Reborn of The Mercenary: [Toji Fushiguro x Highschool DxD]

Chapter 12: The Awakening of Void Reaver

Kuoh Academy, Occult Research Club

Toji Fushiguro stood in the center of the room, surrounded by the other members of Rias Gremory's peerage. They were discussing their next steps when Toji suddenly felt a strange, overwhelming sensation. His vision blurred, and he stumbled slightly, clutching his head.

Rias noticed immediately. "Toji, are you alright?"

Toji's eyes glowed with an eerie dark light as he straightened up, his entire body tensing. "I... I don't know. Something is happening."

Before anyone could react, the room darkened, and shadows began to swirl around Toji. The darkness enveloped him, and for a moment, he disappeared from sight. When the shadows dissipated, Toji stood there, but something had changed. His presence felt different, more ominous and powerful.

Kiba stepped forward cautiously. "Toji, what just happened?"

Toji looked at his hands, flexing his fingers as if testing his newfound power. "I think... I just awakened a Sacred Gear."

Rias's eyes widened. "A Sacred Gear? That's incredible! What kind of power do you have?"

Toji closed his eyes, concentrating. "I can feel it. It's called Void Reaver. It allows me to manipulate shadows and darkness."

Akeno's interest was piqued. "Show us."

Toji nodded and focused on the shadows in the room. Instantly, he vanished, reappearing a moment later behind Kiba, who barely had time to react.

"Impressive," Kiba admitted, a hint of admiration in his voice.

Toji continued to experiment with his abilities, moving through shadows with ease and forming dark tendrils that he could control with precision. He could feel his strength and speed increasing whenever he was in the darkness, making him even more formidable in combat.

Later That Evening, Kuoh Town

Toji decided to test his new powers further. He wandered through the town, seeking out dark alleyways and deserted streets. As he moved, he practiced Shadow Step, teleporting from shadow to shadow, and Darkness Cloak, becoming invisible and intangible whenever he entered the darkness.

As he walked through a particularly dark alley, he sensed a presence behind him. Instinctively, he activated his new abilities, blending into the shadows and turning to face his potential adversary.

A figure emerged from the darkness—a tall man with a confident smile and a distinct aura of power. His presence was overwhelming, and his golden eyes gleamed with curiosity.

"So, you're the new devil with a Sacred Gear. Interesting," the man said, his voice calm and composed.

Toji's eyes narrowed. "Who are you?"

The man chuckled softly. "Just someone curious about your new powers. Let's see what you can do."

Without warning, the man lunged at Toji, a blade appearing in his hand. Toji reacted instantly, Shadow Stepping behind him and delivering a powerful kick. The man staggered but quickly recovered, his smile widening.

"Impressive. But let's see if you can keep up."

The battle intensified. The mysterious attacker moved with incredible speed, his blade a blur as he attacked. Toji countered with his katana, their weapons clashing in a shower of sparks. Toji's newfound agility and shadow manipulation allowed him to evade most of the man's strikes, but the attacker was relentless.

The man swung his blade in a wide arc, and Toji ducked, rolling to the side and launching a shadow tendril at the man's legs. The man leaped into the air, avoiding the attack and retaliating with a series of rapid thrusts. Toji parried them, each impact sending vibrations through his arms.

As they fought, Toji realized that the man was testing him, pushing him to his limits. The man's smile never wavered, even as Toji's attacks grew more aggressive. Toji summoned more shadows, forming a dense wall around himself. The man sliced through the shadows with ease, but Toji used the distraction to close the distance between them.

With a powerful upward slash, Toji forced the man to backpedal. Toji pressed his advantage, using Shadow Step to appear behind the man and striking at his back. The man twisted mid-air, deflecting the blow and countering with a kick that sent Toji crashing into a nearby wall.

"Not bad," the man said, landing gracefully. "But you'll need more than that to defeat me."

Toji wiped the blood from his mouth and got to his feet. "I've only just begun."

Drawing on the full power of Void Reaver, Toji enveloped himself in darkness. His form became a blur, moving faster than the man could follow. He struck from every angle, his attacks a flurry of shadows and steel. The man struggled to keep up, his blade barely able to parry the onslaught.

Finally, Toji unleashed Shadow Assault, a concentrated blast of shadow energy that hit the man squarely in the chest, sending him flying. The man landed hard, but he quickly got back to his feet, still smiling.

"Very impressive. I see great potential in you."

Toji was taken aback by the man's resilience. "Who are you?"

The man's eyes glinted. "Name's Azazel. Remember it."

Before Toji could react, Azazel vanished into the shadows, disappearing without a trace. Toji stood there, confused and wary. The encounter left him with more questions than answers. Why was this men interested in him? What did he mean by "great potential"?

As Toji walked away, the weight of his new Sacred Gear settled on him. Void Reaver was powerful, but it seemed to attract attention from powerful beings like Azazel. Toji knew he had to be prepared for whatever challenges lay ahead.