The next morning at Kuoh Academy felt like I'd stepped into a cliché straight out of the kind of novels I used to binge. Whispering students, lingering stares, and that all-too-familiar buzz of rumors. I had only been here for a day, and already people were talking.
But it wasn't because of me.
It was because of Rias Gremory.
She was waiting for me at the school gates—elegant, poised, and impossible to ignore. Dressed in the standard Kuoh uniform yet radiating nobility that didn't belong in a place like this. As I walked past, she fell into step beside me like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"Walk with me," she said, not a request but a calm command.
I didn't argue.
We moved through the garden path near the main building, where the morning breeze carried the scent of flowers and dew. There were no small talk or introductions, just silence. Thick, but not uncomfortable.
"You're not from this world," she finally said.
I gave a soft laugh. "That's one way to put it."
Her eyes studied me—not hostile, but analytical. "You carry a strange presence. Divine, but not holy. Heavy, like gravity... like death. You've killed something important."
"I've killed something impossible," I replied evenly. "And it changed me."
She nodded slowly, like she understood more than she let on. "You're dangerous."
"So they keep telling me."
We stopped at the base of a stairwell leading to a smaller school building.
"Come to the Occult Research Club after classes," she said. "I think we both have questions."
Before I could reply, she turned and left, her crimson hair fluttering behind her.
---
The rest of the day crawled by. I couldn't focus on lectures, and I didn't care to. I was too aware of everything else—the power hiding beneath the skin of this town. The subtle auras. The occasional flicker of wings on rooftops. Kuoh was sitting on top of something big, and I had walked straight into the middle of it.
When the final bell rang, I made my way to the old building where the club resided. A repurposed mansion near the back of the school. Elegant. Secluded. Convenient.
The door opened on its own.
Inside, it looked more like a noblewoman's lounge than a school clubroom. Bookshelves lined the walls, a magic circle etched into the floor, and a steaming teapot sat waiting on a table far too nice to be school-issued.
Rias sat at the head of the table. Two others stood nearby.
The tall, graceful girl with black hair and a teasing smile was instantly recognizable. Akeno Himejima, if my memories of the original DxD timeline were correct. A half-fallen angel with a taste for lightning and mischief.
Beside her, a young man with golden hair and kind eyes nodded politely. Yuuto Kiba. The Knight. Fast, loyal, dangerous if provoked.
Rias gestured to an empty seat. "Alec Kross, meet my Queen and Knight."
I raised an eyebrow but took the seat. "So we're doing introductions now?"
"I figured we should stop dancing around it," she said smoothly. "You already know who I am, don't you?"
"Rias Gremory. Devil. Noble lineage. Titled heiress. And a terrible poker face," I added with a faint smirk.
She chuckled. "Fair enough. And you, Alec Kross... you're not just a transfer student."
"I'm not," I admitted. "But I'm not here to start a war or pick sides."
Akeno tilted her head. "Then what are you here for?"
"To observe," I said. "To learn. And maybe... to stop something worse."
The air tensed slightly.
"I don't carry a Sacred Gear," I added, cutting off what I knew they were about to ask. "And I'm not a half-anything. I'm... something else."
Rias narrowed her eyes slightly. "A godslayer?"
The word hung in the air like a blade.
"You've heard that term before," I said, watching her closely.
"Once," she admitted. "Whispers from other circles. Dangerous whispers. A title, not a race."
"Exactly. A Campione," I said quietly. "A slayer of Heretic Gods. I didn't ask for it. But I earned it."
That caught even Akeno off guard.
"I tried to use a divination tool on you last night," Rias said. "A crystal orb that shows fate."
"And?"
"It shattered."
I exhaled. "Figures."
"You're a wildcard, Alec. Kuoh's already a fragile balance. Angels, Fallen, Devils... now a Campione?"
"I didn't come to upset the balance. But I'm not going to let anyone threaten me, either."
Rias met my gaze, then smiled—not the polite one she wore for students, but something sharper.
"Then we understand each other. You're welcome to stay. But stay sharp. Because not everyone will be as welcoming."
"Noted."
As I stood to leave, I felt the mirror in my soul stir—like something had clicked into place.
Not a threat. A beginning.
---