This is part five to chapter 5. Leave Power Stones and like story tags if you enjoyed.
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The walk home was awkward; the three of them hardly exchanged a word.
Asia was essentially clueless to what happened, but the way Koneko walked with a slight limp and a subtle look of discomfort made her feel concerned. Issei had to fight off a grimace as he glanced at her, guilty she had gotten punished for his sake.
Old-fashioned as it were, getting spanked by your boss had to suck. Koneko was tough, but Rias was also a supernatural being. This being the second time likely didn't make it any less humiliating. Judging by the small furrowing of her brows and irritable twitches of her lips, her ego had been left as bruised as her rear.
Broaching the topic was difficult and he got the feeling she didn't want to talk about it. Even so, he was a man. It was his duty to check up on his juniors. The silence was deafening and Asia seemed equally perturbed by it. After leaving the ORC room, he'd calmed down enough to no longer worry about walking home on three legs. If it came down to it, he figured he could at least serve as her punching bag.
"I'm sorry you got in trouble. I told her that I'd take any punishment in your place, but I guess she didn't listen to me," Issei finally spoke as they arrived at a crosswalk, waiting for a car to pass.
Koneko stiffened, a vulnerable shyness flickering on her countenance before being reeled in. Pink dust tinged her pale cheeks as she scowled in annoyance. "Doesn't matter. I knew it would happen anyway."
"You knew you would get spanked?" The words slipped out his mouth unexpectedly.
"Spanked?" Asia tilted her head. Confusion filled her eyes before widening with shock after Koneko aggressively slammed a foot down on top Issei's.
"Yeooow!" He hollered out, raising his leg and holding his throbbing foot comedically. Guess she didn't like having that part vocalized.
"Ignore him. Let's go," Koneko readjusted her school bag over her shoulders, walking over the crosswalk after the electronic sign ticked white for them to go. Asia looked at her tentatively, gently ushering the pained boy to proceed across with her.
Hopping after the short girl, Issei sulked as he were patted lightly on the back by Asia. "It's okay. I'll heal you the moment we get there. Or I can heal you now," She smiled kindly.
He nearly forgot about that. Asia supposedly had the ability to heal from a Sacred Gear. He'd never seen it in action before - only seeing it earlier when she shyly revealed it to Rias after they sensed one on her.
"Thanks... actually..." His eyes trailed down to cat-girl's ass; not in a perverted way for once. "Maybe you can heal Koneko?"
Overhearing him, Koneko stiffened up once again. He couldn't see her face, but he imagined her going through the same crisis as before. Tilting her head back, she seemed perfectly composed, albeit the dangerous glimmer in her gilded eyes. "Watch it."
'Oh, I'm definitely watching it.' Perversion began to arise within him again. That was quick. Guess he couldn't help it for very long. Shaking his head before it leaked onto his face and he got walloped, he pursued, "No, seriously! Asia can help you, right?!" He turned towards the blonde.
A bashful look spilled onto her face for getting put on the spot. "Y-yes... If you're not feeling well, I'll be glad to help you," Asia said quietly, giving Koneko a nervous smile.
They stopped walking momentarily as Koneko stared daggers into Issei. Sweat beaded on his temple as his smile twitched fearfully. He had good intentions. Both she and Asia were girls, so it shouldn't be too big of a problem... though getting your butt healed by someone you just officially met was weird... and he'd unintentionally forced Asia into that awkward position.
...Maybe it wasn't a good idea after all?
"Fine," Koneko answered, her head turning forward. She began moving again. "I don't care."
His heart fell in relief. He was ready to be a punching bag, but he still didn't like pain. It was kind of surprising hearing her agree, though. Her ass must really hurt.
Rias could really pound some pussy.
Asia seemed happy at getting the chance to help another and potentially grow closer. She didn't seem as apprehensive over Koneko being a devil. That's nice.
A couple minutes later, they made it in front of his home. Entering first, he opened the door for the two ladies, feeling all humble and gentlemanly. Koneko traveled up the stairs swiftly, having done so numerous times now.
"I'm home!" Issei called out to his parents, ushering Asia in. She was incredibly nervous, but he urged her to climb the stairs before they saw her. They could do the whole mind manipulation thingy later after they were healed.
He ignored their greetings back - specifically the jab his dad slid in - and followed after them. As he tried making his way into his room, he was blocked at the door by a tiny wall.
"Keep out," Koneko ordered, her eyes narrowed. Issei could easily see over her tiny stature and saw Asia within the room blushing madly as she looked around at the naked lady posters.
Yep. Second time he embarrassed himself with those. At least Asia wasn't there for when his parents found some of the porn he'd hidden under their bed and given him #3 on his worst lectures list. Koneko had been there and had literally grabbed popcorn for to watch it unfold. She didn't use any magic to make them forget about it or anything either, letting him stew in his shame.
That shit sucked. Hopefully he could avoid another one of those now that a gentle soul like Asia was around.
"Peek and it's your ass," Koneko glared suspiciously, her words ironic.
He backed up with his hands up. "G-got it..." He replied reluctantly.
Watching her lift up her skirt and get those throbbing red cheeks fondled by another hottie... Damn! He was missing out! It were times like these he wished he were a girl!
As she began closing the door, he gave Asia one last wry smile. After it clicked shut, he faintly called, "I'm glad you're sticking around a little longer... I like having you around."
The words were more for himself than Koneko. Even so he got a quiet reply back. "...Sure."
She was a little glad, too.
Deciding to empty his bladder as he waited, Issei went into the bathroom down the corridor. Doing his business, he stared down at his little friend apologetically. He hadn't gotten any exercise because of all the women currently around. It had been rough week.
...
Maybe he could do it real fast? Just a quick tug and release? He didn't have any physical material, but his spank bank was full of new content! He and Koneko were closer now, so maybe she wouldn't say anything if she smelled it?!
Giggled like a freak, the pervert's left hand clenched around his member in the proper 'military' position.
"Stop."
"Uwaaah-!" Issei's hand jerked away quickly. Holding his wrist out like he were staring at a watch, he looked down as a glowing green circle appeared and flickered on the back of his hand.
"You know, most people are right-handed. Do you really have to do it with your left?" The Welsh Dragon spoke with heavy disappointment in his tone.
"I can't help it, dude! I'm left-handed!" Issei seethed with a hushed tone, the slight sensation of blue balls already effecting him even without officially starting. It was becoming a common symptom and he didn't like it one bit. For a chronic masturbater, it was rough out here. "Anyway, what do you want? Can't a guy get some privacy?"
"This is no time for funny business. Listen to me."
His heart turned frosty. He'd heard the dragon get mad and serious before. This felt even worse.
"W-what's up? W-what happened?"
"That sword is what happened. The moment you drew it, your life was forever changed. You can never go back."
"W-what are you saying, Ddraig? Y-you're freaking me out."
"I'm reluctant to say it, but even one as prideful as I can acknowledge the truth. The holy sword you now wield has a greater power than I do locked away. My full strength would still not be enough to surpass it."
"A-are you serious? I knew it was strong, but-"
"It's the truth. You saw how easily you could wield its power. With your meager sum of strength, you nearly eviscerated half of a large forest. You didn't even boost your power with my Boosted Gear."
...He was right. That hadn't even crossed Issei's mind. Back inside the pause screen was when he turned it off. His strike had come from his base power and he'd still subconsciously held back some. Just how strong could he get with it activated?
"But it's fine if I get strong, isn't it?" With Ddraig on his side, he was going to he powerful eventually. That's what the dragon made it out to be. This shouldn't be much different.
"Too strong, too quickly. With the sword in your hands, you could defeat a great devil king."
"...Is that bad?"
"Yes. There are Four Great Satans. They are the most powerful of all the devils and you can defeat them. You're little red-headed friend has the bloodline of one of them. Their likely related."
"O-oh, shit!" Issei felt a sickening feeling inside his stomach.
"As of right now, whether you realize it or not, you're a threat to the entire world."
"B-but I'm not a threat to anyone... really, I'm not..."
"Whether you realize it or not." Ddraig repeated.
"S-shit... shiiit..." This was much worse than he ever considered. He didn't think about the gravity of anything until it was presented directly to him. It was like the fallen angel situation all over again. He'd gotten targeted because of the threat of his Sacred Gear. What would follow now would be even worse than that. There was still some hope in his chest. "I have an alliance with Rias and we've made a couple contracts... that's good for something, isn't it?"
"No."
"Damn it, Why not?"
"You know why. Numerous factors can null a devil contract and outsiders can easily ignore them. Remember that High-Class devil you struck down and how he didn't care about your contract?"
"Arrrgh..." Issei's hands clenched into fists, shaking with frustration. Having all this suddenly dropped on him was enough to start making him freak out. Any second he could start screaming, crying, or whatever.
"If you're going to have mental breakdown, at least pull your pants up."
"Now's not the time for jokes, Ddraig... You said it yourself."
"I'm not joking."
"...Aggh, fine," Issei sighed obediently, pulling them up and going to wash his hands. Running them under warm water, he looked at himself in the mirror. As expected, he looked unnerved. Koneko and Asia would question why if they saw him in this state. He had to pull himself together.
Drying his hands, he paced around the bathroom. It would be an awkward sight to anyone watching, but he couldn't do it anywhere else. He had to think over his next moves carefully.
The dragon kept quiet as he thought, curious to hear what he was thinking. Folding his arms, his paced slowed down as he relaxed and came up with a plan. He held onto it as a makeshift last resort, but if it were ever going to happen then now was the time.
"Even if my contract doesn't matter, I can still join the devils, can't I?" It was something he put off as he wasn't sure if he should. Now that he was being metaphorically pressed, he felt urged to do so. "If I join up with Rias, I will be real part of her faction. I won't have to worry as much, right?"
"It's too late for that."
He felt his soul go numb.
Too late? What did he mean too late?
Issei's teeth began to chatter as he forced out, "C-come on, it's only been a week. How's it too late?"
"You've gained far too much power."
He bit his tongue down, fighting the urge to scream out angrily. The boy's face twisted as he silently seethed. "But it's not my power, it's the sword's... I can still join u-"
"The sword is linked to you. I can feel it," Ddraig pointed out candidly. The proud dragon would usually reject any slight or retaliation swiftly and aggressively, but he felt the human had a right to be upset. They'd both been blindsided by this event. "A devil recruits members with pieces similar to those on a chess board. You were informed of this by the spectacled one. Even with all of her remaining pieces, the red head could not recruit you any longer."
"That's insane. And she could've before without The Flaming Sword?"
"Yes."
"You're joking..." He wanted to refute, but he couldn't. He then thought about the other King within Kuoh after Ddraig mentioned her. "What about Sona?"
"Same situation."
"Damn... I really can't join any of them?"
"It's not impossible, but highly unlikely."
"What do you mean?"
"One of the Great Satans could possibly recruit you. With greater power comes more ability to recruit those with great power. However, devils live for tens of thousands of years and they would have lived for many millennium. It is incredible unlikely they have any spare pieces left. I wouldn't count on it."
"So that's out, too," Issei said dejectedly. He had no clue what to do now. If more powerful people came for him, he couldn't count on Koneko to protect him. Honestly, he probably didn't even need the contract in the first place. It just provided a sense of comfort and he had a strong desire to have his devil companion around a little longer.
If the big dogs came for him while the contract was still on, he'd be putting her in grave danger she couldn't stand up to. He really hoped it didn't come to that. All he wanted was to play around some more. Was that too much to ask?
...
There was one thing. Something nearly unthinkable.
Reload an auto save and try everything again all over - before Diodora dickass appeared. But Issei didn't have the heart to do it. He didn't want to battle the freak again and he went through such hell pulling The Flaming Sword.
But... he might have to. It could go down differently. Instead of rushing in with Koneko like before, he could maybe plead and beg Rias on his knees to assist him with the offer of joining her peerage. At that point, he could still do so.
Save right now, load an auto save and see how things play out?
If he did that... choose to pull the trigger and live within multiple realities at once... alternate versions of himself and others... he just wasn't sure he could do it and stay sane.
"What do I do, Ddraig? What do I do..." The brown-haired boy sat down on the edge of the bathtub with his hands in his lap, discouraged and befuddled.
"Whatever you want. You're a dragon."
Issei chuckled wryly, appreciative of the confidence his partner had. "Thanks, but I really need a plan here. I don't know what I'll do if some big dude shows up on my doorstep trying to knock me off..."
"Let them come. When they do, you'll be ready."
"...What?" He looked confused.
"You've become strong, Issei. And you'll only become stronger," The dragon stated with absolute certainty. It was something he bare witness to firsthand and he couldn't be convinced otherwise. "You had a... quest... show me the rewards."
"Y-yes." His mind opened up his inventory, looking over the rewards he'd received from Asia's quest. "I got a Rare Token, an Epic Token from a bonus... and a thing called a Cupid's Arrow."
"What does it do?"
Issei looked over the description, also reading it out loud for Ddraig who couldn't see.
[Exalted] Cupid's Arrow
A magic arrow of love. Once fired, the arrow will home in on the designated target. After being shot, the afflicted will fall in love with the appointed. User chooses object of affection.
Warning: Love is permanent.
One time use.
A euphoric tremble shot through Issei. "Oh my~ it's a love arrow! I can make them love meee!"
"Be quiet...!" Ddraig snapped with a hushed voice.
His hand slapped over his mouth. "S-sorry..." He waited quietly in case anyone said anything or knocked on the bathroom, but nothing happened. Guess people around here were used to his loud ass mouth. Reading the description again, his lips curled up deviously. "Just who do I use it on? There's so many baddies, I just don't know who...!"
"You're mother."
"Dude, no...!"
"I'm impressed with your depravity. My host truly is acting like a dragon."
The pervert coughed, recollecting himself. If Ddraig was praising him for being bad, then he should show some restraint. This was essentially mind control, after all. If he used it, he would permanently changed someone's psyche forever. That's likely why it was ranked so high and only had a single use.
It was powerful. The question was why did the system give him such a ridiculous thing?
Help: Quests are adjusted to the user's life. Rewards are adjusted to the user's personality.
...So even The Game thought he was a pervert?
Ouch.
"Forget about that for now. If it comes down to it, use it on a powerful enemy. They would fight you no longer."
"...That's kinda smart, Ddraig. I didn't know you were so practical."
The red dragon scoffed. "I am what I am. Now pull out those tokens and use them."
"Right now?"
"No point holding onto them. Before you received the sword, you could have tempered your strength to a point where you grew moderately, unlocking all your rewards in a single go and unleashing massive amounts of power at once to surprise all. That's not an option anymore."
"True..." He couldn't hide his strength. Not in this timeline of saves. He could only change it if he went back.
He didn't want to. Things were fine right now. He was just getting ahead of himself and panicking. No reason to run away when nothing had happened yet.
And he still had time to prepare for the worst.
"Okay, I'll do it," Issei agreed with Ddraig, first grabbing the Rare Token. "But I did this trick to get The Flaming Sword. I found out a cheesy way to basically get whatever I want, depending on what token I have."
"...Explain."
Issei chuckled, this time much more optimistically.
This was fine. With Ddraig at his side, his sword, and everything else he had and would have, he was reassured.
Whatever came his way - absurdly hectic or not - Issei Hyoudou would be ready.
Here is a brief summary of Issei's stat page.
Issei Hyoudou
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Level: 18
Sacred Gear: [Legendary] Boosted Gear
A sacred gauntlet that holds a crimson dragon within. Allows the user to double their power every ten seconds. Each boost is dependent on the user's capability.
Balance Breaker: Locked
[Divine] The Flaming Sword
The Sword of Eden capable of divine judgement. The one in possession of this blade determines what is right and wrong. Grants the user power akin to Godhood as they become a Holy Deity. Intuitive knowledge of usage acquired upon wielding. Permanently bonds with the user.
True Power: Locked
[Rare] Flight
Allows the user to fly through the air.
[Rare] Foresight: Level 5
Allows the user to perceive the future. Increases the time seen by one second per level. Max level at level 60.
[Epic] Holy Sword Wielder
The natural ability to wield Holy Swords.
[Legendary] Mana Bank
User becomes a natural source of mana. Increases mana capacity immensely.
100x Mana Boost
[Exalted] Divine Judgement
Judge those of sin. Dictate what is sin and what is not. Controls the Holy System.
[Exalted] Holy Spirit
Gains the implicit trust of spirits. Raises affinity with spirits to the maximum.
Spirit Affinity: Max
Holy Attribute: Max
Fire Attribute: Max
Healing Attribute: Max
Inventory:
146,580 Yen
[Common] Fountain Pen (Black)
[Common] Teddy Bear
[Uncommon] Light Gun
[Uncommon] Light Sword.
[Rare] Power Gloves
Increases scaling based on the user's strength statistic. Higher strength will gain higher boosts.
[Exalted] Cupid's Arrow
A magic arrow of love. Once fired, the arrow will home in on the designated target. After being shot, the afflicted will fall in love with the appointed. User chooses object of affection.
Asia's Luggage
Token Wallet:
6x Common Tokens