In the end Sitri accepts the revised contract Rias came up with, and Rias helps me get all the other paperwork mailed off whether to places here in Japan or in some otherworldly realm of fantasy. Really these two could totally screw me over if they wanted, but considering how Sitri literally hypnotised me before and all she did was try to encourage my studies with a command weak enough I still managed to pervert it into watching more anime? I figure I can probably trust them.
I transfer over all the data on my wonder medicine right away, no need to slow down the pace it can get physically made and then tested and approved, though bureaucracy being what it is I won't see my first payment until the end of the month.
Selling that games console to Rias remains my best financial move in the short term, not only ensuring I can feed everyone until next month but giving just enough extra that we can afford some splurging. Saeko gets herself a phone, our numbers get traded and she gets access to the supernatural internet.
There's not quite enough in the bank to get Kaori a phone, but given how small she is even the most mobile of mobile phones isn't something she can carry around anyway, and she accepts these limitations with good grace as we hit up a Korean barbecue place to celebrate with some prime beef!
This isn't the kind of thing I'd normally do, I'm a cheap fast food kind of guy. I just said that steak thing earlier because it was funny and felt appropriate, but I can't deny the allure of some luxurious food, and Saeko really deserves it too considering she's fresh out of the apocalypse. Still I feel nervous as we go in and get seated, sure people must be looking at us even if Kaori is managing to keep her own otherworldly presence below people's perceptions.
I mean, I'm having a sit down meal in a restaurant with a beautiful girl. Two technically, but Kaori's situation is weird. Saeko however? She's as classic as it gets! Is this like a date? Despite spending evenings unsupervised in my apartment and literally sleeping a few feet away from her, there's a real tension to the act of sitting opposite her in a booth in a crowded restaurant. What should I talk about? Does this change anything?
I must be radiating my nervousness because after the waitress takes our drink orders Saeko gives me a gentle smile and says, "This isn't a date, Jiro-kun, you can relax. Think of it like treating your club members as president."
"Haha, was I that obvious?" I ask with a laugh, but it has kind of punctured the tension a bit and I do feel myself relax more with boundaries clearly established. "Never, you know, done this, so…" I gesture vaguely over the table to encompass the whole 'this' of a normal teenager's dating life which I have zero experience with.
"You've done lots of other things," Kaori says, her voice low but enough for both of us to hear her where she's sitting up on the edge of the table at the back of the booth, "There's no need to get nervous over dinner."
"There's something to be said for doing things in their proper order," Saeko notes as she looks over towards Kaori. "I think you might have given Jiro-kun some warped expectations."
That makes Kaori cross her arms defensively and huff out, "I'm not the one who took his virginity."
Even if Kaori's got some magic going so people don't notice her, I know it only works fully when she literally sits still and does nothing, so I cringe and hope no one in the neighbouring booths is eavesdropping on this salacious gossip. "I mean I'm not complaining, but I'm still… inexperienced about a lot of stuff." I haven't even kissed a girl, which feels really sad! I bet if Kaori hadn't been shrunk we'd have been making out like crazy too. It would've been awesome.
"I'm sure you'll learn, but no one who's opinion matters is going to judge you for it so please don't feel so self-conscious," Saeko reassures me, a break as the waitress returns with our drinks and we belatedly get to checking the menu to decide what food we're actually going to have.
It's actually not so bad, after dispelling that initial worry over it being a date, I'm able to hang out with Saeko just like we've been doing the past couple days. It's actually a good chance to just talk about stuff that doesn't have to do with devils and zombies. I tell her a bit about my dad, who works at the headquarters of a big manufacturing company in Tokyo, and my aunt and uncle who live here in Kuoh and sometimes check up on me. In turn I learn a bit about her own father who's apparently a bigshot martial arts instructor who travels around a lot training elite bodyguards.
I guess it makes sense where she got it from. I don't know if he survived, she talks about him in the present tense but did mention he was out of the country when everything changed, so who knows? If he's half as badass as she is he's probably leading a survivor camp somewhere, but we don't get into that kind of stuff directly so as to keep the conversation light.
The food's great too, definitely better than what I would've gotten for myself if I hadn't been trying to impress the girls!
The rest of the evening passes peacefully, I decide to knock out the formula and methodology for another medicine back home while Saeko goes for a jog under enhanced gravity with Kaori. This one is used for treating deficient immune systems, and so can alleviate a lot of potential diseases. These kinds of medicines are a lot easier to make with current day methods compared to more aggressive cures that rely more on tailored gene editing unique to the patient which I really don't have the resources to spread around. Once Erect Solutions really gets going that might change, but stuff like this can bring in a huge cash flow and help a lot of people, so I'm happy to spend the time and effort on it.
Weirdly I don't notice anything different when I wake up the next day, and neither do Saeko or Kaori. I definitely had my morning friend rise to greet the day, so maybe it was something subtle? It being Sunday it's a good day for us to start training in earnest, and Saeko leads me through some callisthenics under enhanced gravity out in the lot in front of my apartment before we head off to that abandoned building where we can train in more flashy supernatural stuff. Fortunately this time without any stray devils interrupting.
Even better, it does confirm my power is working when I get a message from Akeno, the promised picture showing she does fill out that miko outfit beautifully. It's not especially sexualised, but she still looks amazing and there's a joy to getting this kind of material from a girl that my body readily responds to.
Spoiler: Wiki Roll
Now I don't notice anything at first, no, and there is an initial worry that the whole thing has just stopped as abruptly and randomly as it started. But then my phone buzzes with a voice call from Akeno…
"J-J-Jiro-k-k-kun!" her voice sounds shaky and uneven and there's a faint high-pitched whine in the background. "D-did y-y-you l-l-like m-my sh-sh-shrine mai-aaaugh-maiden…! My shrine m-maiden u-uniform th-that… nnngh! That much?!"
Okay I was at half mast before but now a tent is well and truly pitched as I listen to her and my brain summons up all sorts of images. "It had an effect," I admit bluntly, "Um, but what about you?"
"Ahh- haha-! J-jiro-kun you p-pervert!" she gasps and giggles, Kaori and Saeko both drifting over towards me to listen in to what's going on. "I-is this wh-what y-you did to- to the Presi- haaugh, J-Jiro-kun it's making me… I'm g-gonna, y-you sh-shouldn't… eeeik~!"
Abruptly the call disconnects and I'm left staring numbly at my phone. What the fuck was that?
"What did you do to her?" Kaori asks, sounding as awestruck as I've ever heard her voice.
"I don't know!" I protest, "I was thinking about her, you know, and it… you know," speaking of I hunch my posture a little awkwardly to cover up the 'you know' for Saeko's benefit.
"So distance isn't an issue so long as one is close to your heart, Jiro-kun?" Saeko asks in a dry tone that doesn't quite conceal her amusement. "In any case she did not sound in danger, we should resume our training."
Right. Um. I guess so?
And so a good day's training is had. Skills are sharpened, bodies are conditioned… and I don't hear another word from Akeno. Not until I go to school the next day where she very pointedly refuses to look at me, a red-faced and embarrassed look on her like I've never seen from the usually confident and eager-to-tease girl.
"Well done, Jiro-kun! I'm impressed, no one's ever gotten to Akeno like that!" Rias grins proudly at me while standing above Akeno's desk, which sets off predictable whispering from the class.
Akeno herself lets out a mortified squeak of, "President!" before she collapses her head on her desk and buries her face in her arms, hiding from everyone.
I've no idea what's going on, but I feel… proud. Yes, that's the feeling. I've definitely accomplished something noteworthy, somehow.
"Well hey Akeno-chan, you know how much I've been thinking of you lately, now I know for sure you were thinking of me," I say, feeling my cheeks hurt from how wide I must be grinning at getting one over on her. I don't know exactly what happened, but it must have been some kind of vibrator or something and she was totally getting off while on the phone with me, and that's a massive win in my book.
"It's supposed to be the other way around… I'll get you for this, Jiro-kun!" Akeno swears, thumping her fist on her desk.
I can only hope she plans to retaliate in kind.
---
Spoiler: Wiki Roll
Spoiler: Wiki Roll
[5-12 Demon King of the Sixth Heaven Rank Ex
The true noble phantasm of Oda Nobunaga, destroyer of Shinto and Buddhism, it materialises a reality marble that holds absolute power against the divine.
Jiro gains the power of this reality marble, though as expected for such a high tier ability its upkeep is expensive in terms of energy. It manifests the surroundings as a burning hell which actively erodes the existence of supernatural beings. The greater their divinity the greater the effect. A normal human would simply find it to be a little bit hot, while a devil or angel would find themselves assailed by debilitating flames, and an actual deity would feel their life in danger.
Jiro himself will always be unharmed by his own reality marble, even if he does acquire divine traits in the future.]
Spoiler: Wiki Roll
---
While I don't get any more sexy texts from Akeno, my dick still works and even without the morning visitor a few things come throughout the week when I get excited for one reason or another. A swimsuit appeared while I was in the shower with Kaori after getting sweaty from training, unfortunately while it was shrunk down to fit on Kaori and would've looked nice if intact, it had a few rips in it. Which is nice from my point of view, but does mean it's not beach ready. Interestingly it had the name Helena written across the chest, which reminded me of one of the girls in that game that came with the Nintendo Switch. I sent a picture of it to Rias and she quickly confirmed back that the outfit was one of the ones you could buy for Helena in the game, with a picture as proof.
So quickly in fact it was pretty obvious she'd hung onto the thing to play by herself rather than sending it off to a lab to be reverse engineered.
Oh well, she'd paid good money, she could do what she wanted with it.
Another nice surprise came in the form of several plates of steaming hot curry rice one afternoon while my mind wandered as Saeko and I were doing our homework. Randomly getting horny before making dinner paid off again!
The real prize came in the middle of PE though. I'd been holding myself back to not display any superhuman capabilities but otherwise taking part more than I ever did in the past. In this case I was climbing the rope rather than engaging in any fun stretching exercises with Rias, but… look, there's stimulation, the body reacts, I don't need to defend myself.
And anyway, I'd take the embarrassment for something like what I got there, as knowledge blossomed inside of me like it had done several times before. An inner world, one of fire and flame, one that hates the supernatural.
I feel a little bit bad, I like that stuff. The supernatural's done right by me so far! But the flames held so much power, they would make for an incredible weapon against otherworldly beings, a weapon that basically scaled up depending on the mysticism of the opponent. So if some less friendly devil came after me? Well, it'd definitely do the job if freezing them with the blizzard dance didn't!
Got a real fire and ice theme going on here. Kinda neat, I like it!
Naturally we test it that evening in our usual isolated training spot. Kaori and Saeko flank me as I prepare myself. "Okay, this is an actual spell, so you know… don't judge me, okay?" I ask, cringing a little bit at what I have to recite to pull this off.
Saeko gives a non-judgemental nod, while Kaori just rolls her eyes and says, "Never feel self-conscious about chanting a spell that does real magic."
I guess that actually is kind of heartening support from her, but all the same I can't help but feel a sense of shame as I start to speak with reddened cheeks.
"Those who cherish their life should get away from here right now."
A heaviness settles in the air around us when I start to speak, the magic building in a way I think literally anyone could sense far less those of us who've grown experienced with the supernatural.
"This place will soon become hell on Earth."
I can feel the heat under my skin now, sweat beading from it, a tension waiting to explode.
"The deities of the three realms shall all be nothing but ash!"
It's coming now, the words seeming to tumble out of my lips almost without conscious volition, like I've started something that can't be stopped, the pressure roaring forth in a way that makes my head feel heavy. I want to pop my ears, it's like when you're on a plane taking off.
"I am the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven, Jiro Onano!"
The pressure breaks with that last declaration, and the world explodes around us. The grassy yard, the ruined mansion, the trees and the city beyond them, all of it gets stripped away as my inner world rushes past the confines of my body and my ears get that satisfying pop of equilibrium being restored.
It's night, but there's no darkness. The sky red, dark choking clouds of smoke lit up by the hellish glow of flames crackling and licking upwards. To one side there's a torii gate, red paint peeling off to reveal blackened char underneath as fire dances up its surface. In the other direction a temple in ruins, pagoda roof sinking inwards as supports fracture and fall. All around the courtyard we stand in are deliberately scrapped items you'd usually see in a shrine – offering boxes, sacred ropes, fortune boards, stone lanterns. All piled up like trash for the fires to consume.
Flames immediately latch onto Kaori and she bites her lip, trying and failing to brush them off her arm. "I don't like this at all," she says, a faint shudder in her voice.
I'm not sure how 'divine' fairies count as for the effectiveness of this ability, but the fact fairies have incredible physical and mental resilience is probably letting her endure it a lot better than someone like Rias would.
"Demon King of the Sixth Heaven?" Saeko repeats in an odd voice, looking directly at me after taking in her surroundings, appearing completely at ease in contrast to Kaori's discomfort.
I cringe. It sounds pretentious as all fuck, doesn't it? Even if magic is real, some things are a bit too chuuni to say with a straight face. "Yeah I know, it's what I have to say though, I can't help it," I say apologetically, letting out a deep exhale relaxing a knot of tension inside of me that causes the burning temple to fade away like a mirage, our mundane surroundings returning. Feel a little light-headed after that, like when I pushed the blizzard dance too long one time.
"I think you misunderstand me," Saeko says, before dropping a name that even I recognise. "Demon King of the Sixth Heaven was a title adopted by Oda Nobunaga."
---
Jiro was hardly the only one training hard in this week, the recently rebuilt church was now constantly abuzz with activity. Not that Nanael needed to do much, her victory was assured, but it would look bad if her followers were weak and so she was ensuring everyone fighting under the banner of Team Nanael was ready to pull their weight!
The four fallen angels were engaged in a frantic free-for-all, joined with that one incredibly rude cultist that also happened to be a cut above the rest of the rabble these black-winged losers liked to have do their menial work for them. Every now and then Nanael would bombard them with a telekinetically thrown object, ensuring they stayed on their toes while she performed the vital role of overseer to make sure no one slacked off.
"Come on Dragon King," she reached down and tickled the side of the boy she was sitting on the back of as he laboriously performed push ups underneath the weight she was adding on his back. "Your power multiplies your base, so the stronger you get to start with the better the gains you'll receive. You should feel honoured getting this kind of special training!"
He let out a gasping noise before his arms gave out and he collapsed. But there was no reprieve to be found, as the newest member of Nanael's group knelt nearby with a worried expression and held out her hands, a green healing light glowing over the boy to revitalise him. "H-hang in there… I mean, ganbarimasu!" she added her own encouragement. It all sounded the same to Nanael who could speak all languages like any angel, but the healer was doing her best to learn the local tongue after flying halfway around the world to join their little group. Bolstering everyone's training routines with powerful magic healing was certainly a better use of her ability than getting that annoying cultist out of the hospital, but since he hadn't made any further comments about her wings she'd had no reason to send him back there for now.
"Ahhh… two beautiful girls cheering me on, I can't lose!" he let out a grunt of resurgent effort and Nanael felt herself being lifted up as he resumed his work towards attaining physical fitness worthy of his magical blessing.
"Here you are, Nanael-chan!" her other harem boys called out as numbers two and three came back to the church laden down with snacks for her. They were much friendlier and more fun than the dead-eyed cultist goons that would otherwise be running errands around here, though she was a bit annoyed by their habit of fawning over the recently arrived nun.
"Good, you're back. Gimme!" she called, waving a hand towards them as harem boy number three pulled out one of those pudding cups she loved and handed it to her along with a spoon. He was a good boy, very dedicated to pleasing her, exactly how she liked her boys. She rewarded him with a smile and a pat on the head before she started eating her sweet treat, only to yelp as a stray shot from one of the fallen angels blasted right through her cup, showering her with sticky white cream!
"Why does this always happen?!" she cried in outrage, looking down at herself as her chest was covered in thick gooey white globs, and not the fun kind that she got when playing with her harem! An angelically fierce gaze was swiftly turned towards the melee, "Who did that?!"
Fingers immediately pointed towards Loligoth. One thing she could always count on fallen angels was for them to have no solidarity among themselves. It gave Nanael an excuse to get a little more involved in their training, chasing the now screaming blonde fallen angel around with her floating sword and slicing her up pretty aggressively until she fell over in a crying and bleeding heap.
"Healing Saint, go fix her up while I get cleaned and changed," she ordered the blonde girl, leaving harem boy number one to make do with only the moral support of his two friends as he continued training.
Predictably the fallen angels had all taken her absence as an excuse to slack off so when she came back out the only one still working was harem boy number one, even if he was clearly just trying to show off to the cute blonde nun that had gone back to hanging out with him and his friends rather than the lazy fallen angels or that gross cultist.
Not that she really blamed either of them for making the best of it in the absence of Nanael's radiant presence. Who would have thought mortals would be the most tolerable company around here? It really spoke to the depravity of fallen angels.
"Nanael-sama," one of the fallen who was not currently striving to sharpen her skills in anticipation of the tournament approached, the dark haired one who liked to wear spiky fetish clothes when not cosplaying as a demure young maid sidled up next to her. "We received the last parts to finish assembling the sacred gear extractor while you were gone. Now we can put those tools into better hands," despite being a slacker she still spoke with the transparent eagerness-to-please of a lifelong brown-noser.
Nanael just gave her a look, silently inviting her to go on. And bury herself deeper. Which with a complete lack of awareness she cheerfully did until Nanael had had enough of listening to her.
Smack!
The sound of her palm hitting a pale cheek echoed around the church all the more satisfyingly thanks to the acoustics meant for better raising the Lord's worship to the heavens. Everyone froze and turned to look at the fallen angel knocked to the floor from the force Nanael just put behind her disciplinary slap.
She actually felt angry! She didn't think she could be any more shocked by how awful these fallen angels were, it really showed the mountain she still had to climb with her self-appointed task of redeeming them.
"I've seen a lot of disappointments since I came here, but this is a new low!" she declared, making sure everyone could hear her and understand how mad she was at the suggestion she'd just been given. "Even if you're fallen, for an angel to think about stealing the weapon of a human… where's your pride? Your faith? In your own abilities if not in God?! We're superior beings, and that means we have to act like it. If that's the only way you can come up with to get stronger, you'll always be a bottom feeder that'll never amount to anything!"
Also Dragon King was cute! And Healing Saint was the kind of mortal woman she liked best; deferential and obedient! Nanael wasn't one to go all protective big sister or anything like that, but the least she could do was scare the idea right out of these fallen angels' heads so no funny business occurred!
"I'm sorry Nanael-sama, I overstepped, I didn't think it through!" the fallen angel that had been in charge of this group before her arrival at least gratifyingly got on her knees and bowed her head.
"I bet you didn't," she scoffed in reply, before thinking of an appropriate punishment. Inspiration struck and she smiled before pointing towards where the supposed Red Dragon Emperor was doing his exercises. "Go lie down on your back there. Dragon King, do your next set of push ups on top of her!"
An excited cheer came from the brown-haired boy while his friends made jealous noises, and Spiked Shoulders went to her fate with the despair of the condemned. Nanael just smiled smugly at her cleverness, not only was it a fun bit of motivation to spur on Dragon King, she knew it would be off-putting enough to stop Healing Saint from making doe-eyes at him so much.
Indeed, the blonde girl made a scandalised noise and covered her face as a red-faced boy started grunting and levering himself up and down on top of a distressed fallen angel…
But why was her pure innocent saint peeking through the gaps in her fingers like she was actually interested?!
Amidst training for the tournament and living my daily school life, the latter half of the week passes almost peacefully. A bottle of pills appears in the night while I'm laying in my futon and failing to keep my thoughts pure. An impurity reflected when we examine the bottle. No sweet and wholesome multivitamin gummies this time, no.
High Strength Aphrodisiacs. TAKE ONE ONLY. Excess use can result in death from exhaustion. Nymphomania and impaired judgement will occur rapidly. Can be taken orally, vaginally, or anally.
Honestly that's more terrifying than hot. It gets put away with the same fearful care as the two guns that are also in the apartment, and I think it says a lot about how trustworthy I am that Kaori and Saeko are even willing to stay under the same roof as me when something like that is readily available. Kind of reminds me of some of the more fucked up things I can make with the mad science knowledge dump in my head.
We get a much more pleasant surprise while Kaori sits on my lap during anime club one day however. Even if she's small, she can change her own weight to feel rather more substantial on me while I'm also enduring higher gravity to make the act of watching a fanservice-laden hot spring episode a productive one.
Admittedly the new desk that appeared didn't quite match up to the others, but it's still a replacement for the one Toujou destroyed. And it came with a free bento box, one with those cute little squid-cut sausages, and still warm too!
The weirdest part was the next day, it had another lunchbox on it. Not as warm, but still tasty. And when we came in on Saturday, there was another one again. Actually still warm! A spooky mystery, but a tasty one too.
Spoiler: Wiki Roll
Then on Sunday I wake up, little Jiro already up and at 'em. I don't know what I was dreaming about, but perhaps Saeko was involved because when she gets up we can see she's had one of my old shirts (another one, after the first got destroyed by skeletons) replaced by a luxurious red silk robe that looks amazing on her.
Admittedly I do kind of regret the loss of the 'boyfriend's shirt' aesthetic she'd been content to rock for sleepwear of late, but she doesn't question what I was dreaming of and just seems happy to have something fine and feminine to wear. It seems to me a good omen that my power is firing on all cylinders today as we prepare ourselves and head off to Kuoh for our Sunday bout of supernatural combat.
Also I notice the concrete lot outside my apartment now has a border of flat stones forming a path all around it. Which looks nice but probably isn't as safe to walk on? Definitely didn't hear any of the construction that would've gone into putting that stuff down since we got home yesterday, so almost certainly my fault.
No one can prove it though, and it's just a dilapidated empty lot below an old apartment building, so who's even going to care? It's probably raising the property value.
Naturally Kaori's monopolised the magic candle costume for herself as usual, and given her lack of other options no one's likely to contest her on that. Saeko's gone back to the same outfit she first got summoned to this world in, right down to the bike pads. It makes me feel a bit under-dressed for this kind of thing, rocking up to my first supernatural tournament in a basic ass tracksuit like the most stereotypical jobber in the world.
I feel a little bit better when we get there and I can see that the Gremory and Sitri peerages are all just wearing their school uniforms. As established the school uniforms are classy and look nice, but it's still pretty low effort, isn't it? Even Saeko's accessorised her uniform and swapped out the basic skirt for a sexy thigh-slit one!
We all meet in the gymnasium, with Nanael soon arriving as well. She's brought with her Mittelt and the same gang that was there when she first made her challenge, along with three new additions. One's a guy with white hair wearing a black longcoat over a white gakuran style suit and a crucifix around his neck, the other's a blonde girl in a nun outfit, and the last is… Issei Hyoudou?
"Hyoudou-kun, what are you doing in school today?" I'm not the only one confused as Sitri questions his presence, although really the fact he's palling around with all these supernatural beings should make it pretty obvious he's in the know. I know he had sex with Nanael, but why'd she bring him to this tournament?
"Don't worry, Prez!" he steps forward with a grin, raising up his forearm before there's a gleam of light and a metallic noise, an elaborate red gauntlet with a big green gem on the back appearing over his arm. "I'm all clued up about the supernatural world, and I'm here to compete!"
"That's right!" Nanael backs him up, hands on her hips and chin jutted upwards. "He's my magnificent Red Dragon Emperor, and I'm counting on him to put on a good showing in this Monarch of Kuoh Tournament!"
The boy every girl at school loves to hate is looked at with new eyes in light of this information, though I remember how he'd been when I ran into him outside the church and ask, "Damn dude, did you just awaken your hidden power or something?"
He grins even wider. "I did, it was awesome!"
For some reason Mittelt and her friends all glare at that black-haired girl in their group. Also it probably bears mentioning that that girl is wearing basically just a bunch of spiky leather straps rather than the cute and fashionable blouse-skirt combo I saw her in last time. Talk about an image change!
Sitri glances at Rias who shrugs in acceptance before the student council president rolls with it. "Very well. So we have four groups competing. Team Sitri, Team Gremory, Team Nanael, and…" she pauses while glancing my way.
"Team Jiro!" I blurt out without thinking, stepping forward and hoping Kaori and Saeko don't take exception.
"Team Jiro," fortunately Sitri takes it on board and neither of the girls who came here with me raise an objection to fighting under the banner of my name. "Battles will be one on one duels fought here in the gymnasium, while each team will be allocated their own nearby space to observe from to reduce the chances of interference." She concentrates on a magical circle that forms above her hand, which then projects a map of the school zoomed in around the gym. Rooms marked out then proceed to light up in time with Sitri's speech as she mentions them. "Team Gremory will have the boys' locker room, Team Sitri the girls'. As they have volunteered the services of a healer, Team Nanael will take the nearby nurse's office, and Team Jiro will have use of the equipment storage shed."
Why do I feel like I'm getting the short end of the stick with that one?
Nanael however takes that as her cue, putting her hands on the nun's shoulders and pushing her forward with a timid squeak from the blonde girl. "Anyone can come and visit between rounds and Asia-chan will heal you right up with Twilight Healing. It doesn't matter if you're a devil or a pervert, this merciful saintly girl will take care of anyone, that's how pure she is!"
Why did she look at me like that when she said pervert?!
"But only if you need healing!" Nanael waggles her finger in chastisement. "If you just want to come and harass her because she's cute, you'll suffer divine punishment!"
"N-Nanael-sama!" that's about all I can make out as the girl babbles the rest in something that sounds French or Italian, her face bright red.
She is cute though. A blonde girl in a nun's habit… it reminds me of seeing Akeno in her miko outfit. Imagine the deadly combination they'd make together! Honestly it's kind of amazing Nanael's managed to put together a group like this so quickly, talk about landing on her feet.
"Thank you Nanael-san, Twilight Healing is a well regarded sacred gear, we are grateful for your thoughtfulness in providing for its use during the tournament," Sitri says diplomatically. "Rias, if you would like to cover the actual rules?" she then hands off to the co-owner of Kuoh, at least until and unless this tournament determines another.
"Right!" Rias steps forward with a grin. "Like Sona-chan said, the tournament is fought by single duels, and we're going to draw random lots so people on the same team might have to fight each other. You can forfeit if you want, or take it as a chance to show off! A barrier's been set up around the gym, but it's not invincible, that means you have to follow the rules. If you destroy the gym or interfere with the barrier, that's a disqualification. If anyone suffers serious wounds, the barrier will automatically teleport them to the nurse's office where Asia-chan can heal them, so if you mess with that it's like saying you plan on killing your opponent for real. This is the same system used in rating games, so everyone can be at ease and fight freely so long as you follow the rules."
I can see everyone listening seems to be getting pumped up by Rias's speech, the impending draw of no holds barred supernatural combat clearly one that everyone here can understand the appeal of.
"Now, because Sona-chan and I are the existing overseers of Kuoh, we're exercising our privilege to skip the early rounds. The winner of the semi-finals from the top bracket will have to face me, and the winner of the bottom bracket's semi-final has to face Sona-chan. Other than that we're going to have a draw to decide the other brackets, although…" she pauses while going over the numbers present and doing some mental math. "There's an odd number of people here."
Huh. Does that mean we have to do a qualifier, like a test of strength or something to eliminate the weakest? Yet as people trade looks and surely speculate on how we're going to reconcile this, the white-haired guy in Nanael's group makes a, "Yare yare," noise and spreads his arms. "I'm just an ordinary human so it's not as if I had much chance of winning. I'll bow out so I can focus on guarding the sister instead."
"Yeah you definitely wouldn't have won anyway," Nanael instantly agrees, making his 'nobly self-sacrificing' expression twitch angrily before he plasters on a smile and theatrically steps back from the rest of his group.
The tournament brackets are then drawn up while Shinra produces one of those lottery crank wheels for assigning places randomly, people starting to turn it for their numbers to be determined. Before I can take my own turn however, a short blonde girl wearing an abundance of lace and ruffles marches up to me.
"Kyuhuhu, I never expected you to actually turn up, fatty!" Mittelt gives a saccharine giggle, leaning forward and looking up with a playful fanged grin. "What's your fighting technique? Threaten with a gun and violate the girls into submission? There's lots of ripe targets for you in this field!"
Kaori instantly lets out a delighted sounding gasp and asks, "Wait, is this the girl you had sex with?"
Please God kill me now.
"Why are you like this?" I ask in a despairing tone of voice, trying to block out the sensation of judgemental eyes on me from everyone else in the gym.
"You didn't complain last time I ran into you in your dirty tracksuit," she counters, pressing her dainty hand into the pudge of my belly and making a pleased sound, although mercifully this time she does not work her hand down below the waistband of my pants. Even fallen angels have some sense of propriety in public it seems.
"I was… swept up in the moment!" I try to muster some form of defence, though I know it hardly sounds good.
"Awww, would you like it more if I was an obedient daughter instead of a bad girl who needs your firm hand, Daddy?" she coos and I am doing everything I fucking can to stay calm and not pop a boner in this situation even when her calling me that in that voice reminds me of some of the most glorious moments spent nailing her against the stained glass window.
There's definitely some strain in my voice as I tell her, "It wouldn't hurt if you were nicer, yeah."
Her smile grows wider. "Really? Do you want a sloppy girlfriend experience with Mittelt? A small girl sitting on your lap and showering you with deep wet kisses before letting you breed her with some doting baby-making sex while holding hands?" her hand creeps off my belly to find my own, lacing her delicate fingers between my thicker ones to further emphasise her teasing.
Spoiler: Wiki Roll
I tried, I swear to God I tried, but there's a tightness in my pants and Mittelt's bare fingers against mine are suddenly wreathed in ivory silk, matching the white dress she now wears, sleeker than her elegant gothic lolita ensemble and leaving her shoulders bare, but making up for it with a much longer skirt, though one that's about as filled out and voluminous as the petticoat-supported one she had on before. Even the black bow on her head has been replaced by a white one with sweet smelling yellow roses in the centre.
She looks adorable. She looks innocent. She looks like a bride.
She doesn't even seem to have realised it at first, smirking up at me even as surprised noises come from those around us. "Oh, you like that don't you, you big sensitive brute! Kyuhuhu, well how about this? If you make it further than me in this tournament, I'll show you my softer side afterwards," then she lets go my hand and steps back, turning around and finally noticing her changed clothes. "Hueh?" a flat-footed noise of confusion comes out, looking down at herself and reaching to grab at her new bridal skirt.
Fuck, this is the worst! Not even looking back at Kaori and Saeko, I (awkwardly, hunched over) hustle towards the table set up for drawing bracket numbers.
Only to be met with an absolutely frigid reception. Rias and Akeno are both looking at me with expressions of such disgust I've never seen on their faces before.
"You look like you were having fun, Jiro-kun," Akeno says frostily, her eyes slitted almost shut and her lips turned up into a barren smile.
"I see you and that fallen angel have patched things up nicely," Rias agrees in a tone of voice straight from the arctic, crossing her arms and not even hiding her glare behind a fake smile.
"… I tried to warn him," Sitri says from a bit off to the side, not quite as angry seeming as my two classmates, but I can definitely feel the disappointment in her voice.
"I can't help these things, they just happen!" I offer what pathetic defence I can even while Nanael and friends are suddenly clustering around Mittelt to question her. "Just gimme my number!" That storage shed is looking a lot more comforting by the second as I twist the wheel and with a ker-plunk noise a ball rolls out of it with my fate.
Number nine, great, whatever. Akeno writes my name down on the board listing the pairings for the first brackets while I just flee off to the corner of the gym, burning under the looks I'm getting. If nothing else at least Mittelt looks adorably flustered as Nanael badgers her about looking like a blushing bride, but she's just a victim. I'm the one taking the blame even if I had no control over what happened.
"If there's a guiding force behind your power, it definitely has a sense of humour," Kaori says as she flies on over to join me.
"I hate everything," I answer, shoulders sinking inwards. As omens go for the start of the tournament, this is a terrible one.
However at least one person here seems to feel nothing but admiration after such a sight. "Wow, do you have magic cosplay powers as well as martial arts, Onano-senpai?!" Hyoudou gushes as he comes bounding over with a big grin, looking back over towards Mittelt who's enduring her own frosty reception at the lottery crank. "A bride too, that's so classy! Could you have put her in a bunnygirl outfit?"
If I had control over it, that would be an awesome flex, it's true. Before I can come up with some answer, Kaori speaks for me. "Jiro-kun's great with clothes, I have him to thank for this as well, isn't it nice?" she asks, posing in the air in front of the second year boy.
"Arrgh, you even have a sexy fairy familiar!" tears glisten on Hyoudou's eyes and he clenches his fist while staring at Kaori. "I thought that handsome bastard Kiba was the one to be jealous of here, but I underestimated your power!"
"Yeah… yeah, my power is definitely not one to be underestimated," I say, feeling a heavy weight upon those words. Of course I'm not just gonna explain the details to any random person I meet. Cat's out of the bag with Rias and Sitri's groups and I don't really regret it given my situation at the start, but I don't want to broadcast the particulars if I can help it.
I'm spared further awkwardness by Shinra announcing that the tournament brackets have been decided and everyone clusters back over to that side of the gym where we can see a board's been put up. Because of the numbers there's two preliminary fights between numbers sixteen to eighteen, the winners of which feed into the first round proper which comprises eight bouts and it progresses straightforwardly from there.
The first prelim is between Kalawarner who I don't know, and Tomoe Meguri, a second year girl in the student council who I know by name but not really much past that. Far more interestingly, the second prelim is between Akeno and Shinra. A duel of the vice presidents! Battle between two of the most well regarded girls in Kuoh. A lot of people like to pit them against each other in 'who's hotter' contests (I'd always vote Akeno if anyone asked me, which they never did), but I bet no one ever expected them to be duking it out like this!
"Ara, it seems like we're going to be settling things early, Tsubaki-san," Akeno says, a hand on her cheek as she gives Shinra a look not dissimilar to the one she was giving me earlier.
"Please let me apologise in advance for any embarrassment you suffer by losing before the tournament even begins properly," Shinra says coolly in return.
I can practically see sparks flying between their gazes, this trash talk is great, exactly what you want to see in a supernatural tournament arc!
The winner of that first match will face Hyoudou in the actual first round, while the winner of the second is up against… Saeko?! Oh man, now I don't know who to root for. Ordinarily I'd want Akeno to win this one, but then I'd be in a difficult position for the next fight. Not to mention I'd already thought a fight between Saeko and Shinra would be amazing to see. It's a dilemma!
As for the rest of the brackets, I'm fighting in the first match of the first round, against Reya Kusaka. Another member of the student council and a second year. Cute girl, we've literally never said two words to each other. Still I look towards her and see her giving me a fierce look back, her face framed with brown hair that falls in twin braids down her back.
I just give her an awkward sort of smile and nod back, it's hard to trash talk someone when you know basically nothing about them, and it's not like I have a grudge against her.
"I'm not going to marry you even if you win, Onano-senpai! It doesn't work like that!"
What the fuck was she thinking?!
"I never asked!" I blurt out, mortified.
"You need to defeat him, senpai. For women everywhere," Toujou says with a somehow accusing look on her blank expression directed at me as she steps up next to the student council girl.
I just grumble and look back at the board rather than engaging further, there's nothing useful I can say in the face of this madness. Speaking of Toujou though, the second fight is between her and Kaori. That's gonna be a messy one.
After that it's Kiba versus Mittelt. I've no idea what either's actually capable of so who knows how that'll go? Then it's Nanael against Raynare, and a battle of the student council with Ruruka Nimura against Momo Hanakai. I think Hanakai's the hotter of the two, so I'm gonna root for her on that one. Lastly there's Dohnaseek versus Tsubasa Yura. I'll root for Yura since I don't know who Dohnaseek is.
After everyone's had a chance to take in the brackets, Sitri makes her announcement. "The first match between Kalawarner-san and Meguri-san will begin at ten o'clock in fifteen minutes. Everyone should retire to their team's assigned areas, Nanael-san has agreed to place magic crystals in each room which will broadcast the matches so we'll all be able to watch without risk of being caught by stray attacks."
Hyoudou gives the tall woman with hair a darker shade of blue than Nanael's an encouraging cheer while the rest of her party seems rather apathetic, and Meguri gets some pep from her student council colleagues. Since I don't know either of them I stay out of it and instead head to the storage shed outside the gym, Kaori still with me and soon joined once more by Saeko.
"I won't say anything," she says, which makes me appreciate her all the more, "But I did hear a lot of other people say things. I'm sorry, Jiro-kun."
"Yeah… that was a bad one," I just agree, opening the door into the rather dour blockhouse that even Kuoh's generally classy aesthetic can't really do much for. It looks like a concrete bunker you'd put on a beach to resist an invading army, the inside full of things like gym mats, hurdles, pommel horse, springboards, posts, balls from basket to soccer, all the kinds of things you'd need to give a bunch of teenagers a well rounded physical education.
No actual seats or any amenities like that of course, but the gym mats are piled up to a level that it's not really that bad to sit on them, even if it kind of smells from accumulated years of sweat. Still, there is something to it I guess, it's kind of a stereotypical location for a secret hook up, and I'm here with two hot girls. Sadly I'm not going to be railing Saeko across the gym mats any time soon, but all the same it's a location that inspires thoughts of the prospect.
We don't have long to settle in before our gloomy surroundings are lit up by Nanael coming through the door. Like she's actually glowing, it's the kind of thing you don't notice when she's in direct light but in here she stands out like an LED.
"Alright, so this is Team Jiro, huh?" she asks, looking over the three of us. "I don't know anything about you other than what that one did to Loligoth," she points directly at me as if there was any doubt. Then her hand cups her chin as she gives us a scrutinising look before pointing at us from left to right. "Demonfey Temptress. Half-Orc Bandit. Revenge Seeking Ronin."
"Excuse me?" Saeko asks in as piqued a tone as I've ever heard from her.
"Why am I a half-orc?" I protest, before realising the rest is just as bad, "Why am I a bandit?!"
"I don't mind my one," Kaori says cheerfully.
"Everyone needs a good title when they're announced before a match," Nanael says, waving a dismissive hand over our objections. "I don't know anything about you three so I had to go with my instincts, if you have a better one let's hear it."
Shit, I need to come up with something good fast before I'm announced to the world as Jiro the Half-Orc Bandit. This is even worse than when I came up with my company name, I definitely don't want any dick jokes in this one.
"Unfettered Samurai," Saeko on the other hand only takes a second to come up with her own alternative.
"That one's pretty good, I can use it," Nanael agrees, dismissing us for a moment while I'm thinking as she lets out a grunt and produces a big silvery orb out of thin air, hefting it in her hands before she lets go and it simply hovers in place. "This'll broadcast the fights so you can watch. Last chance, pig boy," she taunts me with the kind of grin on her face that does not belong on an angel, her hand atop the crystal and some glowy connection forming between them.
Fuck, fuck. What's a good title? What do I want people to hear before I make my debut in the world of supernatural combat? "Uhh…" shit, my head is completely blank, I didn't have any time to come up with something good. Something based on my abilities. Sub Zero Shinobi? Kung Fu Scientist? Doctor of Miracles? Uh…
"Demon King of Sixth Heaven!"
Fuck, it's already a title I have to use in that cringy chant, why not try to own it?
"Hahaha, I'm not calling you that!" Nanael just laughs at me and turns, effortlessly floating out of the shed as easily as she'd entered.
"Maybe you can at least be a chivalrous bandit?" Saeko offers supportively into the depressed silence that ensues.
Author Notes
And here we go, at long last the tournament arc can begin starting next time with a fight between jobbers, but the one after that between fan favourites Akeno and Tsubaki is sure to be a highlight! Look forward to our gang playing combat commentator for that one before Jiro makes his debut under an embarrassing sobriquet.
Like a Dungeon Crawler an isekai story in the Dannmachi setting starring Ichiban Kasuga from the Like a Dragon series and incorporating the Celestial Grimoire mechanic. Complete.
[NSFW] Wiki x Wank an OC in High School DxD gains access to the Wiki Warrior power, only all the wikis he pulls from are either ecchi or hentai series. Ongoing
If you wish to read advance chapters of any of my ongoing fanfics, I have a Patreon where you can find them.
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After Nanael leaves I realise I still haven't told her anything about how I summoned her or anything like that. Then again considering how she's gotten a whole team of fallen angels, healing nuns, and mysteriously powerful high school boys, does she really need it?
Honestly it makes me feel a bit inadequate, like damn. I've been busting my balls keeping Kaori and Saeko fed and sheltered, and the angel's already become head of her own supernatural organisation that's making a play to take over the town.
It's a few minutes later when the floating crystal ball before us lights up and shows an image of the gym with Kalawarner and Meguri both standing opposite one another. Kalawarner's wearing a turtleneck sweater and a skirt, a golden spear held over her shoulder as she looks across with a cold glare at her high school girl opponent. Meguri's in her usual uniform, but she's holding a sword now, rather like Saeko's own, and there's a determined look on her face.
I almost wonder if I should've brought a sword of my own, I have a bunch from those skeletons, but it's not like I really trained with them. Better to stick with what I know.
"So who do we think's gonna win?" I ask my companions as if we're watching a sports game. The view shifts from wide angle shots to close-ups of their faces, like there's an actual camera focusing around to keep the audience engaged. I don't know if it's automatic magic or Nanael's doing it, but it does make it easier to watch despite the odd format of using a crystal ball.
"Just looking at them I want to say Kalawarner," Kaori says. "But Meguri's still a devil despite how she looks, we shouldn't underestimate her."
"Her stance is good. I think she can win," Saeko voices support for her fellow swordswoman, leaving me to make my own choice.
Kalawarner just looks more badass. And has bigger tits but that's wholly immaterial other than the fact it gives her more of an aura of maturity and perceived power. "Yeah I think Kalawarner's gonna take this one."
As we debate, Nanael's voice rings out from the crystal ball. "Welcome everyone to the first battle of the Monarch of Kuoh tournament, where the fate of this town will be decided! This first match pits Team Nanael against Team Sitri, where the Rising Angel Kalawarner," the image shows a close-up of her face and she grins smugly, clearly able to hear the commentary, "Faces up against Team Sitri's Curse-free Exorcist, Tomoe Meguri!" We get to then see Meguri's smile lighten a little while she leans forward and adjusts her hold on her katana.
"Well they got decent titles," I say, unable to hide my petulance as I cross my arms in a huff.
"Fighters ready, the match begins… now!" Uncaring of my complaints, Nanael announces the start, and both combatants instantly react. Black feathered wings fanning behind her, Kalawarner ascends while leaping backwards and hurls her spear with an over the shoulder throw towards Meguri who rushes forward, a clang sounding from her sword sweeping ahead of her and deflecting the projectile. Black bat-wings emerge from her back and she vaults upwards, aggressively closing in on Kalawarner!
"She's fast!" Kaori says admiringly at the physical prowess on display.
"She must be one of Sitri-san's Knights, like Kiba-san. He displayed phenomenal speed when we trained with them before," Saeko says, all of us watching as the battle becomes a close-pitched melee, both of them weaving in the air around the gymnasium as Kalawarner summons another spear to try and fend off the fast-moving devil.
It's quickly clear that Kalawarner is outmatched though. Contrary to appearances, the cute second year high school girl is able to dominate her more authoritatively mature looking opponent in melee. Perhaps Kalawarner's more comfortable fighting at range? Meguri doesn't let up on her though, constantly staying inside the reach of that spear and keeping her from exploiting the advantage of a longer weapon.
There does seem to be a difference in power that goes the other way though. While Meguri's slashes mount up, cutting through clothes and drawing blood repeatedly, the fallen angel mostly endures it while the one time Kalawarner lands a blow it makes her devil opponent visibly recoil.
"Devils are weak to holy energy, and even fallen angels can still use that," Kaori says during the brief moment it looks like the fight might turn around. Whatever pain Meguri might be feeling from the elemental advantage against her type, she still grits her teeth and keeps at it, continuing to press her opponent in close rather than backing off. It's the right call, as Kalawarner continues to struggle with the frantic assault until a decisive strike cuts through her guard. With a cry, the statuesque older woman falls back in an uncontrolled tumble that has her slamming down against the varnished wood floor of the gymnasium.
Her body is enveloped in a shimmer of light and then vanishes, the view focusing on Meguri's flushed and triumphant face. "Kalawarner has been defeated! The Curse-free Exorcist advances to the next round!" Nanael's voice calls out. "Don't worry, Kalawarner's here with us, Asia-chan's healing her right now in fact! Make sure you get healed before your next fight as well, Tomoe-san!"
"Un!" the red-headed swordswoman nods with a cheerful noise, landing on the ground and unsummoning her katana. Handy trick that.
Though as we wait for the next fight to begin, Nanael doesn't shut up. "Are you all enjoying this Monarch of Kuoh Tournament? Does your heart race seeing these brave fighters give it their all? Do you feel stirred hearing this beautiful angel officiate? If you do then pray to the Lord in thanks, and mention how Nanael is the best angel when you do!"
"I haven't met any other angels, but come on, she must be the worst one," I say flatly to my companions.
There's no argument, and we have a little time to discuss the fight before the next one starts. The fact almost everyone here is going to be able to fly is a bit of a problem for me, and even Saeko unless she uses her ultimate transformation. But the size of the gymnasium at least puts a ceiling on it, so it's not necessarily hopeless. All the more reason I'll need to copy Meguri's tactic and push in aggressively when it's my turn against her student council colleague.
Soon though movement on the crystal ball gets our attention and we can see Akeno and Shinra emerge from their respective doors into the gym. Shinra's now carrying a long bladed spear I'd last seen her wield in Kyoto, while Akeno is unarmed but has traded out her school uniform for her shrine maiden outfit.
"Oh!" I don't quite manage to keep in the delighted noise that escapes my lips on seeing it.
"You really like that outfit, don't you? Though your power's probably recharging, unless…?" Kaori lets that one float out and I feel my face heat up.
"I do like it! But- shut up!" I only then realise I just basically turned down an offer for her to get me off. What has even happened to my life? Well, watching a supernatural tournament is probably more important than a fairy-granted orgasm, I've been getting a lot of those lately after all.
"It's very traditional. We'd wear similar clothing for kendo competitions, but the colours are different," Saeko mentions, just smoothly gliding right over Kaori's implied offer. We've kind of gotten used to working around each other and not commenting on certain things since we've been living together. It's a true testament to human adaptability.
"The colour's a big part of the appeal, that red and white just really pops," I say, before thinking of how Rias's hair is the same eye-catching shade. Yeah, there's no lie there. It's a colour that just demands your attention.
Meanwhile Akeno and Shinra are engaging in some pre-fight banter rather than just staring at each other like the last pair had done. "Ara, this kind of fight's a real pain, I can't even go all out without destroying the gym," Akeno complains with a titter.
"Preparing your excuses early, Akeno-san?" Shinra asks, a vindictive smile on her lips as she stares down her rival. "If you need to save face for your president, I can hold still long enough for you to get off one big spell if you like?"
"God damn," I say, impressed at the level of trash talk the student council vice president is capable of. You usually think of her as a buttoned-up good girl, but she's got claws!
"That won't be necessary, Tsubaki-san," Akeno's expression loses its mirth, showing she must've been annoyed by the suggestion she needs a handicap. "I've got more than enough to deal with you."
"Wow, both our fighters are really fired up for this one! No surprise, both of them were serious contenders to reach the finals, but one of them's going to go out in the second match!" Nanael's cheerful voice echoes out from the crystal. "But will it be Team Gremory's Thunder Priestess that goes home in disgrace, or will Team Sitri's Devil Disciplinarian be serving detention herself? Fighters ready, and… start!"
Shinra's nickname isn't great, but that doesn't stop her from blasting off towards Akeno with a fierce look on her face, the bladed tip of her naginata leading the way. Akeno herself doesn't move, all her focus on the several spinning magic circles that form around her and just before Tsubaki reaches her that pays off. A flurry of lighting strikes hammer into the glasses-wearing devil from every side, surrounding her in a cage of electric fury!
"That's a lot more than she used against Nanael when she first appeared," I say, the difference between her off-the-cuff blasts and a proper charged up spell significant. Shinra cries out as she's blasted, body seizing up in the air, but she still has the wits to slam the end of her spear into the floor of the gym to act as a ground for the elemental discharge. More than that, she's able to formulate a spell of her own, her free hand thrusting forward with a gush of flame that Akeno fends off with a summoned blast of water, steam billowing up between the two.
"Weak!" Shinra yells, the distraction having ended the lightning storm, her hair a bit frizzed and her uniform a bit charred, but otherwise she seems raring to go. "You'll never win with such weak lightning, Akeno!" And then she closes the distance, bursting through that rising steam cloud with a swipe of her naginata that forces Akeno to finally dodge, jumping back and up into the air and then hanging in position with her wings bursting out behind her.
Carrying herself aloft near the ceiling of the gym, black bat-like wings suspend her up in the air as she lets out a mocking giggle and lords it over her foe who remains on the ground despite surely being able to fly just as well. "That one was just a tickle to see how you'd react, Tsubaki-chan. You made such an adorable yelp for me, too, fufufu," she merrily taunts down at the glaring devil beneath her.
"She's bluffing, that was a serious attack," Kaori states confidently. At least I hope it's confidence and she's not just saying that to make us all feel better about the kind of power devils can throw around. I'm not sure if I could take it, but that's just because I have no idea how it actually feels, you can only guess so much from seeing it.
Shinra seems to think it's a bluff as well though, because she actually smirks back up at Akeno. Honestly it's kinda sexy on her. "Oh? Do you want to show me your best, Akeno-chan?" she fires back, not immediately pursuing the attack.
Besides me Saeko sits up straighter. "That's the second time…" she murmurs.
"Ara ara… I didn't know your type, Tsubaki-chan. Could it be you're actually an M?" Akeno places a hand on her flushed cheek, her tongue slowly sliding across her upper lip, and talk about sexy! Thank you Nanael for these close-up views of their faces while they're bantering, this is great stuff! I want Akeno to look at me like that!
She seems quite happy for the opportunity now, raising both her hands up as a huge magical circle spins to life above them. "You can come begging to Akeno-neesama any time you want to indulge in this kind of play, Tsubaki-chan," her chest heaves and she looks down at Shinra with ecstatically slitted eyes, the other girl braced and tense as dark stormclouds fill the upper half of the gymnasium. With a yell of, "Fall thunder!" a sheet of lightning coruscates across the cloud with a reverberating peal of thunder, concentrating in one spot before a cataclysmic lightning bolt the width of a truck slams down towards the student council vice president!
Yet rather than showing fear, her expression is triumphant as she reacts with her own call of, "Mirror Alice!" spreading her arms and summoning an ornate silver-framed mirror in front of herself. The lightning crashes into it, shattering the mirror… yet no lightning goes past it to touch Shinra, instead it gathers and swells into an enormous crackling sphere before blasting back up at Akeno with an even wider and more powerful looking strike, a cacophonous rumble of thunder transmitted through the crystal ball, and surely it would've rattled us in place if not for the barrier surrounding the gymnasium.
With a shriek, Akeno writhes in place, suspended in the air by her own lightning coursing through her, charring the white of her shrine maiden top black. Amidst it all her body shimmers and then vanishes even before the lightning from that mirror finishes coursing through her, the remainder slamming into the roof of the gym and causing a spreading wave of energy to be seen coursing through the now visible barrier.
"Ohhh!" Nanael's frantic voice jumps in. "In a stunning reversal, the Thunder Priestess has been retired by her own thunder! She's being healed right now though, so don't worry! Congratulations to Tsubaki Shinra, completing Team Sitri's sweep of the preliminary battles!"
The view on the crystal ball shows Shinra standing there, a smug and self-satisfied look on her face. "You were too naive, Akeno," she says, before tossing her hair over her shoulder and striding out of the gym.
Holy fuck that was badass. What a woman!
"That's your next opponent, Saeko-chan," Kaori says while we absorb what just happened. "Think you can beat her?"
"I won't underestimate her like Akeno did," Saeko says. "Did you notice? Even before the fight, Shinra was trying to goad Akeno into performing her biggest attack. She scripted things from the start, and Akeno let herself get swept right into it."
"Yeah," I nod in agreement, looking back the manipulation was pretty obvious, but I'm not sure I wouldn't have fallen for it if I'd been in Akeno's place. "She's someone you want to whittle down with small attacks, that mirror's a perfect counter. But now everyone knows she can do it, that's a huge setback for her."
"She must not have been confident in beating Akeno normally," Kaori guesses. "It was bad luck for them to be paired against each other so early in the tournament, she had to show off her trump card just to get past the first hurdle. I don't think it'd be much use against how Saeko fights anyway, but she might have needed it against Nanael or Rias if she gets that far."
"I'm sure it can still work against normal attacks, but Akeno played herself perfectly for Shinra's benefit there, she couldn't have asked for a better opportunity," I say as we all dissect the fight. I might have to fight Meguri in the quarter finals, but Saeko is definitely fighting Shinra next so it's much more of a relevant mental exercise to consider how that's going to play out.
But speaking of? "I'm up next," I take a deep breath and then stand up off the gym mats, turning to face the girls. "Wish me luck?"
"Good luck, Jiro-kun," Saeko says with a serious nod.
"If you lose we're changing the team name," Kaori adds her own motivation for me.
"Heh, I won't lose," I plaster on a confident grin and step out of the shed, walking over to the gymnasium and going in through the side door. I go to take one side, standing over in the penalty shot area of one of the basketball courts. Knowing everyone can probably see me through those crystal balls produces a feeling of nervousness. Do I look dumb? I turn up my lips a little, showing a confident smile and putting my hands in my jacket pockets. Yeah, just casual and relaxed, quietly confident. That's the vibe I want to project. I can do this!
I haven't gotten any fresh new abilities since my inner world, the Demon of the Sixth Heaven, but I've been practicing hard not only with that but with my kung fu skills and my blizzard dance. Training under enhanced gravity, sparring with Saeko… I bounce a little on the balls of my feet, rubber soles of my sneakers squeaking against the wooden floor. I feel the difference, a lightness compared to the oppressive weight of magnified gravity I've gotten used to enduring both amidst daily life and my exercises.
It hasn't been long enough to show any real changes in my physique, but when I flex my arm I can definitely feel more muscle underneath the fat at my bicep. It's the same all over. I've never actually exercised or trained this hard in my life, but life and death supernatural events have managed to hook my motivation better than nebulous rewards of 'being healthier'.
I've fought a devil before. A giant chimera monster cannibal thing. Maybe I didn't do it all myself, maybe that fight was a panicked mess, but I'd still done it. I'd fought skeletons too. Now I'm going to fight another devil, a polite well-mannered student council treasurer, but still a devil.
Also a girl, I mentally add as the door to the girl's locker room opens and Kusaka strides out to go take a spot on the other side of the gym. I'll want to be closer to her when we start, so I start walking from my own position, staying on my half but going right up to the line.
She looks back at me and smiles, her wings blossoming out behind her. She's already figured out her plan to take advantage of someone who can't fly, huh? "My team's sweeping so far, senpai, and I'm not going to let down the president by breaking our streak," she calls over, even her trash talk is polite though. I don't rate 'senpai' from most girls in the lower years.
I'm going to have to beat up a polite and cute younger girl. I'm the worst, aren't I? But I don't plan on going easy on her. She's a devil, she's been involved with the supernatural far longer than I have. She's probably got all kinds of terrifying magic behind that innocent high school girl facade. Besides I knew from the start most of the participants in this tournament were going to be girls, I've hardened my heart and internalised the value of true gender equality in preparation for this day.
"Well I'm sorry, but senpai's going to have to teach his cute kouhai a rough lesson," I grin back at her and put one fist into the other palm, squeezing down. Unfortunately there's no satisfyingly audible crack of my knuckles for emphasis at the conclusion of my badass boast, but I think it's getting the right image across.
Her cheeks tinge pink and there's a brief fluster in her voice, "When did you become such a ladies man, senpai? You can save your flirting for the fallen angels when I send you to the nurse's office!" she raises her voice and balls her fists, glaring at me.
What? Oh shit, I called her cute, didn't I? It was meant to be condescending, not flirty! I mean she is cute, like totally, there's no word of lie there, but that's not what I was going for! "Just trying to throw you off your game, Reya-chan!" I'm in too deep, I just bluff my way through it, taking first name privileges and dropping the -chan on her as I point across the gym with a leering look on my face.
She stamps her foot and steps forward in reply, "Oh, Koneko-chan was right, you really are an enemy of women, senpai!" Hey she's still calling me senpai! "I'm definitely going to beat you, for everyone's sake!"
"And the Half-Orc Bandit Jiro Onano is opening things up by putting his sleazy moves on the Underworld Witch Reya Kusaka!" Nanael's voice rings out from everywhere, it looks like we're about to start, but if nothing else I did actually manage to goad Kusaka into coming closer, so it's kind of a win for me? The last fight was literally decided by psychological warfare, it's established as a legitimate tactic!
My image remains the worst, but the glamour of victory will surely buff that right out!
"He'll need more than crude pick-up lines if he wants to win over this devil's sinful heart though," Kusaka's face turns almost adorably affronted at those words, her ire at least now split between me and Nanael, "Fighters ready, and start!"
It's go time.