That little conversation had brought Ryuya unexpected insight—almost like he'd unlocked a brand-new door in his path forward.
After swiftly helping Asia finish unpacking, he returned home under her reluctant gaze.
He immediately called Rias and shared his discovery with her, which left the upper-class devil genuinely surprised.
"You actually figured it out this quickly… I was planning to wait until you became a High-Class Devil before telling you that," she admitted with a note of awe. "You really do have an incredible gift, Ryuya."
Ryuya tilted his head. "Why wait until then?"
"Because this path is dangerous," Rias explained seriously. "The process of evolution carries enormous risk. Especially at your current level—your power and body might not be able to withstand it. If you push too far, you could die. That's why I planned to tell you only after you reached High-Class status—when you'd have the strength to protect yourself."
Rias's tone was firm but gentle—she was only thinking of his safety.
Even though she wanted him to grow stronger as soon as possible, she preferred the safer, steadier route: letting Ryuya increase his strength through forming contracts—a shortcut that was both reliable and low-risk.
But she hadn't expected his talent to be this extraordinary, to the point of discovering a new path of evolution on his own.
Perhaps… it was fate.
"In any case," she continued, "I can only tell you this much: resonance with a Sacred Gear can be maintained through sheer willpower—but the cost is severe. If you overdo it, your body could collapse completely. Remember, Ryuya, never push too far."
Ryuya smiled faintly, understanding her concern. "Got it. Don't worry, I'll take it slow."
"Mhm~ good boy. You really are my cutest servant—you're the best."
When the call ended, Ryuya tried sensing the resonance again.
The result was immediate—his demonic power roared to life, surging violently through his body. His explosive strength had clearly increased, but it was almost enough to make him lose control.
After holding out for a few moments, he wisely stopped. Pain tore through every muscle, like his body was being ripped apart.
And yet, once the agony faded, he could feel his magic had indeed strengthened—if only a little.
So it was true: resonating with the Sacred Gear carried enormous risk. He could endure it, yes—but the price was brutal. The trade-off wasn't something he could take lightly.
He sighed. "Looks like I'll have to take this one step at a time."
Then another thought crossed his mind.
Maybe he could use Asia's [Twilight Healing] to assist his training.
That way… he could afford to "push" himself a little harder.
Running a bath, he filled the tub with steaming water and slipped in, exhaling in contentment.
As he sank into the warmth, his mind wandered—back to this morning, when he and Rias had tangled together in this very bathroom.
If not for the last shred of reason he'd held onto… he might've actually gone all the way with her.
He chuckled to himself. Who would've thought his life would turn out like this?
And tomorrow, he was heading out to search for a familiar. Who knew what kind of adventure awaited?
Ever since becoming a devil, his life had been anything but ordinary—vivid, chaotic, and strangely exciting.
Half-drowsy in the bath, Ryuya's phone suddenly buzzed beside him. A text message.
He flicked the water off his fingers, picked it up—and saw that it was from Mai Sakurajima.
Before even opening it, a thought struck him.
Wait… Mai was technically his girlfriend now, wasn't she?
And he hadn't called or messaged her once.
…She wasn't mad, was she?
Opening the message, he found that Mai had switched agencies—and attached a link.
So that's what she'd been busy with these last few days.
There was no sign she was angry, though.
Curious, he tapped the link and opened the webpage—
It was an interview.
More precisely, her comeback announcement.
In the everyday life Ryuya had fought to reclaim for her, Mai had taken her first bold step toward her dream again.
The press conference was massive—no surprise, since Sakurajima Mai was a name that commanded attention across the nation.
As Ryuya finished reading, his phone rang.
Mai was calling.
He picked up with a small smile. "Hey."
"I'm mad at you. What are you gonna do about it?"
Mai's voice on the other end was calm, but there was a definite edge of irritation.
Ryuya thought to himself—so she was mad that he hadn't contacted her after all.
Girlfriends really were difficult creatures to handle.
"…I'm sorry?"
Well, no matter what, it was safest to start with an apology.
"It's fine," Mai replied instantly.
"Huh? That easy?" Ryuya let out a wry laugh.
"So," she asked sweetly, "what exactly are you apologizing for?"
That one line immediately shut him up.
"Mai, you're not mad at me, right? Then why did you accept my apology?"
"…Because you probably did something guilty anyway. Even if I don't know what it is, I'll just forgive you in advance."
"..."
Her tone was perfectly calm, but the words left Ryuya completely disarmed.
"I thought you were mad that I hadn't called or texted you."
"Now that you mention it," Mai said smoothly, "I had forgotten about that."
Ryuya's heart skipped a beat—until she added, with a playful smile in her voice,
"But I didn't reach out to my boyfriend either, so let's call it even."
Ryuya couldn't help grinning.
Having a girlfriend like Mai… really was something special.
"Mai, hurry up and summon me already."
"Why?"
"Because I really want to fly over there and hug you. Maybe kiss you until you can't breathe," Ryuya said, smiling.
There was a short silence on the other end—maybe she was blushing. Then her composed voice came back, pretending to be calm.
"In that case, I definitely won't summon you."
"Just so you know, I'm in the bath right now."
"That's even more reason not to summon you." Mai fired back instantly.
Ryuya chuckled softly, put the call on speaker, and let his arms sink back into the warm water.
"So," he asked gently, "what were you mad about, really?"
Mai was quiet for a moment.
"…I had a fight with my mom."
"I see. So you two haven't made up yet."
"It's not that simple, idiot," she snapped, her queenly tone sharp enough to practically radiate through the phone.
Ryuya just smirked, unfazed. "Sorry, I wouldn't know. I don't have parents, so I can't really understand."
That made her fall silent again—and at that, she couldn't stay angry with him.
"But," Ryuya added quietly, "I think being able to argue, talk, and see each other… that already means you're a normal mother and daughter again. Compared to before, that's a big step forward."
He was right. Her mother had finally regained her memories of Mai—that alone was a huge relief.
On the other end, Mai froze for a second, then smiled softly.
"Heh… yeah, you're right."
"You're smiling, Mai?"
"Mhm. After talking to my devil boyfriend, I somehow feel a lot better."
"Is that so? Then I'm honored beyond words…"
----
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