Grayfia continued waiting in perfect silence.
Seconds stretched into minutes.
Ren remained exactly where he was, posture relaxed, eyes fixed on her without the slightest sign of discomfort.
The oppressive cold of her ice power filled the room, yet he showed no reaction at all.
Eventually, something clicked in Grayfia’s mind.
There was no magical energy surrounding his body.
None.
The cold simply wasn’t affecting him because he wasn’t resisting it with power he was ignoring it entirely.
‘…He’s not using magic.’
Ren noticed the subtle shift in her expression.
A faint, knowing grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.
“Figured it out yet?”
He stood, walked over to the tea Akeno had prepared earlier, and casually picked up the cup.
The moment his fingers touched the porcelain, the liquid inside began to heat.
Steam rose almost immediately.
As he turned and walked back to his seat, the effect spread.
The frost coating the walls and furniture melted in waves.
Residual moisture evaporated into the air until the entire room felt dry and warm again.
Grayfia’s eyes widened.
He had countered her ice domain with nothing more than proximity and casual intent.
Ren sat back down, completely at ease, and took a slow sip.
“I feel like I’ve already told you everything,” he said, “besides the fact that I’m not a threat.
But if you were smart, I think you would’ve figured that out by now.”
In the space of a single blink, Grayfia’s perception failed her.
To her eyes he was still seated across the room.
Yet when her senses caught up, he was already sitting right beside her, calmly drinking his tea as if he had been there the entire time.
She immediately leaped backward, putting distance between them.
‘ When did he move?!’
Ren vanished again.
This time she felt the disturbance directly beneath her.
He was crouched under the hem of her long dress, eyes staring upward without shame.
The elegant white lingerie set she wore underneath was fully visible to him.
‘ Man,’ he thought, ‘ Sirzechs, you lucky fucker.’
“There’s nothing stopping me from ending your life, Grayfia,” he muttered from inside the fabric.
A deep blush flared across her cheeks.
She jumped away once more, this time with genuine anger flashing in her eyes.
In an instant, multiple crimson magic circles bloomed around Ren, locking onto him from every direction.
“If you try to move again,” she said, voice cold and sharp, “I’ll turn you into ash.”
Ren tilted his head slightly.
“You said you wouldn’t attack me though—”
While the words were still leaving his mouth he was already gone from the center of the circles.
He reappeared directly beside her, one arm sliding firmly around her waist.
“Grayfia.”
She tried to push him away.
He only pulled her closer until their faces were mere inches apart.
His voice dropped, quiet but absolute.
Grayfia’s face burned.
The professional mask she always wore cracked under the proximity and the sheer casual dominance of the moment.
Ren’s smirk widened as he watched the uncontrollable flush spread.
“Cute.”
He released her without another word, finished the last of his tea in one smooth motion, and walked toward the door.
Pausing with his hand on the handle, he glanced back over his shoulder.
“See you.”
The reinforced barrier sealing the room shattered the instant he stepped through.
Outside, Rias and Sona stood waiting, both tense.
The moment they saw him emerge completely unharmed, the tension drained from their shoulders in shared, quiet relief.
“Nothing happened,” Ren said simply.
“I’ll see you guys later.”
He gave Rias and Sona a small wave and kept walking, hands in his pockets, as if the entire confrontation with Grayfia had been nothing more than a mildly interesting conversation.
Further down the hallway he came across Akeno and Tsubaki standing together in quiet discussion.
Both girls looked up as he approached.
Without breaking stride or offering any warning, Ren stopped directly in front of them, reached out with both hands, and firmly squeezed their asses at the same time.
Akeno’s eyes widened for a split second before a soft, delighted giggle escaped her.
A warm blush spread across her cheeks, though she made no move to pull away.
Tsubaki’s reaction was sharper, her composed expression cracked as a deep flush rose to her face, ears faintly pink, but she too remained still under his grip.
Ren gave one last, deliberate squeeze, then released them.
“I’ll see you both some other time,” he said with an easy smile.
Then he continued on his way, leaving the two girls standing there in the hallway, still flushed, as he headed back toward the main school building.
…
After that, Grayfia eventually left without saying much more.
She didn’t explain what had happened inside the ORC room, nor did she give Rias or Sona any indication of what had been discussed.
Which, naturally, only made them even more curious.
Rias immediately tried asking a few questions, but Grayfia simply gave her a calm look before leaving with the same composed expression she had arrived with.
Ren didn’t say anything either.
He wasn’t planning on telling them.
Just as Kuroka had said, members of the Vatican would soon be coming to Kuoh to investigate everything that had been happening over the past few years.
…
Saturday eventually arrived.
Ren was sitting outside a 7/11 with Rias, casually eating a cup of noodles while enjoying the weekend weather.
Rias sat beside him with a much more expensive-looking meal, courtesy of her familiar, who had apparently been tasked with bringing her steak.
Ren glanced at her plate before looking down at his noodles.
“Try some.
I’m telling you, it’ll change your life.”
Rias immediately shook her head.
“The only noodles I eat are from high-end restaurants.”
Ren stared at her for a second before laughing.
“You’re really missing out.”
“Trust me, I’m not.” She chuckled as she took another bite of her steak, looking completely satisfied with her decision.
Ren simply shook his head and continued eating.
The two continued talking casually, eventually moving closer together as they walked around the area.
At some point, Rias slipped her arm around his, resting comfortably against him as they continued their conversation.
“So tell me about the system you guys have again,” Ren said.
“I still don’t completely understand it.”
“Okay.
But I’m not telling you again after this.”
She paused, gathering her thoughts before explaining.
“For thousands of years, the major factions fought across Heaven, Earth, and the Underworld.
It wasn’t simply a war over borders or politics.
It was essentially a war of mutual extermination.”
She raised one finger.
“The Angels fought to purge the world of demonic beings and maintain the absolute law of the Biblical God.”
A second finger followed.
“The Devils fought to overthrow Heaven, spread darkness, and expand their territory throughout the Underworld.”
Then a third.
“And the Fallen Angels fought for their own interests.
Independence, military power, research…
They weren’t exactly interested in serving either side.”
Ren nodded slowly as he listened.
“So basically, everybody hated everybody.”
Rias laughed softly.
“That’s a very simple way of putting it, but…
yes.”
She looked ahead.
“Thankfully, we’re currently living in a peaceful era.
The major factions aren’t openly fighting anymore, but that doesn’t mean we suddenly became friends.”
“Cool” Ren took another bite of his noodles before glancing toward her.
“And you’re the heiress to the Gremory household, right?
A noble Devil family in the Underworld?”
Rias nodded.
“Yes.”
Ren looked at her expensive clothes, the steak beside her, and the way she casually had a familiar bring her food whenever she wanted.
“No wonder you’re balling.”
Rias blinked.”Balling?”
“Oh, it means rich.” Ren nodded thoughtfully.
“Guess I’m never paying for dates again.”
Rias immediately frowned.”You never have.” She turned toward him, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.
“It’s almost as if you always knew.”
Ren paused with his noodles halfway to his mouth.
Then he slowly lowered them.
“Well, I knew you guys were rich.
I just didn’t know you were supernatural Devils from another realm.”
Rias continued staring at him.
“Until last year.”
She hummed quietly, still studying his expression.
Ren simply smiled and continued eating.
‘Yeah.
I’m never telling them I’m from another world.’ That was one secret he intended to keep.
No matter how close they became.
TO BE CONTINUED
[A/N: “Enjoying the story?
Peace