The student council office at Kuoh Academy wasn't large, but it wasn't cramped either.
When Leo arrived with his group of five, they found around a dozen people gathered inside. Some were sitting, others standing, yet the room still didn't feel crowded. It held everyone with ease.
"Leo."
Sona stepped forward, her cool expression softened by a faint smile.
"Sona."
Leo met her gaze and walked out of the magic circle with a smile of his own.
"Welcome to Kuoh Academy, servants of Eligos."
Tsubaki came over as well, offering a formal greeting on Sona's behalf.
"Hello, Tsubaki-senpai."
"Long time no see, Tsubaki-senpai."
Yukino and Asuna, who had met Tsubaki before, greeted her warmly. Utaha and Mahiru stood quietly to the side, observing everything in silence.
"These are the new servants you recruited?"
Once Sona and Leo finished exchanging pleasantries, her gaze immediately moved to Utaha and Mahiru. Light reflected off her glasses.
"That's right. My Rook, Kasumigaoka Utaha, and my new Bishop, Shiina Mahiru."
Leo introduced them.
"I am Eligos's Rook—Kasumigaoka Utaha."
"I am Eligos's Bishop—Shiina Mahiru."
It was obvious the two had prepared in advance. Neither looked nervous as they bowed using the etiquette Low-Class Devils used toward High-Class Devils.
"Nice to meet you both. I am the heir to the Sitri House, Sona Sitri. You can also call me Sona Shitori."
Sona nodded to them, then gestured for the people around her to gather.
"Let me introduce my servants as well."
Sona had more servants than Leo—six in total.
First was her Queen, Shinra Tsubaki, who needed no further explanation.
Next was her Rook, Yura Tsubasa—a tall girl with shoulder-length hair and a sharp, spirited presence. Rumor said she excelled at hand-to-hand combat.
Then came her two Bishops: Kusaka Reya, gentle and elegant in demeanor, and Hanakai Momo, a mature-looking beauty with silver hair.
Her Knight was Meguri Tomoe, a slender girl carrying a katana. Like Tsubaki, she came from an exorcist family.
And finally, her Pawn—Nimura Ruruko, a cute girl with twin ponytails and big round eyes.
These were Sona's current servants, and like Leo's group, all of them were female.
"Good day, Eligos-senpai."
"G-Good day, Eligos-san."
The girls all bowed to Leo. Some looked stiff and formal, some overly serious, and a few seemed relaxed—but all of them greeted him with clear admiration.
Leo didn't put on any airs; he waved at them cheerfully, radiating bright, sunny energy. That alone made several younger girls blush.
They stared at Leo with open curiosity and excitement, as though finally seeing the person they had always wanted to meet. If the setting weren't so formal, they might have screamed on the spot and rushed together in excitement.
And honestly? It wasn't far off. Those who served under Sona had already heard plenty about Leo from Sona and Tsubaki. They knew their master had a close male friend—someone she kept in frequent contact with. This alone had stirred their curiosity greatly.
After all, Sona was famously an untouchable ice queen. At school or in private, she never showed romantic interest in anyone. Despite her high popularity, girls admired her only from afar, too intimidated to get close.
Her past engagement—her only remotely close relationship—had been shattered when she defeated her fiancé in chess, after which he never dared show his face again. So when Tsubaki mentioned that Sona had a close male friend, it was only natural that Sona's servants wanted badly to know what kind of person could earn their master's respect.
Unfortunately, they didn't attend the same school, nor even live in the same city. Their territories rarely overlapped, so there was little opportunity to meet.
Sona did occasionally meet Leo in private, but she would never bring all her servants along just to have tea with him. Only Tsubaki, as her Queen, had ever met Leo. The others never had the chance.
This was standard for High-Class Devils: they usually brought only one Queen to accompany them, while the rest stayed on standby. Otherwise, every outing would require bringing ten-plus people.
Leo didn't have a Queen yet, which was why he usually acted alone—or sometimes with Yukino and Asuna. As for Utaha and Mahiru, he hadn't brought them out anywhere yet.
So this meeting was the first time Sona's servants finally saw the person they'd been so curious about. And to their surprise, Leo wasn't like their master at all—he was bright, cheerful, and handsome in a radiant way that made their hearts race.
Of course they were excited.
Naturally, they noticed the rest of Leo's group too. The four beautiful girls accompanying Leo left them stunned.
"What… insanely pretty girls…"
Even as fellow females, they couldn't help being captivated by Yukino and the others' striking looks. It was clear that Leo's earlier feeling was correct—taking these four girls out would never be embarrassing; if anything, they made him look even better by comparison.
It wasn't just them—other devils watching from the side also found themselves silently appreciating the girls' beauty.
Some even thought that if these girls transferred to Kuoh Academy and became students, the long-stagnant popularity rankings would instantly be turned upside down.
Sona's third place might be in danger. Tsubaki's fourth place even more so—and even second place might not be safe.
But the first place? That one might actually be defended.
Among all the females present, there was indeed someone who could surpass Yukino and the others in allure.
"Rias, Leo has already come over. Aren't you coming to greet him?"
Sona spoke to the only person still seated.
"Haven't found the right moment yet."
The young woman smiled, stood, and walked toward Leo.
When Yukino and the others saw her, even they—who had stayed calm throughout—showed clear surprise.
Because the newcomer was simply too striking, too overwhelming in presence.
Her features were obviously foreign—an impossibly beautiful, exotic woman. In pure looks alone she was easily on par with Yukino and the others. Her figure was even more stunning, surpassing every girl in the room except perhaps the delicate girl trailing behind her.
Most eye-catching of all was her vivid, brilliant red hair cascading down her back. Every gesture radiated refined upbringing and aristocratic grace. Her aura shone so brightly that no matter where she stood, she became the focus of the entire room.
For the first time, Yukino and the others felt genuinely overshadowed.
They might match her in looks—but her figure, her aura, her presence were on a completely different level. Paired with that flawless face, she seemed like a piece of art crafted by a god deliberately showing off—perfect to the point of leaving no room for criticism.
Perhaps someone out there was more beautiful.
Perhaps someone out there had a better figure.
Perhaps someone out there had nobler bearing.
But no one combined all three the way she did.
She made even these gifted young women feel inferior.
"Rias Gremory, heir to the Gremory family. President of the Kuoh Occult Research Club."
Rias extended a graceful hand toward Leo, studying him with a smile.
"Leo Eligos, heir to the Eligos family and Sona's friend."
Leo admired Rias's beauty as well. Despite her aggressively striking charm, she wasn't off-putting at all. Instead, she fit perfectly with the impression of a naturally radiant prodigy. Leo reached out and shook her hand.
Her palm was so smooth and soft—like that of a perfectly maintained noblewoman.
Once, Leo might have been more affected by such contact. But now he lived under the same roof as several incredibly beautiful girls. His resistance—or rather, his threshold for beauty—had risen. He released Rias's hand with a calm expression.
Rias's brows lifted slightly, a well-hidden glimmer of approval flickering in her eyes.
No wonder even her cold, aloof friend Sona acknowledged Leo. He was interesting.
"I've long heard that the fallen Eligos family found an heir. Today, I finally get to meet you in person, Eligos-san."
Rias spoke gracefully.
"I've also long wanted to meet the Gremory family's princess. I'm glad it worked out today." Leo smiled warmly. "You can call me Leo directly. After all, since you're Sona's childhood friend, that's like being my childhood friend too."
"Then you can call me Rias as well." Rias smiled elegantly. "Anyone Sona acknowledges—I have no reason not to."
Just like that, the two unexpectedly closed the distance between them, both clearly forming a very good impression of the other the moment they met.
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Extra chapter!
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You can read up to chapter 136 on patreon.com/NiaXD.