I walked away from the café with my fists clenched so tight my knuckles turned white. Each step was measured, controlled, as if I was afraid the ground might shatter beneath my feet.
Shit.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
One moment of anger. One slip of control. That's all it had taken to reveal everything I'd been trying to hide.
The cool evening air did nothing to calm the storm raging inside me. My mana still burned through my veins, hot and volatile. Part of me wanted to turn around, to go back and finish what I'd started. To make her pay for trying to manipulate me like a puppet. To show her exactly what happens when you try to control something far beyond your understanding.
But I couldn't. Not with Sirzechs Lucifer in the picture. Her brother, one of the Four Great Satans, with power that made Azazel look like a child playing with matches. I wasn't ready for that kind of confrontation. Not yet.
I ducked into an empty alley and slammed my fist into the brick wall. The concrete cracked and crumbled, dust raining down as I pulled my hand free.
"Stupid," I muttered. "So fucking stupid."
I'd let my emotions get the better of me. After all my careful planning, all my meticulous preparation, I'd blown my cover because a devil princess tried to hypnotize me into a business deal. It was almost laughable.
But I wasn't laughing.
Rias Gremory now knew I wasn't human. Worse, she'd seen the dragon's essence leak through. There was no walking that back, no convincing her it was a trick of the light or her imagination. Devils were many things, but stupid wasn't one of them.
I needed to get ahead of this. Damage control.
My phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out, half-expecting to see a message from Rias already. Instead, it was Hayama.
"Young master, your 7 PM training session with Ishikawa-san has been confirmed."
Azazel. Perfect. Just what I needed right now—a smug fallen angel poking at my defenses while I was already on edge.
I texted back a confirmation and shoved the phone back in my pocket. At least Azazel already knew about my abilities. No need to pretend around him.
The walk home was a blur. By the time I reached the mansion, my anger had cooled from white-hot rage to simmering resentment. I was still furious at Rias for trying to manipulate me, but I was equally angry at myself for losing control.
In my room, I paced back and forth, running through scenarios, calculating risks, and planning countermoves. The chessboard had been upended. The pieces were scattered. Now I needed to figure out how to turn this disaster into an advantage.
Rias knew.
But how much did she know? She'd seen the dragon essence, but did she understand what it meant? Would she connect it to the Dragon's Elixir? Would she realize it wasn't a Sacred Gear?
And what would she do with that knowledge?
Tell her brother? Probably.
Tell Sona? Almost certainly.
Come after me directly? Unlikely. She'd been genuinely afraid. That wasn't something you could fake.
I checked the Workshop. Laevateinn was still progressing. It was comfort before, but now? Not so much now that I have a ticking clock.
My phone buzzed again. This time it was a text from an unknown number:
"We should talk. Soon. -R.G."
I stared at the screen, a humorless smile tugging at my lips. That didn't take long.
How had she even gotten my number? Devil magic, probably. Or simple networking—I was the Mishima heir, after all. My contact information wasn't exactly a state secret.
I didn't reply. I needed time to think, to plan, to get my own head straight before engaging with her again.
A knock at my door interrupted my thoughts.
"Enter," I called.
Hayama stepped in, his expression as professionally neutral as always. "Young master, Ishikawa-san has arrived early for your session. He says it's urgent."
Azazel was here already? That couldn't be good.
"Send him up," I said, resignation coloring my voice.
Hayama bowed and withdrew. Moments later, Azazel strolled into my room, looking amused and concerned in equal measure.
"So," he said, closing the door behind him, "I hear you had quite the little power display in a public café today."
My blood ran cold. "How do you—"
"Please," Azazel waved dismissively. "I felt that spike of draconic energy from across town. So did every other supernatural being with half-decent senses. You might as well have set off magical fireworks spelling 'not human' in giant letters."
I froze, my entire body tensing. "Draconic?"
Azazel's eyes narrowed slightly, studying my reaction. A slow, knowing smile spread across his face.
"Oh? Is that a surprise I see?" He tilted his head. "Did you think I wouldn't notice that your mana has distinctly draconic properties? It's quite obvious to anyone with experience in such matters."
My mind raced. He'd known. All this time, he'd known about the Dragon's Elixir—or at least its effects.
"Why didn't you say anything?" I demanded.
Azazel shrugged, the gesture casual, but his eyes sharp and calculating. "I prefer to let people share their secrets when they're ready. Trust is earned, not demanded." He leaned against my desk. "I figured you'd tell me when you trusted me enough. Or when you slipped up badly enough that we'd need to have this conversation anyway."
He gestured vaguely in my direction. "Seems we've arrived at the latter scenario."
I sank onto the edge of my bed, running a hand through my hair. "That bad, huh?"
"Oh, it gets better," Azazel continued. "Sirzechs Lucifer himself has already called me, asking if I knew anything about a 'draconic presence' that was apparently having tea with his little sister."
"Shit." The word came out as a whisper.
"'Shit' indeed, Leon-kun." Azazel crossed his arms. "You want to tell me what happened? And please, spare no details. I do so love a good story involving angry dragons and terrified devil princesses."
I looked up at him, finding no humor in his quip. "She tried to use her power on me. To manipulate me into agreeing to a business partnership."
Azazel's eyebrows shot up. "And that made you angry enough to break your cover? I've seen you shrug off worse provocation from me."
"This was different," I snapped. "She tried to take away my free will. To control me like a puppet."
"Ah," Azazel's expression shifted to understanding. "Dragons and freedom. Always a sensitive topic."
He wasn't wrong. The Dragon's Elixir had changed me in ways I was still discovering. The visceral, primal reaction to someone trying to manipulate my mind... it had touched something deep, something that wasn't entirely human anymore.
"So what now?" I asked.
Azazel shrugged. "Now? Now you adapt. Your carefully constructed 'normal human' façade is broken, at least where the devils are concerned. You can't put that genie back in the bottle."
"I know that," I said, frustration creeping into my voice. "I'm asking what my options are."
"Well, you could run," he said casually. "Pack up, disappear, start over somewhere new. Not my recommendation, but it's an option."
I shook my head. "I'm not running."
"Didn't think so." He nodded approvingly. "Option two: double down. Own it. You've got power. That makes you a player in the game, not just a piece."
"A player with very powerful enemies," I pointed out.
"Potential enemies," Azazel corrected. "The devils aren't monolithic. Neither are the angels, the fallen, or any other faction. There's plenty of room for... negotiation."
I considered this. Then something else occurred to me. Something that made my jaw clench again.
"Wait," I said, leaning forward. "What happens to Rias for this? She violated neutrality. The Mishima Corporation is neutral ground, right? That's what you told me. And she tried to control the heir to that corporation."
The question hung in the air between us. Azazel's expression shifted, became more careful.
"Leon-kun..." he began, then sighed. "Nothing will happen to her."
"Nothing?" I stood up, anger flaring again. "She broke the rules. She violated—"
"She's the sister of Sirzechs Lucifer," Azazel cut me off. "Not just any Maou, but Sirzechs himself. Acclaimed as the strongest devil in history. One of the most powerful beings in existence, period."
He spread his hands in a gesture of helplessness. "At worst, she'll get a stern talking-to. A slap on the wrist. Maybe some extra training in diplomacy. But actual consequences? No. When you're that powerful, when you're that connected... the rules bend."
I stared at him, feeling something cold and bitter settle in my stomach. "So that's it? She can just do whatever she wants?"
"Welcome to supernatural politics," Azazel said with dark amusement. "Where justice is relative and power trumps everything else."
Fuck.
The unfairness of it hit me like a physical blow. Rias could have stripped away my free will, turned me into a puppet, and she'd walk away with nothing more than a lecture. Because of who her brother was.
"That's fucked up," I said quietly.
"Yes," Azazel agreed. "It is."
"What would you do?" I asked.
I considered this. "What would you do?"
Azazel laughed. "Me? I'd probably make some ill-advised joke, then try to turn the whole situation into an opportunity." His expression grew more serious. "But you're not me, Leon. And frankly, that's probably for the best."
He pushed off from the desk and walked over to the window, looking out at the city lights. "The Gremory girl will be curious. Cautious, but curious. Her brother will be concerned. The Sitri girl—well, she'll be calculating how this changes the balance of power at that little school of hers."
"And you?" I asked. "What's your stake in all this?"
He turned, offering a grin that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'm still deciding. But I'm leaning toward 'highly entertained observer' with a side of 'occasional mentor to a stubborn dragon-blooded human.'"
My phone buzzed again. Another text from the same unknown number:
"Please. It's important. -R.G."
Azazel caught my expression. "The princess calling?"
I nodded.
"You're going to have to talk to her eventually,"
He was right. I couldn't avoid this confrontation forever. Better to face it head-on, control the narrative, set boundaries.
"I'll handle it," I said.
Azazel studied me for a moment. "I believe you will." He glanced at his watch. "Now, shall we proceed with your regularly scheduled training? I think you could use a healthy outlet for all that pent-up draconic rage."
I stood up, rolling my shoulders. "Fine. But no holding back today."
"Oh?" His eyebrows shot up in amusement. "Feeling ambitious, are we?"
"No," I said, my voice hardening. "Feeling like I need to be ready. For whatever comes next."
As we headed down to the training room, my mind kept circling back to one thought: The game had changed. I'd been knocked off balance, forced to reveal my hand too early.
But I wasn't out of moves yet. Not by a long shot.
Rias Gremory wanted to talk? Fine. We'd talk.
But this time, I'd make damn sure she understood exactly who she was dealing with.
No more pretending to be just another human. That mask had been shattered beyond repair.
Time to show the devil princess what the dragon could really do.
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Hey! I just released a new My Hero Academia fanfic. Check it out if you're interested, and let me know what you think!
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If you'd like to read ahead and support me, feel free to check it out: [email protected]/VashFF