The Death We Seek

Speak of Peace, and Prepare for War [Chapter 3]

Issei was bored. Being a teacher was fun, but being harassed with questions he doesn't have knowledge about sucked. Sona in particular was the worst for it. She kept asking about the 'Law of Magic Conversion' and he had no slither of information about it. He mostly followed Elsha's teachings concerning his magic. For more specialised spells, he relied on who he inherited it from.

He couldn't even consult his peers due to the extreme restrictions involved.

It was all based on feeling for him, not knowledge. He had never been the intelligent type, and the mathematics involved with human magicians escaped him. All he operated on was how the flow of energy felt within and around him, and he became sensitive to it under repetitive duress. Another problem was beginning to represent itself too.

The marks on his soul, the concentric circles and engravings etched into his existence, were beginning to manifest on his physical body once more. They did not reach his face or limbs yet, but it would be a cause for concern very soon. It was normal to see in his future, as he confided in people far smarter than him about his lack of magical reserves, and his desire to uphold life on his lonesome. It would raise questions now that Issei wasn't yet ready to answer.

It could be solved easily with a light illusory barrier placed around him, but constant maintenance of magic wasn't his forte. He performed far better when he could release everything all at once in a destructive quantity.

He could also try makeup, but that felt vaguely girly to him. Not to mention his lack of skill in the matter, and that a simple splash of water would render his efforts worthless.

Barriers were a suitable answer, but it was a currently unsolved query on how to create self-maintaining barriers undergoing motion. The Underworld's best magicians, in cohesion with the Grigori, were still working on it at this very moment. The problem had been around for thousands of years and remained unsolved, and would likely remain so considering the genocide of all conscious organisms in the near future.

He hated practicing something he wasn't good at. If it meant he could keep his secretive marks hidden, he would prefer to just have them on show. Nonetheless, that would arise questions and answering everyone that asked was far too much effort and energy wasted.

Truth be told, the method with the least effort on his part would be to disappear for a few days and come back claiming that he was kidnapped and tortured by a cult. An unorthodox approach to keeping secrets, and something he likely wouldn't do. The option stood as a last resort in the back of his mind. He would just try his best to keep the barrier upheld.

In other news, Azazel and his Grigori agents were finally beginning to move. It had been around a month since he had returned to this time, and he had never known they appeared this early. It made sense if they had to search the entire population of Kuoh for threats and various Sacred Gears though. At the current point in time, only one agent was placed temporarily within the abandoned church they had used last time. Azazel was nearby Kuoh, but not quite within the borders.

Probably off fishing, drinking, womanising or something of equal importance. That being none, of course.

Issei also had the impending feeling of being watched, even within the safety of his home. Perhaps the Ouroboros was getting a little too invested in observing him, and was slipping in focus. Conversation with it was limited by himself, however, as he wanted to maintain independence as long as possible.