I wasn't sure how long I floated in nothingness. There was no ground beneath my feet, no walls, no ceiling, no sound. Just me—and a presence. Immense. Silent. White. Featureless. Humanoid. Impossible.
"Hello?" I said aloud, though it felt pointless. "Is anyone there?"
The presence responded—not through sound, but directly inside my head. Calm. Vast. Immense. "You are… present. Good."
"Uh… where am I? What's happening?" I asked, trying to get my bearings. My hands passed through empty space. My feet met nothing. "And who… or what… are you?"
The being—if you could call it that—seemed to tilt, or at least suggest a tilt. "I am… facilitator. Not your god. Not your master. Merely… an entity capable of intervention."
I frowned. "Right. Helpful. Totally reassuring.
"You have… ceased to exist."
I blinked. "…Excuse me?"
"You were terminated. Accidentally."
"…Accidentally?"
"Yes. I was attempting to eliminate a pest. A mosquito. In the process, you were struck by lightning. Collateral damage. Truly regrettable. My apologies."
I froze, "Wait… so I… got killed by a god because of a mosquito?"
"Yes."
I stared at the void. "…Of course."
There was a pause. Then the being continued, patiently. "I may reincarnate you, if you wish. Into another world. One that resembles the universe known as High School DxD. A timeline slightly adjusted from your previous knowledge: a single mother, Mrs. Hyoudou, gives birth to Issei first, about 3 years before his original time. Tragically, he will die along with Mr. Hyoudou in a car crash. You… will be born at the same time as Issei's canon birth, as her second child, naturally integrating into the altered sequence of events. You will live as a normal child of your single mother, in this world."
I took a deep breath, letting it sink in. My mind raced, cataloging everything I remembered about the DxD universe—characters, plots, lore, and countless fan theories. And yet… all of that would be irrelevant. Here, my life would start clean. Canon Issei doesn't exist and he's already passed away in this timeline… I'll be born in his place… this is my reset. I processed it.
I considered the options. And then it hit me—why not push it further? There was no reason to keep any previous memories if I could gain more than just a do-over. I remembered Black Summoner, and how the protagonist exchanged past knowledge for power. Could I…?
"…If I… gave up my memories, everything I know from my past life, could I gain abilities in exchange?" I asked aloud in the void.
The entity's pulse brightened, almost imperceptibly. "Yes. That is possible. The exchange is yours to make, I will provide you with three requests."
I smiled. "Good. I'll do it. All of it—every memory of my old world, every story, every anime, LN, manga… gone. And in return, I want to pick abilities I can grow into. I want to start strong, not just lucky."
A pulse thrummed inside my chest. Alive. A conscious presence stirred.
"Very well," the entity said. "State your desired abilities."
Before making my choices I ask, "Since I'm being born in the canon time as Issei, am I correct in assuming that I'll also be this world's possessor of the boosted gear?"
"You assume correctly…"
"Alright… my first request: I want the Boosted Gear to be fused with the core abilities of a symbiote—regeneration, passive physical enhancements, heightened senses like spider sense, 360-degree vision, and the ability to form weapons or tendrils from Ddraig's mana, but without the weaknesses to sound and fire. Ddraig should act as its consciousness—my own 'Venom,' so to speak."
"Accepted. However, you and Ddraig will have to learn how to create tendrils and weapons yourselves in exchange for removing symbiote's weaknesses." the entity replied.
"That's fine… Next," I said, "I want the ability to create shadow clones like Naruto. If I remember correctly there are characters in this world who use a power just like chakra so this is fitting right?"
"Accepted, it is indeed a fitting request, but you'll have to train to do this by learning this practice. Developing this and strengthening your energy pool is up to you."
"That's fine, I expected as much."
I take a short moment to think of what my final request will be.
"I've decided!" I declare, "For my final request I want to be able to preemptively select my own peerage from characters I know from novels and anime. I'd also like to be able to have a peerage representative of the entirety of a chess board, meaning double the members of a typical peerage."
The figure nodded and then said, "Your requests are acceptable, when you become a high class devil and obtain evil pieces you will gain two peerages worth, and your chosen people will be summoned into their roles."
"Thank you" I replied.
"Now I wish you good luck, I shall erase your memories and reincarnate you."
I nodded. My mind settled. The choices were made. My past life—every memory of it—would be erased. But the power I'd chosen was mine to grow into.
Then the void dissolved. Warmth, light, pressure. My lungs filled for the first time. The world was loud, bright, overwhelming. I felt myself pushed through a tunnel of pain, pressure, sound, and motion… the world trying to eject me into life.
And then: stillness.
I gasped. My body was tiny, wet, screaming, fragile—but my mind was fully formed. Fully aware. Already analyzing, already planning, already conscious of power thrumming inside me.
A voice came, trembling with love and relief. "…You're here… you're finally here!"
Warm hands lifted me. The smells of blood, antiseptic, and the faint floral scent of the room assaulted me. The pressure of her palms, the heartbeat in her chest… grounding, anchoring.
"You… so beautiful," she whispered, brushing a wet strand of hair from my face. "My baby… my little one…"
I wriggled instinctively. My tiny arms and legs flailed. Every movement sent new sensations through me, every nerve alive and alert.
"You need a name," she said softly, rocking me against her chest. "Someone strong… brave… someone who will endure…"
Her voice trembled as she held me close. "I will call you… Napoleon, Napoleon Sakura Hyoudou."
Even as a newborn, Napoleon fit. Weight, strength, identity—promise.
I wriggled again, testing muscles far stronger than a normal infant's. Ddraig purred from inside my chest, amused.
Interesting… even as a newborn, the pulse of power is… promising.
I exhaled tiny, sharp breaths. My life had begun, absurdly, ridiculously—smote by a god chasing a mosquito, reincarnated into a slightly-altered DxD timeline, fully conscious as a newborn, with powers beyond human limits.
And yet… warm in my mother's arms, the world smelled real, solid, and safe. I had a name. I had power. And a future, untold, lay waiting before me.