Ah, morning. Nothing like a comfortable bed to wake up early in the morning.
Turning my head to the left, I'm greeted by Koneko's sleeping face, she makes almost no noise while softly snoring the morning away. Then, looking slightly below, there's a head of blonde hair which is face-planted in my chest, sleeping slightly louder.
It's not every morning that I'm being used as a body pillow, but maybe I can get used to it.
Since it's clear that I'm not getting up anytime soon, maybe it will be a good opportunity to do a little bit of gambling, if you know what I mean.
Gacha Tokens: [10]
Would you like to roll your Tokens?
Yes, I'm talking literal gambling. It's so long since I made a ten-pull in any Gacha game, I wonder if this place has F/GO?
Roll them all, please.
Rolling…
5 Common Tiers…
2 Uncommon Tiers.
3 Rare Tiers!
No big pulls this time, sad.
I can already see that 'Common' is basically junk. There are no 'common' skills that you can't learn, and common weapons go all the way from a regular wooden bow to a pocket knife. Really wish I could just scrap these…
…
Anyways, show me the Uncommon's first, then the Rares.
[Blacksmithing] Lv 1
The ability to turn materials like ore, leather, wood, and much more into weapons or armor. The quality of the weapon will be decided by the materials used and the level of this Skill.
Clark Kent Glasses (DC Comics)
While in reality, Superman can avoid being discovered by the masses thanks to changing his whole mannerisms around people, you don't have such ability. Instead, these glasses have an obscuring effect that makes people not identify you as 'Zatren Fumigami', unless you allow them to.
Huh. Being able to craft my own equipment is nice. Also, are those glasses really 'uncommon' tier? Hmm…
Advice Mirror.
Whoever looks into this mirror, may ask a question to their future selves. Yet, the one who answers may be you from a week in the future, or 70 years into the future.
Once a question has been asked, this item will shatter and disappear.
[Wounded No More (Perk)].
Your body can take a lot, but how long until your injuries prevail over your natural defenses? Losing by a thousand cuts is such bullshit. With this, there's no need to worry about that. However, do take into account that you are no Deadpool.
HP Regeneration has greatly increased.
Moonlight Larvae (Dark Souls).
Seath The Scaleless was a twisted scientist. Using living creatures to create powerful or interesting creatures. Humans were on his list of favorite subjects.
This one is such a creation. Using flesh, blood, the power of crystals, and moonlight itself, he created the 'Moonlight Butterfly'. You could consider this an offspring of some sort.
This creature has been automatically tamed since it was a 'Familiar' drop.
Before I can dwell on the first two pulls I got, a larva the size of my hand falls directly on top of me (Not on Mittelt's head, thankfully), and I can feel a bond, similar yet different to what I have with Rei establish itself between me and the creature.
Its body is a beautiful green and blue. Kind of like an aurora borealis, but a lot more… pale?
Grabbing it in my free hand. I notice that it is as thick as three of my fingers put together, and my magic senses let me know that there's a lot more behind that beautiful appearance.
''What should I name you…?'' I wonder while looking at my new familiar. Maybe Crystal? Or something related to the moon?
Suddenly, I feel something poking at my side. Turning my head, I can see Koneko staring dead me in the eyes. Then, she turns her head to the caterpillar before sighing.
''Senpai… where did the huge, and clearly magical bug come from?'' Now, that is a very good question for which I have a perfect answer.
''I woke up and it was there…?'' By the way her eyebrow rises in exasperation, I can tell that, it was not a perfect answer.
''Of fucking course it was…'' With another sigh, she snuggles her face against my arm and falls asleep once more.
I don't know who to thank for giving me a perfect girl like Koneko who can roll with all my bullshit.
''You know; I was wondering when this type of thing would happen.'' I look in amusement at the magic circle on the floor, which belongs to the house of Gremory. All of Rias's peerage members are present to see me off on my first contract as a Devil.
''Well, with all the troubles we had with the Fallen, we never had the chance to actually send you out on your first contract. Even Asia and Sachi have already made a few~'' Rias teases slightly while giving me some pats on the back.
''Do your best, boss!/E-eh… You can do it, Zatren-San!'' Sachi and Asia give their own words of encouragement, and I can't help but smile in appreciation.
''Well, if my two Kouhais encourage me so, I can only give my 110%~'' Chuckling a bit, I can't help but notice Koenko giving me a pointed stare. When I raise an eyebrow at her in amusement, she deadpans.
''What am I? A roach?'' I snort and almost choke while breathing.
''Where's your cute or energetic encouragement, hmm?'' My cheeky words are met by the same cat girl walking up to me, giving me a hit on the back that makes me recoil a bit, which puts her at the perfect distance to grab my head and give me a kiss on the cheek.
And she just walks to her previous position with smugness in spades.
Satans, I love that girl.
''I'm filing for domestic abuse.'' Yet, I can't help but joke about it while looking directly at Rias, to which she only shakes her head in amusement. Truly, I never get the justice I deserve.
I step up into the circle and tilt my head at her. ''So, how does this work? Does the client get one of us at random?'' I ask while Akeno is on the side, putting the finishing touches to align my magic signature to the circle itself.
''Not really.'' It's Kiba who steps up to answer me. ''The one making a 'wish', usually calls to the one who is most capable of fulfilling it, but if they are a regular client, they can just call out the name of the Devil they wish to summon.''
''Got it. So, how do I- oh!'' Suddenly, the magic circle at my feet brightens up with crimson light. I only get a wave and a thumbs up before I'm whisked away from the Occult Research club.
A man's voice resounds inside my head. It's not invasive nor impatient, but pleading.
''I wish that my grandchild's sickness goes away.'' Spoke the voice.
Then, just like that, I find myself inside an old-fashioned house, with tatami floors and sliding doors with beautiful wood and cream-colored, opaque material.
My attention is drawn to a wide-eyed old man. He's bald, with graying hairs on the sides of his head, wrinkles on his face, dressed in a… Jinbei, was it? I'll be honest, every piece of clothing seems like a Kimono.
''You…'' He starts before I raise a hand to stop his words. Then, leathery black wings burst from my back. The candles that have been lit around the room do wonders to the aesthetic effect, and it's just now that I notice an actual summoning circle on the floor, instead of the pamphlet that most people use according to Rias.
Funnily enough, there's also a circle of salt around me. I can actually feel some repelling force from it, but a single look is all I need to discern that I could breach it if I wanted to.
''You have summoned a Devil who serves the house of Gremory to fulfill your wish. Shall we make a contract, Benefactor?'' I turn my head to address the old man- Tanaka, with what I hope is a friendly smile.
Nailed that presentation. I'm just built like that.
I… may be in a pinch.
Haru Tanaka.
Age: 12.
The young Tanaka suffers from Pulmonary Fibrosis. A condition in which the air sacs of the lungs become scarred and damaged over time. This could happen for a lot of reasons, but this person in particular got it due to long exposure to chemicals commonly used in agriculture.
Even while sleeping, I can see the little boy having trouble with his breathing. His condition seems very deteriorated, and I wonder if there is something I can even do about it.
My 'devil-phone' comes with an app that allows me to round up the overall cost for the boy's chronic illness to go away, and I can already tell it's way more than this family can afford.
Looking to the side, I can see the old man looking at his grandchild with barely restrained worry. He's a tough man, but his eyes give his emotions away.
Silently, my hands are coated by an orange glow, and I place them directly on top of the boy's chest. It takes a few minutes of using [Healing Touch], and even then, I can only put his lungs in the early stages of his illness. Which is still better than before, mind you.
With my healing done, I get up and let the now softly-breathing boy sleep. I motion for the old man to follow me out of the room, and we step out without making much noise.
''Is he…?'' Tanaka starts, but I shake my head before he can end his sentence.
''I could not heal him entirely. The best I could do was to heal the damage to the lungs, but it will come back in the future. I give it a year at best before the symptoms show up again-''
Suddenly, my eyes widen in surprise as the old man bows in front of me. His form is trembling, and a string of thanks escapes his mouth in short order. All of them so mixed with each other and spoken in a soft and broken voice, which makes them hard to understand.
I cannot help but narrow my eyes, why is he so thankful? I could not heal his grandchild, only set the problem back for a time.
The man gets up, and the moment he notices my confusion, he shakes his head, as if unbelieving. ''Devil-Sama, a year to you may not be much, but my poor grandkid was expected to be intubated in less than a month at best…''
Ah… I understand now. So I was the last lifeline of this kid. That makes a lot more sense.
I give him a nod, and while I don't wish to be that guy… With my job done, the contract must be fulfilled. ''Of course, but I believe we must speak about the payment now.''
Determination suddenly fills the man's gaze. ''What would the cost be? For the life of my grandchild, I would give anything.''
I wave him off, and the app on my phone suddenly lights up. Then, a few options are displayed in it. As always, a large sum of money appears first. Then, the life of the man in front of me, but I decide to discard these.
Near the bottom, there's a curious option. A book. I can work with this. There's no need to take more from a family that's probably in financial trouble already.
The moment I mention it to him, his eyes widen in surprise. He excuses himself for a few moments, before coming back with a dusty old book. Certainly deteriorated with the passing of time, but certainly valuable if the app is anything to go by.
The moment I touch the book with my hand, I can feel a small rush of energy course through me, signaling the end and fulfillment of my contract. A magic circle appears at my feet, and I only manage to read the first page of the book before I'm whisked away for the second time today.
'The Power of the Soul'… Interesting.
-Kuroka's POV—
Nyaaw! It's incredibly frustrating to track this bastard down!
Who leaves no trace while teleporting and just randomly disappears at random intervals of the day? Not to mention the times I had to straight up leave, least I got found out by the Satans!
Seeing the cause of my current frustrations get far enough of the Devil-managed school. I trail him down for a few streets, covered in illusions, just in case, nyah~
It was only recently ago that I noticed his life force feeling… different. It was like a drop in a pool of demonic energy, the usual feeling I get from Devils, but now it's more like a puddle. A puddle of dragon-like energy.
Mhm… I would love to see if he can give me some half-dragon kittens, but by the smell I pick up, he's already little Shirone's mate. What a shame, nyah~
Hm? He suddenly stopped in an alley. Weird, why is he-
Suddenly, a barrier made with devil magic surrounds us. One made with the intention of regular people ignoring this place entirely. Not like there's a lot in the first place, since it's the middle of the night.
''I know someone's there. What do you want?'' His tone is calm, and he doesn't even pull that fancy weapon of his, but I can feel the buildup of Demonic Power ready to be unleashed.
Did I get distracted and dropped the Illusion too much? I could probably make a run for it, but where would the fun in that be? Nyahahah~
Falling down from a rooftop and landing without a hitch, I drop the illusions covering my image. A chesire-grin (Ha!) spreads across my face at seeing the widened eyes of the little fish~
''Nyahaha! Did the cat get your tongue? You were the one who asked me to show myself, no take backsies'~'' I wonder what type of sea creature he is. Definitely doesn't feel like a Youkai, but his life force has an Ocean-like feeling, something sweet and captivating. What would he taste like~?
''You are… Koneko's sister.'' He states. A lot… less shocked than I would expect.
Wait a minute. ''You know about me, nyah? Did little Shirone speak of her evil big sister~?'' I can't help but narrow my eyes and lick my lips as I get closer to the little water snake.
''Yes, actually.'' His words give me a stop. Just when I was about to put my 'claws' on him too~
His eyes come ablaze with a golden glow, which makes me raise an eyebrow in curiosity. Yet, before I can interrupt the little light show, he speaks again. ''You didn't do it.''
''Hm? What are you spouting about, little fish?'' I didn't do what? There's a lot of things I haven't done-
''You didn't go insane. Nor did you kill your master in a rush of power. You were a prodigy Senjutsu user. There's no way you could have fallen to the 'evil of the world''' He confidently crosses his arms, and the glow in his eyes dies down after a little wince.
A cold shiver goes down my spine, and it's not a second later that I have my claws around his neck. ''You… How?'' No more games. How does this bastard know that? The fact that he only looks mildly surprised instead of terrified for his life is starting to piss me off.
''A mage doesn't reveal his secrets, do they?'' And he has the audacity to act teasing? Should I just tear his throat out? It would be really simple. A quick, painless swipe and…
No. No, it won't. He's still Shirone's mate, and I don't need more heat on my back than what I already have.
''Would you tell anyone about it? No… Would you tell her about it?'' I release some pressure from his throat and look him directly in the eyes. I would prefer to not mess around with his head just to make him forget.
''Not yet.'' I take a deep breath to contain myself instead of just tightening my grip. ''I feel like it would do more harm than good, at least for now.''
That… I can deal with that.
Suddenly, I give a big smile and pat the sides of his jacket, as if cleaning non-existent dust. ''Of course! My, where are my manners, nyah? To be so rude to my little sister's mate. That's the making of a very bad cat~''
It's funny how dumbfounded he looks. What did I do to confuse my brother-in-law like this? Nyahahaha!
''Say, what if I do you a favor and you make sure to really not tell anyone about this, nyah? You scratch my ears and I scratch yours. Sounds fair, doesn't it, meow?''
''Sure, but could I actually scratch them, though?'' I just look at him directly in the eyes. Truly, what a shameless man. To ask if you can scratch your sister-in-law's ears?
I… haven't had a good scratch in a while.
I tilt my head to him, and it's not a moment later that I feel a soft but firm hand patting my ears and giving them some scritches. Ahh… How I missed this, nyahh~
''Could you teach me Senjutsu?'' He starts, but I let him continue to enjoy his touch a bit more. ''I want Koneko to see that it's not as dangerous as she believes. Besides, it would make a nice bridge to explain your… situation, won't it?''
Hmmm… A handsome face, good scratches, and smart to boot? Not to mention, he may become pretty strong… Now I really want to ask for kittens, I bet they will be strong and adorable little rascals~
''I can already tell you have some potential, nyah.'' My ears drop a little when he takes away his hand from my head, but I hide it with a perfect cat grin! ''Try and feel out your own life force. Do that and I'll teach you~''
Before he can do anything, my mouth reaches his neck and I give him a little bite. Just enough to leave a mark, and not a moment later, I'm already walking out of the alley with a little sway to my step.
Easily, as if walking through the air, I cross the barrier he put on. Also, He did a very bad job of not staring at my body, that's for sure~
You really know how to pick them, little Shirone~
-Zatren Fumigami's POV—
Now hear me out, I don't usually skip class, but I believe the naming of my new familiar is a pretty good reason, and since I'm unoriginal as hell, I tried asking Sona for some ideas.
Sitting on one of the Studen's Council tables, I get a confused and slightly exasperated look from Sona as I let the beautiful caterpillar crawl around my torso. It- She, actually, has decided that my neck is a pretty comfy place, and it's acting like a scarf.
''How did you even get this creature? It's clearly not native to Kuoh, and won't look out of place in the Familiar Forest…'' A sigh escapes her lips as she scratches her head.
''Would you believe it if I said that she appeared out of nowhere while I was waking up?'' I question playfully, to which I get a deadpan and a raised eyebrow.
''You can ask Koneko and Mittelt for that matter. If you want to verify my words, that is. We were all pretty comfy sleeping before she appeared out of thin air.'' Suddenly, her face brightens up with a blush, and I can't help but smirk. ''Ah! The Kaichou is being dirty-minded! We were just sleeping; you know? Pervy Prez, Pervy Prez~''
A string of excuses escapes her mouth before she slams her hands on the table. ''Are you a child?! D-Don't go spreading accusations of me like that!''
Why not? I love spreading misinformation already.
Sona grumbles a bit while hiding her blush poorly and walks up to her desk, sits down and her face scrunches up in a frown. ''Hurry up, I'm not letting you just skip class. You will at least have to stimulate your brain by practicing chess with me, so you can get that 'actual' match you wanted.''
She really does a bad job of hiding her feelings~
''Alright… I think Chrysalis is a good one. What do you think, girl?'' Just like with Rei, I feel the Bond deepening the moment I name the little Larvae. Yet, instead of her becoming a lot more… expressive, something different happens.
''Hmm… A good name for one such as me. Thanks, Master~'' A woman's voice invades my head, and by turning to Sona, I can tell that she didn't hear it.
I look down at the shiny caterpillar, who somehow looks extremely smug without even having an expression. Don't ask me how I know, I just do. Then, the presence I didn't notice entering my head simply disappears, and the newly named Chrysalis falls asleep around my neck.
Eh, weirder things have happened… Actually, have they? At this point, the events in my life may just be trying to one-up each other on how weird they are.
I get up and walk to Sona's desk, sit in front of her, and give her a cheeky smile. ''Alright, Senpai. Let's get some practice done so I can beat you and take you out on a date~''
''S-Since when was that on the table?! It's entirely unprofessional!'' Her face lightens up like a Christmas tree even as she tries to deny me my rightful price for when I win. Truly, what a heartless woman…
''Ehh? Are you rejecting me, Senpai…? How could I recover from this heartbreak? What a cruel woman, to play with your Kouhai's feelings like that…~'' I even fake drying up my eyes, not like it seems genuine with the smug smirk on my face.
Sona lets out an exasperated scream. She's fun like that~
Bonus Scene: -Riser Phenex's POV-
It's really a wonder how news spread around the underworld. Well, it's not like things as interesting as this happen every day. I would dare say every decade even.
A video of a teenager, falling like a shooting star on top of a foul beast. Making the forest around them tremble and quake. The beast falls and shatters to pieces, and the spearman ends up in triumph. A battle straight from a fairytale.
There's no sound on it or the original sender, not that I cared to look. It just has spread like any other 'viral video' these days.
Still, it would usually not matter that much. Little kids will gasp and be star-struck about it, and old Devils will reminisce about their prime when they were young and energetic.
No, it wouldn't matter if the boy in the video was anyone else, but as Riser said, news spread fast around the Underworld.
A very interesting one being, that this warrior is Riser's fiancée's newest addition to her peerage, and that reminds me, won't it be time for a visit to the Crimson Princess herself? No matter how… astray these meetings tend to be. Riser must always keep appearances.
''Servant.'' I click my fingers, and one of the employees under the Phenex's House steps up and bows their head. ''Send a message to the Gremory Heiress. Riser wishes to pay his… 'beloved' an early visit.''
''At once, Lord Riser.'' Just like that, the appointment is sent into motion.
Haa… how bothersome.
OMAKE: Edgygami: Grinding Away.
The legendary sword cuts through the Imp's body like a hot knife through a paper cup. The experience notification makes me scoff and kick away the low-level trash's body.
How the fuck should I know that hunting down Strays for free materials would be enough to piss off those two bitchy heiresses? Really, I could get it from 'Souna' or whatever the fuck she's called, since the few appearances she has always make her look like a bitch with a stick way up in her ass, but Rias too?
What a fucking bother. I'm considering if trying to raise their affection meter is even worth it at this point.
Turning to look at Mittelt, I sigh in exasperation at seeing her struggle with a group of imps like the one I just cut down. At least this one was easy to get, she's halfway to getting her Affection to the max, and she is 'easy' to power level.
''Hurry up already, I want to beat the boss quickly. How else I am going to get the 'speedrun' rewards?'' With a single movement from the Cursed Series, a green wave cuts off the head of 3 of the Imps, leaving her to finish the other two.
''Sorry, Zatren-Sama. I'll be better.'' The four-winged Fallen looks to the floor in shame, and I just sigh and pat her on the head. Well, at least she was less bothersome than the other NPC's. Never thought I'd pursue the Romance Route of an Anime-Only side character, though.
You have Leveled Up!
Cursed Series: Envy I has reached full mastery!
That helps out my sour mood a bit. It's a fucking bother to grind all day just so I can't get pushed around by the two 'Heiresses', and even then, I'll have to deal with the sistercons if I dare and hurt them in any way. Should I just skip Kuoh altogether?
''It's whatever, just hurry up. Daylight burns fast.'' Because of course the Dungeon has a day/night cycle, and I don't have dark vision, thank you very much.
Walking to the Demon Castle in the distance with my servant girl close behind, I can feel my hand twitching at the amount of loot and exp I'll get out of this…~
.
.
.
Ah yes. We managed to interact with the crazy cat without dying. This truly is our high school DxD.
I always find it funny how other characters see Zatren's reactions since he usually seems so sure of himself, but when we see his real POV he's half-panicking and half-bullshiting his way through things.
Also, is that a half-smart Riser I spot? Surely, that would not make the Rating Game harder... right?
Edgygami's back, edgier than ever. You can always tell me ideas for his Omake's, kek.
Oh yeah, I forgot.
Guess who's back... Back again... Hamster's back... Tell a friend! Lol.
My break is over and I'm ready to keep writing, hope you enjoy and have a nice weekend!
Discord Link: discord .gg/ 92Yt5wxeWN