__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Asia still looked completely lost, having no idea what had just happened.
In the end, Rias hurriedly erased the mark Jack had left on her body with a bit of magic, brushing it off with some excuse that barely convinced Asia.
Meanwhile, Koneko Toujou stood off to the side, sucking on a lollipop as she gave Rias and Jack a curious look.
Something felt… different between those two. Closer, somehow.
Jack, however, looked as calm as ever.It was just some playful fooling around with Rias—nothing serious.
Neither of them had much experience, so they'd treated it more like… a mutual experiment. A hands-on "lesson," so to speak.And honestly? They both had fun.
In short—no "deep exchange." Just a bit of comforting each other.
"Hey, Koneko. Where's Akeno?" Jack asked, glancing around the clubroom.
It was rare not to see Himejima Akeno here. Normally, she arrived even before Rias.
"She got called by the Student Council since Rias-senpai wasn't around," Koneko replied simply.
That made sense. Akeno was the vice-president, after all. Whenever Rias wasn't around, she handled the club's affairs.
Rias suddenly smiled slightly, as if she'd sensed something."She's back."
No sooner had she said that than a teleportation circle appeared in the middle of the room. Akeno stepped out—but behind her came several other figures.
At the head of the group was a woman with short black hair and glasses. Her beauty was striking—second only to Akeno—but her composed, serious aura rivaled even Rias's.
That woman was none other than the Student Council President—Sona Sitri.
And beside her stood Tsubaki Shinra, the vice-president. Their partnership was much like Rias and Akeno's: inseparable.
Wait—was the entire Student Council here?
And… they'd all arrived using a devil's magic circle.
So they were all devils too.
Jack wasn't surprised. Akeno had already told him that Sona Sitri was a devil, so it wasn't hard to guess the rest of her group were her servants.
Then, Jack suddenly felt someone's gaze on him. When he looked, he found the only male among the Student Council staring right at him—analyzing him, comparing him.
Jack stayed unbothered. On the surface, he gave a friendly smile—but it was completely fake.
He wasn't the type to show real emotion easily.At this point, only Rias, Akeno, Koneko, and maybe Mai Sakurajima could see the real him.
Rias rose from her seat with a graceful smile."Welcome. The whole Student Council, huh? To what do we owe the pleasure?"
Sona spoke with perfect manners and poise, though her tone was serious."Sorry to intrude. We've both gained new members recently, so I thought it would be proper to come and introduce ours."
"Oh? Then that must be your newest member," Rias said, glancing at the young man standing behind Sona.
"Shirou Shimon—my Pawn," Sona introduced.
Rias nodded lightly. "This is Jack, my Knight, and Asia, my Bishop."
To the outside world, Rias always introduced Jack only as her Knight. The fact that he'd also taken up eight Pawn pieces was a secret known only to her peerage.
It was too big a deal to reveal yet.
After all, Jack was the only devil she knew who held two piece ranks at once. That broke every rule the Rating Game had ever seen.
She had no idea what kind of power he'd show once he entered the Ranking Games—but it was safe to assume people would think he was cheating.
Sona adjusted her glasses slightly as her sharp gaze landed on Jack and Asia. She could instantly sense their power.
"So this is the famous Jack who took up two of your Knight pieces," she murmured. "That means you only have Pawns left, then."
Rias smiled smoothly. "You know how it is—finding the right pieces depends on fate. Jack, Asia, go ahead and say hello."
Shirou Shimon stepped forward confidently, a polite smile on his face as he extended his hand."Shirou Shimon. Nice to meet you."
"Likewise," Jack replied pleasantly.
"I heard you used up two Knight pieces—that's impressive. For reference, I needed four Pawn pieces," Shirou said, his tone laced with pride.
Jack only smiled faintly, offering no reaction.
Then, without warning, Shirou let a pulse of magic flow through their handshake, trying to probe into Jack's body.
Jack didn't even blink. The artifact within him—the Nio Sword and Shield—shivered once, silently dissolving the invading energy.
But Jack wasn't one to take things passively.
Come and go in kind, as they say.
He summoned a flicker of power from the King's Blade and sent it slicing back through the handshake like a flash of invisible lightning.
Shirou felt his own probing magic vanish instantly, as if swallowed by a black hole—and then, a wave of pure, overwhelming energy surged back at him.
His face paled. He immediately released Jack's hand and staggered back, forcing the residual energy out of his system with visible effort.
The brief exchange hadn't escaped Rias or Sona's notice.Rias's lips curled into a proud smile.
Sona, however, narrowed her eyes.So strong…
Wasn't he supposed to be a newly reincarnated devil? How could his magic already be this powerful?
No wonder Rias had to use two Knight pieces on him.
Then her gaze shifted to Asia—and her expression tightened even further.The girl's magic power was even greater, nearly on par with Rias herself!
Just where did she find subordinates with this kind of potential? Sona thought, unable to hide her astonishment.
"The familiar forest opens the day after tomorrow," Rias said lightly. "You're planning to go too, right?"
Sona nodded. "Yes, but that person only takes one contract per month…"
Which meant the two groups would be competing for the same opportunity.
"Heh, then let's settle it fairly—with a contest of strength," Rias said with a playful spark in her eyes.
Her servants had just won the subtle power struggle, and she wasn't about to lose face now.
"...A duel?" Sona asked.
"The winner gets the right to that contract."
"Are you suggesting a Rating Game?" Sona's tone grew serious.
The Rating Game was the formal system by which devils settled disputes or determined rank. Any kind of agreement could serve as a contract, and once both sides accepted, the match—and its consequences—became binding.
But this matter was far too minor to warrant something that official.
Rias laughed and waved her hand. "Of course not! We'd never get permission for that anyway. I mean just a regular contest—something like a sports match. Nice and simple."
"..."
__________________________________________________________________________________________________