When Sona Sitri directly invited him to become her servant, Qin Xiao was honestly a little surprised.
That was way too straightforward.
This was only their second meeting.
She didn't even really know who he was or what kind of personality he had—yet she already asked him to join her peerage?
"I'm sorry," Qin Xiao said calmly.
"I don't have any plans to become a Reincarnated Devil right now. Being human is actually pretty good."
"So you refuse?"
Sona nodded slightly.
"Alright then. But if you ever change your mind, you can come find me anytime."
"Understood, President Sona."
Sona wasn't particularly disappointed.
In fact, the invitation had been somewhat spur-of-the-moment.
If Qin Xiao had agreed immediately, she would have needed to carefully investigate him first.
She didn't dislike confident people.
In fact, confidence usually meant someone had the ability to back it up.
At that moment, a girl with short pink hair sitting nearby suddenly spoke.
"If you already know the President is a devil, then you must have some strength too."
"How about a fight with me?"
Her face was full of battle intent.
"And you are?"
"My name is Tsubaki Shinra."
"I am the President's servant, Queen. Nice to meet you."
"I'm Qin Xiao. Nice to meet you."
"So, how about it? Want to fight?"
Tsubaki looked eager.
As a swordswoman, she loved testing herself against unknown opponents.
That was the best way to improve.
"Tsubaki, that's enough."
Sona spoke with a slightly stern tone.
"You shouldn't ask something like that the moment you meet someone."
"But President—"
"That's enough."
The moment Sona's tone became serious, Tsubaki immediately stopped speaking.
Within the Student Council, Sona's authority was absolute.
She wasn't just the Student Council President—
she was also their master.
"It's fine," Qin Xiao said.
"Since Shinra-san is interested, it would be rude for me, as a newcomer, to refuse."
"Really? That's great!"
Tsubaki's face lit up.
She grabbed Qin Xiao's arm and immediately dragged him out.
Sona and Tsubaki exchanged glances and both smiled.
For Sona, she was also curious about Qin Xiao's strength.
Soon, Tsubaki brought Qin Xiao to the Kendo Club.
Besides being a member of the Student Council, Tsubaki was also the captain of the Kendo Club.
Standing on the sparring platform, Tsubaki picked up a wooden sword from the rack and looked at Qin Xiao.
The meaning was obvious.
She wanted him to choose one too.
"Um… I don't know swordsmanship," Qin Xiao said.
"I see."
"Then I'll put this away."
"We can just fight hand-to-hand."
She set the wooden sword aside and prepared for close combat.
"No need," Qin Xiao said.
"You can use your weapon."
"I have my own."
"Hm? Your own weapon?"
"Do you have a Sacred Gear?"
"You could say that."
Tsubaki's eyes widened.
"So you really do have a Sacred Gear."
"No wonder the President wanted to recruit you."
Sacred Gear users were extremely rare.
Although they existed all over the world, people who awakened Sacred Gears were still very few.
Even among Sona's servants, only Tsubaki herself possessed one.
Her Sacred Gear was Mirror Alice (追忆之镜).
At that moment, Sona—who had just entered the room—also felt surprised.
Now she understood why Rias was so interested in Qin Xiao.
Anyone with a Sacred Gear had the potential to become High-Class Devil-level power if properly trained.
Moreover, Sacred Gear users often performed miracles in desperate situations.
Their power was fueled by the user's will and emotions.
And extreme situations were where miracles happened.
"If you have a Sacred Gear," Tsubaki said seriously,
"then I can't fight casually."
"Do you mind if I use my real sword?"
She picked up a long bag from the table.
Inside was a katana, clearly a high-quality blade.
"Of course," Qin Xiao replied.
"Great."
"I'm getting excited now."
Qin Xiao watched Tsubaki holding the shining katana and suddenly felt a little confused.
Why did Japanese people classify both swords and katanas as 'ken' (sword)?
They were clearly different weapons.
Yet they were all grouped under "swordsmanship" and "kendo."
"I'm coming," Tsubaki said.
"Whenever you're ready."
"Please."
Step—
Tsubaki pushed off the ground and rushed forward.
At the same moment—
A golden magic circle appeared behind Qin Xiao.
Chains shot out instantly.
CLANG!
The chain blocked Tsubaki's sword strike.
A loud metallic collision echoed through the room.
But that wasn't the end.
Several more Chains of Heaven shot out from different directions.
They rushed straight toward Tsubaki.
She kicked off the ground and performed a backflip, narrowly dodging the chains.
Then she launched a second attack.
Qin Xiao continued summoning chains.
Even though he never moved from his position, every attack from Tsubaki was blocked.
She couldn't break through the defense of the Chains of Heaven.
Although this was only Qin Xiao's second time using the Chains of Heaven, he already controlled them perfectly.
The chains moved as naturally as his own arms, attacking and defending according to his will.
Qin Xiao had his own purpose in accepting this sparring match.
First—
He wanted to test whether defeating opponents would increase his inheritance percentage.
Second—
He wanted to experience real combat.
As for losing—
Qin Xiao had never considered that possibility.
Part of that confidence came from his own personality.
As someone who knew the story of this world, he subconsciously viewed everyone here as special NPCs.
But another reason was the influence of Enkidu's inheritance.
Enkidu was born from clay and stone.
Created by the hands of the gods.
His father was Anu, the King of the Gods.
His mother was Aruru, the Goddess of Creation.
And on the earth, after encountering a saint-like temple priestess, he gained humanity and wisdom.
Enkidu was truly a masterpiece created by the gods.
Even though he called himself a weapon, he stood shoulder to shoulder with Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes.
He was a legendary hero in his own right.
And Qin Xiao—
as the inheritor of Enkidu's power—
was naturally influenced by that legacy.
After all—
Enkidu and Gilgamesh were known together as the Twin Kings of Uruk.