When I first woke up in the body of Issei Hyoudou, I thought I was hallucinating.
Everything around me was too vivid—too familiar in a way that sent a chill down my spine. The architecture, the atmosphere, even the energy in the air—it all screamed High School DxD.
It felt like someone had hit me hard enough to knock me into another reality.
But it wasn't a dream.
I knew that the moment I heard a voice call out from downstairs.
"You'll be late for school!"
A woman's voice—gentle and familiar. Without thinking, I responded, "I'm coming, Mom!"
The words left my mouth before I could stop them… and in that instant, my mind froze.
I didn't want to say that.
I didn't mean to say that.
But I still did.
That's when it hit me—this wasn't possession. This wasn't just waking up in a fictional world.
I had merged with Issei Hyoudou.
Two minds, one body.
Right now, it was my personality in control. But for how long?
That thought haunted me as I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the school uniform. No matter how calm I tried to stay, the truth remained—this body still belonged to Issei. At any moment, the original personality could resurface.
And I did not want to be trapped inside the mind of a perpetually horny teenager.
As I descended the stairs, the familiar scent of breakfast filled the air. I entered the dining room quietly, greeted by the sight of Issei's parents.
His father looked up from his paper with a pointed glance. "Issei, how many times have I told you not to stay up all night playing video games? It's bad for your health."
I nodded instinctively, suppressing the urge to say, I'm not him.
Issei's mother leaned in, scanning my face with a mother's intuition.
"You look pale, sweetie," she said softly, setting a bowl of miso soup in front of me. "You didn't eat much dinner last night either. Are you feeling okay?"
Her concern wasn't dramatic—just quiet, warm, deeply human. It made my chest tighten unexpectedly. Not because I felt ill, but because... for a moment, I didn't feel like I deserved her kindness.
This woman thought I was her son. She had no idea someone else now shared space in the mind of the boy she raised.
"I'm fine, Mom," I said, forcing a smile.
The word Mom caught in my throat again. It still didn't feel right.
But she smiled as if everything was perfectly normal.
And in that smile, I felt something unfamiliar—guilt.
Because I wasn't sure how long I could keep pretending to be Issei Hyoudou. Or how long this illusion of normalcy could last.
As I walked toward Kuoh Academy, my thoughts raced to recall the DxD plot.
If I was the main character now, then everything—everything—was coming for me.
Including death.
I would have to die. Killed by a psychotic fallen angel on a first date.
The idea wasn't just unappealing—it was terrifying.
But becoming a devil? That came with power. With protection. With resources.
Rias Gremory was not a curse. She was a blessing. Being reborn under her meant support from the Gremory clan, the backing of the House of Lucifer, and eventual access to Azazel's training. Without Rias, Issei would've never gained strength so fast. No alliance with the Church. No truce between factions.
And let's not forget—Azazel adopted the White Dragon Emperor. Without Rias's protection, the Grigori would come for me the moment I stepped out of line.
This wasn't a game anymore.
If I wanted to survive, I needed allies. And Rias was the best I could ask for.
I steeled myself for the inevitable: death. To gain that power, I had to pay the price.
I was so lost in thought, I didn't notice where I was walking—until I bumped into someone.
A girl.
She stumbled back and fell with a soft yelp. I stepped forward, offering my hand on instinct.
Then I saw her face.
Blonde hair. Emerald green eyes. A church uniform.
No.
It couldn't be.
Asia Argento.
The kind-hearted nun cast out by the Church. Labeled a heretic by those she once served.
She was right in front of me.
And that could only mean one thing—if she was already in Kuoh, then…
…I must already be a devil.
She grabbed my hand gently. The moment our skin touched, something strange surged through me.
An urge. A feeling I couldn't explain. Something between the need to protect… and a desire to claim.
Her green eyes looked up at me as she spoke in soft French, apologetic and grateful. She gestured in confusion, asking for directions.
Eventually, I pieced it together—she was looking for the church.
I nodded and walked with her. But even as we moved side by side, I felt something unnatural. Like gravity pulling me toward her.
Then I remembered the fan theories.
Some believed Asia was a Dragon Tamer. If that was true, it might explain the strange pressure I felt near her. The way my thoughts fogged up.
I clenched my jaw.
This was dangerous.
Every instinct screamed at me to take her back with me. To protect her. But I quashed the thought.
This wasn't the right time. Saving her prematurely could ruin everything.
I needed to reach Kuoh Academy. I had to talk to Rias. I needed to understand what I was now… and how I could stop the Fallen from taking Asia.
I wasn't about to let one of the best healers in the entire series fall to some second-rate villain with delusions of power.
When I finally arrived at the Occult Research Club after school, I was exhausted—not from class, but from dodging Issei's idiotic friends all day. They were more draining than I remembered.
The moment I stepped inside, I was struck again by how different this world was from the anime.
First, Rias.
Her presence was like a crashing wave—composed, regal, commanding. Not just a school idol—she was a queen draped in crimson.
Then… Minamoto no Raikou.
One of Kuoh Academy's "Five Great Ones." A living legend. She looked just like her Fate counterpart—tall, graceful, deadly. She didn't walk through halls. She owned them.
And then… there was Saji.
Yes, Genshirou Saji.
In this version of reality, he was nearly as popular as Kiba. Girls actually admired him. Some even whispered about a possible relationship between him and Raikou.
Whatever it was, it wasn't ordinary.
As I tried to organize Issei's memories, making sure I didn't act out of place, Rias turned to me with concern in her voice.
"How are you feeling, Issei? Are the pills helping with your sensitivity to the sun?"
Everyone turned to look at me, waiting for a response.
I nodded, offering a calm reply. "I'm feeling good. The pills have been working well."
Okay then. If you ever feel unwell, or if the pills stop working…" Rias paused, her tone softening just enough to sound genuinely concerned. "Tell me immediately. Promise me that."
There was a flicker of something human in her expression—relief, maybe even affection. For a brief moment, she wasn't the heir of the Gremory Clan or the Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess. She was just a girl relieved that someone she cared about was okay.
But then, it vanished.
Her face didn't just go blank—it transformed. The warmth drained from her features like the sun slipping behind dark clouds. In its place was a cold, imperious mask. Her eyes, once kind, now glinted with sharp authority—chilling and unreadable.
The shift in her presence was palpable. And like a ripple across still water, the rest of the room responded.
Akeno, who had been quietly smiling just moments ago, dropped her act in an instant. Her expression sharpened into something lethal, her beauty now cloaked in quiet menace. She looked like someone who had already decided how to make someone suffer—slowly.
Kiba straightened in his seat, posture taut. He wasn't just a pretty boy anymore. He was a blade in human form, sheathed but ready to draw. His gaze flickered toward me with cold calculation, awaiting a signal.
Even Koneko changed. The usually stoic girl now radiated something feral. Her blank eyes gleamed with barely restrained bloodlust, like a small cat that had finally decided to bare its fangs.
The sudden tension in the room made my chest tighten. The air felt heavier. My throat dried up as I swallowed, my instincts screaming that I had just stumbled into something serious.
I turned slowly to Rias. "What's going on?"
Her gaze locked with mine—calm, unblinking, and merciless.
"Issei," she said, voice even and deliberate, "do you remember the Fallen Angel who tried to kill you… even after you became a devil under my protection?"
I nodded slowly, unease coiling in my gut.
"I contacted our faction's foreign affairs department," she said carefully, trying to keep my voice steady. "The Fallen are still operating in our territory. And they're not just present—they're actively attacking."
Rias's expression didn't change. Her face remained a calm, porcelain mask—but there was something beneath her voice. A quiet tremor of fury. A controlled storm waiting to be unleashed.
"Do you know what they said to me?" she asked softly, almost mockingly. "They told me the same thing they always do—'There are no known Fallen currently active in our territory.'"
Her aura flared like an invisible firestorm. The power radiating from her was overwhelming—an oppressive pressure that made everyone in the room stiffen instinctively. In that moment, Rias Gremory wasn't just a noble. She was a queen standing at the edge of war.
"I've asked again and again," she continued, her voice cold. "But if their presence isn't registered officially… then everything they've done so far? It falls under one category."
She turned slightly, eyes narrowing.
"Terrorism."
Akeno stepped forward this time, her voice calm and composed—but laced with venom.
"They didn't just kill you when you were human, Issei," she said. "They tried again after you became a devil. And they did it knowing full well they were on devil territory. That's a direct violation of every single treaty."
Then she smiled.
But it wasn't a kind smile. It was a predator's grin. One that sent a chill racing down my spine.
"We couldn't act before because they were staying within legal bounds," she continued. "They didn't officially threaten our people, and they didn't breach any border unlawfully."
Her eyes glinted with satisfaction.
"But now? Now they've crossed the line. They didn't just try to hurt you. They entered our territory illegally… and attacked one of our own."
She looked at Rias, who gave a single, decisive nod.
"That means," Akeno concluded, "we're no longer bound by diplomacy."
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"We can strike back. No restrictions. No repercussions."
My mind was spinning.
Everything I'd just heard echoed in my head, crashing into itself like a violent storm. I couldn't stop the question from slipping out—tight, bitter, and laced with something I hadn't meant to say aloud.
"So… if I wasn't a devil, you wouldn't have done anything to them?"
There was a pause.
Rias looked at me with unreadable eyes. Then, quietly—almost too softly—she answered.
"No. I wouldn't have."
That hit harder than I thought it would.
"I can't just start a war because a human got attacked," she continued. "If someone has no ties to our faction, then we have no right to intervene. That's how the balance of power works between the Three Factions. That's the truth of this world."
I swallowed, my throat dry. "Then why… why did you save me?"
Her gaze faltered for just a moment. Then she looked away, her voice even quieter now.
"Because you didn't deserve to die like that," she said. "You were just a boy… caught in something too cruel. I didn't plan it. I wasn't thinking of Evil Pieces or power or strategy. I saw you lying there… and I felt something. Pity. Guilt. I don't know. I just knew I had to do something."
The silence after her confession was deafening.
I should've felt grateful.
Instead, I felt… angry. Hurt. Confused.
I couldn't explain it. I didn't even fully understand it myself. But I knew I needed to get out of that room before I said something I'd regret.
So I turned and walked away.
No words. No goodbyes. Just a rush of air and emotion as I pushed open the door and stepped into the hallway.
Each step echoed behind me like a drumbeat, and in my chest, something heavy twisted and pulled.
I wasn't just a devil now.
I was someone Rias Gremory had saved… not out of duty—but because she felt bad for me.
And somehow… that made it hurt more.
Back in the Occult Research Club room
the air remained heavy even after Issei had stormed out.
Akeno let out a long, weary sigh. "You could've taken your time with him, Rias. You didn't have to throw everything in his face like that."
Rias didn't flinch. Her expression stayed composed, but a shadow of doubt flickered behind her eyes. "We don't have the luxury of easing him into this," she said softly. "He needs to face reality now. You're forgetting the kind of Sacred Gear he might carry."
Kiba crossed his arms, frowning. "President… we still don't know for certain if it's that Sacred Gear."
"True," Rias admitted, her gaze turning toward the window. "But the signs are there. The energy I sensed when I reincarnated him… it wasn't normal. It was overwhelming—almost unstable."
"Still," Kiba pressed, "a strong aura doesn't confirm he's the Red Dragon Emperor."
Akeno's voice grew sharper, laced with concern. "Maybe not. But if he is… then every faction will be watching. And the risk of being wrong isn't one we can afford."
Koneko spoke up, her voice calm and cutting. "So… are we saying Lord Beelzebub was wrong in his reading?"
The room fell silent.
Rias's shoulders tensed ever so slightly.
"No," she said after a pause. "I trust Lord Beelzebub's judgment. If he believes Issei possesses the potential of the Boosted Gear… then I won't assume otherwise."
She turned her back to them, her long crimson hair cascading down like a curtain of fire.
"That's why he needs to know the truth," she said, voice quiet but resolute. "Even if it hurts him."
Akeno exhaled sharply and broke the tense silence. "Let's forget about Issei for a moment," she said. "We have a more immediate problem to focus on—the Fallen Angels. Now that we know they're operating illegally in our territory… what are we going to do about them?"
Rias leaned back in her chair, her expression masked by a cold indifference. "Nothing. Not yet," she replied calmly. "We'll let them be for a few more days. Observe them. Understand why they're here… and why they're targeting Issei."
Akeno's eyes narrowed at that. "Why are you steering the conversation back to Issei?" she asked, her tone suspicious.
"Simple," Rias said, her voice low but firm. "The Fallen Angels currently possess the White Dragon Emperor. And now, a few unauthorized agents—terrorists, to be blunt—from Grigori have infiltrated devil territory and attempted to kill someone who could be the Red Dragon Emperor."
The room fell into an uneasy silence. The weight of Rias's words settled like a storm cloud over them all. No one could deny the implications.
Koneko stood abruptly, her voice as flat as her expression. "Then I'll go. I'll observe them directly."
Without another word, she turned and walked out of the room, her presence vanishing like a shadow.
Rias sighed. "Looks like our little cat will be busy for the next few days."
She glanced at Akeno. "Please notify all her contractors. Let them know she'll be unavailable for a while."
The three remaining devils sat quietly, tension hanging in the air like a blade over their heads.
And in each of their minds, the same quiet prayer echoed.
Please… let Grigori not be involved in this.