I swear, I'll never trust a fanfic again.
I was supposed to find some legendary weapon in some random temple, take it, and become OP in 0.1 seconds.
But no, all the temples have yokai as guardians.
I hate Japan.
---
—Akeno, do you know any spatial magic?
I was lying on one of the clubroom sofas, reading up on Sacred Gears. Supposedly, I don't need to go to school for a few days thanks to the permission I got, but since I couldn't find what I was looking for, I'm just drifting now.
So, why not try a different approach?
Dive into spatial magic, catch the eye of some bigwig from the supernatural world, and use that to get stronger.
Especially Azazel. That guy is every reincarnated devil's wet dream.
Oh, right. I was talking to Akeno.
She looked at me, surprised. She probably didn't expect me to ask something like that out of the blue.
It disappoints me that they think so little of me.([fanfiction.net][1])
—W-Well, Issei-kun, I know the theory, but I've never actually practiced it. Spatial magic is too complicated, even for someone like me.
She replied, setting some papers on the desk where Rias hides her manga.
—I see... Guess I'll have to ask Buchou then.
...
—You're not qualified to use spatial magic.
Rias told me in a stern tone. I just kept reading my book, not bothering to respond.
Anyway, I'll get what I want tonight. Not long ago, I made a contract with the "magical girl" from JoJo's, and I'll probably meet Azazel tonight.
My eyes landed on Rias, and I finally decided to speak.
—Buchou, I can guess that the contract you're looking at so intently is one directed at me, right? Or am I wrong?
Upon hearing me, the redhead flinched. I don't think she expected me to figure that out.
Though it'd be stupid not to notice. She looks at me, then at the contract, mumbling things about not being sure if I'm ready, and how it's rare for them to request me directly instead of another member of the peerage.
Yep. It's totally Azazel.
---
"Someone might see you"
Damn it. If I have wings, at least let me use them to meet the contractor.
What else could I use my wings for if not this?
At least this way, I could enter through the window and look more convincing. But this chick keeps going on about how I might get discovered.
Soon, my wings sprouted from my lower back, and I began to rise with my bike to the top of a building. There, I left it and simply descended back to the floor where my contractor was, staying outside the window and knocking.
—Devilish services Gremory~
I said, watching as the window opened and I entered.
To no one's surprise, I noticed my contractor was a man who seemed to be in his mid-life and had some seriously weird hair.
Bro, if you're just going to have the blonde bangs, you might as well not do anything.
—Seems like my appearance bothers you in some way.
The fallen angel's voice snapped me out of my trance, so I just sighed.
—It's nothing.
I replied, waving my hand.
He sat on one of the sofas in the house, facing me.
It was obvious he was analyzing me from a distance, as usual for this Sacred Gear geek.
—Mr. Contractor, would you like to discuss the contract?
I asked with a seemingly kind smile, though to be honest, I was just thinking about how to take advantage of this old man.
—Honestly, I just need some company.
I stared at him with a poker face, as if his request hadn't been on my expectations.
—And that's it?
I asked, simply for "protocol," receiving a nod in response.
I sighed and sat on one of the nearby sofas.
—Bring out the bottle, old man.
---
—And that's how I discovered my fetish for boobs.
I said with a calmness I didn't even know I had, which was strange for the kind of anecdote I just shared.
Anyway, Azazel's an interesting guy.
We haven't even talked about anything supernatural, and I can already say I don't regret coming. Just the fact that this is as fun as hell.
We've already gone through about 7 bottles of whiskey, and we're on the 8th.
It's a shame that alcohol barely affects me.
—Hey, Demon-kun.
—Call me Issei, and for Lucifer's sake, don't use honorifics again. It's weird.
I said, pointing a finger at him.
—Alright~
He chuckled, and I joined in.
Suddenly, the atmosphere became strangely tense.
—Hey, Issei.
I couldn't even respond. It seemed like my body wasn't reacting in any way to this strange pressure.
The son of a bitch must be doing something.
I looked in his direction with clear doubt, aside from being surprised as hell.
—I sense a small singularity in you. You know, something normal.
His hand approached my chest.
—There are two of you here. Do you know why, Demon-kun?
I shook my head, and Azazel simply returned to his previous position, and suddenly, the pressure vanished.
—W-What was that?
I asked, breathing heavily. Did this guy just see my soul?
This is bad.
—Ah, that thing? I just stopped containing part of my power for a second. Though I think I overdid it.
I swallowed hard. It seems my contractor decided to stop pretending to be just some rich guy.
His smile was undeniably irritating. Just knowing he could kill me at any moment pissed me off in a way.
This doesn't stray too far from my plans, honestly. Still, I don't like that everything's starting to have a weird rhythm.
Anyway, I need to figure out what's happening to me first, and this guy is the perfect person to tell me.
—D-Do you know what's happening to me?
I asked, genuine doubt in my voice.
—Well, Demon-kun, the situation you're in is simple but at the same time, quite interesting.
I raised an eyebrow.
—You have two souls in one body, something I haven't seen in a couple of thousand years.
Okay, I'm not a unique case. That both relieves and worries me.
—One of those souls is half-demon and isn't that special, while the other is 100% human and also has a Sacred Gear in it.
—Is it dangerous?
I asked, it's never bad to make sure.
—Nah, eventually, both will become one when the conditions are met. The only problem is that the conditions can be horribly specific or so many that it would take you an eternity to fulfill them.
Well, that's already bad news.
I looked the man up and down with a serious expression.
—Uh, I thought it was a coincidence...
I said, tightening my thigh, hoping my act is convincing enough for this guy, or I'm really in trouble.
—You're Azazel, aren't you?
—Naturally, Demon-kun.
I sighed, now less nervous about what I'm about to say.
—I need your help, Azazel-sama.
I looked down, just to hide my face.
More like the smile forming on my lips.
—Since I was reincarnated, I felt like part of me vanished. Maybe something happened with the Evil Piece they put in me, and that's why my soul split or something like that.
I raised my gaze, now with a determined expression.
—That's why this insignificant low-class demon asks for your help to solve my problem.
Damn, it feels good to at least know what's stopping me from using the Boosted Gear.
With Azazel here, the guy will probably help me with his resources out of pure curiosity. I just need to become even more interesting to him, and then I'll have more to work with.
I heard a laugh from the fallen angel, bringing me back to reality.
—Alright, I'll help you.
Great! One less thing on the list.
—In exchange, you'll let me study your soul from time to time.
I nodded. I don't have many options besides this. Knowing Azazel, he might even end up benefiting me by studying me.
This man is the only being I could trust with my secret that I'm not from this world. His actions after that revelation wouldn't be bad for me, probably.
—T-Thank you very much, Azazel-sama.
Now, I should take a little risk to get something useful.
Right now, I have several things to learn to at least make myself strong enough to take down Raynare.
My magic is decent compared to how pathetic Issei's was. I still remember when Koneko compared the difference.
In her words, my mana used to be a miserable drop; now, at least you could say it's a glass.
Still disappointing, but the fact that I use my magic like crazy is slowly starting to expand my reserves.
Saved peeling potatoes with magic.
Also, it's super convenient that I can enhance my brain with magic. I can think a lot, and only tenths of a second pass outside.
Anyway, I should quickly think about what I want from this man.
It wouldn't hurt to ask him to give me some intermediate and advanced magic theory books, since Rias doesn't let me read books beyond the basics.
I'm not going to let her hold me
My mana stopped stimulating my brain, dragging me back to reality—though I was now left with a mild headache from overusing that spell.
—Although, if it's not too much trouble... could I ask you for something?
Azazel raised an eyebrow at me, clearly expecting this already.
—W-Well, I assume you've got at least a few intermediate or advanced magic theory books... so I was wondering if I could maybe borrow a couple?
I said, my voice a little hesitant—half expecting him to shoot down the idea.
Honestly, I know he won't. But still, I can't shake the thought that I might be bothering him by asking for anything.
Then again, from the look on his face... he's totally going to say yes.
.
.
.
Later~
I was in a lab that belonged to Azazel. He was staring at several monitors, flipping through data like it was just another Tuesday.
I couldn't make sense of half the text I managed to glimpse, but it was clearly something out of the ordinary.
—The soul wasn't split in two... it's like another one just popped into existence. How the hell is that possible?
I heard the fallen angel mutter to himself.
Yeah. That's definitely not good.
Anyway, I let him do his thing while I nosed around with the books he lent me.
Apparently, mana is a type of energy born from the vibrations of the soul, and it manifests through three magical cores located in the heart, stomach, and brain.
Each core has a different purpose—heart manifests raw power, stomach regulates it, and the brain gives it shape.
That said, it is possible to train all three to handle every function simultaneously... but that's something reserved for near-divine-tier mages.
Still, if you're stubborn enough, anything's possible in this life.
I also skimmed some stuff about how to construct magic circles—not really my thing, though.
I'm aware that going full "blast magic everywhere" mode isn't exactly efficient. But I'm not aiming to be a full-time mage anyway.
I like brawling. Up close and personal. Not just tossing sparkles from a safe distance.
—Hyoudou, catch.
Out of nowhere, Azazel spoke up as he tossed something at my face. I failed to catch it, and it smacked into my forehead.
I let out a small groan as I picked it up. It felt like crystal—inside, I could see strands of mana swirling and pulsing in constant motion.
—What the hell is this?
I asked, shaking it a little like it was one of those snow globes with a tiny house inside.
—A Twice Critical. Now swallow it, and stop playing around.
I froze.
The hell!?
Why would he just give me a Sacred Gear like this? I mean, sure, they're somewhat common—there are hundreds of thousands of them out there—but still...
—Why are you giving me a Sacred Gear out of nowhere? Don't I already have one... somewhere in my soul?
I asked, already popping the orb into my mouth without much hesitation. In the end, this thing might turn out to be very useful.
—That Sacred Gear is in your inactive soul. I'm giving you the Twice Critical because it might synergize with the Longinus embedded in you.
Azazel turned one of the monitors toward me. On it, I saw two projections of my body. One was completely white, with a crimson gauntlet on the left arm.
The other was deep red, not showing anything particularly special.
—That's the goddamn Boosted Gear?
I asked, pointing at the screen.
—Crazy, right? You've got something that powerful... locked away in the part of you that's asleep.
—Fuck you.
He just laughed, continuing to mess with whatever tech he was fiddling with.
—Hey, how do I summon this thing?
I asked, looking down at my arms, completely clueless on how to activate the Twice Critical I'd just swallowed.
Azazel pointed a finger at me. A bolt of blue energy shot out, striking me right in the chest.
Immediately, I felt something inside me start shifting—moving down into my stomach and then... expanding.
—What the hell!?
The sensation returned, but this time it flowed into my right hand.
[BOOST!]
That familiar, iconic sound rang in my ears, followed by a sudden, brilliant white glow.
On my hand appeared what looked like a silver knuckle-duster, embedded with a central gemstone that occasionally shimmered with a cool blue light.
The abrupt rush of power flooding my body snapped me out of my trance.
—Oh... well, that solves a lot of things.
I glanced at the fallen angel, who hadn't even looked up through the whole thing.
—You could've at least warned m—
He tossed something else at me—this time, a fancy-looking frame. A magic circle lit up beneath my feet.
—You could've at least told me you were going to do tha—
And in a flash... I was gone.