The sun had just risen over the sky of Kuoh when Daniel left the house with a relaxed step, his backpack slung over his shoulder and his mind still reviewing the previous day's routine.
Everything had started well at the high school, and Alya's presence had been a pleasant—though surprising—coincidence.
But that day... something was different.
The morning breeze carried a strange electricity that made his skin prickle, as if the atmosphere vibrated with a contained energy.
As he turned a corner in a less-traveled part of the neighborhood, he came upon an unexpected scene.
In front of him, standing side by side in the middle of the sidewalk, were two girls with an imposing appearance.
Both were athletically built, yet slender, with harmonious and elegant figures.
Their hair was black with bluish highlights, long and shiny, moving softly in the breeze.
Their eyes—deep blue and almond-shaped—observed him with an intensity that put him on guard instantly.
They wore modern clothes, one in a fitted sporty outfit and the other in a short jacket over a dark top and tight jeans.
Both had a latent energy around them that made Daniel tense up.
He knew what that feeling was.
It was power.
—"Daniel Hernández?" asked the one with the more direct attitude, crossing her arms with an inquisitive air.
Daniel blinked, hiding his surprise.
—"Yes, that's me. Do we know each other?"
The second girl tilted her head slightly, never losing her mysterious smile.
—"Not exactly," she said, taking a step forward. —"But... let's say we felt something interesting."
—"Something... familiar," added the first. —"Like a connection."
Daniel felt a chill down his spine.
That way of speaking, those words...
"Could it be...? Sekirei? Ashikabi...? Are they already tracking me?"
Ddraig remained silent, as if also observing cautiously.
Daniel frowned discreetly, not showing hostility, but staying alert.
—"Connection? I think you're mistaken. I'm new around here."
The girls exchanged a look, almost as if communicating without words.
—"Maybe..." said the one who seemed calmer. —"But we don't think so."
—"Could we ask you a question?" added the other, her eyes sparkling with a dangerous glint. —"Have you felt lately... as if something inside you was changing?"
Daniel didn't respond immediately. His mind ran through possibilities, but his face remained neutral.
—"I wouldn't know. We all change, don't we?"
The more serious one smiled slightly, pleased with the evasion.
—"We like you," she declared, without subtlety. —"Not like normal humans. Something about you resonates... and not with just anyone."
—"Maybe we'll see each other again," added the other, turning away gracefully. —"Very soon."
Daniel watched them walk away down the street with light steps, leaving behind a faint scent of ozone in the air... and a growing unease in his chest.
"No doubt. They are Sekirei... and they are testing me as an Ashikabi."
He walked towards the high school with a new worry swirling in his mind.
He wasn't just in the world of High School DxD...
Now, the Sekirei Plan had also come into play.
And Daniel still didn't know how many other worlds might have mixed into the destiny he was just beginning to discover.
The sky over Kuoh was clear, illuminated by a gentle sun and a breeze that caressed the roofs of traditional and modern houses alike. Through its streets, two figures walked with firm and coordinated steps, as if their stride had been rehearsed since birth.
Hibiki and Hikari, Sekirei numbers 11 and 12 respectively, moved through the town like simple tourists... but their gaze said it all.
They weren't there for leisure.
They were looking for someone.
—"Nothing yet," Hibiki sighed, stretching her arms behind her head. —"Though I can't deny the air in this place has something... different."
—"Don't deny it so much, Hibiki. You felt it just like I did," Hikari said with a calm smile. —"This place resonates. Ever since we passed through here a few days ago... it's as if something inside us had been activated."
Both Sekirei had been released from the Sekirei Plan by Takehito, one of the creators of the project, before his disappearance.
The man had granted them what few of their kind had received: freedom.
They weren't forced to seek an Ashikabi or to fight, but he left them with a choice.
"If someday you feel someone deserves to be your partner... then choose. Not by order, but by desire."
Since then, the sisters had traveled through Japan, observing, feeling, rejecting every connection that seemed forced or false.
Until they arrived in Kuoh.
—"Did you feel it just now?" Hikari asked, stopping in front of the walls of Kuoh High School.
—"Clearer than ever," Hibiki nodded, her eyes narrowed. —"He's here... that call. The bond."
The same tingling on the skin.
The same vibration in the chest.
That subtle, yet intense energy that Sekirei only felt when near their destined Ashikabi.
—"It's not a coincidence," Hikari added in a low tone. —"He's in this place."
Both passed through the gate and approached slowly, observing their surroundings calmly but with all their senses on alert.
And then they saw him.
A boy walking toward the school entrance. His uniform was neatly arranged, his gaze calm... but what truly gave him away was his presence.
An invisible heartbeat only they could hear.
—"It's him," they said in unison, their eyes fixed on Daniel Hernández.
—"He has energy. Not just physical," Hikari murmured, measuring his movements from the shadow of a tree. —"I feel... something more inside him."
—"Could he be a special Ashikabi?" Hibiki wondered, leaning her arm on the metal fence with a feline smile. —"Interesting."
—"Let's not rush," her sister replied. —"We don't want to wing ourselves to just anyone without knowing them. You know what that implies."
—"I know. But if he truly is our Ashikabi, there's nothing to fear. We just have to... observe."
Both stepped forward on the sidewalk to intercept him.
When facing him, they confirmed what their bodies already knew.
That tingling, that warmth, that attraction.
Daniel was their destiny.
But they wouldn't reveal it immediately.
—"Daniel Hernández?" Hikari asked, with an inquisitive yet coquettish gaze.
He responded calmly, but his eyes had that glint of someone who knew more than he let on.
That also caught their attention.
—"Do you think he knows?" Hibiki murmured mentally to her sister, while observing his reaction.
—"Maybe not yet... but he's smart. I saw it in his eyes. He understands everything very quickly," Hikari responded through her bond with her sister. —"We mustn't show all our cards."
After exchanging a few words and leaving him with a doubt hanging in the air, both withdrew without looking back.
But now, their plan was clear.
—"We'll watch him."
—"Yes. And if he proves worthy... if he proves to be more than just a human with power..."
—"Then we'll give him what he seeks, even if he doesn't know what it is yet."
And as the day progressed, the Twin Lightning was preparing to enter the game.
After the strange encounter with the mysterious dark-haired twins, Daniel continued his way to the high school. Despite his attempt to return to his routine, the feeling of being watched didn't fully leave him.
"Hikari and Hibiki... they were definitely Sekirei. And if they're looking for me, it's because they feel something. Ashikabi..."
He shook his head slightly and sighed.
—"One step at a time," he murmured, just as he spotted someone familiar near the school entrance.
—"Daniel!" Alya greeted with a bright smile as she approached, her blue eyes sparkling under the morning sun.
—"Oh, Alya! Good morning," he replied, smiling naturally.
—"Shall we go to the classroom?"
—"Sure, let's go."
They walked together down the hall toward their classroom, and along the way, they began talking about their hobbies.
—"Do you like to read?" Daniel asked, interested.
—"Very much. Especially Russian literature... though I also like Japanese mystery novels," Alya replied. —"How about you?"
—"Games, fantasy books... and also some history. I like to know how people in the past thought."
Alya arched an eyebrow with a curious smile.
—"Are you one of those who think knowing the past prevents repeating mistakes?"
Daniel laughed softly.
—"I'm one of those who know repeating them is inevitable... but understanding them helps."
Both shared a quiet laugh as they entered the classroom and took their seats. Like the day before, Daniel sat next to Alya, and the conversation continued until the door opened.
—"Good morning, everyone to your seats," the teacher announced as he entered, starting another day of classes.
Daniel focused attentively on the subjects, answering correctly each time he was called upon. Some students were already starting to notice him, not just because he was the new foreigner, but because of his intelligence and friendly demeanor.
However, during a quiet pause while the teacher was writing on the board, Daniel's gaze wandered, and he began to observe his surroundings carefully.
"There are many more girls than boys in this classroom... something I already expected."
He remembered perfectly that Kuoh High School had been for girls only until recently.
And if his theory was correct, the main canon of High School DxD hadn't started yet.
Sona and Rias were in their second year.
Issei... should also be a first-year, probably in another classroom.
"So I still have time. Time to train... prepare. To face whatever comes."
It was then that he heard the murmur of some girls up front, speaking with displeasure.
—"Those three again... they snuck into the girls' bathroom to peek, didn't they?"
—"How disgusting! They should be suspended."
—"They're called the 'Perverted Trio,' right?"
Alya seemed to have heard as well. She frowned and murmured something in Russian, with an expression of disgust.
Daniel tilted his head a little, intrigued.
—"What did she say?" he whispered, not addressing anyone in particular.
"She said: 'Shameless men... they're beyond help, they should be put in cages.'"
Daniel gave a little start, then looked at his right arm with an uncomfortable expression.
—"Ddraig... are you translating for me now?"
"Would you rather not know?"
"Though I must admit the girl has good judgment. Those three are already building a reputation worthy of a sect of idiots."
Daniel sighed, struggling not to laugh in the middle of class.
—"Yeah... I'm definitely in a different world. One where laughter and danger walk very close together."
Lunch arrived, and with it, a well-deserved break after the morning routine of classes.
—"Shall we go to the cafeteria today?" Alya asked as she gathered her things.
—"Yes, I forgot to prepare something this time," Daniel replied with a smile. —"And you?"
—"I brought a bento, but I like hot Japanese food. Besides, this way we can chat more."
Daniel nodded, pleased. Alya's company was becoming something natural for him.
Both walked through the halls, talking about books, movies, and some music. The cafeteria at Kuoh High was crowded, but they managed to find a table in the back by the window.
As they ate, Daniel smiled and responded attentively to what Alya was saying... but he couldn't help it. His observer's instinct—or perhaps his paranoia as an isekai'd anime fan—led him to cautiously analyze everyone present.
And that's when he noticed it.
First, a girl with short black hair and a determined expression, wearing a tracksuit.
Videl.
He recognized her immediately by her features and her energetic aura.
From Dragon Ball Z? Here? How?
Then, a girl with light gray hair, somewhat short, with a carefree attitude and a playful air as she teased a serious-looking boy.
Hana Uzaki.
No doubt.
Near one of the windows, sitting alone with a cup of tea and a book, her dark hair perfectly styled and an icy yet refined expression...
Yukinoshita Yukino.
And not far away, at a table where other girls were chatting, was Yukari Takeba, wearing the pink and white uniform of her high school, the Gekkoukan emblem barely visible on her sleeve.
—"It can't be..." Daniel whispered with a mixture of surprise, confusion, and anxiety.
Alya looked at him from her seat, raising an eyebrow.
—"Did you say something?"
—"Huh? Ah, no, just... I was remembering something," he replied with a nervous smile, trying to divert attention.
*"This is chaos... It's not just DxD. This world is an absurd mix of universes. How many more characters are going to appear? And the enemies? The enemies too!?"
Inside him, Ddraig laughed with enthusiasm.
"Now I understand why your memories were so entertaining! This world has material for glorious battles. Imagine it... facing Cell, Frieza, Majin Buu..."
—"No, no, no," Daniel murmured in a low voice, pretending as he took another bite of his food.
"And that guy Goku? I liked that fellow. He could be a decent rival for me, even in this sealed form. HAHAHA!"
—"I beg you, Ddraig, don't draw their attention," he whispered through his teeth.
Alya looked at him with a confused smile.
—"Are you okay? Are you murmuring again?"
Daniel blinked.
—"Yes, yes, just... I remembered a catchy song," he laughed nervously.
Ddraig, from within the Boosted Gear, was still vibrating with excitement.
"Though there was something else I didn't understand... that Yukari girl. You said she's from something called Persona 3. I didn't see anything about that in your memories... did you hide it?"
—"No, you just didn't go that deep," Daniel responded mentally.
"Interesting. She seemed strong... but I perceived darkness in her. Darkness... familiar. Like the kind that surrounds certain enemies that can't be destroyed with physical power."
Daniel swallowed, feeling a chill.
"Nyx? The Shadows? No. Not here. I can't handle that now."
Ddraig fell silent for a few seconds.
"...We'll talk later."
Daniel relaxed a bit, turning his attention back to Alya, who was now talking about a Russian book adapted into a manga.
But in his mind, the tension only grew.
"This world is full of opportunities... but also threats. I have to train more. Much more."