A small smile tugged at her lips.
"Sharp one."
She paused, then her tone shifted—more serious. More deliberate.
"Let's get to the main business," she said. "Before I explain why we chose you… there's something else I need to tell you."
She looked him directly in the eye now.
"Something about this world."
Eishi tilted his head, uncertain.
"This world?" he echoed. "What do you mean?"
Tsubaki stepped forward now, standing just beside her President, her own gaze calm and steady.
"What we're about to share with you," Sona continued, "you cannot speak of to anyone else. Not unless you choose to step into it."
Eishi's heart pounded once.
Twice.
Then he leaned forward slightly.
"…Go on."
Sona folded her hands neatly on the desk, her tone calm and deliberate. "You see, this world is not as simple as you might think. Beyond humans and animals… there exist other beings who live alongside us."
Eishi's eyes narrowed. His mind raced.
"Other beings?"
"Yes," Sona said, her voice unwavering. "Devils. Angels. Youkai. Fallen angel. All of them exist in this world. And… you've already met some."
He blinked.
Then laughed. "Wait—devils? Kaichou, come on… I thought you were being serious."
Tears welled at the edge of his eyes from laughing too hard. "That's a good one. Devils, really? What's next? Dragons?"
But Sona didn't laugh.
She simply smiled.
Tsubaki stepped forward silently.
Then—with no warning—they both revealed it.
Wings.
Elegant, dark, leathery wings spread out from their backs, folding out in a smooth, fluid motion.
Eishi's breath caught in his throat.
His laughter stopped instantly.
His heart skipped.
His eyes widened.
"W–What…?"
He stood up so quickly his chair nearly fell backward. "What… what is this?"
Tsubaki stood silently, watching his reaction.
Sona remained seated, calm and composed, her wings relaxed but unmistakably real.
"This," she said gently, "is the truth of our world."
"It's real?!!" Eishi nearly shouted, eyes wide in disbelief.
"Yes," Sona replied calmly, folding her wings neatly behind her. Her voice held a strange gentleness, as if she'd said this before—many times—to others who'd reacted the same way.
"What… What are you, Kaichou?!"
She smirked slightly, then rose to her feet. Her presence shifted—not just elegant, but regal, commanding.
"Let me reintroduce myself," she said smoothly. "My name is Sona Sitri, heir to the Sitri Devil Household."
Then, with a tilt of her head, she gestured toward the girl beside her. "And this is Tsubaki Shinra—my Queen. Queen of my peerage."
"Queen?" he echoed, confused. "Peerage…? Devil…?"
His thoughts spiraled. Devils—what were devils known for?
Humanity enemy
His body tensed instinctively.
But then—he remembered.
Sona's kindness.
Her sincerity. Her unwavering support when he'd been preparing for the performance. The way she had watched him from the crowd—not like a predator, but like someone proud.
That memory grounded him.
His breath slowed.
And slowly… he began to calm down.
"You… You're a devil," he said, more to himself now.
"Yes," she replied.
"Then… do you plan to make a contract with me? For the scholarship?" Eishi asked cautiously, his eyes narrowing with focus.
Sona shook her head slowly, a faint smirk curving her lips.
"Yes… and no."
His brows furrowed in confusion. She continued, her tone calm but firm.
"I plan to make a deal, not a contract. There's a difference."
Eishi leaned back slightly, still listening intently as Sona folded her hands on the table.
"But before we go further," she said, her voice growing more serious, "you need to understand more about our world."
She glanced to Tsubaki, who nodded silently. The atmosphere in the room shifted—this was no longer a casual conversation.
"You see, long ago, the Three Factions—Angels, Devils, and Fallen Angels—waged a brutal war. Led by the Biblical God, the original Four Great Satans, and the leader of the Grigori, Azazel."
Eishi blinked, trying to grasp what he was hearing.
"This war… the Great War, as it's now called, lasted for countless years. It scorched the heavens, devastated the underworld, and shattered the balance between realms. But in the end, it only brought death. Even the original Four Satans… perished."
Eishi swallowed hard. "They… died?"
"Yes," Sona nodded. "And though the war eventually ended, there was no true peace. Only exhaustion. All three factions were too damaged to continue, yet too distrustful to reconcile. So we lived in tension—for centuries."
She let the silence hang for a moment, letting the weight of the past settle in the air.
Eishi remained quiet.
"So… what does that have to do with me?" he finally asked, voice low.
Sona leaned forward now, her tone almost solemn.
"Hearing all of this… what do you think? What place do normal humans hold in the grand scheme of things?"
Eishi remained silent, deep in thought.
If humans were truly weak… they would've disappeared long ago. But they're still here—still living, still fighting. There must be something… something that lets them stand their ground.
"Since humans still exist alongside Devils, Angels, and Fallen," he said slowly, "there must be a way for them to fight back. Something that allows them to survive."
Sona gave a small, approving nod.
"Perhaps. But let me ask you—have you ever heard of Sacred Gears?"
Eishi's gaze sharpened. "Sacred… gears?"
Tsubaki stepped in now. "They're gifts—miracles, really. Artifacts created by the Biblical God before his death. Tools that grant power to humans, allowing them to stand on equal ground with even angels and devils."
Sona nodded. "The Sacred Gears were meant to give humanity a fighting chance. And we believe… that you possess one."
Eishi's eyes widened. "Me? But…"
Then, it dawned on him.
The system…
He muttered under his breath, "That thing… could it really be…?"
"What does a Sacred Gear do exactly?" he asked aloud.
Sona smiled. "It depends. There are many. Some are minor—like Twice Critical, which simply doubles a user's attack power for a short time. Others are for healing, flight, or enhanced senses. But then… there are the rare ones. The powerful ones. Sacred Gears that bend time, distort reality, even those capable of slaying gods."
Eishi felt his chest tighten.
"And you're saying… I might have something like that?" Eishi asked, voice low, uncertain.
Sona met his eyes steadily, her tone even but firm.
"Yes. Precisely three months ago, we detected a faint magical signature coming from you. At first, we thought little of it. It's not uncommon for certain humans to possess natural magical affinity—maybe even latent talent."
Eishi blinked. "So… I really had something all along?"
She nodded. "That was the assumption. But then… things changed."
Tsubaki stepped forward slightly, her voice composed. "Over time, that magical signature began to grow. Consistently. Then—"
"—it spiked," Sona finished, "during your sparring session with Kiba."
Eishi's eyes widened. "You mean, you can detect something like that?"
"Of course. And we weren't the only ones who did."
At that, his mind flashed to the bridge. The girl with the wings—those eyes.
His gaze shifted to Tsubaki. "The girl I met the other night… she was—?"
Tsubaki nodded calmly. "A supernatural being. A Fallen Angel, to be precise."
"She noticed your magical surge," Sona added. "And that wasn't a coincidence. Fallen Angels are highly sensitive to potential threats. If your power was strong enough to attract their attention, it means one of three things."
Eishi leaned in, tense.
Sona counted them off on her fingers. "One: you're a magician with awakened potential. Two: you possess a Sacred Gear. Or—"
She paused slightly.
"—Three: you're not entirely human."
Silence hung in the room.
Eishi felt his pulse pounding in his ears.
"Which one… do you think I am?" he asked.
Sona didn't answer yet. Her eyes studied him for a long moment, then she said:
"That's what we're going to find out."
A long pause settled between them.
Eishi had a lot to think about. His thoughts spun—fast, but focused.
The system… it has to be the Sacred Gear. Nothing strange has happened to my body, no changes to suggest I'm anything but human. So that rules out the third option, right?
But then came the harder question.
Can I trust them?
He looked up, eyes steady. "The deal you mentioned… what is it, exactly?"
Sona's gaze lingered on him for a moment, calm but unreadable. Then she spoke.
"As I explained earlier, all three factions suffered immense casualties during the Great War. Entire legions lost. Entire bloodlines gone." She folded her hands neatly. "Then… came a devil—a genius—who changed everything."
Eishi listened closely.
"He created what we now call Devil Pieces. A system that allows us to reincarnate other beings—like humans—into devils. This allowed the devil population to survive… and continue."
Eishi narrowed his eyes slightly. "So the deal?"
Sona nodded. "Yes. I want to use one of my pieces… to reincarnate you. I want you to become one of mine. My Pawn."
He blinked. "Pawn?" then his gaze move toward Tsubaki "Tsubaki—she's your Queen, right?"
Tsubaki offered a polite nod.
Sona smiled faintly. "Exactly. The Devil Piece system is modeled after chess. Each Owner is given a set of sixteen pieces—King, Queen, Rooks, Bishops, Knights, and eight Pawns. I've already used all of my major pieces. Only my Pawn slots remain."
She leaned forward slightly.
"That's what I'm offering you."
Eishi narrowed his eyes. "What's in it for me?"
Sona leaned back, lips curling into a confident smirk.
"Easy," she said. "You'll receive the scholarship you need. And as a devil… you'll live a long life—longer than you can imagine. Anything you dream of can be yours. Wealth. Influence. Power. Even…" she paused, her gaze dropping slightly, "companionship."
She leaned closer, her voice now almost a whisper. "Women. Pleasure. Desire. Devils don't shy away from any of it."
He swallowed. For a moment, he forgot where he was. The way she moved, the way her lips curved as she spoke—it was dangerously mesmerizing.
She really is a devil, he thought as her finger gently touched his lower lip.