This Sunday morning, the house was quiet—Mom and Dad at a community fair, oblivious to the gods in their home. Luke and Lila were "jogging" (scouting Church rifts), their bonds steady. Raynare, Kalawarner, and Mittelt were at Kuoh Academy, aiding Sona with council tasks, their devotion texting updates: Raynare's "Church scout near shrine. Smells like trouble." Asia was at the ORC, training with Rias's peerage, her crimson gauntlet flaring.
I sat in the living room, soda in hand, manga unread, the weight of Kokabiel's name—a fallen angel warmonger—pressing my thoughts. Excalibur Ruler whispered of power I couldn't wield, Diodora's shadow a threat to Asia.
The Gamer System's chime shattered the silence, a blue screen flaring with urgency, unseen by all but me. Gamer's Mind steadied my pulse, the soul-erasure restriction binding my tongue.
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System Directive: Fragment Hunt
Alert: Kokabiel, fallen angel warlord, seeks to reignite the Great War using Excalibur fragments. Freed Selzen, rogue exorcist, possesses four fragments, planning to fuse them into a single blade. User required to neutralize threat and secure fragments.
New Quest: Excalibur's Bane
Objective: Locate and kill Freed Selzen, rogue exorcist, who wields four Excalibur fragments (Mimic, Rapidly, Transparency, Nightmare). Prevent fusion into a single blade, reducing Kokabiel's war plan success by 80%. Secure fragments for user's inventory.
Target: Freed Selzen (Level 50, stats 150, HP 15,000, MP 7,500; abilities: Excalibur Mimic [shape-shifting blade], Rapidly [speed enhancement], Transparency [invisibility], Nightmare [fear induction]).
Rewards:
Four Excalibur fragments (Mimic, Rapidly, Transparency, Nightmare) stored in user's inventory.
Excalibur Blessing (6th fragment, holy sword, stored in inventory).
Failure Penalty: Freed fuses fragments, advancing Kokabiel's war; -50 to all stats, permanent -30 Luck.
Time Limit: 7 Days
Activation: Coordinates to Freed Selzen's last known location provided upon acceptance. [Y/N]
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Side Quest: Stray Cull
Objective: Kill 10 stray devils in Kuoh to weaken Diodora Astaroth's influence and hone combat skills. Any abilities permitted.
Targets: Stray Devils (Levels 30-40, stats 80-120, HP 8,000-12,000; abilities: Shadow Claws, Hellfire Burst, Acid Breath).
Rewards: All user stats increased to 400 (HP 40,000, MP 20,000).
Failure Penalty: Strays alert Diodora; -30 to Luck, temporary -20 to all stats (48 hours).
Time Limit: 48 Hours
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The quests hit like twin blades—Freed Selzen, a mad exorcist wielding four Excalibur fragments, a pawn in Kokabiel's war scheme, and stray devils tied to Diodora, weakening Asia's safety.
Excalibur's Bane was critical: Mimic (stolen from Irina), Rapidly, Transparency, Nightmare—fused, they'd spark chaos.
Securing them, plus Blessing, would give me five of seven fragments, leaving only Xenovia's Destruction and my own Ruler.
The side quest's reward—400 stats—would match Sona's, unlocking Ruler's power. My Intelligence strategized: Freed was elusive, his stats and fragments deadly. I needed my girlfriends' help to hunt him.
I selected Y for both quests, coordinates for Freed pointing to Kuoh's outskirts—an abandoned church, fittingly ironic. Stray devils roamed the industrial district, echoes of my last hunt.
I texted my girls—Rias, Sona, Raynare, Kalawarner, Mittelt: "Urgent. Freed Selzen's in Kuoh, has four Excalibur fragments. Need you to help track him. Meet at ORC, now." Asia got a separate text: "Stay with Akeno, train safe. This one's dangerous."
Replies flooded: Rias's "On my way—Kokabiel's name changes everything." Sona's "Freed's a threat to all factions. I'm in." Raynare's "That psycho's mine to gut." Kalawarner's "Crushing time." Mittelt's "Illusions ready!" I teleported to the ORC, the vortex dropping me in the clubroom's dim light.
Rias arrived first, crimson hair blazing, her stats flaring. She kissed me, bond warm. "Freed with four fragments? Kokabiel's bold. My peerage is yours." Akeno, Kiba, Koneko, and Gasper nodded, ready.
Sona teleported in, 400-stats aura a glacial storm, her kiss fierce. "My peerage will scout—Tsubaki's tracking skills are unmatched." Raynare, Kalawarner, and Mittelt burst in, spears and illusions primed, their devotion a fiery vow.
I briefed them: "Freed's got Mimic, Rapidly, Transparency, Nightmare. He's at an old church, but he's slippery—Transparency makes him invisible. Kokabiel's using him to start a war. We hunt, kill, take the fragments. I'll handle strays on the side—Diodora's pawns."
Rias's eyes narrowed. "Kokabiel's war would burn everything. We'll spread out—my peerage takes the town center, Sona's the outskirts." Sona nodded, her Intelligence plotting. "Tsubaki's Observe-like skill will ping him. We'll grid-search." Raynare grinned, spears glowing. "I'll sniff his holy stench out."
We split: Rias's team swept downtown, Sona's the suburbs, my fallen queens the industrial zone. I headed for the strays, Phoenix Force at 40% ready (1,200-damage flames, advanced telekinesis, reality warps), Twilight Healing and Resurrection as backups.
The industrial district loomed—rusted warehouses, air thick with oil and demonic rot. Observe pinged ten strays, Levels 30-40, stats 80-120, HP 8,000-12,000, scattered in pairs.
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Stray Cull
Pair 1: Two Level 30 strays (stats 80, HP 8,000), Shadow Claws slashing. I opened with Phoenix flames—1,200 damage incinerating one (HP 0/8,000). The second's claws grazed my arm (HP 15,900/16,000), Twilight Healing mending. Telekinesis crushed it with a steel beam (HP 0/8,000). 2/10.
Pair 2: Level 35 (stats 100, HP 10,000), Acid Breath scorching (HP 15,700/16,000). I warped reality, redirecting acid (HP 9,000/10,000), flames vaporizing (HP 0/10,000). Second stray's claws hit (HP 15,600/16,000); telekinesis slammed it into a wall (HP 0/10,000). 4/10.
Pair 3: Level 40 (stats 120, HP 12,000), Hellfire Burst burning (HP 15,400/16,000). I telekinetically hurled a forklift (HP 10,000/12,000), flames finishing (HP 0/12,000). Second stray's claws slashed (HP 15,300/16,000); reality warp slowed it, flames incinerating (HP 0/12,000). MP 7,800/8,000. 6/10.
Pair 4: Level 38 (stats 110, HP 11,000), Acid Breath and Shadow Claws. I dodged, 160 Agility evading, flames torching one (HP 0/11,000). Second's breath hit (HP 15,100/16,000); telekinesis crushed it with rubble (HP 0/11,000). 8/10.
Pair 5: Level 40 (stats 120, HP 12,000), Hellfire Burst scorching (HP 14,900/16,000). I warped time, slowing them (3 seconds), flames vaporizing one (HP 0/12,000). Second's claws grazed (HP 14,800/16,000); telekinesis slammed it into spikes, flames finishing (HP 0/12,000). 10/10.
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Side Quest Complete: Stray Cull
Rewards: All stats increased to 400 (HP 40,000, MP 20,000).
Power surged—400 stats across Strength, Endurance, Agility, Intelligence, Luck, matching Sona's might. Excalibur Ruler was now wieldable, its Holy Command and Divine Edge unlocked. I Observed it:
Item: Excalibur Ruler (True Excalibur Fragment)
Level: Transcendent
Durability: Indestructible
Effects:
Holy Command: Forces enemies with Intelligence below 800 to kneel.
Divine Edge: Holy slashes, 2x damage vs. unholy (1,600 damage with 400 Strength).
Status: Wieldable.
Freed remained elusive. Rias texted: "No sign downtown. Kiba's swords sense holy traces north." Sona: "Tsubaki pinged faint holy aura near church, but it's cloaked." Raynare: "Bastard's using Transparency. Industrial zone's quiet."
I teleported to the church, Phoenix flames ready, Ruler in hand—but the building was empty, sigils cold. Freed had slipped away.
I regrouped with my girlfriends at the ORC, their resolve fierce. Rias's bond kissed me. "We'll find him." Sona's grip was iron. "He can't hide forever." Raynare's spears gleamed. "I'll carve him." The hunt continued, Excalibur's Bane unfinished, but my 400 stats and Ruler's power tipped the scales. Kokabiel's war loomed, but I was ready.
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Some time later
It was Monday evening, the house silent—Mom and Dad at a neighborhood book club, oblivious to the gods in their midst. The Gamer System's chime hit like a divine hammer, a blue screen flaring with blinding intensity. The world froze—raindrops suspended, wind stilled, time itself halted, a system-mandated pause. Gamer's Mind steadied my pulse, the soul-erasure restriction binding my tongue. The screen pulsed, reality warping around me, a vortex pulling before I could react.
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System Directive: Demon Crucible
Alert: Dimensional rift detected. Demon Dungeon designated as trial ground to test Excalibur Ruler's mastery. Time in user's world frozen to ensure uninterrupted completion. Immediate teleportation authorized.
New Quest: Demon's Bane
Objective: Kill 100 demons in the Demon Dungeon using only Excalibur Ruler (Holy Command, Divine Edge). No other abilities, Sacred Gears, or weapons permitted.
Enemies: Demon Warriors (Levels 20-40, stats 50-120, HP 2,000-12,000; abilities: Hellfire Blades, Shadow Bind, Blood Curse).
Final Enemy: God of Demons (Level 60, stats 200, HP 20,000, MP 10,000; abilities: Abyssal Wrath, Void Chains, Demonic Surge).
Rewards:
Dragon Slayer: Holy sword, lethal to dragons and dragon-related Sacred Gear wielders (one-hit kill vs. dragons, e.g., Ddraig, Albion). Stored in inventory. Warning: Ineffective against non-dragon targets.
Safe return to home universe, time unfrozen.
Failure Penalty: Trapped in Demon Dungeon for 48 hours; -50 to all stats, permanent -40 Luck.
Time Limit: 24 Hours
Activation: Immediate teleport to Demon Dungeon.
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The quest's stakes were brutal—100 demons, culminating in a godlike entity, all to be felled by Ruler alone, no Phoenix flames, no Twilight healing, no Resurrection safety net. The reward—Dragon Slayer, a blade that could kill Ddraig or any dragon in one strike—was a double-edged gift, useless against non-dragons but a nuclear option against Asia's Boosted Gear or rival dragons like Albion. My Intelligence strategized: Ruler's 1,600-damage Divine Edge (2x vs. demons) and Holy Command could dominate the horde, but the God of Demons' 200 stats matched my combat prowess without boosts. My Luck could tilt odds. The vortex swallowed me, reality folding to the Demon Dungeon.
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The Demon Dungeon
The transition was a plunge through fire and ash, landing me in a cavernous abyss of blackened stone and molten rivers, the air thick with sulfur and the screams of chained souls. Jagged spires loomed, crimson sigils pulsing on walls, the ground slick with blood and ash. Demons—hundreds—swarmed in the distance, their red eyes glowing, claws and blades glinting. Excalibur Ruler glowed in my hand, holy light cutting the gloom, its weight steadying my Endurance. Observe scanned:
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Name: Demon Warrior
Level: 20-40
HP: 2,000-12,000
MP: 1,000-6,000
Strength: 50-120
Endurance: 50-120
Agility: 50-120
Intelligence: 50-120
Luck: 50-120
Abilities:
Hellfire Blades: Flaming swords, 100-200 damage, burn debuff (20/sec, 5 seconds).
Shadow Bind: Ethereal chains, immobilizes below 100 Strength, 50 damage/sec.
Blood Curse: 100 damage, -10 Intelligence debuff (10 seconds).
Thoughts: "The holy blade defiles our realm! Rip it apart!"
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Name: God of Demons
Level: 60
HP: 20,000/20,000
MP: 10,000/10,000
Strength: 200
Endurance: 200
Agility: 200
Intelligence: 200
Luck: 200
Abilities:
Abyssal Wrath: 500-damage dark energy blast, 10-meter radius.
Void Chains: Binds targets, 200 damage/sec, immobilizes below 200 Strength.
Demonic Surge: Boosts stats by 50% for 10 seconds.
Thoughts: "The dragon boy dares wield Excalibur? His soul is mine!"
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The horde charged—fifty Demon Warriors, Levels 20-30, stats 50-100, HP 2,000-8,000, Hellfire Blades blazing. I gripped Ruler, Holy Command flaring—400 Intelligence forcing twenty to kneel (below 100 Intelligence, HP 2,000-4,000).
Divine Edge slashed, 1,600 damage (3,200 vs. demons) cleaving ten in one swing (HP 0/2,000-4,000). Hellfire Blades grazed my arm (HP 39,900/40,000, burn debuff ticking, HP 39,800).
Shadow Bind chains lashed, my strength snapping them. I slashed again, 3,200 damage decapitating fifteen (HP 0/4,000-6,000). Blood Curse hit, Intelligence dropping to 390 (HP 39,700/40,000). Holy Command forced ten more to kneel, Divine Edge finishing (HP 0/6,000). 35/100.
Wave 2: Levels 30-40
Sixty demons surged, stats 100-120, HP 8,000-12,000. Hellfire Blades scorched (HP 39,500/40,000, burns ticking, HP 39,400). I activated Holy Command, thirty kneeling (below 120 Intelligence), Divine Edge slashing—3,200 damage vaporizing twenty (HP 0/8,000).
Shadow Bind coiled, snapping against my strength. Blood Curse hit twice (HP 39,200/40,000, Intelligence 380). I spun Ruler, 3,200-damage arc cleaving fifteen (HP 0/10,000). Hellfire Blades slashed my side (HP 39,000/40,000). I countered, Divine Edge thrusting—3,200 damage through ten hearts (HP 0/10,000-12,000). 60/100.
Wave 3: Final Horde
Forty demons, Level 40, stats 120, HP 12,000. Hellfire Blades burned (HP 38,800/40,000), Shadow Bind slowing. Blood Curse triple-hit (HP 38,500/40,000, Intelligence 350). Holy Command forced twenty to kneel, Divine Edge slashing—3,200 damage felling fifteen (HP 0/12,000). Five charged, blades cutting (HP 38,300/40,000). I parried, dodging, Divine Edge countering—3,200 damage through five (HP 0/12,000). 80/100.
Final Enemy: God of Demons
The cavern shook, the God of Demons emerging—a towering fiend, ten feet of obsidian muscle, eyes like molten pits, dual swords blazing with abyssal light. Abyssal Wrath roared, a damage blast scorching (HP 37,800/40,000). I dodged, weaving, Holy Command flaring, resisting. Divine Edge slashed, 3,200 damage carving its chest (HP 16,800/20,000). Void Chains bound me, 200 damage/sec (HP 37,600/40,000, 400 Strength snapping). Demonic Surge boosted its stats to 300, swords slashing (HP 37,300/40,000).
I countered, Divine Edge thrusting—3,200 damage to its arm (HP 13,600/20,000). Abyssal Wrath exploded, 500 damage burning (HP 36,800/40,000). I rolled, evading, Holy Command forcing a stagger (momentary pause). Divine Edge slashed, 3,200 damage to its core (HP 10,400/20,000). Void Chains hit again (HP 36,600/40,000), my strength allowing me to break free. Demonic Surge faded, its stats 200. I pressed, Divine Edge flurry—three slashes, 9,600 damage (HP 800/20,000). Abyssal Wrath grazed (HP 36,100/40,000). I finished with a thrust, 3,200 damage piercing its heart (HP 0/20,000). The god collapsed, cavern still.
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Quest Complete: Demon's Bane
Rewards:
Dragon Slayer: Holy sword, one-hit kill vs. dragons and dragon-related Sacred Gear wielders (e.g., Ddraig, Albion). Ineffective vs. non-dragons. Stored in inventory.
Safe return to home universe, time unfrozen.
The vortex pulled, Kuoh's backyard reappearing, rain resuming its patter. My HP was 36,100/40,000, no healing allowed, wounds raw. Dragon Slayer gleamed in my inventory, its warning chilling—lethal to Asia's Boosted Gear or any dragon. I Observed:
Item: Dragon Slayer
Level: Transcendent
Durability: Indestructible
Effects:
Lethal Cut: One-hit kill vs. dragons and dragon-related Sacred Gear wielders.
Warning: Ineffective vs. non-dragons.
Status: Stored in inventory.
Asia greeted me, Boosted Gear glowing, worried. "Issei! You're hurt!" Twilight fields healed me to 40,000/40,000. I hugged her, Dragon Slayer's weight hidden. "Just a side trip. You're safe."
Rias, Sona, and the fallen trio texted: "Freed still missing. Church trace stronger—north Kuoh." The hunt for Excalibur's Bane continued, my stats and new blade a hidden ace. Kokabiel's war loomed, but I endured.