The room was quiet, lit only by a few candles on the wall.
The curtains were drawn shut, letting no sunlight in.
It smelled of herbs and something warm.
The bed at the center of the room was large, covered in thick red sheets.
A young blonde woman lay on it, her face pale and sweaty, her breathing slow but steady.
Her arms trembled as she held a small bundle wrapped in white cloth close to her chest. Her long hair was damp from the effort she just went through.
An elderly midwife stood beside the bed, her hands still red from the delivery.
Her voice was tired but joyful.
"Congratulations, my lady. It's a healthy baby boy."
The blonde woman nodded slowly, her eyes tired but full of emotion.
She looked down at the baby in her arms.
The child was quiet, blinking softly at the world.
A small patch of red hair poked out from the blanket.
"Hello, little Arthur. Welcome to the world."
She whispered, smiling faintly.
She leaned down and kissed the top of his tiny head.
The room remained still, only the soft sound of Arthur's breathing filling the space.
Ten years later, the sun shone brightly over a simple wooden house surrounded by tall trees and green grass.
Behind the house, a boy with short red hair and bright green eyes stood near a thick tree trunk.
He wore a simple shirt and pants, both slightly dirty from sweat and dust.
In his hands, he held a wooden sword, its surface smooth from use.
Arthur focused his eyes on the tree.
His breathing was calm, but his hands were firm. With a sharp exhale, he swung the wooden blade.
The tip of the sword struck the bark with precision.
He stepped back, adjusted his stance, and struck again, over and over, each movement was careful and controlled.
After one final swing, he lowered the sword and sighed.
He looked at the tree. The bark was marked with several clean cuts.
Not bad, he thought to himself.
Then he heard a voice from the house.
"Arthur! Lunch is ready!"
He turned around quickly.
His mother stood in the doorway, leaning slightly against the frame.
Her blonde hair was tied back and her apron was stained with flour.
Arthur's face lit up with a smile.
He dropped the wooden sword and ran toward the house.
"I'm coming, Mom!"
He called out.
As he reached the porch, he looked up at his mother.
"Did you see it, Mom? I got five clean hits in one second this time."
She nodded and smiled warmly.
"I did. I'm very impressed. You're doing well with your training, Arthur."
He beamed with pride.
They walked inside together.
The small dining table was already set with plates and cups.
On the table were ham sandwiches, a bowl of protein salad, and fresh fruit.
Before sitting down, they joined their hands and bowed their heads in prayer.
"Dear lord, we thank you for this food. Please bless it and keep us safe. Amen."
They said together.
Arthur quickly grabbed a sandwich and took a big bite.
As he chewed, he looked at his mother.
"Mom, can I learn more advanced sword techniques now?"
She paused, sipping from her glass of water.
She looked thoughtful for a moment.
"I think… yes," she said.
Arthur's eyes widened and he smiled excitedly.
"Really?!"
She raised a finger.
"But only if you finish your homework first."
Arthur groaned and slumped in his chair.
"Aww… but Mom… studying math and science are so boring. I'm going to be an Exorcist anyway."
She giggled softly and patted his head.
"I know it's not fun, sweetheart. But it's important. You never know when you might want to live among the normal society. And no, magical formulas don't count."
Arthur pouted and crossed his arms.
"Fine."
He muttered.
She smiled and nudged him playfully.
After finishing lunch, they stood up and started cleaning the dishes together.
Arthur washed while his mother dried.
They moved in rhythm, talking casually about the weather and Arthur's training.
It had become a small tradition between them.
Night came quickly.
The stars were bright in the sky.
Inside the house, everything was quiet.
Arthur lay in his bed, tucked under a warm blanket.
His mother sat beside him, holding a small book.
Her voice was soft as she read the last line.
"And Alice woke up, realizing it was all a dream… The end."
Arthur yawned and stretched.
"You're a good storyteller, Mom. Like always."
She smiled and ruffled his hair.
"Oh shush, young man. You're still too young to be charming girls so don't start today."
"Heh. No promises, Mom."
Arthur laughed a bit and snuggled into his blanket.
She leaned forward and pulled the blanket up to his chin.
"Good night, Arthur."
She whispered.
"Good night, Mom."
He replied.
She kissed his forehead gently, then stood up.
As she walked toward the door, she looked back at him one more time.
"I love you… my little prince."
She closed the door quietly.
Arthur looked at the closed door for a while.
Then he looked up at the ceiling.
The room was dark except for the moonlight coming in through the window.
He was quiet, thinking deeply.
(So weird… this life feels so real now...)
He blinked slowly.
(I still remeber a time where I used to be a college student… I remember… the accident… the truck…)
He closed his eyes for a moment.
(And now I'm here… in this world that somehow feels familiar…)
He didn't understand how or why he was given a second chance.
Maybe someone was watching over him, maybe it was fate, but he never believed it in the first place so he wasn't sure.
He yawned again and turned to his side.
(Whatever it is... or whoever it is… it doesn't matter... but still thought... thanks... whoever you are...)
With a peaceful breath, he let sleep take him.
DxD
The next morning, the sun shone softly over the small town.
The streets were alive with the chatter of people and the rustling of carts rolling over cobblestone paths.
Small market stalls lined the street, offering fresh fruits, vegetables, spices, and bread.
Arthur and his mother walked side by side, their hands gently clasped together.
His other hand swung a small sack of apples while she carried a bag filled with vegetables and dried meat.
"Thanks for coming with me, Arthur. Carrying all this alone would've been troubling."
She said with a warm smile.
Arthur shook his head with a faint grin.
"I don't mind. You're my mom. Helping you is normal."
She chuckled and ruffled his red hair gently, making him flinch just a little.
"You're going to grow up into quite the charmer, you know that?"
She teased.
Arthur blushed slightly and looked away.
"Mooom…"
They turned a corner, and their walk came to a pause.
Up ahead, a small crowd of children had gathered near a large tree in the open square.
There was a lot of movement, little voices calling out, and a few frustrated whines.
Something was clearly happening.
Arthur tilted his head curiously.
"What's going on over there?"
His mother squinted her eyes.
"Looks like… oh dear, there's a cat stuck in the tree."
The children were pointing up at a white and brown kitten clinging to the highest branch, meowing loudly.
A few kids were trying to climb the lower part of the trunk, but none of them could get very far.
Arthur's gaze locked onto the scene. His grip loosened on his mother's hand, his eyes focused.
She looked down at him and sighed, already knowing what he was thinking.
"Go ahead."
She said softly, nudging him forward with a small push.
Arthur looked up at her.
"Really?"
She smiled.
"Be careful, alright?"
He gave her a quick nod and walked toward the group of kids.
As he got closer, the younger children turned to look at him.
Most were smaller than him by a few years.
"I can help."
Arthur offered calmly.
One of the children, a little girl with messy brown hair, looked up hopefully.
"Can you really get up there?"
Arthur simply stepped forward, planted his foot on the base of the trunk, and jumped.
He grabbed a low branch, swung his legs up, and began climbing swiftly.
"Whoa!"
"So cool!"
"He's like a monkey!"
Arthur's eye twitch from the comment but continued to move smoothly from branch to branch, using both arms and legs.
The tree wasn't too tall, but it was high enough that a fall would hurt.
He paused when he got close to the top and saw the frightened kitten clinging to a thin branch.
"Hey there, little guy. It's okay, I'm here to help."
Arthur said gently.
The kitten meowed again and looked at him with wide eyes.
As Arthur slowly reached out his arms, the cat jumped, right into his chest.
"I gotcha!"
Arthur said, holding the small creature carefully.
From below, his mother cupped her hands to her mouth.
"Be careful, sweetie!"
"I got it, Mom!"
He called back.
He began his descent slowly, taking his time so he wouldn't slip with the cat in his arms.
When he was close enough, he dropped the last few feet and landed neatly on the ground, holding the kitten securely.
The children around him cheered.
"Thank you, big brother!"
"That was amazing!"
"You're so cool!"
Arthur looked flustered, scratching the back of his head while handing the kitten back to the girl it belonged to.
"It was nothing, really…"
He turned and walked back toward his mother, who had been watching the whole time with pride in her eyes.
"Good job, Arthur. That was very kind of you."
She said warmly.
Arthur shrugged a little, still embarrassed.
"You taught me to be nice, remember?"
She smiled and reached out her hand.
He took it without hesitation, and together they began walking back toward the market road.
"Still, not every kid your age would risk hurting themselves to help someone without a second thought."
She added, squeezing his hand slightly.
Arthur grinned a little.
"Guess I'm not just any kid, huh?"
From atop a nearby rooftop, hidden in the shadow of a chimney, a pair of gentle blue eyes watched the mother and son carefully, especially the mother with longing.
The figure stood silently as memories of joy and sadness.
"I'm glad you and your son are doing well, my dear friend."
Then, just as quietly, the figure vanished in a bright light, leaving behind nothing but a white feather gliding on the wind and the fading sound of children's laughter.
DxD
Arthur stood alone.
The world around him was nothing like the quiet village he knew.
The sky was blood-red, boiling with thick clouds and streaks of black and red lightning.
Ash rained gently from above, falling like slow snow.
The ground beneath his feet was cracked and broken, full of glowing veins of lava.
All around him were ruined buildings, half-melted stone towers, and the charred remains of once-living trees.
It felt like a nightmare, but it was far too real.
"What the… what is this place?"
Arthur muttered, taking a cautious step forward.
His shoes crunched over broken stone and burnt dirt.
He turned his head left and right.
Everything looked like some twisted version of a battlefield, one that had been abandoned and ruined.
And then he heard it.
A low rumble.
Faint at first.
Then louder.
Then deeper.
He looked toward the horizon, and he stopped breathing.
Something was moving.
Far away, but massive.
A silhouette the size of a mountain slowly pushed through the smoky fog.
Its shape was impossible to ignore.
Two gigantic wings spread wide, casting long shadows over the ground.
A long neck curved upward, leading to a head that looked… draconic.
Arthur stepped back.
"What in the…"
The creature opened its jaws and let out a roar so loud the earth shook violently beneath him.
Arthur fell to his knees, clamping his hands over his ears as pain shot through his skull.
The roar went on for several seconds, shaking everything like an earthquake.
When it finally stopped, the silence that followed was almost worse.
Arthur slowly stood up, panting.
His hands trembled slightly as he looked around.
But then, without warning, the ground beneath his feet darkened.
A shadow.
He looked up and his breath caught in his throat.
A gigantic red dragon stared down at him from just above.
Its emerald green eyes glowed with something ancient and powerful, something that cut through Arthur like a knife.
It said nothing at first.
Just stared.
Arthur couldn't move.
He couldn't think.
His whole body was frozen, his heart racing in his chest.
Then the dragon's mouth moved, and a deep, rumbling voice echoed through the air like thunder.
"How interesting."
Arthur's eyes widened.
The dragon's voice wasn't cruel.
It was calm and controlled.
But it still held the weight of something immense.
He tried to speak but only managed a whisper.
"Wh-What…?"
He looked deeper into the dragon's eyes and something inside him stirred.
Something… familiar.
And then it clicked.
His lips moved on their own.
"Y Ddraig Goch."
The red dragon lifted its head slightly, a low sound like a hum rumbling from its throat.
"You are by far the most interesting host I've ever had. You know that, boy?"
Arthur blinked, still trying to make sense of everything.
"Uhh… h-hello, I guess. I-I'm Arthur."
Ddraig snorted, a cloud of steam rising from its nostrils.
"Be not afraid, boy. Stand proud."
Ddraig said.
"You bear the legacy of two bloodlines after all."
Arthur frowned.
"Wait… two bloodlines? What are you talking about?"
He didn't get an answer.
Ddraig looked away, eyes flicking toward the sky above as the red clouds began to swirl.
"It seems our time is up for now."
He said, his voice quieter.
"Wait, no-! What do you mean? What legacy?!"
Arthur stepped forward.
But the dragon was already fading.
The world around him began to dissolve, like it was being pulled away by the wind.
"Next time."
Ddraig said, his voice now an echo in the dark.
Arthur jolted upright in bed.
His room was dark, quiet.
The only sound was the faint rustle of leaves outside and the ticking of the small wooden clock on the wall.
He looked around, breathing hard.
Sweat clung to his forehead.
He sat still for a moment.
Then blinked twice.
He whispered the only thing he could think of.
"High School DxD."
Silence.
He looked down at his blanket, eyes wide with realization.
Then he leaned back against the headboard and whispered again, more tired this time.
"…Fuck."
DxD
Hello readers!
Long time, no see and sorry for the lack of uploads.
I'll try to get the other books back on track, but for now take this new one as an apology.
Thank you everyone and see you later!