Start in DxD as Motohama: Leveling Up in Another World-Chapter 29: Surprises that seem endless

Shinji was in the living room, cooking breakfast for himself and his new tenants.

Soon, the breakfast was completely prepared, and Shinji began to serve it.

His eyes stopped on the little black kitten who was still watching him with distrust.

Shinji smiled awkwardly at the kitten's gaze.

"Now that I think about it, I don't know your companion's name."

He turned to Himari, who was enjoying Shinji's breakfast while making strange noises.

"Delicious~"

Himari moaned before turning to Shinji and the black kitten.

"Oh, right. I forgot."

"Master, this is Tamaki."

"Tamaki, this is Motohama Shinji. The last descendant of Yatahagane, and my master. From now on, we'll be under his care. There's no reason to distrust him. You can show your human form."

Himari explained, looking at the black kitten.

"Are you sure? Is he really someone we can trust?"

Tamaki replied, still eyeing Shinji with suspicion.

An angry expression appeared on Himari's face.

"How dare you? We're talking about my master here. He's the person I've decided to dedicate my life to. Saying such words is the same as insulting my honor."

Himari scolded her.

Tamaki lowered her head at Himari's harsh words.

"I... I'm sorry, Onee-chan."

Shinji, who had been watching this, smiled. He understood that Tamaki didn't trust him yet. They were practically strangers. Himari was quite strange, being so attached to him without even knowing him.

"Don't worry, Himari. I understand how she feels. You can't expect her to trust someone she just met."

Shinji spoke with a soft smile to ease Himari's anger before turning toward Tamaki.

"You don't have to force yourself. If you don't feel comfortable, just say it. I'll do my best to make you feel at home."

Tamaki, who had seen Shinji's smile, felt confused. As a youkai, she had a strong connection to the ki of living creatures.

The ki around Shinji at that moment was calm and sincere, so she knew he wasn't lying.

Her gaze turned to Himari, who wasn't paying attention and was focused on her food. She understood that this was a signal for her to figure out the answer on her own.

Sighing, she decided to give the human her Onee-chan called master a vote of trust.

The kitten's body emitted a blinding glow. Shinji covered his eyes for a few seconds, wondering if all transformations were this bright and flashy. Once the light faded, he opened his eyes to find himself staring at the figure of a girl he had seen before, meeting his gaze.

Jet-black hair tied into two twin pigtails. A well-proportioned body, not exaggerated. Yellow eyes that stared at him intently.

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Shinji stood there, stunned for a few seconds.

The reason: the resemblance of this girl to a character he knew from his past life.

"Uhm... my name is Tamaki. From now on, I will be under your care, Motohama-sama."

Tamaki bowed her head slightly. However, after noticing that Shinji still hadn't responded, her gaze shifted toward him.

Shinji snapped out of his confusion quickly when he noticed the puzzled look Tamaki was giving him.

"Ah, sorry about that. You're welcome. I hope you enjoy your time here."

He spoke awkwardly.

No one could blame him.

The girl standing in front of him was the spitting image of an anime character he had seen in his past life. Not only by name, but also in appearance.

Tamaki Kotatsu, from the anime En En No Shoubutai or Fire Force in English.

However, this should be impossible. No matter how much the world of High School DxD had changed, there shouldn't be any fire-fighting heroes who fought fire with fire. That was Shinji's thought as he looked at Tamaki.

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"It must be a coincidence."

He muttered to himself, shaking his head. Trying to make sense of this new world he was living in would take too much time.

Both girls stared at Shinji, confused by his behavior.

At that moment, everyone's attention was drawn to the doorbell that had just rung.

"Huh? Visitors?"

"Master, were you expecting anyone?" Himari asked, puzzled.

Shinji shook his head before thinking for a moment.

"Maybe it's related to the request I made to Tsukasa-san?"

He murmured, standing up.

Shinji extended his senses using Universal Sense to look beyond the door.

He indeed found a group of people standing a few meters from the house, along with several machines. However, one thing that caught his attention was the person standing at the door.

The ki emanating from this person felt strange to him.

Although Shinji couldn't manipulate ki, he had developed the ability to perceive it thanks to Tsukasa.

Shinji had learned that the ki of living beings says a lot about them. Emotions, personality, and thoughts — all of these can be perceived in a person's ki.

The ki of the person at Shinji's door reflected absolute calmness. Unshakable, that was the only way to describe it.

Shinji had never met anyone who exhibited such ki before. He hesitated for a few seconds before opening the door.

"Master..."

Himari whispered. Her attire had changed, and a katana appeared at her waist.

"... You also sense that strange ki?" Shinji asked, noticing Himari's behavior. She nodded in response.

"It's the first time I've felt ki like this. It feels... too deep somehow."

Shinji reflected on Himari's words for a few seconds. He then refocused his attention on the door and something happened that left him stunned.

The person behind the door... did they just return his gaze?

When his eyes met hers, it felt like, somehow, she was looking back at him.

Shinji swallowed nervously. The other person wasn't hostile, but it was clear they weren't a normal person either. However, if he didn't open the door, they could never move forward.

Shifting his attention back to Himari, he noticed she had tightened her grip on the hilt of her katana. Both of them were on alert.

When Shinji opened the door, what greeted him was something he hadn't expected.

Standing at the door was a woman with black hair, dressed in a European maid uniform. Her eyes were closed, yet Shinji somehow felt that she could see.

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Her gaze shifted toward the street. Just as they had noticed before, a few meters away, there was a group of workers and machinery.

Shinji's gaze returned to the woman, who flashed a wide smile before bowing deeply.

"Nice to meet you, my name is Meido Mei. I am the maid sent by Tsukasa-sama. It is a pleasure to finally meet you in person, Motohama Shinji-san."

Shinji and Himari exchanged confused looks, a bead of sweat trailing down their cheeks.

The reason?

The unshakable ki that had surrounded the maid earlier had vanished, replaced by a ki radiating pure happiness, which was directed toward Shinji.

Neither of them understood what was happening.

"... What just happened?"

Shinji murmured, still confused.

He felt like his peaceful days had decided to take a long vacation.

"... This, I don't understand. I clearly told Tsukasa-san I didn't need a maid."

Shinji tried to sound polite so as not to upset the other person. He knew she was just doing her job. Moreover, this person just felt strange to him, although he couldn't pinpoint exactly why.

The maid straightened up before responding. Her ki returned to normal in the blink of an eye, as though it had never changed in the first place.

"That's certainly true. However, Tsukasa-sama thought it would be difficult for you to manage this house without help. Also, she assigned me to take care of you, as Kaori-ojousama seems to be a little worried, and it's possible that you might get into some trouble where you'll need some supernatural assistance."

Shinji felt a warmth in his chest knowing that Kaori was worried about him. However, that didn't distract him. The last line caught all his attention.

"... Supernatural assistance? What do you mean?"

"We can discuss that later, young master Shinji. For now, I think you should prepare for your classes. There, Tsukasa-sama will answer your questions. Don't worry, I'll take care of the workers."

With those words, Meido Mei, the new maid at the Motohama residence, began her duties, a slight smile adorning her face.