DxD : kuoh’s Hidden Star

I wouldn't say that she is optimal for your survival. In fact, she's putting us at risk.

]

". .

?!"

Issei realized it with Ddraig's words.

That's right. The girl was still here with him.

She was still unconscious and she was heavier than Issei realized. He wasn't focused on anything besides escaping so he had forgotten that he was running with another person in his arms.

She was heavy too. How was he even holding her before, let alone running with her?

'Oh no. .

. What do I do, Ddraig?'

[The best choice would be to cast her aside. ]

'. .

. Eh?'

[It would be wise to abandon her. ]

'. .

. A-Abandon.

. .

Y…. You want me to.

. .

"leave" her?'

[That is the wisest choice you have to make, considering your options. ]

…

Issei ran while maintaining his hold of the girl, sticking to the shadows and trying his best to be quiet. He acted as if he hadn't even heard Ddraig's previous suggestion.

He took many different turns, preferring to cut through different adjacent pathways and only crossing streets when absolutely necessary.

—Issei's body felt absurdly heavy. His legs hurt, his back hurt, his arms hurt.

Even his head was throbbing, thanks to the blood pumping wildly through his veins.

'I want to go home. I want this to be a dream.

I want to wake up. I want to go home.

'

Issei continued running. He quickly crossed another familiar street until—

MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNN…

Issei's body froze.

'. .

. Eh?.

. .

'

There was a sound. No, a vibration.

A rumbling.

A "grumbling. "

MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNN…

A deep rumble that resembled a bellow, like the snarl of a predatory beast…

'. .

. Ddraig… Where is that sound coming from?.

. '

[Yes, I hear you child, what is it— Retreat, now!]

—Too late.

Gogo….

The disgusting sound of something like moist skin. .

. Something wet, like a squishing sound, but it was large.

And whatever it was, it originated from directly to his right…. Morbid curiosity forced Issei's head to slowly creak over towards where he heard the sound coming from, directly beside him.

. .

When he looked over, he was met with. .

.

—A giant, glowing, red eye with a golden pupil.

[Flee, you fool!]

[—?!]

Issei bolted off without hesitation.

'ANOTHER ONE! IT'S ANOTHER MONSTER! Again!? Please, not again! I-It's big. .

! Too big! Bigger than a house! Huge!— It moved! Its eye opened! It looked at me! It saw me! It had white skin! B-But I couldn't see its body! It was too big, too close!— Run! I have to run!'

Once again, Issei was sprinting more than he ever had to in his entire life. It felt like his legs would give out at any moment and his lungs were on the verge of collapsing.

Only Issei's sheer willpower was keeping his body moving.

"Hah, Ha! Hah! Haah!"

[That's far enough, boy. That beast won't follow you.

You are no longer facing the east, you are heading north. Many of the lower beasts are gathered in that direction, so do not proceed.

]

Issei forcefully grinded himself to a halt. He attempted to catch his breath, but he could only wheeze in and out painfully and violently.

"Haaaah! Haaaaah! Haah!"

'It hurts! It hurts a lot! It feels like my chest and my head are being crushed at the same time!— Help! Somebody, please help me! It hurts! Mum! Dad! I'm dizzy! I can't breathe! I feel like throwing up! I wanna go home!'

[Calm yourself, partner. Your current position actually isn't the most disadvantageous place to be right now.

There are no beasts in your immediate area. Nothing has found you, aside from the "White Whale" you encountered.

But that beast won't follow you. That creature's body is much too large for it to waste its energy searching for something as insignificant as you, and I am already masking your presence on top of that.

As long as your power doesn't spike, it will not sense you. ]

'. .

. Then what happens if it really notices us.

. .

?'

[It will erase you from existence. ]

How many times can one avoid death in such a certain amount of time, at such a young age, Issei wondered. .

'. .

. ? .

. .

Actually… Aren't I…kind of amazing?. .

. '

Issei wanted to praise himself for a moment, but there was no room for levity for him to indulge in yet.

—CHILLS!

—A sudden feeling overcame Issei's senses. All at once, it felt as if the world was crashing down on Issei's body.

'. .

?! Wha—?! Ddraig! What is. .

! What is that?! This feeling is. .

!'

[Above you. .

!]

Issei looked up, and what appeared in the sky was. .

Shiin!

Lights. A countless abundance of lights in the shape of something familiar.

Shin, Shin, Shin, Shin, Shin, Shin, Shin, Shin, Shin, Shin, Shin, Shin!

They were "circles. " A seemingly endless amount of circles filling the sky, all with different colors and bizarre designs comprised of unrecognizable symbols.

They reminded Issei of symbols that a "wizard hero" might use in video games.

And from each of those individual circles of light, something began to emerge.

'. .

People? T-There are people coming out from them! They're floating!? They—!'

[—Hide, partner. ]

'W-What? Hide? Where?'

[Anywhere, just hide. I will mask your presence.

]

'B-But, what about this girl?!'

[I cannot hide or protect her, and neither can you. Your survival is only guaranteed if you cast her aside.

If not, then hide yourself and simply hope that they don't find you. ]

Issei whipped his head around, frantically searching for a place to hide. He spotted some nearby shrubbery and hopped straight into it.

He didn't consider abandoning the girl for even a second before hiding. His breathing was heavy and ragged, which didn't prove well for stealth.

Fear began to pulse ever stronger within him the more that the seconds passed.