I immediately pushed myself off the bed and headed for the door.
"I'm dating Koneko," I said firmly, not looking back. "This isn't right."
My hand was inches from the doorknob when my body locked up completely.
I couldn't move. Couldn't even twitch my fingers. Every muscle in my body was frozen in place, like I'd been turned to stone mid-step.
"Touya..."
Akeno's voice came from behind me, soft and trembling. I heard her footsteps cross the room. Then her arms wrapped around my chest from behind, and she pressed her cheek against my back.
I wanted to push her away. I wanted to leave. But I couldn't move an inch.
"My name is Alex."
"Your name is Touya," she whispered. "You're my little brother. You were taken from me. They said you died, but you didn't. You're here. You're alive."
I felt the warmth of her body against my back, her arms tightening around me. Then her lips brushed against my ear, her breath warm.
"Please... just listen. Just for a moment."
A strange warmth spread through my chest. Not physical—something deeper. Something that made my vision blur at the edges.
"I know you don't remember," Akeno continued, her voice barely above a whisper. "But I remember everything, Touya. Every single day we spent together."
The warmth intensified. I could feel her magic working, trying to unlock something inside me. Trying to make those fuzzy background memories feel real.
"You used to hold my hand and tell me about your day. You'd draw pictures for me. You said I was your favorite person in the whole world."
The images came faster... like it was forcefully bringing up the memories the system told me through akeno projecting it.
"I promised I'd protect you. I failed. I couldn't save you, and I've hated myself for it every single day since."
Her voice cracked. I felt tears dampen the back of my shirt.
"But you're here now. You came back to me. And I swear, Touya... I swear I'll never let anyone take you away again."
The warmth in my chest suddenly vanished. The magical hold on my body dissipated like smoke in the wind.
I stumbled forward, catching myself against the doorframe. I turned around to face her.
"Akeno..."
She looked up at me, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her eyes were wide and desperate.
"Please," she whispered. "Please just remember. Remember who you really are."
I opened my mouth to respond—
"Akeno."
Rias's voice cut through the room like a blade.
She stood in the doorway, her blue eyes fixed on her queen with an expression I'd never seen on her face before. Disappointment. And something else—something almost like unease.
Rias walked past me and gently took Akeno's hands in hers, pulling them away from me. She held them firmly, her gaze unwavering.
"We need to talk," Rias said quietly. "Now."
Akeno stared at her friend for a long moment. Her expression flickered—desperation, hurt, defiance. Then, slowly, it settled into something more controlled. More composed.
"...Very well, Buchou."
She looked at me one last time. Her eyes held so much longing it made my chest ache.
Then she vanished in a flash of purple light.
The room fell silent.
Rias released a slow breath and turned to face me fully. She bowed her head slightly, her long red hair falling forward.
"I apologize for how my friend was acting."
I let out a shaky breath, my hand still gripping the doorframe. My heart was pounding, but slowly, the adrenaline began to fade.
"Thank you," I said, my voice rough. "I... I appreciate you stepping in."
Rias straightened, offering me a small, tired smile. "It was the least I could do. Akeno is dear to me, but what she was doing was... unacceptable."
I nodded, running a hand through my hair. "Is she... are you a friend of hers? Of Koneko's, I mean?"
Rias's smile widened. "I am."
I nodded again, processing that. "So she told you about me? Koneko, I mean."
"She mentioned she had a boyfriend. I didn't expect... well." Rias's expression grew more serious.
"Has she told you about the supernatural society?"
I hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "She explained some things."
"Then you understand that Akeno's behavior, while extreme, comes from a place of deep pain." Rias's blue eyes searched my face. "Alex... do you remember her at all? Anything from before?"
I met her gaze steadily. "No. I don't remember anything."
"I see," she said softly. Then she straightened, composing herself. "I apologize once again for Akeno's behavior. I'll speak with her. This won't happen again."
She gave me a graceful nod, then turned and walked out of the room.
I stood there for a long moment, staring at the empty doorway. Then I closed the door and leaned against it, letting out a long, exhausted breath.
A familiar ping echoed in my head. I opened the chat interface.
[Koneko: So. How'd it go?]
I felt my eye twitch.
[Alex: HOW DID IT GO?!]
[Koneko: ...That bad?]
I heard footsteps on the stairs. A moment later, the door creaked open and Koneko slipped inside.
"You're alive," she said flatly. "That's good."
"KONEKO." My voice came out as a strangled yell. "You left me alone with her! You just—she almost—"
Koneko held up a hand, cutting me off. "Relax. You're fine. Nothing happened."
"Nothing happened because Rias showed up!"
"Exactly. So you're fine." She walked past me and sat down on the edge of the bed, crossing her legs. "I'm surprised, actually."
"Surprised about what?"
She looked up at me, her eyes unreadable. "That you didn't jump her."
I stared at her, genuinely shocked. "What?"
"I mean, she's attractive. She was throwing herself at you. Most guys would have given in."
"Koneko." I pinched the bridge of my nose. "She's my sister. In this world, she's my biological sister. Who would be attracted like that?"
Koneko stared at me, her eyes narrowing slightly. "But... you find her attractive. I can tell. We're the same person. I know what you find attractive."
I let out a long breath, rubbing the back of my neck. "Yeah, I do. She's attractive. I'm not blind."
"Then why—"
"Because there's a difference," I cut her off. "I found her attractive when she was an anime character. A design. A voice. A personality I liked from a screen." I met her eyes.
"That's completely different from finding her attractive when she's my biological sister in this world. When I grew up with her. When we shared meals together and she tucked me in at night and promised to protect me."
Koneko was quiet, processing that.
"Yes, she's beautiful," I continued. "And maybe in another life, in another world, if we weren't related, I'd feel something. But she's my sister. I have memories of her being my sister. And holding those kinds of feelings for someone you grew up with, someone who raised you and loved you as family... that's wrong. That's disgusting. It doesn't matter if she's attractive or not."
Koneko tilted her head. "But it's not even real, though. The memories, the childhood—it's all fabricated. The system gave you that background. It's not actually your life."
I looked at her, my expression becoming slightly serious. "Then is any of this real?"
Koneko blinked. "What?"
I leaned back, staring at the ceiling. "I died. I woke up in some cosmic void and got a second chance. I woke up in a world called Remnant, in a body that isn't who i am, with memories that aren't mine. I got sent here to another world to pretend to be your boyfriend, with a fabricated backstory about being Akeno's long-lost brother."
I turned my head to look at her. "Is any of this actually real? Or am I just... playing out some cosmic joke?"
Koneko stared at me for a long moment. Then she sighed, rubbing her temples.
"You're going philosophical on me," she muttered. "That's exactly what I didn't need tonight."
I let out a small, tired laugh. "Sorry. It's just... rough day."
Koneko was quiet for a moment. Then she spoke, her voice softer. "It's okay. It was rough for both of us."
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "I was pushing it off. Not thinking about it. But... I'm worried. About my mom here. Shuri. She died in that attack. And I have these memories of her being kind and warm and... I can't even remember her face clearly without using my real memories."
Koneko looked down at her hands. "I know what you mean. I have memories too. From before. When I was still... you know. Male. In our original life. It's confusing, trying to hold onto something that doesn't exist anymore."
We sat in silence for a moment.
Then Koneko spoke again, her voice trying to lighten. "At least Kuoh isn't as bad as Tarpon Springs."
I stared at her. Flabbergasted.
"...Did you just quote Jynxzi?"
Koneko's expression remained deadpan. "Maybe."
I blinked at her. Then I let out a long, exhausted sigh and stood up.
"I'm going back to my world," I said. "I need to decompress."
Koneko nodded, standing as well. "That's fine. I was originally planning on trying to seduce you for the next few days, but... I couldn't figure out how to do it anyway."
I paused at the door, looking back at her. "You know, if you didn't hold back your youki all the time, you'd be able to. You could seduce anyone if you actually used your natural power."
Koneko's eyes widened. "Wait, really?!"
I stared at Koneko, genuinely surprised. "Wait, you didn't know that?"
Koneko's expression remained flat, but I could see a flicker of embarrassment in her eyes. "I knew I that..."
"Koneko." I pinched the bridge of my nose. "You're a nekomata. Your youki is literally part of your natural charm. Why wouldn't you use it?"
She looked away, crossing her arms. "I didn't want to change the story's plot too much. Compared to Esdeath and Scathach, I've been trying to keep things close to canon."
That caught my attention. "What do you mean? What did Scathach change in her world?"
Koneko shrugged. "I don't know much about Scathach. She's secretive. But Esdeath..." She paused, her expression shifting slightly. "Esdeath actually encountered another transmigrator in her world."
I blinked. "Another one? Like us?"
"Apparently. Some guy with a mind control Teigu or something. He was using it on the main canon women, making them all obsessed and protective of him." Koneko's voice carried a hint of disgust. "Esdeath found out when he tried targeting her. She killed him on the spot."
"That's... not surprising," I admitted. "Esdeath doesn't tolerate anyone trying to control her."
"Yeah, but here's the thing." Koneko looked at me. "When she killed him, the Teigu broke. But it didn't remove the effect on the women he'd already targeted. They're still under whatever he did to them. They just... dispersed. Wandered off. No one knows where they went."
I frowned, processing that. "So the mind control is permanent?"
"Seems like it." Koneko shrugged again. "But honestly, I couldn't care less. It's not my world, not my problem."
I nodded slowly. "Fair enough."
Then I remembered something. A very important something.
"Speaking of things I care about," I said, a grin spreading across my face. "My long-awaited prize. Grayfia's lingerie. You promised."
"I'll send it through the system," she said flatly. "You'll get it when you're back in your world."
I nodded, pleased. "Good. That's very good."
Then another thought occurred to me. "What happens when I leave? Like, to everyone else? What will they remember?"
Koneko tilted her head. "Their memories of you will freeze. But the effects won't. So they'll know you exist, they'll know you're my boyfriend, but they won't be able to interact with you until you come back."
I blinked. "So... Rias and Akeno will still know I exist?"
"Yes. They just won't be able to do anything about it while you're gone."
'So like what the natural force of nature judt holds them back from seeing me?'
"Alright," I said. "I need to sleep. It's been a long day."
Koneko stood up and walked toward the door. She paused, looking back at me.
"Before you go..."
I raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"
She flipped me off.
I stared at her for a moment, then laughed and flipped her off right back.
"See you around, Koneko."
She nodded, a smirk playing at her lips. "I'll be completely different next time we meet."
I grinned. "I'll be even cooler next time."
Her smirk widened just slightly. "Doubt it."
The system interface flickered in my vision.
[Return to Origin World? Y/N]
I tapped Y.
——
I opened my eyes.
Darkness. The faint outline of the ceiling above me. The soft sound of Ren's breathing from the bunk below.
I was back in my dorm room at Beacon.
I let out a slow breath, staring up at the wooden slats above me.
I was exhausted. Mentally, physically, emotionally drained. The kind of tired that settled deep in your bones.
I turned onto my side, facing the wall, and closed my eyes.
Sleep came almost instantly.
——
Morning light filtered through the window, warm and golden. I blinked slowly, my eyes adjusting to the brightness.
I stretched, my joints popping from the awkward sleeping position. A long, loud yawn escaped my lips as I sat up, scratching my stomach.
The bathroom door swung open, and Pyrrha stepped out, her red hair still slightly damp from her own shower. She was already dressed in her Beacon uniform, looking fresh and composed.
Then she saw me.
Sitting on the edge of the bunk, shirtless, my abs clearly visible as I scratched my stomach.
Her face immediately flushed a deep crimson. She let out a small, startled sound and quickly averted her eyes.
"K-Katsuya!" she exclaimed, her voice higher than usual. "You—you're not dressed!"
I blinked, looking down at myself again. Right. I was still shirtless.
"Sorry," I said, grabbing my shirt from where I'd left it draped over the bed frame. "I don't even remember taking it off last night."
Pyrrha nodded quickly, still not meeting my eyes. "That's... that's fine. Just please get dressed."
I pulled my shirt on and headed toward the bathroom. "I'm going to shower."
"Of course," she said, her voice still a bit strained. "Take your time."
I closed the bathroom door behind me.
The shower was quick but refreshing. The hot water helped wash away the lingering exhaustion from my trip to the DxD world. I stood under the spray for a few minutes, letting my mind settle.
By the time I stepped out, I felt more like myself again.
I dried off and changed into the Beacon uniform—simple, practical, but with a certain polished look to it. I adjusted the collar, ran a hand through my damp green hair, and stepped back out into the dorm room.