The cool night air brushed against Rowan's face as he walked through the quiet streets of Kuoh, his mind anything but calm. His recent contract still echoed in his thoughts — the image of a battered woman, unconscious on the floor, and a child curled in terror beside her. He had intervened. He had saved them. But the question that haunted him wasn't what he did.
It was why no one else had.
Especially not the devils who claimed this town as their territory.
Rowan clenched his fists in his pockets, his jaw tight. Rias Gremory and Sona Shitori — they called themselves protectors. Leaders. Guardians of balance. But how many other families like that one had suffered under their watchful ignorance? How many evils went unnoticed, unpunished, just because they weren't supernatural?
Kuoh looked peaceful on the surface, but beneath that mask was a rot — crime, abuse, despair. Things that weren't masked by magic or solved with spells. Just ignored.
And thinking back to the anime this world once was, he remembered the deaths. The people caught in the crossfire. The civilians whose memories were erased, whose pain was dismissed like background noise. Nothing had really changed.
"I can't ignore this anymore," Rowan muttered as he approached his home. "This can't continue."
By the time he lay down for the night, he'd already decided what needed to happen.
---
The next day after school, Rowan called for a private meeting with Rias and Sona. No peerage members, no distractions — just the three of them, alone in the Occult Research Club room.
They arrived curious but calm, expecting maybe a discussion about contracts or adjustments to his duties.
Rowan didn't waste time.
"Ladies," he began, standing before them with steady eyes, "I'll cut right to the chase. Last night, during a contract, I found a woman who had been knocked unconscious by her husband. Her child was next to her — crying, terrified, too scared to call for help. If I hadn't shown up, he might have killed them both."
Rias blinked, confused. Sona narrowed her eyes slightly, already sensing where this was going.
"And as I started thinking about it," Rowan continued, "I realized that this isn't a one-time thing. There are dozens of incidents like that across Kuoh. Crime, abuse, neglect — all hiding in plain sight. And yet, the two of you let it all slip through the cracks."
Rias's expression tightened. "We don't interfere with normal humans. That's not our place."
Sona added, "It's beyond our responsibilities. Maintaining the balance between the supernatural and mundane world requires discretion. We can't involve ourselves in human affairs."
Rowan's voice dropped an octave — not louder, but sharper. "Then you shouldn't call yourselves protectors of this town."
The words hit like a slap. Neither girl responded immediately.
"A real protector doesn't turn away from injustice just because it's inconvenient," he said, eyes burning. "A real protector acts — even when it's hard, even when it comes with a price. You say you love this town, that you care about its people. But from where I'm standing, you're more interested in your peerages and your power than the actual people who live here."
Rias stepped forward. "You don't know what you're talking about. You've been here what — two weeks?"
Rowan stared at her. "And in those two weeks, I've seen more than either of you seem to care to. Other than trying to grow your strength, build up your peerages, or flirt with high schoolers, what have you actually been doing?"
Sona's lips thinned. "I do plenty. I work every day to improve the lives of the students here."
"Oh yeah?" Rowan snapped. "Is that why you let three perverts run wild, peeping on the Kendo club every day without consequence? In any normal school, they'd be expelled — maybe even arrested. But here, they're free to do as they please. Why? Because Rias wants to recruit one of them?"
Sona's mouth opened — and closed again. She was genuinely stunned.
Rias looked down, guilt flickering across her face. She had asked Sona not to expel Issei.
Rowan took a step back, disappointment heavy in his voice. "I'm not trying to be your enemy. But I am disappointed. Deep down, I know your hands are tied — by politics, by factions, by your own chains. I get it. But I'm not bound by any of that."
He turned toward the door.
"So from now on, I'll do what you can't. I'm not saying I'll change the world... but I will protect this town. For real."
Before they could reply, he walked out.
The room fell silent. The tension lingered like fog.
Sona slowly exhaled, her voice soft. "Perhaps... we have become complacent."
Rias nodded slowly. "I want to do more. I do. But... I can't. Not while I'm still stuck with Riser hanging over my head. I don't have the luxury to help others when I can't even help myself."
"I know," Sona said quietly. "But maybe... maybe he can actually do something good."
They shared a look.
"Let him be," Rias said finally. "Let him cool off."
Sona nodded in agreement. "That would be best."
---
Rowan walked through the school's evening halls, listening to the laughter and chatter of students blissfully unaware of the darkness both within and without.
He sighed, his mind heavy.
"They don't know," he whispered. "About the monsters in the dark... or the ones in plain sight."
Then, louder — but only for one other to hear: "Sora. It's time."
The floating interface shimmered faintly beside him.
Sora: "Understood. Then it's time we find you a mentor."
A chime echoed in his mind.
> [Hidden Quest Complete: Realize Your Own Weakness]
Reward: One-Time-Only Mentor Summoning Ticket
Rowan stared at the notification, eyes narrowing in determination.
He accepted the ticket, already planning his next move.
There was work to be done.
And it started now.