"First, let's talk about the fact that you've become my peerage devil. You remember the name Amano Yuuma, don't you?"
Rias's fingers tapped lightly against the wooden armrest of the sofa, producing a steady, rhythmic knock.
Her gaze settled on Genichi's left arm.
Genichi nodded.
"She attacked you because of a Sacred Gear," Rias said. "It's an extraordinary power that resides in a small number of people. It's said that many great figures throughout history possessed Sacred Gears."
Her tone remained even, like she was reciting a well-known record. "Most Sacred Gears aren't powerful—many hosts don't even realize they have one. But occasionally, a Sacred Gear appears that's strong enough to make devils and fallen angels wary… even afraid. And so does its host."
She paused, emerald eyes locking onto Genichi.
"You've already noticed it, haven't you? In your left hand."
It wasn't a question. It was a statement.
Genichi didn't deny it, and he didn't look surprised.
He lifted his left hand as instructed, eyes dropping to his palm.
With a flick of intent, he stopped hiding it.
In the next moment, a deep red glow seeped out from beneath his skin—not a blinding flare, but the heavy, scorching radiance of magma flowing under rock.
The light gathered rapidly, shaping itself—
A savage-looking crimson gauntlet manifested out of thin air, fitting seamlessly over his hand and forearm.
Boosted Gear.
Even though Genichi had completely devoured Ddraig's independent will, the Sacred Gear's basic form hadn't changed.
What appeared now was its most fundamental gauntlet state.
"Right. That's exactly why," Rias said, suppressing a sliver of doubt as she nodded. Her eyes left the gauntlet and returned to Genichi's face.
"That fallen angel sensed the awakening aura of your Sacred Gear and came to eliminate you—a potential threat. To fallen angels, any host of a powerful Sacred Gear who might upset the balance is someone they want erased in advance."
Then her tone shifted, a hint of appraisal creeping in.
"Still… from the look of it, your Sacred Gear seems to be just an ordinary twice critical. A lower-class Sacred Gear that strengthens arm power and adds a bit of dragon attribute?"
Rias's brow tightened, almost too subtly to notice.
Based on her estimation of "Hyoudou Genichi's" potential, the Sacred Gear on him should have been at least a Longinus.
Had she misjudged?
The doubt circled in her mind, but she didn't voice it.
There were already far too many mysteries around this boy. She didn't need to rush.
Hearing her call it an "ordinary twice critical," Genichi felt nothing at all—if anything, it suited him.
He calmly kept Boosted Gear in its basic, unremarkable " twice critical" state, making no attempt to trigger its true multiplying power.
"You also remember being pierced through the stomach by a light spear, don't you?" Rias continued, steering the conversation toward another core point. "At the moment you were about to die, I used a devil's reincarnation to pull you back from the edge of death—and reincarnated you as my servant devil."
There was a matter-of-fact certainty in her voice.
"I am Rias Gremory. A high-class, pure-blood devil noble. The next head of House Gremory."
She lifted her chin slightly. Her long crimson hair seemed to sway even without wind, and the natural authority of a high-ranking devil spilled out of her.
"And you, Hyoudou Genichi, now belong to me—Rias Gremory—as my peerage devil."
As if to prove her words—and to show Genichi what this "group" truly was—something unfolded from the area of her shoulder blades.
A pair of large, powerful bat-like wings spread wide, the skeleton jagged, the membrane a dark crimson.
They gave a soft beat, stirring a faint current of air, making her look like a queen of the night descended into the human world.
Then, as if responding to an unspoken cue—
Akeno's wings opened.
Kiba's wings opened.
Koneko's wings opened.
Four devils unfurled their wings. They didn't fully release their pressure, but the inhuman, supernatural presence alone instantly filled the room, clashing sharply with the earlier "peaceful clubroom" atmosphere.
Almost at the same time, Genichi felt a tingling numbness and slight sting across his own shoulder blades.
Something was waking up—something that wanted to break free.
He didn't resist. He simply willed it.
With a soft fwump—
A pair of bat wings burst out from his back.
They were still a little stiff, trembling faintly as if unfamiliar with motion. The details of bone spurs and membrane were clear along the edges.
Genichi could feel the connection perfectly, like he'd gained a new pair of limbs—foreign, but completely under his control.
A devil's symbol. Proof of identity. And also a new physical organ.
Rias's gaze swept across Genichi's wings—young, but fully formed—and a trace of satisfaction flashed in her eyes.
The reincarnation had been successful. The bond had been established.
She slowly folded her wings back in. The others did the same.
The atmosphere eased slightly.
Rias sat back down, hands folded together, looking at Genichi—who had also retracted his wings—and then she tossed out a question that cut straight to the core.
"Then, Genichi… what do you think about becoming my servant devil?"
It was an attitude check—also the opening probe of loyalty.
Genichi fell silent for a moment, as if weighing his words.
Then he lifted his head, looked at Rias, and answered in a steady, respectful tone.
"I'm grateful to you, Rias-senpai. You helped me when I was dying and gave me life again. So I don't have any resistance to becoming your servant devil. I'll fulfill my obligations as your peerage."
The answer was flawless on the surface—gratitude and compliance, with no obvious holes.
Rias, however, let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. Her emerald eyes held an amused, I-see-through-you clarity.
"That's not entirely from the heart, Genichi."
Her voice carried a teasing edge. "I don't see much tearful gratitude or die-for-you loyalty in your eyes. What I see is calculation… and an urgent hunger for power."
It was a surgical strike—piercing straight through the calm mask to the truth underneath.
A faint chill ran through Genichi's mind, but his face didn't change. He simply remained silent, neither admitting nor denying.
In front of a pure-blood devil princess with this kind of perception, arguing would only look pathetic.
"But, fine," Rias said, as if she didn't intend to press further—or as if she'd decided to accept this dynamic for now.
"At this stage, that's enough. We both need time to understand each other and build trust."
Then her expression turned formal again.
"Now, let's go over the details. The obligations you must bear as my peerage devil—and the rules you must obey."
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