It has been a long weekend for Issei and the girls, that is for certain. They pretty much spend a good chunk of it inside the dungeon, which he loved, training, and working on his stuff. First, at Solomon's request, they trained his magic, getting himself some more spells for his existing magical talents. Unfortunately, as they discovered, it was not so easy to gain new ones, even with Solomon's help. In addition, Solomon didn't want to teach Issei magic that he felt was above his skill level.

Mostly because he could get hurt. Solomon told him stories to convince him. Yet, even if he didn't learn new magical types, he gained new spells for existing ones. Solomon has been a source of inspiration regarding that front, and he agreed that, on weekends, they would spend 3 hours working on his magic per day, and/or working on other skills.

But here is where an issue rears its ugly head. To better train some skills, he'd need a partner, and although Kuroka could help him with his magic and martial arts to some degree, she never picked up a sword in her life! Ingvild, however, needed Kuroka's aid more than his, as they were working on her magical capabilities to better enhance the control of her gear.

He ultimately decided to prioritize Ingvild's progress over his own, since he had Solomon. And Ddraig. Their experiences and wisdom in helping him with his magic were priceless. But the time for a progress report; he managed to create two new fire spells: [Fire Arrow] and [Fire Wave]; one water spell called [Water Jet]; and he also filled his arsenal with shadow spells. Shadow magic, as it turns out, was something one of Ddraig's previous hosts used, so he knew some spells already. To list them, he gained the [Shadow Tendril], [Shadow Veil], [Shadow Shelter], and even a weak shadow-based teleportation called [Shadow Walk]. There was also a Sub-Skill from [Shadow Tendril] that allowed him to sharpen the tips, turning them into lethal pikes. The only issue was that even normal light could counter him, no need for it to be magical, but depending on his level he could handle it.

His healing magic didn't gain much, all things considered. Solomon was never well-versed in that one. But he did gain something else.

[Casting Method: Magical Circle] (Level MAX): Thanks to the teaching of Solomon, despite not being able to teach you completely new magical types, you have managed to acquire this new Casting Method! There are several of those Casting Methods around, each with their own perks, but for now you are going to be making use of the basic method of magical circles. This skill is already maxed since there is no way to individually improve it.

He had been making use of that to design his new spells, and he was certain that more will come from it. Still, this is pretty much all of the new skills from day one, but he did train some old ones. As it turned out, his dungeon could fix itself by gathering and consuming mana from the surrounding area, but it did so at a rate of 1 Mana/Minute, so best not to overdo it. He COULD pump in Mana himself, but he felt he could use it more for training and developing his magic.

He did pump in some when he could spare it.

Now, in regard to the skills that he ground. He was able to set up a dummy, and since the system recognized this as training, the dummy was made indestructible. But there was an issue. As it turns out, when training and not fighting or something else, his skills will only get half of their usual EXP. That slowed him down some, but not enough. He got his [Fireball] to level five, which gave it extra damage. [Scorching Touch] was…Well, it was still part of his arsenal, so he decided to train that as much as he could, but he found that if he pushed it too much his own hands would start to burn. He didn't level up that particular skill, but he did get it a quarter of the way there.

[Firestream] was overall going smoother. He managed to level that up once. Then he did the same with both [Fire Arrow] and [Fire Wave], at least leveling them both up once. Solomon checked, by this point, and found out the EXP gain is cut in half only when training with a dummy like this. Figures, since spamming his skill at the dummy, which cannot fight back and cannot be destroyed, leveling them up like mad and the likes, would be broken as fuck. The grind was, ultimately, not worth it as it was highly inefficient. It would be better to train with Kuroka, using his spells against her to get the full EXP progress to level them up faster.

At rest, however, Solomon decided to finish with magic for today and focus on his martial arts. Now those leveled up nicely, even with the EXP being cut. Mainly because it was easier to dish out punches and whatnot. He first did a mix of his punching skills, namely using his [Furious Fist] to both train IT and [Power Punch], but due to its structure, he could only gain EXP for it every 10 minutes. He really hoped growing this skill removed this lengthy cooldown. Still, using it he was able to get the wanted results, putting his skill at level 6, which also leveled up his main skill for martial arts, [Martial Arts: Asura Style - Novice]. However, despite hitting level 5 with this one, the skill itself did not grow. He figured it must have something to do with its structure as well.

Then he began to train his kicks, mixing in his [Shield-Breaking Punch] too since the cooldown was less than his [Furious Fist] skill. Luckily, his [Power Kick] level 5, making it grow and adding a nice damage increase. It was the same growth as his [Power Punch], adding only 5% more damage, but every bit was important. He also managed to level up his other skill too, putting it at level 2.

Solomon pretty much decided to call it a day by this point, seeing as it was Friday and they had two more days to train, possibly with some better planning as well on part of the wise king with the knowledge of the EXP reduction when using a dummy. But before they were to end it, Issei decided to spend his Stat Points, making sure to leave 20 for emergencies. He had 50 SP.

He put 3 in STR, 2 in MGI, and 4 in DUR, then he noticed several notifications pop up. New perks.

Since your DUR stat and STR stat have now reached the values of 50, you have gained the perks: [Bronze Skin] and [Bronze Striker]

That was nice. Solomon told him what they did, informing Issei that they both lowered the physical damage he took and increased the physical damage he could dish out respectively. Oh man, he kinda forgot some stats grant perks when reaching a certain threshold! Now he was excited as he still had 41 points, meaning 21 points to spend. He decided to put 5 into his CHA, getting a new Perk from there too.

Since your CHA stat has reached 50, you have gained the perk: [Novice Talker]

This one simply offered him a +5% chance with skills that relied on his CHA stat. He'll take it. 16 more points to spare, but by now, he didn't quite know what to get. Oh, what the hell, he dumped 14 into his AGI to get that up to 50 too…Except that nothing happened, which Solomon cleared right away, stating that his AGI stat was currently being increased by his ring, and the system was likely not counting the bonus value. Even if he used his last two points- wait a minute! The training was technically not over yet, meaning that when he levels up he will get the last point! He dumped the last two needed points into his AGI.

Then came the moment of truth, and Solomon officially announced their first session of training in the dungeon as over. This had the quest react, granting him the promised 150K EXP.

Congratulations! You are now level 21!

Since your AGi stat has reached 50, you have gained the perk: [Novice Runner]

Skill acquired! [Run]

A skill…for running? The system was equipping him with everything now, wasn't it? Well, at least a level for was nice, and hey, it also gave Kuroka some EXP too! Too bad he doesn't really get EXP from her when she grinds her skills. Not so easy.

Yet, this was only the progress for Friday, as they also trained on Saturday and Sunday, retreating back into the dungeon. But something strange happened Saturday morning.


Issei and Kuroka were cuddled in bed, both in their underwear, when suddenly Issei got woken up by a sudden, sharp headache. "Gah! What the fu-"

Additional System Patch is currently being downloaded.

"The fuck?"

"Issei?" Kuroka called out to him, a bit sleepy as it was quite frankly early in the morning, barely even 6 AM! Ok, fair be fair, Solomon did tell them to wake up earlier to get some training in before noon, but this was not the kind of alarm clock he wanted! What was this system doing now?

Ki-Combat Patch successfully downloaded! Installation in progress.

What followed was both Issei and Kuroka, getting hit by another sharp headache that vanished as quickly as it followed. If Kuroka was not awake before, she was now, and pretty pissed. "Nya! What is this system doing? Doesn't it know it brings bad luck to wake up a nekomata?"

"Apparently, doing a patch…" Issei replied dryly, then the system continued.

Ki-Combat Patch successfully installed! Do you wish to go through a basic rundown of the changes?

Y/N

Issei really wished there was an option for 'go fuck yourself', but it best not to anger the system and just press on the Y, bringing up a small screen before him.


First things first, an explanation. You see, every time the system receives a new host it must adapt to the world it is in, and it does this through patches that alter the system in more major ways. The update you just received is meant to aid with the Ki aspects of this world used by beings such as Youkai.

From now, in addition to your Mana and Stamina, you, and other beings with it, shall have a Ki bar that shows how much Ki you have to use for various skills. However, as you might notice, the bar in question is split into two. The upper section, which is light-blue, is your Ki, and the lower section is your corruption. Certain arts corrupt the user, and this corruption piles up, and if it reaches 100% you will be inflicted with the [Berserk] Status Effect until the corruption is purified or fades naturally. Ki increases each time you level up, like your other values, with a base value of 100 and an additional value based on both your DUR and MGI stat, which both offer a boost based on 25% of their values.

Certain skills from both [Issei Hyoudou] and [Kuroka Toujou] have been properly altered following those changes.

However, you may also be noticing that it also says 'combat'. This is because this patch also takes care of certain combat-oriented aspects. For example, you now have a new class of Skills named Proficiency Skills. Those are the skills that, so far, have been getting EXP from other skills growing, like your {Proficiency Skill} [Fire Magic - Novice].

Proficiency Skills, however, cannot be learned directly. You must either attain 3 Skills belonging to a certain Proficiency Skill, or learn them form Skill Books. As such, sorry to inform you, but while Solomon has the capability to aid you in creating new spells with what you already have, his capabilities to help you gain new magics is limited.

In addition, certain modifications have been brought to your Sacred Gear's abilities, including the armor it manifested. The Boosted Gear, in the base form, covers a good chunk of your arm and can be used to block incoming physical strikes, reducing damage to up to 90%! Christ on a stick, what are those things even made out of? That aside, you now also gain a -25% damage from both magical and physical strikes while your Scale Mail is on, however, it does so by temporarily removing all of your equipped armor.

Those are the biggest changes brought. If you have other questions, please, do access the in-depth changelog.


And so, the system had spoken…He can no longer wear armor while in his Balance Breaker?! God damn it! But then again, it was a pretty sweet deal. His Balance Breaker didn't really have a durability value, and currently, it was better in terms of defense compared to his currently equipped armor. Overall, it was a worthy exchange, and at least he doesn't lose the armor.

Plus, he was very curious about what they could do now.


That all happened on Saturday morning, which was followed by a training session. Issei checked his new stat.


HP: 7250/7250 (1 HP/Min)

STA: 4965/4965 (1 STA/Min)

Ki: 2700/2700 (1 Ki/Min)
Corruption: 0%

Mana: 7360/7360 (1 Mana/Min)


His Ki was at what some would call base value, meaning he had to train and level up to increase it. And today, he was going to learn some Youjutsu from Kuroka. Out of curiosity, he also checked her Ki stat, finding it to be sitting at a whopping amount.


HP: 96000/96000 (1HP/Min)

STA: 80000/80000 (1STA/Min)

Ki: 72000/72000 (1 Ki/Min)
Corruption: 2%

Mana: 23000/23000 (1 Mana/Min)


Oh yeah…Saturday was a rough day. Luckily, Kuroka was indeed able to teach him some things. Not a lot of things, however, seeing as he didn't have access to Senjutsu yet. Some skill needed that one, but luckily, the system's changelogs explained some stuff to him, namely that despite some of Kuroka's skills being sub-skills, they'd likely be split between his Youjutsu and Martial Arts skills. So they got to work, with Kuroka trying to run him through the basics of Ki and everything he needed to know before they moved on to the main part.

Namely, finding the elements he could wield with his Youjutsu. Kuroka could control the earth and plants, so he did wonder what he could control. But the process was anything BUT easy. With Ingvild helping them, they put a pot full of dirt, and a bowl of water, and lit a fire before him, and the air was all around him. Kuroka explained that first, they needed to figure out which elements he could control using his Youjutsu, meaning they were going to find his affinity.

The element that resonated the strongest with him. With that in mind, he first tried fire. Since he had a dragon sealed inside him, he expected to have an affinity for that, and he was right. Slowly, he listened to Kuroka's instructions, letting his ki flow and surround a small portion of the fire, pulling it out and holding it between his hands. This was not magic, per se, but rather, he expanded his energy towards the flame and commanded it. He dismissed it, then he went to try and see if he had other affinities.

Water didn't seem to listen to him, and Earth was stubborn, but when he tried air he waved his hands around, imagining a small tornado. He actually managed to make one, a small tornado in his hand. As such, the system gave him the notification that he acquired two new skills.

[Fire Control] (Level 1| 100/400): This skill allows you to use Ki to control nearby sources of fire, but not in big amounts. Requires 50 Ki per use.

[Small Tornado] (Level 1| 100/400): Using your Ki, you can produce a small tornado of air by waiving your arms in a specific way. Requires 50 Ki per use.

Despite being Youjutsu skills, they didn't offer EXP to his Youjutsu Proficiency Skill. They belonged to a separate one, and based on what the system told him before, he needed to acquire one more move with them. With Kuroka's help, however, that was done pretty quickly as she showed him how to focus the air into a small projectile.

[Air Bullet] (Level 1| 100/400): Using your Ki and focusing the air, compressing, then launching it, you created a quick and decent offensive move that deals damage equal to 50% of both your STR and MGI combined! Requires 50 Ki per use.

Proficiency Skill acquired! {Proficiency Skill} [Youjutsu Elemental Manipulation - Novice] (Level 1 | 150/400): The ability to manipulate certain elements with Youjutsu. Your Affinity allows you to control, currently, Air and Fire.

Progress was being made. With those down, Issei and Kuroka could focus on more important parts of their training, and they wasted no time. Kuroka made sure to hold back just enough against Issei, since his level was significantly lower than hers, and his stats were too. Unless you count the Boosted Gear in, but even then, Kuroka managed to keep Issei in check.

The results of Saturday's training were more pronounced first in the stats department, as Issei had gained 2 ACC points as he tried to blast Kuroka with his new [Air Bullet] to grind that skill out, even if it would not do real damage to Kuroka. The skill did level up, but then Kuroka decided to use her own Youjutsu to restrain him using roots that sprouted from the ground and ensnared him.

During that moment, he thought about how he might need his Ki for combat in the future, but also about the nuisance of ensnaring moves like this. Then an idea popped in his mind. Risky, however, as he began to focus and imagine the Ki around him heating up and catching on fire. True enough, the roots caught ablaze, together with him. Good news? That also produced a new skill! Bad news? His getting burned also gave him a skill against fire damage. That was on him for getting his ass burned.

Lessons learned.

The rest of their training day was spent mostly sparring, really, allowing Issei to gain good EXP for his skills. Nothing for his swords, but he did gain in the martial arts department while fighting Kuroka, trying to use those. [Power Jump] gained some nice levels since Kuroka liked to jump around, so he mimicked her overall style, which actually got him one more AGI point. He also tried with his punch and kick, but only one kick connected. Kuroka was very nimble. He even threw a [Shield-Breaking Punch] her way, but she dodged it. He still got the EXP, though.

He didn't wish to use the combo skill on her, as he was afraid of actually hurting her. That one was no joke whatsoever.

But during their battle, he did get ideas. Gotta thank Solomon, his wisdom was really handy. He focused his Ki in one hand, then when he thrust it forth, he sent forth a wave of Ki just as Kuroka was about to pounce, catching her off-guard. That, right there, was a new skill. One for his actual Youjutsu. Safe to say Kuroka was pleasantly surprised, but she only went in harder. Issei, seeing this, upped the effort too.

Still, Kuroka threw him around well. He was not using his Balance Breaker either. From that alone he gained 2 more DUR points. It was not long until he brought out his magic, using it in combination with [Deal Use] to launch both [Firestream] and [Water Jet] at her. The two attacks were continuous streams of fire and water respectively, and luckily, Ingvild was also at a safe distance.

He kept casting them, trying to catch Kuroka with at least one. He caught her with the water once, but she was not too happy about that, resulting in Issei being blasted with her own Ki, sending him into the wall.

At least this time he got training for his healing magic too. [First Heal] actually reached level 3! And with it, his proficiency increased too.

Still, another day of good progress. Yet, they were not done. By this point, only 2 out of 3 allocated training hours had been spent. And Kuroka was not about to let him off the hook easily for making her wet. Not in the sexy sense, of course.

By the time they were actually done, [Ki Pulse] leveled up to level 3, which also improved his proficiency. He also used his elements more, namely the projectile there, grinding using that for now. He also did try to use his [Shadow Tendrils] to restrain her, but go figure! Kuroka made use of her Skills from the Draconic Pieces, namely the one that allowed her to teleport! Just when he thought he got her, she was suddenly behind him and tripped him with her tail, making him fall flat on the ground.

At least Solomon told him long ago that humiliation helps sharpen the mind…Doesn't stop it from being unpleasant, though.

Granted, he went overboard with the tendrils a bit. The moment he just spammed the spell, with [Dual Use] as well, his mana quickly went down by a lot, and came out to try and get Kuroka. At least those were easy to level up. They were already level 4! But his [Dual Use]? It hit level 5, meaning it has evolved and unlocked an extra capability.

[Dual Use] (Level 5| 300/6400): This Skill is simple, as it simply implies using two skills that manifest through, currently, your hands at the same time; or using the same skill twice. As of Level 5, whenever you use two skills at once, you will receive a 75% discount for the combined costs of those skills.

He'll take it! And luckily, Solomon also announced the end of the training, meaning it was EXP time again.

Congratulations, you are now level 22!

Two entire levels in less than 2 days! To Issei, at the time, it felt too good to be true. And if he came to know one thing for sure with this system, was that when it seems too good to be true, something usually whacked him from behind to ruin his day. But in rest, Saturday went pretty much without a hitch, even getting some RP with Ingvild. His increasing CHA was making it easier and easier to get them.

As far as Ingvild's progress went, she was going steady. She had a good grasp over her water magic, and she loved singing, so they were certain her gear would develop well. But Issei was starting to get some thoughts, but he was not sure Ingvild would agree. He was considering adding her to his peerage, making her his first Bishop. Sure, she was no prime back-row material to just dish out powerful spells or support, but in time, she might not need to. As far as his Draconic Pieces went, he can even change the configuration of his members, switching their pieces around.

Besides, this might just be what she needs! If she receives the power of the System, it might help her understand more about herself and her gear! So come Sunday, after training, of course, he was going to talk with Kuroka about it, then ask Ingvild. That being said, the Sunday training was pretty much the same. Except that he was right back at Solomon's guiding hand, as Kuroka once again went with Ingvild to aid her.

Solomon had taken note of his exploit yesterday, with the tendrils, making him look deeper at some skills. Most didn't have cooldowns, which implied Solomon believed cooldowns were more of a way to keep in check more powerful skills in the earlier levels. That being said, Solomon wanted Issei to train his magic by himself, but this time, he wanted Issei to [Dual Use] that actually would aid him, since he uses the same skill twice and gains the appropriate EXP, it would normalize his EXP gain at least.

Not to mention he was going to level up this skill as well in the process! So he began, first with his fire magic and working through the list. He quite easily leveled up his proficiency with fire at the start, so he kept going with his most basic fire spell with his combined skill. Granted, Solomon eventually had him switch to his newer skills, launching two arrows of fire at once at the poor dummy.

But this was the warm-up, quite literally. Solomon then got his attention regarding something else, making him walk to a shadowy place on the training field. He had Issei memorize the locations of all shadowy spots, created by the artificial sun inside the dungeon. Then, he told Issei to use [Shadow Walk] and focus on that spot. Safe to say it worked, but Issei was quick to then throw his food out.

It was very much different from Kuroka's teleportation. And Solomon had him do this again and again, to grind out the skill and get used to the feeling. The issue was, the system didn't give him anything like nausea resistance or something. But he did remember something after his third jump. He had that spell to remove ailments or negative effects, but then he recalled the cooldown. Fucking great…Still, when he felt nausea got the best of him, he'd use the spell to cure it. Luckily, it worked. His [Shadow Walk] got almost to level 4 before Solomon told him to stop. Once again, good progress, but now the wise king was going to be teaching Issei, and the girls, some additional magic. Namely, he taught them how to establish special magical circles around their ears to contact one another.

[Communication Circle] (Level MAX): A basic spell used to communicate over long distances, and even interdimensionally provided a link is established.

Your Links: N/A

This version of the spell was one Solomon himself designed, and it didn't take long for all of them to be linked with one another so they could keep in touch even across large distances. Other than that? They were pretty much done with the training.

Ingvild and Issei had school tomorrow, so they had to be ready, not to mention they didn't complete their weekly assignments yet. Solomon was keeping them in line, like a stern parent. Still, with that, that marked another session of training and more EXP for Issei.

Congratulations! You are now level 23!

After what can only be described as a fruitful weekend for the group, with three levels now advanced, Issei went out of the dungeon with the girls, making sure to take the shower first and be done quickly so Kuroka can go in after. Luckily, Kuroka was a fan of quick showers, so by the time it was Ingvild's turn, who was the one who liked to stay a while, after changing into more comfortable clothing, we finally arrived at the present.

Issei and Kuroka were sitting down on the sofa in the living room, Issei telling Kuroka about his desire to grant Ingvild a piece. "Nya! That sounds like a great idea!" She said, not being against the concept. "But do you think she'd accept?"

"That is what I want to find out right now." Issei replied, pulling out a Bishop Evil Piece from his inventory, and before Ingvild returned, converted it into a Draconic Piece. A bishop. He set it on the table, then waited, Ingvild eventually coming out in some nightwear. "Ingvild, can we talk?"

Ingvild looked at them, and her eyes immediately went to the piece of the table. "An Evil Piece?" She muttered, confused, but she noticed how something seemed off with this piece.

"Not an Evil Piece - A Draconic Piece." Kuroka corrected. "Issei makes them using his power from Evil Pieces! I am sure we told you a little about them before, right?"

"I think so." Ingvild replied slowly, taking a seat. "But…Why bring one out?"

"Well, Ingvild, I wanted to ask you if you'd be willing to join my peerage." Issei asked, presenting the piece to her. "I want you by my side as my Bishop, but if you wish, I can use another piece."

"Except for the Queen, that is claimed." Kuroka claimed proudly. However, Ingvild was silent, picking up the piece from the table and looking between Kuroka and Issei, both of them watching her.

"I…Is it permanent?" Ingvild asked, nervous at the concept.

"Not at all." Issei replied, easing her worries. "My Draconic Pieces can be ejected without harm being brought to their host."

"But…Why me?" Ingvild asked, looking at them confused. "I…I can barely use my gear and I am not particularly strong in any way."

"But you have been making steady progress with your gear, have you not?" Solomon interjected, adding his own argument.

"I guess?" Ingvild replied, still unsure, however, Issei knew what to do to ease her worries. He went to her, sitting closer. Noticing this, Ingvild grew more nervous.

"It's ok, Ingvild." Issei said. "If you don't want to, you don't have-"

"It's not that!" Ingvild quickly said, cutting Issei off. "It's just that, you are asking me to become part of your peerage, but…I know you and Kuroka are…"

Hearing that, Kuroka jumped into the conversation. "Close, yes, but remember Ingvild dear: Issei here is a greedy man." The cat purred, leaning over Issei's shoulder. "He dreams of having a harem, and is that even that uncommon nowadays? Or rather, even before?"

"N-no…I remember my father having one." Ingvild replied. "But I remember how the women always seemed bitter over one another and would fight all the time." Now this got their attention. "I am not doing this because I don't like you, Issei, but because I am nervous things would turn out like them. I like you, Kuroka, and I consider you a dear friend, and I don't want to ruin that by stealing Issei's time for you."

"Nya! That is so thoughtful of you, Ingvild…" Kuroka said, touched by her selflessness.

"So am I." Issei replied, smiling softly at Ingvild. "Ingvild, I understand why you might be nervous about this, but I promise not to allow such things to happen. I don't know how your father ran his harem, but honestly, I don't care. In the end, I will do mine in my own way, led by this!" He pointed at his heart.

"Ummm. Didn't you mean to point lower-"

"Nup!" Issei said boldly, cutting her off a bit. "True, I am thinking a good part of this with my loins too, but not everything! Each girl I invite into my harem…I don't want them to feel like I am being unfair to any of them! Heck! I am even willing to marry each and every single one to make them all happy!"

Hearing this, both Kuroka and Ingvild seemed to blush quite deeply, but Kuroka kept a more mischievous smile on her face, giggling softly.

+5 RP with Ingvild Leviathan.

"M-marry?! Wait a minute, Issei, aren't you going too far? What if they want you only for your power and- and they don't want to make such a group commitment? Harem owners don't usually marry their entire harems!" Ingvild said, blushing a storm as Issei kept pushing forth. By this point, Issei was just making his stand on harems clear once again through his philosophy.

"Maybe that is what ruined your father!" Issei said, not as a question, but as a statement. "He played favorites! In a Harem you DO NOT choose favorites!"

+3 RP with Ingvild Leviathan.

"Y-you mean that…If I ever join your…You'd…" Ingvild said slowly, putting the pieces together, but the poor girl's mind was getting overwhelmed with various images, one specifically being her in a wedding dress with Issei as her husband, smiling happily. And she liked it.

+4 RP with Ingvild Leviathan.

"Ingvild, this I can promise with all I have!" Issei proclaimed, holding his fist up. "I won't let things like discord tear apart my dream - my Harem! For me, every woman in there will be my wife, and as their husband, it will be my duty to uphold their happiness!"

+3 RP with Ingvild Leviathan.

Ingvild's face was easily like a tomato, obvious especially by her ears, which were bright red. However, looking at Issei, and seeing him smile warmly at her, then at Kuroka who did the same, but also looking with a proud smile at Issei, the devil girl took a deep breath. "I…Before I give an answer regarding the Draconic Piece, can I ask you something, Kuroka?"

"Nya! Me? Sure, go right one ahead!" The cat in the room said, lending Ingvild an ear.

"I-if we do become Harem sisters…How would it work?" Ingvild asked, nervously so. "Would you be jealous when me and Issei spend time together?"

"Hmm. I guess I may be a bit, but do you know what I'd want more?" Kuroka asked, a mischief on her smile. "To join in."

Ingvild blushed deeply once again. "J-join in?"

"Why, of course, nya!" Kuroka replied. "As Ise here may say, some group action is the perfect way to build some deeper bonds. A menage-a-troi is the best way to do so!"

"B-but what if I don't- I don't mean to say you are not beautiful, or- ohhhhh." Ingvild buried her face into her palms, embarrassed a bit by the conversation. Issei sighed at this as Kuroka giggled.

"Come on, Kuroka, stop teasing her so much." Ise told her.

"But she is so cute when she is all blushy!" Kuroka argued, acting all flirty and silly. But then she turned to Ingvild, deciding to be a bit more serious. "But on a serious note, Ingvild, I do think that there is more here than just us wanting Issei. As he once told me, in a Harem, it works if the girls are united!"

"United?" Ingvild echoed, looking up slightly from her palms. "What do you mean?"

"Well, for example, if Ise is not available, we can always fall back on one another for some…sexy time." Ingvild's blush was returning. "If they are ok with it, of course, everyone has preferences, nya! But also for things like emotional support, and other things! We cannot rely on Ise for everything!"

"That is true, I guess." Ingvild said, admitting to Kuroka's words. "N-no offense, Ise, it's just that, well…There will be times you are not near, especially if, well, more girls join in this harem of yours. You are so confident it will all work out, but I guess there are things only another girl would understand."

"That is fair." Ise replied. "As an old wise man said, a woman's mind is like a labyrinth with a thousand ways."

"Thief."

"And if we are t-talking about doing things in a group, well…I am unsure." Ingvild said. "I know it is unavoidable in a harem, but I don't know if I would be comfortable."

"No one will be forcing you to do things you do not want to do." Issei replied. "If you want to keep things more one on one, it can work."

"What if we try taking it slow?" Ingvild asked, surprising Issei. "Like, I don't need to do anything, and only…watch? And slowly, as I become more confident, can I start doing things?"

"My, Ingvild, that is a good idea!" Kuroka said, encouraging her. "It serves to perfectly help the more shy ones that may join in! After all, I doubt everyone is as…active as I am, or less shy."

"That is entirely fair." Issei replied. "Though I don't know what to think about being watched, I think it is something we can get used to slowly."

"Then…" Ingvild said, taking a deep breath. In her eyes, both Issei and Kuroka are great people, and their reassurances were helping her become less and less nervous about it, but she still had worries. They had a good point, saying the girls also need to bond with one another, but she wondered how easy that may be…That aspect might only depend on them, in the end. Additionally, she wondered what will be with those who do not love him and are in for his power. She had a feeling they might be problematic, but that Issei is also not a swallow person to easily accept their willingness if there is no real connection.

With those thoughts in her head, she said her answer.

+5 RP with Ingvild Leviathan

"I accept." She said with a small smile on her face. "I accept being both. Both a part of your peerage and of your harem, Ise!"

"Great- Wait a minute, the second one was not something I was asking!" Ise said, but seeing Ingvild's expression he quickly corrected himself. "B-but it is still great! I promise, Ingvild, to treat you right. Who knows, maybe we can go out at some point, just the two of us to get to know one another better?"

"Nya! And later you can bring me along as well!" Kuroka added. "A group date sounds just like the thing needed to make things work as smoothly as possible!"

"Great idea!" Ingvild added, but then she saw the Bishop Piece and gulped. "So…What will happen when I take the piece?"

"Well, you might experience a slight headache. We told you before about the System, but now? Now you will experience it." Issei said as he picked up the Bishop piece and gave it to Ingvild, who took it and pressed it between her breasts, the piece glowing and summoning forth Issei's circle underneath Ingvild, the piece sinking into her body and disappearing. Then, she hunched over a bit as a headache struck her.

"You were…not lying." Ingvild said, but the pain faded as swiftly as it came.

Peerage Member acquired! Bishop acquired!

Ingvild jumped as she saw the notification, spooked by it a bit. "Is this it?" She asked, looking at it.

"Oh yeah, and it ain't done yet." Issei replied, then Ingvild was presented with the tutorial Kuroka had also received before, speaking of her stat page and skill list.


Name:

Ingvild Leviathan

Title:

Bishop of Hyoudou

Level:

68 (0/10315694470 EXP)

HP: 78000/78000 (1HP/Min)

STA: 53000/53000 (1STA/Min)

D.P: 120000/120000 (1 D.P/Min)

Mana: 19000/19000 (1 Mana/Min)

STR: 96 (+10 from Draconic Piece)

AGI: 93 (+10 from Draconic Piece)

MGI: 273 (+10 from Draconic Piece)

DUR: 98 (+10 from Draconic Piece)

ACC: 129 (+10 from Draconic Piece)

WIS: 88 (+10 from Draconic Piece)

INT: 135 (+10 from Draconic Piece)

CHA: 83 (+10 from Draconic Piece)

LCK: 73

Status effects: N/A


Skills/Perks/Titles.


"This is my stat page…" Ingvild said slowly, looking over her stats. However, both Issei and Kuroka noticed something.

"Umm. Ingvild?" Kuroka said, getting her attention. "I know you may not be noticing, but…Your stats are somewhat low for your level."

"What? What do you mean?"

"Here." Kuroka showed her what stats she held.

"Wo- What?!" Ingvild gasped seeing Kuroka's stats, comparing them to hers. From the tutorial, she learned that Stats start at 5, then increase by 1 every time they level up. They can train to gain more, and unlike Issei, they don't gain SP. Looking at Kuroka's stats, then at hers, she came to realize something. "My stats are…mostly at their base values for my level…"

"S-still, your level is great! You are around the level of Ultimate-Class beings if Kuroka is any indication!" Issei said, trying to cheer her up. "Plus, we have yet to look at your skills! The Draconic Piece also gives you new ones!"

To prove to her, he opened up her skill page, but in all fairness, that proved to be a bad call.


Skills:

Skills:

(Hereditary Skill) [Sea Serpent of the End] (Level MAX): This Skill is present within all members of the Leviathan Clan, allowing them to control entire oceans of water to drown cities, or do other things like shape it into various constructs. -Note: Due to the user [Ingvild Leviathan] not having full mastery of her powers, this ability has been limited until later. 100 D.P./Min while in use.

[Singing] (Level 6 | 6700/12800): You have a beautiful singing voice! A natural talent even!


Magic-related Skills:

[Casting Method: Magical Circle] (Level MAX): This skill is already maxed since there is no way to individually improve it. Allows the user to use magical circles as means of casting magic.

[Imagination-Based Magic Casting] (Level MAX): This skill needs a casting method. This type of magical ability is inherited from your Devil lineage, allowing you to simply imagine what your spells need to do to make them do it!


{Proficiency Skill} [Water Magic - Novice] (Level 4| 000/3200): Another basic type of magic, this time focused on water! While this magic is not renowned for its offensive or defensive capabilities, it is known for being popular for its versatility.

[Water Whip] ( Level 3| 800/1600): A basic water spell that implies the creation of a long, watery tendril extending from the magical circle. This spell costs 10 Mana to cast and 5 to maintain per minute.

[Water Barrier] (Level 2 | 400/800): Creating a barrier made of water to protect yourself! Despite water not being the best choice for barriers, it can still work pretty well to stop certain attacks. Currently, the barrier can stop damage amounts equal to your DUR with a bonus of +20% based on its value.


Draconic Piece Skills:

[Arcane Recharge]: This skill converts the user's Stamina into Mana at a 3:1 ratio, turning 3 Stamina into 1 Mana. Additionally, if the user's MGI is higher than their STR, this skill will allow them to convert all of their STR stat into MGI.


Nereid Kyrie Skills:

[Water Manipulation] (Level MAX): This Gear enables the user to control the sea and ocean however they wish, consuming 100 STA/Min while in use.

[Dragon Manipulation] (Level MAX): This Gear's secondary ability, enabling the user to control dragons through their singing! This skill is further developed via Sub-Skills. However, a shared limitation of this Skill and all Sub-Skills branching from it is that your [Singing] skill's level and MGI stat dictate how effective they are.

-Currently, your abilities can affect Low Class Dragons and have some effect on Middle Class Dragons, but unless caught off guard, your songs have no effect on higher class dragons.

Due to your Gear being of the Longinus-Tier, it also has the power to affect those with Dragon-based Sacred Gears.

(Sub-Skill) [Song of the Weary] (Level MAX): This song enables you to control dragons in order to put them to sleep! It also works to calm them down and make them drop their guard!


Perks:

Normal Perks

[Leviathan Talent]: Since you are part of the Leviathan Clan, any EXP earned in any water-related skill is doubled. Additionally, the power of all of your water-based skills is twice as high as stated in the Skill description.

[High Demonic Power]: As a Devil descending from one of the 7 Cardinal Houses, you have great amounts of Demonic Power that enable you to use Imagination-Based Magic. When using magic, you can choose to pay D.P. (Demonic Power) instead of Mana, or add Demonic Power to make the skill stronger (Every 100 D.P. spend doubles the power of the skill it is used in).

[Quick-Learner!]: Despite how shy you may be, and full of self-doubt when comparing yourself with others, don't be afraid! This perk increases the chances that you will develop new skills through hard work and training! Can't do anything about Proficiency Skills, however.

Draconic Piece Perks

[EXP Bonus]: Each time your King levels up, you will gain EXP equal to 25% of the EXP required for their next level.

[Draconic Boost]: You gain a permanent +10 to all stats, except LCK.

Equipment Perks

N/A


Titles:

Bishop of Hyoudou.

As the title says, you are the Bishop of Issei Hyoudou, possessing the Draconic Bishop Piece. This Title grants the [EXP Bonus] and [Draconic Boost] perks, The Draconic Piece Skills, as well as an overall 20% EXP bonus to the wearer, and the ability to equip a different title aside from this one.


"I barely have anything…" Ingvild said, feeling slightly defeated. However, that was when Issei pointed something out.

"Holy shit, Ingvild, you have nice skills!" He said, being genuine. "Your Hereditary skill is awesome, even if it is limited, not to mention it seems to complement your Gear's ability too! You also have a perk that, if I am reading this right, lets you get skills way easier!"

"Really?" She asked, looking over her skills and perks again. "I guess? I am not really an expert here."

"Nya! Don't worry dear! I am sure that if we keep working hard, you will grow in power before you know it! Plus, I taught you those water spells! And look at them, they are already pretty high-level already!" Kuroka said, adding in the encouragement department.

+1 RP with Ingvild Leviathan

"In that case, I will work hard!" Ingvild said slowly, getting up. "I will work hard to be worthy of the piece you have entrusted me, Issei! I promise you!"

"I know you will grow to be a great help, Ingvild." Issei told her, making the girl smile at him warmly.

+3 RP with Ingvild Leviathan.

"Well, now that everything is settled, who wants dinner?" Issei said, offering to cook.

"Nya! I hope we have something with fish!" Kuroka said, voicing her preference.

"I used to eat a lot of fish-based dishes back in my home in Norway, so anything you can cook I can eat." Ingvild said, and then Issei went to the kitchen. This was just a perfect ending to their weekend and grind, now with him having yet another piece to his peerage.

He honestly wondered what his full peerage would look like. He hopes he will be able to fill it with beautiful women, but Solomon taught him better. He needs to locate people with the skills he wants to have in his ranks. But he could wait. After all, he was in no hurry, seeing as he was no devil and he didn't need to complete his peerage to take part in rating games. Heck, he doesn't even want to take part in said rating games!

For now, he was just going to enjoy a relaxing evening with his…2 girlfriends? Things with Ingvild were technically more official now, considering she also agreed to being part of his harem, but Issei could not celebrate having one yet. The rules require at least 3 babes, not two. Don't ask where that is written.

However, before their group could get themselves some dinner, the doorbell suddenly rang. "Who could it be at this hour?" Ingvild asked, going to the door and opening it. "Hello?"

"You must be Ingvild." The voice immediately revealed who it was.

"Shirone!" Kuroka went to the door, greeting her younger sister. "So glad you could join us, it has been a bit! Where have you been?"

"I am not here for a casual visit, Kuroka, I don't have long." Shirone, AKA Koneko, said, earning Issei's attention too as she went inside, going to the table and sitting down with them.

"What is it, Shirone?" Issei asked, looking at her.

"I failed." She replied, bluntly and softly. "I couldn't keep up the lie, Rias now knows you are the Red Dragon Emperor."

"What?!" Kuroka gasped. "But how? I thought you were covering for us!"

"I am not a good liar." Shirone said. "They managed to see past my lies. I am sorry, Issei, it's my fault."

"It's ok, Shirone." Issei replied, not wanting her to blame herself too much."By this point, an encounter between me and the rest of the Gremory Peerage was unavoidable. Heck, I am surprised I lasted as long as I did without being found out already! But it seems the cat is out of the bag…No pun intended."

"So, what do we do now?" Ingvild asked, nervous about it all. "Do we need to tell them who I am as well?"

"They did ask about you too. They know about your gear, but everything else is not clear." Shirone said, focusing on Ingvild. "But…I can sense that you are a Devil. A hybrid?" Ingvild nodded her head. "Who are you?"

Ingvild took a bit, then she introduced herself, standing up and unfolding her wings. Since she was descended from the house of Leviathan, she had four pairs of wings. Shirone's eyes widened seeing so many wings, but then she was more shocked when she formally introduced herself. "My real name is Ingvild Leviathan. I am a direct descendant of the original Leviathan."

"A descendant of one of the seven cardinal houses?" Koneko muttered, then Ingvild put her wings away, sitting back down at the table. "If Rias finds out, she might stop at nothing to recruit you into her peerage."

"I am already part of a peerage." Ingvild said, and knowing what she meant, Kuroka added in.

"So am I!" She then gestured to Issei. "I am Issei's Queen."

"And I am his Bishop." Ingvild said, but their words confused Shirone.

"But…How? He is not a devil, and he doesn't have any sort of Evil Piece set."

"Let me answer that." Issei said, pulling out the Draconic Piece from his inventory. The rook. Shirone stared at it closely, her senses telling her that it was full of draconic power and she clearly felt Issei's own presence around it. "This is a Draconic Piece. I can make them by imbuing my own power into Evil Pieces, converting them."

"Amazing." Shirone said slowly, then she reached towards it. "May I?"

"Of course." Issei allowed her to touch the Draconic Piece, letting her hold it in her hands and look it over.

"It looks almost like a normal Evil Piece, but the colors are different. Not to mention the energy radiating from it." Shirone said, then she put it back. "So…You extracted Kuroka's Evil Pieces? Does this mean she is no longer a Devil?"

"Indeed." Kuroka confirmed. "That being said, I lost my ability to use Demonic Power, as well as some of my magical capabilities enhanced by my two Bishop pieces, but I think the trade was worth it all things considered. Very worth it."

"In that case…What will you do, Issei?" Shirone asked, looking at him. "Since Rias knows, you will likely have to tell her about Ingvild too. I don't know how she might react to those Draconic Pieces either. They are not official ones, recognized by the Devil Society, so she might not acknowledge them and still attempt to reincarnate Ingvild as one of us."

"Such a decision is only Ingvild's to take." Issei said, then Ingvild quickly chipped in.

"And I want to remain with Issei! I won't let myself be reincarnated by someone else!"

"Which means that I also won't stand by if she tries to force Ingvild." Issei said, letting a silent threat fly by Shirone's ears. "If Rias attempts something, I won't hesitate and I WILL fight her and her entire peerage if I have to…Forgive my words, Shirone, but I hope you can understand."

"I do." Shirone replied. "I don't know about Rias and Akeno, considering the situation now with Ingvild, but I can say that Yuuto Kiba, our Knight, won't be on board with Rias possibly trying to force Ingvild to join the peerage. He is an honorable man."

"Maybe I can have some spars with him later. I know I need a way to better hone my swordsmanship." Issei said with a smile on his face. Yuuto…He can see why most people at Kuoh call him Kiba, it sounds and rolls on the tongue somewhat better. "Still, however, judging from your words, can we expect to be approached tomorrow?"

"Yes." Shirone replied, certain of the fact. "Normally, right now I'd be watched by Kiba, but I managed to convince him to let me come here to warn you. We all know you wish to aid us with Riser, so we don't see you as an enemy, but please understand that this entire situation Rias finds herself in is forcing her to take desperate measures to get rid of the engagement. She is a kind and good-hearted person, different from the other members of Devil high society."

"Hmpf. That will be for me to decide." Solomon said within Issei, the boy understood that Solomon still held a general view of Devils that didn't portray them in a nice light. He is open enough to get to know them, which can change his opinion of them, as it was with Ingvild.

"So, tomorrow Rias is bound to recruit me." Issei said, leaning back on his chair. "However, I won't let her reincarnate me. I will join her but as her contracted magician."

"There will be no problems with that." Shirone said. "We are aware of that aspect, and luckily, this allows us to use our biggest disadvantage against Riser as our advantage. He has a full peerage, but Rias doesn't have half of one, so we are allowed to bring in outside aid as long as they fulfill certain conditions. Being a contracted magician with ties to our peerage is one condition which can be used."

"Then it's settled. It sounds like tomorrow will be a pretty interesting day." Issei said, a smile creeping on his face. "I cannot wait to let myself loose against that douche."

"You know, Issei, I do need to say: How bad could this Riser be?" Ingvild said, and her point made quite a bit of sense.

"Actually, I recommend that you keep your expectations low for Riser." Shirone said. "Trust me, you will be less disgusted that way."

"Noted."

"In that case, we better start preparing. Thank you for coming here to warn us, Shirone." Issei told her, then he heard the timer on the oven ding. "Looks like dinner is ready. Wanna stay over, Shirone?"

"Unfortunately, I need to return to my apartment. Kiba is covering for me, but we cannot let Rias find out I left." Shirone said, getting up from her seat. "Thank you for the offer, though."

"Nya! Take care, sis." Kuroka told her, then Shirone left, going back to her apartment to wait for the coming day. Kuroka turned to Issei who went to the kitchen, bringing over the food. "So, what will you do?"

"They will likely approach me in some way tomorrow, so I think I may as well not let them wait." He replied, a smile full of mischief on his face.

"Hehehehe."

"Quite the entrance, my student. Quite the entrance."

Quest Received!


Quite the Entrance, Indeed.

Main Objective: Make a cool entrance into the office where Rias Gremory is.

Reward: 50K EXP, no changes to anyone RP.

Failure Penalty: -10 RP with Rias Gremory.