Not long after Arthur settled into his seat, the classroom door slid open and a middle-aged man stepped in, his demeanor calm but firm. The chatter that had filled the room instantly quieted.
"Alright everyone," the teacher said, adjusting his glasses as he placed his attendance sheet on the desk. "Since it's the start of a new term, we'll begin with brief introductions. Name, interests, and anything you'd like your classmates to know."
The introductions began one by one. Students stood, spoke nervously or confidently, and sat back down while others whispered or giggled quietly. Arthur leaned back in his chair, half-listening, his chin resting on his palm.
When it was finally his turn, he rose from his seat. "Arthur --," he said simply, his tone even. "I recently moved back here from abroad."
The moment he finished, a wave of commotion broke out among his classmates. The room, which had been filled with polite silence before, suddenly erupted with whispers and gasps.
"Wait— that's Arthur?"
"No way, he used to look totally different!"
"Wasn't he that quiet guy with the soft voice?"
"He looks… older now."
"Hotter, you mean."
Arthur blinked, slightly thrown off by the intensity of their reaction.
Apparently, the memories of this body hadn't exaggerated - the previous owner had been a timid, delicate-looking boy, barely noticeable.
Now, standing before them with his refined face, tall stature, and athletic build, he looked like an entirely different person.
The teacher sighed and tapped the board lightly with a marker. "Alright, that's enough. Let's calm down. You can all admire your classmate later."
The whispers didn't fully die down, but the teacher continued with the lesson anyway. Arthur sat back down, doing his best to ignore the curious stares directed at him for the rest of the morning.
Halfway through the lecture, he found himself zoning out. The teacher's voice blended into the background, and his gaze drifted toward the window where the sunlight poured into the room. His thoughts began to wander—until the familiar chime of the system snapped him out of it.
Ding!
[New Mission Generated]
=====
Attract the Attention of the Heroines
Difficulty: Normal
Type: Main Mission
Following the conventional route will take time, so it's time to lure the heroines to the Host.
Eliminate 4 roaming low-tier devils in Kuoh City (0/4).
Reward: Physical Enhancement Card, Magical Ability Enhancement Card, Special Roulette Draw x2.
=====
Arthur's eyes narrowed slightly as he read the mission details in his mind.
According to the novel's events, there were indeed a few stray devils lurking around the city. They existed to stir minor trouble and test the boundaries of Rias Gremory's control. Normally, the Gremory peerage would deal with them quickly, but lately, Rias had been distracted - more interested in Hyoudou Issei and his potential Sacred Gear than the usual patrols.
"Now that I possess the Boosted Gear," Arthur murmured under his breath, "doesn't that mean that annoying fallen angel, Raynare, will target me instead of Issei?"
[No need to worry, Host. The system has completely masked your Sacred Gear's aura.]
"I see. That's good," he whispered with a small sigh of relief.
Later, during his lunch break, Arthur returned to his classroom after grabbing something quick from the cafeteria. As he walked through the hallway, a familiar flash of color caught his attention.
Two women walked side by side at the far end of the corridor. Even from a distance, their presence was enough to make anyone stop and stare.
The first had long, flowing crimson hair that shimmered under the sunlight streaming through the windows. Her face was elegant and gentle, like a sculpture crafted by divine hands. The graceful curve of her body, her soft smile, and the confidence in her steps carried the unmistakable air of nobility. There was no mistaking her - Rias Gremory, the heir of the Gremory Clan.
The woman walking beside her was equally breathtaking, though in a completely different way. Her long black hair framed a face of serene beauty, but her charm carried a dangerous edge. Her body was even more sensual than Rias's, her movements graceful and deliberate, her eyes glinting with both kindness and hidden mischief. That smile - gentle, knowing, and slightly cruel - belonged only to one person. Akeno Himejima.
Arthur stopped for just a second, his breath catching in his throat. The sight of them together was enough to make his mind blank. It wasn't every day that characters from fiction stood before him in the flesh.
But that second of distraction cost him.
His Keen Insight, which he had subconsciously kept suppressed, briefly flared out of control. The surge of awareness made the world sharpen violently for a moment, and both women felt it immediately - a brief, cold prickle that brushed against their senses.
Arthur realized his mistake too late.
He straightened his posture and forced himself to walk past them as casually as possible, his face calm, his steps steady. But he could feel their gazes on him, sharp and assessing. One in particular burned against the back of his neck.
Turning around would only make him look suspicious, so he kept his composure and continued forward.
"I think I need to rest," Rias murmured softly, touching her temple. "It seems this new candidate business is stressing me out more than I thought."
Akeno chuckled lightly beside her, her tone teasing. "Ara~ ara~ It seems our president is pushing herself too hard again."
Though she joked, her eyes followed Arthur until he disappeared around the corner. Her expression softened, amusement flickering in her gaze, but beneath it was something else - curiosity.
After classes ended, Arthur wasted no time. The moment the final bell rang, he packed his things and slipped out of the building.
"System, use my points to tell me the devils' locations."
[4000 system points spent]
Information flowed into his mind in an instant, pinpointing the exact positions of several roaming low-tier devils scattered throughout Kuoh City.
"Perfect," he said under his breath.
He vanished using Shunpo, moving first toward the furthest target.
The area he arrived at was eerily quiet. An old warehouse stood before him, its walls rusted, the surrounding grass long and overgrown. It was the kind of place no one would visit willingly.
He stepped inside, his footsteps silent on the dusty floor. The air was heavy, filled with the stench of decay. With a deep breath, he activated both his Six Eyes and Keen Insight. The world shifted around him, darkness fading away as his vision adapted.
That's when he saw it.
A creature hunched in the shadows, its twisted limbs scraping against the floor. Its skin looked like melted wax, and its form barely resembled anything human. The sound it made was a guttural rasp, halfway between a growl and a broken word.
"Prey…"
Its voice was hoarse, distorted. It lunged forward with inhuman speed, its clawed hand reaching out to tear him apart.
To Arthur, it was painfully slow.
He moved before the creature even completed its motion. Lightning flared around him as his Device materialized, the metallic gleam of black and gold wrapping around his arms and legs.
[Lightning God Armor]
He intercepted the attack with an upward hook, the impact resounding through the empty warehouse. The strike released a burst of blue-white lightning that tore through the air, searing the creature's flesh and filling the space with the smell of burnt meat.
Without giving it a chance to recover, Arthur vanished and reappeared behind it using Shunpo. His body moved instinctively, perfectly executing the movement pattern of the Renewal Style.
"Triple Kick."
His legs moved in a blur. Each kick struck with precise, devastating force, and with every impact, bolts of lightning erupted, shredding the demon's body. The final blow sent it crashing into the ground, twitching and burned beyond recognition.
Arthur stood over it, panting slightly, his fists trembling from the adrenaline. The battle hadn't been difficult, but something inside him twisted painfully. His chest felt heavy, his vision slightly blurred.
Then came the memories - sharp, unwanted flashes from his past life.
Voices. A scream. The metallic scent of blood. His hands covered in red.
He staggered backward, his body trembling. A wave of nausea hit him hard, and he turned away, vomiting what was left of his lunch onto the floor.
He fell to his knees, gripping the concrete with shaking hands.
"Calm down, Arthur... It's not the first time you've killed someone... Everything's going to be alright..."
He muttered the words over and over, forcing his breathing to steady. Slowly, the dizziness faded, replaced by exhaustion.
After a while, he managed to get up. His body ached, and his mind still felt foggy, but he knew he couldn't push further tonight. He had wanted to hunt at least one more devil, but his current state wouldn't allow it.
"Tomorrow," he whispered.
Elsewhere, in the Occult Research Club room, the atmosphere was tense.
"Lately, there have been many reports of missing persons," Rias Gremory said firmly, her expression serious as she looked at her peerage. "I focused so much on the new candidate that we neglected the safety of the city."
Kiba Yuuto, her knight, listened attentively, arms crossed.
Toujou Koneko sat nearby, quietly eating a box of snacks but paying close attention nonetheless.
Akeno, ever graceful, poured a cup of tea for her friend. Her gentle smile didn't fully hide her curiosity.
"It's true that we haven't done a proper job lately," Akeno said lightly. "Is it at least worth the effort?" Her voice carried its usual teasing tone, though her eyes were sharp.
Rias sighed softly. "The matter with the new candidate has turned out to be... problematic. The aura of the Sacred Gear I sensed before has weakened. I'm starting to think we might have followed a false lead."
Her voice faltered for a moment, her face reflecting frustration and disappointment. The room grew quiet, tension filling the air until Akeno clapped her hands softly.
"Let's not keep such gloomy faces. How about we patrol the city to clear our heads?"
Rias paused, then nodded. "Yes... that's a good idea."
Moments later, a crimson magic circle appeared beneath them, and the entire group vanished from the room.
Meanwhile, the next day at Kuoh Academy, Arthur sat by the window of his classroom, lost in thought. He still remembered the way the demon's body had burned under his lightning, the smell of scorched flesh, the way his hands had trembled afterward.
It wasn't fear exactly, but something deeper - guilt, or maybe unease.
Still, he couldn't stop now. He had a mission to complete. Three more devils to hunt. And each one would bring him closer to mastering this world.