Romani Archaman was merely your run of the mill nurse working in Kuoh Academy. He had a happy marriage to his wife, and could be seen as something akin to a friend by the students in his care. However, his life changes one day when he receives visions of what appear to he the future, and from there, his normal life begins to unravel as he begins to delve into the Supernatural occurrences that plague Kuoh Town. But what is his connection to this wider world?
A Pilgrimage of Heaven is a Nasuverse and High School Dx D fusion which can be found here
on Spacebattles and here on fanfiction.
The fic in question provides examples of:
- Actually, That's My Assistant: Inverted when Wodime decides to visit Hades and meet a beautiful young woman he thinks to be the Underworld god's new secretary. She was Persephone, Hades' dearly beloved wife, and is more amused than affronted by the mistake.
- The Assimilator: In order to increase his power, Nrvnsqr Chaos discovered a way to devour and merge Sacred Gears with consciousness inside him. His goal during the Excalibur Arc is to devour Issei and Ddraig before they grow stronger and take their power for himself.
- Adaptational Backstory Change: It's all but stated that King Arthur was a previous wielder of Ddraig with implications Albion was with Vortigern.
- Adaptational Nice Guy: Hades in DxD was arrogant and full of racism against Devils and Fallen Angels. Here, while still despising them, he actually isn't unreasonable and is willing to work with those who gain his respect, like Wodime.
- Adaptational Personality Change: Unlike her Servant-self who adores humans and wants to be their mother, Tiamat in the story is more solemn and isn't as attached to humans as her canon variant. Jedidiah explains that this Tiamat is a selective incarnation born before the prime body was sealed.
- Adaptational Relationship Overhaul: Vlov Arkhangel is the mentor of Kiba here, taking over Okita Souji.
- Adaptational Wimp: Ciel here, while a very powerful Burial Agent that makes Rias' Peerage shudder, is stated to not have her canon-self's version of immortality. She's merely more 'durable' than normal humans. The Mesoamerican Gods such as Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca, despite being Divine Spirits, have lost much of their power and are at the level of Archangel inside their own territory. This is due to the Age of Man occurring in their land, which they allowed.
- Always a Bigger Fish: It's noted by Wodime that attacking Kyoto might be a bad idea lest they piss off Amaterasu, who here is on par with Shiva, one of the strongest beings in the world.
- Arc Villain: In the first arc, it's Raynare, like canon, but the Excalibur Arc throws everything off the rails by introducing Nrvnsqr Chaos as the antagonist, usurping Kokabiel.
- Batman Gambit: Daybit's role in the story, someone who appears to predict how people will act and then gives them advice relating to their current problems or tools that will help them survive should they be necessary. Thus far Daybit appears to have understood the plights of both Romani and Kadoc, the former without having even talked to the man prior to their encounter at a park bench.
- Big Bad Wannabe: Kokabiel tries to be a terrifying villain, attempting to restart the Great War. Unfortunately, not only is he easily defeated by Daybit, but his role as an Arc Villain is usurped by Nrvnsqr Chaos who eats him.
- Blood Knight: Cao Cao, or at the very least, his reason for being part of the Hero Faction. The man lives for the thrill of the fight and wants to charge head on into battles he is likely to lose, such as high ranking gods like Amaterasu.
- Blue-and-Orange Morality: Despite Devils like Rias seeming almost human, even acting like them, Wodime and others very much tell Romani that at the end, Humans and Devils are a different species and have different viewpoints. An example being that despite being very kind and sweet, Rias only helped her peerage when they were dying, out of luck, or had nobody else to turn to and making them into Devils. Tezcatlipoca also reveals that if the Three Factions fought, the Devils would reincarnate humans as Devils in mass.
- Cannon Fodder: Hades bluntly states to seeing the Angels as this. Pointing out that God, Captial-G God, was the only actual threat and real powerhouse the Angels had.
- Closest Thing We Got: Wodime's conclusion regarding Quetzalcoalt becoming a luchador is that her fans' adoration is the modern equivalent of worshippers praying to her.
- Composite Character: Tiamat takes from both her DxD and Fate equivalents, being a dragon and a Primordial goddess. It's explained that her dragon form is an offshoot of her original body, and is thus weaker as a result.
- Chivalrous Pervert: Issei Hyoudou, an often ignored example given he leans harder on the pervert side than the chivalrous. Though the latter side wins out whenever people need help.
- The Cartel: The group ran by Tezcatlipoca, with the man himself looking like his Fate self.
- Church Militant: The Holy Church, including lightsabers and holy laser guns. Though only certain branches within the group have them.
- The Dreaded: Burial Agents are the top agents of the Church and rightfully feared. Vlov states to Rias that she should work with them instead of risking their ire while Asia, who has become a Devil and knows of their job, faints when hearing they would come and is uncomfortable before them.
- Enemy Mine: Despite the fact that Ciel wants to defeat Bedivere and the latter desiring the Excalibur pieces, both put away their desires to instead face Nrvnsqr Chaos.
- Everybody Has Standards: While Bedivere is still an honorable knight, upon seeing Freed's vile actions, he just kills him in disgust.
- Fantastic Racism: Needless to say, the story features countless characters who bear a grudge against other species. Examples being:
- Devils very much dislike the Fallen Angels and Angels.
- Those of the Church have a clear agency in killing those they deem heretical. Which includes Devils, Fallen Angels, and reincarnated Devils like Asia.
- Kalawarner loathes humans for stealing God's attention from the Angels.
- Akeno, despite her heritage, loathes Fallen Angels to the point that she doesn't see them as people.
- Kokabiel himself is a Grigori supremacy Fallen Angel and is claimed to look down on those who use familiars.
- Tiamat's talk with Kadoc implies she doesn't love humans as her canon-self and only sees them as interesting but dangerous at the same time.
- Certain Gods don't have a stellar view on members of the Three Factions. Such include Hades who abhors Devils and Fallen Angels and sees regular Angels as fodder; and Tezcatlipoca having a dislike for Devils who would very willingly reincarnate humans as Devils for a war they didn't ask for.
- The Mesoamerican Gods are isolationist and are hostile to any non-humans entering their territory.
- The Hero Faction dislike all supernatural races and have feel they should just get rid of them all.
- Fish out of Water: The root source of Romani's conflict with Rias' and Sona's peerages. As heiresses in charge of Kuoh, they are the ones in charge of solving any problems relating to the supernatural, up to and including the murder of regular humans who had contracts with them by a psychotic serial killer. Romani being a responsible adult, can't wrap his head around a society that lets teenagers, even ones with powers, fight crime and risk their lives with no adult oversight or competent authority present.
- Green-Eyed Monster: Kalawarner, one of the Fallen Angels who kidnaps Asia, is shown to be this heavily. Outright ranting towards Romani her disdain at humanity how despite the Angels being God's children first, she despised how he would pay attention to humans and even bless them. Assaulting Romani because he unknowingly spoke the language of Angels, the language God taught them.
- God Is Dead: Like canon, the Christian Abrahamic God is dead with the Three Factions heavily protecting this secret. This causes great shock for those who learn it. Tezcatlipoca and Ciel both being shocked by such news and denying it almost immediately.
- The Gadfly: Kuroka, as per usual, enjoys teasing and provoking others. Although it seems restricted mostly to members of the Hero Faction at present.
- Happily Married: Romani and Leona have wholesome partnership in which one supports and tries to help the other to the best of their abilities. The reveal that Leona was in fact a mage all along and had been hiding the supernatural from her husband barely leaves a dent on their relationship. Hades and Persephone are also this, with Hades being upset with Wodime for interrupting their together time.
- Honor Before Reason: When Ciel is hit by Hydra Venom and slowly dying, both Xenovia and Irina are uncertain to allow Asia, who could heal her, even do so just because Asia is a devil. Thankfully, Romani convinces them.
- Hunter of Monsters: Cao Cao's intent, to create a group of people who fight supernatural beings. Like the heroes of old, obviously this puts him at odds with groups who try to maintain a peaceful coexistence with humans.
- I Just Want to Be Special: Deconstructed. Throughout the story, Romani witnesses those he deems as friends gaining power beyond a normal human or sacrificing their humanity. While far from envious of this, he slowly begins feeling useless at how little he could do in helping them. Even when nearly dying he just blames himself for not having any power to at least support them than being a burden. Not helping that despite having power via being a reincarnation of Solomon, he can't reliably use such power.
- Living a Double Life: Leona, artist by day, mage by night. Though only at the start of the story. As her husband gets dragged further and further into the supernatural, she sees little reason to keep aspects of her life separate.
- Masked Luchador: Quetzalcoatl, to a T. Though she doesn't wear her mask outside of business hours, everything that is Lucha Libre is subject to the goddess' adoration.
- Meaningful Name: One of the allies of the Hero Faction and Wodime is someone known as Jedidiah. Jedidiah is Solomon's second name. Combined with his appearance and Clairvoyant abilities, it's implied he's either a descendant of Solomon or someone else connected to them.
- Normal Fish in a Tiny Pond: Bedivere is this. While he's a very powerful knight who gives Ciel a run for her money, Ddraig claims that compared to the other members of the Round Table, he's not as freakishly strong.
- Sensei-chan: Romani definitely qualifies, despite being the school nurse. He's friendly to the students and is friends with some of them, and has a sweet tooth despite sweets being forbidden in the school.
- Sweet Tooth: Romani, who hides snacks or sweets in his office, and Koneko, the one who hunts for those hidden snacks.
- Team Spirit: What Wodime would like to foster within his group of the Hero Faction, treating them as friends and coworkers rather than subordinates. Of course, those like Ophelia and Kadoc can't help but misunderstand his intent and come up with all sorts of different explanations for the man's attempts to engage with them in a friendly manner.
