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….
The next morning, the atmosphere at Kuoh Academy felt... heavy.
Yesterday, I was just a curiosity. Today, thanks to my little stunt with the zombies and the resulting level-up, I felt different. More grounded. My stride was confident, my posture relaxed.
I walked into the classroom, scanning the room. Rias and Sona were already at their desks, but they were engrossed in paperwork, barely sparing a glance for the students filing in.
I took my seat at the back, pulling out a textbook. I was about to zone out when a shadow fell over my desk.
"Good morning."
The voice was silky, polite, and dripping with a specific kind of charm.
I looked up. Akeno Himejima stood there, hands clasped in front of her, offering a perfect, gentle smile.
"I don't believe we've formally met," she said, offering a slight bow. "My name is Akeno Himejima. It's a pleasure to meet you."
I stood up and returned the bow, keeping my expression pleasant. "Nice to meet you. I'm Shiro. How can I help you today, Himejima-san?"
If I hadn't watched the anime or read the novels, I would have been fooled. She looked like the perfect Yamato Nadeshiko, the ideal traditional Japanese woman. But I knew better. Underneath that shrine maiden veneer was a super-sadist who enjoyed lightning torture a little too much.
"I was just wondering," she said, tilting her head slightly. "I've heard from a few girls that you haven't joined any clubs yet. I was curious if you would like to check out the Occult Research Club?"
I leaned back against my desk, crossing my arms.
So, this is the play, I thought.
Rias wasn't approaching me directly. She sent her Queen. They must have sensed something, maybe my mana pool increased after leveling up, or maybe they just didn't like that I noticed Koneko trailing me yesterday.
I wasn't ready to join a Peerage. I definitely wasn't ready to be a servant. If Rias wanted me, she was going to have to work for it. And more importantly, I needed to establish that I wasn't just some clueless human they could manipulate.
"Forgive me, Himejima-san," I said calmly. "I just have one question."
She blinked, her smile faltering for a microsecond. "Oh?"
"Are you the president of the club? Or is it someone else?"
"No, I'm terribly sorry," she replied smoothly. "I am the Vice President. Rias Gremory is the Club President. Is that all you wanted to know?"
I held her gaze. I let a fraction of my [Gamer's Mind] calmness slip, replacing it with cold, sharp intent. I lowered my voice just enough so only she, and the devils with super-hearing, could catch the edge in it.
"One more question," I said. "Did your President send you to fetch me... or are you here on your own accord?"
The air in the classroom seemed to drop ten degrees.
It wasn't a shout. It was barely a whisper. But the venom in the tone was unmistakable. It was an accusation. I know what you are. I know what you're doing.
Across the room, the reaction was instant.
Rias stiffened in her chair, her pen freezing mid-stroke. Sona's eyes snapped up from her book, narrowing sharply at me. For a split second, the mask of the high school girls cracked, and the aura of two High-Class Devils leaked out.
Akeno's smile didn't break, but her eyes hardened.
"Ara ara," she chuckled, though the sound lacked its usual warmth. "Does it really matter who asked for you to come to the clubroom?"
I held the stare for a second longer, letting the tension simmer, before flipping the switch back to 'Polite Transfer Student.'
"Of course not," I smiled, rubbing the back of my neck sheepishly. "Forgive my rudeness. It was a simple question. I'm terribly sorry if that sounded wrong, I was just confused, is all."
The tension in the room evaporated, but the damage was done. Rias and Sona were staring openly now.
Good, I thought. At least they know I have teeth.
"So," Akeno said, recovering her composure effortlessly. "Should I expect you at the Club Room later on?"
"Yes," I nodded. "But only for a few moments. I'm afraid I have some errands to run later today."
….
The sun was dipping low, casting long, bruised shadows across the campus as I walked toward the old school building.
I knew what to expect. In the anime, this place was a ruin on the outside, cracked windows, ivy strangling the brickwork, an aura of "keep out." Standing in front of it, the vibe was less "haunted house" and more "condemned property."
I pushed open the heavy wooden doors.
The inside, of course, was a lie.
The hallway was pristine. Akeno was waiting for me at the top of the stairs, her smile polite and unreadable. She gestured for me to follow, leading me to the double doors at the end of the hall.
"Right this way, Shiro-san."
I stepped through the doors and into a Victorian lounge. The smell of expensive tea and old books hit me instantly. Plush leather sofas, mahogany desks, a shower room tucked away in the corner. It screamed wealth.
But I didn't have time to admire the decor. I stopped dead in my tracks.
It wasn't just Rias and her peerage.
Sitting across from the crimson-haired beauty was a girl with short black hair and sharp, intelligent eyes. Sona Sitri. Behind her stood her Queen, Tsubaki Shinra.
My stomach dropped.
Well, I thought, keeping my face perfectly still thanks to [Gamer's Mind]. I didn't just poke the Queen Bee. I walked into the hive while the rival colony was visiting.
If I didn't have the passive skill suppressing my emotions, I would have been sweating bullets. The magical pressure in the room, even suppressed, was heavy.
Rias looked up from her tea, her blue eyes locking onto mine.
"I see you finally made it."
"I did," I said, checking my watch. "But I only have ten minutes. I have a tight schedule this evening."
It was a bold move, rushing a devil, but I needed to maintain the frame that I was just a busy student, not someone intimidated by their social standing.
"Understood," Rias said, setting her cup down. "Do you know why you're here, Shiro?"
….
Hey guys if u like the fanfic and want to read ahead by 10+ Chapters or just want to support take a visit on my patreon.
(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)
http://patreon.com/Marin_kitawaga