The walk to the school courtyard felt slightly different now. Every shadow seemed to resonate with me. I had to consciously resist the urge to reach out with my newfound abilities, to test the limits of what I could do.
*Stay calm. Act normal. You're still just Motohama to them.*
"Yo, Motohama!" Issei's voice cut through my internal monologue. I looked up to see him jogging over with that familiar perverted grin, Matsuda trailing behind with his usual lecherous expression. "Where were you at lunch? We had prime scouting opportunities near the gym!"
Right. The perverted trio routine. I forced myself to slip back into the role, even though every fiber of my being cringed at what I was about to say.
"Sorry guys, had a headache," I replied, adjusting my glasses. "But I'm feeling much better now. What did I miss?"
Matsuda's eyes lit up behind his own thick frames. "Dude, you missed Kiryuu-san doing stretches! I swear her measurements have increased by at least two centimeters since last month!"
*God, kill me now. Actually, wait—you already did that once.*
The irony of my situation wasn't lost on me. Here I was, possessing abilities that could potentially rival high-class devils, and I had to pretend to care about breast measurements and panty colors. But it was necessary. This reputation, as embarrassing as it was, provided the perfect cover.
"Really? Two whole centimeters?" I feigned excitement, hating every word that came out of my mouth. "Did you get photographic evidence for scientific analysis?"
"Of course!" Matsuda pulled out his phone with the enthusiasm of a researcher presenting groundbreaking data. "Look at this angle comparison I took last week versus today—"
"Matsuda, you're a genius!" Issei interrupted, leaning in to examine the photos with the intensity of someone studying quantum physics.
As they babbled about their perverted observations, my mind wandered to more pressing concerns. The system's warning about my shikigami being visible still worried me. In the original timeline, things were about to get very dangerous very quickly. Fallen angels would soon target Issei, Rias would reincarnate him as a devil, and the supernatural world would explode into his life.
But what about me? I wasn't supposed to be here. My presence was already changing things, even if in small ways. Would the fallen angels notice? Would Rias's devil instincts pick up on the fact that something was different about one of Issei's friends?
*I need to be careful. Observe. Learn. And definitely test these powers when I'm alone.*
"—don't you think, Motohama?"
I snapped back to attention to find both Issei and Matsuda staring at me expectantly.
"Uh, absolutely," I replied, hoping that was the right response to whatever perverted nonsense they'd been discussing.
Issei raised an eyebrow. "You sure you're feeling okay? You seem distracted today."
*Damn. I need to do better.*
"Just thinking about the perfect formula for calculating optimal proportions," I said, falling back on Motohama's signature obsession. "I think I'm close to a breakthrough."
That got their attention. For the next ten minutes, I managed to engage in the most intellectually painful conversation of both my lives, discussing mathematical approaches to evaluating feminine attributes. But it worked—they bought it completely, and their suspicions faded.
The rest of the school day passed in a blur of maintaining my cover while internally cataloging everything I knew about the upcoming events. Raynare would approach Issei soon. The Sacred Gear in his left hand would awaken. Rias would save him, but not before he died once.
And through it all, I'd have to pretend to be a perverted side character while secretly harboring powers that could summon creatures from shadow itself.
---
The apartment felt eerily quiet when I finally made it home. Mom's business trip had left me alone for the week—a blessing I'd never appreciated more. The divorce had been finalized two years ago in Motohama's memories, leaving just him and his mother in this modest two-bedroom place near the school.
I dumped my bag by the door and immediately headed for my room, my heart racing with anticipation. Finally, I could test what I'd gained.
Standing in the center of the small space, I took a deep breath and reached out with my new instincts. The shadows in the corners of the room responded instantly, rippling like water disturbed by an unseen stone.
*Incredible.*
I held out my hand, focusing on the simplest technique I could remember from the flood of knowledge. A small rabbit-like shadow began to form in my palm, taking shape from the darkness itself. But as it solidified, I realized the system's warning was absolutely accurate—this wasn't a translucent cursed spirit. This was a solid, physical creature that anyone could see and touch.
The shadow rabbit looked up at me with glowing white eyes, its form perfectly stable and undeniably real. I reached out tentatively and felt solid shadow-flesh beneath my fingers.
"This is going to be a problem," I muttered, dismissing the rabbit back to wherever it came from.
If I summoned Divine Dogs during a fight, there would be no hiding what I could do. The Devils in the area would want answers I couldn't give. The Gremory family, the Sitri family, they'd take notice of someone who could manifest shadow creatures out of nowhere.
I spent the next hour experimenting carefully, learning to extend my senses through shadows, to step partially into them for concealment, to manipulate darkness in subtle ways that wouldn't immediately scream "new supernatural individual in town." The shadow manipulation itself was incredibly versatile—I could hide objects, create temporary weapons from solidified darkness, even use shadows as a form of limited teleportation within the same room.
But the shikigami were the real power, and they were also the biggest risk.
*I need a story. An explanation for where these abilities came from that won't immediately make me a target.*
As I practiced, my mind raced through possibilities.
The sound of footsteps in the hallway outside made me freeze. It was past eight PM—who would be walking around the apartment building this late?
I moved to the window and carefully peered through the blinds. The courtyard below was mostly empty, lit by scattered streetlamps that created pools of light and shadow. At first, I saw nothing unusual.
Then I spotted her.
A petite figure in the Kuoh Academy uniform stood in the shadow of a large tree, perfectly still and clearly watching my building. Even from this distance and in the dim light, I could make out the distinctive short white hair and small stature.
Koneko Toujou. Rias Gremory's rook. A nekomata with enhanced senses and strength that could crush concrete with her bare hands.
*Shit.*
My blood ran cold as the implications hit me. She was here, watching me, which meant the devils had already noticed something. But what? I'd been so careful, hadn't used any major abilities at school, hadn't done anything that should have triggered their supernatural senses.
Unless...
The system. The pill. The moment I'd integrated those abilities, I'd fundamentally changed on a level that supernatural beings might be able to detect. Devils had keen instincts for sensing power, and Koneko in particular was known for her ability to detect lies and unusual auras.
I stepped back from the window, my mind racing. How long had she been watching? What had she seen? More importantly, what was I supposed to do about it?
Running would only confirm their suspicions. Confronting her would be suicide—she could snap me in half without breaking a sweat. But ignoring it wasn't an option either. If they were already suspicious, they'd keep watching until they found out what they wanted to know.
I needed a plan, and I needed it fast. Because if Koneko Toujou was watching me, it meant I was already on Rias Gremory's radar.
And in the world of High School DxD, that could be either the best thing that ever happened to me, or the last mistake I'd ever make.
*Welcome to the supernatural world, I guess. Time to see if I can survive it.*