The first sensation was warmth. A gentle, insistent heat on my eyelids, coaxing them open. I blinked, my vision swimming into focus on a ceiling that was not my own. Ornate, polished wood. A crystal chandelier.
Reality crashed back in a silent, brutal wave. The park. Raynare. The spear of light. The system. Rias.
I was in the guest room of the Old School Building. I was Issei Hyodo.
Sitting up, I took stock. The fatal wound was gone without a scar. My body felt… more. Stronger, the air itself seemed clearer, and a low, warm thrum of energy pulsed in my veins—Demonic Power. It was a constant, surreal reminder of my new nature.
I moved to the large window and drew the curtain. The sun was well above the horizon, painting the Kuoh Academy grounds in gold. Students in familiar uniforms milled about below.
*Morning. School.*
A cold, sharp dread pierced through my newfound clarity. *The parents.*
Issei's memories surfaced with painful clarity: his mother's warm, worry-lined smile, his father's quiet, steady presence. They would have expected him home last night. After his first date. They must be frantic.
"System," I whispered, the command feeling more natural now.
The golden interface bloomed in my vision, a silent, cosmic companion.
**[ Status: Optimal ]**
**[ Demonic Energy Reservoir: Low (Stabilizing) ]**
**[ Active Quests: Integration (Progress: 45%) ]**
No guidance for this. This was a human problem, and I was on my own.
A soft knock came at the door. "Issei-kun? It's time for school." Rias's voice was calm, a steady anchor in my whirling thoughts.
"I'm awake! Come in."
She entered, already impeccable in her uniform. Her sharp, sapphire eyes scanned my face for a moment before she smiled, a knowing, gentle expression. "You're worried about your parents."
The accuracy was unnerving. "How could I not be?"
"A reasonable concern. But an unnecessary one," she reassured me, gliding further into the room. "I handled it last night. A simple spell on a phone call. From their perspective, you called them. You told them you'd won a spot in an exclusive, overnight study session with a prestigious school club and apologized for the short notice."
The sheer, casual power of the act left me speechless. She had rewritten a fragment of reality to maintain my cover. It was a stark lesson in the capabilities of the beings I now walked among.
"Thank you, President," I said, the words laden with a genuine gratitude that went beyond politeness. She had solved a problem I hadn't even known how to approach.
"It is my duty," she stated simply. "Your uniform is there. Get dressed. We will go to class together."
---
The school day was a lesson in surreal social dynamics. Walking the halls flanked by Rias Gremory and Akeno Himejima was like being a single, very plain goldfish swimming between two majestic, attention-drawing koi. The whispers were a constant soundtrack.
"Is that Issei Hyodo? With the President?"
"What's a guy like him doing with them?"
The old Issei would have reveled in it. I found it analytically useful but draining. It marked me, set me apart, and in a world with Fallen Angels, that was both a shield and a target. I kept my head down, navigated the classes using Issei's memories, and observed everything.
When the final bell chimed, it felt like a release. The main event was about to begin.
"Come, Issei," Rias said, appearing at my classroom door as if summoned by the bell itself. "It's time you met your new family properly."
We walked back to the Old School Building, its imposing facade now feeling like a bastion. Akeno joined us, her smile serene. "Did you enjoy your first day as a Devil, Issei-kun?"
"It was… informative," I replied, which earned a melodic, slightly teasing laugh from her.
The main clubroom was even more impressive in person. The scent of old books, polished wood, and Akeno's tea created a unique, comforting atmosphere.
Two others were waiting.
A tall, impossibly handsome blonde boy stood by the window, meticulously polishing the hilt of a sword. He turned, and his smile was like something from a magazine. "So, you are the new Pawn. I am Yuuto Kiba. A pleasure to meet you, Issei."
"Likewise, Kiba-senpai," I said, offering a respectful nod. Issei's memories supplied a flicker of instinctual insecurity, but I easily suppressed it. This was a potential ally, not a rival.
On a large sofa, a small, silver-haired girl was methodically working her way through a jumbo bag of shrimp chips. She looked up, her large, amethyst eyes utterly devoid of emotion.
"This is Koneko Toujou," Rias introduced. "Our Rook."
"Hello, Koneko-senpai," I greeted.
She stared, unblinking, for a long moment. Then, she delivered her verdict with devastating bluntness. "You're different. Not as perverted as the rumors said."
Akeno stifled a laugh behind her hand. Kiba coughed politely. Rias simply watched my reaction, her expression unreadable.
It was a direct challenge to my cover. I met her gaze evenly. "A near-death experience tends to recalibrate your priorities," I said, which was the most truthful deflection I could manage.
Koneko considered this, then gave a soft, non-committal "Fuu," before returning to her chips. The assessment was complete.
"Now," Rias began, taking her throne-like seat. "Your training begins. Your potential is immense, Issei. But it is raw and undisciplined. We start with the fundamentals: control."
As she spoke, the system interface glowed brightly.
**[ New Quest: 'The King's Tutelage' ]**
**Objective:** Learn the basic principles of Demonic Energy control from Rias Gremory.
**Success Reward:** 500 Points, 'Basic Demonic Energy Control' Handbook, +5% Boosted Gear Sync.
**Failure:** Inefficient energy use, delayed power growth.
A sense of rightness settled over me. This was the path. The worrying was over; the work was beginning. I had points to earn, power to purchase, and a place in this strange, new family to secure.