I'm sure you'll find a better fighter then me willing to join your peerage Rias," encouraged Issei as he placed a hand on her shoulder.
Rias just looked up him with a sad smile, "I don't want you for your combat skills Issei. I want you for your nature.
Did you know you are one of the first people to causally call me by my name like this in years? Even with my own peerage, it's always Buchou to them."
Issei looked at her in surprise while Rias' eyes widened as she realized what she had just said and immediately stood up before heading to the door, only to be stopped by Issei grasping her shoulder.
Spinning around she saw him giving her another warm smile that made her face heat up, "Rias just because I won't join your peerage doesn't we can't be friends.
In fact why don't I join the ORC? I was always fascinated by the supernatural."
A happy smile spread across her face as she replied, "Issei Hyoudou, I, Rias Gremory, accept you into the Occult Research Club.
I'll send someone to collect you after class tomorrow so be ready ok?"
"Looking forward to it Rias," he waved to her and watched as she seemed to almost skip away from his house before shutting the door behind.
"Occult Research Club huh? Looks like tomorrow's going to be an interesting day,"
he mused and headed up to bed, letting his exhausted body finally get the rest it deserved.
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The man's life was a heroic and yet sad tale, he who was destined to become the 'shield of Ulster' and yet for all his strength he could not protect those he held dear.
A man that seemed to be a harbinger of misfortune, who fought against it every step of the way as he forged his legend and strived to be the strongest,
he got his wish only to find it short lived…and bittersweet.
His life started out in the oddest of circumstances, born of a deity and a mortal, the boy's upbringing was nothing like his noble heritage.
His mother refusing to marry and instead fleeing into the Land of the Young to raise the child with what few loyal friends and family she had left.
There she gave birth to the child of the sun god and thus the boy named Sétanta was born into the evergreen land of Erin.
Sétanta immediately showed superior talent and supernatural abilities from birth that quickly isolated him from his peers.
Eventually moving to the Northern kingdom of Ulster with his uncle, the boy joined the King's army in order to get stronger.
It was here that he suffered the first of what would be a long string of bad luck, which would eventually spell his doom.
As the boy began to distinguish himself in the King's army, it drew the attention of the monarch himself whom invited him to meet a friend, the master blacksmith Culann.
However Sétanta was in the middle of a competition with his friends and his pride and desire to get stronger refused to let him simply forfeit the match.
Instead, the boy boldly told the King to go on without him and that he would 'catch up after he won.' The King just laughed and agreed as he walked off to the house with Sétanta following once the competition was over.
However, misfortune struck when a servant shut the gates of the blacksmith's house before he arrived and the boy found himself under attack by 'Culann's savage dog,'
a monster known to have the strength of ten men. Unarmed and alone it seemed to be the end of Sétanta but the boy defied fate and instead strangled the guard dog with his own bare hands.
A crowd gathered and stared at the boy in astonishment who was standing over his dead opponent.
Once Sétanta saw the sadness in the eyes of the blacksmith whom was staring at the body of his loyal companion he felt a twinge of guilt.
As repayment, he asked, "Does this dog have children? If he does, could you allow me to take care of them?
I will raise them to be guard dogs just as strong as their father. Until then, I will be your guard dog."
However, Culann just smiled appreciatively and shook his head stating that he would be the one to train the dogs that protected his manor.
The old blacksmith then stared at Sétanta before replying that the boy himself should get stronger instead as he would soon become the 'guard dog of all of Ulster.'
And so the boy was soon known by another name, 'Culann's savage dog' or Cú Chulainn.
The boy then returned to his training to be a knight and was sent to a druid to prepare for his rites of warrior hood, ignoring the prediction that none in the group would become famous warriors.
After his rites, the druid then turned to look at Cú Chulainn with a sad frown and said, "in exchange for glorious deeds of valor, your life will be short."
Cú Chulainn just smiled.
Completing his rites the boy was then accepted as a Knight of the Red Branch, much to the anger of the King who was shocked that this thirteen-year-old was made into a Knight.
Once again, misfortune struck as Cú Chulainn and his King erupted into an argument and ending in a demonstration of the boy's strength, earning the ire of the King.
Having his authority severely limited Cú Chulainn began searching for strong opponents when he came across the most beautiful of women named Emer.
In order to prove himself to his newfound love he travelled to the Land of Shadows and sought out the sorcerer named Scáthach.
Upon finding the sorcerer and training under her, Cú Chulainn met the warrior that he would one day consider his older brother, Ferdiad.
Together the three of them grew close but after completing his training and mastering the demonic spear Gae Bolg, Cú Chulainn and Ferdiad left for their respective countries.
Before he left, Cú Chulainn told Scáthach that should she bare his son then to name him Connla and to send him to Ulster.