"Welcome, Issei."
Rias Gremory smiled warmly as she welcomed Issei's arrival.
Thump-thump!
Issei froze, his heart pounding wildly as he stared at the crimson-haired beauty sitting behind the desk, right in front of him.
Standing on the right side were the legal loli Koneko and the handsome swordsman Kiba Yuuto.
"Ufufu~." On the left side stood the beautiful senpai Himejima Akeno, the very embodiment of Yamato Nadeshiko.
"Rias Gremory-senpai, why did you call me here?" Issei asked, looking innocently at Rias Gremory.
"Ahem! I'll get straight to the point. I want you to become part of my family."
"Is this a proposal?"
Rias froze, then blushed.
"Ara~ ara~ ufufu…" Akeno smiled cutely, her beautiful eyes staring straight at Issei.
Kiba Yuuto chuckled softly.
The legal loli Koneko narrowed her eyes, staring directly at Issei.
"Ahem! No, this isn't a proposal."
"Hm, then what is it?"
Even though Issei already knew what Rias meant, he still asked, following the proper flow of the story.
Rias stood up and revealed her devil wings, followed by Himejima Akeno, Toujou Koneko, and Kiba Yuuto.
"Just as I thought, you're not surprised to see our true identities." Rias touched her forehead, looking troubled and helpless.
Issei gave a small smile and spoke in a relaxed tone.
"Rias Gremory-senpai wants me to become a devil?"
"Just Rias-senpai is enough."
"Alright, Rias-senpai."
Rias blushed slightly and nodded with a firm expression.
"I want you to reincarnate into a devil and join my family." Rias's blue eyes stared straight at Issei.
Issei was weakest when it came to dealing with the gaze of beautiful women—especially a beautiful woman he had been longing for all this time—so he was forced to agree.
"Alright, but with one condition."
"What is it?"
"…I want you to be mine."
Silence. The atmosphere in the clubroom became like a grave—quiet and terrifying.
"Bucho, may I hit him?" Koneko asked for permission with a blank expression.
Rias was still frozen by Issei's statement, unable to respond to Koneko's question.
"Ara~ ara~ Issei-kun, you're quite bold. I'm pretty sure today is the first time you've spoken directly to her, right?"
Issei nodded gently in response to Akeno's question.
"Isn't it too fast to confess your feelings?" Akeno asked.
Issei took a deep breath and answered seriously, "Maybe that's true, but I've been harboring feelings for Rias-senpai for a long time! After so long, I finally have the chance to confess—how could I possibly let it slip away?"
"..." Akeno fell silent, her eyes complicated while her expression looked mixed with various emotions.
Kiba Yuuto covered his ears. He understood it wasn't good to listen in on someone else's confession, so he took the initiative to block it out.
It had to be admitted—aside from being handsome, Kiba Yuuto was also considerate. Maybe that was the reason he was so loved by the female students of Kuoh Academy.
You know? Even after Issei struggled to become popular, he was still stuck in Kiba Yuuto's shadow.
Lastly, Koneko stared straight at Rias, seemingly waiting for an answer to her earlier question.
"Sorry, but it seems I can't accept your feelings."
"…Why?"
Rias gave a bitter smile, making her beautiful face look pitiful.
"I…"
"Is it because of your engagement to Riser Phenex?"
Rias's eyes widened in disbelief.
Akeno, Kiba, and Koneko immediately tensed up, as if ready to fight Issei.
Realizing he had said too much, Issei smiled awkwardly and spoke seriously, "I'm not your enemy. I just know a little about your situation."
Rias fell silent, staring straight into Issei's eyes.
"…You're right. The reason is because of Riser Phenex."
"In that case, let me help you settle it!"
"Can you really?" Rias didn't mean to underestimate him, but she understood Riser Phenex's strength all too well.
Issei smiled faintly and said with confidence, "Senpai can try."
Rias stayed silent, thinking for a few moments, then nodded in agreement.
"Alright. Let's go outside!"
And so, they headed out to an open field to test Issei's strength.
Issei's opponent this time was Toujou Koneko. That legal loli looked excited, knowing she had the chance to fight Issei.
"Issei-senpai, be careful of my punches."
"Alright, thanks for the warning, Koneko-chan."
Koneko put on her gloves, clearly not intending to hold back against Issei.
'Good. This is what I need. I have to confirm how strong my physical body is without the Sacred Gear.'
"Issei-senpai, I'm starting."
"Come at me! I'm ready anytime!"
Boom!
Koneko stomped the ground beneath her feet and shot forward like lightning toward Issei.
Koneko's movements were still within Issei's range of vision. He immediately jumped upward to dodge her punch, then attacked Koneko with another punch of his own.
Koneko twisted her body, countering Issei's punch with a punch of her own.
Boooom!
When their fists collided, a sonic explosion erupted, releasing a shockwave of air.
Rias, Akeno, and Kiba were left speechless seeing a human able to clash in raw physical strength against Koneko.
... .. .
To be continued…