The bell rang with all the subtlety of a war horn.
Kaito jolted upright in his chair, nearly knocking over his desk. The classroom bustled with idle chatter, students slowly trickling in as if the idea of punctuality was more of a gentle suggestion.
Day one at Kuoh Academy. Let's not die again. That's the goal, he thought.
His uniform clung to him awkwardly—new fabric, unfamiliar cut. It didn't help that the name tag on his desk labeled him as a transfer student, which basically meant free social punching bag.
[Quest Updated: Blend in with Normies]
[Optional Objective: Don't Trigger Any Supernatural Factions Today]
[Reward: +10 Reputation | +5 Charisma | A Peaceful Life (Probably Not)]
Kaito sighed. His System was relentless.
He glanced around. The classroom looked typical: desks in neat rows, the teacher's podium at the front, a clock ticking ominously above the whiteboard. If it weren't for the fact that several of these students were probably literal demons or angels, it would've passed for normal.
"Hey, you're the new guy, right?"
Kaito turned. A boy with short brown hair and an easygoing smile leaned over from the desk beside him.
"I'm Issei Hyoudou. You can call me Issei."
Kaito blinked. Wait a sec... Isn't he—
Yup. Issei. The perverted protagonist of the High School DxD world. The one who dies early, gets brought back by Rias, and somehow becomes the center of the biggest supernatural harem in the multiverse.
"...Kaito Ren," he said, slowly offering a handshake. "Just transferred here."
Issei shook it. "Cool. You into girls with big oppai?"
Kaito nearly choked.
"That's your first question?"
"What? It's a perfectly normal question! We're men of culture!" Issei's grin widened. "Speaking of which, you have to meet my friends. Matsuda! Motohama! We've got a new brother!"
Kaito gave a mental scream as two equally questionable figures materialized behind Issei, eyes glittering with perverted dreams and delinquent energy.
"I'm not joining a cult," Kaito said flatly.
"It's not a cult," Matsuda argued. "It's a lifestyle."
[New Party Invitation: "Perverted Trio" – Declined]
[Achievement Unlocked: Dodged the Harem-Adjacent Bullet]
Classes droned on. Math. Literature. History. Kaito pretended to take notes while he studied the minimap in the corner of his vision, noting blips of "unidentified supernatural entities" all around him.
[Skill Gained: Mana Perception Lv.1]
[You can now detect the presence of magical beings nearby.]
By lunchtime, he'd already marked half the school building as "potentially lethal."
"Yo, Kaito."
He looked up to see Issei again, waving. "Want to eat on the roof? Good view, fresh air."
"Sure," Kaito said, mostly because the idea of eating quietly while data-scanning the skyline sounded productive.
The two climbed the stairs, and the moment they opened the door, Kaito's System went haywire.
[Boss-Class Entity Detected]
[Location: Kuoh Academy Rooftop]
[Name: Akeno Himejima – Level ???]
[WARNING: Do Not Engage]
Akeno stood by the edge of the roof, lunch in hand, her long black hair swaying in the breeze. She turned, smiling with the grace of a shrine maiden and the aura of someone who could reduce a tank to ashes with a smirk.
"Well, well. A new face," she said, eyes landing on Kaito. "You're the transfer student?"
Kaito bowed reflexively. "Y-Yes. Kaito Ren. Nice to meet you."
"Hmm~ polite too. That's rare around here." Her gaze lingered a bit too long. "You feel… interesting."
[Charisma Check Failed: Bluff Not Believed]
[Akeno has marked you as 'Suspicious, but Cute']
Kaito sat down quietly and began chewing through his lunch as if it were a survival ration.
Issei, blissfully unaware, chattered beside him. "Akeno's the school's idol, by the way. Beautiful, smart, and deadly."
"Deadly?" Kaito echoed.
"Figure of speech!" Issei laughed. "Probably."
Akeno chuckled softly, which did nothing to ease Kaito's nerves.
The day dragged on until the final bell rang, freeing the students like prisoners on parole.
Kaito was the last to leave, still fiddling with his inventory.
[Item Acquired: Cafeteria Bread (Stale)]
[Item Acquired: Worn Pencil x3]
"Gotta start somewhere…" he muttered.
He stepped into the courtyard, only to freeze.
A figure stood there, waiting for him. Crimson hair. Enchanting blue eyes.
"Rias Gremory," he whispered.
"You're adjusting well," she said, stepping forward. "But you're not as good at hiding your aura as you think."
Kaito tensed. "You can see it?"
"I can feel it," she replied, smiling. "It's… unusual. Glitched. Like something that doesn't belong."
Kaito winced. "That's not ominous at all."
She stepped closer. "So here's the deal, Kaito Ren. You're interesting. I like interesting. And this school is a lot more dangerous than it looks. If you want to survive, you need protection."
"Let me guess. Yours?"
She smiled wider. "You're quick."
Kaito looked at her—this literal devil, this noble heiress of the underworld—and considered his choices.
Join her and survive? Or keep going solo and risk a repeat of last time?
"…Fine. I'll play along. But I'm keeping my secrets."
Rias extended her hand. "Welcome to Kuoh Academy… Player."
Kaito shook it.
[Quest Completed: Survive Day One]
[New Quest: Join the Occult Research Club]
[Reward: Safe Haven (Relative), Reputation Boost, Access to Limited Gear Shop]
[Level Up! You are now Level 2]
[+2 STR, +1 DEX, +1 INT, +1 WIS]
[New Skill: Analyze Lv.1 – Allows you to scan stats and weaknesses of lower-leveled enemies.]
And just like that, his second life had officially begun.
Not with a bang.
But with a handshake—and a tutorial boss he still wasn't sure he could trust.