Testing the Waters

Kazuma Shirayuki sat on the edge of his bed, fingers interlocked, his gaze fixed on the translucent blue screen hovering in front of him. The reality of his situation was sinking in fast.

He was in High School DxD.

He had a powerful system of his own creation.

And he had three days before the canon story began.

That didn't leave him with much time.

He exhaled slowly. "Alright. First things first—status check."

With a thought, he pulled up his Status screen.

[Status]

• Name: Kazuma Shirayuki

• Race: Human

• Level: 1

• Strength: 10

• Agility: 10

• Endurance: 10

• Intelligence: 12

• Skills: (None)

• PCS: 0 (First system creation was free.)

• Systems: [Adaptive Growth System]

Kazuma narrowed his eyes. Pretty standard baseline stats, though his intelligence was a little higher. Not a surprise—his past self was a pretty fast learner. But in this world, raw intelligence wouldn't save him from getting his head blasted off by a stray devil.

He needed power. And fast.

His Adaptive Growth System would help, but only if he actually trained.

"Looks like it's time to grind."

Kazuma pushed himself up and stretched, feeling out his new body. It was leagues ahead of his past one—lean, muscular, and powerful. He felt like a coiled spring, ready to burst into action at a moment's notice.

"Alright. Let's test this thing out."

He glanced around his room, spotting a workout mat tucked into the corner. That'd do. Dropping down, he got into a push-up position and started pumping out reps.

One. Two. Three…

His arms moved with practiced efficiency, his muscles responding far better than he expected. It felt good.

[Ding! You have gained +1 Strength.]

Kazuma grinned.

"Seriously? Just like that?"

He kept going, the numbers stacking up faster than he expected. By the time he hit a hundred, another notification popped up.

[Ding! You have gained +1 Endurance.]

This was ridiculous. If he trained hard enough, he could increase his stats naturally without relying on external boosts.

Now this was a system he could work with.

After an hour of training, Kazuma threw on a casual outfit—black hoodie, jeans, and sneakers—and stepped outside. The fresh air filled his lungs, the streets of Kuoh stretching out before him.

It was surreal.

Everything looked exactly like he remembered from the anime—the wide roads, the school buildings in the distance, the small convenience stores lining the sidewalks.

But the biggest difference?

This wasn't just a story anymore.

It was real.

He could feel the wind against his skin, hear the chatter of passing students, smell the faint scent of baked goods from a nearby shop.

Kazuma's fingers twitched. He wasn't just some observer watching things play out—he was in this world now. That meant he had a say in how things unfolded.

And there was one thing he knew for sure:

He wasn't going to be a side character.

As he made his way toward Kuoh Academy, Kazuma's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden chill running down his spine.

He stopped.

Something was off.

His gaze flickered around, scanning the area. The street was normal—people walking, cars passing, nothing unusual. But that feeling… it was like someone was watching him.

And then he saw it.

A man in a dark suit stood across the street, leaning against a lamppost. His face was sharp, his eyes concealed behind tinted glasses.

Kazuma's breath hitched. That wasn't just some random businessman.

That was a fallen angel.

A memory clicked into place. This guy… he looked like one of Raynare's subordinates. Dohnaseek, if he remembered correctly.

Shit.

Kazuma kept walking, acting as if he hadn't noticed, but his mind was racing. Why was a fallen angel watching him? He wasn't Issei. He didn't have a sacred gear—at least, as far as he knew.

And yet, here was a high-ranking fallen keeping tabs on him.

That wasn't good.

He needed information.

[Ding! Adaptive Growth System has detected an unknown enemy.]

[Activating Enemy Analysis…]

Kazuma's vision shifted. A faint outline glowed around Dohnaseek's body, and a small display appeared in the corner of his sight.

[Target: Dohnaseek]

• Race: Fallen Angel

• Power Level: Mid-Class

• Threat Level: High

• Weaknesses: Limited melee skills, relies on light-based projectiles

Kazuma's throat tightened. Mid-Class? That was way out of his league right now. If a fight broke out, he'd be fried in seconds.

He forced himself to keep walking, pretending not to notice. If Dohnaseek was just observing, then the best move was to not give him a reason to act.

Still, this meant trouble.

If the fallen angels were already interested in him, it was only a matter of time before others started paying attention, too.

Kazuma clenched his fists. He had to get stronger—fast.

Lost in thought, Kazuma almost didn't notice the girl standing in his path until it was too late.

He stopped just in time to avoid crashing into her.

"Ah—"

The girl looked up, blinking at him with sharp, intelligent violet eyes. Her long, dark hair was styled neatly, and her uniform marked her as a student of Kuoh Academy.

Kazuma's brain clicked.

Wait… I know her.

Sona Sitri.

The Student Council President.

A high-class devil.

Kazuma barely managed to suppress his reaction. Running into her this early? That was… unexpected.

Sona adjusted her glasses, her gaze sweeping over him with mild curiosity. "You're Kazuma Shirayuki, correct?"

Kazuma blinked. She knew him?

Play it cool.

He flashed an easygoing smirk. "That depends. Who's asking?"

Her lips twitched, almost like she was amused. "I'm Sona Sitri, President of the Student Council. I like to know the names of all students at Kuoh Academy. Especially… those who are interesting."

Kazuma's mind raced. Interesting? What the hell did that mean? Did she already suspect something?

He shrugged, playing it off. "Well, I do my best to stand out."

Sona hummed, clearly not convinced but also not pressing further. "I see. Then I'll be watching with interest."

And with that, she turned and walked away.

Kazuma exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair.

That was way too close.

First a fallen angel, now a devil? It hadn't even been a full day and he was already on their radar.

One thing was clear.

He needed to stop wasting time.

If he wanted to survive in this world, he had to get stronger.

And fast.