Hello everyone and welcome to the first chapter of this story.

By the way, thank you very much for checking it out. It's my first ever story written and published on this website, so you can guess that I'm relatively nervous about its reception.

Anyway, I'm not going to bother you any longer. I'll just tell you that more informations regarding the story are available at the end of the chapter and I wish you a pleasant reading. :)

Quick reminder: Highschool DxD is the property of Ichiei Ishibumi, Miyama-Zero and Fujimi Shobo. I do not own anything in this work of fiction except the original characters, and I'm not even sure about that...


PROLOGUE: Wind of Change

Ahhhh Istanbul… True footbridge between Europe and Asia, your history is as glorious as your architecture. Thanks to your strategic location, your rich past puts you in a position of real asset for whoever settled in your lands. This craving resulted in a list of prestigious rulers, legendary battles and historical events, far too many to be summarized in these few lines, among your several owners as time flew by (Greeks, Persians, Romans, Ottomans, Turks…). You managed to grow into a complete geographical, economical and cultural crossroad between the two "old" continents, enriched by such wonders as Topkapı Palace, Blue Mosque or the Hagia Sophia. There is still a lot to say about you, but to quote the French writer Alphonse Lamartine: "If one had but a single glance to give the world, one should gaze on Istanbul."But most importantly, dear Reader, this city is where our story begins, by a calm autumn day…

Istanbul, Turkey, 12th of October 2007

10:37 AM

Today just feels like another day in the old city of Istanbul, emphasized by a calm and warm weather under a dim sunshine. And while the streets were soon filled by a sea of people circulating into their daily life, one voice seemed out of the ordinary.

"Woah, this city looks amazing!"

This sudden outburst, which made more than one person turn around in surprise, came from what can be referred to as an uncommon sight for most passersby. Indeed, its source was none other than what appeared to be a young girl, whose age could be guessed around her mid-teens, dressed in a traditional Japanese Shinto priestess.

The wandering eyes could see her outfit consisted of a white kimono robe, also known as a kosode, a magenta hakama, white socks and a pair of geta sandals. This outfit looked a little bit loose on the tiny figure of the young girl, who looked like she couldn't be taller than 154-155 cm (5'1ft), which was emphasized by the large suitcase next to her. A cascade of soft-black hair fell to her waist, with two pairs of red beads clearing the sculptured oval of her face, while brown eyes were sparkling at the city's sight.

The young girl, after her curious exclamation, began to walk towards the city's center, dragging her heavy luggage with all her strength, unaware of the startled glances she caused. Her thoughts were focused on another subject, the very reasons why she found herself alone in a foreign country after traveling for several days as a clandestine immigrant, hidden inside a cargo ship. Feeling a shiver up her spine at the mere thought of her departure, it faded away as soon as she was brought back to the real world after hearing some commotion in the adjacent street.

Attracted by the noise, she found the remains of a larger crowd, with people discussing left and right. The girl, curious about this, decided to approach and to address herself to an elderly woman next to her.

"Ummm hello?" At the sound of that voice, the woman known by her friends and families as Emel, turned around to be greeted by the sight of the young Japanese girl.

"Sorry to bother, but could you explain to me what is going on here?" asked the girl to the older woman. Emel, after eyeing this young foreigner for a few moments and surprised how fluent she seemed to be in the Turkish language, finally greeted her.

"Oh, excuse me young lady." began Emel. "I was lost in my thoughts for an instant. Everything happened so quickly; it's difficult to immediately put into words. But if you wish to know…"

Kader Street, 10 minutes earlier:

Today seemed like any other day in the picturesque little path known as Kader Street, where everyday's life was mixed with the potential tourist bus and other vehicles taking this road to reach the city center. Locals were used to this and thus always paid attention to the potential danger coming from the road, either from pedestrians' or drivers' side.

However, not everyone is concerned by such things.

On this day, Friday 12th of October 2007, an event took place; the repercussions of which would slowly shake the current state of a supposed "imaginary" part of the world. And it all started with an event concerning only the inhabitants of Kader Street, when Mehtap, daughter of the Devrim family, was almost run-over by a luxurious white limousine.

Everything happened in an instant. As the little girl was crossing to return to her parent's flower shop, some noise coming from the roofs caught her attention for a brief instant; where she managed to see the glimpse of a moving form. At the same moment, the sound of a running engine made itself known as a limousine emerged from the top corner of the street, with a speed far superior to the regulations. But just before the impact, a large shadow arose and caught her at the last moment before reaching the sidewalk. The car didn't stop for an instant and just continued to roll until it left the street, as people rushed to Mehtap. They could see that the little girl cradled in the arms of what appeared to be a currently kneeling large man.

The man laid Mehtap on the ground and then rose up to his feet, allowing people to observe his appearance.

He then began to walk, but fell almost immediately flat on the ground. The most observant will have noticed that his shoelaces were undone...

An awkward silence then settled, ruining the prestigious aura which surrounded this man, as he got up again while emitting a disappointed groan. Once again, those who paid the utmost attention would have heard him mutter "My rescue..." in a crushed tone.

"Wait that's all?!" exclaimed the young girl, who introduced herself to Emel as Yoshikawa Yui. "But what happened to this mysterious man? And to Mehtap? Who was that reckless driver? Did he or she get arrested for this obviously attempted murder?! Ah, if I could get my hands on him or her..." expressed the Japanese teen while mimicking each person she mentioned before choking the air in an exaggerated way.

Emel, sweating a bit before Yui's demonstration, tried to answer her questions the best she could. "Well, Mehtap isn't injured. She fell unconscious when she saw the car next to her; but that's it. She must be with her parents in the shop across the street." Now knowing this, Yui's face cracked a small smile, glad to know the little girl was unarmed.

"I don't know who was this driver, and neither do the others. This kind of vehicle rarely takes this path; it's mostly used for tourist activities. And I share your opinion: this thug should be immediately arrested for attempted murder." This time, Yui's face formed a pout after learning the current status of the driver, while nodding when Emel condemned the driver's actions.

"Finally, if you're still curious about that man, I might have more details to share with you." added Emel with a sweet smile.

"Really? Like what?" expressed the young girl with an enthusiastic tone.

"Well…"

As the commotion started to cool down, some of those who witnessed the scene started to pay more attention to this mysterious hero, who had his back turned from them as he was getting up from his "surprising" fall.

The most striking feature was the size of that man, who must be about two metres tall (6'6 ft) and highlighted by an imposing stature; which made people guess he might have possessed some defined muscles underneath his clothes. His neck length jet-black spiky hair looked unkempt, with one particular strand sticking up in the air like an antenna at the top of his forehead.

From what they could see as he turned around while holding the back of his head, his outfit consisted of a slightly tattered black shirt that has known far better days, black jeans which were also torned up in some parts and a pair of dark and muddy construction boots. A heavy-looking backpack could be spotted at his feet after his fall.

But his most "flashy" garment was definitely a black leather jacket with red outlets along its sleeves and spotting the embroidered drawing of a laughing representation of the Grim Reaper, holding its scythe while pointing towards those who were looking, on its back. Underneath it, people could read the words "Reaper Inc.", which stood for the brand's name, famous for its extravagant designs.

Finally, when the man's face was finally uncovered, people noticed the pair of dark sunglasses currently adorning his countenance, adding to his mysterious aura and concealing his full facial expression. Among other things, his features seemed to indicate he looked younger than what his stature made him appear; looking more like someone in his late teens than a full adult.

When people started to ask if he was ok, he put on a tight smile while trying to look relaxed and simply answered by another question, which was…

"Where can I find a fez-selling store?" repeated a stunned Yui after Emel's own words. "He really said that ?!"

"Indeed young lady!" followed Emel. "I was in the same state of shock as you. Still, I think this young man was serious when he said this. He acted a bit awkward with all of us but other than that he didn't look dangerous, even though his peculiar choice of clothes made him appear a bit 'edgy' as you youngsters like to say. It's a shame that you just missed him leaving. I think he went in the direction of…"

But as the older woman continued to speak long after answering Yui's initial inquiries, she didn't realize the young girl had stopped paying attention to her after her stomach made its presence known; followed by the arrival of a delicious smell which instantly captivated her nostrils. And as her mind slowly began to focus on this new discovery, she decided to act in order to satiate her hunger.

"Oh, that was really fascinating." instantly said Yui, cutting Emel off. "Lady Emel, thank you very much for answering all my questions and more. Maybe too much... But now, if you will excuse me, I need to go. I pray for you to have a wonderful day and that we can meet again in the future."

Surprised by the youngest's sudden outburst, the eldest responded calmly. "I do hope we meet again. And thank you for brightening my day a little bit more. It's not everyday I see someone like you; and I commend your fluency in the Turkish language. It reminds me of…"

"Uh? Oh yes… People always told me I had a 'magic' tongue. Anyway, I gotta go. Bye!" cut Yui in a vaguely preoccupied tone, before running in the direction of the smell, holding her suitcase by the right hand while waving at Emel with the left one.

And, as the older woman watched the younger one running in the distance and making more than one head turn in her direction, only one thought came to her mind at that precise moment: 'This day is not like the others…'

Meanwhile, in an adjacent street to our previous location, a figure stands concealed against the wall, eyes fixed to the petite form of the young Japanese girl. When she finally left their sight, they slowly lifted one hand to their right ear, before a small light circle suddenly appeared between the index and the earlobe. The figure then spoke those words: "Boss, I think I found another one…"

12:12 PM

As the sun reached its zenith, the young Japanese girl continued to wander around the city, still looking for the delicious aroma she smelled earlier, fuelled by her thirst for discovery…

*gurgle* "Muuuuu… Where are youuuu?!"

...or by her stomach's laments.

This chase had slowly led her to the city centre, where she found herself lost in the shuffle as streets got more and more crowded.

However, as our young heroine was ready to give up, life reminded her that it could show kindness even in the "worst" moments; when Yui once again smelled this familiar vent, which came from a particular direction, where she saw a light in the distance, leading to her promised land: a kebab shop.

In a sudden rush of adrenaline, she ran straight to it, lifting a cloud of dust behind her while managing to knock over a dozen of people with her petite figure, now knowing what kept her this strong: the power of an unknown meal!

Meanwhile, in the Golden Sands Kebab Shop, the day seemed like any other for the owner, a large tanned man with his "trademark" handlebar moustache who liked to call himself Chief Salim, until the door slammed open, revealing a now out of breath young Japanese girl in traditional clothes, moving forward with pure resolution in her eyes.

Now in front of the cashier, who was none other than the owner himself, she said out loud, slamming her hands on the counter: "You! Please tell me what is that wonderful smell emanating from this place?"

Chief Salim, whose jaw was hanging after the tiny brunette's entrance, tried to answer her question the best he could.

"Well… This is a restaurant, so I guess your attention must have been caught by our meals' fragrance. Have you ever tasted a kebab miss?"

"Kebab you said?" pondered Yui in return, intrigued by this new culinary discovery.

"Indeed." he replied, with far more ease than before and a smile worthy of the best businessmen, now knowing a possible new client has just appeared. "And if YOU wish to have one, YOU are definitely at the right address; because I can assure YOU that this fine establishment has the BEST kebab dishes in all of Turkey!" he exclaimed with exuberance, twirling his moustache while grinning at the girl's naivety.

Yui, after putting some thought into the cashier's words, came to the following conclusion: 'Oh, it must be a local specialty! I should accept this clerk's proposition in appreciation for his help… But also because it looks quite tasty hehe!'

"Sir, you have convinced me! I'd like to try one of these kebab meals you promote with so much vigor."

"Wonderful, but don't call me sir. I prefer Chief Salim!" proclaimed the cashier in a loud voice, which strangely enough didn't seem to annoy his clientele, since he was a familiar figure of the district known for his extravagant demeanor.

"Now we, at the Golden Sands, propose a wide selection of dishes, from worldwide known varieties like döner or shish kebabs to our own personal recipes. So feel free to explore the vast universe of my restaurant!"

"Oh really?" said Yui in an intrigued tone. "Then let's see…"

And as the young girl was busy studying the menu in front of her with the over-expressive owner who waited by playing drum fingers; they didn't notice the looming figure of a "heavy" bald man getting close to them, more precisely approaching the brunette from behind with a look on his face not matching that of someone who simply wanted to order.

Chief Salim was the first to pay attention to the newcomer, who he recognized as a local thug, famous for his constant crave for women's attention, which led to several discontinued molesting accusations.

And just as he slowly understood the meaning behind the thug's approach, the vile bandit put his plan in motion when he moved his left hand to grab Yui's bottom.

Upon the contact, the young girl immediately froze when she felt the touch and as she saw the form of an arm closing to her from the top, she acted promptly.

In a matter of seconds, the customers witnessed the scene of a short woman in foreign clothes catching the descending arm of a much larger man before pulling it forward over her shoulder, lifting him off his feet in the process, twisting on herself, before throwing him harshly to the grounds, all while she yelled "Defensive art: Modified Ippon-seoi-nage!".

"Ha! Take that, you filthy molester!" shouted the brunette while pointing fiercely at her defeated opponent. "You shouldn't have underestimated the might of Yoshikawa Yui, heiress of the Yoshikawa clan!" she then followed this statement by aiming her finger to the roof and pressing her right sandal on his face. "Now, you should repent for your past faults. And if our paths crosses again, prepare yourself for an even more painful outcome."

She then proceeded to reach her large suitcase before opening it to rummage through, until she found a tiny brown purse. Now humming lightly, she returned to the counter as employees took care of removing the knocked-out body and calling the police for them to take care of him.

"Sorry for the previous inconvenience, but I made my choice. I would like to taste this delightful-looking one with the tomatoes and peppers." she said with sparkles in her eyes. "How much does it cost? 1,000 yen? 1,500 yen?"

"Uuh, miss…"

"What?" responded the young girl. "Listen, I'm willing to bargain for 2,000 yen top, but that's it. If you ask for more, it would sound foolish in my opinion."

"No, it's just that we don't accept this currency. My humble establishment, like most of the other businesses here, only takes the Turkish lira as valid payment." explained Chief Salim to the Japanese, whose only reaction was to open her eyes wide, mouth agape, as reality finally hit her full force.

"Oh r-r-really?! In that c-case…" she then bolted straight to the door, grabbing her suitcase in the process, before bowing to every person in the assembly.

"I am so sorry for what happened here. I feel ashamed for being unable to pay you and I shall therefore take my leave. I hope you will forgive me for acting without proper conduct and I wish you all to live a wonderful life. Farewell!"

Yui then opened the door with great force and immediately took off without looking behind her, not even realizing she rammed the said door on someone's face.

Chief Salim ran after the young girl, trying to reach her in vain "Wait! Miss, please come back!" as he soon was out of breath, pondering how someone so small could run so fast.

"Ah.. Ah… she shouldn't have left. After what she went through, I would have at least given her a free meal. I hope she will be okay…"

Returning to his restaurant, that's when he noticed a crouched man holding his face next to the entrance. Presuming he was the one impacted by the door, he decided to approach him "Excuse me sir, but are you alright ?"

The man got up from his position to look at the kebab shop's owner, towering him from his imposing size, answering his answer with a grunt while pinching his nose. This situation made Chief Salim far more nervous once he took note of the man's appearance, comparable to an angry punk with a pronounced taste for skulls drawings, as he began sweating and slowly retreating.

"Listen, I don't want problems." he said with a hint of fear in his voice, his moustache tips now falling off. "What can I do to help you?"

The tall man, intrigued, moved closer and then began to speak with the chief, who was secretly praying for this day to get back to normal.

05:42 PM

The sun was now beginning to descend over the city, where the Topkapı Palace stood proud in all its glory, dominating the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus strait, making sure to remember to any visitors why this museum was once the Ottomans sultans' former residence.

Those visitors would be none other than the hordes of tourists trying to enter the building, as the massive doors would soon close for the day and the last visits were underway, in which our now established young heroine found herself mixed up, still looking for a proper meal.

As her tiny legs continued to carry her on an endless quest, back arched, suitcase dragged by the handle while staring vacantly into space, she finally collided with an unknown object, making her fall on her derriere.

This sudden shock brought her back to reality, looking up to notice that the "unknown object" was another human being, with a slightly irritated expression on his face rather than worry for the knocked-over girl.

"Oh, excuse me good sir! I was lost in my thoughts and I therefore didn't see you. I hope you are not hurt in any way." said the young girl while bowing to the stranger, who wore a black trenchcoat with a black trilby he was pressing on his head, a cigarette at the corner of his mouth.

"Don't worry girl. I'm perfectly fine." he stated, narrowing his eyes in the process. "In fact, you can say I'm pretty lucky, bumping into you…"

As he said those words, more figures with the same set of clothes, who were hidden in the crowd, started to approach them.

At the same time, something caught the attention of the young Yoshikawa about the stranger. 'Wait a minute… The aura of this man…' she began, as she closed her eyes and focused solely on the person opposite her; who she now saw with a vivid emanation covering his body.

Her reflection continued, as she came across more details surrounding this manifestation. 'It doesn't fit for a human. This color and energy is more akin to…'

And just as the clad figures were about to reach her, she suddenly expressed the conclusion of her pondering out loud "A Devil?!"

A sly grin appeared on the man's face "A good guess, but you're a little bit too late kiddo…". As he said that, Yui then noticed the other figures who had surrounded her, sharing the same kind of aura as their possible associate.

"What do you want from me? I have done nothing wrong!" she expressed, as fear slowly began to spread within her.

"You are probably right, but our 'employer' wishes to meet you…" the man said, as he commenced to walk towards her "...for some 'business talk'." The tone he used did nothing to ease the young girl's spirit.

Watching him getting close to her position, Yui began to turn her head in every direction with the hope to find an escape but resigned herself as nothing concrete came into her field of view, with the exception of another silhouette, further away than the others, noticeable for what looked like a cavalier hat with a large feather on it.

Now back against the crowd, with assailants encircling her by all sides, only one thought came to her mind in that precise moment: 'It's-do-or-die!'

"Sorry, but I don't think I want to meet your superior. Instead, you can have this!" she suddenly yelled, following her statement by twisting on herself while holding her suitcase, before lifting it in one go, creating a large cloud of dust between her and her aggressors.

Playing on this distraction, she immediately plunged into the crowd, trying to put as much distance as possible with her new enemies; managing to move with an impressive swiftness between the people and curious onlookers, mirroring the same surprised looks she received since her arrival.

"Shit! Quick, go and capture her. Now!" yelled the smoking clad man with anger and a hint of stress in his voice, as some of his comrades rushed after the brunette, moving with far less smoothness than the new fugitive.

Trying to think of a new strategy, his train of thought was stopped when a hand fell on his right shoulder. Turning around, his eyes fell on the hat-wearing figure from earlier, whose body was concealed by a dark blue silk cloak.

"Oh, boss! It's you…" started the now-identified henchman, who quietly started to quiver at their touch. "Listen, we-"

"Hush!" cut his superior with a harsh tone. "I don't give credit to your apologies! I want this girl and trust me, I always obtain what I wish."

They continued with confidence, while eyeing them from under their hat, revealing a pair of calculating light-grey eyes."After all, I didn't 'hire' you to fail, am I right gentlemen?"

Their underlinks just nodded at them, with the smoking one gulping at the same time, fully aware of what happened to those who failed to meet their employer's expectations.

"I'm glad we agree on this," they stated with confidence. "That's why I want to do your very best with the new target."

"A new target? But what about the girl?" exclaimed the smoking Devil.

"Your 'friends' who are currently chasing her should get the job done. At least that's what I hope for them…"said the concealed mastermind, hinting at the threat behind their words. "You, on the other hand, will take care of the second target."

"A second target? Since when did another candidate get reported?"

"About three minutes ago, when I noticed his presence among the other lowlifes composing this crowd" proclaimed the leader, this time with disgust. "And just like the girl, he sticks out like a sore thumb." They then proceeded to point at him, making their subordinates look in the same direction to find the familiar face of a tall dark-haired man, wearing sunglasses and a leather jacket, currently observing the palace's walls.

"You mean that weird punk over there?" asked the smoking one, surprised by the choice of his superior.

"Yes! Him! I don't sense magic emanations from him, but he definitely looks like someone with potential." proclaimed the hated figure, while cursing through their teeth: "By the Satans, why am I surrounded by such idiots…". "So, just do your jobs and catch him. But be careful, he might have a Sacred Gear." they warned. "Now hurry, he's leaving! And you better not fail again like your previous travesty, or else…"

"Yes Sir! I mean Ma'am! I mean… Let's go guys!" exclaimed the one with the cigarette as he began to run with his acolytes in the tracks of their new target, who was busy walking away from the museum, in a different direction than the first chasing group.

"Uhhh… I think I'm going to have a headache pretty soon." lamented the hated person while massaging their hidden face. "This day better brightens my plans or I swear I will explode!" they now spat with anger, before adopting a more relaxed attitude. "Now, where did that brat flee to?"

09:50 PM

Night had fallen on the Sublime Porte but the day was far from over for several people, including an out of breath japanese teenager, still hunted by a bunch of enraged Devils.

Back home, she had learned quite a few things about the devil species, most notably their state of weakness when lit by the sunlight. This particular shortcoming drained them of their energy, reducing them to the power level of a normal human; at least for most Low-Class Devils as the stronger and higher ranked ones weren't that much affected by it.

That's why the girl used the last hour before the sun set to put as much distance between her and her pursuers as possible; knowing that when night will settle in, her advantage will be lost. She ran all over the city, using her small size, flexibility and impressive stamina to get rid of these Devils, who looked more like a hound of rabid dogs than anything else, by taking actions like plunging into crowds of people or hiding inside different shops and other boutiques. The fact she managed to last these long while running in a pair of elevated wooden sandals is a bonus factor which needs to be taken into account.

But as time continued to run out, her hopes to escape without being harmed became more and more slimmer as the Devils got their strength back, leading her to be stuck in a dead end, exhausted, with pursuers around the corner.

'I don't have many options left.' thought the young girl, once again back against the wall. 'No escape this time, I have to face them.' Breathing in and out, she reached inside her kimono to grab the key part of her new plan. 'Now focus Yui! This is your last chance…'

And just as she finished her preparations, the Devils finally arrived in the cul-de-sac. "Well well well… It looks like the end of the road for you, girlie." said the leader of the pack in a cocky manner. "You put up a good fight so far, but it seems your luck ran out."

"Finally!" breathed out one of his comrades. "That little wench made us look like fools for hours! If the boss hears about it, we are as good as dead…"

"That's why we will make sure the boss never hears about it! Or at least not in such a demeaning formulation." retorted the leader with annoyance. "If we emphasize the girl's endurance and tenacity, I'm sure the boss will forgive us for the delay. In fact, maybe we will even be rewarded for capturing such a promising commodity!" he then confidently followed.

"But first, let's take care of our ticket to wealth." He then redirected his attention to their target. "Now don't play difficult girlie; after all, it's never good when you spoil the product."

The three men started to move forward, hands raised, forming light-blue magic circles bearing the seal of a crowned owl at their center; which helped Yui realize something: these Devils weren't just a bunch of kidnappers… They were working for someone important, probably a High-Class Devil or someone similar.

The girl did not flinch when they began to move. Eyes locked towards them, fists clenched, she spoke a few words to try to resolve the situation peacefully. "I will ask you one last time: leave me alone! Or be prepared to suffer the consequences of your greed…"

"Ha! Empty threats like yours are cute. But don't make this difficult; it's better for all of us." laughed the leader who, blinded by his own confidence, didn't notice the several rectangular slips of paper surrounding him and his cronies until they all stood in a row. "What the-"

"Prepare to pay for your affront!" shouted the young girl while sticking out her right index and middle finger at the same time. "O-Fuda: Exile's Barrier!"

Just as she said those words, the scattered slips of paper marked by a kanji started to glow, before a white light wave consumed the three devils in a short instant. When it finally faded out and Yui opened her eyes, the scene was now composed of three badly burned men on the ground, with smoke still coming from their wounds.

"Huff...Huff… It-it worked!" exclaimed the brunette with surprise, shooting her hands in the air while jumping around to celebrate her achievement. "Haha! I did it! I defeated three Devils at the same time."

She then moved closer to her conquered opponents, with a not-so-subtle newfound cockiness. "You now know what happens when you mess with Yoshikawa Yui. Make sure to remember it. Yui rules!" she shouted before sticking out her tongue at them, far too happy of her feat.

But reality made sure to bring down the girl's excitement, by making her remember a detail about this trial. "Wait a minute… Weren't there more of them back at that castle?" she pondered aloud, not aware of the person eyeing her until hearing the sound of heels clicking on the ground.

"My, my, my… You did quite the number here." said the newcomer as Yui lifted her head in surprise, now watching a dark-blue cloaked figure wearing a large hat with an even larger feather on its side. "These fools made a grave mistake by underestimating you. But in the end, they got what they deserved. I'll have to replace them; I swear, you don't know how difficult it is to find qualified staff nowadays..." said the figure with a visible lack of care in their voice, which sounded quite feminine in the young girl's ears.

"And who are you supposed to be? Their so-called 'boss'?" retorted Yui, clearly tired of facing another possible new foe.

"Ooh, so you are a cheeky one huh? Interesting…" "she" replied as a smile takes shape on "her" face. "But to answer your question: yes, I am the employer of the lowlifes who tried to harm you. However, I prefer when these idiots call me with a more proper qualifier considering their position, such as… 'Master'."

At those words, she felt like her heart stopped for an instant as the theory she hypothesized earlier came back to her mind. "Are… Are you a Devil noble?" asked the now scarred, taking conscience of the threat she was facing if her intuition was correct.

Instead of answering her question directly, the figure simply lifted "her" hands up to "her" hat before removing it, revealing the face of a beautiful young woman with delicate features, highlighted by shoulder length azure blue hair and a small mole on her left cheekbone, adorning a smirk as her light-grey eyes were lock on the girl. "Indeed! It looks like your little brain works really fast compared to these idiots." mocked the woman before speaking in a more dignified tone. "My name is Cynthia Stolas, heiress of the House of Stolas, ranked as Marquis among the other 72 Pillars of the Ars Goetia. You can refer to me as 'Milady', but I prefer 'Master', so you can get used to it quicker."

Startled by all these revelations, the young Yoshikawa started to get more and more infuriated by this obnoxious woman standing before her, who was the reason behind her sufferings for the last hours. "What are you insinuating? If you think for a single second that I am going to let do as you please with me, you can stick your silly hat up your… your…" proclaimed the tiny girl, looking for a proper punchline to conclude her tirade before settling with "Up your big pretentious owlish butt!", proud with this "pertinent" comeback.

"Why are you lowlifes always so difficult while facing your inevitable destiny?!" expressed Cynthia with fake dismay. "Fine! If you want to make this difficult, I'll play along." she declared, moving her right hand forward, as Yui also readied herself for the fight. "But you need to know…"

Immediately after saying those words, she snapped her fingers in a provokative manner, followed by a pair of big creatures which fell from the roofs on the young Japanese, crushing her before being lifted by their strong arms. In pain, she tried to take a look at her new attackers, eyes widening at their appearance, similar to dark bulky gorillas with glowing purple eyes.

As the combined weight of the impact and tiredness from the day, Yui began to lose consciousness as Cynthia approached her, smiling proudly before concluding her previous statement. "... I always get what I want. That's how I manage my business, and it never failed. Now you know why, my new little merchandise…" she stated, as Yui's eyes closed on a night which was far from over.

A little bit earlier, on the opposite side of the city, near the port, a curious scene could be observed for those who dared to enter a specific alley, which consisted of four badly injured men, locked inside a trash can, looking like they received the beating of a lifetime. At the end of it, a tall man with a messy mane of spiky black hair was looking at the docks with a large backpack at his feet, as he munched at something while pondering at loud "Mhhh… So what do I do now?"


Congratulations! If you're here, it means that you read the entire first chapter of Highschool DXD: Path of Shadows (or that you skipped the story just to reach this part. I don't know how to take this…). I hope you had a good time!

Now you might have some questions about the story. So I'll give some details as a reward for finishing the chapter (especially if it was a bad experience, I don't want you to feel like you lost time by doing it).

1) Is this story about a self-insert OC? No.

2) Is this a Reincarnation/Isekai kind of story? No.

3) So is this story some kind of DXD AU? Yes.

4) Is this story set in the canon timeline? Technically yes. If my memory serves me right, Canon starts around April, but from which year? Only time will tell… ;)

5) Are Issei, Rias and the others still part of the story? Yes. One specific character will be missing, but don't worry, a lot of newcomers are here to entertain you !

6) Will Issei get his harem? Yes, but with some tweaks

7) But who is the MC of the story? You'll get the answer in the next chapter. So you better stay tuned! (I'm a true master of foreshadowing… Sarcasm!)

But what about- Hey! I think that's enough for today. Next chapter, I will give you more details, happy? Meanwhile, you can review this chapter, whether it's positive or even negative. I'm open to criticism, so if you dislike something, feel free to tell me so I can learn from my mistakes. However, only constructive criticism is accepted. If you just want to be mean because it's fun, please close the door while you're walking away, because real life is already depressing enough.

Anyway, before I go, I want to give a huge shout out to my buddy Dunedan who inspired me and motivated my lazy ass to get this work done. I highly recommend you to read his stories, in particular his magnum opus "The Roots of Hope". If you are looking for a DXD fic with humour, action, romance and a good emphasis on mythology, I have just three words: GO READ IT! (And one more imaginary cashed cheque)

That's all for now ! Thank you once again for your attention. I'll try to post the next chapter as soon as possible (Please don't look at my profile ! Please don't look at my profile ! Please…).

In the meantime: Have a nice day!