Azure Dragon Emperor: High School DxD X Male Reader

FATE Ch. 65: Life of a Master

3rd Person POV

Flashback

Traditional Japanese Mansion

The moonlight night sky, accompanied by the large gathering of stars above. This scene was witnessed by the ones sitting on the porch of the residents.

A middle-aged man with ruffled black hair, faintly shaven beard, and tired eyes. In his lap slept a young boy with red hair, couldn't have been much older than nine or ten.

"Here you go, Teacher." Spoke a young (H/C) adolescent, setting a tray with cups of tea and handed the man one.

"Ah. Thank you, (Y/N)." The man smiled, taking the drink. He took a sip and went back to watching the night sky. "Nice night, isn't it?"

"Yeah." The young (Y/N) agreed. "Clear night sky, full moon, gentle summer breeze, hard to top a night like this." He contemplated. "Thank you for inviting me over."

"Think nothing of it. Night's like these are meant to be spent with others." The man smiled. "I'm glad you agreed and came. We hardly get to spend nights like this. You've been working so hard. Even at your age, you've become quite the marksmen." He praised.

"It's thanks to your teaching, Mr. Emiya." The young boy reciprocated his gratitude.

"However, I want you to always remember; Never draw your weapon to threaten. Once you pull out your gun, you're putting your own life on the line."

"Understood." He replied. He looked down at the young boy sleeping on his teacher's lap. "How's he doing?"

The man looked down, gently stroking the sleeping boy's red haired head. "He's getting better. He still has night terrors, but that's understandable, given what he went through."

(Y/N) sighed, only remembering the incident he heard of. The next town over was burned to the ground overnight. Incinerated completely. The boy was the only survivor of thousands of people. "I can only imagine." He said, feeling a familiar sense of relation to the boy, having suffered and lost so much himself. He couldn't help but relate, even to a degree.

"Honestly, I never thought I'd be able to do things like this." He said, smiling contently. "Just goes to show you; Life's a crazy bag of marbles."

The younger (Y/N) looked confused. "Marbles, Teacher?"

"Yo, A-Hole..."

"One big, crazy bag of marbles." The teacher repeated. "Blue Marbles. Red Marbles. Half-transparent marbles with a fun swirl in them..."

"Yo, dickhead, you actually gonna die or what?"

"Some marbles are even more interesting. Some marbles you think are going to be limited edition with king designs. But then they're the equally limited, but much more surprising, FEMALE king marble. Some argue that debatably rarer. I argue that's anxiety-inducing. Some like to abduct smaller marbles. Then you got to shoot that marble 'cause its marble buddy brought a really big, black, tentacle marble...Marbles sure are random."

(Y/N) looked to his teacher, attempting to tread lightly towards a response. "Y-Yeah-"

"Especially when you force them into wheelchairs, hold other marbles for ransom, forge a magical pact with a marble that forces you to watch as they grovel in pain on the ground, begging for the sweet release of marble death! But you can't. Because you signed a marble pact...And you can only watch...as its last marble breath...escapes...its marble...lips."

(Y/N) looked to his teacher, sensing the despair and anguish in his heart. He managed to read between the lines of what his teacher said. He sat up and wrapped his arms around the man's neck, embracing him as best as he could to comfort him. "Kiritsugu...did someone hurt you?"