[Word Count: 1884]
...
Controlling two bodies wasn't an easy feat, but something that I learned after falling asleep was the fact that my conscious mind would enter the Avatar Space.
My main body would fall asleep, but I was technically still awake. That meant that I could control my Avatar while my main body slept, something akin to how Daniel Park from Lookism pilots his two bodies. However, I could be conscious in both bodies at once, whereas he could be conscious of only one body at a time.
Currently, my consciousness was inside Phainon. The Deployment range was the entirety of Kuoh City, which meant that I could summon my Avatar anywhere inside the city. The only limitation was that I had to be physically in that location in my main body once before.
I'm pretty sure that if I bought a random Deployment Location, it would also choose a random spawn point for my Avatar.
"God, this feels even weirder than piloting two bodies at once," I looked down at my new hands, new arms, new legs, new everything. My brain was telling me that this was "my" body, but at the same time, it was telling me it wasn't.
I felt like I was dissociating when I connected with Phainon, unable to recall if my main body was even my true self. But the system seemed to numb this feeling after I re-entered my main body.
My mind was contradicting itself.
If I were to describe my current feelings, I would say that it was akin to having a lucid dream. Memories that didn't truly belong to me were etched onto my soul by the power of the system.
"Haaa, maybe the whole transmigration thing is a dream too."
I was standing atop a building near Kuoh Academy, staring at an abandoned schoolhouse. This schoolhouse was the base of the Occult Research Club that Rias used to disguise her peerage.
It was a three-story building with its third floor serving as a pseudo clock tower. Several vines were crawling up the second floor, displaying how long the schoolhouse had been abandoned.
I wonder why Rias didn't decide to clean or renovate, but I guess the abandoned look added to the atmosphere of an Occult-focused club.
At the moment, I was contemplating whether or not to appear before Rias and her peerage. My system requires me to harvest Emotion Points from people, but I suspect that if they're important characters to the plot, like Issei, the Main Character, or Rias, the Main Heroine, I'll get more.
I can't judge what the cap is based on Michael's shock because I don't even know what shocked him or how much shock it was. These times of experimentation and confusion were among the reasons I would want a sentient system that could answer my questions.
But, unfortunately, I'm left with a non-talker.
"I'll have to take Sirzechs into account for my plans with Rias…"
For some odd reason, Sirzechs was an anomaly in the power system of DxD. He was stronger than most powerhouses when he activated that special form of his that I don't remember the name of. I have faith in Phainon's strength, even more so when I unlock the Flame Reaver or Khaslana.
But! If I don't act hostile or rashly against Rias, he shouldn't interfere much. He was a siscon, but still a rational leader of a giant faction. Phainon is an unknown variable on the chessboard, to be carefully assessed before any action is taken against him.
His strength gives me confidence in this world and even lets me have some fun. I needed a narrative to spin, a story that could garner as many Emotion Points as possible.
A Secret Organization of sorts? A danger from beyond the Dimensional Gap? To satisfy my own childhood desires, I wanted a secret organization. It was the type of approach most system users, like me, used.
If I didn't have Phainon as my first Avatar, I wouldn't have even manifested the thought in my mind. My initial goal of surviving and listlessly living out my new life had all been flipped upside down.
Well, that settles it, I have an idea…
Phainon has three forms...
There are three factions...
…
"That girl you had a date with, Amano Yuuma? She's a Fallen Angel."
"Yuuma-chan is a Fallen Angel…?"
If it had been several days ago or even yesterday, Issei Hyoudou would have thought that he was dreaming.
Devils and Fallen Angels? Those things were myths! But now? He had become a Devil. Maybe even more whimsical and fantasy-esque was the fact that he, Issei Hyoudou, had gotten a date!
The girl had approached him out of nowhere, and she was super hot at that. A small part of his subconscious knew that it was too good to be true.
A girl from another school asking him out? That seemed suspicious, like it was a prank. But, his horniess and hormones overtook his reasoning, and he agreed without a second thought.
In the end, Issei was killed by his "girlfriend," revealing herself in some kinky bdsm latex and jet black wings ripped straight out of fantasy. The brunette remembered the spear piercing through his chest. He didn't feel pain at that moment, but an overwhelming desire to live had overcome him.
Issei didn't want to die at such a young age. As if it were a prayer answered by God-, hmph, Big G, Rias Gremory had saved him and turned him into a Devil. Plus, he woke up to her while they were both naked!
"But why would she kill me?!" Issei felt all his grievances and anger bubble up in his heart before they erupted. Just thinking of Yuuma made him feel lost.
"She had a goal. Sadly, you were just unlucky. There were other possessors like you-"
"Unlucky? What do you mean!"
Rias sighed, "A Sacred Gear. She must have felt a response from within you and decided to act upon it."
Issei paused. He vaguely remembered Yuuma mentioning the term, Sacred Gear, before she had plunged the spear into his heart.
"Sacred Gears are tools bestowed upon humans to achieve great things. In fact, most people whose legends are recorded in the annals of history are Sacred Gear users."
Such information would have overloaded many people's perception of history, but Issei dumbly nodded. He felt like the previous lorebomb dropped upon him had already fried his circuits.
"Raise your hand, Ise."
Issei felt confused before complying with Rias's order. Since it was an order from her, it must have been important.
"Now, close your eyes and imagine the strongest thing that comes to your mind."
The Occult Research club fell into silence as Issei stood still, eyes closed, with his left arm raised. He was concentrating intently when he heard another command from Rias.
"Open your eyes and commit an action done by that thing."
Issei soon felt embarrassed. He felt like doing something like that would be pretty embarrassing to do openly in front of two hot girls, a cute girl, and, tch, that handsome blonde bishounen.
It took a moment to steel his nerves. He stuck his hands together before opening them. Anyone would recognize this move as the iconic Kamehameha from Dragon Ball.
Before long, Issei's arm glowed, and a red gauntlet manifested upon his left arm.
"What the!"
"Calm down, Ise. That is your Sacred Gear, the thing that the Fallen Angel killed you for."
Issei stared at the red gauntlet that now covered his arm. Yuuma killed him because of this?
Rias soon pulled out a leaflet, the same one that Issei had received before his date with Yuuma. She explained that it was the reason why she appeared before him, summoned by his wish on the verge of death.
Issei felt gratitude, now wishing to help Rias all he could with his Sacred Gear.
"Although you have been reborn as a Devil, you are mine."
Different from the feathery black wings of Fallen Angels and the marble white wings of Angels, black bat wings erupted from the back of every Devil in the room, minus Issei.
"Let us reintroduce ourselves, shall we?"
"My name is Kiba Yuuto, second year like you. Nice to meet you, Hyoudou Issei-kun. I'm also a Devil."
"First year. Toujou Koneko. Pleased to make your acquaintance… Devil as well."
"Fufu, Himejima Akeno, third year and vice president of the Occult Research Club. As you would guess, I'm also a Devil~ I'm sure we'll have many pleasant moments together."
Finally, Rias introduced herself, "I'm also their master, a devil from the House of Gremory, which holds the ranking of Duke. Let us all get along, shall we, Ise?"
Issei had thought that was the final introduction, but an abrupt voice sounded in the room, causing all of the devils to go on alert.
"And I'm Phainon! A graduate of the Grove of Epiphany, though I doubt any of you would know what that is. Oh, I'm also human~"
There was a brief moment of confusion as every Devil had to mentally and physically recalibrate. When had there been another person in the room?!
Issei turned to where the voice had sounded out from. Standing by one of the windows of the Occult Research Club's schoolhouse, a white-haired man stood with a grin on his face. He was in a relaxed stance, resting his shoulder against the window frame.
'Damn, this guy's more handsome than Kiba!'
After the brief moment of confusion, Kiba had instantly sprung into action, manifesting a sword in his right hand. Kiba's Sacred Gear was called Sword Birth, which allowed him to create various demon swords with their own attributes and properties. Hypothetically, he should have been strong with his Sacred Gear's versatility, but plot reasons limited him.
In Issei's eyes, Kiba had disappeared like a flash, instantaneously appearing before the white-haired man. But instead of Kiba having a sword to the man's throat or any sort of threatening action, the blonde prince was half-kneeling on the ground with one arm firmly grasped.
"Whoa, now! Let's be civilized here and talk things out," Phainon chuckled as he let go of Kiba. He backed up before Koneko had summoned her kitty gloves and charged at him.
The white-haired man ducked under an incoming punch before grabbing Koneko's leg and tossing her at Kiba, who was attempting to stand up. The two collided and slammed into the ground.
"Easy now, guys. I just want to talk."
Rias glared at the man who suddenly appeared in her clubhouse. Red magic circles had already hovered above her hands, ready to release her Power of Destruction.
"Who are you?" Seeing as Phainon wasn't willingly attacking them, but still snuck on them, Rias decided to communicate with him.
"Hm," Phainon cleared his throat, "Let me tell you a story of twelve ill-fated heroes-"
"Did you intrude on us just to tell us a story?"
"Jeez, tough crowd. I'll shorten it then."
"There's a guy named the Flame Reaver, you see. I've been tracking him for a while now. He's quite a dangerous fellow, cloaked in all black and brooding. He likes to hunt special people, and that young man over there seems to be an extra special one."