So, this one's a bit late, since my Wi-Fi crapped out on me and I had to get it fixed. The rest of my schedule is probably gonna be screwed as well, so sorry if the next one is a while out.
Disclaimer: Godzilla and all related trademarks are owned and licensed by Toho Co., Ltd, Legendary Entertainment, and Warner Bros. Pictures. High School DxD is owned and licensed by Ichiei Ishibumi and Fujimi Shobo. I own neither series, please support official releases.
"Morizako! I've come to bargain!" I cried out.
"...Eh?!" the girl in question let out a confused noise. "I…uh…what?!"
I blinked as the various members of the Martial Arts Club-all of whom were Yokai-stared at me in equal confusion. I let out a nervous breath of air and clicked my teeth before giving the girls a shaky grin.
"I'm gonna start over real quick! Gimme a second…" I turned around, left the clubroom, waited for a few moments, then went back in. "I'm here to apply for the Martial Arts Club!"
"Okay, that one makes more sense," Morizako chuckled.
Beside her, Morika huffed. "Do you actually think you can win this time?"
"If I didn't, I wouldn't be here," I said gleefully. "Now, quit running those mouths, and get to running them hands!"
"Che, fine! Let me get the forms ready!" the weasel-girl chuckled.
Several minutes later, Morizako and I were facing off in a makeshift ring. I'd thankfully brought my own gear for the occasion-my gi, my boxing gloves and leg guards, and even my sparring helmet. Morizako was going considerably lighter, wearing just her gi along with her boxing gloves and leg guards.
The difference this time was that, of course, Anne couldn't be here to officiate. So instead, somebody else was here to pick up the slack.
The girl that walked onto the field looked no less gorgeous than any of the other supernaturally beautiful girls in the club. Her figure was amazing for starters-nice hips, a small waist, and very generous bust. Since she was wearing her own gi, she wasn't showing much skin, but that didn't really stop me from staring. But I didn't just focus on her body.
Her skin was pale, almost translucent, and completely flawless. Her face was beautifully heart-shaped, with a small nose and alluring lips. Her hair was a dark violet-blue that was done in a long ponytail. Despite her beauty, I felt a small note of worry when I saw her expression-it was completely blank, and her icy blue eyes seemed almost literally frigid as she turned to me.
Combined with the fact that I felt like the air had suddenly grown colder once she walked forward, I could already guess what she really was. The fact that a Yuki-Onna was standing only a few feet away from me in ice-blasting distance was somewhat unnerving-
"Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…."
Then again, I guess I literally have bigger things to worry about.
The ice-girl regarded me curiously for a few moments before bowing. "My name is Arakita Sashiro. I will be officiating this match," she rose and tilted her head. "Just as your previous match, this match will follow a similar ruleset to basic point sparring and knockdown sparring. The two fighters will each receive a point when they've knocked their opponent to the ground. The first one to receive three points wins. Do you have any questions?"
"...Yes, I've got one!" I turned to the snow-woman and grinned. "Do you believe in love at first sight, or should I walk past again~?"
"H-Hrk?!" the ice-girl gaped at me in shock, very much red-faced.
"Are you serious?! You-you-you damn pervert!" Morika growled.
"Ha! That's hilarious! You actually made Shiro-chan crack!" Morizako laughed.
Ah, great, now I've got a Yuki-Onna pissed off at me too.
…I wonder if she and Tamane will have a battle to the death over who gets to kill me? Maybe that'll buy me enough time to wake up my plus-one?
"Ahem! If that is everything!" the ice-girl said with a low growl. "Perhaps you would like to start the match?"
I smiled at the snow-girl before turning to Morizako with the same grin. "Hell yeah! Let's do this!"
"Very well then." Arakita's hand rose and stayed in the air for several moments, before coming down as her eyes narrowed. "Start!"
Morizako closed the distance and threw a roundhouse kick towards my face. I'm fairly certain she was attempting an early knockout. Thing is, all she did was knock me aside a bit. In fact, my head and upper body only moved a couple of feet in response.
When I rose to my feet, I was giving her the most deadpan glare I could.
"Hehe, uh, that was supposed to knock you down," Morizako visibly broke out in a cold sweat when I took my karate stance again. "Uh, wuh-why aren't you on the floor right now? Also, you're not, uh, using your Muay Thai stance!"
"Oh, that's because I chose one of the other martial arts styles I know." I quickly brought my left foot forward while sliding my right foot back before bringing my arms up. "I'm using Kyokushin Karate this time~!"
"Ky-Kyouku-oh? Oh no!" the tall girl wheezed out.
"Wait, what? Shit!" the weasel-girl cried out from the sidelines. "That's not-I mean, you can't just-"
"Don't interrupt the match, Morika!" the ice-girl said flatly.
"Yeah, don't interrupt the match, Morika~!" I teased, before closing the distance between myself and Morizako. "This match is just getting started!"
"And not long after that, the match ended," I said tiredly. "Morizako, three points. Myself, one point."
"Oof! That's gotta suck!" Protagonist chuckled.
I was sitting across from Protagonist and Aichi at an outdoor picnic table, far away from my brother and our two idiot friends. Some other students were giving us looks, but I remained unbothered. Aichi was whistling in awe.
"So, what are you planning next?" the dopey-looking boy asked.
"Wing Chun, maybe? At least I know enough of that to get things started," I shrugged. "Either that, or afterwards I'll try BJJ or Judo. I'm pretty sure they've got rules for ground styles-maybe if I can tap her out, I'll get in…"
Protagonist snorted at my words. "Well, good luck with that, man! I'll try to see if I can watch your next match," the other boy let out a tired sigh. "I've been looking into the different clubs. I wanted to join the Occult Research Club, but they're really exclusive."
"For real? What, are you gonna hunt gremlins?" I chuckled.
"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up! Hey, what about you?" Protagonist turned to Aichi with a curious look. "I haven't seen you checking anything out! Are you even interested in joining a club?"
"...W-Well…there was this one flier I got," Aichi ruffled through his pockets with muted urgency. "Here! Take a look!"
When he pulled out the flier and presented it, I blinked. "Huh! I didn't know that was a club!"
"Wait, wait, what? The…the Roleplaying Club? That's a thing?" Protagonist furrowed his brows in worry as he read over the flier. "That isn't what I think it is, is it?"
"No! Jeez, and we call him the pervert!" the dopey boy scoffed while motioning to me. "Get your mind outta the gutter, man!"
"That's not what I meant!" Protagonist cried out.
"I don't believe you," Aichi deadpanned while tilting his head. "It's not that kind of role playing. It's stuff like tabletop games, or LARPing. They have different things they do depending on the semester."
"Aww, that sounds sweet! Not really my cup of tea, honestly, but it does sound cool," I gave the dopey-looking boy a bright grin. "You planning on going today?"
"Yeah, I'll head down there pretty soon," the other boy shrugged. "It's not supposed to be a big club. The way it was advertised, it was just a bunch of friends goofing around. Sounds kinda nice."
"What about you?" I asked Protagonist.
"I got scouted by the Robotics Club," Protagonist said confusedly. "I heard they were only looking for people with special qualities or something. I guess I can do something they're interested in? I mean, I don't really know why they're interested in me…"
"Heh, well, it can't be martial arts. I went to their stand-they weren't supposed to have it, turns out, but still-and one of the club members said I wasn't what they were looking for," I shook my head while looking away wistfully. "Shame too, she was gorgeous~!"
"Ah, of course that's all you remember. Still, can't imagine why there's a robotics club," Protagonist mused.
"Roomba invasion!"
"Robot fighting rings!"
Aichi and I stared at each other in confusion.
"Roomba invasion?!" I asked.
"Look, those things are evil, man!" the dopey boy cried out. "They're plotting something! I just know it!"
"You sound like you should join the Conspiracy Theory Club instead~!" I teased the boy.
"W-Well, why are you even talking about robot fights?!"
"Because making remote-controlled robots covered in weapons with the intention of having them destroy each other is cool as shit!" I smiled gleefully.
"Shame there isn't any robot fighting league in town-let alone the country!" Protagonist noted. "So it can't be robot fights. Maybe they're just interested in making cool robot stuff?"
"Roomba invasion sounds far more likely~!" Aichi sing-songed.
"Have you ever seen a Roomba go down the stairs?" Protagonist deadpanned, to which the dopey boy blinked in confusion. "Those things aren't going to cause us problems, ever. You're giving AI way too much credit."
"Yeah, the AI uprising isn't gonna happen for a long time!" I snorted.
"You can never be too sure," the dopey boy said darkly.
Before I could continue our conversation, I heard three shouts echoing from nearby. Three very familiar, and very pathetic shouts. I felt myself unconsciously taking a deep, steadying breath as my palm met my face.
"Welp, looks like it's that time of week again!" Protagonist mused. "Are you gonna try to break it up? Because we will have to duck out for our reputations, remember?"
"Eh, no thanks," I said offhandedly. "I was gonna do some training. Having to deal with my brother being stupid is just gonna get in the way."
"Nii-san!"
"Speaking of which…" I sighed tiredly as Issei and our two friends practically crawled towards me as a mob of angry girls pursued them. "Oi, Ise? What did you do this time?"
"Well, it wasn't me! I mean, technically, I didn't do anything wrong!" my brother whined.
"And by that, you mean…?"
"I didn't even get to look! These two dicks were hogging the peephole!" Issei cried out while pointing to the other two members of the perverted quartet.
"Don't bitch at us! It's not our fault you didn't get to look through the peephole!" Motohama retorted.
"Didn't we say months ago to not talk about those peepholes?" a familiar voice cried out. "I mean, you're kinda asking for this!"
"Oh, it's the Girl's Kendo Club again? You idiots are just gluttons for punishment," I tilted my head towards my brother. "Especially you! Though honestly, I guess I should've expected that~!"
"I'm not a fucking masochist!" Issei cried out.
"Sure, I believe you~! Oh, by the way, I'm not with them this time!" I turned towards the captain of the Girl's Kendo Club with a tired look. "Like, this time I really have better things to do than worry about these three idiots. They're all yours!"
"You dick! Help us!" Matsuda cried out.
"Word of advice; if you hit them in the solar plexus, it'll wind them really fast," I sent the girls a bright grin. "You need to wait for them to catch their breaths a bit before you continue wailing on 'em, but they won't be able to run away."
"You traitor!" the bespectacled boy whined.
"Nailing them in the liver also works! Trust me, that shit hurts," I chuckled.
"Wow, that is both disturbing and really useful. Mostly disturbing," the captain gave me a worried look before turning to my brother and our idiot friends with a smug grin. "I guess you're outta luck, boys~!"
"Wait, you're just gonna ignore him?" the brunette-Murayama, I remembered-cried out while motioning to me. "We should take him out on principle!"
"That would be assault," I pointed out. "And, if you remember the last guys who thought that was a good idea, you know that they still flinch when they see me. So try me~!"
"We're girls! You'd actually fight back?" Murayama growled.
"Bitch, these hands are rated E for everyone! I don't discriminate." I gave her the coldest glare I could muster. "You try to attack me, I will break your fingers."
"He'll do it, too!" Protagonist chimed in. "Some guys attacked him at a mall once because they were pissed he beat their dojo in a tournament. They were taken out on stretchers!"
"Oh yeah, that. I was surprised that an eleven-year-old could do that much damage," Aichi mused.
"...Meep!" the brunette wheezed.
"That's hot!" another familiar voice chimed in.
I turned my head to see a familiar looking bespectacled schoolgirl leaning over the table. "Oi, when the fuck did you get here?"
"Oh, I've been here~!" Kiryuu teased before turning to the other girls. "Also, he's not wrong! I've been watching him. He's just minding his own business. Probably not a good idea to test him today!"
"Why not?" the club captain asked.
"Because he lost another match~!" the pigtailed girl chuckled.
"Next time!" I hissed under my breath. "Next time, I will take her down! And if I don't, I'll keep going until I win!"
"...Well, can't fault you for being determined," the club captain mused.
I smirked at the girls wildly. "Hey, you know, now that I think about it…maybe we could set up a spar?"
"Are…are you serious?" Murayama balked at me.
"Just a bit~! Might be fun," I chuckled viciously.
"See? Now you've got him going!" Aichi chided Kiryuu.
"I didn't think he'd challenge any of them to a fight, jeez!" the bespectacled girl muttered.
"Yeah, we'll take a rain check on that, pal!" the club captain shrugged. "I have a feeling it won't go the way the girls might want it to. And it's way easier to just beat off your brother."
"Phrasing!" I laughed.
"You know what I meant!"
"Just ignore him!" the pinkette-Katase, I remembered-cried out while turning back to the rest of the perverted quartet. "We have bigger issues! We'll beat the perversion out of you three!"
"Right, well, that's my cue to get going," I shrugged as I stood to my feet.
"Ahem! Excuse me?"
I grunted as somebody walked up from behind me. The girls immediately went slack-jawed and swooned. Nearby, Aichi and Protagonist stared in shock, while Kiryuu adjusted her glasses and smiled perversely.
The schoolboy who walked forward was only a bit taller than my brother and I. He had short blonde hair and bright blue eyes, with a mole beneath his left eye. He had a soft smile gracing his lips as he turned towards me.
"No way! It's Kiba-kun!"
"Wow, he's even more handsome up close!"
"Oh god! I don't know if I can contain myself!"
"I love you!"
Issei just groaned. "Oh my god, it's prince golden nuts~! Fucking cool it!"
"Damn handsome bastard!" Matsuda hissed.
"Why can't he just disappear?!" Motohama whined.
"Hyoudou Isashi?" the blonde boy asked me.
"That do be who I am, yes!" I nodded.
"My name is Kiba Yuuto!" the blonde bowed to me before affixing me with a firm look. "And I would like to invite you to the Occult Research Club!"
"What?! No way! He's here for Hyoudou?"
"Don't do it, Kiba! You'll catch pervert!"
"Nobody will like you and you'll smell like old stains!"
"I can't believe it! I actually can't believe it!" I heard Protagonist whining. "I was trying to join them for months, and he just gets an invitation?! For fuck's sake!"
"...Hmm…no thanks! I'm good!" I told the blonde.
"Excellent! Just come with me and we'll-wait, what?" the blonde's smile quickly fell and he staggered a bit. "C-Could you repeat that? I think I misheard you."
"I said no thanks. I'm good. I'm not interested in joining the Occult Research Club," I shrugged.
Kiba rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Ah, I see. So, you don't believe in the occult? You don't need to worry about that. We aren't against accepting skeptics-"
"Oh, no, I believe in all that stuff," I said offhandedly. "Ghosts, aliens, cryptids, a bunch of them are probably real. I'm willing to admit that."
"...T-Then, why aren't you-"
"Because I believe in the philosophy of 'out of sight, out of mind' when it comes to those things," I told the boy flatly. "If I ignore the supernatural, it's less likely to bother me and stuff. See no evil and all that!"
"W-Well, then surely I can convince you-"
"Okay, look…I really don't wanna go with you or the other members of your club when you dick around in haunted houses." I held up my hands placatingly. "First of all, those places are old and rundown. They're downright unsanitary, and there are safety issues, man. I'm not interested in going to the hospital or getting tetanus."
"I…I don't-"
"Second, no matter what equipment you bring, it's probably not actually picking up real ghosts. Like, you'll detect weird electrical shit, and it's just some stray wires messing things up." I held up two fingers as I illustrated my point. "Also, you're all gonna freak out at the weird sounds echoing in the house. I'm telling you right now, man, all of that shit, that's all mostly just owls."
"W-What are you-"
"And really, you're bringing that on yourself! I mean, they're owls, and you're invading their space," I gesticulated wildly as the boy gave me a confused look. "Of course they're gonna screech up a storm and knock shit over! They probably have food stored up? Or they have a nest! Don't bother owls, dude!"
"But you don't-"
"And finally! If there is a ghost…the fuck am I supposed to do?" I held up my hands in exasperation. "If there's, like, a crazy homeless guy creepin' around, I could probably take him. But an actual ghost? Nah man, I'm fucked. No way I can deal with that!"
"What? But I-"
"Like, you can't fight ghosts. I mean, I could throw a few punches, but will that do anything?" I tilted my head at the blonde's lack of response. "No, I didn't think so. It's like you're setting me up to fail. Sorry, that's not my thing, man."
"I…b-but you-"
"Listen, it was nice meeting you, Kiba-san! But I've gotta train," I shrugged while turning away. "You'll find somebody to join your club, I'm sure of it. Later, man~!"
"You…but I'm…supposed to…"
"Wait, Nii-san?! What about me?!" Issei cried out as I walked away.
"What's that? I'm too far away right now!" I said as I walked away. "I can't hear you! And I have to get going!"
"You dick! I'm shouting at the top of my lungs! How can you not hear me?!"
"You guys enjoy the rest of your day, now~!" I called back.
"But we're about to get our asses beat!" Motohama whined.
"Don't leave us, damn it!" Matsuda cried out.
"And that's when he just walked away…" Kiba trailed off dejectedly.
Rias hummed at that, inclining her head thoughtfully. The redhead scanned the rest of the clubroom, a metaphorical lightbulb going off above her.
"Well, that's no issue," the Gremory heiress chuckled. "While I certainly would've loved for both of them to come, I'm not particularly worried."
"Eh? Both of them?" the blonde asked nervously.
"Yes, you were supposed to extend the invitation to both twins, after all," Rias said offhandedly. "I'm certain that Issei will be along shortly. He's rather intriguing. I can't wait to speak with him~!"
"Ahaha! So, about that!" Kiba chuckled.
"...Kiba, you did invite both of them, right?" the redhead asked.
"Ah, uh, d-define both of them?" the blonde asked.
Rias had a thousand-yard stare the moment the boy finished speaking. "Ah…damn…"
She had to fight back the urge to shudder. Already she could hear Andora laughing at her.
—
"So, are you stalking me or something?" I asked aloud as I walked towards the dojo.
"..."
"...Well? Are you gonna answer me?" I frowned.
"Okay, so, stalking is a strong word!" Kiryuu said as she finally emerged from behind a nearby tree, no longer trying to hide. "I mean, sure, it could be misconstrued as stalking. But, I'm not being malicious, I promise!"
"Am I gonna have to invest in some Anti-Yandere Spray?" I asked.
"What? Naw, that's not-that's not me, no yanderes here~!" the pigtailed girl said nervously while following me.
"Right, so you're just stalking me for no reason," I mused.
"Well, perhaps you interest me," Kiryuu said breathily. "You do realize that you weren't hiding it very well, right?"
"And by that, you mean…?"
"You're not quite as perverted as those other three. In fact, if you weren't ogling me and every other girl you saw, I'd say you're still a closeted pervert," the bespectacled girl tilted her head curiously. "So just why are you pretending? At least partly, of course, since you're certainly not ashamed of playing the part."
"I wouldn't say pretending about the pervert part. But yeah, I guess I am putting on a show…mostly."
"So you do have intentions of irresponsibly getting lots of girls pregnant?" Kiryuu asked nervously.
"Woah, woah! No, no, I'm not gonna do that!" I said defensively, then sent her a cheeky grin. "I plan on taking responsibility~! What kind of person would I be if I just left every girl high and dry?"
"Haha, very cute! You do realize it's more than just 'people aren't having the nasty', right?"
"Of course I know that! It's a sociopolitical issue involving Japanese working culture and the lack of free time that would allow men and women to even think about forming relationships, let alone doing anything fulfilling in their lives!" I began viciously ranting. "Plus, it's a fact that with the economy, having children is literally unaffordable. And women don't just want to throw their lives away by becoming housewives! I would never force any of my potential partners to just quit their jobs, ditch all their friends, and throw themselves into the role of SaHM 24/7! Why the fuck does the government get away with that shit?!"
"...Huh? So you're really not faking that part about saving the birthrate?" the pigtailed girl mused.
"Right, got into a rant there, sorry!" I said sheepishly. "But yeah, I figured if I could get into the MMA scene and make a name for myself, I could use it as a springboard for that stuff. But…mostly for the fighting and potential sex~!"
"And now I realize the only thing that is fake is the theatrics you do," Kiryuu sighed. "Again, why make a big song and dance out of it?"
"...Would you believe it's because of my brother?" at the girl's confused look, I sighed. "You might not believe it, but I'm the younger twin."
"You're right, I don't believe that," the bespectacled girl chuckled.
"Yeah, Issei's supposed to be the one looking out for me. Thing is, that kinda got switched around," I snorted while inclining my head. "When we were younger, I was always trying to steer him out of trouble. Didn't work, obviously, but…at least he wasn't stuck dealing with it on his own. I promised myself I wouldn't let him go through any serious shit without being there."
"So, you made a big show about being a perv so that you could still hang around him? That's adorable~!" Kiryuu hummed, a small smile gracing her lips. "Though I guess him getting beaten up by the Kendo Club isn't something you consider 'serious shit', huh?"
"Pfft, nah! He brings that on himself, and he never gets whipped hard enough for it to really be a problem." I shrugged. "If he's actually in danger, I'll know. It goes both ways, too. Sure, if I end up playing myself, he'll rag on me, but he'll have my back when I actually need him."
"That's so sweet. Well, I think that cements it," the bespectacled girl suddenly did that standard 'cutesy anime girl leaning forward with her hands behind her back' pose, a soft smile gracing her lips and a dust of red on her cheeks. "You're a very interesting boy, Isashi-kun~! I think I'd like to get to know you better!"
"...What do you mean by that?" I asked in confusion.
Kiryuu blinked at that. "Ah, damn! You're that kind of guy? Then again, that tracks…"
"If you're talking about hanging out, I'm game. If you want, I can talk Kai-sensei into letting you spectate at the dojo." I shrugged.
The pigtailed girl had a goofy grin on her face. "Ah, as much as I'd love to take you up on that, I'm gonna have to decline," Kiryuu sighed in disappointment. "I've got some extracurricular stuff I need to deal with. I'll take a rain check on that, though~!"
"Sure, sure. See you later, Kiryuu!" I chuckled as the brunette waved back to me while dejectedly walking away. "Now then…"
About ten minutes away from the dojo, I dropped all the pretenses. I stood still as a statue and inclined my head. I wasn't simply listening; I was doing far more. The sense I was using wasn't something I could describe outright.
It was like I could feel this electrical tingle going up my spine, and when it reached the back of my head, it suddenly spread out around me. It was like I could, on some level, feel every shift of energy from everything around me.
Sure, I couldn't exactly pinpoint every ant or stickbug-I could tell they were there, but they weren't really jumping out at this sense. They didn't have a huge amount of energy, and they didn't cause big shifts in the background energy around them. They were miniscule compared to bigger animals, so I couldn't pick them out. And that didn't even begin to cover people-or even Yokai.
I figured that I only had this strange sense because of my regular encounters with Yokai. It would make sense that I'd get that kind of power through constant exposure to the supernatural.
There were several other things around me, but three stood out for having an active intent to tail me. I already had a good idea what one of them was, and the other one wasn't any different-well, when compared to each other. I'd figured out that Yokai, as a whole, had a similar energy to one another. But for each species, and for each individual Yokai, it was different.
The thing is, there was something else that both these specific Yokai were sharing. I couldn't quite place what it was, but there was a lot of this sort of strange energy within them that didn't track with normal Yokai. I didn't know how to describe it, I only knew that it was intriguing to my extra sense.
But it wasn't the Yokai I was focusing on today. It was a human.
"Alright, you can stop hiding now!" I called out flatly.
The fox that I knew was in the bushes several feet away quickly went still, and I could feel the energy of its fear. The other one had a similar reaction, slowly backing away like it wasn't sure what to do.
I turned away from the Yokai and narrowed my eyes at a nearby lamppost. "You're not as smart as you think you are! You realize that, right?"
The schoolgirl who emerged from behind the post wasn't what I expected. She was a bit taller than I was, with a very slender and fit figure that was still fairly pleasant to look at. Everything about her screamed 'tomboy', from her compact muscles to her playful expression.
She had shoulder-length blue hair that framed a cute, bishounen face, and matching blue eyes. Despite her boyish appearance, her lips and nose were cute and feminine, and her eyes were coquettish as she batted them.
"I wasn't expecting you to figure me out so quickly," the bluenette mused as she walked towards me.
"You! You're that girl running for Student Council!" I pointed.
"Ah? Is that all you remember me for?"
"Well, I've got a friend who's also in the running. Hey, if this is you trying to get votes, you can take a hike!" I leaned forward and gave her a real 'punk' kind of look. "There's a little thing called loyalty, y'know!"
The girl chuckled and shook her head. "No, no, that's not it, I promise! I'm actually surprised that you don't remember me," the bluenette bowed and gave a smirk. "My name is Yura Tsubasa! It's a pleasure to finally catch up with you, Hyoudou-san~!"
"...Yura Tsubasa?" I asked, still confused.
"Do…you…not…you really don't…?" the girl frowned before slightly pulling her hair back, giving her a more tomboyish look. "Does this jog your memory?"
"...Wait a second! You're that one guy who tied with me in that tournament three years back!" I pointed at her once again, jaw dropping in shock. "You were a girl?!"
Tsubasa snorted at that. "Yes, that was me. Is that all you focused on?"
"What, are you here for a rematch? Because I'm sure Kai-sensei could help set it up." I shrugged while jabbing a thumb in the direction of the dojo. "I could use a good match. Could be fun, plus I'd get a second opinion on what I could work on."
The bluenette shook her head. "I have to apologize, but I'm not interested in a spar, at least not today. I'm simply curious about your motives, Isashi."
"Eh? If this is about the perversion, I really don't care. My entire thought-process is punching stuff and sex. Not much else!"
"I thought that was standard for boys," Tsubasa chuckled.
"Haha, yeah, very funny! Okay, but really, what do you want?"
"Like I said, I'm curious about your motives," the bluenette tilted her head thoughtfully. "Earlier, you were invited to the Occult Research Club. Were you truly not interested in joining?"
"Umm, yeah?" I offered in confusion. "It really wasn't something I needed to think over. I'm just not interested in that stuff."
"Even though you're capable of seeing Yokai?"
I honestly didn't know how I did it. One minute, I was standing several feet away from her, the next I was suddenly right in front of her. She barely had time to react before I'd grabbed her by the neck, slammed her against the lamppost, and covered her mouth.
"Are you fucking stupid?!" I hissed angrily.
"Mmmmmmph?!"
"Have you ever heard the phrase 'the walls have ears'?" I narrowed my eyes viciously at her even as she fought against my grip. "Because guess what?! Everything around us has fucking ears, you crazy bitch! You wanna get yourself killed?!"
Tsubasa actually went pale at my words and quickly calmed down. I let out a tired sigh and slackened my grip, though I didn't stop glaring at her.
"I'm going to let you go. And then you're going to follow me-very carefully, by the way-and wait for me to set things up," I set her with a dark gaze. "It's the only way we can talk without being threatened. Do you understand?" when the bluenette nodded, my shoulders dipped a bit. "Good! And I mean it about being careful, you got it?"
"Gah! And you were calling me crazy?!" Tsubasa hissed as she laid atop a log.
I'd led her to a small clearing in a wooded area not too far away from the dojo. By the time we got there, I told her to find a seat while I got to work. I'd already started placing everything right so that we wouldn't be bothered.
"Give me a few moments to set things up," I huffed. "Then we can talk."
"Set things up? What are-" I noticed the Bluenette blinking as I reached into my bag and procured several talismans. "Paper talismans?"
"Yeah, I haven't used them for this before. Hopefully, this'll work~!"
"You're planning on literally praying that this'll go well?" Tsubasa deadpanned.
"Pfft, nah! I don't pray to no gods!" I cackled sardonically. "Even if they exist, I know they don't give a shit about me…"
I spent the next few minutes gently affixing the various paper talismans I owned onto the trees around the clearing. The entire time, I was muttering small apologies to each of the Tree Spirits that were likely already listening in.
When I placed the last one, I backed away and clasped my hands. I honestly wasn't expecting anything to happen, and I figured I was making a big song and dance over nothing.
So I definitely flinched back when each of the ofuda flashed a brilliant blue light, which quickly expanded and spread like a bubble. Soon enough, the clearing was surrounded by a flashy yet see-through barrier.
"H-Holy shit! Haha? Well, I may not be an Onmyouji, but can I work magic or what?" I chuckled triumphantly.
"I didn't even know that was possible," the bluenette breathed out.
"...Honestly? I didn't either," I trailed off.
I mean, I should've realized that magic was a thing when I started seeing demons walking around on the street. But I was kind of occupied with…y'know, not drawing attention to myself from said demons. So really, the idea that fucking magic might be a thing slipped my mind, along with plenty of other things.
I took a seat on a big boulder across from Tsubasa. The rock certainly wasn't the comfiest, but I could at least handle it. Besides, it's not like I could just ask the Rock Spirit attached to it to make it comfier.
"So, you wanted to talk?"
"Did you really have to get rough with me like that?" the girl growled.
"First of all, phrasing~! Second, I'm being stalked by a Nine-Tailed Kitsune and what I'm pretty sure is a Bakeneko." I gave the girl a flat glare. "So yes, I don't regret having to get the point across. Also, seriously?! How the hell can you know about Yokai and know next to nothing about them?"
"A-A Ninetails? A Bakeneko? You're certain of that? That is…" Tsubasa at least had the decency to sound terrified as she trailed off. "I didn't know that there was a Ninetails in town. If I'd known, I-"
"But you don't know. You really don't know shit," I said hotly.
"I can sense Yokai and other spirits, and see through their disguises! My ability to identify them has never failed me!"
"Then you're stupid," I deadpanned, while motioning to the tree several feet behind her. "That's a spirit right there! And you didn't even realize it!"
"W-Wait, what?!" the bluenette turned her head.
"Hell, practically all the trees in this clearing are also spirits. Same with the bushes, same with the flowers, same with some of the rocks." I tilted my head to her as my eyes roamed around the clearing. "They're everywhere, constantly watching. Hell, even that log you're sitting on is a spirit."
"Ah! Eugh!" Tsubasa jumped away from the log in shock.
"Would you relax?! Your ignorance is actually starting to cause me physical pain," I ground out, to which the girl nervously sat back on the log. "In fact, by acting like that, you're just insulting them. I was muttering apologies the entire time I was setting that barrier up. I'm wondering if I have to make more."
"My ignorance? I'm sorry, but I just found out that the entire area around me is filled with Yokai! Why are you acting like that's not a big deal?!"
"Because you're always surrounded by Yokai?" I offered, scoffing at the girl's shocked gasp. "It's highly unlikely that any of the nature spirits around us actually want to bother us. In fact, most of them just wanna listen and observe. The only thing they want is basic common courtesy and respect."
At my words, there was rustling through the trees, bushes, and various tall grasses that surrounded the clearing. Two things that definitely stood out were that today was not windy in the slightest, and the sound itself sounded 'pleased' for lack of a better word. I could hear Tsubasa whimpering as she processed this.
"H-How? I should be able to see them-"
"Yokai is just the blanket term for all of them. But there's a big difference between these nature spirits and Bakemono," I clicked my teeth in minor annoyance at the girl's confused look. "Bakemono are 'Monsters'. They're the creatures that you think of when you hear the word 'Yokai'. Stuff like Kitsune, Bakeneko, Itachi, Bake-Danuki, Mujina, those are all Bakemono, and you've probably seen dozens of 'em at school by now.."
"And Yurei? Oni? What about Demons?"
"They're separate types of Yokai as well. Oni are a type of their own, though they're fairly similar to Bakemono from what I've heard and seen, just with different origins and culture. Yurei, well, that's pretty fucking obvious. They're ghosts, the spirits of the dead," I shrugged at the deadpan look the bluenette gave me. "What? You looking for a better explanation? They're fucking ghosts. What do you expect?!"
"And Demons?"
"Eh? Well…I've only seen one of those," I said, remembering the time I'd met that man shrouded in shadow. "I'm not interested in going on about it. Demons are probably the only inherently evil Yokai. Let's leave it at that."
"You called me ignorant before. I've been dealing with Yokai and evil spirits for years. These unnatural things-"
"Except you are ignorant! You didn't even know there were Yokai everywhere until today." I motioned to the surrounding clearing before pointing at her. "And don't ever fucking say they're 'unnatural'! Because they aren't. Just because they can't be explained by science, just because they don't seem normal, doesn't mean they're the antithesis of nature. Quite the fucking opposite!"
"What…what do you mean by that?" Tsubasa asked nervously.
"I mean that Yokai, by their very existence, are functions of nature itself. Yes, even Oni, even Yurei, and probably even Demons," I inclined my head thoughtfully. "They're kinda like Kami. Hell, the only difference between Yokai and Kami is worship. Kami are worshiped Yokai, and Yokai are un-worshiped Kami."
"I…I can't believe this! So…Nioh is just a bunch of bullshit?" the bluenette asked.
"Well, most of the designs are on point. And yes, Yokai definitely thrive on chaos and like to go real crazy and murder-happy when shit goes south," I shrugged. "But then, so do a lot of so-called 'normal people', and they don't have a different culture from humans. You can't ascribe good and evil to Yokai, because by definition of being functions of nature, Yokai as a whole can't be considered wholly evil. I mean, nature is a cruel bitch sometimes. She giveth and taketh away, and sometimes she sends a giant monster to break a continent in half when she's pissed."
"...That last one was rather specific," Tsubasa deadpanned.
"It's not like it'll happen. Or has happened," I amended.
At least, not in this world, was my unspoken addition.
"Well, this has been eye-opening. I'm learning more about Yokai and Spirits than I'd ever thought I'd learn," the girl sighed. "How did you learn so much?"
"My Obaa-chan taught me everything she knows. She even gave me a bunch of the talismans I used-the rest were supposedly 'good-luck charms' that I got from friends at my dojo." I tilted my head and eyed the surrounding barrier. "Maybe I should ask Kai-sensei about that? I mean, Obaa-chan giving me magical talismans by accident is one thing, but at the dojo? That's just ridiculous!"
"Your grandmother, what else did she say?" the bluenette asked curtly.
"Ah, well, she could see Yokai since she was a kid. It's harder for her to suss 'em out now that she's old, but she can still see them." I tilted my head as a sheepish grin tugged at my lips. "She's probably gonna laugh her ass off when I tell her I pissed off a Ninetails. Maybe Nii-san was right. Flirting with every girl I see is just getting me into trouble."
"You flirted with-okay, I'm not even going to open that can of worms. It seems like you know you're screwed."
"Just about. If I'm dead before the end of the semester, you'll know why," I said offhandedly. "Obaa-chan also told me I should never purposefully get involved with 'em. The way she tells it, the best option is just to ignore their existence and not rile them up for shits and giggles."
"You're definitely failing that, then," the bluenette deadpanned.
"Yeah, probably~! I mean, the entire Martial Arts Club is filled with Yokai, and I'm trying to join. Can't say that it's because I want to, it's just that they rubbed me the wrong way when I got rejected, and I'm stubborn about that shit." I leaned back with a small chuckle. "Then again, part of me wants to know why they're up to that, y'know? I mean, why are there so many in school? Why is this one club only Yokai? What are they planning? All that stuff~!"
"Well, you and I are of the same opinion," Tsubasa nodded. "In fact, I frequently go out of my way to investigate such things myself. While I try to stay away from any I've seen at school, I still try to curb the activities of local spirits."
"...Wait, like, actually? Like…actually?!" I leaned forward in shock when the girl nodded. "For real? You don't actually-"
"Fight Yokai? I do, quite regularly, in fact. Though I can only face weaker Yokai," the girl hummed dejectedly. "The last time I ended up fighting a stronger one, it was an accident, and it did not go well. Nioh's depiction doesn't do real Hino-Enma justice, by the way!"
"Jeez! So, I figured that actually fighting Yokai was something that only happened in old tales. Like, it was a faraway dream for me," I mused thoughtfully. "The girls in the Martial Arts Club are really pulling their punches. I didn't think taking any in an actual fight was on the table."
"It is. And…the reason I approached you is to ask why you're not doing that," the bluenette narrowed her eyes at me. "You have impeccable skill in martial arts. You have the 'illustrious' position of being one of the School's idiot perverts who shamelessly flirts with every girl he can, meaning you can fall below notice and move about without being bothered," the girl let out a harsh breath as I snorted. "You were invited to the Occult Research Club, where you could've easily blown the lid on every Yokai in town, and you just brushed them off instead. Do you just not care?"
"Hmm…three reasons I'll give you to answer your questions! One: I don't want my brother to be targeted. Two: I don't want my parents to be targeted. And three: Just beating up random yokai seems like a dick move," I motioned to the entire clearing around us. "I mean, need I remind you that most Yokai aren't inherently evil? That as a whole evil and good aren't concepts you can pin on them? I don't wanna beat up a random spirit and then find out that I accidentally killed a grove of sacred trees!"
"Well, okay, maybe those aren't bad reasons, and that last one is…ugh! Maybe it's true that I can't ascribe good and evil to Yokai as a whole, but that doesn't mean there aren't evil Yokai," the bluenette sounded almost desperate as she leaned forward. "The amount of Evil Spirits in town right now is unsettling. People have gotten hurt, they've died," Tsubasa shook her head tiredly. "Isashi…they're killing children."
I felt the blood in my veins grow cold at those words. "O-Oh? Oh! That is…uh…different, then," I trailed off with a restrained voice while clenching my fists. "H-How many?"
"So far…only a few. Low single digits," the girl swallowed audibly as she tried to hold eye-contact. "But the number could grow! The specific spirits involved aren't the strongest, but they're almost violently stealthy. It's like they're hiding from me…or, from somebody else, I don't know. But they're impossible to pin down."
"So…you're talking to me because?"
"Because you have the skills to face them! Because you can sense Yokai-I know you can, and it's not just seeing through their disguises," the bluenette motioned to me and then to herself. "You figured me out when I was trying to hide, and it certainly can't be because I 'suck at hiding'. There's something else at play, I can tell!"
"Ha! Damn, you figured me out that quickly?" I chuckled nervously.
"I understand that you're scared of them-"
"I'm not!" I said coldly, giving her the darkest look I could. "I'm not scared of Yokai, Tsubasa. I challenged one to a fight this afternoon and flirted with another. No matter how strong they can get, I'm not scared of them in the slightest. I'm not even afraid of dying, trust me on that." I closed my eyes and inclined my head. "I'm scared my family could get hurt, or that the few friends I have could get caught in the crossfire. But I think those are pretty fucking reasonable fears."
"You're really not afraid to die?" the bluenette asked worriedly.
"The only thing I've ever been afraid of is far away from here," I said darkly before letting out a tired sigh. "Look, the entire reason I'm a pervert is so that I don't get involved in 'protagonist shit'. Going around and fighting demons would do the exact opposite of that!"
"...Do you think we live in an anime?!"
I tilted my head in confusion. "You have blue hair?"
"...S-Shut up!" Tsubasa retorted angrily. "And you shouldn't be using that as an excuse! This isn't about going on some bullshit anime adventure! This is a necessity for protecting human lives!"
I flinched at that. "Well, when you put it like that, it sounds like you're pressuring me on it…"
The girl sighed dejectedly while turning away. "I guess I can't convince you right away. But you at least understand the graveness of this situation." She quickly stood to her feet and pulled out a small notepad and pen. "I'm going to give you my number-no, this isn't me hitting on you!"
"The thought never crossed my mind," I deadpanned as she wrote. "I'm guessing you're hoping I'll change my mind?"
"Absolutely! I have no doubt you'll come around. And when you do…" the bluenette trailed off while handing me her number.
"Yeah, if I decide to go around punching Bakemono in the face, I'll give you a call first."
"You likely know more about them, honestly. I only have more experience fighting them," Tsubasa nodded to me before attempting to leave the clearing. "Thank you for taking the time to talk to me. And thank you for giving me information. I appreciate-"
*THUNK*
"Agh!" the bluenette fell back and bounced on her ass upon hitting the barrier. "What the hell?!"
"Ah shit! I didn't think that would cause problems." I stood up while cracking my neck. "Just give me a second! I'll bring it down."
"I'd appreciate that," the girl hummed. She eyed me as I approached the barrier, a frown tugging at her lips when I stopped suddenly. "Is something wrong?"
"...I just realized," I started quietly, a dark feeling creeping down my back as I gave her a wilted look. "I have no idea how to undo this!"
"Are you serious?!"
"Give me a break! I didn't even realize I could do magic with this shit until today!" I whined back at the girl. "Just give me a few moments! I'll figure this out, trust me!"
Not too far away from that clearing, a silver-furred fox was slamming its head against the side of a tree.
"Agh! He knows?! Of course he knows! Andora-sama said he would!" the fox wept. "And he thinks I want to kill him? Why?! Why me-heheeee?!"
The fox dropped to its stomach and threw its paws across its face. Nearby, another figure dropped down from a nearby tree. They remained completely oblivious even as the other approached them.
"Damn it?! Why can't you just talk to him?! Why do you have to make this difficult?!" the fox whined.
"I DON'T KNOW!" the fox's imagined inner self screamed back.
"Wahahahaha! This is terrible! Isashi-kun, I'm sorry!" the kitsune moaned. "Ahaha, even then, you're still not scared! I wish I could be as fearless! It's not fair!"
"...Are you done?"
"AHHHHHH!" the fox jumped in terror before turning to the speaker. "AHHHHHHHHHHH! AHHHH! Aghhhh….ahhhhh…"
"...Are you alright?"
"You scared me!" the fox cried out comically. "How long have you been there, anyway?! Why couldn't I sense you?!"
Koneko shook her head while turning in the direction of the clearing. "I was hiding my chi…"
"Y-Yeah, that explains it," the kitsune deadpanned tiredly.
"He still sensed me," the white-haired girl said simply.
"Wait, for real?!" the fox asked worriedly. "How? You're even better at hiding than I am!"
"...Senjutsu," Koneko hummed, a frown tugging at her lips. "Or…I thought it was Senjutsu. But it feels different."
"Eh? So, he's got some sort of Senjutsu ability? Ah, he's so amazing~!" the kitsune sunk to the ground again with a sigh. "Agh, it's not fair! What is wrong with me?!"
"...Tamane," the white-haired girl turned to glare at the fox. "Why are you following him?"
"What?! I'm not following him! What gave you that idea?!" Tamane flinched at the look in the other girl's golden eyes, a blush forming across her vulpine face. "It's none of your business! Get off my ass! Why are you following him, huh?!"
"Buchou wants to recruit him," Koneko said simply.
"Wait, what?! B-But, she can't!" the fox said worriedly.
"...Why not?"
"I…uh…so, you see…the thing is, I…" Tamane made a choked, wheezing noise for several moments before letting out a low whine as comical lines of tears trailed down her face. "Wahahahaha! I can't even say it out loud?! This isn't fair!"
The white-haired girl raised an eyebrow at the kitsune's actions before turning away. Nearby, she could see Hyoudou trying to bring down the barrier, to which she hummed.
"Hmm. Well, whatever you want with him, you better do it soon," Koneko mumbled. "It's either him, or his brother."
"No! This is terrible!" the fox whined.
The white-haired girl huffed in annoyance. "Yeah, like you wouldn't believe…"
Alright, so next few chapters should ramp things up a bit. A bit more action across the board, and a bit more of the Big G, since we're sorely lacking in him. He's not gonna have lots of active appearances, sorry, but he'll have a presence at least-you'll understand next chapter.
Also I'm setting up more villains in the next chapters, because why have one bad guy when you can have like six. The heroes are never paranoid enough, give 'em six or seven extra bad guys to keep them up at night.
So I haven't decided if Tsubasa should be in the harem or not. Canonically, she's attracted to Issei because (checks notes) he got...muddy...during this one fight? Eh, okay then. I have it in my outline that she has a Bromance with Isashi, but then I remembered she's a Tomboy-does it count as a Bromance if one of them is a Tomboy? I'm still gonna say Bromance at first.
Sashiro is another haremette though. She's based on the Yuki Onna from'Rosario+Vampire' and Aoi from 'GeGeGe no Kitarō'. She'll show up more frequently the more Isashi gets involved in the Martial Arts Club.
So yeah, I changed it so that Yuki Onna aren't Yetis in here...sorta? The first Yuki Onna in DxD shows up in Volume 8, and it does the 'creature that is a beautiful woman in legends is actually an ugly monster' joke. Thing is, they do that two chapters earlier in the same Volume, so it didn't really hit the same for me. Removing that gag doesn't ruin the story or take away from it, and I like this way better. I do have some ideas on how both versions of Yuki Onna could exist at the same time, but...that's not concrete yet. I'll probably say whether I've shelved it or not.
Now then, onto the reviews.
Zet4: You're welcome~!
Riverflow2020: Yeah, this is a good point. Having a character that isn't afraid to kill, but acknowledges that doing so is a tough decision is important. Unless you're writing a complete sociopath or a murderous lunatic, your MC shouldn't constantly kill their opponents without having emotional consequences. At the same time, they shouldn't be going 'thou shalt not kill' because that's just causing an entirely different set of problems.
Saurian96: Yeah, so, the SB version has links to Youtube videos with the Roars, but FF doesn't really allow that shamefully. That said, Ghidorah's OG cackle not being intimidating makes it all the more jarring when he gets going. Having a little bell sound echoing overhead as he tears apart an entire city makes an eerie dissonance. As for the work with the Kryptonian, well...I haven't even finished that outline yet, and I'm probably never gonna post it for a while.
For anybody whose interested, you can check out my P a treon. Unfortunately, FF. Net doesn't do the links well, so you'll have to close the spaces below/rewrite it slightly on your browser.
P a treon. com(slash) Locksoli
As always, please leave any thoughts, questions, and constructive criticism in your reviews. And thank you for reading.