Shuo opened his eyes slowly, feeling the dragon soul's power quietly coiled within him. He could sense it—raw, immense, ready to surge—but it was sealed off, far beyond what his body could handle right now. If he tried to tap into the Azure Dragon's might, he'd probably be blown apart in seconds.
"Still, as a last-resort trump card… it's more than enough."
He returned to his room, forcing down the excitement that still buzzed through his veins. Shuo closed his eyes and let sleep take him.
—
Morning sunlight spilled over Kuoh Academy's gates as Shuo stepped onto campus. The system's voice rang out in his mind with its trademark monotone.
Ding. Special check-in location detected: Kuoh Academy, Red Tier. Would you like to check in?
"Red Tier, huh? Well, it is the protagonist hotspot," Shuo muttered, lips quirking.
Mentally, he gave the command: "System, check me in."
Ding. Congratulations! Red Tier check-in successful. Host has obtained Supreme Threefold Haki.
Supreme Threefold Haki? Shuo's eyebrows shot up in surprise.
He knew exactly what that meant. From the world of One Piece: Supreme-level Observation Haki—precognition, glimpses of the future. Armament Haki—coating body and weapon, and at the highest level, Ryuo, which could devastate an enemy from within. And Conqueror's Haki—infusing one's will into every blow, overwhelming all who stood in the way.
For a Red Tier reward, this was more than he'd dared hope for.
Of course, there was a snag. Even with Supreme Threefold Haki, his body was still that of an ordinary human. No superhuman strength, no magic, and—most damning of all—no actual combat experience. He couldn't unleash even a fraction of its potential.
Still, that could be fixed. As long as he kept checking in, he'd patch those weaknesses soon enough.
He called up his personal status window:
Host: Shuo Nangong
Constitution: Ordinary Human
Magic Power: None
Abilities: Supreme Threefold Haki, Azure Dragon Soul Power (sealed)
Storage Space: None
As Shuo entered his classroom, the system hit him with two new missions.
Ding. Character check-in target detected: Rias Gremory. Mission: Defeat her and earn her genuine respect.
Ding. Character check-in target detected: Akeno Himejima. Mission: "Tame" her until she falls for you.
Shuo stared blankly. "Dog system, are you kidding me?"
With his current power, even without the dragon soul, he'd get flattened by Rias. As for Akeno—she looked sweet and gentle, but anyone who knew her knew she was a devil in angel's clothing. If he wasn't careful, she'd "tame" him instead.
He couldn't help but twitch at the thought.
At that moment, Rias felt someone's gaze and turned, catching Shuo looking her way.
Shuo's original self had always been a top student—first in every subject, and with looks that made him a campus celebrity. Rias knew him by reputation, which only made her more confused as she studied him now.
Before she could say anything, a teasing, honey-smooth voice drifted over.
"Ara ara, Rias, you've been staring at Nangong-kun for a while. Don't tell me you've fallen for him already?"
Rias's heart skipped. She turned to find Akeno Himejima watching her, eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Well, if it's Nangong-kun… he sleeps through class but always tops the exams, and he's so handsome. I could see why you'd be interested," Akeno continued, her smile sly.
"But it's a shame, really. I was starting to like Nangong-kun myself. But since you're the president, I suppose I'll just have to give up."
A faint blush crept onto Rias's cheeks. She shot Akeno a look, but replied, "I'm just… surprised. Nangong-kun's aura feels completely different today. Just looking at him… it's almost oppressive."
Akeno's eyebrows rose. Rias was nearly Ultimate-class—a powerhouse among Devils. If even she felt pressure from Nangong Shuo, something had definitely changed.
Of course, it made sense. Shuo's Supreme Conqueror's Haki was leaking out, its kingly presence impossible to hide. He hadn't learned to control it yet, so it radiated unconsciously.
Akeno considered investigating, but Rias shook her head. After last night's dragon phantom and her brother's warnings this morning, she had enough on her plate. No need to chase after oddities—at least, not today.
She couldn't have guessed that the source of all this chaos was sitting just a few seats away.
—
When the final bell rang, Shuo slung his bag over his shoulder and headed for the gates.
He didn't get far before a certain stoic loli appeared in his path—Koneko Toujou, Rias's Rook.
Ding. Check-in target detected: Shirone Toujou. Mission: Defeat her in a game—White Tier reward. Mission: Give her a headpat—White Tier reward. Mission: Resolve her conflict with her sister Kuroka—Red Tier reward.
Three missions at once? Shuo blinked. Koneko was a gaming prodigy, but he'd been a shut-in gamer king in his past life. Beating her at arcade games would be a walk in the park.
But the headpat? Damn system, are you trying to get me killed? Koneko-chan's head wasn't something you could just touch and walk away from. She'd probably punch him through the nearest wall.
As for the sisterly grudge, that was just a misunderstanding. Once his strength was up to par, he could drag Kuroka over and hash things out.
Shuo approached Koneko slowly.
She stared him down, expression unreadable. Shuo felt a bead of cold sweat gather at his temple. Being glared at by a deadpan loli would make anyone nervous.
"Nangong-senpai, do you need something?" she asked, voice flat.
"Ah… actually, I wanted to invite you to the arcade. For some games," Shuo replied, keeping his tone casual.
For a moment, Koneko's poker face cracked—just a flicker of confusion. She hadn't expected the school's top student to ask her to play games. But she nodded, quietly pleased.
Soon, the two were locked in heated battle at the local arcade. Nothing inappropriate—just pure gaming. In the end, Koneko stared at the screen in disbelief, utterly defeated.
She shot Shuo a look, equal parts suspicion and shock. This shut-in senpai had actually beaten her?
"Don't take it too hard, Koneko-chan. I am a genius, after all," Shuo said, grinning.
As he comforted her, he reached out and gently patted her head.
Koneko's cheeks instantly flushed. Her expression turned frosty as she swatted his hand away with a surprisingly strong smack.
"Pervert Nangong-senpai. Hmph. Gross."
"Sorry, sorry! You were just so cute, I couldn't help myself. To make it up, I'll treat you to more games or food next time, okay?" Shuo apologized, bowing his head sincerely.
Koneko's face softened, though she sighed at his shamelessness. In the end, she let it slide.
"If you try that again…" she said, raising a tiny fist in warning.
"Understood! Absolutely, never again. Well, I'll be heading off then. See you tomorrow, Koneko-chan." Shuo backed away, cold sweat beading on his brow.
Koneko watched him go, then slipped back into her usual stoic mode, heading for the Occult Research Club.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
Explore More Amazing Fanfiction on My Patreon!
Unlock 30+ Advance Chapters and Enjoy Exclusive Stories Early!
👉 patreon.com/GoldenLong