Cadre - 1

Thankfully for Kaito, after the stupidity that was his Monday and dealing with not only a walking talking sexual assault case, but a stupid murderous priest and an overweight Chinese Emperor, his days were much more quiet from then on.

'The fact that's even a sentence that I thought is stupid in of itself though.' he mused as he leaned over the railing atop the academy roof.

Since Monday, he'd taken to retreating up here. He honestly thought initially, it was only shown in light light novels or something for the protagonist to look cool and edgy.

But Kaito had to admit, since nobody ever came here, beyond Yanagi to bother him, it sure was peaceful.

Up here he didn't have to deal with as many eyes on him.

More and more girls had been approaching him over the past few days and striking up conversations with him, some even inviting him to have lunch with them or maybe even hang out after school.

Yanagi certainly wasn't a fan from what he could tell, and neither were the other guys in school.

'At this rate they're gonna hate me as much as Prince boy.' he snorted. And he couldn't blame them.

He'd also been quite annoyed whenever girls just outright ignored every other guys existence the minute Yuuto Kiba walked on by.

Though, they definitely weren't the only eyes he had on him. Koneko had been eyeing him quite intensely again.

And he swore, every time he turned around while in school, there was a member of the student council in vicinity.

It wasn't hard to understand why.

He didn't know exactly what he did to the spirit of Cao Huan, but, his best guess, was that he'd crushed the soul of the once Emperor out of existence and absorbed the remnants.

Like for instance, his magic power.

Upon waking up on Tuesday morning, Kaito had found, his assumed magical power, had gained a roughly fifty percent increase.

Something they definitely noticed.

But beyond even that though, Kaito found, he was stronger upon awakening. Not taking into account he'd learned how to access Touki to make himself stronger.

Without ever using it or his Sacred Gears, Kaito was stronger at the base. And he knew why.

Because of the magatama on his ear.

Where before, he couldn't feel it at all. Now he could. He could feel it enhancing his body, as if he were the true toshi it was meant for.

Despite it not even having a spirit inside anymore, nor him being the true inheritor of it.

The only answer he had at all to explain it, was that he subsumed the spirit inside it and as such, became a match for it.

"…Ugh, why does everything have to be so complicated." he groaned. At the very least, he supposed the quiet since then was nice.

It was now Thursday, and the biggest stand out thing to happen in the last three days, was Hyoudou turning up to the academy alongside Rias Gremory.

"Soon days I won't need to worry about those annoying fallen a-hm?" as he spoke idly to himself, Kaito paused as he noticed an odd figure making their way through the school yard.

It was, a white cloaked figure with a hood up covering their features. Beyond that, he couldn't make anything out. Though the oddest thing, was seeing Sitri making her way out alongside her Queen to meet the figure.

Before proceeding towards the huge gothic like building that functioned as the club house for the Occult Research Club.

"Now what's this then?" he raised an eyebrow in interest.

He didn't remember anything like this happening before in his memories and especially not this early.

____________________________________

"It's rather suspicious, no?"

Rias looked over her shoulder and quirked an eyebrow at her queen, Akeno as the black haired girl began pouring out a cup of tea at her desk.

"I wouldn't say that," Rias' lips quirked into an amused smile and she stepped away from where she was peering out of her window, towards the roof of the main school building, "It's a rather noticeable growth, but it's not exactly ground breaking." she added as she sat down behind her desk.

"Usually, I'd say you're right," Akeno agreed, "But, with the fallen being active in town and this growth coming out of nowhere at the same time they went after my cute new junior, well it does line up, it's not normal for humans to grow so noticeably quickly when it comes to magical power without outside variables."

"True," Rias nodded, reaching for her cup and daintily lifting it, "Though, his power was already growing before last week, it was a steady, if slow growth. And we know he has a Sacred Gear and a dragon type one at that, just like Issei-kun."

"Koneko did say the dragon scent coming from him had grown noticeably stronger," Akeno mused before giggling lightly, "Though perhaps she's just attracted to his natural musk? You know how much Koneko enjoys working out after all and by all accounts, Kaito-san practically lives the gym, perhaps she has her first crush and hasn't even noticed?"

"Somehow, I doubt that." Rias snorted, taking a sip of her tea.

"Will you approach him?" Akeno asked after a moment, raising a fine raven black eyebrow at her king.

Rias finished her sip of tea, before shrugging lightly, "I'm undecided at the moment," she mused, lowering her cup, "There are not many dragon type sacred gears. And, Koneko confirmed that before, of the three dragon type sacred gear holders at this academy, his draconic scent was the weakest until last week."

"Issei-kun has the Boosted Gear, and Sona's newest pawn has one of the Sacred Gears containing a fragment of the Dragon King Vritra," Akeno nodded in understanding, "Going by the fact a mere fragment was noticeably stronger until recently, the most likely answer is that Kaito-san has a Twice Critical."

'Which isn't bad in of itself.' Rias mused. The problem was, Kaito Evander did not come from any special lineage, he did not have any special power and his magical power itself until recently had been rather average.

To be exact, Rias had nothing against the younger boy. But choosing members of her peerage, wasn't something to take lightly.

Even Issei, as cute as she found the boys rambunctious shenanigans, would never have been someone she wanted recruit initially if he didn't have such a powerful Sacred Gear.

Of course he was her precious Pawn now and she wouldn't give up him for the world even if he lost the Boosted Gear, just like any of her peerage even if they lost what made them special.

But, they were still special here and now.

And that was what she needed in the future if she wanted to rise to the top of the Rating Games and become number one alongside her peerage.

That was not to say Kaito was not special himself, he just wasn't as special as the other members of her peerage, and it wasn't like she hadn't already made plans to recruit him. She in fact, thought he would make a rather stellar rook, she was just hedging her bets for now.

It may have been rather shallow, but her evil pieces were precious resources that she couldn't get replace out of special circumstances.

"There is still plenty of time to wait and see." Rias nodded.

A devious little smirk spread across Akeno's face, "Well, not that you're in any danger of losing him to Sona," she laughed, "She's not exactly a people person and her little plan to make him indebted to her by making it seem like she's forgiving him for rule breaking, is just turning him more and more against her."

"She is kind of a bit to rigid, huh?" Rias shook her head in amusement, "And she hasn't noticed he's the rather prideful type. At this rate, never mind accepting if she offers him a place in her peerage, he might just spit on her."

"Fufufufu, I'd pay to see the look on her face if he did that~" Akeno's laughter increased in volume.

It would definitely be funny, and Sona for sure needed to learn to be a little more flexible. Rias would never understand what she found so appealing about the Japanese work system.

It was horrible and barely a step above slavery. She knew devils that treated their actual slaves with more courtesy and respect than the average Japanese salaryman was afforded.