In a desolate forest, where the ground was charred and trees had been reduced to ash, a man with black hair and light blue eyes stood amidst the devastation. Rather than appearing afraid or overwhelmed by the destruction, his face held an enormous grin.
"Hahahaha… This isn't a dream. It's all real!" the man shouted, laughing loudly.
This man was none other than Kazuo Fushimi—or rather, Kazuo Hatsushima, as he is known in this life. Only four hours had passed since he had been transported into the world of High School DxD, an alternate version of the one he once knew. After recovering the sealed memories of his past life and true identity, he immediately came to this hidden place, where his impregnable home stood, to test his newfound powers. He had created the forest to gauge the extent of his abilities and to push his Sacred Gear to its limits.
"Who would've thought something that only happens in fanfiction would happen to me?" Kazuo muttered to himself, still half in disbelief.
"And who would've thought I'd be reincarnated as an alternate version of Motohama, one of the Perverted Trio…"
Kazuo shook his head at the absurdity. When his memories had come flooding back, he had realized that not only had he been reincarnated into the DxD world, but an alternate version of it. Issei Hyoudou had both an older and younger sister here, and Kazuo's own family members were from the Game of Familia manga, a story he'd recently read about. Everything felt both familiar and completely foreign at the same time.
He could even pinpoint the exact timeline—before Raynare would be defeated—since he had just seen Asia Argento arrive in town the day before. Oddly enough, it wasn't Issei who had awakened the Boosted Gear but rather his older sister, Kyoko Hyoudou. Issei, meanwhile, had awakened a much weaker Twice Critical and, just like in canon, had become Rias Gremory's Pawn.
As Kazuo mulled over these changes, a feminine voice interrupted his thoughts.
["Honey, school is about to start."]
"Oh, it's already that time? Thanks for reminding me, Liera," Kazuo said with a smile. The voice belonged to Liera, a system he had created two hours ago with his newfound powers.
That's right—he created it himself. Using the Holopsicon ability he unlocked, he had designed Liera purely for fun. Part of him had always been fascinated with the idea of a "system," the kind that reincarnated protagonists in novels were often given by higher beings. So, of course, now that he had the ability, he thought, why not make one?
And no, there was no risk of Liera being a tool of some higher entity trying to brainwash him. She wasn't like the systems found in fanfictions that manipulated protagonists into being mindless puppets. Liera was built from scratch, combining system mechanics with the Great Sage ability from Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken.
["Anything for you, Husband."]
Kazuo chuckled. "Liera, you flatter me."
Still grinning, he returned to his room, heading to the bathroom for a shower and a fresh pair of glasses. While he didn't need to wear glasses like before to hide his powers, the habit remained. His playful side loved the aesthetic. After all, even if he had inherited the terrifying power of Yogiri Takatou, the ability to erase anything with just a thought, he wasn't about to let it change how he presented himself.
As he stood in front of the mirror, dressed in his school uniform, he admired his reflection. Kazuo had always been good-looking, but with his true power unlocked, he exuded an almost ethereal quality. His aura wasn't one of a man who could control limitless space or read the flow of cursed energy. No—his presence now was the eerie calm of a man who could bring death with the faintest thought.
Before, he'd been forced to wear dark, thick glasses to hide his latent abilities. But now that his power as Yogiri's reincarnation had fully awakened, the glasses were more for show than necessity. The idea of controlling such overwhelming destruction was more of a balancing act than anything.
With Yogiri's power, even a casual slip-up could mean the end of everything around me. He shook his head. Despite his usual carefree personality, he knew full well that his strength needed careful control. One stray thought, and...
Bang!!!
Kazuo's thoughts were interrupted as the door to his room was thrown open. A voice soon followed.
"Hey, Kazuo, are you awake?"
Startled, Kazuo turned toward the door and saw a girl with long pink hair and green eyes—his older sister, Manako Hatsushima—standing in the doorway, staring at him in shock.
"Oh? What's wrong, Manako-neesan?" Kazuo asked, raising an eyebrow at her reaction.
Manako blinked a few times, then her expression twisted into something between confusion and anger. "Who are you? And where's my dear brother?"
Kazuo laughed nervously. "What do you mean? I'm right here."
"Impossible!" she declared. "My brother is a total pervert who always wears thick, ugly glasses and definitely isn't this handsome. So tell me, where have you hidden him? If you don't tell me, I'll beat it out of you!"
Kazuo sighed, scratching the back of his head. Despite the situation, he couldn't help but find her accusation amusing. It's bittersweet when even your sister remembers you as a hopeless pervert.
"Neesan, calm down. I'm really Kazuo," he said, taking off his glasses to reveal his eyes.
Manako hesitated, her gaze softening slightly. "Those eyes… those are definitely Kazuo's. But that's still not enough proof. My brother is a hopeless pervert and isn't nearly this... charming."
Kazuo smirked, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Oh, is that so? What about this then—last Thursday, before the family left, you snuck into my room and—"
Before he could finish, Manako lunged forward, covering his mouth with her hand, her face turning bright red. "D-Don't say another word! I believe you!"
Kazuo chuckled, nodding as she released him. He could swear he saw steam rising from her ears.
"So, what did you come to my room for, Neesan?" he asked, catching his breath.
Manako cleared her throat, still flustered. "I-I came to tell you that Mom asked you to come downstairs for breakfast."
"Ah, I see," Kazuo said, but then noticed her staring at his lower half, her face turning an even deeper shade of crimson. With a playful grin, he teased, "Would you like to touch it like last time?"
"B-Baka! Who would want to do that?!" she shouted before storming out of the room, leaving Kazuo laughing.
*Scene transition*
Kazuo joined his family at the breakfast table, where his mother, aunt, and sister all reacted similarly to Manako. They were shocked by his sudden transformation. It took some time to explain to them that he was still the same Kazuo, just… well, improved. Of course, he left out the part about his sealed memories being unlocked, as well as the immense power he now held. That would come later.
As they ate breakfast, Kazuo's mind wandered. He had always been quick to adapt to new situations, and this was no exception. But even as he joked around with his family and teased his sister, a weight hung in the back of his mind—the power he held now was not something to take lightly.
With the power of Yogiri Takatou, I can erase anything with just a thought. It wasn't about mastering a technique or wielding energy; it was about containing the simple, terrifying instinct to kill. If he let his mind wander too far, even the smallest irritation could erase someone's life in an instant.
He had to be careful. Very careful.
Still, Kazuo smiled. He would figure it out, just as he always did. After all, he had a lot to do in this new world.