Extravaganza 13 (Raw)

Extravaganza

A/N: Chapter 13 and the next two are all going to be slices of life, consolidation of power and training montages.

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Part 13

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May 9th, 2008
Kuoh Town
Usagiyama Residence

My eyes opened to the darkness in my room, the creepy hiss and the scratching of claws on the floor of my new pals, the Darklings, had woken me up. They were spread in every dark corner of my house and garden as silent vigils and protectors.

They might not all look pretty, but their devotion for me was genuine, when I needed help, they came to save me. So they were all welcome to live with me back on Earth. The Underworld devils hadn't liked having them in their cities stealing things and their presence unnerved them.

 A migraine suddenly hit me, causing me to massage my temples. I regretted staying up so late on the internet last night to peruse Supernatural Online. But it was necessary, I couldn't ignore the Supernatural as it always came to look for me. I also needed to manage my image online, how the hell did I become the new model for the BDSM lifestyle?

I am sure it's those fallen freaks responsible for that…

“Iori-chan, it’s time to wake up!” I heard the voice of my teacher slash bodyguard.

The Tanuki girl walked the stairs that led to the platform where her bed was. I placed the pillow on my head and said, “Urgh, Talya give me… ten minutes.”

Talya laughed and stole the pillow from my head. “You have five!”

I sat up and glared at her. “Who died and made you Queen?”

The tanuki girl made a cute pose and gave me a toothy smile. “Me Queen? No, nooooo~! I’m your super cute and dutiful attendant now that you’ve become the big cheese in Kuoh.”

I rolled my eyes at her antics, that girl was too energetic for her own good. With a sigh, I exited the bed and started stretching; Talya watched me for a while before speaking, “There’s something I want to ask… what are you going to do with all those… monsters you summoned?”

A pair of green glowing eyes peered at us from the opened wardrobe. Talya stumbled back when she noticed the imp darkling looking at us. I laughed at the obvious attempt at intimidation. “I have an idea of what I’m about to do with them, yes.”

Evil plans kept spawning in my mind, such as using the lesser Darklings as information gatherers, the more potent and humans looking one as enforcers. I always liked the John Wick movies and the assassin culture in it, the Continental services were interesting.

“But…” She pointed at the glowing eyes.

I stood before her, putting my hands on her shoulders. “The Darklings are good people, don’t worry about them. They listen to my commands and you're my subordinate now, they will listen to you too.”

Two sibilant voices rang from my wardrobe and from under the bed.

“Thaaaank you, Mistresssss.”

“We will listennnnn to the girl…”

Talya flinched when she heard them; I giggled at her reaction and patted her shoulders. “See, you have nothing to fear, they’re cute and have manners.”

Talya sighed and closed her eyes, when taking a steadying breath she reopened them and said, “it's time for breakfast, I did your favorite. Please come down.”

“I'll follow you.” I said and looked at the time.

It was six in the morning, and I had time to take a shower and prepare for school.

# # #

Hanazono Sakura middle-school for girls
12:15 AM

It was while it was lunch break at school that my mind and instinct went afire. I kept looking at the exits, was wary of the girls in my class and was ready to throw down at any moment. Living with a Goddess, two Barbarians and killing each other all the time had definitely changed me.

I hated the fact that I had to return to school after what happened to me. But I needed the normalcy to center myself again; no Devils or other supernatural beings were looking for me right now. However, they would definitely come to me to be able to operate in my town.

Fuckity fuck, I am now responsible for the well being of all the people in Kuoh. Lady Yasaka gave me a shit job to get one over the Devils. I kept thinking about what I should do, to secure the town against the future problems that being in charge would bring.

I need money, I need Mages and warriors to defend my territory. I wish I could ask Scathach for advice on how to do this, but she would just get me into harsher training to be able to hold the town by myself. The Darkness side of the Witchblade allowed me to summon the Darklings and they would become my shock troops to make the puny devils, shinto, Mage and other supernatural beings conform to my rules and stay in their lanes.

That's the only thing I can do while I gather assets and trusted people. I felt that I was going to make a trip around the world soon enough. I knew where to start already, Romania. Let's wait for the summer holidays to go there…

Someone knocked on my desk, looking up I saw one of my acquaintances, Miyamoto Shizuru, looking back at me. She was a slender brunette with an easy smile and the heart of the class. “Usagiyama-san! Where have you been? You missed two days of school, it's not like you.”

I had perfect attendance before, she was right. Another thing to put at the feet of the shitty devil who kidnapped me. “I was abroad, my plane had a mishap so I got back to Japan late.” 

That was the perfect excuse she, Talya and Lady Yasaka had concocted for missing two days of school. I and Talya literally had to go to France via teleportation and get to shop for souvenirs and take some pictures from landmarks such as the arc de triomphe, and the eiffel tower.

Taro Yoko, Shizuru's best friend and the legit tanned gal in the class clapped her hand and asked in a cute voice, “Oooh, like where did you go?”

Just as expected they became curious, that's why I took my school bag and opened it, fishing out a small photo album with the eiffel tower on its front cover. “I went to Paris.”

I handed it to the girl who opened it and started looking at the pictures of my small adventure in Paris. But I wasn't done with them, so I brought out some small souvenirs for them. “I also bought you girls a little something.”

I took out a box of expensive belgian chocolates. “Look.”

“Chocolate!” Shizuru tried to take the box but…

Yoko was faster and grabbed the box and brandished it as she yelled loudly, “You got us some chocolate!”

“I bought a box for my school friends, yeah. I wanted to share it with you, girls.” I smiled at them, those girls were quite cute with how they reacted. They reminded me of my little sister back in my world…

The two girls tore into the packaging and started tasting the different chocolates. Fortunately, there was no alcohol in the candied chocolates… I don't want to get in trouble for getting my schoolmates drunk. Then I pulled the perfume boxes I bought for them.

“Huh and are those…” Yoko saw the two gold perfume boxes attracting Shizuru's attention.

With a smile I explained what they were, “Oh and those are brand perfumes for each of you. Mainly Channel number 5.”

The girls looked dumbfounded at the sudden small gifts. It wasn't too much, like clothes would have been, those were simple souvenirs to foster good feelings between us. Before my kidnapping, I kept people away from me; but being almost turned into a devil and a sex slave, it gives me perspective. 

I can't continue treating everyone around me like they didn't matter.

“Thank you, Iori-chan!” Shizuru's flushed and embarrassed face was really cute to look at.

Yoko gave me a friendly pat on my shoulder as she said, “That's, like awesome! I feel bad though, we didn't get you anything…” but the rest of her sentence was rather subdued.

I shrugged and said, “Eh, it's okay, maybe next time?”

All the girls in my school were from good or rich families, so I wasn't worried about them using me as an ATM or something. I was rich too.

Yoko was going to have none of it and said with a small fist in the air, “Nah, I will treat you to like the best Okonomyaki in town tomorrow!” 

My belly growled as she spoke about food

“Sure then…”

While I was having a good time with my two new friends, a part of me focused on what I was going to do after school. Issei was worried about me, I didn't answer his texts even after I got back…

I needed to take things in hand, everyone around me with unawakened power or potential was in danger. It was right at this moment that my decision to pull Issei and his sister into the Moonlit World was made…

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(Hyoudou Issei)

Tenrou co-ed Middle-school
04:45 PM

It was time to go back home, the other students were leaving the classroom. Some were going to their clubs, others left while gossiping. The brown haired boy finished cleaning the classroom and went to the closet to store the broom, dust shovel, bucket and mop.

Issei felt a bit listless and worried, Iori-san didn't contact him at all the last three days, then there was Nanami who sequestered herself in her room after what happened between her and him. Issei's mother and father were worried about his little sister, and that's why he wanted to ask Iori for advice on how to fix this.

Girls are complicated. The young man thought with a laugh as he passed a hand in his hair.

When Issei got back to his classroom to retrieve his bag to finally leave and return home, one of his friends, Motohama, still inside, stopped him and said, “Hey Issei-kun, there’s a really hot sukeban waiting for you at the entrance!”

“What?” Issei perked up.

Motohama’s face was completely red and there was drool at the left side of his mouth.  “She's gorgeous too. Her three sizes are out of this world! 92-56-88!”

Issei shook his head, he still couldn’t understand why even after sharing how to get girls, his friends were acting like rampant perverts. Then he perked up, as he registered what Motohama had said, could it be…

The brown haired boy grabbed Motohama by the collar of his shirt and slightly lifted him from the ground. “Dude! Does that girl have red eyes, long black hair and is taller than average?”

Motohama looked at the frantic eyes of his friend. “Y-yeah she is.”

Issei put his friend down and let him go. “Thank you for telling me, guys. See you tomorrow!” 

He grabbed his bag, weaved between the desks and exited the room by power walking in the corridor. He descended the stairs and finally reached the shoe locker room on the ground floor. Some of his schoolmates were putting their slippers in the shoe lockers and putting on their school uniforms, issued shoes.

Issei ignored everyone and put on his shoes and stored his slippers. He literally ran toward the school’s exit, looking frantically for the girls of his dreams and who had stolen his heart. He spotted her, there was a gathering around her, some guys and girls talking to her.

Iori, who was speaking to some guy from the baseball team, finally noticed him. She practically ignored the guys chatting her up and ran toward him while shouting, “Issei!”

“Hey, Iori!” Issei received the tackling Iori in his arms, while twirling her in the air as they hugged.

Issei was so much into his own world where only Iori existed that he did not realize that they were being made into a show for the other students at his school. He put her down, and realized that she put on some weight and became more toned.

With a frown he asked, “Where have you been, Iori? You missed our meeting two days in a row.”

Her beautiful smile vanished and she lowered her gaze. “Something… bad happened… and I was out of town so…”

His hands glided from her waist to her shoulders as he said decisively, “Say no more, I understand. You came back, that's what matters.”

She suddenly hugged him again, “Issei,  thank you for being understanding.” 

He hugged her back and suddenly his nose was full of the smell of her hair. It smelled like roses. The scene was interrupted by the shouts of two familiar male voices.

“Issei you traitor!”

“What about our pact of getting girlfriends together in high-school?!!!”

Issei looked behind him and saw Matsuda and Motohama crying manly tears of betrayal. What the hell was up with them? They better not embarrass him before Iori!

The girl spoke loud enough for everyone to hear her. “Who are those two losers, Issei-kun?”

As if they've been shot by metaphorical arrows, Issei's two friends fell on their knees and held onto their chest as if they'd been struck there. The people who were leaving or watching them started laughing at the two boys who were still crying. 

“My two friends. Matsuda and Motohama.” Issei said shamefully. 

“Ignore them, Issei.” Iori giggled, and she held onto his right arm pulling him toward the large black and red motorcycle next to the entrance.

As they arrived next to the vehicle, Iori handed him her spare helmet. “We got things to talk about.” 

The tone she employed somehow worried him. “O-okay?”

He turned his head to the sleek motorcycle. Issei knew that she had a motorcycle, but it was the first time that he would get on one. Iori climbed on her vehicle and turned it on by inserting her key, the engine came alive with a loud roar. 

“Hop on.” She said with her crimson eyes on him.

Issei climbed behind her with trepidation…

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(Usagiyama Iori) 

Kuoh Town outskirt
South Woods
05:17 PM

Issei's arms were wrapped around my waist, holding onto me as we cruised toward the forest on my bike. He stayed the perfect gentleman and didn't paw any sensitive… places. Giving him a goal and talking to him about decency and holding himself back in public sure paid dividends. 

I stopped the bike right before a rest area near the road leading out of the town, parking my bike. Issei let go of me and took off my spare helmet from his head; he started to shake a bit because of the new sensation that riding a bike engenders. 

Issei looked around him, I climbed down from my bike and walked to the picnic table that was next to the public shelter with a bunch of vending machines. I walked up to the small bank of vending machines and looked at the choices.

Living in Japan now was a really quirky experience… This country has one of the world's highest vending machine densities. Machines can be found all over the cities and also in the countryside. Almost none of them are vandalized or non-functional.

A majority of machines sell non-alcoholic beverages such as soft drinks, juice, energy drinks, tea and coffee for a reasonable 100 to 200 yen. These drink machines usually offer both hot and cold beverages. Vending machines that sell alcoholic beverages and cigarettes are less common.

I turned to Issei and asked, “Do you want something to drink? It's my treat, Issei-kun.”

 The boy stared at me strangely, as if he waited for the other shoe to drop. He scratched behind his head then waved negatively with his hand. “No I'm good… Why did you bring me so far from the town, Iori?”

“I need to reveal some things to you, Issei-kun. This place is far from the hustle and bustle in town. No one will disturb us.” I took 200¥ and slipped the coins in the money slot of the vending machine. I spotted a bunch of Ramune and Ocean Bomb! And they were the rare ones with Sailor Moon cans’ designs.

I bought ten of the cans for my private collection and placed all but one in my school bag, this one had Sailor Jupiter on the front. My gaze fell on Issei who looked scared by something…

“Iori… you’re scaring me.” The brown haired boy said.

His reaction was cute, but I didn't take pleasure in his fear. What I was about to say and show him will tremendously change his life. “I’m sorry, please bear with it, Issei-kun.”

I went to sit at the picnic table and Issei nodded slowly, I smiled sadly at him. “Issei, I’m going to tell you a story.”

He sat across from me on the table. “Um… fine.”

I looked straight into his eyes and started with, “This world is older than you know. Contrary to popular mythologies, it did not begin as a paradise. For untold eons, Gods, Devils, magical beings and monsters walked the Earth...”

I started to tell him about the supernatural, the Three Factions, the local situation about the Western and Eastern Youkai faction, the five principal families and about most myth and legend being real. The discussion then segued into the existence of magic, mystical martial arts and how the higher ups in the government of most countries are in the know because most Pantheons are in control of them.

The economy, social media, entertainment and medical business are under their control. I must have sounded like a crazy conspiracy theorist because Issei replied when I was done, “Iori… I want to believe you. I really do, but do you have proof and… why tell me this?”

I opened the soft drink can and started sipping lightly on the delicious juice at the same time I observed Issei. He has truly grown up and become more mature -because of me- if he was like the Issei from canon, he would believe whatever I was saying to score with me, turning into an easily controlled simp. 

With a proud smile I said, “I like this, you don't just believe me out of hand, you're using that brain of yours.”

Issei's cheeks flushed. “You taught me well.”

He is really cute like this. I reached for his hand and covered it with my own. “If it's proof that you want I will give it to you.”

I stood up and was about to change into my witchblade form, but all of a sudden, the God in my soul refused. {I won't allow you to deploy me before that boy. He will get even more lusty.}

This was the first time that Witchblade refused to let me transform. Why, Witchblade?

There was hostilité and possessiveness in Witchblade's tone. {He is my competition.} 

It was strange, this was the first time that Witchblade acted this way, he didn't mind me changing before other people before. Looking down at my bracelet, I asked a bit pitifully, Then what do I do?

Witchblade stayed silent for a moment before answering, {I will allow you to modify the armor a bit more. Go crazy.}

My eyes widened in surprise. Awesome! Thanks!

I closed my eyes not minding that Issei stared at me awkwardly. Withcblace had no limit, it was the child of two abstract entities, so it's normal that it possesses power to manipulate reality and its own self.

With visualization, I willed an image of what I wanted my armor to look like. I wanted a sexy magical girl knight look, with a red and gold overcoat, silver boobplate, black skirt, silver greaves, thigh high socks, silver Pauldrons and the silver marking typical of Witchblade on my face.

Crrrk. Click. Clack. Clack. I felt my bracelet turn into a gauntlet which then spread all over my body. I heard a gasp coming from Issei. “Iori! You're a magical girl!?”

Opening my eyes, I found that I was wearing something different from the usual full armor or bikini armor. I looked down at myself and just like I thought the Witchblade made me some armor, even the overcoat seemed to be made of metal weave.

Did you just transmute my clothes? I hope I didn't just lose my school uniform…

{Your uniform is safe, partner. You unlocked more of my abilities than any of my past wielders.}

I sighed in relief at Witchblade announcement, when I looked back at my friend… issei stared at me in a transfixed manner. When our gazes met, he spouted, “You look so beautiful.”

{See how he reacts!? Imagine you had used the base form…} The feeling of irritation coming from my passenger made themselves known.

I smiled at Issei. “Thank you, Issei-kun. Now follow me, I wish to show you one of my abilities.”

Issei's eyes focused on boobplate, forcing me to snap him out of ogling me too much. “Hey, my eyes are up there, Issei.”

The brown haired boy looked up and saw me smiling at him. He blushed and averted his eyes from me sheepishly. “Oh um sorry.”

I giggled, then I moved away from the rest area and toward a bunch of trees behind the fence separating the area from the woods. “Choose a tree. Any of them will do.”

Moving next to me, Issei pointed at the tree that I was going to destroy. “Umm, that one on the left.”

I cracked my neck and cupped my right fist into my left hand. “Okay, look at me, I am going to use one of my techniques.” 

I heard Issei in a flirty tone, “Oh… I am watching you, alright.”

I turned and gave him a look, he smiled at me, then I rolled my eyes at him. It was time to put on a show for Issei; while I spent a year in the mindscape being killed and trained by Scathach. I developed many techniques inspired by anime and manga series I reproduced thanks to the manipulation of my life-force, my touki. This was the Hyper mode that boosted all my attributes by 50%. I used Total Concentration Breathing on top of this to further enhance my physical and mental traits. 

Entering into a back stance, I focused my touki into my dantian, my body started glowing in a gold color. I raised my hands and drew my latent touki in my palms, concentrated into a single point. “The School of the Undefeated of the East! Ultimate Secret Technique! SEKIHA TENKYOUKEN!”

Witchblade's pyrokinesis mixed in with my touki that I shot as a streaming, powerful beam of golden energy toward my target.

Woosh! In barely a tenth of a second, the beam reached the tree, hit it and the wood immediately combusted. The energy released also caused an explosion and destroyed the tree at the molecular level. BOOOM!!!

All that was left was a fuming glowing red crater, you still could feel the heat coming from it despite the ten meters distance. I smiled, the technique worked even better than I thought. This caused me to turn to Issei and the boy looked shocked.

Issei started shaking, and I was suddenly afraid that this might have been too much for him. The boy surprised me further by kneeling and punching the ground. "I refuse to be the useless beta male MC who discovers his friend is a magical heroine and makes her do all the fighting!"

He lifted his head and pleaded to me, "Iori, please teach me! I won't let you fight alone!”

“Uh… what?”