The white ceiling of the Student Council room was the first thing Issei saw. The soft light slipping through the curtains traced bright lines across the silent space. His body felt light, but his mind still carried the weight of blackout.
He blinked slowly, trying to piece his thoughts together.
'Did I faint?'
The silence broke with a firm voice ahead.
"Hyoudou Issei."
He turned his head and found Sona Sitri standing upright. The president kept her glasses aligned, her gaze fixed, her posture flawless. Beside her, Tsubaki watched in silence, arms crossed behind her back, her aura of discipline present even in the smallest details.
Issei slowly pushed himself up, leaning on his arms. The sofa beneath him creaked softly with the motion.
Screeech.
His eyes flicked between the two of them, until the question slipped out, laced with confusion.
"What happened, President?"
Sona didn't look away.
"You have officially joined the Student Council, Hyoudou Issei. From today, you are part of this institution under my direct supervision."
His face lit up at once. A wide smile formed easily, his chest swelling with pride.
"That's amazing, President! Now I'll always be here, surrounded by beautiful girls, with no one to stop me. Even my friends will die of envy!"
He laughed lightly, already picturing himself in wild fantasies.
Sona's expression stayed firm. Tsubaki narrowed her eyes, adjusting her glasses with a cold motion. The heavy silence between them made it clear that neither approved of the boy's shallow excitement.
Issei took a deep breath, still euphoric. The thrill filled his gestures, as if he believed he had just reached an untouchable rank within the school.
But the president's voice cut through again, cold and precise.
"Hyoudou, restrain yourself. There is something else you must know. What happened here was not just your entry into the Council. The most important part is that you are no longer human."
His smile faltered.
"What do you mean, President?"
Sona straightened her posture, stepping closer.
"You are now a Devil. Part of my peerage."
His body froze. The words echoed as if the ground had vanished beneath his feet.
"Devil?"
The word left him trembling, barely a whisper.
Tsubaki stepped forward, stopping to Sona's left. Her gaze was sharp, merciless.
"Yes, Hyoudou. You died as a human. You were remade as a Devil under Sona-sama's command. That is the truth."
Issei drew back slightly, feeling the air grow heavier. His heart pounded.
"That's… impossible…"
The answer came not in words.
Sona raised her arm. Magic condensed, and in an instant, two black wings unfolded, spreading wide. Their shadow stretched across the wall, covering half the room.
Fwoooosh.
Tsubaki followed her lead. Her wings emerged naturally, as solid as the discipline shaping her every movement.
The air in the room vibrated with demonic energy.
Issei's eyes widened, his body stiff with shock. Instinct screamed at him to retreat, but his legs refused to move.
The silence of the room was suffocating. Only the faint beating of wings filled the space.
Sona's eyes stayed on him, unblinking.
"This is reality, Hyoudou Issei. You belong to this world now. There is no return."
His chest rose and fell too quickly. Sweat slid down his neck as his mind tried to reject what his eyes saw.
"President… Senpai… is this really real?"
Tsubaki tilted her head slightly, but her gaze didn't soften.
"Yes. It's right before your eyes. If you still doubt, touch your own back."
Issei's hesitant hands reached behind him. His fingers met something different—warm, pulsing. The freshly formed wings reacted, trembling as if awakening for the first time.
Shhhhk.
He nearly collapsed from the shock of the sensation. Electricity rushed down his spine.
"I… I have wings…"
His voice wavered between despair and awe.
Sona slowly folded her wings, the dry sound marking the end of her display.
Clack.
Tsubaki did the same, the air calming again.
The heavy silence lingered until the president spoke once more.
"From now on, you will live as a Devil. Your body, your energy, your fate. All are bound to me."
She adjusted her glasses with a precise motion.
"And remember, Hyoudou Issei, being a Devil is not a privilege. It is a burden. And you will have to prove you are worthy of carrying it."
Issei stood frozen, his face pale. The wide smile that once dominated him was gone, replaced by a mix of fear and fascination.
His hands trembled against the sofa. His voice came out low, trembling.
"President… if I'm a Devil now… then does that mean God really exists? And the Devil too?"
Sona held his gaze, unhurried. The silence stretched for several seconds before she answered, cold and precise.
"The one you call the Devil is dead. He fell in the last great war between the races. The Underworld is no longer ruled by him, but by four Maou who inherited his place. They are the highest authority of Devils today."
The air grew heavier at her words. Issei leaned forward, struggling to process it.
"Then… what happens to me now, President?"
The question rang with fear and expectation.
Sona took a deep breath, her eyes sliding discreetly to her Queen.
"Tsubaki will guide you. In the coming weeks, she will oversee each step of your development. She will teach you what it means to be a Devil, and what is expected of you as part of my peerage."
Tsubaki stepped forward, her posture flawless, her wings already folded. The gleam on her glasses hid her cold eyes, which remained locked on Issei.
"It is my duty, Hyoudou. I will train you and enforce the discipline you need. The life you knew is over. From now on, every mistake will cost dearly, and I will accept no weakness."
Issei's heart raced. His body swayed between excitement at the revelation and fear of the strict path ahead.
Sona watched silently, but her thoughts were sharp. To transform him, she had used all eight pawns. A steep cost, impossible to ignore.
Her cold eyes narrowed.
'He must be worth that cost. If he fails to show value, I will have made an irreversible mistake.'
Issei swallowed hard. His body still shook from the revelation, but his voice came out steady, forced by sheer will.
"President… I… I'll give it my all. You can believe in me."
His tone couldn't hide the insecurity, but there was a spark of determination. A flicker of courage rising even in fear.
Tsubaki's expression remained rigid. The gleam on her glasses concealed her critical eyes, but the stiffness of her shoulders betrayed her distrust.
"Words mean nothing, Hyoudou. Only results matter. You will prove every phrase with sweat and discipline. Until then, your promises are just wind."
Silence weighed for a moment. Issei bowed his head, offering no protest. His face was still pale, but his body stayed upright.
"Understood, Senpai."
Sona adjusted her glasses, studying the boy with cold measure. The arrogance that once defined him was gone, replaced by a strained resolve.
"Despite your naivety, Hyoudou, I value that you committed yourself. The willingness to work is a beginning, however fragile. Few I have known possessed even that."
Her gaze sharpened, firm as a blade.
"Continue, and perhaps you will justify the price I paid for you."
Issei's heart pounded harder. He raised his head slowly, breathing deeply. Fear still lingered, but now his eyes carried something more: the need to prove himself worthy.
The room sank into silence once again. Only the distant ticking of a clock marked the time, reminding them all this was only the first step of Sona Sitri's new pawn.
The future, however, had already changed forever.
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