It is early in the morning in Vatican and everybody should just be waking up. But, there are some people who woke up earlier than the majority.
*tonk* *tonk*
*tonk-tonk-tonk* *tonk*
*tonk*
Sounds of some blunted objects clashing with each other can be heard from across a long and wide corridor. At the end of this corridor, there's a room that is designed like a japanese styled dojo. Wooden floors, stands that contains different wooden swords, among other things.
In the middle of this dojo, there are five little kids who are practicing. Three little girls are holding a wooden sword, one little boy is also holding a wooden sword, while the remaining little girl has black gloves in her hands. These little children are Shin, Xenovia, Irina, Jeanne, and Asia.
Currently, Shin is training them with what he knew. Based on the memories that he received when he was four, Irina, Xenovia, Jeanne, and Asia were kind of weak at the very beginning. If they were to be in some kind of similar situation like what's in his memories, he fears that their life might be put into danger.
That's why he's preparing them for that. However, he wouldn't be controlling them or anything to do his bidding. They are free to do whatever they like. He already know that following the book inside his memory is already not plausible.
He will take it as a guide but he will not strictly follow it. He knew that this is real life and not some kind of story that is written on a book. Anything and everything can happen. All he can do is be ready for when those things really happen.
"Alright! You girls must be wondering why I am teaching you these kinds of things, right?" Shin asked.
All of the girls nodded as they also wanted to know why Shin is training them one on one and teaching them so strictly. Normally, Shin would pamper them when they're with him.
"I am training you girls strictly because I don't want you girls to remain weak! You will be going through multiple missions and some will be very dangerous once you are an exorcist. So, I sincerely want you girls to remain safe and sound even if I wasn't there to accompany you during your missions," Shin said sincerely with an earnest look on his face.
"..."
The girls just listened to him speak, not trying to interrupt Shin.
"I know you are strong willed girls so you probably don't want to live a sheltered life, right? That's why, I'll also be teaching you girls of what I know during my time here and it will be up to you girls if you can put it to good use," Shin said.
He, of course, wouldn't teach these girls his secrets right now like these skills and such but he can teach them about magic and some training tips. Magic is something that almost half of the population of all the supernaturals know so it isn't really a secret.
'I'm sure that the instructors will teach them about this in the future but it is better for them to learn this earlier. Then, I can teach them some efficient training methods that I have optimized after five months of training inside the Elemental Fox Reality Realm. They're good girls and I'm sure that Big Sis Gabriel has her eyes on them, in case the project of reincarnated Angels is finished and she get her pieces,' Shin thought.
Within the memory he received, these girls were originally innocent. Asia, Xenovia, and Irina were just corrupted by their classmate named Aika Kiryuu. Also, due to the other members of their peerage, they were further influenced.
As for Jeanne, he's sure that there's something that happened to her during her childhood. Thanks to the Angels and the sisters, Jeanne somehow managed to recover from her trauma. She probably turned into something like that piece of work in his memories due to depression and the training that the Hero Faction did to awaken her sacred gear.
They're good girls and he can feel it. Being with Gabriel has given him this kind of ability. He can somehow assess if someone has good intentions towards him or not. He continuously tried to enhance this 'ability' of his as he figured that this will be useful in the future.
"Alright, now, let me teach you some things that I know. First, let's train your flexibility..."
And so, Shin began to train the girls earnestly. He would sometimes get the help of his Big Sis Griselda and ask her for some advice. She's a woman so she knows how to train a woman's body the best.
Like this, Shin passed his time inside the training facility once again. This time, he had some time to get closer with her newly made friends. He taught them some games like Uno, Old Maid, Chess, and some other games that he could think of. This would ensure that they will not get bored while living their life here when he's gone.
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
Shin stayed for a total of three months inside the facility. It was around the first week of July when he left the mansion of Vasco Strada so he celebrated his birthday inside the training facility. His family and friends from Heaven also sent him some gifts like some toys or things that they made for him.
Gabrielle, Raphiel, Tapris, and Haniel sent him a scarf that they made themselves, using some colors that represents him; Gold, White, and Pink. Shin decided to thank them when he got back, wanting to buy something for them when he reach Japan.
Aside from spending his birthday here, Shin also learned some new things that he could do to busy himself while he's inside the training facility. He tried out drawing, trying to make something out of the memories he gained in the past. He drew a manga version of the story 'Mulan' and changed some things so as to show more character development.
He only drew this for a few hours when he's resting as he focused entirely on training and gathering mana. He completed his first perfect elemental mana bead and he also managed to create a new tail. Thanks to this, he now have two elements on his arsenal.
This new element also compliments his sacred gear as it is the element of Lightning that he unlocked. Now, he only needs to complete his elemental mana bead on this and his sacred gear usage would be a lot more versatile.
'It's not the time to think about it. Maybe I'm just trying to escape reality as I now have to once again say my farewells,' Shin thought while looking at the four little girls who are clinging onto him.
Today is the day when Shin will finally return to Japan. Since he has received the guidance of the instructors here in Vatican and reached a new height in his swordsmanship, Shin decided to slowly carve his own path. To do this, he wanted to go to Japan and train under the ninjas.
This will really help him to slowly build his own style of fighting while also learning new things. He wanted to learn as much techniques as he could before he hole himself up and start to study about technology, engineering, magic, and alchemy. There is really a long way ahead for him before he can even attempt to try and fix the Heaven System.
'Fortunately, I have that realm to help me on this. I'll try to maintain the 100-200 thousand strands of fur a day when gathering mana and the rest of that time will be spent on studying and training myself. According to my estimates, I should be able to gain High Class strength before I reach 15 years old,' Shin thought.
『That's right. Remember that you are about to form your third tail so you will be able to form your second neutral elemental bead. This will give you more leeway to focus on training your body and stamina, among other things,』 Yuki interjected.
Yuki is right. During those years, Shin is quite sure that he will be able to form about five to seven tails if he try to maintain his current mana gathering speed. So, forming his second and third neutral elemental bead isn't much of a problem. The only thing that is stopping him from creating these neutral elemental beads are the requirements of forming them. He needs to first have his third and sixth tail before he could make his second and third neutral elemental mana bead.
It was because it needed that much mana to be able to form those beads. And, that amount of mana could literally be the end of him if he isn't careful on his mana control. He was quite lucky that his first try on creating it was an immediate success.
'Alright, time to stop escaping reality. Now, how do I convince these three girls?' Shin thought, once again looking at the three little girls in his arms.
These three girls are Jeanne, Asia, Irina, and even the usually calm and collected Xenovia. They heard about Shin's departure and didn't want to let their beloved friend go.
They enjoyed their time with him, very much so. It is what kept them determined to train hard everyday, in fact. These three months with him gave them so much joy that, similar to Gabrielle, Raphiel, Tapris, and Haniel, they found it hard to let him leave them.
"Alright, girls? You know that I need to leave, right?" Shin asked.
Asia, Jeanne, Irina, and Xenovia just nodded, still burying their faces on his chest and shoulders.
"You do know that we will still see each other on time, right? After your training here is finished, you can contact Big Sis Griselda so that we can meet each other again," Shin said.
"B-Bu-!"
Before they can say something to protest, Shin cut them off and said,
"What did I tell you about relying on me?" Shin asked.
"S-Shi-kun said that we need to be strong and independent!" Jeanne replied.
"That's right. I don't want you girls to be just weak girls who rely on others everytime. Your work in the future needs you to be like that," Shin said.
Shin looked at them in the eyes one by one before sighing.
"I also don't want to leave too quickly but I also have things that I still need to do. You all understand that, right?" Shin once again asked.
"Un. We understand, Shin," Irina replied.
"Thank you. Thank you for understanding. Now, if you girls just focus on getting stronger, you wouldn't even notice that you already graduated from this training facility. We can communicate by sending some letters so we will still have some means of communication, okay?" Shin said.
"Yes!" Irina, Jeanne, Asia, and Xenovia replied simultaneously.
Upon hearing their positive replies, Shin gave them one last hug and said,
"Mmm, I will miss you all. Once we meet again, let's go out and celebrate, okay?"
"Really!? I can't wait!" Jeanne said.
"That's a promise, okay!? You better pinky swear on that, Shin!" Irina added while smiling happily.
"Shin-san, I will do my best!" Asia said with a determined look on her face, making her look absolutely adorable.
Paired with her doing a guts pose that is extremely adorable, it almost gave Shin an overdose of cuteness.
"Shin, we will once again meet. At that time, I will finally defeat you in swordsmanship," Xenovia declared.
Shin just smiled at her before giving her a kiss on her forehead.
"We'll see, Xen-chan. Do your best, okay?" Shin said.
Xenovia instantly lost her drive at this sneak attack. This is evident by the obvious blush on her usually stoic face. To avoid them getting jealous, Shin also gave Jeanne, Irina, and Asia a kiss on their forehead.
"I hope that you are already splendid exorcists when we meet once again, okay?" Shin said while looking at them seriously.
"Okay!" they all replied in chorus.
Shin finally let go of them after hearing this firm reply. He walked towards Griselda who just waited for them and said,
"I'm ready, Big Sis Griselda."
"Alright," Griselda said.
She then looked at Shin for a moment and said,
"It seems that you're getting used to handling girls, Shin."
Seeing the teasing smile on her face, Shin knew that Griselda is just attempting to tease him.
So, Shin brushed his bangs sideways before saying,
"Mm. It's the sorrow of being such a popular boy, Big Sis Griselda."
Griselda went silent momentarily when she heard him say this. Then, when she regained her bearings, she couldn't help but let out a chuckle.
She flicked Shin on his forehead before saying,
"You're quite silly, aren't you? Where did you learn that, anyway?"
"I have learned this through my vast experience of being with ladies almost everyday," Shin replied smugly.
"Pffft... Ahahaha! What vast experience! You're only 8! What's 'vast' about that!" Griselda retorted while laughing.
Upon seeing her laugh, Shin also smiled and thought to himself,
'She finally smiled. She looks so worn out when she arrived earlier. Pretending to be smug is definitely worth it if it could make Big Sis Griselda smile.'
"Phew, alright, let's go. Gabriel-sama still needs me back in Heaven so I will leave you on your own devices once you reach Japan. There will be someone who will take you to the Ninja Village once you reach Japan," Griselda said before closing her eyes, possibly trying to form a teleportation magic script.
Moments later, a big teleportation magic circle enveloped the two of them, signaling that they're about to leave Vatican. Shin waved at the four little girls and the other students of the training facility while smiling before they vanished from their position after a flash of bright light.
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
After Griselda dropped him off this place, Shin was immediately lost. It's not like he's a directionally challenged individual or anything. It's just that he forgot to ask what place this is and when will his contact come and pick him up.
With nothing to do, he checked if the backpack is still there he then fixed the scarf on his neck as the weather is already chilly in here. Then, he began to look around, trying to figure out if the contact was here. However, he found no one around.
"*sigh*, This turned troublesome real fast. Let's see, should I just check out the stores around and buy souvenirs for the girls? I wonder if the store owners will sell something to me," Shin murmured.
After figuring out what he would do later on, Shin directed his attention to some other things.
'Right, I wonder how my status has changed after my training at the facility. I think it only raised by a bit, given that it gets harder to advance every level,' Shin thought.
He opened up his system interface and looked at his status, which seems to have grown quite a bit.
•~•~•~•
Name: Shin Flammia Tenma
Race: Mystical Elemental Fox God
Racial Rank: (undetermined/mutated species)
Age: 7
Gender: Male
Affiliation: Angel Faction
Rank: Commoner
Title: None
Strength Level: 2(Champion)
Parameters:
• STR: I-> G
• END: I-> G
• DEX: G-> F
• AGI: G-> E
• MAG: F-> E
Skill(s):
Light Mana(S)*-> (SSS)*, Lightning Mana(I)[new] Hero's Aura(B)*, Sacred Gear Wielder(F)*, Mana Control(S), Resilient Body(SSS), Luck(D), Swordsman(B)-> (S), Friendship(S)[new]
Magic:
Angel Magic(S), Strengthening Magic(S), Holy Magic(S)
•~•~•~•
After viewing his status, he nodded. He had a satisfied smile on his face. He then hid his holy power. It was quite easy to execute, given that his control over mana is really superb. Not long later, he began to walk out of the alley where Griselda dropped him at and looked for a place where he can buy some gifts for his sisters and friends.
'I'm sure that the contact know who I am, anyway,' Shin thought while walking towards a nearby store that looks like a bookstore.
Shin walked inside and started to browse. There are mangas, novels, and some other types of books all around. He picked up a book and started to read the contents. But then, his reading progress came to a halt when he heard a high pitched voice that seems to belong to a little girl.
"But Bellia-oneesama! I want this book!"
"Now, now. You can't act like that all the time, my little sister-in-law," the voice of a matured woman said.
"Eehhh~! But... Bellia-oneesama!" the little girl protested.
"No means no, little sister-in-law. Your mother only allowed you to look around, remember?" the woman said.
"Uuuuu! Why can't I buy it! Uwuuu! Waaa!" the little girl shouted.
After the little girl said that, Shin heard some footsteps coming towards his direction and it's coming fast. If Shin does not stop and evade, this incoming individual may crash into him hard.
Out of habit, Shin caught the little shadow inside his arms and started to pat its head unconsciously. The individual seems to be quite upset so his body unconsciously moved to try and comfort this said individual. Yuki, who also saw this from inside the sacred gear, couldn't help but sigh in amazement.
『You... patting and hugging girls has already become your habit. Habits... how frightening,』 Yuki said.
She now witnessed first-hand how habits can make a person move on reflex.
Shin just ignored Yuki's remark for now as he looked down at the individual who he is hugging and patting right now. To his absolute surprise, what he saw when he looked down was crimson.
"Crimson... the color of blood. How... pretty," Shin murmured while being absent minded.
『It seems that your beastly instincts are reacting to this color, huh. Or, do you, perhaps, know who this is?』 Yuki inquired.
『Of course. How could I not forget. It's the last color that the 'me' in my memories saw before dying. It's the girl who has a lot of potential but stagnated because she was pampered by her parents and big brother since childhood. Who would've thought that I'll meet her here,』 Shin replied.
Looking at the little girl who is now looking at him curiously, Shin couldn't help but smile and say,
"That was dangerous, you know? You should be careful next time, okay?"
And so, this marks the day when the life of a certain little girl changed. Much later down the line, she would often recall this fond memory while thanking her luck for bumping into him, the boy who changed her life because of a book. A book that she kept as a kind of memento.
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A/N:
• Being with Gabriel really helped him in a lot of ways. Picking up her habits are not good, though. I guess it was kinda true that if you're with someone long enough, you'll start to pick up their habits.
• Yes, I'm rushing things quite a bit because I'm excited to start the High School Arc but well... it seems like I can't rush it too much as it may be quite confusing.
• Yes, I know, that's Rias Gremory. You hate her? Thank you for taking your time in your busy schedule to read this but it seems that this is not for you.
• Yep, these are one of the changes. I find it a pity to let her rot and be useless so I'm gonna make her useful. To those who caught on what I'm gonna do, stay quiet! Don't spoil others! Hahaha.