Weeks had passed since the Kuoh Academy Festival. To most students, it was a blur of lights, food, and half-remembered contests. But to those who'd been watching closely—especially the devils and those aligned with the supernatural—the Festival had been a warning.
Ren Kurokami had stolen the spotlight without ever trying. No flashy tricks. No showy declarations. When the mock battle segment came, students expected him to bow out like always. Quiet. Polite. The transfer student with odd eyes and a smile that never quite reached his core.
He entered the arena with one hand in his pocket, looking bored. His opponent, a third-year devil known for his arrogance, laughed at the matchup.
That laugh didn't last.
Ren didn't use magic circles. No chant. No drawn weapons. He moved forward like a shadow stepping into light—and the moment his foot touched the center of the arena, the atmosphere turned hostile. Pressure—thick and suffocating—blanketed the battlefield.
The match lasted ten seconds.
Ten.
A single flurry of movement, and the third-year was unconscious, buried into the cratered stone with blood trickling from his nose, ears, and lips.
Even Sona Shitori—Student Council President—paused her clipboard mid-check. Her glasses reflected light, but not even she could hide the flicker of interest in her eyes.
After that, the whispers began.
"He didn't use any spell, right?"
"Was that martial arts?"
"Who trained him?"
"Is he even human?"
No answers came. Ren remained the same. Quiet. Cheerful. Distant. His presence was calm—but underneath, a pulse of something primal simmered. Something monstrous. Sona noticed. So did Rias. So did the Student Council's informants.
But no one dared approach.
Not yet.