Chapter One: New Life, new goal
Branched World: Possibility of Everything
End branch of a timeline of the world: Highschool DxD
Location: Kuoh Park.
~
Letter
To: Kyo Kagayaki,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been awarded a scholarship to attend the esteemed, newly established co-educational program at Kuoh Academy.
Furthermore, your banking arrangements and accommodation have been finalized.
Links:
[Scholarship Banking Portal]
https://thisisnotafraud.com/UTF_?479_bank_login_19201
[Room Accommodation Access]
https://getrent.com/?accomodation_number_99845
Upon successful account registration, funding will be automatically disbursed for the purpose of covering accommodation, apparel, and sustenance expenses.
Kindly consult the Student Council, as your belongings and documentation have been processed.
We appreciate your cooperation.
~
"...."
Reading the short formal letter out loud, gripping the papers tightly, he let out a sigh.
Slowly, his hands then reached for his hair, ruffling it to the back.
It was a male, with long raven hair tied into a short ponytail. From his young features alone, his age was about fifteen or so.
A sigh escaped his lips as his arms dangled over his legs with a half-bothered expression.
Slowly, he glanced over his luggage that was just enough for him to fit his clothing.
Though clothing might be over the top, considering he had only the uniform and one extra pair of clothes and trousers left.
~
[NotAFraud Bank Application]
[Good evening user]
[Account name]:
- Kyo Kagayaki
[Balance]:
$ 15,720,820.00
[Transfer] [Inquiry] [Bills]
~
The boy named Kagayaki Kyo, flicked the screen of his clunky, early-2000s-model phone and let out another sigh.
"Fifteen million dollars, huh... And all because I aced that stupid entrance exam."
"I was aiming for bare minimum, but I guess rich people like to over-reward their golden pets."
Reincarnated supreme,
Kyo Kagayaki.
Or at the very least, that wasn't his name until now. But like every reincarnation story goes, suddenly he woke up here.
Well, Tokyo mainland to be precise.
He had once been sixteen, a boy whose life ended in a hospital bed due to a terminal illness in his blood since birth.
And then, he opened his eyes here.
Not reborn as a child, nor forced to start from infancy. He had simply awakened in this body, already fifteen years old,
Which was only a month ago, and just in time, apparently, to sit for the national (high-school) entrance exam.
But, he was least concerned about that.
Now that the memories of that previous life were fully catching up to him.
"The naming choice... Kagayaki..."
Though obviously not Japanese, he instinctively understood what the word meant.
But why specifically Japanese? His lips twitched. But the most bizarre of them would be...
"A world filled with several mythical beings, huh? That's more headache than I asked for."
"I've played Shangri La in my former world, but certainly, I didn't expect to be reincarnated with the Seven Colossi powers."
Now that he thought about it, he did make such a wish, due to the fact that he hadn't been able to accomplish anything.
However, wasn't the wish...
[I wish I could have encountered all seven Colossi even just once.]
Kyo pressed his palms over his face, then dragged them down with an audible groan.
"You know what... forget it. Let's pay up..."
~
[NotAFraud Bank Application]
- Kyo Kagayaki
[Bills]:
☆ Linking to #link.
Redirecting...
~
It was a moderate apartment: one parlor, with a side kitchen and dining area, one room, and one bathroom.
Perfect for someone like him who loved things small and cozy. He could have opted for a bigger house, but that wasn't his goal.
To live for myself in this world!
Yes. This was his goal, especially when he had powers like this... why not live for himself?
Or so was his thought process. And now, checking his balance...
~
[NotAFraud Bank Application]
[Good evening user]
[Account name]:
- Kyo Kagayaki
[Balance]:
$ 15,720,270.00
[Monthly rent subscription activated]:
- $550/per Month.
~
Though he had more than enough there for sustenance, still, Kyo tapped his chin thoughtfully.
"...Maybe I should get a part-time job. Earn enough to coast for a lifetime too."
Kyo giggled happily.
Ruffling his black trousers, he grabbed the luggage by the handle, following the instructions.
Rather, receipts and details of the apartment's location and others to his email, which he easily accessed.
It was time to finally live the life he's been waiting for. The skies were already dark, and night was fast approaching.
A quick glance at his phone screen read:
7:10 p.m.
"It's already that late already...?"
LOCATION: KYO's APARTMENT~
The site's photos hadn't lied. A modest, well-kept building. Exactly his kind of place.
Comfy enough!
It also had other amenities; no wonder it's been priced that much.
Since he was the type that loved minimalism, his funding would last a long time.
"Good parlor with four seats around a Tele-V. Nice table furnishings and a sweet side kitchen."
Eventually, past the kitchen, to the small hallway, with two doors positioned at the right and left sides of the narrow hallway.
The first door led to the room, hence, Kyo held off for now.
Setting the luggage aside, Kyo stepped over to the bathroom, and also,
"Not bad~"
He muttered at the sight of it.
It was neither luxurious nor shabby, just clean tiles, a decent sink, and a shower that looked functional enough.
Good water pressure would be the true test, but that could wait.
Without lingering, he skipped back down the hall and slid open the bedroom door.
The frame creaked in protest. His hand brushed along the wall until his fingers found the switch.
Click!
"Ooh~ not half bad."
True to the modesty,
It had a bed in the middle, tucked to the end; besides that, the window displayed half the other side of Kuoh that led into a deep mountain range.
A table tucked to the side with a chair, bookshelves, and wooden constructs there to hold shoes.
Finally, a cupboard by the adjacent wall, facing the bed.
"Haha!"
Forgetting his worries, Kyo let out a sudden laugh, beaming as he flung his luggage aside.
He jumped onto the bed like a child at a sleepover.
"Haha~ smells nice..."
he mumbled into the sheets, inhaling the faint scent of fresh linen.
"I could just forget myself here like this~"
However, he propped up from the bed, sitting down, cross-legged.
Reality struck.
Growl~
"Ugh... right. Now that I think of it, I also need food, clothes, and bathing stuff. Can't live on good vibes alone."
Kyo opened his bank app with a backdrop of white and sighed. Well, good news, though,
Since the conversion rate between the two currencies at this point in time was about 1:100...
He felt his fortune would stretch for a long while
Leaning back, Kyo tilted his head toward the open window. A cool breeze slipped in, carrying the crisp scent of mountain air.
"It's night, but I also have to report to school tomorrow."
The thought deflated him for a moment. Then, with another sigh, he hopped off the bed and stretched.
He'd settle that quickly tonight.
Fortunately, the nearest grocery store he'd seen when making his way to his new residence was about seven minutes away.
It was down the corner of the street that then led to the main side of Kuoh with its expressway and plaza.
OUTSIDE~
At least, the night trip was worth it with the night view of a suburb.
Though Kuoh was relatively small, there were lightings around that displayed streets and beautiful roads.
And even people still moved about in some areas.
"Life here might not be so bad."
Kyo mused, swinging his two white shopping bags as he strolled down the street.
Maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't even need to use his powers. But...
That thought lasted all of ten seconds.
Dun!
Something washed over him.
It was as if he'd passed a thin veil, a thin piece of clothing. Rather, it was similar to plunging one's face deep into a spider web.
His steps stopped.
"What?"
The street went silent.
"No way...."
Confused, Kyo looked around, left, right, front, back, repeatedly several times like a lost lamb, when—
Tsun!
A flash, silent, yet oddly loud, staked the air, wrapping airflow around it as it aimed at Kyo.
"Eh?"
His ears twitched, picking up the silent hum as it closed in on him, and as it did,
[Activate]
[The evil inside you levels up]
[May the Colossus be with you]
«Lycagon!»
[The hyper-awareness of a wolf is now on your side!]
Muffled words that he couldn't make out resounded in his head. All that he knew was that... the world went extremely slow.
Sounds were blocked out. Rather, the sounds were narrowed down to the cutting of the air.
His nose prickled, as the scent of burning oxygen filled his nose.
And then,
He turned.
Eyes wide to see what seemed to be a spear, already in front of him. It was colored gold as it neared.
"E—"
His words were left in a trail, as his body instinctively jumped at least seven meters in the air.
Kyo's feet landed back onto the ground, with two legs and his hands on the ground like a cat.
"Eh?"
Still confused, he tilted his head comically, as a question mark floated up his head.
There was no need to be surprised since he already had the details of this world being a supernatural one.
"To think I'd be attacked on my first day in this world...."
"Wait—"
"My groceries!"
Kyo's lips twitched, a sound escaping his lips as he turned back. All the ingredients...
Eggs, cabbage, carrots, toiletries, and every other thing he'd gotten spilled on the ground, rolling off the floor sadly.
His face twitched.
And then,
"Weird. You dodged it?"
A voice came from behind, with light footsteps clicking against the asphalt.
Kyo, now slightly irritated, turned his head as he slowly stood up. His shadows, now moving and slithering as he growled.
"Grrr."
«Lycagon»:
[You have encountered an opponent. Options]:
- [Darkness Body] - [Invisible Attack]
- [Hyper-awareness] - [Lethal Attack Power]
- [Clone] - [Marking]
For some reason, whatever was ringing in his head sounded much like a Kamen Rider special attack callout.
Rather, it was the female Colossi themselves calling the specials out?
Regardless, he ignored that as the woman, whose voice resounded a moment ago, slowly came to light illuminated by the streetlamp.
"Weird. A rat like you wasn't noted in Kuoh before. Who are you?"
It was truly a woman.
Tall and buxom with brown eyes and long, navy blue hair that obscured her right eye.
She wore a maroon, trenchcoat-like top with a wide collar, a matching miniskirt, and black heeled shoes.
The trenchcoat top was open at her chest, giving view to her breasts and cleavage with a gold necklace around her neck.
"Wha!?"
Kyo's face flushed for a moment. Virgin much? Certified, but the woman in front of him...
Extra thanks to [Hyper-awareness] for allowing him to see all the shapes and curves in its full glory.
"Hm?"
"Filthy!"
She muttered that with a slightly disgusted expression, hands up, and another spear of light.
"That's..."
'Crap. How to use this...'
Kyo winced, remembering the words in his head. Apparently, if he willed himself enough,
«Lycagon»:
[Darkness Body activated]
"Huh?"
The woman blinked, taken aback.
She saw the spear pass through his body. It struck, but the hole was made there, repairing itself as though it were dispersed smoke.
"What?"
Surprised, Kyo in the meantime clenched his fists. Now that he thought about it, his body had always felt light...
More than light.
Fwuh–!
A fist was struck forth, and wham! It struck against something. Unperceivable at first, but then—
"Gah!"
It was the woman, her body curved in a C shape, and in the corner of her eyes, she saw those red eyes.
Crouching, his fist deep into her stomach, then came the words.
"I won't go easy on you just because you're a woman. If you disturb my peaceful life, then you're my enemy."
His expression was dead serious.
Those words were completed as she was then launched forward, body slamming against the asphalt.
Bruises appeared on her body as she skidded against the stony floors.
«Lycagon»:
[Invisible Strike]
[Lethal Attack Power]
[Homerun]
Kyo stood there, fist balled, before he then snapped back too. His red eyes dimmed.
"Crap, I hit a little bit too hard."
Kyo ran towards the woman who now lay passed out on the ground.
He crouched beside her, with his right index finger, poking her cheeks.
"She's completely gone...."
He muttered. And just as he did, his lips twitched. He looked up. That shadow blanket was unraveling.
"... magic?"
"Scratch that... I gatz to go."
Kyo then stood upright, slightly glancing at the woman for a moment.
Perhaps, pondering on what he just did, but, in the end, he shook his head before he ran towards his groceries.
Seeing as he couldn't start picking them off the road, he tried something.
"Let's stuff them up."
Opening his shadows, stuffing them inside, hoping it would hold, he did so before dashing off.