Shocked. That word didn't even begin to describe Issei.
"...Wha'?" He spoke. His mouth still gaping like a fish on land." How?...Draige?" Issei spoke. Hoping for an answer as he looked at his status window.
Name: Issei Hyoudou
Titles: [Breast fiend] [Arising Red Dragon Emperor] [Cardinal Shield Hero] [Demon Exterminator] [The Mystery Man]
Level: 31| Next Level: 25 530Exp
Class: Low Class| Human (Ascended)
Stats:
HP: 50 264/53 083
MP: 44 679/ 57 750
SC: 50%
CHI: 500 [+] [+] (suppressed)
KI: 22 785/22 785
AURA: 27 750 (suppressed)
STR: 217 [+]
STA: 210 [+]
DEX: 210 [+]
INT: 55
WIS: 56
CHA: 200 [+]
LUC: 60
Attribute points: 65
Yeah...It was official. He just busted the system.
"Well, partner. What do you wish to know?" Draige spoke in his head.' For starters, how did I jump ten levels!?' Issei asked, still looking with disbelieve at his stats.
" I believe it was the ritual you partook in with the ghouls. When they transferred their life force over to you, they basically performed the Yokai's ascension ritual.
And before you ask, it's a ritual used by the yokai to become gods. Basically when they reach their highest realm of power, like a nine tailed fox, then they can use the ritual to ascend past their limits and become a god.
It basically requires five pure hearted individuals from the same race, to channel their ki into the individual they wish to ascend.
This acts as a catalyst, causing the sixth person to evolve and become a god. It's how Inari became the fox god, how Sun wukong ascended onto Heaven, and even how Yulong became a celestial dragon.
In your case, they transferred their life force over to you and it caused you to ascend past your human state. Hell, I'm having a hard time concealing your Chi and Aura as it is.
Having your life force increased, caused the Chi stat to be unlocked. Having more life force means your body is more active and produces more energy, that's why the Ki stat was unlocked. You pushed your body's energy capacity past the average human limit.
And the Aura stat was unlocked because Aura radiates off of your Chi. Off of all living things. Like your emotions, feelings and thoughts. Things only living beings possess. The more life force you have, the more and greater your Aura. Which is why I'm having such a hard time concealing the damn thing.
When we get back home, I'm putting you in Aura training. Your cover be damned." Draige stated. Issei nodded, having gained a bit of understanding of what happened to him.
He looked at the SC stat. Wondering what it is, he clicked on it.
[Spirit Capacity]
-All living beings have spirits and thus, spiritual powers. But how much power they can wield, depends on their body's Spirit Capacity, which determines how much of your spirit's power your body can safely bear or wield.
-Humans have a 10% Spirit Capacity due to their natural bodies of flesh and blood.
-Humanoid beings like the Elves, Dwarfs and Fay, all possess a higher spirit capacity of 25% despite their human origins.
-Yokai possess an average spirit capacity of 40%. With the kitsune having 50%
-Demons (Evil spirits) have a spirit capacity between 40% and 70% depending on the kind of demon they are.
-Devils possess a spirit capacity of 75%
- Fallen possess a spirit capacity of 80%
-Angels, Dragons and gods, all possess a spirit capacity of 100%
-Raising one's spirit capacity can improve one's magic reserves and increase the body's durability.
Issei looked intrigued at this." So the reason my mana and health points have gone to heaven, is because I raised my spirit capacity? That's pretty cool." He thought out loud before proceeding to put five attribute points into his luck, before dividing the remaining sixty among his Int and Wis.
He marveled as he saw his overall stats increase.
Name: Issei Hyoudou
Titles: [Breast Fiend] [Arising Red Dragon Emperor] [Cardinal Shield Hero] [Demon Exterminator] [The Mystery Man]
Level: 31| Next Level: 25 530Exp
Class: Low Class| Human (Ascended)
Stats:
HP: 50 270/53 083
MP: 76 179/89 250
SC: 50%
CHI: 500 [+] [+] (Suppressed)
KI: 22 785/22 785
AURA: 42 750
STR: 217 [+]
STA: 210 [+]
DEX: 210 [+]
INT: 85
WIS: 86
CHA: 200 [+]
LUC: 65
Attribute points: 0
Issei nodded in approval." Now, if my stats look this great, then I wonder about my skills and skill points. Open skill menu."
Changing to the skill menu, Issei smirked at the sheer amount of skill points he accumulated
Skill Points: 4850
'Oh yeah! I can do a lot with this much skill points in my arsenal.' He thought." Show me the battle healing, presence detecting and sealing magic skills."
{Battle Healing}-LV30| Next Level: 69%
{Presence Detecting}-LV28| Next Level: 78%
{Sealing Magic}-LV24| Next Level: 45%
Issei nodded." Okay. Put a thousand each in battle healing and presence detection and put the rest in sealing magic." He stated.
He watched as they too, rose in levels. With battle healing ascending to level thirty four, presence detection rising to level thirty three and sealing magic reaching level thirty one.
"Hey partner, not to question your wisdom, cause I know how high that is, but are you sure that was the right move?" Draige asked. Issei nodded." All my skills rise in level the more I use them. The only exception to that is my battle healing skill, which requires me to manually increase my body's healing capacity.
Presence detection is probably my most useful skill considering how much it has saved my ass. Both in and out of battle. So it has to be one of the skills I level up.
And as for sealing magic, more than half of my defensive spells can be classified as sealing magic as they all are used to seal off some or all of something in my vicinity. Thus increasing the level of my sealing magic, increases the level of effectiveness of all my spells that fall under that category.
My flame manipulation magic doesn't need an upgrade cause I have both you and the grimoire, who in turn act as Exp boosts for my flame magic.
And all the other skills can be improved upon by training. That includes all my recently attained skills like the body flicker or purifying effect. They can all be trained to raise their levels. So there is really no use in wasting my skill points on skills that can be trained to a higher level.
Also, now we can do this. Phantom zone!" He spoke and smiled when he was suddenly standing in a shadowy sphere.
Closing his eyes and concentrating, he made the sphere shrink till it came in contact with his body. Once it covered him, his body shimmered before the shadowy aura disappeared.
"Partner..what did you just do?" Came the dragon's voice. Issei smirked." It's an idea I've had since I learned Phantom zone.
Phantom zone creates a sensory void in whatever area it covers. My idea was that if I made it cover my entire body, I could, in fact, erase my presence entirely. Creating the ultimate stealth technique. But sadly, my mana control was lacking.
But now, since my intellect has increased, so too did my control. And now I can use the technique with ease. If I increase the mana output, I can increase the capacity of the technique and become completely untraceable.
I wonder what I should name this variation? Phantom Cloak? Oh yeah!" He turned and began making his way downstairs.'' Honestly, the fact that you're improving so swiftly is terrifying. And yet, all the more pleasing. If you continue to improve at this rate, then I wouldn't put it past you to surpass all your predecessors." Draige replied.
Issei merely smiled in response.
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Turning on the shower, water began to rain down on Kiyomi as she sat on a stool and began washing her hair.
Even though tired from the lack of energy, she still relished in the feeling of hot water flowing over her skin.
Sighing when the water suddenly stopped, she got up and steadily made her way to the tub before slipping. Feeling her muscles relax once more, she decided to ignore her body's roaring cry for food and relax her eyelids. She sighed once more...
'How did things come to this?'
Flashback: Kiyomi's POV
"Aah, there's my beloved princess!" A man with black hair and black eyes cried, dressed in a business suit as he threw a five year old baby girl up in the air before catching her and pulling her onto his shoulder.
"Papa!" The little Kiyomi cried as she hugged her father. An older version of her stood in the door frame and smiled as she watched the interaction between father and daughter.
Father Fugaku..Mother Mikoto...how I miss you both.
The scenery changed to a field in which a ten year old Kiyomi was practising swordmanship with two male versions of herself. One older and one seemingly her own age.
She missed her strike at the eldest one, who intern, aimed a strike at her shoulder. Her eyes widened, but then relaxed as the younger one deflected the strike and defended her. The two got back in potion, getting ready to continue their onslaught as they smiled at the eldest, who smiled back at them.
Big brother Itachi...Big brother Sasuke. Why'd you have to leave me?
Her thoughts shifted to the image of her eldest brother, Itachi laying in a hospital bed. Dead from a heart disease.
Then to the image of her other brother, Sasuke, laying dead before her feet. Dead from having his arm ripped of by a wild tiger. That too, because he was protecting her.
Finally, her thoughts shifted to an image of the corpses of both her parents, bleeding out on the floor as she ate away at their flesh. Her eyes dark with crimson pupils. And her hands drenched in the blood of her parents.
Flashback End
Tears began to flow from her eyes as she thought back to all the events that led up to her present day.
'I'm cursed...I'm a monster. Everyone who get's close to me always end up dead.' She thought.
But then, her thoughts shifted to another person she recently met. The Mystery Man that saved her.
Her thoughts shifted to the night the two encountered one another. And to the words he had spoken that night,' I'll be back soon.' Those words had haunted her for quite some time. The words both her brothers had spoken, right before they died.
For some reason, hearing this man speak those words arose a deep sense of dread within her. Like she was relieving her trauma all over again.
But when he returned, she felt as though the weight on her shoulders had disappeared. She felt relieved. And for the first time in a long time, she felt happy.
Why this man, whom she had only met for a brief five minutes, would have such an affect on her, she did not know. But one thing remained sure to her.
'I will not let him go. Not like I did the others.' She thought and got ready to exit the bath.
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Making her way to the kitchen in only a bathrobe and a towel around her hair, Kiyomi couldn't help but smile as she smelled food being prepared.
Entering the living room, she saw a woman attending to the cooking pots in the nearby kitchen. Adding spices and vegetables as she stirred the mix.
She had shoulder length green hair, grayish brown eyes and was wearing an apron over a tight pink sweater, which did nothing to hide her d-cups. Along with her green shorts and sandals, she painted the 'sexy-older-sister' picture perfectly.
Looking to the table, she saw that a few dishes had already been prepared. Onigiri (rice balls), crispy fried fish and a bowl of fruit salad.
Seeing the table decked with food, her stomach began growling, telling her that it was in dire need of food.
The green haired girl smiled at hearing Kiyomi's stomach growl." If you wish, you may start eating. After all, it wás all made for you." She spoke. Hearing those words, Kiyomi dove down to the table mat and started eating.
In under five minutes, she was done...with everything. She sat back and sighed." Thanks! I really needed that. And it was very delicious. I didn't know you could cook, Seto." Kiyomi spoke as she looked at the woman that approached her.
Sitting down by the table, she smiled." Eto. My real name is Eto Yoshimura. Seto is just what Tatara used to call me. You may call me Eto, if you wish to." She stated.
Kiyomi nodded." Hey, mind telling me something. That man, do you know him?" She asked. Eto shook her head." Nope. I don't have a single clue as to who he is." Eto replied. Kiyomi sweat dropped." You serve the man and yet you don't know who he is!? Seriously?" She exclaimed.
Eto nodded." True. But I don't need to know who he is. Just that he is whó he is. That's more than enough for me." Eto replied. Kiyomi laid back on the mat. Letting out a sigh she turned her head to look at Eto." How can you follow him so blindly?"
Eto smiled." Because, his mere presence brings me peace." She stated. Kiyomi rose an eyebrow." Peace?" Eto nodded." Let me tell you a little about myself.
Despite popular believe, I didn't become a ghoul. I was born one." This made Kiyomi's eyes widen." You were born a demon?"
"Yes, I was. My title, the One eyed owl, originally belonged to my father. I believe he was the first to be possessed by the Hellion now within me. According to master, even if the Hellion's host is compatible with it, it doesn't mean that the spirit won't leave if it finds an even more suitable host. So when I was born..."
"You were born with a perfect compatibility with the spirit that your father possessed. And thus, sensing a better host, your father's demonic spirit passed onto you. Am I right?" Kiyomi asked. Eto nodded." Correct. Or at least, that's what I believe.
Father began losing his power, and because he wasn't the kindest of men in his days, he was killed by a group of ghouls whose friends and family he ate. That was when I turned eighteen.
During my lifetime I had always been the submissive and servitive type. I don't know why, but unlike everyone else, I was always highly obedient and loyal to those whom I acknowledged. I believe it is the nature of the spirit I inherited. To serve.
But, the spirit within me is quite the picky servant. It won't serve just anybody, but rather, it will only serve someone with power and authority.
The first was my father. The second, was Tatara. And lastly, my new master.
I múst have a master. When I don't have one, I start to loose grip of myself. Almost like I'm being torn apart.
But that changes when I have a master. Then, my spirit calms, and I'm at peace. My spirit also tends to reflects my master's will.
With my father, my spirit was very dark. With Tatara, is was very indifferent. Like I was stripped of my emotions.
But with him, I am filled with confidence, emotion and a strong sense of self. I am experiencing more freedom than what I have felt since I was born. My spirit is completely calm. My mind cleared. My hart, overflowing with passions I didn't know I could have." She spoke as she hugged her legs.
"I won't leave him. And I won't let anyone take him away from me. I will protect him with everything I have... Right..Master?" She finished and looked behind Kiyomi. A figure aroused from the shadows and nearly scared the hell out of Kiyomi.
Unlike last time, Issei wasn't clad in his Shadow Armor. This caught both the girls' attention. One, being that he was dressed in his school uniform, meaning he is still a student and thus, probably younger than they are. And the second being his looks. Both girls blushed.
Issei noticed the blushes and had to struggle to withhold a smirk.' It would appear that the Charm ability I got from passing the one hundred mark in my charisma is paying off.' He thought and turned his gaze to Eto." Indeed. And I shall protect you in much the same manner.
Though I am intrigued by the fact that your spirit reflects the will of your master. But it isn't all that surprising considering the Servant system was just unlocked.
Where are my manners? I am Issei Hyoudou. But most just call me Ise." He spoke and gave a gentleman's bow.
Both girls didn't know what to say, until Kiyomi spoke up." Why now? Why tell me your name now when you refused to do so earlier?" She asked, somewhat confused.
Issei nodded." I rethought the matter. You are ultimately stil on the supernatural's radar whether you know my name or not. While you are no longer a demon, you still possess supernatural powers and that makes you stand out like a sore thumb.
If I am to watch over you, you'll need to know who I am. To know who you can trust or seek out for help. But I'd still like it if you could keep my identity a secret. There are forces in town that are after me. And soon I'll be forced to confront them. Until then I don't want my identity to be revealed." He stated. She nodded in response.
He turned his attention back to Eto." Eto, would you please extend your hand?" He asked. She nodded and raised her hand. Doing the same, a green magic circle appeared between the two.
"You said you wished to be my servant. In that case, Eto Yoshimura, do you submit yourself to me? Promising to fight by my side and to serve me in anyway I may require?" He asked. Eto smiled." Indeed I do." She replied.
The circle flashed red.
"In that case, I, Issei Hyoudou claim you, Eto Yoshimura, as my servant and hereby share with you my power." He finished and the circle turned completely red.
It shattered into mana particles before flowing into Eto. Her chest shined with a red light before revealing the mark of a green dragon's head on her chest.
Both woman looked in bewilderment at it before Issei spoke." That's my mark. The mark of the Dragon Emperor. Through it, I am connected to you. And you to me. I can't go into the specifics of what all the mark will grant you access to right now, but it will give you the same perks as myself." He stated.
Kiyomi observed the interaction between the two and found it strange how the two could simply act so casual despite never having known one another till roughly a few hours ago.
"Hey, Issei...Do you think..I could possibly become your servant as well?" She asked as she looked down at her thighs. Issei turned his attention back to Kiyomi and took note of her shyness.
"May I ask why?" He asked. She gazed back up at him." There are many reason as to why I would like to join you. But I guess the most notable one would be that I wish to have a purpose again.
My family is dead. And all my previous ambitions, dead along with them. Everything I wanted to do was for them, and now they're gone. Taking over the family business is no longer necessary as my uncle is probably in charge of it now.
Even if I continued on, I'd have nothing to do. Nothing to strive for. You said I still have power. Then why not make use of it in the best way we know how? Plus you said I'd probably be a target for the supernaturals so why not? You'd have two strong girls watching your back whenever you need them too." She finished.
Issei sighed as he looked at the girl." While I don't have any objections to that, you should know that relearning how to use your power will take some time and training. Until you do, you'll need a way to defend yourself..."
"I'm a specialist in both sword- and martial arts. My elder brother and father taught me in both categories." She interjected.
Issei nodded." Good. That aside, you should also know that we'll be fighting powerful entities which could lead to our deaths. Are you prepared for that?"
"I am."
"Then raise your hand."
And with that, he once again completed the servant contract, adding one more member to his growing party.
Having done what he came for, Issei bid his leave and once again used his shadow walking technique to return to school.
Both girls continued to spend the rest of the afternoon together, awaiting the return of their master.
------------------------------------------------------
"Are everything in place?" Rias asked her queen. The group had not attended school today as they had been busy setting up a trap for their Mystery Man. While they meant him no harm, they still wished to speak with him.
And this was the only way for them to draw him out.
"Yes, president. The strays have been put in place and are currently still asleep. Upon command they shall awaken and their power shall be released. A destruction spell has been placed upon them in case they go outside the prepared space." Akeno stated.
Rias nodded, pleased that everything was going according to plan. She looked over the evacuated industry side of town, smirking as everything fell in place.
'Soon, everything will be set. Today is the day we meet, mystery man.'
------------------------------------------------------
RING
The school bell rung, signalling the end of the school day. The students hastily made their way out of their classes. Chattering as they made their way off of the school grounds.
Making his way home, Issei gazed up at the mountain where he knew his two newest party members were staying at. 'I wonder what they are up to. I'll go home and then go check on them.' He thought as he continued his way home.
Reaching for the door knob, he opened the door and entered his house." I'm home~" He spoke.
"Welcome home honey! Food's on the table." He heard his mother's voice from the kitchen." I'll be down in a minute." He spoke and ascended up the stairs, entering his room and started changing.
Entering the kitchen, he saw both his parents waiting for him to arrive at the table." Honestly guys, you didn't need to wait for me." Issei stated as he sat down. His mother handed him his plate and watched on as her son said a short prayer before digging into his food.
"Actually honey, we wanted to discuss something with you." His mother spoke. He rose a brow at this." About what?" He asked after swallowing.
"You have been spending a lot of time away from home. The training I can understand. You're trying to get your mind off of what happened. Same with the long walks. But why, I wonder, would you sneak out early morning and during the night?" His father spoke. Issei's eyes widened in response.
"If what happened is affecting you more than what we hoped for, then you should talk. We are here for you, son. If something bothers you, you should speak up." His mother stated. Both parents looked worried at their son.
Issei, on the other hand smiled at their caring nature." Dad is right." This caught them of guard. Seeing their son smile was not what they expected." I do train and go on walks because of the bombing incident. But that's mostly because I want to be able to do something should something similar ever happen again. But I already told you of this.
As for the sneaking out, well, I kinda made a friend. Two to be precise. I snuck out to go help them." Issei replied and continued on eating.
"Helping friends? You sure?" His father asked. Issei looked his father in the eyes and nodded." Two girls." He replied. Both parents' eyes widened at this.
Issei saw their mood lighten up and instantly knew what they were thinking." No! Not like thát!" He exclaimed. But both the parents were just looking at him with an expression that shouted.
'Yeah right. Whatever you say.'
Issei sighed." It'll probably be on the newspaper tomorrow morning, but I guess I'll tell you now." This statement confused the father and mother.
"This morning, a group of people were admitted to the hospital after being found unconscious in front of the hospital. People claim that these people were all declared missing like over five months ago and some have even been missing for well over a year.
Yesterday, I met two girls, both claimed to have been kidnapped and in need of help, so I helped them. One of the girls I recognised as Kiyomi Gaiko..."
"Gaiko! As in the Gaiko's of Gaiko Shipping Industry?" His father interrupted. Issei nodded.
"As in the Gaiko's who were murdered over a year ago? I heard they couldn't find their daughter and presumed that she was taken by the killers." His mother spoke. Once more, Issei nodded.
"Indeed. She and the other girl, Eto, escaped their kidnappers along with the group of captors who are now in the hospital.
I ran into the two on my way home and desided to help them. I took the two to the Gaiko mansion after providing them with food and other supplies and appliances with the savings I had saved up.
I promised them I'd come check up on them before I went to school. So I got up early and snuck out to go check up on them. Or stayed out late to make sure they we're well sorted before coming home. Sorry if I worried you guys." He finished.
His parents looked at him with disbelieve. Firstly for hearing that their son was looking after two girls. And secondly for him doing it without doing something perverted.
It was like their dream was coming true.
Swallowing the last of his food, Issei was taken by surprise when his parents enveloped him in a hug....And a deadly one at that.
"I'm so proud!! Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that you would turn out to become such a gentleman!!" His mother exclaimed as tears flowed from her eyes.
His father nodded in response at this." Indeed. Maybe now he can finally get a girlfriend and give us some grandchildren!!" His father exclaimed.
Issei, on the other hand was struggling to get air into his lungs." Mom...dad..need..to breath." He spoke. His parents noticed his suffocation and released him of their grasp.
Taking in deep breaths, Issei shook his head as he thought of how close to dying. Not even his worst opponents came that close to succeeding!!
Seeing her son back to normal, Hana immediately grabbed him by the color and pulled him within an inch of her face. Issei's face lit up from the close proximity." Now listen here young man! I want those two over for dinner when you see so much as a hint that they have started getting over their trauma. Am I understood!?" She ordered. Issei nodded like a loyal puppy.
Smiling happily, Hana let him go." Well, that was all we wanted to know. You may go now." She spoke and continued to put the dishes in the sink.
Ganto looked at his son and nodded as he gave the boy a thumbs up." You're finally becoming a man. I am so proud of you my boy." He stated.
Issei sweatdropped." You say that like I wasn't one already. By the way, I am going to go check up on them for a while. I probably won't be back until sunset. Is that okay with you guys?" He asked. Both parents nodded. Issei sighed." Well, in that case, see ya!" Issei greeted before running out the front door.
Both parents looked at each other and smiled." Seems like he's finally growing into a man. But I still think he's hiding something." Ganto stated as he helped his wife do the dishes.
Hana nodded." He'll tell us when the time is right honey. Be patient." She replied as she gave her husband a peck on the cheek.
The two carried on with the dishes before retreating to their room.
I wonder what they did there...
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Running up the mountain at breakneck speed, Issei took fascination in his physical capabilities.
'This is utterly insane!' He thought as he looked at the trees which almost looked like they were vanishing around him from the sheer speed he was moving at.
'This has got to be at least a hundred metres per second!' He continued to think.
"You know, your skills with lying is another thing I find quite incredible, partner. One could have sworn you've been doing it all your life." Draige commented. Issei sighed." Don't remind me. I am not one to lie when I am caught in my own shit, but how the hell do you explain the supernatural to your parents?" Issei replied.
Draige hummed." While I understand your predicament, partner, I will have to implore you to tell them, or leave them if you don't wish to have them caught in the crossover of things.
The stronger you become, the more attention you'll attract. Both good and bad. And if someone really wants to get to you, then they could easily use your parents as leverage. It has happened before, to one of your predecessors." Draige advised.
Issei nodded, understanding what Draige meant. After all, it has happened before. There is no way he would forget exactly how the devils had blown up his house and nearly killed both him and his mother.
And back then he wasn't even a threat!
Who knows in how much danger they'll be in when the rest of the supernatural world learns of his presence.
"I understand what you are saying, Draige. I have thought of what I would do should something like that ever happen. But for now, telling them of this world would not be wise. And yet, not telling them is also unwise. So I'll have to tell them later. But for now, I'll focus on the matters at hand."
Seeing the fence of the mansion appear before him, he took one last jump, and flew over the fence. He looked on amazed at the view from nearly fifty metres in the air. It was truly mesmerizing.
Slapping his hands together as he landed, he activated his favorite spell." Phantom zone!" The entire area was covered in a shadowy sphere. A sphere only visible to him.' Now I don't have to worry about other supernaturals sensing us.' He thought as he made his way inside the traditional japanese mansion.
"Master. You have returned." Eto spoke as she appeared before Issei, in a bow. Issei smiled." How has your day been, Eto?" He asked. She raised herself and smiled." A bit confusing, but ultimately pleasant. I have begun to teach Kiyomi on how to call upon her power. And I am pleased to report that she has made splendid progress. She can now freely call upon her power, albeit it still takes her a lot of focus to do." Eto finished.
Issei nodded, pleaded with what he heard." You didn't use any spells or anything of the sort?" He asked. Eto shook her head." Negative. I myself have not used any spells or power inducing techniques in the slightest. Though, Kiyomi is currently trying to improve her swordsmanship by adding magic into the mix. Why?" She asked.
Issei shook his head." No reason. Can you please get her for me? I think it's time I fully sat down and talked with the two of you regarding what it is we are hoping to achieve." Issei stated. Eto nodded and ran, bare foot, towards the backyard door.
Issei watched the girl run down the hall and shook his head." Not even three weeks has past and yet already I am a master of two servants. I think I'm beginning to understand why Draige is so worried. My growth is insane!" He stated and made his way to the living room, looking the place over as he made his way.
And he definitely had to admit, it was freaking fancy! Empty, but fancy.
Entering the living room, Issei stood surprised. Both the girls were already there.
"We took the shortcut." Kiyomi stated. Issei noticed a katana resting at her hip. The handle was black with red wrapping and a red pinwheel looking guard (like kakashi's mangekyo) a black sheath with a fan-like crest on the side.
Issei looked at the sword's status appearing and was a bit surprised.
[Shisui LV15]
[Enchantments: Lightning cutter LV5]
[Durability: 2100/2100]
"Incredible. Where did you get that sword?" He spoke. Kiyomi looked down at the sword and held it." It was a family heirloom from my mother's side. It was always hidden in a secret compartment only the family knew of, which is probably why it wasn't removed with the rest of the things when my uncle had the place cleaned out. Why? Is there something special about it?" She asked.
Issei nodded." It has an enchantment called lightning cutter." This shocked Kiyomi." Apparently, it's a lightning elemental sword. The one who made it was probably linked to the Shinto faction. That, or your family is linked to the Shinto faction." Issei finished, once more surprising the girl.
Moving forward and taking a seat on the floor, Issei turned to look at the two girls who sat down across from him.
"Now, I am sure you are pretty confused about all this so lets start from the top. I am what is known as a sacred gear holder." He stated and summoned his two sacred gears. The two girls looked on, surprised at their sudden appearance.
"Sacred gears are divine objects created by God which can grant their wielders great powers and abilities. He has bestowed them on mankind to help them fight against the supernaturals that mean to do us harm.
Only a few in a couple thousand are blessed with wielding a sacred gear. So finding someone that has one is rare. And yet I have two.
The red gauntlet is called the Boosted gear. One of the thirteen most powerful sacred gears called the Longinus Sacred Gears which are powerful enough to allow their wielders to kill gods.
It contains the spirit of the Red Dragon Emperor, known as Draige. Say hallo Draige.""Hey." Draige replied and the girl's eyes widened.
"My other Sacred gear is called the Cardinal Shield. Basically it marks me as one of the four Cardinal Hero's who are tasked with preventing the apocalypse by fighting off the waves of catastrophe which lead to the apocalypse occurring.
It is also known as the Evolution and Gaming gear because it grants it's wielder the same abilities as a video game character. Which is quite insane.
But that about sums that up. My goal, as I stated, is to fight off the waves of catastrophe that might cause the end of the world.
Meanwhile, I have to deal with the supernatural entities that roam across our wonderful world. Like the devils, who have claimed Kuoh as their territory and are the reason behind your turning into Ghouls." Issei finished.
He looked at their facial expressions, which were mostly blank, until Eto smiled." Sounds like fun!" She exclaimed. Issei turned to look at Kiyomi, who nodded in response." Somebody has to do it. So I guess it aught to be us. Though, if what you say is true, then we'll need even more party members." She stated.
Issei nodded." I am planning on gathering more. But we'll first have to get a place where we can train uninterrupted by the normal folk." Issei began." You can use this place as your base. And Eto can also stay here, if you'd like?" Kiyomi interjected.
Issei nodded." I'd like that, thank you. I have alrrady placed a barrier around the entire yard so you guys can train as freely as you like. No one will detect anything. Are you fine with staying here, Eto?" He asked. Eto nodded in response." I have a place to stay. But if I am here, then Kiyomi won't have to be alone. And we'll be together in case some supernaturals try to attack us." She replied.
Issei nodded once more." Secondly, we'll have to scan other towns for anything similar to what has happened here in Kuoh. Any places with a high demonic presence are bound to attract demons. In due time, I'd like for us to go to places that we either know have high demonic presences or suspect as much.
Since you are my servants I'll be able to scan the towns and cities for demons and demonic presences through you, and purify them if need be. Otherwise, I'd like for us to train in preparation for the waves." Issei finished.
The girls nodded in response." I have one question though." Eto spoke up." The Ghouls and the other demonic entities that you have slain, were they a wave?" She asked. But Issei shook his head." Sadly, no. I looked up on the Waves through my Sacred gear, but according to it, the sacred gear will notify me ahead of time when a Wave is to occur. Furthermore, it describes a Wave as an event that could end the world. Or lead to it's end. While they were dangers, they were nowhere near a world ending calamity. Which is why I want us to prepare as best we can. If they couldn't even be considered wave material then I don't want to know what an actual wave looks like." He finished.
The three continued to talk about any subject or questions that came up. And Issei answered most of their question. He was about to continue speaking, when he felt a sudden presence within Kuoh.
The girls noticed the change in his facial expression and was instantly on guard." What is it?" Kiyomi asked. Issei's eyes narrowed. He looked at his shield, which projected a holographic map of Kuoh before him. At the south side of town, where the industrial sector resided, a red dot appeared which was sending red waves throughout it's surroundings.
"What is that?" Eto asked.
"A stray. But why would one pop up there of all places. That place has the lowest demonic presence in all of town." Issei stated a bit confused.
But a split second later, his confused expression turned into a pout.' Of course it would be her. Probably thought this would be the only way to draw me out. Fine, I'll play your game.' He thought as he looked at the signature red dot on the hologram.
He turned to the two girls as he spoke." You two, stay here. I believe it might be a trap set up to lure me out." He stated. This made their eyes widen." If it's a trap, shouldn't we come with you?" Eto asked. But Issei shook his head." They aren't a problem. I can handle them. They probably only want to talk to me about all the stuff that has been going on around town. But you two are my aces. The supernatural doesn't yet know of your existence, so I'd like to keep you two a secret until the time is right." He spoke as he got up and used a magic circle to change into his Shadow Armor.
He looked down at the two and gave them an eye smile." Fear not. I'll be back in a flash." He stated before being consumed by the shadows.
The two stared at the spot where their master had stood, before looking at one another, shrugging and making their way to the backyard to continue training.
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Arising from the shadows, Issei appeared within an industrial factory.
He heard a growl and a laugh which followed soon after." It would appear that we have a guesssst." He heard a slithery voice speak.
"Indeed. Letsss sssswallow him alivvvvve!" Emerging from the shadows, Issei took in the sight of three snake-like women. They had the upper bodies of women, which appeared to be very attractive. But had a serpent-like lower body, which extended back into the shadows. They appeared to be at least ten metres tall. o
One of the feminine serpents had long black hair dark eyes, sharp black nails, two pairs of snake-like fangs that acted as bars for her split tongue. And her snake-like lower half was black in colour.
The other two had a similar theme, but was yellow and white.
Issei looked at their statuses and had to scoff.
[Quinzel Valak LV25]
[Status: Demon (Low Class)]
[Title: Serpent of the Abyss/ Snake Sister of Darkness]
[Zarkon Valak LV25]
[Status: Demon (Low Class)]
[Title: Serpent of the Sun/ Snake Sister of the Light Consuming Void]
[Beliel Valak LV25]
[Status: Demon (Low Class)]
[Title: Serpent of Hollow/ Snake sister of Reaping]
He shook his head.' They aren't that strong. But their abilities will prove to be a problem.' He thought as he looked over their special abilities.
[Quinzel Valak LV25]
{Special Ability: Dark Conjure}
-Allows Quinzel to conjure darkness and spew it at her foes. The darkness consumes everything it comes in contact with and is thus highly dangerous.
-Weakness: light/light generating attacks.
[Zarkon Valak LV25]
{Special Ability: Light Eraser}
-Allows Zarkon to consume any and all forms of light, including light generating attacks and spells, which she then converts into power.
-Weakness: Non-light based attacks.
[Beliel Valak LV25]
{Special Ability: Soul Eater}
- Allows Beliel to consume the spirits and souls of her foes. She uses this technique to increase the potency of her power as well as her overall magic reserves.
-Weakness: Her opponent must have a will weaker than her own/ Or must be worn out. Beliel is vulnerable while consuming a spirit or soul.
Yeah, this didn't look to good for him.
'On one hand there is the darkness chick which I can only use light attacks against. Then there is the one which consumes light so all attacks against the first will be rendered useless and will only increase her power. And finally, the chick who can suck out my soul and spirit. Sweet...just sweet.' He thought as he got into position.
The black serpent attacked first. Spewing a torrent of darkness at him. Detecting the other two serpents swiftly blocking all his escape routes, Issei decided to submerge himself back into the shadows.
The dark attack struck and destroyed the floor, leaving only a crater behind.
The serpents started hissing in laughter as they believed they had eliminated their pray. A laughter which was soon replaced with a hiss of pain.
Both the white and dark serpent looked to their sister Zarkon, who just had her head removed by a swiftly spinning, blue glowing shuriken.
Their eyes widened. Not just because of their sister having her head removed. But also at the shuriken which severed her head. They could feel the energy radiating off of it.
Holy energy.
This caused the two to panic. They watched on as their sister's body fell to the ground, and as it touched the ground, a shield appeared from the shadows beneath, which swiftly sucked in the serpent's entire body.
Both Beliel and Quinzel stared in fright before it turned to anger at having their sister killed. Beliel struck at the shadows below with her tail, feeling the presence of life there.
This caused Issei to abandon his plan of lurking in the shadows and shot out a massive fireball which struck Beliel's tail as it came in contact with the ground. The serpent was engulfed in flames.
"AAAAGH!!!" Beliel cried out at having her serpent body set on fire. Quinzel tried to put the fire out by covering her sister with a cloak of her darkness. But when she was ready to spew it out of her mouth, she felt a sudden force pull her head upwards. Having already spewed her dark technique, it struck the ceiling and made it collapse down on Beliel.
Horror over came her once more as the same shuriken from earlier came down to decapitate yet another of her serpent sisters. And as with Zarkon, Beliel was also, seemingly, absorbed into the shadows.
Quinzel let out a hiss of despair."Curse you!! You insignificant gahhh..." She cried out, only to have a shuriken emerge from the shadows and tear through her stomach, chest and cleave her head in two. A few seconds later, her body was also nowhere to be found.
Issei emerged from the shadows, without a scratch on him. He looked at the damage done to the place and sighed." You know. This is why I despise you devils so much! You don't give a damn about the damage you cause! As long as you get what you want, you don't care who get's hurt!
Why don't you stop hiding and show yourselves!!" He exclaimed, albeit channeling mana into his vocals to change the sound of his voice.
From the west side, a familiar red head and her group emerged from a magic circle. And from the south side, came another pair of familiar faces. Sona and Tsubaki.
The two groups looked at the man in the centre of the room with anticipation. And even through they couldn't see his face do to the facemask and hoody, they had the feeling that he was glaring at them. But what did they expect? He did just say he despised them.
Rias was the first to speak." Who are you!? And what are you doing in our territory!?" She demanded. Issei turned his head in her direction before speaking." You speak as though you hold some kind of authority over me. Watch your tone Gremory! I am perfectly capable of tearing you and your entire peerage apart!" Issei spoke with an equally demanding tone.
Rias narrowed her eyes at this. But before she could speak, Sona interfered." Look, we don't want to get into a fight. It won't end well for either parties. All we wish to know, is why you are here, and what are those demonic entities you have been slaying?
As Rias stated, we are the rulers of this territory. And it is very disturbing that we didn't know of the presence of those demons before you came along. We'd merely like to know why that is. And more importantly, where they came from." Sona stated.
Issei nodded." So be it. I will tell you.." Sona smiled at this." Thank you." She spoke, but he held up his hand." But, I have a condition." He stated.
Both parties became anxious at this." And what is this condition?" Sona asked. Issei pointed at Rias." My condition is that I fight them first." He stated. This caught everyone by surprise.
Rias, still surprised by the sudden challenge, spoke up." Any particular reason why you'd want to fight me and my peerage?" She asked.
Issei began stretching, cracking a few joints and loosening his shoulder." There is. But it mostly has to do with me wanting some stress relieve. And since you pissed me off, you'll have to suffice as my punching bag." Issei stated.
This did not sit well with Rias, or her peerage. But one moment of eye contact with her rival was all Rias needed to know that they really didn't have another option.
She sighed and nodded." So be it, we'll fight you. What are the rules?" She spoke. Issei nodded." In my case, if you manage to knock me down, you win. In your case, if I can slam each off you into the wall, then I win." He stated.
Once again, Rias didn't like where this was going. She looked on as Issei picked up a rock and held it out." When this rock touches the ground, the fighting starts." He stated. And before Rias could say another word, he flung the stone high up into the air.
Kiba drew his sword.
Koneko got into her battle stance.
Akeno began channeling thunder through her hands.
And Rias radiated a crimson black glow as she got ready to attack.
Issei couldn't help but smile under his mask. And as the stone came down, decided to give them some advice.
"Come at me with the intent to kill."
Bam! Cliffhanger!
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Extra info:
So let's start with a more in-depth explanation of the new stats.
Chi
Chi is also known as the flow of life within a being. As it would imply, chi is your spirit the life force which gives each of your cells life. It is essentially a force or energy which can be directed and/or used to manipulate natural energies.
Using it as fuel for a technique will grant you insane amounts of power, but at the cost of the casters life or life span.
Issei had the life force of a human. But after the ritual he had undergone, with the former ghouls, he ascended and gained the life force of a celestial or higher being. But he is not a god. He merely ascended into a new realm of being.
How? One might ask. It's simple.
To explain what happened, think of a person's life force as a bunch of cosmic energy/ or gass. Just floating around in space. Now, even though it is merely a gass, it still contains energy of it's own. That's what human life force is like.
Now imagine, suddenly (as a result of the ritual) more gass gathers in from five other sources into this singular space.
Now what happens? What happens when a mass of gass gathers in a single place?
A star is born!
Or a son for that matter.
And now you see the difference in power. The energy of a bunch of gass, floating in space. And the energy produced by nuclear fusion in a star!
But Issei has not yet tapped into this celestial or higher power.
The power rush he felt when he fought Tatara, was nothing more than the energy released from the transitioning.
It is like when a star is born, a supernova (or wave of energy) is released. That's the power rush he experienced. But he is yet to tap into the true power he now has access to.
Secondly: Aura
Aura is basically a derivative energy of a person's chi or life force and their emotions.
To better explain this, think of Aura as electromagnetic waves. When you accelerate the flow of electrons, then they start to release energy in the form of electromagnetic waves. An example of this is a bulb. All that is happening is electrons flowing through the wires from one end to another. And yet, you see the electromagnetic waves that are released in the form of light.
In this case, chi is the electrons and Aura is the light. As chi flows through your entire body, Aura is produced. How much aura is produced depends on how much chi the being possesses. Which is why dragons possess the most amount of aura, because they possess a shit ton of life force. So much so that they are incapable of dying. And can only be put down by either a dragon slayer or through sealing the entity away.
So that explains how aura is generated. But what determines aura potency? A person's will and emotions!
As you all know, anyone that tries to screw an angry dragon is dead. Why? Because then their aura is at it's most potent stage.
When a person becomes angry or experiences a strong rush of emotion, then the flow of chi is accelerated. And as I stated, if the flow is accelerated, more aura is produced.
An example of this, is when Issei thought asia had died in dxd season 3. He was so mad, that his aura production went through the roof and blew away his other peerage members who were located nearby.
As for a person's will. It determines exactly how potent or strong, a single ounce of your aura is.
Like how electromagnetic waves variants from radio waves, which can do you no harm, to gamma rays (radio activity), which can penetrate nearly everything and will cause your cells to mutate within seconds of coming in contact with it.
In a similar manner, the stronger a person's will and conviction to do what he has set out to do, the greater their aura potency becomes.
Once again, the same example of Issei getting mad over Asia's death. In his state of rage, his mind was made up. He was going to kill Shalba come hell or high water. His conviction was set. His will, unmoveable. And this is why his mere presence started destroying the building. Because his aura had peaked in potency.
Once again, this is why a dragon's rage is so feared. It literally acts as a double booster. The dragon experience anger, which accelerates the production of aura and when a dragon is overcome with rage, they'll kill. It doesn't matter who or what get's in their way, they'll destroy it all, just to kill you. Because their minds are made up and their conviction is absolute. Even if it means death, they go on until everything they hate has been destroyed.
So basically, their aura production get's boosted and their aura potency gets boosted. Quite devastating indeed.
Finally Ki:
Ki is very simple to explain. It is the energy your cells produce from the food you consume. Basically, your body also stores up the energy for later use.
Masters of martial arts can determine the amount of energy their bodies produce and/or stockpiles, and the manner in which they release it. This manner of fighting is also referred to as Tõki.
Lastly I'd like to talk about the manner of which Issei is gaining so much exp in such a short time.
Well, let's begin with the standard exp gain number, which is basically the standard amount of exp you gain per level.
Like if the standard amount of exp gain for a human is fifty, then when they defeat a level one monster, they'll get fifty exp. Or if they defeat a level four monster, they'll get an exp gain of two hundred. So they are all intervals of the standard exp gain amount.
Each race gas its own standard exp gain amount and as such, the human lay at the bottom with a measly standard of twenty exp gain per level.
But...
Gaining titels can increase the standard amount of exp you gain in certain situations. And the more titles you have, the more exp you'll gain.
An example of this, is Issei. Because of his title as a cardinal hero, he gains a boost in exp for any and all work he does as the cardinal hero. Meaning all the stuff he has been doing in the previous chapters. This raises the amount of standard exp he gains when doing his 'hero work'.
The same applies for his title as the red dragon emperor, which is continuously improving itself as Issei draws out more and more of the gear's power.
And his title as a Demon exterminator, which gives him a boost of exp for defeating demons.
There are also other factors like the servant system which grants him an additional percentage of exp each time his servants gains exp.
And the difficulty system which rewards you with additional exp when up against an opponent that you are naturally weak against.
Not to mention the heroics system which rewards him for heroic acts.
So on and so forth.
But because Issei is no longer human (entirely), but an ascended being, his racial standard exp gain as been increased to a hundred and twenty exp per level difficulty.
Adding all his exp boosters, then in the best of conditions, he can gain over two hundred exp per level when fighting a particular foe or foes.
So long, I am working on ch9 so you can expect is soon.
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Next time: The Black Princess