"You bastard."
Saji threw a punch at Richard, who remained remarkably calm in the situation. He even noticed that Sona had stopped the others when they tried to intervene.
As Saji's fist approached, Richard merely took a small step back, grabbed Saji's wrist, and gently twisted it. Instantly, Saji spun in mid-air before landing on the ground. Richard's move shocked Sona and the others — their eyes widened as they tried to comprehend what had just happened. Saji had almost punched Richard, but in the blink of an eye, he had been flipped effortlessly.
"Oh dear, why did this kid suddenly lose his temper? Is this a side effect of being reincarnated as a devil? Hey kid, I'm older than you, so show some respect for your elders~" Richard said, looking down at Saji, who was gritting his teeth both from anger and the pain in his wrist.
"You…" Saji glared at Richard.
"I apologize for his behavior. He's been a bit stressed lately. I'll make sure to discipline him afterward," Sona said, bowing slightly before continuing, "Can you tell me what exactly you just did to him?" Her curiosity was piqued by how effectively Richard had neutralized an oncoming opponent.
"Well, it's nothing special. Just Aikido — a martial art created by humans," Richard replied with a shrug.
"There's really a martial art like that?" Sona murmured to herself. Richard didn't say anything more and began walking toward the main entrance. However, just before he left, he turned back and said to Sona:
"Next time, don't stop those girls from preventing him from doing something stupid~ If I were less patient, he might've lost a limb or two~" With that, Richard walked away.
Sona frowned even deeper at his words. Not only had Richard handled Saji with ease, but he also noticed her subtle action earlier. Suddenly, a magic circle appeared, revealing Rias and the other members of the Occult Research Club.
"What do you think?" Sona asked Rias, clearly referring to Richard's display.
"Very impressive," Rias replied bluntly. She too was amazed by what had happened. She had been watching everything since Richard entered the student council room, and it was obvious he was skilled in combat.
"He said he was a swordsman, right? Rias still has an open Knight piece. I'm really hoping that handsome guy will join us," Akeno said cheerfully.
"Yes, after what he showed, the Knight piece definitely suits him. And that Sacred Gear of his — enhancing weapons — it's very useful," Rias added.
Hearing that, Kiba couldn't help but think to himself, "A Sacred Gear that enhances weapons? He can literally turn a pencil into a holy sword."
"Kiba, what do you think about him?" Rias asked.
"He's got impressive speed. And if he's truly a swordsman, I'd love to have a sparring match with him," Kiba responded calmly.
"Koneko, try researching Aikido. If it suits you, consider learning it," Rias instructed the small girl, who nodded.
"Yes, I'll look into it. Though I don't think it really fits my combat style," Koneko replied. Most of her fighting involved physical punches, so she doubted she'd match a technique-focused martial art like that.
Meanwhile, Issei walked over to Saji with a mocking grin. He felt rather pleased that Saji had been humiliated, and was genuinely intrigued by Richard's technique, wanting to learn it himself — at least once.
"Saji, let me try grabbing your wrist," Issei said, making a gesture that earned a glare from Saji.
"Never. I mean, you'll never be able to learn a technique like that anyway."
"You're scared, huh? I'll learn it and beat you with it," Issei retorted, and the two started bickering.
"I'm also interested in recruiting him," Sona said to Rias, clearly indicating the competition between them.
"But he already turned you down. He even seemed offended when you tried to charm him," Rias said smugly, feeling victorious since Richard didn't have a good impression of Sona's approach.
"That was my mistake. Next time, I'll approach him more carefully. And he mentioned we could try inviting Asia — she has a Sacred Gear," Sona said.
"But I think he already warned her beforehand," Rias said, resting her chin on her hand as she pondered whether she should talk to Asia.
⸻
While Rias and Sona continued their rivalry, Richard had returned to his home. He was alone for now, as Kalawarner had gone shopping for some things he'd requested. Since more people might be living in the house in the future, Richard wanted to prepare accordingly.
He lay on the sofa reading some manga from this world, with a plate of cookies and a glass of orange juice on the table. Suddenly, he sat upright, sensing a powerful presence — the strongest and most dangerous he had ever encountered. He became even more alert as the presence drew closer… then stopped, hovering as if simply observing him.
After calming himself, Richard called out loudly,
"Good evening, young lady. Since you're here, why don't you join me for a cup of tea?" As he said this, a young girl appeared before him with a soft smile on her face.
She was a cute girl with long black hair reaching her waist and dark eyes. Her ears were pointed — not quite human — though her long hair made this trait less obvious. Her gray-black eyes had slit pupils, like a reptile's.
Her outfit was a black Gothic Lolita dress, open in the front, with her nipples covered only by black cross-shaped tape.
That outfit is ridiculous, Richard thought, staring at her.
After a few seconds of silence, the girl became intrigued by the items on the table. She picked up a cookie, examined it carefully, and asked Richard, "What is this…?"
Richard blinked at her. "You don't know what a cookie is?"
The girl shook her head, staring at him intently.
Her aura doesn't match her demeanor. She's acting way too innocent. This feels fake — why would she behave like that? Does she think I'm just a clueless kid? Or… is this her real personality?
Richard was genuinely confused by her behavior. He couldn't figure out her intentions, especially considering how strong she was. He couldn't imagine someone gaining that much power while remaining this naïve. But for now, he decided to gather more clues.
He picked up a cookie himself and began eating. The girl tilted her head and said, "…Food?"
Richard simply nodded, already expecting a reaction like that. The girl followed suit, took a bite of the cookie in her hand — and suddenly, a spark lit up in her wide eyes. After finishing it, she grabbed another and bit into it just like before.
Richard's lips twitched — he hadn't expected that kind of reaction. Isn't this over the top? Is she really that relaxed around me? Doesn't she fear I might ambush her?
After a while, the cookies were gone. She looked at him with disappointment in her eyes. The two stared at each other until she raised her left arm and opened her palm toward him, gazing at him with expectation.
'What is this adorable creature…?'