DxD: The Dragon Origin System

The air felt oppressive, heavy enough to crush them. Breaths came shallow, hearts pounded unevenly, and hands wouldn't stop trembling.

"T-That—" Rias tried to speak, but the words stuck in her throat.

The suffocating pressure, the raw, unrelenting fury—it was too much to bear.

For everyone except Issei.

'Didn't know you had it in you, Ddraig.' Issei's inner voice was light, almost amused.

'Who do you think I am, kid?' came the dragon's deep, rumbling reply.

"Y Ddraig Goch…" Kiba's voice was barely a whisper as he swallowed hard.

"The Red Dragon Emperor…" Akeno's expression was frozen, her body stiff as stone.

Koneko's ears twitched, her posture tense. The thick, overwhelming stench of dragon in the air had her on edge.

And Rias?

She was torn. Terrified, yes—but also exhilarated. The awakening of the Red Dragon Emperor was troublesome, sure, but it was also an opportunity like no other. With Issei on her side, she could win. 

Possibly.

Ddraig's voice thundered, breaking the suffocating silence. "What could you possibly offer him that I can't? Women? They've thrown themselves at every Red Dragon Emperor before him. Wealth? I've been buried in gold. Lifespan? Any dragon's blood grants centuries beyond your kind. Power? Ha!"

The room was dead silent. No one dared challenge him.

But Rias wasn't done.

"Lord Ddraig," she began, keeping her tone steady and respectful, "you're right. There's nothing I can give him that you don't already have. But Issei hasn't fully mastered your power yet. There are enemies who'd exploit that. He needs us to protect him while he grows stronger."

Ddraig's laugh shook the walls. "Protect him? From my enemies? Do you even realize who you're talking about? Beings who could flatten continents with a flick of their fingers? And you, mere children, think you can keep him safe?"

"I—"

Issei stepped forward, a smirk breaking the tension. "Alright, alright, that's enough. Let's be real: you can't give me what Ddraig can."

"That—"

"Is true," Ddraig cut in, his tone smug.

"So," Issei continued, folding his arms, "the real question isn't what you can't give me. It's how fast and how easily you can deliver what I do need. Wealth, status, longevity—what's your pitch?"

Ddraig chuckled and his laugh echoed around. "Humans, for all their fragility, have one thing others don't—potential. Lose that, and you lose something irreplaceable."

Issei nodded. "Exactly. If I turn into a devil, I give that up. So, what are you offering?"

Rias clenched her fists, frustration flashing across her face. "Lifespan. You'd immediately gain thousands of years. And the stronger you become, the longer you live."

'Not bad,' Issei admitted internally.

'I can live as long as existence itself,' Ddraig countered, smug as ever.

'Yeah, but you're not exactly alive-alive, are you?'

'You're lucky I like you, kid,' the dragon grumbled.

"Tempting," Issei said aloud. "What else?"

"As a devil," Akeno chimed in, "you'd gain demonic power. Energy with limitless potential. Wings, heightened healing, and…" She hesitated, realizing the Boosted Gear already covered most of it. "Well, other abilities as you grow."

Rias jumped in. "And resources. The Gremory family's wealth, influence, and connections. As an heiress, I can guarantee all of it."

'Plus, her brother's Lucifer,' Issei thought to Ddraig.

'That does simplify the politics,' the dragon agreed.

Issei tilted his head, his tone sharp but casual. "Alright. Let's say I join your peerage. What's the catch? Because Ddraig and I? We're not willing to become servants of anyone."

"I wouldn't dare!" Rias defended herself quickly, her tone earnest. But Issei wasn't naive.

Sure, some devils were kind. But most saw their peerages as tools—or worse, slaves. And if they treated others that way, what would stop them from doing the same to him?

"You're kind," Issei said bluntly, locking eyes with her. "But not everyone's like you. Neither my pride nor Ddraig's would allow anyone to think we're servants. That could… complicate things for you."

Rias didn't respond immediately, her frustration clear, but she wasn't backing down.

"I'll make sure that never happens," she promised. "You'll be treated with respect, no matter where you go."

'And I can use this as leverage to climb the ranks,' Issei thought, sharing the idea with Ddraig. 'Once I'm strong enough, I'll aim to have my own peerage. That's the real prize.'

Ddraig grunted in reluctant agreement. He didn't love the idea of Issei following a devil, but as long as it didn't look like submission, he could tolerate it.

"I'm not going to blindly follow your commands," Issei said firmly as his voice echoed around. 

But this made Rias uneasy.

"That…"

"My issues are mine. Yours are yours," he continued. "If you need my help, you'll have to convince me. You can't just order me around because I'm in your peerage."

Rias clenched her fists, her nails biting into her palms. Everyone in the room knew Issei was asking for a lot. Without a master's authority, a peerage loses its structure.

"However," Issei added with a barely hidden grin, "I'll give you one free pass—one time where you can ask me for anything, and I'll do it without question."

'Kid, that's dumb!' Ddraig growled.

'Relax,' Issei shot back. 'I know exactly when she'll use it. And if she doesn't? I'll make sure she does.'

He had it all planned.

Rias hesitated, every instinct telling her to tread carefully. But Issei's confidence was infectious, and she could feel herself being pulled in.

"That… works," she said at last.

"Good," Issei said, his grin widening. "If you agree to that, I'm in."

Her eyes lit up with determination, ready to seal the deal, but Issei raised a hand, stopping her in her tracks.

"But… I want this in writing. Legally binding."

"That's overkill, Issei," Kiba frowned. "You can trust us."

"Trust?" Issei let out a short laugh.

"Fools," Ddraig muttered under his breath.

"We've only spoken, what, once before today, Kiba?" Issei spoke with a calm tone. "I don't distrust you, but this isn't about trust. It's about clarity."

Rias shifted uneasily, her gaze flicking to her friends and they too, shared the same discomfort.

"I—" she started but cut herself off. She knew she couldn't let this slip away. "Fine. I agree."

"Rias, are you sure?" Akeno asked, concerned.

Rias nodded though her forced smile was betraying her nerves. "I've thought it through, Akeno. This is the only way."

"Perfect," Issei said, his grin returning. "Let's finalize it, then."

Rias sighed and glanced at Akeno. "You'll act as a witness."

"And Ddraig," Issei added with a smirk that he stopped hiding.

The dragon let out a low grunt but didn't argue.

As the terms were laid out on a glowing magical parchment, the Gremory crest shimmered at the top like a seal of power. Every condition was spelled out in precise detail:

Rias Gremory cannot compel Issei Hyoudou to obey her without his consent.

Rias Gremory will treat Issei Hyoudou as an equal, not as a subordinate.

Rias Gremory will support Issei Hyoudou's promotions when he deems himself ready.

Rias Gremory is granted one unconditional request, which must be explicitly stated when invoked.

Rias Gremory will shield Issei Hyoudou from insults and ridicule from other devils.

Rias's eyes swept over the parchment, her lips tightening. She'd never had to fight so hard for a peerage member before.

'But then again, none of them were the Red Dragon Emperor,' she thought, steeling herself. Her pen hovered above the parchment. 'Why is he so different? Even Koneko calls him a pervert, but this… this isn't what I expected.'

With a deep breath, she set her resolve.

"I, Rias Gremory, Heiress of the Gremory Clan, sister of Lucifer, and possessor of the Power of Destruction, agree to these terms so long as Issei Hyoudou remains part of my peerage," she declared, signing her name in bold strokes.

Issei didn't hesitate, taking the pen and adding his name beneath hers with a calm smile.

"That… settles it," Akeno said, her voice soft. "The conditions are agreed upon. Issei has to join the peerage now."

Technically, Issei could still back out, but the truth was, he wanted this. The benefits far outweighed the drawbacks.

"Alright," he said, smirking. "Let's do this."

Rias gestured, and Koneko brought over a small, ornate case. Within was a collection of chess pieces, each glowing faintly red with the Gremory crest.

Rias opened the case, carefully examining the pieces. "You're not a knight—you don't use weapons," she said, holding up the knight piece before setting it aside. "And you're not a bishop either."

The bishop piece joined the knight.

"You're not a rook—you have far too much magic for that," she continued, her gaze shifting briefly to Akeno. "The queen piece would've been ideal, but it's already taken." She smiled fondly. "And honestly, Akeno's the best queen anyone could ask for."

Akeno returned the smile, while Issei waited patiently, already suspecting where this was headed.

Finally, Rias pulled out a pawn piece. "The pawn—seemingly the weakest, but also the most versatile. Played right, it can become any piece: a queen, a knight, a rook, or a bishop. It suits you. You've got the qualities of all the roles, but what defines you is your potential to grow."

"Fits perfectly," Ddraig rumbled, his deep voice resonating with approval.

Rias held up the piece, her crimson eyes locked on Issei. "The real question is… how many pieces will it take?" She hesitated for a moment before asking, "Issei Hyoudou, do you agree to join my peerage as a pawn?"

Issei smiled. "I do."

With his agreement, Rias extended the pawn piece toward him. It floated into the air, glowing brighter as it approached—but then stopped, hovering just out of reach.

"One isn't enough," Rias muttered, unsurprised but amused.

She pulled out another pawn and sent it his way. It joined the first, spinning around him in a glowing red orbit.

"You're the Red Dragon Emperor, of course," she said with a small smirk, grabbing a third piece. Then a fourth. Then a fifth.

The glowing pieces whirled around him like a miniature constellation.

"Your potential is insane," she murmured, pulling out a sixth piece.

It joined the others, but even then, the energy in the room still pulsed, incomplete.

Rias hesitated, a flicker of unease crossing her face. 'What if I run out of pieces?' The thought gnawed at her, but she shook it off quickly. 'No. Even Grayfia was recruited into a peerage. Issei isn't anywhere near her level—this has to work.'

What Rias hadn't fully considered was that the Evil Pieces measured not just current strength but potential. And Issei's potential—supercharged by the Red Dragon Emperor—was completely off the charts.

When the seventh piece hovered but refused to enter him, her confidence wavered. With trembling hands, she reached for the eighth and final pawn, silently praying it would be enough.

The eighth piece joined the others, circling him like a miniature solar system. Yet, like the rest, it stubbornly refused to assimilate right away.

'Shit…' Issei cursed internally, a knot tightening in his stomach. 'Is it because I'm already stronger than I should be?'

If this didn't work, his plans could take a serious hit.

'Relax, kid,' Ddraig rumbled. 'Look closer.'

Issei refocused, his gaze sharpening on the orbiting pieces. The eight pawns, now glowing with an intense red light, began trembling as though they might shatter—but they didn't.

Suddenly, they shot toward him, pausing mid-air for a fraction of a second before slamming into his chest, one after another.

"They went in!" Akeno gasped. "All eight pieces!"

"Unbelievable…" Rias whispered, her eyes wide with awe as she stared at him.

As for Issei, something unexpected flashed in front of his vision:

'Yes.' Issei made his choice without hesitation. The moment the system registered his decision, everything went quiet—almost eerily so.

But even in the silence, Issei felt the transformation begin.

His breathing quickened, his chest tightened—but then it grew stronger, more powerful.

His vision sharpened, his body turned colder—but paradoxically more flexible and brimming with power. His blood felt like ice coursing through his veins, yet his mind was steady, almost serene. And the energy… it was unlike anything he'd ever felt before.

Storage capacity increases with rank.>

Issei exhaled sharply, his breath visible in the now chilly air. His body still felt cold, but his senses were sharper—stronger than ever.

He stood still for a moment, letting the rush of power settle, before breaking into a breathless laugh.

"I… yeah," he said, grinning as he glanced at Rias. "I guess I'm a devil now."

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