Jin looked straight at Rias Gremory, his tone firm and final.
"No."
The word cut through the quiet of the room like a blade.
Rias froze, momentarily stunned. This wasn't how she had pictured the conversation going—he was supposed to be curious, even intrigued ask questions . Instead, he'd gone completely off-script.
Jin set his grocery bags down on the table without another glance at her. From inside, he pulled out six cans of beer—purchased on the way home because he already knew tonight would be one of those nights.
He cracked one open, the hiss filling the silence, then casually held another can out toward her.
"You?"
She blinked, still a little dazed. "...No."
Jin took a seat across from her, leaning back, sipping slowly, and waiting for her to collect her thoughts.
Finally, Rias straightened in her seat, adopting the confident tone she'd rehearsed.
"Do you know what you're refusing? And who I am?"
Jin didn't even flinch. "Yes. Yes."
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "No—you definitely don't know what you're refusing. No one gets opportunities like this.You , You -"
He smirked faintly. " looks like we got on wrong footing . How about this—you tell me exactly what you're offering."
That subtle shift in tone was enough to change the whole dynamic. Rias realized, with a faint prickle of annoyance, that she was no longer in control of the conversation.
She crossed her legs, regaining her composure. "I assume you know about the supernatural?"
"In detail… Gremory heiress."
Her brows lifted at that. "Unexpected. Well… my offer is simple—you become a devil by joining my peerage . You gain strength beyond a human's limit, live for millennia, wield magic ."
"And in return," Jin said flatly, "I become your slave?"
"No," she replied quickly, almost offended. "I think you've misunderstood. You'd be part of my peerage , that's like my family . I know how humans think of it many of humans and i=other have turn , but it's nothing like slavery."
"So reincarnated devils are treated well, then?"
"Yes," she said firmly. "There are… occasional issues, but nothing you'd have to worry about."
Jin tilted his head. "And how would you explain stray devils?"
She hesitated a fraction too long. "That—! They disobey their master and run away."
"So… you're saying if someone wants to leave, they can't and they have to do what is ask from them , absolut order . Sounds like slavery to me."
"No! That's not—"
"Save your breath," he interrupted. "You're not offering me anything worth joining your side for."
Her eyes sharpened. "Your arm. I can restore it—good as new."
Jin rolled his shoulder, the stump of his arm visible. "Don't need you for that."
"Magic. Longevity. Power. Money. Women. Anything you desire—if you join me."
Jin didn't even hesitate. "Answer's still the same: no. I prefer earning my own things, not having them handed to me."
Rias felt her confidence fray. She had dangled every card she had and she could think of , and nothing moved him. And why i am going for such length i just here to test water .
"The Manji Clan is looking for you," she warned. "You could die."
"Highly doubt it," Jin replied. "If they come for me, they die."
"If you kill them in my territory, it creates problems for me."
"Then don't let them reach me. If they do, every single one of them will die. Simple."
Rias sat back, inwardly wondering where the conversation had gone so wrong.
Jin finished his first beer, setting the empty can on the table. "Anything else to say?"
Her voice was cool now. "No."
"Then please go. I want to rest."
Rias stood, her expression unreadable, and began weaving a teleportation circle beneath her feet. She gave him one last look.
"Give it another thought."
The light flared—and she was gone.
=======
The warm aroma of Earl Grey drifted lazily through the air, only just masking the faint metallic tang from a recently used summoning circle. Afternoon light poured through the tall windows, gilding the curtains and glinting on the polished table.
Rias sat in her usual seat, one leg elegantly crossed over the other. Her posture was as composed as ever, but the faint crease between her brows betrayed her irritation.
At the tea set, Akeno moved with unhurried grace, pouring amber liquid into fine porcelain cups. She didn't even glance up, the faint curve of her lips making it clear she already knew Rias's mood.
"It seems," Akeno murmured in her soft, lilting tone, "that your late-night conversation didn't go quite as smoothly as you'd hoped."
Rias's sigh was quiet but edged, her crimson eyes narrowing as she recalled the exchange. "He answered nothing directly. Every time I pressed, he sidestepped. And by the end…" Her fingers tapped the armrest once before stilling. "…I realized I was the one accommodating him." Her tone cooled. "It was… vexing."
Akeno finally looked up, amusement dancing in her violet eyes. "Ara, ara… sounds like you've met quite the man."
Rias sighed dryly, tilting her chin ever so slightly.
The kettle clicked as Akeno set it aside. She slid a cup toward Rias with smooth precision. "My, my… to hear you speak this much about any man, Rias… I think I simply must meet him."
Rias accepted the cup with her usual elegance, though her shoulders held the faintest stiffness. "You're enjoying this far too much."
"But of course," Akeno replied smoothly, resting her cheek in her palm.
Rias let out a quiet huff, the corner of her mouth betraying a reluctant smile. "Nothing I offered swayed him. I used the most basic temptations — wealth, power, women. He refused all of it, insisting he preferred to earn what he wanted. And… he has an unconventional view of the peerage system."
Akeno's chuckle was low and warm, with a mischievous edge. "Mmm… and what troubles you more — his ability to avoid your traps, or the fact you can't quite decide whether to pursue him harder… or let him keep running?"
Rias set her cup down with a quiet click, her eyes gleaming with steel. "…I don't intend to let him run wild in my territory."
Akeno's smile widened. "Ara… that's the Rias I know."
A sudden flare of silver light lit the room as a summoning circle materialized, its sigils burning briefly before fading. Grayfia stepped from the glow, immaculate as ever, a scroll in her hand.
Rias straightened immediately. "Grayfia… nee-san."
Grayfia's expression was as composed as ice — official business. She unfurled the scroll. "Rias Gremory."
The younger devil sat upright, recognizing Grayfia's formal tone.
"By decision of the Devil Council," Grayfia began, "the Manji Clan is granted permission to hunt Jin Kazuma within Kuoh territory. As this is a matter between humans, it does not concern the devils. From this point forward, no devils are to intervene. Rias Gremory and Sona Shitori are hereby ordered not to assist the human in any way."
She closed the parchment with crisp finality.
"They can't do this," Rias snapped. "This is my territory. They don't get to dictate how I manage it."
"Actually, they can," Grayfia replied evenly. "If devils are seen interfering in a human conflict, Heaven will take notice. That could trigger diplomatic consequences we would prefer to avoid."
Rias's eyes narrowed. "What did my brother say about this?"
"He agreed not to intervene. He does not wish to escalate tensions between the Japanese clans, Heaven, and the devils."
"This is absurd," Rias muttered.
"For allowing this matter to take place within yours and Sona's territory," Grayfia continued, "the Lords Satan negotiated a minor boon from the Council. You may invoke it within reason."
Rias frowned. "And what good is that?"
"Rias," Akeno interjected gently, "don't be rash. This might be an opportunity."
Rias turned to her. "What do you mean?"
Akeno's lips curved into that knowing smile. "Your engagement. You could use this boon to renegotiate… perhaps even dissolve it entirely. At the very least, you could gain a much more favorable position."
Rias's expression shifted — the heat of her anger cooling into calculation. "…I see."
Grayfia's eyes flicked briefly to Akeno, a silent nod of approval. "I must deliver the same message to Sona. Please excuse me."
In a shimmer of magic, she was gone.
Rias sank back into her seat, caught between the urge to protect her interests… and the knowledge that the Manji Clan would soon be hunting Jin Kazuma within her domain.