1 Prologue (1/2)
THE BOY
In a town known as \”Kuoh\”, there was once a normal family, living happily, in a normal house.
The family consisted of 3 members. The mother, the father, and the young boy - their son. This family was known as the Hyoudou family.
The young boy, despite being born into a normal family, unbeknownst to even himself, was a special case.
This boy's name — was Hyoudou Issei.
Ding!
\”Ise! Lunch is ready~!\”
The one who called out for the boy was his mother.
She called to him from the kitchen of their home. A timer had dinged from the left side of the stove, indicating that whatever his mother was cooking up was done settling, and was ready to serve. Though she was already preparing the table, which her husband, the boy's father, was sitting at, she still received no response from her son.
\”Iseeeeeee! ...Honey, where is Ise and why isn't he answering me?\”
The boy's mother questioned her husband, wondering why it was she was receiving no response from her hyper, playful, loud, and food addicted boy when lunch was ready.
The boy's father, who was reading a newspaper in a stereotypical manner, simply answered her casually, while continuing to read.
\”Hmm? Ah, Ise? If you're asking about Ise, he left quite a bit ago. Most likely he went to the park.\”
\”What?! When was it that he left? He didn't even say anything.\”
\”Mm... I think he may have left around an hour and a half ago? I didn't notice it right away either. He must've gone unnoticed intentionally.\”
The boy's mother glanced towards the door worriedly.
\”..But to not tell us? It doesn't seem normal at all.\”
\”Well, he has been quiet lately. Irina has just left and now he's all alone, after all.\”
\”..That's true, but then, where could he have gone? Even if he's sad, even more than that, Ise does not like being alone. It wouldn't make sense for him to go to the park with no one.. I would've at least expected him to ask you to play with him a bit.\”
The father continued speaking to his wife as she set the table.
\”Mm.. Maybe he went off to talk with that old man?\”
\”Oh, goodness no! I hate that old man! Such a dirty, perverted, person is a bad influence on my poor Ise. He should be arrested!\”
\”Hahahaha! Now, now, Kaa-san. Isn't that going a bit far? He is young. Ise is just trying to look up to someone. I don't see any harm in it.\”
\”HA! —Are you joking? He is the worst role model there is! He is the last person Ise should be around! Don't you see that he is making Ise think of bad things? Just last month when we took him to the beach, all he did was make large, round mounds of sands mimicking Oppai, instead of sand castles like Irina!\”
\”Oh, come on! He's a boy. I'm sure I did something similar when I was younger.\”
\”At the age of 5? I highly doubt such a thing. Not only that, but he's done worse! Just a week ago, when I decided to bathe him after so long, he asked me what was it that was inside my breasts! Then, when I told him it was nothing but fat, he asked if he could t-touch them!? Do you have any idea how ashamed I was?!\”
\”Hahahahahaha! I think you may be confusing \”lecherous\” for something else, honey. To me, that just seems like a child's curiosity. I like to touch your breasts and that doesn't make me lecherous.\”
\”You're my husband.\”
\”And he is your son.\”
To her husband's response, the mother gave an almost hopeless sigh of despair.
\”Haah... Never mind, you are a lecherous husband so it is useless.\”
\”I am lecherous and he is curious. I see no difference.\”
\”How do you expect him to take responsibility for his actions if you always take his side?\”
\”He's my boy. I will always take his side.\”
\”And will you take his side if I have you sleep in the living floor?\”
\”Yes. Then I will just sleep with Ise in his room.\”
\”And if I forbid you?\”
\”Then I will sleep with Ise in the living room futon.\”
\”You would force Ise to join you?\”
\”No. But he will join me because he will not want me to be lonely. I know my son.\”
\”HAAH... Such troublesome boys.\”
The mother sighed once more, finally taking a seat at the table. She sounded irritated with her family's actions, but she was smiling sweetly.
Today was a special day after all. It was Hyoudou Issei's birthday.
Part 1
Rrr….. Rrr…
The subtle sound of rusted metal. An empty swing moving back and forth, slowly.
A boy was swinging on the next swing oh so slightly. Alone. Looking to his feet with a melancholic expression, his shoes not fully reaching the ground below him.
The boy named Hyoudou Issei.
\”Ossan wasn't here today, huh…\”
The boy said that meekly, to no one in particular.
It seems the person he had expected to see wasn't present. He was the only one in the park.
\”...Guess I'll go home then…\”
He spoke half heartedly to himself again. No matter how odd it would seem, the boy felt like there was possibly someone listening. Or at the very least, he never truly felt alone. He wondered why he always felt that way, despite his newfound loneliness.
Issei stood up from the swing and proceeded to make his way home in silence.
He felt odd.
For some reason, he felt like he wasn't at that park for that long. And yet, it was somehow already sunset. He had arrived at the park around 3PM. It couldn't have been that he was sitting there doing nothing for that long.
Not only that, but it seemed like there weren't many people around as well. Usually, more people would be at the park so that Issei could at least play with someone else while he was there.
But, this time, nobody was there, all day. From the time he arrived, to now when he was leaving. It's almost as if they were avoiding it. To be fair, not many people actually went to that park altogether, but there were some kids and their parents. Circumstances aside, there should be at least one family, or a couple kids.
As a matter of fact...it didn't even seem like there were people around in general.
Issei didn't see anyone outside of their houses on his way to the park, but that much was normal within a residential area. The problem was that you would see a car pass by the park occasionally on weekdays. People heading to and from work, or to the store, or elsewhere.
But he didn't see any cars today. He didn't even hear them. It was like he was the only person left on earth...
As Issei was walking home, he noticed something.
—A smell.
A pungent, and unfamiliar smell. An unpleasant smell.
But he could not pinpoint where it was originating from. Almost like it was all around him. It made him feel uneasy. He decided to walk a bit more quickly towards his home.
His home….wasn't this far...?
For some reason, even though he was walking down the right path, it seemed like he should've already reached the exit of the large park…. It was a longer walk than expected...
He felt incredibly uneasy. He felt like his instincts were trying to warn him of something.
Something behind him? But there was nothing there.
No, maybe it was something that was \”all around\” him. He certainly felt like that was the case. As if he was locked in some never-ending dome.
\”Haah... Hah…\”
Issei's breathing became ragged.
What's going on? He wasn't tired. He was walking a bit quickly, but definitely not enough to warrant him being out of breath. The reason was simple.
He was afraid.
He doesn't know what it is that he fears, but he can feel it.
It's right next to him. It's over him. It's all around him. In this \”dome\” of a world. A world that never ends. A place he can't escape.
Just as he was feeling paranoid, the sky began to curve. It looked as if the evening sky was now visibly a ceiling. The path he was going down began curving upwards as well. Almost like he was peering over a hilltop that was gradually rising before. He could only think one thing.
—It was like a dome.
Issei started running. It wasn't a full on sprint, but nevertheless, the boy was making his way quickly down the path.
He was right. The ground below him was curved upward. The more he ran, the more he would just see more of the same concrete rolling over the top. It was as if the path was endless. As if the world was contained within some sort of fisheye lens.
He then felt something approaching him from behind. Yet when he glanced back, he saw nothing.
No, something was still there. The feeling of something, he can't get rid of it. What should he do?
As if answering his call, something 'indistinct' answered.
Not a voice, but more like a 'physical' response. It was like something was trying to speak to him, but subconsciously. Something that existed inside of him, but that could not be heard.
And yet, despite not having a voice, he knew perfectly what its message was:
(Run, you fool)
[—?!]
The boy was in a full sprint. He was running with everything he had.
He could feel It! \”It\” was behind him! Something was chasing him! It was closing in! It was right behind him! He could feel its presence with every fiber of his being!
He didn't want to see it. He wanted to keep his eyes shut. He didn't want to see the same path stretch further and further. He simply kept his eyes closed out of fear, and sprinted.
It was there! It was going to touch him! It was mere inches away! It was reaching out towards him! It's going to touch him!
And only one last feeling was surging through his body—
—DEATH.
BAM!
Issei suddenly tripped and tumbled over, falling onto his back.
….
He was looking up at the sky... It was no longer the same odd color from before, it just seemed like your average evening sky... It wasn't in any bizarre shape like a dome either, it was just his regular perception of a sky...
...And most of all, the \”feeling\” from before was gone…
He picked his upper body up to look around.
Issei was no longer in the park…. In fact, the park was behind him….. Somehow, it was almost 30 meters away, hardly even in sight... Had he really ran that far? But he was just in the park, wasn't he..?
That's right, he tripped over something. Issei looked down to whatever caused him to lose his footing.
—It was the corpse of a small dog.
\”Ah!\”
He couldn't help but squeal. After what he had been through he was already paranoid enough. Now, there was a dead puppy in front of him.
Upon closer inspection, it looked like the dog had been crushed by something.
\”Oh.. You must've been run over, huh, wan-chan….\”
Despite seeing the corpse of an animal, Issei had calmed down a bit. It must have given him a sense of reality after the surreal nightmarish feeling he was experiencing earlier.
He decided to forget about the previous event out of fear.
The poor dog lay there, lifeless. The death was most certainly instant. It must have been a truck. It looked like it had been crushed completely over its midsection. After all, nothing else could have done something like that.
Issei stood up straight, despite the subtle weakness in his legs.
Oh well, there was nothing he could do now. The poor thing was long gone. The best he could do was tell a neighbor. He was in the suburban area now after all.
Issei walked over to the nearest house, without a fence blocking it off, and decided to knock.
Knock, knock.
…..No response….
\”Oh.\”
Well, maybe he should've rang the doorbell first.
Ding-Dong~
The cutesy doorbell rang, and Issei waited patiently for someone to answer the door.
That's odd. It seems a bit too easy to hear the doorbell from the other side of the door, doesn't it? It's not a loud doorbell, so for it to be heard clearly through the door was odd. That must mean the house is intensely quiet.
Not to mention, there was no answer. Could no one have been home? No, that can't be. All of the lights in the house were on. As a matter of fact… There we even light was peering through the door frame….
Issei pushed the door a bit...
Creak...
..The door was open…. He wasn't able to tell immediately because it was almost fully closed, but indeed, the door was left slightly open…
Another feeling of fear came over him…
He wanted to go home….. But, something else urged him forward…. It was like he was comprised of two clashing personalities…. One telling him this place was dangerous, the other telling him he needs to check inside…. Possibly because…. There was someone there..?
Was it his instincts telling him these things?
It certainly didn't sound like anyone was in the house. So, why does he feel like there is? And why does he feel like that same \”thing\” from earlier, was telling him 'don't go inside'?
….His better judgment would've been to listen to the feeling and back away. Walk home.
But…. If there was someone in there, then…..why does it feel like Issei shouldn't leave them in here either?
Creak...
Issei finally decided to open the door.
He didn't announce his presence. A wise decision, unbeknownst to him.
The lights were on just like he thought. The first thing he saw was the staircase leading up to the rooms, presumably. To his left, he saw a living room.
It was empty, but other than that, everything seemed relatively normal. The TV was left on, playing some random talk show.
Meow~
\”..Oh!\”
A cat scurried by Issei's legs, running out the door. Well, if the family is here, then he might as well apologize for letting their cat escape.
The next room was to his right. It was a kitchen—
\”..Onii-chan?\”
….A girl was standing there. She was standing near a kitchen table, staring at Issei.
She was a small girl, probably around 4 years old, with blue eyes, a brown haired bob cut, and wearing a large pink shirt that basically went down over her knees. But most of all—
—She was drenched in blood.
[—?!]
Issei approached the little girl without hesitation, despite his fear.
\”..Onii-chan?\”
The girl stared up blankly at him. Her eyes were empty and dull, like a dead fish. Her expression was blank and she didn't move, aside from her head. She had her arms hanging down loosely, with a rabbit plushie in her right hand.
But why was she covered in blood? There was nothing in the kitchen that indicated anything bad happened.
And what kind of thing could happen that could bathe her in this much blood—
Bom Bom Bom..
The sound of heavy footsteps... Coming from the left of Issei, where another door was leading into the back section of the house was... Meanwhile, the entrance which Issei came through was behind him.
For some reason, he had the feeling that he would need to get ready to run.
That reason was..
Creak.
\”..Eh?\”
A tall creature with an elongated body of black, leathery skin— No eyes and no mouth— ducked its head under the doorway it entered from. And in the grasp of its elongated, three-pronged claws - was a severed woman's head.
[!?—?!]
Issei grabbed the girl and ran outside of the house!
KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!
A blood curdling, ear piercing scream was let out from behind him. It was undoubtedly the monster's.
It screamed and yet it had no mouth!
BREAK!
The sound of glass breaking, originating from the house.
It's going to chase after them!
KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEE!
It's above them! It's running and jumping across rooftops! No matter where Issei takes a turn, it jumps to an adjacent rooftop and effectively catches up!
Only Issei's fear ridden mind ran faster than the monster itself.
'Run faster! Faster faster faster faster faster faster faster! FASTER!'
Issei was running with all of his might, but along with the girl's weight, and his previous sprinting, he was already at a disadvantage. It's hard enough carrying another child, when you are a child yourself.
—No! That didn't matter! This monster was certainly faster either way!
A monster! A real monster! Is this what was at the park?! Is that what was following Issei originally?! If that was the case, why didn't it get him right away?!
'No! Wait! If it's the one from the park..! Then I can outrun hi—!'
The moment that Issei's thoughts had become optimistic—
SLICE!
The monster had slashed his back open.
BAM!
Issei tumbled over, while still maintaining his grip on the girl that was latched to his chest. He rolled over multiple times, sliding against the hard ground to a stop, smearing a blood trail across the street.
As a result of the attack, Issei was left discombobulated.
...Where is he? He doesn't even know. It had to be some neighborhood near his house... It wasn't far from here.. Ah, that's right, wasn't he running from something..? Why does he have this girl with him?
KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!
[—?!]
—The monster!
Issei sprung himself up and realized he was on sitting on the floor, with a searing pain and wetness on his back. His eyes darted everywhere around him.
'I can't see it! Where did—?!'
DON!
The monster suddenly landed on the ground ahead of Issei, cracking the floor beneath it. Slowly, it stood.
3 meters tall, and with an unnatural, elongated form. As if the creature was made from black skin and bone only. And slowly, it approached.
\”..No!\”
Issei tried to scurry back, but..
Clang!
He was met with the fence of another person's residence.
\”S-SOMEBODY..! H-HEELP!\”
Issei cried out in terror, hoping that someone would hear him.
Are there even any people around? Did this thing kill all of them? No, something like that couldn't be possible. Yet there was no one. Do they just not hear them? Do they not hear the monster's screams?
For all of that was happening, only one thing was certain.
—No help was coming.
\”S-S-Stay back!\”
Issei mustered up the last of his courage and extended his left arm, hoping to halt the monster.
Of course, he knew that was futile. The monster only continued approaching slowly, while clicking its fingers and head in a disturbing manner.
\”I-I S-S-S-SAID STAY BACK!\”
Was this it? Was this how Issei was going to die? Without even saying goodbye to his parents? Or the pervy old man? Or Rin?
Is this how he was going to meet his grandfather?
..He didn't even get to save the girl..?
...
(No.)
—Something stirred within him.
'I don't want to d-die! Not here! Please! At least if I die here..! At least..! Not this girl..! Don't let her..!'
As the monster approached, clicking its body, stepping closer and closer - something moved. From the inside of Issei, something moved...
Click click click.
'PLEASE! Just..! Just..!'
In one instant, something inside of Issei..
\”STAAAAAAY BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCKKKK!\”
—Awakened.
SHIIIIN!
KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
A green light blinded the monster and forced it away from the two children.
KIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeee!
The light was so bright and powerful, that it caused the monster to flee.
Its screams died down as the light did, and when Issei could finally see…
...There was nothing….
The monster was gone….
\”...I did it…\”
...
...
\”I did it!\”
Issei felt a modicum return to him after realizing the monster was gone.
'I don't know what I did, but I did it! It ran! I actually made it run away! I scared it off! Hahahahaha, yes!'
\”Ah... Hahaha… I did it..\”
Issei laughed tiredly.
For some reason, he felt truly exhausted.
His childish body could not keep up with the extraneous physical activity he forced upon himself. Not to mention, he felt even more exhausted after he stopped screaming. And his left arm felt heavy for some reason…
Issei looked down to his left arm in curiosity.
\”...Eh?\”
It was encased within a red gauntlet…
\”...Eh?... What is…?\”
Issei lifted the gauntlet. The green jewel set in the middle of it reflected the moonlight. The entire gauntlet glistened against the nights sky...
'This… What is this?.. Is this why that thing was chasing me? But then why did it run? And what was that monster..?'
[That beast was known as a \”Nightwalker\”. They stalked the woods in northern Europe during the middle ages. They happen to be quite cowardly when properly threatened. Though, regular humans will most usually fall prey to them very easily.]
.
.
.
.
.
[—?!]
\”Wha—?!\”
Issei immediately whipped his head in every direction, hoping to find the voice that spoke to him.
[Do not search for me. You will not find me.]
(—?!)
Issei felt chills run down his spine.
'Another monster?!'
[If you wish to \”see me\”, then look to the device located on your left arm.]
Issei hesitantly looked down at the gauntlet….
[As I said, you will not see me. I reside within you. This is merely the greatest representation of my current self. In other words, I am part of you.]
(—!)
\”You... You're..inside of me..? I'm...possessed?\”
[No, I am not \”possessing\” you. Your body is your own. I have no control over your thoughts, nor your actions. I am no more than voice in your head. My spirit is sealed within your gear. Foolish boy.]
\”G-Gear..?\”
[—\”Sacred Gear\”. Devices created by the Biblical God. This device is known as the \”Boosted Gear\”. One of the 13 Longinus: god-slaying weapons. A Mid-tier Longinus, to be precise. As it is now, however, it will not display much potential. The fact that you were even able to unlock it through sheer will is remarkable on its own. Especially considering your age. Unfortunately, it does not seem like you are capable of activating its power yet. If you did, then you would surely collapse. Whether you would survive it or not is uncertain as well. Be grateful that the beast had fled when it did.]
\”..I…..D...\”
Issei had no words. If anything, he had no thoughts either. Hardly anything the voice said was properly processed within his young mind.
[It seems I was the foolish one to believe that I would be able to have you comprehend such foreign concepts. Forget about what I've said for now. That can be discussed later. More importantly, you must find somewhere safe to hide.]
The voice's words struck fear in Issei.
\”What?! Is it another monster?!\”
[Quiet, boy. Do not speak. You may communicate with me through thoughts alone. You needn't announce yourself to anything else.]
'Eh? I can think to you? Oh..! Okay! What's the problem then— um..'
[I am the 'Welsh Dragon Emperor', \”Ddraig\”. So you may address me as such when needed.]
'Oh..! Okay! Um... D-Ddraig...? What is the problem now?'
[Well, as of currently, there is no immediate threat within about 25 meters of you. The problem lies outside of that radius.]
'Um... Okay. How far is that?'
[Unimportant. The main issue is what, not where.]
'Oh, okay... Then, \”what\” is it?'
[Many things. Magical beasts of different variety, measuring in completely different levels of strength. The one you had faced was a pure weakling. Much of its power outside of physical capability was not threatening. Had those people not been measly humans they may have survived their encounter.]
(—!)
Issei was suddenly reminded of the girl in his arms. She was unconscious. Maybe during the roll, or the initial mayhem, she ended up passing out. What was he supposed to do with her?
[Focus, my young partner. We have greater issues. If you do not find somewhere safe soon, then you will surely perish. There are many looming threats far greater than the measly Nightwalker. They are all moving in separate directions, randomly. They are most likely like-minded beasts with no true direction, wreaking havoc across this village you reside in. Tell me, boy. Is this a capital?]
'Uh... I don't know. This place is called Kuoh. It's my town.'
[I see. I cannot fully grasp the size of your town because you are too weak. Our connection isn't very strong at all yet. There is a limited range that I have with this body of yours. And even now, it is taking most, if not all, of my focus in order to create a \”radius\” for the purpose of keeping you aware. If our connection was stronger, or if your body was, then I would do more. But for now, this is the extent of it. So the greatest estimation I can make about how many \”beasts\” are located in your town is limited.]
'So… How many do you think there are?..'
[Hmm.. I cannot give you a proper estimate, but the unsettling truth is: You are surrounded.]
CHILLS..!
Issei's throat felt unbelievably dry. He couldn't even begin to imagine what else could be out there, even more dangerous than the \”Nightwalker\”. He needed to find somewhere safe. He needed to go hom—
[—?!]
\”OKAA-SAN! OTOU-SAN!\”
Issei unconsciously shouted.
His parents! That's right! Issei was so distracted by thoughts of self preservation that he'd forgotten about his mother and father!
[Your family? That is troublesome. If you truly care for them, then I believe this is more of a disadvantageous situation than I had thought before. They are normal humans?]
'Yes! They don't do anything crazy, or have anything like this! ..I think…'
[Hmm. I also do not believe that they possess any abnormal qualities. If they had, then at the very least, the mere exposure of it would stir me in my sleep, even if just a bit. I experienced no such thing.]
'Oh no! I need to get to them now!'
[I would not suggest that, partner. As it is now, I do not know the location of your home, as I have never experienced being aware in that specific location, nor do I recognize the presence of your family. Therefore, I cannot find them. You would be wandering aimlessly.]
'Just..! Can you find people?'
[Yes, I do believe so.]
'Then just find two people who are alone together.'
[Nicely thought for a child. Very well. I will try.]
Issei waited anxiously while Ddraig initiated a search.
[..There are multiple.]
'Where?'
[There are 3 directly west of you. Then there are another 2, directly east. West is behind you, East is ahead of you.]
'..So, east? That's...this way!'
Issei looked ahead of himself.
Indeed, that did seem like the direction of the house. So he can only assume they haven't moved yet. Even though he lost his way, he should know his way back if he reaches a certain street.
[Ah, it seems one of them disappeared.]
\”..?!\”
[Within the group of 3, directly west of you. One member of that group that I had detected seems to have vanished. They must have perished.]
CHILLS…
—Death.
That's right. People are dying. Just like this random girl's family. People are dying and there was nothing anyone could do…. Nothing Issei could do..?
'..D-Ddraig? You said this \”thing\”... This, um, \”gear\”, does things right? ..Can I use it to k-kill those monsters?'
[Impossible. As you currently are, you will die in an instant.]
(—?!)
….Nothing.
...Issei could do nothing.
'Why?... Why is this happening to us, Ddraig?... Why…'
[I do not have the answer to that, partner. I have never witnessed such an event either. It is odd for such an ensemble of powerful beasts to be in such close vicinity to each other. Their auras differ in magnitude and compatibility. Most of them feel as if they belong in different parts of the world. Something like this is not a spontaneous event.]
'Spon... What do you mean, Ddraig?'
[It means: This was intentional.]
'..?! Intentional…? Doesn't that word mean \”on purpose\”?...'
[Yes. There is likely no other possibility. You are in the human world, with the wrong beasts in the wrong areas, all placed closely together. This does not occur naturally.]
'...Who could've done something like..?'
—The image of the random girl's decapitated mother flashed through his mind. It was quickly replaced -- with his mother's own.
'I have to go! I have to find Mum and Dad!'
[Partner, I cannot guarantee that when you locate your family, they will be safe. I cannot focus all of my attention on keeping them in view. My first priority is to make sure you survive. The greatest advice I can provide is to tell you to hide yourself. If you cannot do that, then I will prioritize masking your presence, at the very least to the point where no beast will find you. And that will require practically all of my attention. I may not even be able to warn you when they do indeed get close.]
'I don't care! I have to find Mum and Dad!
[Very well. I will not be able to communicate with you as frequently or easily. You will need to be the one who initiates contact with me. Be sure to keep aware of your surroundings. I will not be the one to warn you of any incoming threats. Listen well to your surroundings, and look everywhere you plan to step. Move from shadow to shadow. Avoid open areas. Most of all, do not speak aloud. You musn't make any unnecessary noise, especially if you encounter any beasts along the way. Hold your breath and don't make any sudden movements.]
'That's a lot... But, okay! Here we go!'