Grayfia vanished in a flash of light from the magic circle, taking Rias and her Queen with her to handle the formalities of ending the marriage contract with the Phenex Clan.
Since he was involved in the Rating Game as the challenger, Keiji was technically supposed to go along too, but he slipped away before that could happen.
His job only covered the fun part. Everything else was way outside his list of interests.
After leaving the Kuoh Academy building behind, he and Aizawa followed the road toward the Rias house.
Keiji had already told Kiba and Koneko to spend some time with Issei, which left the house practically to the two of them.
He went straight to the kitchen, opened one of the cupboards, and pulled out a bottle of sake along with two small ceramic cups.
He returned to the living room, sat down on the couch, and slid one of the cups toward Aizawa.
"So, what did you think of the devils?"
Aizawa took the cup, poured himself a drink, and sipped before answering.
"Honestly? From what I've seen, most of them would qualify as excellent Pro Heroes back in my world."
He rested his arm on the back of the couch, glancing up at the ceiling for a moment.
Just in terms of destructive power, even Riser himself was comparable to Endeavor, your second best official hero.
He lacked a bit of experience and variety in technique, but that alone showed how wide the gap between their worlds really was.
Keiji raised an eyebrow and let out a short laugh while taking a drink of sake.
"So your world really is weak, huh."
Aizawa sighed but didn't take offense. It wasn't the first time he'd heard Keiji say that, and it probably wouldn't be the last.
Still, Aizawa didn't think it was necessarily a bad thing… he'd probably lose his mind living in a world like Keiji's or Grayfia's anyway.
For a while, they drank in silence. Only the sound of liquid filling the cups and the soft clink of the bottle touching the table filled the air.
Aizawa stared into his drink, thoughtful.
"If the power gap between us is that wide… why do you think the system chose us together?"
Keiji took a long sip before answering in his usual lazy tone.
"Don't worry too much about things you can't figure out, Aizawa-san."
Aizawa sighed, scratching the scruff on his chin.
"That doesn't bother you?"
"Not even a little."
Keiji said while refilling his cup.
"If it's some kind of trap, I'll deal with it when it happens. For now, I'll just enjoy myself."
After all... life existed to be lived.
Aizawa let out a quiet chuckle.
"I guess that's the difference between us."
Aizawa and Keiji simply had different perspectives.
Born in different worlds, walking different paths and achieving different things… it was only natural that they carried different concerns.
That was how people were.
No one could ever truly understand another, because no one was ever truly the same.
Keiji raised his cup with a faint smile.
"A toast to diversity, my friend."
Aizawa matched the gesture, and their cups clinked softly before both took a drink.
Keiji downed his in one go, feeling the warm sake slide down his throat.
Aizawa sighed in quiet resignation but followed suit.
At that exact moment, a magic circle flared to life in the center of the room, filling the air with a crimson glow and the familiar figure of Grayfia appeared.
But this time, she wasn't alone.
A tall man stood beside her, his posture flawless and his clothes ornate. His blue eyes held a calm, gentle light, and his red hair, slightly darker and longer than Rias's fell gracefully around his shoulders.
Grayfia bowed elegantly and spoke in her soft voice.
"Keiji-san, Aizawa-san, this is the Maou Sirzechs Lucifer-sama."
The introduction was supposed to sound solemn… but it lost all its weight when Grayfia noticed that Keiji and Aizawa were already pouring themselves another round.
Keiji glanced up briefly and gave a small smile.
"Ayano Keiji, a Shinigami."
Aizawa did the same, raising his cup in a casual salute.
"Aizawa Shota, full-time teacher."
Grayfia looked between them and the Maou with an internal sigh, clearly a bit disappointed by their lack of decorum.
But Aizawa's gaze went straight to her, silently asking why she'd brought a Maou here out of nowhere.
Sirzechs caught the look and chuckled lightly.
"Don't blame Grayfia. I was the one who wanted to speak with you two."
He approached with light steps and sat down across from them, as if the formality Grayfia expected wasn't needed.
"I heard you're leaving soon, so I decided to use what time's left to thank you personally."
His eyes settled on Keiji in particular.
"Rias told me what happened. Or rather… Grayfia did. I owe you for saving my little sister from that marriage."
Keiji gave a small nod without lifting his head much.
"Work is work, and honestly it was kind of fun."
Sirzechs let out a soft laugh.
"Having a job like that sounds enviable indeed."
He turned his gaze toward the two of them, his tone growing a little more serious.
"And what did you think of devil society? Of everything you've seen so far?"
Aizawa crossed his arms and answered first.
"I haven't seen enough to form an opinion. But from what I can tell, you seem caught somewhere between modernity and tradition."
Keiji replied almost at the same time, swirling the cup in his hands.
"What I've seen so far looks fine."
Sirzechs raised an eyebrow.
"Looks fine?"
"Yeah. But I haven't seen much, so that's just on the surface."
Aizawa let out a small grunt.
"He's just dodging your question."
Sirzechs chuckled softly, amused by their honesty. Then, with a curious look, he asked another question.
"I see. And what if I offered something a bit more… concrete? Have either of you ever considered becoming reincarnated devils?"
Both of them froze for a moment, caught off guard. Even Grayfia turned her gaze subtly toward them, quietly watching their reactions.
"I would personally handle the process. Or, if you prefer, Rias could do it."
Keiji took a sip of his drink before answering.
"Not interested."
He was intrigued by the Evil Pieces themselves, but not in the idea of becoming a devil.
Even if it could be a way to break through the "limit" of his soul, Keiji wasn't going to do it by becoming someone's servant.
The "Heavens" serve no one.
Aizawa stayed silent for a few seconds, staring at his cup before downing it in one go.
He set it down on the table and spoke quietly.
"I'll pass."
Sirzechs sighed lightly and glanced at Grayfia, smiling with a touch of resignation.
"Just as you said… these two are hard to convince."
Grayfia kept her neutral expression, though her eyes glimmered faintly with understanding.
She hadn't misjudged their temperaments after all.
Sirzechs stood slowly, straightening his cloak.
"In that case, I won't insist. But know that if you ever want a place here, the doors will always be open. Just speak to Grayfia."
Keiji waved lazily.
"Appreciate the offer. Take care~"
The Maou chuckled quietly, shaking his head.
"Well then, I'll leave you two to your conversation."
Sirzechs had originally planned to stay a bit longer, maybe talk about other things… but he could tell he wasn't exactly welcome.
It felt like he'd intruded on a private moment between them.
Even if one of those people happened to be his own wife…
And so, as the magic circle began to glow again to take him back, Sirzechs gave a small wave and shared one last look with Grayfia before disappearing completely.
After the magic circle faded, Keiji kept staring for a few seconds at the spot where Sirzechs had been. Then he turned his gaze toward Grayfia, who was still silent.
"What was all that about?"
He asked, resting his chin on one hand.
Aizawa got up slowly and walked to the kitchen to grab another cup. Meanwhile, Grayfia sat across from Keiji, her posture as flawless as ever.
"Your power drew a lot of attention, Keiji-san. Naturally, they wanted to know more about you. Sirzechs-sama coming here was a necessary compromise to prevent Lord Gremory and Lord Phenex from showing up in person."
Especially Lord Gremory, who already seemed to be scheming to tie Rias and Keiji together with something stronger than a simple engagement promise.
After all, Keiji's power was far too tempting. The attack that wiped out Riser's Knight, Bishop, and two Pawns had already been considered Ultimate-Class… but his final attack, that forced Grayfia to step in and pull Riser, his Queen Yubelluna, and his sister Ravel out of the game, was easily in the Maou category.
Even Grayfia herself knew she would've been seriously injured if she'd been caught in that spell.
Keiji let out a short laugh just as Aizawa returned with a cup and set it in front of Grayfia before sitting down again.
"It was inevitable something like that would happen."
Grayfia gave a polite nod of thanks and poured herself some sake.
"At least the Maou didn't seem bothered by our refusal."
Aizawa added, glancing at Keiji.
The way Keiji could casually say "no" to someone who was practically a authority figure in that world was honestly impressive.
"I did it that way because it seemed like that's what Grayfia-san wanted."
Keiji said, refilling his own cup.
Grayfia heard him but turned her eyes away, pretending to be too focused on her drink to answer.
Aizawa noticed and looked back at Keiji.
"What do you mean by that?"
Keiji gave a small grin.
"It wasn't just about winning the Rating Game. The Gremorys needed a reason to accept my 'engagement' with Rias Gremory-san. So I had to show them what kind of benefit I could offer."
"Power," Aizawa said, finishing the thought.
Keiji nodded.
"A practical benefit, right? If that wasn't the goal, I would've ended Riser Phenex the moment it started."
That was why he handled the Rating Game the way he did. Step by step, showing off a range of Kidō, while making sure not to actually kill anyone.
Grayfia stayed silent, which said more than any direct confirmation could.
Aizawa just sighed and leaned back on the couch.
"Political games are a pain, even in other worlds."
Keiji chuckled softly, raised his cup, and toasted to no one in particular.
"That's exactly why I always avoid them."
A brief silence filled the room. After a few seconds, Aizawa changed the subject.
"Speaking of which… what about the rewards this time?"
Since he'd been "working for free" this round, Aizawa wasn't getting anything, but he was still curious about Keiji's options.
Keiji rested his chin on one hand.
"Besides the random one, I can choose between three options."
Aizawa raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
"What are they?"
"Immortality, Hell Fire, and a set of Evil Pieces."
Keiji had actually been hoping Issei's or Kiba's Sacred Gear would show up too. Beyond the obvious potential of a Longinus, he wanted to see if Kiba's Sacred Gear could copy a zanpakutō or at least its abilities, but it seemed luck wasn't on his side this time.
Aizawa stayed quiet, unsure if he should even be surprised by the system's rewards anymore.
"So, have you decided which one you'll pick?"
Keiji shook his head slowly.
"Not yet."
He looked down at the half-empty cup in his hand, then glanced toward his zanpakutō resting against the couch.
Grayfia, who had been listening, frowned slightly.
"I understand how the other two rewards would work… but not the set of Evil Pieces. Could Keiji-san even use them if he isn't a devil?"
Keiji shrugged, taking another sip before replying.
"The system would probably pull some trick to adjust the Evil Pieces so they work with me."
Aizawa looked up, curious.
"There's something like that?"
"There has to be. I mean, you can see me, can't you?"
Grayfia and Aizawa exchanged confused looks, not quite following. Keiji rested an elbow on his knee and leaned forward a bit as he explained.
"My body's made of reishi. I can have blood, weight, eat, drink, and even sleep... but I'm still a spiritual life form. Technically, people who aren't spiritually aware shouldn't even be able to see me."
He paused briefly, then tilted his chin toward Aizawa.
"Take Aizawa-san, for example. In your world, there's nothing that explains seeing someone like me, unless you had some kind of Quirk that allowed it. Yet you see me perfectly. So… either the system alters people's perception, or it adjusts me to fit the world's reality."
Aizawa crossed his arms and let out a long sigh.
"That's… pretty weird."
Keiji smirked faintly and went on.
"A reward that doesn't work is useless. So the system must adapt the rewards to match the user's power system."
Aizawa nodded slowly.
"Makes sense…"
He was actually a little surprised that Keiji had thought so deeply about it.
He didn't seem like the type who would.
Keiji let out a short laugh, then suddenly changed the subject.
"Speaking of that… I actually thought you'd accept the Maou-san's offer. It would've been a good chance to get stronger."
Aizawa looked at him.
"I did think about it, but I don't want to stop being human."
He took another sip before continuing.
"And besides, there's the system. Just seeing your rewards makes it obvious that's the most efficient way to grow."
Keiji nodded, satisfied.
"Good answer. People like us shouldn't serve anyone."
As he said that, his gaze inevitably drifted toward Grayfia.
"By the way, if you ever need help dealing with Maou-san, I'll lend you a hand."
Sirzechs seemed strong, so Keiji would actually enjoy facing him.
Grayfia, who was just about to sip from her cup, paused and looked at him with a teasing smile.
"Would Keiji-san really do that for me?"
"Of course."
After all, they were all members of the [Dimensional Chat Group]. Keiji would naturally help any of them if they needed it.
In these different worlds full of spectators… the people Keiji recognized were the ones who deserved his help.
Grayfia, however, couldn't resist teasing him. Her smile grew more playful.
"That's not something you should say to a married woman, Keiji-san~"
Keiji blinked, realizing she'd completely misunderstood what he meant.
But Grayfia kept her amused expression.
"There's no need. I enjoy what I do."
Keiji tilted his head slightly.
"Being a servant and wearing a maid outfit? Sounds like a fetish to me."
Grayfia slammed her hand on the table, her face instantly turning red.
"I-It's not a fetish!"
Her sudden outburst made both Aizawa and Keiji widen their eyes. For a second, the room went quiet, until Keiji burst out laughing.
"I believe you~"
Aizawa just sighed, bringing his cup to his lips again, while Grayfia crossed her arms and turned her face away, her cheeks still slightly pink.