47 It's a trap!

Julian watched with Issei and somehow Motohama and Matsuda the match of tennis between the the two devils owning a peerage.

He had an interested expression on his face as he sensed the subtle magic they used in their game.

He was brought out of his thoughts by Issei loudly shouting; "Go president, Akeno-San! You can do it!"

At the same time, he was oogling all the girls on the court with a pair of goggle he found who know where.

Julian, tired of his friends too obvious display of horny. Brought their attention to him as he spoke out loud. "Who do you think will win?"

"There's no way that the two great Onee-Sama will lose. They're much more 'stacked' than the opposition after all." Matsuda answered with confidence after some time. Motohama nodded sagely as if it was some kind of ultimate truth.

"What if I said that you're both wrong, and that I'm sure this match will result in a draw?"

"What? How is that even possible? There's no such thing as a draw in these kind of matches. You're just spouting nonsense." Motohama gazed weirdly at Julian.

"Oh yeah? In that case. Want to bet? I'm putting a yes man day from myself on the table." Julian grinned.

"In that case, I'm on! Yes man day from myself too." Motohama smiled slyly as he accepted.

"Count me in." Matsuda pushed up back his glasses as he smirked.

"What about you Issei?" Julian wriggled his brows at Issei who had since long ago shifted from watching the match to them.

He thought for a bit before he answered hesitantly. "Of course I want the president and Akeno'-San to win. But I- I don't know... They really seem evenly matched..."

"So...?" Julian pressed on.

Issei expression firmed as he smiled. "I'll still bet on the president."

Julian cackled in his mind as everyone fell into his trap.

"Gremory, smash!"

*PAK*

"UOOOOOOOOH!"

"It's coming to an end it seem. No hard feeling right?" Julian mused as he saw Rias do some kind of ungodly and decidly not magic move and the crowd going wild in responce. Especially the boys as Rias' skirt was lifted because of her strike.

This was way too hyped for a highschool tennis match... But at the same time, the tennis match wasn't the exactly the main show.

—————

Of course, the match ended in a draw. Making Julian win the bet. Much to the astonishment of the other three boys.

So now, they were to determine a winner with a game of dodgeball between the two peerages. And this time, Julian had no excuse to not participate.

He had still stood by his former argument that it would be unfair if he took part in it however.

Until he was made aware that for fairness, everyone would have to wear a device limiting their physical prowess to a normal human.

It was an interesting piece of tech, in the form of a wristband actively weakening the body of supernatural being.

From what he had heard, like most interesting technologies in the devil society. The wristband was an invention of the demon king Ajuka.

Julian mentally took note to have a nerdy discussion with the man someday. If only to be introduced to magical research and techs. Of course, Azazel was also an option. But he was sure he would have plenty of questions for the creator of the peerage system when he got one.

—————

~Julian POV

He was rather passive during the match and played for the team. Making passes and giving the ball to someone else each time he had it. Much to the surprise of pretty much everyone in the gym.

Julian understood that he certainly didn't appear as a teamwork guy. But hey, what about not judging a book by its cover? Still, Issei appearing as shocked as the rest was strange. Was he not the one who said he got more mature?

Apparently, this seem to score a lot of points with each persons who did not knew him well. Meaning pretty much everyone... As his relation was still pretty cordial with Rias' peerage members. And he was total a stranger to Sona and co, besides some of his former schoolmate.

Anyway, he didn't die a single time during the match. Every balls coming his way caught without exception, even those thrown with magic. And there were an awful lot of those. The device seemingly only restraining every supernatural capabilities in their body. Not accounting for the training one had done in their life. Leaving him with the body of a prodigy having trained in martial arts for the better part of 15 years.

It also seemed that it didn't act on the boost provided by the chest pieces. Or only sealed it to an human level. As Kiba was really swift on his feet, and Koneko was too strong for a girl of her stature. Still, it was in the 'human' realm. Even if the olympian athlete type of realm.

Sometime along the match, he had saved Issei from receiving a ball in his balls by Sona. Not that he was envious. But Asia using her sacred gear to heal them was an image so unholy in his mind that he had to intervene.

Still, catching those magic throw took their tolls. On his clothes. For some reason, each time he caught one. They would rip and tears from the impact. A phenomena that he wasn't alone in experiencing. But it was still suspicious how much more balls were thrown toward him by the adverse team. So much that at the end of the match, he was the only one with almost no clothes remaining on them.

With the looks he was receiving from the opposite party. It was evident they had done it on purpose. Something that made him unsure on how to react to being on the other side of fanservice.

As he was a fervant advocant of gender equality, he was half of the mind of tearing off their clothes like they did to him. Because if it wasn't okay for a guy to destroy a girl's clothes in the goal of oogling her. It certainly wasn't okay for a girl do that to a guy too.

But as he was a gentleman first and above all and didn't really care. And because it was interesting. He gave them what they wanted. As when everyone was congrulating each and cooling down from the match. He picked up one of the water bottle Issei had brought for him and joined everyone else.

"Good match everyone. It was pretty fun, even despite the fact I never had to go on the offensive." He smiled to Sona and the girls in her peerage. And didn't bother with the frown and dissatisfaction appearing on their face as he laughed.

Julian could see how Rias struggled between chuckling and frowning at his interjection. And see the rest of her peerage besides Issei each have a reactions. While Sona herself didn't take any offense and only curiously looked at him.

But in the end, they decided to wait and see where he was getting at. And the answer would probably surprise them.

"Ah, please don't take it too badly, It's not your guys fault. For some context, I was honing my physical skills pretty much since I was able to walk."

Issei shrugged and quipped in, his intention probably something between half support for himself and half sharing his own depression. "I'll not defend him for his words. But what he say is true. He even forc- strongly encouraged me to do the same. His training just had that much more impact than mine. I can't really answer the why of that though. Besides that everyone who get to know him are quickly made aware that he's a freak of nature. For a lack of better words."

"Dude, on whose side are you again? And there was indeed words you could have used instead of freak of nature. Like superior being."

Issei threw an half-assed 'you're not helping' look at himself. To which he only replied with a grin. And taking on a more energetic tone, he affirmed. "And just like he said, it really was a great match. At least I think so. After all, your team still took everyone on our side out at least once. Besides Julian... But he's not even part of the peerage."

Saji crossed his arms and and reluctantly accepted the explanation. And more as a formality and to maintain at least a bit of his overly trashed pride than anything else, grumbled out at Julian's intention. "Well, you could at least not rub it in our face." Making the more competitive girls of Sona's peerage nod and pout at him.

Julian simply shook his head at them and drank a bit of water. Afterward smiling lightly at them. "If you want me to stop boasting, then make me. Because I'll not stop until I'm actually challenged. And if you think that because I'm gifted there is no point in trying to reach my level. Good for you, because you're being realistic. But then, it probably mean you'll never be anything truly great."

Julian shifted his gaze to Issei and spoke evenly. "That's valid for you too Issei."

The atmosphere became weird as everyone registered what was said. A strange solemness could be felt from the words just uttered. As the meaning was understood by everybody here. And resonated more for some than others.

The bubble of silence popped as Julian began to laugh loudly. "You're really making some faces here. I'm not even the one supposed to be aware of these kind of things. So what do I know."

He stopped laughing and sighed as people rested their perplexed gazes on him.

Some deep shits he was saying. Like he was eligible to impart any kind of wisdom on how to live life when he himself was so lost and seeking.

Well, now he made it all weird. Too bad for what he had initialy wanted to do.

That was, emptying the rest of the bottle on his head and sweeping back his hair like a in commercial. Matter of showing the girls what they wanted to see, you know?

But now, even he felt like it wasn't appropriate. And he himself wasn't really in the mood anymore. In fact, he felt pretty awful.

At least that was a plus. Didn't remember the last time he just felt awful.

Disregarding everything else. Julian tapped the place a watch would be on his wrist if he had one. "Anyway, that was quite something. But it's beginning to be late, so if everyone will excuse me. I think I'll take my leave. Hopefully we'll be in contact more often." Julian nodded at Sona and everyone in her peerage. Receiving various farewells in return.

He patted Issei on the shoulder and meeting eyes with Rias for a moment, Julian shrugged and grinned. Promptly averting his gaze and giving his more formal goodbuys to Akeno and Kiba and a pat on the head of Koneko as he didn't like how his aunt looked at him.

And with that, Julian took off the sealing device and walked out of the doors. Not minding how everyone were looking at him as he did so. He never had any problem being the center of attention afterall.

Only after being out of sight did Julian vanished at full speed toward his home. He would come back later, when Rias and company would be ready to actually go seek a familiar.

He recognized that he leaked out a bit of his mental state at that moment, but it wasn't the end of the world.

As much as he wasn't eligible to spread wisdom, it was good wisdom nonetheless, as well as his own opinion. Perhaps his words would have an impact on some of them. Who know?