Chapter 6: First fights are always hard…

First fights are always hard...

 

Part 1

 

MC’s POV

 

Cat-like vertical green eyes glared at the bloodshot
shining red eyes

 

I could not move. The moment I did it, that thing
would attack. That was the feeling I got.

 

I tried as slowly as possible to get a hold of the
frozen devil duo. Grabbing them from the first place I could, the collar of
their dresses. Thankfully I did not commit any crimes here.

 

*GROooWL*

 

The black hound kept growling in a threatening manner
but held itself back.

 

This thing is hostile, I don't need to use Senjutsu to
discern that.

 

Preparing for the worst, I started to strengthen
myself with what I am most familiar with, Senjutsu. I can use Touki but I
wasn't able to use it for long periods yet.

 

Unconsciously, I had let my ears and tail appear
again. When they are hidden, my abilities are lowered by a small fraction, and
I need to muster all the power I have to survive this time.

 

Just as I grabbed the two frozen girls, I saw how it
pounced at us. I didn't think it twice and while holding the two by their
collar, I jumped to the one side with all I had, dragging the two. And while I
wanted to land safely just in case I needed to dodge again, I was not able to
maintain the right posture when my feet landed on the ground.

 

The fall was harsh since I could not balance very well
while carrying these two. We rolled on the ground for a bit before coming to a
stop in front of a tree.

 

"Argh...". I groaned.

 

"That hurt...". "Ouch..".
Rias-chan and Sona-chan grumbled in pain.

 

Not only I failed to land well, but I also used too
much force when jumping, which contributed to the fall.

 

It seems that the two girls were not the only ones
affected by fear, I had unknowingly put more strength on my foot when I evaded.

 

That thing-

 

I can tell that it is not as strong as Kaa-san but its
aura is giving me the chills. If I had to describe what I sense, then I would
call it a simple feeling of not wanting to be near it.

 

I take a look at the place where we were standing a
moment ago, and I found that thing with its jaw closed tightly at the spot
where my head was.

 

Yeah, that's scary.

 

"Sona-chan, take Rias-chan with you. Fly as far
as you can". I uttered to the bespectacled devil in a strong tone.

 

I stood up while covering these two behind me. Hopefully,
I can grab that thing's attention while they take off.

 

I started to give the black hound another look. While
it might look like a black hound, the aura, and that black smoke makes me think
otherwise.

 

I can't expect that next time I will be able to evade
while having these two with me.

 

I start thinking about what to do. Beating this thing
is not realistic, but fleeing is not going to be easy either.

 

"Wait, Sona-chan! We can't just leave him here
alone". I could hear Rias-chan's anxious voice.

 

Sona-chan is a cool-headed child, so I expected her to
understand why I told her that.

 

There is no way she can carry two people while flying,
so one had to be taken while the other had to be left behind. I had also
planned to stay here to help them gain some distance while I distracted that
thing. Sona-chan said that she was not able to fly that fast so I had to lend
them a hand here.

 

The bespectacled little girl might hesitate for a
moment out of kindness, but I had told her to choose Rias-chan over me. It was
my decision so I hope that she does not blame herself later.

 

Just from looking at that thing, I know that she will
understand how difficult it would be to survive if they stayed.

 

I will buy them a bit of time to get far from here
before I start to run as well.

 

Now-

 

I decided to ignore anything else and focus on what is
in front of me.

 

Evading on my own should be possible unless that thing
can suddenly get a power-up in the middle of the fight, just like in video
games during boss battles. I better don't say that out loud or I might jinx it.

 

*GrOOwL*

 

A short growl was directed at me again and it pounced
at me, which I responded by evading the same way as before, but this time
landing on my feet.

 

I started writing in the air several symbols, Youjutsu
can be used without them, but that is only for very skilled users. A beginner
like me reduces the power too much if he tried to do so.

 

After I finished-

 

"<Icicle>". I chanted the name of the
spell in a low tone of voice.

 

More than ten sharp and long shards of ice appeared on
the air in front of me, before they were sent flying at the highest speed I
could make them go.

 

But that thing shifted to one side, making most of the
icicles miss.

 

The ones that hit it were ineffective because they
broke upon contact. Damn it, even though I choose the weakest but with a wide
range of attacks, the icicles missed. They only managed to-

 

*GROOOOOOOOWWL*

 

Enrage that thing, great.

 

In its furious state, it starts to madly dash in my
direction with an even faster momentum than it initially had.

 

I unconsciously backed away at that sight, with my
back hitting a tree, which gave me an idea.

 

I waited for it to get closer before evading the same
way as before, and as a result.

 

The black hound ran into the tree, shattering it
completely.

 

The sight made me sweat coldly. A hit from that will
not be nice. But at least the crash seemed to slow down its movements for a
moment. After the hit, it kept shaking its head left and right, it tried to get
rid of the dizziness the impact might've caused.

 

Should I run now? I was not sure if I had bought
enough time for those two.

 

If I continue doing the same thing for a while I
should be safe. Although it is very dangerous, its movement pattern seems
simple.

 

After regaining its bearing again, it angrily turns to
me and charged at me.

 

I was already in a position, in case that it recovered
faster.

 

Things looked the same, so I just did the same thing.

 

Bad idea.

 

As soon as I moved from the tree, it stopped in place
and send its paw my way, along with the claws it had.

 

I only glimpsed the attack from the corner of my eye
so I instinctively used Touki to protect myself. The attack was aimed at my
back, which is why I could only twist my body slightly before the impact came.

 

It transpired as you would imagine. I was sent flying,
stopping only when I crashed into a tree.

 

My left arm and part of my back had claw marks carved
over my flesh, which happened to be rather subtle thanks to using Touki at the
last minute. Otherwise, it would've been uglier.

 

As soon as I noticed my wounds, I started to send Ki
to keep them from bleeding and worsening.

 

I wanted to use Senjutsu but that thing did not give
me time. Seeing me laying down and bleeding on the ground, it strolled
cautiously, growling with each step it took.

 

I tried to sit using my other arm while I pondered my
options.

 

My eyes darted around for anything that could come in
handy, but I could only see the pieces of the shattered tree on the ground
along with several branches that broke when it fell, although that gave me
another idea.

 

I sprang into action as fast as I could.

 

*GroWlL*

 

It growled shortly at the sight of me standing up and
was preparing to pounce at me.

 

I needed to evade its charge, but using the same
method too often proved to be ineffective.

 

Writing symbols in the air promptly, I prepared to use
a simple spell to help me do this successfully. This time I had to wait until
it got even closer than with the icecicle, or it could just evade it.

 

"<Fireball>". I once again chanted in
a small voice, one of the easiest to learn but most popular spells to use.

 

Chanting isn't always necessary but it helps you to
create a mental image of the attack.

 

I had no doubts that something of that level would be
ineffective, but my aim was its face. I was planning to blind it for a moment.

 

*GROOOWLLL*

 

The effect was the intended as it stopped on its
tracks while growling from what I hoped was pain from the damage it received,
giving me a chance to dash successfully at the location of the rest of the
tree.

 

I kept losing blood but I was already doing my best to
reduce the amount that dripped out of my body with Ki.

 

There was a slight effect of healing the wound, but I
could not focus on that at the moment. If I had time, I would use Senjutsu to
close the injury as soon as possible.

 

Sprinting as fast as I could, I got to the place I
wanted. There were branches scattered everywhere. I hastily started to arrange
the ones I could use to prepare for that thing's arrival.

 

*GrwOoooOoL*

 

Which will be soon, judging for the sound.

 

I held a particular sturdy branch with a size a bit
longer than my arm.

 

I am not sure if I bought enough time for the girls.
But I won't be able to face this b*stard for any longer. My injury needs
treatment or I will just be getting weaker until I am incapable of resisting.
If that thing takes advantage of that time and catches me off guard, I doubt I
could avoid a direct hit.

 

It did not take long for it to come after me.

 

Come on, get closer... some more, a little more.

 

As the distance between us decreases, I prepared
myself for what is to come.

 

Youjutsu was not effective on the outside, and trying
to hit that thing with my bare hands is a ridiculous idea considering my wound.
I also doubted that I would do enough damage anyway.

 

So I thought that I should try something different.

 

*GrooooooooooWL*

 

It was finally where I wanted it so the time to try my
idea had begun. I spread my Ki around as much as I can; covering the branches I
set up before.

 

Senjutsu is the power to control the flow of life...
and right now, I could use that to do the same I did in the fight with Kaa-san.

 

I don't need to control the output because I don't
care about the safety of that thing.

 

I had to focus only on making them strong, leading
them with Ki to entangle that thing, all in order to get an opening.

 

Responding to my Ki, the numerous branches grew and
grew, taking the back hound's movement away.

 

*GrOOowL*

 

It growled at me in annoyance even while it was
trapped.

 

Bad idea.

 

I took that chance when its mouth opened and without
hesitating, I thrust the branch I had on my hand into the gap of its jaws.

 

Pouring a vast amount of Ki into it, I made the branch
grow inside its mouth.

 

*Whimper*

 

It first cried-

 

But later, a rather shattering pain-filled growl was
heard.

 

*GROooooOOooOooWWWLlllllL*

 

Black blood dripped from the wound inside its mouth.

 

Even while trapped it tried to free itself, and it
partially did. Its tail being what was set free. With an absurd speed, it hit
me like a whip from my left side, sending me flying at full speed until I
crashed into a tree head first, then bouncing to fall on the ground laying
down.

 

My wound instantly opened up from the hit. I felt
dizzy and my consciousness was barely there.

 

The attack came faster than I could react so it was a
direct hit to the unprotected me.

 

If it wasn't because I already had my Senjutsu
strengthening me somewhat, the hit could've killed me.

 

Jeez, why does everyone use their tail like they were
whips, that's cheating.

 

I look up to see how he could hit me with the tail and
finally noticed it. The tail was covered in more strands of black smoke, its
length being much larger than I had seen it before. So it can stretch its tail
too? How unreasonable.

 

*Cough* *Cough*

 

I coughed some blood, and those movements made me
wince from the pain.

 

This looked bad. It was originally trapped because I
made those branches grow and entangle on it, but what kept the black hound in
place was the strengthened version of those. Losing the support of my Ki, they
weakened, finally setting it free.

 

Still bleeding somewhat, it turned to where I was
enraged.

 

I was doing my best to stand up but I would need some
time to be able to do so.

 

I began sending Senjutsu to every part of my body to
heal myself, focusing on the places where I was hit.

 

I can't move so I concentrated on any injury that
impeded my movements.

 

Kaa-san warned me before how dangerous was to face an
enemy for the first time. Those teachings couldn't be more accurate. Lacking
knowledge regarding its abilities is deadly.

 

"*Groan* I should be more careful *Cough*".
I groaned before muttering that weakly, although that made me cough more blood
again.

 

That thing was not coming here because is trying to
get that branch out its mouth. I put almost all my Ki reserves there so the
durability should be higher. That thing still did not die from that though.

 

Finally, the branch broke and that thing was able to
focus on me again.

 

Coming this way, it seemed wary of me even if I was lying
on the ground. But it eventually reached where I was.

 

I saw it stride my way, but the damage was higher than
I estimated originally, making it impossible to flee.

 

My right hand managed to change my position from
laying down to sitting down, but it was just a meter away from me.

 

I would not be able to evade it in my current
position.

 

Many thoughts quickly went through my head; some
blamed me for putting those girl's safety before mine, how stupid it was, and
how this was the result.

 

I could only bitterly smile at that.

 

I truly didn't want to have any regrets in this life
so abandoning them was never an option.

 

I gathered my remaining Ki to prepare for its attack
but I stopped what I was doing when-

 

That thing received a direct hit from coming from its
left side.

 

It came in the form of something I only saw in a
certain anime. A burst of demonic power colored red and black, no, instead of
red, it would be more accurate to call it crimson. I only knew of one person (devil)
who could be nearby and be able to use it.

 

I turned my head in the direction of that attack and
found the devil duo flying.

 

Sona-chan was carrying Rias-chan, who was the one who
attacked just now.

 

Those two-

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------

 

3rd Person POV

 

Minutes later after Nora started to fight the black
hound.

 

A certain flying devil could be seen carrying another
one who seemed to be struggling from the former's grip.

 

"Sona-chan, let me go!" The crimson-haired
devil, Rias, exclaimed. "He must help him!"

 

Flying with much difficulty due to Rias flailing her
arms in a sign of protest, the black-haired devil, Sona, tries to calm down her
friend.

 

"Rias, stop it. Even if we stayed there, we
would've been more of deadweight for him". Sona explained with a pained
expression.

 

While she felt terrible leaving him behind, she knows
her limitations. That thing terrified her. At that time, it wasn't for Shiki
timely moving her and Rias out of the way, the first attack that thing would've
been enough to severely hurt them or even kill them.

 

Devils might have a much sturdier build and higher
strength than humans, but there was a limit to that. Not to mention that both
Rias and she are still young girls. They were not the type to particularly
train their bodies so they were only slightly stronger than human children. How
could they hope to match that thing as they are?

 

One of the biggest concerns is how lacking she is in
firepower, while her friend does not have proper control of her Power of
Destruction even though it has more than enough power. They would do more harm
than good if they stayed.

 

"But you saw that thing! He is facing that
alone!" Rias refuted in a strong tone.

 

Sona understood her point. However, even though it was
like that, Shiki told her to take Rias and run. He did it because he might be
able to escape on his own or so she wants to think.

 

Sona was truly scared, not only her safety would be in
danger if they stayed, but her friend's as well.

 

Many might refer to them as 'High-class' devils, but
that was more of a title than the representation of their strength. In other
words, they were weak.

 

The crimson-haired devil, noticing how her best friend
kept silent while biting her lips, understood how she felt, Rias was aware of
how naive she usually acted and how everyone around her tried to cover for her.
As a noble's daughter, she has already caught a glimpse of the ugly side of
people even though her caring parents and her doting older brother try to keep
her in the dark from such a thing at an early age. However, she believed that
there were a lot more people who had a radiant heart than a murky heart. That
is why she was able to keep smiling brightly, but now she cannot do so.

 

She was aware that Sona was doing this for their own
good, taking the heartless decision of running alone. She was doing it because
she wanted to protect her. Acting cool and collected is just so she doesn't
worry anyone else. However, Rias knew how kind her friend was and how this
decision will cause her distress.

 

Rias and Sona might've met the nekomata today, but
they had already become friends in a short time. He acted somewhat reserved at
the beginning but they later hit off while playing chess, he was even
considerate of their feelings while playing by going easy on them during their
matches. Something that made her and Sona somewhat mad, although he probably
did it without any bad intentions. He would sometimes say something weird like
the words he said when they met. Really, who would ask if they believed him not
being suspicious when he suddenly appeared like that?

 

He also went along with her reckless outing. Rias
couldn't help but smile wryly.

 

In her family is normal to deeply care for their
friends and servants. You could say it is their pride to see those close to
them happy. That is why, for the sake of her best friend Sona, for the sake of
their new friend Nora. They have to go back for him. She might be naive by
thinking of risking their safety for him but that is what she believes.

 

With a newfound resolution-

 

"Sona-chan, we need to go back. I know what you
are thinking, but we can't leave just like this". Rias said in a serious
tone.

 

The black-haired devil just kept flying and she did
not bother to reply.

 

"We might've met him today, but he is already our
friend. There has to be something we can do for him. If... if I try hard
enough, I think I can use my Power of Destruction to help him. There is no need
to fight that thing with our fists". Rias argued.

 

At the word 'friend', Sona began to lower her flying
speed. The black-haired little girl knew what her friend meant to say when she
called the youkai, their 'friend'.

 

Both of them have always disliked how a lot of
High-class devils behave towards their people. It is an extremely cold
treatment that some servants are subjected to. Acting based only on profit,
they can abandon their allies and friends if the situation calls for it.

 

This is one of the reasons why she became friends with
Rias. Besides the good relationship their parents share, the two of them found
their personalities likable. And while she finds the crimson-haired somewhat
selfish, Rias is someone who cares for other people well being as much as her.
Not I mention that they also have many things in common, like their interest in
books and the like.

 

Stopping in place, Sona internally struggled to decide
what to do. Anxiousness mixed with fear is what she felt right now.

 

"I... I... you might be right..." Sona
started talking.

 

Rias just waited for her friend to resume talking
without saying a word.

 

"...Isn't it too late? He might be disappointed
in me because I left him alone". Sona said in a downcast tone.

 

The black-haired devil forgot for a moment that Nora
was the one that told her to take Rias and leave. Even though she might try to
keep a cool head, she is still just a child who is feeling insecure about all
that happened.

 

Although his well-being weighed on her mind, she
seemed more afraid of the reaction her new friend might have for her actions.

 

"It will be alright, Nora-chan won't mind it. But
we need to go now. He needs our help" Rias tried to encourage her friend.

 

Both stayed silent for a moment until Sona finally
changed directions, heading back.

 

Whether Sona calmed down on her own or by her friend's
words, the little girl doesn't know. But there will be more than enough time to
think about it later.

 

Going at the fastest speed she could, they arrived a
good time later, just to hear the sound of battle mixed with the cries of that
thing. They naturally became nervous about what happened.

 

What they found was Nora being sent flying by a strike
of that thing's tail.

 

"Nora-chan!" "Shiki-san!". Rias
began flailing again, while Sona was frightened of the worst possibility.

 

Worried about Nora, Rias wanted to rush at once, yet
Sona did not budge.

 

Turning to Sona again, Rias was going to say something
but-

 

"Listen, Rias. You need to calm down. We can't
rush just like that. If you truly want to help Shiki-san, you have used your
strongest attack in that thing. Now that it is not paying attention to us is
your best chance". The black-haired devil spoke.

 

Sona felt that the situation was dire, but going there
recklessly would only add to the counter of people laying on the ground. They
were still some distance away so they had not been noticed yet. They had to use
this opportunity wisely, while it was distracted with something else to attack,
they would deliver a severe blow to it.

 

"...hmm". Rias bit her lips but accepted her
friend's idea.

 

She knew that the only reason that it had to be like
this. She was lacking in her ability to use her Power of Destruction. Rias felt
inferior to her brother and did not take serious her practices because she
didn't found much meaning in them. As she kept comparing herself to her
brother, Rias found that the gap was too wide and she was discouraged, but now
she regrets it.

 

Gathering as much demonic power as she could, she
prepared to do her best.

 

She did not think about those times her spells failed,
or when the power was pitiful and the attack did not cause much damage. Rias
had to imagine it, a strong attack, one that destroys that hateful thing that
scared them before, that hateful thing that hurt her friend.

 

She kept her eyes closed without caring about anything
else.

 

A strong desire, a strong belief.

 

Rias was so focused that she did not notice when Sona
got close enough to guarantee a sure hit.

 

She focused and focused, and then she opened her eyes
when she thought she was ready and she happened to see that thing getting
closer to Nora.

 

Anger was added to fuel the attack when she saw her
friend's state so Rias just unleashed all her demonic power in the attack.

 

A huge burst of Power of Destruction came out of a
magic circle to directly hit that thing.

 

The result was simple.

 

*GROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWL*

 

A cry mixed with resentment and pain was heard from
that thing.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------

 

MC’s POV

 

I watched as a burst of the famous Power of
Destruction directly hit the side of the black hound.

 

Regardless of the pained cry I heard, I could see that
the creature still seemed to be alive.

 

A good part of its side along one of the front legs
was erased during the attack just now, but the thing was still among us. It has
extraordinary vitality. If you think about it, the branch which I used to
attack it probably pierced its brain but it did not die at that time either.

 

Truly a monster.

 

Even when all that happened I did not stop healing my
wounds with Senjutsu. Having a little break from facing it gave me enough time
to take care of the damage I received when I hit my head. Taking my eyes off
that thing, I turned to see my saviors.

 

The two little girls were in the air flying.

 

Rias-chan seemed somewhat tired from that attack but
her expression was still bright, while Sona-chan was sighing in relief.

 

I should warn them just in case.

 

"Don't let your guard down, it is still
alive". I yelled.

 

The two turned to look at me and nodded while they got
closer.

 

I suppressed the urge to cough more blood as I
probably aggravated my wounds with that yell.

 

*GrrrroOoowLl*

 

Even while it weakly and pitifully growling, I would
not lower my guard. The missing leg gave it problems standing up but it wasn't
enough to pin it in place forever.

 

While I had kept healing myself all this time, that
did not mean that I am completely recovered.

 

This can count only as a first-aid due to my level of
skill along with the fact that I am not doing a meticulous recovery, just
enough to be able to move.

 

The amount of Ki I have left was rather small compared
to my full amount.

 

Even when my Ki was compressed, making my full reserve
being smaller in comparison to other youkais as Kaa-san explained, there was a
difference in quality which made even a tiny bit of my Ki as effective as a
large amount from other youkais. However, even then, I had a pitiful amount
right now so I could not be wasteful and use it sparingly.

 

There was no much time, but I would prefer to finish
this thing if I could. The problem is that I might not be able to as I am now.
Putting my injuries state aside, I didn't have a finisher. Seriously, lacking a
proper finishing technique can be troublesome.

 

"Nora-chan! Are you alright? Ahhhhhh, you are
bleeding!" I heard Rias-chan exclaim behind me, when did she get this
close?

 

As I turned to the voice, I saw her with watery eyes
almost about to cry.

 

Girl, the one who wants to cry is me. I think I broke
a few bones during that hit and now that the numbness from the impact is
disappearing I starting to feel the pain. But I can't just say that to her,
Sona-chan who is standing beside her is trying to hold back her tears too.
Argh, I did not want to show this bloody scene to them, there was nothing I can
do about it now that they saw me like this.

 

"It's ok, it isn't as bad as you think. That
aside, we need to leave" I spoke.

 

I considered asking why they came back when I told
them to go, but they saved me which was probably their purpose. Lecturing them
about not listening to me can come later.

 

"Shiki-san, that thing is still alive. Will it
chase after us?" Sona-chan questioned in a doubtful tone.

 

I had the same concern as her.

 

Dealing with that would be the best, but Rias-chan is
the only one who has enough power to do so, and while that last attack saved
me, I feel reluctant to ask a little kid to kill in my stead.

 

Not to mention that what we have to do now is to
remain safe, this was not a game where we have to kill that thing or we can't
move forward.

 

"It should have a hard time following us like
that and it would be dangerous to face a cornered animal. In the end, our
safety comes first. So leaving now while we have the chance is the best we can
do. Sona-chan, you should carry Rias-chan and leave by flying". I said.

 

Even while I tried to explain to them that, that thing
warily kept its eyes on us. Somehow, I was starting to feel a chill.

 

Rias-chan wanted to say something more but Sona-chan
stopped her.

 

"Rias, we should leave as he said. We are still
far from home, and there might be more dangerous creatures roaming around
here". Sona-chan reasoned. "Shiki-san will leave as well,
right?"

 

That sounds like a terrible death flag, little missy.
But, she used quite a stern tone at the end of her words, and the glare she
gave me did not leave me a way out.

 

Nevertheless, there was something that she said that
bothered me.

 

More creatures?

 

I turn to observe closely the black hound and I
finally found the reason for my bad feeling from earlier.

 

"We need to leave quickly, like, right now. This
thing is different-". I hurriedly tried to speak but something interrupted
me.

 

*GRrrRrOoooooooOLl*

 

You are reading story Highschool DxD: A new opportunity at novel35.com

There was the sound of growling coming from nearby.
But one look at the thing we fought and it is easy to tell that it did not make
the sound this time.

 

That's right.

 

There were some signs before but I did not bother to
consider them given our situation at that time. However, upon closer
observation earlier, I noticed that the black hound is a size smaller than the
one I saw using my ability.

 

When we found the black hound, it wasn't because it
had caught up with us. It was a different one altogether.

 

Damn it.

 

Now there are a half-dead and a healthy one here.

 

Can't I go home now?

 

I shook my head to get rid of any nonsensical thought,
and then I glanced at Rias-chan and Sona-chan. They are pale but they are not
frozen like last time.

 

Good.

 

"There is no time to waste you two. Before they
start attacking us, we must leave". I urged them.

 

They both look at me then at the creature that
appeared just now. Rias-chan wanted to take my hand and bring me to Sona-chan,
but I couldn't do that.

 

If she tried carrying both of us, that thing will
catch us quickly.

 

"Nora-chan, let Sona-chan carry you. You are
injured. I can-". She tried to reason with me but I was not going to have
that.

 

"They will catch up to you in no time if you went
alone, and she obviously can't take both. Don't worry; I took care of my
injuries for now. I told you that I can use Senjutsu, and it can be used to
heal wounds. Besides, I can run pretty fast". Even when I explained this
to her, I walked behind her and pushed her gently to Sona-chan.

 

Sona-chan wanted to say something more seeing my
wound, but I shook my head. She should focus on Rias-chan.

 

I turned one last time to see what those two creatures
were doing and came to a stop when the healthy one started to prey on the
injured one.

 

*Crunching noises*

 

I unconsciously gulped at that sight, but the most
bizarre of the situation was that there wasn't any sign of resistance or even
cries of pain from the other creature.

 

Once more, I felt the chills while looking at that
existence.

 

Close to the two devil girls, I had them turn their
heads when the sounds picked their interest and I warned them.

 

"Don't look; we have the green light to leave
now". I urged them more strongly this time.

 

Perhaps because I sounded somewhat anxious this time
or maybe the noises were bothering them. But they obediently did as I said.

 

"Don't turn back; I will go after you two leave".
I said before any of them could think of asking.

 

I began my preparations after they took off.

 

Coating my body in Touki, as Senjutsu coursed inside
my body to reinforce it the best I can, I started to run in the direction of
those two left, leaving behind the two-soon-to-be-one creatures.

 

I had some experience in running through the forest at
full speed thanks to my training with Kaa-san so the terrain posed no problems
for me.

 

Usually, by flying you can cover a good distance
easily but I caught with the two pretty fast.

 

They were flying somewhat slowly and glancing bellow
from time to time, even though I had told them to not look back.

 

By chance, Sona-chan caught sight of my running figure
and came to a stop, signaling Rias-chan my direction. The girls seemed to be
talking about something.

 

I was getting closer to them until they came down
again.

 

Aware that they were flying slowly because they were
waiting for me, I was not sure why they came to a stop now that I caught up so
I stopped in place, and while feeling the pain I suppressed as I ran, slowly
spreading, I waited for them to talk.

 

"Where should we go?" Sona-chan inquired.

 

That is a good question.

 

I thought of answering 'home' but I feel like the
black-haired devil will not take well my joke at this kind of time.

 

Instead, I began asking a couple of questions I had.

 

"I recall that you said you were not sure exactly
where we are. However, isn't there some kind of indicator that could give us
even the slightest idea where is the best place to go?" I asked.

 

After teleporting, I had asked questions regarding our
location but both of them were unfamiliar with the place and could not tell me
anything useful.

 

"I am afraid not when we took off the first time
and this time I did not find something that could give me a hint. The
Underworld is a vast place so I don't know every little part of it".
Sona-chan replied in an apologetic tone.

 

Figures, I expected as much. But even when they
traveled some distance away they found nothing useful. Are we that far away? I
have no idea which direction would get me closer to Kaa-san, that way it should
easier to locate her.

 

"Do you think we should stay close to where we
were teleported? If someone were to come to look for us... they might come from
there". Rias-chan suggested after thinking for a moment.

 

I shook my head at that.

 

"That could be dangerous". I muttered.

 

Recalling that maid who sent us here, I doubt who
teleported us here will be an ally.

 

Someone sent us here, intending to have those hounds
deal with us. But I didn't understand why that someone did not try to kill us
by themselves.

 

"Let's continue getting as far from here as we
can for now. If that thing comes after us then we will be in danger. You don't
have to mind me and go, you already saw that I can run pretty fast". I
declared.

 

"Are you sure you don't want to rest even for a
moment? You look pale..." Sona-chan spoke in a concerned tone.

 

Pale? That's probably because of the blood I lost.

 

I shook my head at the suggestion.

 

It was something I would like to do but we can't stay
here for long.

 

"Not here..." I responded.

 

With that, I started walking in the opposite direction
from where we left the black hounds.

 

Reinforcing my body with Senjutsu and Touki I turn one
last time to tell them.

 

"We wasted quite a bit of time here, I know that
you are getting tired but let's move away". I talk to the duo, in
particular Sona-chan who is doing the effort in flying.

 

I am not the only one getting tired, those two are
getting weary. Even Rias-chan who used that attack was showing signs of
fatigue.

 

We need to rest soon or we won't last too much.

 

Part 2

 

Saya’s POV

 

Although she did not enjoy being carried by this
woman, Saya had no other choice. She was currently trying to locate her son and
the two other devils that were with him.

 

Coming with her, the maid from before, Grayfia, was
carrying her by flying.

 

After talking to Venelana about the special token she
had with her. They both concluded that using it they could track easily the
location of the children, but going on foot would take too long in case that
they were in some sort of danger.

 

That much Saya already knew, and Venelana offered her
a solution that came in the form of lending a hand. It was to have Grayfia
coming with her as support.

 

While she disliked the maid, she was a powerful
Ultimate-class devil and with her tagging along, they should be able to handle
most problems.

 

However, when they were going to depart, the maid
asked her if she was able to fly fast enough.

 

While Nekomatas could not fly naturally like devils
because they lacked wings, she had learned flight magic.

 

It all started when she confidently said that she
could it. Grayfia took off first, but Saya could not catch up to her.

 

Thus, this was how things ended up.

 

Putting aside her petty grudges, Saya kept using the
token to navigate.

 

Although things were not that easy, the range of the
token was pretty large, and while it could still catch the other's side signal,
it was still faint, meaning that they still had a long way to go.

 

Saya was anxious, but it was not time to let those
feelings show for now.

 

Suddenly a voice pulled Saya out of her thoughts.

 

"Should I continue going in this direction?"
Grayfia inquired.

 

Saya looked at the token once more before answering.

 

"Change directions to that place". Saya
replied while pointing to the place they should go.

 

Without saying any words Grayfia changed the course.
None of the two spoke more than necessary. There was no need.

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------

 

MC’s POV

 

We continued moving forward for some time as we tried
to cover as much ground as we could, but we had to eventually stop because
Sona-chan could not fly anymore due to fatigue.

 

I was not in the best shape either; the blood loss had
weakened me considerably.

 

I could still move because I used Senjutsu and
sparingly Touki to keep me going, allowing my body to move forward.

 

With no other choice, we decided to take a rest near a
small pond Sona-chan and Rias-chan found while flying.

 

Exhaustion was written on Sona-chan's face while she
sat leaning on a tree. Rias-chan had also used a somewhat large amount of
demonic power during her attack she was tired, but she was in a much better shape
considering that she got to rest while they were both flying.

 

As for me, I was covered in a cold sweat. Aggravating
wounds is never a good idea, I kept recklessly running but now I am paying the
consequences of that.

 

Leaning on a tree in the same manner as Sona-chan, I
was trying to catch my breath. Pressing with my right hand the area between my
ribs, I was doing a self-diagnostic.

 

It was rather easy to tell that I had a few ribs
broken, but dealing with that was beyond my current abilities. Using the scarce
amount of Ki I had, I eased the pain somewhat.

 

Distracting myself by observing my other companions in
this 'adventure', I saw Rias-chan coming from the pond with a wet handkerchief
using it to wipe her friend's sweat. A sight that brought a smile to my lips
until the pain erased it.

 

Searching in my sleeve, I found the token again.
Quickly activating the 'map' function, I could see that the arrow was getting a
lot clearer than before, which means that Kaa-san must be getting closer.
However, I noticed that we were going in the opposite direction she was coming
from.

 

I would laugh if doing so did not worsen my injuries.

 

Hopefully, she gets here faster because that thing
will catch up to us sooner or later.

 

I don't think that those creatures were here by mere
coincidence, not to mention that their existence feels wrong, or at least that
what I felt when I sensed their presence with Ki, although what bothered me was
a simple question. Why do they use those things when coming by themselves would
guarantee an easier job? Sure, if those things attacked together then wiping us
out is easy, but they were separated and that allowed us to put up a fight with
one of them.

 

My thoughts come to a stop when I felt something cold
on my face.

 

Turning my head to see what this is about. I saw
Rias-chan wiping the sweat on my forehead with a handkerchief.

 

"This is the least I can do. I have done nothing
so far". Rias-chan muttered crestfallenly.

 

I smile wryly at her words.

 

"That's not true; you did save me back
there". I tried to offer words of comfort.

 

But it did not work too well this time.

 

"But you and Sona-chan did so much if you two had
not been here" Rias-chan mumbled weakly.

 

When people get tired, they usually tend to be
negative. In cases like that, the emotions that they tried to keep hidden are
shown.

 

"Listen, this is not about who did more or who
did less. While it is true that equal relationships require an equal amount of
effort, friendship is not about keeping in check such a thing. Helping each
other is what friends do". I pause at her blank look. "You look like
you don't get me huh. Just take it as something natural between friends, but if
you still feel guilty, then you can act like before. I like seeing you smile;
it helps me to look at the bright side of things."

 

While I tried to explain to her something that I am
not completely sure about myself, she seemed lost because my terms were maybe
too hard to understand, however, at the end of my explanation, she regained her
energy back.

 

"I don't understand very well, but you are right.
Friends are supposed to help each other" Rias-chan spoke after pondering
for a moment. "Smiling is a piece of cake; I enjoy my time with you so I
don't mind doing it"

 

She added as she flashed me a bright smile. I think
this was going to be troublesome later, but I didn't know why though.

 

"That's more like it". I nodded.

 

As long as she is happy then everything was ok.

 

"Hmmmm, I wonder if I can do something else for
you guys though". Rias-chan uttered feeling lost.

 

Why do you ask me? I am not an expert in friendships.

 

"Let's consider that when we are safe". I
replied at last.

 

Then, I closed my eyes to meditate for a little. I
will try to gather some Ki now that I got the chance.

 

It is not because I am trying to run away to avoid
answering her. Yeah.

 

…

…

…

 

Our little rest was cut short when there was a sound
coming from the distance.

 

I thought of giving my ability a try, but I did not
see the point when I already knew what was coming. I needed to save my strength
the best I could.

 

"You two, come here". I called the devils that
were already standing nearby in an alerted state.

 

The noise already had them on guard.

 

"Can you continue flying some more?" I asked
Sona-chan.

 

"I might be able for a little but not like when
we got away earlier" The bespectacled devil shook her head.

 

I expect as much, we did not get to rest for that
long.

 

"How about the attack from before? Can you do it
again?" I turned to Rias-chan this time.

 

"I don't think it will have the same power as
before, but I can still try". Rias-chan said her tone full of
determination.

 

That last attack did not kill the creature so a weaker
attack will not be able to put it out of commission either, although her determination
is remarkable.

 

Me? I am not in my best shape either. One hit and I
probably won't be able to move again. My Ki reserves did not rise that much
since I kept treating my injuries albeit little by little.

 

The question is how long we can last with our current
abilities against that thing.

 

I could make the two leave again as I buy some time,
but I doubt they would listen to me. Not like I would be able to distract that
thing for too long as I am now anyway.

 

"Let's wait for that thing from the other side of
the pond". I said.

 

We were on the side of the pond where that thing will
be coming, by going to the other side we will have some time to observe it
better.

 

I take out the token one last time before the last
fight starts.

 

Confirming that the arrow was much clearer, I wondered
how much longer it will take for help to arrive but soon stopped doing it. My
focus should be on what is to come.

 

"Sona-chan, take this. Don't lose it". I
said while I handed the token to Sona-chan.

 

She looked at me before taking the object in question.

 

"What is this?" Sona-chan asked as with her
head tilted, a curious expression on her face. Rias-chan besides her was also
curious and her ahoge had taken a question mark form.

 

They looked adorable, but there were more pressing
matters.

 

"Our home ticket, keep it close". I only
said that.

 

"*Gulp* ...ok". Sona-chan nodded nervously.

 

I gave this to her because I will probably need
Rias-chan help later and she will be quite free, having nothing to do can be
difficult sometimes.

 

*GRooooOooOwL* *GrOoooOwL*

 

Taking my action of handing Sona-chan the token as a
cue, that's thing appeared between the trees.

 

"That is not fair...". I weakly muttered in
a dispirited voice.

 

The damned creature was bigger than before. Given what
I saw it do last time I expected it, but I did not imagine that it would get a
new head as well as a new tail.

 

What the heck?

 

Did I get into some strange game and the difficulty
was set at nightmare somehow?

 

We could barely face the 'normal' one.

 

"This will be harder than before. Are the two of
you still thinking of staying?" I asked one last time just in case.

 

"Running away is impossible, don't you
think?" Sona-chan spoke in a resolute tone.

 

"I can't leave you alone like that".
Rias-chan said in a bold tone.

 

They were somewhat scared. However, both had decided
to stay.

 

"Sona-chan should take Rias-chan flying and wait
for the moment to attack. Aim at one of the heads or front legs. That should be
better than going for some other place, I leave the timing to you two". I
instructed.

 

I did not want to make them fight, but now there was
no choice.

 

"What about you?" Sona-chan inquired.

 

She looked worried.

 

"I will give you an opening..." I responded.

 

Sona-chan wanted to say something else but the
two-headed creature was not going to wait.

 

*GrrrooooOoooOwl* *GrOooOooOoOowL*

 

With a strong growl from both of its heads, it charged
full speed this way, circling the pond quickly.

 

When you use spells, having a medium makes the use of
said spell easier.

 

While I am not that good at spell craft because I lack
proper practice, I can at least do some things.

 

Close by, I had a good amount of water and it would be
useful.

 

Hastily writing the corresponding symbols in the air,
I prepare to use Youjutsu. I was planning to use two spells.

 

The best outcome would've been having Sona-chan take
advantage of the water here, but it was too risky to have her do it given that
she would have to carry Rias-chan and cast the spell at the same time. If that
thing targeted them and she did not evade because she was focused on something
else, I doubt they would be able to take the hit so I was not going to have her
do it.

 

Even while thinking, it kept getting closer.

 

Water alone was not going to stop it, I was not adept at
using it for attacking, but it could become something that might hinder that
thing's movement given you were a little creative.

 

When it was close enough, I activated one of the
spells I had prepared before.

 

Without time to even mutter the name of the spell, I
took control of a good amount of water and moved it to block that thing's path.

 

Seeing how it was only water, it did not stop its
charge, probably planning to go through it.

 

When I saw how it did not stop, I used the second
spell. The water started to freeze, forming a big chunk of ice.

 

That thing did not have enough time to change course
or stop, and the two-headed creature crashed into it headfirst.

 

The hit stunned it for a moment. And I had started to
write more symbols to use the other spells I had in mind.

 

I would not make it before that thing was free from
the effects of the crash, but it was not my turn to attack it. There was
already someone else on stand-by.

 

Just when the thing moved its two heads in my
direction, a burst of demonic power attacked it again.

 

Rias-chan who was being held by Sona-chan in the air
had attacked.

 

Black and Crimson were made the colors of the attack,
Rias-chan burst of Power of Destruction hit it in one of its heads, erasing it.

 

*GROOOOOOOOWLL*

 

A pain-filled cry was heard.

 

Although like before, it was not enough to completely
deal with the creature. But the attack had bought time for my spells to be
ready.

 

Once again, I controlled the water from the pond. I
used it to cover its legs and froze them.

 

This should be able to keep it in place for a little.

 

While I did not recover that much Ki, having the water
already here saved me in cost so I was able to last longer. That said, I doubt
I can hold it there forever. Even now, cracks keep appearing on the ice.

 

"Nora-chan! Sona-chan says that the token is
acting weird". I heard Rias-chan yelling from behind me.

 

Wait? Weird? I don't recall anything about that. What
comes to mind is-

 

Distracted by what Rias-chan said, I forgot to pay
attention to that thing.

 

Once I looked at it again, its tail had already
changed in length again.

 

I gulped, fearing for what was to come.

 

Hastily jumping backward, I managed to barely avoid
the whip-like hit coming from the tail, but I had also broken the spell in the
process.

 

While I avoided the hit, I had allowed that thing to
get free so I inwardly cursed.

 

I gulped again.

 

It looked angry and it was still healthy, whereas I
was even weaker than during our first clash.

 

It began to stride forward.

 

I reinforced myself with Senjutsu and Touki to avoid
whatever it would do next.

 

But there was no next action for the black hound.

 

A large barrage of familiar-looking bullets came
raining on top of it. I was pretty close so I could see how strong the bullets
hit it.

 

That got to hurt.

 

I turned my head to see the one who attacked and saw
Kaa-san being carried from behind by Grayfia-san.

 

Jeez, she's finally here.

 

The tension finally left my body. Relaxed at least, my
body started to fall.

 

I might've overdone by moving in my condition, but now
things will be alright so I can sleep for a little right?

 

While falling, I could Kaa-san pushing Grayfia-san
away to be released, ah, Kaa-san probably won't be able to get along with
Maid-san like that.

 

Please don't make that face, I am ok. So, don't look
like you are about to cry.

 

I wanted to tell her that, but I had no energy for
that.

 

Part 3

 

Watching the Nekomata woman Saya landing and running
toward her fallen son, Grayfia focused on the reason she came here.

 

Flying closer devil duo she was looking for, she
spoke.

 

"Are you two alright?" Grayfia asked in a
concerned tone.

 

While she tried to not show her feelings too much
during her work mode, she can't help but worry about the safety of Rias whom
she treats as a little sister and her best friend Sona whom she also takes care
of sometimes.

 

But the attention of both devils was somewhere else.

 

"Nora-chan!? Sona-chan, let's go and check what
happened to him". Rias said urgently.

 

"Right!" Sona spoke with an equal urgent tone.

 

The two pretty much ignored her and went to see the
condition of the child being treated by that woman.

 

Grayfia was honestly surprised at their reaction, she
expected them to be worried about him but they even ignored her, and while it
made her slightly upset, she was more curious about why it happened.

 

So she followed after them.

 

Looking at him, she could see how bad his state was.
Just the dried blood on his clothing was proof of how hurt he got. The external
wounds were almost taken care of, but considering the anxious state that Saya
was in, there must be considerable damage inside him as well.

 

She turned to look to the other pair that had an
anxious look.

 

Neither Rias nor Sona had a single wound on them, and
while their dresses had tears here and there, they were not hurt. Grayfia
considered all that and concluded what probably happened.

 

That child, Nora-kun kept the two of them safe.

 

She did not expect that things would turn out like
this after meeting the Nekomata pair earlier.

 

Despite the fact that she acted kindly to him as
thanks for covering for her error in judgment. She allowed him to call her name
as he liked, only to bother that Nekomata woman.

 

At the meeting, she found him adorable when his mother
made him turn into a cat, but that was a different point altogether.

 

Later, when she took him to meet those two, she wanted
to test whether he could be their playmate. Yet, he did nothing that could be
called bad, he remained standing meekly by the door even when Rias and Sona were
alerted and were even prepared to attack him. He did nothing threatening to
them.

 

Even now, those two were in one piece because of him
so he felt regretful for trying to test him.

 

This is something that she needs to apologize for,
even if she has to take a day off later.

 

Putting her thoughts aside, she decided to use her
time more efficiently than standing without doing anything.

 

While she could offer to heal him with magic, that
woman is doing a better job than what she could do, proving her competence.

 

Grayfia decided to inspect the remains of the
creature, whose body was inside a crater that the barrage of bullets from the
Nekomata woman had made.

 

Even for her, Grayfia found the sight slightly
exaggerated. Saya attacked with no intentions to leave the creature alive.

 

Upon closer look, some parts were still moving. The
head was somewhat spared and was still twitching, displaying a really strong
vitality. However, when Grayfia thought of finishing it off, it stopped moving.
All the blackened parts started to evaporate. There were traces of that before
it stopped moving but this time, all the black parts just evaporated and what
was left was parts of a creature, but much smaller.

 

It looked like a dog, but it did not seem to be an
animal. The feeling it gave was similar to youkais.

 

With that thought, she immediately turned warily to
where the woman was, but she did nothing else.

 

Recalling the state of that child, she decided to not
act hastily and make a judgment simply from the current evidence. Having made
up her mind, she contacted her king. While he can be rather playful sometimes,
he is still one of the four strongest beings in the Underworld, the Maou, and
someone who has good insight when it is required.

You can find story with these keywords: Highschool DxD: A new opportunity, Read Highschool DxD: A new opportunity, Highschool DxD: A new opportunity novel, Highschool DxD: A new opportunity book, Highschool DxD: A new opportunity story, Highschool DxD: A new opportunity full, Highschool DxD: A new opportunity Latest Chapter