Chapter 27 - Date Night, Death Traps, and Dumb Luck

The air in the training room shimmered with raw mana, the faint scent of ozone lingering from the recent spells cast. The flickering light from levitating runes and glowing circles of magic danced across the polished marble floors.

I sat at my desk, flipping through the Grimoire of Devil Magic, my fingers absentmindedly tracing the arcane symbols as I muttered to myself.

At first glance, this stuff was insanely complex—centuries of demonic knowledge, magical theory woven into rituals, formulas layered like an advanced calculus problem.

But once I started analyzing it…

It all made sense.

Magic was nothing more than a system of rules and calculations—energy molded by formulas. And I was really good at breaking down formulas.

Across the room, Mittelt was struggling.

A ball of unstable lightning crackled in her palm, its shape constantly shifting like it couldn't decide whether to explode or fizzle out.

She gritted her teeth, her wings twitching in frustration.

"Tch!" The spell collapsed, sparks dispersing into the air.

On the other side of the room, Aika was having a much better time.

A wooden chair hovered in mid-air before her, bobbing slightly but holding steady. Not bad for someone who had just learned about magic yesterday.

I smirked.

She was a quick learner.

Meanwhile, Mittelt?

She was still too reliant on her Fallen Angel abilities.

That was exactly why I forced her to start learning new magic—not just the spells she already knew.

Most Fallen Angels relied entirely on light spears and basic energy attacks—which was powerful against devils and dark beings, sure.

But against anything else? They were too limited.

And in this world?

Being limited meant being dead.

So, I made her start from scratch.

Learning proper spellcasting, learning how to use different elements—learning real magic.

Mittelt hated it.

But she was learning.

And I could tell—she didn't completely hate that part.

As I worked through another theorem, muttering calculations under my breath, Mittelt finally snapped.

"Are you actually working on something, or just mumbling nonsense to sound smart?"

I smirked, not even looking up.

"If I was just mumbling," I mused, "could I do… this?"

Without missing a beat—

I snapped my fingers, sending a pulse of refined mana through the room.

Aika's chair steadied instantly, floating with perfect precision.

Mittelt's next fireball ignited smoothly—controlled, no instability.

The magic equation before me solved itself, symbols aligning into a flawless rune pattern.

Aika blinked, wide-eyed.

"That was… ridiculously easy."

Mittelt's eye twitched.

"Tch. Show-off."

Finally, I leaned back in my seat, grinning.

"You're just mad because I made you look bad."

Mittelt folded her arms, wings twitching aggressively. "Like hell I am."

Aika smirked, resting her chin on her hand. "Face it, Mittelt. He's got skills."

Mittelt clicked her tongue. "Shut up, glasses girl."

Aika shrugged. "Sounds like denial to me."

I chuckled.

"Alright, alright. No need to get jealous, Mittelt."

Mittelt glared.

"Wha—?! Who the hell is jealous?! Not me!"

I pushed myself up from my seat, stretching lazily, before making my way toward her.

She stiffened slightly.

Good.

Stopping just close enough to be inside her space, I tilted my head, grinning.

"And you, my dear little Fallen Angel," I mused, "let's see if I can fix that wild magic of yours."

Mittelt froze.

Her golden eyes widened, and she tensed.

"W-Wha—?! Who are you calling little?!"

I stepped in just a bit more, voice dropping lower, smooth, teasing.

"If you wanted my attention that badly, you could've just said so."

She turned red instantly.

Aika, from the sidelines, was snickering hard.

Mittelt looked away, gripping her arm.

"Tch… just shut up and teach me already!"

I chuckled, before true to my word, I corrected her spellcasting form, adjusting how she channeled her mana.

Within minutes—

Her flames stabilized.

Her lightning stopped flickering.

No more explosions.

No more unstable bursts.

Just perfectly controlled magic.

Mittelt stared at her own hand.

Her golden eyes wide.

Like she couldn't believe what just happened.

I dusted off my hands.

"There. Fixed it."

Mittelt quickly dismissed the spell, scoffing.

"Tch. I didn't need your help anyway."

Liar.

I checked the time.

"Alright, that's enough fun for now."

I stretched, rolling my shoulders.

"You two keep practicing—I'm going out for some fresh air."

Mittelt narrowed her eyes. "You? Going outside? Sounds fake."

Aika smirked, not missing a beat.

"Gonna pick up another girl, Mr. Charismatic?"

I grinned, grabbing my coat.

"Nah," I said smoothly. "Just making sure a certain idiot doesn't die too soon."

As I walked toward the door, I could feel their eyes on me—Mittelt still processing what just happened, Aika already scheming.

Let them wonder.

For now?

I had a perverted fool to save.

——————————

The night air was cool, the faint rustling of leaves barely audible over the distant sounds of the city.

I arrived at the public park, hands in my pockets, moving with a slow, casual pace. The dim glow of streetlights barely illuminated the empty pathways, casting long shadows across the grass.

But I wasn't here for the scenery.

My eyes immediately locked onto the bench at the center of the park.

There, Issei Hyoudou sat—grinning like a complete idiot.

And sitting beside him?

A girl with long black hair, dressed in a cute white blouse and skirt, her delicate fingers laced together as she looked up at him with a shy smile.

Yuuma Amano.

Or, as she would soon reveal herself to be—

Raynare.

I exhaled through my nose, stepping back into the shadows.

A single pulse of magic spread from my fingertips, forming an invisibility barrier around me.

The air shimmered for a brief second before settling.

Just like that, I was gone.

Now, I could watch the scene unfold without being seen.

I leaned against a large oak tree, arms crossed, watching the foolishness play out in real time.

Issei was beaming, looking like he just won the lottery.

Raynare giggled, tilting her head just right—her voice soft, sweet, perfectly tuned to lure in an easy target.

"Issei-kun~," she said, eyes glimmering with fake innocence. "I'm so happy you came out with me tonight."

"O-Of course! I wouldn't miss it for the world!" Issei replied, practically vibrating with excitement.

I rolled my eyes.

This poor bastard really thinks he's on a date.

Look at him. So happy. So clueless.

No wonder he gets stabbed within five minutes.

I resisted the urge to laugh.

It was too easy watching him fall into her trap.

Raynare played her part perfectly.

The hesitant body language.

The nervous twirls of her hair.

The way she scooted just a little closer to Issei.

She was good.

Too good.

Honestly, if I didn't already know who she was, even I might've thought she was just some adorable, slightly awkward girl crushing on a loser.

But I knew better.

This was a setup.

A slow, deliberate execution of manipulation.

And Issei?

He was the perfect fool.

Something Felt… Off.

I narrowed my eyes, sensing something in the air.

A faint magical presence.

Not from Raynare.

From… somewhere else.

I closed my eyes briefly, letting my senses expand, reaching out with a subtle wave of mana.

Then—I felt it.

Hidden. Watching.

A presence lingering just out of sight.

I didn't need to guess.

"Ah… so she's keeping an eye on him already."

I smirked, opening my eyes.

Rias Gremory.

She was here.

Somewhere, unseen but observing.

Just like in canon.

Interesting.

I always wondered how much Rias knew ahead of time.

Clearly, she was already keeping tabs on Issei—but was she just watching? Or was she prepared to intervene?

And more importantly—

How would she react when she realized she wasn't the only one interfering tonight?

Because unlike her?

I had no intention of letting this idiot die.

I shifted my weight slightly, rolling my shoulders.

Time to see if Raynare was as good as she thought she was.

And more importantly?

Time to find out if she could handle an opponent she couldn't even see.

Because the moment she tried to kill Issei?

I'd be right there waiting.