So I know I might upset some K-Pop fans but I just started writing and this came out. It's kind of long and a slow burn but I think it has some potential. I'm still writing out the plot as I go so if there's any constructive criticism, I'd be glad to take them. I know it's kind of a mess but I'm working on better my writing as I go. Chapters 1-15 are going to be a prologue of sorts to flesh out my OCs as well as introduce minor or side characters from the DxD world before jumping into the main cast. It'll be kind of a slow burn if you're looking for the main cast but I hope everybody sticks around!

1

Dreams Come True

Nobody believed Kouji when he said there was a man following him around when he was eight years old. A tall and mysterious man in a long brown trench coat and a hat covering his face. He would follow Kouji everywhere he went, watching him from afar at school and even following him home. Nobody believed him when he said there was a monster watching him sleep from outside his window. Golden cat-like eyes that peered through the darkness and never blinking. And nobody ever believed him when he said he was hearing strange voices talking to him in his head.

For as long as he could remember, strange things happen to him all the time. Aside from the weird people following him and watching him, there were also strange things that apparently nobody else can see. Strange creatures flying around the sky, weird circles and symbols on the streets, and even strange people that gave off a terrifying aura. All his life, these experiences shaped how Kouji viewed the world. Just once, just this once, he prayed that nothing happened on the one day he just wanted to be a normal kid.

"Are we there yet?"

Kouji looked to his right to see his best friend, King, buried in an album of photocards he had spent so much time and money on. Kouji was excited to go see his favorite idol group perform their last stage on their world tour, however King was definitely more excited. He was decked out in Aespa merchandise even going as far as wearing the bandana Winter had given him during a fanmeet a few years ago. He was dressed like an obsessed fanboy, blending in with the horde of other obsessed fanboys that filled every inch of the tram.

He had been looking forward to this day all semester. After spending a whole year in Japan for school, it felt nice to come home to London to spend time with his family and friends. As luck would have it, Aespa was finishing up their world tour at the start of the summer. All signs point to this summer being the best he's ever had.

"If you'd ever look up," said Kouji. "You'd know."

"Which photocard should I ask Winter to sign?" asked King. "Do you think she'd be happy to see me again? Oh my god I'm nervous. Is it hot in here? It feels so-"

"Calm down man," Kouji smiled. "We're almost there."

"Wait, where's Irina?" asked King. "I thought she loved concerts. Didn't you say she wanted to come?"

Kouji grinned. "Nice try slick. She's on a job with my dad. She'll be back in a few days so you can crash at my place after the concert."

"Again?" asked King. "Dude what does your family do? Why is everyone always out of the country?"

Although Kouji smiled and changed the topic back to Aespa, he wanted to know more than anybody. All he ever knew about his family's work was what his father had told him. They work for various organizations all over the world, doing contract work that took them all over the world. Irina was a year older than Kouji so she was always frequently accompanying their dad. According to the two of them, he'll be ready to join the family business once he turns 16.

Now that he was thinking about it, his family has never been anywhere close to normal. His father insisted that he pursue his academic career outside of the country, going to multiple different schools and only coming home for summer. He's been to America, South Korea, Japan, Canada, even Russia. Every school year brought with it a new school. He never stayed in one place for too long and his father never told him why. The closest he ever got was when Irina accidentally drank too much comunion wine and almost fessed up. That was almost three years ago and he's never gotten any closer ever again.

The tram came to a stop a few blocks away from Buckingham Palace, the stage of Aespa's final world tour performance. Drifting through the crowd of fans through the tram station, Kouji and King were met with an entire closed off street just for fans to make their way down to the stage. The streetlights and string lights hanging from the buildings lit up the entire block as Kouji and King followed the crowd to their destination.

London was always where Kouji thought of as home. The tight and narrow buildings, the gloomy weather, the roads, even the food. He never cared for the food in this country but his father always made the best egg's benedict.

He's on his way…

Kouji perked his head up and glanced around. He tried to listen around to see if the voice would speak again but nothing. Through the muffled voices from the crowd, it didn't seem like he could pin point exactly what anybody was saying. That voice…it was so clear, as if someone was speaking directly to him. It was happening again…

"You okay?" asked King, finally looking back at him. "Oh my god, I'm sorry. Is this too much?"

Kouji smiled. "I'm fine man."

"I've got your meds in case you need it," said King. "Irina would kill me if you had another episode when you're with me and I didn't do anything about it."

Yeah…That's what all of the doctors diagnosed him with. To every doctor at every clinic, Kouji has a form of schizophrenia that was inherited from his biological parents. That's what each and every professional has told him. It's why he sees weird people following him, hearing voices…it's all in his head.

"Thanks," Kouji mustered a smile and urged his friend forward. "C'mon, let's keep going."

Truth be told, Kouji hated crowded places like this. Attending concerts, sporting events, pretty much any event that required him to be in enclosed spaces with hordes of people made him wary. Being around so many people made him nervous and anxious. His heart would race and he would hear even more voices. He normally would have watched this concert from home but King begged him to come and even bought him a ticket. He couldn't refuse even if he wanted to.

As they approached Buckingham Palace, Kouji felt his heart race. From their spot in line, he could see the entire stage behind the palace. The stage was easily the size of any football field with the rows of seats covering the entire lawn. There were even rafters and bleachers on either side and remote drones with cameras to project onto the screens. And there they were…wrapping up their final rehearsal.

Kouji felt like time stopped the moment he saw them dancing on stage. Aespa were like any other idol group, performers who practiced for years to perfect their craft. Adoring millions of fans from all over the world, they love their fans as much as their fans love them. It was strange but he could see them so clearly from so far away. He was easily a hundred feet away yet he could see the four of them as clearly as if he was standing in the front row. Karina, Winter, Giselle, and NingNing. The four girls were laughing and finishing up their seat and prepared for the concert to begin.

"Dude," King nudged Kouji in his side. "Is that who I think it is?"

Kouji peered over the line and looked to the front to see a familiar face.

"What do you mean I can't get in! I paid for these tickets!"

William Tran wasn't the nicest person in the world. He came from a wealthy family so he flaunts his money around. It didn't hurt that he had the looks as well. He was tall, well structured face, and had style. He was every straight girl's dream, if only his personality was a little better.

"Sorry kid," the bouncer pushed him away. "No tickets, no entry."

"These are tickets!" cried William. "Can you just scan it and let us in?"

"You think I can't tell that these are fake?" asked the bouncer, a hulking Samoan man glaring at him. "Now get out of line or I'll toss you out."

That little show of power intimidated William as he walked away with his possy of girls.

King smirked. "I'll send you pics from the concert Will! Don't be so sad!"

William scowled at the two of them as he walked back to his Porsche. Kouji always wondered what happened to make Will so vain? He was always such a nice kid back then. The three of them used to be best friends until Kouji came back one summer and Will was a completely different person. He stopped talking to them, drank and went to parties. Kouji hardly recognized him anymore.

"Why do you always feel the need to provoke him?" asked Kouji.

"Because the dick switched my shampoo for red hair dye," King glared as Will drove away. "I still see the red in my hair. Do you know how pissed my mom was?"

After what felt like an eternity, the two finally made their way into the stage and found their seats. Kouji had no idea how King managed to find and afford ground tickets but he wasn't complaining. Everybody was tightly squeezed together and eagerly awaited for the concert to start.

Glancing around, Kouji could see the dozens of drones flying around. Some had cameras to project onto the screens while some were portable fans and heaters to make sure the audience was taken cared of. There were even vendors who were walking around with snacks and drinks, all for free. Kouji always admired how much Aespa cared about their fans. All they had to pay for were tickets. Food and drinks were all free and you could eat as much as you want.

He's in the audience…Be ready…

There it was again. It wasn't the same voice he always heard. This one was feminine…soft spoken yet somehow provoked a feeling of fear in him. He glanced around but everybody was talking over one another. King had even made friends with their neighbors and talked about their favorite members.

"Who the hell…"

Kouji's eyes fixed onto the stage. The curtains were closed yet he noticed a head poking out from backstage. It was Winter. Kouji recognized that lemon colored hair and porcelain skin anywhere. She looked around until it looked like her eyes fixed on…on Kouji. Upon seeing that he was looking at her, she ducked her head back.

I think he saw me…What do we do?

Kouji's eyes narrowed. What? That can't be…It was Winter's voice. He had watched enough interviews and backstage clips to know Winter's voice…and it was definitely her voice. How was he hearing her? He was nowhere near the stage.

The lights went dark. The fans erupted into cheers as the curtains parted and the concert began. King shot to his feet and proceeded to scream at the top of his lungs along with the thousands of fans around them.

The performance was mesmerizing. He had watched Aespa perform hundreds of times online but this was his first time watching them live. Their quick and sharp movements, the flowing dances, the impeccable vocals, the stage presence. It was a once in a lifetime experience…yet he couldn't fully focus.

His eyes were fixed onto Karina, the leader of the group. She had cut her raven hair short, almost like a wolf cut. Wearing denim corset with sleeves and baggy leather pants, she caught his eye the second she began to dance. He doubt that he was the only one admiring her…yet he was sure that she was looking at him. It felt impossible but every time she faced the audience, it felt like she was staring at him.

Target spotted…Awaiting your orders…

This voice…it was Karina's. What the hell was happening? Was this another one of his episodes? It didn't feel like the others. This was too real…and he had never heard voices of other people before. It was like he was reading their minds somehow.

The first song came to a close as the audience roared. Karina smiled and addressed the audience.

"Hello London!" Karina smiled. "On behalf of our members as well as our wonderful staff and crew, I would like to welcome you all to our final stage on our tour. It's been such an amazing experience and we're especially excited to be here as our last destination."

"I love London," Winter added, making the crowd explode with enthusiasm.

"As some of you may know, London is my and Winter's favorite city," said Karina. "Now unlike our other stages, we encourage everyone to sing along and dance if you know it. Let's make this a performance you'll never-"

Kouji covered his ears as a loud screech blasted in his ears. It felt like someone had dragged scratched sheets of metal right next to his ears.

"What the hell is that?" asked Kouji.

"Are you okay?" asked King, checking on him. "Do you need your meds?"

"You didn't hear that?" asked Kouji. "It was so loud…"

"Hear what?"

Kouji couldn't believe it. King didn't hear that? What the hell was going on?

Now.

Kouji caught King in his arms as he somehow dropped. It wasn't just King, thousands of fans in the audience began to drop one by one. It was like they were knocked out. The music cut out as Kouji looked to Aespa with King in his arms.

"W-What…" Kouji's heart began to race. "What's happening?"

"The spell didn't work on him?" asked Winter.

"Well that's not good," Giselle frowned. "What do we do?"

"Interesting…" said Karina.

Kouji swung King's arm over his shoulder as he stood up. "It was you…Holy shit I'm not out of my mind. Why would you do this?"

Master…The sleep spell didn't work on him.

"Who the hell is this master?" asked Kouji. "I'm standing right here."

Karina's eyes narrowed. "You heard me?"

"I've been hearing you since I stepped off the tram," said Kouji. "Was…Was this whole concert just for you to get to me? Who are you guys? You can't be the Aespa I know."

"NingNing," said Karina. "No witnesses. This is our last mission. Finish this and we're free."

Kouji was definitely having another episode. It was the only thing that could explain what he saw. Wings, angelic white wings, sprouted from NingNing's back as she took to the skies and advanced towards him.

"I'm sorry," said NingNing. "I love to meet fans but…we don't have much a choice."

He watched as NingNing produced two long spears of light in her hands. It looked somehow sharp despite being light…and they were aimed right at him.

"A-Are you gonna kill me?" asked Kouji. "What the hell!"

Kouji fell back on his seat, narrowling escaping the shot from NingNing's first spear. He felt it clip his hair as it lodged into the ground behind him, inches away from another fan's feet. It was real. That was a real spear, and it could have killed him.

"Screw this!"

With King on his back, Kouji forced his way through the crowd and leaped from chair to chair to escape. He wasn't dying here…not when he had questions he needed answered. No way this was Aespa…and now way this was a hallucination. This was too real. NingNing just gave him a haircut, there's no way this was all in his head.

"Don't run!" cried NingNing. "Don't make this harder then it has to be!"

"Oh you want me to just stay and die!" asked Kouji. "No thanks lady!"

His body felt tingly. His mind didn't have time to catch up to his actions. Before he knew it, Kouji tossed King ahead, watching him slide across the ground, as Kouji jumped and turned to face the spear. He reached out his hand and braced for impact. He didn't know why he would block a spear with his hand but his only thought was protecting King.

Kouji fell on his back, his eyes closed and prepared to die. He didn't feel any pain…was he dead?

"He's awakened…" said Winter.

Kouji opened his eyes to see the spear impacting a shield or a force field of some kind. It was purple and looked to resemble a turtle's shell, a honeycomb of glass that blocked the spear of light.

"What…"

Kouji wanted to stop and admire what he had just done. So many questions swam to the front of his mind but he had little to no time to actually wonder what answers could possibly explain this. Instead, taking the advantage of surprise, Kouji grabbed King and tossed him over his shoulder and made a mad dash into the city.

His heart was racing a million beats a minute and he was shaking. The nerves from running away from his favorite idol group who are on a manhunt to kill him somehow…made him smile. The relief of knowing that none of this was in his head brought him a sense of peace and comfort he hadn't ever felt. The validation that this was real…it was a relief.

As much as Kouji loved this city, the concert venue made it next to impossible to run away from his hunters. The streetlights and string lights were lit and all of the backways and alleyways were completely closed. The only thing he could do was head towards the tram station…but there had to be something he can do to flee from NingNing.

"Please stop running!" cried NingNing. "You're making this harder for all of us!"

"Do what she says big guy!" Giselle, scaling up the buildings, cried. "You don't want your friend to get hurt, do you?"

"Is that a threat?" asked Kouji.

"Stop."

Karina somehow managed to beat Kouji to his destination, walking out from behind a streetlight and blocked Kouji's only escape route. She looked at him with sympathetic eyes as her hands opened, forming swords of light.

"For what it's worth Koujiro," said Karina. "It was great to perform for you."

Kouji gritted his teeth. What could he possibly do here? They were…hunters or something. There's no way he could just outrun the four of them and protect King at the same time. His eyes surveyed the street, cooking up some kind of plan, but there was nothing he could physically do.

"At least tell me why," said Kouji. "Why would you throw this whole concert, sell tickets to thousands of people, just to kill me? What's so special about me?"

"You really don't know?" asked Winter.

"No!" cried Kouji. "All my life, people have been telling me I'm sick in the head, that what I'm seeing wasn't real. For the first time in my life, I find out that it is real. I wanted to go see my favorite idol group perform so why are you out to kill me?"

"Your family," said Karina. "In your veins flows the blood of killers, murderers, psychopaths. A bloodline of war and bloodshed all cultimating in you, the last of your kind. The powers at be think you're a threat…we're here to eliminate that threat."

"My family?" asked Kouji. "My sister is a vagabond and my dad's a priest! What the hell do you mean my family are killers and murderers?"

"I'm sorry Koujiro," said Winter. "I'm so sorry…but we mean you're birth family. The human family who raised you are not your own, they simply raised you as one."

Kouji's grip on King almost slipped, however he caught himself. No…even if they were telling the truth, he can't let it show. He had a way out…he just needed to stall. He can't show his emotions here, one slip up and that's going to be the end for him. But even so…he was adopted? Why hadn't anyone told him?

"Please," Karina advanced. "Don't resist, Koujiro. I give you my word, your death will be painless. You won't feel a thing as you enter the next life."

"Screw that," Kouji somehow found himself smiling. "For the first time in my entire life…I finally found out the truth. For the first time in my life, everything isn't complete bullshit. If you think I'm just going to lay down and accept my death then you have no idea who you're messing with Karina."

She stumbled back, almost intimidated by his words.

"Nobody attack," said Karina. "Stand your ground."

"What's wrong?" asked Kouji. "Weren't you lot gung-ho about killing me not two minutes ago?"

"Koujiro you have to calm down," said Karina. "In your veins is the blood of something very powerful and very dangerous. You've started to awaken the dormant magic in your blood. If you lose control of your emotions, you will rampage across this city like a storm."

"And give you more reason to kill me, yeah?" asked Kouji. "Sorry but for once in my life, I'm looking forward to living. There's no way I'm dying here, not today. And you're forgetting one very, very important thing Karina."

"And what's that?" Karina narrowed her eyes.

"I'm your biggest fan," Kouji smiled. "I've been a fan of Aespa since your debut…I know you all as well as I know the back of my hand."

Karina smiled. "Circumstances aside, I'm glad to have met you today Koujiro."

"As am I," Kouji smiled. "And is that a freakishly large bird behind you?"

Karina let out a shriek and cowered, scattering away and running towards Winter. It was a split second chance, however he dashed down the street and dodged another spear from NingNing.

"How could you possibly fall for that?" asked Winter.

"I couldn't help it!" cried Karina.

Kouji smiled as he raced away. So it was true then. Even if they weren't human, their personalities were still the same. All of the interviews they did online, they weren't faking it. Karina's fear of birds was clear and if that's true, their other personality quirks are true as well.

Kouji made a sharp right and raced into the heart of London. He didn't know where to go to hide from his hunters, but there had to be somewhere. He wasn't going to be able to outrun them and he had no idea how to fight so facing them was an equally terrible idea. His only choice was to hide…he had to hide…

He almost tripped over his own foot as his phone buzzed in his pocket.

"H-Hello?" Kouji answered.

"My stupid little brother," Irina's voice spoke through the phone. "What in God's name have you gotten yourself into? Why am I sensing magic from where you're supposed to be going to a concert with King?"

"N-Not a great time sis," Kouji leaped over a bench and ran across the street. "Kind of got my hands full."

"How many are there?" asked Irina. "How many after you?"

"Four," said Kouji. "They've got spears of light and one of them is flying. Irina…am I gonna die?"

"No!" cried his sister. "I promise you, you're not going to die. What's around you? What can you see?"

"Uh…" said Kouji. "Buildings, houses. There's a park across from me."

"Go to the park," said Irina. "Remember the park I used to take you and King after classes? Go there, I'll meet you."

"M-Meet me?" asked Kouji. "Irina I don't think there's anything you can do here. I mean they've got wings and lightsabers. I think I'm as good as-"

"You are not dying on me," said Irina. "You're my brother and I will protect you. Now do as I say for once in your life."

With that, the line went dead. Kouji had to admit, part of him was scared of Irina when she used that tone. Her normally carefree and extroverted personality sheds at serious times, revealing her extremely overprotective interior and genuinely terrifying tone. If there's one thing Kouji was sure of, it was that if he didn't die at the hands of Aespa tonight, he would definitely get killed for not listening to his sister.

He didn't know what going to that park would do, but he listened obediently.

The park was less of an actual park and more of a garden. There were densely packed trees, decorated bushes, marble walkways, and even a gazebo at the center of the garden. There were plenty of hiding spots in the moat surrounding the gazebo and even in the shrubbery, however he got the feeling that no matter where he and King hid, they would find them.

Left with no other option, Kouji slid to a halt underneath the gazebo and caught his breath. Circumstances aside, this was a beautiful place. He remembered coming here after his night classes with his sister and having dinner here. Seeing as his father was away so often, it was uNingNinglly just the two of them until King tagged along. Those pleasant memories shattered as Karina's voice beckoned him.

"Look in the water," said Karina.

"What?" asked Kouji. "What good will that do?"

"Look at your reflection," said Karina. "Just look."

"Is that really important right now?" Kouji balled his fists. "It's kind of cruel, don't you think?"

"Of course it's important," said Karina. "It's the most important thing in the world right now. Just look, Koujiro."

He didn't know what good it would do, however Kouji set King's body down on the gazebo bench and peered over the railing down at the water. His heart stopped.

"W…What the fuck…" Kouji felt his face. He didn't believe it at first but he felt it. Forming over his face from his hairline down, was some kind of mask. It was white and hard, maybe marble, but it was forming out of nothing. It hadn't fully covered his face, mostly just his left eye. The eye socket of the mask was pitch black, however it gave view to his transformed eye. His eyes were brown, they had always been brown, however through the mask…it was the color of blood.

"W-What is this?" asked Kouji. "What did you do? What's happening to me?"

"We didn't do a thing," Giselle landed beside Karina. Her eyes were full of sympathy as she looked at him like he was some kind of sick puppy who needed to be put down. "Koujiro we're telling you the truth. In your veins is the blood of something very ancient and very powerful. Whatever your adoptive family did to you surpressed your magic all these years, however the seal over your magic is beginning to weaken. No magic is powerful enough to completely seal away something like this."

"What is it?" asked Kouji. "What the hell is inside me?"

"You don't want to know," said Karina.

"The hell I don't," His fists balled with anger and frustration. "Tell me the truth. I deserve to know…if you're going to kill me anyway, then why not at least tell me why I have to die! I'm sick and tired of other people telling me that I'm insane…for once in my life, please…just be honest with me."

"Karina," NingNing, who landed and pointed more spears his way. "This is getting out of hand. We should-"

Karina raised her hand and forced the others to stand down.

"You're right," said Karina. "You're completely right. I'll tell you why you have to die."

A wave of relief washed over Kouji. "Thank you…"

"You're the last member of the-"

Karina was cut off when a figure dropped from the sky, cloaked in black and holding a katana to Karina's neck.

"A-An exorcist?" asked Winter. "What's an exorcist doing here?"

"Hands off my brother," the hood of the figure flew back to reveal Irina. Her long chestnut hair, tied into pigtails, flew back as she glared at Karina. "Shidou Koujiro is under the protection of the Church. You may be Angels, but even you have to respect the rules that your kind set."

"A-Angels?" asked Kouji. "Y-You're all angels?"

"Well not exactly angels," Winter peered to the side and smiled. "It's kind of complicated but we're still human, just not fully human. I'll explain it to you next time when my sister doesn't have a sword to her neck."

"You lied to him," said Karina. "You've been lying to him his whole life and hid the truth of who he is…and we're the bad guys?"

"You had no right," said Irina. "He's my brother."

"Is he?" asked Karina, calmly placing her finger on Irina's sword and moving it away. "He's as much one of us as he is one of you. He has the right to know who his family is. His real family."

"He'll know when we decide he's ready," said Irina.

"Oh?" asked Karina. "That doesn't seem fair, don't you think so Koujiro?"

"It's…It's true?" asked Kouji. "Irina…I'm not your brother? Why did you never tell me? You and dad…You've both been lying to me this-"

"I'm sorry," said Irina, dashing back in front of him. Her eyes filled with tears as she placed a finger to his forehead. "I'm so sorry…I promise I'll explain everything once you're awake."

"What do you-"

With a tap of her finger on his forehead, everything went black.