184 Discounted Reality.
Beneath the flickering street lamp, a chain emitted a clunking sound as three figures strode along the dark, aged road. The shadows stretched beneath their feet and snaked over the somewhat antiquated architecture, seamlessly blending into the dimly lit night.
"It's quite late, senior. Do you often go cycling in the middle of the night?"
Dragging his bike on the cobblestone road, John forced an awkward smile on his face as the bike felt a bit heavy suddenly.
"I'm just doing a part-time job, but what are you doing here?"
"You came here cycling, no? I'm also looking for a part-time job. Could you introduce one to me? Maybe we can become co-workers."
The sound of bike handles being squeezed were practically glaring in the stillness of the night.
Uncertain why he reacted that way, John resisted the urge to jump and hastily bike away before saying "Uh, our team is already pretty full, and my boss can be quite difficult to deal with. By the way, aren't you wealthy?"
"Indeed, any employer allowing a minor to work such late hours every day must be heartless. Hmmm, this cannot be allowed. Should we inform the police?"
As his question went unanswered, a shudder struck the blond young man. He couldn't understand why this bad feeling intensified each time he met this guy, so he took a moment to think.
"N-No, it isn't like that. I am very grateful to my boss. I wouldn't be here without her help."
"Ah, is that so? I apologize for speaking without knowing about your difficulties. Typically, I would have reported such a black-hearted, child labor using, greedy boss to the police. I believe such scumbags should spend their time in jail, don't you think?"
Scratching his neck, John felt more awkward as his throat felt dry. Like all devils, he shouldn't be dealing with these problems, but sadly, something is blocking his demonic power and he has no idea what.
"Um, why are your hands up in the air?"
"A mosquito has flown by."
"....."
Seeing John cowering under the pressure, Kaguya cautiously followed Leo, who moved with an unusual stiffness, while fractures warped around his body. His black prosthetic leg wiggled and bubbled, attempting to reach towards John's body, but it remained firmly in place.
Even his facial expressions and way of talking appeared restricted, prompting Kaguya to recall Leo's previous notes on how he formed his 'identity.'
This level of critical speculation demanded a meticulous and thorough observation from her.
[Annihilation Maker(Admin): LET ME OUT!! LET ME OOOOUUUUUT!!!! çéà&^$&é*ù##éà&...!!!!!!!]
Kaguya acknowledged her keen observation skills and noticed that Leo's identity had now become more of a constraint, evident from his growing sense of regret. This transformation was clearly visible in his abnormal eyes.
[Annihilation Maker (Admin): I was never meant to be the obnoxious side character; I was supposed to be the midway ad! And how much do you enjoy being referred to as a senior, you degenerate bastard!!!]
[Bri-Bri: Don't worry, junior classmate Leo.]
[Big Sister Lion: Keeping calm is a very important factor to succeed.]
[Advocate of Gender Equality: *Nerd-Emoji* *finger pointing upward*]
By turning off the distractions that hindered her detective work, Kaguya gazed at the stone road in silence, her mind involuntarily recalling fragments of the previous scene etched into her memory.
The suffocating feeling she had experienced was something even an immortal like her had never encountered before.
She subconsciously rubbed her neck to ease that uncomfortable feeling, but then she noticed John in front of her, mirroring the same action, causing her hands to freeze in place.
"Okay, stop messing around. What are you doing here? Don't you know it's dangerous?"
Reprimanded John as his demeanor quickly took a turn for strictness and dissatisfaction as he glanced at Kaguya behind Leo. Glaring the latter down, he spoke with a heavy voice.
"Man, be serious. You even brought your sister to this deserted area in the middle of the night. Do you think this is some sort of joke?"
"Sister?"
"Hmmm?"
However, to John's surprise, both the involved parties reacted the same as they eyed him with weird glances. His previously tense behavior receded as fast as it rose, leaving him at a loss.
"Aren't you two siblings?"
Looking at each other, Leo and Kaguya saw something in each other's eyes. It was an interesting and mischievous intent aimed at each other as they said "What makes you say that?"
Maybe it was their reaction that could almost be described as synchronized, John couldn't help but say in doubt "Well, how to say this, you both look alike."
Taken by surprise, Leo and Kaguya felt ridiculous, but the answer didn't have time sink in as John quickly added "Both are very pretty and beautif—"
The reaction that was supposed to be a surprise sank midway as the two stared at the perplexed John in silence.
"..."
"Oh my"
Kaguya chuckled as John's words came to a halt, realizing that he had caught sight of Leo, who, unlike his usual smiling self, was now staring at him with an expressionless face. The abrupt transition from a friendly smile to a blank expression was so terrifying that it sent shivers down John's spine.
{Did I hit a nerve?} John thought so, but it didn't change his idea.
Leo's and Kaguya's appearance was indescribable yet remarkably pleasant, almost appearing too unreal. Particularly, Leo's eyes shone like precious jewels, exuding an unnatural beauty that left John doubting if human eyes could truly be so stunning.
Then it struck him.
How could a human have such eyes and how could a normal human notice him, a devil during work. As they perform their jobs, the devils wouldn't be noticed by normal humans except the clients.
As John's pupil dilated from the shock and his heartbeat raced, he scratched his neck and said in annoyance "Fine, don't tell me, but at least don't act recklessly again"
Completely back to normal.
Observing John's stable and normal appearance, Kaguya felt a sense of absurdity. Was she experiencing another hallucination? His demeanor didn't appear to be an act.
She glanced at Leo, who nodded before fixing his gaze on John, motionless. This compelled Kaguya to turn her attention back, and in that moment, her heart jolted. She noticed very fine cracks and distortions weaving around John's body, creating a loop of unsettling movements.
Suddenly, light flashed in the darkness faster than all of them could react.
"..."
Looking down, Leo noticed a spear of light piercing through his chest, leaving him with a sense of absurdity. Why was it that his clothes were torn before Kaguya's? This is not scientific.
Such mystery was left unanswered as the spear disintegrated and he flopped on the ground.
"Oh my, kyaaaaa~~"
Observing Leo slipping into what seemed like a 'coma,' Kaguya covered her mouth in shock before letting out a low gasp and feigning unconsciousness, dropping to the ground from the sheer terror of the scene.
Then she got kicked and rolled away.
[Annihilation Maker(Admin): This is my place. Go and take a spear to the chest first!]
[NEET Princess: I will grab it and stab your face!!]
[Advocate of Gender Equality: Here we see two immortal specimens in their natural environment arguing over self harm, unable to understand that the real solution is to go to space and stop thinking.]
[Big Sister Lion: It has always struck me as odd that we have two immortal members in this chat, yet everyone seems nonchalant about it.]
[Bri-Bri: Perhaps we simply haven't encountered any issues related to our mortality so far.]
[The Strongest Man In The World: Hmmm…]
Ignoring Kaguya, Leo looked at the front to see John tripping on the ground as a woman with black wings was approaching him. Not like it mattered to him. It's just in a very dusty corner of his memory, he recalled such a scene before something hit his face.
[NEET Princess: This scene didn't exist in the novel, so is this place following the events of the anime?]
As Kaguya plotted her revenge, she gleefully observed John's misery. The only thing she regretted was not having any snacks at the moment. So, she grabbed an empty candy pack and threw it at Leo's face.
"Dammit! How dare you!! You'll pay for this!!"
As he witnessed two 'innocent' people being harmed because of him, John's expression transformed into one of fury. A dark blue light gathered on his arm, swirling around his body, releasing an evil and depressing aura that filled every corner of the street.
Waves of energy blew dust into the air, emanating a sense of malevolence that surprised Leo for a bit. However, he was more concerned about what John had said earlier.
{Is that guy…}
As Leo's eyes began to widen in disbelief, John's body began to glow in a blue light as markings began to appear on his body.
"Dragon Slayer… ROAR!!"
{That looks a bit familiar, but where did I see—Eh?}
Kaguya had a huge sense of deja-vu, but then a large shadow of a black dragon with the same blue markings formed behind John and roared as the fallen angel blasted into the air.
"It can't be!! How could you have that Longinus!?"
The fallen angel dropped this line in shock before fleeing away.
"Is this my Sacred Gear? No, she ran away. I need to hurry up, I can't let Leo die because of me!"
"..."
"With this power, I will save him!"
"........"
As the black dragon faded away and John appeared covered in marks, with a black version of the boosted gear on his arm, Kaguya's expression became difficult to interpret. She could only look down and blink slowly, trying to process the mental pollution she had just witnessed.
[NEET Princess: That dragon looks a bit too much like a certain dragon from Fairy Tail, but it can't be. I must be still hallucinating. What do you think, junior classmate Leo?]
[Annihilation Maker(Admin): I don't know, but… What is this guy doing? Why is he close to me? Hello? Don't touch me!]
[NEET Princess: Eh?]
Kaguya blinked and turned to see John cradling Leo's head on his lap with an expression of distress and sadness. He hurriedly pressed on the hole in Leo's chest and exclaimed, "No! I can't control my demonic power enough to stop the bleeding!"
[Annihilation Maker(Admin): What bleeding? I didn't have blood in my body for mont— What the fuck? This guy is forcing shitty biology on me!]
[Advocate of Gender Equality: Are you inflated with dogma instead?]
[Bri-Bri: Inflated with nonsense, got it.]
Upon seeing the puddle of blood pouring out of his chest, Leo blinked but decided to continue playing dead. Kaguya was having a lot of fun watching him, but he had had enough of it; he would just focus on dying for now.
"I can't… I can't… I am sorry, it's all my fault. NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"
[Annihilation Maker (Admin): Don't be too disheartened; we're all going to die eventually, although dying in such a cringe situation is unfortunate. I'll go haunt Kaguya until she falls into hell, while I will be in heaven.]
[NEET Princess: Shut up, you're supposed to be dead!]
John roared to the sky, overwhelmed by pain and grief, while Kaguya rested her head on her hand, observing with a hint of amusement.
The question now was, what would happen to Leo, who is considered 'dead' by the world? Would he be sent to hell, or become a ghost? Kaguya pondered various possibilities before she heard a sudden thud.
"No, I won't allow this!"
{What?}x2
Kaguya and Leo, the latter preparing to become a ghost, were startled when John raised his arm, covered in the black gauntlet, and hammered the ground.
"I won't give up! This Sacred Gear, you're meant to respond to my will, aren't you? Then I wish to save him, please!"
[Annihilation Maker (Admin): I yearn for death. Let me embrace it. Death is my desire, death is my companion. I am courting death at this very moment! Just release me, my friend, for I am but an illusion!]
[Bri-Bri: Whoa.]
[Gudako(Chaldea's Admin): Poetry for death.]
[Advocate of Gender Equality: Dunno man, you sound like you want to live. Repeat that again.]
Filled with a surge of emotions, John roared passionately, his gaze fixed intensely on his Sacred Gear. The blue marking on his body then flashed in a brilliant light, causing his eyes to momentarily go blank.
"That's it! I have figured it out."
{No, you didn't! Shut up!}
As John raised his head in happiness, Leo rolled his closed eyes, feeling annoyed that he hadn't died yet. However, the next line that John uttered made him open his eyes wide, bloodshot in horror.
"Just as the president reincarnated me into a devil, I can similarly reincarnate Leo into my own heavenly dragon peerage as a dragon servant!"
{Wha…}
[Annihilation Maker(Admin): No, no, no, no…]
[NEET Princess: Yes, yes, yes, YES!!]
"Oh my god…"
Kaguya's eyes widened in disbelief as she struggled to contain the excitement welling up within her at this magnificent scenario.
John raised his gauntlet, and the blue demonic power coalesced into the shape of a chess pawn, which he then lowered down towards Leo, whose eyes had lost all luster.
In that moment, Leo felt as if a line called reason had slipped away from him.
[Annihilation Maker(Admin): RAPE!! RAAAAAAAAAAAAAPPPPPPPEEEEEEEE!! #~$^ùm=&)é"pô$ê&"é&(...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]
[NEET Princess: AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!]
[A Hero For Fun: ...… What is going on here?]
[Gudako(Chaldea's Admin): Don't ask.]
As Kaguya observed the blue pawn piece nearly touching Leo's chest, the sound of a mirror shattering echoed in her ears, and then the world froze before her eyes.
In her blank expression, the world resembled a shattered mirror, repeatedly broken and reassembled. The street, the buildings, and even John himself all seemed to dissolve and blend into an incomprehensible mess, as if reality was unraveling before her eyes.
An unfathomable amount of energy surged out of Leo's body as if there were no tomorrow. The sheer force of this foreign power was enough to rend and contort this xenophobic reality into a chaotic paste.
The realization that Leo had lost it, being used as a mere plot device for a plagiarized Longinus awakening, crossed Kaguya's mind. She felt the urge to laugh, and laugh she would, but not at this moment, as her body began to 'slip'.
Struggling against the relentless distortion that held him down, Leo lifted his arm in an attempt to choke the John-like mess. However, his efforts were in vain as his body started sinking into the distortion, and the ground beneath him felt like a quagmire.
Speechless, Kaguya watched as reality unraveled and saw Leo's body sink into the distortion. With a sigh, she rolled over, resigned to the inevitable, as the deformation engulfed her too, and everything faded to black.
…
In the darkness, the faint sound of gurgling water mingled with sharp, irritating, clanky metallic noises, creating a sense of discomfort.
The blur shrouding her consciousness cleared and Kaguya's eyelid twitched, revealing a green glossy sky and another annoying face as the darkness receded.
"Hey, you are finally awake."
"Did we cross the border?" Kaguya rubbed her forehead as the dizziness dissipated and was replaced with anger.
"Yeah, but we walked straight into the ambush."
"The ambush that you made!!"
Kaguya leaped and gave Leo a kick, causing him to roll on the ground. After fixing her hair, she looked around with annoyance, taking in the bizarre surroundings.
Wreckage was strewn everywhere, with several large chunks of various land and colossal objects scattered about. They collide from time to time, creating a chaotic situation. This strangely reminded Kaguya of a scene when someone committed terrorism on Asgard in DXD.
However, just as she started to get used to the scene, the chunks suddenly collapsed into each other, transforming into a liquid of different shapes and colors without any warning. The wave of liquid almost reached Kaguya's feet, causing her to instinctively take a step back.
"Where are we?" Kaguya felt a lot of discomfort being here, especially in how breathing was a bit difficult.
"Am I supposed to know?" Leo picked his glasses that fell from the kick and appeared to be sad about the cracks on the lens.
Gazing up at the green sky, Kaguya squinted. It appeared as if the sky was made of plastic, slowly rotating, with red and white blurs streaking across the horizon like shooting stars.
"Looks weird enough, so… how are we getting out of here?" Kaguya kicked a pebble as it merged into the ocean of… things.
"I will think about it later, but in the meantime, can you lend me your hand?"
"Huh?"
Kaguya instinctively pulled her hand away, only to see a blur as Leo grabbed onto it, almost pulling her down. She managed to stabilize herself and then noticed Leo hanging from the edge of a cliff.
The world underwent a complete transformation, with the sky now dark and adorned by a high-hanging moon. A neighborhood with several houses scattered randomly had materialized before them.
"Pull me up."
"..."
"Please."
Kaguya pulled Leo up before taking a closer look at their surroundings. The sight wasn't challenging to behold, as the sky was illuminated with several colors of flares, resembling fireworks exploding in the air.
However, these flares seemed to be fixed in their positions, almost giving Kaguya the impression that they were actually drawn onto the sky instead.
"My glasses, you were very young to die."
Leo let out a sigh and cast his gaze downward into the dark abyss where his glasses had fallen. However, his thoughts were interrupted by Kaguya, who grabbed him and gestured toward the eerie street.
"Forget about your cheap glasses, just how did you get us here?"
Tilting his head at the question, Leo dusted off his hands and approached a parked car. He wiped the dusty window and found no reflection of himself, but instead a reflection of the street from a different angle.
Tapping the frame, Leo spoke with a hint of doubt, "When you overload that reality with foreign power, it sort of submerges you into another layer or something... I think."
"So, you knew about this?"
"I tested it when I was locked inside the school. I almost lost my arm.[1]"
Kaguya heard this nonchalant explanation and pursed her lips. She walked towards a mailbox as her eyes narrowed and peeked at Leo.
A large gaping hole had emerged in his chest, being filled with the same black substance as the prosthetic. However, this sight was even more tragic as fine cracks spread across it like a shattered expanse.
However, the realization dawned on Kaguya that the prosthetic had extended past the knee and now reached the thigh as she averted her gaze calmly.
*Crackles*
The mailbox erupted with light, akin to a firecracker being ignited, and began to combust on the ground. Kaguya watched as her fingers were slightly burned, yet she felt no pain. She couldn't discern whether this was real or illusory, but the road stretching to an unknown destination provided few clues.
"Can't you take us out the same way we got i—-"
Kaguya raised her head before she noticed the environment became darker and she was sitting inside a car. The fireworks exploded outside the window with vibrant colors that stained the sky like paint and didn't dissipate.
The car's wheels made cluttering sounds and churned as if this is a train instead of a four wheeled vehicle. At the driver's seat, Leo adjusted the mirror to see Kaguya and said "Using the same method would require me to at least feel my power…"
Kaguya didn't need to listen more because she also couldn't feel her own power, maybe this is the source of uneasiness. The hollow feeling as if something was ripped apart from her.
Leaning against the cushion, Kaguya rested her head and observed the epileptic fireworks illuminating the sky, or perhaps the window.
She couldn't quite discern.
The car or train vibrated subtly, occasionally jolting as Kaguya was lost in her thoughts. The moon had disappeared from sight.
Glancing at the front, Leo was remarkably at ease while driving this enigmatic vehicle. He appeared to be thoroughly enjoying the ride, prompting Kaguya to roll her eyes in response.
From the rear-view mirror, Leo glanced at Kaguya and said "I am driving an airplane now."
"...."
"What? If you want music, I can turn the radio on, but let me be clear, no pop."
"Pfff…"
Kaguya chuckled and sank entirely onto the cushion. Her gaze drifted back to the window before everything gradually faded into darkness, occasionally interrupted by passing lights sweeping through the car's interior. Was it a tunnel?
As the light brushed against the interior, Kaguya asked, "Hey, what are your thoughts on everything that's happening?"
"Well, it doesn't matter. This mess was supposed to be the torment my World's Will concocted for me, and yet, here you are with me" Leo said with a hint of dissatisfaction as the car bumped beneath them.
"Should I feel grateful then?" Kaguya scoffed, her voice trailing off into silence.
Silence lingered for a few moments before the distant blare of a train siren pierced the air.
"I wonder which is worse, this place or the previous reality. Can we even find a way out of here at this rate?"
"I feel you simply want to see me the servant of a servant[2]"
The light passed and illuminated the laughing Kaguya and the deadpan Leo.
"But even if we manage to escape, there's not much we can accomplish. The infection level has already exceeded 90%, and... that John guy isn't much better."
"The Acnologia... Longinus' guy," Kaguya's lips twitched, unable to comment on the prior scene.
"I still want to give him a good beating, but I feel he's in a worse situation than us. The world isn't helping him... forget it." Shaking his head, Leo's eyes caught a glimmer of light, a bright spot faraway that marked the end of the tunnel.
Kaguya pondered what she just heard before nodding and saying "You know?"
"It's actually nice when you speak more and clearly."
"...."
Raising his eyebrow, Leo remained silent as the end of the tunnel drew nearer. Suddenly, a sharp screeching sound echoed through the tunnel, accompanied by flying sparks. The brakes rubbed against the wheels with force, the sound intensifying rapidly, and then—
"Who gave you courage, you lowly servant?!"
"John…"
Kaguya took a moment to stabilize and found herself in a dimly lit, opulent room. Several figures stood around, and Leo was among them. However, it was hard to miss the mixture of sadness, agony, and the evident desire to throw a punch etched onto Leo's face.
Amidst this scenario, Kaguya's focus was drawn to John at the front, separating a red-haired girl from the clutches of a snobbish-looking young man in an elaborate suit. The latter appeared visibly incensed.
The atmosphere became oppressive as everyone was ready to act, but John didn't stop as he hugged the girl in his arms and said "I don't care where you came from turkey, but listen carefully, Rias is my woman."
When Rias heard this, she blushed and felt John's chest was very warm and safe, a feeling she has never experienced before. When John looked at her, he had no lust in his eyes like other men, but only admiration for the beauty.
"John…"
Rias blushed and buried her face in John's chest.
"If you want her, you'll have to go through me first," John's lips cracked into a wild smirk as he issued the challenge to a silver-haired maid.
As Kaguya observed this unexpected situation and John's sudden personality shift, one thought echoed in her mind: Who on earth changed this guy's personality?[3]
—-------------------------------------------------------
[1]: The opening scene of the previous chapter.
[2]: John is the servant of Rias, so this makes his servants the servants of a servant.
[3]: Me.
[4]: Gerhman573 is a beta reader and this is here for vanity sake.
