The Lone Vigilante Issei – High School DxD
Greetings, it is I, yet again, Hide Shinyama.
Sorry for the interruption last time. I thought it was a good way to make a cliffhanger.
Neat is it not?
Anyway…
Last chapter the perverted trio have uncovered some intriguing things about their dates – and to some extensions their girlfriends. They feel like something sinister is going on, but they don't know what.
What is going on here?
Will Issei, Matsuda and Motohama find out? What's going on?
Find out in…
Chapter 4 – The next day
4th September, Tuesday, about 9:30 am – Kuoh Academy, on campus grounds
The perverted trio had just left the hallway. For some reason, they were not feeling great. The reason for that was not some illness or something, but rather because their girlfriends weren't there today. They were absent.
The perverted trio wondered whether their dates had something to with them. After all, they left either on a bad note or on a more worrying one. They felt especially bad because they were worried for them and wanted to check up on them… and because they hoped to get some answers or ideas on the mysterious things that were happening.
Issei was especially saddened, worried and anxious. He had been through a lot yesterday.
First, he ended a date on a sour note. Then, he killed someone in order to save another. After that received mysterious horrifying visions. And finally, found out creepy coincidences between him and his friends regarding the earlier points.
Just what was going on? Issei felt like he ended up in a mystery-thriller or something.
Looking at his friends Matsuda and Motohama, he could see that they felt the same way. Granted, they went through different things during their dates than he did, but as the perverted trio they were connected – in a lot of ways. Both of them understood his pain and were willing to be with him through the dark times, as well as the bright ones.
Speaking of the perverted trio and their pain, the three of them went to spend their break outside. Matsuda and Issei took a seat on the bench, while Issei paced up and down.
Issei was not in a good mood today, not only because of the events of yesterday, but also because he didn't sleep properly last night.
He got home past midnight, went to bed and couldn't sleep for the next half hour until he finally did at 1 am. As a result, he woke up later than usual, almost coming late for class. Moreover, he got reprimanded twice for nodding off and not paying attention in class. So, naturally, anyone can be in a bad mood.
But that wasn't all. Last night, the three of them wanted to continue their discussion at school during break-time, but despite reaching a sort of high point last time… they forgot what it was. This is why Issei was pacing up and down, trying to figure out what he had forgotten.
"Dude, calm down. Walking up and down won't necessarily get you your memories back. Why not sit down?" Matsuda told Issei, patting the empty spot between himself and Motohama.
Issei sighed. "Sorry, it's just… I just can't remember what I wanted to say at that one point…" Issei complained about his lack of memory.
"Dude, you'll get it back. You'll see…" Motohama consoled his friend.
"Let's hope you're right…" Issei replied, as he took a seat. Matsuda and Motohama moved away, so that Issei could sit.
Then, Issei looked at Motohama. "So, tell me again. What was it that you said about that anime 'Onegai Teacher'?" Issei questioned him.
Motohama looked confused, before remembering the relevance of said anime.
"Ah, yeah… yeah…
Flashback
"What if I was in a situation like that? You know… if I was in a standstill… and had someone forcing me to stay in a world of nothingness when I could be awake, living out my life in so many different ways… ways I could never imagine… places I never thought I would see… people who I never thought I would meet… Could I ever make that step? I don't know. But one thing I do know… I just want you there by my side. Whatever may come…"
Flashback end
"Wow… you sure put a lot of thought into that one," Matsuda commented impressed.
Motohama blushed and made a slight wave of his hand in dismissal.
"Oh, please… I… I wasn't anything great…" Motohama responded. "I mean… it's not every day I get philosophical like that."
"But seriously. It was deep. Like I got sucked into what you were saying," Matsuda insisted.
"Why thank you… thank you, man," Motohama replied flattered, before Issei cleared his throat.
"Guys, can we get back to the topic at hand?" Issei told them seriously.
""Yeah, yeah…"" Matsuda and Motohama responded together half-heartedly.
"So, you were saying something about yourself being in a standstill and being held in some kind of illusion of some kind. Then you told Julie that you wanted her to be by your side forever… Is that right?" Issei asked.
"Yup," Motohama confirmed with a nod.
"Well," Issei said, as he took Julie's mysterious note out and looked at it (Issei asked Motohama to give it to him a few minutes earlier). "If this note means anything in relation to what you just said, then that means Julie is trying to say – and I find it hard to believe – is…" Issei paused for dramatic effect.
Matsuda and Motohama looked at Issei with anticipation.
"… that we're in an illusion of some kind." Issei concluded. Issei looks at his friends.
They both have serious looks until... they broke out in laughter and rolled on the grass.
"""WAAAHAHAHAHAHAAAAH...!""" the three of them laughed hysterically at the ridiculousness of the theory Issei just espoused. I mean an illusion. Really?
While they were laughing, the other students were looking at them with odd looks.
"What's the matter with them?" a boy with brown hair and green eyes asked.
"I think it may have something to do with the fact that their girlfriends are not here," another boy with brown hair and blue eyes next to him replied. "I mean, they looked quite down earlier, so…"
"Yeah, they probably lost their minds or something. Grief makes people do crazy things," a girl with blue hair and blue eyes commented.
They would have said more things until some loud cries interrupted whatever they planned on saying in the form of the perverted lonely loser trio (I'll never get used to their unofficial title) running across the campus.
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH! WHY, OH LORD!? WHY CAN'T THOU GRANT US A PLACE AT A WOMAN'S BOSOM!?"
"LORD, HEAR OUR CRIES! SAVE US FROM THE MIRY PIT!"
"WHAT KIND OF LOVING GOD WOULD DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO HIS OWN CREATIONS!? YOU ARE DEAD TO ME! YOU HEAR ME!? DEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAD!"
While the student body looked on with bewilderment (including the perverted trio, who had stopped their laughter for a second), they saw the kendo club with raging and shouting, coming after them with their kendo sticks ready to kill.
"'CUZ YOU'RE A BUNCH OF PERVERTS THAT'S WHY!"
"NOBODY GETS AWAY WITH BREAKING INTO OUR CHANGING ROOM…"
"…AND THEN TRIES TO JUMP ON US WHILE WE ARE CHANGING, YOU RAPISTS!"
"YOU! THE ATHEIST! YOU SUCKED MY BREASTS! I'M GONNA GIVE YOU FIRST-HAND EVIDENCE OF GOD ONCE I KILL YOU!"
"YOU BETTER BE PRAYING TO GOD, 'CUZ YOU'RE GONNA NEED IT ONCE WE GET YOU!"
The pathetic rapist trio (that sounds even better than the last name!) looked behind them in horror and ran even faster.
"""DAMN THEE, HYOUDOU!""" they cried, as they disappeared around the corner with the kendo girls hot on their heels.
Once again, people were dumbfounded at what had happened.
"You were saying?" the brown-haired boy with green eyes asked the blue-haired girl.
"Wow, even the perverted trio didn't go this far…" another girl with pink hair and pink eyes stated with a shudder.
"Yeah, they must be getting really desperate if they're going to jump on those girls like that and… ugh!" a girl with blonde hair and green eyes said in disgust.
"Ummm… I think I'm going to go inside for a while…" a red-haired girl said.
"Good idea…" another red-haired girl agreed, as she and her friend departed.
"Saji, do you think someone should call the cops on them?" a black-haired and dark-eyed boy asked.
"I think what the kendo club is going to give them is hell enough… Let's leave it at that," the blonde boy named Saji Genshiro said.
Everyone went their own way and minded their own business.
On the other hand, the perverted trio (our heroes) remained where they lay on the grass… until they broke out in laughter once again.
"Ohoohhhooo… What was that…? Ahahaha…" Motohama asked, while laughing.
"They're… Ahahaha… being chased for pouncing on the kendo club… while they were dressing! Ohhooohohoho…" Issei added, barely containing his laughter.
"Yeah, it's even funnier than your theory of us being stuck in some kind of illusion… Ahahaha…" Matsuda replied.
At that moment, Issei stopped laughing and had a more confused look on his face.
"What do you mean?" Issei asked, as he got up from the ground. "I was being serious about that."
At that, Matsuda and Motohama also stopped laughing and got up as well. They gave Issei an inquiring look, while doing so.
"Wait… are you for real?" Matsuda asked.
Issei nodded. "Yeah," he simply said.
For a few seconds neither of them said anything, only awkward silence reigned in the air, despite the cries of the pathetic rapist trio being beaten up, ringing through the air.
"Then…" Matsuda spoke up. "…why were you laughing with us?"
"I couldn't help it. You started laughing. So… it was contagious. There's nothing else to it," Issei simply replied.
The two of them looked at Issei with a frown.
"You can't be serious, man. An illusion? What is this? 'The Matrix' or something?" Motohama scoffed.
"Yeah, how on earth could that be true? I mean, look around," Matsuda replied, looking around. "Does this look like an illusion to you?"
"Look, guys. I know it sounds crazy, but what else could Julie's note have meant? You said so yourself that what you said about 'Onegai Teacher' was that you were stuck in an illusion of some kind, right? Then logically, this is what she was talking about."
"Yeah, but… well…" Motohama tried to argue, but couldn't because he had no other explanation to what Julie was referring to. He tried to remember but all he could think of… confirmed precisely to what Issei theorized.
"Well… umm… but… it sounds so crazy…. unrealistically even…" Motohama stuttered.
"What other explanations do we even have?" Issei asked rhetorically.
Matsuda pinched the bridge of his nose in thought, before he spoke up. "Suppose what you're saying is tr-"
"What? You actually believe him?" Motohama asked Matsuda incredulously.
"I said suppose. I'm just making a hypothetical statement," Matsuda defended himself. Motohama calmed down at that and gestured Matsuda to continue.
"Anyway, suppose what you said is true, two questions must be asked. One, how did we get into this 'illusion'? And two, how do we get out?" Matsuda asked Issei.
Issei just shrugged. "I don't know. In fact, I myself have a hard time even believing this theory myself. Besides, Julie was the one suggesting it in her note, so… how should I know? I'm just following logic."
All three of them sighed at their lack of real progress here. Everyone was still upset because of yesterday's events and they weren't exactly happy at being left in the dark. They didn't know where to continue until Issei decided to look through Julie's note once again.
"I still wonder who the 'she' is. Any ideas?" Issei asked his friends.
Matsuda shook his head, along with Motohama.
Matsuda sat there on the bench, brooding about yesterday's date with Nathalie. As he was thinking his eyebrows made a frown, then his eyes widened and then…
"Guys! I think I know who it is!" Matsuda exclaimed. He jumped up from the bench, startling the other two.
"Y-you do?" Motohama asked curiously.
"Y-yeah, you know who it is?" Issei asked anxiously.
"In a way, yes," Matsuda said with a sense of confidence. "You remember how I told you guys about my date with Nathalie and how she seemed to be talking to someone inside the bathroom, right?" The two of them nodded in response.
"Good. Because I think whoever Nathalie was talking to in there is the mysterious 'she' in question," Matsuda concluded, causing Issei and Motohama to widen their eyes in shock.
"What!?" Issei exclaimed.
"Did you hear her or something? How did she sound like?" Motohama asked, as he and Issei both moved their faces closer to him.
"Actually, no…" Matsuda replied, gesturing his buddies to move back a bit with his hands. "But I've been thinking for a while and a lot of crazy coincidences come to mind – coincidences that I think are far too much of a coincidence to be true."
Stunned by Matsuda's statement, they said nothing and gestured Matsuda to continue.
"Remember that dragon from my dream I told you about?" Matsuda started. Issei and Motohama nodded. "Well, the dragon told me to 'warn the others' because 'she's coming for you', before diving into the abyss with that… ugh… loli pedobear abomination… thing," Matsuda said in disgust at the memories of the monster that chased him yesterday.
"Yeah, good thing that dragon came," Issei consoled his friend.
"So, you're telling us that the dragon from your dream was talking about the same 'she' that Julie talked about, right?" Motohama guessed to which Matsuda nodded.
"Exactly, and not only that, but when the dragon said 'Warn the others' I think what it meant to say was to warn you guys," Matsuda reasoned.
"What? That's crazy!" Motohama exclaimed in disbelief.
"I believe you and all, but how can a dragon from a dream even know about our problems?" Issei asked.
Matsuda just shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Just like with your illusion-dream theory, I also have no idea how that dragon knows our problems."
Issei looked away for a bit. It's just one crazy thing after the next and Issei needed to digest everything, so he decided to tune out for a bit.
However, Motohama had a question. "Say, what did the dragon look like?"
Matsuda put a hand under his chin, as he tried to remember. "Well… it was red… big… had a gruff voice… To be honest, I didn't see much because he disappeared into the darkness below me… Oh, wait! I remember something!" Matsuda said, as he took his hand away from his chin and snapped his fingers.
"What is it?" Motohama queried.
"I think I've heard his voice before," Matsuda answered, making Motohama curious.
"Really? Where did you hear it before?" Motohama asked.
"I think I heard his voice in class yesterday... for some reason. I think he was singing in class. Something about… touching… tralala… or something…" Matsuda replied, as he remembered that incident yesterday and getting the vibes that he was being laughed at.
"Wait, you heard that, too?" Motohama asked intrigued.
"Good question. You heard it, too? I thought I was the only one," Issei added, having stopped his mulling to speak up.
"Wow… that's crazy… All three of us heard the same voice… That's… a coincidence. I was wondering why you were all looking around like curious puppies," Matsuda remarked.
Issei and Motohama looked at Matsuda with a deadpanned expression.
"Haha…" Motohama laughed sarcastically. "… as though we weren't doing the same."
"Sorry," Matsuda simply replied, before Issei spoke up.
"If I remember correctly, that voice was… gruff… something you might expect of a dragon… but… for some reason I feel like I know this voice from somewhere. Don't ask me why, but… I just do…" Issei commented.
"It's just more questions raised than answered, huh?" Motohama remarked at the growing mystery that they were dealing with.
"Well… at least we're going somewhere," Matsuda replied with a content smile.
Motohama chuckled in response. "That's true," he simply stated.
While Matsuda and Motohama looked at each other, Issei spoke up once again.
"There's something that's been bothering me this whole time… you know… about those weird occurrences since yesterday…" Issei told Matsuda and Motohama.
"What about them?" Matsuda asked Issei.
Issei cleared his throat before speaking. "It's… it's just the feeling that our dates, our girlfriends, those voices, dreams, feelings of déjà-vu, this mysterious 'she' and that dragon… are all somehow interconnected. I feel like… something big is going on. And whatever it is… I have the harrowing feeling that we're going to find out… real soon."
Matsuda and Motohama said nothing. They did so not because they weren't shocked but because they were unsettled. Indeed, they felt the same way Issei did. This 'she' whoever she is was trying to attack them for some reason. But why? They felt like this question couldn't be answered now, so they let it be for now. All they knew was that they needed to be on their guard from now on.
"Grrr…" Issei growled for some reason, getting Matsuda and Motohama's attention.
"What's wrong, man?" Motohama asked.
"Yeah, did you find out something else?" Matsuda asked as well.
Issei shook his head. "It's the opposite actually. I get the feeling that there was… something else we wanted to talk about last night that… ugh… for some reason I can't remember. It's like someone cut my train of thought right then and there. That's why I was pacing up and down earlier."
"Oh… I see…" Matsuda said with a blank face. Motohama nodded to his statement. They both didn't know what to do with what Issei just said.
"I don't know what it was… but for some reason I get the feeling that it was something important… If only I could remember…" Issei said with a frown.
Matsuda laid a hand on Issei's shoulder. "Don't worry. You'll remember. Just give it some time. It will come back."
Issei just snorted in response.
"You know," Issei said, as he turned around to face Matsuda. "I don't know if you've realized this, but… I have the feeling that we won't have a lot of time."
Matsuda and Motohama gulped at that for they, too, were worried. Worst of all, although they were making progress, being unable to find out what was going on was still a defeat for them.
Wanting to contribute Motohama gestured with his hand to have Issei give him something.
Issei looked confused. "What is it?"
"The note, I just want to see something," Motohama replied.
"OK… I don't know what you want to look for… but fine. Here it is," Issei said, as he passed him the note.
Motohama looked through it until he came to the end of the note.
"Say, guys," Motohama spoke up. "What do you think the last part means?"
This piqued Issei's and Matsuda's interest.
"What part?" Matsuda asked. Motohama read the part in question.
"'Look for the true author.' What does that mean?" Motohama repeated.
Issei frowned, before walking over to Motohama to see the sentence in question. Matsuda looked at it as well.
"I'm not sure," Matsuda replied. "What does she mean by author? Is she referring to someone in particular?"
"It could be," Motohama reasoned, as he turned his face to Matsuda. "In fact, I'm sure of it. The only question is 'What author?' Is it the author of a book or something?"
Matsuda nodded, before he spoke. "Yeah. What's more, what has an author got to do with anything? Are we involved in some kind of literature book heist or… maybe something to do with kidnapping and copyright issues?"
Motohama chuckled at that. "Maybe the author is involved in making pornos and one of the girls involved is out to get him." He added jokingly.
The two of them laughed for a few seconds, before calming down.
"Ahaha… ahaha… hooh… That made little sense," Matsuda said, his laughter ceasing immediately.
"Well, yeah… and to be honest, it also makes no sense to involve Julie and Nathalie… or even us, despite the fact that we buy a lot of porn," Motohama nodded, also no longer laughing.
As they tried to figure out what Julie meant by that phrase, they looked at Issei.
"Yo, Issei! Any ideas?" Motohama asked.
Issei didn't say anything at first, but then he opened his mouth slowly, as he prepared to speak.
"There's something here that I've noticed…" Issei began, getting his friends' attention. "… It speaks of a 'true author', meaning that if a 'true author' exists, then logically that also means that there is such a thing as a 'fake author'. Don't you think?"
Matsuda and Motohama took the note and looked at it. Something in their minds clicked. Of course… Why didn't they think of that? But still…
"You've got a point there, but the question still is: 'Who is this author?' and 'What is he the author of?'" Matsuda added.
"Yeah… and also… who is the fake?" Issei said, mulling about this aspect of their mystery.
Great. Just great. Now they've got even more on their plate than before.
What's more, this wasn't something they could think about all day because…
"Umm… excuse me boys," a voice said. The perverted trio turned around to see who it was.
To their surprise, it was Monique, their hot new teacher, who somehow managed to approach them unnoticed.
"S-sensei… uh… What gives…?" Issei asked nervously.
Monique, still smiling, put a hand on her hip. "I don't know if you've noticed, but the bell already rang five minutes ago. Everyone has gone in. You're lucky I managed to see you before I went in. Otherwise, you would have been in deep trouble."
The perverted trio looked at her in confusion, before Motohama looked down at his watch.
"Oh crap!" Motohama exclaimed, startling Issei and Matsuda. "It's 9:55! Let's go, guys. We're late!"
The other two recovered from their shock and nodded. They quickly got up from the bench with Motohama quickly stuffing Julie's note into his pocket.
"Thanks, sensei! Sorry, sensei!" Issei called out, as he and his friends ran towards the building, trying to get there as soon as possible.
"It's Monique! Just Monique!" Monique called out after them something that they barely heard.
As soon as they disappeared into the building, Monique giggled to herself.
"Just Monique. Teehee."
4th September, Tuesday, about 11:20 am – Kuoh Academy, in the hallway
Class had just ended and it was time for the break. Everybody was leaving the classroom after another typical school lesson and were ready to enjoy their well-deserved break – except the perverted trio (not that they didn't leave the classroom, of course! Staying inside the classroom during break-time was prohibited).
The three of them were focused on solving their mystery. In fact, they barely managed to focus on the lessons.
However, even after all the time they spent thinking, they still had a hard time figuring out what was going on.
Sure, they may have uncovered some logical conclusions, but those were… still hard to believe.
Even if they were believable, they didn't know where to go from there. They still had yet to find out who the culprit, this 'she', even was. Moreover, they didn't even know who the author in Julie's note was.
Heck, they didn't even know what was going on, so what could they do?
All they could do for the moment was to wait and see what else may happen.
The three of them were walking towards the cafeteria to grab something to eat, when Matsuda theorized about what Issei said earlier.
'An illusion…' Matsuda thought, as he shook his head. 'How can any of this not be real?'
Despite his denial, he decided to pinch his cheek just to be sure.
"Ouch!" Matsuda yelped out in pain. He rubbed his cheek and looked at his surroundings. 'OK, definitely not an illusion,' he said, convinced that this wasn't a dream.
"What are you doing?" Issei asked with an inquisitive look on his face.
"Just… trying to confirm your theory of this being some sort of dream… that's all," Matsuda stated.
Motohama just sighed upon hearing Matsuda's answer.
"You know," Motohama said with a distant look on his face. "I really wish this was a dream."
Issei and Matsuda stopped and looked at Motohama in surprise.
"What? Why?" Matsuda asked in shock.
To their surprise once again, Motohama had a noticeably sad look on his face, as he put away his phone.
"It's… I tried to call Julie, but…" Motohama said sadly. "…She just won't pick up the phone…"
The two of them looked at Motohama with pity. But then, a metaphorical light-bulb went up to their heads.
"That's right! We should call them. How come we didn't think of it sooner?" Issei exclaimed.
"Good idea!" Matsuda nodded.
A mood of optimism suddenly overcame the perverted trio – even Motohama who had failed to reach Julie cheered up a bit. But as Matsuda and Issei of them reached for their phones… the memories of their respective dates came to mind.
"Nathalie…" Matsuda said somberly.
"Sally…" Issei said in the same manner.
"What's wrong, guys?" Motohama asked.
"It's just… After all that has happened yesterday between us… I don't know if I should be doing this," Issei said, as he remembered his fallout with Sally.
"And in my case… I'm not even sure if Nathalie is alive… because you know… the she… may have done something to her. You know?" Matsuda replied.
"Well…" Motohama fumbled around as he tried to come up with something to comfort his friends.
He started with Issei. "You should just try anyway, right? Better talk to Sally and clear things up before it gets worse," Motohama advised him with a somewhat forced smile.
Issei nodded, as he tried his luck calling her. Motohama turned to Matsuda next.
"Look, maybe Nathalie is fine. She could just be resting at home or something… You should try calling her, too," Motohama suggested.
Just like Issei, Matsuda tried calling his girlfriend, too.
It wasn't long before they put away their phones feeling more down than ever.
"No reply…" Issei said.
"Ditto…" Matsuda added.
None of them said a word, as they looked away from each other, too saddened to say anything.
As if of one mind, they decided to move to one side of the wall and slump down into a sitting position. Some of the girls that passed by glared at them or kept their distance from them, thinking it may be another attempt at peeping by looking under their skirts.
They didn't notice that none of the boys were in a mood for their usual perversions. Rather, they were just looking down to the floor in silence. All they felt was helplessness… and sadness.
"You know, Motohama, you have a point," Issei said, as he looked up.
"What point is that?" Motohama asked.
"It's about your point earlier, when you said that you wished all this was a dream," Issei answered with an impassive look.
"What about it?" Motohama asked again with a tired tone.
Issei sighed. "I wish this was all a dream, too."
Nobody said a word. They just nodded at what Issei said.
"I mean all this…" Issei continued, as he looked to the ceiling. "…craziness that has happened recently… our girlfriends behaving oddly and not answering our calls… those visions… oh, yeah! I forgot something…" he turned to look at his friends sitting next to him.
"… just today in the news I heard that the guy I killed last night was found. The police said it was 'gruesome'…" Issei simply said as if it was nothing special. He had been through a lot of ups and downs with his friends, after all.
"Wow, on the run from the law, huh?" Matsuda remarked lifeless, but impressed at the same time.
"Yeah. I just can't believe so much has happened… again, you were right, Motohama. I really wish all this was a dream," Issei commented.
"*Sigh* You and me both," Motohama replied with a sigh.
"Me three," Matsuda added.
After that, they said nothing. They just sat there in the hallway doing nothing, ignoring the inquisitive looks of any passersby passing by. The perverted trio may have looked like poor hobos having a bad day, but they simply didn't care. After twenty seconds, Motohama spoke up.
"So… what are we going to do next?" Motohama asked.
Issei and Matsuda stirred themselves. They gave Motohama a questioning look.
"What do you mean?" Matsuda asked.
"I mean… it's obvious we're stuck with our… what's the word…? Oh yeah. Investigations. But I don't really feel like sitting around here and get into trouble for loitering or something. That's why I'm wondering what we're going to do now," Motohama answered.
"Well you have a point," Issei replied with a shrug, as he got up, the other two doing the same.
"I think I'll just take a walk," Issei said, as he made his way towards the campus grounds outside the building. He looked over his shoulder before he left.
"You guys wanna come?" Issei asked.
They shook their heads.
"No thanks. I… I think I'll go to the bathroom," Matsuda replied.
Issei turned his face to Motohama.
"And you?" Issei asked.
"I'm going peeking. I've gotta make sure my three-sizes scouter instincts stay sharp," Motohama answered, as he adjusted his glasses.
"Going it alone, huh?" Matsuda asked with his eyebrows raised. Motohama responded with a nod.
"It's not like I don't have a plan. I found a way through the vents which I think goes just above the girls' locker room. I found it a few days ago. In fact, I even went through it the other day," Motohama explained.
"Sounds interesting but… I think I'll pass. I… need some time alone…" Issei responded, as he walked away.
Matsuda and Motohama looked on sadly as their friend walked away. He really wasn't feeling well if he was going to turn down a peeking opportunity like this.
"What about you? Need some time alone, too?" Motohama asked Matsuda.
Matsuda shook his head. "Nah, I think I could need something like this. Though let me go to the bathroom first, then we can start."
Motohama smiled in response. "Sure thing," he said.
Motohama leaned against the wall, as Matsuda went into the bathroom.
Motohama sighed once again. Even though, he was just as depressed as the rest of his friends were, he knew he couldn't let their depression get the better of them. Life still went on, after all. What better medicine than to do what they had always done? Peeking. Motohama couldn't wait until Matsuda came out of the bathroom. Even though, Issei didn't want to come (which really was a bummer) he still hoped to get something of worth value for today – namely in the form of panties, bras and three sizes.
4th September, Tuesday, about 11:37 am – Kuoh Academy, on campus grounds
Issei walked as he tried to rest his mind. He lay down on the bench where he and Matsuda and Motohama were sitting on about two hours earlier. He looked up to the sky, as he let his mind drift.
It felt really nice, just looking up to the sky and doing nothing but laze around. It also gave him a lot of room to think. Right now, however, he could only think about one thing.
"Sally…" it came from his lips.
Indeed. All he could think of was the cutesy coral-pink haired girl that made him feel like he was in heaven. The girl that made him feel alive… the girl that he shared his love and soul with… the girl that showed him so many things… taught him so many things… and yet… he broke her heart… All just because he couldn't remember their first meeting.
'This is so stupid,' Issei scolded himself. 'Why am I so forgetful?'
What kind of boyfriend would forget the first time he met his girlfriend?
Issei sighed. He just wished he could lie there forever, but he knew that he had to get back to class sooner or later. Before he managed to get up, he heard footsteps coming towards him. Issei wondered who it was, when he saw Monique to his surprise.
"Monique-sensei!" Issei said, as he quickly sat up.
"Relax, Issei," Monique raised her hands, telling him to calm down. "I just wanted to talk to you for a moment that's all."
"Talk?" Issei asked. Monique nodded.
"Yes. I wanted to talk to you about why you've been acting so down recently."
4th September, Tuesday, about 11:39 am – Kuoh Academy, inside some vents
"Man, this is cramped!" Matsuda complained.
"Yeah, but the end result is worth it, right?" Motohama replied with a strained smile.
At the moment, Matsuda and Motohama were crawling through the vents like Solid Snake from Metal Gear. Finding the place wasn't easy. They had to get to the roof undetected, open the vent, climb in by using each other as a human ladder and then pull the other in and then get used to the size of the vent. Pretty exciting, but it would suck if neither of them could get out afterwards. Even if they managed to get out, they would still have to explain where they went. After all, by the time they were done classes would have already started.
On top of that, Matsuda was worried – worried should Motohama fart, since Matsuda was moving right behind Motohama.
"Are you sure we're on the right path? What if we end up somewhere else?" Matsuda asked concerned.
"No worries, man. I've been through these vents before. Trust me. I know where we're going," Motohama assured his friend.
"OK…" Matsuda simply said, as the two of them continued on their way.
"Tell me something," Matsuda spoke up. "When did you find this place?"
Both of them continued crawling, as Motohama started to explain.
"Even though I was preoccupied with getting Julie on my side, I still took the time to search for new peeing spots. I looked high and low until I came upon this place three days ago," Motohama answered.
Then he stopped when both of them heard some voices.
"We're almost there," Motohama told Matsuda with glint in his eye. "Hold on. Somewhere nearby is a grate of some kind."
They moved a little while forward until they found it and with it the view of attractive sophomores getting dressed for gym class. The girls were laughing and conversing with each other, being completely oblivious to the perverted boys hiding in the vents above them.
"Ohohoho… There we are…" Motohama said in delight, making sure not to be too loud. "The blonde girl to the left has really wide hips!"
"Hey, let me see!" Matsuda said, as he pushed Motohama aside.
"Oh, wow! The girl with the drill-curls is hot!" Matsuda remarked.
"Yeah, though she still doesn't have the marvelous three sizes of Julie!" Motohama said, comparing his girlfriend with that of the girl below him.
"Yeah, whatever. But boy! Look at that!" Matsuda pointed at the pink-haired sophomore taking off her skirt. "I bet her chest is flat, but she sure is cute – like Nathalie!"
"Hey, move for a bit…" Motohama nudged Matsuda away for a bit and started to ogle a girl with purple hair. "…sexy bra… and her hair… they really fit! Reminds of Julie by the way…"
"Hey, can I…?" Matsuda nudged back. "Hey, check the girl with the red bra." He pointed at the blue-haired girl at the door. "She acts so tsundere-like that I instantly think of her as a blue-haired version of Nathalie."
At this Motohama looks away from the girls for a moment and gives Matsuda a quizzical look. "Dude. We're dealing with girls in their lingerie. So why are you bringing up Nathalie right now?"
Motohama shot back a glare in return. "Who are you to talk? You're the one talking about Julie here this whole time!"
They glared at each other until they realized the answer to Motohama's question and instantly their mood fell. Their happiness at peeping had faded away, as they thought of their girlfriends. They sighed in sadness once again, as the girls started to leave for gym class.
"Why is it so hard to forget?" Matsuda sighed feeling depressed once again.
"I don't know," Motohama replied with a somber tone. "I guess when you have a girlfriend, things change for you."
They didn't say anything more. They just remained there and turned their faces to enjoy whatever girls were still left changing, yet couldn't do so because of the somber mood that had taken hold of them once again.
As soon as every girl had left for gym class, Matsuda started venting out his frustration.
"This isn't fair! Why does it have to be this way!" Matsuda ranted.
"I know how you feel, man. I know how you feel…" Motohama tried to comfort him.
"I mean, does anything go right in our lives? All this time, we've been hated, our passions and dreams mocked and had suffer through so many indignities for them. And now that we finally get our happiness, it's all cut short and we're left off worse than before! Why does it always have to be us?" Matsuda ranted further until he covered his face in grief.
"I understand, man. I understand… I miss Julie just as much as you miss Nathalie…" Motohama consoled him, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Where are you Nathalie…? Why couldn't you tell me? Why couldn't you tell me what's going on?" Matsuda lamented.
Motohama groaned. This peeping operation had already gone down the drain before it even started. They may not have been caught, but… just their broken love lives just ruined the joy for peeping.
Motohama clenched his fist and punched the floor of the vent in frustration.
"Darn it!" Motohama cursed loudly, not caring if anyone heard him (nobody except Matsuda did by the way). "This is not how it's supposed to be! It's supposed to be a time for healthy libidos, not grieving souls! OK. That does it! I've had enough of this! By all the gods that are in heaven and on earth, I call upon you to tell us what the f*** is going on or at least send us someone WHO CAN!" he shouted out the last part, his shout echoing through the vents.
"Dude, let's just go. We're late for class," Matsuda told Motohama.
Motohama just nodded. "Yeah, let's go…"
Both of them were ready to go out by the way they came until…
[Matsuda… Motohama… Help me!] a voice cried out.
Matsuda and Motohama were startled and halted upon hearing this voice.
"Dude, did you just hear that?" Motohama asked.
"Yeah, I did," Matsuda replied. "It sounded like someone was calling us."
"But who…?" Motohama wanted to say more until the voice spoke again.
[Get me out of here!] the voice cried out again. It was at that moment that Matsuda realized something.
"Dude, I know that voice!" Matsuda told Motohama much to the latter's surprise.
"You do?" Matsuda looked at him in disbelief.
"Yeah. Remember what I told you about my date with Nathalie yesterday and how this voice called for help out of nowhere?" Motohama asked with Matsuda nodding in response.
"That's the same voice," Matsuda answered.
"Are you sure?" Motohama asked skeptically.
"Yeah, of course I'm sure," Matsuda replied firmly. "And for whatever reason we can hear it here."
[Guys! I know you've got a lot of questions, but can you just get me out first?] the voice called out again.
"We're coming!" Matsuda called out. "Just be patient. OK?"
Matsuda turned around and wanted to go the opposite way they came in, but Motohama was in the way.
"Dude, what are you doing?" Motohama asked him.
"Why helping that guy. What else?" Matsuda asked rhetorically.
"I don't know about this. What if it could be a trap of some kind?" Motohama asked worried.
"Dude, I may not know who it is or why he is in here, but for some reason I get the feeling that this person is really in trouble. Plus, I don't like the idea of leaving someone in trouble. So, can you please move aside?" Matsuda replied sternly, causing Motohama to sigh.
"All right, no need to get so aggressive. I'll go forward…" Motohama replied, as he turned around and went the other direction.
Together they crawled in the approximate direction of where the voice came from, leading them away from the girls' locker room and towards the gym. Eventually, they came towards a dead end in which the vent moved upwards towards the roof of the gym hall which was some seven meters above from where they were.
"OK, now how do we get up there?" Matsuda asked, causing Motohama to look at him with a deadpan expression.
"It's easy. We climb up there," Motohama answered him, as if it was the most obvious answer in the world.
"Like how?" Matsuda replied still unsure.
Motohama decided to stand up and try to get a good grasp of the vent. Then he jumped up, keeping his left arm and leg pressed against one side of the vent and the other arm and leg on the other side of the vent (like a spider).
"Like this," Motohama answered him, as he climbed up slowly, making sure not to slip and fall down.
"Oh…" Matsuda replied and soon imitated Motohama in doing the same thing.
It took about a minute until they reached the top of the vent. It wasn't easy, but in the end, they managed to do it. Both of them were pooped once they reached the top.
"Man… that was… close," Matsuda said, panting in exhaustion. "I thought… I was going to… fall for a second… Thanks… for pulling me up…"
"No… problem…" Motohama responded just as tired. "I just hope… getting up here was worth it…"
[Guys, I'm up ahead!] the voice called, causing the two of themselves to prop up. That was when they saw something like a white spiraling portal.
"Dude, what's that?" Matsuda asked, as he pointed toward the object in question.
"I don't know. But whatever it is, that must be where the voice must be calling from," Motohama guessed.
They approached it cautiously, making sure not to get too close to it. Unfortunately, though…
"What the…?"
"What the heck!"
… the portal suddenly sucked them in. They tried to hold on as good as they could but to no avail. A bright light flashed, causing them to disappear into the portal.
4th September, Tuesday, about 11:44 am – ?, ?
Matsuda and Motohama opened their eyes. To their shock, they found themselves in a huge white void of emptiness. Matsuda looked down and even then, the floor looked no different from the sky. It looks as if they were walking on air.
They looked left and right until their eyes laid upon a man tied unto a chair. He had black hair, a white shirt, dark-blue jeans with a black belt and brown shoes. He had a typical Asian appearance, except his had a different feel about him – something different from normal people.
The man laid his eyes on the perverted trio and made a sigh of relief upon seeing them.
"Thank goodness. You're here. I've been calling for you for quite some time now," the man said in relief.
"Well… yeah. You could say that," Matsuda answered, as he made his way to the man and undid his ties. With Motohama helping him, they managed to free the man quite fast. The man got up and stretched himself.
"Ahhh… Thanks guys," the man thanked them. "I've been tied up here for weeks without end and I have to say it's good to be free."
Matsuda and Motohama widened their eyes. ""W-w-weeks?"" the both exclaimed in shock.
The man nodded. "Hard to believe? Not surprising. It's even more tormenting when you consider that in all this time I wasn't able to eat drink or even go to the bathroom."
"Th-then how did you…" Matsuda wanted to continue but the man knew what he wanted to say.
"I don't know," the man shrugged. "I guess it's not the real world, so I guess things don't really work the way it should."
Matsuda and Motohama looked at him dumbfounded, not saying anything. Who was this person?
But then the man's expression became serious.
"But enough of the chit-chat. Where's your friend, Issei Hyoudou?" the man asked.
They looked at him in shock once again.
"How do you know about Issei? In fact, scratch that! How do you even know our names in the first place?" Motohama demanded.
"Yeah, and who are you anyway? And how did you get here?" Matsuda demanded as well.
"There's no time!" the man said urgently. "I can explain on the way. For now, we need to get out of here and find Issei!"
"Why?" Motohama asked.
"Because…" the man started until a faint but audible sound echoed through the void, causing them to look around them.
"What the f*** was that?" Motohama wondered, as he looked around.
"It sounded like a howl or something," Matsuda guessed.
The man's face made a worried expression. "Oh crap! She's unto us!"
"Who? Who is unto us?" Motohama asked intrigued and worried as well.
"The mastermind! She's sent one of her henchmen! This isn't good! We've got to get out of here! Now!" the man commanded, as he looked around in all directions.
"Which way did you come from, guys!?" the man demanded them urgently.
Matsuda and Motohama looked around in a panic and pointed in all kinds of directions.
"Maybe it was that way…" Matsuda pointed in one direction.
"No, I think it was the other…" Motohama pointed in another direction.
The man groaned, as he started to run. "No, time to lose! Run!"
Matsuda and Motohama obeyed and were running right behind the man.
At that moment, the howl or cry became more distinguishable.
(olo…lo…lo…) the howl went. This caused Matsuda's face to pale out of fright. He looked behind him and started running faster.
"Nononono… please don't… don't let it be true…" Matsuda muttered to himself.
"What's wrong? You look pale," Motohama commented, as he tried to keep up with Matsuda.
"That voice… No way, it can't be true!" Matsuda said, his head shaking in denial.
"What? What can't be true?" Motohama questioned. That was when he heard the howl again.
(OLOlolo…olol..Ololo…) the howl echoed once again, causing Motohama to look backward and see something brown running towards them. Worried, Motohama turned to Matsuda to get some answers.
"What is that thing? Do you know what that is?" Motohama asked Matsuda, causing him to look back for a moment before quickly turning it back forward.
"No… THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!" Matsuda screamed, ignoring Motohama's question.
"Again. What is it!?" Motohama pressed Matsuda for answers.
((WOLOLOLO))
"It's that accursed thing…" Matsuda began explain.
((WOLOLOLOLOLOLO!))
"…from my nightmares at Nathalie's house…"
((WOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLO!))
"…and it's trying to rape us!"
((WOLOLOLOLOLOLOLO! UNDERAGE MALE BOOOOOBS! MUST HAVE THEM! WOLOLOLOOOOOO!)) the three-eyed bear rapist scream in delight, as it picked up its pace.
"""OHHHH, CRAAAAAAAP!""" all three of them shouted in despair, running as fast as they could.
4th September, Tuesday, about 11:45 am – Kuoh Academy, on campus grounds
Issei didn't want to do this since class was about to start. But Monique told him that he would be excused from class and that his mental health came first.
And so, Issei told her about how Sally and he had their date and how it turned sour. He also told Monique of how worried he was about their relationship and even about his concerns about being forgetful. Of course, Issei did not tell her about how he killed that one rapist on the way home, which also weighed on his mind, nor did he tell her about those strange visions he had. Issei also made sure to talk as little of his buddies' problems as possible since they weren't the issue.
Overall, Monique showed a lot of understanding and empathy. What's more, she barely even talked all this time. Issei was the one who talked on and on, as if he finally had a means to express himself – a means to relieve himself of the pain and fears he had within him.
Once they were done Monique, who was sitting next to Issei, spoke up.
"I see…" Monique said in response to everything Issei told her.
"Yeah," Issei simply said.
"It sure sounds like a difficult situation you're going through…" Monique remarked.
"Yeah," Issei repeated with a nod.
After that, there was silence. Nobody said a word. Issei for one didn't feel like talking and Monique knew that what Issei needed was some time to think. The wind rustled through the autumn foliage and the sky had become cloudy. It looked like it was going to rain.
Nevertheless, Monique didn't seem to be finished yet. There was something about her that seemed like she wanted to say more. Not that Issei ever noticed, since he was too focused on his thoughts to even bother about Monique.
Monique looked Issei into the eyes getting his attention.
"Issei… I know it sounds incredible, but… after everything you've gone through… it may be for the best…" Monique said, as she looked away a bit shyly.
This caused Issei to look at her with surprise before frowning.
"What do you mean 'It's for the best'? How can any of that be 'for the best'?" Issei asked irritated.
Monique raised her arms defensively. "I didn't mean to offend you. So, hear me out, all right?" Monique responded. This caused Issei to quiet down and gesture her to explain.
"Nobody likes going through difficulties and heartbreaks like the one you and Sally are dealing with. However, young couples who enter into a relationship are still new in dealing with a romantic relationship each other. They sooner or later come across problems, like misunderstandings or fights or tiffs. What you need to do is to get back into contact with each other, try to talk to each other…"
"I tried," Issei interrupted Monique rudely. "But she won't pick up the phone!"
"Well, then try calling her later or better yet, visit her and talk things out," Monique suggested. "These are things that you can't always solve immediately. They take time and patience. Until then, you shouldn't waste your time worrying. And also, relationships may be strained from time to time, but when they remain intact the become even stronger. And so, not only do you learn about yours and Sally's problems and how to deal with them…"
Monique stopped before looking Issei deep into his eyes once again. Issei blushed a bit at how close she was. She was… quite the beauty and for the first time he realized things about her he didn't notice before like the smell of shampoo tickling his nose. He noticed more things, but was prevented from thinking about them because Monique resumed her speech.
"…but by learning how to be patient and talking to people about your problems, you also learn how to deal with the difficulties in life in general."
Issei didn't have anything to say. He knew she was right. Nevertheless, even though he was glad to talk to someone like Monique about his problems, he still felt down because of Sally and also because he needed to think.
"Besides," Monique continued speaking. "You're really going to need patience and the ties you have with your friends to get out of the situation you're in."
Issei looked at her in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
"I… well… you'll see…" Monique said, acting strangely cagey for some reason. She got up from the bench and went into the building.
Before she left, she turned around one last time. "One more thing. You should look for your friends. They need you right now."
"Wait! What are y-" Issei tried to ask once again, but then the wind blew into his face along with some leaves.
When he looked up, Monique was gone.
That took a while. Things have been delaying me once again. I really hope to publish a new chapter every two weeks instead of three, but I lately I seem to get a bit negligent I suppose.
So, sorry for that.
Anyway, so the perverted trio has come closer to solving this mystery than before. But has now come to a dead-end.
Just for clarification: The scene where Matsuda and Motohama meet this guy never happened! So, ignore it please!
As for Issei, it seems like he got some good advice from Monique. But what is he going to do next and what on earth was she talking about?
Anyway…
U3dpdGNoaW5nIHNjZW5l
"We're almost there, Sona," Rias told Sona Sitri.
"Indeed. I can sense supernatural energy radiating up ahead. Tsubaki, I want everyone to be careful from here on out," Sona told her queen Tsubaki.
"Yes, Kaichou," the black long-haired girl answered. "All right, I want everybody scout out the area. Go out in pairs. Report us when you see anything suspicious."
"""Yes!""" Sona's peerage replied and spread out.
"We will do the same, Sona," Rias told Sona.
"Good," Sona replied. "The more the better. Now…" she said, as she pushed her glasses up with her finger.
"Let's find out what's going on once and for all…"
U2NlbmUgZW5k
[…]
Umm…
I hope to see you next time.
Read and review.
Until then.
Hide Shinyama