Here is the English translation of the revised prologue. All em dashes and en dashes have been completely removed and replaced with appropriate punctuation, maintaining the smooth flow and emotional depth of the story.
Prologue: The Imperfect Soul
March 6, 2009, Tokyo
Spring arrived along with the blooming cherry blossom petals dancing in the air. Inside the Minami Tama High School hall, the principal's graduation speech echoed. For most people, this was a joyous day. But for me, it was nothing more than a suffocating routine.
"Shin..." whispered Kamiki, my childhood friend, from the seat next to mine. "I am so bored."
"Hold on a little longer, we just need to listen," I replied quietly.
"Ah, I want to drink cola... Eh, wait." Kamiki gave a small start. "Your parents are glaring right at me."
I glanced briefly. "You better stay quiet, or you will get severely scolded after this."
Sure enough. Right after the ceremony ended, Kamiki's mother pulled his ear in the corridor. I could only smile faintly seeing the warmth of their family. His father, Hiro-san, chuckled while shaking his head. Hiro-san and his wife, Tsumiki-san, were Kamiki's parents. In many ways, they felt more like family to me than my own.
"Shin," Hiro-san called out, his facial expression suddenly softening. "Your family... they want you to come to your grandfather's birthday party."
My steps halted. My relationship with my family was as cold as ice. As a child born out of wedlock, my presence was never desired, especially by my mother. My father's attention was only poured upon his legal wife and my perfect younger sister.
"You do not have to come if you do not want to," Hiro-san added, noticing my hesitation. "I can tell them you are busy."
"...No need, Hiro-san," I answered softly. "I will come."
But even on this graduation day, not a single one of them showed up. While other students were busy taking pictures and laughing with their families, I stood alone under the cherry tree. The wind blew softly, carrying pink petals past my face. Deep down, I still hoped someone would come and pat my shoulder. Father, Mother, or anyone at all.
However, that hope remained an empty wish.
"Congratulations on your graduation, Shin-kun."
I turned around. A woman with long white hair stood near me. She wore a white dress that looked too elegant and unusual for this modern world. She looked more like a character from a fantasy tale. In her hands was a bouquet of white lilies.
"...Thank you," I replied hesitantly.
She did not answer but smiled gently and offered a handkerchief. I just realized that my vision was blurring. Tears fell without me being able to hold them back. It was the first time someone truly acknowledged my hard work.
While wiping my face, I tried to ask, "May I know your name?"
The woman opened her mouth. But before any sound came out, the wind blew so hard that it forced me to close my eyes. When I opened them again, she had vanished. Only a single word from reading her lips lingered in my memory.
"...Thirta...?"
A Few Hours Later
Hiro-san and I were walking across the streets of Tokyo. He was advising me about my future and college plans.
"I hope you can graduate quickly and work at my company, Shin-kun," he joked.
"Hehe, by that time your hair will definitely be gray, Hiro-san."
"How is that possible! I will always be handsome."
I laughed. However, my laughter stopped.
Tick.
The wind stopped blowing. The falling leaves froze in midair. Hiro-san, who had just taken a step, stood perfectly still with one foot hovering. Pedestrians, cars, even the birds in the sky all stopped. Time was dead.
The clear Tokyo sky suddenly dimmed. The clouds were no longer moving, but a giant shadow crossed over and blocked the sun.
"...What the hell is that?" I whispered with bated breath.
A dragon. Its scales were blazing red like blood, it had four giant wings, golden eyes that pierced the soul, and a large horn on its snout. The creature was swimming in the air, emerging from a dimensional rift that tore the sky apart.
Great Red. That was the name that somehow crossed my mind. The Dragon of Illusion. And for a reason I could not understand, those giant golden eyes looked down, staring right at me.
Cold sweat soaked my back. Terror choked my neck. But a gentle voice broke that terrifying silence.
"Great Red, it has been a long time since we met. But could you please not scare people like that?"
That white-haired woman, Thirta, walked casually from behind me. She pressed her index finger to my trembling lips, signaling me to stay quiet. Great Red snorted softly, then turned around and disappeared into the dimensional rift. A moment later, Thirta also faded away.
Whoosh!
The wind blew hard once again. The noise of Tokyo city slammed back into my eardrums.
"...Shin? What is wrong? Are you daydreaming?" Hiro-san's voice snapped me out of it.
I looked at the sky which had returned to normal. An illusion? Reality? I did not know. I just nodded slowly, trying to bury that crazy memory deep down.
January 2010 to December 2011
My efforts to forget that day were in vain. My hallucinations got worse.
Every night, my head was filled with visions of devils, black-winged angels, and dragons fighting each other to stop the apocalypse. During the day, I saw even more horrifying things. I was forced to visit a psychiatrist, Satou-sensei.
"What did you see today, Shin-kun?" he asked at that time.
"Out there..." I pointed out the window of his clinic that faced the park. "There is a seven-meter-tall mechanical humanoid. It has five eyes, glowing golden. Its body is black and purple... and it is staring at me like looking at prey."
Satou-sensei only saw a peaceful park. But in my eyes, that park was a sea of fire and ash. This mental condition forced me to quit college early. Luckily, Kamiki moved into my apartment. He took care of me, cooked, and made sure I took my sedatives every day. Without him, I might have completely lost my sanity.
December 1, 2012
A year had passed since Kamiki and I started working as office employees at Hiro-san's company. Tonight, we were drunk coming home from the tavern. Kamiki was rambling about his love for a coworker, Kudou-san.
"Shin... hurry up! I have to get an answer from Kudou-san today!" he exclaimed while stumbling.
We arrived at a quiet park. Kudou-san was already waiting, sitting alone on a park bench. However, something was wrong. The Kudou-san I knew was a stiff woman who rarely smiled. Tonight, she was smiling in a way that was very... familiar.
"You finally came, Shin-kun," she said softly.
I got goosebumps. "Kudou... san? Since when do you call me Shin-kun?"
The woman chuckled. Slowly, her black hair faded into pure white. Her body posture changed, radiating a holy aura that made my legs weak. Before me stood the goddess from my past.
"Nice to meet you again, Shin-kun. I am Thirta. The Goddess of this world."
Kamiki, who was heavily drunk, had collapsed on the grass. I looked at the goddess with rapid breaths. The series of memories and hallucinations that had tortured me for years hit my head like a sledgehammer. The war of dragons, angels, and a mechanical humanoid the bringer of the apocalypse. Everything was part of a world far beyond reason. The world of DxD.
I fell to my knees, holding my head that felt like it was going to burst. Thirta knelt down, pulled my head to her chest, and calmed me with gentle strokes. The pain slowly evaporated.
"I am sorry for making you suffer through those hallucinations," she whispered sadly. "But I had no choice. This is for your sake."
"Why... does it have to be me?" I asked hoarsely.
"Because your soul is imperfect, Shin-kun." Thirta looked at me with teary eyes. "In the past, when God created your soul, a cosmic disaster named Trihexa attacked. God was forced to abandon your creation process to seal that monster. As a result, your soul was born defective. You will never be able to reincarnate. If you die, your soul will be erased from existence."
My chest felt tight. No wonder my life felt like it had no place in this world.
"Then... what will happen to me?"
"I will transfer the ownership of your soul to another world," she said firmly. "I will give you three gifts to survive there. True Domination of Weapon, Irregular Learning, and a mysterious power called Gate of Tranquility."
Before I could digest that barrage of information, my hand glowed blue. The night sky cracked, opening a dimensional vortex that spun fiercely. Its gravitational pull sucked my body in, releasing me from the goddess's embrace.
"Wait! What about Kamiki?! Hiro-san?!" I shouted, struggling against the portal's suction.
Thirta grabbed my hand in the air, holding me for a moment. "I will take care of them. Do not worry." She smiled, even though tears were rolling down her cheeks. "We will meet again. Next time, I will spend much more time with you."
Her grip released.
"I will definitely see you again, Goddess!" I screamed, right before the darkness swallowed me whole.
Somewhere, in a different universe...
Dark. Very dark.
My eyes could not open, and my body felt stiff. However, my ears caught the sound of panic.
"Congratulations, Mrs. Hyoudou. You have given birth to two baby boys."
The sound of a woman panting heavily. "Thank you, God..."
However, there was only one sound of a baby crying echoing in the room.
"Miki..." A man's voice sounded trembling. "Why is this child... not making any sound?"
Panic erupted. The doctor took my body, checking my heartbeat. Silence blanketed the room, carrying a sorrow ready to explode.
"I am sorry... this baby..."
Before the doctor could finish his sentence, I forced my eyelids open. The light from the operating room blinded my vision.
The doctor gasped, taking a step back. The man named Gorou immediately grabbed me, staring intently into my blue eyes with tears pouring out. He hugged me tightly, slumping to the floor in overwhelming relief. On the hospital bed, Miki was holding another baby boy who was crying loudly. Issei.
A small smile, or rather a toothless grin, formed on my tiny lips.
I see.