The replica dimension shattered like glass, blue particles dissolving into nothingness as reality reasserted itself. Yuuto's boots hit solid ground, and the familiar warmth of the Occult Research Club room washed over him of polished wood, leather-bound books, and the lingering scent of Rias's perfume.
He barely had time to process the transition before crimson hair filled his vision.
Rias slammed into him with enough force to knock the air from his lungs, arms wrapping around his neck in a grip that bordered on desperate. Her body trembled against his, and for a moment, the composed heiress of the Gremory clan disappeared entirely, replaced by a girl who'd just escaped a cage she'd been locked in since birth.
"Yuuto. Thank you!" she said, almost in a brink of tears "Thank you, thank you, thank you—"
Yuuto stood frozen, caught off-guard by the raw emotion. His arms hovered awkwardly for a second before settling around her waist, returning the embrace. Over Rias's shoulder, he caught Akeno's eye. The Queen smiled knowingly and gave him a subtle nod.
"I'm happy for you, Buchou" Yuuto said quietly, patting her back "You're free now. No more worries about that arrogant Phenex bastard"
Rias pulled back slightly, just enough to look up at him. Her blue-green eyes shimmered with unshed tears, but her smile was radiant—genuinely, beautifully happy in a way he'd never seen before
"It's all because of my wonderful Knight!"
Then she kissed him.
The room went silent, as if everything went still.
Rias's lips pressed against his—warm, soft, tasting faintly of strawberries. The kiss wasn't long, maybe five seconds at most, but time seemed to stretch as if Yuuto was pulled into a different dimension. When she finally pulled back, her cheeks were flushed pink, but she maintained eye contact with surprising boldness.
"That's for fighting for my honor" Rias said, slightly breathless "And for winning the Rating Game, for me"
Yuuto blinked.
Then blinked again.
"You're welcome?"
Behind them, someone cleared their throat pointedly.
He glanced over to find Akeno watching with an expression that somehow managed to be 'amused'. Her violet eyes narrowed fractionally, lips curved in a smile that promised future 'conversations' about the boundaries. Asia stood beside her, green eyes wide with shock and something that looked suspiciously like jealousy, her hands twisting in her dress nervously.
Even Koneko—stoic, emotionless Koneko—had her cheeks puffed out like an annoyed hamster, golden eyes glaring at Rias's back with unmistakable irritation.
'Oh'
'Oh no'
Yuuto's eye twitched as realization crashed over him like a bucket of ice water. He'd somehow managed to step onto the path of becoming a harem protagonist without even trying. The deep conversations with Akeno about his past, the training sessions with Koneko where she'd opened up about her past subtly, Asia's obvious attachment after he'd defended her from cruel fate —it all clicked into place with crystal clarity.
'So I've officially realised I'm on Harem King's path'
'It was pretty quick, Yuuto'
He'd realised it might come to this eventually, living in the High School DxD universe practically guaranteed harem shenanigans. But having it confirmed so blatantly was still jarring. And of course Rias would be the one to steal his first kiss. The irony wasn't lost on him.
'I should get used to it or else some losers would complain how dense I am'
"Yuuto" Rias's voice snapped him out of his spiraling thoughts. She'd stepped back, composure replacing her earlier lingering embarrassment "I need to ask you something important"
'Here it comes...Why am I not surprised?'
"What were those flames?" she asked in concern "It canceled Riser's regeneration. I've never seen anything like them, not even from any Devils in the Underworld" She crossed her arms, leaning forward slightly "And more importantly, how did you achieve Ultimate-Class demonic power? That transformation you used... Yuuto, that's not something a reincarnated devil should be capable of, all of a sudden. Unless"
"About that, I—"
A silver magic circle blazed to life on the floor, cutting him off mid-sentence.
Grayfia Lucifuge materialized in the center of the room with her usual impeccable timing. Her silver eyes swept across the room, cataloging each person's position and emotional state in a fraction of a second before settling on Rias.
"Pardon my intrusion, everyone" Grayfia said, bowing slightly as everyone's attention was now shifted to her.
"Lady Rias, congratulations on your victory. Your performance in the Rating Game was exemplary"
"Thanks, Grayfia" Rias replied, proudly as if she knew this was how it was going to happen all along.
'She's here for me' Yuuto thought, watching Grayfia's carefully neutral expression 'She wants to know about the Assault Mode. About how I annihilated Riser so easily'
His suspicions were confirmed when Grayfia's gaze shifted to him, her eyes gleaming with something that might have been of approval or amusement. Hard to tell with her.
"Your peerage members all contributed significantly to the victory," Grayfia continued, her attention now focused entirely on Yuuto "But especially Yuuto-sama. Your performance was commendable"
The room's atmosphere shifted immediately.
All eyes turned to him.
"The way you had fun with him was quite entertaining, Yuuto kun~" Akeno purred, though her sultry tone couldn't quite hide the genuine curiosity beneath.
Koneko said nothing, but her eyes were fixed on him with an intensity that wanted an answer as well. Asia fidgeted nervously, hoping that he doesn't end up in trouble for it.
'My dreams of being in the spotlight have finally come to fruition'
Yuuto met Grayfia's eyes across the room, and some unspoken understanding passed between them. He promised her not to reveal certain details about their arrangement—the specifics of their nightly training sessions, for one—but they needed a cover story. Something believable that would satisfy Rias's questions without exposing too much.
"Before I explain how I achieved that form" Yuuto said carefully, turning his attention to Grayfia "I need to confirm something first" He held her gaze steadily "Grayfia-san... is it alright if I tell them about it?"
Grayfia's expression remained perfectly neutral, but he caught the slight flicker in her eyes, acknowledgment of the game they were playing, behind the curtains. She cleared her throat delicately, straightening her posture as everyone wondered what was the secret.
"I suppose, there's no harm in revealing the truth now" she said, her voice carrying the measured tone of someone making a calculated disclosure "Prior to the Rating Game. I visited Yuuto-sama each night to transfer portions of my demonic power to him. With a specialized sealing technique, I stored that power within him gradually over the course of several days"
Rias's eyes widened "You transferred your power to him? But Grayfia, you're—"
"The Strongest Queen in the Underworld. Yes, Lady Rias" Grayfia interrupted smoothly "Which is precisely why I was assigned by Sirzechs sama for this. Yuuto-sama required a significant reservoir of demonic energy to face someone of Riser Phenex's strength. However" she added "Yuuto sama didn't utilize the sealed power during the Rating Game. He won through his own abilities"
'Where is the fun part?' Yuuto thought, impressed by how naturally she omitted the part about their sessions involving more than just power transfers. But he kept their secret hidden as well.
He certainly wasn't going to mention how Grayfia had shown up each night in various costumes, the nurse outfit with the too-short skirt, the high school uniform that barely fit her mature figure, and most frequently, the maid costume. She seemed to have a particular fondness for that last one, playing the role of a submissive servant so convincingly that it had been jarring to see her return to her usual strict demeanor afterward.
The memory of her breathless gasps and flushed face while she'd ridden him into oblivion flashed through his mind, and he had to forcibly suppress it before his little brother betrayed him.
Grayfia's eyes met his for a fraction of a second, and her composed mask slipped ever so slightly—a barely perceptible flush touching her pale cheeks. She'd caught him thinking about it. But the exchange passed between them so quickly that nobody else noticed.
'She really does love the maid cosplay' Yuuto mused, hiding his inner smirk 'It's not even her duty at this point. She genuinely enjoys dressing like that'
"That explains why you kept disappearing every night" Rias said, nodding slowly as pieces clicked into place "You were training with Grayfia." Then she crossed her arms and asked "But what about those flames? Where did they come from?"
Yuuto took a breath, preparing his cover story "Everyone, what I'm about to say is going to sound crazy, so please hear me out before jumping to any conclusions."
He waited until he received subtle nods from Rias, Akeno, Koneko, and even Asia. Grayfia remained perfectly still, watching with those calculating eyes.
"Every night after Grayfia-san transferred her demonic power to me, we trained together to ensure I could control it without issue" Yuuto began "But a few nights before the Rating Game, I started having strange dreams..." He paused for dramatic effect "I kept hearing a voice telling me about a sword"
He raised his right hand, focusing his demonic energy. White light flickered around his fingers, and Lostvayne materialized in his grip—the elegant blade gleaming silver in the club room's lighting. To anyone watching, it looked identical to how his Sword Birth Sacred Gear usually worked.
"I heard this voice telling me to focus my demonic power while holding this sword" Yuuto continued, watching their reactions carefully "When I finally did what the voice instructed..."
He let his demonic energy surge.
The transformation hit like a physical wave. Black markings crawled across his skin, demonic power radiating outward in palpable waves that made the air itself vibrate. His aura shifted from the usual reincarnated devil energy to something far more dangerous—Ultimate-Class demonic power that pressed against everyone in the room.
Even Grayfia's eyes widened fractionally.
"And That's how, I achieved this form" Yuuto said, his voice slightly deeper in Assault Mode. Then he focused on Lostvayne, mentally commanding: Enchant: Hellblaze.
Purple flames erupted along the blade's edge—violent, hungry fire that seemed to consume light itself. The temperature in the room spiked instantly, and the Hellblaze cast eerie shadows across the walls. Everyone could feel it—the malevolent nature of those flames, the way they seemed to flicker annihilation to anything they touched.
Asia gasped, taking an instinctive step backward. Akeno's eyes gleamed with fascination as she touched herself. Koneko went still as if she recalled the earlier ruthlessness of Yuuto in the Rating Game.
Rias stared at the flames, mesmerized "Those flames...are something I have never seen before"
"It negates regeneration" Yuuto explained, letting the Hellblaze flicker and dance "Any wound inflicted by Hellblaze won't heal naturally, not through regeneration, Phoenix Tears, or even magical healing. The flames curse the injury, preventing any form of recovery."
"That's why Riser's Phoenix Tears didn't work," Grayfia said quietly, her analytical mind piecing it together. "The scars remained because Hellblaze had cursed the wounds"
'Not sure about the curse, but it does make them sound powerful'
Yuuto nodded and released the transformation. The black markings faded, his demonic power returning to normal levels, and Lostvayne dissolved into purple sparks. He rolled his shoulders, feeling the familiar exhaustion that came with stepping out of Assault Mode.
Rias processed this information, her expression cycling through surprise, concern, and finally acceptance "A voice in your dreams telling you how to unlock hidden powers..." She nodded "That's not unheard of with Sacred Gears. Some of them have wills of their own, or contain remnants of their previous wielders' consciousness."
"Exactly what I thought" Yuuto agreed, relieved she was accepting the cover story.
Grayfia stepped forward, her expression thoughtful "Yuuto-sama, was this the first time you heard this voice? Or have there been other instances?"
It sounds a good way to explain future power-ups without raising suspicion.
"The first time, yes," he confirmed "But I wouldn't be surprised if it happens again. Sacred Gears can evolve under the right circumstances, so I might develop some new sort of powers. Who knows"
Grayfia nodded slowly, as if confirming something to herself "I see" She glanced at Rias "Lady Rias, I recommend you assist Yuuto-sama with his newly acquired abilities"
Rias nodded in acceptance.
Grayfia smoothed her maid uniform, her professional mask sliding back into place completely "I shall take my leave. Congratulations once again on your victory, Lady Rias. I'm certain this will strengthen House Gremory's standing considerably"
She gave Yuuto one last look—a flash of heat in those eyes that promised their nightly sessions weren't over—before her magic circle blazed to life beneath her feet.
Then she vanished in a flash of silver light.
The moment she disappeared, the tension in the room deflated instantly.
Rias sighed heavily, sinking into her chair "Well. That was a lot to process, Yuuto"
"Ara Ara" Akeno said, pouring tea for Yuuto who took it with a smile "Ultimate-Class power and regeneration-negating flames. Yuuto-kun, you're full of surprises~"
Koneko walked over and punched his arm—not hard enough to hurt, but firm enough to make her point "Next time, tell us about secret powers before the Rating Game."
"Sure thing"
Asia still looked overwhelmed, but she managed a small smile "I'm just glad everyone's safe. And that Rias-senpai is free now."
"Me too" Rias said softly, her earlier joy returning. She looked at Yuuto with an expression so full of gratitude and affection "Thank you again, Yuuto. For everything"
He simply smiled as he took a sip from the cup.
They talked for a while longer—decompressing from the battle, discussing what came next, speculating about how the Underworld would react to Riser's humiliating defeat. But eventually, exhaustion caught up with all of them, and they agreed to reconvene tomorrow after everyone had gotten proper rest.
Yuuto teleported back to his apartment using the transportation circle, materializing in his bedroom with a flash of purple light. He immediately kicked off his shoes and collapsed face-first onto his bed with a long, exhausted sigh.
Tomorrow, he got some rewards to collect.
. . .
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