Asia was still staring in confusion, completely unaware of what had just happened.
In the end, Rias hurriedly used a bit of her demonic power to erase the mark Ryuya had left on her skin—only then did she manage to fool Asia and divert her suspicion.
Meanwhile, Koneko stood off to the side, licking a lollipop, her golden eyes darting curiously between Rias and Ryuya.
Something felt… different.
Somehow, the relationship between those two seemed noticeably closer than before.
Ryuya, however, remained perfectly calm.
After all, it was nothing more than a bit of mutual teasing between him and Rias. It wasn't like anything truly happened.
Neither of them had much experience, so he figured it was just a kind of "learning exchange." And honestly… they'd both enjoyed it quite a bit.
In short—there was no deep exchange, just a bit of mutual comforting.
"Koneko, where's Akeno-senpai?" Ryuya asked.
It was rare not to see Akeno Himejima in the clubroom at this hour—she was usually one of the first to arrive.
"She was called over by the Student Council," Koneko replied. "Since Rias-senpai wasn't here, they asked her to go."
That made sense. As the vice president of the Occult Research Club, Akeno handled most affairs when Rias was absent.
Rias suddenly lifted her head slightly and smiled.
"She's back."
As soon as she said it, a flash of teleportation light filled the room—Akeno appeared, returning through a magic circle.
But this time, she wasn't alone. A group of people followed behind her.
Leading them was a woman with short black hair and glasses. Her beauty was striking—only slightly below Akeno's—but her composed, commanding aura easily rivaled Rias's own.
That woman was none other than Sona Shitori, the President of the Student Council.
Beside her stood Tsubaki Shinra, the vice president, always at Sona's side—just as inseparable as Akeno was from Rias.
Come to think of it… the entire Student Council was here.
And judging by the glowing teleportation circles beneath their feet—they were all devils as well.
So the rest of the Student Council members were Sona's servants, too.
Ryuya wasn't surprised. Akeno had already told him about Sona Shitori before, so he naturally understood that the Student Council operated much like Rias's own peerage.
Suddenly, he felt a gaze fixed on him.
When he glanced over, he saw that it came from the only male among Sona's group.
The boy's eyes carried a clear sense of challenge and rivalry.
Ryuya, however, remained completely unfazed. His heart was calm, his expression steady.
On the surface, he returned a friendly smile—though, of course, it was a fake one.
He wasn't the type to show his true feelings so easily.
The only people he genuinely opened up to were Rias, her team… and Sakurajima Mai.
Rias rose from her seat, greeting the visitors with a polite smile.
"Welcome. For the entire Student Council to visit at once—what brings you here today?"
Sona Shitori, graceful yet serious, spoke in a calm tone.
"Sorry to intrude. Since both our sides have recently welcomed new members, I thought it appropriate to come and exchange greetings."
"Oh? So that must be your new member, then." Rias's eyes shifted toward the young man standing behind Sona.
"This is Genshirou Saji—my new [Pawn]," Sona introduced.
Rias nodded and replied with her own introduction, smiling softly.
"And this is my [Knight], Ryuya Kurobane, along with my [Bishop], Asia Argento."
To outsiders, Rias had always presented Ryuya simply as her [Knight].
The fact that he actually possessed eight of her [Pawn] pieces was kept an absolute secret—known only to her closest servants like Akeno.
This matter was far too important for Rias to reveal prematurely.
After all, Ryuya was, as far as she knew, the only devil in existence who simultaneously held two chess positions within a peerage—a phenomenon that completely shattered the long-standing balance of the Rating Game.
Even Rias herself had no idea how he would perform once he officially participated in one.
But one thing was certain—he'd be so strong it would look like cheating.
Sona Shitori adjusted her glasses slightly, her sharp gaze observing both Ryuya and Asia. She could immediately sense that the two of them were anything but ordinary.
"So this is the Ryuya Kurobane I've heard so much about—the one who required you to use two [Knight] pieces. That means you're only missing the [Pawn] position now, correct?"
"Hehe, you know how it is. Finding the right pieces is all a matter of fate," Rias replied with an easy smile. "Ryuya, Asia—go ahead and greet them."
Across from them, Genshirou Saji stepped forward confidently, extending his hand toward Ryuya.
"Genshirou Saji. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"The pleasure's mine," Ryuya said calmly, shaking his hand.
"I heard you took up two [Knight] pieces? Impressive! For reference, I required four [Pawn] pieces myself!"
Ryuya merely smiled, his tone polite and unassuming, giving off the impression of a perfectly ordinary young man.
But then, Saji suddenly activated his demonic power—subtly sending a current of energy through their joined hands, attempting to probe into Ryuya's body.
Ryuya's expression didn't change. Inside him, his Sacred Gear—King's Sword and Shield—gave a faint tremor, silently dissolving the invasive magic as if it were nothing.
Of course, he wasn't about to just let that go unanswered.
An impolite guest deserves an impolite return.
Channeling the sharp energy of the Sword of the King, Ryuya sent a clean, precise wave of magic cutting back through the link.
Saji immediately felt his own magic vanish as though it had been swallowed whole, then a wave of pure, refined power surged back into his body in retaliation. His eyes widened in shock as he quickly released Ryuya's hand.
His expression tightened; his blood churned for several seconds before he finally managed to disperse the residual energy.
The brief clash didn't escape the senses of Rias, Sona, or the others present.
Rias couldn't help but smile proudly.
Sona, on the other hand, narrowed her eyes.
So strong… she thought. Wasn't he just reincarnated as a devil only a few days ago? How can his power already be this intense?
No wonder Rias had needed to use two [Knight] pieces on him.
Then her attention shifted to Asia—and her eyes widened again.
The [Bishop]'s demonic power was even greater!
She was only slightly weaker than Rias herself—and easily the strongest among Rias's servants in terms of magical potential.
Just where on earth did Rias find such exceptional servants… Sona couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Rias broke the moment's tension with a smile.
"The familiar forest opens the day after tomorrow, doesn't it? You'll be going there too, right?"
Sona nodded. "We are. But since the caretaker there only accepts one contract per month…"
Their two groups were clearly going to collide.
"Hehe, then we'll just have to settle it fairly—with our own strength!" Rias said cheerfully.
With her servants having just won the earlier exchange, her pride as a master burned even brighter—there was no way she'd back down now.
"A duel?" Sona asked, her tone even.
"The winner earns the right to make the contract with the familiar master," Rias replied.
"Are you suggesting… a Rating Game?" Sona asked seriously.
The Rating Game—the standard method for determining a devil's rank and status. It also served as the formal way to settle any disputes between devil houses.
Before such a game, both sides could agree on any kind of wager or contract. Once agreed upon, the Rating Game would commence—and the loser would be bound to fulfill the terms unconditionally.
But this was clearly too minor a matter to warrant something so official.
Rias waved her hand dismissively, smiling.
"Oh, of course not. That would be impossible—we don't even have permission for one. No, no, what I mean is something simple… like a normal human contest. A sports match, perhaps."
…
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