DXD: Catalyst of Legends

Kuoh Academy; located in the heart of the small, aptly named Kuoh Town, the formerly female exclusive private academy boasted some of the most prodigious youth in central Japan. It was late April, and cherry blossoms had been in full bloom for several days now, painting the landscape in pink and white, so there were plenty of beautiful sights to behold as one traveled through the town.

The academic year had been underway for nearly a month, students having gotten used to their academic routines, rejoining their groups of friends or bringing in new friends from other grades.

With one notable exception heading for the Academy entrance.

The young man was a unique sight when compared to his surrounding peers. At 18 years old and standing at 180 cm, his hazel eyes, lanky build and short brown hair that darkened with length made him stick out from the crowd.

While he wore the standard Kuoh Academy male's blazer and pants, he opted for a forest green undershirt and a silver pendant around his neck gifted to him by his late grandfather. True, he had gotten some admiring or even hungry looks, but quite a few more saw him as a rebel or a troublemaker who rejected the clean shaven uniformity of Japanese customs.

His personality had not really helped his perceived image, either. While normally very laid-back in his studies and mild in his approach to others, he was very protective of his personal possessions.

A third-year boy had made to grab his pendant within his first week as part of an innocent prank, and he had almost punched the guy in response. He had apologized for the knee-jerk reaction, but a lot of people still gave him a wide berth after that incident.

Looking back, it was a wonder that he wasn't expelled, or at the very least reported, but the continued presence of the aptly-named Perverted Trio showed that one could do worse and remain free to roam. The isolation wasn't something he had hoped for when he came here, but he didn't necessarily hate it either; he was used to being by himself.

He could do without all the nervous glances, though.

A year ago, he had joined the cultural exchange program at his school in the U. S.

, having set his sights on either Germany or Japan. When asked why those particular countries, he had cited a long running interest in their respective histories.

For the longest time, there were no takers on his application. He didn't really mind, since it gave him more time to study and prepare.

Fast forward nine months, however, and he received a letter of recommendation for Kuoh Academy in central Japan. Luckily, by that time he had learned enough of the native language that he wouldn't seem like a hopeless tourist every minute of every day.

The letter was written by a Dr. Zachariah Gregory, something he thought was unusual given that Gregory was nowhere near a Japanese name.

For a foreigner to have such a presence in Japan, the man had to have friends in high places. After a bit of research, he found that Gregory was a business owner in Kuoh and a major benefactor for the academy, so the man's credentials seemed to check out.

At first, the young man had trouble connecting with people thanks to his appearance and the machinations of the grapevine. That changed, however, when he started making himself the bane of the Perverted Trio's existence for their… extracurricular activities.

After sending them off with a warning the first time, he collaborated with the Tennis Club to make a game out of pelting the voyeurs with tennis balls if they were ever caught in the act of peeping. The game quickly took off and even led to the creation of a new competitive ranking board within the Tennis Club.

This had earned him a fair amount of respect among the female members of the school, a budding friendship with the Tennis Club captain, Kiyome Abe, and, through word of mouth, a new reputation as something of a knight, ready to defend the dignity of his female classmates.

Not that it mattered what they called him; none of it was really correct anyway. He did it for his own amusement more than anything, but it surprised him how far the Tennis Club ran with it.

He could only shake his head as his thoughts carried him to and fro. He didn't believe it was possible for someone's public perception at a new school in a new country to make such a turn in the span that his did.

Sadly, reveling in fond memories would have to wait for another time. School was starting for the day, and he was rather excited for it.

A small smile crossed on his lips. The irony of his circumstances didn't escape him.

Timeless tradition dictated that he be back home, studying his craft, yet here he was getting his fill of the life of an exchange student.

He would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy the normalcy of his current routine.

The day came and went as those before had; some lessons were memorable, and some couldn't end sooner. Until, that is, the time came around for what was arguably his favorite course in the whole week: shodō, or calligraphy.

The current atmosphere of the classroom was one of peace and relative quiet, save for the occasional soft chatter as the students worked. Out of the twenty-five or so students of the entire 2-B class, he was the only male.

While initially daunting, any concerns of isolation were rendered moot after the warm welcome he had received upon first arriving. At least the homeroom had been receptive of him.

Seated next to him was his unofficial senpai, Reya Kusaka.

Reya was a second-year member of the Student Council, and someone he could call his first genuine friend in Kuoh. Light brown eyes, and matching long hair done in twin braids and held with a blue headband framed a youthful face that beheld a gentle, soft-spoken soul.

The standard uniform of Kuoh Academy she wore, with its white button-down shirt, black neck ribbon, shoulder cape, corset and magenta skirt, proudly displayed her growing figure, and in...