Rias stared at Silas's figure, completely engulfed in flames, her eyes widening in shock. A second later, anger surged through her as she turned to Riser, her pupils glowing with a deep red light.
The ground beneath them began to tremble, faint cracks forming along the floor.
Grayfia moved quickly, stepping in front of Rias, her presence firm as she reached out to calm her down.
Yet suddenly, the flames around Silas vanished in an instant, snuffed out like they had never existed.
Everyone turned to him.
He stood there completely unscathed, not a single mark on him. Even his clothes were untouched, as if nothing had happened. His expression hadn't changed either still that same bored, nonchalant look.
Rias calmed down just as quickly, relief flashing across her face as she hurried over to him. The others followed right behind her.
They checked him over, hands brushing his arms and shoulders to make sure he was fine. For some reason, Akeno even checked his crotch, which immediately earned her a glare from the others.
Silas simply stood there, letting it happen, barely reacting.
As Riser looked at him, standing exactly as he had just moments before the attack, his eyes narrowed slightly, intrigue replacing his earlier arrogance.
' Oh? What really is he?' he thought.
Before he could even react though, it all happened in literally two blinks as Silas vanished between the girls.
The next blink, he was standing in front of Riser. Riser raised his eyes. And then Silas's hand grabbed him by the face before throwing him out of the club room.
CRASH!
Riser broke through the wall as he flew and crashed into the courtyard of the school, smashing a fountain before coming to a stop in the water.
His peerage all blinked, followed the sounds, and saw him outside in under a literal second.
Rias and the girls were even more shocked, since just a second ago they had been touching him all over.
Grayfia, standing to the side, witnessed everything but was too slow to react as she watched him launch Riser outside.
Right now, she was genuinely shocked. ' How strong is he? I couldn't even see him' she asked herself.
Riser's peerage moved, all except Ravel, who was still in shock but kind of happy that someone finally put her brother in his place.
Silas didn't even waste time on them as he snapped his fingers. A loud crack echoed in their ears, knocking them out immediately.
He then turned to the gang, who were still trying to gather what had just happened.
"What? You can't ignite a person and then expect them to not at least throw you out of the room," he said, shrugging.
They shrugged back. "I think that's quite reasonable," Kiba said.
"Yes, I would do the same," Issei added, "and sleep with his mother."
He then received a gut punch from Koneko, making him fall to his knees.
....
After everyone slowly woke up from the knockout groaning, rubbing heads, and staggering to their feet they quickly realized Silas was no longer in the room.
The hole in the wall still gaped open, letting in the cool evening air, and the courtyard fountain outside remained in ruins, water trickling sadly over broken stone.
Grayfia had quietly requested his temporary removal from the scene, her voice calm but firm, citing the need to avoid further unnecessary conflict between the two families.
Rias and Riser's peerage eventually gathered in what was left of the clubroom. After some tense negotiation (mostly Riser spitting venom and Rias holding her ground with regal composure), they agreed to settle the engagement the traditional way: through a proper Rating Game.
The date was set, the rules discussed, and the location.
Riser, however, couldn't care less about the formalities or the game itself. His pride had been shattered along with his face.
When Silas had grabbed him, the casual strength behind those fingers had crushed bone and cartilage with sickening ease most of his nose and cheekbones had been pulverized in that single grip.
Even with his Phenex immortality and rapid healing, the memory burned hotter than any flame. Riser wanted blood. He wanted to hunt Silas down personally and reduce him to ash, slowly.
...
Meanwhile, Silas strolled back toward the old school building after a quick shopping run in town.
Plastic bags swung lightly from his fingers, ramen packs, snacks, a couple of new games, and some drinks.
The sun had already dipped low, painting the sky in deep oranges and purples as he approached the familiar door to his assigned room.
He stopped mid-step.
Something felt off.
A faint, unnatural presence lingered just behind the wood, subtle, but impossible to miss for someone like him.
Silas narrowed his eyes, set the bags down quietly, and reached for the handle. He pushed the door open without hesitation.
Inside, sitting neatly in the middle of the floor like it owned the place, was a small black cat.
It was sleek and glossy, with bright golden eyes that caught the fading light.
The moment the door opened, the cat tilted its head cutely, letting out a soft, practiced
"Meow~" while blinking slowly and pawing at the air in an attempt to look utterly adorable and harmless.
Silas stared at it for a long, deadpan moment.
The cat doubled down rolling onto its side, showing its fluffy belly, purring loudly while its tail flicked in what it clearly thought was an irresistible display.
He didn't fall for it.
In one smooth motion, Silas stepped forward, grabbed the cat by the scruff of its neck, and hurled it straight out the open door with casual strength.
"Meowww!" the cat screamed in protest, voice comically high-pitched and indignant as it sailed through the air in a flailing arc before landing lightly on its feet in the hallway outside.
Silas slammed the door shut without another word, the lock clicking firmly into place.
'The only cat I like is Koneko,' he thought, a faint smirk tugging at his lips as he picked up his shopping bags again and headed toward the small kitchenette in the corner.
Of course the cat was far more than just a normal stray.
It stood outside the closed door for a long moment, golden eyes narrowing in clear annoyance as it shook off the indignity of being thrown like a common pest.
Then, slowly, its small feline form began to shift and expand in a swirl of dark energy and shimmering light.
When the transformation finished, a stunning woman now stood in the dimly lit hallway.
Long, silky black hair cascaded down her back like liquid midnight, framing a beautiful face with sharp, golden slit-pupil eyes that glowed with predatory amusement.
Prominent black cat ears twitched atop her head, and a long, fluffy tail swayed lazily behind her.
She wore a revealing, kimono-style outfit, deep crimson and black fabric that clung to her generous curves, the hem riding high on her thighs and the neckline plunging daringly low to showcase an impressive cleavage.
The outfit was slit strategically along the sides, offering teasing glimpses of smooth skin with every movement. Golden accessories dangled from her ears and wrists, completing the look of confident, teasing danger.
Kuroka let out a soft, throaty chuckle, one clawed finger tracing her lower lip as she replayed the moment in her mind.
'I'm sure he knew very well I wasn't a normal cat,' she thought, a playful yet dangerous glint in her eyes. 'Interesting… Very interesting.'
She licked her lips slowly, tail flicking with excitement.
'I'll be back, handsome~'
With that, she vanished in a bright flash of youkai energy, leaving only a faint trace of cherry blossoms.
Inside the room, Silas paused while unpacking the last of his groceries. He felt the surge of powerful energy spike for a brief second, then disappear completely.
His expression didn't change much, but he let out a slow, tired sigh, rubbing the back of his neck.
'The Chaos Brigade is already on my ass?' he thought, shaking his head. 'Not that I'm afraid… I just have way too much on my hands already.'
He didn't dwell on it.
Instead, he boiled water on the small portable stove, tossed in two packs of instant ramen, and added a couple of eggs and green onions he'd picked up earlier. The savory aroma quickly filled the modest room as he stirred the noodles.
A few minutes later, Silas dropped onto the couch with the steaming bowl in hand, remote in the other.
He flicked on the TV, settling on some random late-night action movie rerun explosions, bad dialogue, and over-the-top fight scenes flickering across the screen.
He slurped the noodles loudly, completely relaxed, legs stretched out on the coffee table.
Not once did he wonder what had happened back in the Occult Research Club after he left. Riser's bruised ego, the Rating Game agreement, Grayfia's cold calculations, or Rias's complicated family drama… none of it crossed his mind.
For now, it was just him, hot ramen, and the glow of the television in the quiet night.
The chaos could wait until tomorrow.
TO BE CONTINUED