Spear Devil - 013 (Patreon)

[A/N: Extra Chapter. I also edited all the chapters up till now and made some minor changes. Enjoy!]

Chapter 013 – Two Rules

[April – 2008]

Time passed slowly while Liam worked, and as he wasn't one to make small talk with his customers, it passed even slower.

Thankfully, I had been a professional chess player in my last life, so if there was one thing I had in spades then that was patience and the ability to wait in silence.

The pain wasn't really an issue for me, as my endurance as a dragon hybrid was far beyond a normal human, as was my ability to heal.

To keep my mind occupied I pushed small amounts of Dragon Aura through my whole body for a few hours, taking it as an exercise for my control. Finally though, I just dozed off for a couple of hours, having already become used to the constant prickling pain.

…

Looking at my reflection in the mirror, my gaze was fixed on my left arm and the left side of my ribcage, staring at the life-like black dragon on my skin with shining eyes.

It didn't look like just a normal western dragon either, but like a King amongst dragons, a God of its species. And as I pushed a bit of Dragon Aura into my skin, it seemed to come alive, glowing with a threatening reddish aura, as if readying its flame for a devastating strike.

Its dark and deep iris staring back at me with a clear gaze, I was captivated by this piece of art.

Coupled with my broad shoulders and absolutely chiseled physique, I just looked absolutely badass. With the addition of this tattoo, I felt more like myself in this foreign body, as if I had finally made it my own.

"Damn, that was probably my best work till now.", Liam said as he stopped counting the money I gave him for a moment, "I should have charged you more."

Smiling as I let my Dragon Aura continue to run through the tattoo, aiding the healing process while doing so, I answered: "A deal is a deal. Though you can charge me double the next time I am here."

“I will.”, he stated dryly.

Grabbing my shirt and putting it on, after seeing that I only had about two hours to get back home and shower before I had to go to school, I hurriedly said my goodbyes and left the shop. Thankfully, missing out on a night's sleep wasn't much of a problem as a half-dragon.

It took me only about ten minutes to get back home as I was lucky enough to catch the bus, and didn't have to wait for the next one to arrive for half an hour. And as soon as I arrived back home, I took a scalding shower while once again admiring Liam's work.

Putting on one of the new white button-down shirts I bought yesterday, along with a pair of black slacks and some new black leather dress shoes, to at least make my outfit resemble the school uniform, I grabbed my schoolbag and went down to the kitchen.

Placing the bag on the table, I took my time to prepare a simple breakfast, as I still had about an hour before I had to leave for school. This would leave me with roughly half an hour to make it in time, which wasn't that hard considering that it only took twenty minutes to walk there.

It would be my first day at the school as I was supposed to transfer to it at my parent's wishes. Kuoh Academy was a prestigious private school and my parents thought it would be much better for me to graduate from there than from my former high school, as that would increase my chances when applying for a University after graduation next year.

They weren't wrong of course, as it was a good school with a great reputation, but at this point I didn't plan to waste my time by attending expensive schools and University just to end up in some office bureau, working ten hours a day to afford a 'better' lifestyle.

I was aiming for something much more valuable than a degree in economics or math, I was aiming for power.

…

Approaching the school entrance, I saw a very beautiful girl with a slender figure and black hair styled in a bub cut. A pair of glasses sitting on her small nose, as she greeted the passing students with an impassive smile, I didn't have to guess to know that she was Sona Sitri, heir of the Sitri Clan and younger sister of the Satan Serafall Leviathan.

She seemed to be waiting for me because as soon as she saw me, she straightened her back somewhat and began to move closer, though a frown settled on her face as her gaze passed over my attire.

"Akira Sasaki?", she inquired curtly to which I nodded, "I am Souna Shitori, the student council president here at Kuoh Academy. I usually make a habit out of meeting transfer students and will be showing you to your class. Though, may I ask why you aren't you wearing your uniform? It should have been sent to you weeks ago, along with your schedule and the school books."

"Nice to meet you, Shitori-san. And thank you for having me.", I greeted, before raising the small all-black shopping bag in my hand a bit, "My uniform didn't quite fit anymore, as I seemed to have received one last growth spurt over the last few weeks. I thought I should just dress in something similar until I can get my hands on a uniform my size."

Her frown deepened a bit as her gaze passed over my hands and she saw the dark ink, though I could see a flicker of interest in her eyes as she saw the black pawn piece that was surrounded by the three birds.

The massive and dark tattoo on my left side also shimmered through the white shirt, though it wasn't really recognizable. And it certainly didn't help that I had my sleeves rolled up so anyone who wasn't half-blind could see the dragon tail on my left forearm and wrist.

"We have a few uniforms here at the school for students that lose or damage theirs. After class today you should come by the student council room and I will send someone to fetch you a uniform in your size.", she replied, before adding, "Are your tattoos permanent ones, Akira?"

“They are.”

"Tattoos of any kind are against the school regulations, though permanent ones are especially frowned upon. I have to ask you to cover them up while attending classes, either with makeup or gloves and refrain from getting any more during your time at this school. Understood?", Sona stated strictly, apparently taking offense at my body art, which was somewhat curious.

Sona was a pure-blooded Devil, a creature of sin and debauchery, and yet here she stood, lecturing me about school regulations.

Even more problematic though was the fact that I could feel my inner dragon roaring in anger at Sona's words, her attempt to restrict me awakening the innate sense of pride all dragons possessed. Thankfully, I was only a half-dragon, and I knew how to keep my emotions in check before my Dragon Fear could slip my control and assault those around me.

Still, I didn't plan to wear gloves all the time or cover up my tattoos with makeup. And I knew that I wouldn't have to either, as being a potential Peerage member gave me a lot of leverage, though Sona didn't seem able to sense that I was not fully human.

The only thing I couldn't hide was my smell, and while Devils could see and hear better than humans, only Youkai had noses sensitive enough to notice the difference between me and a normal human.

"I will do my best, Souna.", I replied with a calm smile, intentionally using her first name, which immediately cause her to scrunch up her eyebrows.

"Please do not address me by my first name, Akira. That is something I reserve for family and friends, of which you are neither.", she stated clearly angered, though I didn't really care about that.

I had always lived by two simple rules, the first of which was to avoid drama and stress whenever possible, as I valued peace and quiet. The second rule was much simple as it was the Golden Rule of Christianity, meaning to treat others like you wish for them to treat you. In reverse though, I would not be respectful or kind to those that didn't extend me the same courtesy.

I knew that I wouldn't be able to live in this world by trying to keep to rule number one, but such was the consequence of my choice to pursue power. The second one, however, I was willing to uphold now more than ever.

How could I let others treat me with disrespect in a world where 'might makes right'? Here, power was everything, and the draconic part of myself demanded that I keep my pride intact and rip apart anyone that tried to trample it.

“Then please extend me the same courtesy, Shitori-san. I am not your friend nor are you a part of my family, so stop calling me Akira.”, I countered in a low voice, my eyes shining with an icy light.

Taken aback for a moment, as she had obviously not expected me to tell her that to her face, which didn't surprise me as Sona was still only a spoilt heiress. The only difference between her and Rias where that she had a calmer temperament and wasn't as brash.

“I- … I-”, she stammered for a moment, not knowing how to react, as an embarrassed red hue rose to her cheeks.

The next moment though she bowed slightly while she addressed me: “Please forgive me for my rudeness, Sasaki-san.”

Now it was my time to be surprised, as I had not thought she would do something like this. I could hear the sincerity in her voice and saw it in her eyes, so I simply sighed lightly and smiled, as I answered: "It's fine. I am sure you have a lot on your plate as the student council president, being strict and formal probably helps when dealing with all that. I just don't like double standards, so if you wanna call me Akira, be prepared to be called Souna."

“I will keep that in mind, Sasaki-san.”, Sona replied with a small smile, the tension between us all but forgotten, “Come, I will show you to your classroom.”