Chapter 03

A Bloody Baptism

Why was I here? Well, you see after enjoying a nice dinner that I made myself I decided to try and train up some of my skills. Unfortunately I didn't get anywhere, but not due to a lack of effort. As it turns out combat skills require real experience to level up, in other words if I want to get strong I have to fight and kill opponents. Now at first I felt indignant at the revelation and was hesitant to go out of my way to take a life, but then I remembered that if I am currently at the start of canon then there was a good source of experience in town that I wouldn't feel so bad claiming for myself. That being Raynare's goons. After all they were just a bunch of nameless grunts that would die regardless if I was the one to do it or not. So with the bag of holding slung safely around me, I approach the building under the light of the new day.

Just outside of the entrance to the building were two stray exorcists standing guard that had yet to notice me. Time to see what 17 Agility can do. Rushing forward I extend both my arms and wrap them around their necks which had completely snapped from the impact of my surprise attack, so they must've died instantly. But even with the first two taken care of I did not stop in my charge and used the momentum to smash through the front doors.

[The Seed of Malice within stirs.]

I decided to ignored] the game's announcements in favor of focusing on the task at hand as one mistake could spell certain death for me.

On the inside of the church were seven other priests, who I guess weren't even considering an attack. I mostly conclude that since my sudden intrusion had left them in a state of shock.

"Group up and-"

One of the priests shouted but I interrupted him by throwing the two corpses of their comrades in the direction of the group to force them into dodging and keeping them from creating a formation.

Using that distraction I moved quickly to isolate the one that tried giving orders, he seemed to be the one in charge of this group but I couldn't be certain of that fact. Still better to be careful.

I raised my fist, pulling back to strike and despite his best efforts he was unable to react in time as I hit him with my full strength directly into his skull. Thus the priest was silenced forevermore as his head completely caved in.

I could feel my form improving little by little, I suppose Human Potential was playing a role in speeding up my growth. I'll have to think about that later though. For now I have to keep an eye out for the remaining six who seem to have regained their composure and drew their light swords.

As one charged ahead with the intent to cut me in twain I pivoted my center of gravity and materialized my sacred gear allowing it to block the incoming strike and the chance to respond with a crescent moon kick to their liver. The priest coughed up blood before I grabbed them by the top of his head. In one swift motion used him as a shield as two more blades aimed for me were instead used to pierce the priest I had gotten ahold of, killing him in the process.

Quickly I shoved the corpse into the other two priests causing them to fall to the ground and stomp their heads in. Seeing this the surviving three exorcists grouped up and with their weapons held high and ready to defend themselves.

"Is he a Devil?" one of the men questioned.

"I don't know," another responded.

"We should contact lady Raynare and-"

Before that last one could finish their sentence I was on them and seized the moment to have my hand dive into my bag of holding to retrieve the masterwork sword. I swung the blade in arc to bisect one of the remaining three. However, the moment my sword made contact, I felt the fabric of space distort around me, accompanied by a flash of black sparks that lit the area in a blinding light. In that singular moment, a profound sense of omnipotence washed over me as the masterwork blade effortlessly cleaved through all three adversaries in a single, devastating arc.

[You have gained 900 Experience Points for slaying Nine Stray Exorcists.]

"So that was a Black Flash?" I mused, examining my fist and sword before shifting my gaze to the rivulets of blood flowing from my fallen foes.

The crimson streams converged into a single, expansive pool, offering a gruesome reflection of my blood-soaked form, it also allowed me to see the familiar man behind me holding a gun against my head.

"Wow, you must be really fucked in the mind! Yeah know a couple of screws loose and what not? And that's coming from me of all people," Freed taunted, causing me to turn my head slightly to get a better look at him, "Don't even think of it! I can see that a hit from you is a death sentence but judging by your armor, you're not bulletproof."

"Freed Sellzen, I was wondering if you'd be here," I say before using Danger Gauge.

[Failed Heir of Sigurd - Freed Sellzen]

His name was colored a light scarlet, so while not as dangerous as the Tank Beetle I faced when I first arrived in this world, he was still dangerous.

"How the fuck do you know my name? Wait, are you perhaps a fan? Does that mean you did all this just to get the attention of little ol' me? Well too bad roid-head I don't swing that way!" Freed shouted, pressing the barrel of his gun further into my face.

"Fan is such a strong word," I replied, being sure to keep an eye on his trigger finger which he noticed if the smirk on his face was any indicator to go off of.

"You're fast I give you that, but from this range I'd be able to put a bullet into your wicked little head!"

He was right, I don't have the current agility stat to act, but I also have 900 points that I got from the exorcists that should give me enough to level up the fighter class at least three times, which provides me with the biggest gain to agility.

Level Up 5-6-7-8

Fighter 1-2-3-4

Strength 17-21-25-29

Endurance 16-19-21-24

Agility 17-22-27-32

Mana 12-14-16-18

Luck 16-17-18-19

Zone will also give me an opening the moment he's too focused on attacking. All I have to do is get the timing right. Maybe some provocation will speed things along?

"So I take it you just sat back instead of helping those mobs over there? Never would have thought the great Freed Sellzen would feel the need to hide behind a bunch of rank and file cannon fodder. Guess the stories of you were exaggerations afterall."

"You know, I'm aware that you're trying to play me, and you know what?"

His finger twitched. I made my move.

*BANG*

The sound of the gunshot rang out, and Freed looked surprised. My timing was off, but the bullet only grazed my cheek instead of taking my head off so I'll consider it a win.

Freed tried to create distance but I was quick and with both my hands on my sword I went to cut him vertically but he managed to raise his own light sword to block.

However I land a Black Flash once more allowing me to cut through his blade and remove his arm in the process.

"You bastard, that's my sword arm!" Freed shouts aiming his gun at me.

There!

"What?" Freed was too focused on attacking that he failed to notice when I ducked to get close to him.

Zone has leveled up.

Level 1-2

I threw a straight punch directly into his chest aiming to crush his heart but instead I managed to pierce his body with my fist.

[You gained: 500 Experience Points and one gacha roll for slaying Freed Sellzen.]

As I started to calm down the reality of what had happened suddenly hit me. I looked at the fist still lodged in the chest cavity of Freed Sellzen before prying him off.

Like him or hate him, Freed wasn't like the nameless goons that only served as a reason for Koneko and Kiba to not accompany Issei on his fight against Raynare. Instead he was a reacquiring villain up until the rating between the Gremory group and Diodora Astaroth.

But now he is dead and I'm left wondering what ramifications this could have down the line.

Well that's a problem for future Regis to figure out, for now I wanna see my haul!

Weapon Training (Lvl 5) (35%)

You have received basic training in the use of weapons. Increases your skill with weapons. Increases damage with weapons by 7%.

Armor Training (Lvl 7) (29%)

You have received basic training in the use of armors. Increases your skill with armors and reduces penalties for wearing armors by 9%. Mitigates damage while wearing armor by 7%.

Unarmed Fighting (Lvl 10) (17%)

You have the basic use of fighting with your body. Increases your skill with unarmed attacks. Increases damage with unarmed attacks by 12%.

Body Conditioning (Lvl 14) (4%)

Determines the condition of your body's overall strength, muscular endurance, cardiovascular fitness, and flexibility. Increases effectiveness of unarmed techniques by 16% and mitigates damage by 14% done by using unarmed techniques with backlash.

[New Skills Gained For Leveling Fighter]

Second Wind (Lvl 1) (0%)

Heals you by 10% of your missing health. Cooldown 8 Hours.

Instinct (Lvl 1) (0%)

The ability to identify the best personal course of action during combat. This skill currently can only be activated for defensive purposes.

[New Perk Gained for Reaching Level 4 in Fighter]

Favored Weapon (Sword)

You have gained proficiency with all sword related weapons. Increases your skill, accuracy, and damage by 100% while using a sword.

Can't say I'm surprised by the fact that I didn't get to choose my favored weapon but considering that the only actual weapon I use is a sword it's to be expected.

My work here is through, so now I will take my leave. I'll need to shower thoroughly to get rid of the smell of blase, and I should bake something to make up for my poor first impression yesterday. Yeah, I'll need to make this quick since I don't want to be late.

-Issei-

Issei Hyoudo was many things, a beloved son, a good friend, an honest soul, and above all else a pervert without comparison. Yet for so long he had no luck in the dating scene, for some reason he couldn't fathom no girl had shown him any interest. This was even more frustrating since he was attending Kuoh Academy where the girl to guy ratio was 5 to 1 in his favor, but every girl only ever seemed to want to ride on that pretty boy Kiba! It was so unfair! Couldn't he have saved some for the rest of the guys or atleast just himself? It seemed as if his dream of becoming the harem king was all but dead.

That was until she appeared out of nowhere. Yuma Amano, his first girlfriend! The other day when he was walking home back from school she approached him out of the blue and much to his utter surprise and elation, confessed her feelings for him! It was like a scene directly out of a manga or something.

Oh, and she's beyond gorgeous with long silky black hair, violet eyes and a rocking body with large boobs! The thought was enough to make him drool.

"Now, now Iseei, right now I need to act like a gentleman. This is my first date and I don't wanna screw it up by chasing her away with my perversion," he chided himself inwardly, "Though a peek or two should be fine as long as I'm discreet about it."

As he thought to himself Yuma came running towards him, waving her hand in greeting.

"Sorry I'm late! I hope you weren't waiting too long?" she apologized waving her hand to him as she got closer.

"It's no problem! I just got here myself so I wasn't waiting long at all," Issei lied as he had arrived almost a full hour ago but didn't want to make her feel bad.

"Umm, so should, I picked out this outfit for our date. Do you like it?" Yuma asked, her voice quiet and meek, she was currently wearing a short black dress with a small, light purple jacket on top that Issei had to resist the urge to stare at how well it emphasized her chest.

"Like it? I love it! It looks really great on you," Issei proclaimed loudly unknowingly drawing the attention of a few passersby.

"Really? That makes me super happy!" she beamed before latching herself onto his arm, "I'm really excited for today. Where should we start?"

"Oh I planned the whole thing out. Uhh, let's see…"

For Issei Hyoudou today would be the day that changes his life forever, a day that he would never forget. For better or for worse.

-Koneko-

Currently Koneko was sitting in the occult research club on her sunday day off on Rias order's. Apparently she wanted her to help with determining the new guy's capabilities and determine which piece would be best suited for him if he still wanted to join them. Not that she really cared about that, she was sure he'd say yes and if the file that they had on hand was any indication Rias would just make him a rook like her, afterall he apparently already had superhuman strength or something to that extent.

But there was something that still bothered her and that was how often he'd steal a glance her way whenever he thought she wasn't looking. At first she had just written him off as another pervert, but he didn't do that to anyone else. So she concluded he was a lolicon and a pervert, a combination she loathed to admit wasn't as uncommon at this school. But on closer inspection his gaze was not of a lecherous nature, Instead it was admiration? Or at the very least fascination.

It was annoying regardless.

"Sorry I'm late," the aforementioned boy called as he entered the room, "I got a little held up this morning."

Koneko couldn't help but to feel as if something was off about him today. She just couldn't put her finger on it.

"You're fine, if anything you're here earlier then I thought you would be," Rias assured him which made him smile before his gaze turned towards her for a moment and he looked away.

"Oh! I almost forgot!"

He went rummaging through the messenger bag he had strung over his shoulder before pulling out a large tableware container.

"I didn't know who was going to be here other than you, but I baked these this morning," he opened the lid and immediately Koneko smelled something sweet, the aroma causing her mouth to almost drool, "Feel free to take as many as you'd both like."

Regis placed the container on the coffee table, allowing Koneko to see into it and noticed what looked to be croissants filled with chocolate.

"Is there a reason for this?" Rias questioned which made Koneko pause before she could grab one from the container.

"I wanted to try and do something nice, since your first impression of me probably wasn't the best. With me holding a sword to Kiba's face and all," Regis spoke, rubbing the back of his head with his right hand a sheepish smile plastered on his face, "If you don't want them that's fine. I won't be offended. I'll just take them back and-"

"No!"

Koneko found herself interjecting while smacking his hand away from the pastries. An act that took herself by surprise. Rias audibly giggled at her action and Regis…he just looked at her for a moment before shaking his head.

"Well in that case dig in," he said, moving away from the container.

"So I have to ask, Regis Chasseur, do you still wish to join my peerage knowing that it'll mean you'll be reincarnated as my Devil servant?" Rias asked for confirmation.

"I do," Regis answered without hesitation, "If I didn't mean it I wouldn't have asked in the first place."

While they were talking Koneko had taken it upon herself to be the first to try one of these croissants that Regis had brought with him. She took a bite to test the waters and immediately she paused.

"Is something wrong Koneko?" Rias asked, turning to her a look of concern evident on her face.

"Good," she mumbled out a reply before devouring the pastry in a few quick bites.

"Looks like you have a fan," Rias congratulated Regis, as they watched Koneko mindlessly consume the pastries without rest, "You should be proud, it isn't everyday that she gets like this."

"Well, I'm glad to have a happy customer," Regis said smiling as he watched the petite girl eat more of his confections.

"Now I have to try one of these," Rias noted as she grabbed one for herself and took a bite, "Oh my. You said you made these yourself?"

"That's right, they're just about one of the few things I have confidence in making."

The boy's self-deprecating tone was not lost on either girl, but Rias didn't comment on it out of a sense of privacy and Koneko was too busy stuffing her face.

"So, what happens next? Is this the part that I get to become a Devil or something?" Regis inquires with excitement in his voice.

"Not quite yet. There are a few things I want to confirm first before we do that," Rias pauses for a moment before continuing, "I'd like to know why you want to join so badly."

"Well that's easy. I wanna be stronger of course," his answer was a typical one that quite a few had.

"Even though there are other avenues to obtain strength? Not to mention I'm aware of your 'Superman Syndrome'. You could become plenty strong on your own without having to become a Devil. Some might even call you the second coming of Vasco Strada," Rias noticed as the boy leaned forward from his seat, an expression of contemplation etched on his features.

"I need more than just physical might. I require resources, training and allies. All things I lack right now. You said you're an heiress to the Gremory family, I'm aware from the Ars Goetia that Gremory is ranked as a duke which means you definitely have plenty of those in spades. It might be selfish, and I'm aware that I'd just be using you and your status. But even so if you'd grant this request of this greedy man, I swear to you that I'll do whatever it takes to ensure you won't regret taking me in," Regis' burned with determination and from his tone it was clear that he meant every word he spoke.

"Then you're in luck, we Devils are inherently selfish and greedy by nature so you'll definitely fit in," Rias said, causing Regis to perk up, "But to think you'd declare something like that so passionately and without hesitation. If I didn't know any better I think I'd blush."

"Please don't take this the wrong way, but you're not exactly my type," the boy admitted.

"I figured as much," Rias nodded before turning to Koneko who had just finished off the last of the chocolate croissants, "There is just one thing left for you to do."

Koneko nodded and stood up to face Regis.

"...Fight me," the white haired girl said, causing the maroon haired boy to raise an eyebrow.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked, clearly worried about having offended Rias in some way.

"Nothing of the sort," Rias assured him, "I simply want to see what you're capable of to determine which piece I think would suit you best. And given your unique constitution I thought Koneko would make for the best sparring partner for you."

"Makes sense I guess," Regis muttered before standing up himself, "In that case I accept your challenge."

"Excellent!" Rias clapped her hands before gesturing for the two of them to follow her, "You'll be sparing out in the field so as to not damage the building."

Soon enough all three of them were outside as Rias had instructed.

"Oh and Regis, I suggest you use your sacred gear for this match."

He nodded and materialized it, but it was different. While both Koneko and Rias only saw it for a little while, it was definitely just a chestplate but now it had expanded. The change wasn't huge, the armor only having gained some angular pauldrons that matched the rest of the plates that consisted of the armor.

"Is it not fully awakened?" Rias thought to herself at seeing the sacred gear again.

"Hey," Koneko spoke to catch the boy's attention, "Don't hold back."

For a moment he looked surprised, before quickly changing his expression to that of a smile.

"Wouldn't dream of it," he replied before taking a stance.

From the moment she saw him, Koneko knew something was different. But now she could finally say for certain what it was, the way he moved was more…fluid compared to yesterday. There was less wasted energy in the way he walked and his form, while not perfect and clearly not from any style of martial art, was definitely more refined than a simple street brawler. She might actually have some fun with this.

At Rias' signal the fight began and Regis quickly closed the distance by rushing her in an attempt to strike her. But Koneko managed to sidestep before landing a kick to his back sending him flying a few meters away. However he quickly got up as if nothing had happened.

"I have the reach advantage, but her smaller frame means she's quick and that'll make it harder to get a hit in. On top of that if she can get in close enough she'll be able to grapple and I won't have much of a chance if this fight goes to the ground since I'm a striker and lack any experience with grapples," Regis thought to himself, "So how to proceed?"

He took a deep breath before running over to her but stopping from getting too close.

"He's going to go for a punch at that distance?" Koneko recognized his intentions as Regis sent a punch leveraging his longer reach against her.

Koneko was faced with three options. First she could tank the blow but risk getting herself open up for a barrage of attacks. Second she could try to avoid the attack and create distance, but this too had its drawbacks as it would lead to her being unable to attack herself instead having to focus on defense and slowly wear herself out. Third she could try to latch onto his outstretched arm and try to go for a triangle choke hold.

She went with option three, and encircled Regis' neck and his attacking arm with her with her legs. By applying pressure using both her legs and his own shoulder, he was sure to lose consciousness in seconds. At least that was what she thought would happen.

Unknown to Koneko, the moment that she went to try and enact her plan, Regis had noticed that she had entered the 'zone' and used the 0.1 second margin to counter while she was too focused on attacking. The result, Koneko didn't even notice when Regis stopped his fist mere centimeters outside her range and used a knee strike against her. He then threw her to the ground with a powerful palm strike to her back causing her to hit the ground with great force.

That was a mistake on his part.

Regis soon found his legs being swept from underneath him as Koneko quickly mounted him and began raining an onslaught of punches and palm strikes to his armored chest. Before long it was clear who the victor was.

"That's enough," Rais declared, causing Koneko to pause in her assault.

The white haired girl stood up and reached a hand down, offering to help the boy up. Seeing this Regis accepted the help.

"You're heavy," Koneko noted.

"My muscles are 52 times denser than normal, I think it would be strange if I wasn't," Regis' reply was met with a roll of the eyes by the smaller girl.

"Well, did you notice anything of note Koneko?" Rias asked her rook who gave a thoughtful expression before responding.

"His blows were like a cannon, if I was a human I'd have died on the spot."

"That's reassuring," Rias smiled before turning to Regis who dismissed his armor and started to wince in pain.

"Damn, that really hurt, I think a rib is cracked," he muttered to himself.

"I've decided which piece to assign to you," Rias announced, earning the boy's attention.

Koneko wasn't all that interested already having seen the rook piece as a forgone conclusion.

"From this day onwards you will serve as my second knight," she declared, holding the knight piece in hand.

"..." Koneko was speechless at the decision and judging by Regis' expression he surely was feeling the same way.

"You two look surprised, but I can understand the confusion," Rias held the evil piece closer Regis, "You're already strong physically so a rook does seem like the logical choice. However regardless of which piece I give you, you're assured to be a powerhouse. So I simply decided to give you an edge in another area as well."

"I guess that makes sense," Regis admitted, "So when can we do this?"

"Since you're in a hurry, I see no need to stand on ceremony," she placed the knight piece against his chest, "Regis Chasseur, from this day until your last, you are a member of my lustrous family and peerage. You are hereby reborn as a Devil and knight serving under me."

A glow of red energy surrounded the boy before dissipating indicating that the ritual was complete.

"How do you feel?" Rias asked.

"Not much different to be honest," Regis said, checking his body for any abnormalities.

"That's good, it means the process was smooth," Rias said before pausing for a moment, "Sorry it seems like I'm getting a summon request personally."

"Hey no problem, go and take care of it," Regis waved it off and Koneko nodded her head in agreement.

"Alright, I'll be back in a bit, how about you two try and get to know each other since you'll be working together from here on out."

Before either could respond Rias disappeared in a flash of red light as a teleportation circle had appeared beneath her.

"Rematch?" Regis offered.

Koneko took a moment to think it over before saying.

"Only if you bring me more of those croissants for the next week."

"Deal."

-Rias-

She had arrived at a scene that she hadn't expected. In front of her was a boy she had seen a few times from school. If she remembered correctly his name was Issei Hyoudou, one of the members of the infamous 'perverted trio'. What made this so strange was the hole in his chest and blood that covered both the boy and the ground around him.

"So you were the one who called me," she said looking at his wounds, "Looks like you're dying. In that case I'll pick it up, you're life that is. From now on you live for me."

On that day Rias Gremory gained both a knight and a pawn.

AN: Ending might've been a little rushed but no matter how many times I rewrote it, it just never felt right so instead I went with a short approach that was straight to the point.

Anyway I'm pretty happy with how this chapter turned out, though fight scenes still are a challenge for me to write but as they say practice makes perfect.

Please leave a review if you have any criticisms or just things you noticed that could use improvement on. Or to let me know what you think and what you like so far as it does really make a difference and helps me.

Anyway I hope everyone who reads this enjoys the chapter and has a good day or night depending on when you're reading this, peace.