Shuo hovered in the night air, calm and unshaken, facing Cao Cao with the quiet confidence of someone utterly sure of his own strength.
Cao Cao's gaze was heavy, his pride stung. "So, without the True Longinus, it seems we're evenly matched. Neither of us can claim victory."
Shuo's lips curled into a wry smile. "Funny. You act like I'm only a threat because I countered your spear. What about my chains? You never asked how much strength I was really using. You think you're the only one with trump cards? Even now, you still believe you can win?"
Cao Cao's jaw tightened, but before he could retort, Georg stepped forward, voice low and pragmatic. "Enough. We're getting nowhere. The commotion here has already drawn too much attention—other factions are closing in. We should withdraw."
Cao Cao shot Shuo one last look, a mix of frustration and grudging respect. "A shame I couldn't recruit you. Next time, we'll be rivals. Let's see if your luck holds out."
With that, both vanished into the night, leaving only the faintest ripple of power behind them.
Shuo let out a slow, measured breath. He'd forced Cao Cao back, but he knew better than to underestimate him. With the True Longinus neutralized, they were equals, but Cao Cao was a seasoned fighter—trained by Indra himself, a veteran of countless battles. In a drawn-out fight, especially with Georg lurking nearby, the outcome would be far from certain.
He'd originally planned to keep his trump cards hidden until the big three-way summit between devils, angels, and fallen angels. If Cao Cao had really pushed him, he might've summoned the Azure Dragon Soul on the spot—and that would have changed everything.
Still, tonight's battle had given him a deeper understanding of his own limits and strengths. That, at least, was a victory.
Sensing the approach of other powers, Shuo slipped away before the curious could converge, careful not to draw more attention than necessary.
Meanwhile, the Occult Research Club was abuzz with a different kind of tension.
"Wait, Sona—you found another peerage member? When did this happen?" Rias blinked, caught off guard by the news. Still, she managed a gracious smile. "Well, if she caught your eye, she must be something special. Congratulations."
Sona sipped her tea, trying to hide the lingering satisfaction in her eyes. "Just today. Tsubasa introduced me to a friend, and I made her my peerage. I never expected her potential to be so extraordinary—I needed seven Pawn pieces just to reincarnate her. And as soon as she became a devil, she awakened the Sacred Gear: Black Dragon Pulse."
The room fell silent. Rias and the others stared, stunned.
"Seven Pawns? And she awakened Black Dragon Pulse?" Rias's voice wavered between awe and envy.
None of her own peerage had ever shown such monstrous talent, let alone wielded a Sacred Gear of that caliber. It felt like Sona had hit the lottery on her first try.
Privately, Rias and Sona were close—best friends since childhood—but their rivalry was legendary, especially when it came to recruiting peerage members. They'd both been vying for Shuo's allegiance, but now Sona had landed a peerage member of nearly mythical potential. Rias couldn't help feeling her luck had run dry.
Still, she forced a smile, her envy barely masked. "Congratulations, Sona. With a peerage member like that, the future's wide open for you. Why can't I ever get that lucky?"
Sona's own smile faltered, guilt flickering across her face. She knew Rias had invited Shuo first, but he'd ended up recommending Aika to her instead.
She reached across the table, voice gentle. "Don't worry, Rias. You'll find your own exceptional peerage members soon. There's no need to rush."
But Rias only laughed bitterly. "Easy for you to say. I'm running out of time."
Sona's brows knit in concern. "Running out of time? What do you mean?"
Of course, she already knew the answer. As Rias's closest friend, Sona was well aware of the shadows lurking behind Rias's smile.
Rias was heir to the Gremory family, one of the seventy-two pillars of the Underworld's noble devil houses. Her brother, Sirzechs, was now Lucifer himself, leaving her to inherit the family. But both girls had grown up with the weight of arranged marriages hanging over them.
Sona had managed to break hers by outsmarting her fiancé in chess. Rias, however, wasn't so lucky—her betrothal was to Riser Phoenix, third son of the Phoenix family, another pillar house. The marriage was a political maneuver to maintain pure-blood devil lines—a tradition Rias despised.
She'd fled to the human world in part to escape it, and she loathed Riser with a passion.
Sona hesitated, then asked quietly, "What's your family saying now?"
Rias slumped, her bravado fading. "What do you think? My father's pressuring me to return to the Underworld and go through with the wedding. I've begged my brother for help, but even he can't do anything—Phoenix's status matches ours, and a feud would cause chaos. At this point, all I can do is stall and hope for a miracle."
Sona's earlier excitement faded into sympathy. After a moment, she offered a hesitant suggestion. "If you really can't find a way out… why not ask Shuo for help? With his abilities, he might be able to resolve this."
Rias blinked, surprised by the idea. "Shuo?"
Before she could protest, Akeno chimed in, her tone brimming with confidence. "Absolutely. If anyone can save you, it's Shuo. Besides, hasn't he talked about building a harem? There's no way he'd let a beauty like you slip away."
Koneko and Kiba nodded in silent agreement, faces earnest.
Rias straightened, a thoughtful look in her eyes. Then, as the idea took root, she blushed and grinned. "You know… that's not a bad plan. If push comes to shove, I'll just go all in with Shuo—make it official, and force their hand!"
Koneko's eyes narrowed, a hint of jealousy flickering across her face. Akeno laughed, teasing, "Ara, ara, Rias—making a move like that is against the rules. I won't just hand Shuo over, you know. But… I'll let it slide this once."
Sona drew a deep breath, her competitive spirit reigniting. "This might give you a head start, Rias, but don't expect me to give up. You'd better be ready for a real fight."
Rias met her gaze, determination rekindled. "I wouldn't have it any other way. May the best girl win!"
With the tension broken and a new plan forming, the gloom in Rias's heart finally lifted.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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