In DxD Starting with Sign-Ing in as the Red Dragon

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Thud, thud, thud...

Mitsuzuri Ayako ran desperately, her breath ragged. Beneath her pleated skirt, her long, fair legs moved swiftly, one after the other. Thanks to her regular exercise routine, her legs were well-toned and strong. It was precisely because of her powerful and enduring legs that she had managed to temporarily escape the clutches of the sea demons and dimensional creatures chasing her.

There's a saying: when being chased by a bear, you don't need to outrun the bear—you just need to outrun your companions. Of course, that's under normal circumstances. But Mitsuzuri Ayako's situation was far from normal. She was being pursued by an entire horde of sea demons! Even if she outran one, the others would still be hot on her heels.

"Why… why are these things chasing me?!" Ayako's voice trembled with frustration. Why was it that others could escape danger after just a few steps, while she was relentlessly hunted? Thankfully, she had awakened memories of her future self, allowing her to transform into her older, more capable version. Otherwise, with her childhood height and shorter legs, she would have already become food for the sea demons!

Thud—

Unfortunately, as Ayako cursed her fate, her foot caught on an uneven patch of ground. Her balance faltered, and she tumbled to the ground.

"Ahhh!" she screamed, watching in horror as the sea demons closed in on her.

But then…

In the next moment, a streak of fluorescent blue light shot toward her from the distance. It was… the light of the White Dragon Emperor's wings, accelerating at incredible speed! A majestic, white-armored figure soared past, obliterating the surrounding sea demons in an instant.

"Huh?" Before Ayako could process what had happened, she felt herself being lifted off the ground. When she regained her senses, she was soaring through the air! Instinctively, she clung tightly to the white armor beside her. The sensation of flying at high speed was just as terrifying as being chased by the sea demons.

Fortunately, Akira's flight didn't last long. Soon, Ayako was safely deposited near the Einzbern Castle, a secure location.

"You'll be safe here for now," Akira said, gently setting her down. As he released her from the princess carry, a gust of wind blew, and Ayako instinctively clutched her skirt. Princess carries are so dangerous… way too easy to expose yourself, she thought.

"Your armor is so beautiful…" Ayako couldn't help but admire the person who had saved her.

As Ayako studied Akira, he also took a moment to observe her. Two Forms? No, wait… this is Mitsuzuri Ayako. Akira's thoughts raced. The system only integrated parts of this world's lore, not the entire consciousness of the Type-Moon universe. So, Two Forms shouldn't exist here… He scrutinized Ayako carefully. Well, this is the Type-Moon world after all. Mitsuzuri Ayako could definitely pass as a "Two Forms substitute."

After quickly adjusting her skirt and calming her nerves, Ayako mustered the courage to speak to the white-armored figure. "Thank you for saving me. May I ask… what should I call you?"

"Call me Akira. Here, take this," he said, tossing her a holy cross. "If you encounter any sea demons, just think of my name, and this will keep you safe."

The item was called the Blessed Holy Cross.

"Akira…" Ayako murmured, the name feeling oddly familiar, though she couldn't quite place where she'd heard it before. If she could see his face through the white armor, she might have remembered. But the White Dragon Emperor's armor concealed his features completely.

"Stay here for now. You can leave if you want, but it's safer to wait until I've cleared out all the invading creatures," Akira said. With a flap of his radiant, fluorescent blue wings, he vanished into the sky, heading off to rescue others.

He had noticed that these invading creatures seemed to target individuals with strong spiritual energy. Akira couldn't let them disrupt his plans, so he had no time to waste on Ayako, despite the perfect opportunity to win her over.

Clutching the holy cross, Ayako watched Akira disappear into the distance. "Akira…?" she whispered. As soon as she spoke his name, the cross around her neck glowed brightly. According to Akira's instructions, simply thinking of him would activate the cross. As the light enveloped her, an image of a young man appeared in her mind.

He was impossibly handsome, almost otherworldly. But what struck Ayako most was that… she recognized him! "He's that Akira?" As Sakura's close friend, Ayako had heard countless stories about Akira and had even seen sketches Sakura had drawn of him. But she never imagined she'd meet him under such circumstances. The difference between the drawings and the real person was so vast that Ayako couldn't help but critique Sakura's artistic skills.

"Akira…" Ayako called his name again in her mind. Once more, the cross projected his image. This time, instead of being surprised, she took the opportunity to admire his features. Compared to Sakura's drawings, the real Akira was far more captivating. After all, no drawing could capture his aura or the allure of his high-dimensional succubus heritage.

Ayako found herself entranced by Akira's image, replaying it over and over in her mind. She wasn't someone who avoided romance; she simply had high standards and had been waiting for someone who could truly captivate her. And now… her heartstrings had been plucked hard. The combination of the danger she'd faced, the adrenaline rush, and the classic "hero saves the damsel" trope had worked its magic.

"But if he's this young…" Ayako's mind wandered to a bold idea, though she quickly dismissed it. "Thinking about dating someone like him… I'm being delusional. He's not from the same world as me." Ayako knew her limits and understood how ridiculous her thoughts were. She pushed the fantasy aside.

However, just minutes later, the arrival of another person reignited her hopes.

Ayako's rapid shift from "infatuation" to "desire for romance" was largely due to her obsessive replaying of Akira's image. The holy cross served multiple purposes: it ensured Akira's safety, helped the wearer escape fate, and acted as a convenient tool for winning affection. Using the cross required the wearer to think of Akira, and seeing his handsome face daily would naturally lead to growing affection. For Akira, this system only increased his favorability, never decreasing it. Combined with the joy of using the artifact and the sense of security it provided, it was almost inevitable that anyone who used it would eventually fall for him.

A few minutes later, Ayako had resigned herself to the idea that while she was deeply attracted to Akira, a relationship was impossible. But then, another flash of fluorescent blue light appeared, and a confused girl materialized in front of her.

This girl was hard to miss—she was riding a massive, heavily modified motorcycle!

"Huh?" Fujimura Taiga looked around, bewildered. What had just happened? One moment, she'd been evading sea demons on her beloved bike. For some reason, the creatures seemed fixated on her, determined to kill her. Thankfully, her motorcycle's powerful modifications allowed her to maneuver quickly, even saving a few people along the way. But in a moment of recklessness, she'd gotten surrounded while trying to rescue a little girl. Just as she was considering ramming her way out, a blue light flashed, and she found herself… here.

Where even was this? Was it still Fuyuki City?

"Oh, and this thing…" Taiga fiddled with the cross around her neck. She vaguely remembered the man saying something about using it in case of danger before leaving. What does he mean by 'use the cross'? As soon as the thought crossed her mind, the cross glowed brightly.

A few seconds later, Taiga's jaw dropped as an image of an incredibly handsome young man appeared in her mind. "No way! The guy who saved me is a total hottie?!"

Ayako studied the girl in front of her, feeling a strange sense of familiarity. Not just her appearance, but her voice too…

"Hello, may I ask who you are?" Ayako finally asked.

"Me?" Taiga pointed at herself, then at the brown-haired high schooler in front of her. "You're… Mitsuzuri Ayako? But how? You should only be a little kid right now!"

Ayako didn't recognize Taiga, but Taiga recognized her. After all, Ayako had transformed into her older self to escape, and her appearance matched her future version perfectly.

"A little kid? You know me? So… you also have memories from the future?" Ayako frowned, still unable to place the girl.

"It's me! Taiga! Fujimura Taiga!" Taiga tied her long, flaxen hair into a ponytail, making herself look more like her future, short-haired self.

"What?! You're Fujimura-sensei? You were this beautiful when you were young?!" Ayako couldn't believe it. The Fujimura Taiga she knew in the future had short hair, rode an electric scooter, and lacked the youthful energy of the girl before her.

Thud—

Seemingly sensing Ayako's disrespectful thoughts, Taiga delivered a swift, justice-filled punch to Ayako's head. "Ayako, are you saying I'm not beautiful in the future?" Taiga's smile was deceptively sweet.

"N-no, that's not what I meant!" Ayako quickly backpedaled. Even though she was usually bold, she couldn't bring herself to stand up to Taiga.

"I was just wondering… why are you here?" Ayako quickly changed the subject.

"Why am I here? Hmm… I'm trying to figure that out myself. I was riding my bike, trying to escape, and then I got surrounded. Next thing I know, I'm here."

"Wait, so you were being chased too?" Ayako's lips pursed. Was that why Akira had brought them both here?

As they talked, Taiga's motorcycle sat nearby, a testament to her wild escape. The two girls, now united by their shared experience, began to piece together the strange events that had brought them together.

Note: So far this story is published up to chapter 125 on my patreon, go check it out and remember that if we reach the goal of 140 power stones I will publish the next chapter.