Chapter 3

Recap session here; nothing much. I killed that talkative crow like a total baddie.

But the problem is; I am in the middle of the city covered in blood and it's not like I can pretend I have a serious injury when I am running with my face covered, right?

I mean, I almost look like a criminal right now.

...

Okay, I totally look like a criminal right now. But that body disintegrated... so there is no evidence, right?

But yet another surprise was to come.

I found myself once again in the empty city I had just left.

...

Eh?

Crap! Her friends are here already?!

I scanned the skies for winged creatures and found a levitating child looking several feet above.

She is staring at me.

It's a cute young girl with long black hair down to her hips. I am not a pro in fashion still, I think that her attire is black Gothic Lolita fashion... But

Who dressed her up like this... why dress a child in this manner- MY GOD! Someone actually taped her nipples-

I slapped myself. Better stop that line of thought...

She doesn't look Japanese even with her black hair; hell, I am sure she isn't even a human being.

Why? Cuz, she is floating!

I backed slowly away from her. But I already knew...

That being can kill me instantly. It's atmosphere is on a whole another level than that crow.

The only thing I can do is...

I got into the position.

... to have a last stand.

"You are interesting."

...

*CHILLS*

...

She was on the ground, just a few feet from me.

But... how...?

I lowered my guard and looked at her with mixed feelings.

I didn't sense her move. Before I could even blink, she was down here. This déjà vu... This is undoubtedly... INSTANT TRANSMISSION?!

I kneeled on one knee like a faithful soldier.

She tilted her head, puzzled.

"What are you-" she started.

"Please, take me in as your disciple," I said, cutting her off.

"Huh?"

Turns out, this is called the disciple-surrender tactic. To save yourself from an overpowered foe, you surrender and join them, most likely as their disciple. Of course, I didn't think of any tactics for this situation. I simply followed my childhood dream; to learn instant transmission, the speed move from my favorite anime series, Draco Ballz. Well I know what you people might be thinking, 'She might be your enemy or a villain character, what are you even doing?!'

Well, let me ask you this; have you ever seen someone do instant transmission in real life? No? Then mate let's just say, we had different life experiences and hence different viewpoints (which is like the common argument point you can find everywhere these days).

"Disciple?" she said slowly, "I have never had one..."

*GLEAM*

"I see, so I am your first disciple. I look forward to becoming more like Gok- like you."

She didn't seem to mind that I self-proclaimed myself as her disciple. Truth be told she even looks a bit interested.

At least, I think so. Her face is as blank as... well as blank as my everyday poker face. Now that I look closely, her ears are pointed. At least better than having wings and light spears to shoot from above.

"First tell me, how you are able suddenly show emotions?"

My face froze.

...

I don't know what to say because it just registered in my mind; I am showing emotions and... yeah the thing I always hate is happening again.

"... you are even capable of portraying such a weird expression," said the girl, amused.

I hate it when someone points it out... My face is twitching awkwardly again.

Upon realization, all emotions shall turn to awkwardness, that is thy destiny...

I remained silent. My mind raced to find the answer to her question.

Is it because I killed Raynare? Am I a psychopath? Or is it because I was so close to death that my emotions were forced out?

Or...

Is it because I managed to kill an opponent several times stronger than me...?

That felt like the truth. But I didn't want to say it.

"So, that's why..." she said, "but that's impossible for me."

She looked at the sky; seemingly disappointed.

...

Hold on...

Did she just read my mind?

She looked me in the eyes.

"I have been watching you for some time," she said at a slow pace, "your lack of expressions caught my attention. Your battle with the fallen was interesting. I never thought you would win..."

She trailed off in the end. Probably lost in thoughts.

"A human with a sleeping sacred gear..." she muttered, "sleeping sacred gear..."

It doesn't seem like she wants to harm me. But, what is this sacred sleep- I mean sleeping sacred gear?

She focused her dreamy eyes on me.

Her pupils are black. Are those.. slits?

I felt drawn in by an unexplainable force. Darkness suddenly filled my vision.

...

There was 6-year-old me and Izo walking back home from school sharing our stories.

...

Am I seeing flashbacks?

...

Me and my family were laughing and having dinner. We just look like any other happy family...

...

I think this was around 10 years ago...

...

Little me was eavesdropping on my parents' conversation from the hallway.

...

There seems to be someone else in the room besides them.

...

There is me walking alone to school now.

...

Hold on... Where is Izo?

...

I met Rin. We quickly became friends.

...

Two years passed by. Rin left town and I am alone once again.

...

I am alone in my room.

...

I am still alone in my room.

...

... ...

Years have passed by.

...

Izo is finally back... but he is not Izo anymore?

...

... ...

I felt my head spinning.

I was on all fours, vomiting.

"Just like I thought," the child said, "Some parts of your memory have been sealed. I cannot access it without killing you."

I was panting.

*PUFF* *PUFF*

I could barely hear anything from shock.

What?... What was that?

"I am the ouroborous dragon, Ophis also known as the dragon of infinity," she said, "if I were to give you a chance... will you cure my boredom?"

Eh?...

Cure boredom? How? And what is this stuff about her being a dragon?

My brother is a dragon and she is one too? Is it a title? Like the ones from well almost every manhua? 'Sleeping dragon of Shaanxi', 'Venom Dragon'?

"A human with a sacred gear often ends up getting killed," she continued, "or gets recruited by a supernatural faction. That is the fate of humans with sacred gear. Also, the fate that probably awaits you."

I barely raised my head and managed to look at her face.

"The fate that awaits me?..."

"The devils and the fallen angels are all going to come after you; the youngest human being to have ever killed a supernatural being without having an active sacred gear."

That sounded like the world record of some video game but...

"Am I going to be arrested...? Into something like supernatural jail?"

She shook her head.

"The devils are going to come after you because you are already a precious possession to have in their collection due to your achievement. The fallen will come after you for revenge."

"...What do you mean by giving me a chance?"

"I will give you a chance. One single chance to rebel against this fate."

"But, why?"

"I am bored of watching the same story again and again."

"..."

Ah, she's that type... I should have guessed from the fact that she made me vomit like this. The reason why I am alive is probably because I caught her interest.

"What is your answer?"

Looks like she doesn't care what I think.

"How are you going to make me rebel?" I asked.

"Simple," she raised her finger towards me, "I will give you a power you ask for; rebel using it and show me a new story."

"Any power...?"

Does that include Kamehameha?

I mean, the ability to give power to others itself sounds super op too.

"Yes. Whether it be a power equivalent to your kind's strongest nuclear weapon, or even a power rivaling a god from your fantasies."

"I..."

I had many, many ideas as to which power I should pick but...

Why?

"I want..."

Why did I...?

"I want the power of stealth."

"...?"

Looks like even she didn't expect it.

"I want the power to remain in the shadows with the full view of my enemies."(shit, that sounded creepy)

"Stealth... It doesn't have much power."

"I know, but no matter what I am not worthy to gain such powers you mentioned overnight. Power beyond what you are worthy of brings you ruin. Besides..."

My heart was racing again.

What fun is there in growing so strong so quickly?

This time I smiled consciously.

Her mouth went slightly ajar.

...

What do you mean th-they will come after me?!

...

Make my sacred gear invincible please!

...

Let me think about it a little...

...

What do you mean I have to entertain you?!

...

"...you want to spy on those who are after you?"

"Yes. If the supernatural world is as you described then, I believe anonymity is going to be the greatest asset."

She stared at me curiously.

"Amusing..."

She raised her hand and I waited.

Suddenly my school bag appeared out of thin air. I caught it reflexively.

"Woah... It's restored!"

As soon as she lowered her hand, I felt my body heat up.

"My god..."

All those bloodstains have disappeared and my clothes look brand new! My expression was that like of a child at a magic show.

"Here."

She held out her small hand.

Black smoke erupted from her hands.

Before I could back away in surprise it spiralled out of her hands and engulfed me.

I didn't scream because it wasn't uncomfortable at all.

On closer look, I realized that it was swirling shadows.

I braced myself for a second vomiting session.

But it was relaxing. I know it's weird for me to say this but it was like I was back at home after being away for years. Such a familiar feeling...

"You can open your eyes now."

When I opened my eyes, I realized that my arms were spread dramatically; as if I was the main character of a TV who just triumphed over the biggest hurdle in his life.

...

I coughed to hide my awkwardness.

"I have given you my stealth ability. It will hide your powers and make you feel completely normal to anyone."

"You mean your one? Wow, thanks."

I lightly turned left and right.

"What is its name?"

"It doesn't have a name," she said slowly.

"Oh yeah? How about 'Untitled'?" I said, readying myself to laugh along with her at my joke.

"..."

...

"...just kidding, just kidding... Uh... How about Abyssal Veil?"

This name is inspired by the abyss I saw in her eyes and... well the veil for stealth. Damn, my naming sense is legendary.

"It is a bit too long. I won't remeber it," she said and my heart sank.

Unbelievable...

"Er, Abyssal Shield?"

"It's not much different," she said bluntly.

**A few minutes of naming later**

"... It's okay, you can name it however you want."

No!

It is a matter of pride now!

"How about Kuro?!"

This time I felt a soft tinge near my heart.

Ophis held her hand over her chest. Did she feel it too?

"That name sounds okay," she said.

It was a simple name meaning black or dark. But I guess it works too.

"Kuro..." she muttered.

I felt that sweet tinge once again.

Wait, is that thing alive inside me? (I am trying my best not to think about venom?)

She looked at me carefully and raised her hand towards me.

"I will give you an additional gift."

Eh...? OMG! Hidden achievement?!

"I will give you some snakes."

Snakes?... 

Her fingertips glowed and five mini-snake-like things entered my body.

But I felt nothing different.

She looked a little puzzled.

Her fingertips glowed again. Five more entered.

"Uh?"

I felt nothing again.

She inched closer to me and placed her hand on my chest.

*WHOOOOSHHHH*

It's like a black hole has opened right on top of my chest. I felt like I was consuming water from my chest.

Wait, wait too much wate- I mean snakes!

Just when I thought I would die from suffocation, it stopped.

"...Is it over?" (taboo sentence)

I opened my eyes.

Ophis was nowhere to be found. I looked left and right. Also up and down.

Eh?... Don't tell me...

I looked at my chest.

I consumed her?!

...

The entire dimension shattered like glass and I was back on the sidewalk.

Nobody noticed how I came out of nowhere.

I inhaled heavily.

Calm. Calm...

Let's get out of here first.

...

This all feels like a dream.

I was in front of my house. I saw no one suspicious near me. Man, the way I am looking around makes me look super sus.

...

"Somebody killed a fallen and disappeared?"

I froze.

"No, he is not home yet. Come to think of it, he is late."

It was my father, Gororu Hyodou. He seems to be on the phone.

But, what is going on?! Why is he talking about the supernatural? So... Izo wasn't the only one...?

And more importantly, how can I hear him from the road?!

Not only that, I can sense him messing looking around my room on the first floor. There is also someone in the living room. I can sense, no almost picture them. The one in the living room is Mom.

This is undoubtedly Draco Ballz-level sensing! Does that mean...

My heart raced.

I can also use instant transmission?!

I raised two fingers against my forehead and imagined myself doing instant transmission to the doorstep.

Nothing happened...

...

Well, not a big deal. Sensing itself is pretty solid stuff.

I suddenly felt something swirling around my feet.

It was those swirls of darkness or 'Kuro' as I named it. It surrounded my feet.

Crap! If somebody sees this...

I quickly tried to call it into my body.

Most of the swirls disappeared into my body but some of them condensed under my right foot. I felt my leg tense up.

Uh...

I tried moving forward.

...

*BA-DUMP*

...

*BA-DUMP* *BA-DUMP* 

Unbelievable...

I was right in front of the door...

My heart was beating wildly.

I had done instant transmission!

I could sense that my parents had stopped moving. Perhaps they have noticed me.

I pushed the thought that I did instant transmission away and with a newfound excitement (which I was careful to not show on my face), I opened the door.

...

Sona Sitiri and Rias Gremory were looking down at the busy junction near the footbridge from the top of a building.

"Has anyone found any clues from your sides?" Sona asked. Her arms were crossed.

"Nothing. It's like the killer just vanished from the face of Earth," Rias said. Her one hand was resting on her hip.

"I think there is nothing more to see from here," Sona said.

"I agree," Rias said, "How about we go join them?"

"Sure. But before that..."

"Hm?'

"Tell me about your new boyfriend."

Sona said in a light teasing tone. Rias giggled.

"Now is not the right time," she said.

"Sure. Make sure to leave not a single detail out."

Sona said nearing the edge of the roof.

"Why so interested?" Rias asked with a smile.

"It is hard not to be interested when it comes to my 'undefeated' pawn's brother," Sona said with a proud smile.

"Aww, you are worried that I might take the title away?" Rias said nearing the rooftop edge too.

"Very."

They both jumped off the roof and a pair of bat wings sprouted from their back as they dived.

The dimension changed into the one where Issei and Raynare fought.

A few students were down below near the ruined footbridge.

Sona and Rias flew over to them.

"Buchou."

Kiba greeted Rias as soon she landed. He politely greeted Sona.

"BUCHOU!"

Two figures dashed towards Rias and hugged her tightly.

"Katase, Murayama! Sorry to make you guys work when you just got back!"

Rias hugged both of them with affection.

"It's okay, Buchou!" Murayama said.

"Buchou, we won the district-level kendo tournament!" Katase said.

"Oh! Congrats both of you! We will celebrate later!"

Rias rubbed their heads with affection.

""Yay!""

Kiba sighed. The three of them were always like this. Rias becomes the mom and the other two become spoiled brats whenever they meet after a short span of days. They can't bear to remain separated for long. For Katase and Murayama, Rias was more like an idol to be worshiped.

"Kaichou," a voice cut through their celebration.

He came flying down and landed softly next to Kiba. He folded his draconic-devilish wings and glanced briefly at Rias, but quickly looked away without even greeting her.

"Kaichou," he said, "my brother, seems to have just got back home."

"Ask your parents to keep an eye on him, just in case," Sona said.

"Issei is a suspect?" Rias asked intrigued.

Katase and Murayama looked at her in shock hearing her call Issei by first name. Izo narrowed his eyes slightly upon hearing it.

"While Hyoudou Issei only has a sleeping sacred gear, he cannot be completely ruled out. Though..." Sona's eyes narrowed, "it is highly unlikely that Hyoudou Issei is behind this."

She looked at the destruction caused by the fight.

"It is highly possible that someone is trying to spark friction between our faction and the fallen. But people like Hyoudou Issei who are even indirectly connected with the supernatural world are also under severe suspicion."

"I see," said Rias considering the possible candidates.

"Buchou..." Katase called in a small voice.

"Hm? Yes?"

"Are you really going out with Hyoudou Issei?"

"Oh? Yes," Rias said with a smile which made Katase and Murayama almost faint from shock.

"My fault," Kiba apologized, "I should have informed them beforehand."

"Our Buchou..." Katase said in a daze.

"With that pervert?..." Murayama finished.

Both of them started mumbling.

"Issei isn't a pervert though," Rias said trying to console the two girls.

"I will leave you to investigate this area, Rias," Sona said with a small smirk, "follow me Izo."

She flew off.

Izo spread his draconic wings. But before he took off he turned to Rias and said:

"I don't know exactly what your reason is for trying to get close to my brother; but let me warn you Rias Gremory, it is best if you do not involve him in our feud."

"Oh? Seems like you care about your Onii-chan quite a bit~" Rias said in a playful voice.

"I have already warned you, considering that you are my master's treasured friend and rival. The rest is up to you."

Izo took off.

"... don't you think they are all being unexpectedly too fixated on Issei?" Rias asked Kiba.

Koneko suddenly appeared from the shadows.

"I sense frustration from him," Koneko said looking at Izo, flying in the sky.

"I thought he hated Issei; welp another sign not to believe in rumors."

...

As soon as I entered the house, I met my mother.

She was a woman approaching her late forties, but age hardly seemed to affect her. She looks in her early thirties at best. I have never thought much deeply about how my parents looked younger than their actual age but now I am forced to.

Why?

Because she was surrounded by swirls of darkness which was forming a bizarre shape of a figure with horns and bat wings made of shadows.

I didn't panic upon seeing that. I quietly removed my shoes as usual, ignoring her gaze.

"Why are you this late?"

I paused.

"I felt like taking a walk."

I walked past her.

"Quite a long walk," this time it was my father. He was descending the steps that led to Izo's and my rooms.

He was a man in his late forties who, just like my mother looked young compared to his age. Of course, he had the same aura.

"Better than staying at home, right?"

This was our usual banter.

They get weirdly too suspicious of where I go if I am a bit late (which I rarely do because I hate this questioning) and if you think it is a common parent problem then you are wrong. Sometimes their eyes feel like they are always watching me like I am some sort of animal in a zoo.

Guess they are all part of the supernatural world. Then again, why am I the only one left out? Because of this sleeping sacred gear?

So many questions...

I climbed up the stairs, went into my room, and shut the door.

...

"Whew! What a day," I said to myself; throwing myself onto the bed.

Who would have thought my whole family would be involved in the supernatural world?

The figure with horns and wings came to my mind.

I wonder what that means.

[It means they are devils.]

Devils? Hmm yeah, that could be possible.

...

... Did someone just talk?

[I did. Looks like you somehow managed to absorb me as a whole.]

It's her voice, alright.

H-holy... I don't know what to say...

[Me too. I never thought something like this would happen.]

She was directly speaking in my head! Ophis is now inside me?!

I felt my body to check if it was still me.

'Uh, can you come out?' I spoke in my head.

[No. Though I can if I want to, by destroying your body from within.]

... That doesn't sound good. Hopefully, she can fix me after that.

"...Why were you silent till now?"

[I fell unconscious. Who would've thought...]

She started mumbling to herself while I started panicking about being watched 24/7 by a supernatural being who looks like a 10-year-old girl- OMG, does that include while I am using the restroom, bathing...

...

At that time, I could confidently say that things are never going to be the same as before.

...

.

.

...

The sky was red. The weirdly shaped moon was overlooking a castle. Through the broken roof, the moonlight flooded into what resembled, a royal chamber. Basking in this moonlight, on the highest level of the chamber was a humanoid figure.

He was seated on a huge throne and his face was in shadows.

Beneath him were three additional levels with much smaller thrones. Each of them had a similar-sized humanoid figure in it.

On the ground level, a much smaller figure was groveling on the ground. Far behind him, other similar-sized figures were trembling in fear.

"$ #-$# $ #$$%$# ^#! $#$."

("I ap-apologize my lord! I n-never thought he would manage to kill her!")

Two glowing spots appeared on the king's face where eyes are supposed to be and-

"&#$*!-"

(*LORD! PL-")

The groveling figure disintegrated into dust. The other small figures whimpered and panicked.

"*$# ."

("Useless.")

The king said. He then fixed his eyes on the other small figures.

"* # !# #!"

("Useless. Every single one of you.")

He continued.

" #^$ #$!"

("You all failed to eliminate the target even in such a weakened state?!")

The king raised his palm towards his small underlings who backed away in panic.

"%!$ #%%#"

(I have no use of WEAKLINGS like you.)

Just when his palm started glowing, the humanoid on the smaller throne just below him, got up.

"&@#"

("Please, wait my lord.")

The king didn't say anything but simply stared at the figure in silence, waiting for it to continue.

" #$^*#$^%&*#@^%$*&^#@"

("While, what they did shows their incompetence. I believe this is an opportunity.")

The king didn't lower his hand.

" #$*#%$^"

("Allow me.")

The head of the underling glowed for a second and so did the king's. A message was passed.

The king lowered his hand.

The place where the mouth was supposed to be split into a glowing, creepy smile.