By the time Ryuya made it back to Kuoh Academy, it was nearly noon.
Without wasting any time, he went straight to the Occult Research Club room.
After waiting a few minutes, Rias walked in—Akeno Himejima and Koneko Toujou following close behind her.
"Ara ara~, you're already back?" Akeno greeted with her usual teasing smile.
"Just got here," Ryuya replied with a polite nod, then looked toward Rias. "President, I successfully formed my contract."
Rias's lips curved into a knowing smile. "I already know~ I've been keeping an eye on you the whole time, you know."
"Oh?" Ryuya raised an eyebrow.
"After all," Rias continued with amusement, "you just made a faith contract with a famous actress. That means she truly trusts you—and is very satisfied with you."
Her eyes shone with clear approval.
Beside her, Koneko added in her usual quiet tone, "Your first contract being a faith contract… Ryuya, that's amazing."
"Faith contract?" Ryuya repeated, a little puzzled.
Akeno chuckled softly. "Ara ara~ You don't know yet? Normally, when a Devil makes a contract with a human, it's just an ordinary one. The energy we receive from those is relatively weak."
Rias nodded and continued with a warm smile:
"That's right. Only a small number of humans—those who've developed a very deep bond with their Devil—can form a faith contract. The energy gained from such a bond is far stronger and can greatly increase a Devil's power."
Then she tilted her head slightly and smiled playfully at him. "I'm sure you've already noticed the benefits, haven't you?"
Ryuya suddenly understood.
No wonder his magic had skyrocketed when he drew on the contract's energy—it had completely surpassed his expectations. So that's what a faith contract was all about.
Feeling a bit addicted to the idea, he asked quickly, "Then… how can I form another one of those?"
Akeno covered her mouth with a light laugh. "Fufu~ It's not that simple. To form a faith contract, your partner must be completely loyal and emotionally attached to you. Humans, however, are fickle creatures—hard to satisfy and quick to change their hearts."
She gave him a teasing smile. "Still, for your first contract to accidentally become a faith one is already very impressive. Make sure you maintain that trust between you two, alright?"
"Got it," Ryuya said with a nod. He didn't look discouraged at all.
As long as he knew the conditions, he could work toward them. Whether it happened again or not… he'd leave that to fate.
Rias sank gracefully into the sofa, closing her eyes halfway in a lazy, elegant pose.
"Now that Ryuya has successfully completed his contract, the next step is preparing for your familiar. But the Student Council will probably make things a bit troublesome this time."
"What do you mean?" Ryuya asked immediately, his brow lifting in concern. Anything related to his familiar was important to him.
Akeno smiled faintly and began explaining.
"Sona Shitori—her real name is Sona Sitri—is also a High-Class Devil, just like Rias. She's the president of the Student Council here. Recently, she found a new [Pawn] for her peerage, so she'll also be attending the Familiar Forest this time."
The Student Council President?
Ryuya recalled that Rias had mentioned the council before—she had even coordinated with them when he first transferred into the club. From what he remembered, their relationship seemed pretty decent.
So why did Rias look like she had a headache just bringing her up?
"…There's going to be competition, isn't there?" he guessed.
"Of course," Rias sighed. "Good familiars with high potential are limited. Everyone wants the best. There's no way Sona would just step aside and let us take them easily."
She spread her hands helplessly. "So after discussing it with her, we decided to settle it properly—with a duel this Friday to determine who gets first entry into the Familiar Forest."
A duel…
Ryuya's eyes narrowed slightly. "Are you saying… it's going to be a Rating Game?"
Rias waved her hand dismissively. "No, no, nothing that serious. It's just a few simple matches we agreed on—things like tennis, or maybe a long-distance run."
She spoke casually, but even so, Ryuya could clearly see the fighting spirit burning in her crimson eyes.
It was obvious—Rias was already fired up and raring to go.
…Well, as long as she's happy.
Ryuya couldn't help but smile to himself. It's just some sports matches, he thought. What could possibly go wrong?
Still, it seemed that Devils were surprisingly competitive… though in a strangely friendly way.
---
After the break, afternoon classes ended, and it was time for the club members to handle their usual work.
Inside the Occult Research Club room, Rias was taking a shower. The thin curtain barely concealed her alluring silhouette.
Outside, Akeno waited patiently with Rias's clothes in her arms, while Koneko sat quietly on the sofa.
Just then, Ryuya pushed open the door and walked in, carrying a small bag in his hand.
He handed a few desserts to Koneko.
"Thanks…"
Koneko accepted them, a faint glimmer of delight softening her normally stoic face. Ryuya knew she loved sweets, so he'd picked some up for her on the way.
"Ryuya's here?" came Rias's voice from inside the shower.
"It's me," he replied. "Do you need something, President?"
His eyes instinctively drifted toward the direction of her voice—through the thin curtain, he could faintly make out Rias standing under the showerhead, her graceful figure outlined in the steam and light.
The sight of her flawless curves made Ryuya subconsciously swallow. Her beauty really was… beyond reason.
Rias, on the other hand, seemed utterly unconcerned that he could see her. After finishing her shower, she casually wrapped herself in a robe, gathered her wet crimson hair behind her, loosely tied the sash around her waist, and stepped out barefoot.
"Help me dry my hair."
She sat down right in front of him, back turned, the ends of her damp red hair dripping lightly onto her robe.
Ryuya took the warm hairdryer from Akeno and began gently blowing her hair dry. The sweet fragrance of her shampoo filled the air, wrapping around him like a spell.
Leaning comfortably back against him, Rias spoke softly, her voice carrying a lazy sweetness.
"Koneko received two client requests today. Ryuya, could you help her with one of them?"
Ryuya nodded without hesitation. "Of course."
"Good," Rias said with a smile. "Then go over the details with her once we're done here."
Koneko turned her head slightly and gave Ryuya a polite, quiet "thank you."
Ryuya smiled wryly to himself. Even Koneko has more contract work than I do, huh…
Looks like it was about time for him to find another contractor too.
After getting the details from Koneko, though, Ryuya found himself momentarily speechless.
The client's request… was simply to play video games together.
He almost dropped the report in disbelief.
Seriously? That's all it takes to form a contract? Just playing games?
Meanwhile, he had to run around for days, juggling reporters and public scandals just to complete his first one.
He sighed inwardly. Life really wasn't fair.
…Well, at least he'd ended up as Sakurajima Mai's boyfriend. Not exactly a bad deal.
Comforting himself with that thought, Ryuya stepped into the teleportation magic circle and activated it, warping to the location of his new summoner.
But the moment the teleportation ended—
Every hair on his body stood on end.
Killing intent.
…
----