After sometime. He arrived at school. Going to the OCR first. Silas pushed open the familiar door to the Occult Research Club room without knocking—old habit by now.
The scent hit him first: warm steam laced with the faint floral sweetness of Rias's favorite body wash.
And there, smack in the center of the antique rug, stood a white shower curtain strung between two mismatched metal stands that looked like they'd been borrowed from the drama club storage room. Water pattered steadily against the plastic from inside, the soft hiss of a portable showerhead clearly audible.
Silas stopped dead two steps in.
Koneko was already there, perched on the edge of the nearest desk like a small, unimpressed statue, arms crossed, white hair catching the light. She didn't even glance up from the half-eaten chocolate bar in her hand.
He blinked once. Twice.
"Is Rias… showering in the middle of the room?" he asked, voice flat with genuine bewilderment.
Koneko gave a single, tiny nod.
"Yes," she answered in her soft, almost whispery monotone.
Silas exhaled through his nose, reached over, and gently ruffled the top of her head—his fingers lingering just long enough to feel the silk of her hair.
"She's one weird girl," he muttered, half fond, half exasperated. "Do you do that too?"
Koneko's cheeks instantly flamed pink beneath her stoic expression. She shook her head so fast her twin tails whipped against her shoulders.
"I'm not a pervert," she said firmly, golden eyes flicking up to him for a split second before dropping back to her chocolate.
From behind the curtain came an indignant splash, followed by Rias's voice—sharp, embarrassed, but unmistakably hers.
"I'm not a pervert!"
The curtain was yanked aside with dramatic flair.
Steam billowed out like stage fog.
Rias stood there dripping, completely bare.
Porcelain-pale skin glistened with water droplets that caught the afternoon light like tiny diamonds. Full, perfect breasts rose and fell with her quick, startled breaths; rosy nipples pebbled instantly in the cooler air.
Her waist curved inward before flaring into wide hips and thick, toned thighs that still carried the faint sheen of moisture. Between them, the delicate pink folds of her sex were framed by neatly trimmed crimson curls that matched the wet waves clinging to her shoulders and upper back.
For one long, electric second, no one moved.
Silas's gaze swept over her—unhurried, appreciative, taking in every detail from the elegant line of her collarbones down to the gentle dip of her navel and lower still. His expression didn't change much, but the corner of his mouth twitched upward.
Rias's emerald eyes widened as realization crashed in. She let out a tiny, mortified "Oh—" and tried to tug the curtain back, but it caught on the stand and only half-obscured her.
She sighed, long and dramatic, shoulders slumping.
"Sorry you had to see that," she muttered, cheeks blazing scarlet beneath the steam-flushed glow.
Silas leaned one hip against the nearest table, arms crossed casually.
"I won't act like I don't like what I see," he said, voice low and rough around the edges, smirk growing.
Koneko's pout deepened instantly. She bit her chocolate bar a little harder than necessary.
Rias blinked, then slowly mirrored his smirk—embarrassment giving way to something warmer, bolder.
"You do?" she asked, tilting her head so wet strands slid over one shoulder.
"Definitely," Silas answered without hesitation. Then he jerked his chin toward the curtain setup. "Just… don't shower in the middle of the room again. That's kinda weird, even for you."
Rias laughed—bright, surprised, still blushing furiously. She stepped fully out from behind the curtain, unbothered now, water trailing tiny rivulets down her legs to pool on the hardwood.
"Well," she said, voice dropping into that teasing lilt she knew got under his skin, "since you asked so nicely… sure."
The far door opened at that exact moment.
Akeno stepped in wrapped in nothing but a fluffy white towel knotted loosely above her breasts, long raven hair damp and curling at the ends.
She took one look at the scene—naked Rias dripping in the middle of the room, Silas smirking, Koneko pouting—and her violet eyes sparkled with pure delight.
"Oh my," she purred, pressing manicured fingers to her lips to stifle a giggle. "How bold of you, President~"
Rias shot her a sideways glare that could've curdled milk.
She snatched the towel Akeno offered and beginning to pat herself dry with brisk, slightly flustered movements.
Akeno only laughed harder.
In the next heartbeat, crimson magic shimmered around Rias like liquid fire. Her school uniform materialized piece by piece—white blouse, black ribbon, pleated skirt, stockings—fitting perfectly over still-damp skin as though it had never left.
Silas pushed off the table and dropped onto the worn leather couch with a sigh, stretching long legs out in front of him.
He propped an arm along the backrest, eyes half-lidded as he watched the girls bicker and tease.
'I'll wait until they start doing dumb shit,' he thought, gaze drifting toward the window where the setting sun painted the sky in bruise-purple and gold. 'Only then will I purge those guys at the church.'
The room filled with the soft sounds of normal chaos: Akeno's teasing laughter, Rias's indignant huffing, Koneko's quiet crunching of chocolate, the rustle of uniforms and towels.
Silas let the smallest, laziest smile curve his lips. Just another afternoon in the Occult Research Club.
....
At night, Silas decided to go with Issei as they headed to a client who had originally summoned Koneko. But since she was already booked that day and had another job to handle, he ended up filling in for her instead.
Rias looked at him from her seat, clearly caught off guard.
"You're saying you want to go with him?" she asked.
Silas smirked faintly.
"No," he said. "I am going with him."
For a moment, Rias hesitated. Her eyes narrowed slightly, as if weighing whether or not she should argue.
But in the end, she only sighed.
"Alright then," she said. "But next time, you can go with me and Akeno. Her summons are always interesting."
Silas turned toward Akeno.
She was already smiling, that beautiful expression of hers carrying a dangerous, sadistic edge that made it very clear she was imagining something far more chaotic than a normal summoning.
"Yeah," he said. "Next time."
Without another word, he stepped over, grabbed Issei by the scruff of his shirt, and lifted him slightly.
"Let's go, Issei!"
"Wha—hey!"
The two vanished the very next second.
A faint ripple of demonic energy passed through the room before they disappeared completely.
They reappeared outside the client's house.
The neighborhood was quiet, lit only by the pale glow of streetlights and the faint moon overhead. The house itself looked ordinary enough from the outside, a normal residence sitting quietly behind a short gate and trimmed hedges.
But Silas immediately sensed the truth. He could already feel Asia outside. She was setting up a barrier.
At the same time, he could sense Freed inside the house as well, his presence loud, unstable, and twisted in a way that felt almost obnoxious.
'Will he be useful in the future? Or should I just kill him now? Questions, questions,' he thought.
He casually let go of Issei's shirt.
"Alright, go in," Silas said.
Issei blinked and looked at him.
"Huh? You're not going in with me?"
"Nope," Silas responded briefly before walking through the yard and heading toward the back.
Issei stared after him in confusion. He watched him leave and sighed.
'He's a bit weird. This morning I saw him with a blond girl. Is he two-timing Rias-taichou?' he thought before nervously making his way toward the house.
Meanwhile, Silas moved quietly around the side of the building and into the backyard.
The grass shifted softly beneath his steps, and the cool night air carried the faint scent of flowers from the garden. In the back yard, Silas saw Asia as she finished setting up a barrier. A soft light shimmered around the edges of the space, almost invisible unless one looked carefully.
She turned the moment she heard his footsteps. And when she saw him, her eyes widened in shock.
"Silas-san!" she said. "What are you doing here?"
He smiled lightly.
"Well, I'm here with a friend, so I'm just scoping the area." He tilted his head slightly. "What are you doing here?"
Asia stared at him, clearly flustered by both his sudden appearance and the question. Her fingers tightened slightly around the edge of her sleeve as she hesitated, unsure of what she could say.
But before she could reply— BANG
They both heard it. A gunshot. Sharp and loud. Followed immediately by a scream from inside the house.
Silas's expression barely changed.
'Damn, you couldn't even hold him for a second? Crazy,' he thought.
Then he started walking toward the house. Asia, startled and worried, quickly followed behind him.
TO BE CONTINUED