never thought I'd die to something as mundane as a bus.
One moment, I was crossing a quiet street, headphones in, mind wandering to dinner plans. The next: headlights flooding my vision, a screech of brakes, and the bone-jarring impact that tore me from this world.
When I opened my eyes, I was no longer on asphalt or pavement. Instead, I stood in an endless void — a canvas of swirling night sprinkled with drifting specks of light like distant stars. The air was cold and vast, but one presence anchored the space before me: a figure on a throne carved from obsidian, shifting forms like rippling water.
The god's eyes burned like molten gold, sharp and eternal.
"Well," the voice echoed, smooth and dispassionate, "that was anticlimactic."
I swallowed. "I died. That's what you mean?"
The god nodded slowly. "You were meant to live many more decades. But fate enjoys irony."
His form shimmered and twisted. "I am bored, so I offer you a game — three wishes. Afterward, I shall reincarnate you in a world where your potential can truly grow."
I barely hesitated. "High School DxD?"
A subtle smile touched his lips. "Precisely. But your soul is fragile, a candle flickering against the storm. I cannot hand you absolute power yet. Your first two wishes will be limited — foundations, not mastery. Your third… well, that shall be granted fully."
My heart quickened.
"First wish: the powers of Gojo Satoru — Limitless, Six Eyes, everything."
The god's gaze sharpened. "Granted… in seed form. You will have the basic Infinity barrier and heightened perception, but the rest lies locked within your soul's growth. Until you reach eighteen, you will rely on a mental grimoire I have placed inside you — a book of techniques to learn, but not wield."
I nodded, already imagining endless nights training inside my mind.
"Second wish: the powers of Vergil from Devil May Cry — Yamato, Beowulf gauntlets, Devil Trigger."
He chuckled. "Again, partial. Yamato will be yours, but its full dimensional cutting will remain unstable. Devil Trigger lies beyond your current limits. Use the grimoire to learn control."
I swallowed my impatience.
"Third wish: the Vine Clan's lightning and the Beal Clan's power of destruction."
The god's eyes flared, golden fire sparking. "Unlike the others, your third wish is granted fully. Your demonic magic surges through your veins now — low Ultimate-class power at birth. This is your foundation — volatile, powerful, and deadly if uncontrolled. Use it wisely."
A burst of energy flooded my body, warmth and crackling light mingling within me.
The god fixed me with his golden gaze again. "Listen carefully. Your first two wishes will grow stronger with age and training. By the time you reach eighteen, not only will you master their original powers, but the unique fusion of these techniques within your soul may make you stronger than either Gojo or Vergil ever were. But until then, rely on the grimoire. Study. Train. Persevere."
He snapped his fingers, and everything went black.
Pain unlike any I'd known cut through me. The scent of blood and sweat filled the air. I blinked through blurred vision and saw her — my mother.
She was beautiful, regal even in suffering, with midnight-black hair tipped in vibrant white and emerald eyes that shimmered with hope and love. She held me close, whispering my name in a fragile breath.
"Alex…" she said softly.
Then, as if the world itself betrayed us, her breath faltered. Her hands relaxed. The light in her eyes faded.
She was gone.
The silence that followed was suffocating.
A cold presence filled the room. My father stood there — tall, broad-shouldered, and every bit the imposing patriarch of the Beal Clan. His eyes, hard and unforgiving, didn't meet mine.
"She's dead because of you," he spat quietly, a bitter venom in his voice.
He turned and left without a backward glance, abandoning me to the care of a trembling midwife.
Days later, a man entered my life like a shadow born of loyalty — an old butler named Sebastian. His silver-streaked hair was neatly kept, and his eyes carried centuries of wisdom.
"Your grandfather sends his regards," Sebastian said softly, cradling me gently. "Lord Veyron Vine will protect you. You are not alone."
I was carried to a sprawling estate hidden from prying eyes — the ancient home of the Vine Clan, waiting to be reborn.
My grandfather, Lord Veyron Vine, was a man whose presence filled a room without effort. Unlike my father, his gaze was warm, filled with pride and love. He spoiled me openly, surrounding me with rare artifacts, knowledgeable tutors, and unconditional affection.
"You carry the blood of storms and destruction," he told me on my fifth birthday, his large hand steady on my shoulder. "You have the power to awaken both the lightning of the Vine and the ruin of the Beal. Few can claim such a legacy."
He reached into a velvet box and pulled out a pendant engraved with a twisted vine crackling with tiny bolts of lightning.
"Wear this. It is your birthright and your burden."
At eight, my path crossed with a boy named Sairaorg Bael.
The noble party was a stifling display of wealth and deceit, but I noticed him standing apart, his gaze sharp beneath unruly dark hair.
Our eyes met, and without a word, we found ourselves in the dueling courtyard.
"You fight?" he challenged.
I smirked. "Try me."
Our duel was fierce but brief — my nascent lightning crackling against his brute strength. Neither won, but when we shook hands, I knew a rivalry and friendship had been born.
Sairaorg became my closest ally — a brother forged through sweat and determination.
Night after night, I retreated to the grimoire within my mind — a vast library filled with blueprints of Gojo's cursed techniques and Vergil's swordplay. Though I could not yet wield them fully, I absorbed their secrets, preparing for the day my soul would catch up to my power.
I am not just a child born from tragedy.
I am Lucian Vine Beal — heir to a legacy of storm and destruction.
And the storm within me is waiting to break free.
Eighteen years.
That is how long I have to prepare.
Because once I reach my peak, the world of devils will know my name.