high school dxd · reaction fic · issei hyoudou · rias gremory · anime · supernatural · ensemble cast · meta commentary · fantasy · group dynamic
The blinding light of an enormous screen suddenly flares to life in the center of a vast, unfamiliar cinema. Shadows shift and resolve into recognizable forms among the plush rows of seats: Issei, Rias, Akeno—the whole assembly of demons, fallen angels, and angels. A low murmur of confusion swells, punctuated by sharp intakes of breath. Issei twists in his chair, scanning the dark walls. Asia Argento grips his arm, her knuckles white. Azazel stands apart, one eyebrow arched as he assesses the architecture with a scientist's cold curiosity. Then, with a faint hum, the screen brightens fully, casting everyone in its luminous glow. Every head turns toward it. And there, silhouetted in the theater's grand entrance, you stand, you. Rias's eyes find you instantly; she observes you with a pier…