100Disclaimer: I do not own the High School DxD series.
In the middle of an uncharted forest, a lone girl stood stock-still. The girl's appearance was rather peculiar: a pair of black cat ears, matching her raven hair, protruded from the top of her head, and a pair of similarly coloured tails peeked out from under her tattered and bloody tunic. She was a nekomata, a cat demon from Japanese folklore, and she was currently entranced by her blood-stained hands.
'Nya… I lost control again…'
It had been a week since she had learned of her master's plot to use her little sister in an experiment. A week since she had killed her master and fled from the Underworld. A week of slaughtering devils left and right, looking to hunt her down. A week spent struggling in search of food and shelter.
She was tired.
Her cat ears twitched and the sound of leaves rustling caught her attention. Kuroka immediately strengthened her senses through Senjutsu and detected several life signatures nearby. There was no mistaking it, they were after her.
'No rest for the wicked nya.' Kuroka crouched low on the ground, just like a cat prepared to pounce on her prey. Not a single a single one of her muscles twitched as the sound of movement got closer and closer.
When the nearby foliage was pushed aside, revealing a menacing red armoured figure, the nekomata leapt into the air without hesitation. Her palm, covered in the pale white aura of spirit energy, thrust towards the armoured figures chest. Armour or not, her Senjutsu enhanced fighting style would deal crushing damage both externally and internally.
Or at least, it should have.
Her palm thrust slammed into the armour plating but her opponent didn't budge an inch; it felt like she had hit the side of a mountain. Noticing her attack's ineffectiveness, the nekomata flipped into the air using her opponent as a springboard, before landing again in a crouched position.
"Sekiryuutei-sama!" All around her, magic circles sprung into the air as nearly a dozen men and women stepped out of the foliage. Despite the lethal magic pointed at her, Kuroka was not worried; she was faster after all. Both of her arms flung out wide and sent multiple blasts of energy to those targeting her.
Only to be intercepted by a wall of flames that appeared from nowhere.
'What the hell is going on nya?' This was the first time anyone blocked any of her Senjutsu enhanced attacks. Taking a closer look, those attacking her were magicians, not devils and the one in red armour... 'Sekiryuutei… Could that be one of the Longinus wielders?!'
The fire disappeared and the magicians re-armed their magic circles. Before Kuroka could prepare a counter, the armoured figure spoke for the first time.
"Stand down, I'll handle her myself."
The men and women immediately disengaged their magic and stepped back. "H-Hai! As you command Sekiryuutei-sama!"
Kuroka seethed at the man's arrogance. If he was looking down on her, than he would regret it! Exhaling deeply, the nekomata immersed herself in the natural energy of the world. The ki within her bubbled violently and her body began to change. The fur on her cat ears and tails bristled, her nails turned into claws sharp enough to carve down a tree, and her pupils constricted until they were mere slits. Touki, an aura created by one's own life energy, wrapped around Kuroka's form, strengthening her body beyond its natural limits.
The power came at a cost though. With the excessive use of Senjutsu, Kuroka had also taken in too much of the malice and ill will floating in the world. Her mind had been overcome by the negative energy and she was now running on instinct.
She became a berserker.
"Nyaaaaaa!" With a guttural battle cry, Kuroka darted forward. In a blink of an eye, dozens of Senjutsu enhanced energy bullets crashed into the Sekiryuutei. Before the dust could even settle, Kuroka barreled into the chaos, claws swinging to finish off her opponent.
[BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST!]
A pair of red gauntlets adorned in green jewels rose up in a guard, and her claws screeched futilely against the metal. "Senjutsu… It's as dangerous as they say."
For the second time that day, Kuroka retreated. Putting more than a dozen meters between them, the nekomata gathered vast amounts of aura into her hands before swiping them in the direction of the Sekiryuutei. White energy erupted from her claws, easily cutting through several trees that were in its path towards the armoured man.
For the first time since the battle started, the Longinus wielder countered. Red flames condensed around his gauntlet before he let loose with his own ranged strike. The fire claw flew through the air and met the ethereal white claw, causing an explosion large enough to flatten several more trees in the area.
"But there is nothing my flames cannot burn."
Before Kuroka could react, the smoke in front of her blew apart and the armoured figure of the Sekiryuutei was in front of her in a flash. A fist, covered in strange green fire, smashed into her stomach and a heat wave seemed to wash over her body. All of a sudden, all her strength abandoned her and her body went limp. It was like the strings attached to a marionette had been cut, as Kuroka collapsed onto the ground.
With the weakness though came clarity of mind. 'W-What just happened, nya?'
Unable to even reposition her head, Kuroka could only helplessly watch as several pair of boots stepped closer to her. "We'll handle it from here Sekiryuutei-sama."
'So this is how I die… Defeated by a Longinus wielder and finished off by a bunch of lousy magicians…' Unable to keep her emotions in check, tears began to trail down her face. 'I'm sorry Shirone…'
"Stand down… She'll be put under my custody."
'…Nya…?'
"B-But Sekiryuutei-sama?! Our orders are to exterminate the stray devil Kuroka! Why would you-"
"And my orders are for you to stand down and prepare to return to base! Or are you going to disobey me?"
"N-N-No! Of course not! T-Then as you c-command Sekiryuutei-sama, w-we'll prepare the teleportation circles."
The last thing Kuroka felt before she succumbed to exhaustion was the Sekiryuutei picking her up with surprising gentleness.
xxxxx
For the first time in a long time, Kuroka woke up cozy and warm. The soft futon and quilt was a thousand times better than the hard ground she put up with for the past week. It was pleasant enough for her to release her inner cat nature and just sleep in…
'Wait…'
The raven-haired nekomata immediately bolted out of the futon, all sleepiness blown away. The last thing she remembered was being captured by the Sekiryuutei and that meant she was currently in enemy territory. Scanning her surroundings, Kuroka found herself in a small Japanese style room, complete with tatami flooring and sliding doors. Judging by the sunlight streaming in from the window, it was either late morning or early noon.
'How long was I out nya?'
The sliding door abruptly opened, startling her. She half expected to see the imposing red armour again but was surprised when a young brown-haired boy greeted her instead.
"Oh, you're awake! You slept for so long I was afraid you might have been hit too hard… Are you hungry? I made some breakfast, hope you don't mind classic Japanese fair." The boy didn't wait for her reply and proceeded to lead her out of the bedroom by hand.
So surprised with the boy's friendly demeanour, Kuroka didn't even try to resist. Moments later, she found herself sitting in front of a table laden with grilled fish, miso soup, natto, and rice. The boy happily sat across from her and picked up his chopsticks. "Itadakimasu!"
She sat there for a few seconds, staring as the boy devoured his food. 'What am I doing here nya?!'
Having enough of the nonsense, Kuroka slammed her hands on the table before standing up. The boy finally noticed her declining mood when the table shook. "Hm? Are you not hungry?"
Wholly ignoring him, the nekomata marched towards the open doorway leading to the porch. Unminding her lack of shoes, she stepped onto the grassy yard and took her first look at her outer surroundings.
By scent alone, Kuroka could already tell that she was nowhere near where she had passed out. Judging by the lack of pollution though, her current location was still rather remote and the blue skies overhead meant that she was most likely in the human world. Stepping further into the lawn, she could see that the entire manor was surrounded by trees.
'A Japanese house sitting alone in the middle of a forest… how odd nya.' Still, the remoteness of the location would work to her advantage. She could easily slip into the wilderness and suppress her presence, and with so many trees and foliage obstructing the view, getting away would be child's play. Taking another step towards the treeline, towards her freedom, Kuroka was again surprised by the boy's voice coming from directly in front of her. "I'm afraid the forest is off limits."
'When did the boy get in front of me?!' Despite her bewilderment, she didn't allow any of it to slip into her voice. "Oh? And who's going to stop me? Surely not a little boy like you."
The brunette fumed and aggressively pointed his finger at her. "I'm not a little boy; I'm eleven years old now! Besides, I stopped you once I can do so again!"
'Stopped me once…?' Kuroka suddenly had an epiphany. 'Don't tell me this boy is…'
"You're the Sekiryuutei nya?"
The boy puffed up his chest proudly. "Hn hn! That's right; I'm the powerful Red Dragon Emperor!"
"Nyahahaha~!" She couldn't hold it in any longer. The little boy, barely reaching her chest in height, proclaiming to be the giant armoured figure she had fought with was utterly ridiculous.
The boy naturally didn't take her laughing very well. "Grrrr! See Ddriag? This is why I'm always in armour when I'm travelling… Boosted Gear!"
[Stockpile! Boost!]
All humour left the nekomata, when a familiar red gauntlet materialized over the boy's left arm. 'N-Nya?! This can't be?! That boy's barely older than Shirone!'
The boy's earlier warning suddenly became all the more serious.
"Now, as I was saying: the forest is off limits. My subordinates are stationed nearby and though you are under my protection, if they find you in the forest, they won't hesitate to kill you."
"I can take care of myself nya. If any of them dare go after me, I'll just rip them apart."
The boy sighed. "And I can't have that either. Despite their attitude, they are still my subordinates and I can't just let them be killed."
Kuroka's eyes narrowed. "So you're going to get in my way nya?" Boy or not, Sekiryuutei or not, Kuroka was determined to escape. She couldn't afford to be imprisoned here, to no doubt be experimented on for the powers she held before being left to rot.
Seeing the nekomata tense up, the boy raised his hands defensively. "How about we make a bet then? If you can get one solid hit on me, I'll let you go free, no strings attached. If you fail to do so though, you'll have to listen to me for the rest of the day. I'll even restrict myself from using balance breaker."
It was odd. The boy (Sekiryutei?) had enough power to stop her forcibly, yet here he was making a childish bet. There were no benefits for him at all and the conditions were heavily stacked in favour of her.
Kuroka wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth though.
"How long do I have nya?"
"As long as you're able to keep going."
A grin appeared on the nekomata's face. "Deal."
As soon as the word left her mouth, Kuroka's palm was inches away from the boy's head. The brunette barely managed to react in time, ducking under the attack before awkwardly jumping to the side to avoid a three hit combo. Compared to his balance breaker form, the boy's speed was dreadfully slow and Kuroka's attacks were rapidly closing in on him.
[BOOST! X4]
The green jewel on the boy's gauntlet glowed brightly before fading away. A small part of Kuroka's mind took note of the changed Roman numeral displayed on the jewel, but ignored it for the most part to put up a guard.
When the boy remained immobile, Kuroka's curiosity was peaked. Boosted Gear was a sacred gear allowing the user to increase their power exponentially, yet the boy wasn't using it to attack her…
Taking the opening, Kuroka pumped ki into her legs and increased her speed even further. In the blink of an eye, she closed the distance between the two of them and opened up with a double claw strike.
Only for the kid to casually tilt to the side, avoiding the attack. Her follow up leg sweep was similarly hopped over, and even the elbow thrust hidden within a two hit feint was dodged with apparent ease. Kuroka's sudden inability to hit the boy was beyond frustrating until the answer dawned on her. 'He boosted his reaction speed!'
Realizing that close combat was now futile, the nekomata switched tactics. A dozen balls of spirit energy formed around her before shooting towards the brunette. Having spread out the attack in such a way as to prevent dodging, she prepared to counter the boy's defensive magic.
She didn't expect her projectiles to just phase through his body.
'Illusions too?!' She had gotten too careless, thinking the boy to be a mere power type.
Delving deeper into her Senjutsu techniques, the spirit energy began to speak to her. Now that she was focused, Kuroka noticed the increase in temperature creating the mirage image of the boy. Scanning her surroundings, she immediately sent multiple blasts to her left where a large amount of aura had gathered.
"Wah!" Seemingly from thin air, the boy reappeared, diving out of the way of the projectile barrage. Kuroka wasn't kind enough to give him a reprieve and gathered even more spirit energy to attack with. A split second later, dozens upon dozens of energy bolts rained down on the brunette.
[BOOST! X3]
A barrier of flame engulfed the boy, just in time to save him from Kuroka's assault. The rain of projectiles crashed violently against the supernatural fire, but only seemed to fuel the flames. When the barrage finally died down, the flames dissipated, revealing the boy to be entirely unharmed.
Kuroka's patience ran to its end.
Gathering even more power from her surroundings, malice and hatred began to taint her mind once again.
For the first time since the bet began, the boy went on the offensive.
[BOOST!]
A familiar green flame covered the boy's gauntlet and before she even realized it, the boy had plowed the green flame into her stomach.
Like last time, the green flamed seemed to burn through all of her energy. The boy quickly grabbed onto her as Kuroka's legs lost all strength.
"N-Nyaa…"
Gently propping the nekomata against a nearby tree, the boy kneeled in front of her. "Do you concede?"
"…" A futile attempt at moving her arm later, Kuroka reluctantly nodded her head.
"Great! Ah, I never introduced myself! I'm Hyoudou Issei, what's your name onee-san?"
"…Kuroka."
"Kuroka huh… It suits you."
"…"
She tried hard to ignore the warm feelings the boy's compliment evoked. No one had ever complimented her name before…
A grumbling sound suddenly pierced the silence, and a faint blush tinted her cheeks. A cheeky grin grew on the boy's face before he laughed loudly. "Hahaha! Alright then Kuroka, let's go finish breakfast!"
xxxxx
Well into the night, Kuroka laid on her futon staring aimlessly at the ceiling and pondering her situation. Contrary to her belief, the boy, Issei, hadn't done anything undesirable to her at all. If anything, she was treated like a house guest, albeit one who is imprisoned.
Having finished breakfast and recovered some of her strength, Kuroka found herself lead to the living room of the house.
"So, what do you usually do to pass the time?"
"…Training."
"No, I mean for fun?"
"…" She hadn't had any time for fun since she was a kitten. Especially since her mother died, leaving only her to take care of Shirone.
A frown appeared on Issei's lips. "Nothing at all? Reading? Listening to music? Sports? Video games?"
"Video… Games…?" Confusion spread across her face as she sounded out the unfamiliar words. Issei on the other hand had shock written all over him. It was as if he had discovered a never before seen creature.
"S-Surely you've heard of it right? You know, classics like Mario, Dragon Quest, or Final Fantasy? What about Pong?!" By now, the boy had grabbed onto Kuroka's shoulders, shaking her as he listed each game title.
Honestly, the eleven year old was starting to scare her.
"N-No!"
"…" Shadows covered Issei's eyes as he finally released the nekomata. Without another word, the boy marched over to one of the cabinets and began to rummage through the shelves. Finding his target, the boy placed an odd box-like object in front of her before pointing at it.
"This is the Famicom, also known in the west as the Nintendo Entertainment System or NES. This beautiful box revolutionized the video game industry and provided millions of children and adults alike hours of entertainment. And this-" Now he waived a rectangular block in front of her face. "-is the original Super Mario Bros. game. This little gem sold over 40 million copies over its lifetime and is one of the best-selling games of all time. Today you will discover the joy of the gaming world."
The two of them had spent the rest of the day playing video games and as much as Kuroka denied it, she found herself having fun…
Still, as much as the boy's true motives confused her, she couldn't stay here. Expanding her senses, she made sure Issei was still asleep before slipping out of her room.
Since it was past midnight she technically honoured their bet. After all, she had only promised to listen to him 'for a day'.
Stepping onto the lawn, a sudden rustling of grass made her freeze. Turning to the source of the disturbance, Kuroka was relieved when she saw a tiny orange salamander. Ignoring the creature, she proceeded towards the forest once more.
Unbeknownst to her, doing so was a mistake.
"I know you only have to listen to me for a single day but can't you wait for a more reasonable hour before trying to escape Kuroka?" Standing by the porch, Issei was trying hard to suppress a yawn. Sitting on his shoulder was the same orange salamander she'd seen earlier.
"Tch! So the salamander is your familiar nya."
"Yup. More importantly do we have to do this now? Can't you wait till, I don't know, ten in the morning, before we do this? I like my sleep."
"Then keep sleeping and let me leave."
"Huah… Then shall we go at it again? Same terms as last time." With a wave of his arm, the red gauntlet appeared again.
Kuroka shifted into a battle stance before summoning Touki to strengthen her body. This time she won't underestimate the boy; she'll go all out from the get go.
xxxxx
Much like her first and second fight with the Sekiryuutei, Kuroka lost when Issei summoned forth the strange green flame. Undeterred though from her failure, the nekomata attempted another escape on the third day of her imprisonment… and the fourth day… and the fifth day…
By the end of the week, it wasn't just about escaping anymore. It was also a matter of pride for her as a nekomata. Kuroka was determined to hit the boy at least once.
Before she knew it, three weeks had passed and the 'bet' had become a daily ritual before breakfast. Each morning, the nekomata would challenge Issei to a fight, and each morning she would need to be practically carried back into the house for breakfast. After regaining her strength, the Sekiryuutei would then show her a new pastime and the two would spend the rest of the day having 'fun'. Sometimes it would be something as mundane as reading a new book or playing a board game and other times, the two tried more physical activities, like table tennis or soccer. Then there were the days where Issei hyperactively showed off a new video game. When night fell, the two would sleep in their respective rooms and the whole process would repeat itself the next day.
It was odd. Imprisoned as she was, Kuroka had more freedom then she ever had before. Unlike the past, the nekomata didn't need to constantly watch her back. She had adequate shelter and clothing, and she was well fed every day. There were no obligations and no master to answer to. In fact, her stay in the Hyoudou residence had been the most comfortable she had been in her life.
But that was the crux of her growing depression. She didn't deserve this comfort. Not when she deserted Shirone to an unknown fate. For all Kuroka knew, her little sister could be starving in the cold, while she was indulging herself in luxury.
Eventually, Issei couldn't write off her odd behaviour as an act of rebellion against her capture and confronted Kuroka when she had stopped eating after just a few bites. "What's wrong? You've hardly eaten anything."
"…I'm not hungry." She ignored her gnawing stomach protesting otherwise. The nekomata had been pushing herself even harder during their fights, often to the point of self-injury. Combined with her recent voluntary starvation, Kuroka's general health had taken a plummet.
The Sekiryuutei had an idea of the cause, but wasn't sure how to touch upon the delicate subject. In the end he decided to just be blunt. "Starving yourself won't help your sister in any way."
That instantly got her riled up. Violently slamming her hands onto the table, the nekomata inadvertently snapped the piece in half and sent food flying everywhere. Not caring for the sudden chaos, Issei remained sitting in his seat as if nothing had happened.
"What do you know nya?! I went through hell protecting my only family and gave up everything in order to guarantee her safety! What have you gone through?! You're just some naïve boy who has lived comfortably all his life with no hardships!"
Stepping over their ruined lunch, Kuroka aggressively lifted the boy into the air by his collar. "Well?! Aren't you going to say anything?!"
Calmly removing her hold on him, Issei nonchalantly dusted off his clothes before turning away from her. "I'm going out for the afternoon. Watch the house for me."
That was the last straw.
In an instant, Kuroka's claws lunged towards the boy's heart, full of killing intent.
But Issei was faster. A flash later, the little boy's form was replaced by the towering red armour of the Sekiryuutei. Her attack bounced harmlessly off the armour plating and a counter punch was sent towards her face. Kuroka clenched her eyes closed and braced for the pain.
Except, instead of the blunt force trauma she was expecting, a single tap to the forehead was all she felt before the familiar warmth of the green fire once again sapped her strength.
Dismissing his armour, the boy propped Kuroka against the wall before addressing her. "Don't just assume that I've had an easy life… I'll be back by dinner, stay here like a good cat."
xxxxx
"…Nya…?" The scent of grilled fish slowly aroused Kuroka from her sleep. Her muscles were sore from the odd position she had slept in and the nekomata spent a few moments stretching before opening a bleary eye. As her blurry vision steadily focused, she managed to make out the rough form of Issei. "Ugh… What time is it…?"
"9:30, you've been sleeping for quite a while."
"I see…" Suddenly, the argument from earlier that noon came rushing back to her mind and Kuroka instantly jolted awake. "YOU-"
The words died in Kuroka's throat as she got her first good look at the scene in front of her. It wasn't the dining table laden with food and restored to pristine condition which surprised her; it was the physical appearance of Issei.
In all the fights she had with him over the past three weeks, the nekomata had been unable to even scratch the boy. Yet, right in front of her eyes, the eleven year old was covered in large dark bruises and appeared to be completely exhausted.
Issei sipped his tea before holding up a file folder. "I have information about your sister."
That instantly caught her attention.
"After your escape from the underworld, your sister was captured and was about to be executed-"
"WHAT?!"
Issei raised a hand to stop her. "-was about to be executed until Sirzechs Lucifer himself interfered. Lucifer put her under his protection and got his own little sister, Rias Gremory, to care for her." Passing the file folder to her, Kuroka opened it to find pictures of Shirone being hugged by a girl with crimson red hair. "Last I heard, your little sister has become the Gremory heiress's Rook and taken the name of Toujou Koneko. As you might know, the Gremory Clan is known for their great affection towards those they consider family… She's completely safe now."
Joy, along with a myriad of other emotions welled up inside the nekomata as she processed the information. Sorting through the various photos, she froze when she saw one of little Shirone softly smiling. Against her will, droplets of tears plopped onto the photo.
"…T-Thank you…"
The boy grinned. "No need to thank me. It's information about your family. It's only right for you to know."
Standing up with a little difficulty, Issei limped towards the hall. "Now if you don't mind, I'm going to bed. The contacts I met in the underworld talked quite enthusiastically and I'm completely worn out. Take the time to eat dinner and rest yourself."
xxxxx
After that night, Kuroka's relationship with Issei changed significantly. Their previous warden-prisoner atmosphere shifted to one of amicable housemates. With just six months of time, Kuroka's personality had done a shocking 180. The cautious, untrusting, easy to anger nekomata was gone, replaced by a mischievous, fun loving, and occasionally lazy cat.
But those weren't the only changes Kuroka was going through.
"Issei-chin?"
"Hm?"
"Do you have any more clothes in a larger size nya? My old ones are a little small now, especially around the chest." The nekomata tugged irritably at her collar, temporarily relieving the pressure on her developing breasts. Secretly, Kuroka enjoyed the way Issei's eyes lingered on the strained fabric of her tunic.
No matter how hard he tried to hide it, the nekomata had found out rather quickly that the boy harboured quiet an interest in the female body. Still, she pretended to be oblivious of the fact.
It was just too fun making him panic.
"Nya? Issei-chin you there?"
"Gya?! R-Right! Clothes! U-Uh… I-I guess it's about time to go shopping..." The boy rubbed the back of his head while blatantly averting his eyes. "And I do want to pick out a few new games…"
And that's how Kuroka found herself visiting a human civilization for the first time in years.
"Remember Kuroka, I'm making a special exception for this trip. Don't go too far away from me and absolutely keep your nekomata traits in check. Got it?" The girl absently nodded, too enthralled by the new sights and sounds. While this wasn't her first time in a human settlement, it was her first time in a metropolis with modern amenities.
Though he sighed at her inattentiveness, Issei was smiling inside at her happiness.
Noticing something in the corner of his eyes, Issei suddenly came to a halt in front of a seedy looking bookstore. The boy spent a few seconds just staring at the entrance, with an expression as if he was debating over a life or death situation, before turning to his companion. "Kuroka… I'm just going to pop in that store for a few seconds… Don't stray too far okay?"
A glint appeared in her eyes as she saw another opportunity to tease. "Nya? Why don't I come with you? I don't mind browsing through some books."
That instantly had the boy panicking and the nekomata had to stifle her giggling as he waved his arms wildly. "N-No! I-I mean, y-you're looking f-for new c-clothes right? I-I wanted to uh, g-give you a chance to… look around the clothing shops first!"
"Well, if you insist."
Issei sighed in relief. "W-well… Here's some money. Take your time and look around, I'll find you later." Looking over his shoulder several times to ensure that Kuroka wasn't following him, the boy finally entered the shop.
After getting the laughter out of her system, the nekomata decided on following Issei's advice and began browsing through the local shops. Most of the modern fashion was too bright for her tastes and the majority of the clothing didn't click with her. Kuroka spent some time just walking past shop after shop, giving them only a single glance through their display windows. Finally, one item caught her interest. The materials were of high quality and the design allowed her to move unrestricted. Not to mention…
The nekomata went into the shop and immediately purchased several versions of the garment before donning her favourite.
Meanwhile, Issei was using his limited sensing capacities to track down his companion. While it wasn't the smartest idea to let his pseudo-prisoner/housemate to run around unchecked, he trusted Kuroka to not run away. That and he just couldn't resist…
Clutching a bag tightly to his chest, the boy giggled in a perverted manner before berating himself. It was hard enough tracking the nekomata using his feeble skills without getting distracted.
The Sekiryuutei eventually found himself in front of a small shop and raised an eyebrow inquisitively upon discovering its specialty. Shrugging, the boy entered the shop and was immediately stunned by what he saw.
"How do I look nya?"
Wrapped in a pitch black kimono and yellow obi was Kuroka. The nekomata though wasn't wearing the garment properly, allowing the black fabric to slide down her shoulder and revealing a large portion of her chest. Combined with the pair of cat ears that the she had out, Issei's mind temporarily melted.
The other reason Kuroka had chosen this was due to the similarity to some certain books she had found hidden in a secret compartment. It had been a little difficult keeping the kimono on her body but a light application of magic fixed the problem.
"The- Ah, oppai… W-wait! Wait! Wait! K-Kuroka, c-cat ears?!"
"Hm? What are you talking about? This is just cosplay nya?" Indeed the pair of cat ears on her head was attached to a black headband. "And you still haven't answered my question. Do you like it?"
The wide-eyed kitten stare clinched the deal and the boy's mind short circuited again.
Yes, she was keeping this kimono.
xxxxx
Kuroka had learned a lot about Issei in one and a half years. He was a boy who possessed quiet an interest in certain parts of the female anatomy despite his attempts to hide it. He could also be classified as an otaku, spending much of his free time reading manga, watching anime, or playing video games, especially if the aforementioned media contained 'adult' content. But most of all, he was a boy who possessed a compassionate heart.
He was also an absolute monster in combat.
One's first impression of Issei was often misleading. While his physical traits are impressive for a human, compared to most supernatural beings, it was sorely lacking. This was particularly true when examining his magic capabilities. The boy possessed an abysmal amount of magic within his body and his abilities in using magic were paltry at best. One could say his only good attribute was an exceptionally high affinity with fire, but that was practically worthless when combined with his pitiful magic reserves.
In summary, if one were to look purely at Issei's base abilities, they would assume that he would be harmless.
Issei was anything but harmless and Kuroka knew that better than anyone else.
Physically, Kuroka was nowhere near the top-tier levels of the supernatural world, but as a nekomata and devil hybrid, her strength and speed were many times greater than a human's. Using Senjutsu and activating her Touki would increase her abilities exponentially.
But despite her massive advantages over humans, Issei was able to match her in strength and speed in every one of their fights. By using his sacred gear, the boy could increase his physical attributes to Kuroka's normal levels with three boosts and overwhelm even her Touki aura with five to six boosts.
Magic wise, the nekomata should have held the definite advantage. Her magic reserves were enormous due to being reincarnated as a devil with the Bishop piece and her natural traits as a nekoshou nekomata. She was also considered a genius in using devil magic and youjutsu, and she could reinforce those spells by combining it with her Senjutsu. Compared to Issei's own magic abilities, even excessive use of Boosted Gear would have been unable to match her prowess.
Yet, that was what happened in every one of their bouts. The reason laid in the fire magic he utilized. It was unlike any fire Kuroka had ever seen before and appeared to feed on magic. A small fireball, no larger than her fist, could 'burn' an entire barrage of her strongest magic, forcing her to expend more and more energy in order to overcome Issei's defences. The worst part was that the fire would grow stronger the more it fed, and Issei could reuse the flames to counter attack. This was not even factoring in the wide variety of other odd fire spells the Sekiryuutei could use, or the power ups provided by his sacred gear.
It was scary to think that she fought the boy while he was in Balance Breaker form.
Still, this didn't deter the nekomata in the least in challenging the boy to a spar every morning. It was honestly good exercise and improved on her combat skills. That, and she was insistent on landing a solid hit on the boy one day. Kuroka didn't even have to worry about going berserk thanks to the green flames that Issei could use, so she freely used Senjutsu at her leisure.
And like every other day, she was determined to win today's spar.
The heavy aura of Touki had been covering her body since the beginning of the fight but the boy, using his impressive dodging skills to buy time, had since boosted his physical attributes to match hers. Now able to stand on more equal footing, the two exchanged dozens of ferocious blows, neither achieving anything more than glancing hits.
At this point, Kuroka would usually switch to ranged magic, but this time around, the nekomata had a trick under her sleeve. Using the rare times where Issei was away, Kuroka had been secretly training in the space-time techniques granted to her from Senjutsu. Though she hadn't mastered space control yet (and time was completely out), she could still create simple barriers.
And that's what she employed now.
With sweep of her hands and a burst of magic, Issei's movements instantly halted. Bewildered, the boy discovered the source of the problem when he felt the resistance on his limbs from four circular energy barriers.
"Barriers?!"
Kuroka gave him no reprieve and took advantage of the opening. Leaping into the air, the nekomata converged on the boy with razor sharp claws extended.
With little time left, the boy was forced to use the crudest method in order to release himself.
[Boost! X5]
Increasing his physical attributes even further, the Sekiryuutei broke out of his restraints with pure muscle strength before rolling to the ground to avoid his opponent's attack and countering with a kick.
Issei immediately noticed something wrong when he noticed the grin on the nekomata's face. When his kick phased through his opponents body, the boy realized he'd been tricked.
Hundreds of magic circles suddenly manifested all around him, trapping the boy in a dome of symbols. Issei only had a split second to react.
[Boost! X7]
Just as Kuroka's magic circles all released their deadly payload, a wall of red flames sprung up around the boy. The fire barely managed to cover the boy before the deadly magic beams collided with the blazing barrier, engulfing the surrounding area in huge firestorm.
When the inferno finally died down, Issei was revealed to be unhurt though seemingly exhausted.
This was what Kuroka had been waiting for, the result of her plan in countering Issei's fighting prowess.
Over the course of their time together, the nekomata had noticed a pattern: in all of their spars, the boy avoided using large amounts of boosts successively. Having powered up using five or more boosts, Issei would always refuse to use another large power up for around ten seconds, unless in dire situations. Kuroka theorized that there would be strain on his body if her were to do otherwise.
And she was right.
Though she had used up the majority of her reserves with the barrier shackles and the large magic barrage, the nekomata had finally trapped Issei in a corner.
Dropping her illusion and seemingly appearing from thin air, she once again pounced at the boy. Tired, Issei barely managed to bring his gauntleted arm to guard.
His eye's expanded when Kuroka appeared to phase through his limb once more.
From behind, the real Kuroka appeared and launched a punch infused with the last of her energy. The Touki covered fist dug into Issei's back and launched the boy into the air before he came crashing painfully into some trees.
Kuroka stood stock-still and stared confused at her outstretched fist. 'That… That worked? I-I hit him nya?'
And then she realized that she had just hit the boy with a potentially lethal blow. "ISSEI?! Are you alright?!"
Rushing to the crumpled boy, the nekomata was relieved when she heard the boy groan. "Ugh… That is one mean haymaker you have there Kuroka…"
In a reversal of positions, Kuroka was now the one helping Issei stand up. Though in rough shape, the boy smiled widely at the nekomata. "Since you've landed a solid hit on me, you're can finally take your leave huh?"
She stiffened after hearing him. She had been staying in the Hyoudou household for so long that she had forgotten the original reason for these morning spars.
"Honestly speaking, I could have let you leave a year ago. The orders to hunt you down on our side had long been cancelled… I kept you from leaving though since I wanted to make sure you would be safe."
"Nya?" That didn't make sense to her at all.
"Hm? You haven't noticed yet? In all our fights in the week, you haven't gone berserk at all. I'm pretty sure you can use Senjutsu now without consequence. Even if you didn't say anything, I knew you felt bothered by it."
His words struck deep inside her, sending a warm feeling into her chest. 'W-Was that his plan all along? Were all those fights just for me to master my Senjutsu nya?'
"But you're free to go now Kuroka. None of my men will stop you and I won't chase after you now."
"…"
"Kuroka…?"
Without another word, the nekomata disappeared from right in front of Issei.
xxxxx
After seeing his former companion disappear into thin air, Issei sighed wistfully. "She must be angry with me… After all I basically lied to her for a year and kept her as a prisoner…"
From their first meeting one and a half years ago, he had been entranced by the look in her eyes. Those hazel orbs steeped with loss and loneliness haunted his very soul, a reminder of his own soulless stare after the death of his parents. He had decided then and there that he would protect that her no matter what consequences came about.
And maybe he was a little selfish too… His time with the Chaos Brigade had left him yearning for companionship. Sure he had subordinates, and they respected him without a doubt, but he could never rid their fear of him. Kuroka had also been the first person he interacted with in years that was anywhere near his age group. For the first time in a long time, he had someone to converse with, to share his hobbies with, and to be friend with.
For one and a half years, he felt truly happy.
But now Kuroka was gone and he was all alone again.
Trailing his feet, the boy dejectedly walked back to his empty house.
"You're slow Issei-chin! I'm hungry!"
'Great, I'm already having hallucinations of her…'
"Issei-chin? Do you hear me? I want grilled fish for breakfast."
'Hu… How pathetic am I…"
"Nyan, earth to Issei-chin!"
'It hasn't even been one minute since I- OW!' A sharp pain on his cheek jolted the boy from his thoughts. Rubbing the sore flesh, the boy automatically reprimanded the culprit. "What the hell was that for Kuroka?! That seriously… hurts…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"K-KUROKA?!"
Pinching his cheeks again, Issei confirmed that he indeed was not hallucinating and that the nekomata was currently standing right in front of him.
"Did you think you'd get rid of me that easily Issei? I warn you, it's hard to kick out a stray cat once she's marked her territory."
"T-Then what's with the whole disappearing act?!"
"Nyahaha! That was punishment for lying to me! I also wondered what Issei-chin's depressed face would look like but I didn't expect to see your crying face as well, it's quiet cute~!"
He'd been tricked again!
Despite his irritation though, Issei grinned warmly at the 'return' of his companion.
"Welcome back Kuroka."
AN: Hello folks! As you can see I've decided to continue this little story. I won't promise fast updates since my main focus is on my Infinite Stratos story, but I'll try to work on this whenever I can.
I've chosen to write this story like a series of interconnected one-shots (if that makes any sense). This chapter focused on the past and explained how Kuroka met Issei, though I think I rushed the ending a bit...
Anyways, here's a sneak peak at the next chapter (no guarantees that it will remain the same):
[Partner, you do realize this will most likely consume your remaining life span?]
"I know Ddriag, but this is the only way I can keep my promise. I will gamble everything on this one shot... Besides, don't you want to settle this match as well?"
[Hmph... Reckless to the end. But that's what makes you interesting after all. Let's show that white one our power.]
"That's the spirit! Balance Breaker: Boosted Gear Scale Mail armour!"