So what, if I want to be a Harem Protagonist?

by FrancoGamerxz

An Eroge-induced epiphany leads Hyoudou Issei down a path of hard work, excellence and extreme degrees of trauma suppression. Add to that a grumpy old dragon, an overpowered sacred gear, a frisky succubus and munchkin-worthy tactics that put the capital P in "Power Creep", and you've got yourself a nice mess. Oh, and there's also devils, and angels, and stuff. (Cover by Yutaku)

39. A Night to Remember

Shen, FromTheDeep, Tyric Gaia.

These are heroes of the modern age, having ascended to the ranks of legends via their various great deeds, performed throughout a whole galaxy!

If you wish to join the ranks of the legends, you can do so by heading over to " Pat Reon -dot- com -slash- FrancoGamerxz ", and adding to the cosmic tip jar!

Don't let this keep you from leaving a review, though! Those are very much appreciated!

Now, feel free to enjoy the story!

---

"Regular character speech"

"Differently inflected character speech" (Whispering, hissing, etc.)

'Powerful character speech' (Backed by Killing Intent, Pressure, Sheer raw power, etc.)

'Regular character thoughts'

'Mind Reading/Telepathic Conversation'

[Ddraig talking out loud]

[Ddraig telepathically speaking to Issei]

'Ddraig/Powerful being thinking'

---

"Hey, what the hell are you doing here, kid?"

Issei blinked lightly when these words came from right in front of him. He looked at the speaker - a man with dyed russet-hair dressed in a suit, cigarette in his mouth, and the sides of his head shaved - in confusion.

Issei turned around, seeing no one behind him, before turning back to the suited man and pointing towards himself, his eyebrows raised questioningly.

The russet-haired male took a puff from his cigarette and blew the smoke out the corner of his mouth before turning a glare towards Issei, looking down on him as he spoke.

"Yeah, you! What the hell is your punk-ass doing he-"

" SHUT YOUR STUPID MOUTH, JINZO!"

A loud shout was as effective at silencing him as the smack to the back of the head that he received before the one to have done both, a buff, shades-wearing man with a plethora of facial scars, turned towards Issei. He then proceeded to surprise the previously mentioned Jinzo by bowing respectfully to the brunet.

"Issei-sama, please forgive this idiot; he's new!"

Jinzo's eyes widened at the deferential act, only to widen even further as a hand fell onto the back of his neck and forced him to bow, his aniki glaring at him as he spoke.

"Apologize, you buffoon!"

Jinzo wanted to protest the manhandling from his senior, but the glare coming off of the scarred man forced him to swallow any displeasure and squeeze his eyes shut as he spoke.

"Please forgive me!"

Issei stared at the two for a moment, watching in amusement as the shades-wearing man did his absolute best to keep from shaking in his boots. Smirking, he took a step toward the two and placed a hand directly onto the more experienced yakuza's right shoulder, ignoring his flinch as he spoke.

"We were all new at one point or another, so being too hard on him for not knowing some stuff would be excessive of me, don't you think so?"

The man gulped, his trembling falling still at the physical contact and nodding frantically in response to Issei's rhetorical question.

"Good man!" Issei's gaze moved conspicuously down the man's shoulder to his arm before his face split in a mild smirk. "It seems your arm's healed pretty nicely since last time, huh, Donzo-san?"

The man stiffened at the question, his left hand subconsciously straying to his right forearm and giving it a light rub, while he simply stared at Issei in silence.

The brunet shrugged, releasing Donzo's shoulder and prompting the two Yakuza to part, allowing him to head directly to the express elevator that would take him to Hageshi Katagi's office.

Donzo's tense silence ended when the elevator dinged as it travelled up, his frozen chest moving again as he finally allowed himself to breathe, beads of sweat dotting his forehead and cheeks despite the lack of physical exertion.

He found himself rubbing his hands against one another as if trying to ward off... Something... Allowing Jinzo to stand back up straight and turn towards him, his gaze reluctant as he spoke.

"What was that, Donzo-aniki? Why did we simply allow that kid up to the boss' office, no announcement or nothin'? And when you looked at him, it even looked like you were... No, nevermind that last par-"

" It even looked like you were scared shitless, is what you were about to say, no? Well... You are correct. In this whole world, there are only two people I am as terrified of as that kid, and those two are absolute monsters."

"W-what..." Jinzo fought himself, licking his suddenly dry lips and clearing his throat before trying again. "What happened that made you so scared, aniki? Why did nobody else in the building try to stop him? Hell, some of you even went out of their way to avoid him!"

"That, you shitty brat, was the Human fucking Calamity."

Jinzo's eyes widened incredulously, the cigarette falling from his lips as his mouth gaped in surprise. His lips flapped soundlessly for a bit before he finally managed to speak, his tone of voice carrying intense incredulity.

"I thought the Human Calamity was a myth! I mean, the thought that a single person could walk in here, beat up over a hundred different guys without a single scratch, and then be invited up by the boss instead of being sentenced to a long swim in Tokyo bay... Isn't that pretty far-fetched?"

Donzo shifted his shades, allowing his eyes to be exposed for all of a moment - freezing Jinzo in place when their gazes met - before he spoke.

"That myth broke my arm in two places in a second before tearing through all of the guys we had stationed at headquarters that day and making a throne out of them. What's more, when the boss showed up and saw all of what he had done, do you know what he said?"

Jinzo gulped nervously, his tone shaky as he answered.

"No...?"

"The boss thanked him for going easy on us."

"!"

Jinzo's gaze turned toward the closed doors of the elevator as a chill ran down his spine.

'I almost made a terrible mistake!'

He turned towards Donzo and bowed deeply towards him, his loud shouting carrying nothing less than his earnest gratitude.

"Thank you, aniki, for keeping me from killing myself!"

After finally having relaxed from the mental pressure posed to him by Issei's very presence, Donzo didn't have the emotional strength to entirely suppress the half-smirk that came onto his face.

"I didn't keep you from anything. The only reason you're still whole and hearty is that he probably found you more amusing than upsetting." 'Wish I had had that luck.' Donzo shook his head at that thought. "Anyways, keep that information in mind, and make sure to spread it throughout all of the new guys to avoid that sort of mix up."

Jinzo could only nod, inwardly thanking all the gods he believed in for keeping the calamity from falling upon his head.

While hushed whispers filled the lobby, Issei tapped an indistinct rhythm against his thigh, stopping only when the elevator came to a halt with a loud DING!

He stepped out of the elevator, giving Hageshi's secretary a mild nod before walking into his office, allowing the door to close softly behind him. He looked at Hageshi, the man beside him, and the set-up that occupied the center of the office, before speaking up.

"...Well, what's all this then?"

Hageshi - Susanoo - ignored the sardonic question and the raised eyebrow with which the question was asked, choosing instead to link his fingers together as he spoke.

"This, Issei, is the level of preparation required for today's assignment. It will be a crucial one, thus requiring you to wear a very particular type of protection. This armor is what we will be arranging for you right now..."

-X-

Matsuda and Kimie, now fully dressed, walked through the Kuoh grounds together in awkward silence.

The two kept turning to look at one another, only for their heads to instantly jerk in the opposite direction as they caught themselves mirroring each-others' actions, massive blushes covering their faces.

Matsuda sighed explosively, letting out a rueful chuckle before speaking up.

"Bit of a mess we ended up in, huh?"

Kimie nodded at that, her blush flaring up further.

"That... It was my fault, I guess, so... Sorry, and I perfectly understand if you prefer to stay away from the club from now on."

"It's alright..." The bald sportsman said while looking at Kimie out the corner of his eyes, a hand sheepishly rubbing his naked scalp. "It's not like you ordered the water temperature to dip and the steam to die off, so I guess it's as much your fault as it is mine, meaning none."

Kimie stopped mid-step, her gaze turning to meet Matsuda's directly as she spoke.

"You really mean that?"

"Yeah." Matsuda stopped as well, mirroring Kimie and meeting her gaze - looking up slightly to do so - as he spoke. "It was just a coincidence, so you don't have anything to worry about."

"Does that mean," The blonde's tone was hopeful, "That you'll still run for the Track club?"

"Sure." The baldie shrugged nonchalantly. "I see no reason not to."

His answer got a broad smile from Kimie that had him turning slightly to avoid her gaze, a small blush showing up on his face again. He sighed before speaking up.

"I didn't think the first time a girl saw me naked would be this awkward. I mean, having an unprepared person just catch sight of... Everything..." A self-deprecating smile showed up on his face. "Sorry for the trauma, though I'm not sure I can afford to pay for the years of therapy you'll need."

The girl turned away from Matsuda before speaking up in a faint tone of voice.

"It... Really wasn't that bad."

"There's no need to try to spare my feelings, you know? Years of being openly perverted made me immune to any sort of psychological damage from insults and stuff like that."

"I'm..." The girl cleared her throat before speaking in a firmer tone. "I'm serious. Your b-body is v-very athletic, with t-toned and d-de-defined muscles. It's... Aesthetically pleasant. A-and your p-p-pe-... man-parts were very... Manly."

Matsuda's eyebrows rose all the way to where his hairline would have been were he not bald, his tone rising equally in response.

"Really!?"

"Y-yeah, you're very... Manly. Really, I... I think you were the one who came off worse in this... 'Trade.'"

"What do you mean?"

"Well... You're all defined, and manly and stuff, while I'm... Not very girly at all."

The baldy turned an incredulous look towards the girl, yet she did not see it as she had deliberately turned away from him as she spoke, in an attempt at hiding her embarrassment.

"Guys usually prefer girls that are shorter than them, with soft bodies with curves and big chests. Me? I'm just a flat-chested, curve-less light post with giraffe legs. Of the two of us, I should be the one to feel embarrassed."

"Every word of what you've just said is wrong."

Kimie jerked in surprise at the sudden intensity of Matsuda's tone, reflexively turning towards him, only for her gaze to lock itself onto his serious mien.

"When the steam curtain fell, I saw everything. I saw the lithe, svelte physique of a runner, a tight core with visible abs, long, toned legs, and a stunning pair of thighs. Your skin is very soft, and you smell really nice. I don't mind looking up at a girl, and I don't know any guys who would feel bothered by taller girls, and..." A small blush made itself visible on his face again, yet his voice was still as powerful and unyielding as he spoke. "I really like your small breasts. I find them cute!"

The blonde looked away from Matsuda, her face looking and feeling as if it were about to light up in flames. She looked down at the ground in indecision before a look of determination came over her face.

She looked up, not shying away from Matsuda's gaze even while feeling the massive blush that she was sporting.

"I... Thank you for those words..."

She shuffled in place for a moment, linking her hands together in front of her body and looking down at her feet before she spoke.

"So... Are you coming to see me next weekend as well? To train, I mean! Come to see me next weekend to train!"

"Yes, I am!"

"Good..."

She then surprised Matsuda by taking a step towards him and giving his cheek a quick peck, leaving him standing frozen in place as if he were a marble statue.

"Gotta go see you Monday bye!"

She then shuffled off in a speed walk that made full use of her leg length, leaving Matsuda alone right outside the gates of Kuoh, his eyes wide and a hand atop his cheek.

He felt his feet start moving automatically towards his home, a single thought running through his head.

'She kissed me.'

A random passerby took a single look at the weird bald dude walking around the streets of Kuoh at night, one hand pressed against his cheek and a goofy smile on his face, and immediately chose to change sidewalks.

---

" 'Remember, Aika, you need to make a good impression on these young heirs, it won't be so bad, you may even have fun, mimimi.' Won't be so bad my foot."

With her back to a wall in an out-of-the-way corner, Aika could do little more to vent her frustration than grumble in dissatisfaction.

She could honestly say that this day was turning out to be one of the worst in recent memory. It started with her having to leave home early to go out with her sister, something that was not innately bad but made it so that she didn't manage to get some of the early morning lovin' Issei had gotten her used to.

After a morning of adjusting the dress she had chosen - yellow, with a neckline that completely hid the bust, but left the upper chest, neck, and shoulders bare, and a lighter-hued layered skirt reaching to the ankles - and diving into her sister's closet for a matching pair of shoes - black, strappy heeled sandals - and jewelry - silver earrings and a thin white gold bracelet - Aika was forced onto an aesthetician's chair and subjected to hours upon hours of hair and make-up work.

It was basically hell, having to stay still for hours as some unknown lady slathered a slew of creams, pastes, and powders onto her face, all in an attempt at making it seem as if none of those things had been used on her in the first place when she could have gotten a visually similar result by simply not painting her face at all.

After having finished with all of that and while heading towards the event itself, Aika had to deal with her mother pestering her about how she had to 'be on her best behavior' as if she had forgotten all the other times she had attended similar parties for the entirety of her childhood.

And after that, she had to successfully keep a fake smile on her face even as she was approached by a torrent of strangers, some of them adults trying to suck up to her parents by complimenting her, others obviously looking to match-make, though she was pleased to see her father deferring to her wishes first and foremost, while her mother looked at her for a while, before choosing to remain silent.

The worst ones were the heirs, though. She could honestly say that she was starting to despise them all with a great passion.

The boys kept approaching her and trying all of the tricks they probably used to bag girls with much lower standards, from flashing their overly expensive watches, bragging about how much money they spent on trips, cars, vacation homes, and so on, telling stories about 'how much hell they managed to raise while still getting away with it' in an attempt at seeming like bad boys and promising to buy her anything she wants if she as much as asked, all while poorly concealing their lustful leers.

The girls, on the other hand, approached her with plastered-on smiles, weaving fake - and noticeably back-handed - compliments, humble-bragging about vapid things such as how much money they spent on buying a particular set of clothes, shoes or jewelry from a particular brand, and gloating about how they 'have boys one, two and three wrapped around their little finger', all the while giving her triumphant looks, as if for them that marked some sort of moral victory over her.

She pasted a fake smile on her face in response to a nod from the owner of a real estate firm who seemed to be hell-bent on setting her up with his son.

Said son was the one that had earlier chosen to walk up to and strike up a conversation with her, only to spend the entire time unfavorably comparing her with her older sister in what he likely believed to be a subtle attempt at 'softening her up' by attacking her ego.

Turning away from the man as soon as she could without seeming rude or impolite, Aika looked around for her sister to get some good company for herself, only to witness her speaking with a college-aged heir. He appeared to see no problem in skirting the lines of decency in terms of respecting personal space.

Their gazes met for an instant, an almost tangible sense of commiseration passing through them, before Mira turned her focus back towards the 'conversation,' not wishing to be impolite.

'Maybe I shouldn't have come... Honestly, so far, things have been so shitty that I'm considering simply faking an illness for the sake of leaving early. I just can't thrive in this hellish amalgamation of a wolf den/snake pit in the same way that these other jerks do.'

She sighed out loud, thoughts of being at home, cuddling on the couch with her boyfriend as they watched some sort of silly show flashing past her mind.

'Well...' She thought cynically. 'At least things can't get any worse.'

"Hello, beautiful~"

'Few times before have I ever regretted being wrong as much as I do right now.'

Aika turned around towards the - unwanted - familiar voice coming from behind her, not even making the slightest bit of effort to hide her scowl as she spoke.

"What are you doing here?"

Clad in a dark blue pinstriped suit and dark brown shoes, Motoyasu flashed Aika his best effort at a winning smile before responding.

"I am currently talking to the prettiest girl in the building~"

Aika's scowl deepened at that, her tone less than friendly as she responded.

"And now you're being shooed off by 'the prettiest girl in the building' like the absolute loser you are."

A vein throbbed on Motoyasu's forehead, his smile turning visibly strained in response to Aika's words.

"Now now-" Aika almost swore she could hear the blond's teeth grinding in-between words, "I'm quite sure that unlike certain upstart commoners, people of our higher breed have been taught the proper social norms to be observed in these sorts of events, no?"

Aika's scowl turned into a smirk, her tone becoming sickeningly saccharine as she spoke.

"Ara, whatever do you mean by our higher breed? I mean... Not to be rude or anything, but I have never seen a high breed anything being completely and utterly thrashed by an upstart commoner. After all, if you're inferior to the one you consider a commoner, then what is your true value, really?"

Motoyasu's already strained smile shifted and grew until it could no longer be called that, but rather a display of teeth of the sort that would imply challenge in nature.

Aika's face split into a mocking facsimile of a conspiratorial grin as she leaned forward - after having taken a step back to maintain her distance from him - before faux-whispering.

"There's something I'd like you to tell me. There's a rumor going around that you chose to run away from Kuoh after Ise humiliated you in front of everybody. Is it true?"

Motoyasu clenched his fist, conscious of the fact that the two were in a very public venue and in close vicinity of basically everyone who was someone in Japanese society, while Aika spoke on, ignoring the heated glare that had fixed itself on her, as well as the now open grinding of Motoyasu's teeth.

"I mean, I wouldn't blame you if you did choose to run away. It's the only thing an inferior weakling like yourself could do when faced with someone of my Ise's caliber."

The blond's fist clenched for all of a moment as the reminder of his humiliation burned at him like a flaming brand before he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then exhaled, allowing all of the tension in his body to be carried off with the refuse breath.

He turned an odd gaze towards Aika that forced the girl to suppress a reflexive step away from him, a smirk appearing across his face as he spoke.

"You act as if that boy is in any way superior to me, but am I not ultimately at a gathering of the movers and shakers of Japanese high-society, rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous? Does that boy even have the class to show up to these sorts of gatherings?

"I am quite sure that wherever he is, it's nowhere up to the standards of this event-"

"Okay, first of all, there is a very short list of people that get to call me boy, and you're not on it."

Both Aika and Motoyasu turned towards the source of the voice on a dime, their eyes widening in surprise and shining with various powerful emotions - though Aika's were very much more positive than Motoyasu's - at the sight before them.

Wearing a burgundy vest and tie over a white button-up shirt, black slacks, a dark brown belt, and equally colored leather shoes, Issei all but exuded a sense of casual elegance even as he stood in place, a consequence of the easy set in his shoulders paired with his slicked-back hair and the cocky smirk he directed towards Motoyasu.

"As for the second point..." Issei walked up to Aika's side, wrapping an arm around her waist before shrugging nonchalantly towards the blond. "Well, that's just factually incorrect. Didn't expect any better from you, though."

"You-" Motoyasu just barely managed to hold back the loud expletive that was about to leave his mouth, clenching a fist before hissing between gritted teeth. "Hyoudou. What a...Surprise."

"You don't sound particularly thrilled at meeting me, Motoyasu. After the warm greeting you gave Aika, I'd expect you to face another classmate with the same level of joy."

The blond could only seethe silently in the face of Issei's nonchalant air, ultimately choosing to abruptly turn his back on the couple before storming off.

"Wow, what a shameless little shit," Issei sighed out loud. "Tries to hit on a girl he knows is in a relationship, and then runs away as soon as her boyfriend appears."

"Err, Ise..." Aika, having finally shaken off the shock of Issei's surprising interjection into the conversation, spoke up. "Not that I'm not happy you're here, but... How come you're here?"

"My boss scored me an invite, but that's not important. What's important is that your savage, chest-thumping ape of a boyfriend is present, ready and willing to club any predatory species over the head, just for you."

Aika couldn't stop a smile from blooming on her face at Issei's joking tone, lightly smacking him on the shoulder before leaning into his side, relaxing further as his arm gave her waist a reassuring squeeze.

"So," The brunet male spoke up. "what is considered something interesting to do in these sorts of events?"

"The 'correct' response would be 'having fascinating and enlightening conversations with the other invitees' since the primary purpose of this sort of event is networking. Since the overwhelming majority of the people our age in this place are absolute assholes, and the decent people are mostly out of our age range and thus unwilling to waste valuable 'connection making' time talking to hormone-filled teens who are more likely to be extremely spoiled than not, well... I guess we could hit the bar? They have a great selection of flavored waters and juices."

"Alright," Issei said with a shrug. "This is your turf, so lead the way."

---

He had expected this to be just another side-gig.

He just had to put on his slightly fancier clothes and stand behind a bar at a high-class party, selling overhyped and overpriced brand-name drinks to a bunch of stuck-up, look-down-their-nose types for the whole night, and maybe slip a few of the older teens a bottle or two if they looked like the type to be careful and discreet about it.

"Ginei?"

He never expected to meet his coworker/team leader at this sort of event, though. It just didn't sound like his type of thing, to be honest.

"Issei. I didn't expect to end up meeting up with you tonight."

"I didn't expect to even be here until earlier tonight, so you're not the only one surprised." Seizing a natural break in the conversation, Issei shifted his focus towards his girlfriend before speaking up. "Aika, this is Ginei, a friend from work. Ginei, this is Aika, one of my girlfriends."

Blinking owlishly at that introduction, Ginei turned a questionable gaze towards Issei before speaking up.

"Girlfriends?"

"Yes," Aika spoke up in response, surprising the college-aged bartender, "My Ise has a very ambitious plan to hoard a whole lot of love, and I happen to be supportive of that plan. Very supportive."

"...Huh." Ginei's surprise had him blinking owlishly once more before he responded. "Matching puzzle pieces, I guess. It's pretty surprising how cool you're with this, though, Aika-san. My girlfriend starts pouting if I as much as breathe the same air as another girl. Well, I guess that's enough of my private life. What're you two having?"

"I'll just take a water, thanks." was Aika's response, whereas Issei pulled up the menu and all but burned a hole into it with the intensity of his gaze before speaking up. "I'll have a Hetap."

"Which flavor will it be? Vanilla, Cream, Cola, Root Beer, Beer, Grape, Orange, Mandarin, Grapefruit, Chocolate, Cocoa, Honey, Sweet Melon, Green Apple..."

Issei's eyebrow twitched visibly at the last one before he spoke up.

"I'll have passionfruit. And I'd thank you to never mention that demonic fruit around me again, please."

Ginei found himself blinking owlishly for the third time this night before answering with a shrug and a bland "Alright, I guess."

"!"

Issei turned towards Aika after feeling her jump in place, leading her to wave him off.

"Just feel the need to hit the little ladies' room, nothing major."

"Alright."

Issei watched Aika's back for a moment before turning towards Ginei. His face and voice were absolutely devoid of humor as he spoke.

"Ginei, I'm gonna need you to do me a favor..."

---

"What is he doing here?"

Those words were the first thing Aika heard the instant she stepped into the bathroom. They had come from the visibly agitated form of her mother.

"Do you know what it means to gatecrash an event of this caliber? Do you know how shameful it'd be for him to be discovered? How much of a hit this could be to the reputation of anyone found out to be even remotely associated with him?"

"You talk as if I care about what the people here think about me."

"You should! Your future-"

"Stopped being any concern of yours when you decided to step away from my life."

Hokkyoku's face contorted in genuine pain at those words, her breath almost knocked out of her at the feeling of a metaphorical blade being slipped right through her ribs into her heart before the hand grabbing it twisted.

This contortion lasted for less than a full breath before the older woman's self-control reasserted its dominance, allowing her to speak up calmly.

"...Regardless of that, as far as the world is concerned, you are half of the image of KoRyuu (Yellow Dragon) Corporation's future. By associating yourself with that boy, you are-"

"I don't think you understand." Aika's tone all but encompassed the frigidity of the arctic air. "I. Don't. Care. I don't give a damn about reputation, the corporation, or anything else of the sort. I am only here as support for Mira, nothing less, nothing more."

While Hokkyoku's cool and collected facade seemed unperturbed, her tone carried some trepidation as she responded.

"Are those your true thoughts? Do you truly despise your parents so much? Your legacy?"

A cold, silent gaze was Aika's response.

"...I see."

The two women stared at one another in silence, one disdainful and the other emotionless, before a loud commotion from the outside reached their ears.

Aika's eyebrows rose as a distinct voice reached her ears.

'Ise?'

Hearing the escalation of noise, she didn't hesitate to turn her back on Hokkyoku and leave the bathroom, being met by a chaotic sight.

---

Going back to the moment Aika walked away from the bar, anyone in close proximity would have been met with the sight of a young man in a burgundy vest and one of the barmen having a very serious conversation.

"Alright," Ginei said with a nod, his face conveying great gravity. "I'll do it."

The college-aged barman's words made Issei sigh in relief, though his voice was still equally grave as he responded.

"Thanks, man. I'll owe you one."

Before Ginei could say anything in response, the two young men's conversation was interrupted by a nasal voice.

"Barkeep, I'll have a rum and coke."

Both Issei and Ginei turned their gaze toward the speaker, just another rich heir in overly expensive clothes, before Ginei gave Issei an apologetic look and shrug, which was followed up by him turning towards the other youth so that he could do his job.

"Alright, sir, I'll mix you up a rum and coke as long as you can produce some ID."

"ID? I don't need any of that. I just need my drink."

"I'm sorry, sir, but I am obligated to ID anyone that requests for alcoholic beverages."

The young man reeled at that, his face showing great disbelief as if he were unused to dealing with rejection. Surprise soon visibly turned into outrage as he slammed his hands on the counter, his tone one of petulant demand as he spoke.

"How dare you!? Do you think you have enough standing to dare refute my orders, servant? DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM!?"

"Hrnk."

The petulant heir rounded on the source of the mocking snort, his eyes wide and eyebrows raised in what was likely an attempt at being intimidating.

"How dare you laugh at me? Do you have any idea who I am? I am the heir of the Shinki family of real-estate development!"

Issei, unwilling to even focus on taking in the speaker's appearance, responded with a nonchalantly raised brow.

"Is that supposed to mean something?"

The young man reeled once again, not expecting his namedrop to be shrugged off in such a manner. He took a moment to look over the speaker, displeasure and envy growing as he took in the notably good physique he sported and the easy confidence he exuded. Having looked him up and down, the Shinki heir snorted contemptuously before speaking up.

"You must have a strong background to ignore my family's prestige, but, funny thing... I've never seen you in any of my social circles before. What's your name?"

"My name is none of your concern. Just get your drink and walk."

Having said that, Issei picked up his can of Hetap and took a sip, completely disregarding the fuming boy.

"Hoh~" A familiar - if unpleasant - tone reached Issei's ears. Cracking open one of his eyelids, he was once again met with the sight of Motoyasu, who had placed a hand onto the shoulder of the other guy before speaking. "Is there any trouble here, Kono-san?"

The petulant heir - Shinki Kono - turned a respectful gaze towards the blond before speaking up.

"Perhaps. There's an unknown, suspicious youth that refuses to identify himself. I believe he might be a troublemaker."

Motoyasu made a production of looking Issei up and down before speaking up.

"I know him. He goes to the same school as me, Kuoh Academy. He's one of the middle-class students lucky enough to have eked out an admittance."

The guarded, searching gaze Kono had been focusing on Issei turned into one of contempt, his lips curling as he spoke.

"A lowly commoner? However could it be that he made it in here?"

"Well..." Motoyasu's face twisted in a facsimile of a conflicted expression. "This... Hyoudou Issei-san has the reputation of a troublemaker and a delinquent. I'd hate to suggest this, but it might be that... No, never mind my previous thoughts. I don't believe anyone would be shameless enough to do so."

Kono's eyebrows raised at that.

"Please, Motoyasu-san, just speak your mind."

"Well..." The blond seemed hesitant to speak before ultimately letting out a 'defeated sigh,' "I think that... It might be possible that Hyoudou san is gatecrashing."

Kono's eyebrows raised the moment those words were said before he turned a disgusted gaze onto Issei.

"Is that correct? Are you so shameless as to try to infiltrate such an important gathering of the Japanese high society?"

Issei responded by raising his other eyebrow before turning towards the bar, completely disregarding the two.

"Another Hetap, please."

Ginei, without skipping a beat, passed Issei another can of drink, which the brunet did not hesitate to pop open.

Kono, tired of being disrespected by lowly commoners, took half a step forward...

PAH!

Before smacking the soft drink out of Issei's hand.

"I'm talking to you, commoner! Are you or are you not gatecrash-"

"Pick it up."

Issei's words, spoken in a calm tone, successfully raised the ire of the Shinki heir. "WHAT'D YOU SAY TO ME YOU- !"

The rest of his words felt trapped in his throat the moment he met the commoner's gaze. His chest felt stifled as if a heavy weight had been pressed atop it, while cold sweat beaded on his forehead and back. Gulping, Kono managed to push out a witless "Huh?"

Issei sighed out loud, pinching the bridge of his nose as he spoke, his tone now carrying heavy exasperation.

"When you drop something, you pick it up. Such is civility 101, something that any high-society heir should be aware of. I can't believe I have to explain such a simple, universal concept to you. What kind of heir are you? Do people expect you to be the future face of Shinki enterprises? Disgraceful!"

A red tinge went up Kono's ears, but while he would desperately like to refute those words, a mixture of shame and the memory of the look he had been given kept him from doing so.

Motoyasu, on the other hand, could only look at Issei with an annoyed scowl, unpleasantly surprised at his ability to keep his cool even in such an unfavorable situation.

"What's going on here?"

Motoyasu and Kono looked towards the owner of the new voice before their eyes gleamed in glee. Seizing this opportunity, Kono spoke up.

"A-san, I'm sorry for the commotion, but... There's a shady person here that seems to be a gatecrasher!"

A, the head of security hired for the event, was a bald 6'4 shades-wearing man with large, bulging muscles and big hands. He turned towards Issei as soon as those words were said, taking a moment to look the youth up and down before speaking up.

"I'm sorry to be a bother, sir, but can I see an invite?"

Motoyasu and Kono were surprised by how polite the security chief was, but those in the room with more life experience and a keener eye correctly understood the reason behind it.

The young man looked much too calm and composed for the situation he was in. With the focus of the entire Japanese high-society placed on him, he was accused of being little more than a gatecrasher. Despite this, he showed no panic or nervousness in any action he committed or word he spoke. For anyone to be this calm in such a situation, especially at this young man's age, would generally mean that they have some sort of assurance. To rashly make a show of force or aggression towards someone whose background and backing are unknown... You don't make it far in the security business making that sort of mistake.

Issei spared the shades-wearing man a single glance before turning his gaze back toward Kono.

"Pick. It. Up."

Every single person watching the whole debacle, Aika and Hokkyoku included, couldn't help but goggle at the daring youth's actions.

Kono's back straightened, his tone righteous as he spoke.

"You gatecrash a high society party, disrespect not only those who actually were invited but also the head of security, and you dare lecture me about civility? Shameless!"

"You're not going to pick the can up?"

Seeing Kono's self-righteous expression, Issei sighed before shrugging.

"Have it your way, then."

He proceeded to move, giving no time for anyone to react before Kono's face was already pressed onto the puddle of hetap on the ground, his attempts at pushing himself up impeded by a foot in the middle of his back.

"YOU DARE!"

A shrill shriek reached Issei's ears moments before an overweight middle-aged woman with a triple chin, each of them as caked with makeup as the rest of her face, bustled into the scene. She pointed a finger at him before shrieking once again.

"HOW DARE YOU LAY YOUR HANDS ON MY BABY BOY!? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHO IT IS YOU'RE MESSING WITH!?"

The woman's face reddened at the lack of reaction from the brunet, prompting her to grab onto A's sleeve before shouting again.

"KICK HIM OUT! RIGHT NOW!"

With such a big commotion being raised and the security chief on the floor, it wasn't any surprise when a handful of suit-wearing guards surrounded the nonchalant Issei.

A-san, still not wishing to jump to conclusions, spoke up one last time.

"Do you happen to have an invite, sir?"

Issei finally turned his focus toward the man, a pensive look coming over his face as he spoke.

"An invite, huh... Don't have one!"

The man's face darkened.

"I see. Men, apprehend him."

Issei's response to those words was a much-too-wide mocking grin and a 'come on' motion with his right hand.

"What the hell is going on in here!?"

While the words were not shouted, the tone the question was asked with was enough to halt the security men's advance on Issei. Everyone in the room other than Issei felt an irresistible compulsion to turn their focus towards the source of the voice before gasping in surprise.

A-san opened his mouth, ready to respond-

"I'm being apprehended and/or kicked out, apparently. Not really sure which."

Only for Issei to beat him to the punch, his tone jocose.

The speaker, Hageshi Katagi, surprised everybody by letting out a small chuckle.

"Great joke, Issei-san."

"Oh? What makes you think I'm joking?"

Smiling softly, the man spoke.

"Well, the idea of anyone trying to kick out a guest I've made an effort to personally invite to an event is nothing less than laughable..." His amused tone shifted into a hard one, narrowed eyes paired with a mild sneer as he spoke to A-san. "Isn't that right?"

A-san's spine straightened reflexively at that before he spoke.

"Sir!"

Hageshi's expression relaxed after that before an odd sight had him blinking owlishly.

"Err... I think you've something under your shoe?"

"Oh, don't worry about that. There was a small spill, and I'm using some trash I found hanging about to clean it up."

"If you say so..." Hageshi said while giving Issei a questioning look before his eyes widened slightly. "Oh, yes, I remembered that I came here looking for you for business. There are some people I'd like you to meet."

"Welp..." Issei rubbed his shoe clean on Kono's shirt before hopping off of him. "Lead the way."

The two walked off, leaving behind a room that soon exploded into furious whispers and gossip.

Close to the outer rim of the crowd, Aika turned a triumphant look at her pale-faced mother before walking off.

She settled down at an empty table with her water bottle, fully content with ignoring the events around her.

---

Issei and Susanoo walked down a series of hallways in silence, stopping in front of an overly ornate set of double doors, with golden details set into an oaken frame.

The two traded serious looks before the disguised god pushed the doors open, allowing Issei to step into a meeting room. Six people sat around a large, round table, while another stood behind each of them in a defensive position.

Every pair of eyes in the room turned towards Issei. He took the time to look around the room, taking in its general details.

Hageshi took a seat at the table, but someone spoke up before he could.

"You better have a good reason to have called this meeting, Hageshi! I have more to do than mingle with you folks!"

Issei turned his focus towards the speaker, a tall, muscular 50-something-year-old man with broad shoulders and a mean face, with a pair of large scars running across the bridge of his nose. Thinning white hair adorned his head, and a trimmed goatee surrounded his mouth. His thick arms and the general air around him made it feel as if he was capable of physically triumphing over people even half his age, and the hard look in his eyes backed up that statement.

"Do you think I'd call a meeting just to have tea time with you, Tsuyoi?"

Issei blinked at that, memories of the two times he heard that name before coming up. Uncaring of the tense atmosphere that hung within the room, he pointed at the man before asking Susanoo.

"Who's the old dude?"

Silent surprise hung around the room at Issei's question.

Incredulous gazes were turned toward the brunet before the man standing behind the muscular old man, a tall, bald, buff 30-something-year-old in an all-white suit, stepped up to him. The man glared viciously at Issei, his tone angry as he spoke.

"Who are you to so brazenly refer to Tsuyoi-sama?"

Issei raised an eyebrow at the man before turning toward Susanoo.

"Who is this guy, and why shouldn't I break his legs?"

"WHY YOU-"

"That's enough, Kouji!"

The bald man, Kouji, trembled at the powerful tone of the old man before going back to his place behind him.

'Hageshi,' not at all surprised by what happened, spoke up.

"That was Tsuyoi Kouji, the grandson of the one you called an old man, Tsuyoi Ken. "

"Alright... I know their names, but I have no idea who they really are or why I'm even here meeting them. Anyone else at this table, really."

'Hageshi' nodded at that before nodding towards the old man.

"That man is Tsuyoi Ken, the current leader of the Tsuyoi clan of martial artists, and the chief of the Kansai region's Yakuza."

"...I see. Would I be right to assume that everyone at the table is related to the leadership of Japan's criminal underbelly in one way or another?"

"Indeed." Hageshi waved a hand towards a slender, pale-skinned middle-aged woman in a visibly expensive white kimono with cream-colored flower patterns. Her eyes were cold and austere. "This is Fubuki Ue, the head of the Hokkaido region and leader of the Fubuki clan of Yuki-Onna."

His gaze then moved towards a bald, portly 70-something-year-old man with a chinstrap beard and sharp, straightforward eyes.

"Kaze Wokiru, head of the Tohoku region."

The next one to be pointed out was a shifty-looking 30-something year old with narrow, down-turned eyes and whose face bore a wide, nasty smirk. The moment Issei laid his eyes on the man, he could tell that he wasn't someone to be trusted.

"Nuru Nezumi, Chubu."

After him was a man who looked to have gracefully aged into his 60's, he had a full head of silver-white hair, kind brown eyes, and a friendly smile. His build was slightly overweight, but not something hazardous to his health. He gave Issei a friendly wave.

"This is Nonkina Tomo, head of the Chugoku region."

Afterwards was a violet-haired woman in a dark blue pinstripe pantsuit. Her wavy chest-length hair fell over her right shoulder, framing a rounded face with almond-shaped brown eyes, a small nose, and upturned lips painted with a vibrant shade of red. She observed Issei as he watched her, leaning forward so that the slightest bit of her cleavage became visible to the teen and flashing him a saucy grin while waving her fingers at him.

"This is the representative of the head of the Shikoku region-"

Hageshi was interrupted by the woman's seductive voice.

"Most call me Murasaki, but you can call me Mu-chan, cutie~"

"Ahem," The disguised god conspicuously cleared his throat before proceeding. "You already know who I am, and I'm the head of the Kanto region."

"I see..." Issei nodded thoughtfully, "What about Okinawa and Kyushu? And what about Kuoh? It's positioned in the exact point where the borders of the Kanto, Tohoku, and Chubu regions meet."

"Chuchuchuchuchu~ You seem to be very new to this life if you don't even know such basic things as the curse of the eighth."

Issei turned towards Nezumi with a raised eyebrow.

"Eighth? Curse? What are you talking about?"

"Chuchuchu~... All information comes at a price, boy. Are you willing to pa-"

"Nevermind then."

Nezumi blinked owlishly at the casual dismissal before speaking up.

"Others are willing to pay an arm and a leg to get the tiniest bit of info from me, and you just brush it off like that... It seems you don't know the true value of good info."

"Just put it on my Tab, Nezumi," Murasaki spoke up.

"If you say so," The man shrugged before turning towards Issei. "You might not know this, but the seven heads of the Japanese underworld are known as the seven heads of the snake. The reason why is because while we may bicker and fight against each other, we're all ultimately dependent on the same world of business - the same body - to survive. Drugs, prostitution, enforcement, gambling, loansharking, money-laundering, government corruption... We're all involved in it in one way or another. If any of those businesses collapsed, all of us would suffer the fallout.

"The curse of the eighth refers to that, and the legend of the Eight-headed snake, Yamata no Orochi. There are always heads for the Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, Chubu, Kansai, Chugoku and Shikoku regions. Okinawa is neutral ground, both since it is a resting place for the elderly and, more recently, due to the American military's presence. Bad for business.

"Kyushu, though... Kyushu is no-man's land. Everyone has a finger in the Kyushu pie. Once one steps in there, all bets are off. The reason why is the lack of an organized structure in Kyushu. Every time an individual or group tries to rise to become the head of Kyushu, to become the eighth head of the snake, they end up unfailingly losing their life.

"The most spoken of theory is that the god Susanoo wants to ensure that no eight-headed snakes ever appear in japan again due to his hatred of the Yamata no Orochi. Personally speaking, I don't care about the why and how. All I care about is the fact that a disorganized Kyushu is good for business. Chuchuchuchuchu~"

"Huh. That's... Mildly interesting. And what about the people behind the bosses? Can you tell me anything interesting about them?"

"Pfft~" Murasaki cut in with a wave of her hand. "They're completely irrelevant, so forget about them, cutie. How about you talk about yourself instead, mhm?"

"Talk about myself? Mhm..." Issei rubbed his chin thoughtfully before speaking up. "Name's Issei. I really like breasts. Don't fuck with me unless you're willing to get stomped. I guess that's about it."

"Kukuku~" The violet-haired woman chuckled mirthfully at those words, her eyes gleaming with noticeable interest that surprised everybody in the room. "Such an interesting introduction, Icchan~"

"Hmph." Ue snorted out loud. "I was unaware that this meeting was for the purposes of matchmaking. If that is all we're here to do, then I'm more than willing to leave right now."

"Chuchuchuchuchu~" Nezumi squeaked out in laughter at Ue's reaction. "Are you sure this is a meeting you can afford to skip out on?"

Nezumi's words brought a serious frown to Ue's face and intrigued looks all-around the room, with the exception being Murasaki, who seemed to be entertaining herself by silently flirting with Issei, and Hageshi, whose eyes narrowed dangerously before he spoke.

"So you were already aware?"

"Chuchuchuchuchu~... Is there a piece of news that doesn't make its way into my home before reaching all of you?"

A heavy frown came over Tsuyoi's face as he addressed Hageshi.

"What are the two of you talking about?"

Hageshi's posture shifted, instantly causing the whole room to fall into silence. Allowing the silence to stretch out for a few seconds, the god in disguise spoke.

"Various strange events have been occurring throughout the extent of Japan. I'm sure all of you are already aware of this since all of you likely have already been forced to play janitor. What you might not be aware of is that all of these events are related.

"I brought Issei here tonight because he can explain things from a first-hand perspective."

Finally understanding why he had been brought into the meeting, Issei didn't hesitate to pull a chair for himself and take a seat, an act that caused quite a few faces in the room to twitch, before speaking.

"There is concerted enemy action behind the strange events. There are at least three groups involved in these events so far. The first group are the Chinese martial artists. Various clans have come into the country and have begun taking over the underground scene of different towns and cities on a local level. They swallow up the business of smaller groups and families for themselves.

"The second group is simply known as "The Order." They're fanatics with a hate-boner for everything not-human, and they're willing to go as far as possible to ensure that they get to 'take care of the filth.'

"There is also a third group which seems to be the center of all of this business. The Chinese martial artists have been hired to do work here by them, and this 'Order' seems to be allied to it, though they're in a weaker position. All that I know of this third group so far is that they have a method to forcefully induce some sort of as-of-now irreversible transformation in humans, that their clean-up department is a well-oiled machine... And the term 'Humanitas'.'

Issei's words once again shocked the room into silence, though this was a somber, reflective silence.

With a mild frown on his face, Nonkina Tomo, the boss of the Chugoku region, spoke.

"Can you tell us more about this... Transformation method?"

The brunet shook his head in response.

"I know that there's some sort of method, and I've seen the end-result of the said method... But I've not seen the transformation itself occurring. Whether that is a good or bad thing, I cannot tell."

The lie was said out of little more than a gut feeling from Issei, a voice in the back of his mind telling him not to blindly trust the people within that room with more information than needed.

The Chugoku head nodded at that before Tsuyoi spoke up.

"What is the result of this... Transformation?"

Turning a cool gaze towards the head of Kansai, Issei spoke.

"Physical mutation. The remains I've seen are of muscular, hairy, hoofed creatures. Maybe something like a goat, bison, deer, bull... No definite answer, though, since I've never seen a full corpse, nor one of those things while still alive and kicking."

"Why should we believe anything you've said so far, boy?"

Issei turned towards the source of the rude question, Ue, with an answer at the tip of his tongue, only for Murasaki to walk up to him and pinch his cheek as she spoke.

"Oh come now, Lady Fubuki, does Icchan have the face of someone who'd just come in here and lie~?

The Yuki-Onna snorted at Murasaki before moving her focus away from Issei, seemingly retracting her question.

After a few more minutes of silence all around, Kaze, the boss of the Tohoku region, spoke.

"I won't beat around the bush like the others, Hageshi. What is your goal? If you simply wanted to inform us, you'd have done so without having to call for a meet."

Clasping his fingers together, Hageshi leaned forward before speaking.

"My goals are twofold. First, I want to propose an alliance between all of us, to last at least until the end of this invasion crisis. Second of all, I am assembling a team whose purpose is to intervene in these sort of anomalous events, and to collect as much information on the other side as possible, so that we can attempt to deduce their ultimate goals. For this to work, this team would need to have the ability to freely travel the whole country unhindered, regardless of whichever region they were in, or whichever activity they are to undertake."

Shifting her focus from Issei for the first time the whole night, Murasaki turned a shrewd gaze towards Hageshi before making herself heard.

"What would the terms of this alliance you're suggesting be?"

"An immediate cessation of all conflict between us. All territory and business disputes would be halted until this invasion situation is fully resolved. Any information that could be deemed important in resolving this affair would be equally shared between all of us. While our defensive intelligence resources would maintain full operations as they currently are, our more offensive ones would be fully turned towards this enemy."

"The Shikoku region accepts those terms for a temporary alliance."

Having said her piece, Murasaki went back to shamelessly hitting on Issei.

The other bosses were surprised by the easy acceptance of the terms from one of the most cunning, business-oriented individuals among them. After a few minutes of thought, though, another spoke up.

"The Tohoku region is willing to adhere to this temporary alliance."

The various other bosses traded looks before they all nodded.

"Chugoku accepts."

"Hokkaido as well."

"As if I'd reject the ability to access more information for free, Chuchuchuchuchu~ Chubu accepts the terms of the alliance. Chuchuchuchuchu~"

"...Kansai is willing to put conflict with the other primary regions aside for the duration of the crisis."

"Good." Hageshi let out a relieved sigh before addressing the other subject. "Now, about this team, I'm assembling... Given the role said team is expected to fulfill, they will need not just the ability to move unhindered through the streets of the various regions, but they'll also need access to various resources. Be it information, medicine, vehicles, restricted areas... They'll need it."

"So you expect us to give your people free rein and access to our land and resources?" Tsuyoi asked with a scowl. "Absolutely not!"

"Tsuyoi-"

"They're not Katagi's people."

Everyone's focus turned towards Issei again, who kept speaking.

"He might have taken the first step towards assembling the team in acknowledging a need for its existence, but the actual team members aren't people in his camp."

"What do you mean?" Fubuki asked curiously.

"What I mean is that just like me, the leader of this team is from Kuoh, born and raised. The reason why I knew all that I told you about the other side is because I was designated as the middle-man between Katagi and The Boss."

Issei's words elicited the curiosity of everyone in the room, yet he spoke before anyone else could ask a question.

"When Katagi talked to The Boss about assembling a team, he told Katagi that he got to pick one of his people to join the team and ensure that the mission is the priority and that Katagi could be alerted if the team started acting against the best interests of his 'corporation'.

"If all of you were to join in on the team project, I'm quite sure The Boss would extend the same terms to each one of you."

"Mhm~..." Murasaki shamelessly ran her purple-painted fingernails down Issei's cheek as she spoke. "While I have the authority to choose whether or not the Shikoku region joins the alliance, I don't have the authority to choose this second matter regarding full openness towards the team. I'll need to talk to my superior about this, and I'll also need a way to contact you, Icchan~"

"Understandable." The brunet nodded before pulling a business card out of his vest pocket and handing it to the woman. "That's my work number. You can call it if you need me to get anything to reach The Boss."

"I'll also require more time to think the second part through," Fubuki said cooly, to which all the other region bosses nodded in agreement.

With the meeting having reached the end, a business card was handed to each of the bosses before they all trickled back into the social event proper, leaving behind only Issei and Hageshi.

After ensuring that they were alone, Hageshi spoke up.

"That Murasaki woman-"

"No need to say a thing. She's Bad News of the highest caliber. I could feel it in my very bones the mere moment my eyes fell on her."

"...Be careful, Issei."

The brunet opened the door of the meeting room before flashing a smirk at the storm god.

"Aren't I always?"

He then proceeded to close the door behind his back, leaving the disguised Susanoo alone within the room.

The god leaned back into his chair, a pensive expression on his face as he went through the whole meeting in his head.

'It feels like something's off here, but I don't know what...'

He decided then and there that he'd find out.

---

"Good evening, Hyoudou-san."

These words were said to Issei when he entered the large ballroom the party was occurring in. He turned an indifferent gaze towards the source of the words before speaking.

"Kiryuu Hokkyoku."

"I..." The woman took a moment to straighten out her out-of-control thoughts before proceeding, "I'd like to know if you have a minu-"

Bzzzzt!

Issei didn't hesitate to turn his back on Hokkyoku as he retrieved his cellphone from his pocket and picked up a call.

A frown came onto Issei's face before deepening further and further as the person on the other side spoke. He simply nodded silently before grunting out an "I'll be right there."

He turned back towards Hokkyoku before speaking.

"I'd tell you that there are more pleasant things for me to do with a minute than talk to you, but unfortunately, what I am needed for right now is not one of them."

He proceeded to march out of the gathering, his facial expression causing the people in the way to part around him like the red sea did for Moses.

---

"SAY HO, SAY HEY, SAY LET'S GO~"

"Hahahaha! So-chan is so hilarious!"

"Hehehe, and then she said-"

"-and then we went to the Bahamas-"

"-Jamaican attendant, and he-"

Aika, with an untouched glass of orange juice in hand, allowed the chatter of the other teenaged heirs to flow around her.

Her mood, which had been buoyed by Issei's presence, had taken a massive downturn.

Said downturn is a consequence of an invitation that was extended to her. The birthday of a banker family's heir had fallen on the same date as the social event. Rather than either missing the event or forgoing a birthday celebration, the heir had the 'genius' idea of attending the event for a few hours to ensure that the movers and shakers made a note of his presence before inviting the other heirs he was friendly with to a high-scale Karaoke bar he had booked for the night.

Aika wasn't a friend of this heir or even a friend of his friends. She was, however, seen walking together with 'Hageshi Katagi's personal guest,' which suddenly made the other heirs much more friendly towards her, up to including her in the birthday celebration.

She could have refused the invitation, but that would have been considered as snubbing not just the birthday boy but his whole friend group, something which could ultimately make things harder for Mira down the line as the next head of the KoRyuu (Yellow Dragon) Corporation, which is why she ultimately chose to attend the 'birthday party.'

But the unequivocal worst part of having to attend this birthday party-

"How about we sing a duet, Aika-san?"

-was having to deal with Motoyasu's attempts at charming her.

She gave the blond the same response she already had after all of his previous attempts at engaging her, which was to snort contemptuously at him, before turning her focus toward literally anything else.

The sight that befell her this time froze her in shock, though.

An heiress had just poured a small ziplock bag's worth of white powder over a small table before splitting it into lines with a Yen bill.

Sniiiiiiffff...

She then proceeded to roll up said bill and snort up one of the lines before passing the bill to the boy next to her, who did the same thing.

She turned elsewhere, only to see a guy holding a small pill between his thumb and index fingers, while a girl acted as if she were a dog begging for treats, shamelessly licking at his fingers in an attempt at snagging the pill.

Regardless of wherever it was she turned to, the sight of open and unashamed drug usage met gaze.

"!"

She felt... Something... Run down her spine, leading her to lean down as if she were adjusting her shoes, using said leaning as a disguise and pretext for her looking at Motoyasu out the corner of her eye, only to witness him talking to two youths that were previously not together with the group.

Feeling a sinking feeling in her stomach, Aika discreetly pulled out her phone, only to inwardly curse at the sight of zero bars of reception.

Not allowing her rising trepidation to show on her face, the girl picked up her purse and made her way to the door, only to be stopped by one of the youths that had been talking to Motoyasu.

Said youth, a slim 5'7" teen clad in a green Hanfu, flashed Aika what was likely meant to be a reassuring smile as he spoke.

"Such a lovely flower abandoning the festivities this early would not spark joy."

Keeping a calm expression, Aika spoke in a relaxed tone.

"I need to go to the bathroom."

The youth looked over Aika's shoulder to where she estimated Motoyasu to be before nodding lightly at her.

"Well, it'd be rather unmanly to allow a beautiful blooming rose to walk around without an escort, subject to the depredations of any random miscreant. I'll walk you there."

The girl cursed inwardly, though her only external reaction was to let out a put-upon sigh before giving a short, irritated nod.

The two walked out into the empty establishment, with the green-clad youth perfectly content with keeping his gaze solely on Aika, while the girl slowly looked at the building around her, using basic curiosity as a cover for her frantic attempts at picking up any sort of detail that could help her out of this situation.

She gradually sped up her steps, acting just like any other person who really needed a bathroom trip would until she saw a turn into another corridor.

Using the reflection of a glass door to make sure that there was a reasonable distance between her and her 'escort,' Aika bolted into a full sprint into the corridor, stopping right after making a corner and taking off her shoes before manually smacking them against the ground, lightening the amount of force she used every few steps to simulate her getting further away.

The green-clad youth sprinted around the corner after her as expected, only to be met with a full-strength soccer kick to the crotch that was successful in instantly downing him.

Aika didn't hesitate to turn her back on him and keep running, only for the sound of jingling metal coupled with a terrible feeling to lead her to suddenly throw herself belly-first onto the ground, which allowed her to watch open-mouthed as a long chain with links as thick as two of her fingers flew over her head and slammed into one of the walls with a resounding CRACK, tossing dust and small bits of stone around.

Her eyes widened as the chain sped backward, forcing her to roll out of the way before jumping back up to her feet and taking off as fast as she could, constrained by her clothing. The moment she went out of sight of the guy, she leaned down and made a rip on each side of her dress, allowing her to run full-tilt before she made her way down the various corridors of the mostly underground structure.

Aika's eyes widened in relief as she reached a set of stairs that seemed to finally lead to the ground floor. She ran up full-speed and slammed through the double doors into another corridor. This one was lined with windows that showed the outside, which seemed to be conspicuously empty.

"Well, I didn't expect you to make it up here."

Aika's face twisted in a mixture of disgust and wariness when Motoyasu walked into sight with his other friend, this one clad in a dark blue Tangzhuang.

Said friend spoke up.

"Didn't expect Shu to fail so spectacularly at escorting a single mortal."

"There's no need to use such pointed words, senior brother Egun. Let's not focus on what happened, but rather on what is happening."

Motoyasu and the now-named Egun turned their focus towards Aika, causing her heartbeat to speed up, the adrenalin rushing through her veins in such a way that made her feel a weird warmth welling up in her chest.

She looked around the room for something she could use to defend herself with, only to end up witnessing the green-clad one, Shu, stepping off the stairs into the ground floor, as she had recently done, causing her heart to speed up further and the warmth in her chest to increase to uncomfortable levels.

"Oi, Shu, how the hell did you let her escape you?"

Shu, still bow legged, glared at Aika before answering.

"This bitch is smart; you guys shouldn't underestimate her."

"Pfft," Egun waved off Shu's words, "She's a mortal. We're cultivators. Telling us not to underestimate her is like telling an elephant to be careful of a single grounded ant. Anyway, junior brother Motoyasu said that he wanted her, so we just give her to him, and nothing else matters."

The three started advancing on Aika, causing her breathing to speed up and the warmth in her chest to rise further-

CRASH!

Only for something to crash through one of the windows, stopping right between Aika and the two straight-legged boys.

"Run!"

Aika didn't hesitate, jumping out of the broken window the very instant the surprise had worn off.

"FUBUKI!" (Blizzard)

The three cultivators had barely taken a step forward before they were buffeted by a strong cold wind and enough snow to push them back.

The sudden blizzard persisted for a couple of minutes before dying out as suddenly as it came, leaving behind only the shattered remains of a window.

"FUCK!" Motoyasu punched a wall hard enough to leave an imprint of his fist out of anger. "If she tells anyone what happened here, my reputation is destroyed! We need to find and stop her!"

"Calm down, junior brother Motoyasu. We'll get them."

The blond turned towards the Egun with a questioning gaze, prompting the blue-clad cultivator to smirk before speaking up.

"I succeeded in cultivating the Snake Incarnation Art to the level of initial perfection, and Shu has gotten Spirit Chain Art down to intermediate success."

"And what does that mean?"

Egun closed his eyes and took a deep breath before a few thin scale-like patterns emerged on his face. His eyes snapped open, the sclerae having gained a greenish tint and the irises and pupils replaced by a single vertical slit each.

Shu did two odd hand signs before shaking out his right sleeve, allowing a thin chain with the width of a newborn's pinky to emerge into view.

"It meanssssssss," Egun spoke with a sibilant hiss that exposed his now forked-tongue, "That we can do thisssssssss!"

He bit his own tongue and spat the resulting blood onto the chain before the two started doing a series of simultaneous arcane hand signs.

"CHAIN ART OF SNAKE PUPPETRY!"

"CHAIN ART OF SNAKE PUPPETRY!"

The thin chain shook as beads of sweat gathered on the foreheads of the two cultivators before a flash of light filled the room, culminating in the delicate chain performing fluid, sinuous movements akin to those of a real snake.

"That looked very impressive, but... What will it accomplish?"

Egun, whose appearance had returned to normal, was the one to respond.

"Skilled practitioners of the Snake Incarnation Art are capable of tracking others over very long distances with a flick of a tongue by tasting the trail of residual Qi they leave behind. I am not skilled enough to do that as of yet, as my own Qi muddles my senses. However, someone who has managed to reach the level of intermediate success in the Spirit Chain Art has their Qi so in tune with their chain that they don't even need to propel it to move the chain. A simple exertion of will is enough to manipulate the chain.

"By conferring the properties of the Snake Incarnation Art to a Spirit Chain Art user that doesn't even need to move their Qi to control a chain, you can have the chain track a target without the Qi of the user interfering."

Motoyasu's eyes widened at that before Shu spoke.

"It caught their scent."

The three watched as the chain suddenly changed shapes, becoming straight as an arrow as it pointed out the window.

Trading self-assured smirks, the three followed the chain's directions towards their target.

---

After a few minutes of running without their pursuers in sight, some of the panic Aika felt faded - as did the warmth in her chest - finally allowing her to take in the whole situation and establish a few facts within her mind.

First, unsupervised parties of rich heirs descended into drug-fueled debauchery very quickly.

Second, someone that she believed to be an annoying asshole turned out to be a contemptible piece of human excrement with horrid designs upon her person.

Third, Issei's insistence on having her run every single morning, barring health issues, saved her bacon.

Fourth, there were apparently super-powered individuals running around the world.

Fifth, barmen were apparently capable of summoning ice at will.

Well, that fifth point was an estimation Aika made based on a sample size of one, with said sample being Issei's barman friend, Ginei.

While the two kept running, said barman spoke up.

"I know you've probably got a lot of questions right now, but all I can tell you is that Issei had a bad feeling and asked me to keep an eye on you."

Her eyes widened at that.

"Does Issei know about this!?"

"If you're referring to this specific situation, no! If you're referring to this whole 'super-powered individuals' thing, then yes!"

The two fell back into a mostly silent run. Unseen to Aika was the fact that Ginei's brows furrowed more and more as time passed until he ultimately cursed under his breath before speaking up.

"They're after us and catching up!"

"How!?"

"No idea, but if we keep running, they'll eventually catch up to us, and we'll just die tired!"

"Do you have any ideas for how we'll survive?"

Gine bit his lower teeth before responding.

"If I had my sword on me, those three wouldn't be a problem... Still, if I can get something even remotely sword-like in my hands and get you into either a hidden spot or an easily defensible position, then I could take care of these guys!"

Aika's mind raced after she heard those words before an abandoned construction site fell into sight, all but causing a bulb to light up over her head.

Getting the barkeep's attention, Aika detailed her plan...

---

"Well..." Shu spoke while looking at a dark, abandoned construction site, "This is where the track ends."

"It seems so," Egun said with a nod.

Motoyasu said nothing, opting to simply walk into the site.

A beam of moonlight suddenly fell on a figure holding a piece of rebar.

"Well, look at what we have here," Motoyasu said with a sneer, "Not the average barman, are you?"

Ginei's response was to shift the arm-length rebar into the grip of a one-handed sword, his gaze utterly devoid of anything resembling warmth.

Motoyasu was about to take a step forward, only for Egun's hand on his shoulder to stop him in place.

Motoyasu turned towards his senior, only to be surprised by the level of serious focus visible on his face.

"You're not strong enough to defeat him. If you try fighting him right now, you'll probably die."

Gulping, Motoyasu spoke.

"Can you defeat him?"

"...Even odds I can beat him one on one. We don't need to rely on me alone, though. If the two of you find and take care of the girl before my fight reaches a critical point, then we can just gang up on him and win."

Motoyasu looked at Shu before the two nodded, allowing Egun to walk towards Ginei before setting his feet at shoulder-width with both hands balled into fists and at the sides of his waist.

Meanwhile, Shu closed his eyes and focused intensely, allowing the thin chain to flail wildly as if it were a tree branch exposed to strong winds while Motoyasu alternated between watching the two.

Having heard their plan, Ginei decided to end the fight as fast as possible and dashed at the blue-clad cultivator, rebar swinging right at the crown of his head.

Egun's response was to parry the rebar with his left arm before firing off a hard punch to Ginei's chest, which the swordsman avoided by swaying back. Egun followed up with a vertical kick, which Ginei avoided by turning his sway back into a full-on backflip, ending back on his feet and facing Egun back in his initial position.

'Tch, he has an easier time parrying a piece of rebar than he would a sharp sword, which gives him a defensive advantage. He also has the privilege of simply needing to stall for time, whereas I actually need to take him down. And to make things even worse, this piece of cold steel is absolute shit in terms of Ki channeling, making it harder to use my combat techniques. Just perfect!'

The swordsman inhaled deeply before letting out a long exhale, causing a cloud of mist to leave his nostrils and settle around ankle-level.

'This Ki-laced mist should make it harder for them to use whichever tracking method it is they have, stretching my time limit somewhat. Now I just need to figure out a way to beat him that doesn't make me utterly incapable of handling the other two.'

Seeing the chain user's brows furrowing out the corner of his eye caused Ginei to nod inwardly before dashing at his opponent again.

Egun was the first one to attack this time, firing a fast punch at Ginei's face. The swordsman parried the punch with the rebar before striking down at the ribs, getting a grimace out of his opponent, who instantly retaliated with a kick to the side that pushed Ginei back quite a few feet.

Ginei took another deep breath, shifting the rebar to chest-level and parallel to the ground before exhaling onto it, causing small, jagged ice chips to appear along the length of steel.

He grimaced inwardly at the exaggerated Ki expenditure of such a simple move, even as he kept breathing onto the rebar.

'I will carry at least one good weapon on me at all times from now on.'

Having built up enough ice to create a makeshift serrated edge, Ginei sprinted at Egun and unhesitatingly slashed at his chest, completely shredding his top and drawing a deep grimace from him, but only leaving a thin wound across his torso.

His response was a surprisingly fast punch that Ginei was forced to block with his left arm, resulting in said arm going completely numb.

"Heh, how do you like my Earth Guardian Stance ?"

"Tch, I'd already have you crumbling if I had my blade on me."

"But you don't."

"FOUND HER! THERE!"

Ginei's head snapped towards Shu and Motoyasu after that shout. Motoyasu wasted no time in pouncing towards the shadows in the direction the chain was pointing at, but as Ginei was about to leap after him, he found himself under a barrage of punches and kicks from Egun.

Thrashing sounds came from the darkness for a few moments before Motoyasu emerged with a scowl and a ripped piece of a dress.

Egun's eyes widened at the sight before he turned towards Ginei, only for the grinning swordsman to slash at his chest with the serrated rebar while his defensive technique wasn't active, drawing a pained shout from him.

"Motoyasu, cover me!"

The blond didn't hesitate to jump between the two fighters while his senior apprentice-brother fell back.

"I shut down his left arm, and that also affected his balance! If you stick to his left side, you should have an easier time avoiding his attacks and dealing damage!"

Following his senior apprentice brother's instructions, Motoyasu leapt to the left before dashing towards Ginei.

"Tiger Claw Strike!"

He curled all fingers of both hands to resemble tiger claws before circulating his Qi, causing veins to throb on the back of his hands and fingers. He then proceeded to wildly claw at his opponent, forcing him to deflect a rapid barrage of swings and swipes.

Whenever Ginei seemed to start dictating the rhythm, Motoyasu would use his footwork to rapidly sidestep to the left before renewing his flurry. Knowing that to stop was to lose and likely die, Motoyasu simply decided not to stop for as long as his body allowed him to push.

"FOUND HER AGAIN!"

This time Shu was the one so strike, allowing a long, thick chain to dart into the shadowed alcove his thin chain had pointed to before it withdrew with a shoe.

The looks on the three cultivators' faces were ugly, but Ginei's wasn't any better.

'There's only one decoy left! The odds of her being found out are 50/50 now! Shit! Is this the end?... Well, I guess there's only one option! Throw away all defense!'

---

Aika watched the whole chain of events with bated breath. She knew that being found meant certain death for both herself and Ginei, so she did everything she could to avoid detection.

When she breathed, it was done as silently as possible. She was maintaining a single posture since the start of the conflict to avoid being detected by motion, and she had shoved herself into the corner of one of the darkest alcoves in the whole place.

Despite this, she couldn't help but slightly twitch with every adrenaline spike brought about by the discovery of another decoy.

She could swear that her heart was beating faster than should be humanly possible, and she felt an uncomfortable level of heat building up in the middle of her chest, but all of that was secondary to the image of Ginei desperately fighting against Motoyasu, taking hit after hit in an attempt at dishing the same type of damage against his opponent.

As she watched all of this, a random thought came to her mind.

'Is this what Ise goes through?'

The warmth in her chest intensified.

'Does he throw himself into these sorts of dangerous situations, risking his life, again and again, all in an attempt at protecting all of us from dangers we don't even know are there? Is that... The source of that scar on his chest and back?'

The warmth was now a small pile of embers.

"THERE ARE TWO MORE POSSIBLE SPOTS!"

Shu's words didn't even register within Aika's consciousness, from how deep she was in her own thoughts.

'Every time Ise smiles... Every time Ise laughs... Every time Ise jokes around with all of us... Every time that he loves us girls... He does so without showing the weight of his self-imposed responsibility... Never again.'

"TAKE THAT!"

A chain darted into an alcove, only to return with a punctured purse.

'Issei won't ever have to carry this burden alone again.'

The embers grew into a flame.

"FINALLY FOUND YOU! TIME TO DIE, BITCH!"

Four men watched as a chain flew into Aika's hiding place, three with anticipation and one with horror, regret, and resignation.

'I refuse to let him fight alone!'

The chain flew towards Aika faster than most could even register, but to her, it seemed as if it had started moving in slow motion.

'I... Will Fight... ALONGSIDE HIM!'

A blazing inferno erupted within Aika's chest before a familiar weight fell into her left hand.

BANG

---

'W-what?'

Ginei's face shifted once again, this time from resignation to shock.

His wasn't the only face to change, however.

Egun, Shu, and Motoyasu all stared at the same spot as Ginei, though their expressions were more along the lines of disbelief and frustration.

Shu pulled back his big chain - what was left of it - and looked at the ruined links with incredulity.

What had all of them in such a state of disbelief?

"I can... Also... Fight..."

The sight of Aika standing up to her full height, with something that could only be described as either an oversized handgun or a hand cannon in her right hand.

The same hand cannon that had successfully blasted to shreds the chain that was a mere breath away from killing her with a single shot.

Shu couldn't take it anymore. He turned his back on them all with the intent to run-

BANG

"AHHHHHHRRGGGGGG!"

Only for his left knee to disappear, leaving his leg in two separate pieces.

Motoyasu and Egun weren't the only ones to stare at Aika with shock, as even Ginei didn't expect her to be so decisive and to shoot when she was still a civilian just a few minutes ago.

"MY LEG! YOU BLEW MY FUCKING LEG OFF! AAAAHRG, I'LL KILL YOU! BLOOD CHAIN STORM!"

Egun's eyes widened before he gritted his teeth and yanked Motoyasu to the side, stopping only when the pain from his injury became too intense.

He didn't move a second too early, as Shu's spirit chain poked straight through his chest and into his heart, right before a massive storm of thick, red chains that looked like they were made out of blood fired off at a frenetic pace towards Ginei and Aika.

'Shit!'

The swordsman did his best to ignore his injuries as he started deflecting the deadly chains with as much intensity as he could-

BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG~

While Aika unceasingly pointed and shot, causing every chain heading her way to explode into a cloud of blood midair.

Shu breathed his last as the final blood chain exploded before Aika turned her gun toward Motoyasu and Egun.

The two stared at her in naked terror, jumping in place as they saw her pull the trigger, only to watch full of hope as the girl raised the gun to eye level and looked it over with little more than confusion.

"Huh? Why... shooty... not... go... bang?"

Ginei's eyes widened at that.

'She's delirious right now... It must be magical exhaustion! But...Right now, of all times?'

The three all watched as the hand cannon turned into a streak of light before sinking into her chest. This caused the girl to sway in place, her tone delirious as she spoke.

"Everythings... Loopy... Why... Can't... I... Feel... Floor...?"

She stumbled over her own feet before falling backward-

Ptt-

Only to be supported by something warm and familiar.

Aika tilted her head up, the sight of Issei's face causing her to smile.

"Ise... Not... Fight... Alone... Pulled... Weight..."

"You did, baby." Issei stroked Aika's hair as he spoke softly. "You did more than pull your weight, Aika. I'm so proud of you that I can barely put it into words."

Her smile widened further into what could only be described as dopey territory.

" 'Mm... Glad... So... Tired... Sleep... Now... Night... Night..."

She then turned over and fell asleep against Issei's shoulder.

The brunet let out a sigh that was half pride and half melancholy before softly lowering the girl onto the ground.

His gaze fell onto Ginei, taking in all of the injuries he had taken in the process of protecting Aika before he gave a deep nod.

"I'll never forget this favor, Ginei."

The swordsman responded with a thumbs up before allowing himself to fall over in exhaustion.

Issei's gaze then fell onto Motoyasu and Egun, its blazing intensity causing both to tremble in place.

"The two of you... Just die."

"W-wait a second now, HyodoOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

A thick bolt of lightning engulfed both cultivators before Motoyasu could even finish his plea, persisting for long after the two had lost their lives.

The instant the lightning stopped, the two carbonized corpses dropped in place.

Issei picked Aika up in a one-armed princess carry before slinging Ginei over his opposite shoulder and making his way out of the construction site.

As he walked away, his back turned to the structure. He gave a particularly hard stomp. A few seconds after that, the whole site was engulfed in lightning before it all collapsed.

Without looking back, Issei spat out.

"Better grave than those scum had a right to."

---

CRACK!

Murasaki blinked in surprise as a specific necklace she had been wearing crumbled into dust before speaking up in a light, airy tone.

"Seems like nephew dear had his clock punched."

Her second, a 6' tall 50-something man in a stereotypical butler dress but with a wide eyepatch that covered his left eye and a good chunk of his cheek, a chevron mustache over his lips, and a half-lidded gray right eye, poured the woman a cup of tea before speaking up.

"Shall we go and avenged young master Motoyasu, milady?"

"No~" Murasaki waved her hand dismissively, "He was a disappointment of a nephew from the start, someone who never knew his place. Not to mention the fact that he chose to be Icchan's enemy! There was no place for him in my home after that!"

"Understood."

Murasaki took a sip of her tea and sighed in pleasure at the high-quality brew before looking at her butler out the corner of her eye.

"Speak your mind, Aimai."

"You seem to be very taken with that young man."

A giddy smile came over Murasaki's face at that, something that almost made her seem like a lovestruck schoolgirl... If only it didn't feel so wrong on her face.

"He reminds me of someone else. I can't have that one, so I'll have this one instead!"

"Very well, milady. More tea?"

"Yes, thank you, Aimai."

After taking another sip, Murasaki started humming the nuptial march, while a single thought filled her mind.

'IcchanIcchanIcchanIcchanICCHANICCHANICCHANICCHANICCHANMINEMINEMINEMINEMINEMINEMINE'

Aimai, as any good butler should, chose not to tell his lady that her crazy was, in fact, showing.