Rise, Ye Tarnished - Highschool DxD/Elden Ring crossover

I doubt you could even imagine it.

That which commanded the stars. Giving life its fullest brilliance.

The Elden Ring. 

O, Elden Ring.

Shattered, by someone. Or something.

Don’t tell me you don’t see it.

Look up at the sky. It burns.

Rise, ye Tarnished. Travel through the fog, to the Lands Between. Struggle, fight, die. Claim glory and power, and carve your saga into the stone of ages. 

By right of conquest, take what is yours.

It awaits you.

ELDEN RING

-x- 

From the moment the first trailer was revealed, it spread like wildfire. A game that, even from a cutscene with no gameplay, threatened to take the world by storm. 

Elden Ring.

You couldn’t go on the internet without its name popping up somewhere. It ranked in the top spot on each ‘anticipated game’ list. Entire forums were dedicated to dissecting every frame of every trailer its developer team released, and every stray comment would get turned into a bible’s worth of crackpot theories. 

A game made by the same team that created the most brutal and punishing game trilogy of all time. Almost nothing was known about the team, and they only sent spokesmen for events. Shrouded in mystery, but their games were so high-quality none questioned them.

When the first gameplay reveal was announced, the jaws of every gamer - be they casual, pro, or newb - on the planet dropped into the earth’s core. An open world filled with ruins, monsters, and magic. The combat, methodical but fast, the spells wild and varied. It was unlike anything they’d seen before. A take on what many considered an oversaturated genre by masters.

Bit by bit, story and lore details were leaked as well. A land shattered by war, of demigods and old powers lurking in the background. The Elden Ring, which nobody knew what it was, was broken. The players were Tarnished, chosen warriors resurrected from death. Sent through fog to explore the lands and find this mysterious Ring. 

The lore geeks were on cloud nine and composed essays and theses on that simple premise alone.

There were skeptics, of course, taking one look at the game and, while acknowledging its stunning visuals, wrote it off as another attempt by its genre. Others, scarred for life by countless deaths and failures from the studio’s previous games, swore they’d have nothing to do with it and returned to farming in their MMOs. Naysayers and trolls who lambasted others for riding hype trains and telling everyone how they’d laugh at their inevitable disappointment and forge the cruelest of memes. 

But as wise Galileo said on his deathbed, “Nevertheless, it moves.” 

With every tick of the countdown clock, more and more people caught wind of this latest sensation in gaming. Anticipation was rife, theory wars ran rampant, and sick days were planned for convenience. 

Then came the day of revelation.

It performed beyond anyone’s expectations. From the first cutscene to the player Tarnished’s first steps into the Lands Between, people realized this was a game that would be remembered in the annals of history. Everyone had a favorite starting class, their own unique path. Some followed build guides like bibles, carefully allocating skill points. Others winged it and did what came naturally, picking up weapons and spells until they found ones that fit. There were speedrunners, challenge runners, and all the assorted gamer types that ran wild. The deaths, naturally, induced many a rage clip of smashed keyboards and controllers. A killer boss in the starting area, right next to an important landmark, was a cruel joke.

Yet there was fun to be had, and players across the globe sallied forth on Torrent, the magical horned horse, into the Lands Between. Eager to see magics, slay monsters, and claim the Elden Ring.

Little did they know, there was a far Greater Will at play. 

And the world would soon feel its hand.

-x-

“YES! IN YOUR FACE, YOU DISGUSTING HAND FETISHIST!”

“Issei! Quiet down, will you?”

The teen winced as his Mom’s hollering pierced his headphones. “Sorry!” he shouted back, then slumped in his chair. Flushed with sweat and sporting a face-splitting grin. He’d done it. After the million-and-twelfth time (though it was more like forty-seven), he finally put that bastard Gordick into the ground. He’d wracked his hands for days trying to beat him, and never gotten far. Even with summons and Nepheli-chan, he always wound up dying by the second phase. The music and the screaming were practically seared into his brain from how often he heard them play. 

‘But I did it. I almost used a summon sign, but I held on! I used it for Agheel and Margit - damn him to every hell - but I swore never again! And it finally paid off! Thank you, Black Flame!’

He almost broke into dance right then and there, but he managed to restrain himself and look on in pride. Right next to his Confessor, with his starting black robe and clutching a broadsword, was Nepeheli Loux, all-around badass and dark-skinned hottie. He’d seen the fanart, read her story, and he knew he had to make sure she lived. Now, if only there were mods to give the girls bigger breasts, she would be perfect.

‘Now, time to see what this Godrick’s Rememberance is…’ he touched the Site of Grace and once he healed up, opened the game map and moved to the Roundtable Hold in the corner. ‘I need to thank Matsuda for showing me that shortcut. I wouldn’t have been able to use the Prayerbook otherwise.’ He felt a bit scummy at first for taking the shortcut, but he convinced himself it was a necessary evil. He needed new Incantations, and those crossbows were skewering him left and right.

‘Eugh, I don’t like those Fingers, but if this is what they can do - HOLY SHIT, IS THAT A DRAGON FIST?’ His jaw dropped as images of punching enemies in the face with a dragon filled his mind. ‘Don’t mind if I do!’

He immediately swapped out his sword for the dragon fist - the Grafted Dragon - and gave it a few practice swings. Teleporting back to Godrick’s Site of Grace, he activated the skill -

‘I’m done. This is it, perfect. If only Nepheli-chan were here with me. This game is amazing!’

Issei collapsed on his desk, letting his arms fall to the wayside. He felt his eyes slowly close, weighed down with invisible stones. ‘When did I go to sleep last night? Three? I can’t be…I don't think I stayed up that much even for porn…’

Before he let sleep’s embrace take him though, he forced his head up and stared at the screen, reaching out a hand longingly. 

‘I should catch some z’s. Maybe I can try Caelid first or just head on to…Liurnia? Yeah, that’s right. Oh Nepehli, praise the abs…’

…

…

…o fallen leaves

…by the grace of gold…

…awaken and join them…

…

…

“ISSEI!”

“Wha-wha? I’m not watching porn, I swear!”

His eyes shot open and he jumped up from his seat, staring into his mother’s face. The boy clutched his heart and exhaled deeply, an incredulous stare quickly forming even in the face of her wrath.

“Don’t scare me like that! I could hear you last time!”

“I called you three times already!” she replied with her hands on her hips. “You barely got any sleep last night! What did I tell you about gaming after dark?”

“I’m sorry, I’m really sorry!” he pleaded. “I just had to finish this boss! I didn’t mean to stay up but I always felt so close and I just needed one more -”

“Zip it, mister! You’re taking a walk, now! Put on your shoes and get some fresh air. You look like a vampire.”

He opened his mouth to reply that he hadn’t even cleared the last rooms of Stormveil Castle, but Miki Hyoudou’s patented death glare robbed him of his tongue and filled his head with endless visions of slipper-whacking.

“...yes, Mom.” 

She nodded in triumph and watched him as he dejectedly put on socks and sneakers. Seriously, he couldn’t win. He stared outside and winced as the weekend sun cast its rays of judgment on his weary face. ‘Ugh…too bright.’

“You know, I’ve never seen you this obsessed about a game before,” she said, leaning on the doorsill. “You go through them in a couple of days, but you’ve been at this one for more than a week. And it’s a different one than your usual…choices.” Her emphasis on the last word also showed just how much she approved of said choices.

Ignoring the stab at his visual novels, he chuckled and started tying his shoes. “It surprised me, too. This game’s been hyped for a long time, but I didn’t pay much attention. When Matsuda showed me the trailers and how excited he was, I kinda got pulled along for the ride. When it finally came out, I couldn’t stop playing. Everyone in the school is on it too.”

That was a slight overstatement; there were plenty of girl gamers in Kuoh Academy, but a good number didn’t like Elden Ring’s genre, and they thought it was too hard. So did Issei, until he learned how to ‘git gud’, as the internet said. Not to mention how addicting it was; not the ‘gacha’ kind of addictive, but a different kind. The magic, the combat, hell, even the convoluted story, it pulled him in and didn’t let go. His friends all understood, which was why they hadn’t seen each other outside of school for the past couple of weeks. 

“Welp, I’ll go out now,” he said, hoisting himself off the bed. “You want me to get anything? You wanna check downstairs while I wait?”

“Just get out before your room turns into a sewer,” she replied tersely and with no small amount of exasperation. He meekly apologized and quickly hightailed out of the room.

“Oh, the corpse is awake!” his father yelled from behind his newspaper. “Thought I’d have to call the ambulance.”

“Really, Dad?” Issei deadpanned. “It wasn’t that bad!”

The only response he got was a lowering of the newspaper, which spoke volumes. Issei flinched and left the house before his parents launched another round of teasing. 

‘Ah, damn you, sun,’ he hissed at the sudden brightness. “I just hissed now, didn’t I?” he mumbled. “Yeah, maybe I really am turning into a vampire…eh, I’ll come back in an hour. I still need to finish clearing the last bits of Stormveil.”

Besides, it was a weekend anyway.

So he walked down the street, idly humming Elden Ring’s theme under his breath. Mom had a point; when was the last time he was so hyped up about a game? 

His walk soon led him to the small park near the town center. A few parents were out with their kids, but it was otherwise tranquil. Feeling a bit sore on his legs, Issei sat down and took in the grass blowing in the wind. On a dare, Motohama and he just popped into Limgrave and ran around Agheel’s lake, taking in the scenery, listening to the music and killing foot soldiers. ‘Kinda looks like Limgrave if you squint. If Torrent was here, how high could he jump?’

His musings were cut short when his phone suddenly rang with that OVA ringtone he’d set it to long ago. “I should change that - no, I can’t betray Taya-chan.” 

“Yo Issei! Rise and shine! How’s progress?”

Issei couldn’t help but smirk and leaned on the bench. “Guess who finally caved in the hand fetishist and got a dragon arm as his new weapon?”

Matsuda cackled through the phone and Issei reminded himself that his friend wasn’t a mad scientist with a taste for lolicons. Well, he was the latter. “I knew you could do it, bro! How’d you like that Black Flame spell?”

“I think I found my new favorite spell. Seriously, the DoT was a lifesaver.”

“Heh, I won’t deny the blessings of DoT, and fire’s gonna come in handy for ya real soon, but I guarantee you’ll drop the fireball the moment you see lightning strike your ass over and over.”

“Yeah, rub it in, won't you?” he grumbled, but the smirk never left his face. “What level are you right now?”

“54 and on my way to clearing the Academy,” Matsuda replied with no small amount of pride. “I want to check out Caria Manor first, though, I heard about some nasty spells hiding there.”

“Whatever you say, just don’t rant about it later,” Issei said, knowing full well that when the school week started, the boy would be sobbing in the cafeteria.

Matsuda wasn’t a speedrunner, but he had this tendency of wandering or straight-up charging into locations that he was really too underleveled for. Many tears of salt and agony were shed over conversations and he refused to hear of any other option.

Granted, the times he succeeded without too many deaths earned him heaps of Runes, the in-game currency, and he used them to level up with gusto and lord his skill over their little group. It was a cycle that Issei and Motohama really didn’t know how to break or if they even wanted to.

“So you know how to use that new Great Rune of yours?”

“Hmm? The Great Rune? I don’t think so. I have it equipped but it doesn’t seem to be doing anything.”

“I see,” Matsuda replied with a sagely tone. “You go through all of Stormveil? Any rooms missing other than the final stretch to Liurnia?” 

Issei moved to answer ‘no’, but then thought long and hard. “There was an area next to the crossbows at the top of the gate, but I didn’t fully check it out.”

“Go past there and keep running forward until you reach that long bridge on the map. There are huge enemies there, but if you run fast enough and dodge on time, you’ll get to a portal to Godrick’s Tower. From there, it’s easy pickings.”

“Thanks,” Issei said and filed the information for later. “I really should stop asking you for advice, it makes me feel kinda spoiled.”

“Eh, whatever you say, man. You want the pure experience, I get it, no shame. But it doesn’t hurt to look at a guidebook now and then. Those shitty devs don’t explain these things well in-game.”

He chuckled and shook his head. “Tell me about it. Guess that’s part of the charm though, right? See ya, and good luck with the manor.”

“Godspeed, brother. Erdtree bless you.”

Issei smiled at the farewell and how hooked Matsuda was on the game. He shut off his phone and was about to return it to his pocket when something flashed on the blank screen. Curious, he leaned in for a closer look - 

“Huh? What in…?”

Leaning forward for a better look, Issei stretched the skin under his eye and stared at his reflection on the screen. It was hard to tell from the light, but he swore that for a moment, his eyes flashed gold.

“Weird,” he mumbled. He blinked, only to see perfectly normal brown reflected in the screen. “Note to self: wash eye-boogers off your face before leaving home.” Taking a sniff, he winced at the odour. “And another bath.”

He rose from the bench and headed down the parkway, taking in the trees rustling in the wind. A few minutes later, his phone pinged a direct message. 

“Let’s see what Motohama found this time,” he said, pressing the message. His other friend had fallen into Elden Ring’s allure as well, but he had a sharper eye on the more physical side effects of the game, namely cosplay.

Barely three weeks in and cosplay of nearly every character imaginable in the game was created, done on every level of the scale, from amateur to Hollywood-worthy. A few of the characters were spoilers, and others were downright baffling to create, like Jar Warriors, but Motohama had an eye for the really special ones. The ones that convinced a person they were the actual character and not a cosplayer.

Melina the maiden was their mutual favorite. There were more cosplays of her than any other character by far (for now).

‘Okay, I don’t think this one’s an NPC, so is this guy cosplaying as his own Tarnished?’

If he was, then he had to tip his hat to the guy; that had to be the best cosplay Issei had ever seen. The armor piece was painted down to the smallest scratch and scuff, and the ornaments looked actually carved in rather than painted. Hell, none of the extensions or plates looked like cardboard. He even had a brown pouch at his side and the tattered loincloth dangling around his waist. Even through the up-close images, Issei could feel the weight of the cuirass.

“Does this guy live next to a blacksmith or something?” he muttered with fascination as he swiped through the images, each showcasing different parts of the armor in detail. His respect for the guy’s dedication grew even further when he saw the image of his Highwayman Hood - an item Issei only knew because he’d considered equipping it in the past - and it looked damn near identical to the one in the game, down to the shapes of the stains and the number of tears on the cloth wrappings. He had to pull up the image of the actual item in the game to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating. “Or maybe he’s loaded. Heh, maybe both?”

And he didn’t even get to the picture of the sword yet. 

Below the images was a single quote: “Guys, this is legit—all natural, the real deal. If you know, you know. #RISEYETARNISHED”

“Wow, he’s really invested. And what’s with that tag?” Issei began to type a message to Motohama to ask what was up when a shadow fell over his face, causing him to look away from his phone and blink in surprise. He’d wandered off to the other end of the park, and he didn’t even notice. The neighborhood was quieter than the rest, mostly due to its more industrial nature. 

“How’d I get here?” he asked, scratching his head. Was he that absorbed in those images? 

He was about to turn around when something blurred in the corner of his eye. Turning, he saw the scant trace of something brown disappearing into an alley. Now, normally, being the genre-savvy boy that he was, he would never have gone into a mysterious alleyway on that alone and hightailed it out of there. 

But the faint chiming of bells stopped him short. Soft and clear, so close yet ever-distant.

…o golden light…

“...huge red flag, waving isn’t necessary,” he finally mumbled, approaching the corner. “Hello?” he cried into the dark, but only the whisper of a breeze answered.

And the faint stench of rot.

“Eugh, did someone dump their garbage here?” he winced. He stepped into the alley and ventured into the darkness. As he wandered deeper, faint scrunching scraped against his ears. There, next to a garbage can, a hooded form was hunched over something, and…was he eating it?

‘Okay, time to go!’ He swiftly turned around and made to leave, only to freeze as a piece of glass crunched under his foot. The chewing halted with all the terrifying force of a cocked gun. 

He barely had time to curse when the breath left his body. Fingers as fierce as a vice wrapped around his throat. Issei gasped and spluttered as his feet left the ground. He tried calling for help, but the grip around his throat denied him breathing, let alone speech. Through the growing tears, he saw the hooded figure raise his head and sneer, revealing a narrow face, white hair and slitted yellow eyes.

“Oh…just a human? For a second there, I thought you were one of Gremory’s dogs. Heh, how unfortunate for you.”

Issei slowly raised his arm to try and grab the man’s arm, but it was no use. Black spots began to swim before his eyes as the man cackled in amusement. 

“How cute. You think a whelp like yourself can hope to match a devil like me.”

‘What the hell are you talking about?’ Issei frantically thought. 

The man - no, it couldn’t be, no human was this strong - pulled him closer and inhaled deeply. Nausea filled Issei’s head as the stench of garbage and blood flooded his nostrils. The devil’s eyes slightly widened, and his sneer slowly morphed into a lunatic grin.

“Hmm, your scent is…unusual for a human. A unique bloodline? Perhaps you won’t be a waste after all.” He burst into cackling, and Issei whimpered through the total meltdown he was experiencing. “Oh yes, you will do nicely. Rejoice, human, for you shall be my first step on my return to power! Those wretched Satans will regret the day they cast me out!”

Issei started flailing wildly as his panic reached an all-time high. He had to get out of that stupid alley that he stupidly entered and stupidly chatted with an obvious psycho. But his efforts, just as before, accomplished zilch.

…rise…

“Don’t bother struggling boy, you’ll only make it worse.” The grip began to clamp down harder on his throat. “At least die knowing that your insignificant life served the noble calling of your betters. A small token of my generosity.”

…rise…

Strength left his limbs as his vision darkened further and tears trickled down his cheeks. This was no nightmare; he was going to die in this wretched alley, alone and forgotten. Would his parents ever find his body? Would there even be a body to find? 

I can’t die here. I have oppai to touch, parents to say sorry to, games to finish. No, please, don’t, I’m sorry I can’t die I can’t die I can’t diediediediediediedie -

…

…Fog. Endless fog. 

Cold earth under his feet.

The howling of a breeze he couldn’t feel.

Where was he?

Why was it so dark? He couldn’t see. Please let him see.

…what was that? Dancing in the dark.

A light. So tiny, so frail. So golden. It landed on his palm, providing no warmth, but he cupped his hands around it, holding it with care.

Dost thou wish to let it go?

No. This was all he had. The only thing in the foul dark.

The light seared his palm and stung. But he refused to let go.

It hurts thee. Why hold on to pain?

It was all he had. What else was there?

Fire bloomed, golden and scorching, dancing wildly and clawing at his wrists. 

If thou drop it, it will stop.

The pain was unlike any other. Every fibre of his…being…howled in agony. He couldn’t hold it for long. If he did, it would consume him.

…But it was better than the alternative. Better the scorch of agony than an eternity in the dark. As long as he held it, he would see, he would feel. That was worth any price.

…then go forth, upon rays of gold. Go forth into the world anew, and show them thy grip. 

The edges of the fog began to clear. Where there was once nothingness, there were now towering pillars and crumbling arches. 

Rise, child. Rise with my blessing. Rise with your brethren.

Rows upon rows of stone blocks, intricately carved with scenes of battles past, of war in a forgotten age, revealed themselves. Above a number of the slabs hovered motes of golden light similar to the one he held.

And then…the wails. The cires. The bloodlust. The calls of glory.

The world beckons thee. Thy age is nigh. Set forth!

The song of warriors.

Rise, ye Tarnished!

The fire roared, conflagrating into an inferno that devoured every inch of his body. A scream tore from his throat as the darkness was torn asunder by the wave of gold erupting from his body. His heart, once dormant, beat with renewed fervour. Blood coursed through his veins with the force of a typhoon. His arm reached out into the void…

…and grasped.

“Hmm? Still alive? No matter, another squeeze will -”

With a roar so primal, the boy known as Issei swung at his tormentor with all his might. The devil’s eyes could only widen as something red and heavy impacted his face and lit up the alley with a burst of heat and flame. As he howled in agony and grasped his face, Issei landed with heavy pants, drawing back precious air into his lungs. He raised his arms to rub the bruised area, only to yelp in surprise and stumble back as he stared at his right arm.

Or rather, the dragon’s head that covered it.

Issei shook his head to clear his blurry vision and stared at the head, utterly dumbfounded. It almost reached his elbow, sporting tiny wings and ending with a jaw of jagged teeth where his hand was supposed to be. Instinctively, he clenched his fist and the dragon’s maw opened, revealing the crooked fangs in all their glory, and a flickering ember shining from inside the mouth. 

His hand was still there, just tucked within the head. A small comfort compared to the sheer insanity he was witnessing. 

‘Why the hell do I have a dragon’s head on my arm? Are those actual scales?’ He reached with his other hand and froze at the sight of a talisman tied to its back with a cord. Small, circular and sporting a black gem in the middle.

“Hold on,” he muttered, peering at both of the…accessories…closely. Now that a measure of coherence had returned to him, they appeared rather familiar.

“Where did I…?”

“A Sacred Gear!” the devil snarled, clutching his face with one hand, though Issei could still make out burn marks from underneath. “Freshly awakened to boot. Of all the rotten…no, I can still do this!” his tone grew desperate, and he dashed toward the boy. “I won’t let a fucking ant ruin my return!”

As the devil grew closer at impossible speed, Issei’s panic flared again, but this time he didn’t freeze. Where once he didn’t even have time to breathe before the devil had him in his grasp, now he was moving…slower. Still fast, but not impossible to track. So, instead of taking another blow that would leave him sprawled on the ground, he sidestepped, allowing the devil to pass by him. His opponent’s eyes widened for an instant before Issei landed another punch with the dragon head right in his face, viciously dragging the teeth along his face and sending him flying into the wall. 

As his attacker yowled and clutched his new wounds, Issei’s eyes threatened to pop out of his skull as he stared at the scene breathless. The most he’d ever lifted were a few weights at Motohama’s house; nothing like this!

The devil snarled and his fist glowed with crackling red lightning.

“YOU’RE FUCKING DEAD HUMAN!”

End this.

Right as the devil’s energy-clad fist threatened to cave in his face, Issei snapped his other hand and parried the incoming blow and then used the dragon’s head to lock the devil’s head in a piercing grip. 

End this.

The devil fought and struggled, but the dragon's jaws, much like his earlier grip on Issei’s throat, were clenched tighter than steel. He wailed and cursed wildly, and Issei considered it a miracle that no one came looking to see the ruckus. His breath was raspy as indecision rocked him. Part of him wanted to let go, to run far away…but what if the devil followed him? Maybe not out of the alley, but to his home? To his parents?

He’d never forgive himself. But what should he do?

End this.

The devil's fists glowed again, and Issei immediately clamped harder, trying to shut him down - 

And out erupted the inferno.

Ten long seconds. Ten seconds of burning, curses and pleading. Drowned amidst the searing flame and bestial howling. But Issei didn’t relinquish his grip. Thoughts and a certainty he’d never had before washed over his mind. This devil would die and never endanger him or his family.

Soon, all that remained was a charred husk and the stench of burnt flesh.

For several long moments, Issei took stock of the scene, one that belonged better in a manga than in the real world. Finally, he managed to loosen his grip and the husk crumbled to dust, leaving scorch marks where it once stood. Silence returned to the alley once again, but Issei paled as he realized what he’d just done.

“...I…killed him?”

He lurched and turned around as nausea began to build up. He’d just killed someone. Someone who just tried to kill him, but he killed someone. And not just killed.

“I flambe’d him!” He laughed hysterically. Turned into kindling. A…person, scorched until he was nothing but a crumbling statue of soot.

The boy dry-heaved and almost collapsed against the wall. The sensation of scales rubbing against his skin prevented him from falling to the floor. ‘I’ve gotta get outta here.’

He bolted out of the alley and ran down the street. He barely made it out of the street when he noticed the dragon’s head and the talisman were still on him - and the teeth were still dripping blood!

‘No, no, I need to get this off!’ Issei shook his hand wildly and tried to pry off the dragon, but it refused to budge. He bit back another curse as his eyes darted to and fro, praying to whatever higher power than no one was watching. “Come on, come on, get off me, you stupid -”

In a flash of golden light, the dragon and the talisman vanished from his hands, revealing them as clean as when he woke up.

“...okay. Nope, not dealing with this right now,” he said after picking up his jaw. With those words, he ran the rest of the way back home and didn’t look back until he stormed through the front door. 

“Hi Issei, what’s up?”

“NothingImfinegottago!” Issei replied to his father and scrambled up the stairs. When he was finally in his room, he slammed the door behind him and leaned hard.

He exhaled a shuddering breath as he finally slumped to the floor. Images of the past hour flashed through his mind. He wanted to believe it was a nightmare, a hallucination brought upon him by excessive screentime. 

But his throat was still bruised, right where the…devil held him, taunted him and…

…no, he didn’t die.

‘I’m still alive. I’m here. In my room. Miku-chan’s poster is on the wall, and Elden Ring is running in my PC’s background. I’m okay. I’m okay.’

His hands were bare like before, not a hint that something was ever on them. Even his clothes were unblemished by blood and ash. Under most circumstances, Issei could be forgiven for thinking it was a bad dream.

“Fat chance,” he scoffed. Yeah, as much as he wanted to deny it, what happened was very real. The only question was: what now? He’d seen plenty of fantasy anime to know that whatever happened wasn’t gonna vanish even if he ignored.

But what could he do? Go out and try looking for more of them? Right after he almost died?

“...I need to think about this,” he muttered and rubbed his forehead. This was too much. His gaze then drifted to his computer. “Maybe another game. Mom’s gonna give me flak about it, but I’ll let future me worry about that.” He was also sure that he would curse his past self for foisting his troubles onto his future self, but not at this moment.

He slowly rose from the floor and approached his desk. Sinking into the comfort of his gamer chair, he woke up the PC and was greeted with the sight of his Tarnished near Godrick’s Site of Grace. He smiled and let thoughts of where he should travel fill his head. Maybe straight to Liurnia and link up with the Site of Grace he found there; Caelid could come later when he was…

‘…hold on.’

Focusing on his Tarnished, rotating the camera around him. He stared at the character and took in his features…and the weapon on his right arm.

‘Impossible. There’s no way!’

And yet it was right there. He’d somehow dismissed it outside that alley, but he’d never forget it. Slowly and with growing incredulity, he lowered his gaze until it rested on his arm. By some unknown impulse, he clenched his fist and the dragon’s head appeared again, scaly and terrifying.

And in his other hand…

Well, it was right there in the equipment menu. Talisman was the wrong name to call it.

“Why, by every big-breasted demon princess in animedom, am I holding the Grafted Dragon and Godslayer Seal?”