19 DXD
—In the cosmos existed a void—
This void was full of iridescent hues clashing with each other. One could describe the view as being similar to the view from a kaleidoscope.
In this void, there was a terrifying creature.
Were Tatsuya to see this creature he would jump in excitement.
A massive hundred-meter western dragon with a horn on its snout with two sets of wings was shuttling through the colourful hues with ease. Its movements rip apart in the soundless void. Its actions seem to taint the serene nature of this endless void.
The red dragon was flapping its wing with joy when all of a sudden it froze. It turned its head around for a short while before stopping its flight.
"Invader?"
The massive dragon seemed to be frowning as it shook his head.
The ripples in the void were clear for it to feel.
"Untraceable source? Perhaps...
"Anomaly!?"
A terrifying thought emerged in its head.
The mere mention of that term caused it, the strongest being in this world, to shiver from head to toe.
Long long ago, from the moment it first opened its eyes, it had a short dream. A blurry figure patted its head with warmth and warned it of two things.
The first is Chaos.
The second is the Anomaly.
The Great Dragon of Dreams and the Great Dragon of Infinity were born to control the Beast of Apocalypse, 666.
After Chaos came Order.
Yet the blurry figure was clear with its warning.
The Anomaly had to be eradicated as soon as possible, should it be allowed to roam unhindered....
The world, the void and the cosmos, all shall fracture.
Fractured and destroyed.
After that, the Great Dragon of Dreams never saw that figure, the Creator, again.
The Dragon restlessly circled the void.
It had to find the Anomaly.
-x-X-x-
—Elsewhere—
In a small bustling town, there was a dark alleyway.
A man and a woman emerged from it in the dark of the night.
The man was 188 cm tall and had a robust physique. He was wearing a black gym compression with baggy white pants. His muscular stature clung to his clothes, threatening to rip the fabric apart. His face was sharp with clear-cut features and bright eyes. His long black hair fell loosely behind him. Even models or actors would find themselves inferior standing next to him.
The woman next to him appeared to be a high schooler.
She was equally beautiful with fair soft features. Her red hair fell to her waist as she walked around with a curious expression. Her bright amethyst eyes shone glamourously.
"This does not feel any different than my world."
"Is that so?" The man walked along the bright road with a somber expression.
Numerous gazes landed on the pair, some out of fascination and some out of jealousy. No matter what, the couple looked out of the world. Some girls even took a few pictures covertly.
Amasawa noted all of this and her smile remained the same. Inwardly she was wondering just how different this world could be. Tatsuya seemed quite different, unlike his carefree self in her world.
Amasawa guessed correctly.
Tatsuya was not pleased.
'You're telling me I'm in DxD? A week before the plot starts?'
[Yes, since we've entered the world I have already analysed the source essence. From your memories it is clear that this Kuoh Town which houses the Kuoh Academy belongs to the anime you call Highschool of DxD.]
Tatsuya sighed.
His rusty mind began to rationalize his future actions.
DxD is not exactly bad. With my current powers I...
Tatsuya's eyes turned frosty.
I still can't compete with the true powerhouses of this world like Sirzech and the Heavenly Dragons. I won't even consider Great Red and Ophis, they'll kill me in the blink of an eye. Ban's regeneration makes me functionally immortal so I should be safe for most of the part. Only powers like Destruction or the hax owned by those dragons or beings could actually kill me. This makes things troublesome. I need to get a good grasp of how Destruction and similar powers work.
Could Rias kill me?
Tatsuya stopped at the point and laughed.
Kaguya, how am I supposed to grow stronger? Is it training the usual way or the spins using World Essence?
Kaguya remained silent and an ominous feeling nudged at Tatsuya's heart. He let out a meaningful chuckle.
[It's going to be hard. I have exhausted most of my essence to give you as many skills as I could in the first world. Any dangerous movements like extracting multiple skills through bridges will be detected by the Heavenly Spirit. At most, we can afford three spins, not to mention I'll have zero control over the skills extracted. They could either be useful or utterly useless. Not to mention the mere act of extracting skills will be ten times more difficult. You'll need at least 2000 World Essence for a spin.]
Tatsuya listened silently.
[Don't feel disappointed, I've done my best to enhance you as much as I can. It was not easy to make your physical flesh nearly indestructible. Even in this world, you're not weak at all. As long as you tread cautiously there should be no problem. If it weren't for the fact I was scared that establishing stronger bridges would alert the Heavens Domain I would've given you stronger abilities.]
I see...
Tatsuya smiled as he reached his destination. He entered the ordinary-looking house with Amasawa and settled down. The System had prepared his identity and residence in advance. Such actions were necessary or his abnormalities could be detected.
"Is this our new home?" Amasawa looked around the house in wonder, how did he have the keys prepared for a house in a world he had just arrived in?
Another one of those magical powers?
"Yeah," Tatsuya nodded, "Oh, by the way, I've crafted identities for us. We're siblings on paper okay? You're not Ichika Amasawa anymore but Ichika Yamamoto."
Tatsuya sat down on the sofa.
"Eh? Uhm so what should I call you then?" She let out a seductive smile, "Onii-chan~?" Her sensual voice drifted into his ears.
Tatsuya smiled in response as his pants began to bulge. Amasawa's smile brightened as she dropped to her knees and crawled towards him, swaying her hips like a cat.
The sight aroused Tatsuya.
He rubbed his erection through his pants and gave Amasawa a suggestive gesture. She came closer in response and pulled his cock out of his pants. His bulging erection landed right next to her face, unable to fit in her petite palms. The heat radiating from the rock-hard cock was menacing.
The size more so.
She could barely fit both hands on it.
The veins pulsed against her soft skin and Amasawa felt her heart beat faster. The smell was intoxicating, no matter how she tried to clear her mind it continued to infiltrate her senses.
Another ability!
A professional like Amasawa could declare instantly. The control she had over her body was inhumane. Any foreign infiltration could be almost instantly discovered.
The hungry cock twitched in her hands and she began to pump it.
But much to her surprise Tatsuya looked at her impassively and she wondered what she had done wrong.
It took her only a second to understand as she stopped pumping her hands. She leaned over and placed her lips above the cockhead. Her lips parted as spit began to dribble out of her mouth.
It fell onto his cock and she began to slather it. She repeatedly spat on his cock till it was completely coated with her spit. She began to pump him once again with greater vigour. The slimy cock continued to make pch pch sounds as the enthusiastic Amasawa continued her duty.
All Whiteroom students were incredibly adaptable.
Tatsuya was lost in pleasure as he closed his eyes and enjoyed the service of his now little 'sister'.
Kaguya materialised behind him.
She wrapped her hands around his neck and whispered, "I've prepared enrollment for both you and her in Kuoh Academy."
Tatsuya wasn't pleased.
But he didn't retort. She must have her reasons for doing so and he had his own suspicions. Ever since he had absorbed Ayanokoji's knowledge he felt his mind working faster than usual.
It was an absolutely correct decision to devour him.
"I know you don't like being ordered around but listen. Growing traditionally is an okay route but you don't have that avenue. Should you have obtained Ayanokoji's adaptability I would've left you to your own devices. Unfortunately, your talent is decent at best. Even if you grow it would take too long to reach the level of Dragon of Dreams and Dragon of Infinity, if the Heavenly Spirit detects something and wakes up we'll be in danger. Alternatively, the spins themselves don't guarantee anything. Perhaps you can get something that'll boost your strength but the possibility is slim at best. While I'll still advise you to train traditionally I can help boost that progress through World Essence. And by now..."
She leaned in closer.
"...You should know how World Essence is obtained."
Tatsuya kept his eyes closed as he felt his release build-up. He extended his hand and roughly grasped her head.
"Open your mouth."
Ichika was stunned but she immediately opened her cherry lips and thick ropes of cum began shooting inside her mouth. However, it didn't end there. Tatsuya increased the pressure of his hand and Ichika was forced to swallow his member.
She felt her lips stretch as the monster plunged itself inside her. She controlled her gag reflex and her tongue began licking the base of his cock. She did her best to control her reactions to please Tatsuya even as tears streamed down her face. It wasn't that she was crying out of pain but a bodily response. Ichika had faced much worse torture in the Whiteroom. She began bobbing her head and sucked his cock with all her strength.
Tatsuya was pleased with her.
'You want me to mess with the characters? Is that it?'
"Don't act like that, is that not your own wish, you twisted human?" Kaguya would never forget the reason she chose Adrian Frost of all humans.
Tatsuya's expression turned blank before a sickening smile surfaced. Even the devil itself would shudder looking at his smile.
'As long as I don't kill Issei, I can do anything... Is that correct?'
"Correct," Kaguya smiled, "The stronger the Heavenly Being the deeper its sleep. In fact, most Heavenly Spirits above the Third Tier are self-automated, meaning even if they are sleeping they can govern the world. Unfortunately, Pseudo Heavenly Spirits lack that skill. As long as you don't cause too much of a disturbance early on we'll be fine. Once I've sufficiently corroded the sleeping Spirit you can let loose. For that, you have to ruin this world as much as you can bit by bit."
'I understand'. Tatsuya nodded as he came inside Ichika's mouth.
He threw her towards the sofa and mounted her, pushing his cock inside her mouth once again.
He began thrusting his hips roughly, his balls smacking against her chin. Amasawa could only endure the abuse as her mouth was violated. She was prepared for this the moment she saw Ibuki, the toilet, for the first time.
Their relationship might seem amicable at first glance but Amasawa was all but clear, a single mishap and she'd find herself becoming the new toilet.
Even as her eyes reddened she did her best to pleasure him.
Soon, Tatsuya came again and filled her mouth to the brim with hot cum.
Satisfied, he pulled his cock out of her mouth and cast [Clean].
"Here," He threw her a phone, "It has my contact in it. The Internet should work as well. Rest up, I'll brief you about some things in the morning."
"Okay, Onii-chan~"
Tatsuya shook his head with a wry smile.
She was enjoying this too much.
Once Amasawa was gone he too went to sleep.
-x-X-x-
—A week passed by in the blink of an eye—
Amasawa along with Tatsuya headed towards Kuoh Academy with light steps. Amasawa still had a hard time calming herself down.
Devils, Yokai, Dragons and whatnot,
This was a fantasy world!
A fantasy world through and through!
But with excitement came worry.
Just how strong was Tatsuya compared to these magical beings? While Amasawa had her doubts she kept them to herself. The strength he had shown in her world was not too exaggerated, only his speed was the thing she found most astounding.
As for slaughtering a bunch of people and punching through metals, the Dragons should be able to do much more than that right?
Her thoughts were scattered as they reached the gate of Kuoh Academy.
****
Streams of students could be seen entering the gate with excited expressions.
Especially the boys considering Kuoh Academy had just turned Co-Ed. Until before it was a girls-only school.
But these boys began grinding their teeth in frustration. Pure hatred lurked in their eyes as they laid their gazes on the pair of approaching figures.
The male was tall, extremely so. He stood out like a swan amongst ducks. Where the average height of Japanese male high schoolers was around 165-175 cm his 188 cm tall frame stood out extraordinarily.
And if that wasn't enough his bulging muscles added an intimidating effect. Barely did any guy show open hostility despite their hatred for this new ikemen.
Compared to the boys the girls were practically swooning. They were comparing him to the Prince of Kuoh, Kiba Yuuto. Though, the majority thought Kiba stood no chance, some timid girls were too intimidated by his figure and found him scary.
The girl beside him was equally attractive catching the attention of all the boys, becoming an even greater source of hatred towards the aloof male.
This odd couple was instantly noticed by two figures by the gate.
One had a slim figure with a petite frame. She had a bob cut with violet-purple eyes framed with square glasses, giving her a scholarly look. The strict expression on her face made her appear as a stern individual.
She was Sona Sitri.
The one behind her was completely opposite to her.
A young bespectacled woman with long straight black hair that extended down to her knees, with split bangs and heterochromic eyes, with a violet left eye and a light brown right eye. Her figure was quite voluptuous, attracting a lot of attention.
Her name was Tsubaki Shinra.
"Yamamoto Tatsuya, Yamamoto Ichika... " Sona mumbled as she remembered the information file from before. She had memorised the data of the new students beforehand.
Noble Devils like her had to keep a lookout for useful additions to their peerages. Especially considering the situation of her close friend. She was in dire need of help.
"The sister is quite interesting," Tsubaki remarked, her eyes glinting as she examined the pair. Tsubaki wouldn't deny the charm Tatsuya had. His aloof expression along with his handsome face was quite the lethal weapon. Not to mention the stark contrast between him and the rest of the male students.
Tsubaki shook her head in disappointment.
"You're right, I wonder how much potential she has. The mana fluctuations around her are quite blatant. It looks like she's a novice. A bishop piece should amplify her talent quite a bit. I'll talk about her to Rias later." Sona nodded in satisfaction before turning to Tatsuya.
A few seconds later she shook her head.
There was no unique feeling around Tatsuya. Either his sister was hiding her powers from him or he had no talent in the path of magic.
Soon, she became disinterested and scanned the rest of the students.
Tsubaki's gaze lingered on Tatsuya for a bit longer, proving to be a mistake as he turned his head and looked straight at her.
Tsubaki was startled.
Did he sense my gaze!?
She saw him nod at her with a small smile before continuing along. Only after he disappeared did she come back to her senses.
She looked at Sona who noticed nothing and revealed a troubled expression.
In the end, she shook her head and regained her serious expression, standing behind Sona like her assistant.
-x-X-x-
"Those two have been staring at us weirdly for a while." Ichika linked her hands behind her back and skipped along her steps.
"They're the Devils I talked about," Tatsuya said while looking around, his gaze finally resting on a short brown-haired boy looking around with a perverted gaze. "Don't worry about them. Remember what we talked about and don't resist. One of them should approach you soon."
"Ah, so that's why." Ichika suddenly understood why she was forced to sense Mana for a week straight.
The day after they arrived Tatsuya fed her a Mana Sensing Pill and told her to meditate and feel the elements in her surroundings.
To Ichika it was a fascinating process. She could sense various elements in the air and much to her surprise she could gather them around her.
For example, the elements of fire, the red particles, gathered around her easily, like children returning to their mother's embrace. Yet when she tried to pull in the water element particles they resisted fiercely.
That should mean she had an affinity for Fire Type Magic.
Casting magic was easier than she thought.
She could already form a fireball.
All she had to do was visualise the process.
It might sound easy but remember, Amasawa is an artificial genius of the Whiteroom. Her IQ is many times higher than the average human.
When she mentioned visualising a fireball she did not mean just thinking of the image of a fireball. She needed to strengthen and concentrate her control over the fire particles before condensing them into a smaller area. She then had to rub the particles together in a controlled manner to create a spark, an ignition. She had to do this simultaneously for hundreds of particles before a fireball was formed in her hands.
The process was excruciatingly exhausting.
Only someone like Amasawa could succeed on her first try.
And remember this is just the basic fireball spell. Her attack not only lacked power, but it was also devoid of speed. Should she try to throw it away she'd lose control and the particles would scatter, dispelling the fireball before it could do anything.
This wasn't her fault, she needed a proper magic system and guidance to go further.
Tatsuya hadn't expected her to do something like this.
He was once again astounded by the Whiteroom.
Tatsuya couldn't help but wonder what would happen if someone like Ayanokoji were to embark on a solo journey in DxD.
Nonetheless, Amasawa did not have to worry about receiving orthodox education about magic.
According to his plan that would be unnecessary.
Both Tatsuya and Amasawa separated as they were in different classes.
-x-X-x-
"Are you sure!?"
Sona sipped on her tea as she noticed the dumbfounded look on her friend's face.
Said friend was no short of a beauty. In fact, calling her beautiful was an understatement.
She was a beautiful young woman with a voluptuous body, white skin, blue eyes and a buxom figure.
Her most distinctive feature was her long, beautiful crimson hair, which she inherited from her father, that reached down to her thighs with a single hair strand sticking out from the top. Her hair also had loose bangs covering her forehead and side bangs framing her face.
Truly a devilish beauty.
"I'm not in the mood to joke." Sona sighed and Rias frowned.
"I'll check her out then, thanks."
"I wonder if we'll find Sacred Gear holders this time." Sona showed a longing look.
Sacred Gears... also known as God's Artifacts, are items with powerful abilities bestowed upon humans by God of the Bible. Humans had no astounding uniqueness before the period of Sacred Gears. They were mostly treated as livestock and slaves.
Heck, they were still treated as slaves, only a few select Devils actually cared about humans.
Sona felt a little regret.
Rias sensed this.
She immediately cupped Sona's hands. "I love you! Thank you so much! You know how much support I need right now. I'll let you have the next one, promise!"
"Inevitably, you'll have to face Riser in a rating game. You don't have much time left. You can only Improve so much in 2-3 years. Riser is an experienced dueler. It'll be hard, very hard. I've repeatedly told you to not skimp on your training. When will you listen?" Sona felt mad.
Had her friend not lazed around like a spoiled princess she wouldn't be in this situation. Rias believes in her talent so much that she thinks taking Riser in a battle would be easy in a few years.
Rias thought that Sona was overreacting. She was confident in herself because both she and Riser were High-Class Devils. How large could the gap be between them?
The problem arose in their peerages,
Her peerage wasn't even fully developed with only three members beside her at the moment. On the other hand, Riser had fourteen members! All strong in their own rights! While Rias believed the quality of her peerage was greater she wasn't dumb enough to think she could defeat Riser while being so outnumbered.
"I will, I will just let me get this one first. I'll talk to Yamamoto Ichika after class today."
-x-X-x-
Tatsuya sat in his seat and looked out of the window.
His demeanour gave off a carefree vibe, full of nonchalance. It was as if nothing in the world besides him mattered at the moment.
Is this how a protagonist feels? Very cool.
Tatsuya gave it a 7/10 in feeling.
Most of the class was also glancing at him from time to time. The married female teacher was no different. A smile from Tatsuya was all it took for her to blush and ignore his lack of discipline.
Any other student and they would've been hit by a chalk by now.
The whole day was a boon for the girls of the class as they alternated their gazes between Kiba, the Prince of Kuoh and Tatsuya, the King of Kuoh.
His nickname was decided by the girls because, unlike the gentle Kiba, the aloof Tatsuya gave off a more regal aura.
The stark contrast between Tatsuya of Classroom of the Elite and DxD was that Tatsuya no longer needed to pretend to be a sociable student. The only reason he acted that way in COTE was because he wasn't sure how the System worked.
Corny ass title. Tatsuya cringed inwardly. It's the last class huh? They should approach Ichika in a bit. This crafty girl, she really is crazy but I'll have to admit her plan while entertaining has some value. I don't have to be cautious till the point I'm scared of even having this little fun. I'm curious to see how they'll react.
Class ended and Tatsuya noticed Kiba rush off towards somewhere.
He smiled.
-x-X-x-
Amasawa talked with her classmates in a sociable manner. She was trained to excellence, blending in with high schoolers was the least of her worries.
Classes ended smoothly and as she was about to pack her bag and leave she heard a round of kyaa's~
She looked over curiously and saw a pretty boy walk over. He had blonde hair and blue eyes. He looked thin.
He came over to Ichika and smiled.
"Hello, I'm Kiba Yuuto from Class 3-B, the same as your brother's. I'm part of the Occult Research Club hosted by Rias Gremory, she asked me to invite you to the club for a chat."
"Chat? Occult Research Club?" Ichika showed a hesitant look before chuckling nervously, "T-That sounds scary."
"Ah," Kiba was a bit surprised, "Don't worry, it's just for fun. You can decline if you don't want to."
"No, it's alright. I'll come, just let me pack real quick."
Kiba nodded with a smile and left, waiting at the entrance. Ichika waved at her new friends who were looking at her with jealousy and followed Kiba towards this weird club.
She did her best to stop an excited smile from surfacing on her face.
It didn't take them long to reach this odd club. It was on the outskirts of the school.
"The original Occult Research Club was dissolved, but thanks to Rias-senpai and Akeno-senpai it began operations once again. Right now there's only Rias-senpai, Akeno-senpai, me and another member of the club. We're barely surviving considering the minimum number of students required for a club is four."
Kiba made some small talk as they walked towards their destination to make Ichika more comfortable. She seemed nervous.
The clubhouse was a three-story building, with the third story serving as a clock tower. It has been painted white with a black roof with vines creeping up to the second story.
They soon reached the innermost room and Kiba knocked on the door.
"Come in," A gentle soothing voice echoed from behind the door and Ichika raised a brow. There was a foreign force in the voice, similar to the smell from Tatsuya.
She didn't show any reaction and simply stopped being nervous as if the soothing voice truly had an effect on her.
The club room interior was a wood-panelled room with Victorian-style couches and chairs along the walls. One side had a large curtain along with the shadow of a shower head.
A bath?
Ichika was amused but she soon analysed the individuals in the room. In the front seat was a red-haired girl with her breasts popping out of her chest in an exaggerated manner. Ichika was a bit stunned so she looked at the second member of the club.
It was a girl with black hair in a ponytail. There was a yellow ribbon wrapping around her hair and she had a soft expression on her face. At the moment she was bent over and filling the teacup of Rias like a maid.
Ichika's lips twitched as she saw the jiggling gigantic jugs. A bit depressed she turned towards the last member only to be pleasantly surprised.
It was a loli!
All this happened in an instant.
"Hello! Welcome to our club. I'm Rias Gremory, a Third Year Student and the president of the club. This is Akeno Himejima, the vice president. Since you've already met Kiba I won't mention him. The last member is Koneko Tojo, she's a bit shy so don't mind it if she doesn't talk much." Rias smoothly introduced everyone before raising her hand, "Have a seat!"
Ichika obliged and looked at Rias curiously.
"Kiba told me you want to talk to me. It's my first day so I'm curious how I've caught your eye."
Rias didn't answer immediately and simply stared at Ichika, as did the rest of the members of the club. As Ichika felt the silence become suffocating Rias smiled widely before narrowing her eyes.
"You're a magician, right?"
Ichika flinched in surprise, before immediately recovering. "Uh? Magician? Hehe, but you've got it wrong I don't know any card tricks or the sort."
Rias's smile only widened further as she pointed her finger at Ichika, "I'm not talking about party tricks.
You're a real magician, the one in fairy tales."
Ichika could only shake her head, "Is this some kind of prank?" She sounded dissatisfied, as if angry for being called over for such a farce.
Rias showed a thoughtful look before extending her palm. Seconds later, as if there was a gust of wind in the room, Ichika felt a cold breeze. At the same time, on top of Rias's palm, there was a bright glowing ball of fire.
Looking at the fireball Ichika froze in place like a statue.
Instantly she shot up from her chair and pointed her finger at Rias.
"You!" She paused as if not understanding what to say next, "You are a magician too...?"
As soon as Rias heard that her smile brightened, as if the cat was already in the bag.
"Calm down, we mean no harm." Rias let Ichika sort her thoughts out.
Ichika took a minute to adjust her breathing before sitting down again, this time her gaze nervous and wary.
"Are all of you magicians? You don't seem surprised." Ichika addressed the rest of the members and they nodded in a weird manner.
Rias showed a wry smile before shaking her head.
"We're not exactly Magicians but something similar." Rias placed both her elbows on the table and rested her chin on the front side of her hands, "First tell me how much you know about Supernatural Beings and how you learnt magic. This way I can explain better."
"Supernatural Beings....?" Ichika showed a confused look before shaking her head, "A month ago my brother and I were visiting a Library. There I saw a book called Harnessing the Hidden Energy in the World. At first, I was just curious and thought it was a book about meditation... but as I practised it I started noticing weird colored particles in the air that weren't present before. We all have some knowledge of fantasy, right? It didn't take me long to connect the dots..." Ichika continued to explain, fabricating a beautiful story of hardship and how she was able to make a fireball, albeit, a useless one.
Though her expression dimmed a bit, "My brother burned the book. He thought I was wasting my time instead of studying. I couldn't figure things out after that and have been stuck for more than a week."
Not only Rias's but Akeno and Koneko's lips also twitched. She created a fireball by herself using some unknown book.
Genius!
That was the only word in Rias's mind. How many people could actually harness Mana on their own?
The concept of inconceivable but this girl in front of not only did that but also made the accurate calculations to create a fireball!
Incredible!
Only Kiba was slightly lost as he didn't understand the significance of Ichika's words. His mind was hung on something else.
"Your brother is a bit extreme, he didn't have to burn the book."
"Ah..." Ichika stumbled on her words appearing nervous, "Uhm, it's okay, I don't blame him." Her tone had inexplicably dropped.
Rias sensed this and shifted the topic.
"Well, that's amazing. You have quite the talent for magic."
Ichika's face brightened hearing that.
"Actually, most supernatural beings like vampires, werewolves etc exist. Even the Gods and Angels exist." Rias paused here, 'Fallen Angels and Devils also exist."
Seeing there was no obvious repulsion at the mention of Devils Rias felt happy.
"Gods and Dragons exist!?" Ichika showed disbelief.
"Yes, in fact, I'm one of those species, can you guess which one?"
"Ah," As if caught off guard Ichika yelped before showing a thoughtful look, "I can't really tell, you could be anything."
As if on cue, all four members of the Occult Research Club had bat wings emerge from their backs. Ichika frowned, "Are you guys... Devils?" She sounded scared.
"Wait wait, don't be afraid. Rias smiled bitterly, "I know the reputation of Devils on Earth but no, we don't eat humans nor do we ask for your souls."
"Ah, I'm sorry I didn't mean to be prejudiced." Ichika hurriedly apologised like a mannerful girl causing the Occult Research Club members to widen their eyes.
It was hard to find a normal human who not only understood Devils but also apologised to them. Rias and the rest could also see the fear in her eyes was gone, replaced by curiosity.
Rias felt warm in her heart.
She coughed, "Well I'm glad you don't hate us." She paused once again, "What I really wanted to ask you is are you willing to join the Occult Research Club?"
Ichika's eyes widened and she frowned.
"Does that mean I'll have to become a Devil?"
"Yes. Not only do Devils have supernatural strength far exceeding humans but they also have longer lifespans! You can live for hundreds of years easily. Not only that..." Rias smiled mysteriously, "You'll be able to learn Devil Magic. Unlike normal magic where you have to rack your brains for complex spells, you just have to think of the spell and it'll materialise using Demonic Power. Oh yeah, you can speak any language in the world too, I guess that's cool."
Ichika's frown grew deeper.
"But why me?"
"Don't sell yourself short!" Rias said, "You have a lot of potential in magic."
"What are the conditions, it can't be you're turning people into Devils for free."
At this point, Rias hesitated for a moment, which Ichika had caught. How dare she slip up in front of a Whiteroom student? Had Ichika not wanted to join in the first place she would've already left seeing her hesitation.
Though to the average person, it might seem like Rias was organising her thoughts.
"We Devils are separated in hierarchy. I am a noble High-Class Devil of the Gremory Family and my brother is the current Satan. Ah, don't worry it's just a title. Rias giggled, clearly proud of her heritage, "High-Class Devils like me use the Chess System to create a peerage. Kiba here is my knight, Akeno is my Queen and Koneko is my rook. If you join I will give you the Bishop piece that will immediately multiply your strength and give you incredible control over Mana. Not to mention personalised training that self-training can't compare to."
"...There should be more, no?" Ichika's frown eased and Rias felt comfortable continuing.
"On paper, once you join my peerage you will be my slave..." Rias continued seeing no reaction from Ichika. She abruptly stood up and patted her chest, "But trust me, you'll be anything but a slave. I treat my peerage like my family! I won't force you to do anything against your will! Please trust me!"
Ichika was stunned. She slowly looked around and saw the warm smiles on Kiba, Akeno and Koneko's lips.
She hesitated for a second before nodding.
Rias broke out with a bright smile. She was incredibly happy!
But to her surprise, Ichika suddenly shuddered and a fearful look emerged on her face. She trembled and Akeno, who was closely watching her, frowned.
"I... I... please give me some time." Ichika bowed in a sorry manner.
Akeno nudged the stunned Rias. Something's wrong.
Rias nodded.
"Why!? Is there something troubling you? Please tell me, since you've agreed to join, you are my family and from now on! Your problem is my problem!"
"Ah..." Ichika was stunned by Rias's sincerity, she hesitated before parting her trembling lips, the state she was in clearly indicated trauma, "I have to tell my brother... if I do something without telling him... h-he... he'll punish me."
"???" The Occult Research Club was stunned.
Punishment? Clearly, the girl was traumatised.
Akeno had a startling thought and so did the others.
Could it be that her brother, Yamamoto Tatsuya, is... abusive?
The mere thought filled the kind Devils' hearts with anger.
Suddenly!
As if on cue, Ichika's phone rang. The ringtone caused deafening silence to erupt in the room.
Ichika began trembling and fear emerged on her face.
Rias's face hardened..
"It's okay, please pick it up and keep it on speaker. I will do my best to help you."
Ichika froze before nodding.
She picked up the phone and kept it on speaker.
"O-Onii-chan?"
"Where are you?" A cold voice erupted from behind the speaker. For some reason, even the Devils felt chilly hearing the voice.
"I... I..." Ichika stuttered in obvious fear when Rias gestured towards her whispering something.
"The Occult Research Club asked me for a meeting. They were asking me to join since every student needs to join at least one club."
"I asked you where you were. The voice behind the speaker seemed to not care for whatever she was saying.
Ichika frowned before speaking in a low tone.
"It's on the west side of the school. The abandoned dormitory."
The phone cut off.
A loud beep echoed in the room and a heavy atmosphere settled in.
-x-X-x-
"Is... Does your brother abuse you?"
Rias had a stern expression on her face.
For someone like her who had such a loving brother the concept of abuse was unimaginable.
"I..l... no. It's just..." Ichika tried to justify his actions but the atmosphere in the Occult Research Club turned cold.
"Before he comes here can you please tell me the situation clearly?" Rias stood up and walked to Ichika, she gave her a tight hug, "Since I've promised to help you I'll make your brother understand that sisters are the most precious thing in the world."
Rias carefully chose her words, appearing not to be antagonising. She didn't know the extent of their relationship and didn't want Ichika to become distant.
"Our parents died in a car crash when we were young. For the past few years, my brother has been working hard for our family. I can't blame him when he's working so hard... perhaps it's my fault for not behaving."
".... "
Akeno was frowning the hardest. Her fists were clenched into tight balls. She had experienced something similar, though not exactly abuse.
"No! I'm sorry for your loss but that doesn't give your brother the right to mentally and physically harass you."
"Rias..." Ichika seemed emotional, she wiped the tears from her eyes and looked at her with concern, "Rias!"
Her voice turned solemn.
The Occult Research Club was surprised and listened.
"Please, please don't fight my brother." Ichika shuddered, "He... He's very violent. I know you're all Devils and so but... he's really really strong. I don't want you guys to get hurt."
"Pff!" Rias and the Occult Research Club broke into smiles. How strong were Devils compared to ordinary humans?
Even Low-Class Devils could slaughter numerous of them.
They felt Ichika's words were cute.
"Don't worry, today I'll show you the difference between humans and Devils. The gap between the two races is much more than you think-" Rias smiled brightly but her words were interrupted by the heavy sounds of footsteps.
For some reason, everyone in the room tensed, as if a dangerous beast was approaching. Only a second later did the Devils shrug off the feeling.
How could they be afraid of a normal human?
...How strong could he be?
They couldn't even be bothered to take him seriously.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
As their thoughts converged a steady stream of knocks sounded.
"Come in, Rias went back to her seat and dragged Ichika along with her. She forcefully sat beside her.
The doors opened and an incredibly tall and handsome man walked inside. His indifferent gaze swept over everyone inside the room one by one, his gaze stopping at Ichika for a brief second.
Unbeknownst to anyone, Koneko who was sitting on the sofa beside Tatsuya shivered. Her eyes were full of fear as she lowered her head.
'Buchou!' She screamed inwardly but all the voice in her body evaporated the moment Tatsuya looked at her. When a prey comes in close proximity to a predator its feral instincts command it to fight or escape.
But... sometimes there existed predators whom prey could not hope to escape from. They could only tremble in silence,
Koneko, the cat yokai, could only keep her head lowered.
"Are you the president of this club?" Tatsuya looked at the buxom beauty and asked.
Rias nodded, "I'm Rias Gremory, I want your sister to join my club. I and the rest of the members quite like her personality. She said she wanted your permission first, so what do you think? She can join, right?"
"Hm?" Tatsuya raised an eyebrow and looked at Ichika with half a smile, "We'll talk about this at home.... Come."
Rias was accurately noting all of Ichika's reactions and the moment she shuddered Rias decided she would teach Tatsuya a lesson.
"Sorry, but I'd like to confirm it right now." Rias's tone hardened, and the facial expressions of the rest of the club also became stony.
Only Koneko had her head down.
"There doesn't seem to be a need to be so forceful, is there? Why can't we siblings have a talk about this at home peacefully before deciding?"
"Peacefully?" Rias sneered, her cold glare drilling into Tatsuya, "Or do you mean punishing her physically into accepting whatever you think is right?"
No one noticed the faint smirk on Ichika's face, everyone's attention was on Tatsuya.
"Oh?" Tatsuya's eyes turned similarly frosty as his eyes bore down onto Ichika, "Have you blabbered something to these outsiders?"
"O-Onii-chan.... I..." Ichika stuttered and slowly inched behind Rias. Rias also protectively came in front of Ichika.
"I am the one talking to you right now." She spat and Tatsuya shook his head with bemusement.
"Who are you to bud into our family affairs? Stay within your limits, Gremory."
"Mind your tone!" Akeno hissed, sensing the blatant disdain in his voice.
"Enough of this," Tatsuya ignored them, "Ichika, Are you coming or not? How long can you hide behind her?"
Ichika's eyes widened in realization. Sure she could hide behind Rias today, but what about tomorrow? What about the day after tomorrow?
Rias also understood this and Demonic energy started to concentrate around her.
"You should leave right now, Yamamoto Tatsuya! Don't make me call the police on you." The police were just an excuse, Rias was ready to mentally control him and get him to leave.
She would then bit by bit alter his personality into that of a gentle brother. While she could tell Ichika was abused, her love for him was genuine. Rias knew which boundaries to not cross and as such this was the best she could do.
The club room was in a tense stalemate before a silent sigh echoed in the room as the temperature dropped.
"You remember what happened the last time you tried to involve outsiders in our business, right?"
Ichika was a bit confused, she didn't remember this in the script but that didn't stop her from flinching as tears appeared in her eyes.
"No!" She screamed, "Don't even try it this time! These people aren't ordinary, you can't defeat them! They're Devils!"
Rias and the club sighed knowing the cat was out of the bag. They didn't even blame Ichika for blurting it out.
"Devils?" Tatsuya laughed as if he had heard a funny joke, "Even if the gods themselves decide to descend they can't stop me from taking you back home."
Tatsuya took a step forward menacingly.
"Kiba!" Rias commanded.
Kiba moved instantly.
His body blurred, his speed creating a brief afterimage before he appeared in front of Tatsuya, fist cocked back. A single, powerful punch raced toward Tatsuya's face-
*Thud!*
Tatsuya's hand shot up, effortlessly catching Kiba's fist.
The force sent a gust of wind blasting through the room, papers flying off the desks. But Tatsuya didn't even flinch.
Then, his other hand moved.
Faster than Kiba could react, Tatsuya's fingers closed around his throat.
Kiba's breath caught. His vision blurred as he was lifted off the ground, his hands clawing at the iron grip crushing his windpipe.
"What's this?" Tatsuya murmured, tilting his head. "You're not human?"
"Kiba!!!" Rias' voice rang through the club.
*ZRRRRR!*
A bolt of lightning crackled through the air-Akeno's attack.
Tatsuya glanced at the incoming energy.
Much to everyone's horror, he didn't even try to dodge.
Instead, he shifted Kiba's body forward-
The lightning struck.
Kiba screamed as the electricity coursed through him, burning his uniform, charring his skin.
"NO!!" Akeno's voice was filled with fury. "I'll kill you!"
Rias moved as well, her demonic energy flaring.
The once-peaceful Occult Research Club descended into chaos.
Kiba's smoking body was still held in Tatsuya's grip.
Akeno and Rias charged toward him, their attacks already forming.
Koneko remained frozen in place, every fiber of her being screaming at her to run.
Tatsuya's eyes glinted.
In one motion, he hurled Kiba's unconscious body across the room.
Then he vanished.
A sonic boom echoed as he reappeared directly in front of Akeno.
Her lightning whip lashed out.
Tatsuya's hand moved faster.
He slapped her wrist aside, breaking her stance before grabbing her other hand.
Akeno gritted her teeth as a magical barrier flashed around her body.
Tatsuya sneered.
His fist slammed into her stomach.
*CRACK!*
The barrier shattered into glowing fragments.
Akeno's breath escaped in a painful gasp as the force of the punch folded her over, lifting her feet off the ground.
At the same time, Tatsuya spun.
His leg shot out.
His kick caught Rias mid-charge, slamming into her ribs with a thunderous impact.
Both Akeno and Rias were sent flying, crashing into opposite walls.
The room shook from the impact.
Koneko could no longer stand it. She faced the fear inside her and charged towards Tatsuya. They were in close proximity and Koneko, whose fists could punch through walls with ease, was about to land on his face when she was met with a slap.
*BOOM!*
The impact rang across the room as Koneko was submerged in the walls alongside the peerage.
Rias coughed, staggering to her feet, her fingers trembling.
"How dare you...!" she growled, Power of Destruction flaring around her hands. Red energy along with black lightning crackled dangerously.
Tatsuya's eyes lit up with interest.
The faint, dangerous energy emanating from her... for the first time since the fight began, he felt intrigued.
"Is that what you're counting on?" Tatsuya chuckled and took another step forward, intending to knock her down again. At the same time, he shot Ichika a glance which she duly noted.
Tatsuya stomped down, creating a crater in the wood as he shot out.
Rias was also done charging her attack and she was about to release it when-
"Stop!" A frail pair of hands wrapped her in a hug from behind. Rias turned her head around in surprise only to see a tear-stricken Ichika, "PLEASE STOP!!!"
Rias was bewildered and out of concern she immediately dispelled the Power of Destruction, worried
Ichika would be harmed.
But that proved to be a mistake, a fist closed in on her face and Rias gritted her teeth, as she summoned multiple magical barriers.
*Crack!* *Crack!* *Crack!* *Crack!*
*Shatter!*
It all proved futile as the fist tore through the barriers effortlessly. Rias closed her eyes in response anticipating the incoming pain.
*Swish!*
The fist stopped an inch away from her face. The force from the punch caused her hair to blow away.
Rias blinked in surprise and gritted her teeth, feeling shamed.
Had her entire peerage lost to a human!?
"What are you...?" She murmured and stood protectively in front of Ichika.
"Rias!" Akeno had also gotten up, her face was pale while Koneko and Kiba were still unconscious.
Lightning crackled around her.
"Akeno! Stop!"
Rias commanded as she looked at Tatsuya coldly. His tall figure now looked incomparably more intimidating.
Akeno was stunned but she gritted her teeth in hatred and let her magic power dwindle.
She hated it
She hated abusers.
Worst of all she hated how powerless she was.
Rias was aware of her feelings but now was not the time.
Ichika ran from behind Rias and grasped Tatsuya's hand.
"Please stop..." She whispered, "I'll go back home."
Tatsuya snorted in displeasure.
"Is this what you meant by having my sister join your club?" He looked towards Ichika and frowned.
"Have they brainwashed you?"
"I would never stoop so low!" Rias interrupted but she was cut off by Tatsuya again.
"Then speak, bat. Why are you interested in my sister?"
Rias grew incredibly annoyed; she looked towards Ichika and hesitated. After a brief moment, her eyes trailed towards Tatsuya and she let out a forlorn sigh.
-x-X-x-
"Argh!"
It hurt.
Kiba felt his back sting.
His mind buzzed as he slowly gained clarity. His blurred vision also recovered at an incredible pace. His injury wasn't life-threatening but for sure it was astounding how quickly he recovered. An average human would've been in a critical situation or even dead.
He looked around in worry only to see Akeno's reddened eyes as she cast basic healing magic on him.
The enemy was no longer around much to his surprise.
What had happened while he was unconscious?
"I'm sorry... I shouldn't have been so hasty."
Hearing her apology he quickly smiled with warmth, ignoring the stinging pain, "It's fine Akeno-senpai.
How could've you known he'd use me as a shield?"
His words caused Akeno's face to darken as she shook her head.
"I don't know what happened to me... I'm so sorry." Koneko had her head lowered as she talked to Rias.
"Can you tell me what exactly happened?"
"I really don't know Buchou. The moment he walked in I felt my body freeze all over. There wasn't anything physically restricting me but I didn't dare move. It was akin to a primal fear... I couldn't help but think I was going to die."
Rias patted the head of the anxious and sad nekomata.
"It's okay, I know what you're like. It must've been incredibly tough to ignore your natural instincts and still fight." Rias didn't blame Koneko.
Kiba heard the whole thing. His face darkened a shade further similar to Akeno's.
"Rias-senpai. What happened? Where's Ichika?" He slowly sat up and looked at Rias who was talking to Koneko.
"... We lost." Rias gritted her teeth in humiliation, "He obliterated us as if we were a bunch of children. No magical attack or barrier could stop him."
''But how!? How can a human be so strong!? I detected no magic from him. Doesn't that mean he shouldn't have a Sacred Gear either?" Kiba was beyond confused.
Rias was equally confused as she shook her head, "I don't know either. It's really mysterious but I can confirm that he should be connected to the supernatural world. He wasn't even a bit surprised by us being Devils or facing magic attacks. I can only think he's used to fighting supernatural beings."
"Could it be some kind of Black Magic? I've heard some sacrificial magic could permanently enhance strength and so on." Akeno tried to provide a reason only for Rias to shake her head again.
"Black Magic is relatively rare plus it leaves unavoidable residues in the body or mental issues. His mental state was too composed while talking to us and fighting. He threw Kiba as a distraction to counter Akeno and was also aware of my sneak attack." Rias was a noble Devil trained and educated from birth.
She might seem foolish but don't be fooled. She can be very smart when required. The only flaw she had was her emotions butting in but that was what made Rias who she was and why her peerage members loved and respected her.
"Then... why?"
The Occult Research Club was extremely troubled.
"But what about Ichika? Will he hurt her because of us? Shouldn't we have tried to keep her?" Kiba felt concerned.
Rias hesitated and Akeno frowned remembering the earlier conversation.
"He let Ichika join my peerage. I'll give her the bishop piece."
Kiba was surprised, "I suppose that's for the best but I'm still worried about her."
Akeno, who was already beyond frustrated, said, "He gave Rias a condition."
"What condition?" Kiba was confused.
Rias seemed distracted as she bit her lower lip, "He said... He said he wanted to become a Devil under me as well. He promised to never lay a hand on Ichika ever again if we agreed."
Koneko and Kiba were stunned beyond belief.
Anger surged inside their heart as they simultaneously shouted, "No! Absolutely not!"
"You agreed, Buchou?" Koneko was a bit sad as she asked Rias.
Rias shook her head, "I haven't agreed..."
"Really-" Koneko smiled only to have it freeze a second later as Rias continued.
"...yet."
"Can't you ask Grayfia-san or the Maou to teach him a lesson?" Kiba was a bit miffed, his pride was hurt with how easily he was manhandled. It made him feel all his efforts were useless and worthless.
Rias shook her head with a small smile.
"How can I bother them over something like this? They'll only think I'm incapable of handling things on my own. It'll only give them another reason to forward my engagement with that Riser." Rias was frustrated, "And even if I could it would be a very bad decision..."
"Why...?" Koneko was confused.
"You didn't see it but both siblings obviously held a deep love for each other. Even when she was warning Tatsuya to not fight it was over concern we would hurt him. How can she trust another species, especially Devils whose reputation is already in the dirt, over her blood brother who she respects so much? And Tatsuya too stopped his attack towards Rias, though it's uncertain if it was because he felt there wasn't a need to continue or he was worried Ichika would've been hurt. The force he was using could easily kill a normal human." Akeno had noticed all these small details.
Rias nodded approvingly, "Correct. I scanned Ichika earlier and I didn't see any bruises or injuries. Perhaps he's only abused her a few times throughout the years or the abuse is limited to light beatings. We're still not clear what exactly is going on. I didn't expect a fight to break out so suddenly... Maybe we can reform him once he joins the peerage."
"But Buchou..." Koneko frowned and her cat ears drooped sadly, "He's not a good person at all. He even used Kiba-senpai as a shield."
"...While I agree with your sentiments, no- in fact, I hate him for that action alone but you have to consider this, for him we are enemies and neutralising one of us by using him as a shield was a tactically correct action." Rias narrowed her eyes as she worded her opinion carefully.
Kiba felt a little disappointed but he soon shook his head. He wasn't a fool. He knew why Rias hadn't outright refused yet. There were multiple methods to make sure Ichika wasn't abused, she didn't have to agree to his absurd condition.
Rias genuinely wanted Tatsuya in her peerage.
The sole reason being his terrifying strength. If he becomes a Devil and trains for even a year Kiba reckoned he could destroy half of Riser's peerage alone.
For Rias who was nervous about the state of her peerage, acquiring Tatsuya was like a gift from heaven.
Kiba looked towards Akeno who was also aware of what was going on. Akeno only shook her head in response suggesting she'd listen to Rias.
In fact, Rias should not have to be as careful as the Master of the peerage. If she wanted Tatsuya the others could only agree.
They wouldn't even feel too bad about it.
Akeno, Kiba and Koneko had faced the worst tragedy one could face in life and it was Rias who pulled them out of the deep abyss of darkness. They were willing to give their life for her much less accept an unfavorable person in their team.
"I guess we can help Ichika-senpai." Koneko's thoughts were much simpler. She didn't want Ichika to have a brother she would hate.
She wanted to improve the siblings' relationship because Koneko herself was filled with hatred towards her sister.
Rias looked at the members of her peerage and felt disappointed in herself.
She could understand them but....
She couldn't give up on Tatsuya. She mentally consoled herself, deluding herself into thinking it was all for Ichika. All so that she could fix him and turn their relationship back to normal.
It's all for Ichika...
Her heart echoed.
-x-X-x-
Meanwhile, Ichika Yamamoto had big sparkles in her eyes as she stole glances at the handsome young man walking next to her.
Tatsuya rolled his eyes.
"Stop staring at me, what is it?"
"You're so strong!" Ichika was awestruck.
She couldn't even follow Kiba's movement!
The moment Rias called for Kiba to take action Ichika tried to observe his actions but by the time she looked over Kiba was caught under Tatsuya's grip, struggling like a pitiful worm.
She couldn't even see what was going on before everyone had been slapped away. Only when Rias got up did Ichika finally catch on.
"Indeed I am. However, these children are too weak compared to the real strong individuals. Remember our goal is to exploit them, not be enemies with them."
"Really?" Ichika smiled deviously, 'For how long?"
While Ichika was unfamiliar with Tatsuya's true personality she knew that Tatsuya intentionally getting involved in someone's life could barely mean anything good.
She couldn't even imagine the end of these poor kind-hearted Devils.
"Depends," Tatsuya didn't elaborate and Ichika hummed a tune.
"Are you fine with being her slave though? I can't seem to understand why you even need to consider it. Does being a Devil really bring benefits worth this decision?"
"For you, yes," Tatsuya smiled, "But not for me. The effect of the Rook piece will barely help me. You don't need to worry, I have a way to break free from the peerage when needed."
He had already asked Kaguya and she had confirmed he could eradicate the evil piece inside him for a mere 10 World Essence. If not for this confirmation Tatsuya wouldn't even consider the idea. He would've settled for a less efficient method.
"Will they accept you though? Shouldn't you have not continued with the plan if you wanted to join the peerage?"
Ichika had proposed to act as if they were in an abusive relationship. If Rias was as kind as Tatsuya had told her beforehand she had a guaranteed chance of entering the peerage.
"She accepted me in the peerage even without having to..." Ichika was a bit confused. Tatsuya had been beside her from the start using the invisibility cloak.
But Tatsuya still mentally commanded her to go forward with the plan.
Tatsuya gave Ichika a sidelong glance before smiling.
He didn't blame Ichika for her confusion.
While Tatsuya didn't remember most details of DxD he was familiar with the plot.
What she didn't know was that Rias had enormous pressure on her head. She needed as many strong individuals as possible for her Rating Game against Riser.
There was no way she would not accept him, even if he used Kiba as a shield.
Plus the reason he went ahead with her plan was because it gave a good natural way to join her peerage. Were Sirzech to become suspicious and investigate him too much it would become a problem.
Heck, even Tatsuya would be suspicious if a weirdly strong individual came to his sister to become her slave. Now, Tatsuya knew Sirzech would still investigate him, the Devils in power weren't naive, but it wouldn't be too hardcore. Kaguya's arrangement should be sufficient.
Once he became a 'slave' of Rias the arrogance of the current Satan would be the cause of their own demise.
"She will," He replied before twisting the knob of the door, "They should visit us in a few hours to turn us into Devils.'
Tatsuya was eager for their visit.
"You know how to cook?" He looked towards Amasawa.
"Hmm... not really. But I'm sure I can make something perfect with an online recipe." Ichika smiled and affirmed.
"Alright, here's some money, go get whatever you need." Tatsuya handed her several bills of cash. He had stored millions of yen in his storage space before leaving Classroom of the Elite.
He thought it might come in handy.
As Ichika changed her clothes and prepared to leave, Tatsuya stopped her.
"One minute."
He looked at her gently, causing Amasawa to feel creeped out. "Y-Yes?"
Tatsuya summoned a pair of handcuffs and Amasawa was bewildered.
"I have to wear these?" She did her best to control her expression and simply took the cuffs and put them on with his help.
The cuffs locked with a click and disappeared much to Ichika's expectations.
She was sure there was something special about the cuffs, otherwise Tatsuya's behaviour couldn't be explained.
"What's this?" She asked curiously.
"Check your stomach." Tatsuya laughed and Ichika did so, finding a strange mark just below her navel. It seemed like a black heart with an arrow pierced through it.
"Huh?"
"That's my mark. Consider it something like Evil Pieces. If you're in danger or injured I can sense it and come to help quickly. After all, this isn't a normal world who knows what might happen."
"Ah, okay." Ichika didn't seem to mind it and skipped outside the house.
Tatsuya watched her leave before sitting down on the sofa.
"200 World Essence, hmm... can't say it's a lot." He mumbled and Kaguya materialised, she laid down on the sofa and placed her head on his lap.
She looked at him from below and smiled.
"You've stolen Asia Argento's bishop piece, disrupting the original plot. It's not that big of an action so that's the best I can give you."
"What exactly is World Essence?" Tatsuya was curious, if he could understand this better he might be able to quickly gather more essence.
"Hmm, how should I explain..." Kaguya placed a finger on her cheek, "Consider this, there's a multi-layered thread. Whenever you pull the thread it ripples and the outer layers slowly loosen. These layers which were originally bound to the main thread now lose their anchor and float freely. These free-floating threads are what we call Chaos Energy aka World Essence. If Chaos Energy erupts without any disruption the Heavenly Spirit quickly wakes up and deals with it, bringing the world back on track but in our case these small ripples of Chaos Energy that erupt when you cause disturbances are absorbed by me instead. This leaves the Heavenly Spirit unaware. Controlled Chaos Energy leads to Order and as the Heavenly Spirit loses all the Chaos Energy it controls it weakens, allowing me with the bulk of the Chaos Energy to devour them and the world."
Tatsuya's eyes widened as he processed the information and at the same time, he understood something crucial.
"So that's why you forbid me from killing Issei?" His eyes narrowed into sharp slits, "If I kill Issei the free-flowing Chaos Energy would be too enormous for you to quickly absorb causing the Heavenly Spirit to wake up and eradicate us."
Kaguya smiled gently as she stroked his face, "Correct."
"That's why it might seem to be the correct decision to immediately kill the protagonist for greater World Essence but it will lead to a brutal death instead. It takes time to absorb Chaos Energy. The reason why I ask you to proceed gently is because as I corrode the Heavenly Spirit I can influence its actions. The greater the control the greater the delay, killing the protagonist should only be done in two scenarios-"
Kaguya raised one finger, "We've corroded the Heavenly Spirit by 70%, at that point, you can let loose and have as much fun as you want guaranteed you have sufficient strength, She raised her other finger and continued, "Second, the Heavenly Spirit has detected us before we reached the optimal corrosion percentage. In that case..."
Kaguya's eyes were full of killing intent, the murderous aura caused even Tatsuya's heart to beat faster, "We have to hunt down this Golden Star, the protagonist, no matter the cost. The disruption caused by that should either give us a chance to fight back or in the worst case scenario escape."
"Alright, I have a rough plan in mind but before that tell me how you'll strengthen me once I have enough World Essence."
"I'll directly increase the amount of Demonic Energy you have."
Tatsuya frowned.
"What if I remove the Evil Piece?"
"You don't have to worry, your Devil Bloodline will not be lost even if I eradicate the Evil Piece. Only the minor benefits brought by the Rook Piece will disappear."
"How amazing." Tatsuya smiled feeling reassured, "I suppose this amplification is going to cost a lot."
"Inevitably, the greater raw strength you have the greater your power. The Satans in this world can directly destroy countries excluding Sirzech. He can destroy multiple countries at once at full power. All this strength is based on the amount of Demonic Energy they have. Accumulation of hundreds of years and talent guarantees such strength. I'll directly help you skip the accumulation phase."
"Damn, you certainly know how to motivate someone." Tatsuya clicked his tongue, "Now that I think about it my own strength is quite broken. If you amplify my strength in direct multipliers I should soon be able to fight Ophis or Great Red, right? Though I guess that's going to cost a lot."
"Yes. Don't be too excited though, gather World Essence cautiously. This world has a very weird power structure, abilities that shouldn't even exist are in the hands of mundane beings, not to mention the various abilities of the Devils, Angels and Fallen Angels. Sacred Gears are also something to look out for. Do your best to keep yourself out of the eyes of those Transcendent Dragons."
Tatsuya nodded.
"I'm still virtually unkillable unless someone directly strikes my Soul with erasure or has powers similar to the Destruction of Sirzech and Rias. I also have to make sure I'm not captured and sealed, that'd be a headache. I wonder if I should just go and kill several minor named characters for a quick boo-"
Suddenly, Tatsuya's face turned cold.
He disappeared.
-x-X-x-
-A little while ago-
Ichika with light steps walked towards the grocery store. It was barely 700-800m away so she enjoyed her walk leisurely.
It felt quite freeing to be able to go out without worrying too much.
Though she was a bit depressed about being kidnapped she could bear with this much. She surfed the internet as she walked, it was so fascinating to use. While they did use technology in the Whiteroom it was never for leisure like right now.
After entertaining herself for a bit she reached the grocery market and quickly picked out the items she needed.
Chicken Pasta should suffice.
She thought, ignoring the enchanted gaze of the cashier.
So pretty...
The young cashier gulped as he tried to check the items as slowly as possible.
"U-Uhm what's your name?" He picked up his courage and asked after putting her items in a bag.
Ichika was pulled out of her thoughts as she looked at the blushing young cashier. He should be in his early twenties.
"Oh hoh~? What's this? Are you trying to pick up a high schooler uncle?"
"No! No!" He waved his hand in surprise and bowed in apology.
"Hmm, try not to be so timid, mister, it's a turnoff. You don't look bad so try on some other girl confidently, they won't actually call the police. It's too troublesome to do so."
"Ah... uhm alright, thank you."
Ichika advised politely before leaving.
If the poor cashier listens to her advice and encounters any crafty girl he's going to get extorted out of a lot of money.
Ichika giggled and skipped along the way home.
On the way, she noticed the darkening sky and quickly made her way home.
At the same time, she spotted a vending machine in the distance. A bit excited she rushed over and looked at the items in the vending machine.
She quickly checked the cash she had and smiled brightly seeing the 480 yen left. She placed a finger under her lips and mulled over what to get.
After thinking for a bit she decided to get a Strawberry-Vanilla Ice Cream Jar for 230 yen. A bit excited, she looked at the remaining cash and got a Chocolate Jar for Tatsuya as well.
*Clink!* *Clink!*
Ichika collected the jars and put the chocolate inside while opening the one she got for herself.
She took a scoop and moaned in pure bliss as the ice cream melted inside her mouth. She never had anything like this before. The Whiteroom didn't allow it.
She had heard Tatsuya talk about Ice Cream before but she hadn't gotten a chance.
"C-can I have a bite?" All of a sudden a childish voice sounded near Ichika's ears. She didn't react in surprise or jump away.
She calmly turned around and met eyes with a little girl who was barely around 4'11.
The little girl had blonde hair, which was styled into twin tails and blue eyes. She wore a gothic lolita attire, which consisted of a black dress with white frills, a large black bow on the front, and a green jewel embedded on the collar, white thigh-high socks with suspender garters, a black set of frilly panties, and black shoes. She also wore a large black bow on top of her hair.
Her extremely cute expression would've melted anyone's heart but Ichika kept the spoon of ice cream in her mouth as she glanced around.
Everyone has disappeared?
She wondered as she looked back at the girl. After thinking about it for a second she smiled brightly and handed the ice cream jar over to the little girl.
The little girl's pitiful expression brightened in delight as she too had a spoon of ice cream.
"Thank you so much! You're so kind!"
"It's alright." Ichika nodded and took the jar back.
But the little girl didn't leave.
"Pretty Onee-chan, how should I repay you?" The little girl smiled with glee.
Ichika shook her head in amusement, "You don't have to."
"But I want to!"
The little girl refused to leave as her smile widened to a horrifying degree. Her eyes turned into two slits causing Ichika to pause in place.
She sighed, "You've got quite the bitchy face despite being a little runt."
The little girl's face fell.
Her clothes and hair began to blow away as a pair of black feathered wings appeared on her back. Her teeth turned spiky and a bright pink spear appeared in her mind.
"How about I repay you with some pain before a sweet little death!?" The little girl smiled sadistically and her eyes glowed.
But frustration boiled inside her seeing the impassive look on Ichika's face.
"You're not afraid of me?"
"Afraid?" Ichika thought about it for a second and shivered.
The Fallen Angel thought that Ichika finally had realized what was about to happen but only a second later Ichika looked at her with undisguised pity.
"If you knew the personality of the one behind me you'd never dare do this." Ichika shook her head.
*Swish!*
Mittelt couldn't endure it any longer and threw her spear towards Ichika. She would torture this pretty little bitch to her heart's content for today's nightly activity.
The pink spear was bathed with holy light as it was hurled towards Ichika. The speed of the spear was insanely fast.
A bright light flashed in front of Ichika's eyes as she calmly closed them. She felt the slight heat in the area around her navel.
*Puh!*
By the time she opened her eyes a large hand was grasping the spear that was about to hit her shoulder.
"What!?" Mittelt was surprised and the danger bells rang furiously inside her. She flapped her wings and without even trying to assess the situation flew away.
Tatsuya coldly watched her go and sneered, "Does she think she can escape?"
Much to Ichika's surprise he didn't use his bloody wings like she had seen before. Instead, he bent his knees and-
*BOOM!*
The ground beneath them cracked as a crater appeared and Ichika wobbled. A furious wind blew against her as she saw Tatsuya shoot towards the panicking Fallen Angel.
"WHAT THE FUCK-?" Mittelt barely shrieked before a punch landed on her from above.
A shockwave rang in the air as if a cloud had burst open.
Like a falling star, Mittelt was blown away by the impact and all the bones inside her shattered at once. She was deeply submerged in concrete and her battered body was barely twitching.
Tatsuya too landed softly next to the broken Fallen Angel.
He looked at the half-dead 'child' and dragged her away after putting on the invisibility cloak.
"Let's go."
His soft voice echoed in the empty road.
-x-X-x-
Mittelt woke up.
Her limbs were tied together and her entire body was bruised and screaming in pain. Her mouth was sealed tight with some tape and her clothes were nowhere to be seen.
She looked around in terror only to notice she was in a living room. She quickly noticed the pretty girl she had attacked for fun and soon her eyes landed on the tall muscular man sitting on the sofa.
"Mmmhp! Mmph! Mm!"
She tried to speak but her voice was blocked out by the tape. She wanted to use magic to free herself but indifferent eyes gazing down on her caused her to feel a chill go down her spine.
Even Azazel didn't scare her as much as the young man on the sofa did.
"Remove her tape." Tatsuya gestured to Ichika before looking at Mittelt, "Try anything foolish and I'll slap you into meatpaste."
Mittelt nodded like an obedient child and as soon as the tape was removed she knelt down.
"P-Please spare me, I didn't actually mean to attack her. My target was someone else but I became confused. Please I'll do anything just let me live!" Mittelt had an idea seeing herself naked and thought Tatsuya was one of those deranged people.
And she was correct.
Tatsuya was one of those deranged people.
"Oh? Anything?" Seeing the interest in his eyes Mittelt quickly crawled over with her small petite body that could be mistaken for a child and rubbed her face on his cock through his pants.
"Y-yes, I'll do whatever, please don't kill me." She begged.
Motherfucker, enjoy your final hours. Raynare will notice my absence and quickly search for me. No matter how strong you are, you won't be able to deal with all of us!!!
Her mind was full of venom which she did her best to hide.
-x-X-x-