DxD: DO System Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Jobs of a Devil (½)

Issei couldn’t help but notice how much tea he’d been drinking lately. 

Not alcohol—just tea. 

Akeno always had a steaming cup ready whenever he stepped into the Occult Research Club. Sona insisted on tea during his visits to the Student Council. Just this morning, he’d sat through a lengthy explanation of how he awakened his Sacred Gear and ended up joining Rias’ peerage, all over yet another cup.

And now, as he found himself on yet another job—one he’d volunteered for, no less—tea was once again on the menu. 

“Do you not like tea, sir?”  

Being called "sir" by a middle-aged man felt strange enough, but drinking tea in this place? That was a new level of discomfort.  

The room was a disaster zone: food containers piling up in corners, unwashed clothes scattered about, suspiciously used tissues everywhere, and figurine boxes that were somehow the only spotless items. 

“I’ll skip the tea,” Issei said, forcing a polite smile. “Not really much of a tea guy.” 

That was a lie. He loved tea. But the thought of drinking it in a place like this, made by a guy who looked like he hadn’t bathed in months, was enough to make him gag.  

The man was a walking hygiene nightmare. Greasy, unkempt hair. Droopy eyes with dark circles larger than his glasses. Patchy facial hair that looked more accidental than deliberate. His stained T-shirt—decorated with ranch and mustard—struggled to contain a belly that seemed ready to burst through.  

And the smell? Devil help him.

Across the room, Koneko stood with her nose wrinkled, clearly fighting the urge to bolt. She looked like she wanted to disinfect the air itself.  

“T-Then would you like something else?” the man stammered, his nervousness painfully obvious. “Anything?”  

Issei chuckled, shaking his head. “No need to stress about it.”  

‘Why even take these bottom-tier jobs?’ Ddraig’s voice echoed in his mind, full of annoyance. ‘You made it clear you don’t owe the devils anything.’

‘Yeah, but I was curious,’ Issei replied mentally. ‘Wanted to see how devil contracts actually work.’

Turning back to the man, Issei waved off the offer. “Seriously, I’m good. No tea, no snacks, no nothing.”  

The man visibly tensed, wringing his hands. “I-I’m not a rich man, you know…”  

“Obviously,” Koneko muttered from the corner, her tone as flat as her expression.  

“It’s fine,” Issei said, ignoring her jab. “Money’s not the issue here. As long as you’re willing to pay in… other ways.”  

The man’s eyes dropped to the floor, his hands clenching into fists. His entire body seemed to sag under some invisible weight. “I… I…” He was practically trembling now. “Will it hurt?”  

Issei’s voice softened, and he offered a reassuring smile. “Less painful than a mosquito bite. Promise.”  

“You’re not lying, are you?” The man’s hesitation was palpable.  

“No lies here,” Issei replied, his tone calm and steady. “Devil contracts are airtight—iron-clad, actually. Once signed, no one can change the terms, not even us devils. Think of it like a legally binding agreement in your world. What’s written stays written.”  

Most of that was true. Or at least, Issei hoped it was. He hadn’t exactly gotten into the finer details with Rias. His knowledge of devil contracts boiled down to basic explanations and assumptions.  

The payment for this particular job? A fragment of the man’s soul.  

And for devils, taking a piece of someone’s soul wasn’t just about power. It was about control.

If a devil held even a fraction of a human's soul, they could bend that person to their will with ease. But take too much, and the human would either die or be left an empty husk—a mere shell of their former self.

“Then… Then I agree,” the man said, though hesitation still lingered in his voice.

Issei knew what he was doing went against Rias’s usual way of handling contracts. She had asked him to make the deal as part of his training, but she had never explicitly told him to demand a piece of someone’s soul as payment.

That was precisely why Koneko’s glare felt like daggers stabbing into his back.

‘Ruthless, kid,’ Ddraig’s voice rumbled with amusement. ‘You’re more devilish than the actual devils around you.’

In Issei’s opinion, Rias was too naïve.

She trusted people far too easily, was overly kind, and refused to demand souls unless it was absolutely necessary. Her faith in people’s word was admirable, but to Issei, it was also foolish. She believed that promises and goodwill would suffice, relying on people to honor their debts out of gratitude or respect.

Issei? He wasn’t buying it.

He’d been human long enough to know better. Humans could be selfish, deceitful, and cruel—willing to lie and backstab for their own gain. He had been one himself, and in some ways, still was.

Trusting a handshake or someone’s word? That wasn’t his style. Legal bindings—iron-clad and indisputable—were the only guarantees he cared about. Taking a fraction of a soul wasn’t just a payment; it was insurance.

But he also knew this decision wasn’t going to sit well with Rias. And Koneko? She was already gearing up to report everything to their leader.

‘You need to tame that kitty,’ Ddraig teased.

‘In time,’ Issei replied coolly.

For now, though, the contract was his priority.

“W-Will you be taking the payment now?” the man stammered, his nervousness spilling over.

“No,” Issei said with a calm that belied his true feelings. “I trust you won’t cheat me.”

It was a lie, of course. He didn’t trust the man, not even a little. What he trusted was the contract itself. Once signed, the man’s soul would be forfeit, no loopholes, no escape.

And sure enough, the man gulped and reached for a pen. Issei knew at that moment he had the payment in hand.

“Wait,” Issei said, stopping the man as he fumbled to uncap the pen. “You’ll need to use your blood. A contract like this requires something stronger than ink. Blood binds; a pen does not.”

“B-But you said it wouldn’t hurt…” the man mumbled, his hands trembling.

“I didn’t lie,” Issei replied smoothly. “You asked if taking your soul would hurt, and I told you it wouldn’t. But you didn’t ask about what happens before that.”

The man’s face paled. He hadn’t thought of that. Devils didn’t lie—at least not outright—but they had a knack for bending the truth to suit their needs.

“I… I can’t cut myself,” the man stammered. “I’m afraid of blades.”

Koneko, who had been silently fuming, finally stepped forward. “Issei, it’s fine. We can take his word for it.”

For a brief moment, hope flickered in the man’s eyes. But Issei snuffed it out with a single glance.

“I’m handling this contract, Koneko,” he said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument. “And I plan to do it by the book.”

Koneko bit her lip, frustration etched across her face.

‘You’re making it harder to win her over, kid,’ Ddraig warned. ‘Push her too far, and you’ll lose any chance of getting her on your side.’

‘I know,’ Issei thought, brushing the comment aside.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small sewing needle. His mother had asked him to pick it up for one of her hobbies, and he’d been carrying it ever since.

“Here,” he said, handing the needle to the man. “If you’re scared of blades, use this. Just prick your finger—no need to sign. A blood stamp will do.”

The man hesitated, staring at the needle as if it were a dagger. But with something more important than his soul on the line, he reluctantly agreed.

With trembling hands, he pressed the needle into his fingertip, wincing as he had to push harder than most due to the layers of flesh. Finally, a bead of blood surfaced.

“Ah!” The man winced, his entire body jerking as the needle hit a muscle, drawing blood and leaving a sharp, lingering sting.

‘Idiot,’ Ddraig muttered dryly, and Issei couldn’t help but silently agree.

Not because the man had managed to hurt himself by pushing the needle deeper than necessary, but because of what he was bartering his soul for.

“Stamp here,” Issei instructed, forming the contract midair. The words appeared neatly on the parchment-like surface, the Gremory crest shining at the top. This was a trick Rias had taught him, made even easier thanks to his <<Contract Making>> skill. Pointing to the designated spot, he watched as the man nervously pressed his bleeding finger onto the page, leaving a trembling, crimson fingerprint behind.

“Perfect!” Issei grinned. “That seals the deal.”

No sooner had he said that than a pleasant chime echoed in his ears.

<Congratulations! You have completed a hidden quest!>

 <Hidden Quest Completed: Deal with the Devil!
 Make a successful deal with another being as a devil!>

 <Rewards Acquired: [Lasso of Truth]>

Issei blinked, caught completely off guard by the notification.

<Lasso of Truth: A lasso crafted from magical energy. It tightens around enemies if they lie and loosens only when they speak the truth. Limitations: Can only restrain beings of your class or lower. Ineffective against higher-class beings.>

‘Wait… I can get items too?’ Issei thought, surprised. He’d expected skills or maybe some new knowledge—not an actual object.

But where was it? He looked down at his hands, confused when he found nothing.

‘It’s in the realm,’ Ddraig grumbled, sounding less than thrilled. ‘Floating in that white void where I rest. Now there’s junk cluttering my space.’

‘How do I equip it?’

The system chimed in again, as if reading his thoughts:

<To equip an item, simply wish for it, and it will manifest before you. To send it back, repeat the process.>

<New category added: Equipments>

<Viewing current Equipments: Lasso of Truth>

‘That’s… amazing.’

‘And annoying,’ Ddraig added, clearly less enthused.

As Issei took a moment to revel in his new discovery, the man’s shaky voice pulled him back to the present.

“A-Are you alright?” the man asked nervously.

“Yes, I’m fine. Sorry about that,” Issei said, offering a reassuring smile. “With this, our contract is complete. You’ll have your item within a day.”

The man’s eyes lit up like fireworks. “Really?” he gasped, his entire demeanor shifting in an instant. “You mean the limited edition Cardcaptor Sakura 10th Anniversary Figurine, only five pieces worldwide, will be in my room within a day?!”

It was honestly terrifying how quickly his fear turned into unbridled excitement.

“Yes,” Issei confirmed, trying to keep a straight face. “Within twenty-four hours, the figurine will be delivered to you.”

The man practically drooled, tears streaming down his face. “Thank you! Thank you! I’ll never forget this!”

Koneko’s deadpan stare was matched only by Ddraig’s unimpressed silence as they watched the bizarre display. Issei, meanwhile, was doing his best not to let out an exasperated sigh.

His first magical contract—done and dusted.

And all for a man who sold a piece of his soul… for a figurine.

‘Humanity is doomed, isn’t it?’

‘When was it not?’ Ddraig replied with a snort.

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[[A/N: Lasso of Truth is the Wonder Woman one, just made of energy.

Fuck Patreon's formatting.]]