Rias studied the strange robot in front of her. Its design was very different from the figures that decorated her room. She had watched several mecha anime, but none of them really looked like this one. And yet, the longer she stared, the more familiar it seemed.
Didn't it resemble the cards Koneko had once brought to the club? If she remembered correctly, they belonged to that kouhai…
As if confirming her suspicions, Koneko's behavior suddenly shifted the moment she approached the mound of rubble.
"No… the smell… why is it here? It shouldn't be here…"
All at once, she dashed forward and began clawing at the debris in desperation, hurling chunks of concrete aside.
Before long, a body was revealed. Blood poured from a hole in his abdomen, staining the ground, while the paleness of his face contrasted with the bloody marks on his neck. The boy appeared lifeless, likely from the severe blood loss.
Rias rushed closer. She recognized him: Daniel, one of the candidates she had considered as a servant… and someone close to Koneko.
Koneko froze, her body trembling, silent tears streaming down her expressionless face.
Rias, too, felt regret. The boy had seemed calm and kind. Koneko clearly cared for him—so much that she visited him almost daily. Because of that, in addition to the information she had asked Koneko to gather, Rias had done some research on his abilities herself. But seeing the scale of the destruction and the strange robot, she dismissed the idea of simple illusions. What had happened here was far more complex.
Although defeating a stray devil was simple enough for her—as a high-class devil backed by her peerage—the fact that an ordinary human had managed to face two at once was astonishing. Rias regretted underestimating his talent.
Shaking her head with a weary sigh, she prepared to clear the area. At the very least, she owed him a proper burial.
Koneko, still sobbing, was gently pulled into her master's arms.
"Kiba, pick him up. We'll take him with us."
Kiba sheathed his sword and lifted the body. Rias turned to leave, guiding Koneko by the hand.
"Buchou! He's still alive!" Kiba exclaimed in shock.
Koneko's eyes lit up immediately, looking at Rias with desperate hope. Rias understood at once.
"Lay him down again," she ordered quickly, pulling out an Evil Piece.
--
At first, Rias had assumed Daniel's ability was tied to illusions. But the robot standing solid and tangible a few meters away confirmed it was something closer to summoning—or perhaps even creation.
That kind of ability wasn't unheard of in their world: Kiba's Sacred Gear was a good example, capable of materializing demonic swords. There were even rumors of a Sacred Gear that could create life itself.
Considering the enormous magical cost such a power might demand in the future, Rias chose the bishop piece to reincarnate him. The crimson chess piece glowed faintly between her fingers as she pressed it against the boy's chest.
Suddenly… nothing happened.
"Not enough? Hmph… I still underestimated you, didn't I?" she muttered, pulling out another Evil Piece.
The greater the host's potential, the more valuable pieces were needed to reincarnate them. Daniel's potential far exceeded her expectations. The bishop she intended to use was worth three pawns; the knights carried a similar value. But the only viable piece left was a rook, equal to five pawns.
As she brought the rook closer to Daniel's body, a flicker of worry passed through her. Only a few hours earlier, she had spent all eight pawns reincarnating Issei. If this piece wasn't enough either…
Fortunately, the rook reacted and fused into Daniel's body. A crimson energy began to flow through him, and little by little, his wounds closed. Color returned to his face, and with a deep gasp, his breathing steadied.
Rias let out a sigh of relief, resting a comforting hand on Koneko's shoulder. The girl finally seemed calmer.
Kiba stepped forward to carry Daniel back with them, but suddenly, a gray energy burst out of the boy's body, struggling against the newly formed devil essence. Both energies clashed within him, twisting his body in spasms.
Everyone froze in shock. None of them had ever seen anything like this during a devil's reincarnation.
They edged closer, unsure of how to react, but the conflict subsided just as quickly as it began. The gray energy had been tainted by a dark crimson hue—or perhaps the devil energy itself had turned gray. No one could say for certain.
After confirming Daniel's condition was stable, Rias summoned her magic and disintegrated the remains of the stray devils.
Turning back, she noticed the robot slowly fading away, as if its purpose no longer remained.
****
Koneko slowly walked into the living room toward the sofa. Though she hadn't been there for several days, nothing seemed different.
She curled up into a ball, her mind restless.
"Why did I cry for him? Our relationship was supposed to be nothing more than a contract, like so many others."
"When did I get so attached?"
Their first meeting had been ordinary. As a devil, fulfilling human requests in exchange for something was routine; that was why being summoned hadn't felt special. When Daniel saw her, he even stammered before asking her to play cards while offering her desserts. Koneko thought that was the payment and accepted.
The desserts had been pleasant, so she began visiting more often: from every other day, to nearly every day.
Over time, she got to know more about the boy: his fear of enclosed spaces, his reluctance to walk crowded streets, his obsession with card games, and the strange kindness with which he treated her. For Koneko, sitting beside him with sweets became soothing.
Perhaps it wasn't the desserts that kept drawing her back, but that warm atmosphere.
Believing him dead had left her hollow. The thought of never feeling that warmth again shattered her.
Maybe that warmth reminded her of that time when she was happy… with her sister.
With a sigh, she rose from the sofa. Sunlight was beginning to slip through the curtains: the sleep spell Rias had cast must have worn off.
Koneko climbed the stairs toward the room where Daniel was resting.