Their unexpected conversation had yielded more insight than Ryuichi could've hoped for.
It felt as if a new door had opened inside him.
After helping Asia finish unpacking—with her reluctant smile seeing him off—he returned to his own house.
He called Rias right away, eager to share his discovery.
When she heard it, even Rias sounded surprised.
"You actually figured that out this quickly? I was planning to tell you about it only after you'd reached the rank of High-Class Devil."
Her voice carried a note of impressed admiration.
"You really do have remarkable talent, Ryuichi."
Ryuichi frowned slightly. "Why wait until then to tell me?"
"Because that path is dangerous. The process of evolution through resonance carries serious risks—especially for someone at your current level. Without enough power to protect yourself, you could literally die trying. Once you become a High-Class Devil, your survival rate rises sharply, so it's safer to talk about it then."
Rias's concern was genuine.
Though she wished he could grow stronger quickly, she still preferred the cautious approach.
For now, signing contracts with humans remained the safest and simplest shortcut to increase a devil's power.
She simply hadn't expected Ryuichi's instincts to lead him straight to the harder, truer road on his own.
Perhaps this, too, was fate.
"All I can tell you," Rias continued, "is that maintaining resonance with your Sacred Gear depends on your willpower. But pushing too far can tear your body apart. Promise me you'll be careful."
"I understand," Ryuichi replied with an easy laugh. "Don't worry, I'll take it slow."
"Good. Do your best, my adorable servant—you're amazing."
The call ended.
Ryuichi closed his eyes and tried to sense the Sacred Gear again.
Instantly, power roared through his veins—raw and explosive. His magic surged far beyond normal, then threatened to spiral out of control.
He held on for a few seconds before wisely releasing it.
Pain lanced through every nerve, leaving him gasping.
But beneath the ache, he could feel it: his magic really had grown, even if only slightly.
So it was true—resonance worked.
But the danger was real, too. One wrong step and he'd destroy himself from within.
He sighed. No helping it. I'll just have to take this one careful step at a time.
Still, one idea crossed his mind: maybe he could train under Asia's Smile of the Virgin ability. With her healing aura, he might push a little harder next time… just a little.
Chuckling at his own recklessness, he filled the tub with hot water and sank in, exhaling in comfort.
Steam curled around him as his muscles relaxed.
Inevitably, his mind drifted back to that morning—Rias, the bath, the closeness they'd shared. The memory was enough to make his pulse stir.
If not for his last shred of restraint, he might've gone too far back then.
He gave a small laugh.
Who would've thought my life would turn out like this?
Tomorrow he'd be setting out to find a familiar. Who knew what awaited him next?
Since becoming a devil, every day had been filled with surprises—and, honestly, color.
Warm water, soft light, and quiet thoughts made him drowsy. Then, suddenly, his phone buzzed on the counter.
He flicked the water from his fingers and picked it up.
A new message—from Sakurajima Mai.
…Right. Mai's my girlfriend now, isn't she?
And he hadn't called or texted her once.
Uh oh. She's totally mad, isn't she?
He opened the message.
Mai wrote that she had just switched agencies, attaching a link.
Apparently she'd been busy with that these past few days.
No hint of anger anywhere.
Curious, he tapped the link and was taken to an article—an interview announcing her comeback.
It was her declaration of return.
Having reclaimed her normal life thanks to Ryuichi, Mai was now stepping forward toward her dream with newfound resolve.
The press event looked packed—the crowd electric. After all, this was Sakurajima Mai, a name that always drew headlines.
Before he could finish reading, his phone started ringing.
Mai was calling.
He smiled faintly and answered. "Hey."
"I'm really mad right now," came Mai's voice—half sulky, half serious.
Called it, Ryuichi thought. She's mad I never contacted her.
Girlfriends really were delicate creatures.
"…Sorry?" he offered cautiously.
"It's fine."
"Huh? That's it?" Ryuichi couldn't help chuckling. "That easy?"
"Then why are you apologizing?"
That one threw him off completely.
"Wait, so you're not mad at me? Then why forgive me?"
"Because you must've done something wrong anyway. Even if I don't know what it is, I'll forgive you preemptively."
"..."
Her calm tone hit harder than any scolding could.
"I thought you were upset I hadn't called," he muttered.
"Now that you mention it… I had forgotten about that."
Her voice carried a teasing lilt that made his heart skip.
"But since I didn't call my boyfriend either, let's call it even."
Ryuichi laughed. "Having you as my girlfriend really is something special."
"Flatterer."
"Mai, summon me already."
"Why?"
"So I can fly over there and hug you until you can't breathe," he said, grinning.
There was a pause—he could almost feel her blush through the line—then she answered with mock composure,
"In that case, I definitely won't summon you."
"Just so you know, I'm in the bath right now."
"Then that's all the more reason not to!" she shot back instantly.
He chuckled, switching to speaker and letting the phone rest beside the tub, his arms sinking again beneath the hot water.
"Then tell me—what are you really angry about?"
Silence lingered on the other end.
Then, softly,
"…I argued with my mom."
"I see. So things still aren't fixed between you two."
"You think it's that easy? Idiot," Mai snapped lightly, her queen-like tone sharp enough to cut through the phone.
Ryuichi merely shrugged, amused. "Sorry. I wouldn't know. I don't have parents."
That stopped her cold. Her breath caught; for a moment, she couldn't bring herself to stay mad at him.
"But hey," he added gently, "being able to argue, talk, even see each other—that's already a normal mother-daughter relationship. Compared to before, that's a huge step forward."
It was true. At least now her mother remembered her. That alone was something worth smiling about.
Mai was quiet for a moment, then a soft laugh reached him through the line.
"Heh… you're right."
"You're smiling, aren't you?"
"Mm-hmm. Talking with my devil boyfriend always makes me feel better."
"Is that so? Then I'm honored," Ryuichi said with a small, warm smile.