Yo, author here
Firstly, sorry for the delay guys, the reason was both the amount of words, which was more than seven thousand again, and the fact that I was reading some fanfics, yes, I was procrastinating and I don't have a valid excuse for that, besides that , the next chapter will only be released in a few days, because as I said before, I intend to have at least three chapters in advance for anyone willing to pay, and that is what I intend to do over the next few days, accumulate chapters
So, in case anyone is interested, the next chapter is already on Kofi, and I created another patreon so if anyone prefers to read it there I will post the link here after my account has finished being analyzed, this time I hope I don't get banned for no reason, anyway, that's it 👍
Enjoy reading, rejoice and...
See you all on next time 👍
-> h---ttps://ko-fi.com/mynamenotisjohn
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Pov: 3rd Person]
[Eight days ago, Monday, The day Saji talked to Micael]
Inside a simple-looking house, similar to many other modern Japanese houses, in one of the rooms present in that house, there was a young man, a simple-looking teenager, with blond hair and gray eyes, who was sitting on the bed inside that room.
This teenager was obviously Saji, currently he was sitting on his bed reflecting on his life choices, to be more exact, he was thinking about the strange encounter that had happened on Friday, an encounter that completely changed his view of the world.
"Haaa..."
Letting out a long sigh, he remained looking at the empty space in front of him without focusing on anything specific, with his hands on his knees, these aspects combined with his neutral expression giving the impression that he seemed lost.
He really was, he not only had his worldview changed but he also received an invitation to join someone's group, that someone being a person he knew, but who in a more shocking way was not even human.
"Devils, huh"
Thinking about everything she had told him, all the explanations she gave him, he still felt that it was complete nonsense even though he had confirmed it with his own eyes.
And most of all, the reason she invited him, the reason she revealed all this to him, that he had something unusual about him, that he was "special."
"Heh, it seems like a bad joke."
By letting out a short, self-deprecating laugh, Saji had fun ironically remembering what Shouna, or rather, Sona Sitri, told him when she explained the reason for inviting him, that he was special, that he had something that few humans had, a Sacred Gear
At the time, thanks to all the previous information he had received he was in shock, when she told him that he had something that only a select few humans had left him even more stunned.
[Flashback, Friday...]
Inside Kuoh Academy's student council room, a Saji with a haggard face mixed with disbelief sat on a sofa facing an office desk.
And sitting in the chair behind that office desk was a Sona Sitri with a calm and serious face, conveying all the seriousness of the student council president, along with the seriousness of someone trying to recruit a possible member of their peerage.
"So...let me get this straight...gods, devils, angels, youkai and all these supernatural things exist?" — A stunned and still in the process of information Saji asked a much calmer Sona.
"Yes" — A Sona with a calm and serious face answered the question in an equally calm and measured tone.
"Besides…I'm special in quotes, because I have something that only some humans have, and that something is called Sacred Gear, a kind of weapon created by the biblical god to help humanity." — A still incredulous Saji repeated the words he heard as if to confirm whether he had heard correctly.
"Yes, no need for quotation marks, but yes, that sums it up" — Sona once again confirmed her words, still maintaining her calm and measured demeanor.
This time, Saji didn't say anything else, just stood still, looking at the serious-looking girl in front of him, staring at her stupidly for a moment, before shifting his gaze to the other girls who were surrounding Sona on both sides of the table
Shifting his gaze from one girl to another, he thought about the display they gave him, where all the girls displayed their wings in confirmation of their words about being devils.
It was an impressive sight, and to think that all the girls on the student council were actually diabos...
'Actually, I think this explains a little the extreme demands that Sona makes of the students at school... she is literally the devil, a-ahaha...ha...'
Thinking of a lame joke while processing all this information, Saji still felt completely absurd.
Gathering what mental clarity he had left and reorienting himself, he decided to ask about something relevant, his Sacred Gear and what it entailed for him to have one of them.
"Right, Sacred Gear, isn't it?...you said that I had one and that the biblical god created them, can you explain that in detail? Also, how did you find out that I have one if I myself don't feel anything different? And what does that imply for me, am I taking any risk?" — He asked doubtfully, placing his hand on his chin and thinking for a moment before asking.
Honestly, he was completely suspicious now, it seemed like something too good to be true, and taking a quote from his friend, 'when the alms are too much, even the saint becomes suspicious', and ironically at this moment he is dealing with literal devils, it's better let him be cautious
He couldn't believe something like this didn't have downsides.
Sona observed how the boy in front of her seemed cautious, after recovering from the initial shock, he managed to regain his calm a little and ask for more information, something she appreciated as it indicated that he had a good head on his shoulders.
'Good, it looks like my initial analysis isn't too wrong, but I'll need to see how he acts in my peerage to better understand his personality, well, that's if he accepts.'
She didn't invite him out of nowhere, in fact she had been observing him for a few days, trying to understand his character better and see if it would be worth having him in her ranks, even if his Sacred Gear was strong, she would rather not have someone troublesome under her command
'Apart from a few reservations here and there, he looks promising, let's see how he behaves from now on'
"Yes, exactly, the biblical god created the Sacred Gears as a way to strengthen humans, because among all the races in the world, humans are the weakest, he created them using an unknown method and made human beings born with them , Sacred Gear are different and unique from each other, meaning that each one has its specific characteristics." — Sona explained briefly so that he had at least a basic idea of what Sacred Gears were.
"And the reason you didn't feel anything different is because your sacred gear hasn't fully awakened yet, and the reason I know you have one is because all sacred gear users have a special aura that makes them stand out from others humans, making them recognizable" — She continued explaining concisely, her calm and composed countenance almost giving off the feeling of a teacher, while her hands on the table were clasped together.
When she opened her mouth and was about to continue, she ended up being interrupted by a curious and somewhat excited looking Saji.
"Wait, what do you mean by aura? Like the ones in anime or something?" — Saji spoke feeling somewhat excited, for a brief moment he put his caution aside as he thought about the possibility of him learning some cool skills like in an anime.
'Wait a minute, based on what she said, does that mean magic is real? Doesn't that mean I can learn this too?' — He thought internally, feeling his excitement increase, as he tried without much success to prevent a smile and an excited expression from appearing on his face.
Sona looked at him blankly for a moment, feeling somewhat speechless at the boy's change in behavior.
'So much for seeming cautious...I figured he had good control over his emotions but it seems I overestimated him, well it's better that way as it means he's easier to convince' — Sona thought, believing that this supposed lack of care would benefit her, so, adopting a slight professional-looking smile, she explained to him.
"Yes, the aura exists, but it is not as you think, it is based on the magic present in all living beings" — She explained in a professional manner, keeping a professional smile and a calm look on her face.
Saji opened his mouth to speak, but she continued before he could say anything.
"Yes, all living beings have magic, including humans, the difference is that humans magic is too low for them to be able to use it normally"
She spoke continuously in her professional attitude, as she watched the young Saji in front of her deflate a little, looking somewhat disheartened by the information.
"And to answer your other question, yes, it is risky for a human to have sacred gear, as they tend to be hunted and have their sacred gear stolen, which obviously results in their deaths." — Sona continued her explanation with a professional smile, as if she wasn't talking about something worrying.
She watched again as the boy in front of her reacted to her words, this time tensing up as a bitter smile appeared on his face.
"Yes...it seemed too good to be true." — Saji spoke with a bitter expression adorning his face, his hand scratching his cheek, he could only feel the irony of the situation for someone who was supposed to be "special"
"It's not that bad, after all that's exactly why you're here, by joining us this problem can be easily solved." — Sona spoke to him, her expression returning to a calm and serious look without the smile, making it very clear what her words implied.
"Yes, I noticed...honestly, I feel like having a Sacred Gear isn't that great right now." — Saji replied, his weak and bitter smile still on his face, directly saying the feeling he had after receiving this new information.
Sona, upon hearing Saji's words, felt somewhat confused, she began to think that he had no real idea of what having a Sacred Gear entailed, even more so considering his reaction upon hearing about magic, as if a Sacred Gear was less impressive.
With this doubt in mind, she decided to satisfy it by expressing it directly.
"I'm sorry if my question seems rude, Saji-san, but do you really understand what it means to have a Sacred Gear?" — She asked, her speech accompanied by a small tilt of her head, expressing her doubt.
"Uh? Yes, I know, didn't you say they were created by the biblical god to help humanity? Is there something I don't understand?" — Saji asked back, feeling confused by the question.
'Did I get something wrong or miss something?'
Sona looked at him silently, formulating the explanation she could give in a way he could understand, she just stared at him for a second before explaining in more detail.
"No, Saji-san, you didn't understand anything wrong, it's just that it seems like you didn't understand the real meaning of possessing a Sacred Gear, Sacred Gears are much rarer than being able to use magic, the powers they possess provide its users things that no magic can replicate, and that's why its users are hunted, even the weakest of them are valuable" — Sona explained patiently to him, one of her hands gesturing in company with her words.
Saji just stared silently after hearing the explanation, his brain racing to understand what she was saying.
And it didn't take long for the realization to dawn on him, with his previous excited expression returning, looking at Sona with an air of expectation as he asked.
"Wait...so you mean what I have is better than being able to use magic?" — He asked with an air of excitement, his previous caution thrown to the wind.
'Damn...doesn't that mean I'm a badass? I'm literally special, kekeke' — His inner thoughts spoke more about his character, unlike his air of just excitement, he was feeling his ego being stroked upon discovering that he was literally special.
"Yes, having sacred equipment can be considered better than just having magic, what did you think was my explanation about you being special? Did you think Sacred Gear were simple things?" — Sona questioned him once again, wondering what caused the boy to have this lapse in judgment.
'Hmm, I shouldn't judge him wrongly, it's more likely that all these revelations have affected his judgement, making him not think too much about the meaning of my words, I don't need to consider him someone with a slow wit' — Sona thought internally as she analyzed the situation, she felt that it would be hasty to judge the intellectual capacity of the boy who was in front of her now, considering that he was probably still in a state of shock even if it didn't seem like it.
"Ah-ahaha, sorry, I was still processing what you told me, so I didn't pay attention, plus I thought it wasn't a big deal based on the name hahaha…" — Saji replied as he moved his hand to the back of his head and rubbed it, looking embarrassed, smiling awkwardly.
Sona just stared at the embarrassing-looking boy in front of her for a moment, somewhat speechless at his final explanation.
"What do you mean you thought it was no big deal? What do you think the name Sacred Gear should mean?" — Sona didn't understand, or rather, she understood, she just couldn't follow his reasoning that would lead to this type of thinking.
'What do you mean by 'no big deal', it's literally in the name, anyone who heard it would feel like it's something unusual' — Sona looked at him waiting for an answer, her hand returning to its previous intertwined position, she hoped to understand what made him think that way.
"Oh...it's nothing, I just felt like the name wasn't cool enough..." — Saji responded as his hand remained at the back of his neck, his body slightly tilted to the side as he responded as a reflection of his clumsiness, an awkward smile returning to his face.
"Oh..." — Sona exclaimed, her face a mask of calm upon hearing the boy's response, she simply didn't know how to react to this explanation.
She looked at the boy silently, moving her hand as she pushed his glasses back before returning to her previous position, reflecting on her initial judgment of the boy.
'I don't know if I'm overestimating or underestimating his intelligence, I think my habit of overthinking things got the better of me this time, sigh, whatever, I think the situation is still in my favor' — She thought feeling exasperated, she was overthinking things, after all he was just an ordinary boy.
After this exchange of words, the two remained silent, Sona returned to her calm and serious behavior, staring at the boy in front of her without showing any reaction, and Saji continued in his position of embarrassment, feeling embarrassed and somewhat shy with the look of the girl in front of him.
"..."
"..."
In fact, his shame was so great that his face began to blush and, when he felt the sensation of heat on his face, he reacted immediately by trying to hide it.
He brought the hand on the back of his head to his mouth, closing it into a fist and pretending to cough.
"Kuhum!Kuhum!..." — He coughed twice as if clearing his throat, moving his eyes for a moment to see the girls' reaction and seeing that they were just looking at him silently, not reacting to his action.
"""..."""
"...Kuhum!" — He coughed one last time before straightening his pose on the couch, pausing for a moment as he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and then exhaling deeply through his nose, as he reopened his eyes, his demeanor changed from embarrassed from a moment ago to serious in the blink of an eyes, brow furrowed slightly as he looked seriously at Sona.
"So what are the advantages and disadvantages if I join you?" — He asked seriously, as if his previous embarrassed behavior was just an act, which it wasn't, the moment of embarrassment only helped him regain all clarity, making him think more concisely.
'Despite all the emotion and shock of the absurdity of my situation, I cannot allow myself to be affected by it, this moment of embarrassment helped me to regain my calm, as Micael warned me to always try to remain calm regardless of the situation, because it is like that phrase he said to me 'with great power comes great-oh no, wrong phrase, he said, 'expect the worst, assume the best' — Saji reflected to himself, thinking about his friend's "teachings" in quotes, trying to fathom and know the pros and cons of his situation.
'If I'm going to join them, I have to have a better idea of what I'm getting into' — He ruminated as he looked at Sona with a serious face, waiting for her to answer him.
Sona looked at the boy in front of her, blinking in surprise, the boy's change in behavior surprised her a little, she didn't expect this abrupt change in attitude.
'This came out of nowhere, it almost seems like his previous behavior was an act, I think he has regained his calm a bit and is now thinking more rationally' — She thought when analyzing his behavior, feeling internally satisfied, because the more qualities he demonstrates, the better it will be for her to have him in her ranks.
So, moving her hand and adjusting her glasses sideways, she decided to honestly explain the advantages and disadvantages of joining them.
"Well, the advantages are countless, first of all, the process that will make you join my nobility is called reincarnation, where you will stop being human and reincarnate as a devil" — She began to explain in her calm and concise tone of voice.
"By the way, the peerage I am referring to is the term that devils give to reincarnated devils when they follow the system created to make this possible, as they are servants of those who reincarnated them, following the concept of chess" — She continued while gesturing with her hand along with her words.
"I can explain this in more detail if you want." — She asked offering it to Saji in case he was confused.
"No, it's okay, continue" — Saji replied while still keeping his face with a serious and concentrated look.
"You don't need to worry about the reincarnation part, the process is simple and you won't feel any pain, it has this name because the being that goes through this process ends up acquiring devil nature and can also resurrect a person if they have died" — She continues her explanation, clasping her hands once again.
Saji just nods in understanding at the words.
"And as for the advantages of becoming a devil, they include an immediate increase in power, increased longevity, and access to magic unique to our race."
"Exclusive magic?" — Saji asked after she finished speaking, an eyebrow raising in doubt.
"Yes, unlike human magic that depends on calculations and mathematical forms to be executed, devil magic only needs imagination."
"Wait, just imagination? Isn't that a bit of a cheat?." — Saji exclaimed with even greater doubts, feeling that this was a bit absurd.
"It's not what you're thinking, to use devil magic it takes imagination and intention, which means I imagine something and it happens? No, it takes training and practice to make its use efficient, not to mention that there are different areas that make it difficult for you to diverge too much from a specific type of magic." — She explained as she watched the boy in front of her pay attention to her words.
"The main difference between human magic and devil magic is in practicality and execution, being practically equal in general capabilities, and in addition there are also magics according to lineage, I, for example, can use different types of magic but my specialty is water elemental magic, as this is a natural affinity belonging to my clan, the Sitri clan."
"Hmm, i see" — Saji nodded in understanding, having a better idea now and hoping she would continue.
"Immediate power increase literally means this, after fusing with a piece and the process is complete your physical and magical attributes will instantly increase, making you stronger than you are now, of course, this will also depend on the piece I use in you."
"And greater longevity means that your lifespan will be like that of a devil, which in this case is indefinite."
Saji nodded once again in agreement, he still had some doubts but felt that this basic explanation was enough for him to understand, at least have a basic idea.
"Anything else?" — He asked wanting to know if it was just that or if there was more.
"Well, there is something that can be considered an advantage if you are interested" — Sona said, with her hands crossed in front of her face, thinking about talking about something that would probably please the boy in front of her.
"See, the society of devils is based on power, there are basic rules that we follow, but ultimately the strongest are those who determine the rules, and thanks to this and other aspects of our culture harens are very common, whether they are men or women, if you have the capacity you can have a harem if you wish." — Sona explained by talking about something that she was almost certain would attract the boy's interest.
"Wait, harem? Are harems common for devils?" — Saji asked in disbelief, his serious expression broken, now he actually felt surprised by this unexpected information.
Sona just nodded in confirmation, her clasped hands still in front of her face.
"So if I want, I can have a harem?" — He asked, still in disbelief with his finger pointing at his own face, his brain quickly processing what that entailed, if it was possible.
"Yes, if that is your wish" — Sona answered him, her question already serving as confirmation of her hypothesis, after all, few men would resist the temptation of having a harem of beautiful women, much less a teenage man.
'Just according to plan' — She thought internally, she could feel her lips curling slightly behind the hands that were in front of her mouth, luckily her hand covered the view of this and the boy in front of her seemed too busy daydreaming to notice.
As Sona thought about her successful move, Saji began daydreaming, imagining himself surrounded by beautiful women, sitting on a throne and being fed as if he were a king.
'Heh~ A harem? Maybe becoming a demon isn't that bad~' — He continued to daydream, his expression changing to a strange smile and crescent-shaped eyes, too lost in his fantasies to notice his questionable actions.
He was lost for a moment, before finally coming to his senses and remembering where he was, looking at the girls in front of him while internally feeling the urge to punch himself.
He looked at them feeling mortified inside, wanting to see how they would react to his behavior, and to his supposed luck they didn't react much, at least not outwardly.
He saw that one of them was looking at him with an amused look, probably finding his behavior funny, one of them had a slight frown, clearly not liking his actions, and the others simply didn't change their expression, remaining as calm and unreadable as in the start.
'Damn, I think any chance I might have had with any of these girls just disappeared' — Saji commented internally, feeling a mix of frustration and shame, his shame more for being caught than for fantasizing about a harem, after all he is a "knight", like any other "knight" he is not afraid to declare his emotions.
'Sigh, whatever, I'll think about it later, for now focus on the conversation again' — Saji assured himself, thinking that now was not the time for him to think about hitting on girls, at least not now, and focused on regaining his previous serious demeanor.
"kuhum, please continue" — He said, regaining his previous serious expression, but unable to convey the same seriousness anymore, as thanks to his action, his face was slightly red.
Sona didn't react or say anything about the boy's actions, so with all her usual composure she continued to explain.
"In addition to these, there are other advantages such as, for example, you will receive the support of my clan in any endeavor you have, as well as help for you and your family in whatever is necessary, in addition there are other smaller advantages, but I think those that I mentioned are the most important for you" — Sona continued her explanation by mentioning what she considered would be important for him as well.
"I can explain in more detail if you want?" — She said once again offering to explain in detail.
"No, it's okay, I understand, what are the disadvantages?" — Saji spoke, his serious expression now without the slight blush.
Sona uncrossed her hand and moved it to the glasses, pushing him again, she internally thought that the boy was being very careless, if it were her she would try to get as much information as possible before making any decision.
'I'd say he's being a little hasty, but well, that works in my favor' — She reflected to herself, thinking about what to say to the boy in front of her to alleviate the disadvantages of becoming a reincarnated devil.
"Well...I would say that one of the disadvantages of becoming a reincarnated demon is that you become a servant of the one who reincarnated you, but you don't need to worry because I treat members of my peerage very well, you can ask the girls questions if you want" — In the end, she decided to be honest, citing something that most people wouldn't like, the boy didn't show any reaction when she said he would stop being human, so she thought it wouldn't weigh much on his decision, but she still made it clear to him that she treats her peerage well.
"Mm..." — Saji didn't say anything, just exclaimed in understanding, frowning a little upon hearing this.
"Like I said, you don't need to worry about that because I treat members of my peerage well and besides, you can stop being my servant and have your own peerage if you become a high-class devil, that's not easy, but with my help it wouldn't be that difficult for you to do it" — She continued explaining while waiting for the boy's response to this other information.
"I see...anything else?" — Saji replied, his still serious face making an expression of contemplation for a moment before asking again.
"Well, other than that you will be subject to rules and responsibility for being my reincarnated demon, in addition you will also have the weaknesses that every demon has with Light and sacred magic" — She explained once again hoping that all of this wouldn't affect his final decision too much.
This time Saji didn't say anything, just nodded silently, his expression still serious as he placed his hand on his chin and began to think.
"Please, if you have any questions, ask, I will answer them all" — Sona spoke after seeing that the boy remained silent without saying anything for a moment, her face adopting a professional smile once again as she gestured with her hand, she was willing to be completely honest with the boy even if it might lessen her chances to recruit him.
"If that's the case, I have a few questions I'd like you to answer." — Saji replied, looking back at her, with his brow furrowed and his hand no longer on his chin.
"Of course, proceed" — She responded with her professional smile still on her face, hands clasped once again.
Saji nods in understanding, moving his mouth and starting to ask questions.
"First of all..."
[Scene Break, Some time later]
The conversation, which had already lasted a few minutes, ended up lasting a whole hour, with Sona explaining many things in detail to him, causing her to reveal a lot too.
She explained to him the exact details about the power increase, how it would help him awaken his Sacred Gear immediately, how his magical power would increase and he could use the devil's magic easily, explained in more detail about the devil's lifespan, the whole process of becoming a high level devil and how it would help him in various aspects such as having his own harem, if he wanted to.
She also explained the politics involved if he wanted to become a high-level devil, such as the Devil Rating games, the contracts he would have to fulfill as her servant as well as hunting stray devils, as well as revealing that she was the sister of one of the rulers of the underworld and how this would be a great help to him.
She revealed and explained many things, but also left many aside, such as the current state of devil society and the reason why they are reincarnating other races, the different types of Sacred Gear and their classifications, or the fact that Rias is also a devil and that she and Rias are the current gourmets and that Kuoh City was basically their territory.
She intended to explain these things if he accepted her proposal, since at that moment the things she revealed should at least make him more favorable, even if the explanation about the politics involving reincarnated demons did not please him, she hoped that her act of sincerity was perceived by him.
One might wonder if she was explaining too much to someone she wasn't even sure how strong he would be, but this was something she had done for all her peerage, explaining exactly what they were getting into, she preferred to be honest and more bluntly, this would normally earn them goodwill, ironically she did not consider herself cunning and manipulative like her sister, but could use these types of tricks if it could benefit her.
Anyway, it wasn't a bad thing, because she was telling them the reality and if they accepted the agreement it would be their sole responsibility, in the end they both benefited from the agreement, because as she said she treated the members of her peerage well.
'Some would say I'm being manipulative, my sister would say I'm very naive' — Sona thought when reflecting on the conversation she had with the boy, after all her explanation he remained silent without saying anything for a few seconds until now.
'Well, I prefer things this way, I don't have patience for that kind of mind game' — She thought that by being sure of her recruitment standard, so far she has never failed.
She observed the silent Saji, who was frowning thoughtfully with his hands crossed over his chin without saying a word, before opening his mouth and saying.
"So, Saji-san, what's your answer?"
Saji, who was lost in thought, looked up upon hearing her, looking at the girl with her slight professional smile on her face and clasped hands, he looked at her face silently for a moment before responding.
"Can I think about the answer for a few days?"
"Of course, feel free, but don't take too long, please."
"Don't worry, seitokaichou, it won't take long."
Saji said, getting up from the sofa and bowing to her, before straightening up and walking towards the door, passing through it and closing it.
"Is it okay to let him go like this, kaichou?"
Sona's vice president Tsubaki asked her in doubt.
"No need to worry, Saji-san is a smart boy, he won't do anything that could harm himself."
Sona answered her calmly, this whole conversation helped her to have a better idea of the boy's character, he wouldn't say anything about what happened here to anyone, she didn't feel the need to warn him about it.
"Now we just need to wait for his response, come on, we still have things to do." — She said as she stretched a little in her chair, before standing up and calling the girls.
""""Yes, kaichou."""" — They responded in unison.
As the girls go back to their tasks, Saji is walking down the school hallway towards the lockers, bag over his shoulders, his face frowning as he gets lost in thought.
He stayed like that as he walked in silence, reaching his locker and taking off his sneakers, he stopped for a moment, sighing at the end and saying.
"Haaa...whatever, I'll think about it in the comfort of my home." — He said to himself as he changed out of his sneakers and started walking home.
[End of flashback]
And now here he was, thinking who knows how many times about this meeting and all the absurd things he discovered, he had the weekend to think but he still had his doubts...ok, he admits, he wanted to accept, but he felt he needed a final push for it, and he knew who to get it from.
He hoped that a conversation with Micael would clarify his insecurity.
"Yosho! Let's go" — He said to himself, getting up from the bed, picking up his bag and heading out the door, his goal was to get to the school and seek some indirect guidance from Micael.
[Some hours later]
Saji was sitting in his chair in his room, he was leaning against it as he stared at the ceiling absentmindedly, his mind thinking about the brief and strange conversation with Micael earlier.
As he thought, all he had to do was hear a few words of self-help from that bastard for his uncertainty to disappear, because at the end of the day, Micael is the smartest and wisest guy he knows, even if he is often stupid and acts like a tactless idiot, if he said it was okay for him to accept, then it was okay.
...I mean, not that it would have made much of a difference if Micael didn't agree, since he would have accepted anyway, but he certainly saw through it and realized that he needed a kind of green light or a kind of support, because like he said he had already made up his mind.
"Tch, that bastard" — Saji said he was used to how easily Micael seemed to read people as if he could read their emotions, but that bastard always said he could read him because he was so simple.
He stood there staring into space in silence for a few more minutes as he thought, deciding what he would do tomorrow.
[Scene Break]
In the end, even though he had already made up his mind, he decided to spend the next few days reflecting on all the pros and cons that Sona had told him, spending the rest of the week without contacting her.
He only met her on Friday by chance, talking to her and letting her know.
"I'll give you my answer on Monday, seitokaichou, wait a little longer, please." — Saji said to Sona, bowing to her, he met her by chance in the corridor.
Sona watched him silently upon hearing his response, pushing her glasses up before answering.
"Alright, I'll be waiting until then." — She replied before walking again, heading in the opposite direction of him.
Saji watched her leave in silence, before turning around and heading back to his class.
[Scene Break]
Saji was in the student council room once again, today was Monday and he came here after saying goodbye to Micael.
Sanji was standing in front of Sona and the other girls, he had a calm expression, but to anyone who saw him it was obvious that he was nervous considering how tense his body was.
And it was no surprise, Sona was in front of him holding a bright red chess piece, it was a pawn, she had already explained what would happen and what the reincarnation process was like.
"That's it, Saji-san, ready?"
Sona, asked him while she herself had a calm expression, Saji, on the other hand, nodded and replied.
"Yes" — He replied with a serious expression, a bead of sweat appearing on his forehead.
Then, nodding her head herself, Sona began to move the piece to his chest and touch it, while the boy himself tensed at the touch, but Sona frowned when she saw that the process had not started, feeling the rejection.
"W-What?"
Saji asked in doubt, even though she stuttered with tension, Sona shook her head slightly in denial before bringing out another pawn piece.
Repeating her previous actions, she brought the two pieces closer to him, only the same thing happened as before, seeing this she raised her eyebrows in surprise, then, bringing more pieces and repeating the action until stopping at five pawns, the process finally began.
Saji immediately felt the difference, as a red glow enveloped his entire body, he immediately felt a feeling of fullness, as if he had taken liters of energy drink or something, as he felt his body strengthen.
He could feel, or rather see, how his senses were sharpening, his vision and hearing improving, along with touch, smell and taste, feeling his body literally becoming lighter, a feeling of internal heat that he assumed was demonic energy, Damn, he wondered if that was how it felt being under the influence of drugs.
"Damn!" — He exclaimed in awe, contemplating his own body.
"Language"
"Huh, sorry"
He said after being scolded by Sona following his previous exclamation.
"How are you feeling?"
"Incredible!"
Sona asked him and he responded excitedly, his face with a smile.
"Well no wonder, you needed more pieces than expected"
"Uh? What does that mean?"
Sona spoke nodding her head to herself with a face of understanding, understanding what this meant, while Saji asked her in doubt.
"That means your sacred gear is stronger than it looks"
"Oh..."
She spoke, explaining simply while Saji just exclaimed at this unexpected information.
"Alright, let's awaken your sacred equipment, all you need to do is think of a powerful attack and imagine yourself performing it."
"Okay"
Sona directly told him to bring his Sacred Gear to the surface, and Saji, listening to her explanation, did as she was told.
The first thing that came to mind when he thought of a powerful attack was something that happened once when he and Micael went to a shopping mall and found a machine that tested strength.
They played with it until Micael had the brilliant idea of testing the machine with a kick, the result was the machine breaking, they looked at each other in shock and then ran away as if there was no tomorrow.
Then, remembering the absurd movement that Micael had made, where he somersaulted forward and spun in the air before hitting the machine with the sole of his foot.
At the time he had asked Micael to teach him but when he realized that it would take a long time to learn, he gave up, but now feeling the lightness of his body he felt that it was possible for him to imitate him.
So, moving away from Sona and positioning himself, he immediately executed the kick...well, he tried because the only thing he managed was to jump forward with a kick, without being able to turn around, but it worked the same way.
"What was this?"
"Aerial scissors, well, na atempt at that"
Sona asked in doubt with a raised eyebrow upon seeing that kick, Saji responded according to the name Micael said, while shrugging his shoulders and looking at the glove-like thing that appeared on his hand.
Sona also looked at it, feeling the strong and recognizably familiar aura, she was sure it was definitely not an ordinary Sacred Gear.
"Well, Saji-san, you sure are special."
Saji looked at Sona for a moment upon hearing her words, seeing how the girl smiled slightly, before looking away at her Sacred Gear, a smile appearing on her face, which soon expanded into a full smile with exposed teeth.
"Oh yeah~ hehehe~"
[Scene Break]
Saji was now with Micael, it was the next day after he joined Sona's peerage, she explained many things to him and he realized that he had a lot of work ahead of him, but he was already prepared for it.
"Hey, faggot, what's the matter?"
"Uh? Ah, nah it's nothing"
When he heard Micael speak to him, he looked away and saw him looking at him with the characteristic expression of a raised eyebrow.
"Are you sure? You daydreamed several times during our conversation"
"Yes, I'm fine, besides, you're the faggot"
Saji replied as they walked down the school hallway, he obviously didn't want Micael to get involved in this situation, so he saw Micael stare at him for a moment before shrugging his shoulders and not pressing the matter further.
"Well if you say so, which is clearly a lie, but as your good friend I will help and distract you."
"Oh, really? How?"
"Simple, singing"
"...Huh?"
Saji stopped walking and looked at Micael stupidly upon hearing what he said, while Micael just looked at him with an amused smile.
"What? They don't say 'sing and forget your troubles', rakuna matata or something like that"
"...We're not in a Disney movie, Micael"
"Who cares? Anyway, come on, ahem, snap, Smack that..."
Saji watched silently as Micael snapped his finger and pointed in his direction after singing a phrase.
"This isn't a Disney song, Micael"
"I never said it would be, and you recognize that then? It makes everything easier, come after me, Smack that..."
"...No"
"You better sing with me or I'll sing louder for everyone to hear"
Saji was left speechless by Micael's threat to embarrass him if he didn't sing along, he knew he would, while the bastard looked at him with that stupid smile and punishable face while pointing in his direction, waiting.
"Sigh...Smack that..."
After letting out a sigh, Saji responded by singing along with a dead tone of voice.
"Snap, all on the floor~..."
"Smack that..."
"Give me some more~..."
"Smack that...sigh"
"Till you get sore, smack that, oohh~"
Saji sighed in defeat, seeing that there was nothing he could do, looking at Micael who was just smiling, amused by the situation.
"Now, all together!"
"Smack that~?..."
Micael approached him and put his arm on his shoulder, going back to singing and waiting for him to sing along, in the end, he gave up and joined him, putting his hand on Micael's shoulder as they started walking again while singing together.
""Smack that, all on the flor~""
""Smack that, give me some more~""
""Smack that, till you get sore~""
""Smack that, ooohhh~""