DXD: Samsara Finis

Eishi Awoke.

My body jolted upright, lungs dragging in air like a man pulled from deep water.

He gasped.

His hands trembled. His shirt clung to his chest, damp with sweat. His throat was dry, but it wasn't thirst that haunted him—it was grief.

The ceiling above him was plain. Familiar. Comforting, in a way. But his chest…

It ached.

It burned.

He blinked several times.

His pillow was soaked. Tears?

But why?

The dream was already slipping—like sand between his fingers—but the feeling remained. That hollow weight in his chest. That stabbing pain behind his ribs. That scream stuck in his throat that had never been released.

He didn't remember all of it.

Only fragments.

A violinist.

A village.

A girl with kind eyes and a smile like spring rain.

And loss.

So much loss.

"…What the hell was that…?" he whispered to the empty room.

He wiped his face with the back of his hand. His fingertips came away wet.

Then he looked up.

The violin on the wall greeted him—silent. Still. Unmoving.

But… somehow, it felt different.

It felt like it had heard everything too.

Like it had witnessed it.

He stood.

Feet steady, even though his heart wasn't.

His hand reached out instinctively.

He touched the violin.

It was cool to the touch—familiar. But the moment his fingers wrapped around its neck, a breeze passed through the room.

A wind from nowhere.

Soft.

Gentle.

It caressed his cheek, like the brush of fingertips… like someone once dear had just passed by.

His breath caught in his throat.

He didn't speak.

Didn't ask.

He simply stepped back, sat down on the edge of his bed, placed the violin on his shoulder…

And began to play.

Slowly.

Tenderly.

There was no fire. No flair. No ambition.

Only emotion.

Raw and real.

As if he was mourning someone he had never met… but had always known.

His bow danced across the strings, guided not by his fingers—but by his soul.

The notes were soft, almost like a lullaby.

A song of parting.

Of reunion.

Of love that had been lost… and perhaps, never truly found again.

He wasn't sure how long he played.

Only that, when he finished, his heart felt lighter.

And for the first time in what felt like forever…

The silence felt peaceful.

Then—

Ding.

[Class: Violinist] – Mastery (100%)

→ 10 points Gained

The message floated into his vision like a whisper.

But Eishi didn't react.

He just stared at his violin, his hand still cradling the neck, bow resting in his lap.

And he whispered, more to himself than anyone else:

"…That wasn't just a dream."

A long pause.

Then a small, sorrowful smile.

"…But maybe… it was a memory."

And then—

RRRRIIIIIIINGGG!!

The alarm clock beside his bed screamed.

He jolted slightly, snapping out of the surreal haze.

"Ah… Right."

Today was the day.

Performance Day.

The school's talent competition—his final shot to get a scholarship.

His body moved almost automatically. Brush teeth. Shower. Uniform. Violin case. Piano sheet. All packed and ready. He paused for a moment in front of the mirror, hand over his chest.

"…Let's go."

Downstairs, morning sun streaming in—

"Eishi!"

His mother called from the kitchen, already in her coat. She had taken off from work today just to attend.

When he stepped down, violin case in hand, she stopped and stared for a moment—eyes watering slightly.

"You look… just like your father." Her voice cracked gently.

Eishi chuckled, a little embarrassed. "The hair again?"

She shook her head with a smile. "The hair, the eyes, the way you walk when you're serious."

There was a silence. Then she stepped closer and gently fixed his collar.

"I'll be there in the audience, okay? No matter what happens, I'm proud of you. Just play like you always do."

He swallowed back the lump in his throat. "…Thanks, Mom."

He stepped outside.Sunlight greeted him warmly, brushing against his skin like a soft invitation to begin the day.

At the school gates—

"Hey, Eishii!"Issei's voice rang out as he jogged toward him, his usual wide grin in place.

Trailing behind were his two ever-present friends: Matsuda and Motohama.

"Oh hey, guys," Eishi greeted, giving a small wave.

The moment he stopped, Matsuda and Motohama practically flanked him on both sides, leaning in like conspirators.

"Man, you were seriously cool yesterday!" Matsuda exclaimed. "Totally manly—like something out of an action manga!"

"Right?" Motohama chimed in, adjusting his glasses. "With the way you handled that whole situation, we've decided to extend an exclusive invitation."

Eishi blinked. "...To what?"

Matsuda threw a dramatic arm around his shoulder. "To our sacred society—The Gentleman's Club."

"...Which is just you three, right?"

They both gave solemn nods, as if it were a national organization.

Before Eishi could reply, Issei stepped in, dragging the two away with a sigh. "Leave him alone, guys. Don't ruin his reputation any more than we already have."

Then, he turned back to Eishi, his tone more sincere now."Hey, best of luck. And… sorry for dragging you into that mess yesterday."

Eishi shrugged, offering a small smile. "It's fine."

Issei smiled back. "Just focus on your performance, alright? I'll… I'll try to think of something to make it up to you. Oh—and I asked Kaichou about what happened yesterday."

Eishi tilted his head. "You did?"

"Yeah. She said she'll handle it. Personally." Issei gave him a meaningful look. "So… I don't think you have to worry about that anymore, man."

He smiled, nodding. "Thanks."

As he made his way down the corridor toward the performance hall, a voice called out behind him.

"Lucivar."

He turned.

Sona Sitri stood by the hallway corner, poised as ever, with Tsubaki silently at her side. Her presence was composed—perfect, as always—but there was something in her gaze that lingered on him longer than usual.

"You look… refined," she said softly, a faint warmth in her voice.

Eishi gave a small bow of gratitude. "Thank you."

She opened her mouth again, almost hesitantly. "Regarding yesterday's accident—"

He raised a hand gently, cutting her off with a quiet smile. "It's alright, Kaichou. I can win this."

His voice carried a confidence he hadn't felt in days—but this morning, something had clicked. The missing piece in his music… it was finally there.

Her eyes studied his, and for a moment, there was a flicker of something more behind them—relief, maybe… or pride.

She nodded once, firmly. "Then do your best."

He turned to leave—but just as he took a few steps, her voice stopped him again.

"Lucivar—"

He looked back.

"Meet me after this… in the student council room," she said.

There was something in her tone—not a command, but a personal request.

A beat passed between them.

"…Alright," he replied, meeting her eyes.

She gave the faintest nod, then turned and walked away with Tsubaki, her footsteps quiet against the polished floor.

Backstage – Minutes before the performance

The auditorium was packed.

The crowd buzzed with energy—teachers, students, even a few local news reps with cameras. Stage crew moved around quickly, preparing lights and tuning microphones.

Eishi stood behind the curtain.

His heart thudded.

He took a deep breath and placed a hand on his chest.

This was it.

The culmination of months of effort. The dreams, the nightmares, the violin, the songs, his father's memory, the scholarship, the promise to his mother—

Everything led to this one moment.

He turned toward the curtain.

A staff member leaned in and whispered, "You're next."

Eishi nodded.

His hand tightened around his violin case.

The piano accompaniment was already prepared on stage.

He stepped forward.

_______________________________________________________________

Author's Note

Hi there—thank you for reading this far.

You may have noticed that I for this chapter changed the writing style from first-person to third-person perspective let me know which you prefer. It's my first time experimenting with this kind of shift, and I appreciate you sticking with me through it.

When I started this story, it was just for fun. But seeing even a few readers, power stones, and collections slowly come in… honestly, it means a lot. It motivates me more than I expected.

This is actually my first novel, so I'm still learning as I go. If you have any feedback, I'd love to hear it. I want to improve and tell this story in the best way possible.

Just a quick note: this current arc will end in about 3 to 4 more chapters, and after that, we'll officially step into the High School DxD canon timeline. 

Thanks again for the supports.