Waking up that morning, Issei found himself feeling content, much more so than he had ever felt in a while.
And it had a lot to do with the fact that Rias, his incredibly beautiful and attractive master, was sleeping next to him naked, cuddling directly into his left side with her arms wrapped securely around his abdomen while her crimson hair fanned out across the bed behind her. There was a small, yet very content smile on her lips that seemed to make his bedroom seem warmer than it had ever been before.
Issei had no idea when she had sneaked into his bedroom to sleep with him in this manner, but not that he was complaining. He could just lay there all there for hours and look at her. It was quite early in the morning, so he didn't really have to worry about his, who had lost the habit of coming into his room to wake him up for breakfast after finding out that he woke up 2 hours before them to work out, discovering them in bed with Rias and getting the wrong idea. The day before, she had made the shocking decision to move into his house and live with him, becoming his second housemate after Asia. Although the blonde seemed a little upset, his parents were absolutely delighted to welcome Rias into the family, treating her like a daughter from the start.
Issei, of course, had no complaints. To say he reveled in the idea of living under the same roof as not one, but two beautiful girls, would be an understatement. Matsuda and Motohama were going to be so jealous when they found out. He could already imagine the looks on their faces when they saw him walking to school with Rias and Asia.
But that would be the fun for later. For the time being, he had a schedule to keep.
And as much as he wanted to let his master continue her sleep, it didn't take long for Issei to realize that her hold around his waist made it impossible for him to remove himself without waking her. It was almost time for his daily quest, and the last thing he wanted right now was to find out what the penalty for failure would be, especially with the possibility of dragging Rias into it with him.
So with no other choice, Issei decided to wake his master up.
"Rias-senpai." His left hand landed on her right shoulder and he began to gently shake her. "Rias-senpai."
Slowly, Rias started to stir, but rather than do as he had requested, she just let out a slight groan and quickly tightened her grip on him, snugging even closer to Issei and making him click his tongue in slight annoyance, which turned into impatience after he saw the System Window pop up in front of him, bearing the notification that the daily quest had arrived in his mailbox.
"Rias-sempai, please. I need you to wake up."
It was a minute after he kept shaking her that Rias finally raised her head, her green eyes rimmed with sleep as she blinked at him, as if seeing Issei for the first time. For a few seconds, the two of them just stared at each other until Rias turned her gaze to the small clock on the wall across from his bed. After checking the time, she turned back to him, asking with a deadpan expression,
"Ise... it's only 4 in the morning."
"Uh... yeah. Sorry, senpai, but I wake up at this hour every day," Issei replied while chuckling sheepishly.
Rias blinked in disbelief. "You wake up at 4 AM? For what, exactly?"
"Training. You know, that sort of thing." Issei answered with a shrug.
"At 4 am?"
"At 4 am." Issei nodded, with Rias dropping her head back down the pillow, seeming passed out for a second before she opened her eyes and rolled away from him, allowing Issei to push himself up and stretch his back a little "You can go back to sleep if you want, but I think it's best you go back to your room. My parents might come to check if I overslept in a few hours."
With that said, Issei walked over to his wardrobe to grab his tracksuit before hurrying himself out of his room to slip into his workout attire in the bathroom. Once he was ready, Issei accepted the daily quest and headed down the stairs, arriving in the hallway to see Rias waiting for him at the door in her own tracksuit, which highlighted her amazing figure nicely.
"Senpai, what are you..."
"Do you mind if I join you, Ise?" Rias asked as she showered him with a dazzling smile. It was hard for him to imagine that just a few minutes ago she looked like she would fall asleep again, which he could hardly blame her for, considering hardly any high schooler would wake up at this hour like he did.
Issei blinked, momentarily taken aback by her question as he walked up to stand next to Rias and put on his running shoes. "Sure, but... You really don't have to..."
"I want to see what you do when training yourself, Ise." Rias continued as she followed him outside, shivering a little from the cold early morning breezes. "I want to see what you have been doing to get as strong as you do."
"Suit yourself." Issei chuckled before he turned back and did some stretches, warming himself up for the daily tasks ahead.
As he reached down to touch his toes, feeling the tension release in his legs, Issei then glanced over to Rias and saw that she was still standing with her hands in the pockets of her jacket, trying to shake off the chill.
"You know, it will warm you up if you exercise a little." He called out, encouraging her.
"Right." Rias nodded and joined him, mimicking his movements. All the warm-up exercises he did were from PE classes at school, so it wasn't that hard for Rias to also perform them. After a minute, she was no longer shivering.
"You do this every day?" Rias asked while rotating her hips, making Issei nod his head in response. "Asia doesn't join you?"
"Nah, she can't wake up this early. I'd much rather let her sleep," Issei answered with a chuckle before he headed back into his house, disappearing for a few seconds before returning with his bicycle.
"Are we going cycling next then?" Rias asked curiously.
"Nope. This is for you, Rias-senpai." Issei answered, making Rias raise an eyebrow at him "I'm going to run while you'll cycle along."
"Really? You don't think I can..." Rias started, her competitive spirit flickering to life.
"Senpai, no offense, but I'm going to run for 15 kilometers." Issei interrupted with an amused chuckle, watching as the challenging smile on her face faltered and faded away almost immediately. "Are you sure you can keep up with me on foot?"
"Nuh uh, nope." Rias declared almost instantly, snatching his bicycle from him with a quick motion before walking on ahead, making Issei stiffen a laugh before he followed her out onto the street outside his house, with only the light of distant street lamps illuminating the area.
"Promise you'll slow down if I start lagging behind," Rias said as she mounted the bike after double checking and adjusting the seat to make sure that her feet could reach the ground while sitting there, as Issei was much taller than her and had the post raised to max.
"I will try." Issei nodded at her with a grin before setting off, with Rias riding his bicycle right behind him. Since he had plenty of time to finish the daily quest, Issei decided to take it slow and let Rias enjoy the ride as the two of them made their way through the quiet streets of Kuoh Town in the early morning, which he had grown accustomed to seeing at this point. Darkness was certainly less scary with their night vision.
"So you run like this around town every morning?" Rias asked, striking a conversation with her pawn as she was finding it harder and harder to catch up with him even while on bicycle. Issei, on the other hand, didn't look like he had broken a sweat just yet, and it felt like he was slowly picking up the pace as well, running a little bit faster every time they crossed a district. Moreover, she was pretty sure with the distance they had been traveling, they had just crossed over the ten kilometer mark.
"Oh yeah. It was only ten kilometers at first, but I increased it recently."
"Only? I don't think I can run that much without breaking a sweat like you." Rias pointed out, making Issei chuckle. Even during the training week for the Rating Game against the Phenex Peerage, Issei had shown that he could run a long distance with a weight on his back and still have the stamina for more exercises.
"Trust me, I have a lot of difficulty at first too. But I gradually increase the difficulty overtime to keep the exercises challenging." The Sekiryuutei replied.
"You're used to it."
"Yeah. I know it hasn't been that long... but exercising like this, it feels wrong to not do it every day." Issei nodded with a small smile.
It really hadn't been that long, but a lot sure had happened. It was hard for Issei to imagine how his life would have turned out if he hadn't been the current possessor of Boosted Gear. For sure, Raynare wouldn't have targeted him in the first place, and he wouldn't have been killed by her, nor reincarnated as a devil. He'd probably still be living his old, mundane life that involved a routine of sneaking into lockers with his Matsuda and Motohama to peep on the girls during their morning changing routines, and staying late watching porn just so he could discuss the details with his two perverted friends the next day.
He wouldn't have met Rias or Asia. He wouldn't have become close friends with Kiba, who, before all this, he would've still hated simply for being the 'pretty boy' all the girls fawned over. Issei would have been stuck at home watching the live stream of his favorite idol's concert since getting tickets was near impossible—unless you had connections like Akeno did through one of her human clients. He wouldn't have been part of the famous Occult Research Club either, where Koneko often randomly reminded him of his past misdeeds, though sometimes she'd share her snacks if she was in a good mood.
And above all, Issei realized he would have remained completely oblivious to the supernatural world that now surrounded him... at least, until he discovered the System, something that he had concluded had been with him since the day he was born.
"Hmh?" Issei raised an eyebrow and came to a stop when he noticed that Rias was no longer with him. Glancing back, he saw her pedaling furiously in the distance, trying to catch up. Chuckling, the Sekiryuutei raised his hand and waved at her, realizing that he had unintentionally sped up and left her in the dust while he was lost in thought.
Still, that wasn't the only thing that he had realized.
[!] Notice – Daily Quest
[The Path Toward True Might II]
Push-ups: 0/100
Sit-ups: 0/100
Squats: 0/100
Run: 15.5/15km
Reward: 10000 EXP
You may also chose from the following rewards:
1. Full Rejuvenation
2. Random Loot Box
"Ddraig, are you seeing this as well?" Issei asked, noticing the number for his run task.
[Yes, partner. The counter keeps going even after you have completed the task.] The Welsh Dragon answered through the telepathic link between them, seemingly nodding his head in response. [Has it always been like this or is this a new feature?]
"I think it's the former. I have never tried to push past the required amount before." Issei shook his head before an idea came to him, making Issei lower himself down and stretch his legs "You know what, I might as well try finding out where the count maxes out anyway. This might be a hidden feature that will reward me handsomely if I put some extra effort into it."
[Heh, this sure is going to be entertaining. Go for it then, partner.]
"You promised you would slow down if I start lagging behind." Rias pouted as she stopped next to Issei, sweating and breathing hard from all the extra pedaling she had been doing for the past few minutes.
Issei chuckled, raising his hands defensively in a playful manner. "Sorry, Senpai. I got a little too into it."
Rias shot him a playful glare, making his chuckle pick up into laughter.
"Tell you what, why don't you go rest on the bench over there?" Issei suggested with a gesture of his head to the bench behind her "I'm gonna go for another round before I move on to the other exercises."
"Seriously? Are you sure..." Before Rias could finish, Issei had turned around and sprinted off at his usual pace, leaving her standing there, staring in disbelief.
With no other choice, Rias decided to just do what she was told and walked over to the bench, taking her seat there and catching her breath. It had been a while since the last time she had to exercise that much, and she could feel the effects of her sudden exertion.
It was twenty minutes later that Issei finally returned, sweating and breathing a little hard from his second 15-kilometer run. The Pawn appeared to have stopped at a grocery store, as he had a cold water bottle in his hand that he offered her.
"Here, you look like you could use this," Issei said, handing her the bottle. Rias took it gratefully, her thirst finally catching up with her.
"Thanks," she replied, taking a long sip. The cold water was refreshing against her parched throat.
The two didn't talk much as Issei moved on to the other exercises, leaving Rias to settle back on the bench, her gaze following him as he worked. Push-ups, sit-ups, and squats... each exercise he did about two hundred times before moving on to the next, looking quite committed even as he started to look exhausted.
[!] Quest Completed
[The Path Toward True Might II]
Push-ups: 200/100
Sit-ups: 200/100
Squats: 200/100
Run: 30/15km
"There we go." Issei declared as he pushed himself up, wiping the sweats from his brow as he exhaled longingly while Rias clapped her hands to him in amazement, with admiration evident on her face. The notification for the quest completion had been there since the moment he finished the required amount for the final task, but after pushing through and doing an additional hundred squats to max its counter just like how it had been with push-ups and sit-ups, new rewards that he had never seen before appeared on the list of completion rewards.
Reward: 10000 EXP
You may also chose from the following rewards:
1. Full Rejuvenation
2. Random Loot Box
3. Blessed Random Box
4. Cursed Random Box
[Oh, now that looks promising.] Ddraig whistled in his mindscape, feeling just as intrigued as Issei was by the two new rewards. It was unfortunate that he could only select one of them for now, and he'd have to have them in his inventory to discover its effects.
Judging solely by their names, Issei made the decision to pick the Blessed Random Box first. He might never get the chance to find out what the Cursed Random Box did, but if the item inside turned out to be some cursed artifacts as its name suggested then going for the blessed box was probably the smarter move.
"Let's head back now, Ise," Rias said as she stood up from the bench. Issei nodded in agreement and followed her, all the while feeling a mix of exhilaration from completing his exercises and anticipation for the reward he had just chosen.
There would be time to discover what it was later.
For now, he would simply enjoy these relaxing moments of his new daily life.
"Hey, you guys! Check it out! It's Issei and Rias-senpai!"
"Why are they walking together to school like that? Don't tell me she's living with him like Asia-chan!"
"No way right?"
"Damn that perv! So not only Asia, but he has also stolen our Rias-sama from us!"
And it was just as he had expected, Issei thought smugly as he walked through the school gate that morning with Rias and Asia, while whispers and gasps erupted around them. Most probably thought he couldn't hear them, but his ears picked up on everything.
Wait till they found out he also went to a music concert with Akeno Himejima the night before.
Was it a date? Issei highly doubted it was a date even though he had a really fun time with Akeno during the concert. Ddraig seemed to think so, but he was also a dragon.
"ISSSEEEEEEEEEEIIIIII! SAVE MEEEEE!"
Just then, Issei was struck by a feeling of déjà vu when he heard his name being shouted out from the distance and turned his head just in time to see a frantic Matsuda sprinting toward him, desperately fleeing from a group of girls from the kendo club. If there was anything different to what happened a few days ago, it would be the absence of Motohama.
"Seriously..." Issei sighed before he turned to Rias and Asia "You guys go on ahead. I will catch up with you in class later, Asia."
"Sure. Have fun, Ise." Rias giggled, nodding her head to her Pawn before going on ahead with Asia, who waved her hand at him and made Issei respond with the same gesture.
"Not again, man." Groaning, Issei braced himself and turned to Matsuda just as he arrived and dove behind him, gasping for breath. The kendo girls tried to attack him, forcing Issei to remove his backpack and use it to block their wooden swords before they could strike Matsuda while Rias and Asia just looked on in amusement "Where's Motohama? Don't tell me he got captured."
"Well, yeahh..." Matsuda stuttered while chuckling nervously, making Issei roll his eyes in response. Trust the Harassing Paparazzi to be the one who got captured, while the Perverted Baldy managed to get away thanks to his sporty background.
"Apologize to them first so we can go save Motohama." Issei said before stepping back, grabbing Matsuda by the back of his collar to pull his friend out of the way of a swinging wooden sword in a smooth motion. Before Matsuda could say anything in response, he then moved his hand to the back of his head and pushed him down in a bowing gesture, which he mimicked slightly while smiling apologetically to the kendo girls.
"Sorry, girls... but can you please forgive this dumbass for... well, doing what he did?"
"Sorry!" Matsuda exclaimed, repeating after Issei while the kendo girls, who stood there and looked at Issei in bewilderment, their wooden swords being held tightly in their grips. It was hard for Issei to gauge their thoughts, and to be frank, they had every right to strike him right then and there. Even in his mind Issei knew he was the last person who should ask for forgiveness, especially for an act that he practiced frequently in the past with his two friends.
Then, to his surprise...
"Alright then, Issei-kun." A girl said, pointing her sword at Matsuda, making Issei look at her in surprise, half-expecting her and the rest to completely disregard his words. "But next time this perv tries peeping on us again, I won't hesitate to strike him where it really hurts."
"Yeah! Tell your friends to be more like you now, Issei-kun." Another girl chimed in, her expression fierce yet playful.
Feeling a mix of relief, he smiled at her. "I'll make sure to pass that along."
"You changed for the better, but your two friends clearly have not."
"Right." Issei could only nod, not feeling entirely sure what she meant by that, but decided to not dwell on it for long "Say... you guys are holding Motohama in the dojo, right?"
"Yeah. Murayama-senpai probably dragged him there after we captured him." Nodding his head to the kendo girls, issei then turned his attention over to Matsuda and saw that he was also ready to bolt. With a gesture of his head, the two of them hurried over the direction of the kendo clubroom.
That was really much easier than he had expected.
"You guys owe me one for this, by the way." Issei spoke to Matsuda.
"Yeah, yeah, I'll totally make it up to you! Just... lead the way!" The Perverted Baldy replied, while finding it hard to keep up with Issei as he ran ahead.
Soon, they reached the dojo, finding Motohama to be surrounded by the rest of the kendo club, led by Murayama and Katase, who was also his classmate and a good friend of Asia. The Harassing Paparazzi was currently kneeling on the floor with his hands tied behind his back, with dramatic tears streaming down his cheeks as he pled for his freedom... and possibly his manhood as Katase looked like she would use her sword to hit him where it really, really hurt.
"Please! I promise I won't do it again!" Motohama cried, glancing up at the fierce expressions of the kendo girls who had captured him, with Murayama looking down at him with annoyance.
"You just don't learn, do you?"
"Yeah! You can't just keep on harassing us girls and expect no consequences!" Katase chimed in as she tapped the wooden blade of her practice sword against the palm of her other hand in a threatening manner.
It was then that Issei, feeling a mix of sympathy and irritation for his friend, decided to step in, making sure to remove his shoes first before entering the dojo. "Hey hey hey! Let him go, girls! He's had enough, don't you think?"
Hearing that, the girls turned their attention to him, surprise evident on their faces, but some also blushed and waved their hands at him. Murayama raised an eyebrow, noticing Matsuda hiding behind the door outside before turning back to Issei to ask "And why should we listen to you then, Issei?"
"Ah... well, I'm seriously not the one who should be asking but... I can't just stay back and see him get hurt either. He's my friend," Issei said, chuckling nervously. "And also, he really is sorry. He's just... well, a dumbass who didn't think things through. Besides, I think this experience will keep him in line for a while."
Motohama nodded vigorously. "I swear I'll be good! Just give me a chance!"
The kendo girls exchanged glances, their expressions softening slightly at Issei's earnest plea.
"Alright, fine," Murayama said with a sigh, relenting a bit before she walked over to Matsuda to grab him by the back of his jacket and pull him to his feet to push him over to Issei "But if we see you acting up again, there won't be any mercy next time!"
Again, that seemed way easier than it should be...
Then it hit him.
Was it because of his Charisma?
"Thanks, girls. I will make sure to keep these two guys in line." Issei said while leaving the dojo with Motohama. It was only after they had gotten outside that he untied him, allowing Motohama to let out a breath of relief as he rubbed his sore wrists.
"Thanks, Issei! You saved my life!" He exclaimed, trying to hug Issei but the Sekiryuutei made sure to keep him well outside his personal space.
"Just try to stay out of trouble next time. I can't always be here to save your asses." Issei replied before making a gesture with his head to both Matsuda and Motohama "Let's get out of here before they..."
Just as he was about to drag his two friends away, something drifted past them, causing Issei to instantly snap his head to the side just in time to catch the sight of a girl with long strawberry-blonde hair that ended in a thick braid of dark pink and blue swiftly making her way into the dojo. Other than the fact that she had walked past him without him even noticing, making no sound or showing any presence as if she wasn't even there to begin with, the girl was also dressed in a traditional sailor-style uniform that didn't belong to the high school division of Kuoh Academy.
"Oi, Issei, you coming?" Issei heard Motohama calling out to him, making him turn back and make his way over to them.
Before he left with his two friends, he could still hear the conversation between Murayama and the new girl.
"Oh, aren't you the new transfer student? How may I help you?"
"Hello. I would like to join the kendo club, if that's possible."
"Hmh... our club is not currently accepting new members right now, but I can give you a trial to see how you fit in. What's your name again...?"
"I'm Mirei. Amamiya Mirei."
"We're here!"
Walking into the ORC clubroom with Asia that afternoon, Issei could see that Rias was having guests, being none other than the current student president and the heiress of the Sitri devil household, Sona Sitri, herself. The bespectacled young woman seemed to be having a friendly conversation with his master while facing the Gremory heiress in a game of chess as she sat on the sofa across from her.
Standing behind Sona, meanwhile, was someone Issei recognized as the newest member of the student council, which meant he was a servant of Sona. Genshirou Saji, Issei was sure his name was.
"Oh, there you are." Rias beamed, her eyes lighting up at their arrivals. "Come on in and join us. Lemme introduce you to our guests."
"So you didn't tell Hyoudou about us, Rias-senpai?!" Saji asked, making Issei narrow his eyes slightly at him while maintaining a very straight face. "I find it strange that he hasn't noticed us, since we're also Devils."
"I have. And I also know Sona-kaichou." Issei answered matter of factly while making his way into the clubroom, returning the warm smile that Akeno gave him with his own before nodding his head in acknowledgement to Kiba, who seemed to be doing his homework, before turning back to continue speaking to Saji "I just don't have a clue who you are."
"The name is Genshirou Saji, A pawn of Sona Sitri-sama! You'd better remember it!" Saji introduced himself confidently, pointing a thumb at his chest and holding his head high.
"Sure." Issei answered, making Saji click his tongue in annoyance. Before he could open his mouth to make any more comment, Sona cleared her throat, effectively shutting him up.
"Well then, now that our new servants have met, I believe it's time for me to take my leave, Rias." Sona said, finishing her tea before rising from her seat "Since you have the upper hand in this match of ours, the next trip to the Familiar Forest is yours. Just don't get used to it, because the Ball Tournament is fast approaching, and I'm not going to lose to you."
"Heh, the feeling is mutual, Sona."
With that, Sona and Saji left their clubroom, leaving the Occult Research Club to carry on with their daily activities. Issei settled in his seat next to Asia and did their homework. Rias turned her attention back to the chess board before her and tried to finish it by playing against herself. Akeno worked behind her counter, filling the air with the delightful aroma of her signature cookies, which she then served to everyone in the room, saving the largest bowl for Issei, who gratefully accepted it.
It was after school had ended that Koneko finally joined them, entering the clubroom with a white cat that she had introduced to Issei as her familiar. Rias had told him yesterday that she would try to make the arrangement for them to travel to Familiar Forest later in a few days so he and Asia could find their own familiars, and from the look of it, it seemed she had managed to secure the trip.
As Issei was about to grab another cookie from the bowl while trying to solve a difficult math problem, his phone buzzed unexpectedly on the table. Glancing at the screen, he saw an unknown number flashing, making him look at it puzzledly for a moment before picking it up.
"Hello?"
A deep, gruff voice responded on the other end, "Is this Hyoudou Issei?"
"Uh, yeah. Who's this?" Issei asked, his brows furrowing.
The man answered in a somewhat amused voice. "The name is Beowulf. It's time for you to go to work, kid."
Issei immediately stood up from his seat, causing the entire clubroom to look at him. "Wait... work? You mean—"
"Yup! Take the teleportation magic circle to the Crimson Emporium in the Underworld. I'm waiting for you there." Beowulf chuckled, clearly detecting the excitement in his voice "and oh, say hello to Rias-ojou sama and the others for me."
"For sure. I will see you in a bit, Beowulf-san." With that, the call ended, with Issei looking at Rias, who clearly recognized the name "It's Beowulf. He called to tell me it's time for me to go to work. He also said hello."
"Ah, is that so?" Rias nodded her head in understanding before carrying on with a smile "Beowulf is a Pawn of my brother. He was one of my caretakers when I was young. He now works as the leader of the Supporter Unit of the Crimson Emporium, in charge of protection duty."
"He's considered to be one of the Top 5 Pawns in the Underworld as well, Issei-kun. You can learn a lot from him." Kiba added, making Issei widen his eyes in amazement.
Akeno giggled softly from behind her counter "It seems like your new job is about to get a lot more exciting, Issei-kun."
"It seems so." The Pawn chuckled before hurriedly making his way over to the teleportation magic circle on the other side of the room, using his own magic to set the destination to be the Crimson Emporium that he had visited in the Underworld. As the runes lit up, illuminating the clubroom in a crimson glow, everyone gathered in front of Issei to see him off. Since they all had their own works to do with their human client that evening, it had been decided that Issei would go on his first Gate Supporter Job by himself to learn the in and out of it first.
Asia smiled, her concern evident in her eyes as she waved her hand to him "Please be careful, Issei-san."
"I will!" he assured her, giving her a reassuring nod.
"Don't wander off where you should not, got it?" Rias asked him in a firm tone before the expression on her face became more relaxed after he had nodded his head to her, allowing the crimson haired young woman to flash him a warm smile as he started to be teleported away "Good luck, Ise."
"I'll see you guys later!" With that said, the world around him blurred and shifted. A rush of energy flowed through Issei as the magic transported him to the Crimson Emporium in the Underworld, arriving at what looked to be a waiting room.
And standing there, waiting for him at the door, was without a doubt Beowulf, a tall, towering man with a lean yet muscular build. He appeared to be in his mid-twenties, with short brown hair and sharp, intense dark eyes. Dressed in a formal business suit, he gave off an air of professionalism that was very much like Grayfia, the Queen of the Peerage of Sirzechs Lucifer. Despite his imposing physique, the confident way he carried himself, and the overwhelming aura of power surrounding him, the smile on his face softened his otherwise formidable appearance, making him relaxed, and quite easy going.
"There you are, kid." Beowulf called out as he walked over to Issei and shook hands with him. "Ready to get to work?"
"I sure am." Issei grinned and nodded his head in response.
"Good to hear." Beowulf nodded before ending the handshake and beckoning Issei to follow him, leading him toward the magic circle Issei had just arrived from. "Big sis told me you solo-raided a few Gates before this..."
"Big sis?"
"Oh, Grayfia." Beowulf explained, making Issei nod his head in understanding "Anyway, this job might not seem as flashy as what you're used to, but supporting roles are just as important. After all, no matter how strong the front line is, they can't function without a solid team backing them up."
Issei nodded, smiling at the older man. "I understand. I'm just glad to get a chance to help out and learn more."
And it was exactly the reason he had come to this gate. As much as he wanted to jump right into an Instance Dungeon to hone his strength and level up, he also wanted to learn what raiding with a proper party was all about. He wanted to see for himself the dynamics of a well-coordinated team in action. Issei knew that charging ahead alone had its limits, and seeing how a professional team worked could offer him new strategies and insights that he could apply when he would lead his soldiers into battle, and eventually, his own Peerage.
"So today we will start with a C-rank Gate that has shown up in the central district of Yokohama." With that said, Issei stepped back into the teleportation magic circle, this time with Beowulf, allowing the spell to whisk them both away.
When the magic faded, Issei found himself standing in what appeared to have once been a busy district, filled with towering buildings and vibrant storefronts. The area now seemed deserted, and looking down the streets Issei could see local enforcers standing behind barriers that were keeping local civilians at bay.
The Gate, meanwhile, stood right in the middle of a crossroad, a swirling mass of blue energy that crackled with an otherworldliness similar to the entrances of the Instance Dungeons Issei had cleared. Around it, warriors, heroes of the Hero Faction, cladded in various forms of armor and gears were already congregating around the Gate. Some were chatting among one another, exchanging tales of previous raids, while others busily checked their weapons, ensuring that everything was in top condition. The clinking of metal and the rustling of gear mingled with their chatter and laughter, making the atmosphere less serious and much livelier than Issei had thought it would be.
"Looks like everyone is ready to roll." Beowulf said as he walked up to stand next to Issei, who turned his attention from the Gate to him and asked.
"This is a C-rank Gate?"
"Well, the energy reading indicates that it is." Beowulf said as he pulled out from his pocket a device similar to the one Rias had used to find him by energy signature of the Magitek Dungeon "But the scale of this Gate is certainly one of the largest we have ever seen for something at its level. Gates come in all shapes and sizes. Even a C-rank Gate like this can have the layout similar to an entire subway system. Come on, this way."
With that said, Beowulf led Issei over to the nearby clothing store, where it seemed the ones in charge had set up a temporary base of operations. Among those standing around a table in the center of the cleared reception area, two devils—Issei believed they were devils due to the uniforms they wore that bore the crest of the Gremory Devil Household — were in a discussion with a man who looked to be in his late thirties. Much like the heroes outside, he was dressed in armor, all the while carrying on his back a large broadsword that was almost as big as his entire form.
Noticing Beowulf and Issei approaching, the three stopped their conversations to turn their attentions over to them, with the two devils lowering their heads to greet Beowulf, who nodded his head to them before shaking hands with the armored man.
"I trust that everything is proceeding smoothly, Yamamoto-san."
"Yes. We have identified the monsters inside to be beast-theme, so our warriors won't have much trouble with them." Yamamoto answered before turning his attention over to Issei "Is this..."
"Yes, this is the intern that I mentioned." Beowulf grinned, patting Issei on the shoulder before continuing with the introduction. "Issei, this is Yamamoto, the leader of this raid. Over here we have Marcus, who leads the Scouting Division. And this is Stefan. He takes care of the locals."
"Locals?" Issei asked, intrigued.
"Civilians," Stefan answered with a chuckle. "My boys and I make sure that everyone who has seen the Gate won't remember anything about it once we have finished the Raid. For the rest, we simply sell a story of an incident."
"Propaganda at its finest," Beowulf laughed, making Stefan roll his eyes at him while Issei nodded in understanding. So the Gremory also helped with that. It seemed public perception was just as important as the raid itself.
After that, Marcus filled Issei and Beowulf in with all the information his unit had been able to gather so far about the Gate, showing him the map that detailed its layout, which resembled a sprawling cave system. There were some areas that were still missing, as his scouts deemed it to be too dangerous with the monsters roaming around to continue venturing further in to fully explore the Gate, but overall it was an incredibly detailed map marked with symbols and lines indicating resources locations and monsters roaming paths, which were probably where he needed to avoid and let Yamamoto and the warriors do their jobs.
"The area around the entrance has been cleared!" A warrior who came out of the Gate announced. He was a member of the unit that Yamamoto had led in earlier to clear the area around the Gate, where essence stones and other minerals had the second highest concentration "Tell the mining unit to be ready to move in."
"That's your call. This way, Issei." Beowulf spoke to Issei, giving him a grin before gesturing his head to the side "Follow me."
Nodding, Issei followed Beowulf outside, where the older man led him to a parking lot. There, several devils from the Crimson Emporium dressed in classic miner uniforms in crimson were hanging out with their tools, but there were also others who were not in the same outfit. From the information Akeno had provided him, the energy radiating from the Gate disrupted all kinds of modern machinery and electronics, including those altered to draw power from the essence stones found inside. As a result, they had to rely on old-school and unconventional tools, which were further enchanted with magic, to help with the mining of valuable minerals.
Guess that means the Magitek troopers were not conventional machinery. I wonder what they were and who created them, Issei thought while being introduced to the miners, who greeted him just as warmly as any servants and employees from the Gremory Devil Household had done.
"Well, this here is certainly a strapping young lad." A miner said with a wide grin as he patted Issei on the shoulder "You ready to start with some mining today, son?"
Issei only grinned in response, making Beowulf raise an eyebrow while the miners just looked at him in confusion as he started to ask for more pickaxes.
A lot more pickaxes.
Once he had gathered everything he needed, including the numerous pickaxes he requested and stored them inside a large cart, Issei followed the miners into the Gate. Crossing through the entrance, he found himself in a vast, dimly lit expanse. Stalactites hung from the ceiling like ancient teeth, and the walls shimmered with mineral deposits that cast an eerie glow in the shadows. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth, and the distant sound of dripping water filled the silence.
"Here we are again, ladies. We have two hours before the heroes find the boss and beat it to close this Gate." The lead miner, a muscular devil who had a thick beard and wore a white tank top that showed his powerful torso and arms, announced to his workers "Grab your tools and..."
Before he could finish giving the command, Issei had pushed his cart past him and a good distance ahead before coming to a stop. It was here that he spoke up, his voice echoing through the cavernous space.
"Alright, boys. Come on out"
At his command, his shadow troopers began to emerge from his shadow, their forms coalescing into solid figures around him as the miners stood there and stared on in stunned silence. Even Beowulf, who had been told about them beforehand, had a look of astonishment in his eyes as he looked at the shadow troop, specifically the tallest, most well-equipped knight, who seemed to be unique among the shadow soldiers.
"Whoa, what is this?" One miner exclaimed, jaw dropping as he took a step back cautiously from one of the soldiers standing near him.
"Are those... shadows?" Another whispered in disbelief, unable to take his eyes off the strange beings.
"Line up so I can give you guys your pickaxes!" Issei instructed with one hand on his hip and the other pointing at the cart that he had filled with the tools for mining. The shadow troopers moved in unison, forming a line to one by one receive a pickaxe from Issei and Gladio, who stood behind Issei and assisted him with the distribution.
"Alright, start mining!"
Once that every trooper had received their tool, Issei gave the command for them to start mining the essence stones. The shadow troopers immediately sprang into action, their pickaxes swinging in perfect rhythm against the rock walls. The devil miners watched in awe as the shadows worked with tireless efficiency, and in just a few short minutes, they had already extracted half of the valuable minerals in the area, leaving the glowing essence stones to pile up in the carts that the miners had brought with them to transport the minerals outside.
"Master Beowulf, isn't this kid the current Sekiryuutei?" The lead miner leaned to the side, eyes locking on Issei, who supervised the mining with Gladio. Beowulf simply patted him on the shoulder, a knowing smile on his face.
As the raid progressed, with the next task of retrieving the cadavers of slain monsters, Issei summoned his wolves to assist, having them pull the carts that carried the larger, heavier cadavers. Even the heaviest monsters proved to be light work for the shadow berserkers, who coordinated their strength to carry them from the locations where they had been slain to the secured areas, allowing the miners to efficiently process the carcasses, dissecting them into manageable parts for quicker transportation before the wolves taking them all the way outside.
"Keep it steady. Keep it steady." Issei called, guiding an operation himself. It was only after the carcass of the monster, a half ape, half hyena like beast, had been put on the cart and pulled away by his wolves that the lead manner approached him with a bottle of water.
"You are making this look easy, Issei." The miner chuckled as Issei gratefully accepted the bottle from his hand "Keep this up and you're gonna put us all out of work."
"Well, you guys really don't have to be too worried about it. My shadows need guidelines and instructions from experts, so…" Issei answered with a light chuckle "Plus, once I'm qualified to join the main strike team, I'm gonna be a full time frontliner."
"From the way I see it, you are fully capable of handling everything alone with these shadows... familiars." The miner said with a gesture of his head toward the shadow troopers that were still mining the essence stones from the nearby walls.
The man had a point.
"Hey, Issei. Can you come over here for a bit?"
Hearing Beowulf calling him from a distance, Issei turned his head to see the man standing next to the cart carrying the cadaver of a monster. Thanking the miner for the bottle of water again, Issei then made his way over to Beowulf, weaving through the busy site to arrive at his side and ask.
"Yes, Beowulf-san?"
Beowulf pointed at the cart with both hands. "So, Aniki... Sirzechs-Aniki told me that your shadow soldiers were all the slain monsters of the Gates you solo-raided." He then took his hands back and placed them on his hips "You extracted their shadows and brought them back to life like a necromancer or something, right?"
"Basically, yes." Issei nodded his head before widening his eyes upon realizing the reason Beowulf had called him over "You want me to..."
"Well, unless you have to slay them yourself, I kinda want to see how you do it. Color me interested, of course." Beowulf shrugged with a thoughtful grin "I have met a few necromancers in my life, and to be honest with you, while they were all downright terrifying, none of their magic are like yours."
"I mean, it's more or less a skill, but still..."
Issei trailed off before turning his attention over to the beast on the cart. The carcass, and every other he had seen from the moment he entered the Gates, bore the notification that its shadow was available for extraction, meaning that he didn't have to kill them to use Shadow Extraction.
"Well, give it a try. No harm done, right?"
Issei nodded his head to Beowulf and held his hand out as a dark aura started to appear around him. "Ar…"
"Wait."
Before he could say the command, Beowulf suddenly held his hand out and stopped Issei before he could do anything, all the while his gaze fixed intently on the one of the dark passageways that the strike team had yet to clear. It was then that Issei felt it, a low rumble, almost like a distant growl, reverberating through the ground beneath them while heading toward their direction.
"We've got company!" The Pawn of Sirzechs Lucifer shouted, alerting everyone in the area before looking at one of the guards "You, go outside and inform Yamamoto right now."
Nodding, the man immediately dashed away, leaving the rest to draw their weapons and get ready to fight. Beowulf then turned his attention back to the passageway and reached one hand out to move Issei further behind him.
But when he felt his hand touching nothing but empty space, he turned his head back slightly to see Issei no longer standing there.
"You guys, protect them! Form a circle around the miners!" Issei shouted while running across the area, instructing his shadow troopers and berserkers, who immediately dropped their pickaxes and the tools they were holding to draw their weapons and form a protective formation around the miners, just as half ape, half hyena beasts busted forth from the passageway, their snarls echoing through the cave.
In an instant, Gladio was right in front of Issei, his broad blade flashing as he split one of the monsters in two with a single, decisive strike. The monster he had slain fell to the ground, its menacing growl silenced. With his front secured by his strongest shadow, Issei turned to the side and launched his fist at another beast that lunged at him from the direction, smashing it against the cave wall, feeling the impact reverberating through his arm as the creature slumped to the ground, dead.
He quickly glanced over to Beowulf, who was effortlessly dispatching a small horde of monsters using nothing but his fists. Despite the chaos around them, Issei couldn't help but admire his skills and powers, even though the monsters weren't really that strong. However, they made up for their lack of strength with their number and, even Issei noticed it, strange ferociousness. Him and Beowulf could easily handle any of them, but it was clear that the miners and guards would have been overwhelmed in a second without his shadow troopers.
Just as Issei was about to summon the remaining of his shadows to quickly take care of the horde, the sounds of metal clanking in the distance caused him to turn his head to the side just in time to see the Heroes arriving with their weapons at the ready, led by a commanding figure with a broadsword gleaming in the dim light.
Yamamoto raised his sword high, calling out commands with an ease that indicated his extensive experience. "Shield bearers to the front! Protect the miner! The rest of you, with me!"
Under his command, the heroes moved into position, with a group of heavily armored, shield wielding warriors lined together to form a protective wall around the shadow soldiers who were fighting to protect the miners, their shields locking together to create an unmovable wall against the charging monsters. The ranged, the mages and archers, took their positions behind the shield bearers, launching their projectiles at the beasts as the melee warriors advanced with Yamamoto at the forefront.
"Woah..." Issei murmured to himself as he watched the heroes fight. The way that those heroes worked together. It was mesmerizing.
"Hey, those shadow familiars are your summons, right?" One of the archers moved back to Issei and asked him, making him nod his head in confirmation. He probably saw how Gladio was watching his back and connected the dots "Can you tell them to escort the miner out. We got it from here."
"Got it." Issei nodded his head to the man, seeing no reason to do otherwise. It didn't take it long for him to regroup with Beowulf, who followed him outside with the rest of the employees from the Crimson Emporium, leaving the heroes to do their jobs, pushing further in to find the boss after the area was clear and close the Gate for good.
"You okay? No injury, right?" Beowulf asked, double checking to make sure that Issei was alright. When he saw that there wasn't even a scratch on him, he said with an amused grin "Interesting first day at work, isn't it?"
"Yeah, you tell me about it." Issei answered with a chuckle before continuing with a frown "So, what do you think happened there?"
"No idea. This is my first time seeing those beast-type monsters inside these C-rank Gates behaving like that. They normally only roam around, like animals guarding their own territories. Something must have aggregated them." Beowulf answered with a shrug, but he kept glancing back at Issei with a thoughtful expression, which Issei missed as when he turned to him, Beowulf brushed the look away and spoke to him with a smile "Anyway, you did good back there, Issei. You didn't waste any time commanding your shadows to protect our men... that's good instinct. I will be sure to report back to Sirzechs-sama."
"Thanks, Beowulf-san." Issei grinned, feeling a rush of pride at the compliment.
"The Heroes will probably finish the boss soon. Yamamoto has tackled harder Gates before. This should be a piece of cake for him and his men." Beowulf said as he turned back to look at the Gate, gazing at it for a second before he looked at Issei. "What's your opinion?"
"I don't know. Just as you said. This was my first day on the job." Issei said with a chuckle, before nodding his head and continuing with a smile, "But I think the heroes are hella cool."
"Heh, as one myself, you are making me blush, kid. I gotta treat you to some local delicacies for dinner later."
"You know, I have been thinking. Your name is Beowulf... that must be you are the reincarnation of the Germanic Hero Beowulf, right?"
"The one and only."
Issei grinned in response as Beowulf laughed proudly and reached his hand out to pat him on the shoulder.
"The Familiar Forest, you say?"
"Yes, milady." The maid, dressed in a classic, dark blue uniform, bowed her head respectfully to her mistress, the woman who was currently perching elegantly on the windowsill of her bedroom.
Arching an elegant eyebrow, the woman then asked, with a hint of mischief dancing in her voice. "Am I still registered as a recruitable familiar there?"
"I believe so, milady." the maid replied, keeping her gaze lowered, bringing a smile to the woman's lips as she turned her palm upward, conjuring a violent blue flame that erupted from her hand, illuminating the shadows of her dimly lit room. The flames flickered, revealing her striking, gorgeous facial features, with long, pale blue hair that cascaded like silk and dark blue eyes as beautiful as the flame in her hand.
"Well then... it's about time I go and meet the possessor of Boosted Gear again." The woman said, a dangerous edge lacing her words as she played with the blue flame as it danced between her fingers "This one better returns me the treasure Ddraig stole from me. I'm tired of waiting."
Saying that, she closed her palm, snuffing out the flame completely.
Current Stats:
Name: Issei Hyoudou
Race: Reincarnated Devil
Class: Level 34 Dragonsworn / Level 10 Shadow Monarch
HP: 7615 / 7615
MP [Current Attribute: Draconic/Demonic: 2135 / 2135
Title: Shieldbreaker [Add 10% Armor Penetration]
Strength: 160
Vitality: 129
Intelligence: 124
Dexterity: 134
Perception: 114
Charisma: 104
Unique Class Skills: Fire Imbue (LV1), Shadow Extraction (LV1), Shadow Storage (LV1).
Active skills: Doubling (LV2 – Pact Affected), Transfer (LV2 - Pact Affected), Penetrate (LV2 - Pact Affected), Sprint (Max Level), Vital Slash (LV1), Jump (Max Level – Equipment Ability), Observe (LV1), Ruler's Hands (LV1), Phoenix Shift (LV1).
Active spells: Fire balls (LV2 - Fire Dragon Pact Affected), Firewall (LV2 - Fire Dragon Pact Affected), Lightning Strike (LV1), Water Blast (LV1), Earth Shield (LV1), ...
Current Pact [1/4: Y Ddraig Goch (Fire) – Pact LV1.
Current Shadows: 67 / 90
Elite Rank Shadows: Lycaon (Knight), Gladio (Knight).
Items: Boosted Gear (LV4), Abyssal Cloak (LV15), Razan's Blade (LV7), Magitek General's Helmet (LV1), Palace Guard's Boots (LV6), Metal Gauntlets (LV5 – Only one currently in use -Stats Reduced), Kamish's Slumber (LV?), Blessed Random Box (x1)...
Potions: Healing Potions x15, Mana Potions x15, Greater Healing Potions x10, Greater Mana Potions x10, Miracle Potions x3...
Gold: 1,510,420 (G)
Ultimate: Welsh Dragon Balance Breaker – Boosted Gear Crimson Armaments (LV. 1 – Pact Affected)
Sigils: Sigil of the Shadow Commander - Igirs, Sigil of the Shadow Ice Bear - Tank.
Quick notice: The Blessed Random Box will give what Issei wants, while the Cursed Random Box will give Issei what he needs.
End of Chapter 11