(Third Person POV — Nico)
Nico's eyes slowly fluttered open, his consciousness drifting back to the forefront of his mind like a rising tide. Where was he? This place certainly wasn't his bedroom; it was far from it, actually.
The space around him was folding and unfolding in a chaotic, non-linear dance. It was a dark abyss, yet it was sprinkled with violent storms of radiating energy that hissed and crackled before snapping out of existence entirely.
Memories began to flood back into his awareness, similar to backup data being released from a long-term storage drive, and everything became abundantly clear. He remembered everything now: the exhaustion that felt as if it were crushing his soul, the agony of his body tearing apart, and the emergence of the System.
Nico realized he shouldn't even be able to see yet, unless the process of reconstruction was already completed. That was quite an absurd thought. To his perspective, he had merely closed his mind for a fraction of a second, and yet he was expected to believe that three entire years had passed in the world outside.
The evidence, however, was already undeniable. Looking away from the swirling madness of the Dimensional Gap, his eyes moved downwards to inspect the body he now inhabited. He was tall, significantly taller than he had been in his previous life.
Thick and corded muscles popped beneath skin that looked like flawless marble. He possessed a narrow waist, thick thighs, powerful arms, and rounded shoulders that felt as if they could support the sky. It was an odd, intoxicating sensation.
He wondered if this was how Captain America felt after the Super Soldier Serum. It felt as if the entire world were merely waiting to be broken with a simple flex of his fingers. Every fiber of this new form hummed with a dormant, terrifying intensity.
< NOTICE: Evolutionary Sleep Cycle successfully concluded. >
< [Duration]: 1,019 Days. >< [Synchronization Rate]: 30.0%. >
< [Status]: Individual 'Nico' has ascended to the rank of 'Awakened Demon Lord'. >
< [Species]: True Spiritual Lifeform (Demon Lord Vessel). >
< [Physiology]: Humanoid Mimicry finalized. Current frame: 6'4", 220lbs. Molecular density exceeds steel by a factor of 100. Biological functions are now strictly aesthetic. >
Well, that answered that. Everything was completely and utterly real, and he had somehow become an indisputable monster wearing the form of a giant human.
Three years were gone within a second of his subjective time, and the results were staring back at him. The Dimensional Gap felt almost comfortable now, as if he had been specifically engineered to reside in this harsh, empty environment.
The chaotic energies of the void lightly licked against his skin like warm static, but apart from the minor sensation of the contact, he wasn't dying like he had been during his arrival.
He assumed he should have Wisdom King Raphael now. The System had mentioned that it would take care of the last forty eight hours of his sleep, reintegrating his mind and stabilizing his ego after such a long slumber.
His mind felt as if it had sublimated, reaching a level of clarity that shouldn't be possible for any living being. Thoughts flowed like a torrential river; hundreds, thousands, or even millions of them were running in parallel to one another without any effort.
There was power radiating beneath his new form, a wellspring of magicules so deep that he couldn't quite conceptualize its bottom, but he knew he could already alter reality, fracture the very fabric of space, and destroy anything in his path with minimal effort.
< NOTICE: The 'Analytical Engine' has successfully evolved into [Ultimate Skill: Wisdom King Raphael]. >
< [Processing Speed]: Thought Acceleration increased to 1,000,000x. >
< [Analytical Range]: All of Creation. Logic-based understanding of all universal phenomena is active. >
< [Control]: Law Manipulation. Total administrative authority over the physical and spiritual laws of your immediate environment. >
Once again, Raphael was answering his questions before he could truly finish thinking them. Seeing the raw data streaming into his consciousness was exhilarating, and he knew instantly that there was far more to come.
Rimuru Tempest had been more than a God; he was eventually classed as an Outer God by the time he reached the end of his journey in the novels. Being at 30% synchronization, Nico was merely at a fraction of that final power scale, but each percentage represented an exponential increase in his capabilities.
He could now move through the Gap with ease, and taking steps in this new body was an experience of pure power. There was no gravity here, yet the sheer pressure of the space was always apparent against his spirit core. He didn't know how truly large this place was, as the books only ever mentioned that it was infinite, but there must have been some possible limit to the reach of this void.
< NOTICE: Analysis of the Dimensional Gap is complete. >
< [Conclusion]: The Gap is an infinite data-vacuum. >
Well, he had been wrong. Nico thanked Raphael internally. He probably would have tried to walk the distance forever without asking the Skill to check the place out first.
Logically, he knew he should be concerned about Great Red, the Dragon of Dreams, who was most likely flying around this space at this very moment, but it didn't seem to matter. Raphael would alert him if he were in genuine danger, and since the Skill was silent, he could focus entirely on himself.
"Give me a complete rundown of anything else that's changed since hibernation, please," Nico requested. Even though he didn't strictly need to speak out loud, he enjoyed the resonance of his new voice. He knew Raphael would evolve even further later. It was his partner in life, and eventually, they would essentially be family.
< NOTICE: Core Skills of the 'Rimuru Tempest' Template have reached 30% functionality. >
< [Ultimate Skill]: Beelzebuth (Lord of Gluttony). Functions: Predation, Stomach, Mimicry, and Soul Consumption are online. >
< [Ultimate Skill]: Lord of Vows (Uriel). Functionalized sub-skill: [Universal Barrier]. Absolute defense via multi-layered spatial distortion is active. >
< [Extra Skill]: Spatial Domination. Coordinate-based movement and spatial folding are operational. >
< NOTICE: [Extra Skill: Dimension Navigation] is fully calibrated for 'Earth-DxD' coordinates. >
< [Scan Result]: The target world contains high-density 'Demonic' and 'Sacred' energy signatures. Compatibility with [Food Chain] is 99.8%. >
< [ALERT]: Your current unsuppressed presence will trigger a level-7 spiritual tremor across the Japanese archipelago upon entry. >
The report was sheer ridiculousness. Nico knew those abilities were all going to appear eventually, but having them already in hand was a different story entirely. He was essentially already nearing the apex of this reality, and he still had 70% of his potential left to gain.
The world of DxD wasn't a bad place for him to start his new life. There was always something happening that could lead to the end of the world or major shifts in the power balances of the Three Factions, but it was a great melting pot for him to get stronger.
He could use Predation to consume many different power systems, from the unique mechanics of Sacred Gears to the innate traits of Demon or Angel physiologies. The Power of Destruction was something he truly wanted to gain, and he had no doubt that Raphael would optimize that power to hell and back.
As he was about to begin planning his next move, Raphael spoke out with a tone of clinical urgency.
< ALERT: High-Level Spatial Displacement Detected. >
< [Origin]: The Dimensional Gap. >
< [Target]: Individual 'Nico'. >
< [Analysis]: A conceptual gaze is currently anchored to your spirit-core. Logic dictates this is a 'Direct Observation' from the entity 'Ophis' (The Ouroboros Dragon). >
< [Status]: The entity is currently evaluating your 'Anomaly' status. Your 30% Synchronization has created a 'Silence' in the void that she finds... intriguing. >
Nico froze. Ophis was here, staring at him with interest? He didn't know if that was good or bad. He remembered all the details about her from his old life: the fact that all she wanted was her home and her silence back, going to extremes to recruit people to help her achieve her goal.
What was he supposed to do? He could simply leave the Gap and move to Earth, but he doubted she'd leave him alone once she had found something interesting. He wondered if she were planning something right now.
< NOTICE: Potential Hostility Assessment: 0.02%. >
< [Reasoning]: The entity 'Ophis' lacks malicious intent; she is driven by the desire for 'Silence'. You are currently the quietest existence in the multiverse. >
< [Action]: I have bolstered the [Universal Barrier] with [Law Manipulation: Information Concealment]. >
< [Status]: To Ophis, you now appear as an 'Infinite Void' similar to her own nature. Observation has transitioned from 'Suspicious' to 'Interested'. >
Okay, so no immediate danger. That was a good sign. Nico figured she might just be planning on watching and leaving him be; that would be the best option for the time being.
He didn't want to be involved in her convoluted plans yet, and even if he could help, taking on such a massive task from the moment he woke up would be problematic and annoying.
Continuing to walk through the colorful chaos, Nico began to think of his plans for the coming future. He needed a solid identity on Earth, as for the time being, he was a complete anomaly. Regardless of the god-like powers he had gained, he still wanted to enjoy the simple pleasures of humanity.
DxD was a modern world, fortunately. If he had been born in a place such as the world of Harry Potter, he would probably tear the hair from his scalp because of how primitive it was.
Raphael could easily access and bypass the technology of the human world, creating a new identity for him, so he just needed to find a computer, which wouldn't be hard at all.
Money? He could literally change the laws of reality around him, so creating rare gems or bars of gold was child's play. Now, a home. There was no need to purchase one; he could just buy some land and build one with his magic in a matter of seconds.
Speaking of, he wondered what year it was currently. For all he knew, he could have arrived in the world around the time God was still alive and walking the earth.
< NOTICE: Local Date: Monday, April 2. >< [Current Year]: 2012. >
< [Timeline Assessment]: 3 Months prior to the "Raynare Incident". >
That wasn't too bad at all. He might not get involved in the canon storyline immediately, but knowing the date relieved him slightly. He wouldn't be like those people in stories that regressed themselves and became a student again.
Imagine having such powers but limiting oneself to being forced to do homework and act like a child; he would hate every single second of it. No, he was going to live as an adult.
The decision was made. Nico thanked Raphael for the enhanced cognitive functions, as it took less than a microsecond to go through all his options before coming to a reasonable plan. He would suppress his presence and hop into Japan.
He had always loved the culture there. The media the country made was incredible, and the food? He could gorge himself for days.
Sure, it had its faults, especially on the social side of things and how horrible the working situation was for most people, but apart from that, it was perfect. Raphael would allow him to easily learn the language, so there wouldn't even be a communication barrier.
"Okay, Raphael, let's get out of here. I can still feel Ophis watching us, and I doubt she's going to leave soon. If she comes to me later, we'll figure out the next step then."
< NOTICE: Preparation for Dimensional Jump Initialized. >
< [Target]: Physical Plane — Kuoh Town, Japan (April 2, 2012). >
< [Execution]: Commencing spatial folding sequence. Bridging the 'Non-Existence' of the Gap with the 'Material Reality' of the target coordinates. >
< WARNING: Immediate Existence Suppression Required. >
< [Aura Compression]: Initiating 99.999% compression of Magicule Aura. Total Demon Lord Haki suppression is active to prevent the structural collapse of the local city-state upon arrival. >
With that notification ringing in his mind, the colorful world around Nico began to melt away.
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This is an original work, not a translation.
Read the tags for the story, and the synopsis so you understand what this story will entail.
Note: The 'Notifications' will become less.. abundant soon. Only coming to play when needed.