Chapter 41 - Here She Goes
"I didn't expect you to beat Yuuto like that," Rias looked up, a trace of disbelief lingering in her voice.
"When you're outmatched in strength and speed, you find another way," Roy smiled.
"To devise that strategy under pressure, luring Yuuto step by step with such sharp judgment…" Rias marveled.
Before Roy's spar with Kiba, Rias was impressed.
After seeing Roy outmaneuver Kiba's strength, her satisfaction skyrocketed.
His battle control were each enough to demand her attention.
Combined in one person, his potential was staggering.
If Roy successfully bonded with her Knight Piece as a reincarnated devil, Rias estimated he'd reach at least High-Class status.
With the right opportunities, his ceiling could be limitless.
Her only hurdle: convincing Roy to join her peerage.
Roy shrugged inwardly.
"Alright, Rias," Akeno said, exasperated.
"Save the talk for the clubroom."
"Can't you see Roy-kun's wiped out? That spar with Yuuto drained him. Let him rest."
"My bad," Rias said, apologetic.
"Back to the clubroom."
The group returned to the Occult Research Club's room.
Roy slumped onto the sofa, feigning exhaustion.
"You okay, Roy?" Kiba asked, looking quite concerned.
"Just out of practice with intense spars," Roy said, waving it off.
"A quick rest, and I'm good." He eyed Kiba, faking confusion.
"But you—where's that strength come from? No offense, but you're not exactly buff."
"Without my deflections, my hands would've been wrecked."
"Uh… just, y'know, lots of training," Kiba chuckled awkwardly.
With Rias withholding the devil reveal, he couldn't spill the truth.
"Here, Roy," Koneko slide the ornate snack pack toward him, her eyes flickering with reluctance.
"Thanks, Koneko," Roy said, smiling.
Akeno emerged from a side room with a tray.
"Short on time, so I brewed some quick tea. Hope it's fine."
She set cups before everyone, pouring steaming tea.
"Tea, please," she said, her gaze landing on Roy's hand.
A playful smile curved her lips.
"Roy-kun, your hand looks stiff. Need your senpai's help?"
"I've got my left," Roy said, declining.
"So cold," Akeno teased, undeterred.
She plopped beside him, grabbed his teacup, blew gently on the steam, and held it to his lips.
"Take a sip, Roy-kun. Senpai's special treatment."
Roy sighed, leaning in for a sip.
"Temperature okay? Need another blow?" Akeno asked, grinning.
"It's fine."
"Perfect!" Akeno set the cup down, eyeing Koneko's snacks with intent to keep feeding him.
"Roy, where'd you learn that style?" Rias asked, settling on the opposite sofa.
"It's rare at your age. No pressure if it's private."
"No big secret," Roy said, shaking his head.
"Part from games, part self-taught."
Rias, Yuto, and Koneko froze.
Akeno, mid-unwrapping Koneko's snacks, paused, a soft pastry hovering in her hand.
"Games?" Rias said, her mouth twitching, struggling to process.
"Not those computer games boys obsess over, right?" she asked, skeptical.
Though not a gamer, Rias knew Koneko's hobby gave her some context.
But style of combat that humbled a Middle-Class devil, learned from games? Absurd.
"Roy-kun, you pulling our leg?" Akeno said, recovering, feeding him the pastry.
Roy bit down, and—whoops—Akeno's finger brushed his lips, soft and cool.
[Congratulations, host. 350,000 dimension points absorbed.]
Roy's expression flickered.
He'd planned subtle contact with Akeno to get the points without suspicion, but this was a lucky break.
"Roy-kun, why the look?" Akeno asked, her sweet smile innocent, though she deliberately flexed the finger that grazed him.
Ignoring her tease, Roy said, "Back in the UK, I was obsessed with fighting since I was a kid."
"Shame there's no real mana or legendary swordplay like in stories."
Rias stayed quiet, but a spark of glee lit her mind.
Roy's interest in fighting could extend to the supernatural.
"So I dug online for fighting stuff," Roy continued, smiling.
"Then I found something cool in games. A lot of character moves are grounded in real human anatomy. They look flashy, but many can be recreated irl."
"I practiced with a sword, mimicking game moves," Roy said, shrugging.
"Over time, it built to this."
"That's… wild," Rias said, chuckling wryly.
"Some action game moves can be replicated," Koneko's gaming expertise lending Roy's claim weight.
"You reached this level, self-taught from online scraps?" Akeno asked.
"Well, I did consult gym coaches for force mechanics," Roy said.
"That's it?" Akeno said, stunned.
"No professional kendo master?"
"In the end, a weapon's just an arm extension," Roy said, grinning.
"Grasp human anatomy, muscles, and force, and swinging gets easier. My brain's decent, so biomechanics and physics clicked fast."
Pure skill could indeed lean on science.
"'Decent' doesn't cut it," Rias shook her head with a wry smile.
"You're a genius."
Analyzing swordsmanship with modern science and mastering it was near-impossible.
Few worldwide could pull it off.
"Roy, you're killing me here," Kiba said, half-laughing, half-doubting life.
"My life feels like a waste."
Guided by mentors, blessed with talent, and grinding daily, Kiba still fell short.
"Fine, I'll confess," Roy said, shrugging.
"I'm a reincarnated swordmaster."
"More excuses?" Rias rolled her eyes again.
Before flashing a bright smile.
"Roy, since you're into this, what about mythology?"
"Mythology?" Roy paused, then said, "Mildly curious, but it's pure fantasy compared to what I like."
"Does the Occult Research Club dive into that?"
"Yep."
Devils were straight out of myth.
"What if mythology isn't fantasy?" Rias probed.
"Oh," Roy gave a flat answer.
Rias's smile stiffened. "What's oh mean?"
Was his skepticism that deep?
"If mythical figures appeared before you, Roy-kun, what'd you do?" Akeno asked, picking up Rias's thread.
"Run far and fast," Roy said.
"Ordinary guys like me don't mess with that."
"Roy-kun, you're too straight-laced," Akeno said, exasperated.
"Think about it," Roy said, shaking his head.
"Beings who move mountains with a flick? Sure, there might be perks, but the danger's bigger. At least to me."
"Cautious, huh," Rias said, unfazed by his answer.
"What if you could become one—mountain-moving power, no risks? Would you say yes or no?"
Roy suppressed an eye-roll.
'Here she goes.'
"Sign me up," he said, blunt.
Rias's smile widened. "And devils? Thoughts?"
"Devils?"
"All these mythology questions—an interview for the club?"
"Exactly," Rias said.
"It's the Occult Research Club. Mythology's our thing."
"Devils as in Biblical ones?" Roy asked.
"Yep," Rias said.
"No clue," Roy said.
"But devils get a bad rap worldwide. Probably not friendly types."
Rias's smile held steady.
To mortals, devils weren't exactly cuddly.
"Fair," she said.
"What about us, then? What do you think of our club?"
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