Highschool DxD: Dragon's Ascent

While I wanted to hurry up and get the god killer 9000 on my hands right this moment I still had to make preparations. After all, haste makes waste. And god knows I would rather shove a jar up my ass than to waste the motherfucking Boosted Gear.

That thing was the key to my future, it was what would make or break everything. I was not going to mess it up.

So I went back to the church and checked everything over 3 times. Created some more condensed vitality before going to Issei's house. It was night already, and as I arrived in front of his house I gave myself a final moment to think.

 Am I sure about this?

If I stop right now, the plot can continue without too much interruption. Issei will be his perverted but determined self and save the universe or something along those lines.

By taking the boosted gear here, I will be putting a stop to that. Which means if I take it here, I am ready to shoulder the responsibility that he shouldered.

If I take this, it will now be my job to fix everything that will go wrong, it won't be Issei who has to fight gods and whatever thingamajigs, it will be me.

Hah, bring it on. 

A man's dream will never die.

Either I will exceed Issei, the original protagonist or I will damn sure die trying to.

There isn't much left to think. I walked up to the door, gathering moisture into a small ball of water that I fit into the door lock before freezing it and turning it, unlocking the door with a makeshift ice key.

"Huh? Who was that?"

Hearing their front door open the Hyodou couple got up from the living room couch to investigate, and seeing the strangely dressed young man Miki and Gorou were surprised.

"Wha-! Who-"

*Snap!*

"Mental Stun." I snapped my fingers in front of me as Miki and Gorou suddenly stood still with dazed expressions. This was a basic mind control spell that would make the target dazed and basically unconscious for up to half an hour. The target would also forget around a minute of memory before the spell.

Of course, it couldn't be used on anyone with above-average mana but it was a good beginner spell that was mandatory for any supernatural to know until they learn better mind control. I learned how to cast it just for this situation.

Yes, I did get a skill for mind magic too.

[Mind Magic(Novice) Lv.1]

Your proficiency in mind magic. The higher the proficiency the stronger and more complex mind spells you can cast.

Spells: [Basic - Mental Stun]

I will be honest, I am very, very interested in mind control magic. Call me a creep or whatever but having control over someone else's mind can be a very useful thing. 

Or even better, your own mind.

Well, that is another project for later. Because right now I was rock hard for one thing and one thing only, and that was the Boosted Gear.

I walked up the stairs and advanced to where I felt the very, very faint mana signature coming from. Without bothering to knock I opened the door.

"What the-! Knock before you open the-! Wha-?" Issei's were stuck in his mouth as he hurriedly pulled up his pants and shouted at the door expecting his parents to be there but instead, he was met with his classmate he didn't even know the name of.

Before he could freak out, however.

*Snap!*

I stunned him before grabbing his arm and sending a non-lethal amount of electricity coursing through his body to hit nature's off button. This was rather awkward, I expected some wholesome kidnapping, I didn't expect to just walk in on the man yanking it.

...Well, I guess that's on me for expecting him to be doing anything else.

Shaking my head I held his collar and started dragging him back to my lair, before long I was back at the old church, strapping the young man to my inhumane extraction machine. Setting up the bottles of condensed vitality, linking everything to the ritual circle and finally...

"Kronk! Pull the lever!"

The machine started up, releasing light as Issei moaned from the pain but still remained unconscious as it persisted, even longer than when I did Saji in fact, which was concerning.

Well, time for some damage control, good thing I got the Absorption Line first. I extended my hand, shooting out an ethereal line that stuck onto Issei, and from that line, I started slowly pumping my own vitality into him to make sure did not die.

I wasn't really cutting lifespan by doing this. I was mostly pumping energy into him. Thankfully the process was completed before Issei died fully or I had to tap into my own lifespan. 

...If this had not been operated with additional life force to help Issei, the chances are he would have died before it was finished, thus sending the Sacred Gear back. I may have gotten a bit lucky here.

Disregarding that moment of luck I fixed my eyes on the green light floating down to my level, it shone brightly like a miniature star.

My grin probably stretched to my ears making me look like a demon as I grasped the light and it entered my body.

I felt the light merge with my body, momentarily filling me with immense energy, like I had snorted pure caffeine and then started sucking on an exposed power line.

____________________________

You have assimilated the [Boosted Gear]

[Boosted Gear] has been linked [Iter Melius] abilities have been adjusted accordingly. Some of the abilities have been restrained temporarily in order for the user to not perish.

You now have access to the abilities of the [Boosted Gear], they can be found under the abilities tab.

Warning! your lifespan has been reduced by 75 years. Current estimated Lifespan: 3 Months 8 Days

A nigh impossible achievement! You are the wielder of 3 different sacred gears. Including a Longinus.

You have gained the trait: [True Wielder]

[True Wielder]

Your body has changed beyond the norm, it is resistant to your abilities conflicting, you can wield abilities and items naturally, granting you the qualifications to wield most abilities and equipment, and lessening the penalties of conflicting effects or backlash.

____________________________

____________________________

---{Boosted Gear}---

Boosted Gear, The Red Dragon Emperor's Gauntlet, one of the 13 Longinus it has the spirit of the Welsh Dragon, Ddraig, residing within it. Allowing the user to manifest the gauntlet to harness their abilities.

[Boost]

The signature ability of Ddraig, changed by the Boosted Gear it allows the user to double all stats every 10 seconds by drawing in energy from the Dimensional Gap.

____________________________

Gasping and wheezing I finally caught my breath and read the notifications, my grin almost splitting my face apart. Sure the Lifespan part I would need to figure out sometime but that can be handled with potions. Right now, however, I have the Boosted Gear inside of me.

I brought up my right hand, and instinctively summoned it, a large red spiky draconic gauntlet with a large green orb in the middle of it manifested on my arm. I felt the power radiating off of it. 

But before I started boosting myself, I needed to meet someone and hear their thoughts about this current situation. 

So I started tapping on the green gem in the middle of the Boosted Gear.

"Wakey wakey, rise and shine."

After a few seconds, I felt a voice enter my head that wasn't the usual one telling me to eat a brick to test if it had alchemical value.

{Hooh? What is this? How did you manage to remove me from my host without killing him? No, ignoring that how can you still be alive with 3 sacred gears inside you even? Who are you?} 

I felt the large presence speak inside my mind, it was not hostile, no, instead it felt more curious and fascinated than anything. That was good, I did not want a large pissed-off dragon soul inside me.

'...'

Nothing? Good, it seems like the telepathy is not too deep.

"Well, to answer your question, I am Takumi Katsuragi, an aspiring Alchemist, nice to meet you too Ddraig. I hope you are not too miffed about being relocated."

The voice scoffed in amusement.

{An Alchemist huh? That fails to explain much but whatever, since we are stuck together I guess I will eventually learn anyway. And to answer your question, not really. I doubt he would ever awaken me, and even if he did I don't think he would have managed to accomplish much with it. You on the other hand, I can tell are a much more promising Red Dragon Emperor. It's nice to meet you now, Partner.}

I smiled, for a Dragon of Domination he is rather easy to get along with. But I guess that's what being imprisoned for a few odd thousand years does to someone. It's bound to mellow you out at least a little.

"Yes, I am sure we will have a wonderful partnership Ddraig. So, if you don't mind me asking, can I speak to you in my mind, can you hear my thoughts, and do you share my senses?" These questions were the essential ones that needed to be established before anything.

{You really are a curious one. Well, to answer your question. Yes, you can, although I can't hear or read your thoughts I can listen when you directly intend to speak to me. And as for senses, I can only see what you see and hear what you hear and even that is a window I can look away from anytime. Don't worry, I am not too keen on invading your private life.}

'That's good, now that that's over with I want to give this thing a spin. I really want to see what the all-mighty Boosted Gear can do.' Hearing Ddraig laughed.

{Hahaha! Yes, I can basically feel the excitement radiating off of you, that ambition and that spirit of domination I can feel from you. It seems you have what it takes to be a great Red Dragon Emperor.}

'Oh please. Don't think I will just be a mere Dragon Emperor. I plan to go beyond, far beyond that. The sky is the limit.' I felt a flame being lit in my heart, a passion, a drive.

Ambition. 

{That's the spirit.} I could almost Ddraig smiling.

But that wasn't wrong. Because now, I had what I needed. All the preparations were done, the prologue was finished. The tutorial was over and the training wheels were taken off.

It's time to get started.

A/N: Takumi is like a dragon, ambitious, greedy, lustful and driven. Now that he has the Boosted Gear and taken the title and place of the protagonist it is fully time to start kicking things into action. 

What did you guys think about this chapter and most of all Ddraig? Do you guys like him(?) I would love to know.

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