DxD: Fusion

Kuoh looked ordinary. Too ordinary, like it was trying to lull me into forgetting what it was. Rows of modest houses, vending machines with half-faded labels, a sleepy little station that had seen better decades. But I wasn't here to admire the scenery. 

I walked slowly, hands in my pockets, gaze flicking across buildings and street signs. Every detail, every crack in the sidewalk and every rusting bicycle, was being filed away perfectly. That was the advantage of Perfect Memory. By the time I finished, I wouldn't just remember Kuoh. I would completely memorize it, down to the last street sign. It's obviously too big for me to walk all in one day, but I'd get to the main landmarks. 

I moved east through the business district, scanning everything I could with Observe. Trash cans, shopfronts, an idle crow on a lamp post—nothing was too minor. The skill needed experience, and I was going to squeeze it out of the mundane until it gave me something worthwhile. Each activation brought a faint flicker in the corner of my vision. 

{Object: Wooden bench. 

Condition: Weather-worn. 

Threat Level: N/A.} 

Riveting. Still, the data streamed in, feeding the system. Glacial progress was still progress.

As I walked, my mind drifted. Not aimlessly, deliberately, back toward canon. The original plot, the one Issei lived. I went over it again, cross-checking it with the physical places I passed. It still felt surreal. That all of it was real now.

It had started with Issei's death, hadn't it? Gutted by a pretty girl with black wings, a fallen angel. Then resurrected as a pawn by Rias Gremory as her servant devil. That's where the whole world began to unravel. The Peerage system, the introduction of Sacred Gears, Rating Games… everything spiraled outward from that moment. Then came the conflicts. 

Riser Phoenix. The hero factions. The Excalibur theft. Vali's sudden appearance, throwing the balance into chaos. Issei unlocking Balance Breaker for the Boosted Gear. The peace talks between Heaven, Hell, and the Fallen. Azazel arriving to play the long game. Kokabiel's attack, the brief alliance with the Church. Even Gasper had been revealed by then, hidden away with his chronostasis power. 

And through it all, the ever-present hum of harem tension, emotional undercurrents, and just enough fanservice to camouflage how fast the stakes escalated. And don't even get me started on Issei's plot armor. 

I knew the timeline up to the end of season two down to the last word spoken. The problem was… this world didn't have seasons. It had cause and effect. It had weight. If I wanted to get ahead of anything, I needed more than just memory. I needed position. Initiative. Power.

"Observe."

{A red brick wall. 

Condition: Recently built. Like new. 

Threat Level: N/A}

I crossed an intersection and found myself at the edge of Kuoh Academy's perimeter. The front gate looked unassuming, just a decorative arch over wrought iron. As soon as I got within five feet, I felt it. A subtle spark. Magic? I cast observe on the iron gate. 

{Kuoh Academy Gate.

Condition: Perfect condition with a magical surveillance ward.

Threat Level: N/A}

Passive surveillance woven into the metal itself.

Barrier-embedded. Mild detection ward. Nothing aggressive. But it was there.

That wasn't mentioned in canon. Then again, why would it have been? From a viewer's perspective, the world had always revolved around Issei. Details like the edge of a magical boundary wouldn't get screentime unless someone was bleeding on it. But I wasn't a viewer anymore. I was a participant. And every overlooked detail might be the one that saved my life.

I pressed my fingers against the metal just to confirm the presence of the ward. A ripple passed over the surface, barely perceptible. My lips curled into the ghost of a smile. Nice that I could sense stuff like this at least a little. 

Kuoh Academy. The nexus. The place where everything started and everything eventually fractured.

I didn't go in. Not yet. Instead, I moved around the perimeter, taking in the structure. Counting windows. Memorizing blind spots. The cameras were real, but not magical, likely for mundane security. A ghost wouldn't be caught on one, but I would. Noted. I scanned the building, top to bottom. My internal map pieced itself together like a growing schematic. Every classroom, the gym, the old building where the Occult Research Club held court. I could visualize it all.

When I finally sat down on a bench behind the tennis courts, Observe dinged with a notification:

{Observe Level Up: Rank 2.

New Features Unlocked: 

Level (if applicable, and within 10 levels of you)}

That it? I guess level 2 is still only level 2. 

I leaned back, eyes half-closed, and let the sound of the summer wind and distant cicadas fill the silence. I hadn't met Rias. Or Akeno. Or anyone from the Club. But they were all here, living out the days they didn't even realize were scripted. For now.

I'd arrive on stage soon enough. But when I did, I'd be the only one holding the full script. At least for Canon. I studied time manipulation a bit in college, part of an advanced physics class. As soon as I interacted with any of the main cast, it could completely throw off canon. The main plots of certain entities would likely remain unchanged though, like Phenex and Rias's engagement, the Khaos Brigade shenanigans, even the fallen angels killing sacred gear users. 

All nice to know, but it'll be the changes, my presence, that could derail everything. Eh. One step at a time. Not like I even feel fear or anxiety to begin with. Just move forward. 

I scratched my head. 

"Well, I still need to try to live in the present, the moment. But how can you not think about what's coming next?" I ruffled my hair with both hands. "Man this is going to take some practice."

Having explored enough for the day, I start my walk back home. 

Once I got back to my small residence, I got on my computer to check out my money situation. A weekly stipend. I guess since I'm a minor, the bank controls how much I get. It's more than enough to pay bills and buy food. But if I ever wanted to upgrade my abode or buy other cool stuff, I'm going to need money. Being a minor, it'll be difficult to sell anything or buy anything, like a house, in my name. I'll probably need an adult proxy. Maybe once I get involved with Rias and her other peerage members, they can help me out on down the line with that. 

I lean back in my desk chair. "Status."

{Status

Name: Toshio Amano

Title: —

Race: Human

Age: 15

Level: 11 (100/1100)

Health: 100/100

Reiryoku: 10/10

Physique: E

Zanjutsu: F

Hoho: F

Hakuda: F

Spiritual Potential: D

Soul Resonance: 5%}

I'm not sure how to improve hoho other than basic agility drills. Physique, Zanjutsu, and Hakuda seem straight forward enough. I pull up my inventory screen again and stare at my Zanpakutō. Let's try it. I lifted my hand to the screen as if to pull the hilt out. Sparks started to generate around my hand. Something solid forming in my hand. 

"It worked!" I gripped the hilt, and pulled out my sword from the screen, sparks and small wisps of lightning trailing off of it. As I slowly pulled it out, a sound akin to a dull, distant scream accompanied the sparks. Almost too distant to hear. I chalked it up to the system just including theatrics. 

Standing up now, I held my sword in my hand, gazing at it. It seemed fairly bland, but that's to be expected. To my surprise however, it did differ slightly from when I first saw it. The tsuba was a dark crimson color. The blade seemed a bit darker than before as well. 

I gave it a few experimental swings, making sure I wasn't going to chop my desk or chair in half. 

I looked back at the screen in my inventory. The sword reflected the changes I observed, the outline slightly grayed out, likely because it was "equipped." I pulled the sheath out next. It was just a standard, black sheath. After inspecting it, I put the sheath back in my inventory. Attention refocused on my blade, I reached with my other hand to feel the metal spine. Sliding my hand just an inch across the cool metal, I felt a sudden intense heat.

"AHH!" I dropped the sword in surprise. 

"What in the world was that?!" I looked down at my fingers to see I had a pretty severe burn across my fingers. After going to rinse my fingers under cool water for a bit, I came back into my room, the sword still on the ground. 

"Okay, note to self, don't touch the blade." Wanting to experiment, I lifted the sword, not touching the metal at all, and placed the spine on my desk to see if it burned the desk. I held the blade there for 54 seconds. Nothing happened. I lifted the blade up to my face in confusion. 

"It's almost like it was a reaction to me… Maybe my Zanpakutō spirit? But this is my sword, why would it burn me?" Obviously I received no answer. I shrugged. I put the sword back into my inventory for now. 

I sat back at my desk. I never really worked out in my previous life. Let's look up some routines. 

XXX

One Week Later

The weights clanged softly as I lowered the final set of dumbbells to the floor, sweat dripping steadily down my back. My shirt clung to me like shrink wrap, and my arms trembled slightly from fatigue. I dropped down onto the yoga mat and let myself fall back, breathing heavy, chest rising and falling in a slow rhythm.

One week.

It had already been a full week since I arrived in this world, and so far… absolutely nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

No peerage invitations. No accidental meetings with crimson-haired beauties. No flashes of wings, no sudden sacred gear activation. If it weren't for the magic-embedded school gate, I'd have almost started to convince myself I'd been dropped into a normal, peaceful Japanese town. But I knew where I was. Kuoh Academy. Home base of the Occult Research Club. Ground zero of High School DxD. The calm before the storm.

I exhaled slowly and sat up, stretching my sore arms behind my back. The equipment I bought with my stipend money had already proven itself invaluable; adjustable dumbbells, resistance bands, a fold-out bench, even a used squat rack I found on a local listing. If I was going to grind and improve my Physique, I wasn't about to do it in some public gym. Imagine later when my physique was B rank and I'm casually outlifting everyone. I don't want that kind of attention. 

The workout routine was simple, but effective. Push-pull splits, with core and agility thrown in every other day. No magic tricks. Just sets, reps, sweat, and protein. I ran laps every morning, did bodyweight circuits when I wasn't lifting, and kept a strict routine. Three meals a day, tracked down to the calorie. My perfect memory skill is so helpful. I take back everything I said about it before. 

I stood and wiped myself down with a towel before pulling up my status screen.

"Status."

{Status

Name: Toshio Amano

Title: —

Race: Human

Age: 15

Level: 11 (250/1100)

Health: 100/100

Reiryoku: 10/10

Physique: E

Zanjutsu: F

Hoho: F

Hakuda: F

Spiritual Potential: D

Soul Resonance: 5%}

"Still no change," I muttered, frowning slightly. I had half-expected at least Physique to nudge upward by now. My EXP bar moved up a little. I got 150 XP for mapping the town, but the stats remained unmoved. Static letters staring back at me like they were mocking my effort. I could tell my body was getting stronger though, and a lot faster than what would be considered normal. For example, I started being able to curl 35lbs dumbbells [AN: I'm using freedom units instead of metric since I'm from the US]. Now I can comfortably curl 70's. So at least there's some trackable progress? 

Whatever. I wasn't doing this for immediate gratification. I was building a foundation. Still… a little feedback from the system wouldn't hurt. 

"Base Skills," I prompted.

{Base Skills

Gamer's Altered Mind – Rank X

Gamer's Altered Body – Rank X

Perfect Memory – Rank X

Observe – Rank 2

Cooking – Rank 1

Exercise – Rank 2

Running – Rank 1}

I gazed at my three new skills.

Cooking had appeared a few days ago, after I finally got tired of instant noodles and looked up a few basic Japanese meals. Just a passive efficiency booster, apparently—it helped me prep meals quicker, made them more nutritious, less prone to error. Nothing game-breaking, but useful.

Running and Exercise though... those were the real gems.

Their descriptions were brief and blunt:

Exercise (Rank 2): Improves understanding and effectiveness of physical training. Boosts short-term and long-term stat gain potential when engaging in physical routines.

Running (Rank 1): Increases cardiovascular stamina, acceleration, and reaction time through consistent use. Boosts the impact of agility-based training.

When the Exercise skill unlocked on day two, it was like a switch flipped in my brain. Suddenly I understood my own body better. Micro-adjustments in form, posture, breathing patterns, optimal rest windows. I wasn't just following a routine anymore—I was optimizing it. It was like going from lifting blind to lifting with perfect instruction.

I had a feeling that getting Exercise to Rank 3 or higher would start to show real gains in my physical stats. Probably a few plateaus ahead, but I could feel the groundwork being laid. That was enough for now.

I rolled my shoulders, still catching my breath, and walked to my desk where I kept a printed flier pinned to the wall. A simple black-and-white advertisement for a small kendo dojo just a few blocks from here. Local. Unassuming. And exactly what I needed. Although, I didn't need the flier, memory and all. But it was nice to look at for something to look forward to. 

Tomorrow will be my first visit.

"I'm looking forward to it," I murmured. "Swordsmanship in the real world."

No more fanfiction videos or wiki pages. I could copy forms I've seen in my past life, but it wouldn't compare. This would be firsthand practice. Real stances. Real blade control. A perfect way to build Zanjutsu from the ground up. I had my Zanpakutō, but swinging it in my bedroom like a LARPer wasn't exactly helping me master anything. Real instruction would help.

After a moment, I walked back to the window and leaned against the sill, letting the breeze cool my sweat-slicked hair. My gaze drifted up toward the sky—blue, calm, unassuming.

And yet… I couldn't stop thinking about Reiryoku.

The stat sat there on my screen, taunting me. Just a number. Ten out of ten. Never moved. I hadn't felt a single pull from it, no warmth, no flow. So far, it had been completely inert. But I knew it wouldn't stay that way. It couldn't. I was in a world full of devils, angels, dragons, gods. Spiritual energy was everywhere.

Mana. Senjutsu. That's what they'd call it here. But mine wasn't just mana or ki. Mine was—

A new window suddenly blinked into view.

{System Notice:

Reiryoku is the label used within your interface.

Others will perceive it as mana or magic energy.

However, your Reiryoku can be channeled into Reiatsu,

a spiritual pressure that can physically suppress or intimidate others.

Warning: Uncontrolled Reiatsu may cause unintended emotional or physical effects in low-level beings.}

My eyes widened slightly. That… was more than I expected. I'm kind of irritated that I didn't ask the system sooner. 

So I could suppress people? With spiritual pressure alone?

It made sense. I'd chosen the Zanpakutō. I wasn't just channeling magic—I was shaping spiritual power, raw and personal. In the right context, Reiatsu wasn't just power—it was presence. It was command. It was fear. A certain spiky haired, eye patch wearing Captain came to mind. 

This wasn't about tossing fireballs or chanting spells. My main strength wouldn't come from flashy nonsense. It would come from pressure. From weight. From the sheer force of will. Although tossing fireballs would still be pretty cool…

"Reiatsu, huh?"

I smirked, stepping away from the window. One more thing to add to the training queue.

Tomorrow, kendo.

Tonight? Ice bath, food, and maybe another crack at meditating.

I walked into my room after dinner and nightly rituals. Dinner had been great. Grilled salmon, miso soup, brown rice, and lightly sautéed greens. I didn't think I'd ever give a damn about macros in my old life, but now? Every bite felt like a stat investment. After dinner, an ice bath and shower. 

The ice bath helped kill the lingering soreness. The heat from the shower afterward flushed everything else out. I could feel the fibers in my muscles tightening back into place, like my body was slowly learning how to carry power instead of just strain. Every time I woke up, due to Gamer's altered body, my muscles would recover perfectly, ready for more abuse. 

By the time I was dry and dressed again, the sun had dipped behind the trees. My little apartment was bathed in that gentle orange twilight, silent except for the low hum of the fan I use to fall asleep to. I stood in the center of my bedroom stretching my arms behind my head.

I wasn't ready for bed.

Not physically. Mentally.

I pulled out the yoga mat and rolled it across the floor, then sat cross-legged in the center. Back straight. Hands resting on my thighs.

Meditation.

I'd been thinking about it all week. It wasn't just a spiritual thing, it was canon. Reiryoku wasn't some arbitrary number on a screen. It was soul power. Emotion. Presence. Meditation was the only way to begin tapping into it in a meaningful way. I knew that. Every Zanpakutō user had to walk their inner world eventually. And meditation and Reiryoku built the bridge.

But knowing it and doing it were different things. I had attempted it a few days ago, but couldn't get my mind to shut off, and I got restless, so I gave up. I wanted to try again. I had to. 

I closed my eyes and breathed in through my nose. Held it. Exhaled. Tried to focus on the feeling of air entering and leaving my lungs.

It lasted maybe thirty seconds before my mind started spinning.

Did I lock the door?

What time is the kendo class tomorrow?

I need to check my protein intake.

Wait, did Reiryoku grow proportionally in Bleach with meditation, or only after—

I groaned and leaned forward, pressing my palms into my face.

"God, shut up," I muttered. Oh wait, isn't he dead in this world? Another slap. "BRAIN, STOP IT."

This wasn't going to be easy. My brain had been wired for performance since college; analyze, strategize, optimize. Meditation required the opposite. Stillness. Emptiness.

I reset.

Again.

Then again.

Again.

The sky turned dark. The cicadas quieted. The street outside grew silent.

And sometime after the first hour…

Ding.

My eyes snapped open. A box hovered in the center of my vision.

{New Skill Unlocked: Meditation (Rank 1)

A skill that allows the user to gradually restore Reiryoku over time while in a meditative state. As the rank of this skill increases, it multiplies the user's total Reiryoku by the current rank; at Rank 2, Reiryoku is doubled; at Rank 3, it is tripled; and so on. At higher ranks, Meditation can also serve as a substitute for sleep, maintaining mental clarity and stamina without the need for rest. However, it does not restore injuries or physical damage the way true sleep does. This skill enhances spiritual awareness and control, serving as a foundational method for growth in Reiryoku-based abilities.}

"…Holy shit."

I sat there, blinking, rereading the message at least three times, not quite trusting perfect memory.

This wasn't just powerful. It was insane.

It meant I could potentially double, triple, quadruple my spiritual energy just by improving this one skill. No dangerous dungeon dives, no rare items. Just time, effort, and a quiet room.

Even Rank 1 could regenerate reiryoku. It would be nice if I could feel it. 

And the kicker? Substituting for sleep.

Rather than sleep, I can actively improve a skill that would improve my reiryoku.

I let out a slow exhale, smiling faintly.

"Okay, yeah. This is nice."

I settled in again, this time with less frustration, more purpose. I closed my eyes. Breathed deep. Let the thoughts pass like clouds instead of grabbing them. It was vastly easier this time. Sometime a few minutes later, I started to feel a churning sensation within my veins, almost like waves crashing against a beach. I focused on this feeling, and attempted to harness it. I began to deliberately circulate it. I'm not sure how long I did this, but I eventually opened my eyes to see I unlocked a new skill. 

{New Skill Unlocked: Reiryoku manipulation (Rank 1)

The user has become aware of their inner Reiryoku and can now guide its movement through deliberate will.

This skill allows the shaping, channeling, and controlled release of spiritual power, serving as a foundation for all Reiryoku-based techniques.

At higher levels, this skill enables external projection of Reiatsu, fine-tuned control of spiritual abilities, and increased synergy with spiritual weapons or tools.}

"Oh that's so satisfying." It was difficult to describe how it felt. Like another sense and heartbeat combined into one. I close the prompt and pulled up the base skill screen.

Meditation and Reiryoku Manipulation now pulsed softly at the center of the window. A thin glowing bracket formed between them, like a circuit being completed. A new prompt appeared beneath it.

{Compatible Skills Detected.

Fusion Available: [Meditation] + [Reiryoku Manipulation]

Would you like to fuse these skills into a new ability: Cultivation?

Warning: This will replace the original skills. Proceed?

[Y/N]}

I didn't even hesitate. "Yes."

The moment I spoke, both skills shimmered, then dissolved into motes of light that reformed into a skill on under the fusion tab. 

{New Fused Skill Created: Cultivation (Rank 1)

A core spiritual discipline that combines internal stillness with active energy manipulation.

While in a meditative state, the user regenerates Reiryoku at an enhanced rate and learns to refine and expand their spiritual core.

Each rank of this skill multiplies the user's total Reiryoku by the rank value.

Cultivation also increases Reiryoku control, improves Reiatsu projection, and passively accelerates growth of other spiritual abilities.

At higher ranks, this skill allows the user to substitute sleep, suppress spiritual signatures, and achieve breakthroughs in soul-based power.

This skill increases your base reiryoku by 500}

The glow from the Cultivation skill hadn't even faded before the next box appeared.

Ding.

{Secret Quest Completed: "Awaken the Flow"

You have successfully unlocked your Reiryoku through meditation.

Reward: 500 XP}

Okay, nice. I didn't even know that was a quest. Well I guess it does say secret. Still, free XP is free XP.

Another box blinked into view almost immediately.

{Secret Quest Completed: "One Becomes Two, Two Become One"

You have fused two fundamental skills to create a core spiritual technique. Your first skill fusion!

Reward: 500 XP}

Before I could even process that—

Ding!

{Level Up!

Toshio Amano – Level 12

XP: 150/1200}

Three prompts in three seconds. I blinked, trying to catch up. But the system wasn't done yet.

Another reward window opened.

{Level-Up Reward Unlocked:

Physique Runestone (Common)

A dense fragment of raw body-enhancing energy. Crushing this stone will permanently increase your Physique stat by one letter grade up to Rank D.

Use with caution—instant adaptation may cause mild disorientation.}

I stared at it as the rune materialized into my hand like smoke condensing into stone. About the size of a golf ball, etched with glowing lines that pulsed faintly with heat. It vibrated slightly in my palm, like it was alive.

And still—still—the system wasn't done.

One final message appeared.

{Fusion Bonus Applied:

The successful fusion of Meditation and Reiryoku Manipulation has refined your spiritual core.

Base Reiryoku increased by +100.

Current Reiryoku: 610/610}

I just sat there, slack-jawed. My eye twitched.

"…Is that it?" I asked the air. "Can I breathe again now?"

No response.

"Damn." I ran a hand through my hair, exhaled hard, then looked back down at the runestone in my hand.

Might as well.

I crushed it.

The stone cracked and exploded into a burst of golden particles, which surged into my arm like a warm current. The change was immediate.

My muscles didn't just grow, they condensed. Every fiber pulled tighter. Denser. Heavier. My arms felt like they weighed more but moved cleaner. My chest expanded slightly, and my back tensed like I'd just finished a perfect deadlift. Even my skin felt tougher, like it wasn't just flesh anymore, but something refined. Hardened. Durable.

"Whoa…"

I flexed my fingers. The strength was subtle, but present. I wasn't a bodybuilder overnight, but I felt like I could throw a punch now and actually make it hurt a supernatural being. Maybe kill a human. Though maybe not. Hard to judge. My stamina had improved too. I could feel the tension and release more efficiently, like my body was responding with less wasted motion.

I opened my status screen again.

{Physique: D}

Seeing that letter shift felt better than it should have. Like a flag planted on the first hill of a long war.

I stared at my hands, then closed them into fists.

"Alright," I muttered. "Now we're finally getting somewhere. I can't believe I gave up last time. Guess I can still do stupid things despite my intelligence and memory." At that moment, my inventory screen popped up out of nowhere, and I noticed the Zanpakutō outline pulsed once, like it agreed with what I just said. My eyebrow twitched. 

I closed out all the screens. That progress felt good. And tomorrow, swordsmanship. I slipped back into my meditative position, activating cultivation again. No sleep for me. 

Hours passed. The streetlights outside flickered. My back ached a little, but I didn't care. I could feel the cultivation skill slowly grinding forward. I imagined it like water carving through rock; patient, relentless, inevitable.

By the time morning light began to creep over the rooftops, I hadn't moved. My alarm went off, and I opened my eyes. 

"Almost 11 hours? I didn't even notice! I need to be careful with this skill," I stated, scratching the back of my head. I stood up, expecting to feel stiff. Surprisingly, I felt very loose, like I just did a 1 hour stretching session. 

"I love this skill."