History Recap / HighschoolDXDVolume1

* FiveManBand:
** Rias' Peerage:
*** TheLeader: Rias.
*** TheLancer: Akeno.
*** TheBigGuy: Koneko and Kiba.
*** TheSmartGuy: Akeno.
*** TheHeart: Issei.
** The Fallen Angels.
*** BigBad: Raynare
*** TheDragon: Kalawarner
*** EvilGenius: Freed Sellzen
*** TheBrute: Dohnaseek
*** DarkChick: Mittelt
*** TokenGoodTeammate: Asia Argento

The first story arc of ''[[LightNovel/HighSchoolDXD High School DxD]]'', which comprises Volume 1 of the light novel series, Episodes 1-5 of Season 1 of the anime series, and the first two volumes of the manga.

* ForWantOfANail: If Issei didn't go out on the date with Raynare and didn't get the leaflet from Rias's familiar, Rias wouldn't have transformed him into a Devil after he was fatally wounded, he wouldn't have learned about the conflict between Angels, Fallen Angels and Devils, he wouldn't have befriended Asia, and Raynare's plot to steal her Sacred Gear would've never been discovered.

* CreateYourOwnHero: Raynare killing Issei eventually comes back to haunt her at the end of the volume.

* ArmorPiercingSlap: Rias slaps Issei for being with Asia after Raynare kidnaps her towards the end of the volume.

* AdultFear: Issei watches Raynare kidnap Asia and gets to the church too late to save the latter's life.

* RealityEnsues: While Asia healed Diodora in the backstory, the former was instantly exiled from the Church. Even after becoming a Devil, Asia still can't return to the Church due to their opposition of Devils and Fallen Angels.

** Issei has a moment of utter terror when he realizes how insane and dangerous Raynare actually is.

* FirstEpisodeSpoiler: Asia's death and resurrection as a Devil is a huge spoiler for this volume, but is more or less a LateArrivalSpoiler due to her being a prominent character in the rest of the series.

** The primary reason for Issei's EmergencyTransformation; Raynare reveals herself and runs him through with her light spear after their first date.

** [[RuleOfThree And again]] by Reynare (for a second time) in the park. Fortunately, [[HealingHands Asia]] immediately heals him.

* ThisIsSomethingHesGotToDoHimself: Rias has her Peerage stand back while Issei faces Reynare. She does this because she knows Reynare heavily hurt his self-confidence, and this fight will both allow him to get past the pain Raynare has caused him and find the power she knows is hidden in him.

* HoistByHerOwnPetard: Raynare's assassination of Issei ends up being her own undoing when he uses his Sacred Gear to overpower her.

* HoistByHerOwnPetard: Raynare's efforts to steal the Sacred Gears ends up being her own undoing when Issei barges into the room and uses his own Sacred Gear to stop her.

** BigBad: Raynare
** TheDragon: Kalawarner
** EvilGenius: Freed Sellzen
** TheBrute: Dohnaseek
** DarkChick: Mittelt
** TokenGoodTeammate: Asia Argento

** When Raynare reveals her true identity as a Fallen Angel, she kills Issei because he possessed a Sacred Gear. Towards the end of the volume, she kills Asia and steals her Sacred Gear. And both Issei and Asia get transformed into devils by Rias.

* ILetGwenStacyDie: Issei is enraged after Raynare kills Asia, whom he swore to protect.

* NiceJobFixingItVillain: Raynare steals Asia's Sacred Gear, which gives Issei enough time to discover her location and beat her with his own Sacred Gear.

** Kalawarner, Dohnaseek and Mittelt get a MassOhCrap in the anime just before Rias fries them.

** It's not a good idea to toy with your servant's emotions after being overpowered, as Raynare found out the hard way.

* UnstoppableRage: Issei is so ''outraged'' at Asia's death that he easily overpowers Raynare.

Issei Hyoudou is a second-year student at Kuoh Academy. He and his friends Matsuda and Motohama have a reputation amongst the school's students, who are mostly female, for acting perverted. One student in particular, a mysterious red-haired girl named Rias Gremory catches Issei's eye. One day, Issei is asked out by a girl he's just met named Yuuma Amano, much to the chagrin and jealousy of Matsuda and Motohama. Having never had a girlfriend before, he excitedly agrees. The date goes well, and afterwards, Yuuma takes Issei to a water fountain, where she reveals herself as a Fallen Angel named Raynare and ''[[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice kills him]]'' with a spear of pure light. As he bleed to death on the pavement, Issei thinks briefly of Rias' crimson hair, the same colour as his blood.

Issei wakes up in his room the next morning, and finds that none of his friends have any memory of Yuuma or their date. That night, he is attacked by another Fallen Angel named Dohnaseek, and wounded, but is rescued by Rias and two other girls. He falls unconscious and wakes up the next morning next to a naked Rias Gremory, who explains that she is a Devil, and he has been reincarnated as her slave. That day at school, Issei is visited by Kuoh Academy's handsome "Prince Charming", Yuuto Kiba, who takes him to the clubroom of the Occult Research Club, where he finds Rias waiting for him along with Akeno Himejima and Koneko Toujou, the two girls who rescued him the previous night. Rias explains to Issei that the Devils are one of three factions locked in the Great War, the other two being the Angels and the Fallen Angels. Issei begins to work for the club by delivering pamphlets, when he is attacked by another Fallen Angel, Kalawarnar. He is able to fend off Kalawarnar using his Sacred Gear, a rare artefact he was born with that gives him battle techniques and abilities.

Later, Issei meets with Asia once again and the two go on a date, where Asia reveals that she has never had any friends ever since her exile from the church as a heretic after healing a dying Devil. With nowhere to go, she had to rely on the Fallen Angels for support. Towards the end of their date, Raynare appears and easily overpowers Issei. Asia willingly leaves with Raynare on the condition that Raynare spares Issei's life. Rias later explains the ranking system of Devils - their positions are indicated by chess pieces (Rias is the [King], Akeno is the [Queen], Kiba is the [Knight], Koneko is the [Rook], Issei is the [Pawn]). The group agree to help Issei track down Asia and save her. After defeating Freed once more, the group approach the abandoned church where she is being held. While Rias and Akeno stay outside to defeat Dohnaseek, Kalawarner and Mittelt (a young female Fallen Angel with blonde hair), the others enter the church and discover that Raynare is extracting Asia's Sacred Gear, dooming her to die in the process.

* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: An {{inverted|trope}} example occurs Raynare kills Issei Hyoudou, which leads to Rias Gremory reviving Issei as a devil, Raynare's eventual demise, and ultimately Azazel negotiating a peace treaty with the Three Factions.

* RealityEnsues: While Asia healed Diodora in the backstory, the former gets instantly exiled from the Church. Even after becoming a Devil, Asia still can't return to the Church due to their opposition of Devils and Fallen Angels.

* NiceJobFixingItVillain: Raynare steals Asia's Sacred Gear when Issei discovers her location and beats her with his newly attained Sacred Gear.

* PartlyCloudyWithAChanceOfDeath: The sun sets towards the end of Raynare's date with Issei Hyoudou. When the sky turns dark purple, it's obvious that something bad is about to happen to Issei.

* FiveBadBand: