Reincarnated in the World of High School DxD

Rias, hearing Grayfia's words, felt the weight of the conflict lift from her shoulders. Turning to Kazuki, she rushed toward him as he dispelled his armor.

"Kazuki! Thank you... Thank you so much!"

Tears welled in her crimson, beautiful eyes as she flung her arms around him, her embrace warm and trembling with relief.

Kazuki caught off guard but unable to suppress a small smile, returned her embrace gently.

"Hey, I think I forgot to give him one last parting gift," Kazuki muttered, his tone playful yet cold.

Rias pulled back slightly, a mix of laughter and disbelief breaking through her tears.

"You already beat him to a pulp! Wasn't that enough?"

Her laughter lit up the night, but before Kazuki could respond, Rias cupped his face in her hands, her expression softening.

"B-Buchou?" Kazuki stammered, his eyes widening as her face drew closer.

Without another word, Rias leaned in, pressing her lips to his in a tender, lingering kiss.

Kazuki froze at first, the unexpected sweetness of the moment overwhelming him. But as seconds passed, he melted into the embrace, savoring the warmth and softness of her lips.

After what felt like an eternity, Rias finally pulled away, her cheeks flushed as she gasped for air.

"T-That... was your reward," she said, looking away bashfully.

"You've heard about how important a first kiss is in the human world, right? W-Well, this was mine... and I wanted to give it to you. So, um... thank you, Kazuki."

Kazuki blinked, still dazed from the kiss. "Uh... yeah. You're welcome."

Despite his clumsy reply, the radiant smile on Rias's face made his heart skip a beat.

'That wasn't exactly what I had in mind when I said I'd repay him, but damn... she's way too cute right now,' Kazuki thought, his face burning as he tried to process what had just happened.

His thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a loud, anguished scream.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!"

Kazuki turned to see a very awake Issei, his face a mixture of shock and betrayal. Beside him, Asia stood frozen, her cheeks scarlet as her eyes darted between Rias and Kazuki.

Issei pointed an accusing finger at Kazuki, his mouth opening and closing as if trying to form words, though nothing coherent came out.

"You... you... WHAT?!"

Kazuki sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Well, this is going to be awkward."

Rias, meanwhile, giggled softly, her mood visibly lighter despite Issei's theatrics.

"Let's head back," she said, taking Kazuki's hand. "We've earned some rest."

Kazuki let her lead him, casting one last glance at Issei, who looked ready to implode.

'Yeah... awkward doesn't even begin to cover it,' Kazuki thought, a small grin tugging at his lips.

Elsewhere—

The aftermath of the Rating Game was being discussed between two prominent figures.

"I must admit," Lord Gremory said, his crimson hair shining under the room's ornate lighting, "I didn't expect things to turn out this way. My sincerest apologies, Lord Phenex, but I'm afraid this engagement is officially off."

The golden-haired Lord Phenex nodded, his demeanor calm despite the loss. "While unfortunate, it cannot be helped! Rias won this victory through her own strength and the strength of her Peerage. That deserves respect. Although," he added with a slight smirk, "I believe I owe that Pawn of hers a personal thank you."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"My son's overconfidence in the Phenex's immortality has always been a concern. This loss may serve as a valuable lesson for him," Lord Phenex admitted.

"But that Pawn—Kazuki, was it? His abilities are extraordinary. That combat technique, his Sacred Gear... truly something to behold. Who is he, exactly?"

"I wish I knew," Lord Gremory replied. "What about you, Sirzechs? Did Rias ever mention anything about him to you?"

The younger man, seated quietly, finally spoke. "No, Father. I believe even Rias wasn't fully aware of Kazuki's true capabilities. Perhaps he chose to conceal them intentionally."

"A man of secrets, then," Lord Gremory mused. "Why would he hide such power?"

Sirzechs chuckled softly. "Regardless of the reason, I'd like to speak with him myself one day. He intrigues me."

Lord Phenex leaned back with a smile. "Rias has gathered quite the remarkable Peerage—Red Dragon Emperor, several Sacred Gear wielders, and now this mysterious 'Guyver.' The future of the Underworld is bound to be entertaining."

"Indeed," Sirzechs murmured, his expression shifting to one of deep contemplation.

'The awakening of the Red Dragon Emperor... it's only a matter of time before the White Dragon appears as well. And this 'Guyver'—his power already rivals that of a high-class devil. I must understand him, both for Rias's sake and the Underworld's.' He thought.

Later—

The rest of Rias' peerage had recovered well.

Akeno and Koneko, who had been forced to retire during the match, were healed completely by Asia's Twilight Healing. Yumi, despite her fierce battle with Riser's Queen, escaped with minor injuries.

Issei, however, was another story.

While his physical wounds were healed, Asia's Sacred Gear couldn't mend the blow to his pride, or his heart.

Rias's kiss with Kazuki during the game had crushed him. Though Kazuki was confident Issei would bounce back quickly once something erotic came along to distract him, the sulking dragon was still licking his emotional wounds for now.

Kazuki, on his part, offered a basic explanation of his abilities.

He shared that after losing his parents in an accident, he had been raised by his grandfather, who trained him in the martial art of Fuwa Enmei-Ryu.

He explained that he avoided using these techniques because they were primarily deadly, and Rias and Yumi had accepted this reasoning after witnessing the power firsthand.

As for the Guyver, Kazuki kept his story vague.

He claimed it was a mysterious Sacred Gear that manifested after his reincarnation as a devil.

The logic held up, considering Issei's Boosted Gear had only appeared post-transformation.

Still, guilt gnawed at him for lying to his friends. Revealing that it was a "bonus" granted by a mysterious goddess felt like too much of a stretch, especially since he had no clue which pantheon she belonged to. If she turned out to be from the Outer Gods, the explanation would only spiral into chaos.

Some nights later—

Kazuki Fuwa's own private space turned upside down, yet again.

"That's why, starting from today, I'll be living in this room with you!! Pleased to meet you, Kazuki-kun!" Rias declared cheerfully as she strolled into his room, arms laden with her belongings.

Kazuki blinked at her, his mouth agape. "Wait, hold on—what do you mean by that's why? How does any of this make sense!?"

Rias simply smiled, her demeanor entirely unbothered by his protests.

Though the fallout from the Rating Game had been significant, Rias's engagement to Riser was formally annulled.

Word had it that Riser, still reeling from his humiliating defeat, had locked himself in his chambers, refusing to face the world.

As for Rias, her reputation as a King hadn't suffered nearly as much as she'd feared.

The council seemed to weigh the inclusion of Kazuki Fuwa, the venomous demon god "Guyver"—and Issei, the Red Dragon Emperor, as strong assets to her peerage. The net result left her position only slightly tarnished, much to her relief.

However, none of that explained why she'd suddenly decided to invade Kazuki's personal space.

"Your room isn't exactly lacking in size or luxury, Rias," Kazuki pointed out, gesturing helplessly at her pile of belongings.

"I just feel safer here," she replied with a mischievous smile.

Kazuki groaned inwardly, already anticipating the chaos this arrangement was going to bring.

"So, why are you doing this?" Kazuki asked arms crossed as he watched Rias cheerfully unpack her belongings.

"Because…" Rias paused, her cheeks tinting slightly. "I've always dreamed about something like this."

"Something like what?"

"You know… living with someone I like."

Kazuki grumbled, raking a hand through his hair. Her bluntness always left him at a loss.

"This is way too sudden, Rias."

"Maybe," she admitted, her tone softening as she looked up at him with those enchanting, worried eyes.

"But you told me during the game to go for what I want, to not hold back. Do you not want to live with me, Kazuki?"

'Damn it!! That puppy-eyed expression was downright unfair.' He thought.

"It's not that I don't…" he started, stumbling over his words.

"Really!? Then it's fine, isn't it?" Rias said, her face lighting up in triumph as she dove back into unpacking.

Kazuki let out a resigned sigh. "Guess I'll clear out the storage room for your stuff," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Oh, and Kazuki?"

"Yeah?"

"Call me Rias."

"What?"

"From now on, call me Rias," she insisted, her tone as casual as it was firm.

"Why?"

"Because you already called me that during the game," she pointed out with a smirk.

"So, I'm giving you permission to keep doing it. Actually, no—I want you to call me that. Is that a problem?"

Kazuki sighed again, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You're relentless."

Finally, he looked at her directly. "Fine, Rias."

Her face broke into a radiant smile that caught him completely off guard.

"Thank you, Kazuki!"

He grumbled something under his breath, wondering how his life had spiraled into such chaos—and how the hell he was supposed to keep his composure around her, knowing how seductive and voluptuous Rias was.

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The Lemons Began with Akeno Himejima.

5 Advanced chapters are now available at Patreon: [email protected]/SMU_NANI