Chapter 1: The Strategist's New Game
Being a college student in my world was simple. Classes, instant ramen, and binge-watching High School DxD whenever my parents were out. I knew the lore by heart. I knew the girls, the Factions, and the powers. I was a fan, a fellow man of culture, and—as it turns out—a victim of the most overused trope in history.
Truck-kun didn't miss.
When the blackness faded, I wasn't in a golden palace. I was staring at a cracked mirror in a messy bedroom. I wasn't the handsome protagonist. I wasn't a charming villain.
I was Motohama.
The buzz-cut, the glasses, the sleazy "strategist" of the pervert trio. I slapped my face hard, the sting grounding me in reality.
"Out of all the people... Motohama? Really?" I groaned, adjusting my glasses. But then, a thought struck me. I was in a world of gods and devils. If I played it safe, if I just stayed a side character, I could survive. No heroics. No plot. Just me, the background guy watching the show live.
The First Day
Walking through the gates of Kuoh Academy felt surreal. It was exactly like the screen, but more vibrant. I spotted him immediately.
Issei Hyoudou.
The Red Dragon Emperor. The guy we all envied back home. He was exactly as loud and energetic as the anime portrayed. I walked up to him, putting on the mask of the original Motohama.
"Yo, Ise! Ready for another day of 'scouting' the Kendo club?" I asked, forcing a sleazy, familiar grin.
"You bet, Motohama!" Issei cheered, punching the air.
As we walked, Issei was in full "pervert mode," talking about boobs and fantasies. Internally, I was sighing. Classic Issei behavior. I played along perfectly, throwing in "data" about the girls' measurements like the real strategist would.
Suddenly, Issei stopped, looking sheepish. "Hey guys... I actually got a girlfriend."
My "outward" reaction was perfect. I jaw-dropped and shook his shoulders. "NO WAY! You lucky bastard! Who? How?!"
Internally? I was shouting: 'She's a Fallen Angel, bro! She's literally going to gut you in the park!' But I said nothing. I had no power. I was just a human. If I interfered, Raynare would kill me too. I planned to stay out of the main plot.
As we moved through the hall, I felt a chill. I looked up at the third-floor window of the old school building.
Rias Gremory.
Our eyes locked for a split second. Most guys would have drooled. I didn't. I immediately shifted my focus and walked away, hiding behind Issei's shadow.
Up in the clubroom, Rias paused. "Akeno," she whispered, her eyes narrowed. "That boy... Motohama. He looked at me and didn't blush. He looked... afraid. He's different than usual."
The Park: Sunset
A few days later, curiosity got the better of me. I knew Issei was going on his date with "Yuuma." I knew what was coming. I told myself I just wanted to see the classic scene—the "Angel Switch." She'd look hot, the wings would come out, it would be legendary.
I hid behind a large oak tree in the park.
The scene played out like the anime. The confession, the bridge... and then the transformation. Yuuma's school outfit shimmered away into that black leather and violet wings. She looked glorious and terrifying.
SHINK!
The light spear pierced Issei. I watched, frozen. But then, Yuuma's head snapped toward my tree.
"A little voyeur?" she giggled. "Two for the price of one."
"Oh shit," I whispered. "I'm cooked."
I didn't run. I knew I couldn't outrun a Fallen Angel. I stepped out, trying to put on a brave face to protect my "friend," standing in front of the bleeding Issei. I was just a human, but I couldn't just watch him die alone.
She didn't hesitate. A second spear of light hissed through the air, punching through my chest and pinning me to the ground.
The pain was cold. So cold.
"Bro..." Issei gasped next to me. "We didn't even... get to enjoy anything... we're dying..."
"Tell me... about it..." I wheezed. 'I just got reborn. I don't know if Rias will revive me with this idiot.'
The Inner Void
My consciousness drifted. I expected to see the "Original Motohama" soul waiting to yell at me. Instead, the darkness was replaced by a massive, obsidian presence. A dragon with scales like black diamonds looked down at me.
"So," the dragon rumbled, its voice arrogant and heavy. "You came inside a new soul? Not that original hollow shell. Interesting."
"Wait... you're a dragon?" I asked mentally. "So this guy... Motohama had a dragon inside him?"
"This guy?" The dragon laughed sarcastically. "Is this your body? You look like you're going to die soon."
"Yes," I replied, matching his arrogant tone. "I'm dying anyway. Are you going to help or just watch?"
"Hmph. You're dead," the dragon stated. "But I am bored. Let us see what this soul can do."
The Transformation
As the dragon's power surged, my body on the park floor began to convulse.
The lanky, awkward frame of Motohama ripped and rebuilt itself. My heart turned into a Pure Black Dragon Core, thrumming with a heavy vibration. My oily skin cleared, becoming smooth and marble-like. My hair grew out slightly, becoming silken and dark.
But the eyes—my eyes changed the most. They became metallic, sharp, and charming, glowing with a draconic gold that pierced the darkness.
Rias Gremory, standing over us, gasped. She reached for the Pawn pieces, but when she touched my chest, she felt a cold, violent pulse that made her Gremory blood shiver.
The Awakening
I woke up in a bed the next morning. My glasses were gone, but I saw everything with perfect clarity. I looked in the mirror and didn't recognize the "Apex" version of myself staring back. I was charming, dangerous, and refined.
"Bro? We... we're alive? See?" Issei stammered from the next bed.
"Seems like it," I said, my voice now smooth and steady.
A red magic circle sparked in the center of the room. Rias Gremory stepped out, her eyes immediately locking onto me. She looked stunned by my transformation.
"You both died," she said, her voice commanding. "I gave you life. You both belong to me."