the power that he possessed.
To his surprise and shock, another person suddenly came in and continued explaining on Hachiman-senpai's part. "Presently, there are people who possess Sacred Gears within their bodies. You know those people who play an important role in human history? Most of the time, those people possess Sacred Gear."
Black hair in a ponytail! The ponytail, which is said to be nearly extinct! The person who is said to be the last person with a ponytail at his school!
That pretty face, which is always smiling! The person with a Japanese atmosphere! The one who is called Yamato Nadeshiko even though she is a student, and also one of our school idols, Himejima Akeno-senpai!
One of the two great onee-sans!!
' What the fuck is she doing here!?' Thousands of thoughts ran through his brain, but one stood out the most.
' Wasn't there a rumour about Himejima-senpai having a boyfriend? Don't tell me…'
"Most of the Sacred Gears have functions that are only usable in human society. But there are exceptional Sacred Gears that are a threat to us, the Devils, and Fallen Angels." She finished her part and did the most unthinkable thing ever, something he had only fantasised about in his dreams.
They both kissed!!!
' Damn you Hachiman, I knew you were bad news!!!'
"I managed to gather some interesting info from little crow-chan~"
Ahh, even her voice was so soothing, but then she had to twist his heart even further by sitting on that bastard lap! He was for sure feeling those Heavenly oppais press on his chest!
Damn it!!!
Now only the beautiful redhead, a foreigner from Germany, Rias Gremory still remained free. If he played my cards right maybe he could catch her attention!
But reality had to play a sick joke on him and shatter his dreams.
"Hey Hachiman, I heard you had a guest?" Another voice feminine voice came behind him and as Issei turned his sight towards it, the world around him broke into pieces.
Ri-Rias-senpai, Rias Gremory-senpai… is here….as well!?
That iconic crimson hair, that impressive body which made the usage of porn material useless for most boys in Kuoh Academy. Those huge oppais that threatened to burst out of her uniform, paired with her smooth pale skin made her look like a goddess.
"Make some space, you two! Don't act all fluffy so soon in the day, humphf!"
That goddess that he dreamed about every night, who he had a picture of in his phone, was pushing herself in between Himejima-senpai and Hikigaya-senpai with a clearly visible pout on her face, trying to get in between them. The bastard had the gall to try and get them off of him, as they vied for his attention.
Was it jealousy?
What is life?
Who is he?
Is Hikigaya Hachiman a God?
Can he make me his apprentice?
"Hey Hyoudou, I'll fill you in more later on, it's time for you to go home." Said that fucking playboy, stealing all the best girls, acting all cool, stupid, lucky fish-eyed senpai * Sniff*.
'I hate this guy so much!'
Please teach me, Senpai!
Queue, another black circle which appeared below him as he for the second time in the day fell through the floor.
Not again!
"Wait! I can just wa-!"
{ Break }
- Hachiman -
"Why did you teleport him away?" Rias asked, along with Akeno looking curious as well.
Well, I couldn't just tell her that it was mostly because of her. I was planning to make him stay the night in the guest room just in case another Fallen came to kill him.
But now, with your appearance here along with Akeno which I would have managed because she is my girlfriend, the boy would have not left me in peace.
Hyoudou Issei is a known harem and breasts lover, wanting to form one of his own filled with girls like you two. He would have done something annoying like asking me to be his teacher. *Sigh*
"I had my reasons." It's times like these that I appreciated having someone like Kala, I texted her to send her own people to safeguard him and his household, I just received a reply back with her telling me she got everything under control.
"By the way Hachiman, little crow told me all her secrets, fufufu. She was quite hard to break~" Akeno said as she gave him a one-sided embrace, squishing her giant soft mounds on his arm, much to Rias's frustration. "Apparently she has friends hidden in the old church, where they planned to extract a poor girl of her sacred gear."
The last part she said with a frown on her face, her previous demeanour disappearing for a bit.
"We must not let this happen, Hachiman. Especially in my territory." Said Rias.
Yeah, she was right.
"It's time to end this."
Second meeting
Hiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Still working on Broly, it's not easy and I don't want to force myself but it'll be out this week for sure.
Also didn't get the chance to answer a question I was asked, about whether I would writte a reaction of original Hachiman to this version of him. Honestly I don't got the time to do it man, to many things to work on and I just can't.
But if anyone is willing, I will gladly read their reaction story! Of course you'll have to inform me, if you want me to read it.
Chapter 29, 30, 31 and 32 already available on my p@treon /NimtheWriter
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya and Solitary heart.
- House basement-
-Hachiman POV-
This part of the house was the most unbelievable area of this place.
Why, you might ask.
Well, it's because it's a giant underground space that could fill my house a dozen times over. I wonder if there was a hidden candy shop somewhere connected to this place, where a certain Mr. Hat-and-Clogs would like to visit.
At this point, it must have been pretty obvious who was chuuni enough to spend literal mountains of resources to recreate such an unbelievable room.
This cute redhead weeb beside me.
In another part of the underground basement was basically an empty room where a weak, literally smoking Raynare was held. Some parts of her skin had whip-like red marks and her legs kept twitching with dry stains going down her legs. ' Just what did Akeno do to her?'
Better not ask for the safety of my innocence.
The moment she saw us enter, Raynare backed up in a corner, staring at the person behind me with both fear and anger.
Akeno merely found her behaviour funny, while Rias mirrored me and kept massaging her forehead in exasperation. We both knew this would happen, but at least we got our answers.
Rias was the first one to speak, "Fallen angel Raynare of the Grigori, by your own words you have revealed to us that your group had gone behind our backs and broken our agreement to harm innocent bystanders in our territory. Your attempt at Hyoudou Issei's life and this sacred gear extraction plan of yours include in total two people who would have died if we weren't informed of your plan. Do you have anything to say for yourselves?"
Now that I think about it, why would she try to acquire a sacred gear? To my knowledge she is a full-blooded Fallen, so implanting herself with one of God's creations would certainly kill her as they were meant to be wielded by humans. They also worked for half-humans like Akeno, though it was a very rare case.
' Well not half-human anymore, cause she is a devil now.'
Surely she wasn't so stupid to forget that small detail, right?
"This isn't something for you to meddle in Gremory! That boy would have become our enemy with you devils turning him sooner or later, so it was our duty to kill him. As for the sacred gear extraction, that person is nothing more than a witch, who has been cast aside by her own people! Hahaha, she doesn't deserve to live as they threw her out to the wolves, so what if we want her power to ourselves? No one wants her!"
That last sentence didn't sit well with me, at all. "Who is this person?"
She just sneered at me, her eyes not hiding the hate she felt against me. "And why should I tell you?" Her eyes gleamed in sadistic joy as her grin showed up on her face, "Do you want to kill her yourself… Black Death." She whispered that last part to me.
Crash !
"Hachiman!" Both Rias and Akeno cried out in shock as they saw me grab Raynare's face and smash her unconscious through the concrete walls. Her head is now bleeding profusely and she might have also gotten a concussion, but this time I didn't care to heal her up. The stupid girl doesn't know when to keep her trap shut…
' But that's no excuse for me to lose control…'
Black Death, the name the people of Europe gave to the plague that once killed over 60% of the continent. Yet my action in the past brought back the memory of that time, even during the Great War between the factions, never had there been so many deaths in a single day.
My dark dome of the void was a clear reminder for everyone, of why dragons were once the most feared beings in the world and the consequences that came from angering one. They symbolised destruction and chaos itself, a single regular dragon could match lower-tier gods. While the strongest of dragons occupied the top space in the ranking of most powerful beings. Too bad the Vampires were too arrogant to acknowledge that fact, but their actions showed otherwise.
The other supernatural beings of the world feared me more than the White Dragon Emperor himself. I was even denied access to places like Kyoto, Greece, Rome, parts of India and China.
To them, I was nothing more than a ticking time bomb.
I despised that moniker.
I wish it would vanish, to never be heard of again.
I felt both Rias and Akeno hug me from behind, their warm embrace calming down my turmoil of emotions. "Everything is going to be okay, we are here for you."
I let go of Raynare, letting her fall face-first into the floor, before Rias came up and healing her a little bit from the concussion. Her head will still hurt like hell when she wakes up, the girl was asking for it.
Yeah, they always had my back, especially during my worst moments… sometimes I wondered how things would have turned out in Sobu High if both of them existed back in my reality. Maybe they did and it would have just never worked out. I was a different person back then.
"I'll be fine… I… just need to hit something." Raynare gave me the perfect place to do so, without worry.
Too bad I didn't set up any anchors near the abandoned church, guess I'll have to hoof it on foot or maybe just go on a fly, not like anyone will be able to see me. 'And I'll let myself loose for a bit.'
{ Break}
- Abandoned Church-
I chose the walking option instead of flying.
True, it would take me more time to reach the place, but I needed some time alone after losing control back there. Rias and the rest would join me soon enough, they had to prepare a field and inform the rest of the supernatural beings to evacuate the church area.
We didn't know what to expect, so I advised them to not take any chances.
The veins in my arms were showing, my muscles pulsing with strength ready to tear someone up in pieces. I closed my eyes to relax, to meditate, and sure enough that desire to destroy, to kill started to fade away.
' It's getting worse… these impulses are getting harder to control. '
Another reason, I delayed Rias and her peerage, was because I wanted to finish this up before they arrived. I wouldn't trust myself in my frenzied state to not accidentally hurt my friends.
Oh sure, if they surrendered first then I would avoid any conflicts, I wasn't so far gone… yet.
"Hmmm?" I sensed something approaching far in the distance at super speed, beyond what I could accomplish. A powerful presence… a familiar one. "It can't be… after all this time."
A white streak of light in the sky soon became visible as it made its way towards me. I recognised that person immediately, how could I forget someone who once gave me such a beating that I still felt like my bones were broken till this day?
"Vali!"
Even though I was allied with Azazel and the fallen in general, it didn't mean that I'd become buddies with this battle-hungry prick. Good thing we never really met each other ever since that day he attacked me. I think that Azazel made sure to keep us apart, especially after Vali learned about what happened in Paris, that guy desires nothing more than a competent opponent.
I willed my sacred gear to form around my body, violet lights shone brilliantly in the dark night, my [ Prison Wings ] stretched behind my back and my torso was enveloped in black armour. The loose black fog encircled my limbs, almost taking the shape of the rest of the armour before breaking apart. The dark metal contrasted perfectly with the violet light outlined by the edge. My form was far more intimidating and luminescent than it was at first.
Despite my transformation and battle ready stance, Vali did not seem to care.
"What is he doing?" I was positive that he must have sensed my aura at such a distance, yet he didn't stop nor change his trajectory. "Wait…" Soon, he passed over my head, not even giving me a glance or attention.
He was heading towards the church!
' Gotta follow him!"
My [Prison Wings] extended behind my back, as I rocketed upwards destroying the pavement beneath my feet. As I continued to track him I noticed the defensive barrier the rogue Fallen had formed around their church. An entire squad of ex-exorcists and magicians were waiting outside the church, casting spells after spells to take down the White Dragon Emperor.
These spells travelled beyond the barrier without destroying it in the process, which was very impressive for whoever had placed that in the first place. Yet I knew it was useless, as even my eyes could easily track the trajectory of the spells and their speed were quite slow.
None of them touched him, they didn't even come close to Vali as he easily manoeuvred around each spell, doing barrel rolls, twists and just weaved around like a sparrow making sharp turns that left behind traces of after images.
"Go fucking die, you white cunt!" A white-haired exorcist used two holy guns and fired rounds after rounds of bullets, Vali didn't even bother with him as he focused more on the spells. The metal shells of the bullet crumbled into pieces the moment they made contact with Vali's [ Balance Breaker ]. "Oh come on, you cheating fuck!"
"Freed Sellzen?" I recognized the face of that stray exorcist. In my studies of all Rias's peerage members in the past, I had done lots of research on the holy sword project. With Kiba's help, we uncovered a lot of dirty secrets pertaining to the church, which really made my opinions on them dip even lower. In some of our travels around the world to uncover more on this matter, our clues led us to a former church scientist.
He was kind enough to not see us as enemies, though I had to restrain Kiba in the beginning from killing the guy. " True Descendants of Sigurd", that's the project he worked on, to artificially create humans with the blood of the Norse hero, Sigurd. The greatest hero in Northern Europe. So they can have someone wield the legendary sword, Gram the Dawn of Ruin, the Sword of the Sun.
Talk about go big or go home.
In exchange for asylum in our territory, a decision which Kiba opposed quite a bit in the beginning, we came to an agreement. He shared many files on the children born of this project.
Freed was a natural ' born ' genius but due to his bloodlust for battle, killing and even cases of raped victims was deemed as a complete failure as a wielder compaired to his ' sibilings '.
Though we couldn't find more information on the Holy Sword Project or Valper, this revelation was still quite a find.
' How interesting for me to stumble on this guy, here in Kuoh of all places.'
Two Fallen angels came out of the church with a panicked expression as soon as they saw Vali, a middle-aged-looking man with short black hair and dark blue eyes that were focused on the sky.
His attire consisted of a pale grey trench coat over a white dress shirt with a pair of black gloves and a black fedora.
While the second Fallen, to my surprise, was a little cute girl with blonde hair styled into twin tails, with a Gothic Lolita attire.
I knew Fallens could live indefinitely if they wanted, so some did age slowly. Most of them were created as pure angels so everyone kept their original appearance. But still, it felt weird seeing such a young kid who most likely was older than any grandma alive.
They both sent volleys of light spears that Vali just to be crushed in between his hands. That seemed to shock the Fallen, as they saw their attacks being dealt with like nothing. The two Fallens were getting desperate, they yelled at their subordinates to shoot faster, use stronger spells or just distract Vali long enough for them to escape.
This battle was so one-sided, that not even once had Vali used his scared gear's ability, [ Divide ] or any other skills. I remembered the sensation of that overpowered cheat power, having your reserves halved all of sudden, really made you despair of the chances to beat this guy.
I stayed in my corner, cloaked in my invisibility spell. Watching the carnage take place.
I didn't care whether the stray exorcists and magicians lived or died, I just needed the Fallens alive, bruised and beaten sure but alive nonetheless.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the white-haired ex-exorcist escape the group, disappearing into the forest behind. Though he may be mad and a raging psycho, he was smart enough to know when to retreat, I had to give him that. "Since I couldn't vent on those Fallens, you'll do."
With that said, I vanished in a violet streak of light that followed in the general direction of Freed.
{ Break }
- Third POV-
"Hahahaha! Fucking idiots, they'll all die to that white armoured shit!" Ever since that bitch Raynare vanished, her two followers began panicking, with the Dohnaseek guy suggesting a full on retreat. Unfortunately for them it was too late. "Fucking great, I haven't even killed any heretic or shoot holes in one of those devil scums!"
Not to mention that other nun was supposed to arrive tomorrow, she would have been put under his care and… hehehe showed her a good time.
Schrk !
"Hurgh, fuck!" Freed stumbled forward as he felt a massive amount of pain coming off his left ankle. To his surprise a spearhead whip that came from the ground had stabbed through, and wrapped around his leg, staining his pants and shoes in blood. "Wha-what the fuck is this!?"
Immediately taking out his sword while ignoring the pain, he tried cutting away whatever this whip-like tentacle was, but even his light sword couldn't even leave a scratch.
Bang!
Bang!
He used his alternative weapon, a holy gun to shoot the damn thing off! But the bullets merely bounced off it, only leaving behind a slight dent which quickly reformed back. "Fucking cunt! Who did this!? Show your stupid ass face, I'll rip it off and shove it down your ass!"
This only caused the tentacle to tighten further around his foot, increasing the pain. "NnnaaAAAAARGG!!! BITCH!!!" It didn't stop, it went on further, his bones straining from the pressure until…
Crack
… his leg got completely crushed.
" AAAAAAAARGH!!!!" Freed let out a guttural scream of pain that shook the forest. Tears spilt from his eyes as he clenched his teeth so hard, almost chipping his teeth. "I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU AND YOUR WHOLE FAMILY, I FUCKEN SWEAR!!!"
"So basically, what you've done your whole life?"
"What!? Who's there!?" Freed picked up his gun and sword to prepare himself for whatever danger or enemy he might face. He traced the direction of the voice, and turned his head upwards to find his assailant.
"Another dragon bitch but black-themed, spit how original." He mocked, unafraid of his opponent even with his broken leg. "So, why don't you land down here so that I can cut you up into pieces!"
"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself! The name is Freed Sellzen. I belong to a certain Exorcism organization. Ah, just because I introduced myself doesn't mean you have to. I don't want to remember your name in my memory, so please don't. It's okay, since you are going to die soon. I will make sure of it. It might hurt at first, but later you will feel so good that you will cry, hehehe-"
Schrk !
" Aaaaargh!"
Another spearhead tentacle pierced through his foot, rendering him completely crippled. As the pain soon came, it was followed by a torrential amount of foreign energy that filled his every cell. The amount was so much that Freed, even with Sigurd's blood and body enhancement, began feeling bloated, unable to speak from the strain.
"You talk too much." The winged figure of Hachiman descended, his face partially showed as the black fog kept forming a half-done translucent helmet that kept on breaking apart. "What do you know of the person from whom your group was about to steal a sacred gear?"
Freed felt the invading energy inside him weaken a bit enabling him to talk again. "Why should I tell you, bitch! Just die!" He aimed his gun and fired all of his rounds.
[ Vajra Diamond Body]
Ding!
Ding!
Ding!
The bullet ricocheted off of the armour while for the exposed skin, a translucent blue film of energy surrounded him, making the impact sound like the bullets hit a metal wall.
"Oh, come on! That's cheating!" Freed complained out loud. "Stupid sacred gea-"
Schrk!
Schrk!
"MOTHERFUCKER!" Two more spearhead tentacles now pierced both of his hands, making him completely at the mercy of his enemy. The tentacles made sure to wrap around his every limb tightly so that Freed does not pass out from blood loss.
"I can go on like this the whole night buddy, just tell me."
"F-fuck you…"
A of resignation escaped Hachiman's mouth..
"I tried."
"-!!!??"
"Grrugh!!"
A thousand spearheaded tentacles burst out of the ground, turning Freed to a porcupine with blood and gore everywhere. His body struggled for a bit, twiching every one in a while. The pain in his eyes showed the pain Freed went through before dying.
The lights in his eyes fading away, for good.
{ Break }
- Hachima PoV-
" At least now I no longer feel like killing everyone," I said as I called off my scared gear. The unrecognisable body of Freed fell to the ground with a disgusting splat sound. All of his facial traits were now just many tiny holes.
I promised to never kill unless absolutely necessary, but leaving this guy alive would only harm other innocents as well, so in a sense, his death was a necessity.
If the ' me ' from the past were to see such a gruesome scene, I would have certainly fainted. Heck, didn't I vomit during one of my past hunts with Bawler?
Now, barely anything phased me that much, there was still slight amounts of disgust and regret but they soon passed.
"Still… he deserves a burial at least, no matter how much of a monster he was." I picked up whatever was left of his corpse and brought it near a tree where I dug a hole. After covering him up, I offered a slight prayer to whatever god or gods who was willing to listen to me.
Using some slight magic, a tombstone was created, engraved with the following words.
- Here lies Freed Sellzen, an unfortunate soul who got lost in the wrong path of life. May he find peace in his next life .-
Some might wonder why I bothered to even do such a thing. A waste of time, a useless act that brought me nothing. All I could say to those people is that this act of burying everyone I killed, grounded me to reality, it kept me somewhat in control. Death was quite common in the supernatural world even more than the human's world.
One could easily forget the deaths of a few supernatural beings the next day. Take the stray hunts, none of my close friends even gave a thought about killing those people, they moved on as quickly as they killed them.
That's just how things worked around here.
While I still wanted to keep my human side alive, to value life so I buried and prayed for all those who died by my hands.
To never forget that they once existed.
"Time to go back." I'm sure no one would discover this place for a long time, so his grave will remain unbothered for a few months or years at least.
I dropped my [Vajra Diamond Body, a spell I learned not from books or tomes that Rias gave me, but from my dreams. All powerful foes Vritra fought against possessed great defensive spells or physique. This one was the most common one and easiest to learn, it was mostly used by the golden armoured soldiers.
Even if I could only spread it through the exposed parts and not my whole body said a lot of my talent in magic… the worst. "Hard work never gives up on you, I guess."
Still, it was one of my trump cards, I only showed it to Freed for he wouldn't know the meaning behind it and also because he was gonna die anyways.
…
As I flew back to the church, as expected nothing remained. Not even rubles or destroyed parts of the building but just a clean flat land of nothing but dust. The guy literally flattened the land. I didn't even know if I could do that.
I was not worried if there were any innocents locked up inside, Raynare did explain to Akeno that they hadn't met the person yet, all was left to figure out their identity and when will they land in Japan. "Guess Akeno can have another round with Raynare and the rest."
I saw Vali sitting on a rock, his legs crossed as he ate an apple.
The guy hadn't changed a bit, still that devilishly handsome face that made me kinda jealous. His black and grey clothes with those silly chains attached to his pants.
I landed in front of him, showing the same courtesy and cancelling my sacred gear.
"…"
We just stared at each other for an unconfirmed amount of time, if I didn't know better I would question his sexuality and tell him that I don't swing that way.
"You've grown stronger since last time we met." Vali was the first one to speak. "Glad you didn't remain as a pathetic weakling."
And you certainly haven't changed a bit, the same old douche.
" Kinda was forced to become this way. Or else I would have died." I answered him. "Did you kill the Fallens?"
Though I still wanted to punch his face and return the pain from two years ago, I had a task to complete. Also, I was not fully certain whether I could even beat him in the first place. My strength grew to the equivalent of a high-class devil according to Rias. But Vali gave me the feeling that he was beyond that point.
"Heh, they were not worth my time." He pointed me to the left where two unconscious Fallens laid down. They both were heavily injured with the Fedora guy having lost his right arm. The young girl had half of her face gone, all charred.
"Gonna need some phoenix tears for this." I don't want to spend my entire fortune on two bottles. I already gave one away to Raynare, which made my wallet feel lighter.
Vali just didn't give a shit and shrugged his shoulders. "Unfortunately, I can't fight you. Azazel and Baraqiel gave me enough trouble as it is, but I swear to you on my pride as the White Dragon Emperor, I won't let you go next time we meet. My mission here is done, I must go back to report to Azazel. Oh, and he also told me to pass you on a message, something about finding a possible answer to you question."
So he was sent here to take care of the church and be a message delivery boy by Azazel, huh. Guess the man didn't want more trouble on his hand and this was a good way to keep this rabid dog busy.
"Humph, bring it on douchebag, I'll break YOUR nose this time." Don't misunderstand this situation, we may act cordial now but we also didn't bother hiding our hostile intentions from each other. Vali still felt like a crazy battle maniac and if he wasn't on order, I do not doubt that there would have been another major fight today.
" By the way, wielder of [Delete Field] why can I not sense Vritra's presence in the sacred gear? He remains alive but has returned to a dormant state which should be impossible after awakening." Albion asked out of nowhere, nearly surprising me.
Dormant… yeah, Vritra had done something to be able to absorb all those pieces of his souls whilst keeping me alive. Through a miracle, he somehow succeeded but this process left him silent for two years.
"Don't worry about Vritra, Albion. He is just tired and will wake up one day… I'll force him awake if I have to." I said while touching my heart, where I thought the soul resided.
" A fine host you are, Vritra must be fortunate to have you."
No, I am the lucky one.
A lost nun
Hiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
!Warning: Mature content up ahead!
Yep people, we did it, we actually wrote a lime (not completely a lemon but it will come. )
I couldn't do it without Shigiya so applause to him!
Also thank you to my newest patrons!: UberApe, EternalScoundrel, Giovanni Beltran, Jonh Bonli and Steven Salito!! You all rock!!!
Reworked lemonl/lime scene.
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya and Solitary heart!
- Kuoh -
-Hachiman-
The promise of a safer life, lived through by taking the right choice of action, was a standard exception for all living things.
It is called common sense to some and basic knowledge to others as well.
Eat when you're hungry, sleep when tired or just tell the truth to the angry tomato head in front of me.
"Hikigaya Hachiman." Oh, she used my full name… that is not a good sign, indeed.
"Yes, Buchou?" I called her hoping she would like me calling her by her title.
Just act casual, that was the plan.
"Why is the hillside where the church once located flattened to dust?" Darn, it didn't work. Maybe I should try another name, like princess, Ria-tan or even darling just to throw her off her game.
I had a joke in my mind, a dark one but a joke nonetheless. Should I try it and suffer her fury or just tell her the truth and suffer her fury anyway?
Hmmm, a difficult choice.
As expected, after Vali left the premises of Kuoh, no one had sensed his presence or even if they did some would have probably mistaken him for me. Which would make me a bigger danger in their eyes, now that I thought of it.
Before Rias arrived, I had inspected the damage of his attack, to say I was impressed would be an understatement. I was once again reminded of how broken these Dragon Emperors were. The area destroyed was the size of a football stadium, literally, no trace of a church or any exorcists remained here aside from smooth ground.
' At least construction will be easier.'
"Ha. Chi. Man." She called me out again, stressing every syllable of my name. This time I could see her eyes twitch in annoyance while her smile just looked downright fake.
"I swear it wasn't me!" Fuck you Vali, even when your not smashing my head, you're still giving me lots of headaches and trouble to handle. "The moment I came here, there was someone else taking care of the problem, and look, the rogue Fallens are still alive!" I said while pointing to the two tied up still unconscious prisoners.
The fedora man was getting healed up by Akeno. Though his complexion was no longer pale white and most of his bruises were gone, he still had a missing arm. Phoenix tears could do many miraculous things, as it is a special potion of liquid that can instantly heal injuries, as a single drop can regenerate the user's injuries and health. However, they do not restore blood loss and organ loss, though they may be used to reattach a severed limb.
That is where the problem started, I could no longer find the missing arm, which was most likely turned into dust like the rest of the church… so yeah, tough luck.
But I did use another phoenix tear, leaving me with only one bottle, on the small girl's face. Her skin did grow back, a bit pale compared to her other side but it was a trivial thing. I watched in fascination and disgust as even the eyeball regenerated like a fleshy flower from its previous charred state.
Well, that's going to the trauma bank.
I didn't want to imagine the pain she would have gone through if she had woken up in her injured state.
"You know that's not what I'm worried about!" Rias screamed at me in anger.
Guess I went a bit too far.
"I was not hurt, I was in no real danger from the beginning. The guy who did this only came to clean up the rogue Fallen situation, meanwhile, I sat in the corner and became a spectator." I didn't mention Vali, Rias would freak out even more with his presence back here in Kuoh. "As for the flattened land… I'm sure we can fix it up real quick.
Kiba soon came back, carrying pieces of a certain broken device. "Buchou, I found this buried under what seemed to be a collapsed basement." It was a cross-shaped contraption with chains and scriptures embedded in it. "I believe this is what they were planning to use in order to extract sacred gears."
Rias ordered for the broken remains to be disposed of quickly but I gave Kiba a look. He noticed it and gave a slight nod when Rias wasn't looking, I could have future needs for the sacred gear extractor and I can use this opportunity to learn more about it.
Akeno was done with her healing, not that she could heal a stump, she was successful at stopping any further bleeding to occur. She returned to Rias's side showing off her usual smile. "Ara Ara, you're quite a trouble magnet, Hachiman. We leave you for a few moments and the next thing we know an entire terrain is destroyed. Poor Rias, you should make it up to her, maybe take her to buy some toys, Fufufu~."
Oi, that sounded not right coming from you.
"We're back." Now it was Sona's team who rejoined our group, they decided to scout the forest area for any more possible stray exorcists.
She was followed by her queen Tsubaki Shinra, her two bishops Momo Hanakai and Reya Kusaka and lastly her rook, Tsubasa Yura.
I was grateful that Momo kept the end of our agreement and kept Saji at a distance from me. I guess it wasn't so difficult to do so since even Sona knew of my case.
I tensed a bit because I feared they might have stumbled across the grave I made for Freed. I would not hide it for long, but I preferred to keep it under the table until things calm down.
"Did you find anything, Sona?" Rias asked.
"Not anything in particular, the area is clear from any threats from any runaway exorcists. If there were some, they most likely got dealt with."
She saw it.
The way she worded her phrases made it clear that she stumbled upon the grave and most likely identified the person. Fortunately, she didn't try to get more answers from me.
"What do we do now?" Said the soft speaking and polite Reya. She was the spying specialist of Sona's peerage, unlike the rest she was in no way combat-related and just like me she was a magician… or was a magician.
"I was expecting a real fight! Hurgh, get pumped up for nothing." Tsubasa complained. She reminded me of Vali to a certain extent. According to Sona, Tsubasa enjoyed having a challenge and rough fights where both fighters got down and dirty. Even her appearance went along with her personality, a boyish almost bishounen face.
Momo didn't seem to share her opinion, "Oh, just let it go Tsubasa, I quite like not having to fight tonight. I'm already tired of dealing with the council's paperwork."
They came here prepared for an intense fight, yet what happened was so unexpected that they felt a bit lost. "We go back, the Fallens are apprehended and the ex-exorcists are all dealt with. So no need to waste any more time here." Suggested Sona.
We all agreed.
As we were about to teleport away in our circle, mine being the black coloured one. Akeno surprisingly left her group and joined my side with her arms locked around mine. "Mind having extra company?"
"We are all teleporting back home, Akeno-chan." I wouldn't change if she was with Rias or me, my house was the final destination.
"I know, I just prefer to be with you." Damn talk about fluffy feelings, I never knew of all people I would become a succer for them.
I felt the death stare of multiple people behind me, I should really go from here before it's too late.
I closed my eyes and began concentrating, devils could teleport around easily with just a wave of their hands. So could humans, mind you, but only talented ones, my talents are… not really up to par. In fact, just like I've mentioned before it was below average.
I reached out with my senses and felt all of the different anchors around Kuoh, a few around the school, one near the park with the vending machines, a few in each devil's house and lastly in my room.
I focused on that anchor, letting the magic pull me towards it, as my magic circle slowly started moving upwards, taking both of us away.
…
- Hachiman's room-
The process itself took about a minute or two to accomplish, I admit in a hostile environment I would be practically stuck unless I had a ' plan B'. I could fly fast but so could most of my opponents, the ability to fly was quite common in the supernatural world.
"We came back alive," Akeno commented.
Yeah, well, I like how much you believe in my capabilities as a magician-it's not like I would have endangered my life over a teleportation spell. I did my research, ran some tests and unfortunately had to spend a few white nights with no one but SUPER coffee by my side to keep me company.
If my training regiment were to be shown in a pie chart, 90% would be me trying to figure out that damned Vajra spell!
My god, this was a normal spell used by foot soldiers in Vritra's dream, yet they were strong enough to temporarily withstand a Dragon King's breath attack. I've seen his black and blue flames melt steel and even burn inside water!
Yet I could only use the spell for a few seconds to block a few gunshots only. I nearly gave up on it, until I remembered Vritra's sacrifice. What're a few thousands of failed attempts compared to making up to him? Nothing.
As for the other 10% of my time, I would just refine what I had already learned with my spells, [ Absolute Silence], [ Magic Arrow ] and my now evolved [ Minor sense enhancement ].
For the first one, I could create two to three domes of that spell lasting for an hour, for the second one I could launch a larger arrow which can detonate on impact. And for the last one-it was self-explanatory.
"Hachiman?"
Akeno broke me out of my thoughts, she looked exasperated with me always getting lost in my mind-but she got used to it.
"Sorry,"
"Fufufu, you haven't changed at all since we were kids." She laughed at my expense, and I would like to argue I did change a lot. The past Hachiman was in no way shape or form similar to the current me.
She didn't stop with her teasing, "I remembered when you always tried to get away from everyone, hiding in your own little corner." And you somehow always kept finding me like a hound!
"I prefer to think that I'm much more mature now."
"In a way, you have matured, but at the same time, a lot of you still remained the same. The only difference being you're no longer trying to lie to yourself and force yourself to be someone you're not." She dragged me onto my bed, "I always knew you liked helping people, I don't know why you created that uncaring persona but it never fooled me."
Where was this conversation going?
"What are you doing?" I said as she began to unbutton her shirt, showing off her black laced bra. My heart rate increased wildly as I watched her undo her ponytail, letting it go free.
"Hmm? I'm sleeping with you, dummy~"
( Mature content ahead, if you don't like it, then skip to "Lemon end")
- --(Lemon Start)-- --
I let out a grunt when Akeno suddenly sat on my lap, feeling her wrapping her arms around my neck. I could feel her soft body press onto my own, making me tense from this new sensation.
' Oi, this is too soon, I-I'm not read-'
She started to unbutton her blouse, showing off her black lace bra that contained her large breasts, that bounced from their release of her shirt.
"Akeno… what are you- Unnrg!" I was going to ask her what she was doing until Akeno suddenly silenced me with her soft lips.
I was no stranger to kissing my girlfriend, but the kiss that she was giving me was different from the rest. She was being more aggressive than she usually was from the last make-out.
I could feel her lips pressing harder with each moment when she pulls back for a breath, not even letting me adjust from the aggressive attack. I quickly started to feel her tongue probe my lips, demanding for entrance. As soon as I allowed it, it attacked me like a whip before wrapping around my tongue. Normally I would let her take the lead, allowing her to take the lead, finding the idea to be dominant to be a pain. But after the constant teasing, the pranks, just this day being a pain, something inside of me decided to say ' Not this time!' and decided to fight back. I quickly grabbed Akeno's butt, which felt soft in my hands, and twirled us around until I had her pinned to the bed. I could tell that this was a surprise for Akeno, as she tensed my hands. But it didn't last long as she wrapped her legs around my waist.
Sadly, we still needed to breathe, my lungs burned from the heavy make-out. As I pulled away from the kiss, I felt Akeno bit my bottom lip, a teasing smirk on her face before she let it go. Her legs were still wrapped around my waist, keeping her off the bed.
She really was a koala.
Akeno didn't seem like she wanted to stop, pulling herself closer and started to pepper my face and neck with kisses, before she moved to licking my neck and sucking on the skin, leaving me hickies for anyone to see if I'm not careful.
Before I even realized it, Akeno twisted her body, knocking me off balance, and had me pinned to the bed.
Yeah, she's definitely more aggressive.
Akeno was staring me down, her face flushed with desire… that it kinda scared me a bit, but my hands didn't stop caressing her posterior and thighs. "You know… I've been waiting for such a long time for you to make a move, for you to just take me and make me yours. But you never tried it once, even with all the chances and openings I gave you- my little dragon here never unleashed all of his pent up desire for me." She went for another searing kiss, with her tongue invading my mouth, wrapping around my tongue-before she pulled away, moved to my ear, and whispered "So, I'll punish you today. And by that I mean-we won't go all the way, not until you become a big strong dragon and take what belongs to him."
Akeno suddenly yanked my shirt open, ripping off the buttons on my shirt.
Oi! Oi! Oi! I'm going to have to buy another one!
Akeno didn't seem to care about the angry glare that I was giving her, as her hands moved to caress my chest and abs.
While it felt good, I was still annoyed that she ripped my shirt. Might as well return the favor.
I moved one of my hands off her ass and grabbed her underwear before I ripped it off.
There! How do you like that!?
Akeno moaned from the action, her nails almost digging into my skin, as she started to grind her body onto me.
Huh… I guess she really liked that… Good to know.
Akeno pulled away from the kiss and started to kiss down my chest. Her violet eyes focused on my own, both of us unable to look away. I see that her eyes are filled with so much lust and love that I was nearly overwhelmed by it. With a mischievous smile on her face, she moved to one of my nipples and started to suck on it.
I wasn't able to stop the moan from escaping my lips from this new sensation. I felt her hand move to my other nipple and started to rub them as she tweaked them between her fingers.
This was strange. It wasn't bad, but this was something that isn't normal for guys to receive.
She let go of my nipple with a pop, which looked stiff from the mini and moved to the other nipple and continued the previous task. But instead of her hand moving to play with my other nipple like before, her hand moved lower until I felt it touching my crotch.
I already was hard from the make-out, feeling uncomfortable in my pants. So when I felt her grip my cock and start to stroke it, I felt like I was ready to explode!
But I wouldn't let myself become a quick-shot chump, so I willed myself in order to calm down my excitement.
Honestly, this pleasure seemed incredibly unfair! What kind of man am I if I don't return the favor! Also, I shouldn't let her keep having the upper hand in this, and should make sure that she's not the only one that can take the lead.
I pushed myself off the bed, stopping Akeno from her actions. I pulled her close to me and pulled her into another deep kiss as I held her in place, not wanting to do anything at the moment.
As I kept her in place, she started to fidget on my lap, doing her best to rub herself on my crotch.
This girl is so fucking lewd!
I let her shoulders go, before my hands moved to her bountiful chest. I felt her bra get in the way and ripped it off. Once that was done, I grabbed one of her breasts, my hand sinking into the flesh, pulled it close for me and started to wrap my tongue around it.
I decided to follow Akeno's example, as my other hand played with her breast and nipple.
"Ah~" She moaned in pleasure, enjoying my actions.
Akeno was smiling while she watched me play with her breast. She gripped my shoulders to keep herself from falling from my lap.
Her breasts felt so soft in my hands, like fresh marshmallows, and they weighed heavily on my hands. How the hell does she not have back pains? Deciding to save that question for later, I started to play with them like a child with a new toy. Akeno moaned when I started to squeeze them.
For years, I watched Akeno grow from a little gremlin koala that would never leave me alone into a beautiful woman that still wants to be around me, and who was never afraid to show me her affection. Sleeping with me naked, jumping me with her hugs as she pressed her breasts on me, and a couple of times I had to stop her from entering the bathroom with me.
Now… I didn't have to hold back.
I started to play with her pink nubs, tweaking them between her fingers and feeling them harden under my touch as her cries of pleasure became intoxicating to me.
I felt her fidget on my lap, grinding onto my groin, making me groan around her nipples. She pulled me closer to her breast, nearly suffocating me. But that seemed to stop me, as I continued to suck on her breast like a babe.
I smiled when I heard Akeno whimper at my teasing, finally able to tease the girl back like this. Akeno moaned from the touch, my tongue swirling the nub around, liking the taste of the stiff flesh. Akeno bit her finger to keep herself from moaning out loud as gently sucked her nipple. Not wanting to leave the other one alone, I showed it the same treatment. Akeno was grinding herself on me, her arousal more evident as I felt a wet patch starting to grow on my pant leg.
"Keep going Hachi~ More~"
I responded to her plea by letting go of her breast and moving my hand down, between her legs. I could almost feel the moist heat of her pussy, as I started to caress the wet pussy.
Fuck… She's like a broken faucet, she's already got my hand all wet with her juices, and I barely did anything as put my fingers in.
"Hachi! Rub! Rub it!" panted out Akeno, thrusting her hips on my fingers, feeling more needy for my touch. She was basically trying to fuck herself on fingers at this point.
Fuck! She is so fucking hot! The way she was becoming a hot mess because of me was just a damn ego boost!
I released her breast from my mouth and pulled her into a kiss, making sure to keep her in place as my hand started to move around in her hotbox. Granted, I still wasn't sure what I was doing, all of this is still new to me as I was using past knowledge from the internet and doujins to help me, but the way Akeno was moaning in the kiss told me that I was at least doing a good job.
"Ha~ more!" I started to experiment in my actions, wondering if I can get her to let out more of her cute little moans. My fingers moved to caress her outer walls as they thrusted inside her pussy.
"Hachiman! Don't stop! Oh Maou, I'm so close~!'"
If I remember correctly, and the doujins weren't completely lying to me, there's a certain spot that I need to rub to get her-
"HACHI~!!!!!!"
Akeno screamed in bliss, nearly shattering my eardrums as she held me like a lifeline. I could feel her squirting on my hand, while getting my pants wet with her juices.
And there go my pants, no way am I wearing these to school.
But shit she was loud. I hope the neighbours don't think that there's a murderer happening over here.
When Akeno finished shuddering on my lap, she sat there until she regained her breath from her climax.
After a few moments of rest, Akeno leaned off my shoulder and stared into my eyes, her eyes still hungry for more.
"That was amazing Hachi~" purred out Akeno, her words sounding slurred, "You earned a reward~"
Before I could ask her what she was talking about, she moved off my lap. I quickly grabbed her when she looked like she was about to fall to the floor. After making sure she could stand on her own, she moved to one of my drawers that she personally uses, while giving me a view of her ass.
Now that my mind was not focused on pleasuring Akeno, I could feel how tight my pants are now.
When she came back she was holding a bottle of lube.
I really hope it's not what I think it is.
"Let's get those pants off, Hachi," said Akeno suddenly, eyes still focused on my waist.
"Akeno…" I started in a hesitant tone, slowly getting ready to run, "While I have an open mind, there are some things I'm not ready to do nor will ever do" Yup, I rather face hundreds of Seraphs and Devils than cross that line.
It took a while for her to realize what I was saying before she started to giggle to herself.
"Don't worry Hachi-kun, I'm not interested in your black cherry. This time~"
Well, that wasn't worrying… I will protect it with my life.
Either way, I got up to get these pants off. Just as I was about to unbuckle my belt, I was stopped by Akeno as she grabbed my hand. I watched her get on her knees, her face close to my crotch, feeling my heart quicken. I watched her rub the bulge of my pants, before quickly moving to unbuckle my belt.
I could almost hear my heart pounding in my ears as she grip the edge of my pants, and felt her pull them down.
THWAP
I could feel the cool air caress me below the waist.
"Oh my!" I heard Akeno exclaim, getting my attention. When I looked down, I saw that Akeno was looking at my dong with a lust evident in her eyes as she let it rest on her face, not bothering to move it. I felt my face start to burn at the sight, never thinking that I would see something so lewd.
Weird…
"Akeno… Are you okay?"
"Ara, ara" breath out Akeno, sending a shiver down my spine as I felt her breath on my meat or maybe it was because of the hungry look that she was giving me, "You're perfect for me, Hachi~"
This just made me more embarrassed, I wasn't used to people talking about Hachiman Jr… aside from Aika.
"I don't know why you're amazed, it's not that impressive…" I muttered, I was not being modest either… it's not like I'm one of those horse people who carry cannons inside their pants!
"Oh Hachi, sometimes you can be quite dense. I guess I'll have to show you how amazing you are," said Akeno, confusing me with her statement. She pushed me back, making me trip as my pants were still around my legs, but thankfully I was able to land on the bed. Akeno moved between my legs, her gaze never leaving me before moving lower.
She pulled the top of the bottle that she was holding and poured a hefty amount of thick clear liquid on her hand until it was dripping off her palms. Giving me another smile, she left the bottle on the floor, and brought her lube soaked hand to my crotch.
I let out a hiss at the cool sensation of suddenly making contact, but the way her hands glided over my appendage felt amazing. I let out a moan when her hands moved to cover every inch of my cock, until it was glistening with the liquid. I could smell strawberries from the stuff, making me wonder what kind of lube she is using.
She started to stroke my cock with her hands, making me groan at the new pleasure. The sensation felt like a burst of electricity coursing through my spine, all the way to my mind where the pleasure intensified with each of her strokes.
She gently blew on my tip, making me shudder at the sharp breeze and the cool liquid contrasting on my hot flesh. Her other hand moved to my balls, fondling them with gentle squeezes. Her gentle caresses were accompanied by her soft lips, making me gasp at the action. She seemed to not care that her lips were getting coated in the lube, as she peppered kisses along the length. Her face was flushed with desire while she locked her gaze with me, while I was panting with excitement.
I felt like I was in heat, and was ready to breed this succubus that was disguised as a teenage girl.
She gave a long kiss to the tip, before she let it go with a wet smack. Her hands continued their motion as she stroked my cock.
"I want to suck everything out of you, Hachi-kun~ I'm so close to losing myself and ravaging you until the sun comes up." And I'm grateful for your self-control, cause this is way out of my league!
I watched her grab her breast, her hands coating them with the lube, making them glisten. I swallowed the lump in my throat, wondering what she is going to do next. I watched her lift her massive breast above my cock, before wrapping them around it.
"Oooh!"
I couldn't help the moan that I let out when I felt the soft sensation. I nearly felt like my mind was going blank from it.
"Oh my! Even breast wasn't able to cover it all~"
I didn't know what she was talking about, as I was trying to not blow my load all over her face. Gritted the bedsheets when she started to rub her chest on my cock. I could hear Akeno giggle at my actions, while wrapping her arms around her breasts, tightening the confines of my prison.
It felt like I was being wrapped in soft, warm marshmallows. It was the best thing I ever felt in my life. Her actions felt practised, but I could feel her hesitate at some points. But it didn't change the fact that she felt amazing. She moved her tits up and down motion, making sure to cover every inch of my cock. With my cock still covered in lube, it was an easy task for her to slide along my cock.
I could feel the heavy weight of her large breasts land on my lap with each stroke. I was panting like a dog, as the sensation was just too much and looked at Akeno, whose face was flushed red, panting in need just like me, and her mind focused on her actions. I wish this could last longer, but I could feel myself reaching my limit.
"Ahh, Akeno! I'm cumming!"
Like an explosion, I felt my cock throb in the squish confines. I felt my essences shot out and probably hit Akeno in the face.
I grunted this out to Akeno, but she didn't stop her stroking, instead, she started to go faster, putting more pressure on my cock, and pushing me over the edge, wanting to wring me dry.
' Is this girl a succubus?'
"Hnngh!" My entire body felt like it was on fire, the pleasure I felt was too great for a first-timer like me.
When I felt my release finally calm down, I was able to regain my focus back onto Akeno.
If I didn't need a breather at the moment, I probably would've taken her right then and there.
She was coated in my seed, to the point where I thought that someone accidentally spilt yoghurt on her. My cum was all over her hair, face and breasts, but there was a hefty amount pooling in her mouth.
Akeno was looking at me, making sure to show me what I did to her, before she swallowed the thick pool of my cum. But she didn't stop just there. Once she finished swallowing, she started to clean herself up from her face and breasts, not minding the edible lube that came along with it, before she swallowed it down.
She gave me a smile that looked absolutely sinful, as her face was close to looking euphoric, that it honestly overwhelmed me.
"Delicious~"
Wow… Just wow.
Akeno noticed that I was staring at her, while my cock was still hard and twitching for more attention. Moving away from between her legs, she gave me a kiss on my cheek, as she rubbed the tip of my cock with her finger, "I'm still spending the night with you, I'll be back after a quick shower. You should take this time to calm down~."
Whatever, while the body is willing, the spirit is too tired at the moment after releasing so much stress in such a short time. While my hard-on was uncomfortably hard, trying to masturbate just wouldn't be the same.
I hope you're happy, Akeno. You ruined masturbation for me!
"When the time finally comes for you to take me, I promise you won't regret it.
With that said, she moved to exit the room, swaying her hips with each step, enticing me once again. When she stepped out of the room, I noticed that she paused at the door for a moment. I was going to ask her what was wrong, but she left before I could ask the question.
Wonder what that was about?
{ Break }
"Just where the heck are those two!? I've been waiting for hours!" Said the redhead stomping her way up the stairs.
She made it inside the house a few hours ago and was waiting for her Queen and magician to join her soon after. It was movie night and she just brought the latest Movie of one of her favorite anime!
Rias was heading to Hachiman's room, wanting to see if he was okay and if he had seen Akeno. Honestly, they had all teleported at the same time, so why were they taking so long to join her?
"Ah~"
"…"
"What?" She heard a noise coming from his room which nearly made her fall to the floor… sounds that she was quite familiar with, having been hearing it for years.
' Don't tell me… Are they already…'
Her heart started drumming like crazy and suddenly felt as if someone dropped her in the middle of the scorching hot Sahara desert. She quietly walked to the open crack of the door and was met with a familiar sight.
"-!?"
Akeno was sitting on Hachi's lap, her lips connected in a heated make-out, their hands groping each other in a hungry fever. ' There they go again, being glued to each other.' Rias was envious of Akeno to be this intimate with Hachi, wanting nothing more to be in her place.
She felt her throat go dry as she saw Akeno rip Hachi's shirt open, giving her a nice view of Hachi's physical labor.
' Oh Satan, this can't be happening…'
Rias knew that Hachi was fit but at this moment. She is having a better appreciation for his body. She watched her queen lick his abs and nipples, wanting to run her tongue along with his body as well. Wanting to get a taste of his body, running her hands over his muscles.
The longer she watched, the more she imagined being in her place, being held in Hachi's hands, letting his hands roam over her body.
Making her into his woman.
But something that she wasn't expecting happened that snapped her out of her daydream and watched Akeno start to unbutton her shirt.
Rias started to think that Akeno was going all the way, and watched in fascination her queen's bra-clad breasts-bouncing in a hypotonic way.
Even since they were young, Rias was always jealous about the fact that Akeno was bigger than her, but she ignored it as her childhood friend made Hachi grab her breasts.
' They look so soft… and the way he was grabbing her breasts…'
Rias felt her core start to warm, as Akeno was moaning from his touch. She started to grab her breasts and imagined Hachi grabbing them instead. She started to tweak her nipples when she saw him engulfing her nipple, hungrily sucking the tips.
As difficult as it was, she was able to bite back her moan, from the action, her panties starting to get damp from her arousal the longer she watched them. She stuck her hand in her panties, noting that they were completely soaked, when Hachi started to finger her queen into an orgasm.
She imagined those thick, callous fingers playing with her folds, his digits rubbing and spreading her walls, reaching deep to caress her walls.
"Aaah~!" She let out a loud moan when she came, soiling her panties and the carpet below. Thankfully her moan was covered by Akeno's scream of pleasure.
Believing that it was over, she was about to clean her mess, when she heard that Akeno told him to get up. The Fallen Akeno moved to one of the drawers and pulled out a bottle of lube, before going back to Hachi, who was standing up from the bed looking at her extremely warily-as if he would book it at any moment.
Even with all of the times she slept with him, she never got a look at his cock, little Hachi jr.
She watched as Akeno removed his pants, she held her breath when her hands grabbed the rim of his boxers and pulled them down.This was Rias' first time seeing a dick, at least a real dick in person, she has several collections of doujin hidden in her room and some eroge games. She has seen some porn out of curiosity and compared it with the doujins.
"It's perfect…"
It's no wonder why Aika is always trying to tease him about his size. The longer she watched on, the more she wanted to hold it.
Rias was glad that she wasn't the only one, seeing the stunned look on Akeno's face, but it doesn't change the fact that she wants to be in her place.
Her breathing became increasingly frantic and loud as she witnessed his dick twitching as if he was about to blow at any moment. She moved her hands more aggressively as she was getting off from the sight.
When Akeno got between his legs, Rias started to focus more on the situation.
She continued to watch Akeno kiss his cock, finding that to be very lewd. She wondered what it would taste. She started to imagine herself licking every inch of his cock. Rias's hands once again moved to her pussy, while she started to suck on her fingers, imagining sucking on Hachi's cock.
Akeno began stroking his cock, the slick sound echoing in her ears, while she fingered and sucked fast at their rhythm.
"Hnn~!" She came when Hachi started to cum on Akeno. She felt her throat go dry at the amount that he was releasing. She wanted to just barge through the door and lick Akeno clean of his cum. ' Satan… they both look so sexy.' She wanted to join them so badly.
' Oh no !' Rias noticed that Akeno was heading towards the door, making her panic at being caught.
She quickly ran to her room, nearly tripping as her legs were feeling numb at being idle for so long, though the girl managed to hide behind the corner just in time.
Rias covered her mouth with her hands, hoping to muffle her breathing. She could feel her heart thumping in her chest, worried that she would get caught. After a moment, she could hear her footsteps heading the other direction, much to her relief.
She could feel something sticky and wet on her cheeks, before she realized that she used the hand that she jilled herself off to cover her mouth.
Sigh
What was her life?
Why is everything so confusing and difficult to deal with?
- --(Lemons End)-- --
{ Break }
- Kuoh Park -
The place was quite empty today, few people around and a generally peaceful setting. Normally there would be lots of people so early in the morning, guess everyone went to check out the flattened church area.
I came here for some alone time after what happened last night, I needed to clear up my head.
We still needed to identify the soon to arrive sacred gear holder, after we successfully locate her-either Sona or Rias will take her in custody. According to Raynare's rant, that person was apparently abandoned, so another reason to take her in.
As I was chugging down my fifth SUPER coffee can of the day, which I swear that I was not addicted to- B ump .
I accidentally bumped against someone.
"Hawaau!"
Shit, due to my current strength I barely budged, making the unfortunate person hit the ground harder.
I quickly threw away my half fill can, caring more about the person in front of me. Which to my surprise was none other than a Sister who fell on the ground!
Her arms were spread wide open with her face on the ground. Quite a comical scene, if you ask me.
'That certainly is a clumsy way of falling down.'
"Are you okay, Sister? Here, let me help you."
I approached the Sister and gave her my hand so she could stand up.
"Auu… Perché continuo a inciampare… Oh, Mi dispiace! Grazie mille~."
An Italian? Not good. I barely knew any Italian words aside from the things I saw in anime. Thankfully, I got help from Sona who helped me design a universal language translating spell for humans.
Unlike the absolute headbanging defensive and offensive spells I've studied before-this one was quite an easy one.
[ Dual Translate]
Nice.
With this, not only am I able to understand her, I can even speak Italian and basically any other language in the world.
"Here, take my hand," I repeat again but in Italian this time. She understood me and gave me her hand as I lifted her up. I noticed how little she weighed, or was I too strong? I had to make an effort not to put too much force in my pull.
I felt the wind blow behind my back, which unfortunately hit the Sister's face.
Her veil flew off, much to our surprise.
Her blonde hair, which was hidden underneath, fell down onto her shoulders. Her straight blonde hair, sparkling with light because of the sunshine.
Then my eyes moved towards her now uncovered face.
Badum !
My heart reacted as it had never before.
No, not in a romantic way, she was cute but that was certainly not the case. The world around me changed, the subtle traces of blurry spots clearer up-making it clear and vibrant once again.
Something about her presence… just soothed my soul in its deepest corners. The slight headache I had every day from keeping myself from losing control, disappeared completely.
' What is she…' For all I knew, she could be using charm magic on me. But neither my senses nor consciousness reacted to any traces of hostility. She was pure of heart and so were her intentions.
Both of her green eyes looked so beautiful that it felt like I would be sucked into it…
For a while, I was gazing at her, trying to decipher the cause of such an unbelievable reaction within me.
"U-Umm… is something wrong…?"
The Sister looked directly into my face with a worried expression.
"Ah, no it's nothing… I was just… caught-off guard… "
I couldn't find the reason.
She looked just like your regular nun from the church. Before thinking any further, I needed to pick up her veil-luckily, it landed nearby.
"Are you a Kuoh resident?" I started slow, with some harmless inquiries.
"No, that's not it. I was appointed to the Church in this town… You must be a resident of this town. It's a pleasure to meet you!"
She bowed her head, a shy smile plastered on her face. She looked too pure for my eyes to bear to watch her for any longer. I began having flashes of my past life which had become quite rare these last few years, nearly nonexistent.
Whether it was a good thing or not, I couldn't tell.
Komachi… that who I was thinking of, her face slightly fogged up from my failing memories. Having neither pictures nor video to remember her by, all I could remember were traces of her features or rather what she used to look like the last time I saw her.
It dawned on me how the past was slowly slipping away through my fingers and mind. In a decade, only their names and personality traits would remain-leaving behind blank faces.
' Am I really okay with that?'
I don't know… no one wishes to forget their past let alone their family… I wondered if I could still draw or paint their faces and hang them somewhere.
Wait a minute.
Did she say, church?
"I have been in trouble since I got here. Ummm… I can't speak Japanese that well… I was lost and other people couldn't understand what I was saying…" She said shyly, her eyes already tearing up.
A sacred user from abroad…
A nun here in Kuoh…
Planned to arrive soon…
Raynare's last location was in Italy…
Everything began lining up in my head, like a puzzle that I finally solved.
She is the sacred gear user the rogue Fallens planned to use!
The next 5 chapters of Snafu are already available on my . With 3 more Broly and 5 fate chapters at /NimtheWriter.
Asia
Hiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Edit 1: If you are wondering where is chapter 31, then don't worry, every chapter is still here. I just removed the asking for a beta reader notice.
Early chapter because of reasons I'll be explaining.
I won't be posting until the 12th of February, cause I'll be working on 'The legendary Saiyan in a fairy's world.' and also because I'll be stockpiling more chapters for my patrons.
Also, also I am working on a new original arc and if you liked the last one, Turning point, then you'll love this new one.
I won't tell in which chapter it'll start but know that it'll be epic!
That's all
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya and Solitary heart.
- Kuoh-
- Hachiman POV-
Living in modern times allowed most people to be connected with everything and everyone around the world.
News traveled in an instant, word spread around fast and nearly everyone was able to be kept up-to-date with the latest trends.
It is in this case that some people would judge others for not knowing of either a popular movie or hit song that came out a few days or weeks ago. Joking about whether they lived under a rock this whole time or what. A harmless jab that both parties knew the answer to-a joke between two people.
Yet here I stood or sat in this case at a local fast food restaurant, holding a cup of coffee which might kill me, if I consumed any more caffeine. Watching in fascination and disbelief as a young girl in her teenage years, who came all the way from Italy, trying to figure out how to hold a freakin burger.
I felt like those people who were staring at a exotic animal in a circus.
' Has she been locked in a room for all of her life?'
Not just the burger, even simple things like the road, the nearby buildings and even his smartphone awed the girl to an unbelievable extent. She behaved like a child who just left the house for the first time.
"Oh no, I broke it!"
Oh, she held the burger incorrectly and spilled everything on the plate. In her panic she tried reforming it but failed miserably, she even began adding her fries in it without noticing.
"I-I'm so sorry! I ruined the chef's dish!" To my horror, her eyes began watering with tears threatening to spill at any moment. The surrounding people even began giving me dirty looks, somehow thinking I was responsible for making her crying. "Please forgive me lord, for I have wasted perfectly good food!"
And now she was praying.
Good thing I wasn't a devil or else her prayers would have given me a killer headache.
I decided to help her out… again.
"Alright, alright stop your crying, Argento-san. Take my burger, I'll just put yours back together." I switched our plates and showed her the proper way to eat the meal.
She watched me in fascination as if I was in the middle of performing a magic trick.
"Muuuu!" The moment she took a bite of the burger, her eyes sparkled in delight, a radiant light appearing out of nowhere, as if to show off her innocences. With a bit of sauce on her lips she kept munching on her burger, humming in delight with each bite..
"This is so delicious! I never thought such amazing food could exist!" She grew excited after her proclomation, excitement nearly bursting from the young girl. "Thank you very much, Hikigaya-san! This is all thanks to God that I met such a kindhearted person!"
Jeeze, I never seen someone enjoy a burger this much?
"I can guess you never had a burger before, right?
She shook her head, "No I haven't, I only ate soup and bread everyday. On special occasions we would have pasta and some vegetables. Sister Bianca would always make the most delicious espagueti alfredo in town for my birthday!" Asia stated, her joy just seemed to intensify as she started to talk about this ' Sister Bianca '.
She started to eat her fries one by one. I gave her some ketchup, and was nearly blinded by her excitement.
' Is this her sacred gear?'
"You two must be close." As soon as I said that, her smile faltered a bit, showing me that I stumbled upon a sensitive subject.
"Yes… we were… " She mumbled quietly.
Shit, I need change the subject quick! "Umm, what about the pizza? I know Italy is very famous for it, surely you must have been to such places." Since she liked the subject of food, I tried to keep talking about it to get her out of this funk.
"Oh no, I always lived in the church and rarely went out. I could never leave someone in need of healing waiting just because I wanted to have some fun."
Wow, that is kind, maybe too kind in my opinion. Not many people are willing to give up their freedom to help others. Maybe this is expected from a nun.
' But still, her situation seems a bit excessive.'
After our small accident at the park, I came to know her name as Asia Argento-a nun from Italy. She asked me about needing directions to the local church, which further cemented her being the one we were looking for.
Before I could even give an answer, her stomach started to growl like a starving beast, that I thought it was Vritra for second. The poor girl became so embarrassed that she nearly fainted from both hunger and shame.
Honestly, this girl is too adorable for her own good.
I brought her to my favorite local diner, 'Restaurant Yukihira', a new place that opened about a year ago, which steadily began gaining popularity with its amazing food.
Not to mention it had a beautiful view of the Forest. Away from all the car noises and bustling people, this was an ideal place to relax and enjoy the delicious food.
Now that I think about it…
' Did I bring an unknown girl on a date before my girlfriend?' No, my mind refused to admit this as a date. There were no romantic feelings involved and this girl gave me more of the little sister vibe-just like Koneko, both are super adorable.
Man, if anyone heard me say that they think I'm creepy.
We just continued eating our meal, I reveled in the peaceful atmosphere, which I couldn't for the last few years. My mind is always preoccupied with the ongoing changes to my psyche after the incident. The growing intent on killing and destruction in general became a regular war of attrition, one side seeking to wear down and take over the other part.
I hide these facts from the girls, not wanting to reveal to them such an unnerving detail about myself. It would definitely worry them if they ever found out. The only person who knew of my case was Azazel, and I wondered if the reason he called me had anything to do with it.
I wasn't dumb, I knew the only who could definitely help me out for good was none other than Vritra. So I just needed to hold on, long enough for him to wake up.
At least that's what I previously thought.
Being near Asia made those feelings disappear for a while, no longer feeling those dark urges pressing down on me until I was crushed.
I just felt… at peace.
"Awoo!" I got cut off from my thoughts when I felt something brush against my leg.
Asia noticed my surprise, we both looked down below and noticed-
"A puppy!"
Yep beneath our table was a small dog who probably lived on the road due to the lack of any collar. It was wagging its tail at Asia while looking at her expectedly. And of course being the gentle soul she was, the nun shared some of her fries with the dog.
Not wanting her to give away everything she had and end up hungry once more, I shared some of my food as well. "May the lord bless you, Hikigaya-san! For you have shared your meal with this adorable stray." She said with a dazzling smile, making me feel self-conscious of my actions.
No, I was just making sure you don't give up all of your food instead.
As the small dog began eating my food, Asia noticed a small wound on the back of the dogs head and ears, "Oh no! It's wounded!"
Indeed it was, small blood patches stained it's fur far on the back of its head. Most likely from getting attacked by other wild animals or street dogs.
"Here, let me help you." Asia got off her chair and went on her knees as she brought the dog closer. The animal didn't resist her as he nuzzled at her touch.With her hand hovering on the dogs head, a green soothing halo of light surrounded the dog. With the two rings forming around her fingers, this green energy miraculously healed the dog's once grevious wounds in a matter of seconds.
She is using her scared gear!
I immediately scoured my brain of all the sacred gear description that matched what she was currently showing.
The healing type gear was extremely rare, in the thousands of different variations and unique gears only a very few held healing properties.
A shard of the Grail came to mind, I remember once of its effects being mending wounds and restoring life to an individual, but that wouldn't explain the two rings or the green coloured light.
It wasn't until I racked my brain even more that I finally remembered-Twilight Healing!
Yes, the green aura, the blessed ornaments-which in her case, took the form of rings. And that high speed regeneration that could heal all physical wounds.
There was no doubt in my mind.
"There, all healed." Asia rubbed the dogs on the head before it ran away, "Ah! Wait!"
Too late, the little bugger took the remaining fries before disappearing in the bushes. I never was a dog person, with my lazy attitude it would be impossible to raise one properly. With its high energy, the dog would pester me constantly for attention and force me to play with it or bring it for a walk…
Now that I think about it, wasn't Yuigahama basically one? She seemed to enjoy my headpats.
"That thing you did there…" I tried changing the topic, I wondered if she knew about the rogue Fallen's plan for her and the matter about her being abandoned. I prided myself as a good judge of character, even though it has failed me once in the past-I could read a persons character, most of the time.
This girl didn't even have an iota of evil intent or sinister plan in her being for me to grow apprehensive of. She just seem to radiate kindness and innocence like a damn beacon.
The moment I talked about her sacred gear, the glimmer in her eyes dimmed considerably. "Yes, it's the power to heal. It's a wonderful power that God gave me." She said with a fake cheerful smile-she couldn't hide her sadness from me.
"Are you not afraid that I'll report you to the police for performing magic in public? After all, this is not a normal thing you just did, no human can do that." I wanted to test her out first.
Her expression didn't change, she still looked up to me with that same pure smile, which felt wasted on me. A part of me wanted to reprimand her for being so nice to someone like me, it felt wrong receiving so much happiness and acceptance from other people.
"I do not have to worry." This feeling she gave me of peace and tranquility, did suppress the dark encroaching emotions and made me feel normal once more.
"After all,…" The pain that I stopped feeling about my deeds years ago, the guilt, the loss of Vritra and much more-began resurfacing slowly.
"… Hikigaya-san is a nice person!" She said with so much conviction and confidence as if to say that the sky was blue.
Yet, I wholeheartedly disagreed with her.
…
After our lunch, I brought the young nun for a tour around Kuoh, to make her familiar with the place.
Just like I expected, she marvelled over the most mundane of things. The street food vendors, the vending machines, the park and even watched in fascination how the kids played in the arcades.
Guessing from her origin, I was certain she never got to visit or play around in an arcade. I don't know about other countries but in Japan these things were quite common.
I brought her to the game center, we played around the racing games with Asia treating it like a real life driving simulator.
"Ah-ah! I can't go so fast, it's above the speed limit!"
"Oh no! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hit you!"
"Ahhhh! I'm going so fast, Hikigaya-san!"
"Lord forgive me for my reckless driving!"
"Huuuuuu, please help me Hikigaya-san." I couldn't help it and burst out laughing. I couldn't believe there existed someone so innocent and pure in the world. She's absolutely adorable!
Even when playing Road fighters, she would apologize to me for every hit she gave me. Everybody around constantly gave us weird looks. Seeing a teenage kid playing a beat up game with a remorseful nun was a weird sight.
When I went to exchange more coins, I couldn't find her in our last spot. Searching around for a bit, I saw her standing in front of a crane game.
'I went through enough dates in eroges and anime to know where this was going .' Even Rias would be proud of my way of thinking in this flag route.
"Is there something you want?" I said while showing off the bag full of coins.
"Hau! N-No… I-It's nothing." She tries to hide it. "You have done enough, Hikigaya-san. I don't want to waste more of your money and I'll promise to repay you back."
Young lady, if I ever demanded money from someone like you, I would literally punch myself in the face till I beat the douche out of me.
When I looked inside the crane game there was a pile of two different dolls-"Garf-kun" and "Rache-kun". The latter was a cute mascot based on a mouse. If I remember correctly, this character came from Japan but it's popular worldwide.
The other was a chubby looking cat with bored eyes and a fat belly.
"Asia, do you like Rache-kun?"
"Eh? N-No, t-that is not…"
Asia's face gets red, and she tilts her head downwards shyly. "I want Garf-kun…"
The fat bored looking cat? Sure why not, each girl has their own taste, I guess. "Okay. I will get it for you!"
"Eh? B-But… !"
"It's okay, I will get it." If anyone thought I would waste the entire coin purse on this damn machine couple with my horrible luck, they were damn wrong.
"Oi, Takagi!" I called out one of the people who worked here. His name was written on the badge so it was easy to call him out.
"Can I help you?"
"Listen, my luck sucks and I don't trust crane games in general cause we all know they are a scam. So I want to buy one of those the fat cat plushies." I told him straight, Asia was too distracted with the plushies to hear me out.
"I'm sorry sir, but you'll have to win-"
"20,000 Yen." I may have lost nearly all of my money with those phoenix tears bottle but I still had enough money to be considered well off.
"Uh-um, sir I-I don't think-"
"50,000 Yen." Why was I wasting so much money on a girl I just met today? I don't know, but my conscience refused to let her down.
"Ah-ah… sir ple-please." The poor guy began sweating nervously, but he was at his breaking point.
"80,000 Yen, no one will know about this, and you can keep the extra money to yourself while dumping the rest in the freaking machine." I gave him an ultimatum.
In the end the man broke under the pressure and opened the glass box of the crane.
"You can pick whatever plush you want, Asia."
She immediately snatched a Garf-kun plushie and held it close to her chest. "Thank you very much, Hikigaya-san. I will take care of this doll."
"Hey, if a plushie like that makes you happy, then I'll get you more next time." I could probably buy out their entire stock if I wanted.
Hey, don't look at me like that, this is what happens when you hang out with a redhead who has no concept of money and is super rich-you become like her in the end.
She shook her head.
"No, this Garf-kun that you gave me represents the wonderful day I met you. It also reminds me of you, Hikigaya-san."
Are you calling me a lazy fat cat?
In the end, I let that comment slide, she genuinely loved the plush and for me-that was more than enough.
…
After we were done having fun at the game center, I made sure to contact Kalawarna on Asia's living arrangements. She still doesn't know that the church no longer existed, so she would obviously need a place to sleep.
I got her confirmation a few seconds later, she would meet us soon enough and escort Asia to her new home.
"It's already evening? We played in the center for hours!" Asia said in surprise as we left the area.
"Ha! You kept giving away those coins we had left to those children, it's your fault they all invited us to play along." On top of being a pure hearted angel, Asia was also a bleeding heart. For every prize she won, she would give it away to a small kid who didn't win.
She gave away everything except for her Garf-kun plushie which she still kept holding onto tightly.
"It is my duty as a nun to help the young ones in any way I can." She said with a ernest smile, like it was natural for her to do this.Sniff
My head whipped around to Asia only to find her starting to cry. Tears rolled down her face as her shoulders kept shaking.
"Asia, what's wrong!" I called her by her first name, but I didn't care about that. "Why are you crying?"
I gently brought her closer and gave her a hug like I used to do with Komachi when she used to be a small kid. I brought her to a nearby bench, and she calmed down after my efforts of comforting her.
"D-do I deserve such ha-happiness?" She asked, her voice still broken from her crying.
"Of course you do, why are you asking such a ridiculous thing?" I asked her, using my handkerchief to wipe her tears.
After a moment of silence, she told me a story about the girl who was once called the "Holy Maiden".
In a certain region in Europe, there was a girl who was discarded by her parents at such a young age that she couldn't even remember them.
She was raised in an Italian Church nearby, by a nun along with other orphans.
Ever since a young age, the girl was a devout follower of the God. She never missed a prayed, always adhered to his teachings and remained consistent with her lifestyle-always being grateful for what she had. And to the surprise of everyone, she awakened one of the lord's gifts at the age of 8.
Just like today, she healed a wounded puppy, and a person from the Catholic Church witnessed it by chance.
From there on, her life changed.
The girl was taken to the main Catholic Church and she was symbolised by many as a "Holy Maiden" because of her healing power.
She used her power to heal many believers and they were told it was a power of divine protection.
Rumours brought rumours and she was respected as a "Holy Maiden".
Even without her approval, she never thought of herself as someone important-she only wished to help people.
She had no dissatisfaction for how she was treated. People from the Church were kind and she didn't hate healing people. She gained happiness from healing others.
The girl was thankful to her power which was bestowed to her by God.
But she was a bit lonely.
She didn't have any friends she could open up to, her title placed her on a pedestal.
Everyone treated her nicely and was nice to her. But there was no one willing to become her friend. Even Sister Bianca treated her respectfully, but never as a friend.
She understood why.
She knew that they were looking at her power as something irregular.
They didn't look at her as a human but as a creature that could heal humans.
But one day, it changed.
By coincidence, there was a Devil nearby who was terribly wounded.
The girl couldn't ignore it and she healed the devil
She thought that even if it was a Devil, she had to heal it if it was injured. People are people in the end, no matter their race-she would always help them.
It was her kindness that made her take such an action.
But that changed her life forever.
One of the people from the Church saw that incident and notified others of the Church.
The ministers of the Church were shocked about it.
"A power that can heal Devils!"
"Something absurd like that cannot happen!"
"The power of healing can only heal the followers of God!"
Yes, there were several people who had the power to heal.
But the power to heal the Devil was out of the question. The people of the Church thought it was common sense that the power of healing doesn't work on Fallen Angels and Devils.
Apparently, a similar incident had happened in the past.
The power to heal Fallen Angels and Devils that were not protected by God. But that was feared as the power of a "Witch".
So the people saw her as a heretic.
"Damn witch can heal Devils!"
The girl who was respected as a Holy Maiden was then feared as a "Witch" and the Catholic Church abandoned her.
She didn't have anywhere to go and the organisation of "Stray Exorcists" picked her up.
In other words, she had to get divine protection from the Fallen Angels.
But the girl never forgot to pray to God. She also never forgot to thank God.
Even so, the girl was abandoned.
God didn't save her.
What shocked her the most was that there was not even a single person in the Church that was willing to defend her.
There was no one who cared about her.
"… It's because I didn't pray enough. It's because I'm clumsy. I'm so stupid that I can't even eat a burger by myself."
The girl, Asia, wiped her tears while letting out a laugh, but it sounded so broken and empty. A far cry from the girl who was enjoying herself a few hours ago.
' I'm going to kill them all.'
My blood boiled in rage, the madness which I usually kept at bay began surging like never before. Even with her presence by my side, I let that feeling crawl into me, inviting it's hatred and will to destroy.
Unbeknownst to me, the red crystal-like sphere which I once saw deep in my soul, began shaking.
A familiar violet sheen of light emerged from it's cracked crevices. Even deeper in my soul, in the phantasmal plane of existence where all sacred spirits resided, a giant snake like dragon who was asleep for years-showed signs stirred in its sleep.
Just as my anger was about to reach its peak-I felt her hand on my shoulders.
I n an instant, my anger was snuffed away like a candle in a snowstorm, making me cool down considerably. The madness itself was purified till it retreated back into the deepest corner of my being.
I felt like I've been taken out of a cold and deep ocean, and have the sun warm me up
"There is no need to be angry for me, Hikigaya-san." Said Asia, who probably noticed my anger but did not realise how close I was to loosing it.
I should.
"I do not deserve such a treatment."
You are wrong, you deserve so much more.
"I am a witch, I commited a grave sin, enough for the lord to abandon me."
Then I'll force him to acknowledge you again and make them apologize.
"I am a bad person."
Then, what am I?
Flap!
"Delete Field…"
My wings materialized behind my back, much to the shock of Asia.
"You call yourself a witch? A sinner and a bad person? Then let me, a monster, tell you otherwise."
I took her hand, without an ounce of protest on her part and began the process of teleporting somewhere far away.
"A-Ano, you have a sacred gear as well?" Asia spoke, her voice awed by my wings.
"Yes, and I'll show you how wrong you are." After my location was set, the black magic circle enveloped both of us.
…
In a few seconds we found ourselves at a place surrounded by thousands of graves. All circling a huge memorial monument made of stone.
"Wha-where are we?" Asia wondered, staring at me with worry. Probably at the blank look on my face.
"Paris."
Chapter 31, 32, 33 and 34 are already available on my p@treon with 5th chapter to soon be available. at / NimtheWriter
You can read next chapter for a buck and get access to the rest weeks early.
Also I'm planning to also post early access Broly chapter for my second story.
Want to be my friend?
Hiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
This is the true chapter 31, I removed the Beta reader post thus reducing the number of 'chapters'.
Sorry for the delay, I had to finish up chapter 35-which is about 9k words total… so yeah it was a pain.
Also serious talk: The review section has been going mad these last few days, lots of people insulting others. This is NOT okay and I wish y'all to chill. If this goes on, I'll be forced to moderate or disable guest reviews, which I don't want to.
I get losts of positive reviews and encouragement from them, Hachiman fan is a regular and I always look forward to his reviews and long texts-its fun to read. But if this goes then I'll have no choice.
Aside that, I want to thank my new patrons! : Nabi, Helios, Velden 9 and Mario Alvarado Jr. Y'all rock!
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary and Yakagi.
- Paris, Memorial site-
-Hachiman POV-
The cold, chilling air remained the same.
The once downtown neighborhood crowded with apartment complexes was now a giant field of grass, with trees closing off the area from the outside.
In the middle of the field was built a large monument that resembled an obelisk-each of its walls carved with the names of all who have died in this tragedy.
Surrounding the monument were thousands of gravestones. Coupled with the quiet atmosphere, it made for quite an eerie sight.
One wouldn't be wrong to assume this was a memorial for fallen soldiers or something, as the theme looked very similar to one. Though they would be in disbelief if they came to know about how all of these people died in a single day.
Many of my victims weren't humans-according to Azazel, a majority of those who died were supernatural beings who lived in pocket dimension rooms. To put it simply, with the help of magic and runes, a giant space could be built connected to a doorway.
A single door could lead to a small village-sized dimension and unfortunately, there were many such constructions in the destroyed area.
"This is… " Asia looked at the scenery in shock and sadness. Of course, she would know about it, this tragedy was broadcasted all around the world.
"Yes, these are all those who have died during the ' Black Night ', they all disappeared without a single trace. Not a single one of these tombs has their remains." Aside from some family members who buried their loved ones' related objects.
"This is horrible." The young nun said quietly as she began offering a prayer to the deceased.
I sat slumped down against a nearby tree, not wanting to disturb her-I waited.
"Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine"
I tuned her voice out of my head as I closed my eyes and rested for the next few moments.
"et lux perpetua luceat eis."
Every year, I would come here just to sit at this exact spot. For the entire day, I would constantly rethink my actions at that time; how I could have handled the situation differently back then. I had come to know many answers, yet it was too late-the past wouldn't change.
"Requiescant in pace"
I wondered if she'll hate me or see me as a monster after I reveal to her the truth. It didn't help with her presence suppressing the madness inside me, I began feeling down once more-my emotions kept bubbling on the surface.
"Amen."
At least with her hating me, she'll no longer see herself as a witch or a sinner. Taking out her resentment on me would do her some good.
"You're done with your prayer?" I asked.
"Yes, I… I just wish they're in a better place right now. Even with the Lord no longer by my side, I wish them nothing but happiness in the afterlife."
They did deserve peace.
"But… Why did you bring me here?"
Here it comes. I don't know why I was so nervous, I could feel my palms sweating from anxiety. I felt like I was going to do something I would regret.
It must be because I was afraid to be judged once more.
To calm myself down, I resorted to doing something which I hadn't done for years…
One of my 108 skills, ' Stone face'.
I felt a bit embarrassed about resorting to such an old habit, but it did help me relax a bit.
"Remember when I told you I showed you my sacred gear?" She nodded her head, eyes filled with confusion.
I willed my wings back, again-making Asia gasp in awe once more. But I didn't stop there, with the rest of my gear, [ Delete Field] formed into a chest plate, accompanied by the black fog which kept trying to form the rest of the armor but continuously broke down.
"This is [ Delete Field], and I am the one responsible for the death of everyone here."
And so I told her everything.
From the time Jeanne and I first met, to the part when I lost control or last gave control to Vritra. I detailed every step of the way, even including her betrayal and how she ran away.
I even added the part on how I felt during the entire time, my dark times to my wishes of dying.
Surprisingly, I felt more comfortable after revealing everything. I didn't feel as sad or frustrated as I thought I would be. This helped me realize why people always say to have someone to talk to.
Don't get me wrong, I did talk to Akeno about most of my problems, but I always kept some parts hidden for her sake. I never felt it to be appropriate to have someone else share my burdens, especially with someone I hold dear to my heart.
But here I wasn't sharing my pain with someone else. Instead, I was lessening theirs. This wasn't a measuring contest, where the person who suffered the most was right. Everyone experienced pain and traumatic events differently-in Asia's case, her pain of being labeled as a witch and abandoned by her own home was probably as painful as the time I was at my lowest.
I just wished for her to realize that she wasn't a witch. And that compared to the rest of the world, her actions were pure and innocent-devoid of any malicious intentions and selfishness.
After all, isn't that what a saint is supposed to be?
I didn't expect Asia to feel a sense of schadenfreude while hearing my story. It just wasn't in her nature.
The poor girl cried and began hugging me while constantly praying for me and apologizing.
"I-I'm so sor-sorry for the pain you had to go through, Hi-Hikigaya-san."
"Ple-Please don't hate yourself, for you a-are not to be blamed!"
I appreciated her words, but this wasn't about me, "Thanks. Just like you shared with me your story, I shared mine with you…" I made her stop crying by showing off the least creepy smile I could muster.
"… life is unfair; people will go through any length to keep their powers and authority intact. You received the gift of healing not just to heal the followers of the church, but to heal everyone. The Twilight spirit granted its blessings on all those who asked for help; may they be evil or just, the spirit never turned anyone down-for who else needs healing the most, if not for the damned."
I knew a bit of a story about her gear's spirit-it was a fae which was said to be born as a Riverside spirit. It healed all those it stumbled upon, its powers reminiscent of the soft glowing light from the sky when the sun is below the horizon.
I guess at one point it got sealed in a gear.
"Those in authority lied about your power for they wanted to keep it to themselves-to create an image of absolute devotion to God. Having you suddenly heal a devil was like you threatening their authority, so they abandoned you." At least that was the explanation that I found to be logical.
"Bu-but God wouldn't ever do such a thing!" She denied my statement fervently.
"Remember, I am talking about the people who manage the church, not God. While we may never know why he didn't intervene, we can still search for an answer. And who knows, you'll probably be forgiven as well."
"Do you seek forgiveness as well, Hikigaya-san?" She asked. "For the Lord is forgiving, it is clear that you regret this ever happening, it wasn't your fault…"
To be honest, I don't know to whom I should even apologize first. The people were dead. Their souls are long gone, leaving behind nothing. If I wanted forgiveness, where would I even search for it?
"I guess I do… but to whom exactly? This is a lost cause, an endless pursuit of something I don't deserve… I can't do this." I didn't have the will to do it, what would I say to the souls if I ever had the chance to apologize? ' Hey I killed you all by accident, it wasn't intentional so please forgive me?'
What a joke.
"Then let's try to find out!" Asia jumped in front of me with a fire burning in her eyes. "We'll find what we seek for-together!"
Heh, she was funny. But then again, I couldn't exactly say no to that face.
There was no harm in doing it. I would play the role if it motivated her to do the same.
A simple goal for the girl, I'll help her along the way until she finds her own path.
"Aside from forgiveness, what do you want in life, Asia?" I slipped with her name again.She went all silent, all of sudden. Her face grew increasingly red. She mumbled something under her breath but I couldn't hear it, so I asked her to repeat it louder.
"I-I al-also wa-want to b-be friends with you!" She said while bidding her face behind her hands.
Ahh~ she was embarrassed.
Well, at least there is a wish I could grant her without any issue.
"That's easy. Sister Asia Argento, did you wish to become friends with a barely stable idiot like me?" I asked her jokingly, but to my surprise, she gave her most serious face and answered with confidence.
"Yes! I want you to become my first friend and I wish to have more friends in the future as well!"
She'll get along well with my friends back in Kuoh, I'll just need to keep her away from Aika. Rias would probably try to get close to her first before trying to recruit her. When the time comes, I'll leave that decision to Asia.
Koneko would get along nicely with her, Asia will probably try to play the big sister role; Kiba, the ever polite guy will treat her like he treats everyone; Akeno on the other hand was a wild card-just like with Aika, I'll have to be careful with her.
For the first time, I left the memorial-not with a heavy heart filled with guilt-but with a smile on my face.
{ Break }
- Kuoh -
"Ano… "
We teleported back to Kuoh, and I promised to bring her to the church, so here we are. And I just remembered something that I forgot to mention to her a-tiny little detail about the abandoned church she was looking for.
"Hachiman-san" By becoming friends with me, I forced her to call me by my first name.
"Yes?" I said innocently, acting all clueless.
"Where is the church?"
Instead of finding a church, we found a big empty field filled with construction workers and a number of machines laying over a foundation on the ground.
I guess Rias did take my little advice seriously and decided to build something-what it was, I don't know.
"… A white dragon destroyed it." Which was true and that white dragon just so happened to be a psychotic battle maniac who was held down by a leash thanks to Azazel, or else he would have turned Kuoh into a desert.
Oh, and he also happens to dress like an edgy emo teen with some daddy issues.
"Eh?"
… I feel a disturbance in the force.
I felt a pair of arms wrapped around my neck, pulling me into something that I could only describe as heavenly. I felt their hands roaming my body. While blushing, I knew only one person that would greet me like this, and so I quickly pulled myself away-before I fell into her trap.
I turned around and was greeted by the evil temptress, Kalawarna. I was immediately pulled into the soft valleys as she spun us around in joy.
"Darling! I missed you so much! Did you miss me?! Of course you did!" Exclaimed Kala.
Poor Asia's face was bright red; I could feel her embarrassment from here.
I tried to break free and tell this woman what for, but she had a strong grip on me.
'She is a Fallen, after all.' Though inside I knew I could easily break free from her, my consciousness was scared of hurting her by accident. She was just being her regular teasing self, I didn't need to overreact.
Kala finally stopped spinning us around, I was so close from getting a headache and vomiting the burger I just ate. "Someone is happy."
Though she always acted like this, today her affection was a bit too strong.
"Just wanted to thank you for not killing Ray and the others," Kala said gratefully.
Oh right, I forgot she used to be part of Raynare's patrol group before. It felt uncomfortable, knowing that if Azazel hadn't changed her position, she could have easily been the one in Raynare's place… or severely mutilated due to Vali's rampage.
Guess you must always appreciate the smaller things in life. She may be annoying from time to time with her teasing and all, but I did enjoy the small moments we had between us.
"They still mean a lot to you, don't they."Just when I was about to break free once more, she let me go and planted a kiss on my cheek.
"Of course they do, Raynare may have her quirks, but she does indeed care for her subordinates-not the humans, mind you." She added that last part quickly. And yes, I did notice her dislike for humans. "I was a low ranked Fallen back, a recently tainted naïve angel who had nowhere to go, Raynare brought me to the Grigori. Back then, many newly Fallen angels were hunted down by both devils and exorcists. If she hadn't been there… I would have most likely been hunted and killed." Even after literal centuries after the event, Kalawarna still shudders at her past memories and how close she came to die back then.
"Guess she is not a complete bitch after all, that Raynare." She cared about Kala at least, and that prevented her from earning my ire, despite her comment about my infamous moniker.
"Fufufu~ No, she still is a bitch. Did you know, back then I was a very innocent lady? A bit like this little kitten over here." Kala gave a side hug to the frozen Asia, somehow making the poor girl nearly faint once again.
"We got along quite well, me and Raynare, to the point that we even formed a romantic relationship back in the days."
Oho, that was news to me, "So you and Raynare were-"
"-Girlfriends? A couple? Sort of. It would be more accurate to call us friends with benefits. Even back then, Raynare held feelings for Azazel-sama; she just hung around with me to relieve some stress." Kala explained to me more of her past, which I never knew before. It made me wonder if she still held on to some feelings for Raynare. "To be honest, I'm glad she came on to me, or else I wouldn't have discovered the real me." She said as I felt her bite my ear in a similar way to Akeno.
' Oh no…' Her true nature was that of a sadist.
Also…
An Asia version of Kala? That's an amazing sight to think about.
I had to stop myself from imagining her in a tight nun outfit, otherwise I might get a nosebleed-and she might see an embarrassing sight.
I could see Asia covering her flushed face, the girl kept praying while secretly sneaking glances at us by peeking through her fingers.
' This girl…'
Deciding to ignore her for the moment, I turn to look at Kala.
If I were to describe her new appearance, it would be an S class swimsuit model. She was wearing a red top that was straining from the weight, and a red string thong with a long light red see-through skirt. She had a pair of stylish light brown sandals. I noticed that she had a dark tan as I looked her over.
She looks pretty well tanned.
' Guess she enjoyed that trip to Hawaii, it wasn't cheap for me.'
Kala noticed me staring at her, and pulled close to her once again. She leaned down to the side of my face, feeling her breath caress my ear, and whispered "If you want, I can let you get a good look at how tan I've gotten in my private chambers~"
This woman won't ever stop with her teasing.
"Did you just honestly teleport in the middle of Kuoh, in your freaking swimsuit!?"
"Of course!" Kala said cheerfully.
"A-Ano?" Asia gathered up enough courage to speak up, "Wh-who might this be?"
Much to my happiness, Kala finally let me go. She reached up inside her cleavage and retrieved a small card and handed it to the flustered nun. "Kalawarna, secretary of this guy here and your new roommate! Also, I'm a Fallen!" She followed up her claim by showing off her black wings.
"A Fallen!?" Asia exclaimed in surprise.
Did she just not hear my conversation with Kala about her past as a Fallen?
"Yes, it has come to our attention that the group you were supposed to join, had in fact, gone rogue. But don't worry, they have been apprehended and your case was personally looked into by Azazel-sama himself. For now, you are granted a permanent stay in Kuoh, and a sweet apartment complex where we can both have fun together!"
It was fun seeing Asia so lost and confused.
I wished her good luck, and dear God she would need it, living with Kala can be… frustrating.
{ Break}
- Underworld -
In a large castle within the Lucifaad city, a single loud roar of anger emanated from behind its walls.
"Those useless birds!" Another loud sound of glass shattering resounded in the dining hall as a single dark green-haired man screamed in frustration. "They couldn't even complete a simple task!"
"She was supposed to be mine!" A raging Diodora Astaroth screamed as he threw pieces of silverware and furniture everywhere in the room. His peerage members remained at the side, immobile with a broken and hollow look. Their eyes no longer held any form of life within them.
"This must be a lie! There is no way I will be denied from her!" The boy flared his demonic power even more, not caring whether he would hurt his peerage members or not.
"Hikigaya Hachiman…"
In his hand was a crumpled up picture of Hachiman sharing a meal with Asia. Just seeing this picture alone sent Diodora Astaroth into a hysterical fit of rage.
"I will have what is mine!"
Chapter 32, 33, 34 and 35 are available on my p@treon and early access to this story and my Dragon Ball Broly x Fairy tail one.
Guests
Hiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Damn I let myself go and ended up writing 7k words for chapter 36.
I have also finished planning out the upcoming arc thanks to my beta readers.
Also, I would like to thank my newest patrons: Tuan Tran, Jose Bautista and Broly LSSJ! Y'all rock!!
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi.
-Kuoh Academy-
- Hachiman POV-
There were not many things that scared me in life.
No, I didn't mean that I was fearless, I meant it more like I grew experienced on how to deal with them. Deadly strays? I can get rid of them easily. A psycho exorcist? Already took care of him. A certain white dragon? I know when to pick my fights.
What I truly feared was… failing.
But today, I found out that another fear soon formed within me.
"Hikigaya!"
And the cause of my new fear was closing in on me at a rapid speed. Running so fast that he left a comically large dust of wind, creating chaos everywhere. The girls ran away screaming as they saw the bull-like creep with red eyes approaching their direction.
' God damn it, Issei .' I sighed at my misfortune. After dealing with Asia's case, I had completely forgotten about Hyoudou Issei and his own personal case. You can't really blame me-that night with Akeno, my heart-to-heart with Asia, and Kalawarna's incisive flirting-my brain was just overwhelmed.
"Fufufu, he certainly is fond of you," Akeno said, standing by my side after picking her up for school.
"Don't say it out loud, Aika might be nearby and hear it." I would be damned if I'm at any point shipped with Issei.
I can definitely do better than that guy.
I sighed exasperatedly.
Looking at Akeno, even with what happened last night, she behaved the same as always. While she didn't seem at all flustered or shy in any way from what had transpired the night prior, I stiffened up to the slightest of her touch.
"I won't let you get rid of me this time, you bastard!!!!" Issei screamed like a madman filled with a deeply rooted grudge. "I got you now!"
I didn't bother moving and kept staring at him with my deadpan look, while Akeno just watched everything from the sidelines like it was nothing more than a comedic gag.
' I won't use too much streng-'
Crash !
Just as he was about to catch me-and be on the receiving end of a knee kick-two wooden shinais suddenly appeared beside me and smashed the boy in his face, sending him flying away.
' Well, that's convenient.'
A familiar pink haired girl accompanied by her brunette best friend stood guard in front of me.
Murayama and Katase.
"Don't you dare try and even get near Hachiman-kun and Himejima-sama with your perverted germs!" Katase shouted in fury as she glared at Issei, before turning her attention to me. "Oh, Hachiman-kun are you okay? You didn't get hurt by this pervert, right?" She asked all worried, a stark contrast to her earlier attitude.
If she had done so in front of my old self, that Hachiman would have certainly been put off or disgusted by her two-faced persona. A two-trait character that she switched in between with a flick of a light switch. I would have called her a fake bitch before, but now I just treated her attitude with an eye roll.
Murayama on the other hand went to Akeno, where she was thanked by the latter. Honestly, from her expression and flushed face just by being near Akeno, I was worried she would get a nosebleed or even faint.
' Her crush couldn't be any more obvious…' I noted dryly.
While we were officially a couple to our friends and devils, most of the school wasn't aware of it. We never confirmed it or brought it out to the public. Allso, if everybody knew about it, I would lose the peaceful atmosphere that I worked so hard for to achieve.
And trust me, many would not like the idea of us being together. Even if I was somewhat liked due to the deeds of my club, Akeno and Rias absolutely surpasses me in that aspect. The entirety of the school population literally fawned over them like they were popular K-pop idols. The sheer possibility of a yandere coming after my life was very real and honestly quite terrifying!
So I just let people like Murayama try to gain her attention. It didn't bother me. Why would it? I wasn't insecure about the relationship we had, and Akeno would surely fry anyone who tried to force things.
"Uh… thanks for the save… I guess? He wasn't trying to hurt me." I didn't want to worsen the kid's already infamous reputation. "Hope you didn't hit him that hard."
Crouching beside the knocked-out Issei, I poked his cheeks with a nearby branch to see if he was alive.
"Don't worry! Usually, when he and his friends peek during club practice, we use way more force than this and they somehow survive."
Please try to not kill your fellow students, no matter how much they deserve what's coming to them.
Akeno soon joined my side, clearly amused watching me poke Issei. "Now now, Hachi, we should bring him to Rias's clubroom. I'm sure he still has a lot of questions left unanswered."
I can already guess that he'll ask questions about Raynare, or Amano Yuuma as he so adamantly believes her to be.
The Fallens were fine, still held up in their cage down below my house, they'll have to wait until I have my talk with Azazel-who I'll be having a meeting with after school. The old crow sent Vali of all people to pass the message, so either it must be extremely important or the old bastard is trying to screw with me.
It was most likely both.
"I'll take him there, " I said with a sigh, letting go of the twig which was probing Issei's nose, "Also I had some things I wanted to talk about with Rias, so might as well take this opportunity to do so." I wanted to talk to her about Asia and allow the girl to enter the school. She wanted to make friends, and school is the perfect place for that.
"…"
Wow, did I just put the words 'school' and 'friends' in a single sentence in a positive manner? Ha! Hiratsuka-sensei would burst out laughing before telling me that I did a good job.
… I still miss her sometimes. I really do.
"Again, thank you for the help Katase, and you too Murayama. I'll join for practice today, but it won't be for long, unfortunately. I have some… important business to attend to later." I said to the girls before carrying Issei on my shoulders and making my way to the Occult Research Club.
Akeno kept gazing at the retreating figure of her boyfriend as she saw him walking away towards her clubroom, where a lone Rias was located.
"This will be interesting."
…
I could feel the uncomfortable stares from the female population.
Me, carrying an unconscious Issei off to a nondescript area would surely set their imaginations into overdrive. I could feel their dark desires and the nefarious BL fantasies write themselves within their minds. Turning my head around a couple of times, I tried spotting a hidden Aika in the wild who would most likely take pictures and start selling them to the female student body.
"Oh? If it ain't Hikigaya!" To my surprise, I saw Tsubasa Yura walk out of the old building where Rias's club was located. "That's an interesting package you're carrying there." She motioned at Issei, looking amused by the scene rather than weirded out by a guy carrying another guy like a sack of potatoes.
This girl is too chill most of the time, but I can respect that.
"Yo, Tsubasa, how're you doing?" I greeted her casually. "Also ignore him, he was just being an idiot again."
We didn't talk much. As a newly recruited member of Sona's peerage, I really haven't gotten many chances to interact with her.
From my first impressions of her, the girl was a hard worker and an honest person. She reminded me of myself, always trying to get better and doesn't really care about her image. She really was a textbook tomboy ikemen.
She even kept getting love letters from the female population!
"I'm fine, I just came to drop off some supplies in the storage room. Hey, I heard from Kaichou that you're someone who likes to train a lot, so do ya want to join me once in a while? Would be nice to have a training partner; the others are too lazy to join me." Tsubasa proposed, hoping to have a training buddy.
I had time. I don't know if it'll be any time soon, but surely I could do a few laps with her. I never stopped my training, especially when my sacred gear growth halting to a complete stop without Vritra, I had to rely on my own capabilities to not fall behind the others. The Vajra techniques were a good alternative, but basic stuff like stamina and endurance was still important.
"Sure, when?"
"Before school hours, at about five." She said after thinking about it for a minute, not seeing my bewildered look.
So early!? No wonder the others didn't want to join her!
I nearly dropped Issei when I cringed at the idea of waking up so early! I was a night owl, all of my intense workouts always started late at night when it was calm and peaceful. ' She is my natural enemy!' These early risers were the bane of my existence, Akeno included.
"I'll let you know when I'm free, okay?" I neither rejected, nor accepted her proposal-a perfectly neutral response. A universally used answer for those who just wanted to say ' no ' politely.
"Great! I'll wait for you on Saturday in front of the school!" She said cheerfully before jogging away.
What?
"Oi, wait I didn't say ye-and she's gone." Why is this morning such a pain? And why is every woman in my life out to get me? I couldn't have been a terrible person in my last life.
Leaving this conversation out of my head, I entered the building and made my way to Rias's clubroom.
Knock Knock
Crash
As soon as I knocked on the door, I heard a crash noise coming from inside, followed by the sound of frantic movements and a surprised squeak.
"Rias!"
I didn't hesitate to burst open the door-my strength nearly snapping off its hinges. I called out my sacred gear, ready to cast [ Delete Field] and take down any possible enemies. I don't know who on earth was stupid enough to attack her in broad daylight but they'll have learned a lesson from me soon.
Don't mess with my friends!
As I entered the room, expecting there to be broken furniture, blood, or even the enemy itself-but I found none of that. Everything was in perfect condition, there were no traces of conflict or intrusion anywhere.
It wasn't until I turned my attention to Rias that I noticed something… off about her.
"Rias, are you feeling well?" I asked.
Her face was completely red as if she had gone through a long session in a sauna. On top of that, she was sweating like crazy-her sweat dripping down her face, drenching her clothes making them see-through, showing off part of her black lingerie. Her once well cared for crimson hair was now a huge mess as if she had just come from a huge fight; her heaving breaths was also worrying.
"O-oh, Ha-Hachi-ku-Hachiman! It's good to see you!" She said with a flustered tone.
"…"
It was clear that she was panicking, trying to hide something from me. She looks exactly like a kid caught stealing cookies from the jar.
Her table was a mess, seemingly important were sprawled haphazardly all over the place-looking exactly like a certain teacher's desk I once knew of.
"We just saw each other yesterday… what happened?" She was acting too weird to be normal. Granted, Rias was a genuine clutz-she would often have her moments and be laughed at by Akeno and the others. "Like seriously, you look like a mess."
But this felt different…
"O-oh, i-it's nothing, hahaha, I was just too caught up in my work all day and I just came back from my training. My brother gave me some advice on how to advance my Power of Destruction to another level. So don't worry, it's not something bad!" Rias said while trying to organise her desk, doing her best to fix her skirt.
"You know, being the little sister of the current Prince of Lies, I expected something better from you… this is just embarrassing."
I narrowed my eyes in suspicion, making her fidget under my gaze. This girl, even while being a devil, was a horrible liar. I could be critical in my observation but not gullible to such a simple lie. The delicate silence that followed, coupled with her aversion to looking at me in the eyes, was a clear indicator that she wanted to move on with the conversation. ' Something funny is going on here.'
Not wanting to crack this case, I just acted as nothing happened and brought Issei in. I kept my gaze on her eyes, I would have noticed that they were looking down my waist.
"Why is Hyoudou Issei here?" She asked curiously, her face redder for some reason.
"Got beaten up by Murayama and Katase for being an idiot." I brought the boy to the sofa and placed him there untill he would wake up later. "I'll leave him up to you. I don't know when he'll wake up or if he even does, I just don't have time for him today. Answer his questions, don't talk too much about Raynare, basically just do whatever you feel is right." I won't be his babysitter, the guy needed to get a hold of reality soon enough and move on with his life.
Rias was a good person to talk to. Even if she was a bad liar, she was a hell of a capable temptress. "You're going to turn him into a devil? I know you still have some pawns, a knight, a bishop, and a rook. From what Koneko told me, the boy has a dragon-based sacred gear-probably [ Twice Critical] with his small magical reserves. Something like that may seem weak, but can be quite powerful when rightfully used." I doubted the boy could reach such a level by himself without the devil's enhancement. His powers and magic reservoirs were so minuscule, that it barely existed. Even newborn babies have better magical power than him!
' At least, I found someone shittier than me.' I thought to myself sarcastically.
"Who knows, you might even get the legendary red dragon, [ Boosted Gear ]. He will fit perfectly in your peerage, with you being known as the Crimson Ruin Princess. Hehehe, a match made in hell." I said jokingly, not noticing the frown on Rias's face.
The girl obviously didn't like some of the things mentioned.
I still had my doubts about the whole devil peerage system. It has its flaws, but it wasn't necessarily a cruel form of slavery when paired with a good king. There existed far more sinister and evil ways to bind someone in this world-the peerage system didn't even come close to some of those-and yes, that's even including the existence of strays. Heck, I don't even need to go so far, even human society had its own forms of slavery hidden in plain sight.
Becoming a corporate slave may seem like a simple thing but many are forced to work in tasks beyond their capabilities-pushing some to give up on life. Even beyond corporate slavery, modern slavery was still very much a thing that exists-it's all around us, with people forced to work in all kinds of fields and end up being severely exploited. To those people, becoming a devil would be equivalent to true freedom-even when knowing about all of its downsides, they would surely do it in a heartbeat.
Slave trading still persists to this day in the black market, for crying out loud!
In the supernatural world, the practice of soul exchange still existed, though it has become a bit rare in these modern times. Magicians regularly forge soul-binding contracts and trap innocent people and use them for experiments.
"So what do you think? A dragon's sacred gear is a boon any team would vy for. And I'm sure if you promise him a harem, he'll accept the offer without hesitation. A single pawn would suffice, maybe two if I'm proven wrong." Of course, he'll have the freedom of choice in the end. If he so desires to keep his humanity, then Rias will have no choice but to comply-otherwise, there'll be a new devil in Kuoh.
Rias on the other hand didn't seem as eager as I'd thought she would be. If this was another reality, the heiress would have jumped on the chance of having a dragon-based sacred gear in her group. She would have probably converted him when the actions of the rogue Fallens, turning him into a devil on his deathbed.
But she hesitated…
Looking inside her box, where the rest of her remaining chess pieces were kept, she eyed the neatly arranged pawn pieces and the other ones as well. Her eyes darted from the pieces to me and back to the box, going back and forth a couple of times.
"Unfortunately… these pieces are reserved for someone else…" Rias said while I stole some of Koneko's hidden SUPER coffee stash.
"…"
The sound of me popping a can of coffee broke through the silence, as I took a sip before giving Rias a side stare. "You're still trying to get me to join?" I was met with a slight nod.
"Honestly, for you to think I am strong enough for your entire pawn collection is very flattering. You don't need to save up for me-with your growing power and my shitty talent in magic and half-asleep sacred gear, even a single pawn is already too much for me." I said self-deprecatingly.
"That's not true!" Rias stood up in anger while slamming her hands on her table, nearly destroying it with her flaring power. "Don't you realise how strong you are!? Out of everyone I know, only you train every day and come up with all kinds of spells, despite your lack of talent in magic! Where you stand currently in terms of power is more than enough to be worth more than a couple of pawns, and I'll be damned on wasting my chance on having you by my side over some boy I've never met before!" She finished screaming while panting heavily in the end.
I was at first a bit taken aback by her sudden outburst, before remembering who I was dealing with. Releasing a slight chuckle, I couldn't help but retort, "Come now, Rias, at least let me belittle myself a bit. You people care too much, you're risking a potentially broken sacred gear user in your team. I'm sure you'd prefer having someone better-"
Slap!
"-!"
I was shocked by the stinging sensation on my face, as I watched in surprise at Rias's face filled with anger and sadness. "Don't. You. Ever. Say something like that to me ever again!" She took hold of my uniform collar and brought me closer to her face, making me look directly into her eyes-noticing the tears she'd been holding back ready to break out of the dam. "Or I swear to Satan, that I'll forget our deal and forcefully turn you into a devil and show you just how much I care about you!"
' Damn, I went a bit too far today.'
We stayed like this for a while, our eyes zoned in on each other. I could make out each of her emotions clearly from her gaze with her so close to me. I could read her like an open book.
Before this situation got out of hand and Rias would do something irreversible, I gave her an excuse to leave. "Class is soon starting… I should leave."
"…"
Looking at me for a few more seconds, she released a sigh before letting go of my collar. "Yeah… sorry for the slap." She said meekly while avoiding my gaze once more.
It might have been at the spur of the moment, I couldn't really blame her. I was being a pessimistic asshole for a bit there, so I deserved that slap to get me out of my hole.
"Take care. Be sure to put Issei up to date with everything," I said while leaving the clubroom. "Also… thanks, Rias."
{ Break}
With Hachiman gone from the room, Rias once again slumped on her chair, both relieved and frustrated with what just happened.
"Oh, Satan… I nearly kissed him without thinking… and I slapped him!" She hid her face in shame while mentally apologising to her queen/best friend. Of course, his previous statement did make her slap him on the cheeks, but he deserved that. It was at the heat of the moment, she wanted to comfort him so badly that she nearly did something cheap behind Akeno's back.
Rias hadn't given up on him, she didn't think it was possible, especially with what she witnessed last night. But she wanted to impress him and win him over with her fight against Riser to prove a point-that she wasn't a damsel in distress.
And what's worst of all, he nearly caught her in the middle of her doing something unthinkable.
Opening her cabinet, she took out an old crinkled picture of her and Hachiman posing in an anime convention while cosplaying. She needed something to take away her pent-up desires… so she resorted to using his picture and replaying last night's scene again and again in her head.
She would have died from embarrassment if he had caught her in the middle of getting herself off to one of his pictures.
"Haaaa! I'm such an idiot!" She screamed to herself, not caring about waking up the still unconscious Issei, and banged her head a couple of times on her desk.
"Stupid, stupid…"
Now she had to figure out what to do with Issei!
There is no way in hell she'll use any of her eight pawns on him, no way! That was for Hachiman only! If her knight, bishop, or remaining rook didn't work then she would just let Sona take care of him.
Her battle with Riser didn't bother her that much, she still had a lot of time left.
If things went smoothly and the Phenex family followed the set date they agreed upon, which is after her graduation, she would have been prepared by then.
But with the political climate in the Underworld, you never knew what would happen next.
{ Break}
- Hachiman POV-
After classes were done, I walked to the roof of the school. It was a barren place, where no one would see me teleport.
Aika was taking care of the small requests, but she had been asking me to look for a new member because she couldn't keep up with the sheer number of requests we were recieving on a dailyl basis. Though Akeno was technically the vice president of the club on paper, I wouldn't ask her for help as the people would surely request ridiculous things from her.
Also, apparently, Issei had woken up and had been updated with everything that happened, the problem, according to Rias's text, was thst he was still in denial with Raynare.
He honest-to-God still thought that he had a chance with her, and that the Fallen had some hidden feelings for him as well.
He just wouldn't listen.
' I'll have to take drastic measures if this continues.'
"Ah, good afternoon Hachiman-kun." On my way to the rooftop, I came across Kiba who gave me a polite greeting.
I guess he needed some alone time, being hounded constantly by girls would be tiring for anyone. While Vali would be the quintessential bad boy, Kiba would be his exact opposite-a prince charming that makes everyone around him swoon with but a single gaze.
"Yo," I waved at him lazily, "did you send that device to my house?" I asked about the sacred gear extractor we found last time; though mostly broken, I'm sure I could find a use for it.
"Don't worry, I sent the package without Buchou knowing about it." He said, his pleasant smile still plastered on his face.
"Good, I'll be going somewhere now, be sure to check up on Issei before he does something stupid." Like trying to meet Raynare.
"Don't worry, I got your back."
We exchanged a few more words before going our separate ways. I trusted Kiba; while he was a kind-hearted individual, he had his own problems as well. It took a while for me to accept him at first-his resemblance to Hayama was too much for comfort-but now things were good between us.
As I reached the rooftop-first making sure that there was no one around-I began my teleportation spell. Focusing on one of my anchors, the one I left in Azazel's home, I soon began drawing on to the source until a black magic circle formed beneath my feet and slowly engulfed me in a dark violet light.
{ Break}
-Azazel's house-
Just like before, it only took me about a few seconds to reach the other side. With time and practice, I was becoming more and more efficient with it. ' Who knows, one day I won't even need these anchors anymore.'
The room I found myself in was a prime example of a boujee lifestyle apartment-Marble countertop, modern kitchen, fancy lighting, and gold plated items. I wondered if people in the supernatural world just loved to show off their wealth… I wonder how the angels would differ.
"Oh, boyo, you're just in time! I have some guests today." From the corner of my eyes, I saw none other than Azazel, the governor-general of the Grigori. He hadn't changed at all, which is something you would expect from a nigh immortal being.
I greeted before turning my attention to the other two individuals in the room.
"-!"
Immediately I felt my whole body instictually freeze up as I glanced at them.
In front of me was an older-looking tall man, even towering over Azazel himself, who I considered to be very tall to begin with. He has white hair that's often spiked up, wearing a gold armour that seemed to refract light itself. He looked even more unnatural with his white eyes which radiated a godly aura.
On his side was a beautiful woman; with her dark hair and eyes, she looked like the complete opposite of the man. Her clothing was a long black dress that became see-through at the bottom, showing off her legs. And just like with the previous guy, I could feel tremendous power from her.
Azazel noticed my reaction and tried to soothe things out in the room, "Hey you two, might want to suppress your powers for a bit, you're scaring my friend over here." Without any warning, he shoved a glass of whiskey at me and gave me a sharp glare. ' Don't panic,' that is what his stare was conveying. "As for you, Hachiman, these are two of my oldest friends from Ireland, Lugh and Badb. These gods here wish to acquire some assistance from you."
He said to me casually before walking out of the room and leaving me alone with two freaking gods!
' Stay calm Hachiman, just greet them politely.'
"Yo."
Damn it, I fucked up…
Next 4 chapters are already available on my p@treon at /NimtheWriter
And get early access chapter of my second fic. (Broly x Fairy tail)
Solution
Hiiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Nothing much to said aside this was a long one. Not exactly 9k words cause that comes after, but a 6k chapter nonetheless.
I'll be working on Broly after this post.
Also thank you to my new patrons!: ChronoCypher, Internetadik, Ahman Joseph, Alexander Tinoco and Spacewolf . You guys rock!!
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi
- Kuoh -
- Azazel's house -
Two genuine gods were seated in front of me.
TWO FREAKIN' GODS are right in front of me!
I think I need a moment…
Though their legends and their history were unknown to me, I genuinely hoped that they weren't similar to the Greek gods-I prayed to every benevolent god or spirit out there that these two wouldn't suddenly smite me for saying the wrong thing or because they just felt like it.
The first one to speak was the god known as Lugh, looking both dashing and incredibly handsome, he gave off a terribly powerful aura-an aura of a king who stood above all; one who was so powerful that he had become a king of gods.
"A pleasure to finally meet you, host of Vritra." Of course, he would call me by that name. Most supernatural beings care more about the gear than the wielder, "It is not always I get to meet the host of the legendary Black Dragon King, those in the past always died before I could meet them."Is he trying to intimidate me or trying to butter me up?
I don't know. But what I do know is that I better respond with something that wouldn't make me seem like an idiot! "That's… unfortunate. I can assure you that I won't die anytime soon." Unless you decide to attack me right now, but you wouldn't… I sure hope that you wouldn't. "I believe that I am plenty capable of defending myself." I tried showing off, I guess. Having him look at me as a weak human would not do me any good, so I tried to exude as much confidence as I can.
The god of light, Lugh, remained impassive, not a trace of emotion on his face. An awkward atmosphere soon descended on the room, making me inwardly cringe at myself. Gods, I felt like dying in a ditch somewhere.
Thankfully the third individual in the room, the goddess dressed in black, decided to come to my rescue. "Do not mind Lugh, young man. He is not the best when it comes to communicating with others." She said with an apologetic smile.
Badb, her given name, sounded quite familiar to me, as did Lugh. Granted I wasn't familiar with all of the pantheons, but these two gave me the impression that I'd heard of them somewhere-most likely from one of Rias and Sona's many lectures on the existing pantheons.
"You require my assistance?" As much as I would like to know more about them, now was not the time. Azazel trusted them enough to leave them in the same room as me, which means that I should probably be fine. "As long as it's not something above my skill level, not a suicide mission, and not a scheme to take over the world… I'll do my best to help you."
Hey, at least I had to make that clear, you wouldn't believe the amount of people who came over with requests of me helping them take over a country or another pantheon.
"Wonderful!" Badb's voice, just like Asia's, has a magical effect to it. They both have a calming voice, but unlike Asia's, which had the effect of erasing all traces of negative feelings inside of me-keeping me safe from my dark thoughts and suppressing the madness within.
Badb's is…
Her voice and her very presence made me feel like I'm becoming more and more devoid of all feelings-like every single emotion was slowly falling into an eternal abyss, never to be recovered. May it be happiness, anger, regret, or even the taint from Vritra's evil heritage; everything felt like it was eroding. Leaving behind a familiar feeling I once had long ago-the calmness of death.
"Stay conscious, young man, do not stray too far into my voice." I was brought back to reality. Disturbed, I took a step back from her. This woman just made me remember the feeling of death once more-yet my anger refused to rise, for my very consciousness feared the being which stood right in front of me. "I am sorry, those who have walked on the edge of death are more sensitive to my presence. Let us not waste time, the sooner we are done, the better it will be for you." Badb said as she sat back on the sofa.
Both me and Lugh followed suit.
"As Badb said, it is crucial that we finish this as quickly as possible, for I have other matters to attend to." Wow, rude much? "As you have heard, we are Celtic gods from Ireland. We came to Azazel to seek assistance from someone who could help in a very concerning issue we came across a few weeks ago…" Lugh stopped talking and glanced at Badb, urging her on to continue what he has to say.
The black-clad woman sighed, "Fine… I will give the details. You see boy, I hold dominion over a large expanse of land. My domain is absolute, nothing can happen outside my knowledge or control, especially with matters concerning the dead."
The last part just sent a chill up my spine.
"A while ago, I sensed a part of my territory becoming shielded from my influence-like a blank spot I could not look into. Normally I could just destroy such petty attempts of concealment, but the problem lies in the fact that the specific spot belongs to someone I swore an oath to never interfere with. As you might think, an oath is not something a god could break without major repercussions. I tried contacting that person countless times, but they never acknowledged me. This matter worsened when I felt a huge amount of concentrated energy gathering in that area. In which it's amount is sure to bring danger to the vicinity."
It seems like it's another case of a mad mage researcher. Granted, there are plenty of them around the world, with Vapler being a prime example.
"Whoever it is and whatever they are creating is a genuine cause of concern, since gods cannot enter the area and we do not trust the others in fear of this being an inside job. Lugh here advised me to convene with Azazel for a solution, and that man presented you as being our helping hand. And so I ask you, Hikigaya Hachiman, host of Vritra and current Black Dragon King, will you help us?" Her hands extended forward-I could feel the feeling of emptiness inside of me growing exponentially as she neared me. "I am sure we can come up with a suitable reward. Gods can be very generous, after all." She said as her hands touched my forehand; a strange pulse of energy nestled inside me.
"You are not required to travel immediately, host of Vritra. We shall make contact with you in the upcoming days when you will have to enter our territory. We first need to inform the local deities, since we do not want them to grow hostile to your presence, for your name does carry a bad omen due to your actions in the past." Lugh added the last part making me wince once more of how unwelcomed I was in certain places.
Still, I wondered what Badb did just now… what… What exactly was that?
{ Break }
( An hour later)
I bolted towards the kitchen, trying to find something sweet or caffeinated to calm my nerves.
"Not even a soda… only booze. I should have expected this." Looking over the contents of Azazel's fridge, I sighed. Seriously, would it hurt the man to buy a single bottle of water, or even better, SUPER coffee?
"That ain't just your run-of-the-mill booze, kid. That there's a Dalmore 62. It cost me a pretty penny to fill up the entire fridge with those bottles." I didn't need to turn around to know that it was Azazel speaking to me.
"For a man of your stature, it's dangerous to get drunk so often, Azazel," I told the man.
Not having any other option and knowing that I was technically an adult, I grabbed one of those bottles and popped it open-earning a raised eyebrow from the damned crow. I needed something in my system, and since I was far away from any SUPER Coffee, I had to resort to this.
"Really? You, of all people, drinking alcohol? Ha! The world might as well end tomorrow." I knew he had some kind of hidden meaning behind his words, but I was still too sober to care. And so, I continued drinking. "By the way, how is your relationship going with Akeno-chan? According to Baraqiel, she seemed to be much happier recently… any reason?" Azazel said with an infuriating smirk.
I nearly did a spit take at Azazel's words.
"Hey, Hey! Don't waste that! What part of the word ' expensive ' do you not understand!?"
Ignoring his whining, I'm trying to figure out if he knows what me and Akeno did!?
"None of your business." The bottle looked expensive as hell-my father's yearly wage probably won't be enough for a single bottle of this. I took a short sip… and could barely taste the alcohol itself. Weird, so being away from Asia for long would revert me to my previous state.
Shit.
"Hey, don't keep me guessing here, we all want to know what happened, hehehe! Oh! And what about the Gremory girl? I bet she's still chasing after you… poor Sirzechs! Bastard is a huge siscon; he might try to kill you, y'know!"
Truthfully I didn't know how to deal with her. "I don't know, it's probably just a phase… with me and Akeno already together, she'll eventually get over it. The concept of loving multiple women at the same time is hard, and it's near impossible for someone like me to maintain both parties happy." I told him truthfully. As annoying as he could be, the man was an experienced veteran in the ways of life. He could understand my scenario better than anyone alive, seeing that he literally fell because he slept with a human woman. I chugged down the bottle, hoping to drown my sorrows in the expensive alcohol-but it just continued to feel numb.
Azazel suddenly started talking in a somber tone, "You know… for someone like you, it's impossible to get drunk. No matter how much you try, you will never be able to do it. You make excuses for it, and you try to rationalize it by blaming yourself. This makes you look the other way… in other words, you are fooling no one but yourself, right? You can't get drunk."
His words sounded hauntingly familiar to me, feeling like they belonged to someone else.
"If you don't end things properly, it'll fester for the rest of your life. The regret… it'll never end. Relationships you once cherished will be broken. I know, because I made the same mistakes more times in the past than I can count. You can't get drunk, cause you refuse to lose control." He said that last part before he went inside his office and came back carrying a briefcase.
"Life is short, especially for humans-don't live through it wallowing in uncertainties. If something feels right to you, then do it even if it challenges your view of the world. Do it to destroy that part of your being that is holding you back. In other words, don't leave her waiting." He opened the briefcase and immediately I felt a strong reaction from my sacred gear.
"Hurgh!" I watched in fascination as two violet-colored orbs floated on Azazel's hands. Beyond what I can physically see, I could feel them resonating with my soul itself-these were Vritra's other two major sacred gears! "Azazel!? What are you doing!?"
Why was he giving me such a valuable asset without second thoughts? He was planning something. Of whatever it was, I wasn't certain.
"I have no more use for them, my research has encountered a wall that only time could break through. So… why not just return these sacred gears to its true and last owner?"
This was absurd, "Azazel, you know the current state of Vritra's soul, you told me that-"
"He fused with you." He dropped a bomb on me with those words.
I furrowed my eyebrows, giving him a confused stare. "Isn't that how sacred gears work?"
"Yes, sacred gears fuse with their user's soul in order to function properly. But I'm not talking about [ Delete Field ]… I'm talking about Vritra. Trying to accommodate exactly 294 pieces of the exact replicas of a soul would have killed anyone-from gods to even Great Red and Ophis. No one should be capable of fusing back all of the same pieces of a soul, built to only deal with a single piece, let alone hundreds. Not to mention you were dying as well." Azazel explained. "He had to sacrifice something in return to accomplish such a feat…"
My heartbeat quickened and I began shaking the more I realized just what kind of price Vritra had paid.
"Even Vritra would have died or more accurately [ Delete Field ] would have been destroyed with you dying along with it. Then it would have appeared inside another newborn, ready to restart the cycle once again. But Vritra-being a wise dragon familiar with all sorts of spells and magic-related mysteries-found a way to solve everything. He forcibly combined his soul and yours in order to become strong enough to sustain those extra pieces and pass on the remaining souls to you. Now, he is bound to you, and if you die, then Vritra will vanish… permanently. Basically, he bypassed the sacred gear fusion process to the host's soul and directly forced his own raw soul into you, without the confines of [ Delete Field ]. The frequent dreams you're having are parts of Vritra settling into you. No other person will ever experience such a thing, for they are connected only to the gear-unlike you, who is connected to the spirit."
"In layman's terms, you and Vritra technically share one soul and [ Delete Field ] is no longer linked to a single user… but two." Azazel sighed in wonder at the dragon's action. "Vritra is no longer protected by God's system, you and him now share the same fate."
I was speechless-both angered at myself and consumed in guilt for what I forced Vritra to do. I was not a fool, I understood that he could have easily avoided all of this and just be placed inside someone else when I died, yet he sacrificed such an integral part of himself. He doomed himself, to save me. "What should I do?" I asked him, internally fighting with myself to keep my emotions from going haywire.
"Easy; you live. Vritra is still alive and well. It is your duty now to make sure you live no matter what. Or else you'll be dragging along your friend as well. I'm giving you these sealed parts because you'll need them. I wouldn't recommend unsealing them now when he is still in slumber, but once he wakes up, you can become stronger to protect yourself and your partner who sacrificed his immortality to save you." When he handed me the pieces, my sacred gear hummed in delight. I stared at the two pieces for a long time, lost in my thoughts and hoping that one day, I may be able to wake up Vritra.
I owed him so much… a debt of a lifetime.
"Heh, I wonder if the other two Emperors are capable of such a sacrifice…" Azazel said.
{ Break }
- Kuoh, Crystal Hills District-
I soon left Azazel's place and decided to stop by Kalawarna's apartment and check on Asia.
I had a few reasons for that. Firstly, I wanted to make sure she acclimated to her new surroundings; and secondly, I hoped she wasn't influenced by that seductress's bad habits. ' That girl is too innocent for that woman to corrupt.'
And there was a third reason.
Just now, I received a call from Rias telling me she and the rest would be going on a hunt for a stray called Viser-a weak monster that had been kidnapping and eating people from the streets recently. This would be the perfect opportunity to teach Asia more about the supernatural world while keeping her safe, and also a chance to introduce her to the gang.
I'm sure Koneko would like her. Kiba was a gentleman, so there was no question there. And while Rias and Akeno would probably need some convincing, I'll manage somehow.
Kala, just like Azazel, lived in one of Kuoh's richest neighborhoods. In fact, so did most of the Fallens. And from what I knew about Rias, she also had a huge apartment complex belonging to the Gremory family, where all the devils of Kuoh resided.
It took me about ten minutes to reach my destination.
The complex was gigantic. It has a very elaborate garden, a communal pool, and even has a tennis court. I remembered Kala living on the 7th floor, so I took the elevator and when I came across the door with her name, I rang the doorbell.
Ding~
"Ah! A-Ano, please wait, I'm coming!" I heard Asia's flustered voice from the other side accompanied by the sound of rapid footsteps. The moment she opened the door, I absolutely choked in bewilderment.
"A-Asia!?"
I exclaimed in surprise as I saw the sister in front of me wearing a tight black leather version of her nun outfit-albeit far more revealing. Her legs were fully exposed with two straps firmly wrapped around her thighs, her boots had been converted to high heels which she seemed to have trouble walking with. Her habit seems to have a cross-like pattern cut out in the stomach area; she truly resembled what could only be described as a sinful nun from some fetishist budget porn parody.
' Damn that dangerous woman…'
I should have known.
"Asia," I said calmly.
"Ye-yes, Hachiman-san?" She was blushing, knowing full well what I was going to ask.
"Did Kala make you wear this?" The girl looked down at her feet-like a little child that was being reprimanded for misbehaving. I couldn't at all get mad at her, nor was I angry in any way. I was just shocked, so very shocked. "That woman… I knew she was trouble."
I asked her if she was getting along well with Kala, and to my surprise, I learned that my secretary was a natural caretaker as well. She treated Asia well and even made her a comfortable living space with every kind of plushie one could think of. Apparently, she had given her this outfit after suggesting to the nun that I liked sexy bad girls like Kala.
"You don't need to wear that outfit, Asia, you looked good in your old one as well," I said while massaging my temples.
"I-I want to keep it, Kalawarna-san went through so much trouble to make this for me, I don't want to waste her gift… " Yeah, I doubt she made it herself. She probably bought it from a local adult store.
"Well, in the end, it's your choice. Now come with me, there are a few friends of mine I want you to meet. They are very nice people and they keep the city safe by killing off the monsters." Thankfully, itt was currently late at night, so no one had to see her in that outfit.
"Monsters?" She asked with a cute tilt of her head.
"Yep, stray devils. They are those who ran away from their peerage and lost control of their powers, turning into abominations that killed and ate other humans." My explanation scared the nun, but I told her that she'll be safe with me and because I would also take this opportunity to enroll her into Kuoh.
Before we left the apartment, Asai called me, getting my attention.
When I turned to her, she was holding an envelope that she pulled out from… somewhere. Where the heck was she hiding that? That outfit was barely able to hide anything, let alone an envelope.
"Kalawarna-san told me to give you this, and that you should open it when you're back home." said Asia, a blush on her face, not able to look me in the eye as I grabbed the envelope. The way she was acting definitely set the alarms in my head blaring non-stop-a telltale sign that whatever it was was sure to be dangerous. But against my better judgment, I decided to save it for later as we were running out of time.
{ Break }
With Asia in tow, I brought her to the rendezvous point where everyone would be gathered around. Since I didn't have an anchor set up there, I had to resort to good old walking, which wasn't so bad as Asia got to marvel at Kuoh's night sky.
"Are you sure they'll accept me?" She asked worriedly.
I guess it was natural for her to feel as such-her self-worth had been severely damaged by what happened to her. In her eyes, she was a burden to others and a sinner unworthy of God's forgiveness. "I have known them for years, it's impossible for them to not like you. Everything will go smoothly, trust me."
"If you say so… "
We came in front of an abandoned building. I could already smell slight traces of blood in the air.
"Oh, Hachi-kun, you're finally here~" I heard the voice of Akeno and was soon engulfed in a tight hug, feeling her two huge soft melons on me. "And you brought a friend?" She said curiously while pointing at the fidgeting nun. "Ara, ara. You look like a precious doll." Even Akeno was mesmerized by the girl. I'm glad it turned out well.
I saw Rias, Koneko, and Kiba soon approach us.
Then they saw Asia's… outfit.
I could feel the judgmental looks from them.
"Pervert"
I felt the physical blow in my chest as Koneko made that statement.
Kiba was just smiling at me, enjoying the show.
Rias… was giving Asia a contemplative look before she gave me a smile.
It did not bring me comfort. At all.
Damned devils.
Not wanting to be labeled a pervert, I proceeded to pass the blame to Kalawarna-well, it was indeed her fault in the first place.
Finally getting that out of the way, I turned to look at the red head of the group. Rias seemed better than she did this morning. I don't know how she dealt with Issei, but since he was not here I guess she didn't turn him into a devil. She was eyeing Asia warily after she got a better look at her, I had to facepalm forgetting about the fact that the nun was still wearing her silver cross. 'Woops. I forgot to tell her to take it off.'
Not wanting to waste any time, I proceeded to introduce her to my comrades. "Everyone, this is Asia Argento, a nun from Italy. Before you all freak out, she isn't with the church anymore and was sent here to join Raynare and her group. She is a kind and innocent girl, and I hope you could all welcome her with open arms… also, I hope that she could be enrolled in Kuoh Academy as well." I said the last part while throwing glances at Rias. After a brief silence, the heiress just rolled her eyes at me and nodded.
"Fine, I'll let Sona know. Also, it's nice to meet you Argento-san." Rias said.
"A-ah ano… I-it's nice to meet yo-you too! Ummm, you can ca-call me Asia… Argento feels too formal."
Kiba and Koneko came forward and offered their greetings, trying to be as nice and welcoming as possible to put the clearly flustered nun at ease.
"We're happy to meet you. My name is Kiba Yuuto, I'm one of Buchou's Knights. It would be an honor to be considered as one of your friends." As expected of Kuoh Academy's Prince Charming, he had such a way with words.
"Koneko Toujou… Rook… let's be friends." Koneko's introduction suits her character perfectly.
Akeno was next.
"And I am Akeno Himejima, Rias' Queen. Let's hang out sometimes?"
"Rea-really!?" Asia was so happy that she began praying out of habit.
"Ouch!" Every devil suddenly felt a sharp pain and had to step away from her. Asia was distraught and immediately apologized while bowing down.
"Ahhhh, I'm so sorry!" The girl was literally seconds away from crying.
I had to calm her down once more. For some reason, Akeno found my actions to be rather funny. "Fufufu~ you look like a father taking care of his daughter." Akeno commented. I gave her a slight glare before telling Asia to take off the cross and put it away for now.With all the pleasantries concluded, we decided to continue on with the hunt.
"Oho?"
As soon as we entered the building, I could feel slight chills spreading all over my body. The enemy was near-its killing intent blatantly giving it's presence away.
And it was coming closer.
"I can smell a disgusting snake. But I can also smell something delicious. Is it sweet? Or is it sour?" Oi! Are you telling me that I stink?
A low voice came from below the ground.
Asia, by my side, was holding onto my arms-choosing to hide behind my back out of fear.
"Stray Devil Viser. We are here to eliminate you." Rias declared
"Ketaketaketaketaketaketaketaketaketaketaketaketaketaketaketaketa…" The abnormal laughter echoed around us. Ah, these monsters and their weird laughter always creeped me out.
I wonder what disgusting form it will tak-A topless woman appeared from the shadows.
Of course, what else should I expect?
Step .
The stray looked like a young woman with a voluptuous figure and flowing black hair. Her lower half looked like that of a centaur's; she had humanoid hands with red claws, and her stomach featured a cavity with teeth to devour her opponents. The lower body of the monster had four fat legs with sharp claws and a snake tail.
She was also holding something that looked like a spear in both of her hands.
From her size, she's definitely more than 3 meters tall. If she stood on her hind legs, wouldn't she be much taller?
Either way, she's a monster… and why were her breasts out in the open!?
"Leaving your master's side and rampaging as you please is a transgression deserving of death. In the name of Duke Gremory, I shall hereby execute your sentence!" Rias exercised her authority as one of the owners of these lands.
"You are beautiful for a little girl~! I will rip apart your body and dye it in red just like your haaaaaaair!!" Viser barked, but Rias just laughed with her nose.
"Grunts sure do speak in a stylish manner. Yuuto!"
"Yes!"
Kiba, who was near me, sprang ahead as soon as Rias gave him an order. "Fast!" Asia was shocked by his display of speed. "I couldn't even see him!"
"Asia, I will teach you a few things about the devil's peerage system and its various pieces." I took this opportunity to teach her about the Evil Pieces' traits and attributes.
"Kiba's position is a knight piece. Its main trait is speed. Those who become a knight have their speed increased drastically." Just as I was explaining, Kiba's speed increased, making Asia feel dizzy from trying to catch up with him with her eyes. "Just like us, Kiba is also in possession of a sacred gear. As for weapons, he mainly uses swords to fight.
Kiba stopped and suddenly he was holding onto a European sword. He took it out of its scabbard, the pale moonlight reflecting off of the blade's surface as it was quickly unsheathed.
And in an instant, he disappeared-only the sound of the wind whistling can be heard.
He disappeared again. The next moment, the scream of the monster echoed throughout the vicinity.
"Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
When I looked, both of her arms were deeply injured with cuts all over her torso. Blood began gushing out of her wounds. She dropped both of her spears-for she was no longer able to hold them. I felt Asia freeze up behind me, the sight of blood and the guttural screams is probably too much for her to handle for now.
Now it was Koneko's turn.
"Next is Koneko, that small white-haired girl. She is a Rook. The trait of a Rook is its-"
"Damn inseeeeeeeeect!" Viser screamed, interrupting my lecture.
Stomp!
The enormous monster tries to stomp on Koneko but to no avail. The girl with a tiny body was able to lift the monster's foot.
"The trait of a Rook is simple: absolute strength and nigh-impenetrable defense. A Devil of that caliber won't be able to do anything to Koneko." on cue, she then proceeded to completely lift the monster…
"Fly."
… and threw her away like a ragdoll.
I still remember the day I freaked out when I first witnessed her strength.
"Lastly, Akeno, my girlfriend."
"Girlfriend?" Asia looked at me in surprise. "I didn't know Hikigaya-san was in a relationship…"
"Yeah, sorry. You have never met each other yet, so I didn't bother mentioning her."
Why was she pouting?
Rias gave her Queen the order to finish up the work.
"Yes, Buchou. Ara, what should I do?"
Akeno was laughing while walking towards the monster who was on the ground after being thrown by Koneko.
"Akeno is a Queen. She's the one who is the strongest after Rias-the King. She has all the traits of a Knight, a Bishop, and a Rook."
"Guuuuuu… !"
Viser stared at Akeno.
Akeno, in turn, released an ecstatic laugh after seeing the monster's gaze.
"Ara, it seems like you still have some energy left in you. Then how about this?"
Akeno-san puts her hands towards the sky.
[ Raigeki ]
Then in an instant, the sky shone white, and a familiar lightning bolt attack struck down on Viser.
"Aaaaaaaggggghhhh!"
She got electrified violently, and I could feel Asia's shaking worsening… in hindsight, maybe this was a bad idea.
Viser's entire body got burned and smoke was coming out from her.
"Ara, it looks like you still have some energy in you. Looks like you can take more."
[ Raigeki ]
Another lightning bolt hit the monster.
"Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Viser got electrocuted again. She already sounded like she was dying.
Even so, Akeno hit the poor stray with a third lightning strike.
Akeno's face while striking down the lightning bolt looked increasingly scary even though she was smiling.
That person was enjoying it too much… She's laughing after all…
"As expected of a sadist." Hopefully, I wouldn't ever be on the receiving end of her sadism.
"Akeno excels at attacks using demonic powers. She could use natural elements like lightning, ice, and fire. And most of all, she is the ultimate sadist."
I confessed to Asia like it's nothing.
"A sadist? What does that mean?" This girl is too innocent.
Errr… how can I explain this to her?
"Usually, she's very kind, but once the battle starts, she won't stop until she calms down." is what I'm going with.
"… Uuu, I'm scared of Akeno-san."
"You don't have to be afraid, Asia. Akeno is a kind person, so it's not a problem. She even took a liking to you. As her boyfriend, I can tell. She will treat you well and probably even spoil you." Hopefully not in a lewd way, cause you never know with her.
"Fufufufufufufu. How much more of my lightning can you take, monster-san? You still can't die yet, okay? The one who finishes you off will be my master. Ohohohohohohoho!"
Oi, Asia is here. Have some control, will you?
After a few minutes, Akeno's lightning attacks stopped. It seems like she has finally calmed down.
Rias approached Viser who had already lost her will to fight.
She put her hand towards the monster, a red ball of destruction forming on her palm.
"Any last words?" Rias asked.
"Kill me." That's the only thing she said before-
"Wait!"
Shit.
Asia immediately left my side and ran towards Rias. She grabbed her arm and began begging, "Please don't kill her! It's not her fault!"
Why can't things ever be simple?
4 early access chapters available on my p@treon and 2 early Broly chapters as well. at /NimtheWriter
Dodge this!
Hiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Edit 1: I've just removed chapter 35 which was just a message about an error in Fanfiction. I will replace it with the real chapter 35 in a few days.
This was a fun one to write and I can't wait for y'all to read it!
Also, next chapter things will be getting a bit heated and soon we will get to meet out 'favourite' phoenix, hehehehe!
I would also like to thank my new patrons: MALT T, Ariess, datguyFrost01 and Tyler V! Y'all rock!!
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi.
-Kuoh-
- Hachiman POV-
Sigh
I was surprised to see Asia run to Rias and beg for mercy on Viser's behalf-it wasn't just me who was surprised; everyone was caught off guard by this sudden turn of events.
"Umm, Argento-san, you may not know this but Viser is a human-eating stray; according to orders, they are all to be killed on the spot to prevent further damage," Rias explained to the nun Viser's case-trying not to look into Asia's teary eyes. "If we let them get away, more people will surely get killed. So please understand that we need to get rid of her. I know it looks cruel, but it is the only way."
Akeno then stepped in to try and help diffuse the situation, "Asia-chan, if you feel uncomfortable, I and Hachi-kun can take you back home or we can even take a walk around Kuoh." She said gently, almost uncharacteristically so; she wasn't usually this way around people she just met.
I wondered what made her act that way with Asia so quickly.
"Buchou is right." Koneko agreed, with Kiba following suit.
But even when met against such opposing opinions, Asia remained strong-although some stutters seemed to seep into her voice. "Ha-Hachiman-san told me that all strays are people who lost control of their devil powers… is that true?"
We all exchanged uncomfortable glances with each other. It is quite common for someone to hate devils and resent the race after learning about such facts. The church would regularly send exorcists-in-training to hunt down strays, only to show them the cruelty and destruction that could be brought upon a region where a stray was let loose. It didn't help that Asia was formerly from the church, and I didn't want her to have any bad between her and the devils.
Still, Rias gave a short nod, confirming her question. "Yes… but believe me when I say that there is more to it than you might think. Not every devil will turn into strays, only those who left their king or grew drunk with power."
I reached Asia's side and patted her on the shoulder to reassure her. I wanted her to get as comfortable as possible with Rias and hopefully become friends with her-for as popular as Rias was, she had little to no friends aside from her peerage, Sona, and me.
I had planned for her to join Kuoh, and let her choose to join either the Service Club or the Occult Research Club. This would make her dreams of having more friends come true and offer her a life she never had.
"I do not blame the devils; Hachiman-san told me you were all good people and I believe him. Bu-but this means that this woman became like this because she couldn't control her powers, right? Then we should try and save her!" Asia remained adamant much to the dismay of Rias and the rest.
When a person turns into a devil, it becomes impossible-at least to my knowledge-to change them back into a human.
"Asia, there is no way to save them. Strays are those that have completely lost their sanity; they are now no different than a rabid animal-and the longer they live, the more people are bound to get hurt." I was being harsh, but I needed her to understand.
It was no use trying to save those who have gone past the point of no return.
' I wonder when I started to think of them like that.' Probably when I witnessed my first encounter with a stray eating the remains of its victims. If I had the power of healing back then… I would have probably reacted like Asia.
"You told me that you wished to atone for your sins, to search for forgiveness from those who have died… Hachiman-san is a kind person. Killing is not something you should resort to, nor it should be something you force yourself to accept; always try to save them first, even the most wicked need a second chance, especially when they turned evil because they've lost control." The more she talked the more my resolve kept crumbling, her shimmering green eyes begging me to do the right thing.
It just wasn't fair.
"Asia… it's not that easy… or even possible… " if even someone like Ajuka Beelzebub, the ' Albert Einstein ' of devil-kind, couldn't find a solution, how could I?
"I know it's going to be hard and I know we might not succeed, but unless we try, how will we ever know?" She put on a large smile, held my hand in her own and looked at me, "I know you can do it because you have saved me as well."
Air-filled my lungs before being exhaled slowly, I was at an impasse, with my only option being asking Akeno for help. I threw her a pleading gaze, begging her to come to my rescue-but that woman chose to betray me.
"You know what, I agree with Asia-chan. If we can save a single stray, then we do so for the others. For now, we can try it with Viser only, and continue our hunt. It doesn't hurt to try." She said while giving me a sly grin, enjoying my uncomfortable situation.
' I'm going to remember this, woman.'
"Alright, we won't kill her but place her in a cell. Asia since this is your decision, you will help as well." I had neither the care nor time to perform the impossible task of saving a stray, but I'll try it anyway if it appeases her.
"Thank you!" She exclaimed excitedly, hugging me around my waist and burying her head on my chest. I would've returned the hug, but her outfit makes it hard for me to know where to place my hands.
"Group hug!" Then came Akeno, taking advantage of the situation, hugging me and placing Asia in between us. Don't think I didn't notice you groping my butt, pervert.
I felt a pair of soft flesh on my back as another pair of arms wrapped around my neck. Crimson hair spilling over my shoulder.
"You better not make me regret this Hachi-kun, or I'll have to punish you~," said Rias, her hug getting tighter around my neck.
Great, now I'll have to avoid messing this up more than usual. Way to lay on the pressure guys.
I looked at the last two in the room, wondering if they were going to hug me next.
Kiba was just standing on the side finishing tying up the stray, while he smiled at my situation, but I can tell the bastard was laughing on the inside. I looked for Koneko but I couldn't find her until I felt a pair of strong arms wrap around my waist and nuzzling my side. I look down to see white hair next to me.
I let out another sigh and just let it happen, ignoring the groping from Akeno.
I'll punish her later… in my own way.
…
After we were done with Viser, Rias decided that we were done for the night. She and Akeno teleported together back to the house while Koneko and Kiba decided to walk back.
Of course, I chose to accompany Asia back to her apartment.
After dropping her off, I remembered that envelope she gave me. Taking it out, I tore the seal and found a picture inside of it.
"Pft!" Inside was a picture of none other than Kalawarna… or at least another version of her.
There she was wearing a nun outfit very similar to what Asia currently had. She smile innocently, standing beside a Raynare who was busy checking her nails.
' Guess this was her, years before she changed into a sadistic temptress who enjoyed teasing me, just like Akeno .' I found it fascinating how a person could have changed so much. But then again, I was a prime example as well.
"I'll keep it then." Pocketing the picture once again, I decided it was time to go back home.
"{ Break }
( A few days later)
- Kuoh Academy-
A lot has happened in the past few days.
First of all, Asia successfully joined Kuoh Academy, which was not that hard to do since Rias and Sona basically own the establishment.
Just like a scene straight out of a high-school anime, the class exploded with cheers as the boys celebrated the addition of another cute girl among them.
She was like a lost puppy.
I decided to temporarily leave her alone and have her try to socialize with her classmates. I wondered if the [ Dual Translate] spell I cast on her for understanding Japanese worked as intended, as it was my first time doing something like that.
She did try at first but she would get overwhelmed by all the people that would try to interact with her, causing her to find me for help.
She would follow me everywhere I would go, like a second shadow, Asia just wouldn't leave my side for the rest of the day.
Many started to joke around whenever they would see me walking down the corridor with a smiling Asia keeping up beside me. Even Akeno secretly took pictures of us and teased us non-stop about our interactions.
"I wonder if I should be jealous, after all, little Asia-chan is always taking care of your needs~"
"Oi, phrasing! I don't want people to misunderstand things." She indeed did try to take care of me like an overcautious mother. Worrying about my health, bringing me lunch that she cooked, and even hiding all of my stash SUPER coffee, saying that it is bad for my health.
Woman, that coffee is my life blood!
Is what I would've said before she gave me an adorable stern glare. After that, I lost my will to argue… I could just sneak in some cans from Rias's club.
"Hachiman-san, I made you some of Sister Bianca's spaghetti for you!"
"Did you sleep well, Hachiman-san? Your eyes look tired."
"Too much coffee is dangerous for your health! Kalawana-san told me so."
That was the general routine we fell into.
One thing was for sure, I would never say no to free food-it saved me some pocket money from buying those Yakisoba bread.
Not to mention my appetite has been growing lately, so both of Akeno's and Asia's cooking was a blessing.
What pleased me the most was how close Akeno and Asia got. Every morning Asia would come to my house and Akeno would teach her how to cook. While Rias would just sit by and watch the scene unfold.
Rias didn't push Asia into joining her peerage, but she seemed very interested in her sacred gear and talked to me about how a bishop piece would suit the girl. It helped that the nun got along with everyone in her peerage very well.
Koneko would share her candies with her.
Kiba helped her with Japanese studies.
Akeno began teaching her how to use magic at a beginner's level and according to her, Asia was very talented.
I shared the same sentiment with Rias and encouraged her to try to work towards properly inviting Asia as her Bishop.
Even if her devotion to God remained strong, it didn't hurt to ask.
Click
While coming back from my wandering thoughts, I realized that we had reached the Service Club room with someone closing the door behind them.
It was Ruruko Nimura, a recent new member of Sona's peerage, a pawn.
"Oh, Hikigaya-senpai! Sorry to disturb you, I came to search for you in the clubroom but you weren't there, but here you are now! Anyways, Kaichou wanted to meet you as soon as possible. Alrighty then gotta go, see ya!" She didn't even wait for my answer before walking away.
Ruruko was a short girl with brown hair in long twin ponytails and green eyes, who was also the first year. I don't know her backstory aside from it being related to her clan which shared some similar practices as the Himejima clan.
She wasn't the only one to join, Sona also got Tomoe Meguri to join as her Knight. If Ruruko was kind of a delinquent, Tomoe was a hyperactive girl and is usually cheerful.
' I wonder if she let Issei join her peerage… maybe her invite is related to him.'
Before I got there, I had to finish up with matters concerning my club.
"Let's go, Asia."
As I opened the door, I was once again met with the sight of Aika, but this time, instead of trying to show off her panties or make sexual remarks-she was passed out sleeping on the table. ' Must have overworked herself again.'
I felt guilty for the amount of work she did for the club, the time she spent over every request was staggering. Behind that perverted persona, existed a caring person.
"Do you still have any leftovers?" I whispered to Asia, not wanting to wake Aika up.
"Yes, I always bring two bento boxes because of your appetite." She said proudly, showing off the two identical-sized boxes filled with food.
"…" If she wasn't so innocent, I would have thought she was mocking me.
"Give it to Aika, she must be hungry. I'll be going to Sona and see what she wants." She agreed and sat beside the sleeping Aika. "Oh, and be sure to not listen to her nonsense, okay? Kala is bad enough as it is, I don't want another one." Asia nodded once more, while I also left the room.
{ Break }
( Student Council)
These were the words written in bold on a gold-plated sign. It represented the power the council had over the school. What was supposed to be a group that represented the bridge between the student body and teachers, where their role lay in passing on information was changed into a literal organization that controlled both students and teachers.
Especially the teachers, while Sona had shared her authority on the students with Rias who most of the time never punished them. Sona got full control of the staff population, and to say they feared her would be an understatement.
They actively hid from her like a bunch of scared rabbits! Once, the teacher of biology, Nimura-sensei, forgot to wear his tie, and the moment he saw the shadow of Sona-he immediately hid inside a random locker.
Which just so happened to be mine… I just stoodd there standing watching this unbelievable sight.
Who was the adult here?
For them, she truly was the devil.
I slid the door to the room and saw Sona's peerage members, aside from Saji who was missing, working on stacks of paper.
Sona looked like an absolute wreck, with messy hair and eye bags-a clear sign of sleep deprivation. To be fair, she did look like that most of the time.
"Oh, you finally arrived, Hachiman." To my surprise, Rias was also in the room as well, along with Akeno by her side. Unlike Sona, she looked to be in perfect condition, aside from avoiding direct eye contact with me. "We've been waiting for you."
"Is this about Issei?" I asked immediately, wanting to know about the topic of discussion beforehand.
Sona readjusted her glasses in a practiced move, making the sunlight reflect off of them. "Yes and no, we need to discuss Hyoudou's current situation, along with the upcoming familiar ceremony schedule." She stated before immediately slamming her hands on the desk in anger. "Rias, do you have any idea what sacred gear Hyoudou Issei possesses!?" She yelled at Rias.
We all recoiled a bit from her sudden outburst, whatever gear she discovered in Issei must have shocked her to the core. Even the other members of the council were looking at their president weirdly.
"Ummm, no?" Rias replied with uncertainty, "Looking at how you've reacted, I guess it's a powerful one."
"A powerful one, she says…" I could just feel her anger and frustration bubbling up from here. "It's a Longinus!"If I was drinking a coffee or something else, I would have certainly done a spit take. My eyes nearly popped out, I couldn't believe what was being said right now.
A Longinus is also known as 'Tools that Destroy God' are the thirteen original top-tier sacred gears with enough power to kill Gods. Just like Vali's [ Divine Dividing , they all held extremely broken abilities that surpass all lower or normal ranked sacred gear.
My [ Delete Field] could not compare to them, a one-on-one battle would be extremely unlikely for me to win. That is one of the reasons why I didn't battle Vali back then. And now I find out we have a second Longinus class sacred gear in this school?
Wait a minute… Issei has slight traces of dragon scent, which means…
"Don't tell me it's the freaking [ Boosted Gear]?" Sona nodded at my question, while Rias immediately whipped her head towards me, giving me an incredulous look.
I was just joking back then with Rias!!
Is this the universe playing tricks on me once again!? How is the guy who possesses little to no magical reserves, wielding a mid-tier Longinus?
If I didn't know better, I would have been convinced that this guy is the main character. The more I think about it, the more it makes sense.
A weak protagonist born with little to no power gets almost killed by a Fallen, awakens his overpowered hidden weapon, and escapes alive. Then he meets his fated rival, the White Dragon Emperor and they clash till the end until one walks out victorious. It's the perfect plot of a cheesy shounen anime plot.
But wait, didn't I experience the same near-death experience? So am I a side boss or something?
Poke
"Hachi-kun, you're getting distracted once more." I felt Akeno poking my cheeks, "What should I do to get rid of that bad habit?"
"Certainly not what you might be thinking of right now." I held on to her hands so that they would stop touching my cheeks. "After what happened last time, I am scared of what you might do." I was serious about that, our night together was something that caught me completely off guard… next time I will be prepared.
"Fufufu, don't worry, I'll be gentle." We looked each other in the eyes for a few seconds, when I watched such a beautiful and sexy woman look at me with such love, I again began wondering-how did I ever catch her attention.
"Ehem!" We both turned around and saw the rest of the devil's giving us the stink eye, especially Rias. Sona had a twitching eyebrow, Momo and the rest were all giggling. "Can we please get back on track!"
"How did you find out that he possed a Longinus? Is it possible that you've made a mistake?" Rias questioned with good reason, as it was not rare for some to accidentally identify the wrong sacred gear-it happened before.
Sona once again denied that possibility. "I used my 3 remaining pawns on him, one of them was even a mutated piece… they weren't enough. Saji who temporarily possesses a Vritra gear only took 4 pieces, yet with Issei, a single mutated piece coupled with 2 regular pawn pieces is worth more than 4 pawns. So in my calculation, I would need about 7 or 8 pawn pieces to change him to a devil. If that doesn't tell you that he has the [ Boosted Gear ] then I don't know what will." Sona leaned back into her seat, both tired and stressed out. "Just take him Rias, he will be a major member of your peerage, with a force like that, nothing will be impossible for you."
She tried convincing her friend, these Longinus were rare enough as it is, even the Maou's didn't have a Longinus wielder among their peerage members!
But Rias didn't budge on her previous words. "I'm sorry Sona, but my decision is final." She said strictly. "You can ask your sister for another mutated pawn piece… it should be enough to turn Issei."
This time Sona's face immediately turned pale white, "Don't you ever bring her up again! She might be spying on us right now." Wow, talk about paranoia, she must really fear her sister… I wonder what she's like in person. I've only seen her magical girl show, which is definitely a persona she portrays for the audience and can't possibly be the real her.
"Sorry about that, but still I've taken my choice, Sona."
" Sigh Fine, we'll see what we can do with him later on… I'll try something else on my side. Alright, another matter we need to look into, the familiar forest will soon open and only one of us can go. Since I have 3 new members, then I believe it is my turn to take the lead." And they were back into their rivalry contest.
Rias, not wanting to give Sona the slightest advantage, took my hand and said, "But Hachiman was my contracted magician for years! So I get to go first!"
"That doesn't count!" Sona shouted out loud, "He worked for me as well!"
"Yes it does"
"No, it doesn't"
"Accept the truth Sona and stop being a petty loser!"
"Shut up, you exhibitionist!"
And just like that, we had completely lost those two in an argument.
Akeno just watched the heated back and forth with glee. "Guess there will be another match this year."
{ Break }
( The very next day)
"This is stupid… " I said to no one in particular, while I just stood in the middle of the sports hall, wearing my standard gym clothes. "Why dodgeball again?" This time I asked Akeno who was wearing a tight white shirt that accentuated her chest region and a criminally short bloomer.
In fact, it was not just her, but every single female out here.
"Ooooohhh!!! This is truly heaven!"
Oh yeah, Issei was here as well… on Sona's team of all people. Guess she took pity on him and decided to let him join their group while still being a human until she found a way to turn him.
"Shut it, Hyoudou! If you don't concentrate, then we will lose!" Shouted a surprisingly present Saji Genshirou. Now I know, bringing him close to me was a stupid decision, cause my very present my cause his [ Absorption Line ] to leave his body.
But there was an important factor stopping that from happening…
"Ah, Hachiman-san, what is this dodgeball sport? It looks fun!"
Case and point.
Though it was temporary, Asia had the effect of calming down the adverse effect between our similar sacred gears. Of course, I was holding back a lot as well… but I just knew it was only temporary.
And also because Sona paid an expectional mage to create to implant high tier spells on Saji, to protect himself from my influence.
It'll only last for a single day.
Wait… I wanted to try something, "Hey, Asia, can you do me a favor and approach those two bickering guys and tell them to stop fighting?" I wanted to test out if her calming effect only worked on me or on other dragons as well.
"I'll have you know that I apparently possess a super broken sacred gear! And, I'm worth more than you, so take that!" Issei taunted Saji with his argument of owning a Longinus without having even awakened it.
"That does not count! You can't even use it, so you're still good for nothing weakling!" Saji fought back, showing off his absorption line openly to the now jealous Issei.
"You wanna fight!?"
"A-Ano…" Asia's shyness immediately caught their attention, and they immediately stopped fighting. "Can you two be nice to each other… it's not healthy to be angry at each other… please?" She used what I called Asia's version of the 108 skills ' The puppy-eyed plea!'
""Hahaha, of course, we were just joking as friends!!""
And it was super effective!
Both dragons immediately followed her word and started acting friendly while secretly trying to crush the other's hand.
"Fufufufu~ I-I can't hahaha! This is too much!" Akeno fell into a fit of laughter while clutching her stomach. Not only had Asia gotten the dragons under control, but she also broke through Akeno's 'Onee-sama' character.
The match was about to begin, both Rias and Sona walked out of the changing room with a fierce aura surrounding them both. 'Someone is going to get hurt.'
"Ready, Sona?" Rias said with a smile but her eyes told another story.
"Bring it on."
Reya who played the role of referee called for everyone to get in position. "Alright Hachiman, you take the center position and only concentrate on dodging!"
Don't worry Rias, I know my way around avoiding troublesome things.
"Ready!"
One Sona's team, she and her Queen took their position, followed by Saji, Issei, and Tsubasa on the rear.
"Set!"
While on our side, we had Rias, Akeno, Koneko, myself and Kiba. Asia was kind of like our unofficial cheerleader.
"Go!"
Kiba burst forward with incredible speed, using his Knight class advantage to its fullest, he reached the middle before everyone else. "Buchou!" He passed on two of the three balls at Rias and kept one to himself.
"Ha!" Rias didn't waste her opportunity and coated the ball in a crimson red aura and launched forward, nearly hitting Saji if it weren't for Tsubasa intercepting her shot. "Damn!"
"Saji, move faster!" The knight of Sona scolded her fellow peerage member.
"It was too fast!"
"This is payback!" With a large swing, she threw the ball and aimed for Rias's head. But the heiress was fast enough to dodge it.
"Buchou, watch out!" Kiba screamed when he saw Tsubaki also throw a ball in Rias's direction. She wouldn't be able to dodge it in time, so she resorted to using another trick.
"Pull me away, Hachiman!"
I sprang into action, using my sacred gear's tentacles and wrapping them around her waist before moving her out of the way of the ball just in time.
"That's cheating!" Screamed Issei.
While Sona's team was in shock, Issei was busy calling me a bloody cheater. We were now in possession of all three balls, and Koneko came in by using her immense strength and successfully hit Saji to the ceiling.
"Guergh!!" The then fell all the way to the floor with a painful sound. ' Oof… That had to hurt… a LOT'
"Saji-kun!" Tomoe and Ruruko cried out his name in worry.
"Saji out!"
"My friend!" Wow, Issei was still under Asia's influence. "Why is the loli so strong!?"
This reaction caused an eye twitch from Koneko, who now looked like her next target was none other than Issei. "Die, pervert-senpai."
Kiba was next to use his speed and momentum to launch the ball with a curve, its trajectory heading towards Tsubasa-who stood prepared for it. "Bring it!"
She caught the ball with both of her hands and slid backward from the sheer force. "Hahaha to wea-Hurgh!" Another third ball came beneath her and hit her legs with such force that it swept her over in the air.
"You talk too much," I said with my hands coated in a light film of blue light.
[ Vajra Diamond Body ]
"Ba-bastard!" Said Tsubasa while grinning. "Well played!"
"Tsubasa Yura, out!"
And so this cruel battle between our two groups continued. Both Rias and Sona were cruel and didn't hesitate to use every dirty tactic in the book. From cheating with magic to insulting each other at every turn, they just didn't stop.
Kiba had succeeded in taking Tsubaki out of the game but got hit in return by a vengeful Sona. What surprised me the most was the still-standing Issei, all he did was dodge and roll. Not to mention everyone subconsciously avoided hitting him for obvious reasons, they didn't think it was fair to use their magic on a yet-to awaken human.
But not me.
"Yo Koneko, want to deliver a true anti-pervert missile?" I asked her with a shit-eating grin plastered on my face. She knew who I was going for.
"With pleasure." Even though she talked with her monotone voice, I could still see that slight smile on her face.
"Catch!" I threw the ball in the air, and Koneko jumped upwards. A slight fluctuation of Senjutsu energy gathered around her fist. The moment she hit the ball, it nearly exploded from the initial impact but thankfully didn't. The ball rocketed towards Issei and he was ready to dodge once more, but this time… I wouldn't let him.
Grip !
Two black tentacles burst from the ground and wrapped around his ankles, rendering him incapable of moving. The incoming projectile was coming straight for his family jewels!
"Shit! Hachiman you fucker! This is treason to all men!!" His face turned pale as he saw the ball of death near his most sensitive spot. "Shit, shit, shitshitshit!!!!"
In his moment of desperation, he did the one thing he could think of, "Haaaaaa! Awaken inner super-powerful dragon, mega punch!!!!" Unbelievably, he met the ball head-on with a punch, a bright crimson light suddenly fluctuated on his left arm.
[ Boost !]
Bam!
The impact was so strong that he was pushed so far back that he passed the limit line. His fists were smoking from all the power he just exerted that he fell unconscious, his newly awakened sacred gear disappearing in motes of light as well.
"…"
"… Huuu, Hyoudou Issei… out?"
"Sona out as well," I said while holding a ball in my hands and gently tapping it on Sona's head while she was in the middle of her shock, standing close enough for me to reach her.
"…"
Everyone was silent over the two events that just occurred. Sona slowly turned her head, and looked at me with the most haunting of eyes-she couldn't accept her defeat to be so humiliating.
"Sorry, Sona, I'll make it up to you with a game of chess?"
"You better."
Poor Reya was confused as well but in the end, she counted my tap. "Sona Sitri, out! The Gremory team wins!"
Next 4 chapters are already available on my p@treon at /NimtheWriter. Along with 2 more chapters for Broly.
Dragons and Feelings
Hiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
LEMON WARNING! (Yes it's happening)
I am currently out of town and on a business trip so my upload schedule has been affected. Just yesterday, I had to wait in transit for half a day and the internet was SUPER expensive.
I couldn't write much of any of my fics yesterday, nor will I be able to write much rhese next few days aside the commissions. But I'll try my best!
Also, thank you to my newest patron: Peter Evans! You rock!
This chapter is 10k words!!!!
This chapter was written on Valentines day, so to all I wish an extremely late happy valentines.
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi
- Underworld -
- Hachiman POV -
The familiar forest was quite a large expanse of land. Covering a large part of the underworld, bigger than either the Grigori or Devil's territory-it housed thousands of different species of rare and powerful familiars.
May they be legendary monsters like the infamous hydra, a beast so fearsome that it couldn't be killed by normal means unless all of its heads were cut off and cauterized. Not to mention another trait many stories forgot was its venomous breath-it was so potent that it can even melt metal.
I'd done some research on this part of the underworld, a single wrong path could lead you to a pack of dire wolves. Some rumours even flew around about a supposed dragon roaming these lands-but they weren't able to show any proof.
Anyways… I hoped everything would go smoothly for me and the team.
"Gonna catch them all!"
Oh, I spoke too soon.
Since we won the challenge games, Rias's peerage got to enter the familiar forest. And to say I was impressed would be an understatement, I was incredibly captivated by the beauty of the place. The trees had all kinds of coloured leaves, the moon hung perfectly in the middle of the sky, and flowers of all kinds grew everywhere on the land.
I wasn't the only one who was taken by the sight.
"This is so beautiful, Hachiman-san!"
Yep, I brought Asia along.
"Of course, it is, young miss! I personally take care of every species that lives here, including the fauna as well!" This was our guide or as he liked to call himself The Familiar Master. "The name's Zatouji, and I'm going to catch every single poke- cough familiar, to become the ultimate familiar master!"
'Oi, what were you about to say just then? ' I worried if this guy was even capable enough to ward us away from dangerous areas.
Aside from his personality, Zajouji looked like a middle-aged man with a lanky appearance. Not to mention the Ash Ketchum cap and clothes he wore…
"Don't worry Hachi-kun, Zatouji-san is an expert poke- cough familiar catcher." So you noticed as well. "He guided Akeno, Kiba, Koneko and even myself to find a suitable familiar." She said it was confidential.
If you say so, I'm going to believe you, for now.
Wait…
I also became aware that she stopped calling me Hachiman…
Normally these things wouldn't bother me, I'm sure she adopted the way Akeno kept calling me recently… but something inside me just knew this didn't feel right.
Like I was missing something here…
Oh well, I'll look into it next time.
"Huuuuuu, look Hachiman-san, a flying rabbit!" I was accompanied by Asia.
There was a rule for visiting the familiar forest. Only a single group at a time can join during the full moon, meaning there can not be two peerages. Asia and I weren't devils so we didn't fall into that category. Instead, I was officially recorded as a magician who made a pact with Rias, so technically I was allowed as well.
As for Asia…
"It is an honour to meet you once again, Zatouji-san. I hope you won't mind the addition of Asia in our group, we just want to show her around-so I hope you don't mind her presence." Rias said to the familiar master.
You know as much as I hoped he would accept her request, I know the underworld has some strict rules and you can't just-
"Sure, no problem!" Zatouji said while giving Asia a thumbs up, without an ounce of care in his tone. Why do I even try at this point?
"But you mister, on the other hand, need to show me some proof!" He pointed an accusatory finger at me. "I can't just allow a nobody to trespass onto these cursed grounds so easily! Especially when they look so obviously suspicious like you, who knows what kind of deep nefarious plot you might have. For all, I know you could be a criminal and kill every creature in this forest!" At this point, he was up to my face giving me the most unimpressive glare I'd ever seen.
If I was someone with a temper, or if Asia wasn't here to calm me down… I would have at least socked this idiot in his wrinkly face… but I decided to just ignore him.
What? I am not a violent person… if you overlook my recent actions. I wouldn't punch a random guy over his clear bias for the female population. The worst I would have done is gone down on a verbal spar between him and me.
' Still, you could at least TRY to hide your biased attitude, you Ash Ketchum wannabe.'
"Excuse me Zatouji-san, I believe this will be proof enough." She handed over a parchment that I remembered signing years before when we first met. It didn't carry any specific value aside from being a convenient document for me. The promise we agreed upon was still written clearly on the paper, if she successfully improved the peerage system I would join her peerage.
Though the document looked spooky, it was just a regular paper and held no power over my soul or whatever.
Zatouji took the paper by hand and barely looked it over. I would be surprised if he even read a single word on it. This was Rias Gremory, her name would be sufficient enough for a pass-the guy was just fucking with me. "Hmm, I guess this is good enough. Still, you better watch out, kid! I got my eyes on you!" He made an eye gesture before sweet-talking the girls and Asia, guiding them through the forest like a gentleman.
Both me and Kiba were left lagging behind.
"Don't mind his attitude, Hachiman-kun. He… has his quirks…" Kiba scratched his head while giving me an apologetic look.
"I'm not offended by his extreme bias towards the opposite gender. But how is this guy still alive while living out here alone?" I could feel his power, he was barely middle class-so how did he survive in a forest filled with potential satan class beasts?
"One could stare for hours at Zatouji and find nothing particularly interesting about him. But his consistent service to the visitors of the forest and his knowledge of the various kinds of familiars has received great praise from everyone. Even Lord Bael, a person known to be difficult to please, praised the man-looks can be deceiving."
I stared at the man with a goofy smile, leading the girls in front with a critical gaze.
' I see… '
…
We traversed through the forest for hours, coming across a plethora of different kinds of beasts and some creatures straight out of a fairy tale.
Of course, our guide favoured Asia first to search for a familiar suitable for the innocent nun. He was blabbering about how old the forest was and all of its legends about fearsome hidden creatures.
I wondered if he had forgotten that I was supposed to be the one getting a familiar…
"Oh, I want something cute and lovely."
"No problem, I got you!" He said it so enthusiastically-earning a deadpan look from me.
Bzt…
' What the… !? ' I suddenly felt goosebumps rise all over my spine. I looked around me in mild panic. The feeling of danger stormed inside my head like I was being stalked by an apex predator. My behaviour did not go unnoticed, as for the first time Zatouji actually decided to address me first.
"You okay there kid?" He asked seriously, his current attitude completely different from what he just showed before. "If you feel something weird, then don't hesitate to tell me. Many dangerous creatures prowl these lands, some even have the power to control the psyche of humans, so we have to be careful."
This made the others worried and they all looked at me.
"No it was not that, I… just felt like something was watching me." And whatever it was, I didn't want to see it anytime soon.
"Probably one of the region's alpha, here to check out the new group. They won't bother us if we don't bother them or enter their territory."
I calmed my fast-beating heart and kept my gaze locked over the east where that mysterious feeling came from. I once again questioned, how this man survived for so long in such a place…
After we resumed our search for Asia's familiar.
We soon stopped at a lake.
Just like the rest of the forest, it was a beautiful place. The water was clean, reflecting the full moon, it illuminated the area. The slight breeze of the wind rustled the surrounding leaves, adding more to its elegant sight.
"Little girl, here lies an ancient water spirit, do you wish to make a pact with one of them?" Zatouji asked as he did a silly pose, trying to look cool.
"Spirits, Hachiman-san, holy spirits!" Asia's eyes started to sparkle as she jumped up and down. I don't think he talked about that kind of spirit, Asia…
"Well I do not mind, what about you Rias?" I asked her.
"Of course not, we are here to find one for you Asia, since Hachi-kun hasn't decided yet, go ahead and make a pact with whoever you like" Rias patted Asia's shoulders as she spoke.
"Zatouji-san, I want to see…" Asia said once again.
But unfortunately, that mesmerizing sight had to be ruined by the ugliest thing I'd ever seen in my life.
"HAAAAAAAA!" A giant figure burst out of the water. Covered in rippling muscles and a raging spirit for battle, what looked like a female Hulk made its appearance. With a physique that would make any bodybuilder jealous, the creatures somehow had your typical ojou-sama blonde hairstyle.
"Behold! I present to you the Undines! A water spirit with a fierce body yet a soft spirit, great for any young maiden who wishes to travel the world with a reliable companion. They are loyal and gentle giants, willing to go head to head against fierce beasts, and most importantly, they were ranked among the top ten most wanted familiars in the monthly devil magazines!" Zatouji excitedly presented the Undine, the latter starting to pose in various forms, showing off her bulging muscles.
Both Asia and I had dumbfounded expressions plastered on our faces.
"I-is this for real?"
"Huuuuu Hachiman-san, I'm scared…" The little girl hid behind my back like a child. This action disheartened the Undine making it cry as it went back in the water. The mountain of muscles literally crushed a boulder with one punch!
"Oh no! Tulip-chan got rejected, she was looking forward to a new master." Zatouji shook his head in disappointment.
'That thing is called Tulip-chan!?'
' Gentle spirit ' my ass!
Asia was a bit sad and felt bad for the Undine, she was hesitating whether to go back and take her as a familiar. The team tried to cheer her up with mild success.
I'm just glad that none of the people here went for an Undine. Now that I think about it,
"I wondered if I could get an Undine for someone else…"
"Are you plotting something?" Akeno questioned suspiciously.
"Why are you asking?"
She pointed at my face and said, "Cause you have that creepy smile on your face."I ignored her.
At least the others had normal familiars, Wait… "Hey guys, why don't you show Asia your familiars? So that she gets a better understanding."
They all agreed, "This is Shiro" Koneko said, with a smiling expression holding a cat in her arms white in colour.
"Mine's a badass one, wanna check it out Asia-san?" Kiba says with sparkling eyes, I bet he was waiting for this moment.
"Of course Kiba-san!" Asia mirrored his excitement. With a brilliant yellow light, a spiked-looking bird flashed on top of Kiba's shoulders. It emitted electric arcs from a single flap of its wings and decided to puff up its chest in pride in front of the nun. "Woooooo, that's so amazing!"
I saw Kiba giving off a rare genuine grin, he really liked his bird. Unfortunately, he didn't get lots of opportunities to show it off.
"It's my turn, why don't I show you something" Rias, then waved her hand, and then a round-shape bat appeared, who soon turned into another beautiful redhead. She waved at me, for which I returned the gesture.
We knew each other as I would always share those excess pastries with both her and Koneko.
"Oh my gosh, she's so cute as a bat and she looks so pretty! I didn't know familiars can transform as well!" gushed Asia, making the woman blush from the little nun's honest comment.
"Yes, Asia, familiars have different abilities, like transforming, fighting, spying and many more… it's needed that you should have one"
Then Akeno too summons a cute small familiar that looks like an Oni, popped on her hand, and struck a pose. It was green and chibi, then she said "This is mine."
"Oh my gosh," Asia was just a bundle of happiness, as several more of the little oni's were hanging onto Asia like a jungle-gym, as Asia hugged one of them to herself.
This was honestly so cute, that my heart was beating fast from an overload of cuteness.
"I hope I can get my own familiar one day," said Asia, as the little Oni's started to snuggle the young woman.
Turns out someone is looking out for the girl, because it didn't take long for her desire to be granted.
Something flew and sat on Asia's shoulder, scattering the little oni's from her person. When she turned to see who it was, she didn't quite get it but, the colours in Zatouji's face had faded away.
"That-That's a Sprite Dragon, and it sat on this girl's shoulder of his own accord, is this girl attracting the dragon or what!?" He cried out.
"Huh, what's going on?" Asia was clueless, while she petted the little dragon's head, which cooed from her touch.
"Asia, the creature that sat, on your shoulders is one of the rare types of familiar, actually it's one in a ten million chance to get a Sprite Dragon as your familiar, even though it's a baby, for some reason it likes you… you should not miss this chance and go for it" Rias said excitedly and a tad bit jealous of Asia's incredible luck.
While I immediately suspected the reason why a dragon chose her. She indeed did have a powerful effect on all dragons… that's a terrifying power in the hands of the wrong person.
I don't think she is even remotely aware of her superpower… to be fair, I didn't tell her anything.
"Yes, Asia this is your chance!" all the team joins in, cheering the girl to take this chance.
She really did like her new first familiar, it was cute too, "Then I shall name it… Hikio!" Asia said.
Cough
I choked when I heard that familiar name… It was too close for comfort… "Huuu, Asia do you have another name for it?" ' Please .'
Asia pondered a bit more before changing its name with, "Gachiman!"
"Gachiman?" Kiba says
"Yes, when I first met Hachiman-san, he bought me a fluffy toy, which was Garf-kun, so for some reason, that name popped up in my head" Asia blushes as she finished her sentence, her eyes looking at me, before looking away, her face turning redder.
She combined my name as well…
"That's very sweet of you Asia" I replied back with a bright it was my turn to find a suitable familiar.
We searched everywhere for that special creature, something that would pair nicely with me-so far, we found none.
We found lots of different familiars along the way, clothes eating slime, fae creatures, and even a baby hydra which Zatouji begged me to catch. I wasn't interested in these monsters, as they required high maintenance and constant care. Not to mention, they needed a driven master in order to reach their full potential-which I am not.
Not to mention that the hydra was infamous for turning on its master if the latter proved to be unworthy.
No thank you.
Bzztz
Another thing that worried me was the constant buzz I kept feeling during our trek. My sense of danger would go haywire for a split second before calming down…
… And it just kept getting worse.
'I need to find out what it is.'
"Rias, do you mind if I visit that hilltop, just for the view alone?"
"Uh? Sure, is there something you found?" She asked.
"Just something I want to check…" I left the group behind as I made my way upwards. Suspiciously, there was no longer any kind of creatures or noise in the vicinity, everything had become quiet.
Zatouji was no fool, he knew this wasn't a good sign. "Hey kid, I don't think it's wise for you to go there… something ain't right here." He said gravely.
Again, I ignored him.
Bzztzzz
That sensation kept getting stronger, pulling me towards it.
The wind began picking up speed, followed by a slight tremor from the ground.
My heartbeat was increasing fast… I felt my palms sweating like crazy, with my breathing becoming heavier. Whatever it was that was calling me, it was getting increasingly closer.
"Kya! Gachiman?" The Sprite Dragon broke into a fit of terror and hid under Asia's robes-shaking like crazy.
"What is happening!?" Both Rias and Akeno grew alert as they sensed the atmosphere. Kiba had his sword drawn out and Koneko tensed her muscles with traces of Senjutsu energy coating her fists.
Grrrrrrrrr
"ーー!!" A loud dragon roar reached our ears, the sound was so powerful that it rattled my bones. I even started panicking when I noticed the familiar feeling of the madness creeping back up despite Asia's presence!
I felt my blood start to burn in rage as I felt a challenger quickly approach me. My instincts were demanding me to rip and tear. To let the dark emotions take over.
I quickly knock some sense back to myself, pushing down those dark instincts.
' Not good !'
The earth quaked beneath our feet, with so much magnitude that I thought a volcano had gone off close by.
"Everybody stay still!" We heard Zatouji scream in panic, a trace of fear clear in his voice. "It's a dragon! Don't upset it!"
And indeed, it was an enormous dragon.
Words Vritra once told me in the past resurfaced in my mind. "Dragon Attracts Dragon"
Just above us, high up in clouds, the shadow of a giant dragon descended straight towards us. It had the appearance of a pale blue Western Dragon with celestial blue scales
A single flap of its wings parted the cloud for miles on end, the wind-generated tore up a part of the forest itself!
We were hit by the terrible pressure of the dragon's aura, this only further worsened my inner turmoil and battle to suppress the madness-It began slipping my control.
I called out my sacred gear and pushed every bit of my energy on a single ability.
[ Delete Field !]
The familiar translucent black dome expanded out, encompassing a large part of the forest and the approaching dragon. It roared a second time, releasing a small burst of energy which for the first time, completely shattered my [ Delete Field ]. "Puh!" I spat out some blood from the shock, not even Vali was successful in breaking my sacred gear's ability-I didn't know you could even break [ Delete Field ]!
"Hachiman!" I heard the worried should from the rest.
"Don't come near me!" I stopped them from doing anything stupid. "It's got its eyes on me, the rest of you need to leave!"
"We ain't leaving without you!" Rias and Akeno both shouted stubbornly, preparing their magic for a fight.
' Those idiots!'
Fine! I only had one way to distract the dragon…
The madness, the taint I gained from Vritra did make me stronger, but in turn, I would lose more of my sanity. It was a dangerous gamble… but I didn't have any choice!
"Hurgh!" I called out the full form of my sacred gear, my [ Prison Wings ] out in display, my body half covered in a dark metal armour while the rest was of black fog that kept breaking apart and reforming. "You know, I didn't wake up today and thought about fighting a full-on dragon. Just why did you have to pick us?"
I delved deeper into my being and harnessed more power, taking in more of Vritra's corruption. My mind was on the brink of losing itself… the black fog around me twirling more violently until-
" Calm down, hatchling."
Boom
"Argh!"
The dragon's voice boomed from the air, it released another burst of energy, completely overtaking me and forcing me on my knees. The madness I was harnessing got completely pushed back by her presence. It felt painful, not like Asia's gentle aura which soothed me but felt like a mountain had been placed on my soul.
For the first time, I felt the true weight of a dragon, nothing I've seen so far could compare to it. Not Vali, not Azazel… and probably not even Vritra himself.
" Humph, a newborn trying to control a power which is not his, lacks the knowledge behind his power and has not even reached Vritra's full potential, dares to fight me? What a joke!" The dragon mocked my attempt… at least that's what I thought it did.
"Wh-who are you… and what do w-want with us?" Since this dragon could talk, then I could maybe reason with it.
" That old bookworm did not talk about me, that seems typical of Vritra. Listen hatchling, I am the mother of all dragons, the strongest of all Dragon Kings-Chaos Karma Tiamat! " She declared her identity with both pride and arrogance bleeding from her tone.
"She's real!?" I heard the familiar master scream from behind, his excitement obvious. "I thought the rumours about her presence were fake… a true legendary poke- familiar!"
Oi, Oi now! Don't try to catch this beast and get us killed will ya!
Tiamat meanwhile didn't even acknowledge the others, aside from giving Asia a contemplative glance. " A dragon maiden… how rare…"
It soon turned its attention back to me. " Normally, I would not waste my time with weaklings who wield parts of Vritra, there have been plenty in the past… yet you differ from them."
I didn't like her closing the distance between us, her giant maw bigger than my height-capable of swallowing me in one bite. I smell the scent of fire, brimstone, and seawater from the dragon.
"I always knew Vritra to be a mad dragon, so different from the rest, always consumed in his research. Yet this must be one of his most unbelievable achievements… no… a miracle is more accurate. The bypassing of Yahweh's invention and the fusion of two souls is not something even Gods could accomplish. Yet here I see two souls fused into one while still keeping their individual mind and consciousness separate. I can imagine how certain sacred gear spirits will envy him, I can see traces of his control over your body… a form of freedom never seen before for beings trapped by Yahweh."
Tiamat looked me right in the eyes, her reptilian eyes glowing with blue energy.
" What a strange abomination you are, hatchling."
I didn't know what to say to that statement.
What took Azazel a while to figure was seen through in a single glance by Tiamat. This spoke volumes of her knowledge and might, calling herself the strongest Dragon King wasn't a joke in my opinion.
Still… even with my special case, why did she approach us?
"Is there a reason for you to come to us?" I didn't beat around the bush and immediately asked her.
" You search for familiars, am I right? "
"Yes…"
"A fine decision, but I am afraid you wil l be leaving empty-handed. "The tension rose once again, my muscles tensed considerably while contemplating the chances of us outrunning a freaking dragon.
" Oh, I did not mean to voice it like a threat. What I wish to convey is that you will be leaving with my grace rather than owning a diminutive and weak familiar. " Tiamat said, her words shocked me and everyone else.
"You wish to become my familiar!?" I couldn't help but shout.
"-! " Tiamat roared in anger, her power pushing back a few steps. Well, it seems she didn't want to become my familiar and I was just overthinking it.
" Do not insult me, hatchling! The sacred bond established between a dragon, like myself and anyone in general needs to be based on a foundation of trust. I do not trust you, but I do trust Vritra. Understand this, trust is far more than an action, trust is leaving one open to others, in a way… it is surrendering yourself. I have learned from a treacherous red dragon that it can be easily stolen, leaving behind an open wound-curse you Ddraig!"
Wait, did she have some grudge against Issei's sacred gear spirit? "What do you want from me then?" I asked, suspicious of her not-so-hidden intentions.
" I desire revenge, I desire to destroy the one who stole my treasures and scattered them all around the world! I will be your protector, when you are in danger, I shall aid you, but in return, you will bring to me the host of Ddraig."
I can see that she despised Ddraig, I don't know what happened between them nor did I wish to find out about it. In the end, I'm sorry Issei, but you'll have to take one for the team.
" So, do you accept my terms-host of Vritra?"
"Fine, I accept your terms."
"Hachiman!?"
Oh, shit… I forgot about the others.
I'm sure Issei will be fine… I hope so.
{ Break }
- Kuoh -
( A few days late r.)
I'm glad the whole familiar fiasco was done for. Asia got a new dragon pet, while I got a true Dragon King at my back and call, on the condition I give her Issei on a silver platter.
I wasn't worried that Tiamat would kill him, she wanted Ddraig to suffer or pay her back for the lost treasure-killing Issei wouldn't accomplish any of that.
Granted Issei was still very early in his training, managing to only use a few [ Boost ] at best. We even speculated that he hasn't even unlocked the full version of his [ Boosted Gear] as the old drawings of past users showed something different.
His current gear resembled a vambrace rather than a gauntlet-similar to Saji.
Speaking of Saji, Azazel was making progress in that device of his and a replacement artificial sacred gear for the guy. Until he had perfected it, we had to wait before we could safely extract Vritra's last piece.
' Can't forget about that phone call I got from Azazel…' Lugh and Badb gave me the green light to travel to Ireland. The local deities were informed of my arrival and not many were pleased, but then again, they had to obey the orders of Lugh. I would be leaving in two days, sufficient time to have everything sorted out until then.
Now, this was well and good, but I currently had more pressing matters to attend to.
My date!
Yes, it was finally time for Akeno and I to go on an official serious date. Not that we didn't hang out together before, but at that time my head wasn't really in the game.
I was fully prepared this time, ' Even took the bullet train to set up my anchor outside the city.'
A nice outfit that my mother chose for me, my dad's prized leather shoe which he insisted I wear, and even some light make-up which was forced upon me by my mom who wished to hide my dead fish eyes. ' Good luck with that… even my reincarnation didn't get rid of it .'
Standing in front of my house, I was waiting for Akeno.
"Sorry for the wait!"
The moment Akeno left the house, I was blown away by her choice of clothing. With someone like Akeno, you would expect her to wear something risqué or slightly revealing. This time she went with something different, something which I haven't seen for years.
"I haven't seen you in a sundress for years…" I said to her, once again feeling just how fast time goes by. It just feels like yesterday when we first met back in kindergarten. "I like your hair as well."
Along with her blue sundress, Akeno also had her hair down, she kept it tied in a ponytail. I once again did a double-take just how much Raynare and Akeno resembled each other, in a way, they were technically related-guess this time she let it go. Her current look symbolizes the Yamato Nadeshiko persona.
"Does it suit me?" Akeno said as she made a twirl.
"Do I even need to say it?"
"Of course! A girl always likes when her man compliments her."
I guess that was true.
"Then you're beautiful, Akeno-chan." Her face lit up with a megawatt smile, too bright for my eyes that I had to squint a bit.
"Well, where are we going?" She asked curiously.
I took her hand and prepared my teleportation spell. I could have just used the bullet train for this date, but hey, I did save a few Yen and time by teleporting directly.
"Akihabara."
As we flashed away from the spell, I didn't notice the doors of my house opening again with a heavily clothed Rias, wearing a mask, a hat, and even sunglasses peeking from the corner before teleporting as well.
…
- Akihabara -
We found ourselves appearing in a dark alley where no one would see us teleporting in. The coast was clear and there were no people in sight.
"Ara Ara, I always wanted to visit this place, some of my favorite shops can be found here." At least she liked my choice of location for the date. "Why don't we visit some of them?"
"Sure, why not." We had the entire day to ourselves, no more distraction with our clubs and duties. Rias assured Akeno that she would take care of everything for her.
As we reached the central part of the district, we were greeted by a crowded street filled with tourists, cosplayers, performers, maids, and other regular people. This place was packed full of many kinds of shops and cafes. As expected, this is truly the center of modern Japanese popular culture, video games, anime, manga, electronics, and computer-related goods.
A heavenly place for Rias if she was here.
We visited many stores along the way, and Akeno forcibly dragged me into a women's lingerie shop. It was really awkward since everyone from the clerk and the female customers were giving me strange looks. I even heard some giggling as they saw me together with Akeno.
I shouldn't be embarrassed since I was with my girlfriend but damn was it weird for me to be in this situation. Even my 108 skill, 'stone face Hiki' couldn't hide the red blush.
Akeno would try on so many different pieces of garments that I felt we were stuck here for hours!
… But I would be lying if I didn't say that the view was amazing.
She wore the most revealing lingeries just to get a rise out of me, her poses and name-calling just made me feel increasingly confused and flustered.
Not to mention I just felt like someone was spying on me, whether I look back that feeling would disappear only to return soon after.
"Hachi-kun~"
"What do you want, woman?" I tried keeping my composure but this girl knew me too well.
"Can you help me with something?" She called me from behind the curtains, her hand motioning me to come over.
"Yes, you nee-what the!" The moment I came close enough she pulled me inside the booth, I found her bare naked with nothing hiding her nudity.
"Can you help me put on this bra?" She said with an innocent smile. As if she didn't know what she was doing.
' I'm going to get you for this…'
Within the next few moments, we were gone from the shop. I wouldn't be able to stay for another second inside that store.
"Why don't we have lunch?" I suggested it to Akeno, which she agreed to as well.
Normally one would bring their date to a fancy restaurant, or at the beach. But I decided to bring her to one of my favorite spots in both lives-Saizeriya!
How lucky am I to have my favorite restaurant in this world as well! Truly it is the best restaurant in the multiverse!
"That's so like you, to choose this kind of place."
"Hey, the food's one of the best and it's quite cheap-both are good points in my book. Not to mention with Rias's taste for fancy places, I wanted to bring you somewhere new."
"I won't lie, it does get a bit tiring after years of exposure to luxury, you tend to miss the little things in life. I used to always prepare tea ceremonies with mom and dad… you were there as well, remember?"
The memories of the past resurfaced once more. "Yes, I do. Quite the little gremlin you were back then, no matter how much you try to show otherwise, some traces of your past selves remain till this day."
"Fufufu, how rude to call a lady a gremlin, Hachi-kun… you're still as direct as ever. Out of everyone in our lives, you have changed the least."
Now I didn't agree with that.
"What are you talking about? I think I've changed quite a lot from the past antisocial Hachiman. I always used to push people away from me, always used to remain in my little corner. You could say that it's only in the recent years that I've changed for the better." I argued with Akeno.
"You say that but I still stand by my words. You haven't changed much, Hachi-kun. Ever since we were kids, I knew deep in my heart that you were a caring and gentle person. You always put up an act, a persona to confuse the others and push them away from you. But with time, you stopped acting like someone you were not, became more true to yourself, and started showing off the true Hachiman we all know and love."
Was I really like that?
"Though what intrigued me back then, was your mature attitude. Out of every kid, you were always the odd one out, the black sheep. In my eyes, you stood out like a sore thumb… and I guess that's what made me curious about you in the first place. It's why I came to love you."
"You're gonna make me blush, Akeno-chan."
"You already are, fufufu!"
Her last words resonated constantly in my head. She said it countless times before and so did I. But I couldn't help but overthink everything whenever I heard them. Was I good enough? Was she genuine? Was this all fake?
I knew the answer, I truly did-but my mind was just cursed to always overanalyze and doubt every aspect of my life. I couldn't stop it, nor could I get rid of it.
It was a crucial aspect to Hikigaya Hachiman, something that defined me.
My constant doubts and harsh judgment on others and myself.
"You know… I think Rias is very jealous of us." Akeno said out of nowhere.
Achoo
I looked to the side and noticed in the far corner of the restaurant a table where a single person occupied it. That person's features were hidden under many layers of clothing, they always held a menu in front of their face-though I was sure she was a girl.
Something about her bugged me…
A sense of familiarity?
' Why is she shaking?'
"Hachi-kun, you're scaring the others," Akeno called me out. I immediately realized that I was being rude and stop glaring at that innocent girl. I apologized to her by waving my hand before going back to my so, time passed quickly.
After our lunch, we wandered around in the district of Akihabara, that feeling of someone spying on us constantly growing at the back of my head-especially if I made an intimate move on Akeno. Whenever I went for a kiss, a random anime figurine would hit my head, another attempt had a maid interrupt me by giving me a tissue.
Akeno just found the thing to be funny.
'This is getting frustrating… ' I don't know who it was… but they didn't want me to act lovey-dovey with Akeno.
Weird .
Though I couldn't say the same for my date. She would touch me, kiss me in the middle of a crowd, have me visit adult stores, and even pressed herself against me-yet nothing happened to her!
It was getting unbearable!
Normally this stuff wouldn't bother me but Akeno's advance was pushing all of my buttons!
These urges were also boosted by the slight taint inside me, making it more feral and dominant. It made me feel like I wanted to take her right here and now.
"It's nighttime already, wish we could have done more things together," Akeno said sadly.
I was glad that she enjoyed the date.
"Don't worry, we will go out more often in the future. For now, let's go home."
I brought us back to that alley, I did notice some traces of teleportation spell which were not of my own, but I was too pent up to care for now. In a purple flash, we vanished from Akihabara and returned back to Kuoh.
{ Break }
Back in my room, we both appeared in a flash of violet light. "So how did you find the date?" I asked her curiously while trying to keep myself contained.
The urges have been getting stronger these last few days… and they aren't about killing.
"It was everything I expected it to be," said Akeno with a content sigh, her head placed on my shoulder, while she sat next to me on the bed. Her intoxicating smell, coupled with the feeling of her hair tickling my face and her pressing chest-my thoughts were becoming a mess of hormones.
The struggles of being a teenager… Once again,
But the content moment didn't last long, as Akeno pulled my arm between her breasts.
"You know… a successful date is always followed with a special reward."
- (Lemon) -
I turned to look at Akeno, who was giving me a mischievous smile, a visible blush on her face, she brought my hand between her legs.
I stared at her, my mind fogging up with lust and the powerful desire to ravage her, my hands unconsciously rubbing her pussy, before realizing that her panties were missing.
' Was she going commando this entire day!? '
"Aaah~" Akeno moaned at my touch but was silenced by me kissing her, surprised at the sudden action.
I pulled her onto my lap forcefully, my hand moving back to her pussy. While my other hand gripped the blouse and yanked it off, freeing her breasts which were also completely free of a bra, while doing the same to her skirt-removing the barrier from claiming Akeno mine once and for all.
"Ara, how forceful, have I pushed mister dragon too far?" She said in between our kisses, becoming more hungrier with each moment.
I roughly grabbed her giant breasts, making her moan louder in my mouth.
Pulling my hand away from her crotch and ending from the kiss-much to her displeasure. "Lick it." My finger was coated with her juices and I ordered her to lick them clean. My dominant side began awakening something deep within her, making her more submissive to my demands.
Akeno eagerly obeyed, eager to enjoy this new side of me and engulfed more fingers, sucking my finger like a lollipop, making them wetter than before. I felt the smooth texture of her tongue, grabbing it and slightly pulling it out of her mouth.
Smack !
"Kya!"
I gave Akeno a hand slap on her ass, and another one making her squeal once, enjoying the cute sound she is making, "I told you to lick my fingers clean, not make them wetter." I grabbed her breasts and started to suck on them.
My tongue wrapping around her nipple and my teeth biting them hard, earning a squeal of pleasure from her.
The damn woman was more of a masochist than I thought.
"Give me more…" She was loving the way I was handling her, enjoying how helpless she was under my touch.
"Aaahhh~!" She screamed in ecstasy when she felt a sharp bite on her breast. She looked down and saw me leaving a bite mark on her breast, while I did the same to the other one.
I didn't know why I did it… but my body just moved on its own. Or it was just because I was lost in the moment of pure lust, but at least I didn't make her bleed. That probably would've been too much, even for Akeno.
Probably…
The pain and pleasure were enough to push her over the edge, making her cum on my leg. I threw her on the bed and began removing my clothes.
My thoughts were hazy and my breath haggard, I pinned her on the bed, Akeno was panting just like me with lust as she stared at the love of her life. She was entranced by me and both of us didn't notice how one of my eyes turned slightly violet the more we made out with each other when thinking back at this moment.
I barely had enough control to realize that this was still her first time. 'I need to calm down. ' I let her grab my cock, which twitched at her touch and guided it to her entrance, rubbing the tip around her folds, coating it with her nectar. I slowly started to penetrate her, filling her up inch by inch.
Akeno gripped the bedsheets, as I was entering her, her walls being stretched to their very limits. She may have gotten rid of her hymen, from her active lifestyle or probably with her toys, 50/50 on either one if I'm being honest. She has never been penetrated this deep-and also the pleasure felt stronger when she did it with her lover.
"More, more!" She was feeling new territories in pleasure, finally getting her love to fuck her and she was loving every second of it.
I was already buried fully inside of her and didn't move for a while. My overthinking and doubts were coming back to bite me in the ass.
"Hachi-kun?" Akeno was wondering why I wasn't moving, but went quiet when I pinned her hands above her head.
Fuck it.
"Do you want it?" Not hesitating any longer, I moved to her ear and asked her.
"Ara Ara, how naive~" Surprised at this, she decided to give me a hard time and wrapped her legs around my waist.
She tried to get me to move but I wouldn't budge, not this time. "Hehehehe, fine. Then I'll just leave you like this and search for Rias instead, wouldn't mind having some fun with her for the night," I whispered as I bit her ear, giving her a taste of her own medicine, wanting her to squirm. Her pussy tightened around my cock as I nibbled her ear-probably one of her erogenous spots.
Not wanting to lose her chance, she caved in, breaking faster than I imagined, but I didn't mind. "Please, I need you, I need you right now!"
With no time to waste, I slammed myself inside of her, filling every inch of her womb, and then some, leaving Akeno breathless.
I didn't slow down in my thrusts, and Akeno was fine with that, happy in fact.
She didn't want me to go slow, she didn't want me to be gentle. She wants me to fuck her, she wants me to be rough, she wants me to own her, to show her where she belongs. She waited too long for this to go slow.
I was fucking her with her powerful thrusts, my hands still pinning her arms. Our sweat covered bodies rubbed against each other, both of us lost in our euphoria. After years of her constant teasing, and her sexy body rubbing onto me every day, finally, I can release all of my pent-up sexual frustration.
Wet squelching could be heard in the room while Akeno moans left her lips. I watched as Akeno's breasts jiggled from my thrusts, nearly smacking her in the face, before leaning down and engulfing one of her nipples, doubling her pleasure.
"Oh, Satan! Keeping fucking! Hachi keep touching me! It feels amazing!"
After a while, I let go of her breasts and grabbed her wide hips, and started to fuck her faster, Akeno wrapped her arms around my neck and her legs tightening around my waist, she moaned loudly from my actions as I continued at a faster pace.
"Aaargh!" I let out a roar as I filled her with cum, Akeno soon came after, feeling the thick, warm cum fill her womb and cavern.
She let go of me and lay on the bed, gasping for breath. Still reeling from her climax and thinking that it was the end of it.
Akeno was suddenly flipped onto her stomach and felt her arms tied behind her back by my tentacles. She was dragged to the edge of the bed, her feet on the floor, while her ass was in the air.
But it wasn't over, I still had more to give and I won't stop until I was satisfied.
I admired her ass, enjoying the way my cum was leaking from her pussy. Without hesitation, I slapped her ass, making it jiggle from the impact.
"You know, I never did punish you during the Viser incident, where you left me all alone to deal with Asia. I can be quite petty about these things."
"Hachi-kun holding a grudge? Now that's rare." Akeno joked but was silenced by a sharp slap on her ass making her let out a cute 'kya!'.
"I didn't say you could talk…" I said, my hand rubbing the redding cheek, before slapping her other cheek. "Are you a bad girl?"
Akeno was silent, not wanting to answer, knowing that she would get another slap if she didn't answer.
Sadly, she was right.
Smack
"Kya!"
Smack
"Answer me!"
Smack
"Yes! I've been bad! A very very bad girl! Please punish me, master!"
Smack
Smack
Smack
Smack
Smack
I stop after a while, my palm felt a little numb from the constant smack, but I got the job done. Her ass was bright red, and her legs were trembling from either the pain or the pleasure, but seeing how her pussy was leaking along with my cum, my money is on the latter. I rubbed her burning cheeks, while making her moan at my gentle touch, enjoying the handprints on her skin.
I let my cock lay between her ass cheeks while I admire my work.
Akeno was in a lust-drunk mess, her ass hotdogging my twitching dick, begging for me to fuck her, acting more shameless than I had ever seen from her. "Please… more… more."
I grabbed my cock, rock-hard from her lewd actions, and angled it to her entrance, and took her in a single deep thrust, filling her completely, the pleasant sounds of my lover's moans escaping her lips.
With a better position, I was slamming myself inside of her like a beast in heat, going harder than before from the last session. I enjoyed how her walls were caressing my cock, how the tip continued to kiss the entrance of her womb with each thrust.
"Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Ahhhh~! Keep going! Break me!"
The bed continued to shake from the thrusting, the bed frame straining from the impact, the noise would have surely altered someone in the house-but I didn't care at this point.
The sound of flesh hitting flesh, the moans, and the growls of pleasure were the only thing that could be heard in the room along with the echoes of the thumps from the headboard smacking the wall.
The two of us didn't notice the door of my bedroom open or the person that entered, too lost in our pleasure.
"Aaaaahhh~!" In a drawn-out moan of ecstasy, Akeno came one more time, squeezing around my cock in a tight vice.
With the sexy moan, and the tighten around my cock, it was enough to push me over the edge.
"I'm cumming!" With a savage growl, I buried myself to the hilt and flooded her womb with cum.
Thick cum started to drip down her womb not able to contain it all.
I pulled myself out, letting more thick globs spill from her gaping snatch while the half Fallen Angel collapsed from exhaustion, her arms free from the tentacle restraints.
While admiring my handy work, I didn't hear the sounds of clothes hitting the floor, or the footsteps approaching me. Only the sound of my fast beating heart pumping dopamine throughout my body reached my ears…
-( Lemon End)-
"Hachi-kun…"I tensed at the sudden contact, the voice of another person catching me off guard.
"Ri-Rias?" I didn't know how to react to her presence. Were we too loud!? Did I forget to close the door!? I thought I did! "Wha-what are you doing here?"
Even in my lucid state, embarrassment and shame hit me like an avalanche-the worst thing you want is someone catching you making love to another! Especially the way I was acting like a wannabe dom!
God, if you can hear me right now, please help me find a hole die in for my embarrassing actions.
"I-I am sorry about the noise, I forgot to put up a silencing spell, I swear it won't happe-" My mumbling was cut short when she hugged me from behind, her naked breasts and hard nipples pressing my back.
' Wait… she's naked!?'
"Rias?" Thank god, Akeno woke up… help me! "What are you… don't tell me… are you going through with it?"
Wait, what is she talking about?
"Hnng…" I let out a pleased grown when I felt a pair of soft hands caress my still hard Hchimn Jr, a pair of plump lips kissing on my neck.
"Yes, I'm sorry Akeno, Onii-sama couldn't delay it any longer… if this works, then we won't need to deal with him anymore… and I want to do this… even if it doesn't work."
"Rias do you…?" Akeno asked, but already knew her answer.
"Yes, for a long time… I'm sorry Akeno."
I turned my head to face Rias, she looked at me with uncertainty, doubts clear in her eyes. She wasn't sure of her actions, from her words I knew she was pushing it.
I always respected Rias's privacy, since I expected her to do the same with me. Ever since that day when we talked in the kitchen all those years ago, I knew she was dealing with something stressful. I never asked Akeno because I promised to not meddle unless it was necessary.
But now, I can see the same traces of fear back on her face, she was being irrational and rushed for a solution-which was apparently sleeping with me.
"Do you truly want this, Rias?" I forced myself to become clear-headed, Rias hands still moving. "Is this how you wanted things to turn out?"
She looked at me straight in the eyes, while I did the same. My gaze challenged her, to tell the truth instead of lying to herself.
"No…" She whispered, her hand stopping from her strokes, before letting go and moving away from me. "I want it to be something special… something we would all remember fondly."
There we go, at least I brought her back to her senses.
"But… I also want to do it…" Rias whispered as she began closing the distance. "Please… take my virginity, make me yours," Rias said, with a red face.
What? I didn't work!
Those Tv shows lied to me!
Before she could close the distance and go for the kiss-I grabbed her shoulders and pushed her away.
"Hachi-kun?"
"Listen, I am not some hentai character, whose eyes are hidden because of his hair and who has sex with any girl he wants, I have known you for years! I literally saw you grow up from a noisy brat to an attention-seeking bratty woman."
"Hey!"
"And I know that you're not such a girl. Whatever is pushing you to do such a thing is not worth it. I promised to let you take care of your own problems, but now, I'll help you-whether you like it or not. So tell me the real reason behind your visit, Rias!"
"Fufufu, nicely said." Akeno praised me, no longer looking conflicted about the situation.
Sniff
Tears start to drip down from Rias's eyes. She realized how close she was to ruining what she worked tirelessly to have one day. She wanted to be with him… but not like this-not because she was searching for a solution. For Satan's sake, she's training to deal with her problems, yet when she heard the date being pushed forward, she panicked and almost did something stupid.
"I'm so dumb." She started crying, covering her face with her hands. "I-I panicked a-and when I heard both of you in the room… I just lost it."
I gave her a hug to calm her down, rubbing her back in a soothing motion. "It's okay, Rias. You're still a teenager, I don't expect you to always make the best of decisions, no one is perfect. Just try your best and rely on others instead of keeping everything bottled up." She calmed down as I patted her head, I ignored her still naked breast pressing against me and focused on the matter at hand.
'I still have a day left before leaving for my mission. I will find out what's the problem tomorrow and deal with it.'
It was all going good when suddenly, a magic array formed in my room.
"An intruder!" I immediately sprang into action, ready to activate my sacred gear-only to be stopped by Akeno, who threw a pillow at my head.
Rude…
"Don't worry, it's not an enemy," Akeno said as she pointed at the red Gremory sigil.
Now, I'm the one who felt dumb… guess I was a bit jumpy with everything that happened.
From that array, a lady appeared; she looked extremely beautiful, had an extremely generous bust and was wearing an Italian maid outfit that fit extremely well on her form. Her silver hair, which flowed all the way down to her back, features a long braid on each side with small blue bows at the ends, while the rest is let down, ending in twin braids.
"Lady Rias, whatever you are doing is not appropriate for the image of the house of the Gremory, please consider your position as the next head of the Gremory family," the woman said with a stern voice, sending an icy shiver through the room, killing whatever mood was leftover.
"And I would like for Miss Maid to not barge in someone else's house, unannounced."
Me and my smart ass mouth.
4 early access chapters are already available on my p@treon at /NimtheWriter with 3 early access of my second fic Broly x Fairy Tail.
Phoenix and Rebirth part 1
Hiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Things are getting heated up as we get to meet the long awaited phoenix to make his appearance.
Still abroad and still got barely any time for writing but I'm trying my best to bring forth something for y'all to enjoy.
Thank you to my new patrons: Peter Evans, Chase, Oscar Mercado, Mike Thomas, Jose Bautista for the upgrade and Nabi as well . Y'all rock!
Also be sure to review, I do read them all and if ya got some questions I'll reply by PM.
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi.
- Hachiman's Room-
- Hachiman POV-
Well, this day certainly was interesting.
If I could summarize it to anyone it would be something like; I had a date with my girlfriend, we had loads of fun and even slept together in my room. But one thing led to another and now I found myself all naked surrounded by an equally nude redhead and the tired raven, who was having a hard time sitting-oh and we can't forget about the beautiful maid.
I know Issei would die of jealousy if he ever found out.
But you know what they say; ' Never judge a book by its cover ' or ' This is not what it looks like.'
Not like anyone ever listens.
As expected, my teenage high school romance couldn't go on without any problems. Something always had to happen, I could never get a moment of peace for long periods of time. ' Vritra was right. My life can never be normal now'
"How do you do? I'm a maid that serves the House of Gremory. My name is Grayfia Lucifuge. Pleased to make your acquaintance." She said curtly while giving a slight bow.
' How polite.'
"Yo… I guess. The name's Hikigaya Hachiman, not so generic anymore high school student and wielder of a partially working sacred gear. Though I may be pretty occupied with the supernatural world, I still practice to be a future house husband, cause at this point-I don't really need a job." Since she took the effort to introduce herself, I followed suit as well. "Oh, I also fulfill requests and provide adequate services to help you and your problems, so if you need assistance just call me."
That part came out automatically after doing it for so long.
Wonder if I should make some business cards?
"Yes, I have heard of your exploits-both good and bad. We appreciate your help in forging a peaceful relationship between the Fallen and the Devils. Please forgive my earlier behavior, I was in a rush and jumped to conclusions." She said while giving me a barely visible smile.
Wait, was this how it was supposed to go? I thought she would be all cold and rude to me while treating me like less than an insect. Isn't this how those Ice Queen characters play out in anime?
"What do you want, Grayfia?" Rias said, annoyed at her maid/big sister ruining her tender moment with Hachiman.
The beautiful silver-haired maid spoke silently and calmly. "Are you trying to break the agreement by doing something like this?"
She said it plainly as if she was astonished by it but didn't show any visible facial expression. Rias for her part merely twitched her eyebrow at that question.
"If I don't go this far, both Otou-sama and Onii-sama won't listen to me right?" She said challengingly.
Oi! You clumsy girl! Did you forget the whole emotional talk we just had a few seconds ago!?
"Both Sirzechs-sama and the master will become sad after they find out that you tried to give your purity to some other than your fiancée-even if it's the esteemed Black Dragon King."
Esteemed? Wow, they certainly had a high opinion of me. Definitely a step up from how everyone in the supernatural thinks of me.
So my doubts were correct all this time, it was your typical marriage disagreement.
How cliché… but it makes sense.
Hearing the maid say that, Rias became clearly angry. To not have her throw a tantrum or lash out, I grabbed her cheeks like I used to do when we were little.
"Calm down you doofus, remember our talk." I joked with her to lighten the mood, which seemed to work as she became less tense as I continued to pull her cheeks. I let her go after she simmered down, her cheeks a little red, as she glared at me with a mock pout. But her smile returned to her face with a slight blush. ' It's easy to forget that despite all of that mature conduct she displayed to the public was just a mask. In reality, she's just a confused and stressed teenage girl, who is frantically trying to solve her problems by herself.'
"My purity is mine only. I know what I did was not fair to everyone involved, but what's wrong with giving it to someone whom I acknowledged? And you know that Riser sleeps with his peerage! Also, Hachi-kun is not just the Black Dragon King… he's my cute magician, mine!" She leaned next to me and held my head to her chest.
I'm moved and all, but can you please not call me cute? Feels weird, especially with my mug being the furthest thing from cute.
"Ara Ara~ How bold of you, Rias."
Grayfia for a second, I thought I saw her smile, but I thought it was because of the lack of air as I was buried in a boob-hell. When looking back, Grayfia was picking up the discarded bra and panties of Rias.
"No matter the reason, you are the next heiress of the House of Gremory, so please don't show your skin to a man so recklessly. Even more so if you are in the middle of this situation."
She then put the bra on Rias's body.
The woman looked at me. She then bows her head down.
"Again, I am terribly sorry for her childish behavior. Sirzechs-sama has taken an appointment with Azazel-sama for a private meeting with you, he'll do everything in his power to personally offer you his apology." Grayfia said, while forcing Rias to bow as well.
"I think you are taking this too far, Lucifuge-san. Her brother doesn't need to do any of that. Rias just needed someone to talk to, and of course, Akeno and I were happy to help."
"Then you are a good person, Hikigaya-san."
"No, that's just called being a basic human being."
"You are as Rias-sama described to be, someone who has a hard time accepting compliments." Is it just me or is this woman a bit too talkative to me? Even both Akeno and Rias were giving her weird looks, so it must be uncommon. "But I must digress, Rias-sama should change her behavior if she wishes to be seen positively by the nobles."
"Isn't changing yourself the same as running away? Why can't you just accept who she is?" I argued back, Rias was perfectly normal the way she is, the girl didn't need to force herself to change.
"Then she will have to face the scrutiny of the Underworld population."
"Of course, she will, people no matter which species can and will be jerks as well as self-centered jerks. But that does not make them right, if you want something genuine-then don't force upon your society a fake image." I don't know why we were having this back and forth but the way she talked about Rias's duties as an heiress just rubbed me the wrong way. It made it seem that she was just a tool and was not treated as an individual.
Grayfia looked deeply into my eyes, her frost aura felt like it crept deeply into my soul. I hadn't noticed before, but I now realized just how powerful this person might be. She gave off the same feeling like those two Gods and Azazel.
"You are an interesting person, Hikigaya-san. It relieves me that Rias-sama has such a capable ally on her side." She said before preparing another teleportation. "With the appearance of the [ Boosted Gear , she could have easily taken Hyoudou Issei as her ally. Yet she saved her pieces for someone special-Rias-sama has matured far beyond what she used to be.
I couldn't help but laugh at her thoughts, "Hehehe, she didn't mature, Rias is just a bit more clear-headed than before. Aside from that, she is the same girl from when I first met her."
I ruffled Rias hair, who was pouting at me cutely, before smacking my hand away.
"Grayfia, did you come here of your own accord? Or because the household sent you… or is it Onii-sama?" Rias chimed in, her blush very apparent from my actions. Though the heiress tried acting serious-I could see right through her like Akeno's lingerie.
… Oof, I need a cold shower.
Grayfia, not betraying a single emotion, just said. "All of them." She prepared another red teleportation circle. Rias soon joined her side all clothed up, looking prim and proper-so was… Akeno?
"Weren't you just dead tired right now?" I couldn't help but ask, as she showed no sign of tiredness.
The sly minx just gave me a smirk, "You need to work harder when it comes to a Fallen like me, Hachi-kun~"
Was this woman serious!? Part of me wanted to take her again for her cheeky attitude, but the mood was ruined.
"Pft!" Rias had the audacity to laugh while Grayfia just shook her head, looking like she was tired of our antics.
"We need to leave, Lady Gremory and Lady Himejima are waiting for us."
"Mom as well?" Akeno was a bit startled by that fact. I knew that Shuri-san preferred to keep a distance from the devil's politics. But for her to join in? Now that's worrying. "Let's go, Rias."
"See you next time, Hachi-kun. I'll explain more tomorrow. I'm sorry again, I wasn't thinking straight about tonight… can we just pretend this never happened and go back to how we were?" Rias said, with hope in her voice.
I felt a little bad for crushing them.
"Not in your dreams, I'm gonna dangle this over your head for years to come." Like hell, I would ever let this opportunity slip away from me.
"Oh, come on! I was even going to tell you everything!"
I kinda got everything figured out, to be honest, you weren't really subtle ya know.
"It has been a pleasure to meet you Hikigaya-san." They all got ready to teleport away, as Grayfia gave me another bow, this one much deeper.
Huh, did something change from our talk?
"Yeah, you too Lucifuge-san." The Teleportation lit up and slowly engulfed them. Before they had completely vanished, Grayfia left a few more words for me.
"And please, call me Grayfia."
Well if that ain't a perfect opportunity for a misunderstanding, then I don't know what is. In the end, I just waved them goodbye-before going to sleep. I was dead tired today, both physically and mentally.
' Tomorrow is gonna be a busy day.'
{ Break }
Next morning. Asia and I were walking towards school together.
She did ask where Akeno was since she was used to her presence as well. I could only give her a vague answer.
"Are you feeling alright, Hachiman-san? Your eyes look more tired than usual." Asia said worriedly.
"Yeah, yesterday was kinda a mess. But I'm fine, I just had a lot on my mind."
I rubbed my eyes since I wasn't able to get a good night's sleep. I woke up many times due to my stress and worry. Another reason, which I hated to admit, was simply that I kinda got used to Akeno's presence by my side.
"Asia-chaaan~!"
The familiar voice of another terrible temptress pervert I knew came from behind us.
"Kya!" The nun was stunned when she felt someone hug her from behind and have a pair of hands roam across her body.
"How is my little angel doing? I missed you so much! You should spend more time with me in the club!" Of course, it was none other than Aika.
The woman had taken a huge liking to Asia and kinda became her second friend of sorts.
"Aaa Uuu, please stop it Aika-san!" Poor Asia was struggling from the intimate contact. I would have thought that living with Kala of all people would have desensitized her a bit.
"Yo, Aika," I greeted her.
"Oh, Buchou! When are you going to make Asia-chan an official member of the club? Do you know how much I'm struggling with the influx of requests!?"
"Hey, I also help you manage them as well."
"Only a few but most of the time you're either gone or lazing around!"
I can't help it, since the requests I take care of are from the supernatural world. I can never allow Aika to come even close in contact with any of my clients no matter how harmless they may be. The supernatural world is a slippery slope, the more you meddle with it, the harder it is to be free from it.
Killing and murder are already common enough in their world, I worried for her well-being even if I never show it.
"I-I think tha-that is a good idea, Hachiman-san. Aika-san is a hardworking person and I don't mind helping her as well." Asia said a bit flustered being hugged by Aika.
Though Asia's involvement with the supernatural was inevitable with her sacred gear. I never fooled myself into thinking that I could forever shelter her from the outside, but I can at least let her enjoy a normal life as much as possible.
"Oooohhh! Such an angel you are Asia-chan~ It makes me want to gobble you up!"
"Please calm down, there are students nearby!"
Well, they did get along well and I trusted Aika to keep her safe from creeps.
"Alright, calm down now pervert-chan, don't force me to bring out the spray bottle again…"
Hiss
"… I'll allow Asia to officially become the third member of the Service Club."
Aika burst into a loud fit of cheers while the nun looked absolutely ecstatic like an excited puppy.
"I won't let Hachiman-san down!" She said while cutely flaring her nose and pumping her fists.
{ Break }
"Buchou's engagement problem? Though I don't know much about it, apparently it had been set when she was very young by the two families."
"How did you find out?" I asked Kiba, after catching up at the end of the school.
"Okita-sensei can be a blabbermouth when he's drunk."
'Never meet your heroes' as they say.
"Does Rias know?"
"Not really, I didn't want her to feel bad and have her forced to confess. She'll say it when she feels comfortable. Even Koneko-chan agreed with me on this issue."
Kiba said that to me while we were walking towards the Occult Research Club.
"Does it have anything to do with the low birth rate among devils?" It was common knowledge that for a devil having a child was a monumentally difficult task. With the rising number of new devils and the stagnant number of nobles, the picture became quite clear.
"Hachiman-san is quite smart, but yes, that's most likely it," Kiba said while looking a bit sad with the situation. "Wish there was something I could do to help her out."
"Stop moping around Yuuto, it's not your fault. Whatever happens, I know Rias will deal with it accordingly. In the most likely scenario of this ending up with a rating game, I will need you to give your all for her." Even without knowing the full details, I could deduce that a rating game was a very possible event to happen soon. The devils were notorious for dealing with their problems through strength in most cases rather than diplomacy.
Ironic since humans believe their silver tongues to be their greatest strength.
"If you wish to make a difference in the devil's world, then train your sacred gear to its absolute limit. I know you train with Okita Souji, but don't rely on his training alone. You gotta diversify yourself, keep your enemies guessing on your next move. Use your past tragedy as fuel to improve yourself."
The smile on his face quickly slipped away. "The past… we still couldn't find Valper, despite traveling all around the world. I can't find peace without killing him."
Kiba, for all his calm exterior, is just like me. Trying to contain the rage and anger in his being from leaking out to his everyday life. Though our situation differed, it was based on a foundation of regret and self-hatred.
I blamed myself and he blamed the Excaliburs.
"Do you really hate swords or do you just hate them because it's easy to hate them?"
He ground his teeth in barely suppressed rage and clenched his fists. "Though you have told me so countless times, I still can't accept their existence. Unless they don't end up in the hands of someone worthy, those weapons will always bring misery to others!"
I gave him a side look, "Will the destruction give you peace of mind, or will change the blame onto something else? Yuuto, you trusted me with the details of your past and you must realize how your hatred of swords is not something your fallen friends would have ever wanted. Because at the end of the day, they're just tools that grant power to whoever can wield them, and they do what the wielder ask of them."
We strayed a bit far in our conversation so I went back to the present matter at hand. If I could use words to mitigate the scenario then that's a plus in my book.
"Why don't we return to our initial topic? I take it you don't know the fiance's name?"
It took a moment, but Kiba shook his head, "Unfortunately I do not. Buchou never brings up this issue with us, only a couple of mentions of the person's nature here and there but aside from that-nothing."
Should I prepare myself for a young master type of guy?
With my luck-most likely.
When we arrived at the front of the door, Kiba and I noticed something.
"Looks like Grayfia is here," I said as I recognized the cold aura. "Guess we'll meet this fiancé soon enough."
Kiba puts on a serious face by narrowing his eyes.
I open the door without any concerns.
' It's showtime!'
…
Inside the room were Rias, Akeno, Koneko-chan, and of course, Grayfia-san. Acting all calm, just like last time.
Rias has a very serious face. Akeno was smiling like usual, but she had a cold vibe. ' Someone's gonna get electrocuted today…'
Koneko-chan was sitting on the sofa, quietly munching on some sweets. "Good morning, Senpai, want some?" She offered me some sweets with her smile looking a bit strained.
I took a seat beside her, taking the sweet off of her hand. "Relax, everything will be okay."
"I don't need to worry since Senpai is here." She said, sounding less worried than before, while she scooted closer to me and laid her head on my shoulder feeling her relax.
That's quite the confidence you have in me, little neko.
The room had an atmosphere where no one was talking.
"Good day, Hikigaya-san, your presence though not required is very welcomed," Grayfia said politely. "Though I'm afraid you came at a bad time…"
"Let me guess, the fiance is coming?"
"Ho-how did you…" Rias was a bit stunned at my words. She wasn't ready for me to have figured everything out. "I didn't… "
"It wasn't that hard to figure it out, your situation isn't exactly rare. In fact, it's quite common for nobles, and I just happened to connect the dots." I gestured towards Koneko-chan and Kiba with a smirk on my face. "You're so bad with secrets that basically everyone here had it already figured out."
"As expected of Rias-sama."
"You guys!" She sighed, massaging her temples feeling the wind knocked out of her sails. "And here I was trying to figure out how to tell you what was happ-"
It happens exactly when Rias was in the middle of her talk. The magic circle on the floor glowed. The color was different from the Gremory's iconic red. Even the sigil was that of a phoenix.
"A member of the Phenex clan?"
The heat in the room went up a few degrees.
Flames came out from the magic circle, further increasing the heat. It felt like we were suddenly transported in the middle of a freaking desert!
The silhouette of a man was visible from inside the flames. When he swung his arm across to the side, the flames disappeared and some of the heat as well.
"Fuu, it's been a while since I came to the human world." He said with arrogance filling his tone.
I knew it!
Generic annoying young master!
He was a handsome young man in his early 20's with short blond hair and dark blue eyes.
His outfit consisted of a burgundy blazer with gold embroidery on the right with matching pants and black dress shoes. Underneath his open blazer is a white dress shirt that is not fully buttoned, giving a slight view of his chest.
If that ain't another major flag for an arrogant cliché douchebag, then I don't know what is.
The guy looked around the room and then smirked after finding the irritated Rias.
"My lovely Rias. I came to see you!" He said as he began approaching the redhead, the latter's annoyance growing with each step. "Now then, Rias. Let's go and take a look at the ceremony hall. The date of the ceremony is decided so we need to check it before the-"
Grab
"Hey buddy, it's quite rude to act so intimately with a girl who doesn't like you." I didn't just sit idle and let such a disgusting vermin get his hands on a clearly annoyed Rias.
"W-what… a human? Let go of me you lowly trash, who do you think you are!?" He demanded condescendingly, his holier than thou attitude building my annoyance.
"This is Hikigaya Hachiman-sama, this era's current Black Dragon King," Grayfia said, not giving me an opportunity to reply.
"Humph, a human insect in the end. Oh Rias, you shouldn't allow a nobody human weakling to barge into our affairs. Throw him out or something, his mere presence just dirties the room."
Well, this guy certainly had a PhD at pushing someone's buttons, and I'm ready to just end him already.
"He is not a nobody! He's my precious magician!" Rias rebutted in vehemently, I could feel her demonic energy rise with her anger. "Don't you dare insult him in my presence, or else consequences be damned and I'll murder you right here and now…" She growled the last part in a deadly whisper, her eyes glowing with rage.
Damn, a murderous Rias was indeed scary, I could the goosebumps all over my skin.
' Focus '
"Oh my, harsh like always. Hahaha!" Riser didn't even seem phased or he was just plain ignorant of her threat in front of him.
"Hachiman-sama, this is Riser Phoenix-sama. He is a pure-blood High-class Devil and the third son of the House of Phoenix." Though it seemed like she was introducing him, I felt like she was trying to tell me something else…
So a high-class devil whose clan is famously known for their ' immortality '. I heard of Ruval Phenex, even watched some of his matches-I can see these guys are related appearance-wise.
…
"The tea made by Rias's Queen is superb."
I think that's the only thing I agreed with Riser so far.
"Thank you very much."
Akeno was also giving a fake smile, her distaste of this man very visible to me and everyone else but him. I wondered if she poisoned his tea…
He sat alone on the sofa, opposite to me with Grayfia standing in the middle. Funnily enough, the rest were squished along my side. The sofa was barely enough for all of us, aside from Kiba who, just like Grayfia, remained standing like a proper Knight.
"I would have preferred you to join my side, Rias. Sharing some tea with my soon-to-be wife is to be expected."
"Riser! I told you before! I will not marry you!"
"Yeah, I heard that countless times before. But Rias, that won't do, you know? I think the situation of your household is quite serious."
"That's none of your concern! If I'm the next heiress for the House of Gremory, then I will choose who will become my husband! My father, brother, and everyone in the clan is rushing it! Also, it was a promise that I will be free until I graduate from university of the human world!"
"That's right. You will basically be free. You can go to college and you can do whatever you like with your servants. But your Otou-sama and Sirzechs-sama are worried. They are afraid that your household will become extinct. We lost a great number of pure-blood Devils in the last war. Even if the war has ended, our rivalry with the Fallen Angels and God hasn't ended yet. It's not rare for the successors of the pure-blood Devil to get killed in the worthless battle against them, which leads to the household becoming extinct. So for a pure-blood Devil that also happens to be a High-class Devil, getting together would be the obvious solution for the forces of Devils. A pure-blood High-class Devil. Even though you know that these children will be important from now on, right?"
I shared a glance with Kiba who smiled sadly and nodded at me, our previous conversation basically confirming the situation.
Even with them arguing, I did not lash out or shout. I needed to first analyze the situation and not make a rash decision.
"The newly produced devils-the ones like your servants, the reincarnated devils, are expanding in terms of strength but that would make us, the high-class devils with old history backgrounds, lose our place. There are old nobles who get close to the reincarnated Devils because they are very powerful. Well, that might be alright. The newly produced devils are also important for our future. But we can't allow the pure-blood Devils to go extinct right? You and I were chosen in order to prevent the pure-bloods from going extinct. My house is safe because I have my older brothers and even a younger sister. But there are only two siblings in your house. And your brother is someone who left the house, letting go of the Gremory name. Then there would only be you, Rias, who can inherit the House of Gremory. If you don't take a husband, the House of Gremory will go extinct in your generation. Are you trying to crush the household that has been continuing for a very long time? Because of the past war, there is not even half the number of Devils who were referred to as ' 72 pillars '. This marriage has the future of the Devils, your clan, on the line." He gave a long explanation, as he continued to stare at Rias with a serious look.
I would be lying if I said I did not understand a few of the points.
If history taught me something, it is that the nobility feared nothing more than losing their status, they feared equality. The prestige and wealth their ancestors have garnered for centuries to be gone in an instant was their worst nightmare.
But I disagreed with the rest of his argument completely. As much as it pained me to admit it, the hierarchy in the Underworld will never lose out in power.
The common trait in humans is that we changed as a society and individual in the span of a few years, while devils who could practically live indefinitely would remain the same for centuries.
Even if the number of reincarnated devils outgrew the nobility by a wide margin, as long as the Maou's existed-the system would never change.
The Underworld needed this system to survive, they were at constant war with Gods from other pantheons and other outside threats. They couldn't risk a change in the system and have the entire devil world collapse due to being caught off guard.
They knew this, every single reincarnated devil did as well.
One would need to be Ophis or Great Red level strong to incur any kind of change.
"I'm not going to crush my house. And I am willing to take a husband."
"Oh, I knew you were a smart girl, Rias! Then let's not waste time and-"
"But I won't marry you, Riser. I will marry the one I acknowledge. Even the Devils from the old noble house have the right to choose."
Buchou talks over Raiser and says it clearly.
Hearing that, Raiser suddenly became deadly quiet. His eyes narrowed on her.
Tsk
"You know, Rias. I'm also a devil who carries the name of House of Phoenix behind me. I can't let that name get tarnished. I didn't even want to come to a small old building like this in the human world. Rather, I don't like the human world that much. The fire and wind of this world are filthy. For a devil like me, who rules fire and wind, I can't stand it!"
Fwish !
Flames burst around Riser. Threatening to burn everything around him.
"I will take you back to the underworld, even if I have to burn all of your servants."
Yeah, screw diplomacy.
"[ Delete Field ]… "
"Argh!"
The familiar transparent black dome expanded all across the room until it grew to engulf the entire building itself. Riser was caught by surprise and had his flame grow so weak that they got snuffed by the wind. He fell onto his knees while looking stunned at my display of power.
"You know, I woke up this morning very tired, more tired than usual-which put me in a bad mood. It doesn't help that your mere presence just makes the temperature in this room unbearable and irritating…"
I further pinned him down the floor with a bunch of tentacles bursting from the ground wrapping themselves around his limbs.
"You'll pay for this human!" He summoned more of his flames to burn away my tentacles-was a phoenix's fire hotter than a dragon's breath? Probably, but his certainly wasn't.
"That's enough."
Shhhhh
"-!" This time another person stepped in, an aura of pure frost and power fell on my shoulders. The flames of Riser were gone, the entire room became covered in a thin layer of ice and my tentacles were frozen-breaking apart effortlessly.
I looked to my side and saw Grayfia still standing in her place, her face still as stoic as ever. She didn't even look like she was exerting any effort on suppressing both Riser and me.
' Another monster…'
Tch, still got a long way to go, it seems.
"Hikigaya-sama, Riser-sama, please calm down. If both of you were to continue, then I won't be quiet about it. For Sirzechs-sama's honor, I won't hold back."
That was holding back!?
"As expected from the woman known as the ' Strongest Queen ', even a wisp of your power is enough to subdue us. I definitely wouldn't want to fight the people from Sirzech-sama's peerage." Riser said with a shaky voice while trying to act cool.
Oh, would you look at that, a second opinion I agreed with him… Ew.
Also, I was getting tired of this, "Grayfia-san, let's just cut this chatter and just go on with the main topic at hand-when is the rating game?"
"What? A rating game?" Rias asked, confused at my statement.
"Come on, Rias. At this point, what other better way would your brother have aside using a rating game to ultimately put this matter to rest." I told her, just wanting to get this over with already.
"Hikigaya-sama is correct. Master Sirzechs-sama, and those from the House of Phoenix knew it would turn out like this. To tell you the truth, this was to be the last marriage meeting. Everyone knew that it wouldn't be solved peacefully, so they decided to make a rating game as a last resort."
If this was the Rias from the past, a rating game would have doomed her to lose from the beginning. Back then she was barely trained nor did she have a particularly strong peerage member. Heck, even now she didn't have a full set-but it didn't matter.
I believed Akeno alone would be strong enough to handle this prick.
"Alright, I was hoping for this as well."
"Hee, so you're accepting it. I don't mind. But I'm already a mature devil and I have already participated in the official game. Right now I have won most of the games. Even so, you still want to play, Rias?"
Riser replied back with even more provocative words.
"I will erase you," Rias said back fearlessly.
"Fine. If you win, do whatever you like. But if I win, you will marry me immediately."
Both of them glared at each other.
"Understood. I, Grayfia Lucifuge, have confirmed both sides' opinions. I will be in charge of the game between the two households. Is that okay?"
"Yes."
"Yeah." Riser said nonchalantly, "You know this is pointless right? The only one who could even remotely give me a challenge is your Queen."
"That was the old me, you're so out of touch with me that you don't even know of my progress." I could feel the sheer anger and disdain behind her tone. "I alone am enough to destroy you."
"Hahahaha, don't be silly now Rias, I am an elite fighter, my flames burn hotter than any being in the Underworld and I have the blood of the proud phoenix coursing through my veins." Saying that Riser snapped his fingers, and another magic circle on the floor glowed.
The magic circle had the same emblem of Phoenix that Riser appeared from.
I raised an eyebrow at the number of girls that emerged from the circle.
"Well, these are my cute servants." Riser stated, presenting 15 people that seemed to be his servants gathered around him. Each looking like a model, possessing an attribute that I would link with a fetish. You had your lolis, the dominatrix, schoolgirl uniform, tight leather outfits, a dancer, twins, Chinese qipao, cat girls and of course the busty Onee-sama.
"Quite the diverse collection you have there." I couldn't help but comment, earning multiple glares from his peerage.
"A human like you wouldn't understand the beauty my girls possess, let me show you how passionate they can be." With that said, he honest to god started making out with one of them! The tongue kissing, the breast fondling-no wonder Rias hates this guy. Bastard has no shame flirting with another woman in front of his supposed fiance.
"Was that supposed to make me jealous? Funny, here I was thinking you have so many girls to hide some of your… shortcomings. In the end, you're nothing but a rooster trying to show off his feathers despite soon ending up as a yakitori in a shitty restaurant."
I did not regret my words.
"You insolent human!" He screamed at me in rage, "Mira!"
"Yes, Riser-sama!"
A small girl similar to Koneko rushed at me with a wooden staff. Her speed and explosive strength reminded me of Bawler all those years ago.
"Are you dumb?" I didn't even bother using my [ Delete Field ] and just shot a [ Magic Arrow ] at the girl. She couldn't block it and got blown away, her stick snapped in half. "I literally had you on your knees, what good would an ever weaker opponent do?"
"You'll pay for this!" One of the girls shouted at me, one with bandages on her head.
"Try me bitch." I provoked them further before sending hundreds of my tentacles to tangle around each and every one of them.
Swish
Swish
Swish
"Wha-what is this!?"
"Ew gross! It's slimy!"
"Pervert!"
"Ahh~ not there…"
Shit, summoning so many of them made it difficult to control each strand. It was maybe this world's perverted nature but these tentacles always had a mind of their own and wandered in the most lewdest of places.
"Release them at once!" Riser tried to interfere but I threatened him by bringing back my [ Delete Field ]. "Argh!"
And here they are again, a proud ' phoenix ' kneeling in front of a human.
"I would have preferred we do this diplomatically, but honestly… I'm done with you. I've dealt with some annoying people before, but you honestly take the cake. Stay there and watch as I make fun of your peerage right before your eyes. You are unable to help them, so powerless in front of them… I wonder how they'll react. You. Are. Weak." Mental attacks were always the best. This jerk wouldn't understand a punch to face even if it were done by God himself. So I targeted his more prominent point-his inflated ego and pride.
"Riser-sama help! These things are too gross!"
"Nyah~ help!"
"Wait~ I'm not ready, ooh~!"
"Onii-sama!"
Wait, even his sister joined his harem!?
You know what? I'll just turn a blind eye at that.
They all began calling for help, some even tried to break free with magic but I just overran their system with my own magic. Especially the Queen, who was doing her best to bite back her moans. She was planning to release a large burst of energy similar to an explosion, but she had a hard time focusing as some of my tentacles moved under her clothes. I made sure to not go overboard and actually hurt any of them.
"Do you enjoy the sight, Yakitori? Where is your previous boisterous pompous attitude? That arrogant air where you saw me as someone completely beneath you. Yet here I stand, looking down on you as I show your girls a better time."
"I'LL KILL YOU! I SWEAR I'LL BURN YOU TO ASHES, RELEASE THE REST AND RAVEL!" He was getting worked up, the white of his eyes becoming all red from rage.
"You're welcome to try, though you'll have to go through Rias first, and trust me buddy-I don't believe you'll succeed." I taunted him further, doing my very best to inflict as much mental damage as I could. "I wonder what your girls taste like… , especially your sister and Queen, bet I can get her addicted to being with a dragon."
Please don't kill me Akeno, I'm just putting up an act!
"FUCK YOU! AAAAARGH! CURSE YOU! I'LL FUCKEN END YOU, YOU WORTHLESS TRASH!"
"I believe that's enough, Hikigaya-sama." Grayfia took her time to intervene, I was grateful for that, I was reaching my limit. "As per agreed the rating game will take place here in exactly 10 days, enough time for both parties to finish their preparation."
She waved her hand creating a teleportation circle beneath Riser and his peerage before planning to forcefully send them away.
"It has been a fun meeting Riser, be sure to come to me soon enough, I promise I'll handle your girls with care."
On queue, several girls moaned from my tentacles, pissing him off even further.
"HUMAAAA-" He couldn't finish his words as Grayfia finished sending him away.
Bam
I fell on my butt, breathing heavily and looking pale as snow. The feeling of nausea building up inside of me.
"I feel dirty," I said to no one in particular, feeling extremely uneasy and disgusted with my previous behavior and action. Fortunately, I was successful enough to guide his anger at me. During the rating game, he'll be too preoccupied with my presence to pay much attention to the game and come up with a plan.
' An angry bull is easier to predict.'
This will significantly boost Rias's chances of winning.
"Heugh, I'm gonna need a shower… and some coffee" Sometimes, I really did hate how good I can be at acting as the worst person alive.
"Hachi-kun… " I felt Rias hug me from behind, followed by Akeno holding my hands in a comforting manner. "Thanks… for everything."
"Hey, I saw how you hated dealing with the guy, so I just changed his focus from you to me. It wasn't something major."
"Still… you didn't need to bring yourself more trouble."
Yeah, well… What's done is done.
"Rias, take these 10 days to further train your powers, I'll be gone on a mission for a while."
"I will…"
Alright, now it was time to meet up with Azazel and get my ticket to my next destination.
Ireland.
The next 4 chapters are already available on my p treon at /NimtheWriter. Also get early access to my other fics a month in advance.
Don't forget to review.
Rebirth part 2
Hiiiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
I see some people were confused in the previous chapter so I'll be clarifying some points.
There will NEVER be ANY ntr in this story, I absolutely dispise it.
And lastly, for those who are waiting for different character's pov then don't worry, there will be one soon.
This arc has been an absolute blast to write as it was something planned for months by me and the beta readers so I hope ya like it.
Also thanks to my newest patrons: Kacper Zajac, Lionel Contreras, Dranoel06 and Савчук Максим Віталійович. You guys rock!
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi.
- Kuoh -
- Hachiman POV-
Welp… the talk went just about as good as a pile of burning crap, but at least I got the outcome I wanted. The Phenex guy's attention was all on me and not on Rias and her peerage. People with a giant ego like him can be easily riled up, making them easier to predict and counter. Even if he had a strong strategist, in the end, he's the king and can easily make an order which can prove to be his undoing.
All that was left was for Rias to capitalize on this opportunity.
Speaking of Rias, she decided to bring her entire peerage to her second mansion deep in the woods, where they would do some training before the match. I knew their personal skills, but I have never seen them fight in a peerage match-so that was a fun thing to look forward to.
' Oh, and isn't Sona joining them on the trip as well? Hmmm, this might work…' This unexpected get-together made me plan in advance for some problems I wanted to resolve as soon as possible.
"Let's see what Azazel has to say about the mission." Ireland, the destination for my mission. Neither Badb nor Lugh specified which location exactly I would be sent to, but either I was going in prepared. I'd asked the general to gather as much intel as he could about the local deities and about those who hated me or had some other plans for me.
Knock
Knock
Instead of teleporting directly into his house like last time, I decided to walk all the way. I still experienced the wonders of flying and teleporting, but walking once in a while would do me good. So after walking up to his front door and knocking a couple of times, I waited for him or god forbid Vali, to open the door.
The sound of hurried footsteps approaching the door greeted my ears; high heels. So a woman was over… knowing Azazel, it might be one of his nightly lovers.
The door creaked as it opened, and to my surprise, the last person I ever expected to meet came into view. Wearing a tight maid outfit that was even lewder and revealing than the one Grayfia wore, with the material mostly being glossy latex. A window to her chest showed a large part of her cleavage, almost showing the pink of her nipples.
"Raynare?"
"Hiiiiiiiih!" The moment she laid her eyes on me, a terrified shrill cry of fear escaped her lips, the fallen fell on her but-slowly crawling away from me. "Why… why are you here!?" Raynare screamed at me, her eyes clouded in terror and embarrasment as she tried to cover her chest from my view.
Ouch, have I done something that bad to you? Last I remembered, you were acting quite cocky during your captivity-even taunting me with my infamous moniker just to piss me off. So I wondered, what happened for her to react to such an extreme?
I wonder if anyone can hear the sarcasm in my words.
"I come here frequently, like twice a week at least… Why are YOU here? I thought you would be imprisoned or something after I gave you a way to Azazel." I said to the shaking Fallen, looming over the girl as she shakes in fear.
"It's because I brought her here." Azazel came in, dressed in his usual clothes while having a large shit-eating grin plastered on his face. Whenever he made such an expression, that's when I knew that something bad would happen.
"Azazel, this better be one of your jokes."
…
"He-here is your… t-t-tea, L-Lord Hachiman." I could feel her anger and terror from her voice, especially when she called me Lord Hachiman.
It looked like it physically hurt her.
Even when serving me and Azazel some refreshments she would act very robotically when near me, before quickly stepping away from me. "A-anything e-else?"
I won't lie. I was feeling quite uncomfortable with this set up, but at the same time, I want her to keep pushing this woman's buttons. Though thanks to Asia, I was more clear-headed these last few days, so I remembered how I, out of anger and slight loss of control, bashed Raynare's head through the wall-nearly busting it open.
I once again realized just how brutal I was with her back then and felt slightly regretful and sorry.
Still, I mostly believed that she had it coming for her with how arrogant she was acting back then.
Azazel invited me inside to discuss the matter with Raynare. According to him, the other duo, Donhaseek and Mittelt were both assigned to serve Baraquiel as mere servants back in the Underworld as a punishment for their actions.
"As you know, our species has a problem of being very small in number. Even Heaven has more angels than the Grigori has Fallens. Our numbers are extremely limited and we can't grow unless there is an angel who falls to sin. So we can't really give out death sentences or life-threatening punishments to the few we have left… plus since Raynare and her goons didn't succeed at killing Hyoudou Issei-it helps to reduce the severity of their case." Azazel explained.
I understood his reasoning.
As a leader of one of the three major biblical factions, I couldn't imagine the pressure Azazel and the other leaders had to keep their species alive and strong enough to ward off all manners of dangers.
But something bugged me here… , "So, you made Raynare your personal maid? Isn't that technically a reward, since she has a crush on you?" Honestly, I assumed she must have been jumping in joy when she heard her role as Azazel's personal servant… Kala did mention her love for the governor bordered on fanaticism.
"Hahahahahahaha!!!!!!" And for some reason that made this guy laugh. I knew my gut feeling was right, he had something planned for me.
I noticed how Raynare looked to be on the brink of a mental breakdown with each passing second. Making the uneasy feeling inside me grow as well.
"Azazel… "
"Ah, don't sweat it, it's not anything major or diabolic that I'm planning. You know me, we've been friends for years at this point. Don't you trust me?" He said innocently, the same smile that makes me want to punch him in the face.
"It's because I've known you for these last two years that I know what kind of person you truly are-which worries me greatly," I told him straight to his face with my infamous dead-fish eyes. You could never trust a man who regularly screwed anyone over if he found it funny with his inventions. No wonder Baraquiel is so fed up with him most days.
"Awww, don't be like that, why I've brought Raynare-chan over here for a special occasion, hehehe." He took out a scroll from his robe and gently put it over the table.
"A-Azazel-sama please don't do this! I'm willing to do anything. Anything!" The sight of the scroll made Raynare break down in tears as she began begging to the man on her knees with tears streaming down her face.
' Just what is going on here!?' Was this her death warrant? But he just told me that he wouldn't kill anymore Fallens if possible, so it couldn't be that. A list of how she'll be tortured? Her biggest secret on paper? I didn't know.
Azazel didn't pay any heed to the crying woman and just kept smiling while looking at me."Well? Aren't you going to open it?" He asked me excitedly.
"No… please no!" Raynare pleaded.
I warily took the scroll and slowly unfurled it.
"Read it out loud." Said Azazel.
After everything that happen, I'm not sure I want too… , "This contract dictates from here on after, the rogue Fallen, Raynare, will… forever follow her contractor, The Black Dragon King, Hikigaya Hachiman and be forever bound to him by a soul bond until decided otherwise by the master or until death they part!? Azazel are you fucking out of your mind!?" I tossed the paper at Azazel as if it was the filthiest thing I'd ever touched. "A forceful soul bond!? Did you even think for a moment before doing such a drastic thing!?"
No wonder Raynare was freaking out, she was basically a slave now!
"Was I wrong?" Azazel asked as he placed the contract back on the table, his face no longer smiling but instead holding a deadly calm expression. "Remember, I said that I try to avoid a death sentences when it involves my species. But when it comes to matters of treason and attempts at effectively restarting another war, this must not be taken lightly. I may be the governor but my fallen brothers and sisters also have a voice… and many of them approved of her execution." When he was saying this piece of information, I could see signs of exhaustion and disappointment in his eyes for the situation he was thrust upon.
"I tried… I tried my best to find a reason, to find an excuse but I had to face reality myself-what Raynare did cannot be excused with small punishments. So after much discussion with Penemue, Shemhazai and Baraquiel; we came to a conclusion of soul-bonding the girl to you. It'll teach her the consequences of her actions and you can free her when you think she learned her lesson. If you don't take her in… then we kill her or throw her in Cocytus."
"Also because I thought that it would be funny." He spoke, his stupid grin back on his face.
"Azazel!" This guy…
"Hahahaha! I'm just messing with ya, kinda. But my previous words still stand."
"And if I free her the moment I sign the contract?"
"You are free to do so… but remember Hachiman. Your every move and decision is monitored by the supernatural world. If others Fallen see the leeway we gave her… then more rogue situations will arise. We need to make an example." He said before going back to drink his tea.
"Do I have to do it now?" I asked. This was a big thing that I couldn't rush… I needed time to think. I didn't want her to die since she failed to kill anyone really. So killing her was too much.
"Yes, in the meantime… why don't we discuss your mission?"
…
"So, Ireland… Honestly, I don't know much about the country and its deities aside from Lugh and Badb." I said to Azazel as we oversaw a large map of the country. He had long sent an emotionally unstable Raynare out of the room-giving us some privacy to discuss some matters.
"Your mission is exactly at the north of the country, Knockbridge to be precise. It is a small village within the townland of Ballinlough in County Louth. For the moment, you're banned from teleporting directly to Ireland, so you'll be flown there and driven to the outskirts of the village, far from any accidental sightings. The field which blocks Badb's influence encompasses the entire region, it'll be your job to find the source and take care of it." I memorized every detail to heart so as to not miss out on any important information in the future.
Still… it made me curious why couldn't just the Gods take care of such a problem.
"You're probably wondering why doesn't just Badb or anyone of her sisters not take care of the issue, right?" I was a bit surprised by the way he perfectly read my thoughts but nodded nonetheless. "As the goddess of death told you before, due to some ancient agreement she had with the original owner of these lands, she can't trespass on it without her permission. And since this specific person is apparently also ignoring her… you could see why she came to us."
"But why go through such a promise? Don't Gods break their own oaths and promises every other time?" Multiple names came to mind which I preferred not saying outland unless I chose to get smite by lightning.
"Badb is an exception, as the goddess of death her words carry far more meaning than even Lugh. To keep her standing over the others and maintain a proper level of respect without the others backstabbing her out of fear, the goddess should always remain true to her words-even for the smallest of promises. Not to mention, the owner we're talking about is no pushover exactly, gain her ire them not even Ophis itself will be able to save them."
Now that was interesting. "Is it another god? Who is it?"
Azazel put on a thoughtful look before shaking his head. "Not really… It's complicated. Her origin is very ancient and her powers have grown so much from the past that it even surpasses some gods, so it would be wise to call her an immortal. As for her name, well… you'll find out soon enough. All I'll say is to keep your distance with the locals, especially any redheads if possible." What's up with all this secrecy all of a sudden? Why can't he just tell me her name?
"Why are you not telling me her name?" I asked him curiously.
"Cause names carry power, especially when spoken by beings like me, and in her case, she'll know as soon as I utter the syllables of her name to hone in on us and discover our plans. She's a nasty piece of work I tell ya." Yikes, that bad? Just how dangerous is this woman? There is a very high chance that whatever is causing this problem might even be her.
With how Azazel was hyping her powers… I don't think I'll be able to handle whoever this is!
Azazel seeing my worried face immediately calmed me down with his following words. "She's not the enemy if that's what you're wondering-Badb specifically emphasized that part. I just don't want to deal with that gorilla anymore. And you know, Badb takes her words very seriously, so we can trust her." He assured me. So in the end, I chose to believe him.
"Before I go, I need your help with Sona's and Rias' peerages-especially with Saji's case. How's the gear extractor working?" Ever since Kiba unearthed that apparel, I knew it would come in crucial for me in the future. So I had it delivered to my house where I handed it over to Azazel.
"Some parts are not fully functional yet, but we can expect a large rate of success if I include an artificial sacred gear."
Great so everything was going smoothly, in the future, I won't have to worry about Saji dying because of me. Asia was a lifesaver, but I couldn't keep her around 24/7 by my side, can I?
"Oh, and one last thing, It's about Issei… I need a favor"
{ Break }
- Kuoh Airport-
I kinda forgot how it felt to travel in a plane. Even when reborn in this world my current parents never took me outside Japan… but when Azazel kidnapped me I guess that counted as me flying abroad.
I couldn't teleport there directly because as Badb mentioned, she couldn't get in contact with the owner of the land to ask for permission. If I wasn't such an infamous person then I could have just teleported to another nearby village or to Dublin. But of course, the other gods just had to make things difficult over such a simple matter. I was to travel by normal human means allowing them to constantly track my movement until I'd reach the village.
So a long journey was awaiting me.
"Why the fuck am I carrying your luggage!?"
Oh, and I was not traveling alone this time. Just behind me handling my luggage was none other than Raynare.
Looking vastly different from her Amano Yuuma persona, she wore tight black leather pants and a black tank top that didn't cover her belly button with a large part of her cleavage on display. If Amano Yuuma represented an innocent countryside girl then Raynare would be your regular punk rock emo girl who's obsessed with heavy metal.
Even in her ' human ' attire, which was just the lack of wings, she still attracted a lot of attention from the opposite gender… especially when dressed like that in a country like Japan.
"Yeah well, I bothered to sign that troublesome paper so now you have to suffer a bit to calm my anger."
"I'm the one who's been sold off! You son of a bitch, you're just enjoying watching me get humiliated in public don't you!?" For a woman who just got saved from the execution or a lifetime Imprisonment in a frozen hellscape, she sure did bitch around a lot.
"I'm not denying that fact… and you do realize that I just saved your life, right?"
"Pft, as if, you fucking human. I was safe and sound by Azazel-sams's side. I was living the dream of finally serving him personally, I could have used my body to worm my way into his heart, and then you showed up!"
Wow, this girl is as delusional in her case as Issei was on his first date… they would get along quite well if she didn't bother hiding her real persona, in my opinion.
"Yeah, yeah, cry me a river would you. Now stop wasting time and hurry up, our plane is gonna start boarding soon."
…
At least Azazel got me first-class seats, it was the first time I got to experience such a thing-it was a bit hard to hide my excitement.
Humming, I got to enjoy the moment.
"Stop smiling, it's creepy."
And of course, someone had to ruin the mood.
"Does it hurt you to be nice for once in your life?"
"Not with you disgusting humans," Raynare said as she was sipping on some champagne. For all her whining, she sure did enjoy the premium service.
"I don't understand how you can act like that when I dealt with you so easily, I even bashed your head through a wall. Shouldn't you be scared that I will hurt you again?"
She gave a smug look, "It's because you won't hurt me now. Before we were enemies, now I'm literally your slave. You could have ordered me to get on my knees and give you a blowjob or hump you like a bitch in heat while in front of Azazel-sama-but you didn't. Aside from carrying your bags, you didn't take the slightest advantage of my current state and that tells me everything I need to know about your personality. If I'm wrong then prove me wrong." Raynare whispered the last part with a vicious victorious smirk.
I underestimated her, she was smart in reading people… sometimes.
"I have a girlfriend you know? I could use you as a meat shield if I'm ever in danger." I tried probing further.
"Humph, as if you'll ever let this sexy body of mine get filled with holes." She said as she grouped one of her breasts, making one of the secretly peeping passengers spit their drink.
Good thing he hadn't heard the content of our talk. And also…
"Didn't I piece your limbs when we first met?" I reminded her, thankfully making her stop her boob massage.
She stilled for a bit, her face becoming even paler. It was clear to me that she had forgotten that night. ' So she isn't that bright to begin with, good to know.'
We got interrupted by someone in the front seat.
"That's an interesting conversation you're having there, mind if I join in?"
The moment we saw the face of the person in front, both of us had a drastic change in expression.
I choked on my spit as my eyes nearly popped out in sheer disbelief.
Raynare went even paler, she was shaking all over and looked like she was about to piss herself. She reacted as if she came to face the most dangerous thing in the world.
Which wasn't exactly false.
"Sirzechs Lucifer!?" I cried out in shock
"A pleasure to finally meet you, Hikigaya Hachiman."
My simple international flight can't go smoothly as expected.
The next 5 chapters are already available on my p@treon with 3 extra Broly chapters as well.
at /NimtheWriter
Also reminder that this is NOT fate Scathack. There is NO fate crossover… aside the small jokes.
Rebirth part 3
Hiiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Kinda late, cause I needed to finish another chapter yesterday and couldn't do it in time.
But hey, it's here anyways!
Also, thank you to my new patrons: T I, Laurent Caballero, Christian Morales-Lopez, Kaiser Umbra and Dustin Dunno for the upgrade. Y'all rock!
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi.
- Hachiman POV-
For years, I knew to never let my guard down, when things go too smoothly then something is bound to go wrong. Because nothing ever goes as planned and no one can predict what will happen in the future with certainty.
For example, I never saw myself going from an average high school kid, who just wanted to mind his own business and not work hard in life-to becoming your cringy shounen dragon fighter maybe protagonist. My dream of becoming a househusband went so quickly down the drain that I didn't even notice it before it was too late.
Though I never stopped practising, just not as regularly nor did I do it in front of Akeno of all people-she would cling to me like a magnet and suffocate me even more with affection and teasing. Mom was the only one who knew of this little side of me, I begged to never reveal it to anyone.
' I should try cooking for once now that I'm not in Kuoh, haven't done it in a while…' It would save me some money from eating outside every day-returning to my roots as some would say. ' Mmmnnn, maybe some curry, can't remember the last time I made it. Oh yeah… , I made it for Komachi the last time we saw each other.' A little part of me wondered if I'll ever go back to cook for my sister one last time. At this point, she's probably already married and might even be a mother for all I knew.
Wait, I was getting lost with my inner monologue again!
"You're awfully quiet, Hachiman-kun. Hope I didn't surprise you too much." The prince of lies said as he was munching on some donuts.
Raynare, that cowardly bitch literally jumped away from her seat and ran to the economy suit, leaving the seat free for Sirzechs to come over to take it for himself.
"It's not often that you get to meet one of the Maou's in an airplane of all places," I said, turning my gaze to the window, keeping me distracted from the fact I was having a casual conversation with a guy who was known to be a freakishly broken devil and also one of the leaders of the devils.
"It does seem odd, doesn't it? Well, I do own the airline after all."
Wait… , what!?
"The Gremory owns a vast expanse of different businesses all across the world, not to mention the centuries' worth of our family's accumulating fortune made us grow larger as well."
So you're all stupidly rich that you make Scrooge McDuck look like a poor man, yeah, I got to experience that from living with your sister as she constantly slapped me with her wealth.
' That doesn't sound right.' Good thing I didn't say that out loud to the widely known super siscon, probably would've killed me before I even realized it.
"If it's not too rude to ask, why are you here Lucifer-san? I doubt you need a plane to travel around the world." Play it cool, I'm sure he's just curious about me since I'm his sister's magician and housemate. There was nothing to worry about, so relax!
"I heard that my sister has a crush on you…" He said with a calm smile on his face, a bit too calm if you asked me.
' I'm going to die!'
Red alarm bells rang inside my head as thousands of mini Hachis scrambled around in complete pandemonium! My mind was working in overdrive trying to find a suitable answer to Sirzechs. Like did he know that his sister nearly slept with me that night? Or the fact that she touched Hachiman jr!? He must know about the relationship between me and Akeno, right!?
Even though the inside of the cabin was cold, my face was burning hot with sweat glistening down my forehead. Of all the things he could have asked of me, he had to bring up his sister.
I'm so SCREWED!
"She'll get over it." My mouth gave an automatic response which I was used to giving Azazel… it might not have been a good idea with him.
"Will she? I do wonder about that… are you planning on breaking her heart?" I heard the slight change in his tone, taking a quick glance at his face, I saw how his smile still remained but his eyes were conveying another thing entirely.
"I won't hurt her if that's what you're wondering. Rias is now in a fragile state of mind at this point in her life. She needs to gather her focus and put all of her efforts into defeating Riser. When she is free from this long existing burden-one she carried for years-she'll be clear of mind to make her final decision."
There, I used every ounce of my delegation and speech skills to, hopefully, pacify this man. Now, I just pray that he doesn't get ang-
"Pft-Hahahahahaha!" To my surprise, Sirzechs all of a sudden began laughing out loud as I had just told the man the funniest joke he'd heard in his life. "How amusing, in the past, hundreds if not thousands of suitors flocked the Gremory estate, asking for Rias' hand in marriage. All of them show off their wealth, power, and status to either mother or father. These people always tried getting to them first rather than Rias-though some did, but those were very rare cases. In the end, she was the one who was endlessly pursued without care for her own opinion and feelings about the matter. They all cared about the power her name carried and the benefits that come with it."
I felt his hand patting my shoulders. "Now we have Rias doing the chasing yet you stray away from her. But you still keep her feelings and wants as a priority, always taking that step forward whenever she needs help… it is with this knowledge that I can with perfect peace of mind leave my sister in your hands…
"… Hmm, I approve."
Those words hit me like a freight train, I felt like I was back to being a ten-year-old boy standing in front of Baraquiel once more.
"You're getting the wrong idea here, Lucifer-san."
"Am I?" He asked bemused, thinking that I was acting dumb of the situation.
"Yeah, you are," I replied, wondering what he was implying.
We had a moment of silence and we soon heard the pilot's voice announcing our descent to Dublin's international airport.
"We'll see, oh and by the way… " A large red magic circle formed beneath him slowly encompassing his figure. "… Be careful out there, Knockbridge is where the grave of someone very powerful lies, whose legend is still known till this day." With that said, he vanished leaving no trace of himself. I noticed how some air hostesses disable a small magical barrier around us.
' So even the crew are devils as well… how did I not notice that?'
I just stared at the spot where he vanished, for some reason finding his last words to be very ominous. The possibility of it being an undead problem like a Sluagh-a restless undead spirit who could not move on and ended up haunting the countryside. 'Maybe a Dullahan?'
An undead was not something I could kill or destroy easily, as my strength lies in the physical aspect, I can't exactly punch a ghost in the face. Akeno and Shuri-san have much more experience with this kind of stuff since they are both Mikos and are known to perform purifying rituals for spirits.
I can do some research about it when we land and maybe get some tips from the mother-daughter mikos.
And speaking of ' we ', I'm gonna make that cowardly crow pay for ditching me!
"First, I need to find where Raynare ran off to."
{ Break}
-Kuoh, Mountainous region-
- Third POV -
"Hee-hee…"
"Haa-haa…"
The sound of two haggard people moaning filled the air.
"Fuck… I… can't last… much longer!"
"Same, haa-haa, I'm going to break at this rate."
Out of context, many would misunderstand the wording of the two's proclamation. But in reality, it was something completely different.
Right now, in the mountains near Kuoh. Rias, Sona, and their Peerage, along with Issei were brought here by both Kings after an agreement was formed between the groups to help each in their training-especially for the newer recruits.
Sona had called everyone into the council room and announced a co-team outing with Rias' peerage members. She made everyone and Issei pack their stuff for the trip. The other members have already gathered to the location, using a teleportation circle.
The weather was perfect and the sky was clear of clouds. The surrounding was filled with trees, and one could even hear the cries of the birds. In terms of viewing the mountain, it was an incredible sight, perfect for training.
But the only problem here was the steep slope. Every step the two dragon gear users took drained their stamina away the longer they climbed the mountain-sweat already soaking their clothes. It was especially hard for the non-devil of the group!
"Hurry up you two. We have to reach the villa before it gets dark."
Sona, who was way ahead of them, urged the two sternly. Beside her was Tsubaki, looking at them apathetically, both not even looking winded.
"Even while being a devil, Saji-san still sucks."
"True but it's okay, while it is embarrassing for a human to equal him in physical strength-we'll make sure to train them both to be proper devil and soon to be devil for Issei," Sona said, adjusting her glasses.
Saji heard the two talking. The man flinched and felt ashamed at letting his Kaichou down with his less than stellar performance. 'I swear I'll surpass everyone here, even that bastard Hikigaya!'
Crack
""My back!"" They both cried out in pain, their ton-filled backpacks finally weighing them down.
Though they also were carrying Reya, Momo, and even Tsubaki's belongings! According to Sona, this was a good form of training.
' What's inside this luggage!?' Thought Issei, struggling to push himself back up.
"Kaichou, I gathered some herbs. We could use it for the meal tonight! I want to make something healthy today!" Ruruko said that while walking past them with an excited expression. She was also carrying a huge piece of luggage on her back, but she might as well be carrying nothing for how easily she was moving around. They lost their words when they saw the short-stature girl walk up the mountains without any difficulty.
Ruruko had quite the stamina since she also went to gather some herbs during their trek.
"Come on guys, you can't be a real man if you can't handle this much! Honestly, Hachiman could handle this with no problem!"
Then Tsubasa came after her, while carrying more luggage than any of them, and walked past the two with Momo, Reya, and Tomoe carrying the same amount!
"Oi! Don't question my manhood! I can carry this stuff easily!" Saji cried out, angry at being underestimated once again.
"Yeah! What he says! We can totally outmatch Hikigaya-sempai" Followed Issei, flames of determination burning inside of him.
""Uoryaaaaaa!"" Both boys got fired up and then went up the mountain at full throttle.
"Ha! See you behind looser!"
"Fuck you Saji! I'm gonna be the first one to reach the top just like I'll be the first one to become THE Harem King!"
"I'm not letting you touch Kaichou!"
""FUCK YOU!""
While repeatedly insulting each other like that over and over again, they reached the mansion on the top.
The boys were greeted by the sight of an irritated Rias and her peerage, with Azazel at the back making fun of her ahoge by continuously pulling it. The heiress was seconds away from unleashing her Power of Destruction on the old crow.
Kiba was already practising some sword moves while smiling at Rias' situation.
Koneko and surprisingly Asia were drooling over some sweet treats that Kala made for them.
Oh, and there was also a suspicious-looking box at the back with haunting red eyes observing everything through the eye-holes.
"Ara Ara, our friends have finally arrived, and some look like they'll die soon enough. I didn't even get a chance to do anything yet. How disappointing fufufufu." Akeno didn't hesitate to poke fun at Issei and Saji's near-dead faces.
…
The European-style mansion was made from wood and stone belonging to the House of Gremory.
It blended perfectly with the scenery, perfectly hidden from humans sight by using spells.
Everyone went to the living room to put their bags away, Issei and Saji both slept on the floor after drinking a glass of water. The girls went upstairs to get changed into better-suited clothing, where they can move easier for training.
"I will go to my room, I have some things I want to take care of before we start training. I need to change my clothes as well… these ones are already drenched."
Kiba went to a room located on the first floor while being followed by the moving box which reminded Issei of Snake from Metal Gear.
"Don't peek~"
Kiba smiled at the two boys, while allowing the box to enter the room, and gave them a wink when he closed the door. The two dragon users felt a shiver at disgust and repugnance at his comments.
"I will seriously punch you, bastard!"
"Die, ikemen!"
Both Saji and Issei didn't throw a punch at Kiba as they couldn't even get back up yet.
Saji shuddered when he thought about how the infamous Kiryuu Aika would react if she was here for this moment. ' She'll probably do a BL threesome pairing of "Me x Kiba x Issei", she already made "Kiba x Hachiman" extremely popular around the female populace.'
He would rather die and get eaten by a stray than allow such a thing to happen-especially with someone like Issei!
Slowly, the two dragged their worthless bodies to their respective rooms.
They took their time to get some rest before they needed to get changed. Every room came with a bed and all the equipment necessary for everyday use. But much to Issei's despair, it didn't come with a television… or any internet for that matter!
Animals!
By the time everyone finished getting changed, they gathered in the living room. Rias was wearing a red jersey while Sona wore a blue one, each having their family's sigil on their clothing.
Azazel was the one to make the next announcement, with Kala and Asia, both wearing black jerseys, by his side. "Now then let's start our training outside right away. I have prepared a regimen specially tailored to each and every one of you."
He took out a long list from his pocket, ready to instruct everyone on their specific training while they followed him outside.
"Gremory brat, you'll be studying former rating games from your brother and that of the Belial King. Sitri brat, you'll be doing the same."
The Gremory heiress uncharacteristically flipped him the bird for being called a brat while Sona just nodded to the instructions, but her glasses gave off a menacing glint, showing her dissatisfaction for the comment.
"Akeno, you need to work on your physical stamina. You might be a walking thunderstorm but you can't move around much in a battle or you'll be too slow, making you an easy target for projectiles. The same applies for Tsubaki, both of your magical powers are way above your physical strength even though you both possess the powers of a Rook. You two need to fix that, get it on the same level."
Akeno gave Tsubaki a light smile which the latter returned, knowing what to do next.
"Kiba, Tsubasa, and Tomoe, you three will be doing regular spar matches to improve your combat experience and technique."
Tsubasa was the most pumped with the idea of fighting. Tomoe looked a bit uncertain but Kiba came in to reassure the girl.
"Momo, Saji, and Kusaka, you will both learn some new magical spells and I want to run some tests on ya for a special project I'm working on… Ruruko you will join as well, why not. But Saji will take the main priority as his case is a bit urgent."
All three of them gained a worried expression with Saji unconsciously rubbing his left arm.
"And lastly Issei."
"Yosh! I'm ready for whatever you throw at me old man, so bring it!" Issei cheered.
Azazel looked annoyed at his comment on his age but he found his excitement amusing and couldn't help but wait for his upcoming reaction. "First, don't EVER call me old, the ladies won't appreciate me if you do. And second…"
On queue, an enormous magical pressure soon descended on everyone present in the room. All, aside from Azazel losing their breath-the Gremory side went especially pale when they recognized the familiar power signature.
" ーー !!" A powerful roar swept the land, knocking back a few trees and causing the mansion to shake even with its magically reinforced walls.
Doom !
The earth shook as if something as big as a mountain landed nearby.
"You have a special guest, a friend of Hachiman's." Azazel grinned when he saw the look on Issei's face, who looked ready to pass out in fear, and he couldn't help but burst out laughing like a maniac! "Hahahaha!!!"
" DDRRRRAAAIIIGGGG!!! I can smell you bastard! Come out and face me, you cowardly welp!!!!"
The next 5 chapters are already available on my . With 3 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter.
Rebirth part 4
Hiiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
I got some news for y'all! Next week there won't be any updates as I'll be busy polishing some of the old chapters. I did a similar thing with the first ten chapters before.
So don't message me asking about the next update cause there won't be one next week. It's just 7 days, I've been waiting for half a year for some of my favourite fic to update so y'all can manage.
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi
- Hachiman POV-
Well, the flight was interesting if I was completely honest. Not every day that you get to meet one of the four Maous as a passenger. To be honest, I was very tempted to jump out of the plane, James Bond-style, and fly to Knockbridge with my [ Prison Wings ].
Unfortunately, I don't think one of the King's of the Underworld would have liked that. The last thing I wanted was an angry super devil coming for my hide.
Standing in front of Dublin International airport, I stretched my back a bit, taking in the fresh air of the Irish land. "What a lovely day it is today." I turned around to see Raynare walking behind me still wearing her tight black clothing attracting once again lots of male viewers-and even some females.
"So what're we waiting for?" She acted like her running away from Sirzechs didn't just happen. Her arrogant and bitchy nature soon returned the moment she found out that the Maou left.
I gestured to a lady in the crowd holding a sign with my name on it. "I'm pretty sure our ride is over there, just in case you missed it."
One might think the local supernatural force was very nice to us by sending in someone, but I knew they just wanted to keep a constant eye on me. Not that I blame them for that… if I was in their place-I would have done the same.
The person who welcomed us was a red-haired woman with freckles. She was wearing a formal suit that looked good on her form. Looking down at myself and Raynare, I kinda felt undressed in our casual attires.
Maybe we should get suits like those Men in Black from that american movie? Might make us look more professional… and it would look really cool if I can pull it off.
Oh wait… it's called Men in Brown in this reality.
"Greetings, Hachiman-sama and Raynare-sama I presume?" Even her tone was super formal. I didn't need to use my [ Dual Translate ] spell in order to speak English which I was already quite good at speaking naturally.
"Yo, you'll be our driver to Knockbridge?" I asked casually, trying to look as friendly and harmless as possible. Raynare meanwhile was in her own world and ignoring us completely.
"Yes, I present myself as Aife, please follow me to the car, it will take us about an hour to reach the village where you'll have the necessary accommodation and all basic necessities ready for your arrival." Aife bowed forward which I returned."Hey!" I forcefully pushed Raynare's down a bit as she was making me look bad in front of people who already didn't like me much. "You're messing up my hair, asshole!"
Aife just raised an eyebrow at the scene and decided to ignore it as she led us to the car waiting for us to enter before driving us to our destination.
"So… is there anything you can tell about Knockbridge and any recent possible irregularities?" I asked, trying to learn more about my mission.
"Our village holds a small community of various sorts of faes and creatures, from all across the country, that are connected to its rich history and ambient magic-suitable for spirits and natured attuned beasts live in this country," Aife spoke with a monotone voice, betraying no emotions whatsoever. "As for anything else in particular? Aside from the slight increase in ambient magical energy, I see no issues-you will only be wasting your time here."
Though it was very hidden, I could sense the slight hostility in her tone… it didn't take me long to figure it out. "You don't want me anywhere near your village, do you?"
"…"
"There is no need to fake an act, I will do what I promised to Badb and Lugh-but I want you all to be honest with me first."
She clenched her hold on the steering wheel, her knuckles white from the hold. "I was born and raised in that village," Aife said. "That place is my only home and the sole haven for other unfortunate species of ghosts and wraiths. The inhabitants were chased away from their own homes from all over Ireland, as they were not welcomed in both the upper world and lower world- but they've an aura of death-similar to Badb-sama-the stench of death reeks of your being. For you are no god of death, then this is only possible through you killing countless. From your past exploits and… accidents. I don't want Knockbridge to be erased from the face of the world by an immature human who has yet to fully master his partially complete gear." Her tone at the end was harsh and unfriendly. The emotionless mask she wore cracked and showed me the real person inside.
Yet what can I do about it?
I understood her fear, how would someone feel when a walking disaster walked into their house? They would want to get rid of it as soon as possible. 'I wonder how the rest of the village will react to my presence…'
This interaction gave me a rare view of how the supernatural world saw me. In Kuoh everyone knew me to some extent and the supernatural forces never feared me, since these people were the devils and Azazel. But I couldn't say the same for the rest of the world…
For the rest of the journey, I stayed quiet. Not wanting to antagonise Aife anymore as I figured that she was already putting in massive amounts of effort to lead the source of her fear right into her home.
But a part of me, somewhere deep inside my soul, was screaming at me to break and destroy her village.
I felt my nails dig into my palms, and hoped that I can get this over with quickly.
…
We soon reached the village about an hour later.
As expected we weren't really welcomed the moment I got out of the car. A cold feeling of dread crept up my spine as I felt like someone poured a bucket full of ice water on me.
I expected a few hateful glares but not an entire empty village… I should really re-evaluate my own image outside Kuoh. "Let me guess, the residents all fled the scene when they heard of my arrival," I said to Aife, who to my surprise, shook her head.
"That is both true and false. Yes, a handful of locals did indeed flee the site of your arrival. But a steady stream of villagers kept leaving Knockbridge through their own volition each month. We never got a clear answer from any of them, aside from one human claiming to see a horde of Bánánach near the river… Some claimed to have seen a Bean-nighe." She said that last part while sneaking a glance at me.
This got me curious, "What is a Bean-nighe?" I asked curiously, never having heard of such a creature.
"It's a female spirit from folklore, regarded as an omen of death and a messenger from the Otherworld. She is a type of ban-sìth that haunts desolate streams and washes the clothing of those about to die…"
I had a bad feeling already.
"And whose clothes was she washing exactly?"
"…" Aife turned silent for a moment before answering me. "Though everyone saw a different version of the Bean-nighe across the area, they all washed the same… 'clothes'. Them being dark armour covered in spikes and… a dragon-like tail."
Why am I not surprised.
Someone else was worrying more about this piece of information than me. "Shit, I don't want to die because of you!" Raynare screamed, taking several huge steps away from me.
Rude…
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, bitch."
Why can't I get a simple request? Like doing simple house chores? I was a good cook, familiar with many foreign cuisines…
{ Break }
The house they provided us was cosy, with a small fireplace, a kitchen, and even a clean bathroom. There was only one teeny tiny problem…
"Why the fuck is there a single bed!?"
Well, at least Raynare voiced it out first.
I must admit that I outgrew my previous self by a lot, to the point of becoming someone completely different in a way. Though even after living through two different lives. I didn't just change to the point of letting another girl-who isn't Akeno-invade my personal space. Let alone share a bed of all things!
' There were many times when Rias slept with me… but she always sneaked in so I didn't know!'
I'm not sleeping on the floor when it's this cold outside. Forget about sleeping in the living room, I like having a comfy bed. Forget about being a gentleman when it comes to my sleep. "You will sleep on the couch, Raynare."
If looks could kill then I would have been burned to a crisp in less than a second. "And why the fuck should I sleep there, huh!? Are you too much of a pansy to sleep with a girl? Or are you such a freak that you be able to control yourself and fuck me in the middle of the night?" She said, almost daring me to do it.
Don't fall for it Hachiman.
She's basically a venus flytrap.
"I have a girlfriend and I don't think it's okay for a guy and a girl who aren't in a relationship or are not related to sleep on the same bed."
"And I had many lovers in the past as well, you don't see me creating a fuss over it, do you? Hurgh, I need some booze to deal with this bullshit." Raynare dropped her stuff and went for the door.
"Where are you going?" I asked her, but I honestly didn't really care, as long as she didn't make my job more difficult.
"Didn't you fucking hear me right now!? I need to get away from you before I lose my mind! I'll find a local pub with someone I can use as a living dildo." Wow, she didn't even hesitate to say it. "And why are you worried about where I'm going? It's not like I can escape with that damned contract. I'm literally chained to you, you dipshit!"
Bam !
She shut the door with force, leaving me alone in the single bedroom.
"Screw you, Azazel." Every time something goes wrong with me, I just know that it had something to do with Azazel. And in this case, it was most certainly that guy's fault as well.
…
Deciding to do some amateur-level detective work, I travelled around the village to find some noteworthy sightings. Areas with higher concentrations of magic, old caves systems-if there was any-and even old trees. The land itself was quite flat, there was nowhere in general people could hide.
That is until I found a popular tourist attraction, according to Aife-a certain gravesite.
It didn't take long for me to find the place, as a single gravestone stood alone in a vast empty field.
"You gotta be kidding me… Cu Chulainn…" I can't believe I'm in front of the grave of a legendary hero! He was like the Irish version of Hercules for god's sake!
I recovered the book I brought about every myth and legend from the land. This was my first purchase from the souvenir shop… I should bring the others something as well.
"Let's see, Cu… Cu… Cu… where is it-ah! There we go, Cu Chulainn. Born with the name Sétante, said to be the son of… Lugh… a hero of great prowess… used a mighty spear which pierced 30 times with a single thrust… student of Scathack…" I wondered why neither Badb nor Lugh bothered to mention anything about this.
After all, for such a strange phenomenon to affect the entire region, especially in the territory where Lugh's son's grave lay. Why wouldn't the God of Light not intervene? It can't be over a simple thing as a promise or that lie about their words being sacred. The gods were known to lie before, the promise of a god held as much value as the words of a stranger.
All legend originated from a source of truth, from far in the past to the present. Legends are not myths, for the latter is meant to be a lie, the former being a story passed down from generation to generation. Myth were meant to teach an ideal which conformed to general human morality. They taught an important life lesson through a made up story… but in this world, every myth is a fact.
A general agreed upon reality among every myth storyteller was to never trust the word of a god-for they hid and twisted the truth just like demons.
Was there something they were hiding from me? "Just what game are those two Gods playing…"
"-!?"
Out of nowhere, I heard someone speak behind me.
"Oh? So ya came to visit the grave of tha famous Cu Chulainn?" The person said with a slight Irish accent.
I turned to see a tall young man standing behind me, waving at me with a large grin. When I said he was tall, I really meant it. The man was definitely more than two meters tall. Having a roguishly handsome face with a sharp chiseled chin with the trace of a beard. Whereas Vali leaned more to the feminine side of handsomeness-this guy looked like a rugged man. He had brown hair with the end tips being either yellow or red-giving it the appearance of a fire burning on the tips whenever the wind blew.
"Heya! You're tha first tourist I saw in a while… especially a Japanese person." The man came to my side and happily patted my back. "Ha! I got excited when I heard there was a new guy in town-lately, things have been too silent around these parts."
I was still trying to recover from his earlier sudden appearance, not to mention I wasn't used to someone being so instantly friendly aside from Yuigahama. "Ho-how do did you know that I was Japanese?" That was all that I could say, giving myself some time to compose myself… These happy-go-lucky people were still a bane to my former loner existence . 'A male version of Isshiki, I suppose… '
"Oh yeah, I was just passing by and heard ya mutter in Japanese, then repeating the name of old Cu here. I ' Nihongo Jouzu ' as well, hahahaha!" The man just laughed at his own joke, I cringed very hard when he said ' Nihongo Jouzu ' with a very heavy accent, and I tried calming down my twitching eyebrow with his jovial attitude. "Where's ma manners! The name's Sétante An Dara, yes yes before ya point it out, I was indeed given the same birth name as Cu Chulainn. Me parents were… avid fans of him… doesn't help that I was born with hair like this." Sétante said as he pointed out his long locks of tri-coloured hair.
But I wondered how his hair correlated with the legendary hound of Ulster. "What do you mean by your hair?"
Sétante looked lost for a bit before realising something. "Aye, ya must not be familiar with Cu's famous physical traits. Legend has it that the man had three colours: brown, blond, and bright red. Each of his cheeks had four dots which were blue, red, yellow, and green. Bastard even had seven toes on each foot, seven fingers on each hand, and seven pupils in each of his eyes! How women of that time find him handsome is a mystery to me! I would have called in the local exorcist, hahahaha!!"
I tried acting like I was laughing along with him while on the inside I was planning to retreat back to my house, but before I did that, "Hey Sétante, did you by chance notice anything out of the ordinary in the area?" I asked him.
"There is always something strange going on in these parts… This place is very ancient and has many histories behind it. Some say that the bones of the legendary Curruid can be found here. The entrance to the shadow realm, a passing Dullahan, banshees, and the list goes on."
"That's a lot for such a small place." I couldn't help but comment on that fact. "Aren't you scared or unnerved by all of this?" I thanked Aife for clarifying that I was not the only reason for the emptiness in the village.
"Leave huh? I don't want to, this place is ma only home… they're so many things holding me back in tha place. The people have done so much for me and I want to return the favour in my own way. The people of my land have since suffered from a certain group… I just wish to have the power to do so." There was an underlying meaning behind it. The atmosphere had changed, becoming more tense and heavy. I was sweating from the sense of danger-sweat covering my forehead.
We both just stood there, I was expressionless with my gaze locked on the grave, while Sétante still kept smiling. No one was armed or exuding any sort of killing intent, yet I felt as if a spear was aimed at my heart from my back.
Step
Step
The man turned his back and was walking away from me. "Take my advice Hachiman, don't become the god's tool and fall for their schemes-they have done enough damage to the world and its people as it is." The world slowly returned to the normal atmosphere it had before but I didn't relax one bit. "You're a good man Hachiman, the incident in Paris wasn't your fault. But if you hang out with the gods, then you will only repeat history-and this time the fault will lie with you."
After a few minutes, he went back to the village.
I didn't notice it before, but my hands were shaking and sweating profusely. My grip had tightened so much that I drew blood.
"Well, at least I found a clue, if not the main suspect behind all this."
{ Break }
(Night-time)
After making it back to my temporary home, and taking a shower to help relieve some stress, leaving me in just my sweatpants, seeing that Raynare wasn't showing up tonight.
My phone rang, looking down, I saw it being none other than Akeno.
"Hello?"
"I finally reached you!" The raven haired girl exclaimed. "I was getting worried, you were unreachable for a while."
Really? Maybe it was the countryside making the connection weak.
"Sorry about that, Akeno. How are you and the rest?" I asked.
"They are fine and so am I… mostly. Though Rias… she's a wreck, she looks calm on the outside but I know she's just a step away from having a panic attack." That bad, huh? I didn't really have an opportunity to talk with her lately due to what happened these last few hours. "Tell her to believe in herself, because I do."
"I will, she's probably downstairs instead of sleeping like the rest. I'll be joining her for a bit." Akeno said, after which a few seconds of silence followed after that. "Neh, Hachi-kun. Do you love Rias?"
"-!" I was caught by surprise by this question, "Why the question?"
"Because she is suffering from your silence."
"…"
I gathered my wits, and concentrated on this question. "Akeno, you know how I feel about this whole harem thing, right? I'm not sure that it will work out between the three of us if it would ever go that far. What happened before… it was at the spur of the moment."
"But you love her." She stated, knowing me more than anyone in this world. "And so do I, we've both cherished her for years."
I chuckled, "Can't forget every time you teased her with your body. That girl always had an over the top reaction with these things." Of course I knew about Akeno's feelings for both of us, it was easy to recognize when I was in the same position as well.
"How about this, when you come back, you take her on a date and have sex with her for once!" I moved the phone away, not prepared from her tone. "Sorry about that, but you two have been getting on my nerves with how you tiptoe around each other despite knowing your mutual feelings for each other."
"It's not that simple, Akeno." I heard a large sigh coming from the other side.
"Hachiman," scary, she never used my full name unless it was important. "If you don't plan on taking the first step, then by Lucifer, I will take the lead in this relationship and drag Rias to become our lover."
"Our? Woman, you're too greedy."
"But do you accept? Does Rias hold a place in your heart?"
"… I guess she does." I begrudgingly admitted. "What are you going to do? Kiss her?" I asked jokingly.
"I might." She said with a deadpan. "She probably needs it with how much of a mess she is."
"Just don't push the girl too far, she might get a bit too angry."
"So I take this as a confirmation?"
This girl… "I'm hanging up, Akeno. I'm telling you this relationship won't work, us three can't be together without something messing up."
"You stubborn little… Then I'll prove you wrong, we'll be together and be happy together for all eternity. Love you and be safe out there. I have some nefarious plans to prepare~" She said coyly before hanging up.
I gazed at the phone for a bit before deciding to focus on the present matters and to round up the information I got so far.
There wasn't much I could do after the encounter I had with Sétante. In better words, I didn't bother to investigate anymore as I think I already found the one responsible for the anomaly.
He was human… I think. I was familiar enough with the aura Devils and Fallens-living with two of them did help. So he was either a human or one of the local species. A fae? I don't think so… maybe a spirit? I'll just have to find out.
Though the more I kept thinking about it, the more I leaned towards him being human. But that hair did throw me off a bit.
After doing some research on Cu Chulainn, I found that the description that Sétante gave about Cu was indeed the truth and not a made up joke.
Wait…
It can't be…
' The hound of Ulster, was a well known historical hero.' The flashbacks of a certain individual who backstabbed me once before began resurfacing. "Is Sétante one of Cu's-"
Bam !
The front was blasted open while an extremely drunk and irritated Raynare hobbled in-with her wings out. She, as he expected, reeked of booze and cigarettes-giving me the urge to vomit from the foul stench that wafted into the room.
"I'm baaackkssh youuuu son of a bichhhh!" She slurred with her words while taking a swing of her whiskey bottle, emptying it all at once.
"You're late." I said with a resigned voice, disappointed that I couldn't have the bed to myself. "And I thought you would be sleeping with a poor schmuck from the bar." What she did with her body was her deal and had nothing to do with me. If she wanted to sleep around then all the power to her.
My words did not go well with her. "Ha! There wash no man ath tha baaaar that co-could handle alllll thish! I wash all alom becuash all of thosh men are bunch of pusshy!!" She made her way towards the bed, her wings unintentionally knocking everything to the ground as she wasn't able to control them.
"There is no way I'm letting you sleep on the bed." I said. Like seriously, I would rather sleep inside a sewer than be anywhere close to her.
"Ooohhh fuk ov!" She proceeded to do something out of my expectations.
Rip!
A pair of ripped tops.. and pants fell on the floor.
"What are you doing!?" I nearly screamed when I saw Raynere ripping her clothes off and standing there with breasts out in the open. "Put some clothes o-"
I couldn't finish my phrase as the drunk girl threw her bra onto my face and fell on top of me. "Hurgh!" We both fell on the bed, her wings circling around me and pressing me further into her as she slipped further into unconsciousness.
"Hmm cold…" Raynere's hold on me tightened, squishing her naked breast further onto my chest as she snuggled deeper on my neck, her hot breath sending chills down my spine. Her breasts pressed onto my own chest, as skin rubbed onto skin.
"I am not above using force and my sacred gear to knock you away so you better-"
"-Noisy!" I was interrupted once again, the Fallen moving one of her hands to her underwear…
Rip
And ripped them off.
Before I could ask what she was doing, she shoved the used garment into my mouth and moved upwards, buried my face into her breast, while she embraced my head with her hands and locked her legs around my waist. Her wings surrounded us like a black feathered cocoon.
I'm not going to get an ounce of sleep today, am I?
Sigh
I hate you Azazel, so very much.
The next 5 chapters of Snafu are already available on my . With 3 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter.
Rebirth part 5
Hiiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Ha! Lots of people thought that something happened between Hachiman and Raynare last chapter. But sorry to burst yer bubble, she just passed out drunk lol.
Take it like a late April fools.
Anyways, I was a bit sick this week, but thanks to my beta readers we successfully updated some of the old chapters.
Also I'll be updating chapter 34 as well in a few minutes.
The biggest one was chapter 16 where we basically rewrote it.
Also, thank you to my new patrons!: Leo Cervantes, D-caffe, Leonardo Ramirez, shattered fates, L G, Winter_Metor and Jack Gallagher. Y'all rock!!
Also, I don't know if I mentioned this before but someone asked me if I had an image of what Asia looked like in chapter 33. I posted a pic of it on Wattpad, y'all can check it out there if ya want.
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi.
- Knockbridge -
When morning arrived, I was already wide awake. That is to say, I hadn't slept at all… not even a little bit.
Raynare's naked body was draped over me as she held me into his arms like a stuffed pillow. She was sleeping soundly, snoring loud enough to embarrass a plane turbine. Since I felt this could be a slow day-or at least I hoped so-I tried forcing myself asleep. Urgent matters could wait, my eyes felt like they weighed a ton and it became easier to ignore the stench of alcohol.
I would have cherished and enjoyed these moments if the girl was a certain half-fallen devil.
For all I knew, this could have easily been a devious plot by Raynare to get revenge on me. Depriving me of sleeping was a form of torture in itself.
' When I say it like that… it kinda sounds like I had sex with her; which I didn't.'
For the past few hours, I had nothing but time to think about the others so far. Wondering how they were dealing with their 10 days training period. Knowing about Sona's inclusion along with her peerage, including Issei, created a perfect opportunity for me to uphold the promise I made to Tiamat.
She wouldn't kill him, but the boy needed to be pushed to his limits if he wanted to survive for long in the supernatural world.
I also sent Azazel as their coach, much to the dismay of Rias. He was the perfect man for the job, his expertise and years of experience will be crucial in developing the group… not to mention we needed to hurry with the sacred gear extraction with Saji.
Azazel did tell me that he had already prepared a replacement thanks to the generosity of an old friend.
For the longest time, I didn't move, listening only to the sound of her breathing. It was
the first time I spent this long doing nothing but thinking to myself.
Even if I hoped this day would be slow, I knew fate wouldn't be so kind to me… somehow Issei infected me with his protagonist's aura power.
Yes, after careful consideration and thinking back to everything that happened so far, I came to realise that Issei was indeed the main protagonist of this world.
I took myself out of the picture and imagined what would have happened if I was never reincarnated here. The boy would have died to Raynare, then get reincarnated by either Sona or Rias… but how the bratty redhead was in the beginning-it would have been her in the end.
Having the broken power of the Welsh dragon with the main rival like Vali, Issei would have gone into an interesting adventure. Heck, for all I knew he could have also achieved his dream of becoming a harem king.
' Now I'm happy that I came here… though I still think that Akeno deserves better than me-I still can't or at least don't want to see her with someone else. I truly have come to cherish her as my own.'
"Mmnng… take that… you fucker… get speared to death." Raynare talked in her sleep, most likely having a wonderful dream of killing me, nuzzling her face into my hair…
'Or torturing me depending on her taste.'
You know, I'm kind of glad I didn't fall asleep while this girl was on top of me. I've seen enough anime and read a lot of manga about what happens to such people. They either get slapped through a wall or get called a bloody pervert.
Her wings were still closed in on us and the only way I knew it was morning was due to the sound of birds chirping.
"I think you got enough sleep for the night, wake up," I said as I tried to put my hands somewhere without accidentally touching her somewhere I rather not. I noticed Raynare's breathing change and I tried pushing her away from me. ' Did she freaking drool on my head!?'
The woman refused to wake up no matter how much I shook her. So I was left with no other choice but to act as a savage.
I headbutted her!
Bang !
"Ow!" That seemed to do the trick, as I felt her release me "Who the fuck hit me!? Oh fuck, my head is pounding"
I winced as she yelled in my ear, before I nearly gagged when I got a whiff of her morning after breath.
"What the fuck are you doing in my bed, you fucking perv?! WHY DO YOU HAVE MY UNDERWEAR IN YOUR MOUTH?!"
Right, forget about that…
Now that I was free from her grasp, I pushed her off the bed and removed the offending garment from my mouth.
"Good morning, you lazy drunk," I told her, throwing the ruined garment at Raynare's face, who gave me the finger in return, "Next time, keep your drunk ass away from the house. It's a pain in the ass to deal with."
"Hurgh… , my head… what the fuck is wrong with you!?" she said, looking up at me while massaging her aching head, sitting back on the bed, while she did her best to hide her face from the sun in her hands.
"Slept well? Cause I certainly didn't."
"You bet your ass I did, you at least make a good pillow. Too bad that's the only redeeming quality about you, ass-hat."
"It wouldn't hurt to be nice for a change."
"Says the guy who headbutted me!" She glared.
I pushed her to the side and got out of bed. Looking back I saw her naked body as she began doing stretches while moaning at the same time. ' Is she doing this on purpose?'
"Aahhh~" She moaned once again as she arched her back until it let out a satisfying pop. "Mmm, good thing you didn't rape me last night, otherwise I would have snapped it in half before shoving it up your ass.
"…"
"Akeno… I really REALLY need you right now.
{ Break }
After the not-so-exciting morning with Raynare, I decided to make a small tour of the village. Walking through different avenues and taking a look at the different buildings; I noticed that a large part of the local population was still living here.
Knockbridge looked like a ghost town from afar but when I got close to it and actually took the time to check out the place, I noticed how vibrant it was from the inside.
The small venues and shops opened for business with elderly people and young children prowling the streets. It wasn't crowded by any means.
But I remembered Aife telling me that there was a steady stream of people leaving the village. They left abruptly without telling anyone why. These were normal people who didn't have a clue about the supernatural world, so it couldn't be because they heard of my arrival. "Just what is going on here… why are people leaving for no reason."
"Because these people have been given a better home outside."
What? I turned to my side and saw an elderly woman wearing torn clothing. A dirtied hood obscured the upper half of her face, showing off only her blackened teeth. ' Why hello there miss definitely-not-a witch, what spell are you going to use on me today?'
Her appearance, perfect timing and her unnoticed arrival was too suspicious for me. So she must be a supernatural species in disguise or a very sneaky old hag.
"What do you mean by; given a better home?"
"You heard me clearly young man, word has been spreading around that someone is buying lands and houses outside the village and giving them away for free if that person is willing to abandon their old home in Knockbridge."
Why the heck is someone doing something so… wasteful? Or… someone is trying to sneakily evacuate everyone out of town without raising any attention.
"Are you planning on leaving as well, granny? Free real estate is not something you see every day, or ever for that matter."
"Pft! Fat chance my boy! My ancestors have lived in this land for many millennials! Ain't no way I'm leaving my house to live with those town folks."
You look like you don't even own a clean pair of clothes let alone a house.
"Oh, sorry I didn't ask for your name… my name is Hikigaya Hachiman by the way," I said. This woman was most likely a part of the supernatural world, so hiding my real name-which was widely infamous-didn't serve any real purpose aside from making me look even more suspicious.
"Hiki… what? You, youngsters, have such complicated names these recent years. How do you expect people to remember you with a face like that and a complicated name?"
Oi, are you messing with me, granny? I can be vicious with my words alone.
"I'm Japanese…"
Nice comeback…
She just gave me a dismissive stare, not even impressed by my rebuttal "I don't care where ya from kiddo, to me you look the same as that Sétante brat who's been bugging me for a while. Both of you are nothing but trouble makers."
"…"
' Called it!' The moment she uttered that guy's name I immediately brought up my guard. Was she an assassin sent after me? Will I get backstabbed by a hidden switchblade?
"Calm down sonny, yer shaking like a leaf." She laughed at me, her voice crackling like a mad witch. "I'm just an old cranky woman with nothing but time on her hands. I pose to you as much danger as a newborn stag."
Do you think I was born yesterday?
"What about Sétante? Why are you calling us both troublemakers?"
What better opportunity than to learn more about my most likely soon-to-be enemy.
The granny who still hadn't revealed to me her name looked a bit sad, a trace of regret visible in her eyes. "Aye, that young boy has been a source of joy in the past for the village. Always helping out others for the smallest of issues… though that didn't stop him from causing small amounts of mischief here and there, hohohoho!"
"I guess something changed him," I said already seeing where this was going.
She sighed.
"No, he hasn't changed, Sétante is still the same innocent child at heart. It's just certain circumstances that have forced the boy to take on a mountain's worth of responsibilities on his shoulders at a very young age. He's doing everything he can to keep the village of his family and ancestors safe from danger… and other unsavoury people…"
I knew there was more to the story yet I refrained from asking. I was content with what I got so far.
"Alright then… I'll be going now, it's been nice talking to you, granny." As much as I liked to stick around and talk with her, I had a mission to complete. First, find the source which kept accumulating vast amounts of energy.
What surprised me was how I couldn't feel the effect of such a spell while being in the village. My magic worked perfectly and there was no draining feeling of any sort.
' Maybe I'll find something in the woods nearby.' I called in Raynare to join me on the search. For the life of me, I just couldn't leave this waiting to happen in the village. Who knows what kind of trouble she'll get me into.
"Alright kiddo, be safe out, and please… give the other one a chance. He needs it more than anymore here."
"I'll do my best." Was all that I could promise her.
"That's all I ask…"
I'll start my search from the woods and start from there.
It's not that big of a place, how long can it take?
…
( Two days later)
"This is pointless!" Screamed a fed-up fallen angel, stomping beside me in frustration, while scaring several birds from the area. "We have been running circles around these woods yet still haven't found a single fucking clue!"
"If you'd put the same amount of effort in your search as you do complaining then we would have gotten somewhere."
"Kiss my ass."
"No thanks, I already got a mouthful when you sat on my face yesterday while you were drunk… again." Like seriously, was there ever a time this girl wasn't intentionally not causing me more trouble? It's been three days since we've come here and every day it was always something new with her.
I was used as a pillow by her naked self. The same thing happened on the second day. I tried sleeping on the sofa for once and woke up the next day with her again being butt naked and sitting on my face while watching the TV! Wasn't she scared of me or something!? Didn't she remember how I literally used her head as a battering ram against the wall!?
Oh right, maybe I hit her head so hard that she somehow became even more stupid! There is no other explanation.
' Just how did Kala ever fall in love with her in the past?' It was a miracle how my secretary/evil temptress turned out the way she was today while having been under the guide of this idiot.
Maybe Raynare's a hardcore twisted masochist that got off the pain I put her through… Honestly, I don't know at this point and I don't want to know.
I felt like I was in one of those shitty hentai plot anime where any situation could lead to a porn scene!
Too bad for you universe, I ain't falling for that shit unless we're dealing with my girlfriend cause then it's pretty much a free-for-all.
"Hey, look! I finally found something!"
To my surprise, it was Raynare who found the first clue.
"What is it?"
"Look here, I found some runes." She said while pointing at a large rock with two characters engraved on it. Or rather, just like she said, it was two runes. One looks like a fork ᛉ and the other is hard to describe but resembled two upside-down 1s, ᛇ .
"Well, at least we found something… too bad we don't know what they actually mean." I may be a magician who studied in many different fields of magic, but I never dabbled with runes or anything outside modern and Indian magical system. Learning Vajra kinda required me to get familiar with foreign magical systems.
If only I had someone who could read rune it would-
"-I can read it," Raynare said.
What?
"What?"
My brain short-circuited as I couldn't grasp what this lazy, alcoholic, cowardly, and sometimes dumb woman just said.
"Why are you looking at me like that? Are you that shocked that I know how to read runes!?"
I wouldn't say shock… more along the lines of unexpected.
"Well yeah, how can you know how to read runes when you're… "
"Are you calling me dumb!?" She screamed in rage, looking ready to punch me in the face.
"I'm not calling you smart either! Just how did you come to learn this?" My curiosity did pike a bit at this new information.
She snorted, crossing her arms under her ample chest, making them more pronounced "I was an angel created by God himself! We are ageless beings who have been around for a long time like many other millions of Fallens and Angels! I've been around way longer than some of the other pantheon gods! So of course at one point I'd learned to read runes and several other types of languages!" She explained, looking quite haughty from her explanation, but she gave me a glare that would've made old me piss his pants. "Also, if you ask me how old I am, I'll kill ya!"
Never ask a girl her age, got it.
I'll ask Azazel later, when she's not around.
' Wow, I never thought of it like that… it's kinda hard to wrap my head around the fact that Raynare is probably one of the oldest beings I knew of .' But it still begged the question…
"If you're so old, then why are you so… weak?" What else can I say aside from why she sucked so bad. Being alive around the time of the great war between the three factions, those who were weak got killed on the battlefield with only the strong surviving.
Raynare gave me an odd look then sneered as if I was the biggest idiot she saw. "Don't you remember Dohnaseek? Well, he was a keeper of knowledge before the great war, and look-he's weaker than me. Not everyone went to the front lines, some of us had to remain behind and make sure that our faction didn't collapse from the inside."
Oh, that makes sense… , I was too rash in my judgement of Raynare. She does have her faults-a lot of them-but that still didn't change the fact that she was an ancient being who had knowledge of things unknown to me. Rune reading being a good example.
"Anyways, can you translate these runes for me?"
"Promise to buy me whatever I want in the future." She said with a wicked grin, annoying me in the process.
This girl! Give me back the respect I had for you a few seconds ago!
"Fine! Just tell me what it means." I said in defeat.
"Hehehe, finally! So, ᛇ, reads as Eiwas, it can mean many different things but here I'd say it says ' Magic '. While for ᛉ, this read as Algiz, which-in this context-means defence or protection. So we most likely have a magical wall-like defence, made here to ward off any trespasser and hide in the environment." For once she talked normally without insulting me. "At least that's what it's supposed to do but then again a piece of shit like you got here so… yeah." I talked too soon.
"So how can we get access to this hidden lair?"
"I don't know, you either have to be stronger than the one who placed these runes or be a runemaster. Though I've dealt with enough runes which were powered by underground magical energy veins or a powerful spirit. So find something else."
Good thing I got one of the most convenient tools for such a situation.
I had an idea on how to dispel the spell. "Stand aside," I told Raynare as I called out my sacred gear. Raynare flinched a bit when she saw it, she still held a slight amount of trauma from the day we met.
She'll get used to it.
[Delete Field]!
A black dome of energy spread around the forest encompassing a large part of it into total darkness.
Bzt !
The runes on the rock flickered a bit before more runes appeared, showing me a phrase I couldn't read. Thankfully Raynare was here to help. "That's ᛈᚱᛟᛏᛖᚲᛏᛁᛟᚾ, meaning protection."
The runes flickered even more before breaking apart like shards of glasses.
The earth shook as the ground began changing form. A large crack appeared below where an entrance to an underground cave made itself visible to us.
"I think we've found the location of our problem. There is a thin line of energy flowing inside the cave." I said to myself noticing the change in the atmosphere. "Let's go."
I dreaded what was waiting for me down there.
…
We walked down a flight of stairs that descended hundreds of metres downwards. We kept our pace for the last hour, Raynare holding a bright ball of holy energy.
"Can't believe I'm being used as a glorified flashlight. What's next? A fucking fleshlight!?" She muttered.
I ignored her, not wanting to get in another argument with the Fallen.
The air got colder the lower we descended, with patches of ice formed along the walls of the cave. White smoke escaped our mouths every time we took a breather.
I could feel that we were soon going to reach the end and we did like the end of the stairs was in sight.
When we reached the end, there was a small path leading us to an old wooden door built so deeply in such a place.
We approached the gates and I immediately noticed the slight scent of iron in the air. "Blood…"
We braced ourselves, I called out my sacred gear while Raynare formed a single spear of light.
"Don't get us killed, you bastard."
"I know."
Creak…
As I pushed the doors open, it made a slight creaking sound. The ball of holy light was sent forward to illuminate the inside. Making me see the source of the smell of blood.
"-!?"
A large blood puddle filled the room, steaming from the contact with the extremely cold air. In the middle of it was the corpse of a man in armour speared right in the chest by a nasty-looking spear.
Blood was still dripping from the shaft into the impossibly large puddle which resembled more a pond than a puddle. How such a large amount originated from a single person was unknown to me.
At the corner of my eye, I also saw a large golden chariot attached to the skeleton of a horse.
My voice was stuck in my throat as I continued to stare at the corpse. I couldn't believe my eyes, was my suspicion wrong all this time?
I recognized this man.
After all, we had a conversation not so long ago.
Having a manly face which I saw two days ago along with the tricoloured hair, this was none other than…
"Sétante?"
The next 5 chapters of Snafu are already available on my . With 3 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter.
Rebirth part 6
Hiiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Chapter 29 will be updated with a better version soon.
I like how so many people get triggered by Raynare's attitude and Hachiman's way of dealing with things, makes whatever that's about to come in the next chapters more worth it.
Also no, they didn't have sex for those who missed last chapter.
Did y'all know that Gabrielle Blessings is back!? just read the new fics, it's good.
Also, thank you to my new patrons!: Lescieux Jesus, Ronald Leguia and D-caffe for the upgrade, y'al rock!
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi.
- Hidden Cave-
Somehow…
Deep inside my mind, I always knew this mission wouldn't be easy. Rarely had something ever gone as planned. Things tended to run amok and become chaotic soon after.
I remembered my first unofficial mission in Paris. I talked about it a lot because it was the cornerstone of my life, of how I turned out today; its effect is still being felt to this day.
I've changed a lot since then, to the point of being unrecognizable from my past self. I knew that I should as expected as much, it is something natural; as no one stays the same after going through all of this, especially after all of the lives I've taken.
I may have grown used to the supernatural, I've even embraced it wholeheartedly even if the rest saw me as nothing more than a walking calamity. Yet a part of me remained which hated the mythical side of the world, it wanted to go away and hide from all this nonsense. Forget everything and live as a hermit deep in the woods where no one would find me. Another part of me still longed to go back even if I made peace with my past life.
And most importantly, a major part of my being-clean of the madness which once plagued Vritra-hated the act of violence and killing.
"Sétante?"
All of these long-forgotten feelings I once had before, came back rushing into my head like a roaring flame. The thought of the many regrets and desires of the past, that it made my head dizzy for a bit, but I did my best to compose myself.
Why would his death affect me this much?
I only had a brief conversation with him, one that held no emotional speech or attachments of sorts. It could be said that we were merely sizing each other up, one side wondering if the other was a danger to themselves or not. He was a potential enemy which I would have needed to kill if he did not surrender.
Despite my disgust at intentionally ending one's life, I've done it many times. I remembered Freed, the man who died one of the most brutal deaths imaginable, barely made me feel anything after killing him. He was a monster, someone who was created to fight the supernatural, that decided to turn its blade on those he was supposed to protect. He raped and murdered anyone that got in his way, or when he just felt like it. Just a rabid dog that needed to be put down for the safety of everyone.. But I still forced myself to acknowledge his worth as a person and make a grave for him, to not forget the value of life and not grow desensitized with killing.
But why… Why do I feel saddened by his death?
' Give the boy a chance…'
Oh right…
' He needs it more than anyone here.'
Because I made a promise to that old witch lady. A promise that should have held no worth to me and should have just ended up as parting words; empty words that held on to my soul with a vice grip.
"I'm sorry…" I said to the corpse, after closing his eyes. I checked his wounds, the man should have died a few hours ago or a day at best. Aside from the stench or iron heavy in the air, there was no rot or decomposition visible anywhere. Even touching his skin I still felt the slight warmth of a person who once was alive.
"Oh shit, it's that guy!" Raynare yelled, her voice echoing throughout the cavern, making me cringe from the noise. I turned my gaze onto her, seeing her confused and surprised look on the Fallen.
"You recognize him?" I asked, wondering how these two could've met.
"Well yeah, I tried to sleep with him, but he just blew me off!" I didn't need to know that, but at least now I understood why she looked pissed.
The guy didn't sleep with her, because he had standards.
"You could have just said you met him at the bar."
"Like I care, still he got what he deserved, humph! Turning down a woman like me, the man didn't deserve to live for such disrespect, Hmph!"
"You're a grade-A bitch, you know that?"
"And you're a sick, twisted bastard, who gets off on looking at my body and sniffing my underwear."
She always has something to say… At this point, I was getting used to her attitude. At least I preferred dealing with an obnoxious bitch who didn't bother hiding her thoughts than her Yuuma persona.
"There are some runes written on the stone here…" I called her forward so that she could translate it for me, just wanting to get this conversation going. The stone looked similar to the one I saw above when I went to visit Cu Chulainn's grave. Except this point was still stained with blood and a rope-like flesh that resembled the intestines.
"I read ᚲᛚᛟᚲᚺᚨᚠᚨᚱᛗᛟᚱᛖ, on here… which should translate to Clochafarmore."
Isn't that the Irish hero's grave stone?
What kind of madman had such a hate for a man who died long ago to recreate his last moments with another lookalike.
"We need to continue our search."
Returning to the matter at hand, whoever killed Sétante was still here, I could feel the flow of magic go further into the cave. Behind the pierced body was a dark corridor with a trail of blood leading to two metal doors.
Something was pulling in the liquid and the magic in the surrounding area.
'A vampire ?' What other creature would be associated with blood? Oh wait, I remembered reading the book I bought depicting Ireland's mythological creatures. ' Don't tell me it's an Abhartach…'
These creatures were described to be incredibly fierce and violent unlike the France version; which is known to be more cunning.
I decided to make my way towards the doors where the trail ledding until Raynare stopped me, "Wait!"
In such a quiet and confined space her voice was hundreds of times louder than normal, which made me flinch very hard.
"Quiet down will you!? The enemy definitely heard us! What is it?" I glared at her, wondering if it would've been better to leave her behind next time.
"Don't you want to take this spear? Like it's right here for the taking!" asked Raynare, pointing at the spear that was still impaled in the deceased Irish man.
"Touch the weapon," I said, my voice sounding empty
"What?" She looked at me confused.
"If you want the spear then I dare you to take it."
"Are you serious?"
"Very."
Something felt off about that spear… it wasn't a normal weapon or even a sacred gear for that matter. I felt nothing from it, not even the slightest aura of bloodlust or remaining magical aura; which worried me a lot.
I wanted to take it, but my guts heavily protested at the action.
So to make sure if my worries were either true or false, I let Raynare take it instead… or at least try to.
"Well sucks to be you, you just passed the opportunity to own an awesome weap- Crack ! Argh!"
The moment she touched the shaft a loud sound as thunder reverberated in the cave. A heavy feeling of bloodlust permeated the room with a blue aura engulfing the spear.
"What the fuck!? The fucking thing burned my hand!" Raynare said as she held onto her left wrist, her palm was scorched badly with her skin completely burned off.
Shit, I didn't expect the reaction to be so intense, I was waiting for a small effect, not a full-blown retaliation! "Give me your hand!"
I felt guilty about my previous decision, I shouldn't have let her touch the spear! Damn it!
"Hell no! You stay away from me, I don't need you to make it worse!"
I didn't listen to her and forcefully grabbed her wrist.
"Just shut up and let me heal you, idiot!" Thankfully I brought some healing supplies for the trip. I wasn't going to use the single phoenix tear I had left but instead used another concoction I made thanks to Reya who held knowledge over healing potions as a former magician.
Pop
I removed the cork and poured a red viscous liquid on her palm.
Szzzz
It wasn't anything even close to the phoenix tears, but it did its job. A thin fume of smoke rose from her palm as then skin began regenerating at an extremely snail-paced speed. The regenerated skin was still very raw and red, the slight touch could bring a lot of pain to the person. But it would heal up in an hour.
"…"
"…"
She became strangely quiet for the next few minutes. I was too busy making sure the skin wouldn't just tear itself up. So I applied more healing ointments and a special bandage that would protect the area from further damage.
"You're quite all of a sudden," I said, continuing to wrap her hand in bandages.
"What? I thought you liked me having my trap shut."
"That's… not completely true. You may be annoying, loud, and foul-mouth, but I do appreciate your input on the matter. I prefer your honest attitude; even though it needs some work. And lastly, you don't bother hiding behind a mask with me." I wasn't trying to comfort her or make her feel good, my words were honest and straight to the point.
"Well, that was cheesy as fuck. Did you get inspired by some shitty dollar-store romance novel?" She said with a grin, having fun mocking me. But I felt her tone was less… harsher than before. And her muscles were less tense when I touched her arm, making it easier to care for the wound.
Heh, at least I won't get bored around her.
{ Break }
After a few more minutes of making sure everything was good, we made our war forward to the door. The wood was ancient, filled with mold and vines, carved with hundreds of different runes and symbols.
"I think it's better you stay behind, Raynare. I don't know who's or what's behind these doors, but whatever it is will be very dangerous."
"Ha! Are you worried about me all of sudden?"
Oh, how wrong she was, I may be a jerk and got the potential to be one of the biggest douchebags, but I still wouldn't treat her like a disposable asset.
That just wasn't me.
"Yes, I worry about you a lot. You're under my protection, contract or not. I will not just throw you into something that will just get you killed. There is nothing more I hate than betrayal." I'd rather die than become someone even remotely close to HER.
"O-oh… I didn't expect you to just… admit it so easily." Wow, did I finally get the best of Raynare? "I was expecting you to insult me or something…"
The Fallen had some combat skills for normal threats and strays but she paled in comparison to a 13 year old Akeno! Even Rias at that age was capable of defeating her as she is right now. I can't risk her life by bringing her along and she would be too much of a liability.
"This is a serious matter, I won't joke around when it comes to the safety of someone's life…"
"No."
"… What?"
"I said no, I'm going with you no matter what you say. There is no way I'm going to disappoint Azazel-sama once again." She said stubbornly, crossing her arms, looking dead serious with her statement
"Aren't you worried about dying!?" Where was that cowardly attitude I saw back on the plane? She just had to grow a spine at the worst possible moment!
She didn't back away, "Of course I'm scared of dying, but I'd rather die than become a no-good fallen to Azazel-sama's eyes."
"Are you seriously risking your life over the opinion of someone else, who I need to remind you, indentured you to me!?" I just couldn't believe this girl. At this point, she was being stupid intentionally! "Just listen to me and go back, I'll vouch for you to Azazel, I'll tell him you've performed beyond my expectations and I'll even free you from the contracts after the mission!"
She slapped my hands away from her shoulders. "Well, I don't need your pity, if I'm going to get out of this mess, it'll be through my own effort. Move!" She pushed me away from the door and to my horror…
Bam!
Crash!
She kicked it open! The doors broke from their hinges and fell to the ground with a loud- Thump !-sound.
"Well? Stop wasting time and get moving!" Raynare ordered me as she walked forward leaving me behind. My jaw dropped to the floor as I couldn't believe what this girl had just done. Not only has she thrown away the chance to save her own skin, but she also announced our presence to the enemy!
"O-Oi! Wait!" I ran to catch up to her.
…
( A few minutes later)
I couldn't change her mind no matter what I tried. She was adamant to get done with this mission with or without me.
In the end, I could only sigh and let the matter drop. If the need arises, I'll just create an opening for her to escape.
The trail of blood continued on, more runes started to appear on the walls the closer we got to the source which was gathering the magic all around the region.
The narrow passage soon opened up to a large room where the concentration of magic far surpassed anything I've ever experienced. I shuddered as inhaling the air made my body fill to the brim with a soothing feeling.
"There is something in the middle," Raynare said as she brought back her [ Light Spear].
"It's… a cauldron?" I noticed that the trail of blood would lead to the bronze ancient-looking cauldron where it was being filled drop by drop.
Wait… there was something inside it.
I carefully approached the middle, making sure to not step on some hidden pressure plates or activate any deadly traps and so on.
Inside the cauldron filled with blood, a slight amount of golden light came out of the liquid. The feeling was similar to Raynare's [ Light Spear] and Akeno's [ Holy Lightning ]. Deciding to get my hands dirty and pulled up my sleeves and plunged them inside the pot to retrieve whatever was absorbing all of this energy.
"There, got it…" I nearly cut my finger with a sharp edge. It felt like a broken piece of something. I didn't have to guess for long as I fished out the mysterious item.
And to say I was shocked would be a HUGE understatement.
"What the heck!?" Even Raynare was surprised by the item in my hand…
… as it was none other than a third of a golden cup radiating unimaginable amounts of holy energy.
Out of every relic and sacred gear known to man, very few had a reputation so intense and so revered, that any faction would easily declare war in order to acquire it; even Heaven's faction.
"The Holy Grail…" I muttered in wonder and amazement, gazing intently at the legendary sacred relic in my hand. It looked just like the pictures shown in the records.
"Afraid yer kinda wrong about tha item there brother, that's one of [ Sephiroth Graal ]… and a would be really happy if ya put it back in the [ Cauldron of the Dagda]."
The wind stirred at his arrival, it blew with an oppressive force soon descending on the room with his arrival. The sheer weight of his power came into effect in a passive state and bore down on both me and Raynare.
With a grin on his face, his expression was similar to the day I met him. An ALIVE Sétante was standing in front of me nonchalantly; a crimson spear in his hands.
"Hey there Hachiman, I'm sorry it had to come to this." He said with a genuine sad smile, his voice sounding regretful for what's going to happen next.
{ Break }
- Third POV -
He was different from the beginning.
"You will achieve great things, with the soul of our hero; you shall bring back glory to our name."
Even at birth, he wasn't given the love of a mother or father. The memories of such an early period of life, still haunt his every waking moment.
"Are you sure he's the one?"
"Of course I am! Look at his hair!"
Being held in the arm of a stranger while watching the woman who had given him life lying listlessly on the ground. Beaten and bruised beyond anything, her clothes filthy and ripped.
"What of the father?"
"Who cares! She was a whore, so he's probably a random drunk… we should bring him in quickly, before SHE notices us."
They took him away, running away from the woman's corpse, not even giving it a proper burial. He still remembered looking back and seeing her eyes move in his direction. A single stare conveying a thousand words.
It was from then on he knew… that he wasn't normal.
They gave him a spear when he learned to walk.
"You are the only one capable of fulfilling our dream.
He spilled blood before he learned to talk.
"You will be our weapon against those who betrayed us."
Denied from any interaction, he only knew solitude and fighting as his sole companions.
"Kill him! Kill him and his heretic son! They turned their backs to our god!"
He never questioned anything, even after a decade of nothing but bloodshed and solitude.
"Hahahaha! With this, we will be back on her good grace! We will no longer be forgotten and return to her ladies' side!"
Battling for an ideal he knew little of, a belief he cared little for.
He knew of who they were talking about… not because he met her before, for the mere mention of her name brought in a flood of memories which were not his.
A range of memories that strengthen his mastery over spearmanship to the point of being unsurpassed by those far above his age.
The knowledge of rune-crafting grew deep roots in his mind, impossible to forget.
The ocean, the chilling wind, and roaring waves relaxed his mind, and the sensation of ocean water touching his skin brought a new session of never felt peace of mind.
The memories continued to pour out. Images of a dark and desolate realm of the dead, inhabited by a single person who held prowess with a great amount of instinctual fear inside his being.
A castle of incomprehensible architecture laying in the middle, holding the key to unimaginable power.
In a way, after he had seen through everything was when he was finally born.
The process of rebirth had been completed and with that, came in consciousness who knew what it wanted; freedom.
"Why didn't you kill those heretic creatures!? Their very existence is blasphemy to our goddess teachings! Do you dare go against her words!?"
He started to disobey.
"Fool! You're becoming just like them aren't you!? Repent! Repent! Repent! Repent! Repent!"
He no longer hurt or killed those who didn't deserve it.
"You're a wastrel, even your ancestor was a better dog than you!"
Instead of replying with silence-which he had done so for all of his life-he went on the offensive instead.
"What are you doin-Argh!"
He started killing them.
"Heretic! A heretic you have become! We took you in when no one was there for you. We clothed you, we made you what you are now! We are your masters and you are nothing but our dog, but you bit the very hands that fed you! Our god won't forgive yo-Eurgh!"
Their words had little effect on his morality, the cries of pain as his spear pierced their body gave him little to no joy.
When he stood alone in the place where he grew up, surrounded by nothing but the bodies of those he killed, he didn't cry or scream.
With nothing but his spear and a rag on him, he traveled the land. Seeking warmth and shelter anywhere he could. But little to no places accepted him, the fae ran away from the moment they sensed the ocean of blood of their own emanating from the spear.
Some townsfolk either got scared of him or yelled at him to go away. The children he wanted to play with threw rocks at him and uttered the same words as the adults. "Go away you freak!"
He recognized that something about him unsettled the normal human being. They wanted him gone or as far away as possible. Days turned into weeks which then turned into months. He was tired, hungry, and craving for a home.
The ocean only granted him so much, made everything a bit more bearable, but he had a limit and he had long gone past it.
Stopping at a village he found, he neither cared to avoid the locals for he had no energy left in his limbs, his will to live had long since been extinguished.
He sat down near a wall, his hair long and a tangled mess, his skin tainted for dirt and scars, and his clothes nearly completely destroyed. The thing he had with him was the spear which held onto firmly; never letting it go even once.
He hugged his knees and closed his eyes, waiting for the sweet release of death to take him away.
"Oh me lordy, poor little child, are ya okay!?" The voice of someone caught his attention. He tensed his body just in case a rock or something would be thrown in his direction.
Yet none of that happened, instead, a warm hand soon rested on top of his head.He recoiled from the touch, feeling confused and scared from the feeling.
"Aye, don be scared, please don be scared! I won't hurt ya." He looked at the source of the voice and saw a large man with a fat belly, dressed in a white apron with the logo of a local bakery on it. He looked like your regular human. "Com ere, A won hurt ya." The man said with a warm smile, completely not caring about the spear as he didn't give it a look.
"What's yer name kiddo?"
"…"
"Ya got one?"
"…"
"Not much of a talker are ya?"
"…"
"Ya know… ya got some pretty interestin hair their kiddo. Reminds me tha legend of good old Cu Chulainn… Oh, wait! A just call ya Sétante, a fitting name a tell ya, hahaha!"
"-?" He was intrigued, the only name he got called before was either dog, you or something else. He never had gotten an official name.
"Oh a got som good old apple cake in me bag a brought for ma wife, she's been getting fat these last few months a tall ya, hahaha!"
He carefully took the cake from the man's hand, afraid the latter would do something violent and kill him with a rock or something.
' It's warm as well…' Hesitantly he opened his mouth and took a small bite of the pastry. He was exhausted and famished so he tried his best to not gobble up everything… but he ended up doing it anyway, amusing the fat man.
"Ma bakin is indeed tha best in all of Ireland!"
Sniff
"Eh? A-ah please don cry ma boy! A got with me more of them apple cakes with me!" The man panicked as he saw tears streaming down the boy's face. He fumbled and nearly dropped his container carrying all the cakes.
For the first time in his life, Sétante smiled and uttered his very first words.
"Thank you."
At that moment, he promised, to always protect this place against all forms of danger.
Even if he would have to go against the gods themselves.
The next 5 chapters of Snafu are already available on my . With 3 more Broly and fate chapters at /NimtheWriter.
Rebirth part 7
Hiiiiii~ Another is chapter is here!
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beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi.
- Hachiman POV-
"Hey there Hachiman, I'm sorry it had to come to this." He said with a genuine sad smile, his voice sounding regretful for what's going to happen next.
I was shaken, the image of his dead body still clean in my head since I had just seen it a few minutes ago.
How is this possible?
"How are you still alive?" The sheer disbelief in my voice was white apparent. I even touched the body for god's sake! To make sure it was dead! The hair, the face, the eyes, everything was the same!
If that was Sétante then…
"Who are you?" I asked once again, my voice sounding tense.
Perched on top of a rock, sitting cross-legged with his spear resting on the side, the man just looked amused at my reaction. "Hahaha! Confused aren't ya? I'm sure you got quite tha fright with tha body in front of the entrance. We sure do look alike don we? But to answer yer question, Me name is indeed Sétante… but the other one is also technically named Sétante at one point in his life before he decided to changed it."
Before he changed it?
"What are you blabbering about?" I was getting increasingly nervous from both his appearance and the force pushing down on my body.
Though it felt weaker than Tiamat's, it still had a powerful presence to it that made my hair stand.
"Well ya see, a long time ago in tha far distant past, there was a child born with extraordinary strength. Said to be tha brat of a god while others say he was tha god himself; there was no ending to his legend. Training under an immortal hag, before being gifted a legendary spear; he alone was capable of standing against tha might of an entire army, keeping them at bay for days on end." He twirled the red and white spear in his hand like a toy. "To say that this spear is powerful would be an understatement. It ain't no [ True Longinus ] but it does pack a punch, mate. Can't say the one who had its bone used to forge it appreciates it in fact."
The more he spoke, the more I realized who he was talking about. "It can't be possible, Cu Chulainn died thousands of years ago. The body I saw was still bleeding and warm to the touch. If that was the Irish hero then his flesh would have turned to dust or become nothing but bones by now."
"Demigod blood, I tell ya, they work wonders in keeping your beauty after death. Cu Chulainn may have died but his body,-just like in his legend-continues to live and attacks any hostile beings that come near. If ya weren't careful back there, yer head would have flown off your shoulders hahaha!"
I felt a chill run up my back, I was no stranger to his legend. When he was mortally wounded, the guy used his intestines to tie himself up to a rock, so that even after death he may continue guarding his country. When one of the enemy soldiers went to cut off his head, the body moved on its own and killed the soldier in one blow. From then on the army force refused to advance further, too scared of an already dead body.
There was something I realized with this conversation.
The twin-like face, same name, wielding the iconic Irishman's spear said to be forged with the bones of the Curruid. No one could just wield a legendary weapon like it was theirs cause they found it. Many requirements were needed to be met, the holy swords were a mystery but most based it on genetics and personality.
So for him to wield that spear it means…
"You're one of his descendants aren't you… a member of the Hero Faction." My teeth clenched in anger while my knuckles whitened. The memories of Jeanne's betrayal flooded my mind once again, my chest and stomach began hurting from phantom pain.
I held nothing but hatred and bitter resentment towards her and that faction. Bunch of hypocrites was what they were behind their facade. Nothing but worthless, lying dogs!
"Ah them! Fun people to hang out with a tell ya. Heracles and Sieg boy can certainly hold their beer, good old kids having fun playing heroes. Too bad a didn't join them, a would have asked for a lifetime supply of mead and booze." The man sighed in disappointment. "I heard about your last encounter with Jeanne, trust me she hasn't changed in the least bit since I last saw her a while ago."
So he… wasn't associated with them?
"Surprised? Don't be, not every hero descendent joins their group. We all have different goals and let's just say… I can't exactly stand Cao Cao." He lost his cheery voice, even the heavy accent was gone.
The cave rumbled from the amount of power being released from his being. Was… was it increasing!?
"Leave, Hachiman… you're being used by the Supernatural world. Heed my words and just leave this all behind, or else I'll have to get rid of you as well."
The tension in the room rose, I let my [ Prison Wings] reveal themselves, readying myself from an inevitable battle. Raynare needed to escape as soon as possible, I didn't know if I could even take this guy down, let alone with her by my side. She'll get killed in a matter of seconds.
I needed to buy time!
"Then what is your goal? What are you planning to use [Sephiroth Graal] for?"
"Trying to buy time? Well, I don't mind. Tell me Hachiman, what is this sacred gear known for?"
Where is he going with this? From my understanding, the cup that held Christ's blood was famous to have healing properties second to none. Far surpassing the likes of [ Twilight Healing, it held the power to revive the dead and heal all wounds from physical to their very soul.
"You don't look to be injured or sick in any way, Sétante."
"Hahahah! No, I'm fine on the outside, but you see here?" He tapped the side of his head. "Things are a mess, an amalgamation of knowledge and memories that are not my own and voices that keep bugging me ever since I was born. Sometimes I don't feel like myself… and it can become overwhelming at times. But I'm not doing this to fix my messed up mind, but rather… I just want to use it to save the world."
Save?
"Save?" That was the last thing I expected to leave his mouth.
"You see Hachiman if there is one thing I agree with the Hero Faction is about the influence of the Supernatural world on the human world, more specifically the Gods. You know how it goes, they lie, they cheat, they don't care if their actions bring the death of millions of humans. Though I acknowledge the fact that not all Gods are as such, these ones are a minority. Just look at history, from the Greek Pantheon, the Egyptian Pantheons to even the Norse ones, none have shown a benevolent picture of their past deeds and even their present ones are still shit." He scratched his head in frustration after finishing his speech.
"It's hard ya know… I tried my best to talk with them, I tried to negotiate, offered different solutions yet I always get ignored. They are so entangled with their thousand-year-old grudges that they become blind to their actions, thinking what's good for us, uncaring of our plights, and leading us mortals to suffer for their actions. You've seen what the Great War between the Three Factions had done to the world. Not only did millions of people had died in the crossfire, but now they use humans as replacement soldiers to boost their numbers. The devils you frequent are part of the problem as a whole. So you're wondering what I want?"
The malevolent speartip was pointed to my face, glowing in a disturbing red light. Sétante's eyes gleamed with resolve and were ready for a battle.
"I will banish the Supernatural world from the human world! Gods, Devils, Fallens, Angels, Youkais, and other magical species will either be thrown back to their dimensions or die. And for that, I need to be whole again… I need to be the strongest in the world to complete my dream."
"-!?"
Learning the implications of such an outcome made me shiver in realization.
It was common knowledge that all Pantheons had their own separate dimensions. The Devils and Fallen had the Underworld while Heaven belonged to the Angels. And many other dimensions for each of the Pantheons.
He was going to seal the Earth in a dimensional cage!
The thought of Akeno leaving my side forever with Rias and the rest being locked away from Earth played in my mind. I would lose them forever, this was the same as the time I got reborn here, snatched away from my past life.
This madman was planning to take away nearly everything I care about!
"Like hell, I'll let you!"
[ Magic Arrows ]!
A volley of arrow constructs flew over Sétante, I didn't hold back the least with my reserves, overcharging every single arrow and making them as large as myself.
Sétante didn't move and stood his ground watching impassively as my attacks drew nearer. "How unfortunate…"
The man used his palm to slap away my attack. Each arrow broke apart at the touch of his hand. It didn't even leave a scratch.
"I guess I should have expected such an answer from you." He said while dusting off his clothes.
Just how vast is the gap between us? I'm strong enough to kill an upper-class devil… this guy is definitely close to an ultimate class devil.
But that doesn't mean he can't be defeated!
"I'm not done yet!" I activated [ Delete Field ] drowning the underground in a black translucent dome. I heard Raynare scream as she fell on her knees from having her energy suppressed.
Shit! I forgot to send her some of my energy!
"[ Magic Arrows ]!" The space around me shined with brilliant light as thousands of violet arrows formed in the air. It was another wave of the same attack as before but this time pushing the spell to its limit.
"You're wasting your time." I watched with a gaping mouth as he didn't even bother to block my attack and just let it crash against his body.
Boom !
The cave exploded from the impact, I flew backward using my wings as a shield to protect myself and Raynare. I touched her hand and passed on a fraction of my energy in order to free her from the [Delete Field] effect.
"Did you have to use so much power!?" Raynare screamed behind me as she held onto my waist so as to not get thrown away from the aftershock.
"Didn't you see how I couldn't even injure with my first attack!?"
"Just use your fucking tentacles and penetrate the shit out of that guy!"
If I wasn't making sure if the guy was still standing or not, I would've told her to rephrase that better.
After a few seconds, the explosion stopped and the dust slowly settled. Thankfully, the glowing runes along the walls helped illuminate the room. I still didn't have night vision like the majority of the supernatural species.
"Hahaha! That was one hell of an attack, man. I really felt the power behind it." There he was standing in the middle of a scorched crater looking as clean and wound-free as before.
' Great, juuuuuust great. I'm really dealing with a dangerous guy like Vali.'
"Now don't look so shocked boyo, that kind of attack would even kill an upper-class Devil! I gotta hand it to ya, you're seriously one strong fella."
Weird, I felt that he was being genuine with his comments and wasn't just mocking me and getting me angry. Still, his words kinda hurt a bit of my nearly nonexistent pride.
"[ Restrict ]!" I hadn't used this skill to its fullest strength for a long time. The tentacles I commanded mentally usually ended up being strong enough for most situations. "[ Strength enhancement ]!"
I burst forward using a spell to buff myself beyond human strength. Though I wasn't done yet. "Let's see how you like this, [ Vajra Diamond Body ]!" My strength surged further as a large chunk of my magical reserves were consumed to activate this spell. If I had to calculate, this spell increased both my base strength thrice and my defenses a dozen times.
With a powerful dash, I punched him in the face with everything I had in my attack.
Crash !
The crater he was standing on grew bigger as more of the cave began crumbling apart.
After everything I gave him, Sétante hadn't even once tried to move or block my attack. Not once giving me off the feeling that he would retaliate or dodge.
My attack merely tilted his head slightly to the left, as if I just gently pushed him. "Just how overpowered are you…" I asked him, my desperation on winning this fight growing dimmer with every second.
This attack was strong enough to vaporize a hundred of those Vritra gear monsters!
"Your form is good but as I suspected, you're just not made for combat. All of your moves are choreographed and follow different forms of martial arts perfectly as if you are demonstrating how it's done. You're not adding your own touch to give you the edge or even being creative with how you use them. But still, I am impressed that you managed to use a Hindu Pantheon technique like the [ Vajra Diamond Body]… I thought Shiva and Indra had a tight hold on their knowledge for it to not be spread around to other Pantheons, let alone to humans. Ah, it must be Vritra who gave you the knowledge."
He took hold of my wrist, looking me dead in the eyes. "Now it's my turn." Our eyes met, his glowing with a myriad of different magical colors.
His fists moved faster than I could see it.
"Heurg!"
I felt the punch on my stomach, shattering both of my sacred gear and the Vajra protection as if they were made of wet paper.
Boom !
Like a ragdoll, I was sent hurtling upwards like a speeding bullet and crashed into the ceiling of the cave, and shattered the ceiling.
I vomited blood and bile from the impact, feeling like something in my stomach had ruptured. The pain was so overwhelming that my vision became blurry, as the darkness started to envelop my mind. I could feel the dormant madness inside me begin to steer awake.
' No now…'
"How is the view up there? Did you know that Cu Chulainn was taught 18 different primordial runes by his teacher? Each holding unimaginable power to bend reality to their liking and causing untold amounts of destruction… I wonder how you'll fare against one."
A bright light shined on the tip of his fingers which used to write ᚨ in the air. "Ansuz."
His calm words were followed by a torrent of raging pillars of fire that swallowed the cave and like a coiling dragon made its way at me.
{ Break }
Outside in the lush forest near Knockbridge, Aife was searching for both Hachiman and Raynare.
She had the duty to monitor and report all of their activities back to the higher-ups. She had been following them secretly for days. Today they went to their regular inspection in the forest, much to Aife's shock, they vanished! As an Aos Sí, Aife was greatly attuned to the forest and all of its surroundings, she could sense every living creature in a hundred meters radius, no matter how small… yet she still lost them!
"Where the fuck did those two run off to!? I don't want my pay to be cut again! I'll end up as miserable as those Valkyries if I don't find them soon!" It was rumored that those who serve Odin were paid so little that they had to get part-time jobs in the human world just to survive!
How horrifying!
Shhhhh
The sound of steam escaping the ground reached her ears.
"Eh?"
Soon it was followed by an intense earthquake, making Aife nearly fall down to her butt.
"Wh-what is going on!?"
And just like that, the ground exploded with an enormous pillar of raging fire that nearly roasted her alive.
The flame reached all the way to the clouds, clearing the skies. The attack made Aife sweat through her clothes, if not singe some parts of it from the intense heat.
"Oh Bile Tortan, Craeb Daithi and Bile Uisn; grant me protection from all dangers of my enemy!" Three miniature astral tree projections glowed behind her back as a golden dome surrounded her body, protecting her from the attack.
Even with her people's famous aegis spell, she still felt like it would still shatter the dome. Fortunately for her, the pillar of fire started to lose power, before it completely died off.
"Ha… Ha… Ha… " Her skin glistening with sweat, Aife could barely keep herself awake as she felt the strain from maintaining the spell against such a powerful attack
When it disappeared, where there was once a forest with a thriving fauna was now replaced with a gigantic hole that seemed to lead somewhere deep below the underground.
When the pillar of fire disappeared, Aife saw the silhouette of someone falling. "Hi-Hikigaya Hachiman!?"
{ Break }
Damn…
Everything hurts….
Though my sacred gear was basically armor, I still had some slight sensation of touch to it. Especially my [ Prison Wings, it felt like my back was dipped in molten lava. It stung, it burned, it felt like my skin was ripped away from my body.
Feeling the rushing wind on my skin as I fell downwards. I would fall to my death if I didn't do something to stop it soon.
"Ouch!" The moment I tried to move my [ Prison Wings ] a searing pain spread all around me. When I turned to see their state I was horrified by the sight. They barely looked like wings and were completely melted from the attack.
I saw Sétante fly up to me, lazily hanging his spear on his shoulders. I didn't have time to react when he kicked me in the chest and sent me flying in the opposite direction of Knockbridge.
This time I was hurtling towards the ground at greater speed, bringing me closer to my death.
[ Levitation ]!
[Levitation]!
[Levitation]!
[Vajra Diamond Body]!
I activated a chain of spells seconds before I crashed onto the ground creating a trench from my landing. My bones rattled from the impact and the rest of my wings broke off from my back. 'I would have died just now.'
"You can walk away from this, Hachiman. This fight is pointless, your struggle is wasted on this. You are as much of a victim of the Supernatural as me, can't you see that? Look at what happened in Paris! People say it's your fault but I know the real reason behind it; it was the devils! I'm not saying that people will be free from conflicts with their disappearance, but we will be able to avoid more deaths with the Supernatural world gone!"
He landed a few feets away from me. I was struggling to get up, every movement created an untold amount of pain. ' Raynare… where is she? Did she survive the attack?' I worried about her, even after such a short time of knowing her. She shouldn't die because of my mistakes.
"Well, Hachiman? Are you going to stop this idiotic endeavor and go back home… or am I going to have to send your body back to your family?"
That's wasn't an option! There is no way I'll go through the same loss of my close ones once again. Losing everyone once again will break me for good. Akeno was one of my main pillars of support, I… need her by my side. Rias, Sona, Kiba, Koneko, Kala, Shuri, my parents, and even those bastards Azazel and Baraqiel were important to me.
I needed to stop him…
"I… can help you, Sétante. Whatever problem you have, I can help you deal with it! We can both protect people from the Supernatural forces, but don't punish those who have nothing to do with it!" As much as it will hurt me to lose Akeno, the same will happen to her. The girl was still dealing with some of her past demons and hadn't fully recovered from it.
Rias needed someone to help her with the marriage issue.
Kiba still had to get over his rage with the holy swords.
Koneko will go back to her initial silent temperament and will lose another sibling figure in her life.
I just couldn't disappear without helping them yet!
Sétante just shook his head, "It won't work man, these beings are stubborn to the core. That woman didn't stop sending her minions in my territory, in my home."
When he came close enough to me, I used my personal spell. "[ Absolute Silence ]!"
All sound, visual sight, and other senses taken from Sétante, stopped him in his tracks. Not prepared for such an extreme deprivation of his senses.
I retracted my [ Prison Wings, before a set of brand new wings reformed on my back, though this action cost me a large chunk of my quickly diminishing reserves. None of my attacks will work, I couldn't use those reckless actions of an anime protagonist and continue smacking the guy till it worked; cause it won't.
' I need to find reinforcements, where the fuck is Aife!? Is she not feeling these overpowered attacks!?'
[ Delete Field]!
This time I entangled the still immobilized Sétante and locked his limbs with hundreds if not thousands of tentacles. Yet no matter how much I tried to pull him to his knees, the man didn't budge.
[ Major Strength Enhancement]!
The veins in my leg bulged, nearly rupturing my muscles from the stress of the magic.
Crack !
I emptied the bag of healing potions I had brought with me, the same concoction I used on Raynare, I drank two bottles of it, nearly vomiting from the disgusting taste. ' Eurgh, that was nasty, but it was enough to fix most of the damage.'
The cool feeling of my inner organs healing spread all around me, numbing some of the pain. Some of the bruises on my skin lightened in color.
"What is this?" On the spot where Sétante kicked me, there was a rune imprinted on it. No matter how much I overcharged with energy or used other spells on it; the rune just wouldn't break. It looked like ᛒ, which I recognized, "Bluetooth?"
Just what was I saying in a life or death fight!? Did the attacks affect my brain?
"Hahaha! It does look like it, doesn't it? That's Berkano, capable of tracking my target even to different realities."
"-!?" My head whipped around only to see Sétante catching up to me with a speed beyond even that of Vali's!
His finger glowed once more and he drew a straight line, I, in the air.
"Isaz."
Every single muscle in my body ceased moving, even the flow of magic which kept me flying came to a halt. I once again fell to the ground. There was just nothing I could do to defend myself against his runes!
Boom !
This time, since I couldn't move anything, I had to endure the fall all on my own without the spells to help dampen the impact.
The feeling of my back breaking from the impact was excruciating, my chest stopped moving as I could no longer breathe. I felt my skull crack with blood trickling down my face, my vision becoming hazy.
"I had given you the choice to retreat, Hachiman," Sétante said as he dangled the spear on top of my heart. I could see that there were several of him in front of me.
' I'm going to die here, aren't I?'
"Hate me if you want, if that helps you then make me the sole reason for all your pain."
' No one is going to save me this time…'
It came back, the feeling of despair I once felt years ago.
"I am not the villain in this situation, Hachiman. I do what I do because I want to protect the only thing that keeps me alive. Knockbridge is my soul, I have no reason to live without it… and now I NEED to take such measures to keep my home safe. These Gods just don't give up… no matter what I try. And now, they were left with no other answer but to send you…"
' I hope that Raynare made it out okay…'
The black fog of my sacred gear began acting erratically. I just didn't have the strength to hold it back anymore. The memory of what happened in Paris resurfacing.
' At least… no one will die aside me.'
I sighed inside. Feeling what was absolutely calm as I faced my death.
Ahhh, I'm sorry Akeno… be sure to take care of mom and dad, they can be a bit hopeless at times.
I wonder if I'll go to Shinto heaven or the Christian one. I did spend a lot of time with Devils and Fallens after all. Maybe I'll go to hell… wonder if I'll be able to pay a visit to Rias.
She'll probably kill me if she saw me in the Underworld.
"…"
It happened in a second.
Stab
The red spear blade slightly pierced my chest. It didn't even penetrate that deeply and didn't stab my heart.
But what followed after could only be described as pure hell.
Schrk!
Schrk!
Schrk!
Schrk!
" AAARRRRRRGH!!!!!!!"
I felt like hundreds of blades were piercing my inside at the same time, I didn't vomit blood and my skin was still intact but the feeling continued till it drowned my senses.
… And the madness was no longer restrained by me.
{ Break }
- Third POV-
"Why didn't you walk away… ," Thought Sétante, still pressing the spear into the corpse.
From the beginning, he didn't want to kill the boy.
Just like him when he was a kid, he knew Hachiman was being used by the Gods. Badb was a cunning woman, she wouldn't send someone weaker than him… so why?
The Fallen was a joke, she wasn't even a four-winged Fallen and barely any stronger than a devil stray.
She most likely died in the fire of Ansuz.
He wasn't worried about the state of the cauldron or Cu Chulainn's body. Both were enchanted by hundreds of his defensive runes. It would literally take a Cadre or a Seraphim to destroy the ruins.
"Rest in peace, Hachiman… Maybe in our next lives, we might even end up getting a drink, probably would have even baked you my father's famous apple cake. But today, you died as my enemy."
He removed the blade of Gae Bolga from the boy's chest. A bit of blood dripped off the tip, before swinging it down and removing it.
Surveying his surroundings, he gave himself a pat on the back to have forced this battle far away from Knockbridge; or else innocent lives would have been lost from the fight.
"Well, time to go back and open a portal to that hag's castle."
As he was walking away from what he thought was a dead Hachiman. The host of the Black Dragon King twitched.
"Hm?" Sétante immediately sensed something wrong.
The body began twitching more and more, the black fog-like armor of his sacred gear formed once again but this time, it swallowed the entire body in a cocoon-like state before spreading onto the ground in a miasma.
Sensing something wrong with the object, Sétante thrusted his spear to pierce the cocoon.
Ding !
His spear couldn't pierce through the black shell, making it sound like he had hit a solid metal wall.
He had a bad feeling in his guts…
"What is happening to you, boyo…" He stood in a combat stance with his spear ready to take on any challenge that was thrown at him.
A dark, evil feeling soon came into existence. The Irishman's eyes widened in a stupor when he realized what was going on. "Oh, shi-"
Boom !
The dark cocoon of darkness exploded forth sending shards everywhere. Reaching beyond the black was a hideous claw..
And that's when Sétante heard a bone rattling roar.
" ーーー!!"
The next 5 chapters of Snafu are already available on my . With 3 more Broly and 4 fate chapters at /NimtheWriter.
Rebirth part 8
Hiiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Sorry about the lack of updates this last week.
For those who don't know, I was in the middle of moving. If it was a simple flight then I would have still posted a fate chapter, but unfortunately… I had to spend 2 days traveling inside a car! Horrible would be an understatement, imagine having a driver that drives full speed on a rocky road while high on the mountains. Let's just say, I was knocked out for the rest of the week.
Anyways, enough of this, I want to first thank my new patrons!: Fluffypoochi, D-caffe, Alastair McCrindle, Claudio Garcia Flores, Adam Dundorf, MechaPhantasm, Nercius and Lux Tenebris. Y'all rock!!!
Also, for some people wondering, no this ain't a Juggernaut Drive, he still only got a single gear of the full set.
Next chapter is the last chapter of the Arc, we'll be soon moving onto the Rating Game against Riser and canon timeline.
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi.
- Kuoh Mountainous region-
In the woods surrounding the Gremory summer mansion, where acres upon acres of woodland surrounded the mountainous region without any other signs of human settlements near the area; it was the perfect paradise for outdoor camping.
It's been 3 days since the Gremory has started their 10 day training period, with only a week remaining before the Rating Game.
Everyone was doing their best to improve their collective skills and strengths. Sona's group, who were training alongside the Gremory one, had also seen progress among their peers.
Reya floated in the air with her devil wings out, her hands glowing with demonic energy as she was facing one of the toughest opponents she'd ever faced. She was barely hanging on, burnt patches of clothes and bruises all over her body.
"Haa, Haa, Haa… I… really can't beat you… Himejima-senpai. You're too powerful…" She said haggardly, slowly falling to the ground
On the opposite side of the field was Akeno, not sporting a single injury or bruise, unlike Sona's bishop. Still looking as pristine and full of energy before they started their spar.
"Ara Ara, such high praise~ You're not bad yourself, Kusaka-san. I believe you even surpass Hachi-kun with your spells and diversity."
"Hehehe, well I did help him in his studies as a magician. He may not have the talent of an average magician, but his creativity and reserves more than make up for it."
This prompted a pleased chuckle from the Half-Fallen. "Fufufufu, are you trying to lower my guard by pleasing me with all these compliments on my boyfriend?"
"Is it working?" Reya said warily, only to falter when she saw Akeno's eyes narrow with golden lighting forming between her fingertips. "I guess not…"
"Brace yourself, [ Holy Lightning ]!" Heavy dark clouds gathered above the bishop's head with golden snakes of lightning dancing around the sky.
The next moment, golden lighting that was large as a person in width, descended from the clouds and nearly struck a panicking Reya, who quickly used her recently learned spell from Azazel.
"[ Reverse ]!" A white aura was launched from her hands and encompassed Akeno's attack. The lightning faltered for a bit, surprising Akeno and earning a smile from Reya… only for it to soon disappear as the [ Holy Lightning ] continued its course and hit her dead on!
"Kyaaa!!!" Since this was merely a spar, Akeno didn't use her full power, but with the combination of holy and lightning attributes in the attack, was still very dangerous to devils no matter how little is used. And it showed with Reya as she began bleeding with her skin turning black from light poisoning while twitching from the electricity coursing through her body.
Good thing that Asia was nearby as the group's personal medic. "Huuuuu! Don't worry Kusaka-san, I will heal you!" The nun in her black jersey, ran toward the wounded devil and used her [ Twilight Healing ] to close up the wounds and remove any residual holy or light energy.
Reya in her lightheaded state, couldn't help but cuddle up with the nun. "Huuuu, you're truly an angel Asia-chan~ humu humu." She rubbed her cheeks at the extremely flustered girl, while she continued to heal her.
"A-a-anooo… ple-please let m-me go, Kusaka-san. I-I need to treat your injuries!"
"Hmmmm, no. A few more minutes…"
"Kusaka-san!?"
…
Azazel, who was watching the spar from the beginning, was taking notes on how each individual performed. Akeno had gotten more mobile on the field, using the power of the Knight piece that is connected to her Queen piece to its fullest. Though she wasn't on Kiba's level, her speed still surpassed her former self. Power-wise, there was little to no change. "Not that she needed any more improvement in that department. The girl could probably give Baraqiel a run for his money if he went easy on her."
Next was Reya.
She along with Momo and Saji have shown substantial progress in battle, no longer acting indecisive and quick to panic. Ruruko was a natural, she was hot-headed, wanting to solve problems through violence. And her delinquent tendencies did help in giving her some battle experience, though it made her more predictable at times.
For the technique Reya used, [Reversal, it was a special Grigori-owned technique that had the ability to reverse the characteristics of supernatural powers and items, causing an inverse effect. Meaning, that when used against let's say Kiba's demonic swords, it would turn them into light or holy swords… in theory.
So far none have shown any results in the counter ability that Grigori had been researching for years… aside from Reya. Her past as a talented magician gave her an edge as she could for a fraction of a second turn Asia's healing powers into pure damage.
But it was still a work in progress.
The two kings were locked in the movie room, watching every popular rating game in the Underworld and giving him a detailed summary of the fight with comments on how the losing side could have won if they used a different strategy.
Tsubaki Shinra was training with Kiba and getting familiar with using her sacred gear, [ Mirror Alice ] against close-quarters combatants like him.
Also Saji… well, [ Absorption Line ] was more difficult to remove than he initially expected. The artificial sacred gear he had prepared for the boy was ready to be implemented at any time. "Odin really did help me out here."
As for Issei…
{ Break }
"Waaaaaah! I'm going to dieeeee!!!"
The host of Ddraig was running through the forest at speeds that would even surprise Kiba. Jumping over large boulders, over rivers, and swinging from tree branches; he was running like his life depended on it.
Boom !
Because it kinda did.
"What have I done to deserve this, you crazy dragon!?" He dodged in the last second another fire breath attack that nearly turned him to crisp, before the power behind the attack swept him away. "At least let me rest!"
The giant shadow of a dragon loomed over his head.
" ー !!" Tiamat let out a fierce roar of anger as she kept shouting out beams after beams of pure concentrated fire attacks. Out of the 5 Dragon Kings, her breath attack only loses out to Vritra's cursed black fire and Tiannin's Blaze Meteor fire breath attack. " Not until you get stronger and make that lazy ass wake up !" She said, sounding like a spurned ex-girlfriend.
The two had been at it for days with Tiamat stopping her chase at night, letting Issei go back to the mansion to get something to eat before fainting on his bed in exhaustion. The next morning, Azazel would teleport him back into the forest and restart the torture all over again.
Though his [ Boosted Gear ] had changed form. Before it had the appearance of a regular [ Twice Critical ] gear, now it had expanded into a proper gauntlet. Taking the appearance of a red gauntlet with a green jewel in the center and 2 golden spikes that manifested on his arm.
The number of times he could boost went from 2 [ Boosts ] to 5… which in Issei's opinion was cool but he needed something to help him with the crazy dragon chick with a huge hate boner for his gear's spirit!
"Hahahaha! Go easy on him, Tiamat. The boy needs to be alive for the Dragon Emperor to wake up." Azazel chimed in as he flew alongside the Chaos Karma Dragon, watching the show with amusement.
" Humph! The boy is even more pathetic than I initially judged him to be. His magical powers are lackluster and barely existent at all. He possesses no talent in spell weaving, martial arts, or even in the usage of Ddraig's power. The only redeeming quality about him is his boisterous and driven attitude which will fuel his gear well in the future."
"Oof, quite harsh. Though I do agree with you that the boy needs work. He is a diamond in the rough, all of Father's creations are fuelled by emotions and desire. Hyoudou Issei possesses the will to become stronger for his goals of becoming a Harem King." Azazel laughed when he saw the boy nearly get crushed by a falling tree. "He really does remind me of my past self. He understands the beauty of the feminine figure. I used to react just like him whenever I encountered Gabi. Like, have you seen the size of her-"
Bzzztzzz !
"What!?"
"This feeling…"
All of a sudden, both Tiamat and Azazel came to a halt when they felt an evil, dark and cold energy emerge from somewhere far away. The harsh sensation of madness washed over Azazel who immediately recognized the energy signature.
" The hatchling has lost control ." Tiamat calmly noted, making the governor turn his head around.
"Hachiman? Shit, then why are you so calm about this!? Shouldn't you help him out or something?" He didn't want another Paris event to take place… dealing with the Vampires and the aftermath was hard enough and extremely costly. Not to mention, whoever or whatever forced Hachiman in such a state was capable of killing the kid! "I need to go-"
" Wait ." Tiamat stopped him in his tracks much to Azazel's shock.
"What are you doing?"
" Someone or something is blocking a direct teleportation to the hatchling's location… even I find it improbable to break this layer of protection." Just now, before Azazel tried to leave, Tiamat tried to open a portal to Hachiman but was unable to. Someone or something was blocking her and anyone else from interfering. And whoever caused this, couldn't be someone weaker than her or Azazel.
"Is this the doing of one of the gods?" Azazel questioned.
Tiamat merely shook her head, "I… am not sure on this matter. I sense no divinity or anything of that matter. It's nothing but pure energy feeding this spell… Are you going to inform the others of the situation?"
Azazel wasn't sure. Rias and the others would freak out and try to join Hachiman by any means, which may cause problems when they find out that all teleportation is being blocked by an unknown force. But he needed to inform Baraqiel and those he worked closely with. "Have Lugh and Badb betrayed my trust?"
" I cannot say for certain, Azazel. I have known the goddess of death and the god of light many times in the past. Neither of them gave me the impression of being those who broke their words."
He felt frustrated that he couldn't help out Hachiman once more. "I hope the boy will be okay…"
Tiamat snorted, not looking the least bit worried, "I would have smelled death from him if he would have died so early on. That old sack of bones will help out one way or another. NEVER has Vritra been an easy foe to take down… the past wielder of [Divine Dividing] learned that the hard way."
The Fallen leader knew what Tiamat was talking about. This encounter between the two dragon hosts happened a long time ago when their clash destroyed an entire archipelago in the southern region of Europe. Both had died in the end, but it was the White Dragon Emperor who had been killed first while the Black Dragon King succumbed to her injuries months later after her victory.
He felt his phone buzz and saw Akeno's name as the caller. He wondered if she felt it as well. As he accepted the call he didn't even get the chance to speak when he heard her frantic voice on the other end.
"Azazel! Come quickly! It's… it's… Saji! Something is happening to him! He's vomiting blood and screaming-" He cut the call and flew at full speed towards the mansion.
' It's the [ Absorption Line ]! It's reacting to Hachiman's berserk state! I need to take out the gear right now, or else he'll die!'
{ Break }
- Sétante POV-
"Well, a can say for certain that I fucked up, hahahaha!" There was always that time when you know you've fucked up so bad that there was no way out of it. Sétante was having one of those moments when he was now facing a monstrous version of Hachiman; or rather a corrupt form of what could have been his balance breaker.
' Or at least a messed up version of it…'
A twisted version of his balance breaker formed around Hachiman, looking more animalistic with sharp edges everywhere. The 'helmet' was turned into a real monster face with two glowing red eyes and a third one in the middle. Where there was once a mouthpiece now instead was a jagged maw of a dragon with razor-sharp teeth and a long snake-like tongue. His hands turned into serrated claws, which looked like they could cut through steel itself. It even had a long black and violet tail!
All in all, he looked like a terrifying beast.
This… thing, the black fog was trying to condense into refined-looking armor. It kept breaking apart leaving behind broken residue which accumulated into sharp spikes all over his body.
"Congratulations, you might be one of the ugliest monsters I've ever seen. Hugh, I can smell your bad breath all the way here. Can you even hear me boyo?" He joked, trying to keep his nerves calm from the overwhelming presence that the monstrosity was releasing.
"!!" The monster roared, sounding like a genuine dragon, and burst forward with speeds far beyond anything Hachiman had shown before in their fight.
"Woah!" Sétante blocked the attack just in time but was pushed a few meters behind. He delivered his own punch to the guts of the monster, easily shattering the armor; only for the latter to completely ignore the damage and continue its feral rampage. "Hmmm, don't seem like you can even hear me."
The beast roared as it started using its claws to send many slashes at Sétante, the latter either masterfully dodging them or just blocking the rest. Unlike Hachiman's choreographed moves, these ones were wild and animalistic. Attacking at any moment chaotically. It didn't possess the slightest trace of martial arts, at all. Thus making each of its movements harder to predict and it even used its blacktail as a whip when he was not paying attention!
Ding !
The pointed tail tried to stab the hero but deflected off of his skin before he grabbed it and used his spear to cut it! "!" The beast's roar grew weaker as it kept losing large amounts of blood and its strength waning the longer this battle went on for, making it a battle of attrition.
It tried to rip the man's face off but couldn't achieve the same kind of speed as before.
The Irishman took hold of the claws with a vice grip and chucked the beast to the sky. "Ansuz!" Drawing another ᚨ in the air, another pillar of flames crashed into the beast, sending it hurtling further up the sky. "Let's see if you can survive such a long fall again!"
I, "Isaz!" This time the rune shined with greater intensity as Sétante pumped in more energy inside it. And it worked as the berserk Hachiman was once again frozen stiff. "There's still more!"
He moved behind the falling figure and stabbed his spear straight through its chest. This time earning a blood-curdling scream which sounded like a mix between a human voice and a dragon's roar twisted into a single cry of pain.
Crack !
Another crater formed with both figures crashing downwards. Displacing a large part of the soil and causing a miniature earthquake.
This should at least kill it for good, Gae Bolga's nasty effect of continuously stabbing his opponent from the inside was not something many could survive.
"What!?" He once again dodged another strike, but this time it was an amalgamation of thousands of tentacles bursting from the ground and honing on him like a bloodhound. "Focking nuisance!" Gae Bolga twirled around, dancing in the air and cutting down every single strand of tentacles. He didn't take his eyes off Hachiman's body which miraculously stood up once more with the hole in his chest patching up in a blink of an eye. "Since when was Vritra's gear capable of high-speed regeneration!?"
"!!" It roared in fury, looking even more pissed off than before. More tentacles began sprouting from the ground, turning the area into a forest of those things.
"Ready for round… 3… or was it 2? I wonder if you'll force me to go all out?"
{ Break }
A few hundreds of meters away from where the fighting was happening. Two girls were making their way towards it.
One was Aife, with her burned clothes and red skin, she wasn't exactly in her best form. But that didn't compare to the pain the person next to her was going through.
Raynare could barely stand, half of her body was burned black, with a charred and bloody mangled left arm. Just a slight breeze from the wind nearly made her faint from the pain. Her Fallen wings were long gone and with her right hand, she was holding an item wrapped in cloth.
"Why can't you just give me the item so that I can bring it quicker to Hikigaya-san!" Aife said frustratingly as she saw the Fallen ignore her and continue limping forward."You need medical attention from our healers as soon as possible. Any longer you stay like this, you'll definitely die!"
"Sh… ut th-the… fuck… up, b… itch."
Aife really wanted to just snatch whatever that item was and bring it to Hikigaya Hachiman. This woman was too stubborn for her own good! But Aife couldn't bring it in herself to do it as she promised to help these people.
"Whatever, just hold on, we're nearly there." The closer they got to their destination, the more they felt the aftershock of the battle. Aife tried calling for reinforcement, but something jamming her calls, even teleporting outside the village was blocked.
Raynare could hardly listen to her voice, the attack of Ansuz having destroyed part of her hearing as well. All she knew was that was to reach Hachiman as soon as possible.
' I swear… you'll owe me big time for this, fucking bastard.'
{ Break }
The battle raged on between the two monsters. One is a literal beast and the other possessing an inconceivable amount of power and an inexhaustible well of magical energy to call upon.
Though the berserk gear of Hachiman could no longer feel pain and got a boost to its speed and strength; Sétante was still able to overpower it.
"It's sad you know," He dodged another claw strike while delivering a full-powered headbutt which sent the beast flying away. "Normally when people enter their berserk form, they usually use it as a last resort to overpower their enemy." Teleporting by its side, Sétante sent a flurry of stabs at the creature, making it spasm in pain. "No matter how much you try, or whatever boost you get, at this point… you will always be weaker than me." And that was the truth of the matter. Even with Hachiman's sudden transformation, Sétante barely used his full power. "I am strong enough to earn the title of Godslayer if I so desire!" He delivered another kick to the stomach so strong that it folded the beast like a piece of paper, nearly cutting it into 2 pieces by force alone.
"What's more pitiful, is that you haven't even used a single one of your gear's abilities till now!"
Calling forth more of his power, the pressure all around the area increased tenfold, as this time, the beast couldn't even move. "It's time to end this for good!" He didn't use runes but instead, with a wave of his arms an enormous astral avatar of a gigantic beast of blue scales, with corals and algae covering its body, the monster stood at the same height as a dragon. "A fun foe you were, Hachiman! [ Cu - Crash !" A boulder impacted his head, making the man falter and cancel out his attack.The one throwing the attack was none other than Aife. Looking a bit better than before.
She was all alone.
The Irishman recognized her aura.
"Hoho, if it ain't the envoy of Cernunnos. I thought your kind didn't meddle with outsiders any longer." Cernunnos was an ancient Celtic god who represented nature, flora and fauna, and fertility. For centuries, after the Great Faction war, the god and his followers had gone into hiding. Sétante didn't expect to see one of them here.
"Yeah, well, I was sent to monitor Hikigaya Hachiman so that the boy doesn't destroy another settlement again… turns out it was you we needed to monitor first."
"Me? I'm just doing what is good for my village. Though the god you serve is a peaceful one, for now, he still didn't do squat to help out my people when that goddess kept sending her minions!"
"Lord Cernunnos does not meddle with matters between the gods and humans!"
"Bullshit! He simply does not care! I know his character, I know his true motives! He's just waiting for both sides to grow weak so that he can strike at the right time!" He said, seething in anger. "He is no better than that woman!"
"…" Aife couldn't give Sétante an answer. She could already see that it was pointless, the man distrust the gods too much for her to reason with him. Not to mention she was just a simple follower, her authority was one of the lowest in Cernunnos' circle, she couldn't talk on his behalf.
"Why are you here then? To save the boy? Come on now, we both know that you're not capable enough. Even if your god was here in person, he still wouldn't be able to stop me."
She just needed time, "We'll see about that!" Aife cast a magic spell with a green magic circle forming on her hands. Tree roots grew from the ground and locked on Sétante's ankles. "Smash him to the ground!"
The roots, as if they heard her orders, picked up the man and bashed him against the ground. "Throw him away!" Winding up, the roots threw him at a distance, crashing him against a boulder and obliterating it completely. "There, that should have stunned him for a bit." Her reserves were already running dry with the aegis she used before. Aife really hoped that her attack bought her enough time.
But reality crushed her hope into pieces when an uninjured Sétante casually walked out of the rubble.
"Hahaha! That's quite an interesting spell you got their girl!" He didn't even use his spear as he moved at moves beyond anything Aife had seen. Not even seeing a blur, he had completely disappeared from her field of vision.
"Eurgh!" She felt her stomach cave-in after a powerful struck her; green blood and saliva spurted from her mouth. A few inches from her face was Sétante's face looking at her with a blank face.
"Pathetic, I don't know what your goal is… but whatever it is; you don't have the strength to accomplish it!" With more force behind his strike, he lifted her body off the ground and locked her a dozen meters away.
Fortunately, Aife regained control in mid air and summoned more tree roots to catch her from behind. Along the green roots, small buds of flowers bloomed, their number by the hundred and released a large cloud of toxic poison in the air.
"Hoping to poison me?" More runes appeared in the air and surrounded his body till a thin layered barrier surrounded him. "There, this is better."
Desperate, Aife tried using long range spell attacks. Green magic circles, with the sigil of a horned figure in the middle, showing her affiliation with the Lord of the Wild. Green bolt magic shot out of her palm and straight for Sétante. The latter used his higher speed and dexterity to dodge and deflect each shot and slowly made his way towards Aife.
"Uuurg, come on! Just stop moving around!" Aife shouted.
"What kind of idiot will ever listen to that!?"
"You'd be surprised!" Using her other hand, she summoned more roots and once again got hold of Sétante's legs.
"Shit, not agaaaaaiinnnn!!" This time, instead of just throwing him off immediately, Aife made sure to throw him off by continuously spinning at high speed and hiting him against a rock every once in a while. "Waaaaaahhhh!!!" The spearman's distorted voice was like music to her ears.
Sétante on the other hand felt like vomiting.
"Eat dirt you rainbow haired fucker!"
She controlled her roots and slammed him once again downwards; crushing the ground.
"There… that… should have stalled him for a bit." Aife was clutching her stomach and winced in pain with each movement. She felt that the bastard ruptured one of her organs or broke her ribs. Her kind could heal faster than normal humans but not to the point of mimicking regeneration.
Cough, cough.
"Alright, I've had enough."
"-!" Her instincts screamed at her of an incoming danger and she dodged a spear coming for her head at the last second. It cut come of her hair but didn't touch her skin.
A shadow, moving at speeds far beyond her capabilities burst from the smoke, clearing it away and closed the distance in an instant.
She felt a heavy impact on her head and it all turned dark. "Wha-"
Crack !
Her head got separated from her body and was crushed into bits of bone, brain matter and green blood. Her body lifelessly fell to the ground, ending the battle in mere seconds.
"Oops, I went a bit too hard there. Must have been due to fighting the beast, didn't have time to hold back. And she was getting on my nerves." Sétante said as he cast another Ansuz rune, this one smaller which burned her body into dust in seconds. "Just what were you planning to do?" There was no way the girl was willing to lay down her life for someone she only met a few days ago.
He didn't have to wait for long to get his answer.
There was another person near Hachiman's unmoving body.
"The Fallen!?"
{ Break }
Everything hurt.
"Fucking… bas… tard…"
She limped near Hachiman, his body completely crushed and destroyed both inside and out by the spear, Gae Bolga's effect.
It burned, it stung like hell and she was feeling extremely lightheaded.
"If… you die… I… die… as well…" The soul bond wasn't a two-way deal. If it was her who died then Hachiman would be fine. But if he died, then she would die along with him. "I'm… doing… this… for myself." Even speaking was excruciating. Her throat was burned, the more she talked, the worse it got.
She would die either way, even if Hachiman didn't die, that psycho rainbow hair bastard will kill her for sure. So she needed to bet on Hachiman to win.
' If you can't beat him, then find someone else who can!'
Raynare unraveled the bloody cloth, golden light escaped from it as a broken cup holding a few drops of blood could be seen inside.
"No, don't do it!" She hears that fucker's cry from far away behind. Aife just gave her enough time for this gamble.
' I don't even know if it'll work, but it's the only solution I got. This thing is supposed to heal, so it better do its fucking job!'
She spilled the blood of the son of Lugh which temporarily held the properties of [ Sephiroth Graal ] in it. The ability to cure and heal both soul and body entered the broken maw of the beast and was swallowed completely.
And just like that, a familiar scene which took place in Paris many years ago; happened once again.
Woosh !
A giant pillar of black malevolent power burst forth from Hachiman's body. The dark energy ascended all the way to the sky, turning the clear blue sky, black; blocking off all sources of light from breaking the miasma.
[ Balance Breaker!]
[Delete Field!]
Another translucent black dome, far bigger and more intense than the one Hachiman had cast before, spread along the entire region.
[MA*BOL*E VRITRA *S*ENS*N]
[Error]
[Reset!]
The past wounds on the body healed with a golden sheen from the effects of [Sephiroth Graal] enhanced with the blood of a demigod. The grotesque and animalistic spikes all around the armor broke down, leaving behind a far sleeker armor.
[Balance Breaker!]
The maw filled with sharp teeth closed up and returned to its previous state of a smooth helmet with a glowing violet visor. The cracks inside the soul jewel inside Hachiman mended together, turning its surface pristine smooth without the slightest damage.
His body slowly stood up.
[Error]
[Reset]
Before Raynare could lose consciousness and succumb to her injuries. A gentle hand conveying warmth and a gentle presence landed on her head
"You may rest at ease, child of Yahweh. For you have more than proven your worth as a brave and tenacious Fallen." The remaining golden energy, glowing alongside the violet power of Vritra was passed on to her.
"Fuck… you…" That was all she said before closing her eyes and focusing on recovering.
This amused Vritra before he turned his focus back to Sétante.
"Now, it is long overdue for my soul to regain its past splendor." On his hands, two violet-colored orbs appeared. Both, possess the same aura as [Delete Field]. "[Absorption Line] should be on its way here."
[Blaze Black Flare] and [Shadow Prison] got slowly absorbed inside the armor, fusing with [Delete Field] and coming ever so close to being whole again.
Boom !
This earned another enormous increase in power which even started changing the armor. Even the air around him began heating up and turning into plasma .
The Irishman felt his powers being suppressed.
"My name is Vritra. I am a Dragon hailed as one of the Dragon Kings. And I hereby declare a battle to the death against you, Beast of the sea."
[Balance Breaker!]
' How does he know?'
Sétante's bones rattled from the display. But he wasn't fearing for his life, but instead had a grin on his face as he felt his inner battle intent soar with each passing second, sensing a powerful opponent in front of him.
"This will be fun!"
The next 5 chapters of Snafu are already available on my . With 3 more Broly and fate chapters at /NimtheWriter.
Rebirth part 9 FINALE
Hiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Finally, last chapter of the arc.
We are nearing the riser fight and trust me, it's gonna be a long ass chapter!
Also, lots of hate from PopeYodal and Rice with Chest-Nuts. Ya don't like the story but still read 40 chapters… thanks a lot you two! It really makes me happy when people like you comment, it shows that I have come a long way and finally reach the point where I have haters XD!
Exited to see what other flame y'all will write next.
Also, thanks to my newest patrons: Whitewolf, No One, Gabriel, Jason Moreno, Ramon Diaz, Kuroshiki, Matthew and Ardicos! y'all rock!!!
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi.
- Kuoh, Mountainous region -
He was in pain.
"AAAAARRRGH!!!"
His chest felt like it would burst at any moment!
"Hang in there, Saji-kun!"
It started all of a sudden, without a warning, without a single sign; his chest and arm started to burn. The sensation started from a slight tingle to a full-blown feeling of having hot molten lava coursing through his veins. Worst of all, the pain kept increasing by the minute and Saji started to feel like he's going to burn alive.
Both Asia and Akeno were by his side, using every bit of magic to ease his pain but it barely helped. While his head was resting on his kaichou's lap her magic was cooling his head, trying to lessen the burden.
Normally he would have been in heaven with such a treatment, unfortunately now he felt like he was burning in the pits of hell.
It was rejecting him.
He could feel it, deep within him, the Sacred Gear of Vritra, was rejecting him and was trying to force itself out from his host. Not caring that it was dragging the soul it was attached to along, threatening to rip it apart.
The soothing light of [Twilight Healing] intensified with Asia giving it her all. They noticed his screaming lessened considerably from the calming aura.
"Her sacred gear is working!" Sona exclaimed out loud, doing her best to not hurt Saji as she kept him still on her lap. "Keep at it, Argento-san. Where is he!? Where is Azazel!?" Her anger was growing and desperation was growing by the minute, destroying her image of a calm and collected person. Her precious pawn, the secretary of the student council, and someone who was like family to her was at risk of dying in front of her.
"I just called him, he'll be right here!" Akeno said, continuing to concentrate on Saji while also worrying about Hachiman. For Saji to be having such a reaction, meant something was horribly wrong with him. 'Please be safe, Hachi-kun.'
The sound of thunder resonated in the sky as Azazel with all of his twelve wings out traveled so fast that it seemed like he had teleported to their side.
"Azazel-san, please save Gen!" Ruruko pleaded as she and the rest of the student council and Rias' group could only remain on the sidelines and hope for a solution.
"Rias, take Tsubaki with you and set up a barrier right now!" Azazel started shouting out orders and the others immediately complied, not wishing to waste any time. "Tomoe and Kiba, I need both of you to bring me the cross-like contraption from the basement, don't worry, you won't get burned." Both nodded and made haste using their knight powers to their advantage.
"Azazel, Asia's [ Twilight Healing] is helping Saji to lessen the pain, do you think it will help with extracting [ Absorption Line] as quickly as possible?"
Asia's sacred gear? That couldn't be possible as [ Twilight Healing] had no correlation between having such an effect on an out-of-control sacred gear… 'Unless, it's her dragon maiden attributes?' That seemed plausible, since sacred gears, outside the Longinus classifications, have also been recorded to evolve along with their user. Asia's [ Twilight Healing ] is responding to her need of saving Saji Genshirou's life, thus it's borrowing her natural aura to calm the rampant dragon spirit inside.
This was all a theory for Azazel, for all he knew, the issue might be something else entirely and he was just spitting out bullshits. ' That's the beauty of being a researcher, the mystery never ends and there is always something new to learn in this world.'
"!!" Tiamat came as well while holding a battered Issei in her claw. "I sense Vritra's aura. The Prison Dragon, the Dragon King of Darkness and Curses, has once again reawakened; this time more whole than ever… I sense his aura growing stronger by the second. Azazel, you must make haste! The dragon maiden's aura will no longer be able to shield the devil from the pull of its master."
Azazel's grim face was all the answer she needed. The Fallen will do his best to save the devil.
"Saji!? Wha-what-happened to you!?" Issei came to his friend's side, panic visible in his eyes, even when looking like he went through a blender that was on fire. "Oi, oi, oi! Look at me man, everything's going to be okay! You hear me!?"
Kiba and Tomoe soon came back carrying a large metal device shaped like a cross, but it held no holy attributes that would harm the two. "Lay it on the ground! Quickly!" With the device ready, Azazel began the process of activating the Sacred Gear extractor. Issei carried Saji over the device and gently laid him on it. "Is there nothing I can do!?" He shouted in frustration, feeling helpless in this situation.
"Aaargh!" Saji screaming once again intensified, a black fog slowly seeping out of his hand and chest. His nose and mouth started bleeding from the stress and Saji didn't know how long he could hold on for before it finally ended.
' Asia's protection is getting overwhelmed!' Azazel took out a golden white sphere which he unlocked showing off a bundle of golden chains all wrapped around a single woven silk cloth. ' I hope this is enough…'
"Asia, how long can you hold on for?" He asked the girl.
"I-I'm not sure… I feel weaker, b-but I can still use [ Twilight Healing ] for a few more minutes." Her green light flickered as she spoke, growing dimmer by the second. "I-I won't give up!" She concentrated once more, putting all of her efforts into maintaining her sacred gear.
"You're running out of energy… you won't last long."
[ Boost !]
"Wait, I can help!" Issei said as he called out the [ Boosted Gear ].
[ Boost !]
"You said that I can double my power every ten seconds, right?"
Azazel hesitated, he knew what the boy was going for. "I'm not so sure, kid. You just unlocked your sacred gear's second form. The dragon isn't even awake ye-"
[ Boost !]
"-I can at least try!" The green gem on his gauntlet grew increasingly brighter, storing more and more energy as everything doubled every 10 seconds.
He remembered what Azazel told him before. That in response to his feelings, the [ Boosted Gear] could transform into its final state, letting him to transfer his accumulated power to other people or items, increasing their capabilities.
[ Boost !]
Issei's inner battle was raging, feeling both hopeful at his possible ability and angered on why he hadn't unlocked it before. But it proved to be a boon as this emotional turmoil was just the thing he needed to push himself both emotionally and physically.
The Sacred Gear was responding to his emotions and was adapting to it.
"Please!"
[ Boost !]
Watching the boy able to withstand the 5th [ Boost ]-something which he wasn't even close to accomplishing before-impressed both Azazel and Tiamat.
"Impressive will, boy." Tiamat praised him. "Use that to fuel your desire to save this devil, it will prove to be our desired solution."
Taking this as the only confirmation he needed, Issei placed his gauntlet on Asia's back and concentrated deeply.
'I don't know if you can hear me you shitty dragon, but I really fucking need your help right now! So stop playing dead and…'
"WAKE THE FUCK UP!" The green orb intensified even more, Issei nearly faltered in his steps but remained strong.
[ Boosted Gear!]
[Transfer!]
Asia cried in shock as she felt the avalanche of energy entering her body. The green hue of the [ Twilight Healing ] turned yellow as red energy swirled around it. It soon expanded into an opaque dome that was strong enough to replace the barrier put in place by Rias and Tsubaki.
"It's… It's working! Gen doesn't look like he's in pain!" Ruruko exclaimed, tears of joy spilling down her face, happy that Saji is going to make it.
"No time to celebrate just yet!" Azazel as he began pouring more energy into the Sacred Gear extraction device. Saji no longer felt the intense heat and pain as before. A pulling motion came forth from his chest, with a dark sphere soon coming out.
'It's no longer resisting my attempts to remove it… now, time to replace it.' After carefully removing [ Absorption Line, he replaced it with the golden chain wrapped around the small piece of cloth as the chains gave off an aura of strength. "I hope you'll like your new artificial Sacred Gear, Odin and especially Thor are quite eager to see its full potential in battle."
Saji started to become stable with the new addition replacing the previous hole left by [ Absorption Line, no longer screaming and writhing in pain. He was now resting peacefully, having fallen asleep from exhaustion.
"It's okay now… you can stop now, Asia." He glanced at the equally tired nun who was also dozing off from the constant use of energy.
"Huuuu… everything is blurry…"
Akeno caught her before she would fall down. "Well done Asia-chan, Hachi-kun would've been proud of you."
"Really!? I-I mean, I-It was nothing, Himejima-san…"
"Ara, still so formal? Didn't I tell you to call me Akeno?"
"B-But-" She tried to protest but was too weak to do so, as the last of energy was used. The girl ended up falling asleep in Akeno's arms.
"Ah~ she's so precious, sometimes I just want to gobble her up, fufufufu!" Akeno said, watching the young nun snuggle into her breast like a pillow
"Agreed." Now it was Koneko who came near her and began head patting the sleeping girl. "Cute." She wondered if this is how Hachiman felt when he was around her when he pats her head. Even Rias joined in and began pinching Asia's cheeks as she found the young woman to be adorable. The blonde looked like she was having a nightmare in her sleep from all the touching.
"Alright you three, knock it off and bring the girl to her room," Azazel said as he held on to the Sacred Gear he just removed. Taking the given opportunity to examine it closer. Its core formation was the same as the other 3 sibling gears, all housing a split soul of Vritra. For the longest time, he had wondered which one of them housed the core soul, where the dragon's consciousness was dwelling in.
"I can tell what you are thinking of, Azazel."
"Then tell me, oh mother of all dragons, how do you think my father accomplished such a feat? Was Hachiman the lucky one to have received the gear that held Vritra's core? Would he have reached such height if he had gotten [ Absorption Line] instead?"
"The creations of Yahweh have always defied expectation and brought the basic law of reality into question, at least that's what everyone thinks. The question is not if the hatchling was born lucky with the consciouses of Vritra or not. It is who was going to be the first one to push the gear to their limits, he who possesses the biggest compatibility with the spirit is the one who would have been crowned as the Black Dragon King."
Azazel laughed, "So you're saying that Hachiman got Vritra's soul because of his compatibility?" Such a simple answer to such a complicated question.
"Indeed, I have known Vritra before he had become an Evil dragon. And I cannot describe in words how much the boy reminds me of that fossil back in the day. From the stories you have told me of the boy, I can tell that the hatchling sees Vritra with high regard, almost like a mentor, even as family if I'm being daring. The same could be said for Vritra, he always did care for own, and his sacrifice tells me all that I need on how he views the little one. Neither will abandon the other, even if they have to trade their lives in exchange."
"Heh, the boy really got lucky," Azazel smirked, still holding the Gear in his hands, feeling its pulse in his hands as if sensing its master.
"No, it is Vritra who is the lucky one here."
The leftover energy of [Twilight Healing] soon dispersed and the sphere in Azazel's hands started to react once again. The Fallen didn't try to stop it. Both he and Tiamat saw the gear fly through the air, smashing the barrier Rias and Tsubaki put in place like a piece of paper and disappear on the horizon; to merge with the rest.
{ Break }
- Knockbridge -
If one were to describe the countryside of Knockbridge, they would tell stories of a beautiful and peaceful landscape, surrounded by verdant hills and unending grasslands. Rich with relics of the past, retelling a story of an era long passed to the newer generation.
Yet now that tranquil region, on the outskirts of the village had been turned into a raging hellscape, where not even the slightest trace of green could be spotted.
It was burning.
Not of regular fire, but black fire. Fire that can only be created by Vritra. Vritra flames were more intense than normal flames. True to his title, Vritra's fire had the property of restraining his enemies while inflicting an untold amount of damage for as long clings on to the target, capable of melting steel in a matter of seconds and injuring the very Gods themselves.
Another hidden property these flames had was the ability to curse the souls of others, even supernatural being's for eternity, thereby slowly killing them in the process.
This was the main property of [ Blaze Black Flare, one of Vritra's main sacred gears, and [ Shadow Prison ] used in unison. But for the dragon who had been sealed for millennia; it was the freedom to soon become whole once again.
A body landed on the ground, creating another crater out of hundreds. He was all bloodied, burned with charred skin and exposed muscles; a position his enemy was in a few moments ago.
The hero got up to his feet, using his right hand of the spear as support and his other one to cast hundreds of different runes. Each holding enormous amounts of power and might, all hurtling against the fully armored individual, floating casually in the air with his arms folded with black flames.
" You are extremely proficient in the usage of runes, greater than myself in my prime." Vritra pointed a single finger at the incoming attacks and muttered…
"[ Absolute Delete Field ]" A dark sphere expanded in the middle of the field, reducing everything it touched into nothing. Not even leaving behind ashes or debris; similar to what happened in Paris years before. But this time, Vritra had better control of the attack and knew how to limit its range.
The hundreds of rune attacks from Sétante were destroyed in seconds.
But one manages to pierce through the black field.
Bzzzt !
The Fehu rune ᚠ, taking the forming of lightning and thunder to vaporize its enemies.
" I digress," Vritra said as he casually caught the attack in both hands, the lightning attack pushing him back; until he crushed it to pieces. " You are better than Cu Chulainn in rune-crafting." He clenched his armored hand, watching the cracked armor mend back together.
"I wouldn't bet on that!" Sétante was relentless in his attacks. He closed the distance once again and engaged into an intense mid ranged battle with his spear and rune attacks. Each stab and swipe of the spear would be followed by a rune elemental attack coating the spear point.
Vritra managed to dodge most of them, but the Irishman was getting faster and more proficient with his moves; causing more cracks and chips on the armor. On the last attack, the dragon didn't manage to move away in time and was hit right in the helmet and sent down below a burning forest.
Crash !
" Hurgh, even though I missed the sensation of pain; I am already starting to get sick of it." He wasn't a masochistic degenerate like Baraquiel.
' I am still not used to moving around in a human's body. Worst of all, while in this body I do not possess the same physical strength as I did in my Dragon body. But magic wise… I am nearly there.' Unlike Tiamat who was familiar with possessing a humanoid body and even a master in several forms of martial arts, Vritra barely had any experience on it. Even if he did, it had been so long that he would have forgotten the feeling long ago.
It was like a muscle that needed to be trained continuously and if left still, it would degrade over time.
Fortunately, his magical prowess and memories of several fighting styles kept him in the game. Experience was indeed a powerful weapon in itself.
But he couldn't stay in this state for long.
Vritra gathered more magical energy and formed a large magic circle from his palm which shot a concentrated energy bullet. Another circle layered on top of it and it rapidly fired more bullets.
While Sétante defended himself against the onslaught, Vritra escaped further inside the burning woods, using the fire and smoke as cover to disappear from view and recuperate for a bit. He sighed in relief when he checked if the tracking rune was still on the body.
" Let's see, do I know of a spell which can help me recover faster without depleting my reserves? Senjutsu is out of the question when I still don't know the effect it might have on Hachiman's body. Touki as well, as this relies on the host's body rather than the spirit." He continued to move around and not stay idle in a single place for long, fearing that he might be discovered. "I know of Tiamat's methods but that spell requires a large body of water. Not to mention she doesn't know that I stole her technique in secret and might come after me if she senses it."
Boom !
In the distance, a coiling dragon made of fire exploded, turning that part of the forest into dust.
"You can't hide forever!" Sétante shouted as he continued casting more runes and destroying the landscape.
" If I can get close to him and immobilize the man, I can temporarily substitute my only missing Sacred Gear with one of Bia's techniques to siphon some energy for my recovery. But the problem is that I'll lose the energy as soon as he's broken free."
" I will have to borrow some of Hachiman's techniques after all."
…
Crash !
Multiple explosions ensued as Sétante continued to wreck the entire forest to cinders, trying to find Vritra and kill him before he had time to prepare anything else. That dragon was a crafty one, the longer he was left alone, the greater danger he would pose later on. Calling a snake was a more accurate description he felt.
"-?" He heard the high pitched noise of an incoming projectile coming from behind. Turning around, he was prepared to block another energy shot. But that wasn't what was coming for him. "What the-Argh!" He was hit head first by a tree trunk thrown at him like a spear!
That wasn't the end of it, suddenly, multiple tentacle-like whips burst forward from the trunk and it was shown to be Vritra who was hiding behind the tree all along. They caught Sétante and began stealing his energy by harnessing the raw power and anger that was coming off of him; though Vritra was only getting a tiny amount. The later tried to break them free, until Vritra should, "[ Restrict !]" And Sétante was rendered immobile for a bit.
"This won't hold me for long!"
" I know ." The dragon said, his cracks visibly mending once again as he revitalized by the stolen energy. He leaped off the tree trunk which was quickly falling off the sky.
The bound man did a double take when he noticed the trunk starting to glow with the lines that were holding him becoming red hot.
"Shit!"
Both he and the tree exploded in the sky.
On the ground where Vritra landed, he carefully observed the sky where the explosion happened and waited for Sétante's body to fall from the smoke.
"…"
The next few seconds were tense as he waited for smoke to clear. He didn't see him fall, meaning the man was still fine after that. And true to his suspicions, after the smoke got cleared, Sétante was floating there with a broken runic barrier around his being; the same barrier he first used against Aife and her poison attack. But his attack worked, the man had many cuts and burns around the places the barrier broke with one side of his face charred a bit from the heat of the explosion.
Vritra was immensely Impressed.
" You disagree with my claim of your runic prowess being superior to your ancestor, but at this moment in time you might be one of the strongest runecraft master alive ."
"Haa… Haa… th-thanks for tha compliment! A worked on my skills for a long time." Sétante said cheerfully while breathing heavily, his accent coming back for a bit, not at all bothered by the fact that he was losing here. "Though I would like to know how you found out about the beast part at the beginning of the fight…" Twirling his around, an arc of crystal blue water swirled around him, healing his injuries in an instant and extinguishing some of the normal fire down below. But even then, he couldn't hide the traces of exhaustion in his eyes.
"Haaa!" Sétante called forth a tsunami of water that flooded the field, trying to put out the cursed burning fire on the other side of the battlefield.
Shhhhhh !
It didn't work, the fire was far too strong, it was impossible for normal water to douse it down. In fact, the soil didn't even get wet as the water would evaporate in an instant.
" I have no recollection of either Cu Chulainn or any of his descendants being so gifted in water magic. Not even the Sitri clan or the fae have shown such mastery over the element. Instant healing? That is far from anything a human can accomplish. I only know of one beast in ancient times who held similar power. A sea creature whose very bone was turned into a spear… the same spear you are using against me."
He said just in time to dodge a red streak by tilting his head. On the shaft of the spear, dozens of runes shined. Vritra recognized the spell; teleportation. The spear teleported Sétante behind him, the latter preparing to use the technique that Aife stopped before.
"[ Curruid's Avatar !]" A giant ethereal figure of a beast with blue scales, looking like a mix between a creature of a sea serpent and a dragon. Its full size potentially surpasses Vritra's true form.
Majestic and beautiful, it held the same kind of splendor as Tiamat. But it wasn't the real beast, merely just a projection.
" I knew it." That was all that Vritra could say before the Curruid avatar tried to devour him. Fortunately, Vritra called forth more of his tentacles to restrain his enemies, giving him enough time to dodge the attack. " Did you possess the body of Cu Chulainn's descendant? How cunning of you."
"Wrong!" Vritra dodged another barrage rune attack from Sétante. He felt Sétante's power swell, in a few moments catching up to him and becoming the equivalent of an Ultimate class devil!
" It can't be…" The Black Dragon King immediately knew that he was wrong in his previous assumption as he witnessed the boy's current form.
Sétante had bulked up considerably, now looking like a mountain of muscles compared to his previous lithe physique. Two extra fingers grew on both of his hands with six more irises showing from his eyes. His hair was waving in the air like fire, giving him the appearance of a truly dangerous foe.
"I am neither Cu Chulainn nor just another one of his descendants. I am not the Curruid nor will I ever become it." The memories that were not his own kept coming back. He remembers having battles he never participated in, he remembered fighting against a blood-haired woman who butchered him like a fish and he remembered having his bones ripped out of his corpse and turned into God-killing weapons. But these memories were not HIS, but rather of his past life as the Curruid. "I am just Sétante, a guy with a twisted past life who was mocked by fate and reborn as one of Cu's descendants!"
With power rivaling Vritra, the Irishman soon turned on the offense and started the battle again.
"And I will get that hag to hand me over the beast's skeleton, even if I have to force myself inside her Castle!"
"-!?" Unlike before, Vritra didn't have the time to react in time and felt a spear strike his armor, drawing blood in the process.
" Kwaaa !"
The balance had tipped, this time they fought on equal grounds. Sétante now oozing of divine energy and water magic healing his wounds instantly. Though the Irishman couldn't compete against the Dragon in terms of strength, he more than made it up in speed and defense.
" Wonderful !" Vritra exclaimed in glee. He was having fun, more fun than he ever did. A black sheep among the Dragon Kings he may be, choosing wisdom over strength; he was still a dragon in the end and his species thrived in battle. " It has come to my attention…" The spear struck, he blocked it with his gauntlet which cracked on impact. " Many of those who have descended from the lines of Heroes have always tried to reach their ancestors' might; yet fail to do so." A rune attack hit his helmet destroying the visor, showing off the glowing red eyes. " The lass Jeanne D'Arc tried to imitate Joan of Arc, but she turned out to be nothing more than a mockery ." Sétante roared and smashed his fists onto Vritra's armored stomach, making the dragon spit out blood. " But you…" The Irishman's many eyes glowed as more energy was absorbed inside his being, growing taller and bulkier each second.
He went for another attack.
Only for a black sphere to smash his face.
Bam !
"Wh-what?" He was disoriented.
"[ Absorption Line ] had indeed taken its time."
Finally, after so many years of living as a broken-up soul, divided into many different pieces, never complete. He was whole for once again.
' Hmmm, I sense Tiamat's presence on it, so she decides to leave her little garden then… must be because of Ddraig .' Vritra already pitied the current Red Dragon Emperor. Nothing worse than an angry female dragon.
" You have already exceeded your ancestor, be proud Sétante, for you have done something that very few-if any-have achieved."
[ BALANCE BREAKER!]
[MALEBOLGE VRITRA ASCENSION!]
It finally happened, all of the gears were reunited and the armor was whole once again!
"!!" Vritra roared as his power soared for a final time. Breaking through his previous power and reaching the level of might he used to wield when he was alive. A being capable of battling high end Ultimate-class powerhouses.
Brrrrrr !
From the ground thousands of tentacles came to restrain the man, each looking vastly different from their previous form. Some even pierced his opponent's body.
" Absorb…" And just like that, all the power Sétante had accumulated was being drained away at a rapid rate. The ones that had pierced his body were absorbing the blood. "… and lastly ." With a quick pull, he snatched Gae Bolga.
"My spear!"
Holding the legendary spear in his hand, being the equivalent of the Longinus in Celtic lore, Vritra could feel the raw power inside the weapon. His palms were bleeding, just like what happened to Raynare; the weapon was rejecting him.
" I am an honorable dragon, that is true. But when it comes to life and death, wisdom has taught me to never fight fairly and to use every trick up my sleeve to cut down my enemies. Because, in the end, it is the victor who tells the story and those defeated are scattered to the winds. Not to mention, an Asura will never stop fighting until they win or die."
[ Absorb !] Tiny tentacles came out of his gauntlet and wrapped around the weapon.
"What are you doing!?" Sétante screamed, trying to break free from his restraints. "Come on man, give me back ma spear!" Even while being drained continuously by thousands of [ Absorption Lines] , Sétante showed his legendary tenacity by summoning enough strength and power to slowly break away from his restraints.
' At this rate, he will soon be equal to that sleepyhead, Miðgarðsormr, someone I can't contend against .' Vritra's admiration for this person didn't seem to end. He was beginning to feel regret about what he was about to do next.
" Did you know, Sacred Gears like the [Boosted Gear] and [Divine Dividing, have the capability to fuse weapons to themselves? Calling them forwards during fierce battles. One of my previous hosts had fought against the White Dragon Emperor. My host tried to gain an advantage by trying to fuse with a mace she had stolen from the Mesopotamian pantheon; Sharur. Unfortunately, she failed due to the weapon being sentient… or most likely, I was too weak to handle it."
Vritra willed the spear to fuse with the armor, but it kept rejecting him. His armor was beginning to melt off as he held the handle, the spear having turned hostile towards him.
" Unfortunately for you, I have changed much since back then."
[ Absorb!]
[Absorb!]
[Absorb!]
[Absorb!]
[Delete Field!]
Slowly, the weapon became too weak to resist him and was forcefully fused with the armor.
"Vritraaaaa!!!" Sétante was livid by his action, to say the least.
The red shaft had changed with black vein-like patterns running all along with the spear. A red gem formed on the spearhead, releasing a familiar dark-colored aura.
[ Malebolge Vritra Ascension]
[Gae Bolga!]
" This is the end, Sétante… this fight I shall remember for the rest of my life. You were a worthy opponent."
"You will regret this, the Gods will betray you and cut your soul into pieces once again. Why can't anyone see that I'm just trying to save them!? I'm getting rid of the source of all our problems, they are nothing more than a plague!"
Vritra sighed, knowing where this man was coming from, remembering his time during the war against the gods.
" I know you mean well, Sétante. But you should have realized that your methods would have hurt more innocent people than anything the gods have done in the past. You are condemning the fault of a few to the whole Supernatural world."
He just snorted. "Then what would you have me do? Just sit around and watch as my home gets slowly corrupted and destroyed by that goddess and her followers? Talking is useless, asking for help didn't help and I am but one man."
"…"
"You have nothing to say, do you? I should have expected, you're nothing more than a puppet to the gods." He laughed, sounding hollow to anyone that hears it, "That is why I can't give up! If I fall then no one will stand up and take my place!!" Another pressure burst from his being, he was getting stronger but his injuries no longer kept healing.
" You are using your life force as fuel, by sacrificing yourself ?" Just how far was this man willing to go for his village? Though in the end, it wouldn't help him.
Taking the same stance as Sétante, Vritra burst forward- Shrk ! And threw the spear right into Sétante's heart.
The blade pierced his chest and came out his back with blood trailing down the shaft. The spear's special ability came into effect and his insides were completely crushed by the consecutive stabs.
He felt the spear's remorse in some way. Sétante didn't know if the weapon was sentient or not, it never talked to him if it was. It was just a slight feeling, maybe he was becoming delusional with the pain, but… Gae Bolga was crying.
The man felt his life draining away from him, he couldn't summon any more energy to heal himself again. It was said that when faced with death, an individual would see their entire life flash before then. Ironic for him since he had technically died one in his past life. He saw flashes of the beast's past life, growing up as a little fish to a being equalling dragons, then his current life… Being born to a dead mother, taken in by a cult who used him as a weapon, wandering around trying to find a home, and then finally finding it in this village. That old hag did warn him that his endeavor would lead to his death, but he didn't listen and if given the chance to restart… he would do it again. He just needed more time, more power.
' I'm sorry pa, guess I won't be helping in the bakery today after all.'
Sétante's body was falling, but before it touched the ground; Vritra swooped down and carefully caught his body. The dragon laid the body gently on the ground, noticing how all signs of life left the man.
' I may have won, but this victory feels numb .' He thought as he noticed how Sétante's body was breaking apart and crumbling into dust.
This long arduous battle had finally come to an end.
"-!?"
A dark aura descended on the area and Vritra felt the presence of death upon him.
"Finally, the barrier grew weak. I never would have thought that I could stand on this soil once again." A woman dressed in a dark dress and with long hair appeared near the crumbled body of Sétante. If Hachiman would have seen her face then he would have immediately recognized her, as none other than Badb.
"In both life, you die pierced by a spear. You died even more pathetically this time, killed by your own bones." With a simple wave of her finger, the dead body dispersed into a cloud of dust, leaving behind a floating burning orb; his soul. Probably kept in place instead of moving to the underworld by this woman's doing. "For all the troubles you have caused me, for your defiance over my rule, you shall continue to reap for your sins even after death." She looked at Vritra who hadn't moved since the beginning. "I greet your return, Black Dragon King, it is truly a miracle how you have achieved the impossible. As a Goddess of Death, I should be offended but I am turning s blind eye to this matter. Just this once."
She extended her hand and Sétante's soul slowly drifted towards her. "This is where we part ways, your duty is done, return to Azazel and may we meet aga-!?" She removed her hand just in time to avoid Gae Bolga cutting her hand.
"What is the meaning of this!?"
The woman watched in shock as a black gauntlet held on to the spear and pointed the spearhead at her, getting in between her and the soul.
" Don't you dare touch this man's soul, impostor."
The next 5 chapters of Snafu and Fate are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter.
Night talk
Hiiiiii~ A new chapter is here!
Welp, it's certainly been a while hasn't it? I
I've changed chapter 43 and 44 if you haven't noticed by now. Made the fighting scenes a bit longer and more detailed.
I've changed the [Malebolg Vritra Promotion] to [Malebolg Vritra Ascension] because the first versions name didn't make sense since Hachiman doesn't have any evil pieces in him.
Another change I'm going to make is changing [Vajra Diamond Body] to [Vajra Sacred Body] sound better imo.
Also, thank you to my patrons: Leroy, Stevan Chang, Paradox, Dustin Tran, Kappa, Bill Schulzt, Jerry Kirk Phillips, Dante, Zachary Juvert, Bluefang, Joaquin Ticzon, That Damn Kapi, Elie Doan, Collin McGoldrick and Alexander Barnes. Y'all rock!!!!
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi.
- Knockbridge -
"What is the meaning of this!" The goddess exclaimed in anger as she glared at the armored figure of Vritra. The latter came in between her and the soul of Sétante, pointing the modified Gae Bolga spear at her throat.
" Don't you dare touch this man's soul, impostor."
"What?" The woman's eyes widened a fraction before turning into a frown as she snarled at him. "What sort of idiocy is this? You dare call me a fake? What gives you the nerve for such an accusation?" She brought her godly power and saturated the land in a deadly aura, turning it even more barren than before. Vritra's previous burning black flames slowly began to lose their power. "Be careful with your words, dragon, your existence is on the verge of my domain, no longer are you protected by the Christian God's blessing of his Sacred Gears."
Her words were hostile but Vritra didn't flinch. " You are not Badb ." Accused Vritra.
"Oho~" The accusation amused the Goddess, she smirked which put the dragon on the edge. Her face, clothes, and everything resembled Badb, but she wasn't her. "Why would you say that? I know you can feel my domain, especially with your current state, no one other than the Goddess of death can wield such a power."
" I am at a loss on how you can control the domain which is not yours, but do not take me for a fool. I may not know your motives, but I can sense your lies from far away."
"Fufufu, a dragon who can sense falsehoods… do not make me laugh. You are no entity of justice and righteousness, we all know what kind of being you truly are, Vritra." Her finger touched the pointed tip of the spear, without it piercing her flesh, but to Vritra's disbelief, it did not even leave a mark! "You accuse me of lying, while your own words are as false as they come. Tell me… " Using just the tip of her finger, she pushed the spear back slightly. "How did you really find out about me not being Badb?"
She stopped pretending and the deadly aura she carried changed to her true self, one filled with blood and violence; as if he had fallen in the middle of a brutal battle between armies. The phantom sounds of metal clashing and cries of war resonated around him.
" Arrogance !"
[ Delete Field!]
A small dome expanded outwards of the armor and covered the Goddess, the spear she was previously pushing back was now back at her throat. A frown came on her features as she continued to glare at the dragon.
"Are you truly preparing for a fight? You may have fooled the Curruid but I know the truth! You are barely holding on. The remaining energy from the demi god's blood enhanced by [ Sephiroth Graal ] has long run out; you are running on fumes right now. You may display the power of your past self, but it's just a ruse. At any moment, that energy will be gone and you won't be able to sustain your current form without killing the boy."
She was right, he had attained and held on to his current level of power due to the power of Cu Chulainn's blood, enhanced by the [ Sephiroth Graal ] piece. Even if he had kept the portion he passed on to Raynare then it wouldn't have done much different, as he needed a lot more to battle a god. Not to mention, when he was still alive, unlike Ddraig and Albion; Vritra couldn't just slaughter every deity that faced him. The fact remained that he was the weakest Dragon King, his versatility may have given him the edge but against strong foes, it wouldn't matter much.
Vritra couldn't battle her, he couldn't risk his host's life anymore, he knew that…
But this woman didn't.
" Yes, I acknowledge your words," She smirked, but not for long as the spear grew closer to her neck. " But whether I can battle you or not, is outside your choice. My partner and I have already decided to lay down our lives here. We are conscious of our ineptitude to kill you, but…" He brought out his wings with black flames burning on his other hand. "… we can still wound you enough for one of your enemies to come and finish the job."
Taking out a page from Hachiman's book, he really hoped that his bluff went through. He was beginning to siphon Hachiman's reserves to maintain the gears and it was depleting at a rapid pace.
"…"
"…"
They were both at a standstill.
Each sizing up the other, one deciphering the words of the other, while the next continued to put up a false display of prowess.
"I believe you both have done enough damage on my land." Both Goddess and Dragon were caught by surprise by the voice of another person stepping in, breaking the standstill.
""You!"" Both Vritra and the Goddess recognized the newest addition, but both for different reasons.
Since Vritra was sharing Hachiman's soul, he could scour his host's very recent memories and saw how the young boy met this person while prowling the village.
It was that elderly woman who made Hachiman promise to give Sétante a second chance.
But the Goddess knew her under a different identity.
"So you finally show your face, you damned witch!"
' Witch ?' Vritra's mind worked in overdrive as millions and billions of faces and names from different eras both ancient and present, flashed in his head. He put away all those who did not possess any relation to this village and its local legend. And a single name stood out.
" The immortal witch, Scáthach…" He muttered, the tension growing as this was not an opponent he could contend against, even in his prime. She was considered powerful, even among other god killers. " Who are you intending to help?"
The old granny laughed and shook her head in amusement. "I am on no one's side, ya stupid lizard. I just want both of you to get out of here and I'll be taking the boy's soul. Curruid or not, he deserves to be buried alongside his ancestors. The boy has suffered enough for two lifetimes." She then turned her attention toward Vritra. "Also, your little battle with the boy damaged the shield I put around my land, you may leave but the boy will remain to fix the damage done."
The Goddess grew agitated by the witch's nonchalant attitude. "You dare speak to me with that ton- Psht ! Argh!" Out of nowhere, a high-pitched noise was heard before her shoulder was pierced, leaving behind a bloody hole.
' Fast !' Vritra was shaken to the core, he had barely seen the blur of a spear attacking the Goddess. ' I have only seen Albion display such speed in my life!'
"I have had enough of your ploy, Nemain. If it was Morrigan here instead of a part of her, then I would have been more cautious. But there seems to be some disagreement between you three sisters, I'm pretty sure I won't have to deal with her any time soon."
Now everything became clear to Vritra. Nemain, the Goddess who personifies the frenzied havoc of war. ' So she is the one who has been trying to encroach on Scathack's land and Sétante's home. The boy must have mistaken her for Badb… no, Nemain herself was playing the role of her sister .' If it wasn't for the blessing Badb passed on to Hachiman back in Kuoh, then Vritra would have honestly mistaken Nemain as his ally, Badb.
But the three sisters were basically a single person, Morrigan, the Phantom Queen, and Goddess of Death. Why would the three identities which formed a single entity have conflicting goals than one another? ' And why does Nemain want Scáthach's territory?'
"That was just a warning, next time, I'll aim for the heart." The immortal witch said, her voice still sounding annoyed, as if killing a Goddess was a trivial thing.
Nemain retreated back, holding her wound while keeping a distance between her and Scáthach. ' If only those other two agreed with me… then all of this would have gone easier as Morrigan .' She knew her limits, and fighting this hag head-on was no different than commiting suicide. ' Badb and Macha will not help me, and they refuse to fuse back as Morrigan!'
She needed to retreat, revise her strategy and come up with another plan of attack. After all, her allies wouldn't take failure as an answer.
"This isn't the end!" A dark fog surrounded Nemain as she turned into a crow and flew away.
Vritra waited for her to be gone far enough to finally relax.
Thump
He fell onto his knees, panting and sweating like crazy. His [Balance breaker] vanished showing the face of Hachiman with red eyes, signifying that Vritra was still in control.
"Huff… Huff… Huff…" After who knows how long, the dragon had once again experienced the feeling of fatigue and exhaustion both physically and mentally. "Th-Thank you, I will forever remember your aid." He thanked her, she really helped him and Hachiman out of a precarious position.
"Humph, the great Black Dragon King, fallen to his knees after a little battle, you've grown weaker, Vritra. I remember hearing tales of you fighting against millions of Indra's golden army all by yourself. Yet here you are, not even standing after a single fight."
" I would argue otherwise, immortal witch. It was not I who was weak, but rather my opponent who was a true prodigy." He checked Hachiman's consciousness to see if there was any damage and sighed in relief as he found none. He spotted how a small stain of his madness curse had been growing on the boy. Now that he was back, this would no longer be an issue. " Were you honest with words, of taking the boy in?"
"Ha! You wish. No, I no longer take disciples, my daughter has been a pain on her own. Another brat is not something I wish to babysit."
" But then, why did yo-"
"-I am not finished! The boy will indeed come with me. But only because I want him to fix the damage he caused to the shield AND to make sure he doesn't sully the name of my disciple by waving that spear around like a toy. You barely handled the weapon yourself, despite being an ancient dragon."
" Aye, I am truly in your debt… " He offered his thanks and respect to the lady by bowing down. " Before I leave, there was someone else with Hachiman…"
Scáthach sighed in annoyance.
"Yes, yes that crow, I remember. She'll be just fine, the energy you've passed on to her saved her life and healed her up… though you may have given her a bit too much." She said, not explaining further.
" Pardon ?"
Pa !
"Stop wasting your time and leave already!" Vritra got hit by her walking cane to the face. He smiled at her antics, Hachiman was going to be in safe hands. He retreated back into the confines of his soul and the Sacred Gear, calling back Hachiman to take control of his body.
His eyes closed as the last word he heard was…
"Honestly, stupid kids, always causing me trouble. You're lucky that I happen to have a soft spot for people like you. Besides, you should worry more about yourself, your little fight here was witnessed by the Ouroboros Dragon itself… I can only delay her arrival for so long before she starts to get annoyed."
' Curses !'
{ Break }
- Kuoh, Mountainous region-
( Few days later)
Akeno was thirsty.
It was the middle of the night and they were on their last day before the Riser fight.
Everyone trained hard. Rias didn't really need to work on her powers as she had been doing that for years, so she and Sona continued to study past rating games. Which of course annoyed Rias a bit since she wanted to hang out with her Queen and servants rather than stay cooped up in the library for days.
Kiba had gotten better at fighting with his regular spar against Sona's peerage members. Koneko was still practicing her senjutsu abilities, but without a true master, she had a much harder time advancing than others. Azazel did mention that he would find a solution to her problem.
Issei and Saji have been hanging around more frequently, they truly become friends, with Saji learning about what Issei and Asia did for him. The two boys also brought Gasper along with them, Akeno didn't bother mentioning his gender and let them think that he was a girl.
She couldn't wait to crush their dreams or maybe get a camera and have Gasper flash them~
Akeno, alongside Tsubaki, had indeed trained their other capabilities outside their magic. To be honest, she really sucked at close quarters combat. Even with Koneko's help, she struggled immensely to hold up her own.
So she concentrated on her other attributes, her speed to be more precise. That was one of the few things she was good at aside from spell casting. In the end, her main strategy ended up being to evade and attack.
"I miss him…" Of course, her biggest struggle during this whole training week was not being with Hachiman. Her calls weren't going through and she even tried to sneakily teleport to him but found out that something was blocking her!
She sighed in frustration.
' Guess there is nothing I can do aside from waiting… Maybe I'll shock that Yakitori to dust to relieve some of my stress.'
As she headed downstairs to the kitchen, Akeno spotted a dimly lit room. "Oh? Looks like someone is awake." The Fallen we are soon greeted by the familiar sight of a redhead wearing glasses.
"Ara? You're awake?"
Her buchou's voice came from the living room. When Akeno looked, there she was sitting on the sofa, in her undergarments.
"Oh my Rias, you're still awake so late at night?"
"Couldn't sleep, so I thought I might as well get some further reading done. This is a good opportunity, why don't we have a talk?"
The tealight on the table nearby brought a faint glow to the room. Devils could see at night, even if there was no light. Thanks to that, they were able to train even at night; which she found amusing on how much Hachiman would get jealous and salty of that attribute. So, this candle was more for appearance than anything.
"Well then, don't mind if I do."
She sat right next to Rias, squishing up against her like she was a body pillow.
"Do you have to do that?" Rias said in annoyance but also blushing slightly. Even though she was in love with Hachiman, that didn't mean she wasn't-at some level-attracted to her Queen. Akeno had a body that was considered impressive even among the Fallens, it made her a bit jealous as well.
Akeno noticed Rias wearing glasses, something which she didn't need.
"Glasses, really?"
"Oh, this? It's just for looks. You know that it helps me think. Fufufu, this is proof that I have been in the human world for so long." She chuckled, playing a bit with her glasses.
On the table near the sofa were many papers of different drawn battle formations and plans that Rias came up with. It took into consideration many factors from Riser taking the front line, to equipping each of his peerage members with a phoenix tear.
' She must be worried .' Unconsciously, Akeno rested her head on Rias' shoulders, her gesture further flustering the devil.
Rias couldn't help but think how sinful Akeno's body was. It was times like this when she wasn't trying to attract Hachiman would she truly realize how she couldn't measure up to her Queen, looks-wise.
Though a certain fish-eyed boy would argue otherwise.
"To be honest, the only thing you will get by reading this is to have peace of mind. With me and everyone, we'll take care of Riser easily." Akeno said while making a sigh.
"You really think so?"
"It's not whether we are strong enough or not, cause we are. Rather, Riser is the problem."
"Hm?"
"The biggest problem is that our opponent is the Phoenix. But he is still a devil… we can't lose this fight. Even you alone can take him on."
Rias took out a page with the details of the mythical phoenix written on it in detail.
"A long time ago, the mystical beast, Phoenix, was looked upon by humans as a bird that governs life. It was so revered that it left its legend in many countries in the human world where it's told that the tears of the Phoenix can heal any wounds, and the blood that flows within its body can give eternal youth to those that drink it."
But the clan is different from the mystical beast Phoenix. They are the Devils that had the rank of Marquis, and were counted as one of the "72 pillars". The "Phoenix" from the Devils' side.
"The humans named the Devils' Phoenix as "Phenex" to distinguish it from the mystical beast Phoenix, however, the mystical beast Phoenix has the same ability as Riser's clan. -In other words, immortality. That's the opponent we must fight someone against."
This prompted Akeno to laugh a bit.
"Fufufu, such a grandiose description. This almost makes them sound invincible. Something we both know is false, they are just harder to kill."
"Yes, invincible, it's indeed a strong word for them, but at the same time, it's not completely false. Even if you attack them, their wounds will heal right away. Their flames burn bones to dust. Eight wins and two losses. This is the record that Riser has at the official "Rating Game". He fought ten times and won eight matches. He lost two of the matches on purpose as an act of kindness to one of the households he is close to. In reality, he won all of his matches. He has already become a candidate to obtain a title in the official game."
She felt Akeno's arms wrap around her neck, turning around, the former's face came close to hers… their foreheads touching each other.
"Why are you being so pessimistic all of a sudden? You were quite confident the first time that Yakitori came to the human world."
Rias needed a moment to get her bearings, while fighting off the smile of Riser's new nickname, as her Queen was suspiciously acting a bit too intimate with her.
"I just… felt something uneasy back when I heard that Riser was chosen as my fiancé. Yes, I think Otou-sama and the others chose him in case something like this were to happen. They chose him so I will have no choice but to marry him. Even if it becomes a match between households, they still think that there is no way for me to win. In chess, you would say they tricked me. A swindle." She let the papers fall down on the floor and avoided eye contact with Akeno. "Also because when Hachiman is not here… I don't feel like I'm in control anymore, I feel like I'll mess up and you all will have to pay the price. I… I don't want that to happen."
There was also the matter of her parent's belief, that no matter how strong she became, they kept thinking that there was no way that their daughter could beat an immortal. It really put her down when she invested so much time in her training. Even her brother was up to date with her current abilities, yet her parents still didn't think that it was enough. 'Am I really that much of a weakling in their eyes? Or is their sense of power scaling skewed due to Onii-sama?'
"When the Rating Game became popular, the ones who climbed up the most were the House of the Phoenix. There weren't that many battles among Devils until the game was introduced. In a game where the [King] also participates, the strength of Phoenix became clearer. The House of Phenex is the leading group among the strongest class. -Immortal. Devils realized how terrifying this power was for the first time." She was becoming more and more nervous. "Maybe I'm just overestimating myself, how can I beat a member of the House of Phenex? This was a mistake, I shouldn'thavegottensoaheadofmydel-mphf!" Her incessant blabbering got cut off by another pair of lips!
' What in the name of Lucifer!!!??'
"Mmmnnnpphhh!!!???" She was like a deer caught in the headlights. Her mouth was sealed shut and invaded by Akeno's tongue. Her arms flailed around as she tried to get away, but it was a useless move as Akeno kept her pinned on the sofa.
A few seconds after, the two separated with a thin line of saliva connecting their lips. Rias was panting wide-eyed as she gazed at her Queen in shock; the latter just smiling as nothing had happened.
"Wha-what was that!?" Rias jumped away from the couch and scurried backward like she had just come close to a holy object. "W-W-Why did you do that!?"
Meanwhile, Akeno just giggled further at Rias' reaction.
"That's not funny! That was my first kiss! I was planning to give it to-" She was cut off mid-speech, realizing what she was about to bring up something that they haven't touched yet since that night.
"-To Hachiman, right?" Akeno said with a tilt of her head, finishing her sentences.
"…" Rias didn't say anything. Her anger evaporated and was replaced by shame as she looked downwards, still feeling guilty about her desires.
"You know… Hachiman is strange. For as long as I remember, he always had this calm and mature disposition that never suited his age, like older than he seemed. I remember at the time I still used to call him Hikima, and that sometimes it would feel like I was talking to my father."
True, even Rias felt the same when she first met Hachiman but she didn't voice it out at first, fearing that it might sour her previously unstable relationship with Hachiman. But then, after years of living with him… she kinda got used to his attitude.
"But he is not always calm and sometimes… he can be overwhelmed. He would start to overthink simple stuff, overanalyze and begin muttering like a broken record; just like you, Rias. And whenever that happened, the best solution I discovered was to shut him up is with a kiss~" She left the sofa and crawled towards Rias. The Gremory heiress had her instincts scream at her to run as if a ferocious predator was approaching her. "Both of you are so similar in some aspects, that it can be funny at times. You have the same bad habit of being pessimistic as times, you overthink simple things like him and how you're behaving tonight is a textbook example of him. So I just used the same method that works for him on you."
When she finished talking her face was once again close to Rias, the latter's face glowing atomic red from embarrassment.
"You like him," Akeno stated, not as a question but as a fact. "But you're scared of hurting me… or that he'll reject you. These possibilities terrify you more than your engagement with Riser. Am I right?"
"Yes…" Rias whispered quietly. "I'm sorry."
Her answer made Akeno smile even more. The Gremory could be so adorable at times.
"There is nothing to be sorry about. Sometimes in life, you can't exactly choose with whom you'll fall in love. I won't blame you over such a natural thing." Especially when considering how sour the relationship between Hachiman and Rias was at the beginning. "The sad part is, Hachiman probably likes you romantically as well-even if he denies it-he loves you, Rias."
This time the redhead whipped her head upwards, gazing at her Queen's eyes, looking for the slightest trace of a lie in those violet orbs.
"I-Is th-that… true?" She sounded so hopeful in Akeno's opinion. The sadist part of her wanted to say no and watch her reaction, but she would never do that to her, especially to something this serious.
"Yes, he does. But knowing him, he'll never confess. The very idea of having two girls as his girlfriends is so alien and bizarre to him, that he forces himself to think that such a relationship would never work. I think that Hachiman wants you to move on and find someone else to love, without realizing that such an action would hurt both of you. He belittles himself so frequently that it can become frustrating at times. He doesn't think much of himself and even exudes some self-hate tendencies at times. Yet when he puts his mind and soul to accomplish something, in my eyes he becomes the most breathtaking person in the world… and I want him to realize that as well. Yet he still struggles to do so with you…"
Hope started to crumble inside her heart. If Hachiman didn't want her and even hoped that she would stop loving him… then…
"But I don't care about having multiple lovers," Akeno said suddenly, breaking Rias' out of her depressing thoughts.
"Eh?" She was lost now, her face was marred with confusion as she looked at Akeno.
"Hachiman may not be brave enough to take you, but I am. I won't let any of you go and I'll make you both my lovers; whether you like it or not." A grin formed on her face, scaring Rias "It is not only the boys who can have a harem in the supernatural but the girls as well. And from now on, this is my harem and you both are in it."
It was a necessary decision to make for everyone to be happy.
Akeno knew her boyfriend better than anyone in this world, and she knew that waiting for him to accept Rias would take many years. So she'll make that choice for him, and give him that push that both he and Rias needed.
She didn't lie when she said that she loved both of them. Rias was a beautiful woman as well, and she had been teasing her for years. It was after she saw Rias sleeping naked next to Hachiman did she notice that she didn't feel angered or betrayed by that action. Instead… it made her want more of them. In the end, both of them were extremely important to her, Akeno couldn't imagine a life without them.
The Fallen hybrid made her point clear and nothing will change that.
She closed the distance once more and gave Rias something she needed the most at the moment
HUG
"-!"
Akeno hugged her gently and started to pat her head, like a mother would do for a child.
"You want confidence, right? Okay, I will give you confidence. But now, you have to rest your body and mind. I will be with you until you feel like sleeping. Don't worry about the future, don't worry about Riser, and don't worry about your feelings. Everything will work out perfectly in the end, trust me."
And with that, the previously stressed Rias fell asleep in her Queen's embrace, feeling like a huge burden had been lifted off her shoulders.
…
What both girls didn't realize was that above the mansion, seated on the roof were Azazel and Tiamat; both listening to the conversation with their enhanced hearing and magic. Drinking some booze-smoking in Azazel case-they both shared a cup with a third person who had joined them for the night.
"Your daughter will be a fine woman, Fallen." Tiamat said as she drank her cup of sake in her human form, which took the appearance of a beautiful woman with straight and long beautiful pale blue hair, dark blue eyes that were slitted, a body that many would compare to a goddess and a cold atmosphere that radiated from her presence.
"Ha! She's right, that lass is a true Fallen! Maaaan, I should have invited her to the Gregory when I had the chance, she and Penemue would have gotten along quite well." Azazel said as made a toast to his best friend/brother.
Baraqiel meanwhile just sported a proud smile on his face. Looking up far in the distance, he couldn't help but remember his early years with his wife, Shuri.
"She is her mother's daughter after all."
The next 5 chapters of Snafu and Fate are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter.
Dawn of the Rating Game
Hiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Alright, I see some reviews asking about Visor and old characters. Don't worry, they are still in the story and will come back.
Also, thank you to my newest patrons: Frank Landhäußer, Krasiek and ZanyKnot for the upgrade. Y'all rock!!
Thats all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi.
- Kuoh -
The ten days training period was over and the day for the decisive battle had finally arrived.
After concluding and reviewing everyone's progress during these last few days, Azazel was more than satisfied with the result. The Red Dragon Emperor had unlocked the true [ Boosted Gear , Saji Genshirou became accustomed to his new artificial sacred gear and the girls had reached a satisfactory level.
As for Rias' team, unlike the Sitri's peerage, were in fact quite ahead of the rest. Akeno had fully embraced her Fallen heritage from the beginning, allowing her to make leap and bounds on her Holy Lightning, making them far more devasting against Devils. The Nekoshou was able to conquer her fear of her natrual powers, or at least, able to use Senjustsu without freezing up. She seemed to push her fear of her powers down after the Paris incedent.
Kiba was an interesting case, his biggest roadblock was his blind rage towards the Holy Swords. Being a survivor of Valper's ' Holy Sword Project ', it's quite understandable why the boy would harbor such intense hatred for them. Though hatred was a powerful tool for Sacred Gears, who fed off of emotions to grow stronger with there wielders, but they shouldn't allow there emotions to control them. It would explain why Kiba wasn't able to unlock his [ Balance breaker] even though he was already strong to achieve it. Azazel assumes that it might be because of emotinal blockage that prevents him from obtaining.
Gasper… well the boy was just too shy for his own good. Just making him leave the box was a challenge in itself-that is until Koneko started to chase him around with a bunch of garlic in order to get him out. Maybe he should leave it to Hachiman, the boy can work wonders on others.
And finally Rias-since that night with the little Fallen-she's been actively avoiding eye contact with her Queen, he had to restrain himself from laughing the whole time at how the red head tried to avoid her.
' I should have taken a video or photos back then! ' Coming across such potential teasing material was extremely rare, and he missed his chance!
Fortunately, she looked better, less stressed, and worried about the fight.
Woosh !
The room inside the Occult Research Club was lit in a deep crimson light as the main group for today's fight arrived.
"Oho? Still wearing your school uniforms for such a fight?" He asked the group.
"If my group has a uniform, then it has to be the uniform of Kuoh academy. We are the members of the Occult Research Club after all." Rias replied, showing her pride for her group's assembly.
Though there was some extra equipment for some of the members.
Kiba was equipped with a gauntlet on his hands and shin guards for leg protection. He had his swords mounted on his belt, even though he didn't need to do it due to [ Sword birth].
Koneko-chan was sitting on one of the chairs in the room and began reading a book. On her hands, she was wearing tactical fighting gloves that allowed her fingers to be seen with metal covering on the knuckles. It was one of those gloves that martial artists wore. It looked pretty intense when a girl with a loli face put it on.
"I'll go make some tea in the meantime," Akeno said, heading out of the room.
Asia and Kalawarna were there along with him, the nun had the sinful nun cosplay Kalawarna gave her, somehow still oblivious to its true nature behind the outfit. Kalawarna had told her that it would make Hachiman happy to see when he came back from his mission, which Asia believed at face value. Azazel was sure that she and Gabriel would get along quite well, remembering the times he nearly tricked his sister into wearing several outfits… before Michael stopped him that is. He went to sit on the chair, thanking Akeno for serving a cup of green tea as she went to hand some out to the rest of the group.
"So do you have a plan in mind? Or are you just going to go in, guns blazing?"
"Of course I have a plan, I am aware of the numerical disadvantage on our side. Riser may have a full set, but he is arrogant to the point of being blind. He is convinced in his victory, so much so that he most likely didn't prepare much for this fight."
"You do realise that the main strategist of his group is his little sister, Ravel, right?"
"I am aware, knowing her, she must have prepared a few plans of attack against us," Rias said calmly while drinking her tea.
"So what difference does it make if it's Ravel or Riser who made a plan of attack?"
"No matter how many plans Ravel prepared, preparing to use the most brutal of tactics-she still needs her brother's final approval to enact them. I am convinced that Riser told her to not be overkill and go easy on us. Another point of discussion is that Ravel was present during the day Hachiman was in the room, she may suspect that our main trump card is him, so most of her plans revolve around him."
Now Azazel understood, "So you believe she still sees your group as weak and incapable of winning without an outlier…" An interesting idea, though a risky one as well. "What if you're wrong and she ends up going for the kill immediately?" This possibility existed as well, one can never be sure of the thinking of others.
"Then we go on the offensive. Koneko will clear our the pawns and Yuuto will go for the Knights and Bishops, while Akeno will take care of Riser's Queen."
Azazel frowned, "That's an awful lot you're asking from your Knight. Taking on another Knight or two is understandable, but all of the pawns as well? I know of his progress, but growing too overconfident will be your undoing, Gremory."
Kiba was strong and quite the capable Knight, that was true, but going up against so many people can prove to be fatal. Not to mention he would have to go up against Ravel, who possessed the same abilities as her brother.
Rias understood that point as well, "If the battle proves to be too much for Yuuto, I have tasked him to retreat to Koneko or distract the enemies as long as possible till Koneko can join him in his objective. His end goal is not to defeat all of them, he just needs to stop them from gathering back to their king."
Kiba chimed in, "Don't worry Buchou, I promise to defeat my opponents in no time!" His dream was to destroy the shards of Excalibur and he couldn't do that if he wasn't strong enough to defeat Riser's piece.
"I believe in you, Yuuto." She gave him a warm smile, causing her knight to smile in pride.
"And what of the king himself? Are you honestly telling me that you'll confront him yourself?"
"Yes and no." Rias said with a smile, but he could see the dark mischievous in her eyes. "I have two secret weapons." She was confident that her plan would work and Azazel trusted her with that.
"Ano… Azazel-san," Asia spoke, she was too shy to talk the entire time, despite wearing such a lewd outfit.
"Yes?"
"Do you happen to know when Hachiman-san is coming back?"
At that question everyone's head turned towards him, waiting eagerly for an answer. Ever since the incident with Saji, everyone was worried sick for Hachiman as such a reaction would only mean that something happened to him. But the next day, Azazel got a notice from someone that Hachiman was fine. Though he refused to elaborate on who it was aside from a troublesome witch, they all sighed in relief at that piece of information. Though it didn't stop the others from missing him.
"Hahahaha! Don't worry kid, the boy will be here today, I got word from his caretaker that she'll drop him by." It's not every day you get a message from the immortal witch, she rarely talked to anyone outside and even back then he met her by accident.
Shudder
That was the closest he ever felt to dying.
"Did his mission go well?" Akeno asked while narrowing her eyes, she wanted to know what exactly had gone wrong back then.
Azazel was trying to make up a lie when he was saved by a red glowing magic-circle glowing on the ground, from there the familiar figure of Grayfia appeared in her usual maid outfit.
"Is everyone ready? Ten minutes before the match."
Everyone stood up after Grayfia's arrival. The maid then started to explain the rules of the battle.
"When it becomes the time to start the match, you will be teleported to the battlefield through this magic-circle. The location of the place is in a different dimension used for battles. It's a disposable space, so you may fight with all your power."
Understandably, if they fought somewhere in the human world or Underworld, they won't be able to avoid destruction or the attention that will come from it. So it meant that they needed a place where they couldn't harm anyone or anything outside the designated team no matter what and still keep the supernatural a secret.
"Gasper, it's time to come out." Rias called out, the door opened a large box with two holes cutted out where an eerie-looking red light came inside the room. The box was shaking as if it was experiencing a tremor.
"B-b-b-but I'm sure if I can be of help during the battle! And I don't want to be hurt!" He shouted in fear.
"Gia-kun is a coward." Koneko said with her monotone voice, still reading her book.
While the rest just sweatdropped at the display.
Rias came close to the box and knelt in front, "Everything will be okay, Gasper. I know this may seem to be too much and dangerous for you but we will protect you. Answer me honestly, do you trust me?"
"Y-y-yes I do, Buchou!"
"Then don't be scared, everyone here will protect you from any sort of danger. I know this might seem too daunting for you at first, but I trust your resolve. We don't want you to engage in any sort of fight, just stay by my side, okay?"
"Okay…" He whispered, the shaking from the box diminishing.
Graifya decided to continue her speech.
"This ' Rating Game ' battle will also be viewed by members of both households from a different location through broadcast. I advise you all to be on your best behaviour in front of our guests. Even if this is a battle, do not tarnish the name of the Gremory."
Rias was just about to retort with Riser being the one who needed to hear that, not her. In the end, she decided to let it go.
"Maou Lucifer-sama will also be viewing this battle."
' Oh no…' Rias grew horrified at that revelation.
The last thing she wanted was for her brother to raise a flag with her picture on it and wave it in front of the whole Underworld to see! Granted, Grayfia was around to keep him from doing anything stupid or embarrassing. ' Maybe,' But there's only so much Grayfia can do to stop her King/husband! The last time she was the center of attention, her brother literally set off thousands of fireworks displaying her name, ' Happy Birthday, Ria-tan !', in the sky that lasted for hours! She went to hide in her room for the rest of the day, too embarrassed to show her face in public.
"Onii-sama is here?… I see, so Onii-sama is also going to view this battle." There was nothing she could do about this. Brother or not, he was still the Maou and such events between major households made his presence very important and necessary. She prayed for whatever being that would listen that her brother wouldn't embarrass her or at least give Grayfia the strength to stop him.
"It's about time. Everyone, please head to the magic-circle."
They gathered at the magic-circle after Grayfia urged them to.
"Also, once you get transported, you cannot use the magic-circle until the game ends."
{ Break }
- Phenex team Building-
Just like Rias had expected, on Riser's side, no one seemed worried about the match. In fact, to them, this was a guaranteed victory.
Riser was sitting on the sofa with his Queen around his arms as he enjoyed the quiet atmosphere with his harem.
"The possibility of the Rias-sama to use such a tactic is quite possible, so I should send…"
Though he wouldn't admit it, Riser did enjoy traveling to the human's world from time to time. After all, he wouldn't have discovered the majority of his peerage if he hadn't traveled all around the world at some point. Granted at that time he was accompanying his brother Ruval, but still.
"… [ Sword birth ] is a wild card as I'm not sure if it can forge Holy…"
He was enjoying life, after all of this drama was done and he finally gets to marry Rias, he planned to travel with her around the world as well. Her peerage was sorely lacking and thus battle will only open her eyes to the truth. He will show her all the beauties this world had to offer, there was no shortage of them around the world.
Despite being very intimate with his Queen, he had never once slept with any of his peerage members, yet. So that was another point he was looking forward to with his soon-to-be wife after this fight.
"Oh! I can't forget about the Fallen-"
"-Ravel, I appreciate your effort dear sister, but I believe that you are just wasting your time. This fight will be over in less than five minutes, don't waste your efforts against these amateurs." Riser interrupted Ravel's muttering as she was too focused on planning out the upcoming battle.
' Note to self, make sure to keep Ravel far, FAR away from our orgies' thought Riser, not wanting to traumatize his innocent little sister. He had been a virgin for too long, a bit of fun would be most appreciated.
"But Onii-sama, we can't underestimate our opponents! She is still the sister of Lucifer-sama and her Powers of Destruction are not to be taken lightly." She insisted, still trying to get her brother to understand. Ravel didn't like how her brother was taking this fight lightly, sure the Gremory's team was weak, seeing that they have yet to have Peerage under their belt but they could still eliminate some of their pieces if they were not careful. If that were to happen, it would leave a bad image on themselves.. The daughter of the Phenex family wanted this to be an overwhelming victory.
This just made Riser burst out laughing, "Hahahahahaha! Oh, Ravel, you're overestimating my wife too much. Ever since our childhood, Rias had never once shown any interest in exploring more of her family's heritage. Every time it was human that, human this, and just an unceasing amount of interest in those weakling's cultures. How unbecoming of the Gremory heir to indulge in such senseless rubbish, she and the Sitri heiress have brought shame to the Devils as a whole!" He shouted, annoyed at his soon to be wife's hobbies and obsession.
On this day, he will finally teach the heiress the truth, he will show her the error of her ways. As both a Phenex and Gremory, she and he belonged to a higher status than these puny humans.
"For all we know, the Black Dragon King might have even joined her peerage!"
"Oh, I certainly hope so, Ravel. That trash needs to pay for his past actions!"
Riser was glad that he saw no trace of that damnable worm, Hikigaya Hachiman. That good for nothing weakling dared to stomp on his face and sully his girls in front of him! "I will kill him. I SWEAR TO LUCIFER THE NEXT TIME I SEE HIM I'LL BURN HIM TO DUST- Crash !"
In the middle of his rant, the ceiling of his room broke into pieces as a large object with a black figure on top of it landed in the middle of their room, breaking the floor.
Catching everyone off guard, all of Riser's peerage members came to shield their king while he himself brought his sister behind his back.
"What the hell!?"
"Intruder!"
"Is that a sleeping mask and a bed!?" Ravel asked, flabbergasted, finally getting a good look at their assailant.
"Ravel! Get behind me!"
Someone dared to attack the heir to the Phenex household when the Maous were so close by!?
{ Break }
- Hachiman POV -
These last few weeks have been nothing short of a personal hell for me.
First I got an incompetent Fallen dumped on me with a soul contract binding her to me. Of course, there was no way I was taking advantage of such a thing. Then I get a 'warm' welcome from our guide who brought us to the village-which I first thought to be empty.
The first night went as smoothly as one would expect when accompanied by a drunk Raynare.
But it all went straight to hell when I got to face Sétante. Honestly, I don't remember much after literally nearly dying from having my insides be used as a reversed pin cusion with that accursed spear.
The next thing I know, I wake up in a castle with Vritra talking to someone.
Everything after that was another fever dream in itself. I don't think I'll ever forget my time spent there with that woman. I hoped that I wouldn't see her again, even in my nightmares.
Speaking of which.
I think I crashed through the roof of a house, and for some reason, it smelled like burning wood inside. Pretty sure that a moment ago I was sleeping on my comfortable bed, dreaming about living a normal life. Ahhh, the good old days, when you wouldn't encounter a broken character who wanted to kill at the turn of a street.
At least I still have my comfortable bed.
"What the hell!?"
"Intruder!"
"Is that a sleeping mask and a bed!?"
"Ravel! Get behind me!"
Too noisy!
Can't they see that I was just rudely thrown away from my nap? Aside from random voice number three, you have a bright future ahead of you, at least you have better eyesight than everyone here combined if they can't even see the obvious.
' Did that she-brute really just teleport me in hostile territory on purpose ?' I wouldn't put it past her, she's a crazy freak of nature.
"Uuurg, there goes my peace and quiet." After spending days trying to escape and dodge the point of a deadly spear without any rest in between killed me spiritually. I wanted to go home, grab an entire fridge filled with SUPER Coffee and just slowly drink it all while watching TV or reading my books. That has become my definition of paradise seeing that I have yet to have a moment of peace since the school year started.
Honestly, what the hell is up with this year?
I groggily stood up from the destroyed but still comfy bed, stumbling a bit because I was still asleep, and slowly removed my eye mask, showing off my dead fish eyes.
"YOU!!!!????" An angry voice screamed so loudly that my head nearly split from the pain of the annoying shrill.
Argh, it hurts! Is this how hungover people feel? No wonder they get all grumpy in the morning. After my eyes adjusted themselves to the bright light, I came to recognise my surroundings. 'I'm back to Kuoh?'
Well, now I didn't have to worry about being dropped in the middle of a monster den or my enemies.
"I'M GOING TO BURN YOU!!"
I spoke too soon.
My eyes were once again assaulted by a bright flash of an angry inferno of red burning flame coming towards me. Scorching the wood black and burning the entire room, the fire condensed into a fireball and headed directly towards me.
But I was too tired to deal with it.
"Vritra…" I said with a yawn.
" Got it." My left eye turned black signifying the activation from one of my Sacred Gears.
[ Blaze Black Flare]
Shrrrr !
Black fire with a hint of purple on the edge of the flame, combusted in the space in front of me, forming into a shield which effortlessly blocked Riser's fire. It devoured the Phenex' flames as if they were an afternoon snack.
"What!?" This of course startled the heir of the Phenex as he watched Vritra's flame grow closer to him and the rest of the girls and restricted them from its presence alone. "My body!" Riser tried to summon more of his flames but they all got consumed by the purplish-black fire.
After my senses finally returned to me and I woke up from my half-asleep state-I finally got to see the face of my attacker.
"Ri… ser?"
"I will kill you human!"
"…"
Nope, nope, I'm not dealing with this right now. Not paying any attention to his non-stop shouting and many death threats, I casually walked out of the room and didn't bother looking back. I was too tired and my eyes stinged from the lack of sleep.
Bam !
I quickly shut the door and sighed as I was once again in the familiar halls of Kuoh's abandoned building.
"Good morning, Hachiman-sama." The unexpected greeting made me nearly have a heart attack, but I was still too tired to care at the moment. I turned to see the maid I met before leaving Kuoh, Grayfia. "Please follow me to the main lounge, Sirzech-sama has been waiting for your arrival. And the match between Rias-sama and Riser-sama will soon begin."
She bowed again before moving in the opposite direction, while I just dumbly followed her. Just how did she know of my arrival? Must've heard the crash and death threats from Riser.
' Ah, who cares… I'm finally back and away from that witch.'
"Before we arrive at the lounge, I would advise Hachiman-sama to have a quick wardrobe change. Your current apparel leaves much to be desired."
Oh right, I was walking around with my regular sleeping clothes that weren't exactly in their best state.
Sigh
This was just not my day.
{ Break }
( 10 minutes later)
"Are you trying to kill me, woman!?" I said as I tried to pry off the cold hands near my neck with all my strength. I thought that I had grown somewhat stronger but this scene once again proves otherwise.
It didn't help that Vritra was laughing at my plight!
' Will you shut up and help me!'
' Hahaha! You really get yourself into interesting situations, partner. Your dragon host luck seemed to have grown tremendously since the last time I was awake.' He said in my head. ' A nd to be honest, this woman does scare me. You are on your own.'
' Not helping !' Like seriously, I will die in the next few seconds if he doesn't do anything!
' Hey partner! Look down !' Vritra said suddenly, surprising me with the sudden shirft of tone.
Yeah, I'm not falling for that. Lately Vritra has been doing these 'pranks' on me, just because he felt bored. Honestly, I felt like the old man was losing it. 'Not happening buddy, I ain't your gullible and easily flustered MC.'
' Aye, such a prude attitude you have.'
' Since when did you become a pervert?'
' Since being stuck in a confined space inside a Sacred Gear for millennias couple with the fact of having to live through the state of having my soul separated into many pieces and only recently having them back.'
"…" I didn't have any rebuttal for that.
"You are being overdramatic, Hachiman-sama," Graifya said as she straightened up my tie. Though her face remained stone cold, there was a trace of helplessness as she looked at me as if I was a big baby. "You should always be presentable to your peers, yet you act as if you have never worn such clothing."
"For your information, I have indeed worn a suit before but I didn't need YOU to barge in and manhandle me like a toy. I do prefer having my own personal space while I'm changing and just about anytime in general."
"You were talking too long, the fight is soon about to start. We can not have the Black Dragon King be late for such an occasion." She said as she passed her hands around the suit to remove any wrinkles. "There, you look more presentable."
"Thanks… I guess."
After Graifya nearly choked me to death, I followed her through the halls leading up to the main lounge. I didn't know what to think of her, even for someone proclaiming to be a maid, Graifiya Lucifuge was still the current Lucifer's wife and his Queen. Why did she take on the role of the family's maid? Was it a fetish? After spending so much time in this world and its messed up hentai logic, I wouldn't put it past her or Rias' brother.
"Here we are." She waited near a large door which I don't remember being here before and slowly opened it.
I took a deep breath and slowly made my way inside.
{ Break }
There weren't as many people as I first waited for initially. I was prepared for hundreds of nobles all gathered around like a banquet, but here, I found less than a dozen people mingling in the room.
"Aken-No, Shuri… -san?" I saw the familiar face of who I first thought to be Akeno, but upon closer inspection, I was surprised to find someone I hadn't seen for several years.
"Ah! Hachi-kun!" Why was THAT the first thing she called me after not seeing each other for years!? It doesn't help that her face looks so much like Akeno that I can't help but reminisce about our night together! Oh god! Get a hold of yourself, Hachiman! This is the world trying to instill its twisted logic inside my head, but I won't fall for it!
For a grown woman who still looked like she was in her teenage years, she sure did move fast-like a black blur. Before I knew it, Shuri-san was already hugging me.
Bad feeling, need space!
I slipped away from her grasp before the situation got too uncomfortable. Despite how much I tried to burn such thoughts from my head, Shuri-san was a very developed woman, especially in some areas. Like seriously, why did she need to hug me so tightly?
"Oh my, you've grown taller since the last time I saw you!" She began checking my every corner, even pinching my cheeks like a baby. "You even lost your cute little baby fat. Even though your eyes have become smaller, but you still look cute and mean, Hachi-kun." Looks like she still has a weird taste in what is cute and I can't change the way I look.
Still, there was one thing I wished to say to her.
"I missed you, M-Shuri-san." I nearly called her mom there. It wasn't a lie, she indeed became like a mother figure to me despite my current mother still being alive. She babied me so much that I sometimes forget that she isn't my mother.
I wasn't that good with touchy moments so I just stayed standing there, it was becoming a bit awkward as she kept staring at me with a smile.
"You haven't changed much."
I would disagree heavily with that. My past self would probably die from despair if he saw how I became in the future.
"I would argue otherwise, so… how was the Underworld?"
The moment I asked her the question, her eyes brightened up considerably as she began telling me about her stay in the Gremory manor and her immediate friendship with Rias' mother, Venelana Gremory; a former member of the Bael house.
"At first I felt out of place, talking to anyone was a challenge in itself. I grew used to my secluded life with Akeno and Baraqiel, but to suddenly be surrounded by hundreds of maids and new people was a bit overwhelming at times. Not to mention that being away from my little girl and my dear husband made me feel even more lonely at times." I could relate to her on that front. "I met Venelana when I was strolling around the Gremory's garden. We hit up instantly and became friends. After that point, she and I became inseparable best friends, there wasn't a single day I didn't feel lonely with her by my side."
For that point alone, I was once again grateful to the Gremory house. I was glad how the situation with Shuri-san turned out in the end.
"By the way, there is someone who is waiting for you." She told me while pointing the finger at the person standing in front of the glass windows, looking at the soon-to-start rating game from a special screen.
Draves in red and gold armor with red silk robes covering his body, it was none other than Sirzechs Lucifer-the Maou I met on a plane.
"Ah, Hachiman-kun, I have been waiting for your arrival." He said with that same polite smile that made me extremely uneasy around him. "Come join me, we can spectate the battle together."
It was not like I could say no to the most broken of all devils in the world, so I followed my instincts and obeyed his words. We both had our gaze locked into the screen of the match.
{ Break }
I watched Rias' group teleport inside the dimension.
[ Hello everyone. I am Grayfia, a maid from the House of Gremory, and today I will be the arbiter of the Rating match between the House of Gremory and the House of Phenex.]
The school broadcast system was heard with Grayfia being the announcer, allowing everyone in the area to hear her.
[ In the name of my Master and King, Sirzechs Lucifer, I will be keeping my eye on this match. By using both Rias-sama and Raiser-sama's opinions, we created this battlefield which is a replica of the school, Kuou academy, which Rias-sama attends to in the human world.]
The ability to create another separate dimension for rating games should be a Sacred Gear on its own, in my opinion. The sky was white inside the dimension. While outside, the night was soon about to fall.
[ The location where both teams were transported will be their "base". Rias-sama's "base" would be the Occult Research Cub's clubroom located in the old school building. Raiser-sama's "base" would be the Student Council's room located in the new building. For the [Pawns] to use "promotion", please head to the enemy's base to do it.]
Too bad Rias didn't have a pawn to take advantage of that rule. She should have listened to my and Sona's advice and take Issei as her pawn. She could be very stubborn at times, I wonder where she got that bad habit…
[The Rating Battle will begin…
.
.
.
… Now.]
The next 5 chapters of Snafu and Fate are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter.
Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess
Hiiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Well, this one is a long awaited chapter-The Rating Game!
I didn't notice that this fic had reached 200k words! Wow, it's been a long journey indeed and there is much more to come.
Also, thanks to my newest patrons: No One, Alejandro Dominguez, Corey Moyies, Marius Westbø, David Meah, Mike, Yatzee, Kekkoen, Bobby Glass, That_Guy_Jay, Doraemon, Cyprus, Koinzell, Erkin, Asriels and Valkion and Christian Casas for the upgrade . Y'all rock!!!
Also, I have a new fic coming soon! And don't worry, I won't be changing my Snafu and Fate fics' upload schedule.
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi.
- Hachiman POV -
The ' Rating Game ' has already started, Grayfia gave the go, and I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what Rias had prepared for this fight.
Riser had a full set with his Queen, who went by the moniker of the 'Bomb Queen', her magic was a powerful one, able to launch explosive spells which detonated on impact. Alongside Riser was his sister, Ravel. Both were basically unkillable firebirds who could just regenerate from any given injuries, no matter how lethal. Not to mention, despite his peerage looking more like a collection of girls, each representing a different fetish; despite this, they still were capable fighters.
On Rias' side, they numbered five in total and from the screen, I could see Rias somehow convinced Gasper to join the match. Granted, I haven't really met the guy, according to Akeno he was extremely shy and didn't wish to even leave his room.
Both Sirzechs and I observed the match closely, paying attention to everything that was about to happen. While the former had his usual smile, making it look like he wasn't worried about the fate of his sister-I was continuously tapping my feet on the floor in anticipation. Kinda hard not to get stressed when one of your closest people life depends on this match.
"You are quite tense, Hachiman-kun," Sirzechs said while taking a sip of his wine. Now that I took the time to observe the man, he was quite freakishly tall, and that armor just made him look more intimidating than his already frightening aura, kinda reminded me of a demon lord 'Well he is a Maou after all.'. If Sétante was that of a mountain capable of crushing me to paste, then this guy was a black hole that destorys anything it touches. There was no beginning nor end to his power, in my perspective, he was a true monster-I didn't even see him as a devil.
"It's kinda hard not to be. There are many unknown factors that I haven't taken into consideration, the fact that Rias' chance of winning isn't a hundred percent bothers me."
The Maou proceeded to laugh at my words.
"Hahahaha! You're a funny guy, Hachiman-kun." Which part of that was funny? "Though I do agree with you that the idea of having my sister's future depend on the outcome of this match is indeed nerve-wracking. I cannot predict the ending, anyone can win."
"You certainly don't look that worried yourself."
"That is the beauty of life, isn't it? Uncertainties and unpredictability are a constant factor, even while being the current Lucifer and one of-if not the-strongest Devil out there… I still can't control every aspect of everyone's lives. But that is what makes living interesting, it's what gives life that distinctive flavor that makes living through all these trials and tribulations worth it. In the end, all I can do is trust my sister's power and hope she can take hold of her life with her own hands." Sirzechs spoke philosophically, catching me off guard with his speech. Like why did he need to go on such an extensive talk about life? A simple yes or no would have sufficed, buddy.
' I still feel sleepy .' This was my bad mood acting up. Being chased around at spear point for days only to finally rest for less than six hours and then get teleported in the middle of Riser's peerage room, yelled at and getting attacked soon after-didn't put me in a good mood at all. Secondly…
"You truly deserve your title as Lucifer, the Prince of lies-I nearly believed you there." There ain't no way one of the biggest siscon I knew would let his sister do all of this on her own… it just wasn't logical at all for this guy, especially from all of the stories that Rias told me about him. "I would request you to not treat me like a gullible fool, please. It can get annoying at times."
His smile widened and this time eyes turned towards me. "I don't think I understand what you mean there, Hachiman-kun."
Yeah, and I am the main protagonist of a hentai world.
"Tell me, just what are you hiding here?"
"I believe we have some guests." Instead of answering me, Sirzechs turned his attention to the person behind me. I followed suit and nearly choked when an older Riser look-alike. Like he looked exactly like him, except he had a well-trimmed beard as well. He was accompanied by another Riser look alike, both having blond hair and dark blue eyes. And another man with red hair who looked frighteningly similar to Sirzechs, but with a goatee was walking with them.
' He must either be Rias' other brother which I never heard about… or her father.' That last possibility scared me even more, wondering if they knew the relationship between Rias and me. Why the heck do these guys look so young!?
"Ah, Lord Phenex and Ruval, it is an honor to have you both here," Sirzechs spoke politely, nodding to the new guests. "I believe father has given you a tour of this school."
"Please Sirzechs-sama, as a Lord it would have been rude if I did not come for this occasion. Not to mention, both me and my son Ruval here were curious to see the young girl's capabilities. And yes, Zeoticus showed us around the campus. I must say, it's quite impressive, I might enroll my daughter into it, give her a school life experience." The man spoke equally politely while also offering a bow. This was to be expected, Sirzechs was a Maou and unless you were either his parents or Bael himself, then showing the proper level of respect was a necessity.
"It is an honor to meet you Lucifer-sama, and you as well Hikigaya-san." Ruval followed his father's example and showed a level of politeness that I never thought possible from someone related to Riser. Even his clothes looked stunning and noble like, unlike Riser's flamboyant fashion style and playboy attitude.
"Oh my! So you must be the famous Black Dragon King! It is truly a wonderful chance that I get to meet you today."
Wait, he was happy to see me? "You don't mind my presence here?"
When I said that, he gave me a weird look. "Now why would I mind your presence?"
"Riser."
"Oh, of course! These last few days my son couldn't stop shouting colorful words at you. I don't know what you did to him but I had never seen him get so angered in my life hahaha!" It was hard to imagine that this jovial guy was the father of one of the biggest douches I know. "But do not worry about such trivial details, I harbor no ill will towards you-in fact, I feel a bit indebted to you instead."
Wait, what? "Indebted?"
I had a bad feeling about this.
"Why yes, never in my life have I seen Riser so focused on a rating game. It is a welcomed change compared to how much time he spends around his peerage and just partying in general." He shook in disappointment, taking a seat next to me, along with his eldest son.
Wow, I did mess up that guy's psyche the last time we met… and his parents don't even look like they mind it.
' Devils are weird.'
"My son has a good heart but it is hidden away through layers of his arrogance and superiority view he built up over the years. In a way, this is our fault, as parents, we failed to put the boy in line as we did with his siblings. Please, don't hate him too much, I am sure someone like Rias will be able to change him for the better."
"…" Was this guy trying to say something? Was he that confident of Riser's victory? "You speak as if Rias had already lost the fight, without it even starting." Was everyone in the Phenex family blind by their natural abilities that they don't even consider most of their opponents as any threat to them?
"Well that is a given, even with Riser's rather… frivolous lifestyle, he is still a formidable opponent to any high-class devil. Not to brag but I would put my son in the top 10 strongest devils of the younger generation." He boasted rather proudly.
Emboldened he was by his words, to speak of his son's superiority and guaranteed win in front of the infamous siscon brother.
"Lord Phenex, I believe we have some matters to talk about concerning the recent happenings in Lucifaad." Sirzechs reading the mood immediately came to my rescue and took the lead. "Father has come across some issues with some of the local community."
I just let him take Lord Phenex's attention and start having a conversation while Ruval and I turned our attention to the battle.
If things do not go smoothly in this fight… then I only had a single move up my sleeve to solve everything.
I just hope Akeno will not hate me for it.
{ Break }
- Rating game Arena-
"Is everyone clear on their role?" Rias asked her peerage members inside the replica room of their club. They all nodded their heads and before they left, Rias had one last thing to give them. "Also, everyone, will you all please put these radios in your ears?"
Akeno handed out an earphone-type transceiver. For a species based in a world of magic and spells, this small action would surprise anyone watching. But why bother with intricate magic spells when modern technology did all work just as well?
Saved enegry, and time.
"Now, be sure to not lose them, or else I won't be able to communicate with you." She said while putting it in her ears. "On the battlefield, we will be using this to communicate with each other."
Ring
Ring
[ The Rating Battle will begin…
.
.
.
… Now.]
After they got the signal, no one moved or flew off anywhere. Everyone took a seat while Akeno began preparing some tea to calm her fellow peerage members' nerves-especially Gasper's. The poor boy was already shaking like a leaf in his box.
"First we have to take down Riser's Pawns. It will be troublesome if they were all promoted into a Queen, and we don't want that," Rias said with confidence while sitting on the sofa. "Yuuto."
"Yes."
Kiba spread a map on the table after she urged him. It was a bird's eye view of the entire school compound divided into many grids, just like a chessboard with the lettering and numbers to the side.
She took a red highlighter and drew two circles around the old school building and the new school building. She and Riser's base respectively.
"There's a forest near our base. It's safe to assume that this our territory. In other words, the new school building would be Riser's territory. There may be an ambush when you enter their territory. The school field is visible from the new school building and leaves you wide open for attacks. So it's dangerous to pass through here."
During any rating game, teleporting from one base to the enemy's was against the rules. The only way to get anywhere was either flying or running.
"Knowing that it's Ravel making all the moves she'll have her brother's servants positioned at the sports ground. His Knight or Rook will be most likely positioned in one of the clubrooms located on the sports ground. Now, if it's a sports ground, you will need a person with "mobility". So she'll have one Knight and three Pawns, a total of four servants positioned here. Thus having control of the whole sports ground."
Then Kiba decided to share his thoughts. "Buchou, it's about the gym near the old school building. Shouldn't we occupy this location first? If we capture it here then we will have a route to the new school building. The gym is a passage to both of the buildings so we could also restrain the enemy's movements."
Rias nodded at Kiba's opinion.
"Yes, I also have the same opinion. First, we will capture the gym. In terms of location, the opponent may have his Rook positioned there. Since it's inside a building, it would be better to use a Rook with their destructive power over the Knight's mobility."
"Yuuto and Koneko, you two set a trap in the forest. Take another map with you and make sure you mark the places where you set the trap. I will make a copy afterward and hand it to everyone."
"Yes."
"Roger."
"Everyone else will be on standby until they finish setting up the trap. Oh, Akeno."
"Yes?"
"After Yuuto and Koneko return, can you cast illusions and mists around the forest and the sky? Obviously, a trap that only reacts to Riser's group. That's how the start of the match will be, though it seems like this battle will become intense midway through it. So I'll leave the issue regarding the mists and the illusions to you."
"No problem," Akeno reassured her. "But what about Gasper-kun?"
"He'll stay with me for the rest of the fight, he may have one of the most powerful Sacred Gears, but his strength is quite lacking, even by regular human standards." The boy didn't only have the capabilities of a devil alone, he also was Dhampir. He was closer to Akeno's case than anyone in this room, thus having the potential of both races inside him with the added benefit of a Sacred Gear. But his lack of confidence prevented him from using his natural powers to it's fullest.
"Huuuuuu!! I'm sorry for being so useless, Buchou!" The box shook and tried to hide in the corner before Koneko blocked his way.
"Be a man." She threw him back on the couch.
{ Break }
- Near the gym-
Everyone left the clubroom, leaving behind their king and bishop. Koneko followed the plan and headed to the gym, accompanied by Kiba.
"Okay then, Koneko. You won't be able to avoid the battle once you get into the gym. Move accordingly as we discussed. That location will be an important place. Kiba, you will continue to follow the plan, move as we discussed."
""Roger."" Both replied seriously, prepared to give their all for this fight.
As they ran, Kiba changed route and split up, just like they decided, leaving Koneko all on her own.
When the Nekoshou reached the building, her senses acted up, she smelled the scent of a slightly sweet aromatic perfume and gasoline. "Enemies detected."
"Well, if it isn't the little one of the Gremory's team! You will fall here!"
Four female Devils were standing on the gym court.
The woman with a dark blue Cheongsam or a qipao, the twin catgirls who were wielding chainsaws, and the girl who tried to hurt Hachiman-senpai with her bo staff.
From her King's words, the woman with the china dress was the Rook. The twins and the bo staff wielder were Pawns.
"Cannon fodders," Koneko muttered under her breath, getting reading to battle.
Brum-brum-brum-brum-brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr !
The chainsaw twins turned on their weapons, making a dangerous sound.
"Disassembling time~" They both sang a small tune, making the scene more creepy in Koneko's opinion. Not waiting any longer, the Nekoshou, with a single lead, closed the distance between her and Xuelan-both beginning to exchange punches, kicks and swipes using their martial arts. Riser's rook focused more on her legs, unlike Koneko who was using her fists. This gave her a longer range and a bigger advantage.
But Koneko used her small size to move nimbly around her opponent and sneak in harsh attacks on her unprotected areas.
Her ears twitched.
Swish !
Dodging just in time a staff hit from Mira, Koneko reciprocated with a knee kick to the pawn's side stomach. "Gaaaah!" The latter spit out some saliva and blood before being sent away flying by that attack.
Boom !
She crashed through the wall with such force that she nearly tore the entire gym side as well. Unknown to most, that last knee attack had traces of Senjutsu energy infused in it, making it even more devastating.
"Mira!" The other girls cried out in concern, only to be followed by Grayfia's emotionless announcement.
[ One of Riser-sama's Pawns has been eliminated.]
The infuriated twins as they revved up their chainsaws and tried to cut Koneko to pieces.
"Split, split, split, split, split!"
Their nonstop frenzied attacks, destroying the floorboard and pillars proved to be a bit of a challenge for Koneko as she also had to be careful of the others.
BBBBRRRRRRRR !!!
"I got you!" Xuelan came in from her blind spot-whether she did it intentionally or not was a mystery-and her attack grazed Koneko's cheeks.
"-!?!?" Her instincts went full drive and she unconsciously used her full Senjutsu abilities, making a pair of feline ears pop up her head, her eyes became slighted and a wiggly tail appeared behind. "Don't touch me Nyah!"
One aspect which made her hesitate to use her Senjutsu abilities to her fullest abilities like her sister was the lingering fear of losing control still presiding in her head as well as the feeling of no longer having any control over her emotions, which was another main disadvantage to her. She may never become as strong as her sister due to these limitations, but Koneko never wanted to do that in the first place. She didn't want to be the best, but just good enough to use it during the fight.
At speeds beyond anything she showed before, with a combination of Senjutsu and Touki, Koneko obliterated the entire gym ground. The shockwave of the attack being enough to eliminate all three of Riser's peerage girls.
[ Riser-sama's Rook and two Pawns have been eliminated]
Boom !
The entire structure collapsed and Koneko barely had time to escape the place with. After she successfully left the place, the girl sat down on the ground and started breathing steadily to regain control of her emotions. The ears and tail vanished leaving Koneko once again back to her monotone self. "Mission complete." She passed on the message to her transmitter before standing back up and heading toward Kiba's location to assist him.
Bang !
But before she could head any further, the ground below exploded and she was launched backward at great speed. Crashing through the trees, Koneko sustained some heavy injuries but was still in the game.
[ Koneko !] Buchou's voice echoed from her earpiece. The Nekoshou had to take a moment to respond as her ears were ringing from the loud exploding noise. "I'm… fine." She assured Rias that she was good to fight, but her weak voice didn't help.
[ Retreat! You need to get as far away as possible from-]
"-I said I'm fine." Koneko insisted as she stood up and checked her injuries. One broken arm with some burned skin and some cuts all over her body. She removed a bottle of a healing potion that Azazel gave her and Rias, stating that Riser's team will also have Phoenix tears with them-so it was fair. Hachiman-senpai had something similar according to the old crow. The effect of the potion wasn't miraculous, her cuts healed but her broken arm and burns remained.
"How convenient."
Her attacker's voice came from above her. When she looked up, there was a shadow up in the air flying with her devil wings spread. It was that woman dressed up as a mage and wearing her hood, Riser's Queen-Yubelluna. Arguably his strongest servant.
"Fufufu. When you hunt a prey, the best time to take them down is when the prey accomplished something because that's the time when the prey is the most vulnerable. It's enough for us to "sacrifice" many of our pieces to nearly take you down. Your group has a small number of members, to begin with. That alone will be enough to cause a huge amount of damage to your group, right? Even if you defeat us, you cannot defeat Riser-sama. It's useless to resist." She said while laughing.
Fortunately for Koneko, the rescue had come. In the form of a lightning strike that almost hit the Bomb Queen.
"Ara ara, such an arrogant claim. I guess I will be your opponent. Riser Phenex's Queen, Yubelluna-san. Or should I call you the ' Bomb Queen'?" Akeno came flying, clad in her iconic miko outfit. She stood in between them both, trying to protect Koneko.
"Tch, I really don't like that name. Leaves a bad taste, 'Priestess of Lightning'. Though I was hoping I could fight you." A slight twinge of jealousy marred her tone. For a woman as beautiful as her, she was cursed to be bound to such a barbaric-sounding name. While this Fallen hybrid in front of her had such a beautiful title. Yubelluna had to repress a pout, 'It's not fair…'
"You can leave, Koneko-chan, I have everything under control." She said while her body began to be covered in a golden aura. "And I would prefer to not waste any more time with you, Yubelluna-san, I did promise my King to help her out with Riser."
Koneko nodded and carefully made her way back to Kiba. Right after that, a violent roar of lightning and explosions echoes from behind her. Followed by the pained cries from Riser's Queen.
{ Break }
- Near the new dorm building-
[ Riser-sama's three Pawns retired .]
Kiba heard as he stood in the middle of a field near the forest where three women were on the ground, defeated. He looked calm, not showing any signs of tiredness whatsoever, and even smiled as he saw more of his enemies approaching.
' Koneko-chan should be here soon… though I shouldn't make her waste more energy, after what Buchou relayed, she is wounded .' It would deeply hurt his pride if he was forced to rely on his friend's aid in her injured state.
He tightened the hold around his sword. Though this was his first Rating Game, a serious battle between Devil Peerages. Even if this match was a special case, it doesn't change the fact he could not show the slightest sign of weakness. Throughout the years he spent traveling the world with Hachiman in search of Valper and his Order, Kiba racked in a bunch of experience fighting against bloodthirsty enemies that they encountered. The only downside is he would lose control of his rational side whenever that man was mentioned. If every devil was characterized by one of the seven sins, his King would be Greed, Akeno-san Lust and he would be Wrath.
And he would use his anger to make sure his Buchou doesn't end up with such a miserable fate.
"I need to hurry up."
A woman dressed in a knightly gown soon joined him. "I'm the Knight of Riser Phenex-sama, Carlamaine! I've become bored of trying to sniff through each other's strategies! Rias Gremory's Knight! I challenge you to a due- Clang !" Before she could finish her introduction, Kiba came upon her with his sword like a raging warrior. Carlamaine barely had any time to block the attack and was getting pushed back by his brutal combos.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
"D-Do you have no honor!?" She screamed in anger. "To attack someone in the middle of their speech, what kind of Knight are you!?"
Kiba merely smiled at her words. True, a part of him resented his actions just now, but the truth of the matter was that this battle was too important for him to take any risks.
"I'm a vengeful Knight." He didn't hesitate to fight dirty, summoning another sword-Flame Delete, he increased his aggressiveness and began overwhelming Carlamaine. Her previously burning sword is rendered useless and broken apart.
"Another Sacred Gear!?"
"No, just one." He brought up both swords and slashed her torso, eliminating her as well.
[ Riser-sama's Knight has been eliminated]
"Impressive." He heard someone comment, looking behind him he saw a woman with a mask that covered half of her face. "Isabella, Rook." She gave a curt introduction.
She wasn't alone.
"Geez, that muscle head just had to go and get herself beaten like that, how humiliating. Carlamaine was making a bitter face when the Pawns were being sacrificed, so does she hate the battle strategy planned by her Master who happens to be her King? Furthermore, when I thought I found a cute boy, he also happens to be a sword freak so I can't stand this… at least you're better than that fished-eyed freak." It was Ravel in her western princess dress, holding a fan as she looked at him with a bored face.
"Something tells me you won't be participating in this fight, right?"
"Oho! A smart one at that. Correct, I am not going to be your opponent. Isabella, why don't you be his opponent?"
"She won't be enough, just like the last one." Kiba taunted, earning a pissed-off look from the Rook and an amused one from Ravel.
"Quite arrogant you are, Knight of Gremory."
"No, I'm just stating the facts." Kiba brought his two swords in a fighting stance.
"Well then… I can't disappoint the Knight of my Onii-sama's soon-to-be wife." She snapped her finger and three more shadows appeared behind her. "Sirius, Ni, and Li. I believe all of them will prove to be more of a challenge to you. Siris, unlike Carlamaine, doesn't fight with honor and Ni and Li both are exceptional close combat fighting duo. With Isabella added to the fray, you don't stand any chance." She pointed upwards where Kiba saw a figure with burning wings landing on the rooftop of the new school building. "Onii-sama is done waiting, he wasn't in a good mood before the fight, so trust me when I say… he won't be holding back." She burst into a fit of laughter. "You lost, your group can't defeat him!"
"I see…" Kiba's face no longer held that easy-going smile. Traces of killing intent bled from his eyes, making the other girls tense for battle. "I need to hurry up then." He dismissed one of his swords, leaving behind Holy Eraser, and pointed at Ravel with his free hand.
"Eh? Is there something you wish to tell me, Knight?"
"Yes…"
"Die." His hands glowed with a familiar magic spell. "[ Magic Arrow]"
"-!!!"
"Ravel-sama, look out!" Two maids came out of nowhere and stood guard in front of her. A single arrow the size of a person pierced both of them but was unsuccessful at hurting the Phenex girl.
Since he had traveled with Hachiman for a while, Kiba picked some of his spells. This one was quite simple and he learned it in a week, which for some reason pissed off his friend. Outside the use of his Sacred Gear, Kiba rarely-if ever-used this spell.
"You bastard!!" Angered, Isabella, Siris, and the twins all ganged up on Kiba who concentrated a large amount of his demonic energy into a single attack.
"[ Sword Birth !]"
Schwing !
All around Kiba, hundreds of swords burst from the ground, catching everyone off guard and not allowing them to defend themselves.
Prcht !
"Argh!!"
They were pierced by the many swords with Siris nearly getting her head decapitated if it weren't for the timely intervention of the safety teleportation system from the game.
[ Riser-sama's remaining Rook and Knight have all been eliminated, along with two Pawns]
Ravel watched in horror how in less than a second, her entire surrounding peerage members got annihilated so easily. That bastard used her as a target to take out her two bodyguards, Marion and Burrent before taking everyone out with his sacred gear!
"You are despicable… have you no shame!?" She screamed. "I told you that I didn't participate in this fight yet you used me as a target!? How dare you! I will make you pay for that!" She was about to issue another attack from the hidden members but couldn't as more screams came from behind. "What?"
From the forest, Koneko came out holding two people. One by the neck while the other was dragged by the feet.
"Shuriya!"
"Mihae!"
How did that Rook find them!?
"Sorry I'm late, senpai," Koneko said as she threw Mihae in the air and used Shuriya as a bat to take them both out of the game.
[ Riser-sama's Bishop and last Pawn have been eliminated.]
"You came just in time," Kiba said.
"Yo-you all…" Ravel was speechless as she began backing away, she wasn't supposed to battle anyone here! But with these swords for brain bastard and the Nekoshou, it was unknown if they would let her go.
"I will go ahead, you're still hurt, Koneko-chan. So you stay here and keep an eye on Ravel-chan, okay?"
"Roger." With Koneko's confirmation, Kiba left the area to join the others at the new dorm building. "Stay safe."
Giving her a last nod Kiba left the area leaving an injured Konekou and a scared Ravel all alone themselves. To say the atmosphere was a bit awkward for the next few following moments would be an understatement. Ravel didn't know if she should start a conversation or not… or should she just retire from the fight?
"You smell…" Koneko spoke, gaining the attention of the young Phenex.
"Hm?"
"… like fried Yakitori."
"Excuse me!?"
[ Riser-sama's Queen has been eliminated.]
"What is going on here!?" Ravel was this close to having a mental breakdown, trying her best to ignore the hungry look that the Nekoshou was giving her.
{ Break }
Doom !
A large shock wave shook the whole field. Upon the roof of the dorm, Rias and Riser were chugging fire and destruction magic at each other. The clashing of their crimson demonic power and fire demonic power destroyed the area they were standing on.
Riser didn't have a scratch. Even his clothes weren't ripped-the same could be said for Rias.
They were stuck at a standstill.
"I must admit, I did not foresee you getting so much stronger in such a short period, Rias. As expected of the blood that flows within your veins, Bael and Gremory… What a terrifying combination. Adding the blood of the Phenex will only elevate the devil race beyond anything it could achieve on its own."
"Don't mess around Riser!"
His words angered Rias who shot another one of her demonic-power orbs at Riser's face. He doesn't even dodge it and receives it on his face which blew half of it to bits.
Whoosh !
But fire appeared from the part of his blown face and started to form a shape.
Riser's face returned to its original shape since the flame turned into his face and hair. Riser starts to twitch his neck as if nothing happened.
Immortal.
This was the regeneration ability of the firebird, Phoenix.
"Rias, resign. You will make your Otou-sama and Sirzechs-sama who are watching from another place look bad. You have no more choices. Everyone already has foreseen the outcome. It's checkmate, Rias."
"You talk too much, Riser. Always so arrogant and blind to your surroundings. Look at me, all of my precious servants are still in the game while you and your sister stand alone. Tell me, for whom is it a checkmate again?" Rias questioned, feeling confident with her chances of winning.
"Oh, how so naive you are, Rias. You comparing real-life combat to those silly chess games is so cute. Unfortunately, I alone am capable enough to take you all."
"Famous last words." Rias turned around and shouted at the hidden cardboard box behind her. "Gasper, now!"
"Yes, Buchou!" The red lights coming off from the holes intensified, as the Dhampir was motivating himself up. "I can do it… I can do it… I can do it… I CAN DO IT!"
As the possessor of one of the five newly manifested Longinus, Aeon Balor, which evolved from the Sacred Gear, Forbidden Balor View. Gasper, the cardboard vampire went above and beyond his fears and forced his Sacred Gear to activate at his command.
True to its other name, 'The Evil-Eyed King Who Dominates Space and Time', Gasper's Sacred Gear successfully trapped Riser in a state of a full-time stop. Due to his lack of control, Rias was also caught in it.
But she had planned for this.
"Ara ara~ Now it's my turn." Flying up above the range of the Sacred Gear's influence, Akeno was covered in shimmering golden holy light. Black clouds covered the entire sky as thousands of lightning bolts gathered into a single attack. She planned to give it her all and used up her entire demonic and holy energy for this single attack. "Kiba!"
"I'm here!" Just like planned, Kiba came next to the still stuck in time Rias and carried her over as far away as possible from the area of impact. "Go for it!"
Rias had two hidden weapons, Gasper and Akeno. Together, their ability could smite anything without their opponents even realizing what happened!
[ Raiu !]
A thunderstorm of thousands of collective bolts of holy lightning fused into a giant pillar of golden light that descended upon Riser!
Boom !
He and the entire dorm were blown apart by the attack, the surrounding trees were uprooted. The shockwave caused the windows of faraway buildings to explode and even ionized the air around.
"AAAAAAAAAAAA ARRRGHHH!" Riser's scream of agony was lost in the chaos.
Rias who was being carried by Kiba became freed from Gasper's Sacred Gear's effect. "Wha-did we do it!?" She asked Kiba.
Looking back at the sheer destruction caused by the attack, Kiba was astounded at Akeno's power. "I… think so… there is no way he could survive that."
"Rias!" Akeno descended from the sky, sweating and looking completely drained from her attack. She nearly stumbled if it weren't for Rias catching her. "You're not hurt… are you?"
"No…" Rias shook her head. "I'm completely fine, thanks to Yuuto."
"I guess we won?" Akeno asked, taking out the phoenix bottle she stole from Riser's Queen. "Yubelluna-san was quite a capable caster I must say. She just couldn't hit me with her spells." She thanked Azazel in her head for the training, though she'll never say it to his face. He can be quite… annoying when he is praised.
"You did good… you and everyone."
"Fufufufu~ Say… do you think he's watching?"
"Hachiman?"
Akeno nodded.
"I don't know, I couldn't reach him before… maybe he's watching us from wherever he was sent for his mission."
"I hope he's safe." Akeno worried.
"Knowing him, he's probably doing something stupid."
"I guess so."
When both girls were completely relaxed and joking with one another. Kiba said something worrying.
"Umm, Buchou… why hasn't Grayfia-san made any announcement yet?"
Fwish !
"Look out!" Akeno pushed Rias to the side before being engulfed by a large fireball attack. Kiba was caught in the explosion as well, using his body to shield both his King and Queen.
[ Rias-sama's Knight has been eliminated.]
""Kiba!"" Both girls shouted in shock as they couldn't believe what just happened.
From the large crater that formed from Akeno's attack, the steaming figure of Riser crawled out of it. His body burned and smoked from the remaining holy damage, blood dripped from his mouth and one of his eyes was completely gone. His left limb was gone replaced by a burning flame that tried to combat the effects of Akeno's attack. His entire body drowned in flames slowly stepped closer to Rias.
"Did you think that would work against me!?!? I am immortal, undefeated and it is not a shitty Fallen who will prove to be my downfall!" Rias' heart shook at this display. Her heart waned and she slowly backed. "Now that your Knight is gone, I will make quick work of that Fallen over there and then… I'LL KILL THE REST OF THEM!"
Akeno was on the floor, the previous attack having heavily incapacitated her. It was through sheer luck that she survived something like that.
"No… stay away!" She threw red orbs of destruction at him, only for the latter to stagger back a bit before continuing to come closer.
"Resign, Rias." He said.
"No… I-I can't…"
"Resign, it is over!"
"I-I ca-can't-" She was feeling powerless.
"RESIGN BEFORE I BURN YOUR ENTIRE PEERAGE!"
It was over.
She lost… Rias couldn't let any more harm come to her servants. She fell to her knees as tears began to fall.
She gave up.
"I… give-"
[ Ehem! Is this thing on?]
Her words were stuck in her throat as she heard the familiar voice of someone she never thought she would hear from so soon.
"Ha… Hachi-kun?"
"That bastard!!!??" Even Riser looked like he blew a fuse by hearing his voice.
[ Yes it is, Hachiman-sama. ] This time it was Grayfia who spoke.
[ Are you sure? You could have used a mic instead of such a complicated spell.]
[… You're wasting time .]
[ Ah, sorry. Anyways, yo Rias. I see that you were about to do something extremely stupid there.]
Rias looked up to the sky where she knew the others could see her face. "B-b-b-but, I lost."
[ Really? I only saw Kiba being eliminated trying to save your ass alongside Akeno. Do you think they did so just so you can give up?]
"Then what do you want me to do!? I can't beat him!"
[ That sounds like a defeatist way of thinking. Can't beat him? Is he Lucifer? Is he a God? No, he's just a hard-to-kill chicken. You say this because you fear his so-called immortality. But guess what, the Phenex isn't the strongest house in the Underworld for a reason. If their power was so overpowered then why hasn't there been a Maou from the Phenex house? Simple because they are not truly immortal.]
"What?"
[ Hard to believe? Well, you're stupider than I thought you'd be, Tomato-head. Use your head for god's sake-oh shit, sorry! I didn't mean to use the G-word. Graifya-san is gesturing me to shut up and not mention anything else or she'll kill me. What? Oh sorry, she meant that she'll freeze me to a popsicle. Like that's any better… Anyways, all I am allowed to say is that his abilities are just as same as any other houses-they all use demonic energy. You can defeat him, without even using holy damage.]
Rias' eyes widened as she deciphered Hachiman's words.
[ I can see that you got the idea… or you just came to a completely different conclusion. Oh, and-I know I'm gonna regret this but fuck it-if you win this fight, Rias. I'll… I'll… k-kiss you. Hn? What did you say? I'm not gonna say that your sister on live broadcast you freaken siscon!]
"-!?"
"Ara…" Akeno who was recovering from her injuries by consuming the stolen phoenix tear had a interested expression. "I didn't know that he had it in him… guess I should have expected this from him."
Riser was the only one who wasn't having it. "How dare a human-like you say that to my soon-to-be be wife!? Worst of all, you dare to belittle our house!? Stay put human, after this match, I will incinerate you and everyone you lo- Boom !"
Before he couldn't finish his speech, a condensed orb of destruction came at him and destroyed his upper body completely before exploding behind.
"He's… he's going to kiss me?" Rias was standing there with her face full-on neon red. The previously shown fear was completely gone, and Hachiman's words soon settled inside her head. "Kiss… kiss… date… girlfriend… must… win…"
Rumble
Rumble-Rumble
The ground shook from the intense amount of demonic energy cascading down from Rias' body. Her eyes were hidden away by her hair as more and more red energy began surrounding her and the field.
"Fufufu~ Rias is either full of determination or has lost it completely," Akeno commented as she decided that it would be wise to create some distance between her and the soon to go berserk King. "Moooo, Hachi-kun being a horny playboy again, I really should keep him away from other innocent girls who might fall for his evil and irresitable tactics."
In the field, Riser once again regenerated from being blown up to pieces and snarled at the redhead. "Is this your motivation? The promise from a human who has no relationship with our devil side!? You are bringing sham-Boom!" He was reduced to ashes once again. But this time the blast of destruction was even more powerful than last time, causing more damnage to the surrounding area.
"Kiss… kiss…" Rias was still lost in her fantasies to bother taking notes of Riser's words, while chanting the same word as a mantra.
"You damnab- Boom !"
"How dare yo- Boom !"
"Don't you kno- Boom !
"Let- Boom !
"Me- Boom !
"TALK FOR ONCE!!" The continuous explosions from Rias' dug Riser deeper into the ground till the crater he was in became a dozen meters deep!
A hidden fact about the Phenex's immortality was that it was nothing more than high-speed regeneration that used demonic energy as fuel to continue working. If the devil no longer had any spare magical energy left, then they wouldn't regenerate and die like anyone else.
This is what Riser was experiencing right now. The attack from Akeno and her remaining holy attribute had used up a large part of his reserves. And now, he was running on fumes against Rias' barrage of attacks.
"H-Hold on! Do you even know what you are doing!? This engagement is important and necessary for the future of Devils! Why don't you realize that as the heir of the Gremory house there are some obligations you just can not igno- Boom !!" This time the explosion was the biggest one, causing more damage than even Akeno's lightning strike. The forest was completely gone and in Rias' place was just a curtain of pure power of destruction coating her entire figure.
This was just Rias overproducing a ridiculous amount of Power of Destruction, she hadn't yet reached the level of turning her physical body to destruction itself like her brother… yet.
"My life, the path that I'll walk in the future is for me and no one else to decide. Not you, not Otou-sama, and not even Onii-sama can change that. And you will not get in the way of me getting my ultimate prize from him!!!"
With a final attack, all of her power condensed into a single giant orb which was many times her size, and crashed onto Riser.
BOOM !
Riser's entire territory was engulfed in a crimson dome of pure destruction. Turning everything into ruins.
[ Riser-sama has been eliminated. Rias Gremory is the victor of this Rating Game.]
It was at that point that Rias truly earned her title as the Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess and the Princess of Destruction to the eyes of the Underworld.
The next 5 chapters of Snafu and Fate are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter.
My prize
Hiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Well, last chapter was well received and it made me really glad y'all liked it.
it was something I had planned before I even started writing the first chapter, made me glad to have finally written it after 6 months of writing. Anyways, I have much more planned for the future of this story.
Thank you to my newest patrons: Lilzim, Alexander Hammann, Azura lol, Eduardo Ramirez Becerra, Emmanuel Arellano, Alex Huynh, James Olinares Ilijah Jones, SilverBullet, Connor McCarthy, CeeloxX, T34, Reece Phothirath, Ralis U, Harris Hussain, Gabriel, FpsOdowuini, Jack Gallagher and Linus Bengtsson.
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi
- Hachiman POV-
"That was quite bold of you, Hikigaya-san." I glanced to my side and saw Ruval talking to me, not looking the slightest bit offended or angry. Both he and his father were completely relaxed and not about to burn the entire place to the ground.
"You're not angry that I just-kinda-made your brother lose, and sorta seduced his former bride to be?"
"Why would I be? Riser needed to learn an important lesson that I failed to impart to him as a brother. Our immortality isn't that much of a big deal against strong foes, it doesn't make us invincible in the slightest. My brother had become blinded by his pride as a Phenex and paid the consequences of his misplaced beliefs." Said Ruval to me, his tone sounding disappointed at failing to impart this knowledge to his little brother. "I would believe he gained more from this battle than Rias. Now, I only hope this will be enough to open his eyes to the truth of the matter, and learn to become a better Devil."
That was unexpectedly wholesome of him. A bit strange that he waited for his brother to lose, but there wasn't a better teacher than failure in life. I had no doubt that Riser will definitely change from this moment onwards.
"Lord Phenex. I'm very sorry that this engagement turned out like this. I know it's rude but this engagement-."
"You don't have to say anymore, Lord Gremory. It was a good engagement for pure Devils, but it looks like we both had too much greed. Both of us already have pure Devil grandchildren. Maybe it's the greed of Devils that made us crave for more. Or is it because we saw true hell in the last war, and we wanted to make sure that our children's future was secured."
"… No, I also forced my greed onto my daughter," Zeoticus answered despondently, now realizing his actions.
"Hikigaya Hachiman, I wanted to thank you. What my son lacked was the experince of defeat. He overestimated the ability of our clan. This will also be a good lesson for my son. Phenex is not absolute. Just learning that was enough for this engagement, Lord Gremory." Yeah, your more capable son said the same thing to me old man. Though I'm glad that he took more from you… I wonder who Riser turned up as? His mother? God, I hope to never meet her, if that was the case.
"Lord Phoenix…"
"Your daughter has good servants. [ Sword Birth, [Forbidden Balor View, a Senjutsu user and the daughter of Baraquiel himself with her [ Holy Lightning ]. Looks like the Underworld won't be bored in the future."
"But, I never would have thought that my daughter would have gotten so much stronger." Indeed, after her previous attitude towards training, Zeoticus didn't think he would miss such an important detail about his daughter… just how much has he been neglecting his daughters to miss this much growth?
"By the way, have you heard about the Welsh Dragon being on the Sitri heir's side? I can't believe that such a loathsome being actually came to our side… I need to see it with my own eyes to believe it."
"Then the next will be-."
"-Yes, it must be. No, perhaps it's already here."
"It is, I believe my daughter informed me that a man assaulting her 'precious wizard' faced him in the past."
"The Vanishing Dragon. It's a matter of time until red meets white… why and how the black got involved with those two is a mystery, but at least it'll be intersting."
Both of you do realize that I'm less than two meters away from you right? I gave them a deadpan look which they conveniently ignored and kept talking as if I wasn't there, to begin with.
Rude old geezers.
"Thanks for letting me talk, Grayfia-san," I said to the expressionless maid, as she gave me a curt nod to my gratitude.
The scene of Rias losing her cool almost made me do something stupid and try to rush into the battle like some stupid protagonist who didn't care about consequences. I mentally slapped myself and sit down while calmly thinking about my next move. It was then I remembered that Devil powers worked in correlation with imagination and desire. Rias was strong, her potential was enormous, but she couldn't use it due to the mental block she unconsciously put on herself. It became an innate fear, that she couldn't ever reach her brother's potential, that she wasn't strong enough to win. I found such thoughts to be normal, she was still a young girl. In fact, out of everyone here and her peerage, she was the most normal one. So, I had to play on her emotions, as that was the answer to her winning this match.
Granted, I did find it a bit suspicious how Graifya had a spot for me ready before I even began talking to her. It was almost like she expected such a move from me… Was I that predictable?
"I believe it is time you go give my sister a visit." Serzechs cut me off my musing, quickly rising from his seat. Looking like the siscon he is. "She should be here soon to claim her hard earned 'prize'." The emphasis on the prize part was unnecessary, you know. I might as well write my will before having to face Akeno.
Probably won't have to spend money on my funeral, as she will me in nothing but ashes.
So a silver lining… I guess.
"Maaaa~ Hachi-kun has truly grown up~" Please don't say it like that, Shuri-san, you're ruining my image.
And besides, I had to visit someone before meeting Rias.
{ Break }
I came in front of a familiar wooden door, the slight traces of scorch remained from the previous attack. I couldn't hear anything from the other side, finding it to be odd. I was preparing myself for an angry shout and a hissy fit from a certain Phenex.
Knock
Knock
"I'm afraid Riser-sama won't be seeing anyo-" The girl who had two Chinese style hair buns-Xuelan-had her words stuck in her throat when she saw me while opening the door. "Hikigaya… Hachiman?" Already she was wary of me. "What do you want?" She said with a snarl while giving me a cold look, quickly losing the fear in her eyes and looked ready to fight me. "Have you come here to mock Riser-sama!?"
"…"
"Let him in, Xuelan." Unexpectedly, Riser was the one to answer.
"B-B-B-But-"
"Please… I don't have the strength to argue right now."
"… As you command." She gave me one last sharp look, conveying the message of guaranteed violence if I did anything to antagonize them.
Step
The moment I came inside, dozens of unwelcoming glares locked on me.
It's been a long time since I recieved such harsh glares. Kinda nostalgic.
I just ignored them and focused on the main guy, Riser. He was sitting all alone on the sofa, downtrodden and listless, just staring at the ceiling. A stark contrast from his previous arrogant self.
"What do you want." Even his voice was so weak and broken that I had to double-take if this was indeed the same man I had confronted a while ago. "Have you come to humiliate me over the defeat? Rubbing salt on the wound until I break down, crying for mercy and forgiveness? Forget it, you're wasting your time."
"No, I just came to have a look at ya, and possibly get to talk to you about this new situation."
"Talk? Hahahaha! Do you believe me to be idiotic? I know you carry an immense amount of contempt and hate towards me. A peaceful exchange would be the last of your options."
Wow, he really took his defeat hard, didn't he?
"Do you even hear yourself? Has this single defeat truly broken you to this extent? Where is that haughty attitude and pride of your existence as a Phenex that you've been flaunting around in the clubroom?"
Flash !
Flames erupted from his back, though they were pitiful compaired to before and soon died out in a matter of seconds. A far cry from the display he had shown me when I crash-landed here.
"Do not speak as if you know me, human! I am… was a proud phoenix! Victory should have been in the palm of my hand. Yet I lost to an immature girl who got powered up from the promise of a mere kiss! I sullied the name of my house in front of the whole Underworld… Now whenever people hear the name Phenex, the memories of this Rating Game will resurface. The glory my father and brother have brought upon our name has been tarnished because of my arrogance! This engagement… I let this engagement break along with the honor of my house." Say what you will about Riser, but one thing remained an unshakable fact in his heart…
He carries the name of the Phenex and the love he had for his family and their image above all else in his heart. What he had done was no different from the biggest sin in his life. He wished to hate the Gremory girl and this human in front of him… but his anger always returned to blame himself for this loss. Had he not lazed around at the beginning of the match, had he listened to his sister's advice, and had he taken the Gremory peerage seriously-then none of this would have happened.
"You truly are both pathetic and blind, Riser."
"…"
"Honour? Image? The Phenex family as a whole? Wake up to reality, this world doesn't revolve around you. People will not disdain or look down on your family with this single defeat. Your father and brother won't think less of you and this is not the end. You're being dramatic for no reason, you've fallen back one step and you think that it's over-when this is merely a small setback."
"…"
I pointed at Ravel who was cautiously looking at me the entire time. "You there, blondie twin-tail drill ojou-chan."
"W-wha, me?" She was flustered at the sudden attention.
"Has this defeat shattered the image of the mighty brother you had in your mind? Has he turned into a worthless shitstain in your family's history?"
"Never!" She answered fiercely, making Riser look at her in surprise. "Onii-sama is and always will be a proud Phenex with the power to burn all his enemies to ashes!"
"Ravel…"
"So what if he lost once? He can get up, grow stronger and burn anyone looking down on him and our family, because that is the kind of person Onii-sama is! And I will personally make sure you'll suffer for that dirty move you pulled off during the end of the match! Huff… Huff… Huff…" At the end of her rant, Ravel's face was crimson red with her breathing becoming erratic.
"Uh… okay? A 'Yes' or 'No' would've been fine." I did not expect such a reaction from the little firecracker. I was waiting for a small 'Onii-sama is the strongest!' kind of reaction. But this was good, it was better than what I had initially planned.
Poor little Ojou-chan became extremely embarrassed from her sudden outburst. "You… You… This is all your fault!" She ran out of the room. Some of Riser's peerage members snickered at her tsundere attitude and went to make sure she was okay.
Don't know why she is blaming me. I'm not the one who told her to say all that, that's on you little brocon.
"Well you heard your sister, she still sees you as the powerful Riser from before." I then gestured towards the rest of the girls in this room. "So do they. Look at their eyes, I don't see the slightest trace of disdain in them. So stop moping around like your life is over, cause it's not, and for the love of G-cough… Lucifer, try to not be a douche in the future or I'll send someone to come around to kick your ass off your high-horse."
"Tell me, what are you gaining from trying to help me? I know that you don't like me, our first interaction already established that." Riser was confused, I could clearly see it. He wasn't wrong though, why did I bother to give him a motivational talk if he was my enemy? Easy.
"Because I'm tired."
"Tired?"
"Yes, from the beginning I've wanted nothing more than a simple and peaceful life. Free of any forms of danger and responsibilities from the supernatural, I strived to become the ideal househusband."
"What!?" Everyone in the room was shocked at my words. Househusband? What kind of lame dream was that? Is probably what they were thinking. "Are you messing with me…"
"No, I'm truly being genuine with you. I know a guy who dreams to be a Harem King, someone you'd definitely get along quite well with… without your shitty attitude that is. Rias wants to become free and known for her own exploits rather than be glued to the Gremory fame that comes from her name and position as heiress… along with making the Underworld a better place. Sona wants to establish a Rating Game school for newly reincarnated devils. A drunk crow wants to establish true peace between all factions and Pantheons, many people have so many grandiose dreams that having another one doesn't change anything. I'm not… like them. I'm normal, I hate violence, I hate having to worry about my life every single day and I hate dealing with all these bullshit responsibilities that come as a dragon gear host." I just wanted to be Hikigaya Hachiman and not the Black Dragon King. "So you understand why I'm helping you now? Cause I rather laze around in a classroom while reading a book than to entangle myself in another conflict that I want nothing to do with, keep the people I care about safe."
"Is that so…" He said to me without adding anything else to the conversation.
We both remained silent for the next five minutes, not minding how the other girls were beginning to find silence a bit awkward.
"That… is a nice goal." Riser said. "I wouldn't mind living like that." I didn't know if it was the sunlight behind him playing tricks on my eyes, but I did see traces of a genuine smile on that man's face.
A simple life.
What was wrong with that?
{ Break }
After my surprisingly peaceful conversation with Riser, I returned to the main room where Rias and her group were present along with Sirzechs and the rest.
"You know, if this happened in the Underworld I would have given you a Griffon to bring Rias along on a ride." That damned siscon just had to start the conversation with a weird point.
Pinch .
"Please behave in front of the guests, Maou-sama."
"Ouch! Muuuu, Graifya-chan is being mean~"
I ignored the comedic duo and came in front of Zeoticus, Rias' father. "I'm not sorry for my actions. I interfered with the match because that is what I believed to have been the right choice at the moment. I've known the brat for years, she's the closest thing to a childhood friend-aside from Akeno-I have."
"Friend!?" Not now Rias, I'm trying to have a conversation with your dad here.
"I'm taking her back so that she can focus on normal stuff. Her studies, social life and just being a teenager for once."
He didn't say anything to me. The man smiled and closed his eyes, a sign that he wouldn't interfere.
"Come on, Rias. Mom and Dad cooked a feast tonight, I'm sure they're eager to see you again." We were gone for more than ten days, so of course, they were excited to see us.
She took my hand.
I saw her create a teleportation spell big enough for just us two. The red glow covered my view and the last thing I saw before leaving the room was Akeno waving at me with an excited smile. "Good luck~"
{ Break }
When we finished teleporting, I found that we had arrived not in my room, but at the park nearby where I once had a quick stop with Akeno during my training in the past.
To be honest, I didn't know what to do next.
I felt her touch my cheeks.
"A friend?"
She said it with a bitter smile. Rias seemed to have a relieved expression. Like she was finally released from something painful, which was true. Her engagement was a huge pressure that weighed on her shoulders for years.
The sad reaction was most likely from me calling her a friend.
"Was I wrong?"
"No… I thought that… maybe… I don't know."
"Don't get me wrong, you are special to me Rias." Hugh, the cringe! Don't give up now! You have to get this off your chest now! "I couldn't just sit by and watch you lose the freedom you so desired. I keep my promises, and I made a promise to always help you no matter what. From past, present and future, I'll always have your back, against Gods, Angels, and even your own family. I'll gladly come in between to share a few words with them."
Just like I did against Riser. I pulled the beautiful red head into a hug, making her blush. Feeling how my face was getting warm, she wasn't the only one, but I have to do this, and deal with the consequences later.
"I care about you. Maybe even lo-"
"-!"
Right after I said that my lips got blocked. My mind was trying its best to understand what was happening right now.
Rias wrapped her arms around my neck and locked her lips with mine. It was not something that happened for an instant.
A kiss.
It wasn't a deep kiss where we let our tongues play hockey, but I could feel her feelings from this kiss. Her soft lips moulded into mine, pouring every ounce of her feelings into it and her familiar scent of strawberry and kiwi, with the smell of sweat and ash mixing along with it, nearly froze my mind.
I did promise a kiss as a reward but I was entirely not prepared for it.
After about a minute we overlapped our lips, and Rias' lips left mine.
She laughed, probably at the stupid look I had right now.
"A first kiss. It's something that girls treasure in Japan, right? I really wanted you to have mine first… but in both cases, our first kiss got stolen by the same person. I love you, Hachiman. I don't care if you return my feelings or not but I'll always love you no matter what." She proceeded to hug me while I was frozen there in shock, burying her face onto my chest.
Wait…
This was not her first kiss!?
The next 5 chapters of Snafu and Fate are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. I a lso post monthly art commissions of scenes taken from different chapters.
Another redhead
Hiiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Sorry about the delay, chapter 54 was a bit tricky to deal with and I couldn't rush it. Anyways, here it is, the next chapter.
Hope ya enjoy it.
And chapter 50 will be released next week without issues.
Thank you to my newest patrons: Francisco J Guzman, Adrian Hernandez, Xigyid, eric, Zach Packerman, PikeGa and Shiro Gamers and Paradox for the upgrade! Y'all rock!!!
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
- (Flashback) -
"Hurgh… where… where am I?"
I woke up in a dark room with a splitting headache. Not the first time I woke up in such a state after a life and death battle, the only difference here was…
"You're back…"
A black gauntlet which I recognized as Saji's [ Absorption Line ] formed around my hand, the form being more complete and menacing than what I remembered. Along with having the gecko-looking head, it formed a true armoured gauntlet covering my arms and hand. The violet orb blinked slowly with a weak light.
" It has been a while, partner ." His familiar voice hit my heart to the point I started crying. " How has life been treating you lately?"
He finally came back.
"This is not a dream, right?"
"It is a dream come true, technically I never left you… my soul was just too exhausted and burdened by the strain these last few years and I had to take a rather extended nap." Vritra said.
Sniff…
" Hahahaha, crying over my return after a short nap? How touching. Not every day you get a host who cared more about me rather than the powers I gave them. But seriously, stop crying, you would not like the sound of a dragon crying… We're infamously known to be ugly criers."
I couldn't stop myself from laughing. He hasn't changed a bit.
"Only you can consider a few years-long coma as a nap."
"Tell that to Niðhöggr! That irritating lizard slept for centuries while gnawing on the root of the World Tree ." Of course, this was before that greedy dragon had a fight with Ddraig of all dragons and got sealed at some point after his crushing defeat against the Red Dragon Emperor.
Despite being an Evil dragon like him, Vritra absolutely hated the Abyss Rage Dragon. He was one of the few dragons who embodied the vile aspects of being considered an Evil dragon in the first place. Whereas he and Crom Cruach's main drawback was their never-ending rage, Niðhöggr revelled in his wrath and sadism-enjoying every second of it.
Always hungry as he would swallow everything in sight. He was even known to be a cannibal, eating his brothers and sisters without an ounce of regret. He hoped to never battle that guy, aside from his corrosive miasma, that guy's revival ability sounds like it would be an enormous pain to deal with as well.
"Where are we? I don't remember much." Everything was blurry, he knew he lost against Sétante and that Raynare… "Is Raynare still alive?"
" Rest assured, the Fallen is perfectly healthy… I just gave her too much." That sounded wrong, and worrying, but I was relieved by the news. " As for where we are currently, let's just say that an old witch brought us to her abode."
A certain story from my childhood resurfaced in my mind.
"Is she going to fatten us up with sweets, before throwing us in the oven?" The wall didn't look like they were made of chocolate or cookies. Mostly moss and stone.
" She is not that kind of witch."
I sighed in relief.
"Good."
Getting up from this extremely soft and comfortable bed was one of the biggest challenges I've faced in my life. If possible, I wanted to remain on the silky smooth bed sheets that warned me up in this cold and darkroom.
I started to get tired again.
" Partner, I am a dragon feared by many gods, angels, and by my own kind as well. Please do not make me mother you out of your bed."
"Come on, we haven't talked for years! Surely a few moments of peace and conversation is something that I deserve after everything I've gone through." I nearly died, twic-no, THRICE! First was Vali-though that one is highly debatable-then there was the Paris incident and now this, with the celtic juggernaut. Man, I bet the shounen protagonist's out there are jealous of my life now.
" I wouldn't mind a period of rest and relaxation as well, but unfortunately we are in the castle of Scáthach. And letting your guard down here is as erroneous as underestimating Great Red and his strange biker attitude." I widened my eyes when I recognized the name of the immortal witch, who in legends thought of mighty figures like Cu Chulainn himself!
… Also, what is this about Great Red being a biker?
"Don't tell me she brought me under her wing in order to teach me all of the cool magic spells and runes that are said to kill even the gods!?" I couldn't lie and say I wasn't excited about this possibility. True, fighting and violence wasn't something I enjoyed, but learning some cool spells and magic really kindled my inner chuunibyou, especially learning it from a famous god-slayer!
Wait!
"How long was I asleep!?" I nearly forgot about the rating game! Rias and Akeno will never forgive me for missing one of their most important moments of their lives!
" Relax, you still have plenty of days ahead of you before your mates the Rating Game. While in this dimension, time passes slower than the outside world. Even though you have been sleeping for three days, in reality barely a day went by outside… I think."
"You think!?" I know this was supposed to be a touchy-feely moment between us but I really needed to be sure that I've not missed such an important event! Also they're not my mates! Akeno is my only mate, I mean my girlfriend!
" Do not blame me, I am but a trapped soul inside a Sacred Gear, there is only so much I can analyse from here! And that's a miracle by itself! Not many spirits could even see the outside world let alone analyse the complex components making up the space and time property of this particular dimension ." Vritra went on a long rant, though he wasn't outright shouting I could feel the frustration behind his voice.
Finally calming down, I realised that I messed up.
"Sorry, I didn't think of your situation and lashed out…" I needed to take into consideration Vritra's position. He is basically stuck in a prison and was trying his best to analyse our surroundings. Not to mention that after saving me, again, he didn't need more bullshit thrown at him.
" Do not apologise, partner. I understand your anger but you need to keep a cool head as you used to before. Don't be irrational and never let your doubts and anger take hold of you again."
"Got it." He's right, I needed to stop thinking like another generic action anime protagonist and run headfirst into trouble and instead, sit back down and use my common sense.
" Also, you might need to move, partner. The witch is aware that you have woken up." Said Vritra rather cautiously.
"Good, I can have a conversation with her and she can return me to Kuoh. Certainly, an immortal witch who's as famous as her would let me go, right? I did save her from dealing with Sétante."
Unfortunately, the dragon didn't seem to agree with me one bit.
" I am afraid Scáthach is not that kind of person."
What?
"What do you mean?"
Crash !
Suddenly, the door to my room was broken apart by a single punch. A highly toned woman in her early thirties or late twenties, with long curly red hair and leather armour, came inside the room.
Being a celtic descent, she had the common trait of having red hair, freckles and slightly tanned skin. This woman looked like she could break me like a twig.
If the stories are true, she can definitely break me like a twig. Let me put this into perspective. If Vritra at his strongest could hold up his own and give a hard time against the strongest of gods and the strongest of ultimate level beings. Then Scàthack could repeatedly kill such monsters and even battle against multiple opponents at the same time, while not even necessarily losing!
At least that's what the books Azazel gave me claimed.
Holding a familiar red spear she gave me a savage grin that made me shiver from fright.
' Oh no…'
"You have some repairs to do, boyo!"
Even though I sensed no hostility from her, I still feared this monster.
-( End flashback )-
{ Break }
- Hikigaya residence -
"So, like how I just explained, I, Rias Gremory, will be returning to this house until the foreseeable future. I'm sorry for being gone so long, I promise to make it up to you, so please, take care of me, Otou-sama, Okaa-sama"
We came back to my house, and conveniently, my parents were back home. I would say that I was surprised, but something told me that it was either Sirzechs or Azazel who was responsible for their return at this specific time.
Assholes… Why do they have to make everything difficult…
"Here is your tea."
By my side was Akeno acting all bubbly and happy, as everything was just normal. As if she didn't mind the kiss thing with Rias and all-the part where she apparently took Rias' first kiss was also spinning in my head. I was not jealous, but merely suspicious of her motives.
"Oh my, I'm glad you're back, Rias-chan! The house felt empty without our son and daughters around."
"Oi, what's with the daughters part?"
"You heard me correctly, Sweetie. My. Daughters… and they better stay that way you get it, mister." She gave me a vile menacing look that promised a month of Coffee ban if I did not agree with her demand.
"Yes."
"Oho, it seems we'll have to make another reservation at the hotel in the Maldives where we had our honeymoon. I'm sure they will enjoy it, Hahahaha!"
Stop talking dad, you're making this awkward for me!
"You should follow the advice and goals of that young lad, Issei. Being so popular with the girls is not something I experienced in my younger years… unfortunately." He said, seeming depressed at my imaginary popularity.
Wait, what!?
"When did you meet Issei?" I only remember bringing Issei to my house once when he was attacked by Raynare. He certainly didn't have the time to converse with my dad since I brought him to my room for a talk and then teleported him away.
Mom gave me the answer.
"Oh, he and another beautiful girl, the one you used to hang out with… what was her name again dear?" She asked her husband.
"I believe it was Sona Shitori."
"Yes! Such a charming young lady with a brilliant mind. She came around with the student council members the day Rias was preparing to leave for the ten days trip." Oh, but why though? Rias could have teleported or travelled by a private bus to the foot of the mountain. Why would Sona come here to pick them up?
"Your mother talked with the girl for hours and wouldn't even let poor Sona leave the house, asking when you two wi-ouch!" He wasn't prepared for his wife to twist his side.
Wait old man, what were you going to say?
"It's not every day you get to meet someone like her, she was so formal and polite that it was adorable~ I never knew that my lazy son had such pretty friends. Other than these two of course, fufufufu~"
Ouch mom…
"Can we get back on topic?" I said, getting tired of this conversation and not wanting to think about what kind of questions my mother asked Sona. It's been so long since I've been in my room. I really wanted to be reunited with my personal space and my secret stash of SUPER Coffee and read my light novels.
"Oh right, while your mother was talking with Sona, I decided to socialise with the boys. And oh boy were they funny! That young boy just went on a long monologue about the beauty of breasts and his dream of becoming a Harem King. Hahahaha, it honestly made me want to become one as well!"
Great job Issei, you turned my dad into a pervert… I'm not letting that boy go with a slap on the wrist.
"Hachi-kun, can you help me bring the rest of my luggage to our room, please?" Rias said while pointing at a mountain of cardboard boxes near the living room.
What luggage? She already kept an entire closet filled with clothes inside HER room! I was feeling suspicious about this and went to check them out.
"H-Hey! Don't open those boxes!"
Not giving her any attention I immediately ripped open one of them.
"Noooooo! Be careful, that's the limited edition box!" As expected, there were no clothes inside-but instead anime figurines and other Japanese-themed trinkets!
"Heh, I should have known." I nearly forgot that this girl was both a huge weeb and otaku, since she decided to permanently live here then no wonder she brought her entire collection with her. "Still… just why do you have so many boxes!?" More than twenty boxes were taking up an enormous amount of space in our living room, there was no way she would be able to arrange everything inside her own room.
"You think this is a lot?" Akeno commented as she picked up a box of a Nami figurine from One Piece-and much to the horror of her king-opened the box to get a better look at the piece. "She has a separate mansion-sized unit in the Underworld filled with the entire collection of anime figurines, posters, collectibles, and even some ancient artefacts like samurai armors from the Edo period."
"…"
I always thought I knew Rias down to a T, but it seems that I underestimated the extent of Japan's culture obsession.
' At least now I know where most of her pocket money is spent .' Just imagining the price made me turn green from nausea and envy. These collectibles and figurines in general weren't cheap but having an entire mansion-sized warehouse full of them? Yeah, she could easily build a couple of Kuoh Academies with that money and still have some left to enjoy the rest of her life in luxury… probably.
I wasn't doing the maths and was just speculating at this point.
Bottom line, her famliy was stupidly filthy rich.
"H-Hachi-kun!" Rias called out to me, obviously trying to change my attention from her obsession. "I want to take a bath after fighting against Riser… Why don't we take one together?"
Cough
Cough
Spit got stuck inside my throat and I nearly choked from her words! Don't say things like that out loud, idiot! Especially when my parents are near with Akeno hearing us!
"You truly are my son! We won't disturb you any longer, so… go get them, tiger! Remember to use protection!" My dad said leaving the room with mom and not forgetting to flash me a sly grin with a thumbs up.
Shut your mouth, you crazy old man!
It's not like that!
I'm an innocent and pure boy who doesn't go around doing such things with just any woman ! And I already have a girlfriend! Now I'll need to calm Akeno-
"-Ara Ara~ I want to join as well!" The horny Fallen decided to push me deeper into the hole. "I won't let you leave me out of this~"
"No fair! Let me have this one, Akeno! I just battled against Riser and won! I deserve this." Rias said, hugging my arm tightly. My eyes twitched as I felt her breast press onto me.
I nearly had a seizure when I felt another pair of soft breasts, bigger than even Rias, push onto my other arm.
"Well, Hachi-kun is my boyfriend. And I feel like I have the right to be present as well." Akeno rebuked.
I could feel the sparks coming off of Rias' eyes, though Akeno didn't seem to mind it. In fact, she just found the whole thing funny and I could see that she was moments away from bursting out laughing.
Yeah, I'm not having this.
"I'm leaving."
I forcefully separated myself from these two horny demons and made my way outside.
""Hachi-kun?"" My actions surprised the girls but I didn't care. There was no way I was dealing with their antics so late at night. I just came back from being chased around by a psycho witch, nearly got burned by Riser, and had to deal with meeting the Devil nobles.
"I don't have the time to deal with both of you today, I'm off to Saizeriya to get some good cheap food and drink a carton of Coffee cans until I pass out." Without further delay, I tracked the teleportation marker I installed a while back and started teleporting away in a violet-colored magic circle.
""Hachi-kun!?""
Maybe Kiba wouldn't mind joining me?
I should call him.
The next 5 chapters of Snafu and Fate are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter.
Chapter is a bit short but the next two chapters will be much longer.
Arrival
Hiiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
I made a mistake yesterday and accidentally changed chapter 49 to chapter 4. It should be fixed now, PM me if it ain't.
Thank you to my newest patrons: Luis, Cyprus, Dull pen, Spider-manfav and Dantalien . Y'all rock!!!!
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi
(Flashback)
"Aaaaaaaahhh!"
I was running for my life in a dark and hellish-looking dimension while being chased by a psychotic Irish woman; who was also laughing at my screams of terror.
That would be an apt description of the few days I spent in Scàthack's domain.
"Dodge to your left!" Vritra, my ever-present companion, warned me just in time for me to dodge a spear throw, which nearly nicked my kidneys. "You can't keep running, partner. You must stand your ground and engage in combat with her, that's what she wants."
I looked back and saw my current nightmare giving me chase. That old lady I met before was just a disguise she used to travel around in the human world. Now, she looked like a young warrior with her red hair flowing in the wind wildly and a glee-filled smirk that promised me pain and misery.
Her leather armor left little to the imagination as it protected certain parts of her body while leaving the rest exposed. I still felt intimidated by what I was seeing. Unlike Akeno or Rias who had a lith and curvaceous figure, Scáthach had that but with the added bonus a large number of streamlined muscles filled with scars and freckles.
He would've thought that she was a beautiful amazon if it wasn't for the fact that she was trying to kill him.
How the fuck does he want me to fight this crazy witch when both of them banned me from using my Sacred Gear!? I'm running around with just a regular spear, forced to use it instead of my other skills.
"Just follow my instructions, it's better than running around like a scared child. The sooner you learn to fight with a spear, the sooner we can go back to Kuoh." Right, it's already been two days since I've been stuck in this dimension with the only one who gets me out is right behind me.
"Fine!" I really needed to go back, I have faced broken characters before, got my ass kicked by them as well, so this shouldn't be that scary. Skidding myself to a halt, I turned around and brought my spear into a basic fighting stance that the witch showed me.
Scáthach grinned savagely when she saw me finally muster the guts to face her.
"Finally got your balls back, boyo!" She came upon me like a red lightning bolt and had the spear she threw before fly right back at her and ready to strike at me once again, "Better not disappoint me by dying."
"Pull up the spear in a high guard position and brace yourself for the impact!" Following Vritra's instruction, I brought up my weapon in front of me in a vertical position and made sure to hold my position.
Boom !
"Ha!"
The impact was so strong that I felt my arms nearly give in and get lifted from my feet. Speaking of my arms, they bent back a bit, my muscles and bones groaning at the sudden stress induced on them. Fortunately, nothing broke and I held on barely. "Take hold of her weapon and use it as leverage to deliver a knee attack to her skull."
I did just that and grabbed her spear, much to Scáthach's intrigue. She was curious about my next move, which she soon found out as my knee came closer to her face.
"Smart, but too slow!" Faster than before, moved forward and punched me in the face, stopping my momentum.
"Ngh!" I nearly blacked out from the impact, I'm sure that she broke my nose from that attack! I could taste the blood inside my mouth and couldn't even breathe normally for the next few seconds. I needed Asia to heal me up after all of this is said and done.
"Don't lose sight of her!"
"Wha…" I looked back at where she used to be and found no trace of her. Where did she go?
"Behind you!" Vritra called out.
I ducked just in time to feel the wind of the spear graze my hair and nearly cut off my ahoge. "Holy… are you trying to kill me!?" Getting more pissed off with this situation, I ignored the ban and called upon the power of my Sacred Gear.
"[ Restrict ]!" Dozens of tentacles came forth and wrapped around her arms and legs to hold her down. Again, her rather open clothing sense didn't give me many options so I had to turn a blind eye and grab onto everything.
The woman just gave me a strange look before smirking.
"Kinky… but still naïve!" Her mouth opened and to my surprise, there was a rune she formed with her tongue!?
It was a ᚨ, Ansuz! The rune glowed red hot, till a red hot roar of fire spewed from her mouth like a dragon!
' This woman is crazy!!!' I could cry at this point, when did my life get so complicated?
Wasn't this supposed to be a simple spear training spar?
"It's been nice knowing you, partner."
"Didn't she say that I also had to repair her rune seal!?" That was all I could say before being engulfed by the flames.
{ Break }
(Present)
- Saizeriya -
One of the fun discoveries that I made recently is finding out that the chain of restaurants that held a dear place in my heart had expanded to Kuoh.
Since the place just opened, there was that slight smell of wood and fresh paint. But it soon got overpowered by the heavy usage of the aromas of spices coming from the kitchen and steaming pasta in front of me.
Even though the place just opened, it was quite empty. In fact, I was the only one present at this establishment.
Ring~ !
Scratch that, make it two people.
I didn't need to look back to see who it was. It's been nearly half an hour since I invited him and that guy was never late for anything.
"Good evening, Hachiman-kun." Kiba greeted me as he walked into my field of vision.
He didn't wear his Kuoh Academy uniform. With how much I see him wearing that uncomfortable attire, even wearing one during the Rating Game; I wondered if he had anything else to wear. The current Kiba looked like a fancy playboy. A black turtleneck sweater with tight jeans and black boots which looked like they should be worn while working on the field. He even went so far as to have necklaces and bracelets!
"Well isn't someone suspiciously well dressed for a simple meet-up. You look like you just came back from a fashion show." I said, giving one last look at his attire, before digging into my food.
He laughed, scratching his nose and looking a bit embarrassed.
"Really? I don't think I look that good." I just gave him a deadpan look and pointed my thumb at the waitress that was blushing hard while looking at him like a piece of meat. That intense gaze certainly weirded the prince of Kuoh a fair bit. "Yeah… , I just wanted to look nice for our date."
"Oi! Don't word it like that!" Like seriously, I sometimes wonder about this guy! I would rather be caught doing a prince of darkness cringy pose by my parents than have people mistake us for having that kind of relationship. "For the record, you're not my type and I just invited you to talk about everything that's been going on since I was gone."
"…" Kiba just gave me that look that knew I was hiding or dodging a particular subject.
"And also because I wanted to get away from my house for a bit." I gave up and just told him everything going on back home before I came here.
"Ah, I see, trouble in paradise?"
"For some reason, I don't like the way you're saying it; that smirk doesn't help either." Made me want to punch his face-which I would never do- as he continued to give that smile.
"Basically, Rias is more open and aggressive with her feelings and for some reason, Akeno doesn't mind it." I didn't tell him the first kiss thing that the two shared because I felt that information was a bit too private. "I agree that promising to kiss her if she won the match, which wasn't the best choice to make at the moment but I didn't want her to lose. I care about her but I don't want to lose Akeno as well… I just… I just… "
"You love them both."
"… yes." I sighed, just admitting was harder than I thought, especially in public. "Am I wrong? Of course, I am! Like, what kind of person who is not a douchebag or cheating playboy goes after two girls!? I feel like scum just thinking about it. As if I'm being too greedy here for wanting both of them."
Now it was Kiba who was giving me a deadpan look, which was a rare sight, to begin with. If I took a picture I could sell it for a high price at school.
No, seriously, I could make big bucks if I sold some pictures of this guy. Those girls are incredibly thirsty when they want to be.
"Are you for real, Hachiman?" He spoke with his voice no longer cheerful.
"Do I look like someone who jokes around?"
"No, but you are beginning to look like a dense buffoon."
I nearly spurt out my coffee when I heard what was definitely an insult thrown on my person by none other than Kiba Yuuto himself. " Cough, cough… wh- I'm sorry?"
"Hachiman-kun, even after knowing us devils for years, living with Akeno and Rias since childhood, you still treat everything about us with a human mentality. Devils don't care about half of what you're worried about, some might even laugh at your face for that mindset. In our culture-and most pantheons-having a harem is considered the norm and is even encouraged by everyone. You may see having feelings for Buchou and wanting to pursue a romantic relationship with her as infidelity towards Akeno, but you couldn't be any more wrong." He was getting louder with each word and I had to quickly cast a silencing spell around us so that the staff didn't start worrying over the content of our topic.
"Buchou has been working hard towards the day you would finally accept her feelings. She's trained like never before and even abandoned any plans to expand the peerage with the remaining pieces. She did this all for you! I know this, Koneko-chan knows this and even Akeno-san knows this. The reason she doesn't say anything is probably because she wants you to accept Rias and make this official and stop screwing around in uncertainties for a change!" He screamed at the end while I further sank in my seat, scared of his outburst.
He seemed to calm himself, before fixing his composure, "Sorry, but I'm getting tired of seeing you two beating around the bush."
But it got me thinking.
He was right.
I needed to get my act together.
And I needed to have a private talk with Akeno about that whole kissing Rias thing. I felt a bit conflicted about her actions, and needed to word it out instead of just ignoring it.
I knew she didn't have any bad intentions in mind, still… a talk was necessary.
"So… I should just go back and accept them both as my girlfriend?"
"If it wasn't obvious by now, yes." Was it just me or is Kiba acting more… different than usual?
"It isn't that easy…"
"Then make it easy."
He wasn't making this any easier.
"You know what? Let's talk about what happened while I was, okay?" I'll handle this harem stuff myself, I'll just have to stop being a coward and own up to the girls.
"Well… there's a lot, honestly. During our training period, Azazel came along with Asia-chan and Kalawarna-san. We even trained alongside Sona and her group." Kiba then recounted the following days and mentioned all of the different training that they received.
"Oho? Guess you must have had fun with the new sparring partners." Now it was my turn to start asking the questions, "Tell me, did you have a nice time with Tsubaki?" I said while giving him a shit-eating grin.
Kiba just looked at me confused.
"I don't follow…"
What?
"You can't come here and tell me that you're as dense as your average protagonist! With all that talk you just gave me a few seconds ago, I expected better from you."
He laughed.
"What's so funny?"
"Hehehe, nothing, just remembered how you used to be against the concept of romance and generally kept your distance with such topics. And you were even very pessimistic back then and a bit of a debbie downer."
Well, that's because I just happened to be introduced to the world of the supernatural and was a bit put off. Not to mention I was still dealing with some of my demons back then.
… Did he seriously call me a 'debbie downer'?
"People change, Kiba. And for your information, I wasn't pessimistic; I was being realistic. Still am, mind you. The only difference between past me and present me, is that I just grew up. I see the flaw in my past thinking, but I also see the benefits and protection it gave me. Made me look at the world with a different lens than others, it allowed me to accurately judge others and their true self is hidden behind a mask."
"You speak as if you've lost that ability."
I shook my head.
The people in this world and my old one were vastly different. Here, people tend to show off their true selves more often than not. Their problems had a much bigger impact on their life compared to what I was used to dealing with from my old life. Koneko's case is a prime example. Having an elder sibling accused of having lost control of her powers and killing her master wasn't something you would generally find in Sobū High.
I was used to dealing with people who tried to be more accepted by others behind a fake personality. Many tried to mask their original intentions behind a polite and friendly face. Some who didn't want to be ignored and alone. Cliques, social gatherings, friends, rejections, and acceptance was their main concern. It was something much simpler that revolved around themselves and a few others.
One could argue that here it was the same case, but they tend to forget that none of the people in Sobū had the capability or mentality to easily kill someone and destroy towns on a whim.
I couldn't just rely on myself and my logic to survive and protect my close ones here; I needed to be something more.
"I didn't lose that ability, it's just that the ability alone doesn't suffice anymore. It isn't the same anymore, now, there is much more at stake, since falling into the supernatural. So I need to learn to put my needs and wants aside for a bit and make place for others. I need to become stronger in order to stop any threat that decides that they would want to hurt my friends and the people I love, even if sometimes it's from themselves." This time, I focused on Kiba. "That includes you."
"Me?"
"Don't give me that surprised act, something's been on your mind since you first came here." Though the changes may seem subtle to others, for me who knew Kiba for years; it was pretty obvious.
He looked on edge, rigid and his smile was terribly fake… at least faker than usual.
"…"
"Hey, you don't need to reveal anything to me. It's not like I've known you for years and even helped you on many life and death occasions. Think of me as a stranger, a tool you're just usi-"
"-Tomoe sent me a picture today."
A picture?
"And does that have anything to do with how you currently are?"
He didn't answer my question, deciding that showing would be better than talking. Kiba sent me a picture he got from Tomoe. When I looked over the picture, I was surprised to find what looked to be a younger Issei playing games with another kid near a fireplace.
"Interesting, either Sona and the others decided to give Issei's house a visit and his parents decided to embarrass their son a bit and show off his old pictures. Or… Tomoe became his girlfriend and they are now dating; which I find to be highly unlikely." Some of the girls had a thing for Saji, though I don't remember Tomoe being one of them.
"Look closely," Kiba said with a grave tone. I didn't kid around and paid more attention to the details. There wasn't much to see, I didn't recognize the other kid, nor was there anyone else aside from those two in the frame. The background didn't look like it was the Hyoudou's house; too fancy in my opinion for that pervert to live in.
Until it hit me right in the face.
The sword in the back!
It looked just like…
"Excalibur Mimic." Over the years, Kiba and I did enough research on the Holy Sword Project to learn that there were in fact, not 1, not 2, but rather 7 different Excaliburs in this world. And we even made sure to memorize their appearance from the little description we could dig up without alerting the church. I realized what this meant for Kiba and worriedly looked at him. "Kiba…"
His exterior mask broke for a second, and I saw the wrathful person he truly was from his eyes. "To think, things like this happen, huh. To find it in such an unexpected place… I was quite shocked that day. Hyoudou Issei of all people… hahahaha! It's almost like a joke, don't you think?"
Kiba laughed by himself. But his eyes were filled with so much hatred that it made me shiver. The fate of the Tri-hair colored man flashed in my mind and I grew frightened of what might happen to Kiba if he kept on going like this.
"-?"
I heard the chair opposite of me squeak, it was Kiba preparing to leave. He didn't even take his phone back and had that cold and soulless look in his eyes.
"Kiba… where are you going?" I asked apprehensively, already having an idea on what he was planning. Thousands of scenarios going through my head. "You haven't ordered any food yet."
"I'm fine, Hachiman." He dropped the kun, he's no longer joking around. "I'll just pay a visit to the Hyoudou's… maybe they know something about this." His tone didn't convey that this might be a friendly talk. Despite having talked with Issei a couple of times, Kiba still considered the boy a stranger and didn't have any friendly feelings towards him.
"Listen to me, Kiba… you're making a mistake here. Issei doesn't have anything to do with this, I doubt that pervert even remembers most of his childhood. Don't drag him into something you might regret in the future."
"This is none of your concern. After years of searching yet we came empty-handed over Valper's whereabouts and now we finally have what looks like a lead. I just need Hyoudou Issei to… confess some information on this person in the picture." Not in your state, you look like you'd murder someone by bumping into you.
"We can do this together, let's have your King help us." I put some emphasis on the King's part, to remind him of who he was loyal to and pledged to never abandon. A dirty move, I know, but a necessary one.
He didn't give me a reply and was about to leave the table.
But I wouldn't let him.
Sorry bud, but you asked for it.
"Isaz," I muttered quietly while my hands drew an I under the table.
"What are you d-" Kiba's eyes widened in shock as he stopped moving and fell to the floor paralyzed; shocking some of the staff members.
"Kiba!" I acted surprised and hurriedly made my way toward him. "Oh no, not again!"
"Is the customer okay!?" The waitress that was giving those goo-goo eyes at him earlier on, came rushing. "I should call an ambulance!"
"No need!" I stopped her just in time when she was about to dial the emergency number. "My mom's a doctor, she's the one who takes care of him whenever he gets like this. Don't worry, this is a pre-existing medical condition he was born with, he isn't in any kind of danger. I'll bring him back home so that he can get some treatment." To further prove my identity to the doubtful lady, I showed her a picture of myself and Kiba and a random doctor.
"I-I see, then I guess you should make haste, sir."
As I dragged him off with a princess carry, I could feel his eyes burning a hole in my head.
"Sorry Kiba, you're going to put yourself and others into needless danger and will go all emo, lone wolf-like if I didn't stop you. Hate me all you want later on, but do it after I get more information from Azazel. I know you won't let this go, so I'll be making sure you don't do things all blind and alone."
Guess Rias and Akeno will be sleeping on their own tonight.
{ Break }
Up in the skies of Kuoh, where a heavy blanket of clouds covered the town's sky. A single black figure could be seen floating up there.
It was someone feared by many, even gods knelt before them. Known to be one of the strongest beings in existence and only second to Great Red.
Yes, it was none other than the Ouroboros Dragon, the Infinity Dragon…
Her emotionless gaze swept the town below where she was honing in at a single person. She had sensed him long ago, back when he used a power that reminded her of the Dimensional Gap.
"Found you… Black Dragon."
She was one step closer to getting her home back.
The next 5 chapters of Snafu and Fate are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter.
Sports festival
Hiiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
This… this is a long one.
Took my always a week to write it and nearly killed me.
Thank you to my newest patrons: Snow, Tyler Wright and Freedom47, y'all rock!!!!
Thats all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi
- Kuoh -
After I had temporarily paralyzed Kiba, I brought him with me to Azazel and then recounted everything that happened.
"And so, that's the gist of it."
The man in question, Kiba, was already free from his status and was sitting beside me. I could tell that he was grumpy, but at least he was no longer acting like the prince of Kuoh and just had a serious frown with sharp eyes staring at nothing.
Azazel was looking at the picture on Kiba's phone while scratching his goatee in contemplation.
"Well, what do you know, this is indeed an Excalibur."
"I believe that we've already established that," Kiba muttered, getting annoyed by the stalling.
This caused the Governor to chuckle. "Not in a great mood I see. Don't become another version of Vali, please. He's already a pain in the ass to deal with his constant rebel phase." As if I'll let it happen, the bastards still annoys me.
"Anyways, a bit of a surprise that Hyoudou Issei had come in contact with one of the shards in the past, or at least someone in possession of it. Taking their age into account, I do believe this adds up to the events of the past."
"What happened?"
Azazel turned silent for a few seconds before scratching his head. "This is kind of a touchy subject concerning both the Devil faction and the Angel faction. I don't even think the Gremory brat is fully aware of the details of this town's past. Even I had to go through sketchy channels to acquire this information. Tell me, do you know who happened to be the former overseer of Kuoh?"
I leaned forward and pondered on his question. I remembered Rias informing me of the information years ago, but it's been so long that I barely remember it. "All I know is that someone died and they happened to be one of the major clans back in the Underworld."
"Cleria Belial, cousin to Diehauser Belial and Buchou's aunt," Kiba added the missing information. Oh, I recognized her cousin's name, he was the king of Rating Games with his broken power of negating devil powers; Power of Worthless. The perfect counter to people like Riser or even Rias, basically people who rely too much on their clan powers to win.
"Right you are kid, that lass came here years ago, about the time Issei was about the same age as seen in the picture. Trust me when I tell you that the scandal that happened back then could have shaken the entire world."
"A devil fell in love with an exorcist and vice versa."
"What!?"
"Woah!"
Both me and Kiba reacted in shock at the revelation. After dealing with exorcists and knowing how fanatic they can be; like Freed for example. I would have been in disbelief at one of them becoming friends with a devil, let alone in love with one! A Belial clan member no less!
Relationship of two people from different species being in love and being forbidden to see each other since they belong to different factions that were enemies.
I could already imagine the fallout this news would have created with the two factions.
"As you may expect, the Vatican wasn't pleased with this piece of news. A heresy of the highest order, a sacrilege to Father's name. So they had no other option but to send a kill unit to assassinate those two, for this union to never happen. You see where I'm going with this?"
Kiba answered instead, "The man to whom the sword belongs to in the picture, and the probable parent of the kid playing with Issei is most likely one of the people who killed Cleria Belial and her lover."
"Exactly, but unfortunately, that is all I know of this topic. You may get more information from Sirzechs or from Michael; if you can get in touch with him that is. With your reputation and affiliation, that's gonna be a challenge trying to get through the church. But don't worry, I can work something out if you want to meet with him?"
"So this is just another dead end," Kiba said, a tinge of anger in his voice.
"Not really," Azazel added. "You see, you both have impeccable timing which if I didn't know better, I would find it extremely suspicious." He grabbed some files from his desk and dropped them in front of us.
"What is this?" I asked, picking up one of the papers.
"Read it yourself." His tone sounded more serious than before.
I wondered at his weird behaviour and opened the folder. It was a report of a recent incident in Italy. The more I read through the paragraphs, the more my eyes widened in surprise. Kiba had a similar reaction as he read alongside me.
"What the… Azazel, are you serious!? Someone stole the Excaliburs!?" What was worse was the detail about the rumours of the Church planning to send two exorcists to Kuoh! Which only meant one thing, they suspected the devils to have been behind the incident or they tracked the culprit here. Both options were terrible news all around.
"Shocking right? This is like indirectly declaring war with the Church and worst of all, the three factions might get involved if it continues to escalate."
"Do you have any suspects?" Since he bothered to show me this then he must have done his research. Azazel would never let such a conflict come to be, he would never endanger his already dwindling race.
"… Kokabiel."
"…"
"…"
And just like that, the entire room had gone silent.
"We can't get in contact with him, he disappeared a few weeks ago and we know him; he's probably the one responsible for this entire situation."
Well, things couldn't get any worse now.
… And I just jinxed it.
{ Break }
- Kuoh Academy-
CLANG !
The dull clanging of metal reverberated through the azure sky.
"All right. I've got this one."
Issei said as he promptly caught the soaring baseball with his gloved hand.
"Uuuu! Nice catch, Hyoudou!"
"I'm the best!"
Saji smiled and gave him a thumbs up. The Student Council was practising baseball in the backyard of the old school building where the grass has been removed.
'Next week is Kuoh Academy's 'Ball Tournament'. It's a battle between clubs and Rias wants to win no matter what. Her competitive spirit is growing by the day.'
"We will crush the Occult Research Club, so none of you will laze around!"
So said Sona with a firm voice. Yeah, one of the school's biggest events, the ' Ball Tournament ', was closing in. Overall, one could describe it as an event where we play ball-related sports, such as baseball, soccer, basketball, and tennis. These matches include contests between classes and genders, and obviously, there are also some between clubs. Whether or not you belong to a sports club, it's mandatory; naturally, that includes the Student Council.
What the clubs actually play is announced on the day of the event, we don't know what it will be in the end. When club member numbers differ, the set-up is for fair play, at least number-wise. According to the rules, some sports may require more players, so we need to make sure we have reserves. And in conclusion, everyone was practising sports, likely to arise even more competition. Even the kendo club was practising basketball on the other side of the school.
Today, Rias organised some light exercises for the club. But since we still had some to spare, I came to spectate Sona and her group.
That accursed Gurren Lagann opening song began playing on my phone. Guess it was time I joined the others.
"Wait… aren't I the president of the Service Club? Doesn't that mean…" How could I forget something so important!?
"Aika! Asia! Club meeting!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, startling Sona and the others, but I ignored them as I ran back to my clubroom while sending a message to my clubmates.
"What's wrong with the guy?" Tomoe asked, as she and the rest of her club mates watched Hachiman run to the school.
"He finally remembered that he had a club," Sona answered with a monotone voice. Even if she had to face Hachiman, she wouldn't hold back, no matter her feelings.
{ Break }
- Service Club-
As it was evening, the sky was beginning to darken. Typically, we spend our time chatting away in the club room or helping people with their problems. Fortunately, both Asia and Aika heeded my message and joined me as soon as possible.
"Welcome back, boss!" Aika screamed in my face while going for a hug which I dodged perfectly.
"Ah come on! You've been gone for nearly two weeks! The least I can have is a hug." She certainly trained her puppy dog eyes, she must have learned it from Asia, because it was starting to work on me.
"I would, only if you don't make it sexual and make things awkward for me." Also because I didn't like when people invade my personal space so suddenly.
"Deal!" Aika once again leaped towards me with her arms open wide, and I didn't move this time. The girl was right, she did deserve a hug for all the work I've put on her. It wasn't fair, she alone was pulling the club and making it float. It was time for me to become active for once.
"Oof!" For her small size, she certainly packed a lot of strength in her grip. But I didn't mind, even when she started to nuzzle my chest.
"…"
"…"
"Welcome back… Asia and I missed you." She muttered quietly with her face on my chest as her hug became tighter.
I reluctantly returned the hug, the girl had no idea how much I was thankful for her effort in keeping the club running.
Thump
I felt another pair of arms behind me, it was Asia pouting at me cutely, looking jealous that I didn't give her enough attention as well.
"You didn't call me or Kalawarna-san when you came back… We were worried."
I patted her head, "Sorry about that, there was so much going on back then, that I forgot. Can you forgive me?"
She gave me a stern look before changing it into a bright and innocent beaming smile. Maybe it was the sun playing tricks on my eyes but I could see the halo of light behind her smile.
' Huugh! The light! She's too pure for my heart!'
"A-Alright, I forgive you, Hachiman-san." She said, no longer seeming angry with me. She seemed to remember something and came close to my ear and whispered. "Ano… I need your help with Viser-san, I think we can help her now."
Viser?
"Oooh, that one!" I remembered the day I introduced Asia to the group and we were about to eliminate a stray who shot acid from her boobs. Asia begged Rias to not kill her and we ended up restraining her in our house's basement. I had completely forgotten about her.
I gave the girl a nod, finally freeing myself from the two girls. I was curious about the progress Asia made with the stray.
"Okay you two, with the emotional reunion is done, we need to make preparations for our club to participate in the school sports event." We needed a plan of attack and some light training on some sports so that Asia can be familiar with them.
"Ummm, what about Akeno-san?"
"Well, she is first and foremost, a member of the Occult Research Club. So, she will most likely end up as our competitor." I didn't want to win this sports event. I wasn't as competitive as Rias and Sona and just wished to get by.
"Tch, oh course she is sleeping with the enemy. Aren't we enough for her?!"
I'm going to ignore that dangerous thought.
My only objective is to avoid last place.
{ Break }
After doing a quick meeting with Aika and Asia, and using the spray bottle on Aika a couple of times. The latter who now kept following me and refused to part ways. We soon reached the gymnasium where Rias and her group were located.
They had already changed into their PE uniforms and practised sports. Training in the morning, lectures at school, practising sports, and Devil's jobs at night… Devils sure did have an endless amount of stamina. Even if I were to become one, I don't think I would put nearly as much work as the people here.
They hadn't noticed our arrival yet. Asia and I sat on the benches, quietly watching them practice.
And what do you know, they were playing baseball just like Sona's team.
"Batting practice is fine now. If it's baseball, then Koneko will be the fourth batter."
"… Affirmative."
Gasper was chosen as a batter.
I'm honestly surprised that Rias was able to get him out of his box. He might as well have been Solid Snake's son, with how much he loved hiding in that box.
"Now! We'll practice a 'knock'! Everyone! Put your gloves on and spread out!"
Rias was certainly in high spirits. She was so energetic and lively that she was basically on fire. She rarely if ever looked like that before the Rating Game with Riser.
"Ufufufu. Buchou likes these kinds of things." Said Akeno while giggling, seeing the fire in her king's eyes.
"I think I understand. "Onee-sama" hates to lose."
As Devils who are fundamentally stronger than humans, on the sports day, they will have to hold back. Unfair? Not really, they couldn't change their nature and even decided to play fair by holding back.
"Even if your brain knows, your body has to as well." Said Rias, trying to sound wise in her words.
Theory and practicality may be one of Rias' favourite subjects, but it didn't mean she was good at it. Still, she did well enough.
"Here, Gasper! Here I go!"
"Waaaaaa! The ball is too fast!" Despite what the dhampir shouted, Rias gently threw the ball at an arc.
POMF !
"Haaan! Aaau-aaau-aaau… Aah!" He missed… terribly. It was honestly embarrassing to see.
The ball went through Gasper's legs. Needless to say, his sports senses were below exceptional.
"Gasper! If you fail to catch it, go fetch it!"
"Too m-much wo-work!" He complained, clutching the bat close to him. Honestly, if I didn't know any better, I would've believed that he was a cute girl. It's Totsuka all over again.
I hope I don't go down the Gasper route, I'm not ready to take that step.
"I won't return your PFP if you don't participate."
"A-Alright…"
Again, since the Raiser incident, Rias started to show a lot of concern about matches. She seemed to really regret her loss of composure with Raiser; even if she won in the end. It was a Devil pride thing for her, if I wasn't there… then she would have let everyone down. That was something she could never let happen ever again.
"Next is Yuuto! Here!"
Klang !
Rias threw the ball to Kiba.
"…"
Unlike yesterday, Kiba didn't look like he was about to kill someone. We had an understanding, Kiba wasn't a fool to ignore the signs of something big happening in Kuoh. So we agreed that he'll get his thoughts together and actually ask Rias for help. Even if she refuses, I'll be there for him as a backup.
Klang !
As expected, he hit a home run.
"Nice going, Yuuto!" Rias and Akeno cheered to the now flustered Knight.
"Auuuuu, can… we… get a break, Buchou? I'm dying here!" Gasper cried out with comical tears. He wanted to go back to his hikikomori hole and play some RPGs.
"Alright, one hour break everyone!"
Oh, she picked up a baseball manual. Rias tends to read when things come up. Quite a bookworm she is. At home, she reads some complicated and unnecessary texts. It wouldn't hurt her to just look up the rules online. For someone obsessed with Japanese culture, she certainly was not that attuned to modern technology. I don't even think she used her phone outside her devil work.
She didn't even have any games inside it!
Yes, I've checked. It wasn't hard to guess her password.
"Ara ara. I see we have guests~" They finally noticed our presence.
"Yo." I gave them a lazy salute.
"G-G-Good morning!"
"Hachi-kun!?" Rias stumbled and nearly dropped her book on baseball plays. "Where have you been yesterday!?"
"Azazel. Had some stuff to work on, sorry about that." Even with my explanation, she was giving me the stink eye. Guess she really wanted that bath, huh…
Akeno didn't seem to mind my absence as came over and kissed me, much to the dismay of those present in the room. I could feel several glares at me.
"Akeno, can we talk for a bit later on? It's a bit important." The kiss thing was bugging me a bit, I just wanted to put it out of my head for good.
"Sure, you know what?"
"What?"
"Recently, Buchou started reading a manual on love." She said while snickering, moving to sit next to me and burying my arm between her breasts. I felt Asia sit closer to me after that, I didn't mind it but did she have to wrap herself around my arm.
"Akeno!?"
"… A love manual?" I gave Rias a ' Are you for reals?' look. She just avoided eye contact with a heavy blush on her cheeks.
"We can teach her the basics together, fufufufu~" Knowing her, she was definitely not joking around.
"Should I be worried about sleeping around you two now?"
Akeno began to laugh, while Asia was blushing like a tomato at my comment before passing out from her intense imagination.
"Ufufufu. Hachi-kun, you don't have to worry about it. It'll be alright. You'll enjoy it as much as we do."
That's not what I meant, woman.
"Okay, break time is over! Akeno, come back here!" Rias called her back hurriedly, not wanting her Queen to say anything else.
{ Break }
(Lunchtime)
The ' Ball Tournament ' was approaching. Aika, Asia, and I both trained slightly earlier this morning. Asia wasn't a sports person at all, while Aika was a good runner but that's it for her. Though I wished that she didn't keep posing in weird ways, or had Asia follow her lead, it was too much for me. Other than that mishap, this would indeed be a challenge.
"Club-room today as well?" Katase asked, munching on a squid sausage. She and Murayama both joined me for lunch. I honestly can't remember when was the last time we ate together. I once again realised how little time I spent with my peers at school. If I want to make any progress towards a normal life in the future, I need to get along with some people aside from my friends.
"Don't talk with your mouth full and yeah, training for the tournament. My club is… not the most gifted in sports."
"True, I can't imagine little Asia playing an intense sport. Though she would look very cute in gym clothes if she did."
"Yeah." Murayama agreed with her friend.
I didn't want to accidentally confirm that she does look cute in the gym uniform, otherwise they might start asking to many questions
"Hachiman, are you in the Yakuza?"
Spprrt!
Cough! Cough! Cough!
I sprayed my drink on the table and nearly choked from it. I gave these two girls an incredulous look asking them where they got such an outlandish idea!
"Wh… what are you talking about?"
Murayama looked uncomfortable and Katase talked in her place instead.
"Well, this was a long time ago. Murayama here said she once saw you walking down the streets covered in blood and injuries. I believe it was during the entrance ceremony."
That long-ago!?
Wasn't that the day I fought Bawler?
' Vritra, help me out here !' I needed a believable explanation.
' Tell them you fell down some stairs.'
' What? That's a terrible lie! Can't you come up with anything better!?'
' Oi, I am a dragon who values honesty and integrity above all else… except in battle of course. I never lied nor have I tried to. A waste of time that only invites more trouble in the future. Just tell them the truth, but with less detail.'
Come on!
I quickly came up with an idea.
"You misunderstood. I was walking in pitch-black darkness that night and fell down a flight of stairs. Me working for the Yakuza? Psht, don't get such stupid ideas, I'm just a regular kid. The last thing I want is to get entangled with rumours about the Yakuza. Well would you look at the time, I need to go back, we have a lot to prepare in the club." I freaking used the stair excuse, this was my worst attempt at lying!
If I had looked back, I would have seen Katase giving me a suspicious look while Murayama looked worried about me.
{ Break }
"Hey, you two. Finished lunch?" I approached my two club members to call them back for training.
"Asia, our boyfriend is calling us."
The glasses-wearing succubus said so with a perverted face.
"B-b-b-boyfriend!!? Our!?!?"
Flustered. I've never seen her like this before. Well, any girl would get flustered by such a statement.
"Aika…"
"Ah, come on boss. Give us some loving~ Haven't we been working hard~? Don't we deserve some sugar~?"
"T-t-that's… Auu…"
Asia covered Kiryuu's mouth with both hands to stop her from saying anything more embarrassing.
"Aaaah! Please stop, Kiryuu-san! Let's go to the club right now!" She dragged the pervert forcefully out of the cafeteria, a blush still present on her face.
Good work Asia, you are indeed growing to handle Aika on your own. Now if we could stop her from making lewd hand gestures in front of everyone.
{ Break }
After another… lacking performance from my club mates, I decided to catch a break on the rooftop. I remembered calling Akeno up there for a talk about the kiss.
"You seem tired." She said once I've reached the place.
"Yeah well, trying to prepare for the sports event ain't easy. I didn't have time to prepare before, so I'm doing everything as fast as I can."
I felt her hand ruffle my hair lovingly, even after all these years, she still knew how to calm my nerves down.
"It'll be alright, Hachi-kun. I know it's not easy to be a president of a club, but I see Rias work hard every day. All you need to do is have fun while managing the Service Club. And don't worry about the sports tournament, even if you place last, would that really matter? I'm sure neither Aika nor Asia-chan cares about that. They just want to enjoy playing along with their friends and you."
"…"
Sigh, she was right… I was putting way too much thought into this. Rushing would only cause more problems than solutions.
"Hey, Akeno… can I ask why did you kiss Rias?" I whispered gently, trying not to look as if I was mad at her. Cause, in the end, I really wasn't.
I knew her personality better than anyone in this world. Not even Baraquiel, her father, knew her as well as I did. There was always something going on between those two. Ever since we were kids, she would tease Rias the same way she did to me. If I was told that she had kissed someone else like say, Sona. Then I would have been truly shocked and confused by her actions, while trying to hold the Sitri heir back from attacking Akeno.
"Because you were taking too long and it was hurting Rias."
"…"
"We both know that girl was infatuated with you for a while, she worked very hard to earn your approval. I love you Hachiman, I really do, but you can be extremely slow at times; despite your sharp mind. Before the Rating Game, I thought you would never take the first step… so decided to take the lead instead."
"So… , where does this leave us?" I asked, my throat starting to feel dry.
"The same place we have always been, together. I understand that you may be angered by my actions, but it was something I found to be necessary. And just I said to Rias if you aren't willing to form your harem; then I will form my own. You two are mine and no one else's. But if you wish to have some space for yourself… then as much as I hate to say it… I'll agree to it. I'll wait for you to forgive me one day."
Love is a crazy thing, it takes different forms and meanings in both the worlds I've been to. For the longest time, I adhered to my previous beliefs, of there being only that special someone for me and no one else. I wished for something genuine, to have an open and honest relationship and Akeno filled that criteria long ago.
After experiencing so many near-death experiences, I was done hesitating and holding back. I trust Akeno with my life, and my newest wish… is for her to be happy. And who am I kidding, I also had budding feelings for Rias and it was bound that something would happen between us. That girl was the definition of stubborn, she would have never given up on me.
"Wait." I grabbed her hand. "Who do you take me for? A fragile vase whose heart breaks at the smallest inconvenience? Do I look that naïve to you? Need more space from you? Stop messing with me, I have already suffered enough back in my last mission, the last thing I want is some alone time from the people I love." I brought her closer to me while glaring at her, which only made her smile.
"Your harem? I refuse that notion, and I am taking a page out of Issei's book. I'm taking you both." Wow, did I just say that? Guess the moment was getting to me…
But I won't take the words back.
"Mmph" I felt a pair of lips close on my own. It was a gentle one, not filled with lust or desire. But with passion and joy.
"Too late, if you want to make this your harem… then, you'll have forcefully claim it from me. For now, I'm the one wearing the pants in this relationship." That mischievous smirk, that smug tone, this girl was asking for it and she knew that.
"Then it's on."
"Fufufu, you will lose, Hachi-kun. I am a Fallen, after all. We never lose when it comes to love."
Then I'll prove her wrong.
"There's a first time for everything."
Back in the club, Rias dropped her pen and felt an intense shiver go up to her spine. As if two dangerous beasts looming over her head.
{ Break }
- Occult Research Club-
"Can't you two ever settle things in a civil manner"
When we entered the room, the other members were already there and some didn't belong to the club here as well.
It was Sona, having some kind of standoff with Rias.
These two never learn.
"Yes, let's get along."
Rias replied, looks like they came upon some sort of agreement. I wonder what it was.
"Rias, I will be looking forward to the 'Ball Tournament'."
Sona said with a smile before she left the room. Not before smiling at me and giving me good luck.
"Yo, Hikigaya! Can't talk much, but I promise to defeat you to prove my strength to Kaichou!" Issei said that right into my face, giving me a challenging look.
Okay?
"Uhhh… good luck?" Apparently, my response was taken negatively by the guy.
"Acting so smug already!? I'll show you, bastard! I trained for this moment for my entire life! I won't lose a sporting match to you!"
I see…
"Good luck again," I said before closing the door on him. He was motivated to defeat me, wasn't he?
"You two certainly get along well, Hachi-kun," Rias said, watching the interactions between Issei and me.
"You think so? I don't know about that…" Maybe it was because we were hosts of dragons which were known to be an extremely competitive species.
"Are you prepared for the sports tournament?"
"No, we'll just cheer you on from the side."
That earned a smile from everyone in the room, even Kiba looked better than last time.
"Then we'll have to win if you do so." He said.
{ Break }
DING! DING!
The sound of the start of the ball tournament echoed in the sky. From today's weather broadcast, it's going to rain in the evening. Please don't rain until the tournament finishes. Or we can go home earlier if that's the case.
As if the weather god will listen to my plight.
[ Matsuda-kun of the "Photography club", Hoshimachi-sensei is calling you. Can you please come to the teacher's room immediately and please bring your camera along as well.]
Someone was in trouble and to no one's surprise, it was one of the perverted duo.
The PA which is placed throughout the school ground was making announcements endlessly. All of us had to get changed into our PE uniform and gathered at one place and were resting up till the start of the match.
But the club matches were at the end. First of all, there were the class matches. I think my class is going to compete in the baseball event. I, Aika and Asia also have to participate in it. The practice we did after school wasn't in vain.
After that, there was a match between the genders.
Then after lunch, there was a match between clubs. I did some light exercises as a warm-up. Asia was stretching with the help of Aika, who was surprisingly limber.
Bad thoughts were coming this way…
Retreating from my thoughts, I focused on the other side of the field, Rias was helping Akeno stretch and attracting a lot of attention. Koneko-chan was sitting on the plastic mattress on the ground reading the rule book for ball games. Kiba was trying to survive the horde of fangirls surrounding him and sending me distress signals for a help and rescue mission; which I completely ignored of course.
I would've been swarmed as well if I intervened.
I saw Rias smirk at something Akeno said. I couldn't hear it from so far away and my spell would just get drowned by the sea of people speaking around me.
"Tennis!" The announcement came.
I only had a bad feeling about this.
{ Break }
- Tennis court-
"Gremory-senpai!! You can do it!" Aika screamed out loud.
My group was cheering for Rias from the tennis court fence. Issei and Sanji were crying tears of joy looking at the girl's tennis outfits. The thigh you could see from the mini-skirt was lewd as expected from this world! Rias was representing the girls of her class and was competing against other senior girls.
"Kaichou-samaaaaa! Kyaaaa!"
The girls around me were shouting in shrill voices. Yes, Rias's opponent was none other than the student president, Sona.
Rias wasn't the only one to look good in the outfit.
"Ufufufu. It's wonderful that we can see a match between High-class Devils in a place like this."
Akeno, who at some point joined me, was also enjoying watching it beside me.
"This is going to end badly, you know that, right?" I warned her.
"Yes, I can't wait for it to happen!" I should have known.
The match started.
"Here I come, Sona!"
"Yes, you may, Rias!"
Both of them were exchanging words like that, and they were both really into this match. It looked like a situation in a sports-comedy manga! Even I was getting fired up just looking at them!
"Kaichouuuuu! Please winnnnnnn!"
Ah, Saji was also cheering on the fence opposite of me. He was even swinging a flag that had the writing 'Student Council' on it. Issei was holding an equally big flag with a headband with her face engraved on it.
"I believe in you!!!"
Sona didn't listen to those two and focused on her oldest rival.
"Take this! Shitori-style spin-ball!"
' What kind of cringy ass name is that!? This isn't an actual anime fight!'
' Don't we also call out our attacks whenever we use our Sacred Gear?' Vritra commented.
' That's different !'
The ball Sona had just hit went rushing towards Rias.
"You are too naïve! Take this Gremory-style counter!"
Ugh, not you two you redhead weeb! At least choose a better name!
"Fufufu, you're making a funny face~" Akeno meanwhile was having the time of her life from her friends' cringy antics.
Rias tried to hit it back with her racket, but the ball changed its direction and went down!
' Wait, did they using magic in public!?'
"15-30"
"Noooooo, it's Kaichou's point!" Shut up Issei! I'm freaking out here with the blatant use of magic in such a crowded area!
' Vritra, mind wipe everyone here!'
'…'
' Oi!!'
"You are doing well, Sona. To be expected from my rival."
"Ufufu. Rias, you haven't forgotten the promise where the loser has to pay for a full course meal at Saizeriya, have you?"
Can I join if that's the case?
"Yes, I haven't. It will be my shame if you taste that before me. That's why I will definitely win! Did you know that I have 108 styles of magic ball?" Did she copy that from me?
"I will accept that challenge. I will hit back all the balls that come into my 'Shitori-Zone'."
I wouldn't be surprised if one of them shouted Bankai at this point.
I don't know why but both of their eyes were burning with determination.
"Bankai!"
… Oh god I hate my life.
It's Zaimokuza all over again.
"Fufufufufu Hahahaha!" Akeno was already on the floor rolling around and laughing like a madwoman.
In the end, they both lost.
{ Break }
"Bloomers!"
"This is heaven!" I heard Issei and Saji shout in the back.
I was a bit shocked after seeing what Asia was wearing. It was not the school's PE uniform shorts but a bloomer… Before the start of the club matches, Asia suddenly disappeared, and when I thought she came back she was wearing a bloomer.
I already knew who the culprit was.
"Aika?"
"Yes… Kiryuu-san told me that it would make you happy." She said meekly. "You don't like it?"
"Do YOU like it?" I asked.
She looked a bit embarrassed but nodded nonetheless. "Yes… it looks cute and is easier to move in."
I felt something burst inside me from the cuteness overload!
"Then I don't mind it." I tried to keep my composure and look as cool as possible.
I felt someone hug me from behind, where their hands started to rome over my chest.
"Kiryuu-san!"
"I knew that you would like it! I was aware that you couldn't keep your eyes off me when I was wearing the bloomers."
"I don't know what you are talking about" I didn't notice how those bloomers made her legs look amazing. Even if I push myself to give her a simple compliment, she'll never let it go.
I'm truly a gentleman.
"Hachi-kun! I will reward you if you work hard!" Akeno said out loud, blowing me a kiss, with Katase and Murayama cheering along with her. And with the way Aika was hugging me, I might as well be dead six times over with all of the death glares the males were giving me.
At this point, I didn't care about them and returned the gesture with a smirk and a big fat middle finger.
Fuck all of you!
She's my girlfriend, so suck it up!
"I definitely can't lose! Kaichou's breasts are mine!"
"Oi, shut it Hyoudou! They're mine, not yours!" Both Issei and Saji were back at it again.
"They belong to none of you perverts!" Oh, looks like Sona snapped at the idiots.
Grab
I looked down and saw Asia hold my hand. "We'll win!" She said cutely huffing from her nose. "A-And I have a reward as well!"
Awww, just being in your presence was good enough for me.
"Me too~!"
Away with you, you succubus! You're ruining Asia's innocence!
"I'm counting on you! Let's put this as a team!"
What I got out was a headband, which had an embroidery 'Service club' imprinted on it. It was handmade by Issei.
The guy gave me a sheepish look when he handed it to me, "Uhhh, I had some remaining materials left and decided to do one for your club as well… and also as a thanks for helping me out."
I was touched by his gesture. Despite being a pervert he certainly had his good points. "Thanks, man, but we're still going to win."
"Bring it on!" He screamed while being tagged with Saji.
"Ara, you got one as well?" Akeno said.
"Yes, Issei is more skillful than I thought. It's well made."
"Hehehe. I was secretly practising."
"Students, please get into position for the three-legged race!" The referee announced.
"Are you ready, Asia?"
"Always!"
The referee came near the track. "On your marks. Get set. Go!"
Bang!
"Let's start by walking," I said as we started slower than the rest. It was important to start steadily and slowly increase our pace.
Our pan seemed to work as we slowly started to pass the other contestants.
Many of those who started fast fell due to their uncoordinated movements.
That included Issei and Saji, who weren't comfortable being so close to each other. Tomoe and Momo were taking a lot of pictures of those two.
"We're doing it!" Asia was extremely excited as she saw us taking the lead.
"Heh, Service Club for the win."
And just like that, we won the race.
I really enjoyed these last few days. It gave the feeling of being normal once again. No enemies trying to kill me, no crazy goddess, and no crazy lunatic running around with a sword in hand ready to stab me.
Kiba himself had a genuine smile on his face. He had temporarily put aside his vengeance for the day and focused on his club members exclusively and had some fun.
Even Vritra had some comments on his behaviour.
' The boy is on the brink of unlocking his full potential… he is nearly there.'
True, let's hope nothing too crazy happens these next few days… or at least I don't end up nearly dying again.
' One can always wish for the impossible, partner.'
Did I mention how I hated his newly formed snarky attitude lately?
{ Break}
(Midnight)
In the middle of the night, heavy rain fell on the remote corner of Kuoh.
On a street where a puddle of blood was forming, stood a single person overlooking the corpse of a giant chimaera lizard stray.
"N… no, I can't… die here"
"Repent for your sins, devil. You are a scourge that will bring humanity to its downfall. Let my swords bring divine punishment upon you!"
"… Hurgh… I beg you… Please don't… I can't anymore…" The monster helplessly tried to crawl away.
Stab !
Faster than the eye could track, a sword stabbed right through the monster's skull, releasing a high amount of holy energy destroying the beast from the inside out.
If Hachiman or Kiba were to see the sword, they would recognize it as being none other than Excalibur rapidly; one of the seven shards of the original Excalibur.
The figure turned out to be a young blonde woman with golden armour holding two swords while wearing a cloak to block out the rain. One being the Excalibur she just used and another other one being…
… A rapier.
"I wonder how Tobi is doing?"
The next 5 chapters of Snafu and my two Fate stories are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter.
Morning
Hiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Unfortunately, this is a super short chapter .
The week I wrote this chapter, I was very sick and couldn't write for long. Fortunately, I got better and the next chapter will be the usual length.
Also, I corrected to Matsuda and Motohama mix up in chapter 16 thx to a reader's review.
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi
- ???-
I was back.
In a small room in the dark, two chairs placed in the middle where a familiar-looking person was waiting for me with a sketchpad in hand. The table in the middle had various assortments of colors and paintbrushes. Still featureless like last time, still a blank humanoid avatar of someone or something I knew nothing of.
"Hey…"
"…"
No response as usual.
Typical.
"So, how do we do this? I sit here, and you give me the sketchpad to color stuff? I believe the last time I came here, I was coloring Vritra… I should probably get done with it," sitting down opposite to Bob, I took the sketchpad he handed me.
'How long has it been? Years since I came back to this place .'
When I first ended up here, I held nothing but fear and despair-facing the possibility that I could have been stuck here forever, believing that I failed Akeno and Shuri. The second time, I held more curiosity in my heart; that's when I discovered the sketchpad and Vritra's drawing. I finally realized that those two dragons were none other than Ddraig and Albion. As to why they were present in the book was still a mystery to me.
Opening the pages of the various amounts of different mythical beasts, fairies, and even items from legend-I was finally back to Vritra's page. "What?" I was surprised to find an unexpected change.
Vritra was completed.
How?
I had only colored the head and a few parts; now, everything was painted to the utmost perfection. The drawing felt like it was alive, and it gave me the same feeling when I stood in front of Vritra when he awakened. There was nothing more to add. What was I supposed to do now?
Bob just pointed his finger at the sketchbook, probably telling me that there was more to do. But for the life of me, I couldn't figure out what exactly I needed to do. Seemingly, I had an endless amount of time here and that it didn't affect the outside world, I just flipped the pages and looked at the other works.
I saw Asia's-Twilight Healing-with a fairy sleeping against a tree trunk.
A gigantic and menacing Balor, with three sets of eyes-felt like I would burn alive just by staring at it for too long. It was weird to imagine that a small boy, who could pass up as a cute loli girl, could house such a beast. But then, I have Vritra within me, and he is a dragon.
I paused at a particular drawing, one of an anvil and hammer. Exuding holy energy from the sword, it was depicting crafting. But… I didn't feel the least bit calm or awed by this image. Not to dwell any further on it, I continued to browse the pages.
That is until I came across a certain drawing of a spear.
I recognized it immediately-Gae Bolga, the Spear of Mortal Death.
It was just like the one I held in my possession currently, the same one that nearly killed me as well. A part of it was colored red, while the rest came to be left blank for me to finish, I guessed. So, since it existed for me to finish, I followed the steps and carefully put in the red paint on the shaft of the spear. I wasn't an artist by any means, but I knew how to avoid going past the lines. The blade was a tricky one.
How does one paint the color of steel? A mixture of black and white, maybe.
"Didn't Vritra absorb the spear? Since his theme is black and violet, I can maybe combine his palette with the blade and come up with something new. Since I'm going to add black and violet to the blade, I should also add the changes done to the shaft."
When I brought out the spear during my training with Scáthach, I noticed the vein-like pattern all over the weapon. I could probably fill in the pattern with Vritra's colors.
Hopefully, this doesn't have far reaching consequences.
After what felt like an hour, I was done.
I showed the spear to Bob, who then took the sketchpad off my hands.
Crack!
Crumble!
It happened again. Every time I was done with my work, the floor beneath me crumbled into pieces, and I fell right through it. I didn't scream-I was used to it-but just gazed at Bob. Asking myself for the thousandth time, "Who or what are you?"
{ Break }
- Kuoh -
I woke up from that dream.
"Hey, Vritra…" I called out to him, the gecko-looking Sacred Gear forming on my hand. Its red eyes glowed eerily, a sign that he was listening to me.
' Yes ?'
"Did something happen while I was sleeping? Do you remember dreaming about something?"
' Not really. I don't remember seeing anything out of the ordinary.'
Oh… So Vritra wasn't able to see that being, even when we technically share the same soul at this point.
' Is it really just a dream? It can't be.'
These blurry dreams felt different from the rest. It was like I could almost remember it but couldn't completely understand it. It happened to me before, now I didn't know the meaning behind them and what I could do to better remember them.
Well, might as well get up for now.
"Hmm…" I groaned from slowly waking up from my sleep. My eyelids felt like they weighed a ton. Just opening them for the tiniest bit and seeing the blurry lights of sunshine felt like an enormous challenge. The ceiling of my room came into view.
The divine feeling from my bed was reeling back my mind to Morpheus's domain. It was a hard feeling to resist, the warm blanket, the comfy pillow which was like a warm cloud where I could sink my face further into the plushy fabric. The softness reminded me of something I had felt before…
It was Saturday; Kuoh Academy was closed after a successful day with the sports festival. Everyone performed wonderfully, from the photography club, which won second place for the track racing event with Matsuda-a former member of the track team-using my past experience to secure second place. First place went to Tomoe Meguri, who might have used her status as a Knight to her advantage.
Was it considered cheating? Probably, but there's nothing she can do about it since it was a part of her.
To the surprise of many, Kiba didn't participate in any normal racing event but rather decided to go for the donut-eating race. It was comical, to say the least, though I still ended up in second, with Aika taking the win. In her own words, "Of course, I would win. I've been practicing on stuffing large objects in my mouth ever since meeting Hachi-kun!"
I guess all those pastries she got as gifts from helping people did come in handy in giving her an iron stomach, while I completely ignored the fact on what she was really implying or that I sprayed her with water for several minutes.
Team-related events were a catastrophe from the beginning. Sona and Rias just wouldn't let the other one have the slightest advantage. Even the principal got involved and just gave those two a tie for first place. Safe to say, neither of them was happy with the results. Fortunately, Tsubaki and Akeno were there to handle their Kings. From afar, it looked like two mothers apologizing to each other for their child's behavior.
All in all, it was a fun day, and I certainly enjoyed every moment of it. Asia certainly did; she couldn't stop talking about it when we went back to our club to rest. By resting, I meant having Aika feel nauseous from the large number of donuts she ate, finally hitting her after all of the exercise and Asia secretly using Twilight Healing on her.
' Hmmm… I need to get a shower and brush my teeth.'
As much as I wished to stay sleeping on my comfortable bed, I needed to pick up Asia and visit Visor-which according to the nun-was doing much better since her imprisonment. Before deciding to get off the bed, I gave the pillow one last deep snuggle and-
"-Aw~"
"…"
My body stilled as I heard a familiar feminine moan back to me, and a pair of hands proceeded to press my head further into the softest pillows in the world. Then I felt someone both snuggling my hair and a pair of smooth legs intertwined with mine. Clarity returned to me in an instant, and I realized that I found myself in a deja vu situation.
Looking up, I saw crimson hair draped over me, reaching all the way to my back, and the peaceful sleeping face of Rias. She looked so serene in her sleep. I was once again reminded that despite her being the same weeaboo brat I've known for years, she was still a stunning beauty that could enrapture many men
I only felt her near my person and no one else besides us. Unlike last time, I wouldn't be caught off guard by having two girls sleeping with me. Thing is… I knew Akeno wasn't here, nor would she even try to sleep with me for the next few days as a slight punishment I gave her. I was still a bit salty at her for tricking me during the three-legged event.
Using her feminine wiles on me is cheating and she knows it!
So in petty spite, I told her that she was banned from my room for the next few days.
"Oi, wake up."
I gently shook her and carefully moved away from her hands. Only for the girl to take hold of me once again and push her breasts on my face once again.
"Mhhhphhh!"
"Aw~ Hachi~ You're so rough~." What kind of perverted dream was this girl having!?
After shaking her more vigorously, she finally showed traces of waking up. Her eyes slowly opened, and we gazed at each other for the next few seconds. If this was before the Rating Game, Rias would have probably grown flustered and had a blush form on her face at the position we are in. In her panicked state, she would have most likely fallen off the bed and apologized before running away in embarrassment.
"Hachi…"
But now, a beautiful smile bloomed on her face as she-without hesitation-closed the distance between us and kissed me on the lips. The kiss started out as an innocent, chaste kiss which increased in intensity the more we continued; she was being greedy. Invading my mouth with her tongue and relentlessly explored every corner that it could reach. When she pulled away, her eyes looked at me with such passion that I nearly backed off, but her hands made sure I couldn't do so as she leaned down for another kiss.
What was worrying about this situation was not the kiss itself but how my body was responding to her advances. Even while trying to recite pi to its hundredth decimal, my mental barriers just kept getting crushed by her actions.
Thanks to her nudity, I could feel everything. Her breast pressing on my chest, her sweet strawberry smell wafting through my nose, and her smooth, toned legs rubbing against my own…
It was overwhelming, as if she was making up for all the years she missed in this single moment. My body began reacting, with a high flow of blood running through a specific part of my body and hardening it to the point of pushing against the fabric and pressing against her lower stomach and thighs.
"Mmmh!"
Rias started to become more aggressive with her actions!
' This can't go on any longer!'
Taking hold of myself and getting my bearings together, "Kya!" I overpowered Rias and pushed her against the bed while holding her down by her wrists and creating some distance between us. I was panting, finally being able to breathe and doing my best to calm down.
"Good… morning," muttered Rias, equally breathing heavily. My eyes slowly moved down her body, admiring her unnatural beauty, and the way her breasts rose and fell from her breathing, her rosy pink nipples already hard from our kissing.
I needed to snap out of it, before I did something I shouldn't!
Even if it was very, VERY tempting…
"Good morning, my ass! What kind of greeting was that? I felt like I was going to suffocate!"
She gave me a sheepish smile, her eyes having a mischievous light to them, showing that she wasn't really sorry. "Sorry, I couldn't resist. I've always wanted to do this but couldn't because of my situation." You nearly kissed me back when both you and Akeno slept with me. I believe that was when I met Vali for the first time, so it's been a while.
"Of course, you'd say that."
Now that I was able to calm down, I remembered that I forgot to congratulate her on winning some of the events during the sports festival.
"Congrats on winning the female race events yesterday. You also did great during the tennis match… you and everyone in the club did wonderfully."
"Fufufu, I would have done better if I heard you cheer for me."
"As if," the last thing someone would want is to hear a tone-deaf, mean-looking guy like me cheer for them with a monotone voice. "You would have lost if I had done so."
"Hmmm? Well, I wonder about that…" that smirk didn't bode well for anyone.
"-!?"
I felt her knee caress my lower nether region. Rias' face turned slightly red as she looked at me shyly.
She suddenly wrapped her legs around my waist, bringing herself closer to me. I could feel her rubbing her bare lower half on my morning wood.
"Someone is lively this morning~" I could feel my control slipping the more this went on. I was reaching my limit very quickly. My body felt like it was on fire, and even my vision was becoming blurry, to the point that I could not focus on anything but her. "Do… you think that we should…. do it…"
We were both yearning for it, long buried desires building within ourselves to the point of bursting at any moment.
"Hachi-kun…"
This time, I was the one coming closer to her face. My hold was long gone, and her hands slowly trailed downwards towards my chest, then my stomach.
Just when we were about to go past a point of no return-someone knocked.
"Ano… Hachiman-san? Akeno-san told me to wake you up for dinner!" It was Asia, "Also, I brought Kalawarna-san along for breakfast."
"…"
"…"
The mood was ruined.
I would be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed.
The next 5 chapters of Snafu and my 2 Fate fics are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter.
I know, short chapter.
Viser
Hiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Another late update im afraid, irl work made it impossible for me to spend too much time writing my stories.
Anyways, this marks the beginning of the Kokabiel Arc and its the arc im the most excited about! I've always wanted to see a certain scenario take place but very few, if any, fanfic chose this route. I won't spoil anything but be assure that everything will be very different from how it happened from canon.
Also, thank you to my newest patrons: Ray Gill, Tyler.V, Anonykor and Jacob Kerins . Y'all rock!!!
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi
- Basement -
This morning was quite something. Not every day you would get such an intense wake-up call.
I felt a bit blue balled with Asia's interruption with Rias but I couldn't bring myself to be even a little angry with the young girl. She was just too innocent and pure for that. Even while having breakfast, the girl looked so radiant and happy that she resembled a cute puppy wagging her tail at the slightest attention.
Speaking of breakfast, just as Asia had said before, Kalawarna was her as well. I hadn't seen her for a while, so we had a nice reunion. Surprisingly, she didn't try anything lewd or bombastic with me and didn't even tease me like she always did in the past. The Fallen merely hugged me for a good minute, which I returned back, missing her as well before assuring her that I was okay. I think Azazel might have told her about my mission and how it went FUBAR. That must have made her worried sick, and I felt bad not going to talk to her and Asia when I came back. I procrastinated on such little things, and it caused many to worry.
"Are you sure that'll work, Asia?" As we descended below to the basement, I questioned the girl if she genuinely believed that Viser was redeemable.
Not that I didn't want this to be the case, but the woman had turned into a perverted abomination who ate humans for sustenance and tortured many for her own amusement. People could change, but should they also be forgiven for such heinous crimes they committed in the past?
"I'm sure, Hachiman-san. Viser-san can be saved." Even her tone was filled with conviction. She honestly believed that someone like Viser could be saved but forgiven? That's another issue.
A stray memory resurfaced in my mind… one where I stood in front of a funeral.
An empty casket with the picture of a tricolored man on display, surrounded by flowers. I gazed at the middle-aged man, crying with his wife at the foot of the casket. A father and mother grieving the death of their only child, a son who I was the killer.
I remembered being sent there by Scáthach, much to my dismay. Even while sitting at the back of the funeral, watching the procession, watching family, friends, mourn for him. I felt horrible, so guilty that it physically hurt, and I wanted nothing more than to leave the place.
But I also recalled the witch's words, "If you want to move on, then you must confess to the parents themselves. Take responsibility, and don't be a coward. Own up to your actions."
Was I even capable of walking up to them? To face the man crying tears of sadness over the death of his only son. To step up to the mother and tell her that I pierced their son with his own freaking weapon?
It felt like torture.
Was I truly capable of asking for forgiveness?
No, I wasn't.
I contemplated leaving the funeral after offering them my condolences. I felt I was about to get sick the longer I stayed there. My stomach churned, and my hands shook as I clenched my palms until they were piercing the skin.
But all of my courage crumbled to dust when I saw the father look at me. Thinking that I may have been one of his son's friends with my age, he gave me a nod of appreciation. As if he was glad that I came here to wish his son a peaceful afterlife.
It broke me, and at that moment-I ran away.
…
"Hachi-kun?"
I was forced out of my thoughts by Kalawarna. She, Asia, and I went together to check on Viser. Rias and Akeno had some work to do with devil-related affairs and were not able to accompany us. "Are you feeling well? You don't look so good." Even now, she was worried about my health.
"I'm fine, just thinking," I said to help relieve her of any worry or stress.
I worried her enough with my actions.
"You haven't told us much about what happened on your mission.. Azazel gave us the bare minimum of information on the situation, but not enough to get the full picture.." Well, that was indeed what happened; a good thing he didn't mention how I got stabbed by a cursed spear that nearly killed me. With Asia nearby, if she learned about this, the girl would definitely worry herself to death.
"I rather not talk about it right now… I promise to talk to you about it in the future. But not now… I just need time to process it all."
"Right, sorry, Hachi-kun."
"Don't be, I get that you're worried about me."
' Hey partner ,' called Vritra after the conversation finished.
' Yeah ?'
' You promised to help the dragon maiden with the Stray. Do you even know how to go about it?'
That was true.
How was I going to help her in the first place? Stray Devils are just Reincarnated Devils who had diverted away from their masters for their own selfish desires-though other times because they had no other choice. Without their masters to keep their powers in check, they become a significant threat because their powers went beyond their control. Viser morphed into a horrifying creature because she couldn't control the devil magic inside her without a King acting as a filter.
' Vritra, will you be able to handle an abundance of devil energy without any of us getting negatively affected?'
' Of course, I have survived the fusion of hundreds of my soul's copies being fused back with me. A mere Stray Devil will pose me no threat whatsoever . ' he proudly boasted.
Vritra had a point, this shouldn't be so hard. If it didn't work, then at least Asia would sleep soundly knowing she tried her best… Hopefully.
We arrived in front of a dark cell. The bars looked abnormally large, with the interior being wholly lit with a dim light like something straight out of a horror movie. Bonded with dozens of chains at the very back was Viser.
At least, it looked like her.
I saw the familiar upper body of the naked woman, she had her arms bound by more chains, and her lower chimera body was also unable to move. The cell was surprisingly clean. It had proper ventilation, a small garden, and even a small aquarium.
"Asia… what is all this?" I asked the only one who might be responsible for this.
"Ah! W-well, the cell looked so dark and depressing before. I-I felt horrible for leaving Viser-san in such a place all by herself, so I asked Kalawarna-san to add some decorations so that Viser-san won't feel so bad in here. Oh! And I also fed her some bananas to stop her craving for human meat!"
The last part was said with joy as if she had overcome a significant hurdle in giving her food, which might've been seeing that she just fed a Stray.
And also, "Why bananas?"
"Because they are my favourite!" she exclaimed excitedly.
I should have figured as such, here I was thinking that there must have been some sort of hidden meaning or method behind Asia's actions.
"She can't even move."
Why go through all this hassle for someone who will most likely not care?
"That doesn't mean she should stay in a dark and cold place."
"Y-You…" Viser woke up.
Her voice was weak but far calmer than the last time I saw her. Her eyes shined brighter with more clarity and focus than her bestial hunger when Rias' group confronted her. I would have appreciated it if she was given some clothes, though considering how dangerous she used to be with her acid milk-I can guessed no one bothered to try until that was fixed.
"Yo, Viser… don't know if you remember me, given that it's been so long, but with the behest of Asia, I came to return you to your previous form. I make no promises, and this process might fail for all I know." she growled at me, the chains rattling, getting louder by the second.
Asia immediately went to calm her down.
"Wait! Please Viser-san, give Hachiman-san a chance. Please accept his help, he-"
"-Asia, let me handle this. She looks like she's about to lose it at any moment."
I could feel the bloodlust and feral anger coming off of her from here. I told them to let me in and cut off her chains. I was in no danger of getting killed by her, I could handle her easily back then, and with my current prowess, the gap had become far broader. I could even somewhat hear each of her heartbeat threatening to burst out of her chest with each step I took to walk toward the Stray.
Clank !
The cell door closed as I walked inside alone. Viser was becoming increasingly more agitated the closer I got, and by the way she was eyeing me, she was getting hungry. Not even the time when Rias first fought her was she this aggressive-guess the curse of being a stray had worsened her psyche. But strangely, she only became this way afterKalawarna and I entered the room, not when Asia stepped in first. The nun's effort to help the woman made her see reason for the moment, but it was a prolonged process and it will not last. So I decided to try an experiment to speed things up.
Her problem was an overabundance of devil energy that moved chaotically through her body. If the energy from the chess piece inside-which has already fused with her at this point-gets taken under control or emptied of all its stocked power, maybe, just maybe Viser can return to normal once again.
"Vritra, let's try using one of the newer Sacred Gear's abilities."
"[ Absorption Line!]"
The black gauntlet appeared in my hand, and I fired the line to Viser, going around her waist and hanging on. The purple tongue was nearly unbreakable. Even Sétante using Gae Bolga's blade couldn't break it with a single attack. Viser was nowhere near his level, so she wouldn't have been able to do a single thing.
"Haaaaaaaaaargh!"
She immediately began screaming in pain as I started absorbing the demonic energy within her. I started slow, siphoning small amounts bit by bit, being mindful to not cause some irreversible damage or even accidentally kill her. This was my first time doing something like this. I was moving in blind with just the bare minimum of ideas.
"Is it working?" I asked Vritra, starting to strain from the slow process.
I wasn't feeling drained, but rather the opposite. My body felt bloated with the constant absorption of devil energy and it was getting very uncomfortable.
' I am… not sure. There is some resistance from the stray. It is interfering with the extraction process and slowing everything down.'
"Then we need to weaken her further."
My other original Sacred Gear appeared on my other arm and shoulders.
"[ Delete Field !]"
A small dome of black energy expanded in the cell, covering only me and Viser. I didn't use the Isaz rune as it would have merely paralyzed her and not weakened the Stray.
"Uuur… Hugh… Kagh…"
This shook Viser a lot, her many legs gave out, and she was left dangling with only the chains keeping her straight. I increased the rate of absorption, the line glowing dark red by a large amount of devil energy seeping out of her. She couldn't muster up any more resistance as she was hit by both attacks.
"Look!" Exclaimed Asia, joy evident in her voice, "She's changing!"
To my surprise, my made up plan was actually working!
As she mentioned, the monster part of her started to become emaciated. One could see the flesh sticking to the bones and the cracking sound of something breaking within her. It was painful for sure. The woman didn't stop the muffled screaming for over the next hour. Her voice was hoarse, and if she continued screaming, her vocal cords would also become damaged if it wasn't for her devil physiology.
But it was working!
Her lower part shrunk considerably; parts of it had even rotted before breaking off.
Crack
Crack
"Almost done…"
It wasn't until another ten minutes that her monstrous limbs had been completely broken, leaving behind two pairs of pristine white legs. Though some traits remained, such as her sharp ears and pointy teeth, this was better than before. So I stopped, dismissed my Sacred Gears, and broke her chains. I caught her in my arms before her body could fall to the ground. I was a bit uncomfortable with her naked body, but given that this was a serious matter-I put such thoughts at the back of my head. Now was not the time to be a naive and flustered protagonist who would become a bumbling idiot by the sight of a naked woman.
It'd been overdone to death.
"Th… thank… you," Viser whispered to me in her weakened state.
Was she grateful for her temporary release from the amassed power or was she glad that I stopped the pain from absorbing her powers?
' I'll take it.'
Not like many would thank me in the first place.
"Don't thank me, I was willing to let you die back then. Even was planning to kill you, be grateful to Asia over here. She is the sole reason why you are alive right now. Got some bad news for you though… The evil piece is still inside you and is still continuously absorbing raw energy. I'll need to regularly absorb the energy to keep you from going all bloodthirsty abomination on everyone. So if you start feeling weird, then have Asia call me, I'll be here as fast as I can. For now, try to refamiliarise yourself with your human-ish body and please, don't try to eat people again-or else I'll really kill you."
"…"
{ Break }
- Occult Research Club-
I handed the photo on Kiba's phone to Rias. Kiba explained that the sword in this photo was a holy sword fragment and explained how he managed to get the information. I added to what Kiba was planning to do afterward.
"A holy sword? At Hyoudou Issei's house?"
I nodded at Rias' words. Kiba and I decided to have a talk with Rias with just the three of us in the club. Kiba was much calmer than usual, but I could sense the underlying tension.
"Yes, according to Azazel, it might have had a hand in killing the previous overseer of Kuoh." Kiba even told her the case of the forbidden love between a devil and exorcist, shocking the heiress a lot.
"Cleria Belial…" she contemplated that name. "To think such a thing happened in Kuoh. A Devil and an Exorcist falling in love seem like an impossible reality. Both sides hate each other with a passion."
But I guess… There can be exemptions.
"It's kind of beautiful in a sense. Love can bloom anywhere and even between the most unlikely of people. I wonder if Onii-sama knows about this. If so, then why didn't he tell me anything?"
"It's not a guarantee that he knew about this first, Rias. Maybe he was suspicious but couldn't be completely sure. Not to mention, this is a major scandal that I do not doubt that both sides of the factions would go to any length to keep in the dark. Knowing about this piece of knowledge may have endangered you, and Sirzechs would not allow that to happen. For now, let's be happy that Kiba didn't go on a crusade against the holy swords all on his own."
The man in question shifted uncomfortably as he was suddenly assaulted by his king's ire at that reminder.
Rias and the Gremory as a whole saw their peerage members as their own family. They valued each and every one as if they were related by blood. Their greed twisted these emotions to an aggressive and over-possessive trait. Rias would go to great lengths to keep her peerage safe, even if it meant dooming herself-just like she was about to do during the Rating Game.
"Holy swords are the ultimate weapons against Devils. If we, the Devils, touch the holy sword, then we will burn ourselves as if we were touching lava. If we get cut by it, then we would die instantly, and leave nothing but ashes. It could be called the ultimate weapon for those who believe in God and see Devils and anything demonic, as enemies." Rias explained, then gave Kiba a harsh glare, making him squirm more under her gaze. Glad I'm not in his place, "The idea that you were planning to hunt for such swords on your own is reckless and idiotic, Yuuto. You let your anger cloud your judgment, and it would've gotten you killed."
The reason why he detested priests or anyone associated with the Church. The reason why he was so obsessed with the information regarding holy swords. He still couldn't forget about them. No, they played around with his life and killed his family afterward. It's not weird for him to hold an unending amount of hate and grudge against them. After finding out more about Valper and his twisted experiments, I understood his contempt for the Church, but I also disagreed with him, generalizing the actions of a few to the whole.
"Don't worry, Buchou, I was brought back to my senses after being kidnapped and brainwashed by Hachiman-kun over here." he said teasingly, trying to break the heavy atmosphere.
"Oi, don't stain my name like that. I was just trying to prevent you from doing something stupid."
"And you succeeded."
Rias didn't laugh, causing the mood of the room to become awkward.
"So the swords are in Kuoh…."
"That's highly debatable," I said, hoping that the situation wasn't as dire as she finished explaining, "There is no guarantee that Kokabiel would bring the swords here. Much less when both Azazel and Vali are stationed here. Even if the guy is a Cadre level opponent, we have a Seraph and completely broken Heavenly Emperor. It's not like he's arrogant to believe his plan to cause trouble here would turn out well-he can't be that dumb, right."
"…"
"…"
' Oh right, people CAN be that dumb.'
"Sona and I got a letter from the Church yesterday."
Oh no…
She handed me an already opened envelope with a letter inside. I opened the paper to read the content and grew wide-eyed. I really did jinx myself back with Azazel, didn't I? According to the letter, three representatives of the Church would be sent here to Kuoh soon. Two of them are newly fledged Exorcists and another more experienced one who will foresee those two on their mission. Even worse was that two of them will be carrying holy swords with them! Though they didn't specify anything for the third member.
Wasn't this a blatant provocation?
Three Exorcists in Kuoh… this was nothing but another ticking time bomb.
God, why do you hate me?
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 2 Fate fics are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter.
Check
Hiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
it's been a while.
This chapter was quite time consuming to write, I had to ask someone to help me with the latter part of the chapter. Thanks 8kagi for helping me out there!
Also, we reached 3k follows!!! Huzzah!!!!
Thank you all once again for the support, I really can't express how much y'all have done for me XD!
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi!
- Kuoh -
"Bad intentions of humans are the greatest evil in this world," Rias said as we were both having some tea together in the Occult Research Club. We weren't alone.
Everyone from her peerage to Asia and Kala was here as well.
I decided it was an excellent opportunity to keep these two up to date with the latest situation along with Kiba's past. The man himself accepted to have the others know of his story. He never planned to keep it a secret in the first place.
"It can't be… It's not an acceptable act by those who serve God."
It seemed like this was a big shock for Asia. Her eyes were covered with tears. It was normal to cry when something you believed in for so long committed such an atrocious act in the name of their lord.
"Not just humans," I added, wanting to help alleviate some of Asia's distraught. "Every living being has gone through such a path of destruction, at least once. Humans, Devils, Fallens, or even Youkais have committed their fair share of atrocious acts and experiments. Each faction will always have those who take their ideals to the extreme, use faith as a shield, and reason to continue their actions. I'm not taking anyone's side here, neither the Devils nor the Angels, but I don't believe everyone in the Church is evil, as I don't even think the Seraphs themselves were informed of such an experiment or even condone it."
Azazel talked to me about Michael and Gabriel. He swore on his life-and his precious porn mags-that those two would have never let such a thing happen if they knew about it. Most likely, Valper found their blindspot or had some conspirators helping him hide his actions.
"Hypocritical bastards. Using our Fathers name as an excuse to do whatever they want. It's like the middle ages all over again." growled out Kala, doing her best to comfort Asia, "Come along, Asia. Let's get some snacks for everyone."
"Yet they still call us Devils, evil and vile." Kiba snarled in anger at the hypocrisy, after the two stepped out for a moment.
I didn't say anything back. His hatred for the Church was too deep for mere words to calm him down. For him, everyone wearing the cloth was guilty, and I couldn't fault him for such a black and white mindset.
"Just look at what they did to Asia. How can you call them anything but evil with everything they've done in the past?"
"Kiba, if we had to fight the Church at one point in the future and Asia was still a nun there, would you kill her just like the rest of those who've wronged you?"
"She's no longer with the-"
"-And what makes you think that there aren't any more? Are you willing to kill everyone, from the eldest to the youngest kids with your blade in the name of vengeance? How much blood will you spill until you feel satisfied" He faltered, unable to answer that question, nor was he willing to do so.
I sighed, feeling frustrated with the situation.
"Look, I know it ain't easy to forgive the faction for what they've done, and I'm not asking for you to do so in the first place. What I am demanding from you is not to condemn everyone just because they follow the Church."
"…"
The room descended into silence. Kiba looked conflicted, which was good. He wasn't actively denying my words and was actually willing to believe that there were some good eggs among the Church and won't go do something that he will regret in the end.
"Let's change topics," Rias mentioned, noticing the uncomfortable atmosphere in the club. "We've been getting reports on random dead stray devils all around Kuoh. Sona and I performed some research and investigating but came out empty-handed… well… nearly empty-handed."
"Holy energy," Koneko, who was munching on some cookies that Kala and Asia had brought in, sat near the two; they both looked adorable sitting together and Kala looked happy dotting over them. "Burned wounds with holy energy remnants."
"What? We have an exorcist in town!?" Kiba exclaimed in anger, looking ready to storm out of the room to find the Exorcist.
"Whether it's an official Exorcist or a rogue one is still up for debate, but I'm sure that we have a Holy Sword user in town going around hunting strays without permission. They haven't tried to establish any contact with Sona and me. Because of their actions, this gives us the power to detain them and demand an explanation from the Church. But that also won't work since we have received a letter stating that there would be three people arriving soon, so the Church wouldn't have anything to do with this rogue exorcist."
"So basically, we need to play the wait and see the game?"
"Yes," she confirmed. "Devil or not, rogue Exorcists are a major threat to everyone, including you, Hachi-kun. They can and will kill anyone associated with our species, no matter how minor that relationship might be. To give such an individual a Holy Sword of all things is just asking for trouble."
This conversation made my memories of the past few years resurface.
Even after so long, I hadn't forgotten about how I was nearly killed by Shuri's family for just helping them escape or Jeanne and her betrayal. I resented her and her hypocrisy. My heart shook over the possibility that I might be her who came over to Kuoh. I was far stronger and more capable than before, but her possible presence still made my skin crawl with dread and anger.
"Are you feeling well, Hachi-kun?" I felt Akeno's touch caressing my cheeks, feeling my nerves calming down.
Even with our silly argument over the kiss, I never really held it against her. That was how Akeno was, a pervert attracted to both Rias and me. I guess I could be sorted in that category now, with what was about to happen last morning with Rias. I was even feeling less scummy than before, my mind began to accept both of them, and I didn't mind that.
"No, nothing. Just worrying about silly things." I reassured her, hoping that I gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm going home now. It's getting late."
Just like I promised Aika, I became more active in my club and started to help her out along with Asia. Helping people with their simple problems was a breath of fresh air compared to dealing with the supernatural. Things I would have considered a hassle in the past became enjoyable and something I yearned for . 'I have a crush I want to confess to', 'I lost my bag', 'I haven't studied for my exams ' and so on. A simple request, easy to solve, and didn't require me to bleed or break my bones.
Just normal people stuff.
"Before I leave, have you noticed Sona acting strangely recently? I get the whole situation with the Holy Swords and the Exorcists, but she's been rather jumpy whenever I meet her in the hallway." I asked Rias.
I knew the heir of the Sitri clan for nearly as long as the redhead in front of me. I never thought that I would have so many childhood friends, to begin with, and I especially didn't expect to be childhood friends with two heiresses of prestigious houses, who are also Devils.
Almost made me feel like an isekai harem protagonist.
Wait…
"I'm… honestly not sure what's up with her. " Rias continued speaking, pulling me from my thoughts. Even she looked conflicted.
They were rivals for years and friends for even longer, never hiding their problems from each other, yet it was apparent that something had gotten Sona riled up these last few days after the sports festival.
' Hmmm, I still have an hour before I need to return home… Maybe I can check up on her.'
Yes, that would be ideal.
I also needed to see if Issei wasn't using his protagonist's aura to attract any more trouble towards him.
"Alright, I'll be on my way then. See you all soon."
I gave them a final save before leaving the room.
Akeno and Rias had more Devil duties to finish before joining me back home, so they'd most likely be late today. It wasn't uncommon to see them return an hour before the sun rose, only sleeping for an extremely short amount of time, and still be perfectly fine the next day.
I kept my first opinion about Devil's physique as bullshit, just like their bullshit magic.
' I wonder if I just stop stalling and just turn into a devil. I would finish more things if I didn't need to sleep much.'
" That would be an interesting decision, even if your reasons for turning are a bit… lackluster" Vritra spoke.
"Oh, are you not against it?"
"Why would I be? The Gremory has done more than enough to prove her worth as a worthy king for her peerage compared to your average devil; she truly is one of a kind. And she keeps those pawn pieces away in a box just for you. For years, the Gremory brat has not lost hope and still waits for you to join her by her side."
True, why was I waiting at this point? Though it was better to not become a Devil when a possible Exorcist was wandering around town with a Holy Sword, what was stopping me from becoming one after?
"Won't there be some kind of bad effect with the curse of Evil Dragons?"
Going berserk twice made me realize how dangerous such a power going out of control could be.
" No, not really. I have gained all of my parts back and fully merged with you. Such things should no longer occur in the future. I do not know what will happen to me if you accept an evil piece since we share the same soul. Worst case scenario is that she will have to use all 8 pieces, and I will become like Tannin. At this point in my life, I no longer care about what I end up becomimg, and turning into a Devil will be quite tame compared to the other things I have lived through."
"…"
Yeah, after this debacle, I needed to put some serious thought into this decision.
{ Break }
- Student Council Office-
Knock
Knock
'It's been a while since I've been to the student council office.'
The last time I came here was when Issei came to be discovered as the holder of the [ Boosted Gear ]. Now, I wondered how things have changed with Issei and the rest. Like, was he getting along with them?
Opening the door, I came upon the familiar room with many tables stacked with many stacks of paper. They were the student council, not a corporate office, so why did they have so much to deal with!? Was there some shady business under the cover that I'm unaware of?
"No, we are not running some shady business or a scam."
I was startled by Momo's sudden appearance as she looked at me with a beaming smile as if the woman hadn't performed an act of mind reading.
But with her bullshit Devil magic, she probably could read my mind.
"And no, I can't read minds." she giggled at my shocked expression, as if she read my thoughts. "Don't worry, you're easy to read sometimes."
"Me? Easy to read? Yeah, right, I know that I have a constant poker face that even Sona is jealous of. So don't give me that crap."
Sure, from time to time, I did frown and break out a smile here and there, but I have never been so expressive that I was predictable. Asia would be a perfect example of a girl with an easy-to-read face. She was like an open book, and Kala takes advantage of it.
Poor girl.
Just glad it wasn't me.
"Anyway, I'm here to see Sona. Wanted to see how she was doing."
"Really? That's what you say to someone you haven't talked with for a long time?" Momo said with a pout.
"Yes,"
Not showing my smirk, I continued to tease the girl, while giving her a blank stare.
"Cause you can be such a hassle and drama queen sometimes, it's easier to just not show you any attention."
That seemed to trigger her enough to get a flushed face and glare straight at my eyes.
"Excuse me!?" she came a bit too close to my face, I could feel her breath. "Say. That. Again."
Her breasts were squishing onto my person, and as I had already closed the door, I couldn't back away from the pretty white hair girl. Granted, I don't hang out with her that much outside of school, but was she always this aggressive? It might be possible that my previous comment riled her up a bit too much.
"Ahum!"
Sona came in between us rather forcefully. Momo went back to her cheerful smile and backed away, finally giving me some breathing room.
"Momo, Issei had some trouble dealing with the tennis club demand over their annual budget increase-go help him out."
"No problem~" the white-haired girl skipped away while giving one of those cutesy waves and a wink. Something is definitely up with her. "See you later, Hachiman!"
"Yeah… later."
"…"
After she was gone, I turned to Sona, who was just staring at me blankly.
"Everything okay with you?" I asked her the main question I had for her and why I came to the student council office in the first place.
Even by looking at her face, something was definitely wrong with the president. First, her once calculative and confident eyes were sunken, filled with anxiety and worry. Second, her pale skin seemed to have looked even paler. And thirdly, her hair looked unkempt. Not gonna lie, she looks like a mess.
"When Rias said you were acting strange, I expected some strange behavior and a few erratic mood swings but found a full-blown gremlin," I said, trying to crack a joke, but still seeing the blank stare. It definitely fell flat.
Time to go for the direct approach.
"Are you having any trouble?"
"What makes you say that?"
"…"
An answer was not even needed; her current state said it all.
She sighed.
"I've just been stressed over something trivial these last few days… made it quite hard to focus on my regular work."
"And health," I added, though I'm glad that she still put in the effort to take a shower.
"Yeah,"
"…"
I had to do something. Maybe I could raise her morale and help her out a bit. Fortunately, knowing Sona and her equal obsession with chess like Rias.
I knew what to do.
{ Break }
Back in the office, both Sona and I decided to play a round of chess, just to get her to relax and maybe get her to say anything on the problem she is facing.
I let Sona make the first move, with her taking the white pieces first and moving her 'e' pawn two squares forward, and I followed with my own 'e' pawn a single square forward. She continued with the 'd' pawn two square forwards, and I copied her move.
"A bit daring, don't you think? You never won a single chess match against me, and I feel like you've gone down since last time… this will be an easy victory." she said confidently, her posture and actions steady but her eyes said something else.
What it was, I wasn't sure.
After moving her knight from b1 to c3, casually developing her piece and eyeing the center.
"That's what you say, but I'd argue otherwise."
Moving my bishop to b4, pinning her knight to the defense of her king.
"Tell me, what are you so worried about?"
She moved her e pawn to e5, locking down the center, as such I responded with c5, hoping to bust the center open in return.
"…"
She hesitated before moving her a pawn to a3 wishing to remove my bishop from the b file.
"You noticed that Hyoudou Issei is still a human?"
"Yes, you don't have enough pieces to turn him into a Devil."
Since my bishop is in danger, I chose to not move it back as it would be counterintuitive, and moved to take her knight instead with a check.
"Nice move," she took my bishop with her b2 pawn, which is good for me in the long run since she has doubled pawns on the c file. "We Devils have a rule, during Rating Games, only the King and their peerage could participate in the fight. Issei, even if he has gotten along with the other student council members, is still a human-thus not truly part of our group or my house."
I moved my knight to e7, continuing to develop my pieces. My mind remained calm, as all of our previous matches ran countless times in my head. I analyzed every move, every loss I had to suffer through her hands. Sona ranked higher than Rias in chess, so beating her would not be an easy task.
"You found a way to turn him?"
Then she moved her queen to g4, eyeing down my g pawn like a juicy piece of meat ready for the taking-granted, it kinda is. Not even bothering to defend my g pawn, I responded by moving my own queen to c7, helping with the defense of my c5 pawn.
"In a way, it wasn't an easy choice to make, mind you. But with the [ Boosted Gear ] wielder just at my fingertips, yet so far away, I had to take drastic measures. I don't want to end up in a future Rating Game to have my strongest asset out of the game just because I was afraid to do what needed to be done."
She took my pawn in g7 like I expected her to. Now she entered my side of the board. I then moved my rook to g8, promptly seeking to return the queen back to her castle.
Sadly, it didn't work. I didn't manage to notice that she can just take my h pawn without any worries. My bad. Feeling kind of vengeful, I finally decided to bust open the center by taking her d4 pawn with my c pawn.
"I had to, as humans would put it, make a deal with the Devil."
She moved her underdeveloped knight to e2, hoping to protect her c3 pawn from being taken by my queen with a check, which I was definitely planning on doing.
"One that I already regret doing at the moment but had no other alternatives aside from suddenly becoming ten times stronger than I already am and having my pieces scale with my power, which is too long for that to happen anytime soon. I may be the Sitri heir but not a monster, like some people that I know."
I in turn also developed my unmoved knight to c6, adding a defender to my hanging d4 pawn and also attacking her e5 pawn in doing so. Like one said, if you couldn't beat them, then copy their every move while incorporating it with your own movesets.
"Devil? From your tone, I don't think you appreciate this person very much if you're willing to use the title in a duragotive tone."
She moved her f pawn to f4, defending her center pawn from being taken by the knight. I guess she isn't planning to castle in this game.
"Who is it? An evil genius? A shady dealer? A noble that has been trying to get your hand in marriage? Or a former terrorist who used to work for the Old Satan Faction who had a change of heart?" I said as I took her c3 pawn with my pawn on d4.
"None of those… but much worse." sona answered as she brought her queen back down to d3, looking to take the pawn right next to it. I immediately advanced my pawn on d5 forward one square, protecting my c3 pawn from being captured.
"She makes every last one of them look like ants in comparison."
Just who could she be talking about? A being so dangerous that it made those I've stated before to be seen as inconvenience?
She took my d4 pawn with her knight.
' Oh if it's a trade you want, it's a trade you'll get .'
And so, I took her knight with my own knight on c6.
Sona immediately followed it up with queen takes d4.
"It's my sister," my hand, which was in the middle of placing my underdeveloped bishop to d7, stopped in its tracks for a moment.
"What's so bad about that? You made it sound like the person was worse than Hitler."
From what I knew, neither sister had any animosity between them, or Rias would have told me before. Akeno even said that Sirzechs and the other Maous, of which Serafall is part of, were all great friends. I think I even heard from Momo that Sona's sister was quite affectionate towards her little sister.
I could hear her teeth grinding and saw her fist clench on the table. She looked like she was about to lose it and flip the table, but was able to relax in the end and continued the game. She moved her queen to d6, asking for a trade of queens. A trade of queens that I politely declined by moving my queen to a5, a solid square which was eyeing down the white king, the path blocked by a single pawn.
"My sister… is not evil." I could see a 'but' coming. "But she can be a bit extreme with her affection towards me."
Oh? That was a bad thing? As a former brother, showing too much affection to your siblings sounded impossible.
I envied Serafall for still having her sister with her…
Sona moved her queen back to b4, asking for another trade of queens. No means no, woman! I just shuffled my queen to d5, a beautiful square right in the middle of the board.
"I disagree. Having a loving sibling is something you must cherish. Not everyone has one; some even dream of being in your position at having a loving sister."
I did, but that was all in the past.
"Yeah, right," she scoffed, dismissing my statement. "As if they'll be able to keep up with her humiliating display as a magical girl and have her hound you around yelling that accursed nickname every day! Do you know how many times she embarrassed me in public!?" she said exasperatedly as she moved her pawn to a4.
' This conversation should have been me talking with Sona and soothing her from any worries….'
I moved my knight to f5, a beautiful outpost, unable to be removed by any pawn on the board… other than g4 of course, but that would be a stupid move, and Sona doesn't do stupid moves.
'… turned to what I currently see as a girl bragging that she has a sibling, unlike me.'
Bishop to a3.
"…"
Wait.
Hold on.
What?
No way.
She just blundered mate in 1, didn't she? Sona, of all people.
"Sometimes, I wish she would just stop and leave me alone. Always So-tan this, So-tan that, Ugh it just becomes too much to deal with! Who would ever want a sister like that!?"
"…"
And she didn't even notice it.
Well, she was going to pay for it.
Nothing worse than a commander distracted on the battlefield.
"Minus 1000 points," I said, hearing that faint voice in my head.
That little girl's voice yelling at me, ' Onii-chan, what are you saying?! You dumbass! Nitwit! Hachiman .'
"Huh?"
"Queen to d2… checkmate."
Even though I should have been happy, I couldn't bring myself to smile or be joyful with my victory, despite the bewildered look on Sona's face before turning into horrified shock.
My mind was somewhere else.
It really was impossible to truly forget and move on from my past. Neither Sona nor Rias would ever understand the gift they had till they both lost it as well.
Whoosh !
A large blue circle appeared in the middle of the room, causing everyone in the clubroom to stop what they were doing.
"Oh no,"
Snapping out of her shock at her loss, Sona's face turned pale with horror visible in her eyes.
"Quick, Hachiman, leave before it's too late!!!"
What?
The sigil looked similar to the Sitri one. So why would I be scared of it?
"SO-TAN! ONEE-SAMA HAS COME TO KILL WHOEVER DARES TO STEAL MY LITTLE SISTER FROM ME!!!!!!"
What sounded like the shrill cries of a banshee reverberated across the room and soon, a powerful presence was arriving through the portal.
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 2 Fate fics are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter.
Big sister
Hiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Not much to say, so let's proceed with the chapter!
Also, I would like to thank my newest patron Mustafa ! You rock!
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi
- Land of Shadows-
I sat inside a random room in the gigantic castle, surrounded by stacks of books. All are filled with content on runes and their basic understanding. It spanned from how to use them for simple applications to large-scale destruction, like what Sétante used against me.
She forced me inside this room, locked me in without a way to escape… at least not until I managed to learn everything inside and fixed the barrier. That in itself was hard. I spent days reading nonstop and talking with Vritra on some of the more complicated runes. For some reason, I never felt hungry, thirsty, or even sleepy the entire time I stayed here. But that didn't stop the headache and sheer boredom from becoming my greatest challenge to overcome.
I dropped the book about fire runes, elementals, and the general history behind each rune and their meaning. Some are completely different from what I had initially thought and how a single rune could have multiple meanings with multiple uses.
"Ansuz." My hands made the same gesture, and I followed the steps shown in the books.
"…"
Yet nothing happened.
"Ansuz."
"…"
"Try again."
The voice of a woman came from behind me. I didn't get scared or startled like I used to do initially. She had done the same trick too many times to have any effect and familiarized me with her antics. I didn't answer her and just did as instructed. Pouring more of my magic into my fingers, making them glow with a slight purple hue.
"Ansuz!"
Poof
A small trail of smoke came off of my finger.
I sighed.
"Well, that sucked. I expected you would be one of those genius mages who could learn anything in a matter of hours, through the power of friendship or some other bullshit reason. You Sacred Gear users tend to be the same kind of… passion-driven people-especially the dragon ones. Compared to them, you're a bit tame, I gotta say. I guess I got the one that has to work harder than most."
Thank you for the lengthy description. I certainly felt better after hearing that.
"You must perform better, get your shit together, and speed up. That repair won't happen on its own."
"I'm trying, I really am… but I just can't seem to get it right."
I showed her by trying to use other basic runes, but some of them just glowed for a bit before disappearing. No effects, aside from some slight smoke and light. It happened so many times that I started to get discouraged.
"It's because you're putting too much thought and unnecessary calculation into it, boyo."
She came closer and sat beside me.
Being so close to the immortal witch, I could clearly see more of her features. Having red hair similar shade to Rias, a face that was pale and speckled with freckles with blue war paint covering her forehead, cheeks, jaw, and down her neck before going under her clothes, strong jawline, cheeks that lack baby fat, and emerald green eyes. A toned body that she didn't bother to hide with her revealing outfit, and many bracelet-like accessories on her wrists whose meaning I did not know of.
She always carried a wooden walking stick with her, which was actually a spear in disguise… a spear capable of being considered a god-killing tool was used by the witch to pick her teeth when she got bored or clean her nails.
' I even once saw her using it to scratch her back!'
How could that super sharp blade not cut through her skin with the slightest touch remained a mystery to me. Nearly getting stabbed again made me realize how ridiculously dangerous that weapon could be. I could barely hold out against it using my balance breaker form, as it was still able to pierce through it.
"Why am I even doing this? You could easily fix whatever damage I have done to your rune dome. Having a newbie like me do the repairs will be shoddy at best and temporary. It'll break soon in the future, and you'll just have to fix it on your own. Though I am grateful that you are teaching me runes and their application, I'm curious as to why your doing this.."
"…"
"Is it something you're not willing to tell me?" I asked, hoping she won't hit me for pushing the topic.
"Humph, nothing like that." she answered, giving me a nonchalant shrug. "You know, I previously planned to take in Sétante as my next disciple. He really did inherit his ancestor's looks and talent. The Churruid part of him could also have been considered a boon. Now that he's dead, you were the only replacement around. You're not my official disciple. I just got bored and wanted to waste some time."
"So, shouldn't you be pretty pissed at me and kill me for killing your future disciple?"
"Why would I?" her head tilted sideways, some of her hair resting on my shoulders while I purposely did not look her way as I would have seen the deep valley below her neck from bountiful chest. "He came at you with the intent to kill in the end and did, in fact, kill you. You just had your Sacred Gear save your ass once again and kill him instead. Both of you were prepared to die. I cannot blame you for the choices Sétante made, which led him to his death."
"I was trying to stop him from doing something stupid and killing those I care about."
I couldn't risk losing Akeno and everyone else in my current life.
"I can understand that… too bad the boy died. Since I wouldn't have minded spending a few rounds under the sheets like I did with good old Cu!" A lewd smile, very reminiscent of Akeno, spread across her face while giving me a look.
"Too much information!" I shouted, trying to put more distance between us.
Only to have the warrior-like brute grab me by the collar and hoist me close to her face.
"For a youngling, your face ain't too bad. A defined body with some handsome features here and there-though those eyes are a bit of a turndown at the moment. But I wouldn't mind several rounds in the sack~."
"…"
Was this woman serious? I did not want to deal with such a relationship now or ever, if possible, no matter how beautiful the woman was.
' I already have Akeno, and dealing with her would only create more trouble for me in the long run.'
"I have a girlfriend."
"I don't mind," she smirked, her smile getting lewder. "She can join us and make it a foursome."
Who the heck was the fourth member!?
"Hahahaha!"
Scáthach burst into a peal of loud laughter.
Dropping me back and letting go of my sore cheeks.
"You're just too fun to mess with, boyo."
Her strong slaps on my back nearly broke my spine in the process. Yeah, a true brute. I didn't get that riled up, already becoming used to her craziness and teasing nature.
"Though that offer is open, you can visit my room anytime you feel pent up."
I wished we could move from the conversation because I already knew that she wasn't joking on the offer.
"Anyways, since you're having some issues with the runes, I have a way to help you out!" she announced with an excited grin which I didn't like one bit.
"No."
"It'll make you stronger in a single day!"
"And I'll probably end up dead by the end of it!"
As soon as I said that, I could feel a powerful impact on the back of my head before feeling the stone of the castle walls impact my face and break under my skin as the rest of my body followed.
She punched me.
That witch!
"Another life and death battle!" Scáthach announced aloud, my hazing mind barely catching her words.
Grabbing the walking cane, she twirled and transformed it into a red spear. Leaping from the hole through the wall, she brought the weapon down with battle lust in her eyes.
"You can only use runes to attack me! Anything else, and I'll cut off your balls!"
I just continued to fall with a resigned face. I should have accepted the previous deal… or maybe not.
"[ Vajra Sacred Body!]"
Scáthach never mentioned anything about using spells to protect myself.
{ Break}
-(Present)-
I felt the feeling of a freezing tundra sweeping over the room and making me freeze in fright. Like if I stood in front of a giant behemoth disguised as a mere sheep, a dragon acting like a garden snake, or a Maou dressed like a cute magical girl…
All of the above frightened me!
She reminded me of that crazy witch. Both felt they could crush me like a bug. While the latter just laughed at everything I threw at her, laughing at any pain or challenge I could muster up against her, a fun-loving woman who could be easy-going at times and batshit crazy at others.
"SO-TAN! ONEE-SAMA HAS COME TO KILL WHOEVER DARES TO STEAL MY LITTLE SISTER FROM ME!!!!!!"
This one sounded highly pissed and seemed ready to kill.
"O-Onee-sama! Th-This isn't what it looks like!" In a panicked state, Sona quickly tried to flip over the chessboard of the table. But…
Whoosh !
A wave of ice extended all over the room, freezing everything in an instant-except us. The hand of Sona, which was about to knock over the pieces, struck the solid blue chessboard where everything was frozen in place. This further pushed the girl into a panicked state and looked ready to hide as she tried to pull her hand out of her ice prison. She looked at me, lost, confused, and afraid.
And with good reason.
" Partner, look out!" Vritra's urgent voice sounded as he forcefully manifested in the Sacred Gear of my left eye.
It became all black with violet pupils.
Ice began climbing up my legs, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't move and could feel the prickling feeling of her ice, causing frostbite damage to my skin.
"What is going on here!? [ Blaze Black Flare !]"
The black fire covered my entire body without hurting me. Their intensity was hot enough to stop the ice from spreading further up my leg but not get rid of any.
" What a frightening aura !" Vritra said, and I couldn't agree more with him.
This woman was dangerous.
She gave me the same vibe as Scàthach, making my skin crawl. Despite being dressed as a magical girl, her gaze looked absolutely monstrous. Glowing blue with power beyond mine and an unending amount of bloodlust that overwhelmed me.
Her earlier shout, coupled with what Sona said a few seconds later, was safe to assume that this person standing right in front of me, ready to freeze me to death, was none other than Serafall Leviathan-a Maou. A Devil known to be the strongest female devil in the Underworld, a rank below Sirzechs but still vastly more powerful than most beings from any pantheon.
"Why are you attacking me? What have I done!?" I screamed in anger at this injustice.
I was having a good time with Sona, enjoying a round of chess which I finally won after years of losing to her, and this crazy girl just arrived out of nowhere and attacked me!
"You won't steal So-tan from me!" she announced, pouring more of her magical energy onto the room.
The ice I managed to hold out started creeping up my leg.
' This is going too far!'
I came for a talk and not to battle against a Maou! I needed to get out of this situation. As I began drawing the Ansuz pattern in the air, my fingers glowed in an orange glow. If she wanted to kill me this badly, I wouldn't go down without a fight!
"ONEE-SAMA! STOP! IF YOU KILL HIM, I'LL NEVER TALK TO YOU AGAIN!"
"…"
The room went deadly quiet, so much so that you could even hear a pin drop.
That only lasted a few minutes as the Maou broke into tears and took Sona into a deep hug.
"Waaaaah! I'm Sorry, So-tan, your onee-sama just felt someone finally break the contract and panicked!"
Continuing to latch on to the bespectacled girl, I watched as the terrifying Maou from a few seconds ago turned into a crybaby. I would have compared her to Sirzechs if her case wasn't even more extreme and unbelievable.
"When I teleported inside and saw the infamous Seducing Dragon, I feared for the worst and planned to freeze him for eternity and hide him somewhere remote so that he could never take you away!"
What the heck was that supposed to mean!?
' Seducing Dragon?' Vritra murmured inside, as he hummed in thought, ' I do not know if I like that name. I feel we could do better. What do you think, partner?'
' Instead of focusing on how she just revealed her intentions to freeze me for eternity, you focus on the name? This woman is crazy!'
' Aye, I have noticed that. But a dragon's pride is also their title, our pride sometimes overshadows our fear of death, and I am not a fan of the title.'
Dragons had weird priorities, just like most supernatural species in this world I guess.
I looked back at Sona and Serafall, taking this opportunity to introduce myself and calm the magical girl down. I only found Serafall giving me a stink eye while possessively holding onto a fed-up Sona, who laid limply in her arms. From what I gathered, she looked mad and equaled Sirzechs in the siscon department. But I did not worry too much, for I knew how to deal with such people.
"Wow, you must be Sona's super beautiful awesome elder sister! She talked a lot about you! From day to night, from dusk till dawn, Sona just wouldn't shut up about her elder sister which she feels too shy to reveal her true feelings to! How sad!" I emphasized the elder sister part, while also trying to not kill myself from the cringe.
"Really?" she became excited while Sona further panicked at my words, and now had her eyes turning murderous towards me.
I could see how they were related.
'Sorry, Sona, I must sacrifice you for this one.'
"Of course! She always talks about how she loves her big sister and misses her deeply every day when we meet. Whenever I asked her why she was so down, the girl told me her sister should visit her more often."
The more I talked, the more excited Serafall became, hugging her sister tighter. On the other hand, Sona had already fallen unconscious with her soul leaving her body at how I was damning her with every lie I spoke.
Or probably from the lack of oxygen.
"After seeing her like that, I knew she must have THE best sister in the world. How else would you have a younger sister who misses you so much? To the point of having perverted dreams of Yuri Yuri love. And, seeing you here as a magical girl, I can see that she downplayed your real self quite a lot!"
I believe that was enough bootlicking and bullshit for a month. Though she kept smiling with the biggest grin, something inside me refused to believe it. Like I was seeing a mask made of ice, one that showed cheerfulness from the outside but hid something dark and evil on the inside.
She was hiding her true self.
"I knew So-tan loved me!!!"
In a flash, she now stood in front of me and looked deeply at my face.
"I may not approve of you as my precious sister's fiance, but I like your style, dragon-kun."
Wait…
"Excuse me, I think we may have had a misunderstanding here. I am not Sona's boyfriend." I said.
"Boyfriend? I called you her fiance."
Again with that.
"How can I be her fiance when we haven't even been anything more than friends so far?"
Now it was Serafall's turn to look at me in confusion.
"But, look over there." she pointed at the frozen chessboard. "That's a checkmate. You defeated her at her own game."
"I did," I spoke proudly with a puffed-up chest.
After calming down a bit after my conversation with Sona, I felt pretty satisfied with beating my long-time enemy in chess.
"It took a couple of years, but I managed to take down the tyrant. But what does that have to do with this fiance stuff?"
We played chess together for years, and not once have I heard of such an issue.
"So you don't know… Also, I just remembered that you're a human, so that also helps me out a lot." she whispered, her playful attitude disappearing. "You were just playing for fun?" Serafall asked, staring into my eyes.
"No, I played because I was held at gunpoint to play the game."
My sarcasm bled out.
"Of course, I was playing for fun! Sona looked a bit out these last few days, and I decided to help the girl by indulging in her favorite activity of crushing me in a match. Unfortunately for her, I learned from my past mistakes and won. We've known each other for years. I didn't want to see her in such a state."
"…"
"…"
Pat
"Hm?"
The Maou got closer to me and rested her hand on my head with a sincere smile on her face.
"I see now. Sorry, I overreacted back there, dragon-kun. I thought you were going to sink your claws into another innocent maiden. There are rumors of the 'Seducing Dragon' in the Underworld that you would steal a husband's wife if he leaves her anywhere near you~."
My whole world came crashing down.
' Hahahahahahaha !' For the first time, Vritra burst laughing hysterically. ' What a creative description of yourself, partner!'
"Why and how did I get such a reputation!?" I nearly grabbed the girl by the shoulder and shook her, but then remembered her identity.
Taking a moment to calm myself down and take a few breathers to soothe my nerves-I asked again.
"Just… Why?"
Serafall just found my reaction funny.
"The Rating Game between Ria-tan and Phoenix-kun brought in quite the audience in the Underworld. From the Devils, Fallen, and even other races watched the match. You gained a lot of fans with that little pep talk you had at the end. It caused a commotion, and the infamous reputation as the 'Seducing Dragon' was born. Amazing, right?" her eyes turned into stars. "In fact, I always wanted to bring you into my show, 'MiracleLevia-tan'! The villain would have captured the Princess, and you would swoop in, seduce both the Princess and the villain's wife before taking them away, crushing the hero and villain mentally and physically!"
Oi, what a vicious woman! And that sounded so wrong!
"No, thank you." I immediately turned down her proposal, not wanting to warp the rumors even furthur. "I'm still curious about the fiance part and what relationship it has with me beating Sona in a chess matc-"
"Oh, would you look at the time!" Serafall interrupted me, grabbing her sister's unconscious body before standing back in the center of the room. "We have some urgent matters to attend to with our parents with what happened today, so I can't talk right now, Dragon-kun! See you next time, Levia-tan out!"
I grabbed her hand before she went and disappeared on me. There was so much I wanted to say to her, from an elder brother to another elder sibling. Putting aside all that magical girl persona and my earlier impression of her, I guessed she already knew how Sona thought of her and even though I wanted to pass this message to Sona instead of Serafall, it was something that needed to be let out of my chest.
"Listen, I don't know you nor that version of yourself you're trying to hide from everyone. But I know that you realize how Sona can be a bit unappreciative of your love for her and might treat you like an embarrassment more than anything. But she genuinely loves you with all of her heart, you do as well. If you let me, I want to help Sona be more truthful with that part of her, so that she doesn't end up regretting it in the future."
That conversation I had with her during the match just felt wrong and I couldn't let it go. It made me envious of what she had, and I wanted for her to realize the gift she possessed that many did not.
"…"
Serafall remained quiet and for a split second, her mask broke and I saw what felt like an older woman who had gone through a lot in her life. This version felt more tired and fed up with life than that cheerful persona she kept showing.
Chu
"-!?"
My eyes widened as I felt her lips gently peck my cheeks before she stepped back and gave me a final wave.
"We will definitely meet again, Dragon-kun. I'll be sure to bring Sona as soon as possible… And thank you."
Those two final words carried a lot of meaning which I could not decipher immediately, but nonetheless, she full heartedly said them.
A magic circle formed on the ground, teleporting both of them away while Serafall blew me a kiss.
"If she doesn't end up changing her mind, you can call me sister in our next meeting!"
Somehow, I felt something horrifying would happen the next time I saw either of them.
'You know, I think the new title is starting to grow on me.'
Shut up Vritra.
{ Break}
-Kuoh Saizeriya-
Ring~
The door of the establishment opened with another customer walking in.
The waitress who previously served Kiba came to welcome whoever it was and take their order. Only for her to find a young girl wearing a scandalous outfit.
' Is that duct tape on her nipples!?' she noticed, horrified at what kind of degenerated parents this girl might have to allow this cute child to dress like this.
"H-Hello, young miss. Are you here without your mommy and daddy?" she asked the blank-faced girl.
"I sensed the Prison Dragon's aura here." she said in a monotone voice, ignoring the young woman's question.
"Eh?"
A TV series character? The waitress didn't remember seeing any mascots or events for children happening nearby.
"Umm, I don't know what character that is. Is it from the famous Dragso-ball series? I heard it's quite popular with the kids." she tried to interact with the kid but found her mannerisms very weird. "By the way, what's your name, little girl?"
"Ophis," the dragon god answered, looking left and right, trying to find the feel Vritra's presence throughout the restaurant. "Do you know where Vritra is?"
"Vritra?"
The waitress was getting lost with these names. Was she so out of touch with what the current generation liked?
Bzzt !
Ophis turned her head towards the direction of Kuoh, where she felt the sensation of Vritra's flames and tried to walk out of the door.
"Oh, wait! Ophis-chan, it's dangerous to go out there so late. How about this, I'll give you some free ice cream, and you wait until we can contact your parents."
The woman didn't want something tragic to happen to such a cute girl so late at night. Many twisted people in this world would take advantage of the naive girl, and she didn't want that.
"Ice… cream?"
She had already found Vritra's signature. She could try out whatever this human tried to offer her and teleport away.
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 2 Fate fics are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter.
The three exorcists
Hiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
A bit late but not by that much. For those wondering about An Archer's Promise, there will be no updates this week as I'll be writing Broly's chapter next.
Aside that, we just hit 3k follows on my other fic as well! Huzzah! Nice way to end the month.
Also, thanks to my newest patrons: Iker Fernández, Jason Cantu, DMX, Oscar Mercado, Arochi, Michael Ross and special thanks to Kids89 for the upgrade! Y'all rock!
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi
- Hikigaya residence-
Today was a weird day, to say the least.
Suddenly meeting the Maou and seeing her actually being a magical girl as spoken in the rumour mill, I was still unprepared to meet her. But then, suddenly defending myself from her violent outburst was not what I had planned for today. For such an innocent-looking girl who dressed so ridiculously, she certainly possessed a ridiculous amount of power.
' But then again, she wouldn't be called a Maou otherwise.'
" You're still thinking about Leviathan Serafall," stated Vritra. " Refrain from putting too much thought on today's matter. Beings of great power do not always remain sane as others might think."
Meeting so many of them, I was inclined to agree with him. Out of everyone I knew, aside from Vritra, Azazel could be considered the most normal and down-to-earth guy. Though I only met Sirzechs twice for brief moments, I knew that guy was a master deceiver and hid his true self quite well-a true monster.
And a sis-con.
"Does that include you?"
" Yes, I have my moments. Power corrupts all. It changes everyone at their very core."
"So, absolute power corrupts absolutely"
" In a way, but when I say corrupt, I do not mean it negatively, but everyone changes at one point when reaching a certain level of power."
That made me curious.
"Why?" I ask.
" To keep themselves sane, ironically."
I grew more confused and asked the dragon for more clarification.
" You must realise that those of immense strength get to shoulder an immense amount of responsibilities, stress and, in most cases, have to fight on the front lines with equally powerful opponents that are prepared to kill you. Take Serafall. From what I remember concerning her past, she used to be a ruthless butcher against the Old Satan Faction. Freezing and killing an uncountable number of Devils, Angels, and Fallens-acting as one of her side's main pillars of support. Serafall needed to put aside her feelings when defending her people, a sentiment shared by every true leader. You see where I am going with this?"
I think I did.
"So, Sona has become her anchor to cope with everything that happened… just like it is for Sirzechs and possibly the other Maous."
" Yes," Vritra's voice sounded melancholy, probably remembering his own past, " One can not spill so much blood, and come out of it as the same person as before."
I read about the Great War. It went beyond the realm of bloodshed and could be described as no different than a massacre on all sides. There were no winners. Everybody lost in the end and were still dealing with the end results. Growing up in such a period would have hardened anyone. Sona and Rias represent the fruits of their labour. They did everything in their power so their family and siblings would grow up in an era of peace.
"It still doesn't change the fact that I nearly got frozen to a popsicle there… she could have at least assessed the situation first."
" Not everyone will take the rational approach first, partner. Some people are just quick to assume, even if they are centuries old." Vritra said, sounding used to such a reality.
"You know, now that I look back and remember Rias cautioning me on playing chess against Sona… I finally realise why Serafall got so wrathful and why Sona was avoiding me before."
Just like Rias, I knew Sona to a certain level. She also dealt with the pressure of marrying another noble devil at her age. It would have been odd if she didn't face any issues while Rias went through a literal Rating Game.
A chess match became her version of a Rating Game.
Vritra laughed at my expense.
" Hahaha, look at you, partner! Going for a simple match and ending up engaged with the Sitri heir! I am beginning to wonder if you are naturally more unlucky than a dragon at this point."
I sighed.
Things were bound to be weird and difficult to deal with in this world.
"There's not much to worry about… I think. Serafall tried to dodge the topic at the end and seemed relieved. She must have a plan to deal with all of this mess." I argued, trying my best to believe my own words.
" Or," I didn't like Vritra's tone. " She will only pour more oil on the flame. Beings of great power are unpredictable and should not be predicated on factors like logic and common sense. They all tend to go to the extreme route."
I really hoped otherwise.
Bzzt !
"Hm?"
What is this? It felt like there was a signal within my body forewarning me of something powerful nearby. I had felt a similar feeling like this before. The same sensation of wrongness I felt when facing Sétante. I didn't feel any killing intent or an evil aura around me. This feeling was coming straight from inside my house.
" Mind your environment. I sense holy energy nearby."
"Oh," my eyes widened. My heartbeat quickened, and flashes of people like Freed and rogue priests came to mind. I've seen what they were capable of, and if such a person found out about my parents' whereabouts…
My palms quivered from the horrible possibility.
"Vritra, if you see something inside that would make me go insane… forcefully take control of my body before I do something we'll both regret," I said in a slow whisper, my power starting to fluctuate from my rising anger.
"…"
I imagined my mom and dad in danger in my head and opened the door quickly. The words Balance Breaker are at the tip of my tongue. My fingertips glowed with magical energy as the most destructive of rune spells came to my mind if the worst came to pass.
People related to the Church were not all evil, I knew this, but some were pure zealots who were extremely dangerous who would use their beliefs to justify their actions! They would cut down and kill any of those related to Devils without mercy. In my head, I started to remember the many dead bodies of innocent people that Kiba and I found on our travels. Corpses were mutilated by those who took their belief too far. The possibility of my parents turning out like that… They better pray that did not happen!
I heard laughter from the living room. I went there quickly and saw three unfamiliar faces and parents who were laughing. Dad spoke with a nun with platinum blonde hair, which was hidden mostly by her outfit. While mom conversed with a woman with chestnut hair, who turned to look at me and gave me a wave. Next to her was the girl with blue hair who was staring at me with a hostile glare, and a weapon was covered in cloth next to her. The older of the three proceeded to greet me with a gentle smile on her face.
"Good evening, Hikigaya Hachiman. It is a pleasure to meet you." she spoke in a very eloquent and polite tone.
I wasn't going to be fooled.
I waved my hand as two small magical circles appeared over my parents' heads, throwing them into a trance.
Hypnosis.
I hated using such a spell on them, but I needed to move them away from here as soon as possible. Another larger magic circle appeared beneath them, and I teleported them to Azazel to keep them safe. The entire time, neither one of the girls reacted to my actions. The older lady kept smiling. The chestnut girl looked away while the blue-haired one just kept her narrowed eyes on me. The younger girls had weapons wrapped in some kind of cloth, but Vritra and I could sense the large amount of holy energy locked inside them.
"What do you want, and why are you here?" I asked them directly. They were supposed to meet Sona and the rest, not come and have some tea at my house. In fact, they shouldn't be anywhere near this location.
"Quite direct of you, Black Dragon King."
The woman stood up and gently bowed her head.
"Greetings, I am Griselda Quarta, former exorcist and current head mother working for the Vatican. These two are exorcists in training and my own pupils. Irina Shidou, who happens to be a former resident of Kuoh, and Xenovia Quarta-who you might have guessed-is my daughter."
"I would say it's a pleasure to meet you three, but we all know that that would have been a lie." I maintained my distance between them, not taking a seat, and remained standing in case something unexpected happened. "Forgive me for my rather hostile reaction, but I never had a pleasant experience with people of your factions and… holy swords."
Especially when the latter nearly killed me.
Griselda didn't look the least bit offended by my attitude, though that sentiment wasn't shared by her daughter, whose glare intensified.
"I understand," she said calmly. "I offer you my sincerest apologies for what you've had to endure from the people who used the name of God for their own desires. I heard of former Exorcist Freed being found dead near the abandoned church with a tombstone written with his name."
Yes, I remember that day. When Issei met Raynare, I had to swoop in and save his life before taking Raynare in for interrogation. I wasn't stable back then. Now that Vritra had come back, he securely controlled the madness. I remember finding out about Dohnaseek and Mittelt. That's when Vali decided to cause some destruction and attack the church, and that's when I first saw Freed in person. The project of creating an artificial hero like Sigurd failed with the creation of people like him.
But that did not mean I could just kill him with no remorse or feel indifference to his passing by my hands. I chose to bury him as a way to mourn the guy, despite all of the horrible crimes that he committed, and not get desensitised by killing another human being.
"What of it?" I asked, still not letting my guard down.
"Nothing, on behalf of the church, I would like to thank you for your service, and we are grateful to have such a person stopped from causing more pain and misery to people who do not deserve it."
That caught me off guard. I thought they would find some flimsy excuse and reasoning for my actions and try to take me in-not an actual thank you for killing a former member of their faction. I guess I should listen to myself and realise that not all church members are evil. I got too cautious.
"Thank you… I want to apologise as well for acting like a jerk earlier on. Before coming here, I thought my parents were in danger when I sensed the concentrated amount of holy energy in my home."
"No problem, Hikigaya-san! It's natural to feel protective of your parents." The one named Irina Shidou-which I now realised looked suspiciously familiar to me. "And you helped Ise out. I'm very thankful for that."
Eh, she knew the pervert?
Wait.
Hair colour check, holy sword check, and familiarity with a boy who carried the moniker of a breast-loving super pervert; there could only be one.
"Are you perhaps this kid?" I grabbed my phone and pulled out the image of a younger Issei playing games with another kid whose parents possessed Excalibur Mimic in the background.
"Oh my, That is indeed me! Look at how cute Issei is in this picture!" Irina gushed over chibi Issei while Xenovia just rolled her eyes.
"Hard to imagine you looked like a boy," I commented dryly, making the girl pout at my words, "I was betting that you would end up looking like one of those Bishounen."
"Hey! I know that I may have been a tomboy in the past, but look at me now! I'm a beautiful young maiden!"
Well, she indeed looked quite beautiful and gifted like most girls in this world. Even with the cloak hiding most of her body, it struggled to cover her more prominent assets which bulged out from the cloak.
"Tell me when you're going to meet Issei."
"Sure, but why?"
"I want to get a picture of his face when he realises that you were a girl this entire time."
"Okay?" Irina looked confused, before dropping the issue, "How is he doing now?"
"Issei? Fine, still a massive pervert if he was one as a kid. Doesn't put that much attention into his studies. Used to spend every moment with his equally degenerate friends spying on girls' locker rooms and most of the girls in the school hate him and his friends for it."
Wow, I felt like I was bashing the young kid, but sadly for him, all of my words were true.
Might as well throw him a bone.
"He nearly died recently though I managed to save his gullible self." I would rather not tell them who attacked him just to see if their information managed to acquire such a detail.
"What!?" I guess not. "Poor Issei, he must be traumatised! May God have mercy on such an innocent soul. I will make sure he is alright."
Ha! Issei? Innocent!? Funniest thing I heard in a while.
Maybe, I shouldn't mention that Issei turned out to be the Red Dragon Emperor and a soon-to-be member of Sona's peerage.
"You still haven't answered my question on why you decided to visit my house."
"We are well aware of the fact to never endanger a dragon's nest. The Vatican assigned Irina and Xenovia with a single task while my reason for being here stemmed from another reason." Griselda answered.
"My reason for being here is related to sister Asia Argento."
"What do you want from her?" I got on the defensive. Asia suffered already with the church, and I didn't want their involvement to ruin her current life.
"My superior wants to meet her. She felt that the girl was unjustly treated and wanted to make amends and offer her a place back."
Were they crazy? After everything that happened, after they threw the girl out and treated her like a witch, they want to bring her back as if nothing happened!?
"Do you have any idea what would have happened to Asia if I didn't intervene and help her? Your faction's actions caused the girl to be taken up by Fallens and have her Sacred Gear extracted! She would have died because of your fault, and now you want her back? Do you take me for a fool!?" I went off a bit strong there but couldn't help. The sheer audacity these people have to say such things and ignore the past.
"Watch your tongue!" Xenovia shouted at me before Griselda silenced her.
"I understand your dissatisfaction. I have read the reports on how unfairly and horribly sister Argento was treated by her peers and the whole church. But please understand that there are many underlying factors that pushed this decision forward. The timing, the circumstances involved, everything worked against us, and we were not able to shield her in time." Griselda sounded genuinely sorry about what happened. I couldn't detect any deception or lies from her.
"Let me talk with Asia first. She should at least be prepared for the meeting."
At the end of the day, I couldn't make such a decision without Asia being present. That didn't mean I wouldn't be with her and make sure she didn't get tricked into some kind of crooked deal.
"I understand."
I turned my head and looked towards Irina and Xenovia, knowing full well why they were here.
"Are you perhaps curious about the reasons for these two girls' presence in Kuoh?"
"They came here for the stolen holy swords." Once again, the woman didn't seem surprised and kept smiling. Though Xenovia turned increasingly hostile towards me.
"How do you know this? This is classified information only the Vatican is aware of. I wouldn't be surprised if a heretic working with Devils like you is involved in this case."
She approached me, holding the covered sword.
"I wouldn't be surprised with a heretic like you, Black Death."
"…"
Wow, I haven't heard that in a while. This whole situation almost made me laugh.
Trying to look intimidating? How pathetic. Even her attempt at provocation just made me roll my eyes.
My hand came to rest on the blade's side of the sword, and I pushed down, much to Xenovia's shock.
"Listen to me, I don't have time nor interest to deal with your one-sided, biassed views on the world and how this can lead you to an early demise. But don't think a remnant of an already broken sword will scare me when I face much worse."
Gae Bolga topped the charts on my list. Its effect of destroying one from the inside-no matter who-could not be surpassed and it was terrifying to be turned into a pincushion from the inside out.
"An immature girl who sees the world in black and white will never succeed on this mission, and would more than likely end up being a liability. Go wave your little glowing stick at someone else's face and let the adults talk."
"You!" Her eyes blazed in anger and fury, and the cloth around began to loosen, prepared to attack me.
"Xenovia!"
Until Griselda came forward and stopped the girl in her tracks. Her mother grabbed the girl's cheeks and slightly pulled them in a painful manner.
"Just what were you planning on doing, hmm~?"
Her voice sounded cheerful, but her eyes looked scary as heck from under her habit. Both Irina and I put some distance between those two to not get caught in the crossfire.
"Is she going to die?" I asked the brunette with a whisper.
"No… maybe. But she will get spanked or will be forced to train until her body gives out and she passes out for a couple of days." Wow, maybe Griselda and Scáthach were related.
Scary and beautiful, what a dangerous combination.
"B-But h-he insul-"
"None of that!"
She pulled her cheeks further apart.
"I believe I raised you better than this… right~?"
That right at the end sounded ominous enough to promise a world of pain if the girl didn't agree.
"Yes!" Xenovia didn't waste a moment to agree, her face slightly pale in fright.
"Good. Now, I believe we must leave. Xenovia and Irina will pay a visit with the Sitri and Gremory heir tomorrow about the mission. I will be busy reporting to my superior and will be in the middle of preparing a meeting between her and Asia."
Griselda and the other girls left my house after saying their goodbyes. Irina decided to lessen the tension by talking to me at the last second. Apparently, she had come to Japan after a long time, coming here once again to revisit the town she lived in as a child. She said that she went to England because of her parents' work. I refrained from asking too much about her father and possibly getting a lead on more information about the Belial scandal.
A few minutes later, I called Kala to bring Asia to the Occult Research Club tomorrow. We needed to discuss the matter with everyone else as well.
' In the end, I'm glad nothing happened.'
After that, both Rias and Akeno returned home. Both King and Queen came home with pale and anxious looks, while giving me a look over for any injuries. Even Kiba and Koneko joined them with their combat gear and looked ready for a fight. After Rias confirmed my safety, she suddenly hugged me into a tight embrace.
"Are you injured? I never knew that they would go after mom and dad because you weren't a Devil and that they are fully unaware of the supernatural side! Where are they!?"
Rias was a mess. I took my time to calm her down by rubbing her head.
"I'm fine, you little weeb. Those people just came here for a talk and nothing else. Mom and dad are somewhere safe. I sent them Azazel just in case things went south." Maybe not the right time to realise this, but I noticed how she didn't say 'your mom and dad' just 'mom and dad. A minor detail but something important to notice as well.
Akeno hugged Rias and me even tighter and held us both like valuable things. Koneko joined as well, snuggling me from my side.
"I'm glad senpai is safe."
I smiled at the cute little neko. Maybe I should bring her out to eat some ice cream. It's been a while since we last hung out.
"Aaah, Hachi. I'm glad. If something were to happen to you, I… After the normal club activity, I went to visit Sona but couldn't find her and saw ice covering all of the Student Council room. I panicked but one of the members gave me a letter that was addressed to me, and learned that the Exorcists had already arrived, but weren't present in the hotel rooms that we reserved for them."
When Rias got close to my house, she realised the holy presence and came rushing here. She confessed that she thought of the worst when she entered the house and felt the presence of strong holy energy. It seemed like her heart was beating fast from how I could feel it on my chest. Good thing they didn't encounter the Exorcists on the streets.
"I thought that the worst might have happened to my precious mage. I prepared for the worst scenario, you know? If I were too to help you in combat just because I was a bit late, then I would have regretted it till death. I'm sorry. We should have returned home together. I focused too much on my duties-" she just didn't stop.
'The Gremory is truly a being with extraordinary affection. But then again, you two are lovers.' Vritra said in my head, approving of Rias' caring nature.
"It's okay. I'm not some defenceless person. I'm quite capable of taking care of myself."
Rias continued to hug Akeno and me with a loving embrace, while her head was buried in my neck.
"Rias, are you sniffing my clothes?"
"N-No! I'm just enjoying your presence!"
"I am," Akeno said without shame, which was to be expected.
"So am I. Senpai smells really good." Look at what you've done to innocent little Koneko.
She was turning into a pervert.
"According to the initial agreement, we set up a date to meet those three at noon tomorrow. They want to negotiate with me, the Devil, Rias Gremory, and Sona Sitri, who co-own this town as our territory. Since we know it's about the holy swords, I can guarantee that the meeting won't go well."
"The people from the Church want to negotiate with us Devils. It is bound to not go well." Kiba added, leaning against a wall while letting the girls have their moment with me.
Rias nodded at his words.
This wasn't shocking.
The devils and Christians remained enemies from the beginning. And the negotiation came from them about a sensitive topic like the theft of the Excalibur shards.
"They are planning to come to the club room after school tomorrow. They apparently promised in the name of their holy father that they won't attack us."
"Do you believe them?" I asked, curious to know her thoughts.
"We have to. We have to believe in their belief since they are the believers of the holy father, and they are coming to request something from Devils when we are supposed to be evil beings in their eyes. They seem to be under pressure, and it's certain that it's trouble. I have a bad feeling about this… From their story, the priests that come to this town keep getting killed and they don't know who is doing it."
Probably Kokabiel.
Rias' eyes became sharp, and she had a serious face. It certainly was surprising to see her like this.
"Don't worry, we'll get through this together. I won't let you down," I added, tightening my hold on the girls, hoping to reassure them.
"I know… that's one of the reasons why I love you."
"Same!" Akeno said, still holding onto us.
"Me too Senpai, you give the best hugs and snacks." Followed by Koneko, while she nuzzled my side like a cute cat.
I felt another embrace from behind.
"Same!"… and even Kiba!?
"Oi! Kiba!"
"Oops," he grinned. "Got caught up in the moment."
This bastard, that was totally intentional.
'I'm glad that Ebina isn't here to see this.'
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 2 Fate fics are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter.
A Witch
Hiiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
The snext chapter for Archer will be out this week.
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Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi
-- Kuoh Academy-
Just like Griselda had mentioned, the next day at school, I received word from Koneko that there were two Exorcists waiting in front of the gates and waiting for permission to enter.
We still had a few more minutes before we had to meet them, so I wasn't in a hurry.
For the moment, I was in my club room, taking the time to actually deal with some paperwork and give Aika some well-deserved rest and send her home early. Though, I also sent her away because I knew that today would be an important day and didn't want the exorcist to mistake her for being associated with Devils and cause unnecessary danger or get her involved in this mess.
Asia sat beside me, finishing up her Japanese homework. She looked so concentrated on her studies, I had to resist the urge to pat her head. For someone who couldn't speak Japanese from the get-go with the Devil's cheat-like ability, I had to teach her a bit of magic for her to learn the [ Dual Translate ] spell.
The girl didn't want to take the easy route and genuinely wanted to learn the language through her own efforts.
What a hard-working little angel~
"Hachiman-san, what does this kanji mean?"
"Hmm, that's 'good luck'"
"Ooh, Kanji is really hard, but I'll do my best!" Asia said as she wrote a few more lines before closing her notebook.
"I'm done!"
"Have you done your math homework?"
"Yes!"
"History?"
"Yes!"
"Great, I'll be back in a bit. Wait for Kalawarna to arrive, and don't leave the room without her or my permission."
The streets were getting dangerous. I was beginning to get reports from Kala about a recent finding of numerous corpses of Stray Devils all over Kuoh. All had died from a holy blade. My initial thought was that maybe Griselda, Xenovia, and Irina decided to spend some time patrolling the town and taking out some of the strays to pass the time.
But these reports dated from before their arrival.
So it was either Kokabiel or a random holy sword wielder who just happened to come to town.
' Yeah, the answer was pretty obvious. Kokabiel would rather keep the Strays around if it meant that it would keep Rias and Sona distracted from his plans.'
Walking through the empty hallways, I made sure that no one remained inside the school, and after a few minutes, I finally reached the abandoned dorm where Akeno and the others were waiting.
I knocked on the door out of courtesy before entering.
"Yo."
The members of the Gremory group were gathered in the club room. On the sofa, Rias with Akeno with Kiba and Koneko standing behind the two and the two "guests" were sitting with one of them giving the rest a hostile glare.
Blue hair, carrying around a sword bigger than her, and a pretty face that was ruined by her scowl.
They came without Griselda like expected, though I would have preferred that she had come along. These two definitely weren't the best at talking, mostly Xenovia.
The other members of the group were sitting in the corner of the room, looking intently at what was going to take place.
' They are tense. Feels like a powder keg ready to blow.'
Of course, they would be, but my observation came more from the holy swords being so close to them than anything else. Their instincts as Devils were probably screaming and alerting everyone that they were in danger.
"Don't mind me. Just continue whatever you were talking about." I said as I sat next to Akeno and let Rias continue the conversation.
"I hope the trip here wasn't too tiring. If you are in need of any assistance, then please, don't hesitate to ask."
"We did not come here for some petty chitchat."
Xenovia just had to ruin the mood.
Sigh, I knew things wouldn't go smoothly.
Everyone was tense, though surprisingly, Kiba looked relaxed and composed.
But not smiling, his gaze locked firmly at the swords behind their back.
He didn't glare at them, just methodically observed everything, and that worried me more as it became difficult to get a read on him. For all I knew, he could just start slashing like a madman at any given point if we were not careful.
' The boy is holding back an immense amount of anger behind those eyes. Like a calm ocean before a tsunami .' Vritra said in my head.
' Is it bad?'
Kiba was fast. If he suddenly went on the offensive, I wasn't sure if I would be able to restrain him before he caused any damage.
' He is not tensing his muscles or channeling any magic to his limbs, nor does he display any killing intent whatsoever. So, I guess he is in the clear, for now.'
My worries were well founded. These people were believers of God and were holy sword wielders, of which Kiba hated both kinds. Everyone in this room, aside from the Exorcists, was aware of Kiba's case.
Now that I think of it, it might be the reason he was standing at the back, with Koneko beside him holding his hand-just in case he lost control of his anger.
For all I knew, Gasper could easily be hiding someone near with his Sacred Gear ready to be used at any moment if he somehow broke out of Koneko's grip.
Irina spoke next.
"Recently, the Excaliburs that were kept by the Catholic Church Headquarters Vatican, Protestant Church, and Eastern Orthodox Church were stolen."
"We are aware of the news," Rias answered curtly.
"Ah, I guessed you would since the Black Dragon King already knew about it as well."
Would they keep calling me with that name? It felt like such a super chuunibyou title. A couple of times was okay, but constantly doing so would just give me an aneurysm.
"I rather you call me Hachiman or Hikigaya. Take your pick."
"We would rather not. The last thing I want is to get in any way familiar with a Devil sympathizer and a heretical magician," said Xenovia, her tone cold as she made displeasure known.
"…"
Well, wasn't that rude…
I didn't take her words to heart, she wasn't the first one to speak with me rudely, and she wouldn't be the last. If anything, I found her reaction quite hilarious and naive. Irina acted politely, with her usual bubble self coming on the surface from time to time.
Xenovia, on the other hand, looked like she stood a bit on the extreme side and did not like the Devils and anyone associated with them at all. Not rageful like Kiba, but just a general dislike of an abomination and enemies to the Church.
' The girl is quite prideful .' Vritra came back, ' That will get her killed in the near future.'
' She is, and I would also call her a straightforward kind of girl.'
'That she is, a lot of enemies will be able to take advantage of that mindset… you know she is holding an unusual amount of holy energy in her being. A fine thread of energy, linking her being to an entity similar to the sword behind her.'
Well, wasn't that an interesting information.
' Could she be a holy sword Sacred Gear?'
That made her even more dangerous than I initially thought.
' No, not Sacred Gear. Weird, very weird. I can not identify it unless she calls upon its power. But it most definitely is a holy item.'
Hm, food for thought.
While I was discussing Xenovia's strange power with Vritra, totally unbothered by her attitude towards me-Rias did not seem quite pleased with it. Including the rest of the club's members.
"I rather you speak with my contracted magician with respect. He is under the care of the Gremory and my lover. Any offense will be taken as a direct attack from your faction to our side and will be met with sufficient retaliation."
Rias' tone of voice turned sharp and imposing. I could feel the room getting colder by the second.
Neither she nor the blue-haired exorcist broke eye contact for an entire minute.
"The sword on your back, I believe it is an Excalibur, right?"
Out of nowhere, Kiba started talking.
"And what of it, Devil?" she asked, glaring at the blond with suspicion.
"No reason, really. Just curious about them. It's not every day a Devil like me would find himself so close to such an infamous sword. Its legend is known by all, with the might and power to kill the strongest of Devils. Even if the original sword was broken into seven pieces, I bet it still holds its previous splendor even when divided. So I wondered if you could show me the blade."
He spoke politely and with a smile as well. Having a harmless and curious air around him which was nothing but a facade.
Not many people realized a certain point about the Knight, even his King, could turn into a master liar and deceiver out of every Devil in this room. He could smile, facing the thing that his family got killed for without losing control.
I did not know his motives, but since he wasn't lashing out or anything, I just kept silent, as did everyone else.
"The Excalibur I hold is Excalibur Destruction. It's one of the 7 holy swords that were created. The Catholic Church is in control of it."
The woman with blue hair and green mesh pulled her weapon out, which was covered in cloth, and revealed it to us. What appeared was a longsword.
Whoosh !
Everyone in Rias' group paled a bit when facing the blade. The holy feeling has gotten stronger with the cloth no longer covering the blade. Akeno unconsciously pressed her shoulders closer to mine, wanting to feel safer despite having the ability to wield her own holy energy. She could still be deadly wounded and killed by a holy sword like any other devil.
Rias put up a stoic face but I could see her hand gripping her skirt in anticipation.
If I could describe the blade, it would be a big blade with two axe heads for hand guards and three pointed ends. Despite its legendary reputation, I couldn't help but think just how freaking ugly the blade was. Especially the handguard, one wrong move, and the user could get themselves injured.
It probably was way more efficient in crushing rather than cutting, slashing, and thrusting. Your generic anime sword, which couldn't be as practical compared to a regular sword. But then again, maybe the name 'Destruction' was given for a reason.
Irina also took out something that looked like a long rope. That rope started to move as if it were alive. Coiling like a snake, it soon turned into a katana.
"Mine is Excalibur Mimic. I can change its shape into anything I want, so it's really useful for carrying around. Just like this, each "Excalibur" has its unique ability. This one is in possession of the Protestant Church."
She said it with pride. I could feel the fear of that Excalibur as well. That was also really dangerous to the Devils.
Out of every Excalibur that Kiba and I researched, this sword could rank among the top three swords I actually liked.
"Irina, there's no reason to tell these Devils the ability of our Excalibur."
"Ara Xenovia. Even if they are Devils, we still have to form a trustworthy relationship with them in this situation. Also, even if my sword's ability is revealed, I won't fall behind to the Devils here." Irina said confidently.
She probably had the confidence that she absolutely would not lose to both the Devils and me.
Again, their naivety and arrogance astounded me. Their chances of survival already looked abysmal from my point of view.
"What makes you think that the Excaliburs are here in Kuoh?"
Rias was already suspicious of their presence here in Kuoh, but finding a Stray having died from holy energy cuts didn't mean that the weapon in question could be an Excalibur. There were many other swords who could fill in the criteria. But the timing just didn't help our case and increased it from being an Excalibur shard to a guarantee.
Though that didn't mean that she had to share everything with the exorcists and was just fishing out for more information.
The girl continued to talk with the same attitude, not backing down even in front of an Excalibur. She was holding her ground.
Xenovia continued to talk.
"The Catholic Church was in possession of two Excaliburs, including mine. The Protestant Church also had two. Also, in the Eastern Orthodox Church, there were two as well. The last one went missing in the previous war between God, Devils, and Fallen Angels. One Excalibur was stolen from each Church. The ones that stole them escaped to Japan and brought them to this town."
Rias rested her hand on her forehead and took a breath.
I guessed that bit of news was finally getting to her.
"Looks like my territory is full of incidents. So who are the ones that stole the Excaliburs?"
"Kokabiel," I said immediately, not giving Xenovia the chance to incriminate the entire Grigori.
The latter gave me a squinted glare.
"Do not blame an entire faction over the action of a single being. Kokabiel is already alienated from the inner circle and has been viewed as a hostile entity by Azazel. He has already taken enough measures to restrain the Cadre, but Kokabiel managed to escape before he could be captured and can no longer be traced."
Including a few hundreds of Fallens, give or take.
"Of course, you would defend them, seeing as you work alongside them and the Devils. Just your actions alone speak volumes about your deceiving nature and obvious enmity against the Church. For all we know, you could have aided the Fallen in stealing the swords and played the innocent bystander while secretly being in cahoots with Kokabiel himself."
"Watch your tongue!" Akeno sneered at Xenovia, finally reaching her boiling point with the arrogant women's accusations, "The last thing Hachi-kun would do is betray someone. Don't go accusing people with proof which do not even exist. My lover is innocent."
"…"
It was rare to see a usually calm and playful Akeno burst into anger, so everyone in the room went quiet.
"Wait, didn't you say that he was your lover?" Irina asked Rias, pointing at Akeno and me.
"He is mine." Rias asserted, despite the situation, smiled at her statement.
"Eh?"
Irina now was very confused, looking back at Akeno now.
"And mine as well~."
The confusion on her face was so much that I could see the gears in her head cranking. Xenovia just seemed unbothered by the entire thing, probably not putting too much thought into the matter like her partner.
"It's… a harem?" Irina muttered, unsure about the answer.
I gave her a so-so hand gesture. Some people would argue that a threesome wasn't a harem. But I had already accepted our relationship.
So yeah, a harem.
"Waah! How sinful! Oh lord, please save these po-oof!"
Before she could go any further and accidentally cause some severe migraine to every Devil in the room, I threw one of the pillows at her face without hesitation.
"Oi, don't go praying when near a Devil. Do you want people to get petty and consider that as a provocation?"
She gave me a sheepish face, muttering sorry before we continued the conversation.
"We sent priests, exorcists, to this town secretly, but they kept going missing in action." Xenovia added.
"Our request, No. Our order is to not have the Devils or any third party intrude in the battle between us and the Fallen Angels for the Excaliburs. In other words, we came here to tell you not to interfere with this incident."
Not possible.
"Such a manner of speech… you've been rather aggressive now that mother Griselda is not here. From your words… Are you thinking that Rias and I are helping out Kokabiel? Let me make this clear, this is all Kokabiel, and neither the Fallen nor the Devils are helping that warmonger out in any way, shape, or form. And shouldn't you be asking for an alliance to make this mission easier?"
"The headquarters think that it might not be impossible."
This conversation was beginning to grind against my nerves. She basically came here and told everyone to not interfere because it was obvious they held all of us accountable.
What was it with the Church making everyone their enemy? It certainly differed with the way Azazel described his siblings to act.
"The higher-ups don't trust Devils, Fallen-Angels, and far less the Black Dragon King. We were ordered that if the holy swords are taken away from God's side, then the Devils would also be happy, right? The Fallen Angels would also profit from it. For those reasons, it won't be weird for them to form an alliance. That's why we are giving you a warning. If you ally with the Fallen Angel Kokabiel, then we will eliminate you all. And that includes you as well, Black Dragon King. Even you will not escape God's judgment."
Xenovia said it casually without caring about having the entire room glare at her and looked ready to put her down.
Irina just looked to be extremely uncomfortable with everything going on. It was hard to tell if she agreed with Xenovia's words or not.
I could see Rias calming herself and trying to go for a more diplomatic approach once again. I commended her for being able to control herself in this situation. Self-control was a crucial trait to have as a leader.
Sadly, I wasn't going to have any of it.
"You are quite blind and delusional with such claims, little exorcist. After our encounter yesterday, what gives you the confidence to hurt anyone in this room with me present? And why are you so against us offering a lending hand? We confirmed that neither I, Rias, nor Azazel are working alongside Kokabiel. In fact, we all want to put him and his plans down, before he causes any more problems."
Things were beginning to get heated, but out of nowhere, Xenovia smirked.
"Our swords were forged to battle beings of great power, dragons included."
No, they weren't.
Those were just lies, shoved down your throats to make you obedient attack dogs.
I could hear Vritra give a mocking laugh at Xenovia's words.
' Those poor imitations could never match the power of the original.'
"And the reason I can't accept your aid is due to the delicate balance put in place by the three factions. Rias Gremory may be the Maou's sister, but you are not a Fallen. You do not have the authority or influence to represent an entire faction. I can not in good conscience take your words as insurance that nothing will happen, and if something were to happen, I would be the one to be hated by my fellow peers in the Church faction."
That… actually made sense, in a way.
But her threat of disposing of both the Devils and me if we interfered still stood.
Rias spoke again.
"So it's just the two of you? You are going to retrieve the Excaliburs from Kokabiel, a Cadre-level Fallen Angel, who was known as 'Angel of the Stars', with just the two of you? How reckless and foolish. Are you trying to die?"
She said it with an amazed voice. But Irina and Xenovia said it with a straight face.
"With mother Griselda by our side, nothing can stop us. So yes."
"I have the same view as Irina. With our mother by our side, we won't die," she spoke with such confidence and blind conviction that it made me wonder about Griselda's power, "But even if she wasn't with us, we would do everything in our power to complete our missions, even sacrificing our lives."
Was she perhaps a Sacred Gear user? But Vritra didn't say anything about her having one. He would have sensed something if that was the case.
"You came here to Japan prepared to die. The belief in your teaching is extreme like always." Kiba said, a mocking tone present in his voice.
"Don't talk ill of our beliefs, Knight of Gremory. Right, Xenovia?"
"Right. The Church decided that it would be better to eliminate all of the Excaliburs rather than letting them get used by Kokabiel's forces. Our main objective is to get the Excaliburs away from them. To accomplish that, it's okay for us to die. The only way to fight against the Excaliburs is Excaliburs. But again, that won't happen with mother Griselda by our side."
Seriously, just who was this woman that these two were willing to face up against a Cadre without fear? Even I wasn't completely sure of handling the guy myself.
Sure, I stood leagues above my past self, power-wise. But we were talking about a Cadre here! Someone who was around during the Great War and led his forces into the battlefield.
' You can always rely on me when the time comes.'
' I know, Vritra. We got each other's back.'
"Aside from Griselda, do you have a secret weapon?" I said, thinking about the thread of holy energy that Vritra talked about.
"Who knows…"
Damn, why did the straightforward girl have to act so mysterious all of a sudden…
After that, the two of them just stared at each other, and the conversation stopped. Shidou Irina and Xenovia looked at each other and stood up.
"Then we will take our leave now. Let's go, Irina."
"Righto!"
Irina once again apologized to me for Xenovia's rude tone in the beginning. I waved it off. Any insult aimed at me just washed over me like air.
I was used to it.
Knock
Knock
The door to the clubroom opened, and to my surprise, a diminutive Asia poked her head slightly inside.
"A-Ano… Hachiman-san, a visitor, has come to meet you. Sh-She said that she won't leave till you m-meet her."
Why did she look so nervous?
Shit, forget that! Both Xenovia and Irina noticed her and grew interested.
"Are you the 'Witch' Asia Argento? I never expected to meet you in a place like this." Xenovia said without remorse.
Asia's body shook after she was called a witch. That word was something painful to her.
"Enough," I said quickly, firmly, not liking where this was heading one bit.
But they didn't listen to me.
"Are you the rumored witch? The former holy-maiden? You are said to have the power that can also heal Devils and Fallen Angels, right? I heard that you were sent somewhere after getting exiled, I didn't expect you to become involved with all the enemy factions of our God."
"Ummmmm… I… I…."
Asia didn't know how to react to Irina and Xenovia's accusations.
"Asia, come here now," I called her by my side. She accepted and hid behind me. I acted as her shield, but that didn't stop those two from further talking.
"Yeah, I'm surprised as well. Becoming a devil would have been sinful enough, but becoming allies with both the Grigori and the Devils while still being a human… isn't that insulting to our Father?"
"N-No! I-I still pray to the Lord!" Asia quickly defended herself.
"And neither Hachiman-san nor Akeno-san are evil! They gave me a home and made my dreams come true. Kalawarna-san always takes ca-care of me like a sister, and I am forever grateful to have the p-people who've given me a second chance!"
Xenovia approached us, her gaze still fixated on Asia.
"So you do still believe in God. I can sense the belief emanating from you, despite the people you are surrounded by. Then again, there must be a reason why mother Griselda is interested in you. Maybe you do have a chance at redemption."
Schwing !
Kiba came in between me and the approaching Xenovia. His eyes were sharp and cold, as he pointed his blade at her throat.
"I'd rather you keep your distance from my friends."
Xenovia didn't pay the man any attention but just continued to gaze at Asia with a particular gaze.
"If you still believe in the words of our Father almighty. Then I offer you two choices; you could be cut down by us this instant. If it's now, I can cut you in the name of God. Even if you have sinned, our God will forgive you for siding with the enemy. Or, leave these people and join us back to mother Griselda."
"…"
' Partner …'
"You dare call Asia a witch?" I said with a whisper, but my words were able to get everyone's attention.
"Yes, I dare. Right now, she is at least fit to be called a witch."
She talked without knowing anything about Asia. Not through the betrayal, she went through, having what she considered her family throw her out without second thought. An innocent soul who just wished to make the world a better place by healing those in need without asking anything in return.
"You people betrayed her. You called yourself her friends and family but abandoned her when she needed you all the most. And now you ask her to choose to return to hell or be killed for being too kind?"
' Hachiman, do not kill them.' the dragon said, his tone neutral.
But even he didn't sound like he meant those words.
"Do you think the Holy-Maiden needed friends? What's important is charity to others. The Holy-Maidens are finished when they seek friendship and love from others. She could have continued to live with only the love of God. So Asia Argento didn't have the right to be a Holy-Maiden from the beginning."
Was this what these people considered a life? Forcing kind souls like Asia to live in solitude for the rest of their lives?
"She didn't ask to become a Holy Maiden. She only wanted to help people and even after everything that happened, she still does. Every day, she helps the people in need all around Kuoh, healing the wounded and providing food and water to the homeless. That's all she wanted. You all have her take the fucking title! Are you truly that blind to not see the folly in the entire thing? Do you not see how she was defamed and exiled for reasons beyond her control? She can't control the nature of her Sacred Gear. It possesses no holy attribute and would have healed the Devil regardless, because all she saw was someone that needed help!"
"Hachiman-san, i-it's okay." Asia tried to dissuade me, but I couldn't just let this woman slander her like that, not after everything she went through because of them.
"God loved her. Her healing the Devil meant that she didn't believe in him enough, holy attribute or not, or her belief was fake. She deserved everything that came at her."
"…"
Everything stopped. None said a word after Xenovia's words.
Even Irina was shocked into silence at her partner's harsh words.
I remember when I first met Asia, at that time, she said something that stayed close to my heart.
'.. . It's because I didn't pray enough. It's because I'm clumsy. I'm so stupid that I can't even eat a burger by myself.'
'I am a witch. I committed a grave sin, enough for the Lord to abandon me.'
'I am a bad person.'
"…"
It was because of them that she thought like that.
"Hachiman?" Kiba became worried, but I ignored him.
My gaze focused on the woman who was glaring back at me and Asia.
It was people like her who caused so much suffering for the innocent girl. They gave the girl such a large responsibility from the get-go, which she always did her best to fulfill.
But at the slightest sign of trouble, one little mistake from a kind gesture, and they treated her as a witch.
Not even giving her a chance to explain herself and defend her action.
She did not deserve this.
They did not deserve Asia.
I wasn't going to let them take her away from me.
My body moved.
"Argh!"
Crash !
"Xenovia!"
They needed a reality check.
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 2 Fate fics are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter.
Dragon vs Exorcist
Hiiiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Well damn, people really want to see Xenovia pummeled! Won't spoil anything though, you'll just have to see what happens next in this chapter :)
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That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi
- Occult Research Club-
Hmmm. So how did things turn out like this?
I was expecting to wake up this morning and find Rias and Akeno by my side, sleeping naked like usual, trying to get a rise out of me. In more ways than one. The former was a bit too clingy after my so-called 'near death experience' with the Exorcists, though it was nice seeing Rias acting so motherly over my non-existence injuries. Griselda and the two tagalongs just came over to talk and nothing else.
Now, I knew the day would become a headache for me with the other two Exorcists coming to Kuoh Academy for a visit.
I still needed to talk to Sona about how things were going with Serafall. Had the latter decided to spare my life after realising that the chess game was only played out of boredom and to help Sona relax-not a marriage proposal. I liked Sona, not in a romantic way, but rather as a friend who I could easily get along with and learn new things. Aside from her devil nature, Sona acted the most normal out of every devil and even most people I knew about. Tsubaki was slightly beneath her. And Asia followed right after them, despite her naivety.
' Seriously, why does every person in my life have a few screwloose? Or are we, in fact, the odd ones in this world?'
… That would honestly explain so much.
Anyways, what I wasn't ready for nor expected on my part was having punched Xenovia right through the window. Her body shattered the glass into countless shards as she fell downwards from the second floor of the building.
Was I worried about her?
A bit, yes.
But I couldn't let it stop me now.
The person known as Hikigaya Hachiman wasn't a violent person. Whether it be in this life or my last one, cowardly would be the closest type of person I would have associated myself with, along with distrustful, cynical, and lacking any manly pride. Hating violence and hurting others for no reason, even those who insulted me.
Nevertheless, I had a limit-everyone did.
And I reached my limit not by becoming angered over someone insulting or belittling me. But rather, someone threatening to kill and take away an innocent soul who had nothing to do with the fate that befell her. Not just her. If anyone had said the same thing to anyone else in this room to whom I grew close for years, then I would have punched them to the moon nonetheless.
Was I getting a bit too violent?
Yes, this world kept changing me as time went on. The Sacred Gear's powers, before Vritra had awoken from his sleep, had done something to my mind. Here, strength carried more power and weight than words, unfortunately. If I couldn't adapt and go along with its rules, then I would have been long gone.
"Xenovia!"
"Hachiman!?" Kiba shouted in shock.
What a mess…
Not that I couldn't understand his current emotions. He was supposed to be the one who everyone kept an eye on, not me. He was the one who held the biggest amount of hate against the Church in the first place, not me. Not even Rias or Akeno expected to see a fight break out in the room with me being the one to throw the first punch.
Crash !
The glass panes shattered when they finally hit the ground. I used every ounce of my strength without Vritra's aid to channel the anger I felt at that moment and landed it straight on Xenovia's face.
It almost felt like time had slowed down. I saw every detail clearly, from her widening and her hands reaching out for the Excalibur.
I punched her so hard that even her cloak came loose and revealed to everyone what basically looked like a black leotard designed to be body armour while giving her ease of movement. But I thought that was the only reason for its design. One could see the curves of her body-especially with her chest and lower part. There was even a window showing off her lower back.
I guess even the Church had some closet perverts.
Surprise, surprise.
"Ouf!"
Her body thumped against the ground, driving the air out of her lungs. Eyes bulging, giving me the impression that even if that suit was some kind of armor, it didn't help her from going through an immense amount of pain from that fall. Though fortunately, she didn't appear too hurt, nor was she bleeding. The skimpy latex outfit was more durable than I expected, instead of just making them into eye candies.
"How dare you!" shouted Irina, outraged that I attacked her partner.
She quickly unwrapped her katana-shaped Excalibur and rushed at me, with the intent on striking me down. I didn't budge from my spot, knowing that I had people near me to watch my back at all times.
And I was proven right.
Clash !
Unfortunately for her, her strike was intercepted by a large black blade. Stopping Irina in her tracks, she recoiled backward and looked up to see a smirking Kiba, who looked ready for a fight.
"I got your back, Hachiman." he said, having a giant smile on his face.
"Thanks, though I feel you're quite pleased with my actions."
I basically handed him a fight against an Excalibur user without having to force his way to it or provoke any one of them. In his defence, the Knight could just admit to having done it in self-defence and brought out his blades to protect his ally-me.
"What is the meaning of this!? Do you understand that your action is no different than declaring war against the Church!?" Xenovia shouted as she brought up Excalibur Destruction after recovering from my hits.
I rolled my eyes and extended my hands forward with two fingers up. "Two-no, three things."
Kiba pushed Irina away from the building. The brunette joined Xenovia's side as both prepared themselves for a fight. Kiba followed suit as he landed on the ground, calling out other swords around him with [ Sword Birth].
"Firstly, you are not representing the Church. Griselda is. Your faction has flaws, but they aren't brain-dead fools who would give any one of you prideful children the authority and power to use their name to conduct a political discussion of this importance so easily. My best guess is that Griselda gave you this assignment as a test, one which you failed the moment you dared bring that poor excuse of a holy sword anywhere near Asia and ask her to die."
I jumped down as well, calling out some of Vritra's power. [ Absorption Line, [Delete Field, and most importantly-Gae Bolga.
The spear appeared in my right hand with a small red flash of light for everyone to see and marvel.
"That spear…"
Both Irina and Xenovia watched in a daze as they felt the bloodlust and power coming off the spear like a red tsunami. I poured a large amount of my ever-expanding mana reserve inside it, not bothering to hold back right now.
My hands tingled as I felt a sharp needle-like sensation stabbing my palm. The spear did not acknowledge me as its new wielder. But unlike before, the sensation was less painful, and it didn't reject me as strongly as before. As Scáthach said before, the weapon possessed a form of sentience, and it would continue to reject me as I was not chosen by it, just like a holy sword rejected those not compatible with it.
That is why feeling the pain being lesser than before and the weapon itself cooperating to some level felt weird.
What changed?
Did it share my anger and want to battle against holy sword users? With an aura opposing the ones coming off of the Excaliburs, maybe. Though my guts felt otherwise, I was missing something here.
No matter, as long as Gae Bolga was usable, I didn't care what its deal was right now.
I had two Exorcists to put in their place.
"Secondly, you boasted about how your swords can hold up and possibly slay dragons. Well, I certainly am holding a dragon inside me, and it ain't even the strongest of his kind. I don't know how strong I am compared to a Cadre like Kokabiel, but if you can't even beat me… then you'll truly are nothing more than suicidal tools in my eyes."
I twirled the spear, just like Scáthach and Sétante liked to do before combat as a way of intimidation or just to look cool. Something I probably picked up from them.
"And lastly, Asia and I aren't Devils, so we do not belong to their factions or any faction for that matter. I am my own boss, and Asia is under my wings. What your little speech did there was not declare war on the Devils, but against me!"
A red dome formed around the field where we stood. Akeno set up a field for our fight to stay hidden from any passerby's gaze.
"Then let's start."
[ Delete Field!]
I wasted no time in deploying my own field and momentarily weakened the two Exorcists to the point of them nearly falling to their knees.
"What is this!?" Irina exclaimed in confusion, trying to fight back against the oppressing pressure of what felt like a mountain suddenly falling on her shoulders and suppressing her strength.
"My first Sacred Gear."
Not giving Xenovia any time to recover, I jumped forward with my spear rushing straight for her ribs. I wasn't trying to kill her, she hit a nerve threatening Asia, but that did not deserve a death sentence, especially when Gae Bolga delivered a painful end. Though it seemed that I underestimated her tenacity and recovery speed.
Clang !
The shaft of my spear impacted the side of her sword, and sparks flew everywhere as she pushed herself backward and created a small gap between us.
I landed on the ground, and took on a fighting stance with the spear.
"Show me what an Exorcist like yourself is truly capable of. Try to subdue me, and if you manage to do so, I'll acknowledge your strength and will personally make sure that neither the Fallen and Devils interfere in your mission. And if I win, then you better get on your knees and apologise to Asia and my friends."
My offer sounded quite fair to me. Though I was forcibly speaking in Rias' place without her permission, it was a necessary move to get Xenovia interested.
"…"
{ Break }
While Xenovia was thinking about my offer, Kiba's battle against Irina was getting intense.
Holy energy was far worse to Kiba than to a 'regular' human like me. As if someone took the world's most deadly poison and toxin and combined them into a single concoction before amplifying them a hundred times against devils. There were records on how a single cut from such weapons managed to burn a devil to ashes and a high-rank one nonetheless. Kiba could die from just a scratch if he wasn't careful, though seeing his rather defensive moves and constant attempts to keep Irina at a distance, I realised that Kiba didn't let his anger take control of him.
"Wow, you're quite the capable Knight. As expected from Lucifer's sister!"
Even in the midst of battle, Irina complimented Kiba's swordsmanship as she just couldn't break his defence no matter how fast she fought. If Xenovia could be described as a powerful fighter, then Irina fell into the speed category. Focusing more on precision and speed above all else.
"Don't know about Xenovia, but I'm willing to keep this matter under the Church's radar. We were kinda in the wrong here," she said with an awkward smile.
"I don't know about the other guy over there. But I don't mind declaring this as a sparring opportunity. I formally request a duel with Knight Kiba Yuuto from the Gremory house. Do you accept?"
"I accept, and as your senpai, I don't mind testing out your abilities, especially the sword's… Let's see if a failure like me can surpass a successful attempt."
That got her confused.
"Eh, senpai? Failure?"
No answer was given as in that moment, countless numbers of demonic swords appeared around her. Blocking off any escape route for Irina, though, that didn't make her panic like Kiba thought it would, much to his chagrin.
"Excalibur Mimic! Form whip!"
The next second, as the swords were heading her way, the sword in her hand transformed into a long and silver-looking metallic whip that the exorcist used to deflect every single sword around her. Even her stance changed. Using a nimbler approach, she masterfully wielded the newly changed 'sword' as if dancing.
"Are you laughing?"
Kiba's facade broke for a second as he let a laugh escape his mouth.
"Yeah. The thing I wanted to defeat and destroy appeared right in front of me. You could say that I'm quite happy about this unexpected development. Travelling the world for years and coming back empty-handed every time, only to have you people just present yourselves in Kuoh. I just wished Hachiman's dragon luck on attracting trouble would have worked sooner when we travelled together."
Oi, did this guy want to nearly die thrice like me?
Irina looked down at the scattered swords she had deflected from before. Ranging from regular ones to some even giving off demonic energy.
"Sword Birth, huh. The holders are able to create any demonic sword they can imagine in their head. It's unique among the demonic sword-related Sacred Gears. I heard that there was a 'subject' that avoided being disposed of by the 'Holy-sword Project'… Was that you?"
Kiba's smile became brittle, proceeding to take a deep breath before exhaling. His sharp gaze returned to the whip-like sword Irina held.
"Unfortunately, yes."
The look on her face changed to that of pity and sadness. The infamous case was known worldwide to anyone officially associated with the Church. No matter how the latter tried to hide the project, pieces of information and reports leaked through the upper management's control which led most of the people to find out about this now open secret. A past mistake many wished to rectify, and some even wanted to forget.
"I… I can't say anything other than sorry. Such a project cost the lives of many innocent children, yet what resulted from this helped many people. It saved countless lives, of which we are forever grateful to those who lost their lives from it."
She genuinely seemed depressed, though I could see how Kiba didn't take her words very well.
"Is that what it is to you people? The idea of killing a few to save hundreds?"
Even from his voice, anyone could hear how he was fighting to keep his anger in check.
"To you people, we were nothing but lab rats. Children which you killed, and you console yourself with a quick prayer over the slightest traces of guilt. You will find an excuse for the death of my family to be validated, won't you!?"
"N-No! I d-didn't mean it like that!" Irina shouted, wanting to clarify her words. "You must realise that it's thanks to this project that we managed to increase the chances of Excalibur swords to receive a proper wielder and increase the number of people who can fight against the force of evil! We can spread the Lord's work to those who need it and make them see the light. Those who got chosen turned to become the representative of God, and we are doing our best to deliver justice to people like Valper who have wronged you!"
By using the same research, he left for them? Yeah, I could see the irony there and how this really wasn't a good thing to tell Kiba. Pairing someone drunk in their beliefs to such an extent and always finding ways to justify their faction's misdeeds with a former survivor was a terrible match-up to begin with.
"And here you are threatening Devils and my friends! Burn! And freeze! 'Flare Brand' and 'Freeze Mist'!"
One of the demonic swords created a whirl of flames while the other one made cold air and silver frost.
Crack !
Yet as soon as they appeared, both swords got cut into half by the superior weapon-Excalibur Mimic. Even though the weapon itself was a failed copy, it still carried traces of the original King Arthur's sword, and that alone was enough to surpass Kiba's blades.
"No matter, I'll just keep creating more swords till yours eventually breaks. Even if it takes thousands of swords to reach that end!"
Another clash ensued between the two.
The Knight of Gremory reverting to his cool temperament as anything else would lead him to a quick loss.
Kiba fought more swiftly and used his devil piece's abilities to their limit. Yet still remaining cautious of Irina's sword's ever-changing form and style of battle. It reverted back to a katana which she was forced to use defensively, getting slightly overwhelmed by Kiba's onslaught. He went on a slashing rampage toward the chestnut-haired girl. The holy sword and demonic sword created more sparks as they made contact with each other.
Meanwhile, Xenovia managed to recover from my attacks and got back into a fighting stance.
"Sacred Gears like [Sword Rebirth] and [Delete Field]. And also the [Twilight Healing] that Asia Argento has. All of them are Sacred Gears that are said to be heresy to us. Maybe it was natural for you to work with the Devils."
She really doesn't know how to keep her foot out of her mouth…
"Heresy? Strange thing to say after your faction made Asia the Holy Maiden in the past-despite knowing the truth of her Sacred Gear. So should I consider your superiors to be so corrupt, and they would work with Sacred Gears when it suited them and use God's will as an excuse when things don't go their way? Pathetic really, I bet the biblical God is ashamed of you all, just like I am."
That seemed to trigger Xenovia deeply.
"Ha!"
She rushed in with Excalibur Destruction towards me. Slow. Too damn slow. She just couldn't compensate for her lacking speed while wielding such a ridiculously big sword.
Clang !
Once again, I used Gae Bolga to block her attack, feeling some pressure on my joints as she now fought seriously against me.
"By the way, I'm curious. What does Griselda want with Asia?"
I decided to start a small conversation while we fought, my anger simmering down to the point of me being able to temporarily ignore her past words and ask questions in a separately related manner.
Making her think that she was a threat to me.
Which she wasn't, if I were to be honest.
It also helped me front falling tok deep in the fight and accidentally cutting her with the spear.
"I do not know! Mother Griselda's matters are not things Irina nor I are permitted to ask."
I blocked more of her attacks and began to retaliate by sending a rune attack against her. My fingers drew a single pattern in the air, [ ᛋ ].
"Sowilo."
A miniature fireball formed from my hands and immediately launched itself at Xenovia, who didn't hesitate to use her blade and cut the fireball in two. The two pieces flew off behind her and destroyed a few trees.
"Magic Arrows."
Small constructs of arrows, the size of my hand formed the air and launched towards Xenovia, the latter showing an inhuman amount of strength as she slashed her swords so fast that it nearly became a blur to my eyes for a second.
Slash!
Slash!
Slash!
In an instant, she destroyed everything and tried to come after my head with the flat side of her blade. Even with that precaution on her side, if that thing hit my head than I would enter a coma.
A blue film coated my entire arm, I then strongly planted my foot the ground, bracing myself for the impact.
"Hurgh!" It hit me with force of a bomb!
I grunted in pain as I felt my entire body shake from the impact! Like if I had tiny ants crawling all over my body and bones, my feet digging further in the ground.
Yet, I managed to keep my hand uninjured, but the Vajra spell had cracks in it.
"Ha!" While she was recovering from the attack, I swiped Gae Bolga in a large arc and pushed her away from me.
Getting some breathing room, I whistled in amazement.
Though I didn't like Xenovia at all with her attitude, I couldn't help but acknowledge her skill as a competent fighter. She could definitely handle a few high-ranked devils or stray on her own with no problem. Of course, she still wasn't anywhere near the power level of a Cadre.
"Impressive swordsmanship, whoever taught you must be proud."
After learning the basics of Kendo, thanks to Murayama and Katase rigorous lessons, along with Scáthach's hellish training with spearmanship-I could tell that she was a natural with the sword.
She begrudgingly smiled at my compliment.
"Thank you, but I don't think I'm still up to her standards, unfortunately. Mother Griselda still thinks I could do better."
Oh, I should have figured that she was her trainer as well.
"Everyone can improve with continuous training. Even the masters always have something new to learn. You can never truly become perfect at something, those who reach this state merely lie to themselves as they can't see past their limit. For a teacher to appreciate their student's progress is a very important detail."
"Are you… complimenting me?" she asked, confused about my change in behaviour. Just a few moments ago, I looked ready to break her bones, yet now I just gazed at her with a bored expression.
"I am," I admitted, dodging another of her strikes, "trying to ease the tension and not accidentally kill you with my spear. Though don't mistake my words for forgiveness, you're still going to pay!"
"Oh…" she frowned. "Then let's get serious. My sword is a mass of destruction, and there's nothing it can't destroy!"
Xenovia swirled around her sword in her hand like a hand-held saw blade. She then pointed it upwards then thrust it into the ground.
"Interesting…"
Suddenly the place where I was standing shook, and the ground began to rumble and crack! I quickly used my Levitation spell to float away just in time to see the ground beneath me crumble with clouds of dust in the surroundings.
"So the sword can cause the ground to explode? Huh? Neat."
Yeah, nearly all of her faction's enemies were with freaking wings who can fly. Good luck on catching one of them on the ground. I landed near the crater, inspecting the damage, and once again, I wasn't that impressed by the results.
Maybe the past me, from a few months ago or before the Sétante incident, would have found her to be a somewhat difficult opponent, but now? I could take her on without even activating my Sacred Gear.
"This is my Excalibur. It can destroy anything that comes in its way. It's not called an 'Excalibur' for nothing."
Destroy anything?
"Let's see if it can destroy a spear carved from the bones of a sea beast."
It was time to end this and make her apologise to Asia.
Power surged throughout my body. I partially opened the floodgates of my mana reservoir and let a huge chunk of it free. The river of magical energy couldn't be contained completely inside my body and began to spill out. A display similar to Sétante, though still not even close to what he could produce. I didn't even want to compare myself to Scáthach, she was like the Sun while I was a mere matchstick.
Both real monsters alright, the lot of them.
Sand and dust picked up in the air from the sudden force.
The intensity of the sheer power already exceeded anything Xenovia expected to face. She brought her sword and used its flat side to protect herself, thinking I was preparing for a final attack.
Good, she gave a suitable target.
Scrreeeeechhh!!!!
A deafening sound came from Gae Bolga as I poured more energy inside it. Its demonic bloodthirsty aura intensified further than before, to the point of even stopping Kiba's fight against Irina.
"Don't kill her!" I heard both Rias and Asia screaming at me, making me waved a bit before steeling myself once again.
I wouldn't.
I raised Gae Bolga and rushed towards her!
The tip of my spear clashed full force against Xenovia's Excalibur. The bluenette nearly lost her grip on the sword as it nearly went flying from her grip. Xenovia gathered her wits together and tightened her hold on it, and started to push back.
A large boom of what sounded like the sound barrier breaking occurred, and to everyone's surprise…
… They all heard a rather loud sound of metal cracking!
"Oh no!" Irina screamed in horror as she watched a tiny crack form on Xenovia's sword, which slowly started to grow the longer the spear continued its onslaught.
"Xenovia, give up!" she pleaded to her friend.
"…"
The latter didn't respond, her eyes focused with determination, but it soon started to waver at her weapons' imminent destruction.
"If you don't give up now, then the sword will break!"
This revelation seemed to break my opponent from her trance and made her realise the disaster she would face if she didn't give up the next second.
Crack !
"I surrender!"
Xenovia screamed, letting the sword fly off her hand and for her to follow it as well. Her body crashed against tree trunks and broke a few of them till one was able to stop her momentum. She slumped downwards to the ground. Injured and beaten.
"…"
She didn't say a word, probably because she must have suffered a concussion as well.
"Are you alright!?" Irina came running to her side. Xenovia couldn't summon enough strength to get up, having to rely on Irina's help to do so.
I wanted to give her my final say in this fight.
"… For all that it's worth, I confess that you are a formidable swordswoman and could have definitely beat up my past self no problem. Unfortunately, you can't beat me, and a Cadre is way out of your league. Can you not see the folly in your mission? I don't know how capable this Griselda is, but she certainly has a lot on her shoulder for this journey as she has to protect you two."
As I walked away, I saw the giant Excalibur sword just laying there on the ground. The crack on the metal was somewhat visible, but couldn't be seen from afar.
'I wonder…'
A crazy idea came up to my mind and I couldn't help but want to test this theory out myself.
I picked up the discarded holy sword, "Ouch!" and instantly lost my grip on it as the weapon rejected me with a painful shock.
"Should have figured…."
It wasn't like I was the main protagonist with some sort of extremely rare hidden affinity with holy energy.
Now then, as I was about to demand the girl uphold the end of our agreement, I noticed a few holes in the red dome put in place by Akeno. Three sets of eyes were peeking at us.
A large blue one and two dark blue ones at a different height each.
We were beings spied on.
"Oh no! I think Dragon-kun spotted us!"
That voice sounded hauntingly familiar… like belonging to someone who nearly froze me to death a few days ago…
"As I would expect from my rival, he even has a keen sense of observation. It seems that I have a lot of catching up to do after seeing this." said a rather deep-sounding male voice.
Eh? Rival? And why did this person sound familiar as well? Even Rias reacted badly to that tone of voice! It reminded me of someone particularly arrogant and cocky, a voice that reminded me of fried chicken, but seemed to be lacking a bit of the aforementioned arrogance and brash self-confidence.
"You can do it, Onii-sama! That no good cheater will rue the day, he dared to use such underhanded tactics during your Rating Game!"
Classic twin-tail ojou-sama attitude right there.
"Do not worry, dear sister! With Leviathan-sama's permission, I will have all the opportunity to surpass the Black Dragon King and truly find my answer on how to live a peaceful life!"
That made no sense whatsoever!
And most importantly…
"Why are you here, Riser!?"
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 2 Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword having 3 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter.
Who?
Hiiiiiiiiiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Well… chapter came later than I wanted to. For some reason I lost a large chunk of words while writing the latest chapter. Thankfully, it wasn't the entire thing or I would have cried. So yeah, having to rewrite that was a pain and definitely took some time.
Anyways, here's the latest chapter.
Also, thank you to my latest patrons: Willy, Angel, Aaron Tomaso and Archer E. Y'all rock!
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by Shigiya.
Kuoh Academy-
Riser
The last person I ever expected to ever meet in Kuoh was anyone from Sobu High. But seeing the guy whom I technically 'stole' his fiance, furthermore, while making him suffer crushing defeat in the eyes of the Underworld by sprinkling some nice words and a promise to his opponent to give them a kiss as a reward-the latter of which went Beast mode and destroyed him with a constant barrage of destruction.
Did he come here for revenge? I hoped not. I already was on the bad side of the exorcists here and needed to watch my back for any crazy magical girl who had the power to create a frozen hellscape.
And said crazy magical girl was right there, hiding behind a bush while having several branches tied around her head like it would help her hide better!
Seriously, why couldn't anyone I know be more normal?
"Surprise to see me? Good! It would mean that my entrance has been a major success, and I have dazzled you enough with my greatness!"
' More like horrified of you.'
I just stood there, a finger pointing at the trio that were approaching me.
"You tell him, Onii-sama!"
Even the twin-drill ojou-sama was here, acting like a little cheerleader to her dear brother.
Neither of them have changed at all, from the same clothes and mannerisms. Though I could tell that something was off with Riser, just a bit, but I'd worry about that later. One would think that the stupidly rich family of the Goetia clans would have a closet filled with different sorts of high-end clothes designed by the best seamstress and flaunt it around to show off their wealth and status. Or maybe they had a closet filled with the same designed clothes, which sounded frightening in its own right.
Granted, Rias liked to wear her school uniform most of the time, but she at least changed into different outfits when she was lazing around my house. Or just wander around naked in the middle of the night.
"What are you doing here, Riser!" I asked.
"Why am I here? How ignorant of you, Black Dragon. You, of all people, should know why I'm here! That talk we had before let ablaze a new passion in my heart, a passion of which I never knew possible, and this kept growing day by day, and I couldn't hold it in anymore until I saw you again!"
Oh my…
"Sorry dude, I'm flattered but I don't swing that way."
I never would have expected him to swing both ways, or that he felt attracted to me of all people. I would have been far more elated if it was someone like Totsuka which I wouldn't mind going on a date if he asked me, but I wasn't gay. To think he traveled all the way from the Underworld to the human world just to ask me out? Well, I couldn't say that the Devils never did anything half-assed. In such a situation, it was better to quickly deny their feelings and hope that they move on.
"I sometimes, most of the time, question the sanity of you people that live in the supernatural, on why you all seem to have an attraction for me. I'm trying to not sound narcissistic about this, but what the heck guys? I'm not someone special, even that powerful compared to some of the freaks out there, or even the protagonist of this world, and I'm fine with that, too much of a hassle in my opinion. But somehow, I keep having to deal with powerful people on a daily basis that seem interested in me. So why am I getting so many people confessing to me, despite my looks being completely average? I mean, if anything my eyes sometimes scare people away if that isn't more proof. I already accepted the fact that both Akeno and Rias may not be all there in the head for wanting to be with me, but I am grateful that they are willing to give this poor schmuck a chance. Nevertheless, I have to decline your confession and politely ask you to move on. We can still be friends, though."
"…"
After I said that part, which was more of a rant now that I think about it, the area descended into a quiet atmosphere. Not a single soul uttered a word over the next few seconds, making me turn my head around, finding both Xenovia and Irina giving me weird looks.
Riser's face morphed from a surprise and baffled look into a furious snarl before he forcefully calmed himself down.
"Woohoo! Dragon-kun sure has a way with words!" Serafall broke the silence as she made her way toward me. "Riser-kun over here came to me and asked for permission for him to attend Kuoh Academy a few days ago along with Ravel-chan. Seeing no problem with his request, I brought them here for a visit. Didn't expect to see you battling against Exorcists…."
Her smile died down as I felt that dreadful aura return for a split second before it disappeared.
"Sona-chan has really grown up, hiding such an important piece of information from her big sister. How naughty of her~!"
As her words sunk in, my face turned crimson red from embarrassment.
Damn it, I shot myself in the foot with my little speech.
It was probably the adrenaline messing with me.
"Ah, I see… Sorry about the misunderstanding, Riser."
"… I'm going to burn you alive if I ever get the chance."
Sigh
What did I even expect at this point?
( A few minutes later.)
After the fight, we returned to the club with more people this time. Neither of the two Exorcists protested as they knew who Serafall was. And despite the apparent suicidal devotion to go against any enemies of their faction, both girls didn't dare offend a Maou, no matter their feelings on this.
Especially one who wore some sort of magical girl cosplay while twirling her wand.
Still having to give the Phenex duo a tour of the school, Serafall quickly left the room with a nervous Rias following them. The redhead did not want to have her school burned to the ground by the Phenex siblings if they felt like they were offended. And just to be on the cautious side, she forcefully dragged Kiba along with the help of Koneko, in order to keep him far away from the two Exorcists.
"Are you okay?"
Asia put her hand on Xenovia's stomach and healed her wound with Twilight Healing. The blue-haired was wearing the spare uniform Rias kept around in the old school building. She was wearing it because our fight really damaged her clothes earlier. For combat clothes, they certainly ripped quite easily in certain areas more than others. My theory of there being an Issei-level pervert within their ranks, manufacturing these things might as well turn out to be true. The warm green-colored light that was made from her hand surrounded her stomach and healed any residual bruises or cuts.
For the entire time, neither Xenovia nor Irina talked and just let Asia heal them.
Akeno was behind me, giving my shoulders a massage that I did not ask for. Telling her to stop proved fruitless as she seemed to enjoy doing it, and I had to admit that she really gave one hell of a shoulder rub. I could feel the tension leaving my body with each of her movements. It was so good that I had to actively keep myself in check and not accidentally let out an embarrassing sound.
It would've made things awkward.
Unfortunately, this was not the case with the rest, especially Xenovia and Asia.
I could see that they were not comfortable with what happened, and seem to be regretting it.
"Why are you healing me, Sister Asia?" Xenovia asked, not looking at the gentle nun. "There is no need for it."
Oh, still using the Sister title?
Asia shook her head, a smile still on her face.
"I can't let you go while you're suffering. I may not be a nun or one of God's children any longer, but I must still continue to follow his teachings. And my heart would not accept myself ignoring healing a person in need."
"…"
"I'm glad that your wounds were minimal after getting hit by Hachiman-san. I was afraid that he might've hurt you both too much."
"Oi, you're talking like I was going to cripple her or something worse. I'm not that kind of guy-unlike some people who are a bit too trigger-happy with their weapons." I said while giving both Exorcists a stink eye, causing Irina to look down in shame.
Xenovia, on the other hand, didn't look me in the eye as well as Asia.
I was still annoyed over Xenovia threatening to hurt Asia, and that feeling wasn't going to disappear anytime soon. Funnily enough, the one that was threatened had already forgiven them, and to add salt to injury, both Exorcists were getting healed by the person they called a witch.
Irony? Karma? Something else, probably.
"Hachiman-san does get a bit overprotective of me, and you weren't hiding your intentions during the fight."
"True, Hachi-kun can be unpredictable at times. Some of your actions clash with that uncaring act of yours. Are you a tsundere by any chance?" Akeno joined in on the conversation, still massaging my shoulders.
"I'm not a tsundere. I'm open with my thoughts and feelings and don't bother beating around the bush."
"Rias would disagree if she was here."
I refused to acknowledge that.
"Still, quite surprised you acted so out of character with these two here and literally punched a lady out of the room. You then proceeded to unleash your magic, which you never do, and even tried to make them submit to you. Now that I think of it, it does work with your eyes. They enhance the effect."
That was a tactic to intimidate my opponent and crush their will before the fight even began. Also, I was grateful for that comment about my eyes. No one ever said any good things about them.
"…"
God, I just realized how chuunibyou my phrases just sounded.
Good thing I didn't say it out loud.
"Sister Asia," Irina spoke, getting up from her seat.
Unlike Xenovia, she didn't have any notable injuries during the fight with Kiba. Maybe a few minor cuts here and there but nothing major, even her 'combat suit' was mostly untouched. She came in front of Asia and did something no one in the room expected her to do.
Irina kneeled and apologized.
I was surprised one of them actually did it, I was thinking that I would have to use force again to make them keep up our bet.
"Forgive me and Xenovia for our actions till now. We acted out of line and said things that we shouldn't have been saying. Even after pointing a blade at you, you're still healing us and have shown us the grace and kindness that we did not expect from you to give nor do we even deserve it. Please, accept my sincerest apology."
"What are you doing, Irina!?" Xenovia reacted with shock at her partner's action.
I realized that even though Irina was the most bubbly and childish among the two, she still acted a tad bit more maturely than Xenovia. More accurately, she didn't respond negatively to the things opposing her belief-which I found to be a praiseworthy aspect.
"No buts! Do you remember what mother Quarta told us concerning Sister Asia? We just violated her orders and will get heavily punished if she were to find out!"
Xenovia's appearance went stark white as she seemed to catch up to her words. She looked as if she was about to face death soon.
Seriously, how scary was that nun to make this dunce fear her? I felt that she was quite a pleasant and polite lady. Maybe it was all a ruse, and she turned out to be a sadistic Exorcist like Freed, but with more of a conscience.
"Speaking of Griselda, I believe we have a meeting with her later," I said while motioning Asia to come along. "You two are accompanying us or what?"
"Unfortunately, we can't, we have other duties to attend to, and this matter between the two of you is of great importance that even both of us weren't allowed to know anything about what mother may want with you and Asia."
Huh, interesting.
For all I knew, this could easily be a trap designed to kidnap Asia while killing me as well. But that worry immediately went out of the window when I realized I was strong enough to defend myself and escape if the situation required it. Not to mention, this was Azazel's and the Devils' territory, and with Kokabiel on the loose, no one was going to do anything drastic. Serafall also vouched for Griselda. I wonder how they knew each other.
Before I left the room, Akeno leaned against my ears and whispered, "So, when are you planning on taking Rias' virginity? After a date like we did? Better hurry up before she becomes too restless and takes the initiative, fufufufu~."
Curse this beautiful succubus!
"I'm not bringing her on a date just to get in her pants. We will do it when she is comfortable with me and at the right time."
"Like last morning? Bummer that Asia interrupted you both before you were able to seal the deal."
How did she know about that!? Rias must have told her!
Or more likely that Akeno weaseled it out of her.
"Just… let's not talk about me taking your king's virginity here of all places. Just give me some time, okay?"
I got confirmation with a short peck on my cheeks.
She was too good for me.
"Just expect a threesome in the near future."
{ Break}
-Abandoned Church-
According to the address Griselda gave me, this was the place I was supposed to arrive at with Asia.
The old church.
Or at least the replica built in place after Vali completely bulldozed it.
If memory serves me well, Asia was supposed to come here after she was excommunicated by the Church, and Raynare or whoever else pulled some strings and made a plan for the nun to come here. Had I not met Asia that day, had Raynare not been captured and Freed were to remain alive, then I couldn't imagine what would have befallen the innocent nun.
"How sad to see one of God's homes reduced to such a state…." Asia said, making a small prayer.
The place was dilapidated and worn down to the extreme. Every single window was either broken or covered in dirt and grime. One couldn't even make out the color of the panels. Not to mention, the creepy atmosphere outside with the dead trees and the sound of crows cawing gave the place a really ominous atmosphere.
It made me remember the countless scenes from the horror movies I'd seen in the past.
"Vritra, is the place safe?" I asked the only being I could trust to check my surroundings for any dark intentions.
" With the presence, I'm sensing inside, and if it really ends up being her, you might as well consider this place the safest area in all of Kuoh at the moment."
Hm?
I wasn't expecting that kind of answer.
It made me curious about just who could be inside to warrant such a reaction from him.
"Ah! Vritra-san can hear us?" Asia asked, her eyes widening in surprise.
Oh right, I never talked out loud with him with people around.
"Uh, yeah, he can hear everything I hear. And somehow managed to peer at the outside world like you and me without much of an issue."
"Awawa!" she suddenly became all flustered and started bowing at my arm. "I-It is a-an honor to meet you, Vritra-san! I want to give you my sincerest thanks for keeping Hachiman-san safe from his dangerous adventures!"
"…"
At this point, I was starting to think my luck in this world was abysmal with how easily I attracted danger that even the innocent Asia can tell that I get into too much trouble. I could easily blame my dragon gear for my shitty luck, but I also felt like my own luck had something to do as well remembering the trouble I used to get into back in my old home.
" Hahaha! No need to thank me, young Asia. I am doing my duty as a dragon bound to a host. Any danger to Hachiman is my responsibility to ensure he remains safe and out of harm!"
Why did it sound like he was boasting?
"You're amazing, Vritra-san!"
"Alright, you two, enough wasting time. We need to get done with this as soon as possible." I said while heading towards the church door, whose hinges creaked loudly as I opened them.
The inside was built with a gothic-influenced style. Two separate rows of benches where half of them had long since deteriorated with time and the other elements. The roof was filled with holes, traces of water dripping down occasionally on a small puddle on the floor. A faint stench of mold and dust filled the air, making my face scrunch up a bit. Fortunately, the holes in the ceiling made some light pass through and illuminated the place enough for us to see.
Considering Vali flattened this place when I captured Raynare, it was a wonder how Rias and Sona managed to rebuild everything to its smallest details. Or maybe it was Azazel who did the work, as having Devils build a church sounded very outlandish and probably dangerous.
But why couldn't they just build a brand new church and not this molding mess?
"…"
Someone stood in front of the altar with a large cross on the wall, seeming to finish a prayer.
It was Griselda.
"Good evening, Hikigaya-san, and good evening to you as well, Sister Argento," she spoke politely, a gentle smile on her face.
"Is he the Black Dragon King?"
"Hm?"
I became aware of a third person's voice.
Emerging from the shadows behind Griselda was a figure which made me, for just a moment, forget to breathe. Even Asia froze in shock, mimicking my face as she stared at the person in front of us with shock and awe.
Twelve giant golden-colored wings that glowed with a radiance that made me think that I was staring at the sun itself. A beautiful young woman with a breathtaking, heart-shaped face that could enchant any mortal and long blonde curly locks that seemed to shimmer like the purest of gold as they fell over her shoulders. Bright crystal blue eyes that shined with innocence, kindness, and love that I felt overwhelmed the longer I looked into them but her gaze seemed to be focused on me at the moment.
I prided myself on not falling over a pretty face. Doing so would have anyone easily led by the nose if they weren't careful. But right now, I stood in front of someone who I considered to be beautiful, just absolutely stunning.
Her body was wrapped in an extravagant white robe that barely held her breast and her voluptuous figure in their confines. Above her head, there floated a golden halo. The dazzling golden aura radiated across the room as she walked in, enveloping me in a feeling of warmth that reminded me of Asia's Twilight Healing.
It was like staring at the sun without the latter's light burning my retinas.
The young woman showed us a gentle smile that nearly made my legs weak and gave us a light bow.
"How do you do? I am one of the Four Great Seraphs, and my name is Gabriel-Guardian of the Throne of Heaven!"
I felt my jaw drop to the floor and began questioning myself if this wasn't a dream.
" Gabriel… Never expected to see you of all people here without your brother keeping an eye on us," Vritra spoke as he appeared on my arm.
"Ara? This aura's quality… it's surely you, Vritra. This brings back memories, though you feel different from your past self."
" Times have changed. I have made some choices many would call me a fool over. Yes, for what I have lost in eternity, I have gained the aspect of living once again, and I do not regret it. But I cannot say the same for you, Seraphim Gabriel-you have not changed one bit."
She laughed.
"You sound more lively. Your bond with Hikigaya Hachiman is quite marveling to look at."
What was up with these overpowered beings able to see through such things with a single glance?
" Indeed, I am grateful to the system for having chosen a suitable host for me this time."
A weird expression crossed her face for a split second before disappearing.
"Chosen… yes… that matter remains to be discovered."
Huh, did something happen?
Not being able to follow the conversation, I decided to speak up.
"Excuse me, I know this is sudden and all, but can you tell me the purpose of this meeting?"
Especially when it concerned Asia's presence. I wanted to feel that she was a threat. I wanted to feel the slightest trace of wariness against her-but I couldn't. She had this aura around her that made the notion of having hidden any evil ploys or evil intents just seem impossible.
Her wings fluttered slightly, golden feathers falling to the floor, causing some of the dust to fly away. Almost as if the environment itself wasn't capable of staining any part of her being.
' Vritra, in the extremely small possibility that she will try to do something out of our interest, what are the chances of me escaping?'
I didn't even count my chances of beating her in a fight as I literally couldn't bring myself to hit her face! Furthermore, she was a Seraphim, for god's sake! I could probably fight against a Cadre in my current state if I used all of my trump cards from the get-go. But the difference between a Cadre and Seraph was bigger than the distance between heaven and earth. According to Vritra, the disparity was greater than a Cadre was to a two-winged angel!
' Forget it. Gabriel is known to be the strongest woman in Heaven for a reason. She equals Serafall in terms of power, and do you not remember how the latter easily trapped us in ice from her mere presence? Unless you attain the Boosted Gear at its strongest form while being fully in sync with Ddraig, then you'd have the power to equal them. For now, leave this train of thought to rot away, as she does not even harbor any nefarious intentions against you, nor will she ever. Remember, you are safer here than in any other place in Kuoh. She is THAT trustworthy that even her own enemies would trust her words without question.'
Alright, I needed to stop my paranoia from getting the better of me. If even Vritra repeatedly asked me to not worry about Gabriel, then I must believe him.
' Also, she is absolutely terrible at lying. I heard stories where she broke down in tears over a white lie.'
Well… That was good to know.
"We've received news that the Welsh dragon's host turned into a Devil just recently."
So Sona managed to turn Issei… how? She wasn't strong enough to use the pawns that she had on her, nor did she have any stronger pieces. Sanji alone consumed a few pawn pieces, while Issei might as well require all pawns. Unless…
Our conversation during the chess match came back.
' Serafall must have helped out her sister. ' Vritra stated.
I agreed with his statement. Her sister must've given her something to help convert Issei.
Good luck to her. Hopefully, she could make Issei into a respectable human being and a powerful devil with how he wanted to become THE harem king.
"But I did not come here for that."
Her words threw me out of my thoughts.
Gabriel approached us. My heart started to beat faster the closer she came. My face remained calm and almost uninterested, but I was panicking inside.
Asia, on the other hand, was already on the verge of crying. I couldn't blame her. Seeing an angel-much less a Seraph-must have been quite a dream come true for her.
Gabriel gently grabbed the nun's shaking hand like a mother gazing lovingly at her child. That feeling made Asia whimper slightly at her gaze, tears starting to spill down her cheeks. She couldn't take the love and care coming from those eyes at her, not when she still felt responsible for what happened back then.
"My sweet child, you have served our Father and followed his teachings from the day you were brought to us as a baby. And when you grew up, you devoted yourself to his teachings and chose a path to heal the poor and sick, praying with your heart every single day for a better future for those unfortunate and for those seeking salvation. I watched you grow to be such a strong and beautiful woman. To use your gift without asking for anything in return. No matter if they were human or a being of the supernatural, your only wish was to ease their suffering. Even when you were betrayed by those that you trusted, you still forgave them. You truly represent the best that humanity has to offer. I ask for forgiveness as I could not save you the day of your banishment." Gabriel's tears started to fall from her eyes as well, gently bringing the weeping girl into an embrace, her wings wrapping around them like a blanket.
Sometimes… I forgot just how amazing Asia was in her own right.
"I berate myself for not coming to your rescue. I berate myself for having ignored my Father's teachings, and I berate myself for having committed such a sin in the first place. I understand that you may harbor hatred towards us, but I have come to mend our mistakes."
I remained quiet.
"N-No! It's not yo-your fault, Gabriel-sama!" Asia exclaimed out loud, look up to the woman. "You have done nothing wrong, and I have never blamed anyone from the Church. They still are my family, and I dearly love every single one of them. I want to thank you instead, as it is through my mistakes that I have met Hachiman-san and forged a new friendship with Kalawarna-san and the Devils."
I expected Gabriel to frown hearing Asia getting close to the Fallens and the Devils, but she instead smiled brightly at Asia. Almost looking proud and glad about the outcome.
As if reading my thoughts, Vritra spoke up.
' Gabriel is a kind woman. She never hated anyone, she never held grudges against those that hurt her family. Her being, her very core is that of innocence. Very few can match her in kindness and love is vast. Unlike many people of the Church, she does not hold discrimination toward Devils and Fallens or any other race. Gabriel is also very forgiving and open-minded to everything that is presented to her. Her very essence, the very core Yahweh created, was made with the intentions of purity and acceptance, being one of the most incorruptible Angels in existence-probably even more so than the likes of Michael.'
' So basically, she is another version of Asia?'
The dragon pondered for a second.
' Yes, I suppose you could put it like that.'
What I didn't expect to happen was to have a graceful angel suddenly give me a hug out of nowhere!
Everything in my body spiked up as I felt both horror and elation skyrocket in my head. Her assets could be felt quite easily under the thin layer of clothes! Why wasn't she wearing more layers!?
' Don't react! Don't react! Don't react! Think of something disgusti-it ain't gonna work, dammit!'
"Thank you, Hachiman-kun! Thank you for sheltering this girl from danger. You gave her a home, food, water, and a family. Your kind deed won't go unnoticed!" She said in an excited and bubbly voice, pulling me into a tighter hug.
As I heard her following words, that intense feeling subsided and I regained my wits. I started to succumb to the warmth and comfort that was being given to me. It reminded me of the time when I was held by mom when I was a baby. What was I doing reacting in such a manner over a woman with pure intentions… I closed my eyes and went on a small trip down memory lane. The day I met Asia for the first time, helped her out, showed her my sins, got forgiven by the nun and made her a part of my family. Did I do all of that out of kindness? No, I did not. I was desperate, I had people who cared and worried about me but some parts just wouldn't heal before Asia showed up. Much to her ignorance, she played a major role keeping the madness in me in check for such a long time. Without her, I would have hurt my family and even Akeno at some point.
My heartbeat returned to normal and so did the blush in my face.
I was calm.
"Don't mention it." I said while returning the hug, neither feeling the previous chaotic emotions like your regular horny teenager, while I laid my head on her neck.
Just basking in this familiar and welcoming sensation.
At that moment, I just felt old and tired.
"I needed Asia as much as she needed me."
Furthermore, I conveyed as much of my gratitude and appreciation for her presence here. For Gabriel to descend from Heaven just to see Asia and ease her doubts for her past actions did not anger me, I just feel grateful for her actions and I showed all of it through this hug.
Unbeknownst to me, I did not notice Griselda looking at me with widened eyes and the slightly larger smile on Gabriel, the latter who tightened her embrace as well.
"Gabriel-sama, I believe you should release Hachiman-san for now. We still have much to do."
"Ah? Oh! Sorry! I got lost in the moment"
She let me go from the hug, while reluctantly pulling myself back. The two of us stared at each other for a moment, our eyes focused on our own for what felt like the longest moment of my life. I looked away, realizing what I was doing and hoped that the dark would be able to hide my expression. I pointedly ignored the pout that Asia was giving me, not feeling up to comforting her at the moment.
"I hope I didn't hurt you. I sometimes tend to forget my own strength!"
"It's alright, I didn't feel uncomfortable or anything. Honestly, it was the exact opposite."
I started to miss holding her now.
Was this the deadliest weapon in Heaven that Azazel has been clamoring on about every chance he got when we hanged out? I could see why now. I didn't think I could bring myself to fight her at my fullest, even if it was considered suicidal.
No wonder so many Fallen still respected and loved her.?
Griselda giggled at my reaction while Gabriel was clueless about it, seeming confused more than anything.
She appeared to be the naive kind of woman.
"I have a request to ask both of you." the Seraph said, gaining our attention once again, noticing her gaze becoming serious.
Hmm, I wonder what it was about.
"Anything you ask, Gabriel-sama! And we'll do our best to complete it!"
At least Asia seemed excited about it, her face becoming determined.
So cute.
"Asia Argento. I, Gabriel, request of you to join my side and unite with Griselda on becoming my personal followers. If things proceed smoothly in the future, you'll be granted the status of a Saint and be transformed into an Angel."
Wait… What did she say!?
"Eeeeehhh!!?"
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 2 Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword having 3 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post monthly commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise and Snafu.
Set in motion
Hiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
People liked Gabriel's appearance last chapter. Good, she will be playing a major role as well.
Also, thank you to my newest patrons! Nathan, Henry, BrawlBroMario, The Daystar, James Olinares, Svend, Antonio R, Jack Edward, neil stewart, GWSwift, Jyl Bartolo, Max Dubose, That Damn Kapi and Chris Mitchell . Y'all rock!
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by Shigiya
- Old abandoned church-
When I first accepted to let Asia live under my and Azazel's protection, I didn't really think too much about her future at that point. My goal was to give the excommunicated nun a safe environment to grow up and finish school in a few years. Attend university, pursue a career she desires and start living an independent life outside of the church.
Of course, the fact that she bore Twilight Healing as her Sacred Gear was not lost on me. No matter their power, strength, or classification-these items always made it impossible for their host to live a normal or peaceful life. Like a sick curse, God left for those 'lucky' enough to be chosen, probably as a way to counter their good fortune. One could possess the power to simply make flowers bloom a few days sooner and suddenly find themselves being hunted by rogue Devils, Exorcists, and Fallens for just being in possession of a gear. There could exist a mage thousand of times more powerful than an average human roaming the Earth without a faction to serve, yet they could easily be glossed over by all the pantheons for the simple reason of them not possessing a Sacred Gear.
These items just carried too much power and the ridiculous ability to grow infinitely stronger depending on the user's will.
Those who wielded Longinus were not the only ones who had access to a god-killing tool, they just had the ability to attain that power much faster than your regular Sacred Gear. Just like Vritra once told me, achieving a balance breaker meant breaking the norms and all the limitations to go beyond anything thought possible-and every gear could theoretically reach this point with enough training.
Asia was cursed from the beginning. To never be granted the life she wished to live. No matter how much she would have prayed or cried to God, for no such misfortune befall her, in the end, the inevitable would happen.
Vritra liked to talk about my luck being so bad due to a dragon's inherent nature of attracting danger and powerful beings towards them. But was that really true for only dragon gears?
I didn't think so.
I knew this. From the beginning, I knew that Asia would never remain truly safe around people like the other holders of Sacred Gears and me. Kiba, Gasper, and Sona's peerage. We all acted as a gigantic magnet for trouble, and what do you know, Kokabiel roamed Kuoh with the bloody holy swords, ready to use them for whatever purpose he desires.
I wanted to deny it.
Asia was safe with me.
She wouldn't be hurt.
Nothing bad would happen to her.
She was safe with me!
She was safe!
She was safe…
She… was safe…
She…
I would make sure that…
… She would be killed at one point in the future due to my presence. Or at least, get caught up with another dangerous battle and get hurt.
It was inevitable with everything going on around me. It was a miracle how she was still alive with all of that Raynare thing in the past. I
"You're taking Asia away," I said, not bothering to hide the pain in my voice.
Yet, I also did not try to stop them in any way as even someone like me realized that course of action was the best for Asia. It was the responsible thing to do.
Gabriel, being one of the most empathic beings in this room, hesitated.
"I… I am. But, that depends if she wants to join me and leave for Heaven during these next few weeks. The process of turning a human into an angel hasn't been perfected, and we haven't reached the level the chess pieces Azuka Beelzebub created. Even my brother, Azazel, has admitted to struggling to recreate the process without the creator's help."
"So Azazel is also involved? And he's trying to recreate the Evil Piece system? I guess that makes sense."
Hmm, something felt off here. Why was she talking about creating their own version of the Evil Piece System? Couldn't God just convert a regular human to an angel, or was he incapable of doing it?
Out of the three Factions, the Fallen fell in the most disadvantaged position compared to the Angels and Devils. Sure, one could argue with the argument that the Devils were being targeted by both sides, but so were the Fallens. Fortunately, they could increase their numbers through the birth of half-Fallens like Akeno, with many choosing a human partner or Yokai to form a family and repopulate their species.
The Angels didn't share that luxury and had their numbers decrease every year. At least, that's what Azazel told me, and he didn't specify why didn't God just couldn't create more.
Yes, something definitely felt unnatural about this, as if I was missing an important piece of the puzzle.
"Asia, what do you think?" I asked the person who this matter concerned the most, leaving the mystery for later.
"I…" she was at a loss for words, still reeling from Gabriel's proposition. "Why do you want me to become an Angel, Gabriel-sama? God has deemed me unworthy and has thrown me out of his guiding light. Can I still face him after what I've done to merit his anger?" she questioned the Seraph, but was unable to look her in the eye.
"No!" Gabriel denied it immediately, surprising the young nun. "Father doesn't hate you. He would never hate any of his children."
"But then why…."
I decided to intervene. Placing my hands on Asia's shoulders, she looked at me with begging eyes for an answer to her situation. Not knowing what decision to take and even wanting to leave this place as soon as possible.
"You don't have to give an answer right now Asia. This is an important decision that will need a few days for you to figure out what you want. So don't rush it and take your time. Don't rush and take your time. In the meantime, can you wait for me outside the church for a bit? I have some important matters to discuss with Gabriel if you're okay with that."
Asia nodded to my words and ran out of the building without a word. I really wanted for her to just say 'no' and ask them to go back, but that was a selfish decision on my part, and I also knew that she would never say that to a Seraphim, of all beings. Knowing Asia, there was a real possibility of her declining the invitation, but I couldn't let her waste such an amazing opportunity just because she wanted to look out for me. It wasn't like we wouldn't see each other every again. So no matter what, I needed to make her certain about joining Gabriel.
Click
The entrance doors closed shut, and I was finally left alone with the duo in front of me.
I sighed.
Gabriel was the first one to speak.
"The choice the girl will have to make will not be easy. Whatever she may end up choosing, just let her know that I'll support her no matter what. The church Griselda is in charge of will always have its doors open for her, and if she has any request whatsoever, I'll do my best to fulfill them."
"I know," I said, knowing that this person was being honest with her words. "I'm glad you came. Your presence and words meant a lot to Asia, and your proposition has more merits than I would like to admit. I believe you know what's been going on in Kuoh recently with Mother Griselda's two students coming along with their own Excaliburs?"
"Indeed, Father's Angel of the Stars, my little brother-Kokabiel. Both Michael and Azazel have kept me up to date with the latest happenings."
Her wings slumped down, mirroring her crestfallen face.
"I do not want any of them to get hurt. Despite them not being able to come back home, they all still hold a soft spot in my heart. They are all my siblings, always will be for all of us and seeing this happen just makes me recall the Great War. I do not wish to lose another one, never again." she said as her voice started to break up at the end, probably recalling all of the family that she lost in the past.
I sighed, again, feeling shitty for what I was about to ask after seeing her distraught state, but I needed answers.
"Gabriel-san, is God dead?"
"-!?"
Immediately, both Seraph's and Griselda's eyes widened in shock as they looked at me in horror over the words I had just uttered.
Gabriel staggered backward, "H-How… how did you know!?" she asked me in disbelief.
So it was true… I hoped that I was just spitting bullshit, but it ended up being true.
"I wasn't. Your reaction just confirmed my suspicion. Not to mention just how all of this matter concerning Asia and your talk about your own version of the Evil Pieces sounded ridiculous to me. Why go to such lengths to convert people to Angels? Why not have God just create more? Your declining number, as confirmed from many sources, the Holy Sword project, the silence from your faction after the Great War, and so much just doesn't add up if you had a being like God on your side. If he was still alive to this day, then he wouldn't have let Asia be treated as a witch and thrown out. If God was alive then why would you mention that YOU missed this incident in the first place? Shouldn't your father be able to know about all of these things with people's prayers reaching his ears?"
The more I talked, the more their faces dropped refusing to meet my gaze.
"Don't give me the bullshit of him being too weak or injured to help out his children. I've met gods in the past, and that battle hungry witch even confirmed that gods could still attend to their duties no matter their state."
If Asia were to learn this news, she would become devastated.
' Hrm, now it makes sense, now that I think about it. The Angels were far more involved and active when Yahweh still resided in Heaven, not to mention just how powerful people's prayers were at that time, now they have weakened considerably. Holy energy used to be much more dangerous to Devils in the past. I am really losing my touch if I missed such obvious details .' Vritra grumbled, unable to believe that he missed out on such important clues.
"If everything I've just said is false, if God is still alive and well, then tell me. Tell me that I'm wrong and all of this is just a misunderstanding on my part."
My steps neared Gabriel, yet she still refused to meet my gaze.
"Come on, tell me, Gabriel, tell me that I'm wrong, that the being Asia devoted her entire life to is still drawing breath as we speak. Is Heaven really without a leader and just lied to the rest of the world?"
I knew this was extremely scummy on my part, but I was targeting Gabriel's trait of never telling a lie. Before I could walk any further, I was stopped by Griselda, her eyes no longer looking as kind as before.
"You have spoken too much, Hikigaya Hachiman."
I felt my danger senses tingle, as if she was about to launch an attack at me.
"Griselda, stop. This is a matter that he needs to know if he was able to figure this out," Gabriel said, giving me a saddened and resigned gaze, "I trust that he will not spread this to the public."
No, I wouldn't.
I didn't even want to imagine the backlash this would have in the supernatural world or the human world. That was if anyone believed me that is.
"But…"
Golden wings fluttered once again, golden feathers thrifting in the air. She smiled at her follower before sitting on a bench and before gesturing for me to take a seat.
"We have much to discuss, Hachiman-kun."
{ Break}
-Kuoh-
(The next day)
"Jeez bro, what was the reason for calling me right after school ended? Kaichou is having us do extra work with the Phenex siblings." Saji said as the boosted gear wielder trailed behind him.
"Same for me. I promised Matsuda and Motohama to pay them a visit to finish the latest 'Swing in Sisters 2' eroge!" Issei answered, looking a bit grumpy with the sudden call from what he considered more important than what he was doing right now.
"Dude, they released another one? Wait, no-what the heck are you doing playing those kinds of games!? Kaichou will burn your sorry devil ass with a freaking cross if she ever found out about that!"
Issei just waved at him, scratching his eyes while looking at the rays of sunshine peeking through the white clouds. He still wasn't used to his now Devil body as it apparently got kinda weak in the morning. Though he did appreciate the added strength and night vision that came with it, as it made peeking much easier!
"Shut up, man, you're just jealous. I got a mutant pawn piece along with the other three pieces! I'm worth more than your weak ass, that rope of yours has nothing on me!"
"Oi, don't diss my new Sacred Gear, you bastard! Unlike my last one, I have the full version and not some piece and it's much stronger than the Absorption Line! Kaichou even said that not even weapons like the Holy Swords would be able to cut it, at least according to its legend." he boated proudly, being super excited with what he got after losing his old Vritra Gear.
"Still not a dragon."
"Wanna fight!?"
Clap !
The handclap broke their arguments as they came to see a smiling Kiba in front of the train station. He called both Sona's Pawns, Saji and Issei, that day, without having anyone else know about it. Hachiman was absent this morning. Kiba found him sitting alone in the garden of his house, asking to be left alone for a while.
Unexpectedly, both Koneko and Momo were with him as well. The girls were shopping when they found Kiba and decided to join him for the day. Not having any choice, he decided to include them as well.
"What were you two trying to do in the middle of a crowd? Stop being disgusting losers and behave a bit maturely." Momo said without hesitation, hurting the two with her cutting remark.
"Perverts," Koneko commented, giving the finishing blow, hurting both boys in the heart with the look of pure disgust she was giving them.
The white Nekoshou was holding onto Momo's shirt and wasn't letting go. According to Momo, she also met her by coincidence when she was on the way to buy some supplies near the train station. She tried to walk away, minding her own business but ended up being caught easily. Being inferior in terms of physical build to a bishop, she had no other choice but to accompany the little girl-it couldn't be helped.
What she found funny was how people confused both of them as siblings with their matching looks. It made her want to hang out with Koneko more often. This feeling further intensified when she brought the Rook on a clothes shopping spree and made the girl try the cutest outfits that made her want to steal Koneko from Rias!
"So harsh…" muttered Issei, feeling his mood plummet by the cute girl's statements, before turning to Kiba, "So why did you call us here anyway?"
"I'm going to ask Irina and Xenovia to help me catch the rogue Exorcist in possession of a holy sword and eliminate them. I'll try asking them to let me destroy the sword, but I'll try to do so during the fight."
Not only Sai, but Issei, Momo, and Koneko eyes widened to comical levels as they were shocked by Kiba's, in their minds, suicidal mission.
"I know how dangerous this mission is going to be, so whoever feels uncomfortable or unsafe can leave. I am not going behind Buchou's back, as I've requested to go on a stray hunt and it just so happens that this rogue Exorcist targets Stray Devils a lot-so it is out of my power if we end up bumping into each other." Kiba said with a confident smirk on his face.
What he didn't realize was that a mile away from them, perched on top of the largest building in Kuoh was a young girl with black hair and deep black eyes that resembled the void watching them from afar.
{ Break}
-Underworld-
Step
Step
Step
Walking through the large hallways of the Astaroth castle was none other than the younger brother of Ajuka Beelzebub, Diodora Astaroth. He is wearing his familiar green coat and being accompanied by the dozens of his peerage members, all wearing a veil hiding their faces.
"Weird, the familiars I've sent to Kuoh haven't reported back to me. They're alive, I can still feel their connection and so can the others… what is going on here?"
Ever since he swore to get his revenge on the current host of Vritra's Sacred Gear, Hikigaya Hachiman. Diodora worked tirelessly to come up with a plan and forge a proper retrieval mission to get the young Asia away from that disgusting human's hands without causing a ruckus.
He forged a foolproof alibi and even made as many public appearances as possible before preparing to start his strike.
But all of that went to smoke with what happened in Ireland!
That darned bastard just somehow got possessions of every single Vritra Sacred Gears, causing an uproar in all of the Supernatural world, as a complete Vritra Sacred Gear was not seen for centuries! This caused many of the Underworld clans to try to add Hikigaya Hachiman to their peerage, but was put to a stop when Lucifer himself came to end their plans.
Diodora then tried to kidnap Asia while she was with Rias and her group. If she had become a reincarnated then he would have tried to trade some of his useless and broken pieces for her, he was even willing to trade half of his peerage for her! But he couldn't have that option as Asia Argento was apparently under the protection of both the Fallen Angels and the Black Dragon King.
But he didn't care about those crows and fucking human, who was halfway around the globe, from reaching his prize!
So he opted to just take her.
But when he tried to open a portal near their location, he came face to face with death itself.
A mysterious woman with straight and long pale blue hair, dark blue eyes, and a cold demeanor stopped him in his tracks. His muscle seized up as an ocean of pure chaotic power fell down upon him, an endless well of might and magical energy that instantly crushed one of his peerage members, without the latter being even able to let out a single scream. She turned into meat paste right in front of him, even the blood boiled and evaporated in a matter of seconds.
… Then its eyes turned towards him.
At that moment he screamed in pure terror, hastily trying to run away from the monster. Just to gain a few precious seconds of freedom, Diodora didn't hesitate to throw away some of his subordinates he had brought along and even more of his peerage members to an inevitable death. Yet all it created was a bloody carnage of blood and body parts flying everywhere. All this happened while the monster remained in its spot with crossed, scaly arms and a disinterested look.
Yet it didn't try to pursue him as he was halfway through the teleportation back to his castle.
In the end, he hears parting words from it that still gives him nightmares till this day.
"This is your first and final warning, child of Astaroth."
He hoped to never again meet that monster.
Not wanting to keep thinking about his traumatic encounter once again, Diodora made his way towards his main office room where he could come up with another plan to take Asia away. Maybe make a deal with the Fallens or pull in some favors from his other contacts on the other side.
Maybe those people could kill Hikigaya Hachiman once and for all.
"I'm going to get her, one way or another," he said as he pushed the large doors to his office room.
"Hm?"
To his shock, he found someone sitting in his seat, with his feet up his table in a disrespectful manner and arrogant around him, that mocked everyone around him.
"Riser Phenex, what is the meaning of this?" Diodora said, putting on a fake smile, trying to hide the building fury inside of his core at the sight before him.
How dare this man show such disrespect in his own home!?
Yet that was not what caused him to have his knuckle whitened from clenching too hard.
Pa !
Riser threw something at his feet, a charred ball of fur which just so happened to be one of the many familiars he'd sent in Kuoh to keep an eye on Asia. It was long dead, burned by the flames of none other than the son of the Phenex family.
"I should be asking you the same question." Riser said haughtily, not giving the green-haired boy the slightest glance.
The temperature of the room began increasing slightly, and that proved to be enough reason for Diodora's peerage to surround him in a protective shield against the blonde-haired man.
"I found one of your pets near my school. I don't want your presence to sully the life I'm trying to build for myself and Ravel. A worm like you shouldn't meddle in places where they don't belong."
Flames covered Riser's hand, the air starting to become stifling.
"Or they might end up dying like that bug of yours."
"Just who do you think you're talking to…" Diodora was seething at this fools blatant arrogance and cocky attitude. He dared disrespect him!?
Riser smirked.
"All I see is just another coward trying to act mighty without realising how pathetic it makes them look." he said, walking past the heir. The latter's clothes nearly catching fire from Riser's flames.
"Stay hidden in your little hole like the insect you are, Astaroth. Or else, I'll burn that disgusting smile off of your face."
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 2 Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword having 3 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post monthly commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise and Snafu.
Little girl
Hiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
A bit later than usual though. Not much to say, so I won't waste your time and we can move on with the chapter.
But for that, I want to thank my newest patrons: Mamabell, theoreticaltirst, Gpno14, Felisberto Viano for the upgrade and special thanks to Untellectual! Y'all rock!!
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi
- Kuoh -
I wandered the streets of Kuoh, lost in my thoughts from my prior conversation with the Seraph, one that revealed so much from the previous Great War. I learned things that were never meant to be heard by the general masses and could cause complete chaos if it went public.
God was dead.
He fell after fighting the original Maous at the end of the war.
Yet somehow, the Seraph managed to hide his disappearance and kept their God's System working. And I say that with the heaviest of quotations as apparently Michael took his father's place and kept the Sacred Gear system and God's Bible system running the best he could despite not being able to run it at full capacity. Safe to say, this caused a steep drop in their faction's power and efficiency.
Prayers became less effective, holy energy did not carry the same amount of intensity as before, and the general appearance of 'bugs' in the system. This caused some of the Sacred Gears to react differently than their originally intended purposes, they could mutate to anomalies, summoning powers that shouldn't have been possible-my case being a prime example.
Vritra and I fusing was an impossibility, something that shouldn't have been possible to accomplish in the first place. It went against all rules and safety measures God had put in place when he was still alive. But now, with the Sacred Gears system being run by Gabriel's brother who could barely operate it, there were bound to be some errors who passed through.
This was one of the many issues that plagued my mind.
The other one was Asia's choice, whether she stayed or left was for her to decide. Becoming an Angel of all things would have made any followers of the church jump up in sheer joy, but the nun hesitated.
She asked for more time which Gabriel granted her without hesitation. Unfortunately, the latter needed to return to Heaven and assist her brother on other matters. I tried to ask for assistance with the Kokabiel situation, but again, she mentioned how Azazel assured her that he had everything under control and for her to not meddle unless things become completely out of hand.
I also mentioned that the leader of the Fallen Angels didn't want one of the Seraphs to be present in Kuoh where Serafall turned out to visit quite frequently in recent times. One of the most powerful and influential leaders of their respective factions gathered in a single area where a warmonger maniac roamed the streets whose dreams were obviously to start trouble. And a white-haired emo kid with daddy issues who would headbutt against any powerhouse just to get a fight out of them wasn't helping the situation either.
I considered Azazel to be a crazy person but he wasn't stupid. He knew what needed to be done to cause the least amount of casualties.
There wasn't even a peace treaty signed at this point for anyone to help!
"Man, why couldn't things be simple for once?" I said to myself, pinching the bridge of my nose.
There always had to be an issue somewhere, like a life-threatening danger lurking at every street corner waiting to pounce on anyone passing by. I felt like a new danger to the world came up every month at this point! I wouldn't be surprised if someone were to tell me that a brokenly powerful god lived in Kuoh without us knowing about their existence. If I compared it to the trends I would see in every anime, this powerful god would be minding their business and then suddenly… boom! They just pop out like a damn whack-a-mole!
A battle erupts near them and ruins their experience or makes them drop their ice cream. Next thing you know they walk up to the battlefield and one-shot the villain before going back to their daily life.
"I really should stop comparing life to anime."
It already began skewering my perspective and I was slowly, but surely, reverting back to my chuunibyou phase. Before I know it, I'll find myself wearing all black with hair covering my right eye and muttering some corny verses while walking on the streets.
'It doesn't help that I'm called the Black Dragon King or that a lot of events that have been happening feel like an anime…'
Honestly, I preferred someone calling me the Black Dragon King rather than the "Seducing Dragon", that just sounded wrong on so many levels.
How many people do they think I seduced in the first place!?
I noticed a small booth selling ice cream, feeling my pockets have some leftover money. I decided to grab myself a treat to clear my head. My taste buds have changed throughout the years, my craving for sweet things continued to diminish while things like steak and meat in general increased quite a bit-including my appetite.
"One chocolate glazed coffee ice cream and add some sprinkle on top as well." I placed my order and handed over the money before waiting for it to be done.
"Here you go, sir! Thanks for your patronage!"
"No problem."
As I was about to eat my ice cream, I noticed something unusual.
"Hm?"
In the corner of my eye, a small girl wearing full gothic style clothing along with a pink jacket which was a size too big for her frame, and a large hat that also looked like it belonged to an adult instead of a child. She was just standing there, a few metres away from me while giving me a black stare that lacked any emotions in them.
"…"
"…"
We both looked at each other without saying anything. I scratched my chin wondering if someone forgot their child by accident or something.
"Yo."
I saluted her, expecting a greeting in return but received nothing but her emotionless gaze.
Well wasn't this awkward.
"Are you lost, kid? Where are your parents?"
Maybe she got separated from them and couldn't find her way back. Kids tended to get distracted from simple things, or maybe her parents did not pay much attention and lost their daughter. Hmmm, there was a police station not far from here, I could walk her there and wait until someone comes to pick her up.
"…"
Again, she didn't utter a single word and kept staring blankly towards me. This felt weird, was she mute or deaf? Maybe too terrified to talk to a random stranger like me.
I noticed how she kept staring in particular at my ice cream I was holding and it all clicked in my head.
The girl was probably hungry!
"Here," I brought my hand down and offered her the ice cream. "I hope you like coffee and chocolate. Pretty sure that every kid likes chocolate though."
For a second there, I think I saw her eyes shine for the briefest moment. She took it from my hand and gave it a taste.
"Tasty."
"Oh, so you do speak!" I said out loud, ordering another one for myself. "What's your name?"
She ignored me and continued to eat.
"Hmm, I guess you won't tell me your name." Which kudos to her, this wasn't something she should reveal to a stranger unless it was a police officer.
The two of us sat in silence, eating our icy treats. It didn't take us long to finish our meals, before we stepped out of the store. The young girl continued to look at me with an emotionless expression, while I was starting to feel a little awkward.
"Come, follow me and I'll drop you off at a police station. They'll be able to find your parents and bring you back home. And since you won't tell me your name, then I'll just call you Kuro… you know, with all the black theme going on with you."
Despite my feelings on the matter, I couldn't leave such an adorable girl alone, and my big brother's instincts were demanding me to take her somewhere safe or at least get her some help.
The girl gave me a side glance before saying, "You can bring me back home?"
"Well, of course, I can't just leave you all alone like this."
"But I like being alone and Baka Red won't let me back in."
Baka Red? Was that the nickname of someone in her family? And to already like being alone at such a young age wasn't something a child should say. Sure I shared her sentiment and could recognise the formation of a soon-to-be loner, but even loners needed friends.
Humans were social creatures, and to live a happy healthy life one needed friends.
"Don't you have friends?" I said as we walked through the streets, Kuro kept pace with me as I helped her hand.
"I have subordinates."
Was she one of those bossy types? Or, one of those that liked to roleplay?
"That's impressive! Are you their queen or something?"
"…" she tilted her head and looked at me in confusion.
"Why would I be their queen?"
"Because a queen would naturally have subjects to rule over and command through her authority."
We stopped at a red light, some of the housewives making comments about how it was cute to have a brother take his little sister out to hang out.
I just ignored them, trying not to think too much about it.
"I give them snakes and they follow me," said the little girl. "Some ask for more so I give them anyway."
Snakes? Was she talking about those worm-like candies she would give to other kids so that they would play with her? I remember eating them regularly a decade ago, with tiny Akeno trying to steal some when I wasn't paying any attention.
I guessed they were still popular even now.
"You know Kuro, giving away so many candies will leave you with nothing for yourself."
"I have an infinite amount of snakes."
Damn, her parents must be loaded, or/and super spoiling her by giving her a ton of candy.
"You still shouldn't do that. People will take advantage of you and will take away all of your candy in the end. Only share your snakes with friends you trust, because they will always return the favour. But be careful of what I like to call, fake friends, they act like they know you and hang around you to only get something in return. Like how I gave you the ice cream, I'm not gonna ask you for anything in return or that you have to pay me back later."
Look at me, I was giving a child who I just met a few minutes ago some life lessons that would probably fly over her head. Not like she could understand half of what I just said.
"But, I don't have any friends."
Damn, I felt bad for the girl. I could understand her case, being in that situation before, and didn't want her to end up like I did.
She continued, "If I have friends, will they help me go back home?"
"Of course! Though considering they might not know where you live, it's the thought that counts. If they are genuinely willing to help you to get you home and hang out, then they should help you when you need them the most."
"And it's these types of friends that I should give my snakes to?"
"I would advise you to keep them to yourself and not build a relationship built around giving away pieces of candy for free, but sure-it's a start," I said, wondering if those candies are really that popular.
We reached a large open area with stores open all around us. This was the place where they built the newest Saizeriya, my personal hangout.
As we continued to walk and minding our own business, I suddenly heard a pair of familiar voices.
"Please give blessings to the lost lamb-"
"Please give charity to us on behalf of the Father in Heaven!"
What. The. Heck.
I came across the last people I wanted to meet so soon after today!
And why were they begging for money!?
Two girls were wearing white robes, praying on the road. Standing out like a sore thumb in the middle of a somewhat crowded place. It looked like they were quite troubled, given how embarrassed and desperate, given how frustrated Xenovia looked. People walking past them were giving them odd glances and some even took them for cosplayers doing a play or something.
"How can this be? This is the reality of the developed country of Japan? That's why I don't like countries that don't have the smell of our beliefs." the blue-haired girl said with dissatisfaction.
"Don't say that, Xenovia. We lost all the money we had. So we have to rely on charity from these heretics or else we can't get food, you know? Aaah, we can't even buy a single loaf of bread! Mother Griselda will be so disappointed in us!"
"Us? Where does this 'us' come from!? It all happened because YOU bought that obvious fake-looking painting! That's why I should have listened to her when she gave me that money and not you!"
Xenovia pointed at a painting of a saint that was drawn really badly. What the heck was that? Did these idiots get cheated in a fake exhibition?
"Heh," I laughed, not feeling bad about it.
"What are you saying? This painting has the drawing of someone who looks like a saint! That's what the person in the exhibition said as well!"
I guessed I knew which of the idiots was the one who fell for it.
"Then do you know who the person in the drawing is? I certainly don't."
The person in the picture certainly looked like a foreigner and was wearing poor clothing and had something on his head. There was also a baby Angel in the background with a trumpet who was floating in the air. Sure looked quite fancy from where I stood, aside from a small detail that made me want to facepalm.
"… I think it's… Saint… Peter…?"
That was just the face of a famous Yourtuber who just happened to look like Jesus! And even if I knew who this Saint Peter was, I doubt that he would look like that? Couldn't you recognize your own holy figures?!
"Don't mess around. Saint Peter wouldn't look like this." Xenovia exclaimed, finally losing her patience with her partner.
"No, he must have looked like this! I'm sure about it!"
How were you sure of it? Was he your relative or something?
"Aaah, why did my partner have to be someone like you! God, is this also a trial?"
' He can't give you a trial since he's dead .' I thought to myself, wincing at that morbid thought.
"Hey don't hold your head down. You get depressed when you are down, don't you."
Well duh, should people dance when they were down? Oh wait, some people on the internet do so.
And I would have been depressed as well with a partner who wasted all of our money on a fake painting and kept defending it, despite it being a complete fake.
"Shut up! That's why the Protestants are called heretics! You guys have different beliefs than us Catholics! Show more respect to the saints!" Xenovia shouted.
' People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.'
"What! What's wrong, it's Catholicism where they still abide by the old law like a bunch of old fossils!"
Wasn't everything about their religion old?
"What did you say, heretic?"
"What did you say, heretic!?"
Those two started to argue by banging their heads against each other.
I swear that I was prepared to just turn around and leave those two as I didn't want a child to witness grown-ups embarrass themselves in public.
Grrrrrrrr
Then I heard the sound of what felt like the engine of a plane turning on, which was just their stomachs rumbling and I even managed to hear it a distance away from them-I was impressed.
The two of them dropped onto the ground with their stomachs rumbling.
"First of all, let's do something to fill our stomachs. Or else it's not a matter of retrieving the Excaliburs."
Couldn't go against a Cadre on an empty stomach after all.
But I admitted that missing common sense was not the main issue.
"You are right. Do you want to get money from the heretics by threatening them? I think God will forgive us if we ruff a couple of the heretics for some money."
Oi, these two went from exorcists to beggars and now potential muggers in a matter of minutes! I wondered if I could scream for some passing cop to come by and lock them up for a day or two.
At least then they would get a warm meal out of that.
"Do you plan to attack the shrine? Or do you plan to steal their offertory box? Don't do either. Let's use our swords to put on a performance. It's an international entertainment that works in every country."
I wished Kiba was here to see this, the mighty shards of Excalibur reduced to a tool used in street performance.
"They are weird," Kuro said, watching the girls in front of us with her emotionless stare.
"I couldn't agree more with you."
Then again, everyone related to the supernatural was weird to some degree.
Even me, sadly.
"That's an excellent idea! If we can cut fruits with our Excaliburs, then we can gather cash!" Irina proposed, excited to use her holy relic for some quick cash.
At least someone knew about the classic games like Fruit Samurai. I remembered in the picture Kiba showed me in the past with the younger Irina playing video games with Issei.
"Idiot! If we had fruits, we wouldn't be hungry in the first place!. It can't be helped. Let's cut that picture."
For the first time, I agreed with Xenovia.
"No! You can't cut it!"
"Don't worry, it's sacrifice will not be in vain."
'I think I should help them out right about now. Or else they may have enough property damage to have the place closed down for repairs and Gabriel or Griselda might get mad at me for not doing so.'
And I wasn't willing to have Saizeriya close down because of two hungry weirdos!
With a sigh and heavy heart, I approached the two with Kuro by my side.
"Oi, let me help you out."
{ Break }
"Nooooooooo!! I'm going home!!"
Saji was screaming and trying to run away. Unfortunately for him, he was being held back by both Issei and Momo, both of his peerage members not letting him run away. They couldn't blame him, he was reacting out of pure fear when he witnessed one of the many dead Strays they kept finding that were killed by a holy sword.
The current creature being a young male with some slight facial similarities to the former host of Vritra's power. Didn't help that the Stray was the shade of blonde as Saji, which further freaked the latter out, as he imagined himself in that situation.
"If it helps, the person only attacked Strays so far. So you might not get a holy sword driven into your guts, maybe." Koneko said, making the situation worse for the man. "If you do get stabbed then I'll be sure to honour your sacrifice with some snacks."
"Koneko-chan!?"
Saji once again tried to turn around and tried to run with more effort.
"Both of you! Why are we getting involved with this matter!? It's Kiba's group's problem, right!? We belong to the House of Sitri! We shouldn't take part in this! Not at all!!" he argued while crying like a child.
"Don't say that, Saji." Momo tried to reason with him, but was starting to feel annoyed by the constant blubbering from her peerage member. "Both of the Sitri and Gremory share the same territory, so it's in our best interest to help out as well! Now stop being a fucking coward, and act like a man!"
Kiba chimed in, "Please help me, Saji-kun. You're one of the few people who I rely on for such an important task."
"Bullshit! There's no way that I will help youuuu! I'm going to get killed! I'm going to get killed by Kaichouuuuu!! She specifically told us to stay AWAY from this Stray matter until we are fully prepared, and I'm certainly NOT prepared for this!"
The fear he had towards Sona appeared on his face. She might have been his ultimate crush, but that didn't mean he didn't fear her to death when she got angry!
"Your master, Rias-senpai, might be strict and kind! But do you know what kind of woman Kaichou is!? She's strict AND ruthless!"
Kiba wanted to disagree.
Rias was also ruthless when she got angry enough.
Unfortunately for Saji, everyone just ignored his plight and continued the investigation of the killer. They made up their mind and started gathering every piece of information and tried to come up with a plan to catch this rogue Exorcist.
"Hey, Koneko-chan. You know that Kiba is a victim of the 'Holy-sword Project' and also harbours a grudge towards Excalibur, right?" Momo said.
The Nekoshou gave the Bishop a scrutinising glare.
"How did you know about this?" she asked, feeling her anger rise that the white hair Bishop knew such a sensitive topic.
Everyone in their club had their inner demons which they wished to keep hidden from the world. Sona was a trusted friend but that didn't mean she had the right to know their secrets. Aside from some special cases like Akeno and herself whose cases were too widely known in the Underworld for anyone to keep it a secret, Kiba was different.
"It's okay, I told them."
Koneko whipped her head around and looked at Kiba in shock. The last person she ever expected to reveal such information to others was Kiba himself!
"Why?"
Kiba smiled wryly, "No reason really, I'm fine with people knowing about my past. Especially when it comes to us Devils, I want those who've never interacted with the Church to have an idea on how cruel they can be. There is always a lesson one can learn from listening to someone else's life story, it's something Hachiman-kun mentioned to me. So I decided to follow his advice and not keep such a thing a secret… and it was bound to surface at some point during the investigation."
Issei looked around in confusion.
"Eh? But why haven't I heard of it?" he exclaimed, not wanting to be left out of the loop.
"Oh right, the day Kiba came to the clubroom, you were visiting one of your clients for a task, remember?"
Issei's face paled from recalling the event, gagging in disgust.
"Would you please not make me remember Mil-tan! I have enough nightmares about giant bodybuilders who could crush my skull with their biceps running around in magical girl costumes!" he cried, feeling physical pain at the memory of his now regular client.
Kiba continued his speech.
"Anyways, when Irina and Xenovia came to us, they said this-The Church decided that it would be better to eliminate all the Excaliburs rather than letting them be used by the Fallen Angels. Our minimum objective is to get the Excaliburs away from the rogue Fallen Angels-so it would be safe to assume that we can destroy the swords if we came across one."
"Will destroying the swords truly bring you peace? You must realise that the ones behind the death of your family are the people who were in charge of the Holy Swords Project and not the swords themselves." Momo said, feeling that her words sounded a bit too hurtful and direct-but as long as it could make Kiba see reason, she didn't care.
"I know, I realised this fault long ago. But the mere existence of these swords brings more misfortune to people rather than helping them. In most cases, they were used by the wrong hands who just wished to kill Devils without caring about the consequences. Unlike other legendary swords, these ones possess no real sentience and any rotten person with the slightest compatibility can end up using them to kill the innocents."
Kiba wanted to win against his inner hate of the swords without having his friends worry about him and accomplish both his and former comrades' revenge. Xenovia and Irina wanted to retrieve the Excaliburs from the Fallen Angels even if they had to destroy them. Both groups had the same aim then. What remained was to see if those two would listen to the words of the Devils-especially after the beating they got from him and Hachiman.
He thought about asking his King for permission to chase down the Exorcist. But knowing her, there was absolutely zero chance for Rias to accept his request, finding it to be too dangerous at the moment. Fortunately, the latter was too busy dealing with the Phenex siblings' enrollment to the school to realise his absence.
Since Kiba didn't want to go behind everyone's back, he revealed his plan to Akeno as well. He expected the latter to deny him his request, but to his surprise, not only did she accept it-Akeno even requested to help out.
He couldn't deny the help of the second strongest person inside the peerage. Akeno just had some minor affairs to take care of before joining him, he already sent her a text of their location.
"Why didn't you invite Hikigaya?" Saji said, now following the group once again. "Considering your past history and friendship with that guy, I expected him to be here as well."
"I did try to call him, but Kalawarna-san told me that he and Asia were busy with some sort of matter. So I'll call him again after our meeting with the Exorcists."
"Wait, when we go and talk to them, it might lead to a fight and the tension between us and them will get even worse." Momo said, biting her lip in nervousness. "Not that I want to sound rude, but the Exorcists don't have any beef with our group and I don't wish to paint a target on our backs without Kaichou knowing."
She cared about the Gremory group, even considering some of them as close as siblings. But she would put her group above all else when in danger and she didn't want to invite more trouble.
"That's why you can leave Hanakai-san, Saji, and Issei too. If things get a bit dangerous and rowdy, I'm more than happy for you to separate yourself from us."
Saji took these words as confirmation to leave but was once again stopped by Issei.
"Let me run nowwww!! That's the worst! I'd get killed by Kaichou if I do something like destroying the Excaliburs without her permission! She will definitely torture meeeeee!"
"Stop being such a coward!" Issei shouted, finally getting fed up with his fellow pawn. "Have some guts will ya! Our friend needs our help and is risking his life while all you care about is Kaichou!?"
"Don't mess with me, Hyoudou! You don't want to get on her bad side as well!"
"I don't, but I'm willing to do it if I get to help my friends from any deadly situation. And if we succeed, then imagine how impressed she will be! Heck, the negotiation might even be a success and we won't have to deal with half of the bullshit in the first place."
"Uwaaaaaa! That's so irresponsible! I'll die! I'd get killed!!"
"I won't run away. It's for our comrade." Koneko said it to me with eyes filled with determination.
Issei felt inspired by the lack of fear and strength behind the little girl's eyes, even Momo was impressed enough to relent and accept going along with whatever plan Kiba had.
"Hey, Kiba…" Momo called out to him.
"Yes?"
"Is that Hachiman-kun on a date with the two Exorcists and a cute loli?"
"Heh?"
"Senpai is having an affair."
"For real!? Where's that lucky bastard!?"
"That fucking playboy!'
All at once, everything reacted differently when they saw inside of Saizeriya, the view of Hachiman having lunch with two happy Exorcists and a little girl by his side, who was eating a waffle ice cream.
"Huh… that works out." Kiba said with a smile.
Truly, his friend never stopped surprising him.
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 2 Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword having 3 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post monthly commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise and Snafu.
A talk
Hiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
I read a review asking about Raynare and whether she would appear again. Yes, she's still alive and kicking, she won't be forgotten in the background and will be present during this arc.
Btw, I noticed the error from Chapter 4 of Fate Coiling Sword. I accidentally replaced it with chapter 2. Fortunately, I fixed it and everything is back in order.
Also, I want to thank my newest patrons: TP mitch, Claudio Garcia Flores, Aiden, SLayGunner and Kevin Lopes. Y'all rock!!!!!
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi
-- Saizeriya -
' These two sure do eat a lot.'
Ever since coming to this world, I noticed that my own appetite increased substantially from my past self. I wasn't devouring enough food to fill an entire warehouse in a single seating, but it sure did feel like it many times after a fight.
This change didn't come out of nowhere though, all of this came from my increase in physical training and the huge stamina drain from using Vritra's power-my use of magic also played a huge part in my increasing diet. A single day of intense training would lead me to consume an entire extra large pizza without issue.
Nevertheless, I had to always keep an eye on my calorie intake. I didn't have the physique that Devils, Fallens and Angels possessed where they could eat a gross amount of food without exercising and not gain any weight.
Koneko being the prime example of this theory, with how much sugar she consumed in a single day. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if she ate the equivalent of a few kilograms of sugar a day and not gain a single pound.
Rias had a bad habit of sneaking to the kitchen at three in the morning and having instant ramen when she felt stressed or bored.
There were no negative consequences to any of their diets unlike normal humans.
Magic bullshit I guessed… like everything else in their lives.
But that was it, I only expected beings like them to have such a broken metabolism. Yet from the scene in front of me, I was once again proven wrong.
"Delicious! Italian cuisine is delicious!" Xenovia mumbled with her mouth full as she slurped up more spaghetti from her seventh plate.
This girl really liked pasta dishes, seeing how she also consumed a plate of lasagna and ravioli a few minutes ago.
' I better take the menu away from her before she orders again.'
"Yes, yes! This is it! This is the taste of pure bliss and the handiwork of a Michelin Star chef!!"
I doubted a place like Saizeriya could afford a large group of coveted chefs to cook food at every establishment they owned. I guess the Church had subpar food, if such simple dishes were able to get such a reaction from these two.
Irina and Xenovia continued to fill their stomachs with the food that they ordered for which I was paying for in the end.
They ate far too much for it to be normal.
Were they really assassins sent from the Christian Church or were they just a pair of world class competitive eaters? They basically devoured their weights worth of food in a single hour, even the waitress gave them a disturbed look at there frantic eating, as if having witnessed something horrifying that toppled her understanding of the world.
I could empathize with her, as I turn away from this train wreck.
"By the way, whose child did you kidnap as a tribute for the devils?" Xenovia said, catching me by surprise. I nearly banged my head from the insane accusation or was about to slap her upside the head for such a remark.
This girl still had no tact.
"Where did you even get that idea! This is just a lost child I found a while ago and was planning to drop off at the police station to help find her parents. But I accidentally ran into two starving girls who were about to commit a crime to get some money!"
The lost girl I met today, the one I called Kuro because she refused to reveal to me her name, was sitting by my side and eating some gelato I ordered for her. I worried that she would get a sugar rush with all the sweets but the latter refused to eat anything.
When I talked to them initially, the girls didn't like my presence-especially Xenovia. I was expecting to be called a stalker and a creep by either of them but nothing came. They just stood silently and continued to give me an indecipherable gaze.
It took me a while to figure out that they were at a loss of words. Not knowing whether to ask for help to a guy who kicked one of their ass in a fight or to just run away as far as they could.
"Not that I want to ask, but HOW did you guys manage to mess up your financial situation in less than a day without Griselda's presence?"
"It was Irina's fault!" Xenovia shouts with a mouthful of pasta and sauce smeared on her cheeks. "She went ahead and spent the funds mother Griselda left for us on a stupid fake painting of a Saint!"
Before Irina could defend herself, I interjected immediately.
"I figured with how loudly you two were arguing in the middle of the streets, I think everyone in the block heard your screeches. What I want to know is how you allowed a single person who you should have realized is quite irresponsible with handling money to keep the funds in the first place!"
Not that I expected Xenovia to be any different but still, the girl wouldn't have spent their money on something ridiculous!
"You know what? Let's forget about this issue, what's done is done, so both of you can learn from this mistake and not fall for such a simple scam next time. Got it?" I said, seeing the two of them put their heads down like scolded children, but gave a nod either way.
"That wasn't our best moment."
One of them at least.
"Didn't we basically sell our souls to the devils' side? Given how close he is to the Gremory group." Irina said, realizing that I was the one feeding them.
"No you didn't, don't think too much about this issue and just get back to your meal."
What would I even do with their souls anyway.
"Okay!" she said cheerfully before turning her attention back to the plate.
Wow, that was easy.
As we had a small moment of peace, my thoughts began to wander at the revelation Gabriel told me once again. I couldn't get that out of my mind no matter how hard it was to forget about it. To think their entire core belief and foundation was hung by a thread called God's system. Michael being the only one who did everything in his power to make sure this small fragile thread didn't snap and destroy everything his father created.
I couldn't even begin to imagine the immense amount of stress and pressure he had to go through. Gabriel was right about one thing, the one who would suffer most from the revelation of God's death to the public was none other than her brother himself.
For if that were to happen, it would be no different than to have let his father down.
'It is bound to happen, sooner or later, such a big secret cannot remain hidden forever. Even if they tried to cushion the impact such an earth shattering news could have on the supernatural, they will still suffer in the end.'
This really was a lose-lose scenario and the Seraphs knew it.
But that didn't mean I couldn't help out in my own way.
I wasn't contemplating on helping the Angels to keep this fake image of God's existence. It just wasn't in my nature to allow someone to live a false reality. It went against everything I stood for, and all I could do was to reduce the damage this would cause one day and hopefully keep the Angels from suffering.
Though that didn't mean I couldn't try to steer them away or 'slightly' affect their beliefs.
"Say, you obviously know a lot about my life and the Devils while none of us know anything about you two aside Irina's early childhood. Care to share a bit of history with me?"
Xenovia gave me a suspicious stare, "Why do you care about our past life, Black Dragon King? I still feel sore all over my body from our previous battle, the last thing I expected from you was such a question."
"I am human, just like you and Irina. Curiosity runs deep within our nature, you should know about it right? And also because I genuinely feel bad about how I treated both of you even if you deserved it. But you must admit that the fault lay with you taking out a Holy Sword in the middle of a room filled with Devils and pointing it at Asia. So you must understand why I… lost control of my emotions after that."
I saw the slightest trace of blush coming from her cheeks at my confession. So she was indeed embarrassed for her actions-good, so she was not a lost cause.
"And besides, even if I was an enemy, why would I ask you about your past? I do not care about the swords, your faction and I already met your guardian. So would knowing your training regiment affect my knowledge of your fighting style? Not really, it wouldn't. I'm not asking you to go into details about the matters related to the Church or their plans, merely your life and hobbies or anything interesting that you experinced. The same goes for you too, Irina, if you want to share."
They both contemplated my words before Irina commented, "I guess it wouldn't hurt to exchange some stories. I also feel like we started out on the wrong foot and want to make amends."
"I agree." Xenovia said, placing her fork on her empty plate. "But my life isn't that exciting to begin with. I doubt you'll enjoy hearing about it."
"Nonsense, no one truly lives a boring life. Even someone with severe hikikomori syndrome will have something to say."
That seemed to have been enough for her to start talking about her life.
Since her childhood, for as long as she could remember, Xenovia endeavored in her training and studies for God and her religion. Raised and trained as the wielder of Excalibur Destruction under Griselda Quarta as her sword master and legal guardian. Eventually, she became an Exorcist, an agent of the Catholic Church, and partnered with Irina Shidou. She even told me that she likes collecting swords, especially japanese swords, and sports equipment, as she likes to be active.
Irina's story sounded similar as well.
Three years prior at age 14, she was granted the ability to wield Holy Swords via the breakthrough done with the Holy Sword Project and was given Excalibur Mimic, thus following in her fathers footsteps-who also happened to be a renowned exorcist. Soon after, she eventually partnered with Xenovia and learned swordsmanship under Griselda's tutelage.
"We lived together, studied together and went to different missions all across the world together. You could call us sisters and best friends, as if it weren't for Xenovia being there, I would have died long ago!"
Her partner shared the same sentiment.
"Likewise."
"Heh, you two are indeed pretty close." I commented. "It's quite rare to find genuine friends like you two in this profession."
"Amen."
"Amen! It's all thanks to God's guidance and wisdom that we ended up together. I always pray to him for having united us so earlier on." Irina started praying out of nowhere, but I didn't bother to stop her since the others weren't here. "Agimus tibi gratias, omnipotens Deus, pro universis beneficiis tuis, qui vivis et regnas in saecula saeculorum."
From just this quick interaction, it became pretty clear to me that it was Irina who held a stronger… passionate belief in their religion. Xenovia felt more like she was used to believing in their faith while growing up, she was not chasing after it like Irina.
It was kind of hard to explain it into words.
"I'm curious, what are your views on Devils, Fallens and basically every other Pantheon?" I asked.
"Pagans."
"Pagans!"
Should have expected such an answer.
"Right, my fault for wording it wrong." I rubbed my eyes, trying to find a better way to explain it. "I mean, what is your opinion on… basically all of us as people in general? Take Asia, Rias, Akeno, Kiba and Koneko for example, how would you describe your feelings towards them?"
Xenovia was the first one to answer.
"They are traitorous fools who've squandered our father's love and light. Always trying to undermine humans, trying to use them for their own gains. The best way I could describe them is heretics."
I didn't talk back, nor did I try to interject, wanting to hear their opinions and turned to listen to Irina.
"Well… I just think they are all misguided lambs who've strayed away from Father's light. Tempted by the Devils promises, they now see us as enemies despite us being the good guys! This is why I was given Excalibur Mimic, to smite the evil of this world and bring forth God's divine judgment. This will allow people to once again walk in the proper path in life."
Yup, she really was into it.
"Do you consider Valper, who used to be a member of the Church when he was the head of the project which killed many innocent children for the knowledge to create artificial users like, as a good man?"
I needed to show them that not everything was as black and white, there was no good side and bad side. Everyone had their fair share of bad eggs and 'good guys'.
"No! That man was a false Christian and brought nothing but harm to us!" Irina shouted loudly, seemingly angered over hearing Valsper's name.
"Yet you are using his findings to wield a Holy Sword." I countered, rendering her speechless momentarily at this fact.
"Before any of you start going on a rant, I'm not saying that it's entirely your faction's fault that this incident occurred. For this… tragedy to have happened, someone from the higher-up would have needed to give the greenlight and funding for such a project to take place in the first place. So we can't only blame Valper alone for whatever happened in the past-there were many other people from the Church who had a guilty hand in Valper's experiment that would have made your God appalled."
"B-But, this allowed many to use our Holy Swords, God's weapons, to smite down evil!" she cracked a bit there, trying but failing to find a reason for the atrocity.
"So I guess to accomplish your goals, you find it acceptable to walk over the corpses of young children and drown yourself in a sea worth of innocent blood in the name of God?"
Surprisingly, during our entire talk, Xenovia stayed quiet.
"N-No… th-thats… I I… he wouldn't."
She struggled to find a comeback.
"You see, no matter what answer you'll end up giving me, it doesn't change the fact that your faction committed many atrocities across the ages to accomplish their goals, the Crusades being a prime example. You can not in complete confidence call yourself the 'good guys' with all of this, that's just a lie."
I added more examples, the Sigurd Institution being another one of them. Where they created artificial clones of a past hero, basically creating a perfect child soldier from birth, bred for the sole reason for war.
With each of my words, Irina looked increasingly shamefaced and refused to look me in the eyes when I finished.
"And why are you telling us all of this, Hikigaya Hachiman?" Xenovia said with a sneer, but I could see that even she was waverying from my words. "Are you claiming to be the 'good one' in all of this? The same for the Devils and everyone you've allied yourself with?"
"No, we are all just as bad-including me."
My memory went back to the crying couple, weeping over the death of a boy they raised as a son for years and to suddenly have him be ripped away from them by a guy who didn't even have the courage to face them. Then went further back to the memorial stone in Paris. The hundreads of names that were etched on it and the thousands that were forgotten.
No… I was far from a good person.
Xenovia didn't expect such an answer from me.
"What, did you expect me to glorify the Devils or Fallens being the good guys? Don't make me laugh. Each of these sides have had similar experiments done over the centuries and committed their fair share of atrocities for their own goals. We don't even need to go that far with the existence of Stray Devils roaming around the world being an indication of how flawed the current system is in the Devil faction. And Kokabiel wanted to create a war between the factions with his actions being another example of an imperfect system."
Now it was Irina's turn to look at me angrily.
"Then why are you insulting our factio-"
I cut her off.
"I'm trying to show both of you that no side, just like the rest of the world, is black and white. You are not following God's teachings, you are just following the orders of people who claim to be his followers, people who have hidden agendas that go against the Biblical God's teaching. The same people that was behind every horrifying event in the past that used the name of the Church to justify themselves."
They recoiled slightly at my heated answer. Already wary of my angered state.
"Don't you see just how fucking contradicting your actions are? The first day you came by and asked Asia to basically kill herself in the name of God! You see an entire faction composed of different individuals as nothing but evil pagans. After everything you've learned from his teachings, everything that Mother Griselda thought to both of you, do you honestly think that your loving God would have accepted such an outcome? He wouldn't! Even a blind person could see how convoluted all of this is. What happen to love thy neighbor?! To turn the other cheek!? To offer forgiveness to those that need it!? You all are so quick to condemn them when many of you are just as guilty!"
Thank God I added a silencing rune around us, or else the already weird looks we were getting would have worsened and someone would have called the cops or the local mental asylum after hearing everything I was saying.
"Do you know who I consider a true Christian? Asia Argento! She would never hurt an individual based on their affiliation. The girl doesn't need the existence of the Church and these Holy Swords to carry out God's will for she follows the core belief your faction has been based upon since the beginning. The power to forgive, understand and accept anyone who needs it."
"B-But she healed a Devil!" Shouted Irina, finally frustrated at my accusation and disparaging words.
"Do you honestly see a young girl with a pure soul like Asia killing someone when they are injured and asking for help? Does the need to help people go against the teaching of God? Kindness and Charity, those are the virtues that she showcased out there and those who you serve saw it as a crack in the system they've put in place to preserve their authority-so they ended up throwing her out. And don't you dare tell me that this was God's will all along, cause the Holy Sword project sure wasn't. Mother Griselda came to meet Asia for a reason and she deemed both of you as untrustworthy enough to know the true nature behind it for a reason."
That seemed to have caused them a bigger blow than I expected. Both girls flinched at my last comment.
Damn, I think I went too far and killed their appetite.
I sighed, this needed to be said, for their sake if nothing else.
"Look, you both are being misguided by a bunch of people that just want to control you and make you their attack dogs. But that doesn't mean the road you've walked on until now is wrong. Tell me, what's more important to you; God's teachings or the orders coming from the upper echelon?"
"… The almighty Father's teachings are our core values."
"Then that's all that should really matter to you two. Follow your heart, be true to yourself and don't restrain yourself by other people. Despite everything that happened so far, I can see that you're both good people at heart. You're nothing like Freed and the other zealots I've met in the past. Mistakes happen, it's up to you whether you want to correct it or stay the way you are. Because in the end, people don't practice Kindness and Charity just to look good in the eyes of God, they just do it because they want to and that's who they truly are. They don't need an almighty figure's existence to prove it."
I know that everything I said sounded like I wanted both of them to become aware that the need to act kind towards others did not stem from being in a certain faction. I wanted them to cling to God's teaching rather than his imaginary existence that watched constantly, something which the Church created in order to control their subordinates.
After a few seconds, Xenovia did something unexpected.
She handed me a piece of bread.
"Uh, what's this for?" I wasn't hungry enough to eat a piece of plain sugar bread.
"It's a symbol of sorts." she said, "And an apology."
Oh, I guess she wasn't as unreasonable as I expected her to be.
Still…
"I'm still not forgiving you for what you said to Asia." I said sternly, not wanting to let matter go. "Despite everything that I've just said, I don't follow God's teachings and thus, cannot forgive you so easily."
Xenovia did not seem surprise by my statement.
"I know," she said. "Not that I want your forgiveness in ther first place, I do see the errors in my ways and will strive to fix them as soon as possible."
Just where was this reasonable and easy to talk version of Xenovia during the meeting with Rias? They looked like two different person entirely… Was it because of her being near devils that she became so irrational? I didn't care, it didn't change that whatever she did and said were something I could never allow to pass.
"When I first came to Kuoh, I expected to meet vile pagans who wanted nothing more than to sully Father's name. I expected to find a witch who allegedly allied with the Devils to gather the Excalibur shards and use it against us. Yet… I can admit that I've made multiple mistakes as well." she continued to speak, bringing up the points where she admitted her wrongdoing.
"I agree with Xenovia-chan! You don't look like a bad person and actually acknowledge the Lord's words, which I find quite surprising."
"Well duh, it's not like I hate your God, I just don't agree with how your system works. I was too angry in our past interaction, so it may have seemed like I was hating on your faction as a whole."
It was kinda hard to hate Gabriel, she was just too pure… and I didn't really have a real reason to hate her. Taking Asia to Heaven was more of a blessing to the girl than anything, though it didn't mean that I liked it.
Everything was up to the nun to decide for now.
No matter the path she chose, I would support her regardless.
"You are quite the speaker… no wonder he's so interested in you." the little girl spoke, having finished her food.
I jumped in my seat when I remembered that she was sitting with us the entire time and listened to our entire conversation!
' Then again, who would believe her? She's just a young girl. People will think that she has active imagniation. What do you think, Vritra .' I asked the dragon, waiting to get another great wisdom from him.
'…'
Yet he didn't answer.
' Vritra ?'
Was there something wrong?
Ring !
The door to the restaurant rang, I checked to see who it was and was surprised to find Kiba and a few other people.
"Kiba?" I called out to him, wondering what he was doing here with Issei and the others.
{ Break }
Xenovia drank a cup of water and took a deep breath.
I did the same after feeling the awkward atmosphere. Especially the glares I was getting from everyone aside Kiba. Did I do something wrong?
"So, why did you come to us?" Xenovia said, glaring at the devil group.
Blunt and straight to the point. I was starting to get an idea of her personality.
"You two came to this country to retrieve the Excaliburs, right?" Kiba spoke first, returning the glare at the two Exorcists. "I'm sure you're aware of the recent killings done across Kuoh of the many different Strays. We do not know who's behind it yet, it could be someone associated with Kokabiel or just a wandering rogue Exorcist in possession of a holy sword."
To my side, Koneko was acting weird, she kept looking at the little girl with slight suspension. The latter returned the stare and both seemed to be locked in a stare off.
"I want to help you." Kiba admitted.
Both of the Exorcist looked surprised at what he just said, looking at each other in contemplation.
"I ask you this is due the dangerous nature of holy energy to us Devil, even in numbers we are at a major disadvantage. And since you're here as well, Hachiman-kun, I want to ask you the same favor as well."
So he was still holding a grudge against the Holy Swords, at least he wasn't trying to do it alone this time.
"For revenge?" I asked, but it sounded more like a statement.
Kiba smiled.
"I can't hide anything from you… yes, it is." he said without hesitation. "But I realize the danger of my actions, I don't want to cause anyone any worry by going out alone to face these people. My hate for these swords can't die out, no matter how much peace I find in my life, it'll remain in the corner of my mind like a growing cancer fueling my rage until I finally destroy them."
So he was going to do it no matter what, huh…
"Rias doesn't know about your plan." I stated, knowing the girl enough to know that she would never allow such a thing in the first place.
"You know I can't do that, Buchou loves us too much and she's been too busy lately to get involved."
He expected me to believe such a thing?
"That's a pathetic excuse."
"I know… I'm prepared to go through any punishment she may have reserved for me."
Rias, for all of her faults, was as strict as Sona when it came to the safety of her peerage members. Like a mother bear who would go against anyone who dared to hurt her precious servants. But she could also punish her own friends if it meant keeping them away from a life threatening danger.
"We accept your request." Xenovia said, breaking our conversation.
"What?"
She couldn't have just accepted like that.
"To be honest, we would have accepted for the Devils to destroy a single sword as long as no one were to discover who got their hands on it. As long as it doesn't end up in the possession of the likes of Kokabiel, I'm more than happy to give them to the Gremory to destroy them instead. Though if you are incapable of doing it, then we'll be taking them back to the Church."
"Oh…"
Xenovia seemed to find my expression funny, and could see the smallest of smirks appear on her face.
And here I thought this girl didn't have a sense of humor.
"Your previous speech did reach my heart, but you forgot to take into account that we also have our own personal goals in mind here. It's not like we are robots who are performing each mission's requirements to the letter. After all, Mother Griselda did teach us to take some liberties when we found it to be necessary to finish the mission."
Irina meanwhile looked surprised by Xenovia's words. I suppose that this was a rare moment for the blue-haired girl.
"Wait, we never agreed to this… not that I'm against it but are you sure you want to do this? We might find another sword which is not one of the Excaliburs."
She had a good point, Kiba was talking about the killings happening all around the town as an excuse to go after a potential user of Excalibur. But it wasn't a guarantee that he would find what he searched for, and end up with a regular rogue Exorcist wielding another sort of holy energy weapon.
"Irina. To tell you the truth, it would really be tough to retrieve the three Excaliburs and to battle Kokabiel with only the two of us. Even if Mother Griselda were to be here, she wouldn't assist us as she mentioned before that this was a test. And with Kokabiel's involvement, do you honestly think that we'll encounter something else other than an Excalibur in the city?"
"I know that. But… !"
"The minimum objectives we have to achieve are destroying the three Excaliburs or taking them back. If our Excaliburs are going to be stolen as well then we should break them before it happens. Even if we use the last resort, there's only a 30 percent chance that we will succeed in our mission and return home safely."
I would say that chances were lower than that. Considering they were dealing with a Cadre, probably a 2 percent was the optimal estimation if I was being generiouse.
"Even so, we thought that the success rate was high enough to come to this country prepared to put our life on the line." She gave me a side glance. "And I also have a selfish desire to help out these Devils and Dragons. I feel like God would smite me for saying such a thing… but I guess if it helps humanity to avoid another danger, then I'm happy to make this sacrifice."
Irina nodded before getting an idea and pointing a finger at me. "Oh, I have a better idea! Hachiman-kun, give us an order to help you out!"
"Heh?"
"Come on, just do it!"
Sheesh, this girl sure was fussy when she wanted something.
"Al-Alright? Ummm, I order you both to help us find… the one killing the Strays in Kuoh?"
"As you wish Black Dragon King!"
Where did she get that recorder from? That body hugging suit doesn't look like it has any pockets.
"There, we both have accepted the Black Dragon King's demand to help out Kuoh in the search for the rogue Exorcist. We did not accept anything from the Devils and have repeatedly requested them to stay away from our affairs, if they chose to ignore it then we will deal with this matter in our own way."
She ended the recording and smiled proudly.
"That… was kind of smart." Saji said.
"You're so smart, Iri-chan!" Issei was clapping at her quick thinking, making the twin-tail Exorcist blush.
"Thank you, Ise-kun! I accept your compliment even if you're a Devil." Irina looked really happy to receive praise from her childhood friend.
The boy laughed awkwardly, but stopped when he realized something.
"Hey, wait a minute, why didn't you ask me instead? I'm the Red Dragon Emperor, so shouldn't I be kinda more important to the Church than him? No offense!"
"None taken," it was a valid point as well. Even in the Dragon Kings, Vritra was ranked the lowest.
"Well, don't take this the wrong way, but the higher ups will believe our word if the Black Dragon King was involved rather than you. With how infamous he is across the world currently and his strong presence in the supernatural world. You're still new to our world with nothing noteworthy…"
Also a good point.
"Fair enough." Issei said, still sounding like he was unhappy with the response.
Don't worry Mr. Main Protagonist, your time would come soon.
Xenovia added her own part as well.
"Even though meeting the Black Dragon King and the Red Dragon Emperor at the same time is most likely a sign from God, I would still go for Hikigaya Hachiman due to the many incidents he's been part of as well as having more experience in dealing with these situations. The Paris one being the most prominent and well known of. True, you can become as strong as a Maou with your ability to double your power, but you still have yet to show anything close to that and if we fought right now as far as we know. Irina and I could defeat you individually. I'm certain you'll reach such a power level sooner or later, but for now, you're still weak."
"You don't have to be so blunt about it." Issei said, feeling like his pride was shattered at Xenovia's words, even if he knew that she was right.
' Oi, Vritra, any thoughts on this?'
'…'
' Vritra ?'
"Oh, so you're back!" A voice called out to us, I turned to see a waitress who was looking intently at the little girl besides me, who was still in a staring contest with Koneko. "I see that you've found your family!"
"Do you know her?" I asked.
"I do. The poor little girl came here a few days ago all alone wearing scandalous clothes!" She gave a seething glare. "I can't believe you would allow your sister to wear such obsecene clothing. Black tapes to cover her nipples!? I should call the police on you mister! Good thing I gave her my jacket before she left." The waitress started scolding me like I was the one at fault.
"Tapes?" I whipped my head towards Kuro and carefully observed the girl's gothic lolita outfit and the actual tapes covering her nipples!?
"T-The hell! I-I didn't do it!"
' I am innocent! Blame her parents!!'
"Humph, like I would believe that. And you even left her all alone in the streets while she was searching for this Vritra anime thing."
"-!"
Everyone at the table stilled, our eyes widening in shock at her words.
Momo was the first one to react, she quickly cast a spell on the waitress and hypnotized her to forget this interaction.
As for the other customers she trie-
"Everyone is gone!" Kiba noted, bringing out his sword, looking tense at the situation.
A bounded field?
' - ner !'
"Vritra!"
' Ge-ay -om -her!'
Absorption Line forcefully appeared on my hand and I heard his voice clearly.
" That's Ophis!"
Before I could say anything, I felt the girl who was apparently the Dragon God of infinity touch my hand, and felt goosebumps all across my body.
I was panicking.
"She is approaching, we need a quieter place."
A strong force beyond anything I had felt in my life pull inside a dark void.
Rumble !
The last thing I saw was golden lightning descending from the skies above upon a figure with blonde hair. Wielding a rapier shrouded in holy energy, battling against a girl in a Miko outfit.
My heart sank.
"Aken- woosh !" I shouted out, but couldn't do so for long as I was already pulled away.
"Hachiman!"
"Hikigaya!"
"Senpai!"
They all called out to me, but it was too late as I was forcefully teleported away from the place
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 2 Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword having 3 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post monthly commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise and Snafu.
Ophis
Hiiiiiiiiii~ A new chapter is here!
Not much to say aside I'm currently working on another story. it's not nearly ready with only a single chapter written. So yeah, that's why this chapter was a bit late as I started to write it a bit later than usual.
Chapter is a bit shorter than usual.
Also, thank you to my newest patrons: F.Ebering, Joshua Bernard Peter Simpson and Radmus . Y'all rock!!
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi
- Kuoh -
Woosh !
Everything turned black, I was pulled by a force beyond anything I could muster against. It felt like I was sucked into a wormhole, and before I even realized it, I saw that I was on the outskirts of Kuoh.
"Hurg!" I gagged, feeling my stomach doing backflips from the intense ride, and was ready to lose my lunch. "Sweet Kami, that was terrible…"
After regaining my bearings, as well as keeping my lunch down, I took a look at my surroundings. I nearly panicked when I realized that I was not standing on solid ground, but on a damn cloud! But when I looked up, I stopped in my panic. Being so high up in the sky, outside of light pollution that was common in cities, I was presented with a majestic view of the night sky, seeing the moon shine over the lands and the stars shine like precious gems. Incredibly corny, but it was the best way I could describe it without being a poet. I rarely get to see it when I fly around, being so busy at times, and when I do, I feel so relaxed in the end.
Unfortunately, I didn't feel relaxed at this moment.
"Vritra, why the heck is one of the most dangerous beings in existence a small girl? And why didn't you tell me before I decided to take her out to eat ice cream like a little child?"
I myself did not know why this was my first priority, but I think it's because I was still panicking.
" Uh… I have no answers for you, partner. I guess Ophis had a sweet tooth? Which is strange, since she never showed interest in food, or anything for that matter. As for her current form, probably chosen to blend more in modern times."
"And that means turning into a little gothic lollita with black tape nipple covers?"
Like seriously, I thanked the waitress for having given her that jacket to cover up her chest, or I would have been behind a jail cell by now if I was seen hanging around with her dressed like that.
"You have to admit, humans have weird tastes in this day and age, and you're no better partner. I have seen the things you've browsed through the internet and don't even get me started on your dreams."
"Don't blame me for that!" I yelled at the dragon. "That was Rias and Akeno's search history that they forgot to delete from my computer or them trying to prank me… and since when did you start snooping around such things!? My dreams are off limits!"
I still hadn't talked with Vritra about my past life. I didn't know if the dragon knew about it and just chose to remain quiet and was maybe waiting for me to bring it forward. It was bound to happen… And I didn't really get the time to do so lately.
" It is boring in here, at least I get to pass the time with watching you fumble with your relationships, reading those manga literature books of yours and listening to your hours long 'studying music'. Though I would request that you read something other than Dragso-ball, the power scaling is really inconsistent. Maybe something with more mystery, like that Detective Kalo series. It seems interesting."
"We'll talk about this later, for now, we are dangling in the middle of the night sky with a Dragon God taking me hostage!" I said, slightly panicking over finding where Ophis was.
Even using spells to improve to see clearer around me, I found little to no trace of hers.
"Where did she go…?" I said to myself, feeling my heart palpitate with fear and anxiety at not being able to spot such a powerful being. "What happened before, Vritra? Why was your voice so broken?"
Every time I tried to talk to him, he never responded. So I thought that he was for some reason ignoring me or going into a deep slumber. Now that I knew we were dealing with Ophis, it was very possible that the latter did something to us without me noticing.
" I am not certain, I do not know if it was Ophis interfering or something else that managed to silence our connection. Thankfully, it was nothing major but a communication block. I tried to warn you that she was the Ouroboros Dragon since she first appeared, but I realized that you weren't able to hear me. So I kept pushing until I finally broke through the barrier. Though it seems that I failed to reach you in time. Forgive me partner." he said, sounding genuinely ashamed of himself.
"No, it's alright. We are talking about a being more broken than the Heavenly Emperors, so I don't think there was much we could do in the first place if she was the cause."
" Partner, I know this might not be the best time to mention this but just before we were pulled through the portal…"
"I know," I said quickly, remembering the golden arc of lightning shooting down from the sky-with Akeno in the middle of fighting someone. Someone that I hoped that I would never have to see again. "She's going to be fine."
Or at least I hoped.
I knew Akeno for years, ever since I came to this world. I had an enormous amount of confidence in her ability to protect herself against any sort of threat that she would face. She was both a powerful mage and a swift fighter, using her speed enhancement and enhanced strength from the benefits bestowed to her by her Queen piece.
Whoever it was she was fighting, they wouldn't be able to harm Akeno in her current state.
Not to mention…
"Kiba and the others are close by to help her out in combat. Momo is with them, so she can call for backup if they need it."
Even after I had known all of this, I couldn't help but still worry. It wasn't a question of whether she would prevail or not, because she would, but due to her being someone important to me and me worrying for her was normal-despite the odds.
" That is not what I was talking about ." Vritra said, his voice somber. " Just like you, I know of the Fallen's prowess and that of the Gremory heir as well. But you can not fool me by saying that you didn't notice who she was facing. It may have been a few years, but I can tell that she has occupied a large part of your thoughts since that day."
"…"
" Are you truly that confident that your friends will be able to handle her? It's been a few years after all. Things can change during that time." I knew what he was trying to convey.
Just like me, Jeanne must have gotten stronger as well and it was very possible for her to be too much for the others to deal with… especially with her having access to holy energy.
I began to sweat with stress, the phantom pain in my chest where I was stabbed flaring up once again. Even Gae Bolga didn't leave such an impact to my psyche than what Jeanne did. Probably because I was still new to this world and somewhat naïve to these people. Not coming to terms with how easily people are killed here compared to my past world.
"I have no choice but to believe in them, Vritra."
But that only made my desire to leave this place to grow stronger.
As I continued to survey my surroundings and tried to teleport away with my own spells and to discover in the end that someone was still holding me in place.
"Hikigaya Hachiman."
A voice called out to me.
Sounding just as monotone and bland as last time without the smidgen trace of emotions in her tone. I lifted my head upwards and saw the little girl who I now knew to be none other than the Ouroboros Dragon.
I once again nearly choked on my spit when I saw her no longer wearing that jacket and was showing her original outfit. A pink bow which served no purpose whatsoever and two bra-like garments below her chest with her nipples covered in simple black tape.
' It's worse than imagined! Everyone in this world are shameless perverts, even the gods are no better!'
She was… smiling? No, I couldn't really call that a smile in the first place. Her eyes still looked the same as before, lacking everything and just a dark infinite void. In a way, I felt like she was merely smiling just to look more approachable, not realizing that it had the opposite effect.
"Ophis, the Ouroboros Dragon God of Infinity."
Man, that was a long title, but it perfectly encapsulated her sheer might and status.
I sensed her power when she used the portal, but with her now standing still in front of me, it was like there was no one there.
"Ophis's power is so vast and enormous that even your senses can not detect her. Imagine a human standing on Earth and looking over the horizon trying to guess the world's size-you won't be able to do it with sight alone. The same can be said for Ophis, her powers are nigh infinite and even I could barely see them. The Heaven Dragon Emperors are monsters themselves but Ophis and Great Red are true Gods in every sense, true concepts given form for some. The mightiest of gods and primordial beings become no different than ants in front of them… that includes both Ddraig and Albion."
She was that dangerous, huh?
"What does she want from us?" I asked, trying to see if I could teleport away but discovered how I was trapped on that end as well.
"I have no clue. Being in a deep sleep state for centuries and only waking up when wielded by powerful hosts, my recollection on the state of the world is filled with holes. The fact that Ophis is roaming the mortal world rather than floating for all times in the Dimensional Gap is a shocking event in itself."
Well, she was here now and clearly up to something. Just before getting teleported Ophis mentioned about someone being there for her, so one of her allies was battling against Akeno and the rest.
I needed to back them up as soon as possible.
"What do you want?" I asked her directly, just wanting to get to the point.
"Silence."
Hm? Did I do something wrong?
"…"
"…"
This was just becoming awkward, she asked me to be silent yet wasn't talking to herself. We gaze at each other for what felt like hours. Maybe the Dragon God was expecting something from me? I had no clue on what her motive might be, she wasn't giving me any hints!
"I desire your assistance to give me back my silence. Join my side and I'll grant you power beyond your imagination."
Now I was really confused.
Give her back her 'silence'? Just what did that even mean!? My mind was going at a million miles an hour, thinking back to anything in the past I may have encountered related to silence that must have attracted her to me. But there was nothing that could relate to what she wanted.
I needed more information.
"Join your side?"
My narrowed as I found there to be some hidden meaning behind her words. I wasn't dumb enough to believe that she was talking about a team up between us… but something bigger.
"Yes, the Khaos Brigade will be happy to have you on our side."
The Khaos Brigade? That name didn't sound familiar to me, maybe Azazel knew something about this name? I would need to bring it up with him, as well as the fact that he hid God's death from me. There was zero chance that he didn't know about his passing.
"Why should I even join you? You basically kidnapped me against my will. That isn't the best way to bring someone to your good side."
"I can make you stronger." she proposed, offering me power once again.
"No thanks," I immediately turned her down, knowing when to not get involved with an unknown group.
Especially accepting such a shady deal in the first place.
Ophis looked like she wasn't expecting such an answer from me. For a second looking like a genuinely confused child, but that image soon got shattered by those eyes of hers. They just felt too… alien to me. How I did not notice that beforehand was a mystery.
"I don't understand, they usually accept when I offer them power."
So there were people walking around bugged with the power of the Infinity Dragon. And seeing how she was associated with Jeanne, I guessed they were all our enemies.
"Unfortunately for you, I'm not seeking power in the first place. And I know my limit when I see it, joining you would be no different than a death sentence and betraying everyone I know. Plus, you're obviously in cahoots with Jeanne D'Arc, I will never join anyone associated with that woman, they are the worst kind of hypocrites in this world."
Boasting about how she wanted to help people but could easily backstab her ally over her own interest. The biggest fake hero I had ever seen in my life.
"I see, then I will kill her. Then will you join me?"
My heart shook just how casually she said that. Holding absolutely zero traces of remorse or second guessing, she was being serious here.
But what did I expect from someone above even the Heavenly Dragons?
"You're just proving my point." What was the point of allying with a group of people who easily backstabbed each other? "I'm not joining you."
My decision was final, and probably extremely foolish from an outside perspective, considering how she could kill me right now with just a finger for denying her offer.
" Ophis, good to see you after many millenniums." Vritra spoke from the gauntlet in my hand, probably trying to stop me from getting killed.
I found it quite surprising that he took the initiative to talk.
"Vritra, it's been a while." she said, staring at the glowing gem, "You are no longer under the influence of madness."
A pulse of energy enveloped me, I nearly panicked as I expected that she had attacked me, but fortunately, it wasn't so as in less than a second that energy retreated and returned to Ophis.
"And you are bound."
" Humph," Vritra scoffed. " I consider my current form as freedom rather than another prison. I can't say the same for the other dragons, but I am satisfied with my current situation."
She barely reacted to his words, making it impossible for me to get a read on her emotions or intentions.
"I can give you a body, join me and you'll become whole once again. Roaming the world with a body of your own and I'll give you the power to defeat Indra."
What was with these powerful beings appearing out of nowhere and trying to take away my friends from me? Should I be worried that someone would come for Rias and Akeno next? I hoped not, also, I wasn't that worried about Vritra…
" Hahahaha! What an interesting offer! I can just imagine the look on that arrogant man's face when he sees a rampaging dragon descending from the heavens to bring ruin to his domain once again! The rage I feel for that god still runs deep within my soul." he spoke with pure malice in his voice. " I still plan to take him down to the underworld where my brothers and sisters will rip him to pieces for his actions."
Ophis extended her hand, a black shining snake slithering from her sleeves to her palm and glowing with power.
"Then take my gi-"
"- Nevertheless !" Unfortunately for Ophis, she was dealing with one of the most loyal companions in the world. " I will accomplish my goal one way or the other, without your help or anyone else's. My path lies with Hachiman here, we are one and will reach our goals in the end."
I felt touched by his words.
So the snakes she was talking about were in fact those things and not candies… Now that was the kind of misunderstanding I couldn't afford to have anyone knowing.
"Before we go into detail, can you at least tell me what this silence you're talking about?" I said, still curious to know what she meant by that.
Ophis tilted her head, looking at me with confused eyes. "My home is the silence which exists everywhere, a rift where all realities are connected with each other but with no sound able to pierce the endless void. But then a giant stupid lizard threw me out with his loud noises and stupid stunts."
Wait what?
I managed to figure out that she described the Dimensional Gap as her home, a piece of information recorded in many magical tomes and books I read in the past while training my magic. But what caught me off guard the most was how she was… kicked out of her place by what sounded to me like an annoying roommate.
"Are you serious?"
"Yes, will you help me defeat Baka Red?" she asked me as if it was something simple as taking out the trash.
"So let me get this straight," I massaged my temples from the ludicrous request she had asked us.
"You want me to help you to get rid of a Dragon God?"
"Yes."
"The Great Red."
"Yes."
"The Apocalypse Dragon."
"Yes."
"The True Red Dragon Emperor?"
"Yes."
"He who is hailed to be the Dragon of Dragons?"
"Yes."
"Are you sure it's not some other dragon who somehow shares the same name and title?"
"No."
"The one who represents Dream?"
"He is a nightmare."
"…"
I was speechless, it was like someone asking an ant to somehow destroy a tank-impossible.
"Will you help me?"
"Why can't you do it on your own?"
"He's too annoying and strong to deal with alone."
Right, I still couldn't understand the concept of Dream surpassing Infinity itself. Maybe there was some deep meaning behind the concepts or a truth I was too dumb to understand. And if Infinity couldn't get rid of Great Red, then what could anyone else on Earth possibly do? These two were known to be the strongest beings in existence for a reason!
"I see… Do you have another request? Something that won't get me curb stomped like a bug." I didn't want people to mistake me for an overpowered person, who can become stronger after every fight. That was way too much trouble than it was worth.
Ophis disappeared and reappeared right next to me, gazing at the glowing jewel of Sacred Gear reflecting her face on its surface. "Grant me the silence I've been searching for so long."
Again with that, just how was I supposed to recreate the effects of the Dimensional Gap!? I knew that the place she came from destroyed everything it came into contact with. Its power and intensity were so strong that even time and space could not escape its destructive capabilities. Only broken beings like Ophis and Great Red could find such a place comfortable and call it home. True monsters in their own rights. I needed to have my Sacred Gear to create a literal black hole to mimic the effect of a fraction of the Dimensional Gap!
" Partner ." Vritra spoke, sounding like he found an answer to my dilemma. " I think I may know what she is talking about and it is something we have done in the past."
"You do? We have?" I exclaimed, shocked at this piece of news.
The only thing I could come up with was my spell [ Absolute Silence ]. But that only blocked out all sounds and noise inside the sphere, I doubted Ophis wanted something so simple.
"Yes, in fact, we have two options, but for the latter, we would most likely need to go all out to use and it would drain us far too much to pull off."
"…"
It wasn't like I could say no, but if this worked then…
A brilliant idea popped inside my mind, something that could help me out tremendously in the future.
"Listen, Ophis… -san?" I would worry about this later. "If I can give you the silence you want, will you help me with one thing?"
She nodded her head immediately.
"Anything."
Great, I really hoped this plan worked.
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 2 Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword having 3 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at and other fics at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post monthly commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise and Snafu.
Battle
Hiiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Well, the latest chapter took longer than expected and it's still not done yet. Anyways, if someone of you may have noticed, chapter 1-15 have been reworked with far less grammatical errors. Chapter 14 especially, took 1h too polish it and correct every errors I could find. There is definitely a lot that I may have missed, but at least now it's better than before.
Also, thank you to my newest patrons: UxoriousBark 7, Byron Leyton, themightylemon and isidro delgado for the upgrade! Y'all rock!!!!
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi
- Kuoh -
Lightning rained down the skies, the streets had become empty, the restaurant they were eating at just became deserted before they knew it and worst of all-Hachiman-kun was taken away by an unknown enemy.
' This space… is just like that time during the rating game. We are trapped inside another small dimension, similar to Kuoh .' Kiba thought, worried about both Akeno and Hachiman.
"Look up!"
"Who is Akeno-senpai fighting?" Momo said, casting various spells to make sure there weren't any other traps nearby.
"Don't know," he used his Sacred Gear to form a dark longsword. "Don't care."
Fwish !
He brought out his wings, and broke the window with a spell. "Koneko-chan, stay vigilant, we don't know if there are any other enemies nearby!" For all he knew, this could easily be a trap of some sort set by Kokabiel or someone else to catch them by surprise and kill them in one place.
"Got it, Yuuto-senpai!" Koneko said, bringing out black fighter's gloves with pink cat pawprints on the upper palm, a set of cat ears appeared on her head as she tapped into her Nekoshou powers and channeled a small portion of her life energy all across her five senses, using her chakra to heighten both her senses and strength.
"Wait!" Irina called out to Kiba, but the latter ignored them, finding the matter of his friend's safety taking a bigger importance than hearing the Exorcists.
Flying through the air, he witnessed the fight more clearly now.
"Not good," she was bleeding! Whoever she was fighting was wielding a divine sword that he didn't recognize, and seeing the cuts around Akeno's right arm made his heart drum with horror.
Akeno could use Holy Lighting with her Fallen side, but she also was a Devil with a weakness against holy energy. He didn't know if it would be as severe for her compared to a full blooded Devil, but he wasn't planning on finding out.
Rumble !
Akeno called forth another lightning strike, a large pillar of pure golden energy descended from the heavens towards the armored opponent. They didn't dodge it, instead, the individual used a rapier covered in white energy and shot a powerful beam of condensed destructive energy and canceled out the attack.
Kiba saw Akeno sweating, taking deep breaths as she couldn't even fly steadily.
Both taking a small pause in their fight, Kiba was finally able to get a good look at the attacker. The individual features belonged to a young woman with blonde hair who rushed towards Akeno at a fast speed. Running across the sky using some sort of spell which created a magic circle beneath her feet to act as a platform.
"All those who seek chaos, bring destruction to the world and lay waste to the lives of the innocents, may your soul rest in peace! Now begone!" she shouted, going for a slash across Akeno's torso, ready to end her life.
Like hell he'd let her do that!
KACHIN !
Kiba raised his demonic-sword out quickly and blocked her slash. Gritting his teeth, he felt his skin sting from the close proximity of holy energy. His instincts pleaded for him to run away, to stay away from his race's biggest weakness and poison. He ignored it, pushing the surprised blonde away before quickly getting a hold of Akeno.
"Akeno!" He called her, the hands which held her body shaking as Kiba felt the warm blood soaking her clothes dripping from his skin. "Don't worry, I'll get you to safety!"
"K-Kiba…" she tried to talk, her voice sounding hoarse and dry. "That… that person…"
The man berated himself for not having brought with him any healing potion. This feeling of frustration further deepened when he realized that he didn't know any healing spells as well.
"Don't talk! Just save your strength!"
Kiba didn't care who this person was, she tried to kill his family and that was all the reason he needed to make her suffer. He would destroy her!
"Kiba-kun!"
Momo came flying towards, shocked at Akeno's state.
"Give her to me! I can treat her wounds until we find Asia or someone else to heal her!"
She didn't hesitate to take Akeno away from Kiba. Gently straddling her body as to not further worsen any wounds. Momo was shocked to find so many burns around the areas where Akeno got cut. Fallen or not, she was still a Devil and any contact with holy energy would cause severe damage or even poisoning if not treated. Dozens of spells came to mind, each serving the purpose to heal minor physical wounds and slight headaches. Though they wouldn't do much, it was still better than her current condition.
"We need to leave!" the Bishop said to Kiba, not wanting him to battle the unknown Holy Sword user.
"I'll be fine. Just get her out of here!"
He couldn't let this person go, not after what they did…
Back on the ground, both Xenovia and Irina stared at Jeanne's face.
'She looks familiar…', Xenovia's memory going back to their holy sword training classes years ago-she recalled seeing someone similar like her.
"What do we do!?" Irina shouted in frustration, watching the sword wielders duke it out.
They didn't have any wings to bring them to the sky like Kiba, nor any particular spells like Jeanne was using. Xenovia cursed as she remembered Hachiman's words back during their spar, when he easily dodged her Excalibur Destruction's special attack. If they couldn't even fight this unknown human on equal grounds, then how could they hope to battle Kokabiel!?
She had to do something, just staying on the ground like this and doing nothing was unacceptable!
"I will scout the area for any other enemies, Irina, you stay here and search for any opportunities to help Kiba out."
Not to mention that she needed to guard the two Devils nearby, they just couldn't leave both of them alone while focused on helping their comrade.
"Right, stay safe!"
"Momo!" Saji came along, followed by Issei, both worried about the injured Akeno and Kiba-the latter facing up against the enemy.
"Saji, do you have anything on healing that might help?" she asked, while already started the treatment on the injured Fallen.
"I have nothing, I didn't expect this to happen! Hyoudou, you got something?"
Issei shook his head, feeling sick to his stomach as he saw her current state. He never saw such a scene in his life, so much blood that it made him sick to his stomach. Reminding the boy of what could have happened the day when he met Yuuma… would he have ended up in a similar situation?
Their heads jerked upwards, where they saw Kiba clash with Jeanne. Their swords meet in an explosion of sparks and magic spells thrown around. Even without wings, Jeanne was able to keep pace with Kiba with her unknown spell, making everywhere her feet landed look as if she was standing on a solid surface.
"He needs our help!" Issei shouted, bringing out wings and getting ready to storm upwards to lend help.
"Stop!"
Unfortunately, he was halted by Saji of all people.
"I can't let you go up there."
"Why the fuck not!? Can't you see that pretty boy up there is in trouble?"
"You're still a newly reincarnated Devil! You barely have any magical powers and can't fully control your Sacred Gear! Listen to me, I know that you want to help, but you need to remain here and protect Momo and Akeno from any danger along with Irina-I'll go help Kiba instead."
"Saji…"
Momo, who was focused on her minor healing spells, heard their conversation. She was worried to say the least. Saji recently had his Sacred Gear removed and replaced by Azazel's artificial Sacred Gear. Unlike Absorption Line, it was stronger and came in a complete state rather than a separate piece of the dragon. That would have been good news if only it didn't make his goal of mastering his Gear that much harder. It had the perfect tool in hand to provide support for Kiba and dash out enough damages at a distance, but she just wasn't sure if he would end up injured by what brought Akeno to her current state. Even so close to her cut skin, Momo felt some residual holy energy stubbornly clinging onto the Miko.
Koneko was also doing her best by purging any and all sorts of Holy Energy poisoning from her system.
' Damn it! Is there truly nothing I can do to help!?' Momo thought as she saw how little her healing spells were helping Akeno.
They were just too weak to have an effect against such deep wounds coupled with the fact that they were clashing against the foreign energy.
Wait…
An idea came to her mind.
"Issei, I need your help."
"Just say the word!"
The boy was ready to do anything at this point, he wouldn't let anyone die under his watch!
"Call out your Sacred Gear, I have a plan."
It was a desperate attempt, but she hoped for it to work out in the end. Sacred Gears were meant to adapt to a user's needs, and Issei certainly was passionate enough when it mattered… hopefully he would be able to pull it off.
{ Break }
Tiring, swift and strong.
Another slash which ended up by both being pushed back. He could call it a stalemate, Kiba loathed to call the current fight along with their last exchange anything other than tedious and dangerous. Her beam attacks were strong enough to destroy some of the buildings down below from where they stood in the sky.
"Wow, you're a good swordsman. Impressionnant!" Jeanne complimented him, dodging another one of his sword strikes.
"Shut up!"
His insides packed with nothing but anger, the young man didn't have the patience to hear her words. "You'll pay for what you've done."
"Hey, I'm not the bad guy here! It's your friend's fault, she's the one who attacked me first. I'm the victim her-" she got cut off by another one of Kiba's barrage of attacks.
His sword glinting with his devil magic coursing through the steel itself, Kiba noticed the little amount of damage he was doing to her.
"Ha!"
In an unexpected move, he threw his sword at her, catching Jeanne by surprise as she brought up her vambraces to shield the impacts, only for Kiba to appear above her, holding a brand new sword.
Clang !
Once again, their swords clashed together, the force behind the attack being enough to make Jeanne nearly lose her footing before she caught herself. What followed was another surprised reaction as she found her holy energy sword slowly losing its power. Upon closer observation, she saw how it was Kiba's weapon absorbing it.
"Mon Dieu, a fascinating weapon I must say." Jeanne backflipped, making the blade miss her stomach by a hair breath.
This was crazy, he knew it, but crazy didn't mean that it wouldn't grant him victory!
Kiba brought one of his hands, below and right next to her stomach. A flash of light appeared before another Holy Eraser formed in his hand and went right for her stomach.
"Merde!"
With inhumane flexibility, Jeanne managed to bend her body backwards to an insane degree and only managed to get nipped by the blade of the sword. In a panic, she canceled her platform magic spell and free fell down the sky by a few meters before reactivating it and creating another large gap between them. She held onto her the light cut on her stomach.
"That was a dirty move!" she exclaimed in anger. "What kind of disgraceful Knight are you?"
Thankfully, Jeanne concluded that the wound wasn't so troublesome in the first place. It already stopped bleeding and would heal in a few days on its own. Maybe Le Fay could help her out with another of her amazing potions.
"Why are you Devils so troublesome? I just came to bring back someone important and I got attacked out of nowhere by lightning! Your species really are a danger to the human race."
Her opponent charged forward, now with dual blades coming from two different directions. With both swords held horizontally, which she chose to counter by ramming herself against him-making the latter spit out saliva from the impact. Unfortunately, he proved to be a quick thinker as his knees shot up and hit her point blank in the face. Now having time to check if it was broken, she continued to dodge Kiba's swings, once, twice, thrice and continued to do so for the next following attempts. But at one point, Kiba got close enough for Jeanne to use her rapier as a shield and be sent flying by the force.
Though she wasn't that hurt, as the girl followed by a quick backflip and got up like nothing happened.
"You certainly have good swordsmanship, but you're so angry that it kinda becomes easy to predict your next move. Also, sword creation? Are you perhaps the user of Sword Birth?"
Kiba glared at her, the only damage he had done so far was that little wound near her stomach and some rips and tears on her exposed clothes. Her armor on the other hand, didn't have a scratch or dent to it, remaining in pristine condition. While he was already starting to sweat profusely, experience light headedness and far more cuts across his body that burned like hell. Even if he wasn't bleeding that much, holy damage just made everything feel a thousand times worse. And he was beginning to resist the effect of poisoning inside his system.
"What… What does it matter to you? I could be wielding a special type of sword that allows me to fight people like you. It might also be Blade Blacksmith for all you know."
"Pft-hahahahaha!" Unexpectedly, Jeanne began laughing out loud.
"Why are you laughing!?"
Was she mocking him? It certainly looked like it.
"O-Of course, it's because I fo-found what you said to be funny." she said in between her laughs. "You have no idea who you're fighting, don't you? I expected Tobi to have talked about me a bit more with you Devils… then again, he might already be a Devil at this point."
Tobi? Kiba had no idea who this person was, nor did the name ring any bell inside his mind. From how she was talking about this individual, it sure sounded like someone she expected for them to be close to.
"Eh, don't know him?" Jeanne said as she saw Kiba's confused expression.
It soon dawned on her the mistake she made.
"Ah! My bad, I didn't say the correct name. His real name is…" she went all silent. "What was his name again? You must know the guy, with mean fishy eyes that are kind of cute at a certain angle, short black hair with strands of hair sticking on top, hunched posture, talks in a dry tone when he likes to speak his mind, wields one of Vritra's Gear-Delete Field and he likes to look up girls skirts."
Eh, wasn't that…
"You're talking about, Hachiman? Wait, what was the last one?"
Jeanne made a fist with her right hand and smacked it on her opened left palm, not answering his question.
"Oh right, Hikigaya Hachiman, now I remember! Merci for the recall~! After all, it's been a few years since we last met in Paris, a tragedy that our paths had to seperate in such a way."
Paris?
One by one, the puzzle pieces inside his head started to align, Hachiman's previous words coming back to him. Of a story he once told him out of nowhere, something that very few people knew about. A past of which he kept the details a secret from everyone, including Akeno.
But during their trip, he slipped once accidentally and revealed a small piece of information about his time there. Something along the lines of 'the hero faction'.
So because Kiba pestered him some more details wanting to know the story his friend hid for so many years. He had a vague understanding of what happened during the events all those years ago, it was vague and filled with holes. Hachiman finally caved and told him the story of a previously 'slightly jaded, emo and idiot person' called Hikigaya Hachiman. The fate of someone who was too idiotic and nearly lost someone special that day, which he managed to reunite after years of silence.
He talked about his kidnapping by Azazel.
Him being thrown through the air to push his Sacred Gear to finally gain some wings.
Having found a hideout with corpses of people being eaten by a monster that turned out to be a distorted copy of a Vritra gear. The mastermind behind all of the carnage being a Devil who kidnapped children and used them as experiments. The last one hit Kiba the most as he could understand the horror and pain they must have gone through.
In the end, he brought up a person he accidentally encountered during the mission. A young girl who initially helped him to battle the monster… that same person ended up backstabbing him when the odds turned against them when faced with hundreds of monsters. Not hesitating to use Hachiman as a human shield before running away.
A hypocrite, he called her.
But to Kiba, she was just another target alongside Valper.
And to think… he was now confronting the same person in front of him.
The same person who nearly repeated history with Akeno this time!
Woosh!
Both of the combatants got distracted by a bright green light from below, they turned their heads below to see Issei with his Boosted Gear covered in a green haze of concentrated magic all being transferred to Momo as he touched her shoulders.
"Amazing…" Kiba felt awed at the sight.
The Bishop was using some basic healing spells on Akeno, the moment the well of energy entered her body, that small magic circle grew ten times its size, now covering the entire street-shocking Momo herself. She was shaking from trying to not break the spell and lose control of it, as it was a healing spell rather than an offensive one, she still needed some degree of control.
"I feel… so powerful." Momo said she wasn't a fighter nor a destructive mage like her friends and even Hachiman.
But at that moment, feeling the near ocean sized magical power coursing through her body from Issei's Boosted Gear made her feel like she could even battle a high class Devil on her own and win.
"Fuck yeah! I did it! We're the best, Ddraig! Your method worked!" Issei shouted in glee, talking to his Sacred Gear spirit out loud while hugging his gauntlet with pride.
Akeno's wounds started to mend and close at visible speed. Right under their eyes, as if she had taken a phoenix tear, all of her cuts had vanished. Leaving behind the red stains and nothing else. But her face still remained pale and sick, revealing to Momo that her enhanced spell could only heal her physically and not get rid of the holy energy poisoning.
"Oh wow, I guess that's to be expected from the Red Dragon Emperor."
Back in the sky, Kiba heard Jeanne speak and returned his attention to her.
"I wonder if I can bring him up to Cao Cao…"
Not that he would let her!
"Aaaahhhh!"
With a loud battlecry, Kiba advanced forward once again.
"You're the one who tried to kill him!"
Swish !
An arching shot sliced the fabric on Jeanne's skirt, missing the flesh by a single inch. She retaliated faster with her sword, even as a Devil, Kiba could barely keep up against this human. He was being reminded of his fight against Irina, and how he lost there as well.
' Why is this happening!? Is my anger not enough!?'
"It was either him or me! We were surrounded and wouldn't have been able to leave the place alive if Hachiman did sacrifice himself for the good of the world."
The good of the world!?
Jeanne continued, "If I had died there, then I would have let myself, my ancestor and millions of humans down. Our goal is to go to any length to create a better future for humanity and along the way, we are bound to make some sacrifices. I know you, wielder of Sword Birth, born human and victim of the Church's vile experiments."
Kiba stilled when he heard that, his past was kept as a secret and was only known between Rias' close allies like Sona and Hachiman. How did this person know his past history?
"You, out of every person here, should understand what I'm trying to say. We seek not death of the innocent, but saving the world and breaking the shackles of our oppressors from the supernatural world. Using our gifts, we can push back the evil forces of those oppressors back to their own dimension and create a free world for humans!"
Did she regret her actions? No, Jeanne knew that in a matter of life and death, hesitation would be her downfall. She learned that thoroughly from her time in the Church.
"What a load of bullshit!"
Kiba snarled in disgust at her reasoning, no wonder Hachiman called her a hypocrite!
He tried to shut her up, but Jeanne had gotten faster and stronger. Her white glowing rapier struck as fast as lightning and with the power of a meteor behind each move.
"This has gone for long enough. She has already left the area, and I need to track her down before I lose her again." Jeanne muttured, her patience running dry the more this battle stretched out. "Knight of Gremory, if you don't cease your mindless attack like your friend previously, then I will not hesitate to go for the kill. This is your first and final warning."
Her previous smile vanished and was replaced with a cold and narrowed eyes. The air became tense from her change in attitude, Kiba clearly feeling the killing intent coming off of the woman in front.
"…"
"I'm giving you this one chance, you are one of Hachiman's friends, I presume-like the last one. So I lower this olive branch to you so that we may end this fight and return to deal with our own matters."
Her answer came in the form of a glowing yellow arrow, shot by Kiba. Jeanne thrusted her rapier and easily destroyed the magical construct.
"That is my answer." Kiba said, getting into a sword stance with his Holy Erasers.
"Then so be it." Jeanne answered. "As for the previous question about how I know that you were the user of Sword Birth-here is your answer!"
This time, it was Jeanne who took the initiative to attack. She rushed at him, with speed far surpassing her previously shown feats. Leaving behind an after image to Kiba's eyes before he saw a shadow appear next to him. The growing shine of the rapier releasing another wave of holy energy nearly burned him as he brought his Holy Erasers up to defend himself.
Boom !
A shockwave spread across the space from the impact, both of Kiba's wings and swords could take it and gave up on him. Shards flew everywhere as his body shot straight down to one of the roofs. "Argh!" The crash of his body hitting the tiles made Kiba gasp in pain.
"Kiba!" Issei shouted, about to run straight into battle. Irina was also ready to follow suit, but both were stopped by Momo.
"Why are you stopping us? He needs our help!"
"Calm down, Irina-san. Saji went to help him, you may not believe me but I implore you to keep faith in him. He won't let Kiba down, right Issei?"
The look she gave Issei made the latter realize something, he gritted his teeth before sighing.
"If things don't work out as intended then I'll go to their rescue no matter what you say."
"I know."
They both looked at Jeanne, she stood up there with her eyes closed as a large amount of Magical Energy started to gather around his hand.
"Balance Breaker!"
"Stake Victim Dragoon!"
The sky changed to white as a large explosion of light happened around Jeanne. In front of Kiba's eyes, swords formed in the middle of the sky, from one to ten, to a hundred and thousands. All of them huddled together and grew in numbers and size till a giant figure floated in the sky, casting a large shadow over his area.
Kiba who was half buried within the rubbles had his eyes along with everyone within the space widened as they gazed upon the sight above the sky.
"A… dragon?"
Not just any dragon, with scales made of swords, with a large wingspan and blue coloured eyes-it was as if a real beast had been created in front of their eyes. The sound of metal screeching filled their ears as more swords started to fuse with it. Now having four limbs and a large roar that made Kiba's heart shudder.
"Blades… Blacksmith."
Now he knew why Jeanne recognised his Sword Birth from a single glance! If he had to describe his Sacred Gear, it would hold very similar properties to Blades Blacksmith, with the only difference being that his was a demonic version.
Roar!
The dragon made of sword roared once more as it descended towards him.
"Shit!"
He needed to get out of there! "Hurgh, it's stuck!" Half of his body was trapped beneath the entire room, he couldn't free himself in time.
"Flame sword!"
In a desperate attempt, Kiba called out more of his swords and threw them straight at the dragon, but to his despair, they would immediately break on contact.
"Ice Sword!"
"Flame Delete!"
"Repression Sword!"
No matter what he threw at it, nothing worked as each of his swords kept getting destroyed to dust. His focus was wavering and so was his will, and this began having an effect on his Sacred Gear. Each construction became weaker than the last, cracks appearing on the blades and breaking before he could even grasp them, some not even forming.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"
Even after everything he tried, after swearing revenge to his fallen family, he still couldn't destroy a single holy sword-let alone defeat the wielder. Hachiman managed to do it, yet he still remained so weak. He couldn't even avenge Akeno-senpai, Hachiman would be disappointed in him if he were to find out.
He failed everyone, again.
Not having the strength to do anything anymore nor the time, Kiba fell back to the ground with his arms wide open. Staring blankly at the approaching dragon… and so, he closed his eyes and awaited death.
"Bind Ragnarok, [ Lædingr !]"
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 2 Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword having 3 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post monthly commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise and Snafu.
Lædingr
Hiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
This chapter is a bit shorter than chapter 64, I was a sick when I wrote it, so couldn't make it the usual length. Though after this, chapters will be regular length and Chapter 69 and 70 are going to be extremely long… the last one took two weeks to write.
Also, thank you to my newest patrons: Zereka, Tay, RPendragon, Dan, apache182, John123joe, Brian Ziomkowski, Steve J, Kappa, Coty Jones, jkz, The Oops Man, IAteAShoe, Corvus, Asriels, Magicdogchair2, Excentric, Corvus Silver, Winston Herrera, Kelvin, ShelDrake, Naga, Francis, Kai Ferguson Edhouse, Darkaito 121, Laplace, Allen Kells F. Hackett, Drsenpai01, Rudolph, Neoshadow574, Xavier Poll, Grey Klein, Micheal kuklya, Footslab, Chelsea Thompson Williams, Ironwolfej, Darius Dredeen, Jack boi and Deb Podder Y'all Rock!!!
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi
- Asgard -
The binding of Fenrir.
A tale as old as time, written in the annals of Nordic mythology when Ragnarok threatened to consume all and destroy everything in order to restart the cycle of life. A series of events from great battles between gods and giants, to the looming death of those considered the strongest. Where giants and demons would approach from all points of the compass to attack the gods, who would meet them and face death like heroes. The sun darkening, the stars vanishing, and the Earth sinking into the sea
A few beings were tied to the upcoming Ragnarok. The Æsir, and Vanir all feared the end, yet deep inside them, they knew that there was very little they could do to stop it. This happened countless times in the past, what stopped it from happening again?
But the Allfather and Thor had different plans, a desire to combat this treacherous fate they refused to bow down to and surrender-especially Odin. Known as the strongest, deadliest, and wisest of the Æsir, the ruler of all Nine Realms sought to stop the coming of Ragnarok by any means necessary.
Amongst his current goal, he moreover tried to bound down the son of the god Loki and a giantess, Angerboda-Fenrir. Initially fearing strength and knowing that only evil could be expected of him. Representing savagery that ultimately cannot be controlled, and worst of all, fated to be Æsir's destruction.
At first, they built a fetter named Lædingr to bind the wolf. But to their dismay, the beast managed to overwhelm the chains and break out of them with little to no struggle. His strength ever growing and the approach of winter tolling the end of their fate, they forged another one.
The second fetter, Drómi.
Drowned by arrogance, the beast allowed for the gods to chain him with this new creation. Wanting to prove his strength once again to these fools, Fenrir shook his entire body with unimaginable strength, using greater force and showing a visible amount of struggle; the chains broke in the end as well.
For their third and final attempt, the gods requested the dark elves and the dwarves for help, and through this mutual partnership, forged a fetter far stronger than all past chains. Using materials that defied the laws of creation itself, they forged Gleipnir.
Though they succeeded in bounding the wolf, Odin still remained transfixed with the first two chains. He gathered them up, searching for each fragment across all the different realms one by one, collecting millions of shards; he kept them in his vault for an innumerable amount of centuries. Seeing their hidden potential, he couldn't bring himself to discard them or destroy the precious artifacts.
Time passed, and the war ended as they managed to delay Ragnarok through the combined might of every god and with assistance from other pantheons. Odin lived a life of peace and serenity, choosing to spend the rest of his life reflecting and learning from his own actions which he later labeled as mistakes made by a power-hungry tyrant. At some point, he began seeing the failure of his past beliefs.
He was supposed to be a ruler, one who protected his people and led them to a better future. Yet here he was bringing them pain and suffering with every war. If he continued with such a path, then Asgard would one day end up as prey to one of the many pantheons for their warmongering.
Growing to hate the taste of blood in his mouth, the smell of iron drowning his surroundings, and the many valkyries, gods, friends and family that died at the end of every war-Odin retired.
He became gentle, calmer, wiser- choosing to pursue the simple things in life.
Like boobs and the hidden beauty of the female form.
To preach their magnificence to the following generation during one of his trips to earth.
He lived a quiet life, something which he never experienced once in his long life.
Until an old friend came knocking at his front door.
Azazel.
That old crow came to pay him a visit in his realm, Asgard, of all places. Normally, they would just set up a meeting at a strip club and enjoy the show while talking about any subject. But for him to personally walk through the golden gates while causing Rossweisse a panic attack as due to stressing over the fact how Azazel managed to bypass their defenses in the first place. She nearly had a mental breakdown after reviewing each step of security a few hundred times. He wanted to tell her that he gifted the man a realm key years ago, but just stayed quiet as it was quite the funny scene to watch her overreact to such a small thing.
"For you to stand before me in Asgard, has it finally happened… Has Gabriel finally succumbed to lust and turned into an equally sexy Fallen!?"
It was an important question. That girl stole the hearts of nearly every god king of every pantheon, and several queens, without even trying and that damn Michael wouldn't hesitate to castrate them all if one as much as touched her hair! He was going to touch those boobs one day!
Curse her overprotective brother!
"Hahahaha! As if!" Azazel laughed, finding the Allfather's reaction hilarious. "But no, I came not as Azazel, the Governor of the Grigori, but as a fellow researcher and Sacred Gear enthusiast. I believe that we can help each other out in certain matters."
Now, this was interesting, Odin read about his friend's attempts at recreating Yahweh's famous creations with similar effects in the past. 'A Fool's errand!' he thought at first. Many pantheons tried to replicate the process. Wanting to create an army of powerful Sacred Gear users, but failed in the end-including himself, but without the basic blueprint, all of them had failed in their task.
"You got any interesting scraps lying around? I remember you once scoured the human world for a piece of chain a few centuries ago."
"I cannot hand you Gleipnir, Azazel. That is a sacred artifact that I try to keep away from those with wicked intentions." Especially his son, Loki. His current ambition did not come with good intentions, seeking to return the Nordic faction to its former glory and take the seat of the Allfather. Gleipnir was the only weapon he had against one of the few beings who could kill him.
Unfortunately, Azazel wasn't so easily dissuaded. "Tell me, old friend. We both know why you're keeping Gleipnir hidden in your vault. But it's a pointless endeavor as your son knows of their existence. He saw it being used in the past, and what's to say that he hasn't prepared for it? Fenrir as well, the wolf that continues to grow stronger as time passes. He will break them the next time those chains get used on him. If not, then Loki will surely find a way to strengthen his kid." he said with certainty.
Odin sighed, feeling a sort of headache he hadn't experienced for a long time. Of course, he knew about the current reality of things. Being called one of the wisest beings in existence did not just happen like that, he predicted that even Gleipnir would lose to Fenrir's strength one day.
"Then what do you want me to do? I tried to recreate it in a Sacred Gear form, so that one day, a valiant warrior with the will of a dragon could push the chains beyond their might and grow stronger. But after 3 deaths and 9 failures, I have given up."
Thor mentioned how this was an impossible feat even for Odin.
"Hehehehe!" Azazel laughed. "You gave up too early! Failure is creation's father, to successfully create something you must first fail. Even if it is thousands of times, as long as you don't give up, you will have achieved your goal in the end." Azazel spoke out loud, trying to win the King of gods with his words.
"Humph, then I guess you can create one with that tone of yours. You're still working with Fafnir yet all I hear is the little progress you've made throughout the years."
A smirk formed on the Governor's face.
"Funny you should say that… wanna have a bet?"
That got Odin's interest. He gained a lot of pleasure from things like gambling and bets, no matter how small the reward might be.
"I'm listening."
Hopefully, Rossweisse wouldn't hear about this and snitch him to his wife.
Azazel extended his palm, showing five of his fingers to the Allfather. "5 years, that's all I ask. Lend me all of your stored fetters and I will make your past dream come true. If I fail, then you can have this." He pulled out a dark crystal sphere from his pockets the size of his hand.
Odin's all seeing eye saw right through the item in less than a second. His aura flared dramatically, for the first in years, he felt his heart point with exhilaration. All of Gladsheim shook from his power, the shockwave spread across all of Asgard-even reaching the far away realms.
The valkyries ran to the main throne room with their weapons drawn.
Had an enemy engaged in combat against their king?
"Lord Odin!"
Rossweisse was the first one to barge through the giant metal doors. With her black and white armor shining with her own magic and a silver sword, she was shocked to see smirking Azazel standing in the middle with a laid back stance and Odin's magical powers drowning the hall with enough pressure to even make her feel afraid.
She had never seen such a side of him.
With a large maniacal grin on his face, the Allfather laughed loudly.
"Interesting! Marvelous! So you finally managed to do it, old crow! Hahahaha! I don't care, take them! Take whatever you want from my vault and let me spectate the end product when the time comes!"
The poor valkyrie was lost.
' Just… what happened here?'
Forget it, they weren't paying her enough for this.
{ Break }
" Bind Ragnarok, [Lædingr!]"
Saji's voice pierced throughout the battlefield, somehow drowning Jeanne's Stake Victim Dragoon's roar.
To everyone watching the fight, an enormous magic circle formed near where Kiba was and up in the sky above Jeanne. With the symbol of a wolf's head in the middle and thousands of runes that Hachiman would recognise from Scáthach's lesson.
Saji flew right in the middle, now wielding his new Artificial Sacred Gear. Unlike his previous one, [Absorption Line, who took the form of a gecko head attached to the back of his hand-his current Sacred Gear looked far different. A bronze coloured pauldron on his right shoulder with three chains wrapping around his arm.
From the magic circle in the sky, a single chain made of white light shot out and wrapped around the sword-dragon's body. Another one came from the ground and shut the creature's jaws. Both kept the dragon suspended in the air, immobile. No matter how hard it tried to move, the dragon couldn't free itself from Saji's Sacred Gear.
"What kind of Sacred Gear is this!? I never heard of anything like this!" Jeanne shouted out, shocked to see her strongest creation stopped.
Clash !
She used her rapier on the chains, and tried to break or pierce them apart. But even with dozens of strong attacks, she only managed to cut a small part of the chain links. To her dismay, they even reformed faster than she could damage them.
"That's awesome!" Issei screamed, cheering for his friend. "Teach that bitch a lesson!"
"Way to go, Saji-kun!" Even Irina joined, not caring that the blond boy was a Devil.
Truth be told, even under an intense battle, Saji still felt very flustered with their cheers. It wasn't every day he would get such a treatment, so he didn't know how to handle it. Still, he would think about it later, now he had to hand a fake dragon beat down!
"So, you like my new Sacred Gear? You should, it's stronger than my previous one and perfectly counters yours!" With another hand gesture, a third chain appeared and caught Jeanne's foot. The latter was too distracted with the fact that someone managed to immobilize her Balance Breaker to react to the chain.
"Let me go!" she demanded, finding herself incapable of freeing from Lædingr's restraint.
"Humph, as if! Idiot!." Saji insulted the girl, enjoying her enraged face. "Oi, Kiba! Are you okay? Can you stand?"
"Hngh!"
Pushing the rubbles away, Kiba limped out of the broken house, using his sword as a crutch to stand. Panting heavily while ensuring the many injuries around his body, he gave Saji a thumbs up. "Ha… Ha… I-Im… fine." he said, panting heavily. "I… I can… can still fight!"
He tried to create another sword but had his knees give out and nearly fall if it weren't for Irina coming to his aid.
"You look more miserable than the last time we fought." she said jokingly, putting his arm around her neck and acting as his support.
"…"
"Come on, we need to get you back to Momo-san, Ise-kun has a single boost available and we can use it to heal you."
It felt weird, just a few days ago, he wouldn't hesitate to pierce his sword through her heart and kill her for his revenge. Yet this same person was helping him when she didn't need to.
"W-why… " his throat felt like sandpaper, probably damaged from the fall. "… he-help… me." was all that he could manage to mutter.
Kiba let her guide him towards Momo, as he wasn't even confident to make it on his own if he insisted.
"Hehehe," Irina laughed with embarrassment. "We started off on the wrong foot. When we first met, I was quick to judge you and the Black Dragon King. Seeing you as enemies even though we never met and even tried to downplay the horrible consequences of the Holy Sword Project. Though I still think that it was brought into the world, I can't ignore the bad things it has done to you and your family."
She hesitated for a bit, "But I'm largely doing this because of Sister Asia."
"-?"
He gave her an inquisitive stare, confused on why she was bringing up the nun into this matter.
"As Hikigaya Hachiman mentioned before, Sister Asia is someone of pure heart and intentions. She forgave both me and Xenovia even after our misdeeds. I wondered, why can't I be like her? So here I am, not helping a Devil but someone who needs help out of goodwill, just like her. Something which will most likely get me branded as a witch if the others were to hear about it." Even though her tone was somber, Irina continued to smile brightly. "You know, if both Xenovia and I come out alive from this mission, we'll help you get revenge on Valper!"
"…"
Why did he feel ashamed?
He was fine when they established a deal to let him destroy some of the swords in exchange for helping them get the swords out of the Fallen's hand. Her current words hit differently as it wasn't made out of necessity, but out of her own desire. She was being nice and helpful to him.
Back with Jeanne and Saji, the former still tried to free herself from Lædingr while Saji continued to throw harsh insults and mockery at her face. She had a high tolerance for such a thing, but this man was so annoying!
"You have more dick in your personality than you do in your pants!"
Not being able to take more of his abuse, she threw her own jab at him. Saji flinched at the counter, feeling both offended and hurt.
Crash!
Out of nowhere, a fog portal appeared on the opposite side of Momo and the rest and Irina's horror, she witnessed a beaten up Xenovia fall out from it and crash in a similar fashion as Kiba through another house.
"Xenovia!"
She was heavily injured as well, barely being conscious and covered in burns.
"What happened to her?" Saji and everyone else wondered as they didn't expect for there to be another enemy aside from Jeanne.
Through the fog portal, a single person walked out.
A young man with jet black hair and spectacles. He wore a combination of a Japanese school uniform and a mage-style robe over his uniform with a feathered cape. Just like Jeanne, be walked into the air with relative ease, using the same spell as her.
"You seem to be having some trouble, Jeanne. I expected more from the descendant of the Maid of Orléans. Cao Cao will be very disappointed with how much you're struggling against weak opponents." he spoke condescendingly, further worsening her mood.
"Georg… finally decided to come out of your little hole I see. I thought you would remain hidden from view during the whole battle like a coward."
This was not good, Saji was already struggling to keep Jeanne's dragon under control, but he wouldn't be able to handle another enemy in a battle.
And if this person managed to beat Xenovia without even getting hurt, then not even Irina would be able to help out.
'We are royally screwed.'
"I had this under control!" Jeanne argued. "I can handle a newbie like him!"
She pointed at Saji.
"Oh yeah, you're the one trapped by a low class Devil like me! And you call yourself a hero, you're nothing but a phony!"
That blew her fuse.
"That's it, I had enough!" Jeanne gave up trying to break her bonds, she instead summoned another rapier similar to the ones he used as her main weapon. Her first sword pointed toward Kiba and the rest while the other one at the unconscious Xenovia. "I'm giving you five seconds to deactivate your Sacred Gear before I skewer everyone here!"
"Oh, this is interesting." Georg said while he decided to take the role of a spectator and just see how Jeanne could get herself out of this situation without his help.
Holy energy amalgamated around both of her rapiers, using the same beam attack she used against Kiba.
"Oi, what kind of hero are you!?"
Everyone couldn't believe her actions, she claimed to be a hero and now was using them as hostages to win. That was downright heinous and cowardly!
"Where is your pride as a Holy Sword user!?" Irina screamed at the top of her lungs. She was confident at blocking the attack on herself, but that would mean leaving both Akeno, Kiba and Momo unprotected. And if Saji tried to protect them, then Xenovia would be left defenseless.
"God will never forgive sinners like you!"
That caused Jeanne's expression to sour, she gave Irina a disgusted face. "Don't talk to me about a being that has left us." Her attention returned to a stressed Saji. "Now, choose one!"
"Tch!"
He was stuck, if he let her go, then he wouldn't have enough stamina and magic left to hold down the dragon once again. He could only defend one group at a time, even if he trusted one of the sides to be able to protect themselves, Jeanne was someone who played dirty, she could fire at both sides at the same time and have Georg help her out!
"Two!"
Damn it, damn it, damn it!
"Three!"
"Saji!" Momo called him. "Don't worry about us, keep her chained and focus on Xenovia."
Issei shared the same opinion. "As she says, I got a trick up my sleeve!"
Really? Did Hyoudou really have a way to help them out in this situation?
'He's a man of his words, maybe he's onto something here.' Saji thought to himself, really hoping that the dragon user had a plan.
He cursed himself for not being strong enough to use his Sacred Gear at its fullest. According to Azazel, Lædingr had many hidden capabilities which he hadn't unlocked yet. Including the ability to achieve a Balance Breaker form. At a certain point, he would even be able to use it in an offensive way rather than his current style-but he still hadn't reached that stage.
"Four!"
He had no choice, he begged Issei in his mind to not let him down.
"Five!"
"Alright, you better not fucking let me down, Hyoudou!"
On the ground, a large grin appeared on Issei's face, glad that his friend chose to believe in him. He called everyone to stand behind him, his next move was something he talked about extensively with Ddraig and he only had ten seconds in that form. His Boosted Gear shined once again, with another boost power up added to his total.
This was a back up plan in a life or death scenario, something Ddraig wished that he should save for when facing Albion. But this was an emergency, and if he didn't use it, then he and the rest would probably die.
That should be enough to defeat both Jeanne and Georg according to the dragon!
Crack!
The loud and distinct sound of something breaking spread around.
"Huh?"
Georg looked above at the source of the noise, his eyes widened when he saw the delicate hand of a young girl ripping space apart like it was made of paper! The other side being a realm of pure darkness, a void he was familiar with. His Dimension Lost, a top tier Sacred Gear, was one of the strongest powers in the world, powerful enough to be labeled as a Longinus. Considered to be one of the biggest cheat-like abilities and world-class powers capable of destroying the world if used to that extent-very few beings could casually break it apart like that.
And who else aside from the girl they were searching for all this time to be the only one to rip it apart.
Faster than he could blink, a black figure descended at high speed towards the unsuspecting Jeanne who was about to use her Holy Sword beam attack.
"Look out!"
It was too late.
Giant black wings appeared above her head, with what sounded like a thunder strike, a black gauntlet punched the hero right in the stomach, folding her body into two as she was sent crashing through the ground below. The chains which were holding her foot broke loose.
"Revenge really feels good, doesn't it?"
Both Kiba and Saji sighed in relief when they saw the familiar Prison Wings belonging to a single person.
"You sure took your time, senpai!"
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 2 Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword having 3 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post monthly commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise and Snafu.
Deal
Hiiiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
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- Kuoh -
As soon as the portal opened, I unhesitatingly jumped through it.
I did not worry that Ophis would send me somewhere else and trick me. She was infinitely stronger than myself, so why bother going through any kind of schemes when she could just crush me with a single-finger snap?
Furthermore, we had a deal, and she seemed the type to honor her deals.
As soon as I reached the other side, I saw the familiar figure of Jeanne, any anger slipped through my control when our past interaction started to resurface in my mind and when I saw both heavily injured Kiba, Akeno, and even Xenovia at the corner of my eye, it started to spike. These types of people knew to only cause more chaos whenever they went.
I called out my Prison Wings to accelerate my descent. Both of my arms were covered in shining black gauntlets allowing me to deliver a strike so strong that it created a shockwave on impact and sent the girl plummeting to the ground.
"Revenge really feels good." These words escaped my mouth as I turned my attention to the mage guy near me. "Your turn."
I did not know his identity, nor did I care to know who he was. They were both together and he stood alongside her, so he was an enemy as well. A black sphere of pure darkness magic formed in between my palm, it fired itself straight for his head.
Woosh !
To my surprise, a weird fog surrounded him before swallowing my attack and making it disappear. He didn't block it or make it disperse… it looked like he teleported it away to another area.
"No matter, you both are staying here."
He could block my attacks with a spatial field around his body. But there had to be a limit, I wanted to see if he could move around with this power still active or if he could displace the effects of space.
"[ Delete Field!]"
A black dome expanded from the center of my chest, spreading over the entire area till everything and everyone inside this dimension was rendered weaker. My powers affected both my enemies and allies, all the same, Momo fell to her knees, Issei and Saji couldn't keep their Sacred Gears active and Irina used her sword as a support. Kiba and Akeno were already extremely weak and unable to fight-so my field didn't have much of an effect on him.
It seemed like the mage's spatial powers were stronger than I expected, he didn't look as weakened as the rest-just continuing to glare at me from behind the fog.
I tried to use the [Absorption Line] to no avail, the line would continuously fly whilst inside the fog, and it hit no obstacles of any sort. Eventually, it reached its limit and returned to my hand.
"So are you just going to continue hiding?" I taunted the guy, "How fitting of you. I expected nothing less than from you wannabe heroes." My words triggered the man enough for him to throw magical spells at me.
With a single wave of his hand, dozens of multicolored magic circles from different cultures, systems, and elements formed all around him like a spectrum. Even as my enemy, I acknowledged that this was a skilled mage, capable of doing such a thing with a simple wave was an impossible task for me, and probably for most magic users. I could barely cast two simultaneous attack spells let alone half a hundred without effort. And some of these spells I failed to recognise.
"You underestimated me." he said before firing a barrage of spells at me.
"I can say the same for you, did you forget that your spells aren't protected by that fog of yours?"
I stood my ground, having a sheen of blue energy surrounding my head, legs, hands, and chest. "Vajra Sacred Body."
The attacks came crashing against my body, breaking upon impact without damaging me. Though I wasn't stupid enough to just tank everything and fly at him like a juggernaut. I flew around in zigzags, taking some hits and evading others whilst throwing my own attacks. Unfortunately, just like before, most of it would disappear behind the fog. This power of his, a Sacred Gear like that was far more annoying than anything I had fought so far.
The man had a far larger Magical Energy reserve than me, at this point, I counted nearly half a thousand non-stop bombardment of spells and elemental attacks coming at me from all sides.
"Alright, I've had enough." I muttered to myself, rushing next to him and used one of my more basic tricks, "Absolute Silence."
It turned out that the spell was more effective than I expected, the mage felt disoriented at first, created holes in his defense which I capitalized on instantly, and shot a stream of jet-black and purple flames into his little fog bubble.
His opponent proved to be faster than he expected, as the even more dense clouds of fog flooded his surroundings, increasing the intensity of his space manipulation powers but he couldn't disperse all of my fire in time, as a few flames the size of my head managed to lick the skin of his hand.
"Aaargh!" Georg screamed in pain as that little touch of the cursed flames caused more damage than he must have expected. Vritra did not call a version of hell fire for nothing. Even someone like the Phenex family wouldn't mess around with flames that can burn the soul..
"Wait, stop!"
Unexpectedly, it was Jeanne who came in between us whilst still injured from the earlier fall. She was panting heavily, her face covered in dust, sweat, and a bit of blood. Still, she turned her head at me and gave me a wide smile.
"It's been a while, Tobi… you've grown stronger since the last time we met," she said. Acting like she was talking to a long-lost friend.
' The nerve of this…'
I had so much to tell her right now. I wanted to yell at her, curse her and ignore her attempts at dispersing the fight and just go all out. Vritra was more than ready to do it, he despised the girl probably just as I did.
But I wasn't that kind of person.
I dropped my hands but not my guard, giving her a cold stare that conveyed a lot. Why was the pacifist route always so hard? It would've been so easy to just ignore the consequences and crush both of them without hesitation.
Before doing anything, I had to analyze this situation logically and not be biased. Ophis was still watching the fight, and had already confirmed them being her allies. Even though she was about to kill Jeanne to get me to help her, I declined that offer so I wasn't sure how she would react if I were to take her life-not that I would do it in the first place. If I let them go, I would definitely be in trouble in the future and hold true if I were to kill them as well. More would come and some might even target the Devils just out of spite.
"You haven't changed a bit, Jeanne." I said, my tone neutral "Hikigaya Hachiman, that's my name-not Tobi. Why keep calling me that if you obviously know it?"
"Hmm, to reminisce about old times."
"Unfortunately for you, anything related to you was nothing short of a nightmare."
That comment dimmed her smile, she was acting awkward, not knowing how to handle our reunion.
"So you're still holding on to past grudges."
"…"
Was she serious? Her tone sounded as if she was asking me why I hadn't moved on. This girl expected for me to forget or forgive a backstab so easily!?
"I do, I tried to forget about you, I really did, but it's kinda hard to forget someone like you. But you seem to have a nasty habit of bringing trouble wherever you go."
"Hey, they attacked me first!"
"Yeah, and they forced you to stay and use your Balance Breaker. Don't take me for a fool, you could have easily escaped with that walking teleporter over there, there was nothing holding you back from leaving. You just decided to stay."
"That's…" she was speechless, or rather didn't have any retort for my words.
"Why are you here?"
I already knew why she was here. Ophis, but there was a possibility they also had a second agenda. People like her and her group always have a second agenda. The place had become a hot pot lately of different powers coming inside. Dragons attract power, so for me, Issei, and Vali to be present here at all times acted as a ridiculously strong magnet for trouble. Heck, I could blame the heir's of the 72 pillars' presence here on my own bad luck. Issei most likely attacked Vali due to their mutual rivalry and that white bastard was surely responsible for Kokabiel in some way.
"Ah, we just came to get little Ophis-chan back!" To call the Infinite Dragon like that… I knew she must have had some screw loose up there.
Even if I had to reluctantly agree with her that Ophis was adorable.
"And?"
"And nothing, we really didn't have any plans to meddle with the Gremory group. The Sitri as well, they are not our main targets."
So they were targets nonetheless, it was only a matter of time before their attention would turn towards Rias and the others.
"You know, Dragon-ku-"
"-Hikigaya." I interrupted her. "I would prefer you call me formally rather than create this fake sense of closeness we may have together. And your timing couldn't have been worse, are you perhaps associated with Kokabiel?"
Was I being an asshole? No, she skewered a hole in my chest and left me to get eaten alive, so I believed that my attitude was rightfully deserved. Ophis was still sitting comfortably in the sky, tucking her knees and gazing at our talk like a drama show. Most definitely just curious about how everything was about to go down. I guess this did look like a form of entertainment to some… Scáthach would for sure love it.
… Before getting bored and starting to kick our asses.
"Right, Hikigaya. We want no trouble with you or the Devils. Our sole objective was to secure Ophis-chan and bring her back to base. I just happened to run across your Fallen girlfriend and just immediately went all berserk on me. And, Kokabiel is our enemy just as he is yours, so don't assume we would help him achieve his goals."
Their base… for what reason could these people need Ophis for? Power, duh! She just asked me to help her to remove Great Red from the Dimensional Gap and in exchange, she would grant me power. And seeing how naive she was, I was certain that these kinds of people would take advantage of her gullible nature.
"Why do you want Ophis' power? You called yourself heroes, masquerading as the real deal despite being poor imitations."
"Hey!" Georg had taken offense at my words, but held back as Jeanne gave him a harsh glare.
"That's a bit harsh, Hikigaya. We really seek to bring humanity salvation and place our species at the top. We have been violated by every other pantheon, from the narcissistic gods who rained their wrath on the innocents, to the Devils who take away those gifted with the power to use them as slaves and leave us with nothing to defend ourselves with! Don't you understand? We are humanity's only line of defense and the sword which will cut down our common enemies. You are still human, you haven't joined the Devils for a reason, right? You've seen their unjust system, I know you realize the cruel reality of our current state. We are the good guys, not them!" she shouted while pointing at the beaten Xenovia who had woken up and was doing her best to get up.
Her words weren't false, they held truth in them. Even though it was twisted to some degree, I had to agree with her to some extent. Humans were basically an all-you-can-eat buffet for the many pantheons. Earth acted like a street market where the Supernatural browsed many of us as products and selected the strongest to bring over their side-leaving us with little to defend ourselves.
But she forgot about one crucial detail.
"You talk as if humans are any better."
"Huh?"
"I agree with your words, to an extent at least. But you make everything look so black and white when in reality it is a spectrum of different colors. Even if the supernatural didn't meddle with our people, then we would've divided ourselves anyways. Different groups would come into existence, yours being a prime example. People like you would have done the same as the Devils and kept recruiting those you deem powerful and put them on the front lines to kill other humans for your own ideals. Just admit it, you don't care about humans, you only care about yourselves and no one else. You're merely using these reasons to justify your actions. Hypocrisy at its finest."
Should I do a sarcastic clap for the show?
"You don't understand what you're talking about!" Jeanne shouted, genuinely angry this time. "We don't go around killing our humans like they're some kind of pests. We haven't stolen any of these Holy! If the Supernatural kept their conflicts in their own territory rather than involving everyone, then millions of lives would have been spared."
Her rant seemed like it came from somewhere personal.
"So I guess killing me back then doesn't count." And them not stealing the Holy Sword was another lie on their part. These people just didn't find those weapons worth stealing. If it was the original Excalibur, then they would take hold of it 'for the sake of humanity'. Going so far as to create another war.
"That's different."
"I'm sure it is, Jeanne. And I bet the people behind every single major war since the last century alone had similar thoughts."
That comment seemed to shut Jean up, leaving her stunned at my words.
This time, it was Georg who spoke.
"Humph, you have obviously already been brainwashed by the Devils and Fallens with their lies. It's because of people like you that humanity found itself in such a weakened state. I don't know what Cao Cao and Jeanne see in you."
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Arguing with someone like him would only serve as a waste of time. He was too delusional to listen.
"Probably someone smarter than you."
I needed to move this conversation along, these idiots would just continue to justify their reasons.
"Your… Hero faction is obviously up to no good. And following every fucking trend from generic villains from every single anime and form of media in all of creation. You're either trying to acquire enough power to run things your way. And to get that power, you'll either use Ophis to keep giving you these snakes. Or…" My eyes sharpened as I knew stared directly into Jeanne's eyes, waiting for any kind of reaction on her part. "… are most likely creating a way, device, ritual, or whatever to steal her powers for yourselves."
"…"
Her face didn't move a muscle, she must have realized that I was using everything under my belt to fish for some information. But her lack of response was telling enough, she focused too much on keeping a poker face and forgot to come up with a reason
She fucked with me in the past, ruining that part of my life and causing me a fair bit of trauma and depression. So I was going to let them go, but without forgetting to give them a special gift of mine.
Dark whirlpools appeared behind them, brought into existence by none other than the goth lolita.
"It's time to leave, do not forget our deal, Black Dragon King." she said in a monotone voice.
"Don't worry, we'll meet each other really soon and give you the same thing as before." Even though she always smiled with empty eyes, the tiniest of sparkle shone inside those dark voids-telling me that she was genuinely excited. "Also, I've changed my mind. Let me cash in on that favor right now."
"What, favor?" Both Georg and Jeanne did not expect such a thing to have happened between me and Ophis. I could see the worry and apprehension rise within their eyes, giving me a fair bit of joy.
"Anything."
Great.
"Ophis, from now on, I want you to stop handing out any snakes or power-ups to every person in that group of hers and anyone else associated with them. In fact, don't hand away your powers in general. Secondly, I have a big house, it has a few empty bedrooms where you can stay for a while. So in the future, if you want some better company or some to just hang out, join me instead."
Both Jeanne's and Georg's eyes widened significantly from the revelation. Distress crept into their being as what I just did was no different than trying to snatch away their main power source. My actions would definitely trigger other groups after this, they wouldn't be happy if the strongest member on their side would suddenly disappear or refuse to give them power and ally herself with their enemies.
I wasn't planning on protecting her, I couldn't with my current strength and didn't need to either-she was strong enough to do so. What she needed was basically common sense and an understanding of certain types of people. If I managed to teach all of that, then no one would be able to use her.
Georg snarled, "Who do you think you ar-"
"I accept." Ophis answered instantly.
Before either could protest, they were sucked up by the same vortex which previously kidnapped me. The dome around the began to break down, shards fell down from the sky as I saw the black night sky with the full moon on display. Huh, I didn't expect so much time to have passed, it felt like a few minutes ago when I found the exorcist duo begging for money on the road.
"There, they're finally gone."
What a day. Man, I needed some SUPER MAXX coffee to calm my nerves. Before the entire dimension disappeared, I flew to Xenovia and carefully picked her up from the debris. I had to be careful to not move her too much, so I was forced to carry her in a princess carry.
"You two really have some shitty luck to have to deal with all this after coming here… are you perhaps holding a dragon Sacred Gear? It's basically our bread and butter in my experience."
To diffuse the current atmosphere, I tried to joke with the girl.
"Not that I know of any." Xenovia said, letting me take care of her without any resistance.
"Now I owe you a favor as well… both you and Sister and Asia."
"No, it's alright. I only wanted you to ask for forgiveness and kneel before the girl. As long as you don't point that big sword of yours at her then we're even… mostly."
Before I flew off, Xenovia used her remaining good hand to grab hold of her sword as I couldn't hold it at the moment.
"What would I need to do to earn your forgiveness?" Xenovia whispered, now that the enemy was gone, she was letting the exhaustion wash over her body. Being comfortable enough to let her guard down around me for now, I guess I earned her trust somehow.
"I want you to act more true to yourself. You like helping people, right?"
I was given a weak nod.
"Then just follow your feelings from now on. Don't involve God and the Church to be the main reason for your actions. Just be a decent samaritan, just like how the Biblical God intended humans to be in the first place."
Xenovia had already closed her eyes, her head resting on my chest. "I'll… try." With those final words, she fell asleep.
"Good, that's all I ask."
And hopefully, this would lessen the impact of God's death when the news will eventually reach her ears. I just wanted her to keep her morals strong enough even after knowing that her patron deity died a long time ago.
"And since I don't know where to drop you off, you'll have to share the guestrooms with Irina till you recover."
The barrier finally broke down completely. The previously destroyed houses returned to normal and the streets were no longer empty.
Momo and others left the area they were at and now rested at the park. Issei was carrying Kiba, already sweating profusely from the exercise of running all the way here. Saji didn't have any injuries, to begin with, so he and Irina ran to this place with effort. Momo was holding Akeno, the latter's injuries were gone thanks to Issei's help but she was still unconscious.
"Is she okay?" I asked as I landed near the group, asking Irina to hold Xenovia. I came next to Akeno's side, checking for any other injuries Momo might have missed.
"Don't be a worrywart, she's fine. I should ask you that instead, you were abducted and we couldn't reach you!"
I explained my encounter with Ophis and how I wasn't in any danger from the beginning. Momo had a hard time believing how I so easily managed to convince a Dragon God to let me go with just a few words.
"Wait… OPHIS IS HERE!? I-I-I need to report Kaichou, NOW!"
As Momo was about to fly away in a panic, I grabbed hold of her collar and brought her back to the ground, and choked her with her collar. She looked at me with tears in her eyes while massaging her neck.
"Cough! Cough! What was that for!?"
"Before you go and give Sona another heart attack, I want you to know that this piece of news can wait till the Kokabiel thing gets taken care of. Ophis is not after our throats, she's just being used and will not come and destroy Kuoh for no reason. Go home, rest, take a breather and rethink that report of yours. Sona already had so much on her plate, wait a few days till things calm down before telling her that one of the strongest beings in existence came to stroll around in Kuoh followed by the appearance of those two heroes."
Momo tried to deny me at first, saying Sona would kill her if she hid such big news from her.
"Look, all I'm asking you for is a few days. You'll eventually tell her and I won't stop you. But for now, please, grant me this one favor."
She sighed.
"… Fine."
With that said, she left with both Issei and Saji-leaving me alone with Irina and Xenovia. The former stayed silent, not knowing what to say at this moment.
"Uh… thank you, again."
She gave a small bow before walking away until I stopped her.
"Where are you going?"
There was no way I was letting them go like that. Xenovia needed Asia's help to heal and Kokabiel still roamed Kuoh. He could attack them at any moment, and with Irina being the only one left, she would lose. Maybe Griselda would come back, but I wasn't taking any risks.
"Back… to our hotel room?"
"No, you're not." I picked up Akeno, and a small smile formed on her face as she somehow knew who was holding her. It was hard to forget that despite acting like a succubus most times, she was still an adorable fallen person when it mattered. I felt the urge to pinch her cheeks like I used to do in the past back when we were kids.
"W-W-What do you mean by that?"
"Stop talking, it's cold outside and you two look like swimsuit models with those outfits. Try to keep up, mom made an Italian-themed dinner, so I don't want to miss it. And you'll probably need Asia's as well."
I could already see my mom throwing a party with Irina and Xenovia around. Dad was having glass ideas about me courting every single girl in my life. I dreaded the day when Gabriel would come to my house to visit Asia or for something else. Knowing my luck, this would definitely happen in the future and I could do nothing to stop it.
"E-E-Eh, I don't know what to…"
She sure was indecisive.
"Then don't talk, stop wasting time and start walking."
Not sure what to do next, Irina relented and began following me back home. The streets we walked through were empty and dim enough for no one to notice our state. And in about an hour, we finally reached my house.
"You're finally back."
In front of the door, waiting with her arms crossed and brows furrowed was none other than Rias. Irina couldn't really wave with her hands holding Xenovia so she had to just smile awkwardly. I saw my father from the window, the man gave me an apologetic smile before walking away while sipping his coffee.
Traitor, how could he leave his son to fend for himself?
Hikigaya Skill number 66, 'Act normal despite being caught red-handed and hope for things to work out.'
"Yo,"
Nailed it!
"Don't 'yo' me, mister! Where have you been?!"
Damn, it failed!
I was getting a strange sense of Deja vu.
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 3 other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword and To love a sword having 3 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post monthly commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.
Choices
Hiiiiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Not much to say aside that Fanfiction's app new notifications feature is somewhat better than the email notifications.
Also, thank you to my newest patrons: Mars and Cain. Y'all rock!!!
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by Shigiya.
- Kuoh -
Well, this was awkward.
"Destroying the Excaliburs!? And you of all people let him do so!?"
Rias was not happy with the situation that she found us in, rubbing her forehead from the oncoming headache of actions. Both Irina and I put both Akeno and Xenovia in my bed where Asia was currently healing both of them. Thankfully, there wasn't anything major or any life-threatening injuries on any of them-so she should be done in a bit.
I got myself a nice hot shower, washing away all of today's stressful ordeal. A few hours felt like days, I couldn't believe half of the things that happened this very day. Irina followed suit and just as we started to relax on the sofa, Rias came.
Her impatient look was all I needed to start my side of the story and basically the retelling of everything that happened from the moment I got that delicious, vicious coffee ice cream. At first, both girls gave me a weird look from the start of the story until I got to the part about meeting the Ouroboros dragon on the street and treating her like a kid who lost her parents.
"You can't be serious… OPHIS!?" Rias exclaimed out loud, going all pale and sickly from the most powerful being casually wandering her territory. The same being who could accidentally erase Kuoh with a sneeze if she wasn't careful or got annoyed-at least that was how the scale of her powers was described.
"You don't need to worry, I got things under control."
"Really, you got her handled!?" she asked excitedly, somehow thinking I managed to 'handle' a Dragon God.
' And she didn't even question whether I could do it or not!'
This girl had way too much trust in me.
Sorta made my black little heart swell with appreciation.
Kinda made me sad about what I was about to say next.
"I invited Ophis to our house whenever she wants… So don't panic if you find a loli goth girl observing you in the middle of the night while you sleep."
"…"
"…"
Right, I guess this was my signal to carefully leave the room without causing any more-
"HIKIGIYA HACHIMAN!"
Oof, screaming my full name like that, she was definitely pissed.
It took another hour to calm Rias who was in the middle of another panic attack. I sat next to the girl and patted her back in comfort. Surprisingly, I was not the only one who chose to comfort the red head.
"What are you doing?" I asked Irina, who was patting her back as well.
"Eh… I don't know. I just went along with the mood."
Fair enough.
"You owe me a date for all of the emotional turmoil," Rias whispered, her face still buried in her hands.
Given everything that happened till this point, I guess she did have a valid point. She needed some time to chill and relax for once. Maybe another round at Saizeriya? No, I already went there many times in the past with many different people. I would have to set up a plan soon.
"I promise, maybe after dealing with the Kokabiel situation, okay?"
She nodded, her worries bleeding away as she now looked absolutely excited about our future date.
It's the simple things that make it all worth it I suppose.
"Alright, time to go to bed, I'm running on fumes and need at least a ten-hour sleep to get back in shape. Irina, you can take the guest room on the second floor at the end of the hall. Mom made sure to have the room stocked with anything you may need and there is even a mini fridge filled with all sorts of beverages in case you want a snack. The room also has magical protection from any intruders, you won't get attacked in the middle of the night with some protection."
"That's… nice." She nodded and gave me a thankful gaze. "Thanks again… and sorry about everything, again."
"No worries, we're all in this together now. My biggest concern now is stopping Kokabiel, and it would be stupid if I keep antagonizing potentional allies."
We wished each other goodnight before it was only Rias and I left all alone in the living room.
"So… where will you sleep? You gave your room to both that Exorcist and Akeno." Rias said, finally recovering from her mental breakdown.
Kind of ironic how an Exorcist sent by the Church a few days ago now shared a bed with a half Fallen/Devil girl. If I could, I would take a picture and use it as potential blackmail material but decided against it.
It had been a long day for everyone, and I would rather forget this day without any reminders.
Also, the way Rias worded that phrase was quite obvious what she was after.
"You want me to sleep in your bed don't you?"
"… Well, you never slept in my room even once."
It was because I honestly didn't even know she still had her own bedroom! Every night she would sleep in my room and not hers, and assumed that she converted her old room into a storage facility or something for her collectibles.
I didn't have the strength to argue with her, my eyelids already felt like they weighed a ton. My ears rang as I felt a yawn force its way out of my mouth.
"Fine, let's go… first let me check up on Asia."
When I arrived in front of my room, I expected to see the nun making sure both of the girls were properly healed and tucked into bed. What I wasn't expecting after opening the door was to see a panicking Asia sandwiched between both Akeno and Xenovia as the latter held her tightly like a dakimakura.
With pleading eyes she looked at me for help.
"Auuu…"
This situation was well above my skill level despite my urge to save the poor girl. I saw her widen in shock as I slowly started to close the door, leaving her to fend off on her own from the vicious wolves. I couldn't blame Xenovia-who had a silly smile plastered on her face from cuddling her-Asia had that quality to her that made hugging her so freaking addictive.
"Good night and sleep tight," I gave her a final peace sign before closing the door.
I would probably regret it in the morning but I needed to hit the bed, tomorrow was going to be an important day.
I hoped Momo and the other two boys didn't reveal the matter with Ophis yet to Sona. If Rias acted so badly then I couldn't imagine just how much worse it could be for her.
I made it to Rias' bedroom where I found a naked redhead already lying down on the mattress and patting the space beside her. My eyes twitched at her habit of taking off everything, a trait that I still hadn't grown used to… yet.
She may have been a bit happy that this was probably one of the few times we actually slept together with no one else.
"Well someone is eager… you're not gonna ravage me in my sleep, will you? We got two Exorcists in the house, so we might as well save it for a better occasion. Don't want them thinking we're just a bunch of degenerates."
Rias just stuck her tongue at me.
"Pervert, I'm just looking forward to our sleep. I'm saving our first time for something special when I'm not stressed to death… and I don't want a Dragon God to suddenly appear while we're in the middle of doing it."
Yeah, I really hoped Ophis wouldn't come when that happens. Just using that trick with Vritra really took a lot out of me, I wouldn't be able to do it again.
"Alright, move over you space hoarder." I said while settling down.
"It's an Alaskan King-sized bed!"
Even if it was a nonexisting Emperor size bed, Rias would always find a way to make me feel cramped with how grabby she would become in her sleep.
Poof !
She threw a pillow at my face.
"Urg… why did you hit me?"
Rias pointed at my face, "Your eyes looked as if you were thinking of something bad about me."
I really had to reevaluate the possibility of her being a mind reader.
"You're doing it again!"
Alright, this girl was too chatty for someone claiming to be stressed and tired like me.
"What are you-oof!" I copied her previous action and threw the pillow straight at her face as well. It caught her by surprise, the girl fell on her back before immediately getting back up with two more pillows and a teddy bear.
"You'll pay for this!"
I was prepared with a neckroll pillow I held as a sword.
This was war.
And I would emerge on top.
"On guard, Devil!"
Safe to say, neither of us got enough to sleep that night.
{ Break}
-Occult Research Club-
After the incident with Jeanne and Georg, Rias and Sona called everyone involved like Saji, Koneko-chan, Momo, Kiba, Issei, and me, for some reason. Those who were part of their peerage were forced to do seiza in the middle of the room.
Akeno had recovered, though I didn't want to strain herself in any way. So I carried her bridal style to the clubroom
"Eh, What do you mean I can't make any tea?" she asked, flabbergasted as if I had offended her in some way.
"You nearly died yesterday at the hands of a crazy sword girl. Devil/Fallen physique or not, I'm still not letting you do much work for today. As someone who received a patent backstab before, I know how difficult it can be to recover."
"That was a bit dark, senpai," Issei commented before getting shushed by Sona, who wasn't done with her discipline.
I had to agree with him on that. Sounded better in my head.
"My point still stands, now go sit down with the others while I make tea today. Shoo! Shoo!"
"B-But, it's m-my-" I silenced her with a quick kiss on the mouth, sudden enough to stun her for a bit, not expecting my sudden brazenes, which allowed me to start preparing tea.
'Ha! How did it feel to have your own technique used against you!?' was what I wanted to shout.
After successfully chasing the girl away, I listened to the conversation the others were having while heating up the water.
"Akeno, you're not out of the clear as well!" Rias shouted, calling the stunned Queen over and making her kneel beside Kiba and Koneko as well.
I looked over at Sona and wanted to see how she was handling her case.
"Saji. You were doing something like this behind me? You truly are a troublesome child."
"A-Ah… Auuu! I… I'm sorry Kaichou!"
She was the first one to speak at Saji with a cold expression. His face became so pale that it made me guess whether he turned into a ghost or something. He must have been truly scared, obviously.
"So Yuuto, you were the one who decided to go after the Exorcist and corralled everyone to follow you into this hair-brain scheme?" Rias asked, knowing the answer beforehand from me.
"Yes,"
"So that talk we had about investigating the Strays' death was nothing but a lie."
"… Yes and no. They all died from holy energy wounds… so I was bound to encounter a rogue holy sword user at one point."
True, he wasn't wrong.
"Yet you didn't tell me because you thought I would stop you from destroying the sword, right? You thought that everyone here was more trustworthy than me?"
"No!" Kiba quickly denied it, "I just… I just… didn't want to disappoint you again. You did so much for me, and I didn't want you to think that all of it was for nothing. I am grateful for the life you've given me, but I can't let go of the past.."
Rias didn't react to his words, just nodding before looking at Koneko.
"Koneko."
"… Yes."
"Why did you do this?"
"I don't want Yuuto-senpai to go away."
Koneko told her true feelings. Rias sighed, the Nekoshou still had abandonment issues and seeing them run away into danger as it happened with her sister.
"Saying this when it has already happened won't change anything." She sighed, "Now it's your turn Akeno. Why did you engage in combat with the enemy in the first place!? I expected you of all people to be the most sensible one here!"
The Fallen looked down in shame.
"I… just encountered the girl down the road while I was going to meet up with Kiba and the rest. We initially just had a simple conversation. I found her to be a pleasant girl at first-until she mentioned both you and Sona as the owner of the land."
I could see where this was going.
"She kept talking about how Devils keep stealing things that don't belong to them. Then, at that moment, I remembered Hachi-kun's past story about encountering someone like her in Paris. I was livid, and when she confirmed her identity… I lost it. I… I just couldn't forgive her for what she did to him and I wasn't going to allow her to hurt him again.."
"…"
Rias went all quiet, having nothing to scold Akeno with. She must have even agreed with her to some extent.
"I understand how you feel, Akeno. Hachiman is my lover as well, I would have done something similar as well. But don't forget, we equally care as much about you as well. Imagine what would have happened if we lost you that day? We… I would have become devastated. What you two did not only have affected the world of Devils but me as well! You understand that, right? We do everything as a group, as a peerage."
"Yes, I'm sorry, Rias." Akeno apologized.
"You two as well, you better never do anything remotely similar to this ever again."
"Yes."
"Understood."
Both agreed.
Koneko and Kiba nodded their heads at the same time. They understood that very well. Kiba must have realized the scale of his fuck up if things didn't go well. But I guess, his rage must have blinded him from reason. I thought this entire thing was being taken a bit too seriously. Sure I understood the consequences very well, but I also knew how everyone was aware of Kokabiel's actions. His intentions were clear so the fault wouldn't fall on the Devils, to begin with.
"I'm sorry Buchou."
"I'm sorry Buchou."
Koneko-chan and Kiba bowed their heads. I didn't think she would forgive them with just that, Rias could be very unforgiving and strict when the safety of her peerage came into the equation.
SLAP!
SLAP!
A shudder ran up my spine from that sound.
When I looked in the direction from where the sound was coming from, Saji was there getting his butt spanked! Issei watched the scene with horror in his eyes as he was next. Momo blushed heavily as she wondered if her king would be merciless enough to spank her in front of everyone.
What a sad view…
"Looks like you need to reflect on your behavior." stated Sona coldly, her hand glowing with blue.
… Ouch, magic enhanced spanks. He wouldn't be sitting down for a while.
"Uwaaaaaaan! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please forgive me Kaichouuu!"
"No… you still have 664 more spankings to go."
The man's butt was going to fall off at this point. And I could already imagine the pain he would go through just to sit on the toilet.
Poor Issei was already looking around for possible escape routes, not realizing that Sona would hound him for the rest of the day and possibly worsen his punishment.
Slap!
Slap!
Sona was covering her hand with demonic power, blue-colored energy.
"Don't try to escape Issei!" Sona scolded the boy, who froze just as he was about to bolt.
Meanwhile, Rias continued to speak with her peerage. "I sent my familiar to search for any possible traces of those who attacked you yesterday. We will go with the rest of the club members when they are found. I don't want anyone to take any risk when dealing with such dangerous individuals. Okay?"
"Yes."
"Yes."
"Yes."
Koneko, Akeno, and Kiba replied.
As I expected, Rias went forward and pulled all three of them to her in a tight hug.
"You three really are stupid children. Making me worry so much," she said with a gentle voice while she patted them on the head. Unfortunately for some, the display of kindness brought a fair amount of jealousy inside their heart.
"Uwaaaaaaan! Kaichouuu! They finished with a good atmosphere!"
"This is injustice! We demand fairness!"
Both Issei and Saji demanded it.
"They are them. We are us."
Slap!
Slap!
It looked like Saji's spanking wasn't going to end anytime soon. Both of these boys obviously had a dream of marrying Sona, that was plain obviously. I wonder how they would react if they knew how close I beat her in chess…
"Now Kiba… Present your bottom."
I nearly dropped the tray of tea on the floor when I heard that.
"Huh, Rias… didn't you forgive them?" I asked, wondering what exactly my new, kind girlfriend was planning.
"Who said anything about forgiveness?"
She smiled with her hand covered with a crimson-coloured aura. Oi, oi, was she planning on erasing his butt from existence!?
"It's the master's duty to discipline their servants. Hachi-kun, you're also getting 666 spankings."
"… What? Why am I suddenly dragged into this mess!?" I screamed.
"Because you were an accomplice and gave an invitation to someone you really REALLY shouldn't have."
She wasn't having it.
Well, sadly for her, neither was I.
"But I'm not a member of your peerage."
"You're still MY personally contracted mage."
"And? I sorta do my own thing despite our contract."
I wasn't going to let what little scraps of manly pride I had in my being go waste like this!
Crash!
I jumped straight out of the room through the window.
"We just had that fixed yesterday…" I heard Sona speak, still not stopping in her spanking.
Oh yeah, I broke this window a few days ago by throwing Xenovia.
Ah well, I was saving my butt this time.
So it was for a good cause.
"Sorry Rias, I have some urgent club meetings of my own to conduct. Bye~!"
{Break}
By the end of the day, I managed to stay away from the Devils long enough for Rias to just temporarily drop the matter for another day. In the meantime, I spent some time with Aika and we relaxed as there was no new request today.
Though the young woman seemed to find a liking in sitting on my lap.
"Haa… hey buchou, where is Asia? I'm getting withdrawal symptoms without pinching those adorable cheeks of hers and feeling those cute little breasts."
"Are you trying to make me call the cops on you?"
"Like they would ever believe ya over a cute and innocent girl like me."
Did she forget how every student here was aware of her degeneracy? If she was a boy, then Aika would have been part of the perverted trio-becoming the perverted foursome… which sounded far more worse.
"Asia is a bit busy taking care of two guests back home. Old acquaintances from her hometown." I explained vaguely, ignoring the squirming of the brunette, while focusing my mind elsewhere.
Xenovia had yet to wake up when I checked earlier in the morning. Akeno, thanks to her Supernatural constitution, managed to recover enough by the time the Sun came up. Since the nun was now sleeping peacefully with the blue-haired Exorcist arms, I found it a shame to wake either of them up and just left them to continue sleeping.
"Are they hot?"
"Why do you assume they are girls?"
"Oh come on, with how innocent and naïve the girl is with boys in general… It's quite obvious that most of the people who know her are girls. So tell me, are they sexy or not?"
I sighed, deciding to just temporarily indulge the girl.
"Yeah, they are physically attractive. One is a bit of a bitch, but she is getting better, while the other one is an airhead."
She proceeded to ask me whether they would join the school, which I quickly denied. Not like the Church would agree to let their Excalibur wielders roam anywhere around Devils whose siblings were Maous.
"Hehehe, nice. By the way, I heard rumors about another student possibly enrolling soon."
Hmm, a new student? I was certain she wasn't talking about Riser and Ravel for we already had that conversation. Neither Sona nor Rias mentioned anything about this. Not like we were at the end of the year, but it was still a bit odd for someone to arrive at this point in time. Maybe I should look it up just out of curiosity .
"I swear, the girls are already going crazy over the Riser guy. I see his appeal but man can he be arrogant. And why are they so obsessed with him? He has an average size cock, to begin with. I bet a lot of the girls would drop him in a second if they knew what you were packing. Mmm~ Feeling it is definitely better than seeing it. I hope the new student is a hot chick, I could probably rope her in for a sexy threesome!" said the incredibly thirsty girl, as she continued to wiggle on my lap, her breathing getting heavy from her imagination.
Why wasn't I surprised she used her special ability on him?
"Alright, I think it's time that I head home."
After pushing off the horny little succubus, I said goodbye to Aika before walking out of the school. The sun was setting, and it was almost nighttime. I didn't have to wait long before I spotted both Akeno and Rias waiting for me at the side of the road. The Fallen had a heavy blush on her face as she kept rubbing her butt. Rias had her hands covering her face from both embarrassment and mortification.
Did she seriously forget how big of a masochistic her best friend was?
But it does give me an idea for the next time we get intimate.
{ Break }
"We are back!"
We returned to my house and took our shoes off. I walked along the hallway before mom showed her face from the kitchen. She then waved her hands at us telling us to come silently. That evil smirk coupled with that gaze didn't bode well for anyone.
"Come here, girls!"
"Hauu!"
Asia leaped forward as if she was pushed by mom. Asia was wearing an apron. That's what I thought but it was different. Walking right behind her were both Xenovia and Irina wearing the same thing. Their Exorcist outfits were replaced with regular clothes that I was pretty sure belonged to a certain redhead.
What the heck happened here while I was gone?
"We were minding our own business when your mother came inside our room with these aprons." Xenovia explained with that same emotionless tone of hers. "As a thank you for the hospitality you've given us, we followed along and put on these… clothes."
"I-I-I just thought it was cute and wanted to…" Asia said it with a red face, not able to look me in the eye.
"I was bored!" As expected of Irina, just going with the flow.
Wait, those aprons looked different, showing off certain areas a bit too much…
"Mom, where did you get these?"
Asia answered instead. "I-it was Aika-san. She gave it… as an early birthday present…"
That perverted glasses woman struck again.
"She did a good job!" Akeno said, examining the flustered Asia closely, gushing over her new appearance. "You look so delicious, Asia-chan~! I could just eat you up~!"
"A-Ah! T-Thank yo-d-d-delicious!?" Be careful Asia, this succubus could trap you in her webs of love in a matter of seconds.
"Ufufufu. They look cute in it, don't they? I'm definitely supporting these things. Aaah, I remember when I was young wearing nothing but an apro-"
"-Too much information!" I stopped her from going any further.
How could she be so nonchalant from saying something like that in front of her own son!? I wasn't surprised she did something like that with Dad, my memories of the past as a baby still haunt me to this day. Even if I was in the room next door, I could hear everything! I didn't want to hear stories like that ever again!
And just when I thought I got over them.
"But you like it anyway, don't you? Look at how cute they look!"
As an earnest guy, I didn't lie and nodded my head. Of course, they looked stunning in those things, I was fortunate enough for her not to go for the naked apron thing.
"I see… so he likes that," Rias muttered with a regretful voice.
"Asia you truly are an angel! Anything you wear always looks so adorable!" Given what path Asia was going to choose, her words might end up truer than she could imagine.
"Eh!? You really think so?"
Rias smiled and Asia replied with a troubled face and teary eyes.
"Wait a bit. I will also do the same. Asia. You have done well by making the first move."
She turned around and left the scene quickly.
"Wait Rias-chan! I will also help!" Mom went after her. "Eh? You're taking off your clothes as well? Genius!" Since when was my mom this perverted? I knew bringing Issei over would spread his corrupted ways to my parents!
"You two are coming with us as well~!" Akeno came back and dragged away both of the Exorcists along.
"Ummm, what's going on?"
I put my hand on Asia's shoulder, resisting the urge to hug her.
"Asia. Yeah, it looks good on you, Onii-chan is happy."
"Onii-chan?"
Spurt !
I felt some blood bleed out of my nose. Those words held more power than anything in the world! A Longinus-class weapon! I thanked her a couple of times and patted her head-making the girl more flustered than usual.
"Hachiman… I wanted to ask you something."
"Shoot."
"I-If I ever end up becoming… something else. If I were to accept her proposition… Will I ever see you again?" she whispered quietly, looking both worried and lost.
'I see,' so she was going through a lot of inner turmoil to make her final decision. She certainly wanted to join Gabriel's side and fulfill her dream of becoming closer to God-even though he was dead. I was sure that the Seraph would reveal to her this secret, they had no choice.
"Do you think Gabriel will lock you away?"
"N-No, she wouldn't do something l-like that… I'm just scared we might no longer spend time together as we do now… I hate that idea." She was beginning to tear up. "I don't know if becoming an Angel is worth potentially losing everyone I came to love. A-And, I don't want Rias-san and Akeno-san to hate me after they see that I became an Angel."
I rested my hand on her head, patting it gently while she came closer to me for an embrace.
"You're being paranoid. Nothing will change between us. Devil, Angel, Fallen, Human, or anything else you chose to become, you'll always stay as Asia Argento to us. A lovable clutz who holds nothing but pure intentions toward everyone. Even if those guys from the Church come and try to keep you away from me-both Vritra and I will just crush them to dust. Right?"
Absorption Line came into existence, "You have my word." Vritra said confidently from the gauntlet. "Not even the 28 levels of Naraka will keep us away, I promise you. But do not fret, child, I honestly believe Gabriel has the best of intentions with you, if there is one person who deserves to become an Angel-then it is none other than you."
His words made Asia smile.
"Heck, I promise as well that not even Michael himself would be able to stop me… I'll just call the old hag to take care of him if I need to whip out the big guns."
I told Asia my feelings. I wouldn't easily let go of anyone who pointed their fangs at her. I didn't want to lose her. Asia hugged me silently.
"Hachiman I… don't regret healing that Devil from before. If I wasn't excommunicated, I wouldn't have met you and everyone else. I also haven't forgotten my faith in God. But I have gained something more important than my feelings for God."
"Something important?"
"You, Aika-san, Rias-san, everyone in the club. Mother and Father… everyone is important to me. I don't want to lose them. I want to be with them forever. I don't want to be alone anymore… but I also want to be selfish and pursue my dreams as well. I want everything and that is a sin I'm willing to bear."
Asia said it in my arms with a small trembling voice. This child was always alone. God couldn't help her. Others didn't help her. Yet despite all of that, she still chose to never hate them, only wanting everyone to be happy.
Like if the gates of Heaven would keep her away from me. I was extremely stubborn for a reason, and if my words failed, then I always had Vritra to rely on.
"Asia, you aren't alone and your desire to have everything is not a sin but a natural feeling. You aren't losing anything, only gaining! Trust in Gabriel, trust in me, both of us won't let anything happen to you from now on and ever."
"I'm glad I came to this country."
"And I'm glad you decided to bump into me the first time we met. A scary-looking guy like me would have definitely been a challenge to anyone."
Asia put her face in my chest with a sweet voice. "Hehehe, Hachiman-san is not scary, you are the sweetest person I know. You are my one and only Angel."
"… !!"
Critical hit!
This girl had the potential to become a deadly woman with her words alone.
Unfortunately, the moment was ruined with Mom walking back to the kitchen with a crestfallen face.
"I got kicked out. Rias-san got embarrassed at… Ah… Ara ara~."
She looked at us with a smirk, as we were still in an embrace.
"…"
I gave her a stink eye.
"Oh my. Looks like the old granny got in your way. It's okay, you know? The kitchen is also a battlefield. It's not a problem to do it as long as you clean the mess, you know? Aaaah, I want to see my grandchildren soon."
Which part of hugging did she see as us getting ready for sex!? Couldn't I get a single wholesome moment without someone making it lewd!? Curse this budget hentai world.
"Hachi-kun! I have also worn it!"
I heard Rias' voice coming from the hallways.
My eyes started twitching again.
Rias appeared in an even more erotic apron than Asia's! Just an apron and nothing else, it covered the important parts. She was naked!
"Now Asia. We will start cooking with this."
"Y… yes ma'am."
"Please Asia. Call me Okaa-chan!"
"Y-yes, O-Okaa-chan!"
"Oh my Gosh! My heart is melting"
Both of them stood in the kitchen and started to cut the vegetables while Mom helped them.
At this point, I was worried that Asia would immediately turn into a Fallen Angel the moment Gabriel successfully converted her.
In the Principal's office, the old man was sorting out the many documents he had to fill in before next week.
The Phenex siblings' arrival was a blessing in disguise. He expected to see his school turn into a blazing inferno in a matter of hours, but not only were those two civil and polite with everyone around them, but they actually took their studies seriously!
"That donation from their mother also helps…" Devils were very generous people.
But before he could even celebrate, another file was brought to his desk, not from the Gremory or Phenex-but holding the symbol of the Grigori.
Sent personally by Azazel.
Opening it, he found the application for another student.
A young cheerful girl who resembled Rias-sama's Queen.
"Amano… Yuuma?"
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 3 other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword and To love a sword having 3 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post monthly commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.
The battle begins!
Hiiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
A bit late, was busy working on the Eccentric Wizard chapters, had to rewrite some of the earlier chapters. I'm still not done, but hope to be done by tomorrow.
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(Warning: Mini lemon in the chapter.)
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by Shigiya.
-- Kuoh -
That night, Rias, Akeno, and I also slept together. I got so used to them by my side that having Akeno missing felt… weird. Asia was invited by both Irina and Xenovia to their guestroom to have a sleepover, I knew that the blue-haired swordswoman just couldn't resist using Asia as a body pillow.
"They're probably still talking about the Bible." Akeno said. She hadn't fallen asleep yet, choosing to snuggle into me, making herself the little spoon. "It's funny when you think about it, a nun and two Exorcists sleeping right next to the room of the sister of Lucifer and her Queen. I never would have thought such a thing possible in my life, to be honest with you."
I had to agree, this situation really did seem like something from an old comedy movie. We were all laughing at the absurdity of it for a while until we remembered why we were there. If we were going to have any hope of defeating the Kokabiel, then we needed to prepare ourselves mentally first.
"I'm glad she made some new friends." I said, my hand gently rubbing the half-Fallens behind, making her hum in delight. "I was worried about her being near Aika and becoming infected with her perverted nature."
Akeno snorted, making me chuckle at the action. "I'll take care of Asia, don't worry about that. As for Aika, well… she's always been a bit of a wildcard but she still has a lot to learn in the art of seduction."
That made me even more worried, if Aika was the queen of lewdness, then Akeno was the direct embodiment. Which was enhanced by her Fallen side, making her a rare beauty even among her kind. At least, that was what Azazel told me after meeting the young half-Fallen.
Either way, I still need to keep on my toes when around her.
"I'm more surprised that the two of you aren't friends yet. Both of you have common interests and would've probably been the best of friends." I said.
Akeno laughed, shaking her head. "It's not like that, I appreciate Aika very much and am grateful for how much she helped you and Asia with the requests. We just live in a separate world, it's hard for anyone from the Supernatural world to get along with a regular human without dragging them into our mess. I believe that her being friends with you and hanging out so often is something of a miracle itself and I don't want to ruin the young girl's life."
I gave her a firm kiss on the head.
"You're not going to ruin anyone's life just for wanting to get to know them. Don't think of the past when forging bonds with the future, more times than not, it usually works out. Stop being a dumbass and invite her for a walk. I guarantee that both of you will become good friends and give me a massive headache."
"…"
"Now we better get to sleep, we have a lot to take care of tomorrow."
( Mini lemon)
As I was lost in their comfort, the two women snuggled up on my sides, my body stilled when I felt her hand sneak up below my waist. Her hand rested on my dick, her warm soft hands gently caressing the appendage while she gently massaged my balls. After having blood pumping into it, she wrapped her fingers around my girth and slowly started to stroke it. I turned around to face her, her eyes filled with mischief and lust. She licked her lips, staring at my member.
"O-Oi… Rias is right here!" I whispered harshly, feeling my heart beat loudly from trepidation and arousal, as my eyes focused on the red head still sound asleep while trying my best to ignore the pleasant sensation.
"Fufufufu, that makes it more fun~" Akeno giggled, making my cock twitch in her grip.
"Wa-Wait-"
"-shhh… just let it happen."
She slowly started moving her hand up and down the length of my dick, her actions slow and teasing. It didn't take long for me to start getting hard, my shaft rising to its full height. My erection now standing straight up, making a tent out of pants. Akeno smirked, looking at it with a look of pure pride and joy. She continued stroking it, knowing exactly how to pleasure me, switching from stroking the base or rubbing the tip.
She had her fingers caressing the head of my cock, while she had her mouth biting my earlobe. Her hand continued back to stroking my cock, before switching back to playing with the tip. She continued this motion several times as she invaded my ear with her tongue, nearly pushing me over the edge of pleasure. I tried my best to hold out strong, not wanting to give her the satisfaction of making squirm by her touch, but I couldn't hold on much longer.
I couldn't move, I didn't dare to do anything with Rias sleeping soundly near me while her Queen and best friend was jacking off her boyfriend.
But if this was how she wanted to play, fine!
My hand, that was still resting on her ass, moved down to play with her folds, getting a small moan from her.
Unsurprising, Akeno was already wet, her underwear already soaked with her juices. My fingers moved under the soaked cloth, and started to caress her folds. This got another groan from the girl, as she started to pant. I could feel her hot breath on my ear, a new sensation that felt just as nice. But I continued to play with Akeno, my fingers entering her caverns, as started with a slow pump.
At this point, I almost didn't care that Rias would wake up. I just wanted to reach my release.
Just as I reached my limit, Akeno pulled me into a kiss, muffling the groan that I couldn't suppress.
"Hng!" I groaned loudly, finally reaching my orgasm as a rush of pleasure moved through my body.
My cock erupted, releasing my load into Akeno's eger hand. Firing load after load, I could feel a warm, sticky sensation, down my cock and coat my pelvis. She cooed happily, her own climax hitting her hard, as I continued to pump my fingers inside of her as she rode her orgasm. She pulled her hand from out of my pants and admired her hand that was coated in my cum. It looked thick, like pudding, and the hungry look that Akeno was giving it, it might've well been. She ran her tongue on her hand, scooping up all of my thick jizz into her mouth, moaning with each swallow. By the time she finished with her little act, my cock was ready to go again, and Akeno was smiling devilishing when she licked that last of her 'meal'.
"Mnh~ Fufufu, your cum tastes so good." She said, licking her lips, looking at me hungry. She pulled my hand from between her legs and proceeded to lick her own juices off my finger, going as far as giving them a mock blowjob with each digit.
I panted heavily, unable to move or speak while I continued to watch her dirty actions. I was completely defenseless against Akeno's power of seduction. I could feel her caress every digit with her tongue, feeling the nimble appendage lapping up her juices.
Damn this woman!
She was only doing this now because I couldn't do anything to her at the moment! I promised Rias a date and both of us wanted our time to be special as well. We both knew that if this went any further, then Rias would get involved, and lose her first time in a threesome.
It wasn't fair that she could use this type of dirty trick on me!
"Akeno…" I said, trying to speak calmly despite my raging hormones and my instincts telling me to dominate this little half-Fallen. "I am going to make you regret it if you keep taunting me like this…"
Despite my voice almost coming out as a growl, Akeno just smirked, but she didn't stop. Instead, she took my saliva covered hand and placed it on her breast. Her nipple was firm and erect, poking into my palm.
"You taste so yummy…" She purred, running her tongue along my ear. My hand that was still holding her breast, moved to gently massage the soft flesh and caressing her nipple. "I can't help myself, my big, scary dragon. Just being this close with you two, is so naughty~ I just want you to just ravish us both and watch you make my King finally yours~"
My arousal quickly returned as she pushed my hand harder onto her breast, moaning softly as I gripped her breast in a tight grip. I moved my thumb along her sensitive nipple, feeling it go rock hard under my touch. She shuddered in pleasure, pressing herself closer to me as she came in her pants.
"Ah… Mnh~ Hachi~" She moaned, panting heavily and drooling slightly, as I continued to play with her body.
I bit my lip, struggling to keep myself calm. It was no use though, I couldn't hold back anymore. In a moment of weakness, I squeezed her breast roughly, pinching her nipple between my fingers. Akeno cried out in surprise, her sharp nails digging into my arm.
"Gah… !" She gasped, moving closer to me, nearly jostling Rias with all of her squirming, as she was unprepared for my sudden action, before settling down.
I smiled, lying down beside her, finally able to calm myself down.
"I thought you might like that." I chuckled, giving her breast one last squeeze before letting go.
Akeno pouted, but she didn't protest as I started to kiss her neck and shoulder. She was already half asleep, moaning softly at my touch. I kissed her cheek and the tip of her nose before moving to her lips. Our lips inches apart, feeling our breaths mingle before slowly-
( Mini lemon end)
Foooooooo !
Everyone in the room got up in surprise as an enormous pressure we had never felt before fell down upon us. We jumped off the bed and stood in front of the window. Akeno also got up after feeling a presence familiar to hers. When I looked outside the window, there was someone looking down on us.
Well, this was awkward.
"A Fallen Angel."
Akeno said it with a voice filled with hatred and clicked her fingers. She instantly got into her uniform, our previous activities gone and opened the room's door. I quickly followed along, donning my regular clothes and making sure my parents were still asleep.
When we got out of the house, I focused on the man in front of us, still releasing a heavy pressure that easily surpassed that of a High-class Devil.
A Cadre.
He was floating in the sky with the moon behind him. It was indeed a Fallen Angel who had his black wings present from his back-10 black wings… It appeared to be a young man who was wearing a black robe with detailed accessories.
He smirked after seeing us.
"I hope I wasn't… disturbing you in the middle of something important." he said mockingly, clearly referring to both Akeno and me. This was embarrassing, caught in the middle of something very private by the enemy.
"You will pay for this!" Akeno said furiously, she was probably the most pissed off by his actions for ruining her fun.
Rias looked at her in confusion, oblivious to our little moment of debauched actions.
I just acted clueless and shrugged, not wanting to tell her what we did while she was asleep next to us.
Unfortunately, that only got her to narrow her eyes at me in suspicion and doubt. Damn, this girl knew me far too well, and that was going to be a major problem in the future. Though she did not inquire any further and returned her attention to the Cadre above us.
"This is our first time meeting, daughter of Gremory. Your crimson hair does look beautiful in person. It reminds me so much of your brother that it makes me want to vomit in disgust." He glared at me next. "And you too, little dragon. Still alive, I see? How unfortunate. I expected you to die with that useless traitor back in Ireland."
"Yeah, yeah, happy to see you too bud, what's the occasion? Came to spy on us like a creepy voyeur" I asked casually, making his smirk turn into a frown.
"Hurgh, cease your mindless chatter, your childish antics remind me of Azazel far too much."
I took that as an insult… but he sure did give such a provocative speech. I could feel the hatred coming from his words.
"Nice to meet you, member of the Grigori, Kokabiel. And my name is Rias Gremory, heiress to house Gremory. I want to add one more thing. We and the entirety of house Gremory are connected to a being who is closest to the Maou, and also the furthest from it. If you are here to discuss politics with me, then it's no use as I don't have that kind of influence."
Yeah, nicely said, Rias!
"I have not come here for- Clang !" Two of his wings moved to cover his head where blades struck him.
Turning to where they came from, I saw that it was none other than Xenovia and Irina, having tried to attack the Fallen by surprise. As expected, the attack failed as their swords couldn't even pierce through his wings, having only managed to knock a few feathers off the Fallen.
"Humans never cease to amaze me with their unsightly behavior. Don't you find it rude to cut your superior in the middle of his speech?" With a swift move, he once again used his wings to smack both of them down to the ground with nothing more than air pressure. I was quick to move and summoned hundreds of black tentacles to catch Irina while I caught Xenovia in my arms as she was closer to me.
"Oof!" I almost lost my balance with the enormous weight of the sword, that thing was easily twice as heavy as Xenovia. And this woman is able to carry the slab of metal like a stick!
"Be more careful, you gorilla!"
"…"
She gave me a deadpan look as I dropped her down.
"Any injuries?" I asked her.
"No, I'm fine aside from a few bruises." She answered. "Can't believe he managed to block our Excaliburs with just his wings…"
"He is someone who has been around since the beginning of the biblical faction. He survived through countless wars, including the Great War, and emerged alive in the end. You can't underestimate someone with that much experience and skill, even if you wielded the original Excalibur. Both of you shouldn't fight him right now." Before they could complain about my words, I cut them off. "Look at your surroundings. We are in a public area with my parents being just a few feet behind me. If you dunderheads start to fight a literal Cadre here of all places, then you put everyone's life at risk and this jackass knows it."
"He's that strong?" Irina asked, her face filling with despair at the situation.
"To tell you the truth, if Kokabiel were to fight seriously, not only this academy, but the whole region would be destroyed."
In a way, Kokabiel had both of my parents and friends hostage.
Both of the Exorcists reluctantly agreed to my reasoning and backed away while still holding their swords defensively for any surprise attacks.
"Rias, it would be better if we call your brother to deal with this." I proposed, my eyes never leaving the Cadre "Or have Sona call out her Sister."
Kokabiel scoffed, "I wouldn't do something as stupid as talking with that lunatic… she will find a way to ruin everything! Well, if I rape and kill Lucifer's little sister, then Sirzechs' anger will be pointed towards me. That wouldn't be so bad." he said with a grin while looking at Rias.
Deep breath, he was only trying to taunt us into attacking him first. I wasn't going to become a pawn in his plans and be so easily influenced by his words. But Rias, on the other hand, was fuming with hatred. I could see a ball of destruction starting to form on her palm.
So, I decided to take control for now.
"Stop with the taunting, Kokabiel. Tell us already what you want."
Kokabiel answered my question with a joyish smile, "I will be rampaging in this town using your base, Kuoh Academy, as the starting point. Then, your brother, Sirzechs will also appear if he learns that his precious little sister is in danger, right?" he continued to try and get under her skin, but I wouldn't let my rage take over from such a simple trick.
I snorted, "You're still trying to start trouble? The only thing you'll manage to do is piss off every single leader, who can erase you from existence in a matter of seconds. Your kind will go extinct just because you couldn't hold yourself from getting a pointless adrenaline rush you delusional crow. Even Vali makes more sense than you, and that's saying something."
That didn't go well with the Cadre, he glared at me for a moment before relaxing. "That's what I'm wishing for. I thought that Michael would start a War if I stole the Excalibur… But what he sent were grunt Exorcists and two holy-sword wielders. It's boring. I'm really bored! That's why I'm going to rampage around Serafall and Sirzechs's sister's bases. See? Sounds more fun, right?"
Rias made a sound with her tongue. It was proof that she was really pissed that she was being used to get at her brother, and for such a stupid reason too. What insane plan was he trying to pull? This was no different than a child throwing a tantrum and causing chaos out of boredom. And another thing I noticed was that he didn't mention anything about Gabriel or Mother Griselda… which was interesting, to say the least.
"You're not a battle-freak, like Vali." I said lazily, no longer taking any attempts to convince this fool of his wrongdoings. "They would thirst for a great battle, fighting against a superior being no matter how small their chances were. You're not one of them, all you want is to cause chaos like a toddler who has been denied a toy to play with… all of this just because you were bored? What a joke."
Kokabiel just laughed.
"Spare me your philosophical speech, human. Azazel and Shemhazai weren't that keen on the next war either. They then started to do something boring, like collecting Father's Sacred Gears and researching them instead of using them. Something useless like that won't be of any use to us! Well, it's a different story if it was the Boosted Gear like the one the brat over the Sitri Clan has in her thrall… It's not something you can find so easily."
He then looked at me.
"I doubt you're after Issei," I said, standing in my spot even as he continued to cast his magical pressure on me. "You're not that resourceful to recruit someone like him over your side. The actions of Raynare already proved as much."
"Humph, that weakling deserved her fate, but at least she followed my orders. She was made to serve a simple purpose yet failed in the end. She is not worthy of my attention, just another failure to join the ranks of Azazel's group. Either way, I'm going to be starting a battle involving the holy swords, Rias Gremory. For starting a war! A school where both little sisters of Sirzechs' and Leviathan's go to. It must be filled with demonic powers so that I can enjoy the chaos! It's also the best place to release the real power of Excaliburs! It's a good place for the battlefield."
He really lost it, the man was bat shit crazy.
"Excalibur Rapidly, Nightmare, and Transparent are all under my possession. I also feel like getting Excalibur Destruction and Mimic these two girls wield. Never hurts to have more just in case" He started laughing like a madman. "Hahahaha! One of my followers has already created an artificial holy sword user who is able to hold all of these swords!"
"Valper Galilei." I whispered, knowing that there was only a single person in this world who could accomplish something like that.
"Exactly, the Holy Sword research is truly a marvelous discovery, if it shows this much result. To tell you the truth, I was initially suspicious when he mentioned what he could bring me. But with a bit of resources and a lot of… subjects, my trust has already brought me a weapon that could reach Longinus class Sacred Gear."
So Kokabiel and Valper were working together now… that wasn't surprising.
"Hahaha! So let's have a War! Little sister of Sirzech Lucifer, Rias Gremory!"
"Tone down your murder boner, freak." I said dryly.
"Silence!"
FLASH !
He released a single burst of energy, coming off as a bright light that blinded us for a bit, but by the time it returned… Kokabiel was gone!
"I need to speak to Azazel as soon as possible," If there was someone who could manage this entire fiasco with Kokabiel, it was Azazel. I began conjuring my teleportation spell.
"Rias, you'll have to gather with Sona and make sure to prepare yourselves for anything he might have planned. Call Kiba and Koneko-chan as well, I don't want them to get attacked while alone, or Kiba doing something incredibly stupid."
"We will come as well," Xenovia announced. "We have come for one purpose and this is our moment to work together."
I didn't wait to see Rias' response and left the area in a flash.
A battle against one of the leaders of the Fallen Angels was about to start and I couldn't afford to not take advantage of certain things.
{ Break }
-Uptown Kuoh-
The moment I teleported inside Azazel's apartment, I was taken aback to see a dark living room with the governor of the Fallen missing.
"Azazel?" I tried calling out to him but received no response.
The lights flickered open, my eyes widened as I saw none other than Vali sitting comfortably on the sofa while eating some chips. Seeing him always triggered my fight or flight reaction, I still didn't trust this guy at all. He was far too unpredictable to be reliable or even safe to be around.
"What a surprise, it's been a while since you last came here, Hikigaya." he said calmly.
"Where's Azazel?" I asked, trying to sound as calm as possible even though I was feeling a bit uncomfortable being in front of this maniac without a buffer.
"I don't know, he went somewhere. Why do you ask?" He seemed pretty relaxed, maybe he was just messing around.
"Kokabiel," I said bluntly. "He was about to cause some trouble near Kuoh Academy and he needs to be stopped."
Vali nodded, "Ah yes, that cowardly weakling. He waited until Azazel was no longer in town to strike. How laughable."
He sounded completely indifferent about the whole situation… but I guess it was expected of him.
"I heard that he stole the Excalibur shards from the Angels, I wonder how strong they are."
"I don't think they're that powerful compared to the original sword," I admitted. "But it doesn't stop them from being deadly to the Devils and in the hands of Valper-he can at least make it much more dangerous."
"Sounds like a problem. So, what are you doing here?" Vali had finished the packet of chips in his hand.
"I was going to get Azazel for help, but this was just a waste of my time," I said, making my way outside to join the others.
But I was stopped by a pair of hands clamping on my shoulders. I turned back to see that Vali had pulled himself up onto his feet. He was looking down at me, his gaze almost threatening but also excited.
"Will the Red Dragon Emperor be there?"
I slapped his hand away, not impressed in the slightest by his one track mind.
"It doesn't matter if he's going to be there or not, Issei is not ready to take on a Cadre level Fallen much less someone like you. He has the drive but even a miracle won't help him here. So that's why I'm going to take care of Kokabiel on my own."
That seemed to bring an ominous glint in his eyes.
"So you've grown strong enough to battle a Cadre now, have you? I remember not that long ago you limped across the park with broken ribs from a simple attack. You even needed the help of the heiress to keep you safe, now look at you, becoming the dashing hero to save the day for your mates."
He was right, I did become stronger thanks to my training. However, I wasn't going to let this idiot have the satisfaction of a fight now.
"[ Prison Wings !]" My Sacred Gear activated, and I rocketed through the sky.
Vali quickly followed suit, his [Light Wings] extending, catching up to me in less than a second.
"I am not interested in fighting any weaklings, but I am more curious about how you'll handle Kokabiel. I have my orders, but in the end, I decide when I can intervene."
"…"
Well, at least this was better than nothing, I didn't know what my chances were against the Angel of the Stars, but he sure as hell couldn't be as strong as Sétante or even Scáthach… At least that was what I hoped.
We landed on the roof of a building near Kuoh Academy, in front of us, a large blue barrier was erected to keep whatever and whoever was inside contained at all costs and reduce the damage to the surrounding areas.
"Well, the crow sure did bring a lot of company. Probably a couple thousands of his minions stationed inside." Vali said gleefully, finding the fight happening down below entertaining.
This was worse than I thought, the man moved quickly. I got my phone and dialed a number I never wanted to call in my life. The phone rang for a couple of seconds before it was picked up.
"Speak," Sirzechs voice came from the other side. It was not the cheery and bubbly voice I remember from when we first met, but filled with enough authority to remind everyone that he is a Maou. This was not Rias' brother with whom I was talking with, but rather Maou Lucifer-the most powerful devil and leader of the Underworld.
"By your tone, I guess you're already aware of the matter."
"Akeno informed me a few moments ago. Listen to me, Hachiman, my reinforcement will not arrive in time and so I'm placing my trust in you to keep Rias and Sona safe. I know it'll not be easy, but all I ask you is to buy time. I will get there as soon as possible along with Serafall."
The man really was worried, even without seeing him, I could imagine the worried expression on his face and the simmering fury crawling out of his voice from Kokabiel's actions.
"Don't worry, I got this." I ended the call, taking a deep breath while analyzing my options.
" Host of Vritra, I believe this is the perfect opportunity to prove yourself." Out of nowhere, Albion suddenly decided to talk to me. Vali's wings glowed every time the dragon talked.
"…"
" We are talking about the current Lucifer, who is infamous for his power and ruthlessness during the Great War. The moment he steps foot on this realm then Kuoh will cease to exist."
That didn't sound right, Sirzechs was a siscon but he wouldn't go that far. Albion understood my reasoning and added more.
" It may seem unlikely, but that Devil has only one thing in mind; his sister. Everyone else is secondary, and he will not hold back against a Fallen threatening to kill her. We might not die, but many innocents will be killed, and as long as Rias is alive, that is all that matters to him."
"Humph, so why not help out a fellow dragon Sacred Gear host? You are more than capable of taking him down for good." I asked, knowing just how broken the Divine Divide was, it could turn a Cadre's power into a fraction of itself in mere moments.
" Because neither Vali nor I need to help someone who does not require it in the first place."
That made me laugh.
"I'm not that strong."
" So you say, but neither of us are fools. You are the Black Dragon King, just below us Heavenly Dragons, now it is time to show the world why dragons are to be feared. A king can still kill a god without a Longinus."
I wanted to comment that Kokabiel wasn't a god and that Vritra never actually killed one in the first place… quite the opposite happened. But I decided to stay quiet and let him have his moment with that grandiose speech.
With that, Vali flew off towards the Academy. I could feel Vali's aura growing stronger as he watched the fight from above.
The barrier had been constructed to be impossible to break through with the exception of magic. I slapped my face with my hands, this wasn't going to be as one-sided as my time in Ireland. I still shuddered thinking about how close I was to dying at that point in time.
But now, it was different, I was stronger and could pull my own weight - technically.
"I hope you're ready, Vritra, cause you'll have to face a Cadre soon." I said, summoning my gauntlet. "Let's hope this works out."
" Leave it to me, partner. Our opponent is Kokabiel. He's not an insufficient opponent for us to handle. Let's show him the might of the Black Dragon!"
With that said, I closed my eyes, letting my conscience fall deeper into the abyss, leaving my body empty. It felt like falling deep into the bottom of a cold and dark sea. Looking below into the abyss, two giant red eyes shined with power and bloodlust.
"Okay, go ahead."
The eyes moved, swimming above showing the gigantic snake-like body of Vritra. Its sheer size still made me marvel at how imposing he must have been when he used to roam the world. At his full height, he could probably dwarf any skyscraper in Kuoh. He swam up to the light on the surface, bringing along with him the power to fight Kokabiel head-on.
[ Balance Breaker!]
[Malebolge Vritra Ascension!]
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 3 other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword and To love a sword having 3 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post monthly commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.
Kokabiel
Hiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Next update will be To love ru as this week's An Archer's Promise latest chapter is far too long to finish in just a few days.
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That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by Shigiya and Solitary heart.
- Kuoh -
They went in straight from the main gate. Having received Rias's message about Kokabiel attacking the school, Kiba came as quickly as he could. The moment he entered the field, the Knight called his sword, [Holy Eraser].
The fight with Jeanne revealed to him a truth he didn't want to face all this time.
'I'm still too weak….'
Everyone was getting ahead of him. His King trained hard before her fight against Riser, growing leaps and bounds compared to her past self. Akeno mastered her Holy Lightning, Koneko made progress with Senjutsu every day, and Hachiman had already left him in the dust.
He still remembered the days when the latter would barely hold a single minute in a duel against him. Back when he didn't even need to use his sword to defeat Hachiman. Now… It was the complete opposite.
He failed to protect Akeno, it was his fault she got badly hurt by Jeanne.
If it wasn't for Saji's help and Issei's [Boosted Gear, things would have turned out for the worst for all of them.
Kiba knew that the only way to get stronger was by unlocking his Balance Breaker… but despite all the hard work he put into his training. The blood, swear, and tears that he had shed-not once had [Sword Birth] responded to his plea. It continued to remain silent, his power unchanged, something which frustrated him to no end.
But he couldn't lose today… not again… never again!
"This is bad…" he said, having everyone around him become speechless after seeing what was happening in their school.
In the middle of the school field, five swords were releasing an extreme amount of light as they floated. At the center of the rotating swords was a large magic circle that was connected to the fragmented swords. And standing in the middle of the circle was a short bespectacled, elderly man with gray hair and a mustache in priest robes.
Kiba's eyes widened as he saw a person he and Hachiman had searched for years without success, the latter managing to elude each of their attempts and disappear from the face of the Earth. Now, it was clear that it was none other than Kokabiel who was helping him hide.
An old man stood calmly in the middle of the magic circle-Valper Galilei.
"You…" Kiba spoke out, filled with so much hate, it almost surprised the others..
The old man looked at him, his eyes squinting a bit at the Knight's face. "Ah, the Gremory group is finally here to see my greatest masterpiece. Behold! I'm going to reforge the four Excaliburs into one." he said with a hint of amusement in his tone.
"Valper, how much longer will it take for the Excaliburs to merge?"
"… !"
A voice spoke from up in the sky. When all of the club members raised their heads, they found Kokabiel, who had the moon as his background. Sitting on a chair up in the air while looking down at them. Those who were more sensitive to magic, like Koneko, wouldn't help but shudder at this man's presence.
"It won't even take 5 minutes, Kokabiel-sama."
"Is that so? Well then… I will leave it to you, I suppose."
The Angel of the Stars moved his eyes from Valper to Rias before moving to the rest of her group. After finishing his inspection, he frowned, failing to find the one he was hoping to see.
"I see you all foolishly decided to come alone, has the Black Dragon King abandoned you to your deaths? No, that dragon is far too attached to you all to do that. Are either Serafall and Sirzechs coming?" He asked, leaning his chin on his fist.
Rias spoke, "I do not have any obligation to answer yo-"
Before she could even finish her phrase, a large flash of light flew past her and everyone.
SWISH!
BANNNNNNNNNNNNNNG !!!
The sound of wind tearing was followed by an explosion that manifested in a large pillar of light that echoed throughout the area! They all shielded themselves before opening their eyes and finding the gymnasium, having turned into nothing but dust by Kokabiel's light spear.
"That is not what I asked you. Next time, answer my questions." stated Kokabiel, putting his hand down after lifting a finger to fire his spear, glaring at the stunned young Devils. After a moment, he let out a sigh of disappointment, "Boring. Well, that's okay. It will be a little entertaining to kill all of you."
' We can't beat him,' a small traitorous voice rang inside Kiba's head. ' You're going to get them killed, you won't be able to protect your friends… just like your first family.'
These thoughts directly attacked his core, adding more weight upon his shoulders for bringing his friends into this situation.
No! He could do this! The last thing the Knight of Gremory needed was to have doubts and second-guess himself in the middle of a battle.
"Great almighty God, this is on a different level…." Irina whispered in awe at the display of power.
"He is a Cadre. His name has been recorded in the bible since ancient times. He survived and led the Fallen during the Great War, and was there to watch the battle between God and the original Maous. We should not take him lightly." Xenovia said, agreeing with her partner's reaction.
They didn't stand a chance from the beginning. Hikigaya Hachiman was right. She remembered how he mocked them for their arrogance, but a part of her still refused to accept defeat from just a single attack.
She reached her hand up in the air, closing her eyes as she began chanting. "Saint Peter. Saint Basil the Great. Saint Denis. Holy-mother Mary. Please hear my call."
"Wait, you're already bringing our trump card out now!?" Irina exclaimed, not expecting her partner to go all out from the get-go.
The blue-haired girl merely nodded her head, for they can't go any less against a Cadre, as she continued her chant. "In the names of the saints who reside within this blade, stand guard, for I will release its might on thee, foul creature-Durandal!"
Light shined before her hand as it condensed into a giant blue sword with golden edges. A sight that would have taken Hachiman aback as the sword itself was as big as a regular human!
"Durandal!?" Valper shouted in disbelief.
Before the fight even began, Valper was not prepared for such a revelation. A sword he dreamed as much about as Excalibur… said to even equal the legendary blade in terms of power!
"You were not the wielder of the Excalibur!?"
Not just him, even Kokabiel couldn't hide his tiny bit of surprise and slight excitement at this turn of events, before returning back to a look of boredom.
"Wrong. I was originally the wielder of Durandal and was also chosen as the holder of Excalibur Destruction, that's all." Xenovia said with a smug grin.
She made a stance, taking Durandal in her right hand while having Excalibur Destruction on her left.
"Absurd! According to my research, we haven't reached the stage where someone can wield Durandal!?"
The Exorcist answered his question, "Of course. Even in the Vatican, they haven't made someone who can wield Durandal artificially."
"Then why!?"
"Unlike those common artificial holy-sword wielders like Irina, I'm a natural-born wielder."
With that said, she rushed forward with Durandal raised up high to strike Kokabiel down. But the Fallen Angel kept his unimpressed face, not even dodging the attack.
Clang !
Instead, what happened next caused the rest to gasp in shock.
"W-What?" Xenovia said as she looked at a strange scene in front of her.
Instead of hurting the Cadre as she expected, her attack ended up being easily blocked by one of his wings!
"Is that it?"
"How is that possible!?"
Having seen the situation unfold, the other club members watched in shock.
"Humph, pathetic." The Fallen scoffed. "I admit, you did cause me to get a bit excited there, but unfortunately, I was mistaken. You may be able to wield Durandal, but you have yet to master it."
"Wha-what are you saying!? That's impossible!" The blue-haired girl shouted out, still holding her sword ready in her hands.
He didn't answer her, attacking the Exorcist with another light spear that smashed against Xenovia's sword, throwing the girl to the ground, causing a crater to form. He flew back up, gazing at Rias and her group with pure malice and bloodlust. But that smirk soon died as a wave of Destruction magic engulfed him.
Rumble !
"Thunder! Resound!"
Soon, thick pillars of golden lightning descended upon where he was. Striking him down mercilessly and turning the ground to rubble.
"Gah!?" Kokabiel felt his body getting drenched in electricity as the bolts of light pierced his wings and his flesh. He managed to use his superior speed, trying to avoid all of the attacks. But the damage was too much even for his wings to fully heal.
"Yaargh!"
His body was falling to the ground, his arms flailing about as he tried to land on his feet. However, the Fallen was now in a position where even his wings couldn't save him. As the golden bolts continued to pierce his body, he was finally brought down to the Earth, landing on his side.
Before he could grasp what had happened, a shadow flashed above the Fallen. With a wagging tail and white cat ears, Koneko's feline eyes focused on him before pummeling his face to the ground with a loud bang!
"Eat dirt, stupid crow."
Bang !
She punched him again, causing a larger crater. Her gloved fists glowed bright green before they turned into a blur of fists.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Kokabiel's face was getting pulverized with each impact of the Nekoshou's fist. Her punches sounded like a Gatling gun being fired as each strike came faster than the last. And yet, the Fallen Angel didn't even bother to struggle or block the attacks. If anything, he glared at Koneko with growing murderous intent with each hit.
"Enough!"
"-!"
Koneko's eyes widened in disbelief as he grabbed her wrists, locking them into place. She tried to pull away, but was unable to break free from his grasp. An instant later, she screamed in pain as the hand that held her started to shine bright, burning her flesh with holy energy.
"Let her go!" Kiba shouted, "Holy Eraser!"
With a flash of light, his hand now became covered in holy energy. Koneko's eyes showed fear as she was flung away by her own momentum, landing on her back and rolling over the ground. Kobabiel then used his hand to block the sword, the energy getting slightly dimmer but not enough to incapacitate him.
"Begone, you annoying Devil." A large whirlwind was generated with a single flap of his wings, throwing Kiba away.
The man rose to the sky, "Impressive." He groaned out, coughing up blood from his mouth. "Your powers are clearly not as weak as I expected, and your peerage is a powerful bunch indeed."
Rias smirked, feeling her fear subside as she saw a glimmer of hope. Furthermore, having a being as powerful as a Cadre compliment her peerage did make her prideful.
"Why thank you, I'm afraid your ambitions will die here. Surrender, I can negotiate with Onii-sama to lighten your sentence."
Unfortunately, her words barely had any effect on Kokabiel, merely making his grin grow on his face before turning into full-blown maniacal laughter - putting everyone on the battlefield on guard against this madman.
"Hehehe… hahaha… HAHAHAHA!!! THIS! This is so amusing! Do you think just because you managed to make me spill some blood, and earned a small praise from me, that I'll just give up? You haven't even seen me at my worst yet. Are you truly celebrating at this point? Let's fix that!"
He snapped his fingers.
To the Devils' and Exorcists' surprise, from the depths of darkness, there came a sound of the ground rumbling. The howl of a monster as it came closer to the surface. A creature that far exceeded the expectations of everyone, making them clench their teeth at the thought of facing these things.
A dozen meters tall with a large furry body. It had four thick legs. Giant claws the size of a human's hand and eyes that glittered with nothing but pure killing intent, all blood red. From its mouth, what it had were dangerous-looking fangs. Three giant heads with fangs that looked like they could rip anyone into two.
"Here's a human phrase that I quite enjoyed and truly spoke to me. Cry 'Havoc!', and let slip the dogs of war!"
ROOOOOOOOOOOAR !!
Its howl was so loud it felt like it shook the ground!
"Cerberus!"
Rias said it with a voice filled with disgust and trepidation.
"Look over there!" Irina shouted, pointing at the still-opened portal where the monster came from. Skeletal hands emerged, where an entire army of ghostly creatures clad in torn rags and rusted swords. Some were skeletons who had a missing lower body, hovering through the air with their haunting blue eyes focused on the Devils. Others even had rotten flesh still attached on their bones, while some still had bits of flesh hanging by a thread on their faces.
This made a dreadful chill up Rias and the rest's spines.
"W-What is this…?" Koneko asked, covering her nose from the foul stench of death and decay coming from these zombie-like monsters. She backed away, her legs shaking from both fright and disgust. She didn't know what, but something else was making her instincts go haywire along with the equally terrifying presences of Kokabiel as it seemed to encompass all around the battlefield. Like a demon hiding in the shadows, with two beady red eyes observing them from where they couldn't spot it. But she could, Koneko knew this being was watching them without being found, and that made her want to escape this place.
Fortunately for her, her worries diminished as a soothing green light of energy washed over her body.
"D-Do not worry, Koneko-san!" It was Asia, using her Sacred Gear on her wounded wrists, where she got burned with Kokabiel's energy.
"Thanks…"
"I-If you get hurt again or see anyone who needs any help - then bring them to me." The nun said, finishing with her healing, showing perfectly unblemished skin, no signs of burns or scars.
Koneko marveled at Twilight Healing's effects. It far surpassed her Senjutsu recovery speed.
"You're so cool, Asia-senpai."
"S-S-Senpai? Cool!?"
Asia felt her heart flutter from hearing those words, especially coming from such an adorable girl like Koneko. She tried hard to resist the temptation to hug her and pat her head in comfort, especially with those kitty ears making it so difficult for her to resist.
"E-Everyone, get ready… we only need to hold on until reinforcement gets here!" Rias shouted, gathering more Destruction magic.
Meanwhile, Valper was standing in the middle of the magic circle. With all four shards rotating around him, their power fusing a single, more powerful entity that reached ever so closer to the original Excalibur from legends.
"These creatures… they are unlike anything I have ever seen before. No, they remind me of Sluagh from Celtic myth… " He commented as he observed the undead, having his scientific side getting interested in their composition and powers. Of course, this would be a matter for another time. At the moment, he needed to concentrate on the shards reforging. "It's a pity that we couldn't find the Ruler fragment. The most powerful of the shards from the sword, holding the will and a large portion the sacred blade's power.which holds a large portion of the blade's will and power. But this is fine as well. I hope she'll be able to wield it using its full potential."
Back with the others, there just wasn't an end to these creatures. With more variety of them appearing, some wearing broken armor and even bows.
FLASH !
After a single flash, they were surrounded by lightning. That was followed by more Destruction magic washing over the battlefield and killing a large portion of the skeletal army.
"Sword Birth!" Kiba didn't slack off. He filled his area with thousands of swords, piercing the Cerberus and buying more time, creating a sort of wall between them and the enemies.
"Hurgh, it really stinks…" he noted as dark black blood came out of the Cerberus' stomach mixing with the rotten flesh of the undead creatures. Smoke escaped its belly, the strands of muscles reknitting themselves back closed, effectively regenerating in a matter of seconds. But he expected as such, which was why he fired Magic Arrows straight at the dog's eyes, blinding it.
"Ha!" Dual-wielding two swords pulsating with demonic magic, Kiba pierced its throat, cutting the entire body in half.
Rraaaaagh!
Kiba's ears twitched as he heard the cries of another Cerberus emerging from an endless abyss. could hear a dangerous howl… I turned around with scared thoughts and…
"There's another one!?"
Another Cerberus appeared!
WOOOO !
It made a howl and rushed straight toward the recovering Koneko and Asia!
"Crap!"
Before the Knight of Gremory could use the piece's speed boost to reach, a swift white line cut right through the monster's leg before it got its head obliterated by two giant pairs of swords. The Cerberus didn't even have time to howl in pain before it lost two of its head and died.
"Don't worry about them! We got them covered!" Irina shouted to Kiba, making sure to keep what was basically their recent member, Asia, and ally.
"I have come to back you up." Xenovia said to Asia, making sure to not get too close to Koneko with her swords. Her pride took a hit after confronting Kokabiel, but she wasn't just going to stand there and do nothing!
"Foul creature of the damned, return back to the gates of hell!"
After saying that, Xenovia went on slashing toward a few of the skeletons that raised their blades against her. Holy Energy seemed to be somewhat effective against the horde but super deadly against the three-headed dog.
Kokabiel casually watched their struggle from the sky, his grin getting more twisted and wider the longer this battle went on. It reminded him of the Great War when he fought side by side with his Fallen brothers and sisters against impossible odds and emerged victorious. This fight will reignite that flame within every leader's heart.
' Peace? An impossible notion for beings of power, we were made for war. Father knew about this. He gave us these powers for a reason. Even if I'm destined to die here by the hands of Sirzechs or Azazel, I'll do it on my own terms!'
Woosh !
He opened his palms where a single double-bladed spear took form. Almost twice the size of the one he used to destroy the gymnasium, this attack would guarantee the death of any of these Devils.
He gave a signal for his troops stationed in the sky, having so far remained still and waiting for his commands until the main forces of the Underworld arrived.
"You have my blood boiling for more action, Gremory. Show me more. Show me that anger coursing through your veins!" He aimed his spear right at Rias, fear creeping over her eyes as she realized that there was nothing she could do to dodge or even block that attack.
With a flick of his wrist, the spear flew through the air.
"Rias!"
"Buchou!"
Everyone shouted out loud, trying to stop the attack but unable to do so as they were too slow. The light spear was just a few meters away from Rias' face.
[ Shadow Prison ]
Black flames spurted from the ground, creating a violet barrier all around Rias and Akeno, protecting both of them from the explosion from the light spear.
Kokabiel didn't expect such a thing to happen. Having been caught by surprise, he didn't notice the barrier Sona set up open up with a single figure descending on the battlefield.
"Wha-"
" How pitiful, the once proud Angel of Stars and one of the commanders of the Fallen Angels reduced to a delusional fool who finds peace by preying on those weaker than yourself ." A loud commanding voice swept over the area, stopping everyone in their tracks as they now stood in the presence of a King.
Both Xenovia and Irina stopped in their tracks, and the Occult Research Club felt the difference as well. Having seen Hachiman in his Balance Breaker form, they knew how his magic should have felt. But his current self felt vastly different, far more suffocating and cold-like staring into the abyss. It lacked that warmth and the safe aura he always carried with him.
The only one who didn't mind the aura was Asia, smiling joyfully as she saw the presence of the dragon she had talked to once before. "Vritra-san! I know you and Hachiman-san will protect us all." The nun said confidently.
"The Prison Dragon…" Kokabiel snarled, wary of this new arrival. He was waiting for the boy to arrive, not the Prison Dragon himself. "Where is Hikigaya Hachiman… this can't be you speaking from the Gear," he asked, feeling uneasy about this being whose presence far outweighed Hachiman's.
Vritra didn't bother answering his question.
" During the Great War, I remember seeing you face Asmodeus' army. Such a valiant warrior you were, fearing death yet pushing past your limit and fighting for your kin. Now I see this… a shadow of your former self."
Clang !
Vritra casually used his Prison Wings to deflect another light spear thrown by an enraged Kokabiel.
"Do not speak as if you know anything about me!" He shouted, rage visible on his face. "You, of all dragons, have no right to judge me! Your previous self, before getting cut into pieces by Indra, slew many Fallens, Angels, Devils and anything else that got in your way! Acting no different than a rabid dog who lost all senses. Don't come here and try to show your wisdom, for you are no different than me." He spread his arms. "Look at everyone around you! My brothers and sisters are ready to put their lives down for this single cause, and we will not stop until all of us die!"
"…"
Tension rose as Vritra continued to stare at Kokabiel with those glowing red eyes from his helmet.
" Cease this childish tantrum. You cannot be so far gone to not realize that none of the Devils will die under my protection. You are walking down a path without any end. Nothing but death awaits. Leave now…."
His answer came with Kokabiel ordering every Fallen Angel in the sky to aim at the dragon. Getting into a combat stance, ready to join the battle, his intentions were clear.
Vritra sighed.
" How regretful. Remember, the fault lies on your head."
Black and purple fire spread all over the armor, and he dashed over Kokabiel and thousands of Fallen Angels.
Fwish !
The true battle started.
{ Break }
The others continued with their fight, now no longer having to worry about the Cadre and his army from overwhelming them. They made quick work of the demonic dogs and the group of undead. Xenovia thrust her sword deep into the Sluagh's chest to finish it off - its body turning into dust and disappearing completely.
"We can win this! The Lord is on our side!" Irina shouted as she fought side by side with Kiba and her partner.
"Indeed, the Cerberus is a formidable opponent, and to have multiple of them is quite challenging. But we've grown stronger throughout the years with our training." Rias said, shouting more of her magic to destroy her enemies. A gigantic mass of demonic power shot out from her hand. But the constant stream of powerful attacks was already taking a toll on her stamina and demonic energy, as she was already sweating profusely.
"Rias…" Akeno came by her side, worried about her King's health.
"I'm fine, just need to make sure we don't end up as a liability to Hachi-kun. We can't let him take all of the burden."
"Agreed," Koneko said as she kicked a skull like a football.
"Let me help you, R-Rias-san." Asia came over and applied the same treatment to her as she did to Koneko.
"Where is Yuuto?"
"Over there!"
Everyone looked over, and to their shock, they saw their Knight run straight for Valper!
"I won't let you live for another second!" he shouted, vitriol pouring from his voice.
"… It's complete," Valper spoke calmly, despite the incoming threat.
"No, Yuuto! Come back!" Rias' heart dropped when she saw the horrifying scene of the shards merging into a single deadly sword-which Kiba was heading straight to.
The four Excaliburs that were placed in the center of the school field started giving out incredible amounts of light. Far more than any of the swords shown in the past.
"It's done! The four Excaliburs are going to become one!"
It started giving out divine light that spread throughout the school field. Because of its brightness, the Devils covered their faces. Squinting his eyes, Kiba saw that the four Excaliburs were put on top of each other, which soon merged into one holy sword at the center of the field, giving out a blue-white aura.
"Because of the light created by the Excalibur when it turned into one, the spell on the ground is also complete. This town will collapse within 20 minutes. The only way to dispel it is by beating Kokabiel."
Valper said something disregarding the lives of the innocent and focusing on his masterpiece.
"Unfortunately, you people killed Freed before I could make use of him as a holy sword user. Though his personality was unhinged, nearing madness without a shred of sanity, the man still was a prodigious swordsman. So I had to take extreme measures." The old man's pale skin suddenly started darkening, turning dark red, and his body expanded with masses of muscles ripping through his white robe.
"What… what have you done to yourself?" Kiba whispered, feeling sickly from the monstrosity in front of him. With six green eyes gazing at him with pure contentment.
Valper grinned, his crazy smile getting wider as he came closer to the blade, the latter not even rejecting him like in the past. In fact, he felt the soothing voice of the sword calling for him.
"Why is the sword not rejecting him!?" Xenovia screamed, unable to believe such an evil man could even touch such a holy relic.
"Kukukuku!" He laughed. "You see. I have admired holy swords ever since I was a child. I idolized them so much that every day, I would dream about holding such an artifact in the palm of my hand. My heart was fascinated by the legend of King Arthur and Excalibur. I always heard the story from my mother before she died. But when the day came when I found out my inability to use a shard… I fell into despair."
"Then how-" Irina tried to question him even more but got cut off.
"-I held admiration for those who could wield these swords while I couldn't. That feeling became so powerful that it turned into jealousy which pushed me to start experimenting with creating artificial Holy Sword users. Thanks to the sacrifice of a few… subjects."
Kiba lifted his eyebrows, seemingly in doubt.
"I realized that there was an essential factor needed to wield holy swords. So I used the numerical value of the 'factors' to investigate its capability. Most of the test subjects had the 'elements,' but they didn't have the numerical value needed to wield the Excalibur. Then I concluded… Is there a way to take out the elements and fuse them into a singular and stronger creation?"
Soon, realization dawned on everyone.
"I see. I understand now. The thing that is put inside the holy-sword wielders when they receive a blessing is…."
Xenovia seemed like she had learned the truth and grit her teeth hatefully.
"That's right, child of Griselda, we took out the holy elements from those who have them and crystallized them before merging them into a new host; me." He took out a small crystal orb, "With this, the research on holy-sword wielders improved. Even so, those fools from the Church banished me for heresy and took away my reports on the research."
This time, he looked at Irina.
"By looking at you, I see that the project was succeeded by someone. That Michael. He made me look like a criminal, and this is how he repays me? Though I should have expected such a thing from him, he may be an Angel, but the Seraph can be just as ruthless as a demon. With a second crystal inside of me, not only will I be capable of using all swords but your Durandal as well!"
Kiba couldn't believe it. His eyes burned in fury as he realized just what that orb truly was.
"… You killed them and took out the elements needed to wield the holy swords?" He asked Valper with his voice filled with killing intent. Those were his friends, his brothers, sisters, and many innocent children all fuzed in a single crystal.
"Probably, to be honest, I had to acquire twice as many samples after Freed's death. I had three of such crystals inside him. So I just stopped remembering their faces."
Irina couldn't stop her tears from running down her face, imagining the hundreds of children and innocent blood this man spilled just for his selfish goals.
"Valper Galilei. How many lives have you sacrificed for your greed and experiments…" she asked with a shaking voice.
Meanwhile, Kiba was going through the same emotions. His hands were shaking, and there was an aura of anger coming out of his body.
"Hm. If you say that, then I will give this orb to you. My research has reached the stage where it is possible to mass produce them in the right environment. First of all, I will destroy this town with Kokabiel. Next, I will gather legendary holy swords from all around the world. Then I will mass produce holy sword wielders and start a war against Michael and the Vatican with the combined Excaliburs. I'm going to show the result of my research to those foolish Angels and their followers who have convicted me!"
The man had truly descended into madness.
"Nothing can stop me! Not even all of the world's pantheons! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!"
"Urgh, even now, you humans always surprise me with your sheer level of stupidity."
A sinister woman's voice resounded all behind Valper.
"Eh?"
Krsht !
Blood sprayed from his mouth, and Valper's monstrous body froze as he slowly looked down. There, a single long and slender hand with smooth skin pierced his chest - holding a still-beating heart.
"Uuugh… w-what… !?"
The old man turned his gaze toward the source of the voice, a beautiful young woman wearing a black dress that flowed like a waterfall. She had dark hair, eyes that reflected the darkness, and a gorgeous figure. Her beauty, coupled with a breathtaking smile, was enough to make men fall at her feet.
But at that moment, what he felt was nothing but the presence of death.
"We meet again." She whispered, looking over Vritra, who was still in the middle of handling an army of Fallens and Kokabiel all by himself. Her lips curled into a wicked smile.
"I'm so glad I got to see you here."
Her voice was soft yet carried a deep and ominous weight. It made Kiba shiver with fear.
She stepped back and held the heart upwards for everyone to see… then crushed Valper's heart in front of the former priest's terrified eyes. Reveling in his mortified look, knowing full well that there was no way he could recover from this.
"… No… This… Can't… Be… You… promised… " His body fell onto the ground, and a pool of blood formed around it.
The woman then walked forward and picked up the crystal around Valper's corpse. Much to everyone's surprise, she even casually grasped the fuzed Excalibur without experiencing any rejection from the blade, but her gaze barely held any interest over the sword, keeping themselves glued on the crystal.
"He was truly a disgusting mortal, but I guess humans can surpass my expectations from time to time."
Kiba felt like his heart was about to stop. Being the closest to this dangerous woman, he could feel the sensation of death and the cries of dead souls. He clenched his hand on his sword's hilt, reinforcing his will to stay put and take that orb away from her! He no longer saw it as a crystal ball but as his friends and family who were used as a weapon.
"W-Who are you?" He stuttered, staying on guard against her even if she killed one of their enemies so casually. "Give it back… give me my family back!"
His shout caught her attention.
"Hm? A measly reincarnated Devil dares to speak to me in such a tone? Know your place."
She raised the Excalibur in the hair, a blinding light coming from the blade as waves and waves of dark energy were sent inside the sword, nearly breaking it again. She then proceeded to swipe the sword horizontally, sending a giant crescent moon-shaped light of holy energy sword Kiba.
"Sword birth!"
He called forth a wall of demonic swords, nearly all of them being Holy Erasers. But that didn't help, as the attack cut through them.
"Look out!"
Xenovia jumped in front of Kiba, using Durandal as a shield.
Crash !
"Argh!"
Both Devil and Exorcist were sent flying from the impact, crashing against the barrier and falling back to the ground.
'What power!' Rias noted unleashing multiple orbs of Destruction, which were instantly cut apart by the woman. She moved so fast that no one even saw her hands moving.
What frustrated Rias even more was how she didn't even bother looking at her, keeping her eyes locked on Hachiman.
Koneko immediately knew what they were dealing with, her nose recognizing the scent of a being which rivaled Cadres and even Seraphs.
"A-A Goddess…" she whispered.
The woman heard Koneko's words from so far away and turned to give the Nekoshou a delicate smile before flying towards Vritra in Hachiman's body with Excaliburs ready to strike them down.
"-!"
"Hachi-Kun!"
"Hachiman!"
"Vritra-san!"
She was too fast, already having reached striking distance, ready to backstab Vritra.
" Humph! You did not have the courage to face me with your real self, Nemain. Why should I return such a courtesy to a weak avatar ?" Vritra mocked the goddess while holding onto the wings of two dead Fallens, their bodies already burned to a crisp from his black flames, with Kokabiel in an equally terrible state.
Clang !
The Holy Sword was blocked by a light spear.
Flying behind Vritra was a six-winged Fallen Angel. She was wearing a tight black latex costume that barely hid her intimate parts. Giving her a BDSM look.
"If anyone is allowed to penetrate this bastard, then that person is me, you fucking bitch!" The newcomer shouted with an excited savage grin, her black hair fluttering in the air.
"Ray… nare?"
Akeno whispered, recognizing the Fallen she *ahem* 'tortured' in the past.
But that was not all. A large pillar of fire rose from the ground and engulfed Nemain completely.
"And if anyone is allowed to defeat my rival, then it is I - Riser Phenex!"
" Hm," Vritra smirked under the helmet. " Hachiman is lucky to have friends like you."
"I'm not his friend!"
"Like hell I'm his bitch!"
Yeah, the boy had a bright future.
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 3 other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword and To love a sword having 3 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post monthly commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.
Scary woman
Hiiii~ A new chapter is here!
Later than usual, thankfully it's a long chapter.
Oh, and a late Happy New Year to all!
Thank you to my newest patrons: Ichigo Kurozaki, Claudio Garcia Flores, Sedomonty, Mafo, Monstrr, Corvus Sliver, Matthew, wilfredo Mamani Vera, Brian Ziomkowski, Brandon Chiguichon and Darius Dredeen. Y'all Rock!!!!
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by Shigiya.
-???-
Everything felt surreal to Kiba, his eyes widened while gazing at the appearance of people he considered as enemies to his comrades now protecting Hachiman from the attack.
"Riser?" Rias said, equally speechless at seeing her former fiancee protecting her boyfriend.
Despite his change, she still hated that man for his past actions. Not to mention, a pure Fallen she thought dead also came to the battle with 6 wings!?
"Just what is going on here…" Nemain muttered, flying back while observing the new arrivals. "The Scion of the Phenex family, your appearance here is not that surprising. But the Fallen girl, Raynare if I recall correctly, weren't you supposed to be dead?"
The goddess frowned, she focused on the people in front of her before recalling something. "Wait, I understand, it was that vile witch who kept you alive, she kept you away from death's door. How sweet of her, too bad it was wasted on someone like you." She spoke calmly, bringing the holy sword up.
Raynare fumed at her remarks while Riser just continued to smile arrogantly, even going so far as to elegantly bow to his enemy.
"The Goddess who personifies the frenzied havoc of war, I have heard of you from my brother during these recent years. Your encounter with my rival is well known by my family, yet I find it quite difficult to believe someone of your stature to use such dirty tactics in a fight."
" It is her nature," Vritra spoke, gaining their attention once again. " This is not the real Nemain, she is but an avatar sent by her true body. While Kokabiel managed to hide from the rest of the world, she cannot do so with her power and domain being a giant beacon to everyone else. Do not fear her, for you can take her current self on in a battle and win."
"Tch!"
The goddess frowned at the dismissal in his tone. It was clear that she wasn't being looked at as a threat.
Meanwhile, Raynare just glared at Kokabiel, her gaze burning with hatred at the man.
"You sent me to my death, didn't you? You lied to me that Azazel would love me if I got myself a Sacred Gear! But none of that happened! He sold my soul to this bastard and all of this is because of you!"
"Humph," he snorted, finally recovering enough to compose himself. "Do not talk with such a tone just because you got a little more wings, girl. Your own idiocy and devotion is to blame, as I never told you to kill the Red Dragon Emperor. You let your hatred for humanity guide your actions and as for the Twilight Healing… you were bound to die anyways." He said with a smirk, relishing in the shock and rage in her eyes.
"What!?"
"Sacred Gears are the creation Yahweh. Made for the sole purpose to serve humanity. They were never intended to be attached to a full-blooded Fallen or any species that weren't at least part human. You are a true fallen, not a single part of you was human, to begin with. The process of binding Twilight Healing would have succeeded at first, but the system would recognise your nature and would have been seen as a bug and would fix the error - killing you in the process. That is why that invention was deemed a failure, not only because it caused the death of the original wielder, but also of the new host in case they weren't human."
Betrayal flashed in Raynare's eyes, she already knew the answer, but hearing the truth from some that was there when they were created just made it hurt more. All hopes to get on Azazel's good side were crushed, all because of him!
"Do you think it is wise to forget my presence?"
"-!"
Her senses cried out to her to move, and six wings flapped in the air, pushing her backward. Far away enough to dodge a large pillar of white light striking her previous position.
' I guess even as a copy, a Goddess is still a Goddess…'
Raynare threw her spears at Nemain, the Celtic goddess waving her hand to create a shadow wall that took the brunt of the attack. Though cracks appeared on the surface before breaking apart.
Clang !
Excalibur waved around to cut a few swords thrown at her by Kiba, the Devil coming at her with his wings extended.
"Hmph, if you want to make things personal, then fine. Let me see how much power you have left after all that. Show me what the Knight of Lucifer's sister is capable of." She said as she glared at all three people in front of her.
The Goddess raised her arms, a ball of mana forming between her palms. A blinding flash of light burst forth, covering everything within a radius of two meters. A massive shockwave of energy spread over the area, sending Raynare tumbling and crashing through the trees.
Riser tanked the attack, the shockwave destroyed both his legs and half of his face. He retaliated by countering with his pillar of flames once again, distracting Nemain long enough for Kiba to get close to her and attempt to slash her throat.
"Give them back!" His voice echoed through the battlefield, the sound of his sword clashing against hers.
Nemain was still too focused on Riser to notice Kiba moving. As he closed the distance, he swung his blade down towards her neck, which blocked the strike with her own sword.
"Do not think of yourself as stronger than me, Devil. I am a living testament to the power of a True God!" Nemain shouted, swinging Excalibur in a sweep. The dense holy energy made his heart skip a beat as it passed so close to his body. A single cut could render him scarred, crippled, or even dead.
Bang !
More light spears were blocked by the goddess, she moved around faster than any of them expected. Deflecting anything they threw at her and retaliating with an even stronger attack. More stray energy bolts were shot from her hands toward Riser.
"Gah!"
Instead of destroying his body, they expanded upon contact, crushing the Phenex under the ground. She then set her eyes on Raynare, closing the distance between them, tilting her head at the last second from another volley of spear throws before grabbing her opponent's head and sending her shooting straight through the Academy with a toss.
"I am a goddess who participated in many wars throughout human history. Even before the biblical factions' Great War, I fought both spirits and gods. For even if this is just an avatar, underestimating me will only lead to your defeat."
Kiba shook off his pain and flew up to face her.
Seeing the enraged Knight come at her with another sword, the goddess sighed. She stared at the orb, her power analyzing every aspect of it and uncovering the process of its creation.
"This is honestly quite pitiful."
With another wave of her hand, dozens of smaller portals opened around him. With skeleton hands coming out of them and grabbing onto the man's limbs - making it impossible for him to move. No matter how much strength he tried to call forth, he couldn't escape her control.
"This is what you want?"
She showed him the crystal sphere, putting it close to his face as he could faintly hear the familiar call of his long-lost family. Seeing his teary eyes, Nemain smirked.
"Family, a concept that humans, gods, and every supernatural being in this world holds quite close to their heart. You draw strength from revenge, rage that burns brightly within you, and now the desire to get them back." She let his fingers touch the sphere. "Do you hear their call? The voices coming from the trapped souls inside. Your heart must feel the love they have for you, they know that you're here and wish nothing more to reunite as well."
Tears fell off his face, anger breaking down to despair and sorrow. He was so close yet so far, all he wanted was to hold them one last time. To hear them say his name, to hear their laughter, and listen to the lullaby they sang to him when he was scared as a child.
"Please… I beg you, please… give me my family back…"
Nemain brought the crystal back.
"You used to draw your strength from the fire that burned inside of you. To be truthful, I never fought a user of Sword Birth once in my life, maybe one of my sisters did, who knows." She clenched it. "Sacred Gears draw strength from the every emotion of their users, but I am not seeing that with you. Why? Has the fire turned into embers after you found out about this? Just how weak is your conviction?"
Kiba's eyes remained glued to the object in her hand.
"I am not prideful, I seek weakness in my enemies, the smallest advantage, and use them unscrupulously to get an edge. But this… having a weakling like you dare to come at me for battle, to have an ant think it can defeat a mountain with such pathetic determination… how humiliating. You aren't even showing the killing intent from before, all because of this. I shouldn't have killed Valper, maybe his existence would have made you stronger, growing more powerful as we fought. That is why I wonder what will happen if I become the source of your anger…"
Crack !
Kiba's breath hitched, eyes widening as she began applying more force - slowly breaking the orb.
"No, please… stop this! I give up! DON'T DO THIS!"
"You heinous goddess!" Riser returned, rushing towards the goddess to stop whatever she was doing. Raynare returned from the rubbles and was racing towards Nemain as well.
Both did not understand what was happening, they couldn't let her continue.
But unfortunately, they were too slow.
The orb shattered.
And with that, the floating souls trapped inside it, all flew inside the goddess as she absorbed them right before Kiba's eyes. The tiny lights vanishing into the infinite darkness of the goddess' power, devouring them completely.
Something inside him broke, and everything around him turned dark.
Everything was dark, he couldn't see anything.
He felt cold, and alone and couldn't muster any strength to march forward.
He failed again.
No matter how hard he trained…
No matter what new sword he invented to counter his enemies…
He always ended up defeated in the end.
What was the point? His vengeance, his desire to kill Valper for all these years to avenge his family turned to smoke. He lost them once again, in front of him he saw them die once again because of his weakness.
Swish !
The surrounding darkness changed, taking the shape of an empty white room with a single light built into the ceiling. Kiba found himself lying down on the floor, looking around with empty eyes.
That was until he saw a figure sit in front, a being without any defining features. A humanoid-shaped person which he felt was gazing at him consistently for the next few minutes.
"…"
Kiba didn't ask more questions about who this was and its purpose. He felt hollow, tired, and worn.
It wasn't until another hour that he sighed and slowly got up from the ground and faced this being.
"What do you want?"
It didn't speak but just pointed a finger to his left at a white wall. A passageway formed, and on the side was something that made him jump to his feet in shock.
Familiar faces that he hasn't seen since when he first lost them…
His family.
"Everyone!" He shouted in disbelief, immense joy flooding his body as he was about to run up to them, though as he ran through the door, a voice stopped him.
"… Are we nothing to you?"
Hachiman?
He whipped his head around, only to find no one but the being who continued to sit on the ground; its posterior hasn't even changed since he moved.
"What are you going to do when confronting Valper?"
No, this wasn't speaking inside the room. But rather, a memory of the past. A scene played inside, that of two people sitting around a tree inside Kuoh Academy's garden. Away from all the noise, with no one around but them sipping on some apple juice as they ate their lunch.
'This was…' He remembered this moment, a year ago after they returned from another unsuccessful search for Valper.
"I'm going to slice his head right off his body." The younger Kiba from his memory said with vitriol.
"I see… well, that's my fault. Should have expected such an answer from you. I was kinda hoping for you to get an epiphany recently and get infected with the nakama power thing protagonists like you tend to spew about in order to defeat an overwhelming force."
A smile came on the older Kiba as he saw this scene. Hachiman always was specific with his description of such things. Sometimes talking about things that didn't make sense. Using phrases like 'raijuu, go blow yourself' many times before laughing for no reason. Like there was a meaning behind his words only he alone could understand.
"Please do not joke about this, I will go to any length to get that man's head."
"Is that so? Then please aim for my neck when coming for my life. I find the trope of backstabbing the torso so boring and repetitive. Give me something more flashy and unique. Unless you want to make things agonizing for me, then I guess that makes sense. Then again, I did my heart ripped out and that sure was painful."
Young Kiba sharply turned at Hachiman, his face frowning heavily.
"I would never do something like that!"
"Really, you wouldn't betray us just to further your goals?"
That seemed to further anger the reincarnated Devil.
"I will never kill my frien-"
"-I'm not just talking about killing, Kiba." Hachiman interrupted as he ate another piece of beef. "Betrayal comes in many forms, some of which you do not recognize until it's too late. There are hundreds of different ways to betray someone without physically hurting them. Breaking everyone's trust is one of them. Throwing away their generosity and love like they don't matter and treating them lesser than dead people. But then again, it usually depends on the person on how they see betrayal, but let's keep it simple." At that point, Hachiman's gaze met his friend's.
Those small pupils felt like they were staring at both of the Kibas. As if he wasn't just reliving a memory, but was also there physically.
"…"
"You know what I think will happen? With the slightest clue of the location of Valper or Holy Swords, you'll go running around like a bull without hesitating. Leaving Rias, Akeno, Koneko, Gasper, and me as well, behind. Probably end up hurt and dead in the process, that would be the biggest betrayal you would give to Rias and your friends."
"That isn't betraying them! I would happily give my life for you and everyone else!" Kiba shouted, now getting frustrated by Hachiman's words.
"And you're willing to sacrifice your common sense and life for revenge instead. Rias will cry if she were to hear you say such a thing. You are like her brother, same goes for the rest. The last thing we want to see you do is to fall into your past. An act so evil that it surpasses that concept of youth itself."
Hachiman closed his bento box, going near the boy while placing his hand on his shoulder.
"Kiba, I know you seek justice for what happened to your comrades, your family. Wanting to hunt down the ones responsible behind their deaths. It's normal and I will do my best to help you find him. But please do not forget about Kiba Yuuto, the Yuuto who acts like a freaking normie who gets the attention of all of the girls in the school and acts like the biggest fake prince in existence. Wearing that smile of yours as a mask around the crowd, but actually laughing and smiling when he is around us. We are your friends and your family."
Both Kiba stayed quiet before his past self asked one single question.
"What do you want from me?"
"Simple, to move on. Never forget your past, but don't become bound to them. They will haunt you mercilessly until nothing is left of you but a husk filled with nothing but rage. Accept what happened, no matter how morbid it may sound, accept their passing and respect the effort they made to keep you alive. You cannot meet the people from your past… no matter how much you wish for it."
That last part sounded personal, he could see the flash of sadness in Hachiman's eyes. Even now, he could never decipher their true meaning.
"If you had the opportunity to see people you miss, people that no longer live… would you take it?" Kiba asked.
"Probably, I won't say no, I'm human after all. But I sure as hell won't leave you, idiots behind, I'll drag you along if I have to. Every single last one of you may be a pain to deal with, always bringing me nothing but trouble… but you all matter to me. And I'm prepared to move on from my past to keep you all close and I hope for you to do the same as well, Kiba."
With that said, Hachiman continued to walk away. His body was walking right next to older Kiba who watched the entire scene in silence.
Everything vanished, and he now was once again back in the empty room standing in front of the passageway leading to the souls of his family.
He gazed at them lovingly from where he stood.
"All of you, it's me, Isaiah. I know it's been a few years since you last saw me. I'm still alive, even became a Devil under the house of the Gremory… a knight to be more specific. They aren't scary or evil beings as the church made them out to be. Rias, my King, is the most loving and overprotective King I know of. She took me in as her own and gave me a home. Akeno-san is a bit scary, she is a fallen devil hybrid with a human side as well, so I secretly call her a trinity in secret."
He laughed.
"She is a true sadist, hurting her enemies without mercy and protecting us all like an older sister. She is in many ways like Rias, overprotective and loving. There is also Koneko and Gasper, who both came from tragic backgrounds like everyone in the peerage. Koneko is a Nekoshou who loves sweets and eating, while Gasper is a Dhampir who likes playing games all day."
His gaze went to the mysterious figure sitting in the middle of the room.
"There is also Hachiman, he is not a Devil like the rest, but a human. Well, I think he is human, he is no longer sure about this. He looks intimidating at first with those eyes of his, always speaking rudely or saying something weird every once in a while, and walks around with a hunched back and a dismissal attitude until the girls kick back in shape. Many wouldn't like him initially, I remember having doubts myself when I first met him. But he is probably the most protective out of us all. He acts like he doesn't care but he does, he acts detached but will invade your privacy if you're in trouble. He'll go through any challenges to save his friends… including me."
Kiba took a step back, more tears streaming down his face as gave a final look at the floating souls. No longer hearing their voices but feeling their happiness.
"I want to protect my current family, I don't want them to lose them as well. So that's why I'm turning my back on you. Call me selfish, but this is my choice and I won't go back."
The souls shined like they agreed with him and gave him a final goodbye.
"This is farewell, I love you and I will always keep you close to my heart, I promise. I won't lose this time… I swear to keep walking forward and never look back."
With a final deep breath, he turned his back to them and walked back into the middle.
He glared at the being.
"I don't know who you are or what your purpose is. I've made my choice, I want to continue to protect my friends, and for that, I need to be more powerful. I will accomplish that goal and continue to live even if I have to face a goddess."
The image of Hachiman's progression came to mind, how he grew from a weak boy who could barely use Delete Field to a powerhouse that can fight off a Cadre and was capable of creating space devoid of all matter. Pushing against the odds despite his lack of talent in magic and combat, and a nonexistent desire to become the strongest like most dragon gears users that aim for it. He only wanted a peaceful life devoid of any conflicts and laze around all day reading.
To become the perfect househusband, was his dream.
Kiba wanted to be like him, to live freely without carrying the weight of his past.
To live the life his family wanted for him in the first place.
That was the road he was willing to walk on.
The being extended its hand, it's palm up as the phantom image of a violet dragon shaped like a snake wrapped around it.
With three red eyes looking at Kiba intently.
"I know what I need to do."
And with that, he shook its hand and the entire room crumbled into pieces. Leaving Kiba floating in a vortex of memories and emotions swirling around him with a single black orb in the middle of his palm.
He clenched his fists and merged with the orb.
Woosh !
And a black shadow spread all around his body.
{ Break}
-Hachiman-
It felt like watching a movie, kinda weird considering that was my own body that I was watching from. The fight was pretty intense, like the ones in the anime. Kokabiel was a very formidable opponent, just like I expected. My skills progressed a lot these last few months, I could even call myself a capable fighter.
But against a being thousands of years old and with far more experience than me? Heck no, I wasn't going all shonen mode and bringing out the power of friendship in the middle of a fight. That wasn't my style, the battle against Sétante was proof enough, and it felt incredibly cringy just thinking about it. So, I let someone else take the wheel, a dragon who was making my body move in ways I wasn't even aware of. Using martial arts like a true master and just decimating every Fallen in front while also crushing Kokabiel.
"I wouldn't exactly call it a one-way massacre but it's pretty close."
Nemain's appearance did make me panic quite a bit at first, but that fear died when Vritra mentioned her being a simple copy rather than the real deal that we faced in Ireland. And that surprise further increased when he saw Raynare and Riser come to his protection!
"Since when did she get six wings!?" I asked myself, not believing that lazy bitch somehow got herself such a major power boost.
A Cadre and a few thousand Fallen we could handle, but adding a goddess of war was just pushing us to our limit. Neither Vritra nor I could make things easier by just doubling out power like the Boosted Gear or having effects like Divine Dividing.
But what I was most worried about was Kiba, he was desperately trying to get that crystal orb from Nemain.
My heart reached my throat when I saw him get captured.
"Vritra, I know I shouldn't disturb you during such an important fight, but our friend needs help!"
The dragon heard my voice and attempted to fly toward the Knight, only to have the ragged Kokabiel block his way.
"Do you think you can ignore me, dragon!?" Kokabiel screamed, not liking how he was forgotten.
"Rraaaaagh!"
In his rage, he thrust his light spear at Vritra's head, only to be parried by black fire-coated tendrils. A few more Fallen Angels tried to attack his blind spot, only for their spears to barely chink the armor, they couldn't even cry in pain before their entire bodies got engulfed in a blaze of black fire that burned their very soul.
"You!"
While all of this was happening, I saw the goddess break the sphere right in front of Kiba's face.
Shit !
"Kiba!" I heard Rias call for him, she frantically tried to reach him, only to get further assaulted by another horde of enemies. "Damn it!!!"
"Oi, we need to end this fight now!" I urged the dragon, wanting him to use our last resort.
" No," Vritra denied, much to my surprise. " Your friend is fine, he has broken through his limits."
I didn't even have time to ask before a shining light came from Kiba's hands. And even from where I was, I heard two distinct words escape his mouth.
"Balance Breaker!"
He finally did it.
Faster than Nemain could react, I saw the Knight's hand move in a flash.
Pshrt !
A single blade cut through the goddess's chest. Shocking even Kokabiel as he watched the unbelievable scene up in the sky.
The blade resembled a longsword without any significant guard, almost like a fusion with a gladius. The steel was black with its edge shining a deep blue light. That was a sword that my Chuunibyou self dreamed of having.
Nemain coughed blood, not the least bit fearful from the attack, and she pushed the sword out of her body. And looked at the hole in her chest, the tissue knitted itself back, but it was much slower than she expected.
"What… what is the meaning of this?"
She tried to slash Kiba across the chest with the Excalibur, only for it to end up blocked by his new sword without any effort.
"This power…"
The Holy Energy turned dimmer, less vibrant every second as if it was being sucked away bit by bit. Even her body was weakening the closer the blade came, everything around it was getting weaker.
"My Sacred Gear holds the spirit of my desire taken from, my will to challenge all creation, may they be demonic, holy, or even death like you - I will cut you all down if you hurt my friends."
This time, he was the one who pushed the goddess away and began to overpower her.
"This is my Balance-Breaker, Sword of the Destroyer! You shall receive the power of this sword that has the power to weaken all powers in existence, for it holds no mercy, only created for the sole purpose to protect my friends from the world itself!"
Waaaah, such a cool name!
I had to give the man a thumbs up, my past self would be proud of him.
"Your weapon holds the potential to surpass Caladcholg itself. It certainly far exceeded Excalibur."
Nemain said in a shocked voice.
That powerful? I wasn't expecting such high praise from her, I guess Gae Bolga would have some competition in the future.
And its power was furthermore shown when cracks started appearing all over the Excalibur enforced by the goddess' own power. It no longer shined with any sort of splendor, having turned into a dull husk of a weapon that should have been buried in its legend. Buried and immortalized through its history instead of turning the once-worshiped weapon into a monstrous abomination.
With a single side slash, the Excalibur shattered. Because of the pressure given by the swing of Kiba's Balance Breaker, there was a big gouge in the school field.
"I did it…" I heard Kiba whisper to himself, watching the shards fall to the ground,
It felt so surreal, almost like a dream.
But he had done it, he finally gained the power he needed.
" Don't you find it familiar ?" Vritra spoke. " The power to weaken all powers without exception, I do not know whether to feel honored or offended by this. Given he is an ally, I will go with the former."
"Oh yeah, I wonder how that works. Can Sacred Gears imitate the effects of another gear?"
" Possibly, they are artifacts fueled by pure emotions, able to change and adapt according to the user's will."
"Then can't you copy Divine Dividing? I certainly want a broken power like that."
" I cannot without a blueprint of Albion's power. Even if we had all of the necessary information, creating such a powerful ability could burn through our limited lifespan or it could just outright overwhelm us."
That wasn't a no, though the chances were low, it wasn't impossible.
Boom !
" Partner, let me borrow your spells."
"Go for it."
The advantage with Vritra, while we shared the same reserve of Magical Energy, he was far better at using it efficiently. Making each strand worth its use, without losing the least bit of power.
" Magic Arrows Barrage !"
Hundreds of magic circles appeared behind us, and thousands of violet arrow constructs were fired through the air and killed more Fallens.
As we were distracted, Kokabiel tackled us to the ground, creating a large crater as he started to mercilessly attack with showers of light spears.
"You think this is over!? Just because that Devil half breed achieves a Balance Breaker does not mean you'll win! Do you think having Exorcists fight for a God who no longer lives will make a difference? You're wrong!"
His comment made nearly everyone in the battle still. Their heads snapped to him, looking in disbelief.
Well shit, this was bound to happen.
Kokabiel smirked as he noticed their reaction and my lack of any.
"Fuhaha, hahahahahahahahahaha! That's right! I had forgotten! The truth wasn't revealed to any not in the upper echelons! Then I will tell you. At the end of the Great War, not only did the original Maous die, so did God!"
Both the Exorcists' and Asia's faces were filled with shock.
"You liar!" Xenovia shouted. "You think these kinds of vile lies will work on us!? The Lord is still alive and is protecting us as we speak!"
"It's normal for you lost little lambs to not know about it. Who can say that God has died? Humans are a pathetic bunch that can't survive without guidance of a high power. Without God, they cannot control their hearts and obey the laws, you know? Even we, the Fallen Angels, and Devils couldn't tell this to those below us. You won't know where the information about God will be leaked from. Even among the three powers, only the people at the top and certain Gods know about it. Though it seems the Black Dragon King over here already knew." He said while looking at me sadistically, pushing me into an awkward atmosphere at the new information.
"Lies… it's a lie… all lies! YOU ARE LYING!"
Slightly further away from me, Xenovia and Irina seemed like they started losing strength. Having a panicked expression that was too unbearable to look at. I could understand their shock, they were near-zealous believers of his existence. They devoted their lives to be God's servants. People who lived by serving God as their mission and reason to exist. If the existence of God was rejected then they would lose the means to live, it would be natural to become like that.
"The truth is that another big war wouldn't happen unless you do it on purpose. It means that all three sides went through turmoil in the past war. Everyone decided that it was meaningless to continue the war if the start of it all, God and the Maou's, were dead. Even that bastard Azazel declared that "there was no point of continuing" after losing the majority of his men in the war! It's hard to bear! It truly is hard to bear! To lower your blade once you already coated it in blood!? How dare he!. Don't fuck around! If we continued from there, we could have won! Even so, he… ! Is there any value in Fallen angels who can only live by inviting humans who possess Sacred Gears into our flock!?"
Kokabiel declared his argument strongly. His face was expressing anger and disappointment. The real truth made an impact on them more than I thought. Asia-san covered her mouth with her hands, opened her eyes wide, and her whole body shook. Even if she turned into a devil, her belief didn't disappear.
"God is gone? God… is dead? Then the love we were given by him is…"
Kokabiel answered Asia's doubts with a laugh, harsh and mocking, and even a bit… broken.
"That's right. It's normal that there is no love from God and no divine protection from him. God is gone. Michael is certainly doing well in his new position. He's taking the place of God and has been taking care of the angels and humans. Well, if the "system" used by God is operating, then the prayer to God, the blessing of God, and exorcism would function just like it is supposed to. But if you compare it to the time God was present, the number of believers decreased. The fact that the demonic sword came to become immune to all powers, even holy ones, should have never been possible!"
Alright, enough was enough.
"Oi, Vritra, tag me in."
" Are you sure?" He asked, concerned about how I would handle this situation. " We are running out of power the longer we stay idle."
"Yes, I know. Just prepare that spell for me, I want to do this myself."
He nodded.
Immediately, my body which was submerged in the abyss began to ascend toward the light. The giant dragon's body descended underneath and gave me one last look.
"From here on out, I will start a war! I will take your heads as a gift! Even if it's only me, I will continue from where we left off! I'm going to show Sirzechs and Michael that we-Mpfh!"
I clamped his mouth shut with my black gauntlet engulfed in black fire.
Shhh…
His skin burned as he tried to pry my hands off.
"You talk too much, so shut up already."
"Hhhhmmm!!!"
His eyes widened as the black fire grew in size and became even denser.
"Absolute Delete Field."
Woosh !
A black dome extended around his and even reached most of the remaining Fallens in one move.
Kokabiel was screaming, or at least, his mouth was wide open as he tried to scream in a space where everything was being 'deleted' including sound. Except for me as I stood there calmly, sweating as I held my breath.
Crack !
To my surprise, a small crack appeared in the void with two small hands opening a rift. And a small girl's head peaked through it. Those same empty eyes returned to experience the closest thing she had to home.
Whilst Kokabiel was releasing all of his holy energy to try and survive the constant erasure of his existence, Ophis just enjoyed the quiet space. Floating around calmly, enjoying the sensation of Absolute Delete Field for a second time.
She looked like a child who got her favorite present for Christmas. At least, that was what I took from her blank expression as she floated around mindlessly.
I came next to her, hesitating for a bit before gently patting her head.
She looked at me, knowing what I wanted to say.
"I don't want you to leave."
The Dragon God spoke, probably being one of the few beings whose voice could exist in this space.
I shook my head, I couldn't sustain this spell for long.
Ophis frowned and looked at Kokabiel whose holy energy was the only source of light visible here, causing her to squint at the bright light.
"You're too loud." The entity pinched her fingers and crushed the Fallen Angel's body to paste before it turned into nothingness. There wasn't even any resistance or pushback from him, just a single finger pinch from Ophis was enough to erase him completely… complete anahilation. No wonder everyone was so frightened of her and Great Red, and the latter was known as the strongest.
I gulped.
Such a terrifying little girl.
I moved my mouth, making her read my lips.
"Next time, I promise it'll be better."
That was what I said, she looked at me for a few seconds before nodding and leaving.
I could tell that she wasn't happy about it, but this wasn't the best time to have her here.
And with that, I let the spell disperse.
Woosh !
I was back in the schoolyard.
"Haa… Haa… Haa…" I breathed harshly, taking every scrap of oxygen into my lungs and exhaling it.
"Hahahaha… I'm actually not half dead." A laugh escaped my mouth, every time I battled powerful beings, I would always end up half-dead.
But it didn't happen this time!
Lucky me!
I turned to see Xenovia, Irina, and Asia, all still collapsed on the ground. Tears flowed down their faces as they were still in shock from the news.
I sighed.
"Oi, get up you three, the war is over and we should be celebrating."
Asia looked at me.
"Did he… did he lie? Please tell me that what he said was false…"
My heart clenched to see her in such a broken state. Both Exorcists wanted to know as well, hoping for me to say that this was nothing but a lie
But I couldn't do that to them, they needed to know.
"It's the truth. Gabriel confirmed it."
Even Rias and the others were taken aback by my answer. They were technically God's enemies, but he still played a major role in their lives. A common enemy they were thought to fear, whose name always hurt them every time it was spoken. To find out such a being died long ago must have shaken their worldview a lot.
"Now that you know God is dead, will you stop helping people? Will you just watch them suffer as they plead for help, thinking that there is no point anymore?"
"What? Why would you say that!?" Irina shouted, my callous words snapping them out of it.
"Then there you go, does God's death truly change anything for you people? You're making it look like you've risked your lives, and protected the weak and innocent all just to impress God. If he wasn't looking, then why bother acting nice and noble? If all this time what you showed was nothing but a mask to fool a being you considered omniscient, then why bother to keep it on when you can commit all sorts of sins without being judged?"
"We would never do that!" This time, it was Xenovia who answered, her voice becoming heated.
I nodded.
"Then stop crying and get back up. Remember what I said to you, what's more important is God's teaching rather than his existence. It's what drove you two to go against the Church's orders and work together with us. You are good people, and you don't need the existence of a being to keep helping others. The best way to honor God and continue showing him love despite his passing is by respecting his teachings. Don't tell me your faith is really that superficial and weak, cause that would be really disappointing."
They all looked at each other, pondering my words before wiping their tears, determination ignited in their eyes.
"You're right," Asia stood up, followed by Irina and Xenovia. "We made a vow, and even when he's not here, we'll continue to spread his love to the world like he had wanted!"
I smiled, feeling proud of her. She blushed when I brought her close for a hug, letting her rest her head on my chest.
"I'm proud of you. All of you."
She returned it, pushing her face deeper into my chest while crying, a mix between sadness and happiness.
"How touching."
"-!"
Nemain's sarcastic voice echoed throughout the field.
"Urgh, this hurts." She crawled out of the hole Kiba sent her into. Blood spilled onto the ground from her open wound. "So Kokabiel died… not that surprising and very much disappointing. He was a madman who would risk his life for his ambitions, creatures like that don't live long - nothing like who he once was."
"Your one to talk, miss frenzy havoc of war. Still trying to kill me?" I spoke, feeling too drained to call out my Sacred Gear.
"Stay behind me." Xenovia said as she placed herself in front of me, Durandal drawn and ready for another round.
The goddess laughed.
"Fufufufu, even if I'm in such a state, I can still take all of you out. I could use this opportunity and kill the heiresses before blaming it all on the Fallen. Another biblical war would do the world a great favor, allowing us to take over your territories once you all kill each other off. As for you, think of this as revenge for what you did in the past." She snarled while looking at me.
Just when I was about to retort to the woman, my body froze.
Not out of fear of her, but because someone far scarier was standing right behind her.
"Kill the heiresses? You want… to… kill… my… So-tan?"
"Eh?"
Even Nemain didn't realize her presence, she turned just in time to see a sight that would forever haunt our minds for as long as we would live.
A true monster.
Woosh !
The temperature plummeted in an instant, everything around me froze and some of the bodies that were close to her turned to ice before shattering into dust.
A delicate hand touched Nemain's forehead, and a tundra filled my vision.
"Look out!"
I screamed, trying to shield everyone behind me with a wall of black flames.
Everything turned blue.
Crash !
The barrier around the school broke in an instant, unable to hold the power as the ice spear in town engulfed a third of Kuoh in a landscape of ice.
And Nemain… she turned into a giant ice block before shattering into a bloody mist.
Serafall looked at her remnants with eyes glowing blue and a smile that made my skin crawl.
"If you come anywhere near So-tan and Dragon-kun, I'll erase your country from the map."
Shiver !
I didn't doubt her one bit.
Maous were truly something else.
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 3 other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapter, ?????, and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post monthly commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.
New Knight!
Hiiiiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
I've been very busy lately irl, having to write chapters has been getting harder and harder. But no worries, I'll manage… somehow.
Anyways, here is the next chapter and hope y'all enjoy it!
Also, thank you to my newest patrons : Owen subali, Plasma Kitty and Carlos Sosa for the upgrade. Y'all rock!!!!
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by Shigiya and Solitary heart.
- Kuoh Academy -
To say these last few days were hectic would be an understatement.
We were all so very exhausted and we were reaching our limits. Especially after what Serafall did to the Kuoh. A third of the city had turned into a wasteland that needed the combined efforts of all thousands of Fallen Angels from Azazel and Devils to defrost.
Rias was at the front and center, using her power of destruction to become a glorified cleaner. I helped, of course, her powers couldn't even melt the ice until I weakened it with many… MANY instances of using Delete Field and Blaze Black Flare.
Fortunately, none of the people died, Serafall somehow managed to encase them in a literal coffin of ice which preserved their bodies perfectly for days, like some magical cryo tube.
Why wasn't she helping us by dismissing her own powers? Because she couldn't, at least according to her words. I was just convinced that she was just being lazy and wanted to spend her remaining days in Kuoh with her sister, but I wasn't going to say that to a Maou.
"Haa… I'm tired!"
I fell onto a patch of grass in the middle of the school garden. I used my Sacred Gear a total of 472 times in less than a week, constantly emptying my reserves and drinking Momo's homemade mana potions to recover quickly.
"Sorry to say this Vritra, but I don't want to see your black armor anytime soon. Just the thought of using Delete Field even once makes me want to vomit." I said, watching the leaves on the tree in front of my eyes move from the breeze.
"I do not blame you, even though I had to take regular naps recently. I never thought I would say this but I rather go further inside our soul and just relax for a few decades."
I wouldn't go that far, but yeah, we both needed a vacation.
"Oh yeah, I did promise to take Rias on a date. Maybe I can do it tomorrow as she's been working the most these last few days."
"True, the heiress has taken her role as the protector of this town seriously. She deserves this, both of you do. Take your rest, partner, I shall take my leave for now." He spoke before going quiet, I could sense his presence sink deeper and deeper till he vanished.
Hmm, where should I bring Rias? Unfortunately, I couldn't bring her to Saizeriya… by this point, I nearly brought everyone there. Worst of all, none of them seemed impressed by the restaurant, aside from Asia and Ophis. What a missed opportunity, they didn't know what was good for them.
Maybe I could bring her for a picnic, I don't think she wants to walk around the city any more after having done so constantly for the entire week. Or maybe I can put my cooking skills to use after so long time and prepare a dinner or something.
Content with that idea, I decided to sleep and slowly close my eyes, waiting for my mind to slowly drift to the realm of Morpheus.
Step
Step
I heard the sound of someone's gentle feet thumping over the grass. Hopefully, whoever it was would recognize that by being here with my eyes closed meant that I didn't want to be disturbed.
To my dismay, this person came closer till I felt the rays of the sun get blocked by their figure most likely. I still refused to give them any attention or even open my eyes. I was also too lazy and tired to speak, expecting my silence to be a clear answer for them to just fuck off.
Rustle
To my relief, this person moved away, but before I could celebrate - I heard them sit beside me.
Now, this was awkward, they obviously didn't get the hint and just thought it would be okay to invade my personal space and just sit there quietly like a creep. Well too bad, I wasn't going to budge or give whoever this was any sort of attention and continue to pretend to be sleeping.
Snore…
This continued on for the next half an hour, I didn't even move or open my eyes once. To my surprise, I could still sense that person beside me, and they even lay down a few minutes ago.
Was it Akeno?
No, she was helping Azazel and to hypnotize many people who witnessed the event with Kokabiel and also those who were frozen in ice for days. Not only did she need to make them forget, but also replace those memories with something believable.
Maybe it was Kiba or Koneko, I hadn't seen the Knight and Rook for a while. They disappeared for the last few days, Kiba having finally unlocked his Sacred Gear Balance Breaker seemed to have tired him out more than he expected and Koneko was helping him get better.
Gasper? Ha! As if…
As I was in the middle of my thoughts, I suddenly felt someone poke my cheeks.
Oi, this person was definitely messing with me. Was it weird to mention that I liked the scent of perfume that wafted over my nose?
Reaching the limit of my patience, I conceded and carefully opened my eyes.
"Mmnn," I groaned, feeling frustrated over my ruined nap time. Whoever this person was, I would give them a piece of my mind-!!!
My eyes immediately opened wide in a stupor as I saw the familiar face of a woman with golden luscious hair cascading down her face. Bright eyes and a smile would captivate any man, including me.
"Gabriel?" I whispered, unsure what this Seraph was doing sleeping on her stomach and looking like a child who was caught stealing cooking.
"A-Ah, good morning Hikigaya Hachiman…"
"… it's late in the evening," I said, seeing her freeze up for a bit. "Why were you poking my cheeks?"
A faint blush formed on her cheeks when I asked her the question. I mean, trying to do that on someone who was sleeping would obviously wake them up, what did she expect to happen?
"Well… I was getting bored and…"
"…"
For a Seraph who lived for thousands of years, she sure was quite childlike. Her attitude now was vastly different from our first meeting in the church.
"Alright, let's just forget this happened," she eagerly nodded her head. "Why are you here?"
"I came to check up on you and Asia-chan. When I got news of Kokabiel's unexpected attack on Kuoh, I tried to rush here as fast as I could but Michael stopped me before I even teleported. I'm glad to see that everyone is safe and sound. I nearly hurled my spear from heaven when I saw Nemain appear on the battlefield. Fortunately, Sera-chan was there to protect you all, I knew I could count on her."
More like nearly killing all of us along with Nemain. I knew Maous were broken beings but her freezing a third of Kuoh with a single finger tap was the most bullshit display of power I'd seen in my life. It was up there with Scáthach eating off my runes attacks point blank. Still, it was weird to hear her call Serafall as Sera-chan… it was like a name one would give a close friend or something.
"Wait a minute, you were actually going to throw a spear from Heaven? How does that even work? From what I know, Heaven isn't exactly above the clouds."
She nodded, understanding my confusion.
"If I use a large part of my powers, I can open up a direct portal to Kuoh. It would be small, but big enough to have a spear pass through it. Though I never used it, not even during the war… as I couldn't bring myself to harm my brothers and sisters." She spoke, sadness escaping from her voice. "But Nemain isn't related to me and she's a bit of a meanie, I wouldn't have forgiven myself if I failed a second time to save Asia-chan and even you."
The power of a Cadre was already terrifying enough, and to suddenly have a Seraph do something similar gave me a terrible foreboding feeling. Just imagining the sheer destructive capabilities and the release of Holy Energy made me grateful that Michael stopped her in time.
"Did you meet Asia?" I asked.
"Yes, she's in the middle of packing her belongings," Gabriel answered with hesitance, as if unsure how I would react to this news.
So it finally happened, she made her decision to become an Angel… I felt happy, she deserved this. With beings like Kokabiel starting to pop out from every corner, this path would ensure her survival. Unlike me, her Sacred Gear offered no offensive or defensive abilities, and if one day she were to be captured or cornered by an enemy - then her chances of survival were nonexistent. But as an Angel, at least she had the option to escape.
"Good for her, I hope you'll take good care of the girl."
After that, our conversation became quiet as we were both aware of the big elephant in the room
So I decided to bring it up, "Kokabiel mentioned about God's death."
As soon as I said that, her face went somber before she sighed.
"I know, both Michael and I had a meeting about this issue. Irina and Xenovia came back to the Vatican and confronted this with the higher-ups." Her tone was no longer cheerful, so I could guess how this went down.
"They got excommunicated," I stated, knowing full well how such things would proceed with the Vatican. "You don't need to explain to me, though you are a Seraph, I can understand that this doesn't mean you have absolute control over anything. Humans are dicks, that's a given with our nature. Even when faced with absolute authority, some of us will always try to create an even ground between you and them."
She did not look happy even with my acceptance of the situation.
"Keeping this secret from the public is very critical, if even a small rumor were to spread them it might cause irreparable damage. Michael told me how this was one of the few reasons he couldn't keep them around as Exorcists, for they had other plans as well."
That was surprising, I thought Xenovia and Irina would give everything to continue as an exorcist. This reaction was the complete opposite of what I thought would happen.
"And the Excaliburs? I guess the higher-ups took it back." I asked, inquiring about the swords.
This time, Gabriel smiled mischievously, almost making me dread her answer.
"Fufufu, nope! I decided to go behind Michael's back and give them the swords back!" She exclaimed, looking very proud of her actions. "I had Griselda lie for me while I ran here when Michael tried to ask me about it!"
Now, this was the REAL reason why she was here! I thought the woman was being nice and decided to pay me a visit - but she was only escaping her brother!
'I guess Vritra wasn't lying when he mentioned that she was incapable of lying.'
My body froze up when I felt Gabriel move herself and placed her head right on my stomach, using me as a pillow. I began sweating profusely from the unexpected contact and intimate move. Too close! Wasn't she a bit too friendly here!?
"I'm sorry, you must hate me for what I'm doing."
Hate her? No, it was impossible to hate someone like her. Just like Vritra said, hating Gabriel was something very few could actually do. The Seraph only had the best intentions for Asia, she wasn't going to harm her or anything like that.
I sighed, putting my hands behind my head and looking up at the blue sky.
"Don't say that, I never said or even hinted that I was against your suggestion. Sure I am sad that Asia will no longer be close to me, but I know she's with someone trustworthy."
I trusted Vritra with my life and if the dragon said that Gabriel was someone reliable then I would believe him. And it wasn't like I wouldn't see the nun after this, we'd meet again in the near future.
"Really? You trust me?" I felt she turned her head around and looked at me. "This is only our second meeting."
I peeked open an eye and gazed at the blonde.
"Sometimes, a single meeting is enough for a person to judge someone else's true nature. I can see when someone is acting nice when they are truly not, I can feel the dark nature of those who try to fool the world. Azazel acts all relaxed and friendly but he's always under a lot of pressure. If he crumbles then everyone else will lose hope, the man is great at hiding it… took me a while to notice as well. Sirzechs has a perfect poker face, he has absolute control over his emotions in every aspect and can become a truly cruel Maou when needed. He's a monster disguised as a Devil, just like Serafall and both of them have a single glaring weakness. You, on the other hand, gave me the impression of being a mature and kind woman. Now I know that you're secretly a brat."
The woman was slightly caught off guard by my explanation. I couldn't give any explanation for Michael for I never met him, though for someone who had to take on the place of God while keeping everything under wraps must have been excruciatingly stressful.
Gabriel placed her hand on my chest, I could feel the warmth coming from her, and she looked at me with a beautiful smile.
I was a bit worried that she would feel my heart beating wildly. Her dress barely hid her figure, and from my angle, I could see the forbidden valleys Azazel wouldn't stop talking about. Her entire body's silhouette was visible with the sun's rays over the thin fabric.
Oh, a certain question came to mind as I recalled her previous words.
"What is your relationship with Serafall? You mention her so familiarly as if you were friends."
"We are friends!" Gabriel exclaimed excitedly. "I've known her for many centuries, she's such a charming and fun person to be around. Though for some reason she doesn't like it when I call her my best friend, preferring to address me as her rival. But I think she's just shy, she always has been."
Shy? Serafall? Were we talking about the same person? My first meeting with this 'shy' person nearly turned me and the entire school into a popsicle! And given how loud she was in our second meeting and the fact that she had her own TV show with herself as the main protagonist, shy would be the last thing I would use to describe her.
It was best for me to leave it for now, Gabriel was clearly delusional and there was nothing I could do about it. And I didn't even want to meddle between these two.
"Do you mind if I stay a bit longer? It feels nice over here… ," she suddenly asked.
"Couldn't you bring a pillow? I would rather not have a thick head like yours on me the entire time." I said sarcastically, expecting some sort of rebuttal or chiding, but the complete opposite happened.
"Ah," she touched her head before getting up immediately. "Please forgive me, I did not want to cause you any pain-kya!"
My god, she was basically Asia 2.0… The girl even had teary eyes as she spoke! Never had my big brother's feelings reacted so violently and I had to suppress the urge to mercilessly hit myself.
Regretting my actions, I quickly grabbed her hands and pulled her back. She was confused by my actions, wondering why I did that.
"I was just joking, you can sleep as long as you want."
She smiled, "Thank you, Hachiman."
With that said, we both stopped talking and went completely silent. The silent breeze and calming feeling of nature slowly made both of us close our eyes. This time, it didn't take long for me to fall asleep, my hands unconsciously stroking the head of the Angel sleeping next to me.
{ Break}
(A few hours later)
After I woke up, the sky had already turned a deep orange color and Gabriel was nowhere to be seen. What was up with her, showing up out of nowhere and leaving without saying goodbye?
"I should check up on Rias," I said, forcing my drowsiness away and pushing my body upwards with a groan. "I should nap here more often."
A few minutes later, I walked inside the service club to take my stuff. But I nearly fell to the floor from a foreign girl sitting in my seat.
"You're late, Hikigaya Hachiman."
A girl with blue hair with a green lock, Xenovia, was there wearing the official Kuoh Academy girl's uniform.
"Why… why, are you here?" I whispered, feeling the peace of mind I just got from that nap already leaving me.
I couldn't hide my unrest and already started rubbing my temples.
The girl looked at me weirdly, tilting her head at my reaction.
"Following the news about God's death, I decided to follow your words and took the opportunity to rethink my life. A part of me wanted to turn into a Devil as a show of self-abandonment. I did get an offer of a Knight piece from Rias Gremory, but I declined." She got up from the chair and looked me straight in the eyes. "Hikigaya Hachiman, you have taught me during the little time we spent together. You opened my eyes to the truth! You've proven your worth as a warrior in battle and even a Phoenix and Fallen Angel come to join you in battle. Only the true might if a valiant knight with a heart of gold could accomplish such a thing!"
The blue haired girl walked up to me, getting on her knees and presenting me with Excalibur Destruction with both of her hands.
"For this reason alone, I have found another purpose in life - to become a savior! One who seeks the betterment of all living beings, human, Angels or Devils. For God loved all of his creations, and it is my sworn duty to protect what he held dear. But for that, I need to become strong… a feat only possible through the guidance of a master like you. Please, see this sword as an offering, a gift from me. As I seek to become your sworn knight!" She finally stopped speaking after that, still waiting for me to pick up the sword.
"…"
What the fuck was this medieval bullshit!?
"So let me get this straight, you want to become my knight instead of becoming Rias' Knight. You know, something that will ACTUALLY make you stronger in a matter of seconds? Don't forget, I'm a human without any evil pieces! You still want to lose such an opportunity?" I said dryly.
Xenovia looked unperturbed.
"I hold no doubts in my mind!"
'You know what? Fuck it,' I was not in the mood to get into another argument and basically force her to rethink her descision.
"Fine, whatever, as long as you stop acting like a knight in the middle of school. Just do whatever you want."
"Thank you, my lord!"
"Oh for the love of-" Deep breath, I needed to calm down. "Just call me Hachiman."
Xenovia nodded her head, "Also, I'm a 2nd year student and wish to join the service club to help those in need." Xenovia says, while huffing once with her nose.
"… Don't make such a cute sound with a serious face."
"I tried to copy Irina, but it looks like it's not easy."
Yeah, trying to imagine Xenovia acting like Irina was just more nightmare fuel for me. Not that she would succeed given how bad she already was at it. Her timing was perfect in a sense, now that Asia was temporarily gone, my club was down one member. Aika would feel lonely, which was something I didn't want to happen. So Xenovia being here was a good thing in the end.
"Well, your fine the way you are. There's no need for you to act like a fake. And, hey, I can boast to Rias that I now have a stoic Durandal wielder in my group. What happened to Irina?"
She shrugged, "I think she went to meet the heiresses. She was the most touched by God's death, so I told her to spend more time with people she cares about and she went to meet Hyoudou Issei. I heard that Rias invited her again for tea a few minutes ago, so she's probably there."
Someone was moving fast, at least she would have a new Knight now. Sona was going to be pissed for a while at Rias' greedy attitude. But wait… how would she even use Excalibur Rapidly if Irina were to turn into a Devil?
Question for another time.
No matter the end result, Rias will enjoy having a new member. But certainly having a swordsman who could wield a legendary holy-sword, felt reliable. If she could keep the blade, then during the Rating Game, their opponents would be Devils, so the holy-sword would grant her a ridiculous advantage.
"I heard you two got thrown from the Church. I hope you don't take their words too seriously."
"I appreciate your concern, but I am fine. When I mentioned God's death to them, they became silent. They then labeled me as an outsider for knowing the absence of God. The Church hates outsiders and heresy very much. Even if that person is still the wielder of Durandal, they cut me off without hesitation. Exactly the same way as the incident with Asia Argento."
She laughed at herself. I patted her shoulders to tell her that everything would be alright. After that, we went to visit Rias' clubroom. Just as I was about to open the door, a bright red light shined from the other side.
I opened the door just in time for both Xenovia and I to see a shining red Knight piece slowly phase inside Irina's chest with Rias standing right in front of her. After that, the former exorcist looked at her body, expecting some kind of change.
"Huh… I don't feel any different." She said, wondering if something went wrong with the process.
Rias chuckled, obviously happy that she now had a new member to her family.
"Don't worry, the changes will take a day or two to fully show. You'll get stronger, faster and be able to fly. But I'm not sure whether you'll be able to use Excalibur Rapidly."
"Let's just see if I can right now!"
Without even giving Rias time to reply, the girl removed the strap on her arm which slithered around before turning into a long katana.
"Oh, I can still use it!" Irina shouted with glee, jumping around the room with joy.
Rias meanwhile looked like she was having a panic attack with how her new Knight was handling the sword. It hasn't even been a single minute yet this girl was already bringing her trouble.
"This turned out better than I imagined," Xenovia commented by my side. "Though the offer to fly wherever I want is quite appealing."
"Well be my guest and join her peerage if you want it so much."
She smirked, "No thank you, I'd rather continue being human for a bit longer. And as your Knight, I'll only turn when you become a Devil first."
"How loyal of you."
I walked next to Rias and gently tapped her on the shoulders. Xenovia went to Irina as the latter immediately hugged her.
"Yo," I greeted the redhead like usual. "Congratulations on your second Knight."
"Oh, Hachi-kun?"
I didn't let her continue as I had one thing to tell her.
"By the way, are you free tomorrow? I want to take you on a date."
"Finally!"
Now it was Rias who mimicked Irina and jumped towards me for a hug.
I felt like these two would get along nicely.
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 3 other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, ??????, and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post monthly commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.
Date with a redhead
Hiiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Latest chapter took a bit more time to finish and I had to rewrite some old chapters as well.
LEMON WARNING!
Chapter is 9k long, took nearly 3 weeks to finish this one.
Also, thank you to my newest patrons: Tyler V, Lord Frost and Jacob . Y'all rock!!!
Next update, Fate Coiling Sword and Fake Familiar
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by Shigiya and Solitary heart.
-Kuoh Academy -
- Kuoh Academy -
"Okay students, please welcome Amano Yuuma!"
The entire class erupted into a loud cheer from both boys and girls. I just had my head laying on the desk, not out of sleepiness but because I didn't want to face the girl in front of me who's been a pain in my ass since meeting her.
My mind was wondering if I should get up at my desk brusquely while pointing my finger at her with a shocked face and shouting at the top of my lungs on why she was here. Very anime protagonists like to react, and then have Raynare blush before mentioning how we once shared a bed with the entire class. The girl looked different, her face was softer, rounder, and less mature. The other difference I noticed was her height which she managed to look slightly shorter than before.
' I know her, she's just waiting for me to act up. But too bad for her, I'm too lazy to deal with her right now.'
"You may take a seat in the back, next to Hikigaya-kun." The teacher said, making me curse under my breath for the cliche 'empty desk near me'.
I should have known something was up when they brought it in this morning.
The only person in the room who wasn't clapping aside me was Rias. The girl was trying her damndest not to fall asleep due to her helping out Irina with her newfound Devil powers and helping the others to restore the town. She even copied my move and added an open book standing in front of her desk just in case she fell asleep, hoping that it would hide her enough from the teacher.
Akeno was calm, in fact, she was clapping with the rest as well.
Good for her, I sorta expected her to glare at Raynare this entire time.
Or more likely, thinking of ways to punish the Fallen.
"A-Ano, it's n-nice to meet you… Hi-Hikigaya-san." Raynare softly spoke, her voice an octave higher without making it sound almost like Asia. I tried my best not to present her with an Oscars award with that performance of hers. She fidgeted in place, her eyes timidly looking to the ground as she blushed slightly - a sight that many in the class fell for her.
"…"
She was standing there, her outer appearance say one thing, but the eyes saying something completely different, as they looked at me menacingly. I could feel her inner smugness radiate on me. She was trying to find a hole in my defense to attack me, making me a fool to the entire class. Fortunately, I saw right through her little scheme and wouldn't let her throw the first attack.
Absolutely not falling for the protagonist trap.
"Hey there, my name is Hikigaya Hachiman! I'm the president of the Service Club, whether it be a lost pen or any dreams you want to accomplish, then don't hesitate to search for me!" I said out loud, doing my best smile to look as cheerful and bombastic as possible.
"Urk!"
My strategy worked as Raynare recoiled a bit, I saw that smile nearly drop from her face and show the disgust she was truly feeling about me. It didn't take long for her to get herself back together, but not before trying another move on me.
"Ah, that's so amazing! You must have helped so many students here, how kind of you." That cutesy voice of hers really packed a punch and nearly made me jump out of the window at how fake she was acting, but I had to remain strong and not let her win this war.
"I would do anything for my fellow students, though I wish I can find more help. Hey, why don't you join? I'm sure you'll love helping others along with the others."
Heh, I knew that the Fallen would prefer to have all her feathers ripped out one by one than to help out anyone in this school. I bet it wouldn't even take a day before she would start to hurtle light spears at everyone around. That was her true nature, a grade-A bitch who was hellbent on making me crack, and that showed when she nearly broke her charade with my last comment.
"A-Ah, I'll think about it." She said before quickly taking her seat.
Victory for me, I could imagine she was fuming inside and planning my death in the most gruesome way.
Overall, not too bad of a morning.
{Break}
After class ended, I ended up dragging the girl to the rooftop. We didn't talk during the Kokabiel fight, and most of us were busy repairing the damaged city after that - so this was a good moment to finally get it out of the way.
"Stop pulling so hard, you jackass! You'll break my arm."
Yeah, like if she felt anything at all. Her attitude soon reverted to her usual self as soon as no one was in sight. The moment the doors closed behind us and after I checked there was no one around, I confronted her.
"Why are you here?" I asked, just getting straight to the point.
"What am I doing here? It shouldn't matter to you, I can do whatever the fuck I want… especially after you left me to suffer with that crazy woman!" She answered, shaking from fear while thinking of Scáthach. I knew little of what happened between them, I mostly spent the following days studying rune magic and sparring. There was little time to even relax for the most part and the witch told me that Raynare was alive but nothing else.
"Oi, that 'crazy woman' you're talking about is the only reason we are alive today. Those six wings I saw during the fight, I bet you got them from her, right?"
It wouldn't hurt for her to be a bit more grateful. Sure, Scáthach had her faults and questionable ways of training people which could result in death if one wasn't careful.
Raynare gave me a deadpan stare, "I slept with her."
"-!?"
Cough!
Cough!
If I had water in my mouth right now then I would have done a spit take right now. Instead, I choked on air and began coughing due to the absurdity I just heard.
"You what!?" I exclaimed in shock.
I stopped myself from imagining the two getting it on - if they even did the deed to begin with. Scáthach could have just fallen asleep naked while Raynare followed suit, it wasn't out of the realm of possibility. Granted, both were strong, one more so, and beautiful women, and any normal man would pay to see them getting freaky in the sheets.
'Especially Issei… and Saji for sure.'
But I had to remind myself, both of them were dangerous. One was a foul mouth Fallen that would sooner stab me with her spear, while the other was an immortal witch, and battle maniac that could break when not careful around her.
"I didn't do it! I tried my best to stay away from her, but one day I got offered some booze and ended up drinking too much. The next thing I know is waking up naked inside her room with the woman sleeping beside me… I almost went crazy!"
"…"
Great… The foul mouth also had a drinking problem. Just what my life needed.
I was still speechless at the moment, as this came out of nowhere. But then again, after spending a few days with the immortal witch, I had a pretty good grasp on her personality, to some extent. So hearing such a thing happen made sense to me.
"One more thing," she grabbed my collar and looked me dead in the eyes. "My wings have nothing to do with that woman, she only taught me how to use my powers properly. YOU are the one responsible for my extra wings."
What? Me? I was pretty sure that the power to grant angels more wings was something impossible for me. 'Oi, Vritra, any ideas?' I questioned the dragon, as he was awake during the battle and most likely knew the reason behind it.
'Hmmm, I believe that may have a clue.' He responded. 'When Raynare made you drink the content of the artifact Sétante used to gather the magical energy from the region, the power was enough to awaken me once again and being left with enough energy to use as a substitute for the battle. I remember sparing some of that divine energy to pull her back from death… I believe I might have given her too much which forced her to gain more wings.'
Ah, well wasn't that convenient.
"I see you finally remember," she said, before looking away. "Listen, I still hate you with all my guts and wouldn't hesitate to kill you if I had the chance, but I ain't an ungrateful bitch… to an extent. I thought I could repay you by coming to save your life against that crazy goddess, though I wasn't that much of a help, to begin with." She started whispering, her face frowning along with a blush spreading to her face, as the girl seemed like she wanted to say something but didn't seem like she wanted to go any further.
Wow, Raynare was blushing, I never thought I would see this day come in my life. She must have gotten struck in the head or something, cause I didn't remember seeing her being so forthcoming and honest.
"I'm still trying to get on Azazel's good side, the last thing I want is for him to lose all hope in me. I even met Kalawarna, she started crying like a baby when she saw me… we made plans to hang out after school. It would suck if I were to be sent away or something." It was obvious she was having trouble, though I stayed patient and allowed the Fallen to take her time. "I'll… I'll be staying with you for a while longer, to wait for an opportunity to repay the debt I owe you. I can't exactly leave you anyway, since my life is still bound to you, so I'm forced to hang around either way.. There ain't no other reason, get it!?"
I just raised my eyebrows, that was very unusual behavior from her… and I knew for a fact that she wasn't a tsundere. Still, I couldn't help but smile, my expression causing Raynare to huff.
"Glad that you're alive, though our first and second meeting wasn't exactly ideal. I hope you learned from your mistakes and don't mess up again." I said, honest and sincere with my words. She had a second chance at life, not many would get such a thing.
"Whatever, I was used as a tool by Kokabiel… not like the fault was entirely on me."
"I would disagree, something tells me that you would have done something dumb regardless. By the way, why did you transfer to my class? I thought that the girl known as Amano Yuuma was the same age as Issei, so shouldn't you be in his class?" I questioned, feeling curious about her reasoning. I knew Issei still held some feelings for her, despite what happened. Raynare of all people wouldn't care about his feelings, so she wouldn't change classes just to be away from him.
She gave me another dry look, "I'm older than your entire ancestry and you are wondering about me tweaking my age by a single year?"
"I believe you heard me perfectly, and damn, I should start calling you old crow or hag instead." I joked, smirking at the sight of her gritting teeth.
"Why you littl-kyah!" She shouted in surprise when a pair of arms snaked around her waist and went to grope her breasts. "W-What?" The Fallen was quick to react, her sharp features softened and her voice reverted to that timid persona of hers.
"Hohoho, such exquisite boobs, the shape is perfectly round and perky. Soft like marshmallows and big enough that even my hands can't hold all of them. Humu, you're definitely in my top 10 best boobs in Kuoh!" A pair of shining glasses appeared behind Raynare, with brown messy braided hair and a perverted smile as she kept moving her hands around the Fallen's breasts. "Yup, you're definitely an 8.5/10, I can touch them all day!"
"8.5!?" Raynare exclaimed, looking offended that she didn't get a perfect score.
' Oi, oi, oi, isn't she angry about the wrong thing?' There was a pervert just groping her breasts like a toy!
"Aika, don't make me call Sona on you, again." I said dryly, my warning was enough for the girl to swiftly step away from us.
"Humph, you're such a prude buchou! You can't just keep the breasts to yourself all of the time! You have to learn how to share with your favorite clubmate!"
"Stopping you from becoming a full-on criminal is called being a rational person. Also, favorite clubmate? I'm pretty sure that Asia still has that spot." If I didn't keep my eye on her, then she would grope every girl in school in just a week. Even Issei wished he was her, and so did his friends, Matsuda and Motohama.
Recently, she was quite down after Asia announced that she would be leaving for a bit. Going back to Italy was her reason, I swore that Aika nearly cried for real if the nun hadn't consoled her. But after meeting Xenovia and getting some alone time, she managed to get back to her usual self. But I could see through, there were still moments she would sit alone in the garden during break periods. Xenovia and I agreed to keep her company as much as we could.
"So harsh buchou! Your breaking my poor maiden's heart!" Hmph, if she's a maiden, then Akeno is a saint! "Anyway, we finally get to meet you. I heard rumors of a new student for a few weeks. I was hoping for a hottie and I definitely got more than what I was expecting and then some! Kinda shocked Hachiman already tried to bring you into his harem, you move quite fast, buchou. When is my turn by the way? I can show a lot of interesting things while it's just the two of us in the clubroom, humu~!"
Wow, I was impressed by her smooth-talking, she certainly improved from her past self even if she still came off incredibly thirsty. If Aika were a boy, then I didn't doubt that the crown of Harem King would be given to her or most likely the number one sex offender. She's incredibly lucky that she's cute, otherwise she would probably be put in solitary. Raynare looked at the girl for a few seconds before smiling.
Oh, someone was impressed.
"Aika, this is Ra- I mean, this is Amano Yuuma and no, I wasn't hitting on her. Yuuma, this is Kiryuu Aika, the local number 1 pervert and member of my Service Club. She may not look like it, but she's the most reliable girl in school." Aika became flustered by my praise, giving me a bashful look. "You can trust her with anything, she will go above and beyond to help you with your request."
The brunette grinned, adjusting her glasses like Sona to reflect the light. But it still didn't hide her prominent blush.
"N-Nice to meet you, Kiryuu-san! I hope we can become great friends in the future." Raynare said cheerfully, making me want to stay away from her with how easily she switched between her two personas. It felt and sounded so wrong, even after years, I still didn't approve of people using such a disgusting mask- including Kiba. But his case was a bit more complicated and he did actually behave like a prince even outside of the public. He was both a smiling prince and a rageful knight. But recently, I sensed something had changed with him.
"Hey, want me to show you around?" Aika offered. "I can show you every corner of this school, the classes, the cafeteria, and the garden. You would get lost without a guide like me showing you around, trust me, I've been lost as well when I first came here."
"I-I-I'm not sure about t-that, I can look around my-"
"-And I can tell you saucy and embarrassing stories about buchou over here. Did you know he once nearly got bitten in the ass by a dog?"
Raynare's entire demeanor changed as she grabbed Aika's hand. "Lead the way!" She said while pulling her along. "I want to know everything!"
Bam !
"…"
The door closed as I was left all by myself on the roof.
"Looks like she already made a friend…" I spoke to no one but myself. "I hope Aika can curb her disgust for humans a bit."
Ping
"Hm?"
Someone sent me a message.
It was from Akeno.
' The club preparations are done. Xenovia-chan helped me to set up the table and lighting. Koneko replaced the furniture with something more romantic and Kiba made sure to stock up the fridge with all of the ingredients you would need. Irina tried to add some crosses as decoration and now is in the infirmary getting her hands treated for the burns. That girl never learns…
I'm a bit sad that I can't join as well, but given how long she's been waiting for this moment… I'll let her have you for the day. Also, Asia-chan left a letter for you, I left it on your desk back home. Be sure to read it, the poor girl was sad that she couldn't see you one last time.
Also, I feel like Xenovia has been getting some ideas. She's been asking a few too many questions about our intimate moments and even began talking about, and I quote, 'Dragon babies'. I nearly died laughing, but she was dead serious.
Can you also check up on Sona at a later date? She didn't seem to be in good shape last I saw her, even Saji-kun and Issei-kun are worried about her health. But you know the girl, she refused to talk about it and is just as stubborn as Rias.
I'm sure one of your Hachiman Skills might get her to open up.
That's all
Be sure to wear protection… or not, Rias would like it either way. Good luck on your date tomorrow, my dragon! XOXO!'
"Hm," there was so much to take in from this message. For one, I didn't expect Akeno to get the entire peerage involved along with Xenovia. I only asked for someone to set up a single table and two chairs, not remodel the entire room for one night. And fridge? I never saw one in the clubroom before, did she really buy it just for this single date? Irina had me worried, clearly, she still hadn't gotten used to her new lifestyle and change as a devil.
Xenovia was hard to read most of the time, she could either be just genuinely curious or about to start a scandal.
Shrugging, I left the rooftop and returned home where Rias and Akeno were still absent. Not long after having dinner, I went to bed.
{ Break }
The next day, I woke up to a single note stuck to my forehead, ' Mall 10:00 AM '. Well, the message was quite clear so I got out of bed and quickly went to freshen up before leaving the house and headed to Kuoh's mall.
I wore a simple brown shirt and black pants. My hair was still an unmanageable mess, despite trying my best to comb it down, and some light cologne that Kala gave to me as a gift from her last trip, I felt like I was ready.
"Hachi-kun!"
There she was, dressed in a white sleeve turtleneck sweater and a small black skin-tight pencil skirt that hugged her form. Her thighs were completely visible and her entire clothing seemed to further accentuate her curves. She wore black heels as well, but the only thing visible were her toes.
She had a pair of black sunglasses, while carrying a expensive looking leather bag.
Man, this was the first time I saw her wearing something so mature - it suited her quite well.
"Rias, you look great today." I said while approaching her. I kept my composure and went so far as to correct my posture and trying not to hunch down.
"Thank you, Hachi-kun." She replied with a smile, returning my compliment. "You look pretty handsome yourself!" Her happiness was bubbling on the surface, the Devil wrapped her hands around my left arm, burying my arm between her soft valleys.
"Let's go, I passed by an ice cream truck on the way here, we should go get some."
"Ah, yes! That sounds wonderful! I love ice cream!" Rias giggled with excitement.
She was so cute…
"What flavor do you want?" I asked, wanting to keep the conversation going, while headed to our destination.
"Anything would be fine. But I'd prefer strawberry, lemon or chocolate. Do you think that they have any of those?"
"Probably, I'll check." I nodded, turning to walk toward the truck I found. Thankfully, they had the flavors that Rias wanted, so I dodged a bullet from ruining the date on the first step. We had our orders and then took a walk across the park.
"This is nice." She smiled. "Just walking beside you, feeling your presence. We rarely get any alone time these days. With all the Kokabiel and Holy Sword situations we had… I still can't believe we got out alive, given how little I contributed to the fight."
"Don't say that, if it wasn't for you, then the place would have been overrun by undead skeletons and rouge Fallens. You also kept the Cadre busy, even went so far as to injure him." I said, praising her, making the redhead blush bashfully.
"You say that, but we barely even injured him. I thought that after how far we came from our past selves that… that maybe we could have…"
"Beat him?" I finished her sentence, making the girl nod. "You're still naive, Rias. Kokabiel was a powerhouse who survived from the start of the Great War - just like your brother and Serafall. You are strong, but don't expect to equal such a man so easily at your current level, as it requires a literal miracle or a broken gear to reach his level. If you perhaps trained arduously from the moment you were born and pushed past your limits every day, then Kokabiel wouldn't have stood a chance against you. The fact you didn't do so is normal, we are not in the middle of a Great War and your life isn't in constant danger. There are so many factors you need to take into account other than just focusing solely on the Kokabiel fight. Heck, you injuring him is already incredible, imagine how strong you would be 5 years from now? I can guarantee that your current self stands amongst the top 10 strongest younger generations of Devils in terms of pure firepower. You just need your other skills to catch up."
Rias pondered on my words, she smiled and pressed her head against my arm.
"Thanks, Hachi-kun."
Eh, I wasn't trying to encourage her though… Those were just facts and I just wanted her to understand.
"Let's just enjoy our time together, we can think about this whole Kokabiel stuff later," I said, continuing our stroll through the park.
Rias agreed.
We walked around for about an hour, talking about simple things in our lives like school and family. The redhead told a story from her childhood when Sirzechs would regularly stalk her with a fake mustache whenever she went for a stroll in Lucifaad. She loved her brother from what I understood but was very embarrassed by his attitude.
I laughed, understanding Sirzechs in that regard - I would have done the same for Komachi.
As we continued to talk and have a peaceful moment together, a few hours went by and Rias was starting to look around for a restaurant to eat at.
Fortunately, I already had that covered.
"Before we go, let's make a quick stop at the Occult Research Club. There is something important I want to do, Akeno wanted me to retrieve something."
"Eh? Sure, the school is nearby." She agreed easily.
We soon made our way back to the club.
The moment she opened the door, Rias and I both froze in place, stunned at the magnificent sight in front of us. I was somewhat prepared for this, but I didn't expect them to go this far!
The dark and spooky atmosphere was replaced with a bright interior with a dazzling golden chandelier in the middle of the room illuminating everything. Walls and pillars that looked like they were made with white marble and even a statue of a Devil version of Cupid. Akeno's small kitchen where she would prepare tea and store snacks for Koneko was extended to a bigger kitchen, fully equipped, and a large fridge. In front of Rias' desk was now a round table with candles and two chairs.
For some reason, they kept the shower.
' I should've just brought her to Saizeriya…'
Not like I didn't appreciate their efforts, which I was very grateful for. But this was far too much!
"Take a seat." I forced my shock away and concentrated on the matter at hand. "I'll start cooking in a bit."
"Bwha… t?" The redhead was unable to process the entire thing and couldn't even utter a single word. "Wh-where… what happened…"
"I said we would have a date, right? Well, the little stroll we had just now was just the appetizer you can say." Hurgh, that line sounded so corny and made me cringe on the inside from saying it. I could come up with something better! "Take a seat, and let's see if I can still cook like I used to."
"Eh? But I don't think I ever saw you cook though."
My smile dimmed as blurred memories of the past resurfaced. It felt like yesterday that I would cook up a dinner for two. With an absent parent and a little sister who I wished to see again to this day.
' I wonder, can I one day ask Ophis if it's possible to travel to my old worl-wait, no. Now's not the time for such thoughts. ' I put them aside and put on the apron where a chibi snake that resembled Vritra a lot could be seen.
I gathered every ingredient, impressed that Kiba knew what to buy. He remembered my loathing for tomatoes and stocked up on other vegetables.
' Hm, I could go Chinese, but Rias is a fan of western cuisine. Something simple will do, steak and fries with mushroom sauce and homemade mayonnaise.' With all of the ingredients prepared and the pan sizzling hot - I started to get to work.
Rias peeked over my shoulders, looking over curiously.
"Whatcha doing?" She asked cutely, having taken a seat and was just watching me cook. "It smells amazing!"
My pride swelled, relieved that I still had my skills even after so many years. I mostly helped mom cook traditional Japanese dishes and hadn't done anything else for a long time. It certainly felt nice knowing that my training as a househusband.
"Glad to see you like it."
I saw Rias hand sneak for the cooked fries from the corner of my eyes.
Plap !
I lightly smacked her hands away with a ladle, the girl pouted looking as she've been wronged that I stopped her from getting a small sneak-in bite.
"Just be a bit more patient. I swear it'll be worth it."
"Pu, killjoy." She whispered before continuing to stare at my cooking. When I was done, we sat down and enjoyed the food and Rias enjoyed it.
"Muuuu, I didn't know you were such a good cook, Hachi-kun."
I nodded, "It's a basic skill a househusband would need."
"Househusband? You're still on with that dream of yours?" She asked, confused.
"Of course, my goals never changed. And I will achieve it no matter what!"
She giggled, "Fufufufu, I'll be sure to make it possible for you." The girl spoke slyly, a grin forming on her face.
As we finished eating, Rias gazed at the shower for a bit.
"Hachi-kun, I'm a bit sweaty from our date. Do you mind if I take a shower?" Rias asked, but it seemed that she wasn't waiting for an answer as she had already started disrobing without even waiting for me to respond.
Her white sleeveless turtleneck fell to the ground, showing her scantily red lacy bra and panties, as her breasts bounced from the fast removal. The clothing was almost transparent, as they were handcrafted to just fit perfectly and to help show off her allure, and were sturdy enough to withstand the weight of her gifted globes. I could just see through the material, catching a glimpse of her bright pink nipples, which were poking through the fabric. The room was very quiet, my eyes still focused on her form. I could hear our breathing and her thighs rubbing together as she removed her bra, stockings, and finally her red-laced panties.
I couldn't help but gulp my saliva as the tension in both the room and myself began rising at the sight before me. Rias, on the other hand, was calm, almost happy at seeing my reaction. Not afraid to show off her nude body to me.
"Don't worry, it won't take long."
My eyes stayed focused on her as she turned to enter the shower, mostly hers and Akeno's, personal shower before my trance was broken when she closed the curtain. Despite my view being blocked, I could still see the silhouette of the crimson hair princess moving as she proceeded to bathe. The sound of water streaming down the shower head filled the room as I closed my eyes-focusing on other thoughts.
But it proved to be a challenge in itself as my eyelids opened slightly to the spectacle in front of me.
Even though I had already seen her nude form several times, watching her shadow proceed to wash herself in a slow methodical motion, made my blood pump even faster.
My mind started to conjure up images of Rias cleaning herself. I could imagine her lathering her smooth, flawless skin that covered up her intimate areas. Moving from her arms, to her breasts, from her upper body to below her waist. I swallowed the lump in my throat as I continued to watch the redhead shower.
But before I realized it, the shower had stopped. I must have been completely lost in my thoughts.
It honestly felt kind of surreal the life I found myself in. Having two lovers and going on a date with Rias while Akeno helped as well. My past self would have actually died laughing if someone were to mention it. Heck, I was still having trouble believing that I was this lucky… did I even deserve it?
Probably not, I never did anything noteworthy in the past… so I guess I still needed to walk forward without any answers and just enjoy my current life. Oh well, might as well embrace it at this point, there was no reason not to.
{Lemon starts here}
Swish !
The curtains opened as Rias came walking with a loosely held tiny towel that barely hid her soaked figure.
I grew confused when I saw her heading toward the door instead of dressing herself. Water dribbled down her hair and onto the floor and her wet feet left footprints as well.
"Ri-Rias?" I stuttered without even noticing my forehead beginning to sweat from everything that was going on in this room and how strangely Rias was acting.
She grabbed the keys and looked at me intently, her wrists twisting with the sound of the doors locking reaching my ears.
Clink.
"Now, no one can disturb us."
I felt my heartbeat quicken when I heard those words. She let go of her towel, letting it fall to the floor-revealing her fully naked body, still glistening with water, giving her a bit of a shine.
Even in the low light of the lamp, Rias still looked gorgeous.
With each step that she took, my heartbeat increased as she approached me.
I knew what she wanted, what we both wanted for a long time. But this girl has probably been waiting for this moment longer than me, and that left me slightly worried.. Are feelings and sexual tension has been building up since that night after my first date with Akeno, and the half-Fallen was not helping the situation as she pushed us to get closer.
In a couple of steps, it didn't take long for her to reach me.
Her eyes were focused on my own, her desires evident in her eyes.
She moved onto my lap, damping my clothes with her glistening form as she laid her hands on my shoulders. My own arms wrapped around her waist, the action down subconsciously.
We just sat there in silence for a moment, our gazes never breaking.
"Are you sure, Rias?"
"Yes," Rias responded, pressing herself closer to me, laying her head on mine, "I've wanted this for so long."
Hearing those words escaping her lips was enough to steel my resolve, my hands gripping her sides firmly.
"Ok."
I let my hand move from her hip and moved to cup her cheek, and leaned in to kiss her, our lips quickly connecting.
The kiss was sweet, gentle, and soft. I expected something more aggressive, hungry, but it continued to be gentle, loving and slow. But I guess not all girls would be the same.
My hands were not idle, as the one cupping her cheek moved to intangible itself in her damp red hair while the other moved to caress her sides and legs.
Rias was unbuttoning my shirt, faster than I expected, before her hands moved to caress my chest and stomach, while helping me remove my shirt and jacket.
I could feel my pants become uncomfortable the longer we continued our kiss, our bodies heating up with each moment.
Our kiss had deepened further, our tongues wrapping onto each other, I could taste the sweetness of her lips. Sucking on her lips, she moaned softly into my mouth and I could feel her wetness against my thigh, making me all the more excited.
Rias pulled back from the kiss and placed a hand on my cheek, guiding my head down.
We kissed again, this time a bit rougher and more passionate. Her hand worked its way down my neck and to my chest, squeezing and massaging my muscles.
"Mmm, Hachi-kun."
"Let's get out of these clothes." Rias whispered into my ear before pulling back from the kiss.
"What?"
"I want to feel your bare skin against mine."
Not questioning it, I just followed her lead and stood up, try to undo my belt, but Rias didn't seem to want to let me go.
"Wait, let me do it."
I rolled my eyes, but smiled and gave her the go ahead.
I watched Rias hands grip my shirt before she removed it and threw it to the side.
"Do… you mind if I take off your pants?"
Understanding the words that she had spoken, I let my arms fall to my sides.
"Go ahead."
Rias got off my lap, and I followed her up. She squatted down to my waist and started to fumble with my belt. She took a breath, as she gripped the hem of my pants, before pulling my pants all the way down.
I let out a breath of relief from the constraint finally being released before kicking away my pants. Rias seemed to be focused on my bulge that was tenting my boxers.
She licked her lips as she grasped the edge of my boxers and pulled them down faster than my pants.
The girl was focused on my groin, watching it bounce from her tug. Her eyes were wide as she continued to stare at it. Her hands moved to take hold of my appendage, feeling her soft hands grasp it.
"Finally…"
I heard Rias mutter to herself as her hands glide over the length. It really felt nice, almost gentle, as it glided along my shaft. Feeling another hand move to caress my balls, gently massage them in her palm. I felt a sense of Deja Vu when she gave me the same look as Akeno during our first time.
Rias pushed me back to the sofa before getting between my legs.
Her hands moved to take hold of my appendage, feeling her soft hands wrap around it in a gentle hold.
"It's so warm and soft." Rias muttered, her eyes transfixed in her actions, gliding her hands on the sensitive appendage. She seemed to want to caress every inch of it, as she continued to rub tip to the base.
It really felt nice.
But what really got me was when she wrapped her lips on the tip, feeling the wet, heat envelope it.
But what really got me was when she wrapped her lips around the tip. "Hng!" I let out a pleased groan at this sensation as I leaned back on the sofa.
Her surprisingly skillful tongue wrapped around the tip, her hot saliva coating and dripping down my length.
My hands balled up into fists as she gave me a hard suck.
"Fuck, Rias, your mouth feels great!"
Rias gave another hard suck in response before letting it go with a wet pop.
"Thank you," said Rias, but she continued to run her tongue down my length, using her saliva to speed up her stroking, "Akeno has been teaching me."
"…"
Why was I not surprised?
"You have no idea how long I wanted to do this," Rias gave long slow licks to the tip, sending a shiver of pleasure down my spine, "I had to stop myself several times to not hold you down in your sleep this morning and just eat you up."
I wasn't sure how to respond to that.
"There's also something I've been wanting to do as well."
Rias let go of my groin and grabbed hold of her breasts.
She wrapped those marshmallow globes around my rod, getting another pleased groan from me.
Even if Rias may not have been as busty as Akeno, but even if it was by a small margin, she still topped most of the girls in school and was just as soft as her queen.
My dick was twitching strongly in the soft embrace, with the girl wrapping her lips on the tip once again. Rias let out a pleased hum, her tongue furiously licking the tip, lapping every inch of the tip.
I was panting for air from the pleasure that I was receiving. Placing my hand, entangling it in soft crimson locks, and urging her to go deeper.
Rias lowered herself further down, engulfing more, feeling how hot her mouth was.
She seemed to be eager as her pace increased, and she continued to massage my rod. I couldn't hold it in anymore, it was just too much for me to handle!
"Rias! I'm about to cum!"
The redhead quickly moved back to the tip. Her breasts were squished tightly while she gave one last powerful suck that pushed me to the edge.
"I'm cumming!"
My body tensed before feeling a wave of euphoria fill my body after my release.
I could feel Rias swallow my load, her tongue gently caressing the sensitive tip.
In what felt like the longest time, Rias let my rod go with a wet pop.
"It wasn't as bad as I thought," stated Rias, still gently massaging my cock, giving several licks to the tip, "Pretty tasty if I'm honest."
I leaned back on the sofa, trying to regain my breath, not able to respond to Rias' strange taste buds. A bit of disappointed when Rias pulled away, I felt her crawl onto my lap once again, burying her face in my shoulder.
She was laying gentle kisses on my neck with several long licks tracing my ear. I could feel how soaked she was on my lap from giving a blowjob.
My conscience couldn't just let Rias go unsatisfied, not after the amazing blowjob.
"It's my turn now, Rias," I told her, my hands caressing her back while nibbling her ear. I moved down her neck, laying nips and kisses on her smooth neck. I felt Rias stiffen on my lap, getting my attention but I continued with my actions. Rias let out a pleased moan when I ran my tongue up her neck. She mewled when I peppered her neck with kisses, and she shuddered when I left hickeys on her neck.
Just as I was about to move Rias onto the sofa to start eating her out, she stopped me
"Wait," Rias stopped her actions, " Take me to my desk. Every time I sit on that desk, I want to remember how you claimed me as your own."
"Damn… you have no idea what you're doing to me."
"I'm glad that it's working."
Grabbing hold of Rias' amazing derriere, and with newfound energy, picked up the crimson princess.
Rias let out a squeal of joy, wrapping herself tightly around to not fall, before walking to her desk.
I still wanted to return the favor from before, believing it to be my duty as a man.
When I laid her down on the desk, I gave her another kiss on her neck.
Letting go, I moved down between her legs. I stared at her pretty pink and very wet folds. Rias gave a pleased moan as my tongue caressed her wet folds.
It had a sweet taste to it and made me hungry for more, licking more furiously.
I felt her hands grip my hair, tugging every once in a while when I hit a certain spot. I felt her legs wrapped around my head while I held her soft thighs.
I felt a hard tug from Rias when I caressed a certain spot. This told me that I found her g-spot and was quick to attack the spot. In response, her legs tightened harder. Rias was gasping and shuddering from my actions. I pulled away from her wet snatch and inserted my fingers to spread her walls.
Thanks to my practice with Akeno, I was quick to find her pleasure button.
I wrapped my lips around it, caressing it with my tongue.
That seemed to be it for Rias as the redhead let out a shriek of pleasure, loud enough to shatter the windows.
But that wasn't the only thing that was explosive.
Rias is a squirter.
She soaked my hands and most of my arms.
I eyed my arm, which glistened with Rias' essences. Though my attention was pulled by the Devil who surprised me by another kiss. But this one felt different as I felt a pill get pushed into my mouth and forcing me to swallow it.
"What was that? Did you drug me?" I asked, pushing down my lust for the moment.
"Yes," said Rias, looking at him with a sheepish look, "Sorry, not sorry."
"What was it?"
"Lillith extract, I bought it not that long ago."
"And that is?"
"A powerful aphrodisiac," said Rias, with a mischievous smile, "The noble family uses it when they want help to keep it up all night long when making a child."
"I already took one," Rias' face turned red, her breath becoming heavy, using her legs to pull me closer, "I want us to last as long as possible."
The effects already started to manifest as I could feel how hot her body was as she pressed onto me. I also felt something warm grow inside me before slowly becoming an inferno of lust.
My skin felt tingly and sensitive, while my cock felt as it was made of steel.
My attention was brought back to the woman in front of me. She pressed and ground herself on me, giving me such a needy and loving look that brought out an old but familiar feeling.
I felt something inside me demanding me to dominate this woman and make her mine.
I grabbed her cheeks and told her one thing.
"Stick your tongue out."
It was an order, a demand, and we both knew it.
Rias didn't mind, as she was quick to follow the order.
Her little pink tongue was out from her squished cheeks.
I leaned down and licked it with my tongue. I wrapped and caressed the appendage, which Rias followed.
Our hot breaths mingled with each other, my hand moving to grope her soft breasts.
I started to suck on her tongue.
Saliva started to build up between us, slowly making it into a sloppy mess.
When I let go, Rias' tongue was still wiggling around as if asking me to do it again.
Sadly, they're something else I want right now.
I pushed Rias onto her desk while I pinned her hands above her.
I lined my cock at her soaked entrance and slowly pushed in.
"Mmm!" groaned Rias.
It didn't take long for me to reach some resistance.
I shouldn't be surprised that she still had her hymen. I gazed down at Rias, silently asking her if she was sure.
She nodded.
I leaned down to kiss Rias before I quickly thrust inside, tearing through her hymen.
Rias let out a shriek of pain in the kiss as she tightened around my waist. I just held myself in place, not wanting to hurt her even more. But it didn't take long for the pain to subside, she pulled away from the kiss as several tears streamed down her eyes.
"With this, I am yours from now till the end of time."
Rias stared at me with so much love in her eyes that I nearly forgot about my lust as I leaned down to kiss her.
"Hn," she pulled away from the kiss and gave me a nod to continue. But it quickly came back with a vengeance - forcing me to let out a predatory growl.
Pushing it in until I finally reached the base.
"Hachi~ Y-you're so big~!" Rias moaned out, "You're filling me so much~."
My mind was too foggy, I couldn't hear her words. It focused on how tight and hot Rias felt. She felt amazing, and I needed more.
I started at a slow and steady pace, giving long, hard thrusts that caused Rias' breast to move. It was hypnotic to watch them jiggle, and those sweet moans that she let out made me want to hear more.
Wanting to gain some balance, I placed my hands on the desks, bracing myself, and started to thrust faster.
It caused Rias to let out even more erotic noises and her breasts to nearly smack her face.
"Harder! Faster!" Rias screamed out, "I'm close!"
I complied, already close to my climax. My thrusts started to rock the desk, and I was glad at how sturdy it was.
Rias grabbed my arms to hold herself in place while I leaned over her to pull her stiff nipple into my mouth while the other breast gently smacked my cheek.
"I'm cumming!"
I felt Rias squirt on my waist, but I didn't stop moving. Rias had wrapped her arms around my neck, still moaning in pleasure as I started to thrust faster. I released another growl when I reached my orgasm, slamming my hips down in her soaked snatch and filling her with my cum.
Rias let out another pleasure moan as I filled her up with cum.
"Mmm~ It's so hot~ It's filling my womb~!"
I was panting for breath, along with Rias, but it wasn't enough.
I still felt so hard and hot.
Rias seemed to feel the same as well.
"Hachi~ Don't stop~! I want more~!"
I couldn't say 'no' to her pleas, especially since she looked so cute right now.
So I started to thrust into Rias, taking her to new of our orgasms weren't far off, as we were both on the edge. I could feel both of my shafts throbbing, ready to burst if I don't get satisfaction soon. Rias was going crazy on the desk, her legs wrapping around me and pulling me deeper inside her.
If only I could see what she was seeing with this angle.
Finally, I let out a roar of release.
"Mmph!" Rias moaned loudly as she felt my seed fill her.
We stayed that way for a few seconds before I pulled out and collapsed next to Rias.
It took a while before we both caught our breath and regained control of ourselves.
"That was… wow…" muttered Rias, lying down on her side, "I can't believe that that happened."
"I know right?" I agreed with the redhead, who was staring at me with a wide grin.
"Now, since you've been a good boy, you deserve a reward," she whispered, getting up from her desk, "Come here."
I crawled up from the floor and sat next to Rias.
She then pulled me to her chest, holding me tight as she wrapped her arms around me.
I leaned against her, feeling the warmth radiating from her body.
It was a relief after the intense session we just had.
"Let's do this again… maybe once a day."
"You'll kill me, woman."
"Hehehe, you're the Black Dragon King, so deal with it."
This girl was something else… but at least she was happy.
"Now, let's go another round!"
"Fine."
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 3 other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post monthly commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.
Invitation
Hiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
There seems to have been a major issue with Chapter 72 (lemon scene). Thankfully, it has been corrected along with Chapter 23 and 24 which I've reworked. Removed the whole Issei 1st PoV as it didn't make sense in the first place.
I'll continue to improve and rework previous chapters.
Also, thank you to my newest patrons: DogmaPiece, azure claymore, Claudio Garcia Flores, S1REN F4TE, Lucesky 9, Angel, OBgaming7, r3d3v3, My name is Klondike, ej ross, guilherme rufino and Blademaker . Y'all rock!!
Thats all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by Shigiya
- Mount Olympus-
Located in a separate dimension connected to Greece, a place only accessible to the Gods and heroes from legends.
The home of the Greek gods, Mount Olympus looked like a jagged mountain range that ran across an ever-expanding Ocean of clear crystal blue water. It was surrounded by a huge circular forest called the Olympus Forest, which was considered one with the land itself. The weather was always warm and sunny without any rain or snow to be seen anywhere around. This made it an ideal location for the Olympians to live out their lives peacefully. The sheer size of this Island made traveling nearly impossible without the use of magic or permission from one of the gods, including the different temples.
Today, the place was quiet with not a single noise coming from the fauna. The beasts laid quiet for they sensed the presence of every major god now present on top of Mount Olympus.
"It looks like everyone is here." Sitting on top of the giant golden throne was a man with white hair, a tied beard that reached his chest, and glowing blue eyes. He wore a white robe with gold embroidering along the edges.
The man was known as the king of gods to the Greeks, going by the name Jupiter with the Romans but preferred to be called by his original name - Zeus.
The God of Lightning, Sky, and Justice sat next to a beautiful woman with red hair, his wife Hera.
"No, we are still missing someone," Hera, the goddess of Marriage, Women, and Family sat on her throne while sipping a cup of wine. She looked completely disinterested from everyone in the hall, paying barely any attention.
"She'll be here eventually."
"Probably cheating with someone else, she is your daughter after all."
The god glared at his wife, before ignoring the woman completely.
"The meeting will begin soon," Zeus said calmly as he looked at the other deities gathered before him.
"I hope this goes fast, I have plans with Thoth this afternoon. The man just opened a new restaurant and promised to try out the meals first." Apollo sighed as he stared up at the sky of their domain. "And we've been waiting for almost two hours for everyone to get here." He eyes the different thrones with nearly everyone gathered. Of his brothers and sisters, only two were missing.
"Since when were you acquainted with Thoth of all gods? The God of the Moon barely interacted with our people since the beginning, and I find it quite weird that he approached you first of all gods." From one of the seats, a woman in a business suit spoke with curiosity. Having brown hair tied in a bun and glasses, and held an air of sophistication and dignity around her.
Apollo scoffed, "Not something that you should meddle in, Athena. I have multiple connections all over the pantheons, you spend most of your time gathering knowledge all alone in that hole of what you call a library.
"She's not wrong brother, you tend to be quite gullible at times, no matter how ridiculous that may sound. It could be possible for the Egyptian God to have a secondary motive for meeting you."
"Oh shut it, Artemis. You are suspicious of all men without that being brought up in a conversation. This hasn't changed for the last few thousand years and won't change no matter how hard I try." He scoffed to the white-haired girl sitting next to him.
"Humph, don't expect me to change when you have the same problem."
"Now now, don't start a fight," opposite them, a young man with purple hair with messy clothes spoke in a drunk voice. "You two always fight like cats and dogs every time we have such meetings. Have some of my recently made wine, it's made with hydra blood and some dryad essence. But be careful to not drink too much, or else a certain virgin goddess will have to relinquish that title of hers."
"Dionysus, you sick pervert!"
"Enough!" Zeus exclaimed out loud while smashing his fists against his throne. Thunder and lightning echoed in the sky as he gained everyone's attention.
"Instead of wasting time with senseless talk, we will get to the matter at hand." Everyone sat upright on their throne, even the drunk god of wine lost his easy-going smile as he noticed Zeus' worried state. "Now, I'm sure all of you noticed the disappearance of a certain member within our circle."
"Hephaestus," Hermes mentioned, looking over the empty seat of the god of fire. "I haven't seen the big dirtbag for a few months. To be honest, I expected him to be held up in that garage of his endlessly working on some car or bike made by the mortals. But then again, even someone like him wouldn't miss such a meeting."
Every god agreed with him, they could see something was wrong with his absence. It was probably the major reason behind Zeus' agitation.
"Indeed, as you may have guessed by now, Hephaestus has gone missing longer than usual, and had already had several of our attendants to look for him, and they didn't find a trace of him… we expect he was taken by someone."
Many gasps were heard throughout the group.
Kidnapped? One of them? Unbelievable…
"Father, can you please give us more details?" From a fiery throne surrounded by fire, a large man clothed in armor asked Zeus for the details.
"Ares, you were not present in Olympus during that day. Our dimension was invaded by a certain group of unknown individuals. Though from what I observed, they merely stumbled upon our soil without knowing it. Our armies managed to destroy them with little effort, but it wasn't until one of the dryads came to me with the news of Hephaestus' forge having been blown up from a battle that I rushed over - only to find an empty crater." The god of the sky explained, having the others start whispering among themselves.
"How low have we fallen, to allow those pitiful mortals to intrude upon our domain so easily? It's quite clear they have forgotten the fear we commanded during our glory days." A voice commented with dissatisfaction. A large figure sitting on an equally grandiose throne as Zeus but decorated with skulls and bones like his own appearance of a walking skeleton with red glowing eyes. Being he who governed the realm of the dead, Tartaros and a part of the Underworld - Hades. "I warn you, it is only a matter of time until those who wield Yahweh's creation come knocking on our door with the intention to take away our land. If you don't act quickly, Zeus, then Olympus will fall."
"No such thing will happen, the Biblical faction is too focused on their own inner conflicts for the time being. Just recently, the Angel of Stars, Kokabiel, tried to attack Kuoh and sought to kill the heiresses." Zeus retorted. "They are more likely to destroy themselves than come for us. And why would they even do that? We haven't offended them or meddled with their affairs."
"He was killed by a human," Hades noted about the Kokabiel fight. "Not an Angel, Devil or Fallen… but a normal human." His intentions were clear, everyone understood the underlying meaning being those words. Their pantheon never feared humans or even saw them as a threat, deciding to focus on the Titans and other foreign gods. But times have changed, and some humans already equal the might of gods. It was a terrifying reality to accept, as if their number continued to grow - then they would become overwhelming to deal with.
"You're being too paranoid, brother."
"Humph, pot calling kettle black. You have no right to call me paranoid with your true nature known by us all. You do not want to meddle with the humans because of fear and nothing else. Try as you might to consider the safety of Olympus, it is clear to us all that all you ever cared about is yourself and that desire to copulate with every living thing with two legs." Hades said, anger evident in his voice.
Bam !
Lightning struck the marble pillars near the middle. Everyone backed away in fright, even Hera who sat closest to Zeus.
"Talk to me with respect, brother. We may be equal but I am the king of the Greek gods! And I do care about our people just like the rest, so don't deliver those snarky insults of yours. If you have something to say, then just say it!"
Hades did not scare away from the display of power. Zeus may have been the king, but both knew they stood equal in terms of power and might. Poseidon probably being actually the strongest out of them. Just to provoke the man, even more, he started to release his own energy from the dark shadows spreading across the floor. They both stared at each other for what felt like eons until a melodic voice came from the hall.
"Both of you are acting like children, please stop this senseless fighting and focus on finding my dear husband." A melodious voice spoke from the entrance.
The Goddess of Love, Beauty, and Sexuaility, walked into the room gracefully and bowed her head. Aphrodite possessed a face of unearthly beauty and had her long blonde hair that reached her heels decorated with flowers. Out of every female goddess, her figure stood out the most with them being extremely curvaceous, with very large breasts and wide child bearing hips. She wore traditional Greek clothing that exposed a large amount of her torso and just barely covered her nipples, rear, and pelvic region.
"Husband?" Hera scoffed, annoyed at how that woman could say that with a straight face. "Could have fooled me."
"Hera," Zeus warned her, gesturing his daughter to take her seat. "Come, we've been waiting for you. We are discussing Hephaestus' capture and any possible knowledge of his whereabouts."
Aphrodite did not look offended by Hera's comment. As she grew used to them after a few millennia dealing with her. Her eyes traveled to Ares sitting quietly, his red aura conveying power and domination. She sent a small wink, followed by sending him a kiss. Everyone in the room rolled their eyes, the Goddess of love never tried to hide any of her relationships and adultery.
"You don't look bothered or worried that your so-called husband got kidnapped. How expected," said Athena. "You can at least try to put up an act, our kin is in danger and no matter our relationship, we cannot let this be."
"Do not worry, sister. Hephaestus' case does not scare me for the moment."
"And why is that? Are you telling us that his possible death does not bother you in the slightest? That is a new low, even for someone like you."
Aphrodite laughed, her mounds shaking hypnotically, drawing the attention of many.
"None of that, I have already taken measures to find Hephaestus. After all, I'm his wife, and isn't it my duty to look after him?" Her tone was the furthest from being genuine and it was quite clear that she did not care for the one she was essentially married to. "I know you are all aware of my connection with Falbium Asmodeus and Serafall Leviathan. I have used a favor from the past to have them help us out with our current problem."
Her smile grew, almost as if she enjoyed seeing the shocked expression on everyone's face at the news.
"Those Devils never disappoint, especially in bed."
{ Break}
-Hachiman PoV-
Safe to say, my date with Rias went better than I expected. We ended up spending all night at the club and did not return home.
I really hope we were able to get rid of any of the evidence.
Thankfully, the next day it was still Sunday so I didn't have to get ready for school.
I received a text message from Xenovia showing me the picture of the apartment she shared with Irina. They both agreed to continue living together despite one being a Devil. Though Rias made sure to give them a place with two rooms to make sure that her Knight wasn't near a Holy Sword in her sleep.
Kalawarna sent me her usual morning pics for no reason at all other than to get me riled up. But this I felt my cheeks warm up a bit with the latest picture of her being with Raynare at a bikini store. As expected, that bitch fallen had a taste for slingshot black bikinis to help maximize her sex appeal and Kalawarna chose something more floral with a mini skirt giving her an alluring but cute appearance.
"Why is she even buying one? Her entire closet is filled with different sets. Is she just buying more to show off?" I said to myself, though I was happy that they could hang out as well and was glad that Kala wasn't too down in the dumps after Asia's departure.
Geez, I never saw that woman cry so much, and Asia was no better. I almost thought I had to help Gabriel pry Kala off of Asia when it was time for them to leave. After that, I had to help her get back home as she blubbered all the way.
Though the last message surprised me, it was from Issei. He was asking if we could talk in the park, something about needing advice. I agreed, I needed to catch up with my training regiment anyways, so doing a small run sounded like a good idea.
"I'll need to change first."
Rias was still sleeping, those pills took a lot from both of us but I could handle them - while she couldn't. So I left her to continue her slumber and teleported to my house where Akeno waited on my bed.
Wearing a simple oversized shirt and a loose pair of boxers that looked ready to fall off. Her hair was no longer tied in a ponytail as they spread all around my bed. It was still a bit weird to realize that she and Raynare, when taking the appearance of Yuuma, resembled each other very much.
I had to stop myself from having dark, dirty thoughts involving the two.
She was reading one of my mangas, so entranced by the story that she didn't even notice my presence as I drew closer. It was quite rare to find her so relaxed and casual, even after spending years with her I wouldn't see this side of hers much. Always having that prim and proper Yamato Nadeshiko persona going for her - just like her mother.
I decided to take a peak.
"Oh, didn't you know you would like Chainblade man."
"Kyah!"
Bam !
It seemed like hearing my voice caught her by so much surprise that she even fell off the bed. Kneeling next to her, I removed some of the hair strands covering her hair as she glared at me.
"Good morning beautiful, had a nice night?" I asked, purposefully pinching her cheeks for how adorable she looked with her pout.
"No… I got bored yesterday." Akeno said. "Xenovia left with Irina, Asia is no longer around to tease, Kiba is occupied with his own training, Koneko was summoned for a request and Gasper still refuses to come out of his room aside from training. So I just decided to kill some time by hanging out here. Azazel refused to have me help out with cleaning up the city and father and mother forced me to take a break. I tried to find that Fallen girl but I think she's avoiding me."
For obvious reasons.
' She's been pushing herself quite a bit.'
Her desire to help the city was nice but it took a lot out of her. Having to use hypnosis almost a thousand times per day must have drained her Magical Energy reserves dry. Akeno was a freak of nature when it came to the amount of power she possessed, but everyone had a limit.
"How did your day with Rias go? I bet she liked it a lot."
"I would say it went nicely, she nearly killed me like a true succubus. I swear both of you have more in common than I expected." My comment made her start laughing. "Alright, you'll have to spend a bit more time alone I'm afraid, I have to go out for a bit."
"That's unfair… who's the girl? Is it Aika? Xenovia? Kalawarner or is it another girl that you ensnared with your charms~?"
What the heck was she implying?
"It's a boy." I said after putting on new clothes and walking out of the door, leaving a speechless Akeno behind.
Heh, that face she made was completely worth it.
Running to the park took about an hour and I made sure to take a long way. My legs burned from the exercise but I continued to persevere and pushed my body.
Panting and covered in sweat, I wouldn't lie and say that I missed this sensation. Training still felt like an annoying chore that I knew I had to do. It kept my body in great shape and helped me improve slowly but steadily.
"Senpai!" I heard Issei's voice when I reached the park, he was also wearing a jersey while in the middle of stretching. "Didn't you think you of all people would even exercise. I don't think you even need it at your strength level."
"If I want to stay at this level and not get surpassed by protagonist level characters like you in a matter of days, then I'm kind of forced to." And because I also wanted to protect those close to me, but that line felt too cheesy to say out loud.
"I understand, I want to get stronger to protect those close to me and Kaichou!" As expected from Issei, he could say such things without hesitation.
"How's Sona doing by the way? I heard Serafall returned to the Underworld so I guess she must be quite happy."
He nodded, "Yup, she's been smiling a lot lately and even gave us a day off today. Though her sister was quite awesome! Sanji and I saw all of her shows about Magical girl Levi-tan, even when Kaichou forbade us not to watch!" Oh right, I almost forgot about the show, Rias did tell me on multiple occasions to watch the entire thing with the club.
"A bit jarring to see an all-powerful Maou do these kinds of things. Especially after what happened last night, I can still feel the cold around the school."
"Tell me about it, she didn't look scary when we first met her, heck, she even invited us to an arcade to have fun. Serafall-san did come and apologize to us about what happened and that she feels guilty for losing control so easily." Issei said, looking around absentmindedly. I could tell he was just stalling for something, maybe a wanting to address a particularly sensitive subject… and I knew just what that was.
"Have you talked to Raynare?"
"-!"
Immediately, Issei went still, his body tensing up as he went all quiet for the next few moments. There it was, the main reason why he called me here, the events of the past still haunted him to some extent.
"Y-Yes, I… I saw Yuuma-cha-"
"-Raynare" I corrected him, he needed to realize that Raynare was not Yuuma nor would she ever become her. It would take nothing short of a miracle to have the Fallen become a pure maiden.
"R-R-Right… Ray… nare. I saw her talking with Aika at school a few days ago. She even hung out with the Kendo club girls. She still looks the same as before, unlike her bustier version."
Hm, so Murayama and Katase also got to talk to her huh… That was unexpected and a bit worrying, due to the fact that Raynare could influence them in ways I would not like. I wouldn't lie and say that she got over her hatred of humans and the girl said it herself.
"Do you still hold feelings for her?" I asked, watching the boy panic in front of me while trying to deny it.
"N-NO! Of course not! She tried to kill me and… and I… I…"
His feelings were a mess, he obviously held some feelings for Yuuma which got buried deep within his mind. I would have guessed that he even forgot about them until recently.
"You can tell me the truth, Issei. I can't help you if you hide things from me. So just spit it out and tell me what's on your mind."
"…"
I waited, taking a swing of water while taking a seat. My eyes stared at the people walking on the streets, smiling and laughing with their friends and some just going through their everyday life. To think that some of these people must have gotten frozen solid by a Maou in just a few days and having no idea about it was a bit weird.
"I'm sorry," Issei said, "I still like her, I still have dreams of us going on our first date. She was the first one to ever ask me out, the first one to ever give me a chance, and the first one I genuinely started to fall in love with. Even if it was for just a few hours, those moments were my happiest. Even though I know Raynare, her true nature as a Fallen who hates humans and only wants to kill… I still can't forget about Yuuma. I don't know what to do anymore, seeing her every day feels so weird."
"Did she try to talk with you? Because I know for sure you wouldn't have approached her."
He laughed self-deprecatingly, "She basically ignored my existence, she even walked by me without even giving as much as a glance. The other girls also don't like me being close to her…"
Of course, they wouldn't want him anywhere near them with his reputation. I wanted to feel bad for the guy on this part but knew the fault for being known as an extreme pervert lied solely on him.
"That's too bad. So what do you do exactly? Do you want Yuuma to come back for real and tell you that Raynare was nothing but an act? Maybe you two have a tearful reunion as she jumps in your arms and gives you a passionate kiss full of love and acceptance. Let's be honest, that will never happen. The Yuuma that you believe in does not exist." I was brutal with my words, I knew that, but Issei needed to get a reality check as soon as possible before he could get hurt from this mindset.
"Would I be stupid if I said that I did want something like that to happen? For all we know, Kokabiel could have manipulated her to become so… evil." Issei whispered.
"No," I shot down the boy's hopes in an instant. "Raynare was like this for many centuries, Kalawarna told me so. Kokabiel was a manipulative warmonger, he wouldn't have been dumb enough to focus his attention and focus on a weak random Fallen like Raynare."
"Yeah, you're probably right about that." He agreed with me. "This was a stupid question."
"No, it isn't. You have problems and you wish to resolve them. I can understand how such a thing can be hard to overcome given how many things we have to juggle. We tend to forget about them and leave these issues to fester in the dark corners of our minds till they come back worse than before. That is why I believe in the bandaid method."
Issei was quite confused by my statement. Instead of explaining to him my reasoning, I grabbed my phone before video-calling a certain Fallen.
Ring~!
Ring~!
"The fuck do you want?" An angry face appeared on the screen, wearing sunglasses with a straw hat while sipping a tropical drink. I could hear the sound of waves coming from the background and saw the sand behind her.
Yup, she was relaxing on a beach.
"Yo, just here because someone wanted to talk to you."
The boy next to me panicked as I handed him my phone. This was a risky move, but one which would help him far better than mere words could ever do.
"H-H-Hey, Yuuma-chan!"
Damn, it was worse than I expected, even after telling him before he still kept insisting on that name.
Raynare pulled her glasses below as she gazed at him for a few seconds before rolling her eyes.
"Oh, it's you." Even her tone sounded like she was speaking to someone beneath her. "Urgh, you're the last thing I wanted to deal with on my time off. What do you want, kid? Make it quick."
"Kid?"
He must have felt the stark contrast between her and the girl in his mind. Now that I thought of it, I didn't have time to truly hammer in his head that Yuuma never existed. I basically just threw him around a couple of times before passing him onto Rias.
"I-It's me, Issei. Do… Do you remember the day we went on a date together?"
"Date? Oh yeah, that lame outing we had that day. Never experienced such a dull and boring day in my life, and I lived for centuries. You kept blatantly staring at my tits the entire time that I even considered killing you in public." Raynare didn't bother holding back with her words, each of them looked like it hit Issei brutally in his heart. The boy winced the entire time, probably expecting something different.
Sorry, this was the real her.
"Don't say that!" He shouted. "What about the entire time you smiled!? I saw you laugh, and have fun and we even brought that bracelet to memorialize our first date! Didn't the time we had mean nothing to you!?"
The Fallen went all quiet, she looked at him for a few seconds before having her eyes lock on me. I shrugged, wanting them to handle this dispute between them on their own.
In the end, she sighed.
"Boy, I don't know how to tell you this, but I ain't Yuuma or whatever bullshit image of me you have in your mind. I'm Raynare and I honestly don't care about you. Hell, I don't even know your name. You're a piece of weakling human who fell for a girl on first meeting, which is pretty sad. The entire date we had was nothing but an act, I never cared or enjoyed myself once back then and kept acting like a naive stupid girl to get you to listen to me! Okay, maybe I did have a little bit of fun but those moments only lasted a few minutes. No, I won't give you a chance or whatever the fuck you were going to say to me. Your dumb submissive little bitch never existed, so get used to it. And for that bracelet, yeah it was a nice gift, but I don't keep it because it means something special to me. I just like pretty things." Without letting him say something, she told him all that in bored sounding voice without a hint of remorese and immediately hung up leaving him all on his own.
I patted his back for comfort.
"…"
"…"
We both stayed there for a bit, he never let go of my phone while staring at the black screen. I on the other hand was fully recovered and planned to continue my training.
"Tough luck, you should never grow attached to such people. I wouldn't say this is your fault, because it isn't - you were the victim. The only special power she has is not her light spear but that rude tongue of hers. Don't burn yourself out for nothing, now you truly have people who care." I said, referring to the other student council members. "Just because you lost a girl who never existed doesn't mean you should become blind to the people around you. Momo, Sona, Saji, Tsubasa, Tsubaki, and so on - all of them consider you as family."
"Yeah, you're right." He spoke in a low voice, most likely holding back his tears. This wasn't going to be easy and he was bound to get hurt, but I preferred this to happen at the sooner than later. Issei was strong and disturbingly optimistic and shameless, but he was also not impervious to breaking down. "It's just so hard to forget about the past."
"Because you can never forget, only move forward. Learn from what happened today and become a better person. Raynare was just one of the many hurdles you'll face in your life and if you fall now then many will be very disappointed in you - including me. I know you can do better." I gave him enough help as if it was, my role wasn't to babysit Issei the entire time as he needed to handle these things on his own as well.
I didn't doubt that if Raynare had succeeded in killing him that day that his mental health would have been much worse.
"Good luck Issei, if you see that bitch again in school then treat her the same way she does to you; Ignore her and maybe flip her the bird."
That was my last advice to him before I moved on with my run. I called Sona to tell her about Issei's situation and asked her to not bring it up to him. The best thing she could do was to continue their current dynamic and to let the boy heal at his own pace.
It wasn't until I reached deep within the mountains where Akeno's previous house was rebuilt that I stopped.
"Haa… Haa… my stamina hasn't increased by that much." This wasn't good, my magical reserves used to be a problem in the past as my weakest trait. But now it has already surpassed my physical strength by a ridiculous margin.
" You should invest more time in strenuous physical labor than any more magical training. With me by your side and the constant battles you've been in, your magic level has already reached a satisfactory threshold. But if the gap between it and your strength gets too big, then you might encounter certain imbalances in the future ." Vritra spoke from my hand.
"But how? I don't think going to the gym will help me at this stage. Koneko is a good sparring partner but most of her powers are inherited through her Nekoshou traits and Rook piece, she can't explain certain things to me without understanding them in the first place."
" Maybe you need a better trainer."
Yeah, I could as- Fwish !
My thoughts were cut off by the appearance of a red magic circle forming before me. It was the Gremory crest and from there appeared a woman I hadn't seen for a very long time. With silver hair and blue eyes, she certainly was quite beautiful like most Devils. Wearing the same maid uniform and a blank face that conveyed little to no emotions that reminded me of a freezing tundra.
"Grayfia-san?" I called her, being polite with my tone as she was Sirzechs' wife. The last time she appeared in my room I was a bit rude and didn't want our relationship to sour any further.
"Greetings, Hikigaya-sama." She bowed, a gesture I quickly returned as well. "Sirzechs-sama has requested your presence in the Underworld to announce important news concerning the matters of Naberius and the wanted criminal Kuroka. A train to Lucifaad has been arranged for tomorrow where you can join Rias-sama and Sona-sama for the journey. Furthermore, you have been given the approval to bring along your own protectors and subordinates."
She handed me an envelope with the wax stamp of Lucifer's symbol.
Well, it was about time for Sirzechs to be done with this matter. I hadn't heard anything about this since the incident in Paris.
"Thank you, I'll be there."
I could bring Xenovia along… she would definitely enjoy the trip.
Though I was a bit sad that I couldn't bring Asia.
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 3 other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post monthly commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.
To the Underworld
Hiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Still working on past chapters and couldn't finish it in time to update them at the same time as this chapter. It'll take another day or two.
Also, thank you to my newest patrons: Eduardo Salvatierra, Isaac Han, Conner LaFleur, Lily Blatnica, Winter Nights, LordMarksman, Benjamin Pomon, Ethan, Andrew Dungo, Elvathien, BigBeanMan, ZombieKing, Kelvin, dragon_cloud16, ColdBox Thiraphut Klinmai, rD Hao, Raydas, TroxX Kami, Bailey, Javier Marquez and haze2343 . Y'all rock!
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by Shigiya and Solitary heart
-???-
They said that the road to hell was paved with good intentions. Well, they were right, the smooth ride I found myself on proved to be a far better experience than I ever could have imagined.
The train to the Underworld, something that should have only been accessible to pure-blooded Devils and their peerage. A ride so ridiculously luxurious that I began wondering what was not covered in gold or other types of precious jewels. Yes, even the toilet was made out of gold.
Why do they need to use so much gold!?
WE GET IT!
"This is fascinating… no wonder the Devils managed to bring in so many humans to reincarnate."
By my side was Xenovia, wearing something else than her ridiculous church clothes that were nothing more than slightly durable latex leotards or her school uniform. Wearing blue skin-tight jeans and a long-sleeved black turtleneck sweater. It was a refreshing look from what I was used to seeing her wear since these last few days.
"I can see that you're enjoying the ride… especially your stomach." I said, watching my so-called sworn knight absolutely destroy the food in front of her like a vacuum cleaner. "You might be human but this just contradicts so much…"
Like seriously, she probably ate five times the volume of what I normally consumed… and my portions were quite large! From 2 whole chickens, three entire steaks, a whole bowl of salad, and three plates of fries - Xenovia ate all of it in a single hour. She must have broken some kind of record by now.
"I'm going to be sick," sitting on my left was a certain black-haired Fallen Angel. "And here I thought humans couldn't get any more disgusting," Raynare muttered with a time filled with disgust.
The girl was dressed very differently as well. Keeping true to her leather fetish, she sported tight black leather jeans and a black tank top with the same colored leather biker jacket. Having nearly encapsulated the goth style by even wearing a spiked choker.
She was sipping on a full bottle of champagne before continuing to chat with another Fallen Angel, Kalawarna. She wore her regular blue secretary clothes that she loved so much. Kala saw that I was giving her a look, before she gave me a flirty wink. But I soon felt my heart stop for a moment when she slowly uncrossed and crossed her legs in front of me, making sure to look me in the eyes with her actions. I gave every ounce of my will to not look down, otherwise, I knew she would trap me. Raynare just rolled her eyes and let out scoff at her actions.
Even after all these years, this woman was still dangerous!
"You don't really get to judge people on that, Raynare. Not to mention, aren't you hanging out with Aika, Murayama, and Katase a lot lately? They are humans too." I commented, making her huff in response before ignoring me completely, while Kala just smiled at our interactions. At least she didn't comment on what just happened, but she would bring it up sooner or later.
Nevertheless, the entire squad was here. All three of them were technically part of my group, Kalawarna as my personal secretary, Xenovia as my sworn knight, and Raynare who was still under the soul contract that would kill her if she didn't obey. Since this visit to the Underworld also included a formal party that I needed to attend with my inner circle… I didn't really have a choice other than them. And this was a great opportunity to have Xenovia explore more of the Supernatural world and gradually change her perspective bit by bit.
"Aside from the food, how are you feeling?" I asked the Holy Sword user, curious to know her answer.
"Hm," she put her knife and fork down before pondering my question. "It feels weird. Both Irina and I grew up in the church with the idea of the Underworld being a lawless world with every sin imaginable and all acts of debauchery happening on the regular. Aside outside of official missions, stepping there willingly was no different than becoming a heretic who needs to be put down." Just like I expected, she was quite direct with her words.
"Would you count the Underworld and Hell as the same? As there are dimensions from other pantheons, some not even having the concept of heaven and hell… just being called the afterlife." Granted, the souls of the dead weren't wandering aimlessly in the Underworld. This place was just like a regular territory just without the presence of the Sun. No souls were being kept here and there was another completely different system that was too complicated to get into right now.
"Hm, I don't know. We never questioned our teachings. So anything outside of Earth associated with other factions and beliefs is labeled as heretic and pagan. No matter the case, associating with any of them was very forbidden." She explained, making me realize just how strict their system was. "Still, I never expected to one day willingly go to the Underworld just to attend a party… my past self would most likely kill me without hesitation for my heresy."
On the other side of the table was Irina having the same appetite as Xenovia. In fact, she was eating more! Must have been due to her now being a Devil.
"I'd be even more shocked," she said with her mouth filled with expensive food. "I literally became a Devil, my past self would have just killed herself on the spot for such blasphemy."
What a bleak and dark way to think. But then again, she was the more religious one of the duo.
"Oh, Ise-kun, come try this caviar!" She called her childhood friend, the latter sitting in silence as he held his left arm while probably talking to Ddraig. He was broken out of his concentration when the newest Knight of Gremory dragged him to sit next to her. They were getting along better than I expected, though Issei still didn't know how to deal with her - the boy just went along with whatever she wanted. He still behaved awkwardly around Raynare, even after our talk.
For the moment, my mind was preoccupied with the matters concerning Kuroka and Koneko. The Naberius house was done for, their past association with the Satan faction and the incident with Kuroka was one of the main reasons why they were basically nonexistent at this point.
I walked around the room, looking outside the window where the sky here mimicked the same color as the human world. I read that it used to be purple in color for both day and nighttime, but the Maous literally created a fake moon and sun to give the people the illusion of the standard sky on Earth, to make the reincarnated feel more welcomed to their world. It was hard to believe that this was my first time in the Underworld, I never visited Rias' home in the past due to how busy I was in general and Rias never brought it up, as she usually just hangs out at my house.
"Father and mother are excited to see you." A voice behind me spoke, I turned around to find Rias wearing her Kuoh uniform for some reason. "They wouldn't stop nagging me when you would finally visit them."
"Guess today is their lucky day, though they'll most likely be let down."
"Why do you think so?" She asked, confused by my words.
"Because I feel like they have a different image of who I truly am. Let's be honest, most of the Underworld thinks of me as someone similar to Vali, a battle maniac who regularly searches for powerful opponents to battle and isn't afraid to steal women from their partners. You know? Being literally called the Black Dragon King for a reason. When in actuality, they'll find out that I'm the complete opposite." I'd like to think I was someone peaceful, but it didn't help that my recent battle with Kokabiel kind of ruined that image.
Rias shook her head, and planted a gentle kiss on my cheek "You're overthinking things. I'm sure if you spend a few moments with them, they'll be impressed by you - just like I was in the past."
"I agree with Rias." Someone else joined, it was Sona. "I can't speak for everyone else but our parents are generally more accepting of you and have been wanting to meet you for a while."
That was good to know.
{ Break}
-Lucifaad-
After an hour, the train stopped in the city of Lucifaad - the capital city of Devil kind. We stopped in a station reserved only for us, the entire place was empty with rows of servants waiting for us.
Once we arrived, I walked out of the train car and took a deep breath of the air. My body felt stiff after being confined inside for so many hours. That feeling of being claustrophobic came back to me once again, so I decided to stretch my muscles a bit.
Xenovia had fallen into step beside me, while she gazed around the location "This place doesn't look that different…"
"Were you expecting fire and brimstone to cover the land with Devils holding a fiery pitchfork and tormenting the souls of the damned?" I asked jokingly, not expecting for Xenovia to seriously nod her head.
"I did expect to see a lot of fire and a bunch of Satanists, but I guess that isn't really the case." She continued walking next to me, her eyes focused on the ground. "But I'm surprised that people actually live here."
"They do," I replied, noticing a few limos parked in front of us. Threw cars to be specific, each group traveled separately.
"Quite extravagant…" I commented, "Does this always happen?"
Rias shrugged, "It isn't that impressive, I know how you don't like things that attract too much attention. So I asked Onii-sama to keep things quiet and discreet."
This was considered discreet? I looked at Akeno who was standing behind Rias. Wanting her to confirm the redhead's words as both of them regularly traveled to the Underworld.
"Fufufu, don't be surprised. On regular days Rias would be welcomed by an entire crowd of adoring fans who loudly cheer her name."
"…"
"Furthermore, she quite enjoys the attention." Her words made Rias become all flustered and embarrassed, she grabbed her Queen's hand and pulled her forcefully to the car.
"A-Akeno, stop spewing nonsense! Let's go now, my parents must be getting impatient by now!"
"Ara~! You act so shy despite what happened between you and Hachi-kun last time, you naughty girl~"
"Akeno!"
They both got inside the car, followed by Kiba, Koneko, and finally Irina. Gasper decided to stay behind like always. The same happened with Sona and finally, it was our turn. We all got inside the car and we were driven straight toward the center of the capital - Lucifer's main castle.
As we were driven to our location, I gazed at the city from my seat. Everything looked the same as any city on Earth. People in suits going to work, students talking to their friends while others used their phones. It was like we were still in Kuoh, though the only difference being that people here weren't hiding their wings and even had familiars out in the open.
"So, do you know where exactly we are going?" Xenovia asked, keeping an eye on the streets.
"We are heading straight to the castle," I said, letting my eyes rest as I began feeling a bit tired from the constant travel. "After this, we'll probably go to Rias' house, I think. It's my first time here, just like you."
For all I knew, we could all be given rooms in Lucifer's castle.
"You look tired, are you okay?" Kalawarna asked, pressing the back of her hand on my forehead, being far closer than I expected. "You don't seem sick."
"Idiots don't get sick."
"Don't be mean, Raynare. "
"Pft, whatever. I honestly don't get why you want to fuck this guy."
"Raynare!"
Never would I have imagined for Kalawarna to be able to control Raynare, even when she was still mouthy at times. The latter was her boss in the past, the group leader who made all the decisions. Now their dynamic had made a 180 turn with Kalawarna being the one in charge, and seems to be doing a far better job at keeping the others in line. I made a note to bring her along whenever I would need to deal with Raynare.
"It's nothing, just been feeling a bit tired with everything that's been happening lately… A vacation would be much appreciated." Maybe I could take a few days of vacation in Hawaii or something. Just chill by myself under the sun, having no one to talk to for the next few days and being all by myself.
I sighed.
' One can always dream.'
Now that I thought about it, every day the time I had for myself grew thinner and thinner. I couldn't even remember the last time I spent at least two hours all by myself.
"I can book you a private beach all for yourself." Kalawarna proposed, having decided to sit next to me.
"Nah, I don't want to be bothered." I said, giving up on my dreams of solitude. "I don't want to bother you with such a little matter."
"I'm afraid I can't," she said stubbornly, her face becoming serious. "I have come to realize that I haven't been taking my role as your secretary seriously enough if the reason that you declined is because 'you didn't want to bother me'. I have already a few spots in the Underworld in mind, I'll give them a call and make some reservations for you." Grabbing her phone, Kalawarna immediately started making a few calls.
I honestly didn't mind it, if she indeed found something worthwhile then I would be immensely grateful.
The car stopped in front of a large white building, the doors opened and we all stepped out, revealing a grand lobby which was lined with red carpet and statues of devils. The marble floor was covered in gold dust, and there was a fountain in the middle of the room than most normal houses. Even the ceilings were high and glowed with golden light.
"Wow…" Xenovia whispered with wide eyes, her jaw dropped in awe. "This place looks like the Vatican. I feel like I'm visiting the royal palace or something."
"You're not wrong, this is Lucifer's castle after all." I explained, seeing the place made me feel just how freaking rich these Devils were. "And this is just the entrance, imagine what the inner chambers will look like…"
"Hm, our guests have arrived."
All of us heard a calm voice come from the end of the hall. A man with a familiar shade of red hair stood there accompanied by Graifya and a few other servants. He hadn't changed a bit since I last saw him, having that familiar smile that conveyed little to nothing. A perfect mask for a being such as him, and one that suited his moniker as the Prince of Lies.
"It is an honor to be invited by a Maou." Kalawarna was quick to respond, she and a frightened Raynare all bowed their heads deeply at him with Xenovia following suit as well. It was undeniable that even while standing there and doing nothing, his presence still brought heavy pressure over them just like it did for me when we first met.
At least Raynare didn't run away like a dog with its tail between its legs.
"Hahaha! No need to be so polite, treat me as you would any regular person."
Yeah right, as if they would ever do that to someone who could erase them with a simple sneeze. Especially him of all people, a character so broken that they had to create a new category in classing his powers as a Super Devil.
Grayfia walked forward, gesturing to the attendants to escort my group to inside the castle.
"Please make yourself at home, we have a feast prepared for you after such a tedious trip. For those who want to relax further, there is a hot spring and sauna available for the guests to use." She said, bringing everyone along to the next room while leaving her King and me all alone in the entrance room.
I would like to say that I didn't feel nervous.
"…"
"…"
He just stood there, menacingly, his smile making me very uncomfortable the longer he stared at him.
"Well… how's it going?" That was the best I could say without showing my nervousness.
"Oh I'm fine, did you know that in a few days, the school will be having a school visit day for parents who want to see their kids in class?"
I did know about that, Aika mentioned this at one point. It wasn't that big of a deal to me, my father and mother already knew how little I performed in class. So they would only see their son sleeping in class or barely paying any attention and probably feel embarrassment from my actions.
Could have been worse…
"Yes, though it had been pushed back a bit due to how everyone was busy taking care of the aftermath of Kokabiel's assault."
"An unfortunate case. There were many things wrong with the Cadre Fallen Angel, but who wouldn't have thought that his obsession with the past war made his judgment get damaged to such a degree. Having the idea that killing Rias or Sona would have caused another war."
"It wouldn't have?" I was slightly shocked by his words, I wasn't expecting such a response from him. Then again, he is a Maou with the responsibility to keep his people saf-
"I would have annihilated the entire Fallen population by myself if he had hurt a single hair on my precious sister."
Yeah, I repeat my past statement - this guy was scary.
"Anyways, about the parent conference day." What a weird way to change subjects. "Our father decided to pay a visit with the Phenex family head. I, of course, would like to surprise Rias."
"She didn't tell you, didn't she." I stated, knowing how the girl was embarrassed of her brother's antics and didn't want him to attract too much attention in school.
"We both know how Rias is, but I don't hold any grudges. If it wasn't for Shuri-san paying a visit then I would have honestly forgotten about it."
"… You do realize that I can tell that you're lying, right?"
"Pft-hahahahaha! You're funny, Hachiman-kun!" I haven't said anything funny though… "I believe this is the second time you mentioned something like this to me."
Second time? Oh right, that time inside the plane.
"You remember?"
"Of course I do, I don't tend to forget such things."
Well, that was worrying on its own.
"…"
"…"
We once again stood there, facing each other quietly for the next minute. This was getting a bit awkward, I didn't know what he wanted with me aside from the Naberius topic he called me here in the first place.
"Hachiman-kun, take care of my sister, okay?"
He knew.
My heart started beating like a drum, I could literally blood pump with each beat, the sudden increase in tension making me sweat buckets in a matter of seconds. There wasn't any worst way this could go any worse, Sirzechs was an infamous siscon who just admitted that he would have caused the Fallen to go extinct over the death of his sister.
"I-I-It's not like th-"
Once again, he started laughing.
"Don't worry, Hachiman-kun. If there is one person I'm comfortable letting Rias fall in love with is you. I knew this moment would come for years, I just didn't expect it would have taken so long. It was obvious that she had a crush on you for a long time."
"You're… not mad?" I asked fearfully.
"Of course, I'm not! I would love to have you as my brother-in-law."
Rias and I weren't married…
"Alright, enough messing around." His smile died down before a serious aura grew around him. "I called you here for another reason. It involves the former Naberius house. We have made a lot of progress since the incident in Paris and just recently I've managed to put in place something that I'm sure you'll like very much."
Fwish !
A large crimson magical circle encompassed the hall, having the Lucifer insignia displayed proudly in the middle. Though there were some changes to it, making it have some resemblances to his past Gremory identity. The spell began transporting us to another location while I kept my composure after the conversation with Sirzechs. This matter concerned not only me, but Koneko as well and I couldn't let her down - since I made a promise to her a few years ago.
Though as we were half gone by then, at the corner of my eyes, I caught sight of a black figure observing us from the ceiling above. Giving a quick glance before I disappeared completely, I raised an eyebrow as what I found was quite unexpected.
A black cat?
{ Break}
-???-
We reappeared in the middle of a forest, looking around I came to witness a dilapidated manor with overgrown vines and broken walls. The windows were shattered and there was no sign of life anywhere inside, it was abandoned. But the one thing that caught my attention was the sigil on the entrance door. It wasn't in good condition, but whole enough for me to recognise it - house of Naberius, the former Marquess of Hell.
"A few years ago, the head of the Naberius family was found dead inside his manor. Having sustained fatal wounds from disemboweled and his limbs torn off. The initial investigation had shown that this was the doing of his former Queen, now wanted criminal and terrorist Kuroka."
I listened to him carefully, this story was a major scandal in the past. A peerage member killing their king was one of the gravest taboos in the Underworld. Given how the status of reincarnated Devils was already fragile and unstable, to begin with, this incident cracked any progress they made in fixing the problem.
"This incident was investigated by both Ajuka and a few members of the pillars. They found that Kuroka became drunk with power and lost her sanity in the process. The usage of Senjutsu has corrupted her mind due to its very nature. I'm sure you know this, but amongst the carnage, we found a single survivor."
"Shirone," I said, using her previous name before she changed it to Koneko.
As for Senjutsu, it had a fatal flaw, as while it lets the user read and handle spirit power, it could also take in the malice and ill will that flows in the world, potentially corrupting the user. Kuroka was labeled as someone who fell down this path, making her SS-class Stray Devil and one of the most wanted criminals in the Underworld.
"You know my stance on this matter," I said to Sirzechs, the latter nodding.
"You don't believe the story."
I gave the man a sharp glare, using the full force of my freaky fish eyes "And so do you."
He smiled, not even a little intimidated by my glare, as expected, but not denying or agreeing with my claim either.
"While Senjutsu is a powerful art that has in some way become tainted, people tend to exaggerate its effects. Humans capable of practicing it tend to have little to no defense against the malice thus easily falling prey to it. But this differs heavily with Youkais, they are born with a certain degree of immunity against the negative aspects of Senjutsu. In fact, some species, in particular, are immune to it - Kyuubis, Tengu, Onis and Nekoshous." I explained, having made my own research on the matter since I learned about it with several inputs from Vritra on the specifics. "Koneko is capable of using Senjutsu after she got over her fear, but never at any point did she suffer or have to deal with the malice or ill nature of the world."
"… You certainly did quite a lot of research, Hachiman-kun."
"I tried to learn Touki but with very little progress on my part. It is logical that I would have needed to learn about the effects of Senjutsu on humans. But this isn't about me, Grayfia-san told me that you made some sort of progress on this matter." The best way I could help Koneko was to deal with the situation surrounding her sister at first. I didn't neglect the possibility of Kuroka genuinely being a criminal who had evil intentions, but the chance of that being the case was very minute. And given how I suffered at the hands of a Naberius clan member, I couldn't not be suspicious of them as well.
"Malum Naberius has a lab hidden under this mansion. Hidden through hundreds of layers of magical barriers, traps, and natural protection from the environment. None of us sensed this in the first place if it wasn't for Azazel's help with one of his prototypes."
Who would have thought that the lazy crow was the one who actually helped the most in this case.
"The underground lab was filled with… failed experiments. Corpses of young children of various races, dissected and left to rot, deformed creatures that somehow lived trapped inside the lab and some kidnapped Devils who've been gone for years. A disgusting place that needs to be erased in my opinion." Sirzechs face was doing a great job to hide his anger. But I could tell that given the chance, he wanted nothing but to destroy the entire area off the face of the Underworld.
He took a deep breath before exhaling slowly.
"I digress, but thanks to this discovery, we've uncovered countless notes and journals of every Naberius scientist and their scientific projects - including Kuroka's late King." He summoned a stack of papers. "We uncovered these notes, detailing the process of how the former late head of the Naberius clan wanted his servants and their families to go through a certain level of power-ups and had intended to use Kuroka as a live specimen, who could already use Senjutsu and Youjutsu, to study the nature of her power, experiment to see how her power worked and to then apply these findings on other subjects who hadn't matured yet."
I felt sickened, a bile of rage rising to my throat as it was clear the bastard tried to experiment on Koneko in the past. That girl who I've seen grow up was just a little girl, having treated her like a sister, to be used as nothing more than a disposable lab rat for them to use as they please.
"Sirzechs, you know what this means. Kuroka has been wrongly accused and her status as a wanted criminal has to be repealed and Koneko needs to know the truth."
He sighed, "I agree with you on both sides. But unfortunately, we can't change her status as a wanted criminal anytime soon…"
"Is it because she killed her king out of self defense? The same guy who was illegally doing these experiments and whose family has been found out to be supporters of the old Satan faction?" How could they not see the sheer level of stupidity in this case was beyond me.
"The Underworld holds the importance of the King far beyond the system you're used to, Hachiman. Things work differently around here, and you can only change the rules if you have the power to back it up."
"And you don't?" He was known as the strongest Devil for a reason! Who else but him could do such a thing?
"Heh, I concur that I'm in a better position to make such changes. I may be the Maou and one of the strongest Devils alive, but I still don't hold that much power as people think. There is only a single wall stopping us from solving this case and removing Kuroka's status as a criminal."
"And this person is?"
He gave a long stare, going quiet for a few seconds before saying, "… One of the oldest Devils, Bael. One of the first kings of Hell."
{ Break}
(A hour later)
Rummaging through the rubbles of the manor, I absentee picked random items before throwing it back down.
Sirzechs had left, having a meeting to attend and would be back in an hour. I asked to be left here instead of going back to the castle or be teleported to the Gremory estate.
" A penny for your thoughts?" Vritra spoke, coming out in his Absorption Line form.
"Just thinking about the whole Kuroka situation. You would think people as old as Bael in positions of power would be able to see the benefits of solving this case. Why go through all this trouble and create another powerful enemy? If they had handled matters correctly, then they would have less to worry about. Literally less trouble." I said, grabbing a pebble and throwing it at an intact mirror before shattering it to pieces.
" Devils, Humans, Gods, Angels, Fallens… All of these people have flaws and desires just like any other person. Just because someone is centuries, or even thousands of years old does not mean they always can see the bigger picture. Wisdom comes along with age, but it rots due to power and arrogance. I know very little about the first Bael, but he does not strike me as someone who could be this foolish and ignorant. Surviving this long where most of the first generation of Devils have died is an astounding achievement that couldn't have been done without the proper mindset and cleverness. He obviously has something to gain from having the Nekoshou labeled as a criminal, large enough to overlook the advantage the Devils as a whole could gain from this."
"Do you think I should confront him?" I realized how ridiculous my words sounded, but I was willing to try.
" With what authority? For such beings, Dragon Kings matter little to them, especially if it involves the weakest one like me, known to have gone mad for centuries. If I was Ddraig or Albion, then we would have something to work with. But if Sirzechs can't do it then you don't have a chance as of right now. Grow stronger, become powerful enough to have the authority to shake even the strongest of Devils to their knees."
"… I can't do that, Vritra. It'll take too long, and I'm afraid that time isn't on our side. We've grown stronger every time due to stupid luck and nearly dying from battles. I can't always do that, and I can't have Koneko wait for another ten years."
This was honestly quite frustrating, I knew no one from the Bael family who could help me. Rias and Sirzechs were technically part of the Bael clan due to their mother and their powers. But the former was officially the Gremory heir while Sirzechs had to cut ties with all clans in order to become Lucifer. Maybe I could discuss matters with Rias' mom, but whether she would listen to me or not was an entirely different matter entirely.
As I stood there contemplating my next move - something brushed itself against my ankle.
I looked down, seeing a black cat rubbing its face on my pants and purring loudly.
"You?"
It was the same cat that appeared at the top of Sirzechs' castle, did it get teleported by mistake?
"Hey there, you alright?"
"Meow~!" It looked up at me and blinked.
"You sure are happy to see me, little guy."
"Mew…" It rubbed its body against my leg.
"Are you hungry? You want some food?"
"Mew!" It batted its eyes at me with anticipation, looking like it understood my words.
"Sorry, I don't have anything on me."
The moment I went to scratch its head, a sudden jolt of electricity traveled from the tip of my finger to my head. I was shaken when the Absorption Line on my other arm reacted violently, scaring the cat into running away.
"[ Restrict !]"
"Nya!?"
Before it could even escape, Vritra's voice came loudly from the Gear and dozens of tendrils burst from the ground and completely bounded the animal in the air.
"Vritra!?" I shouted in surprise, confused as to why he reacted so violently.
" That is not a normal cat! It has two tails !"
My eyes widened as soon as he said that, looking at it, there were indeed two tails - how did I not notice that!? This was further confirmed when it started glowing brightly before expanding rapidly in the shape of a… woman?
This turned out to be a beautiful young woman with a voluptuous figure, long black hair with split bangs, and hazel-gold eyes with cat-like pupils. Her attire consisted of a black kimono, a yellow obi, a set of golden beads, and an ornately detailed headband. The kimono also featured a red interior as it slid down her shoulders, giving view to her large breasts which rivaled those of Rias and Akeno in terms of size. They were further pronounced with how tightly the tendrils wrapped around them.
' Cat ears?'
Wasn't this the same as…
We both stared at each other.
"Eh… nya?"
"…"
At that moment, I was both speechless and afraid.
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 3 other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post monthly commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.
Kuroka
Hiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Next update is gonna be A Fake Familiar Reborn
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That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by Shigiya
- Underworld -
To say that I was shook would be an understatement.
"Eh… nya?"
"…"
No, speechless was a better description. I first came to the underworld after hearing that Sirzechs had new information about the whole Naberius family crime and matters involving Koneko and Kuroka. A long awaited moment, having taken years to make the slightest progress. Yet the moment I arrived and faced Lucifer himself, even he admitted that there were obstacles that stopped him from completely freeing Koneko and her sister from their past. Freeing Kuroka from her status as a SS-rank criminal meant facing a literal king of hell - one of, if not the oldest Devil still alive till this day and age.
Now to think as I was in the middle of trying to think up a solution, the person who was at the center of it all just came before me as a cat who I didn't even realize was a supernatural creature if Vritra hadn't said anything.
"Kuroka…" I whispered with squinted eyes, this Nekoshou, despite knowing her past and innocence, was not someone I could just trust immediately. She survived outside the Devil's reach not just by hiding, but also killing those who came after her.
"Pinpon! Nice to meet you Hikigaya Hachiman!" She said cheerfully, keeping a large smile on her face despite still being bound under Vritra's control.
Did she hear the conversation between me and Sirzechs? Not that there was much to hide or anything, but it would make it easier for me to explain if that was the case. But I still had a few questions to ask…
"What are you doing here?"
In the middle of nowhere, used to stand the manor of Naberius, the home which drove her into a murderous rage and forced the girl to kill her King just to protect her sister. Though it made sense for her to return to this place, it certainly wasn't a good idea when she was still seen as a dangerous criminal to the masses.
"Heeee, don't make such a scary face. I just had some minor business to take care of. I sensed a powerful devil and a dragon coming here, so I grew a little interested. Nyan~" I ignored the wink she gave. "Didn't think you would recognise me so easily. I made sure to hide all traces of Senjutsu - so how did you do it? Are you a member of the Gremory group? You certainly don't smell like a Devil."
Was this seriously a question she asked without knowing the obvious answer to? I gave her my best deadpan face and answered the initial question first, "Since when do cats in the Underworld have two tails?"
"Ah… I forgot about that!" She exclaimed, genuinely shocked at that revelation.
Was she an airhead?
"As for your second question, no, I'm 100% human… maybe."
"Eh, what do you mean by maybe?" She looked at me confused.
I shrugged, "Don't think too much about it, it's a bit complicated to begin with."
"… You're weird."
"Says the Nekoshou, wearing a black kimono with nothing underneath while stalking the literal Lucifer inside his territory." I didn't need to check or touch the girl to know she wasn't wearing any underwear - since her rather revealing kimono showed me enough to let me know. "No, my bad, you're not weird, probably just an airhead."
"You know I can crush your skull into paste if I wanted to right now, right?"
"I don't doubt you."
Hoo, she didn't even use any 'nya' there, guess my words were effective after all.
"Humph, I wouldn't have been found out anyways if I didn't come next to you. I know Senjutsu, people like me can detect you with just a slight variation in the flow of your spirit." She explained, giving me more insight on her powers. Then again, this wasn't new information, it just served as confirmation about how useful this power was.
"So like a radar?"
"Yup! I can also gauge how strong a person is compared to myself, yours is a bit confusing, though. As I sense two different auras but only see a single soul. Your chakra is all over the place I must say."
She most likely saw my connection with Vritra and how we fused into a single soul. The chakra part I had no idea how it affected my body, she worded it as something that wasn't positive.
"Man, Senjutsu sure sounds busted."
That made her puff up her chest in pride, though that almost made her bountiful breasts pop out of her kimono.
"We can also control the flow of spirit and can reinforce both the interior and exterior of our bodies, or disturb the spirits of all the surrounding trees, make them bloom, or make them wither-nyan. Senjutsu is a skill that manipulates the flow of life, after all. We can disturb our opponent's spirit, and inflict damage to their life-force by cutting it. Because the methods for repairing the disorder to one's life-force is limited for the magic of demons and the sorcery of magicians in comparison, this attack method almost always results in death-nyan"
That sounded like she could bypass my Gears armor and directly affect my body, a very scary notion.
"Alright, onto the main topic at hand," I pressed on. "I don't know what you heard between me and Sirzechs, but even if you didn't, it doesn't matter." I retracted the tendrils, watching the girl intrigued by what others would consider extremely foolish. Aside from that, the other reason was also because how my hold on her basically made the scene look so very wrong - especially with her clothing - was not helping the situation. "Look, I am not your enemy and don't want you to think so as well."
"…" She tilted her head, watching me amusedly.
Did she not believe me?
"I know about your past, I know about the incident with the Naberius family and all the torturous experiments you had to go through just to keep your sister safe. With your senses, I know for certain you heard the conversation between me and Sirzechs, so you must realize that I only want the best for both you and Koneko." I said calmly, even going so far as to put my hands up for her to see that I wasn't planning anything suspicious.
Not every encounter with an enemy or criminal needed to start with a conflict, I was already forced into similar cases in the past and none of them ended well for me. My first attempt at reasoning with Sétante, but it didn't end well. Kokabiel was a lost cause, to lost in the past and so were most of the Strays who were overwhelmed by there powers. But the very thought of having to fight Kuroka made my stomach churn in distaste and challenged my will in following through. I couldn't do so to someone who sacrificed so much for Koneko and her safety, who I also considered as a sister.
"You're really a nice guy by trying to help me, nya. But I'm afraid you don't understand how Devil society works as a whole, you may be strong but even that isn't enough."
"You don't know unless I try, I agree that my methods may seem outlandish and naïve from your perspective - but it can work out. What have you to lose here? Nothing. I am the one taking the risk, all I ask you is to wait and give me a chance." I knew my chances of succeeding were abysmal, but it wasn't completely zero.
To my surprise, Kuroka laughed.
"Hehehe, no wonder Shirone likes you nya! You're so sweet, it almost makes me want to take you and make cute powerful dragon kittens!"
Wait, what? Did I accidentally hear wrong?
"Honestly I was hoping to meet the Red Dragon Emperor, if he's anything like Vali then our babies would be quite strong and adorable nya~!" She said coyly, walking close to me while touching my chin. "I wanted to leave you to Shirone, as her big sister I can't exactly steal you, can I? But then again, the Black Nekoshou having kittens with the Black Dragon King does sound very fitting, don't you think so~? Who knows, maybe I will share you with Shirone~?"
She really was quite attractive, having clothing that barely hid her assets with that sultry tone of hers. A stark contrast to how Koneko would usually behave, though she did become a bit more playful when using Senjutsu. Nevertheless, this wasn't the time for such plays, so I grabbed her hand and made sure she wouldn't run away. "You don't believe me do you?"
She continued to smile, "A bit hard to do so when everyone else failed." Now it was her turn to get serious. "You and I are enemies, what reason do I have to believe you?" She slipped away from my grip, almost as if having a certain force push away my hand. "You don't happen to know where Ophis is per chance?"
Ophis? My body tensed, the only reason someone would search for the Dragon God was either they desired her power or she disappeared from their sight. At this moment, only a single group needed her powers more than anyone else.
"You're part of the Khaos Brigade." I stated, making this situation even more tricky. If I did succeed in removing her status as a criminal from her past killing of her king, she would regain it soon after people were to discover her connection to the terrorist group.
"Of course, nya! I came to check up on Shirone and you after Ophis-chan disappeared from our base… again. I've tracked her scent all the way to the Underworld and you have some of it as well."
So she left, now came the question where could that girl be wandering around. It was clear that Ophis lacked a lot of common sense and knowledge about the world, she could get easily manipulated by many if given the opportunity.
"You guys were using her as a power source and nothing else. Your Hero Faction has done nothing to help the world with the power gained and are just full of hypocrites dreaming about world domination." I said directly, uncaring if my words sounded harsh.
"You must really hate them nya, though I am not part of that group in particular." I sighed in relief from hearing that. "But that still does not make us allies. My boss has dreams and goals he wants to accomplish, and for that we need Ophis not just for her power. If you don't know of her location then I don't need to stay here, but I will come back for Shirone, she belongs with me."
That didn't dissuade me the least bit, anyone from the Khaos Brigade had an agenda which needed the power of an infinitely strong Dragon God to accomplish. Whatever it was, it couldn't be safe.
"I gave you the courtesy of setting you free, the least you can do is come back with me. You'll get to meet your sister and no one will harm you in as long as I'm here."
She pondered, tilting her head sideways before saying, "Nope! I have my own goals and plans, I want to trust you but I can't yet. I know you're not a bad man, I've seen how happy Shirone is - but I'll take her with me nonetheless."
"Not like Rias or anyone in her group would let you. Heck, even Koneko will not want to leave."
"Ara-ara-ara-ara, what are you saying-nya? She's my little sister. I have the right to love her. A high-class devil like the Gremory girl doesn't have that privilege."
"… You're wrong" I said, knowing that despite her role as the elder sibling, she still didn't have the right to take away Koneko's choice of life. I could see where she was coming from, her trust in Devil society having practically been burned to ashes at this point, it was logical for her to want to take Koneko away from such an environment. I saw where she was coming from and no amount of convincing would change her opinion grounded in years of dealing with being chased by the Devils.
"Devils have their faults but so do humans and any other race in existence. Rias is not like the others, I used to doubt her just like you but now know how much she cares about her peerage and Koneko."
"Caring enough to throw away her real name?" Kuroka rebutted, this time with a slight tone of anger hidden in her voice.
"…"
I didn't know how to respond to that. For the most part, I didn't know why she had to change her name in the first place. It was one of those times I couldn't help but sigh at Rias' past judgement.
"Though for now, I've got other things to take care of… we'll meet again!"
"Wait!" I tried to stop her, having the same tendrils wrap around her arms like before. But to my shock, that instant, I was seized by an indescribable sensation! What was this, this feeling of having been transported to another space? Even though the scenery hadn't changed, it was like the air and mood had changed or something…
[ Delete Field!]
Out of instinct, I activated my other ability and found myself freed from whatever she did. By then, Kuroka was already too far away from me too far to use my tendrils to capture her.
' Space manipulation !' Vritra spoke in my head, his tone intrigued by what just happened.
"You can control space and time?" I shouted, unprepared by just how powerful and diverse her power was. I was unprepared for such a thing, if she decided to attack me within that split second of time then I would have been heavily injured.
"Ara, you're stronger than I expected! But no, I didn't go as far as learning how to control time, but I have fairly picked up on how to control space. If I use the essentials of barrier techniques, it's relatively easy, after all. I could also easily cover this entire forest with a barrier and isolated it from the outside world-nyan. That's why even if we do flashy things here, it won't leak outside and devils from outside won't come in. You're going to get pleasantly killed here by me and say goodbye-nya~!"
"You do realize that speech sounds very villainous and evil, right?"
"Not as evil if I had my way with you!" She gave me a goodbye kiss before disappearing into the forest.
"…"
I sighed, rubbing the back of my head whilst thinking about everything that just happened. I didn't know if it was a good thing that she was here in the first place, she did mention not being a member of the Hero Faction, so that raised more questions. Did she come here by herself to search for Ophis, or was there someone else?
" You're not going after her, partner?"
Given my current speed and agility, there was a fair chance for me to at least tail Kuroka for a bit more. I didn't know about the extent of her strength and power, or whether she would fight me if pushed far enough. That space manipulation ability made me very wary as well.
"… No, she made her choice. I can't exactly tie her up and drag the girl back to Koneko and just explain the situation before both sisters embrace in a tear-jerking scene with the setting sun in the background. But that doesn't mean I'll give up, I'll prove her wrong regardless and give Koneko her sister back."
" As you wish, I would have stopped you anyways. Senjutsu is very tricky to deal with, and though you wouldn't have necessarily lost in a straight fight, it would still be no different than fighting blindly against a powerful opponent."
I raised my eyebrows.
"Are you saying there is a counter to her Space magic?"
" Indeed, this ability is quite commonly used by powerful foes and gods, she's bending space with pure energy. If that part is lacking then the spell will fail. You haven't forgotten what our power does, right?"
I laughed, wanting to facepalm myself.
"Right, I'm an idiot, how could I have forgotten such a simple fact?"
" No, you're just tired, stressed and didn't know the mechanics behind space manipulation. But at least now, you won't be surprised when you face it again."
I agreed with him, it gave me the idea to research more on Senjutsu, Youjutsu and Touki. I've been skipping out on the latter since these last few months and needed to continue my training.
Looking back at the rubbles, I sighed before teleporting away back to the castle.
{ Break }
Arriving at the castle, I found the hall where everyone had gathered to be empty. There was no trace of Rias, Akeno or even Sona around. Even the cars had disappeared much to my chagrin.
So how was I supposed to go to Rias' house? I barely knew the roads in the Underworld and felt awkward walking through the giant castle to search for Sirzechs' office and ask for a cab ride.
Fortunately, I didn't have to wait for long before I was greeted by a person standing all alone in front of the hall.
It was Grayfia.
"Hikigaya-sama, I've been waiting for your return." She said while bowing. "Sirzechs-sama had some duties to look into so he won't be accompanying you I'm afraid."
I waved those words away.
"No problem, I know he's a busy man by having taken the role of Lucifer. And I don't mind it, not like it's a big deal or anything - we can talk another time."
The maid nodded before gesturing me to follow along, I complied. As we walked through the halls, I asked about the others and Grayfia gave me a detailed summary of what happened during my absence. Apparently, most of the group had returned to their respective homes with Sona bringing her peerage to the Sitri mansion with Rias doing the same. Raynare and Kalawarna went to visit their homes in the Fallen Angels part of the Underworld whilst Xenovia went along with Rias' group to settle down for the day.
"Tsk, bunch of traitors, couldn't even wait for an hour."
' Younglings these days, they have no patience.'
Damn, I sounded old.
"There is no need to fault them, Hikigaya-sama. Lady Gremory and Lord Gremory were the ones to urge their daughter to come back as soon as possible. Left with little choice she reluctantly left, though not before I assured her that I would take care of your arrival as well."
"Ah, thanks a lot, Grayfia-san, I appreciate your help."
For a split second, I saw her lips twitch upwards with what could only be described as a smile.
"There is no need, it is my duty after all."
A few minutes later, we reached another side of the castle where I had my words stuck in my throat by the site ahead of me. There was only one way I could summarize it.
So much gold!
At least a dozen carriages attached to a certain demonic breed of horses aligned in the back of the castle. All of them looked like they were made from the most precious of material and coated in gold. Just how much money did these people own!? This was just plain ridiculous at this point.
"I've taken the liberty to prepare a few vehicles for you, so please board whichever pleases you."
"…"
They all looked about the same with the only difference being the types of precious stones, even the Gremory mark on top of each of these carriages was made of the same red ruby. Starting to feel nauseous from the witnessed wealth, I got inside the closest one.
The insides were just as luxurious, velvet couches with blue curtains around the window. It certainly differed greatly from the modern limousines we took from the station. This one captured the medieval aesthetic and feel. The seats were comfortable enough, so I waited for the thing to start moving.
Click !
"Eh?"
The door opened again, with another person coming to sit inside with me. It was Grayfia again, she sat right next to me.
"Umm… you're coming along as well?" I didn't know why I was feeling nervous at this moment, something about this woman just made it hard to relax.
"It is my duty to accompany you till the Gremory mansion, I can't send you off by yourself, that would be extremely disrespectful and will taint my honor."
"… You don't need to do th-"
"Please enjoy the journey, Hikigaya-sama." She cut me off with a smile that looked very scary to me.
I gulped and shut myself up.
This ride couldn't end anytime soon.
{ Break}
(An hour later)
To say the ride felt the most uncomfortable moment of my life would be an understatement. For some reasons, now of all times I was starting to have flashbacks of my past life.
Dealing with a certain ice queen who was extremely blunt at times. An air of haughtiness and disregard for the general population around her. Those were a few of the feelings he kept getting with her, this woman whose face remained perfectly stoic and silent the entire ride. That air of coldness around her, like an ice queen many feared to approach. Even the entire maid outfit didn't reduce that effect around her.
"Are you nervous with me?" Grayfia was the first one to speak, glancing at him from her seat.
"A bit, can't say our past interaction has been the best."
"No, you did wonderfully. Your first instinct was to protect Rias-sama and even defend her choice. The belief you had in her ability and strength to winning the Rating Game was the key factor which provided her the support she desperately needed. In fact, it would be better for me to apologize instead, for I failed in my duties as the house maid in that regard."
I gave her a confused face.
"Apologies? For what? The last thing I want is for Lucifer's wife to suddenly ask for forgiveness for basically nothing. You did your job while I just stayed by the sidelines."
From the corner of my eyes, I could see the woman smile.
"Sidelines? Now that's a bold claim, I'm sure boh Rias-sama and Akeno-sama will claim otherwise, your presence changed their lives in more ways than one."
The same could be said for me, without meeting them, I would have probably remained as a regular student sleeping in class and just minding my own business. Then again, with Vritra's piece inside me, I would have been dragged to the supernatural world regardless. Quite sad now that I thought about it, but that was how the world operated and the only thing I could do was adapt.
"Now that I think about it, why didn't we just take a car there? Would have been faster."
"Unfortunately, all vehicles are unavailable and were sent for maintenance."
For some reason, I heavily doubted that was the case. A freakishly wealthy family didn't have a car to spare? Most likely Grayfia arranged this, but for what reason I didn't know.
"I have heard from Sirzechs-sama that you're planning on helping the wanted criminal Kuroka to prove her innocence?" She asked.
I wasn't surprised she knew that, given how she was Sirzechs' wife and he most definitely shared a lot with her.
"That is very foolish."
"… May I ask why?" Grayfia couldn't have said that just because she did not believe Kuroka was innocent. I was curious about what the woman would say.
"Whether she did it with good intentions or not, the fact remains that her actions have caused the death of a King and head of a Pillar Clan."
"Something she was forced to do in order to keep Koneko safe. And I'm sure Lucifer already gave you enough details of what the Naberius family were performing. Many of his experiments were beyond horrifying and sick."
"That I know off." She agreed with my words. "But that still doesn't change what she did. The Underworld is different, we respect power over reason, strength over facts and anything that benefits us tends to slip through the cracks. While Sirzechs is the strongest Devil, he faced many tribulations and barriers in his time as a Maou. Yet still there are people who go against him, what do you hope of achieving by talking to Bael? He is known for his old ways, stubbornness and cunning nature. What you're doing is basically serving yourself to a predator on a silver platter."
"Are you worried about me?" I asked jokingly, but it seemed she didn't see it like that and nodded her head.
"I do, you represent too much for Rias-sama and her Queen. If anything were to happen to you, then they'd be devastated. If to keep them from meeting such a fate I must freeze you for life, them I'll happily oblige."
The cold feeling in the air made a chill run up my spine. Nevertheless, I stood my ground and didn't show any facial changes.
"You know, such an attitude would have really helped when Rias dealt with Riser." I said dryly. "Where was this bravado? This threat of freezing him if he did something bad? Rias could have easily killed herself if something of that were to happen or if her peerage got taken advantage by him. Even if he's proven to have changed, what if he hadn't?"
I glared back, not willing to show any weakness and stand my ground. My point were valid in my opinion. It was laughable how she acted such a way with me given how none of this was shown during the meeting with Riser.
In the end, she relented. "There were many factors to take into consideration. As a representative of the Maou I couldn't have shown my bias, this would have affected Sirzechs-sama negatively and I can't allow that to happen."
"…"
"Why are you willing to go so far?" I heard her question and pondered.
"Because I believe it is my duty in a way. I have power now, something I never desired but know how important it is in this world. I can use Vritra's gear to change the lives of many if I desired and I chose to help those few who now are no different than family. And as Vritra said many times, it's the responsibility of the exceptionally powerful to help the less fortunate."
She scoffed, yet still having that smile on her face. "What a twisted sense of nobility… but I can't say I don't admire it."
"…" The moment I heard the first part of her words, I couldn't hold it and started laughing - much to Grayfia's confusion.
"Have I said something funny?"
"No," I shook my head, feeling a wave of nostalgia hit me. "It's just those words you've mentioned, at least the first part, I would usually say that same thing to someone else."
"And this person might be?" She got intrigued, inching forward slightly, yet that move was enough to showcase her cleavage at its fullest.
I ignored them by looking outside before answering her question.
"That person was… still is someone very special to me."
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 3 other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post monthly commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.
Dinner
Hiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Not much to mention aside thank you to my newest patrons: Christopher Tucker, Carlos Vasquez and Satriya Ardi. Y'all rock!
Next updates are: Eccentric Wizard and An Archer's Promise.
That's all,
Beta read by Shigiya.
-Castle Gremory-
My conversation with Grayfia continued for a little while longer. We drifted away from any matters concerning Kuroka's case and my plans with Lord Bael.
And to say that it was an enjoyable experience would be an understatement. For someone who proved herself to be an Ice Queen, she talked quite a bit. We spoke about Rias and any future training she can go through to practice her Power of Destruction. She even helped me with matters concerning magical spells and Touki, agreeing to teach me new spells that she believed would be suitable for me on top of overseeing my own training while I practiced some spells Vritra wanted to teach me.
It felt wrong to say it, but I wished the ride lasted a little longer.
Unfortunately, it was clear that we were reaching our final destination, looking at the scenery, there were paved roads and beautifully pruned trees. The path stretched straight ahead where a huge structure suddenly came into my view.
"It seems we have arrived." I was so shocked at the sheer size of the castle. I could understand Lucifer's main headquarters to be extravagant and impressive - but for the Gremory to have something similar as well? At this point I was beginning to wonder if they were trillionaires by any chance.
"That's the main residence of the Gremory House. There are a few manors scattered across the land which are used for a living quarters for servants, guards and even a few homes for Lord Gremory's harem members." she mentioned casually with a stoic face.
"…"
"By your expression, you find this matter of his harem quite bizarre I assume?"
"Of course, I'm from the human world, even though I'm in a relationship between Rias and Akeno… I still can't get over your race's nonchalant attitude over harems - especially given he's married. Like, doesn't Rias' mom find the whole thing weird?"
"I can understand your confusion, but let me answer it with another question." Oh, I wasn't expecting that. "How many kids do you think Lord Gremory has?"
This looked like a trick question given I knew about Sirzechs and Rias. As far as I knew, there wasn't any illegitimate child or anyone hidden from the public.
"Two," I answered, waiting for her to suddenly drop a bomb and say a higher number.
"You are absolutely correct."
Eh… Now I was even more curious where she was going with this.
"Even with an entire harem, Lord Gremory only managed to have two heirs with Lady Gremory. That in itself was considered as a miracle. Don't forget, Rias is a few centuries younger than my husband." That was true, a bit hard to come to terms with given his siscon attitude which was said to be around the same level as Serafall. All of those points making it hard to see him as an ancient monster.
"The Phenex have a lot of descendants though, more than even the average amount of kids per family in human society." From what I remembered, there were currently four of them, with Riser being the third brother and Ravel the youngest. I still remember meeting Ruval, the current heir, last time during Rias and Riser's Rating Game.
"That is true, but their case is an anomaly you can say, their fertility rate has always been exceptionally high compared to the rest of the Devils and that is a blessing many are very envious about." Bringing into account how before the Evil Pieces, the Devils were a dying race after the Great War - I could see why. "Coming back to my explanation. Despite having more than one partner, Lord Gremory never had any other children with them. Having multiple partners just gives us more chances to have kids and have a future generation, not to mention how having a harem has always been part of our culture and is also quite normal for us."
In the end, I shrugged. "Right, I'm in no position to give any critique without sounding like a hypocrite. I will say that it does help to accept both girls as part of my life, but I'm still not fully acclimated to this."
"Do not worry, Hikigaya-sama. I'll make sure for you to get used to it as soon as possible."
"…" I did not like how that sounded. Something about the way she had said that sounded to omenuse for me. I felt goosebumps over my body on what she might be implying and was wondering if I was just letting my hormones put weird thoughts in my head. "I'm sorry, can you explain what you meant by th-"
Click
She opened the door of the carriage before I could finish my question.
"Please exit the carriage, the others are waiting for you."
"… Right, give me a second."
This woman was dangerous, in more ways than one and I needed to keep myself on my toes.
Looking outside, I saw a vast field of beautiful blooming flowers, water flowed out of a magnificently modeled fountain, and birds of various colors flew about. How they managed to create this in a land devoid of any water was impressive.
The maids and butlers stood in line on both sides of us and made a path. A red carpet stretched out towards the huge castle, and the huge castle gates opened with my ears picking up the sound of gears rotating.
"Hikigaya-sama, please, come this way."
Grayfia made a slight bow and urged me forward.
I gave her a last suspicious look before moving forward. Before I could get any further inside, a red silhouette broke out from the line of maids and ran towards me - it was none other than Rias.
"Hachi-kun, you've arrived!" She jumped before nearly making me fall from her tackle. "I'm so happy you're finally here!"
"I was just gone for a few hours, it's not like we haven't seen each other for a few days or something." I commented, still returning the hug to the excited girl. Though at the corner of my eyes, I saw a redheaded kid standing right behind Rias.
"Welcome to the Gremory House, Hikigaya Hachiman-sama. It is an honor to finally get to meet you" he said formally, bowing his head with great posture.
"Ah, Millicas! Hachi-kun, this is Millicas Gremory, my brother's son and my cute little nephew."
Now that I thought of it, Rias did mention him multiple times in the past. To return the courtesy and not have the boy left hanging, I squatted, bringing us on the same eye level before extending my hand.
"Hey there, I heard a lot about you from your auntie. Rias mentioned that you're quite the smart kid, a genius even. It seems she forgot to add that you're quite the gentleman as well, color me impressed." He blushed a little in embarrassment at my praise.
"I-I, thank you for the compliment, Hachiman-sama!"
Rias spoke while giving an amused smile.
"Because only the person himself who succeeded the title of Maou can retain the name, this child is a Gremory even though he's my brother's son. He's also next in line for the family head after me."
Heh, so he's next in line after Rias. Certainly, quite the responsibility on his little shoulders. It brought into attention how Sirzechs had to cut all ties with the Gremory side to become a Maou.
"Come on, let's go into the residence." Rias held my hands along with Millicas and brought us through the gate. Both of us kept up with the excited girl, I even saw the young boy next to me sigh helplessly.
'He's probably more mature than his aunt.'
We passed through the enormous front gate and went inside. The inner castle gates also opened one by one. We then arrived at what seemed to be the entry hall, where there were stairs which led to the second floor. Not to mention the addition of a splendid chandelier at the center, which was probably twice my height and likely weighted more than a car given that it had lots of gold on it.
Before we could venture any further, Grayfia appeared in front of Rias, blocking her path.
"Ojou-sama, I'd like to show everyone to their rooms at once." The white haired maid raised her hand and some maids gathered around us. I didn't fail to notice how every one of them were quite young and beautiful… Did someone have a specific criteria for anyone wanting to work here?
"You're right, I almost forgot about that, got a bit too excited. By the way, I've been here for a few hours and couldn't find my father anywhere, where is he exactly?" She asked.
"The master is out at present. He's expected to return by this evening. He said that he would meet with you while dining with everyone together at supper."
"I see, I understand, Grayfia. That's fine, almost everyone is either taking a nap or still unpacking their belongings."
'Haa… I want to take a break as well.' My shoulders began feeling quite sore over the last few days, I even started to get periodic headaches and dry eyes from constant magic use. A clear sign that even if my body was still mostly well, my mind needed to relax for a bit. I hadn't even spent a day here before having talked about Sirzechs with the Naberius case leading to confronting Bael and having caught Kuroka herself for a bit. Though I didn't count the ride I had here with Grayfia as that conversation ended up being quite pleasant at least.
"Ara, Rias, you've finally brought him here."
At that moment, a woman's voice was heard from above.
As expected, an amazingly beautiful young woman wearing a white dress came down the stairs. She looked just about the same age as Rias and even had a similar face with the only difference being her brown coloured flaxen hair and narrower eyes.
Taking a random guess, this was probably Venelana Gremory - Rias and Sirzechs' mother and the friend Shuri-san spoke about during Rias' Rating Game. I wouldn't be surprised if anyone else would mistake her for the girl's big sister or something.
"Mother, this is Hikigaya Hachiman. Hachi-kun, this is my mother."
Following Millicas' previous example, I gave the woman a polite and respectful bow. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Gremory-san. I can see where Rias got her looks from. If I didn't know any better, I could've easily mistaken you as her sister." Ah, maybe that was too much… I let my honest thoughts out in my nervousness.
"Ara, to say such a kind compliment. You make this old woman feel young again." The woman touched her cheek with her hand and smiled.
"As years go by, Devils can freely change their appearances with magic. My mother always has the appearance of the same age as the current me." Rias added as she pinched my cheek, in annoyance. "And what's with you today? You're being extra nice for some reason." Her eyes narrowed at me, making it obvious that she was feeling a bit jealous. "… You know nothing will come out of it even if you compliment my mother, right? You won't get my mother into your and Akeno's little harem, mister!"
What the heck was she saying!? Couldn't I be nice to someone, without accusing me of trying to bed another woman!?
Like I'd let her get away with this!
"Kya!" She cried in surprise when I pinched both of her cheeks in retaliation. "Hwashi-kwun!!"
As always, her face was quite malleable and soft to the touch. It was very funny to stretch them and squish them together despite this being a punishment. No matter how beautiful or sexy she might try to make herself look, I always saw this adorable dork first and foremost, who had to deal with her weeb tendency.
"I would appreciate it if you didn't accuse me of being a MILF hunter, you dummy. I just think it's a good idea to be respectful to my elders and certainly my girlfriend's mother of all people… Furthermore, Shuri-san, along with my mother if she ever found out, would probably kill me if I wasn't being polite enough with her best friend and a lady."
She blushed despite trying to look angrily at me. Her attempts to make me let go weakened as she just ended up crossing her hands. "Fwine, lwe me ro now."
I stopped pulling and caressed her cheeks instead. "You don't have to get jealous, it's not like I'll ever forget about you and Akeno. You two have been the biggest pain in my ass since childhood, not including the others with their annoying quirks, and I think I'm suffering from a case of Stockholm Syndrome with how I ended up caring a lot for you two succubuses."
"…" Rias entire face turned red now, I could feel her heartbeat quickening. "You're a meanie… saying such embarrassing things."
"Only to you."
"You can try being more gentle and loving."
"Nope, it's fun to mess with you."
It seemed that our small moment ended up going too far. Millicas had an enormous grin on his face as he obviously tried to hold in his laugh.
"Ara, you two are making me quite jealous I must say. Even Zeoticus and I never had such an interesting dynamic." Venelana pouted in a manner that once again mirrored Rias a lot, in a cute way. "You better pay attention to your boyfriend, Rias, or I might end up stealing him for myself~"
"Mother!?"
"Fufufu, joking! I'm just messing with you, dear. Or am I~"
I was glad to see I wasn't the only one who enjoyed seeing Rias getting worked up or flustered. Even her own mother seemed to like teasing her like me.
"Oh my, where are my manners! After such a nice introduction, I forgot to introduce myself. Nice to meet you, I'm Rias's mother, Venelana Gremory. Please treat me well from now on, Hikigaya Hachiman-kun. Shuri talked a lot about you, I'm sure she'll be happy to meet you again."
As was I, a long time passed since I had last seen her. I was sure she was with Akeno, the latter missed her mother a lot. Even if she didn't show much on the outside, I knew that she was waiting for this moment for a long time - so it was better to let those two have their moment.
{Break}
Several hours after that meeting in the entrance hall, we were in the dining room. An extravagant meal so large that I could never eat it all as it was piled on top of expensive-looking plates.
Rias and her group all took a seat at the table with me joining them, sitting next to Akeno and Rias. And then, we were followed by Buchou's father, mother, and then Millicas.
The sky had gone dark a while ago. When I looked up at the sky, there was a false moon floating up there. Again I remembered that it wasn't the real one, but rather a creation of pure magic. I still found it hard to imagine what kind of spell would allow them to create such a thing and let it run for literal decades without stopping. I suspected it was some sort of spell creation that only a Devil like Ajuka Beelzebub or someone of similar intelligence could come up with.
The flow of time here matched the human world with the same 24/7 format. All of this for the sake of reincarnated Devils and make them feel more at home and comfortable with their new lives. A commendable action given the history between reincarnated and pure Devils.
"Please enjoy yourselves. No need to hold back." The one who spoke was none other than Rias' father, Zeoticus Gremory. He wore a suit of similar color to his wife's dress.
Before coming for dinner, I was taken to my room where I was once again shocked by the sight before me.
A huge oblong table, an extravagant chandelier on the ceiling, even the chairs we sat on were covered in expensive-looking ornaments… Back then, I just looked at the chandelier dryly. Did these people have nothing but chandeliers in every single room? I much preferred having a regular ceiling lamp. For some reason, I couldn't stop imagining what would happen if this thing was too heavy for the walls to hold anymore and suddenly fall on me in my sleep. A regular lamp would never do that, this was just an accident from a horror film waiting to happen!
The canopy bed was also huge and comfortable to sleep on. My body would just sink inside as I sighed in content.
"This is definitely the doing of that redhead." I said while looking at the other parts of the room.
There were many tatami-mats… Each of the rooms also seemed to have all the necessities needed to live in, including but not limited to; a bath, toilet, refrigerator, television, and kitchen to mention a few. I think there was also a storage room, living room, basically what amounted to a fully equipped large apartment inside each room. Xenovia was impressed when she came to my room to compare.
"… I can't settle down. I grew up in a modest church, sharing a room with Irina and the sisters for years - this is too much. Sorry, but can I stay in your room? I'm not feeling comfortable alone in such a large and spacious room."
I could see how Xenovia, who lived a simple life at the church, the size of the rooms seemed to have been a serious shock, and because she couldn't calm down about it she had taken her entire luggage to my room and asked to move in.
"Can't you stay with Akeno, Rias or Koneko?" I asked, she just replied to me why showing the large covered Holy Blade of hers on top of the luggage.
"I like to have Durandal beside me every night. Mother Griselda mentioned how it helps to forge a close bond between the sword and wielder."
"… You know it looks weird to have a girl sleep in the same room with a guy who has girlfriends. Also, Irina has her Excalibur shard with her." I couldn't help but comment, knowing those two well enough and how they could get jealous from this or in Akeno's case, might try to make this into something else and force her into my harem. "Tell me why you're really here, cause I honestly don't see any other possibility why you wouldn't just share a room with Irina."
She hesitated a bit before speaking, "Because, I don't feel comfortable leaving you unguarded." Xenovia finally revealed her intentions. "I know the Gremory are trustworthy, I wouldn't have let Irina join Rias Gremory otherwise. But it still doesn't change that we are in the home of people we used to consider as our biggest enemies just recently and I just can't bring myself to sleep peacefully."
That was… understandable. One thing I knew about Xenovia was how she took her role very seriously, and old habits and teachings tended to die hard. In the end, I relented. "Fine, you can stay for today if it helps you to get used to the place. But then you'll need to return to sharing a room with Irina. I still don't find this appropriate."
"Are you going to mate with me in my sleep?"
"Ku-!" I nearly choked on air. "Don't say such things! I would never do that to you, that is literally rape!"
"Not as long as I don't mind."
"Alright, time out young lady! You've been spending too much time with either Akeno, Raynare or Aika. I'm NOT going to touch you at night and that's final!" I said sternly, making sure to convey as much I could with my words and tone. Wasn't she supposed to be a former member of the Church? Why was she saying something so dirty minded then!? "And if you're planning on doing something then I swear to God I'll bind you and throw you out in the hallways."
She flinched a bit as I said His name. "So you agree I sleep here?"
This girl…
"Haa… I just agreed, didn't I? Again, it's just for a day." With how big this place turned out to be, there was bound for there to exist a couple of dozen unused beds around.
Thankfully, Grayfia came to my rescue and arranged the maids to bring in another bed by the time dinner was over. She was truly the best maid I've met in my life.
…
I turned my attention back to my seat at the dinner table. I held my fork and knife and used proper etiquette to eat just like everyone at the table - except Xenovia again who was still looking at the different silverware in front of her. I grunted, getting her attention and showed her how to eat properly. She mimicked my actions and crudely started to eat her food. It wasn't the best, but she was actually doing it so well after a few rounds of practice that I wanted to cheer for her.
'I feel like a proud father.'
Whilst Irina had an easier time, she looked far more used to such things than Xenovia. Surprisingly, she was having a good time chatting with a certain young boy, Millicas. From what I could hear so far, she just answered all of his questions about her time as an Exorcist, going so far as to even be very careful with her words by doing her absolute best to not utter God's name by force of habit like she would do before and hurt herself. This time she was putting an extra effort for the kid. And, she also kept out any gruesome details of the latest fight while also changing the narrative that painted her as a much more capable fighter.
Safe to say, the kid was hooked by her storytelling.
There was another surprise tonight, someone who I hadn't seen for a long time now was present - Gasper Vladi.
Gasper in front of me, he was eating with watery eyes that were squeezed shut while wearing a cute green and white frilly dress and a black bonnet. According to Rias, Grayfia dragged him here by force and Venelana forcefully gave the boy a bath and clean clothes to wear.
Koneko hadn't started eating at all and was just staring at me. Even though, usually, she would have been the first to heartily dig into the food. Strange, I wonder if there was something going on here.
Zeoticus tapped his spoon against a crystal glass, getting everyone's attention.
"Members of Rias' group and our two special guests, please think of this place as your home. Having just come to the Underworld, you're in an environment you don't understand. If there's something you want, please say so to the housemaids without reservation. They'll prepare it right away."
Hmm, Grayfia already helped me with Xenovia's case so not much help needed for that. But I was wondering if I could ask him for some information about Bael. Though his wife was the better person to ask such a thing given her lineage, I was curious what he had to say first.
"By the way, Hikigaya Hachiman-kun." He turned to face me.
"Yo," I instinctively gave him my regular greeting, ignoring the slight shoulder jab from Rias.
He rather enjoyed my gesture .
"How do you find the Underworld? I believe this is your first visit to our homeland."
"Quite impressive I must say, there is only beautiful scenery wherever I look and the climate isn't that bad. I didn't expect to find so many regular shops and malls in the city while coming over here, so I'll probably buy some souvenirs for my family. Maybe I'll try to get a mini Maous collection figurines." I said that as a joke.
"Hmm. A souvenir, huh. I see."
Zeoticus' rang a hand bell beside him. A butler-like person then immediately approached.
"What is your order, master?"
"Yes. Prepare a castle with lifesize sculptures of our Maous made of the best crystal and gems as a decoration for one of the indoor gardens for his parents."
"Hehe…" Who knew Rias' father had a knack for jokes as well? I liked this guy already, he was obviously quite relaxed and easy going. But for some reason, I was the only one at the table to laugh at the joke.
"Yes. Shall it be Western? Eastern? Or Oriental? There are quite a few available in Belgium and Osaka though I'm afraid none of them have any modern swimming pools."
"What a worrying conundrum."
The butler also responded by continuing this funny bit.
It was a joke, right?
"What a worrisome choice."
"Akeno, why is no one laughing at the joke?" I asked the raven haired girl near me since Rias had her hands covering her face the entire time. She seemed quite embarrassed from her father's joke. Maybe it was a dad joke that I wasn't getting.
"Ara, whoever said this was a joke?" She said mirthfully, "They're being quite serious."
"…"
Wait what!?
"H-Hold on a minute!" I quickly stopped those two from going any further with their ridiculous conversation about castles.
"Oh, does a castle not suit your taste, Hikigaya Hachiman-kun?"
"Not that!" Why were people in this world so extravagant!? "I-I think a c-castle is going a bit too far. My parents wouldn't want such a luxury and prefer living a modest life." If you could call my current home modest, but to his eyes there was no other way to describe it. "There's no need for something so extravagant, just something small will suffice, even a small keychain will be enough."
Seriously, our cultures and living standards were too different!
"Dear, since the land in Japan is too small, it's impossible for a commoner to have a castle."
That was the voice of Rias' mother. Thank you very much for your help! I would call my family a middle-high class family but I could see how we would be peasants or commoners in their eyes.
"What? Certainly, Japan is small. Hmm, if a castle is no good, I wonder what else would be a good present…"
"Father, worrying about it that much will just trouble them. Hachi-kun's parents don't possess strong worldly desires anyway." Rias said, persuading them from turning my family into royalty in a matter of hours. I thanked her deeply inside my head and promised to repay this gratitude with some home cooked meals made by yours truly.
"Yes, little Hachi-kun's parents here are quite modest. I've met them a couple of times and they are quite fun to talk with. They would enjoy having some company more than anything else." Shuri also came to my aid.
"I see, then we will pay them a visit next time we visit the human world." Zeoticus said and nodded deeply and just stared at me with an intense gaze. "Hikigaya Hachiman-kun…"
For some reason, he kept calling out to me. Was he very interested in me? Then again, I was dating his daughter so I could understand it.
"Yes?"
"You may call me 'father-in-law' from today on."
"…" At this point, I would rather accept that than to have him suddenly declare handing over a truck filled with gold bars to my parents as a small gift or something.
Just as I was about to accept, someone else spoke before me.
"Dear, you're being too fast. There's such a thing as order first." His wife scolded him, pulling on his ear, getting a pained whine from the head of the house.
"Y-Yeah. B-But he taught our daughter so much, he's even well mannered and powerful. Even Sirzechs likes him, doesn't it make you happy?"
Well that was good to hear, Lucifer liked me… there was a joke somewhere there that I was missing.
"Dear, I said that it's still too early to celebrate."
"That's true. It seems I just tend to be too hasty."
He let out a deep breath. It seemed that he was completely dominated by his wife. This showed that Rias' mother had a lot of power in this household. Thankfully so, if the man could so easily hand out castles like that then I worried about this family's financial stability in the next few decades.
"Hikigaya Hachiman-san. Is it fine if I can call you Hachi-kun?"
Rias's mother asked.
I nodded, at this point, I more or less got used to people aside from Rias and Akeno calling me that name.
"Sure, I don't mind."
"Will you be staying here for a while?"
Given the Kuroka case, possibly.
"Yes, or until the parent-stud-hurg!!" I nearly bit my tongue when I felt Rias pinch my thighs, hard! She gave me a warning glare, hinting me to not finish my sentence. It took me a few seconds to realize why. She didn't want them to know about the parent-student day in Kuoh Academy.
"I mean, until my parents call me back for some private matters."
"I see. That's perfect. We can get to know each other and even bond with Rias's new boyfriend. Isn't that right, Shuri?"
"Fufufu, of course! I have so many activities planned with everyone here. Oh, did you know Beelzebub-sama's company created an artificial beach on the north side for us to enjoy? We can all go together there!"
"Really, that would be marvelous! You're coming as well, Grayfia." Venelana said, having the white haired maid nod her head while also releasing a helpless smile. "Oh, and Hachi-kun, you won't mind if I start teaching you about certain etiquettes and history of the Devil race?"
Eh? That came out of nowhere.
"I don't see any prob-" Pa !
Rias banged the table in a rather violent way.
"Father! Mother! I've been listening quietly until now, but what kind of thing are you trying to advance while leaving me out of it!?"
Her mother narrowed her eyes at those words. There was none of the smiling face from when she had pleasantly greeted us before, as she gave a hard glare.
"Be silent, Rias. You've already destroyed your engagement with Raiser, remember? The fact that we just permitted it should be thought of as special treatment to the rest of the pillars. How much effort do you think your father and Sirzechs had to put in in order to take care of things with the other high-class devils and your grandfather? Rating Game or not, it doesn't change the fact that this move from you has tainted our name across the Underworld and had gotten your grandfather in a fit of the entire situation. At least we can still manage most of it given you've won the game, but imagine the catastrophe we would have to deal with if you had lost instead."
"Onii-sama has nothing to-"
Rias's face became clouded by anger and she tried to speak out, but her mother didn't let her, cutting her off with a wave.
"You mean Sirzechs is unrelated to what you do? Officially, that is true. However, everyone sees you as Lucifer's younger sister. Right now, when the three great powers have formed an alliance, your position is known even by the lower classes of the other powers. You can't behave selfishly as you have in the past. Everyone will pay attention to you from now on. Rias, you have been placed into that kind of position where your actions have consequences for not only your peerage, but those around you. There will be no second instance of that kind of selfishness like with your betrothal. Do not carry that selfish attitude like-" Alright, I had enough of this charade.
"Rias did nothing wrong," I exclaimed loudly, drowning her voice. "And those who have a word to say against her can come and say it directly to my face or her. If they are so cowardly to speak from people's back then their opinions are worthless and you should care more about your own daughter to begin with, Venelana-san."
We started out great, but if this was how she truly felt about Rias and her actions, then I wasn't going to hesitate to go against her.
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 3 other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post monthly commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.
Past memories
Hiiiiii~ A new chapter is here!
Next update is gonna be Broly and To Love a Sword.
Also, thank you to my newest patrons: Tyler V, Ryuhou14, jaxondahuman and Perseus. Y'all rock!!!
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by Shigiya.
- Gremory Manor -
I wondered if Rias' mother was going to dislike me after this. After all, I basically insulted her in front of everyone about how she should pay more attention to her daughter. Her blank stare showed very little emotion, stopping me from guessing whether she was angry at me or something else.
Everyone looked at us worriedly, hoping that another argument wouldn't erupt between us. But for now, I had other things to take care of.
Rias, on the other hand, had left, not saying a word as she ran out of the dining room.
I got up from my seat, "I'm sorry this dinner had to come at such an awkward moment, I'll be going to check over Rias. Please excuse me."
As I left, I did hear Shuri's voice talking to Venelana.
"I told you they would react like that if you brought up this topic. You need to learn to be more understanding, Vena."
"Haa… You're right, Shuri. The fault lies with me here for this blunder."
Feeling thankful for Akeno's mother's intervention, I left the room and went to look for my red head. It wasn't that hard to figure out where she went, having an idea of her pattern and after asking the maids where her room was. After a few times of getting lost in the enormous manor and back tracking, I finally found a door left open and the sound of sobs. This was going to be difficult, I could tell already.
"Rias?" I peeked inside, finding a room which was easily ten times the size of my room in Kuoh. Outside on the balcony, I saw Rias on the ground, rubbing her eyes, obviously holding back her tears. I approached her, not saying a word and sat next to her. "I guess things could have been better tonight."
"They… they don't understand me." She said, referencing her parents. "It was always like this, ever since I was a child, they never changed. Especially my engagement with Rizer, they barely cared about me and almost forced a wedding before I could even become a student in Kuoh."
"I won't say you're in the wrong, obviously they should have given this part of your life more thought instead of focusing on their image. But let me play the devil's advocate here for a bit, pun intended, your parents most definitely love you from what I've seen so far. They probably believed that it was what was best for you… which in turn didn't really turn out well I admit."
"You think?" Rias said sarcastically. "It's just… they always cared about the image and status of our family more than me. I know I have responsibilities as the heir of Gremory, but I also don't want to be sold off to the richest family like some trophy."
"At least now you're free, and all of it happened through your own efforts. And let me tell you, hard work betrays none, even though it doesn't assure you absolute victory - it at least gives you the consolation that you did your best. The Rias I knew from the past was a dreamer, a young girl who wanted her problems to disappear just like that." She stopped crying at least, which was good on my part. After all these years, I still didn't know how to handle crying girls. Maybe I should ask Shuri for some advice. "I'd advise you to get yourself together and go back down to face your mother. Running away and crying will achieve nothing but waste time and prove their point."
Rias rested her head on my shoulders, taking my hand into hers. I stopped talking, allowing the silence to continue as we gazed at the "night" sky for the next few minutes. It was weird, but I felt like we were being watched. glanced around a bit and noticed nothing unusual or found the shadow of anyone in particular. But even as I tried to ignore it, that feeling persisted, I even went so far as to ask Vritra if he noticed something.
' I do not believe so, the coast is clear as far as I know. But now that you mention it, the blood within my body does feel colder than usual.'
' You don't have a body.'
' A figure of speech for dragons.'
Right, maybe it was nothing. I was brought back to my senses when I sensed a certain someone pushing herself a bit too closely against me. "Thanks for comforting me," she said, "your headpats help, even though it is a bit weird to do that for your girlfriend. I would've preferred a kiss."
I never gave her any headpats.
"Rias, you're holding my hand." As soon as I mentioned that, she froze. Both of us slowly turned our heads up to see a small pale hand resting on top of her head, moving gently. Following along the length was a small girl with pointed ears and blank black eyes that showed no emotions whatsoever. Wearing the familiar gothic clothing with her chest fully exposed but having black tape covering her nipples. This scene was even more creepy considering how only half of her body was sticking out of a tear in space, something I didn't even notice whilst so close by.
"Don't cry, Devil." She said without any emotions in her voice, as she stared at the shocked redhead, as if looking into her soul. "Or else the cat will find me."
"…"
"…"
Rias' face went all pale, maybe it was due to how close they were or how she was being touched, having sensed her power when she realized that there was someone else in the room. Even if it was nothing but a small sliver of it, it had already surpassed anything she must have sensed in her life and Sirzechs for certain would never flare his power near Rias for the latter to have a general idea of his might. But Ophis represented the concept of infinity, so even that small sliver was basically a never ending sea of power threatening to drown her.
" This reminds me of the day the Gremory girl mentioned she didn't want to see the Dragon God appear in your rooms whilst both of you slept. Funny how things have turned out."
"Not right now, Vritra."
The shock was too much for her, and the next thing I know, she fell onto my lap, her eyes rolled to the back of her head.
Didn't think that it was actually a thing, but it was far creepier up close.
I couldn't help but massage my temples, not one normal day for me. The universe was out to get me and would kill from either too much stress or lack of sleep.
"The Devil has died?" Ophis wondered, confused about Rias' reaction, poking her on the cheek.
"No, but you probably almost gave her a heart attack." I knew that Ophis was in the Underworld, Kuroka mentioned as such. I just didn't expect for her to appear at this moment like this. "Why did you pat her head like that?" A part of me was curious, so I couldn't help but ask.
Ophis tilted her head, "The Nekoshou does this to me everytime she is near me, so I wanted to try it too."
Really nothing but a naive girl. How could such an innocent soul could become the de facto leader if a terrorist group that aimed to destroy the world or something or other evil plans was beyond me. Maybe Great Red truly was the main antagonist in all of this, if that dragon hadn't thrown Ophis out of the Dimensional Gap then much of this would have been avoided.
"Can you hide your power so that the others won't freak out when they see you?" Hearing my request, she nodded and closed her eyes before sitting next to me. The air shifted, and using my sensing abilities, I felt the weight that was usually around Ophis trickle down until it slowly vanished.
She turned her head at me, my big brother senses tingling from the stare she was giving me. To others, it may have looked like any other one of her blank stares, but to me it was a desire to be praised for her efforts!
How could I say no!
"You did a good job, Ophis." Even the way she closed her eyes when I patted her head was cute! "Tell me, did something happen for you to… leave? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that you're away from them, but are you planning on staying with me now?" I did promise her to have a home prepared for her at any time. And the further away she stayed from the Khaos Brigade and the Hero Faction, the better.
"Shalba asked for more snakes, I remember what you said to me. I said no, he got angry, so I left." Shalba… I felt like I heard that name before, I sounded so familiar. No matter what, this person was an enemy in the end, and it was a good thing he didn't get anything from Ophis anymore. Now, it was probably Kuroka who was still searching for her, it was only a matter of time before she would find her and possibly use force to take her back. No, that couldn't be the case, Ophis was far too powerful to be taken away like that. At worst, she'll stick a large target on my back, having the Khaos Brigade on the search for me - which in itself was a terrifying reality.
"Rias?" my head snapped, towards the door, where both Venelana and Shuri stood. I panicked, they saw Ophis, I didn't have time to tell the girl to hide!
"Ara, What a cute little girl!" Shuri was the first one to react, she closed the distance and picked Ophis up like a toddler and brought her into a hug. The dragon god's face being buried in her chest. "You look like Akeno when she was a small child, so precious!" The woman twirled Ophis around a few rounds, captivated by her adorableness.
"She reminds me of little Koneko-chan." Venelana commented, wanting to hold the Dragon God as well, completely forgetting about me and Rias, and patting Ophis's head. Meanwhile, I was sweating buckets, hoping Ophis wouldn't say or do anything dramatic! "Ah! Looks like we disturbed you two love birds~" she said, looking at her daughter "sleeping" on my lap. Oblivious to the fact that she had in fact lost consciousness out of pure terror.
"N-No, problem, I was j-just about to tuck her in bed." I stuttered, hastily picking Rias up and resting on her bed, my eyes locked on Shuri as she joyfully pinched Ophis's cheeks. The woman was not aware what kind of being she was dealing with! This same girl pinched Kokabiel to death for crying out loud! "A-Ano, Shuri-san…" Damn, I unconsciously mimicked Asia. "I-It's better if you put her down, she might get scared." Or blow up the Underworld if she got annoyed.
My entire body was sweating at this point! My hands were shaking while I prayed to every god in existence that nothing would go wrong.
' D-Do not fret, partner. Ophis would never do such a thing. You should stay calm.' Even Vritra joined to calm me down, but even he wasn't so certain!
' I'd say the same thing to you!'
"By the way, who is she? I haven't seen her with Rias and she wasn't present for dinner." Venelana asked, Shuri wondering as well.
"I'm O-" I moved swiftly, taking Ophis away from Shuri with a broken, a strained smile on my face. They couldn't know this was Ophis, the sheer panic that would ensue could easily cause more trouble and attract the attention of many less than likable Devils. I didn't want her to be taken advantage of by the same kind of people who were part of the Khaos Brigade. At this moment, my first plan of action was to discuss matters with Sirzechs first, he would know what to do.
"She's a… spirit related to Tiamat! She came here to hang out a bit." What? Spirit? That didn't make any sense! Shuri was a Miko like Akeno who used to exercise similar entities in the past. No way they would ever believe such a outlandish li-
"Ohhh! That makes sense!" The raven haired woman exclaimed, nearly making me facepalm myself with how easily she believed that half-assed lie. "What's her name?"
Shit, I didn't think of that. In a moment of uncertainty, I just blurted the first name that came to my mind.
"Komachi, I call her… Komachi…" I said silently, putting my hands inside my pockets. My pounding heart calmed down as I sighed, thinking of my real little sister. Why did I have to say that name… made my mood drop at that.
"Komachi? That's a wonderful name." Venelana smiled, probably finding Ophis' unchanging expression to be rather funny and cute. She then looked at Rias with a complicated face, I could guess she was thinking about what just happened during dinner. "I came here to apologize to my daughter, but now that she's asleep, I don't want to disturb her." She went over and sat by her side, fixed Rias' hair and then gently caressed her cheeks before planting a tender kiss on her forehead.
There was a moment of silence, Venelana truly loved her child, there was no doubt about that in my mind.
"The Underworld is a ruthless place, we may have changed from the Devils of the past in the eyes of many - but few know how this is nothing but a farce. I wanted Rias to marry Riser because of how powerful their family was. As the heir of the Gremory, she will face many challenges, dangers beyond her imagination and a den of snakes amongst the Devils. Rias is pure, naive and trusting, she would have been torn piece by piece by herself."
"So you forced an arranged marriage, because you wanted for the Phenex to be one of the supporting pillars by her side." I said, lowering Ophis on the ground and gave her one of Rias' many limited-edition figures to play with.
"Yes, and Zeoticus was great friends with the head. So you could say that we also had a close bond between our families. Just like with the Sitris."
"Did you not consider Riser's character? I know he is better now but his past self left much to be desired for." Now all he did was flaunt his handsomeness to the girls at school, acting like an overprotective brother and basically trying to act normal.
"I did, but you must understand, us Devils have a different perspective compared to you humans. Riser's desire to have Rias as part of his harem was natural and understandable. And we figured he would have gotten softer with time. You should know that Zeoticus used to be exactly like him in the past and we turned out perfectly fine."
I was having a hard time imagining Rias' father acting the same way as Riser. He looked very humble in a sense of not caring about my nature as a human. He laughed and even offered me an entire castle for crying out loud! Still, I could see her point to some degree.
"But every case is different, Vena." Shuri spoke, using a nickname I hadn't heard before. "As parents it is our duty to keep our children safe and happy. You went for the former whilst skipping the latter part. I understand your fear, and wanting your children to have a secure future but sometimes, it is best to trust our children. Look at them now, they got themselves the perfect gentleman~!"
That made me blush, and a bit awkward hearing that, "I wouldn't call myself perfect by any means, those two just have bad taste in choosing someone like me…"
"Fufufufu, he's quite weak against compliments, Shuri."
"Ever since he was a small child. Even back then, he was quite the pessimistic cutie~!"
We continued to talk, exchanging random moments of the past with Venelana talking about Rias and Sirzechs. I mostly knew most of what she mentioned about her daughter, after all, Akeno always kept me informed about every embarrassing thing that happened to her King. Though it was interesting to hear about Sirzechs, yet his part wasn't as joyful or peaceful as Rias. Having grown up in the middle of the Great War in full swing and forced to take a leading role in it at a very young age didn't make Sirzechs have any fond childhood memories for his mother to talk about.
It was a miracle how both he, Serafall and the other Maous didn't become like Kokabiel.
A while later, it became clear that the conversation began to wrap up. Rias already began drooling on her pillow and regained a healthy glow to her face.
"Before we leave. I initially came here to apologize to Rias after taking Shuri's advice - but it seems I can't do that tonight. Though I believe she would have loved to hear how I was planning to apologize exactly." Seeing my confused face, a mischievous grin came over her face.
"Uh… guess you want me to ask what it is?"
"Indeed!" She clapped her hand. "Hikigaya Hachiman-kun, tomorrow we will all be going to a local beach created in the Underworld. Since our family sponsored it in the first place, we get to reserve a whole day just for us."
That… actually sounded quite nice. I did need a day to relax and just do nothing.
"I'll be sure to tell her." I thanked them, before they left the room.
"A beach?" Ophis asked, sounding unfamiliar with what was happening. Having gotten bored after she had broken the figurine, and just tried to tune out most of the conversation, until she heard that unfamiliar word.
"You've never been in one? Actually, do you even know what it is?"
She shook her head, which I should have known given she was an entity who lived inside the Dimensional Gap for thousands of years without bothering with the livelihood of humans only until recently where she was kinda forced to.
"It's basically a place people go to near a large body of water and sand to have fun. They play around, go for a swim, have picnics and so on."
"Sounds noisy." She frowned, already not liking the idea of it. Given her past life, would it be fair to call her a hikikomori? Technically, she is the ultimate loner who used to power an entire exorcist organization just because she wanted to return to her home and be alone.
Would be nice to show her a different side of the world, all the different activities she could do and have fun while at it. I empathize with her desire to return to her home and return to a silent life, but there was no harm in showing Ophis how she could enjoy other things aside from silence.
"I promise you that I'll have a great experience. Besides, beaches can be the perfect place to have a nice nap without any noise aside from the sound of waves and without having anyone disturb you… most of the time. Though given the entire area will be reserved for us then no stranger will disturb my sleep." That part intrigued her, I could see why, it was most likely very enticing for her.
"Will you use Absolute Delete Field?"
My eyes twitched at her one track mind, "I'm not an infinite well of power, I can barely use that spell for a minute let alone during an entire nap."
Ophis extended her hand, the hairs on my arm stood as hundreds of snakes emerged from her sleeves and looked at me. Sheesh, I didn't exactly have ophidiophobia but the sigh of so many of these creatures wasn't something I wished to witness regularly.
"I can help you with that."
This time, I went further and flicked her head which recoiled a bit.
"This is a moment for me to relax and not do anything. I'm not going to keep a spell constantly active as that requires a lot of focus and concentration and I'm trying to NOT do that." Her pointed ears slumped slightly. "But I promise you that there won't even be any need to use such a spell to begin with. Just trust me, you'll like the atmosphere."
"… Fine." She agreed, calling back all of her snakes which merged back with her shadow.
"Alright, I'll think how to introduce you to the others later. Keep your powers hidden for now, or until I get to talk to Sirzechs or something, okay?" Ophis nodded. "Good, I'm going to bed for now."
As I got up from the bed, a certain redhead moved. She must have heard my voice or was just naturally being grabby and due to that - accidentally latched onto Ophis without realizing it.
"Mmm… Hachi-kun…" Yeah, she truly believed that it was me and didn't know that she actually held onto a Dragon God, as she nuzzled her cheek.
"…" Ophis for the most part stayed emotionless, continuing to stare at me. I shrugged, Rias brought this upon herself but if I let this stand, she'd most likely wake everyone up in fright with a loud scream. "I have been taken as a hostage."
"Don't say it with that deadpan voice of yours, you'll be fine. Just go to sleep here, Rias is notorious for her constant need to hold onto something in her sleep. It's going to take more effort to free you here than it was to battle Kokabiel." To make it easier for her, I casted a small field of Absolute Silence around them. It was like a switch, Ophis' eyes started to slowly close before she fully fell asleep.
Cute.
After that, I closed the door to her room and returned to mine. As I arrived there, I came to see both Xenovia and Irina present on the former's bed in their pajamas, surrounded by books on kanji and Japanese learning.
"Looks like we have an extra guest today."
"Ah, sorry for the intrusion! We are just getting some homework done and practicing Xenovia's Japanese writing." Irina said, closing a 'Japanese for Dummies' book.
"Urgh… Kanji is going to be the death of me." Xenovia whispered as I could see literal smoke coming from her head as she read one of the books. "I envy you devils and your magical tongues."
Please learn to phrase it better Xenovia!
"Hey! I'm Japanese already, so of course I would have an easier time with this. I just get to speak any other languages fluently, but I still have to learn how to read and write them!" Not catching the accidental innuendo.
"I stand by what I said." Glad to see someone else shared my envy for the Devil's cheat-like ability when it came to language. She would learn how unfair the world was and we would wallow in the future together!
Thankfully they didn't take my bed, "Whatever, just don't make too much noise. I'll need to wake up early tomorrow and make sure Rias doesn't wake up everyone else." Ignoring their confused stares, I hopped on my bed and closed my eyes for my long awaited sleep.
{ Break}
-??? -
"Oi, wake up! This is not the time to be sleeping!"
If felt like he was in a foggy world, swimming deep in viscous water. Everything seemed off, an alien sense that he could not relate with. Who called him? He did not recognise the voice, but it was a girl, a young one at that.
"Y-yikes…" That voice groaned softly.
He looked up, finding a human girl of average height. She had medium-length black hair and, just like someone he knew, had a strand of hair standing straight from her head
As if attempting to stifle that voice, an electric fan hummed and shook its head from side to side. The girl was slowly shaking her head from side to side at the exact same speed.
"Onii-chan, this won't do. This won't do at all…" Gingerly, she put the yellowed writing paper down on the table. "I knew you were one of those types, onii-chan, but this report just won't do… it won't doooo."
Onii-chan? He… he… who was she? He certainly wasn't her brother, there must have been some sort of confusion here.
"Shuddup, you're the one who wanted to copy my report. Don't like it, don't look at it." A very familiar voice spoke, he was shocked and tried to look behind - only to find himself unable to move. Yet the hand he saw in front of him snatched the paper away from the girl's hand.
"Aah, you look so embarrassed! Don't worry, I still love you, Onii-chan!"
Again with that name, he tried to speak but once again found himself incapable. It was almost as if he could only spectate through the body of another… but he could also feel the sourness coming from within this body. Clear that it wasn't happy in the least with her response.
"Okay, okay, I said sorry. I'll just use the parts I can use, so let me see it~" she sang. "Well, it barely looks like I can use it, though," the girl added rather unnecessarily as she took the report from his hand once again and started copying down some notes.
' Damn you summer vacation homeworks .'
He could hear his thoughts as a usual, yet the tone and just the general attitude felt wholly different, as if it was another person entirely. Less jaded, less tired, "Woah, having to spend my summer vacations like this, I couldn't ask for anything better." Yet still holding that same level of sarcasm.
This couldn't be possible where was this? Who were these two? This couldn't be the same person…
' The middle school I had attended - and which Komachi was attending right now - did not give much homework: a worksheet for English and math, the supplementary kanji workbook for Japanese and an independent research project, plus an essay or a book report.'
Komachi… wasn't that…
He peered at Komachi, whose hand had stopped moving as she groaned quietly, this body chugged down a can of coffee. He heard the boy's thoughts, confused at its similarity yet difference it had over the reality he grew familiar with.
The body's eyes fell on one of the sentences inside. "Hey, it doesn't have to be a book report, so why not do a normal essay?"
"Huuuh?" Komachi looked up and then stood up from her chair halfway, peering at what was in his hand.
"Check this out. It says book report and also 'an essay about tax'."
The more they interacted, the more he understood that these two were indeed real siblings. There was a bond between these two he never seen the boy share with anyone, aside a handful coming very close to it.
"Ahaaaa," Komachi laughed nervously. "I don't know a thing about taxes…"
"Hold that thought. I remember writing about it in middle school," he said, fishing around the cardboard box on the table.
A box of memories, many of which were foreign. It contained all my old essays, albums and research projects.
"Is this it?"
"Show me, show me!" Komachi sprang at him with a jump, coiling herself around his arm. And just like that, she prised the writing paper from the boy.
Seeing them laugh, bicker and treat each other so closely, he sensed a wave of sadness erupt from the depth of his soul. As if something within him knew that this scene would never happen again.
The boy went to the bathroom shortly after and gazed at the mirror. That was were he witnessed the same face, those same dead fish eyes and haircut. His body was a bit thinner than her and frail. Yet there was no doubt about his identity.
" Partner…"
Vritra was wondering just what was this scene he was seeing. A secret his host hid from him? No, maybe a story he wanted to forget most likely…
The dragon patiently watched everything after, a life that bore no resemblance to the one in Kuoh. A town that he was not aware of, a school and friends he had never seen. A cold girl whose presence reminded him of the Sitri, another jubilant and full of life and a boy whose feminine demeanor seemed to rattle Hachiman more than he expected.
More and more scenes burst forth, minutes turned into hours, then to days, months and even a year. It finally clicked in his mind, the general state of this world, these people, the lack of any supernatural and so much more.
" Partner, you're not of this world …" Vritra spoke, an echo spreading around him as their souls resonated with his words. " And somewhere within you, in the deepest corner, you still search to return."
To a certain extent, he never truly understood his host. The boy held a level of maturity and understanding of the human mind that exceeded someone his age. Even with how close they had gotten, Vritra always felt that there was a thin film between him and Hachiman that stopped him from truly understanding his host.
But now, this was no longer the case.
He remembered the darkness whilst in his maddened state, how Indra cut him down into five pieces which were then turned into Sacred Gears. Forced to live centuries trapped in a dark hole with no means of communication or escape, forever miserable in his fate. But then the boy came, woke him up from his slumber, desired companionship more than power and in return Vritra gave everything. Yet even after all that, the dragon was not satisfied, he believed that he hadn't done enough.
But after seeing this, everything became clear to him.
For he gained a personal goal in his heart. One that no longer involved getting revenge against the gods.
" I promise upon my name, Vritra of the Asuras, former Dragon King and Evil Dragon. I swear upon them and my honor to pave a road back to your world, and I shall stop at nothing to achieve this goal, Hachiman."
He needed to grow stronger.
Far… far more powerful.
The world grew dark, the three enormous red eyes kept staring at the void around them before vanishing.
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 3 other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post monthly commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.
Beach fun
Hiiiiii~ A new chapter is here!
This chapter was supposed to have pictures corresponding to what the girls were wearing, but given this is Fanfiction, I couldn't add them. So for those curious, they can check them out in Wattpad.
Also, thank you to my newest patrons: Dust Prime, Eduardo, nelson carcamo, Chazyboy1, 梁 乔, JPeters Art and Antonio Berti. Y'all rock!
Next update is An Archer's Promise
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by Shigiya
- Underworld -
One thing I knew about the Gremory was their line of work, a large business enterprise owned and managed by the clan which operated various business ventures in the Underworld as well as the Human world. In the Human world, the Gremory had several Large Enterprise which operated several travel agencies and a chain of hotels in various countries such as in Japan; in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and other large cities along with the States and parts of West of Europe, each which had hotel chains owned by the Gremory, Goetia Enterprise. The enterprise was even involved in the film industry in the Human world. The current president of the enterprise being none other than Rias' father - Zeoticus Gremory.
It gave a better understanding of just about how rich they were. And as to why they would invest in an artificial beach in the Underworld. Even as I stood here, my feet resting on top of the hot sand with the sound of waves crashing - I couldn't help but be amazed at how realistic everything looked. The sky itself was blue with my skin feeling the warmth of the fake Sun.
I really felt like I was back on Earth on one of the beaches that I once visited with Akeno or Kala, and not still in the Underworld. Just how they managed to recreate a literal ocean with waves and the breeze was astounding to me. Maybe it was an illusion and if someone were to swim a bit too far, they would encounter a wall. Or, the body of water was indeed this big and spanned for a few kilometers.
Magic was truly busted.
Either way, I needed this, an empty beach where I could relax for once. Though this opportunity was almost missed when Rias woke up with a certain Dragon God staring right at her, peering into her very existence, as she was just a few inches away from her. If I hadn't woken up early thanks to Xenovia and Irina being early birds thanks to their training at the church. I barely made it in time and put my hands over her mouth to stop the girl from screaming her lungs out and waking up everyone inside the manor.
… And probably from being pinched to death for being annoying.
"You made my mother and Akeno's think she is a spirit related to Tiamat!?" Rias exclaimed loudly, her hair frazzled and a mess. All of the rest. she must have gotten out of her sleep and was visibly slipping away. Speaking of Ophis, she now sat on my lap and stared into space with no expression on her face as usual. "How… How did you even make them believe such a lie?"
The redhead asked, astounded at how her mother fell to such a lie. "She is supposed to be the most quick-witted of the family! The same can be said for Shuri-san…"
Oh how cute, she considered the latter as part of the family.
"Well it's quite easy really, they can't sense anything from Ophis since I've told her to hide her powers. All traces of it vanished right before they entered the room, so they didn't sense what you felt beforehand." I actually did some research on this Dragon God beforehand and discovered something else that could have allowed Venelana and Shuri to not suspect anything. "According to the records, Ophis was last spotted a few centuries ago, and back then, she was in the form of an old man. So I'd say it's logical why they wouldn't connect this little girl to an old man they most likely never saw and only heard about."
At my explanation, Rias nodded her head, calming down bit by bit. Though she still looked unnerved of how I was handling Ophis on my lap and she was just letting it happen. Yes, I used to be afraid of her - still was to a certain extent - now I just understood that she wasn't some malicious being bent on destroying all living creatures. She was just lost and was looking for a way back home and unfortunately, some people decided to take advantage of that and make her their personal battery while giving false promises in exchange for that power.. Safe to say, I hated them more than ever.
"So… what now? Should we introduce her to everyone else?" She asked, starting to accept the current reality and wanting to move along before she freaked out even further.
I shook my head, "No, not now at least. I need to talk with Sirzechs first and establish a plan of sorts. If word got out that Ophis is with us then we'll have to deal with the Khaos Brigade and Hero Faction as a whole coming after her." Not to mention Kuroka was searching for her, I wanted Sirzechs to remove her status as a criminal first and then I'd ask Ophis to stop hiding her presence, power and scent. This would attract her and I could try to capture her for real this time and smack some senses back to the catgirl. Though something told me she would be overjoyed to be able to return by Koneko's side without fear and Sirzechs' action would make her more trusting of us… hopefully.
"Maybe you can reveal it to your group, I trust them to keep it a secret." In a way, my words were no different than admitting that I held little trust over her parent's ability to keep this matter under wraps as well. It sounded harsh but it was the truth, I barely knew them and didn't want too many people to know about this as well.
"How long will she stay with us?"
How long? Well, I hadn't thought about it much yet. But then again, she had nowhere to go and a part of me didn't want her to go. "She can stay at my house for now, Kuoh Academy may be a bit too open for her but my house is safe enough. There are enough magical defenses around it so that no one can enter without me knowing and I can teleport there faster. I'll try to teach her as much as I can about how life works and improve on her ability to judge certain people. In her current state she would trust anyone and anything."
"I don't trust Baka Red." Ophis said with a deadpan, or what I assumed to be one. I unconsciously patted her head, making her lean in further onto my chest. "But I trust the Enveloper. He always helped me when he was able to."
I couldn't help but grin, "You hear that Vritra? The Dragon God trusts you."
"…"
He was silent.
I wondered if something was the matter with him.
Rias crossed her arms, I could see her glaring at how I was treating Ophis. Was she jealous?
"Anyways, for now let me handle her case. You don't have to worry much about her and can focus on your own things. Don't worry about anyone coming after her, they won't find her if she desires so. Also, before I forget, when your mother came by last night she wanted to pass on a message to you."
Her face darkened, mostly likely still hung up on what happened at dinner yesterday. "I bet she came to tell you how I wasn't being a proper heiress and so on."
"Nope, she wanted to apologize." Her face morphed into surprise, that was the last thing she must have expected from her strict mother. "And to further prove her point, she's invited us all to a recently opened beach in the Underworld."
Those gloomy eyes lit up in an instant, seeing the excitement well up inside her. Guess she liked the news more than I expected. Rias jumped from her bed as she remembered something crucial, "I need to go shopping for a bikini!"
"Eh? Don't you shave an entire changing room filled with thousands of clothes that you only wore once? Surely one of them must be a swimsuit that you'd li-" I immediately shut my mouth when I saw two demonic eyes glaring at me. "Right… can't wait to see what you'll wear?" This woman was scary when she wanted to be.
She gave me a quick kiss before running out of the room while continued to sit there with Ophis. Now that I thought about it, where did the anime figurines disappear to? I was glad she didn't notice or I would have been skinned alive. I asked the small girl about my question and she replied with, "They broke into dust when I held them."
Just what kind of strength was she packing in those small hands of hers? Infinite most likely, this little bundle of cuteness could easily slap my Balance Breaker into pieces if she so desired. Yeah, that wariness I used to feel before returned tenfold.
And play ignorance if Rias asked what happened to her valuable collection.
{ Break }
"I can't believe she bought me this…"
Now inside the changing room, I couldn't help but question all things in existence when gazing at the small gift Akeno bought me from her shopping trip with Rias and the other girls. I expected to be something minor, or even a can of my favorite coffee drink, but no - it was much weirder.
It was a black speedo that looked a tad bit too small for my taste.
Staring at this tiny, flimsy monstrosity for a few more seconds, I carefully put it back inside the box and opened another 'gift' from Rias.
Surprise, surprise. It was a red speedo, but unlike the other one, this one had a Gremory symbol at the center of the front.
"Honestly, those two perverts!" I exclaimed out loud as I shoved the darn thing back inside the package, my frustration clear to anyone hearing me. "Why would I EVER wear something like this!?"
"I think it'll look good on you."
"I agree."
Two voices spoke behind me, given this was the changing room, I was not alone. Turning my head, I found both Kiba and Gasper standing there with a smile on their faces. The former was wearing a swim cap that hid his hair and swimming goggles around his neck, to my horror… he was wearing a speedo.
"That's disgusting, Kiba." I couldn't help but comment, before turning my eyes over to a bigger issue. "Gasper, why are you wearing a girl's school swimsuit?"
"Eh, because it's cute?" Deep breath, I had to take a deep breath. This honest to god trap was going to put someone in jail at one point in the future. I prayed that Issei and Saji wouldn't get bamboozled by the boys feminine beauty.
"Gasper… I heard from Rias that you want to become someone manly, so that you may protect your King from every bad person, right?" He nodded his head vigorously, good at least he wasn't so far gone. "Then let me tell you something, wearing a girl's swimsuit will NOT help you get to that point. You first need to build courage, wits and confidence!" The more I spoke, the more entranced he was getting. With star stricken eyes, he began getting more fired up by the second.
"I-I understand, senpai! T-Tell me w-what to do and I'll d-do it without f-fear!" At least he had the drive, even if he looked ready to bolt at any moment.
"Here, take this." I passed him one of the 'gifts' I was given. "It's not what I would have preferred but it's better than nothing and will make you more confident and manly at the end of the day. Just like Kiba over here."
"I'm going to do my best to be manly like you and Kiba-senpai!" With that said, he ran off into the bathrooms to change, which actually made me sigh in relief. It was just hard to picture him as a boy… Even if Gasper made it hard to see him as one.
Kiba and I chuckled, finding his reaction and goal to be funny. Still, if he pursued his dream enough and worked hard then I was sure he would reach his ideal self.
"Oh, Hachiman, I have a confession to make." He said with a serious face, before going to one knee.
Oi oi oi, just what was going on here!? I wasn't feeling comfortable with the atmosphere all of a sudden, something didn't feel right here! I backpedaled, eyeing for the exit at the back to save my life. The blonde on the other hand didn't seem to notice my reaction and raised his fist to her chest and made a very Knight-like pose.
"From this day forth and until the moment I draw my last breath, I vow to always protect you - Hikigaya Hachiman."
Why couldn't he just say that whilst standing and not wearing speedos!?
"… Um, I am happy but… how should I put this… this isn't exactly the time or place to make such a knightly vow. Especially when you're in speedos, it's just disturbing."
"Sorry about that, I didn't have much time to say this before due to helping others with cleaning up Kuoh, so I figured it was now or never. You saved me. You're my precious comrade. If I can't save a comrade from a crisis then I can't call myself a Knight of the Gremory household."
Yeah, I understood that but… you know. It still felt weird to witness such a scene in the locker room.
"Thanks to you, my Sacred Gear has attained balance breaker and with your Vritra set, if we combine these two, then I feel we can surpass anything life throws at us. Hehe, I'm not usually the type to say such personal things normally." He said while scratching his cheeks with a small blush. "After hanging out with you, my viewpoint on life and my comrades also changed a lot. But I don't dislike that… this sensation makes my heart feel warm."
"…"
Nope, nope, absolutely nope! He was just gonna be spreading indecent rumors among a particular group of girls and Aika. I didn't want to be any more involved with him and the development of Boys Love - the current state was bad enough! Without giving him any answer, I booked for the exit. "W-Wait! I still have more to say!"
Like hell I'd wait! I was safer inside an active volcano than with you!
Dear mother and father, I was a grown man who experienced a lot in life and had nearly died on several occasions. Enough to become a grandfather and start speaking to youngsters with a line beginning with 'In my days,'. But today, I truly felt like a young teenager in both mind and body that was reaching adulthood once again with how hard it was for me to not stare lewdly at certain people in my group.
I couldn't stop my blood from raging onto my face, making me blush like a tomato. In front of this scenery before my very eyes, no man could resist the sheer allure.
If Aika was around she probably would have forced me to look, while drooling all over the women as well.
"Hey, Hachi-kun. How does my swimsuit look?"
The pure white fabric that barely held her breasts in its clothy prison, while the cloth was thin enough that I could see her nips poking through, whilst her bikini bottom was even more scandalous! A white g-string fabric which clung tightly to her waist, as it was being held by thin knots. The captivating curves were hard to ignore as well when she gave a little twirl, giving a full view of her round bare bottom. She had a black ribbon tied around her neck, like some kind of choker.
"Ara ara. Buchou, you sure are fired up. Ufufu, you really wanted to show it to Hachi-kun. Now my dragon, how does mine look? Be honest~"
Striking a pose as soon as I laid eyes on her, she showed off her own swimwear. She was wearing a racy swimsuit that was designed in black and red colors! The bikini was basically a tube top that was connected to a ring in the center and looked ready to pop free from their confines at the slightest jolt. It left little to the imagination, but emphasized her curves, her assets and her beauty. For someone like me who's seen both naked - I was getting flustered by the sight in front of me while secretly admiring their alluring beauty. These two succubuses were too erotic for my grasp of sanity, if they pushed any further then I would definitely need to slouch to keep my shame hidden.
"You both look good, I guess." I tried to look as unbothered as possible, keeping my voice nonchalant but I could still feel my face heating up, most likely ratting me out on my true feelings! Both women must have noticed and I swore I saw a predatory glint flash before their eyes.
"Ehehe. I am happy that you said that. Look, Koneko-chan is wearing a school swimsuit." Rias giggled and pointed at a certain cute Rook.
I turned around to see Koneko, the little neko girl was looking at me while she wore her school swimsuit, a rare look of embarrassment present on her face as she was forced to show it off. While she wasn't as well developed as her peers, she had the markings of becoming a beautiful woman when she would eventually grow up. And if her sister was any indication, then she was likely to become the next supermodel of the group. She even wore her school swim cap.
The fact that her name was written on the small card was indeed very adorable, completing the outfit. As expected from the school's mascot, though, part of me was sad that Asia wasn't here to enjoy the moment. She would have definitely loved it here, hopefully she was having fun with Gabriel in heaven's domain.
"…" For some reason, Koneko just kept looking at me funny, her eyes darting between me and then anywhere else. I couldn't tell why but she has been behaving a bit weirdly since the last few days.
"Is everything okay with you?" I asked, walking closer until she flinched. "… Koneko?" Had I done something wrong? She looked somewhat afraid of me in a sense.
"Yesterday, you smelled… weird. And it smells… familiar." She mentioned before walking away, I stood there with my eyes wide open. I wanted to facepalm myself, she obviously smelled Kuroka's scent, no matter how light it was. She may have accepted Senjutsu to a certain extent but the trauma associated with her sister was still very prominent in her mind.
"Ara, is something the matter here?"
"-!" I heard Venelana near me. I nearly choked on my spit when I saw what she was wearing. A bikini similar to Rias but black in color and even more daring with how little it covered while a beige shawl with floral patterns was draped over her shoulders. While Rias was a young beauty, then her mother was a mature beauty, her body more developed than her daughter. And… bigger in other areas. She was followed by Shuri who wore a white tropical floral, two piece ruffle bikini while wearing a necklace with a pink seashell and seashell bracelets on her right hand. Despite being in the same boat as Venelana in the beauty department and assets, her outfit looked a bit more conservative compared to the rest but not by much. "I-I-It's nothing, just a small misunderstanding." I stuttered at first, finding this situation very awkward.
I could understand why Venelana looked so young with her being a Devil, but Shuri was still human, and she looked like Akeno's twin sister for god's sake! What was her excuse for looking so attractive? I had to look over my shoulders, and was ready to dodge, expecting Baraquiel to show up and strike me with lightning for staring at his wife. This wasn't my fault, your wife was as dangerous as your daughter!
Though funnily enough, I noticed Shuri holding hands with Ophis, the latter wearing another school swimsuit similar to Koneko.
"…" It was hard to gauge what she was feeling at the moment.
Two hands pinched my ears before pulling them, I jumped to find both Akeno and Rias by my side giving me a scary look. Rias was glaring at me while Akeno had that hollow smile that promised the pain of a thousand Holy Lightning upon me.
"I'm all for sharing you with other women but my mother is out of the question. I'll zap those naughty urges away from your body if you persist, my dear dragon."
"Don't think I didn't notice where you're staring, mister."
Haa… I just wanted to relax, was that too much to ask?
{ Break }
"1, 2. 1, 2. You're doing amazing, dear."
I sat on my deckchair while looking at the others having fun in the water. Shuri decided to take it upon herself and teach Koneko how to swim, after whittling the information from the embarrassed girl. She was holding the Nekoshou's hand and helped her out with foot pedaling exercises. Truth be told, I wanted to help but something told me that it would be better I leave her alone for now.
Still, it was fun to watch her taking small breaths in between with a "Puwa-" sound and pedaling her feet with her utmost effort. Somehow, seeing her trying her best was very cute. She nearly drowned when her feet touched Ophis who was floating aimlessly on an inflated float shaped like a donut like she was relaxing in a lazy river. Her senses must have ticked her off about something dangerous as she hissed whenever Ophis floated a bit too closely, the latter even started doing it intentionally.
"K-Keep it up, K-Koneko-san!"
Gasper cheered for her from the side. Waiting for his turn given he couldn't swim as well. The boy was a hikikomori, I wasn't surprised with that revelation.
Despite my best effort on making him more manly, the young trap had reverted back to clothing preference after spotting it on our shopping trip. So instead of just wearing the speedo, he was now also wearing a vanilla cropped top, and a bright tropical floral skirt over it. He looked more like a girl now than before!
I gazed around and found Irina and Xenovia both having fun together building sand castles. They mentioned how they never did such activities whilst in the Church, saying that whenever they had free time both girls would just pray or read some old sacred texts. It made me happy to see them actually experience little things like these and I hoped to bring them to places like these more frequently. Maybe next time I could invite Aika and Asia, like a club activity.
Suddenly feeling someone next to me, I turned my head around, and found Venelana standing right beside me with her gentle smile on her face. She was holding a blanket and something that looked like a small bottle in her hand. Was that--oil? Sunscreen?
"Do you mind some company?" She said with a smile, which I hesitantly agreed to, making sure to stay focused on her face. I wanted to mention how I wanted to have some alone time and relax but couldn't say anything in the end. Maybe out of politeness, it felt rude to reject her given she was Rias' mother.
She laid down on her stomach, using her hands as a pillow to find a comfortable position. "Everyone is having fun." Venelana said.
"Yeah… this was a good idea. Thanks for inviting us."
"Fufufu~ No need to mention it, I could see it in your eyes that you needed some rest and relaxation. Plus I wanted to get to know my future son-in-law as well, killing two birds with one stone as they say."
"Son-in-law?" I couldn't help but chuckle at those words. "Rias and I aren't even engaged, I think you're moving a bit too fast there, Venelana-san." I loved Rias but talking about engagement and marriage was still far too early. She just came out of a forced engagement so I didn't think having another one so soon would be good for her.
"I wonder about that, would it be nice if you start calling me mother or even Vena alone is fine with me." She said coyly, her tone reminding me of Akeno a bit too much. It felt like she was luring me into the trap with the stare I was getting. I tried to ignore it but she wouldn't stop, and I believed the woman knew exactly what she was doing as she watched silently squirm.
Dangerous!
"I'm comfortable calling you the same way as I do now."
Rias, Akeno, where had those two run off to!? I didn't feel safe alone with this woman. At all.
"Say, Hachi-kun, would you mind helping me out?" She dangled the bottle of sunscreen in front of me.
"…"
What the heck!
"D-Devils don't get sunburned! Also, isn't the Underworld sun fake!?" I tried to indirectly decline by mentioning why she didn't even need anything. But my words were ignored as she brought the bottle closer to my face.
"I'm waiting~" she insisted, her voice sounding almost sultry to my panicking mind. "Plus this is a beauty oil for my skin, a woman my age isn't as flexible as during my younger years - so I need some help from a capable man like you." That was one of the biggest lies I'd heard in my life so far. This was beginning to feel like the plot of a b-rated erotic movie of some sort, too bad for them I wasn't going to fall for temptation so easily. This was just applying some oil and nothing more, I needed to be the mature one in this case.
"… fine." I sighed, doing my best to calm myself down before accepting the bottle.
"Be sure to cover my entire back, Hachi-kun. And forget my lower half."
"Just for a few seconds." I said as I gently massaged her backside, rubbing the oil into her skin until it was well absorbed. I began rubbing slower and harder, feeling her body quiver beneath my palms. Then, I slowly moved my hands upwards, rubbing along her shoulders and making sure to not accidentally touch her bikini and cause an unneeded accident.
"Yes, please, keep going." She pleaded, moaning softly as I continued to rub the oil onto her. The sensation must have been pleasant on her bare skin with the seriously dangerous sounds she was making. Whatever was this product, it couldn't be ordinary, the smell was very intoxicating, it was almost addicting, feeling a familiar feeling stirring inside me. "Aaah~ That's nice, can you… go a bit lower? I need you to do my legs. That part needs some as well~"
Damnit! This woman was trying to pull some trick over me.
I reluctantly obeyed, rubbing the oil onto her thighs and pelvis area whilst making sure to not touch anything I wasn't supposed to. She was breathing heavily, her cheeks flushed and her lips slightly parted. "Mmf, yes… that's perfect, Hachi-kun."
"Are we done now? Because I would like to go back to my chair and sleep." I grumbled.
"Oh, there is still one part you forgot to cover. My glutes~!" I froze when I heard that, it sounded extremely lewd! I couldn't believe this was happening, what was this woman playing at? My eyes looked down to her pert, round, bountiful rear- 'Stop!' No matter what, this was a hard pass on my part, I wasn't some goddamn virgin MC who couldn't control his urges and was incapable of saying no to a woman! No matter how tempting she may seem.
'Calm yourself! This is a married woman and most likely future mother-in-law! She is just teasing you!'
"You can do it yourself." I said dryly, my eyes twitching as I saw a small hidden smirk on her face. She was doing all of this on purpose to get a reaction out of me! I couldn't think of anything else aside from this…
"Are you perhaps scared that Rias will find out? It's just a simple massage after all, nothing else." I glanced at her suspiciously, my eyes narrowing.
"Now I know you sent them somewhere deliberately, don't know why you're trying to tease me like this but I'll have you know that I don't particularly appreciate it."
I got up, trying to keep a strong image but my knees were weak. This interaction took a lot more out of me than I expected, this woman was a bigger danger than her own daughter.
She sat up, stretching her arm and body, her assets bouncing with each movement, but I made sure to look away.
I swear that I didn't peek.
. "Muu~ that felt good! I haven't had a massage like that since ages, you really are talented with your hands, Hachi-kun."
"You're deliberately using that kind of phrasing. I ain't gonna touch you no more unless you want me to get fried by thunder and vaporized by destruction."
She giggled, "Well you can't blame me for this, I just found your reaction very funny and wanted to see how far you would go."
"I'd like to believe one of my skills involves having a perfect poker face."
"So you say, but I could also hear your heart. You were anything but calm at that moment. And you hesitated a couple of times too when massaging me!" A mischievous grin etched onto her face, one that made a cold shiver run up my spine. "You're still very young to believe that you can fool someone like me. I'm from the Bael clan, and I've grown used to picking up the smallest details in someone's facial expression. It's true that you're particularly talented at hiding it at your age, but still, there are cracks in your mask that some of us can pick up."
Oi, those were supposed to be my lines…
I was wrong this entire time, the true she-devil was not Akeno, Kalawarna, Aika or even Haruno - but Venelana Gremory. A being so devious that she made Akeno look like an apprentice and hid under that false smile of hers that hid an evil scheming smirk. Maybe the fact that Zeoticus was busy today turned out to be part of her plan as well.
"You're a scary woman." Those words came out of my mouth.
"Blame Shuri, she showed me how fun it is to see certain reactions from interesting people."
Yup, from now on, I would always put my guard up against BOTH of them. The last thing I wanted was to become a toy to these two Succubus Queens. No, they were worse than that, true demons. If only I had Asia with me, her pureness and innocent aura would banish all evil around me and save me from these degenerates. Playing the role of both my sword and shield to vanquish all sins around me.
"Also, I have heard from Sirzechs that you're trying to talk to my father." I frowned, not expecting her to bring up such a topic out of nowhere. Venelana's expression had changed from her joyful attitude to the serious one that I saw last night. "Though I have not been informed about the matter in particular, I can tell you right now that no matter what it is - he will not care."
"Even with Sirzechs by my side?" Surely having Lucifer supporting me would help me get an audience with one of the oldest Devils in the Underworld. My reputation itself wasn't anything to scoff at, I didn't like to brag but my notoriety still remained quite strong across the supernatural world and I now counted as someone who could take on a Cadre.
Unfortunately, Venelana just shook her head. "Even if you have all four Maous by your side, he wouldn't bat an eye. You must understand, though my son and his entourage are considered the strongest power wise - they still don't hold a candle to Zekram's influence. My father is the leader of the Great King Faction with influence on par with the Four Great Maou. They have no Super Devils but he still gives my son and his allies a lot of headaches on the daily. My father is cunning, cruel and arrogant beyond measure, but he knows how to control his emotions depending on the political climate and always take the right decision. He cannot be swayed by mere words and even less a human, I know this sounds rude but that's the kind of person Zekram Bael is."
This old man was a bigger problem than I anticipated. "But wait, I heard he stepped down as the head a few centuries ago."
"You are correct." Venelana said, crossing her arms which further emphasized her assets. "My brother is the current head, Zall Bael. He hates humans and looks down upon them very much, he is blinded by his arrogance and fails to see the bigger picture in every case. In his eyes, only those who hold the blood of Bael along with wielding the clan's power of Destruction are worthy of his attention. Just looking at everything he has done to his own son makes me sick, forget about ever convincing him about anything that doesn't involve making the clan stronger."
Hm, this indeed seemed like a tricky position to be in, but I would hold back my judgment until I got any word from Sirzechs. I trusted the man to be capable enough to deliver me some good news, no matter how small it may be.
"I'll keep that in mind," was all I could say, still making it clear that I wasn't going to give up in this matter.
"Ara~ Ara~! You're quite tenacious! I like that in a man. Now, I believe you have a special lady waiting for you." She said curtly before laying back on her blanket, with a serene expression on her face coupled with a satisfied smile. She knew her part was done and I became a puppet she managed to expertly manipulate for a small period of time.
"…"
Goosebumps spread across my body when I heard her say that. No… it couldn't be.
"Hachi-kun…"
I slowly turned my head to see two shadows standing near me - it was none other than Rias.
"Before you kill me, I want to see that I'm just a victim and the true culprit is this woman behind m-" I was cut off immediately with Rias grabbing hold of my arm and dragging me over somewhere far away from the others. I expected to be destroyed, but what she said next threw me completely off guard.
"Do you want to rub oil on my breasts?"
"…" That didn't sound right, I was expecting more of a violent reaction or a threat about me sleeping on the couch, which would have been funny given we don't even share a room here. "Wait, what?"
She responded with a pout, "Since you can't keep your hands off of other women or my mother, then I'll make sure you can't even think of them with me here."
I wanted to cry, it wasn't me who started the whole massage thing, your mom literally forced me into it.
I was the victim here!
"Hachi-kun, Rias-chan, what are you two doing here all alone~?"
I felt something large, soft and warm pressing against my back. T-This feeling… I knew exactly what it was, who it was. After turning my head back, unexpectedly Akeno's face appeared over my shoulder. Her arms spread around my waist and hugged me tightly as I both heard and felt her breath on my ear.
When did she get here?
I came to a bone chilling realization that there was no sensation of a swimsuit on my back. She was completely naked.
Akeno was trying to kill me, that was for sure. No, every female Devil around here was trying to kill me with their bodies.
"Ara ara, do you remember when we were kids you didn't like hugs? Something about invading your personal space? Now look at you, staying so composed even if I hold you from the back." More like my tolerance grew exponentially, I still preferred to have my personal space. But then again, Akeno was quite clingy from day one. "It's also unfair that it's just Buchou having all the fun. You two had your moment last time, now I want some attention as well~!" Akeno said while pressing herself closer, intentionally rubbing her breasts across my back.
The pointed tips, this stiff swelling feeling as well. The girl was actually getting turned on seeing me struggle to keep myself under control. Her sadistic nature was taking over quickly.
This world really changed me far too much, even as I was focusing on anything other than what was going on, I couldn't help but notice the warmth, the softness, even her heartbeat, it was really amazing to have her this close. I can feel the difference in thickness and heaviness with each motion.
Would people get nosebleeds in such cases?
"H-Hey, Akeno. You know my oiling hasn't started yet? A-And also I told you not to tempt my Hachi-kun like that, okay?"
'Your' Hachi? Who would have expected for me to have turned into an object at this point. But with how her eyes glowed with red energy, it was safe for me to not say anything.
With a quick pull, she snapped her swimsuit off with her enhanced strength, not caring about the flimsy garment. Knowing Rias's expensive taste, that piece of fabric must have cost more than my phone. Now they were completely visible, I could see her naked breast in front of me, jiggling from her quick motions. Her nipples were bouncing in a hypnotic motion before stopping right in front of my face. It wasn't the first time after all, we even slept together now that long ago - but they were still a very breathtaking sight.
Akeno nuzzled her face on my shoulder, not caring about Rias actions. Just like that, our cheeks rubbed against each other. Her whole body started to move up and down, getting into the mood. Rias did not back down, she grabbed my hand and had them grope her breast as she moved closer to me.
"Hey, Hachi-kun. My King is being quite jealous, don't you think so? It's better to share as they say."
"Ah!" I exclaimed in surprise, feeling a sharp pain, she bit my earlobe, whilst also using her tongue to play with it. I felt like my entire body got electrocuted, she had a kink with biting, at this point wasn't the first time she did this!
Rias huffed at Akeno's words, and moved closer. Her chest now pressing onto my own, before following Akeno's actions and started rubbing herself on me.
My mind went blank.
I was taken by the two Devil's around me. They were both nude, touching and groping themselves on me. I was losing my sanity and I feared for my life. Did I just commit a sin, I wondered? Was I supposed to repent or something?
At this rate, I might just die of pleasure.
"Stop hogging him! That boy is mine! I definitely won't give him to you!" Rias exclaimed out loud.
"Ara, did someone forget who's his actual girlfriend? And also, isn't it a bit selfish to snatch him all for yourself? Don't forget, I was his first. If you want, we can share him, right here, right now."
"I refuse." Rias said stubbornly, pulling me closer to her chest then hugging my chest. "He is my boyfriend as well, you may have gotten him first but I love him the most!"
"Ara ara, that's an extreme way of saying it."
"He's mine today, we need to compensate for every day we've missed before we got together!" Just how long was she implying here? I was pretty sure her crush on me started for a few years… "That isn't a joke!"
Alright, I'd had enough. Using both strength and speed, I grabbed Akeno and dropped her on the sand near Rias. Both looked at me surprised by my action, as I stood over them "I came here to relax and the complete opposite ended up happening." My tone couldn't be any drier, but my blood was pumping with excitement. "First Venelana-san trapped me in her scheme and now you two are trying to rip me apart. Secondly, you two made me angry and I'm not going to leave before teaching both of you a good lesson. You wanted me at my worst? Then I'll give it to you!"
Maybe my sanity finally snapped, because I wouldn't have ever done such a thing. Without hesitation, I dived for Akeno's lips whilst keeping my hands firmly on Rias' body, grabbing a handful of her breasts.
"Kya!"
"P-Please be gentle~!"
Not happening.
…
Back where Venelana slept, Shuri returned with Koneko sleeping soundly in her arms. Ophis meanwhile continued to float aimlessly on the water, bumping into Gaspers Xenovia and Irina from time to time.
"Hm? Where are the others?" She asked, unable to spot her daughter, Rias and Hachiman.
Venelana smirked slightly, "Well, I think those three are having a wonderful time together. Didn't take much to make Rias jealous."
"Oh my, how I miss being a young girl. Maybe I should call Baraquiel, that man needs to be taught a good lesson for ignoring his husbandly duties." A dark, sadistic light flashed across her eyes. After all, she missed her favorite toy very much and wanted to vent some frustration as well.
{ Break}
-Bael Castle-
Inside the main throne room where the current head of the family resided, red and blue magic circles flashed into existence where not long after two silhouettes emerged from them.
One being Sirzechs downing his familiar armor and cape, followed by Grayfia who always accompanied him for such meetings. While from the blue magic circle appeared Serafall, who actually wore a dark green and black business suit she only wore for important meetings. Her cheerful smile was nowhere to be seen as she gazed at the figure lazily sitting on the throne with a hint of distaste on her face. But for the most part, she kept a poker face.
Sirzechs had his usual smile, "Lord Bael, I thank you for accepting this sudden meeting but this matter is of utmost importance."
The man shadow sitting on the throne shook his head. "How can I decline the call of the great Lucifer? Please, have a seat, I'm more than eager to help you in any way shape or form. As a member of the family and your uncle, I can't just ignore my nephew after all." Though his words sounded humble, both his posture and tone couldn't hide the sheer level of arrogance.
' He's ignoring me.' The Leviathan noted, her eyes twitching.
At this point, Serafall wanted nothing more than to shove an ice spike right through this bastard's asshole but for the sake of her sister, Rias and Hachiman - she would endure this man's attitude.
But it didn't mean that she wasn't going to get something from the little dragon.
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 3 other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post monthly commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.
Doubts
Hiiiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Not much to say whicb hasnt been already mentioned in the latest nanoha chapter.
Thank you to my newest patrons: unlimitedriceworks, Little Lamp, Bargain Ghost, Pietro Degile, Flergle, Jack, Kai Ferguson Edhouse and sammy loof . Y'all rock!!!!
Thats all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by Shigiya
- Bael Castle -
There were many things that irritated Serafall.
People that hurt her So-tan, people who annoyed So-tan and basically anything or anyone her sister disliked. Of course, she also personally disagreed with people who said that Gabriel was superior to her beauty wise!
Okay maybe that blonde Seraph did have better looks but that was all! Their power was equal and achievements wise, Serafall felt like she had an upper hand.
' But I'm not going to challenge her in a battle just for the heck of it… Gabi is scarier than Michael when she gets angry.'
Yet why was Gabriel still universally considered better than her in all aspects!? Though she still would have the angel join her show as a secret guest, they were rivals cough friends cough after all. She never mentioned it to anyone yet, and most believed that this was the last thing she would want. Nevertheless, Serafall still had moments where she seriously contemplated sending an anonymous letter to Gabriel asking her to be a guest while she would resist a bit in real life and accept begrudgingly.
"Proceed to explain to me the purpose of your visit, Sirzechs. I would hate to have my time wasted with nonsensical affairs." The current head of the Bael clan, Zall Bael, said boorishly without care. Not an ounce of respect in his tone as he addressed all three of them.
Facing this person brought a sense of annoyance onto her being, despite his arrogant nature Serafall had to keep a professional demeanor fitted for the current holder of the Leviathan title. The Devil much preferred to have worn her magical girl outfit but unfortunately, this wasn't the time or place for it.
"Lord Bael, we are thankful for the time you have accorded us with your busy schedule. We will make sure to make this matter quick and efficient. I am certain this matter will not bother you at all." Sirzechs spoke, being someone much more experienced in the art of speaking and trading words than any of the current Maous. Both Serafall and Grayfia could discern the slight jab, compliment and the way he demeaned the topic before even bringing it up. He was already pushing Zall to handle this matter quickly with a simple confirmation as it was a 'small matter'.
The redhead continued speaking.
"Do you remember the conversation we had a few years ago when dealing with the vampire faction and representatives of the supernatural species in Paris?"
Zall raised an eyebrow and nodded, "I do, I also remember having dealt with the Fallen's Governor General. Quite the messy situation I must say."
"Indeed, then you must recall the events of the day before that." He stated, making the lord before then narrow his eyes, as if remembering something distasteful.
"That human mage your sister fancies and his shenanigans have cost us a lot of backlash. We nearly came this close to a war with some of the local pantheons. Even if we Devils are far superior in every way, this would have still weakened us in the end. So to answer your question, yes I do recall the event and I sincerely hope you aren't going to bring up that annoying human's name in my presence."
Yikes, Serafall did not expect the man to deteste little Dragon-kun to such an extent. As the Maou responsible for foreign affairs and relationship, she was acutely aware how the political climate was against them. Yet saying that it came very close to erupting into a war was a bit far stretched. The vampires were just suckers for blowing things out of proportion like drama queens, pun intended.
At most, they wanted to cause a big scene and get compensation from both the Devil's and Fallens. These people barely cared about their own people let alone a few thousands humans. They wouldn't have bat an eye if the one who caused the destruction would have been a vampire. The tepes and Carmilla faction were too busy with their inner conflict to start a full on war with the Devils… especially given their rather amicable partnership with the Devils were to begin with. Still a few bumps here and there due to their mightier than thou mindset but still manageable.
"Hahaha! Lord Bael, surely you jest? I never had such intentions to sour your mood with such manners. The matters relating to Hikigaya Hachiman have long been dealt with and pose no more problems. He has acclimated to our kind and can be considered as a valuable ally for us." He spoke calmly, showing nothing but his regular smile. "What I'm particularly referring to are matters concerning the Naberius clan and their wrongdoings in the past."
Barely any concern arose in Zall's eyes, as if he didn't find the revelation that family had done to be that disgraceful. Or maybe he knew how to hide his true thoughts and emotions… possibly. Nevertheless, Serafall still wanted to summon dozens of ice spikes and riddle this man with bloody holes.
"I believe that my father has dealt with this matter, Sirzechs." Zall said. "What the Naberius have done is unforgivable and their treason is punishable by death. It is quite unfortunate that they have escaped and joined the Old Satan Faction for asylum."
"Then you must agree with my sentiment that some matters of the past related to them should be reassessed… specifically the case of SS-Class Stray Devil Nekoshou Kuroka." Silence fell onto the room, Zall's unbothered face disappeared as he now stared at them sharply. His aura flared, the power of an Ultimate-Class devil filling the room.
This nearly caused Serafall to end up laughing at the display of power.
' Who is he trying to intimidate here? Is he joking? He's the weakest one here!'
She was known as the strongest Ultimate-Class female Devil while Grayfia was known to rival her as they used to compete for the Leviathan title. If this was Zekram, instead of Zall… then his presence would carry some weight.
Still, as quick as the burst of power came, it was soon retracted. Neither Grayfia, Serafall nor Sirzechs had any change in their reactions.
"What do you want with her?" He asked a question, specifically targeting Sirzechs' intentions with the Nekoshou.
The current holder of the Lucifer title patiently answered, "I want to revoke her status as a wanted Stray Devil and give her a clean slate."
Normally, one would expect Sirzechs to not need to ask 'permission' in the first place given his status and him being the leader of the Devils. But many did not know about the behemoth hiding in the shadows. Zekram's influence just could not be ignored or forced back without suffering some consequences.
"She killed one of our kind… a High-Class Devil no less. That is not something we can put aside when it comes to matters concerning the reincarnated Devils. When we grant some leeway to Kuroka then more will feel encouraged and potentially plot to harm their kings."
"That is very unlikely to happen." Serafall spoke for the first time since she arrived. "Kuroka's case is too unique for us to worry about it becoming a general problem. Even so, those who kill their kings or run away are beyond saving given how they turn out later on. Plus, given that more and more of our people are starting to understand the case surrounding the Naberius family then they'll be outraged if we don't rectify our mistake with the Nekoshou."
Zall stared at her before pondering for the following seconds. Serafall's eyes twitched at how he didn't even utter a word at her, given how chatty he was with Sirzechs. The urge to turn this arrogant little shit into an ice sculpture grew.
"Calm yourself. Your killing intent is leaking." A soft voice warned her, she looked next to her to find Grayfia with a slight frown.
"Hehehe, sorry about that. This guy is annoying." She whispered, quickly pushing down her rage.
"Don't lose control of your emotions so easily. I thought we were beyond that point. I'm starting to worry if this is enough to push you to the edge, then what would happen if they talked about Sona?"
"I'll freeze their skin, blood and bones before giving them a slow death." She answered without hesitation.
The maid couldn't help shaking her head at her old rival/friend's behavior. She was just like Sirzechs but far more volatile and childish.
Sirzechs meanwhile ignored both of the women next to him, focusing on Zall with eyes that hid thousands of schemes and plans. He treated this conversation as a chess play in a way, but unbeknownst to Zall and even his own wife - he had a trump card in case things didn't turn out the way he liked. Zall unlike Zekram was nothing more than a mere puppet for the old man to manipulate from the shadows. He didn't have the same cunningness and wisdom as the first head of the Bael clan which made finding a possible weakness very simple.
Finally, the man spoke again.
"I'm questioning your decision as the current leader of our kind. Kuroka is suspected to be part of the Khaos Brigade and going so far for a Nekoshou you most definitely don't care about in the first place means that this request most likely comes from your sister or that human. Are you so weak to be manipulated by others?" He sneered, unashamed to show his disdain even if he was facing Sirzechs. There was no fear in his disposition or tone, something that made the redhead's smile grow a tiny bit - though his eyes narrowed considerably.
"We didn't give her a choice other than to join a group that would shelter her from us. Not to mention, this is merely speculation, we don't know for certain if she truly is part of the Khaos Brigade."
"Humph, all this talk for a Stray…. A waste of my time and yours. Don't bother with their kind, they'll only stain your name and bring ruin to our world."
"Lord Bael, I would like to bring to your attention that those you refer to as 'their kind' are Devils just like us. Their safety and livelihood falls on our shoulders and we shouldn't ignore them." Grayfia said, earning the attention of the Bael head whose mood soured from her comment.
"I rather not get lectures from a trait-"
"That's enough," This time, Sirzechs deep voice cut across the room like a hot knife through butter. A suffocating pressure descending upon the room that far surpassed anything Zall had shown, making both the Lord Bael and even Serafall tense up - the latter reacting instinctively. Red tendrils of pure Destruction licked the air and the space around him, destroying all matter it came into contact with without resistance. "Grayfia is my wife and not a member of the Old Satan Faction. She is on our side and I would like you to treat her with the respect even Zekram shows her."
He no longer wanted to take the more diplomatic approach any longer… Zall was beginning to annoy him.
There was no need to hold back.
"I have heard that you haven't been able to improve your first wife's condition, Misla Bael, right?" He stopped pulling his words and used his trump card. It wasn't a well known fact but Zall actually cared about his wife enormously. Some would think otherwise given how he treated Sairaorg and his wedding with other women - but Misla still remained an integral part of his life. Many years ago, she gained a sickness that couldn't be cured which put her in a coma for all this time. No amount of pheonix tears or even magic could cure her or have failed so far. As a member of House of Vapula, a family of lion tamers and one of the remaining families of the 72 Pillars, many tried their best to heal her but to no avail.
"W-What is going on here, S-Sirzechs?" He asked warily, still affected by the power surge early on but also the fact that his wife's name was brought up in this conversation.
"You know very well why I'm bringing her up, don't lie to me you haven't thought of it as well. Given you've tried every single method available to you, there is still one aspect that has failed to consider. Senjutsu is known to have many properties and utilities, one of them being healing."
"It won't work!" Zall shouted, losing his cool for the first time in this conversation. "I have invited the brightest minds to help her condition, including Ajuka Beelzebub. Yet none of them were able to do anything. The same will happen with Senjutsu, we are taking unnecessary risks for unrealistic rewards."
Serafall sighed, seeing this as the perfect opportunity to push back and break his defenses. "Are you certain it won't work? Or more likely, you've just convinced yourself of this reality so as to not get disappointed. For all we know, the answer might be indeed Senjutsu and your hesitation will be the only obstacle from saving Misla. Are you really so naïve and insecure as to not take this risk?"
Zall tried to remain stubborn, "There is a Nekoshou in Rias Gremory's pee-"
"Who hasn't even mastered Senjutsu usage in battle, let alone healing." Grayfia added. "She can only strengthen herself and to fully master the healing techniques may take years, time which you can't afford to waste." Most of it was a lie, Koneko learned basic healing techniques in a matter of days so Grayfia was certain that let alone a year, a few months would be sufficient for the girl to master Senjutsu. But the problem came with her not having a master to help her out, which Kuroka might end up being very useful with and the clear reluctance to use it as much as possible.
Sirzechs stood up, followed by Serafall who waved her hand and prepared a teleportation circle to leave the area. "Think about this carefully, or else… you might truly lose her for good." Sirzechs said before he and his companions disappeared in a red portal.
Left alone with his thoughts, Zall felt like he had been cornered from this conversation. Yet despite that, he couldn't help but feel a trace of despair when thinking about his dear wife's condition. But still, if there was even the slightest chance…
Bang !
He smashed his throne into pieces with a single slam. A vile taste coming from his mouth as he realized that in the end, he would have to digress and agree with Sirzechs' words and most likely fulfill the human's desire.
His father gave him mostly full control of the family's affairs and management of the political parties as well as relationships. So he called one of his many allies. "Come by my estate, we need to discuss matters concerning a certain SS-Class Stray Devil - I have some use for her."
{ Break}
-Gremory Manor, Hachiman PoV-
Alright, the day at the beach ended up being more heated than I expected. Still, I had loads of fun and got to relax quite a bit after managing to leave those two horny succubuses.
Ever since that day I've tried my best to avoid Rias' mom and even Shuri-san to some extent as I no longer felt safe with her as well. Ophis had fun, I think, she mentioned the place was quiet enough for her to remain idle for literally half of the day. For now, I kept her in my room while waiting for Sirzechs to come back so that we may discuss further.
"What do you think we should do today, Vritra?" I asked the dragon.
" I believe you had an appointment with the Sitri heir? Regardless, after that we should start training your physical attributes as they are beginning to lag behind your power. Balance is the key to reaching the top, so you mustn't slack off on that aspect."
Lately, Vritra had become more pushy with me needing to train more and him spending more time exploring new spells for me to use. Not to say that he wasn't like this in the past, but now he just sounded more eager and stricter in a sense.
For now, I was traveling inside a car this time to Sona's manor where she invited me to discuss some matters of which I was wholly unaware of what it might even be.
"I should have expected as such, at least her manor is more… smaller?" Even saying that didn't make the place look ridiculous enough as it was. By that I meant her guardents were smaller but instead there were far more water fountains which suited their image.
"Oh, senpai!" I heard the familiar voice of Issei, he was with the other peerage members outside in gym clothing. Guess even outside of school Sona kept pushing them.
"Yo, Issei, how has the Underworld been treating you?" I asked curiously, greeting the boy with a casual fist bump.
"It's amazing, there's so much to do here and so many beautiful girls! Best of all, all of them have big, round, beautiful oppais!"
Somehow I expected such an answer from him. He was that easy to predict and see through.
I saw Saji behind him, the man looking at me suspiciously with a heated glare.
"Why are you here?"
Did he feel threatened by my presence? I wasn't planning on stealing Sona to begin with nor did I have any such desires. Though I would admit that she was a beautiful woman in her own way, she herself probably didn't like me that way. But wait, I also nearly became her fiance… wonder how Serafall dealt with that situation.
"I can't come over for a visit? A bit rude of you, Saji."
"Don't worry about him!" Momo came, grabbing my arm and pulling me inside. "Now come on, you've been barely spending any time with us so now it's time to catch up a bit."
"Dammit! He gets the girls so easily… teach me your ways master!" Issei cried at the injustice but followed them inside nonetheless, while looking at me enviously and with admiration.
"I'm just getting invited to the house!" I shouted back, seeing no reason why Issei would suspect something else.
"Oi, Issei! Don't think you can run away from me!" From the back came Tsubasa's voice, Reya followed and both grabbed Issei's shirt and dragged him away. "You still need to exercise, mister, your physical training ain't halfway done!"
"And your magic as well, you too Gen-kun!"
"And if you do well, then we can have a bath together."
"Tsubasa!?" Reya's face turned red.
"Haha! I'm just joking."
Looked like they were getting along quite well, Issei had a perverted expression on his face while Saji continued to glare at me. 'Like come on, you can't just ignore their advances!'
The moment Momo accompanied me inside, I was stunned by the decor and atmosphere. If Rias' house were to be described as pure golden luxury dazzling so brightly that it nearly blinded you with their wealth, then the Sitri Manor would be the complete opposite. Instead of gold and diamonds, the place was filled to the brim with blue themed decor and sapphire crystal gems chandelier. It was more pleasing to the eye and even more humble in a sense. The furniture didn't look like they were coated with gold, which was quite a pleasant surprise considering the Devil Clans' habit of showing off their wealth excessively.
"Impressed?" Momo said coyly, probably finding my dazed expression very amusing. "I've visited the Gremory House once in the past, and I can still remember the excessive wealth. Personally, I prefer something more tame and less exaggerated. I'm glad that Kaichou's family didn't have the walls coated with gold and marble, it would have hurt my eyes after a week."
I nodded along to her words, feeling the same way.
"I understand, Devils are truly greedy and prideful creatures… then again it's their choice how they want to spend their money. Though I'm glad to see a little bit more soothing, I don't feel uncomfortable like I don't belong here."
Momo smiled, "Heh, I had the same exact thoughts."
We walked together across the hall, the silence that followed was a bit uncomfortable and I wanted to make the mood feel lighter.
"By the way, how have you been?" Was that really the best I could say!?
The girl looked at me with a slight frown.
"Ara, now you ask me? But I've been fine, I almost thought you forgot about me and the rest. We used to hang out quite frequently before, but now I barely see you in a week. Heck, last time we hung out was before the Exorcist trio came to Kuoh. Tsubaki and Tsubasa commented how you don't even talk to them often."
Each word made me flinch, I felt really bad the more I heard her words. I wasn't purposefully trying to ignore them, the issue came with how much chaos was happening this month alone. I didn't even remember when was the last time I even paid attention in class or what my last homework was. It wasn't just them, I practically ghosted Murayama and Katase who were friends with me for almost as long as Akeno.
In their case, they lived in a different world basically. Having them around for too long could even endanger their lives with the supernatural. Not to mention… I wanted to have normal human friends aside from Aika alone. Maybe I could pay them a visit at the kendo club and possibly practice with them. My skills with the sword were rusty so this would count as training?
In the end, I sighed.
"Don't have any excuse to give you… though I promise to spend more time with all of you soon. How about I invite you to my house for dinner when we return to the human world?" Yes, cooking for the lot was a good idea. I could also smooth out this bizarre hostility Saji had against me and reconnect with the rest.
"Really? You mean it!?" I was taken by surprise by her sudden outburst as she looked at me fiercely.
"Woah there, personal space invasion." I tried to push her aside but she remained stubborn.
"You'll not go back on your word, right!? You're being serious!?"
"Of course I'm being serious, woman!" What was up with her… "Besides, I'm sure my mom and dad will be happy to meet you and everyone else."
"…" Her eyes dimmed followed by her excited face turning into a deadpan. "Oh, so you meant the entire peerage…"
"Was there a misunderstanding?"
Instead of answering me, she stopped walking and pointed at a large door at the end of the hallway. "Kaichou is waiting for you there, in the library. Don't be late, idiot." She left in a bad mood, leaving me standing there confused. One second she was happy I invited them and the next thing I know she's giving me a stink eye.
"Women are complicated creatures."
" You can say that again, partner. There is also Tiamat who will believe you forgot about her and might be furious that you didn't call her during the Kokabiel fight."
"…"
" And don't forget about Scáthach."
Becoming popular was a mistake and a curse.
I missed being a loner.
After questioning my life decisions for the hundredth time, I pushed the doors open and walked inside a library bigger than the one in Kuoh. There I found Sona sitting all by herself with a complicated face.
"Yo, how's it going, So-" I stopped midspeech when I noticed something strange.
In front of her was a small coffee table with a chessboard. And on that board was a singular crimson crystalline chess piece with weird black vein patterns around it.
An uneasy feeling rose in my heart.
Sona looked at me with a determined face, she neither greeted me or got up from her seat.
"Hikigaya Hachiman, I… I have a proposition for you."
{ Break }
At the edge of the Devil's domain in the Underworld, a single black cat sat on top of a large boulder and sniffed the air.
"Oya, I see you still haven't found her." A young man spoke. Having short light-colored hair, brown eyes, and an athletic build. Dressed in ancient Chinese armor that was used during the Three Kingdoms period.
"Don't rush me, Bikou nya!" The cat, whose body flashed in a dazzling light which then transformed into none other than Kuroka, spoke with an annoyed tone. "I had her scent just a few days ago near the artificial beach, but it vanished soon after that.
Both youkais were sent to scout out their missing figurehead. Due to their attunement to Senjutsu and their nature as youkais that granted them enhanced senses which even surpassed the likes of Devils, Fallens and Angels. Yet even after days of running around, neither found a clue of Ophis's location.
"So you think she has been captured by the Old Satan Faction? I sensed Katarea's presence in Lucifaad not that long ago." Bikou said, sitting on top of a tree branch with a long stop held in his hand. With a quick twitch of his fingers, the staff turned into a small toothpick which he then began to chew. "Those crazy people have coveted her power for ages like the Hero Faction."
"Nya, I don't think that is the case." Ophis was too powerful to be held captive by the Leviathan woman. Not to mention she would have sensed her presence along Ophis at the beach if that were the case. No, she already had an idea on who might the Dragon God be with but was hesitant to approach him again.
"You think so? I heard their group conducted a surprise attack on Olympus a week ago and managed to kidnap some god. Arthur even uncovered them trafficking tons of enchanted metal to their base. They're planning to mass produce something in my opinion."
"…"
"Maybe we can approach her and see ourselves if the small gal is truly not with her."
"…"
Bonk!
"Oi, are you listening?" The monkey youkai extended his staff before tapping Kuroka's head.
"Nya! That hurts!" The girl exclaimed while rubbing her head. "I'll scratch your face off if you do that again."
The man didn't seem phased or even frightened by her claim. "What's with you lately? You've been acting a bit odd these last few days."
Odd? Probably, the conversation she had with Hachiman still remained fresh in her mind. In this world, she desires nothing more than to reunite with her sister and keep her safe from all dangers. She didn't think that Hachiman would be capable of changing anything… but if he was willing to help her… would he agree to let her secretly meet Shirone?
"It's nothing, just some stupid thoughts." She got up, deciding that it was time for her to continue her search once more. "I'll be returning to the capital and will dig up any other clue I can find. She's still here, I'm certain of it, nya!"
Watching Kuroka's disappearing figure, Bikou couldn't help but narrow his eyes.
"Just what are you hiding, little kitty?"
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 3 other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post monthly commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.
Sona's request
Hiiii~ Another chapter is here.
Still working on a couple of chapters of different stories, hopefully they'll be done by the end of the month.
Also, thank you to my newest patrons: Wesley Tebbens, Naga, Tyler Stepps, Leonardo Guerrero, and Atsushi Kinoshita. Y'all rock!!!!
Next update is either Nanoha or An Archer's Promise. I'll try to update them simultaneously but no promises here.
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by Shigiya
Sitri Estate-
"Hikigaya Hachiman, I… I have a proposition for you."
Well that sounded ominous, the atmosphere felt as if I was dropped in a completely different world compared to the easy going atmosphere right outside the door.
I gazed at Sona, sitting all by herself in this giant library which was bigger than the local libraries in Kuoh. And for some reason the table and chair was right there in the center with Sona waiting for me patiently. I walked over calmly, wondering what this was all about in the first place. We've been friends for a long, childhood friends some could argue, so it was easy to sense whether something was wrong with the girl or not.
Now, it was just that, a tense atmosphere where I could see that something was occupying her thoughts as she gazed at the chessboard, while she held a single red pawn in her hand, while the other continued to move the chess pieces on the board.
Was she playing a game? It certainly looked like it.
"It feels like forever since we've had a one on one conversation." She said as I sat down, her hands continuing to move pieces around non-stop, a clear sign that she was stressed.
The Sitri heir adored chess, more than Rias herself by a long shot. Playing a game against yourself to relieve some stress rather than just relaxing or picking up a controller. At least Rias had certain hobbies like making Gundam models and painting them. Akeno liked to read books and listen to music. Aika enjoyed dancing, Kala loved travelling and Asia enjoyed taking care of her little dragon.
"It hasn't even been that long, last time we were alone together your sister nearly turned me into an ice statue." I said it as a joke but regretted soon after as I saw her face turn ugly frown.
I should have seen that coming.
"Would you like to play a game of chess against me!" The only way to have her smile or relax involved chess once again. Maybe playing a round would ease up the atmosphere by a few degrees.
Unfortunately, she shook her head. "There's no need to, I already know the outcome."
"Oh? That doesn't sound like you, Sona. I know you aren't the kind of girl who would refuse a game just because you're so assured of victory."
She chuckled, "Me, win? I think you have that backwards, Hachiman, I don't hold any confidence about winning against you anymore. We both know what the end result will be."
That comment threw me off a bit. Never in my life did I ever expect to see and hear Sona Sitri willingly give up a match just because she felt like there was no chance of winning. "Excuse me? I'm sorry but are you sick? Last I remember, you never would have uttered such words to anyone, not even if your life depended on it - also, I'm not that good."
"Humph, don't try to act humble in front of me, Hachi. I basically taught you chess and saw your growth, now it's only a matter of logical thinking to deduce that I can't win against you anymore. Why waste time knowing the inevitable end?"
My eyes narrowed, "The Sona I knew wouldn't back down so easily. Besides, don't you regularly play chess against Rias?"
"I haven't changed, Hachiman." She shook her head, moving a pawn piece to take out a bishop. "Rias is just around my level, so I know my chances of winning are quite high against her. It's important to know when an opponent is too strong and to retreat accordingly or to never start the fight in the first place."
The girl was overpraising me far too much that I was beginning to blush. Sure I grew more skilled and experienced with chess but I wouldn't call myself a master or a grandmaster by any sense of the word. The only reason I won against Sona was out of pure dumb luck and how she blundered at the end. Now, it seemed like she was merely using it as a poorly made excuse to not play against me… was there a hidden reason behind it.
She moved her Bishop to protect the Pawn, a rather confusing move that didn't make sense to me. It looked like the girl was quite keen on keeping this particular piece of the board and going so far as to even sacrifice stronger pieces for it. This… this wasn't her play style, she would play defensively at first and go for the offence at the slightest opportunity after hundreds of careful predictions in her mind. Her current self was deliberately throwing everything out of the window just for a single piece.
"By the way, how are things going with Issei?" I asked, curious about the boy and his current self.
"His training is proceeding smoothly, there hasn't been any sign that he can unlock the Balance Breaker form yet but I'm sure he'll be there soon."
Poor Issei, I could imagine the struggle to reach that level. "Knowing him, he's going to succeed sooner than later. Vritra mentioned how people like him are suited with such powers, thanks to their strong emotions."
Sona sighed, "I sure hope so, Issei is a boy who shines with his overflowing emotions and rather fiery personality - but that still can't make up for his lack of magical talent. He barely possesses enough magic inside of him to cast a single ball of magic. If it weren't for Tsubasa and Reya then he wouldn't have made any progress - he and Tsubasa especially are getting along quite nicely."
I see… that was a good idea to have others help Issei out with his training and have him catch up quickly to the others.
"Do you remember the first time we met?" She asked out of nowhere.
The first time? That was a long time ago, but the memory remained vivid in my mind.
"Yes, you came to visit the human world and Rias brought you to my house. And if I remember correctly, we kinda started on the wrong foot there, I think it didn't even take me five minutes to set you off."
Sona was flustered, her hands stopping midway from moving a piece. "I-It wasn't my fault! You were taunting me for no reason and calling me a 'typical arrogant oujo-sama with a spike up her rear!' Who wouldn't be angry over such a deeming description?"
My chuckle rang inside the library, those moments were quite precious in my heart. But it was the truth, when Sona first came here she barely paid me any attention and was far too uptight the entire time. Adding the fact that my impressions of Devils was still a bit rocky at that time when Rias revealed to me details about the Evil Pieces system.
"Mah, at least we both grew on each other over the years. I can't imagine us bickering the entire time for no reason and to have you insult me out of nowhere for every opportunity you got." I didn't fail to see the irony in my words. "But I'm glad to see how things turned out between us and we ended up becoming good friends. A bit corny I won't lie, but it's the truth."
The small smile on her face faltered, showing an expressionless face with a tinge of sadness within her eyes. She laughed silently, but it sounded hollow more than anything else. "Yeah… friends… that's how it has always been."
What was with this sudden weird atmosphere that was happening here? I wasn't a fool, I could see that she was dissatisfied with our current relationship for some reason. Now that I thought of it, our relationship never quite changed during the years, one could even say that it had become stagnant.
"Then again, we almost became husband and wife that one time. Thank god Serafall resolved the issue, it would have been a nightmare for both of us."
"A nightmare? Why? Don't you think I would have been a good wife?" She asked sharply, her glasses gleaming with killing intent. A bit weird she got offended over that point rather than the wedding… then again, she most likely misunderstood my meaning.
"Yes," I answered honestly, having her recoil backwards as she didn't expect such an answer from me. "Let's be honest here, you're more suited to become a businesswoman than anything else. You have excellent managing skills, you're a competent leader that knows how to bring forth the best potential of each peerage member and you're a true genius with an IQ probably twice as mine when it comes to academics."
The blush on Sona's face grew with each compliment I gave her. They were the truth which I never planned to hide. Furthermore, I even gave her these exact same compliments many times in the past - so why was she acting like this was the first time hearing such things?
"W-well, a businesswoman can be a good housewife!" She tried to counter argue.
"You can't cook, you don't know how to manage chores around the house, you're too bossy with a tendency to over control everything around you, you get mad easily, you're too bossy, there are so many things you want to do that I don't think will give you enough time to settle down and enjoy a married life - and did I mention about being too bossy?"
"…"
A vein throbbed on her forehead with the air getting more humid from her magic. I couldn't hold it anymore and ended up laughing, "Pft-ahahahahaha!" It was so easy to poke her buttons, in many ways she was like Rias.
Her eyes widened as she realised the reason behind my attitude, "You were messing with me!" She accused me, which I made no effort to deny and even nodded.
"Come on now Sona, you were basically asking for it with that kind of question." The girl returned to her chess game, probably trying to recover her inner peace.
"I still want you to give me a proper answer…"
Was that a pout? How cute, I wanted to pinch her cheeks.
"Well, I can't answer that as of now. You're still young and haven't finished your studies in highschool let alone university later on. Instead of wondering if you would be a good wife or not, it's better to concentrate your focus on strengthening your peerage and make a plan for your goal in life." She continued pouting, not satisfied with my answer. So I decided to throw her a bone. "But if you want a truthful answer, then you have nothing to worry about. You're fine the way you are, everyone has a different opinion and taste of their ideal partner."
"Coming from you I'll cherish these words." I barely heard her voice as she whispered them bashfully, still trying to act all mature and strict.
"Humph, quite the contrasting personality you have, Sona. One moment you act as an adult ice queen who's affected by nothing and the next you're no different than a pure innocent girl who blushes at the slightest thing. It makes the desire to bully you so prominent that I have to mentally hold myself back… I wonder if Serafall feels the same way?"
Her deadpan face only made me smirk, "I don't think my sister ever learned the meaning of the word holding back. And I'll look over your desire to 'bully' me as another ploy to get a rise out of me."
"If you say so," I said with a yawn, watching the same pawn somehow corner the queen and eat it soon after before getting a promotion to another queen. The opposing king was trapped without a way to escape, accomplishing a checkmate. "Congratulations are in order. You played a different style I wasn't familiar with and it was certainly very unpredictable for someone like you. I wouldn't have won like last time if you had used it."
"… I'm actually glad that I lost."
"-!"
I nearly believed my ears heard wrong, but judging from her complexion - I heard it right. What did she mean by happy to have lost? Sweat poured down my forehead as I sensed a terrible headache setting inside my mind. Though my heart also drummed like a loud drum for an entirely different reason.
"Sona, why did you call me here again?" We could continue having trivial conversation for hours if possible, but I had other places to be and had a meeting with Sirzechs once again later on in the evening.
"Hachiman, you're in a relationship with Rias as well as Akeno, right?"
I nodded to her answer.
"Then… I'll play a bit boldly today given you're still a human and I still have a chance." She opened her left palm where the red Evil Piece rested the entire time. It looked different from the rest, more twisted and warped in a sense. With vein-like patterns and an ominous aura around it. "Given your reaction, it shouldn't be a hard thing to figure out the name of this particular piece in my hand."
"Just… where did you acquire a Mutant Piece?" Yes, also known as Mutation Pieces. If reviving a person required more than one piece, then using one Mutation Piece would be sufficient in reincarnating that person instead of having to use several pieces. Mutation Pieces can be a Queen, Rook, Knight, Bishop, or Pawn. They are said to be very rare, and only one out of every ten High-Class Devils possessed the Piece. The Mutation Piece was said to be a bug in the Evil Pieces system that was kept for fun. Normal Evil Pieces could also change into Mutation Pieces, though this typically occured as a result of some significant event of the reincarnated devil acting as a catalyst.
Still, having one mutation was quite a rarity, even Rias didn't have one dispute being Lucifer's sister.
"M-My sister gave it to me."
I should have figured.
Her tone was shaking, including her entire body. "Hi-Hikigaya Hachiman, I, S-Sona Sitri, h-heir to the Sitri house, w-would like you to become my Pawn." Despite acting so maturely before, the current Sona in front of me was shaking like a leaf. Her skin was pale, not red out of embarrassment or anything like that. She was genuinely fearful at this moment, and that worried him quite a bit.
"Sona… you should know that I haven't even accepted Rias' proposal yet - why would I go behind her back to accept yours?" A genuine question that I wasn't trying to be mean or anything. I was merely curious why Sona was doing this now? "You never asked me before, well mostly."
The only thing I had to deal with was Tsubasa and Momo encouraging me to join the peerage, yet Sona herself never tried to directly ask me such a thing yet.
"I know. But the circumstances are different now. Back then, I was worried about her future battle with Riser that I expected she would turn you into a Devil. There was even a time where I believed that she had indeed turned you into a Devil in secret, to make you her trump card, which led me to stop my pursuit soon after. You can imagine my shock when I discovered Rias going into the Rating Game without you… it gave me hope." She sighed before taking a deep breath. "I was happy, content that she failed to get you even though I shouldn't, despite being her rival I was still a friend… yet I celebrated her failure."
"…"
"I became complacent, far too relaxed than I shouldn't have been. The next thing I know we're facing Kokabiel and then you're on a date with Rias. I panicked when I understood you would spend the night together, that she finally got you for real. But as I saw you a few days ago, still a human I was ecstatic and promised myself to never make the same mistakes of the past ever again. That's why I needed to act as soon as possible and make you mine!"
I sat there quietly listening to her words carefully. Was this a confession of love or a proposal to join her peerage? It felt like both honestly. It shook my heart, how could she have such feelings for me as well? It didn't make sense what she saw in someone like me. I wanted to believe that Sona wanted me to join her peerage only for my Sacred Gear and nothing else, that she only behaved like this to gain my attention.
But I long since stopped bringing up excuses like that.
Could I accept the offer though? If I became a Pawn of Sona then it was no different than backstabbing Rias who intentionally kept all her Pawn pieces intact and even rejected Issei. I couldn't do that to her, that wasn't my intention and it never will be. I did plan to accept her proposal soon after returning to Kuoh… like a surprise for all her hard work.
"So, Hikigaya Hachiman, do you accept it?" Sona's tone was firm but even her eyes began to grow moist, a sight that was twisting my heart in every direction. She must have already believed that I would reject her.
A real conundrum, I couldn't bring myself to decide
' Partner,' I heard Vritra's voice in my head.
' Hey, you've been real quiet since I got here ..' I noticed how quiet it was lately which was somewhat unusual, but maybe he was resting.
' I had a dream of sorts, of a memory far in the past… we need to talk about this soon after we get back home.' Well, if that wasn't super mysterious on his part. ' Nevertheless, I digress, I see you are indecisive of this decision.'
' It's not like I can join both girls' peerage. But I also don't want to let them down. I hate this situation honestly. Any advice?'
Vritra waited a couple of seconds before giving me an answer that shocked me.
' Accept it.'
' What ?'
I almost thought I misheard him. I expected the dragon to mention how my past decisions needed to remain firm and how this choice was mine to make.
' I know you might be confused, partner, but there is a good reason behind my suggestion. I am not talking about the fairness of how they deserve you after waiting for so long, rather I speak of this for our own good first and foremost. Furthermore, I have grown familiar enough with our current state both physically and spiritually. Our souls may have combined but still distinct enough to let us keep our personality separate. Think of this as an experiment, there is something I toiled around for months and have finally gained the confidence to go forth with after seeing the Sitri heir present the piece. Do not worry about betraying Rias, that will never happen. I need you to trust me on this - please. Plus do not forget about my own mastery over magic, Ajuka, I admit, is above me, but that does not mean he is without fault with his own creation. But I can guarantee that you won't change into a Devil… hrm, probably.'
Wow, this was the first time Vritra ever pleaded with me about anything for that matter. I didn't know what was going on with this experiment he mentioned, but I trusted him nonetheless. The dragon was willing to sacrifice many himself in the past just to keep me alive, how could I not believe him with my life? My debt towards him was ever growing with a sign of ending, and I didn't want to repeat any incident from the past ever again.
' Fine, I trust you.'
{Break}
Was she making the right decision here?
After she asked Hachiman whether he was willing to become her Pawn, he became quiet. The silence was starting to weigh on her, already the chances of him accepting was low but with each passing second it was beginning to turn abysmal.
Sona knew Rias would hate her for it but she was willing to take the hate and blame without backing out. It was a selfish desire that stewed within her heart ever since the relationship between her and Hachiman began to mend and bloom into a friendship. At first, she coveted Delete Field like anyone would, having such a versatile member in her peerage would be a great boon. But slowly those thoughts died bit by bit until she only wanted him more than the Sacred Gear.
He was one of the few people she could interact with normally and forgot her role as a Sitri heir. Hachiman treated her without care of her background, he never asked anything from her unlike most devils that wanted more political power in her family and the two shared many traits that made it easy for them to share topics. He was gifted with intelligence, no matter how much the boy denied, it was plain to see his brilliant mind. In chess he started as a newbie to now having surpassed her which blew Sona's mind.
And to be honest, she was secretly happy after getting checkmated by him. Neither feeling disgust or sadness over her loss, which opened her eyes to her true feelings. It wasn't supposed to happen, they rarely spent time together and he saw her as a friend, that much was obvious.
Sona held herself back. For Rias sake, she needed a powerful member to defeat Riser. Yet in the end, that managed to eliminate the second youngest Phenex heir on her own. Apparently there was a promise between those two, something about reforming Devil society.
Yet despite all of this, she was stuck by the sidelines and forced to watch Hachiman get closer and closer to Rias and her group. At that point, wasn't he basically already part of her peerage? She tried to interact with him more, but it never worked out given her responsibilities and his duties keeping them seperate for long durations. It was basically impossible to even attempt going beyond the line of pure friendship and colleagues.
She hated it, practically abhorred it. It was so clear to her that she played such a minor role in his life that unless some major action wasn't taken then their relationship wouldn't budge an inch forward.
The part that broke the camel's back was when word reached her ears about them sleeping together and becoming lovers. It frustrated her to no end, Rias had everything yet she still desired more, to make him her Pawn!? It was greed at its finest.
"A-Ah, I guess I was being too hasty… and unreasonable." Not wanting to get rejected by him, she decided to back away first. This was a mess, she called him here out of desperation and delusional thoughts after Serafall gave her a Mutant Piece. She rushed at the opportunity and invited him without even thinking ahead, it wasn't until she brought up the piece that her logical side began taking over.
This was a mistake.
What if their relationship became awkward after this? The idea of them having an underlying tension whenever they met was an ugly thought for Sona.
"Forget this ever happened," she said, wanting to leave this room as soon as possible. "Don't worry, I won't bring this matter up ever aga-" she was stopped midspeech when his hands grabbed onto her wrist. The action puzzled the girl greatly, unable to comprehend why he was doing this.
"Umm," he scratched his cheeks, looking at the floor before closing his eyes and sighing. "You know what? Let's do it."
"… eh?"
Was she dreaming?
"Come on, just do it, I know how short the process is so it should take a few seconds or a minute at most."
He was being serious… if this was a dream then she didn't want to wake up from it. The coldness in her chest vanished and was filled with warmth that grew each passing second that it was becoming unbearable. Her body moved on its own before she could even realise what was happening - she had already closed the distance between them.
"A fair warning beforehand, I won't lie to you given you're a long time friend but there is a large possibility that this might not work and I'll stay a human according to Vritra… A-Ah, Sona, you're a bit too close for confor-gurgh!!"
At that moment, she closed the distance between them and had her arm reach around his neck with a tight hug. She neither felt embarrassment nor guilt, just pure joy and happiness that overwhelmed her. She didn't care if it worked or not, he accepted her request and that was all she needed to hear.
"C-C-Can't… breath… ! Too… TIGHT!"
{ Break}
-Gremory garden-
Koneko did not like spending too much time inside the manor, it was far too big and empty at times. Rias was having a panick attack as well as going ballistic when she discovered that someone disintegrated some of her Gundam figurine collection. Now she was on the war path for the perpetrator, Koneko would have helped but there was no scent of anyone inside aside Rias and Hachiman.
Speaking of Hachiman, she did not miss that particular scent on him during dinner a few days ago. It smelled so familiar that it made goosebumps spread across her body.
"It can't be…" in the past, there was a person who protected her against all dangers. Keeping her safe and happy during dark times. She didn't remember much of her earlier years, just that her sister had always been there for her and made her happy when she felt sad. But then the incident happened which changed her life, where drunken with power she killed the King and became a wanted criminal and abandoned her.
When she told the story to Hachiman he did not share her opinion, stating that an older sister like that could never abandon their little sibling. Koneko wanted to believe him, she truly did, but… what was even the point of changing her opinion?
"Your story doesn't make sense to me, Koneko. Your sister obviously cared about you and loved you dearly. How could she have changed so drastically just because she used Senjutsu?"
"You don't understand, Senjutsu is tainted by evil and can change anyone for the worst." She remembered saying that to him, angered slightly that he wouldn't listen to her and continue looking inside Kuroka's case.
"Then why aren't you going for my neck? That time Baraquiel brought me back you healed through other means other than Devil magic. You used even used it during training and when fighting against Riser's peerage during the rating game. Experiencing the power yourself, you didn't start going on a rampage out of nowhere."
He didn't understand, she was only using the bare minimum all of those times. Keeping a tight lid on herself and being conscious of every movement and change in emotions. "You don't understand, senpai." That was all she said, wanting to end this conversation right then and there.
"Perhaps, but Vritra had explained to me how Senjutsu works, while doing my own research on it and you must admit, something doesn't seem right about this whole thing. I'm not trying to defend her actions… well, actually, I kinda am. But still, it's better to judge her after knowing the full truth, maybe she was pushed to a corner and was left with no choice."
"She still abandoned me."
"True, that is something I admit she could have prevented. Though when you look at it in a certain way, she was protecting you by staying far away. As an SS-rank criminal, everyone related to her would have been hunted down mercilessly - including you. If I was an older brother with a little sister, that's the last thing I would have wanted to happen. Better focus their full attention on me and have my little sister hate me as well, as long as she's safe then that's all an older sibling would want."
"…"
They stopped talking about this particular subject soon after. Even today she still remembered that moment clearly in her head, unable to forget.
Again she remembered that Kuroka still left her and she now suddenly appeared once again in the Underworld. Koneko grew afraid, suspecting that something terrible could happen to Hachiman because of her sister. Senjutsu was powerful, something that bypassed all defences and strengthened the user itself. Her sister was already strong enough to kill a High-Class Devil years ago, then what about now?
Woosh !
"-!"
The white haired bishop's body went still as the wind grew stronger. The floral smell of flower and dirt reaching her nose coupled with a third scent made Koneko feel fear, a sense of unease that made her turn her head to the right where she saw a person peacefully sleeping on top of a branch. Clad in a revealing black kimono that barely hid her figure coupled with two tails swinging back and forth lazely.
"Kuroka onee… -sama," she stood up, her legs moving to the exist until she noticed a barrier surrounding the garden.
"My my, Shirone, your sister came to see you again and you can't even say hello?" She spoke calmly with a hint of amusement in her tone. "It isn't easy to slip by a Super Devil, so I hope my little sister will cooperate with me, nya~!"
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 3 other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post monthly commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.
Sisters
Hiii~ Another chapter is here!
Wanted to upload this yesterday but had some parts I decided to change after rereading it which took a few hours.
Also, thank you to my newest patrons: WILLYKILLER, Frosty L, MetalDragon117 and LightGod225. Y'all rock!!!!!
Next update is An Archer's Promise then Nanoha.
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by Shigiya
Gremory garden-
-Gremory garden-
One emotion ran rampant inside the young Nekoshou when facing the source of her fear and anxiety from the past.
Call it love or hate, Koneko had many emotions swimming around in her head about her big sister… some good but most were either traumatic and heart breaking. The Shirone of the past loved her dearly but Koneko didn't know what to feel anymore - it was all just too confusing and nauseatingly complex.
"What are you doing here…" she asked cautiously, scanning her surroundings for any exits despite Kuroka having told her that it would be futile. Though trusting her words would be a foolish mistake, even if Koneko had no way to contest against an ultimate class being… She didn't want to give up so early on.
"Ara nya~ Didn't I tell you to listen to your big sister's words? Why are you so nervous? I won't hurt you, I promise!" That was quite hard to believe, she needed to get out of here and join her King or get inside the Manor. Kuroka was powerful, but not a fool willing to break inside the Gremory House with Sirzechs nearby - probably.
Bam!
The white haired girl pushed against the ground, using her greater strength to compensate for the lack in speed. Her destination was the southern gate, the opposite side of where her sister was. 'She's not chasing me?'
To her surprise, Kuroka didn't move from her spot.
Unfortunately, Koneko soon found out the reason why as her body struck against an invisible wall with a loud bang! "Ah!" Holding her red which received the brunt of the force, the girl fell onto the floor dazed and petrified. She was surrounded by an unknown force field, trapped and held hostage by one of the most dangerous person in the Underworld.
She was resisting the urge to fall into a panic attack, her heartbeat increased dramatically when thinking about her situation. Wanting nothing more than to leave and hide from her sister.
Gathering her senses, she got back up and used her full strength to land a punch onto the barrier. Another loud bang followed but aside a few ripples, not a single crack appeared. "This is…" an old memory of the past came back, when she, Kiba, Akeno and the Sona peerage members fought against Jeanne. "You're with them! That blond lady, Jeanne, the one who nearly killed Yuuto-senpai."
This only further hardened her resolve about getting away from Kuroka.
"Them? I'm not sure who you're talking about… Oh! Jeanne, you mean the Hero Faction, nya? Well it's a bit complicated, though I can see you don't like them as much as the Black Dragon King - because he had the same expression on his face." Kuroka wasn't completely up to date with matters concerning the Gremory peerage. There were holes in her knowledge about certain events they were involved in including an encounter with what exactly happened during their meeting with the Hero Faction.
Her younger sister must have confused the barrier magic with George's ability. This one was a simple barrier that scaled with her magic reserves and power, so calling it powerful would be accurate. But it wasn't as impressive as a Sacred Gear ability.
'Did he hurt Shirone?' A dark thought passed through her mind, if those people did in fact hurt her cute little sister, then she would pay them a visit after this.
"I'm asking this again, what do you want…"
It was adorable to see her little Shirone take a fighting stance with a serious face like that, it made Kuroka want to pinch her cheeks.
"It should be quite obvious, I'm here to take you with me!" Kuroka announced loudly, shaking the young girl's heart.
"W-What?" Take her away? Take her from her Buchou, Hachiman-senpai and her friends?
No!
She didn't want that!
The mere idea of going through such a harrowing event made her relive through the day Kuroka went mad with power and killed their king before leaving her all alone.
"Why do you look so sad?" Kuroka asked, jumping down the tree, taking a step forward as Koneko retreated a step, her body trembling - looking genuinely confused and worried. "We will be together once again like we were supposed to. Us sisters shouldn't stay separated for so long, it pains me to see you so far away…"
"I-I am Rias Gremory's Rook!" She shouted, getting hacked up against the barrier with nowhere to run. Her voice quivered, while her skin turned paler.
"You're not an object belonging to some Devil heiress, Shirone!"
Koneko flinched.
"Buchou never treated me like that!" She never saw herself as an object owned by anybody to begin with. Rias considered her as a family member, so did Akeno and Kiba. Gasper was like her little brother and Hachiman treated her like a little sister from the beginning. Having a warm home with people who loved her was a dream Koneko already lived in and the idea of getting seperated from them terrified her.
"Oh please, you can't trust these Devils, Shirone. They'll turn their back on you at one point in the future. I don't want you to go through the same thing I did in the past, that's why I came here, to save you!" She tried to relay her intentions as much as possible to her sister. "If Rias Gremory truly respected you then why change your name to Koneko? You're not Koneko, but Shirone! If she truly cares about your well-being then she wouldn't have turned into her Rook! Don't you see how she got her peerage? Everyone around her had a tragic past and when seeking help she always appears waiting with an Evil Piece in her hand. She doesn't care about you, she merely wants your Nekoshou side to win these ridiculous Rating Games!"
Very rarely would Kuroka be angry, but when facing her sister with so much bottled up emotions inside her - some of it began to leak. An arduous task it was to keep a calm facade when facing so much resistance, so much fear and abhorrence.
In the end, Koneko could no longer hold it in and lashed out.
"At least they didn't abandon me!" The phrase pierced Kuroka's heart, making it so painful just to bear it. "They didn't left me all alone in a burning house!"
She couldn't bring her sister along.
Kuroka could still remember the night of the incident. She thought about it every day for years. Back then, all that mattered was protecting her Shirone from Naberius' experiments. She was supposed to be the only Nekoshou her former King would conduct various twisted experiments on while keeping his promise to leave her sister out of this mess. Enduring the torture that nearly made her lose herself many times, yet her willpower held on.
When he divulged his intentions to experiment on her sister, Kuroka begged him to not do it but Naberius was too engrossed in his research for the creation of a Super Devil and didn't listen to her. Left with little to no choice, she lashed out and killed him.
But then Kuroka realised the consequences of her actions, she was riddled with confusions, stress and anxiety over her case. Her mind was muddled with negative thoughts and a general mess that she didn't know what to do anymore. The scene of the little white haired girl crawling away from her blood soaked hands with terror was an image that remained ingrained in Kuroka's mind. Fearing not only the Devils but herself, she did the only thing that came to mind - run away.
An action Kuroka regretted till now, if only she had remained behind, then Shirone would have been with her.
That was why she came here specifically, to rectify the errors of the past and fulfil her wish.
"You don't understand, I-I was doing it all for you…"
Unfortunately for her, Koneko wasn't willing to listen, "Liar!"
"Please, I'm now in a better place with people that are more trustworthy compared to the Devils you frequent, Shirone. They've taken care of me and they'll take care of you, trust your sister!"
She tried to approach her for a grab, but that seemed to push Koneko even more to a more desperate frenzy and Kuroka's senses picked up some minor Senjutsu smell coming off of the white haired girl. She backed away, easily dodging a vicious punch that went onto shattering a nearby tree.
Koneko flew past her, her body crashing onto the floor as she failed to land properly. Kuroka shook her head and sighed. "You can't even use Senjutsu, Touji and even Youjutsu at a beginners level. I heard that you can heal others with it, but that method is just crudely injecting some of that energy inside wounds to accelerate healing. It barely works due to luck, without proper training you're bound to make mistakes and stagnate. I can help you with that, we have a whole team of masters with us."
Bang!
Her palm blocked another full powered strike by Koneko, who this time used her legs. "I won't lose control like you."
Her answer was met with a slight tap to her solar plexus which pushed the air out of her lungs.
"Lost of control? There is truth to the fact that nature's energy is tainted to some extent, but it won't cause our species or any full blooded Youkai to lose control." Koneko jumped away hastily to get away. Kuroka wondered how bad had her actions was to affect her little sister's understanding on Senjutsu. "This is getting annoying, nya! I'm asking this again for one last time, Shirone. Are you joining me or not? Or else I'm going to use force! I'm not above hurting those Gremory people to prove my point!"
Koneko panicked, she would rather than let Kuroka attack any of them. They were her family and she loved them just as much. The desire to protect them grew stronger than her self preservation and seeing no other possibility - the girl was about to give up.
"I hate you," the girl snarled, her eyes tearing up. "Hachiman-senpai treated me better."
"-!" A wound that further grew worse, as if adding salt to her previous injuries. Kuroka managed to read the hidden meaning behind those words and they only served to increase the unfairness in her heart. "Ara, Shirone has replaced her big sister with someone else, nya? Guess I should break a few bones or take away a few lives after all…"
The killing intent that wafted off of her tone broke any and all resistance Koneko had.
"N-No! Don't hurt them, I… I will fo-"
A rage filled voice cut her off.
"[Balance Breaker: Sword of the Destroyer!]"
Slice!
A large gash appeared upon the surface of the spell. Both girls were shocked to find Kiba rushing in with his Sacred Gear's strongest form fully brought out. He moved at speeds worthy of a Knight, even faster than his past self during the Kokabiel fight. Kuroka didn't try to block the attack, her senses telling her not to.
"Nya!" She jumped out of the way before the black gladius-like sword slashed the ground, cutting through the layers of bricks and stone to create a metre deep large cut. "Where did this guy come from!?"
"Yuuto… senpai?" Koneko was in disbelief, she didn't expect Kiba to have come here to face Kuroka and even how he managed to sense something was wrong given her sister told her that the space was sealed and hidden from others.
A smile formed on his face, looking as if he already understood her confusion. "Hey there, Hachiman told me to keep an eye on you and make sure you're safe."
Hachiman said to do such a thing?
Why?
"To be honest, I was a bit confused at first as to why he'd ask me to do such a thing given we're in quite a safe area - but seeing what happened now… no wonder he was worried." His gaze turned cold, devoid of any of the warmth he'd shown to Koneko when looking at Kuroka. "The barrows were a pain to cut through, so I was forced to use my Sword of the Destroyer to get in. Now, leave my friend alone."
Kuroka started laughing, "Nyahahaha! This is funny! You think you can stop me from getting my sister, little Knight?"
Certainly that sword of his looked quite intimidating, but as long as she could stay away from it then there was nothing to worry about.
"And she's MY little sister, I can do whatever I want, nya." Her smile remained but the annoyance seeping through her voice couldn't be hidden. "And do you honestly think that you can stop me? Why don't you try it!" Kuroka's figure disappeared like a blur before reappearing right in front of Kiba.
"Watch out!" Koneko shouted.
Clang!
Claws met steel, sparks flying everywhere as he slid back a few metres, still holding his stance as the boy managed to take on the attack.
"Hooo, not bad at all!"
What followed was a flurry of a series of attacks that forced Kiba to defend against each one and push himself to the limit. As hard as he tried, he couldn't land a single hit. Even the slightest move he tried to make was countered by her.
Kuroka moved faster than before, her claws coated with Magic and Senjutsu, able to keep up with his sword. But Kiba did not panic, he refused to lose his rationality during battle like his past self.
"Oh?" She noticed a weird effect. Normally her attacks should have already incapacitated him but instead… They grew weaker? With each clash, the nature energy that coated her arm for defence kept getting dimmer and dimmer. It didn't take long for her to realise that this sword was the one behind this phenomenon. "That's quite an interesting ability, it reminds me of someone."
Kiba didn't bother replying, he couldn't afford to focus on a conversation instead of the battle like Kuroka. The boy suspected she wasn't even fighting seriously against him.
"[Sword Birth!]" His sword pierced the ground where dozens of blades emerged, all viciously going for Kuroka who frowned before jumping in the air.
"Fire sword!"
With another weapon summoned, this one coated with arcs of flames. With a wave of the new weapon, a pillar of fire formed from the ground before engulfing the surprised Kuroka.
"I'm not done yet!"
Dismissing his Flame sword, a magic circle formed within his palm. The use of magic and spells remained a weak point for him, but he grew capable of using a couple of offensive attacks - one of which he coped from Hachiman.
"Magic Arrows!"
It was more appropriate to call them spears instead of arrows with their current size. Dozens of projectiles shooting right for the fire pillar before exploding.
"Wha-?!"
The pillars vanished and the magic fizzled out leaving nothing but scorched earth behind. Kuroka was in a bad shape, her clothes were mostly burned with grace burn marks all over her body. Koneko's expression changed into one of shock as she saw what had happened. No matter how much power she had, she wasn't certain to even come close to her sister. Yet here was Kiba, capable of not only keeping up but even able to push her back!
The girl's hands clenched, just how far behind was she compared to the rest? Did she really need to dive deeper in the use of Senjutsu? But… she had no teacher to speak of, even Hachiman studied the subject with the same material as her.
"Wow! That was impressive, nya!"
"Wha-argh!" Kiba turned around just in time to block a kick to his stomach. The impact was strong enough to have blasted him off of the ground, he gritted his teeth when his back smashed against a tree trunk, splitting the wood into pieces.
"Yuuto!" Koneko freaked out seeing him get thrown so far away with a single move. "Yo- you…" She was speechless, pointing her finger at the other Kuroka injured by the attack.
Both members of Rias' peerage watched as the person they expected to be an injured Kuroka disappeared into a blue mist, the original casually standing next to her sister with an amused face.
"Youjutsu and illusion magic really are fun to mess around with~!" She said with a small laugh, showing the slightest signs of any sort of wound or exhaustion. She gazed at Kiba who stubbornly stood back up, holding his Sacred Gear with both hands and a determined face. "So, little Knight. Are you ready to die? You can't beat me, you couldn't even beat Kokabiel from what I heard!"
"That is true, I'm not a big enough fool to underestimate your powers to such an extent. From the beginning I never had any delusion of beating you." He said with a smirk that didn't sit well with Kuroka. She got on her guards, he looked at her with confidence of his victory. How? She could not tell. Combat wise she was superior, faster, stronger in every way shape and form. "Too bad for you, I'm not alone."
There was a piece of paper held between his palm and the sword. She had missed this small detail previously due to his sudden arrival.
"Hm?" It took a second for Kuroka to realise that it wasn't just a paper, but a flyer that resembled the Gremory summoning circle they used to share their services to the people in Kuoh. She had seen them a couple of times when visiting the place in her cat form. But this one was different, black and holding a different pattern compared to the Gremory one - one that resembled the head of a snake-like dragon with three eyes. Realisation dawned on her face, "You sneaky little Knig-!"
"[Restrict!]"
In a scene similar to the past, hundreds of black tendrils emerged from the ground with the intent to bind her. Unwilling to fall for the same trap, Kuroka leaped once again into the air - but he had anticipated that, the Knight was already blocking her path with the Sword of the Destroyer slashing straight downwards.
Bang!
"Oof!" She used her Senjutsu reinforced arms to block the attack successfully. The green energy dulled but it didn't break, though that was not what Kiba aimed for. The force of his strike pushed Kuroka straight back to the ground with a small crater forming.
"NYA!" The hundreds of tendrils bound her hands, legs waist and even head. She tried to use her enhanced strength but found out that these things had gotten more tougher than what she remembered!
A hand came to rest upon Koneko's head, gently ruffling her hair in a comforting manner, as the white hair young woman seemed to relax just a bit.
"Making your little sister cry like this, for shame."
{Break}
-Hachiman PoV-
There were many thoughts roaming my mind about what happened with my visit to Sona's house, so much I wanted to ask and question the girl. It came out of nowhere and I didn't know how to react to it.
Nevertheless, all of that would be looked over later. Right now, all my attention was on Koneko's face…
She was crying.
A sight I never wanted to see again, reminding of my past idiot self who went and nearly got killed by the events in Paris. I wasn't the one who caused her face to tear up this time, yet I still felt responsible. Wasn't it the responsibility of an older brother or sister to make sure something like this would never happen to their siblings? Yet here I was, witnessing such a scene where one side was making the other suffer when it shouldn't have ever happened in the first place.
"We meet again, Kuroka." I spoke to the girl, having lost all desire to wait and patience with her at this moment. "Why are you here?"
"She's trying to kidnap Koneko!" Kiba who stood by my side mentioned, giving him a basic rundown of what happened the entire time I wasn't here. The more I listened the more I chided myself for letting this continue for so long.
If things were to persist any longer than this, then even if Kuroka were to lost her criminal status would not help into mending their relationship any longer.
I sighed, giving her a disappointed look which she didn't appreciate.
"Don't think you understand me."
Understand? I already did. There was no need to put up an act or even lie about my intentions. "You know what? You're right, I just can't and won't ever understand you, Kuroka. I gave your the opportunity to talk to Koneko without needing to do all of this, now she hates you even more than before."
"Don't care, nya! She'll understand the effort and sacrifice her big sister has done for her!"
Right, sacrifice was an apt word as she didn't lose a lot just for Koneko's sake. Nevertheless, I stopped caring about Kuroka's personal feelings already. She failed to understand Koneko and I would do the same.
"I had a change of mind, you're now staying here with us, whether you like it or not is none of my issue." I spoke assertively, throwing my initial desire to wait for Sirzechs to bring me good news about the Kuroka case to abolish the charges and using that to lure her back in - now she would stay here either she liked it or not and I would not hesitate to use force to drag the Nekoshou kicking and screaming. "You're not going anywhere."
"Hehehe, you're funny, nya~ Did you forget what happened last time? I'll just-"
Before she could use her powers to bend space, I acted quickly.
"[Delete Field!]"
"[Absorb!]"
I flinched at the inclusion of the Senjutsu energy flowing within my body. It was completely different from anything I had felt so far, so foreign and dangerous which forced me to stop from absorbing anymore. Fortunately, it didn't linger for any longer than a second before disappearing. As expected, I couldn't cheat the system that much for learning this technique by taking it from someone else.
"Kiba!"
"Got it!"
"Hn!" Kuroka shook, feeling the effects of both our Sacred Gears weakening her powers. Doubts remained whether this was even enough in the first place, though all of this was just to make sure she wouldn't escape and not about defeating her. "Eh… looks like I'm in trouble. Didn't expect we'd meet again so soon, Black Dragon King." She said jokingly, exerting more strength that began stretching the tentacles. Though they remained strong for now, it didn't mean that she wouldn't be able to break them soon or later.
"And here I was thinking you wouldn't stoop so low as to make your own sister cry and threaten to kill her friends. You act like a victim, which you are in some sense, but now play the role of the villains themselves. What is the difference between you and the Naberius king? You both pushed someone to a corner and made them take desperate measures out of despair, well… you nearly did that with Koneko if Kiba weren't here."
"… Shut up"
"You may not trust Rias and the rest, I understand that - but at least trust your sister. You can't just overlook her happiness just because of your own bias. The tragedy you've experienced will not happen to her, I'll make sure of it."
Kuroka laughed, "What difference would it make if it was you? You're cute but I don't want to take any risks." Veins covered her arm as more strength was used to try and free herself, one of the tendrils snapped. "She's safer with me, away from all of these Devil games and pit of snakes."
She truly lived up to her reputation. Very few managed to break free from my Sacred Restraints with pure strength alone with the help of a weapon. Those who did were no less than absolute monsters.
"Too bad for you, I'm done waiting and will force you two back together without all this unnecessary drama and theatre play. Can you knock her out for me?" I asked the entity following me the entire time, she stayed hidden for the most part so others wouldn't know her presence.
"She's here!" As expected, Kuroka noticed her presence and grew worried. Though there was nothing she could do as a small crash in the space above her head appeared. A small pale danty hand emerged and touched the Nekoshou's head and pushed a bit of her energy.
Her tail and hair stood up like a scared cat.
"Sleep."
With a single command, Ophis managed to instantly send an Ultimate Class being into a deep slumber.
"Well that's done…" I held her body while dismissing my Sacred Gear. She was surprisingly light, unnaturally so. Her choice of clothing did make the action of peeking inside very easy, not that I did it. "Thanks again for your help." I said to Ophis who disappeared once again, I told her to stay hidden as much as possible whenever there were many people around me as their would be less people to recognize her.
"Hachiman… senpai?" Koneko looked up to me then Kuroka. "I-I-I'm sorry… I d-didn't want her to hurt y-"
"It's okay. Why are you even apologising in the first place? I'm the one who should be asking for forgiveness by keeping the fact that I talked with her earlier a secret. I wanted to bring this topic up at some point but didn't know how to do it."
She went silent.
"Are you planning to hand her over?" Kiba asked, pocketing the flyer I gave him long ago, back when Issei went on a date with Raynare. I was surprised that he still kept it with him.
"No, I'll keep her in my room and have others watch over her. I want to show Kuroka that we're not her enemies and that she doesn't need to go this far to be with Koneko. Sirzechs and Serafall have agreed to help me with her situation, if all things proceed smoothly then her status as a criminal will be removed."
Koneko's head snapped towards me in shock.
"R-Removed!?"
Oh right, she didn't know about the details about the Naberius incident. I cursed my past self once again for procrastinating so much, I should have talked with her the same day!
"Alright, let's go to my room first, I have a lot to tell you."
We walked out of the garden and went straight to my room, the maids didn't bother or even question me about the woman I was holding in my arms. Xenovia and Irina were training with Kiba's teacher, Okita, as in the former captain of the Shisengumi. Crazy right! Anyway, Rias was called by her mother and father to discuss some private matters. Akeno was spending some one on one time with her mother, Shuri apparently had some important work for her daughter before she left back to Kuoh.
Basically everyone was busy today.
I gently dropped Kuroka on the bed, she looked so innocent and peaceful in her sleep that it was hard to imagine her identity as a dangerous soon-to-be former SS class criminal and a Nekoshou who could rip my face apart. "Can you keep watch over her?" I asked Kiba who nodded at my request.
Both Koneko and I headed for somewhere more private. On the way my phone's notification rang, checking to see who it was, I found a couple of messages Kalawarna sent me with a few attached images.
Curious, I opened the first attachment.
"-!"
And I immediately regretted that.
The first image was of her posing in front of a mirror wearing little to no clothing. This woman was quite bold sending things like this just to tease me. 'Do I look good, Hachi~?' was the message attached to it with a kissy emoji.
My response was quick and direct.
'Put on some clothes, you pervert.'
I swiped to see the second image which further gave me a headache. No, it wasn't a picture of her naked, rather a secret photo she took of Raynare trying out some underwear in a changing room. That bitch wasn't aware of her presence somehow.
'Her taste for black lacy underwear hasn't changed.'
Kala wrote below.
I ignored it.
The third and final image was actually something that made me laugh a bit. It seemed like Raynare spotted her sneaky friend and her intentions of sending me her nude pics and was now chasing Kalawarna down with a red light spear. In the background some of the Fallen Angels staff were trying their best to hold her down but were obviously struggling given she was a six winged powerhouse.
"Pervert."
"Ah!" I jolted from the pain of having my waist pinched by an angry Rook. "K-Koneko?"
"You were watching something lewd." She stated.
"A-Ah, it isn't my fault! Kala just sent me weird pictures." I tried to defend myself but the girl wasn't having it. It didn't help my case that I didn't delete the photos, and had instead save them. That stare made me want to cry, like a little sister judging her brother as a degenerated pervert.
"… Did you like them?"
"…"
"Ero-Hachi."
Koneko words struck deeper than any sword.
{Break}
"So… what did you want to tell me?" On the balcony, she asked me while nervously looking back at the room where Kuroka was sleeping.
I sighed again, taking some time to organise my thoughts in order to clearly give her all the details without any misunderstandings. And so, I started telling her everything I knew, my suspicions, my doubts, Sirzechs findings with the Naberius clan and even my plans to clear her sister's name.
I told her everything.
"…"
In the end, she started crying, tears streaming down her face as her legs gave up and she nearly fell on the floor if I hadn't caught her. She hugged me while I patted her back, the girl went through a lot and I promised to be there whenever she needed me.
'Haa… I berated Kuroka for making her sister cry yet here I am having done the same. I really am the worst.'
I only hoped the Maous managed to convince Zekram. If they failed, then I was willing to take matters into my own hands, no matter how foolish that thought was.
I was tired of waiting.
These two didn't deserve to suffer any longer.
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 3 other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@ treon . With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post monthly commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.
Sibling Love
Hiiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Not much to say aside from thank you to my newest patrons: Castle, AllenWalker iykyk, SirSchmoopy111, Brandon Carter, Kevin young, Jack boi and Korasakof. Y'all rock!!!!
Next update is An Archer's Promise
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by Shigiya.
-???-
Kuroka's head felt fuzzy, a throbbing headache that felt like it was about to split her head into two.
When was the last time she experienced such a sensation? Perhaps all those years when she escaped her former King's domain, forced to survive on scraps and struggle every passing second just to live another day. Running for months, having everyone hunt her like the Stray she was labelled by the Devils.
Hunted by all sides, Angels, Fallens, Devils and basically every pantheon in existence. She hated this feeling, to remind her of a past she buried deep within her memory with the hope to one day move on from it and forget. No amount of Senjutsu or Youjutsu was capable of relieving the trauma, so it was better to slip away if possible.
Groggily, the woman groaned while trying to open her eyelids - soft. The comfort of the bed she slept on gave the sensation as if she layed on a piece of cloud. Neither feeling too hot or cold, just warm and… safe? She recalled facing Shirone, wanting to take her away from these devils to a safer place.
Somewhere where she would be protected by her big sister against all odds. For now she had the strength and desire to never run away ever again, the decision of the past weighing heavily on her heart every single day. Yet much to her dismay and frustration, that Knight of Gremory came and ruined her perfect plan!
Though she wasn't worried as he wasn't a threat to her. His Sacred Gear on the other hand was dangerous, that she was willing to admit. Like a slow acting poison on her powers weakening them gradually with every strike or touch, where if by a streak of bad decision making the battle dragged on for too long, then he would have gotten the upper hand eventually.
'That is of course if I don't just rip his head off immediately.'
Kuroka had many, so many chances to just end that man's life with a single move, a single slash of her claws to cut his life with ease or to rip out his heart if she wanted to - but the consequences were far too big to justify going that far. Aside from the Gremory family and Lucifer no longer bothering to hold back and start hunting her down with pure bloodlust… She also didn't want to traumatise Shirone any more than necessary.
Fear, that was supposed to be her main weapon in this negotiation. To use that emotion to force the little girl to take the decision to join her willingly rather than using force.
Yet that fear disappeared when those two appeared, and then… then she didn't remember what happened afterwards.
Just fish eyes, and tentacles for some reason.
Nevertheless, she had to wake up and leave wherever this place was. It neither smelled like their base and foreign with a hint of a familiar fragrance. Kuroka opened her eyes and faced a high white ceiling made of gold and marble. With highly detailed paintings from what looked like the renaissance era and the sound of paper moving near her.
"-!" Her senses sharpened as she collected herself, clarity returning to her mind. Pushing herself up from the bed, she discovered her old kimono was gone and replaced with a simple white pyjama that felt so smooth on her skin that it didn't cause any irritation.
A dream?
Wasn't she captured by the enemy in the end?
Honestly, she waited to be greeted by the sight of a dark, cold and wet dungeon whilst chained up from head to toe with countless restrictive spells keeping her power at bay. Perhaps surrounded by rats and insects to further enlarge the gravity of the present. Having to wait for Biko or Arthur to come by and help her out of this sticky mess. Yet here she was clothed and taken care of by these people who she considered her enemies.
"Who changed my clothes?" She whispered to herself, despite wandering around with a kimono that barely hid anything, Kuroka was still very closed off to the idea of showing her naked body to a random stranger, even her allies never saw her without it. Another reason why she wore such clothes was due to how easy it was to get in and out of it for her transformations.
Flip
Once again she heard the sound of a book's paper flipping. The Nekoshou slowly turned her head to the corner of the room where she found Hikigaya Hachiman sitting on a sofa, reading a book and sipping on some coffee with a raven haired woman next to him. There was someone else standing next to him like a bodyguard, holding a sword with holy properties which she identified as Durandal.
' Xenovia Quarta, I heard about her mother from Jeanne.'
One thing caught her attention, souring her heart when she saw it happening in front of her eyes. Not how relaxed these Devils were in front of a being who was feared as an SS-Class criminal - but rather the white haired girl sleeping on his lap as he gently caressed her head…
A pang of jealousy flashed by her eyes at the display of intimacy. Something only she was allowed to do all those years ago when they were still together. A form of affection that should have only been allowed between siblings or lovers, yet now it was evident that someone else's presence replaced her spot in Shirone's heart.
She didn't speak, merely persisting with her silence, the unwillingness to acknowledge all that was present to what was going on or the desire to tease anyone for the matter. Curious about her general case, Kuroka could do nothing but sigh audibly.
The boy who she believed to have been a small fool Vali had taken an interest in instead of the Red Dragon Emperor for reasons she previously could not comprehend glanced at her. No shouting or attacks were launched, her senses didn't detect any danger from him though she definitely sensed some hostility from the Gremory heir's Queen which she failed to hide with the facade mask of a gentle smile.
Hachiman put down the cup of coffee on the table.
"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty." He said with a neutral face, showing little to no emotions and thus making it hard for her to judge just what he was thinking about.
"Hikigaya Hachiman." She spoke, mildly amused as she saw the Queen tense up next to him as if she was going to attack him.
Not that she wasn't in the wrong, Kuroka did have thoughts of just throwing an attack on the boy and taking Shirone away from here.
"Hachiman…"
"It's fine, Xenovia, she won't do anything."
Bold of him to assume so, what gave him such confidence that she wouldn't do so? Maybe the reason he had Shirone sleeping on his lap was to deter any sort of surprise attacks on her side? Perhaps, but she was confident in her own abilities to knock him and the Queen she now recognized as Akeno within a single second without waking up her sister.
"They say that no matter how old you become, when you are with your siblings, you revert back to childhood. The bonds between siblings never break no matter how far apart they are to each other. It's easy to get angry at them but hard to hate them." Hachiman spoke, grabbing her attention as he pinched Shirone's cheeks, causing the girl to frown cutely. Kuroka's eyes twitched at such a cute action. "These are a few quotes I read once before that stayed within my mind. Ever since I hung around with Rias and Akeno, I always saw the little ball of adorableness as the closest link to a sibling I had in this life. We barely talked in the beginning, you know? She was always scared of everything and preferred Rias over me as she saw me as someone potentially dangerous."
"…"
"It took some effort to get through the mental barrier she set around herself from the outside world. She was young but already jaded to the world by the events of her past. She rarely smiled or laughed, even with those that she trusted. Then I learned why this was the case, the past that scarred her to such a degree and its details - you could say that I was livid at you back then." He said calmly, while Kuroka for a split second broke eye contact.
Of course he would hate her past self, she did too and because her past self lacked the power to bring Shirone along, the little girl was left all by herself if it weren't for the Devils who found her.
"You didn't rebuke me and I can tell that to some extent you agree with me as well. But as they say, you can't change the past no matter how strong you become and trying to ignore it will only cause you problems."
The way he talked to her infuriated the black Nekoshou. What did he know about her!? Just because he got to learn of the events that happened with Naberius didn't mean he could decipher her persona. Like he could read her like an open book - how utterly ridiculous.
There was no need to remain her any longer, this was just a waste of her time.
"Tch, I don't need th-"
"I told Koneko everything that happened that day and she cried."
"-!"
Shock coupled with doubts surfaces on her face, she couldn't hide it anymore with how sudden it was. "What?" Was all that could escape her lips.
"To bring you and Koneko on even grounds. I know you tried something similar as well, but your approach was so brutal and heavy handed that you only succeeded in further pushing her away from you. Going so far as to tell her that you'd attack or possibly kill her friends if she didn't listen to you? Do you not see just how idiotic this was? Just how much you were pushing her away?" She had nothing to say, no way to retort aside shooting him a glare. "Let me guess, after bringing Koneko along wherever your base of operation is, you would have bound her in a room or something and slowly try to show her how you aren't that bad. Or, use another threat on me or Rias to have her behave and stay with you… but a part of me thinks that maybe you didn't even think that far ahead. Maybe your comrades in the Khaos Brigade would have helped but not by that much."
"… shut up."
The door was just there, even the windows were opened giving her an easy path to escape. A trap hidden in plain sight, he could have asked the Maous or have Grayfia Lucifuge waiting for her outside. Kuroka was confident in her combat skills, but even she knew that taking on a woman who was equal to Serafall Leviathan was no different than admitting defeat.
"Are you scanning the surroundings for a way to escape?" This time Xenovia spoke for the first time, her tone frosty and chilling to the bone. "I'll slay you with my sword, Devil."
Akeno agreed, and followed with her own warning. "Don't bother attacking Hachi-kun with me here or even laying your finger on Koneko-chan. I'll burn you to ashes, I'm not as forgiving as him."
The Nekoshou resisted the urge to laugh at that statement. She had seen the fight against Riser Phenex and while it was true that both King and Queen were formidable Devils compared to the average Devil in their generation - they still couldn't hope to take her down. Now, dealing with Holy Lightning was tricky and a power she couldn't afford to get hit by, though with speed and good judgement, Kuroka believed to have the ability to take her down instantly. As for the Holy Sword user? She was still a human regardless, so aside from avoiding the weapon, a single full powered strike should be enough. Now the Black Dragon King was the most dangerous one here, the girl couldn't even remember how he managed to knock her unconscious so easily and those tendrils of his had become far more powerful than a few days ago.
"No need to antagonise her any further, I think that she gets the idea.."
"She genuinely had plans to hurt you and kidnap Koneko-chan. Don't you think so as well, Xenovia?" Akeno asked the former exorcist.
"I sense vile intentions from her."
"Exactly." She agreed, glad to have someone on her side on this problem.
"How the heck did you know that? Last time I checked, your bullshit Devil powers didn't include mind reading. Xenovia is suspicious of every Devil. She doesn't count."
"Fufufufu~, it's called a woman's intuition, Hachi-kun."
Humph, he wasn't treating her as a possible danger in the end. Which only cemented her belief of someone powerful hiding somewhere close. If Bikou was here then her chance for escaping successfully was quite high, without him it was too big of a risk.
"What do you want from me, nya? You won't get anything out of me I'm afraid." She said coily. "I know you're just going to have me taken away by the Devils or executed as an SS-Class criminal. This entire setup is cute but a total waste, you can't fool me~!"
Better to get down to the bottom of whatever this was. They obviously captured her and instilled a false sense of safety just to pry out information about the Khaos Brigade. She didn't have that big of a loyalty to those people but her group in particular was a different story.
Instead of getting frustrated or displeased by her answer, he started chuckling before ending up laughing.
"What's so funny, nya!?" His laughing was so weird and creepy that she got goosebumps all over her body! He looked like a villain planning on doing something bad with how he looked at her with those eyes if his.
"Hehehehe, n-nothing, j-just your words."
Oi, this boy was quite cute before, but now she wanted to clobber his face with his smug expression.
"And what's so funny about the little dragon?"
"Well, for one thing, I don't see a SS-Class criminal, only a confused older sister who loves Koneko… in her own twisted way and needs a good kick to the ass for acting stupid. I'm not saying that figuratively, poetically or an in-between the lines riddle. You, Kuroka, have been absolved."
"… What?" Kuroka believed that she was missing something here, the way he said it sounded like if… no, that couldn't be possible.
'Yes, I'm just imagining things! He's trying to trick me!'
"If you didn't understand, then let me put it in a simpler way. Kuroka, from now on you're no longer classified as an SS-Class criminal. After an extensive procedure of analysing the previous incident, uncovering various incriminating evidence against the Naberius former heir, along the discovery of his underground lab and finally the clans decision to vanish in a single night with suspicions of having joined the enemy side - you've been deemed as a victim of your King's action and have been relieved of any and all charges in your name. You're a free Devil, which sounds quite ominous I won't lie." A giant smirk formed on his face when he saw her shocked face.
"I-It can't be… you're lying!" Kuroka denied his words, furious he would use such tactics to fool her into letting her guard down.
"No he's not!"
Bam !
The doors were pushed rather violently, sending a gust of wind inside the room with an ecstatic Serafall still wearing her suit. She held a document in her hand with the insignia of Lucifer and the Bael clan. "Sirzechs and I got that stupid Zall to stop being an idiot and agree to our terms!" She said cheerfully, bouncing around the room without any care.
"Oi, quiet down will you? You'll wake up Koneko."
"Ah, sorry about that, Dragon-kun. But now you must keep up the end of your promise and make an appearance on my show!"
"I never made such promises to you." He said with a deadpan.
"How about getting some blackmail material on Gabriel?"
"No."
"I would like to see you become a star as well, Hachi-kun. You'll look so dazzling on TV." Akeno chimed in as well, Xenovia eagerly nodded her head. The idea of playing the role of a hero with a Holy Sword was quite the appealing thought to her.
"My presence will just ruin the mood, now off you go, Serafall… we're not done here. I was trying to have an emotional conversation here and you're not helping."
"Ara ara~ you're being quite manipulative with others, Hachi-kun. I like it!"
"…"
As the three continued to banter around whilst disturbing Koneko's sleep, Kuroka's pin sized eyes were focused on the document Serafall left on the bed. Her heart was drumming loudly with great disbelief and shaky hands, the woman picked up the documents and slowly read through it.
'It can't be real, it can't be real… it just can't!'
Everything she had done so far, the crimes these Devils used as a justification to chase her down the ends of the Earth years ago, forcing her to hide and seek protection from others.
She trained, spilled blood, sweat and tears just to reach her current level in order to protect herself and one day get her Shirone back.
Now… Now she was freed? A blank slate just like that?
It was so hard to believe this was real that she kept having doubts whether they were trying to set up a trap.
'But with Serafall here… why even bother putting up an act?'
Her ears twitched, she saw Koneko wake up from her nap. "Onee… -sama?" She looked at her with those pure hazel eyes, lacking the previous rage or fear.
"Shirone…"
Hachiman got up, with her sister holding his hand he came closer with a shit eating grin.
"I remember telling you before to trust me and give me some time, because in the end, I, thanks to Sirzechs and Serafall's help, managed to accomplish what you believed to have been an impossible task. You owe me a favour, cause now you can just stay with your sister here without worrying about someone trying to kill you. Heck, I give you my word that no one here will try to force you into their peerage."
"You…" she no longer knew what to feel anymore, anger, incredulity, thankfulness, joy, warryness and so many more emotions all raging inside her mind for the last few seconds. "Why?"
Why go this far for her? What did she do to deserve this?
He shrugged, "Why not? Not everything needs to have a deep reason driving me to get out of my comfort zone to help someone. You wanted to be with Koneko but sucked at accomplishing it, and I had enough seeing you two hurting each other. So, here we are. See? Quite simple."
To say something like that… just what was he thinking?
"Besides, I don't like seeing siblings quarrel with each other to such an extent. Koneko here still sees you as an elder sister even after everything that happened." He gently pushed the girl to walk forward, she meekly sat next to her on the bed, looking at her hands.
Kuroka wanted to hold her so badly, but she endured and waited for Shirone to talk first.
"Why didn't you tell me the full story with the Naberius king?" The white-haired girl asked.
"I'm sorry… I don't know."
"Why did you become so cruel and say that you'd hurt my friends?"
"I'm sorry…."
Kuroka's eyes started to sting as her furry cat ears slumped.
"You even tried to take me by force, even if that meant hurting me."
"I'm sorry…"
"I would've hated you for the rest of my life."
She flinched at those words, even while prepared for such a repercussion it felt like someone stabbed a dagger inside her heart.
"I know."
"Would you have been able to live with that? At some point, I could turn out like you and try to kill everyone just to protect those I care about."
"I-I-I'm… sorry," she hiccuped, unable to hold the tears from streaming down her face.
"Buchou is a nice person. She and Hachiman-senpai have been taking care of me when I was all alone.."
"I know."
"You wanted to be with me even if it meant I despised you afterwards?"
The black-haired Nekoshou hesitated before slowly nodding her head. She expected for an outburst, for her sister to walk out of the room and shout to never show her face again. But instead, the woman felt her sleeves get tugged, her body went rigid when her little Shirone scooted over.
She met her gaze which still held no hate or rage - just mild discontent. "From now on, you shouldn't do that anymore. Because we'll be together like before and if you break this rule… I'll hate you."
Those words broke the dam inside Kuroka, unable to control herself anymore, she grabbed her sister in a tight hug and started crying out loud.
"Waaaaaahhh! I-I-Im so sorry S-Shirone!!!! I promise to be the best sister in the world and never make you cry!!!" She continued to blubber loudly, making Serafall, Xenovia, Akeno and Hachiman smile as they stood outside of the room and the former to high-five his lover in a job well done.
"Let me go, you're ruining my clothes with your tears." Koneko said, annoyed with her big sister's exaggerated wails. "And your breasts are suffocating me." Seriously, they were suffocating her and she hated how unnecessarily big they were!
Were they really sisters?
"Waaaahhh, I missed you, Shirone!!!" Kuroka didn't listen and only held her tighter, burying the poor little neko in her expansive cleavage. "Wuuuuu!!! I waited so long to hug you again in my bosom!"
Left with no other options, Koneko sighed before returning the hug.
"I missed you too, stupid Onee-sama." She said with a small smile gracing her lips.
{ Break}
-Hachiman PoV-
Well, things went better than I expected.
I was honestly waiting for Kuroka to just ignore everything and go on the offensive whilst not holding back anymore. Though with Grayfia in the building and Serafall, that was not a concern anymore.
Finally, this issue was resolved, at least partially.
"You haven't mentioned the condition of her freedom." Serafall mentioned, she had the biggest smile on her face as she peeked inside the room, cooing at the sisterly bonding. Given her relationship with Sona and how much she loved her - I knew she related a lot to Kuroka's case… just like me. "Nothing is given for free, especially in our society."
I couldn't help but sigh, yes, I had to agree with her. But at least it wasn't something ridiculous or even downright impossible.
"If I had brought up the condition during the conversation then she would have further doubted my words and yours. And given she wasn't in the best state of mind with how wary she was of everything, this topic would have ruined any progress. It's better we wait, let her have a taste of freedom and finally be united with her sister to bring this matter up. Then she won't have a choice but to accept."
"I feel like she's more suspicious now that you've helped her for free. Oh well, at least now she looks happy." Akeno shook her head with an exasperated expression. "Again, that's very manipulative on your end, it's almost cruel even. That's very much not like you, Hachi-kun."
"I know, but it's the best course of action in the end. I know how much of a miracle Senjutsu is with healing both the body and soul after every I've researched with Koneko. Kuroka is a master with great control over her powers, so there is no danger of any mistake or corruption in this scenario. With enough driving force, she'll be able to help Misla Bael with her condition."
"Don't you feel bad tricking her like this?"
"I don't. The benefits to both Koneko and us far outclasses any guilt I may have experienced with this. Plus she made Koneko cry, so take this as a punishment on my end." I said with indifference, all of this was for Koneko's sake and not Kuroka. If the woman refused to work for her freedom and sister then she didn't deserve it.
"Ah, by the way, Sirzechs is looking for you. Don't be late, Dragon-kun and do think carefully about my offer to star on my show! I promise that you won't regret it~."
"I'll think about it," regardless of how unwilling I was to do such a thing. I still owed a huge debt to both her and Sirzechs that needed to be repaid one way or the other. I could just do a small cameo on set or wear a tree number 5 costume and become part of the background. Acting wasn't my speciality so it was for the best that the audience didn't experience any second hand embarrassment.
"See you, Hachi-kun, I'll be waiting for you tonight~" Sultry, her voice carried in his ears with goosebumps spreading all over my body.
This girl was truly a succubus.
"Can I be of service or watch from the sidelines? I want to study and take notes for future use."
I nearly tripped when Xenovia said that, did this girl not know shame!?
"No! We won't be doing anything like that now, not the best time or place."
"Hah, how unfortunate." Akeno whined, "alright, take care of yourself." She gave me a kiss on the lips, going so far as to sneak her tongue inside before leaving quickly after my face turned crimson. I turned to see Xenovia writing something inside her notebook…
"…"
As I walked through the east wing of the manor by myself, Vritra spoke to me.
" That was very generous of you, partner. To reunite two siblings like that, many wouldn't have gone that far even for their loved ones. I don't even think anyone suspected Kuroka to be a victim in the first place."
Understandably so, given how she was portrayed as a King slayer who lost herself to the corruption of Senjutsu and having worked alongside terrorists didn't help her image in the least.
"It wasn't a hard decision in the first place."
" You say that you did this for Rook's sake, but tell me truthfully, was it for or for yourself? Reuniting two siblings, something you can relate to I suppose."
"…" My body froze up as I processed his words. Maybe I misunderstood it for someone else… "I guess I can relate to that, Asia is like a sister to me and having her away with Gabriel does make it hard for me sometimes."
Vritra chuckled, " I feel the same way about the little Dragon Maiden, but that is not what I'm talking about. Tell me, partner, don't you want to meet your real sister, Komachi?"
"-!"
I was hit by something no different to a stun spell. How did he know about my past!? I made sure to never bring it up to anyone or even mention Komachi to Vritra once in the past! "How did you…" I asked, afraid to know the answer as this conversation was something I dreaded to have for years. Not even Akeno knew about it.
" I had a dream a few of them, not that long ago. Honestly, never in my life did I ever expect for one of my hosts to be a person from another world. I won't lie, it intrigues me immensely how you managed to be reborn here of all places and what that entails given the Dimensional Gap is supposed to keep any and all foreign entities closed in their own world. Yet here you are." I had no knowledge to share with Vritra given this matter was a mystery to me as well. How I got here and who was responsible for it were questions with no answers. " Though your maturity at such a young age also starts to make sense. My host is actually a middle aged man inside a youngling's body."
Why did he have to make it sound so wrong?
"Vritra, please never phrase it like that again, and I've made peace with my past, there is no need to go back to it." I said, wanting to change the subject if possible but knew Vritra too well - he wouldn't let it go.
" That is a bold thing to say, have you made peace or are you running away from it? Perhaps you fear delving too deep into this mystery to only find out one day that there is nothing you can do to go back. So, you've closed your mind to it and waited to march through the pain and grow numb to it."
This conversation was getting on my nerves rather quickly.
"I don't need your philosophical lecture right now, just tell me where you're going with this."
" Not a lecture, partner. I'm just pointing out what I've understood so far. There is still a part of you that wishes to go back, yet you are killing that part every time it surfaces ." He calmly spoke to me, but I wasn't willing to listen to this for long.
"I have people here as well, I've lived in this world just as long as my last one. Going back would mean leaving them, which I'm unwilling to do."
" That I agree with, but that does not mean you've given up on them. It does not mean you care any less about the people of your past." He said words I could not refute, true, I did care about the people in my past life. I wanted to know how my parents were, if they were well and alive. I wanted to know if Komachi lived a peaceful life right now, she probably was a working woman right now. Maybe she even got married and had kids for all he knew. The people he met in school, whether they even remembered him and to see if they all moved on.
It was probably the latter, I wasn't someone hard to forget given my loner lifestyle. They most likely moved on before the end of the year even, and I didn't blame them for that one bit.
"Why bother thinking about the past? It'll only drive me crazy and depressed. Sometimes, it is better to let go and find inner peace."
" To some extent, I would agree with this. But don't you find this entire thing strange? Unlike Sétanta whose soul was reincarnated into a descendant of Cú Chulainn, he at least was from this world. You are not, meaning that someone had a hand in your case, a being ripped you away from a life you enjoyed and dropped you here for reasons that escape my understanding. Aren't you curious on who that might be and to know whether he can temporarily send you back to your original world to give your final goodbyes."
I sighed, "I never thought about it that far ahead. But…"
If what he said was the truth, then I needed to know why at the very least. Why was I brought here and taken away from my past world? If this person did exist, then finding him or her would become one of my top priorities.
"… I guess it wouldn't hurt to dig around for some information."
{ Break}
Knock
Knock
"Yes, come in."
Hearing Sirzechs voice, I pushed open the doors and walked inside his study room within the Gremory castle. A place he spent most of his time on a regular day just to sort out any and all paperwork.
He looked at me suspiciously for a second, "Wait, you're not a Devil yet?"
"Did Sona tell you about what happened?" I thought she preferred to keep it a secret for the meantime and bring it up later.
Someone else answered that question, "I did." Walking inside the room was a man clad in expensive garba and vibrant slicked back vibrant green hair - the savant genius Ajuka Beelzebub. And next to him was a woman with dark hair, following him dressed like a secretary. I squinted my eyes, she looked very familiar for some reason. She even gave me a warm smile which I returned with an awkward hand wave.
Have we met before?
"I'm quite surprised how you are still human despite your body not rejecting the piece. Mind sharing with me your secrets? As far as I know, there is no way to block the effects of an Evil Piece when fully accepted by the body and soul."
Knowing Sona she would have asked me to keep it a secret as a hidden trump card. Though she hasn't said anything back then due to shock most likely.
"I prefer to keep that a secret if you don't mind. In due time, you'll know what happened along with everyone else."
He didn't try to force an answer out of me and merely smiled and agreed with me. "Then I look forward to that day. Now, you must be wondering why Sirzechs called you here, right?"
"I am."
The man with the moniquer of Lucifer presented me with a paper with information about a recent attack on Olympus by whom they suspected to be the Khaos Brigade. The more I read the more shocking the contents became. A literal god kidnapped? That was both hilarious to think about and horrifying as heck. What was even more shocking was the fact that they traced possible evidence of the god's presence within the Underworld!
"One of Azazel's close friends from within the Greek Pantheon contacted him for aid about this particular case. They need someone to find and rescue Hephaestus, several parties were sent to scout the land but none have returned with any results as of yet."
I gave him a weird stare, "And what makes you think that I can find him instead? Not to be rude but my Sacred Gear is not a hound who can sniff out the god."
His smile didn't lessen, I couldn't read this man at all.
"But you are in a contract with someone who can find him. But calling her a hound would earn me her ire so let's not call her that. The last thing Devils want is an angry Dragon King."
By that, didn't he mean…
"Tiamat?"
When was the last time we met? It had been so long and I didn't know if she was going to like my absence this entire time.
"Yes, according to Azazel, Tiamat has known the god for centuries and could always find him no matter where he hid in Olympus in order to force him to craft more treasures for her collection. Even with Zeus' aid she caught him in the depth of Tartarus within a day. Understandably, we tried to talk to her but all our attempts were ignored and she destroyed half of Ajuka's manor."
The green haired Maou sighed, "Yes, my brother Diodora was almost caught in the attack but survived with minor burns and a broken hand.
Poor guy, I was already imagining the terror he must have felt.
"I know this is sudden, Hachiman-kun. But having the Greek Pantheon, Zeus more specifically, owe us a favour is not an opportunity we can ignore. Give it a try, if even Tiamat can not find him then we've tried our best. Of course, you will be compensated appropriately, so this is not a free request."
I gave this a thought, it didn't hurt if I just asked Tiamat to help them out a bit. "I guess I can help if it's possible."
"Great! Oh, and before you go. Someone asked us to join you in this quest. He's waiting for you outside."
Hm? That made me curious.
"Okay, I'll be going now."
As I left the room, I heard Ajuka talk to his secretary.
"Viser, put these files back in my office."
"Understood, Ajuka-sama."
"…"
That was Viser!?
…
While still recovering from the shock I initially felt about the identity of the woman. I couldn't help but chuckle at how weird life worked. I saved her from her beast form all because Asia asked me, if it weren't for her then Viser would have died. I wondered the entire time how Asia handled the situation, I knew she even asked Rias for help.
Who would have thought that she actually made the girl become Ajuka's assistant or secretary.
"Good for her, I guess."
As I walked out of the manor, I saw someone standing outside with his arms crossed. He was a handsome fellow with black hair and violet eyes. And by god was he tall, perhaps even taller than Azazel! With a muscular build which he must have gotten from extreme training and a face that resembled that of Rias and Sirzechs.
Wait, I remember Rias talking about him in the past. And from her family picture, he was present in many of them.
"Sai… raorg?"
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 3 other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post monthly commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.
Dragon Attack
Hiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Not much to say aside from thank you to my newest patrons: Steven, Adrian Birgel, Philston Singh and Alexis Chagoya . Y'all rock!!!!
Next update is an Archer's Promise.
That's all,
Beta read by Shigiya.
-???-
I was not going to lie, but riding on Tiamat's back was quite a comfortable experience. The scales were hard yet did not hurt my butt as much as I expected them to. If I was a braver, - or dumber - man, I would've complimented her soft scales. The dragon flew across the sky with breakneck speed, each of her wing flaps pushing away the clouds for miles on end. Even Vritra commented how different she flew compared to him.
Lacking any subtlety or grace he showed in his life, literally paving a path across the sky visible to anyone. It did not help that each wing flap was as loud as a jet engine. Even my ears turned numb at the beginning, thankfully she reached a high enough altitude that allowed her to temporarily glide for most of the way.
" Imbecility at its worst, a high and mighty dragon like me reduced to a mode of transportation. If Ddraig were to see me like this or even Albion, both would have cackled at my expense. The mighty Tiamat… mother of dragons and strongest Dragon King no less." She grumbled under breath for the past hour, sour over how he called her over an emergency she believed to have been a great battle between me and some opponent powerful enough that it forced me to summon her. " Now I have two brats on my back thinking they order me around for a stupid mission to find that greek smithing goddess, who's probably dead by now."
"He's a guy, y'know."
" Whatever."
Yup, she was definitely sour on many levels, I was surprised how we were still alive and not burned to a crisp, or torn to pieces or just dead in general. Yep, "we" as I was not alone on this trip.
"Hahahaha! She's certainly quite scary, don't you think so?" By my side was none other than Rias famous cousin, someone who is known throughout the underworld as being one of - if not - the strongest Devil in their generation. "This is my first time riding on a dragon's back, it feels so very different from riding a Nemean lion! I wonder if Tiannin will accept me riding on his back if I ask him?"
I doubted ANY dragon for the most part enjoyed having people on their backs use them as a mode of transportation. Unless you were sweet Asia, fat chance. They were creatures of great pride. They would sooner kill you before you ever finish the question, then ever consider the thought of letting someone ride them. I was convinced Asia could turn out to be an existence as terrifying as Sirzechs if she managed to harness that power of cuteness and sincerity of hers.
She could possibly end up being the final boss if we were not careful.
Anywho, he certainly was quite happy and excited to be here, talking through the entire journey nonstop about various topics which I stopped paying attention to a while ago. It was super awkward nonetheless to sit next to him the entire time without talking much aside saying yes and nodding to his words from time to time. Friendly, smiling every time, laughing for no reason and calling me a friend when we barely knew each other… Was this the first real ryaju I met in my life here? If I hadn't known about Kiba's past life and the trauma he went through, then he would have become a close second candidate.
"Ah, where are my manners? My name is Sairaorg Bael, you must be Hikigaya Hachiman! I heard a lot about you from my cousin, she told me so many stories about you that today's meeting made me very excited! Even Madgaran talks about you, especially the stunt you pulled back during the Rating Game between Rias and Riser." Well he certainly was quite informed. But then again, that event was broadcasted for most of the Underworld to see, including important figures of the Underworld so him seeing it made sense. It would have been quite weird if the oldest heir of the Bael clan had no idea of what happened back then.
"You already introduced yourself to me, a couple of times actually." I said dryly, keeping my attention in front where there wasn't much to see but it certainly beat having eye contact with this fellow. "Can I ask… why are you here? Not that I don't appreciate your help even if we just meet, but this mission was supposed to be mostly solo on my end. I kinda expected someone like you to have more important things to do than accompanying me on this quest from another pantheon."
"Hahaha! I can understand your confusion, Hikigaya." He guffawed, patting me on the back. Unfortunately, it felt like a direct impact from a sledge hammer with how much he put into it!
"Oof!" I nearly went flying over my seat and was only able to not fall off the speeding dragon due to grabbing onto one of Tiamat's scales. Seeing his mistake, Sairaorg swiftly came to pull me back up
"Sorry about that, I tend to forget to hold back enough when I'm in a jovial mood. Hope I didn't break anything by accident?"
"… Are you a Super Devil or something? Just how strong are you?" Like I knew the guy was powerful, but nearly having my body sent hurtling through the air made me wonder how outrageous he was. Rias was right about him, he made Koneko look like a frail girl!
"Hahahaha! I guess you can call me that, but I'm nowhere near the likes of the Maous." I wasn't even trying to compare him to those people! And yes, I knew the title of a Super Devil now only belonged to Sirzechs, but I couldn't help myself from making the comparison. "And to answer your question, well, I should thank you first."
"Hm?"
"No need to act ignorant, I got word from my… father that you were going to have a Senjutsu master try to heal my mother - Misla Bael."
"Oh, yeah," word traveled fast, it had not even been a full day since Sirzechs told me about the condition for Kuroka's case and what she needed to do after getting her crimes removed. If the girl were to fail to show any progress with healing his wife then there was a large possibility that her status as a criminal would get reinstated. It was very much unlikely, Sirzechs did mention how vicious the Bael head could be at times, though not as bad as Zekram. "You don't need to thank me about this, I'm not the one who is going to do the healing, I suck at it. Just show your gratitude to Kuroka, something tells me she is not used to gratefulness from others."
"You have my word that I will repay this kindness." He answered with a determined face, clenching his hand with a hint of frustration showing on his face. "My mother has been in a coma for years, no matter who we brought to heal her sickness… no one was capable. Even if Senjutsu fails to help her, I will be forever grateful to you and the Nekoshou for at least trying to help my mother."
I waved his words off, starting to feel a little embarrassed by this show of gratitude, "Again, don't say such words to me. Kuroka is the main star here and I'm just a simple bystander that is trying to get it to happen. Besides, I'm sure Senjutsu will show some results, as someone who has been on the receiving end of Senjutsu healing, it is a miracle I tell you. No magic or potions I've seen so far can replicate its effects on both the mind, soul and body. Phoenix tears come close but those are just for physical injuries rather than illnesses."
Sairaorg nodded his head in agreement, already knowing the drawbacks of Phoenix tears.
"Indeed, at one point in the past, my father had my mother drink Pheonix tears every day for a month, but there was no success. We figured her root cause must be something deeper and more ingrained to her soul or mind. Also, don't be so humble, if you were not there to convince the Maous to talk to my father and suggest to him that Nekoshou can help my mother, then I doubt any of this would have happened."
"Unlikely, I am not a pivitor driving force behind this. At some point, someone would have done the same thing as me, whether it be Rias, Koneko or even the Maous themselves. I have known most of them for many years and despite her fear, Koneko still loved her sister very much - so sooner or later she would have tried to find her and then proceeded to uncover the truth. I just accelerated the process you can say, nothing more and nothing less."
Heck, if by taking into consideration every event that happened so far, a crazy but plausible course of action played in my mind. If I wasn't here then Rias would have most likely either gone for Saji or Issei. Either of them, despite their eccentric nature - especially for Issei with his pervertedness and obsessions for large breasts- were actually genuinely caring people. Maybe one of them could have gotten close to Koneko and helped her come out of her shell, perhaps even have the Nekoshou speak about her past and so on. They probably would have seen the inconsistency between Kuroka's action as a big sister and the image people gave her as a bloodthirsty criminal.
'Wait, Saji has siblings and cares for them. Maybe he would have suspected something from the beginning if given the chance.'
Then after a few adventures, power ups, and the power of friendship, this exact situation I found myself in would have happened in the end.
"Not one for compliments or kind words I see? Rias did say you had a tendency to demean yourself despite everything you have accomplished." The black haired Devil said with a helpless smile, rubbing his chin while thinking about something.
Just what did that girl say to him!?
"Anyways, from what I've gathered so far, Olympus experienced a surprise attack out of nowhere. Some of them stated that the invaders could've been the Khaos Brigade." I almost tensed up when he mentioned Ophis's group. He spoke it with familiarity, as if he already knew about them from the beginning. I continued to keep my perfect poker face and let him talk.
"I'm not sure if you know about this organization, but they have been causing countless incidents across the human and Supernatural world." Of course I knew them, I literally took their leader to the beach a few days ago to relax! I began contemplating my decision to reveal Ophis's existence by my side, Venelana and Shuri all had seen her but no one knew her true identity given she hid her presence and looked nothing more than an innocent child. The last time anyone had seen her, she looked like an old man.
"I'm sorta familiar with them, my first encounter with one of their members nearly killed me many years ago."
Confused by my words, the man thought deeply for a few seconds before realization dawned on his face. "Oh, is it the Paris incident?" He stated rather than questioned, probably fully aware of the details.
"Jeanne. She's the current holder of Blades Blacksmith and is a formidable opponent. I'd still put her slightly above Kiba given the latter just discovered his Balance Breaker while she had years to refine her Sacred Gear. I'm confident at taking her on, but one wrong move and I'll get beheaded or have my heart pierced… again. She's definitely the greatest sword user I have ever met so far." It was not an exaggeration, power wise, I outclassed the girl by far in my Balance Breaker form, there was just no contest even if she went all out - I was certain of it. As for her ability to use the blade, I would not even put Xenovia on her level, the blue haired girl was around Kiba's level.
But the blonde's skill with the sword, speed and fighting capabilities were above my own, especially her instincts. During the fight with Kokabiel, I relied on Vritra to do most of the heavy lifting as he was a far better fighter than me and had centuries of battle experience. No amount of training I had so far would have me equal to a creature with thousands of years of knowledge and experience.
Sairaorg let out a small whistle, "That's quite an enemy, not everyday you find someone that good with my weapon in general. Most of the powerhouses in the Underworld rely solely on their magic casting abilities or their clan's natural gifts."
"Okita Souji." I reminded him about Sirzechs's Knight who was a legend himself. I had seen him in pictures and videos where he trained Kiba. Without needing to know much, I was certain that he was one of the most lethal and powerful Devils out there using a sword.
"Hahaha, true, my peerage also has a few close quarters combatants, I myself am one - not out of choice mind you."
Right… Being born without being able to use the Power of Destruction in a clan like Bael was no different than being born crippled, one could argue that it is even worse. On top of that, having little to no demonic power… I could not imagine the amount of trials and tribulations this man had to go through in his youth, as a toddler who was born in a cruel world where the strong devoured the weak. As heir to the clan serving as nothing but a figure head, which only garnered more scorn and humiliation from the Devils.
Understanding my silence over his words, he patted my shoulders much gentler than before and made sure to not hurt me. "There is no need to pity me, my friend. I'm sure you are aware of my situation but there is no need to look too deep into it. I was born without powers and became a stain to the family. That is a fact that can't be denied."
"It was not something you could control." I argued, making Sairaorg glance at me with an unreadable expression.
Finally, he shrugged.
"I can understand where you are coming from, but having the Power of Destruction is not just a powerful ability, but also a symbol of pride that represents the Bael clan. Having my level of demonic power, which is nearly nonexistent, further tarnishes that name."
I sighed, unable to refute his words, it was how the world worked in the end. I myself could not put myself in his shoes any longer as my previously meager amount of power and my general reserves have grown to a ridiculous degree compared to the past.
Wanting to change the subject, I asked him something else. "I heard from Rias that you know how to use Touki?" I was struggling with this for years and could not rely on my nature to make it grow naturally over time like Koneko, as she was a Nekoshou.
"Of course!" He raised his fists before having an ethereal white glow cover his hands. "I'm by no means a master of the technique but I try my best to use it."
"Woah… it looks so different from Koneko's." I could almost feel its weight, like a dense cloud of energy and power waving around in the air so seamlessly. Goosebumps littered my body and I even grew tense just by being near it. I dare say that not even Kuroka's Senjutsu and Touki made me feel so small. I tried to replicate the little progress I made with Touki, but barely a sliver of aura emerged from my hands before disappearing completely.
The Bael heir frowned, though following that his expression changed drastically.
"How about this, after this mission is over, I invite you and anyone you want to my place so we can train together. No, I have a better idea, I can teach you how to use Touki!" He exclaimed loudly.
Completely taken by surprise from his proposal, I sat there speechless. With "Why?" being the only word that came out of my mouth. Again, we just met and barely conversed for at most a few hours and the entire time he was doing the talking! I could not understand his thought process.
"What do you mean by 'why'? Take this as another way of repaying you for helping my mother."
"But we have not even started the process and there is a chance th-"
He cut me off with a raised tone.
"And! This is also for taking care of Rias. Out of the entire family members, she was one of the few who's been nice to me from the beginning. Other than saving her from the arranged marriage with Riser, you also made her smile more. She is happier and that's all I care about. You're a good man, Hachiman."
No wonder this guy was so popular in the Underworld. Not only was he powerful, but his charisma was off the charts! If I was a girl then I'd be blushing right now… I was already on the verge of that with his compliments. "Thanks… I appreciate that."
" Hoh, never would I have imagined seeing a Devil with that amount of Ki. I would have mistaken you for a Youkai ." Tiamat decided to join the conversation and spoke with her loud rumbling voice. " The number of Devils that have reached such a level are nonexistent for they all relied on Demonic energy or their clan's powers. So to see one of your kind think outside the box and use Touki, I am very much impressed. I wonder how powerful you would have become if magic was to be the path chosen."
"Heh, getting a compliment from the mother of dragons, you're making me blush, lady Tiamat. Unfortunately, my talent with magic is quite bad. I'm not that good at dealing with countless different formulas and nearly unending chants." I nodded to his words, magic truly was a pain to master even the basics without talent or a bright mind - especially as a human. Though given Sairaorg wasn't a human, I don't know how the difficulty would vary. Everyone I knew was quite proficient with the spells they casted, heck, even Kiba learned one of my personal spells. "By the way, as the Black Dragon King, how strong are you?"
I could feel the red flags rising when I heard the hidden excitement in his stone. The man was itching to have a duel with me. Hah, what a drag…
"Not strong enough to beat you." I told him clearly. "Unfortunately, aside from using my Sacred Gear or having Vritra take care of the matter, my skills are quite mediocre at best. After many years of studying and research, I only managed to master three spells. Though I am familiar with rune magic, it is not to the level of an opponent I fought in the past or the one that taught me it. As for hand to hand or using a bladed weapon, I can keep up with Kiba for a minute or two at best - though I can match him with a spear. Then again, I'm pretty sure that guy has been going easy on me the entire time."
Training Kendo with Katase and Murayama for a few months and sparring with Kiba from time to time made me good enough to defend myself against blade wielders. With further advice from Vritra I could confidently call myself a competent weapon user. Then Scáthach busted her way into my life and beat a few years worth of experience on using a spear into my brain with brute strength and foul language, with the constant threat of death with each training session.
He gave me a weird look, both visibly confused and curious. "You know, I heard so many stories about the Black Dragon King that I kinda…"
"Expected someone more impressive?" I finished his phrase, not offended in the least as he was right. "Given how my feats have been over exaggerated at times, I usually won through pure luck."
"What about the Fallen Angel Cadre?"
"Hmm, it's a bit complicated to explain to you and I would rather keep this information a secret. So let's just say that my Sacred Gear and Vritra were the ones who did most of the fighting." And I didn't even kill the guy, it was Ophis who pinched him out of existence.
"I see… something tells me you're being a bit too humble." A strange glint flashed across his eyes, a grin formed on his face which sent a chill down up my spine. "How about we see your level through a fight?" He asked eagerly.
"Humph, I would pay a large chunk of my hoard to see both Vritra and his host get pummeled for having used me as a mere ride."
Oi, why end my life over such a small thing? No wonder Ddraig tried to avoid her. Aside from the treasure he stole, being on Tiamat's bad side was not a good idea.
"I would rather not experience another near death experience again. I went through those quite a lot these past few years and I don't want to get tied up in a basement by my protective girlfriend for pulling such a stunt again. She doesn't even know that I'm doing this, so I'm in trouble already when I get back."
Rias as well, those two would surely join force and lock me up somewhere to keep me safe.
"Hahahaha! Do not worry, with me by your side, nothing will happen to you."
"Thanks." Despite being a bonafide ryaju, the guy was a nice person. Honestly, my nervousness from this mission was quite tame in comparison to what I experienced with having Raynare as my partner - that was a nightmare.
As we continued to talk about miscellaneous subjects, Tiamat started to slow down till she came to a halt on top of a chain of mountains in the middle of nowhere. With no vegetation or even wildlife present, this place was nearly a desert.
"He is here, I can smell his scent. Hephaestus is lurking within this land, though it is faint, I would recognise the stench of iron and soot anywhere."
Both Sairaorg and I peered down below, trusting Tiamat's words. "I'd say a perfect place to kidnap a god and hide him from everyone. I don't even see anyone down there, so it must be an underground facility or hidden inside the mountain itself."
I agreed with him, just getting here took us an hour of flying on the back of a Dragon King whose speed could split the very heavens into two. By that alone made me wonder just how far and remote this place was in the underworld. No one would have been able to find this place without a hint and a pretty damn good one as well.
"They are a tricky bunch, to have set up a base of operation here is impressive." This reminded me once again about my mission in Ireland, hopefully this wouldn't end up as another cluster fuck. "Even if we see no bounded field or sentries around these mountains, I'm sure there must be a few defensive measures of some kind."
"Alright, what's our approach?" The Bael heir asked, sitting back down on Tiamat's back. "I say we find the entrance and bust inside, hitting them hard and fast. Any enemy we encounter will be surprised by the ambush and will give us a large enough opening to take them down swiftly. All that's left to do will be to find the Greek God, free him up and go back to Lucifaad."
A simple plan, though not without its flaws.
I spoke soon after, "I'll have to disagree with you on that part, Sairaorg. We barely know anything about this base let alone what awaits us inside. We can't just rush inside without a plan, what if the enemy set up a trap just for us? Or are you prepared for a frontal assault?" With every fiber of my being, I did not want to perpetrate the same mistakes from my last mission. Sairaorg was powerful but so was the enemy. It would be idiotic to underestimate them so easily. "Let's just scout the area first and search for the entrance. I can use my magic to silence our presence and sneak inside without any issues, and make a plan in the process."
"But if we get spotted before even getting inside, the enemy will have enough time to gather themselves and we lose the element of surprise." He continued to advocate his method of steamrolling inside with brute force.
"We can even call for reinforcement, now that we have an exact coordinate. I can have Xenovia come along with your peerage."
"You don't think we are enough?"
"I am confident in my strength and especially yours, but I also refuse to underestimate the enemy. We can be dealing with multiple Ultimate Class Devils here! Do you not understand how difficult it is to not only break into Olympus but also kidnap a God out of everyone right under their nose? That kind of operation requires either multiple powerful entities or one truly overpowered one with a smart planner."
"Hahaha, you're being too paranoid, my friend. They could have used some magical device or spell to specifically trap Hephaestus."
We continued to have this back and forth argument. Sairaorg just did not want the subtle approach but rather the opposite while I preferred to play it safe. I agreed that he had a point with what he stated but so did I. Seconds turned into minutes until half an hour passed, and we still could not come to an agreement.
"-!"
Tiamat shook, her growl sounding more threatning than usual.
"I have no desire to have you two continue bickering on my back for such a pointless mission. If not descision will be taken now then I will do it myself! I am a Dragon King, not a horse you can sit upon for hours without consequences!" What followed her bellow was a loud roar that rattled my body and mind - just like the first time we met in the familiar forest.
Woosh!
Gusts of wind accumulated around her jaws as a blue coloured magical energy started to form into a small concentrated bead which grew by the second. With the sound that of a high pitched jet engine, making both Sairaorg and I wince with discomfort as we held on firmly onto her back as to not get thrown off.
" Hahaha, how many centuries has it been since I witnessed Tiamat's power? Observe, partner, for you will see the true might of a real living and breathing Dragon King!" Vritra spoke aloud, clearly thrilled at what was happening. At the corner of my eye, I saw Sairaorg who was showing an equal amount of glee with a grin that stretched across his face.
"You all are maniacs!"
My voice was drowned by the noise of winds howling growing stronger and stronger with the small blue bead having grown the size of a giant orb the size of a human. I could feel the heat, any longer then I'd be forced to use my Balance Breaker just to not get burned, my skin was already turning slightly red. Sairaorg showed no such changes as he continued to watch the scene with awe.
"W-W-Wait! If you fire that then it might injure-"
In a single instant, Tiamat released the energy which turned into a gigantic pillar of light that was fired from her jaws.
Boom!
The beam struck the mountain before expanding in a large cataclysmic explosion of pure magic and plasma that eradicated anything in its path. It expanded endlessly before engulfing everything, nothing was spared from its clutches. The image of a mushroom cloud a dozens of kilometres in height was forever scarred inside my brain.
'So this is the power of the strongest Dragon King?' It made my Absolute Delete Field look so tiny in comparison, so lackluster and weak that I wondered how terryfying the other Dragon Kings would be in comparison…
Having heard my thoughts, Vritra decided to share of his thoughts. "Do not misunderstand. Not all Dragon Kings are this powerful. Tiannin's breath attack for example is comparable to a falling meteor at full strength, but he still comes second to Tiamat. She is the strongest Dragon King for a reason, I would even say that calling her an unofficial Dragon Emperor is a better alternative."
An unofficial Dragon Emperor? That only made imagine what kind of ridiculous anime protagonist both Vali and Issei would reach sooner or later. For all I knew, Vali could already be at this level, that bastard for all his lust for battle liked to keep his powers hidden.
"Vritra, do you think…"
"That we will ever reach such a level?" Having guessed my question, he answered, "Did I ever tell you about one of my past hosts having gone toe to toe against her era's White Dragon Emperor?"
"So she was this powerful?"
" By sacrificing her own sanity and body, she did reach a level that allowed her to kill Albion's host along sinking a few islands. Though that does not mean a bigger firepower than Albion or Tiamat, rather she utilised each and every ability of the different gears with full mastery by pushing them beyond their limits. You can use these abilities as well but not to her level yet, time and practice will get you there." At the end I heard him chuckle, a bit unusual on his part. " Who knows, given our current case is quite different from what you may call normal - we might even grow to equal the very Dragon Emperors with sheer power alone ."
I laughed, "Yeah, let's stay realistic here for a bit. We still have a long way to go."
" But you do not deny my claim."
Of course not, "I trust you, Vritra, if you say you're set on accomplishing something then it's bound to happen." He did so in the past many times and who was I to say that the dragon couldn't do it again?
" Then let's aim for that, partner, together we will grow to equal the likes of Albion and Ddraig. For you have your own dream, this will be mine."
What a crazy dragon, but I promised myself to try my best for him.
"We got company." Sairaorg exclaimed, breaking me from my thoughts as I didn't expect anyone to be left alive from an attack like that! I watched as dozens dots emerge from teleportation circles and start firing spells at us. "This is a good opportunity as any to practice a bit of combat with Touki. Are you ready?" He asked, stretching his muscles and legs.
"Hah… let's do thiiiiIIIIIS!?" Before I could finish, Sairaorg grabbed my arm and jumped out of Tiamat's back! "Are you crazy!?" I screamed at him.
"Hahaha! We can fly so it's not a problem!"
"That's not my point!"
I was starting to doubt whether having him around was safer or not.
{ Break}
"Katerea-sama, we have managed to accumulate over two hundred Celestial Bronze armor. But we are running out of raw materials."
Inside a dark room, hidden hundreds of meters underground, a Devil subordinate working for the Old Satan Faction came over to one their leader's office to announce his report. Making sure to look as small as possible without saying anything offensive as to make her kill him out of anger.
"Contact Shalba to send over the materials quick, I have had enough staying in this disgusting rut!" On the other side of the room stood a tall bespectacled woman with a voluptuous figure. She had tan skin with long brown hair tied into a bun with a headpiece holding it in place and blue-gray eyes. Wearing an extremely low-cut purple dress with high slits which exposed a large portion of her breasts and legs to anyone that looked at her.
Despite her personality, many members of the faction fell to her natural charms. Katerea Leviathan was a beauty to behold, constantly the center subject of many members who strive to garner her attention with their devotion to the cause and their strength. Unfortunately so far, no one managed to succeed and a few even died by her hand to those that were bold enough to proposition her - but no one was deterred in gaining her attention.
"As you command!" The subordinate quickly bowed before leaving the area.
"Ugh, why did I agree to Shalba about looking over this project? I should have let someone else take over, at least then I wouldn't have to live underground like a rodent!" She muttered in anger, growing frustrated over how long she had been cooped up in this mountain. Days of overlooking the production of armors and weapons for their armies had put a strain on her patience. "Soon, Serafall. One day, I'll kill you and take the title of Maou Leviathan for myself. Then, Ophis will become the god of the new world. The system, the laws, and the doctrine will be constructed by us."
The image of killing that fake Leviathan brought a sense of euphoria to Katerea who dreamed about reclaiming her rightful throne that was stolen from her. Worse was how these fakers who called themselves Maous were content with ruling over the Underworld whilst leaving the humans alone. "How humiliating, my ancestors' desire was to dominate all under the banner of the Devils, to show everyone how we are the superior race. Yet here we are, turned into a cowardly race that everyone stopped fearing after the war." She said while biting her nails, feeling annoyed at that wannabe magical girl.
"When I get my hands on her, I'm going to shove that fucking wand up her a-
Boom !
"-!"
The woman fell to the ground when the entire room started shaking violently, the roof and ground cracked as countless alarms from the magic field blared her senses.
"What is going on!?" She demanded, the same subordinate from before came running back with a pale face filled with terror.
"A d-d-d-dragon! W-we're being attacked by a Dragon King!"
"What!?"
It felt like a bucket of ice cold water was dumped on her body when she heard that. Every trace of fury and displeasure vanished and was replaced with fear.
Just why was a dragon attacking them!?
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 3 other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post monthly commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.
Touki
Hiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Don't have much to say, had to do some last minute correction on this chapter as I spotted some errors here and there. Got a bit of a headache since this morning, gonna go to sleep for a bit after posting this.
Next update is An Archer's Promise
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by Shigiya.
- Underworld-
"Did we even need to be here?" Was the question I asked myself for the tenth time in less than an hour.
When one thought of a hidden lair belonging to the Old Satan Faction, the presence of hundreds of overpowered individuals and weird eldritch horrors was the bare minimum. Which was why I didn't stress as much when Sairaorg and Tiamat joined me on this mission. One was a Dragon King, with Vritra praising her as an unofficial Dragon Emperor, and finally, the strongest Devil of the Younger Generation.
But now, as I sat on the back of a pile of unconscious mages that grew big enough to form a small hill - I started to question everything.
"Vritra," I called the only teacher/mentor/know-it-all I knew who could answer my question accurately without hiding behind vague wordplay.
"Yes, partner?"
"Was it always this easy to defeat a large group of mages?" Something was amiss. No way I alone managed to defeat so many mages without suffering the slightest injury. I wanted to ask Tiamat if she didn't make a mistake and led us to the wrong enemy territory. "I'm starting to think we attacked the wrong group."
"I can understand why you would feel as such, but yes, these people are associated with the Old Satan Faction. As for why you're experiencing this foreign feeling, this is your first time after a long time to not face an opponent that can destroy a town with a single spell. Think about it, there was Kuroka and Kokabiel, and you've been hanging around Ophis a lot recently. Your sense of scaling regular enemies has been skewed and twisted beyond recognition. Oh, and remember, you also deployed Delete Field in a large area. This level of intensity disables nearly every average mage from using most of their abilities."
Ah, I instinctively used my original Sacred Gear as Rias's cousin dragged me from Tiamat's back. I honestly grew so used to my enemies not getting affected by its effects that I completely forgot that not everyone was a complete monster that just shrugged off the effects. Delete Field, along with the other Vritra Gears, were powerful weapons by themselves when used in the right hands.
[Shadow Prison!]
I casually jumped away from the pile of groaning mages who were taken down by both myself and Sairaorg. Their faces were beaten black and blue, with some suffering from numerous broken bones. With little interest, I watched as the black flames covered their limbs and bodies to render each and every one of them incapable of moving. Some screamed, thinking that I was going to burn them alive, starting to beg me for mercy before screaming as the fire reached them. The laugh I got out of their reaction after realizing their skin wasn't burning off made it all worth it.
"I don't even need to use my runes… bummer. Would have been a perfect time to practice them against their large numbe-" I stopped mid-speech to hastily scribbled an Algiz "Y" rune, the glowing yellow letter turning into a transparent dome around my body which blocked a giant fireball cast by another mage emerging from the hidden lair.
"They just never stop coming…" I heard Sairaorg speak, the man just casually standing beside me without having used any sort of magical protection, tanking the fire as if it wasn't even there. "Whoever is inside, aside from the Greek god Hephaestus, must be a high-ranking member of the Old Satan Faction."
"You think so?" I said, using the gecko-like tongue of the Absorption line to catch the first mage's ankle, followed by slamming them down to the ground. This was a technique I witnessed Saji using in the past and replicated after some practice. I even absorbed some of his mana to replenish my own to always keep it as high as possible in such a mission. "If it was so, then I would have expected something better than this. You can't expect me to believe that the group that has been giving Sirzechs and Serafall such a hard time is this incompetent."
He shrugged, "Who knows, maybe we aren't dealing with an important figure. Or…" the man looked at me with a smirk that couldn't hide the expectations and burning fighting spirit within his soul. "The real opponents are waiting for us inside."
'Great, another Vali…'
My lips thinned as I flexed my shoulders to loosen my muscles. "Should I let you take care of them? You can have all the fun. I don't mind." I really didn't. In fact, I welcomed it wholeheartedly! Save my energy for something more important.
"Hahahaha! Appreciate it, but I'd rather not for today. In fact, let me help you out with the Touki training."
That raised my eyebrows.
"Right now?" Like, I knew he was eager to help me out, but this wasn't exactly the ideal scenario I was imagining. I believed he would invite me to where he trained or lived, and we would start from there - not practice Touki in the middle of an important mission!
"Better time than any. I'd say it's also the best environment for you to learn even." He clapped his hands, stopping me from uttering any more complaints. "First of all, I need to know your physical capabilities. So from now on, I forbid you to use your Sacred Gear or any other spells under your belt and take out the remaining mages hand to hand. Oh, and don't worry, I'll personally make sure they don't cheat by either flying or teleporting away!"
That last part sounded so ominous for every party involved.
"Oi, how will I defend myself against magic spells!?" My body was still that of a human, I think. There was no way it would survive a full brunt attack from even a simple attack.
"Simple, you dodge." He said with a large innocent smile. "You push all of your physical capabilities and instincts to their absolute limit or even beyond! A few broken bones, ruptured muscles, burned skin or even losing a limb won't be a problem. We can always attach to back!"
"…"
Was this dude somehow the illegitimate child of Scathack instead?
"Do you honestly think I would go through such ridiculous training? Better to call it a one-way beat down, and I'm the victim! Black Dragon King or not, I can't fight with just my hands alone." I was no slough, my body was by no means weak, but I hesitated, given my experience with hand-to-hand combat. Every time I used my fists, there was always something aiding me in every fight regardless of its difficulty - Delete Field being a prime example.
The Bael descendant sat on the ground with a relaxed expression despite what I had just said.
"Then suit yourself, I won't help you with any Touki-related training, and you'll have to continue this mission by yourself."
"That's quite childish of you, Sairaorg. I don't want to risk dying, and you start complaining like a child? I guess your promise of helping me as a favor for helping your mother was but a lie in the end… as expected of a Devil."
"Heh, sharp tongue you have there, Hachiman. But unfortunately, it won't work on me."
Damn it.
His smile vanished as a heavy atmosphere descended, I mirrored his temperament, and we ended up at a starring standoff. "From the small skirmish we had just now, I came to realize that you rely far too heavily on your Sacred Gear's ability and rune magic. From the moment we landed, no, before that even… you already deployed three abilities." He pointed at the dome around the field and then at my arm. "Delete Field, Absorption Line, and Shadow Prison are all quite impressive, but they are causing you as much harm as they are making you a more efficient use of the Gear."
' Hoh, I'm interested.' Vritra commented in my head, a sentiment I shared, given how intently my ears were listening to each of his words.
"You lack movement. Since the beginning, you barely moved and even cast a rune barrier just to block an attack that you could have easily dodged. Your fighting style is too defensive. You're showing an apt use of footwork and kept yourself grounded the entire time perfectly. But that's also a problem as it compromises your mobility, that's easily your weakest point without the use of the wings. If you want to train your Touki, get used to using your body more frequently and tempering it like a sword." His hands rummaged through his pockets before he picked out a single glass viol which I instantly recognized. "And in case you get terribly injured, I've asked Riser to provide me with some phoenix tears… this one has been specially given to me by him."
"Are you sure it's not poisoned?" I said passingly, which made him burst out laughing again.
"Come on now, Riser may have his faults, but he's not that bad. He was even more eager to help me out when I told him this was for you, how his rival now owed him a favor, according to him." He said nonchalantly, making me groan in displeasure as now I had that many think I owed him something for a favor I never asked! "The choice is up to you, this is the short route that will yield results quicker, or you can play it safe and practice for months without necessarily seeing the slightest progress. You need to sense that feeling in the midst of a strenuous fight where you push yourself. Touki is that unforgiving, especially with species other than Youkais."
' He's right, you know ?' Vritra chimed in, wishing to add more of his insight. ' Touki in itself is one of the simplest forms of power one could have in theory, but garnering that energy and cultivating it to a level that will make you powerful requires sacrifice and perseverance is a nightmare. You have trained a lot, Hachiman, but you can still do more.'
Now even Vritra was joining Sairaorg's side.
' I've been in near-death scenarios more than a handful of times! Why hasn't anything happened then!?' I asked resentfully, feeling cheated by my body, which literally had its heart pierced twice by now.
' It isn't that easy, partner. Once or twice near-death encounters are not enough to make you a user, let alone a master of Touki. You both need to push your body way beyond its limit and actively search for that strand of energy inside you even if it takes a decade.'
Wasn't this a Paki form of training? Thankfully, I didn't have a monster of a dad who was considered the strongest living thing alive and who saw everyone weaker than him as female and tried to sleep with all of them to spread his genes like a rabbit…
"…"
Why did I agree to watch that show with Rias? Now it kept popping off in my head at the worst possible time.
That damn otaku weeb.
Though I was no better, I liked the fights in the show.
"Hah," I sighed. "Fine, you know what? Fine! I'll follow your crazy Hanma-style training course to practice the usage of my Touki. But if something happens to me, then I'll swear I'll haunt you for life!"
"Hahaha! That's the spirit! And what's this Hanma you're speaking of?"
I ignored that last part and focused on the approaching mages before me. There were four of them, each in the midst of using the same fireball spell from before, and one even acting as support by healing the three in front of him. This looked like an unbalanced raid party from a video game. Rias and even Sona would have had a field day teaching them a lesson - especially Sona, given how much she prioritized team synergy.
"Wait!"
"What now… You want me to fight with one hand as well?" If that was the case, then I'dquit right here and now before teleporting away. Screw mastering Touki, I very much liked staying alive.
"Hahahaha! No, nothing like that fortunately, even I am not that unreasonable. But I just want to make sure that are indeed ready for this test, as I will only intervene in case you are in genuine danger. Also, you've seen me fight, I don't know about your style but try my own moves in case you're unfamiliar with anything else."
"… We'll see."
Honestly, as I put my hands up in a boxer stance, I couldn't help but feel ridiculous. What was I doing here? When did this turn into a martial arts setting? I was feeling good a few minutes ago, how this mission was going to be easy, and then that guy just had to ruin my day.
More mages emerged from the lair in large enough numbers. "Attack!" They shouted in unison, sendinghundreds of attacks in our direction.
Sairaorg showed no sign of panic as usual, he came forward and pushed the bottle into my hands. "Oh, and before I forget, a little gift for you."
Swoosh!
"-!" A white aura enveloped both of our hands, father it being Sairaorg's energy covering mine. No matter how little he used, the strength behind it made me shiver, along with how dense it felt. He let go, but the aura remained for a minute longer, the sensation of power and energy coursing through my veins intensifying… as I grew familiar with the sensation. Though it didn't last long enough for me to enjoy it before dissipating in front of my eyes. "That was…"
"Nice, right?"
I nodded my head.
"Touki is, in essence, the external manifestation of one's life force, in other words, their Ki, which is the white aura you've experienced. Using this, a person achieves heightened offense, defense, and speed. It also had the added effect of damaging others from the slightest touch, and defending a user from a wide array of attacks, while knocking their foes back too."
Geez, I was surprised that it didn't let me fly.
"I don't need a crash course on Touki, I appreciate it, but it's pointless as I've done my research already. From Lucifer's own library, I've amassed enough knowledge and understanding of the concept but just can't bring it to practice in real life."
Sairaorg shook his head, "That's the problem. You're thinking about this too hard. Like a mage practicing a spell, which will never give you the result you desire." He grabbed a small pebble, coating his arm in a thin almost invisible layer of white energy. I was about to ask him what he was planning to do, but his arm blurred for a split second before I heard an ear-piercing cry of pain.
A mage who tried to escape had his chest caved inside from that thrown pebble. Free falling to the ground and barely surviving if his comrades didn't cast a wind spell.
"This is not a power you can achieve with calculation and predictions. The more you think about it, the farther you stray from the path. Humans, Angels, and any species, in general, tend to overthink everything related to this power - some going so far as to claim it is unattainable. Even Devils are not exempt from this rule with their natural born affinity to magic and their clan's abilities making, putting any sort of hard work to learn using their life force as a weapon seems like a waste of time. Youkais, on the other hand, are born and gifted with the natural understanding of Senjutsu and Touki, both mentally and physically. This power is only attainable by trusting your guts and practicing over and over again without a specific goal in sight. To repeat the same training regiment to the point of forgetting why you even started this in the first place… to the point of nearly losing your mind."
I could see the look in his eyes, the look of a man going through a painful memory of the past. Imagining the training he must have gone through with no one to guide him must have been a hellish life.
"That sounds close to insanity."
"Perhaps, though, it's not like being insane is not an uncommon trait amongst the higher powers in the world. So don't think too much as a unique case, rather one that's being honest and open with you."
My fists clenched, the gentle warmth of Touki replaying in my mind, almost as if I could feel it again. An invisible heat escaped my palm before dispensing instantly. I did it again, only to end up with the same result. "So keep fighting to the point my body becomes capable enough to manifest that energy."
"Yes and no," he tapped his head. "You are already plenty strong physically. You just need to go past your own mental block and make every part of your being accustomed to the power without stopping it. It is a life force. After all, your body will instinctively try to protect itself by keeping it contained. Because, in most cases, people tend to deplete their Touki and die soon after. If you were a total beginner without even that much physical training, then this method wouldn't work, trust me."
"I see…"
Wasn't this similar to what happened with Scáthach? Back when she trained me with the ways of the spear, the one phrase that she kept shouting was, "Stop thinking, just fight!" That coupled with getting better at drawing runes if I wanted to live to see the next day.
I sighed. There was no need to wait for another random power-up now. Having a second power to rely on other than my Sacred Gear was a good thing.
"Then let's get this over with." I didn't wait for his answer. "Hah!" My feet pushed against the ground, sprinting full speed towards the distracted mage who had his attention on healing the one hit by the pebble.
"Huh?"
Bang!
I punched his face right as he turned around and gave me a look of pure bewilderment. Probably wondering why I suddenly switched my fighting style and stopped using Vritra's power.
"Fireba-oof!" The second mage waved a wand and prepared to shoot another fire attack. But I tackled him to the ground at the last second, canceling the cast, and smashed his face with hit after hit till he passed out with a bloody nose and many bruises.
"Argh!" A gust of wind hit me, pushing my body away with tremendous force. I instinctively raised my hand to scribble a rune in the air, but… Sairaorg came out of nowhere and grabbed my wrist. I yelped in surprise, his grasp strong enough to almost make my bones creak.
He looked at me with a big smirk on his face, as usual. "Great technique. You took out two mages faster than I expected. But don't just go all brawler there. Keep half of your attention on your surroundings and try to apply Touki even if it works for a split second."
"Tch," this person was starting to get on my nerves. "A little help here?" The least he could do was to help me back up.
"Sure!"
Contrary to my expectations, not only did he help me up to my feet but into the air as well as I was thrown like a baseball right back in the middle of the group of mages. "Kurgh!" I bent my body just in time to plant my knee right in the middle of the third mage's face.
' You two make up a fine team, partner.'
"Shut it."
We were still outside, taking out the grunts. More were waiting for us inside… and I had to find a way to keep my stamina- "Damn it, I'm overthinking again!"
"Good, now you're getting it. Get ready. More incoming. They are a never-ending swarm of bees." Sairaorg said, words I agreed with how it felt there was an entire city buried within the ground to house so many troops. "Alright, let's try again."
{Sairaorg PoV}
The inside was much bigger than the Bael heir thought, with granite walls tall enough to house a dragon with never-ending halls structured like mazes. He and Hachiman burst inside the lair with an even bigger party of individuals waiting for them inside.
Devils, those associated with the Old Satan Faction holding the fort, along with some humans, all band together to kill the intruders.
Crash !
A single of his stomp turned any defensive measures they'd put forward to break. Lightning attacks, fire, and Ice breaking upon impacting his fists. The sight made a wave of terror descend upon the enemy forces, many of which tried to leave… only to end up crushed under his feet. Unless they used teleportation, none could escape from him.
"Hahahaha, this is fun! Don't you think so, Hachiman?" He asked the exhausted boy by his side. Beaten, exhausted, burned, and with most of his clothes being ruined- Hachiman looked like he would faint at any second. "Here, it looks like you need another one again."
He slapped his back with a hand covered in dense Ki. The veil of energy seeped through the skin and muscles and further fanning Hachiman's fire to continue fighting. Sairaorg wasn't able to heal his injuries as this wasn't Senjutsu, just forcing the body to stay standing by alleviating some of that exhaustion… tricking the body into thinking it wasn't that tired and damaged. "Haaargh!"
' Weird, given he is human, I thought his body would have given up a while ago.' The report did mention there being a weird sort of connection between Hachiman and the Vritra Sacred Gear, theories flying around how he must have sacrificed his flesh to become a dragon in order to gain that power, but the fact he didn't have scales disproved that claim. 'Let's see how long you can keep on fighting. Thankfully, Kuisha made me bring the tears in case things go too far.'
Sairaorg was relieved that the place didn't hold any heavy hitters, or else keeping his friend here safe enough to not die in an unfortunate accident would have been nigh impossible. Taking out the more dangerous soldiers while leaving a few for Hachiman to take down was his strategy which was going along nicely.
The grin on his face grew at the sight of a thin and transparent film of whitish-blue energy coating the boy's hand without the latter even noticing.
At this point, he only used Ki to increase his strikes, getting more and more tired the longer this battle stretched on, the more frequently he used it. It was weak, barely noticeable but Touki nonetheless. Though it only lasted for a couple seconds before disappearing, that was far more than what he could do before.
"Die!" A spear user approached Hachiman, swinging the gilded weapon with enough force to generate a small amount of gale, worrying the black-haired Devil, who was just about to intervene but was stopped in his tracks with a surprised face.
Clang!
Hachiman picked up a nearby spear from a fallen opponent and the incoming attack.
"Oh? Well, I did tell him that he can't use his own powers, never said anything about burrowing a weapon… so I guess he's not breaking the rules."
In the end, he sat back and watched the show, making sure to keep any sneaky enemy out of the fight.
The sound of steel meeting steel, again and again, echoed throughout the hall, sparks showering both combatants who fought fiercely. But it was already clear who was winning. With each clash, the spear-wielding Devil would retreat one step.
"He's like a completely different person with a spear." He traded blows with enough intensity to not even leave any kind of breathing room for his opponent
It wasn't even a contest. A handful of strikes later, Hachiman's spear cut through the opponents and followed with a rib-crushing kick to the chest. Though Sairaorg's attention went completely to the white aura around his foot.
"He's a fast learner. Maybe I should have him spar with me often."
{ Break}
(Hachiman PoV)
How long had it been?
I lost count of the number of people I had fought so far, having stopped counting after forty. My knuckles were beyond the point of soreness, with dried-up blood and open cuts all over my skin.
"Hah… hah… hah…" Sweat dripped down my chin, and the scraps of clothes on me were drenched with blood as well. My breathing was haggard. I couldn't even walk forward anymore. My brain told my foot to move forward, but it couldn't even keep me standing for any longer.
It felt as if I ran a marathon, climbed the tallest mountain, and swam across a river successively without catching a break. My entire weight leaned against a broken wall, with a random spear I found on the ground. My training in the land of shadows kicked in, and before I knew it, my opponent was already embedded inside a wall with my legs held up.
' Did I kick him ?' That question popped into my head. Having no time or desire to ask such a question to Sairaorg - I just continued to move. The pains in my limbs and the splitting headache assaulting my head made it difficult to focus for long.
Bam!
I came back to my senses when the spear in my hands broke by the actions of a cocky mage in front, giving me an arrogant smirk that just served to worsen my mood.
"You're next, bastard."
It was over. I pushed my body too far.
I collapsed at the end of the hall, throwing away the spear's handle, which I kept and used as a staff for the most part.
"Sai… raorg?"
The guy crouched next to me, staring at my face with an intrigued expression. "So that's your limit, huh? You went on longer than I expected, and your spearmanship is impressive."
Of course, it was. The old hag would have decapitated me if I hadn't reached that specific level.
"Open your mouth," he took out the bottle Riser gave him. The potion was no different than drinking cold water after spending days walking through a desert and being severely dehydrated. This felt different. Not only were my wounds healing at an outstanding rate, but I could also feel my heart rate calm down and exhaustion fading away to some degree. "There, now you're good."
We stayed there for a couple more minutes. Despite my physical wounds having healed completely, I still needed time to regain some of my stamina and calm down my headache. "We reached the end." I started, more than aware of how close we were to the area where the 'final boss' hid.
"Sure looks like it. While you were fighting, I tried to search some sort of prison or room where they could have sealed Hephaestus but couldn't find anything. So it's most likely that whoever is responsible for this area kept him hidden in their room or somewhere else entirely."
"I think Tiamat may have accidentally killed him with her breath attack."
"Hahahaha! Even I am starting to believe that, oh well, we won't know unless you go through that door." He said while pointing at the large metal door at the end, glowing with countless defensive spells and locks to keep us out of it.
"Wait, me? You're not coming along?"
He nodded his head, "I am, but I will not be intervening during the fight if there will be any. And don't worry. You have already made enough progress with Touki today. Pushing for any more will just be more detrimental than anything to both your body and life force. So just use your Sacred Gear and spells."
Yeah, even as I tried to summon back the white aura around my fist, a large wave of exhaustion once again threatened to take over me. I made more progress in one day than I did in months and even years, so I was satisfied.
"Who do you think we'll deal with?" I asked, hoping to get some information to prepare myself in case the opponent was a bigger nuisance than anticipated.
"Who knows, though, would that even matter? You managed to take down Kokabiel, so I doubt whoever is inside will give you as much trouble, and you've even gotten stronger since then."
"It's always ideal to be vigilant."
"Man, you sound just like Kuisha. My Queen always repeats those same words."
I rolled my eyes. I pity the girl if she tried to teach this guy how to be careful.
"Alright, I'm going, don't want our enemy to teleport away." I pushed myself away from the wall, feeling some soreness around my joints and even a bit lethargic as if I had woken up from a long sleep. Yawning and stretching my limbs felt heavenly, the only problem being how hot and humid it felt inside.
"Want me to break the door for you?" Sairaorg offered. "Those are high-ranked spells. You might have some trouble breaking those."
I shook my head and placed my palm on its surface. "Thanks, but I don't need any help with this. Vritra's power is the right tool to use for such cases."
[Delete Field!]
The bright magic circles lost much of their luster within a second, growing weaker under the influence of the field. Yet it did not disappear as Delete Field could only weaken a spell or an individual - unlike Absolute Delete Field, which erased everything. But using that spell was too draining and unnecessary in this case.
ᚺ
"Haglas."
Crack!
As soon as the rune touched the door, fissures formed all around the material, which started to destroy each magic spell one by one till all of it disappeared. Bits of wood and metals fell to the ground, the effect of the rune continuing even after the defensive magic was destroyed.
With a loud bam, the doors broke off from the hinges and collapsed. Leading me to find myself facing a very tall and beautiful woman standing in front of me, with tanned skin and revealing clothes that barely hid her supermodel figure. Breasts that were as big as Akeno, maybe a little bigger if I had to guess and with the open boob window from her dress with nubs protruding through the dress, showed that she was definitely not wearing a bra to help carry those things. The dress design helped show off a hefty amount of her long toned legs. Hair tied in a bun with a couple of braids reaching down to her back, along with glasses similar to Sona and Tsubaki. She honestly looked more like an out-of-place secretary than anything else… she actually just might be one.
"Erm, excuse me, are you the secretary of the boss here? Can you take me to them, please? I need to save some Greek God they kidnapped, and I'm kinda in a hurry as the parent-teacher conference is coming soon, and I need to be back on Earth by tomorrow." I asked politely, not wanting to make the woman angry. The lady's beautiful face turned into an ugly expression after I finished speaking.
Yeah… she was pissed.
Why couldn't things ever go smoothly for me?
"You continue talking. I'll just be looking around until you finish." Sairaorg said before disappearing into the room behind the desk. The woman tried to stop him, and a quick use of Restraint and Absorption Line immobilized her enough for him to make it in before she quickly broke out of them.
"Now, now, no need to leave so quickly. Won't it be considered impolite to ignore a guest?" She was my enemy, that much I knew. As for why I had the urge to mess with her was not something I could answer, it just felt right to do it. Maybe because she reminded me a bit of Sona. But just from the energy I was getting from Absorption Line, it was clear to me that she was a powerful individual, much stronger than the Sitri heiress.
She pointed her shaku finger at me, clear resentment in her tone. "You come here, destroy my guards, destroy our land, and now have the audacity to treat me as a low-trash secretary? Do you have any idea with whom you're messing with!?"
"No," I didn't hesitate to answer, which actually seemed to throw her off from her Ojou-sama persona. "I know you're associated with the Old Satan Faction, but aside from that, nothing." I was trying to rack my brain for any infamous criminal from that faction. A Devil with her aesthetic features and power wouldn't be just a simple grunt. I scratched my head, going through the list of names.
"Are you… are you seriously trying to guess who I am!?" She screamed at me like a banshee in rage, looking like Rias had some competition in that department when she got annoyed with me.
' Partner, from her powers are on the level of an Ultimate Class Devil, it would be safe to assume that she's one of the leaders of the faction.'
Ah, that's right!
"You must be Katejina Levitan." I said while hitting my palm with a fist, happy that I finally got the name.
"It's Katerea Leviathan, you imbecile human!" She shouted loudly before attacking with her arms stretching forward like snakes, actually seeming angrier than before. Similar to my tendrils, they tried to get hold of my body which was blocked by my own tendrils. "I'll make sure to send your corpse back to Serafall as a nice gift! I'll show them how even with the Black Dragon King by their side, they'll still lose to a true Devil like me!"
Sheesh, she sure was angry, and also, true Devil? I had no idea what she meant by that… did these people think that being a pure Devil automatically put them at the top strength-wise? If that was the case, then Rias should have been a far more powerful entity by now. But her reserves still fell a bit short of Akeno's.
Demonic energy flooded from her body, drowning the room in a reddish hue. Still, it was not as bad as Kokabiel. That man's aura was tyrannical, to say the least, while hers was more chaotic without a sense of control.
[Delete Field!]
[Blaze Black Flare!]
"Argh!" Instantly, she retracted her arms as the black tendrils burst into flames, which damaged her skin. The field weakened her just enough to give me a small opening which I used to strike with my spear. Gae Bolga's bloodthirsty aura overpowered her energy just enough for me to smash the weapon against her waist!
Bam!
To my surprise, the woman actually managed to defend against any cuts by summoning a translucent shield which took the brunt of the cut attack while making her take on the force behind it.
"Nice reaction. If the blade managed to cut through your skin, then it would have been game over." I said to the woman whose wings came out of her back. She tried to fly away and create some distance but got hit by the dark walls of my prison before falling back down. "You won't be going anywhere far enough to use your spells. Or you can risk close-quarters combat, though I don't recommend it."
With little hesitation, she lunged at me with a nasty snarl. Her hands were coated in demonic energy. I couldn't risk whatever she was trying to touch me.
"Ansuz!"
"Kya! Runes!?" The torrent of air hit her with enough force to send the woman back a few meters, but she managed to resist the attack with her magic keeping her stable.
"As expected, she won't be so easy to take out." I debated whether to just go full-powered immediately with my Balance Breaker. With that, using Absolute Delete Field would become far easier.
I kept that option at the back of my mind as the battle continued, none of us gaining an advantage over the other. Though I was gaining more ground the longer this fight got. She was a mage specialized in long-ranged battles, with my onslaught of spear thrusts and Vritra's tendrils giving her a hard time.
"Still… for people who claimed to be the true descendants of the original Maous, I expected more water magic. Heck, even Serafall uses ice magic which at least has some correlation to water magic - I haven't seen anything like that from you."
"Don't you dare compare me to that magical girl obsessed impostor!" That seemed to trigger her far more than my previous provocation. A dense ball of red vile demonic magic formed between her palm, which she threw right to my face. I barely managed to jump out of the way, having my Prison Wings act as a shield to protect me from any stray shots. "Damn it, this Delete Field is getting in the way… get rid of it!"
I gave her a deadpan look, "You know that just because you're asking for it doesn't mean I'll do it."
"Humph, then so be it. I gave you a chance, and you squandered it. Now you'll regret it."
As soon as I was about to make another snide remark, I froze when a major change occurred in Katerea. The power inside her grew at an exponential rate out of nowhere! Glowing black snakes started to appear and wrap around the woman. They coiled around curvaceous form and up to breasts, before squeezing her tightly. This action caused the beautiful woman to let out a lewd moan for delight, as she watched the snakes get absorbed into her body.
"What!?" Goosebumps spread across my skin as not only did I feel her power increase to the point of surpassing Kokabiel of all people - but it came close to that of Azazel! "Shit, was she holding back this entire time?"
This was not good. A Cadre level opponent like Kokabiel and anyone around his level I could confidently handle. But having to face someone whose power equaled that of a Seraph was a one-way trip to an early death!
"Vritra, was the Leviathan clan known for their ability to have their powers multiply like the Boosted Gear?"
' No, as far as I know, their main abilities were their mastery over the element of water. Especially the Sea Serpent of the End or Serpent of Doom, an ability only available to a true heir of the Leviathan clan. This technique has the power to control the sea and draw large amounts of water. At full strength, it's capable of summoning floods, drowning whole cities, and creating a large variety of water-shaped creatures. This ability is potent enough to allow the user to control all oceans in the Human world, and it grants the user excellent talent in general demonic water manipulation. And from what I've seen so far, this Katerea has not showcased such an ability as of yet.' He explained, making me shiver to imagine going against a person with an ability like that.
So she was not a true descendant?
"Fufufu~ shocked, aren't you?" A large smirk spread on her face. She was enjoying my panicked reaction. "Yes~ tremble in fear at my splendor, a power that not even the likes of Sirzechs and that pathetic Serafal will ever hope to achieve! Shame, I wanted to use it on that harlot, but you'll do fine as my first test subject. You should be honored, human. At least you'll die by my own hands - do you have any idea how many dreams there are for such an end~?"
I felt a physical shiver creep up my spine with how she said it.
Did she have to speak so sensually for no reason? It really sounded like she was getting turned on by the idea of killing me or even dashing out some torture.
A black miasma of energy started to engulf my body. I had no choice but to go all out.
"Hoh~ what a desperate attempt at survival! Very admirable, if not foolish! Even with your Balance Breaker, you won't even be able to touch me."
She moved faster than my eyes could track, and before I knew it, Katerea appeared before me with a giant, twisted smile. Her elongated arms went straight for my throat, my eyes narrowed as I formed a wall of flames around me to block her incoming attack.
"-!"
A small child's hand came out of nowhere and easily grabbed Katerea's attack.
"What are you doing?" The voice that came out of the cute little girl's sounded different than usual. The room's temperature plummeted several degrees, and there wasn't even any ice magic being used. "Why are you trying to hurt Hachiman with my snake?"
The Leviathan's eyes widened, most likely shocked by the appearance of Ophis, who they'd been on the lookout for days, and how she came forth to protect me of all people. And, of course, that tone of hers that was both foreign and terror-inducing to anyone familiar with her personality - or rather, the lack of it.
"Y-Y-You…" she couldn't even formulate a single phrase, her voice trembling at the blank eyes staring back at her with an aura of death coming off them.
"Why are you trying to hurt him with my snakes?" She asked again.
"T-This is our e-enemy!"
"Enemy?" Ophis tilted her head in confusion.
"Yes, enemy!"
"No, he's my friend. Ah, the Devils think I'm his sister." Despite my repeating several times to both Venelana and Shuri during the beach outing that Ophis and I didn't share such a connection.
They refused to acknowledge it.
"This human can't be your friend! He's a pest! A stain that's using you for your power! Please, Ophis-sama, return to us and let us take over the world and get rid of Great Red toge-argh!" She screamed in pain when the little lolita girl's hands pierced inside her chest.
Strangely enough, no blood was dropped, as it didn't look like an attack. Rather her hands somehow managed to phase inside her chest before coming out holding a single black snake.
"N-N-No! You can't do this! That's my power, MINE! Give… it…. back…" She tried to reach for the snake, which Ophis absorbed into her shadow, the tanned woman's face turning pale with dark circles under her eyes as she mirrored my condition right before Sairaorg gave me the potion.
"No."
The next second, her eyes rolled back, and fell on her face.
Oof, that had to hurt, hopefully she didn't break her nose.
"Is she dead?" I asked, warry that Ophis taking back her powers resulted in a much more lethal side effect. I sighed in relief when feeling her pulse on her neck. She hadn't died, so that's good right? "Was she one of the people who asked you for your snakes?"
Ophis shook her head.
"She gave me snacks, clothes and always stayed quiet around me while taking me to places where I could sleep in silence. So I gave her the snakes."
Wow, Katerea had such a side to her personality, huh… nice to know. "I see, alright. I guess I can bring her back with me. Given she's a Leviathan, better have Serafall make the final decision."
Crash !
The walls behind the office crumbled, where from the dust walked out Sairaorg holding the unconscious body of a middle-aged man covered in muscles just as impressive as him. Golden pauldrons and gauntlets adorned his body, made with the finest craftsmanship that not even humans could replicate.
His face was covered in dirt and grime, disfigured enough to make anyone give him a second look, but it wasn't that bad.
"Yo, I found the guy in a room where he was forced to forge armor. He thought I was one of them and kept resisting, so I had to knock him out for a bit." I froze when realizing that Ophis was still floating next to me without suppressing her powers. Mister likes-to-fight-a-lot had definitely sensed her vast presence.
"Heh," he chuckled. "Now, isn't this interesting?"
Ah, dang it. Why couldn't things ever go smoothly?
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, and my other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters, Steel Eyed Faker soon to be 3 chapters, Hound having 1 and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.
Ane?
Hiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
Two chapters today, this one and 85.5 after this.
Also, thank you to my newest patrons; John Barlycorn, Excalibur Stone, Schetefan, PDXdude11, Corey Morgan, Brayan Giron and Johnathan. Y'all rock!!!
That's all,
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by Shigiya
Two updates today, chapter 85.5 after this.
Underworld, Bael Training Grounds-
"Heurgh!"
You know, I never actually noticed how clear and beautiful the sky in the Underworld was, despite it being a different color. Unnaturally breathtaking, even the stars shined brighter than those back on Earth. Sure, it being an artificial construction played a major part but still, I couldn't turn my gaze away from it. "I think he broke my neck."
Bam!
"Nya!"
Another body came flying and impacted the wall next to me, with the body of a cute white haired girl sliding downwards and falling on top of me.
"Oof!… Welcome," I groaned, feeling her current emotions at this moment, for I was going through the same thing. "Nice weather we are having, right?"
Koneko could barely summon enough strength from her bruised body to turn around and huddle next to me, her tired face pressing against the side of my chest as she slowly started to close her eyes. "I am going to die, make sure to bring a lot of sweets at my funeral and put them in my coffin."
"Can't do that, cause I'll be the one going to the nether world first. I can't even feel my spine anymore, be sure to kick his eyes when you inevitably will become a powerhouse."
"Hachiman-senpai is built like a cockroach, no matter how much you get stomped you'll survive." Ouch, who was the one teaching her these nonsensical things!? Who am I kidding, this was probably my fault. Hopefully Kuroka wouldn't go all berserk on me for having turned her sister into a dry, sarcastic ball of cuteness.
"Don't say such things in front of Kuroka."
"I already did," she said, making me certain that this girl was indeed planning my own funeral as she continued to nuzzle my chest like an innocent kitten.
We both ended up watching the sky with a blank expression. Too tired and hurt to move, basking in each other's warmth in order to forget the cold reality where we were forced to fight a monster for nearly six hours straight without any breaks or time to recover. My vision was swimming, dark spots forming the edge coupled with the blurriness. I guess Koneko was going through the same experience as me, though I did appreciate rubbing her fluffy ears. Always a blessing whenever she felt comfortable enough to bring out more of her Nekomata side around me.
Step
Step
Our executioner has finally arrived.
A person approached us, the sound of his footsteps clear to my ears as I dreaded getting back up. "Leave me be, you Devil, I shall not play your silly games anymore for my cervical spine has been shattered by your gorilla punches." I had no idea why I talked like that, maybe it was the delirium getting to me.
"Ha! If that was the case then you'd be dead, forcing me to use an Evil Piece on you." Said the boy with the physique of an Olympian God, standing tall with a small scratch on his face. "You got better, I even got hit in the end."
Hit? Sure, more like grazing his skin and even that took a lot of effort by both Koneko and me. On top of being ridiculously strong, Sairaorg turned out to put anything Kiba showed when it came to speed, to shame. Combined that with enhanced reflexes, years of combat experience and mastery over internal life force itself brought forth s true monster.
Delete Field barely seemed to have an effect on him, he broke through my tendrils as if they were made of paper and he always managed to dodge any attack from my flames along with the rune attacks. In the end, the man purposefully came closer where I could reach him whenever I used Touki.
With Koneko keeping him occupied, I tried to go for a single strong attack that could disable him - given I couldn't use this power extensively like these two. It was stopped by Sairaorg grabbing Koneko's ankle and using her as an improvised bat to strike me.
Of course, I dismissed the attack as not suddenly injuring the girl and ended up with a painful headbutt. But I wasn't willing to go down so easily, so at the last second I used a single tendril covered in flames as a spear to jut out of the ground and lead to that cut on his face. Though that didn't stop me from getting sent flying soon followed by Koneko.
"Don't look so down, you certainly got better using Touki by now. Sure it takes you a few seconds to actually bring it out but it doesn't disappear or is nearly as inconsistent as before." He touched the scratch on his cheeks, "You have no idea how eager I am to see you at your strongest." The smile on his face scared me to the core.
"Ew, stay away from me you battle maniac."
"Hahaha!" Yeah, keep on laughing you brawns for brain, one day I promised to punch that face of his for all the pain I went through. "Alright get up, you're going back to Earth today aren't you? If I make you miss the journey then Rias will come for my neck."
I was very tempted to miss the train and go back tomorrow instead. Koneko had already fallen asleep so there was no way she would wake up anytime soon. Hurgh, this little bundle of cuteness that was purring into my chest made the pain worth it… to some extent.
"How about her?" I said while pointing at the white haired Nekoshou. "She performed far better with Touki in a matter of days."
"Well of course, given she's a Nekoshou, that kind of result should be expected. In fact, I would have been shocked if she did any worse today, they have an unfair advantage when it comes to the control of life force, Youjutsu, Senjutsu and so on. I'd say it's a matter of weeks or months at most for her to reach her full potential."
Well that was good to know, she didn't show or even show much on the outside, but both Kiba and Akeno noticed how the girl started to doubt her own capabilities. Given how stressed she was previously with the whole Kuroka situation made the girl want to push herself to the extreme.
"I see, then I guess that's good news for everyone." Trying to get up proved to be a bigger challenge than ever before. My muscles and bones ached with enough soreness to put me out of commission.
"Here, let me help you out." Seeing my situation, Sairaorg came over and gently picked up Koneko from the ground. Taking a deep breath, I pushed myself up with wobbly legs and a determined face. "There you go, told you that your rib was fine."
"Don't think just me getting up means none of my bones got fractured. I'm just enduring the pain for now until we get to the Rias' house where I can take a short nap and leave with the others." I still had time, four hours before leaving was more than sufficient for a shower - which I needed - and a few hours of sleep.
"Hah… I miss having you here, Asia." She used Twilight Healing on me many times in the past whenever I trained intensively. "I'm going to ask Serafall if she can bring me in touch with her." Given the Maou was a friend of Gabriel's, or an eternal rival as she liked to call herself, then maybe she had a way to contact them.
As we walked outside Sairaorg's training room, I couldn't help but ask about any recent news concerning his mother.
"Still sleeping, Kuroka stopped by a couple of times by now and used her Senjutsu on my mother. Even if she hasn't opened her eyes yet, color has returned to her face and she doesn't look as sickly as before. It's progress, something I never dreamed about witnessing after so long."
Kuroka kept her end of the deal, and agreed to attempt at helping Misla Bael wake up from her coma. She knew just as well as me how important this matter was tied to her freedom, the chances of the Bael clan leader attempting to dismiss her current status and label her as a criminal once again seemed very probable. Having experienced finally living a peaceful life with her sister made the former terrorist dread at the thought of losing her again.
"Your father huh… has he mentioned anything?" To say the relationship between son and father was rocky would be a major understatement. I doubted they even exchanged any words the entire time.
"…" He did not answer, making it clear what happened. The fake smile on his face failed to fool me. The father who hated his son and treated his wife harshly, how could Sairaorg ever genuinely smile while meeting that person every day while also continuing being shunned and scorned was a testament to his personality.
He sighed, "It is what it is, I've gotten over it long ago. He is just there to make sure Kuroka doesn't overstep her bounds, nothing else."
A lie, one used to keep me from worrying too much. The two of us could hardly be considered as friends, so I didn't have much of a right to meddle in his affairs to begin with. That point both of us understood and I respected him enough to not get me involved anymore than necessary.
Better to change the subject.
"So what happened to the captured God?" After taking down one of the Old Satan Faction's hideouts where Katerea operated - we successfully found and retrieved a chained Hephaestus from his capturers. Returning him back to Olympus with the Leviathan descendant being sent to the capital city of the Underworld, Lucifaad.
"The woman in question, at first Lucifer-sama and Ajuka-sama, was going to sentence her to a lifelong sentence frozen in the deepest depths of the Cocytus."
I cringed at that sentence. After all, I knew all about that place. Cocytus, a frozen lake in which were punished by those who betrayed people with whom they had a special bond of trust. One of the worst places one could ever end up getting imprisoned in and where time basically no longer mattered.
But something didn't add up…
"Why there?" I asked, earning a confused look from the man. "As far as I know, Katerea never was that close to any one of the current Maous to warrant getting imprisoned in a place like that. Let's say if it was Kokabiel instead, he I would understand given that Fallen Angel betrayed both his faction, brothers and sisters; Azazel in particular. But that woman has no such relationship with Serafall."
"Mmm," he nodded his head, seeming to agree with my inquiry. "I understand your confusion, even I asked myself why they first wanted to send her there. I guess the betrayal part comes from Katerea turning her back to the entirety of the Devil society just because she wanted to support a war that would have wiped us all out of existence."
"That abstract of a reason? I expected something along the lines of her having a sister or brother she tried to kill but failed and that person now working with the current regime."
"Hey, don't ask me. I was just as confused as you are. Besides, it's not like the effects of Cocytus won't work on her, they probably wanted for her to suffer at the end of the day and be locked up in a place with no ways of escaping." I had to agree with him on that, maybe I was just putting too much thought into it.
"You said 'wanted to', did they choose another punishment instead?"
He gave me a weird look and asked, "Before I answer that, can you tell if you had the chance, how would you have condemned Katerea Leviathan?"
That came out of nowhere, but still, I gave it some serious thought. The question was very tricky, given I didn't have any personal connection to the woman aside from knowing bits and pieces of her clan's history. Though he was surprised at the treatment Ophis got with her, it didn't change the reality that Katerea was responsible for the death of many innocents and Devils.
"What do you think, Vritra?" I asked the dragon, manifesting in my arm in the form of a gauntlet.
"Death, that's how it usually goes. Keeping your enemy alive just birthes the possibility of them escaping and coming back for revenge. Me personally, I have always eaten my enemies so that I am certain they will no longer pose any threat."
"Oi, I'm not going to eat Katerea!"
It dawned on me a second later how wrong my words sounded out loud, but it was too late as Sairaorg started laughing loudly.
"Hahahaha! I know that Katerea Leviathan is a beautiful woman, even I can't deny it, but I didn't think that you were that interested in her."
"S-Shut up. It was out of context!"
"Perverted Senpai." muttered out a still sleeping Nekoshou.
I felt a metaphorical jab in my soul from that comment. Sairaorg continued to laugh after that, not caring about hurting my feelings. I gave the man a stink eye before returning my attention to Vritra.
"Hah, a shame." The black dragon joked, at least I hoped so. "But no, that is not what I tried to entail. My meaning is as such, each person has a different way to handle each situation depending on them alone. The Maous for example must take into account the public's viewpoint and their allies', so it's understandable why they tried to make her suffer first instead of killing the woman immediately - even if the latter suits their personality far more. In the end, the only thing you should make sure is that the enemy will no longer be capable of coming back for revenge and it just happens that death is the easiest solution."
"Have to agree with him to some extent," said the Bael heir, finally controlling his laughter. "While I am not that big on killing my enemies without thinking like my father and grandfather, it is the quickest method to solve an issue once and for all."
Again, I couldn't really agree with them. Sure, I've killed plenty along my journey in this world. I was no shounen protagonist that would use talk-no-jutsu to change every enemy for the better, but if possible, I still preferred to be presented with different options. Cases like Kokabiel were rather unique as killing the man was the best option. But Kuroka on the other hand just showed how things unfolded differently whenever the talking option worked.
Regardless of her intentions, she presented herself as my enemy in the beginning. And if I had adopted a mentality of killing all those against me or anyone from the Khaos Brigade then Koneko would have hated me.
Already too big of a price to pay.
"Hah, I don't know. Killing her seems like the right call, but punishing her for all the destruction and killing she caused is valid I guess. Given from what I know, her kind of people tend to present themselves as overly prideful individuals. So if I had to choose, I'd damage that pride within millions of pieces and make her live through the process. Now how can I shatter that pride of hers? I have no idea."
"Well funnily enough, someone else got the same idea as you." Sairaorg said, catching my attention. "Lady Serafall was the one who pushed back the idea of sending her to Cocytus."
Now that was a shocker, I never expected Serafall of all people to intervene. In fact, it would have been more logical if she actually killed Katerea just because she was her primary enemy carrying the name of Leviathan. Though how was she going to destroy her pride?
"I see you're curious, and so am I."
"Huh?"
"By that, I mean that no one has any idea what Serafall plans to do with Katerea. She just barged into the room, broke her chains and dragged the Leviathan by the hair without saying a word to anyone."
"…"
I swear, that woman was just so unpredictable that it was actually frightening.
"Heh, our Maous are just that crazy."
"I guess that's one of the requirements to become a Maou then. You must be crazy in the head first." I gave him a sideway glance. "Fortunately, you already have that covered."
"Hahaha! You're right, I've been called crazy a couple of times by Kuisha." At that, we both laughed. "After the whole Katerea situation was solved, I got word from Ajuka that the client who requested him to help find and save Hephaestus was more than pleased with our actions and mentioned how they would pay a personal visit to all parties involved and thank them personally."
"… I would rather not have Zeus anywhere near my house or Kuoh Academy for that matter." The man was famous for getting horny for anything that moved and slept with countless women left and right. There was no way I felt comfortable having a guy like that anywhere near a school filled with beautiful girls. That was just asking for trouble.
Less said what his vindictive wife would do to them, the better.
"Good call, partner. Gods, unlike humans, stay true to their original nature for thousands of years without changing. It would be unwise to hold them to the same standard as you humans and expect for the old man to have changed for the better - because I doubt he has." See? Even Vritra agreed with my apprehension. "This applies to most Supernatural individuals with power beyond a certain threshold."
"Come on, the Greek gods aren't as troublesome as many portray them to be. They know how to stay professional and well behaved - unlike our friends in the Old Satan Faction."
We shared another laugh.
For being the strongest younger generation Devil, he sure was quite easy to talk to, nothing like the other more arrogant and narcissist noble Devils. Self absorbed in their own existence, spoiled rotten by their parents and power, the Riser of the past was a perfect example.
Swoosh !
A large violet teleportation spell formed around me, having already marked my room I could directly teleport between both areas without much effort. Sairaorg handed Koneko over me while he stood at the edge waving me goodbye.
"Be sure to continue practicing the training I showed you for Touki, work it like a muscle as often as you can while taking breaks in between of course. Oh, and say hi to Rias for me, that little spitfire seems to have forgotten about her cousin and didn't come over for a visit."
"I will," I watched as the world around me faded away with Sairaorg disappearing with the scene. Hard to imagine him and Rias were related given their vastly differing personalities and appearances. The complete opposite when it came down to hard work and discipline.
I asked him once if he was going to emulate Rias, Sona and Riser by joining Kuoh Academy as an exchange student or something. But he declined, stating that he didn't have much time or freedom for such things. Made me realize how much burdens rested on his shoulders, as both the strongest younger generation Devil and a discarded son of the current Bael clan head. He just couldn't slow down, Sairaorg couldn't afford to take a break.
It really put into perspective how much of a good life Rias and the others had.
{ Break }
As the spell finished teleporting both of us to my room, my vision got blinded by a dark shadow that snatched Koneko right from my arm in a split second.
"Nya! Shirone! Onee-sama missed you!" To no one's surprise, it was none other than Kuroka rubbing her cheeks against the unconscious Nekoshou, making the latter frown in her sleep as if she was having a nightmare. "Even after training so intensely you still are so soft and cute, hehehehe - nya!?" I bonked her with a deadpan face.
"Oi, control yourself, cat. Or else I'm going to bring out the spray."
"Nya~ don't be so jealous of Koneko, I'll give you an equal amount of love!" She tried to lean forward with her lips all puckered up. "Oom!" Her face was quickly countered by my palm.
"Where are your clothes?" I asked, noticing how her already revealing and loose kimono was gone and now replaced by a tight shirt with a cute cartoon cat on the face that didn't fit her and even showed signs of tearing along with large baggy shorts that helped show off her beautiful, smooth legs.
Wait…
"Those shorts are mine… and that shirt belongs to Koneko!" I exclaimed, finally recognizing the pieces of clothing.
"Eh~ I was just getting so lonely and wanted to have both of your scents comfort me for the day!" She said it so nonchalantly as if it were a normal thing. "Also, when are you going to have kittens with me and Shirone? We need to quickly rebuild our clan and take over the world!"
"…"
Psh !
"Nya!?"
With a blank stare I sprayed a bottle of water on her face, making her jump back as she hissed at me. Heh, fear me, an Ultimate-class Devil subdued by mere water. This world was insane…
"Koneko is like my sister, I'm not going to sleep with her, you dolt."
"Ah! Give it time! I'm sure that you and Shirone will get together soon! And you didn't say anything about me, so that means we can have ba-"
"Please try to have some restraints, you horny cat…" a twisted smile emerged on my face as I put the bottle back in its hiding place. "Or else I'm going to have Koneko ignore you for a month."
"Eh, you can't do that, I'm her sister!"
"And I'm her brother." 'Figure', I left that part out.
"In law?"
"Drop it." I looked at the old Grandfather clock, and found that I still had a lot of time left for a bath and a small nap before returning to Kuoh. I already missed Aika and her perverted antics. "I forgot to ask, but how's the treatment with Misla Bael been going? Given I'm going back to Kuoh by the evening, it would be better if you stay behind for a few more days and look after her."
"No need," she said, earning herself a questioning gaze from me. Understanding my confusion, she continued to explain. "I have already done everything I could and even went beyond that. Misla Bael's illness is common amongst Devils but finding a cure has always been out of reach for a reason. But I have good news, her body has begun recovering and started to work properly with her Demonic powers starting to stabilize. Before she didn't even have an ounce of energy, now her body started generating it without my help today. This is a good sign, give it a few days or a week, I guarantee you there will be results nya!" Her chest puffed up with pride as she rubbed her nose, proud of her accomplishment.
I didn't have to tell her how important this matter was, if she said nothing more could be done then that should be the case. Still, this was good news and even Sairaorg was happy with it. "Good work, I'm sure things will turn out accordingly soon. Don't worry too much about the Bael for now and enjoy your freedom."
"Ara~ I think I'm very weak to your praises. I feel like my legs are going to turn into jelly, nya~!" She tried to lean in again, her two tails playfully wiggling around as they tried to wrap around me.
"Not gonna work," I pushed her back again, making the girl pout. "By the way, where are Sirzechs and Ajuka?" Those two hung out together often and Ajuka especially came over to the Gremory estate every other day to work on matters relating to the Devil world with Lucifer.
Kuroka shrugged, "Don't know, he and the others went to the study or somewhere else to celebrate something. I think they gathered for a drinking party… it sure did smell like a lot of alcohol back there."
"Mmm, I see, alright, I'll go for a bath then. And no, you can't come with me. Now go to sleep."
She stuck her tongue out playfully, jumping on the bed and cuddling her sister like a plush toy. If Koneko wasn't here then Kuroka would have asked me to join as well.
I stepped into the changing room for the bath thinking that it was early enough for no one to be here and the other guys were all drinking on top of that or were out doing their own things before leaving. So I planned to make this small area my little paradise.
After getting ready, I opened the door and checked inside. Yeah, there was a single large onsen and an outdoor bath at the far back.
"Hah… now this is life." I said, releasing a moan while my body relaxed inside the hot and relaxing bath that was the size of an Olympic swimming pool. The insane amount of training absolutely shredded my muscles, worrying me about the idea of a muscle actually tearing if I wasn't careful. Even with the existence of healing magic and consumables with similar effects didn't alleviate that worry that much, it was still something that I didn't want to experience.
"I should have done this more often." In order to save time, I mostly took showers to quicken things up and return to deal with my daily matters. I usually took long baths at home where I felt more comfortable. But now I discovered that this wasn't the case and the baths here were just as enjoyable. "What a shame, I wish I could just relax more here."
"I can help you with that, Hachiman-sama."
"WAHHH!!!" My heart stopped, my widened eyes turned hasty to the size of the bath, where at the very end surrounded by steam the figure of a beautiful woman with her hair down slowly appeared. When I saw who it was, I started fearing for my life. "G-Grayfia… -san?"
'Honestly partner, you and your women problems. I'm going to sleep. Don't bother me, unless it's an emergency.' Vritra spoke up before receding into my mind, abandoning me when I needed his help the most, especially when THIS WAS AN EMERGENCY.
That damned serpent!
Damnit.
Damnit!
DAMNIT!
'WHAT IS SHE DOING HERE!?' I screamed inside my head, countless questions appearing without any answers. Was I really that tired that I couldn't notice her presence when entering the bath? I couldn't believe I made such a stupid mistake!
Now dread settled in at the thought of the disaster that would follow if word spread and reached Sirzechs' ears.
No, I had to act calm and deal with the matter in the best way possible! "A-A-Ah, s-sorry, I didn't know it was o-occupied, please excuse me." My voice cracked, getting too overwhelmed by the atmosphere I started to carefully walk out of the bath. As I reached for the door, my body froze, not out of fear or shock - but by an invisible force of dense demonic energy that seemed to entangle all over my limbs. "Eh!?"
It pulled me back, with a loud splash I was dragged inside the bath but this time much closer to Grayfia who sat comfortably naked less than a meter away from me.
"Stay,"
Eh? I was taken back by her unexpected words which sounded so unreal, very confused by the current situation which I never expected to happen even in my wildest dreams. "I don't mind."
Well I did!
"The men's open bath and the woman's open bath are actually connected, if you're wondering about being in the wrong area. We haven't had much of a chance to bond with each other, such a shame." Was she smiling? Her tone sounded more upbeat than the monotone voice that I was familiar with. "Then let's take this opportunity to truly get to know each other. Ah, I learned from Rias that in Japanese culture it's customary to clean the back of those you are close to. Given your relationship with Rias, I believe that makes us like family, don't you think so, Hachiman-sama?"
Oi, that is some twisted logic right there…
"It's more of a polite gesture between couples, bath workers and even family members. Not something that people do often nowadays and there is no need for that." I spoke politely, my eyes glued to the ceiling while my mind performed one equation after the other. "I wouldn't want to trouble you, please, forgive me for having disturbed your bath."
"Stay," said the silver haired Devil, with more authority that made me break out in a cold sweat. I felt the water shift, with Grayfia getting up from the bath displaying her entire body without hesitation.
I instantly closed my eyes while keeping a poker face. I flinched when she grabbed my arm, signaling me to get up. "I believe it to be an important step to mend our rocky first meeting. I know I've been cold to you on more than one occasion and I want to make up for my actions."
She was cold to everyone though… it wasn't like she targeted me specifically.
"N-Not really."
Nope, there is absolutely no way I was going to accept a back scrub, not even Rias gave me one and she was one stubborn piece of work.
She was the ultimate Queen, you know? There was no way I would misunderstand anything going on in between us like a naive hormonal teenager! Grayfia, a woman even Maou Sirzechs feared! No doubt that she held the capability to obliterate me soon as I showed any weird feelings - of which I had none!
'Stay calm, just politely say no and walk out.'
Yeah, that was a good plan.
{ Break }
"Sit here."
"Y-yes ma'am."
I got dragged by her regardless of my struggling and reluctance!
"Ah, let me wash myself, I don't want to dirty the water." said Grayfia, moving to take a seat on one of the benches. The sight of her milky globes jiggling in front of me before she sat down.
"U-um, is there a reason that this place looks like a japanese bathhouse?" I asked, doing my best to not stare at a woman that Aika would classified, 'a bombshell of a MILF'.
I'm glad she isn't here right now, otherwise I would have to pin her down to keep her from molesting the said MILF.
… Wait.
"Hmm~" I felt my blood spike hear the sensual moaning that the white hair woman let out as she threw a cold bucket of water over her head, and once again gained my attention. "We redecorated it on Rias' request after the first month of watching anime in her younger days. Sirzech-sama and her parents easily complied, seeing nothing wrong with it."
That damn weeb! Learn to keep your hobbies in check!
Incomprehensible, why did a strict and professional Grayfia decided to stay and have a bath with me? There was definitely someone behind this! I refused to believe this being an unfortunate accident - or fortunate if it was any other boy - she was plotting something behind my back. I could feel it! Perhaps a trial? Like testing my resolve when it came to being loyal to Rias and Akeno? Or maybe there was something she wanted to say to me about my relationship with Rias?
There existed no limit to the possibilities she might bring up emerging in my mind as for why she decided to join me in the bath.
"… U-Umm, is this REALLY okay?" I ask her timidly, holding a towel over my private parts and avoiding looking at forbidden areas on her body that I shouldn't… shit! There was a mirror here! I ended up catching a glimpse of her bountiful breasts that were definitely on par with Akeno's or even superior, making my heart race with fear and arousal. I just couldn't stop stuttering for the life of me. Even facing a Cadre wasn't nearly as stressful.
' Sirzechs will slaughter me for sure .' I wanted to cry but I shouldn't show any kind of weakness right now.
"What is?" She asked me while washing her body, making me swallow the lump in my throat.
"The others will be r-returning to Kuoh soon, so it would be better for me to leave." I tried to walk away immediately, but Grayfia-san took my hand once again and urged me to sit beside her!
"Hold on. You haven't washed yourself yet, have you? You just jumped inside the bath the moment you came in."
That was because I was too tired and lazy for that, but something told me that I shouldn't have said that.
"Y-Yes, I haven't. But I'm basically already cleaned, so it will be rude to stay here any longer. I can't disturb a lady's private moment."
There's no way I could stay here any longer - this was too much for me!
Yet her grip was as strong as the freaking Bulk! I was forced to sit beside her in the end! What kind of shitty B rated ecchi anime scenario was this? Curse this world and its lack of shame…
I realized by now that not only did she not mind my presence, the woman didn't even care about hiding her body with a towel! Just like one would expect from a Devil with bullship physiology at keeping their youthful appearances, there were no imperfections or wrinkles.
In fact, none of the girls I met so far had any imperfections. Not a single one, not even my own mother!
Seriously, were all of the women in this world meant to be perfect beauties!?
Her breasts were big, that was an obvious truth, both her nipples and areola could be seen from the mirror in front of me as they glisten from the water. I could easily see why Sirzechs fell in love with her, whether it be her personality or outward appearance, she was definitely amongst the best. Her plump thighs had the right size, curvaceous hips which all gave her the image of a world renowned model.
I slapped myself from getting distracted. 'Get a hold of yourself, you idiot. It makes you look like a massive pervert for checking out her body in a situation like this! Even if it doesn't look like it, she is a mother, a wife and much older than any human. It's perfectly logical for her to see me as a little kid thus not minding my nude presence.' When I thought about that, everything started to make sense.
Yes, when you eliminated the impossible, whatever remained, however improbable, must have been the truth!
"I will wash your back for you, Hachiman-sama."
Saying that, Grayfia-san starts to wash my back without even giving me any time to properly respond.
The wet towel clung against my skin while I focused on the sound of my beating heart and my erratic hormones. "Fufufu~ You can open your eyes, Hachiman-sama, no need to be so polite." Gritting my teeth, I reluctantly followed her words and witnessed Grayfia's massive breasts bounce and sway as she washed my back from the reflection of the mirror without a care in the world!
"Your back is so big and solid, though there are an unusual amount of bruises. Let me soothe them."
Wasn't this the kind of first line the heroine would mention in an eroge to the man she loved? No! I was just thinking too deeply about this small matter. I had to keep in mind that I was being seen as nothing more than a little kid by an older woman.
A very beautiful older woman.
"T-Thank you, a-as for the bruises, those are just from training with Sairaorg. They'll heal by tomorrow." I replied back at her praise, she smiled as if she found my reaction funny.
' She sees me as a kid… Just a kid… Nothing more than a kid…'
"Ufufu, why are you acting so formal? I just said my honest feelings, you know? Like I thought, even if you are a high school student, you are still a man. You have a very muscular back. No, it might be rude for me to say this to someone who has defeated many strong foes for the Underworld." I felt a powerful tingle up my spine as I could practically feel her soft hands gliding over my back in a gentle manner.
'Oh dear God, it's Kalawarner all over again!'
"Barely defeated some of them and I got lucky in many cases. Still, I'm very grateful for having you to praise me." I bowed my head slightly.
"Not a fan of praise, that's no good. It's good to be humble but learn to accept such words from time to time, okay?" She said while I nodded.
Grayfia continued to wash my back gently with the towel while we were having a discussion like that. It helped me a lot to loosen up a bit and calm down from the events I was in right now.
"You know, aside from Sirzechs, no one has seen me fully naked before."
I was going to die.
"I didn't see a-anything, rest assured that this incident will be wiped from my memories for good. In fact, my training routing is brutal enough to give me regular cases of amnesia and short term memory loss." I spoke quickly, seriously considering teleporting out of this room.
"Pft-haha!" To my surprise, she laughed rather loudly after hearing those words.
"-!"
I felt the Grim Reaper's cold, dead hands slowly wrap around my neck as two soft pairs of breasts pushed against my back. I could feel everything, even how they slowly moved up and down as if washing me. Grayfia's hands had also moved to my chest and stomach, slowly rubbing them in a lazy manner. "Are you sure you haven't seen anything? I don't mind even if you did, I won't hurt you. In fact, I would encourage it."
You wouldn't, but your husband was going to annihilate my very existence if I did.
"…"
' Don't tell me the daughter-in-law and mother are actually cut from the same cloth? ' I was getting flashbacks of my interaction with Venelana at the beach again. Remembering how she didn't mind me rubbing lotion all over her body. Fortunately, she stopped before my heart could explode and stepped away.
"Yes, your back is clean with this."
"Thank you very much." Nice! Now I could leave, and forget that this ever happened.
I was so lucky that I wasn't decapitated or crushed just for accidentally seeing her naked and intruding on her bath time. 'This is so nerve-wracking, not even dying got me this on edge!'
But Grayfia did the unexpected, she turned around, and started moving her hair out of the way to show her bare back. "Now, will you return the favor and help me wash my back."
Woman! Call your husband to do that!
"I would rather not, it's too inappropriate and bold in my opinion to lay my hands on another woman." Also, I was too terrified to do it. Maou's wife! I couldn't wash the back of the First lady of the Underworld!
"You won't?" Why did she sound sad? Stop making it so hard for me! "Please?"
"Use that telekinesis power you used to pull me out of the bath on the sponge and wash your own back."
"It's too much of a hassle." Aren't you the workaholic head maid? How was washing your back a hassle? "It's just for a bit, besides, I know you're not that kind of person to do anything that you shouldn't, so I'm not worried."
Not that she even needed to worry if I was that kind of person. This woman could destroy the whole place up if she wanted to.
In the end, I sighed, "If you moan or do anything weird, I'm leaving."
"Ufufu, you sure are a strange person. You finally seem more comfortable to speak with me normally I see."
For an ice queen, this person's smile sure was insanely cute. It made me wonder what the heck is up with her tonight.
While less timid than before, I calmly started to wash her back like she did to me. I made sure not to go too low or apply too much force in case she has sensitive skin.
"Did you have fun?" she asked after a minute of silence.
"Pardon?"
"Your stay in the Underworld, was it memorable? Given you're going back to Kuoh, I want to know if you enjoy your stay here enough to come back soon, hopefully."
I took some time to think before giving her my answer. "I must admit, there were some rough spots here and there. With the case of Kuroka, my initial disagreement of how Venelana-san treated Rias and then the small mission with Sairaorg to capture Katerea and rescue of Hephaestus. But aside from that, I had fun honestly. The beach was amazing, I got to know new people and even make a genuine friend, or soon to be friend I guess."
"I see, that's good to know. I'm glad, Hachiman. How are things between you and Rias?"
"Me and the wee… I mean Rias, made our relationship official a while ago. Akeno is happy about it and so are the others. Nothing to complain honestly."
"Yes, I have heard. Did you know, you are also famous in the Underworld for being the "Lover of the Next Heiress of the House of Gremory and the Priestess of Thunder? Some call you the harem dragon king."
I bet that was Issei spreading that title. ' I'm going to sick Koneko after him if I find out that it was him.'
"Meh, not much I can do about it. It is what it is and I've learned to accept it. So, the relation between me and Rias - with your sister-in-law - do you approve?"
"Are you asking it with me because I'm her sister-in-law? Or is it because I'm a maid from the House of Gremory?"
"Both." I shrugged. "And also because it is easy to tell that you care about Rias just as much as her mother and father do. I'm still very much in love with Akeno, but saying that I also love Rias the same way… would you find my words ridiculous? Does that make me less of an ideal partner in your eyes for not staying faithful to only her?"
Grayfia became quiet for a bit after hearing my straight answer and question. This silence made me think of many possible outcomes which some of them were bad.
After a while, she said, "Yes, even if it's perfectly normal in Devil society to have multiple partners and loving them equally. But I will only personally approve it if you fulfill a certain condition."
That made me worried.
"Condition? I'll try my best, so let me hear it." I would fight literally any enemies at this point for those two. It sounded cheesy as hell but those were my genuine feelings.
Grayfia looked at me and showed her smile. "From now on, call me "Ane or Elder sister, whichever fits your taste at private times. That's the condition. Like our little secret way of addressing each other with no one else knowing."
"Hm?" That… wasn't as bad as I expected it to be. I never thought she would come up with that, but each their own I suppose. "Sure, I don't see any issues with that… big sister."
I finished washing her back and washed it away with hot water.
"Thank you for washing my back, Hachi." Grayfia-san says her gratitude, her back still turned to me.
"Don't mention it… Seriously. If your husband ever found out, you might no longer have any little brother."
Now, what should I do from here? It's definitely time for me to leave, that's for sure.
"Where do you think you're going?" She said, stopping me in my tracks as I was about to leave. When I looked at her, I felt a familiar chill up my spine when I saw her gentle smile that was anything but innocent. "Come and join your big sister in the bath."
"What? Wom- big sister, your little brother here has already taken a ba-oof!" I felt her use telekinesis magic on me once again, dragging me with her to the pool.
"It's not good to talk back to your big sister, let's get in. After all, our conversation was quite pleasant and I want to experience more of it."
Damn her and my luck. I should have taken a bath later tonight, even if I smelled like shit until then.
I was pulled into the onsen, with Grayfia following soon after, "It's a good onsen. Japanese onsen are the best if I am honest." Grayfia mentioned off handley that while releasing a breath of air that almost sounded like a sensual moan.
"Can't argue with you on that, though I much prefer showers at times. I grew to appreciate them more recently with how much of a time saver they are." I no longer stuttered, having somewhat grown used to her presence and this delicate situation.
"Thank you for looking after Millicas the other day. He still talks about the stories you told him about your adventures to me when I tuck him into bed."
"Heh, no problem, I also had fun talking to him. You raised a great son, he's very polite and smart for a boy his age. I can see him becoming a great person in the future." I said honestly, remembering my time with the youngest redhead. He really was very mature and attentive for a kid his age. It made me inadvertently shake my head whenever I compared him to Rias when she was young and even her current self before releasing a deep sigh - much to the outrage of the redhead.
"Yes, my child was also very happy to have met you. Since he was born in a special environment, he doesn't have as much freedom as other children, or friends."
The son of Sirzechs Lucifer and Grayfia. The adults all gaze at him with high regards only due to being the son of a Maou. What awaited Millicas in the future was hard to imagine or predict. I want him to grow strong so that he wouldn't get crushed by the pressure.
"As long as he keeps his head high and doesn't keep on working hard, he'll manage. And you know, he can always rely on good ol' uncle Hachiman for any help." My big brother's instinct to protect the kid grew leaps and bounds these last few days. "I'll always be there to educate him properly when he'll eventually come to Earth, so that he doesn't end up becoming an asshole like me in the end."
When I said that, Grayfia suddenly approached me out of nowhere. Her body was close to me, and reached for my cheek!
"Both my husband and son seem to enjoy your presence. So don't you think no one will complain if I spent some time enjoying you, Hachi?"
My nose twitched, ' Is she… drunk?'
She rested her head on my shoulders, making me scream inside. "Like a brother, huh…"
"Grayf- big sister, do you have any relatives?" I had some knowledge on the Lucifuge and the role they played during the war. Made me wonder if she misses them or had anyone else who joined her inside Sirzechs' faction.
Her face turned dark slightly when I called her big sister.
"They either died or their current status is unknown. After all, I'm basically the only one left from the House of Lucifuge from the war between the Old Satan Faction and the new one."
"I'm sorry, it seems like I asked you something improper." I said calmly, trying to empathize with her.
"There's no reason for you to worry about it. It's something which ended a very long time ago. And I have a new family after all, Sirzechs, Millicas, Rias, Otou-sama, Okaa-sama, Serafall and…"
Grayfia continued to stroke my cheek. She was stroking it in the similar manner as Rias now that I noticed it. Making me wonder if she used to do this with the redhead often when she was younger. Akeno did it similarly to Shuri.
"And I have a little brother. I'm really happy right now, you know?"
I scoffed, "This would have been a touching moment if you weren't drunk and naked. I'd be less awkward and more open if we were somewhere else instead of a bath. Now please don't move much, or better yet, give me some space." This body was going to disobey soon and bring forth a reaction I really REALLY didn't want her to witness.
She chuckled, "I don't mind. Since you are a young man, don't you think that it would be an obvious reaction?"
"Aren't you supposed to be my big sister now? This would be very inappropriate." I muttered out in frustration.
"I don't think so, siblings bath together all the time. Sirzechs used to do it a lot with Rias when she was little." Key word being little, I was anything but little.
"Now you're just teasing me for no reason. Don't get too sucked into your new role. I should be careful around you next time you're drunk, hopefully by some miracle you'll forget about this."
Click!
"-!" Someone was coming inside the bath! "Shit! Someone is here!"
'Please don't let it be Lucifer! Please don't let it be Lucifer! Please don't let it be Lucifer!'
But to my surprise, it was another form of horror I experienced as the one who came inside was not one but two people! Dark raven hair, Chocolate brown hair and curvaceous bodies that were equal to Grayfia.
"Ara Ara, what a surprise, Hachi-kun is having a sweet moment with Grayfia!" Venelana said with a hint of surprise on her face. Followed by Shuri having a similar reaction to her friend.
"Ah, you're finally back, Hachi-kun. Akeno was getting worried you were pushing yourself too much. Fufufu~ How naughty of you to relieve your stress with Grayfia-san~."
My soul was halfway out of my body by now from either shock or relief that it wasn't the Lucifer.
This was still not any better.
"I-I-I can explain…" unable to find any excuse, I hastily got up, much to the dismay of the maid and tried to rush out of the bathroom. No! I should teleport away instead! "It's a misunderstanding! Bye."
Unfortunately for me, I felt delicate hands grab my shoulder and keep me in place just like Grayfia had done.
"Oh, you can't just leave so early after we just came. Join us for a chat, Hachi-kun~"
"Yes, Venelana is right, it's been a while since we've last bathed together. You were such a cute little kid before, now you have grown up to be a handsome man! Let's catch up like good old times."
No, the real hell wasn't Sairaorg's training, or Sirzechs finding out,but rather this moment right now which surpassed any challenge I ever faced in my life. Getting stabbed by Gae Bolga be damned!
{ Break}
(Kuroka PoV)
"Hm?" The Nekoshou's ears twitched as she heard the doors to the room open and close. Walking inside a pale, zombie-like Hachiman limping across the floor smelling heavily of different shampoos and soaps.
… And something sweet that smelled familiar but she couldn't put her finger on thanks to all of the bathing products.
She looked at the time and grew confused, 'He spent two hours in the bath?'
Who would have thought he liked it that much.
"How was your bath?" She asked, stretching her body to pop out the kinks, showing a large portion of her body to anyone that would see.
Hachiman shivered after finishing that statement, before falling face first on the sofa.
"I don't want to talk about it."
That night, as the train was leaving for Kuoh, both Rias' group and Sona's grew curious why the boy looked this tired and depleted. Kalawarna took pictures of his sleepy face while Raynare laughed evilly - holding a permanent marker close to Hachiman's face.
At the station, Grayfia stayed behind while waving the others goodbye, "Take care of everyone, Hachi. Your big sister is counting on you. And hopefully, we'll see each other soon."
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, and my other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters, Steel Eyed Faker soon to be 3 chapters, Hound having 1 and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.
OMAKE 1
Hiiiii~ Another chapter is here!
So, first Omake? Wow… after 80 chapters, -_-
… more will come in my other stories.
Should have started long ago but wasn't certain.
That's all
Author NimtheWriter out!
Beta read by Shigiya and Maglad.
Beta read by Shigiya and Maglad
Major Lemon Warning!
And for those who will wonder if this happened or not, read till the end. Not gonna spoil anything here :)
-Gremory Castle-
"Ara Ara, what a delightful surprise," Venelana's voice rang out, a touch of amusement in her words. Her eyes danced at the unexpected sight, mirrored by Shuri, who appeared equally taken aback by the scene before them.
"Ah, you've returned at last, Hachi-kun," Venelana continued, her tone a mixture of mild reproach and amusement. "Akeno had grown rather concerned about your relentless efforts. Fufufu~ How impish of you to seek solace in the company of our charming Grayfia-san~"
My soul was shattered into equal parts shock and relief, my body gratefully registering the presence of Rias's and Akeno's mother's. A sweet current of reassurance flowed through me - it wasn't Lucifer entering the room. Yet, the situation had not exactly improved.
The words that tumbled from my lips were a jumbled mess, a frantic attempt to regain my composure. "I-I-I can explain…" Desperation laced my voice as I scrambled to form a coherent sentence. With a rush of awkward energy, I managed to rise from the bathtub, which seemed to both intrigue and disappoint the silver-haired maid. The urge to teleport away surged within me, but I stifled it. No, teleportation wouldn't save me from this. "It's all a terrible misunderstanding! I-I need to go now. Bye."
To my dismay, my escape was thwarted by delicate hands that as soon as I walked past between Venelana and Shuri, secured a hold on each of my shoulders, mirroring the gesture Grayfia had employed but moments ago. My heart threatened to climb out of my mouth as I found myself in a situation that grew more surreal by the second, captive as I was on my way to reach for a towel too far, one that right now seemed to shine with promises of both sanity and safety.
"Oh, dear, you can't just slip away after making such a grand entrance," Venelana purred, her amusement evident in her honeyed tone. "Join us for a little chat, Hachi-kun~"
"Yes, indeed," Shuri chimed in, her voice tinged with nostalgia. "It's been quite a while since we last shared a bath. You were such an adorable endearing little boy back then, and now you've blossomed into such a striking young man. Let's catch up and reminisce about the good old days."
The prospect of engaging mother and her friend during such an utterly compromising moment was a nightmare that eclipsed all previous challenges in my life. Sairaorg's rigorous training, the fear of Sirzechs discovering my secret - they all paled in comparison to this very moment. The sting of Gáe Bolg's cursed thrust almost pale in comparison.
This ordeal had neither fire nor brimstone, but its consequences promised a social maelstrom with the power to unravel my very soul.
My heart raced as their words enveloped me in a cocoon of surreal discomfort. Caught between Venelana's playful insistence and Shuri's nostalgic reminiscence, I found myself frozen like a deer about to get hit by an eighteen wheeler.
I experienced that crystal clarity you sometimes hear about from the testimony of catastrophe survivors or professional fighters. Time itself conspired to amplify every detail of the room, and I became hyper aware of every droplet of water clinging to my skin, to say nothing of every detail of the beautiful ladies in the room. The air felt charged with an awkward tension, as an almost-palpable energy crackled between us.
Gathering the tatters of my courage, I managed a weak chuckle in a feeble attempt to mask my unease. "Well, you know, time does change people, and um, the meaning of otherwise perfectly innocent situations."
Venelana's laughter chimed like delicate bells, a sound that both soothed and unnerved me. "Oh, indeed, Hachi-kun. But some things remain constant, don't they?" Her eyes sparkled with an enigmatic twinkle, hinting at a depth of understanding that sent shivers down my spine.
Shuri's grin widened mischievously, her gaze wandering over me with a calculated scrutiny that left me feeling inexplicably exposed. "Yes, indeed. I suppose it's only fair that we give you a chance to catch up, after all." Her voice dripped with playfulness that bordered on teasing, a sentiment I would have appreciated under different circumstances.
I swallowed hard, grappling for a way out of this nightmarish tableau. "Actually, I, um, I have some urgent matters to attend to. It's really been quite the day, and I-"
Venelana's raised eyebrow silenced me with its elegant authority. "Oh, Hachi-kun, don't be so hasty. Surely, you can spare a few moments for your dear mothers-in-law?"
Mothers-in-law? That was fast, hearing it in any other scenario would have been a blessing, but not right now.
Time seemed to stand still as I wrestled with my options. My mind raced as my eyes swept the room, seeking an escape route from this labyrinthine scenario. Teleportation was tempting, but it wouldn't save me from the whims of my mothers-in-law.
In the end, I managed a wry smile, a blend of defeat and resignation. "You know, I've faced Fallen Angels, weird reincarnations, a battle junky white dragon, and weirdness galore, but this takes the cake."
Venelana's laughter bubbled forth once more, a melodious sound that held no judgment, only amusement. "Ah, Hachi-kun, life is full of surprises, isn't it?"
( !!!LEMON START!!!)
"Your shoulders are sturdy, broad at such a young age." The brunette's hand started to wander places where only two other girls had gone before as she took half an step in as she leaned into me. Her fingers trailing from my shoulder to my stomach, with her soft and curvaceous body pressed firmly against my side. The sensation of her breasts squished against my skin sending electric jolts down my spine, with and causing a very dangerous and visible reaction on my lower body, heat forming within me. My hands wrapped hers and pulled them away from my treasonous flesh.
"Haha… You know, it's really getting late and I should… Venelana-san?" Her eyes were misty, a hot, hazy fog of lust covering them in a dangerous manner that I had seen on Rias a couple of times before. I needed to run, fly away or even teleport away right this instant before-"Hn!" A jolt traveled across my body as one of Shuri's delicate fingers gently rubbed against the tip of my hardened manhood.
"Ara, looks like someone is excited today. Don't worry, you're not alone," Shuri added, her sensual voice tingling on my ear as she too moved closer and leaned against me, her voice dripping with warm amusement even as the sensation of her hot breath on my skin assaulted my senses.
"We really shouldn't be doing this…"
"Fufufufu~ You are so cute, it makes me want to eat you even more." Her finger, which had been rubbing against the now diamond-hard head of my cock, ran along my shaft and was joined by its peers, taking a gentle but inescapable hold of my soul, sending a wave of pleasure up and down my spine. Her smooth motions, the tantalizing feel of her hot breath on my neck and the sudden feeling of Venelana's hands joining her friend's on sliding up and down the shaft of my cock meant I was merely a passenger on this trip, unable to exert force or even make a noise in protest as they shattered my defenses. There simply was no way by which I could resist them any longer.
"Ngh… nhh… nghh…" I bit my lower lip while trying to hold back the moans of pleasure. My head leaned backwards, facing the ceiling and allowing them to nibble on my ears as their free hands cupped my balls and supported my back. They were toying with me, She was making me forget the situation I was in as if my soul had been ripped from my body and I was in the middle of some strange, erotically supercharged out-of-body experience. Their hands and fingers cupping my balls, supporting my head, playing with my hair and stroking my cock made me pant with desire. I was on the verge of surrendering to their touch, having long sunk to my knees on the floor when suddenly they stopped.
Venelana let out a gasp, a delicate sound of pleasure. "Oh my, I don't think I'll be able to control myself much longer, Hachi-kun - I want you to touch me too!" She brought my hand to her breast, making me squeeze them by instinct alone, playing with those beautiful pink nipples. My mind went blank, I just wanted to keep touching them and to hear her moan in ecstasy. To my surprise, she pulled my head, pushing her breast into my mouth.
"Aaah~!" She moaned loudly, gripping my hair as her body trembled while I wrapped an arm around her and pulled her tight… Turned out she had very sensitive breasts.
"Ah Hachi-kun, if you suck this hard, I may just go crazy! Don't stop~!" The brunette cried out, and buried her beautiful face on the top of my head as I gave her a little bite. I could hear her whimper in heat, her nipple sweet and hot on my tongue. "Oh~ It's not fair if only I feel good~"
Her hand went down my body again, sliding down my skin. A shiver ran down my whole body at the feeling of her soft hand caressing, touch my balls before moving to then move on to the base of my raging shaft, her delicate hand sliding up and down my length before stopping to rub and caress at its head, making me buck and push my hips against it out of sheer, desperate reflex.
"Ohh… You're bucking so hard. Is it because of me? But no matter what, that's just my hand~ " The brunette whispered into my ear, the seductive sound sending me into a mindless fit of thrusting against nothing as my shaft slid back and forth under her tender grasp. "Youngsters are truly wonderful and cute. Fufufu~ I think you have more than enough energy to mess me up if I let you try… ah, how about that, Hachi-kun? Won't you try and make me your plaything? Won't you make your mama one of your treasures."
The situation had gone beyond my ability to resist. My common sense had called it quits and instinct was in charge. All I knew was, I was being overtaken by pleasure, and my body needed more.
"Ah! Ngh… nh… Aaaah…" I felt as if I was as hard as a diamond, pre-cum oozing from the tip of my cock in a small but visible manner, causing Venelana's fingers to shine as if covered by a thin layer of sweat. My mind was hazy, and I couldn't even think about the fact that it was the hand of Rias' mother's around my cock. I reached up and lifted her other breast, my fingers sinking into its wonderful flesh as I began to suck hard enough on the bright pink nipple at its tip that it was mildly amazing Venelana wasn't lactating into my mouth.
I didn't even notice that Shuri had been quiet this whole time, even as she got to her knees next to me and began to kiss and nibble on my neck before gently pulling my face around and covering my lips with her own. I was but a toy for these beautiful older women, and there wouldn't be a soul in existence that could say otherwise. My arm went around Shuri-san's slim waist, and I squeezed her to me eve as she held my head with both hands, exploring my mouth with her tongue, her body and mine trapping my shaft in place, yet even now Venelana refused to let go and continued to caress and rub at the head of my cock. who was silent the whole time getting up from the bath until she was on top of me, her lips meeting mine with a lustful hunger. I had no time to react, and I could taste her sweet tongue inside my mouth, exploring it with passion.
"Sh-Shuammnn… Shuri-san?" I tried to speak to her but with no success.
"Shhh, just this once. Just this once, and maybe later too." Shit, she started behaving worse than just like Akeno in heat!
Both women were making me go crazy. Their touch, taste, actions and smell pulled at my every instinct at a time when reason had decided to call it quits! with their touch, smell and actions.
My other hand, now roaming Shuri's body, exploring every inch of her naked flesh, kneading her supple ass while feeling her boobs with my other hand. I could feel myself reaching my limit with Venelana rubbing her my shaft with her hands increasingly fast.
"Hah, hah… hngghh… Ngh!" I couldn't hold back the moans and they echoed all over the room, the sounds of pleasure making me pant for air.
"You're almost there, aren't you?" Venelana whispered, her lips still attached to my neck. "Do it for me, baby. Cum on my body ." Her hand sped up, sliding up and down my shaft with an urgency I had never experienced before. "Hold it. Hold it. Ho~old i~it and… that's a good boy, now cum, cum for mommy!"
Her words pushed me over the edge and I felt my cock swell like a firehose as my cum rushed forth, splashing against the underside of Shuri's breasts hard enough to cover our lower bodies in a thick layer of shining, hot cum. "Nghaaah! Ah! Ah! Ah! AAAHHHH!!!" My soul left my body multiple times, leaving me tired in a manner I couldn't describe, but my cock seemed determined to transcend all weakness, standing hard and proud, and maybe a couple of inches longer, its slit gasping like a fish in between spurts of my cum, and this continued for who knows how long as my cum pooled around us on the bath floor high enough to write on it.
Venelana moaned against my ear while Shuri moaned on my lips, and the brunette finally let go of my shaft, lifting her hand to her lips and beginning to lick them dry as if my cum was honey. Almost immediately, Shuri took the chance and rose, her delicate fingers wrapping vertically around the circumference of my cock's head as they guided it up between her legs, and I actually grew an inch longer at the sight. Looking up at her, her eyes looked glazed but beautiful, lust giving them a shine that I couldn't possibly resist as she moved down, her toes somehow finding purchase in the slippery mess that was the cum-covered floor as she swallowed me whole, her body sliding down around my cock like a burning glove, causing my balls to cry out as they rushed to work at a rhythm so fast I could actually feel the change in their weight and size between my thighs.
Soon, our lips locked together, and our tongues wrestled against each other as my arms wrapped around her thin figure, my hands roaming over her, squeezing her ass and holding her by the back of her head as we looked into each other's eyes.
"Do me like you do my daughter, Hachi-kun." Was all the encouragement I needed as I grabbed her as hard as I could and began to slide her up and down with contemptuous ease, her body spasming around my cock even as my balls let out an actual gurgle as they worked overtime to breed the japanese beauty around my shaft.
"Ah! A~ah AaAh~!" Our cries mixed and melted, and I doubt either of us knew whose voice it was that cried, panted and moaned at any given time. I didn't even register as Grayfia disappeared from her previous spot where she was sleeping this entire time.
'H m? ' For a split second, the woman before me changed into someone else, replaced with Akeno, a change distinct enough for me to notice it. The same happened with Venelana as her hair changed into a wave of crimson, a splitting headache assaulted me as immediately they returned to their previous appearance. 'W hat is going on here? Something doesn't feel right here…'
Not just that, the fog, the steam around us got far too dense for it to be normal. I failed to even see the exit anymore.
I couldn't form a coherent thought, much less a word as I clung on to Shuri and used her as a literal cock-sleeve, my member throbbing in so much need it was actually painful for both of us when it swell and tried to arc inside her body, its head running into a sudden barrier, and it almost sent me over the edge as I gained just enough presence of mind to understand I was ramming against the entrance to Shuri's womb.
"Ah! H-hachi, push me down! Push me down and fill me up!" She called out in a haze of heat, and I could do nothing but to obey, crossing my arms behind her to take as firm a hold as I could on her thin shoulders and pull her down.
"AH!" We shared a cry as the head of my cock pushed her cervix open, and I could just imagine its angry, purple head spearing Shuri-san… no. Shuri's womb before growing as large as a baby's fist when my whole cock swolled as cum thicker than molasses rushed up and burst upwards like a geyser, splashing against the top of her womb for barely a couple of seconds before the sheer amount of my seed filled her up. "AH!" We cried into each other's lips, our tongues wrestling each other as we shared in a spine-shattering orgasm, our bodies clinging and grasping for each other in despairing lust.
I reached up and sunk my hand into her luscious black hair, giving it a hard twist to get a firm grip, and pulled, forcing her far enough up that I could feel my cock's head pull on her womb's entrance for a moment before coming loose, and that's when I pulled her down again, making her whimper through another orgasm as I began to fuck the entrance of her womb to the exclusion of everything else, until she came so hard she fainted and it was her turn to relax, her arms hanging limp by her sides.
"Hachi-kun, that's amazing." Cooed Venelana as I lowered Shuri to the floor, where the sexy Yamato Nadeshiko (1) barely even stirred as she enjoyed the afterglow of a powerful multiorgasm.
It is then that Venelana moved in to replace her friend, lifting her leg to straddle my lap. The head of my cock, finally back to its usual size, though still hard and raring to go, resting against her soft, hot skin, right on top of her bellybutton as she leans in for a kiss, sliding her tongue between my lips even and guiding one of my hands towards her sex.
The feel of her damp flesh between my fingers was an euphoria of its own, a slick sensation that sent jolts of desire down my spine. I broke our kiss for an instant, my eyes meeting Venelana's, who looked at me with a mixture of curiosity and desire. The brunette brought her lips to my ear, her warm breath tickling my skin. "You've been such a good boy. Such a good boy for mommy."
Her tone was a soft, sensual whisper that resonated within me with a surprising heat. She shifted position, sliding her hips on my lap so our hips were pressed against each other straddling me as her hand moved up and down along the shaft of my cock shaft, her fingers caressing its tip. I could feel the heat of her body against mine, her lips moving to my cheek in a gentle, almost chaste kiss that seemed so out of place right now, while her breasts pressed against my chest firmly, I could feel her hardened nipples poking me.
I bit my lower lip to keep from moaning, my hands moving along the side of her body with the urgency of an animal in heat. My mind was a blank, filled only by an all-engulfing with the heat and desire that engulfed me, the intensity of which left me breathless.
I couldn't see clearly, the haze of pleasure making it difficult to focus on anything but the hot body of the shameless MILF on my lap. It felt as though my soul were melting, as though my mind were being consumed by an unstoppable desire.
"I've always been curious about your night life with my Rias, I'm sure you've gone all the way more than a few times by now, haven't you?" Venelana teased, her lips pressing against my neck, nibbling on the skin. "Haaah… You're still hard~. You youngsters sure are amazing. Or maybe it's because you really want me~." She surprised me with how flexible she was, bending down far enough to give the tip of my cock a gentle kiss, sending electric jolts through me as I fought the temptation to push her head down right then and see just how flexible she really was.
"Mh… Mmmhhh…" My body tensed, a flush creeping across my cheeks as Venlana continued to pepper kisses on my length.
The brunette giggled softly, a sound that sent shivers down my spine. "But, I want more than that. I want to feel the same things my precious Rias feels when she's with her man, my new son." Venelana shifted position, her mouth meeting my ear as she whispered the next words in a tone that sent a rush of excitement down my spine. "I want you to make me your slutty little cocksleeve and fuck me harder than you'd ever did with Rias. Fuck this desperate motherly pussy and fill it with your young thick seed~. Show this slutty, cheating wife her place under you~"
Venelana's teasing and filthy desires was driving me to the edge of sanity, her words breaking through the haze of pleasure that fogged my mind. My heart hammered in my chest, and it wasn't long before I felt myself reaching the pinnacle of ecstasy.
The woman straddling me started moving her hips, the hot sensation of her flesh against mine becoming increasingly unbearable. She rocked her body with a fluid motion that made it feel as if she was grinding against. A moan escaped my lips as her pace increased, her body sliding against mine thanks to the slippery coating of my cum on her. Venelana leaned back, placing her hands on my calves and pushing her upper body backwards, looking at me with hungry, bedroom eyes from across the full, glorious sight of her breasts. She looked at me, a bewitching grin spreading across her face as she shifted position once again.
A jolt of desire shot through me as I saw the way she licked her lips.
"Haaah… You've always been so naughty, my son. Do it for me… Do it for me as my son, fuck me harder than you fuck my daughter, fuck me like a slut." The beautiful woman moved closer, her lips meeting mine as her tongue slipped inside my mouth. I moaned softly, the heat that surged through my body making it feel as though I was losing myself in her kiss.
The heat continued to rise inside me, a sensation that bordered on agony. I bit my lower lip to suppress a groan, and felt the brunette chuckle as that caused me to bite on her lip as well, until she noticed what I was really doing, and she stopped me by running her hand along my cheek, a gesture that was oddly tender for our current circumstances. "No, don't do that. I want to hear your voice."
The lusty brunette placed a soft kiss on my lips again, and began trailing kisses up my cheek, her tongue darting out to caress my skin. I almost bit my lower lip again, the rush of blood roaring behind my ears now spreading to every corner of my body. Her body moved upwards, positioning the head of my cock against her labia as she adjusted her posture until I was pushing gently against her boiling-hot pussy but for a moment before she engulfed me in her folds. My shaft pulsed as she slid down, swallowing me whole and taking her time to do so.
I closed my eyes for an instant, the sensation of being enveloped in her heat overwhelming me. I let out a soft sigh, which soon transformed into a moan as Venelana pushed her hips forward.
"Mnnhh… Aaah…" Her lips parted, and I could feel the sweet sensation of her hot breath against my skin. She moved slowly at first, her pace increasing as my tip reached deeper into her folds. "Ahh… Ngh… Mnnn…"
I opened my eyes to find her staring at me with a look of intense desire. Her body trembled as she pushed herself further down, my cock disappearing inside her up to the hilt. She let out a soft sigh, her eyes closed as her upper body moved forth and her head leaned against my shoulder.
"Ara ara… Oh, this is so much better than I expected." Venelana wrapped her arms around my neck. "This is what I wanted, Hachi-kun… this feeling of being filled by your cock, feeling it reach the entrance of my womb… It's amazing!"
The brunette started rocking her hips up and down, just in time for Grayfia to finally finish licking her way to my back and beginning to move up my spine in a single, slow, hot motion, letting me feel the soft but iron-melting heat of her delicate, soft tongue all the way up before she began to kiss on my other shoulder, her wondrous body squeezed against my back. She nibbled on my ear, a gesture that elicited a jolt of pleasure through my spine.
"G-Grayfia-san!?" Wait, she was nowhere near us last I checked, my eyes turned to her spot where I still saw the silver headed woman sleepi-"Eh?" Just like previously, my vision changed as suddenly there was no one there, the area around me getting more foggy as it felt like something was suppressing any other thoughts aside from lust from within my mind.
' V-Vritra, am I under a spell or something? Th-This doesn't feel real, they are a-acting far too differently fr-from what I remember!'
'…'
I waited for an answer but got nothing, "D-Delete Field!" Those words came out of my mouth as I instantly tried to dispel any spells around me, but to my horror, the Sacred Gear did not appear around my arm nor did it answer me. Something was wrong!
'S hit Shit! This isn't norm-' My head was once again assaulted by a foggy feeling of drowsiness, forcing my worry to vanish while I could do nothing about it even while I tried to stay conscious.
"Stop daydreaming," my head was pushed back against Grayfia's shoulder, and the maid covered my lips with her own, letting out a soft sigh as her body rocked against me. Venelana moaned softly as she pushed her hips forward, moving with an almost dainty grace as she began to kiss and nibble at my exposed throat.
"Ngh… nhh…" I bit Grayfia's tongue while continuing our kiss, a flush creeping across my cheeks. "Hah, hah… mhh… aaah." My fingers found Venelana's right breast and left hip as I began to caress her flesh even as she bounced up and down on my lap.
"Ara, ara. You're getting harder inside me," Venelana moaned. "You've yet to make me your plaything, but you're already going to fill me up, aren't you? Ready to breed mommy? Go ahead! Fill me up! Don't hold back!"
"Ngh… hah… mh… hnggghhh…" Venelana was playing dirty with her teasing, her body writhing against me as she started to move faster, almost bouncing on my lap.
She let out a moan as my cock pushed upwards against her womb, her breath catching for an instant before she moved again, her hips thrusting with a renewed urgency. Her heavy breasts bounced up and down, At the same time, I let go of Grayfia's tongue, the beautiful maid caressing my body as she continued to lick at my lips, as if daring me to bite on her tongue again, only for me to let go of Venelana's waist and push down on the back of Grayfia's head, locking her in place so I could enjoy her lips.
"Yes, that's right. Mh, you feel so good inside me, baby. You're pushing my womb up, stretching me so much. Haaah… mnh…" Venelana moved her hips in time with my thrusts, her moans growing louder with each passing moment.
"Ngh… Nnnh… Aaaah…" My body shook as the heat coursing through me grew by the second, the need to release overwhelming me as I finally released Grayfia's head and looked over to the brunette. "Ha, hah… aaaahh… Venelana… san?"
"Oh~ None of that right now, no," Venelana panted, her body shaking against mine. "Just call me Mommy as you fuck me. Fuck your Mommy!"
The words sent a shiver down my spine as I felt my body tremble with an impending release. My hands tightened their grip on Venelana's hips, helping her move against me as the heat continued to surge within me. Her moans echoed around us, her body bouncing up and down as she worked my shaft deeper and deeper inside herself with each movement of her hips.
"Hnnggghhhh!" The sensation of Venelana's hot flesh clasping around my shaft pushed me over the edge and I let out a loud moan into Grayfya's lips that the silver-haired maid was all-too happy to devour with a hungry kiss. I could feel Venelana's insides clenching around me, her body moving with an urgency I found irresistible. As soon as Grayfia came up for air, I chased after her lips, pushing my tongue into her mouth as Venelana held the maid's head in place for me, cooing in approval as her daughter-in-law and 'son-in-law' shared a lustful, long kiss of passion right before her.
Venelana's arms wrapped around us, holding us together until she was sure neither of us was the least bit interested in pulling apart before letting go and reaching for our shoulders instead, using us to steady herself as she began to move in earnest, her body bouncing up and down hard enough for a wet sloshing sound to come out each time her hips devoured my cock all the way to its root. "Oh yes! My children look so good like this, yes! Hachi-kun, Grayfia-chan, you're making mommy very happy~!" The beautiful brunette let out a sigh, her breath catching for an instant before she leaned against us once again.
Grayfia pulled back, eyes glazed over as Venelana moved in to kiss me in turn, our tongues wrestling each other's for a bit before we began taking turns kissing Grayfia and each other, the Gremory maid and matriarch keeping their soft, shiny tongues out for me to bite and suck on, a series of shiny drool lines hanging between all of our mouths, their breasts beginning to shine with it as we kept kissing, licking and nibbling on each other's lips and tongues. I could feel my shaft swelling, every movement driving me further over the edge as the heat continued to surge through me. "Ngh… mnngh…"
Venelana let out a soft sigh as her body rocked against ours, the intensity of her movements growing in pace until it became almost frenetic. I moaned softly as I felt her insides clenching around me, tight enough I could feel her heartbeat all around my cock.
The heat surging through me intensified as she continued to ride me, the combination of all our breaths mingling as we fought to suppress our moans of pleasure. My fingers roamed over their bodies and my left hand came around Grayfia's waist, then lower over her perfectly round ass, and she closed her eyes, crushing her lips against Venelana's in a beautifully indecent kiss as the waves of ecstasy threatened to overcome all of us.
"Mnh, ohhh… Ah, ngh… Nnhhh… Oh yes!" Venelana's body trembled against ours, and she threw her head back as she pushed her hips forward with a final thrust. I let out a groan as my body responded to her movements, heat surging through me as she clenched and spasmed around my cock.
Grayfia let out a cute little whimper as I pushed the tip of two fingers inside her ass, and Venelana let out a cry in response as my shaft throbbed inside her, and spurt after spurt of cum began pouring into her depths. I held them tight against me, our bodies moving together as we rode on waves of pleasure. I could feel the heat of our bodies creating an almost electrical feeling on the room, robbing our breaths and leaving us gasping for more.
I moaned softly as my shaft pulsed inside the brunette, my cum filling her depths as she clasped around my member. My free hand slid down to her ass, and much like with Grayfia, my fingers began kneading her supple flesh before slipping in and out of her in a frenzied rhythm, causing the sensual she-devil to spasm wildly as she seemed to cum all over again whenever my cock spurted another load of my seed inside her.
Venelana's breath came out in a sigh as she leaned back, her lips leaving Grayfia's and meeting mine in a kiss that was far more passionate than any I had experienced before. Her tongue caressed my lips, the tip of her tongue teasing mine in a manner that sent a shiver down my spine. She moaned into my mouth, the sound of her voice sending another wave of desire through me.
I moaned softly as my shaft throbbed and my fingers curled and wiggled inside her ass, spurt after spurt of my cum flowing into her depths. Venelana moaned in turn, her insides clasping around my member as she continued to rock against me. My fingers dug into the flesh of her ass, a sensation that made my blood rush as the waves of pleasure washed over me.
I lost track of time as we stayed like that for a while, my cock buried inside Venelana as she rocked against me. Our kiss continued as though we were locked in some kind of dance, a motion that took on an almost hypnotic quality as Grayfia began to lick at her mother-in-law's ear and gently pushed her tongue against it as if trying to fuck the delicate little hole, the darkness of our lust almost drowning our common sense as it drew us further and further into its depths.
A part of me wished for this to last forever, but the realization of our position soon came to the fore. We were in Rias's home, and my secret was now in the hands of the very people who might ruin it. I was exposed to a danger that seemed far more daunting than that which I had previously faced.
"Mnh… Oh, wow. You're both such good children. You're making mommy so very happy." Venelana moaned as her tongue slid out of my mouth and she pulled back for a moment, only to lick at Grayfia's lips in a quiet demand for her daughter-in-law to open up so she could give her a deep kiss, her tongue easily sliding over hers and past her lips. "It's been a while since I last felt this good." Venelana's body shifted, and I felt her sliding off my cock.
My shaft twitched as the heat of Venelana's body was pulled away from it, an empty sensation that left me yearning for her return. She reached down to the bathroom floor, which we had somehow managed to turn into an indecent lust swamp of sweat, water, and cum. She easily scooped some of the indecently thick liquid into her hand then brought it to her breasts. Her nipples were still swollen and stood out against her skin. She spread our combined juices over them with slow, deliberate motions, making a show of teasing me as she covered herself with the indecent product of our sexual collision, then reached up for the back of Grayfia's head and pulled the maid's lips towards her glistening lips.
A part of me longed to move in and kiss her, but the realization that Shuri was still there hit me like a truck. I slowly turned around to find the raven haired woman masturbating while looking at us, her body arched like a drawn bow, her arms forced down so she could finger both her cunt and ass at the same time while she watched us. With a gulp, I realized that her eyes were locked on my now available and somehow still painfully erect
"Hachi-kun, you'll do me next, right? It is big sister's turn now, right? I want you to destroy my ass. Say you'll do me, and do me hard." Grayfia cooed into my lips, looking at me with shining, wet bedroom eyes. I swear I could see her pupils had turned into heart shapes as she begged me for a fuck.
'W ho are you?' I wanted to say that, this person… This person wasn't Grayfia! Not just the behavior, but even the air around her had nothing to do with the maid I spoke to before, it was almost as if… almost as if I was speaking to something else rather than someone. 'G et away from me.' I tried to push back, but my body was no longer under my control.
"Yeah…" I replied, much too lost in the depths of our shared lust to reply any other way.
"Call me big sis~" She cooed in reply as she turned around and got on all four on top of the collapsed Venelana, her body resting on the brunette's as she dragged her knees apart and forced Venelena's to match.
She reached over her back with a dainty hand and spread her ass for me, a delicate pink tunnel greeting the warm air of the room, gaping in need. I needed no further encouragement, and almost flew to sheath myself inside her, my cock sliding inside as if it was the most natural thing in the world, and for how right it felt, it may very well have been.
"A-ah!" The silver-haired maid cried out happily as my cock buried inside her so hard and fast our hips smacked together, the sound of wet slaps beginning to fill the room as I began to fuck her in desperation, my balls already starting to ache from overwork as they struggled to churn up yet more seed to fill the busty maid with. Our coupling was hard and almost beautiful in its raw intensity. I leaned in and while holding on to her shoulders so I could pull her back all the better against me, my shaft sliding in and out with animal need.
"B-big sis, I'm about to… !" I cried out.
"No!" she cried in protest, "No-not yet Hachi-kun, fuck me more!" She demanded, and I bit on the inside of my cheek to try and stave off my orgasm, hard enough I could taste the iron of my blood as the wonderful maid's body sucked on my cock hard enough I could barely pull back anymore.
Soon, I simply couldn't pull back at all. Somehow, the ass of the Gremory maid was sucking on me like a vacuum cleaner, and I gave up any hope of holding back, my cock twitching and spasming as I felt my urethra open wide in preparation for the coming flood, yet it was nowhere near enough as my hanging balls were suddenly squeezed from behind by a delicate, boiling-hot hand, their contents forced forth into Grayfia's body with such force that I feared it'd push the maid forth if I didn't hold her tight enough. A single, nearly-constant stream of cum rushed forth and caused Grayfia to tremble at the sensation of my seed's heat filling her insides, her head hanging down just for Venelana to trap and guide so they could kiss through the silver-haired maid's mind-shattering orgasm.
Spent, I rested on top of Grayfia's back without an ounce of shame on letting her bear the entirety of my weight. Despite this, the delicate fingers around my balls continued to massage and squeeze, forcing yet more of my cum to pour inside Grayfia's body even as I crushed her between Venelana and myself.
Suddenly, a tongue began licking at my backdoor, and I felt my cock spasm and grow a full two inches inside the maid as I finally managed to turn around and found Shuri-san's impish eyes smiling at me over my ass, her face buried against it as her tongue pushed me down a completely new abyss of indecent lust.
"Looks like you still have some energy left, Hachi-kun." She said, letting me go just so she could crawl along the floor to 'stand' on all four by my side, moving as sensual as a cat, her hands leaving delicate imprints on the lewd mess that covered the bathroom floor, then moving forth to let me see everything she had to offer, from her pink labia all the way up to the small, pink star of her ass.
I gulped. "Shuri-san?"
"Hah, hah, you've really gotten to my head," She teased. "Call me Mommy too. It'll make it better. More sinful."
I was shocked, my mouth opened but nothing came out. My cock was harder than ever before, and it felt as though she was taunting me. My body moved by itself, almost as if a mysterious force pushed me forward until I was kneeling right behind her. My cock nestled between her ass cheeks. "I, I think we should stop…" I surprised myself. After all of this, I still had some common sense left? "I-i don't think I should be doing this…"
Shuri grabbed her ass cheeks and spread them, my cock nestled in between. "Oh, no. You shouldn't be saying that, baby. You're my 'son-in-law' too, and I want you inside me. Now." Shuri-san wiggled her hips up and down in a slow, purposefully sensual way, making my cock rub against her groin, from her asshole to her sex. The sensations were new to me, and I couldn't help myself. Though as I went forward and attempted to slide my shaft between her folds, Shuri stopped me.
"Not there, I want to try something new~!" She chuckled, pulling my cock right up to her asshole. "Ah~ I'll give you a taste of something else, fufufu~!"
Before I could protest, her asshole swallowed the tip of my cock and then more of me. The sensations were indescribable and I felt my eyes roll back as my body stiffened, and I let out a cry of pleasure.
"Aaahh!" She screamed. "Yes, yes, take your time, baby. There's no need to rush. Fuck mommy~!" The raven haired woman chuckled, the sound sending a shiver down my spine. She looked back at me, and she wiggled her ass. I looked down to see her asshole still swallowing my cock up to the hilt. She grabbed my hands, and put them on her breasts.
"Mommy needs to be touched," She moaned, "and to feel your lips on her nipples. Now, give Mommy some pleasure, Hachi-kun!"
"Ngh… aahh… Mh…" I tried to concentrate, but Shuri-san was driving me crazy. Her ass was moving on her own, swallowing my shaft up to the hilt and back again in some insane, lewder-than-lewd parody of a deepthroat blowjob, making my mind go blank. Her breasts were squished between my fingers before I knew it, and my tongue was licking every inch of her skin I could reach. "Ngh… aaaahhh… nggghhh…"
"Ah, ngh… nhh… aaaaahhh… I'm going to cum… q-quick Hachi-kun, call me mommy and cum with me!… Aahhh… aaaaahh!!!"
"Im cumming, mommy!" I cried out, "I'm cumming inside your ass!" I called out, and She screamed as my balls throbbed and my cock spurted enough cum into her ass to give her a barely noticeable bump. Did it last a moment, a minute or forever? In the heat-daze of our forbidden affair, I couldn't tell, but it was all-too-short, in the end.
Shuri's body trembled as my cum filled her, flooding her intestines in a violent wave of hot cum that forced her to feel parts of herself she had never been aware of before. It was almost violent as her asshole milked, my cock with the same force that Venalana did. "Ahhhh… Ohhh… You're filling me up like a balloon~ oh baby yes! Keep filling me!"
I rested my head against Shuri's back, my cock still buried in her ass as our bodies quivered together. A sensation of euphoria enveloped me, the taste of her skin against my lips sending a wave of heat through me. I let out a sigh, my tongue darting out to taste her flesh.
"Ah?" My vision started to become hazy, I couldn't move or think straight anymore. My surroundings twisted with the sound of giggles and these two kissing my shaft.
This… this didn't feel real.
(! !!LEMON END!!!)
(! !!LEMON END!!!)
(Third person PoV)
"I think I may have added the wrong one." Standing next to the water, Venelana commented while holding a red colored bath bomb. Her eyes squinted as she read the small text printed on the bottom with the logo of a heart next to it.
"What is it?" Shuri asked, absentmindedly poking at the sleeping Hachiman's cheeks. Grinning sadistically whenever he squirmed around with her touch, almost as if he was having a nightmare.
"I'm afraid I must have gotten confused and mixed up the mind clearing ball with a special one I ordered for my honeymoon with Zeoticus. I almost forgot about these and just left them in my collection for years… oh dear."
Shuri stopped poking at Hachiman and confusedly looked at her friend. "From your reaction, I guess the effects are a bit worrisome."
Venelana's cheek flushed a bit before she sighed. "Its main effect is relaxing the muscles and increasing the libido for later activities to anyone bathing in the water but the side effects include a high chance of drowsiness followed by… erotic dreams. One that almost feels real and can get one addicted to it if used often."
Both women slowly turned their gaze to the two sleeping people next to them. Grayfia having a serene expression coupled with a flushed cheeks and Hachiman continuing to twitch in his sleep. Both looked below the water to find the boy's aroused member peeking through the water as he slowly mumbled. "I… can't go… another round… you two."
"Ara Ara, how naughty." Shuri said whilst giggling amused by his reaction. "He must be having his way with Rias-chan and Akeno. I can't wait to have grandkids soon, I always dreamed about spoiling them with lots of love and treats."
Venelana decided to stay quiet about the part that mentioned that the dreams can be easily influenced by the people around them. While making it indistinguishable from reality as they won't know that they fell into a dream in the first place.
And given that they were all close together before he dozed off… Venelana didn't know what to say to her friend, but decided to keep the titbit to herself for now. "Wait, Grayfia is also…"
Normally, someone like Grayfia wouldn't be affected by such a thing in the first place, but given she was already sleeping when she added the special bath bomb - she had no way to defend herself against it.
Her ears twitched as she heard her daughter in law mumble something in her sleep.
"… don't… make big sis… use her whip on you…"
"…"
"…"
Both women exchanged glances, confused and shocked at those words, that was unexpected. Just what was happening in her dream?
"D-Delete Field…"
Ah, it looked like Hachiman was now having a battle instead? Venelana hoped nothing too absurd was happening within his dream and that she was just being too paranoid.
Maybe she could give the rest of these bath bombs to her daughter, something told her she'd enjoy it.
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, and my other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters, Steel Eyed Faker soon to be 3 chapters, Hound having 1 and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.
For those who haven't guessed it by now, it was all just a dream :)
1) Yamato Nadeshiko is a Japanese term that refers to the personification of the idealized Japanese woman. Black hair, fair skin, petite, elegant, traditional, graceful, etc.
