Loneliness and solitude are not the same.
The lonely crave connection, fearing the emptiness of being alone.
The solitary, however, are the opposite—unconcerned with others' opinions, self-contained, sometimes even proud of their detachment.
Ryuya Kurobane undoubtedly belonged to the latter.
But unlike most reclusive types, he wasn't ignorant of what his nature meant.
Ordinary loners often alienated people without realizing it.
Ryuya, however, was perfectly aware of that flaw—and so, he deliberately learned to hide it behind a mask.
To most people, he seemed approachable, easy to talk to, always able to find a topic to keep a conversation going.
Yet only those who truly understood him knew how terrifying that quiet composure really was.
Fortunately, Rias and the others did know.
With them, Ryuya never put on a façade. He didn't wear that polite, hollow smile.
His calmness, his maturity—those were unmistakable, and far too real to fake.
Class passed uneventfully, just like any normal day in an ordinary school.
For a while, his life seemed no different from that of a regular student.
Except for one thing—
That constant, surging power within his body was a reminder that he was no longer human.
After classes ended came club activities.
Following the school's rotation schedule, Ryuya stayed behind for cleaning duty.
By the time he finished and made his way to the Occult Research Club room, he was about ten minutes late.
The moment he opened the door, the soft sound of running water reached his ears—someone was showering in the club's private bath.
On the sofa lay neatly folded clothes, with a few intimate garments belonging to a young woman carefully placed on top.
The bathroom curtain was misty and half-transparent; behind it, a graceful silhouette moved beneath the veil of steam.
Since Akeno Himejima and Koneko Toujou were both sitting outside, it didn't take a genius to guess who was inside.
Rias again, huh? She really does love her baths.
Ryuya sighed inwardly. He nodded to Akeno and Koneko in greeting and took a seat on the sofa.
When his eyes drifted toward Koneko, he noticed—yet again—she was eating.
Some kind of pastry this time. Or maybe bread. Either way, she hadn't stopped snacking since the day he met her.
He couldn't help thinking wryly, She really doesn't gain weight at all...
Well, she was a beautiful devil girl—getting fat wasn't exactly in their biology.
"Vice President," Ryuya asked casually, "what's the usual plan for club activities?"
Akeno smiled gently, her voice soft but teasing.
"Although we call it the Occult Research Club, that's mostly a front. We don't really do research. What we actually do is distribute flyers—to find humans willing to summon us and make contracts."
She spoke as she held Rias's fresh change of clothes in her hands.
Akeno wasn't just Rias's first servant; she was also her partner and closest confidante—their bond was more like that of affectionate sisters than master and servant.
"Flyers?" Ryuya blinked in mild confusion.
Devils… handing out flyers?
Koneko lifted her gaze briefly, speaking in her usual calm monotone.
"Here."
She passed him a sheet of paper.
Taking it, Ryuya noticed a violet magic circle drawn across the surface.
Now that his body had become that of a devil, he could faintly sense the magic power infused within the page.
Just then, the sound of water stopped. The curtain rustled—and Rias stepped out.
Her crimson hair was still damp, clinging to her shoulders. She wore only a white bath towel loosely wrapped around her body, baring her smooth shoulders and delicate collarbones.
Her long, pale legs peeked from beneath the towel's hem, and her bare feet touched the polished floor with quiet, elegant steps.
Tiny droplets of water glittered across her fair skin, and faint wisps of steam curled around her, carrying with them a light, intoxicating fragrance that drifted straight to Ryuya's nose.
The combination of cold beauty, regal maturity, and untamed sensuality—Rias embodied them all in perfect harmony.
If the guys at school could see this scene, they'd probably scream their lungs out in envy.
Unfortunately for them, this breathtaking sight was for Ryuya's eyes only.
Rias took the towel Akeno handed her and began drying her hair as she joined their conversation.
"I told you before, didn't I? These days, devils gain strength by forming contracts with humans. To find those humans, we spread flyers and advertise ourselves."
She smiled, her blue eyes glimmering with playful confidence.
"Of course, even devils have to do a little promotion first~."
Ryuya opened his mouth slightly, at a loss for words.
Honestly speaking, this version of "devils" was way different from what he had imagined.
Handing out flyers?
How… down to earth.
Almost as if she could read his thoughts, Rias smiled faintly and explained:
"Normally, tasks like distributing flyers are left to familiars. Our real role as devils is to grant the wishes of those who summon us—help them achieve what they desire, so that they willingly sign a contract. That's how we gain power through the pact."
"As for your familiar," Akeno added with her usual gentle smile, "once the Familiar Forest opens again, we'll take you there to find the one that belongs to you."
Then she lightly patted Ryuya's shoulder and continued teasingly,
"For now, just start from the basics—every devil has to experience handing out flyers at least once~."
Since they'd all said as much, Ryuya had no reason to argue. He accepted the thick stack of summoning-circle flyers from Koneko with a calm expression.
"Good luck," Koneko said softly.
Ryuya nodded. He noticed a few crumbs of bread still at the corner of her lips, so he casually pulled out a tissue, handed it to her, and lightly tapped his own mouth as a hint.
"Then, I'll be heading out."
"Hehe, good luck out there~," Rias said with a playful wink. She really liked that calm, collected demeanor of his.
Holding the stack of flyers, Ryuya made his way to a busy street filled with people.
Man… distributing flyers with magic circles about summoning devils in a public place like this… am I seriously not going to get reported for spreading superstition?
He couldn't help grumbling to himself.
No matter how he looked at it, he still couldn't quite accept the idea that devils—beings of mystery and power—had to stand around passing out leaflets like common salesmen.
Then again… maybe in this world, plenty of humans actually knew about the existence of devils. Who could say?
He shrugged. No point overthinking it.
Putting on his most professional, customer-service smile, he started his mission.
"Please take a look at our newest fortune-telling and wish-granting service!"
"Excuse me! We're offering a new fortune-telling campaign—care to learn more?"
"Hello—please have a look…"
"..."
In his previous life, Ryuya had also done part-time flyer work. Honestly, this didn't feel much different.
Most people waved him off disinterestedly. Some didn't even bother to reach for the flyer. Only a handful accepted one out of sheer politeness, probably intending to toss it into the nearest bin seconds later.
A rare few would actually stop, glance at the flyer, and maybe exchange a word or two out of curiosity.
Still, after a few hours of effort, Ryuya managed to hand out nearly all of them.
Good. Just a few more left—then I'm done for the day.
He thought to himself as he spotted a striking figure approaching from up the street.
Putting on his well-practiced smile, he stepped forward smoothly.
"Hello there—our club's offering a brand-new fortune-telling and wish-granting service. Would you like to take a look?"
But the girl before him blinked in surprise.
"How unexpected… you can actually see me?"
Ryuya froze for a moment, his eyes slightly unfocused. He tilted his head in confusion.
"…??"
...
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