Chapter 1: Love That, You Are Really Full of Yourself

"Tea, coffee, or cola?"

Sona and Rias stared silently at the can of cola in front of them.

Wasn't this basically not a choice at all?

"Sorry, I think cola is all I have."

Sona: "…"

Rias: "…"

Lynn leaned back on the sofa, ignoring their speechless expressions.

Sona Sitri and Rias Gremory.

Having watched two seasons of High School DxD in his previous life, Lynn was naturally familiar with these two.

But that was all.

Since arriving in this world, he had never crossed paths with them.

The sudden visit today still left him confused.

Lynn asked, "So, why are you two here?"

"Rias Gremory. Just call me Rias."

After briefly introducing herself, Rias shot Sona a look, signaling for her to speak first. Meanwhile, she stared at the can of cola in front of her, as if debating whether to open it.

"Sona Sitri."

After stating her name, Sona placed a parchment on the table.

Lynn glanced down, his eyes narrowing slightly.

The parchment was filled with intricate text, none of which belonged to any human language.

Demonic script…

Seeing the familiar writing, Lynn felt momentarily dazed.

It had been a long time since he'd last seen devil script after settling in the human world.

And then…

Lynn's gaze sharpened as he shifted his focus toward the bottom of the parchment.

"The Valefor family crest…"

Valefor—once a noble house of demons in the Underworld.

His full name was Lynn Valefor.

A reincarnated soul, now living his second life.

In this life, he wasn't purely human, he was a hybrid of human and devil. However, when he was just seven years old, he had been exiled from the Valefor family due to his mixed heritage and forced to live in the human world.

And now…

It seemed that his surname had finally caught up with him.

This parchment was a marriage contract.

The two parties involved: The Valefor family and the Sitri family.

Lynn's expression turned odd. No wonder they had come looking for him.

Under normal circumstances, as a half-blood devil, a marriage contract with the Sitri family should have had nothing to do with him.

However—

The Valefor clan had been completely wiped out overnight several years ago.

As the last surviving member of his bloodline, the marriage contract had naturally fallen onto him.

But…

Lynn glanced at Sona Sitri, whose face remained emotionless. He could already guess her intention.

She wasn't here to fulfill the engagement.

So, she was here to break it off?

A reincarnated soul, abandoned by his noble lineage, now facing an arranged engagement being annulled…

This was just like BTTH protagonist's script!

Lynn spoke bluntly, "You want to cancel the engagement?"

Sona and Rias were momentarily stunned. After exchanging a glance, Sona nodded and said, "Yes. I'm sorry. I will compensate you."

A flicker of guilt flashed in her eyes.

With the Valefor bloodline reduced to just one person, her coming here to break off the engagement was undoubtedly rubbing salt in the wound.

But she really didn't want to spend her life with someone she had never met and had no emotional connection with.

"Alright, I agree."

Lynn accepted without hesitation.

It wasn't because of so-called compensation, he simply didn't want any unnecessary trouble.

If he remembered correctly, the person backing Sona Sitri was a well-known sister-obsessed Maou (Demon King), wasn't it?

He had no intention of reenacting the cliché "three-year agreement" drama, fighting the younger sister only to end up challenging the older sister.

Sona blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting Lynn to agree so readily, nor for the process to be this easy.

An engagement with the Sitri family was not something just anyone could obtain.

In the Underworld, anyone who had the opportunity to be engaged to the Sitri family would never let go of such a chance so easily.

Especially a fallen noble house like Valefor, which only had one heir left.

If Lynn successfully married into the Sitri family, he might have had a shot at rebuilding his clan.

Yet—

The man in front of her agreed to the annulment without hesitation?

This wasn't at all what she had expected before coming here.

What she didn't know was that, as a half-blood devil, Lynn had always been treated like air within the Valefor household.

Moreover, he had been exiled to the human world when he was only seven, he had no emotional ties to the Valefor family at all.

The thought of using the Sitri family's power to restore the Valefor name never even crossed his mind.

Rias, observing from the side, was also surprised. She hadn't expected Lynn to be so easy to talk to.

"So, what's the next step?"

Lynn didn't care about their reactions. "Do we need to sign an official agreement to nullify the engagement, or…"

He picked up the parchment. "Can I just tear this up?"

Rias coughed and whispered, "The contract is acknowledged by the Four Great Maou of the Underworld. Unless you have more power than the Four Demon Kings, you won't be able to destroy it."

"…."

Lynn silently put the contract back down. "Alright, let's talk about drafting an annulment agreement instead."

Rias pursed her lips, trying not to laugh.

This Lynn is pretty interesting.

Black hair and red eyes—his presence carried an air of nobility.

Sona's unexpected fiancé… though he might not be particularly strong, he was far better than the Phenex.

But when she thought about her own arranged marriage, she suddenly couldn't laugh anymore.

Meanwhile, Sona's thoughts were in complete disarray.

Lynn's straightforward, unexpected approach had thrown her off completely.

She hadn't anticipated that Lynn would immediately agree to break off the engagement. Her initial plan was to use a Rating Game as a formal excuse to settle it.

But now, Lynn's reaction made that plan feel… ridiculous.

After hearing his words, she subconsciously muttered, "Ah… I didn't prepare an annulment contract."

Lynn sighed. "You're seriously unprepared for canceling an engagement. There's a print shop downstairs—go get one printed and bring it up."

"Ah… okay."

Sona instinctively stood up.

"No!"

She shook her head and sat down again.

Lynn raised an eyebrow, puzzled.

Sona took a deep breath, steadying herself. "I'm sorry. Our situation is complicated. A written annulment won't work."

She explained, "This visit is my personal decision, my family doesn't support canceling the engagement. So, even if we draft an annulment contract, the Four Great Maou won't recognize it."

Hearing this, Sona sighed internally.

She knew why her family refused to break off the engagement.

During the Underworld's civil war, the Valefor family had contributed greatly to securing her sister's position as one of the Four Great Maou. This engagement had been part of that arrangement.

But a few years ago, the entire Valefor family was destroyed overnight.

This not only humiliated the Sitri family but also disrespected the Four Great Maou.

If the Sitri family publicly canceled the engagement now, their reputation would take a massive hit.

So, she could only settle this herself.

"So?"

Sona said seriously, "Please duel me in a Rating Game!"

Lynn's expression turned cold as he interrupted Sona.

"You should know the reason for the Valefor family's destruction."

Sona's body stiffened. After a brief hesitation, she answered, "The revenge of the Old Maou Faction."

Lynn continued, "Then do you understand what will happen if my surname is exposed?"

Sona's heart trembled. A single answer surfaced in her mind.

Death.

Lynn crossed his legs and spoke indifferently, "You're the type of person who only thinks about yourself."

"I… I…"

Sona looked shaken.

"You only care about your own concerns…"

"You're only focused on your own problems…"

"You only—"

The air in the room grew oppressively heavy.

Sona felt as if something was pressing down on her, making it difficult to breathe.

Suddenly—

Crack!

The sharp sound of a soda can opening broke the tension.

Lynn shifted his gaze, and Sona's suffocating pressure instantly eased.

Rias had cracked open the can of cola and was smiling at Lynn.

"I've never had carbonated drinks before, but I suddenly feel like trying one."

She took a sip. The next moment, her tongue flicked out slightly, and she made a face.

"Ah… I really can't get used to it."

Setting the can down, Rias turned to Sona.

"Sona, if you're done here, it's my turn now."

Hearing this, Sona felt as if she had been rescued. She quickly stood up.

"I apologize for my rudeness!"

Without looking back at Lynn, she hurriedly left the room, head lowered the entire time.

Seeing this, Rias shook her head and chuckled.

She had known Sona for years, but this was the first time she had seen her act like that.

As the entrance door closed behind Sona, Rias turned back to Lynn and said apologetically, "Sorry, Sona didn't properly consider how to handle the annulment process."

Lynn simply acknowledged it with a neutral "Hmm," accepting the apology without further comment. Then, he asked, "Miss Rias, is there anything else?"

"Just call me Rias."

Correcting his formality, Rias casually waved her hand above the table. In an instant, a purple magic circle materialized out of thin air.

The next moment, a chess set appeared on the table.

Lynn's eyes flickered slightly.

Although he was a devil and possessed magic power, he lacked the resources or training necessary to wield it with such precision.

He carefully observed the runes inscribed in the magic circle, analyzing their structure until the magic dissipated. Only then did he shift his attention to the chess set before him.

"I wonder, Lynn-kun, have you heard of the Evil Pieces?"

"I know a little."

Rias smiled. "That makes things easier."

After giving him a brief explanation of the Evil Pieces and their role in reincarnating devils, Rias continued,

"Because the Valefor family is nearly extinct, the Four Great Maou have entrusted me with this set of Evil Pieces to deliver to you."

"I hope that you'll make good use of them, to form your own peerage and rebuild the Valefor name."

Having explained everything, Rias prepared to leave. Before she walked out, she exchanged contact information with Lynn, mentioning that he could reach out to her if needed.

Lynn didn't hesitate to accept. After all, he had long envied those who could manipulate magic with such precision.

"Evil Pieces, huh…"

Lynn glanced at the chess set on the table but wasn't particularly excited.

If he had received these pieces just a few days ago, he might have been thrilled.

But now, things were different.

He focused his thoughts, and a status panel appeared before him.

---

[Lynn Valefor]

[Race: Devil]

[Level: Mid-Rank Devil]

[Power: None]

[Peerage: None]

[Skills: 'Demonic Chess,' 'Demonic Summoning,' 'Magic Release']

---

Lynn's gaze landed on 'Demonic Chess' and 'Demonic Summoning.'

'Demonic Chess' allowed him to create chess pieces similar to the Evil Pieces Rias had given him.

The function was the same, it enabled non-devils to be reincarnated as devils and become his subordinates. However, unlike the standard Evil Pieces used in the Underworld, his pieces had additional effects.

Not only did they offer a chance to create special devils, but they also granted a system of blessings that could enhance his subordinates' abilities over time.

Furthermore, he could receive power feedback from his followers, strengthening himself as his peerage grew.

'Demonic Summoning' was a skill that allowed him to issue contracts across different worlds.

As long as someone accepted his summoning request, he could traverse worlds to meet them.

However, Lynn hadn't had the opportunity to use these skills yet.

After all, who in their right mind would trust a mysterious stranger who suddenly appeared and asked, "Want to become my servant?"

That would sound way too much like a chuunibyou roleplay.

Not to mention, not everyone could withstand the Demonic Chess' effects, even the weakest Pawn Piece required certain qualifications.

The beginning is always the hardest.

Still, with these two abilities, Lynn had the potential to rise to the top of this world.

---

Bzzzt. Bzzzt. Bzzzt.

Just as he was thinking about how to recruit his first follower, his phone suddenly vibrated.

Caller ID: Nanami Aoyama.

Lynn's eyes widened.

"Aoyama-san?!"

And then—

"Oh no! My half-price bento!!"