In the end, I held off on accepting Azazel's offer.

I couldn't really refuse outright. The man was sincere, and was even willing to foot the bill for tuition and give me some of his fancy Grigori gadgets to help me out with the language barrier. When I refused, since I wanted to learn Japanese properly, he paid for even more lessons.

I knew that from the little I've read of High School DxD that Azazel was a particularly cool guy; status as the de facto leader of the Fallen Angels aside. He was calm and collected, gregarious almost to a fault and a guy you could rely on if you needed help with anything.

What I didn't know was how kind the dude was.

In hindsight, the fact that he was willing to take care of Vali without asking for anything in return was already a pretty decent sign. But keeping my ass fed and clothed in his luxury apartment? Letting me get into whatever hobby I want and paying for it? I wasn't used to this type of treatment. It messed with my mind. Even when I told him about just how I got here, and the whole game system I woke up with, he didn't dismiss my shit as the mad ravings of a lunatic.

I hid it by throwing some snark at the man, but I was touched. I was always taking care of people, not the other way around, and because of it, I was never really on the same wavelength as everybody else. This type of stuff was something I've never really gotten used to.

I still didn't know if I could believe in myself as much as he believed in me, and I felt bad for being ungrateful enough to not go for it. But the fact he believed in me that much was crazy to me.

It made me hope that there was a bit of good in me too.

—As I flipped the pages of this manga I randomly pulled out from the shelves of this manga café, sitting in one of the booths with a bowl of curry right in front of me, a blue window suddenly appeared right in front of my face.

System Alert!

The skill Language: Japanese has reached rank C!

I smiled.

Finally. Rank C.

After a week of studying Japanese by repetition and doing worksheets, numbing my brain in a way ten shots of tequila never could as I grinded my way to Rank E, I found out reading and listening to Japanese stuff could also raise the language skill.

Suffice to say, I abused the shit out of that mechanic by reading manga and watching anime as much as I could.

—I stood up, the tray of curry in hand as I walked back to the counter to return it.

I was more or less skipping in glee, considering how happy I was.

I figured out my language problem and also found out some stuff about the system.

I haven't really touched my stats just yet, but when it came to skills, they were honestly pretty easy to understand. "A" seemed to be the highest value you could get, with "E" being the lowest and the most basic rank.

Take my two language skills for example. When I had an "E" in Japanese, I was a total beginner, only capable of saying token phrases and basic sentences, but with my "A" in Italian? It gave me the ability to speak not just fluently, but articulately to the point I could probably wax poetic with the language and write books if I wanted to.

With my Japanese at "C", while I wouldn't be winning writing competitions at my current level of mastery, I was fluent enough in both writing and speaking to not embarrass myself in middle school.

And I pulled this shit off in just three weeks.

It definitely made me wonder. What if this applied to combat skills? If I trained MMA, would I be winning world championships after just a month of training?

It was definitely an intriguing prospect. But in hindsight, I shouldn't have been thinking about this while I was walking in a crowded manga café.

"—KYAA!"

System Alert!

You've gained the skill Cold Resistance!

The skill Cold Resistance has reached rank E!

Fuck my life.

"Sorry! Very sorry!" The girl in front of me repeatedly bowed in accented English, the curls of her silvery-white hair bouncing along with her generous assets at her every attempt of apologetic supplication.

She was honestly very cute. Really cute. Like, the same type of cute you'd see on TV, dancing to some bright pop beats as she belted out rapid-fire Korean. The same type of cute you'd see taking the world by storm, conquering the airwaves one heart at a time on live television. It made me realize I was in DxD all over again, 'cause you don't see girls like these outside very often. Especially girls with hair as white as snow and eyes that look brighter than sapphires.

"It's fine, it's fine." I responded in fluent Japanese, waving her away.

Honestly, it was my fault anyway. I shouldn't have been fucking around with the system while walking.

She looked at me, surprised at the fact I spoke Japanese most likely, judging from the way her eyes widened.

"R-Really? Let me buy you a new shirt at least, it's the least I can do."

I shook my head. "Nah, if anything, I should be saying that to you. You took the time to wear a white dress, and now there's curry all over it."

"But—"

"No, let me—"

"I'm sorry, but—"

""No!"" We both said it at the same time.

We stopped.

Did…

Did that really just happen?

I stopped, and snorted, before finally laughing, and soon enough, she was laughing with me.

We looked like a couple of idiots.

Well, I probably did. The way she tittered and laughed sent my mind into overdrive. In my head, we were already married with two kids before I shook myself out of it.

Teenage fucking hormones.

It honestly worried me.

What if the exact same thing happened the moment I met someone like Akeno? Or Rias? I was never really that good with beautiful women in life, I'd be dead on the water.

"...I'm Finn. Finn Tsukigawa. It's a pleasure to meet you." I smiled as I introduced myself.

"I'm Hanakai Momo. It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Tsukigawa-san."

Hanakai-san chuckled.

Never thought I'd argue with someone who spilled soda all over my shirt quite like this.

"Look, I'm sorry for the dress. It looks good on you, it's a shame I ruined that for you. Really." I said, scratching the back of my head.

"As I've been trying to tell you a while ago, you're forgiven." The girl smiled. "You speak Japanese very well. Where are you from, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Oh, before I got here? New York." I answered. Can't say I missed the smell of piss and raw sewage. "How about you?"

Her eyes twinkled in mirth as she answered, "Japan."

I cracked a smile myself.

From the way we were talking, we sounded like a sample problem in a workbook for basic Japanese, and from the way she was trying to hide her amusement, she caught it too.

"The weather sure is nice, isn't it?" I said, choosing to take the plunge.

"Almost as nice as whatever hobbies you have?" She fired back, having caught on.

"It's as nice as whatever sport you obviously do."

She chuckled. "I play volleyball. You?"

"Well, I did a bit of martial arts. I learned how to dodge and protect myself. Didn't think I'd ever be trying to protect myself from a can of ice-cold Pepsi though."

"I think it looks nice on you. It's a nice splash of color." She said, before giggling.

I smiled.

Consider the ice broken.

After the time we spent outside the manga café, we went to the local mall to buy new clothes.

The mall was sleek, all glass and steel, with see-through elevators and its metallic fixtures giving it an industrial but modern look. The sun shone quite readily through the glass, illuminating much of the interior without the need for artificial light.

From families to groups of students enjoying their summer vacation, there was a veritable sea of people plodding along the marble tiles of the place.

"—Divine Nectarine isn't even in the running, it's basically just softcore porn!" Hanakai protested.

"And College of the Dead isn't?" I challenged. "The amount of panty shots and gratuitous fanservice doesn't make it any better, but people love it anyway. Divine Nectarine's got the same shit, but it talks about themes like nationalism, power, love!"

Hanakai seemed like a nice girl, all things considering.

From the little I remembered of her in the original series, I knew she wasn't part of Issei's little gang. She was part of Kuoh's Student Council. She wasn't the type to overwhelm someone in conversation, but she wasn't all that passive either. Quick as a whip, and from the way she fussed over my shirt as we bought each other replacements from this universe's version of Uniqlo, conscientious as well.

But what I didn't expect was how much of a nerd she was. Or how weird her taste was.

"—That doesn't put them on the same level. The way College of the Dead handles sexuality is far more tasteful than Nectarine does! There's a reason why College of the Dead's anime adaptation was so beloved even though it only had a single season!" Hanakai continued.

Like, College of the Dead? Divine Nectarine? Those were this universe's versions of High School of the Dead and Shinju no Nectar. Raunchy titles with fanservice for days, and in the case of Shinju no Nectar, it may as well be erotica with how blatant it showed actual sex on the pages.

"Plus, in the span of two volumes, College of the Dead managed to fit four subplots! Nectarine could never do that, it's linear to a fault when it comes to its narrative!"

Crepes in hand, I continued to walk alongside the girl, taking small bites from the one on my right.

She looked cute with how passionate she was. Even cuter, since she was in a sleeveless mini-dress that barely cost me 2000 yen.

Thank god for Uniqlo.

"Hey. Are you even listening?" Hanakai asked heatedly, her hands on her waist.

"I am, I am. I just… I just found it interesting how a beautiful girl like you knows about this type of stuff in the first place."

"Why? Is it because I'm a girl?" She responded, raising an eyebrow.

I snorted. "I would've asked the exact same thing if you were six feet tall and had a dick the size of a greatsword."

She playfully punched my arm as she laughed at that.

She was a breath of fresh air, Hanakai. Funny how things changed when these characters weren't characters anymore, but people to be heard.

People to be understood.

In the show and in the light novels, her role was simple. She was just one of Kiba's many fans. As the story progressed, she became one of Saji's.

I didn't know anything about what she liked, what her dreams were, and it confused me.

The effectiveness of my knowledge of this world predicated on things remaining the same. I didn't know what I wanted to do with the second chance I was given, but if I didn't want to get caught up in the plans of Khaos Brigade, of the countless evil fuckers in this universe, things had to happen the exact same way.

But just like Azazel, there were sides to these people that I didn't know.

"—Honestly, I didn't like them at first." Hanakai began.

Her voice cut through the din of the crowds, bell-like in its clarity and sweeter than honey in its tone.

"I told you about my job as a secretary for the Student Council, right?" She asked.

I nodded.

"Sona-kaichō confiscated some manga from one of the students in my first year. It was College of the Dead." Hanakai continued, her eyes wistful as she did so. At first, I thought it was just like the magazines my little brother tried to hide from our parents. A perverse piece of text that had no place in the civilized world."

I kept silent.

"Until I actually gave it a chance and read it." She finished.

I thought I knew beauty well enough. While I haven't had a lot of experience, I've met a lot of beautiful women in my previous line of work. I thought myself relatively resistant, even if my dick and my 16-year old brain gave me lapses in judgment from time to time.

Until she smiled.

It wasn't the type of smile that would send forth a thousand ships. It was toothy, far removed from the elegance, the manners she showed when we first met.

It was flawed. It was warm. It was probably one of the most authentic things I've ever seen.

"The way those characters solved their problems, the way they tried to live no matter what despite how different they all were individually, the way they all came together to be unlikely heroes in their own right. It resonated with me. I don't think I could be a hero like Tadashi, or even a strong and confident woman like Saeka. I don't even know who I am. But, well…"

She laughed.

"I'd like to think those stories gave me a pretty good direction nevertheless. So, what do you think?"

Hanakai stopped, pushing out her prodigious chest as she smiled, her hands at her back.

"Do I sound reliable now? If I don't like your answer, I'll make your time in Kuoh Academy hell the moment you transfer." She said, giggling as she did so.

The way she talked so animatedly, it all felt so alien to a fucker like me.

I was used to feigning interest, to hiding my true thoughts behind a veneer of courtesy and professionalism. To hide everything, from my intelligence, my capabilities, my love of family behind servitude to the organization I used to belong to.

But my time with Azazel and Hanakai, with these people brimming with life, was far too different from what I was used to.

It was funny how life worked. I was never a firm believer in God, but to think a fallen archangel and a devil would show more sincerity than the people of my old life.

Maybe he was onto something with forgiving sinners and all that bullshit.

I didn't have to decide anything, but maybe she was right. Maybe I should just take Azazel's offer for what it is.

A new direction for a new life.

After we had coffee and spent some more time looking around, I walked her to the station.

Hanakai gave me her LINE, which was unexpected. I didn't know what to feel about getting the contact details of a teenage girl just an hour after meeting her, even if I was also sixteen now, but I guess it was only weird if I made it weird.

So, with little else to do, I walked home.

It wasn't a particularly long walk to begin with. The apartment complex Azazel used in Kuoh was but a stone's throw away, and to get there, I had to pass through the shopping district.

It was pleasant, all things considered. I needed time to think about my place in all this. To understand just why I was here, to understand what I wanted to use this second chance for.

I thought it was right for me to at least give myself the time to think about all this. Jumping into danger without thinking of the consequences wasn't my style.

But it seemed danger came to me instead as soon as I stepped foot outside the shopping district.

System Alert!

Mission: Stirrings of Darkness

- Strange rumors have been spreading as a result of the unusual events happening in the department store. Investigate the department store by yourself in secret and find the truth of these rumors, then report your findings to Azazel.

Rewards

•One (1) use of Deus Ex Machina.

•One (1) Stat Point (SP).

Failure leads to the loss of the System.

The department store in question stood three stories high, and while it wasn't as big as the mall, it was far too big for an entire team to investigate without alerting the authorities, let alone one man without any gear or resources.

"Fuck." I muttered.

Guess I'd have to decide just what I wanted to do with my life far sooner than I thought.

Author's Note: Well, guess this chapter came out far quicker than I planned. I was debating on just following Issei's character arc, but well, white-haired big tiddy girl go brr. Besides, timeline-wise, Raynare still hasn't popped up in Issei's life, so I can still opt for that shit if I wanted to. Also, I hope y'all enjoyed my rendition of Momo, honestly, she took a life of her own while I was writing this.

Thanks for reading, guys! The next chapter's gonna take a bit more for me to write, I'm gonna be pretty busy this week, but I'll find the time. See you on the next one!