DxD: Ascension - Redux

Chapter 1: The Fall

This chapter marks the start of Act 1: Blaze of Glory, as well as Volume I: Brave New World.

Falling.

For a moment, that was all Zach Praktum could remember, all he knew. He didn't know his name or how he'd ended up here. He didn't recognize his own body. His entire reality was endless colors rushing past him as he fell.

As his fall slowed, everything came rushing back: the Primordial Lords, the Vanguard, the battle for the multiverse, his entire life story. Most importantly, he remembered the friends and family he'd left behind. What's happening back home? he wondered to himself as a bright white light formed around him. Just as soon as the falling had started, it came to an abrupt stop as Zach fell onto a hard table, knocking the contents off and breaking more than a few bones. As he groaned in pain, gripping his ribs while his body healed, he recalled how he'd gotten to this point.

He and his best friend, Michael Eon, had been given a dangerous assignment to investigate sightings of a massive red dragon that was reportedly causing power outages around the five boroughs. Their investigation had led them to the sewers beneath Manhattan, where they found an ancient altar with a red and gold gauntlet resting on it. As they'd approached the altar, they felt an oncoming sense of dread and the heat of a dragon's last breath before it blasted flames from its gaping mouth. Then the world dissolved, and Zach fell.

Zach's recollection was interrupted by an unfamiliar female voice. "Who the hell are you?" she asked.
Zach opened his eyes and looked over at the source of the voice. A young woman was standing in the aisle between the pews- he must've landed in an old church. "Uh... one sec," Zach groaned as he slid off the table and shakily got to his feet.
The woman took a step back as Zach moved, summoning a spear of violet light and releasing her feathery black wings. "Answer me!" she demanded.
"Easy, easy. Let's not skewer each other." Zach put his hands up. "My name is Zach. I'm a fallen angel like you." He released wings similar to that of the woman's, but larger and surrounded by a corona of blue fire. "And you are?"
The other fallen angel lowered her spear, but her guard was clearly still all the way up. "The name's Raynare. What's your deal? Sent by the higher-ups to help us?"
"You, uh... wouldn't believe me if I told you."
Raynare snorted. "Please, I've heard it all. Out with it."
"I think..." Zach looked at his hands. He could feel something was different in the very air he was breathing, in the way his clothes felt on his skin. He felt completely out of place. "I'm not from this place. From this world. I... I think I fell into another universe. Into this universe, wherever this is."
Raynare blinked a few times. "You... what? No way, that's impossible."
"See? I knew you wouldn't believe me."
"Shut up for a second, Zach." Raynare was lost in thought for a few moments before coming to a conclusion. "Okay. Let's say I believe you. What's your plan? Your next steps?"
"Until I can figure out how to open a gateway back to my universe, just survive, I guess." Zach shrugged. "Why?"
"Well, you're a fallen angel, aren't you? Why not help your people in this world out a bit?" Raynare suggested.
I have no knowledge of this world and no allies here, Zach thought to himself. I'd better work with Raynare until I get into a better situation. He nodded. "Alright, I guess I can work with you," he agreed. "What do you need help with? And, if I may, what are we doing in an abandoned church?" Zach looked around at the church. It clearly hadn't been used by anyone in years.
"We're using this place as a base of operations in this town. The basement is nicer. C'mon, I'll show you."
"Lead the way."

BGM: Persona 5 OST - Suspicion

Raynare led Zach to a side hallway and down a flight of stairs into the church's lower level. "This place used to be a ritual ground and base for the capital-C Church." She paused to gag at the mention of the Church before continuing, "Before it was abandoned, that is. It's got everything we need. Sleeping quarters, bathrooms, a lounge, other stuff, and... this." At the end of the hall was a large, ornate door. Raynare pushed it open to reveal a large room with a metal St. Andrew's Cross resting on the back wall. "It's a place for less savory worship and rituals."
"Less savory?" Zach frowned. "That doesn't sound pleasant."
"It has its uses," Raynare said. "Anyway, you can meet the rest of the team in the morning. But since you're new, you're a liability, which means I want you to stay where I can keep an eye on you. So instead of sleeping here, you'll come with me to the house I'm staying in. There's a spare bedroom for you. Got that?"
"Uh... yeah. Sure."
"Good. Let's get going."
The pair returned to the main floor of the church and exited the building. Zach looked around at their surroundings. The church itself was on a small hill, surrounded by a fairly large town. From the elevated point, he spotted a couple of schools, a plaza, a park, and a part of the city with lots of neon lights. "Where exactly are we, Raynare?" he asked.
"This town is called Kuoh. Over there is the main school here, Kuoh Academy." Raynare pointed to the larger of the two schools. "Your job for us will be reconnaissance there. The rest of the town isn't particularly notable, but Tokyo is only about an hour away."
"So we're in Japan, huh?"
"Uh... yeah. You're speaking Japanese, didn't you know that already?"
"I am?"
"Mm-hm."
Zach froze for a moment. Right, he thought. Omnilingualism. Guess I'm always surrounded by English speakers, so I never get to use it. "That's one of my powers. I'm immediately fluent in any language I read or hear. I kinda tend to forget about it sometimes, since the other half of it is that everything I hear is also translated into my native language."
"Huh. Nifty. The higher-ups only sent me on this mission because I'm already fluent in Japanese."
"Interesting. So, this house you and I are staying in?"
"Right. Follow me." Raynare released her wings and took to the skies, Zach right behind her as they soared into a residential neighborhood of Kuoh.

End BGM

Zach and Raynare quickly arrived at a house nearly identical to every other house on the block: two stories, painted off-white, with a balcony attached to what Zach guessed was the master bedroom upstairs. "It has... charm," Zach said sarcastically.
Raynare rolled her eyes. "It's supposed to be inconspicuous. What did you expect? A luxurious mansion atop a large hill overlooking the entire city?"
Zach glanced over at the large hill that overlooked the entire city. "Y'know, that actually sounds pretty good."
"Too bad." Raynare unlocked the door, and they entered the house, which was about as basic on the inside as it was on the outside. "We've got everything we need. Living room, kitchen, a private bathroom each, and of course our bedrooms." She led Zach upstairs. "I already claimed the master. Guest suite is there." She pointed to a door on their right. "Get some rest, Zach. We've got a lot of debriefing to do in the morning, and you have school."
"Even in another universe, I can't escape high school," Zach groaned. "Alright. Goodnight, Raynare. Don't let the bed demons bite."
"Succubi and incubi are no joke, Zach. Their bites hurt."
"Oh, trust me, I know." Zach chuckled and went into his room, closing the door behind him. He lit a small blue fire in his palm to find the light switch and flicked it on, extinguishing his flame. He kicked his shoes off and laid down in bed, pulling his phone out of his pocket. It had been damaged pretty badly in the fall, but it managed to turn on. "Guess that's not a surprise," Zach muttered to himself as he watched the device glitch out. "It is from another universe. Guess it's trash now." He curled up under the covers on his bed and threw his phone at the light switch to turn it off. "Good night, me."

whoa whoa whoa a redux?! wild who could've ever seen this coming??? hope y'all enjoyed! see you next time

~ P.