Eating Your Weight: Premature Culmination

The evening sun over Kuoh was dim but the mood of the day was very cheerful. I had made the executive decision to skip school the moment I woke up. It was only slightly motivated laziness. In most part, it was because I didn’t think I could stomach another class with Issei, having to deal with his scent and the things it did to me.

So instead of spending the day trapped in a small room, running over the same lesson again again and again until it finally stuck, I was out doing something actually productive.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

I blinked, snapping back to reality. I was standing in the produce aisle of the local supermarket, holding a daikon radish like it was a weapon of mass destruction. Beside me, Miyo was inspecting a carton of eggs with the critical eye of a diamond appraiser.

“Just glad I’m not in class right now.” I said, placing the radish in our basket. “This is a much better use of my time.”

Miyo chuckled, a warm, earthy sound that instantly settled my nerves. She brushed a stray lock of hair from my face, her dark eyes crinkling at the corners in a way that made my chest ache. “Of course. Inspecting radishes is a very serious business. And I’m certain your good mood has nothing to do with the fact that you’re playing hooky with your girlfriend instead of sitting in History class?”

I offered a lopsided grin, bumping my shoulder against hers. “Hey, running errands is vital work. We were out of strawberries. How am I supposed to get my lemonade without the most important part? I would have been left without any all day!”

“I shudder at the very idea.”

The day had been surprisingly, wonderfully domestic. Among the chaos of my usual life, balancing school with the supernatural, all the while the vague threat of the cult loomed in the background, grocery shopping and arguing about dinner plans with my lover felt like a vacation. It was a quiet intimacy, one that I didn’t realize I needed until just now. Peaceful, and a nice change of pace from what my life had become recently.

We checked out, and I insisted on carrying the heavier bags despite Miyo’s protests. As we stepped out of the air-conditioned store into the late afternoon heat, the was just beginning to paint the streets in shades of amber and violet.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” Miyo said, shifting her tote bag. “We received a letter this morning. It’s from Marcille.”

I raised an eyebrow, thinking of the broody exorcist. “Really? What did he want? Just checking in?”

“No, he’s not the type for sentiments like that. It’s much more important.” Miyo explained, her tone dropping slightly, losing its playful edge. “It seems there’s a stray exorcist causing trouble in the area, and this one’s trouble. Marcille thinks he knows who it is but he won’t say. All he said is that if he’s right, he’ll be coming to town shortly.”

I whistled. “Damn. That sounds bad. But why is Marcille the one who has to deal with it? Doesn’t the Church have people for that kind of thing?”

“They do. Marcille is one of them.” Miyo chuckled. “Stray exorcists are usually disillusioned with the church for one reason or another. Usually they just keep to themselves and join the normal world or have another faction pick them up, but sometimes they turn… destructive. Marcille is part of a taskforce made to deal with people like that.”

I hummed as a thought occurred to me. “Hey, aren’t you a stray too?”

“My situation is different”

“How so?”

“I handed in a resignation letter. Whether they read it or not… Well, I handed it in anyway.”

“That’s fair.” I chuckled, stretching out an arm and wrapping it around her.  “It’d be pretty cool if Marcille came to town. I want to show him a few of the tricks I’ve picked up recently.”

Miyo leaned into my side. “I’m sure he’ll be more than happy to take you on once he’s finished with his business. For all that he might seem serious, he’s a bit of a battle maniac.”

We turned the corner toward our neighborhood, the familiar sight of gated homes coming into view. I was just about to ask if Miyo wanted to watch a movie later when the air suddenly grew heavy and the hair on my arms stood straight up. Miyo straightened and I did as well as a pulse of magic washed over us, ancient and smelling faintly of ozone.

Miyo turned to look to our left. “Naomi.”

“I feel it,” I said, my voice rough as I tasted the mana in the air. “It’s coming from a couple blocks away.”

Too close to my home. Way too close.

“Take the groceries back home” I said, setting the grocery bags down on a park bench gently. “I’ll take care of it.”

Miyo didn’t argue. She wasn’t the type to play the damsel in distress. She nodded, grabbed the bags, and offered me a quick, serious look. “Be careful.”

“I’ll be back to help you put them away.” I promised, kissing her on the cheek.

As Miyo hurried away, I bent my knees and unfurled my wings, launching myself upwards into the evening sky. I flew high enough that I probably looked like a regular bird to someone down below, before orienting myself towards the source of the magic.

It was easy to see what had caused the magic pulse.  A purple, hazy dome had been erected in the middle of a nearby street, pulsing ominously. I flew in for a closer look, closing the distance in an instant as I came to a stop, hovering just above it. I could feel the magic pulsing through it, keen with intent, and I gently reached down to put a hand on it, finding it firm.

“A barrier?” I said out loud. A sly grin crossed my lips as Abyss Eater appeared with a flash. “Thanks for the snack, whoever you are.”

I sent my power down into the barrier, intending to drain it to the last drop. The moment the flow started however, the world suddenly shook, dying itself green as a surge of power came from beyond the threshold.

It happened in a fraction of a second. One moment the barrier was there, and the next, a wave of pure, unadulterated draconic energy erupted from below. The magic ward didn’t just break, it shattered like glass, shards of violet light raining down onto the street below as I was left gaping at the disappearance, moments before that power reached me as well.

And when it did, I froze in midair, inhaling deeply as a shock was sent straight to my core.. My heart hammered against my ribs, though not from fear. No, it was from a sudden, violent resonance deep within my soul.

This scent. It was the smell from the school, but magnified a million times over. It rattled my brain. It felt like burning gasoline had been poured into my veins and magma into my stomach. I slowly looked down, my teeth grinding against each other as I gazed down into the street below. A Fallen Angel was fleeing into the sky but I ignored her. My eyes were locked on the figure standing in the middle of the street. Issei Hyoudou.

But it wasn’t the Issei I knew. He was hunched over, panting heavily, and on his left arm sat a gaudy red gauntlet with a glowing green jewel in the center. The jewel pulsed, and every beat sent a wave of power crashing against me like an ocean tide. It made my teeth ache. It made me want to drop down there and tear him apart with my bare hands until nothing remained but ash.

Deep inside me, someone else woke up, tasting the power in the air and growling deeply.

“Ddraig…”

My eyes widened. “No way.”

“I would know that power anywhere.” Nidhogg hissed, the sound like scales scraping over tree bark. “That boy… He is the Sekiryūtei! Hiding right under our noses! That’s why that stench tasted familiar! He is Ddraig’s host!”

I felt the breath hitch in my throat. I stared at Issei, who was looking at his own hand with a mixture of awe and terror. My tentative friend. The guy Rias had reincarnated just a few days ago. The pervert I sometimes offered to trade doujin with. He was the one who I had to destroy to honor my contract with Nidhogg.

I watched as the Fallen Angel disappeared into the clouds, leaving Issei alone in the street. I hung back, hovering just out of his line of sight and hidden by the darkness and just… watching. Every fabric of my being, every drop of blood influenced by the part of me that had changed with my rebirth, was screaming at me to dive down there and strike. To destroy this rival before he could grow stronger. The anger was intoxicating, driving me to kill, and I clenched my fists to sate the urge for a moment.

I stared at Issei for a long moment. He had a pair of wings bursting from his back, proudly displaying his Devil heritage, but I wasn’t even sure if he noticed them. He was busy looking at the gauntlet like it was an alien parasite, clearly unsure about it. The power I had felt a moment ago was already fading, the soul inside him going dormant again.

Taking a deep breath, I turned around in the air, my back to him.

“Where do you think you are going?” Nidhogg demanded, his voice rising in irritation.

“I can’t do it.” I whispered, clenching my fists. “I can’t go down there and fight him right now.”

“He is right there! He is vulnerable! The Welsh Dragon is practically serving himself to us on a platter!”

“And my friend is his host!” I snapped internally. “If I went down there right now, with the way I’m feeling? I’d kill him. I would absolutely kill him. I’m not going to kill my friend just because I can’t control these fucked up dragon instincts that you gave me.”

Even just looking at him, with that scent and power pulsing against my mind, made me want to go down there and tear him limb from limb. I took a steadying breath, trying to purge my mind of violent thoughts. It was hard, especially since Issei was still pouring draconic energy like a faucet, so I flapped my tattered wings, preparing to get the heck out of there before I did something I couldn’t take back.

“Are you planning on putting off our contract?” His voice was dangerously low. “You promised me satisfaction.”

“Just… Just wait until tomorrow, alright?” I breathed, glancing back one last time at the boy in the street. “Give me one day. Let me cool off. Then I’ll go find him and I’ll settle this. I promise.”

Nidhogg was silent for a long moment, the pressure in my mind heavy and suffocating. Finally, he huffed, like a disappointed child.

“One day. Do not disappoint me.”

I took that as an agreement. My wings kicked off the air, sending me soaring back toward my home and I raced away, desperate for the normalcy of Miyo and a warm dinner to wash the taste of dragon ash out of my mouth.

{— The Next Day —}

For the first time in his life, Issei was too tired to think about boobs. It was an inconceivable notion really, but as he dragged himself away from the Old Schoolhouse, the only thing that was on his mind was the conversation he just had with Rias, and the soft bed that waited for him at home.

The past few days had left his head spinning. First he got a girlfriend, then he was killed by her and resurrected by the girl of his dreams all in the same night. Then all that talk about Fallen Angels, factions, and Devils – which he apparently was now, and being attacked twice in one week! He could barely wrap his head around it, and last night really didn’t help. He was just… tired.

Issei sighed. He didn’t even have the strength to think about boobs! If Rias Gremory stripped down and showed up in his bed again, he’d probably just use her as a pillow to catch some more sleep. That’s how tired he was!

Sighing again, he stepped away from the Old Schoolhouse, intending to drag himself home. As he crossed the yard towards the school itself however, a voice suddenly called out to him from the nearby treeline.

"Yo, Issei." 

He almost tripped over his own feet in surprise. He spun around to find one of the only girls who could actually tolerate him, Naomi Kanei, crossing the yard on her way towards him. 

Issei blinked at the sight of her. Naomi was… weird. She was probably one of the prettiest girls in school, but not in the same way that Rias, Akeno, or even Koneko were. She was a massive tomboy and a pervert to boot, and she somehow got away with dying her hair even though Kuoh had a pretty strict dress code. Her loud attitude drew attention and even though she’d only been around for a month, there were already all kinds of rumors floating around about her that ranged from her being a secret delinquent in good with the yakuza, to some kind of perverted cross-dresser who got off on wearing a skirt and pretending to be a girl.

Issei could sort of see the last one, especially with those other rumors floating around, but he was pretty sure it wasn’t true. Mostly because if it was, he’d have to reevaluate some of those dreams he’d been having recently.

"Oh, hey, Naomi." Issei smiled tiredly as she approached. "What are you still doing around here? School’s been over for a while."

She didn’t smile or respond to his question, confusing him. Usually she had some kind of quip or snarky remark ready to go when they talked to each other, but right now she was completely straight-faced as she stalked towards him. Something about her expression actually unnerved him. It made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He took a step back as she approached.

"Uh, dude? Are you alright?" He asked as she closed the distance. Naomi stopped just short of him, reaching out and putting a hand on his shoulder as he tried to step back again. Her grip was firm and a little bit too tight, making him wince until she suddenly leaned in close.

She smelled weird, like smoke wafting up from a bonfire in the winter, combined with the smallest hint of strawberry. For a split-second, Issei’s brain short circuited as he felt her breath hit his cheek. Was… was she going to kiss him? Was this the end to his lonely perverted streak and the start of his rise to harem king!?

And then she spoke, and his excitement was replaced with a wary confusion.

"I’m really sorry about this." She whispered, making him frown.

"Huh? Sorry about wha–Grk!"

The air left his lungs in a violent whoosh as Naomi’s fist buried itself in his stomach. Issei’s eyes bulged and he doubled over as the contents of his stomach threatened to extract themselves through his mouth, but she wasn’t done. Before he could fall to his knees, Naomi grabbed him by the collar of his blazer and twisted him around, lifting him bodily off of his feet as she threw him away with one hand.

Issei flew through the air like a discarded doll before his momentum was abruptly arrested by a thick tree trunk a few meters away. He crashed into it back-first, a double-whammy of pain to pile on top of what he was already feeling.

"Gah!" He slid down the bark, hitting the grass hard. He curled in on himself, tears pricking his eyes as his body fought to decide which part of his body hurt the worse. He groaned, slowly sitting up with one hand on his stomach as he wheezed. "What the hell dude–"

He looked up and froze as he saw Naomi again. She was stalking towards him again but she had changed. Her eyes pinned him in place, slitted and practically glowing, and her entire body seemed to thrum with energy that leaked off of her shoulders in small orange motes of light. Her fists were clenched at her sides, covered in dark gloves that weren’t there before, also pulsing with a sinister orange light. They looked familiar, and Issei’s eyes widened as he saw them.

A Sacred Gear! Issei scrambled backwards, wincing as he stood hunched over. "What the hell was that for?"

"Reflex." Naomi said, her voice a distorted growl that sent shivers up his spine. Her jaw bulged as she gritted her teeth, before she suddenly lunged forward.

Issei yelped, dropping to the ground and rolling away right as her fist connected with the tree he had been rudely thrown against. Wood exploded all over his back as her arm went straight through the solid oak trunk like it was made of tissue paper, and Issei blanched as he turned to look at her again. "Are you nuts!? What are you doing!?"

Naomi yanked her arm back with a grunt. "It’s nothing personal, Issei. I’m just here to beat the shit out of you for a little bit."

"That doesn’t make me feel any better!" Issei scrambled to his feet, holding his hands up as she shook wood off of her hands. A bright glow exploded out of his arm and his Sacred Gear responded to his fear, manifesting out of pure survival instinct. He looked down in surprise before clenching his fist.

"You’re with those angel guys, aren’t you?" He demanded, putting his fists up. "Are you here to try and kill me too?"

Naomi paused as the gauntlet appeared on his arm, staring at it for a moment. As its power washed through the yard, her lips twitched, as if she was trying to suppress a snarl.

"Like I said, it isn’t personal, Issei." She said, flexing her fingers. The jewels on her gloves flared orange. "I just need to kick your ass or the voice in my head won’t stop yelling at me. He’s been at it since yesterday and it’s really starting to get on my nerves."

Issei stared at her, utterly bewildered by her explanation. "The voice in your head? That’s why you have to beat the crap out of me for no reason!?"

Naomi actually looked apologetic for a second. She winced, scratching her cheek. "Yeah, look, it’s a little hard to control myself right now. I’m going through a lot, hormone-wise, I mean. But listen, if you don’t let this happen, it’s just gonna get worse. So just bear with it, and let me beat you up a little bit!"

"Like hell I will!" Issei shouted.

Naomi frowned but her eyes said she was anything but disappointed. "Fine." She said, "Have it your way."

Naomi moved. She was faster than anything Issei had ever seen. A bright, burning light coalesced in her right hand, lengthening into a spear-like shape that looked uncomfortably similar to the ones Issei had seen before. She threw it almost the exact second it finished forming and Issei yelped, bringing his left arm up instinctively.

CLANG

A black nail almost as long as his forearm glanced off the red armor of his Sacred Gear, sending sparks flying. The force of the impact numbed Issei’s entire arm, jarring his bones. And he winced as the jewel glowed with intention.

"Too slow." Naomi sighed. She was already in front of him, appearing inside of his guard before he could even blink.

A foot slammed into his stomach in the exact same spot as before. Issei didn’t even have time to scream. The air was driven from his body, his vision went white, and he was sent tumbling across the grass. He rolled, limbs flailing, until he came to a stop near the bushes, gasping for air.

"[BOOST!]" The gauntlet screamed.

Renewed strength filled him, leaving him twice as powerful as before, but it still wasn’t enough to contend with the pain. Issei groaned, trying to push himself up, but he froze as a shadow fell over him, slowly raising his head and swallowing at what he saw.

Naomi was standing over him, holding a sword in his face. It looked like it had been carved from darkness itself, made entirely of black metal just like the nail he barely deflected, and etched with orange runes that glowed like tiny pyres. It was huge, but Naomi held it with only one hand, keeping the tip of the blade inches from his nose.

Coming to terms with the slab of death inches from his face, Issei slowly looked past the sword to the girl holding it. Naomi was frowning deeply. The power that surrounded her was gone and her eyes weren’t glowing anymore, but her pupils were still slitted, as if whatever had taken hold of her had been sated but hadn’t fully gone away.

They stared at each other, one in fear and the other in disappointment, before Naomi slowly lowered the sword, sighing loudly.

"Fuck." She muttered as she stepped back. "This isn’t going to work."

Issei stared up at the girl, paralyzed. "W-What?"

Naomi ignored him, turning away and stomping a few paces back, muttering angrily to herself. Issei tried to follow, but she was talking too fast for him to make out any words apart from ‘weak’ and ‘can't be’.

"Issei!"

The doors of the Old Schoolhouse banged open. Rias Gremory came rushing out, her hair flying behind her like a crimson banner. The others were right behind her, spilling out into the yard, faces twisted in concern and confusion.

"Buchou!" Issei wheezed, clutching his stomach as he inched away from the unstable girl.

Rias stopped, her eyes taking in the scene – the shattered tree, Issei on the ground, and Naomi pacing back and forth with a giant black sword while talking to herself like a crazy person.

"What is the meaning of this?" Rias demanded. A dark crimson glow leaked from her skin at the question, like the aura covering Naomi but somehow even more intense. Behind her, Kiba was pointing a sword at Naomi, and Akeno was surrounded by crackling yellow lightning. Even Koneko had assumed a fighting stance, which surprised Issei because he thought she hated him.

Naomi froze at the question, turning to look at them and blinking like she just realized that she wasn’t alone. She looked between them before her gaze turned to Issei and then the sword in her hand. She winced, suddenly noticing how this looked.

“Uh. Hey, Rias.” Naomi said awkwardly. “This… is exactly what it looks like, actually.”

“Naomi Kanei.” Rias’s voice was as cold as ice. “You have exactly thirty seconds to explain why you are attacking my servant.” Her aura grew more intense as her threat hung in the air, hinting at exactly what would happen if the explanation failed to please.

Naomi sighed, a long, tired sound. “I wanted to just get this over with.” she said, sounding frustrated. “I figured I’d just come over here and kick him around for a little bit, then apologize and put this whole thing behind us but this… this isn’t going to work.”

Her words confused everyone present. “What are you talking about?” Rias questioned.

Naomi responded by lifting her sword and pointing it directly at Issei’s chest. The Gremory peerage tensed, ready to attack, but Naomi didn’t move from where he was standing. “He’s the Sekiryūtei.”

Silence descended on the clearing. Everyone froze, before their eyes seemed to drift to Issei in disbelief.

Issei looked around, confused. “Sekiry… what? What’s that?”

Rias’s eyes widened, darting to Issei’s gauntlet and then back to Naomi. Something flitted through her expression, before her eyes became guarded again. “How do you know?”

Naomi snorted dryly. “Trust me, I know. His scent has been putting me on edge all week; it’s why I didn’t come to school yesterday. I didn’t know why until last night when he got attacked by that Fallen Angel and I figured it out. That’s the Boosted Gear, but it’s weaker than it should be.”

Her words seemed to confuse Rias. “What do you mean? How is it weaker?”

Naomi’s sword and Sacred Gear disappeared in flakes of light and she looked at her hand, flexing the fingers where the gauntlet had been. The back of her hand glowed a bright orange. 

“Ask him.” She said to the air, seeming extremely annoyed. “Tell them what you told me."

All eyes turned to the limb as a gem appeared on the back of her palm, glowing even brighter than before. A deep, ancient voice, dripping with power, rumbled through the yard, vibrating in everyone’s chests.

“The boy is weak.” The voice rumbled. “Ddraig’s presence is nowhere to be found, and without him, my vendetta remains.”

Naomi looked at Rias and shrugged. “What he said. I can’t complete the contract if Ddraig doesn’t know he’s getting his ass handed to him.”

Issei was officially completely lost. He held a hand to his aching head, looking around at his friends for some clue as to what was going on. None of them seemed willing to offer it to him, and Rias had a worried expression on her face as she stepped forward.

“That is troubling.” She said, seeming very concerned. “I don’t suppose you could call it off or at least rework the contract? Issei doesn’t know anything about the supernatural. He just awakened his Sacred Gear last night!”

“Me? Yeah, I could. I don’t really want to hurt my friend but it’s not really my decision to make.” Naomi said dryly, glancing at her hand. “What do you say, buddy? Peace treaty?” 

“Absolutely not.” Nidhogg growled, the sheer weight of his refusal causing the ground to tremble slightly. “Ddraig’s sins are unforgivable, and I will not be sated until my vendetta is satisfied.”

Naomi gestured at the limb, as if to say ‘I told you’, but they were all surprised as Nidhogg’s voice reappeared, sounding much more introspective. “That being said, the boy hasn’t fully awakened. The Welsh Dragon still slumbers, and there is no point in slaying a hatchling. The host is pathetic. I am willing to wait until he is worth my partner's time, and then we will take our revenge.”

Naomi stared at her hand in surprise, before a massive grin crossed her face. “Partner? Nidhogg, you big softie! They should call you the tsundere dragon; I knew you liked me!”

The glow on her hand died completely, and Naomi seemed disappointed but her smile remained as she lowered it, looking back to Rias. “Well, I guess Issei’s weakness earned him a raincheck. I’m sorry about all this. I just wanted to get it out of the way as soon as possible, but I guess I ended up prolonging it even more.”

She shoved her hands into her pockets, looking back at Issei with a complicated expression. It was part pity, part anticipation, though Issei noticed that the slits in her pupils were finally gone. “I’ll be coming back for that ass some time in the future, Hyoudou. So you better get real strong, real fast.”

Naomi then turned on her heel, waving lazily over her shoulder. “See you in school.”

And with that, she walked away, waving lazily over her shoulder, leaving the Gremory peerage standing in the stunned silence of the evening.

Issei stared after her, clutching his bruised stomach. He looked down at his own gauntlet. It was silent, the glow fading and taking the power with it. He looked back at the spot where Naomi had vanished, his mind spinning.

“Buchou,” Issei groaned. “What the hell just happened? Who was that guy talking? What vendetta was she talking about? Is that why she was trying to kill me?”

Rias sighed, the tension leaving her shoulders, though her eyes remained serious. She watched Naomi disappear into the distance before turning her gaze to her newest servant.

“You have a habit of attracting trouble, Issei,” Rias said softly, though there was a hint of sympathy in her smile. “Naomi carries the soul of the Devouring Dragon, Nidhogg. And unfortunately for you, Nidhogg and your dragon, Ddraig, are mortal enemies.”

“My dragon?” Issei repeated, looking at the dull jewel on his arm.

“Come back inside,” Rias said, gesturing toward the Old Schoolhouse. “There’s… a lot to explain.”

Issei hobbled after them as they went inside, his body aching and his brain hurting. He looked back to where Naomi had walked off one last time, wondering if being a Devil ever actually got any easier, or if it was just going to be one near-death experience after another.