Kazuki spent the rest of the evening in the Occult Research Club room, absorbing information like a sponge. Rias and Sona took turns explaining the intricacies of devil society—the ranking system, the major families, the political factions, and most importantly, how to avoid accidentally offending someone powerful enough to obliterate him.
"The Rating Game system is essential to understand," Sona explained, pushing her glasses up as she sketched a diagram on a notepad. "It's how devils settle disputes, gain prestige, and climb the social ladder. Think of it as chess meets combat sports, with your peerage members as the pieces."
"And before you ask," Rias added with a knowing smile, "yes, you would theoretically be able to participate once you build your peerage. Though I'd recommend waiting until you actually understand your powers before stepping into an arena with experienced devils."
Kazuki nodded, filing that information away. "How long does it usually take to build a full peerage?"
"It varies," Rias said. "Some devils find all their members within a few years. Others take decades. The key is compatibility—you need individuals who complement each other's abilities and can work as a team. My own peerage took about three years to assemble, and I'm still looking for the right person to fill my last Pawn slot."
Asia, who'd been quietly listening while organizing books, looked up at that. "Buchou has been very patient with us. She always makes sure we're comfortable and happy."
There was genuine affection in the girl's voice. Whatever else Rias Gremory might be—noble, powerful, politically connected—she clearly cared about her servants. That earned her points in Kazuki's book.
"What about the other factions?" Kazuki asked. "You mentioned angels and fallen angels. Are they active in Kuoh?"
Sona and Rias exchanged glances.
"The church has a presence in Japan, yes," Sona said carefully. "Mostly monitoring supernatural activity and eliminating stray devils or hostile entities. As for fallen angels... they tend to operate in the shadows, pursuing their own agendas."
"There's an uneasy peace right now," Rias elaborated. "But tensions remain. The war might be officially over, but old grudges die hard. It's best to avoid direct confrontation with either faction if you can help it."
"And what do I do if I can't help it?" Kazuki pressed.
Rias's expression turned serious. "You survive. And you call for backup. Don't try to be a hero, Kazuki. You're powerful, but you're also untrained. Against an experienced angel or fallen angel, that inexperience could get you killed."
The weight of her words settled over the room. This wasn't a game. The supernatural world had real dangers, and Kazuki was woefully unprepared for them.
"Then teach me," Kazuki said firmly. "I don't want to be helpless. I don't want to rely entirely on others to protect me."
Sona smiled slightly. "That's a good attitude. Pride is useful, as long as it doesn't cross into arrogance. Very well—Rias and I will establish a training schedule for you. Basic combat, magic theory, energy control. Consider it... remedial education for the newly reincarnated."
"We'll start tomorrow," Rias decided. "After school, meet us at the training ground behind the old school building. Wear something you don't mind getting dirty."
By the time Kazuki left the clubroom, night had fully fallen over Kuoh. He walked home through quiet streets, his mind buzzing with everything he'd learned. Devil politics, Rating Games, the three factions, his own impossible existence as a chaos-powered King without a master.
It was overwhelming, but also strangely exhilarating. For the first time since waking in that alley, Kazuki felt like he had direction. A path forward, even if it was fraught with danger.
He was so lost in thought that he almost didn't notice the wrongness in the air until he'd walked right into it.
Kazuki stopped abruptly, every instinct screaming danger. The street ahead looked normal—residential homes, parked cars, streetlights casting orange pools of light. But something was off. The shadows were too deep, the silence too complete.
And there was a scent on the air. Copper and rot, barely perceptible but unmistakable once noticed.
Blood.
Should I investigate? Kazuki wondered. Or call Rias and Sona like they said?
But even as he debated, his feet were moving forward. Not toward danger—he wasn't that stupid—but circling around, trying to get a better sense of the situation.
The scent led him to a small park, one of those pocket green spaces that dotted residential areas. In the dim light, Kazuki could make out playground equipment, benches, and a figure hunched over something near the swings.
The figure was humanoid but wrong. Too tall, limbs too long, proportions distorted. And it was feeding on something—Kazuki could hear the wet sounds of tearing flesh.
A stray devil. Had to be. Rias had mentioned them—devils who'd gone rogue, either through insanity or having their masters killed. They were hunted down by official devil authorities, but sometimes they slipped through the cracks.
Kazuki's hand moved to his pocket, reaching for his phone to call for backup. But the movement made a slight sound, and the creature's head snapped up.
Red eyes fixed on Kazuki. The thing that had once been a devil grinned, revealing too many teeth, all of them stained with blood.
"Fresh meat," it rasped, its voice like grinding gravel. "Been so long since I had devil flesh. You smell... different. Tasty."
The stray devil dropped what it had been eating—a stray cat, Kazuki realized with a sick feeling—and began stalking toward him with predatory intent.
Shit. Shit, shit, shit.
Kazuki backed away slowly, trying not to make any sudden movements. His chaos energy stirred inside him, responding to his fear and adrenaline, but he had no idea how to weaponize it.
"I don't want trouble," Kazuki said, keeping his voice steady. "Just passing through."
"Too late," the stray devil said, and lunged.
Kazuki's body moved on instinct, throwing himself to the side. The stray's claws raked the air where he'd been standing, close enough that Kazuki felt the wind of their passage.
He rolled, came up in a crouch, and the chaos energy exploded outward.
Purple-black power erupted from Kazuki's hands in an uncontrolled wave. It wasn't a focused attack—more like a pulse of raw energy—but it caught the stray devil mid-charge and sent it tumbling backward.
The creature slammed into a tree with bone-cracking force. It lay there for a moment, stunned, giving Kazuki precious seconds to act.
What do I do? Run? Fight? I don't know how to fight!
But his body seemed to have ideas his conscious mind didn't. The chaos energy flowed through channels he was only beginning to perceive, pooling in his hands. When the stray devil lurched to its feet, Kazuki thrust his palm forward, and a lance of purple-black energy shot out.
It wasn't as refined as he'd have liked—more of a jagged spear than a clean projectile—but it struck true. The chaos lance punched through the stray devil's shoulder, pinning it to the tree.
The creature shrieked, thrashing and trying to pull free. The chaos energy seemed to burn it, smoking wounds spreading from the impact point.
"Impressive," a calm voice said from behind Kazuki. "Untrained but effective. Your instincts are good."
Kazuki spun around to find a girl standing at the park entrance. She was beautiful—long black hair tied in a ponytail, amber eyes that gleamed with cat-like intensity, and a figure that would make any man do a double-take. She wore casual clothes—jeans and a tank top—and emanated a power that made Kazuki's chaos energy recoil.
Not a devil. Something else. Something ancient and dangerous.
"Who are you?" Kazuki demanded, keeping one eye on the struggling stray devil.
"Just a curious observer," the girl said, walking closer with fluid grace. "I sensed an interesting energy signature and came to investigate. Chaos power, if I'm not mistaken. Haven't felt that in a very long time."
She glanced at the pinned stray devil and made a dismissive gesture. Black energy—senjutsu, Kazuki's instincts whispered—formed around her hand and shot forward, obliterating the stray devil in an instant. Nothing remained but ash.
"There," she said brightly. "Problem solved. Now we can talk without interruptions."
Kazuki tensed, ready to run or fight despite knowing he'd probably lose either option. This girl was in a completely different league from the stray devil.
"Relax," she said, raising her hands in a placating gesture. "If I wanted to hurt you, you'd already be dead. I'm just... interested. What's your name, chaos wielder?"
"Kazuki," he said warily. "Kazuki Ryōta."
"Kazuki," she repeated, as if tasting the name. "I'm Kuroka. And you, Kazuki, are something very rare. A devil who smells like chaos itself. How did that happen?"
"I was reincarnated," Kazuki said, seeing no point in lying. She clearly knew what he was. "My master used chaos energy in the process, I think. He died completing the ritual."
Kuroka's eyes widened slightly. "A true chaos reincarnation. I thought those were impossible. The old texts said the technique was lost when the primordial devils were sealed away."
"Apparently not," Kazuki said. "Look, I appreciate you dealing with the stray devil, but I need to get home. It's late, and I have school tomorrow."
"School," Kuroka laughed, the sound melodious and slightly mocking. "How very mundane for someone who carries the power of primordial chaos. Tell me, Kazuki, are you allied with the Gremory girl? Or the Sitri?"
Kazuki's wariness increased. How did she know about Rias and Sona?
"I'm allied with myself," he said carefully. "But yes, they're helping me learn about devil society. Is that a problem?"
"Not at all," Kuroka said, though something in her expression suggested otherwise. "Just be careful, nya. The devil aristocracy has a way of trying to control things—and people—they don't understand. Your chaos power makes you valuable. Valuable things tend to lose their freedom."
The cat-like mannerism at the end of her sentence—the "nya"—would have been cute if Kazuki wasn't so on edge.
"I'll keep that in mind," Kazuki said. "Now, if we're done here—"
"We're done," Kuroka interrupted, but she was smiling. "For now. I'll be watching you, Kazuki Ryōta. You're too interesting to ignore. And who knows? Maybe we'll meet again under better circumstances."
Before Kazuki could respond, Kuroka's form blurred and vanished, leaving nothing but a faint trace of senjutsu energy.
Kazuki stood alone in the park, his heart pounding, adrenaline still coursing through his system. He looked at his hands, at the faint purple glow still lingering around his fingers.
He'd fought. Actually fought and won against a supernatural threat. Granted, the stray devil had been relatively weak, and Kuroka had finished it off, but still. He'd defended himself using chaos energy.
It was terrifying and empowering in equal measure.
Kazuki pulled out his phone and called Rias.
She answered on the second ring. "Kazuki? Is everything alright?"
"I ran into a stray devil," Kazuki said without preamble. "Near my apartment. I... I fought it. Used my chaos energy. Someone else finished it off—a girl named Kuroka."
The line went silent for a long moment.
"Kuroka," Rias said finally, her voice tight. "Black hair, amber eyes, cat-like features? Uses senjutsu?"
"That's her," Kazuki confirmed. "You know her?"
"She's a SS-Class stray devil," Rias said grimly. "Extremely dangerous. She killed her former master and went rogue years ago. If she approached you, Kazuki, that's very bad news."
"She didn't seem hostile," Kazuki said, though he wasn't entirely sure that was true. "Just... curious. She said something about me being interesting because of my chaos power."
"Of course she did," Rias muttered. "Kuroka is always looking for powerful allies or interesting specimens to study. She's working with a terrorist organization called the Khaos Brigade. Kazuki, if you see her again, run. Don't engage, don't listen to her offers. Just run and call me immediately."
"Understood," Kazuki said, though part of him wondered if running from someone like Kuroka was even possible.
"Are you hurt?" Rias asked, her tone softening.
"No, I'm fine. Shaken but fine."
"Good. Get home, lock your doors, and rest. We'll discuss this tomorrow during training. And Kazuki? You did well surviving. But please be more careful. The supernatural world is full of dangers, and you just encountered one of the most dangerous individuals in it."
After hanging up, Kazuki hurried home, constantly checking over his shoulder. But the streets remained empty, and no cat-like devil appeared to threaten him.
Back in his apartment, Kazuki locked the door and collapsed onto his bed. His mind raced with everything that had happened. The meeting with Rias and Sona, learning about devil society, the fight with the stray devil, and the encounter with the mysterious Kuroka.
It had been one hell of a day.
As exhaustion finally began to claim him, Kazuki's last thought was of amber eyes watching from the shadows, and a voice saying he was too interesting to ignore.
What have I gotten myself into?
The next morning arrived too quickly. Kazuki dragged himself through his morning routine, every muscle aching from yesterday's brief but intense combat. Apparently, channeling chaos energy took a physical toll.
School passed in its usual blur, though Kazuki found himself constantly scanning for threats. Every shadow could hide a stray devil. Every student could be a supernatural being in disguise. Paranoia wasn't healthy, but in his situation, it might keep him alive.
When classes ended, Kazuki made his way to the training ground behind the old school building as instructed. It was a large, open area, surrounded by trees and hidden from casual view by the building itself. A magic circle was inscribed on the ground—presumably for creating barriers or practice spaces.
Rias and Sona were already there, along with Asia and another girl Kazuki hadn't met yet. She had white hair, cat-like eyes, and the most deadpan expression he'd ever seen. A nekomata, his instincts whispered. A cat yokai.
"Kazuki, you're on time. Good," Rias said approvingly. "This is Koneko Toujou, my Rook. She'll be helping with your combat training."
Koneko looked Kazuki up and down with those unreadable golden eyes. "Weak," she said flatly.
"Nice to meet you too," Kazuki replied dryly.
For the first time, Koneko's expression shifted—a tiny quirk at the corner of her mouth that might have been amusement.
"Before we begin physical training," Sona said, adjusting her glasses, "we need to assess your magical capabilities. Kazuki, try to create a basic magic circle. Just will your power into a geometric pattern and hold it steady."
Kazuki concentrated, trying to visualize what he wanted. The chaos energy responded sluggishly at first, then rushed to his hands in a chaotic swirl. When he pushed it outward, it formed... something.
Not a neat, circular magic array like he'd seen Rias use. Instead, it was an angular, asymmetric pattern that hurt to look at directly. Purple-black lines that seemed to shift and change even as he tried to hold them steady.
"Fascinating," Sona murmured, pulling out a notebook to sketch the pattern. "Your magic circles follow completely different geometric rules. This isn't based on the standard devil system at all."
"Is that bad?" Kazuki asked, struggling to maintain the formation.
"Different, not bad," Rias corrected. "It means you'll need to develop your own casting methods rather than learning standard devil magic. More difficult, but potentially more versatile."
The magic circle collapsed, and Kazuki gasped, suddenly dizzy. Asia was at his side in an instant, her hands glowing with gentle green light as she steadied him.
"You overextended," she said softly. "Your body isn't used to channeling so much power. You need to build up your reserves gradually."
"Thanks," Kazuki said, grateful for her support.
"Now for combat assessment," Rias announced. "Koneko, I want you to spar with Kazuki. Nothing serious—just testing his reflexes and instincts. No youjutsu, just basic physical strikes."
Koneko nodded and stepped into the center of the training area. Despite her small stature, she moved with predatory grace.
"Try to last three minutes," Rias instructed. "Defend yourself however you can. Begin!"
Koneko blurred forward with speed that shouldn't have been possible. Kazuki barely managed to throw up a chaotic barrier—more instinct than technique—before her fist would have connected with his stomach.
The barrier held for exactly half a second before shattering. Koneko's strike sent Kazuki stumbling backward, the wind knocked out of him.
"Too slow," Koneko said, already moving again.
For the next three minutes, Kazuki experienced what could only be described as educational brutality. Koneko pulled her punches—he'd have been in the hospital otherwise—but she didn't hold back on demonstrating his weaknesses.
His stance was all wrong. His reaction time was decent but his movements were inefficient. His chaos energy responded to emotion rather than discipline. He telegraphed his attacks. He left his left side open.
By the time Rias called a halt, Kazuki was on the ground, breathing hard, and wondering if reincarnation had been worth it if it meant getting beat up by a cute girl who barely came up to his shoulder.
"Good," Rias said, and Kazuki wondered what her definition of "bad" looked like. "You lasted the full three minutes, which is more than I expected for your first real spar. You have good instincts—your chaos energy responded to protect you even when you didn't consciously direct it. But your technique is essentially non-existent."
"We'll fix that," Sona added. "Starting today, you'll train every day after school. Physical conditioning with Koneko, magic theory with me, energy control with Rias. On weekends, we'll add strategic thinking and Rating Game theory."
Kazuki groaned. "You're trying to kill me with training."
"Better we kill you with training than an enemy kills you in combat," Koneko said matter-of-factly, then offered him a hand up.
Kazuki took it, surprised by the gesture. Maybe she didn't hate him after all.
As Asia healed his bruises and Rias laid out the detailed training schedule, Kazuki reflected on his new reality. Two days ago, he'd been a confused amnesiac with mysterious powers. Now he was a chaos-wielding King with political allies, a dangerous reputation he hadn't earned, and a brutal training regimen that would probably leave him in constant pain.
But he was also learning. Growing stronger. Building connections.
And when he glanced at the group around him—Rias explaining tactics, Sona taking notes, Asia fussing over his injuries, even Koneko listening quietly—he realized he didn't feel quite so alone anymore.
"Let's do this," Kazuki said, determination hardening in his chest. "Teach me everything. I'll work as hard as it takes."
Rias smiled, and it was fierce and proud. "That's what I like to hear. Welcome to hell, Kazuki Ryōta. We're going to forge you into something remarkable."
Training began in earnest, and Kazuki's new life as a devil truly started.