"I was called 'Defective' and even bullied by members of the lower houses. I may not care now, but back then... it really got to me."
Of course. Even someone like Sairaorg-san wasn't born with an unshakable will.
Honestly, shutting yourself in and becoming bitter would've been a more typical reaction.
"I was always covered in bruises, coming home in tears almost every day. My mother was strict, but she taught me something important: 'Even if you lack magical talent, strength of body or mind can be just as noble. If you work hard and attain great power through effort, then that is something truly valuable.' …Still, as a child, while I took her words to heart, I also felt... frustrated."
"Frustrated…?" That word felt oddly out of place coming from Sairaorg.
"Well, simply put, I wanted to be spoiled a little by my mother too, not just scolded all the time. It's embarrassing now, but… One night, I happened to wake up and heard faint noises from her room. When I got closer, I heard her sobbing… apologizing over and over. 'I'm sorry for making you suffer... for not giving birth to you properly...' That moment shattered me. She always appeared strong, no matter what hardship came her way. But in private, she was blaming herself and crying. From that day on, I stopped crying. I decided to strengthen this body she gave me, to meet her expectations, and above all, to show her that I would be okay. …Do you find that laughable?"
Not at all! …Though, I guess I did ask a similar question just earlier.
"No way. If anyone did laugh at that, I'd punch them. Your mom sounds like an incredible woman."
"She is. She's my pride… Hah, I've rambled on about myself more than I meant to."
Sairaorg-san chuckled at himself.
Still… if I recall, wasn't his mother afflicted with some kind of illness that put her into a coma? In the original story, she supposedly woke up thanks to a mysterious miracle involving Issei… But who really knows? Maybe there's something I could do?
Though the only thing I might offer is senjutsu healing, and while it could boost natural recovery or help with physical trauma, illnesses are a different matter entirely.
Assuming my memory's correct, she's being treated in the Sitri Territory, known for its advanced medical knowledge. If so, they've likely already tried senjutsu as part of their treatments, especially with their noble connections, they could've easily called in a practitioner.
The only thing that might help now is something as absurdly powerful as a Longinus Sacred Gear, like the Sephiroth Graal, the Holy Grail of the Netherworld… But that's not a realistic option.
Still, something's nagging at me… Wait, could that thing from before actually be, no, no, let's not jump to conclusions. Still, the person I got it from…
Ah, screw it. "He who hesitates is lost," right? I might as well give it a shot.
"By the way, even if it wasn't an official match, you did win your first Rating Game. Didn't you get any praise for it? Or maybe something like, 'Keep working hard'?"
As soon as I said that, I felt a slight shift in Sairaorg-san's energy. …Sorry. That was kind of a low move on my part.
I guess part of me was hoping, just maybe, his mother wasn't actually sick anymore. But judging by his reaction, that hope is probably misplaced.
Sairaorg closed his eyes and spoke heavily.
"…No. I haven't spoken with my mother in years."
"Sairaorg-sama, maybe this topic—-"
Kuisha-san stepped in, clearly trying to steer the conversation away.
But he stopped her.
"It's fine, Kuisha. A friend of Rias deserves to know. Besides, there's nothing shameful about the truth."
"…Understood. Forgive my intrusion."
"No, thank you for your concern. I appreciate it."
Ugh... this is awkward. I brought up the subject myself, and now it feels like I stepped on a landmine. Which, I suppose, I did.
"Sorry to interrupt the conversation. My mother suffers from a condition unique to devils, known as the 'Sleep Disease.' As the name implies, it's a state where she simply continues to sleep endlessly. It's rare and considered incurable. We've reached out through every connection, but… it's possible I may never speak to her again. Still, I cannot afford to stop. The Underworld claims to be a meritocracy, but the truth is that bloodlines, politics, pride, and envy still keep many from being properly recognized. I want to change that. Just as my mother once guided me, I want to create a world where the children who inherit this realm can have dreams, true dreams."
As he concluded, Sairaorg radiated a noble aura, his presence alone felt like a ruling king's charisma.
He wasn't just a "King" in the context of a Rating Game. He was a true king, someone who put his people first. I wouldn't be surprised if he had [Charisma B] at the very least.
Then, I placed a small vial of red liquid in front of him.
"Sairaorg-san. I know this is sudden, but… would you consider trying this?"
"What is it?"
"It's a healing elixir I acquired through certain connections. It's said to work on injuries and… all kinds of ailments. It's not the Phoenix Tears, something a bit different. I've used it myself, and while I can't promise it works on everything, it's harmless to the body. I think it's worth testing, of course, you'd want to analyze it first."
Sairaorg and Kuisha both leaned in to examine the vial filled with red liquid. (It's actually blood from a mystical turtle from another world.)
"Are you sure? If what you're saying is true, this could be of immense value."
"Maybe. I could keep it for myself, just in case I get seriously ill someday… but no one can predict the future. Right now, someone in front of me is suffering. Isn't that reason enough?"
"You're quite the soft-hearted one, aren't you?"
"I'm not some idealistic humanitarian, if that's what you mean. But someone like you, who can sincerely say things like 'I want to build a world where children can dream', I thought you were worth giving it to."
That's how I truly feel. I'm not as kind as Asia, I don't believe in saving everyone. But if I like someone, that's reason enough.
"Very well. I'll accept it with gratitude. We'll run tests on it, of course… but allow me to repay you for this."
"No, no, you don't need to do that! At least wait to see if it actually works…"
"That won't do. Even if it only heals injuries, it would still rival the Phoenix Tears in value. And more importantly, it was a gift given from your goodwill. To say 'no thanks' just because it didn't work… that would be an insult to your intentions."
…Fair point. I guess I forgot how rare this thing is since Mil-tan gave it to me casually. But yeah, anyone else would take this way more seriously.
"Ah, but could I ask that you keep its origin a secret? I only had one, and… well, the source is kind of confidential."
After all, it's from another world. If word got out, mystical turtles would be hunted to extinction before I could even explain how to reach that world, or which world it even was.
"Understood. I promise not to tell a soul."
With that, I downed the last of my coffee.
"Looks like Azazel-san has arrived, so let's wrap this up. Oh, and could you let the doctors know they can analyze the vial as much as they want for medical research, just don't mention where it came from?"
Helping the medical field is always a good thing. I might end up relying on Sitri Territory's doctors myself someday.
"Understood. I'll make sure they know. And I'll be in touch. Thank you, this was an incredibly meaningful conversation."
Sairaorg extended his hand. I shook it firmly.
"I wish your mother a speedy recovery."
"To God?"
"No… Let's pray to the Maou."
This world has both gods and Maous. Might as well pray to whoever fits the job.
"Ku ku ku! A human who prays to the Maou instead of God… You're a fascinating one, Arima Ikki."
"No other species matches humans when it comes to being shameless."
That earned another hearty laugh. After a warm farewell, Sairaorg left.
…Guess something I said really hit the mark.
"Yo, Ikki. So this is where you were, huh? That was Sairaorg, wasn't it? What, a tea party between young powerhouses?"
Azazel-sensei called out from behind. I already sensed him coming.
"Yeah, he was a really inspiring guy to talk to. So, where are we going?"
"This way. Follow me."
He led me to what looked like a VIP meeting room, and inside was Sirzechs. Crap, there was a barrier in place, so I didn't notice him.
When guys like Azazel or Sirzechs are masking their presence, even a weak concealment makes them basically undetectable.
"Thanks for coming, Ikki. Please, have a seat."
I sat down and greeted him. Since it's just us here, I'll drop the formality a bit.
"Long time no see, Sirzechs-san. Not since the summit, right?"
"Indeed. Your help back then was invaluable. If we'd faced something like the Juggernaut Drive head-on, even we might not have escaped unscathed."
"So, what's today's agenda?"
"Ah, just a moment. We're waiting on one more person… he should be arriving right about now."
Right on cue, a knock came at the door.
"Excuse me," said Issei as he stepped in.
"Ah! Sirzechs-sama! Azazel-sensei! Even Ikki!"
"Sorry to call you in suddenly, Issei."
"Alright, looks like the whole cast is here. Take a seat, Issei."
With everyone seated, Sirzechs got to the point.
"Actually, we're planning to produce a hero TV show starring Issei. We've called you both here to discuss it."
"H-Hero TV show!?"
Wait, seriously? I knew about it in passing, but I didn't realize I'd be involved too…
"I understand the surprise. But this is something we need to do for the Underworld."
"Like we said before, the ongoing terrorism has made things unstable. We need a positive public image, and we can't use real combat footage all the time."
Yeah, if they started filming Issei in actual battles, Rias would blow a fuse in record time.
"So if we can't find material…"
"…Then we'll create it ourselves."
"Exactly. Until now, devils only really had Rating Games as public entertainment. But on a visit to Kuoh Town, I explored the human world's entertainment, and at a department store rooftop, I saw a hero stage show. Kids around Milicas's age were cheering with stars in their eyes. For devils, whose children are rare and precious, those moments are priceless… That's why I want you to be the face of this dream, Issei. Will you accept?"
"Of course! If I can bring hope to the Underworld's kids, I'll do it with pride!"
Sirzechs smiled, clearly pleased.
"Um… so why was I called here?" I asked.
Azazel answered.
"Same reason, really. We want you to appear in the show too. Until now, media coverage avoided you since you were from another faction, but now that peace has been made with the Youkai of western Japan, information about you is starting to spread. It's still not much, but…"
No kidding. Issei's "Oppai Dragon" chants stole the spotlight so hard that I thought no one even remembered me.
"We want this project to proceed quietly. Rias and her peerage will be informed under Sirzech' s authority. But we couldn't do that with you, you're in a unique position, so we wanted to ask directly. Will you accept?"
So that's why they brought me in separately.
And of course, I already know my answer.
"Understood. I'll accept."
It's a little embarrassing… but Issei's the main star. And after hearing Sairaorg and now Sirzechs talk about making a world where children can dream… how could I refuse?
"Then it's settled. I hereby declare the launch of Project Oppai Dragon: The Boob Emperor!"
"Whaaa!?"
"Pffft, !!"
'T-The Boob Emperor!?' It was bad enough with Oppai Dragon, and now my title as the Red Dragon Emperor is being hijacked too! I… I… Uwaaaaahhh!!
And thus, with a dragon's cry, the ridiculous yet heartfelt project began.
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