Bit of a late upload, but this chapter and the next are gonna be shorter. I'm also a little late because I'm prioritizing uploading to Space battles and Ao3. The reason for that is that I saw FP's latest tweets about their Buymeacoffee account, and I'm kind of annoyed. Like, they're basically saying the site isn't profitable, despite putting ad in the middle of stories, literally in between paragraphs. And then they're talking about adding AI features, possibly meaning that they're planning on using fics to train AI. The hell?! This is why p a treon shilling shouldn't be shamed ffs.
Anyway, some light TW for this chapter, because there's some mucky stuff towards the last part. Chalk it up to stray devils being stray devils.
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.
"...I thought I'd have more time," my grandfather sighed.
"I think we all thought that, Jiichan," I replied sadly.
The old man was lying in his bed, hooked up to all sorts of machines and wires. He had a dejected but resigned look, as though he was ready for what was to come. It wasn't a nice look to see on my grandfather, and it made me feel sick.
But I could see a glint in his eyes that showed there was still a piece of him left. It was small, but it was there, and I saw it the moment Issei and I walked into the room.
"J-Jiichan! I don't want you to go!" Issei sobbed out.
"Well, that's rather selfish, Ise. I don't want to go either, but I know it can't be helped," Juzo shrugged, a sad smile on his face. "I'm sad that I won't be able to spend time with either of you again, but I'm not worried. I'm certain that there's another journey for me when it's all said and done…and I'll still be there, watching both of you."
My brother teared up at the old man's words. "Jiichan! This isn't fair!"
"Oh Ise, sometimes things like this just happen. But there's always a brighter side, remember that!" my grandfather turned to him with a playful grin. "I heard a girl confessed to you, correct? How is that going~?"
"Bah!" Issei started spastically flailing about, a blush creeping across his face. "W-Well, that's just a thing, y-yeah! Uh, Koneko-chan didn't seem like the kind of girl I'd like, but she just seemed adorable, and I couldn't break her heart like that!"
"Ah~! How lovely! Ise, I'm so proud of you!" Juzo said tearfully. "You're on the road to finding true love! And I'm going to miss it!"
My brother chuckled sadly while placing a hand on the old man's shoulder. "You really think that? Didn't you just say that you were gonna be watching us?" at our grandfather's shocked look, the boy visibly bit back a sob. "I don't think you're gonna miss a thing, Jiichan."
"I promise I'll be with you every step of the way, no matter what! So do whatever you can to gather more oppai, Ise!" Juzo sobbed as he leaned into Issei's touch. "I believe in you! You can get the harem you always wanted, Ise-chan!"
"J-Jiichan!" Issei sobbed back.
"And Isashi! I haven't forgotten about you!" my grandfather turned to me while breaking away from my brother. "I know you might have a tournament or two coming up! I'll be watching, so don't worry! Even if you lose, I'm there for you! And I know you'll be trying to bring your dream to life! I believe you can do it-no, I know you can!"
"Jiichan…" I sighed sadly before giving him a solemn smile. "I'm glad that you'll be there! I won't let you down!"
"I've never had any doubts that you would! I know that you'll always keep your promises!" Juzo said cheerfully through tears.
For a few moments, the three of us just shared tearful memories. The old man would bring out the toys we had played with when we were younger, and reminisce about the pretend-fights we'd have with each action figure or fighter, before giving them to us. The entire time, Issei and I were crying.
Eventually, he'd run out of toys and action figures to bequeath. But then he managed to surprise us.
"I've got one last thing for each of you, here," the old man said as he reached for a box under his bed. "Now, I gave Erika-chan my roses. I know she'll take good care of them, no matter what."
"You didn't do any serious work, did you?" I asked nervously.
"Isashi, they're important! I wanted to give them one last sendoff," Juzo sighed sadly. "Even after everything that happened so long ago, they still survived. The least I can do is ensure they're well cared for…"
"Jiichan!" Issei sobbed.
"No, these two are for you…" the old man trailed off as he brought out the first box.
When he opened the first box, he brought out a brilliant teardrop-shaped pendant made of red scales. A bright green gem sat in the center, and I could just feel the energy that was nestled deep within.
I recognized the dragon scales immediately. Hard not to, seeing as dragons existed in my old world. Oh sure, they were closer to GoT/HotD, with a bit of MH mixed in, but they were basically just an entire clade of Kaiju that, on a case-by-case basis, could become Daikaiju. I figured there might be dragons in my new world, since there was magic and monsters and shit, but this confirmed they were a thing. No idea what they'd be like, though.
"A long time ago, during the ancient feudal era, a member of my father's family served a very powerful warrior. His skills were so great that some even said that he was magic, that he had the strength of a dragon on his side~!" Juzo said mystifyingly. "They called him 'The Crimson Emperor'! And he was believed to be undefeatable!"
"No way! Was…was he actually an emperor?!" Issei asked in awe.
"Oh, no, I don't think so. He was just a powerful warrior who took that name," my grandfather shrugged. "My ancestor served him faithfully until The Crimson Emperor fought what he was told was a powerful 'eternal rival'. Before that, The Crimson Emperor created that pendant and handed it to my ancestor, telling him that he and his family line must wait until they meet the next Crimson Emperor, so that they can grant him the pendant."
"No way! So, t-that means-"
"That's right, Ise! I want you to hold onto this and wait for the legendary magical dragon warrior that your ancestors used to serve!"
"...That's not a sentence I ever thought I'd hear," I mused.
"Not a sentence I'd ever thought I'd say~!" Juzo cackled as he placed the pendant back in its box before gently handing it to Issei. "Ise! I'm not one to believe in strange legends, but something about the story of The Crimson Emperor made me wonder. I trust that if somebody who claims to be his successor, and can back up those claims, shows themselves, you'll know what to do."
"J-Jiichan! I understand! I won't let you down!" my brother said tearfully.
"Speaking of strange legends, Isashi! I know you like listening to Obaachan's old stories about yokai~!"
"Ah, she's told you? Yeah, they're spooky, but I love hearing them," I said with a solemn grin.
"Well, I'd like to tell you one of my own. It's not quite as 'spooky', but I think you'll like it," the old man sighed as he brought out a second box.
When he opened the box, I tilted my head at what I saw. It was an amulet with a piece of white jade attached, which was carved into the shape of a fox, its multiple tails curved to make a heart shape. The eyes of the fox were set with beautiful, shining gems.
I could feel some form of energy from the necklace. It wasn't like the piece of jewelry was alive-though I wouldn't doubt that-no; it was more like somebody had attached some energy to it. It wasn't bad energy. It actually felt soothing in a weird way. I couldn't actually describe it.
"A long time ago, two of my ancestors on my mother's side of the family found a fox kit on the road. This was a while after that other legendary fox woman apparently started the Hogen Rebellion, so everybody was trying to kill random foxes." My grandfather shook his head while turning to me. "I'm sure you already knew that, though. But my ancestors didn't have interest in taking part in that-see, they'd lost their second child, a daughter, in the preceding months, and they took in the fox because they couldn't bear the thought of killing something that looked so innocent…"
"Ah, well, to each their own! They clearly didn't know that foxes have a smell, huh?" I shared a chuckle with the old man as he held up the amulet. "Still, that's nice. It must have been fun to have such a unique pet."
"Ha! You think they adopted a pet? No, Isashi, those two didn't take the little fox in as a pet. That fox became their new daughter," Juzo hummed thoughtfully as he tilted his head. "I have a bunch of stories that were written down by them. It's all in a book included with the box, and it's well preserved. The gist is that they treated the fox like their third child, and even gave it a name and room. They ended up raising it until they grew old and were on their deathbeds…l-like I am, heh."
I flinched at that. "Jiichan, hey! It's alright-"
"Gah, let me finish! They gave the fox this necklace when it was younger. As they grew older, the fox never removed it. Eventually, when they were old and dying, they were visited by their son who'd made a name for himself as a soldier. While he was tending to them, the family was visited by a beautiful woman…who was wearing this exact necklace."
"...Oh," I said simply.
"Wait, for real?! Did she take it from the fox?!" Issei asked suddenly.
"No, Nii-san. The girl was the fox," I deadpanned.
"Wah?!"
"That's right, Isashi~! The two had actually adopted a mystical kitsune whose real family had been destroyed by the fox purges. And by treating her as their daughter, she grew to see them as her parents in turn." My grandfather held up the necklace gently, a soft smile tugging at his lips. "She thanked them for everything and professed her familial love for them, before stating that she wanted to marry into the family proper. However, both their son, and his sons, were married, and their own children were already in arranged marriages…"
"Ah? So, what happened, then?" I asked.
"The kitsune then gave her adopted brother this necklace and asked that he and his descendants hold onto it. And that she would wait as long as it took to marry off one of her daughters to one of them."
"Hah? Isn't that romantic?" I mused.
…Huh, now that I think about it, I'm being stalked by a kitsune at school. Wouldn't it be funny if…nah! What would the odds be of that? I mean, I don't doubt the story itself, but that'd be too convenient. There would have to be some eldritch god or something manipulating my life or the entire universe/timeline or something for that to happen.
"It was a nice story, but I…I never really believed it. But it was always wonderful to hear it from kaa-san," Juzo gently placed the amulet back into its case and closed the box, all while shaking his head curiously. "I…I still remember what happened that day, h-how I lost her, how I lost practically everything. That both these things survive after what happened that day, it meant so much to me…"
The old man clasped his hands together and sighed, a tired look across his face as he turned to us. The way he looked at my brother and I was something that pained me to see. It was a subdued look that told me he had no reason to keep going. It hurt to see it, knowing what it meant.
"Issei! Isashi! You two mean the world to me. You are my legacy!" Juzo's eyes crinkled as he gave us the most heartfelt smile I'd ever seen him give. "And the legacy I want to leave behind is your happiness. I want the two of you to live full lives for me! Do you understand?"
"J-Jiichan! I won't let you down!" Issei cried out.
"We'll do you proud, Jiichan!" I said determinedly. "I promise…"
"...So, when's the funeral?" Aichi asked.
"Dude?!" Kazuto hissed. "Not cool! Too fucking soon!"
Yeah, so I had to explain why I hadn't been at the dojo for the previous week. And also why Issei wouldn't be showing up for the last couple of weeks the dojo was open.
Issei was a lot closer to our grandfather than I was-which isn't to say I wasn't sad. I was fucking devastated that he was already gone. But I'd been through that kind of thing before in my old life, maybe worse considering how I lost some of my family members in my old world. Jiichan lived a long, full life, so I had no doubt he was ready for a peaceful rest.
Maybe it didn't help to know that, but it did soften the blow. I could keep going. Even if he was gone, I knew I wouldn't forget him.
"Uh, w-well, it's gonna be by the end of the month," I mused anxiously. "I'm kinda worried I'm not gonna be able to get Nii-san out of his room. He was talking about how excited he's gonna be to 'see Jiichan next time' when I cornered him. So, you know, I'm worried about him."
"Oh, is he already going crazy? That's, uh, not good," Kazuto said weakly.
"He'll get over it," I heard a voice call out. I turned to see Saji walking over to me with a solemn expression. "Of course, once he realizes it, he'll need somebody there for him. Trust me, it's not gonna be fun for him."
I actually winced when the other boy chimed in. I'd almost forgotten that he'd lost his grandfather, leaving him and his siblings orphans once again. He'd rarely talked about it, going back to closing in on himself for a while…and then something changed, and he was closer to his old self. I had no idea what had happened, but something felt off.
"Oh, right. Uh, how are you doing?" I asked the blonde nervously. "I mean, I always said if you needed any help, I can babysit for you. I'll even make them special lunches just for the occasion-"
"Woah, woah, it's fine! I got this…hmm, well, it's sort of a job? I got it not long after my Jiisan…y'know," Saji sighed dejectedly before shaking his head. "Well, the new job I got lets me stay in school, earn my wage, and my siblings are taken care of. It's great!"
"...Did you join a gang?" I asked darkly.
"What?! No, no, I totally didn't join a gang…actually, huh? Now that I think about it…"
"Saji! You can't use the dojo's training for gang warfare!" I cried out.
"I'm not in a gang! I mean, I am in a gang, but it's not like that! It's more like…uh, fuck! So, uh…shit, how do I explain this?!" Saji grumbled nervously to himself while glaring at the three of us. "Okay, look! So, I work for a person, right? And there's a bunch of other people working under them too!"
"Yes, as you do in gangs," I deadpanned.
"Shut up! It's not a gang! Anyway, we offer goods and services-"
"Drugs and protection."
"No! I do shit like, uh, contracted stuff. Like, they call me up, I do a task or a set of tasks for them, and then they offer me stuff of value-usually money!" The blonde placed his hands on his hips proudly. "And if I do enough of these jobs, then I start rising through the ranks. Eventually, I'll even get my own subordinates. Doesn't that sound cool~?"
"...So, not only are you in a gang, but it's also a pyramid scheme?" I asked incredulously.
"What?! No, that's not it at all! I don't get in fights and shit…actually-wait, no! Stop putting words in my mouth! I'm not in a gang!"
"Who's not in a gang?" I heard Kai-sensei ask as he walked into the room.
"Saji is!" Aichi chimed in. "Although he's not doing a good job of convincing us of that. I mean, it sounds like a gang."
"And also a pyramid scheme," I noted.
"You're in a pyramid scheme gang? Fuck's sake, kid, that's even worse than normal gangs!" the man sighed in exasperation.
"I'm not in a gang! Come on! I'm making an honest living!" Saji cried out.
"Yeah, most gangsters say that," Syu-sensei mused as he entered the room. "So, I heard about you and Issei. He's really not gonna show up?"
"He's inconsolable right now. He'll need some time, but…" I trailed off worriedly.
"Relax. He'll probably get better. Just don't give him too much space, he'll still need your help. Now…" Kai-sensei clasped his hands together while facing me, a curious smile tugging at his lips. "We also heard that you finally got past that dumb issue in your school's Martial Arts Club~!"
"Fucking finally, right?!" I cried out.
"Well? What's the verdict?" Syu-sensei asked.
"A bunch of the girls in the club are malding hard because I won. But then again, Arakita-san said she'd talk it over with the club leadership or something," I shrugged, reminding myself that the de facto 'leader' of the club was a hot, yet mysterious and slightly creepy foreigner. "So far, it's been over a week and nothing has come up. I'll give it another month before moving on."
"Sounds like quitter talk!" Protagonist cried out accusingly.
"Nah, I just don't wanna put in too much effort into it. Next, they'll start telling me I need to beat them again or something," I sighed. "I mean, I'd love to fight Morizako again, but eventually it'll get repetitive. And they'll just string me along, probably using the possibility of joining the club like a carrot on a stick."
"Ah, so you're not interested in playing some freaky mind games? Yeah, they're known for that…" the blonde man trailed off.
I tilted my head at his words. "T-They? You're not talking about girls, are you?"
"No, no, something else. There's a bit of elitism in school Martial Arts Clubs, that's all," Kai-sensei said defensively. "Anyway, if you need more training, I'll see what I can do within the week. But I might be a bit swamped with paperwork for the renovations."
I fought back a frown while holding my hand up. "It's cool! Just let me know when I should be available, alright?"
The blonde man smiled before turning to Aichi and Kazuto. "What about you two? Find any cool clubs?"
"I'm in the roleplaying club. We've been doing a, uh, a western 80s-90s aesthetic. And it ended up with us basically pretending that we're the spunky teens with attitude at the rec center," the dopey boy shook his head in amusement. "Bulk and Skull kinda just accepted that they're the 'comically ineffectual bullies', but they do fun bits. Plus, the girls have…uh…outfits."
"The fun kind of outfits~!" I smirked. "Apparently, they bounce a lot. Makes me wanna check it out."
"Shush!"
"Wait, go back! Did you just say there are two guys in your club named-"
"Bulk and Skull, yeah," Aichi snorted. "They're just nicknames. They use them for when we do ttrpgs too, but at least then it'll usually make sense depending on what characters they run."
"Huh? Neat," Syu-sensei chuckled.
"I was planning on at least checking out the Robotics Club. They ended up scouting me, and they're supposed to be pretty exclusive," Kazuto shrugged. "So, really, there's gotta be some merit. I mean, I'm not into robotics, but maybe it'd be cool to learn more."
"Hey, maybe there is a robot fighting ring? If there is, you gotta tell me where to get tickets~!" I cheered while playfully pulling the boy into a headlock. "Come on, that shit sounds awesome!"
"If there's a robot fighting ring, you'll be the last person I get ticket deals for. I've got a reputation to maintain," the other boy deadpanned.
I released the dark-haired boy and made a faux whine. "And after everything I've done for you?!"
"Shut it!" Kazuto whined.
"Alright, alright! Enough joking around~!" Kai-sensei chuckled. "We've still got some things to work on before we shut down. Let's get to it!"
"Hah~! Just what I love, having my muscles worked so hard it feels like they'll literally fall apart!" I cheered as I walked down the street.
I'm not joking, by the way. I actually don't feel like the workout and/or training session is worth it if my body doesn't feel the proper amount of strain. It's how I knew my muscles were getting the proper amount of microtears to build mass.
Sure, realistically, I could just do something else to exercise. But the only fun exercise that I knew needed a 'partner', which I unfortunately did not have. Shame too, since burning one-hundred calories per hour didn't sound half bad.
"Ugh! Well, I can fix that…eventually. Though I'd rather train," I mused to myself while inclining my head. "If the girls at the Martial Arts Club try to pull a fast one over me or something, I'd like to be prepared. Don't wanna be blindsided by whatever challenge they have next…"
As I walked down the street, there was an eerie feeling running down my spine. I turned my head to the nearby forest. A lot of the forests around Kuoh were, for whatever reason, wicked-looking and twisted, like those freaky forests in fantasy novels. My bet was something involving the yokai population, but I swore some of the freaky forests were here before there'd been a boom in yokai themselves.
Part of the feeling down my back could've just been me feeling the intentions and maybe the emotions of the local nature spirits. It was something I'd figured out by accident when I started tweaking my special energy sense after I'd found out I had it. So if I was having a bad feeling, then the local spirits were probably angered in some way.
Then again, it could also mean-
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
…That something bad was happening in the woods. That scream sounded familiar, and I didn't like that. More than that, I could feel the energy coming from the woods. The local nature spirits were probably reacting to whatever was happening with distress, and combined with whatever was going on it was putting my energy sense on edge.
"Okay, okay, let's think about this logically, Isashi. This might not even have anything to do with yokai," I said as I tried to hold myself back from making rash decisions. "I mean, humans can suck too, so maybe some asshole is going after a girl. Or maybe it's actually just a normal wild animal for once. I can just call the cops or animal control and say I heard a scream. There's no need for me to just jump in like a dumbass-"
"AHHHHH! STOP! LET ME GO!"
"Hehehehe~!"
And that last voice sounded completely inhuman. Which meant a yokai of some sort. And here I was, just standing here like an idiot, letting it do what it wanted.
"...Fucking shit!" I hissed while charging towards the direction of the continuing screams. "Oi, if any of you guys are listening, you mind helping me out? You've had to have heard I'm the guy who pays that forward, right?"
The nature spirits I'd tried to beseech gave me no verbal response. But I did hear some strange rustling through the trees and undergrowth, despite there being no wind. I paid it no mind as I charged towards the screams.
I'd hoped that I wasn't being tricked when I spotted a clearing further into the woods just ahead. I knew that some yokai would try to trick you by screaming or calling out, and that would lead to you getting lost. But the way the screams sounded so desperate and were getting closer as I ran deeper into the forest, combined with the second, inhuman voice, made me doubt this was some stupid trick.
"AGH! Get off of me! SOMEBODY HELP!"
"Hahaha~! Squirm for me some more!"
I ended up getting to the clearing just in time to see a disturbing sight.
Murayama was being restrained and groped by a monster. Her school clothes were ripped up, she had scratch marks across her skin that were oozing with thin amounts of blood, her skin was deeply flushed, and tears were trailing down her cheeks. Across her face, arms, and exposed chest were trails of viscous slime.
The monster that had her in his grasp wasn't like any yokai I'd seen. It was a tall, muscular humanoid creature covered in turquoise scales, save for everything from its lower jaw to its groin, which was a light blue color. His hands and feet were webbed, clawed, and had extra or shifted digits, making them look lizard-like.
There were large fins running down his arms, legs, and back, with smaller fins on the back of his head and emerging from his stubby little tail. Long, thin, and sharp spines emerged from his wrists and ankles, almost like a catfish's, and they curved somewhat like a sickle.
His head looked like a frog-actually, it looked a bit like that old version of Gollum from the Rankin/Bass films, minus the ears. But it also had fishlike gills running down his neck all the way to his shoulders, almost like they were shielding the area. His eyes, despite being wall-eyed, were eerily reptilian, narrowing into slits as he glared at the girl.
Also, let me remind you, he was groping Murayama. And licking across her face and upper body, the latter of which was exposed. Plus, uh…everything below the belt was hanging out, seeing as he didn't have clothes. So, he was enjoying this-and I could clearly see that he was enjoying this, and I really didn't like that I was seeing that.
"Hehehe~! I'm already starting to have fun, and the real show hasn't even started~!"
"No! Please, let me go! SOMEBODY HELP!"
Yeah, hell no times infinity.
I dropped my stuff to the ground as quietly as I could and slowly crept towards the creature. I felt my stomach churn as one of his hands traveled down the brunette's body, but I kept moving forward. So long as he was focused on her, he wouldn't see me coming.
Once I was close enough, I jumped up and locked my limbs around him, holding my legs tight while pulling him into a control hold. He had about one second of reaction before I started slamming a fist into his googly-eye looking face.
"GAAH?! WHAT THE FUCK?!"
"Fucking choke already, fucker!" I growled into the pointy little growths on his head that I was pretty sure were his ears.
"Agh! Get off!" the Freaky Fish Fuck (which is what I'll refer to him in my head from now on), roared as he starting bucking wildly in an attempt to remove me.
I figured it'd be a repeat of the Ao bōzu. I could just choke the life out of him as long as I held on tight. The problem with that was that Freaky Fish Fuck's fin made it more difficult to keep my position-it wasn't sharp, but it was uncomfortable and somewhat painful to try to work around it.
And, as it turned out, Freaky Fish Fuck was stronger than the Ao bōzu I'd killed.
"GRAAAAH!" Freaky Fish Fuck dropped to the ground and rolled hard, causing my grip to loosen. Then he grabbed at my arms and began to pull. "Haha! Gotcha!"
"Fuck off!" I cried out while slamming one last punch straight into his eye.
"AGH! Fuck!"
We both separated and rolled away from each other. I was currently rubbing my throbbing arm and discomforted chest, while Freaky Fish Fuck was now nursing several bruises and a black eye. The fish creature stood to his feet while I slowly took my fighting stance.
"Let's fucking go~!" I said viciously.
"H-Hyoudou?!" I heard Murayama cry out from behind me.
"Oi! Get to running!" I told the girl.
"I can't! I-I can't move right, I-" the girl let out a restrained noise, and I heard her slip across the ground. "He did s-something to me! I just…agh~!"
"...What the fuck was that?" I whispered when I heard the downright sexual moan escaping her lips.
"Don't look!" the brunette shrieked when I turned my head.
"Cool it! I wasn't gonna peek!" I said worriedly. "You could be sick or injured for all I know!"
"What is g-going on?!" Murayama growled.
"Ah, so, spoiler alert, ghosts and monsters are real. I fight them sometimes," I tilted my head thoughtfully while never taking my eyes off Freaky Fish Fuck. "I mean, I could see them for a while-since I was around, uh, six, I think. But I only started taking them on in the last month or so."
"What the actual fuck?!" the brunette wheezed in horror.
"Yeah, freaky, huh?" I shrugged.
"Ugh! You stupid, fucking…" Freaky Fish Fuck turned to me and sniffed the air curiously, his eyes widening slightly. "You're a human?!"
"Uh, yeah? Why w-wouldn't I be?" I asked in confusion.
"Holy shit! You're actually human?! Hahahaha! This is fucking insane!" the fish monster slapped his belly while wiping his uninjured eye. "Ah~! And here I was worried that they'd found me!"
"T-They?! Wait, who's 'they'?!" I asked.
"I figured that Asshole Paimon would sicc his freak daughter on me. Or was it gonna be the Gremory clan throwing their slutty little heiress my way?" Freaky Fish Fuck rubbed the back of his head in confusion before shrugging. "Ah! It could've also been that Sitri bitch! Eh, I think that one guy said it was a dice roll for whichever heiress came after me."
"Uhhhhhhhh-"
"But instead, I'm dealing with some dumb human playing hero! Ahahaha! This is fucking great!"
"What kind of yokai are you?!" I asked the creature before me.
"Eh?! Y-Yokai?! Do I look like one of those fucking animals?!"
"...Do you really want me to answer that?" I deadpanned.
"Shut the hell up!" Freaky Fish Fuck roared at me. "I'm Drix, and I'm a stray devil! I ain't no fucking yokai!"
…I'm still calling him Freaky Fish Fuck in my head.
"Kay, you're gonna have to enlighten me, because I've never heard about Stray Devils," I hummed.
"Huh? Heh, well, see, I used to be human, like you. But then this guy showed up to me and offered to turn me into a devil~!" the fish monster inclined his head and furrowed his brows in deep thought. "Apparently devils had a large chunk of their population taken out, so they made a way to turn humans and other creatures into devils. If you become a devil, you basically serve whoever turns you."
"Did he t-turn you into that as well?!" I asked in horror while motioning to his fishlike body.
"Huh? Oh, this? Nah, this just happens sometimes when you go stray, I think. I heard that there was something about your King-that's your 'maker' devil-regulating you or something. Oh, also about how to control your demonic energy and your desires or some shit," Freaky Fish Fuck waved offhandedly before running a hand up his body, a goofy grin tugging at his fishy lips. "Ah, but who cares? When I still looked human, things sucked! But now I'm dead sexy~! Ehehehehehe~!"
"D-Debatable…" I muttered before shaking my head. "So wait, if you're a 'stray' devil, then that implies that you weren't 'stray'. What does being a normal devil mean?"
"Bunch of bullshit, that's what it is! First, your boss turns you into a devil. Then they expect you to work for them by making contracts with mortals, usually doing dumb shit! All that so that you can maybe get a bit higher on the food chain!" the stray devil raised his hands in exasperation. "And your master never lets you do anything fun. They always keep you on a damn leash!"
"The hell did your boss keep you from doing?" I asked.
"Oh, he was keeping me from doing what I wanted. Got real annoying about it, too!" Freaky Fish Fuck held up a hand and began miming speech with it while raising his voice in a mocking tone. "No Drix, you can't just fire explosions at everything, that's property damage! No Drix, you can't just have your way with any girl you want, that's rape! No Drix, you can't just start eating people, that's wrong! Fucking stick in the mud!"
"...Right, that's just totally awful. Like, he's such an asshole for doing that," I said with all the sarcasm I could muster.
"I know, right?! Fuck that guy!"
I had to resist the urge to smack my face at that. Meanwhile, I was able to get a look at Murayama. She was extremely flustered. In fact, her skin was so red I wondered if she might have a fever. She kept smacking her arms and trying to keep them away from her chest or waist, and she was huffing almost desperately.
"I got sick of that idiot, so I bolted and snuck my way out~!" the stray devil smiled viciously. "Then I took the first train out of there. I only ended up in this town because it sits over an entrance to the underworld~!"
"Kuoh is sitting on a what?!" I wheezed out in horror.
"I figured I should lie low at first, but then I realized I wanted to have fun. I spotted that beauty over there and her pink-haired friend while they were in town, and I realized how much I wanted them~!" Freaky Fish Fuck licked his lips lecherously while leering at the brunette. "I started stalking them around that school-risky as shit because of those heiresses. But man, I was so hooked, I couldn't resist. I kept following them until one of them was alone. Shame I only caught her, but I can always find her friend whenever I get the chance~!"
"...And what were you planning on doing to them?" I asked nervously.
"The obvious, duh! I was gonna have my way with them and impregnate them with my spawn!" the stray devil humped the air as he said this, a cackle passing his fishy lips. "Ah, my brats would've ripped their way out of the womb and eaten them and shit, but oh well~! I still would've gotten to have fun with a bunch of hotties, and I'd have gotten started on making an army."
I had to fight back the urge to gag at his words. "That's fucked up! What the fuck is wrong with you?!"
"What the fuck is wrong with you?! I was about to have everything I wanted, but then you had to interrupt me!" Freaky Fish Fuck crossed his arms and shook his head. "You're just the worst man! You're almost as bad as my old boss!"
"Dude…you were planning on raping a girl, and basically killing her! And you might've given her some disease!" I motioned to Murayama worriedly. "The fuck do you think people are gonna do in response to that?!"
"I didn't give her a disease. I just turned my saliva into an aphrodisiac! That way, even though she'd be saying 'no', her body would be very honest~!"
"That still wouldn't imply consent!" I said, now slightly more worried for the brunette.
"You know what?! Fuck you! I don't have to take this from some human!" the stray devil hissed angrily while raising his arms. "You better hope I don't kill your ass. Maybe you'll get to watch before you die? Won't that be fun~?"
"Bitch, I've taken out an Oni and an Ao bōzu! Do you actually think you can beat-"
*Fwoooosh*
Freaky Fish Fuck moved so fast that I didn't even realize it. One second he was several feet away from me, and the next he was right in front of me. Now, any normal person would be calm and collected.
"-MeOHSHIT!"
I was not.
The best I did was duck below FFF's clumsy strike, but he followed it up by slamming his knee into my chest. Before I could regain my bearings, the fishman grabbed me and swung me around, throwing me into a nearby tree.
"Hehehe! I really should leave you like that…but you're trying to play 'hero'. Can't have you mucking around with my business!" the stray devil loomed over me with a vicious leer, while reaching towards me with a clawed hand. "Sorry human, but your time is up~!"
"Welp…plan B," I groaned as I clumsily dodged the fishman's next attack.
"Eh? The hell is plan B-"
*pow!*
Freaky Fish Fuck let out a horrified wheeze as I slammed my fist straight between his legs. I saw his eyes roll back into his head as his hands moved to clutch the area. He stumbled back with a low whine.
"Thank you, Johnny Cage! You are an inspiration!" I chuckled, wincing at the pain it brought. "Now…time to kick your ass!"
I jumped over and slammed several punches straight into FFF's face before shrimping my way around his rear end so that I could lock my arms around his neck again. Since I was in a more comfortable position this time, I had no reason to worry about his fin getting in the way. Instead, I started to choke him while using my weight to hold him down.
The thing is, I underestimated how much I weighed, and I once again forgot how strong he was.
Freaky Fish Fuck rose to his feet while grabbing my arms. Once again, he started to buck and twist around in order to shake me off. This time, though, he was being far more forceful about it.
FFF would slam me into trees, or crash his free elbow straight into my chest. I was able to weather the attacks for a few moments before faltering and separating from the guy. When he turned to me, I got as close as I could and threw a powerful flurry of punches straight into his chest and face.
"Graah! You're really starting to piss me off!" the stray devil growled as he pushed me away.
I darted past his strikes and crashed my elbow into his chest before rotating my hips and throwing a forceful roundhouse kick into his torso. The fishman raised his arms to block it, barely being pushed back a foot.
"Hehehe! Yeah, I'm done playing around!" Freaky Fish Fuck cackled wildly as a circle of energy appeared over his crossed arms. "Now I'm gonna get your ass!"
"Aww fuck!" I mumbled while ducking to the ground.
*Fwooooooom*
I felt my jaw drop when the laser speared overhead. It wasn't hot, not really, but I could feel the energy behind it. When I looked, I saw a sizable chunk of the trees and forest floor explode. I swore I could hear the cries from some of the forest spirits as the attack hit.
"Oh…oh no…" I said quietly.
"Hahaha! So you dodged, huh?! Too bad you're not getting away that easily!" the stray devil held up his hand, and another magic circle appeared over it. "Die!"
"Shit!" I cried out as another energy blast speared towards me. I ducked beneath it and started running as several more blasts shot out. "Shit! Shit! Shit!"
"Die! Die! Die!" Freaky Fish Fuck screamed while thrusting his hands out to fire more blasts. Then a magic circle appeared over his, um, lower parts, and he thrust that forward. "Fucking die!"
"This is why magic is bullshit!" I whined as I dodged magical energy beams.
Nearby, I saw Murayama struggling to her feet. The brunette was watching everything unfold with a horrified look. One particularly large blast hit close enough that it threw me forward, so I broke my fall by rolling across the ground until I was only a few feet away from the girl.
"Murayama! Run! Get to safety!"
"I-Isashi? But what about-"
"Just get out of here! I'll hold him off-"
"Like hell she's leaving!" the fishman roared as he fired a blast of magic between us.
A huge explosion rocked the ground only a few feet away, flinging us both back. I felt myself hitting the ground hard, and I let out a loud hacking cough. When I regained my bearings, I saw the stray devil looming over Murayama menacingly.
"Hehe! I'm done playing around!" He grabbed the downed girl and once again started to lick and grope across her face and upper body. "I might as well just get lost, then! I'm sick of being interrupted!"
Then a pair of bat-like wings emerged from his back. They flexed and spread out as the monster rose to his full height.
"No. No, fuck that!" I growled while charging forward.
I managed to grab one of his legs before he could even take off. Freaky Fish Fuck looked down with annoyance and started throwing kicks towards me. I clumsily dodged, but then I felt myself being pulled upwards.
"Unless you let go, you're not gonna have a good time going down, punk!" the fishman chuckled.
The ocean rumbled. An eye cracked open in the dark depths.
My vision sharpened, and my hold on the ground reinforced as my grip tightened. I felt an inhuman growl rip its way from my throat.
"W-What the fuck?! The hell is wrong with your eyes?! Ah, what the fuck is that?!"
I ignored the stray devil and pulled, dragging him out of the air and slamming him into a nearby tree. I heard Murayama cry out as the fishman dropped her; the brunette rolling across the ground and struggling to her feet.
I walked up to the girl, ragged breaths escaping my lips. "Oi! Come on, we gotta get outta here!"
"D-Don't look!" the girl whined.
"Murayama, come on! We have to-"
"It's hot, damn it! I feel like I'm burning alive!" Murayama cried out, tears streaking down her face. "It's like I'm going to explode! It hurts, it hurts in ways I can't even describe! But it's…s-so…ahn~!"
What kind of aphrodisiac was Freaky Fish Fuck cooking in his spit?
…Fuck it, save the girl now, ask questions later.
"Here! I'll carry you on my back, okay?" I grabbed the girl and gently guided her to piggyback me. "I'll get us to the street, and we'll get to a police station or something. Doesn't matter if he's a monster, he's not gonna draw that kind of attention to himself."
"I-Isashi-kun?" the girl moaned.
"Just calm down," I said gently as I started running towards the woods to escape. "I'm gonna get you to safety! You don't need to worry-"
*Fwooooosh*
I forgot how fast the stray devil was. Before I'd even gotten to the edge of the clearing, he was already in front of me. His arm swiped down, and my reaction was barely enough to keep him from tearing my head off. But then I felt red hot pain and a wet feeling spreading across my chest.
"...Oh," I said simply while looking at the five claw marks across my now torn shirt. "Yeah, that makes sense."
I swayed to the side a bit, dropping Murayama in the process. The girl let out a small cry as she fell, a horrified look on her face as she turned to me. I was too busy pressing my hand against the gushing wounds on my chest.
"Isashi! No, get up!" the brunette grabbed my arm and shook me desperately.
"No, no! Stay down, please~!"
I watched as the stray devil loomed over us, a vicious grin on his frog-like face. His small but sharp teeth glinted in the waning afternoon light, and his good eye narrowed dangerously. He raised his right arm, the long spine attached to his wrist snapping out to its full length as he let out a belly-laugh.
"End of the line, human~!"
And then he swung his arm towards me, ready to end my life. I closed my eyes, waiting for him to be done with it…
Don't worry, Isashi's not dead. This is just a cliffhanger for the next chapter. Though it might not go down the way you think.
Yeah, Issei and Isashi's grandfather died offscreen. But he left a few things, most notably the pendant for Issei that foreshadows something with the Boosted Gear that'll come up, and some not-so-subtle foreshadowing for something else. Plus, their second cousin, Erika, got the man's roses, which sets up Biollante-and I'm no longer being subtle about that. Biollante confirmed!
Saji's grandfather also died offscreen, but much earlier. And he's already a devil as a result. Really, he should be grateful that everybody thinks he's in a gang/pyramid scheme, considering what they'd do if they knew the truth.
There are a few more references here and there that are also foreshadowing, somebody on SB actually caught the one. I'm still wondering if people really don't get some of the breadcrumbs I'm dropping, and I haven't even dropped all of them yet. Then again, I'd rather not spoon-feed it outright.
Now then, onto the reviews.
Darkjaden: Yeah, I haven't gotten back into Fate, but I managed to play some Tekken before my old computer got bricked. Leo main atw! Also Baji is just that good in a fight, really, so you can't argue with results.
superpierce: It was never a matter of if, only when~!
Zet4: Godzilla only gave him an adrenaline boost, which is all the big G can do while asleep, and being jumped up on adrenaline doesn't actually count as cheating since your body produces that naturally. For Issei, well, Raynare isn't even gonna show up to mess with him, he's gonna unlock the Boosted Gear before he even becomes a devil. For your question about Godzilla-he's stronger than Trihexa, if that wasn't gonna be apparent. And for Isashi talking to the nature spirits, he's not talking to them in that chapter, as it's explained here his energy sense also reads the energy behind their emotions and intentions. Of course, that should tell you that it's not a Ki or Senjutsu based ability, and you'll have already figured out who he inherited it from~!
Saurian96: Isashi's main beef is gonna be with that creepy shadow man/demon from chapters 3 and 5, who I've already stated is gonna be an important villain. The men in black type guys are gonna be a side villain that will have a presence and will be fairly important, but they're not gonna be overly focused on once their arc (the next arc btw), is over. As for Andora...shit, why didn't I think of that? I'm gonna steal that simply because it's pretty good.
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.