"Let's get this over with before Ddraig and possibly Eclair comes here to intervene with my ritual" Said Issei as he flew through the sky upwards to the castle where the dragon god of the three races statue resided.
Flying full speed it took him about five or eight minutes to get to the castle gateway.
He landed and let out a breath out of his mouth even a small stream of steam came out.
"That was a good start for a light workout" Said Issei with a smile before walking inside through the gate.
Two more minutes and he was in front of the statue.
Right now he had a stare-down with it.
"I really hope you will fulfil my wish and won't actually kill me" Said Issei as he started to prepare.
He took out the golden scroll, a necklace, a dagger and another scroll that Ddraig gave him.
"Damn now I'll waste my time on reading these two scrolls I should've done this sooner and practised the words or something" Said issei as he unwrapped Ddraig's given scroll.
*Attention! If master wishes the system can copy the text and narrate it to master to make it faster and more comfortable for master*
"Hell yeah do that system!" Said issei.
*This scroll is part of the sacrifice, it is not necessary for the ritual, but it can reduce the possibility of death by fifty percent if the user reads it before using the golden scroll, but at a cost of another sacrifice*
"What is this some sort of double sacrifice? what will I sacrifice using this?" Asked issei.
*I'm getting to it, be more patient!*
"I swear this system gets more aggressive each day" Mumbled Issei.
*For the fifty percent of survival instead of one percent chance of survival the user's wish will be granted in a different kind of form, for instance, if the user wishes for an expensive weapon collection the user may get old rusty once expensive and valuable weapons, or if the user asks for an army he may get an army of dead soldiers who won't be of any use. Everything depends on the user's luck*
"Huh...I don't know about this...if I ask for power I may get something different and again knowing my luck in this world I will definitely get something else" Said issei.
Now he took the golden scroll and the system narrated for him again.
*Only worthy ones can read this sacred scroll of sacrificial wish. The user shall get their ultimate wish through a random sacrifice but there's only one percent chance of survival, it all depends on the user's luck*
"Same here with luck...hmm, I think I'll have to use the second scroll because if I'll get unlucky at least I will get something different from my wish, but if I get unlucky with the one percent possibility of death...yeah I rather help everyone while still alive" Said Issei.
The system continued to narrate the special items he needed and luckily he had all he needed.
"Alright now onto the good part" Said Issei as he stood in front of the statue, put on the necklace, and started to read the chant of the second scroll to ensure his survival.
Unknown to him someone was watching him not too far away.
"What is he doing there?" Asked Eclair who was next to Ddraig who watched everything with narrowed eyes and stayed silent.
Back to issei.
He finished the chant of the second scroll and now the statue's eyes glowed red.
"That's a good sign right?" Asked issei as he started to hesitate but remembered what was on the line he forgot about all of the unnecessary thoughts and focused on the ritual at hand.
He looked at the statue with pure determination as he grabbed the dagger and started the chant that the system showed in front of him.
"God of the three races answer my call! I'm here to obtain the ultimate wish through my sacrifice! I shall give you everything to obtain the wish..."
As Issei chanted the statue glowed more and more at each word Issei spoke.
"Ddraig? what's he doing? why is the statue glowing? I have a bad feeling we need to stop him" Said Eclair as she looked at Ddraig with eyes full of worry, he just helped her with something that bothered Eclair her whole life with pure guilt and insecurities and now he's doing something she doesn't understand and it doesn't look too good.
"Let's see first, it's his choice but if he does something questionable we will stop him immediately" Said Ddraig as he never stopped watching issei's movements.
Back to issei and the glowing golden statue.
Issei positioned the dagger towards his heart and that set alarm bells for Ddraig and Eclair.
"I'll pay for this wish with whatever sacrifice so please....grant me the power I could work with and master, the strength, for this important quest...I just need enough firepower..GIVE IT TO ME!" Roared Issei as he stabbed himself through the heart.
Ddraig and Eclair watched in horror as they saw the small tip of the dagger go through his back.
They started to run at a speed they didn't know they could run towards Issei but the golden statue shone so brightly and completely blinded them and a shock wave sent them flying back as they heard a roar of a dragon.
Issei was the only one able to see.
He saw the statue start to move towards him after the powerful roar.
Issei just watched as blood splashed on the ground but he then locked his firm gaze with the moving statue.
"Child...I'll grant you your wish....but the sacrifice is not a small one.... become strong and I will help you defeat the foe and ensure peace in this world by coming back to life! now go and waste no time!" Roared the statue as it disintegrated into small glowing and floating particles and all of those particles entered his body.
The pain was too immense as he couldn't keep standing so he fell to his knees and kept screeching and roaring from the pain.
But before it ended he heard the fading voice of the statue.
"Your wish is fulfilled, and I gave you the firepower you desired for, so you could work on and master it and become stronger....your ritual was a success...." Said the voice as the light dimmed out and the voice disappeared.
"Issei! Roared Ddraig as he appeared in front of a laying body of Issei and blood.
As he lifted his body he found out that the dagger was gone as well as his wounds.
But to be safe he gave him a vial of dragon's essence.
Inside issei's head.
Issei opened his eyes and noticed that he was in an unfamiliar location.
Everything around was just water...
He looked around and saw nothing but a vast call sea until he spotted something or someone in the distance in front of a large structure.
He started to walk towards the figure and was surprised to see that he was able to walk on water and the closer he got the clearer he saw.
As he was close enough to see who it was he saw a woman in her twenties and a warship in front of her that was a heavily damaged battleship.
She just stared at the ship with a sad but at the same time glad look like she accomplished her goal.
Issei walked closer and saw her features.
She had two sloped-down black fox-like ears and nine black fox tails with golden tips.
The more Issei was.... wherever he was the weirder it got.
He remembered finishing the ritual but now he was in some unknown place and a youkai girl in front of one of the favourite Yamato-class ships, The Musashi.
But the ship was painted in black with red and golden features not like in his grandfather's old pictures.
Issei walked closer to her and her ears perked up as if they heard something the woman turned her head to look behind her and saw Issei just staring at her.
Both were stunned but for different reasons.
The woman was stunned because she didn't expect someone to show up there much less someone she has never met.
Issei was stunned by her pure beauty.
There she was in front of him a beautiful young woman with black hair, black fox features dressed in a black, red and golden kimono the colours matched the ships and her golden eyes held beauty and pride but at the same time sadness, grief, emptiness and regret.
They started at each other for a while until the woman broke the silence.
"Wh-who are you? how did you g-get here?" Asked the woman as she hastily stood up but with such a sad voice that it made issei's heartache and he clenched his shirt over his heart unknowingly.
"My name is issei and I have no idea where I am nor how I got here....but maybe you know where we are?" Asked Issei.
"We are.....at the bottom of the sea...or in other words....my grave..." Said the woman as she looked away with a pained expression.
"Your...grave?" Asked issei as his eyes widened.
The woman didn't say anything else so issei changed the subject or so he thought.
"Um, may I ask? why is there the Yamato-class battleship behind you?" Asked issei.
The woman instantly looked at him with curious eyes.
"You know this ship?" Asked the woman.
"Well of course! the Yamato-class warships are my favourite" Said Issei.
"R-really?" Asked the woman.
"Yes really, I liked these three ships from a very young age" Said issei.
"But I don't understand what's happening here....why am I here? why is the ship there? and most importantly.....what is your name?" Said issei with a dramatic pause.
"My name? well .. actually my name is Musashi" Said the woman sheepishly.
"....." Issei stayed silent as he processed the information he gathered so far.
He was at the bottom of the sea together with his favourite battleship and a woman next to the said battleship and her name was the same as the ship's.
"Wait...is that you?" Asked issei as he pointed at the ship.
"More or less, yes I'm a ship as you said your favourite....but dead....." Said Musashi as her mood got back to a sad one.
"What an interesting day...I found crying Eclair, then I did the ritual, and lastly, I met my favourite ship as a person who is....." Said Issei as he walked in circles until he suddenly stopped looking at the ground and stayed like that for a minute.
"But why are you sad?" Asked Issei as he looked back at her.
The question made her flinch visibly and issei was about to apologize but she answered his question.
"We finally won the war against the sirens that lasted for so long.... both sisters sunk three years before the war's end but I kept on pushing myself as it was my purpose and my sisters would've wanted that....but as the war ended carried and important package but... I was way too damaged and sunk....that's how I ended up here" Said Musashi as she started to cry before slumping down back on her knees.
"When I sank deeper and deeper I wasn't worried too much because I fulfilled my purpose and I thought that I'd meet my sisters again....but when I woke up in this place...I was all alone here..." Weeped Musashi.
Issei hated to see a woman who lost so much who was so strong and brave enough to last till the war ended even if she lost so much just cry like that.
He would rather see her happy and proud of her accomplishments.
Issei walked up to her crouched down and hugged her as he brought her head into his chest much to her shock.
"I see it was hard for you..... I can say that you are really strong and brave, you have the soul of a true warrior... so don't cry and be proud of yourself... I bet your sisters are damn proud of you" Said issei as he stroked her hair while she silently cried and listened to issei's warm and kind words.
"I know....it's just so lonely here just by myself... I want to see them so much...I want to leave this place and live again!" Shouted Musashi into his chest as she finally grabbed and hugged issei back.
The power and force were too great and Musashi tackled Issei on the ground with Musashi on top but she didn't stop crying into his chest or hugging him.
After all, she hadn't seen anyone in so long...
Without even thinking twice issei made a promise.
"When I get out of here I'll definitely save you and your sisters... you won't be alone anymore as I will be always with you if you need me... I always wanted to see my favourite warships anyways... so just don't cry anymore and hang in there" Whispered issei into her ear.
Musashi's eyes widened from the shock and so much happiness filled her heart that it started to overflow with it and couldn't say anything as she started to cry harder but this time out of pure happiness...
She lifted her head from his chest and looked at him with watery golden eyes.
But this time she had a genuinely happy smile.
Issei's heart started to beat faster just from seeing her bright smile.
He could stare at it day in and day out.
After a while, Musashi fell asleep and left issei staring at her beautiful face.
He felt like sleeping too so he just rolled over to the side and gently put her next to him.
She never let go of him and had a tight grip on him.
Issei hugged her again and closed his eyes and succumbed to a world of dreams....that's what normally would happen but...
He opened his eyes and saw very worried Eclair and a furious Ddraig.
Issei sat up and placed his hand on his forehead as it ached a little.
'What happened?' Thought Issei to himself.
As a reminder, his heart started to ache and he remembered Musashi...
"Was that just a dream?" Asked issei out loud.
Only now he realised what he promised.
'How the hell am I going to keep the promise!? I don't know where she actually is, I don't know if the place is even in this world, I doubt that because people in this world only have wooden ships. I have no idea if even what I saw was real...' Thought Issei to himself absolutely confused about what to do next completely forgetting about the ritual he has done and the two people who were extremely worried or furious.
"Issei you woke up!" Shouted Eclair as she jumped him and embraced him in a tight hug.
"Woah Eclair calm down I'm fine" Said issei.
"But we saw you stab yourself! are you nuts!? you know you can talk with us! suicide is not an option ever!" Shouted Eclair as she buried her face into his chest.
She didn't even notice that the more she stayed with issei the more emotional she became.
"Sorry to worry you... I was just going through a special ritual that I planned for a couple of days now so don't worry" Said issei.
"Brother.....you have a lot of explaining to do!" Roared the furious dragon.
"Alright alright! I'll tell you everything just stop shouting! my head is throbbing already" Said issei with an annoyed expression.
"Oh, that's nothing compared to what you will feel" Said Ddraig with a murderous stare.
Issei paled as he remembered that he was yet to train and Ddraig surely will give him a beating.