Seeing Akiyama Ren's stubbornness, Hiratsuka Shizuka could only sigh and pinch the bridge of her nose in exasperation.
"You can create a club… but it better not be something ridiculous. If it's even remotely suspicious, I'll shut it down myself."
"Relax, Sensei." Ren offered a confident grin. "I'm a model student."
Shizuka snorted. "That's exactly what worries me."
Still, the two returned to the faculty office, and Ren immediately began filling out the club application form. That was the easy part—until he reached the section asking for the club name.
He froze.
Pen spinning between his fingers, Ren leaned back in thought.
What kind of club should I make…?
"Magic Research Society? Nah, sounds like a cult. Jujutsu Study Group? That'd get me flagged. Supernatural Club? Too suspicious. Hiratsuka-sensei would torch the form on the spot…"
He frowned, tapping his pen against the desk. He needed something subtle. Something that hinted at mystery but flew under the radar.
Then, it hit him.
Occult Research Club.
(Yes, I know it's from DXD but i really couldn't come up with anything better.)
It sounded harmless. Vague. A little intriguing. Just the right balance of official-sounding nonsense and plausible deniability.
Ren quickly scrawled the name across the form, filled in the details, and handed it over with a smile.
Hiratsuka raised an eyebrow as she scanned the paper. "Occult Research Club? What even is this?"
"Just a little group for researching unexplained phenomena," Ren said innocently.
Shizuka squinted at him. "Supernatural stuff?"
"Academic interest only," Ren replied smoothly.
She stared at him for a long moment, clearly debating whether to rip the form in half. But in the end, she sighed and scribbled her approval.
"Fine. But the school requires you to recruit three members within a week, or the club gets dissolved. You'll also be assigned an unused classroom."
"Got it," Ren said, finally breathing easy. "A week's plenty of time."
Back in class, he wasn't in any rush to recruit. He had other things to deal with.
The bell rang, signaling the start of first period, and the homeroom teacher walked in—along with an unfamiliar figure.
She was striking.
A girl with long orange hair tied in a side ponytail, skin like porcelain, and sharp violet eyes that gleamed with quiet confidence. Her presence alone seemed to draw the room's attention like gravity.
"Everyone," the teacher said, clapping her hands. "We have a new transfer student joining us today. Please give her a warm welcome."
The guys in class didn't need prompting—they were already wide-eyed and applauding like trained seals.
The girl stepped forward gracefully, bowed slightly, and introduced herself. "My name is Kurahashi Kyōko. I transferred from the Shibuya Onmyō Academy. I look forward to studying with you."
Shibuya Onmyō Academy?
Ren's brows shot up. No way.
Kurahashi Kyōko… the third heroine from Tokyo Ravens? An actual onmyōji? What is she doing at Soubu High?
Was this another convergence? Just like Maki Zen'in? Were these characters being drawn to him?
While Ren was still processing, Kyōko made her move.
As if on cue, Kyōko walked right up the classroom aisle—straight to the desk in front of Ren. The boy sitting there blinked up at her, slightly wary.
"Excuse me," she said sweetly to the boy seated there. "May I sit here?"
Then she casually formed a one-handed seal. It was fluid, practiced, but almost invisible to those who didn't know what to look for.
Ren saw it clearly.
Onmyōdō… illusion-type technique.
A moment later, the boy's eyes glazed over. He smiled like a puppy and nodded. "Of course!"
Without further protest, he packed up his things and wandered off to a corner seat like a mindless NPC.
The rest of the class stared, slack-jawed.
That boy was a known hothead—never listened to teachers, never gave up his seat, not even for the principal. But now he surrendered without so much as a grumble?
The girls in class weren't thrilled either. Yuigahama Yui and Sagami Minami, who usually ruled the popularity charts, looked especially sour. Once hailed as first and second place in the "Class Idols" ranking, they'd just been knocked down a peg in real time.
And Kyōko didn't even seem aware of it.
She simply took her seat like a queen claiming her throne.
Ren, meanwhile, was fixated—not on her beauty, but on what she had just done.
So this is Onmyōdō… he mused, eyes sharp. It's nothing like Jujutsu or Western magic. It's cleaner. More spiritual. Refined.
The homeroom teacher wrapped up the introduction and left. Another teacher arrived, starting a lesson Ren had no intention of paying attention to.
His thoughts remained on the technique Kyōko used.
Ren had never studied Onmyōdō. Not once. No training, no instruction.
But that didn't matter.
Because he wasn't just anyone.
He was a god.
The divine power that coursed through his veins wasn't just strong—it was adaptive.
Curious, he decided to try it. He traced the seal she used from memory, channeling divine energy where spiritual power would normally flow.
A gentle pulse of power shimmered out from him like a ripple.
A moment later, every student in the class slumped forward, heads hitting their desks with a thud. Some snored. Others drooled. Total unconsciousness.
A mass illusion. Perfect execution.
All except one.
Kurahashi Kyōko suddenly stiffened, then whipped around in her seat to glare at Ren.
Her eyes were wide in disbelief.
"You… You just cast an illusion technique?" she whispered, trying not to raise alarm in the sleeping classroom.
Ren grinned. "It looked fun. So I gave it a shot."
Kyōko's gaze sharpened. "Don't joke. You've never used Onmyōdō before?"
"Nope. I was just a regular guy until about a week ago," he said, leaning forward. "Then I had a run-in with the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons in Shinjuku. Things got weird. I awakened something..., I guess."
Kyōko stared, speechless.
"…You're insane," she muttered. "My grandmother told me you might be gifted, but this? This is unheard of. A first-time user casting a class-wide illusion? That takes years of training."
Ren raised an eyebrow. "Wait, your grandmother?"
"She's the Headmistress of the Shibuya Onmyō Academy," Kyōko said, recovering quickly. "She told me to seek you out. To observe, maybe even recruit you. Now I see why."
She leaned closer, eyes gleaming with interest. "If you want, I can take you to our school. With my recommendation, the headmistress would open the back door for you."
Ren chuckled, waving her off. "Appreciate it, but I'll pass. I like it here at Soubu. Chill vibe. Not many demons roaming the halls."
Kyōko looked disappointed. "You're wasting potential."
"Not necessarily. How about this—" Ren grinned mischievously. "You teach me Onmyōdō, and I'll teach you something in return."
"…Like what?" she asked warily.
"Jujutsu. Magic. Take your pick."
Kyōko blinked. "I know Jujutsu. But Magic? Like… stage tricks?"
Ren shook his head. "No, I mean actual Magic. Spellcraft. The kind that blows up buildings if you're not careful. In the West, they call it Magic. In China, it's Daoism. Same stuff, different wrapping."
He left out the part where it all came from other worlds, accessed through his System and the mysterious Stargate. Those were secrets he'd never share.
Even if he ruled this entire world someday, some cards stayed close to the chest.
"…Interesting," Kyōko said slowly. "Alright then. Let's trade knowledge."
Ren smiled, leaning back with satisfaction.
Hook, line, and sinker.
She was powerful, sure. But still just a girl who hadn't seen the wider world beyond her own magical heritage.
To Ren, she was already in his orbit.
Just like Maki.
**********
Attached is Kurahashi Kyoko, couldn't find good images/art on Pinterest.