Becoming Enkidu in DxD

Chapter 23 – Hyoudou Issei

Inside the student council room of Kuoh Academy—

"So, you're saying Shin's power is now enough to rival a mid-class devil?"

Sona Shitori looked up from the papers on her desk, her sharp gaze fixed on the Vice President standing across from her.

"Correct. Rias Gremory's Knight, Kiba Yuuto, was easily defeated by him. And it wasn't because of a Sacred Gear—it was purely his physical strength," Tsubaki replied calmly.

"Huh? He didn't use a Sacred Gear?"

"No, he didn't."

"In that case, we really do need to reevaluate his power level."

A human—without the aid of a Sacred Gear—defeating a reincarnated devil who possessed one. That kind of power... even someone like Sona felt a chill run down her spine.

Previously, Rias had used the Gremory family's influence to help Akira publish his novel. And now, that very novel was trending like wildfire.

Thinking back on it, just a little assistance was all it took for her to forge a good relationship with a genius brimming with potential. That was a huge win.

But that wasn't the only thing bothering her. Even though he had enrolled in Kuoh Academy through the Sitri family's recommendation, why did he seem more inclined toward Rias?

That was the biggest mystery to Sona—especially since Akira was classmates with Hanakai Momo.

More than a month had passed, and yet the relationship between Akira and Momo remained nothing more than casual acquaintances. In contrast, his ties with Rias's group had grown noticeably closer.

"Any progress between Momo and him lately?"

Sona's voice was curious, but there was a slight edge to it.

"None. They barely speak to each other. It seems Shin isn't interested in Momo," Tsubaki answered with a subtle shake of her head.

"He's getting along so well with Rias's Queen, and yet has no interest in Momo? She's got a great figure, and her silver hair is charming too. Don't tell me… he's more into the onee-san type?"

Tsubaki blinked, visibly surprised. Was this really the same calm and collected student council president she knew?

Who would've thought—Sona was actually contemplating something like that.

"Forget it. If Rias has the upper hand now, then let her have it," Sona said, her expression cooling again.

"President, should I—"

"There's no need, Tsubaki. Let it go."

"Understood."

Tsubaki nodded gently. She knew very well that Sona had no intention of using her as bait to lure in the big fish named Shin Akira—because their bond was more like that of sisters.

But on Rias's side, even her Queen, Akeno Himejima, had stepped in directly. Meanwhile, all Sona had was Tsubaki. No wonder Akira was leaning toward Rias's camp for now.

Still, Tsubaki didn't really mind. As long as it was for her Kaichou's sake, she would do anything. Besides, Shin Akira was a handsome guy. If things ever did progress between them, she wouldn't exactly complain. Unfortunately, she knew full well her Kaichou would never approve of such a strategy.

"Oh right, what about that student suspected to possess a Sacred Gear?"

"It's confirmed—he definitely has a Sacred Gear. And most likely, it's dragon-type."

"In that case, approach him. If possible, try to recruit him into the student council. If he passes our vetting, he'll be a huge asset for us."

"Got it."

Tsubaki nodded again. She could tell—her Kaichou might have already given up on Akira.

Unlike Rias, Sona was no longer bound by an arranged engagement. She had once challenged her fiancé in a Rating Game, defeated him, and—with the help of her older sister, Serafall Leviathan—completely nullified the engagement.

But Rias was different. She was still tied to the engagement with the third son of the Phoenix household.

As Rating Games became more popular, the prestige of the Phenex family only grew stronger. The eldest son had already made a name for himself, and now even the third son, Riser Phenex, was widely recognized.

Meanwhile, Rias's peerage only consisted of four members—and one of them was currently sealed.

Her only reliable combatant was her Queen, Akeno Himejima.

If Rias wanted to break off her engagement, she simply didn't have the strength yet. That's why she was being so aggressive in scouting powerful new peerage members.

And that was precisely why Sona chose to step back. She and Rias were both rivals... and friends.

— — —

Atop the rooftop of Kuoh Academy, Akira was leisurely enjoying his lunch—a luxurious bento packed with all kinds of side dishes.

Not long ago, he had finally received the royalties from his debut novel, OreGairu. He didn't know exactly how much of it was thanks to Rias's help, but the amount had shot straight past ten million yen.

For Akira, that was a huge sum of money.

Naturally, with that kind of wealth, his standard of living had skyrocketed. Especially when it came to food and drinks—he pampered himself without holding back.

But just as he was savoring his meal, he spotted three suspicious-looking figures sneaking around nearby.

It was lunchtime, and since the last class had been physical education, many students were in the middle of changing in the locker rooms. And this was Kuoh Academy, after all—a school where the number of female students vastly outnumbered the males.

After spending over a month here, Akira had become familiar with the infamous perverted trio on campus.

Hyoudou Issei, Matsuda, and Motohama—the notorious "Perverted Trio," who were practically local legends.

They were infamous for their dirty jokes and shameless talk, despised and rejected by nearly the entire student body. They openly discussed adult videos and erotic games, grossing everyone out without remorse.

Even worse, they had a habit of peeping into the girls' changing room. A habitual offense, to say the least.

And right now, Akira could see the so-called "main character" of the story—still clueless about his own fate—preparing to peek.

Should he kill him now?

This guy had luck that defied logic. Surrounded by beautiful girls as if he had some kind of cheat. Akira was convinced—this boy was already on Rias's radar. If he got reincarnated as a devil, what would become of everything else?

Was Akira supposed to just sit back and watch as one girl after another fell into this guy's arms?

Or... would it be better to eliminate him now?

As someone who had reincarnated from the third-dimensional world, Akira once admired protagonists when watching anime. But now that he was face-to-face with one... he felt nothing but the urge to end him.

Because a "main character" was always destiny's chosen child. As long as he existed, everyone else was just a side character.

Right then, Issei and his two partners had crawled their way behind the changing room. They moved carefully, trying not to make the slightest sound.

This wasn't their first time, after all. Veterans in the art of perversion, they quickly made their way under the window.

Slowly, they peeked inside.

And instantly, a heavenly sight unfolded before their eyes.

Even though they were still students, the physical development of anime girls was nothing to scoff at. This was an anime world, after all—every girl in there had "assets" that were completely unrealistic.

A moment later, Issei's nose began to gush blood, as if a valve had suddenly burst open. He grinned with uncontained delight and quickly pulled his head back from the window.

"How was it?"

Matsuda and Motohama stared at him with expectant eyes.

"SUPER HOT!" Issei replied, throwing a huge thumbs-up.

The two exchanged glances and immediately rushed to take a look for themselves.

But the moment they peeked—everything changed.

Their expressions froze. All enthusiasm vanished. Only raw terror remained.

Because inside the changing room, the girls were already standing by the window, glaring at them with unfiltered rage.

The atmosphere turned ice-cold in an instant.

Motohama forced a shaky smile. "U-uh... good afternoon...?"

"You three perverts again?! DIE!!"

A mop came crashing down on Motohama's head with incredible force, sending him reeling backward.

Matsuda was next, knocked into the air by a wide swing of a broom.

"Still trying to peep?! You're not getting away this time!"

"EVERYONE, GET THEM!!"

"Tie them up and drag them to the student council! They need to be punished hard!"

"Agreed!!"

— — —

Every girl inside—without exception—was furious.

No one would stay calm after being spied on like that. And this wasn't even the first time. They had lost count of how many times these three had pulled this stunt.

At this point, the trio were the unofficial predators of the girls' changing room.

"RUN!!"

"EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF!!"

"WAIT FOR ME!!"

The panic in their voices was genuine. Without a second thought, the trio bolted in three different directions.

Fortunately for them, the girls still had to exit the changing room and circle around the building. By the time the pursuit began, the culprits had already vanished from sight.

Breathing heavily, Motohama leaned against a wall. "Hah... lucky we ran fast. That was almost game over..."

Matsuda collapsed beside him, panting just as hard, his face pale with trauma.

Issei, on the other hand, was smiling from ear to ear. He looked completely satisfied. After all, at least he had seen something. His friends got knocked around before they even had a chance.

Motohama clutched his throbbing head, still wincing. "We're heading to the infirmary, Issei."

"Got it," Issei replied casually.

Motohama had a visible lump on his head from where the mop hit, while Matsuda's cheek had swelled up from the broom. Bruises decorated their faces like old battle scars. But truthfully, it wasn't anything new to them. They'd been taking beatings like this since their first year. There was even a time they got mobbed by a dozen girls for a full hour.

Now that his two "battle brothers" had departed, Issei found himself standing alone. Passing students threw cold glances in his direction, stepping aside as though he were carrying a contagious disease.

He told himself he didn't care.

Still, it felt... a little lonely without those two idiots around.

Then suddenly—

"U-um... excuse me..."

A soft, delicate voice called out from behind him.

The sound was gentle and sweet, like a breeze brushing across one's skin. It instantly stirred a protective instinct—especially in someone like Issei, who had never experienced a serious interaction with a girl in his life. It felt like the gates of heaven had just creaked open.

He turned around—and froze.

The girl standing there was undeniably cute. Her figure perfectly matched his tastes, and her shy, reserved expression was dangerously charming.

"Y-yeah? What's up?" Issei asked, cautiously hopeful.

This was uncharted territory. A girl—an actual girl—was talking to him. And she didn't seem disgusted.

The girl fidgeted, her cheeks turning slightly red. "You're Hyoudou Issei-senpai from Class 2, right?"

Her voice trembled slightly with nervous energy.

Issei's brain immediately detonated with a thousand romantic fantasies. Of course! What guy wouldn't?

If Hikigaya Hachiman, the great Sensei of OreGairu, were here, he'd have seen right through it instantly: This is the most common teenage illusion—[This girl must like me].

"Y-yeah, I'm Issei..." he said, trying not to stammer.

"Um..." the girl hesitated, clutching her skirt slightly.

"What is it?" Issei's heart was hammering. This whole situation—it felt exactly like one of the fantasy scenes he always imagined.

"Hyoudou Issei-senpai... you don't have a girlfriend right now, do you?"

"N-not yet!" he blurted out.

"Thank goodness..."

The girl's lips curled into a sweet smile, and Issei felt his heart practically leap out of his chest.

"In that case, Senpai... would you be my boyfriend?"

Issei's eyes widened. "Eh?!"

"My name is Amano Yuuma. I've admired you from afar for a long time... May I be your girlfriend?"

There was no pause. No hesitation.

"Y-YES!!" he shouted without thinking.

"Thank you...!"

Yuuma reached out and grabbed his hand, holding it gently but firmly. Her touch was warm, soft, and completely unfamiliar. For Issei, it was the first time a girl had ever touched him like this. His brain instantly went blank.

And all of this... was being silently observed from afar.

On top of a distant rooftop, Akira stood with his arms crossed, watching the scene unfold below. His expression was calm, composed—but his eyes gleamed with a sharp, perceptive light.

"So this is... how it all begins."

His voice was barely audible, carried away by the wind.

Hyoudou Issei had just taken his first step onto the stage.

And Akira already knew exactly what would come next.

As someone who was no longer just a viewer but now a player in this world—he understood the script better than anyone.

— — —

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