Night had fallen over the park.
Rias Gremory stood quietly before Ryuya Kurobane's lifeless body, a faint look of surprise flickering across her beautiful face.
"…To think he actually managed to kill a Fallen Angel. That's… unexpected. And that Sacred Gear of his… I've never even heard of such a thing."
The sheer power of that final strike had been enough to instantly annihilate the Fallen Angel—
even Rias, who had been observing from afar, couldn't hide her astonishment.
That kind of strength… if unleashed fully, would easily surpass most known Sacred Gears.
Perhaps it couldn't rival the legendary Longinus, but it could at least stand on the same battlefield.
"With that kind of power… he's more than qualified to become my Knight."
A soft smile curved her lips—cold elegance turning into radiant allure. She lifted her hand, and a crystalline chess piece—transparent and gleaming—appeared, floating above her palm.
"Finally, I've found another fitting servant."
She whispered the words to herself, then let the piece drift forward, placing it gently atop Ryuya's chest.
The crystal slowly sank into his body.
A vast wave of demonic power flowed through him, beginning the process of transforming his human vessel into that of a devil.
But soon—something strange happened.
The demonic energy she was channeling into him began to vanish… as if it were being devoured!
"Huh?"
The sudden shift caught even Rias off guard. She could feel her connection to the ritual being severed.
What's going on?
The ritual's failing?!
For once, Rias's expression tightened with unease.
If the conversion failed, it meant she would permanently lose a potential Knight—a devastating handicap for any King in the peerage battles.
Could it be because her demonic energy was being consumed?
How could that be possible…?
She forced herself to stay calm. A servant conversion spell wouldn't fail for no reason—there had to be something unique about him.
Rias focused, examining Ryuya's condition carefully—until she realized the truth.
Her own demonic power… simply wasn't strong enough.
Her fine brows knit together as she recalled a passage from the Gremory family's ancient records:
> "When attempting to reincarnate a being whose potential is too great, the ritual may fail.
> In such cases, multiple Evil Pieces must be used to ensure the process succeeds."
"Could it be… this boy is the kind of talent who requires multiple pieces?"
Rias drew a deep breath. There was no time to hesitate. She pulled out another piece from her set—
this time, a Pawn.
However, this would be her first time using two different types of Evil Pieces on the same person.
A Knight and a Pawn at once… would it even work?
Her crimson eyes stayed fixed on Ryuya as the new piece merged into his body.
No backlash, no rejection—only that strange, endless pull, drawing in more and more power like a bottomless pit.
"…Still not enough?"
She bit her lip and added another Pawn.
Then another.
And another.
No matter how many she used, Ryuya's body continued to absorb them greedily, swallowing all the demonic energy she poured in.
Finally, with a determined glare, Rias took out every single Pawn she had left and placed them all upon him at once.
By the end of it, she had used eight Pawns, one Knight, plus the Knight she started with—
a total of ten Evil Pieces.
The amount she had invested in Ryuya would have shocked any other King beyond words.
But Rias didn't feel regret—only delight.
Because such a cost only proved how terrifying his potential truly was.
As the ritual completed, Ryuya's breathing slowly returned. The transformation was successful—he was now a full-fledged devil, her newest servant.
Rias exhaled softly, finally relieved.
All that was left was to heal his wounds—and then, he would truly live again.
A tender smile crossed her lips as she looked down at him lying there.
The longer she gazed, the more she felt drawn to him—like a precious treasure she'd finally discovered.
Magic circles glowed beneath her feet, their sigils pulsing with crimson light.
She activated a teleportation spell, bringing both herself and Ryuya back to his home.
There, she laid him gently on the bed in his bedroom.
Her demonic aura shimmered faintly as her clothes dissolved into motes of magic.
She carefully undid his tattered garments as well, pressing her bare skin against his—
channeling her demonic power directly into his body to heal the deep, gaping wound in his waist.
A wound like that wouldn't heal easily, even for a newly reborn devil.
It was going to be a very long night for Rias Gremory.
…
It felt like waking from a deep, hazy dream—his consciousness floating somewhere between sleep and waking.
Ryuya slowly opened his eyes.
What he saw first was… his room? It looked oddly familiar.
Wait a second—wasn't this his home, the one he'd lived in after his first "rebirth"?
Right… he had been killed, hadn't he?
By that black-winged bird-woman…
So what—he'd revived again?
Could his cheat ability actually be… infinite rebirths?
Instinctively, Ryuya's hand went to his waist.
The hole that had been large enough to fit a bowl through—completely gone. Not even a scar.
He was still staring in disbelief when the mattress behind him shifted slightly.
A slender, pale arm slipped around his waist from behind, drawing him backward into a warm, smooth embrace.
Soft skin.
Gentle heat.
A faint scent of roses.
Every sense in his body froze.
He suddenly realized he wasn't wearing a thing—and whoever was behind him clearly wasn't either.
…Wait. What the hell is going on?
Who's behind me?!
Heart pounding, he listened to the steady rhythm of breathing near his ear, then slowly—very slowly—turned his head.
What entered his vision was a girl with flowing crimson hair, her beauty cool yet enchanting.
She was sound asleep, lips slightly parted, exhaling a faint, sweet breath that made his entire body feel hot.
…He knew this girl.
Rias Gremory.
The number one beauty of Kuoh Academy, often mentioned together with her companion Akeno Himejima—the school's two "Onee-sama goddesses."
…Wait, WHAT!?
Ryuya's mind blanked.
He sat up slowly, staring down at the sleeping red-haired girl beside him.
Her flawless, porcelain-white skin glowed faintly in the morning light, every curve of her body smooth and divine.
It was the kind of figure that could drive any man insane—and right now, there wasn't a single piece of clothing hiding it.
That perfect, devilish body…
Ryuya's throat tightened; he couldn't stop himself from swallowing hard.
Just what the hell happened last night?
He was supposed to be dead!
And even if he'd come back to life… did he seriously lose his first time in the process?!
No way. I don't even remember it!
He rubbed his forehead, trying to recall anything—anything at all—but his mind was completely blank.
"Damn it… I missed a billion-yen moment, didn't I?"
He sighed, frowning in frustration.
Then, unable to resist, he slowly reached out a hand toward her.
His fingertips brushed against her soft, warm skin.
He gave her bare, snow-white shoulder a gentle push.
The girl's body shifted faintly.
Her long lashes fluttered…
And then—Rias Gremory slowly opened her eyes.
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