The waterfall hammered down like the it was trying to drill a hole through the rocks. Yuuto stood fifty meters away, deep in some godforsaken forest two towns over, where nobody would stumble across him and start asking uncomfortable questions.
Four in the morning. Because apparently impending meetings with Rias made for fantastic motivation to get out of bed.
'If today's going to hell anyway,' he thought, rolling his neck until it cracked, 'might as well make it count for something.'
He raised his hand toward the waterfall.
The connection clicked into place—smooth, natural, like it had always been there. The water responded immediately. A section of the cascade twisted mid-fall, defying gravity as it spiraled toward him. No hesitation. No gentle coaxing. It just obeyed.
He clenched his fist.
Ice.
The transformation was instant—one second flowing water, the next a crystalline spear three meters long and thick as his torso. Jagged edges. Sharp enough to split bone. He sent it flying at the boulder across the clearing.
The impact sounded like a gunshot. The boulder didn't crack—it exploded, chunks of stone scattering like shrapnel.
"Not bad." He pulled more moisture from the air, forming it into dozens of spheres hovering around him. Some he compressed into high-pressure bullets. Others he flash-froze into perfect ice orbs. A few he superheated until they hissed with steam.
He launched them all at once.
Trees splintered. The ground tore up. Bark and wood and stone went flying in every direction. When the debris settled, the clearing looked like something with anger management issues had redecorated using explosives.
Yuuto wasn't even winded. Devil stamina had perks.
'Alright. Time to get creative.'
He summoned two blades from Sword Birth and took a breath, activating the First Form of Mist Breathing. The technique created that signature visual effect—gray mist rolling out from nowhere—but this time he made it real. Pulled every drop of moisture from the air, the trees, the ground itself. Thickened it. Shaped it. Until actual fog blanketed the clearing like something out of a horror movie.
Then he moved through it, blades cutting precise patterns. Where the swords passed, the mist froze—thin sheets of ice hanging suspended in the air like floating razor wire. He transitioned between forms, each strike adding more layers until the entire fog bank had become a maze of frozen death.
The trees on the edge of the clearing toppled in clean, surgical cuts.
He stopped in the center of his creation, lowered his swords, and looked around.
The mist hung thick in the air. Ice crystals suspended within it caught the early light, making the whole clearing shimmer. The spray from the waterfall kept feeding more moisture into the mix. And beneath it all, his water manipulation held everything together—liquid, solid, gas all responding to his will simultaneously.
'This could work. Generate mist with the breathing technique, make it real with water manipulation, freeze parts of it into weapons or barriers as needed. Keep everything shifting between states so it's harder to predict or counter.'
He planted one blade in the ground and raised both hands. Pulled harder on the moisture. The mist thickened until visibility dropped to maybe two meters. Then he started cycling it—flash-freezing sections into floating ice shards, letting others stay as concealing fog, heating some into scalding steam. Never settling on one state. Always shifting, flowing, adapting.
He swept his arms in a wide arc.
The mist surged outward with a great intensity. Where it passed, trees encased in ice for a split second before the temperature shift cracked them apart. Boulders crystallized and crumbled. The ground itself fractured under the rapid heating and cooling. Twenty meters in every direction transformed into a frozen wasteland.
Yuuto stood in the center, breathing steady.
'Maybe I should name it....' He thought for it until he couldn't think for a cool one.
'No fancy name needed. It's just combining what I've got—Mist Breathing for concealment and sword techniques, water manipulation for offense and control. Simple yet Effective. And It will keep my opponents in the mist what the hell I'm actually doing.'
The mist would hide his movements. The ice would kill anything that got close. The constant state changes would make it hell to defend against. And best of all, it looked impressive enough that nobody would dig too deep into how he was pulling it off.
His phone buzzed.
5:47 AM.
"Ah, Shit"
He dispersed the remaining mist with a wave, already summoning his transportation circle. Some hiker was going to have a really confusing morning when they found this clearing.
. . .
Yuuto found himself inside the club room before 6:00 AM—because showing up late to your potential execution seemed stupid—and immediately knew something was off.
'Huh?'
Rias sat behind her desk, expression unreadable. Akeno stood beside her, that perpetual smile in place but her eyes sharper than usual. Koneko perched on the couch with a chocolate bar, golden eyes fixed on the room's center.
A woman sat on the couch. One leg crossed over the other, posture relaxed in that way that screamed danger wrapped in expensive packaging.
She was... stunning wasn't the right word. Long pink hair cascaded down her back in waves that defied physics. Yellow eyes tracked his arrival with open amusement. The black dress she wore probably cost a lot and she wore it like armor. Everything about her screamed money, power, and the kind of confidence that came from, millenia of battle experience.
'Roygun Belphegor.'
His light novel memories supplied the name instantly, followed by a very important question: What the fuck is she doing here?
"Kiba," Rias said, her tone pleasant. Too pleasant. "Thank you for coming. I'd like you to meet someone."
The pink-haired woman stood with fluid grace, her smile widening as she looked at him.
"This is Roygun Belphegor," Rias continued "The Current Head of Belphegor Clan. And, she is also second ranker of Rating Games"
'But why? In our club room. At six in the goddamn morning' He sighed internally 'This day is just getting started and it keeps getting weirder.'
"This is my Queen, Akeno Himejima." Rias gestured to each of them in turn. "My Rook, Koneko Toujou. And my Knight, Yuuto Kiba."
Yuuto bowed, mimicking the former knight "It's an honor, Lady Belphegor."
Roygun's smile turned pleased. "Ara, no need to be so polite, Yuuta kun" She chuckled as she looked me in the eye "I understand now why my Bishop didn't stand a chance, against you."
Bishop?
Then, the pieces clicked together. The stray devil. The one he and Koneko had killed. That had been her Bishop.
'Oh. Oh, this is about that.'
"The credit belongs to both of us," Yuuto said, as he glanced at the little neko "Without Koneko, I wouldn't have been able to land a scratch on it. It all happened because of our team work"
'It wasn't a lie. Koneko's strength was crucial to it'
Roygun's eyes glinted "Strong and modest. How rare it is to find among devils, Such luck, Rias" She tilted her head. "And he is quite cute as well."
"Thank you, Lady Belphegor" He said with a polite smile "Though I'd say your beauty far exceeds any lady, I came across"
She let out a delighted smile "My My. Would you still say that if I told you I'm over a century old?"
The room went quiet.
Yuuto replied with a smile "Age is just a number, Lady Belphegor. Beauty like yours doesn't need to follow such words"
Akeno chuckled with hand over her cheek. Rias's smile was rather of surprising and amused one. Koneko was staring at him like she's taught him such game with ladies.
Roygun laughed again "Oh, I like him, Rias. Where did you find such a gem?"
"He found me, actually," Rias said, warmth in her voice "Yuuto has a natural talent for making the right impression."
'Natural talent. Right. Feels more like Sanji's gentleman programming refusing to let me be rude to beautiful women.'
Roygun settled back onto the couch "Which brings me to why I'm here." Her eyes fixed on him "I wanted to meet the Knight who defeated my Bishop personally. The reports painted quite the picture of you, a young devil knight coordinating perfectly with his teammate to eliminate a stray that had been evading capture for months." She paused and then said "Impressive work."
"Thank you," Yuuto said carefully. "Though I'm sorry about your loss. Even when they go stray, losing someone can't be easy."
Something flickered across her face—there and gone. ".You're right, of course. It's never pleasant, even when they've fallen that far." She waved a hand. "But that's not my only reason for visiting."
"Hm?" Rias leaned forward slightly.
"I've read reports about your use of some breathing Technique?" Roygun's gaze shifted between him and Koneko. " Also, You've been quite dedicated since the incident. Rias tells me you two have been training together regularly."
"They have," Rias confirmed. "Their coordination has improved significantly, and Individual skills as well."
"Senpai cooks delicious food as well"
Koneko's flat statement hit the room out of blue, as she resumed devouring her chocolate cookie.
Everyone turned to look at her.
"What?" Rias blinked.
"After training," Koneko elaborated around a bite of chocolate. "Senpai makes food. Good food."
Akeno's eyebrows rose. "Ara, Kiba-kun, you cook? I might as well get some lessons from you~"
"Sometimes...." Yuuto said "After training. It helps with recovery, gives us time to review what we learned. It's nothing to be surprised about"
'I gotta teach this cat how to act in front of guests, after this one'
Roygun's expression brightened considerably as if she was looking for this kind of revelation "How wonderful! A Knight who can fight and cook." She tilted her head, smile turning hopeful. "I don't suppose I could impose on you for a taste?"
Every eye in the room swiveled to Rias.
The Gremory heiress smiled. Bright. Beautiful. The kind of smile that could mean happiness or murder depending on context. Her eyes practically sparkled as she looked at him as if saying,
'You should honor guests of the Gremory family, Yuuto'
"It would be my honor, Lady Belphegor," Yuuto said, as his secret was still in dark, and cooking was just a little burn for him as a punishment "I'd be happy to prepare dinner at my place, if you're available."
"How delightful!" Roygun stood "I have matters to attend this morning, but I'll visit this evening. Seven o'clock?"
"Seven's perfect."
"Wonderful." She turned to Rias, nodding respectfully. "Thank you for arranging this, Rias. Please give my regards to your brother."
"Of course, Lady Belphegor."
Roygun looked at the others. "Lovely meeting you all. Akeno, Koneko—I hope we speak again."
"The pleasure was ours," Akeno said politely.
Koneko just nodded, went back to her chocolate.
A magic circle formed beneath Roygun's feet—pink, intricate, beautiful. She looked at Yuuto one last time, expression amused and something else he couldn't identify.
"Looking forward to tonight, Yuuto-kun."
Then she was gone.
"It's quite unheard for an Ultimate-Class Devil to pay a visit, to offer their thanks, you should consider yourself lucky, Yuuto. I'm proud of you"
"And it's just for exterminating a stray devil?"
"That, yes. But also because she has a particular interest in talented devils" Rias paused, then smirked "Especially attractive and young ones."
Akeno giggled "She isn't wrong about that."
Yuuto's eye twitched. "Is someone going to explain what's actually happening, or am I the only one dancing in dark ?"
"Lady Belphegor is known for seeking out promising young devils," Rias said, more serious now. "She builds her peerage carefully. She has century of experience in identifying potential. The fact she came here personally to meet you is significant."
"Could it be she wants to recruit me?" I joked, but it turned out to be half true.
"Possibly," Rias admitted, as she folded her arms, to give a jump to her bosom "Though I made clear you're part of my peerage. That won't change. Still, having Roygun Belphegor's interest is valuable. Connections matters a lot in our society, Yuuto."
'Was Riser problem not enough to be worried about, that another one popped up, out of nowhere. I hope she don't force to share a bed with me, as much I would enjoy that, I still have abilities to unlock and test them out to accomplish my plans'
'I need to be very careful around her and do my best to, say her I Refuse in most polite way possible'
"Understood, Buchou" he said. "I'll make sure to represent the Gremory family properly"
Rias' returned a genuine smile "I know you will"
She looked at both him and Koneko, expression softening "I want you both to know—I'm proud of you. The dedication you've shown, the improvement you've made. It's admirable. Just don't forget to rest. Don't push yourselves too hard"
'Shouldn't you be training harder as well, why am I the most concerned about it, while she got no worry about it? Well, maybe I am just seeing from outside so I couldn't feel her worries like she couldn't mine.
But he just smiled and nodded "Of course, Buchou. We'll be careful."
Koneko gave a small nod, finishing her chocolate.
"Good." Rias clapped her hands, "Now, since we're all done here, you can-"
Yuuto let her words fade into background noise as his mind wandered to the evening ahead.
'Dinner with Roygun Belphegor. Ultimate-Class Devil supposedly interested in my potential. A century old, looks like she could kill me seventeen different ways before I hit the ground. What could possibly go wrong?'
'What the hell am I going to cook?'
More importantly—what was her real angle? Recruitment made sense on the surface, but the way she'd looked at him suggested something else. Some other evaluation he wasn't seeing, as if she knew more than she let on. And it only made him more concerned.
'I need to stop jinxing himself, and don't delve into unnecessary worries'
---
Yuuto stared at the massive dining table currently dominating his modest dining area.
The table was huge—eight people easy—and looked absurd next to his old two-person setup now shoved against the wall like a discarded toy.
He ordered the new table. And chairs. And placemats. And cloth napkins because apparently those were things a noble used to.
He'd just finished setting the table, everything aligned with precision.
'Here, she comes'
Yuuto turned toward his living room as a pink magic circle formed, intricate patterns weaving together into something beautiful and complex. The circle expanded, growing brighter, and then as the teleportation completed, she stepped out of the light.
His brain stuttered for a moment, as he took
She'd was dressed in a Deep purple dress that matched her hair, form-fitting while maintaining elegance. High neckline but open back—that perfect line between modest and suggestive. Her pink hair was styled differently, partially up while some cascaded down. Minimal jewelry—necklace and earrings—but they looked expensive enough to fund a small country.
She held a wrapped gift, smile warm and genuine, when she saw him.
'Keep it together, Jason. You're a devil with supernatural abilities. Can fight fallen angels. Can definitely handle dinner with a beautiful woman without completely embarrassing yourself. You got it'
They were alone in his apartment. His introvert self was almost close, to take over his fake extrovert self any moment. His experience with women in his past life, wasn't even close to holding hands with them.
'I'm going to die. Not from combat or training or some apocalyptic threat. From trying to maintain composure while sitting across from possibly the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. In close quarters. Completely alone.'
Roygun's smile widened like she could read his face.
"Good evening, Yuuto-kun." Her voice was warm, rich. "I hope I'm not too early."
"Not at all, Lady Belphegor." His voice only slightly strained. "Your timing's perfect. Please, come in."
She stepped further inside, heels clicking softly on hardwood, and offered him the gift. "A small token for accepting my rather forward request."
He took it carefully. Expensive wine, judging by weight. "You didn't need to bring anything, but thank you for your generosity"
Her purple eyes scanned the apartment—new table, set places, soft lighting "My, you've gone to quite a bit of trouble, didn't you?"
"No trouble at all," he lied smoothly "Shall we begin?"
Roygun's smile turned amused, like she knew exactly how much trouble he'd gone through and found it endearing.
"I'd love to.".
'This is going to be a long evening'
But as Roygun walked past him, her perfume subtle and intoxicating, Yuuto couldn't help thinking he didn't expected his day to go this way, as he kept a note to himself.
Life is unpredictable.