The air in the clubroom was thick with residual energy, a mixture of Rias's Power of Destruction and the lingering warmth of Arthur's dragon aura.
Rias used her power to stop Arthur from suppressing Akeno.
Akeno was visibly shaken, her face flushed and her breathing ragged.
She leaned against a bookshelf, her usual playful composure shattered.
When she had felt Arthur's power, it wasn't just immense; it felt primal, ancient—like standing before the very genesis of the world.
Her spiritual senses, so finely tuned, had screamed at her.
She had heard Koneko call him a dragon, but this was beyond any myth or legend.
This was a force of nature.
Rias, too, felt the aftershocks.
The victory of her Power of Destruction over Arthur's aura had been a hollow one.
The clash had demanded a significant portion of her strength, leaving her feeling drained, while Arthur had remained untouched, his power a mere ripple in a vast ocean.
She clenched her fist, her mind racing.
"Why do you want to help me?"
She asked, her voice tinged with suspicion.
She knew the supernatural world operated on a system of give-and-take, and a debt to a being like this could be catastrophic.
"I'm not helping you; I'm helping him,"
Arthur replied.
"He was thrown into this world against his will, and I don't like that."
Rias's eyes narrowed.
The honesty in his words was unsettling.
It was a sentiment that resonated deep within her, a reminder of the cruel hand of fate.
She also was helpless against fate.
After a long moment of deliberation, she made her decision.
Time was a luxury she didn't have, and a powerful, unknown ally, even a volatile one, was better than none.
"And you have to ask Issei if he wants to be in your peerage,"
Arthur continued, his tone firm.
"If he refuses, you can't force him."
Rias bristled.
"I have never forced anyone! Don't insult me,"
She retorted, her voice serious and low.
The accusation felt like a slap.
Arthur simply looked at her, and she could feel his scrutiny, as if he were peering into her very soul.
He saw that she was telling the truth—the events with Issei were a tragic coincidence, a roll of the dice in a game she hadn't wanted to play.
"Okay, I believe you"
Rias sighed. She didn't want someone as powerful as him to misunderstand her.
Arthur nodded, a silent acknowledgment, and turned his attention to Koneko.
A gentle smile touched his lips as he approached her.
"You don't have to be scared. I will never hurt you little one."
Arthur petted her head.
Koneko nodded gently.
As he petted her head, a warmth like sun-drenched earth spread through Koneko, a profound sense of comfort that went beyond mere physical touch.
It was the Lifestream, an ancient, nurturing energy from his Dragon Heart.
With a grace that belied the casual gesture, he pulled a small, metallic chip from her black cat hairpin.
It was the stolen data, the key to clearing Kuroka's name.
"I give you this as a gift,"
He said, handing the chip to Rias.
Rias's eyes widened in disbelief.
"What is this?"
She asked, her curiosity overriding her caution.
"Give it to your big brother, and you will know,"
Arthur replied, the mystery in his words hanging in the air.
Without another word, he turned and left, a quiet, powerful presence that was now gone.
Kiba, who had been silent up to that point, broke the tense quiet.
"President, are you sure we can trust him?"
He gestured toward Akeno, who was still disoriented, and then to Koneko, who had an uncharacteristically peaceful expression on her face.
As a Nekoshou, she was more attuned to the natural power of the Lifestream than any of them, and it had seemingly calmed her restless heart.
Rias held the chip, a tiny object that held an enormous amount of potential.
"It doesn't hurt to do as he said. I am going to send it to my brother."
It was a leap of faith, but she knew it was the only move she could make.
Arthur walked home, skipping the rest of his school day.
He found the tedious lessons and crowded hallways insufferable.
"I don't like school,"
He muttered to himself, the simple truth of his words a stark contrast to the complexities he dealt with.
As he approached his apartment building, he saw a petite figure waiting for him.
Her glasses glinted in the afternoon light, and her expression was a mix of intense curiosity and skepticism. It was Sona Sitri, the President of the Student Council.
"Sona,"
He acknowledged, a small smile on his face.
He found her a refreshing change from Rias's passionate intensity and Akeno's hidden depths.
Sona looked at him, her scholarly frown deepening.
"Who are you? No, what are you?"
She asked, her voice calm but her eyes probing.
She had spent the day scouring every record, every database, and had found nothing.
He was a blank slate, a person who, by all accounts, didn't exist until he stepped into this city.
"Well, it will take some time to tell you,"
Arthur replied, his smile widening.
"Do you want to come to my room to drink tea while we speak?"
Sona's expression didn't change. She had already investigated his room and found nothing amiss, no magical wards or strange artifacts.
Her curiosity was a driving force, and she decided the risk was worth it.
She nodded, a single, sharp motion.
"You're really brave,"
Arthur remarked, opening the door for her.
"To think the President of the Student Council would come to a boy's room."
Sona adjusted her glasses with an air of cool confidence.
"If you want to embarrass me, then you've failed,"
She said, her voice dry.
"I give you a five out of ten."
Arthur chuckled, an easy, genuine sound.
"Wow, that's harsh."
He closed the door behind them.
He couldn't believe he actually invited a devil to his room.
...
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