REVIEWS
Shax: I know, but that move is cheap, and Issei himself might not be alright with using it. Maybe some other time when the situation calls for all hands on deck.
uchiha-rune: Thanks. For 3 months, I was out...But now I am back!
TwinstarDragon: I do know Ninjago, but no, I won't be implementing Spinjitsu into this. Sorry.
Logi-corp: Thanks for pointing out the issue, I have went ahead and fixed it. Also, about the blood. You see, Issei's health is tied to his HP directly, and as such, you could argue he could bleed a lot more than a normal person due to this HP.
thebananameister21: My dude, I am NOT a fan of Alabama!
A new day has arrived, and everyone has been fairly busy lately. It has been roughly a peaceful week in which they all decided to do less than before. They earned the right to take it easier now, and as such, Issei did no grinding in the dungeon as he might usually do. Instead, he devoted some time to spending time with his growing harem, which, all in all, was time well-spend.
Especially during the night.
However, He kept up Gasper's training, helping the boy grow in confidence and power. Especially the previous. He still acted pretty shy around everyone, but slowly, he began warming up to those around him. However, it is safe to say he is not the most social person, given his personality and flaws, meaning that if they introduce anyone new to him, they have to take it slow.
Many people at once might see him hide under Leonna's skirt again. Something that Issei is afraid to admit has been a recurring theme, given how he doesn't have his box close by. Still, the boy has been making progress. He has shown himself able to stop Dummy for up to 3 seconds now, and when he ingests some of Issei's blood, that time goes up a lot, even becoming ten times longer.
It must be all those eyes he gets when he turns into a bat. Well, that matters little. Right now, Issei has a different duty. Namely, he had messaged Kiba to meet him at his home, where they would chat. The new change in leadership changed the dynamics of the Gremory Peerage a bit, but Issei was glad to offer his council.
He just wanted to help, truly. And that extended to Kiba. Solomon agreed with him as well. If left unchecked, even though he had decided to allow Kiba to continue participating in this joint operation with the church, Issei had to ensure he would not do something stupid, reckless, or a combination of both.
But Solomon had also suggested something else—something harsh but needed overall. Issei tried to argue it, but there was no room to argue with the wisest man to ever live. Issei was going to have to do something quite unusual but most definitely needed overall.
"Issei? I got your message and came as soon as I could." Kiba said as he entered the Hyoudou household, taking off his shoes. He walked further inside, noticing the entire place seemed shrouded in darkness. "That is not ominous."
"Your sarcasm has been noted, young Isaiah." Kiba's eyes widened as he rushed to the living room, seeing none other than Solomon there, with two cups of hot tea before his eyes. "Please, take a seat. I believe we have something we need to talk about."
"King Solomon…" Kiba hesitated to sit across from the older man as his devil blood screamed at him to run. However, with a gulp, he went closer, taking a seat and then shifting his gaze back to the old man. "I thought Issei was the one to call me here."
"He was. Then I interfered. As much as Issei can relate to your circumstances, I did have a nagging feeling that the differences would ultimately drive a wedge between you two. You both lost loved ones, but not in the same way. Not by the same hands." Solomon's words immediately alerted Kiba, and the younger boy realized what this was about.
"So, you are going to forbid me from going after the Excaliburs after all," Kiba stated.
"No," Solomon added quickly. "That call was wise, on Issei, NOT to forbid you from this. However, I must be the one to point out how utterly misguided and idiotic your crusade against an inanimate object is."
"What? What do you mean by that?" Kiba asked as confusion etched over his face, but Solomon could already see the frustration and anger in the boy.
"Yuuto Kiba, you have pointed your sword at an object while the man behind it walks away unscathed?"
"The fuck he will!" Kiba stood up, shouting at Solomon. "You mean Valper, don't you? No, the day I catch him is the day I WILL kill him."
"My, what a strong conviction. But tell me, what fault does the Excalibur have in all of this?"
"Everything!" Kiba continued. "If it were not for the Excalibur, Valper would not have conducted his experiments!"
"Excalibur is but one of MANY Holy Swords that exist out there, many of which, I assure you, have not been discovered yet. If it had not been for Excalibur, then I have no doubt they would have just used another sword as a pretext. And what then? Would you blame every holy sword under the sun for what happened?"
"That's…What does that have to do with Excalibur?!"
"It has everything to do with Excalibur, you foolish boy!" Solomon finally shouted back, making Kiba flinch. "You are blaming an object with no mind to think or act alone! Excalibur was their reason for doing those experiments, but it held no fault! The one you want is Valper! You want revenge! But I think, Yuuto Kiba, you realize the truth about revenge—how it leaves one hollow at the end of its path."
Kiba tightened his fists. "If not for that damn sword, then my friends wouldn't be-"
"Your friends are no more." Kiba's gaze widened as he looked at Solomon, the old man saying those words with an unnatural coldness. "They were killed. All to cover the deeds of those filthy men. Again, not the Excalibur killed them. So tell me, Kiba, where is the fault of that sword, aside from being their reason for the entire experiment?"
"How…" Kiba girths his teeth. "How can you say this? What right do you even think you have to say this and lecture me? You were not there…You know nothing!"
Solomon tapped the floor with his cane. "I know nothing of the experiments and what you went through, but I know everything about the one before me now!" Kiba recoiled back. "I can read you like an open book, boy. You are hurt, and your wound has never truly healed. And now? Hearing the name Excalibur is making your wound bleed. But heed those words: You are heading to an infection with your wound. And the source of that infection? Valper Galilei. What is keeping the wound open for that infection to fester? Your fixation on Excalibur!"
Kiba grits his teeth greatly, his fist equally tightened as veins pop on them.
-5 RP with Yuuto Kiba
"Then tell me…O wisest of the wise…HOW CAN I FORGIVE IT?!" Kiba demanded in a loud voice.
"You don't need to forgive it," Solomon said softly. "But you don't need to blame it either."
Kiba's breath hitched at those words. He was left breathless.
"Kiba, you need to clear your head. All of that pain you have suffered—don't you see it rules you to this day? I have watched you through Issei's eyes enough to know you are not like this. You are a brave, polite, and loyal young man. You have honor, a trait that was rare even among the most noble of warriors. Do not stain it by pointing your blade nowhere; point it at the one who truly deserves it."
Kiba sat again, standing there as he tried to find his words. So far, Solomon had dismantled his hatred fully, and before his eyes, Kiba could not deny the truth. He did know what was at the end of the road of revenge. Nothing. Just a hollow satisfaction. Killing Valper would not bring his friends back or undo everything that he went through.
So he turned his anger to the Excalibur. An object with no mind or soul to act. Even if he killed Valper, he still had the Excalibur to hate. To chase. To make his road never-ending, all so he could be fueled. All so he wouldn't feel hollow at the end. He saw those things now.
Solomon…He was harsh, but his cruel, cold, and often puzzling words hid a kindness in them. He told Kiba not what he wanted to hear but what he HAD to listen. Whether he liked it or not.
"E-..." He began slowly, stuttering in his words. "Even if I killed Valper and forget about Excalibur. What will be then, Solomon?"
"My boy, you must be blind," Solomon stated, puzzling Kiba again, but then he continued. "Can't you look around yourself to find that answer?"
"Around…Myself?" Kiba repeated slowly as the realization came to him. "Rias…Koneko, Akeno, Gasper, and even…Even you, Issei. I know you can hear me. Even if I reach the end of my road of revenge, I still have you all. I am Rias Gremory's Knight. Her servant and friend. Everyone…It is there for me. I have to keep fighting for their sake as well. I want to see Rias standing at the top of the Devil Society and witness the day when the Red Dragon Emperor claimed his spot among the great powers of this world. Yes…I see it now."
"Good, Kiba. Very good," Solomon said with a soft smile. "You know. Everyone else is away; it's a little ploy Issei and I cooked up. No one should return for at least another two hours or so. So please grab some tea and drink with this old man."
Kiba did as told, grabbing the cup. "You are…Quite something, Your Highness."
Solomon chuckled. "My, it has been some time since someone called me that." He sighed. "You will do well, Kiba. You will do well."
Quest Updated!
The Gift of Reason
Help Kiba see the error in his logic, but be aware. This is a thin ice subject for him, and a wrong word can ruin everything you have tried to build so far.
Main Objective: Help Kiba understand where to point his anger. - Complete
Quest Time Limit: N/A.
Main Objective Rewards: 300K EXP, 10 RP with Yuuto Kiba. - unclaimed
Failure Penalty: Rp with Yuuto Kiba reduced to 0 and - 10 Rp with all members of the Gremory Peerage.
"I will claim this in the dungeon later. It will earn me more EXP. Nice work, Solomon." Issei told the old man, who sat there, enjoying tea with Kiba. This was a nice evening—a moment of peace in their ocean of turmoil—a moment to cherish.
"Tell me again, why do I have to be paired up with YOU, of all underlings under Kokabiel, right now?" Freed asked as he and Errgo traveled through the town of Kuoh. The latter used a small spell to disguise himself as a human so as not to stand out.
"Our current objective is to ensure that our…guest reaches the main base without interferences. He is also carrying one of the packages, and Kokabiel appointed me here due to my ability to offer both a solid defense and a devastating offense. You, however? I cannot fathom why he had you accompany me." Errgo retorted, sounding more humane than before.
"Hmm. Let me think…Oh yeah! No brainer. You need my holy hands, which can LIFT the Excalibur!" Freed stated, literally going up to and putting his hands in Errgo's face. "I mean, not like a hunk of junk like you can wield a holy sword!"
Errgo didn't reply; he pushed Freed aside as he walked before continuing to talk. "Per our intel, the church has dispatched two agents to this town to find and recover the Excalibur fragments. My presence is also required since they most likely have already sought permission from the local devil peerages in charge of this town, one of which you know is tied with the Red Dragon Emperor."
"Yeah, yeah, that crazy boy who interrupted us at the airport as well—I remember him," Freed said. "I can't wait to get my hands on him…"
"For that, you will need to make do with what is left, Freed," Errgo told the man. "The Red Dragon is mine. You may have any of his consorts that you wish in exchange."
"Making me kill women? Now that's just low…And I love it! Though I do think he has some fairly powerful bitches around him, so I am not that certain…Gah! Who cares! With the might of the Excalibur, nothing will be able to stop me!"
Errgo rubbed his face. "Your arrogance is certainly a phenomenon to wonder about."
"Thanks for the compliment! Now, care to tell me how long it will be until we reach the safehouse this big shot is supposed to be waiting at? We are, like, 50 miles away from Kuoh! We've been walking since 6 in the morning, and I don't know the bloody time anymore, other than the fact that it is the dead of night!"
"It is currently 1:23 AM," Errgo replied, making Freed groan.
"Oh yeah, I forgot. You are a walking alarm clock; what a joy."
"Quiet!"
"Ohoho! Finally getting some anger out of mister robot over here-"
"No, be quiet, you idiot! We have company."
"Say what?" Looking past Errgo, Freed was met with the cause of the golem's reaction. They had been walking a fair deal and were somewhere in the mountains of Kuoh, but right there, before them, was a rundown wooden hut which, unfortunately for them, was surrounded by Freed's least favorite bunch.
The church. He counted at least five priests, and judging from their uniforms and insignia, they were dealing with one of the higher orders within the church. Oh well…
Only one way to deal with them.
"The one with the least kills carries the others back!" Freed shouted as he leaped from the bushes with his gun and sword in hand, attacking the priests. Behind him, Errgo raised his arm, dropping his disguise to reveal his metallic body to the priests. His arm then shifted, exposing a cylinder and some gun-like mechanism.
The ambush they launched worked fast, and thanks to both of their efforts, the priests were on the ground, their lifeless bodies bleeding over the ground.
"Oh, joy, looks like they don't make them as resilient as they used to be!" Freed noted as he turned to the building and kicked down the door. "Hello! Mister Genocide Archbishop! Your escort has arrived!"
Errgo walked up to the entrance, and Freed went inside to search for Valper.
"Huh. This is weird. Is this the right place?" He asked Errgo.
"According to the coordinates given to me by Kokabiel, yes, this is the place." Errgo looked around, scanning the room. His vision immediately highlighted something. "There! There is a trap door underneath that carpet!"
"Holy shit, for real? Like in the movies!" Freed stated as he stepped aside and kicked the carpet away, unveiling the trap door. "It is like the movies! Ha! Now, this is getting fun!" He grabbed the handle and tried to pull the trapdoor open. However, he found it way more resistant than he believed. "Come on, you…Fucking thing!" His hand slipped from the handle. "Fuck! This shit is locked from the inside with some magic!"
"My scanners do detect a hint of magic being used. Stand aside." Walking to the trap door, Errgo looked at it briefly before approaching his fist to it…Only to drive it right through the wood and pull out a chunk of wood that had the lock and handle together, the golem looking at it. "A weak enchant that reinforces the lock and resistance of the wood. Effective against humans."
Freed kicked open the rest of the trapdoor. "Well, what do you know? Stairs." Sure enough, there was a wooden stairwell going down below the building. Freed, however, gazed at Errgo. "With your mass and all, I am pretty sure the stairs will break, so why not wait up here? Surely, it makes sense to stand watch if more pesky church agents show up, no?"
"It does," Errgo replied simply. "Get moving. The quicker we get Valper and return to Kuoh, the better. That also makes a lot of sense, does it not?"
"You damn hunk of…" Freed bit his tongue and descended the stairs, slowly descending into the tight tunnel. However, he swiftly saw the light shining below, and his smile grew as he dropped down.
"Goodness me! Freed! You scared me!" The voice of the man who shouted at him was none other than Valper Galilei himself. He was a short, bespectacled elderly man with gray hair, a mustache, and black eyes, wearing a priest outfit.
This little secret room they were in was more or less a one-bed bedroom, but on the bed behind Valper, Freed could easily see their main prize.
"Apologies for that, padre! Now, let me see the goods!" Freed went straight for the sword, and Valper knew better than to stand between the madman and the Excalibur. As Freed picked it up, letting the cloth on it fall to the ground, he grinned widely as he saw what it was. "My, my! Excalibur Rapidly!"
Shaped like a long kris—an Indonesian asymmetrical dagger with distinctive blade patterning achieved through alternating laminations of iron and nickelous iron—the blade appeared wide with a diamond-shaped gap through it and spikes on both edges. Freed gave it a few swings to test its weight in his hands.
"Careful, would you!" Valper shouted. "We have no space in here to swing swords! Come on! We need to move!"
"Awww. So soon? I was getting to have fun!" Freed whined.
"Freed, Kokabiel is expecting us with the other two fragments of Excalibur, so we must move. Now!"
Freed scowled. "Fine, fine. Jee, old man, you sure are uptight!"
The two climbed up the stairs, but the golem immediately drew his gaze as Valper reached the top of them. His eyes not only widened, but his entire being shook as he saw Errgo standing there. He climbed out, Freed not far behind him.
"My word, so what Kokabiel said was true. You are an artificial lifeform created from artificial materials. I can tell that your maker was a skilled man. Very much so." Valper looked Errgo up and down, the golem showing a slight hint of irritation when his maker was mentioned.
"Do not assume my current state is because of my maker, human." Errgo finally had enough, grabbing Valper's throat with his right arm, where his special cannon was. Valper froze in fear as he saw the barrel inside the cannon shift and turn and a dim red light glowing within. "If you credit him with any more than my mere existence, know those will be your FINAL words. Am I understood?"
Valper's sweat ran down his face as he stared down the barrel of the deadly weapon. "Yes, yes! I understand." Errgo let go.
"Best watch your fat mouth, padre. This hunk of junk has some sensible buttons," Freed said as he put the Excalibur on his shoulder. "Now, shall we depart? The road is long, and my feet are killing me!"
"Ugh!" Issei grunted as he was punched back by theDummyy, having gone back into his dungeon to continue his work. His skills won't level up! Since the talk with Solomon, which was quite some time ago by now, he hasn't been training by himself all that much. Aside from Gasper, Kiba had also joined him recently.
The quest from last time gifted him 300K EXP, which, after his bonuses, including the one gifted by his dungeon, became a total of 1.485M EXP—a big load. It also gave him a level, putting him at 41.
He had accumulated a lot of stat points now. It was impossible to become stronger. His humanity was working against him. But there was hope in the quest given to him by the System. The only requirement left was 1L of dragon blood, which he had no idea how to get. Well, that was a lie; he did have an idea of how to get it.
The Familiar Forest. If what he read was right, Rias knew more, and just by asking her, he was rewarded handsomely, too. He now knew where to point his next endeavor. It was time for him to visit this Familiar Forest and claim the blood he required for his ascension.
At least, he thinks this is an ascension, but he will trust the System to tell him at least that much. How to proceed. Even Solomon was somehow at a loss when he thought of ways, meaning that whatever was going to be presented before them was new and, very likely, unknown even by the modern supernatural world.
For that reason, he has been preparing in the dungeon. He got his swordsmanship up to the next proficiency stage of Competent, which gave him a nice reward. He maxed out [Stab], which was an ordeal and a half. Dummy doesn't obey any 'stand still and let me stab you a few thousand times' orders. Go figure!
The skill itself didn't grow anymore, giving him no more bonuses; instead, he got something else.
{Sub-Skill} [Pin-Point Pierce] (Level 1 | 000/400): By precisely pinpointing the weak spot of your enemy, this unique [Stab] Sub-Skill allows you to deal a guaranteed Critical Hit! Costs 250 Stamina per use. 5 Minute Cooldown.
{Sub-Skill} [Sky-Piercing Strike] (Level 1| 000/400): A powerful [Stab]-base move, which upon activation, imbues your sword/dagger with a bonus damage based on this formula: STR(Original) * (STR(Original)200%). This skill costs 1000 Stamina to use and has a 10-minute cooldown. Attention! After using this skill, the user's STR will be reduced by 10% until the cooldown ends.
Suddenly, stabbing people just got 100% more deadly! Who knew that was possible? WHO KNEW?!
He moved on from his swordsmanship after those, seeing as this was good enough for now. He moved on to his other skills, trying to get them as high as possible to see what else he could get to make him even more powerful. Or rather, even more versatile.
[Dragon's Leap] was a joy to increase; it just wanted him to jump around for a few hours. He got that one maxed out by the end of the first day of training. It also upped his proficiency. Of course, the skill grew, and now he can jump up to 50 meters! That is crazy in and out of itself, considering that 50 meters is the equivalent of several stories on a building!
And the reward for that?
{Sub-Skill} [Dragon Air Step] (Level 1 | 000/400): This skill enables you to jump once again whilst you are in the air! Costs 500 Stamina per use. Can only be used ONCE whilst in the air.
{Sub-Skill} [Dragon Dash] (Level 1| 000/400): Upon activation, for the next 200 meters, your AGI will be increased by 200%, but receive a -25% AGI when the distance is reached or the skill cooldown of 2 minutes is up. This debuff lasts for 1 minute. This skill costs 1500 Stamina to use.
So, in short, he can run like crazy and leave behind a blur, and he can double-jump?! Aside from the other one, it doesn't matter much, seeing as he can fly, but…What if he is in a situation where flying is no option? Logically, he'd need a way to be more mobile, which works perfectly. Flying is not always an advantage.
Aside from that, he also maxed out his [Blazing Heel Strike], which brought no bonuses. Predictably enough, that being. It did grow, removing the cooldown on it fully. Next, he worked on his [Furious Fist] and [Shield-Breaking Punch], getting them up levels nine and eight, respectively.
He then moved on to his Youjutsu, training his mastery over the elements more, managing to raise Earth and Air to levels 8 and 7, respectively. He put more love into Earth, as he felt he needed to pay more attention to it. That, and he really wanted to lavabend one day with this; it just sounded too cool for him NOT to aspire to that!
He even trained his [Ki Pulse] despite the accumulating corruption. He will ask Kuroka for another cleansing later. He managed to get this skill up to level 6 before he had to stop due to worries about corruption.
It's a shame. He also wanted to get to [Ki Blast], but that was that—for now.
He even decided to train his demonic skills a bit, and he has to say that he quite enjoyed the blasts he could do. Granted, maxing them out proved a bit counter-productive in the end. The way it grew, however, was well worth it. At level 5, it could split one explosive, which he makes for a barrage-like function. The second growth at maximum level? It pretty much allowed him to create a sphere of explosive energy that did NOT explode at once, but rather, it remained stable until it reached its target.
And he could dictate where it goes! It was like a homing missile! God, he loved those kinds of skills. Granted, it was manual, which was a minus, but it was still very cool. He didn't waste time on his resistance skills of golemancy, at least for now. Instead, he moved further to his magics.
[Meteor Flare] was in the cards tonight, and Dummyy showed some issues with that one. Figures, since he was made of straw and wood. He spammed that one until it nearly reached its maximum, stopping at level 9. Its growth was a 5% increase in damage—predictable growth.
Welcomed nonetheless. Granted, he had decided to work on something else—the sub-skill born of both fire and blood magic. [Blood Seal—Fire Trap] was his focus now, given how it could aid the growth of both his fire and blood magic at the same time. He trained that quite a bit, even ordering Leonna to get him the Phoenix Tears.
In the end, he maxed it out, which resulted in lower HP costs and longer periods of viability. Next came his water magic, and he progressed by maxing out his [Aqua Heal] skill. When it reached level eight, however, it allowed his proficiency in healing magic to reach the next stage. The result was instant.
[Minor Heal] (Level 1| 000/400): A healing spell known by almost everyone, which restores you for up to 500 HP at the cost of 50 Mana.
A new healing spell. He also replaced [First Heal] in his [Parallel Mind] with this one since, even at the first level, it already healed him more than before. Additionally, the spell gained quite a growth.
{Sub-Skill} [Aqua Heal ] (Level MAX): This Sub-Skill created by combining the Proficiency Skills: [Water Magic - Novice] and [Healing Magic - Novice] enables the user to create a small ball of healing water which, upon being used on the caster or another person with a visible open wound, will focus on that area to heal it. Currently, this skill can only heal minor wounds and restore around 100-900 HP at the cost of 100 Mana with a cooldown of 3 minutes. As of MAX level, you can imbue the healing properties of this spell in any one of your water spells in exchange for that spell's ability to deal damage.
Quite the growth. After that, he trained his other water spells, [Aqua Hydra] and [Water Dragon's Cradle]. He managed to get them up to levels 6 and 7 before he stopped grinding them out. When the hydra reached level 5, it got a good cost reduction. Cradle, too, was made cheaper to use. Next was healing, which proved easier to use this time. He started fighting with Dummy again, training his martial arts again. Still, this time, he was purposely letting Dummy score more hits and not using any of his boosts, meaning he was getting hurt more, and his spell was triggering more. Granted, this did see his martial arts grow some more.
Granted, he still had to go on, and so he did, continuing this with his shadow magic. He worked on shelter and veil, getting those maxed out!
[Shadow Veil] (Level MAX): Need to hide? Use this spell! When you are standing in the shadows or wanting to sneak around, you can cast this spell on yourself to hide within the shadows, increasing the chances of not being found by 20% for 5 minutes. This spell cannot be used again until 10 seconds pass. 100 Mana per use. Warning: This spell only works while the user is in the shadows, and it automatically breaks if they step into the light. As of MAX level, you can use your OWN shadow to hide.
[Shadow Shelter] (Level MAX): Quickly hiding INSIDE shadows, becoming unseen to the naked eye, but can still be detected inside shadows. Additionally, if a light is shined on the shadow, the spell breaks 150 Mana per use.
Shelter got quite the upgrade. Now, assuming an attack hits the shadow he is hiding in, he will just get dragged out into the light—no more damage. It's like a free-damage dodge! His proficiency also went up, but he has no new skills yet.
He also skipped training his blood magic for today. Once he finished training for the day, he left the dungeon. He had some talking to do with Rias, after all.
"Issei!" Rias exclaimed as she saw him enter the house through the entrance. Well, figures, seeing how she was living here now.
He is starting to think Kuroka is actually helping his harem grow. What a situation.
"Good day to you too, Rias," Issei said, stretching himself a bit. "Guessing you were doing something?"
"Nothing too interesting. I was reading some books in the living room, " She replied. "But do tell, what are you up to?"
"Well, for starters, you being here actually works perfectly. Tell me, Rias, what can you tell me about the Familiar Forest?"
Rias' expression grew confused, but that didn't stop her from replying to his question. "It is a place where us Devils get familiars, full of various creatures. They become bound to us, being both our servants and allies. Here, this is my familiar." Rias put her hands forth, summoning her familiar. Before his eyes, a small, bat-like creature appeared in her hands, flying around her. "We Devils go to the forest to find our familiars under the guidance of a Familiar Master. However, this can only be done once per full moon. Sona took Saji there not long ago."
"Saji got his familiar? Good for him," Issei said. "By the way, how are they doing? I haven't seen Saji since we went to the mountains to train for the Rating Game."
"They are doing quite great, for that matter of fact, as the training you have provided Saji, as brief as it was, really helped him understand his Gear more. Sona even said she'd like to thank you the next time you two talk formally." Rias replied, but then another question came to her mind. "But why this sudden interest in the Familiar Forest?"
"I need to get there," he said. "To grow stronger, I must get something from the Familiar Forest. I don't know if you noticed it, Rias, but I haven't been growing in might for some time now."
"Hmm. Now that you mention it, you do seem to be stagnating. You have trained your abilities, but your raw capabilities are just stuck. I take it is because of your System?"
"Yes and no. The System allows me to break the limits of the normal human body, but overall, it is not progressing. I already fulfilled most other requirements, so I only need 1 Liter of Dragon Blood to complete my next quest. After that, I am unsure what the System has in store."
"I see," Rias replied, contemplating it for a bit. "Alright. Listen here, Issei, because I do not like to repeat myself: The Familiar Forest is a realm connected yet separated from the outside world. It only opens its gate during a full moon, meaning that there is a window for going there tonight. However, there are rules to follow."
"Such as?" Issei asked.
"For starters, when Devils go in to acquire their familiars, only one Peerage may go in at a time. But given our arrangement, I believe that going in with everyone in the household is more than possible. I can even contact others and tell them to-"
"There is no need, Rias," Issei said, interrupting her. "If anything, I'd prefer to go in with Asia alone."
"Asia? Why?"
"You see, she descends from Dragon Tamers. If I am to acquire dragon blood, her aid, even if passive, could be detrimental to finding a dragon for me to get blood. As to how I am going to do that, I have little idea. Still, it never killed me to think of something on the fly."
"Are you certain of that this time?" Rias asked with a slight worry in her voice. "It is no secret that the Dragon Queen Tiamat has it out for the Red Dragon."
"This is why I say we find another source!"
"God damn it, Ddraig, it is not a guarantee that we will bump into Tiamat of all beings in there!" Issei exclaimed loudly at his draconic partner. However, Rias seemed to have a counter.
"The odds are high." She stated. "Tiamat usually ignores anyone who comes in, given how no one has been brave enough to try and tame her as their familiar, but her ability to sense one's power is great and refined. The moment you step in, I do no doubt that she will rush to your location."
"See?! I told you!"
"Look, regardless of the risk of running into her, this is something I cannot exactly negotiate upon. Besides, maybe I can dodge her somehow? Surely, one of my abilities can allow me to hide and remain undetected, meaning she will likely only sense Asia and, as you said, ignore her." His logic was sound, everything taken into account. However, Rias still seemed worried.
"Still, be careful. And do not disrespect the Familiar Master that will manifest before you."
"Manifest?" Issei asked.
"The Familiar Masters used to be individuals who dedicated their entire lives to mastering the art of familiars. It is said there is no being they cannot tame or know about, and with one look, they can figure out everything about any being there is. When one dies, of one cause or another, their souls remain in the forest, which then can manifest them again when someone comes in, seeking their familiars." Ddraig explained, making Issei nod.
"I see. So they are spirits meant to guide us," he said, then turned to Rias. "So, can you open a portal later tonight?"
Rias sighed. "I will. But note that I don't want to wake up with the Dragon Queen Tiamat on our heads."
"Will do!"
Quest Updated!
TIME TO HAUL ASS! AGAIN!
It is time to get to work once again! However, with your current stunted growth, there is no way to actually grow stronger, no matter how many levels you gain! Fear not! The System is here to help!
Main Objective: Obtain 1L of Dragon Blood, Reach the Competent stage with your [Blood Magic], and MAX your RP with Asia Argento!
Optional Objective: Ask Rias Gremory for aid in getting into the Familiar Forest, where you can more easily collect the needed materials! - Complete
Main Reward: 300K EXP, 2 Skillbooks (Blood Magic), ?.
Optional Reward: 100K EXP, 1 Skillbook (Familiar Arts), 1 Potion of Unseen Shadows. -Unclaimed.
Failure Penalty: Death.
After his talk with Rias, Issei prepared and notified Asia of their trip into the Familiar Forest. However, as he sat in his room, Issei looked over his quest, checking out the rewards. A new skill book…It had been a while since he used one of those, so getting one was something. Without much thought, he claimed his quest, the 100K turning into 330K. Good EXP.
Furthermore, he also got a potion of some kind, which he checked out. The bottle was quite large, and as he read the description, he was amazed to see what it did.
[Potion of Unseen Shadows]
[Uses: 5/5]
[When consumed, this potion will provide the user with the ability to perfectly hide their presence within shadows by using skills like [Shadow Veil] or [Shadow Shelter]. Whilst hidden, no being can detect the user. This effect lasts only for 10 minutes per use.]
"Thank you, System!" Ddraig exclaimed aloud, realizing that this was how they were going to go unnoticed by Tiamat. Granted, Issei moved swiftly, grabbing the skill book from his inventory. Without pondering much, he consumed it, gaining a default of 5K EXP from his perk, which was converted into 16500 after the bonuses were applied.
And then came the notifications.
The proficiency skill [Familiar Arts] has been successfully registered.
Several skills had been added.
{Proficiency Skill} [Familiar Arts - Novice] (Level 1| 000/400 ): The art of owning and using the power of a familiar, a being with whom the user shares their deepest fears, sadness, and joys.
[Familiar Summoning] (Level MAX): This skill enables you to summon your familiar to your location. This costs 300 Mana per use.
[Familiar Heal] (Level 1| 000/400): Healing your wounded familiar is a MUST! For every 100 Mana, you can heal your familiar for 10 HP.
[Familiar Enhance] (Level 1 | 000/400): By sharing your Mana with your familiar, you can temporarily increase its power until you stop using this ability. 50 Mana/second is being drained whilst this is active.
[Familiar Sharing Senses] (Level 1| 000/400): The ability to hear, see, and even smell what your familiars see, hear, and smell. 100 Stamina/Minute whilst active.
[Familiar Locator] (Level 1| 000/400): Using this skill, you can locate your familiar no matter where they are, gaining an innate feeling about their location that can guide you to them if need be. 500 Stamina to active, and 100 Stamina to maintain.
"Nice!" Issei exclaimed, enjoying his newly acquired skills. With this, he has a whole 'nother set of tricks he can do later. However, to use this, he knows he needs a familiar himself. Maybe this trip can be used for other things, not just getting dragon blood.
The evening came swiftly, and sure enough, Issei and Asia were ready to depart for the Familiar Forest in the living room, where Rias was waiting for them along with everyone else. There was little to no tension in the air, although Kuroka and Ingvild seemed slightly worried. Raynare stared at them, acting cool and detached as if she didn't care, and Rias stood before them.
"Once inside the forest, remember what time it is. It is 9 PM, and the moon is high in the sky. However, once the sun rises, the forest will close itself, and you risk remaining stranded there until the next full moon. Understood?" she explained, looking at them for their reply.
"Loud and clear," Issei stated, popping his newly acquired potion. "I am ready to go…Damn, this stuff has a similar taste to coffee."
"I am also ready! I cannot wait to see what kind of creatures are within the forest!" Asia said loudly, but then another voice echoed into the room.
"Departing somewhere?" Xenovia asked as she stepped into the room, Issei having forgotten that she and Irina were living here for the moment. "I thought we were supposed to hunt for the Excalibur fragments."
"We will, but I also have my agenda to follow," Issei replied without turning to her. "There is no need to worry about anything, Xenovia. I will be back with Asia here before you miss our presence."
Xenovia shook her head. "In all honesty, I hope you remain stranded there." Then she left, making Raynare flinch slightly.
"Christ on a stick, and I thought I was a cold ass bitch." She then noted that Asia seemed on edge with Xenovia's words. "Hey, don't mind her. She is full of prejudice taught to her by the church. You know you are better than what she thinks of you."
"Right. Correct, yes." Asia replied, calming herself. Issei had to admit that the relationship between those two seemed to have done them well. Raynare is acting almost like some older sister to Asia, albeit a very vulgar version of one. "Let's go, Issei."
"Rias, if you may," Issei told her, and then Rias summoned the magical circle to take them to the Familiar Forest. It felt slightly different from Kuroka's teleportation, but ultimately, the world around him shifted as Issei remained still. Everything went black briefly, and then he opened his eyes.
His living room was gone; instead, he and Asia found themselves in the Familiar Forest. The place around them was quite the sight, with trees stretching as high as one could see and rich canopies that almost seemed to cover the sky. The gentle light of the sun above peered through the leaves, illuminating the verdant grass below. The trees were of various kinds and shades, from pale white bark to dark brown.
Many flowers also covered the ground, of many colors and fragrances. The beauty of this forest was dazzling, to say the least, and Issei could not hold his words back for long. "Woah…" But then, as if struck by lightning, his [Danger Sense] triggered. It reminded him to do something.
He activated [Shadow Veil] quickly, hiding in Asia's shadow. His eyes were the only thing visible from there as he looked up…And promptly caught sight of Asia's underwear. "I-Issei!" She covered her rear from view. "What are you doing?"
"Sorry, but I need to hide in your shadow from Tiamat! This is the only way." Issei stated, explaining his situation shortly. "She is bound to ignore you. She is said to do that for anyone who doesn't actively seek HER out."
"Oh! I see…Well, if it's you, there is no issue." She stated, then looked around, removing her hands from her rear. She was wearing a skirt, so there was no issue in terms of visibility. Granted, what Issei saw did surprise him.
"Is that black underwear with silk laces?! Lingerie?! Since when does Asia wear- Raynare…God damn it, what has that Fallen been teaching her?" Issei pondered in his head, but then, from behind them, a new voice echoed.
"Welcome, welcome! I must say, your man's reaction is quite something!" Turning around, Asia saw who called out to them. It was a boy, by his looks, wearing a large straw hat with a blue bandana running around it. He wore a large wool cloak over his shoulders and had a white shirt underneath. Lastly, he wore brown pants, but strangely enough, he wore sandals instead of shoes. He had black hair and green eyes and held a flute in his hands." I take it you are here for your familiars? Yes, that is what most people want when they come here! But…" He got closer, looking closely at Asia.
"You are not a Devil." He remarked.
"That is correct. I am not a Devil," Asia stated. 'I am still human, but I am here with my King, Issei Hyoudou, hiding in my shadow, on a slight mission."
"And why is your so-called King hiding in your shadow? Is he a coward?" The boy asked
"Oh no! He is the Red Dragon Emperor of this generation!" The boy made a sound of acknowledgment as the situation clicked to him, and he laughed heartily.
"I see! I see! Hiding from the Dragon Queen, right, right! Well, that explains that. It also explains why the forest became more welcoming than usual." The boy's words drew Issei's curiosity this time.
"The forest changed its appearance?" He asked, remaining in the shadows.
"Oh yeah! You see, the forest pretty much changes based on who enters. It is a lesser-known fact, but the place is gloomy and dark when Devils come in. Sometimes, we get another kind of visitor, and the forest changes, but we haven't had humans in…I'd say 50 years. It is considerably harder for a human to make a familiar contract. Rare even! But doable and possible." The boy explained. "So, what are you two looking for?"
"Well, we are searching for dragons," Asia stated.
"Heh? Then why not call Tiamat? Surely she is not-"
"I need one liter of dragon blood," Issei stated, but the boy's expression grew less friendly and dark.
"Blood? Are you, by chance, a wielder of blood magic?" The boy asked.
"I am," Issei replied truthfully, but the boy seemed troubled by this information.
"I see. You want blood. If it had been any other Familiar Master, you two would have been swarmed by now by whatever creature we could conjure on the spot." He said, making Issei and Asia tense up. "Poachers need blood for blood mages, as the blood of various races gives them access to more powerful spells. The blood of a dragon…It could be used to cast spells that can make a man immortal, invulnerable, or who knows what else. For example, Siegfried used dragon blood to become immune to damage, did he not?"
"That he did. This boy speaks the truth, partner. There is no arguing it."
"Even so, will you still aid us?" Issei asked, but the answer he got was not a good one.
"Oh, absolutely not. If you intend to poach for blood, then I won't aid you in any way. However, I can tell you are not bad people but likely only people in need of blood for something. So here's the deal: I will help you find familiars, and if those familiars happen to be dragons, then so be it. Sounds good?"
"I guess we don't have much of a choice," Asia stated, and Issei agreed. As powerful as he might be, Issei doubted going against so many beasts. That, and Tiamat, were still lingering issues. He can't afford to go into Balance Breaker here, oh no.
"Marvelous! In that case, please follow me, Miss, Sir. Onward, through the forest, we go!" And so the boy led them randomly, and Asia, with Issei hiding in her shadow, followed.