Chapter 42 - My Decision
"You all? Including Kiba?"
"Yep," Rias glanced at Roy with a slight smile.
"What's your take on our Occult Research Club? Yuto included. Be honest."
Seeing Roy hesitate, she added, "No need to hold back."
"I'm curious too, Roy," Kiba said, smiling.
"Ara, Roy-kun, don't be shy," Akeno teased.
"We're dying to know."
"I want to hear," Koneko fixed on Roy.
Roy sighed inwardly.
'Everyone's piling on, huh?'
He glanced at Akeno.
'She says 'don't be shy,' but if I roast them, I'm betting on revenge.'
"Kiba and I haven't known each other long, but we've hit it off," Roy said, keeping it vague.
"Feels like we could be good friends."
Simple, but it made Kiba beam.
"Sounds like Kiba's got your approval," Rias looked pleased.
Her peerage member's good impression reflected well on her.
"As for you three…" Roy paused.
"We've barely hung out, so it's tough to judge. But everyone's been welcoming since I got here. Seems like you're good people."
"'Good people' from Roy-kun feels a bit safe," Akeno propped her cheek with a smirk.
"But at least it's not a failing grade."
"Good people?" Rias echoed, chuckling wryly.
Perfunctory, but positive.
Koneko glanced away, losing interest.
"You asked for honesty," Roy said, shrugging.
"You've got solid reps at Kuoh Academy, and Kiba vouches for you."
"That's a good sign. Anything deeper needs more time."
"Fair enough."
"Still, it stings that part of Roy-kun's approval rides on Yuuto," Akeno gave Kiba a look before smirking at Roy.
"Himejima-senpai, maybe stick to the dignified senpai vibe," Roy quipped.
"Oh, so that's your type, Roy-kun?" Akeno said, eyes gleaming.
"I can do the cool, majestic beauty-senpai if you want. Ready to try it?"
'She's relentless,' Roy laughed a little.
'Wrong place, wrong time, or I might've played along.'
"No thanks," he said, deadpan.
"Such a buzzkill," Akeno said, pouting dramatically.
"You already called me out for that," Roy shot back.
Rias, thoughtfully, shifted gears.
"Yuuto's speed and strength are superhuman. You noticed, right?"
"Insane," Roy said, shaking his head.
"Never seen anyone move like that. How's he training? He could snatch Olympic gold."
Yuto gave an embarrassed chuckle.
"You could have that power too, if you wanted," Rias's voice laced with allure.
"Hm?" Roy raised an eyebrow, playing puzzled.
'Showdown time?'
"Some special workout?" he asked, faking curiosity.
Rias exchanged glances with Akeno, Koneko, and Kiba, then took a deep breath, her smile confident.
"We're devils."
She'd decided: Roy was her ideal Knight.
His favorable impression made now the perfect time to reveal the truth.
Even if he recoiled, her honesty would leave a mark.
Plus, his earlier devil comments gave her a baseline to strategize.
"Rias-senpai, you joking?"
"No joke," Rias said, rising from the sofa.
Snap~
A sound like wings unfurling echoed in the Occult Research Club room.
Jet-black bat-like wings spread behind Rias, her crimson hair and the dim light casting a sultry, commanding aura.
"Let's reintroduce ourselves," she said, curtsying elegantly.
"I'm Rias Gremory, heir of the Gremory Clan, a High-Class devil."
"I'm Akeno Himejima, Rias's Queen," Akeno said, her own black wings unfurling.
"I'm Toujou Koneko, Rias's Rook," Koneko said, nodding as her wings appeared.
"And you, Kiba?" Roy asked, calm.
"I'm Yuuto Kiba, Rias's Knight," Yuto said, spreading his wings.
"You guys…" Roy sighed, leaning back.
"This is just cosplay, right? The club's a front for anime fans?"
The four froze.
"I can handle the hobby," Roy continued.
"Those wings look real."
Rias blinked, dumbfounded.
"We're serious, Roy. These wings are real, not props."
"Can I touch?" Roy asked.
"Of course, Roy-kun," Akeno said, turning to present her wings.
Roy reached out, feeling their warm, soft texture.
"Mmm~" Akeno let out a playful moan.
"Can I try someone else?" Roy said, expressionless, quickly touching Akeno's hand instead before looking at Koneko.
"Please," Koneko said, turning, hands behind her back.
[Congratulations, host. 300,000 dimension points absorbed.]
The system pinged as Roy's fingers brushed Koneko's wings.
"Hurry up," Koneko said, stifling a reaction, her voice tight.
'Sensitive wings, huh?' Roy noted, amused.
"Alright, they're real," he said, pulling back with a serious nod.
"Catch you later!"
He turned to leave, but Akeno grabbed his arm.
"Roy-kun, you touched me and Koneko," she said, her smile teasing but edged.
"No boy's ever touched our wings. First time, and you're just walking away?"
"Koneko, back me up," Akeno said.
Koneko, despite finding Akeno's dramatics overblown, nodded under her gaze.
Roy sat back down.
"Fine, what's the plan?"
"You're… okay with us being devils?" Rias asked, surprised.
"Seems fine," Roy said, nodding.
"No malice from you guys. If you meant harm, you wouldn't be chatting me up like this."
"Rias-senpai, all that supernatural and devil talk was to ease me in, right?"
"Glad you get it," Rias sighed.
"I thought explaining would be harder."
"So Roy-kun was faking that exit?" Akeno said, catching on.
"Rias-senpai, you went through all this—inviting me, revealing your secret. What's the goal?" Roy asked.
"I want you in my peerage," Rias said bluntly.
"Like Kiba? A devil?"
"Exactly," Rias said.
"Hear me out before you decide."
"Sounds big," Roy said, nodding.
"It'll flip your worldview," Rias said, serious.
Roy smirked inwardly.
'Transmigration and the system already did that.'
"The world's not what it seems," Rias began.
"Beyond humans, there are intelligent beings—most from myths and legends, some unknown to humanity."
She laid out cosmology: devils, angels, fallen angels, dragons, and more, focusing on Biblical mythology.
From God's creation to the war among angels, fallen angels, and devils, to the Four Great Satans' reforms modernizing devil society.
"So, you devils ditched soul-stealing for a contract system?" Roy asked, grinning.
"Pretty much," Rias said, proud.
"The Four Great Satans overhauled the culture."
"Not all bought in—some still cling to old ways, and we're working to stop them."
"Devils running a job system instead of soul deals," Roy said, chuckling.
"Wild."
"Hundreds of years ago, we wouldn't have believed it either," Rias said, smiling.
She explained devil reincarnation.
The three faction war took many devils, prompting the Four Great Satans to create Evil Pieces, reincarnating other races as devils to bolster their ranks.
Pieces mimicked chess.
"What about the King piece?" Roy asked, noting Rias skipped it.
"No true King piece exists yet," Rias said.
"Underworld tech isn't there. My King piece is symbolic, just a title."
"Now, the point," Rias added.
"I want you as my Knight."
"Your strength matches a Low-Class, but against stronger foes, you'd struggle."
"Yuuto held back a lot—you'd have lost fast if he hadn't."
"But with a Knight Piece, your power would leap. You'd hold your own against supernatural creatures."
"With this dangerous world, that's tempting, Rias-senpai," Roy said, nodding.
"So, Roy?" Rias asked, looking hopeful.
"Nope, I'm out," Roy said bluntly.
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