The Maniac of DxD (Highschool dxd insert/ semi-crack): Chapter 43

Deep within the Atlantic, at depths that no human could dream of reaching without assistance, Issei and I swam as stealthily as possible while using the enchanted mouthpieces made to let us breathe underwater while our Touki worked to stave off the water pressure seeking to crush us like tin cans.

Slowly, but surely, we swam to our destination that was lit up with magical lanterns across its surface and streets, illuminating various water spirits, mermaids, and various other aquatic creatures, both mundane and mythical, showing the nature of this place as the home of an Olympian.

Ancient works like that of Plato describe this place as being as large as Asia and Libya combined, which is quite absurd considering what modern science tells us based on the surface area of the ocean between the American continents and the East. Even if we consider that Libya in Plato’s time was North Africa and the known ‘Asia’ of that time was likely the modern Turkey, it would still be an absurd claim since modern humanity has already thoroughly scanned the ocean floors of the Atlantic and has found no trace of such a landmass ever existing.

See how I used modern humanity so many times in my words? It is because modern technology and magic do not see eye to eye when it comes to the laws of physics.

Hence, the reason why nobody found this place despite its blatant existence at the bottom of the Atlantic, a place where marine drones quite frequently move about in the name of science.

Thanks to my Senjutsu, I could clearly feel the excitement practically radiating off of Issei as he stared at the wonderful city beneath us.

“Shishou! Look at all these creatures! Look at that architecture! And are those people riding sharks!? So cool!”

I smiled in amusement as his words rang out through my earpiece, thanks to the communication spell laced into the devices.

“Why are you so stunned already? We haven’t even stepped foot into the city proper yet.”

“Something that you are explicitly banned from doing, remember? Poseidon will flip if he learns that you sneaked into Atlantis, again.”

I simply grinned at Ddraig’s words.

“Which is precisely why I am not doing a livestream right now. I can’t have my viewers rat me out again like last time.”

“Hmm, true. But still, I recommend we don’t stick around too long and take what we want before we are found out.”

“Oi! Don’t encourage his Kleptomania even further!”

The hell? Since when did Issei gain so much sass?

He must have felt my glare since he gave me a flat stare of his own.

“What are you staring at me for? You know I am right.”

“Oh yeah!? Prove-“

“The Olympian mines where you had me mine for Celestial Gold for an entire week before the Cyclopes discovered us and chased us out. The Chinese Pantheon’s various sacred sites and mountains, where you stripped them bare of anything usable. And most recently, the Grootslang’s caves, where you once again, you guessed it, had me mine the divine diamonds for a week again!”

“And all of this is nothing but a highlight reel of all the ordeals you forced on me in the name of training. Who knows what else you store/borrowed before you took me on as a student?”

….Ok, fair points, all of them. But does it mean I will take this L from my own student? Hell no!

“Ah Shit! He’s planning something again. Partner! Bail! Now!”

“FUCK! Scale Mail!”

With a burst of light that probably would have exposed us if not for the distance between us and the city beneath, Issei transformed into his Balance Breaker and tried to make a break for it.

Unfortunately for him, I am still stronger and faster them him, despite his recent ascent into low-rank Ultimate-class level.

With a quick grab, I held onto his leg and stopped him from leaving despite the magical thrusters on his back working overtime to propel him away.

Hurray for Touki and its discount Saiyan powers.

I grinned evilly at Issei finally gave me a terrified stare.

Too late, kid, you should have thought about this before you let your mouth run like that.

“Since you are so sure about my nature as a Klepto, you should also know that I will be using your powers to the best of my abilities for the sake of my vices.”

“That is why you will, once again, take up the role you oh so love to take.”

“No, No, No!! Not again!”

“Yes. You will once again be the miner who could. You will be the one mining the materials we need this time while I slack-ahem, keep a lookout.”

“Oi! You were about to say slack off, right? You were planning on slacking off while I broke my back in the mines again, right!?”

I simply smiled sweetly at my precious student.

“I don’t know what you are talking about.”

With a reluctant and despairing disciple in tow, we dove into the depths of this dimensional pocket that housed the ancient city of Atlantis, the home of Poseidon, and headed straight for the nearest temple of Poseidon.

It was only ten hours later that we were chased out by a rather large army of various oceanic beings being led by an enraged god of the seas.

“Maniac Ren! You dare enter my domain again!? Not even my stupid brother can save you this time around!”

“Fuck you! You overgrown fish! I don’t want Zeus to intervene again either, given what he might ask as payment. My body is not ready, and neither do I swing that way.”

My shout seems to have enraged the god even further since he threw his Trident at me, intending to kill me and Issei then and there.

Thankfully, Issei’s thrusters were already in a boosted state, allowing us to easily outpace Poseidon.

Seriously, why does this guy act like I am taking a pound of flesh from his body every time I take a few pieces of Orichalcum from his temple’s walls? It's not like he can’t make more of it since it is literally condensed by his divinity mixed with regular Copper and Gold, and then transmuting them with an arcane Alchemy ritual using his divinity.

With a shake of a head in exasperation, I let my student drag us to the surface where I had already set up a one-time use teleportation circle for our escape.

Although I still think Issei’s rather colorful curses were very unnecessary during our ascent.

Hey! What the hell do you mean by calling me a good-for-nothing!?

That’s it! You are getting a triple-intensity training from now on!