Back in the Occult Research Club room, Rias sat gracefully on the couch, smiling with that teasing yet elegant air of hers.
"So, Ryuya—how did it feel? Any new insights?"
Ryuya thought for a moment, then replied honestly, "Whether it's Akeno-senpai or Koneko, their magic power and battle skills completely outclass mine."
After that fight, he finally had a clear grasp of the gap between himself and them. Their combat prowess was on an entirely different level.
All of that strength came from the pacts they had formed over time—each one paid for with the proper price. Ryuya realized that if he wanted to reach their level, he'd need to continue making contracts and gathering the energy that came with them.
"Hehe~ That's exactly the direction you should be working toward," Rias said warmly. "The girl who summoned you before—you should definitely try to win her over. If you run into any trouble, you can always come to us for help."
Rias had high expectations for him.
After all, Ryuya had shattered one of the fundamental rules of devilkind: no devil could ever embody two chess pieces at once.
But he did.
That alone made Ryuya something extraordinary—someone worthy not only of her attention, but of the entire devil race's.
Of course, before that kind of attention could become dangerous, Rias knew she had to keep it secret. Once their strength was great enough to protect themselves, then it would be time to reveal it.
Until then… she couldn't risk it. The old families might do something extreme in the name of "advancing the clan."
And history had already shown how far "extreme" could go.
Her smile faded slightly as a shadow passed over her eyes. She seemed to recall something unpleasant—something that made her expression tighten with mixed emotions.
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"Ryuya… you have to get stronger. Only then… can you help me."
He could feel the shift in her tone.
Ryuya looked at her steadily, sensing that there was something deeper behind her words. But he didn't ask.
If Rias didn't want to say it now, pressing her wouldn't do any good.
He'd just wait—because when she was ready, when he was strong enough to be of help—she would tell him herself.
So he simply nodded lightly. "All right."
It was a simple answer, yet his calm and composed tone carried a quiet strength that made it feel reassuring.
Perhaps sensing that steadiness, Rias's expression softened again. She reached out gently, her cool fingers brushing against his cheek. The complicated emotions in her eyes faded, replaced by a bright, affectionate smile.
"Mhm. I know you'll grow stronger soon. Because if it's you, Ryuya, I believe you can do it."
Her smile deepened, her tone turning playful.
"After all… you're my most adorable servant."
Then, without warning, she leaned closer—both hands cupping his face—and pressed her lips gently against his forehead.
The warmth lingered there, soft and faint, even after she pulled away.
Ryuya's heart stirred.
His feelings toward Rias were… complicated.
She had saved his life. She had become his master. She treated him with kindness—affection, even. But he knew deep down that this wasn't love in the human sense.
The morality and emotions of devils were different. Their sense of "closeness" didn't carry the same meaning as it did for humans.
Even though he had once shared a bed with her…
Even though she had just kissed him so tenderly…
He knew she didn't see him as a man she loved.
And that truth, from the perspective of someone who still thought like a human, made it hard to accept.
But to tell him not to care about Rias at all?
Impossible.
Possession, affection—those emotions could never be completely controlled.
Even if he could suppress them, Ryuya still owed her his life. That debt alone was reason enough to stay by her side.
She had saved him. Ignoring that would be unforgivable.
He exhaled softly, letting the thoughts settle.
"…Well," he murmured inwardly, "I'll just let things take their course."
After Rias kissed Ryuya, she smiled playfully and said, "That was a little magic to help you get stronger. You'll have to work hard on your own too, okay? For now, that's all the affection you get."
"I won't let you down," Ryuya replied with a faint, confident smile.
He already had a plan in mind. His top priority now was to help Sakurajima Mai solve her current problem—so he could complete his first ever contract with her.
"Oh, right," Rias suddenly remembered something. "Next weekend, the Familiar Forest will open. That means you'll soon be able to get your very own familiar!"
"Seriously?" Ryuya's eyes lit up with excitement. Having a familiar would be incredibly useful—it could take care of countless little chores for him.
"Of course it's true," Rias said with a proud smile. "Once you have one, you won't have to hand out flyers yourself anymore. You can let your familiar handle the simple work."
Ryuya chuckled. "Perfect. Once I get a familiar, I won't have to do my homework either."
Rias: "…???"
The three girls blinked, momentarily speechless.
Wait. You want a familiar… just so you can skip doing homework?
Rias, Akeno, and Koneko all looked like they didn't know whether to laugh or scold him.
At least apologize to the poor familiar first!
Sometimes, it was really impossible to understand how Ryuya's mind worked…
---
By the time he pedaled home on his bike, night had already fallen.
After finishing his evening workout and taking a shower, Ryuya decided to rest early. He had promised Mai that they would meet again the next day.
The following morning, he woke up early. After tidying up his apartment and taking care of a few chores, he stepped out into the fresh, golden sunlight.
Since it was a weekend morning, the streets were livelier than usual. Ryuya made his way to the subway station—the place where he and Mai had agreed to meet.
This time, he arrived a little early. Around ten minutes later, Mai appeared in the distance, walking gracefully toward him.
She was wearing casual clothes today—a crisp white shirt paired with a short skirt. Unlike yesterday's longer one that reached below her knees, this one stopped halfway down her thighs.
Just like before, no one else could see her. Only Ryuya's eyes followed her intently, taking in every detail of her quiet, lonely beauty.
"Hmm… looks like you took my fashion advice seriously," he said in a mock-serious tone, his gaze sweeping up and down.
It was still a little chilly that morning, so she had kept on her black stockings—but Ryuya had no complaints. Black stockings were great.
Mai didn't even blink at his teasing tone. She simply replied calmly, "Did I ever say I considered your advice? I wore this because I like it."
"Is that so? You can call it whatever you want," Ryuya said with a grin. "You look adorable. Honestly, I just want to take you home, frame you, and hang you on my wall like a piece of art."
"I told you already—stop showing off that terrible acting of yours in front of me," Mai shot back flatly.
"It's not acting," Ryuya said, smiling softly now, his voice calm again. "It's a genuine compliment."
"…Then I'll accept it," Mai replied smoothly, her tone cool but her poise unmistakable.
---
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