The moment Shuo activated the enhancement card, a surge of energy swept through his body—warm, electric, and utterly refreshing. Every trace of fatigue from the earlier fight vanished, replaced by a lightness that made him want to leap skyward. He pulled up his status panel, eager to see the results.
Host: Shuo Nangong
Constitution: Mid-Class Devil (Peak)
Magic Power: Mid-Class Devil (Peak)
Abilities: Supreme Threefold Haki, Rumble-Rumble Fruit (No Weakness), Flying Thunder God Technique, Divine Azure Dragon Soul (Sealed)
Inventory: Zanpakutō Zangetsu
Seeing those stats, Shuo couldn't help but grin. With both his physical and magical power maxed out for his current rank, he'd be able to tap into the Azure Dragon's soul for much longer—less strain, more potential. The future looked brighter than ever.
He was still lost in daydreams when a flash of crimson interrupted his thoughts. Rias appeared before him, her gaze intense, blocking out everything else. Shuo's smile faltered, lips twitching awkwardly as he met her eyes.
"Did you need something, Rias?"
Rias inhaled deeply, as if steeling herself for what came next. The rest of the group quieted, their playful banter fading into expectant silence. For a moment, all eyes were on the two of them.
She held his gaze for what felt like an eternity, then finally spoke—her voice soft but unwavering.
"I know you turned me down before, and this is… embarrassing to admit, but I want to try again. Shuo, will you become my Peerage member?"
Shuo kept his expression neutral, but he could see the flush creeping up Rias's cheeks. Despite her embarrassment, her tone was earnest, her eyes filled with hope.
The rest of Rias's Peerage watched, anticipation written across their faces. After all, Shuo's track record was hard to ignore—he'd shown terrifying strength as a mere human. If he accepted Rias's offer, combined with his arsenal of hidden powers, he'd become a force to be reckoned with. No weaknesses, boundless talent—his future was limitless.
On the other side, Sona's emotions were a tangled mess. If only Shuo had challenged her first, she could have brought him to meet her King—his talent would've guaranteed him a spot in her Peerage, and they could have been family. Swordsmanship exchanges, time spent together… but now, it was too late. Sona lowered her head, a sigh heavy with regret escaping her lips.
Koneko, the white-haired loli, stared at Shuo, her thoughts racing. If this perverted senpai becomes Rias's Peerage, I'll have a perfect excuse to stick to him all the time. The idea brought a rare smile to her face.
Akeno, as usual, remained calm. This was exactly what she'd wanted—if Shuo joined Rias's Peerage, they'd always be together, and she could tease her "little boyfriend" to her heart's content. No one was rooting harder for Shuo's recruitment than Akeno.
Kiba's reaction was pure delight. If Shuo joined, they could spar and push each other's sword skills even further. More talent in the group meant more growth for everyone.
With so many expectant faces turned his way, Shuo let the silence stretch. No one rushed him—this was his decision alone.
At last, he spoke, voice gentle but firm. "I'm sorry, Rias… I don't want to live under someone else's roof. I know you treat your Peerage like family, and I respect that. But right now, being human feels right to me. I'm not ready to become a devil—so I have to say no."
He didn't want to hurt Rias, but he couldn't lie.
"I… I see." Disappointment flickered across Rias's face, regret softening her features.
She composed herself quickly, forcing a smile. "No need to apologize. I understand—asking you to join so suddenly must be overwhelming. I hope you'll at least join the Occult Research Club."
Her eyes burned with renewed determination. "But I'll keep waiting for you to change your mind, Shuo. I want us to be family someday."
With that, Rias seemed to rally, her spirits lifting. She was determined to win Shuo over, no matter how long it took.
But her bold declaration sent a ripple of awkwardness through the group.
"Family with perverted senpai…" Koneko blinked, her big eyes filled with curiosity, clearly pondering something.
Akeno's lips curled into a mischievous smile. "Ara ara… Color me surprised, Rias. I didn't expect you to be so forward—wanting to make Shuo-chan family and all. But I'm afraid I won't give him up so easily! After all, Shuo-chan promised to marry me…"
Rias was stunned, face flushing red as she stared at Akeno in disbelief.
A moment passed before she caught on to the teasing. "Wait, that's not what I meant! Shuo, don't get the wrong idea—I swear, I didn't mean it like that…"
Akeno leaned in, voice playful. "Oh? Then what did you mean, Rias-chan?"
"You… you're impossible, Akeno! I meant family in the normal sense! Stop twisting my words!"
Rias's composure crumbled under Akeno's relentless teasing, her cheeks burning as she sputtered in embarrassment.
"This is getting out of hand…" Koneko and Kiba exchanged bewildered glances, unsure how things had gotten so chaotic.
Sona kept silent, unwilling to intrude on Shuo's personal business. Still, she felt a wave of relief at his refusal—but Rias and Akeno's words left her uneasy. This won't do. I need to report this to my King and make sure we fight to recruit Shuo!
Her eyes hardened with resolve—she wouldn't give up easily.
Rias and the others could guess Sona's intentions, but there was no reason to stop her. Instead, the girls turned their complicated gazes on Shuo, words fading into sighs.
"Nangong-kun really is full of surprises…"
Who could have guessed the unremarkable shut-in would turn out to be a swordsmanship prodigy, now the object of Rias's affection?
Watching the girls, Shuo felt a pang of guilt toward Rias. If this had happened before—if Rias had lowered herself to invite him so earnestly—he'd have accepted in a heartbeat. But now, with the system awakened and his own plans in motion, there was no way.
Becoming a devil just wasn't the best choice. Devils might have status here, but in the vast multiverse, they were a drop in the ocean. Countless bloodlines dwarfed theirs.
He thought of the Azure Dragon soul he possessed, the angels and gods of destruction from Dragon Ball, the evil gods destined to invade the DxD world… Compared to those, devils were barely a footnote.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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