Chapter 29: Ryu, Raku, and the Boys

Mwahahaahaha!

It's all coming together!

What, you say?

Well, I am now in the middle of some much-needed boy's time! However, I did have to promise the girls that I would spend more time with them after introducing them to the supernatural. The girls insisted on my presence when they learned magic, I didn't think it would be a problem since it definitely could help me so I agreed. For now, only Shouko would be joining me with Jibril everyone else doesn't know of her existence. Well, except for Akeno who also insisted on joining, but I told her only after she got her mom's approval. 

"Are you sure this is a good idea, aniki?" Raku asked with a bit of uncertainty seeping into his voice.

"Don't worry, lil bro, my plan is foolproof. They're just embarrassed, sure the guys are kinda scary looking but they should know they're harmless!" I said with a laugh. 

Come on, the guys just have some scars and tattoos with resting angry faces, but they're nice! I've learned a lot more about sewing, knitting, painting, and pottery making from them than from my mothers... which is kinda surprising.

I'm kind of excited, to be honest, some new faces are joining us too, something about the guys inviting over more victims or something. They are supposed to be from the same school yet from a bunch of different classes. 

They really say some funny things once in a while huh? 

But this is also a plan for me to see if they have a dormant power. I must think of the future. On a whim, I brush Raku with my aura and though it has come up negative countless times before, this time I feel a smidgen of a spark. I hone in on it, lest it escape me and I begin to see some type of affinity... feels kinda like my mom Miyu... and what she specializes in is.. ah rats, another brawler type. Touki then...

What's up with this family?!

I put it to the side and set up a reminder to let my mom know and to see if we can have him awaken. My little brother might be a tad bit shy, but he does dream of having powers of his own from the shows he watches. Hehe, not to worry Raku soon you shall be suffe- training together with me! We'll show the world who's boss! The heavens will tremble before our brotherly might! 

Whoops wrong genre. 

Anyway, we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the boys right outside the gate. I send out my aura to see if they are near the area and lo and behold I detect some precenses walking mighty slowly in our direction along with a trio trailing along. They seem to be walking at a normal pace toward us, kinda stopping for the others to catch up. I wonder why?

"I did tell Shu to come along and he seemed to like that idea, something about getting front-row seats," Raku said from beside me.

Huh, that was an interesting tidbit, Shu did from time to time visit, had to smack him a few times at the shit-eating grin he gave me, but hey all in good fun. "The more the merrier, they're about to show up in a few moments..."

"Ah! I see them! Hey, Shu!" Raku waved to the dirty blonde-haired kid with glasses who had a cheerful grin plastered onto his face as he boisterously waved back. 

"Hey, Raku, Ryu! How are my two favorite brothers this fine morning? I thank you for the invitation to this festival of laughs! Ahahah" He said from a couple feet away. Hmm, now I remember why I smacked this guy. Can't say I hate him though, he's fun. 

"Yo, what's up Shu, looks like you're awfully chipper this morning, any particular reason why?"

"Hmm? Well, you should know exactly why! Do I even need to supply an answer, ahhh the faces they will make hahaha"

I zoned out his joyous laughter as he made his way over to Raku's side and I turned my attention to the other guys trailing after him. They looked a bit subdued. I may be playing it off as a joke, but I ain't stupid I'm very much self-aware of how terrifying they are about the yakuza, but like isn't this a bit much? They're hiding behind each other!

Among the ones who were trembling in fear, I caught sight of Futaro Uesugi, Ryota Watari, and Shoya Ishida. The unfamiliar faces that were in front of them were- if I remember correctly what they told me- Souta Takanashi, Chiaki Mikado, and Haruhiko Ichijo.

They sound insanely familiar. Wagnaria! Aha! But the other two? Gotta think about this, no way am I about to forget this important shit. 

"What's up, you guys? Come in come in, no need to be shy, fun awaits us!" I said cheerfully, though I could swear I heard them say FUN?! in their little thought bubbles. I can kinda see what Shu means right now, this is fun, way more than I expected. 

"Don't mind him, Shu managed to implant some strange ways to mess with people. You're not in danger, come inside," Raku said and they visibly relaxed. They still looked a tad bit anxious when they saw how humongous our home was though, they were blatantly staring at the lion statues, and the greenery around us. 

"Futaro, Ryota, Shoya are ya gonna introduce us to the new guys or what," I said after about 10 minutes of the guys saying nothing and gawking at the place around us. 

"Tch, can't believe you dragged me here. Well, sure, this guy with the glasses is Souta Takanashi, the cheerful guy sprinting from place to place is Chiaki Mikado, and the other one with the two books clutched against him is Haruhiko Ichijo. Isn't he related to you?" Futaro was trembling a bit, but by tone must have irked him enough to bluntly reply to me. Heh, this guy is tough for being a studyholic. That's not a word dammit. 

"Hmm hmm, good to know, Souta-kun, Chiaki, Haruhiko, it's nice to meet ya, make yourselves comfortable in this guest room. The drinks and snacks will be arriving shortly," I said as we entered.

They all filed in before me, claiming spots on the pillow lined up around the medium-sized table while Shu and Chiaki were the ones who claimed spots on the twin beds bouncing all the while. Haruhiko sat down and opened his book while Futaro decided to take out some flashcards and sit himself down next to him. Souta was trembling in place and looking around at the pristine room with shining eyes. Raku was watching Shu and Chiaki with a wry smile next to Souta. Shoya and Watari were more subdued and were staring at the two guys bouncing on the beds with envious eyes. I held in my laughter at their different reactions but sat down next to Raku all the same. 

The TV with the gaming systems, movies, and different games was neatly piled in its proper place, it was located right behind me from where we were sitting. To be honest, since it was a guest room to entertain friends we went with a normal setup, meaning beds, entertainment, and a place to eat. It was also decorated with countless anime merch, gaming merch, and movie merch. They were all impressed, as they should be!

"Hey Raku, where are the girls now? Do you think they would play some games together with us if we had Ryu invite them for us!?"

"L-let's not poke the dragon more than necessary, Aniki was hyped about this, saying things like 'ah, finally my guy friends accepted,' and 'yup, some bro bonding was definitely necessary.'" 

"Aw, what a shame. Well, can't say I'm not excited to crush you all at Smash bros... hehe... I've been awaiting this moment for my entire life! The fruits of my labor will pull me through and I will be the one standing at the top!" He said as he scrambled to set up the TV and the game. Eh, he's used to this already, he's challenged Raku countless times.

"Woah, did you guys say Smash bros! I was totally cool with playing some soccer or high-speed frisbee, but that sounds like fun too, right, Haru!?" Chiaki shouted in excitement as he flopped out of bed and crawled his way next to Shu. 

"Ehh, can't we just read some books to pass the time... My housemaid barely let me come here on my own, I suppose I could watch you all play, not that it would be entertaining," he said, but I could hear the contentment in his voice at being included. 

"Woah, no need to knock it down till you try it, you might become hooked and we'll be there telling you we told you so," I said with a grin. 

"It wouldn't hurt to give it a try Haruhiko-san, I was able to hold off my sister's from interfering and showing up as well, but if we do this often I'm not sure how it would go..." Souta said with a grimace and exasperated sigh. Damn, he has it rough huh. 

"OH?! So you're saying Onee-sans have a chance of showing up!? Now we must make this sort of thing a tradition, it's only right to invite them over to show how powerful our bonds are!" Shu proclaimed in a chivalrous tone- not once did his hands stop- but the undercurrent of slight perviness wormed its way into his voice. Not that I'm surprised since this is standard for him, but like, is that really something you should say when the brother of those sisters is right there? This guy is hopeless. 

"Ugh, I forgot how much of an obnoxious guy he is, I'm with Haruhiko, why don't we just study for a bit or read and then be done with this," Futaro said in obvious annoyance. 

"Now, now, don't say that, our homework isn't that bad for you to study that much, why don't we sit back and relax and play some games? Come on, are ya with me or are ya just scared? Eh, didn't think Futaro-kun would be so lame..." He said in an aggravating tone of voice. You know, he really is a master at goading people. 

Angry tick marks began appearing on Futaro, while Haruhiko scooted a bit away from him and stuffed his nose into his book. Looks like he'll be joining on the second round then.

"Hah!? I've played this game before so don't go acting all high and mighty, watch, I'll show you, I'll show you all. Not only do I dedicate myself to studying, but everything else as well!" I don't know man... Is that really true?

Chiaki was bouncing in excitement at the front not minding the tension permeating the room, Souta was trying to calm Futaro down, while Shoya and Watari faded into the background shivering uncontrollably. 

"Psst, guys you can join me in the second round together with Haruhiko, let's let Raku join them..." I whispered to the frightened guys. 

They stiffened but nodded in my direction. "Y-yeah, thanks man, no sweat," Shoya practically summoned all his courage to respond. Poor Watari was just nodding vigorously. You know, for being the most boisterous in class, these guys really are shivering too much here. 

Souta declined to enter the first round in Smash bros and instead grabbed a handheld, the four of us left out grew curious at what he was gonna play, and crowded around him. Huh, Super Mario Bros, is a nice choice. The song on the TV started blasting and the boisterous voices of the guys drowned out the nice song from the handheld Souta had. We didn't mind so much and left Futaro lashing out at the carefree Shu alone. I peeked at Chiaki and Raku and they appeared to be laughing at one another since they tended to get too excited and fall off the stage. Huh, they started the round pretty quickly, I guess they knew who to pick already. Hmm, Shu went with Donkey Kong, Futaro went with Ness, Raku with Yoshi, and Chiaki with Link. Surprisingly they fit. 

Haruhiko didn't play games as much as the rest of us so whenever he looked confused, I pointed out what Souta was doing and how. He then turned to me and asked. "Hey, Ryu-san, you're way different from the rumors and your explanations are concise like a sensei. I know you like games, but I see you with an occasional book at school, do you read often?"

He caught me off-guard, what rumors!? Well, they weren't important.

Wait, hold the fucken phone. I may not remember everything, specifically the anime, but in this life isn't this guy my distant cousin?! I distinctly remember Mom saying something about a good-for-nothing step-sister.

Shit, damn, what a revelation. It still bothers me that I can't recall the specific show, but fuck. Now I know why I sort of remember him. Well, let's set aside that and the rumor. I reined in my shock and answered. "Well, not sure what those rumors are, but I just find it easy to talk about things that I love, you know. I do read, but not to the extent that you do, now that I'm looking at the books properly you have some high-level stuff. My genre just revolves around fantasy, sci-fi, and other such things." Eh, fantasy appeals to me even though I'm dealing with supernatural stuff right now. What can I say?

His eyes seemed to sparkle in acknowledgment. "Y-yes! That's right! A-ah sorry sorry, but it's nice to to hear that from someone else. Books entranced me and I love them, time seems to pass by quickly enough, haha..." A sad smile graced his face but faded as soon as he noticed it, though he couldn't hide his quivering lips. 

I smiled and ruffled his hair. "How about coming over more often, I would love to hear what sort of books you would recommend, I doubt I've read all the ones I liked after all. I wouldn't mind picking up from a different genre either, Raku tends to not like reading, but he's a nice kid who would listen attentively to your explanations."

His lips stopped quivering and he looked up at me in astonishment. Tears threatened to spill, but he held them in and a grin manifested itself as he said, "Sounds like a plan then!"

The other guys were grinning and patting Haruhiko's shoulders in comfort. Souta took the liberty of giving him the handheld and guiding him through the game. Shoya was cheering him on while Watari was astounded at the level of skill he was showing after a few playthroughs. 

"Hell yeah kick his butt Haruhiko!"

"Wha, how the hell did he perform a double jump?! And what the heck is with that top-level dodging?!" Watari provided some straight-man commentary. It does add some much-needed vibes. 

"Nah, don't worry about the coin Haruhiko, you can be a completionist after you beat it. Besides, you can't go back into the pipe so you'd have to do it over," I told him when he was on the brink of going back when he was moments away from the goal.

The others voiced their agreement and Haruhiko reluctantly went forward. The cheers of the other guys caught our attention. Dang, how many rounds did they play? We all qued after they set down their controllers. 

"Heh, what was all that talk Futaro-kun, huh, huh, huh? The spunk you had was lost over the course of the battle, even Chiaki managed to land a clean strike bwahahah..." Shu was practically gloating in Futaro's ear. I had to hand it to him though, it's a miracle he hadn't exploded, he seemed serene. 

"Chiaki-san that was awesome! The timing of your downward A smash took out Uesugi-kun!"

"Well, what can I say, I got the hang of it after our practice duels. You weren't bad yourself, you sneak attacked Shu and clobbered him, he didn't even get to use his Ultimate!"

Raku sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, well, I knew Shu would save it until the last moment for a chance to take out Uesugi-kun so I just went for it, my fingers still sting after that combo."

The other two grumbled in a weak attempt to dispel the disgrace they felt from being knocked out by two dudes who were wholeheartedly enjoying themselves and were playing in good fun. I mean, that's what you guys get for narrowing in on each other and not paying attention to the two other opponents. No idea why they chose team battle if they ended up on the same team and still went for each other. Friendly fire was off after all, didn't they say it themselves that they were turning it off?

I shook my head at the two idiots and positioned myself in front of the TV with the others. I zeroed in on Luigi, while Haruhiko went for Kirby, Shoya went for Snake, and Watari went for Marth. Let's see how this goes.

Safe to say we all won and lost some rounds, though the majority of it went to Haruhiko and his switch-off between Kirby and Samus. It was fun though and way more of a blast than I was expecting but this is still awesome. 

I definitely gotta get the girls to play some games with me, and then we can all hang out together. Rias and Saki would be down for sure, Kaori and Ayaka aren't as gung-ho as the former two, but they do still game from time to time. First-person shooters and other fighting games are their bread and butter. They do like Smash though, but prefer Mortal Combat. Dang, these girls have good taste. 

As we enjoyed the snacks that our yakuza guys brought in I felt the distinct possibility that I might've forgotten somethi- Aha! I proceed to release my aura subtly and take a look at the guys gathered here. Raku is a definite yes for powers. What about the others? 

My aura analyzes Futaro but comes out blank, and then Shoya and Watari both come up with nothing. Clicking my tongue I then check Shu, but nope nothing. Souta also comes out with zero powers. 

I sigh but I mean, it's to be expected not everyone will have miraculous powers so I can't have my expectations high even though the girls turned out to be complete badasses. 

With a bit of hope, I let my aura seep into both Chiaki and Haruhiko. I feel a pulse. Not a minuscule pulse but something on par with the girls. 

Haruhiko is gifted with power, not much to know about it, but another pulse and a slam of energy rams its way into my body, I tremble but show no outward reaction. Jesus fucken Christ. I look over what it was and 'The Book of Thoth,' springs to my mind as well as more info about sealing phantoms once Haruhiko draws them, the ability to summon them, and- holy fuck- the ability to affect reality as well as the ability to use the Abramelin Finger. 

Yup, now we're talking. I'm fucken stunned that the power slammed me with information but it felt like it was annoyed at my poor use of my aura and wanted to get me out so it can continue doing something else. 

Awareness then floods my mind. I go back and reread the information floating in my mind. I zero in on excruciating little details. Phantoms. The Phantom World. Haruhiko Ichijo. Sealing. An incident involving the whole world. If I think about this in a way that might align with a stupid mash-up, then yes the research facility might have been all over the globe and has affected everyone, including the supernatural beings. The phantoms are a figment of the imagination after all, and stem from their subconscious, the supernatural beings are capable of thought so why the hell wouldn't they be affected? Holy shit... What if that attacked, no, probably too early to conclude since Jibril did mention it had an inky black aura and that it was weak to Holy energy. Phantoms don't have an innate weakness perse. 

I breathe in deeply and shelf this important revelation. I gotta talk to Ddraig and Jibril about this first and then we can work out what to do after. Maybe my parents or Grayfia know more about this. Thankfully there have been no sightings, but that might change as time goes on. It's a mash-up, shit hits the fan all the time. 

I calm myself down and proceed to eject myself from Haruhiko and take a look at Chiaki. Hm, they're both human so no race change, but let's see. Uh....

I sink into a meditative state and start perceiving the dormant power within him. Countless colors flash before me and information begins seeping into me. I am left reeling at the amount and a single name for it starts repeating. 

He has a Sacred Gear. 

More specifically, the name of it is Myriad Color Archaeopteryx. It sounds distinctly familiar but I couldn't for the life of me remember in what way, so I'll just cut to the chase. This artifact is able to manifest a prehistoric dinosaur bird, but the kicker would be the ability for Chiaki to manifest it in any color he likes and it takes on that aspect that signifies its energy signature. Like yellow or gold being Holy or Healing, it's highly dependent on his desires on what he wants it to manifest as. He could technically summon a dinosaur as small as a sparrow to collide with an ally and heal them if its color corresponds to the healing attribute. Since there are so many elements and colors it could be in a combination as well. Holy shit that's awesome. I can't even begin to imagine the way it might evolve as he gets stronger too. 

Heheheheheh.

You guys are gonna be joining Raku and me soon. Training will be commencing, don't you guys worry. 

As I daydreamed about all of us smacking around bad guys, I felt a presence near our guest room. So I snap myself out of it and listen in, as I try to ignore the boisterous laughter of the guys. 

I hear a knock and then a voice. "Ryu-sama, Cleria-sama would like to see you, she says it is urgent," Grayfia called out from behind the door. Hm, how long has it been since I've seen Cleria, I think a few days, I wonder what she wants to say.

I turned to the guys, who stopped their rough-housing, and said, "Sorry about this, looks like we have to cut this short, let's do this again another time!" A chorus of agreement sounded out and we exchanged goodbyes. Raku accompanied them out of the house while I bid them farewell at the intersection. We all promised to hang out again, they seemed far more relaxed and didn't tremble when the yakuza guys passed them by. I also told Chiaki and Haruhiko to visit together another day cuz I wanted to talk to them. They agreed and seemed excited about hanging out again.

Ah, you poor sweet children.

I then turned and walked to the room where Cleria was waiting. Hmm, it must be important to warrant Grayfia fetching me. We shall see now, won't we?