"Do I really have to become a devil?" Kiyome's voice trembled with uncertainty. Her feelings toward devils were complicated at best—a blend of suspicion, pride, and a hint of fear.
Shuo caught the hesitation in her eyes and smiled gently. "President Abe, you don't have to lump all devils together. Not everyone's the same. Besides, you couldn't even beat my girlfriend, who only just became a devil. Doesn't that make you question what you're holding onto?"
He let the words settle, then added, "And once you agree, we'll be partners. Don't you want to know how I raised a divine beast like Rayquaza?"
Of course, Shuo himself couldn't train magical beasts—he left that to his system. Over time, he'd noticed a pattern: the system always seemed to hand him exactly what he needed to tackle whatever came next. If he finished this quest, he was sure the system would cough up a way to boost magical beasts.
Kiyome's bravado faded. Shuo was right—she didn't have much to be proud of anymore. Maybe devils weren't as bad as she'd thought.
"Alright," she said at last, determination flickering in her eyes. "I'll join Rias's peerage. Now, will you finally tell me how to strengthen my magical beasts?"
Shuo grinned. "That's the spirit. It's actually simple—your magical beasts' bloodlines are too weak. If you can awaken their potential, they'll have the chance to evolve into something far stronger. You probably don't have the tools for that, but I do. Pick one of your beasts and I'll show you."
He wasn't lying—bloodline determined everything. Why else did the gods fear dragons? It was all about lineage.
He just so happened to have a [Bloodline Advancement Card] burning a hole in his pocket. Perfect for a demonstration.
Kiyome's curiosity won out. She summoned her black wolf pup, tail wagging, eyes bright.
Shuo knelt, card in hand, and activated it. Magic shimmered in the air. In a heartbeat, the little wolf's aura exploded, its body swelling and fur shifting to a fierce, vivid red. In seconds, a two-meter-tall, crimson-furred dire wolf stood before them, radiating a terrifying power.
Kiyome's breath caught. She could feel the strength in her partner now—she wasn't just a beast tamer with a few pets anymore. On impulse, she threw her arms around Shuo, clinging to him like a lifeline.
Shuo laughed and patted her head. "Relax. I'll help you make all your magical beasts stronger from now on."
Later, at the Occult Research Club, Rias and the others stared at the girl beside Shuo in shock.
"A new peerage member? Shuo-kun, are you saying you brought me a candidate?" Rias's eyes sparkled with excitement.
Shuo nodded. "Kiyome Abe comes from a long line of beast tamers. She's a natural at controlling magical creatures and knows more about them than anyone I've met. With her skills, she'd be a perfect fit for your peerage."
Rias beamed. Ever since Sona had recruited Aika, she'd been searching for her own promising rookies. Shuo's "gift" was more than she could have hoped for.
With two Pawn pieces, Rias officially welcomed Kiyome into her peerage.
Maybe it was her defeat at Aika's hands, or maybe it was the warm welcome from the club, but Kiyome's old prejudices began to melt away. For the first time, she felt like she belonged.
As Shuo and Aika left, the system chimed in his mind:
Ding! Task complete! Congratulations, host, you've received a Green-Tier Gift Pack and [Magical Beast Enhancement Card x10]!
Shuo couldn't help but smirk. Just as he'd predicted—nothing too flashy, but still useful.
But he had other things on his mind. He still owed Aika a reward.
Hehe… After all these years in this world, he was finally about to get lucky. Excitement bubbled in his chest.
Aika, catching the look on his face, felt a shiver run down her spine. She was no stranger to Shuo's mischief, but tonight, she sensed trouble.
She'd soon regret coming to his house alone.
The next day at noon, Aika finally managed to drag herself out of bed, every muscle aching in protest. The memories of last night made her cheeks burn with a mix of embarrassment and exasperation.
It had started innocently enough—she'd moved into Shuo's place at his suggestion. After dinner, he'd claimed he wanted to "reward" her for beating Kiyome. With Aisha still home, Aika thought he was joking.
She couldn't have been more wrong.
That night, Shuo lured her straight into his room and… well.
Aika groaned, flopping back onto the pillow. "That beast… Four hours. Four whole hours! I may be a 'veteran driver,' but I was still a first-timer! How is that even humanly possible?"
Truth was, she could barely move. She didn't know that Shuo, thanks to his devil body and magic, could recover stamina endlessly. He'd actually held back—if he hadn't, she might still be unconscious.
Just then, the door creaked open. Shuo peeked in, grinning like the cat who caught the canary. He strolled over and gently helped her sit up.
"How are you feeling? Honestly, I'm impressed—a rookie with stamina like that, and so many positions on your first try."
Aika's face went crimson. "Shameless! Four hours on my first time—are you trying to kill me?"
She glared, but there was no real heat behind it. "Now get out so I can get dressed."
Shuo just laughed. "Come on, we're practically an old married couple. I saw everything last night—let me help."
Before Aika could protest, he was already fussing over her, helping her into her clothes. When he spotted the faint trace of red on the sheets, he paused, then smiled softly.
Aika caught his gaze and ducked her head, cheeks burning hotter than ever.
Once they were both presentable, Shuo gave her a quick boost of magic to restore her strength. The two of them made their way to the dining room, laughter echoing between them.
With Aisha conveniently sent off to school ("to avoid jealousy," Shuo claimed), they had the house to themselves. Seeing the feast Shuo had prepared, Aika couldn't help but think, For a scoundrel, he's actually pretty sweet.
After lunch, the two headed off to school together, side by side.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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