Bare This Curse

Chapter 4: Once a Devil

I yawned as I opened up the door to the Occult Research Club, which I joined this morning for.
"Wassup?"
"Oh, hello Neito. I'm surprised you're here today."
"Well, it IS my first day in the ORC, so..."
"Fair enough. How are you feeling?"
"Much more energized after getting some rest, and dear God, Yuuma could not wake me up this morning... at all. I was dead asleep."
"That explains why you were so late. Don't worry. I explained the situation to the Student Council."
"Heh, thanks buddy."
I sat down on the couch, sighing in relaxation.
"And thanks to Asia's power, she healed up any injuries your members might have sustained."
"Fantastic. She's already proving how useful she can be. It's no wonder all those Fallen Angels were so threatened by her power."
"Yea... Say, I have a question about the pieces."
"Is something wrong?"
"No. I'm just curious about something. If we're named after chess pieces in the like, does that mean ALL the positions are represented?"
"It does."
"Hmm... So you'd have 7 other pawns along with me if I followed through on what I said, which is fine, Rias. I know I'm not enough to fill the gap. One idiot with two Sacred Gears, one he can't even control, isn't any more significant than any other of the pawns."
Rias put her tea glass down. I grinned.
"Kidding, Ri-Ri. I'm completely stable and secure... most of the time. Heheh..."
"You would have been the only pawn I would ever need, Neito."
"Huh?"
"When a human becomes a Devil, the number of Evil Pieces they consume varies. It just depends on their capabilities and what they offer and contribute to the rest of the team."
She stood up and walked to my couch, sitting down next to me.
"So, if I were to be in your peerage..."
She slowly wrapped her arms around my neck, making me go a deep shade of red.
"For you, the pieces I would have been able to choose from were 1 bishop, 1 rook, 1 knight, and 8 pawns. After I knew I wanted to bring you back as one of my servants, I decided that I would have used all 8 of my pawns to convert you to my side."
"All 8...? You would have sacrificed that many... just for me?"
"It was a gamble. I had a feeling your power alone would have been able to replace all the others. Humans with that potential are hard to find, so I would have been able to consider the sacrifice well worth the risk. But look at you now. You're a Godling of a Time Goddess and the possessor of a very powerful dragon, which is said to be the missing 14th Longinus. You even have your own peerage. Wouldn't you say it was worth it?"
"The 14th Longinus Sacred Gear... One of the most powerful Sacred Gears in existence."
She cupped my face as she sat on my lap.
"Two Devils who are kings of their own teams, partnering up like this. One is the Crimson Haired Princess of Ruin and the other is the soon to be God of Time. I don't know if there could be two kings so perfectly matched."
"Heh, y-yea. Go team, huh?"
"Neito. I want you to strive to become the mightiest master of your peerage alongside me. I have complete faith in your ability to achieve this. Consider it an order from senior to junior."
She leaned up, closing the gap between us slowly. I leaned away.
"Rias. You know I'm with Yuuma, right?"
She smiled.
"Silly boy. Haven't you ever heard of harems?"
"Excuse me?"
"Devils are known for having such things. Why not start one when you have several girls after you already?"
"I... I don't... know..."
"Then let this convince you.~"
She gripped my head and kissed me, full force. She made out with me for as long as she could, then came out for air. My face was the same color as her hair.
"I dunno."
I perked up at Yuuma's voice as it was right behind me.
"A harem sounds kinda fun. My sister wasn't the only one into that, y'know."
"Oh god. Not you too."
"Ooooh!~ A harem? That sounds like a lovely idea!~"
"I was just thinking the same thing, nya!~"
"Akeno! Kuroka! You are NOT helping!"
"... Don't touch me, pervert."
"Oh, what the F***?!??"
Ophis tilted her head.
"Harem...?"
Yuuma smirked down at her.
"Guess I better start my own education class for Ophis here."
"Yuuma! No! That is where I draw the line! No! You do that, and I swear to god, I will f***in-"
Ophis's body glowed a bright purple for a second before she reappeared as a young woman, who was just as gorgeous as all the women in this room. She walked over to me and clung to me emotionlessly.
"I will, join harem."
"Oh my god... I'm gonna f***in die from blood rushing to my head!"
"Um, what's going on?"
"Nope!"
I jumped up from the couch, walking to the exit.
"Nope! Nope nope nope nope nope! Drawing the line in the sand right there! You all explain this sh** to Asia. I'm out to the diner. See you f***ers later."
I slammed the door behind me as laughter rang from the room. I sighed, then grinned back at them as I descended down the stairs.
'Well, at least everything's normal for the time being... Let's go get some grub.'
-----
"Early morning training?"
"Your fight with the Fallen Angels proved one thing. We need to work on your stamina more than your peak physical abilities. We all saw how tired you were."
"Yea, from taking out a d*** army of Priests. YOU probably wouldn't have survived that!"
"No, I wouldn't. You are right. There would be too many for me to handle, as my strength lies in my team. But the fact still remains. More stamina means the longer time you can blow things up."
"Well, when ya put it that way, I can't exactly say no to that."
"I'll come pick you up in the morning. 5am sound good?"
"... I'm sorry. 5am? As in five in the frigging morning?"
"Yes."
Yuuma snickered.
"Good luck trying to get him out of bed."
"You will be going on this trip too, Yuuma."
She looked up at me.
"Really?"
"Yea. Our entire peerage is. Every one of you, excluding Yuuma is a spell caster of some kind. It'd be best for all of us to get a full days worth of exercise, right?"
My peerage looked among themselves before eventually shrugging at each other, save for Ophis, and nodded at me. I gave them a thumbs up and turned back to Rias.
"So... back to the time thing..."
"Seriously. Good luck getting him up, nya. Even my little morning surprise from a couple days ago didn't wake him."
"Well, you don't want me storming into your house in the early morning, young man. I can be very... persuasive in the early hours. Violently persuasive."
"Geez, red head. Fine. I'll set a REALLY loud clock for 4:30 and get everyone ready."
She nodded.
"Perfect. I'll see you soon."
-----
*BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP*
"Oh... OOoooOOOoooohh... Allllaaaarmmm... Alarmmm! ALARM!!!"
I smacked the beside alarm multiple times until I broke the speaker.
"Sh**... Ah well. I needed a new one anyway. Why the flying f*** am I waking up this early?"
I heard the door open and the bed sheets were flung off me.
"Get up, Master Neito."
'Ophis...'
I groaned and rolled over. She shook me.
"Get, up."
"Uuuuughh..."
"Get, up."
I rolled over to the other side, facing away from her. She pouted, then I heard a spark from her fingers. Next thing I knew, I felt a shock on my a** and I jumped from the bed.
"OW!!! You f***!!"
"Time for early, morning training."
"Oh sh**! You're right! I forgot about that!"
I rushed to my closet and got my usual attire on. If I was gonna train, I need to learn how to do it in my normal wears. I got dressed and met everyone downstairs for breakfast. After a... rather amusing meal between me and the girls, we met Rias outside. I clapped my hands together.
"Alright. Last night, before I went to bed real frigging early, I scheduled some programs for us that can improve some of our weaknesses."
I pointed at Kuroka.
"You are a bit too much like my lazy side, what with you being a very playful, easy going, simple minded cat who enjoys teasing others with your beauty and sensuousness. My point is, we need to break you of that somewhat. You need to be up to the physical conditions a rook would have other than the spell artillery you can rain down from anywhere. So, as a warm up, run the block about 3 to 4 times, then use your Senjutsu to make it to the bottom of that mountain and back."
She nodded without complaining, which surprised me.
'Guess she's taking this seriously.'
"Alright, Yuuma. You are my first knight, which means you need to be fast and your reflexes need to be sharper than ever. Rias informed me yesterday that Kiba should be at the ORC at 5:30, so you'll be able to work with him and Koneko on that."
"Yes, Master Neito."
She turned and flew off, racing towards the school.
"Ophis... Huh... I... dunno what to improve with you. Maybe just do an all around training. I know your powerful and all, but a little workout here and there won't hurt. Then, try dimming down your power so that you can trick the enemies we encounter and also practice dodging rather than blocking. Using both instead of one is a great way to throw your enemy off."
She nodded and turned, walking off. I looked back at Rias.
"For me, Tetra and I agreed to do this in my Balance Breaker armor, but not in the way you think. She's gonna keep adding more and more weight to the armor the more I get used to it. It'll help me endure more and keep fighting."
Rias nodded and pulled back a bit.
"Tetra? Balance Breaker, please."
My armor formed on me in less than a millisecond.
{Mother Earth Dragon: Balance Breaker!}
"Alright. Go ahead and add 100 pounds to start."
{Alright.}
I grunted when I felt the armor get heavier all of a sudden. I ignored it and nodded at Rias. I turned and began walking, then gradually jogging, then eventually running. Rias kept up on her bike as I kept going faster ever so slightly.
"Come on! Pick it up! I know you need some work but you can do better than that!"
{"Got it! Tetra! More weight!"}
On comes another 80 pounds. I slowed a little, but got back up to speed in a second. We ran the town a bit, going for about an hour before heading to the park. I did sit ups, still in the armor.
"Listen. In the world of Devils, intelligence doesn't matter as much as strength. So, you've gotta get strong in mind and body."
{"Sounds good to me."}
"Alright, do some push ups."
I rolled over and decided to do something ballsy.
{"Push it to 400, Tetra."}
{Erm... Are you sure?}
{"Do it."}
{Alright...}
I nearly yelled out when I felt more and more weight pile in the armor. I powered through it, doing push ups as Rias sat on top of me.
"Remember, the stronger you get, the more powerful you are. The more powerful you are, the more you can accomplish."
{"R-Right!"}
"You OK? You're doing great!"
{"Just f***in peachy!"}
I kept pushing myself up and down, grunting all the while.
"I wonder what's keeping her."
{"Keeping who...?"}
"You guys! I'm here!"
I looked up, seeing Asia running towards us.
"So sorry that I'm late! I swear, I'll never let it happen again!"
She yipped and fell to ground as she tripped on herself.
"Ooooh... I'm no good at talking and running at the same time."
I slowly got to my feet and trudged over, still keeping the weight on me. I removed the bottom of the helm and took the water bottle Asia held out to me when she got up.
"Here you go."
{"Thanks, kid. Hey? What're you doing here?"}
"Well, I am part of your peerage, and I've done some training with Akeno on magic."
{"Huh. I'll have to thank her later."}
"And besides, Rias asked me to come out here."
{"Really? Why'd you do that, Ri-Ri?"}
"..."
I saw her spacing out. I knew what she was thinking about.
{"It's almost that time, is it?"}
She jumped and looked up at me.
"I'm sorry?"
{"Rias. I've fought him before. There's nothing to worry about. I said I'd protect you and everyone else, and that's what I'm gonna do. He won't stand a chance, nor will he expect the Infinite Dragon God to be paired up with a Time Godling, yea?"}
Rias giggled.
"No. I suppose not. Thank you, Neito. Now that everyone's here, we should probably get going."
{"Get going to where?"}
"Why, to your place, of course."
{"Wait, what?"}
-----
I stretched my limbs as I was getting out of the Balance Breaker. I stopped when I saw boxes on my front lawn.
"The f***? Who's boxes are these?"
"Yea, that's all my stuff. Apparently, I had more than I expected."
I looked at Asia.
"Your stuff? Rias? What's going on here?"
"Well, since Asia is a member of your peerage, she should be living here with you and the other members of your team."
"She's what?"
"It's very sweet of you to let me."
"When I asked her where she liked to live, she said as closest to her new master as possible. You have room in your home, don't you?"
"That's the problem. We only have enough rooms for the girls I had already."
"Oh, that's right. You did say that... Hmm..."
"Well, I guess I can just bring all my stuff down and set it up in the living room. I did forget that the couch is a pull out, so I can sleep there while Asia gets new decor for my room and make it her own. Hang on, I'll go see if that's possible."
I walked inside, seeing my girls coming in from the back door. They grabbed a few clothes and dried off the sweat on their bodies as I went upstairs. After a bit of reorganizing and moving things downstairs, I now had an empty room with a dresser, bed, closet, and a nightstand.
"Alright. Room's free. Make yourself at home. No rent required."
"Thank you very much. Wow... It's really spacious."
"Without all the furniture that was in here before, yea, it is. Never quite saw that until now... Huh... I need to see that building schematic I stored in the basement sometime."
I walked back downstairs, fetching out a bottle of Diet MD. I cracked it open and sat down on the couch. The other girls joined me. Ophis was on my right, Yuuma was on my left, and Kuroka was sitting comfortably on my lap. Thank god I was taller than her. Asia looked to them, puffing out her cheeks. I chuckled and scooted Kuroka to one leg, letting Asia sit down on the other side of my lap. I flicked the TV on and watched lazily. I took a look at all the girls, then shook my head.
"All these girls in my house and all that's missing is a frigging marriage proposal. Then again, as soon as someone so much as mentions it, I'm sure the others would fight over it."
Kuroka giggled.
"Nya, you got that right. You did something wonderful for all of us... except for Ophis, nya. I dunno why she decided to become part of this peerage as a queen."
"Well... How do I explain this? Let's say my Cursed Time Sacred Gear is a computer, and every time I die, the computer restarts and boots up again from the beginning, each time restarting a download process for some software or whatever. If what Ophis is telling me is true, then she's a glitch in the system, as you can't erase nothing."
"So, she goes back with you when you die?"
"Yea. While I enjoy every one of you, even to the point of a close friendly relationship... She's all I got. She's the only one I can really have a life with and stay beside in all this rewinding madness, as sh**ty as that sounds to the rest of you. Hopefully, for this run, I don't die when I expect it to happen. To put it simply, she's helping me before I help her."
The other girls nodded in understanding. Rias had already left for work at the ORC, so I just laid back and closed my eyes, taking another nap.
-----
I peeked up at the front of the classroom when the teacher motioned them all in. I perked up when I saw my entire peerage up there.
"Go on, now. Don't be shy. Introduce yourselves."
"H-Hello. My name is Asia Argento."
"Hey. I'm Yuuma Amano."
"Hello everyone. My name is, Ophis."
"And my name is Kuroka. Nice to meet you all."
Asia fidgeted for a second.
"I'm feeling like a fish out of water, but I'm excited to be here."
The class freaked out about the four girls. I just tiredly tapped my fingers against the desk, glancing out the window. It wasn't until the girls spoke up again that I refocused back at the classroom.
"Being in a new school in a strange town can be a bit overwhelming-"
"But luckily for us, we've found residence in Neito's home."
'Oh sh**.'
""""""BAS****!!!!!!""""""
I jumped from my desk, dodging a textbook. I ducked under a swing of a jealous boy, then backflipped over another that ran up behind me. I bumped right into Ophis when I landed, who somehow got to the back of the class. She clung to me and narrowed her eyes dangerously at the boys.
"Don't. Touch. My master."
"""""MASTER?!!?!?!"""""
"Oh, I think you made it worse, Ophis."
Kuroka and Yuuma walked over, glaring at the boys too.
"Leave my boyfriend alone, pigs."
"It's not nice to assault people. You should never attempt that again."
Asia, the whole time, was just confused. I shrugged at her, then went back to my seat, now surrounded by the girls, who took their seats around me. I went back to lazily staring out the window as the girls were busy talking with the other females of the class and also glaring down the boys when they dared to get close. I chuckled, then leaned into my palm, snoring slightly as I dozed off again. I reopened my eyes when a fifth student was introduced.
"Hello everyone. My name is Gabriel, and I will be attending this classroom from now on. I hope we get along."
I nearly blushed at her rather soothing voice. She was a very voluptuous young woman with curly blonde hair. I felt a heavenly presence from her and deduced her to be an Angel of some sorts. She took a seat right in front of me. After getting her stuff out, she took a glance at me, then turned to me.
"Hello there. It's nice to meet you."
I smiled.
"Nice to meet'cha too, buddy. Name's Neito Shumitto."
"As you already know, I'm Gabriel."
I shook her hand, and saw Yuuma staring at her uneasily out of the corner of my eye. I ignored it for now and went back to sleep as Gabriel got to school work.
-----
I opened up the door to the ORC and let Rias run down the essentials for pact making when we all got settled. I was gonna go with Asia on her first run seeing as she doesn't know her way around yet.
"OK, I'm all set."
"Alright. You ready to make your first pact, kiddo?"
"Hold on there, Neito."
I looked back at Rias.
"What's up, red head?"
"I think before she starts on her trips for pacts, she should get a companion to help her."
"You mean a Familiar?"
Rias snapped her fingers and a bat like creature appeared in her hand.
"Yes. This one is mine."
The bat flew over to me and perched on my head, preening its furry wings. Akeno stood up and pointed to the ground.
"This one's mine."
A small imp appeared from a Magic Square, and when I turned around to face Koneko, a white cat plastered itself on my face.
"ACK!!! WHAT THE- Oh."
I pulled the cat off my face and held it in my hands. It mewed up at me as I handed it back to Koneko.
"Geez, scared the crap outta me."
"That was Shiro."
"Cute, cuddly, and jumpscare prone... Good match for you."
"Suck it."
"No thank you."
"Mine's awesome."
I waved off Kiba.
"I don't care about your tiny dancer."
"Why do ya gotta hate, man?"
I snickered.
"I'm just kidding. Let's see him."
A flash of light beamed from his shoulder, then a sparrow flew around the room before landing back on the same shoulder.
"Huh. Suits you well. So, we're getting ones just like these?"
"Exactly."
Asia frowned.
"That's good and all, but we don't know where to even get one."
"That's the next-"
*knock* *knock*
Akeno looked to the door.
"Yes?"
It opened and the Student Council marched in, or should I say, the Sitri Devils?
"Oh, hello Sona. What can I do for you?"
"Nothing. I just wanted to congratulate you on increasing the number of your servants."
"Neito, who are these people?"
I leaned down to Asia.
"These guys are the Student Council of Kuoh. They're also another peerage of another house. House of Sitri, I think. And for the record, Sona. Kuroka, Asia, Yuuma, Ophis, and I are not servants of Rias. These four are my servants."
She widened her eyes.
"Did... you just say Ophis? As in-"
"The Infinite Dragon God? Yea, this is her. Ophis? You wanna introduce yourself?"
Ophis bowed.
"Hello. I am the Ouroboros. It is, nice to meet you."
Sona stuttered for a second before regaining a broken composure.
"Y-Yes. It's nice to meet you too, Ophis. And you say you're the king?"
"Yup. Name's Neito Shumitto. I don't run anything in particular, but I can't say I'm an average Joe either."
"Well then. I give you my full welcome to all of you. We will treat you well here."
I gave her a thumbs up as my peerage bowed in thanks. Asia tilted her head.
"Rias never said anything about them, though."
Saji, who was standing beside Sona, smirked.
"Rias. I'm hurt to see you haven't told your little boyfriend's peerage about us, but I suppose if you don't share inside info, then she's not worth much to you, huh, Sona?"
I glanced at Yuuma, then looked to Kuroka, nodding at her. She nodded and grabbed her shoulder, patting it and using her Senjutsu to calm her down. Sona glanced at him with a look of discipline.
"It's considered bad form to get involved in the affairs of others. It's only natural Rias held this back."
Sona motioned to him.
"This is Saji. My pawn."
I waved at him.
"Neito. I'm the king. Kuroka is my rook, Asia is my bishop, Yuuma is my knight, and Ophis is my queen."
"That reminds me. What pillar are you from, Neito?"
"Hmm?"
"Are you part of Gremory, Sitri, or Phenex?"
I felt Rias's overall presence get darker upon hearing the Phenex name. I sighed.
"None. I run my own show with my peerage. Though, my pieces are duplicated from Rias's spare chess pieces, so I guess in the eyes of the Officials, I'd be a part of Gremory. Heh, I was all for being a pawn, then me and blondy over there could have been brothers in arms."
"Hmph. Can it, d-bag. You and your gaggle of sl**ty sl**s don't deserve to stand in the same room as a bunch of distinguished Devils such as us."
My eye pupils shrunk to pinpricks when he said this and I looked down, my hair shadowing my eyes.
"Aww, look. He's mad. Not even gay Prince Charming over there can save you from me. I took on 4 pawn pieces buddy."
"Saji, he's the king of his own peerage, and he's recruited one of the two strongest existences in this reality. It isn't wise to pick a fight with someone who-"
{Time Break!}
I slammed Saji to the wall and held him there by his throat. Time went back to normal and he began choking and turning blue quickly. My vision had a weird silverish haze around the perimeters and my eyes turned a sharp silver themselves. I stared at him with the most emotionless face that even rivals Ophis when she acts like her old self before she met me.
"Y'know, this run doesn't really mean anything. There are just a few things about it that make my life much more enjoyable and easy going. But if there's one thing I've learned to do in all my past lives, it's how to kill quickly, and kill with insanity. You say you're a distinguished Devil, but you're just another has-been, wannabe reincarnation only trying to impress Sona Sitri."
Pieces of the ORC began to break off into whiteness.
"THAT will never happen. I should know. I spent one of my lives with her until my time of death. She's a hard person to impress. Tell me, what have you done for her already? I can tell you one thing. You have not taken on an entire army 3000 plus times over to protect those you care about!"
The world began to fade around me. I was resetting my world manually without death.
"Someone could literally toss me between all those who call themselves my family and they would fight to the death for me because of what I've given them! That's MORE than enough than what YOU'VE done!"
"MASTER NEITO!!!"
I gasped and backed away, a sharp throbbing pain striking my brain the second I let him go and my eyes reverted back to normal.
"F***!!!"
I fell to my knees, gripping my head in pain. Ophis walked over to me.
"Master Neito. What did you, see?"
I panted a little before looking around. The ORC was intact again.
"I saw... I saw the world breaking around me, going back into the same whiteness it all evaporates into before the world goes back. My eyes. They... They felt weird."
Ophis checked my eyes.
"Your eye recitals, just inside your pupils are, now silver."
"What...? What... What the hell was all that, Ophis? What did I almost just do?"
"You almost reran the world, again."
"Is... this rewinding the world thing another ability?"
"Yes, and you've unlocked it, very prematurely now that I, see it. Because of this premature, awakening of power, you have been uncontrollably rewinding time every time you, die, and each time, your mind creates new entities. It makes sense considering, you are the Godling to the Baltic Goddess of Time, who is said to be able to manipulate, space just the same."
I took a few deep breaths.
"This ability, we'll call it the Timer. Since this Sacred Gear is labeled as, cursed, it was never mastered or tamed by any of the other Godlings who had such a power because they were, not compatible with it."
"Compatible?"
"For you to be able to stop it, you are chosen by it. You are the first compatible Godling to possess, Cursed Time."
"So... I can stop it? I can control this looping of worlds?"
"It will take a lot of mental training and physical practice, but yes. You will be able to tear to the heart, of this world's creation, and manipulate where you want to go in the events you were present in, or will be present in, and where you want to start if you are to die."
"How do you... know all this?"
"I have done many, things in my time. Studying the rarest of the rare Sacred Gears was, one of them."
She helped me to my feet.
"You are well on your way to, piecing together how to control your life's demise and pattern, as well as controlling, time itself, hence your first ability Time Break. For now, your mind has suffered. Rest on the couch there."
I walked slowly to the couch, plopping down on it next to Koneko. Sona drank in all that was said and was more overwhelmed than I have seen her yet. She cleared her throat.
"I-I'll read into all that was said later. My apologies on Saji's behalf. He's young. I hope you'll forgive him. His youth may take over. Newbies don't always appreciate the finer points of civility, do they?"
Saji flinched as he rubbed his neck.
"Right."
He stood up and held his hand out to Asia.
"My pleasure."
"No, the pleasure's all mine."
Saji suddenly became ecstatic and began shaking hands with her happily.
"Hey, you sure you're not an Angel, because I'm pretty sure you just fell down from Heaven!"
I stood up again, bashing the table in front of the couch as I did.
"That's it! I'm gonna kick your a**, man!"
I stalked towards him dangerously as he backed away from Asia, hiding behind Sona. I grinned at him with glowing yellow eyes.
"Where do you balls to go after I rip them off?"
Sona's peerage shivered at my power burst, then I held out my hand.
"Heh, I'm just kidding around with you. I don't mind ya getting friendly with Asia, buddy."
My signature went down a bit and Saji hesitantly shook my hand, only to cry out in my iron grip.
"But let me warn you. If you EVER try a stunt like that again... I'll know, and next time, I will f***in eat your limbs. Do you understand?"
He pushed back with a grip of his own.
"Oh, you think you got that sh** on lockdown? You aren't the only bull in this rodeo anymore, d***face!"
"This is embarrassing."
"I know. Is it?"
I pointed at Rias and Sona.
"Shut the hell up, the both of you!"
"I may have misjudged you at first by thinking you were a servant, but you didn't realize that I'm not doing flyer sh** no more. I'm getting a Familiar and everything, b****."
"Well, you're just in time then. My team and I are heading to the Familiar Forest to get ones ourselves, too."
"Oh? Is that your plan, Rias?"
"Yes. I was thinking of taking them tonight, actually."
"That's going to be a bit of a problem for us as the Familiar Master only takes one peerage per month."
Rias grinned mischievously at Sona.
"In that case, why don't we settle this over a little competition?"
"A contest? Surely, you don't mean a Rating Game."
The red head giggled.
"Oh no. We'd never get permission to do that."
"Yes, you're right. Besides, this isn't the time to call attention to yourself, is it?"
I knew what she was talking about and let go of Saji.
"Sona. I wouldn't go there if I were you. I know what Rias' situation is, and as a good friend, surely you'd respect the hardships that comes with the problem, not spit on her for it."
"I did not mean anything by that. I'm sorry if there was some offense taken."
"Hey, it's not my place to get offended, but I guess now Rias and her crew is gonna have to beat your a** twice as hard for that remark."
"But what kind of competition are we going to participate in?"
"It's a school, Sona. You got plenty of options. I'll pick one for you. Tennis, and I'll even go out and buy you and your queens some rackets and a ball."
"Why can't we use the ones-"
"Tennis match on an away game, I've heard. Besides, I got money."
"Well, if you insist, then thank you. We will await your return at the Tennis Court."
I nodded and jumped through a Magic Circle, only to crash onto Rias's desk when I came out of the ceiling. I bounced off and flipped her chair over onto the ground. I groaned in pain for a second before pushing myself up. Yuuma walked over to me, peering over the desk.
"Are you OK, Neito?"
"I'm fine... I'm fine. Just... I'll use my wings."
I trudged to the window and opened it. I sprouted my Devil wings and blasted out, going to the store.
-----
I stood in front of the gate to the inside of the Tennis Court. I had spent 30 dollars on 4 rackets each and an extra 5 on a ball. I heard the crowd cheering on the two pairs of girls and saw the students crowded around the outskirts of the fence. I smirked, then looked back in as I saw the game start.
'They better not use magic. I told them it was off limits. Those cost me $125 and they'd better hope they take care of these like their gold.'
-----
"..."
I stared at the four girls who were sitting on the couch with their heads hung down. Sona, Rias, Tsubaki, and Akeno did not listen to a WORD I told them about magic usage and went full ahead. Now, I have a destroyed ball and four useless and burned rackets sitting on Rias' desk while I sat in her chair. I gave them the most unamused look I had while their peerages were standing on the far side of the room. Mine was standing to the wall beside me as my eye twitched every now and again. Sona cleared her throat.
"I-"
I smashed my fist on the desk, my aura flaring REALLY freaking largely.
"YOU MOTHERF***IN PIECES OF SH**!!! WHEN I SPEND 125 DOLLARS TO GET YOU SOMETHING LIKE RACKETS AND A BALL, I EXPECT YOU TO TREAT THEM LIKE F***IN JEWELRY!!! I DON'T GIVE A SH** ABOUT- I SPENT A F***IN FORTUNE FOR SOMETHING AS MEDIOCRE AS-"
I pushed the chair back, standing up and flinging my arms up in a fit of anger.
"GOD D*** IT!!! I F***IN KNEW THIS SH** WAS GONNA HAPPEN!!! I F***IN CALLED IT WHEN YOU TWO WERE GONNA EMPTY MY WALLET FOR NO F***IN REASON!!! WHAT THE F***, SONA AND RIAS!!?!!? WHY IS IT THAT WHENEVER YOU TWO ARE IN COMPETITIVE MODE, YOU LOSE PERCEPTION OF REALITY AND DON'T REALIZE THAT YOUR BREAKING EVERYTHING AROUND YOU?!?!? WHY?!?! WHY CAN'T YOU JUST LISTEN TO THE MOTHERF***ER WHO TELLS YOU THAT MAGIC WAS F***IN OFF LIMITS IN A FAIR GAME OF GOD D*** TENNIS!?!? WHEN YOU DON'T LISTEN, THIS SH** HAPPENS!!!!! THIS IS THE 10TH F***IN TIME I'VE HAD TO TELL YOU TWO THIS IN ANY OF MY 3058 RUNS IN THIS WORLD, AND GOD D*** IT, IT'S F***IN ANNOYING!!!"
I took a few breaths, leaning against the desk.
"I can't believe... I spent 125 dollars on this god d*** sh**!"
I dug out my receipt and threw it at them.
"And I spent 125.45 dollars on this god d*** bullsh**!"
I paced around the back of the desk, then pointed at Sona.
"You! Get the f*** out! Get out, now! You're done here!"
"But what about the compe-"
"I don't give a SH** ABOUT THE F***IN COMPETITION ANYMORE!!! IT'S NOT WORTH IT!!! NEITHER OF YOU ARE GOING TO THE FAMILIAR FOREST!!! GET THE F*** OUT BEFORE I THROW YOU OUT MYSELF!!!"
Sona and Tsubaki stood up and left silently with her crew. I turned to Rias before she can speak.
"I'll see you and your group later."
"Wait, we're comin-"
"No, you're F***IN NOT!!! SIT YOUR A** BACK DOWN!!! YOU F***ED UP; SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR ACTIONS FOR ONCE IN YOUR F***IN LIFE!!! SHOW SOME GOD D*** HUMILITY, FOR F***S SAKE!!!"
She was silenced and stayed seated. I took more deep breaths, calming myself down long enough to turn to my peerage.
"Alright... So, we going to the Familiar Forest, or what?"
They nodded and I motioned to Ophis. She nodded and pointed to the ground, summoning a Magic Circle to the forest. I let the girls go first before walking through myself. I sealed the Circle behind us and looked around the familiar Familiar Forest.
"Where are we, Neito?"
"This is a forest where the Familiars live, Asia. It's magical, or whatever."
I turned myself around, then looked around again.
"Alright, where is that motherf***er?"
"What motherf***er?"
I glanced at Kuroka.
"I'm talking about the Familiar Master. The guy who looks like a coked out version of Ash Ketchum."
"Who wants me?!"
We turned our heads up upon hearing the FM's voice.
"W-Who's there?!"
FM pointed to himself.
"The Master of Familiars! That's the name! If your goal is to find Familiars galore, you've come at the right time, that's for sure! The full moon is out to help you decide, and I'll be here to act as your guide!"
I leaned down to Asia.
"In case you haven't picked it up yet, he's a rhyme fanatic."
"Now, how can help you?! Tell me all your wants and desires! A fast one, one that can fly, or even one that can set fires!"
"Alright, girls. Who's going first?"
Kuroka shrugged.
"Nya, I'm not all interested in Familiars. I like being the companion, and it sounds like too much work for lil old me, nya.~ I'll sit this one out."
"Yea, I'm with her too, Neito. Fallen Angels can't have Familiars. Only Devils can."
"Ophis?"
"I do not need, one. I am the Infinite Dragon God."
"Alright then. Fair enough. I know getting a Familiar myself is pretty useless, so I guess it's all you, Asia."
"Oh geez. U-Um, excuse me, Mr. Familiar Master?! Can I have one that is really cute and fun to be around?!"
"Fun? Done and done!"
"Oh! Thank you so much!"
He jumped down and motioned to the path.
"Stay on the path at all times. Straying from it can lead to something worse than my rhymes."
"Oh sh**. We'd actually better stay on the path, then. I can't imagine something worse than your rhyming, buddy."
"Very funny. Come along now, before this ride gets any more punny."
"I hate you."
"Feeling's mutual."
We walked along the path until we got to a lake.
"This lake is awesome, righteous and right. Down in the bottom, you'll find Familiar sprites."
I saw a light coming from the center, and just like all the other times I've been in this forest, the same buff as hell sprite bursts from the water. I made no reaction to it, even though I was still mentally scarred from it. Tetra was on my left, rolling on the ground laughing. The others were... I don't even know their reactions. We moved on as quickly as we came.
"That sprite back there."
"What's up, Asia?"
"She had really kind eyes. She looked tough on the outside, but I'm sure that she was soft."
"Heh, soft? You see the pecs on that woman."
"Oh my."
We stopped as FM pointed up.
"Look high!"
We all turned our heads upward, seeing Asia's soon to be Sprite Dragon.
"Aww!~ It's so cute!~"
"Cute, but dangerous too. If these dragons get angry, they shoot a lightning that's blue."
"That dragon is rare, Asia. In all of my runs, I've only seen one with you and Rias's crew at this exact moment. I think it's somewhat destiny for you two to be together."
The Sprite Dragon looked down at us, then glided down to me, plopping on the shoulder that was facing Asia. He leaned down and sniffed her.
"Hehehehe!~ Stop it! That tickles!"
He jumped from my shoulder onto hers, nuzzling her. FM smirked as I grinned again.
"That was faster than I thought."
"Now, isn't that sweet? Alright, I gotta take a sh**, so you guys need to beat feet."
I facepalmed at the Familiar Master, then grabbed the Dragon and put him down on the ground.
"Alright, Asia. You know how to do this?"
"I've read a book back in the Occult Research Club a little while back. It had these little creatures as a topic."
"Really? I'm gonna have to read up on it when I got the time."
I stepped back as Asia did the ritual, and the Dragon sprite accepted it without hesitation. For some reason, throughout the time I linked up with Rias again, I felt... weird. Rias had justified her reason for killing me, so there was nothing to worry about now that she sees that I'm worth something, but something was wrong. Everything was passing me by too quickly. Almost as if it were fast-forwarding to something... bad.
"Neito? Earth to Neito, nya!"
I jumped and looked to my right, seeing my crew standing next to a Magic Circle.
"We're ready to go."
"Oh. Yea. Coming."
I turned and walked into the Magic Circle with them. Yuuma was eyeing me as I was spacing out quite a bit.
"Are you OK?"
"Huh? Oh, yea. Just thinking about a few things."
"What kind of things?"
"..."
I glanced to my side again.
"Just... things. Listen. I gotta go. I'm hungry, and I'm planning on hitting the hay early."
I turned and walked towards the door, waving at them.
"Don't wait up for me, K?"
Ophis watched me with curiosity as I walked out the door. I knew that she was suspecting something, but right now, I needed to think about 'other' things.
-----
"I wonder what that was all about."
Ophis continued to stare at the door Neito left through. He's been acting strange since we went to the Familiar Forest. Ophis pointed her finger at the door and mumbled something. I was about to ask, until the club continued their assignments. I decided to leave it be for now and get my answers later.
-----
"It doesn't make any sense. I shouldn't be fretting like this over it. It should not happen this time. She sees me as an equal."
{Honey, please. Calm down. You're stressing yourself. If you really think it won't happen again, then it won't. Don't think about-}
"I'm trying! But all my thoughts have suddenly drifted to it and I can't get my mind off it!"
*FLARE*
I turned to the front of my bedroom, seeing Rias coming out of a Magic Circle.
"Rias? What're you doing here so late?"
She grabbed my shoulders, pushing me down on my swivel chair.
"Please, Neito! You HAVE to take me!"
I widened my eyes, as I remembered this scene.
"What? Why? Is this about-"
"Yes! This is the ONLY way I can get out of this! Once it is known that I am ruined, I will finally be free!"
I pushed her off.
"Rias, no! That's not the only way! I told you that I'd protect you from-"
"I don't care what you said! Just because you said you'd protect us, that doesn't mean you have the power to back that up!"
"Rias, I took down an ENTIRE ARMY of Fallen Priests! I know what I'm-"
Her hand flared with her energy.
"Do me or die, Neito!"
"!!!"
I threw my hand up, putting a spire between us. I looked at her with a mix of anger and disbelief.
"Wh-What did you just say?"
"You heard me! You're too weak and useless to fight Riser! He'll destroy you!"
I felt my heart crack when she matched me with the word 'useless'. She was turning back to the Rias that killed me before. I narrowed my eyes.
"I will not do this, Rias. That is final!"
She roared in fury and threw her Destruction Magic at me. I dodged expertly.
"Rias! Chill! You know I have your back! I'm NOT useless!"
She threw more, now in a blind and selfish rage. My body felt stiff as I was dodging her attacks.
"I took down an entire army on my own! I convinced a powerful Fallen Angel to join my ranks! I even have Ophis on my side!"
'Tetra! What's happening?! Why is my body feeling this way?!'
{Oh god... Oh god, no. It can't be... Neito! You need to run! You need to get out here, now!}
'What?! Why-'
*BAM*
I gasped when Rias's red fist went right through my chest. My powers deactivated as she pulled out her hand, making me drop to the floor on my knees.
-----
I was startled when Ophis suddenly stood up and looked out the window. She pointed her finger at it and blew the wall to pieces before flying out quickly and in extreme haste.
"Ophis! Where are you going?! Ophis! Wait!"
Akeno and I followed after her just as quickly, struggling to keep up. We all gasped when we saw holes in Neito's bedroom, all of them burning with a crimson smoke.
"No..."
I'd never seen the Infinite Dragon God so... scared. She flew towards the house like a speeding bullet.
-----
I grunted when Rias surrounded her foot with her magic, kicking me to the wall.
"You. You're useless. I ask for one thing, and you can't even do it because you will 'protect me'. You can't protect me, not here, and certainly not when he comes."
She stomped on my head, drawing blood from it.
"You don't deserve the Evil Pieces you crafted."
She drilled her hand into my chest again, grabbing the king piece attached to my heart, slowly pulling.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!"
*TEAR*
I threw up blood as my heartbeat got slower. Rias held the indigo king piece in her hand, using her magic to slowly burn it away.
"R-Rias... I... trusted you. I thought..."
"You thought what? That I actually cared for you? That I wouldn't get rid of you after you were done with Riser Phenex? I don't care about your health or what hardships you would've faced. I was only using you to get out of this. Nothing more and nothing less, you pathetic lowly Devil."
I felt cold tears trickle down my cheeks as I let out a slow, weakened chuckle.
"Heh... Heheh... Once a Devil... Always a Devil, huh?"
I spat out some blood.
"Guess I... shouldn't have expected anything else. Just didn't really see... it come this early..."
I sighed, coughing a little as I did. On the outside, it looked like acceptance, but on the inside, I was crying. I was in anguish that I never felt before. This Rias, out of all the others, took it to a whole new level. She gained my trust, then threw me away... like trash. The others, I knew what to expect with, but with this run being so new... Unpredictability is a b****, isn't it?
"Neito!"
"Master...!"
I looked over, seeing Yuuma and Ophis flying in. Ophis widened her eyes when she saw me while Yuuma gasped and ran over immediately.
"N-No! Yu-Yu! Go-"
I couldn't get my words out fast enough before she was blown to red smithereens by Rias's magic.
"No-!"
Ophis stepped back from the explosion of blood, looking down at her former friend.
"My... friend..."
"Ophis... Run... It'll be... alright..."
Ophis's draconic energy flared up in a blazing fire. Akeno flew in last through the hole right beside me. She perked up at my disheveled form and knelt down next to me. Ophis. She looked pissed. Beyond pissed. She was livid, enraged, borderline terrifying.
"I... will... erase you."
She pointed her finger at Rias, covering her in her own magic and slowly tearing her apart. I watched the scene of brutality with... glee. I grinned wide at the sight of her screaming her head off, literally, then coughed and placed my hand over the hole leading to my heart. Akeno saw the remains of Yuuma and burst into tears immediately. Ophis walked over to me, kneeling down on the other side as I smirked.
"I should have known things were adding up to something terrible. It's how it's always gonna be..."
"I-I can't believe Rias would..."
Ophis remained silent with her saddened expression on her face. She traced her finger down my body, shaking her head slightly.
"I'm sorry, my friend."
"No... No, this isn't any of your faults. I shouldn't have left my guard down. I was an idiot, and now I suffer for it. Heh, ironic considering I've done nothing but suffer from the beginning."
"Neito, please don't speak such-"
"What else is there to say, Akeno? You were the only nice one out of the bunch. You were the only one I liked... Just... let me see you in the next run happily. Don't cry for me... Let me die, seeing a smile, OK? From the both of you."
Ophis attempted, but failed. I chuckled at her and petted her head. My grip on my body became weak, and my arm fell to the floor.
{Partner... Honey... You weren't the only one who took a hit.}
'What?'
{I... protected you. I took some of the pain and split it. We're both heavily injured.}
'God d*** it, Tetra...'
{Sweetie...}
I let out one more weak cough before the world faded around me. I closed my eyes and exhaled, going to sleep.
-----
"Hey! Neito! Wake up!"
I jerked upright and gasped for air as I shot my eyes open. I breathed as I woke up... in the backseat of a car.
"Whoa. Neito? You OK, bro?"
I looked to my right, seeing a brown haired teen sitting next to me. Upon seeing his face, I felt some memories flood back into my head.
'That's... my older brother, Issei Shumitto Hyoudou. Yea. Me, him, and our parents were moving to... Kuoh from our previous spot due to a business relocation for dad's job. We were in this car ride and the next thing I knew, I was out like a light. Then... Was all that... It can't be...! It can't all be a-!'
"Neito? Speak to me, brother. You doing alright?"
Mom looked back at me.
"Honey? Are you OK?"
'Her voice. It sounds like... Tetra's. No... no way. I can't believe that...'
I rubbed my forehead.
"That all was a... dream?"
"Did you have a nightmare, sweetie?"
"Wh-... What happened?"
"What do you mean? We're on our way to our new house in Kuoh. You were drawing those weird symbols and schematics before you fell asleep."
"Huh?"
I looked down in my hands, seeing a notebook from one of my runs.
'This is the notebook I used to craft all those Magic Circles during Sona's lessons on them. I researched more and more, filling this notebook with elemental, defensive, offensive, tactical, and buffer Magic Circles.'
I flipped through the pages, seeing every last detail the same way I left it. But there was something sticking out at the end. A note inside a fancy looking envelope. The seal sticker was a golden clock. Mom tilted her head at it.
"What's that, Neito? I don't think I recall seeing that in the notebook before."
"Did someone give that to you during your last day of school?"
Dad smirked.
"Was it a special someone?"
Mom smacked him while I ignored them. I opened the envelope and saw fancy gold writing inside. I read it in my head.
'Neito. I am sorry. I am truly sorry for this. You do not know me, but I know you. I know what you have suffered, and what you've suffered indefinitely for thousands of world repeats. My name is Kruonis, the Lithuanian Goddess of Time, or as you've referred to me as, your mother. I am sorry to say that you are wrong on that behalf. I am not your mother, and you were given the Cursed Time power without my knowledge. For this, you have gone through something that no human should have gone through. Because the Cursed Sacred Gear fuses with the body of the host, I could not remove it, but I was able to modify it. By doing so, you were able to wake up from your nightmare, as these runs, as you call them, were taking place in your sleep. Your ability, you know as Timer, is removed completely, as well as the Mother Earth Dragon, who was just a figment conjured up by your imagination. A companion who would comfort you. For a human, you have made me proud and impressed, and it is because of this that I give you the notebook containing your schematics of the Magic Circles from the world repeat number 1046. I do hope you learn these well alongside the power that comes with Cursed Time. Be careful, for everything you do now is permanent, and there is no going back. Ophis will meet you in the near future too, as she connected with you during your time with her. Again, I am sorry that you had to bear such a curse for so long, and I hope you can forgive me. Let us meet soon, and promise me you won't kill without reason, as I know you will due to emotions. -Kruonis'
I folded up the letter, my bangs shadowing my eyes.
"Neito? What did it say...?"
I smiled while a few tears went down my cheeks.
"Heh... Heheheh... Let's just say... I had a warm welcome, and warm goodbye from a friend."
Mom smiled warmly at me and brushed my hair.
"You always were strong, Neito Hyoudou Shumitto. You and Issei make us happy as parents."
Dad muttered.
"Even though Issei is an abnormally horny child."
I chuckled as mom smacked him again.
"Well, dad. With being a teenager, that kinda comes as a given, yea?"
"Whatever."
I laughed a bit before deciding to study the schematics of the Magic Circles. I put the letter in my pocket and flipped to the first page. As I was examining the pages, I couldn't help but KNOW that Rias is gonna get her hands on us again. With me being fresh out of my second year in junior high, now that I remember clearly, I don't think there's any middle school around for me to attend my final junior high year, which means I'll need to be by Issei's side in his new high school.
'I'll just need to use my head, decline Rias's offer at all times, and train myself with these Magic Circles so I can defend Issei and myself.'
I sighed and looked out the window, seeing Kuoh on a sign for the next exit on the freeway.

'Here we go again...'