The Insane Adventure of the Dragon (Fate/Extra x DxD)

[Duncan Idaho]

Until this AN is removed, all chapters are not beta'ed. My beta is current going over the chapters to fix the issues. Once I get the chapters beta'ed, I'll replace the current ones with the revisions and remove this AN. Than you for your patience.
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Prologue:​

Today was a good, no, scratch that today was a wonderful day for one Issei Hyoudou, he had been camping outside his favorite store, for three straight days in wait for the super anticipated Gal Gun Game: From Ero with Love. Rumor said that the game had been switched midflight towards the rating board to make sure it could pass the excessive eyes of the members.

It was apparently, ero, pure and undiluted ero, you used guns to, slowly strip the girls of their clothes, and you could do it at your personal rhythm! If you charged the gun the faster, the clothes would disappear! However... if you tapped the fire button... one piece of cloth at the time would be removed! Issei's nose, bled like a waterfall at the mere thought of such a great game ever being created!
The advertising for the game had frankly appealed Issei, it had popped on some sites he often visited, the tag line of 'are you ready for the ultimate paradise?' the trailers showing the nubile beauties, the amazing ways where each girl was seduced and the use of the strip gun.

However, what clinched it was the new tag line for the trailer, 'all it matters is the harem, conquer all the girls and climb your way to Become the Harem King!'

It was then that Issei Hyoudou decided that came high or hell, rain, or water, he would buy that game! Or it would be the last thing he did in his life.

After days of wait, his treasure was on his hands. 'Precious... My Precious...' Issei tenderly took the game into his hands, gently caressing it. The 3d cover on it was beautiful, it's super imposed image gave a X-ray effect! Truly, this game was the greatest thing humanity invented!

With determination in his heart, he snuck on his house with the game, making sure his parents were not present; he opened the box with a lot of care. In there were two disks, one whose title was blurry.

'M s?' Those two letters were the only thing that could be distinguished from the disk.

'Must Insert? Must use?' He wasn't sure, but for some reason he felt attracted to the disk, it was like that voluptuous beauty of Siren from FFVIII that kept entrancing him, he inserted the game on his PS2 and turned on the console. A bright light started emanating from it and then, he knew nothing else.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Chapter I: Those Boring School Days.​

"…Kishinami Hakuno."

A petite girl, with slender legs and long brown hair that flowed like a cascade stood up next to me.

"Present Sensei!" She cheerfully answered.

"Hyoudou Issei" I answered.

The roll call kept going; it was the same every day. We'd arrive at the gate, we'd get checked by Ryuudo, we'd enter the classroom and attend our lessons.

Eventually the bell would ring.

"Ah, Hyudo-sempai, I was wondering…" I saw her fidget for a bit, a blush creeping onto her face as she shuffled a bit and played with the fringes of her uniform.

"I was wondering if you wouldn't mind having lunch with me on the roof."

I was surprised, no one before had asked me before about that, since I am a *!"·$!"·$%"·$ %!"·%!·%$:%$·%·$%$·%"$41*

I smiled at her. "Sure I have no problem."

I got a smile out of her, I felt something warm in my chest.

"Lead the way then."

Hakuno took me by the hand and quickly started climbing up the floors, after a couple of minutes we had reached the destination. The Rooftop.

She quickly walked near one of the edges and sat down the bento, she made a patting motion next to her, inviting me to sit down next to her.

"This is my favorite place on the entire area Sempai, see?"

She pointed towards the distance, as the classes had ended I could clearly see the sunset. I could understand why she liked it, the sunset was beautiful.

"It's a nice spot, now that I think about it."

"I found it by accident, I was sad that one day, but seeing the sunset, somehow, made me feel better."
"So you like sunsets?"

She titled her head; I could see her thinking about it. "I guess you could say so? I had never given it much thought."
Sometime later, we parted, I walked out of the building and I decided to go to my house, after all, tomorrow was just another day.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"…Kishinami Hakuno."

"Present, Sensei." Her tone was slightly tired, if not vacant.

"Hyoudou Issei."

"Present, Sensei." I answered.

The roll call kept going; it was the same every day. We'd arrive at the gate, we'd get checked by Ryuudo, we'd enter the classroom and attend our lessons.

Eventually the bell would ring, as it always did.

Hakuno didn't invite me, she looked slightly distracted.

I decided to head back to my own home.

After arriving and cooking my dinner, I made my homework, took a hot shower and I tucked myself in my bed...however, sleep wouldn't come. As I sat on my bed scratching my head I heard some knocks.

After a couple of moments, I decided to head down stairs. "Coming!"

I didn't expect to see Hakuno, she looked tired, as if she had ran a marathon, I am not sure what caused her to run like that, but it must been something urgent, she has never given me the impression of being an hyperactive person.

"Please come in."

"No time! I just saw someone disappear as he stepped inside a wall."

I stuck my pinky on my ear, to see if I heard her right, someone disappearing by stepping from inside a wall, what? "Please, backpedal a bit, what exactly happened?"

She took a deep breath to calm herself down before her chocolate brown eyes stared into mine.

"Well, you know all the mysteries of the school? The one that newspaper club keeps going about?" I nod and gesture at her to continue.

"Well, yeah, as it turns out something clicked, I dunno, but the mysteries kinda fell into this assorted pattern, they were all silly mysteries, when you get down to it. A bathroom ghost is just someone who saw their reflection under poor light, scary sounds from the movie room is just someone who placed something wrong or a furniture broke causing things to fall down… but the last one?"She shook her head.

"It's too weird, to odd, out of place with the others, it doesn't falls into anything, it was placed there almost as if someone was doing it on purpose, leaving a puzzle incomplete by removing a piece and throwing in one from a different one."
I furrowed my brow, was it truly like that? Hakuno's reasoning so far hadn't sounded wrong.

"I decided to investigate that one, and I saw one of our classmates, Leo, go through the wall, the wall, he addressed me and someone else, and I wasn't sure what was happening."

"So, what can I do?"

"Care to accompany me to check if it was true? Or if I hallucinated the entire thing?"

"Give me a minute to put on a jacket, I couldn't sleep anyway, and I have nothing better to do."

She gave me one of those small smiles of her. "Thank you, sempai."

One minute later, we were on our way to the school, the doors were open, I grabbed a small pebble from the road and pocketed it before going inside.

Soon enough we arrived at the floor with the wall, it didn't look like anything special, but one of our classmates just walked inside it. I rubbed my eyes.
"I knew it!"

She rushed past me and phased through the wall.

"Wait, Hakuno!" I tried calling her to stop, but she was too fast for me, dammit. After a couple of seconds, I took a deep breath, and rushed in after her.

The inside of the wall was not what I expected, it was a storage room. I could see all sort of school items littered around. However, there was something off, an effigy… no, a mannequin. The human like figure had carved in several places circular red lines that emanated an eerie glow.

Looking towards where I had stepped inside the room I noticed the door had vanished. 'It seems that I have no other choice but to keep moving forward.'

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Chapter 2: Fucking Labyrinths and Smug assholes: ​

I started walking towards the exit, as odd as it sounds, the effigy also started walking, in front of me, it's steps were in coordination with mine, if I walked, it walked, if I stopped, it stopped. This set up seems designed to escort me.
The next room was a radical change from what I expected. Gone was the school, no more gray hallways, they had been replaced by a formless darkness with a road in front of me that lead to who knows where. As before, I have no choice but to continue.

I don't know how long I walked, all I am aware off is that I eventually, reached a new hallway. Long transparent walls rose from the floor, everything was made of the transparent material. I could even see the same darkness below me.
Out of nowhere a grave voice speaks. "If you are looking for answers, you must reach the goal. Now, please step forward."
I mentally snort, as if I had any choice in the matter, considering that my way back just disappeared.
After several minutes of walking, I find a weird, floating purple glowing cube.

"This is an Item Folder, inside of it, there is a farewell present of sorts for those about to face the coming trial. Touch it to open it."

Somehow, I could feel the smugness oozing of his tone. 'Reminder to self: punch the asshole's face in if I ever meet him.'
Before I can even think of opening the object, I feel a shiver; out of instinct I hit the ground. It was a good thing too, as I heard something flying quite fast over my head; I turn around and I see a dark blue cylinder that is floating and has an eerie glowing purple eye.

"Before you is an enemy program. It is programmed to attack you on sight."

"Would've been better if you told me about that… FIVE SECONDS AGO, YOU ASSHOLE!" I scream as I frenetically dodge the attacks of the demented machine.

"If your effigy gets destroyed, you will die. However… you might stand a chance of survival if you follow my instructions."
The smugness somehow keeps increasing, ditto for my urge to punch the guy in the face.

"The Attack Program is currently in Break Mode, it charges wildly and without care in order to crush the defense of his foes. The best way to counter this foe is to simply attack it mid charge."

I keep dodging and my effigy mimics my movements, one false move and it could kill me or damage the damn thing, so I must wait until I can see an opening.

After several minutes of dodging and running, I see it; the program takes a few second to adjust directions between attacks. With a mental nudge, my effigy shoots after it, landing a clean hit, not letting up I keep ordering it to attack, eventually, the program bursts into light particles.

I can feel my heart racing; I just hope that there aren't any more of these damn things floating around. A shiver runs down my spine, somehow, I am sure, I just doomed myself.

With no other choice, I keep exploring the Labyrinth, however, unlike before I don't rush, but rather, I peek at each corner. I don't want to get ambushed in case there are more of these programs floating around.

Turning another corner, I catch a glimpse. Floating, there is one of those programs. Unlike the previous one, this one is green in color.

"Oh, look, another program, perhaps, you are anxious about fighting in another battle?"

"WHO WOULDN'T!"

"This is an Attack Program; unlike the break program it won't shatter your defenses. To defeat it, you must time your guard to open a counterattack."

Like before, I fall onto a mad dance of dodging, ducking and dodging. It takes time for my effigy to raise its guard. Those precious seconds are the difference between life or death. Much like before, I observe, I dodge, duck and dodge as I try to figure some sort of pattern.

The answer eventually comes to me, the program takes some scant seconds to charge at the effigy, and as soon as it starts rearing, my effigy had its guard up. The program crashes against the solid wall that is the defense. Much to my surprise, the effigy is stunned and like it's previous counterpart, it falls too to the rain of blows.

I continue exploring this thing, it feels endless, I keep turning corner after corner, walking hallway after hallway and I can't see an end. I wonder if this is some sort of sick trap intended by that voice.

At the end of a hallway, a glowing yellow program floats. Unlike the previous too, it doesn't seeks to attack me, but rather it stays immobile. I try to bypass it, but it swiftly blocks any attempts by placing itself where I am going. Seems the battle is inevitable.

"This is a Guard program and it wi-"

"Let me guess, it will only stay in one site and defend, so I have to make use of what the first program did?"
The voice becomes silent, I smirk at that, finally I got the upper hand against that smug asshole. Issei Hyoudou 1, smug asshole 2, man, victory is sweet.

"Congratulations for surviving three battles. I suppose someone as intuitive as you must have noticed something; the three attacks balance each other. This means there is no dominant strategy inside this world. With that being said, please proceed."
I notice at last a ramp going down, and at the end of it… a light, the sweet light of the exit and hopefully a way out of all this madness. Without hesitation, I break into a sprint, rushing as fast as my legs can carry me to the finishing line of the damned labyrinth.

I step inside the swirling vortex and a bright light blinds me. When my vision clears enough, my hopes come crashing down. I am still not back in the school, but rather, I am inside a platform of sorts. Three tall stained glasses greet me in there… as well the bodies of my deceased classmates, their bodies have lost all color, and they feel cold to the touch.

As I get up, something sends me crashing to the floor. Another Effigy, from it, I can feel an aura death. It's every move is sharp, deadly and lacks any hesitation, it will skewer me as soon as it finds any opening. I narrow my eyes, I order my own effigy to attack it's counterpart. However, much to my horror, all the attacks are ineffective; it's as if it can read my moves, for every dodge it's already where I would land and attacking me. For every attack, an impenetrable defense is all I find and for every attempt at breaking those defenses, a flawless counter is given.

After what it feels like hours, my effigy falls and with it, my grasp on life. I feel my breath weaken, my sight grows dim.

"Are you giving up?"

My effigy is dead, that's all I can do, the priest said so.

"So, will you cast away your life? Will you throw away your dreams, your hopes?"

The images of Hakuno enter my mind, her warm smile, her kind words, her soft hands, and gentle touch. She treated a pervert like me with kindness; she let me experience something new. She made me feel joy.

I greet my teeth and swallow the pain that is tearing my body apart.

"I won't give up! For I am Hyoudou Issei! AND I WILL BE THE GREATEST HAREM KING EVER!"

A rush of energy floods my body, my pain is washed away, and I feel renovated.

I hear glass shattering.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Chapter 3: So are you my Master?​

I managed to get back on my feet. I decided that even if my Effigy had been shot to hell, I could still live, and that I would live. My dream of being a harem king would not be crushed by this thing.

As I got ready, something unexpected happened; dozens of arrows penetrated the effigy. Although… calling them arrows is an insult to these things, they are big and twisted. Like someone decided to remove the head of a screw and turn the remnants into an makeshift arrow. However, in spite of everything, there was no questioning their effectiveness.

"You might want to move over here, things are going to get pretty explosive in a minute."

I decided to take the wisest option and run for it. I had no idea if the voice of the woman was telling the truth, but if it was, then I had no desire to be standing at ground zero when that thing blew up sky high.

Not long afterwards, I clearly heard the distinctive sound of an explosion going off, I turned my head to look, and to my surprise, there was nothing left of the effigy. Only a giant crater was left in its place.

I look up to see my savior, it's a girl. A girl with large Oppai, wearing red garments with a black armor, her skin is white as the snow and the color of her hair matched that of her skin, but oddly enough, neither her skin or hair are the most attractive qualities of her. It's her eyes, eyes red as a rubies, eyes that shine like jewels.

"Who are you? I mean, I am grateful you saved me, but…"

She chuckles and offers me her hand, I take it without hesitation. Once I am standing up she looks directly at me, all traces of amusement have vanished from her face.

"I ask of you, are you my master?"

My brain freezes. Is this girl in some sort of BDSM club? Is this how it feels taking to the face one revelation too many that your brain collapses? I suppose that it must be like this.

"What."

The girl started snickering before going to a full belly laugh. "Oh my god, I can't believe it! There are really two people! Oh this is too funny!"

I stared at her blankly. "Oi! Oi! What's so funny!?"

"It's just that, I knew someone who got dragged into a very similar thing like this once and I had a running bet with a friend. If it happened once, it can happen again. She adamantly refused to accept that."

I still had no idea what she was talking about.

"All right, look. You have been dragged into this big tournament called the Holy Grail War. There are 129 masters, well 130 counting you. Their goal is to kill the other masters in the tournament. For what reason do they kill? For a wish… one wish of unlimited proportions, the winner can wish for anything they want to and it will be realized."

Before I can answer, she continues.

"Well, that is assuming this thing is the legitimate thing and not a grail filled with the remnants of a kid turned Heroic Spirit and became part of the grail by sheer accident and carries the curse of all the world evils and activating it will somehow kill all of us horribly."

*Beat.*

"But I am like 60% sure this isn't the case."

I have no words; one unlimited wish means I can get my dream of being a harem king become a reality! However… that last bit is worrying, scratch that, it's going to be giving me nightmares for the rest of the war!

"Is it truly an unlimited wish?"

The girl shrugs. "I have no idea, as far as I know, no one has ever made the wish. Because either, mutual total party kill or they found about the nature of the Grail and decided to blow it up. Anyway, the war is composed of different servants, people who in life achieved such great deeds that their souls were recorded on a place called The Throne of heroes."

The girl produces a brush out of nowhere and makes some stick figures on the floor; I suppose they represent what she is talking about.

"The Grail can in turn create a copy of this person and shove it into a class. There are several classes, but the main ones are Saber, Caster, Archer, Lancer, Rider, and Berserker."

More figures were drawn on the floor, one with a sword, another with a staff, one with a bow, another with a lance, the next one with a horse and the last… frothing from the mouth…? I blinked, that was odd. But I think I got it. "Each of the servants was really good at what they did or their legend somehow makes it relevant for them?"

She nodded. "More or less, there are always outliners in things, believe it or not."

Then she looks at me. "So, do you accept being my master for this Holy Grail War?"

I shook my head. "No, I don't want to be a master."

She opens her mouth, but I cut her off.

"If we are going to do this, then I want to be partners, equals." I extend my hand to her.

She smirks claps it. "All right then, partners. I am the Archer Class Servant, but I feel that title is too long and cumbersome for me, feel free to call me Archerko."

I feel a burning sensation on my hand, I look at it and slowly a crest is forming on it. It looks like a face of sorts.

I take a minute to scan my surroundings; I don't see a way out. "So, how do we get out of here?"

As if by magic, a portal springs out of thin air.

"Well, that seems our way out partner."

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Chapter 4: Nurse!
​

I was glad to be able to breathe the air of the school again. After the labyrinth, the air of the school was a soothing balm to my spirit. I honestly thought I wasn't going to make it.

I decided to leave those negative thoughts aside and focused on my current target: finding if my kouhai was all right. I didn't saw her among the bodies, so hopefully she is alive and well. To achieve my goal, I must confront the fiercest obstacle this school has. No, not the 3rd​ rate Snape imitator that is our history teacher, nor the creepy priest, no. My obstacle was of a more deadly nature: Our Homeroom teacher… Fujimura Taiga, aka T.I.G.E.R. Even in the privacy of my thoughts, I refuse to say the name out of fear for summoning her wrath.

I still feel sorry for the poor guy who called her that, as a punishment he had to do 1000 Shinai strokes.

Fujimura-sensei was actually easy to find, she was tall for a Japanese woman, wore a yellow shirt with stripes and a green apron, with a little effort and directions from my classmates I ended finding her.
"Waaaaaaaaa!!!!!!! Hyoudou! I need your help!" She suddenly grabbed me by the shoulders and started violently shaking me back and forth.

"My Shinai! My precious Shinai! The one with my Tiger strap has gone missing! It somehow landed on the arena! Please Hyoudou! You are my last chance!"

"No problem sensei! But, I was wondering if you didn't mind doing me a favor!"

Her crocodile tears instantly vanish, quickly replaced by a cheerful demeanor. "Of course! Anything for my favorite student!"
I resist the urge of pointing that she pulls that line on everybody. "I was wondering if you knew where my Kouhai, Hakuno is."
"Oh! That's no problem! She is in the infirmary."

What. Oh God I hope she is all right. Without thinking about it I start walking and I ended rushing over the infirmary, slamming the door open I see her and some tanned guy with a red coat. I ignore him and move towards her. I think I heard a crash on the background, but I can't be sure.

I quickly reach the bed she is in. To my relief she is simply sleeping.

"Don't worry Issei, she is simply suffering from exhaustion, her body is recovering from the large amounts of magic she ended expending in summoning her servant." I sigh in relief.

"I would like to know who are you, and what your relationship with my master is." The tanned man lightly glares me.

"Well, you could say they are lovers." What, wait, Archerko!?

"I have already heard of all the things they do at night. Nocturne hours of a romantic rendezvous, filled with hot and steamy passion, two lovers meeting in the night, wondering what were the chances they'd meet… interweaving their feelings in private. Giving each other glances of forbidden love." My eyebrow starts twitching, while I am happy I shared a date with such a cute girl like my Kouhai, I wasn't sure what I felt for her.

"Let me guess they were strangers and fell in love at first sight?"

Archerko nodded with a smirk on her face. "Yep, Master says that for them love was a warm dance away."

The bronze-skinned servant face slowly started gaining a similar smirk. "They never thought that they would be sharing love, until they exchanged glances for first time?"

"Yep. Then she dragged him to a love motel." Glancing at my side, I saw that Hakuno was awake, but just as red as I am.
"All right Archerko, I think you had your fill of fun for today."

She started pouting at me. "Mou, partner, you are no fun."

"Trust me I am plenty fun, when the mood is right."

She moved in an instant close to me and whispered into my ear, with the most seductive tone I had ever heard out of the mouth of a girl. "I am sure you'll tell me all about it tonight."

I couldn't stop it, my nose started bleeding like a waterfall at the images my mind conjured… meanwhile, Archerko was snickering again at me.

"So, what is your relationship with my master?" The man asks again, however, this time the old aura of amusement is gone. Instead, a deathly calm is set on his face. A wrong answer would spark conflict and after such a long ass day that's the last thing I wanted.

"She is my Kouhai, she invited me once, to have lunch with her and dragged me into this mess. Actually, she is the only girl that has been so nice to me in my entire life. So I'd rather not fight her at all."

The man's steely eyes keep me pinned; I noticed Archerko is discreetly making a set of swords appear. After what felt like ages, he spoke again. "Such a willful master I have and such strange friends she has. You know that there can be only one, right?"

"She's my friend."

The steely gaze softened for a moment and the man sighed. "I think I'll leave you be for now."
I noticed Archerko had also gone somewhere else.

"I am glad you're all right Sempai."

Some of the tension I had over my shoulders eased off at hearing her speak. "Thanks, I am glad you're all right."

"So, we both got a couple of sarcastic servants."

I groaned. "Please, don't mention that, I shudder at what that girl is going to pull on me next."

She chuckled and I couldn't help but to do the same, soon we were both laughing.

"Hey, sempai. What do you think if we met later for lunch?"

Is… this what being asked out on a second date feels like? I didn't even had to think about my answer. "Sure!"

I saw her relax, so she was just a nervous as I was? Somehow, the idea surprises me. Hakuno had always had this air of confidence about her. It was good to know that she could feel just as nervous as I am, I felt like I was getting to know her better.

I bid my Kouhai goodbye and decide to see what has changed. As I stroll through the school I hear voices.

"Pah, stupid servant, you can't do anything right."

"B-b-but master, it isn't my fault, there are areas where I can't enter!"

"I don't care, what sort of Caster are you then? And you aren't even the version I needed. I wanted Greece Greatest Witch and what I got? A stupid girl who is barely starting to learn how to cast spells."

Then, the man does something that makes my blood boil. He hits her, not only that, but he hits her in such a way she falls down the stairs. I see red. All I know is that I moved and that my fist, somehow, has landed in his face.

"Oh, so you are my opponent for this round? As I suspected, you are a typical Asiatic barbarian. CASTER! Come here and defend your master!"

Archerko moves immediately to protect me.

A voice resounds over the school.

WARNING FIGHTS BETWEEN THE MASTERS ARE PROHIBITED SE.RA.PH WILL FORCIBLY CEASE HOSTILITIES WITHIN THREE MINUTES.

WARNING FIGHTS BETWEEN THE MASTERS ARE PROHIBITED SE.RA.PH WILL FORCIBLY CEASE HOSTILITIES WITHIN THREE MINUTES.

Three minutes? Plenty of time for me to teach the blonde pretty boy a lesson in manners. I glance at Archerko and she nods, already divining my intentions.

I am not exactly an expert in fighting, however what I do know is that this asshole is greenier than I am. For good measure I smash my fist on his jaw as he retaliates with a cross counter. I grunt, but the pain is nothing when compared to the one I felt when the command seals were carved in my hand.

I knee him on the gut, then I clap my hands and I smash my joined members against his skull.

As he tries to recover, I kick him on the side. I have no idea what he can do, and from my experiences with the Programs in the prelims, giving your opponent time to do anything, is a good idea.

"CASTER!" He roars again. Nevertheless, the purple haired girl is currently tied battling Archerko. My partner moves with a grace akin to the biggest ballet dancers, she weaves and dodges the rain of spells that caster sends her way. She is not attacking, merely toying with her, if she used the arrows that blew up the effigy, no doubt the fight would be over already.

WARNING HOSTILITIES ARE BEING FORCEFULLY TERMINATED.

Just like that a wall comes between us.

The bronze skinned asshole stands up, wiping the blood from his mouth. "You are dead you hear me, you barbaric Asian monkey! I'll use your body as a fuel for my experiments!"

He turns to caster. "Wench, heal me."

"I-I don't think it's such a good idea here master, others mig-"

I grit my teeth again; the man punches her, right into her face.

"That is not my problem, follow my commands, or I will employ a command seal on you, stupid wench."

She takes some sort of dagger and stabs him with it, the bruises all fade away. However, the next thing he does is grab the girl by her hair and slam her against the wall. "The next time you disobey a command, I'll use my command seal to make you feel unimaginable pain. Do.You.Understand?"

I barely hear her whisper of yes and if it weren't for Archerko somehow holding me back, I would be pounding the wall.

"Hey! Caster, you don't have to tolerate that asshole!"

"Ha? Oh, you Asians are more ignorant than I thought, she is my servant, I can do with her as I please. "

"Caster get us out of here."

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Chapter 5: The Great Heist.​

My Tablet rang; turns out, I had been assigned room 2C as my new residence. I decided to check my room. It was barely furnished; it had a bed, some books, and a bathroom.

I sat on my bed, trying to think some way to rescue that poor girl. That blonde haired pretty boy had pissed me off quite a bit. To raise a hand against a woman, unless it was in self-defense, it was unforgivable. More so when she looked so young and innocent, that didn't sat well with me.

Archerko is looking at me thoughtfully.

"If you could break her away from that man, what would you do?"
I stared at her.

"Would you treat her as you did with me? Or would you enslave her?"

I glared at her. "Never. I'd give her a choice."

"What choice?"

"She can stay here, on my room or she can try and find a different Master."

"… and if she chose you?"

"I'd ask her if she was sure."

We don't talk for a few minutes, but Archerko keeps staring at me.
She calls my name, no amusement is in her tone this time around, her eyes show a cold and steely glint. Not unlike Hakuno's partner. "I have… an ability, I am able to discern the identity of the servant by looking at their weapons. She is Medea of Colchisis, well, are younger version of the woman."

I remember we had studied Greek legends in class, I always thought Jason was a dick. "I don't care, she could be a demon and I would still try to save her. No one deserves to be treated that badly."

Her gaze softens a bit. "This is not the first time I have fought against a version of her, I posses what is known as a reality marble, in my case it grants me a few things, among them in my case is that I can records the weapons of servants used in the war and reproduce them. The caveat is that I cannot do so perfectly, but they are still accurate enough reproductions that the effects of the weapons are active. In this case, her older version has a different noble phantasm: Rule Breaker. It's a small dagger, almost shaped like a cartoon lightning bolt that can nullify all contracts."

My eyes widen.

"Yes, if you truly want rescue her, we need a plan."
"What can you tell me about the guy."

I thought about it for a bit. He seemed arrogant, over confident, he kept insulting me for being Asian… so he must have a lot of pride. 'Pride…?'

"Do we need to wound his pride to lure him out?"

"Yes. Magi, like him are a bunch of arrogant asses that believe they have, as the saying goes, God grabbed by the Balls. They believe the world is their plaything and they must do anything in their power to reach the ultimate end of the Magi. Which explaining would take too long and is not relevant for now. They key thing is pride. Wound it and I guarantee he will be frothing at the mount." An evil grin appears on my partner's face. One, I can't help but mirror.

"First, we must attack him at his level, while we don't know his craft, we know he claimed that he would use your body as a source of energy… that narrows it down, significantly. While a few magi are perfectly capable of using that, it's too wasteful for their tastes… so they prefer other methods, what does that tells us."
"He enjoys making people suffer."

She gravely nods. "He is most likely an alchemist."

"I don't follow."

"Alchemist usually tend to come from an organization called ATLAS, which is somewhere in the middle-east. His skin tone matches the area and he has a small Arab accent. That Increases the chances of my hypothesis being true."
"Ok, so smear campaign?"

She nods. "Smear campaign."

"So where we start?"

"Oh, we don't need to do much, magi are a prideful bunch, throw a couple insults, and most of them will be ready to challenge you to a duel or some nonsense."

"So, say if I made a banner calling him a… poor magi and a general insult to all magi of the world and that he is no better…"
Archerko puts her hands over my shoulders, I feel her trembling… "Issei."

"Yes?"

"You are perhaps, the most awesome master I have ever had!" Then she proceeded to cackle, evilly. Somehow, I think I should be feeling bad for the asshole, but I can't care to feel like that when Medea's face nearly filled with tears shows up in front of me.

I think, some, might call excessive what Archerko did. I am not among those. For starters, she spent the night drawing papers with the guy's description, calling exactly like we talked. A failure of a magi, someone who is merely inferior for having eastern blood in his veins and a failure of a master because he had to threaten his servant constantly.
To make things worse, we managed to get a couple students to distribute pamphlets she made with the same thing.
It worked as we expected, the guy flew into a rage.

"By the power this command seals confers upon me, DON'T STOP UNTIL TH AT ASIAN MONKEY IS DEAD, BY THE POWER OF THIS COMMAND SEAL I ORDER YOU TO FEEL PAIN FOR EVERY FAILURE, FOR EVERY TIME YOU DO NOT LAND AN ATTACK!"

That… we didn't anticipate.

"So, you aren't even capable of fighting on your own, asshole!? You have to cower behind your servant like a coward to fight me!? Man , I bet the folk at Clock Tower would be having a ball of laughs seeing you sending after me a girl, look at me, I am a blonde asshole and I am so scared of one 'Asian Monkey' that I have to order my servant to go after him! I can't even defend my honor!"

I could see his face twisting into a bigger rage, apparently the mention of Clock Tower had helped.

I could hear Medea letting out a cry of surprise. "Why I can't move!?"

"That is my secret." Archerko said as she gave a wink to the girl. As it turns out she had copied from an agent of the church a weapon that could pin shadows and somehow would make them unable to move.

"Now it's just you and me asshole, our servants aren't fighting and there is no wall to protect you this time!"

I started running and I landed a flying knee on the asshole's face. The surprise attack didn't last long as he used his bigger body to push me off him, he attempted to follow up by kicking my ribs. I rolled to the side, and I stood up. Pretty boy was already charging at me. I managed to dodge by a hair's breadth and couldn't resist pouring more salt onto the wound.
"Ole!"

Apparently, the commentary was unwanted; the asshole grew even angrier than before. Pity, not everybody can appreciate humor.

The man started chanting in some foreign language I didn't understood and judging by his tome what was about to come
wasn't good. 'Oh, shit, oh shit. Dammit! Archerko, hurry up! I don't want to become roasted Issei! I don't want to die! I haven't even lost my virginity yet!' Those were my thoughts as I started to run like crazy all over the place.

It worked, for the most part, most shots still graced me, but at least I didn't became a Swiss cheese.

Then, asshole pretty boy freezes. For an instant, his expression of rage morphs into one of pure confusion, then once more, pure rage crosses his features.

"What have you done!? What did you do!?" In the blink of an eye, I can feel his fingers digging at my throat. Even as I feel him strangling me I smirk. "You bastard… I gave you your due. You treated the poor girl like that, now you lost her. Serves you right."

He increases the pressure and as I hoped, Archerko is already on the move. It seems she wants to make this as flashy as possible. A red spear with barbs has materialized on her hands. Two words leave her mouth. "Gae Bolg."
For an instant space and time are distorted, causes and effects are inverted. The bastard spits a glob of blood in front of me before he looks down. The spear has gouged his heart out. He looks in confusion and then, horror, before his lifeless body lets go of me.

Good thing too, as I feel myself quickly losing consciousness, those burns must've hurt more than I thought.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Chapter 6: Talks.​

I woke up to an unfamiliar ceiling. Last thing I remembered was falling unconscious after blonde asshole tried strangling me… and I don't feel in pain. I suppose Archerko must've dragged my body to the infirmary and the Nurse must've hooked my body on some pretty damn good painkillers.
"You are awake."

A soft voice startles me. I turn my head to the side, and there is the girl. Medea. Now that she didn't had her hood, I could see that she had a short hair, her eyes held a distinctive color, somewhat reminiscent to that of sapphires.

"You all right?" I croak. My voice is a bit raspy, I must've been asleep for quite some time.

She coolly stares at me, as if evaluating my being.
"Why did you break the contract?"

I tried to smirk, but I felt a bit of pain. Nonetheless, I still manage. "I can't see a cute girl in problem and leave it be. Otherwise, I couldn't call myself a man."

She blushes a bit, which just reinforces my image of her being cute even more.

"Y-y-you're avoiding the question!"

I blink at her. "I am not, really, that's why I saved you. A real man, unless it's for self-defense, never lays a hand on a woman or beats a woman, a real man, never touches so much as one strand of hair of a woman without their consent. A real man never takes advantage of a woman whatever their state is. If she is feeling sad, depressed, or if she is drunk or mentally ill, a real man never must take advantage of that. Or if she is married."

I pause as I think over my next words. "That blonde asshole that summoned you is nothing else but that, a dick. He beat you for no reason, he hit you for no reason, he manhandled you for no goddamn reason." My tone grows angrier as the images flare in my mind. "And then he used two command seals to ensure you'd suffer, just because. When I see bastards like him… my blood boils, it really pisses me off. I can't forgive them."

I try to take some deep breaths before my temper runs off. "For me, women are about the most beautiful thing in the world, they are kind at times, frightening at other times, they can be also ugly too. But in a way, they are mysterious too. They have a… mystery about them. I just can't help but be fascinated to them."

"You are certainly different… my aunt Circe always warned me that men are pigs."
I burst out laughing at that. She looks startled and confused.

"Your aunt is not entirely wrong, there are men that are pigs. The blonde pretty boy was one. But, not every man is a pig."
She keeps staring at me as if I was some weird creature she has never seen before. I guess, considering how young she is and how fondly she sounded when speaking about her aunt… she is a spoiled princess? That's the impression I get. She looks like a nice girl who had a shitty hand dealt by the destiny.

"By the way, sorry for not introducing myself early, I am Hyoudou Issei. But simply call my Issei."

The princess looks a bit confused before a light of understanding fills her eyes. "I am the Princess Medea of Colchis. I am the daughter of the King, Aëetes of Colchis, and of the Oceanid Idya. Please to meet you Mister Issei."

Oi, Oi. With that kind of stiff introduction, I feel like I am doing a shitty job here! And what the heck is with the mister! Mister is my father!

"Please, no Mister. Just Issei, it makes me uncomfortable."

She obviously looks uncomfortable.

"Do…, do you know why my master kept muttering at me about how I wasn't going to betray him, like I did with Jason? Or murder him like I did with my sons? I don't know any Jason's or I haven't had any sons! I haven't even been able to leave the home of my aunt yet!"

Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh, this is bad, apparently she has no idea of what she did latter on in her life and the asshole acted as if she knew.

Beat.

Archerko really gave him a good death, the bastard didn't deserve it.

I take some deep breaths through my nose, you can do it Issei, you can disarm this ticking time bomb… this is gonna suck.

If I don't tell her, then she will feel betrayed and if I do tell her it's going to crush her.

… If there is a God out there and put me in this situation he can be sure I will somehow, find a way, to go and punch him in the balls.

"First I want you to know that the person who the asshole referred is not you, and so you don't have to have any opinions on the matter."

I pause at hearing my own words. Oh God, what am I doing!? Those kinds of words don't usually come when good news are coming.

She looks at me. "Go on, please."

I grimace. This is not going to be pretty.

"That version of you, eventually met a man named Jason, of a famous band of heroes called the Argonauts. Your father due to reasons, I don't know what reasons, no one knows. There are like half a dozen people who have different reasons written for why he gave your hand in marriage."

She stares at me blankly, until… "WHAT!?"

"Yeah… and that's not the part that made the asshole paranoid. You see, well, errr, he, Jason... abandoned you."

"WHAT!?"

"Apparently he met a prettier woman and decided that he didn't need that version of you anymore… but by that time said version had given birth to a few sons. She went mad with grief."

Her hands rush to her mouth in order to cover a gasp of horror as her eyes mirror the same feeling.
"She ended killing them. For some reason, it landed her the title of the The Witch of Betrayal. Some stories do say that she ended on the Elysian Fields and managed to live a happy life."

She has gone quiet. That's bad. I need something, anything!

"You have a nice set of Oppai."

What!? It's true! Her oppai are cute.

She looks incredulously at me, before she starts to giggle.
That's good. Bullet dodged.

Then she starts to cry.

"So that's my future, becoming a monster. A woman scorned like Hera is. Someone wh-"
I feel something inside my shatter.

I jump out of my bed, not minding the stinging sensation of a needle being ripped from my arm or the multiple devices that were attached to me.

I grab her, gently at the shoulders. "Medea, please look at me."

Spoiler: Music

​

Her reddened eyes stare at me. "That's BULLSHIT! I haven't even known you more than five minutes and I can already say you are not that person! You are not the woman who was dumped by an asshole! You are a cute girl who was dealt a shitty asshole for Summoner! If you start saying that kind of stuff, then you will lose! Don't let others tell you who or what to be! You are Medea! No one else! Who cares what some random dude who didn't even met you has to say about you!? Who cares what the fuck the gods have to say about you even! Who cares!? If you start thinking they are right, then you are giving them a victory! Punch them in the teeth, scream, kick, struggle! But never, and I mean it! Never let someone else decide your fate for you! It's your life! It's your fucking destiny! If someone else wants to make you fit a role, send 'em packing! You don't have to tolerate those assholes!"

I take a pause to regain my breath.

"If any gods, if any man, if any woman, tries to bend your will and make you be who you don't want to be? Just call me. Call my name. And I will be there, for you. Wherever you are, whenever you are, I guarantee it, with my life. I.will.be there."
She looks a bit panicked. "But the Gods -"

"Fuck the Gods, Zeus stuck his dick wherever he wanted to, Hera was a spiteful bitch who couldn't satisfy her husband needs. Athena and Artemis were two prudes who thought themselves better than everybody else. Ares was a monster who got off war. Aphrodite was a bitch who was forced into a bad marriage. Then she cheated on her husband to see him suffer and spite on him and Hera. Heck, the only guy I feel pity towards is Hephaestus."

I smirked. I also have to thank Julius's sensei's lessons on mythology, who knew they'd be so useful now?

Spoiler: Music

​

"There is this movie I like, where a smith tells the lead a couple of words."

She quietly whispers to me. "What words?"

"If God happens to cross your path, then this sword will kill him."

I stand straighter. "If any god happens to try and screw you, then I will smash that God's face so hard, they will go crying to their mothers. I promise to you. That no man, no woman, or God. Will be able to rob you of your choices, your life is yours."

She rubs her eyes, clearing away her tears. Then suddenly, she hugs me, tightly. "Thank you. Thank you."
I pat her on her back.

Then, the door opens. The purple haired nurse looks at us. "Pardon me, I am not interrupting anything?"

At her voice, Medea quickly pulls back. Dammit. I already miss the feeling of her oppai pressing against my chest. "N-n-no! I-I-I'll speak to you later!" Then she ran of the room.

I give a deadpan stare to Sakura.

She shrugs. "You removed the needle and the monitors, the alarm was set off, and I had to come in to check on my patient." She says this with the most innocent tone possible, but I am sure she did this on purpose. Heh, just my luck.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Chapter 7: Good things come.​

I hadn't known before, but Sakura-Sempai has quite the soft hands and she is quite skilled with them. She lightly prods and touches my wounds but I don't feel much discomfort. Plus I can stare as she does all that at her oppai, which is always a great bonus for me.

Soon enough she ends her examinations and gives me a weary look.
"You were extremely lucky, if your servan-"

"Partner. Otherwise the whole Master-Servant thing makes me sounds like I am in some sort of BDSM RP."
She looks at me with some curiosity before shaking her head. "If you partner hadn't decided to take you here, you would've died. The dead master really wanted you out of the game and on top of that the Caster's spells did some serious damage. If she had arrived a little later, then you would've died. The burns were nearly of 3rd​ Degree, you ruptured several of your muscles too. Then there is the strangulation, while thankfully the lack of oxygen wasn't prolonged enough you still suffered some minor damage in your neck. So I recommend for you to use a Cervical Collar for some time, until the stiffness goes away."

Damn. I knew I had been pretty injured, but getting the rundown like, this… was sobering. I need to do something nice for Archerko in thanks for saving my life. To think I really nearly did die this time… but if I want to get home and I want to realize my dream… I am not sure if I can kill another human being.

Even if it was Archerko, who laid the ending blow on the asshole, in a way, his blood is in my hands…

A knock on the door jolts me out of my thoughts.

"Ah, it seems your other frequent visitor is here."

I blink other frequent visitor. Does that mean Medea kept visiting me when I was unconscious? That's… sweet of her.

"Please come in."

As the door opens a familiar pair of oppai and beautiful legs greets me. "Hello. Kouhai… how you've been?" I try to greet her as normally as I am able to… but I end sounding a bit awkward.

"I've been well Sempai. It's good to see that you are awake."

"So, how long I've been out? Out Sempai here forgot to tell me that little detail."

I see from the corner of my eye Sakura blush a bit. She is such a cute Sempai.

"You have been asleep for most part of the week, it's Friday."

'So, I've been out since Tuesday!? Damn, the blonde asshole really did a number on me.'

"So, what have I missed?"

She tilts her head, thinking. "Well. First, the high blood pressure mess your servant left behind. Apparently after she gouged that guys heart out, two weirdos popped up and started saying how cool and artsy the blood spread and pattern was."
"What."

'That was beyond sick, someone admiring murder? Uggh. I hope I don't have to face them myself.'

"There is a new thing on the church by the garden called Alteration of the soul. It basically allows you and your servant to access more of the power by refining the link between you two."

"That sounds interesting, is it pricy?"

"Well, somewhat, but it's worth it, we and Archer been managing to improve bit by bit, in preparation against Rider and Shinji."
Oh crap, I had forgotten she was also involved in this mess. "Who's Shinji's partner?"

"A boisterous, arrogant woman who owns a giant ship, with equally big guns and dual wields guns. She is also a money hungry bitch. Apparently, she dealt several defeats to the Spanish Armada back in the day. As it happens, Francis Drake is actually a woman. "

Huh, well. That's unexpected.

"Of course, Shinji has always been a brat and keep acting like one, just earlier this week he set up a series of traps to block any one's access to the arena, then when he somehow roped Kirei to authorize a contest to see who could gather the more treasure in the shortest amount of time. With the prize being information on the other's servant. I managed to win, but… he is still a pain in the ass as always."

I nod in understanding. Shinji had always been a playboy in class; it had always irritated me that he always treated the girls around him as interchangeable paper dolls.

"I am glad that you are all right Sempai, but can you promise me that we won't endanger yourself so recklessly? Please?" She also added puppy dog eyes. Urk, that's one of my biggest weakness.

"I'll try my best?"

She sighed and seemed satisfied with that. As she stood up, she gave me a peck on the cheek and whispered to my ear. "For good luck."

I stood still there for a long time. It was the first time a girl had kissed me.

Sometime later, I decided to try and contact Archerko. After some nudging, she was in the cafeteria. We agreed to meet on the main floor.

As we entered the garden, I noticed a man. But to call the person sitting in one of the benches a man, would be saying that an elephant is a mammal. This person was big, easily 3 meters tall. A mane of black hair flowed from his head and he had this presence.

He look at me… and smiled at me? Yeah. He is smiling at me. He motioned for me to come closer.
"Excuse me, but are perhaps, the young man who freed the young Caster from her ill-fated arrangement?"
His tone was kind and gentle, which is surprising when you are staring at a mass of muscles that look like could crush a bowling ball by merely flexing them.
"If I am him, so what of it?"

"Perfect then, you see I am Alcides, an old friend of that girl. Judging by her current age, she won't be able to recognize me. Nonetheless, I have a large debt towards her. She freed me once, long ago from the nightmare of a curse that had been placed on me by the wife of my father. While I couldn't help her this time either, I at least am glad she has been freed from such heavy burden."

"I couldn't let that asshole keep abusing her, y'know? Whenever I see that sort of thing it makes my blood boil."
He nodded. "A good answer, to seek to correct the deeds that evil twists is the mark of someone who follows the path of the virtues. While it is not always an easy choice, pursuing such a path is worth it. It's why when Vice and Virtue approached me, I chose virtue. I could have had all the women in the world, but such an existence would be shallow and unsatisfying."

I blinked at him, he had the choice of actually getting a harem and turned it down?

"But why not having a harem?"

"Ah, it's not the idea of such that I disliked." He said as a small blush appeared on his face. "But rather, how vice offered it to me: No bonds, no warmth, and no emotions, nothing beyond two wild animals copulating in heat."

I nodded, when put like that, it's pretty terrible. If I am going to be a Harem king, I'd rather be one surrounded by women that loved me rather than slaves.

I noticed that he stared at me rather thoughtfully. "While I am not a God in this form, in my life I have learned how to read the ebbs and odds of the sea of fate… I can see you have a large destiny ahead of you, filled with many obstacles and though decisions… Tell me young man, what are your thoughts of this war?"

I reclined on the bench rather thoughtfully. What did I think? That it was suspicious as hell, an unlimited wish from a thing we have never seen, a wish that could be said it had no limits in what it could achieve. I didn't like it. I said as much to him.
Alcides nodded. "Yes, that is true. I myself do not like this setting, there is something odd going on inside the moon cell. What, I cannot fathom. But It is certainly making me wary, back when I sailed with the Argonauts whenever danger was on the horizon we shared similar feelings."

He stood up. "I am afraid my time has grown short young man, I feel indebted to you. So if you need my aid in the future, please do not hesitate to call upon it."

After a few more minutes, I decide to enter the church.

At the end of the hallways, there was a table, in it a large purple cube floated and as if standing guard, two women are seated. One with cyan hair and the other is a redhead.

"Welcome, are you here for an Alteration of the soul?"

"I am. But, was does it consists off exactly?"

"The Alteration of the soul is simply put a link. A, union between your soul your servant's, as you grow stronger, we can strengthen that connection. This is done by hacking directly into your soul and then choosing what to improve. " The redhead answers me.

I turn to Archerko. "You want to?"

She nods. "To be frank, there are problems, I am running almost on an empty tank, while our connection is giving me some of the magic I need to replenish my tank, it's not enough. At this rate I won't be able to do much until three months from now."
Well, that's a reason if I haven't heard one.

"All right. Then, please, you the servant girl, step over here." The red head made a gesture with her hand, signaling the spot between them.

"Not much of a people person are you? You'd get more clientele if you weren't so… blunt."

"Great idea, keep snarking at the woman who is at the moment, knee deep inside your soul and with one movement could unmake you."

Archerko chuckled at her. "Point taken."

"Now you boy, go over here, and don't speak."

Seconds, stretched into minutes and then into hours. The redhead decided to break the silence. "What the fuck."
"Touko! Get off your lazy ass and come here!"

The other woman looked fairly annoyed. "If you are calling me you'd better have a good reason, otherwise I'll make you wish you'd never been born."

"Look, if I am calling your worthless carcass here is because I need it. I am looking inside this guy soul and I have no fucking idea what I am looking at, as much as I hate saying it, for once, you are the one with more knowledge about souls."
The cyan haired woman approached me and started looking at me. The cigar that was on her mouth fell off. "What the fuck is that thing!?"

"Yeah, that's my reaction."

"It's impossible, I mean, I have seen what Concepts can do to a soul, but this?"

"I have an idea, let's try asking it."

I wanted to object! 'It's my soul! Don't go poking around it too much! What if you break it!?' However, before I could object to anything I found myself inside a large dark room, with a giant cage in it and a giant ass red Dragon staring me.

'What the fuck!?'

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Chapter 8: Y GOCH DDRAIG.​

It was a dragon, a giant ass dragon. Red eyes and sharp teeth, giant claws that looked like they could shred anything in their wake… and an enormous presence that made me sweat only by standing next to it.

'What the hell is something like this doing inside my soul!?'

The dragon shifted its massive head and looked straight at me.

"Oho. This is quite a surprise, it's been a long time since someone who is my partner came to me, rather than me having contact them."

I stared blankly at the dragon.

"Since you are not speaking, I suppose you have no idea what is happening?"

"Exactly!"

"I am the Red Dragon Emperor. Ygoch Ddraig. I am one of the two Dragon Emperors, along with my destined rival the White Dragon Albion Gwiver."

"That doesn't tells me why you are stuck in my soul."

"Ah, that. Well, you see, one day Albion and I were fighting and we ended stumbling upon a fight of the Heaven's armies and the Devil's armies. After we nearly wiped both armies, the Christian God, Jehovah Descended from the heavens and stuck us into two things of his creation. Sacred Gears. Tools that humans can wield if they happen to born with one."

The dragon smirked. "For now you have only access to my base ability. I was the ever-growing Dragon, my strength doubled as I breathed. My only equal was Albion, the ever-dividing dragon. Whose power reduced everything to zero. You are the latest of a long series of humans who have been born with my powers."

"So, you still haven't answered the question."

He looked at me. "I have no idea why the gear is currently in your soul, the Christian God was a giant asshole and he always liked to be mysterious, no one knows how this works. Once a host dies, the Sacred Gear might or might not move on onto a new person. One thing is certain. Those who have the Boosted Gear always bring change. For better or worse, everything after their wake is changed. Status Quo is shattered, people change their views, and landscapes are reformed. In the end it's always a catalyst for change."

"So, how do I summon it?"

The Dragon looked amused. "Simply visualize over your right arm the shape of a gauntlet and it'll appear. As far as I can judge you can only sustain a 30x boost before the safety mechanisms kick in."

He looked like he was about to dismiss me when he remembered something. "Sacred gears are not immutable. All the opposite really, the more intense your feelings then equal response will be brought out by the gear. In addition, by training your body and soul, this limit can be surpassed. In my many centuries of residing within the Gear, I have seen countless humans break their limits and surpass their former selves. It's a must if you want to employ the Boosted Gear at its fullest."

I noticed that he was now staring directly at me. "The way my boost works is simple. Let's say you base value is 10, the gear boosts that to 20 and so on until you hit your limit or until infinity if your body is capable of handling the burden."

He looked up and down, inspecting me once more. "I'd day your current value is that of... 25. The Boosted Gear boosts all parameters of a person: Their Speed, reaction time, their magic power, and their reflexes. Everything is double. With you its every 20 seconds that this happens. Nevertheless, with training and determination you can get that time to zero. After all, when I was alive, I could simply start boosting myself whenever I wished to and some of your predecessors managed to get it to -1 seconds. With no pause in time at all the boosts quickly accumulated themselves."

Ddraig then smirked. "I remember that more than one of your predecessors managed to slay a few gods in their wake. That is the way my power works, even gods tremble against it!"

With that being said, I saw him accommodate himself and laid his head in its paw, soon I enough I started to hear snoring.

I felt myself waking up.

"-my Savior and if you have done anything to harm him, you will learn why I was apprenticed under my Aunt Circe. While I am indeed a princess, that does not means I did not learn a trick or two from my own family, especially from when Odysseus and his crew visited the island."

Is it just me, or is Medea sort of hot when she gets like this?

"Stop yammering girl, your lover boy is awake."

She turns to face me and helps me stand up before giving me a hug.

Touko looks at me before frowning. "Tell me what happened?"

I tell them what Ddraig had told me and as proof it wasn't all a hallucination, I attempt at summoning the boosted gear. With some concentration, I manage and now a red gauntlet with claws and a green gem is sitting on my hand.

"I'll make you a deal boy, I'll give you personally, Alterations of the Soul, if you come to me every day until the end of the war."

Before I get a chance to answer, Medea interjects. "I assume you won't hurt, modify, or damage his soul in any way, not only that but will you be willing to sign a self Geiss scroll that has these conditions written?"

I have the faint impression that somehow, I lost the ability to answer.

Touko nods. "I assume nothing else?"

"I also wish to be present on these sessions." Her smile turns a bit… predatory and her eyes hungry as they roam my body. "After all, I am too a magus. I come from the era of the Gods so I might be able access parts that you are unable to."

"Very well, when can I expect the scroll for inspection?"

"You will be getting it later on today."

"Umm, don't I have a say?"

"Well, you do, but then you'd be leaving a potentially dangerous item of unknown influence on your soul unchecked and we can't be sure what the Dragon essence will do to your body."

Urk, Medea raises a good point.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Chapter 9: Training Montage.​

As soon as we had gone, back to our room Archerko and Medea had declared that the rest of the day was to be employed in training me; Touko would also be observing us to monitor the Sacred Gear.

After a change of clothes, we headed to the Arena, to the first floor to be exact. In there according to Medea and Archerko was a fountain that would actually refresh people if they were too exhausted. Apparently, it was also the only one in the entire set of floors.

"So, what are we going to do? I have to go and fight those monsters, or?"

"Considering that you will be having servants after your head and our physical capabilities often exceed those of humans by a good chunk, we aren't going to have you fight monsters, yet."

"Archerko is right, at the moment what we need is for your body to be strengthened, your muscles toughened. For that, we will force them under tear and wear; I can actually cast numerous spells that will help your body recuperate faster, but we don't want that wear and tear to go away."

"As Medea explained, getting those muscles stronger is part of what we're doing. To give you an example, Muay Thai practitioners go out and kick certain kind of trees with their sheens. What his happens to do is slowly create micro fractures all around the bones that when healed make the bone harder. Of course, I am over simplifying the process, but I want you to get the idea. For now, let me clear the Arena, and in the meantime, start warming up. Because in first place what we are going to do is a walk, from one end to the other, several times. Then we'll move into light jogs, sprint."

"That is not a bad idea at all girls. But he is my partner and a wielder of a Boosted Gear. Such mundane exercise will only yield mundane results."

Suddenly a voice speaks from my hand. Everybody is shocked in silence.

"I forgot to mention that now that we met up I could talk through your gear? Or via Telepathy?"

I sigh and grab my tablet; I boot up myTunes and select Cricket Sound.mp3.

Spoiler: Cricket Sound

"Whoops… ermm. As I was saying, mundane training yields mundane results. Partner here, is a Sacred Gear wielder, while it seems they are relatively unknown, wherever we are, there is always the chance of someone going after him for his Sacred Gear. So I suggest a bit of a step up. My wielders always have thrived under stress and danger."

Wait, wait, wait! Ddraig, while appreciate the ideas… I'd rather get the normal training! Going off the deep end is no good! Get me a Mr.Miyagi!

"Well, your right hand knows what it's talking about, I remember when my own teacher once threw me into the middle of a demon pit and got handed five runes and a spear made out of rotten wood. I was told, figure how to escape or die in the process."

All of us turned towards the source of the voice. It was a man, dressed in a blue body suit with lines on it. He wielded a long red spear.

Next to him was a petite twin tailed girl. It was Tohsaka Rin.

"That explains so much about you."

I half expect Archerko to be saying something snarky at the moment, but rather…. She has manifested a huge arrow! No, scratch that! That thing is no arrow! That thing is a spear! A giant spear in a giant Longbow, and she is aiming it towards Lancer! "Oi! Oi! Whats happening here!? Whats the matter Archerko!? "

For a moment I fear she won't listen to me, before her eyes regains her focus. "Sorry Isse, it's just that I have terrible memories about him."

"What."

"For me, the Lancer in front of me is the worst kind of scum. He would pester me to go on date with him! He would pester me to try and marry him! He would even sneak in my bed and pretend he slept with me! He also attempted to kidnap me once! He is an existence I can't forgive!"

My jaw slowly started dropping the more I heard of what Lancer had done to her. It really sounded like the worst kind of guy!

"Hey! I haven't even met you!"

"Yeah, but it was a different version of you who pestered me. So when I saw your face I instantly wanted to smash it into atoms."

"Isn't that a bit much!?"

"He did that for the entire Fifth Holy Grail War and then the Ataraxia Incident. Much of my grief comes from him. Well, until he met Ayako and that girl put a leash on him."

I raise an eyebrow at that last one. "You mean figuratively, right?"

"Nope." She produces a photo with a really pretty girl and a less rough looking version of the servant with a literal dog collar on his neck.

"Well, now that your servant doesn't wants to murder mine, I have a question for you Hyoudou."

Tohsaka not knowing something is odd, but if I can help her I don't mind. "Sure, what is it?"

"How does your servant is capable of using my Servant's Noble Phantasm?"

I clamp down. I don't want to reveal Archerko's trump cards, or rather, I feel like I don't have any right to do so, I glance at her and she is currently pinching her brow.

"If you are anything like the Rin I knew once upon a time, then you won't stop pursuing this topic."

I notice Tohsaka arch an eyebrow, but she motions Archerko to continue.

However, before she can continue, Medea steps in. "I hope you would not mind signing a self-Geiss scroll. While I hope you and Issei don't become foes, information is information, we'd rather not risk you selling the information to someone else. However, to be entirely fair with you, we will also sign a Self Geiss Scroll which states that we cannot reveal your Servant's identity to anyone."

Tohsaka opened her mouth to argue and closed it. She was the one demanding answers and I think it appealed to her that we were this… careful with the information.

"I possess a Reality Marble; it allows me to copy Noble Phantasms with a glance. My 'original self' was summoned once during a Holy Grail War before the magic of the world went away. Due to the nature of the Throne and my own Reality Marble, I once interacted with a different version of Lancer here. I saw him pull, once his spear and it was recorded inside my Reality Marble."

"That's interesting, it is not often that one can hear of a hero that has travelled through dimensions. Still that settles my doubts."

Afterwards, all of us present signed the scrolls. So it had now become binding. I could never reveal Lancer's Id and Tohsaka could do neither to others. Medea might be cute, but I can see how she was once a priestess of the Gods and a daughter of a king, her skill at negotiations is frankly terrifying and her knowledge of how to handle these situations is impeccable. I'll need to do something nice to her.

"Anyway, what you guys doing? Training?"

Well, I had two options, I could come clean with the knowledge of the Sacred Gear and see if it would earn some measure of trust with her or I could clamp again. After thinking it, I decided to go with the first option. It had nothing to do with Archerko's identity, only with increasing my chances of living through this madness.

"We found that somehow, I had become the host of what we assume is an experiment by the Christian God. That guy made an insane thing called a Sacred Gear, and in it, it, he sealed the power of a dragon. I can double my attributes."

Tohsaka looked at me for an instant. "Are you crazy!? Why would you tell me such valuable information!?"

"It concerns nothing of Archerko's identity, so it's not as dangerous to share it with you. Plus it's something that I don't mind letting others know about it. Currently I am training to decrease how long it takes me to reach my first boost. According to the dragon sealed inside my soul, I need to do it under, stressful conditions."

"All right, then I, Rin Tohsaka will help you train. I can't leave such an incompetent person like you Hyoudou. But don't think it's like I owe you one for not revealing my servant's identity and helping to obscure if further or anything!"

I stared… there was no way. No way, Tohsaka was a tsundere!? I glance at Archerko who is silently snickering by my side.

Spoiler: Music

​

Thus, my two days of hellish training started. Lancer and Archerko would clear out the arena then Medea and Rin would set up traps all along the way for me to try and dodge, the traps would also increase on difficulty at either girl's command. This was too force my skill level to increase. Somehow, Sakura had caught wind of this and assisted to my second training session. "I am the school nurse; it's my duty to keep all students happy and safe. In particular one troublesome student who went multiple times to the infirmary after he beat to a pulp… how did he said it? Oh yes. <<For the unforgivable act of Making Girls Cry and Wail by being assholes to them>>"

I blushed. I wasn't that bad, was I?

At the end of my second day of hellish training I was tired, sore, angry at Ddraig for his running commentaries and then giving the girls more ideas, I was pissed at Lancer who simply looked at me, raised a mug full of beer and told me "Meh. You can take it, it will put some hair on your chest." So I was only wanting to go to sleep, however, apparently fate had something in the cards for me. When I was walking towards the Stairs I saw a priest congratulating Hakuno on her victory. Not only that, but I recognized the voice.

'It's that Goddamned asshole of the prelims!'

Without thinking about it much, I approached the man as I silently started boosting. I had managed to get from 25 to 10 seconds. It took my 30 seconds to reach him. I tapped him on the shoulder, he turned to look at me. I smiled at him and then smashed my boosted fist into his face. As I expected, he went flying through the wall, onto the path. I felt a lot better now that I had drained my fury on the perfect target.

Archerko and Hakuno's partner popped up. The latter one whistled. "Damn kid, that's one hell of a hook you have there."

I smirked at him. "Try staying on the same area as him for four hours and tell me you don't want to do that."

The red clad servant laughed. "I met a version of him, trust me when I say, I get it. Actually, do you mind if?"

"Nope. Go ahead. He is all yours."

Archerko materializes at my side and pats my back, rather encouragingly. "Not bad Isse! This deserves a bit of a special reward tonight, you made a number of people in the multiple worlds quite happy! Mind if I call Rin and Join Archer over there?"

"Sure go ahead." I decided to ignore the ensuing madness I had caused as I headed to my room. Medea decided to materialize and accompany in my trip upstairs.

"Why did you hit him? I admit, he is rather unpleasant from his aura but…"

"When I was in the prelims, he waited just until I nearly got killed by the stupid programs and subtly mocked me, he also forgot to warn me that I would face hostilities until it was too late, then he tried to goad me into surrendering and let myself be killed."

I felt Medea freeze behind me as I opened the door to my room. "If you will excuse me Issei, I think I have some words for him. Some serious words about how being an arbiter doesn't means you get to mock people."

I waved at her. "Be my guest. I am too tired at the moment to punt him harder."

I saw my bed. I started to cry in pure joy as I fell on it. I didn't care about my sweat and bloodied cloths. I had finally managed to reach my bed and let my sore body relax.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Chapter 10: The Second Week Begins:
​

The ringing sound of my tablet woke me up. I slowly dragged myself from the bed towards the bathroom. I let the hot water fill the tub as I let it pour over me. The sensation of hot water helped me to relax and my tense muscles slowly unknotted themselves. Then I felt a new sensation. Soft, soft as a pillow soft as a marshmallow, it was a pleasant sensation.
"Room for one more?" A playful voice whispered in my ear. It was Archerko's and the only thing I could think of that had this softness were her- my eyes widened. 'Is this an oppai pillow? The legendary Oppai Pillow that only lovers share!?'

"Well, from your lack of answer, I suppose there is."

I felt as she lifted my body and saw her naked form sink beneath the waters of the tub, letting me rest over her. We rested like that for quite some time. I was amazed at the softness of her skin, at the silky texture of her silver hair. I felt like I was in heaven. Then, she whispered on my ear. "Are you enjoying your reward Isse?"

I grunted an affirmation. It felt amazing. I wanted to shout it to the heavens, but out of consideration for Medea's sleep, I didn't.

"This is not for Kirei by the way, you helped Medea at least by giving her a solid footing. Believe it or not, I could read her like an open book, she was afraid, she was terrified that her new <<Master>> was going to be like the last one… but you proved to her that, no. That you weren't like that. I think, this is the perfect way to help you unwind. After all I have seen your past in our dreams."

I heard her Chuckle. "An ordinary high school student dragged into this and that he has an unique talent or ability? And lacking any knowledge of the grail war? I would've made a killing by winning that bet."

Eventually I decided that it was time to go. I couldn't be cooped up all week in here even if I wanted to. There was also the fact that my room lacked any implements for cooking, so I had to go down to the commissary to buy some lunch.

However, someone, or rather two people stopped me on the way. They were Haru and Sasha. Two participants of the war, I had overheard they were lovers. 'I wonder what they want.'

"Umm, Hyoudou can we speak with you?"

"Sure, what can I help you two with?"

They looked at each before their servants materialized. One was a bronze-skinned boy with red hair and the other was a bronze-skinned girl with red hair too. Both wore some sort of odd clothing richly adorned by all sort of symbols I didn't recognize. "We, as well, our masters, have decided we don't want to be part of this war anymore. I am Rama, and this is my lover, Sita. She was summoned as my foe. Our masters learned that they were too fated to fight one against the other in this round. We heard that you broke the contract of someone here and…"

"You were wondering if I could break the contract?" I asked to be certain.

"Yeah."

"I cannot do that." They looked crestfallen, but Sasha looked irate.

"Hey! Don't lie to us!"

"I'm not! I can't do that! It's my Partner, Archerko who can! I don't know the first thing about how to modify such a thing! So ask her." I pointed with my thumb at the girl behind me.

She shrugged. "Sure, I have no problem." With a simple thought, she summoned Rule Breaker again. "Please extend your arms, either servant or master is fine."

Both servants stepped forward, and then she pricked both of them with the dagger.

"Bam! There you go! You are now Independent Heroic Spirits."

Both of them gave us a deep reverence. "We thank you for this. If you ever need help, please contact our former masters. We will be staying with them until the end of the war."

After some more talking, we parted ways and I was free to reach the Commissary and eat my breakfast. As soon as I sat, I noticed the Fujimura-sensei was rushing… towards where I was.

"Hyoudouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!!!!!"

I slid my food to the side just in case she tripped and came flying to me.

"I need your help!" She grabbed me and started shaking me back and forth.

"Ok, ok! Fujimura-sensei, I'll help you, but please stop shaking me!"

"Thank you! Now, I need some serious help here. Students have started to gone missing."

I blinked at her. "What? But isn't that a consequence of the Holy Grail War?"

She shook her head. "No, that's not it, people who were supposed to have matches this week have gone utterly missing, as if something had swallowed them. SE.RA.PH cannot find anything of them in its system. Even the dead masters and servants leave some sort of record inside the system even when they die. The problem is that these students were in one spot one, then gone the next moment."

That was worrying. "So you want me to investigate the disappearances of the students?"

She nodded, all traces of her child-like behavior vanished. "We only found black mud in the place where they were. It's all that they have in common."

I glanced at Archerko and her face was marred by a frown. "I have some really bad memories regarding black mud. Pray Issei, pray to all that is holy and divine that we aren't facing with what I think we are facing, for if we do. Then the entire Grail War is in danger."

"You know what is going on?"

"Last time I saw the blasted black mud was when the Holy Grail of a version of the war was infected with the consciousness of Angra Manyu, the bearer of all the Worlds Evils. To make things worse, unless you have an ego the size of a Universe, the mud will blacken you. It breaks servant's wills and pops out an <<Alter>> version with their ideals twisted."

Fujimura-sensei looked at us. "Thank you for your theory; I'll send a query to the system to check if Angra Manyu has been summoned."

I ended losing my appetite after imagining someone like Archerko, Medea, or even Alcides with their personalities twisted beyond recognition. The mere idea made shiver in fear.

I ran my hand over my hair. I decided to go and check who would be my opponent this week.

"Oh, you are the Cool dude who made that fantastic piece of art!" A blonde teen kept pointing to me.

"Look at that Giles! He is the guy who made that awesome art with the corpse with the gouged heart!"

"Truly so, Ryuunosuke. Is this the fine artist who produced such a cool piece?" From the side of the boy, I saw a man, a grotesque little man. His figure, hunched; his eyes are misplaced and almost bulging out of his face. "Then allow me to extend my congratulations for such a fine work of art. I am sure my lovely Jeanne would've loved it."

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Chapter 11: Two Peas in a Pod.
​

I had to get out of here. The duo in front of me looked sufficiently insane by claiming it was cool the way Archerko had killed the blonde asshole. Not only that, but their words sickened me. They saw murder as something cool or to be admired.

I felt a tug in my pants. I saw a little girl. A little, albino girl with red eyes and silver hair… for a moment I mistook her with Archerko. I kneeled to her level. "Umm, hello there? What do you need?"

"Mister, I need to go to the bathroom." She whispered to me.

I decided to take the chance and run with it. I grabbed the girl and rushed to the nearest bathroom, which for some reason were only in the first floor, only, away from classrooms. It was a blessing this time around but I would bet somehow that priest was responsible for that.

I left the girl near the bathroom and watched her go inside. I sighed in relief.

"Excuse me." I turned to see a familiar figure. It was Alcides. "Have you seen a small girl, with white hair, red eyes and dressed in a Russian heavy coat?"

I nodded. "She is currently in the bathroom; she tugged my pants and told me she had to go to the bathroom."

I saw Alcides sigh in relief. "Thank you. I lost her from my sight in one moment."

I shook my head. "No, rather, I owe her. I was getting cornered by my opponents this week and they weren't exactly the most… sane ones."

Alcides raised an eyebrow in my direction, urging me to continue. "They were going how cool the blood splatter that was left after Archerko used a spear on the blonde asshole's heart. To be honest, it unnerved me."

He nodded. "I've met such people in my life, my best advice is to tread with care, those who have fallen in love with the murder are dangerous. Especially as they will keep pursuing what gives them pleasure until the fates cut their string and are brought to trial in the realm of Hades."

I slowly nod. Those two guys certainly gave me the impression of being dangerous. It was then I noticed the little girl coming out. Her eyes widened and she rushed towards Alcides, hugging him, or well, hugging his leg.

"Now, little one, what do you say to the nice Mister who helped you?"

She looked startled for a second, before nodding and approaching me. Then she grabbed the sides of her dress and gave me a small bow. "Thank you mister for helping me."

A part of my brain froze. God damn it, she was too cute! "ah, well, no problem."

"Oh my god you are so cute!" Archerko shot and grabbed the girl as she hugged her. "I just want to take her home with me! Can I Isse?"

I gave her a deadpan look. While my partner looked like an overactive puppy, giving me even the dreaded puppy eyes, I had to say no. I had to stand firm! I barely managed it to be honest. "No. I think that also Alcides would have some problems with that."

"Awww." Twin pouts greeted me.

"If the little one wishes to play with you some other day, that's fine with me, but we can't today, we have pending business."
"As it happens, we have pending business too; we have to scour the arena in search for the triggers."

I grabbed Archerko by the neck and started dragging her towards the arena. Once inside, I was expecting more of the same transparent-translucent panels. In a way my expectations were me. However, what I didn't expect was the spectacle I saw inside. 'What the fuck!?'

Bodies. Bodies and blood were scattered all over the place. I couldn't move two steps forward without somehow stepping on a pool of blood. The usual foes the arena had were abscent. The reason why appeared soon enough. A thing, a creature, that didn't belong, I can't describe it. I think my eyes started bleeding at the sight of it.

"What the fuck is that thing!?"

"I don't know, and I don't like it. Get behind me Issei."

I nodded and started boosting. Just in case things got out of control. The creature looked happy to ignore us and keep munch, on whatever it was munching. I have no idea what, I didn't want to think what it was eating. But the from the formless mas of tentacles I could hear the occasional crunching sound.

Archerko wasn't joking, she had her blades raining on the creature, as well materializing her own bow with a spiral-esque arrow. Without a thought, she fired it onto the mass, a bright light materialized and a resounded explosion followed.
"Is it dead?"

She shook her head. "This thing, I am not sure what it is, but it's bad news, Caladbog II didn't help. I have a few other items in my arsenal to try, but that it survived the power of the sword of Fergus McRoach after being broken… is worrying."
"So what next is next on your arsenal?"

"Thanks to a certain arrogant King of Babylon who owns the original of anything, and his pompous majesty showing me his vault when he was trying to murder me. I copied all that there is inside. As it happens, I do have an alternative or two that help me… in this case the spear of Lugh. Rather, the item that the spear was before a legend was attached to it. This never misses the target."

She breathed in and materialized a long black bow on her right hand and a long black spear on her left. As she notched the spear on the bow, it started to change. It slowly started twisting, it's shape changing to that of a spiral. Then she tensed the string and I saw the weapon in question gain a few cracks. "Let's see if it can survive this."

She released the projectile… it pierced the wriggling mass before exploding.

I looked at her, she was panting. "Let's explore a bit more; if we find another of those creatures, we retreat."

She nodded at me. We set on to explore the rest of the labyrinth.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Omake by RoboVolcano4 of Space Battles.
------------
No way, there is absolutely no way that is true."

"But I'm telling the truth here baby!"

Issei rolled his eyes at the person in front of him. While he was walking around the school building, he had come across a rather…flamboyant man. Turns out he was an Assassin class servant, but Issei was having a hard time believing that fact. For one thing, he wore a blue felt suit with white frills. Frills! What kind of man wore frills, much less what kind of assassin wore something that would get them spotted immediately.

Another strange thing was how nice the guy was despite being someone else's servant. After trying to deny the servant's call, the two had begun to talk to each other, rather casually too. But when Issei told Assassin what he desired on the grail, the suit wearing man began to talk about he himself had attracted several women when he was alive to which Issei replied back with, "Bullshit."

"How could you not believe me on this one?"

"Well for starters your teeth."

"I get it! I have bad teeth! But it was a different time. Even then though when I got to modern time, the ladies just couldn't get enough of me."

"Prove it then."

"Alright then, prepare to be dazzled."

Assassin then proceeded to look around until he spotted one young woman walking towards them. The so called man of mystery strutted his way over to the woman, intercepting her. With deep skepticism, Issei looked on as Assassin talked to the lady. Although he couldn't hear what was being said, he did manage to overhear words like, "Baby", "Lovely", and "Shag". What did that even mean?

However that was not what shocked Issei. What did shock him was seeing the young woman who was talking to Assassin begin to giggle and blush like a school girl. She then proceeded to write something down and hand it to the man, to which the servant took and strutted back towards Issei with a look of victory plastered on. Issei looked at the piece of paper in the servant's hand.

"Is that…?"

"Her name and email."

"And she…"

"Wants to talk later."

"…"

"…"

Issei fell to his knees as he began to bow to the servant in front of him.

"TEACH ME SENSEI! SHOW ME YOUR WISDOM!"

"Sensei you say? Oh behave! Baby."

 

[Mr Trickman]

Nice to see this. And that omake was funny.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Nice to see this. And that omake was funny.

Click to shrink...

My friend RoboVolcano4 made it as part of a challenge. There is a large hidden shout out to one of my Favorite Frank Sinatra songs in the fic. I challenged the folks of SB to figure which song it was. Only Robo really figured it out.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Ok,this is my last post until someone else posts. But to clear confusion. The Medea present here is not Lily!Medea but she is neither the Witch of Betrayal from FSN. The former is still hopelessly in love with Jason and a loli. I am not exactly comfortable writing loli's and canon Medea is too much of a jaded cynic and what little love she had made her go to extremes. So I sought a thrid option. Googling led me to this picture:

It pops up in Hollow Ataraxia. I am officially declaring that this version of Medea is 18 years old.

I am clarifying this because there has been some confusion over Medea's age (in the discussion thread of DxD here and over at Nasuverse discussion of Questionable Questing).

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Chapter 12: Revelations​

As we walked through the halls of the arena, we kept finding more and more corpses hung everywhere. Someone had murdered dozens of masters and has decided to start hanging their corpses here, I wasn't sure why, but I had the feeling it was somehow connected to the creature we defeated before.

Eventually, after turning another corner, we saw yet another of those things. I traded glances with Archerko, she still looked tired. I am not sure what those things were, but if it took that much of her to blow up one… "we are retreating Archerko." Without glancing at her, I picked a Return Crystal that I had stored inside my jacket and we appeared back in my room.

"Hello Isse, Archerko." Medea greets us pleasantly.

I wave at her and help Archerko settle down on a nearby chair.

"What happened?"

I ran a hand through my hair. "Bad news I am afraid, and I'll have to contact Fujimura-sensei, but someone has been murdering masters and making a sick spectacle out of it. I am not kidding, some of the bodies were nailed against the walls and the blood kept flowing down and flooding the hallways-"

Medea pales at my descriptions. I think I'll burn my uniform and simply buy a new one or get something else.

Shaking my head, I decided to wipe tablet and send a message to Fujimura-sensei. I need to tell her I see what happened to the masters. Not long after I hear a knock on the door. I suppose it's Fujimura-sensei. "Enter!"

The door opened and Fujimura-sensei stepped in. Instantly she rushed at me. "Hyoudou! Are you all right!? Please tell me you didn't got hurt!"

I shook my head. "The blood isn't mine, I found the dead masters, problem is… that they are all into the Arena stage of this week. They've been bled out."

She gaps. "Any idea as to who?"

"No, I have an idea, but nothing concrete. You?"

"The system has narrowed it down to two masters and an anomaly?"

I blinked. "An anomaly?"

She nodded. "Something that shouldn't be here has become trapped in the system, I have no idea what. SE.RA.PH doesn't knows either. Still the anomaly is strong enough that there are numerous servants being killed along their masters."

I frowned. "Who are the suspects?"

She produced a tablet of her own with two pictures. "Julius Harway, Old Brother of Leo Harway, we know he is a professional hitman. The other is Ryuunosuke; apparently he had been tagged as suspect for several deaths in life."

I scratched my chin as I saw both pictures; there was something… my eyes widened. It couldn't be, but… Alcides words came to me again as I kept looking at Ryuunosuke's picture. My gut told me that he was the one behind this, or his servant, perhaps, even both of them. Hakuno's descriptions and not only that, there was how they behaved today near me too. My gut kept telling me that, yeah it had to be them.

"I do think it's Ryuunosuke, but I can't prove it."

I saw Fujimura-sensei sigh. "If you do find evidence, please give it to me, but please Issei. Do not get yourself into a situation you can't escape. You are one of my precious students."

It was a short time later after I had cleaned and put on a spare uniform that Medea sat in front of me. A frown marring her face.

"Issei, please tell me of the creatures you saw."

I tried to recall them the best I could. "They were black, had hundreds of tentacles, they were also shapeless and looked like some sort of liquid for a few moments. They could be hurt by one of Archerko's Noble Phantasms, but only by one, she didn't test the others, it put a great drain on her reserves."

"Anything else?"

I shook my head.

"Hmm, this is difficult, I have not heard of such creatures, it doesn't matches anything in my education or what grandpa Helios told me in his tales. But going by your description, it seems your foe is yet another Caster. But unlike me, he is more suited to summoning minions."

That seemed plausible, and on the other hand, highly scary. A detail that had escaped my mind returned to me. "The master, also said his servant was called Giles, does it rings any bells?"

"No/Yes!"

We turned towards Archerko. "There is only one Giles we know about, he was born long after your Medea, but the Moon Cell should be giving you some info on this. He served by the side of the great Saint Jeanne D' Arc. Famous for her victories and her burning at the stake by the church, after being declared an heretic and consorting with demons. One of her most trusted friends was none other than Giles de Rais. Who later on went to become an homosexual pedophile and serial killer with his friend and suggested love Prelati, a priest who taught him about demonology and Alchemy. is speculated that led him to the dark path he traversed before his death in 1440."

"That still doesn't explains what the creatures are or where they came from." I point.

"You are correct, not it does not explains them, however. It does give us information. The Library of the school is in reality a massive vault of information. Enter what you want to read and the moon cell will generate a book about it."

"So first time tomorrow we should hunt a book on Giles or Prelati?" I ask, just to confirm our plans.

"Yes, the demon connection is also interesting. Archerko, do you have anything that can be called <<Holy>> in Christian terms?"

I saw her frown for a moment. "I do have a few items, but they are all the prototypes, so I am not sure how powerful the blessings of God are in there."

Medea turned to me, or rather, to my right hand. "Ddraig, by any chance you have any input? Is the boosted gear <<Blessed>> by the Christian God?"

"Nope. The asshole didn't bless several of the Sacred Gears. A few do carry the blessings of Heaven, but that's irrelevant. I do suggest however to instead do something simpler. The girl, Archerko, was it? Eh, whatever, my point is: She can make weapons out of nowhere, get a priest to bless the blades."

We all stared at my hand. "Ddraig, you do realize that I punched the only priest that resides in here, in the face? Not only that, but then everybody else ganged on him."

"So?"

"So, library first time tomorrow and Archerko is going to scan her reality marble for anything of use." We were totally not ignoring Ddraig, nope, not all, no sir.

 

[Mr Trickman]

shouldnt Archerko have some Black Keys in her UBW? And Caliburn as well? Those could work on demonic tentacle minions.

 

[chins4tw]

shouldnt Archerko have some Black Keys in her UBW? And Caliburn as well? Those could work on demonic tentacle minions.

Click to shrink...

Black keys have already been used in the story...

 

[Mr Trickman]

Black keys have already been used in the story...

Click to shrink...

So?

 

[Duncan Idaho]

So?

Click to shrink...

Black keys are not blessed , their utility is to pin foes down. Yes she does has caliburn, but she aint going to break the sword that had a lot of meaning for arturia and shirou.

 

[Mr Trickman]

Black keys are not blessed , their utility is to pin foes down. Yes she does has caliburn, but she aint going to break the sword that had a lot of meaning for arturia and shirou.

Click to shrink...

I think Black Keys are conceptual weapons that harm 'inhuman' things. Mostly used on vampires, wraiths etcetera.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

I think Black Keys are conceptual weapons that harm 'inhuman' things. Mostly used on vampires, wraiths etcetera.

Click to shrink...

I already have a plan to deal with the Eldritch Abominations and that fit Giles theme.

Aside that, I only recall BK's being used in Zero by Kirei to try and stab or pin Kiritsugu.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Chapter 13: The search for the Snow Fairy.​

A new morning had dawned on us. After preparing, we started hashing out a plan to deal with the creatures.

"Archero, what do you have?"

"I spent last night reviewing my armory, there were a few Swords that I believe could be of help also a spear used in the crusades, but that one is to be used a last resource. I am not sure if the blessings attributed to it, are intact or not. I copied them to my RM after I went sightseeing many museums. The first thing I'll use is Roland's Sword: Durandal. The sword, was allegedly forged by the Heavens and gifted to him by an Archangel; I have little doubt the sword would be effective against it. Assuming the creature is a summon from Giles. The other is Caliburn, the Sword that King Arturia Pendragon took from the stone. While not of human making, it did serve the king for a long a time. I am going to say I am not comfortable using that one. It has too many memories, good and sad for me, but if the situation calls for it. I will happily use it."

I nodded. "So first things first, we head to the library."

Once we arrived, we started searching things that could be associated to Giles de Rais. Most stuff helped to make us wary; he was a war veteran and has a decent knowledge of tactics, leadership among other things. Had been fairly wealthy in life before he and Prelati had gone and expended it. Considering this is a Caster version of the man, it seems his Noble Phantasm must be closely associated to the Priest. The articles also mentioned that he was a prominent demonologist, seeking to make deals with them for one reason or another and as Archerko had suggested, the man had a taste for children…

Shit. "Archerko, Medea, we need to find Alcides, now."

Both of them looked confused. "What is Alcides master? A little girl, what do we know about Giles de Rais?"

The color drained from their faces. "I shall take the first floor." Medea preempted Archerko.

"I'll take the outer areas, of the school, that leaves you with the floors and the classrooms."

I nodded and immediately activated my Boosted Gear. By boosting all my attributes, including my speed, I could quickly cover the floors.

I ran through the floors, searching for the figure of the bronze-skinned hero, to no avail. I decided to run down the stairs, to the first floor and check with the others.

There I see Hakuno and Harway.

"Ah, good to meet you two, I wanted to wish you two Good Luck. After all, your foes are quite troublesome for someone such as you. However I have two pieces of advice to give you two: the Marshal has traded his sanity and the Black Knight's Spear has splintered… or perhaps, he has exchanged it for the sword. Please, do not disappoint me."

I stared at him with my jaw open. His attitude, rubbed me wrong. I had the feeling that all he saw us as was as… entertainment. 'Note to self, if I ever get the chance, punch his teeth in.' Who did he thought he was!? Some sort of God?

I shook my head. I gave a glance to Hakuno. "Is everything all right?"

She nodded towards me. "Thanks, yes, everything is fine. My opponent this week laid a nasty trap yesterday and I am not sure what he is willing to do now, even if his own master has decided to seal off that ability."

"That's quite a coincidence then. My own opponents laid down some nasty traps in the arena too. We had to beat a hasty retreat."

I stared at Hakuno as an idea slowly came to me. "Say, Kohai. Have you seen a small girl with a purple dress and hat? She also has white hair."

I saw her pause in thought, before nodding. "Actually, I did, she should be in the Commissary."

"Thanks!" I proceeded to rush downstairs, hoping to catch the girl.

 

[Biigoh]

Illya is going to be in... danger.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Chapter 14: A Tale for the Fairy.​

As I entered the Commissary, I did saw the little girl, a feeling of relief washed through me. 'Good she is safe, now time to make sure the two nutjobs don't get their hands on her.' I made my way to where she was and I saw her noticing me. She gave me a wave.

"Mister!" She called for me.

I waved back and approached her. "Mind if I sit here?"

She shook her head. "No mister. I don't mind."

"So, is Alcides around?"

She shook her head. "Uh Uh. He said he went to beat some bad guys who were being… umm anollyng?"

"Ah, I think you meant a.nno.y.ing" I spelled carefully the word to her.

"Yeah! That!"

I smiled and resisted the urge to hug her.

Beat.

Archerko must be infecting my thought processes, somehow. "Do you have any way to contact him?"

She nodded. "Um! I have Telepatry."

"Cool, also it's Te.le.pa.thy." I enounced the word again. "Do you think you can contact him? I need you to tell him something for me, ok?"

She cocked her head. "He says he is listening."

I picked my words carefully, I could not afford to scare her, or make Alcides think I had second intentions. "Tell him that there are two real bad guys going after little kids, and if he wouldn't mind I accompany you for some time."

"He says he doesn't minds, and he tells me he'll ask you about the bad guys."

I nodded. When I felt a chilling sensation rushing down my spine. I turned to the entrance of the commissary and I spotted both of them. The blonde guy and the maddened Servant. The aura that came from them was oppressing.

The Master of Alcides tugged on my pants. "Onii-chan. I'm scared." She whispered.

I gulped. I had to focus; I gently knelt down in front of her. "Do me a favor, all right? Grab me, as hard as you can and then close your eyes." I had been boosting for some time now and I was starting to feel the pressure of the boosts on my body. Good thing I hadn't dismissed it.

"Ooooh! Ryuunosuke, look! A young one!"

"Oh, that's so cool! We're gonna use her then?"

"Look at that white skin! Those lovely Silver threads of hair! And that perfect face! She'd make a wonderful sacrifice for my beloved Jeanne!"

I hugged the girl, tightly. I took a deep breath, and ran. Thanks to the boosts I had accumulated so far, I think I could match even the fastest man alive.

"Oh ho! Ryonosuuke, seems our prey this week is quite the agile steed this time around!"

I was quickly approaching the duo, but rather than crash into them, I jumped. My flight took me over them. However, Giles de Rais was not known as a survivor and helper of Jeanne for nothing. He fired some spells that ended gracing me in the arms. Somehow, I knew that Sakura would get a patch of my skin for that. I rolled with the little girl and gritting my teeth, I stood up and rushed. I figure that they'd think that I'd take her to my room, so I instead took her to the library.

I took a chair and helped her sit on it, I made sure she was also near a wall and I took seat right next to her. After a couple of minutes, I finally let myself relax somewhat. It seemed the two nutjobs wouldn't be coming after me or the girl for now.

"So uh, what is your name?" I needed to know her name, I'd rather not keep calling her by nicknames or her relevant characteristics on my head.

I saw her hop from the chair. "My name is Illyasvel Von Einzbern. It's a pleasure to meet you…"

I blinked as she trailed off. 'Oh, that's right, I never gave her my name.' Placing my best smile on my face, I spoke. "I am Hyoudou, Hyoudou Issei. In the west I think my name would be written Issei Hyoudou."

She nodded at me. Then she proceeded to grab the tips of her dress and gave me a small bow. "Pleasure meeting you: Mr. Issei Hyoudou."

I laughed awkwardly. "Just Issei, or Issei "

"Alright Mr. Issei."

'She is not going to drop the Mr isn't she?'

"Umm. Mr. Issei, could you read me a tale? Alcides likes to read to me."

I, read to her a tale? 'Well, why not? After all the crazy that this has been this seems pretty normal.'

I brought up a screen and showed to her the catalogue of the library. "Since I dunno what you like, why not pick one?"

In the end, she picked Cinderella.

So I read to her, eventually I felt her fall asleep at my side. The scare must've drained her energies.

I decided to relax more. Not soon afterwards, I saw a familiar mountain of bronze muscle entering the library. I waved at him.

He waved back and sat near me.

"I must express my most sincere thanks to your mister…"

I sighed. "Issei, and please, no Mister, mister is my father."

"Very well, thank you Issei for your help. The little one is very dear to my heart. She often reminds me of my children… before I lost them."

I felt a pang of sadness at seeing the downcast expression of the face of the man. "It was no problem, I always wanted a little sister, but my parents always were a afraid I'd corrupt her with my perverted tendencies, to which I say nonsense. I just have a very healthy appreciation of the female form."

Alcides chuckled a bit, his downcast expression was gone, that was better. However, his amused expression soon gave away to a more serious one.

"Tell me Issei, who are the scoundrels that would dare to threaten such an innocent child?"

I gulped, the face of Alcides was now one of fury, albeit a contained fury, but one that threatened to spill over the edge.

"Ryuunosuke and Giles de Rais. One is a blonde haired pretty boy and the other is the former Marshall of Jeanne d' Arc. The latter is a well-"

"known figure for being a pedophile, sacrificed countless children to summon demons from Hell and was perhaps the lover of the madman Prelati who was a catholic priest and also a demonologist." I see him shrug as an answer to my unspoken question.

"The Moon Cell provides servants information about other servants when their noble phantasms or their names are revealed." He turned pensive, before nodding. He stared at me.

"I have a request for you, please allow me to deal with this scum, they have threatened someone under my care, they have carried a great injustice. Thus as the son of the God of Justice and a Hero who once committed crimes so terrible due to my own curse, that I had to submit myself to the most grueling tasks ever performed by man to purify my soul… these actions offend me. I cannot allow this to continue. Please sir Issei I must do this in penance and atonement for not being more vigilant."

Well, what could I say? His entire demeanor and body language screamed at me that whatever my answer was, he would still carry the actions out. Him, asking me, is merely a formality. He is pissed, he dearly wants to make them pay, his tone of voice told me as much. I, honestly, don't have a choice. While I am disgusted by their actions, it's Alcides who has more reason to fight them. I scratch my head and I sigh. "There is really no option, isn't it?" I ask, rhetorically of course.

"Yo could always say no."

I give him an honest deadpan stare. "It doesn't matters what I say Alcides, I see that you will charge against them in spite of what I say. Well, since you haven't been trying to murder me and I figure you are also a fellow lover of the female figure Archerko and I figured he can summon demons or eldritch abominations." I decided to make a screen pop and write H.P Lovecraft Ctulhu, Nyarlothep. I turned the screen to him. "Also he can summon things like this, we found at least two in the Labyrinths in the coliseum. Do be careful, unless you have something that is outright Christian or perhaps divine in nature, don't even think about fighting these things. Snipe them from at least the next continent over if you can. We didn't fought them at close quarters, but their inky almost liquid almost solid nature made us think of those things as a danger. Do not get conceited, those things might be capable of doing to you far more damage than we suppose. Someone like Giles de Rais wouldn't be summoned in the war without an effective NP nor is he stupid. Mad? Yes, stupid? Hell no. "

I pulled up my shirt and pants, he grimaced a bit. "He attacked me as I jumped over him and his master. As I said. Crazy? Yes. Stupid? Hell no. Wanna know the worst of all?"

He looked at me intrigued.

"What?"

"The nurse Sakura is going to take a hefty patch of my skin for this too. Literally, she scolded me after the blonde prettyboy nearly killed me last week and now I show with burns, after I promised to be more careful."

Alcides nodded. "I know the feeling well, my wife was like that. She once scolded me by dragging me by the ear! Not only that, but she gave the mother of all scolding's! I had gone to hunt some monster that was prowling and I came back with a couple of scratches, she looked a me and started saying how we heroes were all the same, if it wasn't one monster, it was the other. Truly, I loved her with all my heart. My third wife was much the same, she'd scold me for entering into well, sparring matches with my uncles or brothers. She'd slap me upside the head and tell me if I couldn't stop being so… so Spartan! But she was always there to greet me with a big a smile. I think that's why I was among aunt Hestia's favorites. We really had a happy home."

I smiled. "You sound like a lucky man, Alcides. I hope to someday, be one too. Find a girl who y'know, can accept my love for the female beauty."

Alcides lightly pats me on the shoulder. "If there is anything I have learned from being a God young man, is that those who persevere, don't give up, those who have a will, those who keep going against all odds might find their happy ending. I directly made sure of this by having stern talks with my aunts over this. I wasn't happy mortals were the playthings of the Gods. I hate it to be entirely honest with you. I made great efforts and I can easily say it was an effort equal to the labors I undertook. My uncles weren't happy with my ideas, and my aunts neither. But In the end, I convinced them. After I asked them one question."

I gulped, his aura was entirely serious. "What question?"

"Would they be happy, if someone took control of their destinies? Instead of allowing their decisions to rule someone always directed them like in a play? Where their every motion was nothing but a piece of a bigger script? Some of my uncles and brothers openly spoke against me saying that my time as a mortal had made me tender, weak. I rebuffed each accusation, the curse of my stepmother gave me insight, the labors tempered me and taught me that actions have consequences. Power shouldn't entitle people to rule above others, rather, it must be their wisdom that allows this. My father was silent for a long time afterwards. Eventually he said he would not stop ruling humanity, as it was the duty of the Gods. I answered that had never been my point. If a man breaks, a rule a consequence must follow, if a man does so, but not out of his own will, then a different consequence must follow. But man must be allowed to make their choices to truly grow."

I was speechless. So this, was a hero. Not like the tv show ones that delivered pretty moral lessons. Alcides, even after his death kept fighting for his fellow men. I was awed.

"I have one last request of you, please look after the little one. I must take care of two monsters."

He stood up and walked out of the door. Somehow, I knew, that Giles de Rais and Ryuunosuke would not be a problem anymore.
---

First new record! The document has reached 50 pages! And also 20k words!

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Spoiler: God Mode

Chapter 15: Deus Ira.​

As soon as I left the library, I started hunting the duo. They were anything but subtle, so I had little problem picking up the trace. Even the Nemean Lion was craftier than these two. Their trail led me outside the main building, blood splatters, and dark magic swelled up in the air. It was as I had told the young Issei. These two were deeply in love with murder, if they even had the gall to go after a small child. My blood boils at the mere thought and the familiar hum of my anger rising makes itself known. However, I have learnt to control it, seeing my family having such a large temper had taught me that anger had a time and a place to be unleashed. Inside a school full of participants who might or might not be innocent was not the place and the Time would be when I found those two.

As I stepped on the campus grounds, I could smell their foulness, the stench of dead clings to them far more strongly than the one the dead have. I spot some minor traces of blood in the floor; there are several traces of blood that fell to the floor. All of it points to the gym building. I hope it is not too late to find the kidnaped person. I rush to the building, as I expected, there are the abominations young Issei showed to me.

I materialize my bow. I take the stance, and I shoot my first arrow. As expected, the creature is dispelled, and as I suspected, even on this limited form my Divine blood has sufficient strength to contest against these beings. I spot six more and I destroy them with ease. I move closer to the building. There is a significant difference in height, so I am not able to peek inside, much to my annoyance; the building also has a single door.

Nothing I could do, busting a wall was a terrible idea. Aside I would lose the surprise factor, if I had not lost it already, it also meant that I would not be able to scan the area a bit beforehand.

I silently moved to the front doors, luckily, they had small windows, I peeked through them. To my bad fortune the inside was pitch black, I also noticed that in the floor was a mark of blood, with signs that however hand been kidnapped had been dragged inside.

This was the time and place to unleash my fury and temper. With a deep breath, I let almost all of my self-restraint go. I sought to keep a measure to control in case, just in case that the person was alive.

"SCUM!" With a single word I had called the attention of the duo.

"Ooooh, look Ryuunosuke! A God has come to watch over our rites!"

"That's so cooooool! Come on Lord God, Help us here! Caster is almost sure he has enough to bring back his beloved!"

"I AM NOT HERE TO HELP YOU TWO VIOLATE THE REALM OF HADES! YOU TWO THREATENED MY MASTER AND SOUGHT TO USE HER AS A MEDIUM FOR YOUR VILE ARTS! I CANNOT ALLOW THAT TO BE. NOT ONLY THAT, BUT YOU HAVE HURT COUNTLESS INNOCENTS IN YOUR QUEST AND EVEN HURT SOMEONE I OWE A PROFOUND DEBT. I CANNOT LET THIS CONTINUE. FREE THE HOSTAGE AND I MIGHT HAVE SOME MERCY ON YOUR SOULS."

"Oh, but Lord God, you have to see how awesome the blood flows! Look!" The blonde guy yanked out the knife outside the dying student, I could see the Keres already claiming the soul of the now deceased master.

I let the last bit of my control go.

"Mwahan CTULHU!" I heard Caster finish his chants, thus summoning another of those creatures, to the gym."

"KINGS ORDERS! GODDESSES OF WAR: WAR GOD'S MILITARY SASH!" I raised my fist against the abomination and hit it with my strength. With a single hit it exploded.

I turned to see the abominable duo. Mercy was not in my mind. Grabbing my club, I activated my technique: "STYLE: THE SHOOTING HUNDRED HEADS!" Before either could disappear from my sight, I swung. They didn't last much. For Caster's endurance was poor and he fell not too long after, his master was shot from the gym after a single of my swings.

With that done, I looked around the building. SE.RA.PH had already disintegrated the body. Now all I had left to do is demolish the building. It was already tainted by the dark rituals of the duo and the human sacrifices, the stench of blood reeked everywhere. Good thing I still had a lot of rage inside me to burn.

 

[EvaUnit01]

Diggin' the story, man.

 

[BlackThief12]

They were fucked from the very beginning.

Keep surprising me bro.

 

[jgalue]

I love the interaction between Herakles and Issei, they are fantastic.