It wasn't long before Draconis touched down on the hotel rooftop, Ichika cradled in his arms. The other four sisters stared, startled by their sudden arrival.
Miku's eyes narrowed as she puffed out her cheeks, jealousy flickering across her face. "What's with you two…?"
Draconis set Ichika down gently. "Brought her back."
"Huh? How'd you pick her up? And why did you just drop in from the sky?" The girls crowded around, wide-eyed.
Ichika's legs were still shaky, but she grinned. "He jumped across rooftops to get here! I used to think roller coasters were thrilling, but after that? They're nothing."
The sisters exchanged looks. By now, Draconis's superhuman stunts barely fazed them—living with him meant getting used to the extraordinary.
Draconis checked his watch. "Come on, all of you. I've got somewhere to take you."
"G? Where? The fireworks festival is already over," Itsuki said, puzzled.
"You'll see."
Hands in his pockets, Draconis led them downstairs. The girls followed, curiosity mounting, until they reached a nearby park.
From a distance, they spotted a pile of small fireworks—personal sparklers and rockets, not the grand festival kind.
"Wait, did you buy these?" Ichika asked, surprised.
"Yeah. The big ones were all snapped up by the festival. These were all I could find—took me a while. Hope you'll have fun."
He filled a bucket with water from the river, just in case. Safety first.
"So when you left earlier, you went to look for fireworks?" Itsuki asked quietly.
Draconis nodded. "And waited for Ichika to finish her audition so I could pick her up."
Yotsuba let out a huge sigh of relief. "I thought you were mad at us…"
Draconis blinked, confused. "Mad?"
"Well, Nino said some pretty harsh things earlier. But we all know you were just looking out for us," Itsuki explained.
Seeing Draconis's genuinely puzzled face, Itsuki's mood instantly lightened. So he really hadn't been angry at all.
Draconis laughed, shaking his head. "Who gets angry over something so small?"
"…But you looked mad when you left," Nino mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper.
She'd been stewing in regret, planning to apologize. Now, with him so relaxed, she felt too proud to say anything.
Draconis smiled, a little exasperated. "Told you—I wasn't angry."
He flicked his lighter, ignited a sparkler, and with a subtle pulse of magic, sent it soaring skyward. It exploded overhead, scattering into a constellation of glittering stars.
The girls gazed up, awestruck. "Wow!"
Excitement bubbled over. They rushed to Draconis, clamoring for their favorite fireworks.
Watching them laugh and play, Draconis settled onto a nearby bench, quietly observing the five identical girls—each so different, each so alive.
After a while, Nino approached, her voice soft. "Thanks for everything today."
Draconis looked up, casual as ever. "It's nothing."
"No, really. You went out of your way for us. It makes up for missing the festival."
The others gathered around, lining up before him. Draconis let out a slow breath, his tone even. "My job was to watch fireworks with all five of you. Since you missed the festival, I had to improvise. It's just part of the deal."
"Uh…"
The girls fell silent, a little taken aback. Was he really chalking all this up to a contract?
Well… that was just how Draconis was.
Ichika smiled, resigned. That was his way—always hiding real care behind duty.
But his encouragement, his patience—they were genuine.
She cleared her throat, grinning. "Don't just sit there. Come play! We've got loads to set off."
"Set off a bunch at once!" Yotsuba urged.
"Yeah, help us light them!" Miku chimed in.
They pulled Draconis into their fun.
He felt the emotional energy swirling around them—stronger than ever. The price he'd collect later would be higher, no doubt.
Heh. At least all his effort hadn't been wasted.
Draconis smiled quietly and joined in, letting himself be swept up in their laughter.
—
The next day.
After classes, Rias brought the whole club to Draconis's house.
"For the next week, the old school building's getting a deep clean. All club rooms are closed, so we'll hold our meetings here."
Draconis almost wanted to complain—why not go to Rias's castle instead of his modest villa? Sure, his house was big, but compared to her estate, it was nothing.
Still, home was comfortable.
In the living room, the meeting began. Rias reviewed everyone's contract numbers.
"This month: Akeno has eleven, Koneko eight, Asia four, and Draconis twelve. Not bad at all."
"Ara ara, didn't expect Draconis to take first place," Akeno teased, surprised.
Draconis smiled. "Just lucky. You won't believe it—I ran into quintuplets. Each of them hired me twice."
"That's crazy luck," Koneko said, shaking her head. "What are the odds of quintuplets, anyway?"
"And Draconis even has faith contracts…" Asia added, a little envious. Four contracts felt small by comparison.
Rias smiled, comforting her. "You're doing great, Asia. Four contracts is impressive for a new devil. Don't compare yourself to Draconis—he's a monster in every way."
"Heh, I bet Draconis will be the first of us to become a high-class devil," Akeno mused.
But Rias's expression turned serious.
Ever since the Rating Game, Draconis's name had spread through every faction. She'd been uneasy—he was too special, too visible. Sooner or later, someone would come looking for answers.
Draconis was ready for trouble. Worries were just part of life—but you couldn't live in fear forever.
Before the storm hit, all he could do was keep getting stronger.
—
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