Disclaimer: I own nothing of the properties within this story. All rights go to the creators and companies of said properties.
Beta by Old man of the mountain/Darklord331 and Slothful
Chapter 3: The Peacock Strut
"Are you an idiot?!" My uncle's voice blares from the phone, forcing me to move it away from my ear if I don't want to suffer hearing loss.
"I know it sounds bad, but I have a good reason," I argue.
"Good reason?! You expose your powers to a Fallen Angel! You know, one of the three races we have been trying to avoid getting for years!"
"She was mortally wounded! What did you expect me to do?!"
"Leave her!"
"I'm not going to leave someone to die right in front of me!"
I hear my uncle sigh over the phone. "Where is she now?"
"She is currently resting in my room," I answer.
"YOU BROUGHT HER TO OUR HOUSE?!" I'm surprised the speaker didn't break from how loud my uncle yelled.
"She was naked! Where else can I take her without people calling on me?!"
"Why the hell was she naked in the first place?!"
"That doesn't matter! There are demons in Kuoh!" I exclaim.
The phone became quiet. Seconds of complete silence has passed. Those seconds felt like hours to me. It only felt like time had returned to normal once I heard my uncle's voice.
"How many and what kind?" my uncle's tone became serious. He is in full business mode now. At least now I don't have to deal with him yelling at me.
"Daemons, I fought twenty of them, but there could be more, and Orias," I state. "The only reason I managed to kill it was the fallen angel's light magic." My uncle doesn't like the idea of me saving Mittelt, but hopefully, stating that I'm only alive because of her involvement (which might not be a complete lie), he would mellow out about her resting at our place.
"Fucking Christ. Daemons are one thing, but how can a C-class demon bypass us?" My uncle asks himself before sighing. "Fine. I understand the situation. I need to inform the CDF."
The CDF. The Counter-Demon Force.
In 1948, while everyone was still trying to recover from World War Two, the world's leading powerhouses discovered the existence of the supernatural. And what did those powers do when they learned the existence of beings who can tank hits from humanity's mightiest weapons as if they were spitballs?
They founded the CDF, of course.
The goal of CDF is to gather the best that humanity has to offer, all to protect humanity from the supernatural.
At first, it was America, Russia, and China leading the CDF, but Japan joined after experiencing its economic boom in the 50s and 70s. Other nations such as Egypt, Greece, Rome, Italy, Norway, and India are also part of the CDF, but it's more due to how large and powerful their nation's pantheon is.
Within the CDF, there are three groups. The exploration team, or as we call them, the Undernauts, explore the vortex world (though the group never settled on a name as they also named the vortex world Yomi, Da'adt, and Schwarzwelt). The Undernauts's job is to hold the line against the demonic invasion and to gather materials you can only find in the vortex world to develop new weapons, tools, and other such projects.
Next is the research/development team. As one could reason, the research/development teams were the minds behind the COMP and Item Box. The research team also studies demons and other supernatural races, and as of lately, Sacred Gears. They were also in charge of ranking the threat level of demons. Those levels go from the lowest, F, to the highest, S, but the ranking can change at a motion's notice.
Finally, there is the support team. Which my uncle is a part of.
The support team is the one responsible for the production of goods and supplies.
Both support and development teams do similar jobs on the surface, but that's incorrect.
For one, the development team focuses on the new. The development team's job is to make new tools to assist the mission. The support team's job is to ensure the mass production of those items. Another task the support team does is provide aid to the Undernauts, be it a supply drop or a rescue mission.
It's surprising how such a group avoided drawing attention to not just the three major factions but the supernatural as a whole, but the CDF taught its members to keep a low profile as much as possible.
The CDF is a strange but fascinating group, a group that uses both science and magic.
"I will inform the higher-ups that I will be heading home now." my uncle said.
"But aren't you on a mission right now?"
"Yes, but considering you face a C-class demon in Kuoh despite our sensors never triggering, the higher-ups would want me to be back there to ensure the powderkeg, known as the supernatural existing, doesn't go off." My raises his point. "And this mission isn't that important in the first place. I'm going to hang up now. This time, make sure you don't do anything stupid. We will talk once I return."
Before I could speak, the line went dead, causing me to sigh and pocket my phone.
"Sounds like somebody is in trouble~" Pixie teasingly said, laying on top of Rex's head while gleefully swinging her legs towards her back.
"I'm going to step out for a minute." I left the living room, stopping at the doorway to put on my shoes.
"Didn't your uncle say to stay in?" Pixie deadpans.
"No. Uncle Naoya told me not to do anything stupid. He never said anything against me leaving the house." I argue. "Besides, when our guest wakes up, I have no doubt she will want something to eat, and I still need to get dinner."
After putting on my shoes, I checked to see if I had my wallet, which I did, before opening the front door. "And I'm positive you two can handle anything that comes up." I exited the house and closed the door before Pixie could say anything.
After putting some distance between me and my house, I let out a sigh I didn't realize I was holding. Honestly, I just wanted some time alone. What my uncle said kept replaying in my head. About how stupid I was being for being Mittelt into our house. And the more I think about it, the more I realize he is right.
Even if I was worried about someone taking advantage of Mittelt's unconscious state, it didn't mean I had to bring her to our house. There were plenty of other warehouses in the area to hide her and leave behind my sweatshirt for her to cover herself. There was no reason to risk my and my uncle's safety by taking her to my house.
I want to blame the humanitarian part of my nature. Naturally, humans help each other. But I can't. Because Mittelt isn't human, she is a Fallen Angel. A fallen angel who's part of a group that I'm positive said group will be searching for her.
I want to curse myself for my reckless actions, but that would be useless. Putting myself at risk is one thing, but I also put my uncle, Rex, and potentially my neighbors at risk. But I can't allow myself to wallow in self-pity. If I do that, then I will start to regret my actions. If I start regretting my actions, I will fall into a downward spiral of self-doubt. A spiral that will consume me and become a shackle that will hinder any future decisions I make.
Don't regret it. If you have time for self-pity, use it to improve your situation. And in this world, power means everything.
But how can I get more power fast? I can go the old-fashioned route, but that would take too long. I can try fusing demons, but I don't have enough to start mindlessly combining them. And just because I crate it doesn't mean that demon would be loyal. I could end up causing my death in my desperate attempt to gain power.
I almost want to laugh at my situation. I have no Sacred Gear to rely on, I can't fuse powerful demons without the risk of them turning on me, and I have pitiful mana reserves. All I have is my potion-crafting skills, a handful of demons, some spells, and my system.
Wait. I completely forgot about my system. How can I forget about it? The system is why I'm in this world in the first place, but I guess it slipped my mind with how stressful today has been. I also remember it rewarding me for completing its mission. Perhaps the reward will be the solution to my problem.
[Eromancy grimoire] - A magical tome to spice up the bedroom.
[Whip mastery (beginner)] - You are far more skilled with whip than most people but far from mastering the art.
Even my system wants to make a joke at my expense. Fear me, world! I have gotten a book on sex magic and can use whips! The worst part is those things don't seem out of place in this world.
I can do nothing but groan in annoyance, though honestly, I shouldn't be surprised. With how my luck has been, expecting a power-up for free is asking too much. It doesn't mean that I'm disappointed.
There is no point in dwelling. I still have some shopping to do. I can only hope Uncle will teach some things about fighting when he returns. That's if I'm still alive when he returns.
Should I go for pizza or burgers? Considering I had pizza yesterday, I'm leaning toward burgers. I can also buy several burgers for the price of a single pizza. I don't know how much Mittelt can eat, so I should go quantity over quality. Now is a question of how many I should bu-
What the fuck is that?
Seeing a bloody Peacock in the middle of a city is strange enough. But when said peacock has a golden shine with sparkling gems in feathers, something tells me this isn't the usual variety of peacocks I know.
The bird starts running down the alley, causing me to give chase. My uncle told me not to do anything stupid until he returned, but I couldn't ignore the bird. I don't know if it's some unknown demon or mythical animal, but I can't allow it to run free where anyone can see it.
But for some reason, some part of me tells me not to chase it. It wasn't the rational part of my brain telling me. It was the primal part. My brain screams at me to leave the bird alone as if it were more dangerous than a tiger or lion. Even Orias didn't draw such a reaction.
However, I ignore that feeling.
I have the gamer system, so I should think like a gamer. And my gamer logic tells me this golden peacock is a rare enemy, and rare enemies drop good stuff, be it money, gear, experience, or whatever. I will be damned if I let a rare monster run away without trying!
As I chase after the peacock, I notice that the alley's length doesn't make sense. It feels like space has stretched itself. Soon after realizing that, my vision starts to spin. The alleyway begins to twist as if a whirlpool sucked up the alley. No. The vortex wasn't sucking up the alleyway. It was me.
I kept running forward as that's all I can do. However, I wonder if I was moving forward or just running in place. My running came to a stop as I collided with something, hitting me in the gut. I tumbled over whatever I rammed into, rolling over it due to my momentum, slamming my head against the ground.
As I clench my head in pain, my vision starts to clear up. I was no longer in the dirty alleyway I was in mere moments ago. Now, I'm in some luxurious room, one fit for royalty.
Several pieces of furniture shine with a golden sheen. Next to me is a table, golden like the rest of the furniture in this room but with gems decorating its surface. I know what I run into now.
But dear god, this room is gaudy. The gamer screen appears in front of me.
{Lair of Pride}
Lair of Pride? Does that mean this place is some sort of dungeon? I'm doubtful that is the case, but there are still things about the gamer system I don't know about.
But how does this room relate to pride? With all this tacky gold, greed seems more fitting.
"You realize how rude you're being? First, you came into my house uninvited and then had the gall to insult my beauty tea room." A childish girl's voice rings behind me. I turned around to see the golden peacock that I was chasing. "I wanted nothing more than a peaceful stroll, and the next I know, I was being chased by some boarish brute."
"If you didn't want anyone to run after you, you should tone down on the gold and precious gems. Going out like that makes it seem you wanted someone to chase you." a bead of cold sweat runs down the back of my neck. What is with this bird? Even a novice mage like me can feel the overwhelming amount of mana coming from it. Why didn't I sense it when I was chasing it? Simple. It was hiding its power.
This peacock has incredible control over its mana and insane reserves.
But I can't show a hint of fear. This place is a house of pride, with this peacock as its master. Showing even a hint of weakness would surely lead to my demise.
The Peacock covers its mouth with one of its wings. "I suppose you have a valid argument, but a lady should always look her best when she leaves her house." the peacock giggles. "I just couldn't believe someone would chase me without a hint of shame."
"What can I say? I couldn't let a chance like that pass." I smirk with far more confidence than I have. "But you never deny my claim you wanted somebody to follow you."
"There is no point in denying what's true. A deadly poison runs through my veins. Some may say it is the most lethal poison: boredom." The peacock giggles, taking enjoyment from my confused expression.
"So you wanted someone to play with?" I ask.
"Yes! I want something to entertain me. You can only have a certain number of tea parties with your sisters before those parties begin to feel like another chore." The Peacock sighs in boredom.
"Sorry if this sounds rude, but I have a sneaking suspicion that you aren't looking for someone to play cards with," I said bluntly.
The peacock looked surprised for a second before it started giggling again. However, unlike the earlier giggles, which sound child-like, this one sends shivers down my spine.
"Correct. What I want isn't a simple game of cards or chess." The peacock's giggles turn into a crazed laugh. "I want to see you pathetic worms struggle in vain! To see you humans fall into the pit of despair!"
Is she trying to be one of those over-the-top anime villains? Considering how young her voice sounds, she is a child.
"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!" The peacock squawks in anger. Oops. I guess I said that out loud.
"So, you want people to play some game with their lives on the line, and I'm the first lucky contestant," I said, trying to keep my mask of confidence on. "So, hostess, what do I win for winning your game?"
"You get to keep your life, of course~! At least for the time being~" The peacock took on a smug tone, looking all proud of itself.
"That's it? Lame." I said disappointingly.
"WHAT?!" The peacock's feathers and mana flair, but I didn't flinch.
"You expect me to risk my life for nothing? When I saw you, I thought you were some incredible magical being. I guess I was wrong." showing the peacock my disappointment.
"I AM INCREDIBLE! I AM AMAZING!" The peacock steps her foot in frustration, throwing a tantrum, which fits her more than when she was acting all prim and proper.
"Are you? Considering the prize for winning your game, I have to say otherwise. Give me back my expectations." I bluntly demand, holding my hand out as if she could return them.
I'm playing a dangerous game here. By messing with the peacock's pride, I risk getting obliterated, but you can't expect to earn something big without risk. I need power. This world might seem like a mixture of harem animes, but the fact that Shin Megami Tensei is in the mix worries me.
Shin Megami Tensei III starts with the world ending. Two and four take place after the apocalypse. One and five are in the middle of it. The world could be fucked tomorrow, next week, or next year, and I have no way of knowing it.
So, I need power more than anything.
And if that means gaslighting an overpowered child, then so be it.
"I doubt I can refuse your game, so I guess I'm just going to roll over and die." I plainly said as if I was talking about the weather.
"ARE YOU INSANE?! DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU ARE SAYING?! IF YOU DON'T PLAY, YOU WILL DIE!" The peacock yells, her tone carrying a mixture of shock and bewilderment.
"I'm simply stating there is no reason to participate in your game. It's like fighting a super boss in an RPG, but the reward is a cosmetic outfit." I explain.
"I hate when they do that. Those are the worst." the peacock groans in frustration. Why am I not surprised that the bird plays video games?
"See what I mean?" I give a carefree smile to the angry bird. "There's no point in fighting that boss, just like there is no point in playing your game. You're better off skipping it." I shrug, keeping the happy-go-lucky smile. But I drop the smile to take on a look of disappointment. "I was definite that the incredible peacock in front of me would give me some special prize, fitting her look, should win her game, but sadly, that doesn't seem to be the case. I guess that's my fault for making my expectations so high."
It's time for the killing blow.
"Sorry. I should have known better. I shouldn't have made expectations based on your appearance. I was wrong to believe you were some incredible being on our first meeting." I give the peacock a sad, gentle smile. I give the peacock a look of pity, causing her eyes to grow wide as she starts shaking in anger. "Everybody has limits. That's perfectly human."
A chain reaction happened. The peacock's mana flairs and creates a storm with me in its eye.
"How dare you. How dare you compare me, Agatha, ruler of the domain of pride, to you, a filthy, disgusting human!" The gems in the peacock's tail feathers start to glow like stars. "I am incredible! I am amazing! I am the best!"
"You are amazing?" I ask.
"Yes! I'm super amazing!" The peacock retorts.
"Super amazing?" I, again, ask with my arms crossed, looking unimpressed.
"I AM SUPER DUPER HYPER MEGA ULTRA SPECIAL DELUXE AMAZING!" The Peacock roars, her voice drowning out the roaring winds.
"Then prove it." I challenge.
The gems and eyes of the peacock begin to glow again. "Oh~? What is this?" The peacock's tone changes into one someone has when they find something interesting. A light blue LDS screen appears in front of the golden bird.
The peacock giggles in amusement. Was it because the bird found an amusing toy or because I couldn't hide my shock and disbelief? How was I supposed to know she could access my system? Perhaps this was my punishment for poking the sleeping dragon.
"You have something interesting. Very interesting. But it's in pieces." The peacock said.
"The hell you are talking about, bird?" Perhaps being rude isn't the best move now, knowing my opponent can somehow control the system, but I want to know what she meant when she said the system is in pieces.
The peacock somehow looks annoyed despite not having the facial structure to convey such emotions. "Think your power is like a cake. Right now, it's just a sponge cake. No icing. No strawberries or blueberries. No candles. And no cute decorations. It is just a plain, dull sponge cake." The peacock explains. "I doubt most people can fix this thing, but considering I'm super mega ultra incredible, it would be nothing but child's play for me!" the peacock laughs before gaining a look of annoyance. "Also, don't call me bird!"
"I call it as I see it." I uncaringly said. "I suppose I can give you a name, but it feels like I'm naming a pet."
The peacock begins to glow, forcing me to cover my eyes. Once the glow died down and my eyes recovered from the sudden burst of light, I saw once the peacock now stands a young girl, looking around elementary to early middle school, with blonde hair, red eyes, and wearing a pink frilly dress, black dress gloves, and a white hat with a couple of ribbons attached to it.
"Be honored to receive the privilege of seeing me in this form and to be allowed to address me by name. My name is Agatha, Ruler over the domain of pride! The golden peacock of pride! I stand on top of all others with glorious wings!" Agatha boasts, her hands on her hips while giving me a smug smile, which has a small fang poking out.
"I doubt you care, but my name is Takahashi Ren. And I'm just your everyday mage." I said calmly. "So, shall we play?"
{Naoya's P.O.V.}
"What did you just say, sir?" I ask, hoping to any living god that I just misheard.
"I said your nephew is now a member of the Counter-Demon Force. He still needs to finish the required paperwork, but for all intended purposes, he is officially a member of the Japanese CDF branch." the stoic-faced man said. "We already scheduled for next week. Please make sure both you and your nephew show up on tim-"
"He can't join!" I yell, slamming my hands on the desk that probably cost more than most people's houses. "Mister Prime Minister, the protocol states the youngest we recruit is twenty! And even then, they must be supervised for two to three years! Maybe even longer! Ren is just seventeen! He is a child!" I argue. But despite my protest, the Prime Minister doesn't react. Not once did he flinch or beat an eye during my outrage. He's acting like a parent ignoring their child's tantrum.
"You're correct Takahashi. Under normal circumstances, we would never dream of drafting children, but unfortunately, that isn't the case anymore. The situation has changed." The Prime Minister said calmly. As expected of a politician, he manages to keep calm even when someone is screaming in his face.
"What do you mean the situation changed?" I'm beginning to have a bad feeling in my stomach.
The Prime Minister turns his computer screen towards me and plays a video. The video was of a plane crashing, with the person recording the video being in said plane. The video itself isn't long, about thirty to sixty seconds. As the video plays, you hear people screaming, luggage falling from the luggage holders, and sounds of fighting. But the person who was recording it wasn't focusing on that, but rather what was causing the plane to fall.
And that was a long, eastern azure dragon coiling around one of the plane's wings, destroying the engine.
"Qing Long," I mutter out of shock. Qing Long was one of the four beasts of the Chinese Constellations. The dragon represents the direction east, spring, and the wood element in Chinese culture. And it's also an A-rank demon.
Before I could question anything, the Prime Minister showed me several other videos. One has a woman split in half with wings on her back, tearing into a woman's stomach, no, the woman's womb, tearing out a fetus before consuming it. Somebody recorded a mermaid sitting on a rock, only to be noticed, causing the mermaid to scream and create countless ice spikes, cutting the video. Chupacabras feasted on goats and a dog before turning their sights on the poor fool who was recording them. Videos of Nues wondering in Japanese forests. Kelpies rasing from lakes.
"That's only a fraction of what's coming in." The Prime Minister sighs, looking as if he aged ten years. "Though this is preferable to the news I received from both Greek and Norwegian branches."
"Sir! There is an A-rank demon in the sky as we speak! What could be more dire than that?!" The Prime Minister takes a calming breath and returns to his stoic self.
"Both Valhalla and Olypmas have fallen."
"But that's impossible!" I read reports about how Odin and Zeus have gotten soft over the years, with Odin making perverted jokes at his valkyries' expense and Zeus being a horndog, and even then, they are gods. And both Valhalla and Olypmas house multiple gods! Thor himself is in the top ten list of strongest beings! So, the idea of either falling is nonsensical.
"I can understand why you don't believe it. I didn't when I first received the report. But combining the witness reports from several injured valkyries and the field report, there is no denying it." The Prime Minister hands me a thick stack of papers, most likely the field report and testimonies. "We also have some footage of Valhalla." The Prime Minister said, changing to another video.
As the video begins to play, I remember when I first joined the CDF. One of the first things I did was find pictures of all those locations you read in stories, such as the City of Gold, El Dorado, or the fabled city of Atlantis. Valhalla was one of those places I spent hours researching in my younger years.
I remember the mighty hall that stands on top of the mountain. I remember its beautiful architecture. Valhalla truly lived up to its name as the land of the gods.
None of that was in the video. The once great, mighty hall has fallen. The columns that my younger self gazed at for hours were thoroughly destroyed or covered in gore. Bodies of valkyries, warriors, and gods litter the streets of Valhalla, with only one figure standing. It's a man made of gold, but it was hard to tell due to all the blood covering his body. His right-hand holds a jagged spear, caked in the blood of those who tried fighting against him, while his left has a crow (or a raven). As the figure's cape flutters in the wind, he faces the camera, revealing the glowing blue rose in his left eye socket.
The figure stands there in silence for a few minutes before he walks away, vanishing into the ruined city.
"We believe this to be Odin's demon counterpart. We also received reports of a demon being behind Olypmas's downfall, with that being the demon version of Zeus himself. Both are ranked S-rank demons, though the ranking system may soon change due to their presence." The Prime Minister summarized the report. "The odd thing is neither attacked the recon team when they noticed we were recording them. Why do you think that is?" I don't doubt he already knows why. He just wants to say it.
"They wanted us to know their existence," I answer. "They may perhaps know who we are."
We have seen demons with some levels of intelligence, some even matching humans, but this is a different level. The idea of demons researching us shakes me to my core.
The Prime Minister again sighs. "Listen, Takahashi. I understand where you are coming from. I truly do. You weren't the first person to voice the displeasure, and you are certainly not the last, but things are changing, and we need more manpower. That's why we are considering making contact with outside forces."
Outside forces? What could he be referri-
No. He can't be serious.
"The higher-ups are seriously considering exposing ourselves to the Biblical factions?!" I believe what I'm hearing, and it's coming from my damned mouth. I know we exposed ourselves to the Valkyires, but I figured we were going to recruit them into the CDF as payment for sheltering them after the destruction of Valhalla.
"I don't like the idea either. However, the Biblical factions desire to keep their, the supernatural as a whole, existence hidden as well. Our goals line up, and seeing we have at least two demons on par with gods running wild, we need the firepower." The Prime Minister argues. "Thankfully, your nephew saving a fallen could be a blessing in disguise. Let's just hope it's one of Azazel's bastards."
As I take a seat to recover from the emotional rollercoaster I just went through, the Prime Minister hands me a folder.
"Also, be ready to move. Your current house works for you and your nephew, but it's too small for more people." More people? "As you already know, we have taken in a lot of valkyries, but several members of the CDF are not pleased with the idea of adding valkyries to our ranks, so we can't let them live in the CDF housing units."
"You expect me to welcome some stranger into my house? Without asking me first?" I ask. The man is good at his job, as a politician and the head of the Japanese CDF branch, but I won't lie and say there haven't been times I want to punch his stoic face.
"Didn't you say you needed more hands for potion crafting?" The Prime Minister laughs lightly. Asshole.
I take the folder because I know any attempt at convincing the man to change his decision is a losing battle. I open the folder and read about our new, unwelcomed house guest.
If we are going to be living together, I should know more about this Rossweisse person.
{Bonus Scene}
I chuckle as I pocketed the gun I got from the now-dead cop. It's just as my horoscope said. Today is my lucky day.
People spend months planning and preparing for a jailbreak. I didn't do any of that shit. I just sneak away from the morning lineup and have been going from there. I haven't run into any guards, and the one guard I did was too busy looking at his phone to notice me.
But I'm not stupid. I know the prison guards will notice my disappearance sooner rather than later, so I change into the guard's clothes and start heading out. And by the time they find the dead guard, I'll be far away from here.
All I need now is some cash. Well, I doubt it would be an issue today.
Author's note
Rossweisse is coming soon! And all it took was the destruction of Valhalla and Olympus and replacing their deities with their SMT versions. I would say it was a good trade.
I'm also part of the SGO server, so if you want to join and chat, here is a link
/wd3tUYWVCd
I also started my server for anyone who wants to ask me about my fics or just to hang out.
/DYqC3uNfbt