It was currently late at night, during the same night Kuroka picked up the signal from her sister as they moved silently through the streets. Due to the possibility of this being a trap, Issei also stored 2 [Boost] to use with [Explosion] in case he might need them or Kuroka might need them. Turns out Shirone didn't live too far from them, but rather, she lived only 20 minutes by foot away in an apartment building.
And as they drew closer to it, Issei spotted her. The petite girl of the Gremory Peerage, their Rook, and Kuroka's sister, Shirone, AKA Koneko. She was on the flat roof of her apartment building, likely waiting for her sister to show up. They didn't know this was where Kiba also lived, but it didn't matter. He was likely asleep at this hour, meaning that they can expect a peaceful talk or a possible all-out brawl.
The chances were 50/50.
Akeno lived at her little shrine and Rias lived at the ORC building back at Kuoh, meaning that right now the Gremory peerage was split and they had a prime chance to talk with her.
As she waited atop the roof, Koneko was thinking over the gravity of her actions here. She was attempting to make contact with a wanted criminal against her master's wishes and without their knowledge. She knew this was bad, that what she was doing was betraying Rias' trust in her, but she had no choice. She had to do this - she NEEDED to do this! She couldn't take it anymore. She had to face her sister, she HAD to!
Then her senses picked up something. Her sister's Ki, but also the Ki of another person. But she didn't need to wait long as she heard someone drop behind her. "Well, I didn't believe you would be the one to call me, Shirone." Kuroka said as she stood behind her sister, and as Koneko turned around, she noticed the person that was with them. Well, except for the mask.
Yes Sir, Issei came prepared so his cover didn't get fully blown! Sure, Koneko might remember his Ki now, but at least she won't know his face! Issei simply searched around and found an old Ghost Rider mask from last Halloween.
"So you came…" Koneko replied, looking at her sister and at the male beside her. That was him, the Red Dragon Emperor, she just knew it. When she tried to sense his Ki, however, she found it…warm. They were not a bad person, on the contrary even, but when she looked deeper she sensed the slight Ki signature of the dragon. But there was something else within there. Old Ki, ancient even, and strange. She couldn't quite place her finger on it, but she decided to focus on her sister. "Why are you back?"
"Why, can't I be in the same town as you? Believe me when I say that I also did not know you were in town when I moved here with my dear dragon here." Kuroka replied, keeping her coy and slightly playful demeanor. "You were a surprise, one that had us on guard for quite a while. He doesn't want to be found out, you see."
Koneko narrowed her eyes at her sister further. "You shouldn't have returned…Surrender yourself."
"Not happening." Ddraig said as the Boosted Gear materialized at Issei's command. He was going to do the talking for his partner, but his appearance had Koneko flinch a bit. "My partner here is quite fond of her, so unless she herself decides to surrender to the devils then we won't allow her to be taken."
"Nya, and I for one don't think I have much of a chance in a 'fair' trial." She added, making her point. However, as she looked at her sister, she couldn't help but feel some semblance of remorse through her briefly. "It doesn't have to be this way, Shirone-"
"My NAME is Koneko!" She shot back, not letting her sister talk. "And even if you will not come quietly, Rias and the others will help me take you down!"
"Are you deaf, girl?" Ddraig said, this time speaking from his own perspective instead of relying on a message. "You are trying to take what belongs to the Red Dragon of Domination. To get to her, you will first need to get through us."
Koneko flinched hearing the clear threat in the dragon's voice, making her become tenser than before. "It's alright, Ddraig." Kuroka said, replying to the dragon's threat. "Shirone, you know what I did was for you."
"Bullshit!" Koneko replied, surprising Issei as he didn't take her for the kind of vulgar words. "You killed our master for power! Even if what you say is true, then why didn't you just take me and then run away?"
"Did you want to become a Stray? You were weak, you could not handle the Demonic Power within you, that was not an option!" Kuroka shot back, this time with more emotion than before. "I refused to let that lecherous pig lay his dirty hands on you and hurt you! So yes, I killed them, but I never did it for power!"
"Does it make a difference? You left me to pursue power; you got drunk on it and left after killing our master! You might have killed him for me, but you left to pursue power instead of staying with me! You abandoned me!" Koneko said back, making Kuroka flinch as her sister seemed to be struggling with something…Tears. To Koneko, this was more than just her sister being a criminal. This was about her sister running away and leaving her alone.
"Had she stayed, do you believe the devils would have given her the benefit of doubt?" Ddraig said, getting her attention. "She killed her master, plain and simple. Without proof to justify such a grave action, your sister knew full well what she was getting herself into. Now she is hunted by the very devils you serve."
"Then why didn't she come back?" Koneko asked, but this time, she was looking at Issei. "Any of you, answer me!" She was being more emotional than she usually is, but right now no one could blame her for it. This was the first time in ten years that she saw her sister again. Issei looked at Koneko, seeing how hurt she was. Kuroka told him before, how they lost their parents. How she was forced to take care of Shirone as she could, the sacrifices she had to make, and so much more. Apart from the loss of their parents, Issei could not relate. He was an only child, so what did he understand about their relationship? Nothing.
But Solomon did. Somewhat. He had siblings before, and he remembers when he betrayed one of them. He could understand Kuroka, but not in the right way. He killed his brother for power, yet she left her sister to protect her. They couldn't be further apart. However, Issei noticed she had trouble replying, and he hated to see her like that. Kuroka, despite being so sure about this meeting before, seemed to have underestimated how her sister might react to this entire ordeal.
"Because she loved you." Issei said in his own voice, getting Koneko's attention as she turned to look at him, and Issei, slowly, took off his mask. He knew what this meant, however, as the notification was instantly blaring in his face.
Quest Updated! Objective Failed!
Stray Hunter & Secret Dragon
Main Objective: Level up and grow stronger by defeating Stray Devils around Kuoh! Reach level 15 before starting to attend Kuoh Academy!
Additional Objective: Your actions are bound to attract attention from unwanted parties, so you must remain hidden at all cost! Level up your Aura Suppression Skill to 10 and make sure to not blow your cover as the Red Dragon Emperor or attract the direct attention of either Rias Gremory or Sona Sitri! -Failed!
Quest Time Limit: 4 Months.
Main Objective Reward: 20 SP, Title: Stray Hunter, 20000 EXP
Additional Objective Reward: ?, 5000 EXP.
Failure Penalty: Possible death.
"Partner, you-"
"My name is Issei Hyoudou, and I am the Red Dragon Emperor." Issei said, introducing himself to Koneko, who looked at him surprised that the red dragon would unmask himself so casually before her. "Kuroka, Ddraig, and…Everyone, forgive me, but I cannot just watch any longer. Shi-Koneko, listen to me, me and Kuroka met 10 years ago and she always spoke about you with regret."
"Regret?" Koneko muttered. "What does she regret?"
"Everything." Issei continued, Kuroka looking at him nervously while Ddrig and Solomon watched in silence. He expected to be harshly scolded later for intentionally failing the Quest Objective, but since it had no real penalty for their failure, he figured it was alright to some degree…He hoped, that was, in hindsight, a very, very easy EXP that was more than welcomed and he was very, very close to getting it too. "She and I met shortly after she ran away, one snowy day, and she took me in. I was just an orphan at the time, and she fooled the orphanage to adopt me."
Koneko narrowed her eyes after hearing that. "The only reason why she would ever do something like that is to use you for protection against the people chasing her. She was only looking out for herself." She argued, which was very true, Kuroka had to admit, but Issei didn't let that slide easily.
"She already admitted to that. She didn't keep any secrets from me, but I understood her at the time. It was close to Christmas and I was alone…It was my first Christmas without my parents, who died in a fire a couple of months earlier." He looked down at his arm, dismissing his gear to look at the scar there left from the fire. "I just didn't want to leave her lonely, and I didn't want to be lonely either. And in the years that followed, it was no longer about having the Red Dragon as her protection, but we became much closer and now I could never imagine my life without her."
"Issei…" Kuroka said softly, listening to him.
"Whatever you think about your sister; that she is a monster, a criminal, or anything else for that matter is wrong!" He said, making Koneko flinch at his words before clenching her fist. "Your sister did what she did to protect YOU, not to harm you! She loved you too much to allow that piece of crap to have its way, so she did what she had to, despite knowing she won't be able to return to you because of it! Do you even realize how much it hurt Kuroka to leave you? Fuck, I even recall her having some nightmares before as well…" Koneko remained silent, looking straight at Issei as her teeth were gnashing against each other. However, in that moment, her first came undone.
"Even so…Even if this is true and she did everything to protect me…" Koneko began to talk, slowly. "Then why didn't she just…surrender? If she gave herself up, then maybe-"
"I killed a High-Class Devil, Shirone." Kuroka said, pointing it out. "The punishment for that is death, you know that very well. There would have been no trial, only the executioner's ax."
"But-"
"Give it up, young Nekoshou." Ddraig said, the Boosted Gear manifesting again. "Back then, nothing could be done, and right now the past is the past, it cannot be changed. The Naberius Devil is dead, your sister is a criminal and a wanted Stray, but you? You are a Rook in the peerage of Rias Gremory, you are healthy and alive, and you have food and a roof over your head - you have all of that because your sister sacrificed everything for you. That is the TRUTH!"
"But is the truth even going to matter if we cannot be together again?!" Koneko snapped, shouting from the top of her lungs. "It is because of that…It's because of that sacrifice that we cannot be together anymore."
"Shirone…" Kuroka said, wanting to go to her sister, but she knew it was not the right moment.
"The Naberius Devil's research." Issei said, getting their attention. "Couldn't we use that to clear Kuroka's name?"
"What?" Kuroka gasped slightly after hearing him.
"The…Research?" Koneko said softly. Truth be told, Issei thought about using his [Observe] on Shirone here, but he caught something else.
[Disguised USB]
[A hairpin that is actually a USB!]
Her hairpin was a USB…"Correct me if I am wrong to assume this but your hairpin is from your old master, the one Kuroka killed, right?" Issei asked, taking a small gamble here. However, it seemed to pay off as Koneko took off her hairpin and then revealed the USB. "Knew it."
"How did you know?" Koneko asked.
"That is a secret, but let's say I have good eyes." Bullshit, Kuroka knew it. However, it didn't matter. "And since you seem aware of it and still wearing the pin around that means you knew about it for a long time, huh?"
Koneko flinched. "Y-yes. Rias and I discovered what it was shortly after she took me in. We kept it a secret from everyone else, not even Kiba and Akeno knew about it. It contains the research of my former master."
"Nya! You mean that sleazy pig predicted I would kill them?!"
"I don't think that is the case, Kuroka." Issei said, trying to keep Kuroka calm. "Think about it: If they suspected that then why only copy their research? They likely thought you'd try something else instead of killing them."
"Hmm. They were pretty arrogant and loved to look down on their peerage." Kuroka said, recalling her old master. "It makes sense. But why do you still have it?"
"To keep it from you!" Koneko replied, which made Kuroka flinch. "This is research on how us, nekoshou Youkai, can be turned into Super Devils. I kept this hidden so you cannot get your hands on it."
"I didn't even know it existed!" Kuroka said back. "Besides, I want nothing to do with it! That research represents the very reason why I killed that man in the first place!"
"And how can I trust that?" Koneko asked, keeping the USB close to herself. "Even now, standing here, you could be trying to fool me to get this research and turn yourself into a Super Devil."
"Crap on a stick, you are stubborn…" Issei sighed in frustration. Just when it seemed they were getting through to her she started getting her walls up again. "Look, how about we prove it to you then?"
"How?" Koneko asked, keeping her eyes on the two.
"Destroy the USB in front of us." Issei suggested, which had Koneko perk up hearing him. "If we truly want that research then we wouldn't allow it to be destroyed, right? We would stop you, take the research, and leave. But just think about it: I revealed my identity to you, something I have kept hidden so far to the best of my ability, and even now we are simply wasting time instead of maybe forcefully taking the research from you!"
"That…Does make sense."
For using logic and talking with Shirone (Koneko) Toujou you have been awarded 1 CHA.
She held the USB up, looking down at it. "If I try to destroy this right now, you will not interfere, right?" She asked, seeking confirmation.
"You have the word of the Red Dragon Emperor himself." Issei replied, and then, with her hand alone and her Rook strength, she crushed the USB in her hands and all that Issei and Kuroka did was watch. Eventually, her hand opened and the pieces of the USB fell on the ground, where she also stomped them. "See?"
"You were not lying…" Koneko said slowly as the pieces clicked in her head, then she looked at Kuroka. "You are not lying, Kuroka…"
"I never was." Kuroka replied, then Shirone, unable to hold back anymore, ran to her sister, jumping into her arms. Kuroka caught her, and held her as the younger sister hugged her tightly, letting tears flow from their eyes.
Relationship Unlocked!
Shirone (Koneko) Toujou
You have gained 2 relationship points with Shirone (Koneko) Toujou
"There, there, little kitten." Kuroka said, smiling as her sister began to calm down. "Tell me: How is Rias Gremory treating you?"
"Rias is great…" Koneko replied softly, slowly even. "You did everything…Not because of power, but because you wanted to protect me?"
"I did, Shirone." Kuroka replied. "It was…hard, living on my own like that. But I met Issei, and together we managed to survive. We have a home back in another town, where we lived for the past 10 years. I'm…sorry, that I never tried to connect with you again, but I was afraid of what you might think. Fears that I guess were correct."
"I-" Koneko's words died in her throat as she tried to reply, but her sister brought her into another hug.
"There is no need for words, dear sister…I am not mad at you for those harsh words, as I deserve them. I deserve each word." Kuroka said, and Koneko, unable to hold on anymore, broke into tears and sobbed in her sister's chest. Kuroka too was letting tears fall from her eyes, and Issei smiled warmly at the wholesome display before him. He thought he was going to tear up as well, but he didn't allow himself to. Soon, Koneko and Kuroka seemed to be done, at which point Koneko walked up to him.
"Thank you for taking care of my sister for so long." She said, bowing to him in sign of gratitude. "I…I will keep the secret of your identity."
"Huh? Wait, for real? But that would imply lying to Rias!" Issei said, pointing it out.
"I know. But I want Kuroka to be happy, and you make her happy." Koneko replied, her sister standing close still. "I won't tell a soul."
Issei smiled at her. "Thank you, Shirone."
You have gained 1 relationship point with Shirone (Koneko) Toujou
"I…I guess I need to get used to that name again, huh?" Koneko replied, smiling softly. "Thank you once more, for reuniting me and my sister."
"Nya, this is such a great moment!" Kuroka said, barely containing her excitement. "I am so happy to have my sister back! So, Shirone, when are you going to begin using your Youkai powers again?" Koneko flinched, being reminded of those, looking a bit uncomfortable.
"I am not that confident in them, since I neglected them for so long. But I will try to train and master them." She replied.
"Maybe you could come to our home?" Kuroka suggested, but Ddraig was quick to cut in.
"Out of the question! Gremory can sense the location of her peerage member anywhere they go whenever she wants to unless they make an active effort to hide themselves." Ddraig pointed out, which had them disappointed.
"Well, I guess there goes that idea." Issei said, disappointed as well, that he won't get to spend time with Kuroka's sister. For all intent and purpose, despite her appearance and petite frame, she was very cute from his point of view. Sure, she seemed somewhat lacking in her upper department, but her butt seemed a bit more favorable.
Due to not having enough Relationship Points, Shirone (Koneko) Toujou could not lose Relationship Points!
Wait a minute, but that meant- "Pervert." Koneko said, looking at Issei as she noticed him looking at her. Kuroka giggled at her sister's reaction, since it could not be helped. Her little sister had effectively called Issei out.
"He does have a special love for the fairer sex, sister." Kuroka replied, then she went to Issei, nuzzling his arm into her bosom. "Especially for bigger breasts."
"Kuroka, not in front of your-"
"Pervert." Koneko said again, and Issei sighed.
"Oh, don't be so moody, you are a great guy, Issei!" Kuroka said, speaking to both of them. "Shirone, I assure you, despite his perverted nature, he grows on you. You know, he dreams of having his own Harem one day, and I wouldn't mind sharing him with you."
"K-Kuroka, she is your-"
"Give it up, partner. It won't work to argue here." Ddraig said, preventing Issei from possibly making a fool of himself.
Koneko didn't reply, instead, she maintained her expression. "Anyway, are you going to go now?" She asked, sounding almost sad saying it.
"Afraid so. We have a lot of work to do, after all." Kuroka replied, but then Koneko told them something they found very interesting.
"In that case, do so without worry. Rias told us all to stop any search and not engage in a fight with you." She said, which got their attention.
"Wait, you mean we have a free hand to do whatever we want from now on?" Issei asked, to which Koneko nodded.
"Yes. By doing this, she hopes to earn your favor in order to recruit you as her magician." Koneko said, but she seemed to get uncomfortable as she spoke further. "She wants to use you to challenge her current fiancee, Riser Phenex, in order to break the engagement,"
"Phenex, she said? My, such a high-ranking devil family wishing to marry from the Gremory would normally be a joyous occasion." Solomon remarked, knowing about the Phenex and their power.
"And engagement she doesn't want, I presume…" Issei muttered, having seen enough porn to know such scenarios and end up having the hard R tag most of the time, which he hated. Then again, this also sounded like an opportunity to get on Rias Gremory's good side and make some allies. He won't join her peerage, he won't join anyone's side for good. However, if he can somehow build up enough trust, he might be able to even get Kuroka a pardon since Rias' brother is one of the head honchos of hell! Damn, his INT and WIS stats were coming in clutch!
For thinking far ahead and considering the possibilities you have been awarded one WIS
"Nya, who does she think Issei is, some kind of political bargaining tool?" Kuroka said, being somewhat against Rias' actions.
"I will do it." Issei said, surprising them both. "However, I won't reveal myself to her until I decide the time is right."
"As long as you act before the deadline. The wedding is set during the end of the first semester of Kuoh, this year when Rias will be forced to drop out." Koneko revealed, listening to him further. "Are you…really going to help Rias?"
""Well, don't make mistakes, she is not one of my favorite individuals due to her chasing me and Kuroka, but this sounds like an arranged marriage she opposes and does not want, and I, for one, care for what a lady wants!" Issei replied.
You have gained 1 relationship point with Shirone (Koneko) Toujou
"T-thank you. It means a lot to me. Had the wedding gone through, me and Akeno, Rias' Queen, would have likely been forced to join Riser's harem or something." She said, which caught Issei's attention this time.
"What?!" He gasped, looking at her. "You mean to tell me that fucker already has a Harem?!"
"His entire peerage, minus his sister." Koneko clarified, then she watched Issei hold his fist up, clenching it so hard a vein was popping out.
"That…That…" It was like he was about to explode, which had Kuroka worried for a bit as she has never seen him like this. It was similar to how he acted when she promised him that reward if he crushed the Kuoh acceptance exam, but different as well. "THAT GREEDY BASTARD!" He shouted, likely waking up the neighborhood. "He has over a dozen women tending to his every need, yet he wants more? Who does he think he is?! There is supposed to be a limit, damn it! The girl chooses you, you do not choose her, if she wants the Harem life, then so be it! If she doesn't, let her go! Plus! Getting married is unfair to the other girls in his harem as well! Where is equality, damn it?!"
Both Koneko and Kuroka looked at him somewhat stunned by his reaction, however, Solomon was analyzing this outburst while Ddraig was delighted at his partner's drive. Beating a high-ranking devil from the Phenex house, who holds the rank of Prince in the underworld, sounded exciting to the dragon.
"I…I honestly do not know how to reply to that." Koneko said.
"I agree, sister. This is the first time I ever saw him this angry, yet his philosophy about how a Harem should be is pretty nice." Kuroka said, commenting on Issei's words. And she was not the only one.
Quest Updated! Objective Updated!
Stray Hunter & Secret Dragon
Main Objective: Level up and grow stronger by defeating Stray Devils around Kuoh! Reach level 15 before starting to attend Kuoh Academy!
Additional Objective: Your actions are bound to attract attention from unwanted parties, so you must remain hidden at all cost! Level up your Aura Suppression Skill to 10 and make sure to not blow your cover as the Red Dragon Emperor or attract the direct attention of either Rias Gremory or Sona Sitri!
Quest Time Limit: 4 Months.
Main Objective Reward: 20 SP, Title: Stray Hunter, 20000 EXP
Additional Objective Reward: ?, 5000 EXP. -Claimed
Failure Penalty: Possible death.
Note: Since Shirone (Koneko) Toujou has decided to keep the secret of your identity, the System has decided to roll back the Failure on the Additional Objective of this Quest. However, do not think this is going to be a thing; this is a one-time deal, got it? Next time you fail a Quest it is for good.
Quest received!
Beat the Fire Chicken!
Main Objective: Become the contracted Magician of Rias Gremory in order to fight Riser Phenex and win.
Main Objective Reward: 100K EXP, 1 Skillbook (?), +25 Relationship with Rias Gremory, +15 Relationship with all members of the Gremory Peerage.
Failure: Possible death (Being quite serious this time around.)
A pardon and a new Quest?! This is getting better and better for them! "Anyway…" Issei said, calming down a bit and clearing his mind. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Shirone, and I guess we will be seeing each other again later?"
"Hopefully not." Koneko said, however, her smile betrayed her words. "Take care of my sister."
"I will." Issei said as he put on his mask again, then he turned to Kuroka. "Let's go, it has been a long day and I want to crash in bed."
"Nya, right away!" Kuroka said, summoning the teleportation magical circle below them. "See you later, Shirone!" She said before they vanished, leaving Koneko alone on the roof. However, as she began to descend, a smile was on her face. She felt…lighter like a weight was lifted off her. The Red Dragon Emperor really was something, she will agree to this much. She is a bit nervous about keeping a secret from Rias, but she knows it is for the best in the end. Issei seemed nice, even for a pervert. Granted, she should have seen that coming, seeing as her sister was not the most modest person or the embodiment of woman decency. She could tell, however, by smell, that both were still virgins. Was her sister all talk and no claw?
Following the events of that night, the next evening when Kuroka, in a disguise, and Issei were out and about, Issei was more or less trying to get Ddraig to forgive him for throwing that one Quest Objective. But hey, he had a good reason to do it, and there was no failure penalty for it, and the System forgave him as well!
Regardless, they were on their way to another one of the dungeons on the map, one of the two in the shopping district. But on the way there, in order to multi-task a bit, they were trying to see if they could make any come out of hiding. Issei was also using his [Aura Flare] Skill again to attract them! And oh boy, was it working.
"I sense them." Kuroka muttered as she was standing next to Issei, the two of them hiding in an alley. "They are being attracted by your presence, most likely, thinking it is an easy prey that they are feeling. My, how wrong are they?"
"Very much so." Issei replied as he was doing some stretching. "Let's see about getting ourselves some Evil Pieces. Kuroka, if you may."
"Nya, no problem." She replied, and Issei stood there as she was going to hide in this alley to ambush them with her poisoned mist. He listened to the sound of the footsteps and conversation between the Strays, then, as soon as the barrier deployed, the fun began.
"Huh?" One of the Strays looked at him, this one having a strange set of wings on their back located on their lower back, however, Issei could tell they were deranged. Their eyes just screamed crazy! And their friend was no better either, as Issei could clearly see their gray, dried-up skin. He used his [Observe] on them.
[Stray Devil]
[Level: 12 D]
[HP: 5000/5000]
[Reincarnated Stray Devil(1 Knight)]
[Stray Devil]
[Level: 11 D]
[HP: 9000/9000]
[Reincarnated Stray Devil(1 Rook)]
A good start. "What are you, some kind of depressed bastard?" The Rook said, being the one with dried-up skin. "We will enjoy tearing you to bits and devouring your guts…" The other Stray nodded with a sick grin, which led Issei to believe they might have- Oh wait, he sees it now. The Stray opened their mouths large to pull out some kind of short blade, but he noticed how their tongue seemed to be cut. Sheesh. Granted, their Stats are as expected of their respective pieces, and both had pieces he needed. If the knight dropped his piece that was it for the knights, but then again he also needed two Rooks.
"I would worry more about your skin rather than mine." Issei said as he summoned his Gear in its Twice Critical stage, making them laugh at him.
"A Twice Critical? You are coming at us with that funny thing? This will be easier than I originally believed!" The Rook mocked, then the other Stray charged at Issei, appearing before him. They were quick, as expected of a Knight, yet, Issei was able to block their sword strike with his Sacred Gear. Those things were indestructible after all, making it a perfect shield and armor, then he used [Power Punch] while the Stray was still close, allowing him to strike them good in the stomach, making them retreat back.
He used [Observe] again to look at their health.
[Stray Devil]
[Level: 12 D]
[HP: 2110/5000]
[Reincarnated Stray Devil(1 Knight)]
That was nice damage, but he had to remember Knights have naturally low DUR, their specialty being speed. "You little shit!" The other Stray, the Rook said as they charged at Issei, swinging their fist, but that was when Kuroka acted and the mist surrounded the area. The Rook felt its effect kick in immediately, same with the knight, as they dropped on their knees almost instantly. "I-...I cannot breathe!"
He checked their stats and Issei did indeed find that both were poisoned by Kuroka's mist. It was a custom poison Status Effect as well that took 100 HP per second. Damn. He almost felt sorry for them, as the knight alone can be dead in a manner of five minutes, but those were minutes Issei was not going to give them.
As they both choked on the ground, Issei got in closer to the knight first, putting them out of their misery. He deployed his Boosted Gear, which had both Strays widen their eyes as they realized the one they were trying to kill was the Red Dragon Emperor. Now, as far as his chance to get the pieces went, his LCK stat did improve it to…11.7% chance. Still a shit chance, but one Issei was willing to take if he was going to get lucky.
Using [Power Kick] he stomped on the head of the knight Stray, killing them. Thanks to his [Gamer's Mind], such actions seemed to be easier on him, but he didn't dwell on it much as he turned to the rook and activated a [Boost] followed by him using his [Power Punch] until the Rook's HP went to 0. He didn't get any pieces from the knight, but he did acquire the rook's piece, which he added to his inventory.
As far as EXP went, since he needed to share with Kuroka, those two gave them a total of 2100 EXp, which split evenly is 1050. More than enough for a level-up!
Congratulations! You leveled up to level 14!
Skill Level-up! [Aura Flare] is now level 5 and has unlocked an additional capability! Now whenever you flare your Aura you have a chance to inflict the [Intimidated] Status Effect to your opponents! Tap on the Status Effect for further information and check your Skill page for a more in-depth explanation.
Double Win! His Skill also leveled up and it seemed to have gained quite a nice effect as well! He will check it later. For now, he and Kuroka resumed their way toward the Dungeon, but on their way, Rias couldn't help but ask a certain question.
"Hey, Kuroka, I was thinking, since you have two bishop pieces, maybe I can extract them for the Quest?" Issei asked, which seemed to be putting Kuroka on the spot, making her seem nervous.
"I don't know, Issei." She said, looking down at her hands. "If you remove them I might lose a lot of my magical power, which seems like an expensive price to pay, nya. I mean, I do want to help, but it seems a bit risky to do it now, especially since you need your Mana for the hunt ahead."
"Y-yeah, you're right." Issei said, replying. "Sorry if I put you on the spot, it just seems like an easy way to get at least all bishop pieces."
"And it is!" Kuroka said, pointing it out. "It's just that those pieces make me powerful with my magic, and removing them might have an effect on my magical power."
"She is right again…" Solomon said, thinking about it as well. "Plus, we do not know if the spell even extracts ONE piece at a time or if it will extract both of them. We have yet to use it on a Stray with more than one piece."
"Sorry that I cannot sacrifice my own pieces, Issei, but if we need my teleportation magic for a quick getaway I need to be in top shape!" She said,
"It's alright, Kuroka. If anything, once I find out what the system plans with those pieces we will decide then if we will remove yours. It looks like it wants me to create a peerage or something." He replied, looking at the facts. "And if that is the case, I will not make you my only bishop, but my Queen."
"Q-queen? Oh my, that is quite the position to hold." Kuroka replied, slightly shaken by the news. "But I would not be against it."
"Awesome." Issei muttered, but that was when Solomon cleared his ethereal throat.
"How about the two of you flirt later, we have work to do!" Solomon reminded them, and Issei flinched a bit. "The night is not getting any younger!"
"Way to ruin the fun, old man." Kuroka sighed, but Solomon did have a point, so the two of them resumed their road toward the dungeon. They traveled more until they entered the shopping district and began to look for the dungeon's entrance, using the map to try and locate it to the best of their ability. However, Kuroka was having a hard time locating it, which was not a good sign. "Nya, this will take forever!" She whined. "Why couldn't they make the entrance easier to find?"
"No use whining about it, really…" Issei replied, trying to keep morale up despite even him getting frustrated about the location of this place. However, he eventually heard something to the side of the dumpsters. He got Kuroka's attention and they went there, Issei preparing his Boosted Gear in case of anything and Kuroka readying her magic. "Gotcha!" He shouted as they found the one making the noise. A Stray, a young girl with early mutations.
"P-please, don't hurt me!" She begged, covering her head.
"What the- Are the devils really this rotten?" Issei asked himself, looking at the young Stray. "Hey there, relax. You just spooked us, that's all. We didn't mean to scare you."
"You are not going to harm me?" She asked.
"No, sweetie, we won't." Kuroka replied. "We were searching for something else."
"You are like me, right? You are a Stray devil, but…You can control your demonic power?" She asked, looking at Kuroka, the Nekoshou giving a nod. "Are you here for the nest as well?"
"Wait a minute, nest?" Issei asked, getting her attention. "What do you mean by that?"
"Well, you see, an older and stronger Stray is rumored to have found some kind of underground hideout around this area and created a nest where Strays can hide during the day when hunting is more of a risk." She explained. "I asked around, and the rumors seem to be true. They say the entrance is masked by graffiti of sorts."
"A graffiti?" Kuroka asked and she looked back, looking around. The walls were clean for the most part, except for one, extremely vulgar graffiti depicting a masked thief assaulting a male police officer in a sexual manner. "I see…"
"Thanks for telling us. Now, I ask you this: Do you want to leave this life behind?" Issei asked, which got the Stray confused from the looks of things. "I can extract your Evil Piece and make you normal again if you want. Do you have any family you can go to?"
"R-really? I have an aunt living in the area, my parents died two years ago in a crash." She replied. "Can you really make me normal again?"
"Yes." Issei said, smiling at her to reassure her. "Tell me, what piece do you have?"
"I am only a pawn, nothing special." She replied. "So, what are you going to do?"
"Just watch." Issei said as his [Evil Piece Extraction Spell] did its job after using [Boost] as well to get to the required stats to use this powerful spell. This ensured him another pawn piece and, as a bonus, a total of 2500 EXP! The now ex-stray thanked him greatly, then they were on their way. This honestly put a smile on his face, knowing he was doing some good out there as well for those people. As Solomon once said, some of them were likely not even willingly converted into Devils, but their masters either bought them or twisted their arms in some way or another. Being able to do this for them, taking away the 'satisfaction' of knowing their runaways will not survive without them, makes it very much worth it. And a bit funny when he imagines noble devils making funny, angry faces.
He cannot help but chuckle.
"Alright, let's see about that Dungeon, shall we?" Issei said, then the two began to search around the graffiti. This was really badly drawn, and quite offensive really, but they did manage to find the trigger that opened up the wall, leading to some stairs that went down to the nest. It was likely to be less populated, given the time, so Issei won't have to worry about fighting multiple Strays at once.
Alert! You are about to enter the Dungeon: Stray Nest. The Recommended Level for this Dungeon is 15. Do you wish to enter?
The Level cap for this Dungeon is 60. Individuals above this level cannot enter.
And once again, Kuroka could not follow him inside.
"I will just stay here and make sure no other Stray comes in or gets out." She said, jumping on a closed bumster and sitting on it. "Do make sure not to take too long, though. I don't want people to think I am one of those types of girls, ok?"
"Will do." Issei replied as he entered the dungeon, going down the stairs. Seeing that this place was likely to have actual Strays inside of it, he kept [Aura Suppression] up and tried to actually make use of his [Stealth] Skill, and who knows? Before, he didn't really have a reason to go stealthy seeing as the golems could likely pick up on his presence, seeing as his presence activated them. But Strays? Another story altogether.
He eventually arrived at the first floor, noticing how it opened up into a hallway that split in two directions, but one of them was inaccessible due to what looked like structural damage. The ceiling caved in, causing massive rocks to block the path in that direction, but it was not like they kept it clean on the other side either. He managed to enter the floor and hide behind a mass of dirt that fell from above.
This place was in a bad shape, and Issei was afraid it might collapse any minute. Seriously, whoever designed those places surely didn't do so with safety protocols in mind. Still, he was able to lean over and peek at the two guards at the door. Kuroka once told him Devils have natural [Night Vision], but his skill made up for the difference now. They were if his Skill was anything to go by with how its range of effectiveness works, since it was a bit darker at the gate, they were at least 22 meters or so away from him.
They were standing guard, but Issei was not that worried about them once he used [Observe].
[Stray Devil]
[Level: 7 E]
[HP: 1200/1200]
[Reincarnated Stray Devil(1 Pawn)]
[Stray Devil]
[Level: 6 E ]
[HP: 2000/2000]
[Reincarnated Stray Devil(1 Rook)]
Low-level and low-ranked Strays were guarding the doors. It was very likely that the higher-level ones went out to hunt already before he and Kuroka showed up, leaving only some of the weaker ones here. They were developing quite the nest-type behavior. The two of them were equipped with swords, but other than that, Issei saw nothing else of interest.
Man, he wished he could use his [Dragon Grenade] to blow them to kingdom come, but that might be bad. It might alert the rest of the Strays inside the dungeons, or cause the already unstable ceiling to come crashing onto his head. Well, it looked like he was doing stuff with stealth. He scanned around the area, trying to see if there was anything he could use.
And he saw something, yes. A stone. He picked it up, then he remembered a trick from some past games. Since there were two of them, killing one would mean alerting the other, but what if he got one of them away from the other? This meant a stealth kill, and first things first, he will use a distraction. He threw the stone on the opposite side of the hallway from his own, which did alert one of the guards.
"Is someone there?" They asked, then they looked at their colleague. "Did you hear that?"
"Yeah, do you think one of the guys has already returned?"
"They barely left a few hours ago, so I doubt it. Let me go check, however, just to be safe." The Stray said and went to where Issei threw the rock. Something was off with them, as they seemed smarter than usual, but he didn't think much about it right now. They looked down, seeing nothing of great importance, but then they turned around, just in time for Issei to make use of the debris the Stray was behind. The sight of their colleague was cut, so using this chance the boy acted, jumping on them and forcing their head down into the dirt.
"What the-" His friend seemed to have heard the commotion, so Issei finished them quickly by turning them around and using [Fireball] as his hand was wrapped around their mouth, making them swallow it and die instantly due to the FATAL strike.
Issei moved again, taking the Stray's sword and checking its stats.
[Iron Short Sword]
[A basic weapon made of iron]
[Durability: 43/50]
A good weapon. Issei hid and waited for the Stray to check the area, finding its friend's body. "What the f- '' However, Issei rushed them before they had a chance to shout much, driving the sword into their side and gaining another FATAL strike announcement, the Stray falling on the ground dead. They were E ranks, making them pretty weak. The pawn offered him 500 EXP while the rook gave him 600. Furthermore, that seemed to work well with his [Sneak Attack] skill.
Skill Level up! [Sneak Attack] is now level 2!
Goes to say how much he has neglected stealth until now. Still, armed with the short sword now, he looted the bodies and sold what he could, earning around 2300 Yen. Still, he continued onward, opening the door they were guarding and sneaking inside. The first floor of this place had only 2 Strays in it, which were low-level, so the higher-level ones were likely deeper.
He entered a dimly lit room, torches lightning in the area. Here, the ceiling seemed to be built better, and Issei took in the scenery. It was a larger room, filled with chairs, although some were pretty busted up. They were set around various tables and he figured this was likely where the Strays were gathering to rest during the day to avoid detection. There were plenty of places to hide, however, as multiple columns located on the outside of the room supported the ceiling above, offering him some cover. He hid behind one of them, then he looked around, hearing some chatter.
There were Strays in there, and this time, he counted 5 at number, all of them in the D rank with levels ranging from 10 to 15. His skill revealed two more rooks, and a bishop, and the rest were pawns. They had no idea he was around, which was what he wanted when he decided to go the stealth route. However, he didn't know he was supposed to kill all of them at once or pick them off one by one. There were too many of them, so he decided to sneak around instead to search for something he could use.
And eventually, he did find some things. He found a chest with something inside of it, namely multiple items that seemed random. The Strays were actually more active with stealing, but most of this stuff was your everyday object, likely recovered from victims. He did stumble upon something that caught his eye: A ring.
But [Observe] revealed much more than that.
[Temporary invisibility Ring]
[A magical ring that can make its wearer invisible for a short amount of time. Cannot hide their presence, power, or Ki]
[Durability: 4/10]
It was very likely that the ring itself could only be used a few more times before it became useless or something. Still, it was a good find, so Issei equipped it on, then he activated it. It also hid his clothing and items he held, which was good. But he saw a timer on the invisibility, namely two minutes. Ok, this item must be a low-rarity or something.
Still, he made use of it.
He snuck close to one of the Strays, namely the one that had a higher level than the rest, and raised the blade high before he stabbed the Stray in the back of the throat. They screamed out and Issei received the fatal announcement. Sure, the others did look their way, but all they saw was their comrade with a sword sticking out of their neck.
"What happened?!" One of them asked, going to them and pulling out the blade. "Wait a minute, isn't this the sword they had at the entrance to guard the joint? How did it end up in his neck?" They asked themselves, but Issei took the chance to pick off one of the paws which were left on the side, dragging them behind a column and holding them in a tight grip before he covered their mouth with his hand and used [Fireball] again to make them eat fire and die. This made his skill level up, but he kept going.
Skill Level up! [Stealth] is now Level 3!
Two down, three more to go.
"Hey, where is that one pawn that was there?" One of them, the bishop, seemed to notice their missing comrades. "Someone is here, I tell ya!"
"If they were, then we would have heard commotion at the gate." The remaining rook said. "Fuck, who is here, some kind of ninja?"
Issei once again made use of the ring, refreshing the invisibility, and went in, picking up his sword. "There he is!" But he was spotted by the pawn, which pounced on him. Bad choice. He put the blade in their path, making the pawn literally jump face-first into the tip of the blade. Nasty sight. They fell on the ground convulsing, but dead.
But the other two now knew there was someone there, so Issei made use of his invisibility and pounced on the rook, using their body as a springboard towards the edge of the room. The bishop tried to fire some magical projectiles at him, but since they could not see him, they could not hit him. However, Issei now knew his cover was blown, so he needed to come up with something quick!
"That damn- Who is there?! Show yourself, coward!" The rook shouted, and Issei, being smarter than that, did something else entirely. He used the ring a third time and went to the opposite side of the room where he used his [Wyvern Shot], striking the rook right in the back and causing some damage. However, it was not going to be so easy.
[Stray Devil]
[Level 11 D]
[HP: 12600/15000]
[Reincarnated Stray Devil (1 Rook)]
They seemed to have good DUR and health, which he expected from the rooks now. However, he saw that the bishop only had around 6000 HP, meaning that taking them out was going to be golden. But for now, the rook turned furiously in his direction. "Why you-" And charged without aim, Issei dodging just as his third invisibility ran out. The ring only had one more use! "There you are!" The Stray spotted him, but Issei brought out his Sacred Gear, making the bishop widen their eyes.
"The Boosted Gear?! This kid is a Longinus user?!" The bishop gasped, but then Issei landed on the ground and summoned forth his [Fireball] spell, spamming it at the rook and putting a good dent in their health.
"Damn it!" They cursed and swiped their arm at Issei, trying to hit him, but he saw it coming which allowed him to jump back further.
Skill created! [Power Jump]
Not the time, but the skill is welcomed! Not to mention Issei began to make use of it right away to evade the rook's charge as best as possible, but Issei was also worried for the bishop, looking back to see them charge a spell.
"If we take him out here, we can extract his Longinus for ourselves! Get him!" The bishop shouted as they launched an ice spell at Issei, which he narrowly dodged. It nicked his side, causing a minor bleed. Literally, he got the Status Effect. However, the spell continued to fly and hit the rook's stomach.
"GAH! You moron!" They cursed, holding their side as they received a worse Status Effect than Issei.
[Stray Devil]
[Level 11 D]
[HP: 4700/15000]
[Reincarnated Stray Devil (1 Rook)]
[Status Effect: Medium Bleed: -17% HP/Min]
Nasty effect, but it worked in his favor. Issei managed to turn around and launch his [Fireball] at the bishop, striking them dead on. They took more damage than the rook.
Skill Level-up! [Fireball] is now level 4!
Skill Level-up! [Fire Magic - Novice] is now level 3!
Skills leveling up as well was always good. The bishop staggered for a bit, and using his new skill Skill, Issei jumped at them and delivered a [Power Punch] right in their gut, followed by him opening his palm and delivering a [Wyvern Shot] at point blank. It went right through them, and Issei watched them fall. He turned to the rook, who managed to finally pull the icicle out of their side.
They were not too bright, it seemed. No sooner had they done that the bleeding worsened. Now his HP was being reduced by 20% a minute, but that didn't stop them from charging at Issei again with a feral battle cry. Issei, standing his ground, waited until they were at a certain distance then he used [Power Punch] on their head, but they still delivered their own punch to his own abdomen.
Issei felt the air being knocked out of his lungs, but strangely, he felt the fist weaken against himself. Their HP was likely low and the bleeding was getting to them, so Issei took distance and checked their status. 800 HP left., literally one strike from dying now. The rook kneeled, holding their side. "Damn, it…" He looked straight at Issei. "So? What are you waiting for, you brat? Finish me."
This was new, seeing a Stray accept their fate so easily. "You fought well." He aimed his arm at them, then he fired his [Wyvern Shot] which killed them instantly. Ok, this was a bit of a more complicated floor, and that punch took out some good HP. 900 HP was lost to their strike.
However, from all of that, he gained quite a good amount of EXP. Namely, from all of them, he gained a total of 5400 EXP from all of them, and one pawn piece as a drop one of their pawns. He looted them and sold the stuff that he didn't need. There goes another 1000 Yen to his bank. He also recovered the sword, but before he knew it, he was given a new Skill.
Skill Acquired! [Swordsmanship - Novice]
That works. However, one detail jumped into Issei's face…The room had loot in it! Compared to the other dungeons, there was actually stuff for him to get here! He checked his inventory for space, finding that he likely had enough for anything of any particular worth he might find in here. He ended up finding two more chests, and he used [Observed] on them.
[Common Chest]
Not the best there was, as Solomon informed him he was likely to only get some basic loot from those kinds of chests. Still, he decided to open the first one, and he was met with a pretty good array of items. He used [Observe] on them as well, getting some pretty useful stuff out of it. VERY useful stuff.
[Basic HP Potion]
[A potion used to recover HP when in a hairy situation. Upon being consumed, it will recover 10% of the user's total HP]
[Basic Stamina Potion]
[A potion used to recover Stamina when in need. Upon being consumed, it will recover 10% of the user's total Stamina]
There were three of the HP ones and only one of the Stamina one, but he took them, storing them in his Inventory. He also found something else that caught his eye.
[Iron Vembrance]
[A basic piece of armor made to provide protection to the wearer's forearm. When equipped, this provides a bonus of -3% damage to the forearm against physical attacks]
[Durability: 30/30]
Well, it was better than nothing, so Issei decided to equip it, wearing it on his right arm since his Boosted Gear took up the space on his other arm. It might come in handy when he blocks using his forearm from now on. He moved on to the other chest, this one being a common one as well, and opened it, finding one more Stamina Potion and some money, namely 3542 Yen. With the chest emptied, he looked around the room, noticing that there were three hallways branching off from the room he currently found himself in. This was a larger dungeon than he imagined, but he could see that at the end of one of the hallways, there was a large ornate door. However, the entrance to said hallway was literally behind steel bars.
He cannot break those!
"Hmm. This seems like a security measure." Solomon remarked. "Whatever is down this hallway, the Strays care very much about it, so maybe it will help if we find out how to open it."
"There might be clues in the other parts of the dungeon." Issei said, then he looked at the hallway to his right. Puzzles, of course, the dungeons would begin to have those as well. Still, not much of a choice. So, with his sword in hand, he went down the hallway, advancing through the dungeon.
