Author's Note: Welcome readers. Thank you for reading this story. Reminders, I'm a complete beginner who just writes for fun. If you found my story interesting and worth reading, thank YOU very much! Kindly leave a comment, critique (No flaming please), or review if you have time. I want to make this story better rather than just bulldozing it. Also, I try to avoid any kind of bashing towards certain OG characters since it's just stupid to hate because of hate. I read so much DxD fanfic that bash characters for the sake of it and it makes me cringe. Of course, I COULD be in the same hole because of my bias towards a few characters (Like a certain red-haired princess.) However, please bear with me because this Issei may experience different things happening due to his actions and thoughts. Therefore, his opinion toward other characters will be VERY different compared to OG MC.

No offense Harem King Issei, you just don't sit well with me. You have good qualities, no doubt about it. Still, your.... obsession with "Oppai" and girls is too much, man. No wonder Ddraig needs a therapist.

-----

"..." - A character's dialogue

(....) - A character's thoughts

{....} - Ddraig speaking in Issei's mind

[....] - Ddraig speaking openly to his surrounding

-----

What Issei experienced and feels right now could only be described as a dream.

If not, how could he accept the nonsensical scenes happening in front of him?

Devils, Angels, and Angels who have jet-black wings. Not only that, there were other beings who had features completely foreign to modern society and his mind. He neither has the words nor references to describe any of them.

(Maybe I should go to the library. If nothing else, it gives me an excuse for studying.)

Lightly snickering at his lazy thoughts, he absentmindedly views this dream just like seeing movies during his free time.

An angel who stabs the devil with a furious expression. The devil who slowly lost his energy to live after being stabbed cleanly in her heart. A fallen angel (Issei decided to call the counterparts that since it's fitting), cuts the angel's head decisively with madness in his eyes.

Killing, blasting, stabbing, punching, etc etc.

Such gore happens all around him. The process may be different, but the ending will all be the same. It was countless deaths for everyone on this battlefield.

Pandemonium.

One single word describes this dream accurately.

The first time, Issei saw this scene was half a year ago. He immediately went to the toilet and puked out all of his mom's cooked food. For a normal teenager who lived in peaceful modern Japan, this scene was too much for him.

Heck, he even wants to applaud for himself staying sane. Not everyone could stay normal after being exposed to excessive gore again and again.

It was just...too realistic and vivid. 

Were dreams supposed to be this descriptive?

Fortunately or maybe unfortunately, when you see the same things countless times, humans tend to unconsciously adapt to it. Issei was no different.

That's why, the times when he was horrified walking around this scene is no more. He only looks at it mechanically just like an audience spectating the battle scene of the movie.

(Even the ending of it is the same.)

Just as he thought that, a huge mass suddenly dropped down to the ground resulting in an immediate earthquake in the surroundings. A few were able to stand upright, but most of them either lost their balance and fell or .....were squashed by said mass.

A dragon.

Issei may be ignorant about myth, but even HE would not mistake the majestic creature in front of him. Media and games always depict it as an absolute factor either as the Last Boss or a powerful ally for the hero.

In this case, maybe DOOM would be an apt comparison.

A huge body that is covered with hard, gleaming scales in every inch of it. A long, thick neck. Singular tail that stretch tens of meter swinging freely to its surrounding. A sharp head with glowing turquoise eyes.

Red. A dominant color of red that covered every part of its body except for its eyes. No, maybe the color crimson would be better.

Either way, Issei could only sympathize with the poor souls who tried to fight it. After all, with the appearance of this lump of unfairness, the sense of despair expressed by everyone was as clear as ever.

You cannot fight someone that's equivalent to a natural disaster.

(....Hah, really. If it's a dream, can you show me a better one?)

Complaining in his thoughts, Issei bitterly smiles while looking at the continuation.

Needless to say, it's a complete landslide slaughter for the crimson dragon. There was no concept of battle anymore. A fight could only happen if either side had similar powers. Everyone on this battlefield could only kneel down wailing in despair or blindly charging the monstrosity with the hopeless prospect of "challenging" it.

Even so, it was quite ironic to Issei.

Surely, all of them have something to fight for, even if they need to trample others.

All these people, with different factions, different perspectives, and different beliefs. Every one of them who was killing each other fervently now united as one banner to fight the dragon.

....Sometimes, even he thought this.

(----Do you all kill each other just for the sake of it?)

Logically, he knew that combining for one threat was the best action for them to take. It was the smart decision to disregard their enmity to eliminate the biggest player in this gameboard called war.

...Even so, Issei could only lamentably think. Why start this massive war if they all unite almost immediately just for this one big dragon easily?

(Well, there's no use thinking about it.)

It's useless to be emotionally invested in a dream that he has no context for. Besides, he knew that the ending of it would be that the crimson dragon exhaled a powerful breath of fire. Then, everyone will scream painfully while burned to ashes.

While thinking that, the dragon that rampages and roars toward the surrounding flies makes eye contact with the lone teenager.

(D-did it just look at me?)

Issei knows he's an outlier in this dream. In fact, he knew too that his body looked...ethereal compared to them for lack of a better word. But just now, he didn't imagine it.

That dragon.

The being equivalent of a natural disaster.

IT RECOGNIZES HIM.

"---TCH!?"

Subconsciously, he raised his arms to guard himself from that overwhelming gaze. The logical part of his brain knew how futile its action was, but his body instinctively protected himself from the absolute threat that could squash him to bits with his gigantic body.

"...sei."

Why? Why did the dragon recognize him? Isn't this all a dream? 

"....ssei."

Should he run? But where to? In fact, can he even run from it?

".....Issei."

While panicking, the crimson dragon flapped its powerful pair of wings, slapping all of the people who flew around it into a scattered mess. Some unfortunate ones even get crushed due to a combination of sudden air pressure and being pushed into a wall.

And then----

.

.

.

.

{Our meeting is near, partner.}

------

"HYOUDOU ISSEI!!"

"WHOA! What the--"

Immediately standing up, Hyoudou Issei, a 2nd year student of Kuoh Academy blinking his eyes, look at his surrounding.

A surrounding full of classmates looking at him half in suppressed laughter and half in exasperated smiles.

".....Oh."

"Yes, 'Oh' is right. Hyoudou-kun."

Slowly rotating his vision from his classmates, he faced the doom named Isayama-sensei looking at him with full-blown smiles and twitching eyebrows.

"Oh...Ohhhhh...Right."

With that, Issei nods to himself a few times while making a fist slamming to his other hand to finally, FINALLY realize his situation.

He's screwed.

With that, he smiles brightly at his PISSED-off math teacher while bowing a complete 90-degree. Then, he raised his heavy head---

"Sorry, Sensei. I overslept. Tehe~"

---With a sincere apology.

The teacher couldn't hold his temper anymore. With veins popping on his forehead, he smiles brightly in response to his cute, cute student.

"Extra homework for you, Hyoudou-kun."

Immediately, Issei's face paled. He even exaggeratedly opened his jaw wide to express his disbelief. Some deskmates near him amusedly compared the poor guy to a guppy fish.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO~~~~!!"

"Hmph! Hope you learn your lesson, young man !!"

"Sensei, that's too much!! How COULD you!? I thought you were an angel compared to other teachers!"

"HA HA HA HA HA!! Say what you want! Your complaints are exceptionally pleasing to my ears~~~!"

"Devil! Demon! A teacher with no blood or tears!"

"Fufun, as I said---"

"That's why you are still single despite already thirties!!"

"THE HELL DID YOU JUST SAYYYYYY!!!!"

Most of them hold their laughter to avoid attention, but the sitcom happening in front of them is too much.

Just like a chain reaction, every single one of them laughs at this absurdity. Even some of the polite girls snicker while covering it with the back of their hand.

As always, their dear classmate brings good cheer even in this hellish torture class called math.

------

"Looks like luck rains upon you huh, buddy?"

"...I think you need to read a dictionary about the right meaning of luck, Matsuda."

"....Snrk, Issei. Only a person with a proper brain could read a book, much less a dictionary."

"The hell you mean by that, Motohama!?"

"Hah, you sure know what, idiot~~!"

Issei could only sigh resignedly with a wry smile to his friends. 

After the last class for the day, which is math(unfortunately), his (self-proclaimed) best friends Matsuda and Motohama immediately tease him about his predicament. Well, either THIS or shamelessly talking about porn books openly in the classroom without shame.

Issei shudders internally when comparing the present to the previous year's ones.

(Ugh, the mental images of it....)

To this day, Issei is very fortunate that he could make sense to these former pervert idiots about a sense of decency. Besides, under those bad habits, they are not bad people at all.

Still idiots though.

(Isn't it too much teasing me when I'm already down?.... Never mind.)

To be fair, if it happens to them, then Issei will mercilessly tease them back so he can't complain much. Besides, his math teacher, Ishiyama-sensei may be a stickler for rules and decorum, but he's a good educator who won't punish students without mercy.

.....Hopefully.

"Hehehe. It's never boring with you around, Hyoudou-kun."

"Oh, hey Hanakai-san. ...Well, guess I can't deny that."

While the two idiots are still fooling around with each other, his deskmate Hanakai Momo greets him with a teasing smile. She was a beautiful girl with a slender figure and long greyish-white hair that's rarely seen in Japan, much less in the small city of Kuoh.

(Author Notes: You guys can see her picture on Google.)

"So, what can I do to the Class Madonna? Besides giving a sitcom, please. I don't want to be a gag character. These two idiots in front of me bickering fill the role plentily."

"...Calling me a madonna is a bit too much. I'm not that pretty like Himejima-senpai or Gremory-senpai."

In response to Hanakai's humbleness, Issei only shrugged his shoulder with an easy smile.

"Hey, I just called as it is. Being pretty is subjective, and you are attractive. Besides, rather than those two flowers, I prefer you, Hanakai-san."

"!!!? Ugh~~~ Hyodou-kun, can you do something with that habit? I'm fine, but other girls could misunderstand, you know?"

With a red face, Momo scolded(?) Issei while pointing a finger at him. Only, said person smiled at her apologetically.

"Sorry about that, Hanakai-san. I only said what I meant. I don't mean to bother you...Ah, would you like me to stop?"

(....That's cheating.)

With him making that face, Momo could only sigh helplessly.

Of course, she knows Issei doesn't mean anything malicious. Heck, she even knew that this guy only gave compliments when he actually meant it genuinely. After all, she had already been acquainted with him for about half a year in the previous year in the same class. If he's just a pretentious bastard, Momo will keep away from him tens of meters at all times.

Well, some people may take offense to his bluntness. 

But for her personally---

"...I don't m-mind. Just...keep it in moderation, okay?"

Grumbling, she folded her hands while looking away from him with a pout on her still-pink face. In response, Issei could only chuckle at her adorable reaction.

"...You are really cute, Hanakai-san."

"!!?~~MOU!!! See! That's what I meant!"

"Wh-ok ok, I'll be careful!! I'll be-- Wa-wait stop, that's my face, Hanakai-san!! I GIVE !! I GIVE!! MERCY PLEASE!?"

As people always say, no good deed goes unpunished.

Even if Issei complimented her without any kind of intention, Momo mercilessly pounded on him with both hands. It may seem cute with her still pouting and reddish face---

But.....

(Her strength is no joke!! Seriously, how could a small girl like her have this much-- Ack!? my hands!!)

Well, if anyone knows Momo more personally, it may not be strange considering her unique physique.

Either way, he's under her mercy.

To Issei, he could only wonder how Momo had a lot of strength that could wrestle with him like this. Although, he didn't hold her wrist since he never had the intention to hurt her. Powerful girl or not, Issei is still a gentleman who was taught properly by his good parents.

While Issei is seriously contemplating how to calm her down...

"...We are not on their eyesight anymore."

"...Just give up, Matsuda. Issei is on a different level than us."

On that, Matsuda could only agree.

After calming down from their argument, the sitcom duo immediately realizes the ruckus caused by their leader. Really, while they are fighting to prove their supremacy(?), their good bro is flawlessly flirting with the Bishoujo of their class.

" "...*Sigh*...." "

They could only sigh helplessly and applaud internally for their leader's natural rizz.

"Wa-wait guys!? Please help!! Your friend is being pummeled okay!?"

" "Just go die, you Ikemen bastard." "

"WHAT THE HELL YOU MEAN BY THAT!? I---WA-WAIT HANAKAI-SAN. THAT PLACE IS--"

*BAK!*

"Ah."

Someone uttered that, but Issei couldn't pinpoint the said one. Rather, he couldn't focus on anything anymore.

(...She...hit my---)

Well, let's just say a man could be hurt effectively if hit in certain places.

As a result, the poor guy immediately passed out with a peaceful smile on his face. Momo, who regained her sense from the embarrassment, immediately gasped in horror after realizing her blunder.

"KYAAAAA~~~!! Hyoudou-kun, wake up!! Oh goodness!? Wh-what should I~~"

"Awawawawa", while Momo could only flail helplessly, the double M&M only shrugged their shoulders with wry smiles. The spectators who also watched this scene only shook their heads at their loveable classmate's well-known stupidity.

It was a regular scene for their class.

-----

"----Haaahh. She didn't have to hit me that hard. ....Oh wait, it's also my fault for teasing her."

The man, who holds his throbbing temple from being struck, grumbles about the unfairness of it all. However, in the end, he just accepts it easily for being a fool even knowing Momo's...traits.

The school nurse only chuckled sheepishly at the regular patient who came and went into this medical room for the same reason. Without asking much and questioning Issei for regular checks, the student was immediately released without much preamble.

Which led to him walking alone toward his house during sunset time.

Matsuda and Motohama only give him well wishes and short 'sorry' on his chat app, while Momo (He got her number after he begged her to help tutor about the accursed subject, math) says sorry repeatedly and apologizes too for not staying longer checking on him because of student council jobs.

(She really shouldn't worry that much. It's my fault anyway.)

While wryly smiling but appreciating his friend's good-naturedness, he only messaged her back to not worry much and good luck with her student council's work. As for those two idiots, he replied with--

[Don't worry about it.]

They already knew each other for about a year. Bros don't need many words to understand each other.

Well, at least Issei thought so.

"Hmhm~~Hmm~~~"

Humming to the rhythmic tone of the previous anime's opening song offbeat, Issei walks leisurely to his house. At this time, his mother is still on the track toward home too after buying groceries and his father is also coming home after a long day of work.

(Hope Katsudon's on the menu today. Maybe meat and potatoes? ...Well, Mom's cooking is the best so anything works.)

It was then, while he was happily imagining the delicious food waiting at his house----

"Uhm, hello?"

A girl's voice calls out near him.

Unconsciously, Issei stopped in his tracks. Not being a self-conscious prick, the bridge he's walking right now doesn't have any other people so the girl is naturally calling to him.

Turning toward his back slowly...

"---Pretty."

....If Momo was here, she would rub her temple while contemplating whether this guy lacked punishment. After being smacked repeatedly to be careful, this guy still unrepentantly compliments people(especially girls) without warning.

"Ueh!? Oh, I mean Th-thank you..?"

His habit of blurting out words makes the girl flustered, but she immediately calms herself. However, she's still a lit~~~tle bit pink-faced after an unexpected compliment from him.

...It was not unappreciated though.

"...Ah crap. So-sorry miss, I'm trying to be careful of my bad habits. It's just, you were so pretty that I was mesmerized that the words naturally---Annnd shutting up now."

"N-no, it's okay. Y-you don't mean anything about it."

A boy and girl flustered silly by apologizing to each other because of the boy's unexpected comment.

What the hell is this?

If the double M idiots saw this scene, they could only laugh and shake their heads helplessly for their bro's charm. Really, he already caused one romcom with Momo, getting his head hit.

And then THIS.

Issei is not handsome nor is he idol material.

Matsuda knows this. Motohama knows it too. Hell, even the guy himself admits it too. He's way, WAY too normal for being called Ikemen. That said title is only crowned for his other classmate, Kiba Yuuto. The guy only needs a little old smile and the girls will SWARM the said man in one second flat.

Maybe having a cute boyish face and golden brown eyes can be called his charm points, but that's all about it, objectively said. No, what makes Momo and even this girl flustered naturally is because of his honesty and open-mouthed policy.

Sometimes, small compliments given genuinely are the best way to open the other party's heart.

...Well, maybe too effective.

Lightly coughing to cover his faux pas, Issei takes a deep breath to calm himself. Then, he makes eye contact with the pretty girl who called out to him while scratching the back of his head bashfully.

"So..... what can I do for you?"

"A-ahhh, right. Please give me a moment..."

*Fuuhhp...fuuhh~*

Doing one complete cycle of breathing in and out, the girl opened her clear amethyst eyes and faced the boy with a cute smile on her unblemished face. Then, she places her right hand on her (admittedly) ample chest. The wind blew her long silky black hair that stretched down to her waist while doing so. All of this combination is what Issei unconsciously but genuinely expresses:

Pretty.

"Nice to meet you, Hyoudou Issei-kun. My name is Amano Yuuma."

This pretty 'girl'.

.

.

"I'm sorry for calling you out suddenly like this."

.

.

Hides a "secret".

.

.

"There's something I want to say to you for a while now."

.

A secret that'll destroy his cycle of normalcy.

.

"My eyes always follow you on your way back home."

.

The cycle has been kept for a solid 17 years.

.

"My heart always beats faster when I look at you."

.

The normalcy that could happen because of secrecy.

.

"After thinking, I...know what these feelings are."

.

And now, the secrecy will lead him to a dangerous path.

.

"I'm...glad you call me pretty."

.

Nobody, not even him nor the girl knows what the path may lead.

.

"Hyoudou Issei-kun, I fell in love with you at first sight! That's why---" 

.

However, there's one thing for sure.

.

.

.

"Please, go out with me!"

Nothing will stay the same anymore.

-----

Author's Note: And~~~ cut. This is the prologue for my DxD fanfic. Was it good? Was it bad? Either way, please leave a comment so I can improve better. Well, I just write this for fun so keep it in mind. Now, the prologue.

First off, I think I did normal. As a reader, I always wondered why some fanfic writer is just so bad at it. But after writing it myself, I could only lower my head after experiencing the difficulty personally.

IT'S HARD.

But still, it's kind of fun too. The way my imagination becomes expressed through writing. It's also cathartic after seeing OG Issei doing...well Issei. No, I won't be doing or writing that at all. I like girls as any straight male does, but He's just too excessive even for the comedy element. My MC may have his moments and flirting side but at least he WON'T be dense nor completely run away like headless chicken. Still, keep in note that his solution may not be perfect since 1) he's still a high schooler. 2) I could make mistakes while writing.

See you in the next chapter~~~