AN: I figured I should say this now rather than later: I love the world of DxD! I love the characters, I love fights, I love Issei as a main character (he's just way too entertaining to be honest), I love the harem, and more! If I didn't love this series, or at least like it, I wouldn't be writing a story about it! So, take from that what you will, that's simply a heads up on how this story is going to go.

If you read this Author's Note, thanks, if not, that's cool. Let's rock!

How could the first day of school be so… agonizing? Every moment Rias wasn't attempting to recruit him, Adam was swarmed by unimportant girls asking even more unimportant questions than the red head did, and each one was even more personal than the last. What kind of high school girl asks a teen for his scent?

"Why was I placed in this universe…?" He clamped his hand over his mouth the minute he growled those words out and quickly looked around to see if anyone heard what he was saying as he walked on his way home.

That was another problem. His muttering was working against him in this new world, because almost every single important character had above average hearing and could hear his idle mutterings. To think, a habit he had developed over this life and the last used against him! Truly… "How fru-!" He stropped himself once more, scanned the area, and sighed. This was going to be harder than he thought.

He had already been caught in the act because he was muttering during his analysis of Rias and Akeno, which was how the half-fallen managed to call him out in class earlier, and if he wasn't careful enough, he had the chance of saying some damning things in front of very powerful people. How troublesome.

Moving on, he had a dilemma that he hinted to earlier: Rias's interest in him was greater than anticipated, and it wouldn't be long before she took more drastic measures. So, what could he do to prevent the red head from simply taking him? The answer was getting stronger. The 'how' was a bit more complicated than that though, and he came to three options.

Number one was the safest, but also the slowest, which was to join a physical club at the Academy, or maybe even working out at home. It would take the longest out of the three option, but it was the safest all around. He would get stronger in a way that the supernatural wouldn't have a reason to target him, and he would be able to fly under the radar much longer than the other two options. The downside was how long plan number one would take. By growing strength in a humane way, he would have to exercise and eat healthier than what he normally did. If he want ed to grow a lot stronger this way, he would have to sacrifice a lot of time, energy, and planning just to grow and stay in shape. Even then the human-accessible equipment just wouldn't be enough eventually. If a strong enough Fallen Angel or Devil (Rias) wanted to, they could easily take him with their supernatural strength anyways.

Option number two was Stray Devil hunting. He could walk around the dark and abandoned places of Kuoh at night and grow stronger by fighting or dealing with Stray Devils. This option was considerably riskier in a lot of ways. If Rias or Sona had someone keeping an eye on him, they would easily see him doing things a normal human wouldn't do, and they would know he was aware of the supernatural. That wasn't even mentioning the fact that his risk of death was incredibly high if he went hunting, and then there was the problem of whether all the Stray Devils were truly evil in the first place.

Seriously, think about it. The reason a Stray Devil mutated was due to the lack of regulation of the magic inside the Reincarnated's body, right? Wouldn't that mean that a strong enough individual would be able to regulate their own magic internally? Kuroka was the biggest example, how she was supposedly insane and malformed from the Devil magic in her body, yet she somehow wasn't. Was it due to her being strong enough to regulate said magic in her? Or was it due to some other unknown reason, like her species?

He sighed. If Adam knew he was going to DxD in his next life, he would've re-watched the entire series, maybe even read the light novels. That way he would've known all the answers instead of half-baking a bunch of random hypotheses. He wouldn't have enjoyed watching it, not much, but he would've done it regardless. Oh well, hindsight was 20/20 after all. Can't cry over spilled milk, or however the saying went.

He was on another tangent, he realized. Shaking his head to focus once more, he turned towards his final option: focus on magic. Human magic, to be specific. He didn't know much, but if he remembered correctly, human magic relied on calculations and manipulating the already present magic in the surroundings, yes? Meaning that he could learn the fundamentals and grow stronger through that instead. It'd be tough, but if he put his mind to it, there was a chance that he could become a decent mage by the time the story started. The biggest problem with the idea was actually learning magic. He didn't know where to start, not yet anyways, and he couldn't walk up to a known supernatural and just ask. If he was lucky he could order a book or something online, but then there was the problem of what magic he was going to specialize in. He wasn't a fool, he knew that learning one type of magic would all he would realistically do, as simply learning the basic calculations and formulas of a single element could take ages, let alone learning a second one at the same time.

He was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Analyzing his three options, he ruled out the first one almost immediately. He needed to get enough strength to be on par with the supernatural, and training like a standard human wouldn't give him the strength he would need.

So, there were only two real options. Hunt strays, or start learning magic. Get stronger physically, or get stronger magically. He frowned. Was there a way to get both? To have the cake and eat it too?

Hmm…

He could learn magic, and then use the magic to hunt strays. That way he could help himself get stronger in both ways! Increasing his magical and physical capabilities by combining the two of them! Genius! But… how did one even manage to learn magic in the first place?

Once more, he sighed. "This might take a while…"

Oh well. He finally focused on reality around him and found himself near home. He had a plan, so there was no longer any reason to worry. His very first step was simply learn how to 'do' magic. It might take a while, but Adam was determined. Whether it took him weeks, months, or maybe even a year or two, he would devote to learning how magic worked, and where to start!

"Hey what's going on guys it's your boy, 'SpaceyWiz' here with another magic tutorial! This time, we're learning water! With me is the water specialist herself, 'Lady Aqua!'"

He found it on DeviTube, on his normal computer, in his normal house. As he watched the very real magic being performed in front of his very eyes online, he couldn't help but wonder if magic and the supernatural really was a secret in the world of DxD.

After all, Devils constantly made deals with humans. The Roman Church was a very real thing, and when he 'Boogled' it (God these rip-off were going to give him a migraine), there was news of a Holy Maiden literally healing people, like actual gashes and blood-spilling wounds, with her 'faith.' There was even a video on DeviTube called 'Blonde Holy Nun Heals Broken Hand! (REAL!)' with hundreds of thousands of views! The video showed everything! Asia was just… there! Healing away!

WHY WEREN'T PEOPLE FREAKING OUT?!

He checked the comments and it was filled with people calling the videos fake and such, but still! There was evidence right there that proved magic was real! Was he going insane or something?! There had to be a reason, right? There had to be a reason why the general populace didn't know about the supernatural, right? Actually… why didn't he find supernatural videos earlier in his life? He had used quite a bit of DeviTube-the replacement for YouTube-for his stories. He listened to music, watched podcasts, and even had an account on the website. How did he not find any hints of the supernatural before? Was there some sort of magic laced into the very website? His fingers twitched, urging him to start writing about this new revelation.

Adam took a deep breath to calm himself. Focus. He needed to focus. Going back to the video, the guy and girl explained the very basis of what human magic was and how it was different than other magics.

Well, turned out he was 100% wrong. There was only one calculation involved, and it wasn't even that complex.

…

He should start from the beginning. Merlin Ambrosius was the founder of the 'Life-To-Mana Theory,' a simple calculation that transfigured a human's stamina and vigor into pure mana. Then, with a focus point and enough 'intention' (willpower, essentially), the mana would then gather a nearby element and allow the user to manipulate however they wished. Apparently, each item a magician used as their focused also changed how easily they could manipulate certain elements, such as a staff made out of oak wood would allow wood to be manipulated and conjured easier than any other element. Extremely skilled mages were able to even make the elements out of thin air, instead of having to rely on nearby sources. And yes, there were more than just four elements. Past Fire, Water, Air, and Earth, therein lied many more forces of nature that could be manipulated, complicating a relatively simple magic system, such as Ice, Wood, Lightning, and more.

This dumbfounded Adam. He searched his memory to see if DxD ever had such a system, but he couldn't recall a single detail if such a system truly was in the source material. He could've sworn that a magician had to dedicate so much of their lives making calculations and manipulating already present magic into their own ability! No, he would've bet his life on it! To see a completely different system in place of that slapped Adam harder than anything else! It was confusing, new and unexpected!

...

He smiled. No, he did more than smile. He was grinning from ear to ear, and his left hand began to twitch, begging to be used to write! This was unexpected! It was new! It turned what he believed and flipped it on it's head!

IT!

WAS!

"UNPREDICTABLE!"

His smile was so wide, he was sure he looked like a madman, but at the moment Adam didn't care. Things were different! He didn't have to constantly wonder if things would follow the same clichéd story or not, because he had finally found something that directly conflicted with his knowledge of DxD!

This! This new magic system, one completely unknown to him, filled the teen with such curiosity and wonder that he couldn't help himself! He began to laugh! "PHUHAHAHAHAHA! THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN MISSING!"

"Honey, are you alright?"

Adam turned his attention to his door, where his mother stood, a worried look on her face. "Your Father and I heard you laughing like crazy. Did something good happen?"

Unfazed, he rushed to his mother and gave her a bear hug. "Oh yes Mother! I have discovered that the world is so much more than I once thought!" He let go of his stunned-but smiling-mother and pulled out his notebook. "There is so much to write!" Yes, this was what he was looking for! A new system, a completely new idea brought forth from unpredictability! This was the inspiration he was looking for! It was NEW!

Without anymore hesitation, he dropped everything he was currently working on, flipped to a new page, and began to write. His pen going a mile-a-minute, ideas flooding into his head, and he couldn't help but smile wider than ever. This changed everything. No longer would he be forced to assume the story would be followed in his new universe! No more were his thoughts shackled to the chain that was predictability! He was nervous and apprehensive about the discovery, the unknown being much more intimidating than the known, but he didn't care. Yes… With this, he knew… "Nothing will ever be the same!"

It was the second day of school, and Sona was working on the paperwork in the Student Council Room. She idly wondered why there was so much paperwork when school just began, but she decided it was more efficient to simply do it than sit back and ponder. She and Tsubaki had been working on the them for the last two hours (she said she wouldn't waste time complaining, but a small part of her mind wished the rest of her peerage was in high school already), and she noticed that her Queen was beginning to look a little unfocused. "Tsubaki."

Said Queen turned her gaze towards her King, "Yes President?"

The Sitri Heiress looked at the clock and asked, "The school day has just started. Accompany me in patrolling the campus before classes start."

The long-haired beauty blinked, then smiled. "Of course, President."

Without further hesitation, the two stood up and exited the room and into the hallway. It was a good idea that Sona had enforced a number of times already. Whenever the current situation proved to be too stressful, she would often take a walk to clear her mind. Now that she was the Student Council President, her walks had the double affect in putting the public at ease. Plus, she would always be able to spot irregularities as she and her Queen would walk.

"Does Adam-kun look different compared to yesterday?"

"He looks so much more approachable!"

"Ah, I miss his steely gaze! I want it back!"

"No, he's hotter like this!"

Of course, such an irregularity known as Adam Suzuki was also on her radar. His mannerisms, the way he talked, his mutterings, it all seemed like he was a man with secrets. He was polite and interacted with his classmates, but the rumors were already spreading: he was an Ice Prince, one who would use his intellect to get what he wants, no matter what. So when she saw the man in question practically skipping through the courtyard, she couldn't not approach him. "Suzuki-san?"

Said man turned to face the two, and Sona had to admit, she was caught off-guard by the warm look on his face. "Good morning, Shitori-san. It's a wonderful day, is it not?"

The two girls gave each other a confused glance before they turned their attention back to the boy in front of them. "I...suppose it is. Did something happen lately?"

He paused, finally losing the warm smile on his face, but instead was replaced with an inquisitive gaze. After a moment, he nodded and said, "Yes, I suppose if anyone would understand, it'd be the two of you."

That sentence raised Sona's suspicions so much that they were off the charts. Did he just discover something? Her musings were answered when he asked, "Tell me, have either of you been bored by the monotony of the daily life?" He turned towards the sky and asked, "Or have been placed on a path that you had no choice but to walk? To have an outside force make you dance to it's tune, ignoring your own personal desires?"

Both blinked, completely caught off guard. However, Sona couldn't help but understand what he meant. "...Yes, I do. For the longest time, my family and sister would force me to do things and gave me a future I despised." Immediately her marriage agreements flashed into her mind. "Have you… broken off this path?"

Adam fixed his gaze back to the two of them, but his smile and warmth filled eyes were back. "Yes, I have." He pulled out his notebook and began to write, but as he did, he continued to explain, "You see, ever since the day I was born, I already knew how my life was going to go. I already knew what was going to happen to me, and that feeling doubled down on me when I arrived in Kuoh." He stopped his writings and snapped his book shut. "I had truly believed that my life was one big, predictable, horribly cliché story. I thought I knew the story beats, I thought I knew everything. I thought my life was over, before it even began." He sat in silence for a minute, his normal steely look in place, before his eyes brightened and his smile returned with a vengeance. "But then!" He thrusted his arms out and spun around, and the look on his face could only be described with pure euphoria. "Everything changed! My entire world was flipped on it's head, I had finally found what I was looking for! A way out of this horrid life!" He gestured with open hands and asked, "You both understand, yes?!"

Tsubaki was actually the one who spoke up, a small smile on her face. "Yes, I know exactly what you mean. President, she… she helped me escape my prison, so to say." She nodded back, "So I completely understand. More than anything, it's… refreshing."

Suzuki's mouth opened in pure shock, before he laughed and-did he just pick Tsubaki up? "EXACTLY!" Sure enough, he had scooped the surprised Queen right off her feet in a bear hug and began to whirl her around. "I am finally free! I can finally do what I was born to do! To think someone would share my feelings, it truly makes me joyful!" He set Tsubaki down (who was now a complete and utter blushing mess.) and turned towards the Sitri Heiress. He opened his mouth, but…

*Ring!

Adam blinked. "Oh, that was the bell." He shrugged, pulled his notebook out, and began to walk and write. "Well, I must be off to class! It was a pleasure talking to the two of you, but I must go! I do not wish to be late after all!"

Despite his incredibly cheerful and friendly attitude, Sona couldn't help but feel worried. Just what did he find to cause such a drastic change in mood? Was it dangerous? Was he dangerous?

There was one thing for sure though, if he hadn't known about the supernatural before, he definitely knew about it now. Whether he was a threat or not was still unknown, and maybe it was just her paranoia talking, but she had a bad feeling that Suzuki was going to do some very concerning things in the future.

In the near future, to be exact.

Sona turned towards her tomato Queen, who was still shell-shocked. "It would be improper of the Student Council to be late, Tsubaki."

The blushing Queen nodded. "Y-yes, President." A little unsteady, she followed Sona to their classroom.

Sona sighed. The day had just started, and she was already exhausted.

Rias watched unashamedly as Adam Suzuki kept writing in that notebook of his. It was almost lunch, and the boy had yet to put his pen down, ever since he sat down in the morning. Even when she tried to talk to him, he answered without slowing down. Even when the teachers had called on him, he had simply answered without ever stopping, going so far as to bringing his notebook and pen to the board and writing both on the board and his notebook at the same time! Just what happened to the boy that caused him to act in such a way?

Well, listening to the rumors that circulated around seemed to answer more than enough. He had come to some sort of revelation either earlier in the day or the day before, and he had been in such a good mood that nothing slowed him down, including the Student Council. And yes, Rias was definitely going to tease Sona about it later.

*Ring!

Oh, that was the lunch bell. Maybe she could finally get a proper answer since he would stop to eat, right?

Right?

"Adam-kun, are you-Oh my apologies, may I call you Adam-kun?"

Still writing, he nodded. "As I stated yesterday, I do not care what anyone calls me, so go ahead."

She smiled. Progress! "Are you going to eat?"

For the first time since he sat down in the morning, he turned to give her a very confused look. "Of course not. Why?"

Now Rias was confused, and a little worried. "It's lunchtime."

His confused stare continued. "And?" He continued to write as he stared at her.

Alright, she was more than a little worried now. "Shouldn't you eat something? You seemed so hungry yesterday, are you not today?"

He chuckled. "Oh Rias," First name already? Yay! "Something as simple as skipping lunch is nothing compared to this!"

Her eyebrows narrowed and she frowned, "You would risk starving just to write an extra word?"

"Yes." No hesitation. He turned back to his journal, his pen never slowing down.

She frowned, got out of her desk, and peered over his shoulder. "What is it that you must write about? What is so important that you can't even eat?"

He covered his notebook with his arms and body instantly. "I cannot tell you, it isn't ready yet."

Now, he had her curiosity. "Alright, can you at least tell me what you're writing?"

Adam seemed to mull it over for a second before he sighed, closed his notebook, and finally gave her his full attention. "It's not finished yet, but I'm writing a story. I'm aiming to become an author, after all."

She blinked. "An author? That's it?"

He narrowed his eyes at her. "What do you mean by 'that's it?' Were you expecting something more grand?"

She struck a nerve. "No, I did not mean to-"

"My oh my Rias, picking on poor Adam-kun?" Both eyes turned towards Akeno, who was listening in on the whole conversation. She gave a serene smile and turned to Adam, "Please, ignore her. She was raised by rather high class people, she doesn't understand non-extravagant...anything, as a matter of fact."

"Akeno!"

Adam ignored her outburst and seemed to be mulling over what her Queen said before he sighed and nodded. "Very well, all is forgiven."

He then flipped open his notebook and was about to write when Rias blurted out, "What kind of story is it?" He paused and once more, all of his attention was on her. She continued, inquiring, "Is it a romance? A fairy tale? A poem of some kind?"

He grew a smile. "I knew you were intrigued, but to be asking an author about his unfinished story is like asking him to model while he's still getting ready. It's a bit rude, is it not?"

She blinked. Was that so? "Oh, my apologies Adam-kun."

He gave a small chuckled. "It's fine Rias. But know this!" He pointed a finger at the red head and declared, "When I finish this story, you, and everyone else in the world, will be begging for more! It will be that good!" He looked off into the distance, a determined smile on his face. "There will be movies, music videos, spin-offs, but none of them will compare to my original story! I will be known as The Best Author, the one who changed the world with his incredible mind and empathetic heart!" His hand was reaching out, almost as if he was trying to grab something, and he yelled, "It will be mine!"

He blinked, snapping himself out of it, before he nodded and started writing once more. The conversation was over. Rias heard Akeno giggle, "It seems like he has some lofty ambitions."

She nodded, agreeing with her Queen. "Indeed Akeno." She licked her lips, "That just makes me want him to join our club even more!" Yes, Rias knew Adam was special, and his drive certainly helped Rias believe that the boy was more than what he seemed. "He would be a perfect fit!"

Adam, ignorant of it all, continued to write. He had a story to make, after all.

AN: A little on the shorter side, but this felt like the perfect time to end this, so I did!

Quick rant: How come the minute I post a story with "cliche" in the title, I suddenly find three different stories that start off with a character bemoaning about a cliché or some shit?! Did I happen to remind you all that the word exists?! Geez!

Boom, what'd you all think of the magic twist?! Adam is now completely aware that this DxD is different compared to the original! In case anyone doesn't know, Merlin actually discovered a technique about "reading the flow" of magic, and using calculations and cause & affect to change and manipulate already present magic. This New Human Magic System is COMPLETELY different, and I have plenty of ideas regarding it! What do you all think Adam will specialize in, if anything?

Moving on, thank you all for the reviews, ideas, and critiques of this story! It's so fun seeing all of your ideas and stuff in the reviews! If there's anything you have a problem with in this story, or if there's something you just don't understand, don't be afraid to leave it in the reviews! I read each and every single one of them!

Finally, don't forget to Follow and Favorite this story if you all enjoy it! Doing so keeps you updated on when I upload another chapter, and it makes me happy seeing proof that you all like this story!

…

Nah that's a lie, seeing so many people Follow and Favorite just gives me a massive ego.

Edit: So, I changed a few words regarding the magic system, because I realized that I had worded it incorrectly! For old readers, there are no more 'sub-categories.' Each type of magic is brand new, and magics that are similar to each other are just easier to wield. For example an Ice mage would find Water magic a lot easier to use than Wood magic. You'll get a better discussion soon enough!

That's it for this chapter, thanks so much for reading and have a good one everybody!