NO CHILL! (High School DxD - Human SI Chapter 8)

As I ended the telepathic wind call to Alisa and the others, I bit into the apple. The bite was large so I can get the seeds, and spit them into my hands, coating them with Life Energy that I've been gathering from the environment, and from my own Ki.

"...Let Oyamatsumi's ire hold you in its crushing grip. Kuitsukushi Kōsoku Ryū." Arata Nakiri, was finishing his chant, as he and the rest of the Onmyoji squad said the spell's name together. Aww, they even had a synchronized semi-dance movement and finger pointing to target me at the end. Cute.

The ground cracked, as soil and dirt broke out of the walls and ceiling congregating on one spot to form into the shape of an eastern earth dragon. The dragon held within it the concept of 'sealing'. The poem chant the Five Clan Onmyojis used, mentioned caves and how they sealed evil. Then they appealed to Oyamatsumi, the God of Mountain to affirm that aspect for the spell.

Huh, they're going to imprisoning me, rather than beating me? Are they trying to go for 'we have suppressed you and thus have you in our mercy'? Weirdly nice of them, when they have been so pompous this whole time.

Now, very quickly, let's see what I learned. Shinto Magic involves prayer to the Shinto Gods, Shinto Spells are made based on one of the Five Classic Eastern Elements, and reference a Kami related to said element in their chant. There are a sort of ritual to the spell, be it the talisman with the writing, the poetry in the chants, or the mini-dances.

Are all these things needed or can you do without?

Can I do it say, without prayer, without appeal to gods?

Let's try it out.

Let's see, if I recalled Wood beats Earth by separating, right? In that case:

"We're in a building, a structure of iron and steel. As Metal carries Water, within this heart of Metal, Wood is fed and nurtured!" I focused my Magical Energy within the apple seeds, that have been soaked in Life Energy, and threw them forward. "Guardian Tree Wall!"

The seeds exploded in action, growing into plants and then trees, combining into the one tree that reached from floor to ceiling, then expanding outward without breaking the walls or pillars.

The earth dragon hit the tree and stopped. It wasn't contained but it was struggling against the tree, as it's roots were trying to hold it. The earth-shaped dragon seemed to be unable to move around the tree, always ending up hitting it.

"Impossible! A mere simple elemental spell interaction, is holding back the great Devouring Detaining Dragon?!" Shouted one of the Onmyoji, a metal-flavored one, so a Shinra.

"Hold the technique! Our ritual will not be overcome by an empty natural interaction, that holds no weight or soul behind it." Shouted Arata.

No weight?

I mean they're right. Not about beating my spell part, energy-wise mine just had more, and I could keep feeding it to outlast their dragon.

The problem is this spell was wasteful as fuck.

Not with the energy I fed it, those I put into precise measurements, without any energy lost fed into the seeds or spell. It's after the spell was cast, that energy was massively wasted. The tree spell was wasting a lot of energy just existing, rather than focusing on using it. It's like an AI that's writing the most bloated 100-page text message possible, just for a simple "Hello World" message, rather than a simple Python's: print("Hello World").

Why? I'm controlling the energy input perfectly?

Hmm, the tree is doing it's job of attracting and pulling the dragon to it via normal Five Element interactions, and try hold it down, but it's like it has no... "weight"?

Their spells are rituals. They have chants, dances and prayer.

I could probably use more energy to control the spell after it's formed, but a programmer is suppose to make their code do its thing from the get go, rather than write another code to correct the mistake of the first code.

Idealistically, I think. I dunno, I'm not a programmer, I just use the comparison.

So, it's the appeal to the gods then? That's what allows the spells to act more in accordance with the caster's will?

"O' Lord Kukunochi, please let this sapling tree, grow and flourish through the earth, so it may bring prosperity upon the people of this land." I called out, and almost immediately I felt the actions of the tree becoming more... streamlined?

The tree was losing excessive branches. It didn't branch out uselessly, having extra wood for no reason that just used up energy for being there, and not aiding in the original spell effort to beat the earth-shaped dragon.

I also felt attention on me, and old and worldly wooden one, that's lived through the ages but ignored it. That's probably normal for Onmyoji to feel a god's gaze on them. No wonder they're all so arrogant all the time.

I felt another attention, a sunny one join in, looking on in amusement. Why is another kami joining in on this spell? I mean, they're not opposing me, but still. Weird.

Hmm, if this is the Sun Goddess, then why? No, wait, lots of gods have agriculture as a domain or an aspect, or just something they dip their toe nails in, and sunlight helps plants grow, so it's probably that. Huh, neat.

No wait, why would Amaterasu come look at this spell at night? Ah, maybe another sun or light related Kami. Probably.

Suddenly I felt the sunny attention pouting and leaving.

"Brothers, do you see? His spell is weakening!" Said one of the Five Clan Onmyoji. Water-flavored one.

"Of course he is, his prayers held little reverence and his spell has no history. His arrogance in trying to fight us on the same grounds, is why he shall be reprimanded by the heaven's tribulations." Cried out another Five Clan Onmyoji. Oh, a Fire-flavored one agreeing with the previous Onmyoji commentator.

Hmm, gods are fickle. Yeah, these Shinto Spells are hit or miss depending how favored are you to the Shinto Gods. And since the Five Principle Clans have been tasked to defend Japan a long time ago from Evil Spirits, no wonder they have a lot of talent (favor) for it.

Okay but there is one thing missing.

I did the elemental interaction understanding, the divine-appeal, but while the spell is working better now, it's not doing what I want of just taking the earth dragon and absorb all its energy for later use. I mean, it's doing that but not that fast, it's more of an equal-ish struggle at the moment.

Sure, I could speed the whole thing up by just throwing Mana at the whole thing, and brute force the control, but that would be like a child whining about not winning a game, because they didn't figure out all the rules.

What's missing?

Classic Eastern Elements. Reference to the Kami. Appeal, pray to the Kami. What else?

"His spell has no history!" I recalled.

Ooooh! That's what the Fire-flavored, Himejima Onmyoji kid said.

Thank you overly expositionary Himejima kid.

It's not enough to reference the kami but also call on how they used or interaction with the element used in the spell.

Ritualistic Spells need history behind them. To call on long tradition and stories about what's being done.

I grinned.

Well in that case.

"Just as the Tree Trunk Elder provides the wood for food and shade, I ask Inari Ōkami to take this Wood and complete this work upon which we stand." I felt another presence at invoking Inari's name, and while the Apple Tree was starting to not just absorb but use the energy taken from the Earth Dragon to finish the construction of the building, we're in, it didn't feel enough. The tree didn't have enough energy to do both take power from the earth-shaped dragon, and build. Hmm, let's home she's not too salty.

"What the hell are you doing? Are you just calling on gods without precedence?" Cried out Kaimen.

"B-Brothers! Our spell is being being suppressed!" Cried out Tanaka.

The Onmyoji cried out in horror while shouting in protest.

"And no wood can stand, flourish or be filled with life without the heavenly light, thus for this I," I teleported us with the combating spells to the roof, and raised my arms up in a Y-shape.

Huh? Why did some of Five Clan Onmyoji the pale at what I did and faint? They are muttering about the teleportation spell. Why is that a big deal?

Oh well.

"Praise the Sun!"

The sunny attention was back. Huh, it really was Amaterasu and-Err, isn't the Apple Tree shining too much?

Okay wow, the earth dragon just turned to dust in a second and now the tree shined brightly as all around us the construction building was being, well, build in fast forward.

The Five Principle Clan Onmyoji were looking around in awe and terror. Why are they not paying attention to the battle?

Was one of them crying?

After the building was done, and the tree spell ended, with the tree vanishing in a wisp of light, I moved.

I knocked out all the Five Clan Onmyoji, and left magic zip ties on their hands. That should keep them occupied for a while.

I'm not taking them anywhere, that's too much work, and I don't care.

Jumping off the now finished building as I head to where I feel two kids, two Sacred Gear users fighting... a Doumon guy? He feels like a Doumon but without the Water-flavor. Meh.

Hmm?

Huh, looking on from the outside, the building is... pretty impressive. It's not like I was focused on the architectural details, but it looks like a mini-temple-castle thing but modernized a bit.

"Hmm, looks nice." I commented.

I noticed that sunny attention again preening at me. Huh, why is Amaterasu still focusing on me? The spell is over.

Almost as if just realizing I noticed that, the sunny attention instantly vanishes.

I shrug at the odd interaction. Maybe the Kami keep watching the casters after the spell is over out of curiosity.

Anyways, time to head to the kids.

With another Hercules-Style Soru, I dashed in the air to reached the fight.

"Eh?" Muttered a young woman with light brown hair tied up. "Where'd you come from?"

"What!?" The Doumon Waterless Dude cried out. "Who are you? How did you get passed through the barrier, this place should have been invisible to everyone?"

"There was a barrier?" I blinked at that. I honestly didn't notice. The Doumon guy looked outraged by that.

I kneeled next to the other guy around, a kid with a bleeding hole in his chest, that was closed up by his Sacred Gear cat covering it with its tail.

The Avatar Sacred Gear cat hissed at me, but I just smiled and let my Life Energy spread out, covering both it and the boy, healing and rejuvenating them both.

The cat calmed down after that.

"W-What? The fuck, I'm alive?" The delinquent looking guy said.

"Yep, one second." There was also another kid, an Utsusemi user laying on the ground, his Utsusemi looked like a shapeshifting slime. I teleported the kid to me to heal him, and the slime teleported with him.

"What the hell?" Doumon guy cried out in shock. "It doesn't matter who you are, trying to help these Grigori pawn. Don't get in my way of attain that Sacred Gear's power!" Huh? Are those golems? Huh, Earth-flavored Doumon guy, neat.

Wait if I recall he was thrown out of the Doumon Clan for not having Water-affinity, right?

Weird, Water supports Earth, he could have been some trump card or heavy hitter of the Doumon Clan, if they trained him right. Oh wait, the Five Principle Clan are "traditionalists" to the point of villainy in the setting.

Also the Slime Utsusemi was attacking me.

"Wait, Nobu?" The Cat Sacred Gear guy said, before his eyes widened at the slime behind me. "Watch out!"

Wait. This Utsusemi User kid is called 'Nobu'? That's hilarious.

Also I punched behind me a few times with Ki.

I wasn't in the mood to use spells right now.

The slime was evaporated from the heat of my fist, while the golems were blown up with holes all over them.

I didn't noticed as I was focused on using Senjutsu to heal this 'Nobu' kid.

Nobu. Heh.

"W-What the hell happened?" Doumon guy fell on his ass in utter shock.

"What is this power? I only saw his arm twitch." The girl muttered with wide-eyes.

"...The fuck are you, man?" The guy I healed asked. "What are you doing to Nobu?" He then pushed himself past his fear to check on his friend.

"Healing him." I said, as I hovered my hand over Nobu's (heh) chest, and a ball was pulled out into my hand.

"What is that?" The delinquent guy asked.

"The Utsusemi." I said as the Slime had disappeared. "And your friend is now fine."

The kid was already doing well, since his adaption to the Utsusemi and his will power pushed him to stay alive and be better.

"Y-Y-You! That white hair, that ability to manipulate Life Energy like that. You're, you're..." Doumon guy stood up as he pointed at me and shouted in terror. "You're Adam!"

"Yep." I stood up. The Avatar Sacred Gear guy and girl from Slash Dog still looked roughed up.

Hmm, I still had half the apple, I didn't eat it all. And oh! There were still two seeds inside it. Neat.

I took the seed in my hand, held the half-eaten apple in my mouth, then cupped the seeds between my palms and plunged Life Energy into them.

It was a bit tricky to guide the seeds growth to skip the tree and just make the apples.

"And viola." I said. Now I had two apples in my hands.

I threw one to the girl, who almost didn't catch the apple as it jumped between her hands a few times. Butter fingers.

I gave the brute-looking guy the other.

"Eat. You guys need heal up." I told them.

"Are... Are these the apples from the Garden of Eden?" The girl asked.

"Wait, what?" Doumon guy asked. "No! Don't give them that!" He shouted.

"They're the Apples of Inageya." I deadpannd. Just because I gave you apples, doesn't mean you have to assume that.

"What?" The girl blinked at me in confusion.

"They're from the supermarket." I clarified.

"Y-You! What the hell are you playing at? Why are you here, Adam?" Doumon guy shouted. "Why are you helping Samejima Kouki and Minagawa Natsume!? Are you with the Grigori?"

Huh, nice giving the kids names. I'm really starting to appreciate these villains with the exposition bug.

"I just happened to be in the area." I looked up to see a kid with light silver hair. He had two white futuristic wings sprouting from his shoulders, with feathers made of energy. The kid felt like a Human, a Devil and a Dragon.

And he was short. It was a chibified Vali Lucifer.

Pfft, what? I mean, that cute but, is something wrong with this universe to make him a shouta?

No, wait, this is still too early from the DxD canon starting point. So this is kid Vali? Man, his growth spurt hit him like a truck.

Well, anyways.

I dashed and punched Doumon guy in the guts, knocking him out.

"So fast!" Natsume cried out.

"The fuck, he makes it look so easy." Kouki grunted.

"Oi, White Dragon kid." I called out.

"Oh? So you sensed me, Progenitor of Humanity?" Vali said, standing on some high beams of the building we're in.

"Can you deal with this guy? I don't know where to drop him off." I said.

"What?" Vali blinked in confusion.

"I'm gonna go rescue the rest of the rest of the kid linked to the Utsusemi in the city, then I'll head to the Utsusemi Agency facility to get everybody else. Okay? Later." And I went on my way, barely hearing the shouts of surprised from the kids.

"What the flying fuck was that!" Kouki cried out.

"That, that... Did he just give me some janitorial job of collecting the trash? Is that what you're implying Adam!" Standing next to the other members of Slash Dog cried out to the sky, as an aura of power and rage engulfed him.

"So that's Adam. I... wow. Not exactly sure how this meeting was suppose to go." Natsume said, now more calm and trying to process everything.

"You know him?" Kouki asked.

"I heard about him." She said as she took a bite out of the apple gifted to her. "He's suppose to be the Spirit Inheritor to the First Man, Adam, but there are other theories about him due to how powerful he is."

"'Spirit Inheritor'? To the First Human? The shit, why is someone like that just hanging around and helping us?" Kouki asked, looking overwhelmed a bit.

"K-Kouki?" A voice called out, as Kouki's friend started to wake up and sit up.

"Nobu! How are you feeling, man? All good?" Kouki asked, with surprising care.

"I'm fine. Actually, I feel great." Nobu tried to laugh like he usual did when hanging out with his friend. "Although the last few moment felt crazy."

"Yeah, tell me about it." Kouki sighed.

Natsume hummed and nodded in agreement.

Before the digested apple reached her stomach, and energy burst out of her whole body, as her Avatar Sacred Gear, Griffon, one of the Four Fiends, the Fiend of Deviousness, Spirit of Kyuuki began to grow and transform.