Mismatched expectations

<Issei Viewpoint>

Buchou's getting engaged?... No, I won't let that happen!!

I, Issei Hyoudou, sat on my bed with a look of despair. A few weeks ago, I was still an ordinary person with an ordinary life. Waking up was hard, going to school with dreams of having a girlfriend, hanging out with people with the same frequency of life as me, peeping, getting beaten up, going home, and fantasizing again about having a girlfriend with breasts that exceeded my hands.

And so on, before I knew it, a year had passed since I started my glorious youth. I found myself trapped in a circle of life full of adventure and mystery. However, all that changed when someone cut through my circle of life: Buchou.

Rias Gremory, the owner of the occult research club, has an overwhelming popularity in the academy. She was also the leader of a group of demons disguised as students. In the past, I thought of demons as evil beings who always seduced humans into evil. However, my firsthand experience with them changed my view. It wasn't always bad, especially when I received special gifts from Buchou directly.

But all that happiness will disappear when Buchou gets engaged. Being a rolayliti is surprisingly difficult. Not only do you have to rule the territory, but you also have to play politics to maintain your position. I may not fully understand it, but I was touched to see and feel Buchou's discomfort at being betrothed. I could feel her longing to find true love and live happily with someone who loves her sincerely. Especially when I found out that Raiser, her fiancé, was a real bastard.

It wasn't that I was comparing myself to him, but seeing the man who was to become Buchou's fiancé was worse than I had imagined. He brazenly appeared before us with a large harem at his disposal.

Ugh, seeing him making out with one of the women from his harem to provoke Buchou's emotions made me feel envious. I really want to kick him in the face.

And the meeting reached a conclusion where to determine Buchou's future fate by playing Rating Games. Rating Game was created after the introduction of Evil Pieces by Ajuka Beelzebub. Rating Game was used to measure the power of Demons which would reflect their social status in the Underworld.

The game takes the form of strategic battles between the King and his pawns. These battles are fought on a map of their choosing, and can be made into a perfect replica of any location they wish.

Only adult Demons are allowed to participate in the official Ranked Game. The Devil servants are named after the chess pieces: Rook, Knight, Queen, Bishop, and Pawn. The maximum number of players in the Rating Game is 16 and like a chess game, the players will lose if their King loses.

This was also my chance to shine and become a white horse knight for Buchou, but wishful thinking is wishful thinking. Even though I tried so hard that I hurt myself, we still lost.

The cause of our defeat in terms of strategy was also numbers. Buchou relented because she couldn't bear to see me get hurt further just to win a game that was definitely lost on our side.

This is all my fault. If I hadn't made a mistake during the first fight, then we wouldn't have suffered a defeat like this.' Regret, that's all I can think about.

Even though Asia-chan encouraged me to stay strong until I decided to become my lustful servant, it was wrong. This was all wrong. I didn't want to become a bastard by taking advantage of Asia's innocence. I dreamed of being a wise harem king, where I wanted the women who liked me to be truly sincere. For me, that's why I try so hard. That's why I'm so stupid, but still I have to realize my dream.

In my dilemma, at that moment came someone who claimed to be Buchou's brother. A tall man with a handsome face but with dark black hair, red eyes unlike Rias who has the beauty of a rose, he has the charm of a wild animal.

In our conversation, I cursed her for not helping Buchou despite having a very high position in devil society. It was the boldest thing I've ever done, but her response was good enough that she accepted all the things I said and explained the situation until I understood that having the highest position is not enough in aristocratic society.

Even so, the man also wanted to help his sister, Buchou, by motivating me that there was another way to save Buchou, and that was through a duel. Duels between nobles are quite respectable with ethics to follow of course, and this man named Sirzechs would help me to get Raiser to accept the duel. In the midst of an event attended by many nobles, it would be impossible for Raiser to refuse, especially if the challenge came from a barbarian like me.

I think this is my chance! I won't let the same mistake happen again, so I need more power. That's right, the Red Dragon Emperor who resides inside this thing called Sacred Gear. I can make a deal with him.

After many ways, I was finally able to communicate with him and make a deal, where the reciprocity of the deal was that one of my hands had to be given to him to gain great power.

At that time, I didn't think any longer and accepted the deal. However, after the deal, of course it wasn't enough, because my opponent was a figure who could regenerate whenever injured, and I had to have a final weapon that I would use after all the effort I had exerted was not enough.

By borrowing holy water that became Asia-chan's demonic weakness, because the effect of just a drop of it on the skin was like being hit by hard water. Not quite up to that, I also borrowed Asia's Rosary, which just like holy water, holding this thing alone already has a burning sensation on the skin.

But it was fine, because I had already given my left hand to Ddraig, the Red Dragon Emperor. That way, the effect wasn't felt as much. After all the preparations I had made, I was ready to crash Buchou's engagement and become her white horse knight.

…

"Rias Gremory is mine!!! Let her go, you fucking roasted chicken!!!" I exclaimed in a voice full of courage and anger, shaking the atmosphere in the hall abruptly.

With steady steps, I advanced to the center of the hall, looking intently at Raiser Phenex who was dumbfounded by my courage. I could feel the sharp eyes of everyone around me, especially from Rias who looked surprised yet moved.

"Issei...?" sighed Rias in a low voice, but I knew she could hear it. My mind was only focused on one thing: protecting Buchou from a marriage she didn't want.

"How dare you, you lowly barbarian!" retorted Raiser as he stood up from his chair, his face filled with confusion and anger. "What were you thinking coming here and interrupting my fiancée's ceremony?!"

I did not budge, maintaining my sharp gaze on her. "I won't let you hurt Buchou again. Let's duel, if you dare!"

Raiser flinched at duel's sudden statement. His expression turned into a mix of confusion and anger.

"Fufufu. Look, damn roasted chicken. I'll stuff all your arrogance into your mouth!"

Raiser gasped abruptly, his face reflecting a mixture of confusion and seething anger.

"What kind of expression is that!? Are you scared!" Meanwhile, I couldn't ignore Rias's expression of surprise at my boldness. I had to provoke her more. "Fufufu. Look, damn grilled chicken, I'll stuff all your arrogance into your mouth."

However, before I could continue, the sudden roar of a motorcycle filled the hall. I felt that something was wrong. Why was everyone looking at me with such strange expressions?

And before I realized what was happening, I suddenly felt a hard impact on my back. My body was thrown forward, dragged by the force of the motorcycle tires that suddenly appeared behind me. I was pushed five meters away from where I was standing before. 

...

Amidst the confusion that engulfed the hall, a low boisterous voice broke the silence. "Yohoooo!... I haven't felt this gaze in a long time. Hey, what's wrong? Why are you all looking at me like that?" The voice sounded cheerful, coming from the man who got off the motorcycle. With a relaxed demeanor, he stood on the still-shaking motorcycle, looking around with the same curiosity that the audience felt.

Everyone in the room seemed to have the same expression, with their hands pointing towards the feet of the man standing on the motorcycle. They made a clear gesture, pointing downwards in a firm motion.

The man stared in the direction that everyone was pointing at, and his eyes finally dropped down. Under his feet, lay Issei, his body on his stomach with his eyes rolling around, as if he was losing consciousness.

"Oops..." muttered the man, slightly surprised at the situation before him, while the hall continued to be filled with the low boisterousness of the audience witnessing the incident.

<---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >

💕Support writers by buying a [Patreon] membership, so writers can be more enthusiastic about creating stories💕

[patreon.com/Poponioko]

There are 15 continuation chapters available for this story.

And continuation of several other stories.