55Disclaimer: I do not own Highschool DxD nor do I own anything from any other franchise that might pop up.
This is my first attempt at a fanfic so go easy on me please.
"Speech"
'thoughts'
[sacred gear/creatures speaking telepathically]
Chapter 1: The Beginning?
"You perverts just don't learn do you?" the menacing figures of the kendo club girls towered over the infamous perverted trio. Issei, Matsuda and Motohama tried to squeeze themselves further into the corner they'd been backed into after being cornered. "Any last words?"
"Um, your oppai are magnificent?" "Incorrigible, absolutely incorrigible… DIE!"
A violent flurry of shinai descended on the helpless trio as Issei's words predictably failed to pacify the wrath of their peeping victims. The trio's screams of pain and cries for help went ignored by the rest of the student population as they simply shook their heads and walked by, such a scene already commonplace by now.
-line break
After the kendo girls had their fill of vengeance, the unlucky trio retreated to an unused classroom to nurse their wounds.
"Ow ow ow ow… sheesh I was just complimenting them. Did they really need to over react like that?" Issei's question was instantly answered by a solid blow to the head by Motohama. "Are you daft or just plain stupid? Of course they'll react in such a way after getting a comment like that from someone like you. If I didn't know you so well, I'd think you're a masochist of some sort."
"Nonsense…" Issei shrugged off the pain and relaxed against the wall, a carefree smile on his face. "There is no one like me, besides, I was telling the truth, they were amazing, eh heh heh heh…" A lecherous smile spread across Issei's face as a bit of drool began to leak out.
"Quit drooling man, it's disgusting." The baldy in the corner and the last member of the trio Matsuda admonished Issei. "How much longer do we have to keep up the dumb pervert act anyway? Getting beat up on a regular basis without retaliating at all goes against everything I stand for. Can't we at least escape without being beaten?"
Issei fixed him with an even gaze, all traces of lechery and mirth gone. "You know why Matsuda, at least one of the students here from the Kyoto exchange program is a little less than human. It's kinda why I called the both of you in."
"Yeah well, we ain't exactly normal either. One of us refuses to die no matter what, one can use blood as a weapon and one is part alien, a real freak show. We've been doing this for two weeks now and you still haven't told us why we're working so hard on this. Perving is fun and all but I have my own job to do and so far, getting chased and beat up on purpose is a real waste of time."
"I have to agree with Matsuda on this Issei, I have my own responsibilities and this is really eating into my time. Plus, I don't like getting hit." Motohama piped up in support.
Issei contemplated in silence for a few moments before deciding to speak up. "Alright, fine. I didn't say anything because I don't know what I'm looking for either. Sentinel intercepted a coded transmission a while back, evidently there's something hidden on the academy grounds, and this interloper is after it. I intend to stop them."
"That's it? We're wasting time getting beat up just to interrupt somebody's scavenger hunt? Can't we just let them have it? I highly doubt anyone's hidden a WMD in a high school."
"It could be nothing of course, but tell me Matsuda, what happens if there really is a WMD or something of equal importance hidden here. No one sends a message encrypted with over 500 layers of protection for a simple scavenger hunt. I refuse to wake up to the end of the world just because I turned a blind eye. I don't think you would leave it up to chance either."
Motohama let out a sigh at Issei's logic. "And our visitors have proven invisible to all our scanners, meaning whatever they are, they aren't alien or extradimensional beings. Haaah, why can't things ever be easy, is it too much to ask?"
"Yeah, I guess I wouldn't leave it up to chance either, hmmmm… they'll be leaving for Kyoto tomorrow won't they, if they're going to do something, it'll be tonight. I need to return to base now, make sure the spy sat's still working right. Issei, you'll be here on lookout won't you? If they do make a move and everything goes pear shaped, drop a marker, I'll be there asap."
"My eyes are open again, I'll be heading back as well, if any of our visitors manage to avoid them I'll give you a heads up. On a side note, one of them is currently in the old school building meeting with the Occult Research Club. That's where your sister is isn't it? I don't sense any hostility at the moment, just thought you'd appreciate the warning." Motohama rose to his feet after giving Issei that last bit of information as he and Matsuda prepared to leave.
Neither missed the narrowing of Issei's eyes or the brief flash of pure unadulterated rage that flickered across his face. "I… see… well as long as Haruna-nee is alright, everything's fine. The bastard tries anything and there won't be enough left of him to bury."
Abandoning his initial plan of remaining behind to simply observe the school grounds from the window, Issei stood and made for the door. "Just in case, I think I'll take a walk near the old school building."
Motohama and Matsuda exchanged a glance before following him out the door.
-line break
"I trust Kuoh has been to your liking thus far?"
"Indeed it has Lady Gremory, this is a fine school and Kuoh itself has been a wonder to explore, it's not Kyoto but it has its own charm."
Two elegant beauties sat opposite each other drinking tea. One was a busty crimson haired bishoujo and the other a pale raven haired girl who exuded a sense of coldness. The red head was Rias Gremory, one of the two devils in charge of Kuoh and the other was a member of the Kyoto Yokai faction named Kuroyuki.
Standing by Rias side was her queen Akeno Himejima, taking the opportunity to refill their half empty tea cups, Akeno coolly regarded their guest. Something about the girl rubbed her wrong, she was hiding something for sure, a quick glance at her king told her that Rias had already picked up on it and was just bidding her time. Trusting her king, Akeno opted not to say anything and just watch.
"That is to be expected after all, few places would be able to match the history and culture of Kyoto. It must be nice living there."
"You flatter us Lady Gremory, we welcome you to visit anytime. I assure you, our hospitality is unmatched and Yasaka-sama would be most welcome to a deepening of ties between our factions."
"I would like that very much Kuroyuki-san, but I think that's enough of the pleasantries. While we welcome visitors, I'd like to know why the daughter of the legendary white death herself is here in person." Rias questioned.
"My, my, such suspicion, do you treat all your guests this way or is it just me? No need to be so cold Lady Gremory, I'm just here on a social visit, my mother thought it'd be a good time to get to know our neighbours." A small smile sat on Kuroyuki's face as she continued to drink her tea in peace, unconcerned with the suspicion being directed her way.
Rias twitched at the insult but pressed on with the questioning anyway. "Oh? I meant no offense Kuroyuki-san, but your name was added to the list of exchange students at the last minute, and I must admit to being most curious about that. I am responsible for the continued safety of Kuoh and you must understand that even if we're friends I must take the necessary precautions."
"The visit was a last-minute decision… that's not going to fly, is it? Fufufu, well I won't try to hide it any longer." Kuroyuki paused to take a sip of tea, the small smile never leaving her face. Letting out a sigh of contentment, she took the moment to be amused by Rias efforts to keep her annoyance from being shown before continuing.
"Yasaka-sama's efforts to foster peace between factions has its share of critics, much like your own maou do. It is a shame that some would prefer to use force of arms to see their ideals through instead of settling things diplomatically."
The Gremory heiress fought down the urge to tear her hair out in exasperation. "That is no secret, and I fail to see the connection between that and your current visit. Unless of course one of your… rebels is planning to attack Kuoh?"
"Impatient aren't we? Rest assured, it's nothing of the sort, there will be no conflict here once I've settled things. It's just ah… a rebel agent is among the exchange students and whoever it is, is here to retrieve a package for their cause."
"WHAT!? And you didn't inform me of the danger? This is unacceptable!" Slamming her hands on the table, Rias burst out in anger, only for Kuroyuki to remain completely unfazed.
"Such anger ill becomes you Lady Gremory, your peerage and the civilians are in no danger. The rebel agent is human, of that we are sure of. Their quarrel is with Yasaka-sama's government and their main objective is to spirit their package back to their base. It is highly unlikely they'll do anything to attract attention to themselves and risk losing their prize."
"Oh, is that so? Forgive me if I don't take your word for it. And what are they looking for?"
"Our sources say it is a weapon from an age long gone, buried deep beneath the ground this school stands on. So far, they've made no moves but I expect them to do so later tonight, this is the last day after all."
"A weapon… wonderful, and I suppose it never occurred to you that they might decide to test it out here?"
"That is a possibility, but I highly doubt it, our little spy is just the courier, I expect him to be well trained in stealth and proficient at escaping and that's it. If by some chance, they have a sizeable force on hand to reinforce him, it means your borders aren't as secure as you think they are and you have traitors of your own to worry about."
"Grrrr, and I suppose I'm supposed to let you handle it?"
"That would be most appreciated. This is our problem and we'll take care of it, of course, once we've recovered the weapon it will be sent back to Kyoto as well. I know you wish to have your own soldiers watch the proceedings but due to the politicking back in Kyoto, I request that you don't. Any actions on your part will be used as ammunition against Yasaka-sama and neither of us wants that. Of course, our faction will naturally compensate you for the trouble and any damage that might be caused."
Rias furrowed her brows in frustration at Kuroyuki's request. Despite her desire to do otherwise, she had been instructed by her brother to provide any and all assistance to the Kyoto Yokai representative, even if it meant staying out of the way.
"FINE! We will do nothing but watch from a distance, and these are not my soldiers. They are my peerage and my family, if any of them get hurt as a result of your actions, so help me I will track you down to the ends of the world if I must to end you, the authorities be damned."
"Fufufu, it's nice to see a king caring so much for her subjects, although if anything goes wrong, chances are I'll be too dead for you to take your revenge on."
-line break
"Issei! What are you doing here?"
"Ah, Haruna-nee, I was just out for a walk and I uh, I heard one of the exchange students was in the area and I uh…"
"You wanted to check her out didn't you? Oh Issei, what am I going to do with you? You could do so much better if you just toned down your perversion."
"Nonsense nee-chan, I live for the glory of oppai!"
Upon hearing that Hyoudou Haruna, Issei's adoptive older sister, buried her face in her hands and shook her head, her long brown hair swaying in the breeze. Allowing a long-suffering sigh to escape, she cursed the old man who corrupted her brother for the umpteenth time, she'd been trying to fix his rampant perversion for years now with little success.
After the rest of Rias peerage had cleared out of the club room to give their king and her guest some privacy, she'd run into Issei outside the building and immediately gone over to him.
"Baka otouto, if you just cut down a bit you might just find an actual girlfriend, anyway I don't think I need to tell you not to harass the exchange students now do I? Anyways, the exchange student you're looking for is an old friend of Rias buchou, please don't cause any trouble, for my sake if nothing else."
"Hai nee-chan! You can count on me!" His initial plan to investigate the visitor foiled by his sister's sudden appearance, Issei wisely chose to leave it be and vacate the area before anyone grows suspicious. His sister was alright, and that would have to be enough for now.
"Oh yeah, nee-chan, I'll be sleeping over at Matsuda's place later, tell kaa-san and tou-san not to wait up for me alright?"
"Fine, fine, just… don't go overboard with your… activities… alright?" Sighing again, Haruna decided not to think about what her little brother would be up to later. Watching Issei leave, she shook her head and returned into the building.
[Hmmph, the boy is honest about his desires at the very least. As long as he is with his friends later he should be safe.]
'I hope so Ddraig, you think there'll be a fight again?'
[That girl from Kyoto, I don't know her but I do know of her mother. The infamous white death, she was responsible for the deaths of my previous two hosts, and her daughter does take after her. She is strong, stronger than you make no mistake about that. In my experience, someone like that doesn't just show up on a whim without trouble following.]
'I hope you're wrong Ddraig, I really do.'
[Hmmph, I hope so as well Haruna, hurry and get to training. We need to unlock balance breaker soon, if not for this then for that yakitori bastard.]
'Right.'
-line break
Issei sat atop the rooftop of Kuoh Academy's main school building while doing his best to suppress a yawn. 'God damn, it's midnight and still no action. This is more boring than I expected.'
He'd been seated on the roof overlooking the entire school grounds for nearly six hours now and there was still no sign of his target appearing. Issei was beginning to suspect his intel was faulty and there really was no threat after all.
'Come on already, if they only act at 3 am in the morning, I will be really pissed.' Not for the first time that night, Issei cursed his optical camouflage for being unable to suppress sound. Not being able to move or make a noise for so long was eating into his patience, but it was necessary to keep his cover from being blown.
Sweeping his eyes across the school grounds once more, Issei was about to swear again when a brief burst of movement caught his eyes. A shadow had emerged from the foliage and scaled the school fence in rapid succession.
'Jackpot' Issei noiselessly sent a message to both of his compatriots about the possible intruder being spotted before returning his attention to the newcomer.
The shadow was taking great pains to avoid the open ground by skirting the outskirts of the field and staying in the shadows as much as possible, unfortunately for him, that did little to hide him from Issei's night vision.
'So, it's one of the guys huh? And there I was thinking it'd be that black-haired beauty, guess I was wrong after all. Sentinel, can you get a read on him?'
[Scans indicate target is 100% human and records show he goes by the name Shinn, how shall we proceed colonel?]
'Stop calling me that, and for now we just watch. He tries anything funny and we move. Motohama's 'eyes' are still synced to your system, aren't they? If he goes into the building we'll still have visual on him, for now we remain here in case he's just a decoy.'
[Understood colonel.]
Issei didn't bother to reply and watched as the shadow slipped into the school building via an open window and disappeared from sight. Thus far things were still within expected parameters and he wasn't too worried yet.
His eyes did widen slightly when he spotted Kuroyuki scaling the fence as well and rushing into the building the shadow had just disappeared into. Neither of them had done anything overtly threatening yet aside from breaking and entering and thus Issei didn't immediately go after them, expecting to be able to apprehend the both of them once they tried to escape.
Perhaps due to his underestimating the opposition, Issei was caught off guard by the explosion that wiped out half the building next to him.
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!? SENTINEL, GIVE ME A SIT REP!"
[The exchange student Kuroyuki has encountered the exchange student Shinn and engaged in combat. Shinn activated an unknown explosive device to kill Kuroyuki upon seeing her. Sensors have been obscured by smoke, current situation unclear.]
"Shit! I need to get down there." Jumping to his feet, Issei leapt of the roof and landed on his feet. Rushing into the burning building, Issei hoped his overconfidence hadn't caused any irreparable harm.
Upon entering the building, he was more than a little surprised to see some of the walls coated in black ice that didn't seem to be melting even in the heat. Rushing in deeper, he followed the trail of destruction as it led deeper into the school until his ears eventually picked up the sound of combat.
The clashing of blades was coming from the gym, Issei growled and ensured his optical camouflage was still working before silently making his way into the ruined gym. Slipping through the wrecked doors, Issei took in the sight calmly despite the outlandishness of it all.
Kuroyuki was kneeling and breathing hard near the bleachers in the centre of what looked to be a localised blizzard. Shinn stood in the middle of the gym, a smug smile plastered across his face while wielding a pitch black katana in his right hand. Back against the wall, Issei remained cloaked and resolved to watch the proceedings before making his judgement, no sense in giving up the element of surprise after all.
"Bet you weren't expecting this now were you, Kuroyuki-dono. I must admit I was not expecting the daughter of the white death to come personally, but killing you is such a nice bonus. I will enjoy sending you back to your mother in pieces, ahhh… just the thought of making her hurt fills me with such joy!" Demented laughter continued to spill from Shinn as he towered over his downed opponent.
Gritting her teeth in pain, Kuroyuki rose to her feet unsteadily. "Ke-keep dreaming asshole, my death will avail you nothing. My mother won't even care if I'm dead, I'm just another failure in her eyes after all. And you, you would work for tho-those warmongers? You're human are you not? Don't you know that they'll just have you killed once they no longer have need of you?"
"HAHAHAHA! I don't care about all that, I just want to kill! Watching as your victims bleed out in misery, their faces contorted in fear and pain… it is exquisite. If they try to off me, I do so welcome them to try, more for me to kill, teehehehehe isn't life wonderful?"
"You're mad."
"I'm not mad, just differently sane. But don't worry, your beloved Yasaka-dono will be joining you in the afterlife soon enough, and then this world will be engulfed in flames once again AHAHAHAHA!"
Smug smile still present, Shinn abruptly tilted his head at a sharp angle with a sickening crack as a bolt of ice flew through the area his head just vacated. Subsequent projectiles he simply cut down with his katana that seemed to glow with every swing.
"I won't let you succeed bastard." Kuroyuki managed to spit out the words even as she struggled to stay conscious from the pain. Shinn's earlier bomb had caused a lot more damage to her than she initially expected, her side burned in agony and if she didn't end things fast it would all be over.
"Nice try girlie, but not good enough. You know, my employers wanted me to bring the sword back to them as soon as I retrieved it, but I think I'll test it out on you first, to make sure it's the real deal ya know?" Shinn giggled as he retrieved a fist sized crystal from within his clothes and crushed it in his hands.
As the shattered pieces of crystal hit the gym floor, they began to glow and the floor started to warp. Issei stared in fascination as the floor rippled and the hilt of a katana rose up through the ground, followed by a blade so frayed Issei was surprised it hadn't already shattered into pieces.
Before the eyes of the three present, the blade began to reforge itself, returning to its original glory.
Shinn stared at his prize with glee, just a few moments more and it would be his. "Do you see it? The beauty of the ultimate killing machine. This sword has reaped the lives of thousands, it's not a Muramasa sword, it is the Muramasa sword, the original and his greatest masterpiece. The perfect weapon to usher in a new age of war don't you think?"
As he reached out to the blade, it seemed to be calling to him, promising him endless amounts of bloodshed if he would just claim it as his own and his dark grin only grew larger. But just as his hands were about to close around the hilt, it vanished from his grasp. "WHAT!?"
Looking around in shock, he could find no one. Kuroyuki hadn't moved from her position and the blade was not in her possession. "What trickery is this!? Where. Is. My. SWORD! I will- ugh!"
Any further noise from him was cut off by an invisible blade sprouting from his chest. Shinn stared in mute horror as his blood seemingly clung to thin air and dripped to the floor before the blade was wrenched out of his body. Shinn gasped as his death caught up with him, the blade had gone straight through his heart and he sank to his knees before keeling over.
"So, you really are more than just a simple pervert. Which peerage do you belong to?"
The air rippled and Issei faded into view Muramasa blade in hand, his optical camouflage no longer activated. "Peerage? What's that? And what gave me away anyhow? I thought I did a good job concealing my presence."
"I am a Yuki-onna after all, you may have been invisible but I can still detect your body heat. Who are you anyway, if you're not connected to the peerages why are you here?"
"Again, what is a peerage? And shouldn't I be asking you that? This is my school, Kuoh is my home, that's all the reason I need to defend this place, and now I have one corpse and one unknown to deal with. Ah… never mind, that can be dealt with later, first to kill a bastard who won't stay dead." Issei shrugged and deftly sidestepped as a black katana came close to taking his head.
"I don't know who you are boy, but you will die for that." Giving a bloody grin, Shinn rushed Issei slashing with his blade all the way. "You're pretty healthy for a guy who just got stabbed through the heart, care to share the secret?"
"Screw you boy, you really think I'm going to tell you? I'm gonna cut off your head and shit down your throat!" Shinn roared in anger as Issei continued to dodge in an unhurried manner, none of his strikes even coming close to hitting.
"That… is an image I did not need, oh well, this is hardly the first I have to put up with idiots who just won't die when I kill them. I just have to get creative with how to stop you." Having said his piece, Issei began his counterattack.
Unlike the Shinn's frenzied blows, Issei bided his time waiting for openings before lashing out with the Muramasa blade, each strike connecting without fail. Locking blades with his opponent, Issei noticed that Shinn was swallowing every time he landed a strike, immediately after his wounds would stop bleeding.
"So that's it, some kind of healing pill. How unoriginal, question is how many more times I'll have to kill you before you run out." As Shinn's face paled, Issei knew he'd struck jackpot. Increasing the amount of force behind his blade, he forced the deranged swordsman backwards.
[Colonel, your opponent is holding back. I recommend being wary of a trap]
'I am well aware of that Sentinel, but then, so are we.'
Despite his caution, Issei was still caught off guard by Shinn's swift stab forward, unable to tilt his head to the side in time, Shinn's blade scored a large cut across his cheek. Wincing as the wound burned, Issei noticed the abnormality immediately.
'It burns more than it should and it's not healing… poison?'
[Negative colonel, scans indicate unknown energy in the wound. It is of the same nature as the twice critical. Hypothesis, the blade is a sacred gear or a similar enchanted object. Shall I began regeneration?]
Upon landing the hit and watching Issei bleed for the first time since the battle began, Shinn's demented grin returned and he began laughing once more. "Hurts, doesn't it? That wound will not heal and you will bleed out from it. Muramasa blades are wonderful are they not? This toy can't compare to the sword you stole but… it's enough to get the job done."
Any further gloating was cut off as multiple spikes of ice erupted from the floor seeking to impale him. Shattering the initial spikes with his blade, Shinn leapt away from the danger zone and stabbed his blade into the ground.
Kuroyuki frowned as her powers failed to conjure anymore spikes to attack. Whatever Shinn had done, it had nullified her ability to summon ice from the ground. "If his sword is a real Muramasa blade, you should fall back boy, if you take anything more than that scratch, you'll be dead before I can get help. This isn't your fight, I'll handle him."
"Handle me? Hahahahaha, you overestimate yourself bitch, what can you possibly do in your condition? And you assume I'm going to leave you alive long enough to get help, I assure you, that's not happening."
Issei fingered his wound as blood continued to pour from it. "This sucks, I liked this shirt. And it's a good thing I don't actually heal, I just replace whatever's damaged." Running his finger along the wound one more time, both Kuroyuki and Shinn were startled to see the wound vanish without a trace, leaving behind unmarred skin.
"THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE! NOT EVEN A PHENEX CAN HEAL FROM A WOUND CAUSED BY A MURAMASA BLADE! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU!?" Issei chuckled at Shinn's outburst. "I am… complicated."
"You… I don't know what kind of monster you are, and I don't care, you will not get in the way of my ambition. I will see this world in flames, nothing will stop-" His rant was cut off by Issei's blade stabbing straight through his throat. Completely unprepared for Issei materialising in front of him with a shower of blue sparks, Shinn was powerless to stop the attack.
"Yeah… I've heard enough. I have had enough war, anyone trying to start one will be stopped by me. Good luck swallowing your healing pill when your head is no longer attached to your neck." Wrenching out the blade in one move, Issei swiftly decapitated the madman with one swing.
Flicking the sword to remove the blood, Issei redirected his attention to Kuroyuki. "So… can I have an explanation now? I want to know why half of my school is in ruins, and start from the top please."
"Oh? You aren't going to be a gentleman and get a doctor first? I am injured you know." "Was injured, I can see that your wounds have already healed, no need to pretend to be wounded."
"Perceptive aren't you." Issei resisted the urge to smirk as Kuroyuki stopped pretending and stood normally, she may have healed but her clothes were still torn in places, exposing a fair amount of skin for Issei to appreciate. Battle hardened warrior he may have been, he was still a pervert at his core. "It comes with the job Kuroyuki-chan, now my explanation if you would?"
"You will have your explanation, but not right now. This night has been a mess and since you're unaffiliated with the peerages, your continued presence here poses a problem." Kuroyuki tossed her battered phone at Issei who plucked it out of the air. "You have no reason to trust me, but on account of how we're both opposed to war, I ask that you give me some time to settle the situation on my end. I will contact you on that phone later, I am grateful for your help but for now I need you to leave, the school needs to be fixed up by morning and I have no wish to see another conflict between you and the clean-up crew."
Issei huffed once before pocketing the phone. "Very well, I will give you this chance, make no mistake though, we aren't friends… yet. If you prove unworthy of my trust, I will end you the next time we meet. Until then, have a good day Kuroyuki-chan."
With that, Issei turned his back on the Yuki-onna and left. The air around him rippled again and he once more faded from view. This time, Kuroyuki was slightly perturbed that this time she was no longer able to sense Issei's body heat and thus had no way of telling if he had truly left the scene.
'Interesting boy… he didn't seem aware of the supernatural either. If he's not already part of any faction I wonder if I could convince him to be Yasaka-sama's ally.' She blinked once as she felt Rias presence approaching and belatedly noticed the sword she'd come to retrieve was nowhere in sight.
"My, my, he took the sword too, and he wasn't overwhelmed by the curse… how interesting. I think I'll stick around for a bit longer." As Kuroyuki caught sight of Rias and Akeno bursting in through the door, a small smile grew across her face. Things were about to get interesting indeed.
Author's notes: this is my first fanfic ever and I appreciate any and all comments on my work. In this story, Issei is not the Sekiryuutei and only possesses a twice critical with a few modifications. He is still largely unaware of the supernatural but has been dealing with extraordinary situations on a regular basis by this point in the story. His two buddies are much the same. Matsuda is inspired by the unkindled from dark souls 3 and Motohama is basically the hunter from bloodborne. There will be a few OCs of my own creation thrown in to the mix as well. I do hope you all enjoy my work. Thanks for reading and have a nice day.