Disclaimer: I own nothing, this is purely a fanfic for enjoyment.
Cross-over from various games, books, anime, manga, and movies.
The familiar characters you see here belong to their respected authors and owners.
"Speech"
Time*
Arc 1 - Chapter 14: What Went Wrong?!
"Want to try our luck in a bookstore?" Momoyo asks Chikao while ignoring the shady people stalking them from afar. Not realizing that they have already been found out.
"Might as well." Chikao replied, then begin looking for a bookstore and it looks like the [Fortune] ability still going on as he found one just right at the corner. However, lots of people are avoiding going near it, making Chikao cautious and use [Numeromancy] to see if there any traps, even though his [Danger Intuition] and [Precognition] didn't trigger.
To Chikao's hidden shock, he couldn't get a prediction on this bookstore and with 100% of the routes, where he entered the store then come out with many different books; however, the look of seriousness on Chikao and Momoyo's face was enough, to know that whatever those books were are very dangerous to let people see it with the way the future Chikao and Momoyo glare at anyone that dare look in their direction.
However, the most important thing was that Chikao can't see anything further into the possible futures after exiting the bookstore. Therefore, even with his current rank [Numeromancy] wasn't enough to see the future of what's going on during the time inside the bookstore and after the few minutes moving away from the bookstore. Not once looking back.
Chikao pushes his [Numeromancy] a bit more, to get any info related to the bookstore and it nearly took everything for him until he got three words out of all the routes he ran with.
Based. On. Desires.
Those are the three words Chikao manages to make his future self say something to pass on to him in the present. Afterward, all those routes disappear right away. Never being given any access for Chikao, even with the help of [Numerical Precision]. Yet, still nothing, but on the bright side is that neither [Danger Intuition] nor [Precognition] trigger. So, that's good for Chikao.
Deciding to risk it, no pain no gain.
Upon entering the bookstore, to find it's pretty much nearly empty with a few bookshelves still have some books on them, but it looks like no one has ever touched them, not even the owner of this store. For all of them are covered in dust, even the wooden floor is covered in dust with the way Chikao and Momoyo are leaving footprints.
"Welcome." A hoarse voice greeted the two, causing Chikao to frown at this, not because of the way the sound of the greeting, but because it's coming from a neutral looking person that should be in their late teen. However, what made Chikao notice is that he can't tell if the person is male or female, not even with [Numerical Precision] that easily allow Chikao to know more about others than he should be possible, this includes knowing other people's gender, even if they try to hide it by dressing in either the opposite gender outfits or natural clothes. This person is wearing a white robe, that completely clean and completely out of place from everything else in the place. Furthermore, Chikao can't even see any numbers or anything with [Numerical Precision] on this person or anything in this place.
"So, anything interesting to sell here?" Momoyo asks the shopkeeper, or at least someone that runs this store, seeing how there no one else but this person before them.
"Depend on what you want, then I might have what you've desired." The shopkeeper replied, not moving a single muscle other than moving their mouth. Not even blinking once so far.
"Got anything about martial arts or anything around it?" Momoyo asks the shopkeeper, not moving her eyes off the person, for there is something weird about them and her instinct is going out of control for some odd reasons.
"Yes, on your right at the top upper right corner." The shopkeeper said to Momoyo, who narrowed her eyes before breaking eye contact to check on her right and sure enough, there is a book, with the cover of an unknown person performing some kind of martial art move, but there is no title on the front cover. Making others unable to know if this truly a book about martial arts or not. "And you, Sir?" The shopkeeper asks Chikao.
"Give me something that will help me reach my full potential." Chikao thought about it and this is the best he could think at the top of his head; furthermore, this is something he curious if this world has something like that or even help him figure out what kind of weird system he was given in this second life of his. Plus, reaching one's potential is a lot harder than what many would realize since there are many trials to pass in order to reach it.
"Oh, that's a tricky one." The shopkeeper still didn't change their facial expression, even the way they spoke didn't change either. Completely dull and hoarse. "There is one on your left, Sir."
Chikao did a quick glance to his left, to see a pure white book with nothing on the cover. Just plain white and not covered in dust surprisingly, making Chikao wonder how he missed that when everyone else, but the shopkeeper was covered in dust.
"How much?" Chikao takes the book off the shelf and felt the cover made out of some kind of leather, but he can't tell at all.
"Those are for free in exchange for a small favor, which I will ask later on." The shopkeeper replied.
"Again. How much." This time, Chikao wasn't asking nicely, because there is no way in hell that he would owe a favor to some unknown shopkeeper, who could be a god for all he knows and might force him to do something that could lead to his death.
"I see you won't take a favor as for your payment. Alright then, 30,000 yen and for the lady's book. It will be 10,000 yen. 40,000 yen in total." The shopkeeper's facial expression and their tone still didn't change.
Chikao quickly hand over the 40,000 yen and said his farewell to the shopkeeper, same with Momoyo, who just nod in the shopkeeper's direction before they exit the bookstore, not wanting to stay here any longer. With the whole shopkeeper and the place, giving off a creepy feeling.
The moment Chikao and Momoyo exit the door, with their books in their hands. Neither of them said anything and just glare at anyone that look at them as they head back to the car.
20 minutes later*
"So, should we open these books or no?" Momoyo asks Chikao, for it was a bit disturbing for her to even hold this book.
"Might as well." Chikao frown, that his [Numerical Precision] doesn't work on these two books. Nor does [Numeromancy] working either with these books' presence near him. So, now Chikao just has to rely on his two main abilities: [Danger Intuition] and [Precognition] in the hope these books are not traps in any way. "I'll open mine first and if you see anything wrong with me. Quickly take the book out of my hands. Then, afterward, we do the same with you after making sure nothing went wrong with me."
"Alright." Momoyo nods with a serious look on her face.
Chikao slowly opens the book to the first page, then a bright light coming from the book and blind both Chikao and Momoyo instantly, then Chikao starts hearing voices, lots of them, but only for a few seconds before the voices disappear along with the light.
Once the light dies out, both Chikao and Momoyo noticed the white book disappeared, making them look around in a panic, but couldn't find anything.
"Well, shit." Chikao didn't expect that, then quickly check his person if there anything has changed on him and even went far as using [Numerical Precision] to see if his body been modified or not, but came up clean. Nothing has changed. Afterward, check his status window if there anything changed there.
Name: Chikao Fukui
Pathway: Wheel of Fortune - Mid Sequence 7: Lucky One
Acting Process: 88%
Abilities: [Danger Intuition - Rank: High], [Precognition - Rank: High], [Numerical Precision - Rank: Peak], [Flawless Action - Rank: Mid], [Numeromancy - Rank: High], [Anti-Divination - Rank: Mid], and [Fortune - Rank: Low]
Nothing changed on the status window either, making Chikao a bit confused about why the white book disappears if it didn't change him, which he is somewhat glad that nothing important was changed and would fatally kill him if he wasn't careful or something. Though, the increase in the acting process is nice to have. Just leave it to the world to throw lucky events for him and it will naturally increase on its own. No need to put on any acting whatsoever.
"Should I open mine?" Momoyo looks at her own book with furrow eyebrows. Debating if she should open it or not.
"You can, but I honestly don't know what would happen or if it would disappear in a flash of light like mine." Chikao said to Momoyo.
"May as well. I'm sure your [Human Magic] will help us out in a nick of time, right?" Momoyo looks at Chikao with a smile, only for it to die out instantly to see a serious look on his face. "Crap..."
"So... My instinct isn't screaming the book is dangerous or anything and my instinct are always right." Chikao tried to help cheer Momoyo up a bit, which kinda did, but not enough if the way Momoyo looking at the book in her hands with absolute focus and with the knowledge of how serious this book is.
"Alright, then. But, if I die from this somehow. I'm haunting you." Momoyo made her threat, then open her book right to the first page as quickly as possible and be ready for anything to happen to the last second before deciding to throw the book out the window on her right or not. "Huh..." There is no light nor anything dangerous. Just a couple of sentences and pictures.
"So, wait." Chikao pause for a moment to look at the first page, with the introduction. "It's just an ordinary book?" Chikao still can't see the numbers nor the future related to the book in Momoyo's hands.
"Look like it." Momoyo is also surprised by this. "Huh, [Root Martial Art of Raging Flame Eruption]. Let's see here... When one's body temperature goes up. Just takes that to the max. Then, gathers the airflow emitted from the body to form a barrier. Absorb everything and like a great flickering fire. Before erupting with raging flames that destroy everything in its path." Momoyo continues to speak out loud about this [Root Martial Art of Raging Flame Eruption], including a brief mention of how this martial art would allow one's body to use their body temperature and fighting spirit aka [Ki] to perform feats that is impossible for mortals to do.
"Well, that's interesting." Chikao might have wanted to train in this [Root Martial Art of Raging Flame Eruption], but he got enough on his plate for that matter. Not to mention, Chikao still needs to figure out what happens to that white book that disappeared after opening it. "Does it explain anything else?"
"Hm? Give me a sec to skim through the book to see if there anything else." Momoyo finished reading the first page of the introduction and being flipping pages while checking the keywords before reading the end of the book, which she counted 30 pages, with mainly filled with training methods and only two techniques for her to learn while the rest she might have to come up with her own. Not a problem. "Oh, here something. It says, that anyone learns this martial art will become easily excited and if one's not trained correctly, then their body's temperature would likely cause fatal harm to oneself and/or others."
"Then, you won't have much trouble learning it. You're already easily excited." Chikao said to Momoyo with a deadpan.
"Ha. Ha." Momoyo looks at Chikao dryly but didn't deny it, not that it matters to her. It's who she is and Momoyo wasn't going to change for anyone. Though, she can tell by Chikao's tone, that he was just joking and wasn't trying to be mean about it.
"Now, that we confirm that your book on this [Root Martial Art of Raging Flame Eruption] won't disappear on us. Mind finding anything is needed to learn it before we leave town?" Chikao rather not deal with a frustrated Momoyo, who couldn't train in this new martial art she got without some kind of equipment or whatever and will have to wait until the next town.
"Yeah, there isn't anything needed, other than having plenty of rest after training and to work on sensing the surrounding with one's [Ki]. Pretty much [Senjutsu] from those Youkai and any other people that could use [Chakra]." Momoyo replied, without realizing that she kinda trigger one of Chikao's buried memories.
"[Chakra], huh...?" Chikao mumble to himself.
"Yeah, but with [Root Martial Art of Raging Flame Eruption] it only requires [Ki] and body temperature to use it. No need for [Chakra]." Momoyo said to Chikao, not noticing that Chikao wasn't technically talking to her at the moment.
A week later*
"Huh, why are we here?" Chikao mumbles to himself, for he realized he back in Kuoh Town somehow.
"Something the matter with this place?" Momoyo asks Chikao, as she got out of the car and walk around the car to stand next to Chikao, not realizing exactly where they are right now.
"Yeah, we're in Kuoh Town and I literally have no idea how I miss the sign when driving us here." Chikao said truthfully. As he looks around the place, to be precise, he somehow drove them up to the park.
"Seriously? How could you drive us here without realizing it until we're literally here?" Momoyo looks at Chikao in disbelief for a few seconds before looking around the place herself and something, or someone caught her eyes. "Hey, why is there a nun walking alone by herself?"
"Wait, what?!" Chikao quickly looks in the same direction, where Momoyo is looking at and sure enough. There is Asia!
Asia is a pretty young girl with long blonde hair and green eyes. Her hair flows all the way down to her back, with split bangs over her forehead and a single strand sticking out from the top and sloping backward. Her attire consisted of a dark teal nun outfit with light blue accents, a white veil over her head with light blue accents, a brown satchel slung on her right hip, and brown boots with black straps in an X-shaped pattern. She also wears a silver cross necklace around her neck.
"Huh, I wonder why she here? If what you said was true from before about how Kuoh Town is run by Devils, then a nun shouldn't be here unless she was kicked out of the church. Wouldn't be surprised if that was the case." Momoyo didn't like the church one bit, for all they're talking about peace and love. They sure have lots of corrupted members and too many Stray Exorcists, especially those crazy ones.
"Want us to speak with her?" Chikao might have already a near-infinite supply of [Light Bullets] and [Holy Water], but it wouldn't that bad if he can recruit Asia, who have powerful healing [Sacred Gear] along with being able to bless things.
"Might as well, be pretty bad if we allow those Devils to get their hands on this nun, including any random Stray Exorcist." Momoyo follows Chikao as they walk over to Asia, who seem to be lost in her mind. "Hey, sister. Why are you out here alone by yourself?"
"Huh?" Asia looks at both Chikao and Momoyo with a confused look on her face as she tries to remember all the words she knows about Japanese.
"Something the matter?" Momoyo continues on, speaking in Japanese to Asia, who still is confused.
"Ever thought, that she doesn't know Japanese?" Chikao remembers that Asia was only able to fluently speak Japanese after being transformed into a Reincarnated Devil; however, what got Chikao concern is that plot shouldn't have started so early. It's should have been months before the plot begins from what his previous prediction with [Numeromancy] before leaving Kuoh Town.
"Why wouldn't she? This is Japan after all. Unless she one of those tourists, which I doubt since she is alone." Momoyo raises an eyebrow at Chikao, wondering why he would think the nun couldn't speak Japanese.
"Do you speak Italian?" Chikao asks Momoyo. "Because she is talking to us in Italian right now and looking a little frustrated after trying to speak in Japanese, only to fail after a couple of words and now speaking in her native language, hoping we speak it too."
"I do and I'm guessing you know it too. If you can tell the nun is speaking in Italian." Momoyo looks back at Asia and begins speaking in Italian fluently and repeated her question from before, but after introducing herself including Chikao, and in return, Asia introduces herself.
"Oh, I'm here to find my way to the church here." Asia's smile became a bit forced upon saying the word: Church.
"The church is run by Fallen Angels and Stray Exorcists." Chikao said to Asia and Momoyo in Italian while having finished checking with [Numeromancy] on why Asia is here so early and found out that the plot has already started and that something must have pushed the plot to start much earlier than it should be. Hasn't even been over 2 months yet.
"Oh?" Momoyo looks at Chikao in surprise, for knowing this when he hasn't been in Kuoh Town since she decided to tag along with him to wherever and barely they have ever separated from each other, excluding the time they need to do their daily needs privately and even then, those times are pretty short. "How you know that, Chikao?"
"Because I figure there will be Stray Exorcists here anyway, with the whole Stray Devils I continue to find in this town before I left it. As for the whole Fallen Angels; well, I'm just guessing really. Plus, I saw a few Stray Exorcists in the church too. Since I've last checked." Chikao lied about the Fallen Angels part, but the rest is true.
"I see." Momoyo nods her head, then recall something related to the Fallen Angel that Chikao told her before when she wanted to come to Kuoh Town before finding of the Gremory Clan and Sitri Clan's heiress being here. "Oh yeah, then Kokabiel should be here somewhere too."
"Should be." Chikao shrugs his shoulders, then look at Asia, who is very confused since Momoyo and he went back to speaking in Japanese again out of habit. "So, now what should we do with this nun, who most likely to have been kicked out of the church?"
nice.