CoG: Waking Dreamer

by NorthSouthGorem

A Self-Insert: read at your own risk. As an author, I make stories. That's a given. Stories starring the Gormim, my creations. However, one day I woke up and things were backwards. I became the character, and my characters became my author. Now I'm trapped in a different world, one where there are beings far more powerful than I. The only things I have...are my dreams.

3. Chapter 3

AN: Hm...I kinda want to get started on this one now. Can't focus on anything else at the moment. Let's go.

Reviews

ark: I suppose it would be funny, but that's impossible. The Occult club's flyers are designed to work only for Rias and her Peerage.

TrashBin: First, it's not 99% that's crap. It's 90%. Secondly, what's your point?

Ragna: While there will be certain...'foreign elements' present in the universe, whether it'll make me feel lost is another matter.

West: Thank you very much! I'm actually pretty proud of how I wrote her.

Disclaimer: I do not own Highschool DxD.

"Speech"
Text
Thoughts
Inner Being to Outer Being/[Sealed Spirit]
Dragon/Beast
Technique/Spell/[Sacred Gear]

Chapter 3: Misconception and Perception

The velvety black sky stretched out above me. The stars shone brightly, tiny as they were, along with the waxing moon. As I drifted along the surface of the ocean, I calmly drank in the sights. Even in the endless solitude of my 'punishment,' the beauty of the world still brought me contentment.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I realized that I was dreaming again. Not only that, but it seemed to be a continuation of my previous dream. Maybe this time I'll be able to tell what I am. However, try as I might, my body resisted any attempt to move upward. It was as if great metal bands were constricting around me; not tightly enough to hurt or that I couldn't move at all, but I still couldn't move in a certain direction. It wasn't exactly a new sensation; I'd felt it in dreams before and found it quite vexing. However, I found that I could still undulate my limbless body and move through the water. The feel of the cold water against my body was surprisingly realistic. In a dream, such sensations would be muted, as they were only constructs of my mind.

Just as I really started to pick up speed, wondering where I should go, I spoke. No, rather, the body I was inhabiting spoke. The voice that emerged from my mouth was most certainly not my own, and the words spoken were not ones that I had been thinking of.

"Now is the time to awaken. Let all obstacles fall into obscurity."

The next thing I knew, my eyes were open and I was back in my bed. As always, the room was engulfed in total darkness. What was that? I wondered, That sure as hell didn't sound like a normal dream. Where had those words come from? Who had that…person been talking to? Me? I was the only person in the dream, wasn't I? But then who was talking?

For that matter, what was I doing in my own room?

The memory of the previous day flashed in my mind, still fresh. The date, the attack, and then…I'd been stabbed from behind.

But Raynare wasn't the one who'd attacked me. In fact, if memory served (and it usually did), she seemed to be quite vocal in voicing her opinion of me, and that it was a good one.

I admit, I probably should have realized that even if I was in another world, it wouldn't be exactly the same as I remembered it. Still, I hadn't expected to encounter any changes so soon. Although, my heart warmed as I realized that there was a very real chance that Raynare's feelings might just be real. If, or when I saw her again, I'd have to ask her about it. Just thinking about the prospect made me bring a hand to my forehead to try and wipe the sweat away.

Or at least, I tried to. Halfway there, my hand brushed something smooth, soft and warm. I froze as I suddenly registered that there was a body in my bed. Besides my own, obviously. The sound of shifting, along with a decidedly feminine sigh, only compounded my panic. The fact that I realized that I was naked did not help either.

Wait a second, a part of my brain with my memories piped up, Isn't this what happened after Ise got reincarnated? He woke up naked with Rias. I calmed a bit. Right. Of course. This is par the course with Highschool DxD. No need to get so flustered…easier said than done!

Carefully, I groped around on the bed, looking for the edge, sliding along as I did so. Each time my hand touched a body part, I simultaneously flinched away and burned the sensation into my memory. A broad, smooth curve that might have been a hip. A soft, thick suppleness that was almost definitely a thigh…needless to say, I was all too happy that Rias seemed to be a somewhat heavy sleeper, and that there was no light in the room to reveal my…enjoyment of those moments.

However, whether fortunately or unfortunately, I managed to exit the bed without climbing over my partner and potentially waking her. Then I set about looking for spare clothes. I found a pile on the floor but, after examining it tactilely for a minute or so, decided that I wasn't desperate enough to wear a skirt and a pair of panties. Finally, I managed to find some shorts and a shirt, put them on and groped around for the light switch. I winced as the room was flooded with light and had to shut my eyes. I really regretted not having any windows, as they would've helped me get accustomed to it when I woke up. But no, only darkness or light for me.

Huh. Sounds symbolic. Cool.

At that moment, I heard a soft "Ufufufu!" and turned to get a proper look at my surprise visitor. My eyes widened as I took in the sight before me.

Sitting up on the bed, the blankets falling from her, was one of the most beautiful girls I'd ever seen. Though, considering my life, that wasn't saying too much. Her skin was flawless, pale and smooth without the slightest blemish. Her legs were long and graceful, thickening pleasantly at the thighs before blending into a wide pair of hips. Her waist was only a shallow curve above that, and her stomach was smooth, with the slightest curve to it at the bottom. I could tell that she was fit, though her abdomen wasn't clearly defined or muscular. She clearly had done some training in recent times. Above that, clearly on display, were her breasts. Perfectly round, capped by a soft pink nipple each, almost gravity-defyingly perky and utterly enormous. So mind-bogglingly huge that I seriously wondered if they were real. Then I remembered what sort of world I was in; that is to say, an anime world. I'll admit it, I stared for a really long time. I doubt anyone would seriously blame me, if they were in my position. When I reached her head, though, I paused. Her face was elegant, a soft oval with purple-gray eyes that were staring at me at as much as I was staring at her. Her expression, however, was one of benign amusement, rather than shock or bewilderment. What threw me off was her hair.

Rather than the thick crimson tresses that I had been expecting from the Gremory Heiress, this girl's hair was a long curtain of inky black, almost shiny.

I had to wonder: was this another change from canon? It didn't seem that likely, but-

"Ara, ara," laughed the girl, each movement mimicked half a second later by her breasts, "My apologies for intrusion, Oji-san! I'm sure this is quite the shock for you." Her voice was soft and gentle, yet possessed a certain sultry tone that entranced me all the more.

Faintly, unable to tear my eyes away from her curvaceous form, I could only mumble, "You have no idea…who are you, anyway?"

"Ufufu, right, of course. My name is Himejima Akeno. Nice to meet you," she said easily, bowing her head politely, apparently at ease with her own total nudity.

Ah, so it was only Akeno. That was one mystery solved, at least. At last, I ducked my head and answered, "Nice to meet you, then. You can call me Neseg." Another thought occurred to me. In this world, was Akeno the King of the Peerage instead of Rias? "Are you the one who saved me?" I asked abruptly, "Also, do you want your clothes back?"

She smiled sheepishly. "Ara, I would have thought you'd want this to go on longer." When the only sound that emerged from my throat was a strangled groan, she giggled again. "In answer to your first question, however, I'm afraid not. I'm not aware of all the details, but the one who saved your life was my master, friend and King, Rias Gremory."

So, that was still the same. Thank God for at least some consistency. I cringed as a sharp spike of pain shot across my temple. "Ow! Damn it!" Right. Forgot about that. I'm a Devil, now.

"Prayed to God, did you?" came Akeno's melodious voice, her smile audible even through my pain, "I would recommend against doing that in the future."

"Sorry," I muttered, rubbing at my head, "Forgot."

She blinked. "You forgot? Forgot what?"

Ack. Shit. I just let something slip. Might as well tell half of the truth. "I already know that I'm a Devil now," I admitted, making her eyes widen in surprise, "But I forgot that that means thanking God, urk, is forbidden."

Akeno stared at me, clearly taken aback. Then she smiled, this time thoughtfully. "Ara, ara…it seems that there's more to you than I thought, Neseg-san." She stood up, making me take a step back instinctively, and walked over to the pile of her clothes.

I most certainly did not make a noise that sounded anything like a squeak when I caught a flash of what was between her legs as she pulled on her panties.

"Where do you work, Neseg-san?" she asked casually as she fastened her purple bra, "Will you be missed?"

"I…" I stammered, mentally overloaded by what I was witnessing, "I…no, I d-don't work anywhere. Certain, um, circumstances have ensured that money isn't…a problem for me. I do have a girlfriend, I think, but she was there the other day…" When everything had gone to Hell, so to speak. "…What happened to her? To Yuuma?"

"Ah…" a look of pity crossed Akeno's face, and her hands slowed in donning her school uniform, "Buchou, that is to say Rias, told me that she chased off the two Fallen Angels in the area when she was summoned by you. Since the female one was screaming your name, I think that…" she paused, clearly unwilling to share her theory.

However, I had a good idea of what it probably was. "You think that Yuuma was a Fallen Angel in disguise."

Once again Akeno froze, looking at me in surprise.

"Thing is, I already knew for a fact that she is." I smiled at her to show that I wasn't offended by her assumption. "Actually, I knew from the moment I met her that she was going to kill me."

"You…" I was seeing something that I bet many jealous girls had always wanted to see: Himejima Akeno was completely flabbergasted. She stared openmouthed at me, as if suddenly unable to register what she was looking at. I supposed there was some irony there. However, the minute passed, and she pulled herself together so completely that it was admirable. "Ara, ara! So you do have a Sacred Gear after all! A precognitive ability, perhaps? Buchou will be delighted."

Quickly, I backpedaled. She was coming to all the wrong conclusions! "No, that's…a-anyway, as I was saying, I was wrong! Yuuma wasn't the one that killed me. It was someone else."

Akeno blinked, brushing off her extremely short maroon skirt. "Someone else? Not one of the Fallen Angels, then? Who?"

"Dunno. All I remember is that it was definitely a guy, and that he stabbed me from behind with some sort of lightsaber."

"Lightsa-a sword of light?" she asked, her thin eyebrows drawing together. When she spoke, it was to herself. "A Fallen Exorcist? Then, maybe, could it be…" Without warning, she stepped forward and took my hand in hers.

I froze. "Uh, what-" I croaked. However, before I could try and pull myself together, a red circle full of symbols expanded on the floor beneath us.

Akeno smiled serensely, clearly back in her element. "Ara, don't worry, Neseg-san. It's just that at this point, it would be prudent to take you to Buchou. She'll want to know how you're doing."

I was tempted to ask that if that was the case, why had it been Akeno sleeping naked with me and not Rias? However, that would be giving away even more information than I was comfortable with, so I held my tongue.

A second later, a gust of wind rose up from the circle as it began to glow brightly, making me squint in annoyance and causing Akeno's skirt to flip up entirely, showing off the panties that she'd put on just a few minutes ago. My eyebrow twitched. Freakin' anime physics, I thought. Whether it was a complaint or not, I don't know.

Then the glow died down and we were somewhere else. "Here we are," Akeno said serenely, if unnecessarily, smoothing out her skirt.

The room I was standing in had a hardwood floor, with a large magenta rug in the middle, along with a low coffee table and a pair of couches. To my right, directly in front of the window was a wooden desk piled with stacks of paper. Across the couches, by the far wall, was a free-standing bath and shower. Believe me, it was pretty damn jarring to see that thing just chilling out in the room. Glancing behind me, I saw a small kitchen area. The whole room was lit cheerily, but I couldn't help but cringe away from the beam of light slicing in through the window. "Where are we?" I asked, though I had a suspicion.

Sure enough, Akeno unwittingly confirmed, "We're at the Occult Research Club's room at Kuoh Academy. It's where the Peerage makes their headquarters after school. Ah, although, I guess school is out today."

"And we're here why?"

"Fufu, well it'd be best if you were introduced to the others, wouldn't it?" she giggled. She guided me to a couch and pushed me down into it. "Buchou must have stepped out, but she'll be back soon."

I nodded, not really having anything to say to that.

"Would you like anything while you wait?" asked Akeno cheerfully, "Something to drink, perhaps?"

"Just water," I said, "I'm usually not that hungry when I wake up."

Akeno gave a sound of acknowledgement and moved away.

Left alone for the moment, I slumped back in my seat and sighed, gazing up at the ceiling. Things sure are moving quickly, I thought, Only a few weeks and I'm already in the Occult Club's room. Unwittingly, the corner of my mouth tugged upward. "Who would've thought?" I murmured out loud.

A small clunk jerked me back to reality as Akeno set a cup of water on the table.

"Ah, thanks," I muttered absentmindedly, taking it in my hands.

We sat in silence on opposite couches. I could feel her gaze on me as I occasionally sipped at my water. Damn it, I wish I'd brought a book, I thought. As expected, just waiting around doing nothing was boring.

Akeno suddenly spoke up, making me start. "Neseg-san. If I may ask, how did you already know that you'd been reincarnated into a Devil? I examined your home when I brought you in, but there were no magical materials present."

I blinked, surprised. "Ignoring the fact that you searched my apartment while I was asleep- which is kinda creepy by the way -what does that have to do with anything?"

She laughed quietly. "Fair enough. But in answer to your question, if you were a magician, it would make sense for you to have prior knowledge of the Three Factions. However, it's clear that you aren't one. Yet you have already divulged that you know what a Fallen Angel is, and that you know that you've been resurrected." With each word, the detached serenity on her face slowly sharpened, her gaze suddenly focusing intensely on me. "On top of all that, you're much too calm for this situation."

I'm certainly not calm right now! I thought, sweat breaking out on my forehead, What's with the interrogation?! I could feel myself shrinking, trying to make as small a target for her scrutiny as possible.

"Ara," Akeno suddenly seemed to realize that she might be coming across a little strongly and put a hand to her mouth, "I apologize, Neseg-san. I got a little carried away with my curiosity. Peerage members are allowed to have their secrets, of course."

Seeing how contrite she was suddenly being, I found myself relaxing and waved it off. "I-It's okay," I mumbled, "And anyway, I will tell, er...our King about that stuff. I don't see much of a point in keeping that a secret."

She blinked, seemingly perplexed. It occurred to me that she might not be used to dealing with someone as up-front as me. Well, I suppose that's not so surprising in itself.

There was a whisper of wood as the clubroom's door slid open. Standing in the entrance was a girl who I recognized immediately, despite having never actually met her before. She wore the same uniform as Akeno; a short maroon skirt, a long-sleeved white button-up shirt along with a small corset-type thing, and a small cape. Frankly, I had to wonder who the hell designed that school uniform, 'cause seriously, what the hell? Her body was just as voluptuous as Akeno's, but that was about where the similarities ended. Instead of a curtain of dark hair, Rias Gremory boasted a head of thick crimson tresses that tumbled down her back. Her eyes were a solid blue-green color that, if used right, could captivate the heart of any man who gazed into them. Fortunately, she didn't seem to be in the mood for that.

"Oh, good morning Akeno. And- ah!" She caught sight of me and her eyes widened. "Well, hello there! You're that man from yesterday, aren't you? I'm sorry, I never got your name."

"Just call me Neseg," I requested of her, "Akeno already told me that you're the one that saved me."

She nodded firmly. "Yes indeed. I was pretty shocked to get summoned directly to a dead body, let me tell you. The two Fallen Angels fighting was a bit of a distraction, but I revived you without any problems and then sent them away. I don't know why they were fighting, but I'm sorry that you got caught up in such a thing."

I sighed, resigned to having to explain things again. "The female one was my girlfriend. She was defending me for some reason, but I got stabbed from behind. It seems that there was a third person there. Did you see anyone else when you arrived?"

Rias seemed a bit taken aback, similarly to how Akeno had been before. "Eh? Well, no, there were only those two Fallen Angels. The girl did seem quite distraught, but…" She frowned suddenly. "Could it be that she told you about the Factions already?"

Akeno blinked. "Ara, that didn't occur to me," she laughed slightly, "I may have jumped to conclusions a little early, but that would at least explain how you knew about Devils and such."

"What do you mean, Akeno?" asked the Devil.

"Well you see, Buchou," explained the black-haired girl, "Neseg-san has been taking this whole ordeal extraordinarily well. He told me earlier that he not only knew that his girlfriend was a Fallen Angel without her telling him, but he's also aware that he's become a Devil. I wondered if perhaps he might have a Sacred Gear that gives him a form of precognition, which might account for how he's been so calm all this time."

Personally, I severely doubted that. If the Gormim were going to put a Sacred Gear in my body (which was no doubt what happened), then it wouldn't be something so passive as that. Besides which, that wasn't precognition; it was just the result of reading and a good memory. However, I decided to let the conversation continue as it was.

Rias crossed her arms under her bust and nodded slowly, her eyes downcast in thought. "Hm…I see. Yes, maybe that's why my Mutated Piece was just barely enough to bring him back. Precognition is a rare thing to get as a human."

"Hang on," I said suddenly, confused, "A Mutated Piece? For me? What do you mean?" As far as I knew, the only Mutated Piece that Rias possessed at this time was one of her Bishops. Was I replacing Gasper Vladi?

Akeno laughed. "Finally, a proper question! I was beginning to think there would be nothing to teach you at this rate."

Despite my confusion I snorted. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I already know all that stuff about the Evil Pieces."

"How-?" Rias started, but shook her head. "Never mind, I guess we'll talk about that later, but what do you mean?"

I clarified, "Which piece did you use to resurrect me?"

She relaxed a little. "Oh, is that all. That's an easy one; you're a Pawn. My last one, in fact. The other seven are all taken up by my other Pawn."

Finally, that's one mystery solved, I thought, relieved. So Issei was still in the Peerage after all and had taken up fewer pieces. Perhaps Rias was a bit stronger, making her pieces higher in value? Well, whatever. "Also," I continued, "I don't know what my Sacred Gear is, but I don't think it's something like precognition. But there is a reason that I know all that stuff."

Both King and Queen fixed me with an intense look that made me squirm uncomfortably.

A little fact about me: I hate having to address more than one person at a time.

"Is that so?" asked Rias lightly, "Well, if my new Pawn has a secret for me, then I'll take it with the utmost seriousness."

That just made me more uncomfortable. Still, I'd started this whole affair by talking too much. Might as well come clean entirely and not beat around the bush. "I come from another world," I said clearly, looking Rias in the eyes.

For a long moment, she stared at me, clearly bemused. I wasn't so sure of what Akeno's reaction was, focused as I was on my new King.

Rias's face went through a few expressions, ranging from surprise, to skepticism and then a frown of consideration. "Another world, you say?" she finally asked, and I let out a breath of relief. I'd been afraid that she'd laugh at me. "I won't say that's possible, but there are enough strange things in the world that I'd say it's impossible either."

"Thank you," I said quietly and gratefully. Inwardly, it occurred to me that her reaction was a lot more subdued than perhaps it ought to have been.

She smiled softly at me. "You're welcome. Wherever you come from or how you came here, you're a member of our family now." Even as I blushed from her words, she continued, "Although, I don't really understand. Even if you come from another world like you say, how does that explain you knowing so much about the supernatural world."

"I guess you could say I have an…outsider's perspective," I said airily. At her pout of annoyance, I amended, "In my world, this world is a story. One that I'm a big fan of, actually."

Akeno, who had in fact poured herself a cup of tea and raised it to her lips, almost spilled it on herself as she jerked in surprise.

For Rias, it was clear that she hadn't been expecting such a bombshell to be dropped without warning, especially after my confession of being a sort-of alien. Her jaw actually dropped and the dignified air that she'd been keeping up since entering the room (probably trying to impress me, as the rookie) was all but gone.

It was such a great expression that I had to laugh. It was a full one too, that had me doubled over. "S-sorry," I choked, "The look on your face is perfect!" Then I quickly pulled myself together. "…But I'm fully serious on the story bit. I won't get into how I got here yet, but it's safe to say that I know enough about the Three Factions and Devils in particular to get by."

"You…" Rias could only shake her head at me, still somewhat stunned by my revelation. Then she leaned back in the sofa and laughed quietly, prompting a good deal of shaking from her breasts. "Well, well, it seems like I got an interesting Servant after all." She smiled at me, apparently satisfied by something. "So tell, me, what do you know about this world?"

And now I was in my element. "A lot of stuff," I said firmly, sitting up a little straighter, "Including events that are coming up. Although, considering what happened with Yuuma, I'm not entirely sure if what I know is still accurate."

"How so?" she asked.

As if sensing that we were now in our own little world (no pun intended), Akeno decided to get up and take her tea elsewhere.

Rubbing my temples, I explained, "In the original version of this story, canon, Amano Yuuma was not my girlfriend. I mean, of course she wasn't; I'm not originally from this universe. Instead, she briefly dated the main character, Hyoudou Issei." I noticed my new boss's eyes widening, but plowed on. "And besides that, when you reincarnated him he took up all of your Pawn pieces, rather than just seven like he obviously did here."

"Hoh," Rias raised her eyebrows. "So, Ise-kun is the Main Character, is he? I suppose he'll be happy to hear that."

"Probably," I said with a laugh, "Though at the same time, I'd like to keep this information a secret from the other Peerage members for now. As far as I know, alternate worlds existing isn't exactly a well-known fact in this world. I don't know if they'd react as…well as you have."

She sighed, but nodded understandingly. "Well, as I said, you're a member of my Peerage now. Where you come from is of no concern to me." Then she smiled and held out her hand. "I hope we get along in the future, Neseg-san."

For what felt like the first time in a long while, I felt myself smile widely as I returned her handshake. "Thanks. I hope so too." Afterwards, I leaned back in the couch and yawned. "By the way, where are the other Peerage members?'

"Ah, Ise-kun is off delivering his fliers for today, and the others are at home. It is Saturday, after all. I'm here because I told Akeno to bring you here once you woke up."

I nodded slowly, then blushed. "S-speaking of which...why exactly did I wake up next to Akeno-san?"

Rias smirked. "Oh? Was that your first time in bed with a woman?"

The heat in my face increased. "Yes," I said plainly.

"Hah!" she laughed, "Well, I suppose that's not too much of a surprise. I suppose you'd want to know why she was naked, yes?"

"Ara, Buchou!" cried Akeno's voice from somewhere behind me, "To give away the secrets of a maiden's heart so easily! As expected of a High-class Devil."

I expected Rias to get a little mad at the jab, but she only shouted back playfully, "The only thing maidenly about you is your body, 'Ultimate S!'"

At that, I couldn't help but laugh.

"As for why it was her, and not me," she went on, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth, "Akeno, as my Queen, was the first person to join my Peerage, and is an old friend of mine besides. Since her power is comparable to mine, we take it in turns to stabilize new Peerage members when they become reincarnated. Since I tended to Ise-kun before you, it was Akeno's turn this time."

Well, that was a bit different from canon. "Okay," I said slowly, nodding, "But…why was she naked?"

A pair slender arms draped themselves loosely around my neck, making me tense up. "Well," sighed a breathy voice directly in my ear, sending shivers up my spine, "Like Buchou said, we're old, very close friends, so we know each other's habits. Did you know, for instance, that Buchou likes to sleep in the nude? Not only that, but she's very…clingy when she sleeps. I must confess that more than a little of that might have rubbed off on me over the years."

By the exasperated look on her face, I had no doubt that Rias could hear every word being said, but she made no move to deny them. Instead, she shrugged. "But of course. I have no problem with my Servants seeing me naked." A shrewd look flickered across her face. "Did you know that already?" she asked.

"I did," I admitted easily, prompting a laugh from her.

At length, after she calmed down, Rias cleared her throat. "Anyway…about your Sacred Gear."

I couldn't help but raise my eyebrows, even as Akeno drifted away from me. "So I really do have one?" I asked. Ultimately, I wasn't really that surprised, as I had no doubt that the Gormim would leave an ordinary guy in the world of the supernatural without some sort of edge.

She nodded seriously. "I sensed it in you when I found your body. It's fortunate that my last Pawn was Mutated, otherwise it might have failed. Do you have any idea what it is?"

"Not in the slightest," I answered, shrugging, "Though I somehow doubt that it's one of the Longinus."

"So you even know about those," Rias murmured, looking impressed.

I nodded, grinning proudly. "Of course. I love stuff like that, so I make sure to remember them. As for my own Sacred Gear, I'm not sure. I don't even really know how I'm supposed to go around activating it."

At this, Rias gave what seemed to be a relieved smile. "Ah, so it seems that there are some things you don't know. I was a little worried that there would be nothing to teach you."

"Haha," I laughed mockingly, "I don't really know anything about magic either, hint hint."

"Akeno can teach you in the future," she answered without pause, "But first let's see about unlocking that Sacred Gear, yes?"

I nodded and settled back in my seat.

"First, it's usually easier if you'd close your eyes." I did so. "After that, try focusing internally. I know that's not a good description, I suppose, but it's the only one that fits."

I imagined the inside of my body as a black abyss. Generic, maybe, but there was no need to be fancy. Still, I looked for a while without 'seeing' anything odd. However, after a while, I saw what looked like a ball of blue light, shedding sparks gently somewhere in my torso. Above it, lit by the light, was a scarlet pawn chess piece. "I see something," I murmured.

I heard the tiniest rustling from Rias's nod. "Good. Now, to awaken it, you need to imagine it. You can use whatever you'd like; a quote from something you once read, a motion of some sort, or even imitating an attack from an anime." There was a hint of teasing amusement in her voice which made my ears heat up.

Nevertheless, I found myself making a subdued sort of pose. My hands came together loosely; my left hand palm up with the fingers curled naturally as it rested on my right hand. It still didn't feel entirely right, so I tried to think of a phrase. Searching my memory took a little while, as it was full of things that I thought were cool. However, I quickly came upon the right quote. Focusing intently on the little ball of light, placing what felt like mental hands on it I began to speak, the words seeming to echo in the silence.

"...For it is in passing that we achieve immortality."

Almost instantly I felt an answering pulse from the Sacred Gear, and a warmth began to grow in my body.

"Through this, we become paragons of virtue and glory to rise above all."

The blue light and sparks suddenly became orange flames, burning brightly and illuminating my Evil Piece further.

"Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee."

The flames exploded, quickly expanding to fill the void inside my body and spilling over, suffusing the air around me with heat. Shocked, I opened my eyes, only to wince. The whole world was suddenly suffused with a confusing wash of colors which overlapped with everything else. "Uuugh, this is weird," I groaned, pressing my hands over my eyes. After a moment, I cautiously opened them again. There was no change, but now I was able to distinguish things.

Rias was shrouded in a black and red aura as she stared at me, nonplussed, while a pair of vaguely bat-like wings extended from behind her. Inside her chest was a glowing red chess piece, a King. Looking down at myself, I noticed that I could see my own Evil Piece easily with a small, translucent red string extending from it to Rias's King. I glanced back at her and asked, "Has anything about me changed?"

She nodded slightly, looking pensive. "Yes. Your eyes are glowing now, and I think the pupils have become slitted. More than that, though, there's...well…" She motioned to her back, her wings flexing slightly to my eyes. I glanced behind me, but didn't see anything except for Akeno, who was standing directly over me. The sudden invasion of my personal space made me yelp, jump up and take a few steps away. However, as I moved, I became aware of an alien sensation trailing behind me, originating from my lower back. Looking down and back, I boggled; hanging from underneath my shirt, undulating and swishing lightly, was a dark purple tail tipped with a spade.

"What…the hell?" I asked slowly, my brain momentarily stalled from what I was seeing. The tail- my tail -stilled as I stared. Mentally, I tried telling it to move, but it only twitched. It seemed that controlling it, if that was even possible, didn't come too easily.

"Ara, ara," murmured Akeno, walking over to me and squatting down to inspect my new tail, "A Devil with no wings but a tail? That's rare, isn't it Buchou?"

"Not so much rare as unheard of," Rias replied, frowning at the appendage thoughtfully, "Perhaps it has something to do with the Mutated Piece? I believe Devils haven't had tails since before the Great War."

I blinked at her, feeling somewhat foolish. "So, what? Have I been turned into some Devil throwback or some-AI!" I gave a loud, indignant and embarrassingly high-pitched yelp as several slender fingers suddenly closed around my new tail, sending a sharp, not all that unpleasant shock up my spine. My knees buckled for a second as I staggered and then looked around. Akeno stood directly behind me, looking as innocent as possible (which was saying something), albeit a little surprised. "D-" I stammered for a second, my heart pounding and my body shaking, "Don't do that!"

She stared at me for a moment, blinking in surprise, before she giggled. "Fufufu! Quite the jumpy one, aren't you?"

As I glared at her, I noticed something with my new vision. Like Rias, Akeno had a pair of long, spiky Devil wings that honestly did not look like they would be any good for flying. However, as I watched, they would occasionally flicker between that and a different shape; larger and more bird-like, with pitch black feathers that crackled minutely with visible electricity. I didn't need to ask to know the significance of that.

"Anyway," I sighed, trying to save some face, "It seems that whatever my Sacred Gear is, I think that it gives me a sort of 'True Sight' ability. I'm seeing all these weird auras around everything. I can also see both of your Evil Pieces. In addition, I can see that the King piece is connected to the others somehow."

Rias raised her eyebrows. "Is that so? Hm…it seems like you could be seeing magic. It's rare for a newly reincarnated Devil to be so…sensitive to magic already."

I felt my tail lash out at nothing. "Well, from what you've said, it's also rare for them to have tails."

"True," she admitted readily, smiling slightly, "Well, if your Sacred Gear ever starts showing any more…concrete abilities, let someone know as soon as you can."

"Of course. Though, by someone, I assume you mean someone in the Peerage, right?"

The redhead's smile became a playful grin. "Well, yes. I'd hate for Sona- you know who she is, don't you? –to get such tactical information before I do."

"Right," I grunted.

"Excellent!" exclaimed Rias, beaming now, "Akeno, if you would call the others and ask them to come by? I'd like everyone to meet our newest member."

Akeno bobbed her head. "Of course, Buchou."

As she bustled away for a phone, I sat back down on the sofa across from my new King. For a moment, we sat in silence, staring awkwardly at each other.

"So..." I began slowly, "...watch any good anime lately?"

Rias blinked at me, then grinned.

AN: I think I'll just leave it there. Here lies the close of Chapter 3 of CoG: Waking Dreamer. I'm surprised at how quickly this got done, honestly.

Not much to add yet, so Summary Time!

1. We start off with another dream sequence. If you can guess who/what my dream-self is, I will be goddamn impressed. Hints: I dwell in the ocean and am massive in size.
2. I wake up. Writing-wise, it probably doesn't make sense for an apartment to lack any windows, but oh well.
3. It's just not a DxD fic without someone waking up with a naked girl. However, because of the aforementioned absence of windows, I can't see shit.
4. Random groping around in the dark looking for clothes.
5. Surprise! It's Akeno.
6. Seeing as I already know about how the reincarnating thing works, I have no real reason to act surprised.
7. It should be pointed out that I can be pretty bad at keeping my own secrets sometimes. Like, if someone else asks me to keep a secret, then I'm pretty good at keeping quiet, but myself not so much.
8. I end up admitting to Akeno that I knew about Raynare all along. However, she kinda takes it the wrong way and thinks that my Sacred Gear has precognition, which it doesn't.
9. She gets dressed and teleports us to the Occult Club room.
10. Let's be honest: if I were get transported to an anime-verse, I'd definitely prefer it to be an Ecchi one above all else.
11. Akeno is pretty suspicious of my total nonchalance to the whole situation, which I admit is kinda justified. I just didn't see the point of pretending like this was something that I didn't already know.
12. Enter Rias. Honestly, I know that the school uniforms are supposed to be distinctive and shit, but who the hell came up with all that?
13. So yeah, Issei took up only 7 Pawns, while I needed one Mutated piece to be revived.
14. Aaaand I let the cat out of the bag. I know you guys will be skeptical of that choice, but I think that if Rias is gonna be my boss from now on, I shouldn't start our relationship off by keeping such a big thing secret. I like to think that I'm an honest person.
15. Rias takes the news better than would be expected. Considering how warmhearted she is towards her Peerage, I feel like this is how she would have reacted; as long as I'm a 'family member,' it doesn't matter to her where I came from.
16. The news that her world is a story to me is a bit of a bigger shock for her. The news that Issei was the main character, slightly more so.
17. AU detail No. 2: Akeno has picked up Rias's habit of sleeping in the nude. They have a 'tradition' of taking turns to sleep with new Servants. Rias slept with Issei, so it was Akeno's turn to be my...bed partner.
18. Now we're venturing into unknown territory. That is to say, my Sacred Gear. In case I haven't said this already, this is a completely original Sacred Gear. Issei still possesses Boosted Gear, though of course the Rias doesn't know that yet.
19. I was actually kinda excited for the Sacred Gear activation scene. What'd you guys think? Was it good? And how many of you recognized the chant that I used?
20. So, my currently unnamed Sacred Gear gives me a form of True Sight, allowing me to see if someone is a Devil, Angel or whatever. In addition, I can see auras on ordinary objects as well. Rest assured, though; this is not the only ability it possesses. There will be many more to discover, and I intend to abuse the hell out of them.
21. Also, because of certain factors, including but not limited to the fact that my Pawn is Mutated, my own Devilhood has manifested weirdly. Basically, instead of wings, I have a tail. I will show the capabilities of it in the future.
22. In addition, certain areas of my tail (to be specific, a foot or so just below the tip) are very sensitive, particularly if grabbed without warning. Big shock for me.
23. I can see Akeno's half-Fallen Angel heritage. That sounds kinda dirty, but whatever.
24. And yeah, that about wraps things up.

I already know what the pairings are going to be, but for now I'd prefer to keep it under wraps. Feel free to make guesses, though.

About my other fics: I HAVE NOT GIVEN UP ON THEM! It's just that this fic has captured my attention for the foreseeable future. Same with Create New Character, and even Boundary of Dragon to an extent. However, I still have plans for CoG NOT, ANKoM and all the others. It just might take a while before I am able to return my attention to them.

Also, to those guys who have been trashing CoG: NOT, I have only one thing to say: shut the fuck up.

Also, please look at Boundary of Dragon, because I'm pretty proud of it. Go on, look at it. It's cute. And leave reviews. Preferably detailed ones.

Dunno what my next fic update, but it'll happen when it happens.

Just a warning: I've gotten into Worm recently. If any fics for that start popping up, you have advanced warning.

As always, if you have any questions or comments, please leave a review or send me a PM. I doubt I need to tell you what to do if you don't like it.

North South out.