Start in DxD as Motohama: Leveling Up in Another World-Chapter 17: Encounter

Red Hair...

It was a shade of red that reminded you of blood. The term used to describe it was crimson...

Wrapped in a red aura of magical energy, the figure of a young girl appeared before them.

She was, in fact, a beautiful girl with crimson-red hair, dressed in a school uniform.

Motohama watched her appearance in fascination. He knew her from both his past life and this one.

One of the beauties of Kuoh Academy, the girl with a 99 cm bust, and also a noble-born devil. Her name: Rias Gremory.

Beside her stood another equally stunning girl.

Black hair tied up in a ponytail, violet eyes, and a dangerously alluring figure.

Another of Kuoh Academy's famed beauties, whose bust rivaled Rias' in size. At the same time, a half-blood scorned by her own clan. Her name: Akeno Himejima.

But Shinji's gaze soon turned cold. Because of the red-haired girl's whims, his friend had nearly died.

Rias stood before the two boys, her expression one of shock. She looked like a child whose secret had just been exposed.

Her eyes had been set on Issei Hyoudou ever since her Rook sensed the scent of a dragon emanating from him. This discovery thrilled her—she had found a useful pawn for her plans.

She also realized that the Fallen seemed to be after him for the same reason. Seeing one of them, disguised as a human, interacting with the boy, she deduced they would soon make their move.

That was when she devised a plan—to take advantage of the Fallen's intentions to secure a powerful yet loyal and obedient servant. Many might question her morality if they knew, but she was a devil. Human ethics were of no concern to her. Besides, she never chased after men. It was always the other way around. It was they who needed her.

And so, she began making preparations to bring Issei back to life once the Fallen had killed him. Patiently, she waited for the day of the date, using her subordinates to keep watch over him.

At last, the long-awaited day arrived. Disguising a familiar as a human girl, she handed Issei a summoning circle through which he could reach the designated location.

However, as she observed the unfolding scene through a large familiar, she was taken aback. Things were not going according to plan.

Why?

Because of an unexpected variable.

Motohama Shinji.

Until just a few days ago, an ordinary human with no noteworthy traits.

But everything changed the day he set foot in the academy, radiating magical power.

It wasn't unusual for a human to possess magic—after all, human mages existed. But in this case, it was strange.

A human who had previously shown no magical power suddenly wielding it out of nowhere? That wasn't something you saw every day.

Still, that alone wasn't cause for concern. The boy in question was weak.

So then... why was everyone so taken aback by his sudden acquisition of power?

The reason was simple.

The energy he was emitting... wasn't normal.

It fluctuated, shifting unpredictably. As if he couldn't stabilize it. As if it was either too much for him to control or too overwhelming to suppress.

The power he was releasing wasn't normal. It fluctuated, constantly shifting—almost as if he couldn't keep it stable or it was simply too overwhelming to hide.

So, if you came across something like this, wouldn't you check it out? What if it involved someone powerful? Would you really let the chance to gain an ally—and a potential pawn who could prove useful in the future—slip away?

Of course not! More power was always better.

Even devils had their own problems, and Rias seemed to be especially favored by them—she had far too many to deal with.

However, she never expected that her childhood friend would end up stealing the opportunity to meet the boy first. Not only that—she had made him her fiancé.

Even so, Rias felt some satisfaction knowing that she hadn't been able to recruit him.

For now, she simply decided to return to her original plans, at least until she figured out a way to bring Motohama over to her side.

But even those plans didn't go as she had hoped.

All because of this unpredictable factor known as Shinji Motohama.

Seeing the boy effortlessly save Issei from a Fallen Angel's attack after appearing out of nowhere took Rias by surprise. She hadn't expected him to be so skilled in combat.

The Fallen Angel conjured more spears to attack both boys, but Shinji dodged them like it was nothing—even though they were faster than a bullet from a human firearm. Realizing he wouldn't be able to handle the human boy, the angel created a distraction and fled.

Shinji watched as Raynare escaped before turning to Issei. Taking the paper with the summoning circle from Issei's hands, he tore it apart while calling out.

Rias immediately knew the boy was addressing her, which caught her off guard—they had never met or interacted in any way before.

With mixed emotions, Rias put on a serious expression as she transported herself and her Queen to the scene.

Upon arriving, her gaze first landed on Issei, who looked at her with a mix of confusion and fascination. Then, she turned to Shinji—his expression, however, was cold.

Sighing, she finally spoke.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Motohama Shinji-kun."

She addressed him gently, her eyes fixed on him.

"Likewise," Akeno added in the same tone.

"I'd like to say the same... Princess of the Gremory House—and her Queen."

Shinji's tone carried a mix of respect... and irritation.

Rias was surprised that Shinji knew about her. She was curious about how, but she knew this wasn't the time to ask. Sensing the irritation in his tone, she realized her plan had been exposed. After all, what other reason would he have to be upset with her?

"Let's see... You and Sona Sitri are responsible for overseeing this territory, correct?"

She nodded.

"Then tell me—how exactly did you allow a bunch of brainless crows to roam freely through your domain while slaughtering Sacred Gear users?"

"..."

Rias had no words to counter Shinji's accusation. The truth was, they had been negligent in managing their territory.

At the same time, though, this negligence had worked in their favor—it had helped eliminate future threats. Many of those Sacred Gear users could have become dangerous enemies down the line.

Akeno glanced at Rias with a conflicted expression. She wanted to defend her, but so far, everything the boy had said was true.

"... While I understand that you have your hands full with other issues, that's no excuse for neglecting your territory like this. The blood of those who died stains both the angels' hands and yours. I hope you're aware of that."

Motohama's gaze locked onto her. He was genuinely angry.

He knew Rias' personality—she was the type to let problems pile up until they became impossible to ignore. A spoiled princess, through and through.

He also knew that Sona had her own share of troubles, and since she couldn't rely on Rias for much, she had to shoulder most of the burden alone.

That's why he needed to teach this pampered princess a lesson.

"Now, since I ruined your plan, I'll give you a chance. You wanted to recruit Issei into your group, right? Then explain to him what it really means to be part of this world. The good and the bad. After that, give him time to decide—and don't even think about using your powers on him. I don't want us to become enemies right after just meeting."

Rias frowned. She hated that Motohama was giving her orders, especially with that tone. She was about to say something, but Shinji cut her off.

"Also, after this, I don't want you trying to recruit me. I have zero interest in joining any faction."

Shinji's attention then shifted to Issei, who had been completely ignored until now.

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"Listen, man—if you have any doubts about anything, don't hesitate to come to me for advice. I just hope you make the right choice."

With that, Motohama turned and walked away.

Rias scoffed, irritated by his attitude. He had done nothing but complain, then dumped all the work on her before leaving. Her impression of him? A shameless person.

Akeno, on the other hand, watched Shinji's retreating figure with mild curiosity and interest. After this exchange, she felt like she had caught a glimpse of what kind of person he truly was.