DxD: The Dragon Origin System

This morning, like the past seven mornings, Issei's day began early.

He woke up just before five, went for a brisk jog, and returned to help his parents with the morning cleaning routine.

A week ago, Issei's mornings were vastly different. He used to drag himself out of bed barely an hour before school, his face smeared with drool. His routine consisted of scratching his stomach, brushing his teeth, rushing to the bathroom, and bolting out the door with remnants of breakfast stuck to his face.

But something had changed.

Now, he seemed cleaner, healthier, and far more considerate of those around him. He even made a point to help people on his way to school, like it was second nature.

'Well, this is one thing that hasn't changed,' Kiba remarked with a faint smile as he watched Issei carefully coax a small cat down from a tree for a little girl.

For the past week, Kiba had been shadowing Issei—a task that previously fell to Koneko. Over those seven days, his perspective on the boy had shifted dramatically.

"I wonder what Koneko would say about this."

Koneko was currently occupied with handling a Fallen Angel infestation, but her earlier assessments of Issei had been unflinchingly harsh. She had called him an irredeemable pervert with hardly any redeeming qualities.

Still, even she had grudgingly acknowledged his helpful nature.

"But he's changed," Kiba muttered under his breath as he ducked behind a wall to avoid being spotted. "He's become… respectable."

The thought made him smile. Seeing someone take charge of their life and commit to self-improvement was genuinely uplifting.

"Koneko would never believe it," he chuckled softly. Beneath the amusement, however, there was a lingering suspicion.

How had Issei changed so much in such a short time?

Why had he changed so drastically?

And most pressing of all—what was his endgame?

That last question wasn't part of Rias's orders. It was pure curiosity on Kiba's part. Still, even he couldn't ignore the oddity of Issei's transformation.

Kiba was no stranger to the inner workings of men. To outsiders, men's decisions often seemed abrupt, even impulsive. But Kiba knew better. Change—whether as trivial as moving a pack of cigarettes from the table to a drawer, or as monumental as overhauling one's lifestyle—was never spontaneous. It was always deliberated, mulled over countless times before action was taken.

That was why Kiba respected Issei.

'To wake up one day and decide to change everything—it must have taken incredible willpower and dedication,' Kiba thought, smiling ear to ear. He couldn't help but feel proud of the boy's growth.

But admiration wouldn't distract him from his duty. He still had a job to do, and no matter where Issei went, Kiba would continue to follow him.

Over the past few days, Kiba had been observing Issei, trying to determine whether the boy's recent changes were tied to the awakening of his Sacred Gear.

He didn't want to believe that this transformation was solely the result of such an awakening, but he couldn't ignore the possibility. Kiba had sensed faint flickers of supernatural energy emanating from Issei, confirming the existence of a Sacred Gear. However, the amount of energy leaked was minimal, indicating that the gear remained dormant.

'I wonder if he's close to awakening it,' Kiba mused to himself. 'It's been a long time, and he's at the ideal age for a Sacred Gear to emerge. It must be soon.'

The problem was that interest in Issei wasn't limited to Rias and her circle.

A number of unsavory parties had also taken notice of the boy.

While the devils were doing their best to protect him, they knew it was impossible to shield him around the clock. Their only hope was that if the Fallen Angels ever decided to strike, it would be on a day when Issei was under strict surveillance.

For now, Kiba could only watch and pray for luck.

At least Issei had made it to the safest place he could be—the school.

Kuoh Academy was a sanctuary. No supernatural being would dare to attack it, as it was protected by not one, but two devil heiresses, and their presence was constant.

It was here that Kiba and Koneko typically ended their surveillance, allowing Issei some semblance of privacy.

As the boy entered the school grounds, Kiba emerged from the shadows, deciding to head inside as well—preferably before a swarm of his fangirls cornered him.

Unbeknownst to him, his departure did not go unnoticed.

"He finally left, didn't he?" Issei muttered under his breath with a sigh.

'I'm surprised you were able to sense him,' Ddraig replied, the dragon's voice rumbling in his mind. The presence of a watcher had been something Ddraig pointed out earlier, but he hadn't expected Issei to already be aware of it.

What Ddraig didn't know was that Issei had developed the ability to identify the race and class of supernatural beings if they were in his line of vision even once. It was a quirk of his system, one that frequently exposed Kiba.

'So, this is where it all begins, huh?' Ddraig asked, recalling how many significant events seemed to stem from Kuoh Academy.

'Pretty much,' Issei replied. 'I mean, it's not like a high schooler's story would kick off in a strip club, right?'

'Fair enough.'

With his hands tucked into his pockets, Issei carefully navigated past two familiar perverts lurking by an old tree and made his way toward the classroom.

Over the past week, he'd even managed to earn a bit of Sona's respect. By avoiding trouble and staying out of mischief, he had impressed her. Instead of causing chaos, he spent his after-school hours helping around the campus.

His efforts hadn't gone unnoticed. The school's workers and staff had taken a liking to him, often rewarding him with senbei for his assistance. Senbei happened to be one of the few rice crackers Issei genuinely loved, so he was more than happy to receive them.

'Ah, keep those planks in the corner, Issei,' one of the workers called out as Issei carried a stack of wooden boards across the courtyard.

Even today, he was busy assisting with tasks—carrying boxes, planks, and other moderately heavy equipment for the school's maintenance crew.

It was good exercise, even if Ddraig grumbled that he should be using the time to train his powers.

'This is training,' Issei argued internally.

'How so?' Ddraig retorted. 'You're just hauling wood like a laborer. You're not honing any skills.'

'There aren't many places where I can train without drawing the devils' attention,' Issei countered.

'Why bother hiding? They'll find out sooner or later. Eventually, you'll have to choose whether to join them or not. Why drag it out?'

Issei smirked. 'Because, Ddraig, the more appealing the fruit looks, the higher the price it fetches.'

'Then train!' the dragon roared in his mind. 'You'll appear plenty appealing when they see you sweating and training with powers they greed over.'

Issei chuckled.

"You okay, kid?" one of the workers asked, clearly amused by the sudden outburst of laughter.

"Yeah, sorry," Issei replied, shaking his head lightly. "Just remembered a funny memory."

'Nothing funny about this,' Ddraig grumbled.

Issei nodded internally. 'True, but do you know which fruit fetches a higher price than just a pretty-looking one?' he asked the dragon.

The dragon fell silent, unable to answer.

Hearing nothing but the hum of confusion, Issei elaborated. 'Seasonal fruits. It's when you see a rare, out-of-season fruit that you're drawn to it. Even if the taste isn't at its best, you still buy it—despite the ridiculous price tag. Do you know why?'

'Because it's rare and not supposed to appear at that time,' Ddraig replied, his voice more subdued.

'Exactly!' Issei said with a grin. 'That's what we need to do.'

'But training is still required to survive,' Ddraig insisted.

'And we will train,' Issei assured him. 'What do you think I've been doing, scribbling over maps since yesterday?'

This time, Ddraig went silent again, clearly pondering the boy's words.

'I've been looking for places outside the surveillance of the devils and the Fallen Angels,' Issei continued. 'Somewhere we won't be caught by either the supernatural or human authorities. It's tougher than it sounds.'

'Clearly,' Ddraig muttered, his tone bordering on exasperated amusement.

Although he couldn't see the dragon's face, Issei could practically feel Ddraig rolling his eyes.

'Anyway, we're done for the day,' Issei announced aloud as he set the last plank in its place. "I'm done," he told the workers nearby.

"Ah, then you can head out, kid."

"Thank you!" another worker chimed in. "You've been a huge help."

Issei smiled politely, dusting off his clothes. He washed his hands and feet at the nearby tap, grabbed his bag, and began making his way off the school campus.

'Don't worry, Ddraig,' he said internally. 'I'll figure it out tonight, and we'll start training tomorrow evening.'

'That's more like it!' Ddraig exclaimed, his voice rumbling with approval.

Just as Issei crossed the school gates and approached the overpass, he heard a hesitant voice behind him.

"E-Excuse me!"

He turned, curiosity piqued, and saw a pretty, black-haired girl standing a few feet away. Her demeanor was shy, her eyes filled with nervous energy.

'Kid… that girl,' Ddraig warned.

'I know.'

"Are you…" the girl began, her voice trembling slightly, "are you Issei Hyoudou?"

"Yes," Issei replied smoothly. "How may I help you?"

'A crow…' Ddraig muttered, displeasure dripping from every word.

"M-My name is Y-Yuuma Amano," she stammered. Her face was flushed as she continued, "I was wondering if y-you'd like to… go on a date with me!"

'Well, that was straightforward,' Ddraig quipped.

'It sure was,' Issei replied internally, barely suppressing his surprise.

"I like you!" Yuuma blurted out, leaving Issei momentarily stunned by her blunt confession.

As he mulled over the best way to respond, something unexpected appeared before his eyes.

'Well, this just got interesting,' Issei thought with a wry grin.

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