I wasn't there to witness it, but I learned later that while I was heading home after my successful hunt, a very different conversation was taking place in the Student Council room at Kuoh Academy.
. . .
The soft click of chess pieces moving across the board was the only sound in the otherwise quiet Student Council room. Sona Sitri sat across from Rias Gremory, her violet eyes focused intently on the game before them. Both devils wore their school uniforms despite the late hour, their respective Queens—Tsubaki Shinra and Akeno Himejima—present in the room attending to various tasks.
Sona moved her bishop, capturing one of Rias's knights with practiced precision. "You seem unusually energetic today, Rias," she observed, her voice carrying that characteristic note of analytical curiosity. "There's something different about your demeanor. You're practically glowing."
Rias's emerald eyes sparkled with barely contained excitement as she contemplated her next move. "You're quite observant as always, Sona." She moved her rook, a small smile playing at her lips. "I suppose I am in better spirits than usual."
"Oh?" Akeno looked up from the paperwork she'd been reviewing, her violet eyes gleaming with interest. "What's brought about this change in our dear Buchou?"
Rias's smile widened, and she leaned back in her chair with a satisfied expression. "I met someone today. A boy at the manga shop downtown. The interaction was... quite interesting and refreshing."
"Interesting how?" Sona pressed, moving another piece while keeping her attention on Rias's expression.
"He actually matched my energy when it came to discussing manga and anime," Rias explained, her enthusiasm bubbling over. "Do you know how rare it is to find someone who not only shares those interests but can actually keep up with my passion for them? Most people either pretend to be interested or get overwhelmed by my enthusiasm."
Akeno's lips curved into a knowing smile. "My, my, Buchou. It sounds like you've found yourself a kindred spirit. Perhaps even a soulmate who shares your rather... niche interests?"
Rias shot her Queen a playful glare. "Don't tease me, Akeno. It's just refreshing to meet someone who understands what I'm talking about when I mention obscure manga references or get excited about a new anime season."
"Which school does he attend?" Sona asked, genuinely curious now. It wasn't often that Rias showed this level of enthusiasm about meeting someone new.
Rias's smile grew even brighter. "That's the best part—he's a student here at Kuoh Academy. I only wish I'd met him sooner so we could have shared our discussions about all the series we've been following."
Before anyone could respond, a sharp knock echoed through the room. Sona looked up from the chessboard, her expression shifting to one of mild surprise at the interruption.
"Enter," she called out.
The door opened to reveal Kiba Yuuto and Koneko Toujou, both looking unusually serious. Their expressions were enough to immediately shift the atmosphere in the room from casual to professional.
"You're back remarkably early from your patrol," Rias observed, her earlier joy tempered by concern as she studied their faces. "What happened? Did you encounter something?"
Kiba exchanged a quick glance with Koneko before stepping forward. "We detected a strong stray devil aura at the abandoned building behind the mall," he reported, his voice carrying an edge of tension. "But by the time we arrived to investigate, both the stray devil and its aura had vanished completely."
"Vanished?" Tsubaki looked up from her own work, her expression sharpening. "Stray devils don't simply disappear without a trace."
"That's not all," Koneko added, her usually monotone voice carrying a note of unease. "There was another energy signature present. Something unusual, powerful, and distinctly non-devil."
Sona's fingers paused over her next chess move. "Non-devil? Can you describe it?"
"It was... animalistic," Kiba said carefully, searching for the right words. "Could be Youkai"
"And whoever it was," Koneko continued, "they were strong enough to completely eliminate a stray devil without leaving any trace of the creature behind."
The room fell silent as the implications sank in. Rias leaned forward, her earlier happiness replaced by intense curiosity. "Do you have any idea who this person might be?"
Kiba nodded grimly. "We observed him leaving the building. He's a second-year student from this school." He paused, meeting Rias's eyes directly. "His name is Akira."
The effect was immediate and dramatic. Both Rias and Sona fell completely silent, their expressions frozen in shock. The chess piece in Rias's hand slipped from her fingers, clattering onto the board.
The tension stretched for several long seconds before Akeno's musical laughter broke the silence. "My, my, Buchou," she said, her voice carrying that familiar note of amused mischief. "It seems you've found yourself a rather interesting new playmate. I'm certainly more interested to meet him now."
Rias stared at Akeno, then back at Kiba, her mind racing. The boy who had matched her enthusiasm for manga, who had made her feel understood and connected—he was the same person who had just single-handedly eliminated a stray devil with some unknown, powerful ability.
"This changes everything," Sona said quietly, her strategic mind already working through the implications. "We need to learn more about this Akira and his abilities."
"Indeed," Rias agreed, though her voice held a note of something else—anticipation, perhaps even excitement. "It seems tomorrow is going to be a very interesting day."
. . .
Of course, I knew none of this as I sat on my balcony, completely oblivious to the supernatural storm I'd just stirred up. The evening air was crisp against my skin as I cradled a steaming cup of coffee, the familiar blue screen hovering before me in the darkness.
[STRAY DEVIL DEFEATED! REWARD: 1x Rank 2 Gacha Ticket]
"Not bad for a night's work," I murmured, taking a slow sip of my coffee. The bitter taste was perfect after the adrenaline rush of my first real hunt. A Rank 2 ticket was already a significant upgrade from the basic rewards I'd been getting. The possibilities were endless—new abilities, powerful items, maybe even something that would help me track down more supernatural threats.
I leaned back in my chair, letting the satisfaction wash over me. The fight had been everything I'd hoped for and more. The raw power of my Leopard Zoan form, the thrill of the hunt, the absolute dominance I'd felt over that pathetic stray devil—it was intoxicating.
I had no idea that my actions had already sent ripples through the supernatural community of Kuoh Academy. While I sat there in peaceful ignorance, sipping my coffee and planning my next move, the very people I'd had such a pleasant conversation with earlier were now intensely curious about my true nature.
The irony wasn't lost on me when I eventually learned about it later. Here I was, thinking I was flying under the radar, when in reality I'd just painted a massive target on my back. But in that moment, blissfully unaware of the attention I'd attracted, I was content to bask in the satisfaction of a successful hunt and the promise of greater power to come.
"One stray devil down," I said to myself, finishing the last of my coffee. "Who knows how many more are out there, just waiting to be hunted."
Tomorrow was going to be a very interesting day indeed—I just didn't know it yet.