DxD: Hero x Gacha

Evening settled over Kuoh, a soft orange glow lingering over the rooftops as twilight crept in. Inside a modest second-floor apartment on the quieter side of town, Sam Barnes zipped up his jacket and slid his phone into his pocket. The room was dimly lit, minimalist, but clean — a desk, a floor bed, some instant ramen packets, and the hum of a vending machine outside his window.

Tiche stood silently near the door, arms crossed, golden eyes glowing faintly beneath the hood of her dark cloak. Despite the human-shaped body and the composed poise of a seasoned assassin, she radiated an unsettling quiet. Dangerous. Precise. Lethal.

"You really think I can survive a fight with a devil?" Sam asked, pulling on his sneakers. His tone was casual, but the underlying concern wasn't hidden.

"It's a stray low-class devil," Tiche said, voice low and clear. "Not a soldier. But still dangerous." Her gaze narrowed, evaluating him. "You are still human. Limited. But I will step in if death is imminent."

Sam exhaled. "Great. Comforting. I've got my own Angel of Death, but only for last-minute saves."

He grabbed a flashlight from the kitchen drawer, clipped a pocket knife to his belt, and stuffed some bandages into his coat pocket. He wasn't armed in any real way. Just stubborn.

The Chaos Gacha System had issued its emergency quest earlier in the evening: Survive 10 minutes against a stray low-class devil. Optional: defeat it.

Main Objective Reward: Silver Ability Ticket

Optional Objective Reward: Advantage Silver Ability Ticket

He wasn't going to let it pass — not with the pressure to get stronger. Tiche opened the door without another word, vanishing into the darkness of the hallway. Sam followed.

The outskirts of Kuoh's commercial district were quiet at night, only the occasional flicker of neon or buzz of vending machines echoing down the alleyways. Tiche came to a sudden stop behind a convenience store. Sam caught up to her, panting slightly.

She held up two fingers. "There."

Sam peered around the edge. The creature was… grotesque. A warped, insectoid devil the size of a small horse, with mismatched limbs and twitching antennae. Its half-humanoid face twisted in constant agony, dripping with mucus and blackened blood. Its presence felt wrong — like a blot on reality.

"You sure that thing's low-class?" Sam muttered.

"Yes. But unstable. Possibly feral. Stray devils often are."

Sam took a breath. The flashlight in his hand felt like a joke. He crept forward, heart hammering in his chest. His palms were sweating, and he felt the adrenaline sharp in his veins. This was real. His first real fight.

The devil turned abruptly, snarling. Its yellow eyes locked on him.

"Shit."

It lunged.

Sam barely dove out of the way, the creature's claws slashing through the metal dumpster behind him like it was foil. He scrambled up, swinging the flashlight wildly and landing a glancing blow across its side.

It reeled but didn't stop.

He rolled again, this time grabbing a loose pipe off the ground. He smacked it across the devil's arm — nothing. It barely flinched.

Tiche watched from above, perching on a rooftop. Her orders from Sam were clear — intervene only if he was going to die.

The devil pinned Sam against the wall. Sam screamed as its claws raked across his coat, drawing blood. He jammed the flashlight into its eye socket. It roared in pain and stumbled back.

Sam dropped to one knee, gasping. His chest burned, his ribs bruised, possibly cracked. His hands were shaking. But his mind — his mind stayed locked in.

He remembered the Vial of Lifeblood. The slight healing factor it gave him. His body was trying to mend. He felt the burn dull.

He gritted his teeth and surged forward with the pipe, jamming it into the devil's knee. It shrieked and swung at him wildly. One blow caught his shoulder. Pain exploded.

Tiche moved slightly but stopped. He wasn't dying. Not yet.

Sam picked up a shattered brick, hurled it at the devil's face, then followed up with a low tackle. The thing fell — half from surprise, half from Sam's weight. He drove the flashlight into its chest again and again. Blood splattered, thick and inky.

"You are...so damn ugly!" Sam yelled, smashing the pipe into its jaw.

The devil tried to rise.

Tiche landed silently behind it and, in a blur, severed its Achilles with a precise slice. The blade shimmered faintly with that distinct death energy — Destined Death. The devil howled and collapsed.

Sam didn't pause. He mounted the creature, grabbing a jagged piece of rebar and driving it into the devil's chest. Again. Again.

The devil hissed, twitched, and then went still.

His arms trembled. His whole body shook. He looked up at Tiche.

"We done?"

She nodded. "Yes. You landed the killing blow."

He slumped backward, breathing hard. "Awesome. I hate everything."

Tiche's head snapped to the east.

"Incoming. Fast."

"How many?"

"Two. Possibly strong. Likely devil-class."

Sam stood, wobbling. "And we're still in the middle of town. Great."

Tiche grabbed him effortlessly, slinging him over her shoulder like a sack of flour. He barely had time to protest.

And then — shadowstep.

Rias Gremory and Akeno Himejima arrived at the scene not two minutes later.

Akeno looked around, heels tapping lightly on the bloodstained pavement. The alley was nearly destroyed — trash scattered, walls clawed, metal warped.

Rias crouched by the now-rotting body of the stray low-class devil. Its chest was caved in.

"Someone beat us here," Akeno said, tilting her head.

Rias reached toward the faint black residue left behind by a blade strike. Her hand recoiled slightly.

"That… isn't normal," she murmured.

Akeno's expression grew sharp. "Death energy. But not just any. That's from a unique source."

"It's definitely not from the Church. And not a Sacred Gear I recognize either," Rias said. "Still... someone helped bring this thing down. Someone precise. That blade strike crippled it."

Akeno walked along the drag marks in the alley. "There were two fighters. One was clearly inexperienced — judging by the damage. Bruising. Scattered attacks. The other… finished it."

Rias turned to her. "We've been tracking this stray for days. But this… feels recent. Almost too perfect."

"You think it's the new transfer student?" Akeno asked, eyes glinting.

"Sam Barnes. Transferred just this week. Has no known magical heritage. But something feels off about him. I sensed it during class."

"We both did."

They stood in silence a moment longer.

"We'll keep watching him," Rias finally said. "If he was involved in this, then we need to know more. And if he's strong enough to kill a stray... he might be strong enough to join us."

Akeno smiled. "You just want to pull him into the club."

Rias smiled softly. "Maybe. But I also don't like loose ends."

Sam groaned as Tiche dropped him unceremoniously on the floor of his apartment.

"You're… heavy-footed," he muttered, clutching his side.

"Alive," she said flatly. "That's what matters."

The Chaos Gacha System pinged in front of his vision.

Main Objective Complete: Survive 10 Minutes – Silver Ability Ticket Acquired

Optional Objective Complete: Defeat Stray Low-Class Devil – Advantage Silver Ability Ticket Acquired

Bonus Objective: Defeat while still human – Gold Trait Ticket Acquired

Sam blinked.

"Wait, what now?"

Gold Trait Ticket – Rolling…

Trait Gained: Hero Candidate

You are a hero in training. Whether you are fit to claim the role is uncertain. Light and holy-attribute abilities you possess or learn are enhanced slightly. The durability of blessings affecting you is increased. You also possess the faint ability to generate holy energy — subtle and limited.

He blinked at the screen.

"I'm... anime Jesus lite."

Silver Ability Roll – Rolling Two Abilities

Common Ability – Sprout: You can communicate with and stimulate plants. You can mildly accelerate their growth and change their shape with effort.

Mastery Gauge: 0% – Passive growth based on repeated use and comprehension.

Uncommon Ability – Lightning Claws: You can summon claws made of lightning on your hands. These inflict electrical and slashing damage.

Mastery Gauge: 0% – Passive growth based on usage, feedback, and will.

Sam exhaled. "That one. I want lightning claws. Sprout sounds like gardening club power."

Ability Selected: Lightning Claws – Equipped

He felt it. A slight tingle in his fingertips — not painful, but present. Like dormant static dancing under his skin. He clenched a fist, half-expecting lightning to shoot out.

Nothing.

Tiche sat nearby, cleaning her blade. "You fought with resolve."

Sam looked over at her. "I also screamed like a toddler and hit it with a flashlight."

"Still alive."

He nodded slowly. "Yeah. Weirdly... I don't hate that."

He leaned back against the wall, staring at the system floating in front of him.

"Mastery gauge, huh? So this is going to be a grind-fest. Like an anime training arc."

Tiche tilted her head. "You talk aloud often."

Sam looked at her, smirking. "Get used to it."

A pause.

Then, with full sarcasm: "Because clearly, this is normal. Assassins, mutant devils, holy sparks in my soul, and anime blades of death."

He raised his hands toward the ceiling in mock joy.

"What. The. Shit!"

Tiche blinked once. "That was... emphatic."

Sam flopped back onto the futon. "You're damn right it was."