DxD: The Pale Puppeteer

Floating midair, Serafall sighed, pouting as she stared at the lifeless crater below.

The once-vibrant land was now nothing but scorched remains, energy traces fading as if mocking her efforts.

"Ugh, all that work for nothing! No clues, no suspects, not even a cool villain speech to steal the show! I mean, what's the point of an explosion if there's no dramatic monologue after?" she whined, crossing her arms.

The investigation was a bust.

The experts weren't wrong—there was definitely a clash of opposing forces here, one sacred and the other... something else.

Something eerie.

But without more information, she had nothing to report back to Sirzechs except "Oops, sorry, still clueless!"

Not happening.

"Alright! If the answers aren't here, maybe they're over... there!" she declared, spinning in the air before zooming off toward the nearest barren stretch of land.

That's when she saw him.

A lone figure stumbled across the wasteland, his unsteady steps barely keeping him upright.

His clothes were torn and covered in dust, his silver eyes dull, lips cracked from dehydration.

He looked completely out of place—like a lost soul thrown into the wrong world.

"Oooh, what's this? A mysterious cutie wandering in the middle of nowhere?" Serafall hummed, descending gracefully.

As she landed, she put on her best cheerful smile and raised a hand in greeting.

"Heya, cutie! You look a little—"

Before she could finish, the boy's legs gave out.

His body crumpled like a puppet with its strings cut, falling face-first into the dirt.

Silence.

Serafall blinked. Then, placing a hand over her heart, she gasped dramatically.

"Oh no! Another one falls for the great Serafall Leviathan! Ooh, how sinful I am! My charm is too powerful even for wandering strangers~! Tee-hee!"

Despite her joking tone, her eyes softened.

With a snap of her fingers, a gentle layer of ice coated the ground beneath him, cooling his overheated body.

She crouched beside him, checking his pulse.

Weak, but stable.

"Well, well… guess I'll be taking you with me, mystery boy."

She placed a hand on his back, lifting him with surprising ease.

"Time for an emergency Serafall-style rescue! A magical girl must always save the day!"

And with that, she vanished into the night, carrying an unconscious boy.

——————✗—————

"An unfamiliar ceiling."

The first thought that crossed his mind as he blinked awake.

A classic anime line, yet fitting.

The ceiling was smooth, polished, and luxurious—a far cry from the endless wasteland he last remembered.

His body ached, but it wasn't unbearable.

As he shifted to lean against the backboard of the bed, the motion felt sluggish, as though his limbs had been drained of all energy.

A rustle at the door.

He turned his head just in time to catch a glimpse of a maid, frozen in place.

The moment their eyes met, she stiffened, then quickly turned and hurried out of the room.

His brows furrowed.

That was… odd.

Then again, everything about this situation was.

His throat burned with dryness.

That's when he noticed a cup of water on the bedside table.

He reached for it, his fingers trembling slightly, and took a slow sip.

The cool liquid soothed his throat but did little for the growing unease in his chest.

Something was wrong.

He took in his surroundings more carefully.

The elegant furnishings, the sheer extravagance of the room—it wasn't normal.

Not for him, at least.

Then, his eyes drifted toward the window.

The sky beyond was vast, clear, and deceptively peaceful.

He had the nagging feeling that he should be panicking.

But his mind felt too… detached.

Like it was processing something huge in the background, but not yet ready to make sense of it.

Minutes passed.

Then, footsteps. Light but deliberate.

The door opened.

And the moment he saw her, everything clicked.

Serafall Leviathan.

Pink-tinted black hair. Bright, mischievous magenta eyes.

A childish yet undeniably commanding presence.

There was no mistaking it.

A Maou.

A Devil.

And more importantly—

He was in High School DxD.

His breath hitched.

The realization slammed into him like a freight train. This world—this reality—was...

His thoughts raced.

Countless implications, dangers, opportunities—his entire perception of his situation shifted in an instant.

Was he dreaming?

Hallucinating?

Reincarnated?

Dead?

None of those questions had clear answers.

But what he did know was that everything just became far more complicated.

Serafall skipped into the room with a bright smile, completely unaware of the mental hurricane she had just unleashed in him.

"Hehe, you're finally awake, mystery boy!" she chimed, her voice playful as ever.

He forced himself to breathe.

To act normal.

The worst thing he could do right now was panic.

Instead, he exhaled and masked his reaction with a neutral gaze.

He needed information.

He needed to know how much they suspected him.

Serafall tilted her head. "How are you feeling?"

He gave the safest answer.

"Like I walked through a desert."

She giggled.

"Well, you kinda did! Not a great way to travel, by the way."

The playful tone.

The carefree attitude. But behind her bright eyes, he could feel the weight of her scrutiny.

This wasn't a casual conversation.

It was a test.

She continued, her tone light yet measured.

"Say, cutie, what were you doing all the way out there?"

There was an ease to her voice, but he caught the intent beneath it.

He met her gaze, keeping his expression neutral. "I don't know," he admitted.

"I don't remember."

Serafall's smile remained, but he noticed the briefest flicker of thought behind her eyes before she responded.

"Hmm? You forgot?"

"Yeah. Woke up in the middle of nowhere with a splitting headache and no memories. Just kept walking until my legs gave out."

She let out a dramatic sigh, placing a hand on her hip. "Ugh, amnesia? Talk about textbook lost boy syndrome!"

Then, with a playful twirl of her finger, she added, "Guess that makes you an even bigger mystery, huh?"

He didn't answer.

She was good—keeping things light, yet steering the conversation exactly where she wanted.

Serafall tilted her head. "Do you have anywhere to go?"

He hesitated. The silence stretched between them.

Then, as if a realization struck her, she smacked her forehead with exaggerated flair.

"Ohhh! That too, huh?" she teased with a wink.

He exhaled slowly.

She was dangerous in a way he hadn't expected.

Beneath all the theatrics, she was in complete control of the conversation.

After a moment of exaggerated thinking, she clapped her hands together.

"Okay! I've got an idea! How about you join my adorable little sister's peerage? That way, you can freeload legally!"

He raised an eyebrow. "Peerage?"

Serafall waved a finger.

"Uh-huh! Devils have these cool things called 'peerages,' where they turn people into devils and make them their servants! But don't think of it as slavery or anything—it's more like being part of an exclusive club! You'd get a nice place to stay, food, and all the perks of devil life!"

He processed the explanation.

"So… I'd be a bodyguard?"

Serafall beamed. "Yep! Just protect So-tan and do some devil duties! Easy, right?"

He leaned back slightly, considering it.

The logical part of him knew this wasn't a free offer.

Peerages, by nature, meant servitude.

Even if Sona was considered one of the more reasonable Kings, it still placed him under someone else's control.

But then again—

Freedom wasn't about being independent.

It wasn't about having no ties or responsibilities.

The concept of true freedom was a lie.

A fleeting illusion that no one could ever truly grasp.

No matter how high someone climbed, how much power they obtained—they would always be bound by something.

The trick wasn't breaking free.

It was choosing the right cage.

This… was an opportunity.

"Fine," he said without hesitation.

"I'll do it."

Serafall blinked, then grinned.

"Whoa, no dramatic hesitation? No deep soul-searching? Just like that?"

He shrugged. "Doesn't seem like a bad deal."

She giggled. "Hehehe, I like your style! You're gonna get along great with So-tan! She's suuuper serious, though, so be nice, okay?"

With that, Serafall stretched her arms above her head.

"Welp! I gotta goooo! Busy Maou things to do and all that jazz. But don't worry! I'll let So-tan know to pick you up~"

With a final wave, she twirled toward the door and vanished down the hall, leaving him alone.

He exhaled slowly.

The conversation had ended, but the weight of his situation remained.

This world… was now his reality.

Joining Sona's peerage felt constrictive, but the truth was, if he wanted to live well, to have true freedom as a devil, this was the best choice.

At the end of the day…

No one could ever be truly free.

One could only reach the point where they believed they were.