(Flashback, somewhere in Underworld)
In a forest of the underworld, a cry of an infant, which was unusual, could be heard among the trees.
"Hey… Come on, Ise. Can you stop crying? For me? At this rate I might gonna cry too, y'know." The sound of a man was heard as the owner was trying to placate what it appeared to be a baby's cry.
That day was truly not the best day for Saitama, who's cradling a crying baby in his arms as he walked through the plantations of the eerie forest. "Seriously, why the hell's this happening again?" Saitama whined in his thought as he looked back at how he ended up at such a bizarre place.
It was supposed to be a nice, peaceful family picnic where Saitama did not have to think about his duties neither as a hero, father or the pillar of the family. Haruka managed to win a family-package vacation ticket to Hokkaido through lottery, and with baby Issei as the recent addition in the family, they decided to spend the rest of the spring vacation together.
The trip went well so far, until the tour program led the family towards the more secluded area of the region for flower viewing. Haruka took the liberty to get some rest in the inn while she told her husband to have some 'bonding moment' with their new-born son. At first, everything had been nice and perfect for Saitama to enjoy the scenery with his son, something that he would have never imagined before he got sucked into a black hole. Then, things went down the hill when Saitama just finished going through some trees, things got blurry for a second, and he suddenly found himself with his son in some god-forsaken forest, which was definitely not Hokkaido or even Japan as far as he could see.
Saitama had found himself plunged into a warzone, eye of the storm, even deep under the earth, but being 'spirited away', as most people would call it, was a whole new experience for the man. Had been used to bizarre situations, Saitama remained calm while he knew that he had to find a way back as soon as possible. Fortunately Issei had been fed earlier, so he would not have to worry about his son getting hungry anytime soon. However, being a baby he was, Issei soon got uncomfortable with the place they were at. Thus, Saitama found himself walking through dark forest, looking for a way back home while trying to stop his son's crying at the same time.
Few minutes later, as if to make matters worse, Saitama suddenly smelled something awful. The man sniffed around the air, and he tracked the awful scent was coming from his crying son's pants, which was now stained with what appeared to be the remains of his lunch from earlier. "Oh, for the love of-! Do you really have to do this to me?!" Saitama whined exasperatedly. Now the man's top priority was not exactly to find a way home, but to find a store that sells fresh diapers.
GRAOOOONG
Of course, the world, if the place could still be called as his current world, decided to spit on Saitama's face one more time. As his son's cry got louder, the man suddenly felt something massive was looming above him. He looked up, and he saw huge flying reptiles on the sky (which was coloured purple for some reasons) descended few feet in front of him. By the looks alone, Saitama could immediately tell that the creatures in front of him was anything but friendly. With pitch-black scales, drools dropping from between their fangs, blood-shot eyes and menacing growl, Saitama only sighed as the group of three black dragons did not waste anytime to lung their massive jaws at him.
"I don't have time for this shit." Saitama cursed in his mind as he decided to suck it and cradle Issei in his one arm, despite the state of his pants. Then, Saitama's free hand, now balled into fist, blurred away as Saitama engaged the dragons.
"Consecutive Normal Punches."
Saitama's barrage of punches immediately obliterated the reptile's bodies as soon as the fist made contact. Saitama simply let out a breath and shook the blood and guts off his fist as the pack's remains dropped lifelessly to the ground. As if felt a bit relieved that the danger had passed, Issei had calmed down a bit, although he was still uncomfortable with his dirty pants.
Soon after, Saitama suddenly felt another presence coming towards him. He turned to the source and saw a massive purple dragon descended from the sky. However, unlike the black one from earlier, Saitama did not sense any hostility from the reptile in front of him.
"I saw what you did…. And here I thought my own eyes are fooling me." A massive dignified voice came from the dragon.
Saitama, with Issei (thankfully his crying had toned down a bit) still in his arms, only stared back into the dragon's eyes. "Are those friends of yours? Do you want to have a go, too?" Saitama asked with neutral tone, but his fist was clenched tight, ready to be unleashed at any moment's notice.
"Hardly. These fellows suddenly went rogue on me and I'm here to deal with them personally. And I owe you an apology, since they were my responsibility, after all." The purple dragon looked at the remains of his former kin. "Ah, let me introduce myself. I'm Tannin."
"Saitama. Nice to meet you." The man returned the courtesy.
Suddenly Tannin's furrowed his eyes slightly as he sensed something in the air. "What is that smell?"
Saitama scratched his cheek awkwardly as he glanced at his son, who was about to cry again. "Well, sorry about this…" Saitama showed his son, resulting a look of understanding from the dragon. "Anyway, can I ask you a favour? I'm… kind of lost here, you see. So maybe you can show me around?" Saitama was not really sure how to explain his current situation.
"Hmm… It is indeed strange to see a… human like you wandering in the underworld to begin with." Tannin was a bit doubtful to see Saitama as a 'human'. "But let's talk somewhere else. After all, this place is-" Then Tannin turned his head as he sensed another incoming presence. "Ah, she's here."
"She?" Saitama turned towards Tannin's direction and saw another massive dragon, this time with blue scales, flew towards them.
The blue dragon landed and it addressed Tannin first. "Well, well… What business do you have in one of my territories, Tannin?"
"Tiamat." Tannin nodded at the newcomer. "Sorry for intruding, but few of my men went rogue and caused troubles around the area. I'm here to dispatch them." The purple dragon explained. "And I assume you're here to take care of the intruders?"
Tiamat snorted at the question. "Indeed, I was. This is part of my territory, after all. But it seems that things had taken care of by… This particular fellow." The blue dragon turned her gaze at Saitama, who was cradling a baby in his arms. Strangely enough, Tiamat got unpleasant vibes from the baby for some reasons.
While dragons are prideful beings due to their overwhelming strength and power, they still have respect for those who are worthy, regardless of race. Not to mention for Tannin, who had warrior-like personality, he would never deny Saitama's strength, despite being a human. Especially after the dragon had seen what the man could do with his own reptilian eyes.
"Can you see that, Tannin? His overwhelming aura… Wait, what is that smell?" Tiamat's eyes furrowed slightly as she sniffed around the air.
Saitama then raised his voice. "Yeah, I know, I know. Look, it's nice knowing you two, I'm sorry if the smell from my son's pants is getting on your nerves, 'cause it's getting on mine too, but can we go back on track? I really need to go back to Japan and get a set of new diapers here!" Then Issei began to cry out loud, as if to emphasize his father's point.
The dragons only sweat-dropped at the spectacle.
(End of Flashback)
Back at the Gremory residence, it had been few minutes after Issei had taken off somewhere by the former dragon king Tannin. As the others were donning worried looks at the direction where Issei had gone to, Asia and Xenovia had no idea what was going on. The former then turned to her master. "Um, buchou-san… Where is Ise-san going to, exactly?"
Rias grimaced slightly at the thought of Issei's training venue. "We call that place as Forbidden Forest, the deepest and most secluded part of the Forest of Familiars. That place has been deemed as extremely dangerous because that place is the habitat of the most fearsome creatures and monsters of olds that cannot be tamed into familiars."
The two former church members widened their eyes in worry at the revelation. "Monsters of old? How strong are they?" Xenovia asked.
"Well, they can give even an ultimate-class devil a run for their money…"
"Then, that's too dangerous even for Ise!" Xenovia then shot a look towards Azazel, who had already gone elsewhere.
"I know. So far only ultimate-class devils are allowed to venture inside the forbidden forest. Let's just hope that those two can make it for the next 20 days. Have faith in them." Rias said as she closed her eyes in resignation.
Meanwhile, in the forbidden forest, noises could be heard from the centre part of the forbidden zone.
"You fucking baldy! Go get a job or something!" Issei screamed as he struggled.
"Hey, come on, now… I am sort of on a job from Azazel here. I just can't leave after I came all the way here to watch over your training." Saitama replied as he ate another piece of marshmellow.
"Well, too bad! I don't want to learn from you! At least I want another teacher!" Issei struggled even harder since his father was sitting on his body. "Forget that, stop eating them while you're sitting on someone! Your body's already heavy as it is!"
"Well, it's because you ran away." Saitama plopped another of the sugary white snack into his mouth.
"Argh, shit! Fine, I get it! Just get off me already!"
Saitama glanced at his son for a second and stood up. "Sheesh, what a noisy son I have…"
"Sucker!" However, Issei immediately got on his feet and dashed off towards the trees.
Saitama only sighed, and when Issei was only halfway on his way, suddenly Saitama had already gotten a drop on him already. The older man suddenly appeared in front of his son, causing the latter to suddenly skid to a stop, and Saitama only lightly knocked his son's head, at least what it seemed to other people.
BLAR!
"Buegh!?" And Issei's body was suddenly forced to be buried underground from the impact.
"Come on… Just give it up, kid…" Saitama said, his smoking fist still raised.
Issei, with only his shoulder-to-head popping out from the ground, grunted in pain as he remained stubborn. "Ugh…. No, no way in hell… Not one bit, go eat shit..."
Saitama sighed yet again, until when Issei got himself out from the burrow, his left hand started to glow again. [You should just listen to him, partner]
"Ddraig!? I thought you're asleep?" Issei, still on his fours, shocked from hearing the dragon's voice.
[With all your yapping from earlier? Of course not.] Ddraig scoffed. [Anyway, how long are you gonna keep this up?]
Issei only looked down, as his head began to cool down. [I hate to say this, but even I and Albion during our prime might still going to lose against your father, and with my sealed state inside your body? You need to suck it up and make do with this guy. Or else you won't get anywhere.] Saitama inwardly nodded in agreement.
Issei then went silent for few minutes, then he let out a breath as he stood up and dusted himself off before he turned back to his father. "Fine. But it's not I'm gonna submit myself to you so easily…" Then Issei bowed his head slightly. "I'll definitely surpass you. So let's do this, old man."
Ddraig smirked at his host's resolve before he simply continued his slumber. Saitama's lips twitched upwards as he saw the fire in his son's eyes. "Good."
Then Saitama suddenly turned his heels around and walk away. "Wait, what are we doing now? And where are you going? I still have-!"
"For now, I'm just gonna leave you here." Saitama interrupted as he picked up the rest of his marshmellow that he dropped from chasing Issei earlier. "Just stay alive for the next couple of days. I'll check on you again once I come up with your training program, got it?" Then Saitama stopped at the edge of the clearing to look at his son one last time. "Oh, I'll just leave the fire there so you can use it. And you see the bag over there?" Saitama then pointed at a small bag that was laid next to the fire. "Azazel said it's a medical kit for you to use for emergency. Good luck!"
Issei only remained stupefied as he stared his father disappeared into the mass of trees. The wind blew, and his eyes then twitched in his growing irritation. He made a strangling gesture with his hands as he mumbled something about promising pain. "You just left me here alone after that talk of teaching me… Okay, so you want me to survive in this shithole? Fine. By the end of this training, that cue ball will be in for surprise…." Issei then chuckled before he finally snapped out of his reverie. He walked to the bonfire and arrived at the bag that Saitama left for him. The boy took a look at the contents, only to see bandages, disinfectant, other tools for first aid, and several familiar-looking vials. "Phoenix Tears…?" Issei recognized the vials from the rating game with Phenex. "I guess this will do, let's go find something to eat first…" Issei mumbled to himself as he swung the small bag over his shoulder and began to move somewhere else.
However, when Issei just moved for few steps, he suddenly felt a chill ran down on his spine. His senses told him that something was stalking him. The boy looked around cautiously and he just turned back in time to see a giant shadow lunged towards him. That afternoon in the underworld, an inhuman howl, followed by a human cry, were heard from inside of the Forbidden Forest as the birds within vicinity flew away from the voice.
(Scene Break)
At the estate where Azazel stayed, the fallen angel governor had just returned from visiting the participants of the upcoming Rating Game when he spotted Saitama.
"Yo, Saitama! You already done for today?" Azazel greeted casually as he strode towards the man.
However, when Saitama saw Azazel approaching him, his eyes narrowed and he suddenly knocked on Azazel's head as soon as the latter was within the range. Causing the fallen angel's body caved the ground beneath.
BLAAR!
Azazel groaned as smoke came out from his head. "Ugh…. What the hell was that for?" Azazel attempted to get his body out from the crater, but his own head was killing him.
"Care to explain, Azazel?" Saitama asked with annoyance and irritation written all over his face. "I was supposed to enjoy summer with my wife when you suddenly popped out of nowhere and warped me into some god-forsaken forest, and left me with a bonfire, a small bag of first-aid kit, a pack of marshmallow and an E-mail that asked me to supervise Ise's summer training camp?"
"Now, now, no need to get upset here…" Azazel finally got back to his feet. "Don't you think you're the most suitable to make your son stronger?"
"What do I do when I got back? Do you know how furious Haruka was when I called her earlier? And who's gonna help her looking after our newly giant-ass house while I'm away?" Saitama pressed on as his figure somehow shadowing over Azazel's.
"Like I said, no worries. If you're worried about your new house, I've already sent an extra-hand to help. Rest assured, she's completely reliable." Azazel said as he rubbed the sore spot on his head.
"'She'? Who-" Saitama's further enquiry was interrupted by another newcomer.
"Azazel, Saitama-kun." The aforementioned two then turned their heads to see a middle-aged, gruff-looking man with black hair, matching beard and a muscular body, with 10 black wings walking towards them. "I don't know that you're coming to the underworld, Saitama-kun."
"Ah, Baraqiel." Saitama greeted back. "Well, it's thanks to this guy…. You know what I mean." The bald man pointed his thumb sarcastically at Azazel, who only showed a smug smirk in return.
"I see… So you're training your son?" the fallen angel Baraqiel enquired further.
"Yeah. Might as well to see this through." Saitama sighed as he rubbed his head with a hint of resignation in his tone. "By the way, are you here for…?"
"Yes. I'm in charge of my daughter's training. It's Azazel's orders too, after all."
"I see. How's your day going, then?"
Baraqiel sighed before replying. "…At least Akeno is now willing to use her fallen angel power… And how about yours, Saitama-kun?"
"For now, I just left him to familiarize himself with his training ground, err… What's that called again, Azazel?" Saitama turned to Azazel.
"It's the Forbidden Forest."
Baraqiel's eyebrows raised up at the name. "That place? I know your son is the Red Dragon Emperor, but are you sure leaving him alone there?"
"No need to worry about it. Nothing in that forest is strong enough to kill him. The kid will live." Azazel waved off. "Besides, even without Saitama there, the environment and habitants of that place are more than enough to keep him preoccupied with work."
"Yeah, my son is a tough nut to crack, after all." Saitama voiced his agreement. "Anyway, what do you say about grabbing a bite? It's on him." Saitama pointed at Azazel, who blinked in surprise.
"Wait, why me?"
"Because I want compensation for dragging me all the way here without notice. Come on, why don't you act like a good leader for once. Right, Baraqiel?"
Baraqiel only smiled and nodded in agreement.
"I hate when you guys are ganging up on me…" Azazel grumbled. "Tch, fine. I plan to go with devil kings, anyway. I guess you can tag along."
Saitama then followed Azazel along with Baraqiel who sighed in amusement. Then, Saitama remembered something. "Wait, does it mean that Serafall's gonna be there, too?"
Days went by, and on the fifth day, Azazel teleported himself to the clearing where Issei's campsite was supposed to be. When Azazel set foot on the clearing, the man found the boy was sitting in front of a bonfire, with several large skeletons and bones littering around. The boy himself, clad in tattered and torn jerseys, with bandages wrapped around his limbs, knuckles and one pressed on his cheek, was doing a squat while the bonfire was roasting a large chunk of meat. What meat it was, Azazel could only guess by looking around.
"'Sup, Ise. How's it going?"
When the boy noticed Azazel's presence, he stopped his exercise and he walked approaching the unsuspecting fallen angel.
BAM!
Then, much to Azazel's surprise, Issei suddenly punched his cheek and the fallen angel was knocked back to the unforgiving ground. "Ouch…." Azazel tried to get back on his feet while massaging his swollen cheek. "What the hell was that for?" At the same time, the fallen angel also felt a sense of déjà vu.
"Care to explain, Azazel-sensei?" Issei asked with bags under his eyes, presumably from lack of sleep, as he grabbed Azazel's collar and pulled his face close. "Why did you have to pick my old man, of all people, to be my mentor? And did you know that he actually just left me here on my own device?"
"Now, now, I think it should be obvious that-…" Azazel's attempt to explain was interrupted yet again by Issei.
"And who's gonna help my mom taking care of that newly big-ass house of mine while he's here?" Issei pressed on as he shook Azazel's body by his collar.
Azazel only rolled his eyes at Issei's agitation. "Sheesh, truly like father like son." Then the fallen angel held up his hands. "Alright, alright. I get that you're pissed and all, but I give you my word that everything is under control. So let's just focus on getting stronger, okay? By the way, I brought some lunch made by Rias here, wanna have a taste or not?" Azazel raised a lunchbox wrapped in cloth. Issei stared at the lunchbox for a moment before he quickly snatched it away and proceeded to the seat near the fire.
The boy opened the lunchbox and found some rice-balls with oolong tea in the thermos. He took a bite, and one would see his eyes sparkled. "Whoa, this is good!" Issei's expression brightened up as he kept eating the rest of the meal.
Azazel chuckled at Issei's reaction as he proceeded to take a seat for himself. "Glad that you like it. Not only Rias, Akeno also contributed during her spare time to make those. Man, could've sworn that the kitchen turned into a warzone that day."
Issei only hummed while sweat-dropped at the image of the girls fighting each other at the prospect of making him lunch. But shrugged it off in the end. Then Azazel spoke again as he scanned his eyes on Issei's body. "Hmm… I see that you have improved over these few days. Your reserves had increased compared the last time… How's this place been treating you? The place that had been deemed as one of the most dangerous places that the underworld has to offer?"
"Well, as you can see." Issei only smiled dryly as he showed his bandaged limbs. "The inhabitants in this place were really welcoming when I arrived at this place." Issei said with obvious sarcasm in his explanation.
"I can see that, indeed." Azazel nodded. "How much of the supplies do you have left?"
"Probably still more than a half. There's still the Phoenix Tears, so I don't need to worry much about injury as long as I can keep them safe with me."
"How many Phoenix Tears have you used over this past five days?" Azazel enquired further.
"Um… Just one. I had to use it after some of demonic-looking elephant managed to break couple of my bones on the other day." The boy shrugged.
"Hmm…. That's not a bad start, I guess." Azazel nodded. "Just make sure to use those tears wisely. It cost me quite a fortune to prepare those tears to keep you alive for the entire training. I'll make sure to have Saitama bringing more supplies by the time he's coming back here."
Issei swallowed his food. "Thanks, and uh… May I know how much each of this vial cost you?"
Azazel pursed his lips for a second. "You… probably don't need to know. But anyway, let's change the topic..." Azazel paused for a moment. "… Ise, how do you think of Akeno?"
Issei blinked at the question before replying. "Hmm… I think she's a good senior." The boy nodded in conviction.
Azazel shook his head again. "No, no. I mean, as a woman."
"Oh…" Issei blinked again before he let out a soft hum. "Well… She's attractive, and I… sort of like her…. Err, I believe she's a very good person…?" Issei was flustered as the boy became unsure himself how to answer Azazel's question.
The said fallen angel eyed the boy sceptically before he shrugged. "Well, I guess that will do. You see, I have to watch over her in place of a friend of mine."
"You mean, Akeno-san's father, Baraqiel?" Issei raised his eyebrows.
"Yeah. The very one." Azazel closed his eyes in reminiscence. "He's one of my oldest comrades besides Shemhazai, ever since my downfall from the Heaven ancients ago." Then Azazel slowly opened his eyes again. "We did a lot of stupid things together while laughing our asses off. And when I realized, everybody but me had made their own family, wives, kids and all."
"No offence, but I thought at least you also have someone… Sorry again, I even could imagine that one day, a little boy or a girl suddenly knocked on your door and claimed themselves as your children or something."
Azazel laughed lightly at that. "Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised at that notion. After all, I have histories with lots of women." Then Azazel snapped out from his reverie. "Anyway, I'm very concerned about Akeno. Though, to Baraqiel and Akeno, it may be none of my business."
Issei remained silent for a second before a small smile crept up on his face. "You know what, sensei? You might be nosy, but you're unexpectedly a nice person."
"What do you mean by 'unexpectedly'? That's kind of rude, y'know?" Azazel retorted rather playfully. "But thanks, anyway. I'll leave Akeno in your care."
"…Yeah, sure." Issei replied, while failed to catch the real meaning behind Azazel's words. "Speaking of Akeno-san… How are the others doing?"
"The others are doing well so far…" Then Azazel's expression became grim. "But there's a problem with Koneko."
"What's wrong with Koneko-chan?" Issei asked, not liking the way the conversation was heading.
"She overdid the training I gave her. And she just collapsed this morning."
"Wait, wha-!?" Then Issei shook his head a bit to clear his mind for better concerns to ask about. "How's she doing now?"
"Well… No visible injuries, but she's basically almost exhausted herself to death. Even Asia's Twilight Healing can't do much about something that was caused by overworking. Koneko is still resting right now." Azazel explained before asking again. "Do you want to check up on her?" Seeing a nod from the boy, Azazel stood up. "Good, because I'm also here by someone's request to take you back just this once, come on."
"Wait, on whose orders?" Issei asked as he stood up, preparing himself to go back.
"Rias' mother, Venelana Gremory." Then both men disappeared as Azazel teleported themselves away.
The sound of footsteps and music were heard from the annex that was detached from the Gremory clan's main residence.
"Yes, turn there. Good…. No, no, Issei-san. You need to match your steps with your partner after the turn. Your movements looked awkward now." Venelana Gremory instructed as she and Issei (with a new set of clothes) were glued to each other and danced across the floor.
"Ah, sorry. Can we try again?" The woman nodded at Issei's request and the two began dancing again. As soon as Issei arrived at the annex with Azazel, Venelana immediately led Issei to have a dancing lesson.
The two began followed the rhythm of the music as they took the steps, and Venelana's smile grew in approval. "Yes, now that's better. Keep it up!"
The two finally stopped dancing as the music stopped playing as well. "Now, shall we take a short break?"
After Venelana gave her permission for Issei to take a rest, the boy took a seat on the chair and let out a breath. The dancing lesson for Issei was tiring in its own right, but the boy believed that what he was doing at the moment was better than being chased around by hideous creatures wanting to eat him.
"I must admit, Issei-san… I'm impressed that you managed to survive living in the Forbidden Forest. As expected from Saitama's son." Venelana voiced her opinion as she scanned on Issei's bandaged limbs. "Shall I call our healer to take a look at your wounds?"
"No, thank you, ma'am." Issei refused politely as he was flattered by Venelana's praise. "There's no need to worry. These injuries will heal in another day or two."
Venelana nodded in consent, Issei then took a sip of his drink as the two fell into another comfortable silence.
"Excuse me, Venelana-sama…" Issei then wanted to ask a question.
"Yes, what is it?"
"Why am I doing this dancing practice? Not that I mind, but did Kiba and Gasper also receive this sort of lesson?"
Venelana nodded at Issei's question. "Kiba Yuuto-san has already mastered these sorts of techniques, as expected of a Knight. Gasper-san is a member of a distinguished vampire family. He may behave unreliably, but he at least knows etiquette. The problem is Issei-san. It can't be helped that you're a commoner from the human world, but even so it's troubling if you don't acquire etiquette beyond a certain level. Because you'll also have to make an appearance with Rias in high society eventually, you have to remember customary practices even a little during your stay in the Underworld."
Issei blinked as he processed Venelana's reasoning for a second. "W-wait, what do you mean by I have to make an appearance with Rias-sama in high society eventually?"
At Issei's shock, Venelana shifted her gaze to the side and she hid her smile with one of her hands. "…Oops, I carelessly let something slip out. That kind of thing is still talk of possibilities. Leaving that aside, I see that you addressed your master by her name just now."
Issei's eyes widened slightly and his face became flustered. "Oh, ah, err… Sorry. Should I address her differently?"
"No need to be nervous, Issei-san…" Venelana's smile grew wider slightly. "In fact, you should address her that way since this place isn't school. Since, Rias is… Oops, I almost let something slip up again."
Issei's eyebrows furrowed at Venelana's 'slip-up', but he decided to ignore it. "I see…. I understand."
"Yes, and you can also address her as 'master'. Though… I think you should address her differently in private as well."
"U-uh… Differently, like… By her name, for example…?" Issei replied un-assuredly.
Suddenly, Venelana's eyes glittered in excitement. "Yes! That's right! You should call Rias by her name!"
"B-but isn't that rude? After all, I'm just her servant, her Pawn." Issei reasoned back.
"Have you forgotten that you're a part of Gremory clan? We treat our servants like a family. Everything else is just a part of formality, nothing more. Though…" Venelana paused as her excitement faded. "Perhaps it would be good if you take it slow and easy, otherwise Rias would bewildered if you did that suddenly. But please tell me, Issei-san…" Venelana's expression went serious. "Do you dislike Rias?"
Issei's eyes shot up at the question. "Of course not! She's a wonderful woman! There's no way I could hate her!" then Issei realized his outburst and his face blushed. "S-sorry for raising my voice."
Venelana only giggled as she saw Issei bowing his head down. "Fufufufu… It's fine. This means I can rest easy for now…"
Issei only raised his eyebrows as he was completely lost. Then the boy remembered the other reason why he returned to the estate. "Um, Venelana-sama, can I ask another question?"
"Yes?"
"Koneko-chan… Is she alright?"
"…Yes. It was just ordinary overworking, so she should recover slowly if she rests her body for one or two days."
"I see…" Issei turned to the ground, his eyes looked rather solemn. "I… I'm very worried about Koneko-chan. She's been acting weird since we got here…"
"That girl is doing her best to face her own existence and power right now. It's a difficult problem. However, she won't be able to advance forward if she doesn't find the answer herself." Venelana replied with more or less the same solemn tone.
"Her existence and power?" Issei became more curious with more questions popped up in his mind.
"…Now that I think of it, you haven't been part of Rias' group for long. I guess it's only natural that you don't know. Very well, I'll tell you a little."
Thus Venelana began her story about two cat sisters. Being orphaned since childhood, the two sisters were inseparable as they did everything together. They played together, they ate together, and they slept together. Having no home to return to and no one to rely on, the two cats struggled to live day to day while depending on each other.
One day, the two sisters were scouted by a certain high-class devil and the elder sister was reincarnated into the group as a Bishop. The elder sister was given the privilege to bring her little sister as well so the two could remain together. Having finally obtained a decent life, the two of them believed that they could pass time happily.
However, those happy times began to end as the elder cat sister appeared to achieve a rapid growth after gaining power. The elder sister's talent began to overflow by becoming a reincarnated devil. Apparently, the cat sisters were of a species that naturally excels in Youjutsu (Black Magic/Arts). Furthermore, she also bloomed in magic talent, and even invoked Senjutsu (Sage Arts) that was said only the last of the Sennin (Mountain Sage) could use.
Issei had started to connect the dots as his mind felt even concerned when the story took a darker turn where the elder cat sister, having surpassed her master in a short time, was swallowed by power and was transformed into a wicked existence that only sought blood and battle. She killed her master, became a stray devil and managed to kill all her pursuers during her escape, thus the elder cat sister became one of the Underworld's most wanted.
Issei clenched his fist when he found that the little cat sister, who remained behind, was deemed as a liability by other high-class devils. To make matters worse, the devils chose to sentence the little sister to death in hope of preventing the little sister from going rogue like the elder sister did. When the little sister was at the brink of collapse and despair due to betrayal by her sister, torture and interrogation by the devils, Sirzechs Lucifer came and saved the little cat sister from execution. Fortunately, after Sirzechs left the little cat sister under the care of Rias Gremory, the cat recovered her emotions little by little. As the time went by, Rias gave the cat a name – Koneko.
Part of Issei was angered by what Koneko had been through, another part of him was relieved that Koneko managed to avoid the cruel fate thanks to his master. Issei also finally realized that Koneko was originally a youkai Nekomata, as well as the only survivor of the strongest sub-species of Nekomata, a Nekoshou.
(Scene Break)
After Issei finished his dancing lesson with Venelana, he moved to the main residence to check on Koneko. And as soon as the boy arrived inside the building, he was welcomed by his master, Rias Gremory.
"Ah, buchou."
"Ise!" Rias turned and immediately ran to embrace Issei into a hug. "Are you okay? I heard that you're sent into the Forbidden Forest. I was so worried! If… If anything were to happen to you, I… I…!" Rias eyes started to get teary when she spotted Issei's bandage on his person.
The boy blinked few times at the sudden contact, but slowly, Issei moved his arms to return the embrace as his expression softened. "It's… It's okay, buchou. I'm fine, and I'll make it through this summer training."
Looking at her pawn's face, Rias felt a great relief as she buried her face into Issei's shoulder. "…Ise's smell…." Rias muttered as she felt everything she could sense from her pawn – his scent, his muscle, his body heat.
"Err… Sorry, I've been sweating a lot, after all…" Issei replied sheepishly.
"It's fine…" Rias replied softly. "It's not that I don't like your smell… I was lonely, you know? I haven't been able to sleep with you ever since we arrived here, and I wasn't able to feel you like this every day either…Since, I can no longer imagine a life without you…What a pitiful master I am..."
"Come on, now…" Issei smiled to comfort his master. "It can't be that bad. At least just try to hold it until the training is over, okay? I'll see what I can do to make it up."
"Then I'll take your word for it." Rias said playfully. "By the way, is it true? Saitama-san is in charge of your training? Because I ran to him earlier today." Rias' expression became concerned.
"Unfortunately, yes…" Issei sighed. "But I guess I can use this as an opportunity to get few answers from him… But more importantly, how's Koneko-chan?"
"Well… She's still resting now. Actually, it was Saitama-san who found her first and brought her for recovery. He also watched over her until I and Akeno arrived." Rias smiled.
"I see… So that old man helped her…" Issei took in the information as the corner of his lips twitched upward. "Where's he now? Is he still with Koneko-chan?"
"No, not long after Akeno and I arrived to take over, Saitama's already gone somewhere else. Saying something about making a training program or something. Is he really taking his job?" Rias asked sceptically.
"Only one way to find out, right?" Issei shrugged. "I'm willing to bet on this chance to get stronger."
"That side of yours is one of things I like about you." Rias commented. "Anyway, would you like to see Koneko? I think she should've been awake by now." at Issei's nod, Rias beckoned him to follow her.
(Scene Break)
Rias led Issei to the room where Koneko was resting in, and the latter was permitted to go inside the room alone. Knocking on the door couple of times, Issei then letting himself in after hearing the voice from beyond the door. When the boy came in, he found Akeno was sitting by the bed, with Koneko laid on top of it. Her position was seated, but the most noticeable feature for Issei to see was a pair of cat ears jutting out on Koneko's head. In other situation, Issei might find it cute. In fact, it could be said that Koneko was too exhausted to hide her true form alone.
"Ise-kun… This is-…" Akeno tried to explain the situation, but Issei immediately cut her off.
"It's okay, Akeno-san. I've heard the general story." Then Issei proceeded to stand by the side of the bed and took a quick glance at Koneko. Relieved that there were no visible injuries whatsoever, Issei then asked with a smile on his face. "Hey, how are you doing?"
However, Koneko only muttered with sullen tone and half-opened eyes. "…What did you come here for?"
Issei could feel Koneko's anger from the response alone. Nonetheless, he continued as he kneeled down beside her to level his eyes with hers. "Would it be okay if I said that I come here because I'm worried about you?"
Koneko kept acting sullen, but she did not reply. Issei took it as a signal to continue. "I… Heard about it. The story. But still, overworking yourself is no good. You should take care of your body." Despite the words, Issei was inwardly berating himself for not able to come up with something better to say.
"…I want to…"
Failed to catch what Koneko just said, Issei jerked his head slightly closer to the girl. "Hm? What is it?"
"I want to become strong. Like Yuuto-senpai, Xenovia-senpai, Akeno-san…and also Ise-senpai, I want to make my spirit and body strong. Gya-kun is also becoming strong. I don't have a healing power like Asia-senpai either…At this rate, I'll become useless. Even though I'm a Rook, I'm the…weakest…I hate being useless…" Koneko said as tears were welling up on her eyes.
"Koneko-chan…." Issei's words were cut off by the tears which finally fell from Koneko's eyes.
"…But, I don't want to use the power sleeping inside me…my Nekomata power…If I use it, I…just like my Nee-sama…I don't want that…I absolutely don't want such a thing…"
As Issei saw Koneko cried for the first time, a part of him got angry again as he recalled the story where Koneko's elder sister got swallowed by her own power and caused so much grief to the white-haired girl. He clenched his fist to calm his emotion down and he closed his eyes.
"…Power corrupts. No matter what kind of power that is." Akeno and Koneko blinked and stared at Issei, who said those words.
The boy only smiled bitterly. "It was what Ddraig once told me, not long after I awakened Boosted Gear for the first time. I heard that lots of my predecessors got drunk from the power of the Heavenly Dragon, and they went on mindless rampage, destroying everything around them, friends and foes alike, until they lost everything precious to them in the process." The two girls in the room stared wide-eyed at the revelation as Issei went on. "It terrified me, to the point that I got nightmares for a while. It was a lot of work to keep my mom from getting worried and keep my self in check…. But soon, I learned that… The only thing for me to avoid getting swallowed whole… was to master this power. It's not easy… It could never be that easy. But…" Issei paused, remembering what he went through until the point where he was. "I was just fortunate that I got time on my hands, I got Ddraig guiding me along the way, and most of all… I got friends for me to protect. That's why I tell myself that I need to master this power and become stronger if I want to protect those that are dear to me."
At Issei's words, Koneko remained silent as she processed everything in her mind. Then, a hand was placed on Issei's shoulder, causing him to turn and found the hand on his shoulder belonged to Akeno. The girl only shook her head when their eyes met.
"Ise-kun, please leave the rest to us."
Issei looked down for a second before he nodded. "…Okay."
When the boy was about to leave the room, he turned his head to look at Akeno and Koneko one more time. "…Buchou once told me that she will help me whenever I lose my way. So…" Issei scratched his head before continuing. "I don't know if I have the right to say this, but… I promise that I'll be there for you if you ever lost your path. Please have more faith in yourself and in those around you."
Then Issei finally left the room with Akeno and Koneko thinking about his words. After the door was shut, Issei took a deep breath, and he smacked his face with both of his hands as he prepared himself to return to his survival training, as well as anticipating what Saitama had in store for him.
When Issei returned to his training grounds, the gruelling fight/training for survival began again. Not long after the boy returned to his campsite, monsters and other inhabitants of the forest returned their onslaught with vengeance. Having his Boosted Gear sealed only made things more difficult for him, since he could only rely on his touki and physical strength alone, no boost, no Balance Breaker.
The creatures that attacked Issei during his stay took various forms. Most of them looked more or less like animals from the human world, but with much larger size and somewhat more deformed and demonic appearance. There were also those that resembled dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures, but the numbers were much less than the rest of inhabitants.
For Issei, these monsters were not only strong, some of them were even smart enough to learn whenever their assaults failed and retreated, only to come up with somewhat better plan to kill the boy during their next strike. One time, a giant ape with fiery fur would bring its pack and tried to steal Issei's bag instead of killing the boy himself, as if those creatures attempted to weaken the boy and prevented him from recovering from his injuries. And these giant monstrous-looking apes were the most stubborn and the most frequent ones to attack Issei.
It was the seventh night of the training, and much to Issei's predicament, the boy was standing with his fist raised against what appeared to be a pack of the giant apes. His body was again littered with bruises, scratches and other injuries, a streak of blood was flowing from his temple, his newly fresh clothes from Gremory main residence was already torn and tattered again, and his breath was heavy. And to make matters worse, he lost his supplies of first aid and Phoenix Tears in the middle of the fight, making Issei no longer had any means to recover if he got injured too badly.
However, the boy did not let his enemies to have it any easier either. Some of the monsters that are still standing were already on their last legs, many of their brethren had already fallen around Issei's figure. The one monster whose size was several times bigger than the others, presumably the leader, was still standing tall as it let out another roar of command for its underling to attack Issei once again.
GRAAAAAAAHHH!
The group of primates lounged towards the boy, and the latter immediately sprung into action as well. As Issei evaded each strike that the monsters threw to knock the boy out, Issei immediately aimed towards the nearest enemy and slammed his fist right to its skull. The impact was enough to crack the bones and the targeted monster fell to the ground with the blood leaking from its head. The boy ducked and managed to avoid another swing from behind, and Issei retaliated with an uppercut, sending the monster to fly away with a sickening crunch after his fist made contact. Much to Issei's surprise, these creatures had been moving and attacking in a formation to catch the boy off-guard, as well as weakening him through fatigue and blood loss from his earlier clashes.
ROAAARRGGH!
Suddenly, three monsters roared and sprung up and slammed their hands at once on top of Issei, who bent his knees as he blocked the strike just in the nick of time and caused the ground beneath him to cave in from the sheer impact.
"Uuuurgh…!" Issei gritted his teeth as he felt that the bone of his arms cracked from the pressure, and the muscle on his legs ached from the strain. Bracing himself, the boy then swiped the three attackers' feet in one go and when the monsters lost their balances, with a defiant roar of his own, Issei immediately threw a round-house punch on the monster's belly, sending them flying to a distance.
RAAAAARGH!
However, not giving Issei a chance to even breath, the leader of the monster was already in front of the boy with its fist ready to be launched. Finding his position was not ideal to launch a counter-attack, Issei gritted his teeth as he embraced himself for the incoming attack.
CRASH!
Suddenly, a figure with bald head and a large bag-pack suddenly jumped out from the trees and the body of the Alpha monster suddenly blasted into smithereens when the man's fist made a contact with its own fist. The remaining beasts were seemed baffled at the spectacle and soon they quickly ran away after they realized that they had lost their leader.
The bald man landed on the ground, and Issei relaxed his stance to regain his breathing as he recognized the newcomer. After making sure that there were no more hostiles, Saitama put his bag down and he turned to his son. "'Sup, Ise. How are you feeling?"
"Just so you know, I had everything under control." Issei replied as he was still trying to regain his breathing.
"Sure you did, sure you did…" Saitama nodded as he turned away to rummage through his bag. Then he took out a first-aid box and he approached his son. "Okay, I'm no expert in treating injuries, but let's get you back in shape. Otherwise I can't start with your training."
Issei wanted to refuse, but he knew better than having his injuries remained untreated. Thus the boy only let out a breath and took a seat as Saitama clumsily tried to heal his son's wounds.
"Ouch, ouch! It stings! You really suck at this, don't you!?" Issei complained when Saitama applied alcohol too much on his bleeding.
"Shut up! I told you I never did this before!" Saitama shot back as he tried to clean Issei's wound.
"Ugh, give me that! I'll do this myself!" Issei attempted to snatch the bandages from Saitama.
"No, no! I got this, I got this!"
"Ouch! Watch it! Are you trying to kill me!?"
The rest of that night was spent with father and son quarrelling to each other over injuries.
(Scene Break)
The next morning, Saitama and Issei (clad in a new set of jersey pants and white T-shirt from his father) were standing next to each other with a radio placed behind them. Music was being played from the device and Saitama, holding a microphone, put up a stance and Issei followed suit.
As the music played out, Saitama started to sing while his expression remain plain as usual.
"Hey, you guys! Did you brush your teeth?! It's your Saitama-san!"
Then the two men began moving their hands following the beat from the radio.
"We gotta make this training fun! So everyone, come with me and let's release power!"
The two began to dance their bodies following the rhythm as the music played on.
"Hey! Hey! 1, 2, 3, 4! You keep on growing until you die! Yeah!"
Issei's eyes began to twitch as their movements started to involve some punching.
"Okay, kids! The next part of the training is: Stretch your fist forward and break the front teeth of the enemy!"
Issei's eyes twitched more as Saitama kept singing the instructions.
"You're getting good, kids! You're getting the hang of this! The next part is finally-…!"
"LIKE HELL IT IS!" Issei interrupted his father by a kick in the butt, causing Saitama to trip from loosing balance.
"What are you doing, member Ise?!" Saitama asked while kept holding on his microphone, as if the session had not ended yet. The radio was still playing.
"Shut up! Just what part of this shit is training?! I'm not trying to diet here!" Issei yelled back.
"Diet? Come on, that's rude! This training program is the fruit of my thinking for a whole week straight, plus what I thought of just a while ago."
"So, you made it on a spur of a moment, after all!?"
"Ise." Saitama's expression turned serious. "You said you wanted to do this. So quit your whining and decide. Are you gonna do this? Or not?"
Issei flinched and furrowed his eyebrows in frustration. Mulling over his decision and the pros and cons of the entire thing, Issei finally made up his mind, albeit a bit begrudgingly. "Fuck, I got it! I'll do this! I'll do this, you hear!?"
Satisfied at his son's answer, Saitama carried on with his microphone. "Alright! Then, the next exercise is from stomach to breast…"
"You just called this an exercise!" Issei retorted echoed among the trees.
Much to Issei's chagrin, the exercise went on for another two hours before the two proceeded to do 100 push-ups. "Seriously, was that exercise really necessary?" Issei asked between push-ups.
"Of course, it is. Warm-up and good exercise are essentials for a healthy body." Saitama replied nonchalantly, as if it was a matter of fact. The man was doing his push-ups as well.
Then the two moved on to 100 sit-ups. "Did Sairaorg also receive this kind of training?" Issei then asked between sit-ups.
"…Well, probably." Saitama replied. "I only gave him some instructions, some tips and he started off by himself. He's just that kind of guy who'll get stronger if we let him doing it alone."
Then Issei asked again during 100 squats. "Did you also do this kind of training?"
"Why, yes." Saitama replied confidently. "In fact, I managed to achieve my current strength after doing this for 3 years during my younger days."
"Are you fucking with me?!" Issei could not believe his father's testimony. "I trained my ass off for over 7 years and I'm still weaker than you!"
"Don't put your boxers in a bunch so soon, kid." Saitama retorted. "Every person has different case. Perhaps your case only takes longer than mine. In any case, I just know that you'll become really strong one day, just like me."
Issei took in the information for a second. "Just like you…" Then his eyes widened. "So I'm gonna be bald?!"
Saitama made incredulous expression at Issei's conclusion. "Wha-? No! Sheesh, what's so bad about being bald, anyway?!"
"I don't know! Can you imagine myself being bald like you?!" Issei shot back.
"Oh, quit your bitching already!" Saitama then proceeded to strap his bag-pack on Issei's back.
"Wait, what are we doing now?" Issei looked at the bag behind him.
"We're gonna run around this forest, as well as looking for something for our lunch and dinner. We can't just leave our supplies unattended, so while I'm watching over you, you're going to carry this all the way through. Make sure not to lose it, otherwise we're gonna be in a pinch."
"Wait, why are we have to look for food again? What's inside this bag?"
"Only some first-aid kits and few camping utensils. Nothing edible for sure." Then Saitama gave his son a light shove forward. "Now run, Ise! Run! I'll be right behind you."
Issei did not care anymore at that point. He finally decided to suck it up and follow his father's instructions for the remainder of his training as he began to run into the forest with Saitama in tow.
Few more days went by and on the tenth night, Issei (with his shirt torn apart, leaving him topless) and Saitama were sitting in surrounding the bonfire at the campsite. Issei could not help but awed at his father's strength during the training so far. Hunting for food had become much easier since every monster that came across would be dispatched by Saitama in a single punch. It made looking for food much easier, and by the looks of it, the monsters would likely leave them alone in fear of Saitama's power at some point. But at the same time, Issei felt envious of his father as well, due to the fact of his father only needed 3 years to obtain his current strength, as unbelievable as it sounded, while Issei was not even close to his power after more than 7 years of training. It agitated him, but Issei knew lashing out and acting rashly would get him further from his goal.
Issei then hummed the same song when he was cleaning the club room on the other day in order to calm his mind. Saitama, who was cooking a peace of some random monsters meat, suddenly widened his eyes slightly as a nostalgic feeling washed over him.
The bald man smiled at some image of the past and Issei caught Saitama was humming the song as well. "You know this song?" Issei asked while Saitama kept humming.
"…Yeah." Saitama stopped his humming. "That's the lullaby Haruka used to put you to sleep when you're still a toddler." He closed his eyes at the memory of Haruka cradling baby Issei in her arms while singing the melody. "She's one helluva singer, you know? I heard that she once worked as a singer in a local bar during her younger days."
"I see…" Issei's own lips twitched upward. "By the way, I haven't thanked you for helping Koneko-chan on the other day."
Saitama blinked at the gratitude before he simply waved it off. "Don't mind it. I was just passing by. Though I was surprised to see a little girl like her was sprawling on the floor with few barbells on top of her body."
"She really had it hard." Saitama mused. "About her sister and all."
"So you've heard her story."
"Yeah, I got the big picture from granny Venelana."
Issei decided to pretend not to hear his father just nonchalantly addressed his master's mother as 'granny'. However, what Saitama said next caught his attention. "No wonder Kuroka never said much about her past."
"Who?"
"Hm?" Saitama blinked at Issei.
"Who're you talking about?" Issei pressed on.
"Oh, it's Kuroka. That little girl… Koneko, right? Kuroka is Koneko's elder sister." At the same time he said those words, Saitama felt that he just slipped up something he should not have.
"And how do you know the name of Koneko-chan's elder sister?"
Seeing that lying would not get him anywhere, Saitama then grabbed a bite of his dinner before began to talk. "Because I know her."
Issei only furrowed his eyebrows. "Come again?"
"I met her around one or two years ago. I met the girl through Vali since she's on the same team as his around that time. She was actually the one who kidnapped me during Vali's attack at your school."
Issei remained silent for a minute, processing what his father revealed to him. "And?" Issei asked. "How's your meeting with her? What do you think about her?"
"…She's kind of different than the story."
"How different, exactly?"
"Hmm… She acted and behaved not differently than sane person in general. That's for sure." Saitama recalled his past interaction with the cat youkai. "She's simple minded, easy to talk with, sometimes obnoxious and kind of a bitch, but she's overall not a bad person. I was surprised when I found that Kuroka is a fugitive in the underworld. I guess that kind of explains why she's willing to go along with Vali's stunt back then."
"And are you sure that she wasn't messing with your mind when you interacted with her?" Issei asked.
"I… am pretty sure she did not pull anything on me. She's quite sincere when she's talking about her sister. Makes me think that there's something more behind her case being a rogue and all."
"And what makes you think that?" Issei asked sceptically.
"I told you, didn't I? Kuroka was pretty much a sane person during our last encounter. If what granny said about her was true, about her being all insane, drunken by power and all, pretty sure I would've dealt with her already."
"So you're saying that Kuroka did not kill her former master due to rampage?"
"Probably." Saitama shrugged. "I don't have a proof, after all."
Issei only let out a sigh as the conversation that night ended up with him having more questions. But soon he chose to think about it later as he went to sleep, preparing for the next day of training with his father.
(Scene Break)
It was the beginning of the eleventh day. After doing their usual warming-up, going for a quick hunt and ate breakfast, Issei was supposed to be allowed to remove the ring that sealed his Longinus already. However, much to Issei's shock, the ring suddenly shattered by itself before Issei could have touched it. Was it a program by Azazel prepared beforehand? Or perhaps the ring was overloaded by Issei's growing power? Whatever it was, Issei was now able to access the power of the Red Dragon Emperor once again. Issei could hear the Welsh Dragon yawned awake in his mind.
[Hmm…. It's good to be back… Is it already 10 days already?]
"Good morning, Ddraig… And welcome back." Issei greeted the dragon.
[Yeah, good to see you again, partner. So I take your father will step up the training?]
"'Sup." Saitama raised his hand at the gauntlet that manifested on Issei's left arm. "We never introduced ourselves properly, right? My name's Saitama, a hero for fun, nice to meet you." Issei inwardly scoffed at how Saitama addressed himself.
Ddraig snorted at how Saitama called himself as 'hero for fun', but chose not to pry into it. [Hm, you're right. I'm Ddraig, the Welsh Dragon, one of the Two Heavenly Dragons. Nice to meet you, too.]
"Oh, and thanks for looking after my son while I wasn't around." Saitama bowed his head slightly.
[Hahaha, you're not as bad as my host thought you to be. The pleasure is mine, your son is a good kid and a good host.] Ddraig proudly returned the courtesy.
"Alright, alright, can we stop the chatter for later?" Issei interrupted. "We're here to train, right?"
"Right." Saitama agreed and he took a look at his cell-phone. "Let's see…. According to Azazel, you're supposed to be able to use your Sacred Gear again around today. And… okay, the next instruction is for you to maintain your Scale Mail for as long as possible. So let's do this." Saitama turned to his son after reading the message from the fallen angel governor.
Issei blinked for a second before his lips turned into an excited grin. "Of course. Sounds interesting. Are you ready for this, Ddraig?"
[You bet. Let's show him our drive!]
"Okay." Saitama nodded before he turned to rummage his bag. A moment later, Saitama turned to Issei again with a small plate strapped on his chest. "Right, my next task for you is simple. You only have to break this plate over here." Saitama tapped his plate with his finger. "We're gonna keep going at it until I say stop. You can to use any means necessary as long as you're not dying on me for the rest of the training days. Is that okay with you?"
Issei's grin only widened at the instruction. "I'll grind your ass to the ground, old man…" Issei said confidently as he felt that he might have better odds since he could go all out now. After all, the last time they sparred did not allow him to use his Scale Mail due to their surroundings in the human world.
As Issei prepared his attacking stance, Saitama simply walked away to set a distance between him and his son then he only stood impassively while waved his hand in taunting. "Well, if you're ready… Come at me, kid."
Issei did not say anything else as he focused his attention to his father and he dashed towards his opponent in a streak of red light.
[WELSH DRAGON BALANCE BREAKER!]
Thus, Saitama's 'real' training for Issei had just begun for the remaining 10 days.
To be Continued….
And that wrapped this chapter, folks. However, here's my first omake of this story. Enjoy!
OMAKE
"Wait, wait, wait. Let me get my head around this story of yours." Issei held up his left hand while pinching the bridge of his nose with his right.
It was another night of Issei's training under Saitama's tutelage. The two were sitting around a bonfire with their dinner, another large chunk of roasted meat they plundered from another unfortunate beast that came across their path. Issei, exhausted from the training that day, with bandages wrapped around his torso and limbs had just started another conversation with his father. The topic of the conversation was, how his father ended up with his mother. And Issei was certainly not expecting something so unbelievable came from his father. Saitama's story itself only began from the part where he got sucked into a black hole.
"Basically, you're an illegal alien from another dimension." Issei tried to summarize.
Saitama, with the plate for training still stuck on his chest, gave a nod. "Yep."
"You rescued mom from some random ogre-looking monster when you're wandering around the neighbourhood." Issei carried on, as he presumed that the monster was either a stray devil or some other rogue monster.
"That's right." Another nod.
"And you…. Ugh, knocked her up while you're living together for couple of years?" Issei felt nauseous when he talked about the birds and bees between his parents.
"Mm-hm." Saitama hummed in affirmation as he took a bite of his roast monster meat. "And it's that I married her, okay? Don't say that as if I was just banging her senseless or something." Saitama pointed out.
"And you expect me to believe that crap?" Issei's expression turned sceptical instantly. Saitama only stared blankly in return, his own face barely had any emotion.
Few seconds of stare-down later, Issei blinked as he let out a breath that he forgot had been holding for how long.
"Holy shit, you're not lying."/ [Holy shit, he's not lying]
Even Ddraig, who had been listening from inside Issei could not help but shocked at the story. Both heavenly dragon and its host said those five words in unison. "Then, how come did you get sucked into a black hole in the first place? And what about your identity and citizenship? There should've been no records about you-?!"
"Shh! Shh!" However, Issei's next question was interrupted by Saitama's hush. "One second, kid…" Saitama looked around while his index finger remained in front of his face.
Issei frowned for a second at Saitama's serious-looking expression, as if the latter hinted something was around them. Sharpening his senses, Issei looked around and then he caught a light buzzing sound in his ears. The boy blinked, then a moment later, Issei caught something small was flying around them and the bonfire.
"A mosquito….? That's quite a big one." Issei's eyes trailing around the flying insect as the vermin landed on Saitama's left hand.
The two simply stared at the said insect for a second until Saitama raised his free hand and slammed it on the spot where the mosquito rested on.
SLAP!
Issei blinked at how loud a slapping sound could be. A moment later, Saitama raised his hand, only to see the offending insect flew away from his left hand, unharmed. Then, Saitama put down his dinner and his hands suddenly blurred away, trying to catch the mosquito in mid-air. However, the mosquito somehow managed to evade all of Saitama's strikes. When the insect landed on Saitama's temple, the man slammed his hand on the spot, only to see the mosquito flew away unharmed again.
Saitama's eyes began to twitch when the mosquito started to fly too close to Issei. The booy simply stared for the flying vermin for a second before he caught it between his palms in a clap.
Saitama stared at his son who blew the insect carcass away from his palm into the fire. When Issei returned the stare with raised eyebrows, Saitama gave an approving nod and a thumbs-up. "Good hit, Ise."
"….Thanks?" Issei furrowed his eyebrows. "What's his deal? It's just a mosquito…"
However, when Saitama was about to return to his seat again, more familiar buzzing sounds were heard in the area. The two then found more mosquitos were attracted to their campsite, and as soon as the insect was in Saitama's line of sight, the man's body blurred away as he began to clapped around the air.
SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! SLAP!
Issei only stared wide-eyed at the after-image Saitama conjured as the latter desperately tried to kill the blood-sucking vermin, and Issei simply killed the mosquitos one by one with the same clap he used on the first one earlier.
Moments had passed, and Saitama was standing with his guard on and his face looked agitated. His eyes darting around the space as few mosquitos remained in the area. Issei on the other hand, unconsciously smirked upon seeing his father's face, feeling that he had triumphed over something for once against his own father. Though in a way, the situation looked kind of sad for Ddraig, who had no idea of how to make out of the situation as he watched for the entire time.
SLAP!
Issei just killed another mosquito and he threw the carcass into the fire. "Come on, old man! It's already 9 kills for me! Geez, why do you so suck at this?" Issei taunted his father.
"Shut up, you!" Saitama shot back as his eyes suddenly caught one last mosquito landed on his son's cheek.
Saitama then quickly moved in reflex. "Head's up, kid!"
"Wha-!"
SMACK!
Issei had no time to say anything as his father's hand slammed into his cheek, sending him skidded across the ground until he crashed into several trees.
"Did I get it?" Saitama growled as he looked at his hand. His eyes widened when he saw the mosquito was dead, its body squashed on Saitama's palm. Then Saitama's expression turned victorious as he clenched up his fist into the air. "Yes! I finally killed one! Holy shit! Ise, I finally managed to kill one without a spray!" Saitama cheered on, unknowing that his son had not gotten up yet.
Issei, with smoke coming out from his hand-printed swollen cheek, had forgotten of all his curiosity about his father's story. The only thing remained in his mind before he succumbed into consciousness was cursing and swearing to get back on his father in folds.