High School DxD - Volume 18 Chapter 5.1

Japan – National News BroadcastThe polished news anchor sat upright, her gaze sharp as she adjusted the stack of papers before her. The newsroom behind her hummed with quiet urgency, the weight of the moment settling over the broadcast.“Authorities are baffled by a sudden and unexplained surge in sleep-related deaths across Japan,” she began, her voice steady yet tense. “More and more citizens are passing away in their sleep without any prior health concerns. Experts are working tirelessly to determine the cause, but no clear explanation has emerged. Authorities urge the public to remain vigilant and report any unusual symptoms before bedtime.”A graphic appeared, displaying the spike in fatalities over the past month. Behind her, unsettling photographs flickered across the screen—blurred images of individuals found in their beds, their faces frozen in expressions of terror.The anchor’s tone shifted. “Health officials recommend citizens avoid excessive fatigue and maintain healthy sleep habits. More updates will follow as investigations continue.”---United States – Paranormal PodcastIn a dimly lit podcast studio, the host leaned forward, his eyes wide with curiosity. Across from him, a rugged man in a worn flannel shirt, gripping a faded photograph in one hand and a beer can in the other, leaned back in his chair.“So, you're telling me you saw this creature firsthand?” the host asked, clearly intrigued.The man scoffed, shaking his head. “Damn right, I did. Ugly thing had wings bigger than my body—slow but sneaky. Thought it could steal my pigs again, but I was ready this time—camera in one hand, shotgun in the other.”He slammed the table for emphasis, then shoved the blurry image toward the host. The photograph depicted a small, red-skinned humanoid figure with large, bat-like wings, its eyes glowing faintly in the darkness.“Spit, the thing didn’t know what hit it when I fired!” the man chuckled, his voice full of excitement.The host held up the picture to the live chat. “Alright, what do you think? Mothman? Demon? Or is our friend here just seeing things?”The chat exploded with theories—some skeptical, others eager for the investigation to continue.---China – Liangyuan Street MarketSurveillance footage from a bustling night market in China captured a chilling scene. A woman in a red qipao walked gracefully through the crowd, her figure striking in the soft glow of lanterns.Suddenly, she paused. Her body flickered—like a glitch in a video—before vanishing completely, as though she had never existed.The footage zoomed in, replaying in slow motion. In the final frame before she disappeared, her face distorted unnaturally, her eyes hollow and empty.The screen cut abruptly to black.

Upon traversing through time, Divine Doctor Qi Yu became a foolish Princess, the kind doomed to be entombed alongside her husband. Fortunately, her medical skills were exceptional. With a unique secret technique, she fished a certain Prince out of his coffin and performed a spectacle of raising the “dead.”Everyone said that after dying once, the Qi Family's useless Second Miss seemed to have transformed into someone else. Not only did she punch pure lotuses and kick duplicitous teas, but she also possessed the Resurrection Technique and mastered all sorts of martial arts, turning the entire capital city upside down.All the civil and military officials of the court begged the Prince to divorce his wife, yet the Prince, with an expressionless face, retorted, “The one spoiled by this Prince, if you can't stand it, just suck it up.”

Immortal arts, magic weapons, magical powers, and the boundless spiritual qi between heaven and earth vanished into obscurity overnight, and all exorcists turned to mere mortals. Three hundred years later, the Five Hus traversed the pass, it was a prelude to an era of great turmoil in China. They heralded the end of the world, where thousands of drought fiends stalked the night —— the collapse of the Divine Land is imminent. Fortunately, within this long, dark night where silence had fallen on all magic, a lone star still glistened brightly on the horizon. The Heart Lamp appeared, illuminating the vast expanse around it. A sixteen-year-old young man, who will end his life on his twentieth birthday, embarked on a journey to reclaim the spiritual qi of heaven and earth that had been sealed away —— only four years remain. The road ahead was filled with countless thistles and thorns, and it seemed improbable for him to succeed. ———— Chen Xing: “The important thing is that I’m the last exorcist in this world, yet the only magic I am capable of is emitting light. What can I do?” Wait patiently then. When the Dinghai Pearl reappears on earth, the uncertain trajectory of everyone’s fates will be completely disrupted before converging once more. Chen Xing: “Could I be partnered with a more normal Protector Martial God?” Isn’t your Protector really skilled in fighting? Chen Xing: “He is good at fighting, but when he loses it he’ll hit even me……” There’s nothing that can be done about that, you can only blame yourself for losing yourself to lust.

Joseph Knox, one of the most prolific and well-known serial killers on the planet.A person considered so demented and manic that even trying to reason with him was believed to be a waste of time. A man so far gone that he seemingly didn't deserve any pity even on his deathbed.So why? Why would a man like him receive a second chance? And why did the world around him seem so familiar?Disclaimer: AU when it comes to some parts of Madara's plan(I'll try to make it make sense at least), and aliens don't exist in this world