Jason sat in his first period class, staring at his notebook without actually seeing it.
His mind kept replaying the scene from this morning. Issei Hyoudou standing there with that smug grin, showing off his "girlfriend" to his perverted friends. Yuuma Amano—Raynare—clinging to his arm and playing the perfect innocent girlfriend.
*The plot is starting,* Jason thought, his pencil tapping against the desk. *Which means I have maybe a week, maybe less, before Raynare kills him.*
The original plan had been simple: let it happen. Let Issei die, prevent Rias from recruiting him, and save himself from years of dealing with a perverted idiot in the peerage. One less annoyance, one less variable to deal with.
But now that it was actually happening, now that Jason had seen Issei's genuine happiness this morning...
*Can I really let someone die just because I find them annoying?*
That was the question that had been eating at him since he'd turned that corner. Even when he decided to face consequences, he can't fully get over the fact that he would practically lead everyone to doom by changing the fate of the protagonist. Issei Hyoudou was obnoxious, perverted, and honestly kind of pathetic. But he wasn't evil. He didn't deserve to be murdered by a Fallen Angel just because he happened to have a powerful Sacred Gear.
*But if I save him, Rias will recruit him,* the practical part of Jason's mind argued. *And then I'm stuck with him. Stuck watching him grope Rias and Akeno, stuck listening to his perverted rants, stuck dealing with his protagonist bullshit.*
"Kiba-kun?"
Jason looked up to find the teacher staring at him expectantly. Right. He'd been asked a question.
"Could you repeat that, sensei?" Jason asked smoothly, giving his best apologetic smile. "I was distracted for a moment."
The teacher sighed but repeated the question—something about classical literature that Jason answered easily using Yuuto's memories. Crisis averted.
But as class continued, Jason's mind kept circling back to the same dilemma.
*What kind of person am I becoming?* he wondered. *I died, got reincarnated with cheat abilities, and my first major decision is whether to let someone get murdered for my convenience?*
That thought hit harder than expected. Jason had never considered himself a particularly good person in his previous life, but he'd never been actively evil either. Just... average. Normal. The kind of guy who'd help someone if it didn't cost him too much, but wouldn't go out of his way.
*And now I'm seriously contemplating letting a teenager die because I don't want to deal with him.*
When lunch break came, Jason found himself on the roof of the school building, staring at the sky and trying to sort through his thoughts.
The logical choice was to let events play out. Issei dies, gets resurrected, gains the Boosted Gear, and eventually defeats Riser through sheer protagonist power. The timeline stays intact, Jason knows what to expect, and everything works out.
Except it wouldn't work out for Jason, because he'd already interfered. He'd taken Yuuto's place, inherited his role in the peerage. The timeline was already fucked just by his existence.
*So what's the point of trying to preserve canon?* Jason thought. *I'm already a walking butterfly effect. Might as well own it.*
But that still left the question: what did he actually want to do?
Save Issei? That felt right on a moral level, but came with consequences. Rias would definitely recruit him if she knew he survived a Fallen Angel attack with a Longinus-class Sacred Gear. And then Jason would be stuck in a peerage with the Red Dragon Emperor.
Let Issei die? That solved the immediate annoyance problem, but Jason would have to live with knowing he could have prevented a murder and chose not to. That felt a lot heavier now that it was actually happening.
*There has to be a third option,* Jason thought desperately. *Some way to handle this that doesn't involve either watching someone die or dealing with Issei's bullshit.*
His phone buzzed. Message from Koneko:
**Koneko: ...Senpai. Training after school?**
Right. He'd promised to train with her starting today. Jason typed back:
**Yuuto: Yes. Meet at the abandoned lot on the east side at 4 PM?**
**Koneko: ...Okay.**
Jason pocketed his phone and took a deep breath. He had a few more days before Raynare made her move. Until then, he'd focus on getting stronger. Maybe inspiration would strike, maybe he'd figure out that third option.
*Or maybe I'll just have to make a choice I'll regret either way,* Jason thought grimly.
---
The abandoned lot was perfect for training—isolated, flat, and far enough from civilization that two devils sparring wouldn't attract attention.
Jason arrived first, using the time to stretch and clear his head. He couldn't afford to be distracted during training. Koneko deserved his full attention, especially after she'd asked him for help.
*Focus on what's in front of you,* he told himself. *Worry about Issei later.*
Koneko appeared a few minutes later, silent as a ghost. She'd changed into simple training clothes—white t-shirt and black shorts that wouldn't restrict movement.
"...Ready, senpai?" she asked, those hazel eyes studying him.
"Ready," Jason confirmed, pushing his earlier crisis to the back of his mind.
They started with basic sparring. Koneko moved first, her small fist aimed at Jason's midsection with enough force to crater concrete. He twisted away using his Knight speed, creating distance, but she was already following up.
*Fast,* Jason thought, blocking her next strike with his forearm. The impact sent shockwaves up his arm. *And strong. One clean hit and I'm done.*
They exchanged blows for several minutes, Jason using speed and technique while Koneko relied on overwhelming power. It quickly became apparent that Koneko's combat style was effective but predictable.
"Stop," Jason called, holding up a hand. They separated, both breathing slightly harder.
"...What?" Koneko asked.
"Your attacks are too direct," Jason explained. "You're charging straight in, relying on your Rook strength to overwhelm opponents. Against someone weaker, that works. But against someone faster or more skilled..."
He demonstrated by sidestepping her next charge before she even fully committed to it.
"...Predictable," Koneko finished, understanding dawning in her eyes.
"Exactly. You need to incorporate more technique. Use feints, mix up your timing, attack from unexpected angles." Jason shifted his stance. "Let me show you something. It's called the Black Leg Style."
Jason demonstrated a series of kicks—front, roundhouse, spinning back kick—each movement precise and controlled. His body weight shifted smoothly, generating power not just from his leg but his entire body moving as one unit.
"The key is footwork and hip rotation," Jason explained. "And keeping your center of gravity low. Try it."
Koneko attempted to mirror his movements. Her first kick was powerful but unbalanced—she nearly toppled over.
"...Harder than it looks," she muttered, the slightest hint of frustration in her voice.
"That's why we practice," Jason said. "Again. Focus on balance first, power second."
They drilled kicks and footwork for the next hour. Koneko was a quick learner, her Rook-enhanced body adapting faster than any human could. By the end of the session, she could execute a clean roundhouse without losing balance.
"Good work," Jason said as they took a break. "Tomorrow we'll work on combinations and incorporating these into your regular fighting style."
Koneko nodded, then pulled out a chocolate bar from seemingly nowhere and started eating. After a moment, she spoke quietly: "...Thank you, senpai. For teaching me."
"You asked for help. I'm happy to provide it." Jason paused, then added, "Besides, you're my teammate. If you get stronger, the whole peerage benefits."
Those hazel eyes studied him for a moment, then she gave a tiny nod and went back to her chocolate.
They parted ways as the sun set, Jason heading home while mentally reviewing the session. Training with Koneko had helped—it gave him something concrete to focus on besides his Issei dilemma.
*One day at a time,* Jason thought. *Figure out the immediate problem, then worry about the bigger picture.*
---
The rest of the week followed a similar pattern. School during the day, training with Koneko after, then returning home to practice alchemy in his apartment.
Jason found himself genuinely enjoying the training sessions. Koneko was focused, dedicated, and learned quickly. By Wednesday, she could execute complex kick combinations without thinking. By Friday, she was incorporating the Black Leg Style into her regular combat approach, mixing kicks with punches in ways that made her significantly more unpredictable.
"...Better?" Koneko asked after landing a spinning hook kick that forced Jason to use his full Knight speed to dodge.
"Much better," Jason confirmed. "You're making these techniques your own. That's exactly what you should be doing."
A tiny smile crossed her face before disappearing back into her usual stoic expression.
But while training helped distract him during the day, Jason's nights were filled with anxious thoughts about Issei. He'd been observing the perverted idiot at school all week, watching him walk around with that dopey grin, clearly thrilled about his "girlfriend."
*He has no idea,* Jason thought every time he saw them. *No clue that she's going to kill him.*
Friday afternoon, during their cooldown after training, Koneko suddenly spoke up: "...Senpai seems distracted."
Jason blinked, pulled from his thoughts. "What makes you say that?"
"Your mind, somewhere else."
Jason sighed. "Just thinking about something. A decision I need to make."
Koneko was quiet for a moment, nibbling on chocolate. Then: "...What kind of decision?"
How to explain without revealing too much? "Have you ever known something bad was going to happen to someone, but stopping it would cause problems for you?"
Koneko's expression shifted—something raw and painful flickering across her face before being buried under her usual stoicism. "...Yes."
"What did you do?"
"...Nothing. Was too weak. Too scared." Her voice was barely above a whisper. "...Still regret it."
Those hazel eyes met his, and Jason saw genuine pain there—old wounds that hadn't quite healed.
"...Don't make same mistake, senpai. If you can help... help."
Jason stared at her, then slowly nodded. "You're right. Thank you, Koneko."
She gave a tiny nod and went back to her chocolate as if the moment had never happened.
But for Jason, something had crystallized. Koneko was right—he'd regret letting Issei die just because it was convenient. He'd become the kind of person who let others suffer to avoid inconvenience, and that wasn't who he wanted to be.
*Alright,* Jason decided. *I'm not letting Issei die. I'll figure out the consequences later.*
Now he just needed a plan.
---
Saturday passed in a blur of preparation. Jason couldn't warn anyone directly about Raynare—that would raise too many questions about how he knew. But he could be in the right place at the right time.
*Follow Issei on his date tomorrow,* Jason planned. *Stay hidden, wait for Raynare to reveal herself, then intervene. Simple enough.*
Evening came, and with it, devil contract duties. Jason had almost forgotten about this part of being a devil—the contracts with humans that sustained them and earned them status in devil society.
The teleportation circle activated, depositing Jason in someone's living room. A middle-aged woman stood there, nervous and fidgeting.
"You're... you're really a devil?" she asked.
"I am," Jason confirmed, giving his best reassuring smile. "You summoned me for a contract. What do you need?"
The contract was simple—she wanted help organizing a surprise party for her daughter. Jason spent two hours helping set up decorations, arrange furniture, and prepare food. It was tedious but harmless, and the woman paid well, so it was all good for him in the end.
When he returned to the ORC clubroom to report completion, he found Akeno there, sorting through papers.
"Ara ara, Yuuto-kun," she said with that ever-present smile. "Finished your contract?"
"Just now," Jason confirmed. "Anything else needed tonight?"
"Not tonight." Akeno tilted her head, studying him with those violet eyes. "You seem different lately. More focused. Is something on your mind?"
Jason kept his expression neutral. "Just working on improving myself. Want to be more useful to the peerage."
"How diligent~" Akeno's smile widened slightly. "Actually, I wanted to ask you something. Would you be interested in training with me tomorrow morning? I've heard you've been teaching Koneko new techniques, and I'm quite curious."
Jason's mind raced. Tomorrow morning—that was when Issei's date would probably happen. But Akeno was asking him directly, and refusing would seem suspicious.
*I can make this work,* Jason decided. *Train with Akeno in the morning, then track down Issei afterward.*
"I'd be happy to," Jason said. "Where and when?"
"My family's shrine, 8 AM. Do you know where it is?"
Jason searched Yuuto's memories and found it—a small shrine on the outskirts of town. "I do. I'll be there."
"Wonderful~" Akeno's smile turned slightly more genuine. "I look forward to it, Yuuto-kun. See you tomorrow morning."
Jason left the clubroom, his mind already adjusting his plans for tomorrow.
*Train with Akeno in the morning, track Issei in the afternoon. I can do both.*
He just hoped he wasn't about to make everything worse.