The Maniac of DxD (Highschool dxd insert/ semi-crack): Chapter 7

Back home, I used to know a guy who ran a wildlife sanctuary.

He used to say that the greatest problems he ever faced in his life were not the wild animals that he had in his sanctuary, but other humans. Specifically, Poachers.

I still don’t understand what people saw in Rhino horns, Elephant tusks, and Tiger rugs, what I do know is that such people don’t deserve to call themselves humans.

Turns out, the supernatural world of this version of Earth faces a similar problem.

“So, run that by me again.”

“I need you to hunt down a stray devil hiding near my forest who is hunting the familiars I am in charge of. I’ll pay you quite handsomely for it and even let you choose a familiar for yourself, a privilege that only a select few humans ever got from me.”

I raised an eyebrow at the Ash Ketchum knockoff and continued drinking my Guinness while inwardly snickering at his annoyed tone.

if I had every nickel for the amount of walking references for different anime and pop culture from my world in this one that I have seen so far, I would have enough to buy myself the most expensive blend of coffee in Starbucks.

it is not a lot to be sure but it is strange that it has happened so much. Not to mention all the off-brand anime and manga that I've found so far.

I mean, Drago M-ball? that's clearly Dragon Ball. And Menma? That is clearly a knock-off Naruto, the list keeps going on and on.

Although, I did find something eerie in all these things.

For one, the Walmart Dragon Ball of this world has a power system that is clearly based on Touki. The same went with Menma where the 'Chakra' used in the setting is clearly the real-life Chakra used by the Yokai with a few things changed here and there.

If I were a betting man, I would say that someone, somewhere, is using the various power systems of the supernatural world as the setting of these manga and anime to make the big bucks.

Shaking my head to get my head back in the game (as if there is anything left up there that is not completely scrambled) I looked back at Zatouji.

“And why come to me? As a devil, don’t you have contacts in very high places? Not to mention my infamy in the underworld for what happened last summer?”

Zatouji, the Familiar Master in training, winced at my reminder as I gave a quiet laugh.

In the past few years since I left the Himejima clan, I’ve had quite the adventures that allowed me to somewhat (maybe) stabilize my mind (debatable).

I even managed to crack the Paywall of my Touki abilities a little bit and attained the power of Flight and the ability to manifest my Touki outside my body.

I can already taste the death beams and Ki blasts on my tongue. They are just around the corner, I can feel it!!

Keeping all that aside, I’ve also earned fame, or rather, Infamy, in the supernatural community as an ‘Unhinged’ ‘Insane’ ‘Mad’ ‘Dangerous’ ‘Monstrous’ ‘Inhuman’ and ‘Broken’ mercenary. All titles are courtesy of a particularly petty vampire that tried to mind fuck me into becoming her slave (Not like I would have denied it if she asked nicely. She was damn hot!!) only to end up getting overwhelmed by my craziness? Memories? I don’t know. The point is,  whatever she saw in the empty room that I call my mind, drove her catatonic and led to her becoming a Hikikomori and a NEET that refuses to leave her room to this day.

It also does not help that I might have leveled a minor noble family or two of the Devil race since I was originally commissioned to take her back from the said noble families who kidnapped the girl from her family and took her to the Underworld. (Talk about ungrateful, spreading all those rumors about her savior!)

Ever since then, I have been persona non grata in the Underworld. Which is very unfair!

I mean, where is a guy supposed to find some fun in this world if he is systematically banned from most of the exotic realms attached to this plain old Earth?

“Look, I know about the ban placed on you in the underworld. However, I cannot reach out to any of my contacts that I would normally hire for this kind of thing since I don’t want my reputation to be tarnished and destroy my chances of graduating from a Familiar Master in training to a full-fledged Familiar Master. That is why, I am asking you.”

He looked at me seriously.

“I will pay you as much as you want or whatever you want within reason. Like I said, I will even throw in a familiar for you if one of the beasts in the forest chooses you. I will also take responsibility for smuggling you into and out of the underworld. All I want is for you to take care of the stray. Do this for me, and you will forever have my gratitude.”

I downed my glass of Guinness and paid the bartender before getting up with a grin.

“Well, since you are giving me so many benefits, it won’t do for me to turn down such an offer. Let’s set off. I’ve been craving a Dragon as a pet for as long as I can remember!”

Instantly, regret washed over Zatouji’s face which made me laugh.

Why regret so early? My friend? When the best (or worst, depending on perspective) is yet to come?

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Zatouji shivered in terror as he watched the unhinged grin on the mercenary’s face, already regretting his decision.

However, the poor devil did not have any other choice but to follow through with the deal.

Not only was this a matter of pride for the Familiar Master in training, but it was also the problem of keeping his charges safe.

Despite what most would like to think, Zatouji genuinely cared for all the creatures in his forest, even monsters like the Nine-Headed Hydra.

So it broke his heart to see what the stray devil of the Phenex Clan was doing to the species of Quillin that he has within his forest.

The Quillin that Zatouji had in his forest were not the real Quillins of the Chinese Pantheon, but a lesser species given to him by the Chinese Pantheon for protection since they are often targets of poaching by beings who want their whiskers and horns since they are potent alchemical reagents.

Unfortunately, the stray devil from the Phenex Clan, Elrod, was a former mage of Hexennacht and had alchemical knowledge, leading to the slaughter of this group of Quillin and many other beasts whose body parts could be used for alchemy.

Zatouji cared for his beasts so much that he was even willing to approach someone as dangerous as Maniac Ren, the mercenary in front of him who earned great infamy across the supernatural world in the past few years.

Hell, even without the mind-reading powers of the Vampires that drove that poor girl mad last year, he could already tell that this man’s top floor was either completely empty or it was full of stuff he would rather not know.

It showed just how desperate Zatouji was to approach such an unstable being who held the power to crush him like a bug should he choose to.

After all, despite being only a High-class being with no other power but his Touki, this man had stepped up to powerhouses in the peak of the high class and even lower end of the ultimate class and lived to tell the tale.

Of course, he could not hope to walk away unscathed from such a confrontation. The many rumors that always circulated the supernatural world every time he returned half-dead from his assignments against such beings, claiming that it would finally be the time for this madman to die, would show how much he put his life on the line to fight such creatures.

And yet, just like the disappointment and terror felt by most beings when he returns for another job, healthy and ready for another fight, his insanity and bloodlust are too ridiculous to overcome in any way.

Shaking his head, Zatouji dejectedly walked behind the insane man like a man walking to his death penalty, knowing that he was about to release this menace back into the underworld and would be responsible for whatever shenanigans happened afterward.