Tap… tap…
Qin Xiao slowly walked toward the snake-man, who was tightly bound by the Chains of Heaven.
Cold light flashed in his eyes.
Another guy who had mistaken him for a woman.
The blond thug earlier had been human, and Qin Xiao wasn't mentally ready to kill a human, so he spared him.
But this snake demon was different.
Because of a kind of real-world superiority over a fictional world, Qin Xiao subconsciously viewed these stray devils more like monsters.
Killing them felt no different from killing mobs in a game.
Especially after yesterday.
Even when he saw blood for the first time, he felt no discomfort.
Instead, it felt strangely exhilarating.
Maybe deep in Qin Xiao's bones there was always a violent instinct—
suppressed by modern law and society.
Now that restraint was gone.
When it came to killing Stray Devils, he felt no psychological burden.
"You bastard!"
"I like beautiful women, and you disguised yourself as a schoolgirl to lure me here!"
"How shameless!"
The moment those words came out—
Qin Xiao's face turned completely black.
And unfortunately for him—
At that exact moment, Rias Gremory, Akeno Himejima, Koneko Toujou, and Yuuto Kiba arrived.
They heard the entire sentence.
"…Uh."
Rias suddenly felt awkward.
She seemed to have arrived at the worst possible moment.
She had just witnessed Qin Xiao's black history.
"Ara ara~"
Akeno covered her mouth and smiled.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed.
Koneko and Kiba stood there awkwardly, unsure what to do.
Qin Xiao also noticed them.
His face became even darker.
Seriously?
You arrive exactly now?
"You damned bastard…"
"You deserve to be cut into a thousand pieces."
Qin Xiao's voice carried terrifying killing intent.
The Chains of Heaven moved.
SPLASH!
Three chains pierced through the snake devil's wrists and tail.
"AAAAHHHH!"
His tendons were severed and bones shattered.
The scream was extremely miserable.
Even Rias frowned.
Fortunately she had already cast a barrier, preventing ordinary humans from approaching.
Otherwise this noise would have caused huge trouble.
"What's wrong?"
"Does it hurt?"
"This is only the beginning."
"The real hell hasn't even started yet."
SPLASH!
Another chain shot out, piercing both arm joints, crushing the bones.
"Kill me! Just kill me!"
Before the first wave of pain faded, the second arrived.
At this moment, death felt like salvation to the snake devil.
"Kill you?"
"How could I kill you so soon?"
"This just started."
"Enjoy it."
SPLASH!
Chains struck again.
This time they pierced his tail repeatedly, smashing each section of bone.
His entire lower body was destroyed.
The screams gradually turned into weak spasms.
Watching this scene—
Rias and the others stopped walking.
This gentle and polite young man—
actually had such a violent side?
Only Akeno looked excited.
Her cheeks were flushed, eyes shining.
She clearly enjoyed the scene.
After all, she had inherited her mother's sadistic tendencies.
"Qin Xiao… that's enough."
"Just kill him."
Rias finally spoke.
Even though the snake devil deserved death, this level of torture was excessive.
"Oh?"
"Good evening, Rias-senpai."
Qin Xiao smiled warmly.
But with the half-destroyed snake devil behind him, the smile looked terrifying.
Koneko was visibly shaken.
She never imagined the senior she instinctively felt close to had such a side.
It reminded her of her sister, who once lost control and killed her master.
"Qin Xiao… that's really enough."
Rias repeated.
"Alright."
"I've vented enough anyway."
Without even turning around—
Qin Xiao waved his hand.
BOOM!
A chain shot forward and exploded the snake devil's head.
Blood and bone scattered like a red firework.
Ding! Template inheritance +1%!
Another 1% increase.
Clearly the gain depended on the opponent's strength.
Yesterday's stray devil hadn't even reached Low-Class Devil level.
Watching Qin Xiao's brutality, Rias felt slightly uneasy.
Could someone like him really be recruited?
But she didn't care about the torture itself.
In the Devil world, strength was everything.
If you were strong, even a murderer could be respected.
If you were weak, even a saint would be despised.
Devil society was far more ruthless than human society.
"Ara~ Qin Xiao-san."
"You're really amazing."
"And those chains are so beautiful."
Before Rias could speak, Akeno approached.
Seeing Qin Xiao casually explode the snake devil's head had filled her with excitement.
Especially the moment when the red and white fragments scattered behind him.
It felt incredibly stimulating.
At that moment, Akeno looked at Qin Xiao as if he were one of her kind.
She also loved the Chains of Heaven.
Even stained with blood, they remained pristine.
A wonderful tool for torture, in her eyes.
Qin Xiao looked at them calmly.
He already understood their intention.
In many stories, saving someone's life was the perfect way for a superior to recruit a subordinate.
He never expected it would happen to him.
Meanwhile, Rias walked toward the corpse.
A crimson magic circle appeared in her palm.
Then—
A terrifying surge of Destruction Magic erupted.
The body was instantly erased.
Qin Xiao raised an eyebrow.
If that attack hit him, it would definitely be dangerous.
The legendary Destruction Power of the Bael lineage.
Ironically, the Bael family themselves no longer produced users of it.
But Rias and her brother inherited it through their Bael mother.
Her brother Sirzechs Gremory had even become a Maou, one of the strongest beings in the Underworld.
Rias smiled slightly.
"Qin Xiao, you're really strong."
"I only just received the mission from the Underworld."
"And you already defeated him."
"It's just self-defense, Rias-senpai."
"Hm? You know my name?"
After all, she hadn't introduced herself earlier.
"Sona-kaichou told me some things this afternoon."
"I see."
"So she told you about my identity as well."
"Yes."
"Rias Gremory-senpai."
Hearing her full name, Rias realized Sona had probably revealed everything.
This misunderstanding was exactly what Qin Xiao wanted.
"So then," Rias said.
"Would you like to join me?"
"Become my servant."
Akeno watched Qin Xiao expectantly.
If he joined them, he would become one of their own.
She could see him every day…
and perhaps develop something further.
"I'm sorry, Rias-senpai."
"I don't plan to reincarnate as a devil."
"I see… what a pity."
Rias sighed slightly.
But she wasn't discouraged.
Neither she nor Sona were the type to give up easily.
Qin Xiao was only a second-year student.
There was still plenty of time before graduation.
"Qin Xiao-san," Akeno said with a playful smile.
"If you have time, come chat with me."
"What you did just now was very… beautiful."
Her tone was filled with unmistakable sadistic excitement.
"If I get the chance, I'll visit."
"Oh? I'll hold you to that."
"When you come, I'll make sure to entertain you properly."
"I look forward to it."
Seeing them chatting happily, Rias smiled.
If Akeno could get close to Qin Xiao, that might work too.
After all—
beauty is a powerful strategy when recruiting a man.
And Akeno clearly seemed very interested already.
Qin Xiao didn't stay long.
After a few more words, he left.
Rias's figure was indeed perfect—
the kind any man would dream about.
But Qin Xiao understood one thing.
Without power—
he had no right to pursue such things.
Power was everything.
Without it, none of these people would even approach him.
Everything happening now—
was because of strength.
Later that night, in another part of Kuoh City—
"So he defeated the stray devil who killed two devils?"
"Yes, President."
"As expected. He's strong."
"Even if Tsubaki underestimated him, victory without strength is impossible."
"Rias also invited him tonight."
"Did he accept?"
"No."
Sona smiled slightly.
"I knew it."
If Qin Xiao rejected her, he would definitely reject Rias as well.
Because she saw something in him—
Ambition.
He wasn't a man who would easily serve under others.
But she wasn't worried.
Humans had limits.
One day, when Qin Xiao reached his ceiling—
that would be her chance to recruit him.