The rest of the school day dragged on with excruciating slowness. By the time the final bell rang, I had brainstormed and discarded a dozen different approaches for my meeting with Rias. In the end, I decided to play it straight, keep the conversation focused on business, and avoid making any commitments.
As promised, Rias was waiting at the school gates, the evening sun setting her crimson hair ablaze. She stood alone, which surprised me—I'd half expected her entire entourage nearby.
"Mishima-kun," she greeted with a smile. "Thank you for meeting with me."
"Gremory-senpai," I nodded in return. "Where would you like to discuss business?"
"There's a nice café just a few blocks from here. Quiet, private booths. Perfect for our conversation."
"Lead the way," I said, careful to keep my expression neutral.
As we walked, I noticed the stares following us. It was like moving through a sea of jealousy and admiration. Rias either didn't notice or was so used to it that she didn't react.
"They certainly seem interested in us," Rias observed, glancing around.
I shrugged. "People will talk. It doesn't matter."
She looked at me curiously. "Most would either enjoy that kind of attention or actively avoid it."
"I've got bigger concerns than high school gossip," I replied simply.
"Besides, I prefer to keep a lower profile."
"Hard to do when you're the mysterious, handsome transfer student who also happens to be heir to one of world's largest corporations," she pointed out with amusement.
I sighed. "When you put it that way, it sounds like I'm in some kind of shoujo manga."
"Or a light novel," she added with a smile. "The transfer student with a secret past who catches the eye of the school's most popular girl."
If only she knew just how accurate that description was.
The café she led me to was quiet and private—a small, elegant establishment with dark wood furnishings and soft lighting. The host recognized Rias immediately, bowing deeply before leading us to a secluded booth in the back.
"You come here often?" I asked after we ordered tea.
"It's one of my favorites," she admitted. "They make excellent Earl Grey and don't mind if I stay for hours reading."
I studied her as she spoke, looking for any tell-tale signs of her true nature. Nothing obvious—no slipped demonic aura, no glowing eyes. Just a beautiful girl talking about tea. She played human flawlessly.
Our tea arrived, and Rias took a delicate sip before getting down to business.
"So, about why I wanted to meet," she began, setting her cup down. "I've been watching your partnership with the Shitori family with interest."
I bet she had. Two devil heiresses competing for the same human resource? I kept my face carefully blank.
"It's been a productive collaboration," I replied neutrally. "The first hospital breaks ground next month."
"Impressive pace," she nodded. "The Gremory Enterprise has been looking to expand our business relationships in Japan. We're interested in forming a similar partnership with Mishima Corporation."
"In what capacity?" I asked, cutting to the chase.
Rias smiled. "Luxury real estate, primarily. My family's conglomerate specializes in high-end properties, entertainment venues, and exclusive tourism experiences across Europe. We're looking to establish a stronger presence in the Asian market."
"I'm familiar with Gremory Enterprise," I said, meeting her gaze directly. "Your family's properties are certainly... impressive."
And likely built with devil magic and supernatural influence, I added mentally.
"Thank you," she replied, clearly pleased I knew of their business. "We believe a joint venture combining Mishima's technological innovation with our luxury expertise could be quite profitable."
"I appreciate the offer," I said, maintaining eye contact, "but I'm not interested in pursuing a partnership at this time."
Rias's smile froze mid-curve. Her teacup stopped halfway to her lips, suspended in air for a heartbeat too long. Those blue eyes blinked once, twice, the pupils dilating slightly in surprise.
"I..." Her voice trailed off as she set down her cup with a small clink against the saucer.
My refusal had genuinely caught her off-guard. I fought back a smile at the small crack in her perfect composure.
"May I ask why?" she finally managed, a touch of pink creeping up her neck.
Something tugged at the corner of my chest as I watched her struggle to recompose herself.
"Strategic direction," I replied simply. "The luxury market isn't where Mishima is focusing our resources right now. And frankly, your business model doesn't align with our current standards."
I left unsaid that I suspected much of their "success" came from supernatural influence rather than actual business acumen.
Rias tucked a strand of crimson hair behind her ear, her competitive spirit visibly rekindling. "Perhaps I haven't properly conveyed the benefits of this partnership. The Gremory name carries significant weight in certain circles, and our clientele—"
"Is exclusive, I'm sure," I cut in gently. "But my decision stands."
Her eyes narrowed slightly, determination replacing the momentary vulnerability. It was fascinating watching her cycle through emotions so quickly—surprise, embarrassment, determination—all genuine, all displayed on her face with an openness I hadn't expected from a devil.
"You're not what I expected, Mishima-kun," she said finally, studying me with renewed interest.
"I get that a lot."
The laugh that escaped her transformed her face entirely—eyes crinkling at the corners, dimples appearing on cheeks slightly flushed from our exchange.
"I can see why Sona speaks highly of you," she said, leaning forward slightly, emphasizing her impressive 'assets'. "Most business heirs your age would jump at a chance to partner with my family's enterprise."
"I'm not most heirs," I said simply, while sipping my tea.
"No, you certainly aren't." Something in her tone shifted, became more... appraising. "Perhaps I should consider a different approach—"
"I apologize for my rudeness, Gremory Senpai, but the Mishima Corporation is just not interested," I interrupted her.
Rias fell silent, then she leaned forward, her eyes flashing with determination. "I don't often take no for an answer, Mishima-kun. Our partnership could be... beneficial in ways you haven't considered."
A subtle pressure settled around us—the air growing heavy, a faint reddish glow reflecting in her blue eyes. I felt her demonic power wash over me, an invisible current designed to bend my will toward hers.
To simply make me say "yes."
"Perhaps you should reconsider," she said softly, her voice taking on a hypnotic quality.
I stared back at her, unaffected. The manipulation slid off me like water on glass, repelled by the dragon's blood coursing through my veins.
And something inside me snapped.
This devil—this creature who wore the face of a schoolgirl—had just tried to strip away my free will. To control me like a puppet. To make me dance to her tune without a second thought.
White-hot rage flooded my system. Not the fleeting irritation I'd felt with Azazel or the annoyance of dealing with supernatural politics. No, this was something more, a primal fury—a volcanic pressure building beneath my skin, demanding release.
"Did you just try to use your power on me?" My voice came out quiet, dangerously calm, belying the inferno raging inside.
—
Rias leaned forward, her eyes flashing with determination. "I don't often take no for an answer, Mishima-kun. Our partnership could be... beneficial in ways you haven't considered."
She released a subtle pulse of her power, just enough to influence a human mind. Nothing that would harm him, simply a gentle nudge that had worked countless times on business associates. Humans were so easy to persuade with just a touch of demonic influence.
"Perhaps you should reconsider," she said softly, infusing her voice with gentle compulsion.
Leon Mishima stared back at her, completely unaffected. The manipulation that should have worked on any normal human slid off him like water on glass.
"Did you just try to use your power on me?" His voice came out quiet, dangerously calm.
Her eyes widened in shock—first at the failure of her compulsion, then at being called out. But how? He was human. Her brother had personally assured her that all background checks on the Mishima heir showed nothing supernatural. Her brother wouldn't miss something like this.
Her eyes widened in shock, first at the failure of her compulsion, then at being called out.
The temperature in the café dropped several degrees.
Rias Gremory froze, her body instinctively reacting to the sudden shift in the atmosphere. The polite, composed business heir across from her had vanished, replaced by something... else.
The table between them trembled. The teacups rattled against their saucers. A hairline crack appeared in the window beside their booth.
Golden light pulsed beneath Leon's skin, bleeding through in erratic flashes. The air around him shimmered with heat, distorting like a mirage. His eyes flared with a power she recognized immediately.
Dragon.
Impossible. Yet undeniable.
From the moment Sona had mentioned the Mishima heir, Rias had been intrigued. "Intelligent and business-savvy," Sona had said. "Unnervingly perceptive. Someone to watch." Coming from Sona, such words were practically effusive praise.
The school rumors painted him as aloof, mysterious—the untouchable prince. Girls whispered about his striking looks and quiet confidence. Boys grumbled about his effortless academic excellence and apparent indifference to his own popularity.
Nothing in those stories had prepared her for this.
Her devil instincts screamed danger. In her life, few presences had ever evoked such primal fear in her. Being one of them, her brother.
"You dare?" Leon's voice resonated oddly, as if another, deeper voice echoed beneath his own. "You would try to manipulate me? Control me? As if I were some mindless pawn in your game?"
The glass of water on their table began to boil. The leather of the booth where his fingers gripped began to smoke.
Rias's hand trembled as she reached toward him, desperate to defuse the situation. "Mishima-kun, I—"
"Do not speak." Each word carried weight, pressing down like physical force.
Rias's throat constricted, not from magic, but from pure instinctive submission in the face of a greater predator. She, a high-class devil, heiress of the Gremory clan, found herself pressing back against the booth, unable to maintain her usual composure.
How had she missed this? How had everyone missed this? A being with draconic essence walking the halls of Kuoh, sitting in classes, partnering with Sona—all while hiding power that rivaled some of the strongest creatures in the underworld.
She'd assumed he was human. Perhaps with a useful Sacred Gear she could add to her peerage, or business connections she could leverage. Just another piece to collect.
What a catastrophic miscalculation.
Other patrons in the café had begun to notice something wrong. A waiter stood paralyzed halfway to their table, confusion and fear battling on his face.
Leon closed his eyes. Inhale. Exhale.
With visible effort, he began pulling the power back in. The air around him gradually settled. The golden light faded from his skin. The trembling ceased.
When he opened his eyes again, they were human once more, though the cold fury remained.
"I believe our business is concluded," he said tightly, control restored but anger still evident in every tense line of his body. "Don't ever try that again."
"What are you?" she whispered, unable to contain the question.
Leon stood, dropping money on the table. "Someone you shouldn't have underestimated."
As he walked away, Rias remained frozen in place, her mind racing to recalibrate everything she thought she knew. Leon Mishima was no ordinary human. Not a Sacred Gear user to be recruited. He was something ancient and powerful, something that had hidden in plain sight.
Something that now knew exactly what she was.
Rias Gremory had made many mistakes in her life. But this—underestimating Leon Mishima—might prove to be her most dangerous error yet.
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Hey! I just released a new My Hero Academia fanfic. Check it out if you're interested, and let me know what you think!
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