Asia and I walked into the clubroom. The air inside was as quiet and refined as always, with a touch of incense lingering from Akeno's earlier cleaning. Sitting on the elegant sofa like a queen on her throne was Rias Gremory, our [King].
I don't like that word—King. Not because I have a problem with her personally, but because of what it means for me. I'm under someone. Beneath them. Someone else holds the reins to my life.
But then again, I'm still weak. Not strong enough to break away or make my own path. Yet.
Someday… Someday, when I'm strong enough, I'll make my own peerage. Just like in the original story. I'll choose who I fight with, who I protect. I think even Rias wouldn't try to stop me then. She might even support me.
I looked at her. That long crimson hair flowed down her back like a waterfall of silk. It always stood out—radiant and noble. She had beauty that could silence a room, but today, something about her looked distant.
"Buchou. We're back," I said.
She didn't respond. Her eyes were pointed toward the far side of the room, as if staring at something that wasn't there. Her mind clearly miles away.
Asia, who was standing next to me, tilted her head and followed Rias's gaze, curious. "Buchou?" she called softly.
Still no answer.
"Buchou, we're back!" I raised my voice this time.
That did it. She blinked and turned to look at us as if waking up from a dream.
"I-I'm sorry. I was dazed for a bit," she said quickly, giving us an elegant smile. "Good work, Ise, Asia."
"Good work…? We just got back from school," I muttered to myself, but didn't voice it aloud. That'd be too much.
Still, her reaction was off. I've been noticing it more and more lately. She's been distracted. The number of times I've seen her sigh lately? It's way more than usual. And that usual sparkle in her eyes—it's fading.
Whenever she gives orders or acts in her usual club president manner, she's as elegant and commanding as ever. But whenever she's not doing that, her mind just… drifts off somewhere.
Something's weighing on her. Something big.
Could it be…?
No. Wait… It's about time, isn't it?
My thoughts went to one possbility. Riser.
It made sense. If I remember right, we're right around the time when the Riser Phenex arc is supposed to begin. The arranged marriage. The forced engagement. The fight with no way out.
The idea of someone like Riser—arrogant, prideful, and treating women like possessions.
Even the thought of his smug face made me want to punch something.
She noticed my gaze and tried to smile again. "It's nothing serious. Just tired from some recent paperwork."
"Paperwork?" I repeated, unconvinced.
Asia leaned in a bit. "Umm… Buchou, if there's something bothering you, we're here to help."
Rias looked at Asia, her expression softening. "Thank you, Asia. That means a lot. But I'll be fine."
•••
Yeah. That's a lie.
The Riser Phenex arc was right around the corner. If things went the same as the original timeline, I'd be fighting a guy who could regenerate from everything except divine-level attacks or—ironically—complete incineration.
I didn't want a repeat of that disaster. I didn't want to lose my arm to Ddraig's Balance Breaker like in the original story. Sure, I got stronger because of it, but it was reckless and desperate. This time, I want to get strong on my terms—controlled and prepared.
Still, I couldn't shake the thought from earlier.
What would happen if I changed my heart into a dragon's one? Would I become a half-dragon or something?
The idea wasn't baseless. There were many stories about humans becoming half-dragons after taking in a dragon's power or essence. If I could transform my body to match Ddraig's energy more naturally, maybe I could draw out more of his power without breaking myself.
[The current you will die,] Ddraig's voice echoed in my head, calm but serious. [If you want to consider that option, first become stronger. Then we can talk.]
"...Yeah, fair enough," I muttered under my breath.
If I wanted to beat Riser without resorting to reckless tricks, I needed power—and fast. My Sacred Gear was great, but I wasn't using it effectively. That had to change. I also couldn't just rely on physical strength and raw durability.
Magic. I needed to train my magic properly.
I turned to Asia and gave her a small nod. "I'll catch up with you later, Asia. I have something I need to check on."
"Okay, Ise-san," she said with a sweet smile. "Take care!"
I walked through the corridor of the old school building, thoughts racing through my mind, until I found who I was looking for—Akeno.
She was in the courtyard near the back, adjusting her long hair with elegant fingers, probably just finished with her own training.
Perfect.
"Akeno-senpai," I called out as I approached.
She turned with that usual mysterious smile of hers. "Ara, Ise-kun? What brings you here?"
"I want to ask for your help."
"Oh?" She raised a brow, folding her hands under her chest. "And what kind of help would that be?"
"I want to train my magic," I said, meeting her eyes seriously. "I've been focusing too much on physical stuff—sword training with Kiba, improving my reflexes, endurance. But now, I need to cover my weaknesses. I need to understand how to use magic properly, especially in combat."
Akeno tilted her head slightly, a gleam in her eyes. "Magic, hmm? That's a rare thing to hear from you."
"Think you can help?" I asked.
"Of course. Thought I do need something in return." Akeno said with mysterious smile.
~~~
(I posted some audiobooks of this fanfic on my Patreon. Check it out.)
I have posted 50+ advanced chapters on my Patreon. If you are interested, join my Patreon.
Support me:
patreon.com/BlackBolt517