As Antares rested, his head heavily leaning on Koneko's shoulder, the atmosphere felt frozen in time. The quiet hum of the clubroom, previously muffled by their presence, was interrupted by the sound of a door opening.
Rias Gremory entered the room with her usual confident posture, her crimson hair cascading gracefully over her shoulders. Her expression was as serious as ever, but something in her gaze hinted that she was about to interrupt something... very uncomfortable.
Antares didn't notice her arrival until the sound of her voice.
"Oh, Issei. What a surprise to see you like this," she said with slight irony, her eyes locking onto the scene before her.
Koneko, who had remained still until now, suddenly moved. She seemed reluctant to admit it, but her face was slightly flushed, and the heat of the situation finally reached its breaking point. Without a word, she delivered a quick punch to Antares' stomach. The strike, though small, was precise, forcing his head away from her shoulder with an almost involuntary reflex.
Antares lifted his head with a muffled groan of pain, more surprised by the action than the pain itself. His expression, previously filled with deep exhaustion, quickly twisted into one of indignation, but he said nothing. He didn't want to lose his composure in front of Koneko, nor in front of Rias.
"You...!" He started, but couldn't finish the sentence. Instead, he simply pulled away from Koneko, sitting up straighter on the couch, his posture becoming slightly more rigid.
Rias looked at him with a subtle smile. "You pushed her too far… I'm surprised that punch didn't come sooner."
Koneko, still irritated but with an expression that showed more confusion than anger, crossed her arms. "I don't like people touching my shoulder," she muttered, as if that explained everything. But her gaze, though firm, was still somewhat unsettled.
Antares didn't react immediately. Instead, he just rolled his eyes and muttered, more to himself than to anyone in particular, "You could've just told me to move..."
Rias smiled enigmatically, sensing the growing tension. "It seems like you two are starting to understand each other a little better. But please, don't fight. I didn't come here to watch a contest of 'who has the bigger ego.'"
She observed Antares with an evaluating look before speaking again, her smile filled with quiet confidence, as if satisfied with his progress. "Now... you delivered all the flyers. Thank you." Her voice was soft but carried a hint of authority. She sat down in a chair, crossing her legs as she watched Antares with interest.
Antares just grumbled, not wanting to show how annoyed he was at being forced to do such a mundane task. But he couldn't deny that Rias' charming smile caused something in him—an unsettling feeling he didn't know how to deal with. 'Damn it, my weakness for redheads!!!' he screamed internally, but quickly tried to regain control.
"I made you do it so you could understand more about our duties as demons. I wanted you to see what kind of work we do at the start," Rias said, her smile calm as she observed his reaction. She knew he was struggling with some kind of internal discomfort.
Antares simply nodded, trying to hide his slightly nervous expression.
"Everyone went through this. Kiba, Koneko... even Akeno." She sighed, giving a small smirk. "Though everyone always prefers Akeno..."
"I'm the best, fufufu," Akeno said with a mischievous smile, crossing her arms in a teasing manner. Her tone was playful but still carried her signature seductive air.
Antares couldn't help but mentally roll his eyes but knew better than to provoke Akeno—at least not now. His focus needed to be elsewhere.
"Anyway, Ise," Rias said, returning to the main topic. "Your job of handing out flyers is done. You did well."
Antares let out a brief laugh, trying to disguise his frustration. 'Ah, so it's finally over. Now you're going to start me on actual demon work?' He sighed but quickly composed himself. What mattered most now was growing stronger, as always.
"Now I can make contracts?" he asked, already feeling the tension rise. This was the part he really wanted to understand.
"Yes," Rias replied with a pleased smile, clearly satisfied with his progress. "Since it's your first time, the contract will be with someone who has a minor wish. Koneko has two pending requests, and since it'll be difficult for her to handle both, I'll let you take one of them."
Koneko, who had been silent until now, looked at Antares with a slightly hesitant expression. She tilted her head and, in a soft voice, said, "Please, help me with this."
Antares, somewhat thrown off by Koneko's request, gave her a quick glance. 'Despite being rough, she's actually kinda cute,' he thought. But he quickly shook his head, pushing those thoughts away. 'Focus! Getting stronger comes first!!' He reminded himself of his goal.
Akeno approached with a mysterious smile, clapping her hands as if revealing a magic trick. "Let's use the magic circle," she said, her voice full of excitement. "The first time using a portal is always amazing."
Rias watched everyone with a satisfied look. "Exactly. Now, let's begin. The magic circle is already prepared."
Koneko, seemingly indifferent, took a small step forward, but her golden eyes observed the circle attentively. The energy in the air subtly began to shift, as if an invisible pressure was forming in the room. On the floor, the magic circle glowed with an intense red hue, its intricate patterns pulsating with mana.
Antares, on the other hand, observed everything with a curious expression. Then, he started rubbing his foot over the magic circle, scraping the sole against the design as if trying to erase it.
"M-Mmmm…" he murmured, testing whether the ink would come off.
Rias sighed, massaging her temple. "Stay still, Ise. Right now, Akeno is inserting your seal into the magic circle."
He stopped moving his foot and crossed his arms, absorbing the information. 'Hm... so this is a ritual. It requires a seal and a direction to perform the spatial jump... This level of magic would be nearly impossible in the Chaos Realm without an archmage in control.'
His gaze wandered over the circle once more. 'This must be the Gremory symbol…'
It was basic knowledge for a demonic servant. The magic circle represented the Gremory house and served as a crest. It was the key to contracts and also a symbol of loyalty to that lineage.
'So this so-called "demonic power" is connected to this…'
He recalled what he had seen with Kiba and the others. They all had the Gremory crest somewhere on their bodies, and it glowed whenever they used their demonic powers. 'I thought I would have one too, but it seems I need to first learn how to control my demonic power before I can use it alongside the magic circle. This power is what allows them to reproduce natural phenomena... at least that's what I understood.'
Before he could ponder further, Rias interrupted his train of thought. "Ise, place the palm of your hand in this direction."
He followed the instruction without question, extending his hand as she indicated. Rias, with a delicate gesture, slid her fingers over his palm, tracing something in the air.
A blue-white glow began spreading across his skin.
"What I just drew allows you to teleport instantly to the client's location, using the teleportation magic circle," Rias patiently explained before turning to Akeno. "Akeno, is everything ready?"
"Yes, President." Akeno replied with a playful smile. "Ise, could you step into the center of the circle?"
Rias slightly furrowed her brows. 'Why is she calling him by the nickname I gave him?!' She didn't even know why that irritated her so much.
"President..." Koneko murmured, calling her attention.
"Ah..." Rias cleared her throat, regaining her composure. "The magic circle is responding to the client. You will be teleported shortly. You've read the manual on what to do when you arrive, haven't you?"
Antares scoffed, showing mild impatience. "Tsk... Yes, I read it."
"Great. Then go."
The magic circle shone with greater intensity. Demonic Power enveloped his body as if he were being swallowed by an invisible wave.
[You have received a mission.]
Before he could process the notification, his vision darkened for a brief moment. And then... he was no longer there.
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