Fear wasn't a foreign concept to Rias… She knew very well how that feeling worked and had also felt it when she hunted her first stray devil.
Rias was afraid of what happened with Gilgamesh's disappearance, but when he arrived at the Occult Club's office, she thought they could talk.
They didn't talk…
It was more like a one-sided conversation, a lecture filled with threats. Every time she tried to speak, he interrupted her as if dismissing her existence. He spoke to her as if she were a being who didn't even deserve his time.
Never in her life had she been treated like this… treated as nothing but dirt…
This man not only dared to harm her peerage and mock her. It's true that she might have been wrong in the first place, and to be honest, she had already prepared to apologize to him, but when he started talking like that and harmed her class, that feeling vanished instantly.
She was a Gremory, and no one could harm her peerage without receiving a painful reminder! Dragon or not, damn it.
Rias wasn't a stranger to fear, but what she had just felt made all her previous fears seem like lighters in front of blazing flames that burned an entire building.
In Satan's name, she even saw her own death the moment Gilgamesh's aura took over the entire room. She saw her existence being burned by a mere puff of fire, turning her into nothing but ashes. She couldn't hear anything or feel anything but fear. She almost screamed when she saw her death, but she held it back when she realized she was still alive.
And when Gilgamesh spoke to her again, she didn't see a human, but a giant dragon in front of her, mocking her with flames burning from its nostrils and ready to burn her existence.
She remembered how one of the Old Satan factions had faced her older brother as if he were some kind of monster, and she was sure she had just shown the exact same expression when looking at Gilgamesh.
Oh, hell… In the name of the Four Maous, what kind of sleeping monster had she provoked?!
"Rias?"
Rias turned to see her queen, who was no longer smiling. And while she seemed calm, Rias could still see that her queen was still disturbed by recent events.
"Yes, Akeno?" She asked. Calm down, calm down, she had to calm down. She was the king; she had to calm down for her subjects.
"Koneko woke up… She's back to normal, but whenever we mention Gilgamesh-san's name…"
Koneko… Rias realized that Gilgamesh hadn't done anything wrong to her. He didn't threaten her or hurt her. Hell, he didn't even touch her! Gilgamesh just looked at her. That was all and nothing more.
But she finally understood the magnitude of the impact of that act.
Koneko was a Nekoshou… Her heightened senses allowed her to see more than what appeared in the eyes of others because she possessed sharper and keener senses. In other words, Koneko had already seen before what they had only now seen. No wonder the poor girl was so scared; she must have reached her breaking point when the dragon's power erupted.
The recruitment of Gilgamesh not only failed but also backfired. Instead of making an ally, they made an enemy! It's true that Gilgamesh had said they were neutral, but that didn't mean he wouldn't harm them. They had already made a grave mistake in the first place. To be honest, she never imagined that the encounter with Gilgamesh would be like this. She was thinking that, at worst, she wouldn't get Gilgamesh to join her peerage, but this clearly surpassed any scenario she had imagined!
"So, what are we going to do with him?" Akeno asked.
"Let's leave him alone, and he won't bother us," Rias said with her eyes closed. "Yes, let's monitor him, but we won't make any moves. Not until I can redeem our group's reputation to him," she murmured.
"And the Fallen Angel? You know if he attacks them, it could cause problems, right?"
"Ah, don't worry, let him be. If they were officially negotiating here, they would've come to visit us, so it's clear they're here for something illegal. And I doubt they're working here with permission…" Rias said while making a dismissive gesture with her hand.
"The reason I haven't visited them so far was because I wanted to use them to recruit Hyoudou-san and Gilgamesh-san, but now that failed…" She shrugged nonchalantly.
"We can turn a blind eye to them, pretend we didn't know they were here in the first place. Let Gilgamesh-san have a little chat with them; I feel it would be a good payback, since one of them blabbed to him about us," she stated with a sweet and cold smile, making Akeno slowly smile too.
"If you say so…"
With Gilgamesh.
Gilgamesh was now in an isolated place while watching the sky.
"I messed up," Gilgamesh thought.
"That's not true, master," Regulus said.
[I agree with the cat,] Ddraig said to Gilgamesh.
"That's not what I meant," Gilgamesh said, cutting off the telepathic link to avoid listening to Ddraig and Regulus's bickering.
It had been half an hour since I talked to Rias and her group. Currently, I was at the sports field of Kuoh Academy, lying on the grass while looking at a group of clouds hovering above me. I crossed my arms behind my head, my expression blank.
While my face was stoic, internally I wasn't.
I was angry… So angry… To the point of wanting to cut something.
Angry at myself… For what I had done…
Not for what I did to Rias, she deserved it, but for what I did to Koneko.
I couldn't see the devil I had imagined, but I saw a child… A child screaming in terror.
How? How could I make that mistake?!
"Our meeting wasn't supposed to be tomorrow?" I asked nonchalantly while still looking at the sky.
"I changed my mind. I have some free time now, so why not?"
I let out a grunt before slowly pushing myself off the ground and taking a sitting position. I turned my head and looked at Souna, who wasn't far from me. I had already sensed her the moment she started approaching me from a distance, but I didn't make any move to antagonize her.
Unlike Rias, Souna had never moved against me in any personal way. She remained neutral and in her position as Student Council President, so I had no reason to antagonize her. She also showed no signs of hostility, so I decided to leave her alone until our meeting tomorrow. We had agreed on tomorrow because Sona said she was busy today when I visited the Student Council office earlier.
But even so, that didn't mean I'd let my guard down.
"That's not what you said when I came to your office," I said with a small snort.
"I didn't come to fight, Gilgamesh-kun," Souna replied, raising her hands in a surrendering manner. I narrowed my eyes at the suffix but didn't comment on it.
"Really? Because if that were true, you wouldn't have placed Tsubaki on that rooftop." I pointed to the rooftop in question while enhancing my vision, seeing Tsubaki watching us with binoculars.
The only sign of Souna's surprise was her eyes widening slightly before that too was replaced by a calm look as she adjusted her glasses.
"Well, I shouldn't be surprised that you're aware of it. You're a Longinus user, and the King of Heroes, after all, but I'm still a bit surprised," she said calmly, and I just shrugged.
"But I can't order Tsubaki to leave; there's no guarantee you won't attack me, after all."
"True. But the same can be said about you," I responded, and she looked at me with a stoic face.
"In the name of my clan, the Sitri family, I, Sona Sitri, swear I won't attack you unless you make a hostile move against me," Souna—no, Sona said in a declarative tone, and I narrowed my eyes.
"You realize your fake name makes almost no difference from the real one, right? At least try using a better name if you're trying to hide it," I said bluntly, and her eyes twitched. "Anyway, even if you say that, why should I believe it? You're a devil, after all," I simply pointed out.
"We devils have our own pride, if you must know, Gilgamesh-kun…" Sona responded in the same blunt manner.
"Touché." I gave a small smile before slowly tilting my head back and gesturing with my hand for her to come to my side, which she did, as I heard her footsteps approaching me.
There was a moment of silence between us. We did nothing but stare at the scenery in front of us—which happened to be the sports area for the students.
It was Sona who broke the silence by speaking first.
"You're in trouble."
"Of course I am. I just talked to a devil, and it was too late to realize," I commented sarcastically, and she just stared at me with a blank look.
"I mean your other words, Gilgamesh-kun. Really, you were never this sarcastic before," she said while rolling her eyes.
"Forgive me, but my last encounter with devils wasn't exactly pleasant. It was like dealing with a spoiled child…" I said without any hint of remorse.
Sona just shook her head at my response.
"You always come here when you're in trouble," she said, and I narrowed my eyes at her.
"And how do you know that?"
"Well, I was always keeping an eye on you…"
I gave her a blank look that said I wasn't amused. "That's creepy, and you surely know it."
Sona just shrugged indifferently at my response. "The truth is, I was the one who wished to recruit you in the first place, not Rias."
"Oh? And what changed that?"
Sona adjusted her glasses and sighed before turning to me. "May I?" she asked while looking at an empty space beside me, and I nodded. She then sat slowly beside me.
"What do you know about Evil Pieces?"
"I know what they do and what they're used for. I'm also aware of how all of you are trying to recruit strong humans and bind them as your servants," I responded sharply.
I really knew everything about this system, not just from the anime, but because Sebas had also shown me everything when I reincarnated.
The man practically showed me what devils did with them, creating another image like the one I watched when he showed me what happened during our first encounter. He showed me how humans were used by other factions since the Great War, how they were turned into tools.
It's true that the words of supernatural beings were sweet as sugar. But their intentions weren't; they were afraid of humans, they were afraid of our power and potential. The Sacred Gears were the greatest gift we possessed, a holy weapon, comparable to a noble phantasm in a way. The God of the Bible gave noble phantasms freely to humans so they could defend themselves and survive.
But they were all turned into tools… Human hearts, though they could be purer than those of angels, could at the same time be darker than those of any devil.
When a group of humans saw a single human make fire with their hand, they feared them. They isolated them and considered them a cursed person. And then the cursed person became sad—they started questioning why. Why were they born different?
At that moment, gods or other supernatural beings came, offering them a chance and saying they were special, they were needed.
Few were truly sincere and honest. But most weren't… And the sad part was that there were also humans who manipulated other humans.
"You must understand, Gilgamesh-kun," Sona sighed. "It's not like we have bad intentions; the purpose of the Evil Pieces is to increase the number of devils. Both the war against Heaven and the civil war brought us to near extinction, not to mention we're not a very fertile race to begin with. We can't just produce a large number of devils like humans or other races," she said.
"So you need new, strong devils, fine. I can't blame you since you're fighting for your survival, but that doesn't give you the right to play with people's lives like they're toys," I responded maliciously, and Sona nodded.
"I understand that, but what can I say? We're devils, as you said; we're not innocent beings. As for Rias's behavior and her conspiracy, she was desperate…"
"Desperate?"
"It's not my place to say," Sona told me while closing her eyes for a moment before reopening them. "But she needs a strong group, she needs strong members to fight for her. For her dreams…"
"And that's why she tried to recruit me," I grumbled, and Sona nodded.
"Before her, I was actually the one planning to recruit you. But since she needed your power more and because it was also for the sake of her dreams, as her friend, I couldn't abandon her. So I decided to give her a chance to get you…" Sona told me, and I snorted.
They tried to pass me around like I was some kind of toy or doll. I was really tempted to pull out a Holy Sword and stab her now, to show what I thought about that kind of behavior, but I held myself back.
"And how would you recruit me? Were you going to have a wild animal attack me and then come and save me, becoming my hero?" I said sarcastically.
"Of course not. I was just going to ask you," Sona said, and I blinked.
What?
"Sorry, maybe my ears deceived me. Did you just—"
"I was going to ask you to become a devil and work for me. Like someone offering a job."
Despite the ridiculous words that left her mouth, Sona's face was serious. There were no signs of lying or deceit; if she was lying, she was clearly hiding it very well. But seeing her and knowing her personality, I think it's safe to say she wasn't lying.
"You're out there asking humans to become devils?" I asked, perplexed. "What kind of idiot would accept that?!"
"Well, Genshirou Saji did…" Sona said with a serious face, and I blinked a few times. I knew that guy. We weren't close, but I knew him.
"The one who's always staring at me?" I asked, and Sona nodded. Yes, in the past, I didn't know why he was always looking at me.
I gave a smile because I already knew why.
"He joined because he likes you, doesn't he?" I teased.
I saw Sona's face flush a little, and she adjusted her glasses. Her eyes showed she was embarrassed, but I could tell she was also displeased at the same time. Well, it was natural; even I felt uncomfortable with the idea of having one of my fans working as my servant.
And he looked at me clearly because of jealousy due to Sona always watching me and trying to recruit me for her peerage.
But still…
"So, there really is an idiot like that, huh?" I murmured while sighing. Really, I didn't know if I felt amused or sad.
"Unfortunately, yes," Sona agreed with me in an odd way. "Rias was planning to ask, but you proved to be more… difficult… You're the only guy who doesn't get charmed by her and also didn't pay attention to her. Not only that, you didn't even show any sign of interest. Which meant asking you to be one would be impossible. That's why she tried to make that plan. I'm not trying to justify her actions, but you should know she's not a completely bad person, just a desperate one…"
"This problem is related to us, devils… Even if you're the bearer of Boosted Gear, you can't just interfere," Sona told me.
"Politics, huh?" I asked with a small smile, and she didn't make any sign to agree, but I could tell I hit the nail on the head. "Let me guess, her problem must be some kind of contract that was given to her due to her status as a high-class devil, and to break it, she has to fight with her entire set of slaves," I guessed while making a smug expression.
Sona looked at me for a moment before shaking her head and letting out a small sigh, a small amused smile on her face.
"You're strong and smart. That's why I want you," she said with a laugh, and I furrowed my brows.
"Oh? Was that a confession I heard? From the Ice Queen of Kuoh Academy? King of Kuoh Academy? Is the Queen seeking the King's warmth?" I asked with a mischievous smile, and Sona blinked before she seemed to finally realize what she had just said.
"T-that's not what I meant!" she retorted in a slightly high-pitched tone, as a pink hue adorned her pale cheeks. "I want you as a member of my peerage!"
"Now you're being tsundere," I said with a fake grimace, making her eyes tremble.
"I'm not being a tsundere!"
"You want me as your peer, which is technically slavery, which means you want me as your slave. Really, you're not just cold, but also a sadist. What a strange combination! Tsundere and a sadist!"
Sona sputtered incoherently a few times, making me laugh. As soon as she realized I was teasing her, she gave me a cold look. But after what I had seen before, there was no way to see that stern look the same way anymore.
But really, what happened with Rias, I think I couldn't blame her too much. I might have reacted too strongly, so maybe I should've been gentler with her. Oh well. I probably should apologize for overdoing it after she's able to redeem herself in my eyes.
"Anyway, if you're planning to ask, you should know I won't become a devil," I said while shaking my head.
"That's what you think," Sona replied while adjusting her glasses. She sighed at my furrowed brows.
"Gilgamesh-kun, to be frank, being a devil isn't as bad as you think. My plan for when I was going to invite you was to try to persuade you in a calm and logical way. If you want things like fame and power, you can achieve them. It's true that you'll work as a low-class devil at first, but it'll be worth it, I assure you."
Between Rias and Sona, I knew Sona was the smarter one; it was very clear to see every semester, her ranking was always at the top and was written on the bulletin board in Kuoh Academy's main building. All her records and grades were always perfect, never below the top, even if slightly. And the way she spoke also made her seem experienced and competent when recruiting someone for her place, unlike Rias.
"I'll offer you the position formally now, Gilgamesh-kun. Become my peer, I assure you it won't be a mistake. You'll find it worthwhile. What do you want? What's your dream? I'll help you achieve it. And in return, you'll help me. You'll achieve your dreams, and you won't need to do it alone," Sona made her offer with a very convincing and gentle tone. Like a woman extending her hand to a poor boy living on the streets.
"Kaichou… Why don't you tell me your dream before I tell you mine?" I asked while pulling one leg back, placing a single hand on it, and resting my head in my palm.
Sona looked at me with furrowed brows before humming and placing her hand on her chin while putting on a thoughtful face.
"I suppose that's part of a good negotiation, knowing the person you'll work with before joining," she said with a tone of acknowledgment. "Very well, if you want to know, Gilgamesh-kun, I wish to create a combat school. One for reincarnated and low-class devils."
"Combat school?" I asked with a blink.
"Let me tell you, low-class devils are devils who only function as servants or slaves if you put it harshly. Most of them are indeed reincarnated beings. And let's just say only a few high-class devils treat their servants as they deserve. Rias and I are two of them."
Oh… Ooooh… Oh…
Now I understood. Now I understood what she was trying to do. What she wanted to do. What her dream was and what she intended to achieve.
"You plan to bribe the slaves…" I stated with an understanding tone. "You all realize there's a high chance your slaves will rebel against you, and seeing how your race survived a civil war, you don't want another one to happen anytime soon. You plan to show them that there are nobles out there who genuinely want to protect them and acknowledge their deeds so they don't try to rebel."
Sona's eyes widened a bit when she heard this before narrowing, and she adjusted her glasses.
"That's a negative way to put it. I don't recall you being so pessimistic, Gilgamesh-kun."
"You're a devil," I pointed out simply, and Sona, to my surprise, let out a snort, a lady-like laugh.
"Gilgamesh-kun, I admit that's one of my goals. You must know, we're very close to extinction after the civil war; we can't have another one. We'd go extinct if that happens," she said with a serious tone. "I don't wish for that to happen. However, I'm being sincere in helping them too; they are our people, after all."
I looked at Sona with an expressionless face.
I was never going to change who I was.
Not even if I were on the brink of death would I accept something like that.
After all, humans are so interesting.
Humans… were creatures that could show kindness surpassing even the angels themselves. They were gentle, soft, and caring creatures. They even did something foolish just for the happiness of a different race, proof enough to show the world that humans were great and kind creatures.
And yet… At the same time, they were also the cruelest… They didn't even care if it was a child; humans could kill them in cold blood and even laugh while doing it. They could starve them and even rape them when they hadn't yet reached puberty.
Humans were weak, that wasn't a lie, but a fact… They had no fangs, claws, venom, or anything that could be used as a weapon in their bodies. Normally, all they could do was cry and lament.
And yet, if we were so weak, how did humans still rule the world?
Simple… it was because humans, among all beings and living creatures… were the cruelest…
They were the most beautiful creatures and yet also the most disgusting…
It was as people said… The greater the light within people's hearts, the greater the darkness within them too…
✨ In addition to this story, you can also get access to other works I'm posting on my Patreon:
👉 patreon.com/Vellgrace
Check it out! 🚀