Chapter 2
One month Later, after the last chapter.
"And now it's time for the show to begin," Issei said as he smiled at the screen as he saw that the trial was about to begin.
The trial will begin in: 1:00:00 Hour.
Issei then cleared his voice as he cast a voice-amplifying spell on his throat before speaking to his generals, who were preparing for the trial.
"Everyone!" Issei shouted, making his generals and their subordinates look at the sky as they heard their master. "The trial shall begin, but do not let your guard down for even a moment. These fools still believe that we have done nothing for the past month, but instead, we have been preparing for this very day, so these are your orders. Do not allow a single one to escape alive! Run them down and bring me any survivors should they live from the slaughter we shall drive unto them!"
Astraea, Byakuya, Edelgard, and their minions were preparing for war as they readied their weapons and magic.
Sabnock, Zabu, Luna, and the Dark Elves cheered as they readied for war with their wolves, who howled into the night sky.
Asmodeus, Alice, and Hassan were finishing up their traps and weapons, eager to test them out on their enemies after receiving permission from their master.
Shiva, Cheshire, and Rin, along with Lieutenant Choco, who was wearing a general's uniform and a hat, prepared barriers and spells to keep the humans safe in the neighborhood. At the same time, Choco meowed as if the car was giving orders.
Issei then ended the broadcast snapping his fingers to make his clothes transform into more suitable clothes for battle and his leadership role since Issei had also learned about Dungeon Creation, but also the fact that his Sacred Gear created minor dungeons so he could gain experience points and new skills.
It even gave him a chance to increase his relationship status with the other generals and also his family since he wanted to make his father and mother proud of him, which was one of the reasons why he wanted to try for the Student Council.
Issei's clothes transformed. He now wore special attire that he gained in a special Gacha pull from the Store, which not only gave him a new disguise to deal with supernatural forces but also suited his powers as a Caster.
His most intriguing accessory from the outfit was a white mask that covered his entire visage.
The mask itself is designed with a mischievous smirk running from its cheekbones down to slightly above the jawline and back up again to its opposite cheekbone. Two crescent-shaped spots flowing downwards grant him visibility, forming a Thalia (Comedy Mask or Muse of Comedy).
However, there was more to the mask than its appearance.
Mask of Deception: This allows the user's face and voice to be disguised while being worn. It can also be changed from the expressions happy, Sad, Angry, Disgusted, and Afraid.
Issei's upper body was completely covered by a connected jacket with three buttons on either side. The jacket's collars are flipped, giving a view of a plant-like design on the inside and several diagonal lines on the higher areas. The jacket's end spots a split cape elongating to his feet.
Underneath the jacket, Issei donned a white shirt with many buttons and a small collar, as well as a small bow tie around his neck. His lower regions are covered by a pair of pants, spotting multiple lines jutting downwards. Two straps circling his thighs. Isame covers his hands with white gloves and wears a black top hat on top of his head, giving the appearance of a Ringmaster.
Ringmasters Attire:
The jacket of Infinite Storage allows the user to store an endless number of objects, but people are not included except for Summoned Creatures. The jacket can also open portals in the master's domain to either enter that area or pull someone from that area.
Enchanted Gloves: These gloves protect the user's hands when casting spells and never stain or become dirty.
Hat of Wonderland: Allows the user to enter the land of Wonderland, a realm where time and space have no meaning. It also works as a portal for attacks, spells, and creatures made from Wonderland for the user to summon.
"I must admit that this makes me look more like a ringmaster of a circus than a Caster, but this does look good on me," Issei said, checking his reflection in a mirror before sitting in his chair. Issei then snapped his fingers and summoned a simple bell in his hand before ringing it, causing the door in the back of the Student Council Room to open as a maid walked out and bowed to her master.
"Would you like some tea for the entertainment commander?" the maid asked while Issei smiled at her. She was a special maid that Issei won when he was cleaning out the Abandoned History Museum. Apparently, many ships felt abandoned and lost without their commanders to sail them in the open water, which was why the final boss was a deceased commander who asked Issei to take care of the girls when he was defeated.
Issei was surprised when he saw that the ships appeared to be manned by females in maid uniforms. He recalled that his grandfather was in the Navy once and served aboard one of them, and he even told him about a beautiful woman in a maid uniform he saw on the sea while serving his country.
This girl was one of the maids who joined the group as the maid and bodyguard of Issei Hyoudou when he was alone. This maid had a short stature with a medium bust; she had light-brown hair tied in a French braid and orange-yellow eyes with her bangs covering her right eye. She wears a black long-sleeved knee-length maid dress with ruffled ends, puffy shoulders with frills around them, and frilled buttoned cuffs. She wears a white corset and an apron wrapped around her waist, white thigh-high stockings underneath silver-colored laced stiletto boots with metal knee guards with a cross motif. She wears a white frilled headwear and a chained choker with a cross pendant on her neck.
"Of course, Sheffield. I'd love some of your tea. You remember how I like it?" Issei asked, causing Sheffield to smile briefly before nodding.
"Of course," Sheffield said, making her master's favorite mint green tea with lemon, honey, and a hint of Orange. It was a very relaxing tea for her master after he usually had a long day of work or a massive dungeon.
Issei thanked her as he accepted the tea before smiling in joy as the warmth entered his mouth.
"Ah. I always love it when you make my tea, Sheffield. You're always very good at remembering how much to add without adding too much. No wonder Belfast speaks high praises of your training." Issei said, making Sheffield hide her flustered face while smiling at the fact that her master praised her again and that Belfast-Senpai had been speaking to him about her progress.
"It is not a problem, Commander. I am happy to serve and protect you from those who wish you harm, as well as my sisters and Belfast-Senpai." Sheffield said before Issei placed his tea in the air and hugged Sheffield, causing the girl to blush at the affection before Issei patted her head.
"You perfect just the way you are, Sheffield. You don't have to change for me. I am grateful to have you and your sisters here, and I'll never abandon you. Even if you were broken beyond repair, I still wouldn't forget you since you girls deserve to be remembered and loved for the services you've provided for your countries." Issei said, making Sheffield and her sisters in the back smile at their master's words since he was actually very interested in their stories and how they served their commanders in battle before they sunk into the water.
"We are truly blessed to have a commander as caring and kind as you are to us. Please allow us to continue serving you, Commander." Sheffield asked before Issei kissed her forehead.
"Of course. Don't forget that you and your sisters are not just my maids but family."
Sheffield cried tears of joy as she hugged her Commander back before the timer seemed to interrupt their moment.
The trial shall now begin.
Issei sighed as he let go of Sheffield and pulled up the cameras in all of his territories, smiling at the small army approaching his hometown.
"Let's see how this trial will test us," Issei said before Sheffield snuggled up to her master, happy to enjoy his warmth and love.
Outskirts of Kuoh Town
"Are you sure about this?" Raynare asked one of the priests, who nodded in response.
"It appears that there's some spell around the whole town that is preventing us from heading straight in. Also, it seems that only a certain number of people can enter at a time," the priest said as Raynare gritted her teeth before sighing.
"Fine!" Raynare shouted before turning to her comrades.
"Kalawarner, take your group and head in first. Once you make it in, tell us, and we'll send it to Dohnaseek's group, Mittelt's, and then mine. That will allow us to gauge what or whoever is casting this barrier around this stupid hick town." Raynare said before Kalawarner nodded, entering with her group of twenty priests.
Kalawarner felt strange as her group passed the barrier before emerging into the forest. Kalawarner noticed the abandoned church at the end before creating a magic circle and speaking to her comrades.
"We've made it through and appear to be near the church. Heading there now."
{Any sign of whoever cast the barrier spell?} Dohnaseek asked before Kalawarner looked around and noticed no one was around.
"Negative. Whoever made the barrier is probably asleep or didn't sense it since we didn't try to destroy it."
{Alright, heading in now.} Dohnaseek replied before the sound of the barrier ripped through their communications as it then happened two more times, meaning Raynare and Mittlet's group made it.
But what was strange was that Kalawarner didn't see any of them.
"Dohnaseek? Where are you? I can't see you or your group." Kalawarner asked only to receive static on the other end, which worried her before she tried the others.
"Mittlet?"
{...}
Kalawarner was nervous as she tried to find their leader.
"Raynare? Come on, answer me!"
{...}
Kalawarner then put away the magic communication circle and looked at her associates, who were struggling as well.
"We're getting no signal as well, ma'am. We're cut off from the others, too," the leader said, making Kalawarner a bit more nervous. She could tell that whoever made the barrier knew they were there.
"We have no choice but to continue heading to the church. Once we're there, we can try to get in touch with the others again. Have the others be ready in case they are attacked." Kalawarner ordered, causing the priests to be ready with their holy swords, guns, and daggers as they watched each other's backs.
Kalawarner readied a spear in her left hand, trying to keep her cool while nervous about whoever knocked out their communications.
Her thoughts were then interrupted as a loud whistle penetrated the air before one of the priests yelled as their head now had an arrow in their forehead, causing instant death.
"Shit! Focus on the trees!" Kalawarner shouted as she threw her spear at where the arrow came from, but she hit nothing, which pissed her off more before the sound of howling wolves hit their ears Kalawarner and her troops then looked to see many wolves appear before them with Dark Elves riding on their backs.
Luna then narrowed her eyes at the Fallen Angel before aiming her crossbow at them.
"Identify yourselves, and we may spare your life! You are trespassing on our master's territory. Leave or perish by the might of the Dark Elves." Luna shouted, making one of the priests growl at them before aiming his gun at her, but before he could even shoot, a wooden bolt flew towards the priest and hit his head, killing him instantly.
Luna then lowered her weapon and spoke to the rest of the Fallen Angels group.
"So you have chosen death, then I hope you are prepared to meet your maker," Luna said before she put two fingers to her mouth and whistled a loud, piercing whistle that almost caused the priests and Kalawarners' ears to bleed out. The wolves howled along with the whistle.
Luna then ended the whistle before shouting.
"Attack!"
The dam was released as the Dark Elves and their wolves attacked the priests with their fangs, claws, arrows, bolts, and daggers. The priests were still startled by the loud whistle that many of them were either slaughtered or ran away from the group.
Kalawarner decided to cut her losses and fly away from her group. As she was about to fly away, a spear flew in the air, struck Kalawarner's side, and sent her into the trees until Sabnock appeared in front of her.
"I'm afraid you are coming with me to my master," Sabnock said, causing Kalawarner to be hit by a left hook before the Fallen Angel used her wings to right herself up in the air.
"I'm not going down without a fight! Take this!" Kalawarner shouted as she unleashed a barrage of eight light spears, which didn't even make Sabnock concerned. He called his spear back to him and twirled it to block and repel the light spears coming from Kalawarner before he got close enough to strike her with another punch. This made Kalawarner wheeze in pain before the spear that became a sword sliced off her wings.
Kalawarner cried as she felt her wings vanish before Sabnock then picked her up by her hair.
"You fought valiantly, but you picked the wrong opponent," Sabnock said before delivering the finishing blow, which was all that Kalawarner saw before her vision blackened.
'I'm sorry everyone, but I'm not coming back.'
Pastor John panted as he continued to run away from the slaughter and narrowly avoided many of the elves chasing after the runners before making his way to a lake where he thought he could catch his breath. But the world seemed to be against him, and John let out a silent gasp as he heard some of the bushes rustle before a tall fisherman of sorts came out and spoke to him.
"Ah. Hello friend. Are you here to fish with Zabu?" Zabu asked as he had a large mustache on his face, which the pastor didn't seem to care about. He thought this was his chance to hide for a bit until the elves were gone.
"Y-Yes. I want to fish with you," John said as he walked towards Zabu, unaware of Zabu's real face before they walked towards the lake. Zabu then handed a fishing pole to John, who thanked him before casting it into the water without noticing that Zabu was staring at him as he cast his line.
"Are you hungry?"
"N-No, not really. What about you?"
"Oh, Zabu is hungry. It's a good thing dinner is here," Zabu said, as John didn't seem to notice the teeth appearing in his mouth.
"Oh yeah? What are you eating tonight?" John asked before turning to see a massive jaw of razor-sharp teeth in front of his face.
"Meat."
John wasn't able to yell in time as Zabu's teeth clamped on John's head before Zabu dragged his body into the water, causing the water to become stained red with blood until the water became still as the pastor was unable to breathe or get away from the predator living in it.
"Huh. Who would've thought the fake mustache would've actually worked?" Issei asked himself while Sheffield refilled his teacup before making her comment about Zabu's execution.
"Zabu may not be very intelligent, but what he lacks in brains, he makes up for with brawn and instinct," Sheffield said, making Issei laugh a bit before calming down and replying.
You do make a good point. Still, though, Sabnock and Luna's group did very well in executing the priests with her Sound spell that I taught her. She was very well executed in harming her enemies before attacking them. Will the priests and Fallen have anything of value for us after we collected the spoils of the battle? Issei said before seeing the third area where Dohnaseek and about five priests were running from Alice's golems. Before Hassan finished, three of the five priests went off until the remaining members ran into Asmodeus's room.
"Uh oh. It looks like they stumbled into Asmodeus's quarters. If Asmodeus doesn't kill them, then her scent will," Issei said, knowing that Asmodeus loved to pleasure her enemies and drain their stamina before they died in bliss.
It was even worse when Asmodeus would suggest death by Snu Snu.
"Yeah, Asmodeus and her team got this," Issei said, turning away from the Lust area before looking at the neighborhood area where Shiva, Cheshire, and Rin are having fun along with Choco.
"Huh. It looks like Lieutenant Choco is eating well tonight," Issei said, while Sheffield was amazed the cat's claws were that sharp.
"Ah! Get this stupid cat off me!" Mittelt yelled, trying to pull the mangy feline off her head, but it made the cat sink her claws into the girl's head even more.
"Good girl, Choco!" Shiva said, strangling one of the priests before snapping his neck in half. Cheshire used her claws to slice any bullets they shot at her, while Rin used her Flame Breath to burn her enemies alive and use her chains to keep them from running away.
"Nyahahah! Die pussies!" Cheshire shouted, slicing the necks of many priests before seeing her victims dead while licking the blood on her claws.
"Hm. Not bad." Cheshire said while Rin was done with her victims, they were either burned alive by her fire or chained up and dead.
"Indeed. The master will be pleased to see how well we were able to kill them all," Rin said before Shiva nodded in response while looking at the looped-off head of Mittlet that she sliced off of Loli's body after Choco released her, only for the cat's owner to kill Mittlet.
"Excellent. Let's gather up the bodies and clean this all up before anyone sees anything from the battle," Shiva said as the trio began to clean up the area so it looked more like a neighborhood than a battlefield.
Meanwhile, with Edelgard's forces.
"Surrender Fallen Angel Raynare. Your priests are dead, and your wings are broken, so I suggest you swallow your pride, or I'll introduce your head to my master." Edelgard said while Raynare gritted her teeth. She then tried to claw Edelgard, but only for her head to leave her body.
"D-Dammit," Raynare muttered as she then cried her last tears before falling to the ground with her head rolling away a bit from her collapsed body before Edelgard flipped the Fallen's body over and poked the massive breasts on Raynare's chest.
"How does her back not suffer from these massive melons?" Edelgard asked herself while poking said melons with her spear.
Byakuya then walked towards her and replied, " It's probably magic since there is no way nature can make something gravity-defying like that."
Edelgard laughed at the joke before the two and their minions gathered up the bodies and anything valuable the priests and Fallen Angel had on them until their master called them back to the base since there were two survivors that Asmodeus captured alive in her domain the leaders and Astraea, who finally came back to the two after cleaning herself off of the flirty blood that ruined her clothes before they headed to the throne room, where they saw that everyone else had arrived at the throne room before them.
"Look who finally decided to show up. We've been waiting for almost two hours," Sabnock said in annoyance, figuring Astraea was the reason they were so late.
"Well, excuse me for cleaning myself off after dealing with that badly dressed harpy and her pack of dogs," Astraea said, showing no worry or care about her actions, which annoyed Sabnock until Shiva got in the middle of them.
"Can we please not fight with each other now? Asmodeus has information that is helpful to our master, and as such, we should give her the opportunity to speak. So will you please, sister?" Shiva asked, making the Succubus smile at her.
"Thank you, Shiva," Asmodeus said before snapping her fingers to reveal two bodies hanging in a cloud of pink smoke as the two were unconscious.
One of them was a young man with short white hair and red eyes. He seemed to be dressed in clerical clothing with a disturbed grin on his face that made Astraea want to execute him then and there. The second one was a girl with blond hair and priestess attire, but she also seemed to have a pair of silver rings on her hands.
"These two were the only ones left alive after Dohnaseek and his group walked into my Lustful Room."
"And did you get any important information from them?"
"It appears that the four Fallen Angels and these exiled priests were involved with being sent to our domain so they can create a base at the church. Something about a device there for the priestess since they were planning on extracting her Sacred Gear." Asmodeus explained, causing Issei's eyes to widen as he heard this before his hands became fists, cracking his fingers in the process. At the same time, his magic also leaked out of his body, causing the whole room to shake to display his rage and make the others worried until the shaking lessened after a few seconds before Issei took a deep breath and sighed as he relaxed in the chair.
"Where is this extractor? I want it destroyed immediately." Issei said as his eyes gained an eerie glow since he had done research on Sacred Gears and learned the consequences of removing one from its very host due to the effects it has on the soul.
Suffice it to say that Issei was not pleased with how the supernatural sees the Sacred Gears as nothing but tools and weapons of war, even though not all humans are willing to use them to protect others.
The difference is that Issei desires to use his powers to protect his home from threats that would come knocking on his door and harm the people within it. However, Issei is not naive to believe that the supernatural world can be truly trusted after learning about not just the Great War but the other factions as well.
Issei gladly rewarded his generals and allies with kind words but also special items for them to not only become stronger but also to the lower classes, such as the imps, Daemons, and even the Flying Eyeballs, for their service.
Suffice it to say there were a few casualties in the lower ranks, and they were given a proper burial for their sacrifice and service. Issei knew that even with all his powers, he couldn't bring the dead to life since his creations were not truly humans but mere magic constructs brought to life by his magic. However, Issei saw them all as his family and accepted them despite their flaws.
After the trial and the generals leaving Sheffield decided the priest and priestess's fate. She approached Issei, hugged his head in her arms, and kissed the top of his head.
"Know that while we may die one day, we are eternally blessed that you are here with us so we can serve you; after all, it is the duty of not just their creation but also because they respect you and love you. The same goes for my sisters and me. You gave us your heart and let all of us in and scolded us when we mess up; you praise us when we do well and reward us, too. You see us as your second family, and we are truly grateful for the kindness that you have shown to us every day for the past month, so even if we do pass away, we will always be happy to have served you and bonded with you, my master, my Commander, Issei Hyoudou." Sheffield said, making Issei smile in response to her kind words. Issei hugged her and thanked her.
"Thank you, Sheffield. All of you have truly helped me in this past month, so I am grateful. Truly, I am." Issei said, prepared to face what would come his way now that he had buried his past and prepared to face what would come now in the future.
After all, summer still has two months to go before classes begin.
Scene.
I know I skipped the whole month before the trial, but it showed not only Issei's relationship and progress but also his desires and aspirations to become a shield for his people, which he wishes to protect against those who want to harm them.
Thanks to the Book of Beasts, which has information on not just beasts but also supernatural worlds' past, Issei has also found information on supernatural worlds' past. When Issei desired to learn more about the supernatural world, he found a special library that was more than happy to give him the knowledge he asked for in exchange for something from the caster.
Also, when a construct that the Book made of Beasts is defeated, they cease to exist and leave nothing behind. Issei knows this, which is why he treasures each memory he makes with them, good or bad. He knows that life is too short, so always make memories to remember when you pass on.
Hope to see you all later.
Ta-Ta!~
Oh, and I would like to say that the Rider Poll is over, and the winner is...A TIE!
Iskandar, the King of Conquerors, and Saint Martha are tied for the finish, and the victor will be revealed in the next chapter.
The Berserker Poll is up on my profile and ready for votes. Please make sure to leave a review for this story and others you enjoy, and let me know in a PM if you have an idea in mind.
See you later!