Fanfiction by: Echless.
Narrative (Reality) Manipulator in DxD.
Chapter 9
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
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It's been a few weeks since Ren Augustus Luceris left the stage, and since then, the world had been adjusting to the damages he had done.
The Reality Wrapper had only taken his leave temporarily and will be back soon.
And amongst what underwent most changes—but perhaps, the person that underwent the most changes was Issei.
Restlessness, needless anger.
At first, it only happened around him where he'd feel that anger that doesn't belong to him, but now, it was on a set constant.
Even Ddraig felt it too.
But it was even more than that. Ddraig was really scared of whatever was happening to him and Issei.
Abilities that he never knew he had—he suddenly gained them.
One of them was an illogical power-up that he didn't even know what to do with.
[MILLION BOOST]
An ability that can accelerate his host's growth to the highest power possible under a short amount of time.
But how long the wielder of this boost can hold out is dependent on whether they can take it or not.
Ddraig knew best to hide this power away from Issei, and he did.
It also made the proud dragon wonder if its rival had also experienced the same, but he'd never know.
For Issei,
Today was another day. Classes had just finished. His rage had quelled slightly as though he'd been satisfied. Still, it didn't explain his thirst for something.
He'd tried quelling it with his usual quirks, but that didn't help for some time.
'Of course my goal hasn't changed… but… I have to do something about this soon.'
Issei thought, clenching and unclenching his fist as he walked behind Asia from the classroom.
Asia, who was in front, noticed that Issei was lost in thought as usual and was at a slower pace than her. Hence, she slowed her own pace to match his.
"Issei-san, are you thinking about that again…?"
Yes. Ever since then, Issei has been extremely paranoid and overprotective of Asia, acting as her guard even in school.
"Hahaha, don't worry about it."
He nervously laughed, scratching his head playfully. However, he couldn't hide that expression. Asia noticed this.
She too was worried. Dohnaseek was back to life, which probably meant that bad woman was also resurrected.
Honestly, it gave her shivers.
But she had Issei and the entire ORC with her. She felt she should not be scared even despite the power gap. Her president, who was also like a sister to her, would do something.
"I'm fine, really. See, I'm not like before, see?"
Seeing Asia's intense gaze on him, he quickly covered up with that as they slowly descended down the stairs.
"Hehe, I wasn't worried, Issei-san."
Asia said that with a smile. Yes. She wasn't worried. She believed he'd return to normal. Even though she couldn't pray to God anymore, she genuinely wished for that.
'Ahhh, I made her worried again, haah. Maybe I should hit up Matsuda and Motohama for any stash… oh, wait—'
Issei then paused. His expression slowly turned sour.
Now that he remembered, some days ago, those two were saying some nonsense about having a girlfriend and getting laid.
Of course, Issei found this funny and thought it was a joke. Them getting a woman before him—such had to be an expensive joke.
He had thought so, not until—"GAH!" His face literally dropped when Issei had met those girls themselves.
Obviously, they were not as beautiful as Rias or Akeno, but they also had somewhat fairly large boobs.
Issei wasn't shocked because of how good-looking the girls were but the fact that those two doofuses actually did it.
He couldn't believe it. More so hearing they had done "this" and "that" even before he'd even progressed further with Rias made him pale.
By progressing further, for him would had only seen, and barely had the chance to touch, this was completely devastating.
'Ugh…'
Bitter. His mood soured even more. But by the time he'd realized, he and Asia were already standing in front of the ORC clubroom.
"We're here."
Asia had opened the clubroom and had entered, and that was what he didn't notice yet. Issei still had his head dropped low when he entered, along with a heavy sigh.
The room was still silent. The usual greetings from Akeno-san didn't come.
"Hm?"
He raised his head to see Rias standing, her back to the table, facing the shower compartment. Akeno was behind Rias's desk, and Kiba and Koneko likewise were on stand.
Slowly, he looked to the left before his gaze slowly fell on a woman.
Beautiful in her own right, coming off as a calm and coolheaded person, but with her radiant silver hair plaited into three braids knotted together and her gleaming argent eyes, she was a sight to behold.
Those urges of his to ogle at her came, but for some reason, he couldn't express it.
Rather, he felt this situation wasn't appropriate, from what he could see. The entire room was locked in a tense silence.
"My Lady, a meeting has been scheduled with the Phenex family tomorrow, and My Lord had told me to inform you in advance."
"I've said it several times—I don't want this."
"Haah. My Lady, it has been called to our attention that your best friend, Lady Sona, has already been engaged to another."
Hearing this, Issei's blood began to boil. He naturally knew who they were talking about despite the silver-haired woman specifically not mentioning his name.
THROB!
Issei's heart throbbed as he let out a low sound, muffling it by biting his lips. Before it could get out, he clutched his chest.
"Enough about him already!"
Grayfia, the wife and Queen of one of the current Maou, Sirzechs Lucifer, tilted her head in response to Rias's outburst. She fell silent for a moment.
Then, her gaze went towards Issei, who she caught holding his chest. Then, she looked back at Rias suspiciously.
"Is there anything wrong?"
Truth be told, there was also another reason why she came here. That is, they have been hearing rumors that Angels have been active around this area, claiming to be looking for the "Purest Light."
From what they know, they still haven't found whatever they're looking for. Hence, after a week of having zero feedback, the Crimson-Haired Maou had sent his wife to investigate.
Now, she felt that there was even more here.
"It's nothing."
Rias said briskly.
'There's something.'
Grayfia mentally translated this. However, she knew Rias wouldn't say it to her. Hence, her gaze moved and landed on someone who she felt she could get the answers from.
To the black-haired Queen of her lady—Akeno.
'....'
Sensing her gaze, the black-haired girl smiled with a short nod, and Grayfia replied with a nod of hers too.
"Haah. Well then, if there's nothing more, I have something Master Sirzechs wants me to attend to."
"Attend to? My brother sent you here?"
Issei, who had been silent in the meantime, had slowly made his way over to Kiba, nudging the pretty boy by the shoulder.
"Psst. What's going on, and who is Buchou's brother?"
With a hush tone, he asked. To which Kiba returned the same back to Issei.
"I see, since you're fairly new, you wouldn't know. Buchou is getting engaged, and her brother is Sirzechs—the Maou."
The moment he heard that, Issei felt something shatter.
"ENGAGED!? MAOU!?"
He hadn't even realized he shouted that, and the moment he did, all eyes in the room pointed at him.
The gazes were… well, they weren't friendly. Even his kind Buchou's gaze was terrifying, to say the least.
Realizing this, he bowed his head in embarrassment. However, he was ignored for the most part.
Grayfia turned her head coolly back to Rias.
"And he is…?"
"My pawn, Hyoudou Issei."
"Issei? Don't tell me this is him?"
Hearing that, Issei blinked, raising his bowed head, realizing he'd been aired by them, but Grayfia's words caught his attention.
By the time he'd even noticed, she looked at Issei with a startled expression.
It was quite the revelation to know that even cool-headed women like her could be taken by surprise.
Seeing that, he felt the tiniest bit of pride.
"Yes. My name is Hyoudou Issei. I'm a Pawn. And the user of the Boosted Gear…"
He boasted, but by the time he'd finished his words, the figure of that majestic angel armor flashed across his face once more, as well as that sardonic smile on that person's face.
Issei clicked his tongue, gritting his teeth for a split moment.
'Interesting…'
Grayfia caught on to this, but nevertheless, "...The Boosted Gear… You're the one possessed by the Red Dragon Emperor?"
She was still quite curious about the boy in front of her.
After all, it wasn't quite every day one comes across a Longinus Wielder, not to mention one of the two most famous of them.
Grayfia looked at him as though he were a rare specimen.
But soon enough, her gaze left Issei and returned to Rias.
"...I have confirmed your well-being, my Lady. It is high time I also bring the news to the other party. The meeting has been scheduled to be tomorrow, and…"
She paused, her eyes pointing to Issei.
"Please, teach your servant manners next time."
As those words left her lips, the ground lit up in blue with the Gremory Insignia on it, and in a flash, she disappeared, leaving the frozen air still lingering.
It wasn't until after a few seconds that Rias let out a very long sigh, leaning over the table.
Meanwhile, for one of the Abrahamic Pantheon—being one of the most important pantheons currently in the world, which was Heaven—
Angels had been in disarray, or frenzy, to put it shortly.
It began weeks ago when they felt a power that was supposed to have been lost suddenly resurface. They would never miss it. Nay.
However, the light was trapped in a thorn-filled land.
It was a land under the supervision of Devils. Normally, they wouldn't have thought much of it and would have tried every way to get in.
But it wasn't so easy. The two Devils governing this town were sisters of two of the four current Maou.
Doing something like stepping into Kuoh without care might start a war.
"Oh~ Father~ Hath thou forsaken us~"
"It's been weeks already~ Father, forgive us!"
"Oooh~ I can see the light, I can sense it, I can feel it, yet I cannot touch it~"
Words like those flew out of every angel's lips as they lamented. Michael and the other Seraphim were the most stressed.
There were a couple of things that could go wrong should they really take matters into their own hands.
Sixth Heaven. Zebel. Home to most archangels like Michael and Gabriel, who were undoubtedly the leaders of Heaven.
Along with some other archangels, they all convened, seated at a round table, as each one of them fell silent, listening to the prayers coming from angels below them.
"This… this can't continue for long."
Michael's tired expression seemed even more worn.
He was lost on what to do. It was safe to say other factions might have gotten wind of what they were looking for.
They had hastily dispatched exorcists who, from there, spread the word. Perhaps they should have waited a little more—?
No! There's no way they could have. This was their Father. Someone whose death all angels still couldn't get over. There was no way they could sit and wait.
"If we forcefully invade Kuoh, the Devils will retaliate, and I'm sure Azazel won't also sit idly and watch us take back Father."
One of the highest angels following Gabriel and Michael—Metatron—said that. He had addressed another major issue.
"Exactly. Other factions will not sit back at the resurrection of our Father."
"Then we'll fight!"
"It's no use. Even if we come out victorious, the losses will be too much. Do you really think Father will be happy with that?"
Raphael, the wiser one, had chastised the Archangels who looked prepared to go to war with other factions.
Besides, with their current situation, Raphael couldn't see themselves winning a landslide victory against other factions.
The Angel of Wisdom sighed.
After a brief silence, they turned to Michael again.
'Oh Father, what sort of trial is this…'
Michael closed his eyes.
With the purest light, there is a possibility their Father could come back to them. They were not concerned about anybody snatching it.
It was more akin to an essence only those possessing Holy Attributes like them could sense. But then, they couldn't pinpoint its direct location.
To put it into perspective, it was simply a giant ball of light hovering around Japan, and they'd narrowed it down to Kuoh.
All that was left was to find the exact source, but the closer they got, the harder it was.
Now that they were close, telling his fellow Angels to wait was even more painful for him too.
"We have no choice. This might be a trial from Father. Until we can find a way out of this deadlock, let us continue to hope. That's all I can say."
Like he'd thought, everybody immediately put on a solemn expression hearing that, but nobody spoke a word or went against his words.
Michael sighed, leaving for the Seventh Heaven.
The return of their Father—even if it were the source alone—could help Heaven greatly. The Sacred Gear system, and the production of Angels.
Hence, at this point, Michael knew it was best to take a step back for the moment.