Give me some Power stones?
. . .
Standing near his stove, humming a cheerful tune as she stirred something that smelled absolutely divine—rich and savory with hints of herbs he couldn't identify—was Roygun Belphegor.
Wearing just a naked apron.
Nothing else.
Frilly white fabric covering her front, tied with a neat bow at the back. And absolutely nothing else. Her bare shoulders caught the kitchen light, smooth skin practically glowing. The curve of her back visible where the apron strings crossed. Long pink hairs tied up in a casual ponytail to keep it away from the stove, a few strands escaping to frame her face.
She looked like someone's fantasy of a housewife, except the housewife was a high-class devil from one of the most powerful families in the Underworld who could probably level a city block if she felt like it.
"What..." Yuuto's voice came out strangled, like someone had grabbed his vocal cords and twisted. "...are you doing here, Miss Belphegor?"
Fwip.
Roygun turned, spatula in hand, and her face lit up with a smile that could've melted glaciers and probably violated several public safety regulations.
"Welcome home, Yuuto-kun!"
She said it so naturally, so warmly, like this was completely normal. Like she hadn't just broken into his apartment and started cooking while dressed in an outfit that existed purely to destroy men's ability to form coherent thoughts. Like this was something she did every day and he should've expected it.
"I was waiting for you to use the flyer I gave you to summon me," she continued, turning back to the stove and adjusting the heat with practiced ease. Steam rose from the pot, carrying more of that incredible smell. "But since you didn't, I came to check on you myself~"
Thump-thump. Thump-thump.
Was that his heart or someone jackhammering concrete outside? Hard to tell. Both seemed equally plausible.
"So..." Roygun glanced over her shoulder, purple eyes twinkling with mischief that promised nothing good for his blood pressure "Do you always return home this late?"
Right. Words. He should use words. Those things people communicated with.
"I was at the Familiar Forest," Yuuto managed, forcing his eyes to stay locked on her face and absolutely nowhere else "Getting...a familiar for Asia."
The cheerful atmosphere shifted.
Not drastically. Not obviously. But Yuuto caught it—the way Roygun's smile tightened at the corners, the subtle tension in her shoulders, the fraction of a second where her stirring motion paused before continuing.
She turned around fully, and Yuuto's danger sense screamed like a smoke alarm in a burning building.
She's still smiling. Why is a smile so terrifying? Why does it feel like I'm standing in front of a tiger that's deciding whether to pounce or not?
"Asia?" Roygun asked sweetly.
Too sweetly.
Way too sweetly.
The kind of sweetness that usually precedes violence in anime. The kind that made smart people run for their lives.
And she was holding a knife.
A very sharp knife.
A very sharp knife that caught the light as she angled it slightly, still wearing that smile.
Oh fuck.
"She's the new member of our peerage," Yuuto explained quickly, hands raised in the universal "please don't stab me" gesture. Words tumbled out faster than usual. "Former nun, and a Sacred Gear user, total cinnamon roll who wouldn't hurt a fly. Rias reincarnated her as a Bishop after some Fallen Angels tried to kill her for her Twilight Healing"
"She needed a familiar, so we all went to the Familiar Forest to help her find one"
The knife lowered slightly, no longer pointing quite so aggressively in his direction.
"A nun?" Roygun's tone shifted from "might commit murder" to "genuinely curious." The dangerous edge faded, replaced by actual interest. "That's... unusual for a devil's peerage. Most former church members would rather die than serve devils."
"Yeah, well, Rias has a thing for collecting strays." Yuuto relaxed fractionally, though he kept his eyes on that knife. Crisis averted. Probably. Maybe. Hopefully. "Asia's a special case. Super kind, naive as hell, got excommunicated for healing a devil"
"I see." Roygun studied him for a moment longer, then smiled—genuine this time, not the terrifying version—and turned back to the stove. Sizzle. She added something to the pot that made the smell intensify. "Well, in that case, you must be hungry after spending all that time in the forest. Sit down. Dinner's almost ready."
She said it like it was the most natural thing in the world. Like cooking dinner for him in his apartment while wearing a naked apron was just standard operating procedure.
Yuuto's brain was still trying to process the whiplash. Jealous possessiveness to cheerful domesticity in under thirty seconds. Was this what dating a devil noble was like? Because if so, he needed to seriously reconsider his life choices.
But the smell. God, the smell was incredible. Whatever she was making, it smelled better than anything he'd cooked for himself in weeks. His stomach growled, betraying his hunger despite the surreal situation.
"I..." He started, then gave up.
What was he even going to say?
"Please put on clothes" seemed rude when she'd clearly gone to effort. "Thanks for breaking into my apartment" sounded sarcastic.
Fuck it. Roll with it. His life was already weird enough that this barely registered on the chaos scale anymore.
He moved to the small dining table—really more of a breakfast nook but it served its purpose—and sat down. The chair scraped against the floor with a soft screech that echoed in the quiet apartment.
Roygun worked with practiced efficiency, moving between stove and counter with the grace of someone who actually knew their way around a kitchen. Chop chop chop as she diced vegetables. Clang as she retrieved plates from the cupboard—his cupboard, which she apparently knew the layout of despite this being her first time here.
How long has she been in his apartment? How much had she snooped?
He decided not to ask. Some questions were better left unanswered.
"Here we go!"
Clink.
Roygun set a plate in front of him with a flourish, and Yuuto's eyes widened.
It looked like something from a high-end restaurant. Perfectly seasoned meat, vegetables arranged artfully, rice that gleamed like individual pearls. Steam rose from it in wispy tendrils, carrying that incredible smell directly into his face.
She sat down across from him, her own plate considerably smaller, and clasped her hands together.
"Itadakimasu!"
Yuuto echoed the sentiment and took a bite.
Holy shit.
It was incredible. The meat practically melted on his tongue, seasoned perfectly with a blend of spices that complemented rather than overwhelmed. The vegetables had just the right amount of crunch, not overcooked into mush. Even the rice was perfect—not too sticky, not too dry, just right.
"This is..." He paused, searching for words. "Really good. Like, genuinely amazing. Where did you learn to cook like this?"
Roygun's expression shifted into something softer, more genuine. Pride, mixed with something else he couldn't quite identify.
"I learned from my mother," she said quietly, taking a delicate bite of her own food. "She used to say that cooking for someone was the most honest way to show you care about them."
She looked up, meeting his eyes. "So... I wanted to cook for you, Yuuto-kun."
Thump.
His heart did a weird skip thing that had nothing to do with danger and everything to do with the genuine emotion in her voice.
"I appreciate it," he said, meaning it. "Though maybe next time, you could, uh... wear more clothes? Not that I'm complaining about your cooking, but the naked apron thing is—"
"Embarrassing you?" She grinned, mischief returning to her eyes. "That's half the fun. The other half is seeing how long you can maintain that impressive composure of yours~"
They ate in comfortable silence for a few minutes, the only sounds the quiet clink of utensils against plates and the occasional satisfied noise from Yuuto as he continued to demolish what was easily the best meal he'd had in weeks.
But as the meal wound down, as his plate grew empty and his stomach grew full, Yuuto's mind returned to the problems waiting for him. The Rating Game against Riser. The contract with Tiamat. The ticking clock that seemed to grow louder with each passing second.
He set down his chopsticks with a soft click.
"Miss Belphegor," he said, voice serious enough that she looked up immediately, reading his expression. "I need your help with something."
"Oh?" She dabbed at her lips with a napkin, giving him her full attention. "What kind of help?"
Here goes nothing.
"I want information on the Nine-Headed Hydra in the Familiar Forest."
Roygun blinked.
Then blinked again.
Then her expression shifted through several emotions in rapid succession—confusion, disbelief, concern, and finally landing on something that looked suspiciously like exasperation mixed with worry.
"You want what?" She asked slowly, carefully, like she was hoping she'd misheard.
"Information on the Nine-Headed Hydra," Yuuto repeated calmly, meeting her gaze steadily. "It would be a great help if you could tell me what you know about it. Aside from the fact that its poison is lethal to devils and it has an immortal body."
Immortal, my ass, he thought That overgrown lizard ran away for his life after losing his spot to Tiamat. Some immortality that turned out to be when faced with a real Dragon King. Probably crying in some cave right now about how unfair life is.
Roygun stared at him like he'd just announced his intention to juggle chainsaws while riding a unicycle over a thin ice sheet.
"Why..." She spoke slowly, carefully enunciating each word. "Why do you want to know about the Nine-Headed Hydra? Yuuto-kun, you do understand that its poison is so lethal that even a high-class devil would—"
Then realization hit her.
Her eyes widened slightly, purple irises reflecting understanding. Her posture shifted, becoming more alert. The pieces clicked together in her mind, and Yuuto could practically see the connections forming.
She knows I'm actively looking for a way to defeat Riser Phenex, he realized. We already had that discussion before. When she gave me her flyer. She knows exactly why I'm asking about poison that can kill devils.
"You know," Roygun said quietly, setting down her napkin with deliberate care. "You're being too reckless, Yuuto-kun."
Her voice carried genuine concern now, stripped of teasing or playfulness. Just an honest worry from someone who actually gave a damn.
"That Rating Game isn't worth your life. Even if you get the Hydra's poison, Riser Phenex is a high-class devil. His experience alone—"
"Is worth the danger," Yuuto interrupted calmly, his expression hardening. "And you're refraining from telling me about a way to fight against Riser's regeneration, which means you know something but don't think I can handle it."
Roygun's lips thinned. For a moment, she looked like she wanted to argue, to tell him he was being an idiot. Then she sighed, long and weary, like someone who'd had this exact conversation before and knew how it would end.
"Even if I tell you about it," she said finally, "you can't possibly win against a high-class devil like Riser Phenex on your own. His regeneration is something to be wary of, yes, but his hell fire and demonic power is not something to be overlooked either."
She leaned forward, voice dropping. "He hasn't won so many Rating Games through fluke or luck, Yuuto-kun. He's genuinely powerful. Skilled. Experienced. He's been adept at it for decades while you've been alive for what, seventeen years?"
The words should've stung. Should've felt insulting, like she was calling him weak or inadequate.
Instead, Yuuto felt... nothing. Just cold, analytical acceptance of facts.
Because she was right.
"I see." He stood up, pushing back from the table with a soft scrape of chair against the floor. "Thanks for the help, Miss Belphegor"
His voice came out flat, emotionless. The polite distance of someone dismissing a servant rather than talking to someone who'd cooked him dinner.
He turned away, heading toward his bedroom, thoughts already spiraling.
It's getting on my nerves that I'm being cornered as I get closer to the day we'll face against Riser Phenex. Unlike the protagonist, I don't have plot armor. I don't have Ddraig whispering power-up techniques in my ear. I don't have protagonist luck that makes everything work out at the last second.
I have to pull myself through this predicament that I jumped into myself.
Rias is my King. Asia is my friend. Koneko, Akeno—they're my comrades. I won't let them down because I wasn't strong enough, wasn't smart enough, wasn't willing to take the risks necessary to win.
"Yuuto-kun."
Roygun's voice stopped him halfway to his room.
He paused but didn't turn around.
Rustle. The sound of her standing, fabric shifting.
"Riser Phenex's regeneration," she said quietly, "isn't perfect."
Yuuto turned slowly, finding her standing by the table, arms crossed, expression conflicted.
"His phoenix powers grant him near-instant regeneration," Roygun continued, voice taking on a lecturing quality. "Flames that can burn almost anything. Immortality that makes him nearly impossible to kill through conventional means. He can regenerate from fatal wounds in seconds, reform severed limbs, even survive complete dismemberment as long as his core remains intact."
She paused, letting that sink in.
"However," and her voice sharpened, "his regeneration has limits. It consumes demonic power and his mental endurance. The more damage he takes over time, the more demonic energy he burns, regenerating. If you can Push him hard enough, fast enough, and you can exhaust his reserves...but it's easier said than done"
Yuuto's mind raced, processing this information.
"So even with my Sword Birth and Mist Breathing," Yuuto said slowly, "you don't think I can win?"
Roygun met his gaze steadily "Riser has full peerage members. You have four, soon to be five with Asia. The numbers alone put you at a severe disadvantage, and that's not accounting for the power gap."
Silence stretched between them.
Then Yuuto smiled—not his usual polite smile, but something darker, more determined.
"That's more of a reason I have to go to the Nine-Headed Hydra's location," he said clearly, "I will obtain its poison. I heard from the Familiar Master that it's extremely lethal to devils. By using that poison, I can gain an advantage against Riser and his peerage in the Rating Game."
He stepped closer, voice firm "Riser is allowed to use Phoenix Tears—literal resurrection items that heal any injury instantly. So why can't we use poison? It's not a holy item. It's not holy water. It's just poison. Natural, available, perfectly within the rules."
Roygun's eyes widened slightly. "That's..."
"Fair," Yuuto finished. "If he gets healing items, we get poisoned weapons. Balance. If the game allows one side to bring external advantages, it should allow the other side the same courtesy."
A slow smile spread across Roygun's face—genuine, impressed, tinged with something like pride.
"You know," she said thoughtfully, stepping closer to him, "you're truly a one of a kind of reincarnated devil than I've come across before."
She moved closer, studying him with new appreciation, yellow eyes gleaming in the apartment's soft lighting "Most peerage members rely on their Kings for strategy, for planning, for leadership. But instead of Rias—the one who has the most to lose in this Rating Game—you're the one going to such lengths. You're the one researching, planning, taking risks to protect her."
She stopped directly in front of him, close enough that he could smell her shampoo, something floral.
"Yuuto-kun?"
He met her gaze, refusing to back down. "Yes?"
"How will you obtain the Hydra's poison?" Her eyes gleamed with curiosity, searching his face. "Or are you thinking I'll get it for you?"
The question hung in the air between them, heavy with implication.
Should I let her get it for me? Yuuto wondered, mind racing through possibilities. She's stronger, more experienced, could probably handle the Hydra without breaking a sweat. It would be safer, smarter, more efficient. The logical choice.
But...
But if he let her do everything, what did that make him? Just another weak devil relying on someone stronger? Someone who talked big but couldn't back it up? Someone who sent others to fight his battles while he stayed safe?
No.
If he wanted to protect his peerage, if he wanted to be worthy of standing beside Rias, if he wanted to prove he deserved the strength these character cards gave him—he needed to prove he could handle this himself.
It's better to die by Hydra than become a lackey of that arrogant fire bastard. If there was ever a time to test whether he could hold his own, facing a Nine-Headed Hydra seemed like a good trial run.
"I'll get it myself," he said firmly, voice carrying absolute conviction.
Roygun's smile widened, pleased by his answer in a way that made his chest feel warm. "I thought you might say that. You have that look—the one that says you'd rather die trying than let someone else fight your battles."
She tapped a finger against her lips thoughtfully, the gesture almost unconsciously seductive. "Alright. I'll agree to get you all the information about the Nine-Headed Hydra. His attacks and strengths, weaknesses, everything I can dig up from the Underworld's archives."
Relief flooded through him like a wave. "Thank you, I—"
"But," she interrupted, smile turning sly, eyes glinting with mischief, "I have one request for fulfilling this favor."
Oh no.
Yuuto's danger sense pinged. Not loudly, not urgently, but enough to make him wary. That tone. That expression. Nothing good ever came from that combination.
Please don't let this be another binding contract like Tiamat, he thought desperately, memories of dragon claws and naked Dragon King flashing through his mind. I have enough trouble on my plate. I don't need another magical obligation that might kill me. One month-long contract with possible death as a penalty is enough, thank you very much.
"What is it?" He asked carefully, measuring each word. "I'll agree as long as I'm able to fulfill it."
Roygun's smile widened, taking on a playful edge that made his stomach do nervous flips and his heart rate accelerate.
"I want," she said slowly, deliberately, drawing out each word like savoring wine "to go on a date with you."
Yuuto's brain stalled.
Crashed.
Attempted to reboot.
Crashed again.
What?
. . .
For advance chapters, you can check on
p*treon.com/opeler
Replace * with a