Chapter 5 – Initiation

"Princess, are you awake? We've arrived in the capital."

"Yes, thank you."

Rias nodded in response to her maid's words, her mind occupied with the matter she had to deal with. She was currently inside a carriage that was heading towards the Underworld's capital, Lilith. As she had expected for some time, Rias had received an order a couple of days prior to appear before a council of High-class Devils in order to give explanations regarding her latest venture; the reincarnation of the dreaded Evil Dragon User of this generation, Ryuugamine Takeshi, as a Devil belonging to her household.

"How annoying…"

The crimson-haired girl let out a small sigh as she rubbed her temples while murmuring so. Even though she knew this was likely to happen, it didn't make the prospect of dealing with the elders more tolerable. They would surely call for her newest servant's death, or imprisonment at the very least, on the grounds of the potential danger his unique Sacred Gear represented to Devil society and the world at large. She would have to fight an uphill battle in order to prevent both of these scenarios from coming to pass.

"Still, it can't be much worse than confronting my family…"

Rias muttered with a bitter smile on her face. Her father and brother had been besides themselves with worry once they learned the news, a fact that they had made abundantly clear through the numerous calls she had received from them. On the other hand, her mother—

[Rias, while I understand your desire to repay that young man, you should have informed us of what you were planning beforehand. You're making a very dangerous gamble that could have disastrous ramifications for both you and our family as a whole. I think that much warrants a discussion at least, don't you?]

Her mother was smiling the whole time, but her disapproval had been palpable. Rias shuddered to think what sort of sermon was waiting for her in the future. But for now, she had to focus on the upcoming meeting with the elders. It was highly unlikely that they would be swayed by arguments based on emotions, so she would have to appeal to their logic instead and show that Takeshi's presence could benefit the Underworld. A very difficult task, but not impossible if she played her cards right.

Immersed in her thoughts, Rias almost failed to notice that the carriage had come to a stop in front of a large dome-shaped building resembling a temple. Exiting the carriage, Rias was surprised to see a familiar face waiting for her.

"Sona?" Rias raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing here?"

"Hello, Rias." Sona greeted her. "Since your family can't be here today and you probably feel nervous, I thought you might appreciate having a friend by your side."

"You're right, I do." Rias smiled as the two of them walked inside the building. "Thanks for your consideration, Sona."

"I also thought you might be interested in learning that today's council will be comprised of Lord Bael, Lord Agares, Lord Sallos, Lady Paimon and Lord Vassago." Sona said. "They're the representatives that have been elected by the rest of the Assembly to decide Ryuugamine-kun's fate."

"Ugh." Rias's expression morphed into one of disgust. "Lord Agares aside, who's impartial, the rest have an axe to grind with my family. Especially Lord Bael, who didn't take kindly to my brother, my nephew and I inheriting the Power of Destruction while his first-born son failed to do so. This just got so much more bothersome…"

"On the other hand, this might actually work in your favor." Sona said. "If they believe that Ryuugamine-kun being part of your peerage is detrimental to you and your family, they might rule against killing him. Anything that weakens a rival family's influence and power is beneficial to each of them."

"The ages-old competition between the Pillars, eh?" Rias snorted. "It might be as you say, Sona, but I don't think it'll be that simple. If Takeshi's power can be controlled, he'll become a major asset to me, and by extension, to my family. Not to mention, my evaluation will soar should that come to pass. Having the Evil Dragon User under one's command is no small feat after all. They won't stand for it if they can help it, and unfortunately, they can."

"Shame that our siblings can't help out here." Sona said. "The Assembly has shut them out on the pretext that they won't be able to make an impartial ruling. Same thing with the other two Devil Kings, which means you're on your own, Rias."

"That's probably for the best." Rias said. "I wouldn't want to trouble them or depend on them too much. I need to show everyone that I can stand on my own."

"You and me both." Sona smiled as the two girls arrived before a set of large double doors, with two guards standing on each side. "This is as far as I can go with you. Good luck in there, Rias."

"Thank you, Sona."

After bidding farewell to her friend, Rias stood in front of the double doors, taking a deep breath to compose herself. Then, she pressed her hand on the doors, with the symbol of Gremory briefly appearing on them. The doors slowly opened, with the guards beckoning at Rias to step inside.

Upon doing so, she found herself in a vast circular chamber somewhat reminiscent of a courtroom. Several Devils could be seen occupying the audience stands, Sona among them, while five elevated thrones were placed on the center of the room with an equal amount of people seated on each of them.

"Ah, Princess Rias. Right on time as usual. Good, good. That means we can begin."

The one who had spoken was a well-built man with short pale greenish blond hair and sky-blue eyes. Although he appeared quite young at first glance, that impression was ruined by the dark circles underneath his eyes and the several wrinkles prominent on his face.

"Archduke Agares, my lords."

Rias made a small bow at the five people seated on the thrones.

"We all know why we're here, so let's skip the empty pleasantries and go straight to the point." A man with close-cropped jet-black hair and violet eyes, who was glowering at Rias, said. "Rias Gremory, all of us here would like some explanations as to why you chose to bring a dangerous existence like the Evil Dragon User into your Peerage."

"As you're well aware, neither us nor the Devil Kings usually interfere in the internal affairs of fellow Pillar families." A well-endowed woman with long light blue hair, green eyes, pointed ears and a pair of ram horns protruding from the side of her head continued. "But there are always exceptions, and this definitely counts as one of them. Just like Lord Bael, I eagerly await to hear your reasoning."

"Seriously, one would have thought that you would have learned not to bite more than you can chew already, what with that mutated Bishop of yours." A tall lanky man with shoulder-length white hair, pale skin and crimson eyes let out a derisive laugh as he spoke. "This might be strange coming from a Devil, but you shouldn't be too greedy and aim to claim uncontrollable power. You will only end up wasting precious pieces on defective goods otherwise."

"Thank you for your wisdom, Lord Vassago."

Rias's tone was dripping with sarcasm, her anger barely restrained. She didn't need a pompous man like him reminding her of her inability to help her precious Bishop, both with his power and his reclusive behavior, or call him 'defective goods'. If this was meant to throw her off her game, it was working wonders.

"We're going off topic here." A man with orange-colored hair that had parts of his body covered in green scales and a set of large teeth protruding from his mouth spoke next. "The discussion is about the fate of the Evil Dragon User, Princess Rias's newest Pawn, is it not?"

"Frankly, I don't see why there should even be a discussion, Lord Sallos." Lord Bael snorted. "The facts speak for themselves. That…creature is too dangerous to be left alive. We all know what sort of devastation the Evil Dragon User has brought to the human world over the centuries. I will not stand for the same thing potentially happening to the Underworld."

"Agreed." Lord Vassago nodded. "I don't see any benefit in keeping that thing around, only problems. It should be disposed of posthaste before it grows too powerful to actually cause significant damage to our people and territories."

"Let us not be hasty, my lords." Lord Agares made a placating gesture. "Princess Rias still hasn't presented her case. We should listen to her before we make a decision."

"Yes, let's." Lady Paimon said, a playful smile on her lips. "I always enjoy watching people squirm while trying to make excuses."

…This is it. Moment of truth. You can do this.

After psyching herself up, Rias addressed the five nobles.

"My lords…how many Longinus possessors does the Underworld currently have?"

The question elicited several confused murmurs from the audience, with the five lords also looking bewildered by her unexpected query.

"Why are you asking?" Lord Bael said, his frown deepening. "Like everyone else present, you should be well aware that none of these unique Sacred Gears are in our hands."

"Then you should have realized by now that we are currently in a severely disadvantageous position in that regard." Rias said. "The Church is in possession of one of the top-tier Longinus, Zenith Tempest. Furthermore, the wielder of Boosted Gear, the current Red Dragon Emperor, is also a member of the Church's Catholic branch. As for the Fallen Angels, the White Dragon Emperor, the possessor of Divine Dividing, is a confirmed member of their organization, while the possessors of Canis Lykaon and Absolute Demise are also affiliated with them as you should know."

"What are you trying to say, Princess Rias?"

"My point here is that we need a deterrent, Lord Sallos." Rias said. "A powerful and dangerous weapon of our own that will make our enemies think twice about deploying their powerful weapons against us, as well as a trump card to counter their own should another war erupt. In the absence of a Longinus possessor on our side, utilizing the Evil Dragon User as our shield is the next best option for the Underworld's protection."

"Let me get this straight." Lord Vassago said. "You reincarnated him in order to use him as a prevention measure? You, a Gremory, a member of a family renowned for their love towards their servants, would treat the Evil Dragon User as a tool to be used and discarded if necessary for the Underworld?"

"Are you perhaps confusing affection with pragmatism, Lord Vassago?" Rias smirked. "For shame. And here I thought you were a better Devil than that."

"Why you little…!"

"That's definitely a compelling argument." Lord Agares hastily interjected. "It's true that both the Angels and the Fallen Angels might get emboldened by the number of Longinus possessors on their side and seek to break the tenuous balance between our three factions by resuming hostilities. Some additional firepower on our side would be most welcome. However, there is still the matter of the danger he poses to us if he goes on a rampage like his predecessors did. Is there any guarantee from your side that won't happen?"

"It's true I cannot guarantee such a thing." Rias said. "However, if it seems like Ryuugamine Takeshi will lose control…then I will deal with him before things escalate past the point of no return."

"Will you now?" Lady Paimon smirked. "How deliciously cold-blooded. Perhaps I should revise my opinion of you a bit, little lady of the Gremory."

"Interesting." Lord Sallos rubbed his chin. "The Evil Dragon User being our guard dog. That's an angle I hadn't thought of. Yes, that does sound appealing. Perhaps there is some merit in leaving him alive for now."

"Are we seriously considering this, my fellow lords?" Lord Bael spoke with an irritated expression. "That thing isn't a guard dog, but a rabid one that might turn on us at any moment. What we should do is—"

"Pardon me, my lords, but would you be so kind as to allow me to offer my opinion on this matter?"

Everyone present flinched following this unexpected interruption that came from the audience stands, Rias included. The one who had spoken was a middle-aged looking Devil with a well-built body, waist-length black hair and violet eyes that somewhat resembled Lord Bael, a playful smile on his face.

"Lord Zekram." Lord Agares spoke with a guarded expression. "We would be honored to have your input, but I would like to remind you that the final decision rests in our hands."

"Of course." Zekram nodded. "I'm not contesting that, Lord Agares. Like I said, this is merely my opinion. It's true that this is a risky gamble with a low probability of success. However, that is exactly what makes it all the more interesting, don't you think? Attempting something that has never been done before? That's how progress occurs after all."

"Honored forefather, while I understand your point, we can't just—"

"I say we can." Zekram cut off Lord Bael's words. "Of course, that's only if Princess Rias is willing to take full responsibility for the Evil Dragon User. Should he wreak havoc on the Underworld or in another faction's territory, the rest of the Underworld will not be held accountable for his actions. Any and all reparations will be handled by her and the House of Gremory. That's only fair, no?"

"That's just the way I wanted it."

Rias stared at Zekram with a resolute expression on her face, prompting the latter to smile.

"In that case, I don't see any problem. I suggest that we accept him as a denizen of the Underworld, with every privilege and responsibility that entails, and observe the situation for now. But of course, the final judgement rests on your shoulders, my lords."

Zekram said while staring at Lord Bael with a pointed look. The black-haired Devil looked like he had swallowed something really bitter, but otherwise remained silent.

"In that case, let us proceed with the ruling." Lord Agares said. "All those in favor of adopting Lord Zekram's suggestion and leaving Princess Rias's newest Pawn alone for now, raise your hands."

After saying so, Lord Agares raised his hand, followed by Lady Paimon, Lord Sallos and Lord Vassago. Lord Bael still seemed dissatisfied, but reluctantly raised his hand as well.

"Looks like we have a unanimous vote." Lord Agares said. "Princess Rias, we expect that you will tackle this matter to the best of your abilities and keep your newest servant well under control."

"I will make sure not to disappoint you, my lords."

"Then, you are dismissed." Lord Agares said. "Let's move on to the next topic, everyone. The budget regarding the renovation project in Lucifaad is—"

Stepping outside of the chamber and putting as much distance from it as she could, Rias let out an exhausted sigh as she collapsed on a nearby couch. This had been far more mentally taxing than she had anticipated. However, everything had worked out in the end more or less.

"Good work in there, Rias." Sona said as she sat next to her friend. "You did well in convincing the elders…though you could have avoided antagonizing Lord Vassago. Giving him more reasons to be hostile towards you and your family isn't prudent."

"He was going to do so regardless of whatever I said in there." Rias grimaced. "Plus, he dared to insult Gasper. I wasn't going to let him get away with it so easily."

"I suppose you're right."

"As for my bargaining…I can't help but feel that Lord Zekram's words were the decisive factor in there." Rias frowned. "The first generation Bael interceding on my behalf was something I didn't expect, or that he would be present at all for that matter."

"That came as a surprise to me as well." Sona said. "It's also a cause for concern. Why would Zekram Bael intervene here? Judging from the current Lord Bael's expression, this was an unexpected move. Did he actually do this to support you? Or is he so certain that this will blow in your face and lower your family's estimation? Or perhaps he simply found this whole state of affairs amusing and is curious to see how things will play out with Ryuugamine-kun?"

"Who can tell what that old schemer is thinking?" Rias said. "What matters is that Takeshi has been spared from imprisonment or execution. I fully intend for him to live a long life after all."

"I admit I was astonished when I heard you say you wanted to use him as a throw-away piece for the sake of the Underworld if needed." Sona smirked. "Who knew you could lie so convincingly?"

"Lie is such an ugly word." Rias let out a mischievous smile. "I simply told them the truth they were most comfortable with."

"Whatever you say." Sona said, but then her expression grew serious. "Still, how exactly do you intend to help Ryuugamine-kun with taming his Sacred Gear? As much as I hate to say it, your odds aren't looking very good."

"There's not much to do other than having him train in controlling his powers alongside the rest of my Peerage to the best of my abilities." Rias said. "I'll also try to get in touch with Beelzebub-sama again and get his opinion. The rest is up to Takeshi's own mental and physical fortitude."

"In that case, let's hope he's up to the challenge." Sona said. "For his sake and everyone else's."

"I should probably head back." Rias said after a few seconds as she stood up. "I'm sure Takeshi is anxious to hear the verdict. Although, right about now, he should be…"

Back at Kuoh…

The sound of an explosion resounded across the small forest surrounding the old school building.

"Ow! Damn it!"

Takeshi cursed as he clutched his burnt palm, jumping up and down as Akeno watched him with an amused expression on her face.

"Close, but not quite there yet." Akeno remarked. "Why don't we try this one more time with less explosions?"

"It's not like I'm making it explode because I like it…"

Takeshi grumbled as he opened his hand, focusing on sensing the flow of his demonic power. For the past couple of weeks, he had been training with his new comrades whenever there was free time in order to master the basic skills of a Devil and improve his control over his Sacred Gear. While things were progressing well more or less, he still had some issues with channeling and controlling his demonic power.

Akeno's theory regarding that matter was that the aura of the Evil Dragons dwelling within his Sacred Gear was interfering with the flow of demonic power. This made controlling it difficult, especially for someone who was still incapable of making fine adjustments. It was like trying to have someone learn how to ride a bicycle for the first time without training wheels while someone was harassing them. Rias had attempted to put a seal on him in order to limit the interference, but his Sacred Gear was somehow resisting that. Therefore, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and power through it.

"Remember, demonic power courses both inside and outside your body." Akeno said. "It's just a matter of feeling the flow and guiding it through your will in order to shape it."

"You can do, Takeshi-kun." Yuuto encouraged him from the side, having just finished his sparring session with Koneko. "It's not as difficult as it sounds."

"…Hang in there, Senpai."

Doing his best to concentrate and have his demonic power follow his commands, Takeshi was rewarded with a mass of energy the size of a volleyball gathering on his hand. Beads of sweat started dripping from his face as he struggled to maintain the sphere's form and restrict the energy flow. Unfortunately, after a few seconds, the sphere lost its shape and dissipated into a rain of particles.

"That was better." Akeno said with a pleased smile. "The sphere didn't explode this time, which means you were able to avoid channeling too much excess power to it. If you improve your control a bit more, you'll clear the first step in no time. After that, you'll move to something like this."

Akeno took a rock from the ground and held it in her hand. Channeling demonic power into it, she shattered it into tiny fragments.

"Oh, impressive!" Takeshi clapped. "But that's just the beginning, isn't it?"

"That's right, but you still have to master the first step, so no rushing ahead." Akeno wagged her finger in a playful manner. "Now then, time for your favorite part. Yuuto, if you would."

"Yes, Vice President."

Yuuto conjured a blade as he came to stand a few meters in front of Takeshi. Seeing this, the auburn-haired youth smirked.

"Sparring time, eh? That's perfect. I'll settle the score from two days ago, Kiba-kun. Let's do this, Cataclysm Zone!"

The ornate black and gold belt materialized on Takeshi's waist, with Mayhem Striker manifesting on Takeshi's right hand.

"Please go easy on me."

Yuuto said with a smile as he brandished his sword.

"Like that's going to happen."

Takeshi let out a sly smirk as he readied his stance.

"Begin!"

Following Akeno's prompt, Takeshi pointed his axe at Yuuto. A wave of ash erupted from it, heading straight for the blond-haired youth. Jumping to the side, Yuuto dashed at Takeshi, his blade aimed low. Takeshi swung his axe at him, but a wave of pressurized air erupted from Yuuto's blade, propelling him upward. Landing behind Takeshi, he aimed at his back. Takeshi brought his axe around and caught the incoming blade on its handle.

"It won't be that easy!"

Giving a mental command while smirking, Takeshi had the ashes aim for Yuuto. However, the Knight easily evaded them, moving from point to point so fast that Takeshi could barely register his movements at times. Yuuto didn't stop there as he started attacking from various angles, retreating just before Takeshi's slashes or kicks could land on him.

"Your defenses and reaction time are looking better." Yuuto remarked with a grin as he locked weapons with Takeshi. "Not bad, Takeshi-kun."

"And you are as annoyingly agile as ever, Kiba-kun." Takeshi grimaced. "As expected of a Knight!"

Pushing Yuuto back and raising his axe high, Takeshi summoned as much ash as he could, spreading it over the area. A large amount of it surrounded him like a makeshift barrier, while several ash tendrils began chasing after Yuuto. Forming a Demonic Sword of water, Yuuto used it along with his Demonic Sword of wind to douse and scatter the ashes. Anything he couldn't counter, he evaded with his superior speed.

"How about this then!?"

Takeshi slammed the axe on the ground, expelling all the ashes outward. Yuuto crossed his swords to shield himself with a water and wind barrier as the ashes scattered. Before he could regain his bearings, Takeshi was upon him, his axe grinding against his swords for a moment before cutting through them.

Yuuto hastily summoned another blade, but a high kick from Takeshi sent him crashing to the ground. Just as he was about to knock the defenseless Yuuto out—a white blur smashed on him, sending him skidding backwards as he let out a cry of pain.

"Hey! What gives!?"

Takeshi shouted at his attacker, Koneko, who had taken a stance next to Yuuto.

"…Taking this spar up a notch." Koneko said. "Handling unexpected shifts in battle is a must."

"Maybe, but still…how is two against one fair!?" Takeshi complained. "Especially when you're both more experienced than me!? Is that even allowed, Akeno-san!?"

"Well, Koneko-chan does have a point, so I'll allow it." Akeno said while smiling. "We're doing this for your own good, Takeshi-kun. Definitely not because I want to see your disappointed and frustrated expression, ufufu…"

"Right…" Takeshi sighed as he brandished his weapon. "My chances aren't looking very good, but I'll at least make this extremely showy!"

Takeshi charged while summoning more ash to surround him, with Koneko and Yuuto stepping forward to meet him head-on. Yuuto maneuvered his wind-clad blade to get past Takeshi's ash barrier, clashing against Mayhem Striker. Once Yuuto pulled back, Koneko took his place, driving Takeshi back through a flurry of punches. At the same time, Yuuto used his Demonic Sword to keep scattering the ashes.

"Tch…!"

Takeshi grunted. Despite his efforts to counterattack, he found himself being pushed back by the combo of his two senior Devils. Gritting his teeth, he glared at his two opponents.

"Don't…underestimate me!"

An overwhelming amount of bloodlust and killing intent erupted from Takeshi, dark aura surrounding Mayhem Striker for a moment before vanishing. Yuuto and Koneko flinched, taking a few steps back by instinct as several ash tendrils struck their former positions at speeds faster than before. Not missing this chance, Takeshi willed the ashes to surround his right foot as he jumped up, spreading his Devil wings.

"Seiyaaaa!"

Takeshi shot forward like a bullet, his kick aimed at his two opponents. However, his aim was far from true, missing the two Devils by a wide margin as he sailed through the air.

"Wow, wow, where are the brakes!?"

Carried forward by his momentum and unable to control himself in time, the screaming Takeshi crashed into a nearby thicket, going through several trees before slamming face first on the trunk of a large one, letting out a pained groan as he slid on the ground.

"Damn it!" Takeshi grumbled, spitting out pieces of tree bark. "I was so sure I could get it right this time…"

"Are you alright, Takeshi-kun?" Yuuto asked with a concerned expression as he approached him, followed by Koneko, and offered him a hand. "That seemed like a nasty hit."

"Eh, I'm used to it by now." Takeshi said as he made a dismissive gesture at Yuuto and stood up on his own. "In order to create the perfect finishing move I envision, I can't be discouraged by this much."

"…Too bad the only thing it damages is you so far." Koneko pointed out, causing Takeshi to grimace. "Why a kick though?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Takeshi said with an expression full of fervor. "A powerful kick that destroys the opponent in a flashy explosion is the best! The mere thought of performing such a cool finisher one day gives me goosebumps!"

"…Chuuni Evil Dragon."

Koneko shook her head in exasperation while Yuuto chuckled.

"I think that's far enough for now." Akeno said as she surveyed the broken trees, gashes on the ground and burnt grass. "We've caused enough damage to the school grounds for one day."

"But the battle hasn't been settled yet!" Takeshi complained. "Matches with no clear result are the worst! Hell, outright losing is better than this!"

"I understand your feelings, but it's getting late and we have to prepare for today's requests." Akeno said. "It would reflect poorly on us if we appeared before our clients looking all ragged and beat-up."

"That doesn't mean much to me considering I've been stuck on flyer delivery duty ever since I joined this Peerage." Takeshi complained as the group started making their way back to the ORC clubroom. "How am I supposed to start raking in any achievements like this?"

"…Patience." Koneko said. "Once President settles things with the higher-ups, you'll be able to join us as well."

"She'd better come back soon." Takeshi said. "I haven't had many chances to try out the Pawn's Promotion in our spars so far. Needing the King's permission or having to be in enemy territory every time is such a pain. The enhanced strength and defense of a Rook are working alright, but I still need a lot more practice with the Knight's enhanced speed and the Bishop's heightened demonic power. The all-rounder Queen is a no-go for now."

"You've been handling yourself pretty well without it so far." Akeno said, but then frowned. "About your Sacred Gear, do you think you have a better grasp of its abilities?"

"Sort of." Takeshi frowned. "It's a bit difficult to accurately control the ashes and shape them exactly the way I wish. I had Nidhogg's help the first time I used it, but still… It feels like Mayhem Striker and I aren't synchronizing as well as we should…"

"Well…your control did seem to improve when you were angry." Yuuto spoke with some hesitation. "Perhaps…your mindset needs to be close to that of an Evil Dragon in order to draw out your Sacred Gear's full power?"

"Thinking like an Evil Dragon?" Takeshi rubbed his chin. "You might be on to something there, Kiba. Perhaps rage and bloodlust are needed to—"

"…Don't." Koneko grabbed Takeshi's sleeve, a frown on her face. "Don't go there, Senpai. That path will only bring ruin to yourself and those around you."

Takeshi didn't respond. While he understood Koneko's worries, drawing out and mastering his Sacred Gear's power was a necessary step for him to survive in the long run. If some sacrifices needed to be made or some collateral damage had to occur, would it really matter that much…?

Whoa, where did that come from?

"…Senpai?"

"…Sorry, lost myself in thought for a bit there." Takeshi rubbed his temple before turning to Koneko. "I'll…make sure to be careful."

"…Please do."

Once everyone stepped inside the clubroom, they were surprised to see Rias sitting on her desk.

"You're back already, President?"

"The matter was settled faster than I anticipated." Rias responded to Akeno's question with a smile. "I come bearing good news, everyone. Our higher-ups have decided to adopt a wait-and-see approach with you, Takeshi, meaning you can fully commit to your duties as a Devil from now on without restrictions."

"So…no more flyer duty?"

"No more flyer duty." Rias affirmed, with Takeshi letting out a relieved sigh. "Today, we'll get you started on contracts, something which you had been looking forward to."

"It's the only way I can make contributions that will make me eligible for a promotion after all, at least for now." Takeshi said. "Though I'm not sure I understand why contracts are necessary or how they benefit the Underworld."

"There are two major benefits to it." Rias said, lifting two fingers. "The first is the acquisition of extra demonic power. The magic circle drawn on the leaflets we pass around has a function that enables it to transform the user's desire into demonic power, which is then used to raise the upper limit of our demonic power pool. However, the increase is miniscule, to the point where one would need to fulfil contracts for at least a couple of millenniums to notice a significant increase in their abilities."

"Sounds like a waste of time." Takeshi said. "I guess that means the second reason is the main one."

"Spot on." Rias said. "By making contracts with humans in positions of power, we can expand and solidify our influence over the human world. This allows us to put pressure on people affiliated with the Church and the Grigori, giving us an edge over them."

"Of course, Low-class Devils like us aren't the ones who are summoned to deal with such humans." Akeno added from the side. "However, if one of our seemingly mundane clients ends up acquiring a high position in the future that can benefit us Devils as a whole, the contracted Devil also receives recognition and a higher estimation from the higher-ups, which in turn raises the chances for a promotion."

"So, you have to be extremely lucky to chance upon a human that will end up becoming someone important in the future and establish an early connection with them." Takeshi sighed. "My promotion seems to be getting further and further away… However, if controlling the most influential humans is so important, why don't we just place them under mind control or something?"

"That would be a violation of the unwritten law that we must respect mankind's free will." Rias said. "If every faction started mind controlling humans and using them as proxies, the whole world would spiral into chaos. Should a supernatural being subvert a human's will, every other faction has carte blanche to inflict whatever punishment they deem fit upon them."

"What if we were really sneaky about it?" Takeshi insisted. "Like, so sneaky that they wouldn't even notice it?"

"Still not worth it if you were found out, and you would be found out." Rias said. "Our enemies aren't so dumb that they wouldn't notice something was amiss if we resorted to such methods."

"Bummer."

"As for contracts, the process is really simple." Rias continued as she reached into one of her desk's drawers, pulling out a leaflet. "When humans have a wish they strongly desire to fulfil, the magic circle inscribed on the leaflet sends a signal to the magic circle here in the clubroom. After that, you head to the client's location by teleporting through the magic circle, grant their wish and receive your payment before coming back. Rinse and repeat. Easy, right?"

"At first glance, yeah." Takeshi said. "What about payment though? How is the appropriate amount determined?"

"Remember the portable device you use to locate humans with strong greed when passing the leaflets around?" Akeno said while holding up said device. "It also has a function that calculates the amount a client must pay to have their wish fulfilled by taking their value as a person into account. If they wish for something far beyond their capabilities, the wish cannot be granted, or it would require their life as payment, which makes it meaningless."

"No kidding." Takeshi said. "I think I got the gist of it. When do we start?"

"Right now." Rias said. "As per the ancient covenants between us and the Heaven folk, we can only operate during the night, so we make the most of it. Since Yuuto received two requests and one is from a first-timer, I'll leave that one to you, Takeshi. But first things first. Akeno, if you would?"

"Yes, President." Akeno turned to Takeshi. "Could you please stand on the middle of the magic circle, Takeshi-kun?"

Takeshi did as was asked, with Akeno raising her hands as blue and white light started coming out of the magic circle.

"Umm, this is…?"

"Akeno is preparing the magic circle to receive your personal seal." Rias said. "Put your palm towards me."

Takeshi raised his right arm towards Rias, with the crimson-haired girl using her finger to draw some sort of shape on his palm. Takeshi barely stifled a giggle, since the feeling of Rias's fingers was making him ticklish. Once she was done, his palm started glowing, with a symbol engraving itself on it.

"This is…what exactly?"

Takeshi asked while examining the seal on his palm, which vanished after a few seconds.

"Like Rias said before, this is your personal seal that is connected to our main teleportation magic circle." Akeno said. "Through it, you'll be able to teleport to the client's place and back here once you're done."

"Furthermore, once you obtain regular clients, the reaction from your personal seal will allow us to know they're asking for you specifically." Rias said. "Do you have any questions, Takeshi?"

"No, I'm all good." Takeshi said. "Let's get this show on the road."

"Will you be alright on your own, Takeshi-kun?" Yuuto asked. "It's your first contract after all. Perhaps you'd like one of us to come along with you?"

"Thanks, but I can handle it on my own." Takeshi said. "It wouldn't look good on me if I appeared with an escort."

"In that case, you're all set." Rias said with a smile. "You already have the manual for what to do after being summoned, so refer it if you encounter trouble."

"Will do, President!" Takeshi saluted with a grin. "Ryuugamine Takeshi, heading out!"

The magic circle's glow intensified, a multitude of lights surrounding Takeshi's body and forcing him to close his eyes due to the intense brightness. He then felt a tingling sensation all over his body, followed by a feeling of weightlessness. Takeshi assumed that the teleport had taken effect.

It would have been pretty embarrassing if for some reason I wasn't able to teleport.

Takeshi chuckled to himself as he felt his senses returning to him. Upon opening his eyes, he found himself in an unfamiliar room, with a young man a couple of years older than him standing across from him, an apprehensive look on his face.

"Erm…hello there…" The young man spoke in a hesitant tone. "Are you…the Devil I summoned…?"

"That's right." Takeshi said as he crossed his hands. "I'm a Devil belonging to the Gremory family. You have a wish you want to fulfil, right? Let's hear it then."

"Well…" The man fidgeted as he pointed towards a set of instruments in the corner of his room. "I've got an upcoming concert…and I'd like some help with practicing…"

Takeshi's expression was neutral at first, but then fell as a look of horror appeared on his face.

"Shit…"

"Takeshi-kun is running a bit late…" Akeno remarked with a troubled expression. "You think something went wrong?"

"There shouldn't be a problem since some contracts tend to drag on…but we should probably send someone to check up on him if he doesn't come back within the next hour or so." Rias said. "He does seem to have a tendency to get into trouble…"

At that moment, the magic circle shone, with Takeshi stepping out of it, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Ah, you're back." Rias smiled. "We were just talking about you. So, how did it go?"

"Eh…good, I guess?" Takeshi said in a reluctant manner as he put a guitar on the table. "This is the payment for the contract."

"Hmm, that's a good piece." Rias said as she looked it over once. "Akeno, sent it to the appraisers later. It might be an antique with some value."

"Of course, President."

"You seem a bit uncomfortable there, Takeshi." Rias said as she glanced at a leaflet that had just arrived on her desk via magic circle. "Anything you'd like to share with the rest of us?"

"I'm…not really sure what you're talking about?"

"As you should know, when a High-class Devil's servants fulfil a wish, the customer sends back a questionnaire filled with their opinion over said servant's performance." Rias said, tapping the leaflet on her desk. "However, this questionnaire…is quite incomprehensible to say the least. It's as if the client was scribbling on it instead of writing."

"Did something happen, Takeshi-kun? You don't have to feel embarrassed if you made a mistake. I botched a couple of contracts myself during my first months as a Devil."

"…Failure is the mother of success."

Yuuto and Koneko said in a supportive manner. Takeshi grimaced, opening and closing his mouth several times before speaking.

"The request… Well, let's say it wasn't…exactly up my alley."

"How so?" Rias raised an eyebrow at Takeshi's words. "Requests are screened beforehand and given to servant Devils according to their overall level, so it shouldn't have been something too difficult for you to do."

"In that case, you need a better screening system." Takeshi said. "If I knew the client wanted help with music practice, I wouldn't have stepped foot in the place even if my estimation got lowered."

"Why music specifically?" Rias pressed on. "Care to give us some more details?"

"…Alright, fine." Takeshi said after taking a deep breath. "The thing is…I'm not very good with anything music-related, whether it's instruments or singing. In my defense, I tried to warn the client, told him it was better if he waited for a bit while one of you guys did the request in my place. But no, he said it couldn't be that bad and it didn't matter if I couldn't sing or play that well. It didn't work out so well for him."

"How bad are you exactly?" Yuuto asked. "I admit, I'm kind of curious."

"Oh, trust me, you don't want to—"

"No, no, I'm also very curious." Rias interjected. "Why don't you sing something for us, Takeshi? I can't believe it until I hear it with my own ears."

"That's not—"

"Ara, ara, you can't say something like that and expect us to take it at face-value, Takeshi-kun." Akeno said. "We need some solid proof."

"…No resisting." Koneko added from the side. "We must know the truth."

Takeshi looked at the expectant faces of the ORC members before letting out a deep sigh.

"Your funeral." Takeshi shrugged. "Just remember, you brought this upon yourselves."

Clearing his throat once and closing his eyes, Takeshi began singing a popular pop song he had often heard in TV recently. After about a minute, he opened his eyes, only to see a surreal scene taking place in front of him.

Koneko had collapsed on the floor, her hands tightly clamped over her ears and her body twitching. Yuuto had frozen on the spot with a horrified look on his face, while Akeno had an expression that could only be described as half-pained, half-aroused. As for Rias, she seemed as impassive as ever, but upon closer inspection, one could see that her trembling fingers had dug themselves into her desk.

"That was…beyond horrifying…" Rias eventually said after a few seconds with a shaky voice. "I don't believe I've heard a viler sound in my whole life…"

"No kidding." Yuuto said with a grimace as he collapsed on the couch, rubbing his ears. "If we could weaponize Takeshi-kun's voice, we'd have a weapon of mass destruction in our hands… No wonder the client's writing on the questionnaire is so messy. My whole body is still shaking from this."

"You were warned." Takeshi said. "I told you I was bad at this."

"…Bad…doesn't even begin to cover it." Koneko said as she got up unsteadily, glaring at Takeshi. "Is this the Evil Dragons' power as well?"

"I…don't think so?" Takeshi said with an uncertain expression. "I've always been bad at singing for as long as I can remember. Same thing with instruments. Would like a demonstration for that as well?"

[No!]

Everyone screamed together.

"Good, you're learning." Takeshi grinned, and then turned to Rias. "That's why, don't send me out for any music-related requests in the future please."

"I'll make sure to keep that well in mind." Rias said, but then frowned. "Still though, why did the client give you payment? For all intents and purposes, you failed to complete the contract. Was he that desperate to get you to leave?"

"Actually…I kind of threatened him to pay."

Takeshi admitted with a sheepish expression, prompting Rias to scowl at him.

"Excuse me? You did what?"

"Oh, come on!" Takeshi complained. "Like Hell I was just going to walk out of there while getting cheated out of my reward! I did warn him about what would happen, and yet he refused to listen! The fault was his, so he should at least pay me for the trouble of showing up instead of trying to weasel out of it! Hell, he's lucky I didn't charge for more!"

"And you thought threatening him was the way to go?" Rias rubbed her temples with an exasperated expression on her face. "Didn't you pay attention to what we discussed earlier about subverting a person's free will? Forcing a client to pay under duress is also included in that."

"If we Devils went around threatening clients, and then said clients ran to the Church or some other faction for aid, we would no longer be protected by the non-aggression pacts." Akeno continued. "They would be free to retaliate against us and we wouldn't be able to count on the Underworld's support. Although they probably wouldn't resort to violence, they would still ask for reparations that might jeopardize our presence in this territory."

"Oh…" Takeshi grimaced. "Yeah, in hindsight, that was a bad move."

"Quite." Rias said as she stood up. "I will head over to the client's place and apologize, along with returning the payment. Akeno, I'm leaving it to you to oversee the contracts until I get back. Takeshi, I trust you won't repeat this mistake again, and that you'll always be on your best behavior no matter what from now on."

"You got it, President." Takeshi said. "Although, I don't know if the client will want the guitar back. He mumbled something about giving up music altogether and not wanting to touch an instrument again after witnessing the depths and horrors of its abyss or something like that."

"Why am I not surprised…?" Rias sighed. "Regardless, I must still apologize for this misconduct. I'll be back as quickly as possible."

Once Rias was gone, Akeno turned to the rest of the peerage.

"Don't just stand there, everyone." Akeno clapped her hands. "The night is still young and we still have a lot of contracts that need fulfilling. Let's get back to work!"

[Yes!]

Everyone responded together before rushing to the magic circle.

"Very good job, Devil-san. A couple more trees and we're done for the night."

"Got it, Tanaka-san."

Takeshi nodded as he swung Mayhem Striker, felling another tree with a single strike. Upon seeing that, his current client, a burly middle-aged man with messy brown hair and his right arm in a sling, nodded with a satisfied expression as he spoke.

"No matter how many times I see this, it never stops beings impressive. With my broken arm, I'd never have been able to finish this in time. Hell, even if I was at one hundred percent, I wouldn't be able to work that fast. You're a lifesaver, young man. Heh, never thought I'd say that to a Devil of all people."

"Never thought I'd end up being one myself…"

Takeshi muttered while chuckling. He was currently at the forest area outside Kuoh Town, aiding his current client, a woodcutter who had been in an accident, to finish his quota before his deadline. Thanks to his enhanced strength and Mayhem Striker's unparalleled cutting power, which far surpassed that of human-made tools and weapons, he had made quick progress with little effort.

About a week had passed after his disastrous first contract, and so far, everything had been working out well for Takeshi. He had successfully completed several contracts with no issues, apart from the fact that his clients were usually wary of him, much to Rias's satisfaction.

The only thing that surprised him was how incredibly mundane the requests themselves were. They ran the gamut from helping with repairing someone's roof to watching someone's kids to requesting for advice about a love confession. Takeshi was half-expecting people who would ask about wealth, eternal youth, destroying their enemies, a harem or some other nonsense like that, so he was a bit disillusioned at how much this seemed like a part-time job compared to what he had imagined.

No wonder promotion through contracts alone is so difficult.

As Rias had told him before, there were three ways for a Devil to be promoted to a higher rank. The first one was through contracts, the second was through exemplary performance in the Rating Games, a game which pitted two High-class Devils' Peerages against each other, and the third was through military achievements.

Since Rias was still young by Devil standards, she wasn't eligible to participate in official Rating Games yet and wouldn't be until she graduated from university at the earliest. The third option was out as well since there hadn't been any major conflicts with rival factions for several centuries. That only left contracts, a time-consuming and not that rewarding of a process unless one got lucky.

No other choice but to be patient. Takeshi thought. No-one said this was going to be easy. Going from Low-class to Middle-class Devil could take years, not to mention High-class and Ultimate-class. Still, it's not like I have all the time in the world…

Distracted by his thoughts, Takeshi swung his axe a bit too hard, with a crescent-shaped wave of ash shooting out of it and severing four trees in succession, which fell down with a resounding sound.

"Woah there!" Tanaka exclaimed. "That's a little too much!"

"Sorry!" Takeshi grimaced. "My power kind of…surged a bit there."

"It's alright, no harm done." Tanaka made a placating gesture. "A couple of trees more is no big deal. Now, if you could just split them into smaller pieces and load them in the truck…"

"On it."

Takeshi nodded. Just as he had finished this work, he frowned as he felt an energy pulse of some sort coming from within the forest.

This is…energy of supernatural origin?

"What's wrong, young man?" Tanaka peered at Takeshi's face with a curious expression. "Is there something bothering you?"

Before Takeshi could respond, rumbling and sounds reminiscent of weapons clashing could be heard coming from the same direction as the waves of aura.

"Tanaka-san, I think you'd better get out of here as quickly as possible." Takeshi narrowed his eyes. "Things might get messy."

"But what about the payment—"

"Leave that for another time." Takeshi insisted. "Get in your truck and drive away as fast as you can without looking back. Trust me, you don't want to be anywhere near this place if this is what I think it is."

Alarmed by the urgency in Takeshi's voice, Tanaka did as he requested. Once he was sure his client had left the area, he unfurled his wings and took flight towards the direction of the presumed fighting.

"OK, maybe it's not as bad as I think." Takeshi told himself. "Maybe it's just the Sitri Peerage practicing outside…in the middle of the night…when they're supposed to be performing contracts like us… Or maybe I'm just escaping from reality and this is indeed a battle…"

A small pillar of thunder erupted in the distance as if to shatter Takeshi's faint hopes.

"…Yeah, moving that up to a hard probably."

After a few more seconds of flying, Takeshi arrived at the area of the forest where the fight was taking place. Straining his eyes while thanking the Devils' creator for the enhanced senses and strength boost they received during nighttime, he could make out two groups clashing.

The first one was comprised of what appeared to be bird-like individuals with crow heads and tall, muscular humanoids with brownish skin and horns growing from their foreheads. They were seemingly led by a humanoid dog-like creature surrounded by clouds with lightning crackling through them and a young man whose head was hovering above his neck that was swinging a katana.

The other group was comprised of oversized ogre-like creatures with savage features and horns protruding from their foreheads that held spiked clubs in their muscular hands. They looked somewhat similar to the horned individuals from the first group, but wilder and more unkempt.

"This is…Karasu-Tengu and Oni led by a Raiju and a Nukekubi fighting against another group of Oni?" Takeshi frowned. "What are Youkai doing here in Kuoh? I thought they usually don't approach our territory. No, that's not important now. The problem is I don't know who the good guys and the bad guys are."

Takeshi grimaced as he looked from one group to the other with a conflicted look on his face.

"Logic dictates that the savage-looking Oni are the villains here." Takeshi reasoned. "Still, Devils are supposed to be creatures of pure evil, and that's not exactly the case… Argh, should I just wipe them all out and sort the corpses later?"

Before he had time to be disturbed by the direction his thoughts were taking, one of the wild-looking Oni swung its club, striking the Nukekubi in its leg. The Youkai fell down, and before anyone from his side could come to his aid, a couple of Oni were upon him, smashing him into a grease spot along with his floating head while cackling maniacally.

"OK, the odds of the savage-looking Oni side being the villains just went up substantially." Takeshi said as he readied Mayhem Striker. "If I'm wrong, I'll apologize to you in the next life!"

Takeshi raised his axe high as he performed a sharp dive, splitting a charging Oni in half before it even had a chance to realize what had happened. Another tried to smash him with his club, but Takeshi swung his axe again. A wave of condensed ashes erupted from it, slashing the Oni's arm off before clogging its mouth, nose and eyes. The Oni writhed on the ground for a few seconds before suffocating.

The response time and control are better. Takeshi thought. This thing really behaves differently in life-or-death situations.

"You are…who exactly?"

The one who asked that was the Raiju, prompting Takeshi to smirk.

"An ally, I guess? You're the good guys, right? Please don't tell me that I just offed a couple of actual good guys?"

"Of course, we're the good guys!" A girl not much older than him, with black haired tied in a side ponytail, violet eyes, pale skin and two horns protruding from her forehead, exclaimed with an outraged expression. "What sort of imbecile doesn't know that these brutes we're facing are vile creatures of Yomi and servants of the Evil Goddess Izanami!?"

"Someone who hasn't been a part of all this for very long." Takeshi said as he pointed his axe at the Oni. "However, this clears things up a bit. Since you're dangerous, then you'll be eliminated without fail!"

The Oni growled and raised their weapons. But at that moment—

"Stop. We can't waste any more time with them."

A young man with messy red hair, crimson eyes, pale skin and a pair of horns growing from his forehead, who also held a spiked club almost as tall as he was, said so. Before Takeshi or the rest of the Youkai could react, the youth slammed his club on the ground, with a crimson mist flowing out of the fissures and obscuring the Oni.

"Wait, Hisaya!"

"You won't escape, you murderer!"

The Raiju and the female Oni rushed forward, but weren't fast enough as the enemy Oni had disappeared. Muttering a curse, the Raiju turned to the rest of his compatriots.

"You four, scout the area." The Raiju pointed at four Karasu-Tengu. "They can't have gone too far."

[Yes!]

Once the Karasu-Tengu had taken off, the Raiju turned to Takeshi.

"My name is Kumowatari, a part of the Kanto Youkai Faction working directly under Nurarihyon-sama. First of all, you have my gratitude for your assistance. But…"

Kumowatari gestured at the Youkai behind him, who raised their weapons and pointed them at Takeshi.

"You say you're grateful, but you've got a really weird way of showing it." Takeshi let out a lopsided smile as he brandished his axe. "What gives?"

"Do you take us for fools?" The female Oni said, a resentful look in her violet eyes. "There's no mistaking that malicious aura, that disgusting ki and that Sacred Gear. You're this generation's Evil Dragon User! Moreover…"

With tears running down her eyes, the girl pointed at the spot where her companion had been smashed to death by the Oni.

"I sensed your ki from above a while back! Why didn't you act sooner!? You could have saved Suguru, yet you stood by and did nothing until it was too late for him! Was the sight of us desperately fighting for our lives so enjoyable, you vile creature!?"

"Hey, easy there, girl." Takeshi said. "Like I said, I wasn't sure which side was on the right. That's what I was trying to figure out while hovering above you. Judging from your attitude though, maybe I should have helped those evil-looking Oni after all!"

"Don't you dare—!"

"Easy there, Chiharu." Kumowatari made a placating gesture before turning to Takeshi. "You say you're new to our world, but you should be aware of what being the Evil Dragon User means. You're inherently a creature of evil, meaning there's a chance you're collaborating with Hisaya and his gang, and that all this is an elaborate ruse. That is something we cannot afford, especially since our mission is of vital importance."

As the Youkai took another step forward, Takeshi was struck with the impulse to charge at them, slaughter them and be done with it. Mayhem Striker was enveloped by a dark aura as if responding to his surge of bloodlust. With great difficulty, he forced this instinct down as he spoke.

"That's all very interesting, but I wouldn't make any hasty moves if I were you. Especially if you don't want to cause a diplomatic incident with the Devils and the Underworld."

"Nice bluff, but it isn't going to work." Chiharu said as she brandished her club. "Die!"

Chiharu attempted to charge at Takeshi, only to be stopped by Kumowatari, who grabbed her hand.

"Why are you stopping me, Kumowatari!?" Chiharu shouted. "Don't tell me you're falling for his lies!"

"No, I'm not sure he's lying." Kumowatari frowned. "Your ki signature…I didn't notice it before, but there's the aura of a Devil mixed in with your draconic aura. Don't tell me…you're a Devil servant?"

"That's right." Takeshi said. "I'm a member of Rias Gremory's Peerage, which operates in Kuoh Town and the surrounding area. As such, you can't attack me willy-nilly unless you want the relationship between your faction and the Underworld to sour."

"There's actually a Devil crazy enough to recruit the Evil Dragon User…" Kumowatari muttered. "I'm not sure I'd ever like to meet your master."

"Your loss considering she's one of the kindest Devils I've ever met…which doesn't say much considering I haven't exactly met a ton of them." Takeshi admitted. "With that out of the way, mind telling me what exactly happened here? Why were you fighting these Oni? Should we be concerned about them as well?"

"I'm afraid I cannot divulge details about our mission since it's a delicate matter." Kumowatari said. "But I can assure you these brutes won't trouble you any further. We've been chasing them for some time, and our pursuit simply brought us into Devil territory as it seems. Once we pick up their trail again, we will also leave this area."

"That's good to hear." Takeshi said. "So, uh…until you locate them again, perhaps I can talk to my master and have her arrange accommodations for you? Some of you seem exhausted and battered."

"We don't need charity from scum like—"

"What my loud-mouthed colleague means to say is that we are grateful for your consideration." Kumowatari hastily replied, clamping his hand over the fuming Chiharu's mouth. "However, that won't be necessary. We can take care ourselves, and even if we couldn't, you're still not someone to be trusted so easily. That goes for your fellow Devils as well. Now, if you'll excuse us."

Kumowatari made a small bow as he turned around, with his Youkai squad following suit. Chiharu gave Takeshi the stink eye and stuck her tongue out at him before following after the retreating Youkai. Takeshi was sorely tempted to throw something at her, preferably Mayhem Striker, but suppressed the impulse once again.

"That was pleasant." Takeshi remarked. "Good thing we didn't come to blows at least. President wasn't kidding when she said Evil Dragon Users are feared and despised throughout the supernatural world. Speaking of which…"

Conjuring a communication magic circle, Takeshi connected it to the ORC's clubroom. Although manipulating his demonic power was still difficult for him, he could at least perform the most rudimentary of skills with varying degrees of success.

"President, can you hear me? It's Takeshi."

[…Takeshi?] Rias's voice was heard coming from the magic circle. [Is everything alright? Did something happen with the contract?]

"Not with the contract, but I did have an unexpected encounter with two rival groups of Youkai that I think you'd be interested in." Takeshi said. "Could you gather the rest of the Peerage as well? I believe everyone should hear this."

[Youkai, you say?] Rias said. [That's definitely something worth noting. Get back to the clubroom as soon as possible. I'll tell the others to join us once they're done with their current contracts.]

"Will do. See you in a bit."

Once the magic circle disappeared, Takeshi turned around to gaze at the battlefield once more.

"I hope I'm overthinking things…but I can't help but be anxious. I have a nasty feeling that this isn't the end of this incident."

Takeshi remarked as he conjured a teleportation magic circle. Before steeping into it, he gazed at the spot where the Nukekubi had been killed.

"…I'm sorry."

Takeshi muttered with a downcast expression and he stepped into the magic circle, vanishing from the forest in a flash of light.

This concludes Chapter 5. First, in response to your questions.

—To Guest (1): Vritra is a bit of an odd case as both an Evil Dragon and a Dragon King. However, in DxD's world, he's not as notorious or savage as Crom Cruach and the others, which is why he's treated differently.

—To Guest (2): Regarding Takeshi being reborn by Ophis, that's something I can't go into details about since it involves spoilers for latter arcs. You'll just have to be patient.

With this chapter, we start a new arc. Like I said in the previous chapter, this will also be an original one before we start moving into the altered first arc of canon. Regarding the Youkai that appeared here, almost all of them are original characters apart from the Raiju Kumowatari. That fellow briefly appeared in DX2 in the Hyakki Yako and Pandemonium short story.

Well, that's all for now. As always, please read, review, and most of all, enjoy!

See you all next time!