"You don't need a reason to help people. You do it because they're family, and family always has each other's backs."

  — Natsu Dragneel, Fairy Tail

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  The inal story had Rias and her peerage handling this Stray Devil.

  "What a ce, Rias-senpai," Roy greeted her with a smile.

  "Roy-kun, what are you all doing...?" Rias asked, gng at Roy and then at the house behind him, from which the st of a Stray Devil still emanated.

  "As you see, Rias-senpai, we've already taken care of the Stray Devil inside," Roy expined, anticipating her question.

  "Ara ara, looks like our job was stolen," Akeno ented, her eyes fixed on Roy with amusement. She knew he was only a Low-Css devil, and tonight's target articurly strong one, even for its rank.

  Even at the same level, Roy would have had a difficult time defeating it. Yet, he appeared pletely unharmed.

  And what was with all the girls behind him? Akeno wondered.

  Roy felt a twinge of awkwardness at Akeno's words. Dealing with Stray Devils in the Kuoh Town area *was* Rias responsibility.

  "Um, I apologize, Rias. I should have asked for your permission before..."

  "It's no problem at all," Rias said with a gentle smile. "Rather, wouldn't you mind introdug the young dies behind you?" She wasn't ed about the stolen assig; she was curious about the girls apanying Roy.

  She reized Saeko, who had retly enrolled in her css.

  "Ah, them..."

  "They're my new servants. I brought them along to get some experieh Stray Devils," Roy expined without hesitation.

  Rias was surprised. She could tell they were normal, with no signs of Sacred Gears. Why would Roy take them as his servants?

  Her puzzlement was evident, and Roy noticed.

  "Heh, they may be normal now, but I assure you, their potential surpasses even those with Sacred Gears," Roy said fidently.

  With his cheat abilities, increasing their power wouldn't be difficult. He could simply take them to other worlds and equip them with powerful ons, armor, or abilities. Their potential would far exceed that of Sacred Gear users in this world.

  "Oh? Is that so?" Rias didn't argue, instead expressing curiosity about the source of his fidence.

  "Sihe Stray Devil has bee with, we'll be heading baow. Goodbye, Roy-kun." Having pleted her assig (or rather, having had it pleted for her), Rias prepared to leave.

  "Roy-kun, do e visit the Occult Research Club sometime," Akeno said with a pyful smile.

  "Goodbye, Roy-senpai," Koneko said with a wave, her expression as impassive as ever.

  "Goodbye. I'll visit the Occult Research Club when I have the time. And goodbye, Koneko-," Roy replied with a smile and a wave.

  Rias activated a teleportation circle, and they vanished.

  "Roy-, who were those people?" Shizuka asked, curious.

  "They were senpai from Kuoh Academy's third-year css: Rias Gremory, Akeno Himejima, and Kooujou," Saya answered.

  The trio were popur at the academy. Even without actively seeking information, Saya had overheard tless versations about them.

  "Saya is right. However, those are their identities in the human world..."

  "Rias true identity is the head of the Gremory , one of the 72 Pilrs of Devils, and holds the title of Heiress. She's known as the Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess and is already a High-Css devil. Her older brother is the current Lucifer, one of the Freat Satans!"

  "Akeno Himejima and Kooujou are Rias servants. Akeno is also a High-Css devil, while Koneko is a Mid-Css devil."

  Roy expined Rias and her peerage's background iail. He had already told them about the supernatural world and the power of the devils, so they uood the significe of the title "Satan."

  Saya, Shizuka, Yuriko, and Alice were impressed.

  "They sound amazing!"

  "And a Maou? That's incredible!"

  "We seem so weak in parison..." Shizuka's uional ent dampehe mood.

  Someone like Koneko was already a Mid-Css devil at such a young age. And Akeno, around the same age as them, was a High-Css devil.

  "Heh, there's o pare yourselves to them. You've only just bee devils," Roy said, words of encement. "In my opinion, your potential is han theirs, perhaps eveer. Because you have me."

  "That's right, everyone. Don't be disced!" Yuriko, a former career woman, uood these things well.

  "Mom, you seem to be the weakest one here," Saya teased.

  "Um..." Yuriko eechless.

  It was true. Because of the way her body was created, her magical power hadn't even reached the level of a Low-Css devil yet.

  Though she had learned some basic spells, their power was limited. Even Alice could wield magic more effectively than her.

  However, because of her restructed body, her magical aptitude had increased signifitly. She was fident she would catch up eventually.

  She khis herself, so she didn't argue.

  "Alright, let's head back," Roy interrupted their banter, activating a teleportation circle. In the moment, they were home.

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