Scarlet 7

Scarlet 7

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Commissioned by Sivantic

Word Count: 2516

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Training for close to death, being healed thereafter, and all whilst being tutored by Sitri paid off dividends. 

Enough dividends to make me question if I’d wasted my time training myself, as idiotic that thought was.

Gaining access to one of the few Sacred Gears in existence that allows for healing and a Devil who’s talented in teaching was far from any of my plans. Actually, having either was the opposite of my original plans of lying low. I was sure that no matter what Sitri did, I was now on the map, so there’s significant cost to my current circumstances that I wouldn’t have had to deal with if I’d stayed on my previous path.

The difference in strength me and my previous self in a span of a few weeks was still aggravating, though. 

Aggravating enough to warrant a break from the supernatural side of life for a bit.

Whether it was because I didn’t have an Agent in my brain that pushed me towards conflict perpetually, or because of the fact that dragons were inclined to be lazy, winged lizards when no one provoked them, I had a hobby or two that was out of reach due to both time and money in my previous life. 

One, of course, was anime. 

That’s all I have to say on the matter.

The other, however, was something I picked up from my father in this universe. With my advice regarding investments paying off, and my father’s applause-worthy approach of being fine with having just enough, he had plenty of free time to spend with me and my mother. That translated to the two of them going on cruises and vacations, whilst he did his best to find me some hobbies.

Given how I couldn’t allowed myself to partake in sports, given how I could easily outmatch people by the minimal power I had without summoning my Sacred Gear’s physical form, I naturally had very few hobbies that I could pursue.

River fishing, however, was something that I could appreciate fully. 

I took to liking to it, and do it whenever I need a break from the fusion of academic and supernatural issues that plague my life. It might have to do with my previous life, but I liked having a peaceful, simple time that ended with the reward of a fresh, tasty meal at the very end… or several meals for the whole week on a good day. The activity was simply the perfect mix of relaxation and payoff that I needed after my old life and my current life. 

Generally, my father left me to it once I was in highschool, which I had little issue with. Dropping me off at a fishing spot, he’d go on and have his day before picking me up, and then we’d go home after a snack with my haul in tow.

So, I was surprised when Argento stated that she wanted to come with me the night before.

…

“Here. Tea.”

“Ah, thank you. Ise-kun.”

In my previous life, I suppose that I’d be jealous of Asia’s looks. Effortlessly, Argento was the cute, prim blonde with a gentle smile, perfect skin, and the kindest possible attitude. At our first meeting, I’d expected her to be some sort of honey trap, but over the weeks that was thoroughly disproven. She was simply too genuine, nice, and new to the whole of the modern world without break that I couldn’t believe my eyes.

But, that’s in my previous life.

Look at her. She’s amazing. The fisherman’s hat on her head is now a relic that must be passed down through history to be venerated. The vest she’s wearing, over her sleeveless shirt, is going to be sanctified in a church one day. The boots… men would pay to be the what she steps upon while wading in the water at the end of her legs. And, of course, her blonde hair is in a ponytail. 

She’s so cute in the fishing outfit that it makes me question why Japan hasn’t made an anime about cute girls going fishing with her as the star.

I’d buy all of the merchandise.

All of it.

However, that was my inside thoughts.

On the outside, I just nodded and returned to tending to our meal together.

Because, I’d rather die than say that all aloud for people to hear.

I’d prefer if you didn’t think it to. 

Quiet, Ddraig. It’s a miracle that I manage to control myself. If I wasn’t able to think these thoughts, I’d probably go insane.

However, back to our meal.

While I wasn’t crazed enough to not pack a contingency provided by mother in the form of sandwiches, fishing with Asia had gone excellently. It might have to do with the little prayer she made to God, but she’d managed to catch enough fish for herself with utter ease for a beginner, while I assume that my polite silence to it had warranted me getting a stunning haul. I’d had to release a few fish, since there wasn’t enough in the cooler, and we had plenty for ourselves. 

The prayer was so effective that I actually considered praying along in thanks for the meal.

However, there was still the possibility of “God” being an extradimensional being who was using a different vector to reproduce than I was used to.

So, just in case, I wasn’t going to offer it my faith and devotion.

Just in case.

Cooking the fish was rather simple, especially since I had plenty of experience in it. A small fire in the designated area in the camping site, with the fish gutted, salted, and skewered over the fire, dealt with the smaller fish. Nothing worthy of a dozen manga panels, only fish cooked on an open fire and simply seasoned, but that was great for two people who’ve fished most of the morning away. 

The fish was fresh, had a charred flavor, and the flesh was sweet given that it was still far from spawning season, when the fish diverted their extra nutrients towards making eggs within their body. So, the flaky skin was juicy and almost sweet, almost to the point where I’d wished for rice. Asia, who normally ate demurely, happily ate a few skewers. She enjoyed it so much we had to eat the sandwiches to make sure we were both full, as she’d taken some of my share, and was about to go for more. 

I’d have let her have my share without complaint, though!

Go die, normie.

“This was very fun, Issei-kun.” Ddraig’s words fell upon ears deafened by purity, grace, and innocence, as were all the screams and rage of all the jealousy of anyone else who has been entrapped by anime. Spending time with Asia is great. “Can we do this again?”

“Every weekend if you feel like it.” Ignoring my brain’s demands for me to act cool and aloof, I did my best to converse with Asia like a normal human being, disregarding the fact that I had two lives worth of experience, and was previously a girl. Actually, I was able to disregard those demands because I was previously a girl, so I’m not really talking to her like a normal person would. I had an advantage most other males did not have. I will use that advantage judiciously and without mercy. “I like doing this, after all.”

“That’s great! Let’s make sure to go every weekend, then!” Asia smiled. It was a smile without the slightest hint of smugness, cunning, or deceit. The former nun simply wanted to spend time with me. And, that was a miracle in its own way. “So… ummm… make sure to win and come back from whatever you’re doing with that Devil, okay?”

“I will, Argento.” Naturally, given the fact that she was raised by the Church and had a Sacred Gear, Asia had more than a little knowledge regarding the current situation between Heaven, Hell, and the Fallen. While that knowledge was obviously biased, they were still good guidelines for humans to go by, especially in all its absolutes. Some might say hard stances against certain demographics are terrible, I was fine with treating Fallen and Devils as threats to be avoided my whole life. Though, I certainly wouldn’t let them harm Asia, and their excommunication of her wasn’t very well thought out… unless they had access to healing methods that Asia wasn’t privy to. “Thank you for worrying about me.”

“O-of course I’ll worry about you! You need me to heal you almost every day, and you have to fight someone really strong for a Devil!” Asia’s slight outburst was surprising. However, it was to be expected in her shoes. I was technically communing with a Devil, asked something of a Devil, and put through grueling tasks by a Devil. Looking in from the outside, Asia was having her worst fears confirmed… and she knew that I was technically doing it all for her. “It…it would be a grave sin for me not to worry about you, Issei-kun…”

This is definitely a flag.

One that I was going to just let pass.

Completely and utterly desperate as I was, I didn’t want to pursue that flag. In terms of my standards, Argento was incredibly beyond what I considered minimal. By all means, not counting the Devils and Fallen who were supernaturally beautiful, Argento was the most beautiful young woman I’d ever met. However, it was obvious that was because she was seeing Issei, the man who saved her, instead of me.

Argento said it herself when she mentioned not believing a word Sitri’s Peerage had said about me. Quite probably, she wouldn’t believe anyone else’s words against me either. 

When she needed someone to help her, she’d stumbled upon me in the middle of the woods. I’d only helped her because she was a cute girl.

When someone had come to kill her, I’d saved her at grievous cost to my own body. Disregarding the fact that I’d been hunted down for my actions, and it was only due to happenstance that I’d saved her. 

When she’d needed a place to stay, a way to hide, and a means to live, I’d made a deal with the Devil for her. I did that because an asset like Twilight Healing wasn’t something I was willing to part with given my circumstances.

Already, I was using this sweet, innocent girl sitting across from me. She knew practically nothing of the world, besides dogma and doctrine, and those two things painted me in a light that I was more than willing to leverage for my own sake. There were fights coming ahead. Many of them more difficult and terrible than the last. The ability to fight until my dying breath, because I had an asset like Twilight Healing, was something I needed. 

If I could take that Sacred Gear from Asia Argento and send her away, I would in a heartbeat, since she was physically weak, indoctrinated to the teachings of the Church, and likely to protest to some harsher means and methods I needed to have available. She was an asset, but one that I had to expend resources to protect, whereas if I had the ability to take her Sacred Gear …

However, I didn’t have such an ability.

So, instead I took advantage of her vision of me, her limited contact with others, due to her inability to speak more than a few words of Japanese, and distrust of those whom she could speak to.  

I was already manipulating her in order to monopolize her talents for herself.

The least I could do was keep my hands off of the person I’d discard in a heartbeat.

“Thank you, Argento. That means a lot to me.”

You humans make things too complicated.

To Ddraig’s words, I had no answer.

…

The day had come sooner than I’d expected. Training with Sitri concluded swiftly. After that I had a day to rest and recuperate, which I did, and another day to get a grasp on my newfound limits in private. 

I found them, took note of them, and now I was at school in front of the Occult Research Club’s headquarters. 

“Rias will undoubtedly wish invite you into her Peerage, Hyoudou-kun. However, there’s no reason for you to accept.” Sitri was beside me. Over the last few weeks, she’d explained more and more of the situation to me. In short, Rias Gremory was in an arranged marriage. One that she could escape by winning a Rating Game against her fiancé. Under normal circumstances non-Devils couldn’t participate in the Rating Games, and one can only join one side if they’re part of their Peerage. However, Rias’s peerage was severely undermanned, and I would be able to recover from any damage I took, due to the fact that I had Argento to take care of any of my injuries. There was a debacle about it in the background, but I hadn’t been involved in that. “I suggest merely dealing with Phenex’s pawns on the onset, and only unveiling your sanctified weapons when engaging in Phenex or his Queen.” 

I nodded.

While I didn’t trust Sitri, she’s kept her word so far, and didn’t seem the type to backstab others. Not only that, but she’s essentially given me weapons that I can easily use to kill the people she wants me to help. If she wanted to be rid of me, perhaps to take me out of the equation and take Argento for herself, she’d have had an easier time of it if she’d only trained me, and hadn’t provided me with weapons anathema to her kind. 

I could count her to act in her own interests, and I made sure that she saw me as an asset, so I was relatively sure that she’d uphold her end of the bargain.

I only had to fight, win, and live long enough to be healed.

“Alright, then here we go, Hyoudou-kun.” Sitri had the doors open with a wave of her hand. While the outside of the three story, Victorian building was covered in vines, the inside was impeccably clean and furnished. There wasn’t a speck of dust to be found on the antique couches, table, and grandfather clock of the sitting room the greeted those who entered the building. Still, try as I might to focus on the room itself, I couldn’t help but look upon the person who I did my best to absolutely, completely avoid in the entirety of our school. “Ah, Rias. You’re on time.”

Rias Gremory. 

Red-haired. Green-eyed. Beautiful. Curvaceous. 

By all means, a woman I should lust after, as I did with every beautiful woman in my new body.

Yet… I felt only the need to avoid her.

I knew she wasn’t Emma, but nonetheless who she was, her popularity, and her personality was just so similar that I’d have nothing to do with her if I could.