A couple of weeks had passed since Issei rewrote the rules of the game in his home. Under his watchful eye, life at the Hyoudou residence reached a surreal normalcy: Raynare, Kalawarner, and Mittelt not only acted as invisible bodyguards from the shadows, but, under Issei's strict orders, they also helped with household chores, maintaining a facade of "exchange students and assistants" in front of their parents.
Finally, the day Asia had been waiting for arrived: her first day at Kuoh Academy.
Thanks to Rias Gremory's influence, who couldn't refuse Issei's diplomatic request—and his growing aura of authority—Asia was officially enrolled. That morning, the young woman walked along the path to school wearing the girls' uniform, her joy lighting up everything in her path.
"Issei-san, look! I really am a student!" Asia exclaimed, twirling her skirt slightly. "I feel like I'm living a dream."
Issei walked beside her, his hands in his pockets and an expression of peace that only she could bring out in him.
—It looks great on you, Asia. I told you, this is your new beginning.
A few meters behind them, maintaining a respectful but watchful distance, Mittelt walked in his own uniform, pretending to read a book while his eyes scanned every corner for threats. Raynare and Kalawarner had already moved ahead to secure the academy's perimeter from the shadows.
Upon entering the institution, the effect was immediate. The murmur of the students grew louder.
"Who is that girl? She's beautiful!" some whispered.
—Is he with Hyoudou? Since when has he had that bearing? —others said.
Issei ignored the comments. His senses immediately picked up on the presence of the Occult Research Club. On the balcony of the old building, Rias and Akeno watched the scene unfold. Rias couldn't help but feel a mixture of admiration and bewilderment: Issei had not only saved Asia, but he had also tamed three fallen angels and now walked through the academy like a true sovereign, protecting his most precious treasure.
"Good morning, President," Issei greeted loudly as he passed near the building, raising his hand in a calm gesture.
Rias nodded with a complex smile, realizing that the chessboard she thought she controlled now had a new king; and that king didn't wear a crown, but a school backpack.
"Asia," Issei said, stopping in front of her classroom, "Mittelt will be in the next room. If you need anything, just think of me. I'll be there in a second."
"I'll be fine, Issei-san. Thank you so much!" Asia gave him a smile that left several nearby students speechless, and entered the classroom with her heart full of hope.
Issei stood in the hallway for a moment. The peace was comforting, but he knew the silence wouldn't last forever. Kokabiel and the more extremist factions would soon notice the power vacuum in Kuoh.
"Enjoy the moment, mate," Ddraig boomed. "You've achieved what no one thought possible: a normal life in the midst of war."
"It's not just normality, Ddraig. It's the home she deserves," Issei thought before addressing his own class.
During lunch, Issei decided to stop by the Occult Research Club. Upon entering, the atmosphere was different. Akeno's laughter and Koneko's munching of sweets were absent; instead, an icy silence filled the room.
Issei watched Rias. She was sitting at her desk, but her gaze was fixed on the window. Her hand trembled slightly as she held the quill pen, and her aura, usually warm and proud, felt compressed, heavy with an anxiety she was desperately trying to hide.
—President— Issei said softly, approaching the desk. —The tea is getting cold, and it seems your mind is miles away.
Rias jumped, forcing a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"Oh, Issei... I didn't hear you come in. It's just that I have a lot of clan business on my mind. It's nothing you need to worry about."
Issei narrowed his eyes. Thanks to his experience from the future, he recognized that behavior immediately. It was the same mixture of resignation and fear she had displayed the first time the engagement to the Phoenix Clan was mentioned.
"It's him, isn't it?" Issei asked, placing his hands on the desk and looking directly into Rias's eyes. "Raiser Phoenix."
The silence that followed was deafening. Akeno, who was in a corner, lowered her gaze sadly, confirming Issei's suspicions. Rias paled, dropping the quill onto the wood.
"How do you know that name?" she whispered, her voice breaking. "It's a private matter for the high nobility of the Underworld... no one in the human world is supposed to know it yet."
"I have my sources, Rias," Issei replied with a calmness that seemed to anchor the redhead. "I know he's come to claim a contract you don't want. I know he believes himself invincible because of his phoenix blood."
Issei walked around the desk and placed a hand on Rias's shoulder. The pressure was firm and comforting.
—Don't let it intimidate you. This time you're not alone, and you don't have to accept a destiny that others wrote for you.
Rias stared at him in astonishment. At that moment, a magic circle bearing the emblem of a flame began to glow faintly on the club floor, signaling that a message—or someone—was about to arrive. The tension in the room became almost unbearable.
"He's a high-class devil with an undefeated Rating Game record, Issei," Rias said, regaining some of her firm tone but with tears in her eyes. "This isn't something that can be solved with brute force alone."
"Perhaps," Issei smiled slightly, with the confidence of someone who had already defeated gods. "But a phoenix isn't so brilliant when it crosses paths with a true dragon. Relax, Rias. Let him come. I'm eager to see if he really is as 'immortal' as they say."
"Dude, that guy's a total show-off," Ddraig remarked disdainfully. "Are we going to fleece him in front of his fiancée?"
"With pleasure, Ddraig. But first, I want Rias to understand that she is the sole owner of her life," Issei thought.
The air in the room became stifling. The magic circle on the floor burst into blazing flames, and from the ashes emerged a blond-haired man, dressed in an excessively luxurious suit and sporting a smile that oozed arrogance.
Raiser Phoenix scanned the room, completely ignoring everyone else until his eyes landed on Rias.
"My dear, lovely Rias," he said in a voice laced with mock elegance. "I've come all the way from the Underworld just to see my future wife. Aren't you going to give me a proper welcome?"
Rias tensed, her nails digging into her palms. Before she could reply, a calm, bored voice cut Raiser's monologue short.
—You could have used the door. You're leaving the smell of burnt chicken all over the room.
Raiser froze. He slowly turned his head, finding Issei still leaning against Rias's desk, yawning without the slightest hint of surprise.
"Who is this filthy human?" Raiser demanded, his eyes blazing with fury. "Rias, since when do you allow pets to speak in your presence?"
Issei straightened up, walking towards Raiser with a deliberate pace that exasperated the demon. He stopped just inches from him, looking down on him despite their similar height; it was the difference in their presence that marked the hierarchy.
"My name is Hyoudou Issei," he said with a lopsided smile. "And if you're looking for Rias to take her away, I'm afraid you've made the trip for nothing. She's not interested in being the trophy of a guy who needs to burn the floor to feel important."
"You damned worm!" Raiser roared, raising a hand engulfed in flames. "I am a high-class demon, an immortal Phoenix! I could turn you to ash before you blink!"
Issei didn't even get into a fighting stance. He simply stared at his burning hand with contempt.
"Immortal, huh?" Issei let out a dry laugh. "I've seen plenty of 'immortals' begging for their lives. Immortality is just an excuse for those who don't know how to fight properly. If you're so keen to burn something, try it with your own feathers, because you're not going to touch Rias."
Rias, Akeno, and Kiba watched the scene, holding their breath. No one in the Underworld dared speak to an heir of the Seventy-Two Pillars like that. Raiser was trembling with rage; his fiery aura was beginning to spiral out of control.
"Rias..." Raiser hissed, "I'm going to kill this human right here. I hope you don't mind cleaning up his remains."
"Try it," Issei challenged, and for a brief moment, the pupil of his eye became a vertical slit of emerald green. "But I warn you: phoenixes only rise from their ashes if something of them remains. If I strike you, not even the memory will be left."
"Mate, his pride is about to burst," Ddraig laughed. "Should we put a little pressure on him?"
Issei only increased his killing intent by one percent, but it was enough to make Raiser take a step back out of pure survival instinct, his fire momentarily extinguished by fear. The Phoenix heir gritted his teeth as he tried to regain his composure. The humiliation of having felt fear in the face of a "mere human" was eating him up inside.
"I see Rias has picked up a lapdog with a loud bark," Raiser spat, adjusting his jacket with trembling hands. "But words mean nothing in our world. Rias, if you're both so keen on rejecting this marriage and protecting this toy of yours, let's do it the official way."
Rias paled, knowing perfectly well where the conversation was headed.
"A Rating Game," Raiser declared with a malicious grin. "You and your pathetic entourage against me and my nobility. If I win, the wedding is tomorrow."
Issei, who had remained silent, let out a dry laugh that interrupted Raiser's air of superiority.
"A Rating Game?" Issei walked toward him with his hands in his pockets, looking at him with obvious pity. "How convenient for you, Raiser. You hide behind a regulated board game because you're afraid that if we fight right here, not even the memory of you will remain."
"What did you say, trash?!" Raiser roared, flames erupting from his shoulders.
"I'm saying you're a coward," Issei replied flatly. "You're going to use your pawns to fight for you while you sit back and watch. You're probably afraid a 'mere human' will beat you senseless in front of your future wife. That's why you're leaving me out of the equation, isn't it?"
Raiser trembled with fury; the insult to his lineage was too much for his ego.
"I didn't leave you out out of fear, you worm! I left you out because you're nothing! You're not worthy to stand on the same battlefield as me!"
"Then prove it," Issei challenged, closing the distance until they were face to face. "If you're so sure of your immortality, demand that I participate. Let the Student Council and the Underworld watch as the great heir of the Phoenix crushes this 'toy.' Or better yet... are you afraid the chicken will end up plucked by a human?"
Raiser exploded. The flames in the room rose to the ceiling.
"Fine!" Raiser shouted, pointing a trembling finger at him. "I demand this human participate! I want you there so I can burn you alive myself! Rias, if I win, this wretch will be executed by my own hands after I watch me make you mine!"
"This is madness!" Rias exclaimed. "Issei isn't a Piece, he can't enter..."
"We accept," Issei declared, silencing the room with his authority. "Ten days, Raiser. Give us ten days. In that time, I'm going to turn this group into something your 'immortals' won't even be able to touch. And get ready, because in that game, I'll be the one hunting the phoenix."
Raiser let out a deranged laugh as he activated his magic teleportation circle.
"Ten days or ten years won't change your fate! Enjoy your last days, Rias. And you, Hyoudou Issei... I'll savor every one of your screams when I turn you to ashes."
With a burst of fire, Raiser vanished from the room. Rias slumped into her chair, covering her face.
—Issei... you provoked him on purpose. Now you're legally in the game... he has permission to kill you.
"Exactly," Issei replied with a smirk. "Now she can't hide. She has to fight me. And believe me, Rias, she has no idea what a mistake she just made letting me in."
"Mate, that was a brilliant move," Ddraig roared enthusiastically. "You've got him right where you wanted him. Shall we start hell for these guys today?"
—Not tomorrow, Ddraig. Today.