Half an hour later, Roy returned home.
Sitting on the sofa, he opened his attribute panel, eyeing the haul from Rias.
[Luck's Favor (Red): Blessed by the world, luck surges, making good things more likely in daily life.]
Good news: he scored.
Bad news: it's meh.
Wearing the entry all the way home, Roy felt zero difference.
"Where's this luck boosting?"
Scratching his head, Roy didn't unequip it, letting it temporarily replace Power of Destruction.
Power of Destruction only shone in combat—useless for training or daily life. Like Immortality, he'd swap it back when needed.
"Weight's not cutting it anymore."
Stripping off his shirt, Roy glanced at his weighted vest.
As his strength grew, he'd kept piling on weight.
But for a high-class devil, human gear was too light.
No matter how intense, the effect stayed mediocre.
"Guess I'll ask Rias later if the Underworld's got heavier gear."
Meanwhile, at Rias's place.
Fresh home, Rias grabbed her phone, venting to her bestie.
"Sona, can you believe it?"
"In that mood, Roy didn't try to hug me or take it further—he dragged me to spar!"
"Thinking back, I still can't wrap my head around it. What's going through his mind? I'm lost."
"If you could understand, you'd be the weirdo."
On the other end, Sona, just lying down, slipped on her glasses and sighed.
"So, what happened? Did you take his fight invite?"
"…Yeah."
"Scratch that—you're already plenty weird."
"Not my fault!"
Rias scrambled to save face. "Whenever Roy wants to spar, he gets obsessed."
"If I say no, he'll bug me every day."
"Works out, doesn't it? More time together."
Sona sighed again, mulling over how to dodge the topic.
But then, Rias caught the vibe—her friend wasn't herself.
"Sona, you feeling down?"
"Not exactly. I'm happy you escaped your mess."
"Then why all the sighing?"
"My family just reached out."
Sona's voice carried a hint of resignation. "After watching your Rating Game, they're worried I'll pull something with a strong retainer too, so they're pushing me to finalize my engagement."
"Oof, sorry."
Rias's expression turned awkward.
Like her, Sona was stuck in a family-arranged engagement.
With that shared experience, Rias got how she felt.
"No need to apologize. It's not your fault no matter how you slice it."
Sona's voice came through. "Honestly, I'm kinda grateful. Your case gives me a shot to try something."
"Need help?"
"No, I'll figure it out."
"Alright."
After some small talk, Rias hung up, her face thoughtful.
Sona said she didn't need help, but as her bestie, Rias couldn't just sit idle.
"I'll talk to Roy later, see if he's got any bright ideas."
7:00 AM, Occult Research Club.
"Morning, Rias."
"Morning, Roy. Got a sec?"
"Always. What's up?"
"I've got something to talk about."
"Funny, so do I."
"?"
This exchange felt oddly familiar.
After a few seconds staring at Roy, Rias quietly set down her teacup.
"I'm not fighting today."
"Ahem, misunderstanding."
Roy waved it off, explaining his weight training issue.
"Dragging tires or training under a waterfall could work, but I'd prefer portable high-weight gear. Anything like that in the Underworld?"
Rias thought for a moment, then shook her head. "Not that I know of. If you're not in a rush, I can look into it."
Pure-blood devils typically had high natural talent.
Even doing nothing, they'd grow stronger over time.
With lifespans starting at ten thousand years, most devils didn't bother training.
In the Underworld, Rias—someone who endorsed training and drilled her peerage—was the oddball.
No demand, no supply—no weighted gear tech.
"Appreciate it."
Roy handed the task to Rias, then switched gears.
"What were you gonna say?"
"Sona's got some trouble. I'm wondering if we can help."
Skipping the venting, Rias recapped her call with Sona.
"Cancel an engagement? I'm a pro at this."
Roy thumped his chest. "Leave it to me—I'll fix it for Sona."
Rias: "?"
You'll fix it? How?
Staring at Roy's brimming confidence, Rias felt an inexplicable dread.
"Alright, what's your plan?"
"Same as you—challenge her fiancé to a Rating Game and beat him down."
"That won't work. Sona's peerage is way outmatched by her fiancé's."
"Then close the gap."
"How?"
Roy pointed at himself. "You and Sona trade chess pieces—swap me over to fight for her."
Rias: "???"
You're a damn genius.
Gaping at the man dropping world-shaking wisdom, Rias opened her mouth, speechless.
Roy's plan was… feasible.
Heck, it'd probably work.
But the Underworld's gossip mill would explode.
"Personally, I'd rather my boyfriend didn't spark weird rumors."
"Rumors? Come on."
Roy tilted his head. "Sona's got a crush on me. Helping her out's only natural."
"…I've never figured out how you landed on that."
"It's obvious."
Roy glanced at his entry notes, voice firm. "Sona's totally into me!"
Rias: "…"
Help! My boyfriend's a narcissist—what do I do?
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