Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

The trains that run across Japan are ridiculously convenient things used every day by all sorts of people, and as such, they can attract some weird characters from time to time. Such as a young man reading a porn magazine in the open, without any shame or restrictions.

The young man was wearing a pair of shows, some jeans, and a red shirt and seemed to have no other possession with him, besides his magazine.

Workers tried to ignore him, some other young men of his age range seemed impressed with his courage while the woman berated him, especially the ones with kids. And all kids had either their eyes or their ears covered.

That was none other than Hyoudou Issei, a previous first-year student at Kuoh Academy, and a future second-year student. And he was unfazed by the looks and comments made towards him as he happily read through his magazine.

"Damn! Hatano-chan's last photo session was amazing!"

He said out loud, unconcerned about the reactions of those around him. In Kuoh Town he was known as The Pervert King, an absolute mad idiot that had no shame talking about the female body, porn, and sex, no matter the time, place, or circumstances. He was open about his pervertedness like no one else.

"An absolute threat to society!" According to some female students of Kuoh Academy. But just like as he is on the train right now, none of that ever seemed to bother Issei.

Though currently, he wasn't in Kuoh, actually he was a bit far from it.

"Yo!"

Suddenly, another young man approached Issei. Even during vacations, this newcomer was using his school uniform, even if it was ragged. He also had a jacket on his body and some piercings on his face. His expression seemed to scream trouble.

"Yo, how can I help you?"

Issei promptly closed his magazine and with a friendly smile looked at the person that called for him. Instead of a man, he saw a fist coming in his direction.

Everyone on the train was tense, praying for that to end fast as they did not want to get involved. However, the scene that they expected of the perverted being knocked out cold after receiving that punch, did not happen.

Instead, Issei was holding the fist with two fingers only. Widened eyes and shocked expressions were common across the passengers, while Issei looked slightly annoyed.

"Could you not? You are bothering everyone else."

Issei said as he pushed the fist back, almost making the delinquent fall. His words, unfortunately, were ignored.

"So you are the Hyoudou Issei."

The delinquent said, snapping his fingers and with a shitty grin.

"The one and only!" Issei said with a smug smile. "So, guess you wanna be beaten as well. Can you wait until we get to a better place?"

Issei asked nonchalantly as he just went back to reading his magazine.

"You won't be so full of yourself soon either way, so I am fine if waiting."

Issei happily read his magazine, ignoring the weird and curious gazes sent to him. The delinquent sat down in his opposite direction, annoyed that the chestnut paid no attention to him. The tension on the train could be cut with a knife, and all the passengers thanked the heavens when they arrived at their station.

As they got out, Issei went after the guy that challenged him. He already knew how these things went, so he just let him lead the way.

If the delinquent paid attention he would have noticed that, as they went out of their wagon the chestnut magazine had suddenly disappeared, however, he wasn't paying attention.

Their stop was only a five-minute walk from the station, and it had taken been a bit longer as Issei stopped to buy a lollipop, much to his "challenger" annoyance.

When they finally arrived, for the chestnut lack of surprise, waiting for him was a whole group of probably ten to fifteen men.

"YOU ARE DONE NOW HYOUDOU!"

As soon as he appeared, one of them screamed, bringing down on him a baseball bat.

"And you are the fifty-ninth to say that."

Issei said casually. His only action was raising his right arm. And as a result, once the bat hit his arm it simply broke in half. The group locked gobsmacked, and the first to attack failed to react when Issei, in return punched him in the face. The guy simply fell on the ground unconscious after one punch.

"G-GET HIM!"

It wasn't clear who screamed, but after that, they all jumped at Issei. What followed was simple, at least for Issei. Barely having to dodge, and only doing so to avoid making his clothes get messier, and then punching or kicking someone, making them go down. It wasn't a fight, as it was too brief and unilateral to be called such.

When it was all said and done, there was a bunch of unconscious delinquents on the ground as Issei finished his lollipop, with not even a break of sweat.

He walked to the nearest trash bin and threw the stick of the lollipop there, before moving forward.

'What should I do first? Probably book a place for the night.'

He thought to himself, walking away, not paying attention to the groans of the pain of the ones he put down. After all, for the well know strongest delinquent of Kuoh, this was just another usual day.

'Any preference Ddraig?'

He asked the Red Dragon living on his soul.

[I would prefer if you stopped to train before instead, those fools barely counted as a warm-up after all.]

'True. I heard there are some nice bathhouses around here as well, so going there after training would be nice. Anything you want to eat?'

[Maybe later.]

Ddraig said, and there was a hint of happiness in her voice. The dragon could not deny that it was quite enjoyable to have a host that treated her as a friend.

[…]

"I see, Hyoudou Issei, the current Red Dragon Emperor, as usual, but also… he is still somewhat of a divergent… Yup, he will do."

On the skies of the city, there was a figure with a huge cape covering his body. He looked down at Issei, murmuring to himself with a satisfied expression. His cape moved and the figure was no longer there, as if it never even were, to begin with.

[…]

The sun was now setting, the whole afternoon had passed when Issei finally finished his training session.

"That was fun, but I need a bath."

He commented to himself. Currently, he was only wearing his shoes and jeans but put on a jacket since he was done training.

In front of him was a destroyed landscape, something that normal humans would think could only be caused by either weapons or natural disasters.

[Do not forget to call your parents later.]

Ddraig reminded him, knowing her user can be a bit absent-minded sometimes.

"Noted. Buuut that can wait."

The chestnut said as he took sweat out of his face. He was craving a bath now.

"Time to try one of those bathhouses!"

The sekiryuutei said as he was happily whistling a song, going back in the town's direction. He was having quite the vacation.

As a child, his perversion always got him in a bit of trouble but also attracted all sorts of guys that wanted to beat him to look better. However, Issei was always naturally stronger than those of his age, and even above, so when he realized, he had already beaten down a lot of people.

It was in this way he got his fame as a delinquent. And that fame attracted more people to beat down until the Delinquent King of Kuoh became something akin to an urban legend.

While Issei would be lying if he said that the feeling of liking a fight did not grow on him, he would be the first to say how annoying it is to be pulled in on when he is trying to enjoy some porn.

And so, now having finished his first year of high school, his fame was quite high across delinquents in Japan. Usually, during this time of the year, that's when people, or as the sekiryuutei would describe them "a bunch of useless guys with nothing better to do", would go to Kuoh to challenge him.

Not feeling like fulfilling the tradition this year, he managed to convince his parents to let him go on a trip around the country.

He had to pay a huge price for it though. Study and be at the top of his class. It was hard, a lot of times he felt like he couldn't do it. Ddraig complaining about how pathetic it was to not be able to read some books did help as motivation, and finally, he was here.

[Partner. Something's wrong.]

Ddraig suddenly warned.

The chestnut looked around startled but failed to see or sense anything out of place.

'Are you su-'

Before he could finish, lightning stroke him down.

[PARTNER!]

Ddraig screamed, her mental connection with Issei showing that the boy went unconscious for a brief moment before waking up. It had barely passed seconds.

"Fuck… I was using my favorite jacket…"

He complained, getting back on his feet.

[As unexpected as it was, it is only obvious a bit of lightning shouldn't take you down.]

Ddraig said, now calm again.

"Thanks for the support." He replied with clear irony.

His clothing was a bit scorched and he had light burns on his face and around some parts of his body, but he was mostly fine. Only his hair was not burned but it was a mess.

"There is not even a single cloud in the sky! How did-"

His words got stuck in his throat once he saw what was in front of him.

A floating window, like a video game screen. It was blue, floating in front of his face. Instinctively, Issei tried to touch it, but his hands passed right through it.

[What is this damn thing?]

Even Ddraig, with her millions of years of experience, was unprepared for what she was witnessing.

Absolute System

Downloading 93%...

Player detected: Hyoudou Issei

Species: Human (kitsune descendance)

Calculating the current level of experience, skills, and power…

Download completed.

Welcome, player, to the Absolute System

Both the dragon and her wielder were looking at the window prompts, which showed up one after the other. They both had blank expressions, still absorbing what they were seeing.

And then it sinks in.

[Oh, for Great Red's sake.]

There was one thing about being with her host, independently of whoever it was. The dragon would have access to most of the wielder's thoughts and memories unless Ddraig herself blocked it. And, even if he had the fame of being a delinquent, Issei was still Issei, and as such, he was quite fond of what Ddraig described as "pointless fictional stories made to waste your time and achieve nothing", while Issei claimed them as "pieces of art, the result of hardworking authors."

Some of these stories belonged to a specific genre and niche.

"I GOT A SYSTEM?"

Issei screamed at the top of his lungs.

[Are you hallucinating? Those are fictional things!]

Ddraig tried to reason, even if she herself was confused and unsure about this whole thing.

Issei looked at the floating window that hadn't gone away and noticed that the prompts had changed.

Firstly, Y Ddraig Goch, the system is very real.

"Told you. And is even conscious? Classic move."

Issei said smugly, to which Ddraig, in his mind space, simply rolled her eyes. Since she was more reassured that neither she nor her partner was hallucinating, after all, she would probably sense already if they were, she had no reason to not give this whole thing a chance.

Secondly, player, please click the button to select your first second Main Skill. The skill will be acquired by looking through the multiversal catalog.

"Universal catalog? Like, powers from other worlds?" Issei wondered with raised eyebrows.

The words disappeared and a gray button appeared in the middle of the blue screen. Issei looked at it curiously for a few seconds before clicking it.

The button was gone in the next instant and in its place was a roulette, of which neither of the two could take a look at what was written before it started spinning at a speed that even Ddraig failed to follow.

What they could not know is that, after the name written in the countless spots of the roulette passed through the arrow on the top of the circle, it disappeared from the roulette, not to show up again.

[When is this damn thing going to stop?]

Five minutes passed as Ddraig asked, already tired of looking to the unstoppable circle.

"Your guess is as good as mine."

Issei replied shrugging, having sat down on the ground, with the roulette also coming down to follow the level of his eyes.

Finally, the roulette started slowing down, and Issei and Ddraig manage to see various words that resembled titles or powers in the different spots of it.

Heretic God

Lunar Scourge

Copy System

Eyes of the Lord

>Heir of the Nine Stars<

It eventually stopped in the last front, Heir of the Nine Stars. At that moment information started flowing into Issei's head, things he never heard of or had no way of even knowing how to do suddenly became common knowledge that felt like he had through all his life. It was extremely bizarre, he now knew and understood things he never even heard of before.

First main skill selected: Heir of the Nine Stars

Adjusting and adapting to the player's new status.

Calculating and attributing new skills.

Finishing adjustments and changes.

"Do you know what an Heir of the Nine Stars is?"

Issei asked with furrowed eyebrows. The new knowledge made his head hurt a bit, but he was slowly adjusting to it.

His knowledge of the supernatural was limited to youkai, kitsunes, dragons, and whatever Ddraig told him about, but it felt weird that he couldn't recognize any of those titles, as they all seemed like big deals. Plus, the things that were now on his mind, to which Ddraig also had access.

[I do not know. I've never even heard of any Heretic God. It truly seems to be otherworldly powers.]

Hearing the Red Dragon's words a huge smile formed on Issei's face, and in reality, Ddraig followed him.

"THIS IS AMAZING!"

[HAHAHAHAHAHA! WATCH OUT ALBION!]

For different, but relatively similar reasons, the two were very happy with this random but welcomed outcome.

Calculations, adjustments, and updates completed.

Would the player like to view his stats?

[Y/N]

Without a shadow of a doubt, Issei clicked Yes and the screen once more changed.

Titles: Red Dragon Emperor, Perverted Dragon Emperor, Lost Fox, Delinquent Pervert, The Strongest Pervert, The Pervert/Delinquent King, Heir of the Nine Stars, Heir of the True Lord of the Nine Stars, Hated by the World

He was nodding and grinning at all statuses, until the last two, which made the sekiryuutei very confused.

"Heir of the True Lord? And Hated by the World? Is my fame as a pervert so bad?"

He asked with crossed arms and a confused expression.

[I do not think is so simple. We will probably learn about this more as things go, let's keep looking.]

Ddraig also felt this was very weird, but as they lacked information, she advised Issei to just keep looking.

Main Skill(s):

Nine Star Hegemon Body Art:

The Warriors of the Nine Stars are the manifestation of daring and determination in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths. Recognized as the bravest and most fearsome warriors, they are not afraid of death and never give up before their adversary. Armed with their wills unyielding, they defy the heavens.

Despite their fall, their will is eternal. As long as the stars exist, they will continue to fight for eternity!

However, the war is long gone, and know, you are the Heir of the Nine Stars that came after the Chosen One, the Lord of the Nine Stars, making you the Heir of the True Lord.

Your Nine Star Hegemon Body Art is modified to follow the Chosen One, the Lord.

"So that's why is Heir of the True Lord! I feel like some big shot now."

Issei said, faking a prideful pose, making Ddraig roll her eyes at her wielder's antics.

[Still, this is all very impressive. I very much like the sound of these Heirs of the Nine Stars, they sound like amazing and true warriors!]

Satisfied with what they saw until now, they kept looking.

Boosted Gear (Red Dragon Emperor):

The one that rampaged through the War of the Three Factions is now sealed in your soul and you must carry on through his eternal battle against his, and now your, rival, Albion, the White Dragon Emperor.

Even if you were not born as one, this Gear gives you the traits and characteristics of a Dragon, making you practically one by everything but the body.

By the powers of the Dragon of Domination, you can boost yourself, increasing your powers twice per boost.

"So that's why the system crossed the Nine Star Hegemon Body Art as my first main skill."

Issei said in realization.

[As it should! Heir of the Nine Stars or not you are firstly the Red Dragon Emperor.]

Issei smiled and nodded, wholeheartedly agreeing with Ddraig's words.

Status:

Species: Human (Kitsune descendance | The Red Dragon Emperor)

Level: 16(2.100/51.181)

Talent Rank: B++

HP: 1500/1500

STA: 2000/2000

DRA: 1500/1500

YK: 1000/1000

STR: 215

DEX: 199

RES: 207

AGI: 199

INT: 67(77)

WIS: 50

CHR: 68

LCK: -30

Status Points: 176(SP cannot be distributed to LCK)

"WHY THE FUCK IS MY LUCK SO LOW?"

The chestnut scream could be heard throughout the whole forest. Even Ddraig lacked words, not believing how unlucky her partner was. It didn't make sense, Ddraig already had some unlucky users before, but even then, she doubt that, if put in numbers, their luck would be as bad as a negative value.

An explanation of the issue did not take long to show up.

As Heirs of the Nine Stars fight against the limits imposed by the World, they are hated by its laws. Bad luck is a common trait among them, even the Chosen One suffered greatly with it.

The kitsune descendant and the dragon simply looked at the words, blinking a few times.

"There is no free meal in this world, huh?"

Issei said, his previous excitement was a bit gone.

[Indeed, but on the bright side, you just acquired a power great enough to make the laws of a whole world wary of you.]

Ddraig pointed out, already getting past the surprise of the negative luck.

"As if that was a good thing! I am not a troublemaker like you!"

There was a long moment of silence, as even Issei failed to believe his words.

Coughing embarrassed, he went back to look at his status, now scared of what surprise might come up.

Skills:

Gamer Body (MAX): Allow the user body to be like that of a game, with limitless potential.

Gamer Mind (MAX): Immune to mental disorder, calms the user and allows him to stay in a peaceful (the user's definition of peaceful) state of mind.

Boost (MAX): It doubles all your status per boost. Each boost is done automatically after 10 seconds, and each boost takes 50 points of your stamina.

Does not apply to INT, WIS, CHR, and LCK.

Dragon Shot(lv:4): Concentration of draconic energy in the user's fingertips that can be shoot. The use of DRA varies per shoot, ranging from 10 to 100 (not the limit, it can still go further.)

Explosion (MAX): It stops the boosts at their current value, reducing stamina by 30 every half a minute the user keeps it on.

Transfer (MAX): The user can transfer boosts to different targets, boosting them instead. Can apply to objects, attacks, or live beings. No cost, but the transfer has a chance to not pass 100% of the boost.

Disguise(lv 18): The user hides their energy from other beings, allowing them to pass by as a normal mortal.

Fire Fox (lv:6): Through atavism the user has in himself the genes of a Kitsune, enhancing him in various ways, and giving himself control over fire fox, a blue fire that burns much more strongly than usual forms of fire. The use of youki to make use of this ability varies according to the amount of fire used.

High Fire Resistance (lv 1): As a dragon and a kitsune descendant, it takes a superior type of fire to hurt you.

Strong punch (lv 15): A punch of concentrated strength. The strength of the punch is your current STR multiplied by 2. Can give the target an effect of dizziness sometimes.

Strong kick (lv 13):  A kick of concentrated strength. The strength of the punch is your current STR multiplied by 2. Can give the target an effect of dizziness sometimes.

Headbutt (lv 14): Throwing your forehead in your enemy's direction for an extra "punch". The power is the sum of the user RES and STR.

Dash (lv 13): A fast movement towards the front of the user. It can cause damage if the user hits someone, and the power is based on the user's AGI and RES.

Intimidation (lv 7): With your presence and strength you can exert pressure under your enemy's will.

Fire punch (lv 7): By using your fire fox control, you surround your hands with flames and punch. Increases damage and has a 90% chance of giving the burn status. 10 youki peruse.

Fire kick (lv 6): By using your fire fox control, you surround your feet with flames and punch. Increases damage and has a 90% chance of giving the burn status. 10 youki peruse.

Fireball (lv 5): Use your fire fox to form a sphere and shoot it. Takes a minimum of 10 youki to do it, but the value might increase according to the fireball size.

Fire tornado (lv 3): Using your fire fox to form and control a tornado. Takes 100 youki peruse.

Fire slash (lv 5): A slash of fire cast by slashing with the hand. Takes 15 youki to peruse.

Projection (lv 8): By projecting fire fox in both hands the user can float and move at high speeds in a limited manner.

Projected Dash (lv 2): A combination of the Dahs and Projection skills. Power depends on AGI, STR, and RES.

Destructive disc (lv 3): A concentration of draconic aura in disk format with sharp edges and high cutting capabilities. Takes 50 DRA peruse.

Special Dragon-Fox canon (lv 3): A powerful beam made of draconic aura and fire fox that is charged through the fingers. Takes 50 DRA and youki peruse.

Dragon-Fox devastation wave (lv 1): A combination of Draconic Aura and Fire Fox, is a concentrated attack of energy that mixes the two in a blast of destructive force. Takes 100 youki and draconic aura per second of use.

Resist (lv 14): The user defends his head with his arms and tenses the muscles of his body as he is beaten down. Multiplies his RES by 2.

Grab (lv 12): The user grabs someone or something, carrying it around as a weapon or throwing it at others. The power of this skill can do is calculated by the user STR/2 and DEX/2. The one being thrown has a chance of acquiring the dizziness effect.

Basic Martial Arts (lv 8): After years of fighting in the streets with many experienced fighters, the user acquired some basic understanding of martial arts and how to carry himself in a fight. It makes his stamina consumption during a fight more efficient and increases his exp gain per martial move used skill.

Alchemy (lv 1): As the Heir of the Lord, following the path of Alchemy is a must. Alchemy knowledge about the pills necessary to advance through the Nine Star Hegemon Body Art, and alchemy knowledge, in general, is in your brain and soul. Adds +10 to INT status.

After seeing all of that Issei could not help but whistle impressed. He obviously knew all of those skills, except for alchemy, as he had developed them, but seeing it in a list as if it was game skills was amazing.

[You have quite the arsenal, partner. Even I will admit this system thing looks impressive.]

Even Ddraig had to praise the system after witnessing all that. The fact that the system would give them a chance to beat down the Hakuryuukou in what Ddraig hoped could be an absolute manner played a great part in the Red Dragon's good impressions.

"The skills I made as a kid are very underused, I will have to work on that. And how do I even get the ingredients for the first pill?"

[Heh, you were living a carefree life, but now it seems things will be very busy.]

Both were very excited by the perspective this new and strange power could bring to them.

At that moment a new window popped up.

FIRST QUEST ARRIVED!

Chapter Text

"I am liking this."

[I am… intrigued, to say the least.]

Those were both Issei and Ddraig's respective thoughts as they read the content on the floating screen, assigning the Sekiryuutei to his first quest, right after getting his system.

While Issei was happier than a child that knew they would get their most wished present on Christmas Eve, Ddraig was, while not skeptical, still unsure and even doubtful of the whole thing. But since they needed time to understand and discover more, she was rolling with it.

First Quest: Easter Egg

Something otherworldly fell in these lands and is currently in the hands of morons. What wouldn't be so bad, if that's how things were supposed to go… but kinda that, maybe, it isn't… so, fix my mess, I mean, find the item, stop the idiots, and get the rewards.

Conditions: Find the item. Maybe beat down some morons (unrequired, but would be funny, perhaps.)

Rewards:

Full functions unlocked

Other rewards to be announced…

It was an interesting read if anything.

[This is… very unusual. So, this is what people refer to when they mention those so-called scams?]

The very informal language, the weird structure of the message, and the fact that their reward would still "be announced", were not very convincing, to say the least. Though she was still interested in the powers this could bring to Issei.

"Huh… if this is a system, it means there is or was an administrator. I am guessing we got a mission straight from them."

Contrary to Ddraig, Issei was very enthusiastic with this whole perspective, though admittedly, he was a bit confused with various things, like the purpose and objective of this quest.

[If the being that gave you this power is so capable and powerful, shouldn't they be able to deal with this themselves?]

Ddraig pointed out. This was one of the main reasons she wasn't still on board with this whole system idea. Though, Issei simply shrugged.

"Maybe there are limitations in what this administrator can do or something."

That did make Ddraig consider something that she didn't before.

[Indeed… perhaps Great Red, intentionally or not, keeps such being away from here, at least physically.]

Issei nods, seeing the logic of that thinking. He was familiar with who Great Red was, though the idea of a gigantic dragon floating around in a chaotic gap through space was still a bit hard to grasp in scale for him.

Attached to the quest was a virtual map of the city he was in, with an area of a few blocks highlighted by another circle.

"This doesn't seem to be a coincidence."

The chestnut points out.

[It seems that one of the reasons you received this, is that you were already near enough to solve their issue.]

Ddraig said, in agreement with her host. This also made her put a bit more faith in this system. If it was a free gift, the red dragon would be wary of it, but instead, since this seems to be the reward for some task his user had to carry, it was more understandable.

"Let's get going, this won't solve itself alone, and I want to see the rewards."

The sekiryuutei said with a huge grin, making the red dragon sigh. However, even Ddraig would be lying if she said she wasn't interested in what will happen after the quest.

In the blink of an eye, Issei had disappeared from the forest.

[…]

[Wait a second.]

Ddraig suddenly said, when they approached the general area where the item was, according to the map. Issei was standing at the top of a utility pole, looking around the city.

While one might assume people would notice him, firstly by using the Disguise skill, he not only passed unnoticed already by most but there was also the factor that not as many people looked up, allowing the chestnut to pass by.

"What?"

The user of the boosted gear asked, curious as to what reason Ddraig would stop him.

[You acquire those skills by doing something, right?]

She asked, her knowledge comes from both the fact that all the skills Issei had shown were based on things he had done before, plus the type of stories he read.

"I am pretty sure it works like that. Why?"

[Let's try to create a skill then. Don't look at the map, simply meditate and try to sense any energy that could be out of place.]

The red dragon empress suggested. Issei put a hand on his chin, with a curious expression.

"Good idea… well, I will try."

He said, sitting down on the pole, putting his legs in a lotus position, and closing his eyes. It wasn't like Issei couldn't feel energy, or that he didn't have practice with it a lot, but what he was capable of before and what he is doing now are two different things. For most supernatural beings, feeling energy is just a normal sense for them, such as hearing or tact.

What Issei was doing now was not that. It was the difference between looking at something and aiming at something.

His ancestry also helped with that, the touki making things a bit easier. It wasn't long after that he felt something, a foreign signature of energy that neither he nor the red dragon in his soul could recognize. It wasn't big or threatening, but now that they felt it, it stood out like a sore thumb.

NEW SKILL ACQUIRED

Detection (lv 1): By focusing your senses almost nothing can escape the user's perception. It has the potential to pinpoint and localize whatever the user attempts to.

"Neat."

There was a huge smug smile on the chestnut's face.

[Hmm, I must admit, this is convenient.]

Even Ddraig approved the efficiency of the system. It wasn't only because it made the skill though. Right after the skill showed up, Issei could feel a difference. He felt as if it was easier to do what he was just doing as if now he could see and understand the natural path to follow.

"Isn't it?"

Issei replied with a huge grin that belonged to someone that knew that they would be having a lot of fun.

"Ok, let's be done with this soon, I can barely wait to see what other functions can be unlocked."

Saying that he once more disappeared from where he was standing, thanks to moving at high speed. At least high enough speed to pass unnoticed by normal humans.

[…]

"Do you have any idea what this thing does?"

A man asked his colleague, who had a curious object in his hands.

"No clue, but look at it! It has to be fantastic! It could be just the break our research needed to have a breakthrough."

The man with said object in hand said with excitement.

"And how exactly this can help us?"

A third one asked. He had his arms crossed and an unconvinced expression.

The object of their discussion was an egg that had an eggshell that looked like space. Instead of white it was dark with bright stars. It looked as if the surface of the egg showed an actual part of the universe, with ever-moving falling stars.

If one looked at that egg they would inevitably feel some sort of attraction to it. Maybe for some, it would be the same attraction they feel as looking at a piece of art, it would be beautiful and curious to look at, but the feeling stopped there. However, others would feel as if looking at that egg they could feel and understand something, but could never point out what it was. It was as if they had an almost complete puzzle, but were missing key parts. It was both frustrating and intriguing. The three men had this particular feeling.

They were three mages, hence they used cloaks and the usual gear. They had coincidently found the egg on the day prior, after a storm. And since then, they had attempted to study it but were still empty-handed.

"So those are our guys, and that's the thing."

On the top of the warehouse, the three mages were in, Issei watched them below, recognizing both because of his new skill and of his map, the object he should retrieve for his mission.

His eyes went to the weird egg, focusing on it. He, like the mages, felt like it had more to that egg. Issei couldn't help but have his attention focused on it, to try to decipher what item that was.

[Partner?]

Ddraig called, noticing that Issei was focusing too much on the item.

Unfortunately, his observation would not make him understand any more about the egg than the mages, but, it did reward him with something.

NEW SKILL ACQUIRED

Analysis (lv 1): Once the user focuses on an item or another being, they can receive specific information about them. The information will vary depending on the item and the power level of the being considering the skill's own level.

Detection leveled up to level 2!

Besides acquiring analysis, his most recently developed skill also was improved. For Issei, that was good enough.

"Sorry Ddraig, just got distracted with something."

[It is fine, I was just worried for a moment if that thing could have any effect on your mind.]

She explained, to which Issei nodded understanding where the worry had come from.

"I don't know if it has. Let me see if I can get anything from this."

He said as attempted to use Analysis at the egg.

Item: ???

Description: ???

And it wasn't helpful at all.

[It is an item that came from another world and is regarded as important by the being that gave you these powers. This is the inevitable result of trying to peek through something that is beyond your current league.]

Ddraig explained not surprised. It did not mean she wasn't curious about what that thing was, but having lived for millions of years, she could contain that curiosity and focus on the important parts.

"True. The only thing left is to take it then."

Issei said as he pointed to one of the mages with his right hand, preparing to hit him with a dragon shoot. Though, before it, he decided to use Analysis one more time, but on the mage now.

Name: Marcus

Race: Human

Status: Alive

Class: Low-class mage

Description: Came from a not renamed family of mages and has been trying, to no avail, to join some big organization to improve the conditions for his research.

The sekiryuutei's eyes went wide at that. He didn't expect to get so much information about a person at once.

Analysis leveled up to level 2!

NEW SKILL ACQUIRED

Stealth (lv 1): Passing undetected and moving through the shadows, lurking after others without their knowledge. This skill gives you a better chance of passing unnoticed.

The skill leveling up was a welcome surprise though, and so was the new skill. Even if Issei probably wouldn't use it a lot since he wasn't a stealthy person.

[I did not think this power could be so useful, but this is perfect for gathering information.]

The red dragon said, already thinking about the various possibilities this could give. For example, learning about the current holder of the White Dragon as soon as they meet could give them an edge in their battle.

Though, for the first time in what probably was Ddraig's whole existence, she wasn't all that concerned about their future fight against Albion. Spending time with Issei had been more interesting. Slightly so. Not that she would admit it.

"This might be a good opportunity to practice with the system a little. Wanna have fun?"

The chestnut asked with a huge grin.

[I don't see why not.]

And Ddraig just matched that grin.

At that moment, Issei finally prepared to shoot his Dragon Shoot.

It was only then that one of the mages, feeling the sudden spike in energy near them, knew something was wrong. Though, it was too late.

"Dragon Shoot!"

They just heard someone announce from the roof and in the next instant, a sphere of energy hit Marcus, knocking him down.

Dragon Shoot leveled up to level 5!

"Shit!"

One of the mages screamed in fright seeing that scene.

"Sorry guys, nothing personal."

Jumping from the roof straight to the ground, the sekiryuutei declared casually. He snapped his fingers and stretched his arms, not seeing to be too wary of the last two mages.

In the meantime, he also used Analysis.

Name: Saito

Race: Human

Status: Alive

Class: Low-class mage

Description: Came from a normal human family but one day coincidentally came in contact with a book about the principles of magic and learned his potential for the subject. Unfortunately, he never got too far on it as his talent is low.

Name: Kai

Race: Human

Status: Alive

Class: Low-class mage

Description: His father was a mage, but left his mother early. Only in his teenagerhood he learned about his heritage and started his path as a mage.

He was quite enjoying the Analysis skill.

"Who are you?!"

Kai screamed in panic. He was the one holding the egg and attempted to hide it to no avail.

"A guy that has to get that egg."

He said in the most casual voice possible for the sekiryuutei, stunning both mages. They looked at each other and then looked at the newcomer, who was still facing them with no particular expression, and looked at their friend knocked out on the ground. He was alive and breathing, but would probably stay out of it for a while.

"Why do you want the egg?"

Saito asked, trying to hold for a time while they mentalized the equations for spells to attack Issei.

"I don't want it, but someone asked me to get it back, so…"

Is not like he wanted to knock all those guys down, so, after already taking one of them and coincidently getting Dragon Shoot to up a level, he was feeling like that was already good enough. Having said that, Issei wouldn't complain if the two decided to try him, some more chance to practice his skills after all.

"And why should we even believe you?!"

Kai asked, looking at Issei as if he was mental.

"Because… you know what? Fair enough."

The chestnut even considered attempting a negotiation, but gave up considering the situation and their reaction to him. The fact that negotiating also wasn't the fun option played a role in his decision, much for Ddraig's amusement.

"Now! Binding bones of steel!"

Thinking that he would get the newcomer by surprise, Saito finally cast his spell. A magical circle appeared in his hands, that was pointing to Issei. Of it, chains got out, wrapping themselves around the sekiryuutei, who just looked at it with curiosity.

"Ha! Got you asshole!"

Kai celebrated, but it was short-lived as Issei simply opened his arms, ripping all the chains apart.

"Wanna say that again?"

The chestnut asked with a grin while applying Intimidation to the two.

The two mages felt their hearts beating faster, cold sweat covered their bodies. For a moment they considered giving up, but since it was their future as mages that could be at risk, the two shallowed their fear and attacked.

"Cutting air!"

It was Kai that attacked. Out of his magical circle came out slashes of air aimed at the sekiryuutei.

In response Issei also attacked with a slash, his Fire Slash skill. Blue fox fire covered his hands as he easily cut through the air attack.

"Fox Fire? Are you half-youkai?"

Saito asked shocked after seeing the fire and feeling the similar signature of energy.

"No, but once someone in my family decided it was a good idea to fuck with a fox girl or guy, and now I am here. If anything, I envy them."

Issei said with a simple shrug. He had learned about this when he was a kid, thanks to Ddraig. When he had first awakened her, she had noticed something different from a human being in him. After just a bit of looking at him, she came to the conclusion he was a kitsune descendant. She had never met a kitsune before but had general knowledge about them.

The mages were a bit stunned by that. Issei used that brief confusion and dashed behind Kai, where he was holding his egg.

"Thank you for this."

He said easily taking the egg from Kai's hands. The mages weren't too physically strong as well.                                                                                                                                                                  

NEW SKILL ACQUIRED

Steal (lv 1): The ability to take what belonged to others and make it yours, be it by force or stealth.                                                                                   

And a new skill that maybe he would make use of or not.

"Hey, give that back!"

Before Saito could reach to try to retake the egg, Issei showed up behind him and hit his neck, making him fall unconscious.

"Shit."

And Kai followed right after, not being able to dodge Issei's attack.

[Got tired of playing?]

The sekiryuutei nodded to the empress' question.

"Yeah, figured there was nothing more I could get from these guys, so no point in it. I feel kinda bad for them, so…"

He reached into his wallet and took some money out of it, almost everything he had.

"Is not a lot, but it will compensate, I guess."

He said, leaving the money on top of one of the three.

He was about to go out of the warehouse when a thought occurred and he looked at their capes.

Item: Rudimentary cape

Description: A cape made out of cheap supernatural material meant to reduce the damage caused by other spells cast against the user. Does not work against physical attacks.

And just to be sure, he looked at another one of those capes. The item and description were the same, but…

Analysis has leveled up to level 3!

It had given him enough to level up Analysis.

Happily whistling, Issei finally went out.

[…]

"Hmm… I thought that after leveling it up something would show up, but I still have nothing."

Issei said after trying to analyze the egg, only to get the same result as before.

[It is useless. A shame, I am as curious about this as you.]

The two could only look at the weird and mysterious object while getting nothing out of it. By now it was becoming a waste of time.

Since his options were limited to one, he opened his quest window again.                                        

First Quest: Easter Egg

Something otherworldly fell in these lands and is currently in the hands of morons. What wouldn't be so bad, if that's how things were supposed to go… but kinda that, maybe, it isn't… so, fix my mess, I mean, find the item, stop the idiots, and get the rewards.

Conditions: Find the item. Maybe beat down some morons (unrequired, but would be funny, perhaps.)

Rewards:

Full functions unlocked

Other rewards to be announced…

Without delay, Issei clicked Yes.

Chapter Text

The moment Issei clicked Yes, a new window opened with the words "Deliver the item here" at the top of it. And the sekiryuutei proceeded to do just as instructed, putting the egg at the window.

Admittedly, both he and Ddraig were vastly curious as to what would happen after that. They watched as the egg went through the window, passing through the small portal, and then, Issei blinked, and he wasn't in his world anymore.

He was in what looked like space, but not dark, instead, it had all types of colors changing again and again. It wasn't nauseating though; it was fascinating. Besides that, all over the place, there were what looked like to be galaxies. It was a surreal scenario.

"Ddraig?"

Issei asked with the slightest hope that the empress would know or at least have an idea where they were.

[I do not know, but I believe we will get an explanation soon enough.]

She said, manifesting her voice through the Boosted Gear that appeared in Issei's hand.

"That is a fair assumption, Dragon Empress."

A voice declared, sounding from everywhere. Issei looked around surprised, it sounded both close and far at the same time, and it was at a moment deep and at the next high pitch, and even then, it didn't sound too weird, just like it was supposed to work like this.

"You are the system's administrator?"

The chestnut asked while looking everywhere, unsure of where his attention should be.

"Oh, right, this will probably be easier for you if you can see me."

As soon as the administrator finished saying that a body appeared in front of Issei. Or to be more accurate it was only the silhouette of a human body as it had no actual characteristics to it, simply looking like an alive mannequin. Except that it was well endowed, with huge breasts, a thin waist, and a large ass.

"The female form is the one I am most comfortable with; in case you are curious. I also like these."

The administrator said, stretching the body and then grabbing and squeezing the breasts.

"I see… I also like them."

Issei said, his eyes looking at the large breasts for a moment, before looking at the face. Though, it wasn't like there was a lot to look at, as the administrator lacked yes or anything else, really.

Ddraig rolled her eyes at her user's antics, though she was more entertained than annoyed.

"So, any questions to begin with?"

The chestnut crossed his arms thoughtfully.

"Wait, let me try..."

The thought hit him and Issei attempted to use Analysis on the administrator.

Name: ???

Race: Interdimensional Spirit of Randomness

Status: ???

Class: ???

Description:  An embodiment of the concept of randomness.

Issei looked at that description and got more confused than he already was previously. Ddraig was less speechless and more interested in that being.

"I imagine this is confusing for you, so let me elaborate. As you saw, I am randomness incarnated. This means I understand the universes down to their core and most chaotic and confusing principles. That's why my species can create something so utterly fucking amazing as the Absolute System." – As the creator of the system went on, they became less interested in keeping a formal way of speaking. – "Well, originally we wanted to call it Super System, but Chen Rui learned about it, and we were not about to start a fight with a guy that surpassed the Origin, so we changed it slightly so he would not complain."

Both Issei and Ddraig tuned out the last part as just rambling, at least until they heard the system's creator saying that they would avoid a fight.

[You are not a warrior?]

Since the creator said their species understood the universes in a core manner, Ddraig had assumed they were utterly powerful beings. But the knowledge that they avoided a fight contradicted that.

"My species are not strong or even made for battles. We understand the core principles of the universe and most importantly, the rules behind it because we were made on it. In summary, we are only capable of modifying but not creating."

Issei and Ddraig heard with full attention, interested in the subject.

"Now, about this thing." The creator said, referring to the egg. "It is quite simple actually. It is a species of… bird, I guess. I mean, it might be the closest thing you guys have… huh, never thought about that before. Either way, they are birds that travel through dimensions."

Issei tilted his head, imagining an everyday bird opening portals and traveling through different worlds. Ddraig on the other hand thought of something more akin to a phoenix in appearance, that with each flap of its wings would travel to another universe.

[Why that would be a problem for our world?]

Leaving those thoughts to the side, the red dragon empress asked.

"You know what happens when a being from a certain ecosystem enters one unprepared for it?"

If the creator's face had any details, the kitsune descendant and red dragon thought they would be showing them an eyebrow.

"It wouldn't end well, right?"

Mentally, Ddraig nodded to Issei's words and the creator did so physically.

"The energy consumption the bird would cause alone could lead to a catastrophe, that shouldn't originally happen. And as much as my people are all about randomizing things, we try to avoid making such a mess that can destroy a world."

The creator said shrugging.

[And how exactly that egg came to our world?]

Ddraig asked looking for clarification and Issei was also quite interested in how that came to be.

"I was just getting across a world when I accidentally started a chain of events that ended well… here."

The two just nodded, even if the creator couldn't see Ddraig nodding. The fact that they were in front of the manifestation of randomness made that explanation, that in any other context sound crazy, quite believable.

"Any more questions?"

The creator said, tilting their head.

"Yes, where are we?"

The sekiryuutei asked, looking around at the weird space they found themselves in.

"I pushed your mind out of DxD. I can't go there because of, well you know him as Great Red, so let's go with that."

It was the explanation he got.

"So, I am out of my world," Issei said whistling, as he looked around. "What do you mean by DxD though?"

"Don't worry about it. Any other questions?"

Seeing as the creator wouldn't elaborate on whatever DxD meant, Issei went for the last thing left on his mind.

"How the system works?"

Once more the two wished the creator had expressions because after hearing the question, they could swear it almost seemed like they wanted to smile.

"Is all based on energy. When you do an action, it generates energy and creates or upgrades a skill. When you kill it generates energy that gives the experience for you to level up, and this energy is converted into status. The points are also energy created by certain actions, mostly killing, and can be converted into many things, because they are also energy. In summary, the system is dependent solely on you, which creates the energy for it to work, and in compensation, it gives you power."

The long explanation impressed Issei and Ddraig, that heard the whole time mindfully. They took their time thinking about it and doing so got to a simple conclusion.

[You mean that, as long as enough energy is given, the system can do anything?]

Once more, if the creator had an actual face, the two swore they would be smiling.

"Exactly."

Issei gulped; his mind overwhelmed by the possibilities. At the same time that he felt like he understood the sheer absurdity of it all, he still felt like he failed to grasp it. Ddraig on the other hand was grinning like a madwoman.

[Oh, this will be good.]

Forget about Albion (ok, not completely, but still). Whatever new Hakuryuukou came would be child's play now. While Issei could only understand a little of the possibilities because of his limited life experience, Ddraig imagined countless possibilities, while knowing she had yet to see everything else the system offered currently.

"So, you just give this system to anyone?"

Issei asked bewildered. That felt like too much power to be given… well, randomly.

However, the creator shacked their head.

"If my people did so the multiverse would be in chaos and we would already have been slayed a long time ago. We avoid those naturally ill-intended and evil. Our systems are only attracted by those that are either good or neutral in nature."

The explanation relieved Issei a bit, as he could understand how fast things could go bad if the system fell into the wrong hands.

[What do you mean by attracted?]

Ddraig asked, having been interested in the choice of words.

"The systems by design randomly choose someone after they are made. I didn't choose as this is not the way of my people. Though, I was fortunate that you were where needed… actually, maybe this was a choice made by the system itself. Curious, no?"

The two nodded, even if the creator could only see Issei.

"Either way, I believe this to be enough, but let me just…"

The creator waved their hands in Issei's direction. He looked at himself and around but neither saw nor felt anything different.

"You did something?"

"You will see soon. That's enough, goodbye."

Before the chestnut had the chance to say anything else, he felt that the floor disappeared and he was falling. When he noticed his surroundings, he was back in the same place before his whole meeting with the system's creator.

[That was interesting.]

Ddraig commented with amusement.

"Yeah, that it was."

Issei said, scratching his head.

"Think we will ever meet them again?"

Ddraig shacked her head.

[I very much doubt it. But let's not think of what we cannot control, look at your system.]

A huge smile formed on Issei's face upon hearing Ddraig's reminder. He wasted no more time and opened the system.

Quest Easter Egg completed

Calculating and distributing rewards.

System updating

.

.

.

Update completed.

Congratulations, you leveled up to level 17!

Without wanting to waste a second more Issei opened his status window. He ignored the bits he had already seen before and focused straight on the new additions.

Traits: Barbaric Strength V | Precision V | Enhanced Body V | Ex Speed V | Fast Mind I | Enhanced Spirit I | Attractive I | Bad Luck I

"What are traits?"

He could see that they were related to his status but didn't know their function. The explanation came as soon as he asked.

Physical traits work like skills, they must be activated by you and take stamina to do so. While traits of INT, WIS, CHR, and LCK are always passively active with no cost to it.

"Sounds cool."

And that was how Issei summarized it. He had an understanding of what they were now but knew he would only get it when actually seeing them take effect. Though he did feel like his thoughts were clear and faster already.

Below the traits, there were now two other additions.

DP (Dungeon Points): 10

Points: 0

He and Ddraig had a rough idea of what they meant and just kept looking. If no explanation was given eventually, they would just ask the system.

The skills were still the same, nothing had changed in that regard. Having checked everything on this window, Issei looked at the other four new additions.

Personal Fortress:

Originally the user should have an inventory, however, as the user already has a storage function thanks to the Boosted Gear, the inventory was substituted to a moveable fortress/dungeon.

By using DP (Dungeon Points) you can customize your fortress/dungeon. DP can be acquired by quests or in dungeons.

You can choose who enters and who does not. The fortress is always with you, you can enter it whenever you want.

Currently, you still need to start building it, so there is no fortress/dungeon yet.

"My own personal and customizable dungeon?"

Issei asked with stars in the place of his eyes. Being a dungeon master, controlling an army of mobs, preparing traps, and so on, all of those possibilities passed through his head in an instant and he very much liked all of them.

[A place to guard and gather treasure. I approve of it.]

And of course, as a dragon that once also had her own treasures, Ddraig also liked this function.

Shop:

You can buy almost anything here, using points. The shop is divided into two sections, the section where anything can be bought constantly as long as you have the points necessary, and the section where is one time only, after buying it is permanently yours and it might not go back to this system.

Points can be acquired by killing, or by doing sexual activities (the system customized this based on the user's preferences). The number of points varies per time and type of activity.

"Anything?"

Issei's eyes widened at that. If this description was to be believed, then there truly might be no limit to what this system could do. This was just getting better and better.

Dungeon Seeking:

The system is constantly looking for rifts in space to be used to create dungeons. Once one is found the user must expand the necessary amount of DP (Dungeon Points) to stabilize the space and allow the user to travel to the dungeon. DP can be acquired by time (1 DP is gained per hour), by killing the creatures inside dungeons (1 DP per kill), and by completing the dungeon and any quests inside it.

"So that's what DP means."

The chestnut nodded his head in understanding.

[Sounds useful for training.]

Ddraig also gave an approving nod.

"Well, deep down everyone likes a bit of grinding."

Dragon Cards:

As your luck is now negative, some of the functions can no longer be accessed and as such, were substituted by the Dragon System. By acquiring Dragon Cards, you will achieve dragon powers that are not related to Y Ddraig Goch. As there are countless types of Dragons throughout your world and the multiverse, the powers you can acquire are limitless.

"I love it!"

While the chestnut didn't know what he had to lose to get this power, he did not care as he wouldn't exchange these Dragon Cards for anything else. Though he still had no idea how to acquire them. Well, they would learn eventually.

[Any dragon?]

Ddraig on the other hand directly thought of two specific dragons of insane power. She wasn't sure if that was exciting or scared.

Alchemy Function:

Lv 1.

An internal cauldron created by the system will allow the user to make use of his skills in alchemy substituting usual cauldrons. The more pills created here the more the cauldron will level up, allowing for better products. (A little thanks for your help, I believe it will be useful for you.)

"So that was the gift! Damn, nice. I only need the ingredients to start the Nine Star Hegemon Body Art now!"

Having inherited the alchemical knowledge to practice the Nine Star Hegemon Body, plus countless other alchemical formulas, Issei, besides the ingredients, only lacked a cauldron. He believed that the shop would probably be able to provide it for him, but now he got one without wasting points and one that would even evolve alongside him.

Even with his luck being so dogshit, things were going great until now.

[Perhaps now would be a great moment to take a break and consider our next steps.]

 Ddraig reminded, making the chestnut notice it was starting to get dark. He still needed a bath, a place to sleep, and to call his parents.

"You are right, I better get going."

[…]

The call with his parents had been eventful. They seemed very happy that he had taken his vacations outside of Kuoh as they now had a lot of time without having to worry about fights breaking out of nowhere.

Finding a place wasn't so hard and he could swear it felt like his charisma trait was already working.

Currently, Issei was in the hot springs, relaxing his body while looking up. He wasn't looking at the stars though, as he had the shop open in front of his eyes.

Nine Yin Grass, 5 points.

Earth Dragon Root, 5 points.

Flame Seed, 5 points.

…

In total, he would need more than thirty types of medicinal herbs to refine the Wind Manor Pill. The cost of total points would be around 165 points, while currently, he had an impressive number of 0.

'I need to go for a dungeon.'

He could barely wait to start practicing the Nine Star Hegemon Body Art, but he lacked the funds. And he was so badly wanting to try a dungeon as well, however, that needed to wait until the system found one. Knowing the state of his luck now…

[Let's focus on what we can change.]

Fortunately, Ddraig was here to be the voice of reason.

'Hehe, true.'

With a thought, his status window was in front of him again. It was finally time to check it properly.

Level: 17(0/66.535)

Talent Rank: B++

HP: 6015/6015

STA: 8020/8020

DRA: 3727/3727

YK: 2485/2485

STR: 221

DEX: 205

RES: 213

AGI: 205

INT: 73(83)

WIS: 56

CHR: 74

LCK: -30

Status Points: 182(SP cannot be distributed to LCK)

If he wasn't in a public space with other people around Issei would have screamed at the top of his lungs. Sure, the status didn't change a lot, but his HP, stamina, draconic energy, and youki had reached an insane level all by a simple level up.

'This system is busted…' A huge smile formed on his face. 'THIS SYSTEM IS BUSTED!'

And he couldn't be happier.

[If I had any doubts before, now I am convinced.]

Even Ddraig was impressed by the transformation he passed through. Sure, his overall power in status didn't increase by that much, but by pure HP, stamina, draconic energy, and youki he would be able to bully his previous self to defeat.

Still, he had a lot of Status Points to add and get even stronger. It was a bit insane to think he would grow in power so much in such a short time, but he wasn't about to complain. Without further ado, he started raising his status.

29 points added to strength, 45 to dexterity, 37 to resistance, and 45 to agility, leaving only a few points to the rest, so he distributed accordingly. The result was the following.

STR: 250

DEX: 250

RES: 250

AGI: 250

INT: 80(90)

WIS: 60

CHR: 80

LCK: -30

Status Points: 9(SP cannot be distributed to LCK)

And to think he had so many Status Points a few seconds ago. He didn't even try to increase luck as the result would be obvious, and the very few remaining points were for eventual emergencies. Either way, Issei was more than satisfied, though he wished to test this newfound strength.

This day had been way more eventful than he ever could have imagined it would be a few weeks ago. A lot of things happened and while he wasn't physically tired, he was a bit mentally.

Stretching his arm as he got up with a smile on his face, Issei did not notice the towel around his waist falling on the water.

"Dad, is it normal to be big like that?" A little boy asked, pointing at Issei and his most important lower member.

"No… forgot about that son." He said while making his kid look to the other side. 'The fuck is wrong with kids nowadays? Is that boy a horse?'

Issei would only notice the lack of his towel when he reached his clothing.

[…]

After putting on his clothes, the chestnut was about to fall asleep for hours and hours. He just entered his room, when the system sent a notification.

A rift in space was detected. 10 points are required to start the dungeon.

Would you like to start it?

Y/N

All his mental fatigue was gone and he clicked Yes without having to think twice about it.

Dungeon: Crypt of Diamonds

Level of danger: Moderated

Would you like to enter?

Y/N

He didn't even know why the system asked, he just clicked yes. An entrance in the form of a portal of energy formed in front of his eyes and Issei excitedly entered it. All this while Ddraig also paid close attention, just as interested as her partner.

However, the moment Issei put his foot in the portal and entered to go to the dungeon, a new notification appeared.

Bad Luck I take effect.

The space suffered heavy and abrupt changes, the connection with the Crypt of Diamonds was lost and a new connection was made.

Dungeon: Corrupted Kingdom

Level of danger: Deathly

Proceeding to enter

Chapter Text

Corrupted Kingdom/Transformation

Issei didn't have time to complain about his luck. As soon as he got into the dungeon, he fell to his knees. Air was lacking in his lungs and it felt like acid had been thrown in his skin. The moment he arrived, that world seemed to decree his death.

[PARTNER!]

Ddraig screamed with genuine fear. This had all been too soon and unexpected, even she got taken by surprise.

The environment around the user is deemed deadly to human beings. As it is, the energy in the surroundings will cause the user's death. That's not good.

Proceeding to find countermeasures.

.

.

.

The best method of survival was found.

Would the user like to proceed with it?

Y/N

"YES!"

Issei didn't understand what was happening, why he felt like his body was burning in acid, or what the system would do, but he knew that if things stayed like this not only would the suffering increase he would also die. As such he only saw the words survive and the question. He didn't have to think about it.

His Boosted Gear appeared in his left hand, even without him calling for it.

[W-what is this?!]

What followed toppled even Ddraig's understanding of the Longinus. From the gem in the gauntlet, green energy was generated, covering Issei's whole body.

Ddraign wasn't a foreigner to part of the process Issei was passing through, as previous users did something similar but on a lesser scale. Exchanging parts of the user's body to draconic parts was always a possibility to the Boosted Gear users, though they usually didn't as actually controlling the draconic energy that came with it and getting used to their new limbs was more of a hassle for most humans then one might imagine at first.

Still, once in a while, someone made use of this function, in times of necessity, in exchange for a bit more power, usually through the Balance Break.

Ddraig always theorized that since Issei already had some level of touki control and a previous supernatural heritage, he might have been able to do the draconification and control it, though she never raised this possibility as she didn't deem it necessary.

But now what the system was doing was exactly forcing that transformation throughout his body.

His muscles bulged inhumanly and his skin was passing through a visual change as they became thicker and sturdier, more akin to scales than human skin.

But that was not all, as from ten-to-ten seconds, the gem on the gauntlet would shine and something else changed in Issei's body.

As dragon aura surrounded his body, so did his touki and firefox, almost like it was literally burning his humanity away.

Issei didn't know how long things stayed like this, he just could feel the pain throughout his body that it was slowly decreasing. He also knew he was changing; his mind was still too clouded to feel it in its entirety, but one of the changes was that he felt his kitsune powers much stronger than they ever were.

Having these powers since childhood, Issei was intrinsically familiar with them. The sudden growth in his kitsune nature was the most noticeable detail, but he also knew there were other differences in his body.

After a while, and he had no clue how long of a while, the Boosted Gear retreated and the process was done.

"I think being hit by a truck wouldn't hurt so much… Ddraig, what happened?"

He asked, while still lying down, feeling exhausted. His whole body felt tired and numb.

[I… I think is better if you take a look for yourself.]

That made the chestnut raise an eyebrow. He noticed that the dragon empress was baffled, and this was the first time he saw her like this.

Curious, Issei stuck his hand as he took a mirror out of the Boosted Gear's storage. The first difference he noticed came before he even looked at the mirror.

His arm was covered in golden scales and had a draconic appearance and in his hands, his nails were now claws. His arm also seemed bigger and thicker.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!"

He tried to get up, only to fall back. His sense of equilibrium was affected by the changes his body passed through, but there was something else that came to affect him.

There was something at the base of his spine, Issei could feel it and could feel that it was moving instinctively. He reached to grab it and brought it to his eyes, to see his own tail.

"What the fuck…"

The tail was also scaled and golden in color. It resembled a mix between a dragon and a kitsune's tail, and while Issei was astonished it escaped his hands. It did seem to act a bit more like a kitsune's tail than a dragon's tail after all.

Issei's whole body was like that now. He had gotten a head or two taller, his muscles had also grown, meaning his whole silhouette had been enhanced.

Golden scales covered a lot of his body, except his dick, his torso, and his face, though he only paid attention to the first one.

"Oh, that grown as well."

[Can you focus?]

Ddraig, rolling her eyes.

Issei finally stopped looking at his body and looked at the mirror to see his face. While it was arguably the same, there were some scales around his chin, but mostly his still seemed to be covered in skin, though a red one.

But besides that, now one of his eyes was of strong green and was reptilian, like that of a dragon, and the other was golden and like that of a fox, or a kitsune in this case. His teeth were sharp, horns prostrated themselves from the sides of his forehead and most surprisingly, fox ears were now on top of his head. At least he kept his hair.

And to top it all, he also had wings on his back but failed to control them at the moment.

"Ok, what the fuck happened?"

Humans cannot survive in this environment; it is extremely corrosive to their bodies. Since the user's survival is the system's utmost priority, measures to keep you alive were taken. The better approach that the system could envision was to use the functions on the Boosted Gear to convert the user into a half-dragon.

However, that would have taken too much of a toll and could be unstable, as such the power to Boost and Transfer was also used, but in the user's blood, to increase the percentage of Kitsune blood, mixing it in the dragon's transformation, making it easier and stabler. It also made the process take longer, but it was worth it.

Currently, it is recommended for the user to rest, as the process took a lot, physically and mentally. In case you are wondering, currently you are 50% dragon and 50% kitsune.

That was a lot all of a sudden. In a moment, Issei was in an inn, in the next he found a dungeon, and now he was a hybrid of a dragon kitsune. He wasn't all that bothered about losing part of his humanity, he still felt like himself after all, and he always had associated a great part of himself as a dragon and as a kitsune.

Still, it was a lot of things to take at once.

[That's… even knowing this system could do a lot, I never saw a phenomenon like this.]

Since Issei was fine, Ddraig showed more interest and curiosity in her partner's transformation.

"I should look at my status."

He said, opening his status window.

Main Skill(s):

Nine Star Hegemon Body Art:

The Warriors of the Nine Stars are the manifestation of daring and determination in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths. Recognized as the bravest and most fearsome warriors,

they are not afraid of death and never give up before their adversary. Armed with their wills unyielding, they defy the heavens and their lord, the Lord of the Nine Stars,

despite their fall, their will is eternal. As long as the stars exist, they will continue to fight for eternity!

However, the war is long gone, and know, you are the Heir of the Nine Stars that came after the Chosen One, the Lord of the Nine Stars, making you the Heir of the True Lord.

Your Nine Star Hegemon Body Art is modified to follow the Chosen One, the Lord.

Boosted Gear(Red Dragon Emperor):

The one that rampaged through the War of the Three Factions is now sealed in your soul and you must carry his eternal battle against his, and now your, rival, Albion, the White Dragon Emperor.

Even if you were not born as one, this Gear gives you the traits and characteristics of a Dragon, making you practically one by everything but the body.

By the powers of the Dragon of Domination, you can boost yourself, increasing your powers twice per boost.

Status:

Species: Half-Dragon/Half-Kitsune (1-Tail Draconic Fox | The Red Dragon Emperor)

Level: 17(0/66.535)

Talent Rank: 2S+

HP: 6320/9925

STA: 100/13233

DRA: 122/6150

YK: 50/4100

"Holy shit…"

Once more his HP, stamina, draconic energy, and youki had taken a huge jump compared to before. Though they were ridiculously low now, because of the energy that needed to be used for Issei's transformation. The stamina especially explained why he felt so tired.

[You had so much of it before, it is simply natural for you to have even more now that you have turned into a hybrid.]

Ddraig however wasn't as impressed, this result was more or less what she expected after Issei's transformation.

[Still, what that talent represents? It seems to have taken a huge leap.]

Her question didn't take too long to be answered.

The system calculates the talent of the user, the higher the talent, the more energy can be taken from their actions. For example, a higher talent means that each action using a skill gets more experience from it, and each time the user levels up, more points are added to the status. Besides some other functions as well.

"This explains the huge jump when I got to level seventeen."

He was quite proud of being determined with a talent so high and Ddraig felt the same for Issei. After that, they kept looking at his other status.

STR: 413

DEX: 413

RES: 413

AGI: 413

INT: 88(98)

WIS: 69

CHR: 96

LCK: -30

Status Points: 9(SP cannot be distributed to LCK)

Traits: Strength of a Mountain III | Precision Ex III | Diamond Skin III | Lightning Movement III | Fast Mind I | Enhanced Spirit I | Attractive I | Bad Luck I

DP(Dungeon Points): 6

Points: 0

Strength, dexterity, resistance, and agility had been the most affected by his transformation, while intelligence and wisdom didn't increase by much. Charisma also hadn't grown too much compared to the first four, but it had when compared to intelligence and wisdom.

"I guess those changes are to be expected…"

He wasn't too surprised about the way the status had been increased. If anything, the chestnut just wanted to test his new strength. He had grown too fast in a short time without having the opportunity to test his power.

Issei was about to see what changed in his skills when Detection, and something else he wasn't familiar with it, went on automatically, making him realize something was approaching.

The skills would have to wait.

Issei didn't know if his clothes would fit his new body, so he just got underwear and a pant out of his Gear and put them on. They tore apart from around his knees to below, but manage to fit.

Considering his low energy, Issei preferred to avoid conflict at the moment. He also didn't know anything about what enemies would be here, so it was better to hide and watch first.

'Why nothing came before though?'

[You were emitting so much energy that probably kept anything away.]

He nodded, Ddraig's explanation was the most logical and only one really.

He finally had a chance to pay attention to his surroundings. Issei was in the ruins of a city that had, what looked to the sekiryuutei, old British architecture. Though his knowledge of that type of architecture came mostly from games, and some manga and anime, so he could be off.

The sky was dark, but not like it was night time, instead the clouds were of a heavy gray color, giving quite the oppressive feeling.

And even if it no longer affected him, he could still feel in the air the type of energy that could have led to his death, had he stayed purely human.

"Maybe is something like radiation?"

[Probably, but that's not what you need to worry about now, right?]

Issei nodded and looked around, seeing that there was the skeleton of an old house next to him. Activating his Disguise and Stealth skill, he moved inside and stayed down, trying to keep his presence as unnoticeable as possible.

Stealth has leveled up to level 2!

That was fast and convenient, a high talent really seemed like a handy thing to have.

He stayed making no noise, and stealth leveled up one more time before something arrived. To take a look at the newcomers, Issei looked through a hole in the wall.

They looked like overgrown tigers with gray skin, had some bones covering parts of their body like armor, and were five meters tall.

They looked around, sniffing something, Issei in this case. However, even with his smell, they were unable to find his presence.

Stealth has leveled up to level 9!

Disguise has leveled up to level 19!

Even without fighting, he was making good use of this situation.

There were only three of those monsters, so he used the opportunity to Analyze them.

Name: None

Race: Cursed Wild Feline

Status: Alive

Class: Middle-level threat

Description: Descendants of felines that were once domesticated, but mutated after the meteor. After countless generations, they became mindless beasts that get stronger by eating everything in their path, only trusting their kin.

Analysis has leveled up to level 4!

That was good to know. Issei debated fighting them now or not and looked at his status again.

HP: 6920/9925

STA: 600/13233

DRA: 572/6150

YK: 410/4100

It was far from a good recovery, or even a decent one, but it was something, and there was only so much time the chestnut was willing to spend hiding.

Before he took any action though, he attempted to use Analysis a bit more, just to level it up one more time.

Issei used it on the things in his surround, the ground, rocks, and even the ruins of the house he was in. Didn't learn anything useful, but it did get Analysis to level five, and that was already enough for him.

He didn't have too much energy yet, but Issei couldn't be bothered by it. Thanks to Disguise he could use his youki and draconic energy without being noticed, and he did just so, concentrating both energies on his index finger and middle finger, in his left hand.

Dragon aura manipulation has leveled up!

Youki manipulation has leveled up!

Those updates appeared for a while after he started channeling his powers. His skills started leveling up like crazy after his transformation and he would make the best of it.

A sphere of mixed energy of touki and draconic aura formed in Issei's hand as he looked at the Wild Felines, from his position. The three seemed to notice something was off as their fur was slightly up.

The sekiryuutei jumped out of the house, he was done waiting. His sudden appearance, especially with him being so near them, surprised the creatures, who were one second too slow to react. All that Issei needed.

"Special canon!"

A concentrated beam of energy hit one of the felines right in the forehead, passing through its skull and killing the beast right on the spot.

The other two felines didn't seem too bothered by their fallen comrade, as they ignored its dead body and jumped at Issei.

To dodge Issei used Dash and went to the side. His unfamiliarity with his new body, however, meant that he overdid it, causing him to lose his equilibrium and almost fall. Fortunately, he still had his whole experience and years of training under Ddraig's guidance.

He stopped his fall with one hand and threw himself back into the air before getting back on the ground. His movement was clanky and he almost fell again but managed to stay standing.

He had got quite a distance from the felines, but one of them tried to cover it by jumping and biting him.

The chestnut reacted instinctively by raising his left hand in a finger gun with draconic energy at his index finger.

"Dragon shoot!"

He managed to put enough energy into the shoot that when it entered through the feline's mouth, it exploded the beast's head, burning any remains that could have been splattered around.

Before he could take a breath, the final beast was in front of him, with its claws descending to cut down Issei.

Once more his instincts, weirdly better than ever, seemed to move him as he manifested the Boosted Gear and used it as an improvised shield, which he uses to push the claw away from him, leaving the feline's guard open.

BOOST

He followed that by punching the feline, who coughed something that looked like blood but was much darker. Issei didn't have time to think about it, as he couldn't give the monster a chance to react.

He dashed once more and finished with a punch, one that felt much stronger than usual.

As a result, the remaining feline had its body broken in what looked like an arc, and more blood gushed out of its mouth.

The boost loses its effect and Issei sits on the ground.

"Well… guess that's a good start… Could make use of a nap now though…"

He didn't have too much time to take a break, as more Wild Felines appeared, surrounding him in various directions.

"Fuck… I really should have taken a nap before."

Chapter Text

Issei liked to believe that usually, he knew the type of things he got himself into. Having a million years old dragon in his soul helped with that since she usually informed him what he needed to know.

It wasn't the case in a world Ddraig had never been into, however.

"Dragon Shoot!"

He was surrounded by large monstrous felines, wolfs, bats, and even monkeys. They were all at least five meters tall or more, and had the same characteristics as the Cursed Wild Felines, meaning bones covering their bodies with gray skin.

There were at least ten moving around the chestnut, who had yet to make a recovery to his peak status.

Level: 17(11.000/66.535)

Talent Rank: 2S+

HP: 6391/9925

STA: 540/13233

DRA: 610/6150

YK: 390/4100

Only his draconic energy had recovered a bit, while everything else went down. The only silver lining was that these creatures gave a lot of exp. But the chestnut was starting to question if that was enough compensation at this point.

[If you keep like this, you will be too tired while getting surrounded by more and more of them.]

Ddraig pointed out to her partner, while he managed to dodge another attack from one of the Cursed Wild Monkeys. He punched the creature with a fist covered in flames, that spread consuming the monster's whole body.

One of the things Issei had learned soon enough, was that these creatures did not like his fire. He wasn't able to kill the monkey right now, but the fire would do the job soon enough.

Dragon Fox Fire has leveled up!

"I know! I will hide, but I have to kill the bats before."

Inside his soul, Ddraig nodded in agreement with Issei's decision. Since the Cursed Wild Bats would be able to follow his moves from the air, they are the ones he should prioritize getting rid of.

Issei also heard the faint sound of more monsters approaching, so he acted fast.

"Here goes nothing!"

Covering his hands with fire, Issei spins himself around, forming two Fire Tornados. Instinctively, the creatures screeched and jumped to avoid the tornados. It had taken him quite a lot of his current not-so-abundant reserves of youki, but it was good enough to keep the Cursed Wild Beasts away, even if only momentarily.

With all strength he could put in his legs, Issei jumped, covering a huge distance from the ground thanks to his greatly improved strength.

In his hands, two disks made with draconic aura started to form. They lacked a certain refinement and format, being something that the chestnut was trying to use as fast as possible, unfortunately, would compromise some of the quality of the attack.

BOOST! TRANSFER!

Thankfully, Issei's powers allowed him to make it worth it.

He threw the disk at the two bats, that tried to dodge, but Issei could still control and readjust the attacks at some level, and doing so hit one wing of each.

And to top it off, Issei put his hands in the direction of their faces and threw fireballs at their faces.

Being at the exact point he wanted to be, Issei used his fire to move while in the air, with his wings moving by instinct helping a little. He wasn't flying as much as he was gliding, and thanks to the fire he managed to cover three blocks before stopping and hiding his presence with his Stealth and Disguise skill.

He jumped from the roof of one house at least twice and finally stopped, entering the house by a chimney.

The interior of the house was a wreck, with everything either destroyed, gone, unrecognizable, or covered in dust. Thankfully, there was no presence there, so Issei finally relaxed.

"That was intense…"

[It was your first real battle in years, and I would say you did quite well. Especially in your current state.]

The noises that were happening outside seemed to agree with Ddraig. Issei had managed to run away just in time as by now, everything around was already attracted to their previous location. Staying there would have just led to him being overwhelmed.

Taking a deep breath, he sat down and finally took his time to see the notifications he was constantly getting mid-battle.

The user's race was updated!

New skills acquired!

New status calculated!

Stealth has leveled up to level 11!

Disguise has leveled up to level 19!

Title acquired: "Hiding in plain sight"

Dragon Aura Manipulation has leveled up to level 15!

Youki Manipulation has leveled up to level 9!

Draconic Kitsune instincts has leveled up to level 5!

Martial Arts has leveled up to level 11!

Analysis leveled up to level 7!

"Hoho, so it wasn't for nothing."

The various notifications of level-up and the new title made his eyes shiny as if Christmas had arrived earlier.

[Impressive… the transformation did wonders to allow you to improve on those skills so fastly.]

Ddraig added, seeing how Issei leveled up a lot even in skills he just acquired. The thought of what he would be able to do after a longer time with the system filled the Red Dragon Empress with excitement.

"Let me see what I get."

Martial Arts(lv 11): Through battle you walked into the path of martial arts seeking truth and improvement through your fists. Your technique is now more refined and more powerful,
improving your strength and battle senses.

[...]

Dragon Aura Manipulation(lv 15): Control over draconic aura/energy. 

His control over Draconic Aura had evolved tremendously and Issei felt like he could imbue his energy into his physical attacks in a much smoother way.

"Cool… I am not sure how different it will be, but sounds cool."

Before fighting he couldn't tell the difference between his current and his previous state, especially for Martial Arts.

[Hmm… a long time ago, before humans came up with their magic systems or learned from the other factions, they counted on their bodies and martial arts to survive. I was always of the belief that humans could achieve their peak just through those arts, so I think you should put more of your time into this skill.]

Issei whistled at that. Ddraig had advised him countless times through all these years, but it was the first time she sounded like this was something the chestnut could not set aside.

"Yeah, I also wanna see where this will go. I have the feeling that it will sooner or later give me something great."

Of course, Issei not only had no issue with following her advice, he was actually quite excited about it.

Strength of will (lv 4): Resisting through the harshest conditions and showing your will, the power of the spirit. The body might break, but the will is eternal.

Dragon aura manipulation (lv 15): Control over the user's draconic aura.

Youki manipulation (lv 9): Control over the user's youki.

Dragon breath (lv 1): A dragon's signature move, however, the flames are now dragon-fox in nature, meaning that is stronger than the usual dragon breath.

Dragon roar (lv 1): A manifestation of a dragon's pride and power through a wild roar that can inflict fear in enemies.

Dragon-Kitsune instincts (lv 5): Both dragons and kitsunes have sharp instincts, and as a hybrid, the user's instincts are even sharper and more accurate.

Shapeshifting (lv 1): A kitsune has the skill to shapeshift, assuming any form desired. The lower the level of the skill, the more likely for flaws to appear in the transformation or for others to see through it.

Illusion (lv 1): Kitsune are tricksters, making others believe that they are seeing, hearing, and sensing what might not be there.

Dream manipulation (lv 1): The power of kitsunes to enter and manipulate others' dreams.

Life-force absorption (lv 1): The power to feed on the life-force of other beings.

Youkai Magic (lv 1): Using the elements as a channel, youkais manifest their magic, manipulating the world and their surroundings.

Redirecting (lv 1): Allows the user to redirect a strike aimed towards him. The redirect strike can potentially be sent back to another enemy or even the one that originally struck.

Except for the last skill, one that he acquired mid-battle, all the others clearly came as a result of his transformation, even Strength of Will.

"That's a lot… I thought I would only get the basic stuff from my kitsune lineage, wasn't expecting something like Life-absorption or Dream manipulation."

Issei was a bit blown away by how many skills he had acquired after transforming. He expected a few, mostly on the dragon side of things, but hadn't even thought about some of the classical kitsune abilities.

[All very powerful abilities. Though a few of them might be harder to get the chance to use, they are all great.]

The surprise Issei felt was shared by Ddraig and so was the excitement of what could be achieved with those skills. Issei already was her favorite before, and she knew he could eventually become the strongest Red Dragon Emperor, but now? She was expecting him to do so in time record, and it would be extremely enjoyable to watch it happen.

It took a while and Issei had to do his best to calm down and not test these skills. He couldn't risk getting unwanted attention, especially while still recovering.

"The shop must have something… wouldn't complain if there were some porn as well…"

The chestnut opened the shop praying. If the prayers were to find eroge games, hentai OVAs and magazines, or actual useful things in his situation, only he, and Ddraing that ignored him all the way through, knew.

As soon as he opened the shop a gigantic list of items appeared in front of him.

It was a lot, and he would love to take a good look at the vast options presented, but for now, Issei contented himself with what was necessary, and right at the top of the list, something that was probably handpicked by the system taking in consideration his current predicament.

Recovery potion: 1100 points

It will recover the user up to 35% of his original status

A thousand points was pretty much all Issei had after killing some of the monsters. It would take all points he had, but the chestnut did not hesitate to buy that potion. Even if he looked for specialized ones, it would in the end probably require him to spend the same number of points for similar results. This way he would at least have a general recovery faster.

A manifestation of energy formed in Issei's right and the potion manifested from it in less than a second.

Letting a whistle out, the sekiryuutei used his Analysis of the object.

Item: Recovery potion

Description: A recovery potion formed from 1100 points. It will recover whoever uses it up to 35% of their original state.

"That's all I will get?"

With his Analysis currently at level 7, Issei expected much more from the description but was left disappointed.

[It is to be expected from something that came from the system itself. Is perhaps too complex for you to have a decent Analysis of.]

Issei could only agree with that estimation, even if he felt like it was a shame. He wasn't quite done though, and opened the potion and put a drop of it in his index finger, before licking.

He hoped that, with his acquired knowledge about alchemy, even if it was a different type of it, he could identify or understand something from the potion.

Issei focused on the taste and did his best to identify whatever he could from it, but it was almost impossible. It wasn't a complete waste as he could very vaguely sense something he thought to be similar to some ingredients he had in his head.

It couldn't get any vaguer than that.

Alchemy has leveled up to level 2!

At least it wasn't a wasted effort.

Having no more reason to waste time, Issei drank everything.

'Sweet…'

It felt like he was drinking some sort of liquid honey, it was sweet and nice and at the same time, it didn't feel like anything Issei ever had.

Level: 17(11.000/66.535)

HP: 9865/9925

STA: 5172/13233

DRA: 2763/6150

YK: 1825/4100

The effect was instantaneous and Issei felt reinvigorated. He wasn't fully restored but his situation was much better, and he would take what he had.

[Impressive. As far as I am aware, no healing magic cannot restore energy and stamina like this.]

With that, they had a small peak on the things that would be possible with the system. Common sense would have to be forgotten.

Finally feeling secure and confident to take on the dungeon, even if this whole place didn't resemble one.

Issei first took a casual look at his surroundings, not expecting to find anything useful. And he was correct for the most part since all that was around were wreckages of a civilian house.

Most furniture was either in a state of being completely torched or melted or there were no remains of it. It was a testament to how ruined this whole world was and for how long. Dust was so thick that Issei imagined not even a monster had entered this room for ages.

But something did catch Issei's eyes. An old and open book, with burned marks and pages so old that they seemed like they would crumble at any time.

Item: Old burned book

Description: The remains of a book that contained introductory information about one of the magic systems that belonged to this world. Was bought by a soldier as a gift to his son, before death came.

Would you like to restore the book?

Y/N

"What happened to this place?"

Neither he nor Ddraig had a way to know. He didn't think about it before, but he was in the ruins of a destroyed world with no information about how it got to this state, while seemingly being the only conscious and non-hostile being in the place.

It was starting to creep him out.

Letting those thoughts aside, Issei clicked on Yes and watched the book disappear in front of his eyes.

[It is in the Gear storage.]

At that point, they weren't surprised by what the system could do anymore. Issei simply looked inside the Boosted Gear Storage system and besides his personal stuff, like clothes, food and drinks, porn magazines, and wallet, in the middle of all that was the book, covered by energy.

Time for restoration: 50 hours

"What do you think might come out of this?"

[Is magic from a completely different world. Maybe is similar to some of ours, maybe is completely different.]

Whatever came out of this, Ddraig knew they were in for a surprise.

Having done what he could to recover, Issei looked outside the window, wanting to have an idea of what was expected of him once he got out.

[Do you still want to remain here?]

The chestnut nodded.

"At least recover some points. I still need the ingredients to do the Wind Mannor Pill. At least these monsters give those like candy. After that, we start seeking a way out."

If it wasn't for absolute necessity, he would have kept those points to buy the ingredients for the pill. At least they were spent with something useful.

Issei looked out and regretted.

The first thing he noticed was a creature, a mannequin covered in dark vines moving around. The way it moved was unnatural, it was a creature that could be part of a horror story. Even with his powers and strength, it still creeped Issei out.

Name: None

Race: Vines of Possession

Status: Undead

Class: Mid-level threat

Description: The resentment of the dead exposed to a type of evil energy generated by these vines, that took over what could find to use as a body.

There were other things as well, but all of which Issei had already seen, like the Cursed Wild Monkeys, Wolfs, and Felines.

"Hmm… hehe."

A smile formed on the chestnut lips, making Ddraig aware of what was about to come.

Throwing caution to the wind, Issei deactivated Stealth and Disguise and put his arms forward, outside of the window.

"I haven't used this since I was a kid. Devastation Wave!"

Draconic energy and youki accumulated in Issei's hand in enough quantity to make a sphere the size of a basketball. He could feel his energy being drained once more, but it would be worth it.

Every being around became aware of Issei and started running in his direction as the chestnut jumped from the window. At the same time, a wave of the mix of his draconic energy and youki was released upon the creatures, hitting first the Vines.

Dragon-Fox Devastation Wave has leveled up!

The monster did resist for a few seconds before its body was reduced to nothing. The same destiny fell upon the other creatures, but they could resist for even less time. Between the time Issei jumped and touched the ground, he only gave a few steps before stopping the use of this skill. And with just that, the number of remaining monsters was less than half the original.

Level: 17(20.000/66.535)

Talent Rank: 2S+

HP: 9865/9925

STA: 5157/13233

DRA: 1412/6150

YK: 1023/4100

His Draconic Energy and Youki had dropped again, but Issei thought it was all worth it.

"YES! YES! BOW DOWN TO ME! FIRST IS THE KAMEHAME, NEXT I WILL ACHIEVE SUPER SAIYAN!"

His screams could not be comprehended by the creatures, that ignored it and attacked him. During all this time, the only thing Ddraig did was sight.

BOOST

STR: 413 (826)

DEX: 413 (826)

RES: 413 (826)

AGI: 413 (826)

INT: 88(98)

WIS: 69

CHR: 96

LCK: -30

With his power doubling, Issei avoided all the attacks with ease. Now that his body wasn't on the verge of running out of any type of energy and had to depend on adrenaline and the fact that if he stopped, he would die.

He also could swear that the monsters now were moving slower and more predictable.

'Is that because of the evolution of Martial Arts?'

The chestnut had a feeling that it was, and he was enjoying it.

He avoided the monsters with ease and always responded with a punch or a kick covered with flames.

More and more arrived, but just as Issei could begin to have problems with them…

BOOST

With that, he had no longer an issue dealing with the Cursed Wild Creatures. His fists pierced through their bodies, his flames being the final touch that added to their demise.

As Issei fought, he moved. While this passed unnoticed by himself, Ddraig realized his footwork was much better and more mature, more fitting of an actual martial artist. The way he moved around also showed that his punches and kicks had a power to them that was vastly superior to whatever Issei could do before.

Issei had lost himself to the feeling of battle, his body was just moving by instinct, and any notifications went ignored. He was enjoying the battle like he never did before, it felt like he was doing just what he was born to. It was as enjoyable as good porn even. A part of him perhaps considered that even more.

Lost to that feeling, he only noticed that there were no more monsters after punching another Wolf, causing the fire on his fist to take the form of a dragon swallowing the Wolf and turning it into ashes.

The chestnut simply left a whistle.

"Wait? Where am I?"

Only then he noticed his surroundings had changed.

[Fufufu, losing yourself to the feeling of battle? You are truly coming out very well with this experience.]

Ddraig couldn't be happier with that.

"Losing myself to battle? I remember you mention this a few times. Never thought it would happen to me."

Issei did enjoy it and was a bit disappointed that it had come to an end.

That raised the question of why the creatures stopped.

"Why is there nothing else here?"

The sekiryuutei noticed to be in a more desolate part of town, with few to no buildings around. That is until he looked behind.

Chapter Text

Behind the brunette was a decayed mansion. Although the environment and time took a toll on the building, it looked less destroyed than the rest of the city, or at least the paths Issei walked through.

Its large gray stone walls had long lost any paint that had ever covered them, and had cracks here and there, although none that threatened the structure of the mansion.

For some reason, the air around this particular area seemed cleaner and lighter, baffling Issei.

“Is this a safe area?”

The Sekiryuutei asked the question to the dragon empress. Although it was a foreign world, her vast experience would always be valuable.

“There seems to be some sort of pure energy here, but it is faint, very faint.”

The dragoness explained, and just as Issei was about to enter the mansion to explore a notification appeared in front of him.

Enough energy recovered. Path to DxD reconnected. Would the user like to go back?

Y/N

“Finally! So, energy was all you needed? I should have killed more of those things.”

The system quickly replied, correcting the misunderstanding.

It was necessary to take some time to stabilize the connection between this dungeon and your original world.

Issei nodded with understanding, and without having to think too much about it, he chose Yes with a sigh of relief. He had been in this dungeon, which looked more like a world of its own, for hours and would really enjoy lying down and resting on a soft bed after taking another hot bath.

 And he would probably find some space to fit in watching some porn or playing some eroge if he could find the opportunity to.

Just like when he first came to the dungeon, a portal of energy appeared.

For a moment Issei hesitated, thinking about what happened the last time he entered that thing. Ultimately, he gave a dry laugh and went ahead.

“My luck can’t be this bad all the time, right?”

[Are you sure you should ask?]

Ddraig replied, already having a bad feeling about this. Issei was about to say she was being too cautious when a notification he was already familiar with showed up.

Bad Luck I takes effect.

The space is unstable. The user will return to DxD, but not to his original location. Good luck!

Issei did not have time to curse the system and his luck as he was thrown through the portal.

The next thing the brunette knew was that he felt pressure pushing down on him from all directions. If his body wasn’t as tough as it was his situation would not just be complicated, it could have been deadly. In fact, any normal human would have died under that pressure in an instant. But for Issei, it was a simple matter of raising his arm to make space.

He had to do that a few times and it soon became clear that he was underground, on soil.

‘You couldn’t even put me somewhere above the ground?!’

The brunette complained with an annoyed face as he made his way out by punching the ground above.

[With your luck, if you were to show up above ground you would likely have been teleported thousands of meters above the ground.]

Issei hated to admit it, but Ddraig had a good point.

Do not worry user. After the last two incidents, I have enough info to not commit the same mistake again. Most likely.

“I can still see the final note, you know!?”

The dragon-kitsune hybrid exclaimed full of exasperation, but the system gave no reply, as if it was ignoring him, which was not doing wonders to Issei’s temperament at that moment.

With one last punch up Issei exploded the ground, creating a crater large enough for him to pass through. What the Sekiryuutei did not realize, because of his situation, was the screams that were directly caused by his actions.

As he got up, it did not take Issei long to realize he was not alone or even in a peaceful place. Surrounding him were signs of battle everywhere and at a closer look, a shocking scenario.

Lying down on a boulder there was a half-dead man with a golden axe on his hands, defending against attackers that attempted to surround him.

It was commendable that, despite the fact that the man could not even stand properly, his attacks had such power that he was sending his enemies flying and creating large cut marks all around him. In fact, the difference in power was so great that Issei failed to understand how that person was in that position.

[REGULUS NEMEA!]

In a rare moment of shock from Ddraig, the Boosted Gear manifested on Issei’s arm as the dragon empress’ voice went across the open field they were at.

“Regulus Neama? Wait, one of the Longinus?!”

For a moment Issei had to fish from his memory where he knew that name from, and when it clicked his face was covered by shock as he pointed to the battle axe.

Ddraig had told him about the Longinus multiple times when he was a kid, making him somewhat familiar with them, especially with how rare they were. Never in their wildest dreams would the Sekiryuutei or the dragon empress think they would just come across a Longinus user so randomly in the wild after already being involved in a series of impossible events.

However, the Regulus Nemea user was not the only one around them, as they were soon reminded.

“That’s the Boosted Gear!”

“Impossible!”

There was a bunch of armed men around. They all wore the same uniform, meaning they were part of the same organization.

Around fifty to sixty of them were still standing, while the same number were dead on the ground. Even though the Regulus Nemea user was almost dead, it was clear that he did not go down without a long fight.

This was even more evident with how destroyed the surroundings were, with many trees knocked down. Issei imagined that this place wasn’t an open field until this battle started.

“Assume formation and be ready to retreat at any point!”

The orders came from a large man, the leader of that battalion.

He was broad, with a well-kept beard and an arm full of scars, showcasing he had lived through many battles. Still, his aura did not seem too threatening for Issei.

As he gave the order, his voice was tense. Naturally, no one could have expected a second Longinus user to appear out of nowhere to derail their plans.

[Issei…]

Before Ddraig had to say it, Issei was already in action. The brunette knew the dragon empress all too well and knew she would not stand still as another warrior she respected was taken down in such a cowardly manner. Especially when it hit so close to her own experience.

[Ddraig… thank you…]

Regulus' voice came from the axe, his gratitude clear for all to hear. From that one could imagine he had a good relationship with his user.

Issei’s speed was just as ridiculous as an Agility stat of 413 could be. His opponents could only see his after image and before they knew it, his fist was on their faces. And his speed was not the only thing they had to worry about.

After his martial arts level went up, Issei’s hand-to-hand skills improved tremendously. His attacks were more connected, had less useless movement, and had more power behind each move.

If someone tried to slash him, the brunette would easily catch the blade of their swords with his bare hands and either break them or redirect the attack. Whatever option he chose ended with his enemies defeated after an attack.

Having improved so much in a short time only to encounter troublesome opponents meant that Issei was unsure about his strength, and this experience helped him have a better grasp on his recently found power.

“Fuck! Back down!”

The leader screamed his orders as he stepped forward. Besides not expecting the Sekiryuutei to show up out of nowhere, as it was something no sane being would expect, it had to be said that the leader also did not expect him to be so strong. One did not need much battle experience to see which side had the absolute advantage.

In seconds the whole scenario had changed as now most of the members of the mysterious organization were defeated on the floor. Issei was just too fast and too strong for them.

His power was not without reason, after all, Issei had not only been training under Ddraig for years, but the current him was also a dragon and kitsune hybrid. His power was not something these people could understand.

The brunette threw another casual attack, except that this time his fist collided with that of the leader, who had his skin covered with some sort of crystal.

Their collision caused a large shockwave, but while Issei stayed in place the leader was pushed back by a dozen meters, causing a large trail to follow on the ground. His arm was trembling, cracks showed up on it and blood was dripping from the corner of his mouth.

“Who are you guys? What are you doing here?”

Issei could not understand how someone so weak had pushed the user of the Regulus Nemea to his deathbed. He knew he was missing something. It was also annoying to him how non-talkative these people were. Besides grunts of pain, he had only heard the leader’s voice this whole time.

The leader ignored the question, and just as he was about to attack again, another big change occurred on the battlefield.

“Regulus… I am sorry…”

The user’s death was an outcome that could not be changed.

Before Issei and Ddraig arrived, he was already half dead and could not even stand up by himself. The only reason he had not died yet was his strong will kept him alive until he disposed of all his enemies. No longer having to worry about that after witnessing Issei dominating the battlefield, it was finally time for him to rest.

[It is okay… Please, do not feel guilty. I hope you find peace.]

For a brief moment, it seemed like the user would give a reply but his eyes closed before he could utter any word.

For a moment the field was engulfed in silence.

Issei stopped fighting and paid his respects. Like Regulus, he wished the user would be able to find peace in whatever post-life he was going to. No one dared to attack the red dragon at that moment. No one was crazy to attack a quiet dragon while it was showing respect to another warrior.

The Sekiryuutei knew that the life of a Longinus user was hardly easy. If it wasn’t for Ddraig already having developed a way for the brunette to hide himself, he was well aware that it was unlikely he would have the life he had.

It was a curious thing. Longinus are the strongest Sacred Gears, and because of that, they are the most hunted group of Sacred Gear users, meaning they would almost always be at the center of a conflict. The power that was given to humanity to guarantee that they would be able to defend themselves against the supernatural was what a lot of times forced them to face it.

Ddraig once questioned if that had always been the intention of God. Conflict, after all, would always force someone to raise their strength.

[Bastards…]

The silence did not remain for long and the one who broke it was the lion. At that point, Regulus should have returned to the Sacred Gear system in heaven to one day be assigned to a new user, but somehow the axe remained on the battlefield, with a golden light shining out of it, stronger with each passing second.

“What is happening?”

The leader was in shock. He thought one problem had passed but what was happening in front of his eyes toppled any understanding of how Sacred Gears are supposed to work.

The Sekiryuutei and the dragon empress were just as shocked, especially Ddraig.

The brightness got overwhelming and for a moment all that could be seen was a blinding white. When that light dimmed down, a golden lion was standing in front of the body of the previous Regulus Nemea user.

[I see. So that’s how powerful your rage and will are… Issei, do not interfere.]

The dragon empress still had questions about the miracle she was witnessing, but none of that was relevant at the moment. Understanding why Ddraig made that request Issei backed out. This was no longer his battle.

If they couldn’t avoid Issei’s attacks, this was even more true for Regulus’ attacks. Issei had not killed anyone as he lacked the grudge that would justify him taking a life. Regulus was glad for that as it allowed him the chance to get revenge on his terms.

Seeing the turn the events were taking, the leader took some amulet out and was about to crush it when Issei appeared near him, knocked the amulet out of his hand, and took it for himself.

“You cursed beast!”

The man cursed, knowing he had to resign himself to his inevitable fate.

They tried to put up a fight but it was useless. Regulus power was too overwhelming, with each attack at least two or three of them were taken down. Some bodies were shredded beyond belief, while some had large injuries and others managed to keep most of their limbs.

In seconds, the golden lion made blood flow on the ground like a river.

The leader also attempted to put on a fight, which resulted in his arm and head being bitten off. His death was as unceremoniously as it could have been.

The massacre only ended when Regulus was standing on a pile of corpses.

And yet, it was not possible to say that he looked triumphant.

[Thank you for not interfering, Red Dragon Emperor…]

His voice was tired. Regulus had created a miracle by forcing himself to stay and battle, and now he had reached his limit. He would probably disappear back to the Sacred Gear system at any point.

[Regulus Nemea. If I offer the opportunity to stay in this world and keep fighting, would you take it?]

Chapter Text

A bright light was starting to cover Regulus' body when Ddraig made her question. The fact that Regulus managed to force himself to stay for so long was logically and heavenly-defying. To avenge his partner, he had created a miracle, one that even the dragon empress could not understand as it broke some of the basic rules of the system.

[If is it possible? If possible, I would like to stay and continue fighting. My stay this time was brief… I want to fight more, I want to shatter this world more… and I want to make those who hunted us down pay… So if you do have such a method Y Ddraig Goch, please, show me.]

Regulus' words were both resigned as if accepting his fate, yet defiant. He accepted both the outcomes of having to return to the Sacred Gear system or remaining in this world. Part of him still wished to be even more heaven-defying, even if what he did would already have been enough for most.

[Very well. We won’t let you down.]

Issei is about to ask what Ddraig is talking about when she starts instructing him on what to do. Knowing they were running out of time the brunette abandoned his question and just did as told.

He proceeds to put his right hand on Regulus' head and closes his eyes in concentration, attempting to absorb energy, essentially applying his life force stealing ability. Issei could sense some power entering his body but he wasn’t sure if that was enough to save Regulus.

The lion quickly understood what was happening and actively helped pass its power to Issei as well. Both were doing their best as the light covered every inch of Regulus' body. It seemed like a doomed fight.

At that moment the brunette was unaware, but the system was quickly giving him notifications and taking its own measures.

[Partner!]

Only when Ddraig called that Issei paid attention to the system, noticing what it was doing.

Foreign entity entering the host’s body.

The foreign entity was identified as the Longinus Regulus Nemea.

Host wish to accept the entity or reject it?

Accept | Reject

Issei quickly chose the Accept option.

In the next instant, the light that was covering Regulus’ body was all condensed into a small sphere, with the lion being reduced to it as well. The sphere was in the air for a brief second as Issei looked at it, uncertain of what was about to happen, when it shot out, entering his chest.

The brunette felt a warming sensation spread out from his body before quickly going back to normal as if nothing had happened. For a moment it was like nothing that just transpired had actually occurred.

For a few seconds, Issei felt no changes until a new voice came from inside his mind.

[Extraordinary. To think such madness would work.]

Regulus exclaimed in shock. He was happy to be able to remain in this world and fight more but also astonished that Issei’s attempts had borne fruit. It was hard to blame him, however, as not only they had stopped the gear from being reclaimed by the system, but their actions had also caused the birth of a man host of two Longinus.

[It would be wise to get used to the unusual.]

Ddraig said with a smirk. She was the only one not surprised by the outcome. When she proposed the idea she already expected that the system would do something the moment Issei acted.

Her actions were both for Regulus' benefit and for Issei’s benefit. She understood the lion very well, after all, she had been in a similar position multiple times now. And by helping Regulus, she was also inevitably helping Issei. It was a win-win situation for all sides.

Issei did not have time to react to any of what was happening before more notifications from the system popped up in front of his face.

The Longinus Regulus Nemea has joined the user. The user now has access to two Longinus, enhancing his anomalous status.

A new path is now available. Would you like to accept a special quest?

“Special quest?”

Issei questioned, feeling like he was being exposed to too many things he did not understand in a way too short period of time.

[What is this thing?! A floating screen?! Quests?!]

Neither Issei nor Ddraig could say they were surprised by Regulus' reaction. All they could say was that it had been an insane day for everyone.

“Yeah, is a whole thing I am dealing with as well. Wait, saying it like that makes it sound like a bad thing… it isn’t, but… well, it has put me in a lot of trouble…”

The brunette did not even know where to start explaining the system to Regulus.

[Just a moment.]

The empress said and in the next moment, she shared her and Issei’s memories about the last events, from the beginning when he got the system, to how he ended up at his current position.

On a normal occasion, a conscious gear should be able to see some of the memories and thoughts of the user, as long as neither side chooses to block that connection. It was just that Regulus was still too disoriented from just joining Issei to check. The added surprise of the floating screen appearing out of nowhere did not help as well.

[Extraordinary…]

It was all Regulus managed to say as he was still processing all the information he was exposed to.

“Pretty much. Hehe, can’t say I am not a fan of this thing.”

The system had given Issei a lot of trouble but also a lot of opportunity. And above everything else, he had a system. Regardless of any situations it put him in, it was in the brunette’s opinion, one of the greatest things that could happen to him, together with being the Red Dragon Emperor and having his kitsune powers. And of course, now he was also Regulus' host, so that was on the list as well.

He would never deny another opportunity to get stronger. Especially knowing that getting stronger in the supernatural world would make forming a harem easier.

[You have interesting goals, my friend.]

Scratching his head, Issei laughed. He knew his dream was not exactly common even for the supernatural, so that reaction did not surprise or upset him.

“The greatest goals!”

Issei was not someone that would shy away from his dream.

[That’s good. If you have a dream, you should have conviction in it and be able to shoot it out from the top of your lungs.]

Regulus would not shame Issei for his dream. From his perspective, it wasn’t even that weird of a dream. He had lived for more than a millennia after all. The golden lion did find commendable how open to his objective Issei was.

Throughout his life, he had seen many people who claimed to have dreams but were too afraid to even think of mentioning it near others. In contrast, he could see in the brunette’s memories just how honest he was.

“Thanks! That means a lot.”

After Ddraig, Regulus was the second person to show acceptance of his dream, so from Issei’s perspective he was already a friend.

[Partner, I believe you should look at this new special quest.]

Seeing her partner distracted, the dragon empress had to remind him he still had to look at the new question notification from the system.

“Right! Thanks for reminding me, Ddraig.”

The brunette brought up the quest page. The moment he saw the title of the quest, his eyes went wide.

Collect the 13 Longinus

By chance, you came across Regulus Nemea and are now his host. But why stop at two? Collect the other eleven Longinus tier Sacred Gears, be it by taking them from their hosts or acquiring them by other means, even taking advantage of the system.

Success condition: Collect all Longinus.

Reward:

Undefined

Accept: Yes/No

“All Longinus?!”

[Wait! That means White as well!]

As if they did not have enough shock for a lifetime already, the system pulled out one more surprise for the day.

“Is this even possible?”

Getting Regulus was a matter of coincidence and opportunity. It was a once in forever type of event that will likely never be repeated in history under the same conditions. So, asking him to get eleven more Longinus seemed nothing sort of an impossible mission.

All of that disregards the complication that would be to somehow get Divine Dividing as well. Issei did not want to start imagining how competitive Ddraig would get if he somehow managed to acquire that gear.

“What do you guys think?”

Before making any decisions Issei wanted some counseling from the wiser beings in his soul.

[If it wasn’t for the White one this wouldn’t be a bad deal, but… Wait… Hahahahaha! Yes! Perfect! Issei, accept it!]

Ddraig was about to show dissatisfaction at the potential of having to share space with Albion and basically having to stop their rivalry for this quest, when she reached a realization, making Issei and Regulus confused at her sudden change.

“What?”

[What is the matter, Dragon Empress?]

They asked, not understanding why she was so happy out of nowhere.

[Don’t you see it? If Issei takes on Albion this would mean having defeated the White one of this generation, and Albion joining after me is her immediate loss! This is perfect!]

Ddraig realized that Issei taking Albion would be an ultimate form of victory, at least from her interpretation. It would mean Issei had surpassed the White Dragoness of this generation, and taking her from the said emperor, from Ddraig’s perspective was the best way of declaring superiority.

“Right. Should have expected this reaction.”

After Issei understood her line of thought his surprise faded. Ddraig would never ignore any chance of getting one up on Albion.

“Regulus, is this ok with you?”

Issei did not know much about Regulus yet, so he felt it was appropriate to ask taking into consideration how big of a quest this was.

[I don’t have any reason to have issues with this. In fact, I will support your decision to accept opportunities to get stronger.]

Now that Regulus had joined Issei had no reason to not incentivize the brunette to get stronger at any opportunity. He might not be as competitive as Ddraig, but still, the pride of the strongest lion of Nemea would want its host to be strong as well, and this includes accepting any opportunity to increase their strength.

“Guess that settles it. Is there any time limit for this quest?”

He asked to be sure. It already seemed like an impossible task, if there were time limits on top of it as well, they might as well ask him to go find the White one and fight them without his arms and eyes.

There is no time limit. This quest can be completed at any point.

“That put my chances slightly above zero. Just slightly.”

Knowing there was no time limit the brunette finally accepted the quest, causing a new window to show up on his status screen.

Longinus Sacred Gears (2/13):

Boosted Gear

Regulus Nemea

[Don’t overthink things partner. If it was easy it would have been done long ago. It is this challenge that will make rise to the highest echelons of myths and legends!]

Now that she realized the advantages, Ddraig was very excited about where this quest could lead them.

Issei finally took a moment to breathe. So many things happened after he left the dungeon when in reality it had not even been fifteen minutes since he arrived.

“Who’s there?”

Turning around, the brunette asked, sensing some presence hiding further away. During the one-sided beatdown and during the whole matter of acquiring Regulus, Issei was too distracted to sense whoever it was hiding.

Now that everything was done and he was not distracted, he could sense someone’s hidden presence.

“I mean no harm Dragon Emperor. Apologies for not making my presence known earlier. I also just arrived shortly after your battle was finished.”

Behind the trees and boulders, far from where Issei and Regulus battled, a large man appeared after moving away from the shadows. He looked like a walking tank, with brown hair and violet eyes. His large build made the fact that he managed to keep himself hidden at all an impressive feat.

[A devil.]

Ddraig informed Issei over his mind. That information came as a surprise to the brunette because he could not feel demonic energy coming from the newcomer. It was only at a closer inspection that Issei felt his devilish presence.

[He seems to lack demonic energy. No wonder his body is so well trained. That is uncommon among devils.]

Regulus commented, approving of this seemingly young man. Usually, it was hard to tell with devils, however, his presence was clearly that of a younger person.

“It’s ok, no big deal.”

The brunette had to wonder how many more surprises this day would give him. He thought it had been enough, only for a devil to show up out of nowhere. The last thing he needed was another conflict popping up randomly.

Thankfully, the man seemed friendly enough.

“Hmm, say it, you wouldn’t be interested in joining my Peerage, would you?”

The question came so out of left field that Issei was not sure how to react for a solid minute. He blinked multiple times as his mind scrambled to form an answer to the sudden question.

“I think I will pass.”

His words were casual and Issei’s stance seemed relaxed, however, he was ready to fight if necessary. Ddraig had made him well aware that some devils would harbor no ill intent but others could do their best to fit into the stereotypes of their race. Not knowing who he was dealing with, Issei was ready for any option.

Thankfully, he lucked out.

“I thought so. Had to ask anyway. Couldn’t let such an opportunity pass without asking. Don’t worry Red Dragon, I will be taking my leave now. I am already done here, so I wish you luck.”

As quickly as he came, the large man disappeared with a magical circle forming on his feet, teleporting him away.

“Do you think this will come back to bite me?”

[He seemed friendly, so I wouldn’t worry too much about it.]

[Indeed.]

Looking around, half expecting something else to jump out of nowhere, it started to settle in that Issei had no idea where he was. Still, before he figured out that, the brunette knew he had to let Regulus’ previous host rest at a better place.

“I am sorry to ask this, but do you know if he would like to be buried or cremated?”

The dragon-kitsune hybrid wanted to respect the preferences of that man and would not like to do something the man would have preferred he didn’t.

[Burying him would be enough. Thank you, my friend.]

Regulus was taken by surprise by Issei’s actions. He was well aware that the brunette was in unknown territory, so he would not blame him if he went away, trying to figure out the fastest way to go home.

Instead, Issei decided to take his time to pay his last respects to the deceased Longinus user.

“Is the least I can do.”

Digging the ground up wasn’t too bad for Issei. He chose to not use his powers and do things manually. He felt like it would be disrespectful to cut corners.

He carefully put the body on the improvised coffin and covered it again. In the end, Issei made a tombstone out of rocks, with the name and age of the previous user engraved on it.

The pile of dead bodies made by Regulus did not receive the same treatment. They were just burnt to nothing.

Naturally Issei controlled his fire well to not start a forest fire. He put it down the moment all the corpses were gone.

“Regulus, where are we?”

With that matter dealt with, it was time to find himself and plan his next steps properly.

[In theory, somewhere in Poland near the border with Germany, but there is a lot of magic around, so I wouldn’t be surprised if there were some hidden places. Finding your precise location might be tricky.]

Issei wanted to ask some more things, particularly about why they were being pursued, but it felt too soon.

To give himself some time to recover, instead of flying, the brunette was walking in a direction that felt correct, according to Regulus and Ddraig.

His situation was not particularly favorable, however, finally having a moment of peace, Issei had to say he did not feel too bad.

After so much chaos, Issei, Ddraig, and Regulus took in the peace. The lion in particular, who was in a sorrowful mood, was helped by the quietness that surrounded them.

It was after thirty minutes of walking that their peace was interrupted when Issei felt new presences quickly running towards their direction.

The brunette wondered if it would be more members of that organization or maybe natives of the area, and was preparing himself for either option, when out of the bushes a big-breasted elf jumped, taking the Red Dragon Emperor by surprise.

Chapter Text

The next thing he knew, Issei’s head had been covered by those soft and large breasts. The bouncing and soft sensation made the brunette wonder if that's what heaven was like.

The elf collided with strength that would usually push most humans, resulting in their fall. Issei was not one of those cases and the amount of strength he felt pushing him down was close to nothing, from his perspective.

‘Maybe today is my lucky day after all.’

Ddraig rolled her eyes at his antics and Regulus found them quite interesting.

By instinct he put his arm around her waist, to hold her and stop her fall. This caused the elf to squirm for a moment before Issei gently put her down.

“T-thank you.” She said with a blush covering her cheeks and the point of her ears turning as red as tomatoes. It would not surprise Issei if vapor started coming out of there. “W-wait, I don’t know you are but-”

When she spoke, she also moved her arms up and down, causing her breasts to jiggle quite intensely, taking a lot of the attention away from the Sekiryuutei.

That didn’t stop Issei from hearing her words or paying attention to his surroundings, hence when she was interrupted by a rain of arrows coming down on them the brunette acted quickly by putting himself in front of her.

[Mere arrows, nothing to worry about. Call for me]

Hearing Regulus' reassurance, and sensing it also coming from Ddraig, Issei was confused for a brief moment but quickly did as told, with the large golden axe soon appearing in his hands. [No need to do anything now partner.]

Ddraig’s words made Issei even more confused. However, he trusted both of them, so all he did was put himself in front of the elf. As he was still in his dragon-kitsune humanoid form it was an easy task to cover her body with his wings.

The confidence Ddraig and Regulus showed was not unfounded, as the moment they touched Issei’s body the arrows turned to dust. The brunette didn’t even feel when they came in contact with him.

Forget the elf, Issei was baffled by that development.

[Regulus protects you from projectile weapons.]

Ddraig stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

‘Isn’t that a bit too unfair? Wait, is just unfair against those I am fighting with, so I really shouldn’t complain.’

For a moment Issei considered starting screaming for them to send more arrows. Since he didn’t have to worry about them, they also didn’t need to worry about being resourceful. Wouldn’t it be a wonderful thing if everyone he fought from now on only use projectile weapons?

Sadly, that was far from reality, but Issei could have fun with a dream for a moment or two.

“Are you ok?”

Knowing he had nothing to worry about, Issei turned his head to look the elf behind him.

“I-I am fine. Thanks! B-but, you should go!”

The Sekiryuutei was about to reply to her nervous words when the attackers showed themselves.

There were five women elves with wooden bows and arrows on the branches of trees. Each of them was more beautiful than the normal human model could ever dream of being. The Sekiryuutei was almost flustered by their appearance, if it wasn’t for the fact they tried to attack him.

‘Hmmm, I just realized that I have no idea what is happening here… It pains me to think this, but maybe this beautiful elf did something bad. But she wouldn’t have told me to just go if that was the case, would she?’

His instincts told him that she was not a bad person, and Issei was always good at hearing those. Still, he did not wish to insert himself in some business that was not his just to mess things up for people who didn’t deserve it.

“What are you all waiting for?”

The last presence that dragon-kitsune felt appeared, it was the only male elf of the group. Issei gave him full marks on looking up like the stereotypical stuck-up noble elf from fantasy stories. From his clothes to the way he was carrying himself and his tone. Issei felt like giving him a thumbs up for being so good at that impression. Of course, it wasn’t an impression, and if said elf knew what Issei was thinking he would have been enraged.

If his instincts told the brunette that the elf behind him was a good person, they were saying the exact opposite about this male elf. Issei also realized none of them reacted to the axe, so it was likely they had no idea what they were dealing with.

“Now you need some dirty mutt to protect you, Tiffania? Well, that shouldn’t be surprising from someone of dirty blood like you.”

Behind him, Issei could feel the elf, who now he knew was named Tiffania, tremble at that man’s sight and words. Any doubt the Sekiryuutei had about the situation was dispelled.

“Do you want my help?”

His words surprised Tiffania and those around them. The elves with the bows tensed up at that. They had seen what Issei did with the arrows they shot and they would prefer not to have to face that sort of enemy.

“A-are you sure? Wait, no! It’s dangerous, you shouldn’t get involved!”

Tiffania had witnessed some of Issei’s strength, meaning she had more than enough reason to want him on her side. However, she couldn’t just drag someone who had nothing to do with her conflict to save herself.

“Shut up! Stop wasting time and kill the two of them!”

Enraged by Issei’s proposal and of being ignored by the two, the stuck-up elf ordered an attack. At that moment, Issei noticed that when the man gave his order, a symbol on his left hand brightened up. The same symbol appeared on the elf’s foreheads before they made a painful expression and jumped into action.

[A slave seal.]

Ddraig explained, to which Issei nodded. He could at least hold back since he knew they were being forced to be in that position.

'This guy really is as low as he looks like he would be.'

Issei commented to himself, now sure that he had no reason to feel guilty for interfering.

With the knowledge that the arrows were useless, the elves had to try alternatives. With a chant that Issei could not recognize short spears made out of wood appeared in their hands. There was a strong elemental energy on them, which the Sekiryuutei identified as wood elemental energy. It made the not-so-threatening-looking spears into actual weapons.

‘If you don’t mind Regulus.’

Issei mentally said, adjusting his hand.

[No need to be reserved.]

It was his first time using an axe as a weapon, making Issei’s posture quite clunky. And because of his high strength status, the axe did not weigh at all, which would have made it more awkward for the brunette to handle the weapon if it wasn’t for his dexterity stat as well.

Thanks to his high dexterity he had perfect control over his strength and handling of his weapons.

New skill acquired.

Axemanship (lv 1)

The elves attacked in a formation, with a synchrony that could only be the result of a lot of experience and practice, making apparent that this was a seasoned group.

As they went to attack, the group of elves started a new chant and two new spears appeared floating at their sides, besides the ones they were already holding. In total, fifteen attacks came from five different directions aimed at Issei.

To Tiffania, who was still behind Issei, those attacks looked fast, to the point that she could only defend herself with magic but not dodge. That was not the case for the dragon-kitsune hybrid, who successfully used Regulus as a shield, blocking all fifteen thrusts before horizontally swinging the axe.

None of the elves were hit but the sheer force behind the attack resulted in a wind strong enough to push the group away for a dozen meters, making a strong thump as they collided with the trees.

On a side note, their large breasts jiggled when the wind hit them, temporarily distracting the Sekiryuutei before he snapped back. Besides the two beings in his soul, no one else realized that.

“Impossible!”

At that reaction, Issei smirked. That elf was hitting all the marks on being a typical stuck-up, full-of-himself villain.

“Get up! You useless waste of space! Attack him!”

Before the male elf knew it, Issei was right in front of him with the blade of his axe right below his chin.

“Are you sure about that?”

The male elf’s expression turned ugly as Issei cheered on his mind, congratulating himself for pulling such a cool move on the classic overconfident villain.

“Y-you…”

The man gnashed his teeth as his rage made him struggle with his own words. If looks could kill, Issei would have been murdered hundreds of times already.

“Hey, you attacked me first. What is your problem, dude?”

It was not like Issei enjoyed buttering in on conflicts that he didn’t understand. Of course, he couldn’t ignore if a beautiful woman was in danger because of something that wasn’t her fault, but in this case, the brunette was attacked before he could even learn Tiffania’s name.

“Oberon! Where is the leader?!”

Tiffania suddenly asked, and if the man could get any angrier, he likely would.

“You win this time.”

Issei raised an eyebrow at that, feeling that he was just being a sore loser. Yet, to the brunette’s surprise, a sudden light appeared on the feet of the six elves as the wind randomly picked up. In the next second, where they had been standing was now just some leaves slowly falling to the ground.

“What?”

Needless to say, the Sekiryuutei was a tad bit confused about the sudden turn of events.

[Elven magic. Don’t feel too bad, it is stronger near their homes, and that’s where you are.]

Seeing her host’s confusion, Ddraig showcased her vast knowledge by explaining what happened.

“Should I go after them?”

He asked out loud, both for Ddraig and Regulus and for Tiffania to hear.

“D-don’t! There are a lot of protective spells, you will just get lost.”

The blonde elf explained, holding his arm for a second before she realized what she did, blushed and let him go.

“Heh, I should probably hear the specialist. Thanks for the warning.”

Smiling, the brunette thanked her.

“N-no worries… and I am no specialist, but thank you for the compliment.”

She says with a sheepish smile that is followed by her stomach rumbling, making Tiffania blush in more shame.

“Heh, here, I think you need this more than me now.”

Out of the storage space of the Boosted Gear, the brunette took an apple and handed it to Tiffania, who looked at him full of gratitude.

“Thank you!”

She held it like it was gold, and devoured it like it was the best meal she ever had. After five seconds, only the core of the apple had been left. Issei let out a whistle of surprise before getting out some more food. He had enough for his whole trip, so taking some out now was not going to make him go hungry later.

“I have some more if you want.”

He showcased some fruits and bread, which made Tiffania drool before she quickly realized how she looked and adjusted herself.

‘She’s so cute!’

The brunette thought to himself, fighting the urge to say it out loud.

“Thank you very much for the offer, but I shouldn’t take advantage of you like that. It is not fair.”

She strongly shook her head from side to side to emphasize her point. It had the added effect of making her breasts shake as well, entrancing Issei.

“I don’t mind though. In fact, I prefer to eat with you than alone, if you don’t mind.”

That took Tiffania by surprise and after one more rumble from her stomach, she had to accept.

“We should probably look for a better place to go eat than here, and hmm… do you know one?”

She tilted her head thoughtfully before nodding after having remembered a place.

Remaining here was not exactly the smartest strategic choice as the other elves could come back with way more people at any point. And considering their ground advantage, the duo had no good reason to stay around, sitting and waiting.

“Oh, I am sorry, I didn’t ask your name.”

On their way out, Tiffania realized that she had yet to know the name of the person who helped her. Issei had also forgotten about that.

“I am Hyoudou Issei, you can just call me Issei.”

He said, scratching his head.

“Thanks, Issei!”

Now knowing the name of her savior, Tiffania felt happier.

As they got out of the thick of the woods, the blonde elf guided Issei to an open valley, further from the forest. Issei felt the magic, that now he identified as elven magic, getting thinner and thinner, meaning they were at the borders of elven territory. Even if that guy from before tried to pull the same trick, he would not be able to without the strong support of the forest.

After a little more walking they stopped near a river, and Issei could sense fishes swimming on it.

“Tiffania-san, do you mind if I catch some fish?”

He wasn’t too sure about her eating habits, so he asked before making some mistake.

“Fish? Ah, that would be great!”

She started drooling again, daydreaming about being able to eat fish. Issei smiled at that, again thinking she was very cute, which no one would blame him for.

When Issei got to the shore of the river and was about to try to catch some fish, he finally got a chance to look at himself. To say he was a mess would be an understatement.

Since he got here the brunette did not get any chances to clean himself, and because he first appeared underground, his face and body were still covered in soil and dirt. His hair was so messy that it looked like a bird’s nest.

‘Mom would kill me if she saw me going around like this.’

Feeling a chill at that thought, the Sekiryuutei gathered some water and washed himself with it taking the dirt out of his body. That slightly surprised Tiffania, who was under the impression that Issei’s previous appearance was his regular one.

She could hardly be blamed since he was not only very dirty before, but his current appearance is still that of his humanoid draconic kitsune. No one would look at him and think he was human.

After cleaning himself, Issei went back to his original quest.

Catching fish quickly turned out to be another opportunity for the brunette to test his evolved abilities, including, surprisingly enough, his martial arts.

By concentrating, Issei’s moves followed the flow of the river and of the fish, which meant he was always catching them successfully.

Martial Arts evolved to level 12!

New skill acquired!

Survival (lv 1)

The brunette did not expect a level up or to get a new skill from just trying to catch something for dinner. He was not complaining either.

In total, Issei got eight fish. He could see Tiffania excited about them, apparent by her drooling and her eyes shining at the perspective of eating it.

The brunette’s fire powers came in handy unexpectedly, with him using it to cook the fish. He also had some salt and other sauces which were put on the fish in generous amounts.

New skill acquired!

Cooking (lv 1)

‘Huh, if I knew that, I wouldn’t have eaten prepared food this whole time.’

He was now curious as to how good his food could get the higher he leveled up. That thought didn’t stay for long as the smell of the fish made his stomach rumble loudly. It was only then Issei remembered how long it had been since he last ate.

“Thanks for the food!”

Putting his palms together, Issei said it, before eating in. He also had separated some soda and tea, making Tiffania curious about the drinks. It was vastly different from what she had been exposed to.

“T-thanks for the food!”

She repeated Issei’s actions, fearing it would be disrespectful to eat his food if she didn’t do so.

After the first bite, Issei could swear he saw her pupils turn into stars. The fish didn’t last long in her hands.

“Hehe, glad you liked it.”

The brunette was naturally overjoyed that such a beauty enjoyed his food.

“Hey, Issei, how did you end up here?”

This question had been on the back of her mind since she saw him. It was very rare to find outsiders so close to the elves’ forest.

“Ah, that is because of a failed portal. I was supposed to go back home, to Japan, but instead ended up here.”

It was an oversimplification of the events, but an accurate one. It is not like Issei could start telling her about the system or the fact that he went to a dungeon in another world. Even though he could feel that Tiffania was trustworthy, he couldn’t just dump that information into her.

“I see. Space magic can be complicated if you don’t know what you are doing.”

She spoke up in a tone that showcased some magical knowledge, which Issei quickly picked up on.

“You know magic, Tiffania-san?”

 Smiling weakly, she nodded her head.

“I study it a lot under my teacher. Most of my knowledge is theoretical, but I would say I understand a thing or two well enough.”

When she mentioned her teacher Tiffania’s smile brightened up for a moment before it dimmed down.

“What’s the problem?”

With her abrupt mood change, clearly triggered by remembering something, Issei had to question.

“Do you remember the leader I mentioned? The one I asked Oberon about?” Issei nodded and she continued. “She is my teacher. She disappeared two days ago and Oberon took over. He is not even looking for her! And she told me to be wary of him before she disappeared. I know he is involved somehow, everyone does, but he took control over everyone, and no one but me can deny his orders. If they do they will die.”

In any other scenario, the idea of a village full of beautiful elf women would make Issei want to salivate. But the desperation in Tiffania’s voice and her sadness made him feel bad for her, and hate for Oberon.

“How can you avoid him?”

Hearing that question she looked down and sighed.

“Only pure-blooded elves are affected by the spell that he is using, but my father was a human. He and my mother died shortly before my birth and my teacher, the leader, took me in. She took care of me like a mother and taught me everything I know, but I can’t even save her!”

By that point, tears threatened to form in her eyes. She was alone and lacked the skills to make a significant change by herself. From her perspective, she was walking a path with no hope.

“Then let me help you find her!”

Could Issei ever ignore a beautiful woman who didn’t deserve to suffer, and let her face her problems alone? Of course not!

“Help me? Are you sure?”

Her spirits rose with that perspective. She had witnessed Issei casually dealing with people she had no chance against, therefore if he was by her side, she felt it could be plausible to save her teacher.

“Of course! Besides, to be honest, I will likely need support to go back home, so I will also need your and your teacher's help later.”

Tiffania nodded enthusiastically. She would be more than glad to help Issei if they succeeded.

“Don’t worry, with teacher skills, I am sure she will be able to help you!”

She couldn’t be happier, finally feeling hope for the first time the whole day. Seeing her like that, Issei could not help himself and also smiled, glad he was able to give her hope and brighten her mood.

New Quest Accepted!

Save the leader of the Elves

Rewards:

The elves’ trust

15.000 exp

5 high level healing potions

Chapter Text

Take by surprise, Issei was about to question the system when the same went ahead explaining before the brunette had to ask.

Not all quests need to be developed by the system. A quest can be made naturally by the circumstances and by taking part in it, the user accepts the quest and the rewards that come with it. Think of it as us adapting to the environments around you.

Issei nodded to the system’s explanation, finding it to make sense. It made him curious as to what type of things would be quests too. Would accepting a chore from his mother be considered a quest? Doing his homework?

All in all, it opened interesting opportunities.

“Issei?”

The brunette had been distracted by the system meaning that, from Tiffania’s perspective, he was looking at nothing.

“Oh, sorry, I was just thinking. Before I found you I entered in conflict with another group. It sounds impossible for this to not be connected, so do you have any ideas?”

Tiffania was very surprised by that, showcasing to Issei that it was the first she had been made aware of that group.

“No, but it doesn’t surprise me. Oberon shouldn’t be able to deal with my teacher alone.”

This just meant that whatever they were about to deal with, was more of a coordinated operation than the elf originally thought.

“How should we get started?”

With Tiffania having no leads, they had to restart their approach.

‘Regulus, do you know if the people from that organization had anything to do with this?’

It was impossible to think that there would be no connection between the events involving the elves and the organization that attacked the previous host of Regulus Nemea.

It was simply too much of a coincidence for them to be here and not be inv

[There likely is, they had been luring us here for weeks while trying to hunt him down. That’s how they succeeded, by tiring him out over weeks.]

Predicting the question that Issei or Ddraig would make, Regulus answered before they had to ask.

[The group you saw was just a small part of it. This was a well-planned operation. They blocked a lot of routes to force us on this path. Also, keep in mind that you meet lacked magicians, but many of them were taking part in the hunt, and they were constantly messing with the senses of my host, besides other tricks.]

Taking down the host of Regulus Nemea was a big operation for the mysterious organization, and appropriately, they concentrated a lot of resources on it. To make matters more annoying, not even Regulus knew why they did all that.

[They backed out when they thought their victory was guaranteed. Now that I think about it, it is likely they had to go to attend to other operations. I would be surprised if it has nothing to do with this elf leader.]

The lion of Nemea offered his perspective on the matter.

Issei and Ddraig had to agree with him. The chances of all being a coincidence were just too low.

“Do you think we should try to make our way to your home? We could get answers from that guy if I force it out of him.”

The mental conversation did not last enough for Tiffania to think Issei was dozing off again. Hearing his proposal, she had to shake her head.

“That would just force you to battle everyone. I would like to avoid that. Besides, if the leader was anywhere near the village I would know.” She puts her hand on her cleavage, making Issei pay very close attention to her movements, and takes out a golden ring with a crystal embedded in it. “If I am near my teacher, this ring should let me know. But it has not activated since she disappeared.”

Issei nodded before putting his hand on his chin, pensive. He was going over his skills, trying to think of what could be useful in this scenario.

“Well, there is one place I couldn’t search for. I don’t know the way there, it is a secret for most of the village, but I know who does, and we can ask them for help.”

Naturally, Issei was happy to hear that.

“That’s the place you were going to before?”

The Sekiryuutei asked, realizing it made more sense for Tiffania to have a set destination than to be running without a proper plan.

“Yes, the Orc’s village! They will know the path!”

At first Issei was just nodding at that, but when the words properly sunk in, he got alarmed.

“Orcs?!”

In his soul, Ddraig sighed and Regulus got curious by that strong reaction.

[Don’t pay much attention to his antics. He is just being foolish.]

She refused to elaborate further than that and Regulus just took her word for it. Tiffania shared Regulus’ confusion, not understanding the strong reaction from the brunette.

“Yes. Do you have bad experiences with Orcs, Issei?”

She asked in doubt.

“Eh, you could say so… but if that’s the only way… don’t worry Tiffania-san! I will protect you with my life if I need to!”

Putting his hands on her shoulders, Issei’s words were full of determination. He meant everything he said, making Tiffania flustered and happy.

“T-thank you. I am not sure why you're so determined, but it makes me happy. I am glad to have a friend.”

The blonde said with a blush while playing with the tips of her hair and avoiding the brunette's look. She felt like she would get even redder if she looked directly at Issei.

“Yes! And I will protect my friends!”

With that strong declaration, they start moving again.

After helping Tiffania cross the river, the two started talking about their lives and experiences. Issei explained some of his favorite foods, surprising Tiffania with how different their culinary costumes were.

“You can have the same food, but with different ingredients? Wouldn’t that make it a whole new food?”

She had to ask after Issei explained to her what pizza was.

“Technically? But pizza is still pizza, you know? Like, if you add different sauces to fish or prepare it in a different way, it is still fish. Hehe, maybe I will take you out to eat some pizza, I bet you will love it.”

His promise was casual but it made Tiffania feel like jumping with happiness.

“It would be great if you could! I would love to experience the things you are talking about, Issei.”

After that, the topic changed to Issei’s lineage, and he mentioned his kitsune ancestry. He also had to explain what kitsune’s were, for Tiffania to properly understand it.

“I see. So, you are like me!”

As she said that, she got closer to Issei with a radiant smile, glad to find a hybrid like her. It also caused her breasts to touch his arm, which made the Sekiryuutei happy too.

“Hehe, I didn’t think about that.”  Seeing her rejoice about the fact, made the brunette smile for her. “My parents are humans, but I had an accident and to survive my Sacred Gear ended up changing my body, making me half-dragon, half-kitsune.”

Taking out the Boosted Gear, he explained why he currently looked as he did. Tiffania was very surprised by that.

Issei was not only the first hybrid she met, he was also the first dragon, kitsune, and Sacred Gear user, she met.

“So, this is a Sacred Gear. My teacher talked about them, but I never thought I would get to see one.”

Considering humans were not a common sight in the forest, that was a normal assumption.

“Which one is this?”

Her question prompted a proud smile to appear on Issei’s face.

“This is the Boosted Gear! The best Sacred Gear, with the best dragoness ever!”

Ddraig wouldn’t admit it, but his words made her happy and proud.

“The Boosted Gear? Isn’t that a Longinus?!”

It took a second for Tiffania to remember the information she had been told about Sacred Gears, but when it did, she exclaimed in surprise by realizing she was looking at a potential god-killing weapon.

“Hehe, absolutely!”

Which man wouldn’t like to show off in front of a beautiful girl that was his friend? The ones that didn’t were either liars, had other interests, or were a breed rarer than a unicorn’s horn!

“Amazing! No surprise you are so strong!”

Hearing her compliments, the dragon kitsune hybrid sheepishly smiled.

“But wait, if that’s your Sacred Gear, what was that axe from before?”

That question made Issei’s expression change slightly. It was one thing to talk about the Boosted Gear and Ddraig, the two knew each other for years, and Issei was very comfortable in his identity as the Sekiryuutei.

The same couldn’t be said about Regulus, because of the unfortunate circumstances around how he became Regulus’ host. For Issei, it felt wrong to go around talking about Regulus like that.

[I thank you for your concern but feel free to inform your friend about me. I do not feel any offense from that.]

Regulus could feel Issei’s doubts and he understood where they were coming from, prompting him to reassure the brunette. Hearing that, Issei didn’t mind explaining to Tiffania.

“That is another Longinus, the Regulus Nemea.”

For a moment, the blonde showed no reaction. She was trying to process what she heard.

“Another Longinus?!”

Even with her limited experience and knowledge, she was well aware of how absurd it was the perspective of someone with two Longinus.

“Remember the group I mentioned about before? They took down the previous host, but Regulus remained after his host’s passing and took revenge on them. Then, Ddraig decided to offer him a chance to stay, and I managed to become his host.”

To say Tiffania was blown away would be an understatement. From her perspective, Issei was becoming more and more amazing.

It also made her feel that as long as they found her teacher, it does not matter what waited for them, they would be able to win.

“You are amazing Issei!”

The brunette scratched his head after hearing that.

“Thanks, but you are pretty amazing as well. You still stood up to fight for your teacher on your own, didn’t you? I think that’s very impressive.”

He told her with sincerity in his voice. 

Issei’s compliments made Tiffania blush again, which was starting to become commonplace and made her happy. Besides her teacher, it was likely the first time someone praised her courage.

The duo progressed at a steady pace and soon enough the terrain started to change, becoming rougher to walk through.

It still looked like a forest, but a more hostile one. After some time Issei started feeling magic in the environment again and before they knew it, it was clear they had approached the orc’s territory.

The brunette prepared himself for battle if needed, and ignored Ddraig’s sighs. He had seen enough doujins to know how orcs would react to a beautiful elf, like Tiffania, and he was ready to protect her with everything he had, even if it meant burning the whole place to the ground.

“Elves and Orcs don’t have the friendliest relationship, so we should be careful.”

Tiffania’s words, and the fact that she was looking very tense, did not do much to help relieve Issei’s worries. He felt like crying of anger thinking about all the beautiful female elves that lived near those bastards.

After passing through the frontier of the orc’s territory, Tiffania said they should be arriving at a settlement soon. Shortly after that the duo came across their first patrol.

It was two male orcs. They should be around two meters tall, with a large body that could be either fat or muscle. They also had piglike faces.

Their clothes were made of some type of leader and both were carrying maces as their weapons.

The one on the right was also a bit fatter while the one on the left was skinner.

Tiffania put her hand on Issei’s shoulder and moved her head, signalizing she was going ahead to communicate. The sekiryuutei wanted to protest but seeing that, the blonde shook her head and held his hand.

Understanding she was asking him to trust her, Issei sighed and signed for her to go. Anyway, he was ready to jump in and save her if necessary. He was more than ready to grill those orcs.

Letting her presence be known by making a small noise, Tiffania slowly made her way to where the two orcs could see her.

“Hello, I am the student of-”

Before she could finish her introduction, the two orcs rudely interrupted her.

“An elf?”

The fatter one said. Much to Issei’s surprise, there was clear disgust in his voice. And the other orc simply turned around and started throwing upon seeing Tiffania.

Looking at the blonde at the moment, one would realize she was holding back tears and biting her lips, feeling ashamed by what was happening.

“What the hell is wrong with you two?!”

Seeing that, the sekiryuutei couldn’t remain in his place anymore.

[You moron, orcs don’t have the same beauty standards as you. From their perspective, what you consider beautiful, they see as hideous.]

Ddraig explained while rolling her eyes, dumbfounding Issei.

‘Why didn’t you explain this before?’

He asked, feeling like he had been unfairly led astray.

[It was stupid, but your antics can be amusing.]

Admitted the dragoness, with a small smile on her lips.

“Who are you? Why do you and this ugly elf want?”

The one that had just thrown up asked, infuriated that Tiffania’s sudden appearance “forced” him to throw away his lunch.

“Ugly?”

His words had a clear effect, as Tiffania got even closer to crying.

“You bastard! Take that back, she is beautiful!”

Seeing her like that because of the orc's words, Issei could not remain without doing anything. He ran towards the skinner one, raised him to the air by his collar, and started shaking him around.

“Beautiful?!”

At the same time, his words made Tiffania forget the offenses that were just thrown at her. She put her hands on her cheeks, feeling flustered, while struggling to not smile.

“Hey, put him down! How dare you do this for this ugly elf!”

Seeing his friend being shaken around like a balloon, the fatter orc tried to intervene. Sadly, to them, his actions just threw more fire to the fuel.

“She is beautiful you bastards!”

In the end, the brunette also holds the fatter one by his collar and starts shaking him around. What was supposed to be a pacific attempt to approach the orcs for information ended up with Issei commiting acts of violence and Tiffania feeling both happy and flustered by what the brunette says.

The scene stayed like that for a solid minute or two before another orc finally arrived because of all the noise.

“What is an elf doing here, and what are you doing to my soldiers?!”

“What?! Do you have something to say about Tiffania-san too?”

The newcomer was the captain of this settlement, yet the moment he looked into Issei’s eyes he flinched and took a step back, seeing a dragon growling in the place of the brunette.

“W-who are you?”

He forced the question to get out of his mouth as sweat started to form on his forehead.

That took Tiffania out of her stupor.

“Ahem, I am Celestine's student, and I would like to meet your leader. My master recently disappeared and I believe she was taken to the Mother Tree against her wishes. I need to learn the path to get there and save her!”

Issei also let go of the two orcs he was holding, who quickly ran to get behind their captain. Tiffania’s words would be much less convincing if she said all that while her companion kept holding the two orcs.

The captain narrowed his eyes as if trying to see through any potential lie. At that, Tiffania took out her ring once more, this time from her hand, so she just took it out of her finger and put it on her palm, before showing it to the captain.

The captain nodded at that.

“Come with me, I will contact our leader.”

With those words, he turned around and went in the direction of the settlement, closely followed by the other two, who did not dare to look at Issei.

Seeing that, the dragon and the elf looked at each other and smiled.

[…]

Getting to meet the leader was faster than either expected. They didn’t even need to move settlements.

The two couldn’t get many details, but apparently, he had moved to the settlement near the border after things had started going weird.

Anyway, the leader was open to hearing Tiffania, but he kept his eyes closed the whole meeting. In fact, all the orcs present tried to stay as physically far from the elf as they could.

The leader was a fat orc, fat enough to make Issei question how the man could even stand up. The fact that he was already in the room when the two entered made the dragon hybrid feel like the man did not move to get there.

“I see, that is indeed troublesome. Celestine would not just disappear like that, and Oberon’s actions can be trouble for us too. Sooner or later this will become our problem, even if I would like to avoid the conflict.” The leader seemed to be in a thoughtful mood as he went on. “A few days ago some of my men reported weird activities near our borders, and now that I think about it, they were probably trying to make their way to the Mother Tree.”

He finished speaking. Issei was not sure what this mother tree was, but from the way both the leader and Tiffania were speaking about it, it was probably very important for both elves and orcs.

“Tell, Celestine's student, do you trust your companion?”

The question seemed random, but as a leader, he had to verify something about Issei, who was a stranger to both orcs and elves.

“Yes! I know I can trust him!”

There was not a shadow of a doubt in Tiffania’s words, making Issei quite happy. At the same time, it also increased his motivation to help her.

Hearing that the leader seemed more thoughtful. Then the captain who had met the two earlier, got closer to his leader and whispered something in his ear.

“I see… very, I took my decision. I will provide both of you with the best help I can offer.”

Chapter Text

“Thank you, sir!”

It was like the weight of the world had been alleviated from Tiffania’s shoulders. Seeing her relieved, Issei smiled at her, prompting her to smile back.

“The rest of you can leave. And call my daughter, she will be their support.”

The rest of the Orcs left to fulfill their leader’s orders.

Issei wondered what his daughter would look like. The thought of a female orc did not appeal to him from what he had seen of them.

“The path is protected by magic, but some of us are well-versed in the spells to walk through there. My daughter knows them particularly well; the only thing she lacks is knowledge of the path, to ensure its security. Still, a map is all you will need.”

They nodded, which was useless since the leader still had his eyes covered so as not to have to look at Tiffania.

Issei was curious if the blonde didn’t know those spells. Even if she did, considering how they still needed the map, it was apparent that only one or the other would not be enough. In normal scenarios, this approach should be a good protective measure, but considering their situation, there was some flaw that went unnoticed all this time by the elves.

A knock was heard on the door, and the leader permitted them to enter. Issei mentally prepared himself to look at a female walking pig, but his expectations were turned upside down.

If one were to put the leader and his so-called daughter next to each other, without saying anything, no sane person would think they were related.

“This is my daughter, Piglette.”

Piglette was very human-looking, with the only thing setting her apart being her two pairs of ears, one pig-like and sticking from the top of her head, and the other on the sides of her head looking like a middle ground between the pointy elf ears and a normal human ear.

Her skin was of a shiny tan, and her purple hair was lustrous, reaching to the end of her back. While a lot of the orcs were on the larger side, she was slim, except for breasts and butt, which were large. Not quite enough to reach Tiffania’s level, but still large.

Considering how Issei was expecting someone way less attractive, the Sekiryuutei did not know how to react for a second.

The woman in question barely looked at the duo. She nervously glanced and nodded in their direction before going back to avoiding their look. Her demeanor did not inspire a lot of confidence.

“As I am sure you can see, she is quite different from the rest of my people, so I think it should be easier for you all to get along. Piglette, do you have the map?”

There did not seem to be a lot of care in the way he addressed her, something Issei picked up on.

“Y-yes, father.”

Seeming satisfied with that, the leader raised his hand in the direction of the door. However, because he had his eyes blocked, he was pointing at a random wall. No one bothered to correct him.

“I wish you luck.”

[…]

The first few steps outside of the settlement were quiet. Tiffania was looking at the map, and Issei was analyzing the environment. Pigglete, on the other hand, was playing with her hair as she looked around nervously.

As time passed and they got further from the settlement, she seemed to get more and more nervous, so Issei had to stop to ask.

“Are you ok? Do you need to take a break?”

The question almost made her jump before she strongly shook her head.

“N-n-no, it's just that I-I’ve never talked with a man on my own like this…”

Piglette said with a strong blush and ragged breath, as if she were doing something that required a lot of effort.

Tiffania found her reaction curious, not seeing why the female orc was acting like that.

“We weren’t even talking, though…”

The brunette could not help but point. Not that it did much to help Piglette’s situation.

“I-I apologize for forcing you two to have to deal with me.”

She then followed up by saying those words, which managed to make Issei and Tiffania more confused.

“Why would you say that? You are a great help to us.”

“Indeed, there is no need to apologize. We would be lost without you.”

Sadly, their words seemed to do little to calm her worries.

“Still, having to deal with someone as repugnant as me... I apologize.”

The way Piglette said that was like someone saying the sky was blue. She believed she was horrifying and that it was terrible to be in her presence.

“That’s not true! You are one of the prettiest women I’ve ever met, there is no way you are repugnant!”

Hearing what she said was like hearing the highest level of heresy for Issei. It took a while for his brain to catch up with the fact that orcs have different beauty standards, meaning she grew up in a whole society that judged her as ugly.

Of course, since Issei considered her cute and beautiful, none of that mattered to him.

“C-c-c-cute?! M-me?”

With how she was looking because of the brunette’s words, it would not be weird if her brain got fried. She was very red and had an unfocused look. Anyone who didn’t know what was happening would think Piglette had a high fever.

Tiffania could only give a smile, lost for what to do. Issei now had other reasons to dislike the Orcs.

After a few minutes, Piglette went back to normal, and they proceeded to make their way to the tree again.

“Hmm, it might take too long if we walk all the way there…”

Looking at the map and seeing all the paths they had to cross through to reach their destination from their current location, Tiffania got worried that it might be too late by the time they arrive.

That prompted Issei to look at the map and think about the distance, making him realize that he could very well carry the two, and they would get to their destination much faster.

“Aham, I can carry both of you and get there fast. We just stop whenever Piglette-san needs to do her spells.”

Inevitably, a slight blush formed on Issei’s cheeks as he thought of the large breasts of the two women against his body. He was looking forward to it.

“That would be great, Issei!”

Tiffania instantly got fired up, thinking she could get to her teacher earlier. Piglette, on the other hand, was having another crisis as she thought about how close she would have to get to Issei for him to carry her.

“Wait, Issei, why didn’t you mention that before? When we were going to meet the Orcs.”

Realizing that this was something he could have brought up earlier, Tiffania asked in curiosity.

“Eh, I didn’t think about it. Though I don't know if I would have said anything... I wouldn't want you to think I am taking advantage of you.”

The brunette said, for the first time showcasing some shyness as he scratched the back of his head and looked away, too embarrassed to look at Tiffania.

His reaction surprised Tiffania before she giggled.

“If it is you, it’s ok, I trust you, Issei.”

Because of his horrible reputation, no women in Kuoh would show this level of trust to Issei, so Tiffania saying that with naturalness mentally stumped the dragon hybrid for a few seconds.

“Hey, you shouldn’t just trust any guy!”

After his mind reloaded, his first instinct was to reprimand her. His bad reputation was something imprinted on his mind, and Issei was aware he was no saint. This made him genuinely worried that someone could take advantage of Tiffania’s kindness.

However, his reaction only made her tilt her head cutely before she smiled and said.

“But Issei, you are not any guy.”

Issei's only thought was that her smile was heavenly at that moment. His brain scrambled to try to say something and failed miserably.

Tiffania's smile got wider as she thought he looked very cute.

In his soul space, Ddraig was laughing more than she probably had in the last few years. Seeing Issei react like that was gold to her. Even Regulus felt that Issei’s reaction was both amusing and cute. It showed an emotional side that was unusual for most Dragon Emperors.

“Shouldn’t we get going?”

The blonde elf said, taking Issei out of his stupor.

“Oh, my… h-how daring… so that’s the power of the elves…”

That whole scene made Piglette’s face burn red and her admiration for Tiffania grow exponentially.

Not knowing what to say and not wanting to waste more time, Issei quickly put both of them on his shoulders, as if they were sitting there, and started going at full speed.

The first thing the brunette thought was how good the sensation of their asses on his shoulder was. The second thing he thought was that maybe he was going too fast, as both women let out surprised screams and strongly held his head to prevent themselves from falling. Not that they had any risk of falling, as Issei was also holding them by their legs.

Tiffania would warn them whenever they were approaching an area that required Piglette’s spells, and Issei would stop for the purple-haired woman to do her tricks.

They learned that Piglette was taught those spells in the specific order in which they had to be realized. That was the reason she could support them, even if she was unaware of the path herself.

“Because of my looks, that was the best thing I could do for the people.”

Issei could tell that her life wasn’t the easiest.

“You shouldn’t hear them; you are pretty cute.”

He knew just saying that could overwhelm her, but the brunette wouldn’t feel good with himself if he didn’t.

“Issei is right, Piglette. You are cute.”

Tiffania also said, innocently agreeing with the sekiryuutei. While Issei thought Piglette was very attractive and hot, Tiffania just thought she was adorable.

Their words naturally overwhelmed the poor girl, who kept quiet, feeling like her brain was going to melt.

There were a dozen points at which they had to stop for Piglette’s spells. Sometimes her spells would open a new path that didn’t seem to be there before, or cancel a spell that would throw them off their path. Issei had to admit that with so many of those, he would get lost without Piglette.

But thanks to her, he going full speed by making use of both his speed stat and his innate ability of Lightning Movement III. They covered all the ground in thirty minutes.

“Hey, Tiffania-san, what is this tree?”

Since they were arriving, Issei felt like this was the best time to ask.

“Oh, right, sorry, I should have explained it to you earlier. It is the tree that gives life to the forest and my people. It also protects us and the Orcs. We elves have a more intimate relationship with it. It is essential for our society.”

She explained, making Issei realize the gravity of the situation for the elves. If her teacher were here and the organization was involved, whatever they were doing with this tree could mean the end of this elf settlement, which would naturally mean the end of their lives.

And judging by the presence, Issei was feeling ahead; his hypothesis was not far from the mark.

The trio stopped at the edge of a hill. If they kept going, they could just follow a path down and reach the base of the hill, where they would be met by a myriad of gigantic trees working as a natural wall, and enchanted spikes, which were protecting what looked to be the entrance that should lead to the Mother Tree.

[Bastards.]

The view was impressive; however, what took everyone’s attention was the people in front of the wall of spikes.

By Regulus reaction, it was already obvious that they were from the same organization that Issei faced earlier. In fact, Regulus could feel their aura through Issei, and they were the same mages who were attacking his previous host.

Some seemed to be doing something to keep the spikes in control, letting a path open, and others were analyzing the environment.

Issei was about to ask Tiffania what she wanted when the ring in her hand started shining. The brunette quickly pushed the two away, not wanting to risk someone seeing the light. He didn’t want to lose the element of surprise.

“My teacher is here! She is at the tree!”

Looking at the ring, the light shone brighter in the direction that was blocked by the spikes.

“I-I can’t do much anymore, I-I am sorry…”

Piglette said, realizing she was now over her head. She had no clue who those people were; all she knew was that they looked dangerous.

“Neither of you needs to worry. Tiffania-san, you will meet your teacher in a minute.”

Issei did not need to hear what Tiffania had to say to know what he should do. Giving them a thumbs up, he turned around and jumped from the edge of the hill.

‘Regulus, what do you want to do with them?’

Before Issei landed, the lion had already answered.

[Kill them.]

The lion could not contain his hate for these cowards.

That was all Issei needed to know before attacking. He was bound to kill someone sooner or later, and he preferred it if it were enemies like these. There was no moral doubt here; this was the type of people who would kill him if they could, so Issei should take them out now. Ddraig had also done her best to drill in Issei that this day would arrive sooner or later, so he was mentally ready now.

In regard to information, there were a lot of things that could be done with the corpses for that. Besides, from the presence he was feeling from the other side of the tunnel, he knew there would be someone else they could interrogate.

The moment he landed, he was already dashing and using his speed to take five of them down.

The mages did not have anywhere close to the reaction speed required to deal with Issei. From their perspective, a blur was going through the field, cleaning their numbers.

His strength was also too much for them. As mages, their bodies were not particularly strong, so when receiving a punch from the dragon hybrid that was Issei, they could only collapse on the ground.

Stealth has leveled up!

Stealth (lv 12)

“A-amazing…”

Seeing the scene happening below her, Piglette was speechless. After witnessing how fast he moved, the purple-haired girl expected Issei to be strong, and he still surpassed her expectations.

“He is the strongest. By the way, we should probably get going.”

Even though they had known each other for only a short time, Tiffania had a lot of trust in Issei.

With the path down there cleared, the two took the way there to join Issei.

The brunette made quick work of the mages. Surprisingly enough for himself, he didn't feel much at their deaths. Maybe because Regulus was influencing him somehow, or maybe because of his transformation, or maybe because of Ddraig's training and years of preparation. Or maybe it was all of that.

Once he was done, the sekiryuutei burned their bodies. He felt his experience increasing a little, but not much. Those mages barely offered any of it.

He looked at the wall of spikes.

They were long and thick green stems, with large spikes the size of Issei’s head coming out of them. On top of that, they were constantly moving and more and more of them were getting out of the ground.

Just a few seconds ago, the mages were keeping it at bay, using some spell to stop its growth and keep the path open. With them dead, it was growing again at alarming speeds. However, not alarming enough for Issei, who had the perfect thing for this thing.

“Kame…hame…ha!”

Assuming the classic posture for the once fictional technique, Issei concentrated his draconic energy in his hands before blasting it at the spikes, reducing them to nothing once again.

He made enough damage to delay their reconstruction, which would give anyone enough time to pass.

If he had not just killed more than a dozen people, the Sekiryuutei would have thought about how much he loved his life. Sadly, the situation was a bit grim for that.

Still, bringing the Kamehameha to life would always be one of his biggest sources of joy.

Tiffania and Piglette arrived the moment the spikes were destroyed, and at that point, the elf could not hold her anxiety any longer, and went straight ahead through the tunnel that had been opened. She knew her teacher was on the other side, and she had to get there as quickly as possible, even if it was only a second earlier.

Chapter Text

After passing through the tunnel, they arrived at a large open valley. For a brief moment, Issei thought that it made no sense how something like this could exist, so well hidden in the depths of the forest.

The grass all around was greener than in any other place they had been through, or any other place that Issei had seen his whole life.

And in the middle of it all was a colossal tree, with such width that a hundred men going around it would not be enough to cover it entirely, and with such height that it looked like it had no end.

Its appearance inspired awe, but it was blemished by seals covering its whole body. Its aura, which should be felt from afar, was contained, and the tree was starting to show early signs of withering.

If it were just that, maybe it wouldn’t be that impressive; however, the tree was boasting in life energy. From afar, Issei could understand why this tree was so vital to the survival of the forest and the elves. With this much energy, it was no surprise that it was key for the survival and protection of the elves.

“Teacher!”

Those were some of the details the Sekiryuutei noticed with his peripheral vision; however, what he was focusing on was something entirely different.

In front of the tree, there was an altar with three people already on it. One was Oberon, who had an ugly expression upon seeing the trio arrive. The other was a pale man with long, dark brown hair tied in a ponytail and a scorpion tail on his back. The uniform was the same as the leader of the squad responsible for ambushing Regulus’ previous host.

And in the middle of the two was a female elf. She had long blonde hair and pale white skin, which was now blemished by blood and injuries. Her clothes would be more accurately described as a white fabric covering her breasts and legs, with some golden decorations connecting all pieces of fabric.

It would be understandable if someone mistook the student and the teacher for sisters. Besides the long blonde hair, both also had exceptionally large breasts and asses. If the situation weren’t so critical, Issei would have loved to stop and just look at the two.

She was hanged in the air by her arms, with both hands stuck to floating stones that had some runes engraved on them.

Issei took the opportunity to use Analysis on all three of them.

Name: Celestine

Race: Elf

Status: Injured

Class: Elf Matriarch

Description: The elves' matriarch is a woman of responsibility who does her best for her people. She excels in magical theory and leadership skills, but lacks in raw power or combat skills. She also raised Tiffania and sees the younger elf as her daughter. Currently injured after being captured by a traitor of the village.

Name: Oberon

Race: Elf

Status: Alive

Class: Guardian of the Elves

Description: The only male born in the village in centuries. He was supposed to be a guardian, but his position and uniqueness in birth got to his head, making him see everyone around as inferior. He has such a superiority complex that he finds those around him disgusting. He agreed to work together with an organization to take down Celestine because he saw it as an opportunity to show his own superiority while "freeing" himself. Celestine did her best to fix his twisted world view multiple times, but it was useless. He despises Tiffania for her human blood and for the fact that she was treated well in the village.

Name: Tyrian

Race: Human Chimera

Status: Alive (Mutated | Insane)

Class: Fighter

Description: A leader of the organization with unclear motives. He's a modified human with a scorpion tail, and his grip on reality is questionable at best. Weirdly devoted to his mission. Enjoys inflicting pain on others.

“You dirty-blooded bitch! Ah! To think I would get the pleasure to get rid of you here, right now! The heavens really are on my side!”

Oberon looked much more unhinged than when Issei and Tiffania met him hours ago.

His expression and words scared Tiffania. He looked angrier and more unhinged than she had ever seen, and for a moment, doubt took over. That is, until Issei took a step ahead and put his arm in front of her, shielding her from Oberon.

At that, she knew things would be ok.

“Hehehe, that one looks strong!”

Tyrion proclaimed, looking at the brunette with a crazed look. Issei mentally noted how those nutjobs were a fitting duo.

The brunette was indifferent to Tyrion, but was now burning in hatred for Oberon. The way he treated Tiffania and the woman who was essentially her mother. Reading those descriptions didn't change the brunette; it just made it easier for him to want to kill Oberon.

“He is a pain and a bastard, that’s what he is!”

The male elf’s words were spitting with hatred.

“Oberon, who is this man?! Why are you doing this?!”

Tiffania had to ask. She understood that the man hated her, so if he had attacked her, Tiffania would not be surprised. What she could not understand was why he was going so far as to harm their home.

“Why?! Why wouldn’t I?! Those pieces of shit decided that you deserved respect even when you are a dirty-blooded bitch! And I, the gods sent, was treated as just another of you, lowly women! I am the only man and the guardian on that damned place! I should be treated like royalty! Instead, I am treated the same as the filthy daughter of a human! There is no fairness in that damn place, so I will bring it down myself!”

Oberon sounded more and more unhinged as his speech went on. Tiffania was shocked by what he was saying. She knew Oberon despised her, but never would she have thought that he would take such offense at being treated the same as the others.

From Issei’s perspective, hearing him complain so much about the place made his blood boil.

‘Bastard! Don’t you know how many of us would kill to be the only man in a village of beautiful elves?! And you dare complain! I don’t care who you are, but you are the enemy of all men!’

Flames were burning in the brunette’s eyes. He was more than ready to kill Oberon.

“We! We are bringing it down! We are taking its energy! And we are killing all of you fuckers!”

If Oberon was unhinged, Tyrion was simply insane, as the system had declared.

“No, you won’t!”

Tired of hearing their insane rambles, Issei spoke, taking a step ahead and taking out both the Boosted Gear and Regulus Nemea in his left hand. The amount of pressure he was exerting shocked Oberon and surprised the other insane leader of the organization, while it made Tiffania and Piglette feel protected.

“Hmm, is that?! Nah, must be something else. You don’t scare me, brat!”

In contrast with the elves, Oberon’s ally felt like he knew what Issei was showing, but the truth was just too ridiculous for him to believe. He could accept if Issei was the host of either the Boosted Gear or Regulus Nemea, not both. And with so many Sacred Gears and magical weapons out there, it was much more plausible that Issei was using one of those instead of hosting two Longinus.

Using his scorpion tail, the leader of the squad propelled himself into the air, straight in Issei’s direction. Oberon took that as his sign and started chanting some spells towards Celestine.

Whatever he was doing, it wasn’t good for the leader, as she started squirming in pain with green lightning forming around her.

“Teacher!”

Tiffania went on the run, with Piglette right behind her, ready to offer whatever help she could. Both prepared their spells, waiting to get closer; otherwise, the effect of their attacks would be too dispersed to do anything, especially since neither of them was too familiar with offensive spells.

Seeing Tyrion jump at him, Issei also jumps to meet him midair, surprising his opponent, who starts laughing maniacally.

“Good, good!”

He seemed to approve of Issei’s approach, which the brunette did not know how to feel about. He would prefer a slightly less unhinged opponent.

Ignoring the rambles of the human chimera, Issei was aware of the situation that Oberon was causing and knew he had to act fast.

When they were about to collide, the scorpion man turned around to aim his tail at Issei, who swung his axe horizontally. However, as he moved his axe, Issei rotated the handle so that instead of the cutting part of the blade, Tyrion was met with the flat surface of the axe.

The point of the scorpion's tail hit the axe, which was such a durable weapon that the whole head of the scorpion's tail shattered. Before Tyrion could comprehend what happened or feel the pain, he felt the flat side of the axe hitting him, and he was sent flying away like trash.

Issei threw him, aiming at Oberon, and his aim was on point.

The scorpion man hit the male elf like a cannonball, stopping his spell and throwing both of them out of the altar with a cry of pain.

The attack did not slow down the Sekiryuutei or take him off his route, thanks to his wings. He did not use them a lot, and yet Issei felt more and more familiar with them with each passing hour.

Still, his landing could improve, because he almost fell on his face when reaching the altar.

[You are getting used to your new body. Soon, you won’t be able to tell the difference between this and your previous body.]

Ddraig explained, quite happy with this development. Issei was her first dragon host, and she was excited that her favorite host ended up turning into a dragon.

‘Got it.’

If he had more time, Issei would have tried something like moving his tail; however, he had to focus now. Taking back Regulus for a moment, the brunette walked towards Tiffania’s teacher and punched the two rocks holding her in the air.

To his shock, his attack only caused cracks to appear on the rocks; it didn’t shatter them like Issei had imagined it would.

“Tsc!”

BOOST

Knowing he only had so much time before the other two came back, Issei boosted himself and applied his youki and dragon aura on his arms. Instead of punching the stones, he went around, facing Tiffania’s teacher, and put his hands on what was keeping her afloat, before closing, successfully smashing the stones.

Celestine was about to fall when Issei held her by her waist, taking a second to contemplate her beauty.

“Teacher!”

Tiffania and Piglette arrived at that moment, and the younger elf almost went to tears seeing that her teacher had been made free. She sighed in relief, finally letting her worries go.

“T-Tiffania?”

Still in Issei’s arms, Celestine was regaining consciousness after hearing Tiffania’s voice. She was very weak; Issei could feel her life force wavering.

He gently passed her to Tiffania, who hugged her teacher like she was the most precious person in the world.

“Teacher…”

At that time, Tiffania could not avoid crying.

“T-Tiffania…”

Although Celestine wished she could raise her hand to touch her daughter's face and clear her tears, she currently lacked the strength to do so.

“Curse you all!”

“That wasn’t very nice, kiddo. I thought we were going to have a dance…”

From the bottom of the altar, the two psychopaths screamed as their auras spiked in power, surprising the other four.

The two appeared back on the altar, Oberon using wind magic to keep himself in the air, and Tyrion having jumped up.

Seeing the two, it became apparent why there was a sudden power up. Oberon had the symbol of a leaf on his forehead, and his body was covered in a thick elvish aura. If it wasn’t for his horrible expression and the amount of hate and killing intent he was exuding, he would appear majestic.

Issei felt that Oberon’s vital energy had increased tremendously after he released this form. It would likely allow him to take many more hits and fight for much longer, on both the offensive and defensive aspects.

If Oberon had an appearance that many would consider majestic or divine, the man on his side was the complete opposite, resembling an evil spirit walking on Earth. His eyes had gone all black, and his pale skin somehow got paler, with his veins taking on a dark color.

At first glance, it seemed like his tail had recovered, but it was only at a closer look that it would be noticeable that instead of healing, a new stinger had grown, replacing the previous one. It looked darker, and just by looking at it, Issei could tell that the tip was sharper.

The brunette also felt some foreign energy on that man’s body, which explained how he suddenly got stronger.

‘Ddraig? Any ideas?’

The Sekiryuutei checked with his partner, just in case she knew what they were dealing with.

[No, I am not familiar with this energy. I can say that it feels crude, so it is likely to be something this organization is working on.]

The dragon empress gave her impression, and Regulus agreed, making Issei feel like this was the most possible scenario. He attempted to check to see if their descriptions had changed, hoping for some clues, but they were still the same.

Anyway, their aura increase was inconsequential to Issei. He was taking them down now.

“I will be done soon.”

With a reassuring smile, he told Tiffania and Piglette.

“You dare think so-”

Before Oberon could finish what he was saying, Issei had already moved, his boosted speed being too much for either man to see, which allowed the brunette to grab them by their necks, pushing them far from the altar once more.

“Unhand me, you beast!”

Oberon cried, preparing a spell to attack Issei with.

“Sure.”

The Sekiryuutei had other plans, and when the scorpion man tried to pierce Issei with his tail, the brunette disappeared from their field of vision.

That was the result of his current speed and the effect of his trait, Lightning Movement III. He was so fast that, from the perspective of his opponents, it was like teleporting.

Issei reappeared behind Tyrion, and before either could notice or react, he punched him down to the ground, resulting in a large crater being formed. The boosted strength of a dragon's body was too much for a human, even a modified one.

Oberon failed to hide his fear, and with a wind spell, he attempted to put a large distance between himself and Issei. He also conjured several trunks of wood to act as a barrier between himself and the Sekiryuutei.

It did not dawn on Oberon that using wood against someone who could fight with an axe was not the most useful of strategies.

With Regulus reappearing on his left hand, Issei broke through the wood like it was glass, immediately appearing in front of Oberon again.

Issei was about to hit the elf with his axe, potentially cutting his body in two, when Tyrian once more inserted himself into their fight, by once again trying to pierce Issei with his tail, by attacking him from behind. It was impressive that he even managed to do so, considering how much blood he was spilling and how many bones he had broken. His new state seemingly allowed him to ignore pain, although his insanity probably helped with that, too.

To counterattack, Issei slightly turned his body to be able to face the two, then he retrieved Regulus and called for him again, but this time on his right hand, after which he simply slashed with the axe in one hand and made a shot with dragon energy with the other.

With Regulus, Issei was using the back of the blade as he didn’t want to split Tyrion in two, at least yet. The axe connected on the scorpion man’s shoulder, and the sound of bones breaking could be heard through the whole valley as the axe sank into his broken shoulder, violently pushing the man down once again. It was the first time he made a pained expression, as his two shoulders had been broken by now.

At the same time, Oberon had to take a dragon shot to his face. He had no time to make a spell, his only option being to use his elvish aura to reduce the impact.

The dragon aura broke through his aura like it was nothing, and the man received the full force of the attack. His only luck was that Issei had not mustered a lot of power on that particular shot; otherwise, Oberon would have lost his head.

The disorientation the attack gave him was all the brunette needed, as he flew above the elf and swung Regulus, hitting Oberon with the flat side of the axe, sending him to the Mother Tree.

[So that is your plan? It might be too soon for me to say this, but it looks fitting.]

After understanding Issei’s intentions, Regulus commented approvingly. He was also not bothered by how Issei was making use of the axe; in fact, part of him found it to be quite original.

[To call it a plan is an exaggeration. But I have to admit, partner is very good at coming up with these improvised, brutish solutions.]

Ddraig added with a smirk. She sounded critical at first, but in reality, she approved of this way of being. It was honest and straightforward, as a dragon should be.

‘You know me. Not great at planning, but amazing at punching things!’

Issei declared to the dragoness and the lion as he flew after Oberon. At this point, he had a good hang on his wings.

The Sekiryuutei’s attack sent Oberon to the seals of the tree, making him hit them like a rock. Before he could fall to the ground, Issei reached him once more and punched his face, pushing him against the seals again.

Contacting the seals caused electricity to run through his body, making the elf convulse in pain. This, added to all the damage he had previously taken, was making his current situation a living hell, even if he could take a lot of damage in his current form.

Yet, that was far from all, as Issei kept punching him, pushing the elf against the tree, while flying down.

Doing that directly affected the seals and soon they began to waver. When Issei reached the base of the tree, pushing Oberon against it one last time with his best punch, the seals finally broke like glass.

The last attack also put Oberon in a crater. The symbol on his forehead was gone, together with his aura. His face was bruised beyond recognition, with all his teeth missing. One could barely hear him breathing; it was a miracle that Issei did not smash his head open. The male elf could barely be said to be alive.

Issei looked at him, slightly tilted his head, and then shrugged. He then proceeded to kick the guy out to his heart's content. The brunette wasn’t usually one to kick others while they were down, but Oberon was one of the bastards he would make an exception to.

EXPLOSION

The announcement came from the Boosted Gear, and Issei’s boost was gone. With the battle over, keeping it was unnecessary.

Even so, Issei kicked the elf a bit more before deeming it was enough. He was sure he had broken his leg or something.

And with all that over, the Sekiryuutei could finally look at the system.

Quest Complete!

Save the leader of the elves!

Rewards:

The elves’ trust

15.000 exp

5 high level healing potions

Secret objective complete!

Defeat the two orchestrators!

Rewards:

5.000 exp

2 high level healing potions

Basic Axe Techniques

Total points acquired:

10.000

Chapter Text

Seeing the rewards, Issei’s eyes shone when he noticed the potions. For now, he ignored everything else and claimed a potion straight away. He then looked at Oberon and considered what to do.

The elf deserved to die, and Issei wouldn’t feel bad about it, but he wasn't sure if he should kill him. He didn’t understand the costumes of the elves. Maybe they want to put him on trial, and killing him now would make the brunette get into trouble.

“I guess you get lucky for now.”

The dragon hybrid said with a sigh. He was about to grab his leg and carry Oberon through the dirt when a burst of energy happened.

Issei quickly pulled out the Boosted Gear and the Regulus Nemea, ready to fight again, when he felt that the energy around him was not hostile; instead, it was friendly and welcoming.

Suddenly, his surroundings were overtaken by a bright green light, as if he had been teleported.

“Thank you for saving me, Red Dragon Emperor.”

From the lights, a woman walked out. Much like Celestine and Tiffania, she was blonde, although the ends of her hair were purple. Issei did not pay attention to that as his eyes were drawn to her large breasts. She had one of the largest boobs the young dragon had ever seen, and only her nipples were covered by a sling bikini that was also covering her pussy, though it was doing a very bad job at covering her intimacy. The only other pieces of clothing on her body were purple high-heeled boots with white fur showing at the top, and a purple cape on her back.

Even after being exposed to many beauties, Issei was still heavily affected by her, especially her bountiful chest. Elves were very blessed in that department.

The fact that she was almost naked did not help the brunette. He stayed looking for quite some time, which the woman did not mind. It was only when he noticed her aura that Issei stopped.

“Wait, you are…”

Looking at her and then behind her, Issei noticed her aura was the same as that of the Mother Tree. Seeing the dragon put the pieces together, the spirit smiled radiantly.

“Yes, that’s me. I am referred to as Misery. I am here to thank you and take care of some matters as well.” Her friendly expression went away when her face turned to Oberon. “As the only male born in the tribe, he had some privileges, although clearly, he felt they were not enough. He used those to bypass my view and then used dark magic to seal me. I thank you for not killing him. I’ve been wanting to do it this whole time.”

When the spirit of the tree finished explaining, she casually raised her hands, and a bright leaf left Oberon’s body. She then waved in his direction, and he started convulsing, with blood spurting out of all his pores.

“That looks slow and painful.”

Issei observed as he switched between the friendly spirit that was smiling at him and the man turning around in agonizing pain. At least he was not screaming.

Issei felt no sympathy; he was only glad that Oberon was quickly dealt with.

“I am glad to be of help. Hehe, I will be needing it myself actually.”

He helped Tiffania because he wanted to; however, Issei still needed help to get back home.

“And we will be glad to help our savior. But first, I would like to reward you.”

The shining leaf in her hands was sent towards Issei, who looked at it with caution. It was something taken out of Oberon after all.

To understand what it was, he used Analysis.

Spiritual mark of the champion of the Elves

The elves are a female race that are born through the powers of the spirits of nature. A male being born is not common, and in the rare cases in which it happens, they are granted a special role in the tribe, to be its champion. This grants them special abilities and transformations inaccessible to other elves.

Reading that the brunette understood how Oberon achieved the power he was using in their battle. It also made him look down on the male elf even more. How could he throw away such an opportunity because of some stupid pride?

“Is this ok? Isn’t it only for elves?”

Knowing it had nothing to do with Oberon’s personality, the Sekiryuutei was more inclined to accept it, but he still wanted to confirm.

“It is fine. While the champion has to be a male, it was never said that he had to be an elf. It is simply that we do not have relations with outsiders. Well, at least we didn’t.”

She got closer to Issei as she explained, her movement made her breasts jiggle intensely, fascinating Issei.

[Oh, that’s amusing, elf spirit. Most have the common sense that getting involved with the Red Dragon Emperor is a fool’s errand.]

Ddraig manifested herself through the Boosted Gear, making her comment. To that, the spirit of the mother tree, which was an elf spirit as well, just smiled.

“So I heard. However, the Dragon Emperors of the previous generations were all battling obsessed people who only cared about their destined rivalry, isn’t that correct?”

From what he heard about his predecessors, Issei had to nod. Ddraig was also in agreement.

“Then, do you think they would have involved themselves with the problems of my people?”

The question was met with silence from Ddraig. The empress agreed with that. No previous emperor would have taken part in something that did not involve the White Dragon Emperor.

“I guess, but what about it?”

Ironically, as the subject matter, Issei did not realize what it meant or how unique of an Emperor he was.

“Then let’s say I am willing to bet on this generation’s Emperor. So please, accept my gift.”

The spirit said, one more time raising the leaf towards Issei.

[Go ahead. This might connect you with the elves, but is this really something you would be opposed to, my friend?]

Regulus also offered his advice as a push for Issei. He could see that the young dragon was inclined to accept, so he decided to give him a moral push.

Hearing what Regulus said, the brunette stopped to think about what he wanted and what his instincts were telling him.

“Can I be a guardian if I am all the way back home?”

The spirit nodded.

“That will not be an issue.”

Sensing honesty in her words, Issei took the leaf into his hand. It emitted a comfortable warmth that entered the Sekiryuutei’s body through his arm. At that, Misery smiled satisfiedly.

'The tribe finally has a man of worth.'

New title acquired:

Guardian of the Elves (One Leaf)

By carrying the title of protector of the Elves, you will not only gain a responsibility, but also many benefits. You can now communicate with any living creature, your vitality has increased to new heights, you have acquired affinity to nature and windy elements, the strength of nature and communication with the elves at any point.

And these are just the initial benefits. Keep evolving this power, and the path it will lead you will make you very happy.

This title will also grant you more power when leveling up. +1.500 to HP and STA and +500 to DRA and YK

Looking through the new set of abilities, Issei wasn’t sure about how to react to most of them. The vitality and energy increase were the best ones by far.

“Hmm, sorry to say this, but I could already use magic to communicate with others.”

To be more specific, Ddraig could. That was how Issei managed to understand and talk with those outside of Japan all this time. It was a simple ability that had been developed by the dragoness to make her host's life easier.

“Yes, but can you understand nature? Can you talk with the animals? Do the trees whisper to you?”

Her explanation just made the brunette more confused. She was also very close to him. Even if she was a spirit, Issei could swear he was feeling her breath hit him, her sweet scent was making a fire burn in him.

“What? You mean, literally talk with animals?”

He barely got the question out.

Not being able to imagine how a dog would even speak, Issei was having some trouble comprehending how useful this new skill could be. Not that his mind was in a space that would allow him to think much. It was a miracle that he had not formed a boner yet.

[Do not underestimate it, my friend. In due time, you will see the value of being able to communicate with the whole world around you.]

Being a more experienced being, Regulus saw the value of the skill, and so did Ddraig.

“I believe we should stop for now, as I have already taken enough of your time. Any of your questions can be answered later. And, as a last gift.”

Out of the ground, Tyrian appeared unconscious. The elf spirit also handed the brunette a talisman that looked identical to the one he acquired from the other leader he faced much earlier today.

It was some sort of magic that they should use to escape, but their encounter with the Sekiryuutei frustrated even that.

With the last gifts given, the environment went back to normal, and Misery disappeared.

Oberon was long dead, so Issei only had to worry about Tyrian. Still, he carried the elf just in case the other elves wished to bury his body or kick it.

Flying back to the top of the altar, Issei arrived at the scene of Tiffania and Piglette trying to heal the elf’s teacher, with limited results.

“Here, this should help her.”

He gave Tiffania the high-level healing potion, and without hesitation, she made her master drink it, without wasting a drop.

The results were immediate. Celestine's injuries closed, her pale complexion was replaced by a healthy rosy hue on her skin, and her aura was rising again.

Right after the potion had been depleted, her master’s eyes finally opened, and much to Tiffania’s happiness and relief, they were full of life and energy.

“Tiffania!”

Her teacher grabbed the younger elf in a tight hug. Tiffania tried to hold herself for a moment, but she couldn’t contain her tears for long. After the worst few days of her life, everything went well.

As the teacher and student hugged in relief, Piglette and Issei smiled at the scene. The purple-haired girl in particular felt a bit bittersweet. She was glad that one of the few people to ever treat her well gave her a happy ending, yet Piglette never felt such warmth from anyone. And she feared, she likely never would. She was happy for her friend, and at the same time, she felt her own loneliness.

“Thanks, Piglette-san. If it wasn’t for you, we wouldn’t be here.”

Her thoughts were quickly dispelled by Issei. The gentleness and the smile he gave her when he thanked her made her mind go into overdrive again, and her whole face turned red.

‘M-maybe it isn’t hopeless…’

After the reunion between the two, Celestine finally got up and took proper notice of the other two present.

“Ah, my apologies for ignoring both of you.” She slightly bowed towards Issei and Piglette, the movement making her large boobs shake. She then looked closer at Issei and was shocked, before calming down. The dragon hybrid could feel the presence of the spirit tree, likely explaining everything to Celestine. Her cheeks also got slightly red, a detail that everyone else missed. “Thank you very much, Lord Dragon Emperor.”

The jiggle of her breasts took Issei’s attention for a second, delaying his response slightly.

“I-it’s ok, I just happened to be around and became friends with Tiffania. Besides, I will also need help to get home, and it didn’t seem like that guy would be of any help.”

It was a weird feeling to be called lord by such a beauty. One that Issei somewhat enjoyed, but still weird.

[It is not a big deal.]

Ddraig was used to that kind of treatment, to the point she barely noticed when others did it.

“Even so, it is no exaggeration to say you saved my life, that of my precious student, and of all elves, and likely even the orcs around here. There is not much that I can do to thank you for all that.”

Ddraig and Regulus noticed that her face turned a faint red at that last part.

“Helping me get back home is more than enough.”

The brunette needed a better way to situate himself, supplies for a longer journey, and likely some magic to keep himself off the radar of any factions he had to go through. It was one thing to keep himself hidden while in Kuoh, especially since he had his Kitsune heritage to act as a disguise; it was another matter entirely to travel through many countries now that he was no longer human.

“This can all be arranged.” She looked at Tiffania, smiling strongly again. “For now, let’s go back.”

[…]

‘I see… so this is heaven.’

[No, it is not.]

The environment at the elves' village was one of celebration. With the defeat and death of Oberon, the elves were finally free, and the threat had been gone.

Anywhere that one could look in the village had female elves partying and enjoying their reacquired freedom.

With their skimpy clothes and voluptuous bodies, this was Issei’s dream. He almost wanted to cry once he thought he would have to leave.

“I will go inform everyone exactly of what happened. Lord Issei, you are welcome to go rest. I would also like to invite you to the banquet we will have soon.”

Celestine said, and before she could hear Issei’s response, she had to go, as everyone celebrated her return. With the last two days being complete chaos, she had a lot of organizational and management work to do. Especially considering that they had to imprison Tyrion and get information out of him.

“I-I should be going too.”

Feeling like she was overstaying her welcome, Piglette said with sadness. The last few hours had been one of the best of her life, as insane as this might sound. Going back now would mean going back to a world where she was despised because of her looks.

“Wait, you should celebrate with us!” Before the purple-haired could attempt to move, Tiffania held her hands. “This victory is also because of you, Piglette. You have to celebrate with us!”

“She’s right, we wouldn’t get there so quickly without you!”

Issei gave his own words of support, which made Piglette get more flustered.

“B-but can someone like me r-really enjoy this?”

Her self-doubt was eating her away again.

“Of course!”

Both the dragon hybrid and the half-elf said intensely, making the poor Piglette feel like she was going to get flustered to death.

In the end, they convinced her to stay. Before going to the banquet, Issei finally got a proper chance to rest. He had gone through more than ten hours of nonstop movement. He simply sent a message to his mother, fearing she could get worried if he didn’t contact soon, although it was unlikely since she was used to knowing he could get involved in some crazy events. In this particular case, she just had no idea how insane it got.

It was going to be a short break since the banquet, but Issei was very welcoming of it.

There was no space for visitors, meaning Tiffania had to scramble to find somewhere for Issei to stay for a while. The brunette saw her thinking about it for a second before she remembered something. With a shyness that confused the Sekiryuutei, she guided him to the higher areas of one of the trees.

“Y-y-you can sleep here, Issei.”

Arriving at one of the highest floors, there was a small house with not a lot of furniture.

“Is this your room?”

He felt that the scent covering the place was the same sweet scent that was natural from Tiffania. Even if they were friends and he saved her master, Issei was still shocked that a woman would ever allow him to enter their room.

“Y-yes, I… rest well!”

Being the first time she brought a man to her house, Tiffania could not help but get shy over it, even if a part of her didn’t exactly understand why.

Not willing to bear that feeling for long, she quickly left, embarrassed. Piglette had long run out of there; the braveness that Tiffania was showing had been too much for her to witness, forcing the poor girl to go for fresh air.

“This is the best place on Earth.”

After pricking himself a couple of times to be sure he wasn’t sleeping, Issei accepted reality and finally lay down.

He felt the softness of Tiffania’s bed, and her scent assaulted him. The brunette wanted to enjoy that for longer, but he overestimated how tired he was. A few seconds after lying down, his eyes closed as he dozed off.

Chapter Text

“This place looks familiar…”

Around Issei was a vast open area, flames covering everything on the horizon. It was how his soul manifested the area in which he communicated with Ddraig.

[It’s been a while since you last came here.]

The flames around Issei opened for a woman to walk through. She was tall, with fiery red hair, large horns on her head, and tanned skin with some red scales covering her arms and legs. She had an hourglass figure thanks to her abundant breasts and ass. It would be inaccurate to say she was nude, as flames covered her body, acting like clothing.

That was Ddraig’s human form.

[You’ve been doing well.]

Walking up to Issei, she gave him a head pat. It was something that she got used to doing since he was a kid, when he first awakened the Boosted Gear. Ddraig, who was never that intimate with any of her previous hosts, learned to enjoy those interactions.

“Thanks!”

Having his beautiful best friend treat him like this was always a happy occasion for Issei.

[To think I would ever see the Welsh Dragon acting like this. Times truly have changed.]

A second comes out of the flames, this time a young man with spiky orange hair and some facial marks. By his voice and presence, it was clear that this was Regulus' human form. He was dressed in some white formal clothing and a white jacket.

“Really? I prefer this Ddraig.”

Ddraig had a smile on her lips, hearing that.

[It has been chaotic lately. You should rest, taking a break from time to time is just as important.]

Sitting down, Ddraig brought Issei’s head to her lap.

The younger dragon had a huge smile on his lips, feeling the surprising softness of Ddraig’s lap. It was one of his favorite places in the world.

“You know, I always forget how beautiful you are, Ddraig.”

Feeling comfortable, Issei let out his thoughts. He had no reason to be reserved with Ddraig after all.

[Oh, is that so? Surprisingly, since women is almost all you have on your head.]

Playfully replied the dragoness.

Seeing how close the two were, Regulus knew that he had made the right choice.

[Master, the elves should have a lot of ingredients for alchemy at their disposal. You could negotiate with them for ingredients.]

Since Issei hadn’t made much progress on acquiring ingredients, Regulus proposed to help him.

“Master? You don’t need to call me master.”

The Sekiryuutei found that way of being addressed weird since he was not used to being treated with that level of respect.

[I would like to refer to you as master, from now on.]

For Regulus, that was his normal way of referring to the hosts he approved of.

“Oh, well, if that’s what you want, that’s fine…” It's not like Issei would force Regulus against his will after all. “It would be nice to get some ingredients too. I can probably ask Tiffania-san or Celestine-san about it.”

It had not been that long since he acquired the system and his alchemy knowledge, so it would be great if he could get an early start on it, barely one day after acquiring that knowledge.

“This place is so nice, I wish I could spend some days here.”

Just because he had to go back home doesn’t mean he has to do it immediately. Issei still had time before his vacation ended after all.

With nothing much to do, it was the perfect occasion for him to check his status again.

Titles: Red Dragon Emperor, Perverted Dragon Emperor, Lost Fox, Delinquent Pervert, The Strongest Pervert, The Pervert/Delinquent King, Heir of the Nine Stars,

Heir of the True Lord of the Nine Stars, Hated by the World, Guardian of the Elves

Primary Skill(s):

Nine Star Hegemon Body Art:

The Warriors of the Nine Stars are the manifestation of daring and determination in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths. Recognized as the bravest and most fearsome warriors,

they are not afraid of death and never give up before their adversary. Armed with their wills unyielding, they defy the heavens and their lord, the Lord of the Nine Stars,

despite their fall, their will is eternal. As long as the stars exist, they will continue to fight for eternity!

However, the war is long gone, and know, you are the Heir of the Nine Stars that came after the Chosen One, the Lord of the Nine Stars, making you the Heir of the True Lord.

Your Nine Star Hegemon Body Art is modified to follow the Chosen One, the Lord.

Boosted Gear(Red Dragon Emperor):

The one that rampaged through the War of the Three Factions is now sealed in your soul and you must carry his eternal battle against his, and now your, rival, Albion, the White Dragon Emperor.

Even if you were not born as one, this Gear gives you the traits and characteristics of a Dragon, and as your current body was modified, you are a dragon in all, even body.

By the powers of the Dragon of Domination, you can boost yourself, increasing your powers twice per boost.

Status:

Species: Draconic Kitsune hybrid (1-Tail Draconic Fox | The Red Dragon Emperor)

Level: 17(60.000/66.535)

Talent Rank: 2S+

HP: 11425/11425

STA: 13233/13233

DRA: 6150/6150

YK: 4100/4100

STR: 413

DEX: 413

RES: 413

AGI: 413

INT: 88(98)

WIS: 69

CHR: 96

LCK: -30

Status Points: 9(SP cannot be distributed to LCK)

Traits: Strength of a Mountain III | Precision Ex III | Diamond Skin III | Lightning Movement III | Fast Mind I | Enhanced Spirit I | Attractive I | Bad Luck I

DP (Dungeon Points): 4056

Points: 7000

Skills:

Gamer Body (MAX): Allow the user body to be like that of a game, with limitless potential.

Gamer Mind (MAX): Immune to mental disorder, calms the user and allows him to stay in a peaceful(the user’s definition of peaceful) state of mind.

Boost (MAX): It double all your status per boost. Each boost is done automatically after 10 seconds, and each boost takes 50 points of your stamina.

Does not apply to CHR and LCK.

Explosion (MAX): It stop the boosts at their current value, reducing stamina by 30 every half a minute the user keep it on.

Transfer (MAX): The user can transfer boosts to different targets, boosting them instead. Can apply to objects, attacks or live beings. No cost, but the transfer has a chance to not pass 100% of the boost.

Disguise (lv 19): The user hides their energy from other beings, allowing them to pass by as a normal mortal.

Dragon-Fox fire (lv 9): The manifestation of the power of a hybrid between Kitsune and Dragon through the flames. Combines the power of both flames to create an even stronger and unique one.

Extreme Fire Resistance (lv 1): As a dragon and a kitsune descendant, it takes a superior type of fire to hurt you.

Fire Manipulation (lv 11): The ability to manipulate fire to your will, using it in anyway the user might wish, with any form they might imagine.

Martial Arts (lv 12): Through battle you walked into the path of martial arts seeking truth and improvement through your fists. Your technique is now more refined and more powerful,

improving your strength and battle senses.

Alchemy (lv 2): As the Heir of the Lord following the path of Alchemy is a must. Alchemy knowledge about the pills necessary to advance through the Nine Star Hegemon Body Art, and

alchemy knowledge in general is in your brain and soul. Adds +10 to INT status.

Detection (lv 5): By focusing your senses almost nothing can escape the user’s perception. It has the potential to pinpoint and localize whatever the user attempts to.

Analysis (lv 7): Once the user focuses on an item or another being, they can receive specific information about them. The information will vary depending on the item and the power level of the being considering the skill’s own level.

Stealth (lv 12): Passing undetected and moving through the shadows, lurking after others without their knowledge. This skill gives you a better chance of passing unnoticed.

Steal (lv 1): The ability to take what belonged to others and make it yours, be it by force or stealth.

Strength of will (lv 4): Resisting through the harshest conditions and showing your will, the power of the spirit. The body might break, but the will is eternal.

Dragon Aura Manipulation(lv 15): Control over draconic aura/energy.

Dragon Intimidation(lv 1): With your presence and strength you can exert pressure under your enemies will.

Youki manipulation (lv 9): Control over the youki.

Dragon breath (lv 1): A dragon’s signature move, however the flames are now dragon-fox in nature, meaning that is stronger than the usual dragon breath.

Dragon roar (lv 1): A manifestation of a dragon’s pride and power through a wild roar that can inflict fear in enemies.

Dragon-Kitsune instincts (lv 5): Both dragons and kitsunes have sharp instincts, and as a hybrid, the user’s instincts are even sharper and more accurate.

Shapeshifting (lv 1): A kitsune has the skill to shapeshift, assuming any form desired. The lower the level of the skill, more likely for flaws to appear in the transformation or for others to see through it.

Illusion (lv 1): Kitsune are tricksters, making others believe that they are seeing, hearing and sensing what might not be there.

Dream manipulation (lv 2): The power of kitsunes to enter and manipulate others dreams.

Life-force absorption (lv 1): The power to feed on the life-force of other beings.

Youkai Magic (lv 1): Using the elements as a channel, youkais manifest their magic, manipulating the world and their surroundings.

Redirecting (lv 1): Allows the user to redirect a strike aimed towards him. The redirect strike can potentially be sent back to another enemy or even the one that originally striked.

Axemanship (lv 4): The user’s skills in regards to wielding axes.

Survival (lv 1): Skills that involve survival on the wilderness or other harsh conditions.

Cooking (lv 1): The ability to make delicious meals from edible ingredients. The better the meal, the better its effects.

Dream manipulation has leveled up!

Dream manipulation (lv 2)

“So that’s how I got here. Hehe, that’s convenient.”

Because he didn’t get the chance to properly practice his kitsune skills, it was nice that one of them leveled up by chance.

[Ho, I can see this being useful for training.]

Ddrakg rejoiced. It wouldn’t be helpful for physical training, but anything that didn’t require Issei to train his body was free game.

At that moment, Issei felt someone from the outside trying to wake him up by gently calling his name and pushing his shoulder.

[Rest is over.]

Ddraig said playfully.

“I enjoyed it.”

Issei said as he looked at Ddraig one last time before waking up.

He was once again assaulted by Tiffania’s sweet scent, this time stronger because of her presence in the room.

“Issei, the banquet is ready.”

The brunette felt energized seeing her smile as she said that.

“I am looking forward to it.”

The banquet was held in an open valley.

Seeing the food, Issei understood Tiffania’s surprise when he commented about the normal meals he was used to. No plate was visually similar to the other, even the ones that appeared to use the same ingredients. Even those had completely different smells.

The drinks were served using flowers as cups. Issei was weirded out until he took a sip and realized how the flowers added some sweetness to the drinks. It was a unique way of engaging with the food that he enjoyed.

Piglette was most of the time trying her best not to upset anyone, even if she didn’t need to. When the elves came to thank her for the help she offered, her brain short-circuited, not knowing how to take compliments.

Tiffania stayed near Issei all the time. She got very happy when he expressed his desire to stay for a few more days, certain that her teacher would be open to that. When they got a chance to approach Celestine and forwarded that question to her, she said Issei could remain for as long as he wanted.

The banquet was a success, and it raised the morale of the elves after two very problematic days. Thankfully, Oberon was in power for so little time and was so focused on whatever he was doing with the outsiders that he did not get the chance to do much damage. By tomorrow, everything should be operating normally.

Piglette would stay the night here; her people had already been informed through bird messages. The archaic way of communication impressed Issei, especially considering how both sides were used to magic.

“Lord Issei, we have arranged a proper place for you to rest during your stay.”

At the end of the night, when everyone was leaving to go to sleep and leave that day behind, Celestine approached Issei.

“Oh, thanks! Where should I go?”

He looked around, waiting for her to point out one of the trees.

“I will take you there.”

She was smiling as she said, motioning for the brunette to follow her.

“Thanks!”

They only walked for ten minutes. Issei noticed that the tree they were in was the same as the one Tiffania lived in. In fact, he saw her and Piglette as he got up the tree. He quickly waved at the two before he kept following Celestine.

“Here we are. This also happens to be my home, so I hope you can feel comfortable here.”

At first, the dragon hybrid just nodded until his brain properly processed her words, which prompted him to get shocked.

“Wait! Is that ok? Shouldn’t I go somewhere else?”

He was feeling very out of place now that he knew where he was. Issei was already surprised that Tiffania was ok with him sleeping at her place and on her bed. For her teacher to do the same was borderline incomprehensible to him.

He was, after all, used to being hated.

“It’s fine. To tell you the truth, we were not completely honest about all things that being a guardian involves.” Seeing the brunette confused by what she meant, the veteran elf continued. “You see, the birth of elves through the Mother Tree is a matter of circumstance rather than the natural path our species should follow. There is simply no other way to prevent us from going extinct. We are a prideful species, and we refuse to simply sleep with any man just to continue the lineage. Therefore, on the rare chance a male gets to be born, he is provided the title of guardian and one of his responsibilities is to help give birth to a new generation of elves, through natural means.”

That dump of information stumped the brunette. He felt like he understood what Celestine was saying; he just didn’t want to jump to a conclusion and look like a fool if he was wrong.

“Wait, you don’t mean…”

Issei let his words just open enough to showcase he felt he knew what she implied, but in case he was wrong, Celestine could correct him, without the brunette embarrassing himself.

“Now that you are the guardian, it would fall on you to father the children of my people,” Celestine said straightforwardly, leaving no space for confusion or alternative interpretations. “Oberon hated having his fate defined, so I apologize for not informing you about this before.”

“No, no. You don’t need to apologize to me, but… Celestine-san, are you fine with this? I don’t like the idea of someone being engaged to me against their will.”

Did Issei wish he could get into a relationship and marry such a beautiful woman as Celestine? Of course he did. But he would never force such a relationship. What was the point of getting with someone who doesn’t love him? That would just be making her miserable, and Issei would never wish for that.

If he were to get with someone, it would only be if that person genuinely wished to be with him.

“But why do you assume it is against my will?”

Celestine’s words threw Issei’s logic down the drain. She approached him, only stopping when their faces were near each other, with her large chest compressed against his muscular body.

That proximity caused Issei to strongly blush. He was also feeling Celestine’s sweet scent much stronger than before, which was causing a fire to start swelling in him.

“Lord Issei, I think you underestimate how desirable you are. By all accounts, you are a host of two Longinus who went out of your way to help my Tiffania when you didn’t need to. Instead of asking for many rewards, you simply want to go home.” She spoke as she looked at Issei’s body, feeling the strength that emanated from him. “Dragons have a history of attracting women through power, don’t they?”

Issei slowly nodded. He was feeling hotter and hotter.

“I heard about that but… I would prefer if they liked me for who I am, you know?”

He struggled a bit at formulating his words; Celestine’s presence was just too alluring right now.

Celestine smiled at that.

“And this is, lord Issei, why I believe you will be a great mate. You want a connection, an actual family. And to tell you the truth, so do I.”

She slowly raised his hand, interlacing their fingers together.

“Y-you do?”

Celestine nodded.

“I’ve always read about it. We have many records about a time in which male elves were not so uncommon, and I always wondered how it could be.” She slowly backed away. “We can take things at their own pace. Since you will remain here for some days, why don’t we use them to see if we could be compatible mates?”

Issei nodded. He didn’t speak because his brain was still catching up to what had just happened.

Getting his agreement, Celestine's smile got stronger.

“Good, I believe the next days will be enjoyable. Why don’t we go to sleep now?”

“Eh, is there somewhere I can wash myself?”

The brunette felt like it was a bit out of place to ask that after the whole topic of relationship and engagement; however, he needed to clean himself before properly sleeping.

“Of course.”

Celestine giggled, noticing his shyness. Because of Issei’s title as the Red Dragon Emperor and also the host of Regulus Nemea, one would usually expect him to be a very different person, less approachable, more intimidating. Instead, Celestine could see how open Issei was.

She brought him to an open bath in her house, and Issei enjoyed it immensely.

Because he lacked clothes that properly fit his new body, he could only wear some tight pants. Seeing that Celestine had prepared white fabric that the brunette could use as a shirt.

She also took notice of the bulge on Issei’s pants, the size and thickness surprising her. The elf had never seen a man’s dick before, so she had no point of reference.

Like Issei, who felt warm when she got so close to him, Celestine felt a fiery sensation spreading through her body. This resulted in a blush forming in her cheeks.

At the end of the night, to properly keep their premise, they shared a bed. Although Issei was very on board. Why wouldn’t he be, if Celestine was doing it of her own volition? He just wanted to make sure to take things at their own pace and not blow his chance.

In the end, neither slept well for the first hour as they were too horny to properly sleep. Their tiredness won at some point, and they finally dozed off.

Issei had just forgotten that his dream manipulation skill would activate when he went to sleep, even if he didn’t do so himself.

Chapter Text

“Lord Issei? Where are we?”

“I've never seen a place like this.”

“What happened?”

Celestine, Tiffania, and Piglette asked in confusion, looking around the unfamiliar terrain. Issei recognized the place as one of Kuoh’s parks; what he was failing to understand was how the four of them had ended up there.

The brunet remembered going to sleep and nothing after that. That’s when it clicked.

“Sorry, this is my fault.”

He awkwardly laughed and explained to the trio his dream manipulation skills. His lack of control over the recently acquired skill, plus his tiredness, were probably the reasons the four ended up in the same dream.

“Sorry for dragging you all here.”

Issei felt guilty for taking their rest time away from them, and was about to try to send them back.

“That’s not a problem at all. In fact, I think it is a great opportunity.”

Celestine grabbed Tiffania’s hand and walked closer to Issei. Piglette followed right after, wanting to remain close. She was also looking around intently, focusing on the environment in which Issei grew up. It was just so different from what she was used to.

“You could use this opportunity to show us more about yourself, if that’s fine with you, lord Issei.”

Since she wanted to get closer to Issei, why would Celestine not embrace this opportunity? It was even better that Tiffania happened to come along.

“How did we get involved, though? N-not that I am complaining… I am just curious…”

Piglette brought it up, not wanting Issei to misunderstand her question as annoyance. Much to the contrary, she was eager to learn more about Issei.

“Well, the three of us were physically close to him, while also being the ones lord Issei spent the most time with. This was likely a factor when his ability activated.”

The older elf explained. She had never come across this specific ability that Issei had, but her fundamental knowledge of magic was enough for her to understand the situation.

“Yeah, that makes sense. Also, Celestine-san, I’ve been meaning to say this, but you don’t need to call me lord Issei, you know?”

Understanding what he meant and why Celestine nodded, while also having a request of her.

“Then I would also like you to drop formalities with me. And I am certain Tiffania will prefer if you drop formalities with her too.”

She had her hands on her student’s shoulder as she said that. Tiffania was surprised, looking between her teacher and Issei. It seemed to be the first time she realized Issei was being formal with her.

Seeing her confusion, her teacher explained.

“Surely you noticed how Issei adds ‘san’ whenever he speaks our names, correct?” She had already dropped the ‘lord’ when referring to Issei. Her words also made Tiffania realize that Issei indeed did that, and it was likely a formal way to refer to them. “My, you have the spell to comprehend foreign speech and still missed this? Maybe I should increase your studies a bit.”

Celestine said playfully, making Tiffania pot.

Seeing that heartwarming scene between teacher and student, Issei was sure he was leaving his best life.

“Anyway, are you sure you want me to show you around? There is not much to be seen, if I am being honest.”

Even with his fairly insane position, Issei lived a quiet life for most of the time. In his opinion, there wasn’t much for them to see or talk about, other than a few things.

“That is perfectly fine. I am interested anyway, and I am sure these two are as well.”

Tiffania and Piglette instantly agreed, eager to learn more about Issei. As a matter of fact, their eagerness was such that it surprised Issei.

“I am happy to do so then.”

Issei was glad that these three beauties wanted to know more about him, even if he thought there wasn’t much to show. The brunette was trying to think about where he could start.

[Just do it from the beginning.]

Ddraig’s voice could still only be heard by Issei thanks to the connection to his soul. If she chose to speak with the others, she could. She just had no interest in that at the moment.

Liking her idea, Issei thought back to the night when his powers first started.

Because it was his dreams and his memories, they were watching the scene from a first-person perspective.

“What is this?”

Tiffania was curiously looking at the room around them, at least the parts of it she could see.

“That’s my room. This is when I first woke up my powers. It was pretty cool.”

The three women watched intently after hearing that.

In the dream, Issei moved around in bed, incapable of remaining still to fall asleep. Celestine, Tiffania, and Piglette knew he was feeling an unbearable heat for his young body, as the dream allowed him to feel similar sensations.

They could imagine the young one contorting in bed with a painful expression.

When the heat reached its peak, some energy that today Issei knew was youki started pouring out of the young Hyoudou. The temperature started rising again after that; however, it no longer bothered the child Issei. This made Tiffania and Piglette curious. Celestine understood that this was when Issei first awakened his fire related powers.

“Ah, this brings me back.”

The Sekiryuutei felt some nostalgia seeing the memories of his earlier days.

They watched as the energy consumption made him fall asleep. It was confusing for the four of them, who were dreaming, watching child Issei inside his own dream.

There, they saw him being contacted by Ddraig for the first time. The girls found the way she interacted with the younger Issei to be quite cute.

A sudden change of scenario brought them to the time when Issei started to train. They watched him struggle, adapt, learn, and grow.

The group also watched Issei's antics at school, his conflicts with other students who thought that punching him would make them look better. For the three women, those were entertaining scenes to watch.

They saw Issei again and again standing up for his own beliefs and dreams, even if they were things others would consider silly or stupid.

Celestine, in particular, considered that behavior to be very in line with what she had read from dragons. They did not seem to be the type of creatures to shy away from their desires or care about others’ opinions.

Although she had also realized something else, which aligned with what she had seen from Issei in their conversation before they went to sleep. The brunette did not have the best opinion about himself, and he did not seem to realize it.

Celestine had noticed Issei’s surprise when she admitted to considering an eventual relationship with him, even if she had political reasons to do so. He expected others to always think the worst of him, regardless of what he did. He was also way too humble for a bearer of the Red Dragon Empress. Just the simple fact that he wasn’t obsessed with taking down the White Dragon Emperor was enough to tell Issei was different from previous hosts.

And she felt that his openness and friendliness had to be factors in that.

The leader of the elves could understand why other humans wouldn’t like the young dragon, but she knew it was a shame they couldn’t see his other traits.

‘But I do.’

“Hehe, as I said, is pretty uneventful.”

Issei smiled awkwardly after they watched enough.

“No, that was great! Issei, I-I… I could never stand up for myself, so… I admire you for that!”

Being always looked down on by others and having never done anything to stop that, Piglette admired what Issei did.

“Thanks, but I am not going to let those guys bully you anymore! I will have a word with them later.”

If he needed to make the Orcs fear for their lives enough so that they wouldn’t mistreat Piglette. There was no way in hell that Issei would allow the cute girl to keep suffering that level of depreciation.

His words were casual, but Tiffania and Celestine felt the actual threat behind them. It made them appreciate Issei all the more that he was going out of his way to help a new friend.

“T-thanks!”

In truth, Piglette didn’t want Issei to do that, because she didn’t want to go back. Now that she had been exposed to people like Issei and Tiffania, she didn’t want to return to the Orcs who would despise her looks.

Issei did notice some hesitation from the purple-haired beauty and took note of it to talk with her later.

“Issei, can I also call you Ise?”

Seeing how his family referred to the brunette through his memories, Tiffania also wanted to refer to him through his abbreviation, as she felt it showed more intimacy. And she wanted to have that level of contact with her best friend.

“Of course! I would be glad if you did.”

Having a cute girl refer to him as Ise? Why would he ever refuse it?

This also made him wonder, how long had it been since a friend called him Ise? In consequence of that thought, the scenario changed again.

"Huh?"

They were back at a park, a slightly different one. Child Issei was going around, playing with another kid of his age. In their play, the other child was some sort of knight, while Issei was the evil monster that had to be defeated. Usually a role that a child would not like, but Issei was enjoying himself.

"Who is this?"

Tiffani asked, not recognizing the kid Issei was playing with.

"That's Iri, he was my best friend." There was a rare, reminiscent look in Isse's eyes as he sighed. "We used to always be together, but his family moved years ago. Wonder how he is doing right now."

The wandering look on his face also carried some loneliness. He wouldn’t complain too much about his current friends, but his friendship with Iri was stronger.

“Him? But that one is a girl.”

Celestine pointed out, not understanding why Issei was referring to his friend as a boy.

“What?! That’s not-”

“Now that my teacher said, I can see it.”

“Indeed, although she looks a bit boyish, she is a girl.”

[I was wondering when you would realize it partner.]

[I can see the source of the misunderstanding, but she is clearly a girl.]

Before Issei could say anything, it was already a consensus between those present that Iri, as Issei called her, was a girl. The Sekiryuutei was about to defend himself when he looked closer and, after paying a lot of attention, he realized that there was a decent possibility that the others were right.

“I guess I am just blind…”

Tiffania tapped his back with a ‘it’s ok’ expression, to console the dragon hybrid. Piglette wanted to do the same, but she lacked the courage to touch Issei.

“Tell me, Issei, do you think we could see other memories through this dream? Could I show you mine?”

That was the second main thing Celestine hoped for, after witnessing Issei’s memories and having a better understanding of who he was. The veteran elf now wished she could do the same, showcasing herself to him.

Hearing that request, the brunet wasn’t sure himself.

“I can give it a try.”

Because his Kitsune powers were something Ddraig and Regulus were unfamiliar with, Issei had to figure things out himself.

He knew that the Dream Manipulation skill was stronger than it was just a few hours ago; he was receiving constant notifications of its level-ups, so he believed he had a shot at it.

“Can I…”

He raised his hand in Celestine’s direction, prompting her to smile as she took hold of it. Seeing that Tiffania pouted with jealousy, even if she wasn’t quite sure where the feeling was coming from. In contrast, Piglette was thinking about holding Issei’s hands, too. She just wanted to get the courage to do so.

The brunette concentrated, his aura extending to cover Celestine as well. He realized he wasn’t accessing her memories as much as he was empowering the elf to take control of the scenario. Celestine realized the same, and their surroundings changed once more.

Tiffania and Issei watched with the intention of not losing anything, as for both of them, it was an opportunity to understand Celestine better. For Issei, it was an opportunity to understand Celestine better and maybe even her interest in him, while for Tiffania, it was a way to see a new side of her teacher.

Chapter Text

Celestine’s life was always determined by responsibility. Since she was born, she was set to become the next leader. She wasn’t particularly powerful in an offensive way. Her magic talents were in other areas, and she had great leadership skills and had more than enough responsibility for the position.

But this made her lonely. Being born from the Mother Tree and having her position determined since birth meant she couldn’t properly interact with the few others in her age group.

She didn’t have friends, and the Mother Tree was the closest thing she had to a mother figure, helping and guiding her on some occasions. The current Mother Tree was the first matriarch of the elves, meaning she had the best knowledge to pass to Celestine, but Celestine could also go days without being contacted by the spirit of the Mother Tree.

And so, she just spent decades being ready to be the leader, and at some point, decades turned into two centuries, and when her predecessor was no longer able to hold the position, Celestine became the leader.

Her life was defined by her position and responsibility. Looking at it, it was so overwhelmingly lonely.

Ten years after she became the leader, Oberon was born. Because they lacked the means to reproduce naturally, they were dependent on magic to do it, and the results were limited. Since only women were available to have their genetics used as a base, making sure a man was born was next to impossible. It had been a long time since their last men was born.

This, in consequence, caused Oberon to become full of himself. After some time, he started seeing himself as superior, unique, and that he should not be contained by those around him. He briefly considered leaving to find other elf settlements, but he determined that he was too good for them. So, he stayed, loathing everyone and everything while judging himself superior for his birth.

It was a bit cathartic that everyone already knew how he would end.

Celestine tried to correct his behavior; however, he was like a stubborn child and remained certain in his path. He also did not take her seriously because he saw her as “just another woman” because of his position granted by birth.

So, Celestine resigned herself to acceptance and focused on her work.

One decade later, an injured and lost human man appeared in the village. It was the first time they had contact with humans in centuries. Some would think that this could help their reproduction problems, and Celestine knew that, but she also knew elves were arrogant and would not accept mating with humans.

Still, she didn’t want to be the one to leave a man to die, and they could use this opportunity to get updates on the current human society.

However, Celestine was partially incorrect about no one accepting that man. As it turned out, someone from her generation ended up falling in love with him while treating him.

They were naturally Tiffania’s parents. While some did not support the couple, Celestine did her best to support them, finally seeing a new hope for her people. But more than that, the leader saw something that she never realized she craved for herself, companionship.

There was something about watching the two interacting, disregarding the judgment of those around them, and simply being happy with each other.

Someone could go on their whole lives without something and never notice it, but the moment they become aware of it, they will realize they craved for it. Celestine always thought she understood and accepted her role as a leader and all the burdens and responsibilities, but through Tiffania's mother and father, she realized she would always be alone at that rate. Even if Oberon accepted his role, he had already admitted multiple times that he would not fulfill his obligations.

Besides, would she even be ok with someone like him after witnessing what a relationship was?

But it seemed like something could not stay positive forever. Tiffania's father's injuries were healed, but he had further complications that the elves couldn't really heal. It is not exactly that they lacked the means to do so, but that they lacked the knowledge. Human diseases were a completely unknown area to them, and studying the man while he was dying was unlikely to allow them to learn enough in time to save him.

So, in his last weeks, he just stayed by the side of the woman he came to love. The elves truly did what they could to save him. Sadly, he still passed away. However, not without leaving one last mark on the world, which came in the form of Tiffania.

For a while, the elves were excited. For the first time in centuries, they would have a natural birth. It felt like a miracle.

Sadly, they soon realized that they couldn’t have miracles without paying some price.

Although the knowledge on how to operate a birth procedure was passed down in books, putting it into practice had been lost for so long that the operation was exceedingly difficult for them. In the end, Tiffania was born healthy, but her mother could not resist the process.

Part of Celestine wondered if the death of her loved one also played a part in her demise. Maybe she was too sad or too tired. The leader would never know for certain.

With the mother dead, no one was sure who would take care of the child, so Celestine took it upon herself to do it. In part because Tiffania’s mother was from her generation, in part because she was curious to see the development of the first natural-born elf, and in part because she wished she could be this child’s family.

She would always think this was one of the best decisions of her life.

“Teacher…”

After witnessing her teacher’s story, Tiffania was reduced to tears and tightly hugged her adoptive mother, not letting her go for anything. Seeing her daughter like that, Celestine smiled helplessly, with tears also threatening to form in her eyes.

“L-lady C-Celestine, you are amazing!”

Piglette wasn’t faring any better; she was crying more than Tiffania.

“You are amazing, Celestine.”

The respect Issei felt for her had grown a lot more after witnessing those memories. Seeing all that also made him thoughtful.

“Thank you, but most of it was outside of my control. And none of us would be here if it wasn’t for you, so don’t sell yourself short, Issei.”

Now knowing how the Sekiryuutei didn’t think much of himself, Celestine felt like she couldn’t let Issei get discouraged by not understanding how amazing he could be. She also noticed he seemed to be thinking heavily on something, and resisted the urge to ask what it was. If he wanted to tell her, he would in his own time.

“Tell me, girls, do you want to show Issei something as well?”

Putting her hands on Tiffania and Piglette’s shoulders, the leader asked. The two younger women panicked, unsure of how to reply. They wanted Issei to know them better, but they were also embarrassed to show him everything, especially Piglette, who felt like she was about to faint.

“It’s fine, you don’t need to force yourself to do so. Besides, I have the feeling we have to wake up soon.”

Issei said, reassuring them. He understood that it could be hard to open yourself so much to someone, and he didn’t want them to feel pressured.

“T-thanks Ise… one day I will show you everything…”

The younger elf said, her face burning red. Those words made Issei’s imagination run wild, prompting him to also blush.

“I will be looking forward to it!”

“M-me too! O-o-one day I will be ready t-to s-show Issei e-everything!”

It took all of Piglette’s courage to say that, and she was about to faint after doing it. The others wondered what fainting in a dream would cause. They wouldn’t get to discover it, though, as at that point, they started to wake up.

Everything around them started to get bright, and the next thing everyone knew, they were back in the real world.

Issei felt the soft sensation of the fabric and mattress on his body, and the sweet scent of Celestine’s breath on his face. His eyes opened to see Celestine warmly looking at him, her large breasts were at full display, being squeezed on the sides.

“Fufu, I hope you enjoyed your sleep.”

 Celestine said, feeling more comfortable with Issei now.

Seeing her, Issei felt like he was about to explode. His body was warm, his face was red, and his member got so rigid that it hit Celestine’s legs, pressing against them, who were blocking it from going completely straight.

The hot sensation hitting her legs made the older elf get red, with her breath getting agitated for the first time. She also felt the length of the dick, and the sheer size was sending chills down her spine. None of the records about men mentioned anything like what Issei had.

Their flesh was still separated by a single piece of fabric, and both were eager to know how the contact would feel without any fabric.

“You know, you can do what you want…”

Celestine said before even thinking about her words. That pushed Issei to the edge.

He moved too quickly for Celestine to see, and in the next moment, he was above her, his hands next to her head, his eyes looking at her intensely. This also allowed her to see how rigid his dick had become under his pants, and the sight made her gulp, wondering how it would feel to have that inside of her.

“Celestine….” Issei had to control his breath. He didn’t know what was occurring to him. Maybe it was his new body affecting him, but he had no idea if he would have been this straightforward before. “I want you to be mine.”

The brunet wondered if he had ever been this straightforward before. He was surprising himself with his actions; after all, he was acting mostly on instinct.

“So do it. You know I want it too.”

She said gently, putting her hands on his face.

Issei felt his heart beating faster. He was doing his best to exercise control over himself.

“I don’t want to just be with you because I am the first option! If… if we are to have a relationship, I don’t want it to be just because I am the first man you befriend. I want to make you not be lonely anymore, but I also want you to genuinely love me! And I also want to love you!”

The intensity of his words and feelings, Issei’s honesty, surprised Celestine. And yet, it also moved her. She felt her heart beating faster than it ever had, and at that moment, she just wanted to embrace Issei.

She knew he could have had his way with her, and if one barely knew the brunet and only understood him as a pervert, they would think he would. But Issei wanted more than that with someone he respected, and he wouldn’t take advantage of her loneliness and wish for a husband to form a family.

“All I have to do is make you fall in love with me?”

She said with a light smile, free of worries.

“Yes, although…”

The young dragon gulped, his eyes travelling in a non-discrete manner. He was still doing his best to control himself.

Before he could get away, Celestine raised herself, her large chest pressed against Issei’s own, as she kissed his forehead, and then his right cheek.

“I will do my best.”

Issei’s honesty and his refusal to take advantage of her to satisfy his desires moved Celestine. For her, this was no longer about having the host of two Longinus as her husband. It was to actually be able to be part of this man’s family.

The leader’s actions took Issei by surprise, and he was paralyzed, not knowing what to do, only that if they kept in that position, the dragon hybrid feared losing control. It was not helping that Celestine showed no concerns, in fact, a part of her was actively trying to make him lose control.

They stayed like that for a few seconds, until.

“Teacher, we are here!”

Tiffania happily opened the door of the room and stepped in before looking inside, with Piglette right beside her. It was only then that they realized that Issei was right above Celestine, who had her face dangerously close to the brunette, and her breasts were tightly pressed against his strong body.

Both younger women had their faces turn entirely red at that scene. It was too much for Piglette, who fainted.

Chapter Text

After getting out of bed, Tiffania and Piglette could not look at Issei’s face for a few hours. They had breakfast, the brunet contacted his parents, and then bathed himself again, this time in a pond.

He could see some elves around, watching him. However, he noticed there was no vigilance on them, just curiosity. The brunet also took that opportunity to flaunt himself a little, feeling freer after his talk with Celestine. So he felt no trouble showing the elves all he had to show.

The many gulps he heard and the multiple questions of “Is it natural to be that long?” put a big smile on Issei’s face.

Ddraig rolled her eyes, and Regulus chuckled at his host's actions.

After drying himself and putting on his clothes, two elves jumped out of the trees to meet him, though they were avoiding eye contact while blushing.

“The matriarch has requested to meet you, lord Dragon Emperor.”

The one who spoke was a slender elf with short green hair. She was using a small amount of armor that was light enough to allow her to move freely, with a bow and some arrows on her back. She looked like a ranger, and from her aura, Issei imagined she was one of the stronger ones.

The other elf on her side had golden-blonde hair and looked to be a bit taller than her colleague. Other than that, she was using a flower-shaped hood, white sleeveless tops, and green bloomers. Her bow and arrow were also on her back.

“Ah, thanks for telling me, but you can just call me Issei.”

He was expecting the formality from them, but it really was not something Issei was worried about.

The two looked at each other and nodded, unsurprised. They already expected that result, as Celestine had informed them that Issei hardly cared about that sort of act.

“If that’s the case, call me Fea.”

“I am Ryuu.”

The green-haired and blonde-haired said, respectively.

They guided Issei through the forest, away from the main settlement. Their path seemed random at first, but it was only because of his instincts that Issei knew there was a pattern that they were following. Although if asked, he would not be able to answer what that pattern was.

It didn’t take long for them to reach their destination, where the brunet could feel a familiar presence on the underground.

In front of them was a dark tree with massive roots above ground. The tree had no leaves, and compared to some of the others Issei had seen around, it was not the largest. He judged it was barely taller than an average two-store house.

Between two particularly massive roots, there was a hole with stars leading underground, right below the tree.

“Is this the prison?”

Ryu nodded to the Sekiryuutei’s question.

“Yes, although it has not been used for a very long time.”

Without delays, they go downstairs. Although it was called a prison, it would be more accurate to say they were entering a dungeon.

To reinforce what Ryuu had said about the prison not being used for a long time, which for the elves could even mean a thousand years or more, the place was full of dust, and it was far from well-maintained. Its condition wouldn’t make anyone confident that the place could keep someone imprisoned, but surprisingly, it was doing its job just fine.

It helped that they only had one prisoner, Tyrian. His tail had been removed, and his arms and legs were dug into the walls of his cell. Since his injuries were barely treated, he had no hope of escaping. He was still unconscious, and the elves had drugged him to make sure he would stay like that.

“We heard Lady Celestine say that you informed her that you can get information from your enemies, so we would like to know if you could do it to him.”

Fea informed. Issei realized that Celestine kept the incident that allowed her to learn this for herself, and he felt some enjoyment knowing she was keeping the intimate details from her subordinates.

Understanding the gist of it, the dragon entered the cell and checked his Dream Manipulation skill. He received multiple notifications of it leveling up during the dream, so he had been a bit curious at which level it would be now.

Dream manipulation leveled up!

Dream manipulation leveled up!

…

Dream manipulation (lv 159)

Congratulations to the user for leveling up a skill and passing level 100 in less than 48 hours after acquiring the system. Would you like to receive your reward for that?

Y/N

Seeing the level his skill had reached, Issei almost wanted to scream in shock. That was simply too much of a jump! He remembered that it was one of his lowest-level skills, and he had only acquired it yesterday because of his transformation. Yet, it was now his highest-level skill. It was almost surreal.

He was very curious about the reward. However, Issei decided to claim it after finishing the matter at hand.

Focusing on his skill, the brunet understood what the high level meant and how he could properly make use of this power. Before, he would need to touch Tyrian’s forehead or make some contact to enter his dream. Now, Issei did not even need to be close to him. He did not even need to enter his dreams to get what they needed.

Ryuu and Fea felt a new aura coming from Issei, one that they couldn’t recognize. The next second, Tyrian started rambling.

“What is the name of the organization, and what do you guys want?”

The two elves were not sure what was happening. They only understood that Issei was using some sort of power. The two wanted to interrogate Tyrian as well, however, because they were not sure what the young dragon was doing, they didn’t want to risk interrupting him.

“Salem… We want… witches… descendants from… survivals of trials… we are amassing energy… when we get both… hehe… it will be amazing…”

Issei concentrated on trying to distinguish more information from Tyrian’s mind through his dreams, to see if he could find anything more specific, but to his disappointment, that was all Tyrian knew.

With Dream Manipulation being so ridiculously high-level, there was nothing that could be hidden from Issei while someone was sleeping under the effects of his skill. He could see inside their dreams without having to enter and manipulate them to get information straight out of someone's mouth. If he had a better target, they would have learned more. Tyrian's mind was just too unfocused, too unclear. It was shocking that he was even slightly functional before.

The brunet tried to get some information about other members of the organization as well, but Tyrian’s information was limited on that front, too. He was giving a bunch of nicknames and mentioning some of his orders, but nothing that Issei could understand. It was all in pieces that seemed to make sense for Tyrian, but not for anyone else.

[Ask them about their bases.]

Because Issei was not exactly the best-suited person for the role of interrogating, Regulus gave a suggestion.

Issei forwarded the question, hoping that Tyrian would at least know that much.

“Seoul, Massachusetts, Versailles, Kyoto. Most abandoned…”

Issei’s eyes widened at the last one. He didn’t think this organization would be active in Japan.

“Do you know any of these places?”

Fea asked, noticing Issei’s reaction.

“Yeah, one of them is in my country. I will check there when I am on my way back home.”

He still had a whole month and a half before classes started, so even taking into account the days he would spend with the elves, Issei would have enough time to take a detour in Kyoto to see if he could find more about this organization.

‘So, they were after Regulus for energy?’

The brunet asked the dragoness and the lion, confused about the correlation between what Tyrian said was the organization’s goal and what they were doing after Regulus.

[Longinus carries a lot of power. It is not weird that they were doing that for energy. You would likely have been targeted had they found you earlier. Although I am sure you would have just taken care of them.]

Ddraig explained. With her experience, she saw through the goals of the organization with those disconnected words. Naturally, the same applied to Regulus. Because they were more acquainted with each other, the lion let Ddraig do the explaining.

[That madman mentioned witches and trial survivors, right?] Issei mentally nodded as Ddraig proceeded. [This is all speculation, but maybe surviving those trials did something to those witches and their bloodlines? And by amassing energy and exposing the descendants to it, it will likely result in their bloodlines awakening. Now, what that would result in and if it is an actual threat, I can’t say yet.]

After Ddraig’s explanation, the organization's objective became clearer for Issei, even if their reasons were still a mystery.

After relaying that information to Fea and Ryuu, who seemed surprised at the efficiency the brunet showcased. They did not have much information on witches, although they believed Celestine should have access to records about them.

With that completed, they returned to the village.

Tyrian would not live longer after that day.

Once they arrived at the village and went their separate ways, Issei claimed his reward.

Congratulations on breaking a record and completing of one of the secret achievements!

Rewards:

15.000 exp

Dragon card: Dragon of sleep and dreams

2x exp for skills for the next 48 hours

New trait: Sleepless

Congratulations! You have leveled up!

‘What is a secret achievement?’

At his thought, the system brought it up.

These are similar to achievements in a normal game, but the user will never learn of them and has no way to access any information about them, before he complete an achievement. They can only be completed by blind luck, and the user could spend a lifetime without completing any! But if they do, there will be amazing rewards!

‘So it's like winning on the lottery… But now I will be stressing over if any little thing is a secret achievement…’

Issei scratched his head. He knew this was one of those things that he shouldn’t overthink, but it was hard not to.

However, as he had other things to look at, he quickly let go of that and looked at his dragon card.

Dragon of sleep and dreams:

The dragon that influences the ethereal realm of sleep and dreams, being able to manipulate both.

Issei read that description with confusion.

‘Say, Ddraig, isn’t Great Red the Dragon of Dreams?’

The brunet felt that he wouldn’t be so lucky as to get the same powers as the strongest dragon in existence, but it did not harm him to check.

[This dream and the Dream that Great Red governs are different things… don’t worry about that sort of thing for now, it is too outside of your scope.]

In his soul space, the dragoness shook her head, dismissing those thoughts. As amazing as the system was, it existed on an equal trade basis, and as amazing as leveling up a skill so much in so little time was, it was far from enough to receive Great Red’s powers or that caliber of power.

With that out of the way, Issei looked at his new trait.

Sleepless: The user no longer requires sleep to rest and will recover all the same. He can still sleep if he chooses to.

‘This could be fun.’

Issei wouldn’t say no to the extra time he would get for not needing to sleep. And if he felt inclined to, he could still do so. This meant that he would have more time for watching hentai or playing eroges while everyone was sleeping. He could go undisturbed the whole night! The possibilities were endless!

Ddraig did not even feel like sighing anymore, although Regulus still chuckled.

Lastly, the dragon finally looks at his new stats.

Level: 18(15.000/86.500)

Talent Rank: 2S+

HP: 26.319/26.319

STA: 30.116/30.116

DRA: 27.164/27.164

YK: 18.554/18.554

STR: 426

DEX: 426

RES: 426

AGI: 426

INT: 101(111)

WIS: 82

CHR: 119

LCK: -30

Status Points: 22 (SP cannot be distributed to LCK)

Traits: Strength of a Mountain III | Precision Ex III | Diamond Skin III | Lightning Movement III | Fast Mind II | Enhanced Spirit I | Attractive II | Bad Luck I | Sleepless

His health points, stamina, dragon energy, and youki had skyrocketed compared to before, especially the latter two. Issei was confused about that for a moment before Ddraig mentioned that his new body would naturally help increase those two energies, as it was now easier for him to generate them.

[You should make good use of those 48 hours that were given you, master.]

Seeing Issei distracted by the things the changes he went through, Regulus reminded him of the bonus exp he would get for skills.

Thanks to his reminder, Issei knew exactly what to do next.

“You would like to train with our elite?”

Issei nodded at Celestine’s question. The brunet observed the older elf putting some strands of hair behind her ear, her lips pressing against each other as her eyes shone in thought. Issei thought that all of her was perfection, and he was beating himself up mentally for not taking on her offer before. But he knew he wouldn’t want to be with her as a band-aid for her loneliness. Until she was properly in love with him, he would hold back.

On his end, Issei already felt like he was ready to hand Celestine and Tiffania the world. But he wouldn’t expect anything from them just because of that.

“I think this is a wonderful idea. You will even learn about our fighting styles. And I am sure Tiffania will enjoy watching you.”

The elf went around the young dragon, putting her hands on his shoulder. She was excited that Issei was actively taking part in the activities of her people.

The next thing Issei knew, he and Celestine were holding hands, walking through the village. They went north, in the direction of a lake with the elite warriors of the village. On the way, Celestine explained some of the things around the village, why some establishments were where they were, and what the flowers around them meant. Usually, Issei wouldn’t pay attention to this sort of stuff, but he was taking every word Celestine said with the utmost attention.

“They train here because we believe that the reflection of the lake can help refresh the mind and spirit.”

She finished her explanation as they approached the lake. The sound of training there was intensive. After what they had gone through, the elves wanted to make sure they would be stronger to face anything.

“Matriarch! Lord Dragon Emperor!”

They had noticed Celestine’s arrival with Issei beforehand, and so the moment the leader came into their view, all of the elite elves kneeled.

“Thank you, girls, you can rise now.” The dragon hybrid noticed that Celestine’s tone was now different from when she was talking with him. It was as dignified as a leader should be, while also humble. “Issei would like to join you all in training, would that be ok?”

A light of excitement shone in the eyes of the elves, one that did not escape Celestine. This was a reaction she expected. Issei's interrogation of Tyrian had already spread, and his major contribution in saving her and Misery, while being the host of two Longinus, made him an existence the entire village was looking up to.

“It would be our honor.”

The excitement in their voice was obvious to the matriarch, but she knew it went through Issei’s head.

“Thanks for having me.”

Glad they accepted him, Issei joined, and right away, they resumed training. Of course, now that they had the Sekiryuutei with them, adjustments were made.

Because of the gap in power between Issei and the rest, their training ended up turning on them, attacking him, doing their best against someone who far outclassed them. At first glance, this might seem useless to the brunet. To the contrary, it was the perfect opportunity for him to hone his skills.

This was both him learning more about the elves and making good use of his exp boost.

Martial arts have leveled up!

Martial arts have leveled up!

Martial arts have leveled up!

…

Because he had to better control himself and his movements to not hurt anyone, Issei was using his martial arts with more focus than during his previous battles, which was allowing them to level up at an insane rate.

Not only that, he was picking up on the elves' martial arts, too. They were actively trying to teach him, and in exchange, the brunet taught them some of his moves. It was clear that he was benefiting the most, but the elves didn’t mind. Just being able to teach the Sekiryuutei and seeing him improve at a rapid pace was rewarding enough for them.

Issei learned their movement and attacking techniques and could implement them in an amateurish way after two hours of training. He also noticed that he could understand the basics with ease and that his mind was running at a faster speed than usual. The increment on his INT stat was becoming more noticeable.

The young dragon had some difficulty in training because of how beautiful and well-developed the elves around him were. Multiple times, he almost lost focus during training. It was only because of Ddraig and Regulus reminding him to pay attention that it never happened.

The other elves were oblivious to that. Only Celestine noticed, and she found it amusing seeing the brunet fighting, nearly unsuccessfully, against his base instincts. Elves were not naturally lustful because of the lack of reproduction, so she found Issei’s natural lust interesting.

Once the physical training was over, they practiced energy control. The elite elves were going until collapse.

Their objective was to control as many leaves as they could and send them across the lake.

Because those things were too fragile, the control of energy had to be precise, and that level of control had to be kept for as long as possible.

Issei was trying to use both Youki and Draconic Energy for the task, and he soon realized it was an arduous task as all the leaves he tried to control were burning before they could even get far on the lake.

Dragon aura manipulation has leveled up!

Youki manipulation has leveled up!

Dragon aura manipulation has leveled up!

Youki manipulation has leveled up!

Dragon aura manipulation has leveled up!

Youki manipulation has leveled up!

…

It was paying off, however.

The training session ended with a large group spar, in which they all coordinated to attack the Sekiryuutei. Once more, Issei used that as an opportunity to test his new skills and some that he had not tried yet.

Illusions, martial arts, redirection, and more, he wanted to make the most of this training and his bonus for acquiring experience.

This reminded him of the book he got from the dungeon, and after checking on the system, it turned out the restoration had been completed. Deciding to take a small break from training, he sat on the edge of the river to check on it.

Would you like to receive it?

The system prompted, and Issei accepted. A leather black book appeared in his hands, and he didn't waste time looking inside. The first page almost sent him down a trip. The letters were foreign to his brain, and yet he could understand their meaning, likely because of the system. It was an uncanny sensation to look at something he knew he didn't recognize and still understand it.

"Rune magic..."

Whistling to himself, the young dragon read through the first pages of the book. In a rare moment of luck for Issei, those pages were enough to introduce the basics of that branch of magic.

The ideas underlying it were fundamentally simple. Runes on that world had been containers of power. From Issei's understanding, one could make runes based on the words 'throw', 'fire', and 'ball', and that would happen. The runes allowed someone to manipulate their surroundings. However, Issei also understood that this was the simplest application of them, and it was not particularly powerful, at least not for him.

He only understood that the less specific a rune, the harder it would be to use or control it, but the more powerful it could be as well.

Rune magic (lv 1) acquired!

Rune magic has leveled up!

Rune magic has leveled up!

Satisfied with the acquired knowledge, especially after putting some of it into practice. Therefore, he returned to sparring with the elves.

During said spars, the elves got a proper measure of how above in strength Issei was. They could not touch him unless he didn’t bother to dodge, in which case his natural resistance would nullify their attacks. They felt like they were hitting a solid boulder.

‘So that’s a dragon’s body.’

Those were the thoughts of the very few who landed hits on Issei.

At the end of the training, only the dragon hybrid could stand up. The whole thing wasn’t too physically demanding for him, but it was great training for his techniques and control.

By the time they finished, it was already lunch, and the food had been brought to them, with Tiffania and Piglette joining as well.

“You are amazing as always, Issei.”

Piglette said with her eyes shining as she passed some water for the brunet.

“Thanks!”

He was slowly getting used to praise.

“Ise, do you want to play with me?”

Tiffania had brought with her a weird board with some pieces on it, and she was clearly excited to play with Issei.

“Of course.”

How could he refuse her? Regulus wondered if he should mention the training, but Ddraig stopped him. Issei had just trained, and she wanted him to enjoy himself a little. And in the end, their worries were unnecessary as magic was a part of the game.

The game could be played by up to four people, so Celestine and Piglette joined them. Part of the challenge of the game was moving the pieces with magic, which meant Issei could finally give a shot to his Youkai Magic.

Youkai magic has leveled up!

Youkai magic has leveled up!

…

Sadly, he lost all the games they played, even after understanding the rules.

“You are not very good at this, are you?”

Celestine asked, finding it funny how the young dragon could be so powerful in battle and so bad in a strategy game. Tiffania and Piglette were both tapping his shoulder to make him feel better.

+1 Intelligence

On the bright side, the game forced him to use his brain enough that his intelligence rose slightly.

Massaging his temples, Issei shook his head. He enjoyed the small break after the training, but it was time to focus again.

“Celestine, I need to ask for some things.”

Chapter Text

“This should be the last ones.”

Issei’s original 7000 points were reduced to 1600 as he bought the last ingredients needed for the Wind Manor Pill.

Because of the elves' relation with nature, Issei asked Celestine if she could arrange certain ingredients for him. Luckily, some of the things they had were ingredients for the pill, and the rest Issei supplied himself through the systems shop.

“I wasn’t aware you were an alchemist.”

Celestine said with surprise. She had come to expect a lot out of Issei, and yet, she would never have pictured him as an alchemist. It just seemed too outside of his zone of specialties.

“You don’t look like one, Ise.”

Tiffania said innocently, not minding her words. She didn’t mean anything bad by it; it was just the impression Issei gave people.

“I-I bet you are a great one!”

Piglette was the only one not surprised. She was not far from believing that Issei could do anything.

“It is something I learned recently. To be more specific, some recipes were given to me. I just want to give it a try.”

The system had identified the Nine Star Hegemon Body Art as a primary skill, the same classification given to the Boosted Gear and now Regulus Nemea. This meant that this was an art of just as much potential as a Longinus-class Sacred Gear. Issei could barely imagine how it would be to have that power, plus his Longinus as well.

[The stronger you are, the more likely you are to have the chance to form a harem in this world.]

Ddraig’s words fired him up. She knew exactly what to say to get him motivated.

Just as Issei was about to start, a notification appeared.

Attention!

Originally, the Nine Star Hegemon Body Arts technique is meant to be a human race technique and might not be as suitable for the host’s current body. As such, adaptations were being made since the host changed races! Do not worry, the ingredients will be the same!

New technique:

Nine Star Hegemon Dragon Art

That notification surprised Issei, and at the same time, it didn’t mean much to him, since he didn’t have contact with the original art. He was glad that the modified art would fit him better, though. He was comfortable with his identity as a dragon, and if he had to choose, he would prefer a dragon’s technique over a human’s one.

With more than thirty ingredients collected and all of them still useful, Issei activated the Alchemy function of the system, and a furnace appeared in front of him. The three women watching just thought he was using the storage function of the Boosted Gear.

He started refining the ingredients one by one. By refining it, Issei would take its essence, remove any impurities, and turn the ingredients into powder. Fire control was an important key to this step, and Issei was lucky to have a powerful flame and good control over it.

Fire manipulation has leveled up!

Fire manipulation has leveled up!

Dragon-Fox fire has leveled up!

Dragon-Fox fire has leveled up!

Alchemy has leveled up!

Alchemy has leveled up!

…

Title acquired: Alchemist apprentice

Just by refining ingredients, Issei was already reaping benefits.

After one hour, the refinement was done. It was a good thing that Issei leveled up his energy control before this, since it facilitated the current process.

Throwing some of the refined ingredients into the furnace, Issei used his flames to heat the object and his youki to control what was happening inside. His dragon aura was just not suitable for this sort of process.

Now he reached the critical part. There could be no mistakes in controlling the flames, or everything would go to waste. Issei’s timing had to be impeccable. If he had to increase or diminish his flames, he had to do so without missing a beat.

Watching Issei so focused, the three women were fascinated, Celestine in particular. She had witnessed the Sekiryuutei being serious through his memories, and she knew he acted like that when saving her, but it was the first time she saw it in person.

Seeing his serious eyes that would not stop until he got what he wanted was moving Celestine. It was a very similar look to the one he showed her when they were in bed, although Issei looked more serious back there.

She realized that she really enjoyed that look on his face. And she also enjoyed when he was playful or when he was casual.

Tiffania and Piglette were fascinated to see Issei like that because their belief in him was almost unshakable. They were convinced that when Issei got like that, he could do whatever he wanted.

The furnace in front of Issei slightly trembled with a buzzing noise. Without hesitation, Issei threw a few more ingredients in. His control over his youki was being tested at every second, which also meant that it was improving at every second. The current level of control the Sekiryuutei had over his youkai energy was better than when he started the process.

The process was reaching its end, and with that, the aroma of the pill became stronger.

Following that, the furnace started shaking with buzzing noises, the energy inside getting wild. That was a good sign. It was not only a normal part of the process, but it also identified that Issei was reaching the end of the process.

Issei sealed the whole furnace with his youki and increased the power of his flame. This was one of the things that came with the knowledge given to him by the system, and this way, he should stop any explosions from happening.

With that, there was smothering noise from the furnace, which was followed by silence. Knowing it ended, everyone took a breath. The three women watching had been feeling more tense than the young dragon when the furnace started shaking, and they were happy that, apparently, everything worked out.

Opening the furnace and taking the results out, Issei was met with three low-grade pills and two middle-grade pills. Low-grade meant that the pill kept half of its essence, while middle-grade meant that they kept 60%.

This was important because of the impurities in the pills. Issei would have to consume many of them to practice the Nine Star Hegemon Dragon Art, and even if he had ways of dealing with the impurities, it was better to avoid them. Besides, better quality just meant better effects anyway.

Now that he had a better understanding of the process and had a higher alchemy level, Issei used the last of his ingredients to repeat it and ended up with four middle-grade pills and one high-grade pill, with seventy percent of its essences.

“This aroma is revitalizing.”

Celestine commented, feeling stronger with the smell of the pills.

“So good…”

Tiffania was surprised by how great it was. She considered it to be better than the flowers she was used to.

“I feel so full of energy!”

Much like Celestine, Piglette was surprised by the effect the aroma of the pills had. They could only wonder what it would be like to consume it.

Issei didn’t have to think about that as he took a pill and threw it into his mouth. Using his youki, he guided the wild medicinal energy to his left foot, the position of where the First Star would be located. If he were still human, that would be it, but because Issei’s body was that of a dragon-kitsune, there was a difference.

His youki naturally created a channel of energy connecting his tail to the First Star forming on his feet.

An intense energy came from Issei’s left foot and his tail, breaking the ground around him and creating shockwaves.

Issei consumed one more pill, the energy going straight to the star in his feet, which was consuming it like a man in a desert would try to drink water.

A powerful energy filled Issei’s body, making an explosion that the brunet couldn’t control. Thankfully, Celestine, Tiffania, and Piglette were a bit further from him, so they just felt the wind caused by the shockwave and not the power explosion.

“Issei, are you ok?”

The three asked at the same time. They were worried that he had been exposed to too much energy and harmed himself.

“I am fine! No, I am actually more than fine!”

All physical stats increased by 15 points!

Issei was filling the youki travelling through his body. It was a wonderful sensation. Without thinking, he roared at the skies.

One by one, he consumed the remaining pills. The effect was no longer as strong, nor was the increase in power, but the star in his left foot was consuming it all, and even after consuming all the pills, it was still not done. Issei would need more pills if he wanted the First Star to reach its peak.

But he could feel good for now, as his status had risen a total of fifty points! Sadly, the more pills he consumed, the less effective the increase was.

Cultivation path initiated:

Current cultivation: Qi refinement

The path of domination has been awakened

He was not too sure what that meant, but Issei was so full of energy that at the moment, he could not worry about that.

Ddraig reacted to the last line from the notification. However, she didn’t notice any immediate change. There was a subtle feeling that something was not the same; she just could not put her finger on it yet.

As she was clueless herself, the dragoness only took a mental note of it. She would warn Issei about the matter when they could talk in peace and he was less energetic.

The rest of the day was a bit of training and spending time with Celestine, Tiffania, and Piglette.

Piglette had received a letter from her father informing her that she now had a position as a diplomat with the elves and could remain there. It was an obvious attempt to get rid of her, and the woman was happy with it. They just had to stop Issei from raiding the place out of sheer rage.

It took some convincing from the three until he calmed down, after which, to make sure Issei would not be going anywhere, they went to swim in one of the lakes nearby. Their swimsuits were basically leaves, and so were Issei’s.

Unnecessary to say, but the brunet had a great day.

The following day, he had a similar routine to the previous one, training as many aspects as he could to exhaustion and later on the day, enjoying time with the three he was close to. In particular, he was still sleeping with Celestine. That caused his will to level up several times throughout the time he spent there.

The rest of his days were spent doing some training with the elves, and following Tiffania, Celestine, and Piglette, sometimes each separately, sometimes all together. The brunet got more used to elf culture and costumes, while also presenting some modern Japanese costumes to the three.

Celestine had a lot of fun playing the elf board game with Issei every day, even if his skills on that game were suboptimal. She also enjoyed their walks, and she had gotten used to sharing a bed with him. She knew she would have some trouble sleeping once he returned home.

Tiffania loved to explain about their surroundings, the magic they used, the details of their culture, and everyday life. Issei paid attention to every word, asking questions whenever he had a doubt. Which was not as many times as he had expected. She also enjoyed watching Issei’s own powers in action and rejoiced at helping him understand his own abilities better, such as his illusions.

Her newfound admiration for kitsunes and dragons was growing each day. Although her admiration for Issei was bigger.

Through the days, Piglette had finally gotten used to Issei and no longer acted so nervously. She particularly enjoyed watching Issei train. She was a bit sad that there were not many pointers she could give, but the purple-haired woman finally noticed that her moral support was enough for Issei. That realization made her feel interesting things, including a warm sensation that spread through her whole body whenever Issei smiled at her and, on some occasions, when he did something she found particularly attractive, a moist sensation between her legs.

Before anyone realized, Issei’s last day had arrived.

“You look sad.”

Pointed out Celestine, referring to her daughter.

“I am… I will miss Issei…”

The younger elf said as her head laid on a table because of her low spirits.

Her master chuckled.

“It won’t be a goodbye forever, and keeping communications with him will be easy. And I believe soon enough, Issei will be able to visit whenever he wants.” There was a moment of silence so Tiffania could reply or not, then Celestine continued. “But ignoring all that, what is that you want, my dear? That is the most important.”

Celestine’s words tug something in Tiffania. The younger elf closed her eyes in thought and then got up, making a decision.

“Thanks, teacher!”

She promptly left in the direction of her house as she said that.

Celestine sighed, thinking that things would be a bit lonely for a while. Although she had the happy impression it wouldn’t last.

Piglette was a few steps ahead, having already contacted her father to inform him of her plans and informing him that she had already gotten permission from Celestine. She quickly got her reply, through a bird, congratulating her. The purple-haired woman shredded the paper. She no longer cared about the opinions of those people.

With his food and drinks supplies restocked, and a spell that would allow him to lay low if he passed through areas under other mythologies. Of course, the spell itself wasn’t that strong, but with a few boosts from Issei, he was undetectable.

Now all he had to do was meet Tiffania, Piglette, and Celestine to say his goodbyes. The brunet had already talked with everybody else that he had become friends with.

He was crying inside throughout the whole process. It wasn’t easy for Issei to accept that he had to leave a place that was paradise to him. Sure, he knew he had open communication with Celestine all the time and that he should be able to come back when his Guardian Leaf reached a slightly higher status, but it was still saddening to the young dragon.

“Ise! We are here!”

“We’ve made a decision!”

Distracted by his sadness, he didn’t notice the three appearing behind him, only realizing they were there because Tiffania and Piglette had called.

“Why do you guys have bags?”

The first thing he noticed when turning around was that the two young women were carrying a lot of things with them.

“We are going with you!”

“We are not taking no for an answer!”

Tiffania now had an upbeat manner, happy that she didn’t have to get away from her friend.

Piglette was also in high spirits, but there was an obsessed glow in her eyes that showed Issei she would not take no for an answer.

“Are you sure?”

He asked anyway.

“Yes!”

The two said, entering his personal space, their large breasts pressing against him. Externally, the young dragon kept his composure. Internally, he was cheering like he had won the lottery.

“I know you will take care of them, Issei, but I also wish that you would take care of yourself. You are going to the base of that organization in your country, right?”

Celestine asked, grabbing Issei’s hand. He showed no particular reaction as contact with her was something the dragon-hybrid had gotten used to.

“Yes, but don’t worry, those guys won’t be able to do anything to me.”

She knew his confidence was not unfounded.

“I wish to see you soon.”

The matriarch of the elves had thought of multiple things she could have said, but the words that came were not the ones she had planned.

“Don’t worry, I know you will.”

Issei gave her a reassuring smile, and she replied in kind. Words were no longer necessary.

Having put the bags of both young women in the storage of the boosted gear, Issei took out his wings, put his arms around Tiffania and Piglette’s waist, making both blush deeply, and took flight.

“Take care! I will see you all soon!”

BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST

Before any replies could be given, the brunet boosted his wings and departed, faster than anyone on the ground could see.

Chapter Text

At first, the perspective of flying at high speed with their bodies under no protection besides Issei’s arms was a bit scary for Tiffania and Piglette for the first five minutes, before they realized they were barely feeling anything.

Finally, having the courage to look up, they realized that Issei was protecting them by covering both with his youki. Now that they were aware of the energy protecting them, they felt it was warm and comfortable. The feeling of his firm arms around them brought the two a feeling of security. They realized that the trip would be much better than they ever expected.

‘Ah, this is life…’

Issei also enjoyed carrying two beauties on his arms as he flew through the sky. It felt right, it felt like the sort of thing dragons would do when they roamed free through the world. It satisfied some parts of his instincts.

Thanks to his multiple boosts on his wings, their flight was much faster than normal, and after five hours, they had arrived. The most impressive part of the whole thing was that Issei was only mildly tired. His stamina consumption had been surprisingly minimal, and if asked, the brunet was sure he could keep flying like that for a few more days.

His transformation and level-ups were still yielding impressive results.

“I don’t have a hotel reservation, so we might have to camp outside for this night… Sorry.”

Using a bit of magic from the elves, Issei was able to keep in contact with his parents. However, to make and pay for a reservation was something he only remembered he should have done halfway through their flight. He had gotten too used to travelling by himself and just figuring things out when he arrived at this destination.

“No worries, Issei. I am used to sleeping in the forest.”

“Yes, and it might be fun to sleep in a foreign forest.”

They were at the outskirts of Kyoto, away from human eyes. The two women were making use of accessories that should camouflage their inhuman traits, making them look like just normal foreigners to the average Japanese person.

And of course, they didn’t mind a lack of a hotel or a normal, for human standards, place to stay for the night. Although they had their own homes, it was still in the middle of a forest, and they would have no trouble sleeping outside if they so wished.

“That’s good to hear. Oh, wait, just a second!” Before they could react, Issei disappeared and a few seconds later reappeared with a new set of clothes for them. “Here, if you show up on there as you are now, it might get too much attention.”

It was simple clothes, but each matched the girls quite well, with Tiffania’s being a short dress and a green shirt, while Piglette’s being a white dress and a purple shirt. Others might have found it a bit plain; however, the girls liked it.

It was the end of the evening in Kyoto, and the nightlife of the city was slowly waking up. For the humans, that just meant the normal activities of the ones that lived there and the tourists who were visiting. For Issei, Tiffania, and Piglette, it meant being careful of the Youkai faction. They could feel youkais around, even if the same wasn’t true the other way around. The trio just had to be careful because they were technically trespassing on someone else’s territory.

Issei’s presence meant that they had little to fear. He could feel any near youkai, and he could also use his own youki to keep them off radar. Besides, the spell employed by Celestine was still in place, so the youkais had no hope of noticing them.

This made Issei’s life easier, but not entirely. They still had to locate the organization’s headquarters.

“The best way to do it will be to look around.”

Tiffania suggested. It was true, especially because they had no other options, and it was also an excuse for them to look around and for the two women to be exposed to more Japanese culture, this time firsthand.

“This is great!”

“I never had anything like this! What is this made of?”

Those were their reactions to eating ramen for the first time. Pasta apparently wasn’t something elves or orcs had access to yet.

“I never thought about eating raw fish…”

“How ingenious…”

They also apparently never thought of eating any sort of fish that wasn’t cooked.

“Hehe, now you guys see how I felt eating at the village.”

Seeing them so excited about Japanese cuisine was making Issei happy, too. They ended the night by eating small hamburgers, with each bite causing the elf and the orc to give low moans. Not loud enough for those around to hear it, meaning they were only for Issei’s ears, and it was making the young man feel quite restless.

When looking for places to eat, they walked a lot, trying to cover as much ground as possible in the hope that any signs of the organization could be found. They didn’t find anything, but any progress was some progress.

“In a way, we can say for sure we know where they are not!”

Tiffania said with more enthusiasm than a person who had not found their target.

“I like this way of thinking.”

“It is very positive. I think I am fond of it too.”

But it was the sort of view that Issei liked a lot. And for Piglette, who was getting used to a more positive perspective, that was also a way of thinking she was eager to adopt.

“Hey, Issei, what is that place?”

The elf asked, pointing at an old arcade.

“Ah, that is where happiness and good memories are made…”

The brunet said, thinking back nostalgically to the arcades he used to frequent in Kuoh during his free time.

“Can we go there?”

Piglette asked, now wanting to check the place. Tiffania didn’t say anything, but she was also looking at Issei expectantly.

[You travelled through hours and have been looking for them this whole time, even while eating. Take a break, master, it is better to be mentally rested before a fight than to keep looking for one without considering yourself.]

‘I don’t feel tired, but the girls would enjoy a break, and they must be way more tired than me.’

Understanding Regulus’ advice and seeing the value in it, Issei decided to take the girls to the arcade.

And as it would turn out, hearing the advice from a more than a millennium-old being turned out to be the right move.

The shiny game arcades and the multiple prizes enchanted the women, who were once more being exposed to something entirely different from what they were used to.

“T-that’s a lot!”

“So that’s what humans are used to… no wonder they never realize what is out there, they already have their hands full…”

“Eh… I guess that’s a way to put it…” Seeing the two so overwhelmed by what he considered a common thing, Issei wasn’t sure if it was funny or tragic for humans. Although now that his senses were even better than before, he could see exactly what they were saying.

“The lights are a bit too bright…”

At that time of the day, the place was packed, and the appearance of two foreign beauties was a surprise that caused a big commotion in the old arcade. It was a highly unusual scene after all. And seeing all that, Issei made sure to put on his best delinquent face to scare away anyone harboring the thoughts of approaching.

“That’s a great face, Issei!”

The guys around ran when they saw Issei, but Piglette thought it was amazing. Just showcasing strength and scaring others by showing an expression was incredible, from her perspective.

“I prefer your normal face though…”

On the other hand, Tiffania much preferred Issei’s casual and gentler look, the one he normally showed them.

Seeing the blonde elf pouting, Issei couldn’t help but pat her head gently. The action was so spontaneous that it surprised both of them and Piglette. By the way, they ignored the cries, saying, ‘lucky bastard!’

Issei had stopped, and he was about to take it off, worried that he could be annoying Tiffania when he looked into her eyes to see them shining, expectantly waiting for him to continue. His instincts said that it was the right thing to do, so he did.

“Not fair!”

To not be left behind, Piglette took Issei’s other hand and put it on the top of her head, looking at the brunet with a lot of expectation. With obvious confusion on his face, Issei started patting her too, making Piglette’s expression change to a satisfied one.

[How oblivious can you be?]

Ddraig sighed, surprising Issei.

‘You don’t mean…’

There was no answer, as there was little need for one.

After that interaction, which lasted for a good few minutes, the group went on to properly play on the arcade.

‘No, no, no!’

After playing a few games, Issei was having a small crisis that surprised Regulus and was ignored by Ddraig, who saw it coming a mile away.

“What’s the issue, Issei?”

Tiffania asked. She was sitting near the young dragon and was having some fun herself. She and Piglette were playing a fighting game, and because both of them were still figuring out how games and controls worked, they were both playing horribly. At least they were having fun.

“These games are too easy…”

“Huh, with your reflexes, that makes sense.”

Piglette pointed out something that the brunet had not even considered beforehand. That was a tragic thing for the brunet because he would likely never feel the thrill of a video game again. Sure, there would be narrative games and other things he could use for entertaining, but the actual challenging games that required attention and learning? Those were too slow for Issei, and he was too fast. The controls no longer moved like he wanted them to. Maybe he could slow himself or force his instincts and senses down, but that would take away from a good part of the fun… Sadly, Issei had to accept that one of his sources of entertainment was gone.

“Yeah, I guess…”

“Play with us, Issei!”

Not liking to see him in low spirits, Tiffania invited him. Although she was going to do so anyway.

“Sure!”

Immediately, his spirits were up again! How could Issei stay sad when spending a good time with the two?

They played a simple three-person arcade game, a newer game. In it, Tiffania and Piglette had to work together to get more points than Issei, who was playing as each level’s boss. The two started pretty badly at the game, but were slowly getting experience and started doing better. Their original goal was far from forgotten, but they were having a lot of fun.

Next came a shooting game.

“This is so easy.”

“H-how are you so good at this…”

“Maybe she is a natural talent?”

Tiffania was having an exceptionally easy time on the shooting game, surprising Piglette and Issei.

“Hehe, if you want to say that.” Issei’s praise made her a bit glad. “I study a lot of archery, aiming and shooting are easy. And these things are so slow.”

The things she referred to were the enemies in the game, and even Piglette had to agree that they were.

Tiffania was the first to go and also the longest, because she almost finished the game. She would have won if the enemies hadn’t swarmed her at the end.

“That’s so unfair!” The blonde complained, judging her loss as unreasonable. The game did not allow her to move, so she had no choice but to deal with all enemies while stuck. “If anyone was in a situation like that, they wouldn’t stay still!”

She pouted, annoyed at the game’s self-imposed limitations. Non-surprisingly, Issei thought she looked cute like that. Thinking it was the right thing to do, or at least his instincts said so, he patted her head again, and all of Tiffania’s frustration went away.

“Don’t worry, these games are made to be unfair.”

The young dragon had a lot of experience with those things. Not all positive.

“My turn!”

Not wanting to be outdone, Piglette jumped in with the goal to surpass Tiffania’s score. She barely lasted one minute.

“I-I….”

She could not see or move as fast as Tiffania did, and the result was upsetting.

“It’s ok, you did your best.”

Not wanting to see the purple-haired upset, Issei patted her head too. Instantly, Piglette felt much better.

They didn’t stay longer in the arcade after that. Feeling much better and more refreshed, they left again and went to look around the city one more time. It was getting late, and if their search ended unsuccessfully, they would restart tomorrow.

“Is this your first time here, Issei?”

Noticing that the brunette wasn’t familiar with the streets of this place, Piglette asked.

“Yeah, it is one of the bases of the youkai faction, so I thought it would be better to avoid it.”

“Even if you are one of them?”

Tiffania asked in confusion, to which Issei chuckled.

“I don’t think they would attack me, but I used to be human, and besides, not a lot of factions want to deal with the Red Dragon Emperor.”

The two nodded in understanding. The dragon emperors were usually too chaotic and too focused on their objectives of taking each other down to get involved with any other faction. This also meant that they would usually leave a trail of destruction whenever they went. It wouldn’t be weird if they decided to take precautions against Issei if he were discovered while still being a child.

As the three were walking down the streets, their senses sharpened to notice anything weird, and they walked very close to each other. Once more, Issei’s instincts took control, and he grabbed the two women's hands. Noticing what he did, he was about to let go when they interlaced their fingers with his.

They walked like that for quite some minutes. They weren’t finding any signs of the organization, but they were having a good time.

Bad Luck I takes effect!

Entering pocket space!

Things couldn’t always sail smoothly.

The trio felt a sensation across their skins, like they had passed through a thin layer of some sort of bubble. The people around them disappeared, and the sky changed color slightly.

Pocket spaces may seem complicated, but they were common magic. None of the factions wanted the mortal world learning about the supernatural, so they made sure to spread that as far as they could. This way, if their business got a bit too loud or too noticeable, they could still do it away from human prying eyes.

An obvious consequence of this was that this sort of magic was not always used for the right objectives.

The building that was right beside the trio started falling on them the moment they entered the pocket space. Moving his hands from the girls, Issei put his arms around their waist and moved away from the building, letting it fall while they avoided all the damage.

One of the best aspects of the pocket space was that all the damage they caused there would not go to the real world.

“They are here!”

Issei declared, feeling new presences that were not there before they entered this space. When the dust settled, they got a clear view of what was happening.

The members of the organization were easy to distinguish. There were at least ten of them, and their clothes were the same as the ones from the group Issei had taken care of when he first left the dungeon. Though the group he was currently witnessing seemed slightly weaker, which made sense considering that the other group had been tasked with taking down a Longinus user.

Interestingly enough, much like his first time coming across them, the current group he was seeing was also surrounding someone, a young woman, to be more specific.

She was tall and fair-skinned, a bit too pale even, with slate-blue eyes and long white hair tied in a bun high on the left side of the back of her head, together with some bangs running along the right side of her face and a small, curled lock of hair going down her left shoulder.

In her hands was a slightly curved sword. Blood could be seen dripping from the edge of the blade.

She was using white office clothes that were now ragged and cut. Injuries covered her body, and blood dripped from her forehead. The woman seemed to be on her last breath.

Looking at Tiffania and Piglette, Issei nodded before taking action.

Chapter Text

The white-haired woman was holding her ground in the battle, and if the bodies on the ground were anything to go by, she had been doing this for some time. The consequence was that she seemed to be hitting her limit, her breath was ragged, and her moves were sluggish. It was when a bullet was about to hit her shoulder, an attack she would usually be able to avoid, that Issei happened to join the battlefield.

He stopped the bullet with one hand and punched the man who shot it, throwing him against another of his colleagues. There was such a force behind the impact that they were thrown dozens of meters away, only stopping once they hit another building.

“Who are you?”

The white-haired did not exactly thank Issei for his help. Instead, she pointed at him with her sword, the battle momentarily stopping after the brunet’s intervention. Her adrenaline was still high, and she couldn’t let her guard down. For all she knew, this random newcomer could be as much of an enemy as the group she was just facing.

“Hey, they are my enemies too!”

To prove his point, and knowing actions were louder than words, Issei ignored her and went to take the enemies down.

It wasn’t accurate to say that they were too weak. It was more accurate to say that Issei was simply too strong for them. The body of a dragon and the powers of a youkai, besides the fact that he was already used to his new powers and flourishing with them. In summary, the young dragon really only had to do one thing.

“Kamehameha!”

As the white-haired woman looked in utter disbelief, watching this young man recreating a fictional technique. It was absurd even for supernatural standards.

Her shock was shared by the members of Salem, who also didn’t get the chance to dodge, getting hit by the blast of energy. Their survival only happened because Issei needed information from them.

“Huh, that was easy.”

Things ended as soon as Issei joined. As Tiffania and Piglette rejoined him, and the white-haired looked at them with suspicion, he judged it was a good time to properly talk.

“What is there for you in this?”

Understandably, the woman was still on high guard against Issei, especially after judging that it wouldn’t take too much work from his part to take her down.

Wanting to know a bit more about the stranger, the young dragon utilized Analysis on her.

Name: Winter Schnee

Race: Human

Status: Injured, tired and under a draining curse

Class: Witch

Description:

The older heiress of the Schnee Corporation, a big European company with ties to the supernatural. By normal humans, she would be considered superhuman, but overall, her strength is not particularly remarkable in the supernatural world, even if her swordsmanship and magic are good. She was attacked by Salem less than an hour ago, and her sister was captured. Currently under some curse that is restraining her magic.

Reading that description, Issei was reminded of Tyrian mentioning witches' descendants.

Before he got the chance to properly explain himself, the brunet felt more presence arriving.

“Youkais are coming.”

He mentioned casually, looking in the direction they were coming from. Tiffania and Piglette also prepared themselves, just in case of a confrontation, since they were basically trespassing on someone else’s territory. Winter also sighed, feeling like this day was just one thing after another for her.

“Ara, what do we have here?”

The woman was, in Issei’s opinion, a clear milf. She was also a cat youkai with short black hair and black cat ears on top of her head, and her tail moving behind her. She was wearing a white Japanese dress with some black fabric over it. Said dress helped her accentuate her well-developed curves, and if it wasn’t for the time he spent with the elves, Issei’s glaring would have been obvious.

As it was becoming a habit, he used Analysis again.

Name: Kali

Race: Nekomata

Status: Alive (worried)

Class: Magician

Description:

An older nekomata that once roamed the world outside of Japan, the only one of her generation to do so. She is extremely proficient with youkai magic and is a high-ranking member of the Youkai Faction in Kyoto, and one of the most trusted friends of the leader, Yasaka. She is a widow, and her daughter was recently captured by Salem a few hours ago.

Thankfully, because they were all eyeing each other, it wasn’t weird that Issei looked at Kali while reading her description. There were some others behind her as well, but none with the same level of pressure as the older nekomata, so Issei didn’t feel prompted to use Analysis on them.

Kali also looked with interest at the group of Issei, Tiffania, Piglette, and Winter. For a second, she couldn’t see through the disguises of the elf and the orc, but once she applied some magic to her eyes, she realized to which species they belonged.

And if she were a little less experienced in life, she would have shown a strong reaction when noticing Issei’s aura. Since he was just in battle, the brunet was not trying to hide it anymore, and his dragon aura and youki could be noticed by anyone with minimal energy reading skills.

If it wasn’t for her daughter being kidnapped, Kali would have made a bigger deal of that. A dragon youkai hybrid was rare on the same degree that a half-angel, half-human would be. But, because she had much bigger worries, she just took note of that for later.

She also looked at Winter and seemed to see through her in an easier manner.

“Don’t worry, girls, I mean no harm. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, right? That is, if these awful people are your enemies.”

There was a thin, veiled threat in her words, obvious for anyone to hear.

‘Damn, she is strong and hot.’

Of course, it wasn’t the threat that Issei was thinking about.

“They took my sister from me!”

Anguish and distress that could not be faked came from Winter.

Understanding and confusion appeared in Kali’s eyes. Understanding because she knew Winter was feeling and knew that distress could not be faked. Confusion because she couldn’t see the link between her daughter and this white-haired woman's sister.

With one answered, she looked at Issei, hoping for some sort of clarification.

“They took down my predecessor and tried to harm my friends.”

Issei knew it was a bit too vague an answer, but the actual situation was also so complex that stopping to explain it now was counterproductive.

Kali seemed to catch onto that, so she just made one more mental note about the brunet. Anyway, if he had actually bad intentions, she had a feeling it would have been made clear by now. She was confident in a fight, but it was clear to her that Issei could be troublesome. She really hoped he wasn’t a third party trying to make things more chaotic.

“If that’s the case, we all have the same goal.” She said, approaching Issei and the fallen members of Salem. “And if that is really the case, I can make our lives much easier.”

Her eyes shine in yellow, and Issei can feel youkai energy moving through all of the agents, even the two he sent relatively far. A look of concentration was on Kali’s eyes for half a minute before her expression softened again.

“We can let them go, but we need someone to keep watch. I altered their memories, and they should be returning to their base soon. You four should come with us, if you wish to, of course.”

Winter considered the pros and cons, but ultimately decided to go. Not only was she injured and needed some treatment and rest, but this was their territory after all. It would be better if she could get support from the official sources.

“What do you two want to do?”

Asked Issei to his companions.

“I think it would be good to work with the faction in command here.”

Tiffania pointed out. If they could work together with the faction in charge, she would feel better. It was a way to legitimize their presence on Japan.

“I think we only have what to gain by working with them.”

Piglette was of the same opinion. It would not be good for them to stay with Issei without being recognized by the main faction of the country. Sure, devils ruled Kuoh, but there was still the rest of Japan to consider, so it would be best to avoid problems.

Seeing that they were all in agreement, a few were left behind, hidden, to watch when the members of the organization would return, and the rest went to one of the Kyoto bases.

[…]

Naturally, they were not led to the main base, but one of its adjacent ones. As it would be expected, it was a large traditional Japanese building. It inspired awe from those going in, especially the two women who used to live in a forest. Neither elves nor orcs had architecture like that. Some strong presences were inside as well, presences that Issei knew he wouldn’t be able to deal with if it came to that.

Hopefully, it wouldn’t.

Winter is temporarily escorted to get her injuries treated. Because she was more tired than injured, she would probably be joining the main group again soon.

In the meantime, Kali brought Issei, Tiffania, and Piglette to what the young dragon judged to be one of the strongest presences he had ever felt. And weirdly, one he felt was somewhat familiar.

Kali guided them through the main entrance, then a garden that the girls stopped to watch for a few seconds, taking in the environment, before they continued towards what Issei smelled to be a dining room.

“Usually, meeting with our leader wouldn’t be so easy, but there are a bunch of special circumstances today, so I hope you enjoy.”

The older nekomata said, winking to Issei, making the young dragon a tad bit confused. He could feel that the strong presence he was feeling was coming from that dining room, but he had no clue what Kali meant by ‘enjoy’. That is, until they entered the room.

There was only one other woman inside the room, a young-looking, voluptuous, and noticeably powerful woman. Her face was delicate looking, showcasing her beauty. Her eyebrows were short and round, which pointed to a noble status. Her long blonde hair was tied in a loose ponytail.

Her clothes consisted of a shrine maiden attire, which was slightly covered by a white coat held with a red ribbon and a golden crown. The clothes highlighted her accentuated curves and emphasized her cleavage.

For the young dragon, she was, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. If it wasn’t for his constant exposure to Celestine, Issei would have been flustered and frozen in place upon seeing her, particularly because of her large breasts. For someone who liked boobs so much, that was a sight to behold.

He was so shocked by her beauty that he forgot to use Analysis.

Even Tiffania and Piglette were speechless in front of this beautiful woman.

“Hello. I am the leader of the West Youkai Faction, Yasaka. It is a pleasure to have the chance to meet a powerful dragon and his companions. Please, feel free to sit.” Her voice was as sweet as she looked, and her tone was enchanting, even without applying magic.

“I am Hyoudou Issei. Thank you.” Issei said, his stronger will being put to good use as he did not embarrass himself.

“I am Tiffania, Ise’s friend.”

“I am Piglette! I-I am also Issei’s friend.”

Doing as requested, they sat on the table opposite Yasaka, with Issei in the middle and Piglette and Tiffania on his left and right, respectively, while also presenting themselves as not to be rude.

“Thank you. Now, if you don’t mind me asking again, as I know one of mine already did, but what are your stakes on all that is happening with that organization, Issei-san?”

Her question wasn’t aggressive, but the pressure coming from the leader of the west youkai faction was palpable. The reason she went to meet this group herself, besides her interest in Kali’s report about Issei’s species, was her confidence in dealing with them, if it came to that.

[Simply be upfront, master.]

Regulus oriented, seeing no reason for secrecy. If Issei were only human, had only Regulus, or only Ddraig, that would be another matter, as maybe he would be an easy target for other factions. However, as a dragon-youkai hybrid with two Longinus, those worries were minimal. Yasaka could threaten his base form, but what would happen if he used all his powers was not something that could be predicted.

With Regulus' approval, the brunet brought up the axe, putting it on the table in front of them, with the blade turned to him, as to show Yasaka this was not him trying to start a fight.

Suddenly seeing one of the Longinus, the blonde leader of the youkai widened her eyes.

“I met them by chance, and they were taking down the previous host of the Regulus Nemea. Because of those circumstances, Regulus managed to keep himself here to get revenge, and then I ended up becoming his host. This way, he can fight more.”

It sounded insane, and from all perspectives, it was insane.

Seeing the leader collecting her thoughts, Issei finally realized he should use Analysis on her.

Name: Yasaka

Race: Nine-Tailed Fox

Status: Alive

Class: Leader

Description:

The leader of the West Youkai Faction, one of the most powerful Nine-Tailed Foxes alive, is a single mother. As the leader of the West Youkai Faction, she controls Kyoto’s Leylines, granting her immense power, with the downside being that she cannot leave the city for long without risking destabilizing it. She has no real experience with men; her daughter was convinced through the means of the goddesses of the Shinto faction. She is also curious about the host and is concerned about SALEM’s presence in Kyoto.

Because of Yasaka’s momentary shock upon witnessing a Longinus out of nowhere, she didn’t notice Issei ‘spacing out’. The brunet is vaguely surprised to meet someone from the actual species he was part of, but he was more surprised that the first Kitsune he met is the leader.

“I see. But I still don’t understand why this propels you to act against them.” She could not think of a case in which a Longinus user would act like this. In fact, there was only a pair of Longinus that acted in accordance with the interests of their predecessors, and they were another matter entirely. Everyone else would go on their own business.

“Eh, if I just ignored them, I feel like I would be being a jerk to Regulus.”

The natural way in which the young dragon speaks those words takes Yasaka by surprise, simply because of how he was referring to his Longinus. Longinus users have the tendency to just see the spirits of their Longinus as an extension of the weapon and don’t consider their individual perspectives. So, it was nothing short of a surprise that Issei was doing just that.

The possibility that he was lying and hiding his actual intentions went through Yasaka’s head, but as a leader of a faction, her political experience was vast. The other East Faction, the Five Clans, the gods, she had her hands full balancing between the complex forces in Japan, and had come across all types of people. And she could tell Issei was genuine.

‘Not much of a surprise considering he is a dragon.’

If she had just started with that line of thought, maybe she wouldn’t have been as surprised.

Having already made the demonstration he needed to do, Issei recollected Regulus from the table.

“Very well, that makes me less concerned.” She nods to Issei, thanking him for the explanation, before explaining more. “Very well, then I believe it is only appropriate for me to explain what our faction stakes on all this. To put it simply, Kali is one of my most trusted subordinates, and her daughter was kidnapped by this organization a few hours ago. We’ve been trying to track them down, but their sudden appearance has made this a bit challenging. At least we know what the potential goal behind this attack is. Thank you for that, Hyoudou-kun.”

Issei smiled weakly and waved his hands, as if to indicate it wasn’t a big deal.

“If all of that's out of the way, we can-”

Just as she was about to invite them to start dining, hurried steps could be heard from the hallway. The door to their room was frantically opened as a messenger entered with ragged breath.

“Yasaka-sama, we have found their base!”

The Nine-Tailed Fox and Issei get up at that, before she looks at him.

 “Hyoudou-kun, can I assume you are interested in joining us at this raid?”

Issei’s eyes steeled in determination.

“You can count on me!”

Chapter Text

“I am sorry to ask this, but can you two stay here?”

Putting his palms together in a begging manner, Issei lowered his head to help make his request more acceptable.

The two seemed distressed at that, and yet they also understood. It was one thing to have them around when fighting Oberon. The circumstances forced them to be there.

Issei knew it was a selfish question. They would want to accompany him for the battle, but bringing the two on a battlefield that didn’t involve them and one that he couldn’t be sure he could control was not something he was eager to do.

“It’s ok, Ise, we understand.”

Tiffania knew she wasn’t a fighter or a magician powerful enough to fight. Now that Issei had the support of the local faction, they had no reason to go with him for this battle.

“Yes! We will do our best to support you from here!”

Piglette quickly understood that fact as well. Neither of them wanted to hold Issei down.

“Don’t worry, I won’t stay long there.” The brunet says, patting their heads to make them feel better. The result is both carrying gentle smiles and feeling better.

With limited time before they went to attack, Issei had no choice but to stop and go for now, as he had to meet with the assault group before leaving.

Tiffania and Piglette were given a room, and they had access to the rest of the base. For them, it was like they were at a glorified hotel.

“We have to become much stronger, don’t we?” Tiffania said after sighing, disappointed but understanding.

“Yes, we do.” Piglette had newfound determination in her eyes.

After getting out of the room, Issei just changed his shirt while no one was looking and judged himself good enough to go. It's not like he had any particular clothes for battle; he just used what he found comfortable.

At the moment, that meant a large red shirt that covered his muscular frame. It was a larger size than he should be to give him freedom of movement. It was really the only thing Ddraig required from him if he went to battle. He would go to battle naked for all she cared, but using a stiff outfit was just an unnecessary annoyance.

With the thoughts of Ddraig’s weird, or not, preferences aside, Issei arrived at the front gate of the base while waiting for the small assault group that would be responsible for the attack.

The organization didn’t seem to have overwhelming power, but the brunet felt like he should expect something. Maybe it was his instincts talking, maybe it was his excessive bad luck.

Even if one were to just consider it from a strategic standpoint, his previous battle with them couldn’t really be used as a reference because the difference between attacking them when they were in the middle of a mission, out of their element, and when they were in their base with resources around is like a difference of night and day.

During this small period in which he was waiting, lost in thought, Issei realized there was someone looking at him, a small girl. Confused by a kid randomly being there, Issei used Analysis on her.

Name: Kunou

Race: Nine Tailed Fox

Status: Alive (worried)

Class: Magician

Description: Yasaka’s child, granted to her by the goddesses of the Shinto faction. She is usually a cheerful and responsible child who does her best to reach her mother’s expectations and behaves well. She has a good relationship with Kali’s daughter and is worried about her friend.

Looking closer now that he was aware of it, Issei could see that the relationship was obvious. Kunou was a spitting image of her mother, down to her maiden shrine clothes. She just had shorter hair and a particularly cute face.

“Hello.”

He said, waving his hand at her with a friendly smile. Noticing she had been seen and judging Issei as friendly, Kunou shyly approached.

“Hello… You are part of the attacking team, right?”

She asked, her big, gentle eyes looking curiously at Issei. The brunet could also distinguish a bit of anxiety in her eyes, caused by her worry over her friend.

“Yes. I have some things to teach those guys.”

Kneeling to get his head on her level, Issei said with a gentle smile. Kunou reacted positively to his words and then seemed to carefully consider what she wanted to say.

Issei thought she looked very cute, especially with her thoughtful expression.

“I would like to formally request you to save my friend,” Kunou said, clenching her small fists and looking down with worry. Slowly, she looked up to see Issei standing up, a small, gentle smile still on his face, but his eyes carrying a new determination.

As Yasaka’s daughter, she had seen many try to get favor with her and get on her good side, to get to her mother’s good side. She might be young, but she was disillusioned with lies and politics enough already. Therefore, Issei's genuine expression was a surprise for her.

“Will do. Don’t worry, she will be back by the end of the day.”

There was no unnecessary fawning, no attempt to get favor, just a genuine promise from someone she had just met. Maybe this meant her standards were too low, or maybe it was just the natural result of meeting someone who stayed away from political conflicts. Regardless of the reason, Kunou was made happy by Issei’s words.

“Thank you!”

She only knew him as a young dragon that her mother was interested in for some reason, but that was enough for Kunou to believe Issei was powerful and that his promise had weight.

“Kunou-chan, you should go back. We have to go now.”

The building’s door slid open as Kali said that to her friend’s daughter. Winter was walking right behind her, looking much healthier. Her injuries were covered with bandages, and the way she carried herself showed more power than when she was fighting a few hours ago. It seemed like the youkai had treated her well.

Her clothing had also changed to a simple combat attire, with light magic armor covering her body and her sword at her hips.

The rest of the women, there were only four more, Kali included, were using the same attire that Issei had seen on Yasaka, that is to say, a traditional shrine maiden attire. However, the young dragon couldn’t help but notice that they lacked Yasaka’s accentuated curves. That’s not to say they weren’t well endowed themselves, though.

“Let’s go, Issei-kun.”

Kali said. At first glance, her face appeared friendly. However, anyone could feel a silent rage boiling down underneath. Issei gulped, glad he wasn’t their enemy. Once more, he was not feeling sorry for that organization.

[…]

The group was moving with impressive speed, just enough to keep themselves out of human notice. Even Winter, the only human, managed to use magic to keep up.

After a rundown of the plan, Kali turned to Issei.

“Say, Issei-kun, I am noticing you are not using youkai magic.” She pointed out that Issei was the only one moving with just the strength of his body. She supposed it wasn’t a weird thing for a dragon, but seeing him in his human form do that was a sight.

“Yeah, I am not too good with magic.”

The brunet explained with a shy smile. His magic had evolved considerably during his stay with the elves. However, because he was just learning things by himself, Issei couldn’t say he was great at magic. For example, using it to move faster like the others were doing would just be embarrassing for him, because there was no way he could do a spell like that and yield the same results.

It was much easier to just use his natural speed and body strength.

“I see…”

Kali commented. Issei just assumed her curiosity had been satiated and thought no more of it, missing the thoughtful glare she carried for a moment.

All the way from their base to the enemy’s locations, it took them almost half an hour while keeping their steady pace.

SALEM’s location was in an isolated part of Kyoto, which was not surprising at all. The surprising part was that they somehow managed to disguise themselves as a normal corporation, with usual activities.

It was possible to see some employees leaving the building, their working hours done. With a single glance, everyone from the Kyoto squad could tell they were normal humans.

“They have been operating here for ten years, that’s how we missed with our original searches.”

Kali explained with narrowed eyes. Winter’s expression was also grim, and Issei had his eyebrows furrowed.

“So, they’ve been doing this for a while, huh…” The young dragon commented. And thinking a bit more about it, he realized that was probably the reason why Tyrion even knew about this place. With how fragmented his mind was, he wouldn’t be aware of some recent development he wasn’t even involved with.

“I never heard of this organization before… I have my family look into it, but it won’t surprise me if it is just a front and a dead-end.”

Winter added, her corporate experience telling her all she needed to know about this place. If they were willing to operate on the open like this, it meant that they had the confidence of not being caught. And with how long this organization has been here, according to Kali, they seemed right to not be scared.

That was until today.

From what had been gathered, the actual supernatural aspects were all kept underground.

“Issei-kun, we will be counting on you.”

The young dragon gave Kali a thumbs-up and a gentle smile before separating himself from the group.

He moved to the opposite direction of where the others were and then moved again, stopping only when he was at a position that couldn’t hint at the rest of the group’s position. If he stopped exactly in their opposite direction, it might be obvious for someone that he was a distraction, but if he stopped at some point that was a bit more random, it would be harder to pinpoint the group, in case someone realized he was a distraction.

That was the first part of Kali’s plan.

The second was Issei letting his presence be known. His aura piked as draconic energy and youki covered him.

He wasn’t the strongest. His base form could still be defeated by Yasaka. None of that mattered, as he was still a dragon, and a dragon’s presence had just been made known.

The normal humans around wouldn’t feel it. Maybe the ones that had a bit more sensibility would feel a chill, and that would be it. For the members of Salem, on the other hand, it was like someone started a fire in front of their base.

It didn’t take thirty seconds for the stronger members to be on the move.

Since Issei wasn’t exactly the poster child for stealth missions, he was left with what fitted him the most. Bring attention to himself by punching others. She might have only met him a few hours ago, and yet it was necessary to admit she had it right. Even Ddraig thought that was a better position for a dragon to be in.

The next thing Issei felt was that sensation of a thin veil passing him, followed by the system notification.

Entering pocket space!

And then enemy presences were quickly approaching him.

From Issei’s perspective, there were only really two presences worth noticing, the ones around being too weak for him to worry. Still, the fact that they were all swarming to him was a good sign that the plan was working.

“Who are y-”

The first one to get there was one of those weaker guys, and he was sent flying by a punch before he could finish his questioning. To make sure the distraction was perfect, Issei had to make as much chaos as possible.

One of the stronger presences approached him, and understanding that the dragon was punching first and asking questions later, the man didn’t bother trying to interrogate him. He simply threw a kick at Issei’s head.

Instinctively, the brunet blocked it. The resulting shockwave from the impact and the force that travelled through his body after receiving the kick with his arm. A glance at his opponent’s leg and he could tell that the man had gone through some sort of enhancement.

Issei noticed that the man had silver hair, a trait that he shared with the second presence the brunet considered worth paying attention to. The two also had a similar fighting style, giving preference to attacks with their legs. Their bodies were also under whatever enhancement Tyrian had been under when they fought.

Individually, Issei judged them to be around Tyrian’s level, but their coordination, especially under their enhancements, put them above the scorpion man.

Their attacks and battle experience were top-notch, likely enough to have crushed many enemies. The older one would land attacks and try to force openings from Issei, who is his likely son, would then try to explore.

Thanks to his improvement in martial arts as well, Issei could identify them as good martial artists. Their attacks flowed well. They had no useless movement or waste of energy when attacking.

And they looked like they were high-ranking in the organization, so Issei was hoping analysis would tell him something.

Name: Marcus Black

Race: Devil (rook/stray/mutated)

Status: Alived (under enhancement/concerned)

Class: Fighter

Description: An assassin who joined the organization years ago for the sake of the enhancements it would bring him. He was a human obsessed with strength, regardless of the means or modifications he would go through. That is why he accepted becoming a devil, but betrayed his master right after discovering Salem and deciding they would give him better chances. Currently under the effect of a drug based on witches’ blood and negativity, which acts like a parasite, but paradoxically also enhances the body’s strength. The research is ongoing, and the results are still limited.

A quick look at the other silver-haired man’s description and Issei learned nothing new, except getting the confirmation that they were father and son. Their personal information aside, he got enough for what the organization was doing.

The fact that they were stray devils wasn’t that important in the overall scheme of things.

And just because they were the only ones that could attack Issei, didn’t mean they were the only ones the brunet was bothering with. There were at least a few dozen lower-ranking members of Salem trying to swarm him, and they were all being sent away with simple but powerful attacks from the young dragon.

‘This is a bit fun.’

Issei thought to himself at the same time he received a punch on his back. It would have been bad if he could even feel the punch, but he couldn’t, and it barely left a mark. Issei grabbed the man before he could react and used him as a weapon, tossing aside ten subordinates at once, before throwing his improvised weapon away, ignoring the man’s screaming the whole way.

Ddraig was proud.

Perhaps, as a human, Issei would have been less brutal, but his brain had changed after his transformation, so he no longer had the same reservations as before. Anyway, it doesn't seem that it mattered for the people being beaten up by the young dragon.

“He is playing with us!”

Marcus screamed, frustrated. He gave up his humanity and then became persecuted by devils after abandoning his master, all for the sake of power. And a random young man showed up and was showing him off. Enraged, he threw away his caution and tried to hit Issei as hard as he could.

At least two minutes had passed since the beginning of Issei’s attack. He had also slowly moved away, but not a lot. He just jumped a building or two from his original position. Anymore than that, and according to Kali, it could have been suspicious.

He was handling everything with ease. When Marcus' attack was about to hit, the dragon flexed his aura, using it to stop the attack without having to physically touch it. As if that wasn’t enough of a hit for the stray devil, Issei then took hold of his leg, and like he was doing just a few moments before, he used the man to knock the few that were still around him, Marcus’ son included.

“You bas-”

The man was thrown against the roof of the building they were standing on, his body breaking through the ceiling, going down all the floors, down to ground level.

To say that Issei was feeling the adrenaline would be an understatement.

[…]

“This is ridiculous!”

From inside the base, an elderly man with disheveled gray hair, mustache, and beard, screamed in disbelief, his robotic left eye glowing red, seemingly corresponding to his feelings.

“Where this beast came fr-”

Just as he was in the middle of trying to make sense of where and why Issei was attacking them, he received a notification from the room where the prisoners were being kept. Their capsules had been breached, and they were being released.

“Fucking hell!”

He got up suddenly, his chair falling because of his abruptness.

This base was compromised, and nothing more could be done about it.

“Well, we are not going empty-handed.”

He commented, and with a quick movement of his hands, their research was sent away, before being deleted from the location.

Aware that he had no time to waste, the man also prepared his escape route through the teleportation circle in his office. He inserted some more commands into his computer, then left.

The last few mages left were on the last floor of the building and had received the commands from their superior. Knowing they were basically discarded, but that following those orders was realistically their only chance of survival, they begrudgingly got around a summoning circle.

The circle was an experiment, the main experiment of this base, and they weren’t certain what would show up. They could only hope that it would be enough to distract the intruders without compromising them.

Their chants started, and magical equations started flowing around the room, when large amounts of energy started coming from the circle on the ground, more than in any of their previous tests, surpassing all their estimations.

Outside, just as Issei finished off all the members of Salem that followed him, the system gave him a notification.

Bad Luck I takes effect.

Chapter Text

Issei was stunned for a second, not understanding why that notification was given. That is, until he felt a large surge of energy coming from the main building of the organization, followed by a deafening roar.

[This sound… oh, this brings back memories.]

Regulus expressed after recognizing the origin of the roar.

‘What is it?’

Issei questioned while running towards the building, arriving just in time to see it being destroyed from the inside out. For a second, he panicked about the others, but their presences could still be felt, although weakened.

Before Regulus could elaborate, the creature made itself visible by moving away from all the dust and wreckage. It had a large dinosaur-like body, but with its serpentine features more accentuated. It was massive in height, towering over the large buildings of Kyoto. Its scales were dark and shone like obsidian. And it had ten heads, all large enough to swallow the tops of hills in one bite.

[Hydra.]

Regulus informed, and immediately, Issei used analysis.

Name: None

Race: Hydra (Elder)

Status: Aggressive

Class: None

Description: An elder hydra with ten heads, it has lived since the time of Theseus. Its ten heads showcase how long it has survived, with each head individually having enough power to wreak havoc through the largest human cities in minutes. Its main weakness is its slowness, but it boasts impressive offensive and defensive powers.

As if to make a demonstration to show the description correct, the ten heads roared to the skies, energy accumulating on their throats, before they brought it down to nuke Kyoto in pocket space. Maybe that one attack wouldn’t be enough, but if too much damage was done and they went over the barriers of this space, the damage would leak to the real world.

Thinking of Tiffania, Piglette, and even Kunou, who asked him to help her friend, Issei took out his wings, his Boosted Gear, and his axe, and flew in the direction of the attack, with his youki and dragon aura covering his body.

The hydra brought its heads down, its attack raining on the young dragon as the green gem in his gauntlet started to shine.

[...]

“You are pretty.”

A small Issei told Ddraig on their first encounter, after she assumed her human form. It was the first time she came in contact with a host so young, and surprisingly enough, he wasn’t scared by her dragon form. Still, she assumed it would be more approachable to take an appearance he would be more familiar with.

[Oh, you think so? Humans tend to think I am scary.]

She was amused by his reaction.

Confused by her words, Issei tilted his head; his expression was of one trying to decipher a puzzle.

“Why would anyone think a pretty lady with big boobs is scary?”

His tone might be innocent, but those were not the words that belonged to a normal child. Ddraig was already starting to realize that this one would be an interesting and unusual host.

…

[You are not very good at concentrating.]

The dragoness said with a smirk. Issei just stuck his tongue out for her, even if they weren’t physically in the same space. He was deep in the forests around Kuoh, and she was in his soul.

As if to make fun of the empress, after her small provocation, Issei finally grasped his youki for a moment. It was fleeting, but the feeling was there.

“Nice!”

Motivated by that small achievement, he kept focusing, the warm feeling of his youki getting more and more apparent as time passed. But it still seemed like he was missing something.

[Don’t think too hard about it, you are trying to control it before you can properly feel it. First, think of it like the blood flowing through your veins. It is on you, and it will remain like so until you learn to control it. The difference is that you are able to feel your youki.] She said, her previous teasing tone gone, replaced by a level of wisdom that one would expect from an ancient empress. [Then, after you have that under control, only then think of it as breathing, the main difference being that you first need to have it under control, before you can let it be an unconscious process. But after you do it, you will see that controlling it will be as easy as raising your arm.]

Maybe because her words came from his soul, or maybe because they were about something intrinsic to him, what Ddraig was saying made sense for the young Sekiryuutei.

It still took him a few hours after his explanation, but that day, he finally got his youki under control for the first time since his powers awakened a few days ago.

And after that, control over fire came naturally. Maybe because it was something inherent to his lineage. The fact that he had the Boosted Gear might have helped with his fire affinity as well.

Two days after that, his draconic aura was also under control for the first time. It might have been different from his youki, but the same basic principles of sensing it and getting it under control that Ddraig explained still applied.

[Not bad.]   

Ddraig praised young Issei’s quick advancements. It wouldn’t have been much if he were older, but it was a lot for a child.

[Now, let’s make sure you won’t get exposed too soon.]

…

“Hey, Ddraig, do you ever miss food?”

The young brunet asked after having lunch. He was looking at the now-empty plate of food with a rare contemplative expression.

For a good second, the empress had no idea how to respond. The question had been too sudden, and its content was too unusual for her. Her vast experience did not help her cover that simple question from her host.

[I never thought about it. It has been a long time since I needed food. Besides, fighting was always more satisfying.]

She finally replied. It wasn’t much, but she was happy that a host, a friend, was showing such care for her. It was the first time this happened.

And Issei didn’t look like he approved of that answer.

“I will start eating in double! For you and me!”

He declared with conviction, causing the dragoness to smirk.

[You will need to train in double to not gain weight.]

That did not make him waver.

“So be it!”

…

On a patch of grass, young Issei looked up at the starry skies, his left raised up, with the Boosted Gear on it. He was admiring both the stars and the Longinus.

[May I ask, why are you not bothered about taking part in a fight that shouldn’t interest you?]

Ddraig was intrigued. She had many hosts, all of which were consumed by their fated rivalry with the Hakuryuukou. And she had expected the same thing from the child, particularly because his young age made him susceptible to such things, regardless of what Ddraig thought of the matter.

That had not been the case. Issei was all in for training, after some persuasion, and his efforts were genuine, but he didn’t seem too concerned about the rivalry, nor about his title as Sekiryuutei.

She had a feeling that his obsession with boobs and the female figure played a part in that, but it wasn’t everything. (And if it was, the concept was just too insane for Ddraig to wrap her ancient mind around it.)

“Huh? You are my best friend, of course, I have to fight for you.”

The brunet said in a matter of fact tone.

For a moment, Ddraig was stumped.

[Hahahahahaha! Well said!]

All other hosts fought for themselves. They either saw the rivalry as theirs and didn’t interact with Ddraig, or cursed her for determining their fate. Most of them ended up getting consumed by all resentment on the Boosted Gear, going insane right before their lives ended.

She couldn’t see Issei following that destiny. Maybe she finally found a host that would be able to break away from all the resentment that had been accumulated. She hoped he could; he was the host she cared for the most.

[When the time comes...]

“We will fight as one.”

The Sekiryuutei clenched his fist at that declaration. At that instant, Ddraig and Issei felt they were resonating at a level that they never had before.

The crystal on the gauntlet started to shine, its brightness blinding even the stars in the sky…

…

WELSH DRAGON BALANCE BREAKER

The green light brightened the skies as a surge of energy came from Issei, as he called for his Balance Breaker. A draconic armor covered his body, with his eyes being covered by green gems that glowed menacingly.

His whole presence had changed as soon as the Scale Mail covered his body.

User has activated has activated the Balance Breaker: Scale Mail

Each passing second will consume 1 stamina point. If the user stamina ever reaches 0, the Balance Breaker will be undone.

The power of domination surges forward.

Level: 18(15.000/86.500)

Talent Rank: 2S+

HP: 26.319/26.319

STA: 30.016/30.116

DRA: 27.164/27.164

YK: 18.554/18.554

STR: 4760

DEX: 4760

RES: 4760

AGI: 4760

INT: 102(112)

WIS: 82

CHR: 119

LCK: -30

As the system had said, his physical prowess had been multiplied by ten, and he had yet to use any boost.

For the first time, the Hydra looked at Issei. It was threatened by his presence; its experience acquired through surviving for so long distinguished the dragon as the biggest threat around.

Kali and the other youkais were shocked at the scene happening in the sky. The tremendous surge of power was enough to make them want to run, but seeing the young man that they knew had the Regulus Nemea also be the host of the Welsh Dragoness was challenging the basic concepts of the Sacred Gears.

[Yes! Go all out! Show the world the power of the one who holds two Longinus!]

At Ddraig’s stimulus, Issei called out for the golden axe as well.

If the Hydra had expressions, it would have shown fear. It understood that its life and death would be decided in the next moments, so it attacked in the hopes that Issei wouldn’t react in time. It blasted him with a breath of poison and fire, both mixing, creating a poisonous gas that spread out through the sky.

Some drips of the poison fell to the ground, melting it as soon as contact happened.

For the briefest of seconds, Issei was consumed by the flame, his figure disappearing in it. Until he swung his axe horizontally, dissipating both the flames and poison, both of which did nothing to him. Using fire against a dragon was stupid, and using poison against the Sekiryuutei was useless, and on top of that, projectile attacks were ineffective against the Regulus Nemea host.

The hydra wanted to attack again when the dragon disappeared from his spot and reappeared right in front of it, his axe now swung down.

A large vertical cut spread through the hydra, cutting its body in two symmetrical parts. A gush of poisonous blood erupted from the injury, burning everything around. With his speed, Issei had an easy time avoiding it, not because it was dangerous, but because he judged it as gross.

[Quite powerful, however, your opponent will be a bit trickier.]

Before he could ask Regulus what he meant, the hydra raised another of its heads and roared a blast of purple lightning towards Issei. Knowing no harm would be done to him, the brunet just took the opportunity to acquire some experience with the axe.

Axemanship has leveled up!

Attacking lightning seemed like a foreign concept for humans, but a simple application of dragon aura allowed Issei to do so without repercussions. He cut through the attack and felt nothing. It was like he was cutting butter.

“How is it still alive?!”

The hydra was roaring in pain, but that was it. It wasn’t dead, it just acted like it had suffered a large injury instead of a deadly one.

[Just harming it isn’t enough. In the legends, Heracles had to burn the one he fought to kill it.]

Regulus pointed out, knowing this would be enough for Issei. It was.

Bringing the axe to his front, the Sekiryuutei holds it with his two hands and focused on it. From his body flames emerged, covering the axe.

BOOST BOOST BOOST

He wasn’t boosting his status; it was the flames that received the boosts. They increased in power, covering Issei’s whole armor, enlightening the whole fake night sky. The temperature sharply rose because of them, and the Hydra cried in terror.

The flames were not the only thing Issei was focusing on.

Pushing his will to its limit, he focused on the two Longinus in his soul, attempting to merge them. Sacred Gears respond to the user’s willpower and could be shaped by it. That’s how two people could have the same gear and still yield it in vastly different manners. But usually, that’s a process that happens naturally throughout the progress of the life of a Sacred Gear’s host. As their lives and experiences shaped them, they could also shape the gear in return.

What Issei was trying to do was all but natural. To force his will to not one but two sacred gears, Longinus at that, was possible in theory but never achieved in practice. In fact, there had never been a madman to even think about it before in history. That did not apply to Issei, for many reasons.

Even when he was a human, Issei’s mentality was that of a dragon. He could be as stubborn, straightforward, and strong-willed as one when he wanted to, and now he was an actual dragon. It might appear subtle, but that brings a big change to his brain and mentality. The Gear System was made to deal with humans and human mentality. Not the mentality and the brain of a dragon.

It could not deal with the mentality of the one who carried the concepts of Domination and Hegemony deep inside of him.

The power of domination is awakening…

His aura kept rising and rising. His flames consumed the axe, and the armor, as Issei looked like a miniature sun in the sky.

Ddraig and Regulus watched, amazed when they sensed the change.

Through the power of will that the host has unlocked a merged modification of the two Longinus.

New form unlocked: Regulus Welsh Dragon

Draconic will has leveled up!

Draconic will has leveled up!

Issei did not need to look at his right hand to see what had changed. The fingers of his gauntlet were gone, and the gauntlet and the axe had become one, as if they had melted together. The change seemed subtle, but Issei felt his armor get a bit bulkier.

STR: 4760 (x2)

DEX: 4760

RES: 4760 (x2)

AGI: 4760

INT: 102(112)

WIS: 82

CHR: 119

LCK: -30

“Taste this!”

The flames covering the young dragon had changed color, its core now being of a deep crimson and its outline being golden.

His axe was thrown behind his back before Issei made a horizontal swing as he threw himself at the hydra again. The flames grew behind him, taking the shape of a dragon and a lion. The armor was now heavier, but Issei’s speed was still superior to the hydra’s, which could not react to his approach.

With a swing, he cut through the two parts of the hydra, engulfing its body in the flames. It could not even roar one last time before it was burned to ashes.

Elder Hydra defeated!

Quest completed!

Rewards acquired!

60.000 exp

The dragon had been triumphant.

Chapter Text

“Oh my…”

“Mother, he is amazing!”

At the castle, where Issei had just been an hour ago, Yasaka and Kunou were watching the battle, or better saying its end, through Kali. Yasaka was astonished, her eyes wide open at the sight of a young dragon with the power of two Longinus. It went against so many things that were taken for granted regarding the Sacred Gear system that the mature kitsune could not wrap her mind around it.

Kunou was having a bit of an easier time accepting that mind-bending reality, because she didn’t hold those concepts with the same regard as her mother and had only been moderately exposed to them.

She had been anxious for the others when the Hydra showed up, and even her mother reacted in a way that indicated this could be troublesome. This was simply because the monster was highly poisonous. While Kali was superior to it in power, she had to worry about her daughter and the others, and the creature could release poison as much as it wanted. It was nothing short of a miracle that the Sekiryuutei had been there.

He not only dealt with the creature, but he did so while showcasing just how frighteningly strong he could be. But what Yasaka was thinking about was just how much potential Issei had.

And that potential was not only power-wise. It was not just highly unusual for a Dragon Emperor to get himself involved with matters that didn’t regard the White Dragoness. In fact, it was unheard of.

Whenever the Red appeared, shortly after, so would the White for their battle to continue. They never paid attention to their surroundings or cared about what could be happening outside of their rivalry.

Issei went against all of that by helping them. So, Yasaka could not help but wonder, was it possible for him to be different? For him to be more?

Meanwhile, Kunou was looking at Issei with brightened, impressed eyes.

[…]

He called back the flames, and they returned to the core of the axe. Then, with a thought, the Regulus Nemea and the Boosted Gear Scale Mail were made into separate entities again, before Issei called them off.

A layer of mental fatigue took him over after that, which was to be expected. Issei had exerted his will over two Longinus to the point that they merged. That was a feat no one would ever think to be possible before him, for many reasons. Not only having two Longinus should be impossible, but the sheer willpower that the act required was nothing short of insane.

It was hard to discard the possibility that it was only possible because of all the changes that happened to him. His being had fundamentally changed, and dragons tended to be stronger-willed than humans. That could bring many implications to how the Gears would develop, but none that Issei could think of. In fact, he wasn’t even aware of how ridiculous what he did was.

If other Sacred Gears users learned about this, it’s hard to tell how they would have felt about it.

“That’s quite the surprise you kept with you.”

Issei looked back to see Kali approaching, her daughter unconscious in her arms. The young man had to admit, they looked very similar, the only difference being that Kali was a bit taller, more curvaceous, and her daughter’s hair was longer.

He could also see Winter carrying her sister, and the two were nearly identical, with the younger one just not being as tall or developed as her sister.

“Sorry.”

Issei said, a new wave of tiredness consuming him. He was vaguely realizing that the stunt he pulled was more tiresome than he expected. He even checked his stamina to see if there was something wrong there, but weirdly enough, he only lost a thousand points on that, which may seem large until taken into account that Issei had thirty thousand in stamina. He should not be feeling this tired after only a loss of a thousand.

[No wonder it is. I do not believe that before becoming a dragon, your body would have been able to handle it. The toll that it took on your mental energy is considerable.]

He heard Ddraig, but the words didn’t quite process.

“I…” Kali started saying, not realizing that Issei was almost struggling to keep his eyes open. “I understand… but we would still like to talk.”

Her response was the sound of him plopping, followed by his snores.

“That’s this generation’s Sekiryuutei…”

Winter whispered to herself, the image of Issei killing the Hydra clashing with his current presence. Kali just giggled.

“He is an interesting one, isn’t he?”

For some reason, seeing Issei, she had a good feeling about this generation.

[…]

It was the rays of sunlight hitting his face that woke Issei up, but it still took him some time to realize where he was. The mattress on his back felt soft, and the sheet covering his body felt more expensive than anything he knew.

He was still feeling some dizziness from just waking up, but his mind was much better than before. With his brain properly waking up, he registered the presences of Tiffania and Piglette sleeping just besides his bed and that he was on the room that they had been given on the previous day.

Slowly raising himself, he also noticed his clothing was the same, except that someone had taken off his shoes. He tried to be careful not to wake up the girls, but still failed as the minimal noise he made were noticed by them regardless.

“Huh?” Momentarily, Tiffania was also slightly dizzy after waking up, until she looked to her side to see Issei getting up. “Ise!”

“Issei!”

Piglette had an easier time waking up, and she noticed Issei immediately, as both girls threw themselves into hugging him.

“Hehe, hey girls!”

And as he would, the brunet felt in heaven by waking up like that, especially with their well-developed breasts pressing against his body.

“What happened last night? You got here snoring, but you had no injuries.”

Tiffania said, remembering how they reacted at Issei showing up like that last night. They had been worried at first, then took a quick look at him to see that he was. He was just sleeping; it was bizarre how well he slept through the whole way back and even after being put to bed.

“Kali-san said you did something amazing, but that it tired you out.”

Piglette said, her eyes shining like stars at the thought of what that thing had been. They had not been given details as Kali wasn’t sure how much they knew.

“Yeah, I managed to merge the Boosted Gear and the Regulus Nemea.” The girls’ jaws dropped, and their eyes widened at that, understanding the implications of such a feat after having spent days with Issei. “But it tired me out pretty bad.”

‘Though it didn’t tire my stamina, for some reason…’

He kept that thought to himself, and Regulus was ready to explain, since it was clear that the brunet was in no condition to hear Ddraig’s explanation from last night.

[It was mentally consuming, master, not physically consuming. You exerted too much of your will all at once to do something the Sacred Gear system would probably consider impossible. It would be weirder if you had not fallen asleep right after.]

Issei could only nod at Regulus explanation, finding it to be sensible.

[Now that you have done it, however, the next attempt should be easier and less taxing, and so on.]

Ddraig’s meaning was clear. Issei had to train on that until he could do it without blinking.

“Now that you are awake, we should go talk with Yasaka-san and Kali-san.”

Tiffania said.

“Eh, I think I should take a shower first.”

There was no way he was meeting those beautiful ladies without a shower after fighting and waking up nine hours later.

“Oh, right.”

Tiffania said, giving a small giggle at the fact that she missed such an obvious detail.

“Thanks for joining us.”

After his shower, Issei, Tiffania, and Piglette were met by Yasaka, Kali, her daughter, Winter, her sister, and some other servants.

“Ah, it’s our pleasure.”

Issei quickly says, giving a small, polite bow that the girls follow. It would be impossible for the Sekiryuutei not to notice the curious looks from the girls around his age that had been saved yesterday, but above that, he could also feel the looks of admiration from Kunou, who was behind her mother, and the cautious curiosity from Yasaka.

“You can raise your head, Issei-kun.” He did as told and saw Yasaka looking at him with a smile. “I have to thank you for helping us. And I know I am not the only one.”

She says, leaving some space for Winter, who takes a step forward, and also bows to Issei.

“I would also like to extend my thanks. Not only for helping me and helping save my sister, but for taking care of the Hydra. Thank you, Hyoudou-san.”

Once again, the brunet was happy that he spent so much time with the elves; without it, he would be flustered just by how much these beautiful women were thanking him. He understood why what he did was important for them, but from Issei’s personal perspective, he just helped some beautiful women because it was what he liked to do.

Those thoughts made him a bit embarrassed, too. He was just glad no one there could read minds.

“Shouldn’t you say something, dear?”

Kali tells her daughter, who has a surprised expression for a moment, before readjusting herself.

“Thank you for your help, Lord Dragon Emperor.”

“I would also like to extend my help, Lord Dragon Emperor. I am grateful for the help you provided to my sister and me.”

The two young women who were rescued yesterday say, giving him slight but respectful bows.

“It’s ok.”

And once more, Issei just smiles, embarrassed, hoping that all this formality would end soon. Thankfully, his prayers were answered, as Yasaka took over the conversation again.

“Although the mission was successful and their operations in Kyoto seem to have stopped, we will need further investigations to verify that Salem has no further branches in the country.”

Issei just vaguely nodded, unsure where this was going.

“After the Hydra was taken down, we searched their headquarters, but all information had been scraped with magic.” Kali complemented. Being one of the people there at the time, she was one of the best sources to relay this. “So, we are still in the dark on how their operations work and what their end goal is.”

They might know that the overall goal of Salem was to awaken the lineage of witches whose ancestors survived traumatic experiences during the age in which witches were hunted, but beyond everything was a mystery.

“Can their list of other bases help in any way?”

Issei suggested. He still remembered the other places Tyrian mentioned, so with some luck, they could organize an attack that didn’t have to focus on rescue and collect more information about the organization.

Sadly, those hopes were brought down when Yasaka shook her head.

“That would require entering the territory of other factions, and that would be problematic to say the least.”

That caused a worried look to appear on Tiffania’s and Piglette’s faces, and seeing that Yasaka gave them a reassuring smile.

“It is ok, with the help Issei-kun provided, I will keep our word. Besides, I am more than willing to officialize your presences on Japan.”

That made the girls and Issei feel better. It was relieving to know they wouldn’t have to worry about the local faction.

Yasaka then took a sip of tea as Winter took a step forward, making the two now side by side.

“Issei-kun, would you be open to one more request?”

Chapter Text

“A bodyguard?”

Issei questioned with disbelief, thinking he had misheard Yasaka and Winter. To prove him wrong, they nodded, confirming that his draconic hearing was working just fine.

“That is correct. Kali, Schnee-san, and I have been in discussions about it since last night, and we would like to hire your services. Of course, we understand if you have other responsibilities, but we assure you, you’ll be rewarded appropriately.”

Although those were the words said by Yasaka, and Kali and Winter seemed to approve, Issei could see that Blake and Weiss weren’t so fond of the potential arrangement. The two weren’t doing much to hide their disapproval and annoyance, even if their mother and sister looked at them with disapproving eyes.

“Wait, wait! I’m honored, but I am still in high school…” The brunet says, scratching his cheek with a bit of embarrassment.  “ As much as protecting pretty girls sounds like a dream job, I can’t abandon school yet.”

He said in an earnest manner, surprising especially Blake and Weiss, who blushed slightly at Issei’s comment, though Weiss pouted right after. Part of her thought he was just another guy trying to get something from them. She was far too jaded by such experiences.

In contrast, his reaction seemed to be inside the expectations of Yasaka, Kali, and Winter, as they showed no surprise. For a moment, they didn’t even seem like they wanted to argue, but Kali just took out a piece of paper from her clothing and walked towards Issei, a small and confident smile on her lips.

Tiffania and Piglette watched curiously as she passed the paper to Issei. The only thing they could make out of the paper is that it had many zeros in it.

“This will be your monthly pay if you accept. On top of that, Issei-kun, you won’t be required to withdraw from school and will be able to attend normally.” She said with a sweet smile from someone that new she had already won.

It wouldn’t be off to say that Issei’s eyes almost jumped out of their sockets upon seeing the paper.

“When can I start?” He asked with a lot of eagerness.

“Tsc, of course you change your mind because of money,” Weiss whispered to herself, thinking she was out of earshot. She did feel a bit of shame upon seeing Winter’s disapproving look, but she had to voice her thoughts, even if only to herself.

“Hey, you don’t know how important money is!” To her surprise, though, Issei had heard it. She shouldn’t have underestimated a dragon’s hearing, and now she couldn’t help but feel embarrassed about it. “I need some revenue to provide to Tiffania and Piglete!”

The elf and the orc perked up and felt their faces burning at Issei’s comment, smiles threatening to form in their faces. Issei continued.

“Besides, do you know how happy my mom would be with this? She could get a vacation! Or anything she wants!”

Seeing him being so impassioned about the opportunities this money could bring for his loved ones, Weiss felt some remorse for her words. The more cynical part of her wanted to think Issei was just putting on a show to gain some points. The rest of her mind knew he would have to be a phenomenal actor to be able to fake so much emotion.

Besides, considering Issei’s early words, she had to admit he seemed like the type to be overly honest.

“I apologize for her. My sister can be a bit too sheltered and not always realize how important money is to many.” Winter apologized, giving Issei a small bow, followed by Weiss after a bit of hesitation.

Weiss wasn’t oblivious to the fact that she was somewhat more privileged than others when it came to money, so she could admit this was a blind spot of hers.

“It 's ok. Actually, sorry for the outburst.” The young dragon also apologized, realizing he might have gotten too excited. But who could blame him? Almost no person would ever be paid as high as Issei was going to be.

“I’m glad to see your enthusiasm.” Kali giggled.

Yasaka nodded in agreement, and without verbalizing or demonstrating it, she was becoming increasingly more surprised by how unusual a Dragon Emperor Issei was. She highly doubted the previous ones would concern themselves with providing for their family, or to even consider accepting to become bodyguards.

“Yes, and since that’s addressed, next, let’s talk about Tiffania-san and Piglette-san's status. Could you first inform me of how you three came in contact?”

To answer Yasaka, Issei already had the story figured out. He mentioned his encounter with three mages, which led to an opportunity that ended up teleporting him to Europe. He was as vague as he could be without lying. Yasaka and the others understood he had some secrets to keep for himself, and that they weren’t close enough to question him about it.

Then they received the genuine events, from Issei meeting Remulus, Tiffania, and Piglette, to finding and saving Celestine, and then becoming the new Guardian of the Elves.

Even the milf kitsune couldn’t contain her expression of surprise upon learning of Issei’s status. Politically, this inclined her to make more connections with him, as having him as a direct ally could be invaluable.

Her non-political mind felt ashamed that she was thinking in such terms towards a young man who had just saved her friend’s daughter. She refused to take advantage of Issei, but she would do her best to foster a friendship between her faction and him.

“So, Issei-kun is a Casanova, huh. Fufufu, should I be worried about my daughter now?” Kali teased, making her daughter look at her incredulously, Issei to become red in embarrassment, and Tiffania and Piglette to immediately throw glares at Blake.

“Of course not!”

“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?” Feeling like something in Issei’s words bothered her, Blake questioned with a frown.

“N-nothing.” Noticing the trap in his own words, the young dragon vehemently shook his hands, hoping Blake wouldn’t overthink it further.

Thankfully, Kali’s giggle took her daughter’s attention away, with the young woman glaring at her mother now.

“Thanks for clarifying everything. That was enlightening.” Yasaka continued, not minding the previous interaction between the youngsters. “I’ll need to inform the Gremory and Sitri about this affair, and I believe you’ll be required to show some proof of status, but that should be easy enough, correct?”

Issei nodded, knowing that just showing the mark would probably suffice.

He had long been aware of the Gremory and Sitri, but besides seeing them at school and a few interactions with members of the student council, he had no direct contact with the peerages.

He had already informed Tiffania and Piglette about it on their way here too, therefore the two showed no surprises. In fact, they were looking forward to seeing more of the supernatural world.

He did admire the devil's society for allowing harems. Naturally, Issei was a big fan of that.

“So, what’s the plan with Weiss-san and Blake-san exactly?” He questioned, not sure how he could remain on school and be their bodyguard at the same time.

“That’s quite simple, they’ll be enrolling in Kuoh too.”

Yasaka clarified, surprising the Sekiryuutei with that info. He checked the two expressions to see how they reacted to it, and Blake seemed indifferent while Weiss carried a glimmer of interest in her eyes.

‘Huh, I guess if they’re ok with it.’ Since the two didn’t seem to have reservations about going, Issei could feel relieved that he didn’t have to have concerns about their willingness.

In fact, if he knew, he would be surprised by their thoughts at the moment.

Blake was looking forward to the opportunity of being in a place outside of her mother’s direct eyes, and that wasn’t so populated with youkais.

‘A kunoichi, moving through the shadows under the eyes of dragons and devils, manipulating and involving herself in the scenes while all wonder who this mysterious beauty is…’

If they were to read Blake’s mind, one could be surprised by how chuunibyou she was. It was quite the contrast with her serious looks, but she had been too influenced by light novels, and with her skills, she just felt that she had to try to recreate those scenarios. And now that her mother wasn’t going to be there to blow away her identity and “ruin” her dreams, Blake would embrace it.

One could only imagine how she would react if she knew Issei had gone through the effort to recreate fictional moves from Dragon Ball. Perhaps she would feel some camaraderie.

And Kali knew exactly what was going through her daughter’s mind, she just kept it to herself because she thought it was amusing. She would inform the devils that were in charge of the town beforehand, just to help her daughter avoid getting in trouble.

In contrast, Weiss had some more serious thoughts.

‘The Gremory and Sitri are quite the households. I wonder if the heiresses or their peerages are still looking for a magician’s contract.’

As a magician herself, Weiss was painfully aware of how important it was to acquire good backing from the devil’s families. And the Sitri and the Gremory were powerhouses that any magician would kill to be able to make contracts with. Therefore, Weiss was very much looking forward to joining Kuoh.

It completely escaped her how earlier she was judging Issei and thinking he was only trying to benefit from becoming familiar with them, and now her own thoughts weren’t too different. It was quite clear that she still had a lot of maturing to go through, which was what Winter and their mom hoped would happen by leaving her in Kuoh.

“I believe that’s everything we had to say. Is there anything else you would like to bring up, Issei-kun?” Yasaka asked as a formality, especially because they would soon have to go and start contacting the devils at Kuoh, preparing documentation, and organizing those official matters.

The earlier they got to it, the better.

“No, that’s all. But, thank you so much for the opportunity!” Issei said, bowing down to them, who returned with gentle smiles and words of praise.

With that meeting done, each of them went their own way, with Yasaka, Kali, and Winter going to start working on the official matters for the girls' transfers.

“Ise, what do you want to do now?” The blond elf asked curiously.

In fact, the young dragon already had something in mind.

“Actually, mind if I make a phone call? I gotta update my mom on a lot of this stuff.” He said with a weak smile, already imagining Miki’s reactions to… many of the updates he had to give her. However, he knew she would appreciate his new salary a lot.

“That’s fine, we can wait,” Piglette said with a smile.

“Yes, and we’ll be looking forward to meeting her,” Tiffania added, missing that her friend’s mind nearly stopped working at the realization she would eventually meet Issei’s mom.

“Thanks, girls.”

Momentarily leaving the two, Issei quickly found a place to call his mother. For the few seconds he had between clicking to make the call and until she answered, he tried to organize his thoughts and find the best way to break down everything for her.

Then she answered.

“Hey, mom… I’ve got a lot of stuff to tell you.”

Chapter Text

Even through the phone, Issei could feel Miki pouting after he had given a broad briefing of some of the things he had gone through.

"Mooo… you never stop being a trouble magnet, Ise…" Although her words seemed to showcase annoyance and motherly worry, Issei knew his mother was mostly confident in his ability to take care of himself. "Although I'll be looking forward to meeting these two friends of yours! That's my son! Finally talking to women instead of looking for porn or getting into fights! I'm so proud!"

The young dragon didn't know if he was supposed to feel flattered, embarrassed, or annoyed.

"Please, don't say that when we get home." He begged, whispering, even if the girls were not around.

As any healthy young man would in his position, Issei could only hope Miki wouldn't embarrass him in front of the girls he was bringing home. It was a more terrifying thought than having to fight an army of Hydras just like the one he killed yesterday.

At least the Hydra served to give exp.

"No promises," Miki said, which was a bit too cheerful and basically confirmed Issei's fears. "Love you, dear, see you soon." And sadly, before he could protest, she turned off the call.

And just like that, the same young man who had defeated a Hydra, multiple members of a secret organization, and more, had been brought to his knees.

Regulus chuckled, and Ddraig rolled her eyes.

Sighing and resigning himself to his fate, Issei decided to make use of the fact that he was alone and check his status and new updates from the system.

Level: 18(75.000/86.500)
Talent Rank: 2S
HP: 26.319/26.319
STA: 30.116/30.116
DRA: 27.164/27.164
YK: 18.554/18.554

STR: 476
DEX: 476
RES: 476
AGI: 476
INT: 102(112)
WIS: 82
CHR: 119
LCK: -30

Status Points: 22 (SP cannot be distributed to LCK)

Traits: Strength of a Mountain IV Precision Ex IV Diamond Skin IV Lightning Movement IV Fast Mind II Enhanced Spirit I Attractive II Bad Luck I Sleepless

DP(Dungeon Points): 4856
Points: 5000

His fight against the Hydra and the overall mission had provided him with some extra points, and he had more than enough Dungeon Points to find new dungeons now. However, it was the new updates that were more interesting.

New Title Acquired

The Beauties' Bodyguard

By accepting to protect the beauties from external threats, including but not limited to the SALEM Organization, the user becomes their defender, their guardian angel. And perhaps improve your relationship with them in the process.

This title may unlock new and unique quests for the user.

It was the first time the system hinted at unique quests associated with titles, so Issei let out a whistle, wondering what those would look like and what the rewards would be.

He didn't expect this sort of benefit from the job, but he wasn't complaining. Although it did make the brunet feel conflicted that he was getting advantages from the girls without their knowledge. Not so much in terms of Weiss and Blake, since he barely knew them, but hiding this from Tiffania and Piglette, and even Miki, did not feel good.

He didn't like to keep such secrets from his loved ones because it would require too much lying or omission, and for someone as painfully honest as Issei, that wasn't something he could handle for long.

'I'll tell them once we get home.'

Feeling his spirits up at his decision, the Dragon Emperor returned to the others, feeling lighter than before.

Once he returned, Kunou insisted on showing them around the place, grabbing Issei's hand, guiding him, Tiffania, and Piglette through the whole place. The two girls were particularly fascinated since it was only now that they could adequately observe the Japanese architecture from inside and out.

They spent most of the morning doing that, and for Kunou, the genuine attention and joy she could see from the trio.

"This is a beautiful place, Kunou-chan!" Tiffania praised.

Feeling happy to hear that, Kunou puffed, her cheeks slightly rose, a grin on her lips. Receiving genuine praise from someone she thought was a friend was such a better feeling than receiving flattery from those stuck-up members of the Shinto Faction.

But then the thought made Kunou stop and look at the three, a bit of hesitation appearing in her eyes as she wondered if they were her friends.

"What's the problem, Kunou-chan?" Noticing the girl's expression suddenly changing, Issei asked, concerned, kneeling down to get his eyes and face at the same height as Kunou's.

Seeing Issei's concerned and gentle eyes, Kunou felt her cheeks burn, her mind flustered, making her say the first thing that she could think.

"A-am I your friend?" The moment she heard her words, Kunou felt embarrassed by her own bluntness.

On the other hand, Issei just tilted his head, confused for a second.

"Of course you're." His words were gentle, and his smile was kind, making Kunou's face get even redder, but with a bright ear-to-ear smile.

"Yes! We're all friends, Kunou-chan!" Tiffania said as well, kneeling down to pat the girl's head.

"Y-yes! W-we'll always be there for you! Y-you're also one of my first friends!" Piglette had tears in her eyes, the adorable scene almost being too much for the inexperienced young woman.

"You're the best!" Unable to contain her happiness, Kunou jumped into Issei's chest, hugging him. Laughing, the young dragon hugged her back, glad he had been able to make Kunou happy.

Although he had done a bit more than that, and was entirely oblivious to the fact…

"He's a kind soul." Watching the scene from one of the windows of the main building, Kali commented with Yasaka, who nodded with a small smile, her eyes not leaving Issei and Kunou, glad to see her daughter so happy.

Seeing her best friend so focused on the pair, Kali, carrying a teasing smile, got closer to the leader.

"What? Thinking of giving Kunou a new, young, and strong step-dad?"

To Kali's surprise, Yasaka just smiled back.

"Who knows?"

Taken aback by that reply, Kali's jaw dropped as she tried unsuccessfully to think of an answer to that. Giggling at her reaction, Yasaka turned to keep watching her daughter.

Blake was also nearby, although not in the same building, and witnessed the whole interaction.

She had a small smile on her lips, with her head supported by her chin.

'At least he treats Kunou-chan well.'

The group stopped by the garden, sitting down to take in the calm view. Kunou sat down by Issei's side, one of her hands gently caressing his tail.

"Do you also think it's more comfortable in this form?" She asked curiously.

"Yup," Issei replied with a smile and a strong p. Now it was already weird to think of his human body. His new body seemed to fit him even better, somehow.

"But can you change back to a human form? Or a dragon form? Or a kitsune form?" Kunou questioned earnestly, her head tilted with curiosity. For their part, the question also made Tiffania and Piglette curious.

Putting his hand on his chin, Issei made a thoughtful expression before changing his position to a lotus sitting, his hands going to his knees, his eyes closed as he tried to channel his shapeshifting skills.

Being the first time he had done that, it wouldn't have happened without some hiccups. Namely, Issei's tale turned from a golden dragon-scaled tail to a single large and fluffy fox tail, with some fur also forming in his ears, and his other characteristics becoming more kitsune-like than dragon-like.

Shapeshifting has leveled up!

Shapeshifting has leveled up!

Thankfully, the more he used the skill, the better at it he got, and soon enough, in less than a minute, Issei had it under control. He could switch between a normal looking human body, to a draconic humanoid body, with red tail and scales instead of his golden one, and a humanoid kitsune form, with golden fluffy fur on his tail and ears on top of his head.

Non-surprisingly, that last one was Kunou's favorite, but also Piglette and Tiffania's favorite.

The three looked intently at his tail, non-verbally expressing their desire to touch it. Issei chuckled.

"You guys can go ahead and feel it if you want."

To emphasize his point, Issei made the tail move, and immediately the girls grabbed it and moved their hands through the fluffy fur.

All three had stars in the place of their pupils as their hands moved through the fur, which felt like the softest thing they could touch. Even to Kunou, who had her own tail and her mother's tail to use as reference, the sensation of Issei's tail was new, and perhaps the fact that he was her friend made it even better.

And, considering that even Kunou, who had experienced such fluff before, was taken aback and enjoyed the sensation a lot, Tiffania and Piglette, who had never felt anything so fluffy before, were done for.

Tiffania was so entranced by the act that saliva started to run through the sides of her mouth, her eyes completely taken over by the golden fur.

Piglette's brain had stopped working; she was moving simply based on instincts and the sensation of the fluffy fur in her hands. That was all that was in her brain.

"You're the only male Kitsune I've ever met, Issei. You're so cool!"

A sensation of immense pride formed in his chest upon hearing those words.

'I'll protect her with my life.' At an instinctual level, Issei had made that oath. Any poor bastard who, directly or indirectly, tried to harm Kunou could only curse their bad luck.

Yasaka, who had to stop watching over her daughter to focus on her duties, felt a sudden shiver of happiness plus a warmth of comfort. The seemingly random sensation confused her for a moment before she went back to work.

The group stayed at that position for a while, to the point that feeling Issei's tail might've become the girls' favorite pastime. The dragon tried to meditate, but with the silky hands constantly feeling his tail, he could never properly concentrate, so he resigned himself to patting the girl's head.

"Huh? Oh, we're gonna get late for lunch."

It was only when Kunou noticed the sun's position that she realized how long they've been at this for.

"Not with me here!" Issei said cheerfully, gently grabbing Kunou on his arm, before Tiffania and Piglette hugged his back, using their legs to hold themselves to him as well.

If it wasn't for Kunou's presence, Issei would absolutely take a moment to enjoy the breasts and legs pressed against his body thanks to Tiffania and Piglette, but alas, he couldn't allow himself to do so near Kunou.

The young kitsune was about to ask what that was about when the young dragon started to run, and before Kunou could even blink, they were in front of the doors for the lunch area.

Did Issei have to do that? No, they were not that late. But if asked…

'Worth it.' He thought to himself, chuckling at Kunou's dropped jaw.

Lunch had been a calm affair. This time, Weiss and Winter joined them, but mostly kept to themselves, except at the end, when returning their plates, Winter came by the table in which Issei's group was eating.

"Issei-san, my sister and I'll be leaving today. We'll get her arrangements sorted, and she'll be returning shortly before classes start."

She said in her normal, matter-of-fact tone. Issei nodded.

"Make a safe trip back."

She thanked him, and with that, the pair of sisters left.

After returning their dishes, the four left the hall, unsure of what to do for the rest of the afternoon. That's when they noticed Kali approaching.

"Hello, Kali-san." Issei respectfully complimented, even if his eyes stayed a second too long at the woman's large assets.

For some reason, Kunou felt annoyed at that.

"Issei-kun, I see you're treating our Kunou-chan well." The older nekomata said, kneeling down to pat Kunou with one hand, and also to squeeze her cheek with another.

"Moo, Kali-san…" The young kitsune pout intensified at that, which only resulted in everyone thinking about how cute she was.

"I'm sorry, Kunou-chan, but you're just far too adorable!"

Momentarily forgetting what she came to talk about, Kali grabbed Kunou in a hug, squeezing her cheek against hers. While Kunou faked annoyance, she also hugged Kali back, actually very much enjoying the demonstration of affection.

The scene was so adorable that it warmed Issei, Tiffania, and Piglette's hearts just by witnessing it.

Then, remembering that she had actually come here with a purpose, Kali hesitantly let go of Kunou, got up, and coughed in her hand before looking at Issei.

"So, Issei-kun, I've been meaning to ask. Would you like to get instructed in Youkai Magic?"

Chapter Text

“That would be great! I usually learn better when I’ve got someone teaching me, so that would be an amazing help, Kali-san.” He told her with a bright smile, but his words surprised the older nekomata.

“If that’s the case, who taught you all this time?” Issei hadn’t mentioned anything about a master, which, to be fair, didn’t mean he didn’t have one, but if he did, she could only wonder what sort of old monster was to be able to teach such a student.

“Nah, it was Ddraig that taught me everything I know.” He had a happy grin on his face, remembering all the times the dragoness had been exasperated at his antics while she taught him.

Although Kali just nodded in response, since it was far from one of the weirdest things she had heard from Issei, it helped cement how different of a Sacred Gear user he was. Forget other Dragon Emperors; most Sacred Gear users with sentient beings in the gear didn’t respect them, much less take guidance from them.

At least she had already abandoned all attempts to apply common sense to Issei, so it wasn’t so surprising.

“You don’t know Youkai Magic?” Kunou asked, confused, her head cutely tilted to the side.

Issei and Kali shared a smile over her expression before Issei explained.

“I only know it by instinct. Ddraig never interacted with it before, so I had to tap onto it myself.”

With her mouth in a small ‘o’ shape, Kunou nodded in understanding.

“Fufufu, I promise to do my best in instructing you.” Kali said, putting one hand in her cheek, with her elbow being supported by her left hand.

“Thanks! Just by being taught by such a beautiful teacher, I already feel my motivation at maximum!”

Regulus chuckled, and Ddraig amused herself, mostly because of the reactions she knew this would cause.

Tiffania looked between Issei and Kali with her mouth, feeling threatened by the older woman.

Piglette squeaked, then narrowed her eyes and looked at Kali with a disapproving look.

Kunou pouted and looked annoyed between Issei and Kali.

And somewhere in the area, Blake tripped, then felt an annoyance that she couldn’t explain where it was coming from.

“Ara, flattery will get you everywhere, Issei-kun.” Ignoring the looks, Kali just giggled at his words.

Although she could ignore the girls’ reactions, Issei couldn’t, and even if he was a bit oblivious sometimes, he wasn’t entirely stupid.

‘Are they jealous?’ There was no direct answer, only Ddraig and Regulus letting Issei know their feelings over his reaction… which meant letting him know they thought he was being an idiot.

Issei really needed no other answer to understand the truth.

He tightened his fists, his resolution formed as he walked towards the elf and the orc.

“Hey, girls, can we talk later?”  The serious light in Issei’s eyes and the timing of the question took Piglette and Tiffania out of left field.

“I-I will be looking forward to it.” Tightening her fists too, fully aware of what they would be talking about later, Tiffania was both excited and anxious.

“Ah… ah… y-yeah… t-that would be good…” Poor Piglette was way worse at handling her anxiety. But she, too, was very much looking forward to the talk they would have later.

Kunou looked confused, unsure to what they’re referring to, while Kali giggled, happy for them.

“Eh, ahem, we can start now, right, Kali-san?” A tiny bit embarrassed, Issei asked, making Kali giggle a bit more in reply.

“Sure, but I think it would be ideal to do this practice in an open area, wouldn’t you agree?”

She joked, making the three girls and Issei chuckle. But right before they were about to move, Yasaka appeared from the corner of the hallway, walking in their direction. Issei momentarily registered how he didn’t feel her presence, awed at her power… and her breasts.

“Issei-kun, could I have your attention for a second?” Issei nodded at the milf kitsune’s request, who then continued. “Thank you. As you must know, I answer directly to Amaterasu-sama, and one of my responsibilities is to inform her of any extraordinary developments, which in this case would include SALEM, but most importantly, your personal status. I hope you won’t hold this against me.”

She didn’t have to inform Issei of this, it was simply part of her responsibilities, yet Yasaka still informed Issei first and hoped he could understand. Even if he didn’t, letting him become aware that the main goddess from the Shinto Faction would become knowledgeable of him was the least Yasaka could do.

“That’s fine, I kinda expected that already. Though I hope I don’t bring too much trouble to all of you.” And Yasaka was indeed spot on about Issei’s reaction, smiling at his words.

“Don’t worry, I doubt there’ll be any trouble. Still, we’ll do our best to keep this information confidential, and…” Her gentle eyes changed to a serious tone, her power momentarily emanating, letting others witness the power of the head of the East Youkai faction, “if an outsider tries to give you trouble that might be difficult to handle, let us know.”

Tiffania gulped, intimidated at the sight of Yasaka’s power. Piglette let out a very low screech of surprise. Kunou’s eyes shone with respect for her mother, admiration sparkling in her face.

And Issei thought she looked extremely hot like that.

“Fufufu, I won’t take much of your time now. Kunou, behave well.” She said to her daughter as she turned back, giving Issei a glimpse of her accentuated ass.

“Yes, mother.” Kunou replied with a calm and respectful tone, bowing to her mother.

The others also let out a small bow as she went away, with Issei doing his best not to be caught looking at her ass.

…

After informing Issei about what she had to do, Yasaka arrived at a traditional shrine dedicated to Amaterasu that was found inside their base.

Kneeling down with closed eyes, she started her prayer to contact Amaterasu. Then the whole scenario around Yasaka changed.

A divine presence filled the area. The floor was replaced by white clouds, the walls disappeared, and instead, a vast orange-tinted sky could be seen spreading in all directions. And now, in front of Yasaka, at the top of a pair of stairs, was a divine presence that casually felt as powerful as the sun itself.

The goddess Amaterasu sat on a white throne, and behind her stood a large golden temple.

In regards to her divine appearance, Amaterasu had dark hair combed in a gift bow hairstyle. Her upper body and her large chest were covered in a traditional Miko attire, but in her lower body, she wore just a dark blue skirt with golden accents at the tip, leaving a bit of her tights and most of her legs exposed. She also had a large red piece of fabric attached to her waist that almost resembled the tail of a phoenix.

She was just a bit smaller than Yasaka, but also well developed, with bountiful breasts and curvaceous legs. Amaterasu was truly a goddess, in presence, power, and appearance.

“Yasaka-chan, it’s been a while. Are you here to report on what happened yesterday?” It was simply impossible for Amaterasu not to be aware of the Hydra being summoned on the day prior.

“That’s part of the matter, yes.”

With that confirmation, Yasaka started to explain the whole topic from the beginning. Amaterasu heard everything with careful attention, her eyes widening once the kitsune got to Issei and how much of an anomaly he was.

Even as a goddess with millions upon millions of years of experience, Amaterasu had never heard or encountered such a unique existence as the young Sekiryuutei of this generation.

“Fascinating… No Longinus user ever successfully killed a god. In fact, none ever got strong enough to even rival a god… I wonder if Hyoudou-kun will be the first.” It was the same thought Yasaka had once she saw Issei using Regulus. “It’s a good idea to foster a good relationship with him. Thanks for informing me, Yasaka-chan.”

Yasaka bowed, her large breasts swaying at the movement. Issei would’ve been happy had he been present.

 The blonde kitsune then wanted to say something else, but her goddess beat her to it.

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep Hyoudou-kun’s secret from the others. Just make sure everyone on your side knows it, it’s trustworthy.”

Smiling at Amaterasu’s words, Yasaka also nodded.

“Yes. They all are, and even if there’s a problem, a magic oath has been made.” The kitsune explained to Amaterasu’s satisfaction. Kali, Winter, Blake, Weiss, and all the others involved in the mission, even Kunou, who witnessed it, made an oath not to spread the information.

“That’s perfect. Susanoo-kun probably wouldn’t care, but Tsukuyomi-kun can be too overly cautious.” Amaterasu admitted, leaning her elbow on the arm of her throne, and her chin on her hand.

It could be troublesome if Tsukuyomi were to learn about Issei and decide he could be a threat to the gods of their pantheon. Even putting aside all the damage that could be caused by trying to capture, or even worse, kill, Issei, Amaterasu couldn’t let that happen for the simple fact that he was someone born and raised in her land.

Amaterasu couldn’t turn her back and allow someone born in her own land to be killed or captured when he did nothing to justify such actions.

“Thankfully, other factions are not yet aware of this fact.” Yasaka commented.

It would become a much more complex matter if other mythological factions discovered about Issei and decided that he could be a problem for them. And if enough gods from enough factions decided that Issei could become such, at that point, pressure would come from too many sides, and handling it carelessly would carry grave consequences. On top of that, there was a real possibility that Tsukuyomi could use the pressure from those gods as an excuse to get rid of Issei.

It was too troublesome for Issei’s identity to be revealed at the moment.

“Yet, it’s impossible for the Sekiruutei, especially one who carries Regulus Nemea, to remain inconspicuous for long. Sooner or later, the White one will also appear, and even if Hyoudou-kun isn’t obsessed with their rivalry, he won’t have a choice but to fight.” The goddess commented with an unfortunate sigh.

Yasaka’s expression got conflicted. She knew her goddess was correct.

“Don’t make that face, Yasaka-chan. For now, let’s just trust Hyoudou-kun. I’m sure he knows his situation as well, and he won’t reveal himself until he feels ready to do so.” In the end, Amaterasu knew it was pointless to overthink it. They could come up with hypotheticals for days, but that was a futile exercise for both.

“Yes. And from what I’ve seen of Issei-kun, I believe he can be trusted. Besides, one rarely gets away with messing with a dragon.”

Amaterasu nodded, a glint of respect in her eyes. Even gods had to recognize and fear the power of dragons.

“And he used to be human, right? Think that problematic girl will get an interest in him once she learns about it?” The goddess asked, a smirk on her face as she remembered someone interested.

Yasaka also again nodded, knowing that was most likely going to be the case once Issei’s identity was no longer a secret.

“Most likely. She’s been looking for a successor, and although Issei-kun’s no longer human, I have the feeling that wouldn’t stop her from getting interested.”

Amaterasu nodded and chuckled, agreeing with Yasaka’s words, and also almost looking forward to what might come from this in the future.

“Well, I hope we can at least foster a good relationship with him.” If nothing else, she was at least interested in what would be the result of Issei’s growth.

“I’ll do my best. Thank you, Amaterasu-sama.”

She said, bowing one last time.

“Send my regards to Kunou-chan.” Waving to Yasaka, those were Amaterasu’s last as the clouds and sunlight disappeared, and Yasaka found herself back on the shrine.

…

A minute after Yasaka’s conversation with Issei, the group found themselves in an open garden. The scent of the flowers greeted them, the sunlight gently kissed their skins, providing the group with a comfortable warmth, supported by the calming noise of running water from the close by lake.

“Youkai magic is the ability to channel your youki, to control and manipulate the world and its elements.”

Kali explained carefully, with Issei doing his best to hear and absorb each word like a sponge.

“Isn’t that all magic?” Piglette questioned, feeling like that was simply how she used her own branch of magic.

Kali smiled at that.

“Yes, you’re correct, Piglette-chan. At large strokes, that’s how all magic works, but what I want to get to is, what’s the fundamental difference?”

Issei, Tiffania, and Piglette heard it carefully, embracing the opportunity to learn more about new magic. Issei was completely ignorant of the topic of most forms of magic, and the two girls had only been exposed to their own forms of magic, with limited information about external ones.

“Devil’s magic depends on demonic energy, but also imagination and will. Human magic depends on their magical formulas. Youkai magic depends on using our youki to connect with the spirits of the world and use their power in conjunction with ours.”

Issei seemed to understand the explanation, but Tiffania and Piglette seemed confused by the mention of spirits, not understanding what the undead had to do with youkai magic. Noticing their confusion, Kunou explained.

“Tiffania-san, Piglette-san, everything in this world is inherited by a sacred spirit, a Kami. That’s what Kali-san is referring to.”

With their mouths in an ‘o’ shape, the elf and the blonde nodded in understanding.

“Yes, my apologies, I should’ve explained it better.” Kali said with a bit of an embarrassed smile.

“It’s ok.” Tiffania reassured, with Piglette also shaking her head up and down, to reinforce her friend’s words.

“So, I just gotta connect with the spirits around, right?” Issei asked Kali for confirmation.

“In an aspect, yes, but it can be more than that.” Once more, the three heard intently, curious about the intrinsic details regarding youkai magic. Tiffany and Piglette, in particular, wondered if they could use their own magical energy as a replacement for youki to perform similar results as a youkai. “For example, Issei-kun, while you could connect to the sacred spirit of the ground, or of the water, or even of the area, you could also connect with elements or spirits not present at the moment. In fact, I would recommend you start with that as it will make connecting with local elements much easier.”

He could see the logic in that. Starting with the hardest task and succeeding on it should make the easier part much simpler later. Kali continued.

“At the same time, I would recommend you avoid the use of fire. You’ve too much affinity with it because of your race and bloodline, and your innate abilities might overpower your magical skills.”

Issei nodded, understanding the logic in that.

“Oh, if that’s the case, Ise, maybe avoid wind and plants too. You might channel your Guardian powers instead.” Tiffania also added, before the young dragon accidentally made a mistake.

Issei nodded, smiling at her.

“Thanks for the reminder.” She slightly blushed at that, a smile creeping on her own face.

“Issei-kun, also keep in mind that even if you can connect with any spirit, you might have a higher affinity to specific ones. So empty your mind, and spread your consciousness through your youki, and just let it come to you naturally.”

The young man nodded again, then sat in lotus position and closed his eyes. Following Kali’s advice, he did his best to empty his mind, flaring his youki, the aura surrounding his body, as he simply let himself feel the world and the sacred spirits around.

NEW SKILL ACQUIRED

Meditation(lv 1): Empty your mind and achieve a spiritual state of calmness, opening new possibilities to the mind and refreshening the spirit. Once activated, the user’s recovery rates are amplified.

Meditation has leveled up!

Meditation has leveled up!

Meditation has leveled up!

As the skill level increased, Issei fell into a deeper state of concentration, the world around him becoming clearer at a spiritual level. He had meditated before, mostly because of Ddraig’s insistence, but it was the first time he actively did so to do more than just concentrate on himself.

It was interesting to let his youki act naturally, like following a deep seated instinct. Issei thought it felt like a wildfire spreading, but instead of destroying and burning everything, his youki spread and felt the world’s sacred spirits, allowing the young dragon to witness how much life there was around him.

He felt the spirits of flames, burning with passion but also submitting to his presence. Wind and nature seemed to respect his presence, too. But both almost caused him to channel his other powers, so he simply let his youki keep flowing out.

Then he felt it. The spirit felt sturdy, but also malleable. He could sense an edge and bluntness at the same time. It also felt like a vessel that could hold onto more power as well. 

Issei could feel the spirit reacting positively to his youki, approaching him to make a connection. The brunet responded in kind, his youki then serving as a bridge between the dragon and the sacred spirit.

Youkai Magic has leveled up!

Youkai Magic has leveled up!

Feeling new sacred spirits appearing and taking form in his hands, Issei slowly opened his eyes to witness clumps of metal floating above his hands.

Kunou, Tiffania, and Piglette looked with interest, surprised by the element Issei had pulled. They weren’t quite sure what they were expecting, but metal had not even crossed their minds.

“Metal? That’s an interesting one, Issei-kun, and it has great affinity with fire.” Kali commented, her eyes analyzing the metal clump with interest before they changed to a teasing glint. “And I guess it serves to represent how strong and sturdy you are.” She added with a teasing smile.

Issei blushed, losing his concentration and letting the small metal pieces fall to the ground. Piglette got so red that even the tips of her ears got red, and it seemed like fumes would come out of there. Tiffania’s expression froze, but her pointy ears were coming up and down, also burning red. Then, instinctively, they grabbed Issei and started to hug him possessively, which almost surprised him, before he hugged them back.

Kunou looked at them, confused, completely missing the double meaning of Kali’s words. Though she also felt like she wanted to hug Issei.

And somewhere in one of the buildings, Blake almost tripped, and for some reason, she felt embarrassed because of her mother.