Warmth.
That was the first thing Yuto noticed. Soft. Comfortable. Pressed against his side. His eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the morning light filtering through the curtains. For a brief second, he forgot where he was. Then reality settled in.
The Gremory mansion. The Underworld. Celestial Academy.
Rias Gremory.
Yuto glanced down slightly.
Rias was still asleep, curled against him, her head resting comfortably on his chest. Her crimson hair was slightly messy, draped across him, and her breathing was soft and steady. He blinked once. Then smirked faintly. "Yeah… I could get used to this."
Rias stirred slightly at the sound of his voice, her eyes fluttering open.
"…Morning," she murmured, her voice still soft with sleep.
"Morning," Yuto replied.
For a moment, neither of them moved. Then reality hit.
"…We have school today," Rias said, sighing lightly as she slowly pulled herself up.
Yuto groaned quietly. "Right. That thing."
Rias smiled slightly. "Don't sound so excited."
"I just watched your brother casually erase attacks that could probably wipe out cities," Yuto said, sitting up. "Now I have to go to class and listen to probably a boring teacher. I hope school is better down here than it was up there as a human."
She laughed softly. "Welcome to your new life."
They both got out of bed. Yuto stretched slightly before heading over to the neatly folded uniform laid out for him. The Celestial Academy uniform. Black and yellow, tailored perfectly. It looked sharp and to be honest a little bit edgy, but overall it looked alright.
"Not bad," he muttered as he slipped it on.
It fit like it was made for him. The Gremory family must have some good tailors.
Rias grabbed her own uniform before heading toward the door.
"I'll change in my room," she said. "Meet me downstairs."
"Got it."
A few minutes later, The mansion doors opened once more as the two stepped out together. Rias looked composed as always. Elegant. Confident. The uniform only made her stand out more. She already looked like a queen without the uniform, but with it, she just looked more dashing.
Yuto glanced at her. "You're definitely going to draw attention."
Rias smirked. "I always do. I only want your attention though."
Yuto didn't know what to say to that as he just chuckled and looked away. They stepped into the limo, the door closing behind them as the vehicle began to move. The ride was quiet. Not awkward. Focused. Yuto stared out the window as the academy slowly came into view again.
This time it felt different.
Last time, he was just observing. Now? He was walking into it with a purpose. The limo came to a stop. The driver got out of the car and opened the doors for them. The moment they stepped out, heads turned.
Immediately. Whispers. Eyes. Attention. All of it locked onto them. Well, mostly here.
"Is that—"
"Rias Gremory…"
"She transferred here?"
Yuto heard it all. Then came the other voices. Quieter. Sharpened. Mysterious.
"Who's that with her?"
"New guy?"
"Feels weak."
A small chuckle from somewhere nearby. "It's just another reincarnated devil."
Yuto's eyes flickered slightly to the source of the voice. The voice came from a small group of people he did not know who said it. He sighed. Even though he had an overpowered system, being a reincarnated devil didn't help with the social status and being this weak currently did not help things either. Demons listened to power.
Yuto followed. They moved through the halls once again.
This time, the stares felt heavier. Because now? He was part of it. He was no longer just somebody touring a school. He was a member of the Celestial Academy who would change the tide of the politics going on there.
They didn't head toward a classroom. Instead, they stopped in front of a familiar door. The Principal's office. Rias knocked once.
"Enter."
They stepped inside.
Paul Walton sat behind his desk, already looking at them.
"Right on time," he said.
Yuto crossed his arms slightly. "First day. Figured I shouldn't be late."
Paul gave a faint smile.
"I've already spoken with Zeoticus," he said. "Your enrollment has been fully processed."
Yuto nodded.
"No entrance exams," Paul continued. "You'll be placed directly into classes."
"Convenient," Yuto replied.
Paul adjusted his glasses slightly.
"Also," he added, "there was something else."
Rias tilted her head slightly. "Something else?"
Paul's expression shifted just a bit.
"A surprise."
Before either of them could respond, the office door opened. A staff member stepped in, stepping aside. And then, she walked in. Yuto's eyes locked instantly. Long, flowing black hair in a neat ponytail. A confident, elegant posture. A figure that was impossible to ignore, her uniform fitting her just as perfectly as Rias's, if not more dangerously.
And her eyes were playful with a hint of danger behind them.
"Akeno," Rias breathed.
The girl smiled warmly. "Rias!"
And in the next second, they embraced warmly.
"You transferred?!" Rias asked, clearly surprised.
Akeno laughed softly. "Of course I did. Did you think I'd stay behind?"
Rias smiled, clearly happy. Yuto watched quietly. Then Akeno's gaze shifted to him. She paused as she took in the appearance of this new person before her. If he was with Rias, that meant he was for sure worth some interest.
"Ara," she said softly, tilting her head slightly.
Yuto felt it instantly. That same subtle tension. That spark. She stepped forward.
"Well now," Akeno said, her voice carrying a teasing warmth.
"You must be the one I've been hearing about."
Yuto smirked slightly. "Depends what you heard."
She giggled. "Oh? Confident too."
She extended her hand. "Akeno Himejima. It's a pleasure."
Yuto took it. The moment their hands touched, something clicked. Subtle, but undeniable.
Her fingers lingered just slightly. Her eyes met his.
A status screen popped up silently next to them.
[New Bond Detected]
Target: Akeno Himejima
Current Bond Rank: E (45/100)
Status: Initial Contact Established
"You're quite handsome," she said boldly, not noticing the screen next to them.
Yuto raised an eyebrow. "Straight to the point, huh?"
Rias laughed softly from the side. "She's always like that."
Paul sighed, rubbing his temple slightly. "Let's keep things professional."
Akeno giggled again, pulling her hand back. "Of course, Principal."
Paul stood. "Good. Now that introductions are out of the way—"
He glanced at all three of them. "Your first class is about to begin."
Rias nodded. "Understood."
Paul gestured toward the door. "Go. And try not to cause too much trouble on your first day."
No promises. They stepped out together. The door closing behind them. And as they began walking toward their classroom, Yuto could already feel it. The tension. The eager curiosity of discovering more magic. The drive to become stronger. Who knows what other kind of interesting people he might meet as well.
Things were about to get a lot more interesting.