1. And so it begins!

"What do you think?"

I stared at the man sitting across from me. His face had an ethereal beauty to it, and his languid smile could melt hearts. His eyes were a smoking red coloured hue which added to his supernatural quality.

And yet, my mind registered him as not a friendly face as he offered a deal as reparations for killing me accidentally.

"I don't think there could be anything better one could offer in my place. A chance to live a life in a new world. A different world. A world you are familiar with, and a world not limited by the mundane mediocrity but fuelled by fascinating powers and more. All created out of sheer human imagination. A world of fantasy. Of your own choosing. What could be better than living a new life in that world with additional boons to tide you over?"

The man before me was not human. I distinctly remember standing on the top of the Austrian Skybridge. I saw a purple hue in the sky and suddenly a sharp pain radiated within a split second.

The next thing I knew, I had apparently died. My body was burnt to a husk and I was told this man was somehow responsible.

A trip to celebrate successfully finishing my studies led to a fatal trip to the Alps. Truly, nature adores the mockery of ambitions!

"But if you can send me to a new world, why can't you reinstate me back in my old one?" He asked as the handsome man smiled sadly.

"That is because the natural order of that world binds us from divine interference. I cannot affect your life, nor can I affect your death even if it was caused by a mistake."

I was still unresolved. "Can you not offer anything else?"

The Being sighed. "The only other compensation I can offer you is to wipe your slate clean and send you to heaven, but that will be as a husk of your former self. Your memory will be wiped and you will be just a pure soul devoid of your past memory. Heaven does not allow taints on a person's soul, and I don't think you would be happy being sent to purgatory for hundreds of years to cleanse your soul."

I shook my head. There was nothing he could do, which felt like a shorthand for hand waving other options away. After all, how can I know if he is lying! How could I be certain there were laws in play that denied me a life in this world again?

"Fine!" But it seemed idiotic to refuse a somewhat benevolent entity and not seek maximum compensation for your loss.

"A new life in another world sounds great, but I want to know more."

The man smiled as a fat book floated from the sky and fell on the table.

"Here, you can go ahead and read it. Time is immaterial on this plane, so you know, take your time!" The man softly smiled as I leafed through the pages.

What was written here was unbelievable. There were contracts and stipulations for every single choice and every single world I can think of.

I looked up as the man smiled.

"Yes, every single world you know of. The book is self-updating. Every choice you make and every boon you will seek. There are stipulations to what is and what is not possible. Let me know when you have decided. Alternatively, there is an option that uploads the information in your head. Just click on the bottom of the spine."

whoosh*

When I opened my eyes, I had decisions to make. What world did I want to choose? I had no choice but to leave my world, but going to a world where I forfeit my modern amenities does not sound comfortable.

When the man offered choices, he literally meant infinite choices. There were worlds that exist where all realities shown in media like movies, TV shows, anime, comic books, manga, etc. exist. There were worlds which were exactly the same, or worlds which were slightly different. These worlds were all choices available here.

And I had no idea what to choose.

A world like Game of Thrones would be cool, but then medieval worlds were not the best ones or the easiest.

Fantasy worlds would be nice, but I cannot just jump to this new challenge with the mindset of a modern civilised man. These fantasy worlds tend to be dog eat dog worlds, and I am not sure I can live in that world on the first go.

"Can you suggest some options? I would very much like to go to a world where fantasy and magic exist. But I don't think I can survive in a fatalistic world."

I asked the man who smiled. "That was a very mature request, given most of the candidates who come here choose the option to go to worlds like Naruto or Dragon Ball, and end up getting killed within weeks, sometimes days."

He nodded. "I can recommend some worlds where you can use the time to learn the ropes like those tutorials in RPG games. If you want, I can extend a dedicated Jumper package."

I immediately recalled from the contract that Jumper package was something that would allow me to enter different worlds of my choosing. I could choose to dimensionally travel to those worlds, or I could be "inserted" into these worlds.

And no higher beings or authorities monitoring such changes in the timelines or divergences could detect me. I would have what people in Worm Universe call the Blank power. No precognition or divination could find me, or detect a change in the time stream due to my actions.

That honestly, sounded quite promising.

"Very well. I am in. Can I choose my world, or is it a choice that is made for me?"

The man shrugged. "You can make your choice. We don't care either way what choice you make."

I closed my eyes and thought carefully about my options. I imagined every speck of detail as I heard a clicking sound.

"Very well. Your choice is locked in. This concludes our business. I really regret the circumstances that led to your demise, and I sincerely wish you the very best on your new adventure."

*Floop*

I felt a suction around the center of my body as I closed my eyes expecting pain.

I felt none of that as my body squeezed through a microscopic hole and I felt my consciousness pulled by an incorporeal hook on my belly.

The tunnel around me shone in iridescent colours as the bright hue blinded my eyes, or whatever I used to see.

The sounds were echoing past me as I felt the cold winds pushing against whatever physical form housed my consciousness.

The tunnel slowly faded into a muted tone as the sounds faded away into a distant echo. The pull on me lessened as I felt heaviness over my body.

My eyelids wanted to flutter, but I had them snapped shut. A cold sweat dribbled down my temple to my neck, as I was cognizant of my position lying on my back.

My eyelids fluttered open as bright light almost blinded me. A soft lyrical chirp was heard as my eyes adjusted to the light in a room.

The room was vastly bigger than any room I have lived in. The four poster bed was made of expensive hard wood with intricate carving and silver embossing. The room was tastefully decorated with archaic portraits and opulent furniture not unfamiliar with aristocratic accommodations in Europe. There was a window open on my right from whence the light shone brightly in all its morning glory.

I stood up as I lifted the soft duvet and the layers of fur blankets spread over the softest mattress with silken covers. The floor was made of hard wood tastefully matching the other décor. The window frame was old and archaic with thick curtains spread open.

I peeked through the window as I admired the sight before me.

The sun shone brightly over tall trees and a dense foliage that surrounded a vast meadow that looked like old hunting grounds. The trees looked ancient from their thick stumps and massive spread. There were some horses and animals visibly grazing as people were seen guiding the animals and what could only be livestock.

If not for the garish animals that could only be supernatural.

I closed the window as I stared at the glass découpage. It was a massive snake coiled around a tree bearing a single apple.

I smiled as I turned around and memories of this body flooded in. A lifetime of memories suddenly entrenched itself into my mind as I instinctively knew about the outcome of my choices and my desire.

I was Aracxus, son of Gefrit Stolas and Califred Berith, the last Heir of Houses Stolas and Berith, two of the Seventy Two Pillar Clans. I was a Pureblood Scion of two extinct Pillar Houses in the world of a perverted shonen anime called High School DxD.

The time was 1989, about twenty years before the canon story of the anime starts with a perverted Human reincarnated as a devil with a powerful hidden ability granted by the trapped soul of one of the strongest dragons that is claimed to even defeat gods.

The powers that brought me here allowed me to make certain choices about what my identity shall be as well as any auxiliary powers that could be considered as a part of my Beginner's Package.

I had watched the anime and knew a few of the future plot lines as well from casual browsing. And the Powers-that-Be that gave me this ability decided that I shall have certain tasks to complete to gain more books and incentives.

Once I have accomplished certain missions or tasks, I would be allowed to move on to a new world and continue with all my current powers and abilities carried forward.

With such an easy option, I knew I had to choose to become something that gave an edge. This was a chance to live for eons and become powerful enough to secure my safety.

The powers cannot allow overpowered abilities, as I cannot simply ask to become omnipotent or gain nigh unlimited strength. But working for my power was completely possible.

And despite a few weaknesses inherent to devils in this world, becoming a Pillar Devil was a very good starting point.

My memories told me about my family situation. Both parents are dead, and no blood relations left alive after the Civil War between Satan Descendants and the current ruling government. There is nobody left alive, save for my ancestor, the first Stolas who stays in the ancestral manor of House Stolas and watched over me until I was ten.

As a Pureblood Devil, I was a rare devil who inherited the Pillar abilities from both my mother and my father's side.

House Stolas grants an aptitude for shapeshifting, especially turning into a raven or an owl, along with aptitude for alchemy magic.

On the other hand, my mother's Pillar Clan, House Berith offers an instinctive use of gravitation and earth elemental magic.

As their son, I inherited both the powers of Houses Stolas and Berith, and that was why, my ancestor from my father's side, the original Stolas took me in when the rest of my family died in the Civil War.

House Stolas left me in my ancestral home secluded from the outside world for decades, even centuries, as Berith Clan Head died after sending me and my mansion into a separate dimension cut off from the time stream.

I woke up two years after the new satan Ajuka Beelzebub helped Agares Clan Head to restore us into the correct time stream, and my ancestor negotiated with the new Satans about the formalities of joining the Underworld once again.

For centuries, House Stolas and House Berith have been declared extinct, and as expected, it was a surprising news when not only the houses were no longer extinct, but as the only scion of two pillar houses, I had been born before the Civil War, and yet lived only for thirteen years due to the time dilation of the dislocated temporal dimension.

My ancestor had trained me as much as he could on House Stolas' powers before slumbering into a long sleep.

We had several staff members tend to the ancestral property that was trapped in the dimension. On the other hand, Sirzechs Lucifer told us that House Berith was vacated as its land was under the Government's control when no legitimate heir could claim the property. The few possessions of the family were sealed in the ancestral manor and sealed in memory of the lost Pillar. The remaining land was divided among several other Pillar houses.

The servants had long since left with no master, and the wealth was added to the New Government's treasury.

Sirzechs Lucifer was the Satan of Domestic Affairs and had sent all the documents to allow our claim on our rightful property. Ajuka had also unsealed the Berith Ancestral Manor as it was untouched by external factors.

Knowing that wealth from my mother's family would be difficult to claim, I let the servants who had been trapped with us in the temporal dimension help us, as they were loyal servants to Stolas. They would manage the economics and set our affairs in order, while I would meet Ajuka to claim my Evil Pieces and attain my High Class rank.

All this information and the current situation was reported by my memories as I stood still absorbing all these memories and what they entail.

I would take my time to ruminate on our current situation.

Until I was sure of the current status quo, I would bide my time preparing for the dominoes to fall in the 2000's. Until then, I had time to prepare.

There was a knock, as a maid opened the door. "Good Morning Young Master. Breakfast is ready, and your meeting with Satan Beelzebub is scheduled for eleven."

I nodded to her. "Thank you, Mira. Has the purchase order for the Roost sent to the Menagerie in Lilim?" I asked as I remembered that I before waking up had asked Mira, my personal Maid, to choose a good seller to buy a good strong breed of owls and ravens for our Owlery.

The maid nodded as she held out a hand as a small gray magic circle appeared over her palm conjuring a piece of paper.

"Here, Young Master. The Menagerie in Lilim sent part of the delivery yesterday evening. The delivery of ravens was completed first, owls are set to arrive by this afternoon. Bird feed was sent to the granary in a separate section and the groundskeeper will be responsible for feeding the birds."

I nodded. "I will visit the Owlery when I return from Lilim today. Do I have any other meetings for today?" I asked as Mira shook her head.

"Nothing is scheduled for today. Your Magic Teacher has referred a devil for teaching you modern code of conduct. They will meet with Damian today and let you know the shortlisted candidates."

I nodded. "What about the other teacher I asked for? And has the library been moved for normal books in the Berith Manor?"

Mira replied. "We have four candidates currently as a teacher for other academic subjects to acclimatise us with the current fashion and affairs of the past after our disengagement. Tomes from House Berith have been combined with House Stolas' family library for common to rare books. The rear aisles have been left untouched and I supervised the transfer. There were no problems."

Mira left as I nodded back. I asked questions as normal, and remembered the inflections in words and phrases when talking to her.

I ensured my pitch was unchanged from my memories, and I spoke with the tonality expected of aristocracy as taught in this body's memories.

I shed the silk covers and freshened up, all the while my mind kept rehearsing this body's mannerisms and behavioural tics.

I stood before the mirror as a supernaturally adorable face stared back. Silken raven locks framed a childishly cute face with signs of a sharp jaw and high aristocratic cheekbones. Purple amethyst eyes stared back curiously at the reflection as I brushed my hands to feel my soft and supple skin.

I was divinely beautiful, supernatural in appearance and perfect in form and feature. I knew I would grow up to be a seductively handsome man as I registered my height around five feet eight which would be normal in Scandinavian countries or in Pacific Islands, but definitely not as a thirteen year old in Asia.

I had a lithe build, as this body hasn't had a need to exercise when gifted in two Pillar Magics.

That shall change hereafter.

For now, I would maintain the status quo and not alarm the servants who might find something odd about me. Like the Bard spoke for Richard III. 'Dive thoughts. Down to my soul.'