5 Life Changes: A Challenge

''You want to fight me?" Issei said, raising a brow to the girl.

''Yes! People have begun to tell rumor's about you changing for the better, and it's time I witness this firsthand! Fight me!''

Issei watched her a moment before he nodded, his eyes locking onto hers. ''You said normal rules, are you okay with using my full strength?''

At first, she would've felt offended if anyone else had asked that, but her years of training, and the way he was looking at her, not as a woman, not as a person, but as an enemy.

Something in her told her to prepare herself as she took a stance on the mat.

''I can take it!''

Issei joined her, taking a stance, one of the instructors got between them, making sure they were ready, and with a nod from the both of them, the instructor started the fight.

The woman moved first, shifting her stance and using the momentum and weight of her body and the strength of hips and leg to send out a devastating kick towards his abdomen.

Issei only slightly shifted his stance, having her kick miss his torso as he shifted his stance to move forward into a range that would make it hard for her to react before he used his leg to pull at her knee. It caused a bend in her knee and she fell backward. All the momentum she had built up was being used against her as she fell back onto the mat.

As she landed a loud slam was heard, only a hair away from her head was Issei's closed fist that had slammed into the mat next to her head.

He had ended it in only a moment without barely any movement.

Once he stood he offered her his hand, the people that were watching were surprised at the fact despite him having only been here a few months, he was at such a level.

''You shouldn't have gone for a kick when I was still in a ready stance. If you want to kick someone you need to get them off balance or be sure they can't capitalize in the fact you're on one leg."

She caught his hand and he lifted her up with ease.

''I... Thank you, I was caught up in the moment and I didn't think properly.''

''Do you want to go again? This time don't start with a kick.''

She looked up at him, stopping as she realized how tall he was. She never really paid attention as Issei was just a part of the perverted trio, but up close with how his hair was and his physique that was getting better with each day made her see him as actually pretty handsome.

Not a pretty boy like the school Prince Kiba was, but he was still handsome.

''N-no, I got all the information I needed out of the exchange, thank you.''

With that, she went to grab her things, a few girls following her out as she left.

Issei himself grabbed his things and left as well, returning to the hotel room to begin training with Ddraig's instruction.

They continued to focus on his body, using a mix of multiple different types of exercises to make sure he got the most out of every little muscle.

~Partner, do you plan to join one of the factions?~

''The devil's most likely, that's where all the cuties are gathered the most.''

~Cuties? I thought you've 'Got rid' of your attachment to such things.~

"I have, I was just looking to be a pervert, see the girls but never put in the effort to actually obtain them. To become a dumb 'Harem' king, but after some self-reflection, I know that's not how it's going to work.''

''I still want a harem of beautiful women, of many varieties, with plenty of hot and heavy lovemaking, but I also want a family, people I can trust when it all comes down to it. People who make me feel whole and loved.''

''But to get either of those things, I have to be strong. Strong enough to fight even the God if I have to. At most I can take out a few lower-level strays as I am now, but that's won't fly. Becoming a Devil will only be a stepping stone to this power, with the boost I will get from someone's pieces, I can focus on other things. Then once I am powerful, I will use our power of Domination to take over the piece in my soul, remove it, and then make my own set of 'Power Pieces.' Then with that, it will be a stepping stone to greater heights.''

~You've got it all planned out don't you... What are you going to do about Albion?~

"Despite how you dragons view yourself, you are not the strongest. You are susceptible to Dragon Killing artifacts, techniques, magic, and curses. Which aren't all that hard to find as long as you know where to look.''

''The worst case, I convince the wielder to leave me alone and let me do as I want without them interfering too much... The worst-case? I kill them, and steal Divine Dividing.''

~You wish to wield both of us at once? You know you're crazy for thinking that, right? Very few people would be able to hold two sacred gears in their souls, even fewer able to use them properly, and none would be able to wield both Albion and I.~

''Never said I would wield the 'Both' of you at 'Once.' I plan to unseal you, under the condition, I remain able to access your abilities, magic, and strengths. Like an Apostle.''

~Wait... You plan to free me?~

''I do plan on it, just as I plan to convince Great Red to either scoot or be a good boy.''

''Just as I plan to convince Orphis to also lend me her power.''

~You're crazy you know that?~

''Well, that's the thing, I can burrow all the power I want. But it 'Can' be taken away from me, that is why I will use everything in my power to make sure that even if all my burrowed power is taken, I'm still a force to be reckoned with even if the three main sides decided to team up against me. All burrowed power is a stepping tool to my own personal power."

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(A hint into the mind of me, the author. Why don't the MCs of my books usually have a lot of background, or insight into themselves? Because I am not good enough as an author to give a decent background that isn't cliche, cringe, or just stupid. I do not put a lot of thought into my stories, I am just writing to expand my mind and options in it, trying to learn more and get more ideas, and then eventually make some work that I'd be proud to show off, so a lot of the stories you'll see from me from the start aren't going to be my 'Best' work. But whereas some might bitch, it's fine to me. People pay me to write already at the skill level I'm showing, and it feels nice to do so. To see people willing to spend their own money to see my trash work even though I'm just starting? Feels good.)

(I'm still working on my grammar alone, but at least I'm better than a machine translation. It isn't the greatest compliment because that shit is bad, but hey.)