Chapter 1: [1] : Starting with a Rainbow-Grade Gift Bag
"Parents deceased, with money and a house… it really does fit my current situation."
As a newly-fledged transmigrator to this world, I should have been the envy of my peers. But compared to other transmigrators from my home planet, I was having a pretty miserable time of it.
"This is ridiculous. I've been in this world for 18 years already, so why hasn't my cheat appeared?"
My name is Hibari Kyoya, and right now, my mood could be described as incredibly complex, with more than a hint of anxiety mixed in.
This is because I know all too well that I'm currently in a world called "DxD." According to my memories from my previous life, this world isn't just filled with Devils, Angels, Fallen Angels, and various pantheons of gods, but also Dragons. It's a world where gods vie for supremacy, and as a result, I'm constantly in extreme danger.
Even more distressing is the fact that I'm smack-dab in the center of this world's vortex of chaos: Kuoh Town, and specifically, Kuoh Academy!
To top it off, I'm even in the same class as one of this world's main heroines, Rias Gremory!
But even those factors alone, I could maybe handle with a bit of luck.
However, my investigations uncovered an even more serious problem: the protagonist of the original story, the host of the Red Dragon Emperor, Hyoudou Issei, is gone.
Not only that, but even the Student Council President Sona Sitri's peerage member, Saji Genshirou hasn't become a devil yet, either.
Saji is attending the academy normally, at least. But as for that pervert Hyoudou Issei, there are no traces of his existence anywhere, as if he never existed at all.
At first, I considered that maybe my arrival had caused a butterfly effect, leading to Hyoudou Issei's non-existence. So, I went to find Hyoudou Issei's original mother to learn more. But after her repeated confirmations, she insisted she did not have a son named Hyoudou Issei.
Although the disappearance of this lecherous protagonist made me a little uneasy, it also threw my original plans into disarray. But Hyoudou Issei's disappearance was already a fact, so no matter how much I worried, it wouldn't do any good.
Because even though this is the world of an anime, Kuoh Town is the Devil's headquarters. The younger sisters of two of the Underworld's Maou live here!
Not to mention, Fallen Angels are extremely active in this town.
Soon, high-ranking Fallen Angel cadres will arrive to try and destroy Kuoh Town. Then there's the White Dragon Emperor, the Khaos Brigade, and many more dangerous matters to come. And as if that weren't enough, this world also has the looming threat of an invasion by Evil Gods.
When I first arrived in this wish-fulfillment world of anime, I swore I'd stand at the pinnacle of this world.
But now, all of that just seems like a pipe dream.
Ultimately, I'm just an ordinary student right now. I have no power to achieve my grand ambitions. DxD is full of beautiful girls, but I can only watch from the sidelines. All I want is to give them a safe and warm home. What's wrong with that? I can't help but feel incredibly frustrated.
Over the past decade or so since I arrived, I have tried to train and develop my potential. But no matter how hard I trained, I am still human.
In this world, without power, you can only live cautiously. Your life and death are at the mercy of those in power. I could be killed by a stray Devil or a Fallen Angel at any moment.
For a transmigrator like me, this reality was incredibly depressing.
"The new school year is starting soon, which means the main story is probably about to begin. I had considered trying to become a member of Rias or Sona's peerage, but I'm just a student with good grades. They probably wouldn't even give me the time of day."
It seems like I can only take things one step at a time.
[Ding! Sign-In System loading… 20%… 50%… 80%… 100%.]
Just as I was lamenting my situation, a mechanical voice suddenly rang out in my mind.
After being stunned for a good ten seconds, I finally snapped out of it, feeling a surge of excitement. If it weren't for the fact that it was nighttime and I might disturb others.
Eventually, I managed to get my excitement under control and calm down a bit. I asked the system why it was so late.
"This system only awakens when the main storyline begins."
The system, 18 years late, answered my question honestly.
"You damn system, do you have any idea how I've been living these past 18 years? Do you? I've been constantly on edge, terrified that I'd run into a stray Devil and get my ass handed to me!"
But in the end, I calmed myself. "Sign-In System? Introduce yourself."
"This system's function is as the name suggests. By signing in, you can receive rewards. You can sign in at specific locations or complete system-issued tasks to earn rewards. Sign-ins and tasks are graded as White, Green, Red, Black, Purple, Gold, Violet-Gold, and Rainbow."
"Hmm, the system's functions are pretty straightforward. It suits me."
My mood was now completely different from the anxiety-ridden state I was in just an hour ago.
"Hey system, I can't just go around looking for people or places to sign in, right? My memory isn't perfect. I don't know everything. Do you have a map or something for marking locations?"
If this Sign-In System only allowed me to sign in at specific locations, that would be very limiting. I couldn't just run around the whole world, could I?
The system didn't answer directly. Instead, a screen suddenly appeared before my eyes, visible only to me.
The screen displayed many points where I could sign in, even marking locations in Heaven, Hell, and the Dimensional Gap. Although, I didn't have the power to go to those places to sign in yet.
I zoomed in on the screen and located Kuoh Town. In an instant, I saw many question mark sign-in locations. I wasn't surprised. This place is where many of the main heroines gather. It would be strange if there weren't any sign-in locations here.
After examining it for a while, I dismissed the screen.
Suddenly, I remembered something and jokingly asked the system, "Hey system, you were 18 years late. Don't you have a newbie gift bag or something? I've seen other systems with those. You don't have one, do you?"
System: "…"
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for receiving the Newbie Gift Bag: Rainbow-Grade Sign-In Gift Bag."
The system's mechanical voice rang out again, and I froze in shock!
"Holy crap! System, you're the best! It's actually the highest-grade Rainbow-Grade Sign-In Gift Bag!"
My face was now permanently etched with an expression of pure joy.
Honestly, I hadn't expected my system to be so generous. I was originally planning to haggle with it, maybe get a small ability to improve my situation. But now, all I can say is, "System, you're amazing!"
Based on what I had observed on the system screen earlier, the strongest being in DxD, the True Red Dragon God Emperor, only had a Violet-Gold grade sign-in. I'm guessing the Infinite Dragon God, Ophis, is probably a light Violet-Gold grade sign-in!
So, if I'm getting the highest-grade Rainbow-Grade Gift Bag, I've definitely hit the jackpot!