The Gremory sure are luxurious.
I relaxed and laid down on the bed spreading my hands out. Ichika was out exploring the estate with Rias and the group. Though it's unpleasant how they're trying to extract information from her I can only ignore it. That busty milf Venelana… I'll pound the shit out of her when I get the chance.
I stared at the ceiling of the guest room in silence while waiting for Kaguya to arrive.
While I might not know what exactly they're talking about, simply showing my strength and regeneration has made me invaluable in the eyes of Sirzechs.
I had a general prediction of their conversation.
Though for safety purposes I still sent Kaguya over.
As an invisible entity with eyes and ears wasn't she the perfect spy?
Due to Kaguya being an Anomaly, she couldn't be perceived by those who weren't Heavenly Beings. That was why Ajuka shouldn't have been able to pick up my conversation with Kaguya and failed to trace my whereabouts as I fled.
"You were right." An ethereal voice whispered next to me.
I didn't need to turn my head to know Kaguya was now beside me.
"Was it as I said?"
"More or less. They plan to use you as a spearhead against the Old Faction. Hehe that Sirzechs seems to be planning to have you and Rias get closer. He's enticed by your bloodline."
"Everything went according to plan." I heaved a sigh of relief before smiling.
The moment I knew I was in DxD I had begun formulating a general plan.
I used Ichika as a younger sister not only to infiltrate Rias's peerage but also to stir a favourable position in the eyes of Sirzechs, one of the strongest beings in DxD. Now that I've gotten his interest I don't have to purposefully go after Rias.
Sirzechs himself would make sure Rias and I become a couple.
Not only have I gained a strong thigh to latch on to but I've also effectively caused one of the biggest changes to this world's plot. Issei will no longer join Rias's peerage and the Red Dragon Emperor will take a new path.
A path that I shall dictate.
There were ups and downs, especially having to make the risky move of destroying Grigori.
But I don't regret it, it was necessary.
Not only for the faint suspicion of being detected as the Anomaly but also to force Sirzechs to bring Rias back to the Underworld.
Earth was a cesspool of Chaos. Being in the Underworld would allow me to gain peaceful sustainability under the protection of the Crimson Prince of Destruction. Even if I'm somehow discovered as the Anomaly I can surely leverage this relationship I've built for a chance to escape and ensure my safety.
Everything I've done till this point was carefully calculated.
Why did I use such a dubious method to join Rias's peerage?
Why had I deliberately beat them all up showcasing my inhuman strength?
It wasn't for anything trivial like fun or showing off.
It was all for this private audience with Sirzechs to expose my 'Divine Strength' and 'Infinite Regeneration'.
Now I could peacefully bring changes to the plot step by step by messing with the characters. I will slowly begin by capturing the hearts of Rias, Akeno and Koneko.
All the while without being interrupted.
It'll be folly for Sirzechs to abandon an important political piece like me.
It wasn't that he no longer considered me suspicious.
Hahaha, even thinking that would be incredibly naive. I simply cannot underestimate these old scheming monsters.
It was because Sirzechs probably didn't even consider me as a threat.
His confidence laid in his status as a Super Devil.
A Being of Mass Destruction.
And me, Yamamoto Tatsuya?
Nothing!
An ant that he could squash at anytime.
And that was fine for the time being.
It is what I wish for.
Because once I gain enough strength…
A cold chuckle escaped my lips as I noticed Kaguya finish 'eating'.
"Do you want to do it the old style?" Kaguya smiled softly and I rolled my eyes, "Sure."
She disappeared.
[Ding!]
[Annihilated Grigori! Altered the Plot of DxD! Calculating Rewards—]
[Major upheaval caused in the Human World. All Supernatural Factions have been alerted of the Soul Reaper. Major characters like Kokabiel, Azazel and Baraqiel have been killed along with thousands of minor Fallen Angels. Grigori an important faction to the plot of DxD removed. Reward— 15000 World Essence.]
[Asia Argento was spared the fate of death as the Fallen Angels like Raynare and Kalawarner escaped. Rias will no longer gain the user of the Sacred Gear— Twilight Healing in her peerage. Reward— 1000 World Essence.]
[Caused a major shift in the plot! With the escape of Raynare, the original tragedy of Issei's death and the beginning of the plot have been altered successfully. Reward— 5000 World Essence.]
[Interfered with the Alliance Marriage of Rias Gremory and Riser Phoenix. The Current Satan intends to have his sister marry you and interfere with the regime of the Old Devils. Reward— 1000 World Essence.]
[Current World Essence— 22,000]
How generous.
For some reason, I felt like Kaguya was giving me much more World Essence than I deserved.
[You do not need to feel that way, my dear Host. The essence source of this world is incomparably purer than the previous World. Even minor actions like altering the fate of Asia Argento and the like can give you thousands of units of World Essence.]
Kaguya, it's about time you explained how you'll increase my strength.
I was much more concerned about how much of my strength she could actually impact and increase. I've been thinking about it but after attacking Grigori I have come to realise just where I stand in this world.
With Garou's Physique alone I could fight High-Class Devils and demolish them. If I did my best I could attempt a prolonged battle against Low Tier Ultimate-Class Devils.
If I were to not use my abilities at best I could win but not be able to kill them.
But if I use my abilities…
My Hollow Mask amplifies my strength by 4x.
Godspeed allows me to move at incredible speeds and Whirlwind, which boosts my reflexes, will make sure most Ultimate-Class Devils can't touch me.
If I can ambush unaware Ultimate-Class Devils using Roy Mustang's Fire Alchemy I can potentially insta-kill Low Tier Ultimate-Class Devils.
Roy Mustang's Fire Alchemy and Gloves are a valuable asset.
I do not have to 'throw' or 'launch' fire from myself, but rather explosive flames simply appear wherever I wish for them to at an instantaneous speed. Only a single moment is needed to incinerate a target, the size or location mattering little.
Kushina's Golden Vajra Sealing Chains should also be effective against most Ultimate-Class Devils considering not even a being of mass destruction like the Kyuubi could escape from them.
Ban's Regeneration makes me practically unkillable unless faced with conceptual erasure attacks or soul-based attacks.
Blood Manipulation is convenient. Soul Eater and Dream Dive are abilities I'll use somewhat rarely. I simply cannot allow my soul to wander in such a place.
That is all if I remember correctly…
Wait.
I feel like I'm missing something.
Ah—
Don't I have Spidey Sense as well?
I couldn't help but feel a chill go down my spine.
Hollow Mask and Godspeed combined with Spidey Senses…
"Am I not a bit broken… Kaguya?"
[I am pleased to serve my Host.]
Now tell me, how exactly will I grow strongerusing World Essence?
My excitement was stirred, just from the unconventional abilities I had I could at least fight against weak Satan-Class Beings without dying. If I could also trap them and isolate them I could exhaust anyone to death with my regeneration alone.
And if Kaguya's amplification were to be…
A wide smile graced my lips.
[The amplification is nothing complicated, Host. Using World Essence I will simply double the amount of Demonic Energy you hold. Each amplification process will stack as you continue to double the amount of Demonic Energy you have. The price of each amplification also doubles as you continue to use this feature.]
I couldn't help but be shocked.
Doubling my Demonic Energy with each amplification?
Depending on the price I could quite quickly become one of the strongest in this world.
However, there was one problem.
The current Demonic Energy I held was nothing special. The Rook piece did amplify my physical strength but it wasn't by much. Apparently, my talent in magic was not as good as Ichika's. I was just your average run-of-mill Reincarnated Devil.
Even the Spiritual Energy I use for the Cero or Chakra for the Golden Chain, come from Kaguya's parasitic bridge connected to those worlds. It wasn't technically my own energy.
Just as I was pondering over my circumstances Kaguya's voice interrupted me—
[To make things easier for the Host, I have decided to quantify the power of the beings in this world. This should help the host make accurate judgments while assessing the danger in most situations. Note— These numbers I have used are simply the estimate of the amount of Demonic Energy these individuals have. Skills or Abilities are not included so do not confuse these numbers with true Battle Strength. Consider it as merely the amount of energy these beings wield.]
Looks like you haven't been slacking off either, Kaguya.
I couldn't help but be appreciative of her help.
[No need for such pleasantries, Host. I am you and you are me. Your survival is my survival.]
My smile widened as Kaguya began to explain the power structure in this world.
____________________________________________
[Low-Class Devil— 1 - 10 units
Mid-Class Devil— 10 - 100 units
High-Class Devil— 100 - 1,000 units
Ultimate-Class Devil— 1,000 - 10,000 units
Maou-Class— 10,000 - 100,000 units
Super Devil / God-Class— 100,000 - 1,000,000 units
Ophis / Great Red / Trihexa— 1,000,000+ units]
____________________________________________
As I read through the power structure my lips twitched.
"Kaguya… How much Demonic Energy do I have?"
[...]
For fucks sake.
[3 units… Host.]
[Here is your character profile.]
[Host- Yamamoto Tatsuya (Adrian Frost)
Age- 16 (22)
Race- Devil
Demonic Energy- 3 units
Skills- Soul Eater, Vajra Golden Sealing Chains, Roy Mustang's Alchemy and Gloves, Hollow Mask, Spidey Senses, Dream Dive, Blood Manipulation, Ban's Regeneration, Godspeed
Items- Dragon Balls (4/7), Grayfia's bra and panties, Invisibility Cloak, 499 Million Yen]
I scanned through the panel and sighed.
With a heavy heart, I smiled awkwardly.
"Uh, so how much for amplification?"
Supposedly she'll double my Demonic Energy after amplification but…
Fuck!
Yay, I have 6 units of Demonic Energy after who knows how much spent World Essence on one amplification!
I sighed again; doing that a lot lately.
"How much is the amplification cost?"
I was ready for the worst, after all, Kaguya did mention it would be expensive. If it was really too much then I'll just spin the wheel and pray for the bes—
Fuck, I can't even pray now, can I? How unluck—
[1 unit of World Essence.]
…?
For a second my thoughts froze as I stopped being playful. A frown involuntarily found its way to my face as I realised the implications of what Kaguya just said.
Ha…ha…ha-ha-ha-ha
Are you joking?
The thought slipped.
[No.]
Her blunt reply made me go blank for a second.
I shook my head.
I…
…I was prepared to face some hardship in this world. After all, with all these broken characters possessing weird bloodlines and abilities, even I would have a hard time surviving.
But now…
If I amplify would you be able to conceal my mana fluctuations?
[500 World Essence.]
What about concealing my Demonic Magic after?
[1500 World Essence.]
A grin spread across my face, the ferocity of it nearly tearing the corner of my own lips. I wish none would ever be able to see the current expression on my face.
Sometimes it's just really hard to control myself.
"Amplify…" A whisper escaped my lips, "Amplify! Amplify! Amplify! Amplify! Amplify! Amplify! Amplify! Amplify! Amplify! Amplify! Amplify! Amplify!"
I could feel my insides rip apart.
The entire essence of my body was completely restructured as Ban's Regeneration worked to keep me alive. My body was in a state of collapse. Before a single amplification could settle I haphazardly chanted the word amplification, as if caught in a mystifying spell.
…
A long while passed as I continued to stare at the ceiling in a daze.
The raging storm of mana inside my body began to settle down.
With anticipation, my lips parted softly.
"Character Profile."
[Host- Yamamoto Tatsuya (Adrian Frost)
Age- 16 (22)
Race- Devil
Demonic Energy- 3 —› 24,576 units
World Essence- 3617 units]
I took a deep breath as my excitement settled down. My rationality took over once again and I began to contemplate.
I had amplified my Demonic Energy 13 times.
The cost went like this—
1 -› 2 -› 4 -› 8 -› 16 -› 32-› 64 -› 128 -› 256 -› 512 -› 1024 -› 2048 -› 4096 -› 8192
Total World Essence spent— 18, 383 = 16,383 + 2000 (Hiding the process.)
Similarly, doubling my initial 3 units of Demonic energy thirteen times led to the current 24,576.
A Satan-Class Devil had Demonic Energy between 10,000-100,000 units.
My current Demonic Energy placed me at the lower end of the Maou-Class but I wasn't disheartened at all!
What made it exhilarating was the Hollow Mask!
The Hollow Mask increases my overall strength by four times and that includes my Demonic Energy!
That would mean Demonic Energy of 98,304 units!
With the Hollow Mask, my Demonic Energy soared to the absolute peak of the Satan Class!
Ban's Regeneration and Godspeed's reaction time along with Spidey Senses also gave me the confidence that I could fight with some weak Super Devils at best and escape with my life at worst.
The next amplification would cost me 16,384 units of World Essence which would also result in me becoming a Super-Devil, a God-Class Being!
Nonetheless, I should calm down.
Beings like Shiva, the Heavenly Dragons and Ophis/Great Red can still obliterate me. Sirzechs Power of Destruction still makes me wary. I can't afford to fight them for now. I don't know if they can kill me but sealing me for eternity would be effortless.
A day I never wished to see.
…
While Tatsuya was immersed in strengthening himself.
On the other side of the Gremory Mansion.
Grayfia walked along the long hallway as she contemplated a strategy.
I'll first gauge her impression of him and decide after.
If it's favourable I can move to the next step and if it's not…
It didn't take her long to reach the dining hall where Ichika and Rias's peerage were having a variety of dishes for dinner.
It seems like Sir and Madam have left. Did they find something out?
She noticed there was a large tablet in the hands of Ichika.
The sounds coming from it made her raise a brow in surprise.
"That's one of the most famous Rating Games in recent years." Rias was calmly explaining as Ichika's eyes sparkled in excitement, "The one winning is called Sairaorg Bael."
"I don't understand how he's fighting, he doesn't seem to be using any kind of Demonic Magic, Rias-senpai. It's almost as if he's like my brother, born with great strength." Ichika pointed at the large burly young man with confusion, "And Bael…?"
"Yes, he's my cousin from my mother's side." Rias smiled, "Actually Sairaorg was considered a failed Devil. His Mana reserves were quite pathetic, close to nil but instead of falling into despair, he has carved out a path of his own. The white aura you see around him is called Touki. It's what you would call life force. So the stronger he is physically the stronger his Touki. From a young age, Sairaorg has been extremely hard-working. He also recently proved himself by defeating his talented half-brother who was supposed to become the heir to the Bael clan and taking his place."
"Wow!" Ichika exclaimed in admiration as Kiba nodded, "I've met him once. He's quite kind and polite."
Koneko nodded along.
Only Akeno had a dazed look on her face. It seemed like she was paying attention but not at the same time.
She seemed lost.
Rias frowned inwardly.
This is complicated. I just hope you can pull yourself together… Akeno.
"Rias-sama. May I have a word with you?" Grayfia spoke softly and Rias was pulled away from her thoughts.
"Grayfia?" Rias was a bit surprised but nodded.
"I'll be right back, Ichika. Show her a few more rating games in the meanwhile, Kiba." Rias stood up and followed Grayfia out of the dining hall.
"What is it?" Once outside she asked curiously and Grayfia nodded.
"It's a message from Sirzechs-sama to you."
"Nii-san?"
Rias had a foreboding feeling.
"It's about your engagement…" Grayfia spoke slowly observing Rias's reaction.
Rias's face turned dark as she frowned.
"I'm sure there's still quite a bit of time…" Her voice became increasingly shallow.
"That's how it should've been Rias-sama but—!" Grayfia's voice turned sharp and Rias flinched, "The Phoenix Family have requested to push the engagement immediately. They might even visit formally tomorrow. The Human World is in chaos Rias-sama. Your request to remain undisturbed till the end of your University level of education is now annulled with your return to the Underworld."
"But it's only temporary as stated by Onii-sama! Once that Soul Reaper is caught won't we be able to return?"
"That is unlikely." Grayfia refused bluntly, "The entire Supernatural World has its guard up against this individual. He wouldn't show up anytime soon because he fears being caught or besieged. Had he possessed strength compared to Beelzebub-sama or Lucifer-sama it would've been a different case. Not to mention he has means to be untraced. In my personal opinion if the Soul Reaper intends to hide it might even take decades to find him. The adults are clear about this matter hence the Gremory can't decline their proposal in this matter as it wouldn't make any sense to do so. In sensitive times like these, it becomes increasingly important for the Heirs of Noble families to continue their bloodline especially... a sole Heiress like you."
Rias felt her heart drop. She might not be really clear about the situation but she too knew that the Soul Reaper wouldn't be caught anytime soon. The phrase, "Ajuka Beelzebub failed to trace him" was enough evidence for so.
"But…" Rias hesitated, "If I can beat him in a Rating Game? Wasn't that included in the clauses for escaping this marriage?"
"Can you beat him?" It could even be considered rude with how Grayfia was looking at her but Rias could only bite her lower lip.
But Grayfia wasn't going to stay silent.
"Not only does Riser Phoenix have a full peerage of talented members, including his sister Ravel Phoenix. Riser has the Immortality of the Phoenix Clan. Your current abilities and even Power of Destruction can't cause him significant damage for now. His Hellfire flames, an ability of the Phoenix Clan, has comparable Demonic Power to your own Power of Destruction and not only that…" Grayfia's voice was like an echo of doom for Rias, "He has hand-to-hand combat training with Sairaorg Bael. Lastly, he has played a total of 13 Rating Games with a record of 9 wins and 4 losses, two of which were lost on purpose due to his respect for those particular households."
"Rias-sama, can you win?" Grayfia repeated herself as Rias trembled.
She trembled in despair.
___________________
[A/N— The power system is completely made up by me, I believe this is a good addition to something like DxD because the power levels and abilities are all over the place. The Power System isn't fullproof but it does a good job to gauge relative strength.]
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Powerstones for more chapters :)