Chapter 11

Kuoh Academy. Student Council Room.

The Student Council room was bustling with activity as usual, with papers being passed from one member to another and the light smell of ink tickling my sense of smell. A cup of coffee was smoking in my hand, creating a pleasant feeling of warmth, and my gaze was fixed on my chess opponent, who was staring intently at the board and thinking about his next move.

- Still, why are we playing now, Sona-san? Don't you have to work like the rest of the Student Council? Even Tsubaki-san is busy," I asked the demon across from me, taking a sip from my cup.

- Don't stop me from thinking, sensei," she replied, not taking her eyes off the chessboard.

Yeah. This isn't what I expected when I came here. As soon as Sona saw me, she immediately sat me down at the table and took out a chess game. Of course, the demon Sitri had volunteered to see if she had improved since last time. And it all came out to this.

Maybe we should enhance not only the protagonist himself, but also his surroundings? It would add incentive for him to grow faster. And Sona and her entourage are a great start in this. Though they don't have the same wild power potential as Rias' group. They have tenacity and a more competent King.

Objectively, Sona is better than Rias. This can be understood with even minimal knowledge of DxD canon. Where Sona wrested her freedom from her parents' imposed marriage with her own hands and mind, Rias just sat and waited for her salvation: no training, no attempts to study the marriage contract, nothing.

Though... Though that too can be explained. Alaya just doesn't let it happen. And that doesn't just apply to Rias and her thoughts, but to all natives of this world in general. Before Issei's entrance into the supernatural world, he was... stagnant. It was as if he was waiting for this very event.

That's why the Nasuverse is so popular. He doesn't limit his natives in sanity and height like DxD does. He CONSIDERED himself to move forward regardless of whether the events recorded in Root happened or not.

Think about it. Take Emiya Shirou, the main character of the Nasuverse, out of the story and the world will continue to exist. It will adjust to this change and move on. The fifth Holy Grail War will still happen. And the Grail will just pick a random bystander from the masses and make him Master Saber, just like it happened to Master Caster in the Fourth War.

Like Archer Emiya said, he had been to many versions of the War, and each one was different. There were even ones where his younger version didn't exist, though it would seem that in that case he should cease to exist as well. A paradox? Paradox.

And people who read fanfics on Nasuverse are interested not in the character himself, on whose behalf the story is told, but in the reaction of the local inhabitants to the changes that this character brings with him. And it doesn't matter whether he originally existed in this world or not. After all, as I said earlier, ALL there have adequate common sense and are not limited in their growth. Oh, and the story is richer.

But in DxD... Everything revolves around the protagonist or Ddraig, at least one of them MUST exist. They are the force driving the world forward. Without them, there is stagnation and slow extinction. Why did Azazel let the Kokabiel incident happen? Why didn't Rias make any effort to break her engagement? Why was Ophis so innocent, even though she's an uncountable number of years old? It all boils down to the limitations mentioned above.

And the reason for the popularity of the fandom? Women and harem, obviously. Which is too corny for my taste.

- So what are you planning now, Romani? - Goetia asked mentally. - When you came here, your thoughts were only to make a joke of these demons, but now you're contemplating helping them. What has changed?

- Maybe I want to see them grow, without the constraints of Alaya? Who knows," I answered him and looked at Sona seriously.

- 'Sona Sitri,' I said in a calm tone, dissolving my coffee cup in the air. - I have a proposition for you.

After freezing for a moment, she raised her gaze and directed it at me. Even her glasses were slightly skewed somehow. Her eyes read surprise and incomprehension. It wasn't just her. The rest of the Student Council stopped what they were doing and stared at me as if they were seeing me for the first time. And silence became the only sound in the room. I could even hear the breathing of those present. Hehe. Was it because I called Sona by her full name or my serious face?

- I expected a lot of things from you, but in no way like this, sensei,'' Sona said, fixing her glasses. - But I still have to ask, what's the offer? And I don't think it's another one of your jokes, do you?

- No, no. I'm dead serious. I want to offer training to you and your entourage.

- Training? Don't take my words as an insult to you, but you don't look like a competent tutor," she said and gave me a dubious look.

Thanks for the kind words, Sona, I thought, and inwardly cringed.

- Then, how about a demonstration? You can give me your answer afterward," I suggested, shrugging my shoulders.

- All right. I'll meet you in the field behind the school tonight. If I'm satisfied with your skills, we'll discuss the terms of your offer.

Oh, dear, oh, dear. Doesn't she realize how ambiguous her words sounded? I don't even need to turn around to see how her own entourage was looking at Sona. With a blush on her cheeks and embarrassment, obviously. After a few seconds, Sona herself realized it. She awkwardly turned away with a face the color of a ripe tomato, adjusting her glasses now and then.

- D-don't get me wrong! - she shrieked, trying to hide her embarrassment. - I-I didn't mean anything indecent!

She's cute. I mean her reaction. She's like a kitten trying to play innocent. And even her habit of adjusting her glasses when she's nervous gives her a couple of points. Sona is a very attractive girl. And I don't mean the fact that I'm considering her as my date, but the fact of it. Also, she was given too little screen time in the anime just because she wasn't part of Issei's harem, even though she was of the same caliber as Rias. But that's okay, training will make up for that shortcoming.

- Anyway, I don't mind," the Sitri demon said in passing in his senile voice. To which I just shrugged.

Hmm? What kind of killing intent directed at me? I glanced toward the source and saw what I expected to see. Saji's eyes were bloodshot and looking straight at me. Ah, yes. He's in love with Sona. Well, I can wish him luck with that.

- Don't worry, Saji-kun. I'm not going to steal your love," I said and smirked. - I'm no stranger to male solidarity.

At my words, he perked up and blushed. Heh. True love in its purest form. Why did I wish him luck? Well, the demon society wouldn't allow such a thing. At least not until they're besieged.

- Anyway, I'll see you on the field, Sona-san," I said goodbye and headed for the infirmary.

Since there's still time before tonight, I might as well get some sleep.

-0-

Kuoh Academy.

Evening.

- How will the demonstration be held? - Sona asked, looking at me while her entourage stood slightly behind her.

- О? It's pretty simple. A fight. You and your entire entourage against me.

Sona stared at me incredulously and frowned. As well as her entourage.

- What do you mean, sensei? - Reya asked.

- Uh-huh. What? You don't look strong," Tomoe encouraged her.

О? Is that so? Well, Romani really didn't give the impression of a dangerous person. You might as well show them a few tricks.

I used Territory Creation while creating a Closed Field and snapped my fingers. In the same second, a huge magic circle with Solomon's seal appeared in the sky. And a giant-sized lightning bolt flew out of it, as if sent by God himself, and struck behind my back.

BOOM

There was a deafening explosion and the clouds dissipated. Its momentum was so powerful that it felled some members of Sona's entourage. I'm pretty sure they had a picture from the movies in front of them, where the hero stands in front of the explosion, looking straight into the camera, and doesn't react to it in any way, creating the epicness of the moment. Why didn't I react? I put two closed fields, one around the field behind the Academy and one around myself.

Back to the reaction to my actions, I could practically see the eyes of the entire Student Council naturally almost falling out of their eye sockets and their jaws touching the floor. Sona, on the other hand, was all skewered and her glasses fell to the ground and shattered. But it was Saji who was the most impressed.

- Damn it! What was that?! - He shrieked, his frightened eyes looking at me and the impact. I think he expressed the thoughts of the rest of the Student Council, considering the looks I was getting.

They stared at me in silence as I stood quietly in front of them. Their eyes read a multitude of emotions: shock, disbelief, excitement, fear, and more. I guess they didn't expect to see such a thing from a frail man like me. Don't they know that appearances can be deceiving?

Heh. Why not cheer them up?

- Shall we get started, So-tan? - I asked and smirked as I looked at them.

-0-

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