The silent classroom soon filled with Daniel's voice as he spoke passionately about the advantages of "recruiting" Asia. Rias listened with a somewhat serious expression; the healing ability Daniel described was certainly tempting.
Though she herself could heal, her method was rather slow; having a healer would be invaluable.
Daniel finished his explanation while Rias weighed the advantages against the diplomatic complications of stealing talent from Grigori. She decided it was best to investigate the nun first.
"I'll think about it. I won't forbid you from contacting her. But even so, avoid going near the church."
Daniel nodded. He had done what he could to recommend Asia; now the matter rested in Rias's hands. Since there didn't seem to be anything else to do, he considered heading home, but before he could turn away, Rias stopped him.
"Wait. It seems Koneko wants to speak with you. Be a good boy and sit on the couch," she said with a compassionate smile.
Daniel shivered a little. An angry Koneko scared him, though he couldn't explain why.
Even so, he sat down. Bored, he pulled out his cards and began reading them. From her desk, Rias watched with mild curiosity.
Seeing she didn't appear busy, Daniel invited her to play, thinking it might entertain him while also earning him some duel energy.
"Would you like to try, senpai?"
Rias had heard Koneko explain a few of the game's rules and was curious about how it worked. It would also give her a better grasp of Daniel's ability.
The game started slowly. Rias chose to use the robot deck, while Daniel patiently explained the rules and effects.
She listened carefully, occasionally pausing to read the text on the cards. The further they played, the more complex the game seemed to her. How did he come up with all this? If his ability is based on this game… did he create the rules to restrain himself? Rias grew increasingly intrigued by Daniel's Sacred Gear. Maybe I should ask my brother, she thought, somewhat unsure.
After a few minutes, Daniel finished his explanation. Thanks to her excellent memory, Rias had no trouble picking up the rules. Before long, she was playing at a respectable level.
Soon, the two were genuinely enjoying themselves.
---
Koneko hurried back to the clubroom. Rias had told her Daniel was already there. She was annoyed; she had gone out of her way to leave him a note, yet he had still skipped class. What was that boy thinking? It had been nearly three days since he last showed up. Did he plan on dropping out?
A trace of worry crossed her mind. Since Daniel had been reincarnated as a devil, he seemed different—lazier, with more excuses than before. She decided it was time for a proper talk.
As she neared the door, she heard laughter and cheerful voices; it sounded like Rias and Daniel.
Koneko slowly opened the door and found them playing cards. She recognized the game instantly—it was the one only she and Daniel ever played.
For reasons she didn't fully understand, the sight sent a pang through her chest. Wasn't that her game? Why was Rias the one playing with him instead of her? Had Daniel grown bored of playing with her? Koneko felt insecure, unable to grasp her own emotions.
The anger she had felt toward Daniel shifted toward Rias. After standing frozen for a few seconds, she clenched her fist and quickly sat down beside Daniel.
Both Rias and Daniel greeted her, the latter wearing a slightly tense smile, but neither stopped playing.
"Well then, I sacrifice my two Ancient Gear Soldiers to summon Ancient Gear Golem and attack your The Lady in Wight," Rias declared with a confident smile. She had grasped the cards' effects remarkably well and was sure of victory. "Thanks to Golem's effect, I deal damage even if your monster is in defense mode, and you can't activate traps against it."
Daniel nodded. Though he lost several life points, he was delighted. It had been a long time since anyone explained his own cards' effects to him during a duel. For him, that was one of the most enjoyable parts of the game. Sadly, until now his only dueling partner had been rather… quiet. He couldn't help but steal a glance at the cute girl sitting beside him.
"My turn. I play Premature Burial and send Wightprince to the graveyard. Then I activate his effect to send a Skull Servant and a The Lady in Wight to the graveyard."
Koneko watched from the side as Daniel concentrated. He looked genuinely happy while executing one of his combos. She remembered what came next: he would keep sending skeletons to the graveyard to summon his King of the Skull Servants, probably with an attack exceeding ten thousand points.
Though part of her wanted to see Rias's confident expression crumble, she couldn't shake the sting of resentment that it wasn't her playing with Daniel.
Daniel finished his combo and, as expected, defeated Rias. She shook her head, a bit disappointed. If I practice more, it's not impossible to beat him, she thought. The game was challenging and fun, and she had enjoyed it a great deal.
Daniel gathered his cards, humming as he did so. It was the first time she had seen him so cheerful. By contrast, Koneko looked rather upset. At first, Rias thought it was because Daniel had skipped classes, but she quickly realized the girl harbored a trace of resentment toward her.
"Jealous, are we?" Rias murmured with a playful smile.
She decided to tease the situation a little.
"Daniel, I had a wonderful time. I think from now on we should play more often. Oh, and I remember hearing your desserts are delicious… I'd love to try them too."
Daniel nodded eagerly, while Rias kept her eyes on Koneko, who was clutching her skirt tightly. Fufufu, little Koneko is jealous, she thought. The idea pleased her: it meant Koneko was beginning to open her heart, shedding the sadness that usually surrounded her.
"Oh, but let's not forget about Koneko. She knows this game best—she'll have to teach me a few tricks."
At this, Koneko seemed to relax slightly, though her irritation lingered. Without Daniel noticing, she scooted a little closer to him.
Rias smirked. She would never have guessed the girl could be so possessive.
The clubroom fell quiet until Koneko stood and searched for something. She soon returned with a portion of yōkan, a Japanese sweet. Daniel had never tried one before, and he eyed it curiously. Do they make it with beans? he wondered.
Noticing this, Koneko did something unusual: she split her dessert and offered him a piece. Daniel was stunned; she rarely shared her sweets. With trembling hands, he accepted the gift and thanked her repeatedly. Koneko only nodded, sitting very close to him.
Daniel noticed, but still in shock, said nothing.
Rias, watching the scene, smiled.
"Anything for me, Koneko-chan?" she asked, extending her hand.
Koneko hesitated before biting her lip and cutting off a small piece to give her.
Rias chuckled as she received it.
At that moment, footsteps echoed outside the door. It opened, and a beautiful black-haired girl entered the club alongside Kiba.
"Oh, Akeno, you're back. Welcome, Kiba," Rias greeted, while Koneko and Daniel merely nodded.
"Buchou, it seems there's a problem. We need to deal with some stray devils," Akeno said, touching her cheek.
Rias sighed. Why did they keep showing up in her territory?
"Kiba, call Issei. This will be a good opportunity to explain a few things to him… and for him to gain experience."
"Understood, Buchou," the blond replied, turning before leaving the room.
---
Moonlight faintly illuminated the night as a gentle breeze rustled through the trees.
Suddenly, a crimson glow appeared on the ground: a magic circle flared, and from it emerged Rias's group.
Issei looked around in awe. Teleportation was still new to him, and he couldn't help but feel excited.
At his side, Rias smiled at the sight of her household ready for battle. Kiba adjusted his sword, Koneko tightened her gloves, and Daniel checked his cards with the duel disk on his arm. Rias nodded in satisfaction: they were prepared. It had taken them a while to get ready, between waiting for Issei and cutting the inevitable holes in Daniel's clothes.
She considered this the perfect practical lesson—at least for Issei, who had the least combat experience.
The group advanced toward a ruined building in the forest. Along the way, Rias spoke:
"All right, we're going to hunt a stray devil. But first, let me give you a short explanation about Evil Pieces and the characteristics of servants." She glanced at Daniel and Issei as she continued. "A long time ago, the three factions went to war, and there were countless casualties. Because of that, the devils created a system to form small groups of soldiers. That system is the Evil Pieces."
Issei listened intently, nodding again and again. Daniel, meanwhile, stayed silent, scanning the surroundings.
"Noble devils chose to base the system on a human game: chess. That's how they shaped their devil servants."
"So we're chess pieces?" Issei asked.
Rias nodded calmly.
"The devil who acts as master is called the King. In our case, that's me. Beyond that, there are five special ranks: Queen, Knight, Rook, Bishop, and Pawn."
By then, they had reached the front of the ruins.
"Buchou… I smell blood."
Koneko spoke gravely, her golden eyes glowing in the shadows.
Daniel had already spread his wings, ready for anything.
Issei tensed. Though he had managed to land a blow on a fallen angel, he had only fought in a handful of battles. His stomach tightened with nerves.