For many people, death will always be seen as the end. For some, it is the end of a life full of torment, while for others, it represents the perfect and ultimate conclusion.
I expected nothing after I died from a serious kidney disease, but to my surprise, I was reincarnated in a different universe.
My memories told me in detail who I was in this new life — Akihiro Nishihara, a seventeen-year-old who had lived most of his life in America, not Japan. Six months earlier, my parents had died in a car accident when their vehicle fell off the Brooklyn Bridge, leaving me alone in this world.
However, the Japanese embassy in the United States found my mother's sister in a rural town in Japan called Kuoh and sent me here.
Yes, you read that correctly: Kuoh. No city in my life had a name similar to that except for the city where most of the events in High School DxD took place.
I took a deep breath, looked around, and realized that while all those unfamiliar streets were new, they somehow felt deeply familiar.
That feeling didn't leave me as I walked through the streets of Kuoh, dazed and overwhelmed, until I looked at a café window and felt the most familiar feeling possible.
Straight black hair down to her waist, violet eyes with a cold gleam, and a sweet smile that made even the waitress blush when she addressed her. Yuuma Amano — or rather, Raynare. There was no doubt about it. She was the Fallen Angel who served as the first villain in DxD.
And the instant that all that feeling of bewilderment about reincarnation left me upon seeing Raynare, I heard a cold voice in my mind.
[Ding! Reincarnation System Successfully Activated. Fusion determined: Zagreus.]
A translucent, bluish square materialized before my eyes. A system!
[Master: Akihiro Nishihara]
[Race: Human]
[Age: 17]
[Fusion Object: Zagreus]
[Fusion Progress: Lv.1 (0/100)]
[Equipment: None]
[Skills: Summon Stygius, Stygian Flame lv.1, Primordial Divine Vigor lv.1, Hades' Blessing lv.1]
[Fusion Points: 0]
My eyebrows shot up, because in neither of my two lives had I ever expected to get this. Furthermore... Zagreus? That was the protagonist of that famous roguelike game called Hades.
In that game, the protagonist is the son of Hades and tries to escape the Greek underworld to find his mother on the surface. His powers are varied, including a wide mastery of so many types of weapons that even Ares himself admired and blessed him, and he can also receive abilities from other gods.
I was only at level 1, but in the reflection of the display case where I had seen Raynare, I could now see my own appearance. Tall, black hair, and very handsome features with an athletic and well-groomed body.
My appearance would probably continue to change, making me more and more like Zagreus from the game as I leveled up.
Fortunately, the memories of my previous life helped ease the information overload that was new to this new me named Akihiro. I was so excited to be in the DxD universe that I entered the café and sat down near the counter.
Raynare was sitting at a table in the corner, accompanied by a boy with whom she was sharing a milkshake. Fortunately, it wasn't Issei this time.
'Does she have a habit of breaking hearts, which is why it seemed so natural when she did it to Issei?' I wondered. 'Well, she seems to be giving this boy a lot of attention, but I know she'll reject him when he confesses his feelings.'
In my past life, I was a psychology student, so I was very good at reading people's body language and facial expressions, but Raynare's mannerisms were easy to read once you understood that she was just a typical sociopath.
At that moment, a new message appeared on the screen.
[Ding! The system proposes the mission "Snack Time!"]
1 - Ignore Raynare and walk away. (Reward: 1 Fusion Point)
2 - Go to Raynare's partner and tell them everything you know about her. (Reward: 5 Fusion Points)
3 - Go to Raynare and confess your love for her. (Reward: 60 Fusion Points)
As I read through the options that the system presented to me, I saw that there wasn't much to think about. In a world as dangerous as High School DxD, ignoring an opportunity to increase my power would be nothing short of suicide. Besides, it was obvious that the 60-point reward was the most advantageous choice because it meant more than half the way to the next level.
I stood up, straightening my posture. I was confident. My memories of Raynare almost made me hesitate, but something inside me — perhaps the influence of Zagreus' personality — made me feel invincible.
I quickly crossed the café and stopped in front of the corner table where the young couple was sitting.
Raynare looked up when I stopped next to her table. Her violet eyes narrowed, analyzing me with the same sweet smile that I knew hid nefarious intentions.
"Excuse me," I began, completely ignoring the boy next to her.
He looked confused and a little annoyed by my interruption. Perfect.
"I know this may seem abrupt, but... I just couldn't ignore the fact that my heart has been racing since I saw you through that window. Not for a second did I doubt that what I felt then and still feel now is love at first sight."
[Ding! The Master chose option 3! Reward: 60 fusion points]
The boy next to her was in shock for a moment before standing up and slamming his hands on the table, clearly annoyed.
"Hey, who do you think you are?!" He tried to sound threatening, but he was sweating because even standing up he had to raise his head to look at me.
"Ah, you're her date, aren't you?" I replied in a completely disinterested tone, as if he had no relevance to the situation. 'Does he answer for you?' I asked Raynare.
She laughed. A low, almost musical laugh that reminded me that despite her villainous personality, she was still sweet.
"No, definitely not."
"Hey, what are you talking about? We're on a date, aren't we?"
Raynare sighed dramatically, rolling her eyes. "Oh, please, do I really need to explain this?" She turned to him. "You know, it's been fun talking to you these past two days, but... you only talk about yourself and your kendo club. I'm not interested anymore."
The boy was stunned, his mouth opening and closing as if searching for words to say, but nothing came out. He seemed unable to process what was happening.
"Right now, I'm much more interested in getting to know this boy who had the courage to be direct." Raynare stood up, smoothing her skirt elegantly.
When she left the table, she offered me her arm, and I took it with my right arm.
The boy couldn't believe what he was seeing, and with tears in his eyes, his knees gave way, causing him to sit down at the table and lean forward.
As soon as we left the café, Raynare looked at me and asked,
"What's your name?"
"Akihiro Nishihara, and yours?"
"Yuuma Amano."
Thus began my life in the fantastic world of DxD and also my relationship with the cunning Yuuma Amano.