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….
Lunch Break.
Seeing Isabella alive gave me my vigor back. I spent the entire morning homeroom and the first two periods in a deep, meditative state, completely ignoring the lectures.
Three hours of focused mana-cycling pushed my **** skill to level 25.
That meant I crossed the threshold; the next time I stepped into Skyrim, I could read Apprentice-level Restoration tomes.
When the lunch bell rang, I packed my things, planning to head outside for a walk to stretch my stiff muscles. But before I could leave the classroom, someone stopped at my desk.
It was Isabella.
She looked a little nervous, shifting her weight from foot to foot. "Hey, Shiro. Do you... have a minute? Can you follow me?"
I nodded, grabbing my bag. I followed her out of the classroom, down the stairs, and out into the courtyard.
She led me to a secluded area behind the old gymnasium, a spot notoriously known by the student body as the 'kissing corner' because it was completely hidden from the main campus windows.
She stopped, turning around to face me. The silence stretched for a few seconds, thick and awkward.
Then, she smiled. It was a soft, genuine smile.
"Thank you," Isa said.
I blinked, playing dumb. "For what? I didn't exactly do anything."
"No, you did," she insisted, her cheeks dusting with a light pink blush. "My parents told me you came over to the house yesterday to check up on me. After my... date with Yuma." Her voice hitched slightly on the name, a flash of sadness crossing her eyes before she hid it.
"Oh. That." I rubbed the back of my neck, trying to play it cool. "It was no problem. It was just the right thing to do, you know? You weren't answering your phone."
Her blush deepened slightly at that. She looked down at her shoes, suddenly very interested in the dirt.
"So," I said, leaning casually against the wall. "Was there anything else you wanted to tell me?"
Isa looked down, rubbing her arm awkwardly. "Um, it's actually kind of embarrassing... but could you please come with me to the Occult Research Club after school? Rias asked me to come get you. She said she wants to talk to both of us."
My blood instantly boiled.
Oh, is that how it is? I thought, my jaw tightening. She knows I'll reject her if she asks me directly, so she's using the girl who just got murdered as a bargaining chip to force my hand.
A sudden, suffocating pressure leaked out of me. It wasn't just anger; my mana was actually reacting to my emotions, buzzing under my skin like a raw Sparks spell.
The air around us grew heavy. Isa flinched, taking a half-step back with genuine fear flashing in her eyes.
Realizing what I was doing, I immediately reined it in. I forced my mana to settle and let out a slow, controlled breath.
"Sorry," I said, softening my voice. "I'm not mad at you, Isa. If it's with you, I'll happily go."
She visibly relaxed, giving me a relieved smile.
We went our separate ways for the rest of the lunch break, but when I walked back into the classroom, I immediately caught Rias looking at me.
She had a faint, victorious smirk on her lips. I just clicked my tongue and looked out the window.
….
After school, I walked beside Isa toward the old school building.
We made small talk to cut the tension, but as we approached the Occult Research Club, Isa started marveling at the creepy, rundown aesthetic of the architecture. I, on the other hand, kept my guard up.
I hadn't planned on stepping foot in devil territory until I was a much higher level, but here I was.
I guided Isa up to the top floor. When I opened the door to the clubroom, it was like stepping into a different world.
Luxurious couches, pristine tea sets, and the rest of Rias's peerage going about their business.
I didn't waste a second. I immediately triggered Observe on the two closest members.
Name: Mara Kiba
Race: Devil (Piece: Knight)
Level: 23
HP: 180 | Mana: 130
STR: 25 | END: 23 | AGI: 38 | INT: 20 | WIS: 14
(Knight Piece: Massively improves speed)
Name: Koneko Toujou
Race: Devil (Piece: Rook)
Level: 26
HP: 230 | Mana: 120
STR: 35 | END: 35 | AGI: 20 | INT: 16 | WIS: 18
(Rook Piece: Massively improves defense and attack)
I chuckled inwardly. So the Evil Pieces actually dictate their stat growth. It made sense, but their stat distributions were incredibly lopsided.
Mara was all speed, Koneko was all tank. In a real fight, exploiting those single-stat builds would be ridiculously easy.
"Is that... a shower?" Isa suddenly asked, looking toward a side door. A suspicious trickle of blood was already forming at the edge of her nostril.
"Yes," Akeno Himejima said, stepping into the main room. She flashed Isa a dangerously seductive smile. "Buchou had one installed not too long ago. Would you like to join her?"
Isa's nosebleed accelerated. I just shook my head at her perverted antics and subtly focused my eyes on the vice-president.
Name: Akeno Himejima
Race: Devil (Piece: Queen)
Level: 34
HP: 350 | Mana: 500
STR: 28 | END: 34 | AGI: 32 | INT: 38 | WIS: 36
(Queen Piece: Balances all traits, acting as the strongest offensive unit)
I narrowed my eyes. She was five levels higher than me, and her mana pool was massive. But looking at her physical stats... they were shockingly low.
My Strength was sitting at 45, and my Endurance was 50. I could physically overpower her without drawing a sword.
It suddenly clicked. They don't train.
Aside from basic sparring, they relied entirely on their inherent Devil traits and the passive boosts of their Evil Pieces.
They had practically immortal lifespans, yet they just coasted through life on raw talent.
All that potential, and Rias wasn't even pushing her peerage to grow. It was almost sad.
Ding.
Akeno motioned for us to sit at the coffee table while she prepared tea. While Isa was distracted, I took a quick moment to check her stats as well.
Name: Isabella
Race: Devil (Piece: Pawn x8)
Level: 5
HP: 100 | Mana: 50
STR: 5 | END: 6 | AGI: 6 | INT: 4 | WIS: 2
I winced. I knew she was a normal human until a couple of days ago, but seeing it on paper was brutal. Level 5. Yuma hadn't just killed her; it was a total slaughter.
….
Hey guys if u like the fanfic and want to read ahead by 10+ Chapters or just want to support take a visit on my patreon.
(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)
http://patreon.com/Marin_kitawaga