System Log: Task Sequence Initiated
The sun dipped low behind Kuoh Academy, staining the skies a deep orange-red as the school emptied. The last of the students trickled out in laughter and casual chatter, unaware that in the shadows of their mundane world, powers far older and greater stirred.
Issei Hyoudou stood before the door of the Occult Research Club, his fingers brushing the sigil etched into the wood—a crimson bat-winged rose. Something ancient pulsed behind it. Magic. Authority. Bloodlines.
He exhaled slowly and knocked.
The door opened without sound, revealing the club's familiar warmth. Antique furniture rested atop rich rugs, the scent of tea mingled with parchment and incense, and golden evening light spilled in through stained-glass windows. Power hummed here, subtle but oppressive—an undercurrent like a heartbeat.
Behind her desk, Rias Gremory looked up, eyes gleaming with soft approval. Her crimson hair fell around her like velvet fire, and her presence—undeniable.
"You came," she said, her voice velvet and command all at once. "Good. Come in."
"Would I miss an invitation from the most beautiful girl in school?" Issei answered with a grin, stepping inside.
Across the room, Akeno smiled from behind a silver tea set, her eyes teasing. "Flattery already? You're improving, Issei-kun. Tea?"
"Please."
Kiba nodded from the couch, and Koneko sat silently near the bookshelf, her golden gaze fixed on him. She squinted slightly, nose twitching.
"You smell different. Again. Like sunlight and… ash."
Before he could reply, the familiar chime echoed in his mind.
[System Notification: Significant Domain Entered — Occult Research Club]
[New Task Chain Unlocked]
Task One: Assert dominance over Akeno's masochistic tendencies.
Reward: Lightning Affinity (Goro Goro tier), sea-based weakness not applied.
Task Two: Help reconnect Koneko and Kuroka.
Reward: +100 Kuroka Affection, +30 Koneko Affection, Nemean Cestus Gauntlets (God of War 3), Strength Boost.
Task Three: Duel Kiba.
Reward: Blacksmithing Knowledge, Hakuro Swordsmanship Style, Choice of Three Legendary Swords — Shusui (One Piece), Aether Sword (The Beginning After The End), No-name Zanpakuto (Bleach).
Task Four: Impress the team during tonight's stray devil hunt.
Reward: Random Magic Affinity, +10% to all base stats.
Task Five: Form pact with Ddraig.
Reward: Fire & Lava Elemental Control.
Task Six: Get revenge on Raynare.
Reward: Liberation from Self-Loathing, Confidence Trait Unlocked.
Issei blinked. "Six tasks now? You're really piling it on, System."
[Growth demands adversity, Host. This is how dragons are forged.]
[Ddraig: And how they become kings.]
He sat, the fire within him still pulsing faintly from his earlier evolution. His body ached in places no human muscle chart could explain. But more than that—his magic core felt… different. Brighter. Heavier. Like it wasn't just fire anymore—but sunlight.
Rias noticed. Her gaze lingered longer than usual.
"You've changed," she said, crossing the room with the grace of a queen. "Again."
Issei looked at her, heat simmering behind his eyes. He wasn't afraid to meet her stare anymore. He wasn't the nervous, weak boy from yesterday.
He was more.
"A lot can change in a day," he said, voice low. "Especially when you've got dragons in your blood."
Kiba raised an eyebrow. "That sounds… literal."
Akeno's lips curved. "Oh? Did our dear Issei awaken something special?"
Koneko narrowed her eyes. "He glows. From the inside."
Issei lifted his hand—and at his will, radiant golden light shimmered along his skin, dancing like embers beneath the surface. Heat filled the room, gentle but commanding. His aura flared subtly, an echo of the primordial fire within.
"After I awakened my dragon bloodline," he said calmly, "my magic changed. It started adapting to me. And maybe… to who I care about."
Rias blinked. "What do you mean?"
He turned to her, golden sparks flickering in his eyes.
"I named it 'Crimson Sun.'"
The room stilled.
Kiba looked stunned. Koneko blinked once. Akeno made a soft noise of surprise.
But Rias… Rias froze a second longer than the others.
"You… named your power after me?" she asked, voice lower now, more vulnerable than before.
Issei shrugged, but his grin was quiet and proud. "You gave me this second life. You lit the fire. So yeah. I wanted to honor that."
A flush bloomed across her pale cheeks. For a moment, Rias Gremory—the High-Class Devil, heir of the Gremory clan—looked genuinely caught off guard.
Then—
"Fufu~" Akeno's chuckle danced through the room like wind-chimes in a summer breeze. She leaned against the tea table, resting her chin on her palm, eyes glinting. "How bold, Issei-kun. Naming your flame after Rias? That's practically a love confession."
Rias gave her a warning glance, but Akeno only smiled sweeter.
"Oh my, Rias. You're blushing. How uncharacteristically maidenly of you."
"I am not," Rias replied, smoothing her skirt in a vain attempt to mask her flustered expression.
Kiba coughed politely into his hand, pretending to ignore the smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Then—
Koneko moved.
Without warning, she stood, padded quietly across the room, and settled beside Issei on the armrest of his chair. Not speaking. Not asking.
She just… stayed close.
Everyone stared.
Issei blinked. "Uh… Koneko?"
Her ears twitched. Her expression remained unreadable.
"I don't know," she muttered. "But something inside said stay near you."
Her fingers lightly brushed his sleeve. "Feels warm."
Issei felt his breath catch. Not from attraction—but surprise. She wasn't the touchy type. Not even close.
Akeno looked genuinely intrigued now, fanning herself theatrically. "Ara, ara… it seems little Koneko-chan has awakened a new instinct."
"Shut up," Koneko said flatly, but she didn't move away.
Rias tilted her head slightly, her mind clearly racing. Whatever power had stirred in Issei… it wasn't just affecting him.
Before the moment could deepen, Rias straightened her posture and took control once again.
"We have work tonight. A stray devil near the forest perimeter. Class D. Dangerous, but not a threat if we work together."
She met Issei's gaze.
"This is your chance to prove yourself."
[System Alert: Task Four — Initiated. Impress the team during tonight's hunt.]
[Countdown: 01:53:27]
"I'll show you what Crimson Sun can really do," he said, standing. "And I'll show that devil what happens when you challenge a dragon."
[Ddraig: Burn it to cinders, Partner.]
[System: Confidence Detected. Preparing battlefield protocols.]
As the sun vanished below the horizon and twilight bled across the world, Issei Hyoudou stood taller than he had yesterday.
His aura was draconic. His bloodline divine. And in his hands burned a new flame—one born of sunlight and forged in affection.
He didn't walk like a pawn anymore.
He walked like a king.