Rhode wasn't concerned with what Griselda was thinking. Once he settled into his first-class seat, he reclined the chair, slipped on an eye mask, and went to sleep. The flight from Rome to Japan was a grueling ten-plus hours; since he couldn't exactly wander around mid-flight, sleeping was the only logical option.
Asia, however, was having the time of her life. It was her first time on a plane, and she spent most of the journey pressed against the window, staring in awe at the clouds, the distant cities, and the quiet countrysides. At first, she bombarded Rhode with questions, but seeing him asleep, she lowered her voice and focused on the scenery until she, too, drifted off into a peaceful slumber.
"Wake up, we're here."
Time always flies when you're sleeping. Asia felt as though she had only just closed her eyes when it was time to get up. Not being one to sleep in, she shook off her drowsiness and regained her senses quickly.
When they left the airport and entered the city, Asia was momentarily stunned by the sheer scale of the metropolis. Compared to Rome, the first impression Tokyo gave the young girl was one of pure shock.
Dusk had fallen, and the city was awash in neon. The streets between skyscrapers were a sea of humanity, and the traffic flowed like rivers of liquid light. There was a constant, surging tide of hurried people; every time a pedestrian signal turned green, it felt like a dam breaking, releasing a flood of commuters.
Asia stared at the passing crowds, her heart pounding with amazement. "There are... so many people. Too many!"
While Church events often drew large crowds, they were nothing compared to the daily hustle of a Tokyo intersection.
Rhode agreed. In his memory, this city was famous for two things.
First was being "Hot." There were two ways a city could be "hot," and both were famous globally (one involving the weather, the other involving a certain adult industry label).
The second was the sheer population density. An area of less than 2,200 square kilometers was home to over 14 million people. If you included the surrounding prefectures like Kanagawa, Saitama, and Chiba, the Greater Tokyo Area boasted 37 million people—one-third of Japan's population packed into a tiny fraction of its land.
Rhode liked the scenery of Japan's media, but he wasn't particularly fond of the actual congestion. However, since there were no direct flights from Rome to Kuoh Town, Tokyo was his only logical port of entry. The mission had no time limit, so a short delay wouldn't hurt.
Besides, watching Asia act like a wide-eyed country girl in the big city was entertaining enough to justify a brief stay. Furthermore, in the world of High School DxD, Tokyo and Kyoto were major hubs for the plot, home to the Five Principal Clans and the hidden Youkai factions.
Rhode recalled that the leader of the Youkai in these parts was a particularly "blessed" beast-eared beauty. If he had the chance, he definitely wanted to see her in person.
Their first order of business in Tokyo was checking into a hotel. Compared to the receptionist in Rome, the Tokyo staff was far more professional. They didn't even blink at Asia's nun habit; in this city, men brought women to hotels for "cosplay" reasons all the time. Nuns, nurses, shrine maidens... they'd seen it all. They'd probably seen someone in a monk's robe at some point.
Once they entered the suite, the first thing Asia did was sneak a peek at the bathroom. Seeing that the glass wasn't semi-transparent this time, she let out a silent sigh of relief. While she didn't necessarily feel repulsed by Rhode, her modesty made her self-conscious about her body.
Rhode didn't share her concerns. He dropped the bags and took Asia out to experience the local "culture."
After twenty minutes of walking, Rhode noted that Tokyo's social relationships seemed very... "pure." Within ten minutes on a pedestrian street, he saw several young, beautiful girls walking happily with middle-aged, balding men with massive beer bellies. It almost made him believe in true love again.
The cultural shock was even greater for Asia, especially when she saw the sheer number of "specialty shops" lining the streets. Girls in skimpy outfits or anime costumes stood on the sidewalks openly soliciting customers, accompanied by suggestive advertisements that would make anyone's imagination run wild.
Rhode knew these ads were often traps, but he had no interest in those places anyway. He was a transmigrator; if he had to settle for "second-hand" services, he might as well have stayed home and raised pigs.
Night fell, and they found themselves in a plaza near a park.
"This is so delicious... so sweet!" Asia muttered to herself, her face full of bliss as she bit into a deep-fried banana covered in chocolate sauce and powdered sugar.
Hoping to trigger a hidden mission, Rhode had been leadng her through various night markets for nearly two hours. Just as he was about to give up and head back, the System's voice finally rang in his head.
[System Mission Issued: Night of the Demon Slayer] [Objective: Defeat the Thousand-Year Demon King, Kibutsuji Muzan] [Reward: Based on damage dealt to Kibutsuji Muzan. Higher damage equals richer rewards!]
"Eh?"
Rhode's eyebrows shot up. Night of the Demon Slayer? Kibutsuji Muzan?
He knew "demons" existed in this world, but he hadn't expected the "Crap Boss" himself to be here. A Demon King who terrorized the Taisho era being dropped into the power-scaling of High School DxD felt like a cruel joke by the universe.
Rhode didn't overthink it. He followed the map's guidance toward the target. As for Asia, he sent her back to the hotel first.
Late night. The moon was high.
The moonlight struggled to pierce the dense canopy of the forest, casting dappled, shifting shadows on the ground. The air was cold and damp, and the world was silent—until that silence was shattered by the sounds of a desperate battle.
A hideous, monstrous humanoid creature, covered in dozens of black tentacles, glared with pure hatred at the figures pursuing it.
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My : https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
High School DxD : Reincarnated into the Multiverse, but it's High School DxD (63 Chapters – Ongoing)
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