"Well, I guess I really shouldn't be all that surprised." I muttered to myself, rubbing my chest with a self-deprecating smile on my face.
Throughout my life, I've always had this "curse" that I couldn't escape no matter what I did or what I changed.
Women.
Every last one I encountered ended up developing romantic feelings for me, how is that a curse you ask?
Here's the thing, they weren't normal women. If that were the case I'd be elated beyond belief, they were all psychos. Every single one of them, without exception.
The Japanese had a word for that didn't they? Yan-dere was it? I probably butchered the pronunciation of that in my head, but oh well.
I made it a practice to continue avoiding them, as anyone with a lick of common sense would be able to tell nothing good would come from associating oneself with their type.
But, they just kept coming. I tried my absolute best to find a normal woman, I really did.
Yet, all my efforts were in vain. So one day I decided to just take the risk, and reciprocate the feelings of one, even if my feelings were feigned.
I couldn't help it, I didn't want to go my entire life as a monk.
And it was alright for a while, one advantage, if you could even call it that, of my curse was that reading such women was like clockwork for me.
I knew how they thought, walked, spoke, even breathed.
Then one night, I was foolish enough to let my guard down.
I invited my sister over so we could catch up, seeing as the both of us having moved to different cities for work and study, I thought it would be nice for us to have some bonding time.
My girlfriend was supposed to be at work, since I knew she'd spin the story as me cheating on her or something ridiculous and outlandish like that, but apparently she was let off early.
Obviously, she had a key to my apartment which I wasn't stupid enough to give to her myself before you ask, and when she saw me and my sister talking to one another in my living room, she snapped.
And before I could even get a sentence out my mouth, there was a knife plunged into my chest. I'm not sure whether my sister survived that encounter or not, but I hope she did.
If my thoughts are somehow capable of being transmitted to you. Avenge me! Also make sure you tell that lunatic that her head-game was WEAK!
I'm kidding, actually it was pretty damn good, but I just don't want to admit it.
Now with that brief recounting of events out the way, I suppose my next order of business is to figure out where I am. My guess being that I'm either dreaming, which I think is unlikely, or this is the afterlife.
The knife wound is gone, and so is the blood, and I'm in the hallway of what looks to be a therapist's office.
A place I had to frequent when the curse first started to reveal itself to me.
I continued to walk forwards until I came across a door, proceeding to open it and stepping inside a lounge, with nothing but a few couches, and a watercooler inside it.
The air was still, and quiet, with only one other figure besides myself being present.
There was a woman sitting down on one of the couches, with her head leaned back and elbows rested on the pillows.
She seemed to be in her twenties with a slender build, and slightly above average height. She had long pale auburn hair fashioned into a loose braid, and her eyes were━creepy. Very creepy.
They were bright yellow, with multiple red rings within them, giving her what I could only describe as an inhuman appearance.
She wore a simple white dress shirt with a black tie, and black slacks.
It was a look I think I recognised for some reason, but I just couldn't put my finger on it.
And then she turned to me.
"Hello," her voice was eerily serene and high-pitched, with not even a slight fluctuation to its tone.
It was a rehearsed voice.
As the world's leading expert on psycho women, I've developed the ability to categorize them from F-S depending on how dangerous they are.
Just from her voice, demeanor, and gaze alone, I can say with full certainty that I'd put this woman in the A category already.
"You wouldn't happen to know where this place is by any chance do you?" She asked me, tilting her head a little to the left.
"No, unfortunately I'm just as clueless as you, but I think I can make a pretty good guess."
"Oh?"
"Did you die before you arrived here?"
She put her finger on her lower lip, seemingly trying to recall something. "Death? Yes, I think I died."
"You think?" I repeated in question form, how can you not know whether you died or not? Unless it happened mid-surgery or something.
"The circumstances were strange," she refused to elaborate any further.
"I see, I on the other hand am confident I died, therefore I can only assure this place is some sort of afterlife. Although, that still raises the question why we're the only people here." I looked around the lounge, eventually finding another door on the other end.
"Don't bother, I already tried opening it." She said before I could even make the suggestion, causing my lips to curl into a frown.
"Well, this is a lounge. So maybe we're just supposed to wait until someone explains our situation to us?"
"Maybe," she replied, proceeding to tap the spot on the couch beside her. "If we're going to be waiting, then you might as well take a seat."
I walked over to her, but I chose to sit a few inches away instead of right next to her. I could care less how obvious the gesture was, I just don't like the vibe she's giving me.
Not in the slightest.
"What's your name?" She asked.
I don't trust her, but I don't think there's any harm in me telling her that if we're dead anyways.
"Adrian, Adrian Shepard."
"American?"
"Yes, what about yourself?"
"Makima."
"No last name?"
"I don't have one," she said plainly, only serving to confuse me further.
Maybe she was an orphan? Either that or she's just outright lying, but I don't see what the point of what would be in this situation.
"Are you Japanese?"
"In a way," alright now she's seriously starting to get on my nerves.
"I'm guessing you were a businesswoman or something before you died?" Even if I don't like her, I might as well make small talk to pass the time.
"A businesswoman?" She breathed a faint chuckle. "That's an interesting way to put it, but yes, I was a businesswoman. I'm guessing you were a student, let's see, psychology?"
What?
"How did you know?" That's not something you can really figure out by one's attire.
"You just seem like someone who'd be talented at that, since you've been looking at me like I deserve to be on death row this whole time after all."
My eyelids narrowed a little, my expression hardening as she continued to stare at me with her macabre face.
An awkward silence ensued between us, the silence broken by the sound of the supposedly locked door opening.
"Makima and Adrian Shepard I presume?" A woman called out to us, dressed in a formal business suit with her raven hair tied into a ponytail, similar to what you'd expect a secretary at a prestigious firm to wear.
"That's us," I replied.
"Your Processor is prepared to see you now, right this way." She motioned for us to follow her, me and Makima both shot each other a brief glance before doing as she asked.
We entered what seemed to be a fairly ordinary office, with a man that screamed the word "overworked white collar worker" sitting at a desk, looking at us with unparalleled boredom written all over his face.
He had a clipboard in his hands, flipping through the pages without saying a word.
Then he pointed at Makima. "If my subordinates did their job correctly, the last thing you remember is dying to Denji correct?"
I noticed her stiffening as her demeanor started to chill, whatever he just said clearly annoyed her.
"Chainsaw Man killed me, not Denji." She insisted.
But the "Processor", shook his head. "No, it says here that Denji killed you, so that's what happened. Please do not argue the facts, I have a long work day ahead of me." He exhaled deeply. "And before you ask, the Control Devil has already been reincarnated as intended, you are just the conscious of that incarnation of the Control Devil."
Alright, I seriously have no idea what they're talking about.
Next, he looked at me.
"Let's see, the last thing you remember is your girlfriend killing you, and before you ask, your sister survived the encounter. She killed your girlfriend with a fatal knife wound, and only sustained minor injuries during the confrontation."
That's my sister! Hehe, and to think my girlfriend died to a knife wound of all things. Well deserved!
"That's good to hear," I said with a visible smile. "But what's going to happen to us now?"
"According to my boss, both of you are to be processed for reincarnation, so that's what I'm going to do. Well, partnered-reincarnation to be more accurate."
Reincarnation? Oh, so Buddha was right after all.
"Adrian, you have consumed a form of entertainment in your world known as 'Anime', correct?"
Well that's a word I wasn't expecting to hear right now.
"A little, what about it?"
"My boss enjoys sending people to those kinds of worlds, though he always changes a lot of the contents, leaving me to deal with all the paperwork afterwards." I saw a vein start to bulge out of his forehead. "Point being, you are going to be sent to such a world. Namely, let's see here, High School DxD is it? Does that ring a bell for you?"
I scratched my head, seeing if I could recall.
"Wait, you aren't talking about the titty one are you?"
"Please keep such vulgar vocabulary out of my office," he sternly cautioned me. "But yes, you do have the correct one in mind. That is the one he has decided to send the both of you to."
Oh God, I hated that show. I'm pretty sure I dropped it pretty early on, actually I'm surprised I even bothered to watch it in the first place.
I wasn't that big on Anime, the only series I fully committed to were Bleach and Death Note, those were fun.
A strange combination, I know.
Speaking of Death Note, I can definitely smell a great deal of "Kira" coming from this Makima person.
"Wait, you mentioned your 'boss' changes a lot of the contents, what exactly does that entail?"
"It means he likes to add and remove things he thinks are better suited to the world, in this instance he seems to have gone a little overboard, meshing an entirely different world to this one on top of a whole bunch of other things. Have you ever watched 'The Testament of Sister New Devil' by any chance?"
I refuse to believe that is a real sentence, uttered by a being capable of cognitive thought.
"What?" Was all I could really say in response to that.
"Nevermind then, I'm sure you'll figure everything out once you're there." Not exactly the most confidence-inspiring set of words I'll admit.
"Would someone mind filling me in on what's going on?" Makima asked, blatant irritation evident in her voice.
"I don't fancy repeating myself, you're being reincarnated with your memories intact, handle the rest on your own." He looked back at the clipboard. "It seems you had a great deal of unfulfilled wishes in your old life Makima, maybe you'll bring them to fruition in this one."
Before either of us could say anything further, our vision faded to pitch blackness.
---
(Third Person)
Today was a prosperous day for the Gremory Clan.
A common problem shared throughout the Noble Houses was fertility, Devils struggled with procreation thanks to their significantly weak fertility rate.
Sometimes parents would need hundreds of years just to create a singular offspring, but today Lady Luck seemed to favor them.
Venelana Gremory, and Zeoticus Gremory had been blessed with twins.
One son, and one daughter.
The boy had been named Avalon, who's physical traits seemed to take after his mother, with flaxen hair and droopy violet eyes, giving him a gentle expression.
Well, if he didn't have his signature frown on his face all the time it would be better, but it was something they'd fix later on.
The daughter had been named Adaloth, who appeared to take after her father, for the most part.
Her hair was a lighter shade of red, as opposed to the Gremory Clan's usual crimson, and her eyes were even stranger.
They were bright yellow, with ominous red rings making up their lining.
But seeing as both her, and Avalon had successfully inherited the Clan Trait, the Power of Destruction, that came from their mother's Bael lineage, no one sought to question their legitimacy.
The forms their Power of Destruction had assumed were rather interesting.
Avalon had been blessed with near godlike control over his Clan Trait, being able to effortlessly control and manipulate it as if it were his own hands and feet, somehow showing command that reached even beyond his elder brother, the Crimson Satan.
All Devils faced some level of resistance when channeling their Demonic Power, the top rankers of the Rating Game probably facing only around 2%-5%, and Sirzechs Lucifer himself experiencing only 1%.
But Avalon was beyond that, he experienced 0%, no resistance whatsoever. The only other person able to boast such a proficient level of control being Ajuka Beezlebub himself.
Although, his output of Demonic Power wasn't nearly as blessed, about the average amount one would expect from a High-Class Devil, unlike Sirzechs who essentially had Ultimate-Class output from birth.
Of course, as the male-born, it was decided that he would be the Heir.
Adaloth was on the other end of the spectrum, her output was something even Satans had to respect, her Demonic Power output being arguably at her older brother's level when he was born.
But she couldn't control it, at all. Even when she just tried to charge-up her Power of Destruction, it would go completely haywire and attempt to extinguish everything in sight.
The only times she was actually capable of using her full power was when Sirzechs was present to help her keep it under control.
For now, they needed to find a suitable way to help her tame her Demonic Power, without hurting herself or those around her.
With that said, both of them showed immense promise. It was safe to say that the Gremory Clan's future was bright.
---
(First Person - Avalon)
5 years have passed since I was reborn. Right now myself and Adaloth, my sister, were standing outside a room with a plethora of attendants dressed in nursing and doctor's attire.
Our mother, Venelana, was currently in the process of giving birth to our younger sibling. The sounds of excruciating groans echoing from within make that much evident.
"Which one?" Adaloth asked me all of a sudden.
"What?"
"A boy or a girl? Which one do you think it'll be?"
"Currently we have two boys and one girl, so I guess the next one will be a girl to even things out." I shrugged.
"I don't think that's how it works," she scoffed.
"How else do you want me to guess? I don't have X-ray vision."
I heard the audible pains from inside reach their peak, and soon start to dissuade signaling that the next member of our family had arrived.
"Congratulations Lady Venelana, it's a girl." One of the attendants said from within the room, my supernatural hearing being strong enough to pick it up.
"See?" I said to Adaloth with a smirk on my face.
"Technically it's not even anymore, since our older brother isn't legally a Gremory."
Satans had to discard their last name upon assuming their mantle, I can only presume the practice is to prevent bias from the top of the food chain.
"That's true, but it's not as if you actually consider her a sibling to begin with." I stated without hesitation, Adaloth staring at me with the same unnerving stare as when we first met in the lounge.
Her expression and tone of voice never changed no matter what I said to her, but apparently unlike everyone else around her, I seem to be the only one capable of reading her mood.
Maybe that's just a boon from my past life.
"What a cold thing to say dear brother, I'm hurt."
I'm sure you are.
We've discussed our situation with one another, but we haven't disclosed anything about our past lives. Not that I really see the value in it.
Since we were tossed into the same boat, we thought we might as well do what we can to keep it afloat.
I seem to be a lot better with understanding Demonic Power, and she seems to have a certain talent for grasping the political landscape around us.
The fact that she's got a talent for that does not bode well with me, it speaks volumes about what kind of person she was before she died.
"She's going to be my precious little sister from now on, it's only natural that I love her with all my heart."
"Maybe if you tell yourself that enough times it'll come true," I replied with a knowing smile.
If I were to sort my sister into a field of personality psychology, it would be Machiavellianism for sure.
In short, she gives me the impression of a manipulator. There's no warmth in her eyes when she looks at the people around her, even our parents. It might be a stretch, but I have a feeling she's adopted the "people are tools" archetype to an extreme.
The point is, I do not trust her. Not at all.
The only time I see a change in her expression is when she looks at me, though I don't yet know what that change is, nor do I take kindly to the fact.
She's searching for something, and I'm determined to figure out what that is.
That's why I will be as open as I can with my assessment of her, making my thoughts as much louder as my actions as possible. Using the intent I'm fine with keeping open, to cover the one I want to remain discrete.
Like L. once said, 'Risking your life and doing something that could easily rob you of your life are exact opposites.'
My last life was a bust, this one will not be the same.
My internal monologue was interrupted by the door in front of us opening, one of the attendants looking at us.
"Lady Venelana requests your presence, Young Lord Avalon, Young Lady Adaloth."
We both nodded, entering inside as I was met with the sight of my mother sporting a justifiably exhausted look on her face. My father and older brother stood at her bedside, and a child wrapped in silk cradled in her arms.
"Come meet your little sister," her voice also seemed to be rather tired. Probably from all the groans and screaming. "I decided to name her Rias."
I may not know a lot about this world, but I know enough to recognise the name of the female lead.
"Do you want to hold her?" She asked.
"Of course," I replied, purposefully positioning myself in front of my sister while we were entering.
I carried her in my arms, side-eyeing Adaloth all the while. "She's adorable," I said. I know what happens in the source material, and there's no way I'm letting my little sister have her chest flashed by some perverted high schooler.
"That she is," Adaloth leaned in close enough for our shoulders to touch. Reaching out and wiggling her finger in front of Rias, earning a delighted giggle in return.
"Shall we set her cradle up in your room?" My mother asked.
Both me and Adaloth slept in the same room.
In separate beds, obviously.
"I think that's a great idea," I responded.
"Sweetie?" She looked at my sister, who seemed to have gone silent for some reason.
"I think so too," she finally replied.
"I believe the cradle has already been constructed, I'll go ask one of the workers to get it installed." My father added, leaving the room to go deal with that.
"This is just too adorable!" My older brother finally chimed in, having not said much in a while.
"Guh!" I winced as he scooped me, who was still holding Rias, and Adaloth into a spine-crushing bear hug.
"A-hem," a silver haired woman cleared her throat from across the room. Glaring daggers at my older brother. "I suggest you compose yourself, Lord Lucifer." She was Grayifa, his wife, who seemed to be the one wearing the pants in the relationship.
"O-Oh, of course." He immediately deflated under her admonishing gaze, freeing us from his clutches.
"Lady Venelana," one of the nurses approached. "Would you like us to do the rest of the checkups now?"
"Sure," she gestured for me to hand over Rias to the nurse, to which I complied. "Avalon, Adaloth, there's something your brother would like to tell you."
We both turned to him.
"Indeed, it's regarding your training." His mood grew serious. "You see, we originally intended on putting it off until you were both a few years older, but after some thought, we believe it would be better to start you off early." He looked at me. "Avalon, you've already more than perfected your control over Demonic Power, meaning you're beyond prepared to begin learning how to apply it." He then looked at Adaloth. "And Adaloth, I did some talking with my Bishop. We believe we've found a way for you to start learning how to bring your Power of Destruction under control. However, we won't force either of you to begin if you don't feel like it. The choice is all yours."
"Is that even a question?" Both of us replied in unison, earning a round of chuckles from those surrounding us.
"I'm glad to hear that you're eager, but we won't begin for some time. First it's important you get to spend some time with your little sister, your teachers will be here tomorrow."
My first objective is to acquire my Evil Pieces as soon as possible, which is what allows a High-Class Devil to start reincarnating others, and building their peerage.
There's no actual age-limit on it, the decision usually being left up to the Devil's parents. Which in my case would be Zeoticus and Venelana.
If I show enough excellence during training, that should serve as good leverage for me to start getting my pieces.
"Who will our teachers be?" I asked.
"For Adaloth I'll have my Bishop, MacGregor Mathers take the reins. And for you, I plan to have my Knight Souji Okita take charge."
"I look forward to receiving his instruction."
"Likewise," Adaloth added.
Our society is based on one's strength, and I definitely won't let her amass more of it than me.
---
I'm sure you all have a lot of questions about the series, so go ahead and drop them here and I'll do my best to respond to them.
This isn't on patreon right now, I'll decide whether I want to put it up there depending on how the series does.