The quiet of the night was broken by a soft, hesitant knock on my door. I was still buzzing from the dual integrations of my new Devil rank and the Psi-Circuit, running diagnostic tests by making a pen float a few centimeters above my desk.
"Come in," I said, the pen dropping as I focused.
The door slid open just a crack, revealing Asia's worried face, illuminated by the soft glow of my desk lamp. She was clutching a pillow to her chest like a shield.
"I-I am sorry to disturb you, Issei-san," she whispered, her voice trembling. "It is just... the room is very quiet. And every time I close my eyes, I... I see the church, and... and her face."
My heart clenched. The bravado she'd shown for my parents had faded, leaving behind the raw, frightened girl who had nearly been murdered. The silence and darkness of an unfamiliar house were letting the trauma sink its claws in.
"you don't have to be sorry," I said, my voice softer than I intended. "It's been a scary day."
She nodded, tears glistening in her eyes. "Is it... would it be terribly improper if I... stayed here for a little while? I promise I will not be a bother! I can just sit in the corner..."
The request sent a jolt through me. A beautiful girl, asking to stay in my room at night. The ghost of the original Issei stirred, and for a single, blazing second, a very different, very lecherous thought tried to form. *A girl in my room!*
But it was snuffed out instantly. I looked at her—not as a potential conquest, but as a person. She was pale, her hands shaking slightly, her eyes begging for a sliver of safety. She was a child, scared of the dark after a nightmare. A very real, very adult nightmare.
"you don't have to sit in the corner," I said, making a decision. I stood up and grabbed my spare futon from the closet, rolling it out on the floor beside my bed. "You can sleep here. It's no trouble at all."
The relief that washed over her was so profound it seemed to make her glow. "Thank you! Thank you, Issei-san!" She hurried in, laying her pillow down on the futon and curling up under the blanket I offered, looking small and innocent.
I turned off the main light, plunging the room into darkness save for the moonlight filtering through the window. I lay down on my own bed, the silence stretching between us.
"Issei-san?" her small voice piped up after a minute.
"Yeah?"
"Thank you for saving me. And... for this."
"Go to sleep, Asia. You're safe here."
Within minutes, her breathing evened out into the slow, deep rhythm of sleep. The simple trust in that act was a heavier responsibility than any Sacred Gear. I stared at the ceiling, the last remnants of inappropriate thoughts replaced by a fierce, protective resolve. This was what mattered.
***
A few hours later, well before dawn, I slipped out of bed. Asia was still fast asleep, a small, peaceful smile on her face. I left a note on the desk saying I'd gone for early training and crept out of the house.
The school grounds were deserted and silvered in the pre-dawn light. The air was crisp and clean. I could feel the difference in my body immediately. The Mid-Class Devil upgrade wasn't just about more power; it was about quality. My demonic energy flowed smoother, thicker, like syrup compared to the watery substance it had been before. My senses were sharper; I could hear the rustle of a leaf a hundred meters away.
But the real test was the new knowledge burning in my mind and muscles: the Rokushiki.
I started with the simplest, yet most fundamental: **Soru.** The principle was to kick the ground ten times in an instant to achieve blinding speed. I focused, channeling demonic energy to my legs. I kicked off.
*Whoosh!*
I wasn't a blur yet, but I was *fast*. I covered twenty meters in the time it normally took to take three steps. It was clumsy, and the strain on my calves was immense, but it worked. A grin spread across my face.
Next, **Geppo.** Moonwalk. Kicking the air itself to walk on it. I leaped up, and at the apex of my jump, I kicked down with one foot as hard as I could, putting demonic force behind it. Instead of falling immediately, I seemed to hang in the air for a split second, pushed up by an invisible platform. It wasn't flight, but it was the foundation of it. The potential was dizzying.
I moved on to **Tekkai.** Iron Body. I stood firm, focusing on tightening my muscles to an impossible density. I punched my own arm. It felt like hitting solid oak. The defense was incredible, but the trade-off was a temporary loss of mobility. It was a last-resort shield, not a constant state.
The other techniques—**Kami-e** (Paper Drawing) for fluid dodging, **Shigan** (Finger Pistol) for piercing attacks, and **Rankyaku** (Storm Leg) for ranged cuts—were more complex. I practiced the forms, feeling the required muscle movements, but they were still out of reach without weeks of dedicated practice.
Then, I decided to combine them with my new circuit. I focused, activating the Psi-Physical Synergy. A faint, invisible field of mental energy wrapped around my fist. I performed a basic punch, but I *pushed* with my mind at the moment of impact.
*CRACK!*
The wooden training post I was using splintered, not just from the physical force, but from the psychic "push" that followed a microsecond later, amplifying the damage. It was a force multiplier.
I spent the next hour in a grueling cycle: Soru to close distance, a basic strike amplified by the Psi-Circuit, then Geppo to disengage. It was raw, unrefined, and exhausting. But for the first time, I wasn't just brawling. I was *fighting* with technique.
As the sun finally peeked over the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink, I stood panting, sweat-drenched and muscles screaming. My body was pushed to its new limits, but my spirit was soaring.
The Boosted Gear was my ultimate weapon. The Devil rank was my foundation. But the Rokushiki and the Psi-Circuit were my path. They were the skills that would allow me to wield my power with precision and creativity.