Later
"Y-y-y-ou." the boy, who had been named Issei Hyoudou, stuttered when he tried to comprehend what he had just been told. The male looked to be sweating profusely with his palms feeling slightly damp as a result, his eyes wide and shaking as his heart pounded roughly within his ribcage.
Standing within the apparent 'base' for the person who rescued him, the brown haired highschooler resembled a fish out of water thanks to being told some information that shattered everything in his world view. In front of him was Kuroh, Vali, and Michel the III(Who was currently examining Issei for any possible infection). His hands were shaking nervously and he could not form a proper sentence.
None of them looked like they were joking either, which only compounded the information more.
Eventually, he managed to recompose himself. "Y-you mean th-that every history, every myths, legends, even s-stories when we were kids…are true?" he said in a deep low voice of realization.
Kuroh, the pseudo leader of the Hellsing currently given their situation, gravely nodded his head. "Yes, everything you heard and studied about ancient history is true. Every legendary poem is true. Monsters, heroes, magicians, and gods. All of them are real." he answered Issei.
Issei widened his eyes once more, this time in horror as he slumped back into the sofa he had been offered as the Guest to this place, trying to get a hold of himself but it seemed that the full realization of the other side of the world was something he needed more time to comprehend. Nobody could blame him, really. Every story from the bible that he used to read with his friend was apparently real, given how the proper mannered man in front of him saved him from a Fallen Angel.
He tried to form a sentence but couldn't calm his nerves enough to do so. Michel, sensing his current patient was in distress, pulled a cup of water and a pill before giving it to Issei. He took the pill and drank the water before the medicine took effect, calming his nerves. "Thanks doc, still you creep me the hell out." he remarked, shuddering in his seat. He knew the doctor wasn't a bad guy given his serious professionalism, but every time he looked at Michel, their apparent doctor, his apparel just deeply unnerved him.
Michel just nodded his head, taking no offense at what he said given his current attire. It DID make him look like a victorian-style witch doctor operating throughout jolly ol' England, but as someone descended from someone during that time period he had always felt more comfortable utilizing their dress code.
With his nerves calmed down, Issei returned his gaze to Kuroh who had a serious expression. "But why me? Why would Yu-that fallen angel try to kill me? What have I done to make her wanna kill me so much?" He questioned Kuroh when he stopped saying Yuuma's name and instead called her a fallen angel, given how she almost killed him and he would've been dead had he not been saved by Kuroh in front of him.
"Nothing, you did nothing to warrant her needing to shank you." Issei was confused about what he meant by nothing. Kuroh instead leans forward and looks deeply at the pervert's face. "She and the rest of those fallen angels were after something you possess, both a blessing and a curse." he points at Issei while announcing. "You possess something called a Sacred Gear."
Sacred gear. Issei remembered hearing something like that back then too. That's what that Fallen Angel had said to him when she had gone on about him needing to 'blame God for giving you a sacred gear.' Was that why she wanted him dead? Was that why she posed as a disguised student from another school, just to get close to him and kill him? He honestly felt afraid to ask but he needed to know more, his curiosity wouldn't allow anything less. "W-what is a sacred gear?"
Shadows enveloped Kuroh's face, leaving his eyes glow making Issei increasingly creeped out and scared. "Sacred gears are a weapon made from the God of the bible, the Christian god. It is a means for humans to protect themselves from the supernatural beings residing in this deadly world."
"But-But, why me?!" Issei shouted, getting off his chair and got close to Kuroh in rage who remained unaffected by his rage. "Why did God even give me this damned gear? Why did I even need this sacred gear?! I can handle stuff on my own. I'm not a fancy person, I'm not strong, I'm not even an ideal perfect handsome boy! I'm just a nobody, I'm a pervert!" he ranted furiously, his target of ire not really Kuroh but more the situation in general. Something of which Kuroh understood intimately.
Here he was, a young human who had grown up under circumstances many in the supernatural world could only dream of: normal, with loving parents and not a shred of drama like messed up childhood or powers that could go out of control if mishandled. This human had grown up away from all of that, and after having Vali look into his records it showed that his family had little to no connection with this world. That just made the fact he was just thrown into it by chance all the harder to bear for the young man… even if he was an irksome pervert.
After some time passed where Issei spent his time breathing heavily post his ranting, he slowly lost his rage as his eyes began to water. Slumping down to the chair and covering his hand on his face, Issei muttered the following in a defeated kind of tone. "I'm just…a pervert." he replied to what he said before, admitting he is a hormonal pervert. "I don't want to die, I don't want my parents to be killed because of me. I'm just a normal person."
Kuroh looks at him with pity, sympathizing with how a normal person is being thrust into the deadly side of the world. This case being a teenager who still had a life waiting for him. He did admit he is a pervert, being honest about it but he can tell he is a good person. Kuroh continues to explain. "You could go back into your normal life." This caught Issei's attention when he uncovered his face, the doctor gave him a napkin to wipe his face. He silently thanked the doctor and wiped his face as Kuroh continued to explain. He spread his arms outward as if saying everything's alright. "You see, we can offer you protection. That is we can protect you and your family from the beings that are targeting you. You can go back to the way things were before. Or..." he brought his hands back together, showing a serious expression again. "You can stand against those who are trying to kill you or your parents. It might be selfish and something you do not want to be a part of but those fallen angels will not stop until you're dead on the spot. They won't give up, they are cunning bastards who are not afraid of using any leverage against you."
Issei puts his head down in thought. Thinking of what if those fallen angels were going after his friends, his schoolmates, his family, his parents. It is a lot to think of right now and the secrecy of this world where even a devil exists. Creatures of evil and malicious thoughts. He suddenly remembered how there is a club of his school, the occult club where they study supernatural, two girls are called the Onee'san, Akeno Himejima and Rias….Gremory.
He widened his eyes in the realization of how there was in a history class, a recent topic of Solomon Lesser keys, 72 demons and one of them was called Duke Gremory. Rias Gremory, Duke Gremory. Those names matched.
Seeing his reaction, Kuroh concluded that Issei had figured out that he was attending school with the same devils on the same school roof. "I'm sure you figured it out by now, but there is little you can do about them Issei." he gets up from his seat. "You will be staying here for the night, call your parents. Tell them that you are fine and staying with someone. It is a lot to take in but tomorrow, your head will be straight with these revelations."
Issei nodded his head in acknowledgement and rose from his seat. Just before he could head into a random room to sleep in, the doctor suddenly showed him a medical pill case. "Take these, they will help you sleep more comfortably. With the information you are processing, it will be hard to sleep through the night and you will have sleep deprivation."
"Thanks doc." Issei thanked the doctor before taking the pills from him and walked to a nearby room. Once he climbed the stairs and left the trio sites alone.
Vali finally had something to say to Kuroh, without insulting or mocking him. "Are you sure it was the right call to give him the green light over something he can't handle? You know as well as I do that the life of a Sacred Gear user's nothing but a curse, being pursued by other pantheons and mostly devils."
Michel then added in his two cents. "I would be inclined to concur with the silver haired man here. The chances of survival with even an organization backing one up is approximately about 65.3%. That's just for a normal sacred gear user, but if it's a Longinus…" his mask eye began to glow with the intensity this topic needed. "I daresay it would be 35% percent. Given that the supernatural are starting to become increasingly active, it won't be long until slowly the whole supernatural world will discover them for better or worse."
Kuroh did not answer for a while as he put his hand on his forehead in an attempt to soothe the headache of being a pseudo leader of Hellsing. Now he could comprehend how Meredith felt a little better. Shaking his head and hardened his eyes, facing the duo in front of them. "I would've wiped his memories and let him go scot-free from being involved with this type of world. But…" he puts his head at the side as if remembering something. "My gut feeling is telling me that there is more to this whole situation, something dangerous. I don't know what it is but I know one thing for certain..." He again faced the duo, having a bit of worried expression on his face. "We are about to experience something we have never been into. A bigger change is about to happen."
Timeskip
After Issei spent a day at the Hellsing manor, he walked through the streets of Kuoh city. Thanks to taking those pills and resting, his mind felt much better than yesterday which meant it was able to process what had happened better. He had of course called his parents saying he's spending a night with his friends, a lie he made up in order to make them not feel worried about him. Now he is heading to Kuoh academy while thinking about Kuroh's offer to help him awaken and train his sacred gear.
There's one part of him beckoning to accept his deal, going on adventures filled with magic, dragons, awesome moves, even hot women to enjoy and get a harem! He had a silly face and drooled a bit about those thoughts.
But then he remembered the OTHER side of this world, and such desires shrunk before the anxiety that washed over him. A part of him inside kept telling him about the cons of being involved with the supernatural like going through a load of trials and errors if he wanted to survive in this hellish world Kuroh called it. He remembered one time when he was a middle schooler, his teacher told him stories about how some heroes achieved their happy endings, some ended in tragedy like the Greeks and some of them ended up drunk on power.
He never wanted to be drunk in power, being a cruel, mean, selfish and a tyrant person who killled, plundered and raped a lot of women was NOT something on Issei's itinary. He's a good boy! His parents taught him to be better than that.
When he arrived at Kuoh academy, he began his merry ways before noticing a lot of students were looking at him in shock which confused him.
"What the? Is that Issei?"
"What the hell, he's still alive?!"
"How is it possible that a pervert like him is still walking?!"
"Am I looking at a ghost right now or is it just my imagination?"
"Dude he's clearly right over there!"
"Holy shit!"
He ignored their mutterings and began to head straight to class, although their words left a real haunting taste in his mouth, especially the fear that could be felt from their words. Kuroh had mentioned that things were going to get dangerous for him if he stuck around with this Supernatural world, and it seemed that this may be part of that.
Once he was at his desired destination, Class 3-B. When he entered the door he saw the teacher had his head down in a downcast as well as some of his classmates. When he heard the doors were opened he looked at it and took a step back in shock, especially his fellow classmates who all relied on shock.
"Huh?! M-Mr. Hyoudou?! B-but how?" the teacher said to Issei, making him raise his eyebrows in confusion. It's as if he saw a ghost coming out from its grave.
"Teacher, why are you looking at me like you saw something from a horror movie?" Issei asked the teacher in front of him, now looking downright HOPELESSLY confused. It was one thing for fellow students to be looking at him that way, it'd actually be an improvement to how he was usually regarded by the majority of the female body since he was a proud member of the perverted trio. But having a TEACHER act that way towards him?
The teacher recomposed himself when he listened to his voice and heard his questions. "I'm sorry about that, it's just we're all shocked by your appearance. We all thought that you died yesterday." the teacher answered his questions.
Issei widened his eyes before making them narrow in anger. "Who the hell told you I died yesterday? I was at someone's house when they offered help in tutoring math! I'm right here in the flesh!" he shouted angrily.
"I-I see." the teacher heard his explanation before he also narrowed his eyes in anger. "It seems the Occult research club will be apprehended for this kind of prank they just made."
Issei squeaked in fear when his teacher spoke about the Occult school club, the name bringing back to his mind the fact that the devil Gremory was there with her posse. Now he wished he hadn't come back from Hellsing manor and stayed there for a while.
He remembered a warning Kuroh gave him just before he left. 'Issei, whatever you do, stay away from Rias Gremory and Sona Shitori. They both are devils and it will not end well if you were to meet with them. If you see them, avoid their contact. if they pursue you, hide, if they find you, then you need a miracle to get out of their sights.'
Both Sona Shitori and Rias Gremory were devils on his school campus, living right under everyone's nose. From what Kuroh had warned him about, Issei apparently needed to stay away from them until he could at least try and convince his parents to either change schools or something. He felt afraid of what they would do to him, although he had an idea when Kuroh had mentioned 'slave's' in a grim tone, he thinks he meant like a Roman slave for eternity.
Then he remembered when he got that pamphlet from that strange woman who suspiciously looked like a bat with the costume she wore. It had a mysterious and strange circle before Michel told him it was a summoning pamphlet, devils use this to give other people and summon them. He thought about if he died there, then he would've thought about Rias' boobs and she would be summoned. Then if that happened he would've been a slave to her will.
It was settled, he needed to get the fuck out of here as soon as possible.
The teacher cleared his throat. "(CLEAR THROAT) now that the whole confusion is over, you can head back to your seat Issei, we are just about to get started on our lecture." He instructed Issei in a professional way.
"Yes Sensei." he replied before taking his assigned seat while also paying attention to the teacher's lesson.
Later
During the afternoon the school bell rang, indicating that school had concluded for the day so it was time to go home. Issei, being (understandably) mostly relieved, got up from his desk and was about to head to the door had it not been for someone calling his name.
"Issei!" He stiffened at this callout and turned around towards the source, seeing two students coming up to his table. One of them had a nearly completely shaved head whereas the other had square-shaped glasses covering his eyes. The glasses guy had black hair and his uniform was tucked together neatly compared to the rough, rugged and rather punkish state the bald guy's getup had.
It took just a second for Issei to recognize them as Matsuda and Motohama: His friends and the other two members of their little group known as the 'perverted trio'. Though considering what he had just been going through Issei didn't feel like engaging in his usual antics with them today, something understandable if people knew the context. He nervously smiled at them. "O-oh hey guys! H-how was your day?" he questioned, trying to act calm.
His facade quickly grew in levels of difficulty to maintain upon seeing the expressions on their faces, though. "Don't give that shit." Matsuda spat, the student having narrowed his eyes at Issei with an accusing look on him at the moment. "What the hell is wrong with you! You haven't been with us for the past whole day, it's like your trying to avoid us or something." he proclaimed.
Before a stiffening Issei could formulate a response or even think about what was happening, the other student stepped in. "Give him a break Matsuda." Motohama said with a sigh while shaking his head, putting his hand on Matsuda's shoulder, calming the shaved teenager. He then shifted his attention back to Issei and unlike Matsuda his expression shifted into one of concern while he pushed his glasses up his nose. "But bro, he is right. What happened to you, man? Something must've happened to you last night."
Initially, Issei didn't respond to either of his friends. He lowered his head down while his hand rested against the table he sat at. "I…..I…." He tried to say, though it sounded like a machine experiencing errors with its speech programs. The male struggled to think of a response to his friends that would satisfy them, but that was easier said than done, especially for a simple pervert like himself.
He couldn't tell them what had happened to him yesterday at the park since like Kuroh had said it would needlessly endanger the people he held dear. It may sound like a damn cliche at this point since countless movies and comics depict this behavior that he was exhibiting, but Issei couldn't help it. It was a natural reaction to keep loved ones out of harm's way
In the end, he tried to say the first thing that came to his mind since that was his go-to option for tackling difficult scenarios. Even if it landed him in hot water like it almost did last night. "It's…..you wouldn't believe what I went through….last night." he spoke slowly, looking rather lame while doing so.
Matsuda then had a face of pity when he saw Issei's depressed state. It seemed he was too quick to judge his fellow pervert, he'd initially thought that Issei had gotten lucky with a hot chick instead of what everyone else had been saying, but from what he was seeing it looked to not be the case at all. "Oh man, I'm sorry about that." He whispered in a comforting tone, his hand being put on his shoulder for comfort. "If there's anything we can do to lighten your mood, like…." He looks around for a bit before getting closer to Issei while making a perverted smile. "I heard that the swimming club is getting a new pairs of swimsuits. Bet ya 100 bucks some of them won't fit in them."
That lightened Issei's mood as he also made a perverted smile as well. Maybe just a quick peek at the girls locker room won't cause any damage.
"Excuse me?" But then a familiar voice was announced in the room. Issei froze for a moment before he slowly turned around and became pale. He really wished he was home now because now there might not be a chance for him.
As for why he had reacted this way, whelp that was to do with the handsome young man standing before him and his group. He had short blond hair, blue eyes with a mole underneath the left one. He wore the Kuoh Academy boys' school uniform.
This was Kiba Yuuto, a member of the occult research club… and likely a slave to Rias.
He needs to get the fuck out of here fast.
"Ah! Kiba-sama!"
"How wonderful you're here!"
"Ah, just his look makes me want to faint."
"Oh and his eyes are staring at me!"
"No he's staring at my face you bitch!"
"What was that?!"
"Girls girls please." When he heard the sounds of some of the female students starting to argue with one another, Kiba stepped between them. He also put his hands up in a stopping position with his Prince Charming smile. "There's no need for any of that. I'm here for someone my president wants to meet."
"Oh? Who could that be Kiba-sama?"
"I'm here for Issei." The moment he said his name, Isse's eyes shrunk to the size of dots before he commenced bolting out the door, making his friends surprised at his sudden action.
"Huh?! What the-Issei!"
"Where are you going?!"
Issei ignored the calls of his friends and ran through the school halls, and if he had any comedic bone in his body then he probably would have yelled back something like him wanting to protect his ass from the booty warrior who wanted him for some dumbass reason.
Running through the corridor, Issei pushed past some students who looked in surprise of his actions before he was out of the school area and ran to a random place.
Not once did he look back because he imagined Rias with horns, and a Trident, looking and grinning evilly at him with malicious intent.
"Gotta hide, gotta hide!" He panicked as he repeated himself. The more he thought about Rias, the more the image of her devil form frightened him. Her evil laughter kept on playing within the back of his mind frightening him, echoing like some sort of shout in an isolated room.
Eventually, he wound up inside a forest within the town. He went inside of the forest and hid behind a tree. Breathing heavily for a while, Issei frantically looked around as sweat fell from his face. From the amount of running he had done, he almost lost the battle against the urge to faint but the lingering will to survive still persisted.
He did NOT want to lose his freedom to some sickly Devil who wanted his soul or some shit!
Mustering some of his courage, Issei slowly leaned out from his hiding place to take a peek out of the tree, glancing left and right before sighing in relief at seeing that nobody had followed him.
The male was alone now, all alone without anybody knowing where he was…
Alone…
This realization may as well have been the final nail in the coffin for his mental state for it opened the floodgates to the emotions that he was suppressing inside. His relief was quickly turned into sadness as his throat grew tight, a few hiccups escaping his trembling lips as Issei slid down the tree and curled himself into a fetal position.
At this point, he began to cry with tears falling from his face down his cheeks. Inside, the lingering fear from what Kuroh had warned him about the supernatural manifested but this time it felt compounded in reality, making it impossible for him to deny it any longer. Any thoughts or doubts he had that things would get worse were gone, alongside any hopes he had for a normal life.
It seemed that Kuroh had been right on the money, the supernatural world had taken notice of him and his 'potential' to which its members had already started gunning for him. This would likely never stop no matter how much he tried to hide and be a coward, they'll keep coming. There was nowhere for him to hide either so even if he wanted to, Issei had various obligations which could leave him vulnerable to being stripped of his freedoms.
Perhaps this may have been the moment where Issei could say he had never felt so vulnerable even in a supposedly safe town like Kuoh.
SNAP!
"?!"
Issei's tear-stained eyes widened once more when he heard footsteps coming from nearby alongside the sound of a twig being snapped. Fear pounded away in his chest at the thought of already being found, but he felt too weary to run away anymore. He slowly raised his head, which already felt like an iron weight, up from his arm for him to find his eyesight being a bit blurry from his tears. This persisted for a while before he wiped his eyes with his arm to clear it up. This did help, and when he lowered his arm, Issei saw the familiar form of Kuroh standing in front of him.
They stared at each other for a while as Kuroh understood his feelings. He could guess what he had gone through, both within and outside of school since Kuroh had known about the supernatural presence in that place.
Issei hung his head down again and then stated the following. "Is there…anyway to get this sacred gear out of me?" He asked one last question to Kuroh if he could give away his sacred gear God apparently gave him.
"If I had that answer then I would've told you. So far, though, the Sacred Gears are tied to their users down to their souls. Any attempt to extract them winds up killing the user… I've seen that happen before" Kuroh admitted, his sentence being enough to make Issei's mood become more depressed.
The thought that he had to stick with this newfound fate did little for his mood and made Issei feel significantly resentful of whoever shoved this thing on him. A pile of vomit grew in his stomach at the idea, but maybe Raynare had a point about him needing to resent God for giving him this Sacred Gear shit, cause if that wasn't the case he could have lived a normal life without any care in the world.
Worse still was that he knew Kuroh wasn't wrong either, what had happened today with that 'prince charming' Kiba illustrated the fact that the supernatural world had its eyes on him now, and it wouldn't be going away.
Kuroh continued his speech with the same deadpan tone, like he'd given this speech countless times now so it hardly even fazed him anymore. "This is why no one wants to know the real truth about this world, Hyoudou. It's a living hellhole, death comes for all beings, even Gods and in a myriad of forms. A perfect example if someone knows about the supernatural. You understand this perfectly well."
Issei continued to curl himself up when he heard him refer to him directly, fully understanding what Kuroh said to him. He could guess perfectly what would happen if anyone learned that all mythologies were real, it's like there's a monster under their bed or their closet but the monster was actually real… waiting for the opportunity to devour them in their sleep.
"It might be difficult to accept, but overtime you will grow to accommodate. It's not too late to make your choice Issei… Wait, perhaps it is."
Raising his head, Issei looked at him while trying not to break down at his new reality that he currently still struggled to process. "Wh-What are you…?"
Kuroh narrowed his eyes, sensing resident demonic power attached to Issei's form. "From what my senses tell me you were in contact with a Devil, recently and very briefly too I might add. Going from the process of elimination it was likely one under that Gremory woman's thumb. She will be one of many Issei, and even if there WAS a way to safely remove your Sacred Gear, that's basically losing your only defense against this world. There's been countless times when innocent humans and bystanders have been used by the 'strong' in this world without any knowledge or ability to defend themselves. Now that you know of it, there's no going back. Memory erasing? Useless, once you learn of it this world follows you wherever you go and you'll spend your life watching your back for any attacks. NOWHERE is safe for you now, Issei…" Kuroh explained, shaking his head. "... Not anymore."
"...so….I'm stuck then?" Issei questioned in a helpless, broken tone barely above a whisper in volume.
At this point, Kuroh had taken his sheathed sword and put it on the ground next to him before kneeling before Issei like a samurai would before his lord. "Do not take this the hard way, but wake up you damn idiot." He started coldly, his eyes sharpening to the same level of edginess as his blade. "Just because you are forced into this world doesn't mean you have to give up. You're not defenseless, you have a power, both a gift and a curse you possess. I understand you are feeling miserable, I get that but if you continue to act like this you'll be taken advantage of by other people." he got up from his kneeling and offered his hand to him. "Stand up and act like a man. Don't let fear take over your mind, don't let it control your actions. The others back at the manor will help you get strong, strong enough that you will no longer be the whiny little shit you're acting like right now. Stand now, and take my hand, if you want to learn what it's like to be in a dog eat dog world then I suggest you make your choice."
Issei stared at Kuroh's hand for a while now, debating if he chose to accept Kuroh's offer. But shortly into the debate, the high schooler realized that it was more like he doesn't have a choice in the matter. Rias Gremory was planning for his death so she could manipulate him into joining her slave group. And if he denied his offer he would still be pursued by the devils who wanted him for his sacred gear. From all the times he has seen Rias he truly even wondered if she was even a good person or just hiding the fact she was a creature of evil. Normally one might call him a bit too quick to judge a person, but in this case it's from a Devil species, a creature of sin and the whole situation seemed rather suspicious.
That suspicion had been why he had some doubts about her, but if he looked at it from another perspective she hadn't really done anything suspicious to him before right? Also, if she had been in this school for longer than him she likely could have known he possessed this Sacred Gear easily, which would have given her ample time to conduct a plan of action. One which could have made him her slave rather easily yet nothing had happened to him since the school year began.
All in all, what he was trying to get at was that he didn't know the circumstances and the bigger picture, although it sounded pretty bleak right now. But if there was a chance of him gaining her side of the story then he'd take it, only then would he be able to see whether she was a good person or not.
For now he looked at Kurohs hand for a while before he asked one last question. "Will I regret this?"
"You might or you won't. It will depend on your future choices." Kuroh answered honestly.
With the honest answer Kuroh gave to Issei, he made his choice. He grabbed Kuroh's hand, accepting his offer as he helped him get up from his sitting position. Kuroh telepathically commanded his gravity to retrieve his sword which it floats and flies to his hand which Issei became amazed by his display.
Kuroh puts his sheath sword in front of Issei, hardening his eyes. "You will learn what it means to survive this hellhole of a world, how you can overcome the fear of death itself. You will or won't have lots of time to practice your power, but it is the human potential to go past our limits. Heroes are not born, they are built. You will be reborn as anew, it will be. You'll never escape from it until the day you die, but that doesn't mean you can't make your mark or create a 'haven' for yourself. Do you understand Hyoudou?" He asked Issei with a heavy tone, making Issei shiver from the chills crawling down his spine. It can't be helped when darkness literally covers his face, making his eyes glow intensely.
Nevertheless, Issei got rid of those chills by shaking his head and hardening his eyes before nodding.
Later
"NEVERMIND I CHANGED MY MIND! I WANT TO BACK TO MY REGULAR LIFE! GET ME OUT OF THIS!" In complete contrast to previously, Issei screamed in pain and misery from the top of his lungs. Why was he doing this, one might ask? Simple, he's currently being forced to assume a squatting position, holding three Japanese hot pots with one on top of his head and two on his legs. If that doesn't make him feel more misery, then there was how there was rope tied to both of his feet on a wooden board he's standing in and just below him was a hot iron below his butt which steamed with heat. If he ever sat down he'll get burned….. on the inside. And two curved blades on his elbow that if he lowers his arm, then it would stab him.
Just after Issei had accepted Kuroh's offer, the man had told him to meet him at the Kuoh Hellsing HQ first thing the following evening after school(While also making sure to avoid Occult research club. Speaking of which, he'd found out that the students memories of his sudden running episode had been wiped. Issei had recognized this due to Kuroh informing him about it when he'd heard the story of why Issei had ran into the forest in the first place).
The first thing he was doing was a hard exercise overseen by another member of their gang named Theseus… who to be honest scared the living daylights out of Issei. Just his mere presence alone scared him with both his bad boy looks. and his incredibly vicious aura. Just look how pale his skin was, it was almost like he was freaking dead or something!
"Oh, shut your trap you damn pervert." Theseus clicked his tongue while hardening his expression as he observed his training from the side, casually sitting on a chair with his right foot on his left thigh and his arms crossed over his chest. His Trident lay horizontally over his lap as well. "You'll live through the pain and eventually you'll get used to it."
"HOW THE FUCK IS IT EVEN POSSIBLE?! THAT'S JUST SOME BS NON LOGIC PEOPLE SAY! AHHHH I FEEL LIKE MY FINGERS ARE ABOUT TO SLIP!" Issei shouted at Theseus before the feeling of fatigue was coming to him, feeling like he was about to lower his arms but almost stabbed himself had not he returned to his posture.
Theseus merely waved a hand dismissively, not looking bothered by Issei's plight in the first place. "Its not a lie and remember, on this side of the world there's MANY instances where residents have made the impossible possible." He nonchalantly remarked, looking his usual stoic self… but if one looked carefully at him they would notice a glint of sadistic malice behind his eyes and a little smirk. He was enjoying his pain and it brings him pleasure.
"YOUR ENJOYING THIS AREN'T YOU YOU DAMN HANDSOME MAN!" Issei could feel the damn smirk on Theseus's face. He felt goddamn sure of that, but he can't turn or even do anything right now with the current situation he was put under.
Not only that but even if he could Issei had seen MORE than enough moments of Theseus demonstrating what would happen if anyone tried jumping him to know that doing so himself would be a suicide run.
Even so, Issei's pain combined with being lost in thought forced him to lower his squat a litle…before the hot road was near his pants which he can feel the heat. "AH, HOT HOT HOT HOT HOT!"
"Concentrate already, you already distracted yourself more than usual. You know let me tell you, in the past when I was 12 years old something my master did something similar, akin to your situation but it was a lot worse so be glad that I'm merciful to you."
"WHAT KIND OF TEACHER FORCES A YOUNG KID TO BE TAUGHT IN A LIFE-OR-DEATH SITUATION! YOU COULD'VE DIED!"
"That same way's the most optimal one to get stronger faster." Theseus casually answered, not nearly as fazed by the experience as he had been initially. Frankly, Theseus wasn't even fazed by Issei's screams either, in fact he was actually glad that Kuroh had asked him to train Issei to be physically stronger. Since there was a lull in the crime rate at the moment, this training of Issei helped him relieve all the stress and his bloodlust he'd been amassing. It was a godsend to him, and hey if it meant that the bastard could defend himself against enemies in the future that would be a plus.
For now, he could at least give Issei the training he had during his time with Alucard but with a little of his own touch.
He could feel that inside of his mindscape how a certain Egyptian goddess was shaking her head at him. Hey he's at least not killing the damn pervert and toned down the intense training a bit.
Darklord: I would hardly call that a bit.
Hunter: oh please, if Issei asks him about HIS training, he should quote Akisame by asking him to imagine the most brutal training he could think of, then think of that as heaven. THAT would put things into perspective.
Darklord: Agreed. Unless you want to take into account Alucards level of training. (SHUDDER)!
DISSSSS!
Unfortunately Issei was distracted by Theseus casual reply to him, making him squat on the hot rod which resulted in him burning his pants and skin. "AHHHHH, MY BUTT! ARRRRGH, MY ASS IS ON FIRE! ARGH, GODDAMMIT YOU SADISTIC BASTARD!" his reaction was strong enough for him to jump the whole equipment and land on the other side.
"Hmhmhmhmhmhmhm." Theseus chuckled at his antics, a fanged smile on his lips. Yeah, one could tell he was definitely enjoying this. When Issei looked at Theseus he could've sworn he saw a spectre looming behind Theseus with a red coat and pale skin similar to his while mimicking his action.
A few more hours passed before Theseus felt he had enough fun… for now. He got up from his chair and snapped his fingers, making Issei's binds loosen and the blade he was wearing on his arm disappeared. Sensing this, Issei sighed in relief since this meant that he could finally relax.
"Now then, rest up a bit before we head to our next destination. Meet me at the ocean in 10 minutes." Theseus instructed Issei before turning on his heels, his coat fluttering from his motions before he started walking away from their training area.
Issei looked confused about what he meant by the ocean, was he going to train by the beach? Swim in the ocean water, or maybe….spy on the swimming clothes at the woman?
Issei smiled silly at this before praising God for this chance.
Maybe he was too quick to even think about the hot ladies at the beach because there is no one, except for Issei himself wearing some swimming shorts. The only other person around seemed to be Theseus who had decided to discard his coat which had the added effect of showing his hard muscles underneath his shirt(damn blonds, always having strong bodies Issei cursed internally) and a boat with a noose tied around his waist as he floated on the ocean with Theseus sitting on the boat. The odd part was that he has a steak attached to his back and chest for odd reason.
"Uhhhh, what am I supposed to do?" Issei questioned Theseus as he floated on the ocean, waving his hands.
"Its practically simple, you are going to swim right for at least 5 miles back and forth while carrying me on this boat."
"What the hell do you even actually mean!? You want me to carry you and the boat at the same time while swim for 5 miles? Are you out of your mind? This is practically impossible! How the hell am I supposed to do that?!" Issei yelled in outrage, anime-style tick marks on his forehead.
"I'm glad you asked that question." Theseus said to Issei before pulling his attention away from him to a figure nearby at the beach who he cannot see. "Release the piranhas!" the blonde male announced out loud for the figure to hear, who turned the bucket upside down, dropping many small fish.
"The what now?" Issei dreaded as he asked what he meant by releasing the piranhas. He then suddenly remembered about the meat that was attached to his chest and back which prompted him to go pale with dread. That dread surged in size when he looked to the source of a bunch of splattering before seeing an incoming swarm of snapping fish. "Oh..." he simply muttered before swimming as fast as he can, pulling Theseus and the boat along for the ride while the said male simply lazed about like nothing was happening. "WAAAAAHHHHHHH! YOU CRAZY BASTARD! I'M REALLY GONNA DIIIIIEEEEEE-EEP!" Issei wailed in misery, though he couldn't do so for long since he had to avoid a piranha that almost nipped him.
Meanwhile on the beach, the other members of Hellsing (save for Meredith and Michel who were still in the hospital area) Kuroh who was with Mio and also had the bucket on her hands sweatdropped at them. They watched as Issei swam as fast as he can from one place to another in an anime fashion.
It didn't help that Maria was cheering Theseus on with a cheerleader outfit whereas Kuroka did the same in the hopes that Vali would join the fun.
"... you know, I'm beginning to question Theseus' sanity." Mio clad in her school uniform stated bluntly with a deadpanned tone. She said this when she had watched Theseus egg the brunette male on with a deadly smile on his face. It didn't help that some sharks had also joined the fray, making Issei scream harder… and also provoke him into swimming faster.
Each of them had been assembled on the beach in order to have some 'entertainment' in the words of a certain silver haired hybrid who right now stood before the beach with a bucket in his hands. Evidently he had been the one who had released the piranhas with a look on his face resembling that of a serial slasher after his plans came together. Additionally, this was a way for them to take a break from their usual activities since there was a lull in crime thanks to their efforts.
"You're not the only one." a Kuroh clad in his usual black butler outfit replied to Mio in an equally deadpan tone. He really did regret asking Theseus for his help, because from what he had been seeing he was sure as hell that Issei will get nightmares about this for quite a while. He was sure of it becausE he himself had once been in a similar situation before…all those times….all those memories…..that smile-dammit, now HE'S having the same nightmare as he did before when he was young.
Lets just hope tha-
"WAAAAAAHHH! IS THAT A WHALE!? GOD HELP ME FROM THIS NIGHTMARE!"
…may God have mercy on Issei soul.
Timeskip week later
After a full week's worth of rigorous, gruelling training that could be considered sadistic torture, an exhausted issei still felt his body being heavier than a heavy iron weight. He almost couldn't feel anything in his body which would have worried him had it not been for Michel's examination, pain killers and other pills he gave Issei which really helped out a lot. If he didn't do that, then the brunette swore he could've seen his grandfathers face.
It didn't help that Theseus had given him all sorts of hell and regularly upped the ante whenever Issei got any perverted ideas into his head. Issei could almost cry with the amount of porn magazines the blonde male had burned in front of him as a sort of motivation, or sometimes torture since he did so sometimes when Issei had been pinned by something and unable to do anything to affect the outcome. During those times, Theseus gave Issei lecture after lecture which really pissed the brunette off, though it wasn't like he could do anything about it due to the difference in strength between them.
Right now he resided within the HQ's backyard with Kuroh who was looking calm and collected with his katana strapped to his wrist. Issei could feel the relief and joy flowing through him at the thought that he was finally out of that hellhole.
"Now then, after Theseus whole..." Kuroh had a somewhat scandalous look on his face and waved his hand. "Training. It seems off you actually gained something out of him."
"...Gained out of something?" Issei muttered silently on his face, his bangs were hiding his face before he grabbed Kuroh's collar and shook him while having anime tears flowling like a river. "I ALMOST DIED FROM THAT CRAZY BASTARD! YOUR TELLING MY I GAINED SOMETHING OUT FROM HIM?! DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY CONCUSSIONS I GOT FROM HIM?! HOW MANY TIMES I COULD'VE BEEN DEAD IN MULTIPLE WAYS! HE PUT MEAT ON MY PANTS AND I ALMOST LOST MY DICK BECAUSE OF HIM! I SWORE I SAW THE FACE OF GOD! I LOST MY LIMITED COLLECTION OF PORN, DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH IT TOOK ME TO GET THOSE!?"
"But it did eventually paid off didn't it?" Kuroh calmly responded, placing his hands on Issei's own before they were firmly removed from his collar. Issei huffed and puff for a while after he released all the pain he had gone through which helped calm him a bit(and his sanity). "You good?" Kuroh asked Issei who nodded his head in turn.
Kuroh also nodded before taking a step back and clearing his throat. "(CLEAR THROAT) now then, this training will help with your reaction speed. How often you can dodge an enemy's attack or a magic spell they aim at you."
Issei became confused what he meant by that. "Reaction? But can't you block an attack? Wouldn't it be easier to do that instead of moving around?" he questioned to reflect this confusion.
Seeing as he needed to elaborate, Kuroh did so while visualising the similarities he was seeing between Issei and Mio when she had started out. "Yes and no, you see speed is an important thing in any kind of fight. If its a heavy attack or a strong one, imagine trying to block that type of blow? There's those which you cannot withstand with your current ability. This is the real world Issei, there's going to be attacks which you can't block, so evading them would be a reliable alternative." he stated, having briefly closing his eyes before opening them to glare daggers at the brunette.
Said brunette gulped in nervousness as he remembered the moment he felt Kuroh's blade tip pointing at his neck. "GULP! G-got it!" Issei yelped, gulping in nervousness while already imagining the outcome of trying to block such an attack. Maybe its best for him to listen more on what they had to say.
Kuroh hummed in his mouth before he returns to his lecture. "Good, now then. Now then an average time to dodge an attack is about 0.1 seconds or 0.01."
"...What?" Issei became silent for a moment as he processed what Kuroh just said about how fast a person can dodge.
Kuroh ignored his stunned look and continued. "That is the average time, but for more powerful beings they can match the speed of light. You are going to try and dodge as fast as you can while avoiding getting cut. Example." Pausing in his speech the Samurai man closed his eyes and pulled out his blade before making a flurry of attacks too fast for the naked eye to follow. Kuroh did this for a second before he stopped and sheathed his blade with a metallic thunk accompanying it. "This is my average speed. Try as much as you can to dodge, I recommend you to not lose focus before-" when he opens his eyes, he does not see Issei there but instead he was running away as fast as he can.
"I CHANGED MY MIND! I WANT TO GO BACK TO THESEUS! I DON'T WANT TO GET CUT UP BY A MANIAC!" Issei shouted, leaving Kuroh in a confused manner.
"Where did I go wrong? I was sure I did not put as much pressure on Hyouduo, what did I say?" Kuroh questioned himself as he tried to remember on what he did that scared him away. He didn't THINK he went too far, it wasn't anything compared to what he did to Mio and what Theseus did to him, so what went wrong?
A while passed before Kuroh simply sighed and shook his head in resignation, attributing it to something to do with 'normal' people. Well, he can still see that Issei has improved during his training with Theseus for he could see how fast Issei had become with his running.