The classroom was already buzzing by the time Yuto stepped inside.
Voices overlapped. Quiet conversations. Subtle glances. And the moment he entered with Rias and Akeno, it got louder. He heard the voices and the sneaky glances other students were trying to steal at him. Of course he would attract interest being next to beautiful girls such as Rias and Akeno.
"That's him."
"The new one."
"He's with Rias Gremory…"
"He doesn't look like much."
Yuto ignored it. For now. His eyes scanned the room instead.
It was large. Structured similarly to a human classroom, but the atmosphere was completely different. The air itself felt alive with magic. Some students radiated faint energy. Others projected power. Yuto looked around more as he walked to his assigned desk.
He noticed white wings folded neatly behind a student seated near the window. An Angel.A few seats over he noticed black wings on a student with a darker aura. That was a Fallen Angel. And scattered throughout were none other than Demons. Some subtle. Some overwhelming. None compared to the power of Sirzechs Lucifer so far though, which was a relief.
"So this is what she meant," Yuto muttered under his breath.
Rias heard him.
"Yes," she said as they walked further in. "All three factions. Same room."
They reached their seats. Rias sat to his left. Akeno to his right. Perfect.
Yuto leaned back slightly, glancing between them. "Convenient seating."
Akeno giggled softly. "Ara, are you complaining?"
"Not at all," Yuto replied.
Rias shook her head lightly, but there was a faint smile on her lips.
"Focus," she said. "You'll need it."
Yuto crossed his arms. "Before that… explain something."
Rias glanced at him. "What?"
He tilted his head slightly toward Akeno. "You said she's part of your… peerage?"
Rias nodded.
"Yes," she said. "Akeno is my Queen."
Yuto raised an eyebrow. "Queen?"
Akeno leaned slightly closer, her voice soft.
"In a Devil's peerage system," she explained, "each member has a role. Just like chess. There is a King who owns the peerage. That is me. Then there is a Queen, two knights, two rooks, two bishops, and 8 pawn slots in total. You are one of my pawns. However, know the pawns still have a lot of potential to be promoted in enemy territory. Akeno is my Queen because of how powerful she is and reliable."
Yuto glanced at her again. "I can tell."
There was something about her. Calm. Dangerous. Controlled. Akeno smiled knowingly.
"I'll show you sometime," she said softly.
Yuto smirked. "I'm looking forward to it."
Classes began and to Yuto's surprise, they weren't boring. Not even close. First period covered magical theory between factions. Energy differences between holy and demonic power. Compatibility. Weaknesses. Second period went over combat fundamentals. Not just physical, but magical. Control. Output. Efficiency. Third was history of the world.
Yuto actually paid attention because this wasn't useless information. This was survival. Plus, these classes were more interesting than his classes at Kuoh Academy as a human.
Fourth period passed just as quickly. Before he knew it, the bell rang.
Lunch.
The hallways were even more crowded now. Students moved in groups. Voices louder. Energy heavier. Yuto walked toward his locker alone for a moment, Rias and Akeno stayed behind as they were having a private conversation.
He felt a presence behind him as he opened his locker and reached into it. The presence felt too close. He turned, but it was too late. SLAP! His body hit the ground hard. Pain flared across his face instantly.
The hallway went silent. Yuto's vision steadied as he looked up.
A tall figure stood over him. Blonde hair. Confident smirk. Arrogant.
Two others stood behind him. Watching.
"Pathetic," the man said.
Yuto narrowed his eyes slightly as he held his cheek that was burning from pain.
"And you are?"
The man scoffed."You don't even know who I am?"
He stepped closer. "Riser Phoenix."
The name meant nothing to Yuto. However, Yuto wasn't dumb to know that the man standing before him must be extremely powerful. That level of arrogance didn't come weakness. It came from prideful strength. Yuto would make sure that pride would be his downfall.
"Listen carefully," Riser continued, his voice low. "You're a reincarnated devil."
His gaze sharpened. "You are nothing but trash!"
Yuto didn't respond.
Riser smirked. "And yet… you're walking around with Rias Gremory."
His tone shifted slightly. Possessive. "She's not for you."
Yuto lowered his hand from his cheek. "Didn't realize she was owned by you."
That made Riser's expression darken slightly. "She will be. My family is preparing arrangements to convince the Head of the Gremory Clan in a merger between noble Pure-Blood Demons. That way Rias will be forced to be my wife and for us to produce an heir."
His eyes locked onto Yuto.
"So stay away from her."
Silence. Students were watching now. No one intervened. Yuto wiped a bit of blood from the corner of his lip. It was obvious that Riser's current rank was at least two steps ahead of Yuto, placing him at minimum around C or B rank. He would be foolish to fight him right here especially when he has his two henchmen with him.
Riser was about to step closer to Yuto when a familiar voice made him hesitate.
"Riser!"
Rias's voice cut through the tension. Sharp. Cold. He turned.
Akeno stood beside her smiling. Her eyes were staring daggers at Riser.
Riser clicked his tongue. "Tch!"
He stepped back. "This isn't over."
He glanced at Yuto one last time. "Know your place."
Then he turned and walked away. His two followers trailing behind him. Riser knew he was no match for Rias and Akeno teaming up against him even if he had his henchmen. The hallway slowly returned to normal. Whispers resumed and everybody started walking again.
Rias immediately moved to Yuto.
"Are you okay?" she asked, kneeling slightly.
Akeno stood beside her, eyes still lingering where Riser left.
Yuto exhaled. "Yeah. I've had worse."
Rias's expression tightened. "He shouldn't have done that."
Akeno's smile faded slightly.
"Riser Phoenix…" she murmured.
The group then headed together to the cafeteria where they sat together around a large table. Akeno and Rias sat on either side of Yuto. One, because they wanted to protect him. Two, because they both wanted his presence next to them. They both knew how much power Yuto held and he was quite handsome even if he was not blessed with his system.
"So who is he really?" Yuto asked as he took a bite out of his sandwich.
"Riser comes from the Phenex family," Rias explained. "A powerful pure-blooded Devil clan."
Akeno nodded. "They specialize in fire and regeneration. They make difficult opponents."
Yuto leaned back slightly. "And he thinks you belong to him?"
Rias's expression hardened.
"There's pressure," she admitted. "From both families. It is supposed to be an arranged marriage of sorts for political reasons, but nobody has pulled the trigger on it officially. My family knows I am against the marriage as well so they are still iffy on their decision. I hope with your help I can break the deal from going through."
"Of course I will. You are mine, not his," Yuto said as he moved slightly closer to Rias. She blushed at the statement and Akeno just covered her mouth to quiet a giggle. Rias then mentioned another thing.
"Riser crossed a line today," she said quietly.
Akeno's smile turned dangerous again. "He did."
Rias leaned back slightly. "I won't forget that."
Just as the mood felt like it was going to become colder again, a familiar voice to Rias popped up out of nowhere.
"Mind if we join you?"
A blonde-haired boy stood there with relaxed posture and a friendly expression. Beside him was a blue-haired girl with beautiful curves wearing a cross necklace. From the looks of it, they both were familiar with Rias and Akeno as they gasped.
Rias's eyes widened slightly. "Kiba? Xenovia?"
A small smile formed on her face. They took seats at the table. Just like that and Yuto could already tell things were about to get even more interesting. Having more allies around him never hurt when people like Riser existed to crush him from the inside out.