"A friend to me is someone who remains beyoh."— Fushi, To Your Eternity

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  "Hmph! I'll eliminate you!" Rias decred, ready to unleash her fury oray Devil.

  Roy, however, gently held her back. "Hold on, Rias. Let's observe for a bit," he said with a smile.

  Rias, though puzzled, plied.

  "It's Breathing Styles!" she excimed, her eyes widening as she reized the teique the three girls were using to evade the Stray Devil's attacks.

  Those three were using Breathing Styles, a teique that only Roy knew. What was their e to him? Rias looked at Roy questioningly.

  "I saw some potential in them, so I taught them Breathing Styles," Roy expined casually.

  "But they haven't mastered it yet. Fag that Stray Devil is dangerous," Mitsuri ented, the three girls.

  Without proper mastery of Breathing Styles, they were no match for the Stray Devil.

  "I believe in them," Roy said, his gaze filled with fidence as he watched the three girls.

  They were on the verge of mastering the teique. Ohey did, they should be able to defeat the Stray Devil if they worked together.

  This battle recisely what they needed.

  ????

  "Aika, what do we do? We're going to die at this rate!" Murayama cried out, dodging the Stray Devil's attacks.

  "Yeah, let's run!" Katase added, panting heavily.

  "No! If we run, those girls will be eaten!" Aika decred resolutely.

  Earlier, when they entered the Stray Devil, one of its attacks had actally struck a girl who had beehralled by the monster.

  The girl was now unscious. If they abandoned her, she would die.

  "But we'll all die here if we don't think of something!" Murayama's wave Aika pause.

  Their lives versus the life of that one girl... the choice seemed obvious.

  But Aika couldn't bring herself to abandon the girl.

  Was there truly no other way?

  In this moment of crisis, Aika felt a sense of calm desd upon her. Her breathing became steady and rhythmic.

  Breathing?

  Aika suddenly recalled the time Roy taught them Breathing Styles.

  Back then, Roy had effortlessly sliced through a wooden post with a single swing of his sword.

  Remembering that se, Aika's eyes lit up.

  She took a deep breath, visibly inhaling a rge amount of air.

  Power surged through her body. She had activated Water Breathing.

  With a determined smile, Aika charged towards the Stray Devil.

  "Aika!" Murayama and Katase gasped.

  Aika effortlessly dodged the Stray Devil's fist and struck its arm with her wooden sword.

  Thwack!

  Blood spttered.

  Aika had actually ihe Stray Devil with just a wooden sword.

  Murayama and Katase were stunned.

  However, Aika frowned as she looked at the shallow wound oray Devil's arm.

  Such a minor injury wouldn't affect the Stray Devil at all.

  She dodged atad retreated.

  "Use Breathing Styles! It's the only way we defeat it!" she urged Murayama and Katase.

  "Breathing Styles?"

  The two girls weren't stupid. Recalling Roy's demonstration and witnessing Aika's attack, they uood.

  Their breathing ged, and they unsciously activated Water Breathing. Their fatigue vanished, repced by a surge of energy.

  Aika smiled, seeing that they had also grasped the teique.

  Just then, a flow of information appeared in her mind.

  Her eyes widened, and she shouted, "Let's go!"

  "Yes!" Murayama and Katase replied in unison.

  The three girls charged towards the Stray Devil.

  Murayama and Katase drew its attention, while Aika leaped into the air, positioning herself above the Stray Devil's neck.

  "Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Ssh!" she shouted.

  Aika's wooden sword, enhanced by Water Breathing, sliced through the Stray Devil's neck like a wave crashing against the shore.

  Thwack!

  Blood gushed out as the Stray Devil's head was severed.

  Thud!

  Its massive body colpsed to the ground.

  The three girls, exhausted but victorious, colpsed to the ground, gasping for breath.

  "We finally killed it! Huff... huff..."

  "How such scary creature exist in this world?"

  "By the way, Aika, what was that move you used?" Murayama asked curiously.

  "Um... it just appeared in my mind. I don't know," Aika replied, shaking her head.

  Just then...

  Cp, cp, cp!

  "Well done!" a voice praised them.

  "Eh? Buchou?!" the three girls excimed in unison.

  Roy smiled at their surprised reas.

  ????

  He brought the three girls and the unscious student back to his castle.

  In the living room, Roy expihe situation to Aika, Murayama, and Katase.

  They finally learned what that creature was: a Stray Devil. They couldn't believe such thied in this world.

  And their beloved Buchou was a Devil hey didn't know what that mealy, but it sounded impressive.

  "Remember the surprise I promised if you mastered Breathing Styles within a month?" Roy asked with a smile.

  "The surprise?"

  "What is it?"

  "I'm so excited!"

  The three girls looked at him with anticipation.

  "This is your surprise..." Roy revealed three Pawn pieces.

  "Pieces?" The girls looked at the pieces with fusion.

  "These are Evil Pieces. If you merge with them, you'll bey Devil servants," Roy expined.

  "Bee Devils?"

  "Bee Buchou's servants?"

  The girls grasped the key points.

  "Does that mean we be with Buchou forever?" Aika asked, adjusting her gsses.

  "You could say that."

  "Then I accept!" Aika took one of the pieces without hesitation.

  She had always admired Roy, perhaps even to an obsessive degree.

  Otherwise, she wouldn't have been so bold as to bite him during css.

  Now, presented with this opportunity, she wouldn't refuse.

  Murayama and Katase, seeing Aika's immediate acceptance, also reached out and took a piece each.

  Roy smiled.

  He then proceeded with the reination ritual.

  Soon, the three girls were successfully transformed into Devils.

  "gratutions, Roy. You've gaihree more exceptional servants," Rias said, her voice ced with both admiration and envy.

  Why couldn't she find such exceptional servants?

  Rias looked at Aika, Murayama, and Katase, feeling a pang of jealousy.

  Roy chuckled, seeing her rea. "Rias, your standards are too high. normal humans have great potential too, you know."

  "Exactly! I've been telling you that for a long time, but you never listen!" Akeno chimed in with a smile.

  "Akeno..." Rias pouted, but she khey were right.

  Aika, Murayama, and Katase were ordinary humans with no Sacred Gears or special bloodlines.

  Yet, after just a month of practig Breathing Styles, they could defeat Low-bsp;Devils.

  And after being Devils, their strength was already approag that of Middle-bsp;Devils.

  With a bit more training, they would be as strong as Koneko.

  Rias couldn't help but feel envious.

  She decided that from tomorrow onwards, she would actively search for taleudents in Kuoh Academy.

  ????

  To celebrate the addition of three new members, Shizuka and the others prepared a gra.

  After dinner, Roy waited alone in his room.

  Every night, Saeko and the others would take turns "visiting" him.

  Roy didn't interfere with their arra and was actually quite curious who it would be tonight.

  Click

  The door opened.

  A graceful figure ehe dark room.

  "Rias?"

  "Mm! Don't speak," Rias whispered, c his mouth with her hand.

  Earlier, while they were eliminating the monster, Roy had jokingly suggested that Rias e to his room tonight to "Explore" his teiques.

  He hadn't expected her to actually show up.

  Roy didn't hold back, showg his various teiques. They spent the entire night together, their passionate embrace sting until dawn.

  ????

  Their peaceful daily life resumed.

  One day, however, Rias brought home a new girl.

  "This is Kiyome Abe, the captain of the Tennis Club," Rias introduced her with a smile. "She's from the Abe , a family of Magis. She's now my Bishop."

  After Roy's advice, Rias had lowered her standards when searg for servants.

  She had discovered Kiyome Abe, but Kiyome had initially beeant to bee a Devil.

  Rias had put in a lot of effort to persuade her.

  "o meet you all," Kiyome greeted everyoh a bow.

  She was a beautiful girl with long, wavy blonde hair and a stunning figure.

  Rnized her. She hadn't appeared in the anime, but she was in the manga.

  When she was forced into an arranged marriage by her father, she had sought help from Rias.

  However, Kiyome was supposed to have a low opinion of the Devils at Kuoh Academy.

  Roy wondered how Rias had mao vince her to bee her servant.

  Kiyome didn't seem to dislike Devils as much as she was supposed to.

  After the introdus, Rias turo Akeno and Koneko. "We just received a mission to eliminate a Stray Devil. This is a good opportunity for everyoo get to know each other. Let's get ready to depart."

  "Uh, I have some free time. I'll e along," Roy offered.

  Rias nodded in agreement.

  "Buchou, we want to go too!" Aika, Murayama, and Katase raised their hands eagerly.

  They usually trai Roy's castle after school but returned home at night.

  Nezuko, Saya, and the others also looked at him expetly.

  "Alright, everyone e," Roy relented, except for Shizuka and Saeko, who were busy preparing dinner.

  "e back soon!" Shizuka called out from the kit, waving a spoon.

  "Don't worry, we'll be back before dinner!" Roy assured her.

  He activated a teleportation circle, and they vanished.

  ...

  "This is the pce, right?" Roy looked at the abandoned warehouse.

  "Yes, the Stray Devil is inside," Rias firmed.

  "I ses presence," Koneko added.

  "Sihe higher-ups issued aermination order, this Stray Devil must be dangerous. Be careful, everyone," Rias warned.

  Roy shrugged, uned.

  He g the girls behind him a a bit sorry for the Stray Devil.

  It probably didn't expect to be ganged up on by so many people.

  They opehe warehouse door aered.

  "Aah..." A frail girl with blue hair was c behind a pipe, gasping for breath.

  "Someone's injured!" Aika excimed, mistaking the girl for a human.

  She was about to approach her when Roy stopped her.

  "Don't be fooled. That's the Stray Devil," he warned.

  "Eh? That cute girl?" Aika, Murayama, and Katase were dumbfounded.

  They couldn't believe su adorable girl could be a Stray Devil.

  "Roar!"

  Suddenly, the girl's appearance ged, transf into a monstrous spider-like creature. It lu them with a roar.

  Aika, Murayama, and Katase were startled.

  "Koneko, Akeno, engage! Kiyome, you observe for now. It's your first time dealing with a Stray Devil," Rias anded.

  "You join in as well," Roy said to the irls, waving his hand.

  After the i with the alchemist's monster, Rias no longer refused his help.

  "Heehee, watch my Growlithe!" Alice giggled, releasing her Pokémon.

  "Woof woof!" Growlithe barked excitedly.

  "Growlithe, use Ember!" Alianded, pointing at the Stray Devil.

  "Woof!"

  Growlithe obeyed, unleashing a small burst of fmes.

  However, it didn't harm the Stray Devil.

  This was uandable. The Stray Devil was at the peak of Middle-bsp;Devil level.

  Growlithe was still too young, but that didn't dampen Alice's enthusiasm.

  With Koneko and Akeno holding the front lihere was no dao her.

  Seeing Alice having so much fun, Makomo, Nezuko, and Asia also released their Pokémon.

  "Go, Squirtle!"

  "Go, Vulpix!"

  "Go, Pikachu!"

  "Squirtle, use Water Gun!"

  "Squirtle!"

  "Vulpix, use Fire Spin!"

  "Vul!"

  "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

  "Pika!"

  Although their attacks didn't harm the Stray Devil, they served as a distra.

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