Chapter 5: Handbills, Heartbeats, and the Dragon's First Pulse
The morning sun over Kuoh Academy was far too bright for someone who had just survived a high-ranking Fallen Angel attack and a mana-drain-induced coma. Lucian sat in the Occult Research Club, nursing a cup of tea that Akeno had prepared with a wink that promised either comfort or poison.
Across from him sat Issei Hyoudou, looking like a man who had been told he was a lottery winner but had to live in a haunted house to collect the prize.
"Alright, Issei. Listen up, because Rias is busy with 'King things,' and I'm the one stuck as your tutor," Lucian said, setting his cup down.
"Wait, why are you telling me this?" Issei asked, poking at his own Devil piece. "Aren't you just a student too?"
"I'm a Gremory by blood and a Bishop by rank," Lucian replied, his voice slipping into a surprisingly practiced noble tone. "In this household, I'm the one who explains the rules so you don't get us all executed. Think of this as a chess game. Rias is the King. She's the heart, the commander, the absolute authority. Akeno is the Queen—the most versatile and dangerous piece on the board."
He gestured to Kiba and Koneko. "Kiba is the Knight, the speed specialist. Koneko is the Rook, the powerhouse. And I..." Lucian paused, a flicker of a grin appearing. "I'm the Bishop. Magic, strategy, and keeping people like you from blowing up."
Issei looked at his own reflection in the window. "And me? I'm just a Pawn?"
"Not just a pawn," Lucian corrected, his eyes narrowing. "Rias used eight pieces to reincarnate you. That's not a recruitment; that's an investment. In chess, a Pawn is the only piece that can become anything once it reaches the end of the board. You have potential, Issei. But right now? You're a Pawn who doesn't even know how to move forward."
The Grind
The "glamour" of being a Devil evaporated roughly ten minutes later when Rias handed Issei a stack of flyers.
"Contract work," Rias announced, leaning back in her ornate chair. "The lifeblood of our nobility. Go out into the human world, find someone with a desire, and fulfill it. Lucian, you'll stay here. You look like you're about to tip over."
"Finally, some mercy," Lucian muttered, already eyeing the velvet couch in the corner.
"Don't get comfortable," Rias teased, her voice soft but firm. "Once Issei returns, we have a Stray to hunt. Sleep while you can, little Bishop."
As Issei struggled (and failed) to use the teleportation circle, eventually resulting in him being sent out on a bicycle like a supernatural delivery boy, the club room grew quiet. Akeno moved to wake the sleeping Lucian a few minutes later, but Rias raised a hand.
"Let him be, Akeno," Rias whispered, her gaze lingering on Lucian. "He stood his ground against a High-Ranking Fallen yesterday. His mana channels are still recovering. He's... he's been more useful than I anticipated."
"Our President has a soft spot for her cousin," Akeno teased, her voice a low purr.
"He's family," Rias replied simply, though a small, genuine smile touched her lips as she watched Lucian's chest rise and fall in a rhythmic sleep.
The Dream of the Void
Inside Lucian's mind, the dream was a chaotic mess of red and purple. He was flying—not with the clumsy wings of a teenager, but with the grace of a storm. He saw himself standing over battlefields, his eyes scanning techniques and shattering them with a flick of his wrist. Every movement felt like a symphony of destruction.
Power... the dream whispered. Why limit yourself to thirty seconds when the world can be yours in ten?
"Lucian! Wake up!"
The dream shattered. Lucian bolted upright, nearly knocking into Rias, who was standing over him. His face was flushed, and a stray spark of purple energy hissed near his fingertips before he suppressed it.
"A Stray Devil has been sighted," Rias said, her expression now entirely professional. "Kiba and Koneko have tracked it to the abandoned warehouse district. Issei is already there—he stumbled into it during his contract."
Lucian rubbed his face, his heart still hammering. "The plot moves fast," he muttered.
"What?"
"Nothing. Let's go. If Issei is alone with a Stray, he's basically a snack in a school uniform."
The Warehouse Climax
The warehouse smelled of rot and old grease. By the time Rias and Lucian arrived through the magic circle, the battle was already in its chaotic mid-swing.
The Stray was a grotesque thing—a mass of limbs and misplaced eyes that had once been a Devil before it abandoned its master and lost its soul to its own lusts.
Issei was on the ground, his bicycle mangled nearby. He looked terrified. Kiba was a blur of silver, his sword clashing against the Stray's hardened skin, while Koneko was delivering bone-shattering punches that would have leveled a building.
"He's too slow!" Kiba shouted, parrying a jagged claw. "President, the Stray is evolving!"
Issei tried to stand, his legs shaking. "I'm... I'm a Devil... why can't I do anything?!"
The memory of the park, the cold feeling of the light spear, and the face of the girl who had murdered him flashed through his mind. His desire to survive, to not be the "victim" again, surged into a white-hot roar of emotion.
"I DON'T WANT TO DIE AGAIN!" Issei screamed.
On his left hand, a gauntlet materialized—clunky, crimson, and radiating a heat that made the air shimmer. A green jewel in the center pulsed like a heartbeat.
[BOOST!]
The sound echoed through the warehouse, a mechanical, draconic roar.
Lucian, standing beside Rias, felt the shift in the air. The Boosted Gear. The 'Welsh Dragon' has officially entered the chat.
"So it begins," Lucian whispered.
The Stray lunged at Issei, sensing the sudden spike in power. Issei didn't think; he just swung. The augmented strength of the Boosted Gear met the Stray's chest with the force of a falling star. The shockwave blew out the remaining windows of the warehouse.
Kiba and Koneko backed off, giving the new Pawn room to breathe.
"Rias, now!" Lucian called out.
Rias stepped forward, her hand glowing with a concentrated mass of Destruction. "Well done, Issei. You've finally shown me why I chose you."
With a flick of her wrist, the Power of Destruction erased the Stray from existence, leaving nothing but a lingering scent of ozone.
The Aftermath and the "Motivation"
Back in the clubroom, the adrenaline had worn off, replaced by Issei's signature brand of panic.
"I'M A MONSTER! I HAVE A DRAGON IN MY ARM! I'M NEVER GOING TO GET A GIRLFRIEND NOW!" Issei wailed, flailing his arms. "I'm a devil, I'm a dragon, I'm a... I'm a freak!"
Lucian, who was still feeling the headache from his interrupted nap, walked over and shoved a pastry into Issei's mouth to stop the shouting.
"Eat. It helps with the mana crash," Lucian said, sitting next to him.
Issei chewed frantically, then swallowed. "Lucian-san... what happens now?"
Lucian leaned in, whispering so only Issei could hear. "Look at Rias. Three seconds ago, she was impressed. Three seconds from now, if you keep screaming like a toddler, she's going to give you a training schedule that will make you wish the Fallen Angel finished the job. Choose wisely."
Issei looked at Rias. She was indeed holding a very thick, black-bound book titled Servant Discipline. He immediately stood up, wiped the crumbs from his face, and bowed. "I am ready for my next lesson, President!"
Rias smiled—that sweet, terrifying smile. "Good. You're improving, Issei. And Lucian..." She turned to him, tapping his shoulder. "You're surprisingly good at 'motivating' your peers."
"I just value my hearing, Rias," Lucian sighed. "And my couch time."
"About that," Rias said, her eyes twinkling. "Since you've mastered the art of babysitting, you, Kiba, and Issei will be doing the night patrol again tonight. Issei needs to learn the territory, and you need to learn how to monitor him without falling asleep."
"No! Rias, please! Not the night patrol again!" Lucian groaned, collapsing back onto the sofa. "I'm a Bishop! I should be in the back lines, strategizing or... or something!"
"You're a Gremory," Rias reminded him, walking toward the door. "And my anger about your 'Uncle' jokes hasn't quite subsided yet. Another month of night duty should do the trick."
Kiba walked over and patted Lucian's shoulder. "Hey, look at the bright side. Issei has a dragon now. Maybe he can carry the heavy stuff?"
Issei looked at his gauntlet, then at Lucian. "Does the dragon help with picking up girls?"
Lucian stared at the ceiling, wondering if it was too late to ask the Fallen Angels for a do-over. "We're all going to die. Not by the war, but by the sheer stupidity of this Pawn."
"Come on, guys!" Issei cheered, already heading for the door. "Night patrol! Let's find some beautiful ladies to protect!"
Lucian stood up slowly, his wings giving a small, tired flutter. "The plot is on track," he muttered to himself. "God help us all."