I was alone, savoring the solitude in the living room, feet propped on the coffee table as I flipped through a dog-eared manga volume. The house smelled of fresh laundry and lingering breakfast—Asia's pancakes from yesterday, a success after her training-fueled confidence boost. The quiet was a luxury, broken only by the tick of the wall clock and the distant hum of a neighbor's lawnmower. My status screen hovered idly in my vision, a habit now:
Name: Issei Hyoudou
HP: 16,000/16,000 (Calculated as [160 Strength + 160 Endurance] × 50)
MP: 8,000/8,000 (Calculated as 160 Intelligence × 50)
Strength: 160
Endurance: 160
Agility: 160
Intelligence: 160
Luck: 160
Stat Points: 0
Skills:
Observe (Level Max): Reveals full stats and thoughts, bypassing all restrictions.
Perks:
Gamer's Mind: Immunity to mental effects; calm rationality.
Gamer's Body: Damage to HP; minimized fatigue/pain.
Power of Destruction (Sirzechs Lucifer Version): Destructive energy blasts, 1.5x Intelligence scaling (240 base damage), area-of-effect annihilation fields, molecular disintegration, 30% reduced mana cost; enhanced by Phoenix Force (10% access: cosmic flame bursts, telekinetic pulses, minor reality warping).
Points Transfer: Permanently transfer stat points to non-players; irretrievable.
Sacred Gears:
Boosted Gear (Balance Breaker Unlocked): Doubles power every 10 seconds; Dragon Scale Mail triples base stats (480 Strength, Endurance, Agility); houses Ddraig, the Red Dragon Emperor.
Twilight Healing (Balance Breaker) (Copy): Rapid healing, healing fields; copied from Asia Argento.
Quests: None
Inventory: Empty
Relationship System:
Raynare: Lover - Eternal Flame (99/100, locked until marriage rite)
Kalawarner: Lover - Eternal Flame (99/100, locked until marriage rite)
Mittelt: Lover - Eternal Flame (99/100, locked until marriage rite)
Asia Argento: Best Friend (96/100)
Rias Gremory: Lover (100/100, Eternal Bond pending commitment)
Akeno Himejima: Ally (95/100)
Yuuto Kiba: Ally (85/100)
Koneko Toujou: Ally (85/100)
Gasper Vladi: Best Friend (85/100)
Matsuda: Friend (69/100)
Motohama: Friend (69/100)
Most female classmates: Neutral (20-25/100)
Ddraig's voice rumbled softly, a companionable grumble: "Rest while you can, partner. The world's not done with us yet. That phoenix spark in you—it's hungry." The 10% Phoenix Force bond thrummed, a cosmic itch urging reality-warping whims, but I suppressed it, savoring the mundane.
The doorbell rang, a cheerful chime that shattered the peace. I set the manga aside, padding to the door in socks and jeans, expecting a delivery or Matsuda with some half-baked scheme.
Instead, Rias Gremory stood on the porch, her crimson hair catching the sunlight like a crown of fire, her school uniform traded for a casual blouse and skirt that hugged her curves with effortless elegance.
Behind her clustered her peerage: Akeno Himejima, her black ponytail swaying as she smiled that sadistic-sweet smile; Yuuto Kiba, ever the knight in casual attire, his blonde hair impeccable; Koneko Toujou, tiny and stoic in a sweater, munching on a lollipop; and Gasper Vladi, peeking from behind Kiba's leg, his box tucked under one arm like a security blanket.
Rias's blue eyes met mine, sparkling with a mix of affection and mischief, her love's a warm pulse in my chest. "Issei," she said, her voice a velvet command laced with warmth. "We thought you'd appreciate some company. The school's off, but we can't let you laze around alone."
Akeno's eyes gleamed, radiating playful intent. "Ara ara, Issei-kun. We brought tea and sweets. Don't tell me you're hiding from us."
Kiba smiled politely,steady as his sword arm. "President's orders. Besides, it's been too long since we just... hung out."
Koneko popped her lollipop out, golden eyes narrowing slightly, carrying a hint of possessiveness. "Bored. Your house has snacks?"
Gasper squeaked, waving shyly, his bond making him bolder. "H-Hi, Issei-senpai! I brought my box... in case."
I laughed, stepping aside to let them in, the door creaking like an old friend. "Come on, the place is yours. Asia's out with the girls, but Mom left cookies in the kitchen."
The living room filled with their presence, a whirlwind of devilish energy in my human haven. Rias claimed the couch, patting the spot beside her—a silent invitation I took, her hand finding mine under the throw pillow, fingers interlacing with a intimacy that sent sparks up my arm.
Akeno busied herself with the tea set she'd brought, her movements graceful as she poured jasmine-scented brew into mismatched mugs from my cabinet.
Kiba wandered the shelves, his eyes drawn to the family photos lining the mantel—a habit of his, always cataloging details like a knight surveying terrain.
Koneko raided the kitchen, emerging with a plate of cookies and a triumphant grunt, settling cross-legged on the floor.
Gasper perched on the arm of the couch, his box open but empty, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt.
The air hummed with casual chatter—Rias recounting a Underworld missive from Sirzechs ("He's insufferably proud of me now"), Akeno teasing Kiba about his "sword polishing ritual" (earning a blush), Koneko munching in silence but her eyes softening toward me. Gasper shared a story about his latest "box adventure," his voice gaining confidence, the group laughing when he mimed a dramatic escape. It was normalcy wrapped in supernatural silk, a moment where the weight of Sacred Gears and dimensional threats faded.
Rias leaned into me, her head on my shoulder, her scent—roses and faint ozone from her Power of Destruction—filling my senses. "This feels... right," she murmured, her voice low enough for only me. "After the game, everything's changed. You're part of us now—truly."
I squeezed her hand, my Intelligence weaving a response that balanced affection and levity. "Wouldn't have it any other way, Princess. But if Sirzechs shows up for tea, I'm hiding in the closet."
She chuckled, the sound like music, her blue eyes meeting mine with a depth that made my heart stutter—despite Gamer's Mind's calm. Akeno caught the exchange, her smile sharpening. "Oh? Private plotting already? Save some for the rest of us, Buchou."
Kiba, perusing the photos, paused at a framed snapshot on the side table—a relic from my toddler years, before the pervert phase and the dragon awakening. It showed a chubby-cheeked Issei, maybe three years old, grinning toothily in a park sandbox, his tiny hands clutching a plastic sword toy.
Beside him knelt a girl his age, her silver hair in pigtails, laughing as she "fought" him with a stick, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
Irina Shidou—my childhood friend, the angel in training, though I hadn't known it then. The photo's edge caught a glint: a fragment of sword hilt, half-buried in the sand, its edge unnaturally sharp even in miniature. A relic from the Holy Sword Project, Excalibur's shattered pieces scattered like cursed breadcrumbs, hinting at the wars to come.
Kiba's hand froze on the frame, his polite smile faltering. His status flickered in my Observe, thoughts flooding:
Name: Yuuto Kiba
Level: 45
HP: 11,900/11,900
MP: 5,950/5,950
Strength: 119
Endurance: 119
Agility: 119
Intelligence: 119
Luck: 119
Sacred Gear: Sword Birth (Demonic sword creation, elemental variants)
Thoughts About You: "That photo… the girl, the sword fragment. Excalibur? The project that destroyed everything for me. Why here? Coincidence? No—Issei knows. But he's not them. Shrug it off, Yuuto. This isn't the past."
Relationship: Ally (85/100)
His eyes darkened, the knight's mask cracking for a heartbeat. The Holy Sword Project—Excalibur's fragments, wielded by the Church, had been the instrument of his family's slaughter, twisted into weapons that birthed his vengeance-fueled Sword Birth. Seeing a shard in a child's plaything, even a harmless photo, stirred ghosts. His fingers tightened on the frame, knuckles white, before he set it down gently, exhaling a breath he hadn't realized he held.
I caught the shift, my Intelligence piecing it together instantly. The Excalibur arc loomed on the horizon—a prelude of holy wars, church conspiracies, and Irina's return. Kiba's pain was raw, a scar I knew from Observe's glimpses into his past: orphans, blades, betrayal. But today was for healing, not haunting.
"Kiba," I said casually, rising to snag a cookie from Koneko's plate (earning a glare, twitching with mock annoyance). "That photo's ancient history. Me and Irina—childhood buddies, sword fights in the sandbox. She was a terror with a stick. You okay, man?"
He turned, his smile returning, though strained—a knight's discipline reasserting. "Yeah, just... nostalgia. Cute kid, Issei. Didn't peg you for the toy-sword type." His voice was light, but his eyes held shadows, the upset shrugged off like a cloak too heavy for the day. Internally, Observe showed resolve: "It's nothing. The past stays buried. Focus on now—on them." His quiet trust in me bridged the gap.
Rias, sensing the undercurrent, shifted closer, her hand brushing Kiba's arm—a queen's subtle comfort. "Irina? I've heard the name. Church connections?"
I nodded, keeping it vague—no system leaks, just shared knowledge. "Yeah, old friend. She's out there, probably slaying demons with holy swords. That fragment? Kid stuff, but... yeah, it's from the Project. Excalibur's pieces—trouble waiting to happen." I met Kiba's gaze, my Intelligence conveying unspoken understanding. "But that's tomorrow's fight. Today? Cookies and tea."
Koneko nodded, offering him a cookie—her way of solidarity, her tiny hand steady. "Eat. Brood later."
Gasper peeked out, his box forgotten. "S-Senpai's right. The past is... past. Like my box—cozy now, not scary."
Kiba accepted the cookie, his laugh genuine this time, the tension easing like mist in sunlight. "Thanks, everyone. You're right. Let's make today count."
The conversation flowed anew, lighter now. Akeno regaled us with a "hypothetical" tale of a lightning storm gone wrong (her score laced with flirtation, her eyes on me), while Gasper animated his box with a simple illusion (a trick from Mittelt's influence), making it "dance" across the floor to Koneko's amusement. Rias steered us to board games from my shelf—Monopoly, a devilish twist on capitalism that devolved into chaos when Akeno "lightning-bargained" for properties, Kiba's strategic plays clashing with Koneko's ruthless property hoarding. Gasper giggled from his perch, his bond making him bolder, while Rias's laughter—rich and free—filled the room, her hand never leaving mine.
Lunch was a group effort: Rias commanding the kitchen like a general (her status making every glance feel like a vow), Akeno adding "spicy surprises" to the stir-fry (earning Koneko's wary sniff), Kiba chopping vegetables with precision (his Sword Birth tempting a "knife trick" that nearly sliced the counter), Gasper "helping" by setting the table with trembling hands but growing confidence. I manned the rice cooker, my Agility making it a blur, while we swapped stories—Rias's childhood pranks on Sirzechs, Akeno's "innocent" shrine tales, Kiba's knightly training mishaps, Koneko's deadpan orphanage anecdotes, Gasper's box-bound adventures.
The photo lingered in the air, a subtle undercurrent. As we ate, Kiba glanced at it again, his fork pausing. "That sword fragment... it's Excalibur, isn't it? The real deal, even in play."
I nodded, keeping my tone even—no system hints, just the prelude to the arc I knew loomed. "Yeah. Irina's family had connections—Church stuff. We were kids, thought it was a cool toy. Turns out, it's tied to the Holy Sword Project. Fragments scattered, waiting for wielders. Trouble's brewing, Kiba. But not today."
He set his fork down, his blue eyes meeting mine, the knight's resolve shining through the upset. "The Project... it took everything from me. My family, my innocence. Seeing it here, in a happy memory... it stings. But you're right—prelude or not, we've got each other now." His voice softened, a rare vulnerability. "Thanks for not hiding it. Means something."
Rias reached across, squeezing his hand. "We're family, Yuuto. The swords of the past don't define us—the ones we forge now do."
Akeno smiled, her lightning aura flickering warmly. "And if Excalibur rears its head, we'll strike it down together. With a little zap."
Koneko grunted, popping a cookie. "Smash it. Easy."
Gasper nodded vigorously. "Y-Yeah! With Balor View, time stops for bad swords!"
The moment passed, the upset shrugged off like a shadow fleeing the sun. Kiba's score ticked to 87/100, a quiet gratitude in his eyes. The afternoon stretched into games and gossip—Rias challenging me to arm-wrestle (her Strength vs. mine, a playful loss on her part that ended in a kiss, her cheeks flushing), Akeno "accidentally" shocking Kiba during charades (earning laughter and a retaliatory sword-feint), Koneko dominating a round of cards with stoic bluffs, Gasper's illusions turning the room into a mini-circus.
As evening fell, the group lingered, the living room a cocoon of warmth. Rias pulled me aside in the hallway, her back against the wall, blue eyes intense. "Today was perfect, Issei. You, us—it's what I fought for." Her lips met mine, soft and promising, the Eternal Bond sealing with unspoken vows. Her status thrummed, a future of crimson hair and destruction blasts intertwined with my dragon's fire.
The peerage said goodbyes with hugs and promises—Kiba's firm handshake, a silent "thank you" for the photo's honesty; Akeno's teasing wink; Koneko's rare pat on the back; Gasper's shy wave. The door closed, leaving echoes of laughter.
Alone again, I touched the photo, the Excalibur fragment a glint of warning. The arc approached—holy swords, Irina's return, church shadows. But today had been ours, a prelude to strength. The dragon rested, but the swords sharpened.