Night had settled over the park, the last light fading into shadow.
Rias Gremory stood before Draconis's lifeless body, her striking face painted with surprise and a hint of disbelief.
"He actually killed a fallen angel," she murmured, eyes lingering on the body. "And that Sacred Gear… I've never heard of anything like it."
The sheer force of that last attack had obliterated the fallen angel in a single stroke, leaving even Rias—who'd been watching from afar—stunned. If the power of that Gear was fully unleashed, it might rival the strongest in existence. Not quite on par with a Longinus, but close enough to make even the legends sweat.
A small, satisfied smile curved her lips. Power like that deserved a place at her side.
"He's more than qualified to be my Knight."
Her cool beauty seemed to glow in the moonlight. She extended a hand, and a crystal-clear chess piece shimmered into existence above her palm.
"Finally, I've found another worthy servant."
Rias whispered, sending the piece floating down to rest on Draconis's chest.
The chess piece sank slowly into his body, flooding him with demonic energy that began to reshape his human form into something… more.
But almost immediately, Rias sensed something was wrong. The magic she'd poured in was being devoured, sucked away by an invisible force.
"What?"
She blinked, thrown off balance. The ritual—the very spell that marked someone as her Peerage—was on the verge of collapsing.
Impossible. Was she really about to fail?
A rare flicker of anxiety crossed Rias's face. If she failed, she'd lose out on a Knight's power forever—a crippling disadvantage in the Rating Games.
Was her magic being consumed? Why?
She forced herself to calm down. The Peerage ritual didn't fail for no reason. She needed to find the weak link.
She focused, scanning Draconis's body—and realized, with a jolt, that her own demonic power simply wasn't strong enough.
Her brows drew together in thought. There was a family record about this: If a candidate's potential was too great, a single piece might not suffice. More pieces would be needed to complete the transformation.
Was Draconis one of those rare talents who required multiple chess pieces to become a devil?
Rias took a deep breath. No time to hesitate. She produced another chess piece, this one a Pawn, and pressed it to his chest.
It was her first time using two different piece types on one person—Knight and Pawn together. Who knew what would happen?
She watched, transfixed, as the Pawn merged into Draconis. No explosions, no disaster—just that same insatiable hunger for magic, growing even stronger.
"Still not enough?"
Gritting her teeth, she placed another Pawn. Still not enough. Another. And another.
Draconis was like a bottomless pit, devouring every ounce of demonic power she could muster.
Finally, Rias surrendered all her remaining Pawns, pouring them into him.
Eight Pawns, two Knights—ten pieces in total. Only then did the ritual succeed.
Any other King would be floored by the sheer investment she'd just made.
But Rias felt no regret, only exhilaration.
This level of consumption meant Draconis's potential was off the charts.
When the transformation was complete, Rias let out a relieved sigh.
Draconis began to breathe again. All that remained was to heal his wounds, and he'd be fully reborn.
Rias smiled, gazing down at him. The more she looked, the more she liked what she saw—a rare treasure, hers alone.
A magic circle blossomed beneath her feet. In a swirl of light, she teleported them both back to Draconis's apartment, laying him gently on the bed.
A shimmer of power rippled across her skin. Rias slipped out of her own clothes, then undressed Draconis, his tattered shirt and pants falling away. Skin to skin, she pressed her body against his, channeling demonic energy to heal the gaping wound in his side.
Such a massive injury—devil body or not, it would take all night to fix.
Consciousness drifted in and out, like a half-remembered dream.
Draconis's eyes fluttered open. The room was familiar—his new home after reincarnation, maybe?
Wait… he'd been killed by some black-winged bird-woman, hadn't he?
Had he reincarnated again?
Was his cheat power endless rebirth?
He reached for his side. The wound was gone—smooth skin where death had punched a hole through him.
He was marveling at this when the mattress shifted behind him. A slender, pale arm slipped around his waist, pulling him close.
He froze, feeling a warm, impossibly soft body press against his back. Every nerve lit up.
His body was completely exposed, no defenses, no clothes…
What the hell? Who was behind him?
A dozen questions raced through his mind. He listened to the gentle breathing, then slowly turned his head.
What he saw nearly made his heart stop.
A red-haired girl, beautiful and cool as moonlight, slept peacefully beside him. Her lips parted slightly, each breath carrying a faint, intoxicating scent that made his skin tingle.
He knew her. Kuoh Academy's reigning queen, Rias Gremory. The girl everyone whispered about, always seen with Akeno Himejima—first and second in every ranking, every fantasy.
What the actual hell?
Draconis sat up, staring at Rias, mind spinning.
Her pale, flawless skin glowed in the soft light, curves that could drive a saint mad laid bare before him.
The perfect devil's body.
He swallowed hard, throat working.
What the hell had happened?
Wasn't he supposed to be dead?
Reincarnated again, sure, but did he lose his virginity in the process?
Damn it, he didn't remember a thing!
He rubbed his forehead, trying to recall any hint of what might've happened. Nothing. Not a single memory of any steamy encounter.
Did he just miss out on a fortune?
He frowned, unable to help himself, and reached out to touch Rias's shoulder.
His fingers brushed her soft skin. He gently nudged her, watching her stir.
The girl's body shifted, and a moment later, her eyes slowly opened…
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