It was midnight.
The sky above Kuoh was a deep shade of indigo, scattered with stars that blinked like ancient eyes watching from afar. The moon hung full and pale in the sky, casting long shadows over the sleeping town.
And there I was—standing inside the Occult Research Club, alone, holding a stack of crimson leaflets like some kind of supernatural paperboy.
Today was my first night as a devil. The beginning of my new "job."
Rias had explained it earlier with that confident smile of hers.
"Devils make contracts," she said, "and through those contracts, we grow stronger. It's a give-and-take. A human summons us through the use of a summoning circle and a flyer. Once summoned, we negotiate. Fulfill their wish, and in exchange, we receive compensation—money, rare items, or even a piece of their lifespan."
I glanced at the leaflets in my hand again. Each one was a magical invitation, an open door for any human desperate or curious enough to seek the aid of a devil.
In canon, the original Issei had very little magic power. He couldn't teleport using the magic circle like the rest of the Gremory group. That poor bastard had to ride around town on a bicycle—at midnight, no less—just to hand these out or get to summoning locations.
I exhaled slowly, letting my fingers pulse with a sliver of my own magic.
Let's see if I'm different.
Focusing on the magic Rias had helped me awaken earlier, I let the warmth pool in my chest before channeling it down into my. The air around me shimmered faintly. My vision flickered with red symbols for a split second.
A glowing magic circle formed at my feet—Gremory's insignia shining proudly at its core.
The sigils rotated.
I felt weightless.
And in the next blink—
*Whoosh.*
—I was standing on the rooftop of a nearby building, wind tugging at my jacket.
Yes!
I grinned to myself. No bike needed. That alone was a small but glorious victory.
Whatever changes happened to me when I reincarnated into Issei's body, one thing was clear: my magic reserves were far superior to his at this stage. No more pedaling like a damn delivery boy through Kuoh's alleys. I could teleport like a proper devil.
A wave of satisfaction rolled over me. Finally, something felt right.
Now came the real work.
I knelt down at the edge of the roof and scattered a handful of the crimson flyers into the wind. They sparkled with magic and disappeared as they floated off into the night, invisibly weaving their way through homes and apartments. With each home they entered, they left behind a summoning circle, a silent invitation for the humans within.
Now we wait.
The first summons came quicker than I expected.
A faint glow buzzed against my left hand—the mark of Gremory lighting up with a soft hum.
I placed my hand over it, focusing again.
Let's see what kind of weirdo I'm getting.
A crimson magic circle formed beneath me again, the sigils glowing like embers.
With a pulse of magic, I vanished.
The room I arrived in was modest—an apartment bedroom lit only by a desk lamp. A middle-aged man sat nervously on the bed, holding one of my flyers.
He looked up and nearly jumped out of his skin when I appeared.
"W-What the hell?! It worked?! I was just curious!"
I raised an eyebrow. "You summoned me, human. State your desire."
My voice sounded calm, professional—Rias would be proud.
He blinked. "Wait… you're seriously a devil?"
"Obviously," I said, gesturing to the still-glowing circle beneath me. "What do you want in exchange for a price?"
The man looked sheepish, rubbing the back of his neck. "Uhh… can you help me beat the final boss of a game I've been stuck on for weeks?"
I stared.
He was serious.
"...That's your wish?"
"Y-Yeah?"
I sighed internally. Of course my first summon was a gamer with a pixelated vendetta.
"Fine. I'll help. In exchange, I want that bottle of expensive whiskey behind you."
He looked surprised. "Really? That's it?"
"You summoned me to beat a video game. Let's keep the value proportional."
One hour later, the boss was defeated, the whiskey was mine, and I left him with a happy smile and a gleam in his eye.
Not every contract had to be grand. Sometimes, it was small wins.
Back in the ORC room, I appeared via teleport, the half-empty bottle of whiskey in my hand.
Akeno raised an eyebrow as I walked in. "You've already completed a contract, Issei-kun?"
"Yeah. Guy wanted help beating a game. Simple stuff."
Koneko, sitting on the couch with her cat plush, didn't even look up. "Lame."
I grinned. "Hey, a contract's a contract."
Rias walked in from the side room, her long crimson hair flowing like silk. "I felt your teleportation. I take it your magic capacity is higher than we estimated."
I nodded. "No bike for me."
"That's… good." She looked genuinely pleased, though a bit surprised. "Very few new devils can manage teleportation so early."
"Well," I shrugged, "guess I'm not exactly the *same* as the old Issei."
I said it softly, more to myself than to her. But Rias tilted her head slightly, giving me a curious look. Had she noticed the change in my behavior? Maybe. She was sharp. It was only a matter of time.
"Get some rest, Issei. Tomorrow, we begin combat training."
"Combat?"
"Yes. Contract work isn't always peaceful. Eventually, someone will summon you with a problem fists are better suited for than words."
I smirked. "Good. I've been itching for something real."
Rias nodded once, satisfied. "Then you'll get your wish."
As she walked past me, her fingers brushed my arm ever so slightly. Whether it was intentional or not, I couldn't say. But I felt her warmth linger long after she left the room.
I stood alone in the ORC once again, the soft glow of the lights above casting long shadows across the floor.
First night as a devil? Not bad.
I still had a long way to go. My Sacred Gear hadn't fully awakened, and Ddraig remained silent.
But I had magic.
I had power.
And more than anything… I had potential.
~~~
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