Alright guys. This one is gonna be the run through of Issei's minor trials. We're gonna essentially be doing a sort of montage over the span of a week's time in his world. Then, hopefully, we'll be able to reach Issei's return for the cultural festival as the closing to this chapter. Of course, that doesn't mean I'd leave it as a cliffhanger during the festival. I mean that if I'm doing the return home before the next month of training/major trials, which should only be 2 and will be done in the same chapter, then I'm going to do his whole experience at the festival (or at least the necessary character interactions). You know, since (like I said before) the festival will take place in between his first month and transition into the second month.
So the current timeline: Issei's minor trials, the school festival, Issei's last 2 major trials, and finally return to cannon.
And man are you guys in for some shit on those last 2 trials. Especially the last trial. You thought the Hydra was on some crazy God of war shit? Nah bruh. Nah.
Ah, also, there is an extra trial that will be referenced right before the fight with Sairaorg, but that one won't be shown. It's one of those things that is just meant to be implied but not fully shown in detail. I mean, some will be shown, but not all of it.
-SCENE-
It happened while I was sleeping. A tune came out of the intercom in my room. The sound of an instrument resembling a trumpet of some sort. Ah, it sounds like a military wake up call.
"Ugh…."
I groaned as I rubbed my eyes.
"Damn Sensei…"
Something rustled from next to me.
"...Mm...Ise-sama…"
The low whine came from the girl who was sleeping on my arm, Ravel. It's been a small while since my last trial with the Stone Golem. Ravel has been coming over and sleeping here a lot lately. I'm starting to get concerned that she is missing school. She even brings work with her sometimes to do in my room while she waits for me. It's all because she's so worried about what crazy shit that Governor is gonna put me through next. That damn Sensei. It's your fault she's missing school. Take responsibility damn you. Well, at least her grades are still good.
Ah, that's right. Right after my trial with the Golem I made a terrible discovery. Sensei was recording all of my trials. Starting with the Golem and everything moving forward. At first, I thought it was absolutely absurd. I woke up in the middle of the night to a damn recording of myself fighting the Golem and find out that it will be broadcasted the next day without my consent! Like what the hell?! I even watched it with Ravel when it aired throughout the Underworld in the damn theater just like Sensei said! For some reason Ravel was watching it with stars in her eyes while I was just ashamed for being fooled again. At least she called me cool…
Anyway, as it turns out, Sensei wasn't just doing that to mess with me. Just like with the Hydra there was some ulterior motive behind his actions. Apparently, the match with Sairaorg did end up getting delayed another month just like we speculated. So, as it is, a lot of my trials will take place in this last week, then I will return for the festival, and then I will spend the extra month doing some other training or trials. After that will be the game.
According to Sensei, the reason he recorded the trials was actually because there was a massive uproar after the delay of our match. People wanted the match and they wanted it as soon as possible. The fact that it got delayed and they know none of the reasoning behind it made the masses upset. Plus, the media was starting to draw up conspiracy theories on possible explanations as to why such a thing was happening, since both the Gremory Household and Bael Household refused to comment.
And in response, Sensei recorded my trial with the Golem and passed it off as a brand new series similar to a game show in production for the fans. The uproar was almost immediately silenced and the episode received crazy ratings when it aired. In other words, Sensei basically faked a marketing tactic to please the masses. Not only that, but in order to avoid the possibility of being at a disadvantage from my powers being observed, the footage is edited like a show so any time where something appears that is not public information, it is simply cut out. And any trials that show things like Triaina and other unknown abilities in use will not be aired until after the match with Sairaorg, where they are going to first appear in battle.
That damn Sensei. He really thought everything through. Luckily, this means that I can watch Saji's match vs. Agares since that one is still running on schedule.
One week. I have one week left till the school festival. I only have until that time is over to complete a majority of my trials. All this time I was just worried about my trials, but now I'm nerve wracked over something else.
Home. I'm going back home for the school festival. Well, not home home. It's just the school that I'm returning to, but even so, I'm nervous. Extremely nervous. I mean, I'm going to spend time with both Ravel and Kiyomi-senpai. But….
What happens if I run into one of them? What happens if they see me? I….still don't know how I'd react. I don't know how they would react either. I'm afraid.
I just…..don't want to see them yet.
But I can't focus on that now! If I do my mind will become preoccupied and I won't be able to focus. So come on! Get up! Shake it off!
I sat up and smacked my cheeks.
Smack!
"Yosh!"
Alright then, Sensei. Bring it!
And just like if my life was a damn comedy show, the trials played in my memories in quick succession like a montage.
Part 1
Trial 1:
Conditions:
*Boosted Gear allowed
*Scale Mail allowed
*No Triaina
*Use a strategy
"Nice to meet you, Sekiryuutei-dono. We are here to assist you."
It's started. My first trial. I'm in a forest out in the Underworld right now. As it currently is, I'm face to face with 3 Fallen Angels set to assist me apparently. Starting from left to right, it's 2 guys and a girl. One of the guys has blue hair, the other has black, and the girl has burgundy colored hair. So they're supposed to help me?
"Yeah, thanks."
So they're gonna help me huh. I guess that means we're up against something strong then?
I looked out to a clearing in the forest. There was a huge beast about 3 meters tall eating some plants. It's a magical beast that resembles a giant wild boar with 4 eyes.
That must be what I'm hunting.
But why are these guys here?
I asked the Fallen Angels from left to right.
"Hey, what can you do?"
I asked the blue haired guy. If Sensei set me up with these guys it must be because they have special skills or something right? He responded with a salute.
"Yes! I have the ability to create perimeters similar to barriers up to a 50 meter radius using lightning created from my light spears! I place them near each other and the lightning spawned from it created a barrier!"
He spawned some light spears and showed me his power. Woah! I see. His light spears give off some static electricity when they get near each other. He can use lightning? It's like an odd variation of Barakiel-san's power, but it looks like he can only spawn lightning whenever his light spears come into close proximity to each other. So he places those side by side of each other and they create barriers of lighting in the space between them. What a creative way to use an ability!
I turned to the black haired guy.
"What about you?"
He nodded and spawned 10 light spears above his head.
"I have always been able to spawn a great number of light spears compared to the average Fallen Angel. They tend to be thinner, but they are always sharper and faster. I can spawn around 50 at one time."
I see. So he can spawn more swift, sharp versions of light spears huh. They may not be as thick or powerful, but they seem like they can pierce many materials easily. Maybe it wouldn't cause damage to someone like me, but if he can spawn 50 then holy shit.
I turned to the burgundy haired girl.
"And you?"
She did a Kiraboshi pose and spawned a bright light spear that looked a bit unstable.
"I can spawn light spears with an unstable amount of power that can create concussive blasts to blind and deafen my enemies!"
Oh. A power for disorientating enemies huh. That's neat.
But all of this? Isn't this overkill? I'm sure it would be enough with just me. I'm familiar with these beasts. I used to hunt these guys on the mountain with Tannin-Ossan. I don't need any help for this. I can take it all out on my own. So then why?...
I looked at the description on the back of the paper Sensei gave me. I finally realized upon reading the note he left.
("The straightforward approach usually works for idiots like you. But you want to become independent don't you? You always run in head first to handle things by yourself.
You wanna be a King?
Learn some teamwork.")
Ah….
I see…. Ddraig? Any ideas?
[Yes, a few. But it would be best to leave up to you Partner, no? Otherwise what would be the point behind it?]
Right…..okay. So you're saying to come up with a strategy utilizing all of our abilities with the best efficiency? Alright….okay. Think. Think. They have unique powers. We can use them in a few ways. What should I do?
At times like in Kyoto when I was forced to take the lead and come up with a strategy, I would always think…...What would Buchou do?...
But now it's…
No, not now. Just think. Think of a strategy. Think of their powers. Think of what you know about that beast. Think about yourself. Get yourself in the mindset of someone smart.
…..What….What would Sensei do?
…..
[Boost!]
"Hey, step forward."
I motioned for them to step forward and began gifting power to them, in order.
[Gift!]
Barriers. We don't want it running anywhere. Set up a barrier to keep it in an area we can manage.
[Boost!] [Gift!]
Blind it. The moment it feels like it's at risk it'll start targeting one of us to kill us. They most likely wouldn't go after me, but after one of the others. That's what I don't want. A leader shouldn't be putting his team in danger. In that case, blind it so it doesn't know who to chase.
[Welsh Dragon Balance Breaker!]
Me. In the end, we are facing a wild animal. If it loses its vision then it'll get desperate and run in a random direction in order to escape. In order to predict its movement I have to spook it. Even if it's blind it has instincts to rely on. If I show up in front of it with my power, it'll shoot in the exact opposite direction out of fear. Then comes the last part.
[Boost!] [Gift!]
Hit it. Once it runs away from me, we'll have this guy waiting to launch a fury of light spears at him to take him down. Considering how thick the beast's main body is, it would make more sense to have him hit his legs and take it down that way. After that, I give the finishing blow.
"Alright you 3. Here's what we're gonna do."
I explained my strategy to them. They nodded seriously. So their trusting me with this? Okay. Let this turn out alright.
...
"Let's go!"
BUGYUUU!
"Barrier! 15 meter radius! Go!"
"Got it! He's not going anywhere!"
"Blind him!"
"Yes sir!"
Flash!
BUUGYYUUUUUUUU!
"I'm sending him your way!"
"Yeah!"
BYUUU!
"He's going!"
"I got this son of a bitch!"
ZIN ZIN ZIN ZIN ZIN ZIN ZIN ZIN ZIN ZIN ZIN ZIN ZIN!
BUGYYUUUUUUUUU!
"He's miiiiine!"
ZIIIIN!
BYUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!
With the last strike of Ascalon stabbing the beast's head, the beast ceased it's cries. It's over. I jumped off the dead beast.
"We did it!"
"Yes!"
The 3 Fallen high five each other after our victory. They smile at me.
"Thank you for letting us work with you! Sekiryuutei-dono!"
Ah, they bowed to me! I don't really deserve that.
[A good leader praises his team, Partner.]
Ah!
"Um, thank you for believing in me! You guys make for an awesome team!"
They lifted their heads. The girl spoke.
"No, if it wasn't for Sekiryuutei-dono's plan then this would not have worked. Our compatibility is only strong if we have a good leader."
She says that while smiling. Well, thanks, but if it wasn't for Sensei setting this up in the first place I wouldn't have known what to do. He surely put me with you guys because it was possible to come up with a good strategy easily.
[I would imagine that was intentional Partner. I assume that this trial was meant as a sort of gateway into strategic battles using your own mind rather than relying on anyone else. I also assume that from now on more of your trials will be centered around strategy like this one.]
Yeah, I think so too.
Unfortunately for me, there are no breaks in this montage.
Trial 2:
Conditions:
*Scale Mail allowed
*No Triaina
*Level the environment
*Flawless victory
I'm in a random swamp in a country I don't recognize. The description to this one says: (Don't get hit.)
Is that what flawless victory means?
Bubble…
The swamp started to bubble in various places. Many figures appeared out from the bog. Swamp monsters?! And a lot of them. Almost 100 or more. Okay. Seems easy enough.
[Welsh Dragon Balance Breaker!]
I took to the air and shot a beam of energy to eliminate a great amount of them.
[Shot!]
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!
The blast created a dip along where it landed and destroyed many of the monsters.
Bubble…
Oh….The dip starts to fill in with muck and form even more monsters than before. Of course it isn't that easy.
SPLOOGE!
The monster began shooting sludge at me at the same time. Holy shit that is hard to dodge! So they don't die?!
No, wait. Calm down. Think. Okay. Strategy. Let's test out some things and see what works. Something's gotta work. Let's find it. Wait, wait!
The conditions. One of them reads: Level the environment
Okay…..I can do that.
Trial 3, 4, & 5:
The next trials consisted of similar things to the prior trials. Trial 3 was similar to the 2nd trial since it consisted of killing something called ghouls. Disgusting creatures that were hard to kill. Similar to half rate vampires. So of course the trial was centered around finding a way to kill them. A lot of them. Without getting hit. Just like the swamp monsters. Except this time I couldn't use my armor. Turns out ghouls are weak to holy elements. For someone like me who is not the greatest swordsman running around with Ascalon slicing off ghouls heads, which doesn't kill them, in my base form was a bit difficult. And annoying.
After that, my other trial was something I didn't expect at all. It was similar to the trial with the boar. It centered around teamwork and strategy. Except this time I wasn't involved in the fight at all. Instead, I had to create a strategy for some rookie Sacred Gear users to defeat some trolls with no prior experience in real life battle. That one was fun. I wasn't allowed to interfere either. I was essentially just the chief strategist. I've never had such a reserved role. I felt anxious throughout the entire thing. Everything was on the spot, quick thinking. What if something bad happened? What if I made the wrong decision? What if one of them got really hurt because of me? And I couldn't even interfere? I mean, I'm sure I would've interfered anyway because I just can't help myself, but the idea of something going wrong because of me….So that's the stress of a [King] huh. That's what you were trying to teach me, Sensei?
Number 5 was odd. Another mind game. This time, Sensei set up a mock investigation case for me. The task was finding a Stray Devil. He gave a me a bunch of clues and tasked me with pinpointing the Devil's location based on the evidence. But more than that, using whatever deductive skills I have to find out its motivation, abilities, and location all based on what I had. It seems like that trial was meant to increase my deductive reasoning. To make me smarter in a way. It actually felt like I was getting smarter just by doing it. And I feel like the more I do stuff with my head the more it starts coming to me naturally. I think of solutions faster sometimes. Sensei said the brain is a muscle that you can train just like any other. Is my brain getting "stronger"?
But now, we're on number 6.
Trial 6:
Conditions:
*No Boosted Gear
*No Scale Mail
*No Triaina
*No Ascalon
*Capture it
Right now, I'm walking through a ghost town in the Underworld. It's silent and desolate. Not a single soul here. Yet I feel like I'm being watched. It's an old town. It looks like it's been here for at least a century.
Apparently, from what I can "deduce", this place is home to something that isn't supposed to be here. There doesn't seem to be damage to anything besides aging, so I guess that means whatever is staying in this area isn't particularly something big or strong? And it's all alone right? So that means it ran from somewhere. Cuz if it was some sort of magical beast it would travel in either a group, or be in the wild. Which means it's not some type of magical beast….It ran from somewhere...And it isn't a magical beast…..Which means it must be some sort of humanoid being!?
Uuoooooh! As I thought, maybe I am getting smarter!? I can feel my brain groooowinng!
[Partner.]
Yeah, I felt it. My instincts caught onto something. It's close by. What is it?
[Have you felt it before?]
No. Not something like this. It resembles a Devils aura, but different in nature. Okay. So that must mean it is a humanoid being with demonic origin. But it's nothing like I've ever felt. So it can't be a ghoul, or a vampire, since I've encountered those before. Although, Gasper is only half, it would still have some resemblance but since it doesn't it's not that. And this isn't a magical beast. Hm…
[You've become quite the proper thinker Partner.]
Thanks! But I still can't guess what it is….just as I walked into a damn graveyard, I heard a seductive voice.
"Ara~ what have we here~?"
—?! When I turned around I was faced with a beautiful woman wearing a skimpy outfit, floating in the air in an erotic pose. She had black, leathery wings behind her back keeping her afloat. A devil?! No, wait. It can't be. Her aura is completely different and her wings are smaller. Also, she has a tail! A little black tail made of similar material as her wings that ended in a small heart shape. I wracked my brain for whatever information on different species I had learned in the Grigori library. Damn! I knew I should have studied more in there! I only learned what I initially needed for making my original list.
"Mmm~ What a handsome young man~"
The woman spoke seductively again as she repositioned herself in the air. U-Uoooooooh! She has magnificent Oppai!
[Partner, check your letter for more details.]
Eh? Ah, right! I reached into my pocket and took out the paper. I flipped it over to check the description.
(I am a man myself. So I understand how hard it is, and I'll never tell you to get rid of that part of yourself, but I have to tell you there should be a certain level of control. You would understand if you actually had a harem already. I suppose I'll just let this teach you to "refine your tastes".
Bottom line: Defeat the succubus. Tame your perversion.)
-[!]-
A succubus?! This thing?! This is the sex demon that take men's souls after fucking them in their dreams?! Or is the dream part not true? She's right here after all. So...she's trying to seduce me?!
The succubus hovered closer and placed her fingers under my chin seductively. Hoooooooooo! Oppai~~
[Partner you must focus. Your task is to defeat the succubus, not be enticed. Fight back.]
A-Ah! Right! Shake it off! I jumped back from the succubus.
"Ddraig!"
[No Boosted Gear, remember?]
Oh shit I forgot about that! Dammit! So I gotta beat this thing with my bare hands?
[It doesn't seem that simple Partner. This succubus doesn't feel to be very powerful or strong. I suspect that the real challenge would be the control over yourself.]
Of course….the most difficult trial of all….
"Ddraig? No, no, no~ My name is Morrigan, handsome~"
Woah! The succubus was right in front of me again. Uuoooooooh! She smells sooooooo nice~ I've never smelled anything nicer than this in the world. Seriously nothing compares to it. Is this the alluring scent of a succubus?!
"Ufufufu~ what an adorable reaction~"
Munyuu~
—?! She finally stands on the ground and presses her breasts up against my chest! O— O-Ooooooooooooooooooooohohohohohohohooooo! O-Oppaaaaaaaaaaaaaii~!
[Partner! Get ahold of yourself! Do not be roused by her! She is releasing pheromones to disorient your rational thinking!]
Uuhuhuhu-uheeeeehehehehe~ Oppai~..— Ah! No! Snap out of—
Slide…
She began sliding her top down, revealing her glorious breasts.
Spurt!
Nosebleeeeeeeeeeeed! Blood sprayed out of my nose and I felt dizzy. A-Ah….Oh no….I'm losing my reasoning again….aaaaah….Oppai~
Oppai~
….
("Ise-sama")
-[?!]-
My eyes snapped open. My sense of reasoning returned to me. I suddenly pushed the succubus away.
"Kyaah!"
Haah! Haah! What happened?! Where am I?! Ddraig?!
[I'm here Partner! I was speaking out to you, but you would not answer my calls.]
Ah! Hah! I'm back! I'm back.
"You…"
The succubus began to make a conflicted expression.
"That's not right...you're supposed to be drawn in by me...you're supposed to be seduced!"
Her expression became one of rage.
"You! You! You are mine!"
She suddenly released an odd pink colored wave of smoke from her body to cover the graveyard around us. I covered my nose.
Woah! Ddraig what is this?! Poison?
[No, it doesn't seem to be. It seems to be something meant to entice you just like her pheromones. However this time it is much more potent. Partner! Without your armor you will surely be seduced!]
Oh shit, oh shit! What do I do?!
[!...Wait, Partner. That thing you were thinking of before. That girl.]
Eh? What was I thinking about?
[The thing that snapped you from your hypnotic state!]
Hm? About Ravel? Yeah I don't know why those thoughts randomly came into my head either.
[Listen to me Partner. I want you to keep thinking about that girl. Think about that girl. And her breasts.]
…..D….Do you need your medication, Ddraig?
[No, listen to me Partner! You need to keep thinking of her. Every part of her. Her body, her Oppai. I need you to keep that in your mind while you fight this Succubus Partner.]
…..I'm seriously concerned about your health now Ddraig…
[Just do as I say!]
…...Alright…I tore off a piece of my shirt and wrapped it around my face.
"Oi, Succubitch!"
Zip!
I appeared behind the shocked Succubus who turned to me at the last second. I kept the thought of Ravel in my head. When the succubus turned around her bountiful Oppai bounced beautifully in my view!
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahh~ Oppaaaaaaaaaa—aaaiiiii…..ii?...Are?...…Wait…...What?...
I suddenly realized it when I laid eyes on the Succubus breasts…..
The image of Ravel's bare Oppai, which I have only seen once, invaded in my mind. Side by side with the breasts before me….
(—?!)
"These…."
…
…
...
"….are not Ravel's Oppaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiii!"
DON!
"Kyaaa!"
My fist collided with the Succubus's face and sent her sliding across the ground.
Wha..?...I just….
[Well done Partner! Now do you understand?]
I looked down to the palm of my hand…
"Yeah….Yeah!..."
I made a proper stance with a confident smirk on my face!
"I'm gonna touch Ravel's Oppai when I get back!"
[Absolutely not the answer I was looking for, but well done!]
Alright Succubitch! You're the one who's mine!
"Uuu…"
I stood beside a tied succubus with some marks on her face. It feels bad to beat up a girl, but I am supposed to capture her. I wonder what they'll do with her.
Dialing…
[Yeah.]
"Ah, hey Sensei. I'm done here."
[Oooh. Ise. Really? I'm surprised. I didn't expect you to be finished that quickly. She wasn't strong but I was sure you of all people would get seduced by her just like the others who've tried to capture her.]
"Yeah, I'm surprised I was able to overcome it too. But I found a good method! I've got it now! I think I know how to control my perversion in battle!"
[Are you serious? I never expected it from one encounter.]
"Well, it worked perfectly with her and she's probably going to be the hardest challenge regarding that I will ever face right?"
[Indeed. Out of all things, a succubus could be considered your absolute greatest weakness. The fact that you were able to overcome it with one try….it's actually kind of amazing heh.]
"Yeah I have no idea why it worked so well, but at least now I got an idea of what I gotta do when I get home!"
[Masturbate?]
"Yes! But that comes after!"
[Mm. Alright. I'll bring you back now. Ah, but just to make sure I'm adding another trial to test your method of controlling your perversion just in case.]
"Ah. Alright. I guess it's better to make sure. Oh, by the way, what're you gonna do with the succubus?"
[Hm? Ah, well she isn't technically our problem. Considering that she ran away from her species native area, she'll be handed over to the Devil's side. She is kinda like a distant relative species to them after all. They'll probably get her a job, some education opportunities, normal stuff like that. She's never killed anyone after all so she isn't a serious criminal.]
"Oh. That sounds pretty nice actually."
[Or they'll kill her.]
"What?!"
[Lying~]
"Ah, you damn Governor!"
Part 2
Slam!
"Raaaaaaaveeeeeeeel!"
I burst through the door of my room. Ravel was sitting on my bed while doing some homework. I spooked her with my entrance.
"E-Eh?! Ise-sama! What's wrong?"
I ran to her side on the bed without thinking. Somehow, as an after effect of the pheromones I inhaled from the succubus, I held no shame in asking what I wanted.
"Let me touch your oppai!"
…
…
…
…
…
"Eh?..."
[Partner. I'm sure your enthusiastic smile is unsettling.]
Hm? What do you—
"Ah."
I suddenly realized what I asked as Ravel's face went red as a ruby.
"Ah….No….You see…"
"W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-Wa…"
"Wa?"
Some fire burst from her hand.
"ISE-SAMA NO ECCCHHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"
DON!
"Guoh!"
Crash!
My face collided with a harsh fiery punch that sent me crashing into the wall.
"...Ow…"
"Ah! Ise-sama!"
Ravel ran to my side as I slid down the wall.
"I'm sorry, Ise-sama!"
I gave her a pained smile.
"..No, it's okay. I kinda deserved it.."
She shook her head vigorously.
"No, it's not! You didn't!"
"Ehehehe….well, I'm used to it anyway.."
She shook her head again.
"You shouldn't be! Ise-sama deserves better!"
Heh. She disagrees with my view huh. It is what I'm used to though. I would always get beat up by the girls at certain points for things they didn't like. Especially Koneko-cha...
"I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-Ise-sama!"
Hm? Ravel is even redder than before, if that was even possible, and begins stuttering terribly. She's holding onto the buttons of her shirt for some reason…
"T-T-This!"
She unbottons her shirt! Her bra is exposed!
"Wha-?! Ravel?!"
She reaches to undo her bra.
"H-H-Here!"
Click.
She unclipped her bra. It fell to the floor.
Boing~
"P-P-Please use them however you like!"
….
….
….
SPUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRTTTTT!
"Ise-sama?!"
Ah...well, there goes the rest of the blood in my body. Guess I'll just die. At least I got to see Ravel's breasts before I go…
"Ise-sama! Ise-sama! Ise-samaaaaaaaaaa!"
-DxD-
"So, what's this about Sensei?"
I'm currently sitting in a small, rectangular, white room with 2 white couches across from each other. I'm sitting on one of the empty couches, alone in the room.
Screech
A light screech was heard from one of the intercoms in the top corner of the room as Sensei's voice came out.
[This is the extra side trial that I mentioned before. Enjoy it. Or rather, you're technically not supposed to.]
Eh? The lights began to dim. More than that the light changed color. It's like a red or pinkish color.
Dakun.
The door to the room opened. 3 women in robes walked in. They sat on the opposite couch. Are? 3 Fallen Angel women. I'm worried.
Whoosh!
(—?!)
The women suddenly removed their robes and revealed their voluptuous bodies. Uooooooh! They're each wearing different outfits. One is wearing a string bikini, another is wearing a belly dancers outfit, and the last one is wearing fucking bandages as loose clothing!
[You said before that you found a reliable method to controlling your perversion. Prove it.]
That's what Sensei said as the women sat on my couch and began doing many things to me. They sat on my lap. They caressed my chest. They ran their fingers through my hair. They breathed into my ears. They pushed their breasts against my arms.
Ah...Shit….lend me the power of your oppai….Ravel.
Trial 7:
TOOOON!
The loud crash of thunder followed by lightning. A familiar scene. Except this time I'm not on a boat.
TOOOOON!
I'm back in the human world. The sky is dark and grey. In case you're wondering where I'm at, I'm in a damn castle. A large old, decrepit castle. Somewhere in Europe. I'm not sure where in Europe, but that doesn't matter. I've learned not to question things that don't need to be questioned. If I can figure it out, good. If I can't, oh well.
Anyway, I'm here for my 7th trial. If you're wondering why I'm in a castle, I don't know either. All I know is that I'm hunting something in this old dark castle. This place is like a fucking maze. Whatever it is I'm looking for is gonna be annoying to find. Speaking of which what am I looking for?
Conditions:
*Scale Mail allowed
*No Triaina
*No Ascalon
*Fight "blindly"
*Obtain a familiar
Hm. Pretty basic stuff. Except for the end there. Ahem.
Obtain a fucking familiar?! The hell's that supposed to mean?! You mean to tell me Sensei actually wants me to get a familiar here? I checked the description on the back.
("No familiar yet huh? That's pretty boring.
Find one.")
"Find one" he says. As if it's that easy. What the Hell am I, a beast tamer? I don't know which monsters can be turned into familiars and which can't. I thought there was some certain criteria? Or maybe there isn't. There was some crazy strong ones in the familiar forest that didn't even seem like they were supposed to be familiars. So I guess not.
Well, whatever it is, I assume Sensei already knows it's possible to contract whatever sort of beasts are running around this castle.
Also, what the hell is "fight blindly" supposed to mean?
Ki Ki!
Hm? A weird noise. Sounds like a magical beast.
Ki Ki!
Ah. It is. 3 magical beasts. They're just big green flying eyeballs with wings. The Hell?
Spew!
"Woah!"
I dodged some acid that one of the eyeballs shot out. Ddraig, what are these?
["Nightmares".]
Should I take them as a familiar?
[Hmph. Weak beings. Cannon fodder. No point, I would say.]
I see.
[Shot!]
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
I quickly fired 3 shots and pulverized the nightmares. Yeah, pretty worthless.
PADUN!
Hm? Ddraig, you hear that?
[Yes. It seems to be coming from across the castle. Past that large staircase.]
I walked out of the area I was in and made it to a staircase. Past the staircase I could see a large ballroom. In there?
[Yes. It came from there.]
I passed the staircase and walked into the entrance to the large ballroom. This place was probably where they held gatherings for High-Class people. I can tell from experiencing events in similar place in the Underworld. So the noise came from here. It's mostly barren aside from overturned tables. Ddraig. You feel that?
[Yes. Behind you.]
Yeah. It's similar to the feeling with the Hydra. It's a type of serpent.
Slide…
I heard a slithering noise behind me. I turned around to see a tall figure that kept growing. The lightning gave visibility to the form.
TOOON!
A woman. She had long lavender hair colored hair and the sides of her cheeks had some scales. She was wearing a black mask over her eyes that had a red jewel in the middle of it. Her arms were covered in scales. But she wasn't tall. And she wasn't growing. She was being lifted. Lifted by her lower body.
TOOOON!
The lower body of a snake. Her form almost resembled a "Lamia". Even more than that, there were heads of black snakes, with no eyes and red markings, at the ends of a few strands of her hair.
Ddraig... is that...Medusa?
[Medusa herself was slain. But this is a Gorgon.]
..So she can turn me to stone?
[Do you see the jewel on her mask?]
Yeah.
[Well?]
Yeah….
Shiin!
The red jewel started glowing.
[Look away!]
I shut my eyes and averted my gaze.
Slide!
[Look out!]
I felt the instinct to jump and ended up dodging the large snakes tail that was planning to whip the hell out of me. Ah, so this is what he means by "fight blindly"! Cheeky bastard.
GGGG!
I heard the sound of powering up energy. Is it gonna shoot something at me?!
[Yes, through the mouths of the snake heads.]
Well shit!
[Welsh Dragon Balance Breaker!]
[Jet!]
I shot around the ballroom while avoiding a blast of energy that followed me, with my eyes closed.
PSHYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
Woah! That was actually quite a powerful blast! I can't see the destruction but somehow my instincts tell me that.
[Indeed. It wasn't bad. Not bad at all.]
Doesn't look like the thing can turn me to stone for some reason. Is it because I'm not making eye contact? Or is it because my face isn't exposed.
[I do not believe it has to do with your eyes or your face. Rather, I believe it has to do with the fact that you have the armor of the Sekiryuutei. It may be too difficult to turn an existence like ours into stone without amazing power like Medusa. Moreover, it may be difficult because we are of similar origin. Serpent or reptilian like beings. With armor which is a representation of the legendary Dragon Emperor, it must not be possible for it to freeze us.]
Huh. Looks like she's at a serious disadvantage.
[Against us, yes. But it seems like its powers would be quite useful against other beings. If you hadn't donned your armor it may have been able to freeze you.]
GGG!
It charged up another beam of energy and shot it at me to dodge while I flew around the room.
PSHYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMM!
Hm...based on this power…. She's actually a bit above High-Class Devils huh. Or at least definitely above the average High-Class Devils. To me that may seem like much, but it's a good level objectively. You thinking what I'm thinking what I'm thinking Ddraig?
[It seems obvious, no?]
Well, at least we agree. Let's see what this viper can do.
"Haah!...Haaah!..Hah!..."
I floated above the Gorgon with my armor almost completely intact. The one who was breathing heavily was the Gorgon herself. She didn't even have her mask on because I knocked it off before. The fight wasn't long. And it wasn't a very difficult one either. I can see how she would give trouble to High-Class Devils, but at this point I'm way past that level so there's really not a lot of problems for me here.
GGGGG!
She began charging up multiple blasts using multiple snake heads. These are more powerful than before. That would probably crack my armor altogether. But still.
PHSYYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!
She fired off the beams of energy all at once. Harder to dodge all these with my eyes closed. But I suppose it's time to end this.
[Jet!]
I boosted around the blasts and ended up getting my armor scraped in many places due to not having my sight. I can use my instincts to avoid the feeling of proximity to the blasts, but sometimes they get too close. Rather than boosting to just dodge the blasts I boosted towards the Gorgon. The blasts became more erratic as I closed in, but nevertheless I did.
Zip!
I ended up near the Gorgon's midsection and reared back my fist.
DOOOOOOOON!
"Guha!"
She hunched over as I sent a powerful punch to her human abdomen. Her body starting tipping over.
BAN!
Her large body fell to the floor as she struggled to keep her breath. It's over. She can hardly move well. I guess that's that huh. I stepped around to the front of the Gorgon. She really is beautiful. Well, without the whole snake body and arms stuff. Oh yeah and the ones in her hair.
SSSSIIIIIIIII….
Hm? Ah, the snake heads released some purple smoke or mist like substance. Is it like a toxic gas or something?
[Yes. It seems to be very lethal. I suggest you keep your armor on so you don't feel any discomfort.]
Right. Must be a last ditch effort against me I guess.
"...Kill me…."
(—?!)
She spoke! So she can actually speak huh. But….what was that? She kept her head down.
"...Kill me."
….She's asking me to kill her…. But why?
[Mm. Well...you have already defeated her. She sees no chance of victory. I'm confused as to why it is here. If it is here then that means it is not fulfilling its purpose. It was essentially just fighting to survive, nothing more. In that case, now that it cannot defeat you, it can assume no other outcome than death.]
So you mean she's resigned herself to death then….
[It seems so.]
You said she's not fulfilling any purpose. Nobody ever comes around here and the only inhabitants to this castle are other beasts or "Daemons". So she's really not doing anything around here.…. What happens if I leave her here?
[Nothing, I suppose.]
...In that case….
"..Hey, you…"
I called out to the Gorgon. She lifted her head. She was still glaring at me, but there was a certain deadness in her eyes.
"Um...would you like to come serve me?"
There was no change in her expression except for furrowing of her brow. She lowered her head again.
"Kill me…."
Ah... She said it again. Did she take it the wrong way? Or actually...there's not really many ways you can say that. If anything, I said it the best way since I didn't say anything like "become my pet" or "let me be your master" or anything demeaning like that. She just really doesn't care anymore huh…
[Hm….how odd.]
Hm? What is it Ddraig?
[Well, according to legend, there are meant to be 3 Gorgons. Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa. Out of the 3, Medusa was the only one who was mortal and she was slain by the hero Perseus. And yet, this Gorgon is neither Stheno or Euryale. Not to mention, it even possesses snakeheads in its hair. That was something unique to Medusa because she was cursed by Athena for fornicating with Poseidon. So then why does this one have them? Its aura is odd as well. It's a mixture of serene and chaotic. And her appearance as well. A beautiful woman with qualities that don't align with the legend….could this be another Gorgon altogether?...]
MMRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAA!
(—?!)
A sudden roar from behind me. What is that?! It sounded like a bull. I turned around. Across the ballroom, at the opposite entrance, stood a tall monster with the form of a bull. What is that?!
[A Minotaur!]
Say what?! One of those things from Greek mythology?! What the hell is it doing here?! I thought they were only supposed to be located in "labyrinths"! And wasn't there only one of them?!
[Unfortunately Partner, when it comes to legend, certain things can be vague. The classification for a labyrinth can be quite broad. You said earlier that this castle resembled a maze in its architecture. Minotaur find peace of mind in places like these regardless of whether they are considered the traditional type of labyrinth. Also, there are many Minotaur. Any information suggesting otherwise is simply incorrect. Though, the classical story of the Minotaur in the labyrinth is true.]
Ah...maybe I should have read further into those books rather than looking at the pages and saying "I don't want to fight that".
SSSSSSSSSSSS!
Hm? Ah, the Gorgon. The snakeheads in her hair are hissing at the Minotaur and she's glaring at it more than she did for me. Do they not like each other?
[Ah, now I see.]
What is it, Ddraig?
[Minotaur are quite territorial, Partner. If there is anything roaming about this maze of a castle then it would try to kill it. And there are many things here. Including this Gorgon. From what it looks like, the Gorgon and the Minotaur have had some "disputes" in the past.]
A Minotaur huh. He actually seems pretty strong. Oh, maybe making him my familiar would be better! What do you think Ddraig? Is he stronger than the Gorgon?
[Yes, but not unreasonably so. In terms of whether it would make a better choice as a familiar, I believe it is stronger than the Gorgon, but I believe the potential for the Gorgon is much higher. A Minotaur is practically nothing but brute strength. From what it looks like, it doesn't seem like this Minotaur would experience much growth beyond this. It is stronger than High-Class Devils, and that is considered a good level amongst familiars, but you would feel more satisfied obtaining one that can become stronger no? Besides….something about my instincts is persuading me to place my attention on the Gorgon…]
Yeah same here….feels like there's some mystery about her I want to uncover.
[It is a mystery. This is a being that shouldn't exist.]
Woah! Now you've got me interested!
MRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAA!
The Minotaur roared at us again. Or more specifically, it roared at the Gorgon. The Gorgon hissed back but….somehow...my instincts are telling me that...she's afraid?
[I see. This must be the reason why the Gorgon seemed exhausted even before we encountered it. It must have been low on stamina after escaping from this beast. This response is similar to a cornered animal after all. That must be the familiar feeling you're getting. I'm sure you've seen a similar reaction in canines.]
So she's afraid this thing is gonna kill her huh. Even though she asked to die?
[Merely because it resigned its life does not mean it wishes to die. It may just mean that it saw no other option. Dying without a purpose would seem better than dying for what could possibly be an evil or cruel master.]
But if she's so afraid to die then why offer her life?... Why not just ask to be spared?..
[I said it before, Partner. It is fulfilling no purpose. It is only fighting to survive. Unlike the other monsters in this place, this Gorgon is not a mindless beast. It is aware of everything that happens around it. I would assume that even though it is afraid to die, it recognizes its own hollow existence. It is essentially something with nothing to live for.]
The Gorgon continued hissing at the Minotaur. In her glare holds the same deadness from before. Emptiness…
…..Hmph...
SSSSSSSSSS—…
The hissing behind me ceased. That's because I suddenly stood in front of the Gorgon to block the view of the Minotaur.
MMMRRRRRRRRR! MROOOAAAA!
The Minotaur growled and roared briefly at me.
"...What?... You telling me to move?.."
The Minotaur huffed at me. I glanced back down at the confused Gorgon.
"...Heh. Don't wanna!..."
That looked like it pissed it off.
MRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAA!
The Minotaur came charging down the ballroom. Alright then. Looks like I'm Perseus now!
[Theseus.]
Gonna have to read those books again…
[Jet!]
I boosted towards the Minotaur and met it halfway. My fist collided with its snout. It couldn't take the power of my charge and I slammed its head into the ballroom floor.
DOOOOOOOOOOOONNNN!
What's the easiest way to kill this thing Ddraig?
[Without Ascalon? The Old fashioned way.]
Ah. The brutal way.
MROOOOOOOOOAAAAA!
It lifted itself off the floor and sent a lot of attacks to me. Huh. Certainly this would take down High-Class Devils. Strong. But not for me. If there isn't much growth you'll experience past this point, then you are a disappointment!
DOOONNN!
I punched the Minotaur straight in the nose causing it to fly back and crash onto the floor. It clutched onto its face as it struggled to get up. I jumped into its back and got a good grip of its horns.
MROOOAAAAAAA!
It flailed about trying to get me off. Too bad, big guy! I held tightly on its horns and pulled back its head.
[Boost Boost!]
And with only a couple of boosts—
BRRCCKK!
I brutally snapped its neck.
DON!
It fell to its knees as I dismounted. That takes care of that. The Gorgon was still in the same place. Okay….um…
I walked towards the Gorgon and dematerialized my mask. She seems surprised to see my face. I bent down to one knee.
"Hey um….. Look….."
She's on guard. Hopefully she doesn't shoot poisonous smoke at me right now.
"I….I'm not gonna hurt you ya know. Or..at least not anymore than I already have. So you know….um...what I meant by earlier was….[would you like to become my familiar]?"
Her glare didn't disappear.
"Ah! What I mean by that is!...well, I'm a Devil you see. So if you were to come serve me, you would be my familiar. And I would be your master. You would help me in my fights and stuff like that. —Ah! That doesn't mean I'll put you through anything you can't handle though! And I won't hurt you myself! I'm not a bastard so I wouldn't be abusive or anything, ya know?..."
Nothing changes….. I'm not good at this. All of what I'm saying doesn't feel very convincing. I'm still not good at using my brain to communicate my feelings…. Are? Feelings?
"...Hey…"
I decided to say my own proper thoughts instead of the formal introduction.
"...I...I can't promise you that I would be able to make you happy myself…."
I extended my hand to her.
"But….I can at least give you a home…"
There was a certain reaction from her. Her glare was still there, but deep in her eyes I saw a little light….. Her snakes that had their attention focused on me...leaned back a bit.
"..."
But there was no response...
"...I see…."
I stood back on my feet. Guess not huh...
"Well...at least you won't have to worry about that thing anymore."
I began walking out of the ballroom from where I came. Looks like I'll have to find something else to bring back. Maybe I shouldn't have killed the Minotaur. Maybe I should've just knocked it out.
[Unlikely, Partner. I believe if you hadn't killed it it would have simply brought itself back up again and again until it could kill you. They are incredibly tenacious due to their rage. So killing it was not necessarily the wrong choice.]
Is that so? I stretched my arms behind my neck as I deactivated my armor.
"But maaaaaaan~ I've really been encountering a lot of stuff from Greek legend huh. First the Hydra, then the Gorgon, then the Minotaur? What is up with that man? Next thing you know I'm gonna be meeting the Gods."
[You came close Partner.]
"Hm? Ah, do you mean that Trident weapon? You said that was sent by Poseidon, right? Man, he really saved my ass there. And I didn't even ask him for that. Sensei didn't either. Maybe he's just a nice guy huh?"
Right when I finished my sentence.
"Wait!..."
I stopped. Wha..? The Gorgon? Just as I was about to pass the staircase outside of the ballroom, the Gorgon called me from within.
"You!... Who are you?..."
Huh? She's asking who I am. Um, how should I introduce myself?
[How about properly. As the Red Dragon Emperor.]
"...I'm this generation's Sekiryuutei! As you can tell…"
She went quiet. I can't really see her expression in this distance. What's she thinking, asking me now?
"...Very well…"
Hm?
"What was that?"
She answered me firmly.
"I shall serve you."
(—?!)
I ran back to the ballroom.
"Y-Y-Y-You mean you'll be my familiar?!"
I asked her in shock. She slowly nodded. Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh?! No way! You mean that she's suddenly decided to serve me?! You mean that I can actually have this Gorgon as my familiar?! But why?! She decided that after I mentioned all that stuff relating to Greek mythology. Could it be because of that? What should I do Ddraig?
[Hm. I wouldn't suggest letting this chance slip. She is a being with high potential. Maybe we can have the Governor study her a bit to determine her mysterious nature.]
Oh yeah you're right. I can have Sensei check her out to see what's up with her. Well….if that's the case.
" Aaaaaah~ You have no idea what this means to me! I swear I'll treat you right! —Ahem."
I walked to stand in front of the Gorgon. I made a pose and concentrated my demonic power into a magic circle beneath the Gorgon.
"…..In the name of Issei Hyoudou, I order you! You shall become my familiar and respond to my contract!"
I began the ceremony to contract the Gorgon. It was still kinda glaring at me all the while...I mean it's not as hostile as before, but a glare is a glare right? Ah….Maybe that's actually just her default expression…
The ceremony came to a close. The magic circle shone brightly.
SHIIINN!
…..The light died down. Is that it? Did I do it?
[It seems so Partner. I sense some of your demonic power on her.]
!...So it would seem! So I did it! Yes! I have a familiar now! And it's a mythical creature too! Woooooooooooooooo! Score one for me! Ah!
I stopped my excited hopping as I realized something.
"That's right! I never introduced myself!"
I flipped around to face the Gorgon. Uh, how should I introduce myself?
[Try doing it confidently partner. As it is now, you're not representing the "Gremory". You are only representing yourself, the Sekiryuutei.]
Right! Um.. So I suppose…
"My name is Hyoudou Issei! I am the Red Dragon Emperor! Ah, and I guess I'm your master now hehe. Ah! But that doesn't mean I'm gonna abuse you or make you do anything bad that you don't like! I swear to you, I will be the best master I can be! But please bear with me...i've never had a familiar before, especially not someone so impressive, so I may be inexperienced…"
I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly. She relaxed her glare a bit to instead raise brow at my introduction. Well...good first impression huh…
"..Medusa…"
Hm? She mentions the name of the Gorgon Medusa randomly.
"Hm? What about it?"
"...Medusa….. My name is Medusa…"
I paused a bit…
"No...well….you're obviously not. Medusa was slain by the hero Perseus. You can't be Medusa. It's okay, you don't have to hide it from me. So what's your real name?"
She glared at me with utmost hostility!
"Ah! Woah! Woah! Okay! Is that what you want me to call you?! Okay! I got it! Medusa! I'll call you Medusa!"
Her glare lightened up, but it was still a little there. Aaaah... I made her super mad….but more importantly, she wants me to refer to her as Medusa... Why? Is she someone who is obsessed with Medusa? Ah! Is it because they have similarities?! I see! Maybe it's because they have similarities that she somehow looks up to her or something. And she doesn't fully trust me yet so rather than giving me her real name she decided to give me Medusa's name. Is that a good assumption?
[It is a good thinking pattern, Partner. But somehow I feel the reasoning runs deeper than that.]
Well...we'll just see what that damn Sensei says about this.
Part 3
"Alright. Let's try this one."
I'm in Grigori right now. Just yesterday I finished up the last of my trials for this week. Right now, I'm in an extra room of Grigori that looks a bit like a small white classroom. I'm the only one in the room besides the "teacher". The one who's up at the whiteboard "teaching" me right now is Shemhazai-san. You see, because, right now I am doing some "practice problems" given to me by Shemhazai-san. They're kinda like test questions. Well, I suppose it's better just to listen.
"Let's say you encounter an enemy who keeps disappearing from your sight. Every time this enemy disappears from your sight, they appear somewhere nearby in a bizarre place. And every time they disappear and reappear, you feel a momentary sense of unbalance and slight nausea. There is no indication or warning to when they disappear from your sight. What sort of ability do they possess? "
This is what I mean. It's almost literally a fucking test question. This is part of the training Sensei has been putting me through that I didn't ask for originally. He's told me this before: [The simple way works best for idiots like you. But that doesn't mean you should stay an idiot. The brain is a muscle like any other, the more you train it the stronger it gets. If I put you through it you will improve. That's just how it is. You've come up with some good little strategies before. I believe you can do it. So, just try your best. Alright?]
So thanks to him, ever since I passed the mock investigation trial, he basically set me up with 'get smarter' quizzes.
"Hyoudou Issei-san?"
"Ah! Sorry! Yeah hold up. Lemme think about it."
Right. The question. Let's solve that for now. Alright. Let's consider the clues we have then…..
…..
Okay.
"Um, okay. I don't think it's a teleportation ability."
Shemhazai-san raised a brow.
"An interesting theory. Why?"
I crossed my arms while thinking deeply.
"Um, alright. Well, if it was just a teleportation ability, then why exactly would it have an effect on me? Every time he uses it I somehow become affected. But if it was just a teleportation ability, then it would only have an effect on the space he is escaping from and the place he is ending up in, not on me. So...if it's having an effect on me...then that means…"
I paused to think before speaking.
"It's an illusionary ability!"
Shemhazai-san closed his pen.
"Explain how you came to that conclusion."
"Um, well, considering all the clues I have the best conclusion would be an illusionary effect. Because, if he was teleporting somewhere, then it would have an effect on the spaces like I mentioned before. But in the problem it was explained that there is no indication to when they disappear. Teleportation will always have an effect on the spaces around. Whether it's smoke appearing and taking someone away, or the classic distortion of space that is usually seen, it will always be there. So if there is none, them the teleportation isn't actually happening. Even more than that, the fact that it has an effect on my body also supports that theory. For example, the fact that there is an effect on my senses like balance and a feeling of nausea, that means that it is affecting the liquid in my ears!...or something like that. And stuff like sensory overloads is one of the greatest indicators towards illusionary effects! Not to mention, if the enemy is appearing in bizarre places, then that only supports the idea that they are trying to disorient you further with their illusions!"
Shemhazai-san crossed his arms and sighed….oh no...did I fail?...
"Hmph."
He smiled.
"Correct. Well done, Hyoudou Issei-san."
I jumped up in joy.
"Yes! I did it! Ahahaha!"
He began erasing the whiteboard he was using before.
"You are getting quite good at this, Issei-san."
"Yes! Thank you, Shemhazai-san!"
He praises me! As I thought, I am slowly becoming smarter!?
Dakun.
The door to the room opened and Sensei entered.
"Yo, Ise. You ready?"
"Ah…"
That's right. Today's the day after all.
"Yeah. I'm ready."
It's time for the school festival.
-DxD-
"Hai, Hai, come visit our booth~"
The roaring sounds of many students doing their activities around the school…..I'm standing outside of my school gate right now. I'm about to take my first steps in since one month ago….I can feel the familiar auras of those people off in the distance. Near that familiar building….
Well…..welcome home I guess….
I walked in. The moment I started walking in people started to notice me with shocked faces.
"Oi, oi, oi, isn't that Hyoudou? What's he doing here? Hasn't he been gone from school?"
"It's Hyoudou! He was seriously gone for weeks! Why did he suddenly show up now?"
"Hey, hey, what's going on? Hyoudou is back. He's been gone for a month and ever since then his club has been depressed haven't they?"
"That bastard! He definitely did something to get his club members to be like that! And now he comes out of nowhere to be here?! What's up with that?!"
Yeah. That's about the reaction I expected.
"Hyoudou!"
I heard someone call out to me specifically. I turned and saw a familiar girl with glasses approaching me.
"You!"
She puts her finger against my chest.
"Kiryuu…"
That's right, this girl is the perverted girl who is always influencing Asia, Aika Kiryuu...
"Ever since you left, everyone in your club has been acting terribly, including Asia. And not a single one of them would talk to anyone about it. I was beginning to think you had just died. Even Asia did not tell me a single thing about it. The only thing she would do is say, "Ise-san, Ise-san" and then start immediately crying before being able to explain! So I ask you Hyoudou, what have you done?"
She questions me strictly... Yeah, out of all people, it makes sense that she's the one to come and ask me this. I can see many students around us trying to listen intently.
"...That's…."
I could feel my nerves tense.
"...That's not something I can talk about in public...and.."
I didn't want to be mean, but I placed my hands on her shoulders firmly.
"In the end, it's none of your business. None of you."
A lot of students flinched or turned/averted gazes elsewhere. Kiryuu lost her expression of aggression and replaced it with one of contemplation.
"For you to say it so seriously….what happened between you?..."
I averted my gaze and sighed.
"Kiryuu... Do you know where Ravel is?"
She looks at me confused.
"Phenex-chan?...Yeah, she should be with the rest of her club doing their thing... She's the only one who wasn't depressed at her time here at school, besides Rossweisse-sensei….and Phenex-chan has been missing school lately….have you been speaking with only them?..."
Hm... She's a smart girl after all. Regardless...
"What about the tennis club? Are they doing anything?"
She became even more confused.
"Yeah….they're having a mini-tournament against the best players in the club against random participants…. Why?"
"Alright. In that case, go tell Ravel to meet me at the tennis courts. I'll be waiting there."
"Huh? Why the tennis courts?"
I turned to walk away without answering. I glanced back.
"Don't tell any of the other club members I'm here."
She narrowed her eyes.
"...Even if I don't….that information will spread around before I have the chance…"
Kiryuu walked away. Damn. She's right. If I know anything about this school it's that stuff spreads like a wildfire around here. I don't have much time until they know. Who knows, maybe they'll already know once I reach the tennis courts.
I began walking as I noticed many students whisper their theories around me. Theories I don't care about. It didn't take long of me walking towards the sports areas to notice 2 figures ran towards me from the distance.
"Isseeeeeeeeeeeee!"
"You bastaaaaaaaaaaard!"
Two familiar guys slid to a stop on either side of me as I walked. As I thought, my old partners. Matsuda and Motohama.
Skiiiiiiiiiiiid!
"Oi, Iseeee! Where the Hell have you been man?! We thought you were fucking dead! You weren't answering any of our calls or texts and your whole club has been in the dumps ever since you disappeared!"
"Yeah, that's right, that's right! You just up and vanished and your whole team took a depressed state and now you just show up outta nowhere without a holler?! What the Hell have you been doing man?!"
I don't know why, but I somehow made the decision to ignore them and continue walking...
"Oi, Oi! Don't ignore us! Explain what happened to us! Why were you gone for so long?! What were you doing?! Why does it seem like your team was mourning your death?!"
"Yeah! Come on man! Tell us something! We're your friends aren't we? Say something dammit!"
I stopped in my tracks….."friends"?...
"You…."
"Hm? What is it?!"
"Yeah, what's up?!"
They looked up at me expectantly….I don't know why I did this. But I looked down at them with an almost hostile expression. No, it was an almost pained expression... And I spoke without thinking.
"...Friends?...What sort of friends are we?..."
They looked at me confused. But I couldn't stop talking. All the while speaking, I could only see the images of a certain club room filled with familiar people... "Friends"...
"...What sort of friends are we? What even is it that makes us "friends"? I don't even know…... Friends that run around peeping at girls and talking about porn, only to get beaten up, go home, and continue spending time talking about or doing worthless shit?... Friends that just leave each other behind when things get dicey and ruin one another's chances at anything just cuz we don't wanna be left behind?... We're friends huh?... We were friends when you guys started spreading nasty rumors about me….we were friends when we ruined Matsuda's chances with that one girl by staining his reputation as a lolicon leaving him up to owning it in the end for his sanity's sake, last year….we were friends when we broke Motohama's glasses that one time he was successfully flirting with a girl..."
They were dead silent. Many of the students walking by had stopped to watch. I ended it with a pained smile.
"Hehehe…..Yeah, that's..…. We're great "friends", aren't we?..."
Silence…
I walked past them. I didn't hear any response… I continued walking until I reached the tennis courts... It was almost as if...I wasn't even talking to them..
I could see the person I was looking for inside the courts, playing against random students. Kiyomi Abe-senpai. Some random girl pointed me out when she noticed me.
"Woah! It's Hyoudou! He's back?!"
The moment my name was said Abe-senpai lifted her head and looked around. She noticed me. I waved from beyond the fences. Her eyes widened a bit. And—
Bonk!
—A tennis ball hit the side of her head.
"Aaaah! Kiyomi-senpai!"
"Hey, you idiot! You hit Kiyomi-senpai in the head!"
"Hiiii! I-I'm sorry!"
She began rubbing her head as another student came to her with a wet towel. That's a bit overkill don't you think?
"Are you alright, Kiyomi-senpai?"
"Y-Yeah. I'll just sit down for a bit. Maybe I'll go to the nurse's office and get an ice pack."
"I'll take you!"
"N-No! It's alright. I can go myself. Thank you."
The student let go of her and Abe-senpai discreetly gestured for me to go away. "Go away"? Oh! The nurse's office! Alright. I get it.
I walked away from the courts and started walking out to where the nurse's office would be near the school building, but before I could even get across the other sports fields I was caught up to by Abe-senpai.
"Hey, wait!"
"Ah, Abe-senpai!"
She halted in front of me and took a few breaths. Ah, did I walk too fast? Maybe it's because I feel so tense.
"Sorry. Maybe I should've just waited somewhere near the courts where I could be seen by you."
She shook her head lightly.
"No...it's alright. I was the one who told you to go after all... Haaah. Ahem. Okay."
She finally composed herself….but it went quiet after that….oh….yeah….we don't really have anything to talk about huh….ah...she's getting red.
"Um—"
"Yes?! Ah!"
She suddenly freaked out when I spoke. Looks like she's tense too….If I'm being honest...maybe it's because I make her nervous...and the reason for that is most likely because…
"A-Ah! I'm sorry! G-Go ahead!"
"Eh? Ah, no, it's alright. You can say what you wanna say.."
She looked away nervously.
"..Y...You came to see me…"
"Yeah... I did promise I would. I'm a man of my word."
She placed her hands on her hips.
"W-Well good! I don't like men who go back on their word! Hmph!"
"Ehehehe, yeah, I would imagine you don't."
She became red and shocked.
"D-D-D-D-Don't take that the wrong way! I'm not saying that I like guys like you or anything! T-Though, I don't necessarily dislike you either..."
"Ehehehe.. Is that so?"
She rubs her arm nervously and sighs.
"Haah... That won't do huh... I have to be direct with things like this.."
She seems like she's gathering her courage for something. She lifts her head with a red tint on her cheeks..…. So...does that mean..
"Hey….um... Listen, Hyoudou…... I..."
-"Friends"-
|Kiba|
"G-Gaaao! I-I will drink your blood!"
"Kyaah! Gya-kun is so cute!"
"Kawaaiiii~"
"...Uuu... I'm supposed to be scary.."
Gyasuke seems to have failed in his attempt at scaring some of the students going through our haunted house. Too many people think he's cute.
"Kyaah! Kiba-kun! Please bite me~"
Ah, some of the girls called out to me who was dressed like a zombie at the next corner of the haunted house that we built for the festival. I smiled and waved like usual. Well, we seem to be quite a popular attraction at least. The club members attitudes seemed to have improved over the last few days. They haven't lightened up all the way, but at least there are conversations happening during club time. And now we keep the curtains open for light in the club room instead of sitting there in the dark, quietly.
The girls have been sleeping better too. Though, they still don't care to talk much to the students who approach them daily. Well, either way, the amount of students who approach all of us has decreased because of our attitude changes. But it seems like everyone is getting a bit better.
(—?!)
I suddenly felt something. A familiar presence. Off in the distance, possibly near the new school building. This feeling…. I walked out of the haunted house without asking to be excused. But I wasn't the only one. I was soon followed by Xenovia, Irina-san, and Akeno-san.
"Oi….isn't this…"
"That has to be…"
"It's him!…"
They were all in shock like me. It looks like the life returned to Akeno-san's eyes. She looked empty up until this point. Even when she smiled and served us tea. She would always lock herself in her room when the girls returned home, according to Irina-san. It was apparently the same with Buchou.
Soon enough, the rest of the members walked out, leaving the haunted house empty and keeping the line halted by Rossweisse-san. The last persons to come out were Buchou, followed by Asia right next to her who has been her emotional support up until this point. Buchou looked out into the distance longingly and whispered.
"..Ise…"
"Hey, Phenex-chan."
—The girl with glasses, Kiryuu-san, suddenly showed up and gestured Ravel to come closer. She walked up to her and Kiryuu-san whispered in Ravel's ear. Ravel nodded her head and turned to walk away.
"Ravel."
But Buchou called out to her. She halted, but did not turn to us.
"...Where are you going?..."
"...I'm afraid I must excuse myself….there is someone I want to see…"
"..Someone?..."
It went silent. The atmosphere was tense. Until Buchou spoke again.
"...Where is he?..."
"..."
She didn't answer. But…
"Koneko. Find him."
Buchou ordered Koneko-chan who had her real ears and tails out as part of her costume. Her ears and tails flicked immediately. She's using senjutsu.
"Wait!"
Rossweisse-san appeared in front of us, between Ravel and our group.
"I can't let you do that, Buchou…"
Buchou's eyes were covered by a shadow.
"...Rossweisse... I am your master... I need you to—"
"No. I cannot. I have been ordered by Azazel not to allow you to encounter him. I'm sorry…"
Sensei….. Buchou bit her lip. A small drip of blood ran down her chin.
"Rossweisse!... You can't!..."
Rossweisse-san averted her gaze.
"I'm sorry….but I have my orders…. If I have these orders to follow….then that means it is a decision he agrees with…"
With that, Buchou took a hit. Her face became overcome with a rare emotion that she did not reveal publicly. Tears built up in her eyes and she held her hands over her mouth. She quickly ran towards the clubhouse instead of the attraction.
"Onee-sama!"
Asia ran after her. Xenovia and Irina-san returned to their places in the haunted house after a sigh, unsurprised by the outcome. Gyasuke and Koneko-chan became depressed and returned as well. Akeno-san lost the light in her eyes and robotically returned to her place. Rossweisse-san went back to regulate the line after a heavy sigh, and Ravel walked away. I was the only one left behind standing doing nothing...
"Oi, oi, what just happened?! Rias-senpai started crying!"
"What was going on there? Were they having a fight?!"
"Hey, did you hear? Hyoudou is back. He randomly showed up."
"Yeah! And he even had a fight with the perverted duo to boot!"
"A conflict between perverts? Why's everybody acting so weirdly this past month?"
I didn't care to listen any further. This isn't fair, Ise-kun….it's just too cruel….
-DxD-
|Ise|
She seems like she's gathering her courage for something. She lifts her head with a red tint on her cheeks..…. So...does that mean..
"Hey….um... Listen, Hyoudou…... I..."
Before she could continue—
"Ise-samaaaaaaaaaa!"
[—?!]
That voice! I turned to the direction the voice was coming from. As I thought, it's the person I was looking for!
"Ravel!"
I couldn't help but smile as Ravel appeared in front of me. And somehow out of reflex, we hugged.
"Ise-sama! You came!"
"Of course I did! I said I would, wouldn't I?"
…..we soon realized our position and separated.
"Ah! Sorry!"
"N-N-No! It is my fault!"
I rubbed my neck awkwardly. I kind of wanted to hug her longer…
"Ahem."
Ah. Abe-senpai snapped us out of it.
"Hello, Phenex-san."
"A-Ah! Hello, Kiyomi-senpai! So you know of me after all!"
"Of course I do. I know of all the nonhumans in this Academy."
"I-I see…."
The atmosphere was a bit awkward to say the least. Abe-senpai broke the silence again.
"Ahem. So…. I assume you'll be joining us then, Phenex-san?"
"A-Ah! Yes!... Yes I am…"
"I see….. In that case, what are we waiting for? We may as well get on our way and enjoy ourselves to the fullest. Right?"
Abe-senpai smiled to us. Ravel looked to me expectantly. I smiled.
"Yeah. Right, Ravel?"
She brightened up.
"Yes!"
After that, I spent the rest of the day at the festival. I didn't see Matsuda and Motohama around. I didn't see Kiryuu either. And most of all…..I didn't run into any of the club members. In the end, I returned to Grigori without consequence.
End
Alright. I gotta get this damn chapter out. I didn't think it would be this long, but it is. Looks like we'll reach cannon in about 2 or 3 chapters, at most. Next chapter will be Issei's final trials. 2 major trials and one trial that is kind of major but will not be fleshed out like the other two. But you have no idea what you're in for on those. Did you think the Hydra was a major action scene? Hohohohoho~
Also, if you know me, then you know I'm a fan of the Fate series if not for anything but the character designs. So yes, "Medusa" looks just like Gorgon from Fate.
So yeah, tell me what you guys thought. What'd you think of Issei's minor trials? Is Issei starting to become a better strategist/tactician? Will Issei be able to learn to tame his perversion from now on? Why was he able to control it the way he did? Is Issei becoming smarter? The mysterious Gorgon "Medusa" became Issei's familiar, but what is her true identity? Has the perverted trio been disbanded? What of the ORC now?
Read, Rate, Review go crazy.
Stay frosty.