Highschool DXD : Gacha Life

[ Akira's Pov ]

"Akira!" Chysis ran, launching herself at me in a tackle-hug that would have knocked me flat if not for my enhanced reflexes.

"Can't... breathe..." I wheezed, patting her back as she squeezed the life out of me.

"I was so worried!" she sobbed into my shoulder. "When I realized how much mana I'd overloaded into that crystal, I thought I might have sent you to another dimension entirely! I've been searching for hours, trying every tracking spell I know!"

She pulled back to look at me, her hands gripping my shoulders like she was afraid I might disappear again. "I'm so sorry, Akira. This is all my fault. If something had happened to you because of my carelessness..."

"Hey, it's okay," I said gently, giving her what I hoped was a reassuring smile. "I'm safe now, see? You don't have to worry anymore."

She searched my eyes for a moment, then finally seemed to believe that I was really here and unharmed. The tension in her shoulders eased slightly, though she still looked shaken.

"Actually," I continued, "I want to introduce you to someone."

Chysis blinked, then looked curiously past me to where Valerie was standing partially hidden behind my back. The vampire girl had been trying to make herself as small and unnoticeable as possible, clearly nervous about meeting new people.

Chysis's expression went completely deadpan as she took in Valerie's appearance—particularly her blonde hair.

"Akira," she said in a flat voice, "do you have some kind of blonde fetish?"

"What? No! Why would you—"

"Because you've now brought two blonde girls to my home," she continued, her tone still completely serious.

I felt my face heat up as I laughed awkwardly. "It's not like that! Look, why don't we go have some tea while we talk? There's a lot to explain."

. . .

Twenty minutes later, we were seated in Chysis's study—the same room where this whole adventure had started. The papers from her crystal research had been hastily cleared away, replaced by a proper tea service. Valerie sat beside me, nervously nibbling on a slice of cake while I recounted everything that had happened.

"So let me get this straight," Chysis said when I finished, setting down her teacup with a soft clink. "My overcharged crystal sent you directly into the middle of a vampire army's slave operation, you single-handedly massacred several hundred pure-blood vampires including their lord, and then you decided to recruit his imprisoned sister?"

"That's... a very concise way to put it, yes."

She sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of her nose. "And you're never using teleportation magic again in your life, I assume?"

"Not if I can help it," I said with a shudder. The thought of accidentally ending up in the Dimensional Gap or somewhere equally horrifying was enough to put me off spatial magic permanently.

Chysis turned her attention to Valerie, who had been quietly eating her cake throughout the entire conversation. "So, Valerie, Akira mentioned you possess a Sacred Gear. What kind?"

I'd told her about Valerie's healing abilities during my story, but I'd been deliberately vague about the specifics. Mostly because I wasn't entirely sure what they were myself.

Valerie looked at me uncertainly, and I gave her an encouraging nod. She set down her fork and took a deep breath.

"It's... it's called Sephiroth Graal," she said quietly.

Chysis went very still. "I'm sorry, what did you just say?"

"Sephiroth Graal," Valerie repeated, a bit more confidently. "It's one of the thirteen Longinus-class Sacred Gears."

The teacup in Chysis's hand cracked.

"Longinus?" she whispered, her voice barely audible. "You possess a Longinus?"

Valerie nodded and extended her hand. A soft golden light began to emanate from her palm, coalescing into the shape of an ornate chalice. The cup seemed to be made of pure light, its surface covered in intricate patterns that hurt to look at directly.

"The Holy Grail," Chysis breathed, staring at the artifact with wide eyes. "It can heal injury, cure disease, even grant extended life to those who drink from it. One of the most powerful Sacred Gears in existence."

I felt my jaw drop. No wonder Marius had kept her locked up. A Sacred Gear that could potentially grant immortality? That was beyond valuable—it was world-changing.

"Akira," Chysis said slowly, never taking her eyes off the glowing chalice, "do you have any idea what this means? In the span of a single day, you've somehow managed to recruit a wielder of one of the thirteen most powerful Sacred Gears in existence. Your luck is absolutely absurd."

I was about to ask her to keep this information secret—having a Longinus wielder on my team would paint a massive target on all our backs—but Chysis seemed to read my expression before I could speak.

"Don't worry," she said, finally looking away from the chalice as Valerie dismissed it. "I won't tell anyone about this. But in exchange, I want to know exactly what new power you awakened that allowed you to defeat so many pure-blood vampires. There's no way you could have accomplished that with just your previous abilities."

I smiled in defeat. There really was no escaping it, was there?

"Alright, but this stays between us too," I said, reaching into what appeared to be empty air. To their eyes, it would look like I was pulling something from a pocket dimension—a reasonable enough explanation for my inventory system.

"Incursio," I said simply.

The familiar sensation of bio-metal flowing over my body was different this time. Instead of the original armor design, what manifested was the evolved form I'd achieved during the vampire battle. The armor was sleeker, more predatory-looking, with organic blade-like projections extending from my arms and shoulders. The faceplate had taken on a more skull-like appearance, and the overall design radiated an aura of barely contained lethality.

"Amazing," Chysis whispered, reaching out to touch the bio-metal surface. Her fingers traced the organic patterns with scientific fascination. "I've never seen a Sacred Gear like this. The way it responds to your emotional state, the evolutionary adaptability... You're certainly half-yokai and half-human who awakened some kind of unique variant Sacred Gear, aren't you?"

I just nodded along with her explanation. It was as good a cover story as any, and I certainly couldn't tell her about my gacha system.

"You're full of surprises, Akira," she said, patting my armored shoulder affectionately. "Don't worry, I'll keep this secret too."

"Why?" I asked, dismissing the armor. "Why have you been so kind to me? So willing to help and keep my secrets?"

Chysis's expression softened, and for a moment she looked almost maternal. "You remind me of my son, Zeo. You have the same cheerful nature, the same desire to help others even when it puts you at risk. The same kind heart."

She smiled warmly at me, and I felt something tight in my chest loosen slightly. It had been a long time since someone had looked at me like that—like family.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Valerie watching this exchange with something like wonder in her red eyes, while Asia was beaming with joy at witnessing such genuine care between people.

. . .

Later that evening,mI found myself back at my house with my two new housemates. The place still felt surreal—a luxurious modern home that Chysis had somehow acquired for me, complete with multiple bedrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, and amenities that would have been impossible to afford on a normal teenager's budget.

My mother was off on a trip with her friends, funded by the money I'd given her from Chysis's love. It was good to see her happy and relaxed for once, even if it meant I had the house to myself for a while.

"You two can pick whichever rooms you'd like," I told Valerie and Asia as we stood in the main hallway. "I'll get started on dinner."

They nodded and headed off together to explore the house, Asia chattering excitedly about how nice everything was while Valerie listened with a small smile. It was good to see them getting along.

As I made my way to the kitchen, I suddenly remembered something that made me stop in my tracks. In all the chaos with the vampires, I'd completely forgotten about my gacha rewards.

The familiar blue screen materialized in front of me, and I nearly fell over when I saw what was waiting.

*Congratulations! You have earned a Rank 7 Gacha Ticket for single-handedly eliminating a vampire lord and his army!*

Rank 7? That was the highest rank I'd seen so far. But before I could get too excited, my gaze fell on something else in my inventory—the Good Luck ticket I'd gotten from sparring with Koneko.

*Ticket of Good Luck: Allows user to gain best outcome from any attempted task. Tear this ticket before attempting said task.*

I pulled out the ethereal ticket, studying its shifting surface. If I was going to use a Rank 7 gacha, it might be worth ensuring the best possible outcome.

"Here goes nothing," I muttered, tearing the ticket in half.

Nothing visible happened. No light show, no mystical energy, no indication that anything had changed at all. I waited a few seconds, then shrugged.

"Guess it worked? Hard to tell with these things."

I activated the Rank 7 gacha ticket, watching as the blue screen began cycling through possibilities faster than my eyes could track. Finally, it settled on something that made me do a double-take.

*Reward: Holy Water of Life Recipe*

*Description: The Holy Water of Life is a legendary potion capable of curing any ailment, healing any injuries, whether magically or naturally induced. Additionally, consumption grants an extension of natural lifespan by 20 years.

Recipe includes complete instructions for preparation and list of required materials.*

I stared at the description, my mind racing. This wasn't a weapon or a direct combat ability, but the potential applications were staggering. A cure for any disease? Extended lifespan? This was the kind of thing that could change the balance of power in the supernatural world.

And then I remembered something Chysis had mentioned—the sleep disease that was still affecting devils. She'd been researching a cure for that specific condition, but this recipe could potentially solve it entirely.

An idea began forming in my mind. This recipe could be incredibly valuable as a trade commodity. Not something to use lightly or early in my career, but a potential ace in the hole for building relationships with the various supernatural factions. Hell, if I could brew something that cured devil sleep disease, I might even be able to negotiate for some Evil Pieces of my own eventually.

But that was thinking too far ahead. Right now, I had dinner to cook and two new housemates to take care of.

I had just started pulling ingredients from the refrigerator when there was a knock at the front door.

I frowned, glancing at the clock. It was past eight in the evening—who would be visiting at this hour? Asia and Valerie were both upstairs, and I wasn't expecting anyone.

The knocking came again, more insistent this time.

Wiping my hands on a dish towel, I walked to the front door and peered through the peephole. What I saw made me blink in surprise.

Standing on my doorstep was a man who looked to be in his thirties. He was dressed casually in dark jeans and a leather jacket, but there was something about his posture that suggested he was far from ordinary. His eyes, even through the distorted view of the peephole.

I opened the door cautiously, ready to call on Incursio if needed.

The man smiled at me with an expression that was equal parts friendly and calculating.

"Hi there," he said, his voice carrying just a hint of an accent I couldn't quite place. "You must be Akira. I'm Azazel. Mind if we chat?"

...

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