Popping a Fish

[𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐬 𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞, 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝, 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐋𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫]

Gragg Forneus was, unsurprisingly, not enjoying his recent years. Ever since that pesky niece of his decided to go and get pregnant everything was falling downhill. From birth till now she had never done anything right! Was it too much to ask that she point some of the fame to the clan, to him?! What an unfilial girl!

Because of her, his claim to the family throne was weakening day by day and his standing was taking a nose dive as a result. Because of her, everything he had gained by killing her damned parents was going down the drain.

"Damn it!"

Violently swinging his arm all the belongings atop the ornate desk crashed to the floor, his breathing uneven as he struggled to see anything but red. Morgan was a pain in his side but it was that damn Asmodeus that he despised.

He made a point of limiting him, restricting his flow of money and wealth as well as crippling all his intelligence officers. He used various excuses but it all boiled down to his being a shitty brat that acted out on his anger. Gragg's only solace was the fact that the damn brats' fame among the nobility fell just like his own. Nobody liked a tyrant after all.

But even that wasn't enough to make things even in Gragg's mind. Things would only become fair when that blasted Asmodeus lost even a fraction of what he did. Unfortunately, no matter who Gragg hired he couldn't quite manage to kill that stupid brat Magnus or whatever.

Those stupid kids and their foolish naming policy! Why mimic humanity when the traditional names of devilkind were still strong! Gragg couldn't even begin to understand why such a thing would grow so popular over the youth in the last fifty years or so. 

Regardless, Gragg had his eyes set on that baby. As shameful as it was, the newborn was likely extremely talented and held Forneus blood. Who was to say whether the child chose Purson over Forneus in the future? At the very least, Forneus was in no way inferior!

"I just need to kill the boy. If I do that, the clan will stay in my hands and Asmodeus will be none the wiser."

Cackling at his own plan the angler fish headed devil was broken free of his delusions when his building began to shake violently. No, not only the house but also his very mind began to tremble in fear.

Immediately Gragg's mind tried to rationalize what exactly was occurring but he reached no conclusion. Demonic energy—or energy in general rather—had little to no effect on physical objects so while it could affect the mind like it was it would certainly not shake the house.

The pressure remained, the estate shaking and vibrating as cracks spiraled around all sides of its grandiose form. It was only the sound of an oddly balanced step that awoke Gragg from his stilled thoughts, the sound of something heavy striking the floor powerfully moments later.

Slowly, shakily turning his gaze to the source of the sound Gragg oddly didn't feel anywhere near the level of surprise upon seeing the overpowering foe glaring at him. He couldn't help but wonder if this was how humanity felt with their semi irrational fear of the grim reapers?

Long black and white hair, an adorable and childish face that didn't fit her curvaceous figure, strange blue markings covering small sections of her body, and the forever recognizable orca tail attached to her sizable rear. He knew that face. How could he not, it was the face of the girl he hated most.

He expected death to come swiftly, for his niece to kill him where he stood with nary a hint of hesitation in her eyes. Gragg was delusional however he was also overconfident and insane. It was true that he reviewed his murder of her father and older brother to be his own doing. He was delusional and overconfident but even he wouldn't bet on his survival.

Yet, unlike the quick death he expected his niece silently placed a hand on his as though she was comforting him. For a moment, he truly believed her to be a naive and foolish girl who would spare even her worst of enemies.

Then the pain came. It felt like the blood within his body was boiling, bursting, and being devoured. He could feel the water pouring into his body through his pores, his hand slowly inflating like a balloon, and then…

With a sickening pop, his hand exploded in a gory mess of blood and bone. It was instant but it was far from painless, Gragg's mind falling into a stasis for a brief instant as his eyes emptily gazed at whatever remained of his wrist.

"You killed my dad. You killed my brother. And now you want to kill my son?"

The famously cute voice of Morgan perfectly represented why exactly she was known as a tyrant. In most cases, the reason she was known as such was because she was merely a selfish spender which led to her title however very, very rarely a different reason could be dug up. She was a monster, a tyrant of combat and wrath.

Noel was a murderer through and through and due to her upbringing Amaris didn't hesitate to dirty her hands either but Morgan was different. Those two would do it quickly to save themselves the fuss. Morgan on the other hand…

"I'm going to hurt you."

Pressing her delicate finger into his arm it once more began to swell, everything up to his elbow beginning to wiggle and bubble before bursting like a balloon and spreading blood all throughout the room. It stained the ceiling, marred the walls, and left a tapestry of gore on the floor.

Whimpering in pain with snot covering his fish head, Gragg couldn't think of anything more than the excruciating influx of pain that ravaged his body and mind. His arm was gone and his mind was on the brink which, amusingly enough, may have been his salvation. With his attention so focused he didn't quite catch the horrifying glint in Morgan's eyes.

This nightmare of his had only just begun.

[𝐀𝐬𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐮𝐬 𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞, 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝, 𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞]

"Mhm?"

"Yeah yeah, I'll keep them coming."

Answering the unvoiced question with a wry grin, Noel continued to gently bob Magnus up and down while feeding Shirone the assortment of candy she handed him. While Morgan went for her revenge, he was on babysitting duty.

Amaris was with Morgan, Kuroka was out and about as usual—playing around like the yokai of yore most likely—and Yamato had decided to 'conquer' the art of weight lifting. Apparently losing to Morgan last time ignited her competitive spirit since she had barely even left as of late.

"Big sis is your bishop right?"

Pawing at her cheek in order to clean off the chocolate that had stuck itself to her lively skin, Shirone didn't quite understand how such a thing was possible but it seemed to be the case. As of now, Noel had used three pieces. It was safe to say that was odd but Shirone didn't care. She was a cat of a lazy variety, content with just basking in the sun. That stuff didn't matter to her.

"That's right. Are you jealous?"

Teasing the cat half on his lap with his usual grin Noel gently scratched the bottom of her chin, a blissfully hazy look in her eyes appearing in an instant. Shirone and Kuroka were perhaps the most interesting of their little group in Noel's mind. They were always there but rarely participated in whatever antics it was that they were doing.

"A little."

At least, that was once the case. These days both Shirone and Kuroka had made their affection well known after all of them were sent off to war without a word to either cat. They didn't outright say it but they had been quite worried. That worry manifested into an increased level of physical affection and less lazing around. Still, even that lessened amount was quite a lot. 

"Wanna become my Rook then? My first one?"

Noel's words weren't a lie just yet but if Shirone pushed it off for a week then Yamato would take that spot from her. Shirone would be relegated to second place despite her numerous month head start.

Nodding her head somewhat apathetically Shirone crawled further into his lap and brought her head up to his shoulder. Gently nibbling on his exposed shoulder she lightly rubbed her lithe body along him. Kuroka also did it fairly often while claiming it to be marking him as her mate. If he had to guess, he'd liken it to a dog peeing on a tree to mark its territory.

Magically placing Magnus into his crib and calling for Yamato to watch him in Noel's place the Ashen Satan allowed Shirone free reign to do whatever it was she was doing. In the end, it lasted a number of minutes before she let him go with a single lick on the shoulder to finalize it all and a chaste kiss on the cheek to make it official.

"Is this enough?"

Pulling down her shirt slightly the small but growing buds on Shirone's chest were revealed to his eyes, the shirt covering most of their form yet somehow making it more enticing. Yet, now was not the time to embrace his lust even if Shirone did seem to react positively if the little wiggle of her rear on his member was anything to go off.

"It's plenty."

Truth be told, there was no need to reveal the chest when it came to inserting the Evil Piece but Noel didn't exactly feel the need to reveal that little tidbit. Summoning the piece, a fairly standard Rook piece floated above his palm, its color a tad bit darker than it once was. The influence of Balor to be sure.

Placing it atop her chest it quickly began to liquefy for lack of a better word. It melted into a strange goop for a fraction of a second before dashing into her exposed chest and vanishing into her soul.

Evil Pieces were a magical creation that enhanced the target by changing their species yet retaining their original races' core functions. In Shirone's case, that would be the manipulation of natural energy and such.

Utilizing the power of Noel to facilitate such a thing meant there was plenty of energy left over which was then used to enhance the young nekomata to levels far beyond what she was previously capable of. 

"Welcome to the peerage."

Speaking to the girl whose hands and eyes were firmly placed on her chest—the place the evil piece entered more specifically—Noel's usual grin was every bit as cocky and prideful as it always was but his eyes were a bit warmer. Shirone had been around him enough to know that his current jubilation was sincere. That alone was more than enough reason to have done this.

"Mhm. Do I have to call you master now?"

Stifling a laugh at the young cat girl's words Noel took a moment to calm himself as his hand ran through her soft locks. She was very much Shirone Toujou, not Koneko. Unlike her cannon counterpart, his Shirone was quite the lazy girl.

She worked hard in training, eating, and sleeping alone and left everything in the dust. Her quiet nature was the same but it wasn't out of fear of making bonds but rather a slovenly attitude that believed them to be a core. In her own words, she would much rather hang around with Noel and his gathering of weirdos than make friends of her own.

Even her physical development was different though that was less due to Noel and more so due to her not discarding Gaia's affection. At the young age of fourteen, she was still small but she was already approaching 4 '2 which while not impressive at first glance was likely a significant increase. She was 4'6 in cannon if he recalled correctly after all.

"If you want to, you can."

Placing a hand on her head she looked at him curiously, the somewhat far off gaze of his stealing her attention away. Fate was always an interesting and concerning topic to him even if there was more than enough proof that this world was not the one he remembered.

The six worst criminals, the Golden Dawn, the oddities of Ophis, and much more were things he would have never found in Highschool DxD. This world was different than that story. Yet, at the same time, this world followed that book as best as possible.

Rias somehow missed Valerie yet found Akeno, Riser still chased Rias to the ends of the world, Yamata no Orochi resurrected in one of the only places he wouldn't be found nor able to escape, and plenty more. Things were following the cannon to an odd degree.

And yet, Noel was able to stop such things. Perhaps it was because he was a reincarnator or, more likely, due to this world no longer having one predetermined path changes were inevitable and quite likely. Noel had been the one to 'disarm' Diodora and yet Morgan could have easily done and Riser was much the same.

Ultimately, it seems that while fate may be a real thing it didn't have much influence in this world of theirs. Rather than the world trying to bend to reach the canon ending it was more likely that things that had already occurred before Noel's birth were merely still pushing in that direction.

Yamata no Orochi had died long ago and his rebirth had taken centuries, the Six were all centuries old as well, and the Golden Dawn may have been destroyed before his birth as well. It was impossible to tell really but that was what Noel thought. 

"Master nya."

Cutely calling him master Shirone looked up at him with bated eyes, a playful and adorable glint in her eyes. Smiling, Noel placed a hand on her head comfortingly and then proceeded to make a mess of her hair for fun.

Looking at him unamused, Shirone was far from surprised when the door shot open and Yamato stepped inside. Her steps were far from quiet after all. Quickly scanning the room the tall oni quickly saw her target, her beaming smile growing even larger as she ran toward her goal!

"It's the young master!"

Shouting in pure glee, Yamato lifted Magnus and spun him around with a grin that rivaled Morgan's in lumens. Yamato adored Magnus and he adored her. Noel was grateful for that fact but it was somewhat disheartening to see his own son chose another over him. 

"Let's go downstairs."

Ignoring his rising sadness Noel didn't wait for a response and lifted Shirone over his shoulder like one would a sack. Unfortunately for Noel, she was nimble enough to latch onto his back and dangle from his neck so he didn't get the amusement he desired.

Placing his hands on her adorable behind—soft and small were the only words he could use to describe it—he carried her throughout the estate without a complaint just as she didn't complain about the bumpy ride. 

Quite a few servants saw them but none paid it any mind, they were well used to Falbium's antics and Noel's seemed tame in comparison. Falbium would often walk through walls and the like when groggy so Noel just publicly displaying his affection was nothing. It may even be desirable for the future of the Underworld really.

"Ugh."

It was only when the two entered the gym that Shirone broke the silence, her hands clasped over her nose to no avail. Yamato was far from a hygienic woman and that combined with the sweat she shed while pumping iron made for a hell for Shirone and Kuroka.

Dispelling the scent as best he could with nary a thought Shirone soon found herself able to breathe safely once again. The smell remained slightly however it was much more bearable much to her relief. Placing his baggage safely on the floor Noel took a few steps away, a wand manifesting into his grasp.

"Let's test your new power."

Nodding her head at Noel's words Shirone called a pair of gloves into her hands with cute cat prints all over it. It was a gift from Amaris to welcome her arrival into the 'family' as Amaris called it. Noel didn't have any reservations with that title but he did feel it was to early for some of the people he had gathered around him. One day perhaps.

Charging forward it took only a single leap for Shirone to stand right before him, her first soaring toward his skull with enough power to shatter his skull. It was a blow that could likely shatter most beings like twigs so Noel didn't wish to see the end result.

A hexagonal barrier stood between him and her fist, the barrier steadfast even in the face of such extreme power. It was powerful and most high class devils would surely fail to endure it but it wasn't quite at the level of making Noel sweat.

In terms of pure power it was less than that of Yamato but what made it truly fearsome was her skill and speed. Yamato's blows were wild like a natural disaster without even a shred of control while Koneko was much more swift and powerful much like a rapid river. 

What truly made her a fearsome combatant though was her skill with youjutsu and senjutsu. It may seem odd for a physical fighter like her to focus on such things but in reality, it was quite a dangerous combination.

After all, if it weren't for Noel's special eyes he would have never known the Shirone who had so powerfully struck his barrier was only an illusion. Lifting his arm, Shirone's attempt to firmly hold him in place failed, her hand shifting to the side in a split second in an attempt to grab his side.

Yet, once again a hexagonal barrier stood between her and him. This time, however, she was prepared. Senjutsu was the art of enhancing the body with life energy which is what allowed her to be so physically dominant despite the difference in their builds and experience. Youjutsu however was the act of manipulating the energy born from nature to control life.

Springing up from the ground large vines burst from the stone floor, their thick form wrapping around Noel's body from the neck down in a split second. Together the vines were enough to contain a young dragon in place permanently.

'It's stealing my demonic energy.'

Quickly shutting off the flow of his demonic energy to his body Noel suddenly found himself in a difficult position. These vines devoured demonic energy to grow but he couldn't break free without his demonic energy's enhancement. It was a difficult conundrum.

Not.

Pushing more and more demonic energy into the veins without stopping they quickly popped like a balloon. It was a trick he had learned from Morgan who had been taught as much by Sirzechs of all people. Ajuka had been quite pouty that day

Without Morgan's monstrous output and physical yet immaterial energy he couldn't even dream of reaching the same level as her but what he had now was more than enough to break a few vines. It took less than a second in total.

But Shirone was unwilling to just stand around and watch. She was well aware that he would escape in a heartbeat which is why she didn't rely on it in the slightest. Her true plan was the pale white flames covering her entire body from head to toe.

Bringing her life force into the world it combusted, the flames of her very life surrounding her with enough power to push her briefly into the level of an ultimate class devil. Burning away her very essence—temporarily, of course, it would all come back soon enough—she wrapped her arms around his torso.

Her small arms barely managed to connect even around his relatively thin frame, the flames representing her as an individual burning brighter and brighter against the magical barriers he encased himself in. She had no delusions of victory but she wanted to prove herself.

She couldn't match up to those who had known Noel for years in terms of power or bond but she didn't wish to stay behind forever. She would grow until Noel believed she could follow him without fear, that was her wish. She didn't want to be left behind again, helplessly watching her family head off into a horrific battle without her knowing. 

"That's enough. You proved yourself."

Some say that battle is the best way for socially inept individuals to communicate and while Noel had always disagreed he felt like he could understand it somewhat now. She would never vocalize her worries whether it be out of fear or embarrassment and yet through their battle Noel had become well aware of her worries. She worried she would fall behind.

Looking at him with half lidded eyes Shirone only seemed vaguely aware of the meaning of her words before she slumped forward into his waiting arms, exhaustion stealing her consciousness in the blink of an eye. 

It was normal for freshly reincarnated individuals to struggle to control their power which often led to them passing out unusually quickly. It was a common symptom, hardly a worry. Usually, that is. Noel wasn't sure what kind of drawback such exhaustion would have when combined with such reckless use of lifeforce.

"Looks like I'll have to see Abner early this week."

Chuckling to himself Noel lifted the tired cat in the famed princess carry and made his ways through the familiar halls of his home. Abner checked his health once a week to 'ensure he was healthy' though Noel was willing to bet it was to discover the secret of his healing.

Regardless, Noel didn't mind. He only kept the information from him so the doctor wouldn't leave any time soon. Noel didn't have any grudges against Falbium and would rather like to see the man healed but that was easier said than done. 

The only Noel could think of was Valerie Tepes but he'd have to steal her from Rizevim to accomplish that. He felt as though he could do it but was it worth the risk? No, not at the moment anyway. In the future, when Noel was sure he could handle Trihexa, he would whisk her away.

"You're here early."

Snapping his book closed with a pointed yet intrigued face Abner's eyes narrowed upon seeing the unconscious Shirone. Hurriedly standing he looked over her body for a brief instant before grabbing this and that from all over the room. 

"She was just reincarnated and used her life force recklessly."

Swiftly explaining the situation while resting her on a bed dedicated for patience Noel couldn't even begin to guess what Abner was doing. He wasn't skilled medically—it was one of the roadblocks he had with one of the last three Evil Eyes—but he could tell that Abner knew what to do at the very least. Considering he was the Divine Doctor, that was likely more than enough.

"I could tell."

Sarcastically responding to his employer Abner didn't bother showing any respect for the third Asmodeus. At first, he may have put up an act but by now he knew Noel well enough to understand how futile that truly was. That would only serve to pushy the Satan away, not bring him closer. 

"Anyway, what do you want for this? Should I give you a clue?"

The relationship between Noel and Abner was purely business, the two served to gain something from one another and therefore they worked together. There was no such thing as loyalty in this relationship of theirs.

"Don't insult me. I'm a doctor, I'll heal a patient whether there is payment or not."

Clicking his tongue in obvious irritation Abner quickly pressed a white pad to her neck, various details regarding her health quickly jumping onto the screen. Though Noel didn't understand most of it, it looked normal to him.

Humming in thought Abner ripped the pad off her neck with practiced ease before rummaging through his shelves. Though he was called the Divine Doctor because of his abilities Noel had learned through plentiful experience that Abner generally relied on actual medicine over his clan trait. Why was a mystery to Noel but it doesn't matter regardless.

"She'll be fine. Her lifeforce may be a little slow to recover due to her mental inhibitions but it will return to normal quickly. There is no need for medication but should she require it these will dull the pain and restore her stamina. They are addictive so use them sparingly."

Giving out quick and detailed instructions was something Noel expected of the Divine Doctor however this was a tad surprising. Not so much the instructions but more so the speed part of the equation. It was astounding that it had only taken Abner a few dozen seconds from their entry to the conclusion.

"Perfect. Then I'll get out of your hair for now."

"What are you talking about? Since you're here, take a seat. I doubt you were injured but the flames of life are as dangerous as they are precious."

Blinking in surprise for a moment, Noel acceded and took a seat on a nearby bed. Part of the reason he had so willingly praised her was not only because he felt like it but also because she had truly deserved such a thing.

He had estimated her to be at the level of a low level ultimate class devil at best and his eyes of Precognition, Perception, and Clairvoyance all supported the idea. She was, in his mind, surely at that level without deviation.

But that was obviously wrong and the burnt ends of his shirt proved it well. He wasn't sure exactly what had happened however he had a vague understanding. Gaia was a benevolent goddess in both folklore and reality however there was an important clarification to make that most were somewhat unaware of.

Gaia was the will of the planet, she was not a sentient being in the strictest sense. She was the second or third oldest being in the world, the mother who cradled life in its infancy, however, she was not aware of any of it.

She could be likened to a rock or perhaps a tree would be better. She breathed, she lived, she bled, but she was not intelligent. She was a being of instinct, always moving to the brightest light to gain the most energy.

At that moment, Gaia decided that Shirone was the brightest light around. He had seen it in Yasaka and even Uraume in a sense, the love of the planet that surrounded them. Nature itself would bend to their will ever so slightly and in Yasaka's case she could even control the leylines of Kyoto.

In that brief instant in which Gaia had decided that Shirone's desires were brighter than anyone else's, the young girl had been elevated to a new tier of power. She hadn't reached Amaris or Morgan's level but she was closing in on Akeno and Rias without her Longinus.

"You're alright however I don't quite understand. How exactly did you endure so much natural energy without a scratch."

As Abner said, Noel had taken in a large part of the natural energy Gaia had given Shirone. It wasn't out of a malicious sense of greed but rather necessity. Shirone was scarily close to death just now and Noel had only just managed to mitigate the issue with his eyes of Absorption.

Gaia loved pure souls and she willingly granted them power beyond comparison. And yet, how many could endure such pure and dense energy, especially at the levels in which Gaia gave it out? At the very least, Shirone couldn't.

Yasaka transformed Gaia's blessing into an innate connection with her blood through unknown means and Uraume's quite literally divine physique allowed her to endure it. However, Shirone didn't have any of that.

'I'll have to keep an eye on her for a while.'

Ajuka would be a good person to ask for help, his interest in the topic would surely be boundless, but Noel wasn't sure Ajuka would be able to help as well as he could. The Emerald Satan leaned toward creation whereas Noel better fit the role of theft and gluttony.

Sirzechs would be willing to help as well but he would be an even worse fit. Noel didn't wish to destroy the gifts of Gaia and force her to retract her goodwill but rather contain them until Shirone could safely utilize them. Hm. Perhaps Ajuka would be the best bet then considering he even managed to contain the core of a realm.

In any case, Noel's goals remained the same. He would deal with Gaia's blessing while accomplishing all else he desired at the moment. Before that, however, it would be best to pay the man recommended by his father a visit.

"Well… I just found a substitute."

Finally answering Abner's question after a moment of deep thought Noel smiled enigmatically at the man, a click of the tongue the only response Noel received. While Noel could technically absorb anything from any distance as long as he could see it the speed of absorption heavily depended on range.

Considering Shirone was holding onto him so tightly, it was easy to accomplish that much but Noel took it a step further. By disabling his barriers the flames touched him directly which drastically increased the speed of absorption. He did get slightly burnt as a result but it was the spiritual damage that was the most worrisome.

 Luckily, Noel just so happened to have a soul that could take the damage in his stead. Balor was mighty useful for things like this. Some may argue that damaging the soul that made up a sacred gear—a Longinus at that!—was incredibly foolish as it made it weaker for future generations.

To that, Noel would say he doesn't give a shit. If he cared about that, he wouldn't have taken every bit of energy from Balor nor would he have stolen every single important facet of the god's being and made it his own. Aeon Balor was his and it would remain his forevermore.

"I'm busy so please make yourself scarce."

Nodding at Abner's request, he left the office with the sleeping Shirone in tow and returned to the familiar halls of his estate. It was very different than the Purson estate so it was somewhat surprising how easy it was for him to categorize this place as his home. No matter how many times he moved, it always astounded him how adaptable people were regarding things like this.

"I guess I should start planning to meet my granduncle then."

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hey there, Express_007 here. Hope you liked the chapter.

With that, Morgan has gotten her revenge! It was quite a short part of the chapter admittedly but I think it lasted about as long as it should. Any longer and it would be just dragging it out without reason. Still, we'll have to see Morgan's reaction next chapter.

As always, if you're interested in supporting the creation of this novel I made a patre*on. Just look up Express_007 and you should find it easily enough. You don't have to support but it'd be much appreciated.