[Chapter:11][Up for a Game of Chess?(2)]

"Is that…?"

Rhianna looked at the two girls standing at the entrance of the school and asked her big sister.

"The flat-chested one that looks extremely strict is Sona Sitri, or 'Shitori Souna' as she calls herself in the human world. A lame alias if you ask me, but eh."

Leah shrugged as she pointed at the other girl.

"That is Tsubaki Shinra, the Vice President of the Student Council and the Sitri heiress' Queen. She was a human reincarnated as a Devil, and also possesses a rather unique Sacred Gear. Not a Longinus, but a fairly strong one nonetheless."

She looked at her little brother who seemed as impassive as ever and asked,

"Why don't you try using that 'Wiseman' Perk on one them? You might even luck out and get the Sitri Clan's 'Power of Water' as they call it."

Nodding his head, Echo looked at the strict-looking figure of the Sitri Heiress and mentally commanded the activation of the Perk.

((Perk [Wiseman] activated. Target [Sona Sitri] confirmed. Selecting random skill…))

((Skill [Strategic Combat(Lv-69)] acquired.))

((Perk [Wiseman] deactivated. Cool down duration : 29 days 23 hours 59 minutes 53 seconds.))

Echo blinked as he felt the information and knowledge associated with his new skill appeared in his mind.

"I didn't get it…but I got something good nonetheless."

Leah snapped her fingers, putting the three in an illusion, and Echo opened his Status and displayed the description of his new skill which both his sisters peeked at from his sides.

. . . . . .

[Strategic Combat(Lv-69)]

Type : Skill / Active

Description : The art of achieving victory in combat through skilful thinking or planning. All units obeying your strategies / orders would have all stats boosted by 69%.

Cost : -

. . . . . .

"Well…it's good? I guess?"

Leah tilted her head as she muttered, and Rhianna nodded.

"Since Onii-chan has 'Summon Skeleton Mage', he can be a good army commander."

'That way, no one would be able to harm Onii-chan…and if someone does…'

Rhianna's eyes flashed with unexpected coldness which disappeared promptly, while Albion's and Ddraig's voices appeared from the soft-toy keychains that they use to talk, Ddraig getting a spare white dragon keychain that Leah happened to have on her.

[I see…no wonder a Gamer could be considered an 'absurd' existence.]

(You two have no idea how ridiculous this skill is, do you?)

"Eh, we don't?"

"I mean, it'll double the strength and speed of anyone that follows his orders, but it's just doubling right? The Boosted Gear can do that every 10 seconds, although at a cost. But still."

[Sigh…what do you think I am, a conceptual existence? My 'Boost' works in proportion to the amount of stamina I use. It isn't something like a 'spend fixed amount of stamina to raise all parameters by percentage'. The higher your strength and speed, the greater the increase given by 'Boost' is, the greater the stamina cost.]

(And the same with my 'Divide'. If the one on whom I use 'Divide' is far stronger than me, I would not only use a large amount of stamina, most of the power I grab will be used up as well.)

(This skill, on the other hand, can at 'Max Level' as you call it increase the strength and speed of targets with neither a maximum limit for number, nor for actual power.)

[If I were to 'Boost' a Super Class Devil, for instance, the amount of stamina the Devil would need to expend to maintain a single boost would be enough for a Low Class Devil to 'Boost' itself a thousand times or more. But even though this skill has a maximum limit of '100%', it neither has a cost, nor a limit to how many people it can be used on.]

[Just imagine, the entire Heaven Faction following a single order from him, an order to 'Live', and just by living, having all their capabilities, from the weakest Angel to the Supreme Archangel himself, doubled.]

"If you put it that way…"

While Rhianna still didn't completely understand it, Leah's eyes flashed as she looked at her little brother sternly.

"Not a word of this skill to anyone other us and mom, understood?"

Echo nodded, knowing the significance of the skill much more than anyone.

It was a skill that could literally shift the balance of the world, and unless he planned to hide till he became the strongest in the world, he wouldn't be revealing it. Even when he does become the strongest, he wouldn't do so.

While slightly slower, Rhianna herself understood the significance of her big brother's latest skill, and her eyes narrowed further as a cold gleam passed through her icy blue eyes as she imagined what could possibly happen to him if it gets out.

Echo, noticing this and recalling her 'secret', moved his hand and patted her head gently.

"Onii-chan?"

Rhianna blinked in confusion, not that she didn't appreciate the action as she closed her eyes and enjoyed it.

((Conditions met. Skill [Head Pats] learned.))

. . . . . .

[Head Pats(Lv-1)]

Type : Skill / Active

Description : The art of patting heads. Induces comfort and pleasure according to skill level. MP can be used to increase the effects exponentially.

Cost : 0~?

. . . . . .

Raising a brow at the new skill, Echo didn't think too deeply as he continued patting her pretty blue head, and if the blissful expression that appeared on her face was any indication, the skill even without using MP was clearly much, much better.

"Geez, flirting right in front of me? Get a room you two~~"

Rhianna blushed at her big sister's teasing smile, and Echo looked at her before raising his other hand to pat her head as well.

*blink* *blink*

"No need to be jealous."

"Don't treat me like a kid! I'm older than you!"

Leah rolled her eyes but didn't make any move to remove the surprisingly comfortable hand while Albion snickered.

(Heh, says the girl still wearing bear panties.)

"Albion!?"

"Pff!"

"…"

Echo shook his head as Rhianna burst out laughing, Leah blushing like a tomato with both Dragon sisters chuckling softly.

"Let's go."

The two, Leah still a little embarrassed, nodded as she removed the illusion, and the three walked to their new school.

. . . . . .

. . . . . .

"No."

"…"

"…"

Echo's blank eyes starred right into the strict student council president Souna's violet ones unflinchingly.

"You are the top scorer and Kuoh's first student to have gotten a perfect score…"

"No."

"…"

Echo repeated his statement, making her frown.

"Besides, I'm not even a freshman. Why should I give the speech when I'm transferring to the second year directly?"

"…"

Sona clicked her tongue before sighing.

"It's part of the tradition for the top scorer to give the speech regardless of which year's examination he or she wrote. But very well, since it's not written in the rules, I cannot force you."

((Due to not following traditions, [Sona Sitri Affection : 21 —> 19].))

Echo was slightly surprised that her affection towards him only decreased by #. Then again, he assumed it to be one of the hidden functions of the 'Relations' function, making affection easier to gain and harder to lose.

((Due to not listening to her King's orders, [Tsubaki Shinra Affection : 17 —> 10].))

'Or it could just be personal attitude.'

"But still, as the top student, you have certain responsibilities."

Echo looked at her blankly, his dead eyes making the Devil heiress feel unnerved, but trusting her senses that described the person before her as a completely 'ordinary' civilian, she said,

"Why don't you come to the Student Council Office at, say, lunch time? I have something to talk with you about anyway."

Echo looked at her for a moment before nodding.

((For accepting her request, [Sona Sitri Affection : 19 —> 22].))

((For accepting her King's request, [Tsubaki Shinra Affection : 10 —> 21].))

"Good. Tsubaki…", she glanced at her Queen, who bowed lightly as she introduced herself,

"Tsubaki Shinra, Vice President of the Student Council."

"Echo Howers."

"Tsubaki will guide you at that time. And you are already aware of your class, yes?"

Echo nodded as the two Devils bid him goodbye.

"Don't forget our appointment, Howers-san."

The two left, while Echo wondered how the meeting would play out.

'I don't think I let any supernatural hint slip…so I doubt she would try to recruit me.'

'Is her interest in me solely because of being the top student? For getting a perfect score? Or is it because of Sis being a teacher? If that's the case though, Rhi should have been called too…'

Shaking the thought out of his head, he looked at the student council president approaching another student who looked like a freshman before turning away.

"Are you alright, Onii-chan?"

Looking to his side, he caught sight of Rhianna approaching him with a worried look on her face.

"I'm fine."

Rhianna nodded as she felt her head patted again, revelling in the pleasuring comfort it brought her.

"Let's go get seated."

The student induction was as boring as ever, though there were surprisingly many different clubs and specialised facilities which made the blue haired loli excited while Echo wondered which club he should join.

'I'll give the Archery Club a try…'

Since he had been making a ranged combat focusing build, more like a glass-cannon build since his physical stats were still just as weak as a normal human, he decided to go all out that way.

'I wonder what kind of skills I would get? An 'Archery' skill that should increase the damage of the arrows as well as my accuracy…maybe an 'Accuracy' or 'Precision' skill? 'Aiming' should be a skill as well…'

Thinking about his current Status, Echo decided to use all the Stat Points he would get till his 'Student' Job reached the max level on increasing his Wisdom.

'Having higher MP recovery would never be a problem. I can concentrate on other stats after I get a new Job…'

He knew he would have to start focusing on his physical stats soon. Although it isn't currently a necessity, with the protection spells on him and Rhi being strengthened with the combined efforts of two Ultimate Class Beings, he would have to start at some point.

'Although we can join multiple clubs…I don't want to waste much time, so 'Archery Club' it is.'

Perhaps, once he reaches the max level of all the skills joining the club would give him, as well as finishing that optional quest, he would join the 'Go Home' club, but that's for later.

'As for studies…'Focus' will take care of what happens during class. I'll be able to get enough Stat Points and EXP, and with the concealment spells Mom and Sis cast on me, I wouldn't have to split my focus to keep 'Void Fade' active.'

At the moment, however, the induction ended, and the students were allowed to go to their respective classes. They had received their time tables a day ago through email, so the students only needed guidance to their respective classes.

"See you alter, Onii-chan!"

"Mm."

Echo nodded at Rhianna and watched as she walked to her class, the aura of her Sacred Gear being concealed as well.

'Neither of us would attract the Devils' attention…but if Rhi wants to become a Devil…'

Echo recalled the various means by which a human can become a Devil, which aren't many. The easiest and simplest one would be joining a Devil's peerage, but even though both the heiresses of Gremory and Sitri might treat their 'servants' extremely well, it still didn't change the fact that they were 'servants' nonetheless.

Racial change through blood transfusion might come with side effects in the form of mutations, and transferring her soul to a Devil's body isn't a feasible solution either…

That left only a single method,

'King Pieces…'

With that in mind, Echo left his position to find his class.

. . . . . .

As he entered the class, Echo bowed his head to hide his nearly inhuman eyes, knowing the sort of trouble they would cause.

One of the reasons he dropped out to begin with was because of his eyes, and his uncaring, indifferent attitude, making him an outcast in the whole school. Not that he actually minded since he didn't give the other students a fcuk anyway.

Still, since his little sister was studying in the school, he decided to be on his best behaviour so as to not cause her any trouble.

In other words, ignore anyone that comes up to him and not scare the shit out of them by looking at in the eyes.

'Hmm?'

Right then, however, a sudden prompt surprised him.

((For having a huge dick, [Aika Kiryuu Affection : 0 —> 69].))

"…"

"???"

And for the first time in this new life, Echo found himself absolutely dumbfounded.