After a boring class that Antares decided to ignore while pretending to pay attention, he suddenly heard a voice—soft, almost... sweet?
His eyes lifted, trying to process what was happening. Sweet? He narrowed his eyes at the boy standing in front of him.
"His aura... it's similar to Rias's... a demon," Antares observed carefully, eyes half-lidded as he analyzed the young man.
Issei's memories rushed to the surface, and he instantly recognized the boy before him. This was Yuuto Kiba, the Prince of the Girls, the classic charming knight every girl in school dreamed of dating. A true heart-stealer, to be exact. Despite being in a different class, Kiba was in the same year as Antares.
It was impossible not to hear the squeals and gasps of girls watching the scene, not just from the classroom but from the entire hallway. The adoration was palpable.
"What an unnecessary noise..." Antares thought with a mental sigh.
"What do you want?" Antares asked, trying to ignore the commotion around him and focus on the boy in front of him. Kiba, still wearing that perfect smile, seemed more... like a girl. His eyes, with an unusual shine, looked more feminine than masculine.
"I came on behalf of upperclassman Rias Gremory," Kiba replied, never losing his smile.
"Ah... the cute one," Antares said casually, noticing Kiba's eyebrows twitch slightly, like something had hit a sensitive nerve.
"She wants to meet with me?" Antares asked, with a hint of arrogance.
"Yes. She asks that you come with me," Kiba responded, no longer trying to maintain a polite or gentle demeanor. Something had shifted, and Antares noticed the boy was starting to lose his composure.
"Interesting... did he get uncomfortable because I called his master cute?" Antares thought with a subtle smile. He stood up slowly, locking eyes with Kiba.
"Then lead the way, charming princess," Antares said with a teasing grin.
The reaction was immediate. The classroom exploded with comments again.
"No way! Why is Hyoudou walking with Kiba?!"
"You're gonna catch something, Kiba!"
"I can't accept this couple, Kiba x Hyoudou!"
"But what if it's Hyoudou x Kiba?"
"Human women and their endlessly dumbass conversations..." Antares thought as he kept walking behind Kiba, who seemed far more focused on Antares's words than on the stupid chatter around them.
Antares followed Kiba through the hallways until they reached the side of the school, where a tree-surrounded area gave way to an old, dusty building. He had heard of the place's existence but had never paid much attention to it.
The structure, seemingly abandoned, looked like it had been used many years ago. The kind of building that, with its worn wooden appearance, stood out as one of the school's "seven mysteries." Despite its age, it didn't look completely run-down. The windows were intact, and the structure, while aged, didn't appear to be falling apart.
"The president is here," Kiba said, his voice now more serious, cutting into Antares's thoughts.
"President, huh? So that's what she prefers her servants to call her?" Antares questioned to himself in thought.
They entered the building, which appeared to have two floors, and began climbing the stairs to the second floor. As they walked through the corridors, Antares couldn't help but notice how everything looked so well maintained.
"Strange..." he thought, examining the surroundings. There wasn't a single sign of dust, grime, or decay.
When people think of old buildings, the first things that come to mind are cobwebs, bugs, and that fine layer of accumulated dust—but there was none of that here. On the contrary, the place seemed... well-kept, almost as if it were cared for meticulously, which was at the very least curious considering it was labeled an abandoned location.
This building isn't abandoned, Antares concluded mentally. Something was off, and he could feel there was more to this place than just the mystery of an old school structure. He paid close attention to every step, every detail, because something about the place was hiding a deeper secret.
They kept walking, and Antares couldn't shake the feeling that, despite its outwardly abandoned look, the building was being maintained with far more care than anyone would expect.
Eventually, Antares and Kiba reached their destination. Kiba stopped in front of a specific classroom. Antares, still alert and observant, couldn't help but be surprised when he noticed the nameplate beside the door. It was simple, yet oddly eye-catching.
"Thank you, Akeno." Rias replied with gratitude in her voice.
The curtain was slowly drawn aside, and from the mist that clung gently to the room's back corner, a figure emerged — barefoot, dressed in a dark school uniform, her long black hair slightly damp, clinging to her skin in delicate strands. She carried herself with a quiet, sensual grace, her eyes half-lidded and serene, yet sharp.
'Akeno Himejima,' Antares recognized her instantly.
Just like with Koneko, the memories from Issei's past life gave him everything he needed. But unlike the smaller girl, Akeno wasn't trying to hide anything. Her aura danced openly around her — elegant, electric, and deeply dangerous.
'Half-Fallen Angel,' he thought.
Her dual nature was hard to miss for someone like him. The way the sacred and the profane coiled within her was unnatural… twisted… but stable. Beautiful, in a way only someone born of chaos could be.
Akeno gave him a smile — soft, almost inviting — and then spoke, "So, you're Hyoudou-kun… It's a pleasure." Her tone was dripping with subtle teasing.
Antares tilted his head slightly, a grin creeping at the corner of his lips. "The pleasure's mine... lightning princess."
Her brows lifted slightly. Just for a second. But it was enough. That nickname wasn't something a normal student would know.
Rias stood up from her seat, and the very motion carried authority. Graceful, but firm. She walked toward Antares, each step echoing slightly in the silent room. Kiba and Akeno both remained still, watching without interfering. Even Koneko stopped eating, just for a moment, her golden eyes narrowing as Rias approached him.
"You're not like you were before," she said simply, folding her arms beneath her chest.
Antares stared directly into her crimson eyes. "No. I'm not."
There was a brief pause — the kind that felt like time itself was holding its breath.
"I see." Rias nodded once, then turned her back to him and walked slowly back toward her seat. "Sit. We have things to discuss."
Antares moved to the sofa opposite hers, and sank into it with a relaxed confidence. He glanced at the others, who now formed a kind of circle.
"So... this is the famous Occult Research Club," he murmured, resting an elbow on the armrest. "Nice interior decorating, by the way. Very... ancient blood ritual meets private school aesthetic."
Akeno chuckled. "You flatter us."
Rias leaned forward, resting her chin gently on her interlaced fingers. "Hyoudou Issei," she began, her voice shifting into something deeper. "You died, didn't you?"
Antares's smile faded ever so slightly. "More or less."
"And yet here you are, alive again. Changed. Your aura is…" she hesitated, as if the words were hard to form. "...unstable. As if something else is wearing your skin."
Kiba visibly tensed. Akeno's smile waned. Koneko didn't move.
"I'm no threat to you, if that's what you're worried about," Antares said coolly, but there was steel behind his voice. "But if you push me, I won't just bark."
Rias narrowed her eyes slightly. "You're not just some reborn human."
"I never was," Antares answered.
The silence returned. This time, heavier.
Then, suddenly, Rias laughed. Not loudly, but softly — a melodic sound that broke the tension like glass. "Good. I like honesty."
Antares raised an eyebrow. "That's rare in devils."
She smiled, her expression mysterious. "We've all got our secrets. But yours… might be more dangerous than anyone here realizes."
Antares leaned back. "So why bring me here, Rias Gremory? You don't invite unknown anomalies into your circle without a reason."
She stood once more, walking to the magical circle in the center of the room. Her fingers traced a portion of it slowly. "Because something is coming. And I want to know what side you'll stand on when it does."
Antares didn't answer immediately. His golden eyes followed her carefully.
"I stand on my own side," he said at last. "Always have. Always will."
That made Rias smile again, but there was something sharp behind her gaze now. A calculation.
"Then let's hope, Hyoudou Issei… that your side doesn't become our enemy."
Antares chuckled, low and dangerous. "Let's hope, Rias Gremory… that your enemies don't become mine."
The circle beneath her feet shimmered faintly. The tension began to lift — just slightly — but no one in that room missed the meaning behind those words.
This was no longer about a perverted boy who died.
This was the beginning of something far, far more dangerous.
Antares blinked slowly, his traitorous mind once again presenting him with flashes from that morning—when he first saw Rias. The way her chest bounced, the color of her skin, how much of it was exposed, that sleepy smile... And no matter how hard he tried to focus, his face flushed lightly.
"Focus, damn it... don't give in so easily... stupid body," he muttered to himself, annoyed.
There were moments—more frequent than he liked—when Antares felt something deeply unsettling: the creeping sensation that his essence, his true self, was starting to fuse with whatever remained of Issei. And that... that was dangerous.
It wasn't just about memories, habits, or carnal impulses. It was about identity. About having lived thousands of years as the Monarch of Destruction, with a singular purpose, a defined existence... and now being trapped in a fragile, young body, easily distracted and full of worldly cravings.
That truth became crystal clear a few days ago, when he followed those two idiots—Matsuda and Motohama—to watch porn with them. Him. Antares. The same being who once razed entire civilizations... now getting dragged into that kind of stupidity.
The free will granted to him after reincarnation was a gift. But also... a curse. He could do anything he wanted. But... what did he actually want?
In the end, this body—and this new life—was starting to contaminate him. And the most disturbing part of it all?He was starting to hate himself for it.
"I have to remember... who I am. Before it's too late."
"...What a lewd face," Antares suddenly heard, and turned toward the voice. It came, of course, from Koneko, who stared at him with that same impassive expression—still munching on her sweet, unbothered.
The curtain pulled aside.
Rias stood there, now dressed in her usual school uniform. She looked seductive, her hair still wet from the shower. Antares glanced at her and gave a faint smile.
"Sorry. I couldn't shower yesterday... had to spend the night with you,"Rias spoke with that same melodic, teasing tone—as if she danced with her words just to provoke. She tucked a damp strand of hair behind her ear and smiled mischievously.
Antares looked at her for a second. The heat in his face threatened to return, but he averted his gaze and took a deep breath.This time, he let it slide.
But then... he saw her.
Behind Rias, like an elegant shadow, appeared a figure that made Antares narrow his eyes and nearly let out a sigh of exasperation.
"Oh for f—…"
A brunette.Ponytail.Poised. Refined. Elegant in a way that felt sculpted by a master obsessed with ancient beauty.She was that type—rare. A timeless charm that couldn't be faked.
Only one student in the entire Kuoh Academy wore her hair like that—and actually pulled it off.
She smiled. A gentle, almost maternal smile. But there was something dangerous behind that look.Antares felt it again—that wave of intrusive memories from Issei's mind trying to bleed into his own.
Tch... this damn sentimental body again.
But even he had to admit...
She was beautiful.
Too beautiful, in fact. A serene, delicate face with a kind of beauty that didn't belong in this world. Unlike Rias' European nobility, this one... this was something different.An oriental refinement. Traditional. Graceful.
The perfect image of a Japanese lady—calm on the outside, maybe electric within.
It was hard not to look.
Even for someone like him... a being who had existed since forgotten ages, who had walked among monsters and slain gods—Antares felt something.
Not desire.Not lust.But... appreciation.
"...Definitely a demon. No human should look like that."
And then, like a whisper carried from the soul's inherited memory, the name surfaced:
Himejima Akeno.
She, alongside Rias Gremory, was known as one of Kuoh Academy's two "Great Onee-samas."Two figures idolized by all—boys and girls alike.Together from the beginning. Beautiful, powerful, untouchable.
Akeno was ranked number two in the hierarchy of teenage dreams. And some dared to say the only reason she wasn't number one... was because she simply didn't care.
Even Antares, who had kept his heart distant and isolated for millennia, had to admit it: women like her were rare. Women who weren't just beautiful, but who carried something more. Presence. Mystery. Strength.
And of course... redheads and brunettes had always been his weakness.
"Oh my, how are you? My name is Himejima Akeno. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Her voice sounded like wind chimes—soft, alluring, and laced with something sweet yet dangerous.
She bowed slightly, with a natural grace that would've made any other man in Antares' place lose their footing.
Antares returned the gesture with a small nod, keeping his posture firm.
"My name is Hyoudou Issei," he answered respectfully—something rare coming from him.
Rias, who had been silently watching the scene, subtly frowned.
What was that…?
Up until that moment, he had only teased her. Called her "wife," slept in her room like it was nothing… But now, in front of Akeno, he acted like a proper gentleman? Polite? Courteous?
A strange warmth bloomed in the redhead's chest.
It wasn't anger.
It was jealousy.
Quiet. Subtle. But very real.
Determined to reclaim control of the situation, Rias stepped forward, asserting herself with a regal sort of elegance.
"Looks like everyone's here," she said with a calm yet calculated smile. Her eyes settled on Antares with more weight. "Hyoudou Issei… No, let me call you Ise."
The way she said it was direct. Intimate. It was as if she was marking territory with words.
Antares raised an eyebrow, surprised by the sudden shift in tone.
"We, of the Occult Research Club," Rias continued, "officially welcome you." She smiled, but there was an intensity in her gaze—a reminder that she was the President of that club… and more.
"Uh? Ah… thank you."
Antares replied, still a little confused by the sudden formality. But when he noticed that Rias had skillfully drawn the attention away from Akeno and back to herself, he smirked faintly.
At least she knew how to play the game.
And then Rias delivered the final blow:
"As a fellow devil… and now, a member of my family — the Gremory Household."
The words fell like a seal. An unspoken contract, but undeniable.
Antares stared at her for a few seconds. There was no denying it—she was determined to keep him close.
And even though this was just the beginning… the pieces on the board had begun to move.
Then... a glow appeared on his retina and the system light appeared...
[Loading...]
[Starting Shadow System...]
[Quest "Become Stronger" has been added to the Quest list]
[Level up is possible.]
[You have received the Quest: Time to Become Stronger!]
[Push-ups 0/100]
[Sit-ups 0/100]
[Squats 0/100]
[Running: 0/10km]
[You have received the Role: Relationships]
[Relationship Line]
[Rias Gremory: 35/100]
[Akeno Himejima 15/100]
[Koneko Toujou: 0/100]
[Status]
[Name: Hyoudou Issei (Antares)]
[Profession: None]
[Title: [None]
[HP: 100 / MP: 10]
[Level: 1]
[STRENGTH: 6]
[AGILITY: 10]
[SENSES: 20]
[VITALITY: 10]
[INTELLIGENCE: 10]
[POINTS LEFT: 0]