Akeno caught up to Rias in the old school building after giving her some time to cool down from the 'battle' they'd just participated in. Thankfully, Rias didn't still look mad, though there was a contemplative look on her face that probably didn't bode well for someone.
"How are you doing Rias?"
Rather than answer Akeno's question, Rias replied with, "What do you think of Arai-san?"
Akeno took a moment to formulate her answer, "Strong. Not magically, or even physically, but mentally. A bit of a jerk, but not unforgivable. Insightful, and helpful."
Rias nodded along in agreement, "We never stood a chance against him did we?"
Akeno shook her head, "We did not."
Rias turned to face Akeno head on with a wide grin on her face, "I want to recruit him. I was hoping to find a powerful Sacred Gear holder, hopefully even a Longinus, but maybe that's not what I need to save myself. Arai-san defeated us while weaker than us by every measure that usually matters. If he could help us get stronger, teach us to think like he does, or even just give us a few ideas to help, it would be worth recruiting him."
She turned to look out the window toward the new campus, "Onii-san once told me that raw power wasn't the thing that mattered most, only that it helped. I thought he was just trying to be gentle toward me since he's so much more powerful than I am. Maybe this is what he really meant."
Akeno thought for a bit before she spoke again, "I don't see why you couldn't recruit him..."
Hearing the pause, Rias asked, "But?"
"But he doesn't exactly need to be reincarnated like the rest of us did. He's not in any danger, fairly powerful, and clearly financially well off. You'd have to make a deal of some sort with him."
Rias thought about that for a bit. It was true. She'd rescued everyone in her peerage from death while Junichiro was perfectly safe and happy. Even the background check they ran said everything about him was on the up and up, even his home schooling to avoid public schools.
"I'll just have to make the offer and negotiate if he doesn't jump at the opportunity to take the base package. No need to point out that it's things he would get regardless, right?"
Akeno and Rias shared matching conniving smiles. While Devils had become better in recent years, it was still best to double and triple check everything before signing on the dotted line.
Junichiro opened the front door to his home, hiding half of himself behind it, and held up a check for one hundred million yen, "Your money, as promised."
Rias blinked at the bluntness of him just handing over such a large amount of money. She silently accepted the check, not even double checking the amount and opened her mouth to speak, only to realize he was closing the door in her face, "Wait!"
When Junichiro paused, she continued, "There was something else I wanted to discuss with you."
Junichiro examined her serious look before sighing and stepping away from the door, "Fine, make it quick though. I was in the middle of something."
Rias walked inside, followed closely by her ever present shadow, Akeno. As they stepped inside, both noticed something strange and shocking. Rias immediately pointed to the obvious problem, "Arai-san! What happened to your arm?!"
Junichiro sighed and gave the pair a bland look, "I lost it years ago. I built myself a nice replacement. After yesterdays fight, I checked it for maintenance and came up with a few ideas to enhance it. I had no idea you'd be here first thing in the morning or I'd have waited."
Seriously, he'd expected her to sulk a bit more before coming to claim her prize sometime in the afternoon. Why the hell would he expect her to show up first thing on a Sunday morning?! He led the pair into the living room and flopped down into his favorite recliner, one heavily magically modified for comfort, "So, what is it? I'd like to get back to work."
He didn't necessarily mean to be rude toward Rias at the moment, but he was pretty annoyed to be interrupted. It'd been over two weeks since the last time Mittelt had stopped by and without her around, there was no one else to answer the door for him. He'd had to leave his half disassembled arm on his workbench to get the door and not having both of his arms was annoying and felt weird to him. He'd gotten used to having nearly full feeling in both limbs again and not having it was terrible. It reminded him of worse days.
Rias and Akeno sat on the couch side-by-side, though it was Rias who addressed him, "I wanted to make you an offer. After our battle, I was forced to acknowledge your strength. I'd like to invite you to join my peerage."
Junichiro tilted his head and studied Rias. Naturally, she wasn't quite what he had expected. That could mostly be laid at the feet of her younger age. Two years was a fair bit of time for someone to grow more mature and change. Especially two teenage years.
"What's in it for me?"
Rias smiled at the pretty standard and expected question, "You would become a devil and gain all that it entails. You'd have a lifespan measured in millenia, access to Devil Magic, and a fully enhanced body. I'd like to reincarnate you as my second Knight, so that comes with an increase in speed above the usual norm as well."
Junichiro snorted, "I'd get all of that regardless. That's all part and parcel for joining any peerage."
Rias winced a bit. She hadn't expected him to be that aware of what the Evil Pieces did. She let out a sigh and intensely focused on him, "Fine. What would you want in exchange for joining my peerage?"
"Nothing too complicated. First and foremost, I'd require you to not tell anyone anything revealing about me without my express permission. I have many secrets and I will not have you, or anyone else in your peerage, spreading that information around as gossip."
Rias tilted her head at the somewhat odd request, but eventually nodded her head, "That's not really a problem, a bit odd though. Anything else?"
"What's mine is mine."