The evening after Riser Phenex's dramatic intrusion into the Occult Research Club felt like the calm before a storm that was already brewing too fiercely. I walked home from the old school building with my mind a whirlwind of strategies and contingencies, the weight of the impending Rating Game pressing down like an invisible gauntlet. Rias's vulnerability during our talk-those rare glimpses behind her heiress facade-had stirred something in me, a protective resolve that went beyond our pragmatic alliance. Akeno, Kiba, and Koneko's introductions had been intriguing; their Observe scans revealed a tight-knit team with strengths that complemented each other perfectly, though their wariness toward me was palpable.
Akeno's teasing curiosity, Kiba's measured respect, Koneko's blunt suspicion-they were pieces on the board, and I'd need to earn their trust if we were to stand against Riser's smug arrogance.
Back at home, the familiar chaos greeted me like a warm blanket. My parents were in the living room, Dad nursing a beer while Mom fussed over a half-finished puzzle, their conversation dipping into awkward silences whenever I entered the room. The "Yuuma incident" lingered like a ghost, but with my Luck, they'd shifted to tentative acceptance, occasionally slipping in questions about my "study group" that included Asia and the fallen angel trio. Speaking of which, the house thrummed with their presence-Raynare lounging on the couch in her Yuuma disguise, flipping through a magazine with feigned interest; Kalawarner in the kitchen, her voluptuous frame somehow fitting into an apron as she experimented with stir-fry (and failing spectacularly, judging by the smoke); Mittelt perched on the stairs, giggling at a phone video while Asia sat beside her, wide-eyed and polite, offering gentle corrections on "human customs."
Asia spotted me first, her green eyes lighting up as she set down a book on basic Japanese folklore-part of her crash course in blending into Kuoh life. "Issei! You're back. How was the club meeting? Did President Gremory need help with... um, occult things?" Her voice was soft, laced with that innocent concern that feel like a genuine anchor.
I ruffled her blonde hair, earning a shy blush. "Yeah, something like that. Just planning a big project. Nothing I can't handle." Gamer's Mind kept my tone light, but the lie sat heavy. Asia didn't know the full supernatural truth yet-I'd shielded her from the church's horrors and my fallen angel lovers to preserve her fragile peace. Raynare caught my eye from the couch, her violet gaze sharpening with unspoken questions. She could sense the tension in me, our bond allowing her to read my moods like an open book.
Kalawarner poked her head out from the kitchen, a smudge of sauce on her cheek, her tall frame making the doorway seem smaller. "Dinner's almost ready-if you like charred mystery meat." Her voice was husky, teasing, but her Observe thoughts flickered in my mind from an earlier scan: "Issei's stressed. That devil bitch's problem? We'll handle it." Her Lover score held at 90/100, as did Mittelt's and Raynare's-the system had woven their loyalties tight, turning potential enemies into my most fierce protectors.
Mittelt hopped down, her petite, gothic-lolita vibe clashing adorably with the suburban setting. "Ooh, tell us! Was it that fiery chicken guy? The one with the bad hair?" She mimed flames with her fingers, giggling. Asia looked confused, but the fallen trio had pieced together bits from my vague updates, their fallen angel intel filling in the gaps on devil politics.
I waved them off, collapsing onto the couch beside Raynare. She shifted closer, her hand finding mine under the throw pillow-a subtle claim that sent a familiar warmth through me. "Later," I murmured. "Family dinner first. Then we talk strategy."
Mom called us to the table, and the evening unfolded in that bizarre normalcy I'd carved out. Dad regaled us with a story about his latest sales pitch gone wrong, earning polite laughs from Asia and eye-rolls from the trio. Mom doted on "Yuuma's friends," asking Kalawarner about her "hometown" (a vague "Europe" sufficed), while Mittelt charmed her with exaggerated tales of "school festivals." My Luck smoothed the edges-no prying questions about the church rescue or the ORC meeting. But as plates cleared, the weight returned. Riser's sneering face, his possessive gaze on Rias-it gnawed at me.
After my parents retired for the night, the group gathered in my room, the door locked and windows shuttered. The fallen angels dropped their disguises in unison, black wings unfurling like shadows in the lamplight-Raynare's sleek and commanding, Kalawarner's broad and powerful, Mittelt's compact and mischievous. Asia, still in the dark, sipped tea on the edge of the bed, her nun's habit traded for a simple blouse and skirt I'd picked up for her. "Issei, you seem worried. Can I help? My Twilight Healing-"
I squeezed her hand, smiling. "You're already helping by being here, Asia. This is... devil stuff. Big game coming up." She nodded trustingly, but I could see the flicker of unease. One day, I'd bring her fully into the fold.
Raynare leaned against my desk, arms crossed. "Spill it, lover. That Phenex prick-Riser, right? What's the play?"
I recapped the ORC meeting: Rias's arranged marriage, the Rating Game stipulation, Riser's gloating visit. The trio's expressions darkened-Kalawarner cracking her knuckles, Mittelt muttering about "feather-brained idiots," Raynare's eyes narrowing with calculating fire. "Devil politics," she sneered. "Same old power grabs. Riser's got Phenex regeneration-immortal flames, hard to kill. But you're stronger than him already. Boosted Gear alone could-"
A sharp chime cut her off, the Gamer System's blue screen materializing before me like a digital specter. My heart skipped-updates were rare, and this one pulsed with an ominous red edge. The girls froze, but Gamer's Mind locked my reaction down. Raynare's eyes widened-she'd seen the system before, during our bonding, but never like this.
System Emergency Update: Balance Calibration
Alert: Target antagonist (Riser Phenex) and associated peerage deemed insufficient challenge for current player progression and allied forces. To maintain narrative tension and growth potential, power scaling enforced.
Changes Applied:
Riser Phenex: Level increased to 45. All stats (Strength, Endurance, Agility, Intelligence, Luck) set to 135. HP: 13,500/13,500. MP: 6,750/6,750. Phenex regeneration enhanced by 200% (full recovery in 5 seconds).
Riser's Peerage (All Members): Levels increased to 42. All stats set to 126. Individual HP/MP scaled accordingly (base 12,600 HP, 6,300 MP per member). Special abilities amplified (e.g., knight speeds +50%, bishop magic potency +75%).
Rationale: Original parameters posed negligible threat to Rias Gremory's peerage (combined effective power ~Level 22-25) and player's capabilities (Level 31, optimized stats). Adjustment ensures equitable conflict.
New Restriction Imposed: User is forbidden from discussing, revealing, or even attempting to reference the Gamer System to any non-system entity. Violation triggers immediate death and soul erasure. This is non-negotiable.
The screen faded, leaving a chill in the air. My mind raced—Riser at Level 45? Stats at 135 across the board? That put him on par with my current setup, and his peerage at 42 with 126 stats meant Rias's team was outmatched without intervention. The "balance calibration" was the system's way of keeping things spicy, ensuring I couldn't steamroll the arc. Ddraig's voice growled in my head: "Hmph. The boy's getting a boost? Fine—means you'll have to earn the win, partner."
But the restriction hit harder. No talking about the system—not to Raynare, who already knew fragments, not to Asia, not even in jest to Matsuda. Attempting it would erase me? Soul erasure? That was a death sentence worse than any Phenex flame. Gamer's Mind clamped down the panic, turning it to cold analysis. I'd have to play dumber, hide the mechanics even from my closest allies.
Before I could process, the chime returned, birthing a new quest notification.
New Quest: Forge of Allies
Objective: Assist Rias Gremory and her peerage (Akeno Himejima, Yuuto Kiba, Koneko Toujou) in reaching Level 45 within 10 days (Rating Game commences in 10 days). Provide training, strategic guidance, and combat simulations to facilitate rapid growth. Gasper Vladi excluded (insufficient combat readiness).
Rewards:
Bragging rights: Eternal system acknowledgment that you enabled Rias Gremory's peerage victory over Riser Phenex in the Rating Game.
+50 Relationship score with Rias Gremory and her peerage members (capped at 100/100).
Failure Penalty: Rias Gremory's peerage defeated in Rating Game; -50 to all user's stats; alliance dissolved.
Time Limit: 10 Days
Accept? [Y/N]
Bragging rights? That was... oddly meta, but the relationship boost was gold—pushing Rias to near-max loyalty, unlocking deeper alliances. I selected Y mentally, the screen vanishing. Ten days to grind three high-class devils to Level 45? With the system's auto-stat increases (+2 per level), that meant massive jumps for them. But how? I couldn't spill system secrets—had to frame it as "intensive training regimens" or "Sacred Gear synergies." My Intelligence would be key.
Raynare broke the silence first, her wings twitching. "What the hell was that?
I hesitated, the restriction's invisible noose tightening. Gamer's Mind supplied a deflection: play it vague, like a "premonition." "Just... a hunch. Bad vibes about Riser. I think he's getting stronger—way stronger. We need to amp up Rias's team, fast."
Asia tilted her head, confused but supportive. "A hunch? Like intuition? You're always so wise, Issei." Her blind faith was a superpower.
Kalawarner snorted, tossing her apron aside. "Stronger? That chicken's already a pain. If your 'hunch' is right, we'll need to scout him."
Mittelt bounced on the bed. "Ooh, spy mission! I can illusion my way in."
Raynare shot them a look, then turned to me, her hand on my knee—a grounding touch. "Fine. Keep your secrets, Issei. But if it's bad, we back you. All of us." Her thoughts via Observe (I'd scanned her earlier): "He's hiding more. But he's mine—ours. Whatever it is, we'll crush it." Loyalty intact, no probing.
I nodded, pulling her into a quick kiss—earning giggles from Mittelt and a blush from Asia. "Thanks. Tomorrow, I start training with Rias's group. You three... keep an eye on Riser's movements. Asia, stick close to home—help with 'research' if you want."
The planning session stretched late, maps of Kuoh sketched on notebook paper, contingencies for Phenex flames and Rating Game terrains. Kalawarner suggested weak points in immortal regen (overwhelm with sustained damage), Mittelt plotted illusion traps, Raynare outlined fallen angel counters to devil magic. Asia contributed sweetly, suggesting "prayers for strength," her Twilight Healing copy in me humming in resonance. By midnight, exhaustion tugged, but Gamer's Body kept me sharp. We parted with embraces—Raynare's fierce, Kalawarner's strong, Mittelt's playful, Asia's gentle hug lingering.
Sleep came fitfully, dreams of flames and blue screens. Morning broke with resolve.
School was a blur—classes on autopilot, Matsuda and Motohama's antics a welcome distraction. Their scores hit 68/100 after I promised arcade time post-crisis. Rias caught me in the hall, her expression a mask of composure hiding turmoil. Observe:
Name: Rias Gremory
Level: 25
HP: 8,000/8,000
MP: 12,000/12,000
Strength: 50
Endurance: 60
Agility: 55
Intelligence: 80
Luck: 40
Thoughts About You: "Last night... Riser's aura shifted. Stronger? Impossible. Issei looks determined—good. Training starts today. If he pushes us, we might have a shot."
She'd felt it too—the system's boost rippling through the supernatural ether. "ORC, after school," she said curtly. "No excuses."
The old school building felt like a fortress as I entered, the peerage assembled: Akeno brewing tea with a sadistic smile, Kiba polishing his sword with focused grace, Koneko demolishing a bag of sweets on the sofa. Gasper's box peeked from a corner, a muffled "H-hello..." escaping. Rias stood at the head, maps of the Rating Game arena (a mock Underworld city) spread before her.
"Status update," she began, her voice brooking no nonsense. "Riser's power surged overnight—scouts confirm it. His peerage too. We're outmatched on paper."
Akeno tilted her head. "Ara, then we make our own paper, Buchou. Issei-kun, your thoughts?"
I stepped forward, Gamer's Mind channeling my Intelligence into a plan. No system talk—just "hunches" and "training hacks." "Riser's regen is his crutch. We overwhelm it—coordinated strikes, no solo heroics. But first, levels. We grind. Hard."
Koneko munched, eyes skeptical. "Grind? Like video games? Pervert's got ideas."
Kiba sheathed his blade. "Agreed. Sparring? Terrain drills?"
"Both," I said. "And synergies. Akeno, your lightning with Rias's destruction—chain attacks. Kiba, sword sacred gears against his knights. Koneko, tank and disrupt bishops. I'll handle Riser—Boosted Gear counters his flames."
Rias's eyes lit. "You'd reveal it fully?"
"Time to," I replied. The gauntlet materialized on my left arm, crimson and pulsing. "BOOST!" Power doubled—stats to 300 across physicals, HP to 30,000. The room gasped, Akeno's eyes gleaming ("Oh my~"), Kiba's grip tightening ("Draconic... impressive"), Koneko's sweets forgotten ("Strong... but still pervert?").
Rias nodded. "Then let's begin. Training ground—abandoned quarry outside town. Move out."
The quarry was a scarred wasteland of rock and dust, perfect for destruction without witnesses. We teleported via Rias's magic circle, the air shimmering.
I led the first drill: mock Rating Game scenarios. Rias vs. holographic "Riser" (my Power of Destruction simulating flames), Akeno's chaining lightning, Kiba flanking, Koneko shielding.
"Again!" I barked after the first run—Rias's destruction blasts scattered, Koneko overextended. Observe on Rias: Level still 25, but fatigue building. No instant levels; this was organic growth.
Hours blurred—spars, endurance runs up sheer cliffs (my Agility spotting paths), magic theory sessions where my Intelligence decoded devil runes for efficiency boosts. Akeno thrived on the sadism, her lightning arcing wilder; Kiba honed sword forms, his agility spiking; Koneko's punches cracked boulders, her endurance unyielding. Rias orchestrated, her commands sharpening.
By dusk, exhaustion hit. Rias panted, crimson hair matted. "Progress... but not enough." Observe: Slight stat ticks—Strength +1 for her, others similar. Grinding would take miracles.
Back at ORC, tea and debrief. Akeno teased, "Issei-kun's a taskmaster. I like it". Kiba: "Your guidance is sound.". Koneko: "Grunt, but a sweet offered".
Home waited—Raynare's kiss, Kalawarner's massage, Mittelt's antics, Asia's tea. "Day one down," I murmured. Nine to go. The system watched, silent. Riser loomed stronger, but so would we.
The grind had begun.