The grand office doors opened slowly.
A quiet click echoed through the room as Yuto stepped inside beside Rias, his senses immediately sharpening. The office was vast, yet minimal in design. No unnecessary decorations. No wasted space. Everything felt deliberate and professional.
At the far end stood a man behind a polished desk.
At first glance, he looked quite ordinary.
Brown hair, neatly styled. A fitted suit. Glasses resting calmly on his face. But the moment Yuto truly felt his presence, his body stiffened. Not from fear. From instinct. He felt the aura radiate off of this individual. What made it more intimidating is Yuto could feel how much power the Principal was keeping at controllable level. His mastery over it must be impeccable.
"…So this is him," the Principal said, closing an official looking file in front of him.
His voice was calm, yet it carried weight. The kind that didn't need to be loud to be heard.
Rias stepped forward first. "Paul."
No title. No hesitation. Just familiarity. Yuto immediately picked up on that. They weren't just acquaintances or student to Principal. They trusted each other.
The man stood up. "Rias," he replied, a faint smile forming. "It's been a while."
Then his gaze shifted to Yuto. "Yuto Suzuki."
Yuto nodded slightly. A slight chill ran down his spine. "That's me."
The man stepped around the desk.
"Paul Walton," he said with a professional smile. "Principal of Celestial Academy."
They shook hands as they studied each other sizing each other up. Yuto knew if he ever crossed the wrong side of Paul, that he would most likely be cooked. He did not want to experience the wrong side of the power that radiated from him. Yuto smiled slightly nervous as they greeted each other. As they stopped shaking hands, Rias crossed her arms slightly.
"Paul isn't just a normal Principal," she said. "He earned that position of power."
Yuto glanced at her, "…Earned?"
Paul answered this time. "Every ten years, the position of Principal is decided through combat."
Yuto's interest sharpened. "Combat? How so?"
"Yes," Rias continued. "Each of the three factions: Devils, Fallen Angels, and Angels, select a candidate to fight on behalf of them. The winner must defeat the chosen candidates of the other factions. Usually those candidates are amongst the strongest of the Underworld."
Paul's expression remained calm.
"And ten years ago," he said, "I defeated both of them."
Silence settled in the room.
Yuto processed that. "…So you beat the strongest from all three factions."
"Yes, though it was not easy," Paul said humbleness. "It still proved difficult. As a result of winning, I became Principal and the academy fell under a stronger Devil influence."
Yuto tilted his head slightly. "So because you're a Devil, your faction has more control here?"
"More influence," Paul corrected calmly. "Not absolute control."
Rias stepped in. "There's still a governing structure," she explained. "A school board."
Paul nodded. "Members of the board are elected by their respective populations."
"Devils, Fallen Angels, and Angels all have representation," Rias added.
Yuto folded his arms slightly. "So it's balanced."
Paul gave a faint smile, "On paper."
That answer told Yuto everything he needed to know.
Rias continued walking slowly across the room as she spoke.
"Some members of the board don't like that a Devil holds the position of Principal," she said. "Especially after Paul defeated their candidates."
"Which means," Paul added, "tension is always present."
Yuto exhaled slowly. "So this whole place is basically a fragile truce."
"Exactly," Paul said.
There was a brief pause before Paul's gaze returned to Yuto.
"And now," he said, "we come to you."
Yuto met his eyes.
Paul walked a few steps closer. "You are newly reincarnated. Inexperienced. And currently… weak."
"But," Paul continued, "you also possess potential that is… unusual."
Rias glanced at Yuto briefly before speaking.
"His growth ceiling is far beyond normal," she said. "Even among Devils."
Paul nodded once. "Which is precisely why your presence here matters."
Yuto raised an eyebrow."Because I'll attract attention?"
"Yes," Paul said.
"From all sides," Rias added.
Paul continued calmly. "Some will want to recruit you, control you, and others eliminate you."
Yuto let out a quiet breath. "So hiding isn't an option?"
"No," Rias said. "It isn't."
She stepped closer to him. "That's why I'm enrolling you here. You'll be sponsored by the Gremory family and you'll have allies and be more protected here. Yes, it is true you'll have more enemies as well, but your allies will be closer to you. If we kept you at the house and didn't train you, you'd be more in danger. They will know you are weak right now once it is proved during classes and trials."
Yuto's smirk grew slightly. "If they think I'm weak, that just gives me room to move forward."
A quiet pause. Paul chuckled. A low, approving sound. "I like that answer."
Rias smiled faintly. "He's not what he looks like."
Paul turned back toward his desk. "Your enrollment will be processed immediately. Classes, training, and evaluations will begin soon for you. It just depends on the transfer time. So make sure you are prepared for them. Rias I imagine will help you with some of that. Here is something very important to, you growing stronger is very important to us and essential to your survival. My position here is at risk as well."
"Not everyone agrees with how things are being handled," Rias added on. "And tensions between factions have been rising lately. With the introduction of an SSS-Ranked Potential System user, this is bound to change things up a bit."
She turned to Yuto with a pleading look in her eyes. "Please Yuto, I want you to get stronger and I'll tell you everything I know about your system. Though a lot of it is still unknown to me and will probably show more once you level up. Prepare yourself for a future large scale war, things might get messy. Just know you are a member of the Gremory family now. You have a home here."
Yuto pulled Rias in for a hug. They said their goodbyes to the Principal and left.
The doors opened once more. As Yuto stepped back into the halls of Celestial Academy, he could feel it again. Eyes watching. Judging. Waiting. This wasn't just a school. It was a proving ground. And he had just entered it at the lowest rank possible. Yuto glanced ahead, a faint grin forming on his face.
Good.
That just meant there was nowhere to go, but up.
"Here, I'll show you a tour of the academy while we are here!" Rias said as her eyes lit up.
This girl never seems to not be full of energy, he thought to himself.