The gate of Kuoh Academy was bustling since early morning. Streams of uniformed students crossed the courtyard in quick conversations, laughter, and hurried steps. Among them, Issei walked with a broad smile, chest puffed with the euphoria of his first day as an official member of the Student Council.
The sound of his shoes against the pavement seemed to beat to a rhythm different from the rest of the crowd. He glanced around with an air of importance, as if the world itself had changed overnight.
That was when two familiar voices cut through.
"Well, look who showed up… the traitor."
Motohama pushed his glasses up sharply, eyes narrowed in indignation. Beside him, Matsuda clenched his fists, his shoulder still bruised from kendo practice.
Issei stopped before them, his smile unbroken.
"You're still mad about that?"
Matsuda stepped forward, his voice heavy with resentment.
"You ran and left us getting beaten like dogs! Do you know how long we were on our knees after you bolted?"
Motohama added, his tone sharp.
"Katase and Murayama nearly killed us, Issei! You only thought of saving your own skin!"
Issei's smile shifted into a look of superiority. He lifted his chin, voice firm, carrying a false confidence.
"If I were you, I'd start treating me better. Otherwise, you might regret it."
The words landed dry and arrogant, unlike the boy they had known just days ago.
Motohama laughed without humor, glasses flashing in the morning sun.
"Regret? Since when do you think you're in charge of anything?"
Matsuda stepped even closer, shoving Issei's shoulder.
"You're nothing but a pervert like us. Don't act like the boss just because you hang around the Council girls now!"
The sudden sound of heels striking pavement cut off the argument.
All three froze, turning their eyes to the side.
Tsubaki Shinra stood a few steps from the gate. Her immaculate uniform reflected the morning light, thin glasses concealing any trace of emotion. The gentle breeze stirred her black hair, but her posture remained rigid as a blade.
Silence fell over the courtyard. Conversations faded, as if her presence erased all distractions.
Her eyes fixed on Issei. There was no harshness in the gaze, only a silent warning that she was watching.
Another step echoed against the ground. The air seemed to tighten around them, heavy, leaving no room for escape.
"Hyoudou Issei."
Her voice was calm, yet sharp enough to cut through the noise of the gate.
"It's time to report to the Council."
Issei swallowed hard, though he tried to stand tall, his smile returning nervously. Motohama and Matsuda, however, fell completely silent. The weight of Tsubaki's presence crushed any reply.
Her heel clicked once more, dragging him back to reality.
Without looking at his friends, Issei hurried to her side. His chest remained puffed with pride, but sweat slid discreetly down his neck.
Behind him, Matsuda and Motohama exchanged sly glances. Suppressed laughter slipped out.
"She's going to crush him under the president's heel…"
"That's what he gets for acting important."
They kept their voices low, but the glee was unmistakable. They eagerly awaited the moment Issei would be humiliated before everyone.
Issei heard, but didn't react. His faint smile stayed, fueled by something his friends couldn't predict. In his mind, their surprise would come soon enough, when they saw the truth about his position.
Tsubaki didn't care. She didn't look back, didn't waste time on whispers or jabs. She simply walked ahead, firm steps leading directly to the path Sona had prepared.
The silence surrounding the pair was dense. Students stepped aside, some stealing glances, but no one dared interrupt their march.
Minutes later, they arrived at the central building. The upper corridor was dead quiet. Tsubaki opened the Student Council's room and entered without haste.
The spacious office was in perfect order. Stacks of papers, aligned shelves, and at the center, the main table. Around it, Sona's peerage was already gathered.
Momo and Reya sat side by side, discreet, with books open before them. Tomoe adjusted the spiritual sword resting against her chair. Each wore concentration, but their eyes shifted in unison to the door.
At the far end, Sona waited seated. Her dark hair was tied in side braids, her glasses reflecting the soft morning light. Her gaze was unwavering, fixed on the entrance, as though she had foreseen every detail of this moment.
Issei followed Tsubaki in. His chest still swelled with pride, but the sight of the entire peerage together made his expression shift.
His eyes roamed each female face with animated excitement, unable to mask his thrill. But then his gaze met the president's cold eyes.
His body stiffened. The smile vanished, replaced by sudden seriousness. His shaky posture straightened, and he bowed slightly forward.
"President Sona Sitri, Hyoudou Issei reporting."
The silence was absolute. Sona's calculating gaze did not waver, only measuring the boy's newly adopted seriousness.
Tsubaki closed the door behind him.
Clack.
Then she walked to the main table, positioning herself behind the president like an unwavering shadow. The reflection on her glasses gleamed, though her eyes stayed locked on the new member.
Sona raised her eyes to Issei. Her expression remained steady, cold as ever.
"Hyoudou Issei. Do you believe in the supernatural?"
The question hit him at once. He blinked, surprised, and shook his head firmly, trying to sound confident.
"N-no. Of course not."
Sona's gaze didn't shift. Her eyes stayed sharp, but the air thickened. She rose slowly, resting her hands on the desk.
Screeech.
The chair slid back with a harsh sound that filled the room.
She stepped forward, her gaze fixed on him. Silence pressed down, the entire peerage's attention locked on the boy.
"Hyoudou Issei. Have you ever dreamed of having many women serve you?"
The question fell like thunder.
Issei froze. His mouth opened in shock, but no sound came at first. He blinked quickly, as if to confirm what he'd heard.
"What… what did you say?"
His voice trembled, weaker than he meant it to. The weight of the question seemed to crush him, as though the room itself was testing his truth.
Sona did not look away. Her cold aura held the room in absolute silence.
"I asked, Hyoudou Issei. Have you ever dreamed of having many women serve you?"
The air caught in his chest. His mind rushed at once, painting vivid images before his eyes. The office vanished for a heartbeat, replaced by an extravagant dream. Women surrounding him, each smiling, each leaning in, as if serving him were natural.
His eyes began to shine. His mouth opened, and the words spilled unfiltered.
"Yes… yes… yes!"
His tone swelled with enthusiasm, his gaze sweeping across the Council girls as if they already belonged to that fantasy.
Tsubaki sighed deeply. The sound was low, but full of restrained exasperation. Her glasses gleamed, hiding the tightening of her eyes.
Sona, however, showed no negative reaction. She only tilted her head slightly, as if observing a piece fitting neatly into place.
"Then congratulations, Hyoudou Issei."
The silence of the room shattered in that instant.
"The dream you just confessed will come true. But for that, you must answer me: do you accept joining my peerage?"
Issei's heart pounded. His face flushed red, his breathing quickened. There was no room for reflection, only the explosion of a lifelong desire.
"Yes! Yes! Yes!"
The words burst out with euphoria, a cry of anticipated victory.
They echoed through the spacious room. Momo and Reya exchanged discreet looks, Tomoe tightened her grip on her sword's hilt, but none spoke.
Tsubaki's expression stayed rigid, her posture unchanged behind the president. Her silence spoke louder than words.
Sona never looked away from him. Without a word, she opened a side drawer and retrieved a small black box, inscribed with silver markings that pulsed faintly.
"Lie on the sofa, Hyoudou Issei."
Still swept up in excitement, he didn't question it. He walked to the sofa in the corner, threw himself onto the cushions, and breathed deeply, eager.
Sona raised her hand. A sky-blue magic circle opened beneath his body.
Zzzuuummm…
Energy flowed with precision, reaching the center of his chest. His eyelids grew heavy, his muscles relaxed, and in seconds, Issei was completely asleep.
The room grew even heavier with silence.
Sona opened the box. A deep crimson glow spilled out, revealing a full set of eight pawns. Her gaze stayed firm, though tension narrowed her eyes.
She lifted one piece and pressed it to his chest.
It sank into his skin, fusing in a flash of light. The circle pulsed.
For a moment, it seemed enough. But then the energy wavered, unstable.
Sona frowned.
"One isn't enough."
She took another piece, pressing it against his chest.
The fusion repeated, the red aura trembling harder. Yet the instability lingered.
Another. Then another.
With each insertion, Issei's body trembled slightly, as if absorbing power beyond human limits. The magic circle spread wider, consuming more of the floor.
When the seventh piece vanished, Sona hesitated. Her lips curved in restrained disapproval.
She looked at the last pawn in the box.
"I didn't expect it would take… all of them."
Tsubaki didn't react, though her eyes followed closely.
Sona pressed the eighth piece to his chest.
The fusion was instant. The magic circle erupted in brilliance, flooding the entire room.
Vuuuushhh!
Magical wind whipped papers, lifted strands of hair, and made the floor vibrate. The red energy stabilized, contained within the sleeping boy's body.
Sona snapped the empty box shut.
Her eyes did not hide her displeasure. Using all the pieces meant abandoning future options. Still, the ritual was complete.
She returned to her seat. Her posture remained flawless, but her eyes reflected cold calculation.
"You three, return to class."
Momo, Reya, and Tomoe rose silently. None questioned her. The solemn air and the weight of their president's decision left no room for words.
The door closed behind them.
The room fell into silence again, now with only three present: Sona, Tsubaki, and Issei, who still lay unconscious on the sofa, breathing slow and steady.
The magic circle beneath him shrank until it vanished completely, leaving only the remnants of a transformation just completed.
Sona adjusted her glasses, her gaze fixed on the boy.
"Eight pawns. Not one less."
Tsubaki folded her arms behind her, watching silently. Her steady breath revealed her discipline, but her eyes reflected something between concern and disdain.
Issei remained motionless. A new Devil, bound to Sona Sitri's peerage.
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