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He stared blankly at the sky, hands deep in his pockets, feeling the cool breeze against his skin. The twilight painted the heavens in hues of purple and pink, a stark contrast to the turmoil within him.
He supposed he couldn't really complain; getting a second life was beyond what anyone should or could achieve - and he'd had it handed to him on a silver platter.
Or some kind of platter… He wasn't sure what to think of it quite yet…
He hadn't been anyone special, he certainly hadn't been a saint by any standards of measurements. He'd be the last person who'd get 'rewarded' like this.
If it was a reward…
All logic dictated that he shouldn't be here. But when you started bringing in Gods and the multiverse into things, he supposed that logic had little to do with it.
He eyed the screen in front of him again, pursing his lips in cool disdain.
Whatever entity that had dragged his soul here, had given him a 'gift' of sorts, the system of the gamer. Except he hadn't been allowed to choose anything about it. Not where he was going, not his looks, his name, his skills - nothing. In essence it was a bit of a cursed gift, hence his pondering if this existence was really a reward, or someone's idea of a joke.
Again, he supposed he couldn't really complain, the gamer system was a sure fire way to become a god if one didn't slack off too much - depending on how one utilized it. Even the most moronic examples of humanity should be able to get far in such a system.
It was really annoying though - and a sign of tumultuous times ahead - that instead of the system he was used to reading about, this system didn't come with a Gacha system or dungeon creation, or even regular skill ups through hard work and effort... Which seriously would slow down munchkinry on his part.
One lucky draw of Gacha and he could have had a lightning logia from One Piece or get Excalibur or something cool like that, something - pardon the pun - game changing. Apparently the entity that wanted to have some fun with his adventures - didn't believe in making it too easy for him.
Screw easy, he'd have been fine with just leaving it at basic bitch level. No bells and whistles, just work at it. He could have done shit with that.
He sighed, for not the first or last time this day, as he reread what the entity had done to make things interesting.
For it/him/her.
Not so much for him.
The character creation of this unfair system, had apparently been built on buying skills and advantages by picking maladies and disadvantages.
Which okay, that tracked with some of the things he'd seen before, except usually it was some minor thing for a minor gain. Not a giant heap of fuck you very much.
Without ID creation and Gacha there to help power him up quickly, he was at a disadvantage already. Then add the fact that apparently quests and accomplishments were the only way other than levels to gain stat points, whereas grinding stats and skills and being creative to try and make spells etc - didn't exist.
So apparently, in an attempt to try and make him not a complete weakling in such a system, he'd been loaded up with some not so fun disadvantages to give him his leg up in this world, by giving him two very large advantages.
Screw living an interesting life, he was going to be simply fucked.
If he survived to the end he'd be a god, sure, but it was a big if.
Chosen disadvantages - was the top header on his screen.
Chosen his perfect ass! He hadn't gotten to choose shit! He thought irritably. Nor was his ass actually perfect anymore either.
Exercising for your entire life to look good and be healthy was a lie - because some asshole could apparently take it all away and saddle you with bullshit.
Hunted:
They're after you, you don't know who, you don't know why, but in the shadows, they come for you - they hunt you, they seek your destruction, and they can not be negotiated with or turned away. They're coming…
Curse of the pool:
Like Ranma Saotome before you, you're cursed to change into a female form when coming into contact with cold water. Cold water will seek you out, there is no defense, there is nowhere to hide.
Locked potential:
You can only grow so strong, the ceiling is not easy to break through, each ceiling of power needs to be overcome through outside forces, the game will not help you here.
…So… He'd been gypped, obviously.
Hunted was annoying, but seemed fairly innocuous considering things. As a gamer he'd always end up fighting something at some point. So being hunted didn't really change overly much, unless whoever did the hunting caught him before he'd been able to do a single thing to power up.
Considering how shitty his system was set up, he'd almost be willing to bet he wouldn't be given enough time to git gud before that shit set in though.
The Ranma curse… Well, he wasn't Ranma, so exploring a female body wasn't the end of the world for him. However, the annoyance of cold water seeking him out meant he'd never be able to move around the mundane world, always having to remain with the supernatural.
Regular people didn't usually take well to instant sex changes. And there were of course other drawbacks, like having to learn to fight two ways. Because he wasn't the same kind of martial arts monster that Ranma was, and suddenly having a different weight distribution and height and everything else that came with it - wouldn't be helping him learn how to fight as he was currently, as he was basically a normie… A really weak normie.
Locked potential was just fucking cruel. A gamer system that couldn't progress further past a certain point without outside interference in some way? Talk about fucking him over… Again pointing him towards great accomplishments or quests to get anywhere - the system making it clear he couldn't ever rest on his laurels, he'd always have to push further.
He'd always have to get into dangerous situations or go after quests to get anywhere at all…
If he hadn't already discovered that he at least had the inventory system he'd probably cry - or find whoever put him here and break their balls. This all was happening because someone somewhere complained things were too OP in a gamer system, wasn't it? So they nerfed it when it came to him - that's what's happened, right?
Thanks a bunch, you random dipshits, see what your whining has done? He let out a quiet, "Tch." Clicking his tongue, as he moved on from that particular complaint.
He couldn't do anything about it, so he'd just have to swallow his frustration and anger.
There were other negative traits as well, called maladies, disadvantages that at least he could remedy, but for now put him in a weaker position.
Weak body:
Your body spent years in the hospital, you have the strength and stamina of a soggy noodle. A ten year old child would likely beat you in a fight, this is the system being kind, in actuality an 8 year old girl would likely overwhelm your weak limbs.
Haunted backstory:
Your past is filled with sadness, loss and horror, the constant drain on your mental energy has given you a permanent - 5 debuff on all mental stats until overcome in a thematic manner.
Instinctive Hatred:
Due to the beings who ruined your life, took your love away, your family, destroyed you - you have an instinctive hatred for all of their kind. Until overcome you will be unable to act without anger to anyone from that faction. The longer you are near the faction, the easier it will become for you to lose control.
Like holy hell, whoever was in charge really went all in on fucking him over. Weak body could be overcome, it just meant time, lots of time considering how weak he was. It was ridiculous really, just standing here was tiring him out. Standing. Standing was tiring him out.
And working out wouldn't give him stat points! It would just improve him like a normal humie working out…
The backstory… Yeah fuck you, entity. Of course he had to be absolutely mindfucked there too… Unlike any other isekai, he hadn't been born into this world, and he hadn't just appeared out of nowhere or hijacked a body either - not quite anyway.
He'd lived his life in this world, gone through all the normal tribulations of a child and tween, and suffered incredibly due to the haunted backstory, losing his entire family in the most horrific manner to boot, leaving him an orphan.
Leaving him broken in a hospital bed for over two years.
And then, he was suddenly there. Taking over, like he'd been a passenger unknowingly the entire time. Only his greater life experience and collection of memories, coupled with how broken the kid was, allowed him to kind of mix together and end up as the primary soul.
Which meant he had a perfect memory of all that shit, the emotions and horror attached to them all belonged, not something he could just wave away, because he'd lived it. He felt it all.
It wasn't as easy as just waving it away as memories, even now, he could still feel the pain if he lost concentration, could remember the laughter, the… Other things.
He didn't know where to begin with 'getting over it' since it also needed a quest or a compliment apparently, since it needed to be 'thematic'. The fucker in charge giving him a mental malady he couldn't even begin to think on how to remove. Bastard…
And the kicker of it all. The world he'd been randomly inserted in was Highschool DxD. Practically hentai land, if you ignore the many many beings capable of wiping out the planet.
And instinctive hatred ensured that he'd hate devils - because of course a devil and his peerage had been behind his horrible past. Something which he'd have to deal with - while going to Kuoh academy… While the majority of all plot, power ups, and possible allies in this world - were all devils.
This entire set up was literally made to force him to fight and struggle as much as possible. The entity obviously wanted him involved in canon, or he wouldn't be locked in to going to Kuoh in the first place on a scholarship. A poor orphan with nowhere else to go, not like he could leave the country…
Which also got mixed in with the last lovely drawback that had been chosen for him. To ensure he'd be as involved and fucked as possible, despite his instinctive hatred, and his backstory.
Devil Bait:
Due to the time spent in the hospital in your broken body, you moved forward in more mental pursuits. Creating and drawing a manga under a pseudonym, one that has gained quite a lot of popularity. Secondly, you became a world junior chess champion, practicing religiously online, appearing at competitions in your wheelchair to take home championships - culminating in the world championship last month.
So he had an instinctive hatred of devils. He was stuck going to Kuoh in the first year they allowed males to join. And he was basically catnip to Sona and Rias.
Like his gender change curse wouldn't draw enough attention? A chess champion and a fucking published manga writer?
Come on!
He'd never get a fucking moment of peace. Ever. How was this even fair? That was not even mentioning the odds of him being super murked by the sis cons if he couldn't keep his hatred down and did something suicidal, like attacking either of the heiresses or their peerage.
He really needed to get instinctive hatred solved somehow pronto, or get one hell of a meditation skill somehow. Just thinking of the devils was enough to get his blood boiling, he didn't even want to imagine spending any time with them.
Honestly, if it weren't for these drawbacks all paying for some very sweet positives, he'd just lay down and die, because things were really stacked against him.
The Ranma curse alone meant the devils would poke at him, while he apparently wouldn't be able to respond kindly due to an instinctive hateful reaction he couldn't control. With the chess and manga additions, he foresaw a concerted effort from both peerages to bug him incessantly once Rias and Sona got competitive.
Especially once he started to mysteriously get stronger…
At least he had some positives…
Which by the way, at least included Gamers body and Mind, even if both had conditions that limited them - like the fact his disadvantages as done by the system - bypassed his mind and body completely.
At least he could recuperate anything not system related by sleeping. So there was that…
Fucking entity got its/his/her gamer system from the dollar store of the multiverse or something…
Chosen advantages:
Sacred Gear version Forbidden Balor View - Aeon Balor
You have a Longinus level Sacred Gear that can stop time for anything/anyone in your field of vision. Allows some control of darkness and abilities similar to those of previous user Gasper Vladi. The evil god Balor is not present in the sacred Gear despite its name. You're welcome.
His many disadvantages had gotten this ability, and one other. And he supposed it likely meant Gasper wasn't alive here, although he apparently got the abilities of a future Gasper who'd mastered his abilities… Somehow... Luckily for him, he didn't get a piece of an evil god along for the ride. Unluckily for him, it meant he'd need to power everything on his own, so at his current state, he'd probably be lucky if he could stop time for a housefly for a second.
At least the system allowed abilities to be trained. He'd really just end it all if even his abilities could only progress through some thematic quest objective.
His second advantage, and only other one, because all his maladies and advantages paid for just these two, was a doozy - and these two together, almost made him accepting of his disadvantages.
Magic is thy bitch:
All magic comes easy to you, just by seeing it, you can copy spells and bloodlines and perform them without any extra cost or penalty. Magic professions like Alchemy and Enchanting come easily for you.
It kind of made it worth all the rest. If he could survive long enough to put it to good use anyway. Aeon Balor on its own was a pretty good power to have, this… This was an ultimate game changer. And potentially something which could allow him to become that god that most gamers could become.
Literally being able to learn anything magic related just by seeing it, was deliciously OP. Although he held back any elation until he could see it in progress, because with his shitty system, who knew what would count as magic?
He sighed, looking up at the moon one last time, before he shuffled back off the balcony and into his cardboard box sized apartment.
He wasn't kidding, his 'kitchen' was literally five feet away from his futon bed, and little living area. A cramped closet-like space holding a small shower and toilet/sink combo. He'd done great for grades - albeit by online schooling for the past two years, and was invited to Kuoh academy on a scholarship. (Being the World Junior chess champion probably helped) But it didn't exactly pay for much.
His chess winnings really wasn't a sustainable income so what he had there had basically been invested and was untouchable until he was 18 by the caretaker who'd been in charge of him, during his convalescence.
'Somehow' he was now an emancipated minor - the caretaker nowhere to be seen. System shenanigans no doubt. Still, he couldn't touch the damn money until he was 18 though, hence the cardboard box apartment.
He sat down on the small futon, wincing as the floorboards creaked from such a small thing.
He looked over his character sheet, blowing out a tired breath, he had so much work to do.
Character:
Name: Sora Satoru
Level: 1
Age: 16
Title: N/A
HP 100 ( 2 per minute) MP 450 (15 per minute)
Stats:
Strength: 4
Perception: 11
Endurance: 4
Charisma: 15 (-5)
Intelligence: 19 (-5)
Wisdom: 18 (-5)
Dexterity: 15
Luck: 1
By some grace of God, (Or would that be Michael here?) Observe had been an inbuilt ability - the only thing he had other than inventory and his two bought abilities - so he'd been able to compare himself to regular people going about their days.
For Intelligence and Charisma, he was above average. If the maladies were removed he'd be several points higher than any normal person he saw, as most of them had stats around 10ish.
He never saw anyone over 15 in anything. Weak body certainly made its mark though, as he didn't see any adults below 8 on things like Strength and Endurance, so he was about half as strong as any normal lazy couch potato adult or youth. His Dexterity was oddly high, although it explained how he could be good enough at drawing to create the manga he supposed.
If he got Strength and Endurance up to match his Dexterity, he'd actually be able to fight, even if nowhere near anything like a devil. He really doubted they had stats in the 15s.
They'd be likely to have hundreds in their stats, surely. With people like the Satan's likely several times stronger.
Luck being a 1 was just par for the course, of course. Probably saying something about his ridiculous luck in getting a system that's stripped down to bare bones, removing all the bells and whistles and putting him on a collision course from the get go.
He really needed to do something about Luck, because with everything else going on, that was just begging for a bad turn down a street having him come face to face with a Stray Devil party or something.
Perception seemed to be all the human senses, not just eyesight, and he was above the norm there, if not by much.
Wisdom being high wasn't surprising, probably came buffed up with the whole - can learn all magic ability.
He had a long road ahead of him. And he only had a few days before the semester started at Kuoh, him having joined in the middle of the year, after having finally been freed from his confinement in the hospital.
The little snooping he'd been able to do with just an internet connection, put him in Rias and Sona's year, which meant at least two years before the whole Issei crap began, both girls half way through their first year.
Sona was already student council president - not surprisingly since she was pretty much running the school, she'd probably locked that down pretty quick.
He really wished he'd read the light novels and not just watched the anime. All that information lost that would have been really damn useful right about now.
He would find out tomorrow how his maladies would work, because he had a meeting with the student council to get him set up for the spring semester, since he was coming in half way through the year like he was.
In no way would this end well.
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Sora woke up to the early light streaming through the small, grime-streaked window of his apartment. He groaned, feeling the weight of his weak body as he struggled to sit up on his futon. The soreness from his muscles was a constant reminder of his current physical limitations. After a few moments of reluctant stretching, he forced himself to get up and prepare for the day.
The cramped apartment offered little comfort. He shuffled to the kitchenette, hastily throwing together a basic breakfast. A bowl of cereal and a glass of water later, he quickly dressed in the uniform of Kuoh Academy, adjusting the tie with a level of care born more from habit than any genuine desire to look presentable.
He hadn't bothered to check out his female side yet, and he really hoped the devils would have a solution there, if not the system, because he couldn't fathom how he'd pull off school otherwise.
With a final sigh, he grabbed his bag and stepped out into the bustling streets. The walk to Kuoh Academy was uneventful, the early morning chill biting at his skin. The air was crisp, and the sky above was a bright blue, dotted with the occasional fluffy cloud. He walked past rows of traditional houses interspersed with modern buildings, the quiet hum of morning activity providing a backdrop to his thoughts.
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As he approached the gates of Kuoh Academy, the impressive structure came into view. The school grounds were meticulously maintained, with manicured lawns and carefully pruned trees lining the pathways. The main building stood tall and imposing, its architecture a blend of modern and traditional styles that exuded an air of prestige.
Standing at the gates was Tsubaki Shinra, Sona Sitri's queen and the vice-president of the student council. Her long black hair, her noticeable eyes and stern expression made her easily recognizable. She stood with a calm yet authoritative presence, clearly waiting for him.
"Satoru-san, correct?" she asked, as he approached, her eyes narrowing behind her glasses.
Sora nodded, hands in his pockets, eyes narrowed slightly. "Yeah."
"Nice to meet you, I'm the student council vice-president Tsubaki Shinra." She said curtly, studying him with intensity that was already setting him off.
He didn't answer her, or give her a polite bow or greeting, he just showed his teeth, glaring at her. Fuck, it's not so bad I wanna punch her lights out, but everything about her just rubs me the wrong way…
"Follow me," Tsubaki instructed, turning on her heel and leading the way into the school, making no mention of his rudeness.
Sora trailed behind her, taking in the sights around him. As school was not yet in session again, it was devoid of students, only the student council likely in the building.
Barring whatever teachers might be getting an early start on preparing their classes. But they were basically superfluous anyway, they held no real power in Kuoh. Sona and Rias ran the whole thing, albeit more Sona then Rias as the other girl didn't seem to take many things very seriously.
They entered the main building, the interior just as impressive as the exterior. Polished floors, high ceilings, and pristine walls adorned with awards and photographs of past achievements. Sora followed Tsubaki down a series of corridors until they reached the student council room, only slightly keeping an eye on her ass as she walked with a sway that was likely intentional.
Devils… He thought angrily, before forcibly shutting that down, shaking his head.
Someone didn't need to be a devil to enjoy flaunting what they had. Although it did give him more of an idea how his malady would automatically force him to think of something they do as negative.
Tsubaki knocked briefly before opening the door and gesturing for Sora to enter. Inside, Sona Sitri sat behind a large desk, her posture perfectly composed. She glanced up from her paperwork, her sharp eyes assessing him with an intensity that made his skin crawl.
"Satoru-san, welcome to Kuoh Academy," Sona began, her tone polite but firm. "I'm Souna Shitori, the student council president."
He grunted in acknowledgment, his expression guarded. "Yeah, thanks." Biting back a much harsher response. This is already going so well, he thought at himself, wanting to facepalm.
Sona's eyes narrowed slightly at his gruff response, but she continued undeterred. "I understand you've had an unusual journey to get here. Rest assured, the student council is here to assist you in any way possible."
Sora could feel a stirring of hate and rage in his belly, a visceral reaction to being in the presence of devils. He clenched his fists, trying to press it down, but it still seeped into his tone.
"I don't need assistance with school… I just need help with… My special circumstances…"
Sona raised an eyebrow, even as Tsubaki lightly glared at him from behind her, for his tone. "Special circumstances? We of course do provide accommodation for disabilities as required by law, but I was under the impression you no longer needed physical aid to move around, Satoru-san?"
"Tch… It ain't anything like that." He responded, breathing in deeply. He needed to do this, as much as it rankled, this needed to be dealt with before he started classes. "I've got a curse, and I need you damn devils to work your magic and cover that shit up." He growled out.
As he admitted his knowledge of the supernatural and what they were, both Sona and Tsubaki froze minisculely - only for a moment - and he only noticed it because he was watching intently.
It confirmed that at least they hadn't had any previous knowledge about him being part of the supernatural. That was good to know. Likely meant they had no idea the part devils had in his situation. It did allow him to somewhat force his hate down to a simmer, knowing they had no knowledge of it.
Sona slowly leaned forward, lips thinned, as she studied him intently. Tsubaki now looking a lot more on edge behind her, "You know of the supernatural I see… And about us? I would be very interested in finding out how that has come to be?" She said softly, a thread of threat underneath her words.
"We're all interested in shit all the time, Sitri-san." He fired back, using his normal resting bitch face, completely unaffected by her threat. "Guess you'll have to live with your curiosity, I got no reason to tell ya."
One of the benefits of knowing enough about the Kuoh devils, was that he knew they didn't indiscriminately slaughter people for being frustrating or refusing to play ball. So at least his belligerent behavior wouldn't get him killed.
As long as he could avoid being near them while their siblings was also there…
"If you know who my king is, then act more respectfully!" Tsubaki snapped, eyes flashing with anger.
Sona held a hand up, Tsubaki immediately settling down, although her glare remained on him. "I would advise you to act with more respect in the future, but I will let this slip of etiquette go this time, as you are no doubt new to this world." She told him coldly, "And you will share how you came upon this knowledge in due time."
He just stared at her lazily, showing his teeth in what could almost be called a smile, refusing to answer her assertion that he'd come forth with information eventually.
Sona picked up a pen, flipping open a folder, which he assumed was his file, "What are the details of this… Curse, and why do you need my assistance?" She asked, her tone still icy.
His shoulders slumped slightly, as an expression of distaste took over his features. "Better I show you, if I could have a glass of cold water?"
Sona looked at him with a dangerous glint in her eyes, "And this will not be dangerous, or harmful to us?" She asked slowly, Tsubaki handing her a glass dutifully without Sona even having to ask.
Sora grimaced, "Not in the slightest. It's just… Very annoying and hard to keep hidden." He admitted grouchily.
He knew he had to reveal this to the devils, because it would come out anyway. With them knowing ahead of time, they could likely pull some hypnosis bullshit and ensure he got away without issues when shit eventually happened on school grounds.
It didn't mean he was happy about it. Because it was definitely going to draw attention from further afield than just these two baby peerages.
Problem was, with his system as it was. It was obviously set up that he'd need to become a devil to break past the limits that were pre-baked into the system. Whatever entity obviously wanted him heavily involved in matters going forward. And not hiding away with the Youkai or other factions. Or plain running away.
Sona studied him intently, before placing her palm over the glass, which suddenly filled with water, before she pushed it towards the edge of the desk, for him to grab.
He barely noticed, because he was busy inwardly freaking out, while also trying not to show it.
His ability or trait, or whatever you wanted to call it, had kicked in when she used her Sitri water magic, copying down for him how to create water. That in itself wasn't a problem, it was good actually. How it felt was an issue.
Like being back to being a virgin, and having a slender hand grasping your shaft for the first time, softly raking nails up your length, soft hand palming you, electricity rushing up your spine as everything ceases to matter but your cock.
That…
That is how it felt copying magic like he just did. And it took everything he had not to let it show in his body language. Luckily his school uniform was actually a size too large due to his weak body, so he probably didn't show off too much of his suddenly raging hard on.
Fucking ecchi world, of course it would work this way… Troublesome…
Sora sighed, grabbing the glass of water, thankful that the effect at least was brief, like a shot of something up his spine, instead of a lingering one. Then, before he could splash himself, he almost ended up dropping the glass, as Tsubaki magicked up an invisible barrier between him and them, the magical circle briefly visible.
His body may be weak, but he had an iron will. And he enforced it on himself, to make sure the glass didn't even wobble, as lightning shot up his spine again, as he learned how to cast a minor barrier spell.
Fucking devils….
"Here goes." He said, and if his voice was a little raspy, it was purely because of the tenseness of the room, nothing else.
He splashed his face with the water, not wanting to soak his uniform, and immediately felt the change. It was… Odd. He'd have expected to feel some gradual progress, his body changing. But no, there was nothing. Between one moment, he was a guy, and the next. He was not.
"What?" Sona said flatly. Tsubaki googling at him… At her… Both of them looked about as flabbergasted as two serious girls could.
If she wasn't so on edge, it would have been funny perhaps.
"Cold water makes me a girl, hot water, a boy." Sora explained, feeling dread pool in her gut. Because she sounded hot. Like sinfully hot, like this voice belonged on a succubi hot.
He was a scrawny guy, but from what she could feel pressing against her suddenly not big enough school uniform shirt… Scrawny as a guy, didn't translate to this girl form. Probably more hentai logic. This fucking world….
She must be as big as fucking Rias Gremory, and that was not making any sense! How was she this fit - because she could feel her abdominal muscles, and she thought she likely had a damn six pack - and she had huge tracts of land - when as a guy he could barely move with his noodle legs and arms?
… In hindsight she should have checked all this out at home before doing this. Her uniform was uncomfortably tight. She had way more ass and thighs as a girl too.
"As you can see this could be a problem." Sora said dryly, crossing her arms, uncomfortably aware of her bust.
Sona slowly leaned back in her chair, Tsubaki still looking thrown, "This is not an easy matter you've brought before me, Satoru-san, at the last minute as well…" She said sternly, peering at her from behind the rims of her glasses.
Sora grit her teeth together, to prevent the instinctive snapping come back she wanted to fire away. "It's not exactly something one sends in a letter." She managed to growl out, biting her lip.
Sona sighed, adjusting her glasses, "What do you think, Rias, Akeno?" She asked.
Sora straightened in her chair, a snarl on her lips, "What the fuck!?" When did they get here? Teleportation circle? Behind me? Fuck they saw it too didn't they?
Sona looked at him cooly, "There are two of us controlling this territory Satoru-san, of course I called on my fellow King once you professed knowledge you shouldn't have." Sona's eyes fixated on something behind Sora, narrowing, "Even if she's only been lazing about while I'm doing all the work…"
"Mou, so harsh, Sona-chan!" Rias said. Just by the sound, Sora could imagine her pouting.
Sora's nails cut into her legs as she forced herself to not turn around, her neck prickling as she left enemies at her back, but she could not show them how much she wanted to rip into them right now.
Two devils had made things difficult, four were pushing it. She really really wanted to fight right now.
Which was suicidal.
"Fufufu, such an interesting boy, right, Bouchu?" Akeno said softly, and Sora could feel her stepping up right behind her. "Or girl, as it is. I wonder… Is it all fully functional?"
As Akeno reached around to grope her chest, Sora kicked off the chair, growling low in her throat as she put some distance between herself and the devils, eyes wary, fists clenched.
"Ara ara, she's shy." Akeno said daintily, placing a hand to her cheek, her eyes mischievous.
"She's a he!" Sora snapped, glaring at Rias Queen.
Tsubaki coughed into her hand, a weird look on her face, "Technically…"
Sora transferred her glare to Tsubaki, even as Sona acknowledged the point with a nod, "Oh fuck right off! It's a curse! I'm still a guy!"
"Akeno, leave the poor boy alone." Rias said softly, with a hint of amusement to her voice, as she laid a hand on Akeno's shoulder. "I apologize for my Queen… Satoru-san, was it? She can sometimes be a little… Willful."
Sona snorted, then looked mortified to have been caught doing something so undignified, and busied herself with some papers, cheeks slightly pink.
Sora looked between them all, her glare only intensifying, "Can you help or not…?" He addressed Sona, asking tersely, barely holding herself back from the rolling hatred broiling inside her veins.
Rias pouted again, this time for being ignored. And Sora tried as best as she could to ignore her assessing gaze. She knew this shit was going to happen, but it still pissed her off.
Fucking Sona was barely able to get along with Rias half the time, competing with each other as rivals… Why the fuck did she have to call them over for this?
Sona cleared her throat, sorting his file, a calculating glint to her eyes. "It's possible we could add something to the wards of the school to ignore any peculiarities with your… Condition, but I ask you, why should we do that?"
Rias looked like she was going to protest, but stopped as both Sona and Tsubaki glared her down, Akeno chuckling at her side as she pouted yet again, looking very dissatisfied.
These fucking devils… Sora thought hatefully, glaring at Sona, "Let me guess, here comes the part where you extort me?" She said with disgust. "Tch… Fucking devils…" She spat out.
Tsubaki suddenly felt dangerous, like an ominous aura creeping into the room, before Sona again waved her off, her own face a tiny bit smug, fingers tapping his file languidly. "It's not extortion, Satoru-san, you've brought hardship on us at the last moment, that has a cost." Her head tilted slightly, as her glasses flashed as the sunlight hit it just so. "Reworking the entire ward around Kuoh Academy is not cheap…"
"What do you want?" Sora asked sharply, not interested in playing any games. The sooner this was over the better. Because she could literally feel herself wanting to punch the smug little bitch in the face - and she wasn't even sure instinctive hatred had anything to do with it!
"Join the student cou-" Sona began smugly, before he cut her off, harshly.
"Not a chance in fucking hell!"
Sona's eyes narrowed as Rias and Akeno both tried to hide smiles behind their hands, "It's not an unreasonable re-"
"Fuck right off with that shit, it's a prelude to suckering me into being your fucking slave. No. I'm not joining the student council." She said bluntly.
Even if the system punished her for it, she'd fucking leave Japan before bending over that easily.
Just because she might have to become a devil at some point, didn't mean she would be a cheap whore for it. They'd have to come begging her for it.
"A peerage isn't slavery, Satoru-san…" Rias said softly, looking at her in a peculiar way, while Sona and Tsubaki both glared at Sora for her rudeness.
She grimaced, looking away from Rias, "Someone get me some hot water, I'm not doing this shit as a girl." She requested, belligerently. I'm not one of your broken little birds, Rias, don't look at me like that!
Akeno brought him some hot water, and he shuddered with relief as he returned to form. Even if Akeno's roving eyes made him feel slightly hunted. He hadn't thought a female form would affect him overly much, but it had definitely felt very different from what he'd expected.
"Call it what you want, whatever name you use, it's still slavery, and all the stray devils running loose proves on its own what a nice system you have… I'm sure none of them had bad masters at all…" He drawled sarcastically, stepping back another step, so his back was against the wall, keeping an eye on all four of them. "I ain't going to become a slave just for some peace of mind at school, I'll handle the problem myself before that."
"I see… There is still the matter of payment, how about… A game of chess? You are the world junior champion amongst the mortals, are you not?" Sona said, tenting her hands in front of her, a glimmer of life in her eyes as she leaned forward slightly.
"Sooona!" Rias whined, amusement in her tone again, "You can play chess later, I want to know more about this curse." She eyed him with an intrigued mien to her, "It's interesting."
"I decline." Sora said immediately.
He wasn't going to go there. No fucking way.
Sona's eyebrows drew together in consternation, "Even if you lose, just play a simple game of chess with me, and you'll get what you want - the wards will be altered so no one finds your situation odd, is it really something worth turning down?" She asked mildly, an undertone of irritation leaking through.
Simple… Perhaps. But he was also supernaturally gifted in chess. And he knew, even if she didn't know that he knew, that she'd put a condition on her marriage prospects that her suitor would have to be able to beat her at chess.
He didn't want to touch that with a ten foot pole. Not when a win might mean Serafall Leviathan, one of the Satans and Sona's sister, would show up to murder him very dead.
Or at the very least, ready to inconvenience him a hell of a lot.
"I will not. You can kick me out if you want, if that's how you want to run a school, but I will not play with you." He said angrily, his blood thrumming as he glared the diminutive devil down.
Hopefully pulling on the strings of her dream of running a school for everyone would be enough.
Just then, a quest alert popped up in his view.
Checkmate:
Beat Sona Sitri in a game of chess.
Rewards:
+5 in all stats.
1200 exp
???
He froze so suddenly that he almost thought he'd accidentally used his Sacred Gear.
The complications of beating her… But five stat points… Five. It would bring him from too weak for anything - to a normal body for a regular human.
He could mitigate the problems of the weak body malady on day one.
… This is intentional isn't it, system?
Bringing his luck up from a 1 to a 6 was worth it on its own. He doubted he'd find many, if any, other quests that made it that easy. The experience points alone would also give him a level up or possibly two, he'd have to level to see what the jump was like.
He definitely didn't like the question marks, but the rest…
Dammit…
He scoffed, putting a hand to his head, feeling like a migraine was setting in, "Fine, whatever, one game, and after that you'll fix up the wards and leave me the hell alone." He said through gritted teeth.
Sona raised an eyebrow, Tsubaki already bringing out the chess board. Rias and Akeno who'd he'd thought would dip out now that they went into boring territory - instead looked intensely interested, taking seats to watch. Sona spoke up as everything was set up, "Why the change of heart?" She asked.
Chess and devils… Fucking stupidity.
"Just fucking play, let's get this over with." He growled, stomping over and fixing the chair he'd kicked over earlier, slumping down, looking like a man heading towards his execution.
At least even if I don't win, she agreed to fix up the ward…. But, the XP, the stat gains…
This can't end well, but I need this…
----------------------------------------
Sona watched Sora settle into his chair with an air of reluctant determination. His gruff demeanor and clipped responses had been grating on her since the moment they met, but beneath that irritation, there was a flicker of curiosity. The curse he bore, the fact that he knew about devils, and his status as a world junior chess champion all intrigued her. She adjusted her glasses and studied him carefully.
It was a pity he'd rejected the invitation to the student council, he wasn't entirely wrong in the idea that she was scouting him for recruitment, even if his… Attitude would need correcting. She somewhat regretted bringing Rias into things, based on the 'curse' which turned out to be fairly benign, all things considered.
She knew from the glint in her rivals eyes, that her interest had been piqued as well.
Sona would not let the other girl win. He was a chess champion for Maou's sake! He belonged with her peerage.
It was only logical.
Her mind turned to his odd curse, as she studied him, her opening move almost instinctual at this point anyway, no matter what her opponent did with his first move.
Sora, as a boy, was striking in a unique way. His white hair framed a face that was both youthful and wearied by experience, stormy grey eyes hinting at depths of emotion and intelligence. His skin was pale, almost sickly, adding an ethereal quality to his appearance. He was scrawny, almost fragile-looking, a stark contrast to the strength and determination she sensed within him - his body did not match his attitude at all.
Despite his weak body, there was a sharpness in his eyes, a fierce intelligence that made her think he was hiding something interesting. His school uniform hung loosely on his thin frame despite the fact it had been made to size not that long ago, making him look even more delicate.
She wondered what lay in his past, and silently made a note to have him looked into.
When Sora transformed into a girl, (and what!? It still baffled her how that worked) the change he underwent was even more baffling than the gender switch to begin with. Sona had been absolutely stunned by the sudden shift from a scrawny boy to a fit, curvaceous girl with huge Rias sized breasts, pouty lips, and a sensual, raspy voice. As a girl, Sora's white hair cascaded down her back, framing a face that was both strikingly beautiful and haughty, showing some of that arrogant attitude.
Her eyes remained the same stormy grey, but there was a new intensity to them. Her figure was undeniably attractive, with a slender waist, ample hips, and a bust size that made Sona feel a pang of jealousy. (Like it wasn't enough Rias and Akeno were like that…) Despite her own impressive figure, she couldn't help but feel envious of Sora's exaggerated curves.
She didn't think too hard about the fact that a boy had better curves than her.
As the chess game began, Sona forced her attention back to the board. This was no ordinary opponent, he'd done well for himself, albeit against other mortals. She moved her pieces with calculated precision, aware that every move would be scrutinized by the others in the room. Rias, Akeno, and Tsubaki watched intently, their occasional comments providing a backdrop to the growing tension as Sona found herself actually challenged.
"Ara, he's quite the opponent, isn't he?" Akeno mused, her eyes glinting with amusement. "Perhaps it was unwise to challenge him so brazenly, hmm?"
Of course she would be the first one to point it out, Rias Queen and her propensity for poking people was a constant annoyance to Sona.
Rias nodded, practically cuddling up with her queen, her gaze fixed on the board. "Sona must be happy... This should be interesting." She mumbled.
Sona was indeed happy with the challenge, even if it was from a rude boy who dared to come into her territory and make demands of her. She'd train him into something better eventually, she was sure.
Tsubaki remained silent, her focus unwavering as she observed the game, at least her Queen knew how to keep silent, Sona thought.
Sona's initial confidence began to waver as the game progressed. Sora's skill was evident in every move he made. He played with an aggressive yet calculated style, forcing her to rethink her strategies. Her moves became more deliberate, her mind racing to keep up with his relentless onslaught.
She'd never played someone who managed to match her this tightly - who pushed her into changing strategies so rapidly.
He's good, Sona thought, her fingers tapping lightly on the table as she considered her next move. Too good, this was a step above anything he'd shown in the world championship, which she of course had watched.
Then again, he'd only played mortals, so perhaps he hadn't been challenged. But based on what she'd seen, she'd obviously underestimated him, her mistake…
As a mortal aware of the supernatural, perhaps he'd availed himself of something to give himself an edge?
Surely that must be it, devils with a century of experience couldn't test her, surely a mortal would not succeed.
Sora's demeanor - to her irritation - remained unchanged throughout the game. He was grouchy, belligerent, and entirely focused on the board. Every move he made seemed to chip away at her defenses, pushing her further into a corner. The room grew quieter, the tension palpable as the game neared its climax.
Sona's moves took longer and longer as she struggled to find a way to turn the tide. She could feel the eyes of the other devils on her, their curiosity and anticipation adding to the pressure. Her mind raced, but it was no use. Sora's relentless assault left her with fewer and fewer options.
Finally, with a sinking feeling in her stomach, Sona realized she was outmatched. She moved her king one last time, her eyes wide, and Sora's next move sealed her fate. She stared at the board in disbelief, the reality of her defeat sinking in.
"Checkmate," Sora said snarkily, his tone as belligerent as ever. He stood up, his expression a mixture of irritation and triumph. "Now, about those wards…"
Sona looked up at him, a mixture of frustration and shock in her eyes. She had underestimated him, and now she had to honor their agreement. She glanced at Rias, who wore a look of astonished amusement, and then at Akeno, who simply smiled impishly.
Unlike this impossible boy. They knew exactly what her defeat in chess was supposed to mean.
… This all just made it more important to get him into her peerage…
Tsubaki broke the silence, her voice respectful. "Satoru-san, you've proven yourself. The student council will ensure the necessary measures are taken to address your situation." She spoke up instead of Sona, giving her time to compose herself.
She had the best Queen.
Sora nodded curtly, his stormy grey eyes meeting Sona's for a brief moment before he turned to leave. "Good, hopefully there won't be anymore fucking games, and we can just stay away from each other." He growled out on his way.
As he walked away, Sona couldn't help but feel some curiosity about the rude, enigmatic boy. He was a puzzle, one she intended to solve, no matter how long it took.
How did he know about them? Why did he feel so angry? And why was he trying so hard to suppress that?
Her musings were interrupted a minute later, Rias smirking face getting in the way of her gaze.
"Go away, Rias." Sona said testily, already regretting heavily that she'd called her in for this.
"Don't want to talk about your new husband, I see?" She said airily, tapping her lips thoughtfully, a glint of mischievousness in her eyes. "So possessive~ Sona-chan!"
"He is not my husband, or betrothed or anything in that manner. He is mortal." Sona said stubbornly, a warning note to her tone.
She knew that once this information got out, and she wasn't foolish - it would get out. Then as far as devil society was concerned, she was now in a courtship with this… Boy. It was not something she wished on him, nor herself.
Her sister would be insufferable…
"Sooo, does that mean I can have him for my peerage then?" Rias asked slyly, a truly devilish smirk on her face as she leaned over Sona's desk, filling her vision with her damn udders.
Her glasses flashed with intent as she rose up to match her rival, lips thinning, "Stay out of this, Rias." She warned.
Tsubaki looked worried on the side lines, while Akeno looked positively delighted at what was happening.
"I don't think I will, he's interesting, and he could beat you in chess. I don't really have the strategy type in my peerage, he's a good find." She said smugly, her face falling only slightly, as she continued in a mumble, "Even if he kind of seems to dislike us…"
"Rias… I saw him first!" Sona hated defaulting to such childish logic, but this one was so obviously hers, and she wasn't going to have him stolen away by this big titted cow!
She honestly hadn't expected this to be a problem. Why would Rias want someone so obviously intelligent and unmartial? Someone that needed strict training and correction? He was a better fit for her peerage. Unless… She was collecting another broken orphan…?
"He'd be a perfect fit for my peerage!" Rias protested, "You already have plenty of brains in yours."
Sona wondered if Rias even realized how she was casually insulting her entire peerage with such a statement, her gaze was drawn to Akeno, who looked amused.
Akeno tittered briefly as both Kings looked her way, before responding coyly, "A king should always seek what she lacks…" She agreed.
Ria's mouth gaped open, even as Sona snorted. The serious mood immediately dispelled.
Her own Queen came to stand behind her, expression placid as the tension in the room returned to normal.
"A-Akeno! Are you calling me dumb!?" Rias said dumbfounded.
"Not at aaalll~"
"T-thats not very convincing!"
----------------------------------------
With Sora,
The entire trip back to his apartment was spent lambasting himself for being such a whore for stat gains.
It was true that he needed to take every chance he could get since the quest system was the major way to improve himself. Unlike a normal gamer he couldn't just create shit by squinting at things long enough - or pull mana barriers and stuff out of his ass.
He'd need to work for everything through quests and achievements.
So not doing one, especially this early with this type of reward… It had been hard to imagine dropping it. So he hadn't.
He'd already figured he wouldn't be able to stay away from the devils of Kuoh, but beating Sona at chess…
Both Peerages would be bugging him frequently from now on, wouldn't they?
Odds were he'd punch someone soon…
He'd barely kept from lashing out while in the room with the four devils. Only constant reminders of how they could wipe him from existence had stayed his reactions. It had kept him at antagonistic - but never over the line.
There was no way this year would go by without issues.
They'd both do background checks on him now, and once Rias found out he had drawn and created a manga series… One that was recently popular and on its way to get its first season in an Anime format…
He'd never be able to escape their attention. They'd be constantly bugging him.
He closed his eyes, even as he went up the stairs up to his tiny little apartment. Maybe if I found Koneko, she'd still be in middle school, right? And then I'd punch her… They'd hate him and leave him alone, right?
Wishful thinking.
More than likely they'd just beat him up, and then go straight back to trying to recruit him.
It wasn't like he theoretically had much against joining either peerage. Canonically they survived, so it was a somewhat safe place to be. And with his curse, his skills, and even just for his stupid chess champion and manga skills - he'd be a hot commodity in the underworld.
Someone would try and reincarnate him at some point. And it didn't necessarily have to be a very nice experience.
Rias and Sona were outliers.
People that treated their peerage like family. Not sex slaves or minions.
He could do a lot worse.
And with how his gamer system was set up, he'd eventually have to do something like becoming a devil to 'break the ceiling' of his powers.
But he wouldn't want to do that until he'd absolutely maxed out what he could do first. Until he was right up against that ceiling.
He also couldn't see anything but horrible consequences ahead if he became a devil before removing the malus of Instinctive hatred.
Turning yourself into a devil when you hated devils was likely to end poorly. He'd been terribly on edge just being near them. What would he feel if he hated himself like that?
He unlocked his door, entering his small abode, some unseen tension releasing. It might be small, but it was his home for now. And it was free of devils and their complications.
Finally, he accepted the quest rewards. Mentally hitting the little checkbox in the window that had been hanging around just in the corner of his vision since beating Sona.
Checkmate:
Beat Sona Sitri in a game of chess.
Rewards:
+5 in all stats.
1200 exp
1 malus point.
His eyes narrowed, even as he swiped away the level up screen, he could check that in a moment. "What's a malus point?" He asked, the previously hidden reward now laid bare.
Malus point:
Malus points can be used to remove disadvantages and maluses. They are only available through great achievements.
He immediately checked Instinctive hatred, calling it up on his window.
Instinctive Hatred: (0/5)
… He'd need five great achievements to remove instinctive hatred. Five things comparable to beating Sona Sitri in chess, something which was a fairly big deal in devil society, especially to one devil in particular. Serafall Leviathan.
What the hell was he going to have to do for four more points?
With a groan he slotted the point he had in, hoping that at least making progress on it would limit the amount of rage and hate he felt when near a devil.
He probably wasn't that lucky…
"Status." He called up, tiredly.
Character:
Name: Sora Satoru
Level: 2
Age: 16
Title: N/A
HP 225 ( 4.5 per minute) MP 550 (17 per minute)
Stats:
Strength: 9
Perception: 16
Endurance: 9
Charisma: 20 (-7)
Intelligence: 24 (-7)
Wisdom: 23 (-7)
Dexterity: 20
Luck: 6
…. Fantastic, the mental malady had gone up from -5 to -7 when his stats went up. At least he got five stat points out of the level up. He immediately slotted all five into Luck.
He could understand those who kept stat points banked for a greater need in the future. But right now, he needed better luck than the average person. He could save stat points for his other level ups, but he really couldn't have Luck too low with everything else he'd be dealing with.
He felt… Better.
He looked down at himself, not sure how he felt about this. On the one hand, he was now perfectly average in strength and endurance, basically a normal human.
On the other, he'd immediately gone from a twig, to filling out his clothes more. Whatever fuckery had kept his female form feeling much healthier and better looking than his male form, had now begun to improve his male form as his stats went up. Perhaps his primary form was more intune with his stats?
But it would raise more questions for the devils when he showed up suddenly not quite as scrawny and half dead looking, in days.
Well, he was already god damn cat nip for them anyway. So it's not like one more thing mattered on the scale of things.
Besides, he was quite fine with not feeling out of breath just for doing things like walking or standing for too long.
One quest had defeated the malady of weak body.
He really couldn't complain, not with how hard the rest of the system was.
All in all, as disparaging as he'd been about it all. He did have an amazing power, two amazing powers.
He'd learned how to create water, and how to create a barrier, in one day. No matter the… Interesting way it had felt, that was amazing progress. If only he'd seen Ria's and Akeno teleporting in, he'd have gained that as well.
Probably for the best he didn't, because three spells in a row might have made him have an embarrassing reaction right in front of the devils.
His time at Kuoh Academy would no doubt be frustrating and drive him mad.
But he was the gamer, no matter how the system limited things.
He would become a god.
It was only a matter of time.
----------------------------------------