Rias returned sooner than Genichi had expected.
The sky had still been bright when she left the Occult Research Club. By the time she returned, the sun had only just dipped below the horizon, staining the entire town of Kuoh a dark crimson.
Her expression was grim. In all the time Genichi had known her, this was the first time he had seen that look on her face. It was not anger or sorrow, but a much deeper sense of powerlessness.
Like throwing a punch into a pile of cotton.
"How did it go?"
Genichi turned away from the window and watched Rias enter.
Akeno followed her inside and closed the door. Kiba and Koneko had already left, while Asia had returned to her room.
Only the four of them remained in the clubroom.
Rias sat down on the sofa. After a moment of silence, she finally spoke.
"There can only be a limited number of Satans in this world."
Her voice was calm, but her fingers tightened around her teacup until her knuckles turned white.
"For someone to become a Satan, an existing Satan must die first."
Genichi's expression froze.
He stood before the window, the last rays of sunset shining behind him and casting a long shadow across the floor.
He stared at Rias, his eyes filled with disbelief. Was this really still the High School DxD world he knew?
Since when did becoming a Satan require another Satan to die first?
"That is the rule," Rias said quietly. "It wasn't created by any particular Satan. It is a rule imposed by the world itself. There are only so many seats for Satans in the Underworld. If you want to sit in one, someone else must stand up or be dragged down."
Genichi fell silent.
Countless thoughts raced through his mind, but every one of them led to a dead end.
Kill a Satan?
Easier said than done.
The Four Great Satans were Sirzechs Lucifer, Ajuka Beelzebub, Falbium Asmodeus, and Serafall Leviathan.
Every one of them stood at the pinnacle of the Underworld.
Every one of them was a terrifying monster.
Every one of them possessed enough power to wreak unimaginable destruction.
He was only an Ultimate-class Devil. Trying to kill a Satan would be no different from throwing his life away.
Rias looked at him, seemingly understanding what was going through his mind.
"Besides becoming a Satan yourself, there is another way to temporarily attain Satan-class strength, perhaps even Super Satan-class strength."
Genichi raised his head and looked at her.
Rias's expression became serious.
"A Sacred Gear. By using a Sacred Gear to temporarily enhance your power, you can reach the Satan-class, the Super Satan-class, or even the level of a Transcender."
She paused before continuing, "That is precisely why every faction is so eager to obtain Sacred Gears."
Genichi lowered his gaze to his right hand.
The Boosted Gear rested silently around his arm, its green gem gleaming faintly beneath the fading sunset.
This Longinus was said to possess the power to elevate its host to the Satan-class.
Past wielders of the Boosted Gear had supposedly relied upon it to stand as equals with Satans.
"I devoured Ddraig's dragon soul," Genichi said, his voice slightly hoarse. "Can I still use the Boosted Gear to reach the Satan-class?"
Silence descended over the clubroom.
Rias said nothing. Akeno said nothing. Sona said nothing.
They all knew the answer.
No one knew.
Genichi had devoured Ddraig's dragon soul, which had served as the heart and soul of the Boosted Gear.
Without Ddraig, the Boosted Gear was nothing more than an empty shell.
Genichi had replaced Ddraig with his own shadow, but a shadow was not a true dragon soul.
Whether the Boosted Gear could still grant him Satan-class power was something no one could say for certain.
The corner of Genichi's mouth twitched.
He remembered how triumphant he had felt when he first devoured Ddraig. He had thought he had struck gold and instantly obtained the power of a Heavenly Dragon.
What had he actually gained?
He could not digest most of that power and could only store it inside his body, slowly absorbing it over time.
Now, to make matters worse, he might not even be able to use the Sacred Gear properly anymore.
He had tried to steal a chicken, only to lose the rice used to lure it. That was probably the best way to describe his situation.
"Then could we hunt down and kill a Satan?" Sona asked, breaking the silence.
Rias looked at her and smiled bitterly.
"Even if you killed a Satan, there is no guarantee Genichi would be the one chosen to take the vacant position."
Sona's expression stiffened.
Of course she understood what Rias meant.
How many Ultimate-class Devils were there in the Underworld?
Hundreds, perhaps thousands.
If one of the seats belonging to the Satans became vacant, how many people would compete for it?
House Gremory, House Sitri, House Phenex, and dozens of other Devil families would all nominate their own candidates.
Every candidate would have their own influence and resources behind them.
What could Genichi, a reincarnated Devil, possibly use to compete against them?
"We'd go through all the trouble of killing a Satan, only for someone else to swoop in and claim the prize," Sona said quietly. "No one could accept that."
Genichi's expression darkened.
His gaze shifted from Rias to Sona, then from Sona to the world outside the window.
The sun had completely disappeared beneath the horizon. Only a faint streak of dark crimson remained in the sky.
The lights of Kuoh gradually came to life, bathing the town in a warm glow.
His heart, however, felt as cold as ice.
If this world offered him no path forward, could he try another?
Sona understood what he was considering.
She adjusted her glasses, her voice calm and serious.
"It may be worth trying. You could leave this world and travel to another one, then see whether you can break through to the Satan-class there."
Genichi looked at her and fell silent.
The worlds available to him included the Vengeful Spirit World, the DanMachi World, the Women's Fiction World, and the Bleach World.
The Women's Fiction World was completely ordinary and did not possess any supernatural power.
He could grow stronger in the DanMachi World, but the enhancements granted by a god's Falna disappeared when he left that world. Only magic and skills remained with him.
The Bleach World had Aizen, Yhwach, and Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto. It was far too dangerous. Going there would be the same as asking to die.
Especially since Genichi was a hybrid Quincy.
"Every place I can go is somewhere I can't afford to enter," Genichi said calmly, though everyone could hear the helplessness beneath his words.
The clubroom fell silent once more.
Rias rose and walked over to Genichi, then took his hand.
Her hand was warm and soft, her palm resting against the back of his.
"Genichi, don't rush."
Her voice was quiet and gentle.
"We'll find a way. How long did it take you to advance from a Low-class Devil to an Ultimate-class Devil?"
"You accomplished in a few months what others could not achieve in centuries. Reaching the Satan-class is only a matter of time for you."
Genichi looked at her.
Her blue-green eyes were filled with absolute faith in him.
It was not mere comfort or empty reassurance. She truly believed in him without the slightest reservation.
Warmth surged through his heart, and some of the gloom faded from his face.
(End of Chapter)
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