The rhythmic count permeated the cavernous space of the private gym, each number a sharp exhalation of effort. "…ninety-eight… ninety-nine… one hundred." Jin Kazama racked the barbell, the plates on either side groaning under a weight that would crush a normal man. He sat up, his breathing steady, barely breaking a sweat. His strength had long since surpassed any conventional threshold.
A sharp, electronic chime suddenly cut through the silence. The doorbell.
Jin's focus narrowed. The building was his private sanctuary, converted for his specific needs and deliberately inaccessible to the public. Whoever was at the door hadn't stumbled upon it by accident; they had come looking for him. Wiping his neck with a towel slung over his shoulder, he moved toward the entrance.
He swung the heavy door inward and was met with a surreal sight. Three figures stood on his doorstep, their regal bearing clashing with the stark functionality of his gym. A man with striking crimson hair regarded him with an analytical gaze, seeming to measure him from head to toe. Beside him, the girl, Rias Gremory, offered a bright wave. Behind them stood a maid with silver hair, her posture one of perfect, professional stillness.
"Hello, Jin," Rias said, her voice cheerful. "Hope we're not disturbing you."
"Rias," Jin acknowledged with a nod. "What brings you here?"
"I came to see you, of course! Aren't you going to invite us in?" she prompted with a playful smile.
Jin blinked, a flicker of realization crossing his face as he remembered his manners. "Oh. Right. Please, come inside."
He stepped aside, and they entered, their eyes taking in the unique aesthetic of the building. It was undeniably a gym, with rows of formidable machines, yet it was softened by carefully placed plants and a design that blended industrial steel with natural elements, creating a strangely serene atmosphere.
"So, this is what humans call a 'gym'," the red-haired man mused, more with genuine curiosity than judgment.
Sirzechs met Jin's gaze and extended a hand. "Forgive my manners. I am Sirzechs. Rias's older brother."
Jin shook his hand firmly. "Jin Kazama. And yes, I had a designer rework the space."
"It's a magnificent training area," Sirzechs commented, his eyes scanning the equipment. "I have one as well, though it lacks these fascinating machines."
"Most of them are starting to lose their value for me, anyway," Jin said dismissively, before gesturing toward a sitting area furnished with simple but comfortable sofas. "Please, have a seat. I'll get some water."
As he turned, the silver-haired maid spoke for the first time, her voice polite but firm. "Please, Master Jin, allow me. You are the host. "
Jin paused and looked at her.
"My name is Grayfia," she explained, sensing his unspoken question. "I am Sirzechs-sama's maid."
"Okay," Jin replied. "Thanks for the offer, but you're a guest here. Please, sit." He didn't give her a chance to rebut, immediately heading off to fetch the drinks.
An amused smile touched Sirzechs' lips as he watched Grayfia stand for a moment, looking uncharacteristically dumbfounded. Rias had to stifle a chuckle.
"Why don't you sit down, Grayfia?" Sirzechs pointed to a sofa. "It seems he won't be taking no for an answer."
Grayfia sat down with a slight, awkward stiffness, a faint blush rising on her cheeks as Sirzechs gave her a teasing smirk.
Jin returned with glasses of water, handed them out, and took a seat opposite them.
"This is going much better than my last visit," Rias remarked.
Jin gave her a deadpan look. "Who in their right mind appears in another person's bedroom in the middle of the night?" He then shifted his gaze to her brother. "So, what brings the ruler of the Underworld to my doorstep?"
Sirzechs' smile didn't falter. "So you know. Rias did mention you were aware of the supernatural world."
Jin nodded. "Red hair, brother of Rias Gremory… It's not hard to deduce you're Sirzechs Lucifer."
"You seem quite comfortable, knowing that," Sirzechs observed. "Most people are sweating by now."
"You showed me the courtesy of using the front door," Jin said, pointedly glancing at Rias.
"Oh, drop it already!" she groaned.
"No," Jin replied flatly.
"You two seem quite friendly," Sirzechs noted.
"We're acquaintances," Jin corrected. "I've met her twice. The other times, she was just peeping on me."
Rias sighed. "He has some screws loose. If you do things in what he considers the 'correct order,' he's fine to talk to. Otherwise…"
"So, you're just being hospitable?" Sirzechs asked Jin, getting to the heart of it.
Jin considered them for a moment before deciding on the truth. "I'm offering you the same respect you've shown me by coming here properly. Besides, I don't get many visitors. I'm open to it." He leaned forward slightly. "Now, why are you really here?"
Seeing her chance, Rias took the lead. "I need your help."
Jin tilted his head, feigning confusion. "Your brother is one of the four Satans. You'll have to be more specific."
"I'm engaged to a high-class devil named Riser Phenex," Rias explained, her tone becoming serious. "I don't want the marriage, but he's pushing for it to happen immediately. Due to devil politics, I can't simply break the contract. To resolve it, we've agreed to a Rating Game."
"So, if he wins, you marry him. If you win, the engagement is off," Jin summarized.
"Yes."
"I still don't see where I fit in," Jin said. "I've already told you I won't join your peerage. My answer on that hasn't changed."
"I know," Rias said quickly. "I'm not here to ask that. I'm here to ask… as a favor… will you help me in this game?"
Jin looked at her earnest, hopeful face, then scanned the unreadable expressions of Sirzechs and Grayfia. He brought his gaze back to Rias. "I appreciate you asking me directly this time instead of just expecting me to follow along. But my answer is no."
Rias's face fell.
"I have no reason to help you," Jin continued calmly. "I don't need compensation, and helping you would put me more directly on the supernatural radar. Your brother's political opponents would see me as a target, and since I'm not in your peerage, I'd be fair game. I'm just a human. Frankly, this visit alone could bring me trouble."
Rias fell silent, clearly not having considered that angle.
Sirzechs, who had been listening intently, finally spoke. "Tell me, Jin. Are you truly afraid of trouble?"
Jin met the Satan's gaze. "Honestly? No. But I don't think you have anything lucrative enough to make me take on that kind of risk. Do you, Rias?"
Rias looked flustered, trying to think of something she could possibly offer that would tempt him. forgetting what she was going to offer .
"Don't worry," Sirzechs interjected smoothly. "We have something lucrative enough. That is, if you aren't a coward."
Rias shot her brother a worried look, remembering she'd told him how poorly Jin responded to being provoked. Grayfia, however, sent a silent, telepathic message to her. *"Rias-sama, do not worry. Sirzechs-sama and Jin-san are negotiating. They have been since we arrived. This is merely part of the process."*
Jin's expression didn't change. "And what might that be?"
Sirzechs retrieved a folded note from his coat and slid it across the table. Jin picked it up and read the single line of text: *I will help you investigate your mother's murder. If you accept, fold this and place it in your right pocket. I will communicate with you via magic.*
Without a word, Jin folded the note and slid it into his pocket.
A moment later, Sirzechs' voice echoed directly in his mind. *"So, do you accept?"*
*"How much do you know?"* Jin sent back.
*"Very little, for now. The job was pulled off with extreme discretion. But you will have all the information i come across."*
*"I agree. Rias doesn't learn of this."*
Speaking normally again, Jin looked at Sirzechs and said, "I agree, on one condition. You will provide me with the best texts you have on human magic theory." He then turned to Rias. "And I will ensure you don't just win, you dominate."
A faint smile played on Sirzechs' lips. Jin was cleverly creating a cover story while also trying to squeeze more out of him. He decided to play along. "It's a deal."
"One more question," Jin said. "Why me? Surely you could have found someone else."
"Because I have a feeling that with you, I can win," Rias answered honestly.
"Then it's a deal," Jin confirmed. "So, how are you planning to get me into an official Rating Game?"
"That's already been handled," Sirzechs explained. "The council has granted a special dispensation for one outsider to join her team, provided their power is less than Rias's."
Jin raised an eyebrow. "I'm not that much weaker than she is."
"In terms of raw demonic power, you are," Sirzechs corrected. "We measure strength by those reserves. Your mana and touki reserve are negligible compared to her demonic energy. The council's would not have issue with you ."
"I see," Jin said, a slow grin spreading across his face. "Good. They'll underestimate me. So, Rias, what's the strategy?"
Rias looked at him blankly. "I… don't have one yet."
Jin stared. "What's the composition of your fiancé's peerage?"
"I don't know."
Sirzechs let out a hearty laugh. "It seems you are in good hands now, little sister." He stood, and Grayfia rose with him. "It was a pleasure speaking with you, Jin. We'll take our leave now."
Grayfia gave Jin a respectful bow before following her master out the door.
Jin was left alone with Rias, the full weight of the task he had just accepted crashing down on him as he looked at his completely unprepared client.
"Shit," he muttered.