Shirou sat forward, cupping the still-warm tea in his hands, his gaze fixed on Rias.
"I should be the one asking," he said evenly. "What exactly is the King Piece?"
That gave Rias pause.
Sona's eyes narrowed slightly.
"You… don't know?" Rias asked, crossing her arms as her brow furrowed. "Then how did you use it?"
Shirou shrugged slightly, though the motion tugged faintly at his shoulder wound. "I didn't know what it was. I just… knew it would heal me. Or stabilize me, somehow. Even if it changed me into something else." His gaze flickered. "I didn't have time to weigh the options."
Rias's lips pressed together. "You shouldn't have even had it."
"I'm aware," he muttered dryly.
He placed the cup aside, looking down at his hands again. They felt the same. But not quite. There was a weight there now. A hum in the marrow of his bones. A pull.
"I don't know much about the supernatural," he admitted. "Just that there are youkai, devils, angels, fallen angels. Maybe other things from other pantheons. I didn't grow up in this world knowing any of that." He flexed his fingers. "But ever since I used that piece… I can feel something different in me. Darker."
He raised his head again, his eyes locking on Rias's. "I can tell there's something inside me now. A shift in… alignment."
Then, without ceremony, he turned slightly and focused on the sensation that had been thrumming at the edge of his awareness since he woke.
With a pulse of will—they emerged.
From his back, two black wings burst forth in a graceful arc. Sleek, elegant, and unmistakably devilish.
Issei yelped. "What the hell?! You've got wings too?!"
Shirou glanced back at the wings, their movement natural despite being completely alien. "So, I'm guessing…" He turned his attention back to the gathered group. "I'm a devil now?"
He looked directly at Rias and Sona. "And you are too."
The room remained still for a breath. Then—in synchronized response—the others revealed themselves.
Rias's wings unfolded from behind her in a graceful sweep, shimmering with soft magical light. Kiba's followed next—sleek and symmetrical. Akeno's unfurled like a curtain of darkness, while Koneko remained still with her small wings.
Beside Rias, Sona's expression didn't shift, but two black wings extended from her back as well—precise and balanced. Tsubaki's followed a moment later, elegant and curved like a fan.
A room full of devils.
All eyes were now on Shirou—and his newly revealed nature.
He exhaled slowly, eyes scanning their faces. "So… what happens now?"
Issei raised his hand as if in class, mouth slightly agape. "Okay—okay, stop. I'm so lost."
Everyone turned to him.
"You're telling me I got stabbed, the girl I liked was a winged murderer, he—" he pointed at Shirou, "—grew wings and is now maybe a devil, and all of you have wings too?!"
A beat of silence.
Then, he frowned, crossing his arms. "I really need context."
Rias's lips curved slightly, amused despite herself. "Fair. You deserve some answers."
She stepped forward, the light from the club's antique lamp casting a warm glow over her crimson hair and serious expression.
"There was a time," she began, "when the world was at war. A war not between humans but between factions. Three of them: the Angels of Heaven, the Fallen Angels who were cast out, and the Devils of the Underworld."
Issei's eyes widened, but he said nothing.
"The war ended in a draw," she continued. "Casualties were massive. The devils, especially, suffered severely. Our birth rates were always lower… and our dead didn't come back."
"So you lost people," Shirou murmured.
"Too many," Rias agreed softly. "To prevent extinction, one of the Four Great Satans—Ajuka Beelzebub—created the Evil Piece system. A way to reincarnate humans into devils. A second chance at life. In doing so, he gave us a way to rebuild."
Shirou frowned. "Pieces… like the ones you tried to use on Issei."
"Yes." Rias nodded. "Each member of a peerage represents a chess piece. Rook, Knight, Bishop, Pawn, Queen. And the King is the one who commands them." She gestured slightly. "I'm a King. My pieces—Akeno, Kiba, Koneko—they serve under me."
"Tsubaki is part of my peerage, like all others in the Student Council," Sona said. "But I've never heard of a King Piece existing."
Rias shook her head slowly. "Neither have I. The Evil Piece system doesn't give a King Piece. It's… assumed. It's bound to the High-Class devil who receives the set. But no one carries it separately."
Shirou's brow furrowed as he remembered
"The other pieces," he said slowly. "Where are they? The ones that came with the King Piece I used?"
Before Rias could answer, Florence reached calmly into seemingly nowhere and produced a dark wooden box, polished and lined with faint magical etchings.
She handed it to Shirou with quiet efficiency.
He blinked, surprised. "Where did you…?"
"Field nurses carry essentials," she said matter-of-factly.
Shirou carefully opened the lid.
Inside, resting in neat velvet-lined rows, were fifteen glowing white chess pieces—cool to the touch, yet warm in the way magic often was. Each one hummed faintly, resonating with his presence.
"They came with you," Florence said simply. "You passed out before I could hand them over."
Rias stepped closer, eyes narrowed in curiosity. "I sent a message to my brother, Sirzechs, the moment I returned here. He's the current Lucifer. I thought it best he be informed."
Sona's eyes gleamed with quiet calculation, but she said nothing.
Rias turned her attention back to Shirou and the pieces. "Normally, a High-Class devil receives a set of 15 Evil Pieces—excluding the King—allowing them to form a peerage. Each piece enhances the abilities of the person they reincarnate."
She gestured one by one as she explained. "Rooks grant enhanced strength and defense. Knights grant speed and mobility. Bishops boost magical power. Pawns are versatile and become stronger when acting in enemy territory. The Queen is all-purpose—combining the abilities of the others."
Shirou looked down at the pieces, then back at Rias. "And I can use these?"
She hesitated. "You shouldn't be able to. That you are—that's not supposed to happen."
Sona finally spoke then, her tone clipped. "It's not just irregular. It's unprecedented."
Shirou exhaled, closing the box with a quiet click. "Yeah. Seems like my new normal. That still doesn't explain why you wanted to turn Issei into a Devil, though?"
Seeing Issei looking down at his hands as he flexed his fingers slowly, Shirou grew worried when Issei's brow furrowed as he glanced toward Rias, uncertainty etched into every line of his face. "So… am I a devil now?"
Rias shook her head gently. "No, you're not. The ritual didn't finish. Shirou stopped me before I could complete it."
Issei blinked, confused. "Wait, what? Why?"
All eyes turned toward Shirou.
He met Issei's gaze evenly. "Because it wasn't your choice."
Issei's brows rose. "My choice?"
Shirou nodded. "You were dying. I get that. And maybe becoming a devil would've saved your life. But doing it without your consent? That's not saving you. It's changing you without your say." He looked toward Rias but spoke to both of them. "You deserved to know what was happening—to choose whether you wanted it."
Issei stared at him for a moment, then looked down, his throat working as he swallowed.
The room was quiet for a few seconds.
"…So then," Issei said slowly, "why did you want to turn me into a devil in the first place?" He looked at Rias, more confused than angry. "And why did Yuuma—the fallen angel—try to kill me?"
Rias's expression sobered. "It's likely both of those questions have the same answer."
She stepped closer, folding her arms. "You have something inside you, Issei. Something powerful. It's called a Sacred Gear."
Issei blinked. "A… what?"
Shirou tilted his head, observing him thoughtfully. "That makes sense. I know a little about them. Sacred Gears are artifacts—spiritual weapons or tools that people are born with. Some are weak, some are powerful. But most humans don't even know they have them until something triggers them."
He looked at Rias again. "So that's what you were after. Not just Issei—but the Sacred Gear inside him."
Rias nodded. "I won't lie. It was part of the reason I was interested in reincarnating him. Sacred Gears are valuable. Some of them rival high-tier devils in strength. Having one in a peerage is an advantage."
Issei's face scrunched with worry. "Wait, wait, wait—so Yuuma tried to kill me over this thing, and you wanted to turn me into a devil because of it?"
"Yes," Rias said simply.
Before Issei could react further, Sona stepped forward, adjusting her glasses.
"I can explain more clearly," she said. "Sacred Gears are fragments of divine power created by the Lord of Heaven, embedded into the souls of humans. Most never awaken. Some become powerful weapons. Others can heal, control time, manipulate reality, or even rival the strength of gods."
Issei stared at her, stunned.
"You," Sona said, her tone more curious than judgmental, "likely possess one of the rarer types. The fallen angel must have known—she wouldn't have targeted you otherwise."
"And you… you didn't?" Issei asked Rias.
"I suspected," Rias admitted. "But I didn't know for certain. Not until I saw her strike."
Shirou exhaled slowly, crossing his arms. "That's a hell of a thing to find out after almost dying."
Issei looked overwhelmed—shoulders slumped, jaw slack. He stared at his hands as if they might suddenly glow or explode.
Rias, watching him with calm eyes, finally stepped forward.
"Issei," she said gently. "You're not a devil right now. But that doesn't mean the offer is gone."
He blinked up at her, confused.
She stopped just in front of him, folding her hands neatly in front of her. "You almost died. If Shirou hadn't intervened, I would've reincarnated you to save your life. And while I respect that he gave you the choice—now you have to make it."
Issei's mouth opened slightly.
Rias smiled softly, tilting her head. "Becoming a devil comes with advantages. Your lifespan would increase. You'd gain access to your Sacred Gear's full potential and more. Strength. Control. You could become a proper fighter in a world you didn't even know existed until today."
She stepped back, giving him space. "You'd be my servant, yes. But I don't treat my peerage like tools. They're my family. I would guide you, train you, protect you. You'd have a place among us."
She paused for a moment, eyes twinkling ever so slightly.
"And… well, if it sweetens the deal—when you're strong enough, you'd have the right to create your own peerage someday. With members of your choosing. And if I'm not mistaken…" she smiled teasingly, "…you've got a bit of a taste for beautiful girls."
Issei froze while Kiba chuckled. Akeno covered her mouth to hide a knowing grin.
Issei turned beet red. "Wha—?! I mean, I wouldn't mind… that part! But…!"
Rias let him stammer, watching him with the patience of someone who knew what buttons she was pressing.
Shirou, meanwhile, sighed softly and glanced toward Florence, who merely raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.
Issei finally leaned forward, still red-faced. "So I'd be… your servant? Like, your soldier?"
"Yes," Rias said. "But not a slave. You'd be my responsibility. I take care of my own."
Issei hesitated. "Can I… think about it?"
Rias nodded. "Of course. Just remember—not everyone who wants that Sacred Gear will give you the option."