DxD: DO System Chapter 35

Chapter 35: The Upgrade

Issei had been so caught up dealing with bigger issues that he’d completely overlooked some of the smaller, stranger moments life had to offer.

Like this one—staring at the most perfectly sculpted breasts he’d ever seen, topped with the rosiest nipples imaginable. Not that he had much to compare them to.

“I—huh?”

To say he was stunned would be an understatement. A girl had just asked him, outright, to take her virginity. His brain short-circuited, leaving him almost completely speechless.

“Issei,” she whispered, grabbing his hand and pressing it to her chest as she climbed on top of him. “Please…”

In his state of shock, he instinctively squeezed, feeling the softness against his palm.

‘Damn.’ Blood rushed to his ears. Her body defied anything human anatomy had to offer—she was unreal, and far too perfect.

It wasn’t hard to see why so many men lusted after her. She was flawless. Her eyes, her hair, her figure—every detail was something out of a dream. A devil with devilish beauty.

But even with his mind clouded by the moment, Issei managed to snap himself back to reality.

“I—uh, Rias.” He took a deep breath and, with great effort, removed his hand from her chest. It hurt to let go—emotionally, at least.

“What’s going on?” he asked, his voice steadier now.

“I don’t have time to explain,” she said with a tone bordering on desperation. “But please… take my virginity.”

She grabbed both his hands, guiding them back to her chest. “Am I not attractive enough? Do you not think I’m beautiful?”

Issei shook his head quickly, denying what she said best to his abilities.

“You’re beautiful, Rias. You’re incredible. But I can’t just—sleep with someone because they asked me to.”

“Why not?” she demanded, her voice cracking. “You slept with a Fallen Angel. Am I not as good as her? Am I not good enough for you?”

The accusation stung. He hadn’t realized that him sleeping with Raynare still bothered the others.

“It’s not that,” he said softly, gently pushing her back and helping her settle on the bed. “What we do matters. Doing something out of love, or passion, or even impulse, is one thing. But doing it without any of that—it’s not right. Not for me. Not for you.”

He reached for a blanket nearby and handed it to her. “Here. Cover yourself, Rias. Please.”

Issei cared for and respected women—admired them, even—but he wasn’t about to exploit someone’s moment of desperation to sleep with them.

“Tell me what’s wrong,” he said, his voice softening. “We’ll figure it out together. This—” he gestured vaguely at the situation, “this isn’t like you.”

Rias clutched the blanket to her chest, her lips trembling as she avoided his gaze.

“I—I—” she stammered, her voice barely audible. Before she could finish, a sudden interruption cut through the tension.

“I’m glad to see even the newest member of your peerage knows the rules and hierarchy.”

‘Be careful, boy,’ Ddraig warned in the back of his mind. ‘That’s a powerful presence.’

Issei felt it too. And judging by how tense Rias had become, his suspicions were confirmed.

The Gremory crest appeared on the floor, glowing brightly as a teleportation circle formed. And from it emerged a lady, one that Issei knew of.

“And I must thank you, Issei Hyoudou, for refraining from any… scandalous behavior.”

The voice belonged to someone Issei recognized immediately.

She had silvery hair that almost glowed, smooth porcelain skin, sharp blue eyes, and a figure that, while not as curvy as Rias’s, still caught your attention.

There was no mistaking her.

<Race: Pure-Blood Devil>

<Class: Peak-Ultimate Class>

He knew exactly who she was.  

‘Wife of Lucifer,’ Ddraig grumbled in the back of his mind.  

“Grayfia…” Rias whispered softly.  

Grayfia’s voice was calm but firm. “I won’t report this to Lord Lucifer or Lord Gremory, Lady Rias. But you must return to the estate with me immediately.”  

Issei didn’t need an introduction. He already knew plenty about Grayfia Lucifuge—the wife of Satan Lucifer, Rias’s sister-in-law, and a former enemy turned ally to the current Devil rulers.  

When he first heard about her, curiosity got the better of him, and he dug into her history. He learned she came from one of the noble ancient Devil families but switched sides after seeing the devastation of war. She eventually married Lucifer himself.  

There were even rumors that she was as powerful as Satan Leviathan, though Issei’s research proved otherwise. She was strong, sure, but not on that level.  

“I don’t want to,” Rias muttered, looking at Grayfia with frustration. “And you know why. So why are you doing this to me?”  

Grayfia’s face remained emotionless. “I’m just doing my duty, Lady Rias. This is your responsibility as the heiress of House Gremory.”  

Issei noticed Rias digging her nails into her palm but stayed silent.  

“If you refuse to come, I’ll have no choice but to inform Lord Gremory,” Grayfia warned. “The rules bind me, Lady Rias.”  

“Rias,” Issei finally spoke, breaking the tension. “Is there anything I can do to help?”  

He already knew the answer, but he had to ask. He felt responsible for her in some way.  

Grayfia’s calm yet stern voice cut in. “This is a matter for House Gremory, Issei Hyoudou. It doesn’t concern you.”  

Issei thought about pointing out that he was technically part of Rias’s peerage and, by extension, her family. 

But well, even he found that stupid and thus remained quiet.

Grayfia turned back to Rias. “My lady, please don’t make this harder than it already is. You must come with me.”  

Rias glanced at Issei, her expression a mix of betrayal and helplessness—not directed at him, but at the people she cared about.  

“They promised me time,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “They said I could free myself if I won.”  

“And you still can,” Grayfia replied. “But the dates have been moved up.”  

Rias clenched her fists, clearly unprepared for this sudden change. Still, after a moment of bitter silence, she stood and walked toward Grayfia, clutching the blanket tightly around her.  

“We’ll get you cleaned and properly dressed before meeting your family,” Grayfia said. “And we won’t speak of tonight to anyone.”  

She glanced at Issei. “I trust you’ll keep tonight’s events to yourself, Issei Hyoudou.”  

He gave a small nod, realizing it was best not to argue with her.  

Grayfia continued, “You may take tomorrow off, Hyoudou. Since Lady Rias will be busy with her family matters, there will be no peerage or club meetings at Kuoh. Use the time as you see fit.”  

“I… see,” Issei muttered, unsure of what else to say.  

He watched as Rias avoided his gaze, her face filled with unease, while Grayfia’s expression remained as cold as ever. Then, in an instant, they vanished, leaving his room as if no one had ever been there.  

“Great. She even took the blanket…” Issei grumbled, flopping onto the bed with a groan. “How am I supposed to sleep without it?”

“You’re worried about sleep after everything that just happened?” Ddraig’s tone was equal parts amused and annoyed.

“What else am I supposed to do?” Issei shot back. “You’ve got the same memories as me. We both knew something like this was coming—just not when. And anyway, what am I supposed to do against the wife of Lucifer?”

“That’s exactly why you need to train more,” Ddraig retorted. “So you can face her—and Lucifer, for that matter.”

Issei chuckled. “Easier said than done, buddy.” He stared up at the ceiling. “But it’s not impossible. Just not yet. In the future, for sure.”

“So?” Ddraig pressed. “What’s the plan? More training?”

It wasn’t like Issei slacked off. He trained hard—waking up early, exercising, practicing breathing techniques to keep calm under pressure. He’d go to the park or a quiet spot in the forest to push his physical limits, using Boosted Gear to sharpen his basics. On weekends, he sparred with Hachiman to refine his skills.

He was improving fast—ridiculously fast—but it still wasn’t enough to reach someone like Lucifer or the other big names. They were leagues beyond him, practically monsters. And to face them, Issei knew he’d have to become a monster himself.

But that wasn’t easy.

And, if he was being honest, he hadn’t even started to enjoy the fights yet. He hadn’t faced any real challenges, hadn’t felt the adrenaline rush of a true battle.

In a way, he blamed Ddraig for making him crave the excitement. Or maybe it was just something deep inside him. Either way, he hoped he’d feel it soon—especially with the upcoming event.

“You heard her say I’ve got the day off, right?” Issei asked, already grinning.

“Yeah,” Ddraig confirmed.

“Which means…” Issei’s grin widened. “I can finally do this.”

<System Upgrade Initiated.>

<Proceeding with upgrade.>

His smile grew as the text popped up in front of him.

<Phase Two of the System unlocks in 23 hours and 59 minutes.>

<All features, except Boosted Gear, will be locked during the upgrade.>

<Boosted Gear will limited to skills and communication for the duration of the upgrade.>

“Oi!” Ddraig grumbled. “It’s so loud!”

Issei couldn’t help but laugh. “You’ll survive, old man.”