"And so at the precipice of the world, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the Son of God, spoke once more, his final breath blessing his disciples."
Issei flipped the page of his book.
Miki Hyoudou stared at her son as he buried himself into the very book he held in his hands.
"As light from heaven descended onto the bare soil, encompassing the son of God in the divine, Jesus, planted himself on the land of man… and as he looked at the distant horizon painted by the primordial goddess of the night, he, for some reason, raised his hand and simply pointed at it, enthralled."
"As he began his ascent to the heavens, his hand never stopped pointing. In what many believe to be an act of God's will, the sun rose for the second time that day… and as every being inhabiting the planet looked upon the celestial body rising, I couldn't help but feel awe."
"Issei." Annoyance laced his mother's voice.
"For the first time since the beginning of time, the sun… it was not in the west as it rose, for it seemed that it had found a new home…
The East."
Miki poked at the steak on her plate with a fork. "Issei!"
"Yes?" Issei said, not even looking up from the book he was reading.
"How's the food?" she asked, putting a piece of steak in her mouth.
Issei flipped the page. "Oh, it's great."
She nodded. "Is it now? But I thought you hated Cod," she said, slowly chewing.
Issei chewed on his nail as he read the page, his face twisting into utter confusion at what his eyes were telling him he was looking at.
He brought his eyes back to the start of the page.
"I do; it's just, when you make it, it's always so good, you know that."
He turned the page.
She smiled at him. "Well, that's nice of you to say… but honey?"
"Yes?"
"We're having steak."
"..."
Issei blinked and moved his book just enough to see his plate.
Miki sighed as she looked at Issei. "I can't believe I'm saying this…" she whispered under her breath.
"Young man, you need to stop studying."
"W-w-what?" Issei looked at his mother like she had grown a second head.
His mother looked him dead in the eye. "You heard me; you've been going at it ever since you got home."
Miki brought another piece of steak to her mouth and ate it.
"And what's with the studying anyway? I thought you already took the high school entrance exam days ago."
"I did; this is for…" he averted his gaze from his mother. "It's for something else."
Miki raised a brow, seeing her son's expression. "And what might that something be?"
Issei closed the book and placed it face down as fast as he possibly could.
But he was not fast enough; Miki's eye caught the cover of the book.
"The Veil and What's Behind It" by "The Fallen Watcher"
"It's not important; I just wanted to start learning some of the material for my first year." Issei grabbed his fork and began to dig into his food. "It's Kuoh Academy; they're known for having crazy standards; doesn't hurt to have a head start, right?"
She looked at her son… not believing a single word that came out of his mouth. "…Right."
*****
The sound of rain falling against the ground filled the air.
A droplet of rain started its way down as its cloud released it, only to stop completely suspended upon a person's palm.
On the raindrop, the visage of a person reflected upon it; he had blond hair and pale skin.
His eyes were closed.
He took a deep breath as the cold breeze fought against his yellow raincoat.
His eyelids slowly opened; two vampiric slits settled as his crimson eyes stared out at his own reflection.
His fingers closed around the raindrop as he pushed himself up from the sitting position he was in and walked up to the edge of the building. The wind tugged at his raincoat as he stared down into the street below.
He hung one foot over the ledge and closed his eyes.
With no hesitation, he stepped right off.
The world took him, bringing him closer and closer to the ground for a cold embrace; eventually, his body began to descend faster than the falling raindrops around him.
-
"Hey Himiko, say cheese!" said a girl with plain black hair.
She smiled cheerfully as she slung an arm over the shoulder of a red-haired girl holding an umbrella and took a selfie.
Himiko sighed as her friend broke away, checking the picture.
"Ohhhh, it was a good one this time!"
Himiko stepped forward to her friend. "Let me see…" She took her friend's phone, looking at the picture.
Her eyes widened as she stared at her own reflection on the phone.
Someone was falling right above her at incredible speed!!!
-
Gasper's body crashed into the racing raindrops; they embedded themselves inside him, carving small holes all over his body!
And right as he reached tree level… they passed right through him.
He exploded into pixels.
Himiko moved her head in distress, staring at the sky. Raindrops fell onto her face as she continued to stare as if expecting something, anything, to appear.
But there was nothing.
She rubbed her eyes, as if to shake off the nerves.
She sighed and looked back at the phone.
"Huh, that's weird," she whispered as she looked at the picture.
The sky was clear, well, as clear as it could be thanks to the rain… and yet for some reason, she could swear that she could see a shadow…
A bus passed by.
Her friend's face twisted in horror, "OH MY GOD—THE BUS!!!"
Himiko turned her head to stare at the building right across the street as her friend began to run for the bus.
Embedded right on the building behind them in that photo, it was small, almost impossible to make out, but it was as if there was a falling man, a man made of shadows.
She blinked at it and looked away. "Wait up!" she screamed to her friend as she tried to catch up.
Her mind must be playing tricks on her; the sleepless nights studying with Saji were finally catching up to her…
They must have been.
*****
'Five days'
Within the sea of umbrellas, Gasper walked without one, every droplet of rain pelting his yellow raincoat as he looked at the ground.
'It's been five days since we took down Freak.'
Gasper moved with the crowd perfectly in sync.
'It's been five days… since I've seen her face.
To be blamed for something I can't even remember doing— it's preposterous.
But even so… I can't blame her…'
Remembering it happening or not, did not change what was done. His very being wanted to blame Gasper… he wanted to blame himself, his past self, for acting in such a manner, and of course he did for as much as he could, but ultimately found that he couldn't truly continue to do so.
Who was he? Who was he to judge the very boy that he had wronged, the very boy that he had stolen so much from, even if he never intended to do so.
His blood, his friendships, even the lungs he is breathing with right now, they were all borrowed… he was nothing but a boy running on time borrowed from another; whether he denied this matter, or even if he simply chose to ignore it like he had been for almost a year now, did not change the reality of it all.
Gasper kept walking as the crowd slowed, the light for pedestrians turning red.
'She has every right to be angry at me; I kept a secret from her. Whether she asked or not, it doesn't change that.
But I won't apologize; I refuse to.
Secrets exist for a simple reason: protection'
Gasper pushed through the stationary crowd, getting to the front as he began to cross the street.
'... and yet…'
A young man in a high school uniform waiting in the crowd yawned as he looked up from his phone.
'I can't tell if they're doing more good than harm anymore.'
The young man rubbed his eyes and looked towards the street, only for his eyes to widen!
"KID, WATCH OUT!!!!" he screamed.
A truck was swiftly approaching Gasper!
Gasper stopped in place and looked back, his eyes locking onto the man's own.
The man gulped as he stared into slit eyes that could only belong to something inhuman.
Gasper put his thumb over his index finger, and with one smooth motion, flicked his fingers.
"Bang." Right as the word left Gasper's mouth, the truck slammed right into him!!!
The man blinked, then he did it again.
There was no body flying through the air, no blood splatter… the truck didn't even try to stop.
The boy...
The crowd stared at him, trying to figure out what he was even yelling about, but he paid them no mind.
The boy—it was almost like he was never even there to begin with.
The man gulped. "Fuck."
*****
"So, Hyoudou, tell me what exactly do you remember from the text?"
Issei registered the question and began chewing at lightning speed. He put the fork he was holding back onto a plate of lasagna
He gulped and looked at Crowley in front of him. "Well, it was pretty interesting stuff."
"I'm not asking if you found it interesting—"
An old man, with white hair and a receding hairline, placed a plate of lasagna right in front of Crowley,
Crowley gave him a polite nod. "Thanks, Tony."
Tony nodded as he stepped away and turned to a booth at the far end of the empty establishment.
Crowley turned back to Issei. "I'm asking if you read it."
Issei wiped his mouth with a napkin and reached to the side, grabbing his school bag. He pulled out the book and slid it over to Crowley.
"Of course I did. I wouldn't be here if I didn't. After all, you explicitly told me not to come back until I was done." Issei pushed the book forward a tiny bit more, suggesting that he take it.
Crowley took it.
Tony reached the booth and sat down. "So that's the new kid?"
"Yeah," a voice responded from across the table, even though it seemed nobody was sitting there.
A hand reached out, grabbing the edge of the table, and a boy with blond hair sat up, a book covering his face.
Saji grabbed the book from his face before it could fall. "Honestly, didn't think he would show back up… ESPECIALLY WITH HOW LONG HE TOOK TO READ THE DANG THING!!"
Issei ground his teeth as he resisted the urge to scream back at the blonde.
"Language," Tony said as he popped a cigarette out of a pack. He looked at Saji and offered one.
"Mr. Tony, you know I can't take that…" Saji merely looked at him with an exasperated expression.
Tony clicked his tongue as he reached for his lighter. "See, and that's what's wrong with your generation: a whole bunch of sissies. Back in my day, if you weren't smoking at least five times a day, then you were no real man—"
Saji just laid back down, already knowing where the conversation was heading.
"Come on, just test me if you don't believe me," Issei said with confidence,
Crowley felt the smooth leather of the book in his hands… and tossed that very book right behind him stylishly. "There's no need for that, Hyoudou Issei; there is no doubt in my mind that as you sit before me, you truly have read this book."
"But I'm going to need you to do one thing for me." Crowley's eyes looked at Issei's, his eyes were full of resolution.
Issei nodded, "Anything, just say it."
"Forget everything you've read."
Issei blinked. "...What?"
Issei dug at his ear with his pinky. "I'm sorry, I don't think I quite heard you right."
Crowley stood up and put both his hands behind his back. "You heard me right, mate."
He turned his back to Issei and stomped on the ground, a white magic circle blooming to life on the floor
Issei's eyes glimmered as he stared at the circle. '...Oh, I so want that!' he was practically salivating at the thought of summoning a magic circle of his own.
A flash of light passed through the bar for a split second; the book on the floor disappeared, and a blackboard appeared right in front of Crowley.
Crowley let out a huff, and he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a cigarette, one that lit itself as he placed it in his mouth.
"Hyoudou, when taking into account information you receive, always check your sources. To be a magician, one must look beneath the underneath to uncover the mystery that truly lies beyond."
"So you're saying everything in that book was just pure baloney? Then why have me waste my time reading it in the first place!?" Issei scratched his head frantically.
"Because even the most knowledgeable man to ever live had to start from a place of true ignorance, and no, it wasn't a waste of time even in texts so mass-produced; there is still truth to be found. Hyoudou, tell me, do you know of the powers that govern this world?"
Issei stopped scratching his head. "You mean… the gods and their factions, right?"
Crowley nodded without looking back as he began to draw on the board.
Issei rubbed his chin. "Well, I think I know a decent bit about them. They do have some pretty popular legends."
"Oh yeah, which ones are your favorite?"
"It's hard to choose just one… but it's definitely the one with the Argonauts."
Crowley's hand stopped; he turned his gaze to Issei. "For… real? Out of all of them, the Argonautica is your favorite, not Hercules's twelve labors or hell, even that damn perverted Monkey King?"
Issei rubbed the back of his neck. "I mean, they're cool, but they don't all have something very important that the Argonauts have…" Issei nodded his head sagely. "A super hot witch."
Crowley gave him a blank face. "Really, that's the only reason?"
"Well, it's not the only reason, but it definitely puts them up there; they were a group of people that carved themselves into legend, and of course Hercules was there, so more points for a badass teammate, but there is one thing that I would say I don't like about them…"
Issei gritted his teeth as he clenched his fists; flames burned to life in his eyes.
"IT'S THAT BASTARD JASON!!! He had a witch for a lover that did the unthinkable for him and still chose another person; he deserved his death! And she…" The flames in his eyes died as tears began to run down his face. "She deserved better…"
Issei brought his thumb up and struck his chest. "AND that's why when I, Hyoudou Issei, carve my name into the annals of history, with an Epic so epic that anyone who hears it will gasp in awe, I will be remembered for how cool I was, unlike that bastard Jason; just you wait!"
Tony spat out the scotch he was drinking.
Crowley's body… began physically shaking. "Ha… ha—HAHHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!"
Crowley tossed his head back as he covered his mouth, trying to control his laughter… and he failed at it spectacularly.
Issei's eyebrow twitched.
"You? Becoming a legend, yeah, right!" Crowley wiped a tear from his eye. "Kid, the days of legends are far past us. At most, if you do something truly extraordinary, you'll be in the papers for a while, but that's about it."
"If that's true, then nobody has truly done something worth writing down."
"And you believe that you will accomplish such a feat."
Issei did not respond; he merely stared at Crowley, his gaze unwavering.
Saji lifted the book from his face slightly, his eyes landing on Issei's side. 'To believe such a thing is either the height of hubris or true delusion'
Crowley was not lying; in the modern era, where knowledge and information were readily available. Heroes, true heroes, were impossible; even with the power that is attainable in this era, the great deeds of those who would dare try would be nothing but yesterday's news before long, and the secrecy that is held together by the agreement of all the powers encompassing this world made this fact nothing but certainty.
Crowley wiped the smile off his face.
To those who try to stand tall and have their names be sung in song, to carve a legend, one must be able to rival those that came before. The path of those who dream always leads to the same destination.
"Then I shall hold you to your words, and await the day that I hear high tales of your accomplishments… that is after you leave my care, of course."
Issei blinked, and without wasting a second, stood up from his seat, his chair falling to the ground. "Wait! Does that mean?"
Crowley let out a puff of smoke. "Yes, from this moment forward, you are hereby officially my student."
"But first, let me clear your mind." Crowley tapped the blackboard with the piece of chalk in his hand.
The chalk landed right on a crude stick figure with long hair.
"Medea was no witch; she is what we call a wizard."
Issei raised a brow. "Isn't that just the same thing?"
"Not even close; the difference is astronomical." Crowley began writing on the blackboard. "Humanity has five different ways to gain supernatural power, the most common being devoting your life to God and being accepted by the system of faith; this is where exorcists derive their power, and in Medea's case, she was a human blessed by the Gods at birth, her way of wielding magic power resembling that of devils more than that of exorcists."
Issei nodded as he took out a book from his bag and began writing inside it.
"The other three ways are to become a devil, which would be the easiest. Being blessed by Heaven's Gear system at birth and having a Sacred Gear implanted into your soul, and the final and hardest route: to learn the system of Magic birthed by the first Magician."
Issei scrunched his face as he finished writing down his notes. "Wait, but wouldn't that mean that there are only two ways to learn magic?"
"One way," Crowley corrected him, "there is only one way to learn magic: to gain from the system of faith, one must have some natural affinity at birth for it."
Crowley put down the chalk and turned to face Issei.
"Hyoudou, what I am offering you is not to become an exorcist, nor is it to become a wizard; it's to become a magician. Are you willing to go down the path of the ones not blessed… are you willing to look at the impossible, and make it possible?"
Issei dropped to his knees. "Yes, God, yes! Mold me, Crowley-Sensei, for I am but clay in your masterful hands."
"..." Crowley just stared at him. "Kid, get the hell back up."
Issei, with a blush, threatened to overtake his face, got up, and picked his chair back up.
"Okay, so lesson zero: never call me sensei again—"
Issei brought a hand up and gave him a salute. "Understood, Crowley-senpai!"
Crowley's eyebrow twitched. "Don't call me that, either; just call me Crowley."
Issei nodded in understanding and wrote it in his book.
Crowley merely shook his head at the act.
"The differences between magic for humans and supernatural creatures are simple; unlike them, we do not have a base instinctual ability for the arcane. As for them, anything their mind conjures up can become reality based on the complexity of the image in their mind and the holy power, demonic power, etc., they possess. This process, of course, changes from species to species, sometimes adding one or two more steps thanks to their difference in power source, but the baseline theory of magic stays the same for all of them."
Crowley made multiple stick figures and put them in a circle.
"And humanity, without talent for the arcane, looked at something they didn't understand, and they feared it; they feared magic and those who wielded it, causing many who were blessed by the divine to be ostracized by their communities, exiled because of it. This sort of thing only became more commonplace during the Great War, as nobody wanted the church to come by looking for any powers to recruit into their ranks, as it was feared to be chosen, knowing you would never be seen alive again."
Crowley drew a tiny church to the side.
"But as the war raged on, one young man stared from afar, a young man traveling the world in search of something he felt was missing; he watched as lives came and went, each spell fired fueling a spark within him. It was then that he asked himself the question that would encapsulate his entire life…"
Crowley wrote down four words.
"How does it work?"
"He would work tirelessly in search of the answer; he crossed seas and lands unknown to man, and through his never-ending thirst for reason, did he understand the answer the world would present him. It is through the understanding of the inner workings of the universe that he was able to bridge the gap of instinct and, in front of a lake surrounded by a field of incandescent flowers, he would cast the first spell of a magic the world had never seen before."
Crowley put down his chalk and stepped aside, letting Issei gaze at the board; a table was drawn directly in the middle… it was drawn without edges, its circular body in full display.
"This Magician, born in a field of flowers, would later be known as the adviser of a great king's court, and with his help they would vanquish the reign of the Vile King; this man's name…"
"Is Merlin, The Father of Magic."
Issei let out a sigh as he took in the information.
"So, Merlin… he was the most badass human to ever live."
Crowley shook his head as he chuckled. "He's not, but he is definitely on the list."
Issei's face twisted into absolute confusion. "WHAT?! What can be more badass than literally making magic?"
"You'd be surprised." Crowley grabbed an eraser and wiped the board. "Alright, enough history; let's get into what truly matt—"
BAM!
Crowley stopped mid-sentence as he turned his attention to the now wide-open door.
Issei did the same.
Saji, feeling the cold breeze roll into the room, opened his eyes once more.
Nothing from outside could be seen; the open door carried nothing but the purest of darkness.
BOOM!
The sky cried out as a flash of light illuminated the bar, revealing the figure standing within the shadows.
His raincoat, beading off any rain daring to fall on him, shone with yellow brilliance; his hood was on, and the two cartoonish eyes on it stared out at them as it settled on what seemed to be a beak.
'A…' Issei furrowed his brow. 'Duck?'
The figure put up a hand and raised two fingers; he was holding up a peace sign!!!! "Yo, sup, old man."
"So I assume you found the target."
Gasper gave him a grin. "Yep."
Gasper reached into his pocket and pulled out a thin sheet of metal. "I put a tracking spell on him." his finger danced on the sheet, leaving a line of pure demonic power.
He tossed the metal sheet to Crowley.
Crowley caught it as the sheet came to life; a holographic map of the town appeared on it, with a blue dot moving frantically.
"Honestly, he's pretty weak. You sure this is the stray we're looking for?" Gasper asked. "I mean, he didn't even know I wasn't human until he saw my face; any middle-class devil would be able to sense me out, considering I wasn't trying to hide."
"There's no doubt about it, it's him." Crowley's eyes followed the dot as it moved throughout the town. "He's heading to the very same area those students said their friend was abducted at."
Saji sat up. "It must be his base."
Crowley began walking to the front door. "Well, Hyoudou, I'll have to end our lesson here."
Issei jumped out of his chair. "Wait, what? But we were about to get to the good part!"
"Don't sulk, just come back tomorrow. Gasper will give you the times we meet." Crowley turned his gaze to the booth. "Saji, you're up!"
Saji stood up from his seat; his oversized black pants were being held up by three colorful belts. He grabbed the purple coat that he was lying on and put it on.
"Alright, the rules of this examination are as follows: you must defeat the stray in under three minutes without sustaining critical damage; you may use what you see fit for this battle," Crowley said.
Gasper waved at Saji as he approached. "It's gonna be easy, trust me, but we better hurry before the spell wears off."
Crowley placed a hand on Gasper's shoulder from behind.
"You're not coming," Crowley said sternly.
Gasper blinked several times. "Excuse me?"
"You're excused." Crowley tapped his shoulder once more as he made his way out of the establishment, standing right at the doorway. "Come on, Saji."
Saji ran up and passed the wide-eyed Gasper with a wave.
"HEY! HEY! HEY!—" Gasper turned to them. "Why the hell can't I go, huh?"
"Thirty-six minutes, forty-three seconds, and five milliseconds- that's exactly how long it took you to find this stray. With his caliber of power, yes, I'm certain of it, it should have taken you fifteen minutes, if not less." Crowley looked back at him. "You're off your game."
Gasper sucked his teeth. "So what of it? I found him, didn't I?"
"Yes, that you did, but Saji needs full concentration, no distractions, especially from you."
Gasper waved him off, "Even if I do distract him, you saw what Saji's capable of; this Stray, it's practically just a formality at this point."
Saji rubbed the back of his neck. "Crowley just let him com—" Saji stopped as Crowley glared at him.
"Formality or not, my choice still stands. GO home, Gasper." Crowley dropped his glare and rubbed his temple. "And I mean home; leave poor Saji alone."
Gasper eyes widened. "Wha— Saji, you told him?!"
All Saji could do was avert his gaze as an awkward grin made its way onto his face.
"Yes, he did. Look, I don't know what's going on with you, but I know for a fact a five-day sleepover isn't a thing, and in all fairness, I doubt you've been sleeping at all, considering you look like you crawled out of a grave."
Crowley walked out the door, not letting Gasper get another word in; Saji followed right after him, but stopped for a brief second, letting a final worried gaze fall upon his fellow blonde before leaving.
Issei began packing his stuff up.
"Hey, kid."
Issei looked up to see Old Man Tony staring right at him.
"Seeing as Alan has accepted you, I'll probably be seeing you around here, so just to let you know, don't talk about the supernatural with people here, and especially don't talk to my two granddaughters about it. My eldest comes to work here from time to time, and my youngest… Well, she likes to stick with that Saji kid for whatever reason."
Issei blinked at the man, the pieces slowly coming together. "Wait, is your… does she have red hair, the one that sticks with Saji?"
"Like raging fire, but how do you know that?" The old man asked, narrowing his eyes at him dangerously.
Issei gave him a smile. "She's in my class, man. Who would have thought? Small world, huh?"
Tony let out a low hum as he turned his back to Issei; he made his way behind the bar counter and grabbed a bottle filled with pink liquid off the shelf lining the wall.
Issei's eyes followed his every move as Tony majestically poured the mysterious pink liquid into a glass with a ball of ice inside. "But Mr. Tony, you don't need to worry; Crowley already gave me the secrecy talk."
Tony let out a puff of smoke. "I had a feeling he did." He put the drink on the counter, but never let go of it. "But it never hurts to tell the newbies."
"Vladi boy!" Tony screamed out as he sent the glass sliding on the counter, the glass stopped as it settled into a person's hand.
Gasper looked at the pink, creamy liquid inside the glass he was holding with a complicated expression; his train of thought broke as he closed his eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you, it's Joestar, old man?"
Tony just gave him a look. "...Vladi—" he completely ignored what the kid said. "Brood elsewhere, will you? I have a shop to close."
Gasper merely sighed at the man and took a long sip of the mysterious pink liquid. "Mhm, quite the peculiar taste. Tell me, Tony, what exactly is this delicacy?"
Issei's eyes widened as his gaze fell upon Gasper's figure sitting on a bar stool. 'WHEN THE HELL DID HE MOVE!?'
"That? Well, it's simply strawberry milk with extra sugar on top."
"I see, truly fascinating," Gasper said, genuinely impressed at the extraordinarily sugary drink before him; dare he say that it was almost as good as chicken… whoa, okay, maybe that's a little far.
Gasper threw it back and downed it in one go, slamming the empty glass onto the counter. "Well, thanks for the drink…" Gasper got off the stool, trying to find Issei, only to see that he was in the midst of leaving through the front door.
Gasper ran up to him and slung an arm over his shoulder. "Issei, my bestest of friends, I haven't seen you in a while." Issei opened the umbrella he was holding, covering both of them as they walked out of the establishment. "So how have you been? Learn anything cool yet?"
Issei sighed in exasperation. "Nothing cool yet, actually he was about to teach me the basics right when you walked in."
Gasper looked at him in shock. "Huh? You're telling me he only just started? What the hell have you been doing for the past week?"
"Well," Issei averted his gaze in shame, "I'm a slow reader."
Gasper gave him a side eye. "I see. Well, if you're not too tired tonight..... I could teach you."
Issei's interest was piqued. "You can? But I thought you were, well, not human."
"I'm human, but I am also other stuff. I may not know the ways of a human mage, but I was there when Crowley was teaching Saji magic, so I know your curriculum, and considering how far behind you are… well, it is my job as a friend to help out, isn't it?" Gasper gave him a smile with his eyes closed.
Issei nodded with excitement, "Well, if it wouldn't be too much of a bother the—"
Gasper let out a laugh as he cut him off, "No bother at all, but I have to ask you for a favor, you know, a natural exchange between two tubular tastic friends."
Issei narrowed his eyes. Why in the hell did he say it like that?
"...sure, what is it?" Issei said with much hesitation.
Gasper dared not look at him, his face twisting as if he swallowed the world's most sour prune. "...can…I."
"Can I stay at your place?!" Gasper faced Issei and raised a single hand in a prayer motion. "It's just for tonight, I swear!"
Issei's face said it all; it was practically screaming, 'THAT'S IT?!'
Issei gave him a thumbs-up. "Sure, you can stay at my place."
Gasper's eyes widened as they sparkled like stars. "For real? YOU'RE THE BEST!"
"AH!!" Issei scrambled as Gasper slapped his back with significant power, almost sending him flying.
"Alright then, as any deal sealed with a devil." Issei looked at Gasper, the smile on his face practically making him beam brighter than the sun. "No refunds~"
*****
(A few moments later)
Miki Hyoudou was truly surprised; her son, after so long, God bless Irina's soul, finally brought a friend over.
With his perverted tendencies only growing day by day, she truly feared that her son would stay friendless and someday start actually peeking in on girls changing, causing his arrest and, in turn, destroying his life.
Ah, having such a dark thought cross her mind again only made her shiver in dread.
She walked up the stairs carrying a tray full of snacks.
But once he had started his intense studying, she couldn't help but feel worried; it was all he had been doing, and when she said the only thing, she meant it.
She hasn't seen her son pick up one of those comic books he loves so much, or was the name of them manga? Well, it probably didn't matter.
It was as if he was throwing away everything that he was. Even if it meant he would become more successful and more diligent, she did not want her son to throw away everything that gave him joy for no good reason at all. If she were to let her son destroy himself and be unhappy for something like grades, then what mother was she?
It was unfortunate that her husband did not see eye to eye with her on this, saying that their son finally broke out of his puberty phase and is on his way to becoming a truly respectable man of the Hyoudou household.
And perhaps he was right, and this was the right path for their son to take; if this truly was not a phase and her son truly had chosen this to be his future, then she would support him with all her might.
She stood right in front of Issei's door; there was no noise on the other side, almost as if she was standing in front of nothing but a void.
She raised a brow; how could it be that a room with two boys inside was completely silent?
She, without making any noise, creaked open the door, only for a funky bassline to fall on her ears; an amazing singing voice of what could only be described as angelic flowed up the bassline.
She couldn't understand the words, as they were in English. She looked into the small opening she made.
The boy her son had brought home was holding a shirt in his hand; his face was twisted in disgust.
"Yeah, no way, THIS—" Gasper threw the shirt at a crying Issei, who was sitting on the floor hugging posters of practically naked women, some even magical girls. "It's an affront to my very being, Issei. How could I, Gasper, allow you to wear polyester?" he shook his head as if trying to shake off the disgust.
"Issei, add it to the list; write it like this: go clothes shopping after getting the whiteboard and markers."
Issei nodded in sadness. "But do we seriously have to get rid of these?" he said as he clutched the posters that had once lined the walls of his room tighter.
Gasper sighed in annoyance. "Yes, Issei, they need to go. How can you expect yourself to concentrate on something when desire surrounds you from every angle?"
'And he wonders why he's a slow reader.' Gasper mentally stabbed at Issei.
Miki watched as the boy, who acted so respectable and elegant moments ago when they met, rearranged her son's room with practical ease, even picking up her son's bed and moving it without even taking the mattress off, while her son looked at his manga one last time, about to place it into a box.
Could it be that this boy… was a negative influence on her son? Could he be the reason why her son has been acting so strange?
"Don't throw that out." Gasper stopped him, taking the books out of his hand. Issei looked at him in confusion. "But I thought you said to remove every distraction, especially, and quote, the rubbish on the floor."
Gasper nodded. "I did, but any book, be it a philosopher's life work or a mere power fantasy, is no mere distraction; it is an instrument we use to entertain, and to those that choose to actively consume this entertainment, it is a source of joy." Gasper chopped Issei's head with one of the books. "To throw away something that you chose to consume is utterly foolish, and not to mention a waste of money."
Miki blinked. 'He's a saint!' He must be a saint sent from heaven; that was it! He was sent to rehabilitate her son and send him towards the right path!
Issei looked at him in confusion. "But you called it rubbish."
Gasper stepped away from Issei, arranging the manga by volume on a bookshelf. "I didn't call it rubbish because of what it is, but because of how disorganized this place is."
The image of the room flashed in his mind, before starting to clean: manga and clothes were tossed all around, there was in fact no order to be found.
A warm smile made its way onto his face. "If Koneko saw this place…" he tried to hold in a laugh, but a chuckle escaped his lips. "Yeah, she would totally freak."
"Koneko?" Issei said as he moved blankets covered in plastic; he didn't know why, but that name, it sounded oddly familiar. "Who's that?"
Gasper blinked. "...no one important."
Issei nodded as he turned away and put the final poster into a box.
Gasper dared not look at Issei, his ears burning red. 'I just had to say that out loud, didn't I.'
Creak~
Issei and Gasper turned to the door in unison; Miki walked inside, a warm smile plastered on her face.
Gasper squinted at her; it was almost like a pure, bubbly aura was surrounding her. "Hey, Mrs. Hyoudou."
"Hey, Mom."
"I brought you two some snacks and refreshments." She placed the tray on Issei's desk. "And please don't call me Mrs. Hyoudou; that's my mother-in-law. Just call me Miki."
She walked back to the door and slowly began to close it. "Now you two have fun, okay~"
As the door closed, both Issei and Gasper stared at it in confusion. Was she always that joyful?
Miki made her way down the stairs, mind fully refreshed and without concern; it is best to let them be; he was likely here to play games anyway. After all, boys will be boys, and at this time of day, who would do something other than relax.
As she reached the living room, she let herself sink into her couch.
She turned on the T.V, but as she let her mind wander into the land of virtual entertainment, a thought would not leave her mind.
"That boy… he is oddly strong for someone his age, isn't he?"
Issei sat criss-cross on his bed, book in hand. He stared at Gasper sitting on a chair beside his bed.
A red magic circle in Gasper's hand sent light throughout the room as a portable whiteboard appeared in his hand with three different-colored markers.
"Okay, I have to ask: how did you do that?" Issei said, genuinely curious, as he saw even Crowley do the very same thing earlier.
"Well, it's not too hard; it's actually a good basic exercise you'll be doing later once you learn to make magic circles. All you have to do is place a magic circle onto an item you have filled with your energy and activate it by creating an identical circle somewhere else."
Issei nodded.
"Now I'll start from the beginning of understanding magic. If you already know what I am saying, just say so," Gasper uncapped his blue marker, "after all, there's no point in wasting time on something you already know."
"Now tell me, Issei, " Gasper drew three overlapping ovals, one upright, and the other two interlacing with it at an angle, "what is the smallest unit of matter in this universe?"
Issei blinked.
…science?
Issei broke out into a cold sweat as his eyes went hollow.
Oh, gods, what had he gotten himself into?!
<--–TO BE CONTINUED—