Ch 9 : Path to Power

3rd POV

The Occult Club fell in silence as Rias settled into her chair behind the desk. The tea Akeno had prepared sat cooling, untouched, as the Rias stared at the spot where Akira had stood just moments before.

"Well" Rias finally broke the silence, her voice in bewilderment "That was... unexpected"

"I found his response rather intriguing. It's been my first time seeing someone refuse a devil's offer with such... conviction" Akeno moved gracefully to refill the teacups, her usual serene smile tinged with something that might have been amusement.

"Intriguing?" Rias's brow furrowed as she finally reached for her tea "He just turned down protection, power, and a place in our family. After what Koneko and Kiba witnessed yesterday, he clearly understands the dangers of this world. Yet still"

Koneko turned slightly "Maybe he doesn't need our protection"

Kiba looked up with concern etched across his face "But that's exactly why we should be worried. He's capable, yes, but he's still human. Other factions won't ignore someone with that kind of power, especially if they learn he's unaffiliated."

"You think he's that strong, Yuuto?" Rias observed, studying her knight's expression.

"I don't know" Her knight replied carefully "Only time will tell. But leaving him completely alone feels like abandoning our responsibility to this territory."

Akeno's soft laugh drew their attention "Oh my, you're all so serious. Perhaps we should consider that his refusal says something about his character rather than his judgment" She took a delicate sip of her tea "Most people would leap at the chance to join us, especially after learning about the supernatural world. He is different"

"Different or dangerous?" Rias muttered, remembering their pleasant conversation at the manga shop just yesterday. She had genuinely enjoyed talking with him. The contrast between that normal interaction and his calm rejection of everything she represented left her feeling strangely off-balance.

"But what happens when his strength isn't enough?" Kiba pressed gently "What happens when someone stronger comes for him, or when he gets caught in the crossfire of our conflicts?"

Rias leaned back in her chair with a sigh "That's what troubles me most. I misjudged him completely. At the manga shop, he seemed passionate about stories. But today..." She shook her head. "Today he looked at me like he was seeing through every word I said"

"Maybe you're giving too much thought to it" Akeno added "You have to admit, Rias, our recruitment methods are rather... direct. 'Join us or face the supernatural world alone' isn't exactly a gentle approach."

"So, what do you suggest?" Rias asked, though she suspected she already knew the answer "We can't force him to accept my offer, but we can't ignore him either. Not when he's proven capable of handling threats in our territory"

Rias stood, moving to the window where Koneko had been standing moments before "There's something about him that I can't quite grasp"

As the sun set over Kuoh Academy, Rias Gremory found herself thinking of human as not someone she failed to recruit, but as someone who had walked away from everything she had to offer.

. . .

Akira's Pov

The familiar streets of Kuoh felt different somehow as I made my way home, each step echoing with the weight of decisions made and opportunities refused. The evening air carried the scent of grilled fish in the neighbourhood.

Did I make the right choice?

The question gnawed at me as I paused at a crosswalk, watching the signal change from red to green. Rias Gremory had offered me power, protection, a place to live at peace. And I'd walked away from it all without a second thought. Well, that wasn't entirely true – there had been plenty of thoughts, just none that led me to accept her offer.

I couldn't shake the image of her surprised expression when I'd refused. She probably wasn't used to people turning down immortality and supernatural abilities. To me, her offer was honest and too good like servitude wrapped in pretty promises.

My footsteps slowed as I turned onto a quieter side street, the distant hum of traffic fading into background noise. The gacha system had changed everything. It had given me a taste of real power, power that was mine alone, not borrowed or granted by some devil master. But it also left me with questions that seemed to multiply with each passing day.

Speaking of which...

I glanced around to make sure I was alone before speaking quietly.

"System, I need to know something. How do I get more tasks? More opportunities to earn gacha tickets?"

The familiar blue screen materialized in my vision, its soft glow barely visible in the dying light. Text appeared with that characteristic electronic hum:

. . .

[Task acquisition methods] 

Defeat or engage strong individuals in combat - conditions: Sparring matches, self-defense situations, elimination of threats - Reward scaling based on opponent strength

. . .

I stopped walking entirely, staring at the message as its implications sank in

"So I need to fight people. Strong people" The words felt strange coming out of my mouth. A day ago, the most violent thing I'd done was eliminating a stray devil, which in itself a big feat that I can't believe yet.

The screen flickered, adding more text:

[Clarification: Non-lethal victories acceptable. System prioritizes growth through challenge, not destruction or massacre]

That was... somewhat reassuring. At least I wouldn't be forced to become a killer to progress. But it still meant I'd need to actively seek out conflicts with supernatural beings, and that brought me back to the Gremory peerage.

Koneko and Akeno.

They were the obvious choices. Kiba seemed decent enough, but something about the idea of meeting him alone in some secluded training ground made my skin crawl. Maybe it was the way he'd looked at me during the meeting – not hostile, exactly, kinda like…you understand, what I'm getting at.

Koneko, on the other hand, had barely spoken during the entire encounter. Her golden eyes had watched me with an intensity that suggested she was evaluating everything about me, but there was something almost... respectful in her silence. And from what I'd gathered, she valued strength and straightforward approaches.

Akeno was harder to read. That coy smile and her polite demeanour was like a curtain over something much more complex. But she'd seemed genuinely amused by my refusal, which suggested she might be open to an unconventional request.

I resumed walking, my mind racing through possibilities. How exactly did one ask a devil for a friendly sparring match? 'Hey, I know I just refused to join your group, but would you mind helping me test my abilities?' It sounded ridiculous even in my own head. But knowing their nature, it wouldn't be absurd, that they would accept it.

The street opened up into a small park, and I found myself drawn to an empty bench beneath a streetlamp. The weight of everything – the system, the supernatural world, the choices I was making – suddenly felt overwhelming. I sat down heavily, running a hand through my hair.

What am I doing?

The question hit me like a physical blow. Here I was, planning to challenge supernatural beings to fights, all for the sake of some mysterious gacha system that I didn't even fully understand. Was this really what I wanted? To spend my new life in this world constantly seeking out stronger opponents, collecting power like some kind of RPG character?

I leaned back against the bench, staring up at the stars visible through the city's light. Back in my old world, I'd dreamed of adventure, of being someone important, someone strong. But now that I was living it, the reality felt more complicated than any fantasy I'd ever imagined.

How much stronger do I even want to be?

The system could theoretically make me incredibly powerful – maybe even rival the strongest beings in this world. But power for what? To protect myself? To protect others? Or just because I could?

A cool breeze rustled the leaves above me, and I closed my eyes, trying to centre myself. The doubts were natural, I told myself. Anyone thrust into this situation would question their choices. But dwelling on the philosophical implications wouldn't change my circumstances.

I opened my eyes, my resolve hardening. The supernatural world was dangerous – yesterday's encounter with the stray devil had proven that. And like Rias and her peerage warned me, there were literal forces out there that could crush me without effort if they chose to. I couldn't afford to be weak, not when my very existence might put me in their crossfires.

For now, I just need to be strong enough to survive, and gain allies.

Strong enough to defend myself when running isn't an option. Strong enough to escape when fighting wasn't in my favour. Strong enough to have choices when others would have none.

I stood up from the bench, feeling some of the weight lift from my shoulders. The path ahead wasn't clear, but the next step was. I'd find a way to approach either Koneko or Akeno, and frame it as a learning experience or a test of my abilities.

If I was going to live in this world, I needed to understand my place in it – and that meant understanding exactly what I was capable of.

Rest of my walk, continued in contemplative silence, but my steps felt at ease now. I'd made my choice to refuse the devil's bargain, chose to live with its consequences, whether glorious or tragic.

The gacha system had given me a big leverage.

With the right approach, the right challenges, I would make best out of it. And maybe, just maybe, I'd find a way to carve a purposeful life in this supernatural world, that's entirely new to me.

...

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