1 Death and Transmigration

I'd experienced a lot despite my relatively short life of 29 years. I was born to, let's say, a...unique clan. A clan that was, and always had been, tasked with the protection of the VIPs of my country, Japan. We were trained and bred to be bodyguards but even before that, we were trained to be warriors and fighters.

Our entire clan revolved around the notion of strength and combat ability.

Quite a barbaric way of living, honestly. Especially in modern times. But it was our way of life and there was always some cushy politician who needed protection and it just so happened to be that my clan was the best supplier of good bodyguards.

Yet I wasn't talented like the others of my family. I was average. But if there was one thing I had, it was determination. So, ignoring the jeers and mocking of my siblings, I trained.

Physically, mentally, spiritually--I went looking for the peak and I swore to never stop until I found it. I trained my body with the most harsh training methods and I enriched my mind with medical knowledge that would help further my physical training. I went looking for enlightenment wherever I could, always looking for an answer as to...why? Why was there such things as talent? Why was there such things as disdain? And mockery? Where did pride come from?

These sorts of questions were sprinkled in between my training sessions and they always kept my spiritually active and accepting of new ideas and philosophies.

I always trained. No matter how sore my body became, I used my growing medical knowledge to make sure it wasn't injured and I continued. There was no excuse for slacking off. So, I continued my training.

I realized that I wouldn't be able to impress the family elders into giving me the secret arts or the unique martial arts of the clan, so I had to improvise. I had to come up with a way to gain my own advantage. There were two routes to this, as far as I saw it.

1) I would need to religiously work on my body, using both the harshest methods of training and my growing medical knowledge to heal my body back to full and to use said medical knowledge to make new and more intense training regimens that wouldn't harm my body in the long run. 2) I had to be willing to go further than other fighters. If another fighter was scared of getting hit, I had to be able to take hits without flinching or taking damage. I had to willing to trade blows with my opponent and make sure they got hurt more than I did. I had neither the natural speed nor the reflexes to be more dodge-orientated, so this was my path. To become a juggernaut who relied of durability and brute strength mixed with whatever technique and skill I could cultivate with my average talent.

And so, I began to train my body to become resistant to hits and damage alongside training my body to the peak of what was possible for me with both my determination, my harsh training regimens and my medical knowledge being used to hold myself together.

Through this is where I learnt that I wasn't completely talentless. My body was quite naturally tough and filled with tenacious and vigorous energy that kept my going no matter what. It was also through this damaging training that I learnt alongside my medical skills and the skills of the clan doctors, I was able to heal fully every time I damaged my body. No hidden injuries or anything of the like.

So, I continued, upping the intensity of the training every time it got too easy for me. Along with this growing intensity, my medical skills were growing explosively as well through the combined efforts of having to patch myself up and through my own studying. I was quickly becoming the up and coming doctor for my generation.

By the time I was 16, my body was by far the strongest of my generations and even some of the adults failed to meet up to my strength. Even their attacks and martial moves failed to harm me.

Yet I didn't let this go to my head. I trained even harder. I broke my body down and built back up stronger and stronger, throughout the years. When I turned 18, I left the clan and I traveled the world. I learnt new medical knowledge I could apply to my training. I learnt new training methods that I spliced with my own to make more effective hybrid training. And most importantly...I fought a lot of people. I won some, I lost some--but I most definitely learnt something from every fight.

A slight imperfection in my style of fighting that could be removed if I just moved a little quicker. A slight imperfection in my body that could be removed if I just trained a little harder. A slight imperfection of my technique that could be removed if I incorporated more styles from around the world...which is what I ended up doing.

With the foundation being my own clan's fighting techniques, modified to fit my juggernaut-like fighting style, I began to build upon it with techniques and styles from other parts of the world.

So, along with fighting and improving upon my strengths further and removing my weaknesses, I was becoming a better and better fighter.

So much so that after a whole decade I was at the peak of the world in terms of combat ability. A so-called physical anomaly. The man with the hardest body. A body of metal and tough hide. A body he used to dominate the martial arts scene.

That was me. I was the master of masters.

A dream come true. It turns out I didn't need talent. I just needed my determination.

I was to return to Japan a changed man, so I could show my clan that I wasn't untalented. Nor was I worthy of their sneers or their jeers. I was strong.

...But I had to go and be an idiot.

I took a step forward, the multiple knives stuck in my body cutting deeper and causing more blood to spray out of my wounds. I'd lost count of the amount of wounds I'd gained through the 'small' scuffle I'd just gotten into with some delinquents but I must've gone up against well above one hundred by now. Maybe even two hundred. Hell, it could even be three hundred.

And it'd all started over me butting in and stopping some idiots from harassing a young couple...Haah~ Truly, an idiot too strong for his own good. That's what I am. For once, I'd let my pride get to my head.

But how was I supposed to know that the delinquents I'd gone up against were backed by one of the biggest gangs in Japan? Also, how was I supposed to know they'd be like cockroaches and tenacious as hell to boot!? I took down a few, ten more would pop up and call more reinforcements. On repeat, over and over again. So, I did what I was best at - I pummeled the fuckers and I kept striking at whoever came at me.

Where were the police? I'd like to fucking know as well! I'm doing their damn job for them, after all.

Yet this felt like the end for me. I'd been in constant battle for an hour or two and I'd been stabbed more times than I could count. Hit by pipes and bats more times than I could count. Have bricks and cement blocks cracked off my head more times than I could count. I'd been attacked more times than I could count. I'd lost a tremendous amount of blood and despite having worked my body to be as strong and durable as possible...I was still only human.

And just like a human, I died. Kinda embarrassing, really. But at least I took a few hundred down with me, right? Better than most who are murdered. Or killed.

Which is why I was reviewing my life. I'd seen a lot of stuff and I'd always wondered if there was an afterlife. It seemed there indeed was one. But it was quite...bland.

[That's because this isn't the afterlife, Ryuji,] a deep booming force shook through the surrounding area, including me, making me feel like I was currently standing on the epicenter for an Earthquake. [You're in a temporary domain made by me. I want to offer you a job.]

The voice slowly coalesced into the form of a tall man with red flame-like hair and a pair of burning hot orange eyes. I had a big built but this man dwarfed me in size and height. He must've been 7, maybe even 8 foot tall and he was incredibly brawny.

"...A job?" I asked, somewhat unsure whether this was real or not. It all felt very...surreal.

The giant figure boomed with laughter, [I assure you, Ryuji...this is real. The job I have for you could be considered a hell for some but for you...I can tell it's a welcomed second chance,] the figure said and I felt somewhat on edge by how easily it knew what I was thinking but I continued to listen, nevertheless, [Fighting. You reached the peak...but what would you do to go higher? To see more? Would you be willing to train more? To find limits beyond the ones you had? Tell me, Ryuji...do you want to fight more?]

That...that was a good question. I found myself actually wondering 'Do I want to fight more?' because whatever this being was, it was obviously powerful enough to give me whatever second chance it was speaking about. A chance to fight more, to train more...to be more. Because all in all, rising to the top of the martial arts world was hard work, sure, but it wasn't as fulfilling as I thought it would be. Once I reached the peak, I was left with no remaining goals. I was much more suited to chasing after the peak than being on it, or rather it'd be better to say I prefer chasing the peak than sitting on top of it.

Despite being at the peak for little more than two months...it was boring. No, that isn't the right word...depressing. Being at the top was depressing. I was left without a goal or motivation - I was simply...done.

So, unconsciously, I found myself nodding to the giant God-like being in front of me, "...Yes, I want to fight more," I started before sighing, "It's selfish of me for this to be my biggest regret...but I regret not being able to go further beyond, to fight more and explore the world of martial arts further. Rather than regretting not being able to say goodbye to my family...my regret is that I hadn't fought enough when I was alive," I admitted, feeling like I was being judged. But in reply to this, all I began to hear was boisterous laughter and I looked to see the God-like being slamming his hands together, clapping, which sounded less like flesh impacting on flesh and more like metal bashing against metal.

[Good! Good! No, it's magnificent! Wonderful!] he roared with joyous laughter, [You're one of the few mortals who finally said they regret not fighting enough! Hahahahaha!] he continued laughing like some sort of madman or someone who'd finally gotten the draw they wanted on a Gacha game.

I just stood, silent, not exactly sure how to respond--Not exactly sure whether or not I SHOULD respond to a godly being or whether that in itself is blasphemous.

The laughing finally came to an end, as did the clapping, before the giant took a deep breath before clicking his fingers and I found myself sat across from him as a coffee table. His body had shrunk to more normal proportions and he looked across to me, a faint smile on his face the only proof of the manic expression he'd just had.

Finally, he leaned back into his chair while I kept my posture rigid and polite before he spoke up, [So, would you accept the job offer I'm giving you? It entails being sent to a dangerous world where fights will be aplenty. A place where you will have to break through your limits...or die trying,] he explained while giving out grand hand gestures, [Of course I'd give you some sort of power and blessing. But it'd be up to you on how well it performs. Even with this knowledge, would you accept?]

"...Yes, I would. A cushy afterlife isn't for me. Fighting and training are all I've known and all I'm good at," I admitted, somewhat sadly, before I smiled brightly, letting go of such emotions when I thought about the prospect of fighting once again and training to overcome new limits, "But I guess that worked out for me, huh?" I asked with a laugh which was mirrored by the godly being bursting out in laughter. In the end it was just the two of us laughing like a pair of madmen.

Slowly, we stopped laughing and the being across from me nodded as they wiped what looked like a tear of magma from their eye, [Indeed it has, Ryuji, indeed it has,] they started before clicking their finger again before they seemed to be looking at something.

They touched the air in front of them a few times before what looked like two red lights came into existence in front of it.

[These are what I'm giving you, Ryuji. A power and a blessing,] it started with it's booming voice which still left me instinctively uncomfortable, [The power is to be the perfect Yoma-Human hybrid. The perfect hybrid which has the potential to surpass any Claymore in whatever they're best at. I also took away any growth limiters such a physiology would give you though I did leave the limit for the amount of Yoki you could use. Anywhere above 80% and you'll run the risk of turning into a monster,] it warned before smiling widely, [But if you find the right way to Awaken, so to speak, you won't face any adverse effects. So, to put it simply, pick the right way and you'll see a massive boost in your power. Pick the wrong way, however...and you'll become a monster!] he chuckled, seemingly happy with himself, [I've made it so you can grow in strength as much as you want though I've done nothing for the speed at which you gain results. It's up to you to make the necessary training methods though I'm sure you'll enjoy that, Ryuji.]

I nodded my head, taking in the information before I decided to speak, "So...I'll become like the characters from Claymore, right?" it nodded, so I continued, "So I'll be able to mimic the techniques from the show. Good."

The being laughed before shrugging, [I guess you could. Maybe even improve upon them but you'd have to use your hands to mimic the techniques unless you pick up the art of the sword,] it laughed and I gave a nod that pretty much said 'touché'. Giving a shake of it's head, the being continued, [The next thing I give you is my blessing. The blessing of fighting. It will become what is needed depending on the fighter. For you, Ryuji...I suspect it will become something to do with making you more like a Juggernaut!] it laughed uproariously before continuing, [Or it could increase your Yoma healing abilities even further...maybe even both! Who knows! My blessing is ever-changing and ever-adapting...Well, I bid you farewell then, Ryuji. I'll be watching so make sure to fight a lot, okay?] it spoke with the enthusiasm of a child on Christmas before seeming to add something it'd forgotten, [...Oh yes, forgive me for not mentioning this sooner. The world you'll be going to is 'Highschool DxD'. Enjoy your time there however you want! Hahahahaha!]

And before I could even react or say 'Eh?' I found myself flung backwards...and then sideways and then down, and before I knew it, I felt like I was being torn apart and then squished back together--I felt like I was putty in someone's hands.

Then I woke up on a bed in a foreign room. Which is when the flood of memories came into my head, telling me the life this body had lived up until now.

...How wonderfully annoying.