Key:

'Thinking'

"Speaking vocally"

Being reincarnated has its ups and downs, including but not limited to being in a child's body and not being taken seriously when you're a fully grown adult, losing all of your previous friends and family, and dying. All of which can be either positive or negative depending on the way you look at them, but last night was definitely the latter.

It had been a while since I had a true nightmare like that, but if there was any time for it to happen, it would be now. I had just discovered I, in addition to being in the DxD universe, was also 500 years in the past(A/N: See timeline at the end of the chapter for more info). 500 years before any peace treaty or canon, which destroys a lot of my advantages, but I do know that the Devil Civil War should be happening soon, if not already beginning. My situation reminds me of a fanfic I read, except I'm in a much different position than he was. Considering the powers I've inherited just from Shemhazai alone, I should be insanely powerful with some work and training. It'll be weird to walk into canon being one of the big boys- that's if I don't get killed in the next one or two hundred years, of course.

To be honest, it's hard to comprehend living for that long, especially when comparing it to a human's timescale. Hopefully, at some point, the years will start speeding up.

Several Hours Later

"Alright, Lu! It's time to do your energy examination!"

I tried to stand up and pack up my things from my desk as composed as possible, but I couldn't stop the smile that crept onto my face. In my past life, it felt like everything I did was motivated by being the best in it, somehow, and this was my first chance to, as dickish as it sounds, to prove I'm better at something than somebody.

My excitement had begun after my lessons yesterday when Penemue mentioned that because it was getting close to my sixth birthday, I had to do a series of tests to assess where I would be placed within the Grigori's academy system, which would take over my schooling. There were many academies inside the Grigori side of the Underworld, whose boundaries had recently been solidified after the Great War. These ranged from the highly prestigious and selective academy, Ramiel, to the less prestigious and established frontier academies who had been formed in the latter half of the Great War.

As for the tests themselves, they were almost entirely based on natural aptitude, which I should have in the bag, given my heritage. I would have to grind for the next few years, though, as this exam only decided my entry-level academy and there would be another, almost entirely skill-based, assessment when I was about 13. Thing is, though, I had way more knowledge about the academy system than the actual tests I would be taking now, which might be intentional.

After the fifth notebook that I managed to stuff into this stupidly small backpack, I stepped from the quite welcoming classroom/office of Penemue to the almost space station-like interior of the compound, following Penemue through its steel halls. Its' maze-like halls are where I've lived the entirety of my new life. Unofficially, it was named the Black Box, often shortened to the Box, and as its name suggests, it's a black site. It was in the center of a mountain range overlooking the Grigori capital, Stanael, and housed the entirety of the Grigori high command. Yet another remnant of the Great War, which hung over the Grigori like a specter, an event so traumatic that nobody ever seemed to talk about it. It felt a bit reminiscent of 9/11, except on steroids.

Following a trek to the upper levels of the facility, Penemue and I put our hands on a handprint scanner for two people, an unusual accommodation for just this room. I didn't think this would demand this specialized of a room. After a couple of seconds, the scanner pulsed green, and the metal door unlocked.

Before she opened the door, Penemue paused and kneeled down to me, a motherly smile on her face.

"Lu, you look like you're taking this seriously, which is a good thing. It's a big milestone for any child in the Grigori. But, you need to remember that this is but one milestone in your journey, and will not decide your fate. Shemhazai, Azazel, and I will always love you no matter what, ok?"

I nodded, prompting her to kiss me on the forehead and ruffle my hair.

"Good. Now let's get started."

Despite her antics, Penemue was a fucking great surrogate mom. I hope I will make her and Shemhazai proud. Azazel though...eh, I don't really care about impressing him as much.

Getting up, Penemue pressed a button on the control panel to open the metal door. The door parted in the middle, each of the halves going into the doorframe.

The room itself was bland, reminding me of an interrogation room in a movie with its two wooden seats and table. The only two exceptions to the standard were the currently black screen embedded into the concrete wall on my left and the large one-way window to my right. I guess maintaining composure was something that they were testing as well.

Penemue walked straight to the far side of the desk, sitting down while gesturing for me to do the same. Once I was seated, her demeanor became much more serious and business-like. She pressed a hidden button under the table, prompting the door to shut and lock and a red dot to appear on the top right of the screen behind me. I looked around for any other changes, but I didn't see anything.

Suddenly, Penemue began to speak in a monotone voice, almost as if reading from a script. It was a bit scary to hear her like this.

"We will now begin the Primary Grigori Abilities Assessment. I, Cadre Penemue, will be the administer of this exam and hereby do swear that there has been no tampering of the examination tools nor facility to my knowledge."

She took a breath, pressing the same hidden button, opening a hidden drawer behind her which revealed what looked like a portable handprint scanner.

She laid it down on the table before speaking once again in that dreaded tone.

"Please lay your hand down on this device before stating your full name and age."

I complied, before mustering the most serious voice I could.

"I am Lucas, son of Shemhazai. I am five years old, but my sixth birthday is in three days."

Penemue then pressed a button on the backside of the scanner, prompting it to turn green. I removed my hand, waiting for another instruction. This prompted Penemue to say another line of instruction, although it didn't seem quite as scripted this time.

"Please place your hand back onto the scanner."

Guess I had rushed it. Only a bit embarrassing.

Penemue pressed another button on the scanner, prompting it to turn yellow.

"Please begin channeling your maximum holy energy into your hand."

I began to do so, reaching for that invisible muscle that I had so reached for so many times in my past life, and now I could finally do it. I concentrated as much as I could, grabbing the still unfamiliar yet soothing sensation and guiding it to my palm, pooling it like I had done so many times in my present life, pushing myself to the limit. I felt my control beginning to slip, that inevitable feeling that you're going to drop something, yet I kept going and pushing. I urged the feeling to come out stronger, faster, I need to reach the end of this.

Everything began to hurt and beg for me to stop. My head hurt, and my arm began to shake. I didn't come here for this, and I didn't leave my family and friends just to fail on my first obstacle!

But, there it was again. That feeling of hopelessness and non-belief, just like I was a fool for even trying to pull on something so outlandish, so against what was possible. Who was I to distract myself from reality by trying to delude myself that there was maybe something more to reality? For trying something from an anime?

My eyes snapped open, my head lying against a table while someone with purple hair screamed nonsense into my ear. Everything was whirling around so fast, I couldn't lift my head up.

What happened? What is going on?

It all came back in chunks. I am Lucas, previously Dylan Walker. I was reincarnated. That purple-haired lady is Penemue. I am at a test to test my ability as a Fallen Angel. I had just passed out during that test.

I hoped beyond hope that the test was somehow done and that was the only thing I had to do, that I had succeeded somehow.

Luckily, as Penemue was about to lift me out of the chair and probably teleport me to the infirmary, I had recovered enough to get a few words out.

"Penemue, I'll be fine in a little bit, keep the test going, please."

She seemed concerned, but let me sit and recover. After a few minutes of waiting, my head seemed relatively fine. After I had recovered, Penemue settled into her previous tone, albeit not as firm and her concern leaked through.

"The final part of the examination will now begin. Please place your hand back onto the scanner."

I shakily planted my hand back onto the now white surface of the scanner as Penemue pushed another button. I breathed heavily, my head and the rest of my body recovering as more and more time seemed to pass by. After what seemed like an eternity, the white light faded away slowly and Penemue looked surprised with what she saw for a second before she steeled her face once again.

She looked up at me, allowing a small reassuring smile to grace her features.

"That concludes the Grigori Primary Grigori Abilities Assessment. You will receive your results and your choices for the academies in twenty-four hours or less. You are dismissed."

With that, I sighed in relief as Penemue put away the scanning device and pushed the hidden button under the table a final time. She almost instantly wrapped me into a bear hug, almost seeming to teleport through the table and grabbing me out of my chair to do so. She pushed me against her assets, cooing in my ear as she almost crushed me.

"How could you pass out like that? You had everyone worried to death, Lu."

I smirked as she set me down and ruffled my hair.

"I just like to keep things exciting."

Author's Note:

And that's it for Luke's testing! Let me know how you liked the somewhat meta-commentary. I read DxD fanfics and try to keep up with them, so it would make sense for me to compare the situation I'm in to some fics that I've read. Maybe I'll mix up my canon knowledge with headcanon? Who knows?

Please follow, favorite, or leave a review! Thanks for reading!

If anyone would like to beta, please feel free to PM me or add me on discord at Aegis#2118.

Rough Timeline:

~450 AD: The Great War begins

~1340 AD: Albion and Ddraig begin their conflict, halting the Great War

~1415 AD: Albion and Ddraig are defeated, resuming the Great War

~1450 AD: The Great War ends with the withdrawal of the Fallen Angels, the death of God, and the original four Great Satans' deaths

1511 AD: Lucas is born