After inviting the girls in, Yuu served the remaining breakfast onto extra plates and got them settled around the dining table.
It was a traditional Japanese table, with floor cushions, long enough for all six of them to sit comfortably.
Yue sat beside Yuu, as expected. There was no way she'd sit anywhere else. She considered his side her territory and her spot.
Her face was expressionless, but her crimson eyes were slightly narrowed as she carefully observed the four girls sitting across from them. More specifically, her gaze was fixed on a very particular point.
Their breasts.
She quickly looked away from Sona, who, thankfully had a more modest bust compared to her companions.
Sona... You're safe.
She'd remembered their names when they introduced themselves earlier.
However, when her eyes landed on Rias and Akeno, a slight twitch appeared on her brow.
So big...
Those breasts were just way too big. It was like they'd been specifically designed to make her feel small and inadequate.
Her cold loli-vampire stare sharpened, as if she were evaluating two natural enemies. In her mind, she'd already labeled them as "rivals."
While Yue silently fought this internal battle, Yuu, sitting right beside her, seemed completely unaware of her foul mood. Instead, he totally ignored Sona and Tsubaki, whom he already knew.
His attention went to the two new faces at the table.
First up: Rias Gremory.
He'd seen her briefly through the teleport bulletin, but this was the first time he had her in front of him.
She had long, bright crimson hair that reached down to her thighs, with a cute ahoge sticking up on top. Loose bangs framed her perfectly symmetrical face. And if he were allowed to think like a normal guy: Very, very beautiful.
Then, his gaze slid to the right.
Akeno Himejima.
She had a voluptuous figure. Jet-black hair tied into an insanely long ponytail that touched the ground even when she was standing, with high side strands tied back using an orange ribbon.
She was the classic combo of a Yamato Nadeshiko and a seductive onee-san. Her smile was soft and gentle, but Yuu could feel her narrowed violet eyes scanning his body closely.
All four girls wore the usual Kuoh Academy uniform, neatly ironed and perfectly fitted.
Thanks to the anime, Yuu already knew that whether they were going to class, training, or fighting, they always wore their uniforms.
Unlike the anime, though, where these girls were 2D characters, they were now very real, and very stunning.
Rias leaned forward slightly, resting her elbows on the table. The ahoge on her head swayed a little, and her breasts pressed together under her uniform due to her arms.
"Yuu Izumi, right? I've heard a lot about you."
Her big blue eyes studied him with interest as she said it with a smile.
"Oh yeah? Hope it's all good."
"Of course. I wouldn't invite just anyone into my Peerage."
Her tone was confident. She'd already decided that Yuu would be hers.
Now that she'd met him, he made a good impression. She liked his calm attitude, and his attractive looks were something she hadn't quite seen before.
Yuu didn't mind the attention. But that didn't mean he was interested in joining a group full of noble devils with flashy names.
"Rias, don't you think you're being a little too direct? If Izumi-kun turned down my offer, I doubt he'll accept yours that easily."
Before Yuu could answer, Sona adjusted her glasses and stepped in.
"Oh? You think so?" Rias raised an eyebrow, smiling with a bit of sass. "Well, unlike you, I know how to persuade people. Right, Akeno?"
Tsubaki sighed. Same fight that had happened in the front yard.
"Ufufu~ Of course, buchou." Akeno covered her mouth with one hand and let out a soft laugh. Then her violet eyes shifted to Yuu. "I'm sure Yuu-kun will make the right decision."
Yuu chuckled and said calmly, "Please, eat before it gets cold. Hope you like it."
The girls, who'd been staring at him until then, finally let their guard down a bit and turned their attention to the food Yuu had prepared.
It was the first time they'd seen a golden tamagoyaki that literally glowed. The white rice looked fluffy and steaming, and the grilled salmon gave off an irresistible aroma.
Even the small bowls of tsukemono and miso soup looked like something served in a top-tier restaurant.
Rias eyed the dishes curiously as she picked up a pair of chopsticks. "Well then, I won't hold back."
She tried to keep up her elegant image, but she couldn't stop herself from swallowing hard as she breathed in the food's aroma.
"Ara~ How exciting. Yuu-kun's cooking, huh? I wonder what it tastes like..." Akeno said in a playful tone as she grabbed her chopsticks.
Yue, meanwhile, had already started eating in silence.
The first to react was Rias. The moment she tasted the tamagoyaki, her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed.
"This..." She brought a hand to her mouth as she chewed. "This... this is amazing. So soft, and sweet...
Can tamagoyaki even be this good?"
"Nnh~ This is delicious…"
Akeno, who was tasting the grilled salmon, let out a soft moan. Her cheeks also flushed as she half-closed her eyes, savoring the flavor melting in her mouth.
"The salmon's perfectly seasoned, and the texture and taste are… ufufu~ Buchou, I think we should kidnap Yuu-kun and make him our personal chef."
"Mmm..."
Hearing Akeno's words, Yue looked up and stared at her with her usual blank expression, though she was chewing a bit harder than before.
Sona picked up a bit of rice with tsukemono using her chopsticks and brought it to her mouth. The moment the rice touched her tongue, her eyes widened in shock.
She let out a soft gasp of ecstasy. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her usual cool composure had vanished.
Just like the other girls, her expression was that of someone utterly defeated by the taste.
"Even if it's just rice, the flavor... it's flawless."
No. It was more than that. She thought it was perfect!
Even Tsubaki let out a small moan after tasting the miso soup. "It's… really good."
Meanwhile, Yuu calmly took a bite of his rice.
"Glad you like it."
But inside…
Umu. It's good.
He shamelessly praised himself.
Seeing the girls' flushed faces and hearing their little moans as they tasted his food was undeniably satisfying.
Rias, who had already tried several dishes, looked straight at him. "Izumi-kun, can I call you Yuu?"
"I don't mind."
"Then, Yuu. Now that I've tasted your cooking, I'm more than sure—I'm taking you into my Peerage."
She declared it with a confident smile as she set her chopsticks on the table.
Yue, who had been quietly enjoying a piece of tamagoyaki, stopped. Her crimson eyes narrowed slightly as she turned her head toward Yuu.
It was obvious she was waiting for his response.
She knew exactly what he'd say. He wasn't going to accept.
After all, Yuu was a god.
A being that powerful couldn't be anyone's subordinate, especially not a devils'. From her perspective, Rias's proposal wasn't just absurd—it showed a complete lack of understanding of who Yuu really was.
The very idea that these girls were trying to recruit him seemed laughable, though she couldn't completely blame them.
None of them knew his true identity. And if they did, they'd probably be too overwhelmed to even speak.
While Yue reflected, Yuu gave a small smile. He picked up his cup and took a sip of tea before answering.
"Oh, you mean your Peerage? Sona made me the same offer."
Rias smiled in satisfaction upon hearing that.
"Oh, I heard you turned her down. And since you're already familiar with the offer… in that case, I'll make you the same proposal—but better. When you accept joining my Peerage, I'll throw a welcome party in your honor. I think we'd all be thrilled to celebrate your arrival."
Sona's lips twitched.
Seriously? Is this redhead really pulling the party card? Even she would've prepared a welcome party if Yuu accepted joining her. That's just common sense. But Rias made it sound like some rare privilege or something to be thankful for.
Yuu simply shook his head.
"No, thanks. I'm not planning on joining any Peerage."
"..."
Rias's smile stayed on her face, but her eyes blinked rapidly, like her brain was still processing those words. When it finally sank in, her expression froze, and the cup she was about to lift hovered in midair.
"Huh...? What?" was all she could manage.
Sona, who'd been watching with a calm smile, couldn't hold back a small laugh at Rias's stunned face.
"Heh, looks like you got rejected, Rias. Didn't you say you were better at convincing people than me?"
Rias turned to Sona, frowning. "I don't need your snark right now, Sona!"
Akeno, sitting next to Rias, covered her mouth with one hand and let out a soft giggle.
"Ufufu~ Well, Buchou, looks like Yuu-kun wasn't that easy to impress. Maybe you should've offered something more tempting."
"Akeno?!" Rias snapped her head toward her Queen, looking betrayed. "Whose side are you on? Mine or Sona's?!"
"Ara~ I'm always on your side, Buchou."
Trying to regain her composure, Rias straightened up in her seat. Her face took on a serious and noble expression—though it would've been more convincing if it wasn't still flushed red.
She looked Yuu straight in the eyes.
"Then, Yuu, may I ask why you're rejecting my offer? You haven't even heard the benefits of becoming a devil."
Yuu found her words amusing, and before he could speak, Rias continued.
"If necessary, I'm willing to use all my Evil Pieces to reincarnate you as a devil. Not just anyone gets that kind of generous offer from me, you know?"
In the world of devils, reincarnating humans or other beings into devils required the use of special artifacts called Evil Pieces.
These pieces looked exactly like chess pieces and were given exclusively to high-class pure-blooded devils.
Each set included a King, eight Pawns, two Rooks, two Knights, two Bishops, and one Queen—and allowed the user to build their own group of servants.
The value of the pieces varied depending on the power of the individual being recruited. For someone like Yuu, they'd probably need all the Pawn pieces just to reincarnate him.
That was, of course, from Sona and Rias's perspective. Since both suspected Yuu was a Sacred Gear user.
Rias went on.
"I can guarantee you a privileged position. With your power, no one would dare question you, and you'd have access to all my family's resources. Plus, you'd be part of my Peerage. You wouldn't just be an ally—you'd be someone I completely trust."
Yue, sitting next to Yuu, looked at Rias with curiosity.
Even Sona stayed quiet this time. All the Evil Pieces? And all those offers? Is this girl really that desperate to recruit him?
"..."
She could understand the reason, though. So she just sighed at her friend's situation.
Yuu took another sip of tea, listening patiently. Then, with a slight smile, he replied, "I appreciate the offer, but I don't need any of that."
Rias blinked, clearly surprised.
"Why not? You don't even wanna hear the rest of it?"
"It's simple," Yuu said, gently setting his cup down on the table. "I'm not interested in becoming anyone's subordinate, or being turned into a devil. I'm already pretty comfortable the way I am."
The room went silent for a moment, as Rias tried to come up with a response. Sona, clearly enjoying the scene, smirked.
"Told you, Rias. Izumi-kun's not someone you can convince that easily."
Rias clenched her teeth. Yuu was her only hope! So she couldn't give up that easily.
"Tell me, Rias… is the real reason you're so eager to recruit me... so you can cancel your engagement?"
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