"Happy Birthday to You..."

  Zaydas heard voices in the background. They were voices he was familiar with; however, they grew increasingly quieter until there was plete silence.

  In Zaydas's mind, memories of aire lifetime fshed before his eyes. Eighteen long years in the blink of an eye.

  'What is all this? What's happening to me?'

  He opened his mouth, but no voice came out. He looked around, appearing fused, while his mother, father, aives smiled as they seemed to be singing "Happy Birthday."

  It felt like drowning—sounds growing more silent and vision blurring.

  Whehought he was about to faint, the memories of 18 years, which felt strangely familiar to him, stopped fshing before his eyes, and the sound began to return.

  "Happy..."

  Zaydas forced a smile, even though his mind was in chaos.

  "Happy 18th birthday, Zay!"

  A round of appuse echoed.

  "Make a wish, son."

  Looking at his father, Sirzechs Grimmory, he thought about the man who had appeared in the memories he had mysteriously received of another life in another world, where the world he lived in was merely a light ale.

  'Is my father Sirzechs Lucifer?'

  Zaydas looked at his aunt, not far away.

  Rias Grimmory. She looked the same, with the only difference being her surname.

  Although he had known he was a Devil from an early age, he never imagined he could have such a powerful family lineage.

  His father had told him there was a e between the Gremory and Bael s. And the reason he mentio when Zaydas was 16 years old, during his trip to the Underworld, must have been because he could use the Power of Destru.

  'Is this real?'

  "Blow out the dles, son!"

  His mother Zatanna's voice pulled him from his reverie.

  "e on, Zay-kun, don't keep us waiting~" Rias said with a smile.

  Although full of unanswered questions, he set them aside for now and blew out the dles.

  ***

  ***

  When had he fallen asleep?

  Waking up fused, Zaydas began to recall everything that had happehe day before.

  The memories of aire lifetime of 18 years were still vividly iwined in his mind.

  'That life... Was it me?'

  He came to this uanding because of the singurity the two shared.

  Although the memories were of a normal human being without powers, in a world where apparently Angels and Devils did, the as and choices were very simir to what he would have done in such situations.

  The fact that he had died of cer (if it was really him)... left him a bit sad. But in this life, he wouldn't have to worry about such things, as although he was half-Devil and half-human, he was essentially free from diseases with an almost infinite lifespan.

  'But if it's like what happened in the ahis world is incredibly dangerous!'

  It's impossible not to worry about that.

  Knowing things from a general perspective is ohing; havihe light novel and knowing about the existence of something like Trihexa is another.

  But there were some differences from the light hat he could notice. For example, his aunt Rias, as far as he knew, wasn't eo Riser Phenex.

  However, this might also have bee hidden from him.

  Ahing, as far as he knew, he didn't have a younger brother named Millicas Gremory. After all, although he knew Grayfia, his father had no romantic retionship with her.

  And, would he dare? Zatanna, his mother, could instill fear in his father in a way that was hard to imagihis was still Sirzechs Lucifer, after all.

  While he worried about the unknown and the differences between his world and the Light Novel High School DxD, something strange happened!

  [Host 100% patible found! Would you like to bind to the quest System?]

  An androgynous voice echoed in his mind.

  [Warning! Nothing is required or charged, but nothing es for free. Your quest is my quest; your achievements are my achievements. My form of existence is that of a superior parasitic type. I only prove my existence if I find a patible Host. And the moment the bond is formed, I will cease to exist, and we will exist together. Do you wish to proceed?]

  'Cease to exist to bee part of me? A parasite? Will it be like a part of my body, like my heart?' Zaydas thought.

  [Responding. Yes, exactly. My sole purpose of existence is to prove my existend ie with a patible Host. Even though in essence I will cease to exist, I will still exist as long as you live!]

  'I see... So, your fun will be to bee part of me. In this case, you'll bee a corresponding an—the sciousness of the quest System?'

  [Responding! ly. Even though there are answers like a standard system you know, simir to the "Great Sage" from That Time I Got Reinated as a Slime, it will be more like you responding to yourself. Simply put, like a dual personality that will serve as your primary anchor to the quest System.]

  'A dual personality, huh...' Zaydas automatically thought of the other "him" in his past life. If it's really the case, even though it essentially seems to be him, it could very well be seen as a separate personality. Thus, it would be as if he had three separate personalities, with one funing as the assistant linking him to the quest System.

  With all this in mind, Zaydas decred, "Yes, I accept!"

  [Wele to the quest System, Host Zaydas. The very fact of being chosen by the quest System grants the Host a [Starter Pack]. Would you like to open it now?]

  The voice ged. It became simir to the voice from his other life as Reiji. It was a bit deep, like that of a radio announcer.

  'Yes,' he murmured.

  [Alert! gratutions, Host! You have received the unique and powerful ability: [Dimensional Leap] and 500 quest Points!]

  When he gaihe unique ability, Dimensional Leap, Zaydas felt something within him begin to ge. Although not by much, even his own power increased slightly.

  'Expin to me in more detail how these quest Points work,' Zaydas demanded in his mind.

  By the way, a little te, but the moment the bond was pleted, it was just as the "quest System" had said. Even though it seemed like two separate entities, at the same time, he felt it as part of him, responding to his ands. It was quite stra irely unfamiliar. It was simir to the Power of Destru he was learning to use. It beloo him, but sometimes it wasn't under his trol.

  Although in the case of the "quest System," being something superior, perhaps... Si has a certain degree of intellige was easier to trol and and.

  The system's deep voice echoed in Zaydas's mind, expining everything he wao know.

  'To earn quest Points (CP), I just o do something worth rec? As a half-Devil and human, as well as the son of Sirzechs Lucifer, won't it be easy to accumute CP?!'

  [Warning! CP is very close to the energy of creation. As long as there is enough CP, anything the Host desires will be possible to create or replicate. Whether it exists or not. As long as the creation is pusible, nothing is impossible—even if it is something alive.]

  That st part of the introdu was a little dangerous...

  But this only expins the funs, not a requirement. If he doesn't want to create something alive, he won't, simple as that.

  'Wow! This is more incredible than I thought...!'

  Of course, he realized mier that it wasn't that simple.

  Depending on what he wao spend , the amount required would increase.

  Moreover, if it was to create something from scratch, there ertage ce of success.

  For example, he tried to see if it ossible to create a notebook capable of accessing the i across the entire universe. It ossible, but the success rate was: 0.01%, and it cost 100,000 CP.

  Why did he want to find out if something like this could be created? Very simple, actually. If he had an immortal life, wouldn't there be moments when he would get bored?

  Even if not now, he believed that iure, he might, so he wao find a form of eai. Just imagine having access to all kinds of i in the universe! If there are many gaxies with forms of intelligehere must be tless forms of eai!

  A good example is the world of "Reiji." Although some movies and anime were also created in this world, there are many that were not.

  But that wasn't something to worry too much about now. For now, Zaydas wao test this new ability he had acquired.

  'Will it be dangerous if I use "Dimensional Leap"?' Zaydas asked.

  [Responding. You choose the level of danger between worlds before using this ability with my help. Currently, there are three possible options: Normal Rank, Medium Rank, and High Rank.]

  'One question, what would be the cssification of my current world?'

  [Responding. Superior to High Rank.]

  ' I choose which world I'll go to?'

  [Responding. No, it is done randomly with the world that has the highest link. Only by creating a link with a world you travel to the corresponding world. Since you are currently only lio your world, you will be sent to a world with the stro link, probably something more urban.]

  ' I return whenever I want?' Zaydas asked.

  [Responding. Yes, as long as you have enough demonic power, it is possible.]

  'In other words, if I go to another world and don't run out of demonic power, I'll be able to return. Oher hand, if I end up using all my power in some kind of flict, I'll have to wait until my power recharges. Is that correct?'

  [Responding. Yes and no. If you wish, you use CP to recharge your power faster or even use CP directly to return.]

  'Okay, I think I uand everything I wao know,' Zaydas said. 'By the way, is there something like a status s? If so, show me.'

  [Affirmative!]

  ───────────

  | Name: [Zaydas Grimmory]

  | Race: [Hybrid: Devil/Meta-human]

  | Rank: [High-Level Devil]

  | Title: [t]

  | Powers: [Power of Destru (Rank A)], [Demonic Power (A)], [Dimensional Leap (Rank S)], [Master Mage (?) Locked]

  | quest Points (CP): [500]

  ───────────

  'Meta-human, not human?' Zaydas thought. 'And that locked ability, Master Mage... Did that e from my father? Now that I think about it, my mother's name feels familiar from Reiji's memories...'

  [Warning! It is possible that the Host's mother is Zatanna Zatara. If so, it is uandable that your description is not human but rather meta-human.]

  'Wait... Isn't she from DC?' This startled him, to say the least. 'If my mother is really Zatanna Zatara, then... Was she also hidirue identity from me? By the way, why have I never heard about Superman or any other kind of superhero if that's the case?'

  At this moment, he didn't know how to feel.

  But could he bme them? I mean, he didn't pn to tell anyone about the quest System. And possibly never would. He might even admit he could travel between worlds—something Zatanna Zatara could likely do easily—but as for the funs of the quest System and other details, he inteo keep it secret.

  [Responding. As you might imagine, if your mother is truly Zatanna Zatara, there is a high ce she arrived in this dimension. That could expin why there are s of DC superheroes in your world.]

  After hearing this, Zaydas agreed with this line of reasoning. g his hands against his face, Zaydas said in his mind: 'Another question. Is it possible to unlock the "Master Mage" power, and if so, how much would it cost?'

  [Responding. It be done in 10 stages or all at once. Iages, there are a total of 10 gates. Each gate unlocks part of the "Master Mage" power and synizes it to avoid flicts with your Demonic Power. The first key for the first gate costs 1,000 CP, and the cost doubles with each subsequent gate. Alternatively, you accumute 1,000,000 d unlock it pletely at once.]

  'If I unlock it gradually, it will cost... 1,023,000 CP. And while the cost of unlog it all at once is slightly cheaper, it's not at a level that makes waiting worth it...' Zaydas thought. 'Alright, I'll follow the gradual unlog approach.'

  Thinking of something, he mentally asked: 'Okay, o question... Will I face life-threatening risks in a Medium Rank world?'

  [Responding. Your current power will be among the top in some worlds with this cssification. However, there is still a ce of danger if you front those at the top of the Medium Rank worlds.]

  'Got it. Then I wish to go to a Medium Rank world.'

  While going to a Normal Rank world would be safer, where's the fun in that? Besides, he could always return whenever he wanted using "Dimensional Leap," right? There was no reason to be overly cautious. He should at least fae challenges.

  [Affirmative! Processing protocols, adjustiurn coordinates, and searg for a e to a Medium Rank world...]

  [Successful!]

  [WARNING! You are about to cross the portal to another dimension and may feel some nausea and dizziness. Prepare yourself!]