'Man, my everything is sore.'
'Stop being a crybaby and suck it up. This is the best training you can ever ask for.'
Issei glared at his left arm.
'Easy for you to say. You are not the one who is getting his ass whooped by Shishou.'
Ye Ddraig Gosh. The Red Dragon Emperor of the British myths. One of the Twin Heavenly Dragons. Chuckled at his latest host's words.
Two days ago, when Issei had asked Shirou to train him, he had anticipated many things.
Outright rejection. Harsh training. Meditation. Or those katas or whatever that practitioners speak about in their interviews.
What he did not expect was the brutal fighting style that Shirou adopted to instill within Issei through practical training.
Meaning, Issei Hyoudou had his ass beat like a drum by Shirou Emiya in the name of learning Pankration.
A beating that traumatized poor Issei, who now feared anything made of stone and vaguely shaped like a weapon.
It was during this traumatizing experience that Issei's sheer desperation finally unlocked the full potential of his Sacred Gear, manifesting what the old man in the Clock Tower called 'The Boosted Gear'.
And with its awakening came the awakening of the soul held within the Sacred Gear, the dragon who now spoke to Issei and called him a partner.
'Look at it this way. Do you prefer to learn the practical combat arts from your 'Shishou' or learn magic from that suspicious old man called Zelretch?'
That instantly shut Issei up.
Issei liked the old man, there was no doubt about it. He was fun, patient, and taught Issei about the supernatural world more than Shirou, mainly because Shirou himself was supposedly an amateur in terms of pure knowledge.
However, Issei will not deny that Zelretch is very unhinged and very creepy. He saw it firsthand when Zelretch genuinely contemplated throwing Issei off into a nest of Stray Devils so that he would learn to fight through real-world experience.
Just thinking about that incident where he narrowly avoided the fate of becoming stray devil chow made Issei tremble uncontrollably.
This was also one of the many reasons why Issei was truly grateful for Shirou's existence, since he seemed to be the only one who could curb the old man's impulsive actions and save Issei from doom most of the time.
Zelretch's heart was in the right place, but his mind worked in a truly alien way.
As one dragon and one human conversed in their minds, Ddraig's attention was suddenly pulled when he sensed a faint holy aura nearby.
'Issei, look ahead. We got company. I sense Holy Aura.'
Issei fell silent and went on guard. His body going taunt like a bow string, ready to summon the Boosted Gear and use it as a shield as he retreated in case of a fight.
However, what he saw made him reconsider a lot of stuff.
A young teenager, probably his age, sat in the alleyway with her knees to her chest and a heartbroken expression. Her eyes showed how dead she must be feeling inside as she stared blankly at her surroundings.
Her clothes were also rather dirty and a bit disheveled. Combined with the stains on her face and her overall disposition, it was clear that she was someone in a rather bad situation right now.
'....Are you sure this is the source of the holy aura?'
'...No doubt about it. That girl is radiating a holy aura....but what is up with this situation? Shouldn't the church be valuing someone with such a pure aura instead of...whatever this situation is?'
'You are asking me? How the hell should I know? Anyways, first things first. I need to see if she is alright, and take care of those scum over there.'
Isse felt fury rise within his heart as he looked beyond the girl at the strange men on the other side of the alley who were wearing lecherous expressions while discussing something, sneaking glances at the girl who was unaware of her surroundings.
Issei Hyoudou is an unrepentant pervert. He knew this better than anyone. However, even with his perversion, he would never stoop to forcing someone into a relationship, whether it was emotional or physical. That is a line he would never cross.
But these men? They were clearly upto no good.
Making up his mind, he walked towards the girl with a bright smile.
"There you are! I've been searching everywhere for you! Come, Kaa-san and Tou-san are worried about you!"
"...Eh?"
Issei did not give the bewildered girl the chance to say anything before pulling her up and dragging her away.
While he was doing that, his newly enhanced danger sense picked up the movement from the men on the other side, probably intending to stop him or something else.
However, a quick glare backed up by Ddraig's presence that he learned to pull on under Shirou's training, forced these men to stay put in terror.
It was only when they were some distance away that Issei finally let go of the bewildered girl's hand and bowed in apology.
"Sorry about that. Those men in the alley looked really shady, and I could not leave a lost girl like you there without doing anything to help. I hope you don't mind my actions. Oh! I am Issei, by the way, Issei Hyoudou."
"Mi dispiace, non capisco bene il giapponese." (Sorry, I don't understand Japanese very well.)
'....Error. Issei Hyoudou. Exe cannot understand this language. Please reset to Japanese and try again.'
'This is no time to joke around, Partner.'
'Then what the hell am I supposed to do? This cute girl is spouting gibberish that I can't make heads or tails of!'
'Try English.'
'Good advice, except my English is....very broken.'
'...Haah. Such a useless partner I have.'
'Oi!!! You take that back right now!'
Issei glared at his arm again before smiling wryly at the girl.
"Err....I...Issei Hyoudou..name....You?"
"Oh! Um. Asia Argento...English...no speak well."
'Fuck!! No English as well?? What do I do now??'
'Maybe take her to Emiya?'
'Ooh! Nice one, Ddraig!'
"Ah...I...Take you...friend...home?"
Asia Argento looked confused for a bit before nodding timidly, following Issei as he guided her towards the Emiya household thanks to how familiar he had become with his teacher's house in the past days.
Unfortunately, the boy forgot that Shirou may not be at home right now since it was time for school, just like how he was supposed to be at school as well instead of playing hero to some foreign girl with a holy aura.
———————————————————————-
Asia Argento walked silently behind the boy who saved her, listening to him trying to explain where he was taking her in his broken English.
Not like she understood much since her own English was rather rusty.
However, she still got the gist of what he was trying to say.
He was taking her to the home of a friend who might be able to help her.
Honestly, if it were any other girl in her place, Asia knew that they might be really cautious of this situation, and even more so when a stranger guides them to their friend's house.
Even Asia had heard enough stories about how women were taken advantage of when in unfamiliar places to be wary of such things.
However, the former holy maiden no longer cared about such things.
Because she had long since given up on this life.
The Church was all she ever knew her whole life.
As an orphan who was found at the doorstep of a Church and raised as a devoted nun of the Lord, she was taught to be kind to everyone around her and follow the teachings of God.
When her Sacred Gear manifested, everyone hailed it as a blessing. A sign of a true holy maiden.
However, that was when her nightmare truly began.
She was placed on a pedestal, treated more like an object, a status, than a person. She was no longer allowed to take the simple joys in life, like playing with animals like dogs and cats. No longer allowed to form true bonds, like friends and trusted companions. No longer allowed to meet the Nun who took care of her as a child.
All because these actions were beneath someone of her status.
Yet, she did not blame the priests for these restrictions. She believed that these were trials set for her by God to overcome and become a better person.
So, she persevered.
She persevered when people who were jealous of her power called her names. She persevered when they said she was a woman who attained her position through illicit means.
Yet, the day when she was accused of blasphemy for healing an injured man, who turned out to be a devil, and excommunicated, she could not help but doubt herself for the first time.
Was she wrong? Was she truly a witch? Was she really someone that God rejected because she healed a devil, even though she did not know the truth?
Was her power really not a gift from God but blasphemy against him?
The very first crack in her heart appeared that day.
From then on, she wandered from place to place, not knowing where to go or what to do.
During these few months she spent as a homeless person, she learned the true nature of people. She saw the darkness within them. She saw how humans can be just as evil as demons and how the holy cloth of those who claim to be servants of god can hide the sinister hearts of the devils.
It was during this time that she received an invitation from a Fallen Angel called Raynare, who said she would give her a place to belong should she accept it.
A proposal that Asia accepted out of desperation and exhaustion. Her sheltered heart, already on the verge of shattering after seeing the darkness of humanity, no longer cared about who helped her out, only that she found a place to call her own.
However, even this hope was taken away once she arrived at Kuoh.
Raynare was nowhere to be found. Neither were her companions around.
With no choice, she found the location of the local church and headed there, hoping to find the Fallen Angels there.
However, what she found there was nothing more than a nightmare.
A handful of stray exorcists. What remained of Raynare's forces after she supposedly died in a fight against a Sacred Gear user.
These exorcists were led by a man called Freed Sellzen.
From the very beginning, Asia knew that something was wrong with the deranged man.
The way he kept looking at her, the way he would make unnecessary physical contact. The way he would stare at her when he thought she was not looking.
She felt a sense of danger from him that she had felt only once before in her life on the run.
That was why, the first chance to escape that she found, she took it and ran into the town, hiding in the alleys and scavenging for survival for several days.
All the while, her circumstances slowly eroded her will to live on.
And yet, just when she was on the verge of giving up and letting the world claim her soul, this boy called Issei Hyoudou appeared.
Like a ray of light piercing through the darkness, he offered her help unconditionally despite knowing that she could not possibly repay him give her situation that was very apparent to anyone.
A helping hand in her most desperate moment.
That was why she decided to trust him. Clinging on to what little remained of her faith and hope that there were still good people in this world.
Yes. She believed wholeheartedly that Issei Hyoudou is a kind and good person. Her instincts said so. The very instincts that saved her from countless dangerous situations in the past months.
Soon, the two arrived at a rather homely place that had a plaque with Japanese characters. Asia could not make sense of the line,s but Issei knew that name by heart now.
Yet, before Issei could press the buzzer, the door swung open, and a teenager with shocking crimson hair and golden eyes walked out.
His stance and the way he walked showed that he was ready for combat, and the way his eyes glared at the surroundings showed that he was anticipating an ambush of some sort.
However, when he saw Issei and the slightly dirty girl by his side, his tense shoulders relaxed, and his expression softened.
Then, they hardened again and glared balefully at Issei, who started sweating bullets under that look.
"兵藤一誠,なぜ君の隣に傘もささずに嵐の中を歩いてきたような女の子がいるのか,ちゃんと説明してもらうぞ.もし君が彼女に何かしたとか,この状況を引き起こした張本人だとしたら,私がこの手で君を刑務所にぶち込んでやるからな" (Issei Hyoudou, you better explain why you have a girl with you who looks like she went through a storm without an umbrella. Because if you did something to her or caused this situation to her, I will throw you into jail myself.)
Issei's face went pale instantly at those words, while Asia simply stared in confusion between the two men.
"おい!俺は何もしてないぞ!街中で彼女がこんな状態になっているのを見つけただけだ!彼女は路地裏でしゃがみ込んでいて,何人かの男たちが怪しい行動をしていたんだ.警察署か彼女の家に連れて行こうとしたんだけど,彼女は聞いたこともない言葉を話すんだ.英語も通じなかったから,君ならこの状況でどうすればいいか知っているんじゃないかと思って!それに,君は俺のことをどんな人間だと思ってるんだ?俺は犯罪者なんかじゃないぞ!!" (Oi! I did nothing! I just found her like this in the town! She was squatting in an alley, and some guys were up to no good over there. I tried to help her get to the police station or her home, but she speaks a language I never heard before. Even English failed, so I thought you might know what to do with this situation! Also, what kind of image do you have of me in your head? I am not some criminal!!)
Finally, the other man's face softened a bit, and he nodded before turning to Asia.
He thought for a bit before speaking hesitantly.
"English? Portuguese? French? Spanish?"
Asia shook her head at the names of the languages before speaking in her native tongue.
"Parlo solo italiano. Mi dispiace." (I only speak Italian. Sorry.)
The man nodded with relief as he fully relaxed.
"Capisco. Va bene. Parlo un po' di italiano, anche se non in modo molto fluente." (I see. That's fine. I can speak Italian a little bit, even if I'm not that fluent.)
This time, Asia's eyes lit up with hope, realizing that she could finally hold a proper conversation with someone in this country.
And so, the innocent girl who had experienced things that nobody should be forced to experience met the kind but perverted dragon and the living sword.
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Author Notes: Read 5 chapters ahead on Patreon: patreon.com/Ruijard1