Chapter 3:

" Hey guys, wanna have some fun with me?" The newly identified girl winked seductively at them. Giving the three a passing glance before she centered her attention on Issei. She smirked coyly as she drew closer to him. Seizing his hand in hers while pressing her impressive bust against his arm as her dazzling red eyes locked on to his. " What's your name?"

* Main Quest: An introduction to the Supernatural! *

Objectives:

- Survive [500 XP]

- (Optional) Keep Motohama and Matsuda alive [200 XP*2]

- (Optional) Defeat Viser [1000 XP 200 RP with?.?]

Rewards:

- 6 Stat Points

* Accept *

Faced with Viser's blatant seduction, Issei did not know how to react. But even if he did, his current predicament would not have allowed him to act accordingly to her actions.

In an instant, fear gripped his heart as the notification filled his vision. The blood in his veins suddenly ran cold and he did his best to keep his emotions from showing on his face. His first thought was to back away from the unwanted physical touch but he refrained himself.

"-His name is Issei, Hyoudou Issei." Fortunately, Matsuda was eager to start up a conversation with the girl, which kept her focus off of Issei for a moment. Giving him some time to think to himself. " And I'm Matsuda. "

" I-I am Motohama! And you-u-you look beau-beautiful?" In contrast to Matsuda, Motohama's behavior was befitting of the shy neet that he was, he was fated to make a fool of himself in front of the beauty. Under normal circumstances, Issei may have even laughed at how tense his friend have become. Maybe, he would have teased him a little to help him loosen up, but not now. Now he was rattling his brain on how he was going to keep his two dumbasses of friends alive. And escape this strange situation.

Viser did not seem to be suspicious of him. In fact, her smile grew wider while he remained silent. If he did not see the quest notification, Issei would have just thought of her as a simple hooker.

"So what do you say about my proposal? I promise to show you a good time." She punctuated her words by leaning provocatively on Issei who appeared to be the most hesitant of the three. She squashed her boobs against him while sticking her ass out to emphasis her curves, and smirked coyly at his tense expression. " How about you Issei? Let's take this to a step further."

He wanted to say that he has set his priority straight that day, that he resisted her charms like the badass he was. But the truth was, little Issei was really aroused by her acts. And no one could fault him. After all, the only female who has ever gotten this close to his personal space was his mother. With 17 years of existence of being single, it was normal for his urges to run rampant at the prospect of a partner.

He blushed at his reaction and tried to hide the tent that formed in his pants. But Viser seemed to have noticed it despite his efforts. She spared the buldge in his pants a glance before giving him a chaste kiss in the cheek. " You seem to enjoy the idea."

" I-I"

* Gamer's Mind has been set to High Level!*

Issei's short stutter came to a short as his mind was unexpectedly overcome by a sudden clarity. He did not know what kind of crap Viser was planning but he knew that he had to get away from her. Just as the girl started dragging him on, Issei decided to make his move and freed his arm from her grasps. Eliciting a confused frown from her, but Issei paid it no mind.

" Thank you but I still have school tomorrow, so I think that me and my friends will have to pass this generous offer of yours. Maybe next time?" He thought of an excuse quickly and started backing away.

" But I think your friends do not agree with you." Viser pouted cutely while gesturing to his friends.

And true to her words, Motohama and Matsuda were staring lustfully at her. Their eyes unblinking and unfocused. It was as if they were caught in a daze, unable to divert their attentions.

Seeing this, Issei's heart sank. He hurried up to his bespectacled friend first, he called up to him and began shaking him around to try and free him from his trance. But Motohama was unresponsive to his touches and calls. His eyes not leaving the dark haired beauty's form for a second.

Issei stopped his actions when he realised that his friend was not going to reply. He released a heavy breath as he turned and glared towards the now devilishly smiling Viser.

" What do you want?" He asked in a solemn voice.

" Sex."

Issei did a double take, blinking in surprise at Viser's answer. " What?"

" I said, I want sex. Wasn't my earlier statement obvious enough for you?" And there was that seductive smile of hers once again. He was ashamed to admit that he had yet to lose his boner. " I want a hot steamy exchange of body fluids. I want to feel them, to such every inch of their body, to delectate in their expression of pure bliss as I bring them unearthly pleasure."

As she said those words and kept describing some of Issei's sexual fantasies, the woman had made a steady walk towards him, and now, she was back in his face once again. " Do you still want to part ways with us?" She whispered huskily in his ear, caressing his member throught the tent on his pants. " I promise you will not be deceived."

Issei gulped heavily. For an instant, his face showed a trace of hesitation. But he did not possess Gamer's Mind for naught. He slowly pushed himself away from the woman, his hard gaze trailed on her cocky form even as a blush marred his hardened face.

" I.. Motohama! Matsuda! Let's get away from here!" As he shouted those words, he was already rushing to his friends sides. From the very beginning, Issei's only option has always been to flee from the mysterious woman. Grabbing their unresponsive hands as he sprinted down the road. He spared a glance behind him to see Viser still smirking coyly at him, not making any move to pursue him. But even so, Issei redoubled his efforts in moving away. Fearing what the smile had in spare for him.

He led his friends down the street and took a sharp turn, trying to lose any possible pursuer. He did not stop to check if he was fine or not as his feet already started to move, sprinting along his friends as they made turns after turns. But nothing happened. There was no one going after them. Issei felt like he was missing something there, he had a strange feeling on the back of his mind and he got suspicious. He did not know why, but it felt like he was being led around.

Still, he did not care.

As long as he distanced himself from that woman, then he should succeed in his quest. He did not have to fight, the goal was just for him to survive. Maybe he should take refuge somewhere and keep it low until she was gone. Hopefully, this would be over soon. Plus, he managed to snatch away his friends. That was more than enough for him.

He glanced back at his oddly obedient friends, curious about why they have stayed silent for so long, why were they accepting his lead? Were they still caught up in that strange hypnotized state? And why did...

Issei immediately stopped his mad run, just in front of a park. In an instant, it all clicked into his mind. The reason why Viser did not run after him. The feeling of wrongness that seemed to eat at his mind, as if he was missing something big.

It was all because she did not need to pursue him directly. He did not notice it at first because his focus was elsewhere, but he was being led around all along. It was subtle, and it was no wonder that he only noticed it now. But, his friends, they were still entranced. The way he was running, his directions were stealthily influenced by them. It was sometimes an occasional resistance, a slight push. But they managed to lead him away from the main road. And the fact that he was considering the idea of hiding was proof of that. Had he been emotional, he would have never realized it.

" You are quite perceptive for a mere human." A voice called out from deeper in the park. And he turned to look at Viser smirking haughtily at him. Her high heels making clicking noises as she slowly walked up to him.

Now what to do?

The easiest solution would be to say fuck it and leave his friends there. But he quickly discarded that option as soon as it came to him. Not only would he regret it for the rest of his life, but it would also mean that he would have to turn his back on Viser. God knows what she would do this time if he ever presented her that opportunity, now that they were away from any possible passerby.

Another option would be to find a way to distract her and hope that it would be enough to allow him to defeat her... But even he had a hard time seeing that kind of plan working. Not only was she smart, but the experience he would get from defeating her was twice the amount he needed to level up. He did not need to think it deep to know how strong she was.

All in all, that only left him with one option.

He took in a deep breath and screamed.

" HELP! ANYONE HELP!! I'M ABOUT TO BE MURDERED!! HELP!" He yelled at the top of his lungs, resolved to survive this encounter no matter what. Someone had to have heard him, after all, it was still Kuoh. They were still near the park exit, there has to be someone willing to investigate his scream, if not, then they would at least call the cops. Then all he had to do was stall for time long enough for them to come.

At least, that's what he thought until Viser erupted in a serious laughing fit. He began having doubts. Did he miss something once again? But that could not be right. She was laughing before the absurdity of the situation. Even if people were to come and look at the situation, all they would see was 3 perverts cornering a girl during the night. Yeah, that has to be it. Right? What else could it be?

" Oh wow, I really.. I really did not expect that." Viser voiced between chuckles. It almost seemed as if she was catching her breath. " You. I'm going to keep you for dessert. Be thankful. "

In opposition to her angelic smile, the words that spewed out of her mouth were devilish. He unconsciously stepped back as he finally realized how she intended to kill them. " What do you mean dessert? Are you going to eat us?"

" Oh~ I will! Now stay put." And then she suddenly dashed forward, too fast for Issei to react and put up any form of defense. His eyes widened as he felt a sharp pain coming from his abdomen, she had rammed her fist in him. He got the winds knocked out of his lungs. And for a second, all he could see was white.

- 109 HP

* You have been affected with the status effect : 'Minor stun'! -30% to DEX/WIS for the next 30 seconds *

" Sit tight as I work with your friends here." Viser whispered in his ear before retracting her hand.

Issei fell on his side, his legs giving away in the pain. His mind registering the information that has been forced into his mind from the notification. He futilely clutched his belly in an attempt to numb the feeling but it was all in vain. And it was only thanks to Gamer's Mind that he remained conscious.

But even though he was like that, his eyes still trailed on the form of Viser standing before Matsuda. Her hands cupping his face. His mind managing to focus on her words despite the pain.

" Oh look at you, trying so hard to resist my spell." She commented as if she was talking to a baby. She easily tore his uniform away, stripping the teen of his upper clothes. " Such strong arms~"

She chuckled.

And then Issei watched in horror as she sank her teeth in his forearm, blood streaming down her chin.

" ARGH! AAHH-GET-GET OFF ME! GET OFF ME!" Matsuda finally awoke, sadly, he could do nothing but cry out in pain. Viser was holding him down.

Issei have seen enough. He closed his eyes for an instant as he cursed under his breath. He averted his gaze, his heart sinking in the face of the desperate situation. He tried his best to mute the horrendous screams of Matsuda as Viser worked on him. He turned towards Motohama who was clenching his fists tightly.

Then his eyes widened. The bespectacled teen was resisting the spell. He was fighting. And Issei saw hope. He ignored his pain. He tuned out his trashing friend. And he crawled up to his feet. Now was the time to act. He had to do it while Viser was distracted, while she had her back turned to him. He mustered up all his strength, and jump kicked her away from Matsuda.

She did not expect it. That's all he could say. She did not expect him to withstand her punch. She did not expect him to still be able to walk. He quickly got his bearings back and moved to Motohama next, punching the guy in the face. Hoping that it would be enough to break the spell. To his relief, it worked.

" L-let's move!" Motohama was quick to get his bearings back. He knelt beside Matsuda and helped the crying teen get back to his feet. Issei wasted no time in moving beside him to provide support.

Sadly, they did not get to make one step forward before a malevolent feeling crept up their back.

" My Issei. You should have just fled while you had the opportunity." Viser whispered to his ear. And his eyes widened in horror. He did not even get the chance to turn towards her that the three of them got flung away by an invisible force, crashing against the trees.

-64 HP

" Now, I'm gonna have to start with you." The devious girl announced darkly. But then, the space under her lit up, the once solid pavement turned into a muddy texture.

" Mud Trap!"

A magic circle drew itself under Viser, shining a dark purple courtesy of a frowning Motohama, who had his hands extended forward with a smaller glowing circle dancing in front of him, a look of pure concentration etched on his face.

But Viser only laughed at him, his spell doing nothing to even hinder her.

" Kkk, wonderful. I'm gonna feast tonight." She licked her lips, locking her eyes with Motohama who by some miracle, started using Magic. " These puny tricks won't work on me, human. "

" Mud Sph-" Viser burst forward and seized his face, smashing his head against the tree he was leaning against for support. Issei heard a sickening sound as a dark liquid started to trail down that same tree. He stared at it for a second before he yelled out in rage, he closed the distance and threw a punch at the woman.

He was not the only one, Matsuda also acted up and attempted to attack Viser with what little strength he had. Sadly, for all their rage, they were still humans. And to Viser, they were moving in slow motion. She had all the time she needed to act up and counter their attacks.

Matsuda was flung away from a kick to the chest and stopped moving while Issei was punched to the ground. His nose broken from the assault. Yet, he chose to once again rise up to his feet. Ignoring his HP that have fallen to its half, or the new status effect that he had fallen into, he was painfully aware of how much he was outclassed. If he chose to fight, then death was guaranteed. But even so, he could not just abandon his friends.

He could not leave them to die. He would not live it down if he did. So he chose to fight. Against all odds, he chose to stand. Even though he knew he should be crawling away, he pushed up. And ran at his opponent, throwing blind punches and kicks. Trying with all his might to hurt his enemy who just kicked him away.

He had no time to recover. Viser immediately straddled his lap and pined him down, a deranged smirk was painted in her face.

" I like you. The more I see you in action, the more I get excited." She leaned forward and stared at him in the eyes. " So stay put for good this time, I want to keep you for last." Her piece said, the devilish woman gave one heavy strike on his right knee.

-70 HP

* Status effect: 'Minor Stun' has been upgraded to 'Medium Stun'! -50% DEX/WIS for 2 minutes! *

* The user has been affected with the 'Bleeding' status! -2HP per second! *

It was the absolute worst. Pain coursed through his being while a shriek left his throat. It was too much, he wanted to faint. The pain was too big. Yet, he could not. His mind did not allow his body to rest. He knew he would die if he did. This time, it was not longer about his friends. This time, it was about him. He was really going die.

And as Viser walked towards the unconscious form of Motohama, something in him stirred. All the stress he had been put into, all the emotions that rushed his being. The helpless situation, to his fading consciousness. Probed by his will to survive and protect, his body had no response left, unlike his soul. Something that stirred inside of him came to life, it erupted in a bright flash of red as an explosion of Mana rocked the night.

Issei awakened his Sacred Gear.

* Congratulations! 'Sacred Gear: Twice Critical' has been awakened! *

* 2 SP has been added to all your attributes! *

* MP has been temporarily doubled! *

* Medium Stun has been cured! *

Just as before, no notification filled his vision, instead, all the information automatically sank into his mind. And Issei allowed himself to sigh as he focused on the feeling of power that overwhelmed his senses. His body was instantly revitalized. He felt strength course into his being, and for a moment, the pain was gone.

That was all he needed.

He crawled. He walked on all fours. It was pathetic, but his left knee was broken. So he crawled up to his opponent, and he punched. Putting every once of his strength in his attack into his left arm which was encased in a strange metalic gauntlet.

Viser obviously saw him coming.

Issei did not know what he hoped to achieve with it. But the strength behind his attack was surely not something to scoff at. The ground where his attack landed at grew spiderwebs like cracks in it. His mind racing, he maneuvered his body, turning around to where his opponent has dodged.

" My, my, Issei. To think that you would have a sacred gear. How sad that it only revealed itself now." Viser mocked, not seeming one bit worried by the new development. " Do you think you can turn tables on me?"

She smirked and dodged his next attack. Then another one. The exchange continued on for a few moment, and she had to admit that for someone who was so injured, Issei sure kept his mind straight. But he was not smart.

" So Issei, why are you still fighting? You know that it's hopeless right?" She taunted as she once again dodged his slow attacks.

" Shut up!"

" Come on, you can't be seriously thinking about coming out on top of this. Your Twice Critical will wear out soon, you know?" Viser chided, actually enjoying his hopeless struggle. She liked it when her prey had some fight in them. And she sure has hit the jackpot tonight with both a magician and a Sacred Gear holder.

True to her words, Issei already began feeling the effect of his sudden power up fade away. His pain coming back with vengeance. He felt desperation grip his heart. Fear and helplessness guiding his last attacks. But alas, his power boost has reached its end, and his body finally allowed itself to rest as it lost all energy. He collapsed face first into the ground.

" What? That's it? Is that all you've got?" Viser cruelly kept mocking him. Her taunting words ringing deep in his heart. And for a moment, he felt more anger than despair.

" I guess that's to be expected from a Twice Critical. " She mocked. She walked up to him, eyeing his defeated form disappointedly. For some reason, she still wanted more. Maybe it was the feeling of completely dominating her opponents, or just because they fought her back. But she wanted more. She was excited, his earlier struggles made her hurt thump, her blood flow in thrill. Her sadistic nature has been moved by his desperate attacks.

So when she saw his slumped form, defeated at her feet, she grew irritated. For, she was not satisfied. Viser viciously stepped on his back, digging her high heels into his shoulder blades painfully. To her delight, he was still responsive, screaming in pain as she stabbed him deeper. " I want more, Issei. This woman here isn't satisfied yet."

His response was some guttural noise that she had trouble hearing. So she stopped her actions for a second to give him the time to respond. Yet, as she stopped, he grew silent. She thought, maybe, he finally blacked out.

Then an explosion of Mana surrounded his body. She immediately jumped back.

[You have done well, partner.]

* Sacred Gear: Boosted Gear has been awakened! *

* You gain 5000 XP! *

* 5 SP has been added to all your attributes! *

* Your Mana has been temporarily doubled! *

By some sort of miracle, Issei was back on his feet. Again. His sacred gear was glowing an ominous green in the dark night. Casting shadows in his body that seemed to double in strength as it underwent an awakening.

[But we are not quite out of our depth here.]

" ...The fuck is going on? Who's talking?" Issei was in a turmoil of mixed feelings. His mind had a hard time catching up. Was there hope once again? Was he reversing the situation? Such were the thoughts that plagued his confused spirit.

[I would not say that we have reversed the situation. But we aren't dying, so that's a plus.] A grave voice answered him, seemingly coming from everywhere.

" Who are you?!"

[Your partner.]

Silence followed that statement as Issei tried to make sense of the situation. But in the end, he did not care. He dropped all thoughts and just accepted that statement, stopping thinking about the whys and the who altogether. For the moment, he was happy enough with being back on his feet. So he moved on and started searching for any traces of Viser. His rage flared up as he caught sight of her cocky form. But just as he was about to move, he was interrupted.

[Don't be foolish.] The deep ringing voice suddenly admonished him. This time, it was distinctly coming from his glowing arm. The green gems embedded in the red steel-like gauntlet seemed to beat in sync with the words.

[Viser was it?]

Viser tilted her head at being addressed by the new voice that came from the kid's arm. But paid it no mind, her eyes focused on Issei's body, which was nearing its limits, all she had to do was drag on the fight to win. She smirked when even the booming voice wasted time talking to her. Obviously, she was happy to indulge in the conversation. " A sentient Sacred Gear... This is definitely a surprise." Despite her words, she still looked arrogant. " What is it?"

[First, I want to thank you for going easy on my partner.] Ignoring Issei's indignant cry and the way Viser cackled at his words. The mysterious Voice continued. [And second, I have an offer for you.]

[Boost!]

It was at that instant that Issei felt his strength soar to new heights. But he cried out in pain from the excess power while his ears caught the distinct cry of 'Boost' coming from his gauntlet.

[My name is Ddraig, and I am one of the Heavenly Dragons. The Red Dragon Emperor of Domination!] The now identified dragon declared proudly in the night. He gave a moment of respite to let the information sink before continuing. [As for my offer, how would you feel about training this partner of mine?]

Viser had to pause for a moment at the revelation. Was she lucky, to have made this encounter? Maybe. If she had not roughed up Issei and his friends, then yes, she would have been lucky. If she had immediately killed Issei instead of toying with him, then yes, she would still have been lucky. But with how she brutalized the bearer of the Booster Gear. The fucking Boosted Gear. She came to question her previous behavior, why did she taunt the boy so much? It was just plain stupid. Why did she do that? But even as she asked herself those questions, she already knew the answer. She was becoming affected by the corrosive stray effect. Something that erroded the mind of most stray devils.

Viser took a deep breath to reorganise her thoughts while staring at the battered form of Issei. If they were to resume the fight, she was still positive about winning, even if his strength has just quadrupled. But the situation changed when Ddraig was put into the equation. Who knew what the dragon was capable of?

[You should probably hurry with you answer.] The millennium dragon did not give her the time to plot something. Striking while she was still surprised and confused. [You're a stray, aren't you? At the rate you're going, you will probably lose your mind. If you don't get killed before that. Why don't you join us? You have the Sekiryutei here. I wouldn't pass such a golden occasions in you place.]

" Wait! Don't I get a say in this? I can still fight! " Issei foolishly argued. " I'm gonna make her pay for killing my brothers!"

[Partner, I appreciate the drive. But you should know your limits. Even taking a step under these conditions would be a challenge for you. So fighting a devil... You would have to die to succeed. And that is not something we want. Plus, your friends are still alive. I can feel them.]

" What?"

" I like my food fresh. But if we keep stalling like this, the bald one might bleed out." Viser pointed out, eyeing Issei's gauntleted arm. Then a dangerous glint crossed her red eyes. " Say Ddraig. Why shouldn't I just kill your host now and take possession of your power?"

[You would lose your mind. The dragon power is no joke, devil. Should you kill my partner here, you will really doom yourself. You will be on your own, fighting for your life for the rest of your short existence. I guarantee it won't be easy.] Ddraig wanted to add that he would hunt her down with his next reincarnation, but it was obvious that she would not live that long.

Viser stayed silent for a long time. Her face scrunched up in thoughts. As for Issei, he was swaying in his feet. Fighting to stay upright while his mana sustained his broken knee. Ignoring his depleting health as best as he could while he studied Viser. He did not understand all that was being said between 'his' dragon and her, but he got the gist of it. His friends were alive and somehow Ddraig was persuading Viser to spare them.

[Hurry, my partner's allies are dying.]

Viser gritted her teeth in frustration, staring at Issei unflinchingly, her red orbs seemed to glow in the night while she judged him and weighed her options. If she killed him, she was going to gain a huge boost in power. There was no denying that. But as the dragon said, such a jump in power was not without consequences. The rate of her corrosion would grow tremendously, she doubted she would retain her sanity.

She could just leave and be on her way, but then he would hunt her down later. And if she killed him.. There was a chance that she would be alright, even if it was slim. But she could also lend Issei a hand and be on his team. There was no saying what he was going to do to her in the future... Still... it was worth a shot. After all, he was the Red Dragon Emperor.

With her mind set, Viser stared at Issei's unfocused eyes one last time and made her decision. She hesitated for a second, before finaly voicing her choice. " I.. Let's get along, Sekiryutei. "

[Burst!]

Issei suddenly crumpled down. Gasping painfully as he lost all the strength he had in his lower half. " ...the fuck...?"

[Your power up has ran out. Your body can't handle that much power for long so I had to get rid of it for you.] Ddraig explained to the visibly confused and drained Issei. [As for you.. Viser. It will be nice working with you.]

"...Likewise Ddraig." The stray devil closed her eyes for a moment and exhaled loudly, working out the stress and frustration out of her system. When she reopened them, her eyes shined with more clarity.

" Let's get you guys out of here for now." She decided after looking around. Then she turned towards Issei who seemed to be on the verge of unconsciousness. His Boosted Gear having faded away. " And.. Sorry for roughing you up Issei."

He barely seemed to register her words. But he still mustered the energy to frown while maneuvered his mouth to mumble a reply. Unfortunately, it was too low for anyone to make out what he said.

A.N

Someone asked how Issei knew about Ddraig being inside him. I guess I haven't elaborated on it yet.

The reason is the first tutorial he took from the creator of the system. Which I thinks is pretty essential to the story, otherwise, our MC wouldn't know why he was given his powers. It's not like he was randomly chosen.

You may also wonder how Issei could be so confused with Gamer's Mind. The reason is the attitude. If you decide you don't give a crap, then you don't. He also didn't recognize Ddraig for that same reason.

To kronos797: I haven't explained how stats work yet, haven't I?

Issei gets SP (stat points) when he levels up. And the higher the level, the more SP he will get. So it's normal for his stats to be so low in the begining. After all, the difference between the stats of a lvl 80 and a lvl 101 can't be the same as lvl 10 and lvl 31. Also, stats are different for each species. For example, a level 11 devil wouldn't have the same stat as a human of the same level. Their standards are different.

TheHappyVampire: uhhh.. No.

Boblets: Grinding for stats breaks the game when you have something like the Boosted Gear.