"H, horns?"
Koneko's voice was flat, but underneath it, I could feel it—she was surprised, maybe even curious. Her golden eyes had widened just for a fraction, the most emotion I had ever seen on her face.
I didn't answer. I just let the hood fall and let the hat hang from my finger, to let them see it, see myself.
The horns curved back from my temples, dark as old wood, smooth as polished bone. The silver hair fell across my forehead, partially hiding the base of it.
Rias's sharp blue eyes went wide. Her composure cracked just for a second before she smoothed it back into place.
Akeno didn't bother hiding her reaction. Her lips parted, and her violet eyes traced the curve of my horns, like she was memorizing them.
"Oni, so you have Oni blood."
I didn't correct her. Ogres were descendants of Onis. It was a close guess, but it was wrong.
Koneko took a step closer, her small frame tense, her hands curling into fists at her sides. I could feel it—her demonic energy prickling against my skin, like it was testing and probing me.
"Sit down."
Rias's voice was calm, but there was also an edge to it. It was a command.
I sat. The chair creaked under my weight. I kept my hands on the desk, showing my carelessness. My back was leaning against the chair, but my eyes were still on her, Rias.
It was a perfect opportunity to see her, to assess her. I had nothing to hide, so it was a win-win.
"Explain that..."
Her hands gestured to my head. It was clear what she was asking about. My horns.
"Hmm, am I in the underworld? Do I get to get punished here? Well, it's fine if my juryer is a cute devil."
I wanted to poke at her. It was fun teasing Ai. I wanted to know what it was to tease a strong devil, the one who had everything since birth.
The room had gone silent.
Rias's blue eyes widened, just a fraction, before they narrowed. Her lips pressed together, and a faint flush crept up her neck. I had caught her off guard. Good.
"But unfortunately, I don't take kindly to sharing with others. I'm sorry, but I have to reject you, red-haired beauty. You don't mind if I go for her, right...? Don't get mad and all—it's just that she's my type."
I pointed at her. Akeno Himejima.
It was my quest and all.
[Take Himejima For Yourself.]
[Reward: A Random Skill Upgrade]
The words left my mouth before I could even stop them. My finger pointed across the room, aimed directly at Akeno Himejima.
She blinked once, twice. Her violet eyes widened, and for the first time since I'd walked into this room, her composure slipped.
"Me?"
Akeno's voice was soft and almost breathless.
Rias's flush deepened. Her blue eyes narrowed into slits, and I could feel the temperature in the room drop.
"You came into my club room, showed me your horns, and now you're hitting on my queen? How sham—"
As she spoke, I wanted to test something—an ability I hadn't tried yet. Not even listening to the full sentence, I activated it: [Severed Universe]
The world had stopped.
White feathers fell from nowhere, drifting through the frozen air, landing on the shoulders and desks and the floor without sound. Everything was still. Rias, caught mid-breath, her lips parted. Koneko, her hand halfway to her mouth, a chip suspended between her fingers. And Akeno, her violet eyes fixated on the spot where I had been sitting.
The chair was empty now. I had moved.
[Severed Universe — Active]
[Time Frozen: 12 seconds remaining]
I walked across the room, my footsteps silent on the wooden floor. The feathers brushed against my face, cold and soft. They dissolved as soon as they touched my skin.
Akeno stood frozen by the window, her black hair caught the light. Her lips were slightly parted. She was beautiful.
I circled behind her, my movements slow. The feathers fell around us like snow.
[8 seconds remaining]
I stopped behind her, close enough to smell her perfume. My hands rose, hovering just above her shoulder.
This was stupid, and it was reckless. It could even get me killed.
[4 seconds remaining]
I put my arms around her neck.
Not in a tight grip, not in a threatening way. It was gentle, like a boyfriend greeting his girlfriend after a long day. My hands rested against her collarbone, my chest pressed against her back, and my chin hovered just above her shoulder.
The feathers had stopped falling.
[1 second remaining]
[Severed Universe — Deactivated]
Time resumed.
"—shameless, can you be?"
Rias finished, her voice sharp.
"Ara ara, this is new."
"Who said you were wrong? But how about this—I'll give you guys information you would be delighted to know. You want to know what Issei Hyoudou's Sacred Gear is, right...? How about this? Let me go on a date with her, and I'll give it to you for free. I'll even add in information about the Fallen Angels."
I felt her tense beneath my arms, just for a moment. Then she relaxed, her body melting against my chest like she belonged there.
"Ara ara, you're full of surprises, Amamiya-kun."
Even though she spoke, I didn't let go.
Bang!!
Rias's hands slammed on the desk as the wood cracked.
"Get your hands off her now."
Akeno laughed. It was a soft, musical sound, but there was also something underneath it: delight and anticipation.
"Buchou, I think we should hear him out."
Rias's jaw tightened. Her blue eyes looked like there was fire in them.
"Akeno—"
"A date, in exchange for information about a Sacred Gear that could make working with it easier, and information on the Fallen Angels around us. That seems like a fair trade."
Koneko made a sound. It might have been a cough or a laugh.
"Pervert." She muttered it, probably unaware of it.
I stepped back, my hands falling to my sides, putting distance between Akeno and me. She turned to face me, her expression unreadable.
"Who said you were wrong? But how about this—I'll give you the information you would be delighted to know. All you have to do is let me go on a date with her."
I repeated my words once again, but in a more simplistic manner than before.
"You are asking me to give you my queen for information."
"Hey... when you put it like that, it sounds weird. But yeah, exactly like that."
Rias's hands curled into fists. The cracked desk groaned under her palms.
"Akeno, you don't have to do this. We can find out about his Sacred Gear another way. We can—"
"Can we? The Fallen Angels already operate inside our land. This is the best option."
Rias's jaw tightened as her blue eyes flicked to me, then back to Akeno.
"What if he's lying?"
"Then I go on one date with a handsome young man who has horns and Oni blood."
Koneko snorted. It was definitely a laugh this time.
"Pervert." Instead of it being directed towards me this time, she was looking at Akeno now, not me.
"Fine."
Rias had finally agreed. The word came out like a blade.
"One date tomorrow after school. But if anything happens to her—" her blue eyes locked onto me, as if declaring what would happen. I would pay the consequences.
"If anything happens to her, I will tear your horns off and feed them to you."
I believed her. Even though I had seemed to be all-powerful in front of this group, I was in fact, a weakling compared to all of them.
I pulled out my phone and held it out to Akeno. Her fingers brushed against mine as she took it. It was warm and steady.
She typed in her number and took her fingers off mine.
"Text me the location. I'll be there."
I had given her the option of choosing the place. I personally did not care where it was.
I pulled my phone away, pulled up my hood, and adjusted my hat. The horns pressed against the fabric, and a familiar ache started.
"The Fallen Angels are in the old church. Raynare is the one in charge. She has two others, Dohnaseek and Mittelt. They are planning to steal Asia, a church nun's Sacred Gear. But your pawn will intervene. Do note, the person behind her is Azazel, though I doubt he cares if she dies. I should know best about that."
I kept it quick and simple.
I laid out the future like it was set in stone, and it was. Because of what I said, it became the truth. It wasn't a normal ability of Severed Universe, but since I existed with a power that didn't exist when Severed Universe existed, it had produced a sub-ability: [Seer of the Future]. Prophecies I said would always have a 99% chance of happening. It gave this to me because my understanding of time had increased.
"What about the Issei's sacred gear?"
"I'll tell her after the date."
I began to start walking away. As I met the door frame, being one step away, I couldn't help but tease her.
"Make sure to wear something pretty, gorgeous."
When I left, there it was—her face flushed a crimson red, for a while, all the way to her neck.
But I didn't look back. I could feel her eyes on my back, burning holes through my hoodie. The flush had spread from her neck to her cheeks. Crimson red.
It was worth it.
The door clicked shut behind me.
Badump-Badump-Badump
My heart was still pounding. That was stupid. It was really, really stupid. But the system didn't care about being stupid; it only cared about results.
[Quest update: Take Akeno Himejima for yourself]
[Progress: date accepted — location pending]
[Reward: Random Skill Upgrade — pending completion]
I dismissed the screen and kept walking.
The afternoon light filtered through the stained glass windows, casting colored shadows on the floor—red and blue, gold. It was pretty, but this place was now empty as I made my way outside.
Towards home.
What would Ai say if she knew? The thought hit me like a punch in the gut. She'd be hurt and scared. She would think I was an utter pervert.
But even though I could always say I was doing it to gain strength, I couldn't play that card the more I went on.
Because I knew it. I was enjoying this.
But I had to continue this game of chess. If I wasn't the strongest, that was fine. But I needed to be able to protect the people I love.
And I knew it was not just because the system gave me the quest.
I was also interested.
I traveled downwards. The main building was quieter now. Classes were over now. Students were now heading home. I kept my head down and my hood up. I adjusted my hat as I moved.
No one looked at me.
No one ever looked at me.
The train station was crowded. I stood by the door, watching the city blur past. Lights flickered in and out of the growing darkness.
Ai is waiting.
The thought settled in my chest.
Ai is waiting, and I have to tell her about the date with Akeno and the quest.
She's going to kill me.