The park had fallen into silence, broken only by the splash of water in the fountain. The barrier had vanished, restoring the night sky to its familiar starry pattern, but for those who remained in the clearing, the world would never be the same. Jin stood amid this fragile, restored calm, feeling several pairs of eyes on him, full of a mixture of shock, curiosity, and veiled hostility. He slowly turned his head, and his cold violet gaze locked onto the group of newcomers. Especially the one at the front.
Rias Gremory. He looked at her, and memories from a past life surfaced in his mind with cold clarity. She was exactly as he remembered her from "canon." Incredibly beautiful, with a cascade of fiery crimson hair that seemed to emit its own radiance even in the dim lantern light. A proud bearing, a confident, almost haughty gaze from blue-green eyes that held the power inherited by birthright. She was a product of her world—a spoiled aristocrat, accustomed to the world revolving around her, to her word being law, and any problem being solvable through her clan's might or her elder brother's influence.
And now she was looking at him the same way—like a mistress confronted with an incomprehensible but potentially useful phenomenon on her territory. Her words about erasing Misaki's memory, uttered with such ease, with such condescending confidence in her right to dispose of others' fates, stirred a wave of dull, icy irritation in Jin. Yes, perhaps she was right. Perhaps for an ordinary human, an encounter with the supernatural was a trauma best forgotten. But the contempt for human will with which it was said, the way she looked at people—as if they were fragile, foolish children who needed cleaning up after—pissed him off.
"Erase her memory?" Jin broke the silence, his voice even, but carrying a chill that made everyone nearby involuntarily flinch. "What a convenient solution. A toy broke—just reset it to factory settings. Is that how you run your territory, Gremory?"
Rias narrowed her eyes slightly, surprised and irritated by his tone.
"It's for her own good," she retorted, her voice gaining a steely edge. "And yes, I keep order in my territory. Which, it seems, cannot be said for your timely intervention. Do you even realize that by appearing, you only made the situation worse?"
"I saved the life of your future servant," Jin countered. "Or do you consider order to be when students of your own academy are murdered with impunity on your territory? If so, you're a lousy ruler."
The challenge had been issued. Rias straightened, her demonic aura beginning to seep outward. The air around her grew heavy and dense—that very destructive power capable of erasing matter to dust.
Her retinue reacted instantly.
Akeno Himejima, standing behind her, took a barely noticeable step forward, a polite but dangerous smile playing on her lips, tiny sparks of lightning already crackling between her fingers. Kiba Yuuto, maintaining outward calm, placed his hand on the hilt of an invisible sword. They were ready to defend their Queen's honor.
Jin swept his gaze over them—the proud Rias, the battle-ready Akeno, the tense Kiba. And he couldn't help it. He laughed. Not loudly, but quietly, almost silently, shaking with inner laughter.
"Oh, of course..." he wiped away a tear of mirth. "Your Queen is in danger! Faithful Pieces, to arms! Now comes a pompous speech about clan honor, and then all of you together will try to 'put me in my place.' Do you really think this cheap chess spectacle will work on me?"
He stopped laughing, and his gaze turned icy. He took a step forward. His own aura, hidden until now, crashed down on them in a crushing, alien torrent.
"I'll show you what a real place looks like," he said quietly, taking another step.
Akeno and Kiba tensed, ready for battle. Rias clenched her fists, concentrating the Power of Destruction.
And at that very moment, when a clash seemed inevitable, Issei burst out between them like a frightened fawn.
He was pale, trembling, looking from Jin to Rias and her retinue. Terror, shock, bewilderment—all mixed in his eyes.
"What... what the hell is going on here?!" he yelled hysterically. "What light spears?! What Fallen Angels?! Rias-senpai, you... you have wings on your back, like a bat! And Akeno-senpai too! And you, Jin... you... you caught that thing! With your bare hand! Who are you people?! What was that?! Explain it to me!!!"
His desperate cry, full of genuine incomprehension, shattered all the tension. Every gaze—both Jin's and Rias's group's—focused on him. On an ordinary guy for whom the world had just been turned upside down. Under those stares, Issei's fervor instantly died. He shrank back, feeling incredibly stupid, and took a step back, hiding behind Jin.
Jin looked at the terrified Issei, then at the stunned Rias. All his battle fervor, all his irritation evaporated. He saw before him not demons and enemies. He saw a group of teenagers and one complete idiot who had ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time. Fight them? Put on a show of force? That would be... stupid. And pointless.
He exhaled theatrically.
"Screw this..."
Turning away, he ignored Rias's surprised cry of "Wait! We're not finished!" Pushing off the ground with force, he soared into the night sky, turning into a blurred silhouette, and an instant later vanished from sight, leaving behind only stunned silence and a multitude of questions.
The next day at the academy passed surprisingly calmly. No one from the Occult Club approached him. Even the shadows of observers he had periodically noticed before were gone. It seemed Rias Gremory had decided to take a pause and consider what had happened. Jin was only glad for it.
After classes, as usual, he headed home. But before he could reach the school gates, a familiar voice called out to him.
"Jin! Wait up!"
It was Issei. He caught up and walked beside him for a while in awkward silence. It was clear he wanted to say something, but didn't know how to begin.
"Well?" Jin finally lost patience.
"I..." Issei took a deep breath. "I wanted to say thank you. You saved my life."
Jin merely grunted in response.
"After you left," Issei continued, looking at his feet, "Rias-senpai... she explained everything to me. About devils, angels... about her being a devil. And that I... that I am too. That that girl, Yuma, killed me, and Rias-senpai resurrected me... making me her servant. It's... it's all so crazy. I still can't believe it."
He fell silent, digesting his own words.
"And what are you going to do now?" Jin asked evenly.
"Rias-senpai invited me to her club. Said it's my new family now," Issei raised his eyes to Jin. "I guess I didn't have much choice. But... I don't regret it. She saved me, and I owe her."
They walked a few more meters in silence. Issei kept drilling Jin with his gaze, until Jin stopped irritably.
"What?"
"Jin..." Issei chose his words carefully. "I know you don't want to talk about it... But... who are you?"
Jin looked at him with a long, heavy stare.
"I'm an ordinary human, Issei. And you don't need to know more. You've got enough on your plate as it is. Deal with your new life and your new mistress."
Issei understood he wouldn't get an answer. He sighed, but didn't back down.
"Alright... I get it. But... Rias-senpai... she really wants to talk to you. Properly. Without fighting or threats. She asked me to invite you."
Jin let out another weary sigh. It seemed he wasn't going to wriggle out of this one.
"I'll think about it."
The next day, just as he was about to head home, his path was blocked by Akeno Himejima. Her usual playful smile seemed more restrained today, and her violet eyes held a serious interest.
"Ara-ara, Izayoi-kun, always in such a hurry," she purred, her voice soft as silk, but carrying notes that brooked no argument. "Rias-buchou would like to speak with you. Won't you spare us a little of your precious time?"
Inside, in the club's spacious sitting room, they were already waiting. Rias Gremory sat in her royal chair, her crimson hair cascading over her shoulders like a waterfall. Kiba stood nearby, and on the sofa, curled up, sat Koneko. Issei, who had arrived earlier, was staring guiltily at the floor. The atmosphere was tense.
"Have a seat, Izayoi," Rias indicated the armchair opposite. "Akeno, tea, if you would."
Akeno withdrew silently, and Rias clasped her fingers together, looking directly at Jin.
"Last night, you saved Issei. And you interfered in matters that didn't directly concern you. I want to know why."
"Is a reason needed to help a classmate who's about to be skewered by a glowing stick?" Jin replied evenly, meeting her eyes without a shadow of embarrassment.
Rias narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Be that as it may, you demonstrated your power again. And again—on my territory. Do you understand that this creates certain... complications? That's why I want to make you an offer."
"Those are your complications, Gremory. Not mine."
"You're mistaken," her voice hardened. "As long as you are in this city, they are. An unknown variable that could upset the entire balance. Your intervention could have provoked a full-scale conflict."
She leaned forward, her blue-green eyes flashing.
"I cannot allow an uncontrolled force of your level to operate on my territory. It's dangerous. For me, for my servants, for the entire city. Therefore, I want to make you an offer."
She leaned forward, her blue-green eyes gleaming with an appraising, possessive spark.
"Izayoi Jin, I, Rias Gremory, offer you a place in my peerage. To enter the Evil Piece system. I see your potential. Under my guidance, under the banner of the Gremory clan, you could reach incredible heights. We will be your family. Your protection. All that is required is to pledge your loyalty to me."
She spoke, and her voice held power and temptation. For anyone else, it would have been a dream offer. But Jin understood perfectly the true underlying reason. The Evil Piece system was created pragmatically, to replenish the dying devil race after the Great War. And Rias, over whom the threat of an unwanted marriage loomed, desperately needed strong pieces for the upcoming Rating Game.
Jin laughed quietly.
"Family? Protection?" He shook his head. "Gremory, you're offering me a golden collar and calling it a crown. You're not looking for family; you're looking for a strong combat unit to solve your personal problems with the Phoenix clan."
Rias's face faltered. Akeno stopped pouring tea, and Kiba instinctively took a step forward.
"Let me explain something to you," Jin's voice turned icy. "I don't need your protection. And I certainly don't need your surrogate 'family.'"
He met her gaze, suppressing her pride with his absolute confidence.
"Here's my counter-offer, Gremory. I will not become your piece. But I can be an ally. Temporary and very conditional. I won't interfere in your squabbles. But if someone truly interesting shows up in the city... I might, perhaps, join the fun. In exchange, you will grant me full access to your library, your knowledge, and you will stop spying on me."
After some deliberation, during which Rias stared unblinkingly into Jin's eyes, she finally gave her answer.
"Fine," she forced out at last. "I accept your terms."
"Then we have a deal," Jin rose, throwing out a parting shot: "Next time you want to recruit someone, make sure you have something to offer besides pretty words and a gilded cage."