Fallen in DXD

I spent most of the summer in boredom, missing Shiro and stuck in the same routine—wake up, train, eat, and try not to go insane from the sheer lack of anything interesting happening. But then, in the middle of my usual sulking, I realized something far more important.

I was running low on money.

Back when my mother was alive, she would host small church events, accepting donations from those who still followed Christianity in a town dominated by the Shinto faith, very odd given devils ran the place.

We never had much, but we managed. It may not have been the holiest thing to do, using church donations to buy groceries, but hey—we prayed for forgiveness, and Michael never struck us down, so I figured we were in the clear.

But now that she was gone, those donations were about to dry up. And as much as I appreciated the convenience of modern supermarkets, they unfortunately did not accept prayers as currency.

I considered asking for donations myself… and then immediately dismissed the idea. Unlike my mother, I wasn't exactly a devout follower of God. Asking for charity in His name when my faith was lukewarm at best felt wrong.

So, I went with the next best thing.

Plagiarism.

Not the unethical, stealing-from-someone-else-in-this-world kind of plagiarism—no, this was harmless plagiarism. The kind where I borrowed from my past life's greatest works of fiction and repackaged them for this world. It's not like anyone would notice, anyway.

And so, I began writing.

I decided to start with one of my favorites—The Eminence in Shadow. A story about a guy who took chuuni to its peak and thrived in it. The perfect mix of self-awareness, ridiculousness, and absolute power fantasy. Truly some of my favorite work I've seen.

Once I started, I barely stopped.

I wrote day and night, only taking breaks to eat, sleep, and fit in my daily training. My memory, enhanced by my supernatural nature, made the process easier than I expected. Every plot point, every detail, every iconic moment came back to me with crystal clarity.

And once I finished Eminence in Shadow, I moved on to Naruto, and I have to say, I completely forgot how huge this series was.

If only I had shown that same level of interest in High School DxD.

I had read a little, seen some clips online, and vaguely knew about the different races and their power structures—but that was it. I wasn't some expert who memorized every single ability, political faction, or lore detail.

And now that I am living in this world? Yeah… I really wished I had paid more attention.

Nearly wiping out my entire summer writing, most of the time consisted of Naruto from just the sheer size of the series—I stacked them neatly on a shelf in my room. Out of everything I hated thought of writing, only The Eminence in Shadow and Naruto were complete. Though, looking at this I don't think I'll write much more if I can help it. It was hard writing everything and I found during the process, that I'm the type to read rather than write.

Eminence in Shadow alone had the potential to set me up financially. Add Naruto to the mix, and I'm practically set for life.

I think I only wrote eminence in shadow because I really enjoyed the work, though I did remove that awful arch where he returned to his old world. Without that, the novel completed 12 volumes. 

[A\N: I know the series is ongoing and such, this is just for convenience to my fanfic]

With that settled, I decided to move forward.

Since Kuoh didn't have a publishing house, I made a trip to Kyoto to find one.

The office I chose was well-regarded as I wanted the series to be released quickly. After a brief introduction, I found myself sitting across from an editor named Haruto. He looked professional—sharp-eyed, seasoned, and quiet as he read through my manuscript of volume 1. His neutral expression didn't give anything away, but I wasn't nervous.

I knew the story was good, if he didn't approve of the work I know someone will.

Minutes passed. Then Haruto finally set the pages down, exhaling through his nose.

"This… is great," he said simply.

'Well, of course it is.' I thought to myself

"It's interesting, unique—this will have customers wanting more," he continued, tapping the manuscript. "I'd like to have it reviewed for publication. If it makes the cut, we'll move forward. I'll message you with the final decision."

We exchanged phone numbers, and I left, feeling confident.

A week later, I got the call.

It was happening.

The manuscript had been approved, and the first print run would be 10,000 copies, set for release in about a month—a solid number for a debut novel. Haruto also mentioned that the company saw promise in my work, offering me a signing bonus to secure future projects.

I wasn't about to argue with that.

Just as we were about to end the call, Haruto added, "By the way, the deadline for Volume 2 is in two months."

I leaned back, glancing at the completed stack of Eminence in Shadow volumes on my shelf. "That won't be a problem and please use the alias Sosuke Aizen."

"Very well," Haruto said, sounding satisfied. "We'll finalize the details as the release approaches. Lastly, feel free to just fax over the proceeding volumes to make it easier for you."

With that, we wrapped up the call.

Hanging up, I let out a small breath. Everything was moving smoothly. The book was set to hit the market, I had more than enough material to keep up with the deadlines, and with the signing bonus, I didn't have to worry about money as the bonus was transferred to my new account.

Everything was looking up.

[2 weeks later]

The morning had been peaceful, and I decided to enjoy my time relaxing by the fireplace with some tea.

The publishing firm I chose for my version of The Eminence in Shadow had been putting in a lot of work, and it seemed they were ahead of schedule. They even sent me the very first printed copy.

Leaning back in my chair, I ran a hand over the pristine cover, and at the bottom dawned the name Sosuke Aizen, my writer alias. Along with it was a neatly folded letter from Haruto, my editor. Unfolding it, I skimmed through his usual formalities and updates.

"Sosuke, the official release is set for next week, but here's the first printed copy as promised. Enjoy, and let's hope for good sales."

Short and professional, as always. I set the letter aside, glancing at the book. I figured it wouldn't hurt to foster a little goodwill with that closet otaku, Rias Gremory, once school started again.

Just as I settled into my thoughts, I felt them.

Four presences, moving straight toward the church. And they weren't even trying to suppress their auras. Not that it would've mattered—low-class Fallen or not, at least have some tact when sneaking into devil territory.

Fallen Angels weren't making the best first impression.

I sighed. My moment of peace was officially over.

Standing, I made my way to the closet and pulled out a priest's robes. My mother had given them to me in hopes that I'd take over the church one day. I was pretty sure you couldn't just put on priest robes and suddenly become a holy father, but I had accepted them anyway.

Slipping them on, I adjusted the collar and, as an afterthought, clasped my hands together for a quick prayer.

"Michael, if you have an issue with this little impersonation, now's the time to send a sign."

The room remained silent. No divine intervention.

I grinned and shot a thumbs-up to the sky. "Guess I'm good."

With that settled, I stepped outside to meet my uninvited guests.

As I crossed the courtyard, they came into view—three women and one man, all with black feathered wings, exuding arrogance as they landed. Their leader, a black-haired woman, was… well, barely dressed.

I gave her a once-over and sighed. "You should really put on some real clothes. You'll catch a cold."

The woman blinked, then scowled, her wings flaring slightly. "Excuse me?"

I waved a hand vaguely in her direction. "It's a bit drafty out here. Not very practical attire."

One of the other Fallen snickered. The leader shot them a glare before turning back to me, her expression hardening. "Who are you supposed to be, a priest?"

I clasped my hands together, putting on my most saintly expression. "Just a humble man of the cloth, protecting a house of God."

She scoffed. "Well, priest, we're taking over this church. So why don't you be a good little clergyman and step aside?"

I shook my head, feigning disappointment. "I'm afraid I can't do that. This place wants no part in whatever you're planning. Kindly leave."

Her smirk returned, sharp and condescending. "Oh? And if I don't?"

She moved fast, hurling a light spear straight at my chest.

I caught it.

The spear crackled in my grip, its magenta hue illuminating my face. I sighed and crushed it in my palm, letting the energy scatter into nothing.

Silence.

I dusted off my hands. "Now, that's just rude. Attacking a priest? You all really need to work on your manners."

Before they could react, I snapped my fingers.

Silver magic circles flared into existence, showing the design of a Fallen Angels circle. Chains of pure silver light shot out, wrapping around their limbs and torsos with unyielding force.

They struggled, wings flaring as they tried to break free. Which ended up being useless. I was far stronger than them, after all.

I stepped closer, letting my gaze sweep over them. "Now then, let's try this again. You're going to turn around and leave. And if you ever come back…" The chains tightened slightly, forcing them to strain. "Let's just say I'm in a merciful mood today. Next time? Not so much."

The leader gritted her teeth, her bravado cracking.

Her narrowed eyes flicked between the chains binding her and the magic circles from earlier. Then, realization dawned.

"You're one of us," she spat, her wings twitching as she struggled against her restraints. "Why the hell are you getting in our way? This mission was given to us by Azazel himself!"

I sighed, rubbing the bridge of my nose. "Of course. Magic circles always give away one's race. Should've accounted for that."

I exhaled and met her glare with a flat look. "Look, uh… what's your name?"

She gritted her teeth. "Raynare."

"Alright, Raynare," I drawled. "I have no affiliation with your faction. I don't follow Azazel, nor do I take orders from him. So whatever mission you've been given? Not my problem."

She looked at me skeptically. "Then why stop us?"

"Because I live here." I gestured vaguely to the church. "This place isn't some abandoned husk for you to squat in. It's been my home for years, and I have no interest in letting a bunch of Fallen Angels use it as their hideout."

Raynare's eyes burned with frustration, but she bit her tongue, likely realizing brute force wasn't going to work on me. Smart.

I continued, "Besides, your target—whoever it may be—it'd be in your best interest to just quit now."

The male Fallen scoffed. "You're saying we should just drop the mission?"

I sighed. "I'm saying you're practically walking into your own graves. Do you even know where you are? This place is packed with mid to high-class devils. And to make it worse, those high-class devils have sis-con siblings who just so happen to be sitting on the comfy seat of Maou."

The group collectively stiffened. They weren't stupid—even the lowest Fallen knew better than to provoke those families.

Raynare clenched her jaw, but I could still see the determination in her eyes.

I took a step forward, letting my silver chains tighten slightly, making their bindings glow even brighter. "You're not stupid. You know I'm right. So why don't you do yourselves a favor and walk away now before this becomes a real problem for you?"

Silence.

Finally, after a long pause, she exhaled sharply through her nose. "Tch."

With a flick of my wrist, the silver chains unraveled, dissolving into fading streaks of light. They hesitated for a moment before regaining their footing, their wings twitching as they tested their newly regained freedom.

I turned my back on them, already making my way toward the church doors. "Oh, and I'm saying this again because if you're crazy enough to actually wear that around, I'm sure you just ignored the first time I commented on it" I called over my shoulder. "You should really put on some real clothes. The whole S&M aesthetic? That's more of a closed-doors kind of thing. Not exactly a great look for public outings."

Raynare stiffened, her hands clenched into fists. Whether it was from anger or embarrassment, I didn't care.

No words were exchanged as they took off into the night, their dark silhouettes vanishing against the sky.

I sighed, rolling my shoulders as I stepped back into the church. What a hassle.

Slouched into my chair as I considered my next move. Letting the devils know I smacked around some Fallen tomorrow at school seemed like the best idea. As I'm sure they will probably continue on their mission.

Not to mention, I'd rather not have Rias and the gang thinking I'm in on the plan. Sure I let them free, but I figured I'd give them another chance to just go home as they aren't exactly a threat.

I'm sure everything will play out just fine… hopefully.

A/N: A/N: the novel concept isn't going to be a big part of this FF, as I'm only using it as a way for Sosuke to get some money. It'll be brought up here and there as Rias will know about it but other than that, its mention will be little to none. And it may seem weird that he wrote everything but he's broke and needs too. Most of the money that they had in the first place was due to Cleria helping them out. I bet there are many other ways to make money but this was the first that popped into my head. Sorry for the rant and thank you all for reading.