> "Classes are over, huh? Oh right, I'm still part of the Kendo Club."
As the final bell rang through the school, Shangguan Binghen muttered thoughtfully to himself. He reached for the long sword wrapped in cloth at the side of his desk and slung it over his shoulder before heading out.
Ordinary students weren't allowed to bring weapons to school obviously. But Shangguan Binghen was a special case. With his status and that aloof demeanor, the faculty just turned a blind eye.
> "So my image is that of the cold and distant type... That works. Keeps unnecessary trouble at bay."
He noticed the stares from girls along the hallway intense, fiery but none of them dared approach. He exhaled in relief.
He was undeniably handsome. But because of his usual icy attitude, most girls didn't even know how to start a conversation with him.
As he walked through the school's corridors, a thought suddenly struck him.
> "Hey, Ling'er. I've got a question. If this body of mine is supposedly so well-known, how come there's no mention of me in the original DxD storyline? With a background like mine, you'd think Rias would have tried to recruit me by now."
> "Master," Ling'er responded in her honey-sweet voice, "the Shangguan Clan didn't originally exist in this world. Your transmigration, through the system, caused changes in the timeline introducing new elements that weren't part of the canon story."
> "I see…"
Binghen paused for a moment, then dismissed the thought. No use dwelling on it. Right now, his priority was to grow stronger fast. He needed to establish his footing in this world.
Based on his memory of the High School DxD timeline, the main plot would begin in about two months. If he remained this weak by then, he'd be nothing more than collateral damage when chaos broke out.
And as for the girls he liked in the story? He wasn't about to just sit back and let Issei Hyoudou the future Red Dragon Emperor scoop them all up.
> I don't need to be invincible. But at the very least... I need the power of a High-Class Devil before the plot kicks in. Anything less, and jumping into the story is suicide.
Just then, a gentle breeze carried a sweet fragrance across the hallway, causing Binghen to blink in surprise and snap out of his thoughts.
When he looked up, he was stunned.
What's the most vivid red in the world?
Some might say the red of a rose.
Others might say the crimson of blood.
Still others might think of rubies.
But right now, Shangguan Binghen could confidently tell you:
They were all wrong.
The most vivid red in this world... was hair.
> Whoosh...
A breeze rolled across the campus, brushing past the buildings, the courtyard, the trees and through a cascade of long, crimson hair.
The girl standing before him had waist-length scarlet hair, a slender yet voluptuous figure, and a noble air that made her look like a highborn lady straight out of an aristocratic household.
Her face was so flawlessly beautiful it made one wonder if she'd stepped right out of a dream.
But the most captivating part of her?
That blazing, impossibly vivid red hair.
> "Shangguan-kun? Are you alright?"
Rias Gremory's gentle voice pulled him back to reality. She looked at him with genuine concern.
Ever since he'd enrolled, she'd been paying attention to him. He was always so calm, so aloof never once flustered. This was the first time she'd seen him distracted.
> "Thank you for your concern, Rias-senpai. I'm doing quite well."
Binghen quickly composed himself, his tone returning to its usual cool, steady rhythm. Rias might be beautiful, but he wasn't the type to go lovestruck on sight. More importantly, he had to stay in character. If he suddenly started acting differently, someone like Rias might get suspicious.
> Some things take time to change.
> "I'm glad to hear that."
Rias smiled warmly. "Club activities are about to start, so I won't keep you."
Once she saw he was back to normal, her brief flicker of confusion faded. She gave a final smile and walked past him, her long red hair trailing like a curtain of flame.
> "Whew… Meeting her in person is something else."
Watching her figure disappear down the hall, Binghen shook his head and turned toward the Kendo Club room. Even if he already had some flashy powers, swordsmanship remained his foundation. And this was his first formal training session.
---
Time passed like flowing water.
Binghen stayed at the Kendo Club until the last member had left and night had fallen. The campus was quiet, the air cool. He wiped the sweat from his brow and finally headed for home.
During those two hours, he'd tested every one of his powers again and again until using them felt like instinct.
> "The whole day went by... and it still feels like a dream."
He muttered to himself as he walked through a narrow alley, weaving skillfully between the shortcuts he'd memorized.
> "Tsssss…"
Suddenly, Binghen stopped dead in his tracks.
A strange sound echoed through the dark, empty streets. It sent a chill crawling up his spine.
He glanced upward toward the rooftop of the alley's high walls.
Something pitch-black was slithering across the surface.
> Whoosh!
Before he could react, sharp piercing sounds cut through the air above him. Binghen's pupils shrank as he instinctively jumped back.
A split second later, a cluster of black spikes slammed into the spot where he'd just been standing, embedding themselves deep into the concrete.
Had he not moved in time...
He would've been turned into a human pincushion.