I've almost forgotten how fun it was to bully the dungeon monsters. I guess getting no direct benefits like levels might've turned me off for a bit, but seeing how there's little I can do when stuff in my laptop takes a long time to actually install…
Well, first of all, I need a better device. That laptop stayed with me since I was twelve, but I digress. Refining my ice magic or sword masteries wouldn't be so bad. I'm pretty skilled in the former, so spending time developing new skills should be good for the upcoming fight ahead. I have all the damage I need with how many buffs I have, but I've yet to make decent defensive spells.
And that's what I really need. As I've reiterated many times, I'm easy to kill due to my abysmally low HP compared to everyone else, and I don't have a way to raise it in a substantial way, so my best bet would be to up my defense significantly.
I'm not confident I can even take a single hit from Kokabiel without keeling over. It's why I'm rushing to make my prototype suit– I need good armor so I don't die out there. I don't have the luxury of getting so much HP by regular training like everyone else. Which, while annoying, is understandable. My existence is fundamentally different because of the system, and the system gives out so many advantages and very few disadvantages.
I have Ice Flesh and Ice Skin, and I've evolved the latter to give me a few more layers of protection, while also making an entirely new spell. Ice Armor, which comes in the shape of medieval knight armor that covers my entire body. Looks sleek too, so I don't suffer any mobility issues in it.
It's not enough, of course. Sure, it's tough and can tank quite a lot of damage before breaking – 7k points worth of protection is no joke – but I'm gonna be dealing with a Cadre here, so at least higher ends of ultimate class.
So in that case, I made multiple other spells. Seeing how I can create ice minions and turrets that can act somewhat independently of me, I made a spell called "Frozen Spirit" that makes ice spheres that float around me, and whenever an enemy approaches, it automatically shoots them with ice shards without draining any of my mana.
Though they're easy to destroy, they have trouble following me if I fly too fast. But it'll do for now. I can make a lot of them at once and they have a low MP cost. I also managed to evolve every single ice construct spell, so every knight, soldier, or archer I make will be decently strong.
So if Kokabiel has an army, so will I.
Even with all that, though, I have a strong gut feeling that it won't be easy, which is obvious. This isn't like the weak, low-class fallen angels we dealt with before. This is a high-ranking officer with some pieces of the Excalibur.
But if I manage to finish the prototype before the next arc starts – better yet, perfect it – then I'll have prepared as much as possible. Plus, as much as I would hate to show it, I still have Excelsis in case things get bad.
I would meditate to get that tempered fury perk or whatever its called, but unless I'm absolutely sure I'd be safe for a while, at least a few months, I think a better use of my time would be working on my Engineer class or refining my magic.
Though, levels are hard to come by. I've basically exhausted all possible quests that could give me EXP, and until I reach level 150, the dungeons aren't gonna be helping that much. My best bet would be to go on psychopathic murder sprees across Japan, which doesn't sound safe.
Because I doubt I'll find anyone that can give me worthwhile EXP unless I either eat the souls of those I kill, or I instead try to attack yakuza or something, and the latter is a hilariously shitty idea. I'd be fucked the moment I get found out.
Name - Akane Amamiya
Level - 120
Title - Undead Slayer
Primary Class - Swordmaster - LVL 20/100 [33%]
Secondary Class - Engineer - LVL 86/100 [87%]
Race - Human
Rank - Mortal
Alignment - Neutral Evil
HP - 10,350 [690 per minute]
MP - 19,520 [10,632 per minute]
SP - 10,350 [690 per minute]
STR - 920
END - 690
DEX - 940
INT - 1952
WIS - 1772
CHA - 1190
LUK – 500
I frown slightly at what I see. Leveling up my Engineer class did give a significant increase in my intelligence and wisdom, but not nearly enough to help. And it isn't my mental stats that I'm worried about. What's the point of high attack damage if I can't even see what I'm fighting? Or if I'm killed in a single hit?
Also, I doubt eating souls will actually give EXP to open up the new dungeons. It'd be just a stat increase and some skills. I'm hoping I get the finishing blow on Kokabiel, as unlikely as it is, because the number of experience points I'd be getting from him would be massive, especially with my Rising Star perk.
At least I'm close to picking a new secondary class. I have that going for me I guess.
Quest added
[Plucking this Warhawk's Feathers] – Quest
Objective: Defeat Kokabiel
Bonus Objective A: Kill Kokabiel
Bonus Objective B: Prevent Kokabiel from killing anyone
Rewards: Major EXP, 125+ to all stats, 1 Epic Gacha Token
Bonus Rewards A: 50+ to all stats, [Purger of Sins], 1 Legendary Gacha Token
Bonus Rewards B: Major EXP, 250+ CHA, [Guardian Angel] Title, 1 Epic Gacha Token
Thanks, Game. I'm guessing Purger of Sins is an item considering it doesn't specify if it's a perk or title. Also, more legendary tokens. If the last one got me that busted perk, then you know for damn sure I'll be going straight for his head to get my second one.
…That second bonus objective doesn't bode well, though.
"To be able to easily control so many of these constructs…" Lucifer hums to himself as he watches the zombies get slaughtered by my knights. "You're quite talented for someone your age, even if Youjutsu is significantly easier to wield than human magic."
"I'm just that special," I say modestly, trying to evolve my Frozen Spirit.
He pauses once he turns to look at me.
"I suppose you are." He plays along in amusement. "Among the few Yuki Onna I've seen back then, I'd say you're the most talented of them by a sizable margin."
I glance at him, frowning in confusion at the knowing smile. I'm about to ask him what he's looking at before my phone starts ringing. I've already spent two hours in here? Ugh, I feel like I've barely made enough progress.
With only a few minutes remaining, I quickly head back to my room before dispelling the dungeon. I don't know what will happen if I wait the whole two hours within a dungeon, but I'm not testing that out.
You'd be locked in the dungeon forever.
Seriously?
Gullible.
No. You'll only be forcibly kicked out.
Fuck you too.
"That was rather abrupt," Lucifer states. "And what was the irritating noise just now?"
"An alarm I set up," I respond as I wave my phone.
"Oh?" He inspects the device up close. "This 'phone' of yours can do many things, I've noticed. What a marvelous tool."
"Uh, yeah…" I blink, having to remind myself that this guy has zero understanding of modern-day technology. "I'd get you one if you wanted, but I don't think you can really use it considering… you know…"
"Oh no, I fully understand." He smiles at me gratefully. "I do appreciate the thought, though."
…Why the fuck is he so nice. I don't like it.
That's when my phone rings again, this time from an incoming call.
"Hello?" I answer, not checking who it is.
"Finally. I've been trying to call you for twenty minutes now." Sona sighs.
"My bad, the battery was dead." I lie smoothly. "Need anything?"
"Yes. It's urgent." She says. "Are you free at the moment? We're on our way to you."
Oh, I don't like this. So soon?
"Just…Meet me at the usual cafe," I say, resisting a groan.
…Please don't tell me that arc is starting now.
– Sona –
"Perhaps we should've done this at a later date," Sona said with a worried frown as she sat next to the redhead in their usual cafe.
"It's fine," Akane responded, very obviously not fine. "I'm just a bit tired. That's all."
'Bit tired' she says. She looks like she's about to collapse at any given moment, so much so that Sona already forgave her for skipping school today. Honestly, she didn't know what Akane was doing before coming here, but she certainly wasn't sleeping.
She looked noticeably sluggish and irate, the bags under her eyes were clear to see. If she'd been awake since yesterday, then that's 48 hours of not sleeping a wink. That was not good or healthy for a human, even if they were as powerful as Akane.
Honestly, Sona regretted giving her a call to meet up. It should've been obvious to her from Akane's voice, but she chalked it off as nothing. Unfortunately, Sona also didn't think she had a lick of a chance of convincing her to go back home and sleep.
"So what did you call me for?" Akane asked, rubbing her eyes. "I hope it's important. I'm this close to finishing up my first project."
"What project?" Rias asked.
"You'll see later." She answered vaguely.
"Well, I would've texted you if it wasn't. Instead of meeting up," Sona explained, returning to the main subject. "We've just gotten informed of the Church's presence here. They'll be arriving in Kuoh tomorrow morning."
Akane noticeably paused at the information, absorbing it relatively quickly for someone so tired.
"And what exactly do they want?" She questioned. "I assume it's for something important."
"Someone stole some of the Excalibur pieces," Rias explained. "And the Church believes that the thief is here."
"More than that, we have good reason to think that this thief is Kokabiel," Sona added.
"...Makes sense," Akane replied after a moment, taking a sip from her coffee. "A bit random, but it's also too big of a coincidence."
"That's what I thought as well." The Sitri Heiress nodded. "He's inconsistent considering his earlier actions, and I'll admit, that's gotten me a bit stumped on how to handle him."
"Aside from casting and fortifying a few detection wards, there isn't much we can do," Rias said. "I personally think we should look for him ourselves, but if he has the same concealing artifacts those low-class Fallen Angels had, then I'm not sure we'll end up with much."
Akane hummed, thinking to herself.
"That's the problem, isn't it?" Sona sighed. "I don't know where he got such powerful items from, but with them, he has a massive advantage over us. All he needs is the perfect opportunity to attack, and we wouldn't know anything until it's too late. Our best bet would be to focus on defense in such a situation. That way, we can at least minimize our losses assuming the worst happens."
"And what do you mean focus on defense?" Akane raised a brow. "Wards aren't gonna do much in the grand scheme of things."
"Well, in general, I suppose sticking together more often would be wise." She clarified. "That way he'd have a more difficult time dividing and conquering. As I said, all he needs is a second to crumble all of our defenses. A single death from either of our factions would be devastating."
Akane paused for a moment, then smirked.
"If you wanted to spend time with me that much, you could just ask, y'know." She replied.
"Yeah, Sona. We won't judge~" Rias giggled.
"Can we focus on the matter at hand, please?" Sona scoffed, blushing slightly. "Please, there's time and place for everything."
"Sorry. But sticking together at all times might tip him off, and he'd be a lot more careful because of it." Akane argued, leaning on her chair as she thought more deeply about it. "But so will the arriving church emissaries, so that argument doesn't work. Hm…"
"About that, how are we gonna handle them?" Rias questioned. "I'll be honest, I'm not looking forward to them coming here."
"Nobody is." Sona agreed. "We'll just be as cordial as we could be. They aren't a fan of us, yes, but they would not try to start something on foreign grounds. They will suffer dire consequences otherwise."
"Ugh." The redhead rolled her eyes. "Why did the Tojo Clan even let them in, anyway?"
"Because they're a relatively neutral faction," Her childhood friend explained. "And keeping good relations with everyone is what they should be doing."
"Lure him out maybe?" Akane suddenly said.
The two devils blinked at her, not expecting her sudden quip.
"Pardon?" Sona tilted her head.
"Our best bet at dealing with Kokabiel." She clarified. "We should find a way to lure him out of hiding, then promptly take him out and his allies in one fell swoop."
"That sounds… dangerous." Sona frowned.
"And plausible." Rias shrugged, agreeing with the human girl. "I mean, what else can we do really? It's the best way of surprising him."
"Problem is finding a suitable bait." Akane thought out loud. "Something that he'd risk this weird plan of his over."
"Well, he likes war." The redhead helpfully supplied. "...That just about covers my knowledge of him."
"That'd be using one of us as the bait," Sona said, her frown deepening. "That is absolutely a bad idea. He's much more powerful than any of us, and who knows what kind of allies he has."
"Or–" Akane smirked. "We use them instead."
The two devils blinked in confusion, knowing what she was implying, but not understanding her reasoning.
"Think about it, he straight up stole Excalibur pieces. That's a big risk right there." She explained. "Means he's luring out the church, or he wants the Excalibur for one reason or another."
"But why here?" Rias raised a point. "In a heavily protected area? Especially after his last stunt?"
"That I can't explain right now, but if I had to guess…" Akane paused, putting a hand on her chin as she thought about it. "...Kill us, start a war, get the other pieces, then use them as ransom to blackmail the church and Great Seraphs into siding with the Grigori."
"That… seems fairly reasonable," Sona replied. "It would start a massive war between four factions, perhaps bigger than the previous Great War."
"Would the Great Seraphs really side with the Grigori over some swords?" The redhead seemed a bit apprehensive. "They wouldn't do that… would they?"
"We're talking about a legendary weapon here," Akane argued. "I wouldn't doubt it."
"Okay, but keep this in mind:" Rias argued. "While the Excalibur is an incredibly powerful weapon, even when separated, the Angels are struggling enough as it is with their low numbers. I don't think they'd take the risk."
"They still have You-Know-Who with them, though," Sona noted, making Akane blink in confusion. "Injured as he is, he's still incredibly formidable. His very existence is a massive advantage to the church and Great Seraphs."
"That's true…" The Gremory Heiress hummed in thought. "But wouldn't he join our side? I mean, with three factions allying themselves, the Grigori would not stand a chance, and the Angels would just take the pieces back off Kokabiel's cold corpse."
"What do you mean by You-Know-Who?" Akane interjected with a question.
"Leader of the Great Seraphs," Rias answered. "...I'm not risking a migraine just to say his name."
"Fair enough." She responded. "Well, considering how old Kokabiel is, he might know how the inner mechanisms of the Excalibur work."
"Meaning?" Sona frowned.
"Meaning he either hides them somewhere where nobody can find them," She pointed out. "Or, in a worst-case scenario, he destroys them. Permanently."
"That's impossible," Rias said. "The Excalibur is one of the most powerful artifacts ever made."
"It's in pieces, Rias." Akane countered coolly. "Someone or something broke the combined Excalibur. What makes you think its weaker fragments can't be destroyed?"
Rias tried to argue but quickly conceded.
"That is a good point," Sona said. "I assume we have a good grasp on his motives for now."
"We just have to wait for the church people to get here," Akane spoke before finishing her coffee. "Then we can get rid of him for good."
The two devils shuffled uncomfortably at the implication. They weren't exactly allies, but Sona wasn't sure she felt alright with using them like this, and neither was Rias. It felt… too scummy. Akane noticed it and tilted her head, putting the cup on the table.
"What?"
"Nothing, it's just…" Sona scratched her cheek, still somewhat unsure. "...I wish there was another way, though."
"What else do we have?" Akane shrugged. "It's either them or us, and honestly? I like us more than them."
"I guess I understand, but I dunno," Rias looked away. "It still feels a bit wrong to use them like this."
"Tough." She said bluntly, not one bit uncomfortable with the idea.
Sona knew the girl was pragmatic, but this was a bit too much for her liking. She was right, though, as much as the devil disliked to admit it. It was either them or the church.
"Then I suppose we have a plan, as bare bones as it is," Sona said. "We'll think of the details at a later date."
"I have time."
"After you've had your sleep." She deadpanned, adjusting her glasses. "In the meantime, we'll get ready for the church's emissaries."
"Seriously, you need to go to bed soon," Rias said as the two devil girls stood up from their seats. "You have time until tomorrow, and I don't think you want to be meeting them half-dead."
"Shut up, I'll do what I want." Akane half-heartedly slapped Rias' hand away as the latter tried to pat her head. "You just worry about not fucking up the meeting yourself."
"This is what I get for being nice." Rias groaned, throwing her hands up in the air.
"Yeah, you should let Sona do all the talking for you."
"You know what? Fuck you." The redhead scowled before walking away on her own. "Emo bitch."
As Rias left the cafe, Akane snorted.
"She's way too easy to make fun of." She muttered.
"It's good she doesn't take your insults to heart." Sona sighed, exasperated and amused. "Otherwise, she'd be more depressed than when she had to deal with the marriage."
"I'm just building her character," Akane stated with a smirk. "She should be thanking me."
Sona rolled her eyes.
"I agree with her, though. Do take care of yourself." She said, "Before the meeting at least. I'm sure whatever project you're working on can wait."
"...No promises, but I'll try to get a few hours of sleep."
"That's all I ask." Sona smiled softly. "I'll see you tomorrow."
And on that note, the devil left Akane on her own, a thoughtful frown taking over her face as she walked out of the cafe. Now to prepare for a meeting with their worst enemy and an incoming battle…
She sighed deeply.
There truly was no rest for her, was there?
– Akane –
"You know…" Lucifer starts as we walk back home. "I have yet to ask you about the current political scene. Clearly much has changed since I lived."
"Finally had enough of asking about toasters and fridges?" I mutter quietly.
He chuckles in amusement.
"I suppose." He responds. "I'll admit, I've never been a fan of politics. I used to simply crush my enemies and take what I wanted."
"And that just elevated you several tiers in the fun department." I snort. "Politics fucking suck, but unfortunately, this isn't a game where I can win by not playing."
"Well put." He nods. "So then, mind explaining the general situation? At least, what exactly happened after my death."
I pause, thinking about this for a moment. Well, it's not like I'm revealing anything sensitive. Might as well…
"Devils had a civil war. Half wanted to follow after your example, other half didn't, instead wanting to build a normal civilization." I summarize, keeping my voice quiet. "The latter practically won, and so they crowned four devils as the new Satans. Sirzechs Lucifer – who took your place – Serafall Leviathan, Ajuka Beezlebub, and Falbium Asmodeus."
"Hmm, that explains why those young devils felt different," Lucifer mutters. "They barely had any of the evil my old companions did. Fascinating. What caused such a change? And they defeated the older generation you say?"
"I don't know the details, but the New Satans are incredibly powerful, so much so that a lot of devils believe Sirzechs surpassed you," I respond.
After seeing Excelsis, though, I doubt that's even close to true. The sword itself isn't even awakened, and it's probably more powerful than Satan-Class devils. I don't know how powerful Lucifer was before his death, but he's certainly way beyond Sirzechs.
"Oh?" He chuckles. "Is my reign of terror that easily forgotten? I'm almost insulted. What about the angels? Someone must be leading my siblings after Father's demise."
So he is a former angel? Good to know.
"...I think Micheal took over the throne," I answer, trying to remember the details.
It's so tough, though. Aside from my slowly disappearing metaknowledge, which is incredibly worrying, I can't think properly. I haven't slept in a long while, but I still have an important project to finish before Kokabiel shows up.
I don't have a lot of time left.
Of course, the fucking arc starts as soon as I'm done with that dumb Rating Game.
"Did he?" Lucifer's smile dropped as a somewhat worried frown took over his face. "...I see."
I notice it and raise a brow.
"What's wrong?"
"Micheal is a bit too…. soft, compared to the others." He clarifies. "Taking over the throne means he'd be able to hear and see everyone who worships my father."
"Okay?" I blink, still not getting it. "Implying…?"
"...No, it's nothing. You do not have to concern yourself over such things." He shakes his head. "And what of Azazel?"
"Dunno. Nothing's changed, I guess." I respond. "As far as I know, anyhow. Well, aside from one of his own trying to restart a war."
"...Kokabiel had always been quite the unstable fellow," He notes. "But I did not think he was bold enough to do something like this. Interesting."
"He probably has strong allies." I point out. "Like, very strong allies."
I know he had that Valper guy in the original story, but in this case, this doesn't seem enough for him to do something like that. This isn't regular DxD– it isn't just Rias and Sona he has to worry about. The Yakuza Patriarchs here are absurdly powerful from what I know. Plus, I don't know why he wants the sword pieces other than the conclusion I've come to.
I could be wrong here, and that's making me a bit anxious.
…I have a bad feeling about this. I barely have enough time to make my prototype suit, and my car isn't here, so I can't complete it yet. What enemies should I be expecting? And is Kokabiel's goal really just restarting a war? If yes, why is he in such a hurry?
It feels like he's rushing an otherwise very careful, if strange, plan, but why? It's so weird and frustrating because I can't figure it out. He knows or has something while I don't, and it's extremely worrying. And annoying.
I shake those thoughts out of my head. There's no point dwelling on them, not when I'm busy with my current project. Rather than spending brain power on the whys and hows, I should focus on building what could possibly counter him completely, or at the very least, protect me.
"That much is obvious." Lucifer agrees. "Hm, who could it possibly be?"
I don't respond as I open the garage of my home, pausing as I don't see my laptop or robot anywhere. I frown, confused and already annoyed as I look for them around, finding nothing. I'm pretty sure I left them here–
"What did I tell you last night?"
I nearly jump as my mother's voice startles me, turning around to see her with her arms crossed and a look of disapproval on her face. I instinctively scowl as I quickly connect the dots. I'm not patient enough to deal with her shit right now.
"Where did you put my stuff?"
"First thing you do after you see me is accuse me of crimes I might've not committed?" She raises a brow before grinning. "Who knows~"
"I do not want to deal with you right now." I ground out with gritted teeth. "Give me my shit back."
"Nu-uh. Not until you go to bed." She refuses. "You're not getting your toys until you sleep for at least eight hours. I've decided to woman up and be a mother this time around."
"First time for everything."
"Okay, first of all, ouch." She replies, not one bit afraid of my rising power or hurt by my scathing words. "Second, I'm doing this for your own good."
I reflexively cast a sphere of ice at her, aiming to hurt her, but she easily slaps it away before gasping.
"Ah! How could you attack me, your mother and the most awesomest woman in the world?!" She cries all dramatically, which only fuels my annoyance at her. "Have you no shame, delinquent daughter of mine?!"
"I'm NOT in the mood for your stupid fucking games," I growl. "Give me my stuff back before I lodge the next one up your ass."
"See, you would've been in the mood if you had some sleep, so go to bed right now." She states confidently, not intimidated at all. "I promise I won't do anything with your stuff in the meantime. I even swear on my honor to protect them with my life."
"Perhaps you should listen to her," Lucifer says before I continue my assault. "You will not be able to work efficiently as you are now."
I continue to glare at her, while she simply gives me a confident and rather irritating smirk until my tense scowl softens. If I want to control my emotions, I shouldn't let this get to my head. I'm tired and I really need to sleep if something like this was enough to piss me off.
An hour or two wouldn't hurt. And Lucifer is right– It'd be smarter of me if I worked on the prototype suit if I'm energetic and had my rest. Less likely to make errors that way. I can feel my magical power gradually decrease once I let out a frustrated huff, calming my nerves as I concede to her demands.
"Fine." I sigh. "I'll take a nap, I guess. I better see my project back where it was once I wake up, or else."
"You will, don't worry." Mizuki nods in satisfaction. "I'll even get you a little surprise when you wake up."
"Whatever." I roll my eyes, walking past her.
"Goodnight!"
"Piss off."
I quickly put an alarm on my phone to wake me up in exactly two hours. Eight hours is way too much time spent sleeping. I'll just pretend that I couldn't go back to sleep or whatever. I can use the extra hours to finally begin working on the prototype suit.
I pause for a moment then add several more alarms.
Just in case.
I have nothing witty to say this time. Only that TOTK has brought my relatively consistent writing speed to a screeching halt.
Sorry.