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Highschool DxD: A Minor Tale

A regular man ends up dying and miraculously reincarnates into Highschool DxD! A world of magic, swords, monsters, devils, and gods! With all the knowledge he has in his back pocket will he change the plot or use it to his advantage? The possibilities are endless! Though there is one small problem, he's about 400 or so years before canon and oh yeah he's human. Let the show begin!

Omit_Everything · Anime & Comics
Not enough ratings
40 Chs

Chapter 29: Mythical Problems

Disclaimer: I do not own Highschool DxD but if I win the lottery one day, I'm buying it from Ichiei just to give it back so he can continue working on it. I own the OCs. I wonder how much I could sell Pierce for…

Speech – "Hey, I'm Pierce."

Thoughts – 'I'm dead.'

Spells – "Jumon"

Reality is sometimes stranger than fiction. Truer words have never been said. If you were to look back on your life, be it good or bad, you would come to realize that many events that changed it you never saw coming. A man that chose to go into a convenience to buy a chocolate bar instead buys a lottery ticket and wins; forever changing his life never saw that coming. A man who wrote down his speech on 50 thick papers and put in his breast pocket, stopping a bullet that was shot at him from reaching his lungs didn't see that coming. An art school kicking out a young man who no talent, inadvertently sending him on a path of genocide and tyranny definitely didn't foresee that.

And when you get killed in car accident and reincarnated into an anime world just because you went out to get groceries, you pretty much become the pioneer of said saying. I've seen lots of crazy stuff and have come to live with them but…

'Seriously man, I don't know why you're so mad at me!'

'Because you are an ice idiot with no class!'

But…

'Oh please! You're just pissed off that your user was beaten so much faster than mine!'

But…

'That means nothing! The only reason Svafrlami lost was because he was just recently resurrected by that damn Elf! He wasn't at full power yet!'

'Whatever helps you sleep at night.' Dáinsleif said with a smug tone in his voice.

'Arghhh!' Tyrfing noticed.

…Yeah I got nothing (I mean, what are you supposed to say in this situation?).

"Um, Pierce?" A hesitant Adrian walked up to my crouched form and I glanced at him.

"Oh hey Adrian, give me a second. The voices in my head are still arguing." I rubbed my forehead in annoyance.

"...Okay…" The Emissary walked backwards to the others. Everyone gathered into the room when I told them I had talking Demon Swords. It took them all a second to figure out I was being serious. Vargas leaned over to Adrian.

"So…did he finally lose it?" He asked quietly and Aindrea snorted.

"Did he ever have it?"

"You know what I meant." Vargas deadpanned and the Demigod shrugged. Melissa walked up to Maven and nudged her on the arm.

"When I heard you two were alone, this was not what I was expecting." She said with a teasing tone and the mage blushed.

"W-We just talked." Maven said. "It was going alright until he started talking about voices in his head; the mood kind of died then."

"…It didn't die when I entered the room?" Brynhildr said from her seat. "You guys are freaky."

"N-No! That's not what I meant!" The mage's face got even redder and got a round of laughs from everyone.

"As entertaining as this is, aren't you guys worried for your friend? Voices in your head are pretty big red flags." A woman with short black haired asked. This was Astrid, the newest Valkyrie and the one to arrive from retrieving the third fragment. She had old looking armor like Brynhildr, a pretty face and a full figure.

"We're kind of used to Pierce's weirdness. Besides, the voices aren't that bad!" Samantha said in a jolly tone and everyone gave her odd looks. "…What?"

"I can still hear all of you." I deadpanned and they looked somewhere else. Ignoring the ones behind me, I refocused on the mess in front of me. Both Demon Swords pulsed with energy after being unsealed and Tyrfing actually stood itself up. "…So what do you guys want?" A part of me wanted to ask if it could walk out of here by itself but chose to be serious instead.

'Straight to business huh? My kind of man, there's a time and place for theatrics.' Dáinsleif pulsed in what I assumed was agreement and coughed to cleared his voice (why a sword needs to do so when they don't have a throat is beyond me). 'As I just said the names Dáinsleif and I'm the Demon Sword of King Hǫgni. The guy over there is Tyrfing and he's the Demon Sword of King Svafrlami. As thanks for freeing us from that Elf King's spell, we want to offer up our services!'

"…You want me to use you guys?"

'Precisely! What do you sa-'

"No." I shot down the offer immediately and I could feel the shock from both swords.

'B-But why!?' Dáinsleif asked in confusion.

"Are you serious?" I said rhetorically but they were honestly confused. "You guys are literal demonic weapons. Ignoring if you guys have curses on you like legends say…

'We don't! We're clean!'

…It doesn't change the fact that over using you guys will end up killing me and I like my life thank you very much." I wasn't stupid. As much as I wanted a magic sword, and I really did want one, Demon Swords are serious trouble. Even if they didn't have curses, they still drain your life-force if used recklessly and they are sentient. Siegfried arguably lost to Yuuto in canon because Gram chose to abandon him and picked Yuuto as its new wielder. Siegfried deserved it but the thought of my super cool magic sword that I've gotten used to fighting with just up and chose to help my enemy is not an experience I want to have. I may have said that I was fine with either a Holy Sword or Demon Sword but really thinking about it, I wasn't willing to risk my life using a demonic weapon. I'm not that reckless (yes, I know how hypocritical that sounds at this point).

'…' I waited for a response from either Demon Sword but they said nothing so I made to stand.

"Well, if we're done here then-"

'Wait!' Dáinsleif yelled out and I stopped. 'Look I get it. We don't have the best reputation and your right if you do use us recklessly, we will absorb your life force.'

"…" I furrowed my brows when he stopped. "But?"

'…Actually I didn't think that far ahead, I was trying to stop you from leaving.' The icy Demon Sword said with clear embarrassment in his voice and I deadpanned.

'Then we won't.' Tyrfing spoke up. 'Unless you willingly give us your life force to use our powers, then we won't take any. We may be demonic swords but we do have our pride.'

'Yeah, what he said!' Dáinsleif perked up and I stared at both swords, thinking over the offer. It wasn't the worse offer I've ever been given. The risk was there but as long as I played it safe, I wouldn't have to worry about a premature death (by my swords anyway). The help they'll give as we face stronger enemies will be indispensable and they seem trust worthy but…

"Okay, I'll wield you."

'Awesome! Let's-'

"But first things first, ground rules." I stopped Dáinsleif before he could continue and crouched back down. "Rule number 1, you guys are not take my life force unless I explicitly give it, understand?"

'…Didn't I just say that?' Tyrfing deadpanned but my glare stopped him and he sighed. 'Fine, fine. I swear.'

'Same.'

"Good. Rule Number 2, you guys are to argue only outside of battle. I do not need voices distracting me while fighting for my life. You got that?"

'I'm fine with that but its blunt trauma over there you have to worry about.' Dáinsleif said with a mental shrug (that's what it felt like).

'…Fine, I won't argue with the ice dingus while you fight.' Tyrfing's strained voice didn't fill me with confidence but I let it go and got to the most important rule.

"Rule 3, you guys aren't allowed to jump ship when we're facing a greater swordsman or woman. If you guys want out then fine but give me a heads up at least." I wasn't going to stay to never betray me because I just can't control that but I would like a warning if they did want to leave. Both Demon Swords got oddly quiet at the question and Tyrfing seemed to tilt at it, like a human would tilt their head in confusion.

'That's a first.' Dáinsleif said in surprise.

'Indeed.' Tyrfing said.

"What? Will that be problem?"

'Oh no it's not that, it's just all our pass users always wanted us to swear our eternal allegiance to them or be destroyed. I guess that's our fault for always picking kings and tyrants but what can you do.' Dáinsleif explained and I rose a brow.

"I'm no slaver. You guys can leave or stay however long you want; just respect me and I'll respect you." I crossed my arms and stared down at the Demon Swords. "Do we have a deal?" A second passed as the swords turned towards each other then back to me.

'Deal.' They said simultaneously and a shit eating grin appeared on my face.

"Well alright then. It's kind of too late for this but I never did give a formal introduction." I reached down to grab their handles. "The name's Pierce. It's a pleasure to meet you." The moment my hands gripped their handles, I felt a surge of energy enter my body. A biting cold different then Jade's flowed in my right arm and another energy that I never felt before swirled in my left. It was pure force and oddly felt like static. Both Demon Swords glowed in purple and green respectively, their auras shining bright. I smiled as I felt the link forming between the two swords and me.

'Sorry Yuuto but…I'm keeping these.' I lightly waved Dáinsleif and watched as an ice wave was sent out. It sliced through the wall and kept going, leaving a trail of ice in its wake. The ice wave eventually hit a group of tall trees and froze them immediately on impact, leaving a ten meter tall glacier. 'Now that's what I'm talking about!' I was impressed by Dáinsleif capabilities and was pleasantly surprised to find that it didn't take that much out of me doing that move. My Chi reserves were barely dented.

'Whoa, whoa! What the hell is this!?' Dáinsleif exclaimed. 'How can you possibly have this much life force!? Are you really human!?'

'He is yet…incredible.' Tyrfing was equally surprised. 'I've never been wielded by a human with this much Chi…'

'Yeah, with this much you would never have to worry about tire yourself out using us! Why were you bitching so much about us taking some? You have plenty to spare!'

"…It's that kind of logic that those rules are in place." I deadpanned and by their silence, they seemed to agree. "Having second thoughts?"

'No way! Now I'm curious how far we can go!' Dáinsleif said in excitement 'Besides, we still need to get back at that Elf for trapping our consciousness. You ain't getting rid of us now!' Tyrfing pulsed in agreement.

"Welcome to the team then. I would introduce you guys to the others but since they can't hear you, I feel like it would just make them think I'm even crazier." Everyone was still watching me talk to the swords and while they were shocked to see me actually wield one of them, I could tell they were still skeptical on the whole "the sentient swords can telepathically talk to me" part.

'Oh that? Nah, they could hear us if we let them.' Dáinsleif nonchalantly dropped that fact and I blinked.

"…Seriously?"

'Yep!'

"…Then why the hell didn't you do that at the beginning!?"

'Because!…it's funny as hell to see new users explain to other's they now have talking swords.' Both Demon Swords started to laugh and I could hear stifled chuckles behind me. I turned to see the majority of the people in the room holding their mouths with amused smiles. Aindrea on the other hand didn't try to hide it and laughed his ass off.

"…They can hear you now can't they?" I deadpanned.

'Maybe?' Dáinsleif sing songy voice answered my question. I nodded in understanding before looking at Melissa.

"Hey Melissa, do you ever play fetch with your Shadow Hounds?"

"Uhhhh, sometimes?" She was confused by the sudden question.

"Great, bring them out! I got a fetching game to play with them. I call it…Retrieve the Demon Douches!"

'…Wait what?'

And so after an hour of tossing the Demon Swords and having Melissa's familiars fetch them, in the process spending some quality with my Yokai girlfriend, both sentient swords learned a valuable lesson today. Revenge is a dish best served cold.

The "what?" they gave me when I said that just made it all the better.

Training Field

"It's been a while since we've done this. I'm a bit excited." Vargas said as he did some practice swings with his Holy Sword and I did some light stretches on the grassy field.

"Yep, this should be interesting." I smiled while doing the cat pose and got to my feet.

"So who are you using?"

"Good question." I thought about which one to use and chose to take Tyrfing out from my space ring. Why not both? Because learning to use both Demon Swords at the same time would be like learning to write two different languages at the same time. It's as difficult as it sounds with them having two very different abilities, one elemental and the other kinetic, and the guiding of the energy is important. I didn't just swing Dáinsleif and that ice wave came out. The sword generated the energy but I needed to mentally control and expel it. I didn't know what would happen if I tried to mentally control both energies but the likeliest thing that would happen is that they would fuse. One of Maven prime lessons on magic was that unless I have a very in depth experience on the energies I'm trying to fuse or form, then leave them alone. The reason my Chi could so smoothly combine with my Strengthening Magic and Jade is because of my years of experience and at its core, Chi is neutral, making it compatible with many other energies. Fusing the powers of both Demon Swords however would be like trying to fuse Fire Mana with Wind Mana and put them into a magic circle that creates a water dragon. The circle becomes unstable, then the energies become unstable and then I go…

Point is I'm not using both demonic swords until I have a better handle on their powers (the fact Yuuto can use multiple swords from the get go shows how bullshit cast characters are).

'Wait! Not again please! I just forgot the feeling of dog drool! I swear it wasn't my idea, it was that ice idiot's pla-'

"I'm not going you as a dog stick." I said as Tyrfing tried to plead his case and he stopped.

'R-Really?'

"No."

'…Oh thank god.' Tyrfing pulsed in relief, not finding it ironic a demonic weapon would thank the (absent) man above. 'You're a demon, you know that?'

"No, I'm pretty sure that's what you are and I wasn't the one making you look like a crazy person to your friends for 20 minutes."

'Like you need any help with that…' Tyrfing whispered vengefully before getting serious. 'So what are we doing?'

"We're going to see what you're made of." I smiled and pointed the sword at Vargas. The Holy Sword user also got in position and Samantha walked forward, standing a small distance away from us.

"You guys ready?" The blond healer acted as the referee and we gave both a quick "yes". Aindrea, Melissa, and a group of Elf children were sitting on the side watching (Jade was being held by a little Elf girl that was more interested in her then the soon to be spar). The Light Elves were gracious enough to let us use their training fields to test out my new Demon Swords. While the majority of the field was hit during the attack, there was a decent portion that was intact and it suited our needs. Our arrival attracted a group of kids playing and we allowed them to watch at a safe distance (even if it does reach them, the others could easily get them out of harm's way). Vargas and I locked eyes as Samantha's arm dropped. "Begin!"

Activating Touki, I lunged at him and clashed against his Holy Sword. The magic swords immediately show their difference compared to ordinary weaponry. Sparks flew as their razor sharp edges clashed and a loud ring rang out. Vargas lost a bit of ground but collected himself a second later and started slashing. Parrying dozens of blade swings, Tyrfing became a blur as I tried to aim at leg and he hopped over it. Vargas swung at my arm and I grabbed his hand, flipping him on the ground. He landed on his back but kicked me away and got to his feet. After training with Athena in an actual sword style, my swordplay had increased quite a bit and I could actually go toe to toe in that regard with Vargas.

I was able to read every move the Holy Sword user tried to use against me and my superior physical capabilities gave me an edge. But that didn't change the fact that he can also read my movements and perfectly stopped every attempt I made at his joints. Ducking under a low swing, I pierced at his unprotected back and he smoothly twirled his sword around to block it.

'That no weight thing is stupid.' I thought as he pushed me back with no leverage and rushed at me again. The no weight makes it so he doesn't tire from that aspect but it still hits with the full force of a large claymore and Holy burn. 'Then again, he needed to readjust his fighting style to fit with the lightness and it does weigh something. One…hair…you know what, I take back the "then again".'

Vargas didn't relent in his assault and I was kept busy parrying every sword swing. We maneuvered the field at rapid speeds, both of us retreating whenever we needed the breather and the other chasing. After he dodged a slash that cut deep 2 meters into the ground (damn this thing is sharp), he kicked me in my midsection and I flew a little back. His Sword of Damocles started to shine in Holy Energy and I saw this as the time to get serious.

Holding Tyrfing with both hands, it started to glow in a dense green light and the static feeling from earlier filled my body. There was a common misconception for Demon Swords. You don't need to give up a bit of your life force every time you want to use their abilities. Swinging a Demon Sword regularly is like swinging a heavy weapon with one hand. It's more tiring then wielding a regular sword but no harms comes to your body and if you want to use their abilities, that just uses up more stamina. It's only until you've reached the point where even lifting the Demon Sword is difficult that it gives you the strength to keep going, using your life force as collateral. For a regular human, this would be a pretty raw deal since they only have a certain amount of life force to give before croaking. For a guy like me with my ridiculous Chi reserves however…

"Ha!" Giving a war cry, I slammed Tyrfing against Vargas' Holy Sword and braced myself for the impact. A huge shockwave went out, the ground around us shattering and burning from our respective attacks. Vargas was flung far back, leaving a trail in the dirt as he skidded across the ground and reached the other end of the training field. I was left standing in a massive crater; Tyrfing and the Touki around my arms were slightly smoking from his attack. "Shit!" It took me a second to react and I Chi Burst next to the downed Vargas. "Damn man, I didn't mean to draw out that much power. Are you okay?" I said while grabbing his shoulder and sat him up, Vargas blinking away his stunned state.

"…How the hell did I forget it could do that?" Vargas said while rubbing the back of his head. "You'd think the time in the catacomb would help me remember."

"I guess it's hard to remember when something new is trying to kill you every day." I smiled and he chuckled.

"No kidding." He grabbed my arm and we stood up. "But that is one fine weapon. You got one serious power up, I'm kind of jealous you got two to use."

"Yeah…" I lifted Tyrfing and rang a finger along its back. I was incredibly pleased with my new swords. The increase in power was no joke; if I had either one of them in my battle against Styrbjörn then the fight would have ended much faster. Especially Tyrfing. While Dáinsleif's ice abilities would have been welcome, one hit from Tyrfing would have dealt massive damage against the undead human's defenses. I was really curious what would happen if I used Sword Fury with Tyrfing.

"…You guys do realize we're trying to clean up everything, right?" A Light Elf soldier standing to the side said with an annoyed tone. We looked at the mess our attacks caused and blushed in embarrassment, apologizing. The Elf rolled his eyes but said it was alright, just not to go too crazy and went back to work.

"If you ladies are done, I think it's my turn." Aindrea stood up and took out his spear, walking out into the field. "Let's try out that other Demon Sword. I want face it again." The Demigod got into a ready pose, eager to fight.

"…You're not actually mad at the sword for nearly freezing you in the tomb are you?" I said with a quirked brow and Aindrea stuttered.

"O-Of course not! I just want to join in the sparring! And it didn't come close to freezing me!" Aindrea tried to play off his grudge but no one believed it. "Just take out the damn sword already!"

I smiled in amusement and put away Tyrfing, taking out Dáinsleif. Ignoring his whining on "ungrateful new users", Aindrea and I charged at each other.

Hall of the Elder Trees

The re construction of the Light Elves grand hall was currently underway. Many Elves were walking around, picking up destroyed statues and mural pieces. Brynhildr was helping the reconstruction with her Valkyries while Adrian and Maven came along to help. The mage was using her restoration spells to fix the destroyed walls and ceilings while Adrian was helping the Elves plant new trees. His sunlight based powers was an immense help for growing new trees and the Elves were making full use of that. The Emissary was dragged to every corner of the hall, the Elves' nature magic drawing on his sunlight aura to grow faster (magical trees demanded a bit more to grow then regular ones). As she finished restoring a large window, Maven looked out of it and saw the training field where everyone was. They must have finished trying out Pierce's new Demon Swords because they were currently fooling around. Samantha was currently walking around with Vargas and Aindrea was resting under a tree (looking glum for some reason). Pierce and Melissa were playing around with a group of Elf children. Maven smiled when she saw how Pierce made a bunch of Chi animals for the kids to play with and made them get on top, gathering them for a race.

The mage chuckled when he created the massive bear from the catacombs and strutted around, looking childishly proud of the kid's admiration. Maven stayed there for a couple of minutes, watching Melissa telling some of the kids a story (she guessed from the Yokai's hand gestures) and Pierce be beaten by the kids with the smaller Chi animals in the race. Though considering he could control every single one of them, it was obvious he did that on purpose. 'He's good with kids.' Maven thought with a warm smile before getting back to work. After restoring the majority of the main hall, she walked to the center chamber and saw Adrian next to a massive oak tree. "Was that the stump?" The mage asked, looking at the large creation of nature.

"Yeah, some of its life-force was still present so it just needed some nourishment." The Emissary said and waved his sword, the sunlight aura emitting from it being sucked into the tree. If this was a regular tree, then bringing Pierce or Melissa to give it some Chi would have been enough. Problem was that this tree was a fragment of the Norse World Tree, Yggdrasil. Neither Chi user had the reserves or control to restore it, not to mention Pierce's lack of Senjutsu. It took a special kind of nourishment to heal it, like Adrian's God originated sunlight powers. The Elves were lucky he was here or the tree would have taken a very long time to heal by itself.

"…Hey Adrian."

"What is it?" The Emissary asked, sheathing his sword and turning to the mage.

"Is this really okay?" She asked, worry in her voice. "I mean, just relaxing here while the others are out there fighting Ferox?" Maven felt a bit guilty for their relaxation while the Homer team was supposedly hot on the Werewolf King's tracks.

"Hmmm, I can see how that does seem worrying but it's not like that." Adrian explained. "Odysseus said himself that unless they urgently needed our help then we should focus on Talien. Brynhildr's last Valkyrie is still waiting at the grave site for any sighting of Talien. We just need to wait until then." The last Fragment was placed in the tombstone of Sigurd's mother, Hiordis. The moment Talien arrived to take the last Fragment, the Valkyrie would alert them and they would teleport over there. If Talien never arrives then they would just go help the Homer team kill Ferox. "Don't worry Maven; we're not wasting time by being here." Adrian gave a comforting smile and Maven nodded.

"Alright, as long as you say so."

"Good. Now, go hang out with the others. I'll go see how the situation is looking with Brynhildr."

Maven nodded at his suggestion and went to the training field. Adrian made his way into the inner chamber, passing by multiple Elves who thanked him for his help and reached the Chief Valkyrie. She was sitting in one of the meeting rooms of the hall and was talking into her communication ring. Brynhildr noticed Adrian entering the room and motioned him over.

"Say again Sigrid." Brynhildr said while Adrian sat across from her.

"I said that I haven't seen anything for the past couple hours. If Talien wanted the third fragment, he would have arrived at this point. This is getting boring." A woman's voice came through the ring and Brynhildr's brows furrowed.

"Nothing?"

"Nothing. No Dark Elf minions, no undead, not even regular people paying visits. I'm more in danger of getting a sun burn then any Elf King attacking." Sigrid groaned and Brynhildr got quiet at her words.

'Where is he? He didn't waste time going from the tomb to this city, so what's taking him so long?' Brynhildr wasn't the impatient type; she couldn't be as the Chief Valkyrie. She's been on plenty of campaigns where they needed to wait for a target or stake out a fortress. But Talien's actions made no sense to her. The Dark Elf King's goals were as clear as day; get all three fragments, gain entry into Sigurd's tomb, and then turn the dead legend into a Pjága. It wasn't hard to figure out but why was he taking this long when he knows they were hot on his trail? What gives? 'I just don't get it!' Brynhildr was starting to get frustrated before she felt hand on her shoulder.

"Getting mad about his absence won't do anything about it." Adrian said and Brynhildr stared at him before sighing. The Chief Valkyrie's leaned back and some of the tension in her body went away. "Good, now what do we know?" Adrian asked rhetorically but Brynhildr saw the purpose.

"Talien has two pieces of the Andvaranaut but can't complete it because we have the last one. He's already lost 3 Pjágas and a large portion of his undead legion, not to mention those green monsters. He's considerably weakened." Brynhildr fell into thought and looked at Adrian. "Do you think he retreated back to Zeth?"

"Possibly, with how often he escapes from battle, I wouldn't be surprised if he cut his losses and left." Adrian reasoned but the Chief Valkyrie still looked unconvinced. "You don't think he did?" She shook her head.

"Talien many things but he doesn't seem like a coward." The Elf couldn't be when he's trying to take down a pantheon while making the enemy of another. "He's dead set on getting Sigurd, he wouldn't back off when he's this close to his goal."

"…Maybe he knows." Adrian said

"Hm?"

"Maybe he knows that you took the last fragment. He must know he's not the only one with knowledge of the pieces location and made a plan for when it was taken." Brynhildr's eyes narrowed at Adrian's assumption.

"Do you think he'll try to attack us for the last fragment?"

"Possibly. He could also capture your Valkyrie and try to trade her for the third fragment. Whatever it is, we have to assume that he's got a contingency plan for when he can't get the last piece." Adrian explained with a calm face and Brynhildr nodded.

"That makes sense, I'll tell Sigrid to be extra cautious there." Brynhildr rubbed her communication ring and did just that, getting a quick "got it" from the Valkyrie. "I guess we just have to wait now." She said to the Emissary but anyone call tell she didn't want to do that.

"It's the best we can do." Adrian stood up and made for the door. "Remember Brynhildr, patience is a virtue." He left with that and Brynhildr fell into deep thought.

'But time is also of the essence.' The Chief Valkyrie thought cynically. She stared out the window up on the wall, closing her eyes because the sun shined on her face and enjoyed its warmth. Brynhildr didn't know why Talien's inaction bugged her so much. Part of her wanted to blame it on her own impatience when it came to things like this but there was something else. A feeling in her gut. She's been on many missions where she trusted her gut over evidence showed and they mostly worked out (it was actually the reason her previous Chief Valkyrie nominated her for the position). Talien wasn't done here. He hasn't given up and is trying something but what? And where?

'I'm missing something.' And for the life of her, she couldn't remember what. She just hoped she'd figure it out before it's too late.

Back to Pierce

"…So wait, that killing curse thing was a lie?" I asked Tyrfing as I rode around on my Chi Tyrant. A portion of the Elf kids riding around me on their own Chi animals (wolves, deer, cheetahs) and another portion playing with playground equipment created from Maven's earth magic. 'I'm glad I kept those magic quills.' I smiled at the kids' joy as they played on the swings, see saws, and slides.

'Yeah, that was just rumors passed around by his court to place blame on me. Lot's of people believed it because he was a decent king before acquiring me but the truth was that he got drunk on my power and went around doing whatever he wanted.' The power sword spoke from its position on my lap.

"Well I guess that's one history question answered." I said and looked to Dáinsleif on my other lap. "What about your original user?"

'Um, there's not that much to tell actually. He was a good king, a little head strong but kind and didn't really use me all that much until he needed to save his daughter from a neighboring prince. Among the many users I've had, he was one of the better ones!' Dáinsleif said with nostalgia in his voice.

"…Huh."

'What?' Tyrfing asked.

"It's nothing; I'm just surprised how different history actually is from myth. I know it's impossible to get a perfect picture but that sure is an eye opener."

'It's just how things are kid.' Dáinsleif spoke. 'People like stories and people remember infamy better then anonymity. It depends on who you ask but more likely than not, old heroes become demonized to make them more flawed or memorable. It's a common trend I've seen over the years, Hǫgni was no exception…though I never understood why most the old stories have him turned into an undead by the end of them. I mean, it's a crazy coincidence considering what's recently happened but he's never even met a black magic user when he was alive. It makes no sense!'

I chuckled at the Demon Sword's whine and looked up to the sky, calmly watching the clouds go by. Is that how I'll be remembered? I have no illusions to be known through the ages as an undying legend but it does raise questions. If or when I ever get thousands of years on my lifespan, how will the world remember me? I can't settle down somewhere like a regular person since I'll age hundreds of times slower than everyone else so I'll need to find a way to move around but how will that work? Devils and Fallen Angels do it all the time because they have to be close to humans (for multiple reasons) so there is a way. Honestly, I don't really care if people remember me or not, the issue is…

'What about mom and dad...' A sad smile came on to my face when I thought about them. I missed them. A day didn't go by where I didn't think to go back and see how they were doing. More than once did I ask Maven for the Mirror of Isis to check on my mom and she lent it to me with a knowing smile. Every time I checked she was doing something different; sewing, cleaning, or taking a stroll through town. Many times she would be with Mason and they would be spending time together, just being them. I would laugh when my dad would purposely mess with her and she'd get angry, forcing Mason to playfully calm her down and they'd make up like a regular couple would (it's when it reaches that point that I cut the image before being permanently scarred). Seeing them safe and sound never fails to bring me some peace of mind but if the day ever came that I gain some sort of longevity, be it from the Evil Pieces or some other magic spell, then…then I would outlive them. I would have to watch as they grew older and eventually bury them, then live for the next 10,000 years.

And the thought that I may one day forget about them scared me more then facing any dragon slaying legend.

'Why did Issei never have to think on this crap?' I thought with a wry smile and laid back on my Chi Tyrant's back, the fur created from life-force oddly soft. Ichiei probably never wanted DxD to be psychological and didn't make Issei think on the fact that he'll live so long that he may very one day forget about his parents and human friends. Granted, Issei's perverted nature gives him a one track mind and it is an ecchi comedy, it's still a factor to think about. I didn't want to forget about them. I could ask for some Evil Pieces from Sirzechs and offer to turn them into Devils but they didn't seem the type that wants to live for thousands of years. 'Actually…that raises another question…what happens if I can't-'

"What are you thinking about?" Melissa's question brought me out of my thoughts. She kneeled next to me, the Chi Tyrant's wide back leaving plenty of room and her face hovered over mine. I stared at beautiful face and brought a hand to her cheek, my thumb rubbing it slowly. She seemed confused by the gesture but didn't pull away and leaned into my touch. I smiled when I scratched behind her ear and got a small purr in response.

"So your human ears are as sensitive as your leopard ones? Good to know." She blushed at my teasing tone.

"…You didn't answer the question." The Shadow Yokai grabbed my hand and held it. "What's the matter?"

"Why do you think something's wrong?"

"I am a Chi user too Pierce." Melissa deadpanned.

"…And boy do you make it look sexy!" I shot back but she just gave me a bland look.

"Thanks, now what's up?" She didn't let me change the subject and I internally cursed. It really sucked when your significant other seems to always know when something is bothering you…which is made even worse when she has powers that can read your emotions (It may cheapen a relationship but it's nice she cares). I locked eyes with Melissa before sighing in fondness.

"It's nothing."

"Pier-"

"No really, I'm not trying to be difficult. It's nothing major and most likely has an easy answer I'm not getting yet. I'm good." I smiled at her skeptical look.

"…You know it's pretty hypocritical to force me to talk about my feelings while keeping yours."

"I know. Being a hypocrite is great!" I said with a happy tone and she rolled her eyes, sitting down next to me. All things considered, I had plenty of time before having to deal with outliving the people I care about (who are human anyway) and a new problem entered my mind. Melissa. She's a Yokai. A supernatural being who already as a life span in the thousands and I'm still human. In the very unlikely chance I can't get modified Evil Pieces, my life span won't change and I'll die long before her. As much as Sirzechs and Ajuka were the good guys in DxD, I refused to become a servant to either of them. Not because I hated them but because my entire goal for my life was to be completely free and do whatever I want.

That and if I refused to be under a literal Goddess of Beauty like Aphrodite then like hell was I serving under a guy. My nonexistent manly pride won't allow it! Jokes aside, if I can't convince or do a favor for Ajuka to make an Evil Piece that makes me a servant to no one, then I would need to find another way to gain longevity.

And with how many powerful humans in the past never gained longer life spans (to my knowledge), I'm not liking my odds. I stared at Melissa as we strolled around the field and she waved at the kids playing, wondering if she ever thought about the fact that I'll live far shorter then she will.

"…You sure do have a way with kids." Choosing not to worry about it for now, I said when I saw how the Elf children called out "Sister Melissa!" or "Melissa-nee." 'She probably told them to call her that last one.'

"Yeah, I'm used to play all the time with my little brothers and sister." Melissa said with a wide smile.

"You have siblings? What are their names?"

"Well, I have two brothers and one sister. Akira and Aito while my little sister's name is Himari." She started to list off her siblings and I rose a brow.

"Those all sound like Japanese names. Is there a reason your parents named you Melissa?"

"My mom chose it for me and she heard from a distance traveler. I think she like how it sounded." Melissa said with a shrug

"Huh, well I would like to meet them all one day." I told Melissa long ago about my parents and she was even there one day when I observed my mom through the magic mirror. "They must miss you a lot since leaving, considering you left to do something pretty dangerous. I know I'd worried."

"…Y-Yeah. I guess they would be." Melissa got oddly uncomfortable at the statement and I tilted my head at her.

"Why wouldn't they? Any parent would be worried for their child if put in your position."

"…" She didn't say anything to that and I narrowed my eyes.

"…Melissa." She looked at me and I crossed my arms. "You told your family that you're on this quest, right?" Melissa didn't answer. "Melissa?"

"…"

"…"

"…No?" Her voice was barely above a whisper but I heard it clearly and my eyes widened.

"No?"

"No." It wasn't a whisper that time.

"…What the hell!? You didn't tell them you're on a mission to kill a God!?" I slightly raised my voice and she furrowed her brows.

"No, I didn't and I regret it but how is it different then what you're doing?"

"It's completely different!"

"How!?"

"…Okay, it's not that different but I couldn't just go back and explain to them what I accepted."

"Yes you could have!"

"…Alright, I could have but I make poor life choice all the time! You're better than this!" I saw myself losing this argument and tried to salvage it but the Shadow Yokai just huffed and turned away.

"I didn't tell you the truth so that you judge me for it…" I stopped at her statement, staring at her back before sighing.

"Okay, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have raise my voice." I grabbed Melissa's shoulder and gently faced her back to me. "It's your choice and I honestly have no place to judge it but imagine how your parents would feel if they knew you were doing something this dangerous without telling them. Remember how you felt when i came back from the Underworld and did all those crazy things?"

"...Yeah?"

"Well to the people that raised and loved you your whole life, it's probably going to be a whole lot worse."

"...Yeah." Melissa said with a resigned sigh and I cupped her chin, lifting her face so she can look at me.

"Look, how about this? When we have time we'll take a trip to both our homes, meet each other's folks, and explain the shit show we found ourselves in. Misery likes comedy, like they say." I said with a small smile and she stared at me for a second before smiling.

"I think it's misery loves company." The Shadow Yokai corrected with a cheeky smirk and I snorted.

"After you see my mom's reaction, it'll quickly turn into a comedy." That got a laugh out of the Yokai.

After setting up a plan to clear the mess with our respective parents, Maven joined us on the Chi Tyrant's back and we exited the training field (the Chi Animals the kids were playing with should last half an hour before dispersing, something I told the nearby soldiers). I took a trip around the beautiful elf city with the two women, enjoying the sights and supernatural people. While some debris was still lying around, the roads were mostly cleared out and that allowed for a smooth ride. We passed by many colorful trees and glowing stones that gave the roads an ethereal look, it was explained by Maven that in the nighttime they lit up to allow for better visibility. Wooden houses seemed to be the most common construction, fitting with the Elf vibes and former towers that worked as sentry's before the attack. I showed them the place where I faced the Lesser Fire Giant, the scorch marks and indents still around. I asked Gunhild earlier what she did with the Giant and she apparently sent it back to Muspelheim.

"What are you looking for?" Maven asked when she saw me looking around.

"Gunhild said it remained after she summoned the giant back but...ah!" I saw the item I was looking for and it was placed off to the side with a bunch of charred rubble. It was the massive red sword of the Fire Giant. I hopped off the Chi Tyrant and walked over to the sword, touching the hard rock like texture.

"Um, not to undermine your strength but I don't think that's a really conventional weapon." Maven commented with an amused smile, Melissa mirroring it.

"I know, I just wanted to keep it as a trophy." Channeling Chi into my arms, I heaved the massive blade far larger then myself over my head and pointed it to the sky. "But hey, who knows! I may learn to wield it one day. No badass can call himself one without wielding an unreasonably and unnecessarily large weapon. It's Cliche Law!"

"...What?"

I stored away the sword in my space ring, next to my other things I've collected in my travels (the Sultan's Crown, Shinto Priest Robes, The Property Deed to the Belial land, etc.). Ignoring Dáinsleif's exclaim of 'damn that's one big sword, I think I'm in love!', I resumed touring the city and we eventually came to a large open field. The field seemed to be newly made because the fences were made from Nature Magic and freshly cut stone monument rested in the center. We were curious about the location and requested entry by the guarding soldiers. They allowed us in but made me disperse the Chi Tyrant and we normally walked in. It was a pretty normal field with a perfectly flat ground and hundreds of small tree saplings lying around. I noticed many Elf residents standing or kneeling by a sapling, all of them somber. Many were crying with small offerings being placed next to the saplings. I quickly realized what this place was.

"A graveyard..." I said quietly and they nodded, guessing the same thing. We kept walking and came to the stone monument. It was on a platform and countless names were written on the stone, an Elf women was kneeling in front of the stone. 'Oh, it's the Elf sorceress from before.' She introduced herself as Haleth when we meet outside the inner chamber and I was surprised to see her here. We walked up to her but she gave us a small glance and a nod before staring back at the stone. I scanned the monument and found a small slab on the bottom, words written on it. While I understood certain symbols because of my own Norse based Strengthening Magic, the rest of the text was lost on me. "Hey Maven, can you read-"

"Einn makligr jartegn af sannligr borgarmaðrs." Haleth spoke out, her voice quiet and hollow. "A fitting honor for proper soldiers...ridiculous." The Elf grimaced and held a pendant to her chest, squeezing it tightly. It was a monument for all the Elf soldiers that fought in the invasion, all their names engraved on the stone. Her daughter was sadly one of the names currently on the stone.

'Damn.' I gave a pitying look to the women and stepped forward, putting both of my hands together in a prayer. It may not be much and I'm not religious but anyone that died to protect their home deserved recognition. So I closed my eyes and stood silent for a minute, giving my respect. After doing so, I opened my eyes to see Haleth staring at me in wonder.

"...Thank you." I took the thanks without saying anything. We left her to mourn in peace, exiting the graveyard and Melissa sighed.

"We should have arrived sooner."

"We came as fast as we could Melissa, how could we have known Talien was attacking these people?" Maven reasoned but the Shadow Yokai still felt bad for the Elves and I agreed. These people had no prior connection to the war between Zeth and Olympus but they were dragged in nonetheless. It's time like this makes me glad I joined Olympus' side. They may have had a pretty bad past but they at least worry about the potential collateral that will occur against the Generals. The Monster God couldn't care any which way.

"At least her daughter died in battle. She should be in Asgard enjoying herself, that's something right?" I said, trying to find a silver lining in the whole tragedy but that got the opposite effect I was looking from. They both furrowed their brows with Maven turning to me.

"She's not in Asgard. That's impossible."

"Impossible? What do you mean? Do they worship some sort of Elven Gods and go to Elf Heaven?" I never heard of them in the story but with how many pantheons were around, Elf Gods don't seem too crazy. Melissa and Maven looked at each other before looking back at me.

"Pierce...Elves don't go to Heaven or Hell. No supernatural being does, only humans do." My eyes widened when Melissa finished and I stuttered.

"W-Why!? Do the God's set it that way!?"

"That's how it's away been, we thought you knew that."

"...Why would I know that?" I deadpanned and they blinked.

"...Good point." Maven sighed and started to explain the circumstances regarding Supernatural and the Afterlife. She actually started with a question. If Humans go to the Hell and Devils are already in the Underworld, where do you think they go when they die? I was floored by the good question. All supernatural beings, be they Devils, Angels, Yokai's, Gods, Vampires, etc. don't get sent to either Heaven or Hell when they die. Unless their souls are stored and they have enough life force to keep the souls existing, it will naturally disperse. Every supernatural being had this same aspect, it's the main reason God's use humans for worship and accept them into their Pantheon's Heaven. By the time her explanation was over, everything clicked.

That's why the Four Original Satans were never reborn because God probably made sure their souls couldn't be retrieved. It's why the Biblical God wasn't resurrected with the Holy Grail by Michael or the other Archangels because he used up all his life force in Trihexa's sealing. It's why Hades was so afraid of the Longinus' users because they could potentially kill him and even as a God of Death, he can't come back. It's why Rizevim resurrected the Evil Dragons that were sealed away because they were his only option. It all made sense.

'...I may need to rethink that Evil Pieces plan.' Granted, 10,000 years of life sounded great, the fading out of existence completely seemed equally bad. '...Oh well.' Seeing it as another problem I couldn't deal with at the moment, I put it on the back burner and continued exploring. I asked Melissa how she felt about that but she didn't really care, having grown up knowing such things. Seems like something you shouldn't tell a kid but I guess Yokai culture was more hard lined then normal people. The sun soon went down and the roads lit up like Maven said, making the walk back quite pleasant. Everyone was gathered at the house, Adrian explaining how they would stay for one more day and see if Talien ever moves to gain the last fragment. Melissa headed to our room to sleep and I was about to follow but stopped. I sensed Brynhildr sitting on the porch, she was alone and her aura was fluctuating.

'What is she doing?' I moved to the Chief Valkyrie's location and saw her holding the last fragment of the Andvaranaut, a magic circle over it. The ring fragment was pulsing too and runic marks flickered on it's surface, fading periodically. "What are you doing?" I asked and Brynhildr's gaze never left the fragment, her eyes narrowing as it flickered again.

"Trying to figure out how to do this." I could hear the frustration in her voice and took a step forward.

"Do what? Get it to find gold? If so...count me in."

"..." Brynhildr didn't react and cast another magic spell over the fragment, causing the marks to light up again. It flickered a few times but nothing happened and Brynhildr frowned. "God damn it." She cursed under her breath.

"...Wouldn't it be "All Father damn it" for you guys?" I asked, genuinely curious and she gave me bored look.

"Does that sound right to you?"

"Well your Norse, you tell me." She continued to give me an unimpressed face. "Okay, you're obviously not in the mood for my comedic genius-" She snorted that time. "You want to tell me what you're trying to do? Maybe I could help." I offered and she looked me up and down before tossing me the fragment. I caught it and observed it, my Spiritual Energy sensing the well hidden but incredibly complicated magic runes within (it looked unfinished which fit).

"I'm was trying to activate the runes, hoping it would try to reach out to it's other pieces."

"Which would led us right to Talien, that's smart." I frowned. "But wait, wouldn't the Original Brynhildr think about that and find a way to block it?"

"...She did." Brynhildr said quietly and I got the picture.

"You knew she did but tried it anyway."

"A girl can dream can't she?"

"Hm." I made a sound of agreement and played with the fragment. It was kind of funny. This little, broken piece of an accessory is all that's stopping a Dark Elf King from gaining a Zombie that can body Dragon Kings. The fact that its original function was to find gold shows that anything can happen in this crazy world. I wonder how Andvari feels about thi-

"...Wait." I looked to Brynhildr. "Whatever happened to Andvari?" The Chief Valkyrie tilted her head at the question.

"Loki killed him." I did a double take at that. "Don't be so surprised, Loki is an Evil God and the Dwarf did try to curse him with the ring." I had no come back to that. While Odin wanted to blame Loki for the murder, he also hated Andvari because he was the one who created the curse and the Dwarf's reputation was poor at best when alive. Brynhildr explained how Andvari's son, Gunnar, took up his father's smith shop but chose to stay away from artifacts involving treasures and is in Andvari's cave till this day. It took me a couple of seconds to process that and another question entered my mind.

"Um, Brynhildr? How good of a smith is Gunnar?"

"About as good as Andvari was." She said with a shrug and I stared at her wide eyed, waiting for her to get the same idea I'm having but she just snorted. "No Pierce, you don't have to worry about Gunnar."

"But if he's as good as his father then-"

"Brynhildr was a 5th Order Magician." Brynhildr said with a pointed look. "And not just in a couple of branches, she knew 5th Order spells from Sealing magic, Protection magic, Rune Symbols, Security Magic; if the Norse had it, she learned it. She was a master; a little Dwarf can't hope to figure out her spell."

'That's...complete nonsense.' I thought in bewilderment. It wasn't the fact that the Original Brynhildr learned every branch of magic to 5th Order that I found ridiculous, it was the fact that Brynhildr didn't consider Gunnar a potential problem or factor. Just because Brynhildr was a master of everything didn't mean other's below her couldn't be a threat. The Biblical God was even higher then her in the Magic department and sealed a world ending Dragon at the end of said world; a place no one can supposedly go. But that didn't stop Rivezim from gaining the Holy Grail and finding the Imperial Beast. And the Super Devil was nowhere near the Biblical God's level (in terms of magic). "Did you check on him at least?"

"...No."

"Did Brynhildr break the ring when she got to Asgard?"

"...N-No, she already had it in fragments when she arrived." The Chief Valkyrie started to squirm.

"...Brynhildr, I don't know you all that well but this hero worship and arrogance crap doesn't fit your character."

"Wha-"

"Check on the damn Dwarf for the love of God!" I snapped.

"Alright, alright I'll check!" Brynhildr yelled and stood up in a huff, waving her hand. A magic circle appeared on the ground and a single crow popped out. It flew around us before landing on Brynhildr's arm. Before I could ask why she summoned a crow, it chose to answer for itself.

"Hello Lady Brynhildr, how may I be of service today?" The crow spoke in a deep voice. I blinked.

"Why did you call a talking crow?" I asked with a weird face.

"He's a raven." She corrected while stroking the flying magic creature's head. "This is Hakon, a descendant of Hugin and Munin."

"You mean the two raven's that are on Odin's shoulders?"

"The very same. Hakon, can you please check the cave of Andvari?"

"At once my Lady." Hakon bowed his tiny head and his eye's lit up in a green light, shining in the night.

"What's he doing?"

"Hugin and Munin's descendants fly all over Midgard for Odin, getting all kinds of information for him. They have an innate ability that allows them to share the vision and thoughts between one another." Brynhildr explained and I blinked.

"...Can they also summon beasts, absorb life energy, and rip out a person's soul?"

"...What?" Brynhildr asked in confusion but I waved my hand.

"Nevermind. I got to say, as far as familiars go, that's one of the more unique one's I've heard about."

"Really? Then you've never had the unfortunate pleasure to meet Ratatoskr. Little shit took my teams 3 days to catch on a mission." I rose a brow at that.

"Whose Ratatoskr?" He sounded impressive if it took a group of Half Gods 3 days to finally catch him.

"He's a squirrel." I blinked.

"…A squirrel?"

"Well, a magical squirrel that rides the branches of Yggdrasil to other worlds and annoys the head Mimir whenever he's alone."

"…"

"…"

"…Your mythology is weird." Brynhildr snorted at the statement.

"Oh my." Hakon said in surprise, his raven eyes still glowing.

"What is it?" Brynhildr asked.

"I-I think it'd be easier if I showed you my Lady." The raven sent a beam of light at Brynhildr's forehead, choosing to send one to me as well. Before I could react, my vision warped and everything was in a foggy green, like I was looking through glass. It eventually cleared up and I could make out a large castle that was on the side of a mountain. It looked abandoned and the raven's vision I was sharing did a lap around the castle to locate anyone.

Then an arrow came flying at it and the vision tilted, the raven narrowly dodging the projectile. As it turned around to retreat, the raven looked back and spotted a lone Draugr with a bow and the Pjaga Maven was fighting earlier standing next to it. Then a flash of light engulfed the vision and I came back to. The silence was deafening.

"...I don't want to say I told you so but..." I started, slowly turning to Brynhildr.

The Chief Valkyrie was already long gone.

And done. Pierce got some new friends and an appreciation for humility; time to put both of those to the test. I hope you enjoyed.

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