System Log — Task Sequence Initiated
The sun dipped low behind Kuoh Academy, staining the skies a deep orange-red as the school emptied. The last of the students trickled out in laughter and casual chatter, unaware that in the shadows of their mundane world, powers far older and greater stirred.
Issei Hyoudou stood before the door of the Occult Research Club, his fingers brushing the sigil etched into the wood—a crimson bat-winged rose. Something ancient pulsed behind it. Magic. Authority. Bloodlines.
He exhaled slowly and knocked.
The door opened without sound, revealing the club's familiar warmth. Antique furniture rested atop rich rugs, the scent of tea mingled with parchment and incense, and golden evening light spilled in through stained-glass windows. Power hummed here, subtle but oppressive—an undercurrent like a heartbeat.
Behind her desk, Rias Gremory looked up, eyes gleaming with soft approval. Her crimson hair fell around her like velvet fire, and her presence—undeniable.
"You came," she said, her voice velvet and command all at once. "Good. Come in."
"Would I miss an invitation from the most beautiful girl in school?" Issei answered with a grin, stepping inside.
Across the room, Akeno smiled from behind a silver tea set, her eyes teasing. "Flattery already? You're improving, Issei-kun. Tea?"
"Please."
Kiba nodded from the couch, and Koneko sat silently near the bookshelf, her golden gaze fixed on him. She squinted slightly, nose twitching.
Before Issei could sit, she rose without a word.
Crossing the room in a single, graceful step, Koneko stopped in front of him and sniffed—eyes narrowing, voice flat and certain.
"Your smell is… claiming."
Issei blinked. "Wait, what—?"
Without warning, she moved with a feline's surety, climbing lightly onto the armrest of his chair and then settling herself directly into his lap. Her small frame fit there as though it belonged, white hair brushing against his jaw as she nestled herself close, eyes half-lidding.
The room went dead silent.
Akeno's hand paused mid-pour. Kiba's brow arched, lips parting in surprise. Rias straightened in her seat, a flicker of genuine shock in her crimson gaze.
"Koneko-chan?" Rias asked carefully.
Koneko didn't even glance up. She simply curled a little tighter, resting her head against Issei's chest. "Feels warm. Safe. Mine."
Issei's brain ground to a halt.
"Uh… K-Koneko?" he stammered, looking down at her, caught somewhere between heart attack and awe.
Akeno let out a low, delighted hum. "Ara, ara… it seems little Koneko-chan has declared her territory."
"Shut up," Koneko muttered flatly, though she made no move to leave.
Rias's eyes narrowed slightly, though Issei caught the faintest pink rising in her cheeks before she schooled her features.
[Ddraig: Claimed by instinct. Good.]
Before he could comment, the familiar chime echoed in his mind.
[System Notification: Significant Domain Entered — Occult Research Club]
[New Task Chain Unlocked]
• Task One: Assert dominance over Akeno's masochistic tendencies.
Reward: Lightning Affinity (Goro Goro tier), sea-based weakness not applied.
• Task Two: Help reconnect Koneko and Kuroka.
Reward: +100 Kuroka Affection, +30 Koneko Affection, Nemean Cestus Gauntlets (God of War 3), Strength Boost.
• Task Three: Duel Kiba.
Reward: Blacksmithing Knowledge, Hakuro Swordsmanship Style, Choice of Three Legendary Swords — Shusui (One Piece), Aether Sword (The Beginning After The End), No-name Zanpakutō (Bleach).
• Task Four: Impress the team during tonight's stray devil hunt.
Reward: Random Magic Affinity, +10% to all base stats.
• Task Five: Form pact with Ddraig.
Reward: Fire & Lava Elemental Control.
• Task Six: Get revenge on Raynare.
Reward: Liberation from Self-Loathing, Confidence Trait Unlocked.
Issei blinked. "Six tasks now? You're really piling it on, System."
[Growth demands adversity, Host. This is how dragons are forged.]
[Ddraig: And how they become kings.]
He settled into the chair—Koneko still on his lap, to no one's protest—his body still pulsing faintly from his earlier evolution. His magic core felt heavier, brighter. Like it wasn't just fire anymore—but sunlight.
Rias noticed. Her gaze lingered longer than usual.
"You've changed," she said, crossing the room with the grace of a queen. "Again."
Issei met her stare now, golden heat simmering behind his eyes. "A lot can change in a day," he said quietly. "Especially when you've got dragons in your blood."
Kiba raised an eyebrow. "That sounds… literal."
Akeno's lips curved. "Oh? Did our dear Issei awaken something special?"
Issei lifted his hand—and at his will, radiant golden light shimmered along his skin, dancing like embers beneath the surface. Heat filled the room, gentle but commanding. His aura flared subtly, an echo of the primordial fire within.
"After I awakened my dragon bloodline," he said calmly, "my magic changed. It started adapting to me. And maybe… to who I care about."
Rias blinked. "What do you mean?"
He turned to her, golden sparks flickering in his gaze.
"I named it Crimson Sun."
The room stilled.
Kiba looked stunned. Akeno made a soft noise of surprise. Koneko shifted slightly, a small purring sound in her throat.
But Rias… Rias froze a second longer than the others.
"You… named your power after me?" she asked, voice lower, the walls of formality cracking just a little.
Issei shrugged, a quiet grin playing at his lips. "You gave me this second life. You lit the fire. So yeah. I wanted to honor that."
A flush bloomed across her pale cheeks. For a moment, the High-Class Devil, heir of the Gremory clan, looked genuinely caught off guard.
Then—
"Fufu~" Akeno's chuckle rippled through the room like wind-chimes. "How bold, Issei-kun. Naming your flame after Rias? That's practically a love confession."
Rias shot her a warning glance, but Akeno only smiled sweeter.
"Oh my, Rias. You're blushing. How uncharacteristically maidenly of you."
"I am not," Rias muttered, smoothing her skirt as if to regain her composure.
Kiba coughed into his hand, the corners of his mouth twitching upward.
Issei let the moment settle, warmth humming through him—not just from his magic, but from the strange, new weight of connection. Of belonging.
Then Rias straightened her posture, crimson eyes sharpening.
"We have work tonight. A stray devil near the forest perimeter. Class D. Dangerous, but not a threat if we work together."
She met Issei's gaze.
"This is your chance to prove yourself."
[System Alert: Task Four — Initiated. Impress the team during tonight's hunt.]
[Countdown: 01:53:27]
Issei stood, Koneko adjusting slightly but still perched on his lap. "I'll show you what Crimson Sun can do," he said, the grin returning. "And I'll show that devil what happens when you challenge a dragon."
[Ddraig: Burn it to cinders, Partner.]
[System: Confidence Detected. Preparing battlefield protocols.]
As the sun vanished below the horizon and twilight bled across the world, Issei Hyoudou stood taller than he had yesterday.
His aura was draconic. His bloodline divine. And in his hands burned a new flame—one born of sunlight and forged in affection.
He didn't walk like a pawn anymore.
He walked like a king.