High School DxD light novel

Part 1

"Uooooooooooooooo!"

It's midnight and I'm pedaling my bicycle at full throttle.

The reason is simple.

I'm handing out the leaflets. They have an easy to use magic circle on them.

When humans with strong greed take these in their hands and wish for what they want, then we, the Devils, will be summoned before them.

I then looked at the portable machine in my hand. The monitor is displaying the map of the town I'm currently in and there are red lights flashing on it.

I'm heading to those flashing areas.

When I arrived at the flashing point, which was someone's house, I put the leaflet inside their mailbox.

Then I moved towards the other flashing points nearby.

I kept on repeating this procedure.

Over and over again.

"Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck! It can't be helped! This can't be helped! After all, I'm a Devil!"

I'm pedaling along as I scream out loud.

I think back to the day I found out I was a Devil.

The same day I found out I was a Sacred Gear possessor, that Yuuma-chan was a Fallen Angel, and that Rias-senpai was a Devil.

By the way, my Devil wings disappeared immediately after that since they'll become a hindrance to my daily life. Apparently, if I get used to them I can use them to fly, but having wings feels really gross though…

It was a bit of a shocking experience to have wings grow out from my back.

"If you work under me, your new life might become very bright you know?"

Rias-senpai said to me with a wink, while I'm looking down after I learned I was a Devil. Apparently, in exchange for being reincarnated as a Devil by Rias-senpai, I have to live on as her servant.

It seems like that's how it is.

Those who get reincarnated as a Devil from being human have to become the servant of the Devil who reincarnated them. More like, this is the rule of the Devils.

What? I'm her servant…? It might not be that bad to become the servant of a beauty, but still I can't agree with it.

"But you know, there are ranks among Devils called peerage. I also have one. The place of your birth and your family background plays a big role in it, but there are also Devils who have risen up. Everyone starts off as a novice first."

"Could you please stop talking like this is some recruiting commercial!? But are you serious? I still can't believe it."

Senpai starts whispering into my ears as I'm complaining.

Her crimson hair smells so nice. It feels like my brain will be paralysed. Oh, is this also a demonic power?

"By the way, you might be able to start a life where you can become popular with girls you know?"

—!

Those words started swirling around my mind.

"How!?"

Before I even could think, words spilled out my mouth.

It's my perverted guts, it's quite remarkable if it's this bad.

Wait, this may be the work of the demonic power Senpai cast onto me. Even I think I have more anxiety than I usually do.

"The majority of the pure Devils were killed in the war that took place a long time ago. Because of that, Devils started desperately gathering servants. Well, Devils don't have the strength or the influence they originally had when they led their armies. Even so, we need to keep on increasing the number of the Devils. Just like humans, the Devils are split into genders of male and female and are able to give birth. But even with normal birth, it'll take a lot of time to get back to the same population as before. After all, Devils have a very low birth rate, so we won't be able to stand up against the Fallen Angels. So that's why we find humans who seem to have potential and make them into Devils. As our servants, that is."

"So I'm a servant after all."

"Oh, don't make a face like that. Now, I'll get to the point. Since this only increases the number of servants, it doesn't increase the number of powerful Devils. So the Devils decided to give an opportunity for power to reincarnated Devils— those who were reincarnated from a human, as long as they are powerful. Because of that, there are many Devils in human society. There are also numerous Devils like myself who came to human society as well. Ise, even though you haven't realized it, I'm sure you've passed some Devils in this town."

"So Devils were always nearby then!?"

"Yes. Though there are humans who can distinguish which ones are Devils and those who can't. A person with strong greed or a person who wants to get help from Devils usually can distinguish us strongly. We're usually summoned by the ones who can distinguish between them, through the leaflet with the magic circle that we give out. There are people like you, Ise, who can distinguish Devils but don't believe in our existence, but a majority of them usually believe it if they see our demonic powers."

What!? So the reason I summoned Senpai was because I had strong greed!

Looks like there's change in Devil society as well!

It must be difficult, but that doesn't matter now.

The important thing is that there's also a chance for me as well!

"T-Then! That means I can also get a peerage of my own!?"

"Yes, it's not impossible. Of course, it would take a lot of time and effort to achieve though."

"Uoooooooooooooooooooooooooh!!"

I shout inside the clubroom.

"Are you serious!? Me!? I'm able to make my own harem!? I-I can have sex with them as well, right!?"

"Yes. I think it's fine if it's with your servants."

Lightning strikes my body.

Impossible.

Something like that is actually possible!?

In reality and also as a human, it's really hard to build your own harem.

There's no way you can gather herds of girls if you're just ordinary.

That's because the situation I'm currently in is bad.

I don't even have a single girlfriend. Well I did, but she killed me.

It's different now! Now I can…!

"Uooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh!! Being a Devil rocks! Hell yeah! I can't calm myself down any more! I can probably throw away my porno magazine that I'm secretly hiding—"

I stopped what I was about to say, and then started thinking about the decision I'm about to make.

"No, not the porno magazine, not that, I can't throw that away. That's my treasure. I could still use that until my mum finds out about it! This and that are two different issues. Yeah, two different issues!"

"Fufu. This boy really is funny."

Rias-senpai is laughing as if she finds me really amusing.

"Ara ara. It's just like you said, Buchou. He does make me feel like, 'I have a very idiotic brother now'."

Even Himejima-senpai is laughing with a "Ufufu".

Ahaha, she's kind of saying bad things about me.

"Anyways, Ise, you're okay with being my servant, right? If you have the potential, then you'll eventually stand out. And then, you might be able to receive a peerage."

"Yes, Rias-senpai!"

"Wrong. You'll have to call me 'Buchou'."

"Buchou? Can't I call you Onee-sama?"

I got carried away and asked her.

I always wanted an "Onee-sama". It's not even a yuri situation, but all guys have a desire to call an older beauty an "Onee-sama".

Rias-senpai gave it a serious thought, and then shook her head.

"Hmm. That does sounds wonderful, but since I operate mainly in the school, being called Buchou has a better ring to it. This is the Occult Research Club after all, and everyone here also calls me that."

"Okay then, Buchou! Teach me how to be a Devil!"

At my words—Buchou puts on a devilish smile. It seems like she's truly happy.

"Fufufu, good reply. Good boy, Ise. Okay, I'll change you into a man."

Buchou starts to touch my chin with her fingers.

O-Onee-sama! It's my Onee-sama!

I'll awaken as a Devil while serving under her from now on! No, I'll rise up!

This should be fine!

After all, I can't revert back to being a human anymore right? Then, I'll just have to walk straight ahead!

I've already accepted the situation I'm in.

It might sound stupid, but it's fine I guess. I've already convinced myself.

It's more like my perverted guts are functioning to the MAX! It's also because my anxiety is high too.

I'm relieved that I'm a guy who works for his ambition towards sex!

Rather than thinking about this new world I stepped my foot into, I'll just enjoy my current life.

"I'm going to become a Harem King!"

If I calmly think back to that day, I may have been tricked into this situation by Buchou's demonic powers.

Well that's okay, I guess.

We're talking about a harem here. Being able to create one is amazing.

With this, I became a member of the Occult Research Club.

A few days passed since I became a Devil.

I'm just pedaling along like crazy in the middle of the night.

Since that day, I've become Rias-buchou's servant and I've been working a lot.

First, we gather at the old school building at night.

This is because we Devils can use our power more sufficiently at night.

The unknown phenomenon that happens to me is the power of a Devil.

Since I'm a Devil, my power increase during the night. It's such a wonderful thing.

But the reason why I feel weak in the morning is also due to me being a Devil, Devils hate light. It seems the stronger the power of light is, the more lethal it becomes to our bodies.

Lights are poisonous—

Is what Buchou told me.

It seems like the Fallen Angels and the Angels who use light as their weapon are the natural enemies of Devils. I was told to run away if I ever encounter them, but once you get used to it, it seems like you'll be okay under the sun.

The reason why I'm weak in the morning is because I was recently resurrected as a Devil, so my body can't stand the morning light.

It seems like I'll get used to it eventually.

The reason why I was left alone when I was resurrected as a Devil was because she wanted me to realize the changes in my body by myself.

She was planning to tell me the truth and was waiting for the right time.

That was the day when I was attacked by the guy in the suit, so I certainly feel like it was destiny.

Anyways, I'm working hard as Rias Gremory's Servant Devil.

Since I just became a Devil, I was told to study about the Devils' society and how it works.

I was ordered to give out these leaflets at night, so I can get used to it.

I thought my parents would get worried if I was gone every night but Buchou said with a smile.

"That day, I did everything neccessary when I met your parents, so it's fine".

Certainly, my parents don't get mad when I come home late after finishing my work.

They just say "Welcome home".

Hmm, Buchou's demonic power is amazing.

Speaking about amazing, I was really amazed how much authority Buchou has in the academy. The academy we go to is Buchou's territory, so that's why she's like the controller of the academy behind the scenes.

It seems like the one in the highest position in our academy has ties with the Devils and therefore can't oppose those from the House of Gremory.

In other words, the academy is basically Buchou's personal belonging.

That's also the reason why we're able to enter the school at night.

And now back to my current work.

Every day, I go around on my bicycle, posting a leaflet which can summon Rias Gremory's group inside mailboxes using a mysterious device.

It seems like the device I'm holding onto is a secret machine developed with technology from the Devils.

It has the shape of those current portable game devices.

There's a screen with buttons, and it's a touch-pen type device so it comes with one.

And I'm using the device the way I was told to.

The monitor displays the map of the town I live in, – Buchou's territory.

Each Devil is given a certain territory in the human world, and they can only do their job within their territory.

Our job is— in other words, we get summoned, make a contract, and then grant their wish.

As a price, we receive an award fitting for the particular wish they make. It can be money, an object, and at times even their life.

Well, it seems like there aren't any contractors who'll go as far as to use their life to make a wish.

Even if there was someone like that, it usually gets cancelled since the price doesn't match up to their wish.

According to Buchou, "People's values aren't equal".

Yup, it's harsh.

And the light flashing on the monitor shows the houses where people with a lot of greed live.

So I go to these areas to hand out the magic circle leaflets.

As long as there are lights flashing on the monitor, my work isn't finished.

Because I turned into a Devil, other people and even the police don't pay attention to me. Humans don't realize my presence when I'm working.

I've been pedaling my bicycle every day, but the light displayed on the monitor never disappears.

That's just how much humans continue to have strong greed.

Once you make a wish, it apparently becomes an addiction to keep on wishing for other ones.

Making a contract is basically limited to night because Devils are only allowed to work at night. The daytime is a time for the Angels and God which is the part that I still don't understand.

The leaflets can only be used once, so once they use it I'll have to hand it out again.

In other words, my work will last forever.

Well thanks to that, Rias-buchou and the others can continue to be active and we never run out of jobs. So we're certainly increasing notoriety as Devils.

It seems like we'll get acknowledged by the King of Devils if we keep on making contracts and granting the wishes of humans.

I see, so if I continue working like this, then I'll be able to receive a peerage from the King!

So it's better to take on bigger jobs.

I want it! I also want to make contracts!

"Uoooooooooooooooooooh! I want to be surrounded by girls as soon as I caaaaan!"

But right now, I have to be patient and keep on doing these simple tasks!

But how long do I have to keep doing this…

Part 2

On a certain day, after school.

I went towards the old school building after splitting apart from my two mates.

To begin with, it seems like my job of handing out the leaflets was originally a job assigned to Buchou's familiars.

Senpai changes the forms of the mouse and the bat she owns into human forms, and makes them hand out the leaflets like I did.

She says they do this both day and night.

The reason why I was assigned to do it was because Buchou wanted me to know what kind of job Devils have to do from the beginning.

This is something Kiba and the others did as well.

Kiba, Toujou Koneko-chan, Himejima-senpai are all Servant Devils of Rias-buchou, so they're my seniors.

So they all have experience in doing the work I did. Each one of them has a history of doing it. Ah, they aren't people but Devils.

It may not be important, but I got an approval from Toujou Koneko-chan and Himejima-senpai to call them "Koneko-chan" and "Akeno-san" respectively.

Looks like I've gotten one step closer to getting along with them.

Fufufu, I purposefully called them by their names in front of Matsuda and Motohama. The looks on their faces was the best.

I haven't told Motohama and Matsuda about me. They wouldn't believe me even if I did, and I also think it'd be really dangerous for them to step foot into this world.

I did die once already, so I can't drag them into this.

By the way, I still call Kiba, Kiba. Go die, pretty boy. I'll never call you "Kiba-kun"!

And so, today, I was called over to the clubroom.

I went inside the old building that I'm getting familiar with and headed towards the room on the second floor.

"I'm coming in."

When I went inside after saying that, everyone was already there. Oh, am I the last one?

The room was dark and the window was covered to block the light from entering.

The only light in the room was from the candles spread on the floor.

"So you've come."

As soon as Buchou confirms that I'm here, she gave an order to Akeno-san.

"Yes, Buchou. Ise-kun, please come to the centre of the magic circle."

Akeno-san motioned for me to come with her hand.

A beauty's waving her hand at me! Thank you very much! That alone is a reward for me.

I walked to the centre of the circle. So what now?

"Ise, your work of giving out the leaflets is over. Well done."

Buchou's smiling. I see, so I'm done with handing out leaflets.

"Now I'll have you do a Devil's acutal job."

"Oh! Now I can make contracts!?"

"Yes, that's right. Though, since it's your first time, it's going to be a contract with someone who wants to make a small wish. Koneko has two reservation contracts, so since it's hard to do both, I'll leave one to you."

"…Please help me out."

Koneko-chan bows her head.

So I'm going on behalf of Koneko-chan. That's okay.

I was getting tired of handing out the leaflets.

Unexpectedly, pedaling a bicycle every night and handing out the leaflets made me lonely.

The other members are outside the circle. Akeno-san, who is inside the circle, is casting something.

Then, the magic circle starts emitting blue and white lights.

"U-Umm…"

"Keep quiet, Ise. Akeno is currently inserting your carved seal into the magic circle."

Buchou says.

My carved seal? It seems like the magic circle inside this room represents the "Gremory".

I was told that for us, Servant Devils of Buchou, it's something like a family crest.

So for people who are trying to summon us, and for people who want to make a contract with us, this sign represents our symbol.

So the activation of the so-called demonic power is related to this.

Kiba and the others have these signs on their bodies in different sizes and it operates whenever they use their demonic powers, is what I was told.

I thought about getting engraved with the same signs, but it seems like you have to learn how to control your demonic powers beforehand, and then use demonic power, which creates natural phenomenon by coordinating it through the magic circle, after that.

Well, that's what I thought.

"Ise, put your palm towards here."

I put my left hand towards Buchou, just like she said. Buchou writes something on my palm with her fingers. Is she writing a charm?

It feels like she's drawing something like a circle…

Then my palm glows.

There's a circular symbol, a magic circle engraved in my hand. It's glowing blue and white.

Wow, a magic circle!

"This allows you to transport to the client's place instantly by making you go through the teleportation type magic circle, and when the contract is done, it lets you return to this room."

Oh, I get it now. So that's its ability.

"Akeno, are you ready?"

"Yes, Buchou."

Akeno-san steps out of the magic circle.

"Now stand in the centre."

I stand in the centre of the magic circle like she urged me to.

Then the magic circle starts to emit a stronger glow.

Somehow, I can feel power coming from it. When I'm touching this magic circle, the power inside me is flowing out. So is this the trait for being a part of the group?

"The magic circle is responding to the client, so you'll be teleported there now. You already have the manual for what to do after getting teleported right?"

"Yes!"

"Good response. Now, get going!"

I'm getting hyped!

My first job! I'm definitely going to accomplish it safely!

The magic circle starts to glow even stronger. It looks like I'm getting instantly teleported there.

There's many lights covering my body which caused me to close my eyes due to the brightness. Next time I open my eyes, I'll be at the client's place! Kuu! I'm looking forward to this!

And then—

I—

Instantly—

Teleported—

…

…

Hm? Hmm.

Huh? Have I teleported? Is it done?

I timidly open my eyes.

… I'm speechless from where I am.

—It's the club room.

Huh? What about the instant teleportation? Where's the client?

When I look, Buchou seems to be troubled and puts her hand on her forehead.

Akeno-san says "Ara ara" with a disappointed face.

That bastard Kiba is sighing. He pisses me off, but did something happen to me?

"Ise."

Buchou calls my name.

"Yes."

"It's unfortunate, but it seems like you can't use the magic circle to get transported to the client's location."

Huh? What does that mean?

I put on a puzzled expression, and Senpai explains it to me.

"A magic circle requires a certain amount of demonic power…quite little actually. In fact, it's a feat that could be done by any Devil, even children. Transportation through the magic circle is the first and the easiest step of being a Devil."

W-What does that mean…?

"In other words Ise, your demonic powers are below that of children. No, it's so low that the magic circle can't even respond to it. Ise, your demonic power is incredibly low."

Wha-!

Whaaaaaaaaaat!

"W-What the heeeeeeeeeeell!"

I was speechless.

Eeeeeh! So that means that I can't use the magic circle to teleport to the client's location because I don't have demonic powers!?

Aren't I a Devil? I'm a Devil, right?

"…Unsightly."

Koneko-chan says expressionlessly. That really hurts, Koneko-chan.

"Ara ara, we're in trouble. What should we do, Buchou?"

Akeno-san also has a troubled face and asks Buchou.

Uggh. My debut as a Devil is off to a rough start…

Then after thinking for a while, Buchou tells me clearly.

"Since there's a client, we can't let him wait. Ise."

"Yes!"

"This has never happened before, but you'll have to go there on foot."

"By myself!?"

I'm in shock. I wasn't predicting that, Buchou-sama!

"Yes, just like how you handed out the leaflets, you'll have to go to the client's house by bicycle. This can't be helped, you don't have any demonic powers after all. You'll have to make up for that with your own body."

"On a bicycle!? I'll have to go to the client's place on a bicycle!? Are there even Devils like that!?"

Point!

Koneko-chan silently points at me. Koneko-chaaaaaan, you sure like to make me feel miserable, huh…

"Hurry and get going! It's a Devil's job to make contracts! You can't make humans wait!"

Buchou urges me on with a serious face.

Ugggh, my goal for getting a peerage starts from a bumpy road!

"U-Uwaaaaaah! I'll do my best~!"

I left the club room in tears.

Part 3

It's midnight and I was peddling along at full speed.

My eyes were covered with tears. Yeah that's right, I'm crying.

A Devil who can't get summoned through a magic circle. That's me. Apparently this is the first case ever, ladies.

Thanks to that, my tears aren't stopping.

What does she mean that I don't have demonic powers!? Dammit! Will I really be able to get a peerage at this rate!?

Using the Devil's portable device, I'm peddling towards the person who summoned me.

It's an apartment located 20 minutes away from the school. The client is in one of those rooms.

If this was a delivery service, customers would get mad because of the lateness.

Usually it's instant teleportation, but I made the client wait 20 minutes. If you were working in a store, your manager would be mad at you.

My manager was troubled when I did that. Did I leave a bad impression on him?

Hmm, living as a Devil sure is hard.

I knock on the door.

"Good Evening! I'm an errand boy from the Devil Gremory-sama! Excuse me, but this is the house that summoned us right?"

It should be okay with this.

Devils can only be sensed by humans who want to make contracts. Even if I do something like this in the middle of the night, the neighbours won't know what's going on.

It seems like only the client can hear what I just said. During the time when we're doing our job as Devils, a special demonic power gets activated, so it won't cause trouble to those who aren't involved. That's what Buchou told me.

"W-Who's there!?"

What I heard was the voice of panicked man.

"Umm, I'm a newbie Devil, and I came here because I was summoned by you."

"D-Don't lie! There aren't any Devils that knocks on doors! Devils come out from this leaflet! That's how it was for the past summons! And the one I called for was Koneko-chan!"

Yeah, he's right.

I'll apologise for that. I'm sorry.

It was also unexpected for me and the others.

"Ah, I'm sorry. It seems like I don't have enough demonic power, so I can't appear from the magic circle."

"You might just be a pervert!"

I got pissed off as soon as he said that.

"I'm not a pervert! And how should I know! If I could, I would appear through the magic circle! What kind of loner would peddle through the town in the dead of night!?"

"Why are you the one getting pissed, you super pervert!"

"Super pervert!? Fuck you! I'm telling you that I'm a Devil!"

"Go home!"

The client opens his door and starts complaining.

He's an unhealthy-looking, skinny man.

He looks angry but as soon as he looks at my face, his expression softens.

"…Are you crying?"

"Huh? Me?"

When I put my hand on my cheek, tears are on my hand.

I'm crying.

"Is that so? So you were shocked to find out that you couldn't teleport through the magic circle…"

"Looks like it."

I was allowed to come into his room.

He even made tea for me.

The teleportation incident and argument earlier crushed my heart more than I expected, and I was crying unconciously.

Of course I want to cry.

The client, Morisawa-san, saw that and allowed me to come inside after feeling sorry for me.

His room looks clean. It's a tidy room for a single guy like him to live in.

He told me that he works for the government during the day.

He takes his job seriously, but he was craving to get in touch with other people, so he ended up summoning Devils from that leaflet.

"So it's not Koneko-chan…"

He fell in love with Koneko-chan at first sight, the first Devil he made a contract with, and since then has been summoning her.

"I'm sorry, but apparently she's popular with other clients as well. It seems like she's in charge of the "cuteness" department."

When you summon a Devil, you can wish for which one to summon by calling out that Devil's name.

Well, that's how it was explained to me.

And today Koneko-chan's job was passed to me.

There are cases when the Devil they chose can't be summoned, so another Devil goes as their substitute.

"I wished for a Devil from the cuteness category when I used the leaflet…"

"I'm a cute newbie, can't you be okay with that?"

"Hahaha! You're speaking rubbish! If I had a silver sword with me, I would've stabbed you!"

Onii-san, you're laughing but your eyes looks serious.

"By the way, what were you going to wish for when you tried to summon Koneko-chan?"

That's my question. Maybe I can also grant that wish of his.

But that's instantly shattered when Morisawa-san took out a certain thing from the corner of his room.

"I wanted her to wear this."

Which girl's school uniform is that? I think I've seen it somewhere before, or maybe I haven't.

"It's Nagato Yuki's uniform."[1]

"Nagato…ah! From Haruhi Suzumiya."

Even I know of the Haruhi Suzumiya series[2]. It was a popular anime last year.

"Devil-kun, do you like Nagato too?"

"No, I'm more of an Asakura Ryouko fan."[3]

"And your reason?"

"Her breasts."

"—!"

Morisawa-san was lost for words when he heard me reply without a second thought.

Asakura Ryouko, a regular character from the series, and a beautiful girl with a glamorous body.

"So you're a big breasts lover?"

"Yeah, breasts are packed with dreams. That, I'm very sure of."

I then imagine Buchou's naked breasts bouncing.

Buchou, I've fallen in love with your breasts at first sight. I was too embarrassed to say it in front of you, but I will definitely protect them, Buchou.

Morisawa-san makes a lecherous expression while smirking.

"You have good eyes. Seems like you have an extremely high passion towards breasts. I see, so you're the opposite from me. I like small breasted girls."

"I can understand that. I have a friend with the same taste."

The guy that appears in my mind is my evil buddy who wears glasses, Motohama. He's a genuine pervert. That, I'm very sure of.

"Yeah. Don't you think she, Koneko-chan, looks similar to Nagato? For example her atmosphere. Though she's a bit short."

When you say it like that, Koneko-chan has a small body, shows no expression, no curves, and her hair is short just like Nagato, so they do seem similar.

"That's why I wanted her to wear this. I really wanted to see her in it!"

Morisawa-san shed tears of regret. He sure is regretting it.

He really wanted her to wear it, huh?

"I'm sorry about it. Okay then. Let me wear it—"

"I'll fucking kill you, bastard!"

Morisawa-san turns down my kind offer while shouting. Please don't get mad while crying that much. It's a joke, I'm just kidding.

He tries to calm down after whipping off his tears.

He takes a deep breath and calms down.

"Well, never mind that. So what's your special skill? You're a Devil so you should be good at something right? Something like using a mysterious power. Just to tell you, Koneko-chan has extreme strength. She carried me like a princess."

Morisawa-san says with pride. Where's your pride as a man gone off to?

Yeah, there must be people who get all happy by being lifted up by a girl.

But, my special trait? Hmm.

I crossed my arm and then say it seriously.

"My special skill is the Kamehameha."[4]

"Go kill yourself."

"What! What's with that response! You shouldn't say that right away! And your words had so much bloodthirst in it!"

"Of course I am! In what kind of world is there a Devil that has the Kamehameha as his special skill!?"

"Here! Right h~e~r~e!"

I say strongly while pointing at myself.

"Then do it!"

"I will!"

"If you can shoot it, then shoot! Don't look down on us, the generation who grew up with Dragon Ball! When we were in junior school, all of us practiced doing the Kamehameha during break every Monday. We even tried to collect spirits so we could use the genkidama, though nothing happened! Don't look down on us!"[5] [6]

"Shut up! So who cares if you were raised while watching Dragon Ball! I have all of the manga volumes! I even bought the first print edition of the special cover version as well! Me and my mates used to play "Ki Hide and Seek" too!"

I argued back at him.

I'm pissed! Yeah, I'm really pissed!

Then, I'll show you! Hyoudou Issei's version of the Kamehameha!

I activated my Sacred Gear!

First I closed my eyes, and then put my left arm upwards. I then imagined Son Goku in my head…and put my arm down while making a Kamehameha pose.[7]

I put all my energy into it! Shit! Take this, you Dragon Ball generation! This is my ultimate attack!

"Kamehameha!"

Flash! Instantly, my left arm glowed!

The Sacred Gear, a red gauntlet, appears while covering my left arm.

How's that! This is my Sacred Gear!

FLOW

I then look at Morisawa-san, and he's crying hard.

He then grabs volume 1 of Dragon Ball from his bookshelf.

He grabs my hand and we exchanged a passionate handshake.

"Let's talk about it!"

FLOW

Tears are also flowing from my eyes.

That's enough to understand what he's trying to say. Any Dragon Ball fan would understand what he's trying to say.

"Yes, let's talk about it!"

So the long night starts.

"Hahaha. Me too. I also think it was good that Wakamoto-san[8] voiced Cell[9] as well."

"Yeah. It sounded just like how I imagined it to be."

After he got his manga, we'd been laughing and talking for the past 2 hours.

As we talked, we forgot the age gap between us and have already become friends.

Fufufu. He gave a bad first impression, but when we started talking, we realised we could get along.

"Okay! Maybe I should make a contract with you as well?"

"Yeah! Pres., thanks for the contract!"

Yes! Yes yes yes yes!

I've gotten my first contract!

My road to getting a peerage has started! My legend starts from here!

"Okay it might be a standard wish, but can I wish to become rich?"

I see. That's indeed a normal, but popular, wish people would ask.

"Okay. I'll check."

I turned on the portable device for Devils, and operated it.

When I input his wish, the answer appears.

"Ah, umm, in your case, for you to fulfil that wish, your price would be your life. So you'll die."

"Die!?"

"Yeah, in the Devils' world, they say that "People's values aren't equal". I'm sorry. So for you to wish becoming rich, Morisawa-san, you'd have to die."

"It feels like I just got my heart ripped out, but that's okay. Anyway, if I make that wish, where will I die?"

"Umm. Ah, you'll die as soon as the money starts dropping from the sky. Looks like you can't even touch it. This is awful."

"Guha! So I can't smack the money onto your face then!?"

"Hey, don't try to hit me with it."

Yeah, I just witnessed someone's dream getting crushed.

I see. Like I thought, making a wish like that is basically near impossible for Morisawa-san.

So this is what Buchou means that people's value aren't equal. What an unfair world we live in.

"T-Then how about a harem? How about wishing for lots of girls in a sumptuous feast!?"

Oh. So you'll go there, huh!

I'm a bit moved. He's a guy, after all. Of course he'd wish for something like that.

"Morisawa-san! I also love harems! It's every man's dream after all! Amazing! I think I could enjoy drinking with you one day! Even though I'm a minor!"

"I don't care about that, so what does it say?"

I input his wish in the device. Oh my, that's harsh.

"Well, it says that you would die as soon as the beautiful woman and girls come into your sight."

"I'm going to die just by seeing them!?"

"No, it says as soon as they come into your sight, so you wouldn't be able to tell whether they were beautiful or not. That's harsh. Isn't it better to walk past beautiful girls in the city?"

"U-Uwaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

Suddenly Morisawa-san, who's an adult, starts to cry.

"So I'm a human who's worth practically nothing!? Uggh, I can only say I'm sorry for being born…"

I pat Morisawa-san's shoulder softly.

"Let's continue talking about Dragon Ball till the sun rises. You want to battle-play Dragon Ball? I'll be Goku and you can be Freeza. Is that okay?"

Morisawa-san nods while crying.

Like this, my first contract became invalid because I have to take care of my client.

Part 4

The next day, after school.

"…"

Buchou's angry. She's lifting her eyebrow and didn't say a single word.

I'm standing in front of her and my face is pale.

Yesterday, I was playing Dragon Ball with my client and finished the night with it.

Oh yeah, Kiba said this with a bitter smile earlier.

"Something like this has never happened before."

"…Ise."

The tone of her voice is deep and scary.

"Yes!"

"You talked with the client about manga, and what happened after that? What about the contract?"

She went straight to the point. I'm starting to sweat.

"T-The contract became invalid… So we battled-played a certain manga till morning!"

"Battle-play?"

"Y-Yes! You act as a character from a specific manga and then have an imaginary fight!"

Why am I explaining something like this so seriously?

Explaining this to her is making me want to cry.

"I-I know that as a high school boy I should be embarrassed— no, as a professional Devil, I should be also embarrassed! I-I'm regretting it! I'm very sorry!"

I bow down my head as I apologise.

Seriously, what on earth was I doing till morning?

"…After the contract, we ask the client to fill in the questionnaire on the leaflet we gave them. We ask the client, "How was your contract with a Devil?". The questionnaire which is filled appears in this leaflet, but…"

Buchou shows the paper with the feedback for the questionnaire to me.

So there's a thing like that, huh. Devils' job are more complex than I thought.

"…[It was fun. It was my first time having a good time like this. I'd like to meet with Ise-kun again. I hope I can make a good contract with him next time]… This was the questionnaire filled by the client."

—!

My chest became hot.

Morisawa-san… I wasn't able to do anything, but you…

"This is the first time I've received feedback like this. I wasn't sure what to do at first. That's why I put on a weird face because I didn't know how to react to this."

Buchou isn't mad?

But it's true that I didn't make a contract…

"To Devils, what's important is that we actually make a contract with humans who've summoned us. We then receive the price from them. That's how Devils have lived for a long time. I didn't know how to react because this is the first time I encountered something like this. You might've failed as a Devil but the client was happy with you…"

Buchou has a puzzled expression, but she then smiles.

"But it's interesting, that's certain. There hasn't been any Devils like you, but you really are an interesting boy. You might become the number one Devil for unexpected things, but remember to do the basics. You make contracts with the clients, grant their wish, and then you receive the price. Okay?"

"Yes! I'll do my best!"

Buchou forgives my actions.

That alone makes me so happy that I feel like dancing.

Buchou, next time I'll definitely do it!

Part 5

At night, after I made a vow.

Once again, I'm doing my job.

I'm going full throttle, peddling along towards the client's house at night.

This time, I'm heading towards a mansion that's a half an hour away from the school.

It took me that long to reach even though I was going at full speed. The client isn't pissed, right?

I stood in front of the door and rang the bell. A Devil who has to ring the doorbell truly is saddening.

I want to get summoned through the magic circle soon.

Then after a little bit, there's a reply through the intercom.

"It's opened. Come in-nyou."

It's a really thick voice. It's a guy. Huh? "Nyou"? Did he just say "Nyou"?

No, I must be hearing things.

I opened the door, took my shoes off at the entrance, and walk timidly into the mansion.

The moment I opened the door, I became speechless.

"Welcome-nyou."

A humongous body, and an overwhelming presence.

It's an enormous guy with incredible muscles wearing a gothic lolita outfit.

If I look carefully, the buttons on the outfit look like they're about to fall off. There also some places in his outfit which looks like they're about to get ripped.

More than that, his eyes are filled with overwhelming bloodthirst –-but his eyes have a glow of a pure innocent person.

No, the most unusual thing is his head.

He has cat-ears.

I gulp. A single bead of sweat drops from my cheek. My hands are shaking because I'm getting nervous.

This isn't a man. He's a man among all men!

An overwhelming presence and the sense of being in danger.

I have a hunch. A hunch that I'll be killed in absurd way.

"U-Umm…I'm a Devil…did you summon a Devil from the Gremory group…?"

I ask him timidly.

FLASH!

The man's eye glows while making a sound effect.

It feels like there's an intense battle spirit between us.

I'm going to get killeeed! Hii!

Even though I'm a Devil, I took a defensive stance to protect myself.

"That's right-nyou. I called Devil-san because I want to make a wish-nyou."

Unexpected words came out from his thick mouth.

He ends his sentences with "nyou"!

Impossible…is he even allowed to do that?

"I want you to make Mil-tan a Magical Girl-nyou."

"Please teleport to another world then."

I give him my answer right away.

Impossible. Seriously, that's completely impossible.

I hold my head down because his wish is something beyond what I expected.

Mil-tan!? Who the heck is Mil-tan!?

This man's words starts to confuse me.

With that body of yours, you can go to another dimension and return back here alive! You could probably defeat Satan as well!

"I already tried that-nyou."

"You actually tried it!?"

"But it was impossible-nyou. There was no-one who would give Mil-tan magical powers-nyou."

"Well, you can say that this situation is kind of magical…"

"The only option left is to ask my arch-enemy, Devil-san-nyou."

I already have myself treated as his enemy without realising it…but I won't say anything to him.

"Devil-san~!"

The voice released by this man —Mil-tan, shakes the whole room.

What is this!? Sound magic!?

"Please give Mil-tan fantasy-like powers-nyoooooou!"

"Don't worry, you look fantasy-like enough! I'm the one who feels like crying!"

I start crying for real.

Dammit!

How come all the clients I'm in charge of are a bunch of perverts!? What's the meaning of this!?

"Mil-tan! Mil-tan, calm down! I'll listen to what you have to say!"

First things first, I think I need to calm this man down and listen to his story.

Mil-tan puts on a big smile with his scary face after he wipes his tears.

"Then let's watch "Magical Girl Milky Spiral 7 Alternative" together-nyou. The story about the magic starts from there-nyou."

My long night has begun.

Part 6

The next day, I was on my way home after the regular club activities ended.

Haa.

I sighed.

Even today, Buchou had a weird expression. My contract was invalid for the second time in a row.

But I got the best feedback.

Buchou became confused again because this is the second time in a row she's seen something strange like this. I'm sorry for getting involved in a weird situation.

I feel bad, and it seems like my road to getting a peerage will be harder than I thought…

Last night, I watched that anime till morning with Mil-tan.

At first I wasn't really engaged in it, but eventuallly I got hooked in due to the hot action and the story which made me cry, so I ended up watching till morning.

Besides that, why are all of my clients a bunch of perverts?

"Ahaha, Hyoudou-kun must have a demonic power that attracts people like that."

Kiba said something like that to me earlier with his refreshing smile.

Seriously, just go and die pretty boy. I hear that the chances of him being summoned by beautiful older woman is high.

Dammit! What kind of contract does he have with them!?

Is it sex!? Or something sex related!?

Just thinking about it makes me want to murder him. Shit! Damn you, Kibaaaa!

"Hawaau!"

Hmm? A sudden voice.

At the same time I heard the voice come from behind me, I also heard something drop to the ground.

When I turned around, there was a Sister on the floor.

She's spreading her arms wide open and had her face on the ground. That certainly is a clumsy way of falling down.

"…A-Are you okay?"

I approached the Sister and offered her my hand so she can stand up.

"Auu. Why do I keep on tripping over… Oh, I'm sorry. Thank you very much~."

Judging from her voice, she's young. Is she the same age as me?

I take her hand to lift her up.

Wind blows

The Sister's veil flies off from the wind.

Her blonde hair, which was hidden underneath, falls down onto her shoulders. Her straight blonde hair is sparkling with light from the sunshine.

Then my eyes move towards her face.

—!

My heart is taken by her instantly.

A blonde haired beauty is standing front of me.

Both of her green eyes look so beautiful that it feels I'll be sucked into them…

…

For a while, I gazed at her.

"U-Umm…is something wrong…?"

The Sister looks directly into my face with a worried expression.

"Ah. S-Sorry. Umm…"

I can't say it.

There's no way that I can tell her I was fascinated with her.

Rather, this girl is it. Yeah, I'm talking about that

She looks exactly like my ideal girl (Blonde beauty version)! Of course I'd be attracted to her!

It feels like I need to continue talking to her!

Is this a flag!? I'm thinking something selfish like that.

Then I notice the travelling bag she's carrying on her shoulder. If I think about it, it's a rare occasion to see a nun in a town. It's my first time seeing one.

Before that, I need to pick up her veil. Luckily, it landed nearby.

"T-Traveling?"

"No, that's not it. I was appointed to the Church in this town… You must be a resident, it's a pleasure to meet you."

She bows her head.

Hmmm. Getting placed in the Church of this town. Staff reassignment? Looks like the Church is having a tough time as well.

"I've been in trouble since I got here. Ummm…I can't speak Japanese that well…I was lost and other people couldn't understand what I was saying…"

She holds her hands together in front of her chest with a sad expression.

…So that means she can't speak Japanese.

The reason why she can speak with me is because this is one of the powers of a Devil. That's what Buchou told me before.

"When you turn into a Devil, one of the unique ability you attain is "Language". The moment you turn into a Devil, everyone in the world can understand what you are saying. People listening to you will hear it in the language they are most familiar with. If they're American, then they'll hear it in English. If they're Spanish, then they'll hear it in Spanish. And also the opposite. If they speak in a language besides Japanese, you will hear it in Japanese."

Yeah, its happening just like Buchou said.

During the English lecture, I heard everything in Japanese. I was shocked. When I was told to read an English paragraph by the English teacher, I somehow read it and all of my classmates looked shocked.

Of course they would. Since I can speak English fluently now, obviously my classmates would be shocked.

Even the teacher froze because of it.

Well, the letters and vocabulary didn't change to Japanese because it's limited to sound only.

But that's good enough. It's amazing to think I can speak any language in the world.

Just like that, I turned into an "international" high school student without any requirements.

"I think I might know where the Church is."

I think there's an old Church in the outer part of this town. I think that's the one.

But is that Church still even used?

"Y-You do! T-Thank you~! This is all thanks to God!"

She smiles at me with tears flowing from her eyes. She's really cute.

But when I look at the Rosario glowing from her chest, it gives me an extremely bad feeling.

Well of course it does, since I'm a Devil. She's the type of human that I shouldn't talk to or get involved with.

But I can't leave a girl in trouble alone like this, so I took this Sister to the Church.

On our way to the Church, we went past a park.

"Uwaaaaaah!"

What I heard was the cry of a boy.

"Are you alright Yosh-kun?"

He will be fine since he's with his mum. It seems like he just tripped over.

But suddenly, the Sister who was walking behind me walks towards the park.

"Hey."

Sister went inside the park and went towards the boy who was sitting down and crying.

I also followed the Sister.

"Are you okay? Boys shouldn't cry over a minor injury like this."

Sister pats the boy's head gently.

The boy probably didn't understand what she was saying, but she has a very kind expression. The Sister put her palm where the boy has injured himself.

The next moment, I was in shock. A green light orb appears from her palm and was flashing onto the boy's knee.

What's that? Demonic powers? Buchou said that it can only be used by Devils and someone related to Devils so it can't be.

When I looked carefully, the boy's injury started to disappear.

Is the light from her hand healing the boy's injury?

Something appears in my mind.

—Sacred Gear.

A special power which is bestowed upon certain people. I think that's what Kiba said before.

I somehow feel this is it as well. Looking at that light makes my left arm ache. This has to be related.

Did my Sacred Gear react with her Sacred Gear? Is it responding to it?

When I look again, the boy's injury was gone and there wasn't even a trace left.

Amazing.

This is the power of a Sacred Gear… There's so many different types of it.

The boy's mother is in shock. Anyone who saw something unimaginable would have a similar reaction.

"Here, your wounds are now healed. The pain should be gone now."

The Sister pats the boy's head and looks at me.

"I'm sorry, but I had to."

She laughs while sticking her tongue out.

The boy's mother, who was shocked before, shook her head then grabs the boy's hand so they could leave quickly.

"Thank you, Onee-chan!"

The boy's words. Words of gratitude.

"He said, thank you Onee-chan."

She smiles happily after I translated for her.

"…That power…"

"Yes, it's the power to heal. It's a wonderful power that God gave me."

She looks a bit sad, even though she's smiling.

Somehow it seems like she has some dark past or something.

I probably shouldn't get too deep into it.

It's not the right time for me to say "Actually, I have a Sacred Gear as well!". It's an unusual power, and maybe some people may suffer because of it.

Even I didn't feel happy when my Sacred Gear was covering my arm. Instead, I was really shocked. I still didn't know how to use it, so I wasn't happy at all. The only thing I can use it for is to mimic a Kamehameha.

Our conversation ends there, and we continued walking towards the Church.

We reached an old Church after walking for a few minutes.

Yeah, the only Church I know of is this one. It's just as old as I remember.

I never heard of this place still being used, but you can see light coming from inside the Church, so that means that there's people inside.

CHILLS CHILLS CHILLS

I have chills, and my body starts sweating. It's been like this since before.

I knew it. I'm a Devil, so the Church, which belongs to God and the Angels, will be an enemy's territory for me.

Even Buchou strongly emphazised that I should never get close to a Church or a shrine.

"Yes, this is the place! I'm so glad."

Sister shows a sigh of relief after having compared our location with the map she has.

Oh, so this is the right place. That's good.

I shouldn't stay here any longer, it's getting dark so I should be going now.

It's a waste to say good bye to a beauty like her, but I'm a Devil and she's a nun…

Love between different sides may sound romantic, but this would be a different case.

That's because I'm getting really scared of the Church, my entire body won't stop shaking.

This sign of fear must be a special trait for Devils. It feels like I'm a frog being watched by a snake.

No, rather I'm a frog who doesn't know what to do after being found by the snake.

"Then I'll be on my way."

"Please wait!"

I say my farewell and tried to leave, but the Sister's words stops me.

"I would like to make you some tea as a gratitude for taking me here—"

"Oh, I'm in a rush so I have to get going."

"…But that's…"

She's troubled.

She probably wants to make me some tea to show her gratitude, but drinking tea here will be dangerous. It's a shame, but I have to refuse.

"My name is Hyoudou Issei. Everyone around me calls me Ise, so you can call me Ise as well. What's your name?"

When I gave her my name, she responded with a smile.

"My name is Asia Argento! Please call me Asia!"

"Then, Sister Asia, let's meet again."

"Yes! Ise-san, I'll definitely come and see you!"

Asia bows her head down.

I left after waving goodbye towards her. She watched me until I was out of her sight.

I understood that she's a good girl.

And that was our fateful destiny and our first meeting.

Part 7

At night.

"Don't ever get close to the Church again."

Buchou was scolding me in the club room. Her expression looks more serious than usual. More like, she's really mad at me.

"To us Devils, the Church is enemy territory. Just stepping into it can cause a rift between the Devils and God. Since it was an act of kindness by taking the nun to the Church, they didn't harm you, but the Angels are always on the lookout. You were in a situation where it wouldn't be strange for them to hit you with a spear of light."

…Are you serious?

Was I in such a serious situation…?

If I think about it, the chills I felt before wasn't normal. I only felt fear at that time.

So that's what it means to detect danger, my instinct as a Devil was telling me that it was a dangerous situation.

"Don't get involved with people from the Church. Especially the Exorcists who are our biggest enemy. They could easily eliminate us because their powers are supported by the prayer of God. More so if it is an Exorcist with a Sacred Gear, that would be the same as standing on the boundary of death, Ise."

Buchou looks directly at me with her blue eyes while waving her crimson hair.

Her eye is serious. Well the other eye is kind of okay with it, but that one eye is really serious, so she isn't joking.

"Y-Yes."

"You could avoid death as a human by being resurrected as a Devil, but Devils who are exorcised become completely terminated. They return to nothing. —Nothing. There is nothing left and you feel nothing. Do you know how serious that is?"

…Nothing? To tell you the truth, I don't.

Buchou shakes her head after seeing my confused face.

"I'm sorry, I got too heated. Anyways, be careful from now on."

"Yes."

My conversation with Buchou ends there.

"Ara ara, did you finish lecturing him?"

"Owaa."

Akeno-san is standing behind me and I didn't even realise it. She is smiling like usual.

"Akeno, did something happen?"

Akeno-san's expression changes after Buchou asks her.

"We received an order for a hunt from the Arch Duke."

Part 8

--Stray Devils.

There's beings that are called as such.

A Devil who was turned into a Servant Devil of a Devil with a peerage, but betrayed or killed their master. Cases like that rarely occur.

The power of Devils are enormous. You can't even compare it to the time when you were human.

So there will be those who choose to use that power for their own self-interests.

Those Devils leave their master's place and cause destruction elsewhere.

That's a "Stray Devil".

The suit-wearing Fallen Angel Donaseek mistook me for a Stray Devil.

In other words, a stray dog.

Stray dogs create trouble, and when found, the master or other Devils are ordered to eliminate them. That's the law of the Devils.

Other beings such as Angels and Fallen Angels see them as threats and will eliminate them whenever found.

There's nothing scarier than a Devil who doesn't abide by any rules.

I went to the unused building located at the outer part of the town along with Buchou, Akeno-san, Kiba, and Koneko-chan.

Every night, a Stray Devil is luring humans to this building to feed on them.

As such, there was a request from the High-class Devils to hunt them.

[Since it's escaped to the territory of Rias Gremory, I would like to ask you to eliminate it.]

Apparently, this is another job Devils have .

Eating a human… There's evil Devils like that as well...

No, naturally Devils are like that.

So the only reason they're quiet is because they abide by the law…

Yeah, they are Devils after all…

It's midnight, a world of darkness.

There's lots of tall grass surrounding me, and I can see the unused building far away from here.

Nightvision is another trait of Devils'.

Hmm, having a clear view of a creepy place like this isn't that great....

"…The smell of blood."

Koneko-chan covers her nose with her uniform after she says that.

The smell of blood? I can't smell anything, so that means Koneko-chan has a strong sense of smell.

It becomes quiet.

I can feel the presence of an enemy nearby, and its intent to kill us isn't normal.

My legs are shaking, I'm really scared. If the others weren't here, I would've ran away. Buchou's in front with her hands on her hips, looking very reliable!

"Ise, this is a good opportunity to experience what it's like to fight."

Buchou says recklessly.

"Wait, are you serious!? I'm positive that I'll be completely useless!"

"Yes, it's still impossible now."

She says straight to me. I kind of feel sad.

"But you can watch what a Devils' battle is like. Today, just concentrate and look at how we fight. Oh yes, I'll also explain the traits the servants have."

"Explain? The traits servants have?"

I put on a confused look, but Buchou continues.

"Devils, who are the master, give traits to those who will become their servants…Yes, it's probably about time I explain it and also the history of Devils."

Buchou starts to explain the current situation for Devils.

"A long time ago, there was a three sided war between the Devils, Fallen Angels, and God with his Angel army. All three sides had large armies and fought for almost an eternity. As a result, all three sides lost most of their troops and the war finished several hundred years ago with no side winning."

Kiba continued after Buchou.

"The Devils were no exception. Big Devils with peerage who commanded about 20 or 30 troops lost most of their underlings because of the war. They lost so many that they couldn't even form new armies."

Akeno-san continues on from there.

"I heard that most of the pure Devils passed away in the war. Even after the war, there's still problems between the Devils, Fallen Angels and God. Even though the Fallen Angels' and God's side lost most of their troops as well, we're still in a position where we can't let our guard down, or else we'll be in trouble."

Then, Buchou spoke again.

"Then, the Devils decided to use a system to form a small group of soldiers, and that's the [Devil's PiecesEvil Piece]."

"Evil Piece?"

Seems like it's going to get complicated, but it looks like I have to pay attention.

"Devils with Peerage decided to apply the traits of the human's game "Chess" to their Servant Devils. It was also sarcasm, since most servants are Devils that were reincarnated from humans. Since then, Chess has become a popular game in the world of Devils, but we'll leave that aside for now. Devils who are masters are a [King]. In our case, that's me. From there, they created 5 special traits that consist of [Queen], [Knight], [Rook], [Bishop] and [Pawn]. Since they couldn't make an army, they decided to have a small number of Devils and give them enormous powers. This system was created within the past few hundred years, and has unexpectedly become popular amongst Devils with peerage."

"Popular? You mean the Chess rule?"

"They started to compete against each other. For example like, "My Knight is stronger!", or "No, my Rook is stronger!" As a result, High-class Devils started to play a game like that of Chess against each other using their Servant Devils. We call it the "Rating Game". Anyway, this game became very popular amongst the Devils to the point that there's even tournaments for it. The strength of their [Pieces] and also how strong they are at the game affects a Devils' social position, and their peerage. There's a thing called [Piece Collect] where they gather humans with talents and make them into their [Pieces]. It's grown very popular recently, talented servants become their status."

I see.

So being strong in that game means you're a splendid Devil as well as becoming your pride then.

…Umm, so Servant Devils are former humans and they function by becoming [Pieces] in the game.

I feel it's complicated. Will I be forced to fight in that game someday?

"I'm not a matured Devil yet, so I can't participate in the official tournament. Even if I could, there's things that I need to go through, or else I can't play. In short, Ise and my other servants here won't be participating in a game for a while."

"So does that mean that Kiba and the others haven't played yet?"

"Yeah."

Kiba answered my question.

The world of Devils is strange. I used to think of them being evil and scary, but it looks like I was completely wrong.

Or maybe I feel like that because I'm still ignorant of the ways of the Devils' world.

Before that, there's something that's been bothering me.

Yeah, my position is a [Piece].

"Buchou, what's my role and traits? Also what piece am I?"

"Ise, you're—"

Buchou stops there.

I know the reason why. I can feel chills all over my body. That's because the enemy's presence and bloodthirst just became much stronger.

There's something approaching us! Even a guy like me who just turned into a Devil can tell.

"I can smell something disgusting, but also something delicious. Is it sweet, or is it sour?"

A low voice comes from below the ground.

This weirdness isn't normal. Just hearing its voice scares me.

"Stray Devil Viser. We're here to eliminate you."

Buchou says.

"Ketaketaketaketaketaketaketaketaketaketaketaketaketaketaketaketa…"

The abnormal laughter echoes around us. Ah, I get it now.

This isn't a human laugh, nor is it one of any Devil that I know of.

Nggh…

A topless woman appears from the shadow, but her body is floating.

No.

STEP

A heavy footstep. The next thing that appears is the body of a gigantic beast.

It's a grotesque being with an unnatural form having a woman's upper body and monster's lower body.

It's holding something that looks like a spear in both of its hands.

The lower body of the monster has four fat legs with sharp claws. Is it a snake tail? Wow! The tail's moving on its own!

From the size of it, it's definitely more than 5 meters tall. If it stands on its hind legs, won't it be much taller?

Either way, it's a monster. Is this also a Devil?

Well duh, since Buchou called it a "Stray Devil".

Man, there's things like this as well!? I'm right yet again. Devils are scary!

"Leaving your master's side and rampaging as you please definitely deserves death. In the name of Duke Gremory, I will gladly eliminate you!"

"You're cunning for a little girrrrrrl! I'll rip your body, and dye it red just like your haaaaaaair!!"

The monster barks, but Buchou just laughs with her nose.

"Grunts sure do speak in a stylish manner. Yuuto!"

"Yes!"

Swoof!

Kiba, who was near me, sprints ahead as soon as Buchou gives him an order. He's insanely fast, I can't even respond to it!

"Ise, I'll continue the lecture from before."

Buchou says.

Lecture? The thing about Evil Piece's traits or something?

"Yuuto's position is [Knight], its trait is speed. Those who become a [Knight] have their speed increased."

Just like Buchou said, Kiba's speed increased, and eventually I wasn't able to follow his movements with my eyes.

The monster used its spear to attack, but it didn't seem like it'll hit.

"And Yuuto's ultimate weapon is swords."

Kiba stopped and was suddenly holding onto a European sword. He took it out of the scabbard, and the drawn sword reflected the moonlight.

SU!

Kiba suddenly disappeared again. The next moment, the monster's scream echoed.

"Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

When I looked, both of its arms were cut from its torso along with the spear. Blood gushed out of its wound.

"This is Yuuto's power. Speed that you can't follow with your eyes, and the sword skills of a professional. By combining these two, he becomes the fastest Knight."

There's a shadow near the monster's legs… Wait! That's Koneko-chan!

"Next is Koneko. She's a [Rook]. The trait of a Rook is its—"

"Damn inseeeeeeeeect!"

STOMP!

The enormous monster tries to stomp on Koneko-chan!

K-Koneko-chan! Hey, she's in trouble—

But the monster's foot didn't hit the ground. It wasn't able to stomp completely.

Gugugu…

The girl with a tiny body is lifting up the monster's foot.

"The trait of a [Rook] is simple. Absolute strength, and also very high defence. It's impossible for a Devil with that calibre to stomp on Koneko. It can't crush her."

LIFT!

Koneko-chan completely lifts up the monster.

"…Fly"

She jumps high and punches into the monster's stomach very sharply.

BANG!

The monster's enormous body gets thrown backwards.

I then remembered what the client who loves Koneko-chan, Morisawa-san, said.

—Koneko-chan has extreme strength, she carried me like a princess.

This isn't just what you would call just mere extreme strength!

That enormous monster went flying with just one punch!

Yeah, I'll make sure not to mess with Koneko-chan. I'll probably get killed just from getting poked by her finger.

A super-human girl. Scary indeed. Morisawa-san, who fell in love with her, is scary as well.

"Lastly, Akeno."

"Yes, Buchou. Ara ara, what should I do?"

Akeno-san laughs as she walked towards the monster lying on the ground after being hit by Koneko-chan.

"Akeno is a [Queen], the strongest one after me. She's the unbeatable Vice-president of our club who has all the traits of [Pawn], [Knight], [Bishop], and [Rook].

"Guuuuuu…!"

The monster stares at Akeno-san who makes a fearless laugh after seeing the monster's gaze.

"Ara ara, seems like you still have some energy left in you. Then how about this?"

Akeno-san puts her hands towards the sky.

FLASH!

The next instant, the sky sparkled, and a lightning bolt striked down on the monster.

"Gagagagagagagagagagagagaaa!"

The monster gets electrified violently.

Its entire body gets burnt and smoke is coming out from it.

"Ara ara, looks like you still have some energy in you, you can take more."

FLASH!

Another lightning bolt hit the monster.

"Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

The monster was electrified again. It already sounds like it's dying.

Even so, Akeno-san strikes down a third lightning bolt.

Her face as she struck down the lightning bolt looks scary and cold even though she's smiling.

Uwaah. She's enjoying it… laughing as well.

"Akeno excels at attacks using demonic powers. She can use natural elements like lightning, ice, and fire, and most of all, she's the ultimate sadist."

Buchou confesses like if it's nothing.

A sadist!? That's not something you call a sadist!?

"Usually, she's very kind, but once the battle starts, she won't stop until she calms down."

"…Uuu, I'm scared of Akeno-san."

"You don't have to be afraid Ise, Akeno is very kind to comrades, so it's not a problem. She even said that you're cute. Next time, let her spoil you. She'll definitely hug you kindly."

"Ufufufufufufufu. How much of my lightning can you take? Right, monster-san? You still can't die yet, okay? The one who finishes you off will be my master. Ohohohohohohoho!"

…Buchou, I'm getting very scared of the girl in front of me laughing very loudly...

I thought she was the one with the most common sense…

She's a Devil after all. That has to be it. A Devil I tell ya, so they'll be scary.

For a few minutes, Akeno-san's lightning attacks continued.

After she calmed down, Buchou confirmed it and nodded her head.

Buchou approached the monster that had already lost its will to fight.

She put her hand towards the monster.

"Any last words?"

Buchou asked.

"Kill me."

That's the only thing the monster says.

"Then disappear."

A cruel reply. Buchou's voice gave me the chills.

DON!

A gigantic black mass of demonic power shot out from Buchou's palm.

It's so big that it cover the monster's entire body.

The mass of demonic power devours its body. When the demonic power disappears, so did the monster's body.

Just like Buchou said, it disappeared.

Confirming that, Buchou let out a sigh.

"It's over, good work everyone."

Buchou says to the club members as everyone returned back to their usual selves. So the "Stray Devil" hunt is over, huh?

The fate for the Stray Devils. I don't know what to say. That thing left its master's side because it had something on its mind…

So this is a Devil's battle… It was a fierce fight. Along with the Stray Devils, there's still many things in this world I'm unfamiliar with.

So I have to aim up high from here…

Maybe I have to think in decades.

Then I remembered the problem. The thing about Evil Pieces' positions from earlier. Since I'm a servant of a Devil with peerage, then I should have a certain [Piece] too.

"Buchou, there's still something you haven't told me."

"What is it?"

Buchou responds with a smile.

"My Piece…more like, what's my role as a servant."

To tell you the truth, I already predicted the worst case. More like I knew it is that, but I still had a naive hope.

There's two [Pieces] left since, Akeno-san is a [Queen], Koneko-chan is a [Rook], and Kiba is a [Knight].

The [Bishop] and…the [Pawn].

I was hoping for it, but it gets shattered instantly. The crimson-hair beauty smiled at me and says clearly.

"You're a [Pawn]. Ise, you're a Pawn."

I'm the lowest.