Chapter 41 41: Life
Jin lay flat on the bench, his hands wrapped tight around the cold, steel bar. The plates loaded on either side weren't the kind most men would even squat with—weights heavy enough that most would treat them as a deadlift challenge. But Jin didn't care. He had chosen this number because it sat right at the line between possible and madness.
The barbell rattled slightly as he unracked it.
He lowered it slowly, steadying the bar on his chest. His lungs expanded with controlled breaths, sweat already forming at his temple. Then—he pressed.
One. Smooth, deliberate, testing the movement. His chest and arms tightened .
Two. Controlled but heavy. This press told his body the weight wasn't there to be played with.
Three. His jaw clenched, his shoulders bracing under the steel. The strain began whispering into his muscles.
Four. His breath left him in a hiss. His arms trembled slightly. The bar felt heavier now, digging into his chest before he forced it upward.
Five. His teeth ground together. His chest screamed with pressure, every tendon straining.
Six. Sweat dripped down his forehead. His back arched as his body demanded relief, but he gave it none.
Seven. Now his muscles burned. The weight threatened to pin him and crush his ribcage.
Eight. His vision narrowed. The edges of the gym blurred, all that existed was the bar and his will.
Nine. His arms shook violently, his body close to betrayal. It was no longer about strength—it was refusal and he refuse to give in .
Ten. With sheer Fucking willpower, a guttural growl in his throat, he locked out the final rep. The bar rattled into its rack as he slammed it home.
For a long second he didn't move, chest heaving, sweat dripping onto the bench beneath him. His entire body thrummed with the aftershock.
Jin had done it alone. Not because there wasn't anyone in the world who could not spotted him—but because he refused the very idea of relying on another. Out there, beyond these walls, no one would offer him a hand. He had accepted that. He welcomed it.
The private gym , he bought this place with the money of the Manji clan. Their blood now funded his strength. A fitting irony.
The door creaked open. Shikaku stepped in, carrying a bag heavy with groceries. He set it down by the counter, his face impassive.
"I brought your list," he said plainly. "Fresh eggs. Meat. Milk. Veggies."
Jin sat up, grabbing a towel to wipe the sweat from his face. "Thanks."
Shikaku didn't look at him as he unpacked. "People have started asking about you."
Jin took a slow drink from his water bottle, unsurprised. "I already expected that. Which factions?"
"Some human. Some church. Some devils too." Shikaku hesitated. "How much do you want me to tell them?"
"Enough to keep them satisfied," Jin answered, looking outside the Gym . "If it's humans, tell them about my strength. If it's the church, tell them my circumstances—but not my character. If it's devils, tell them I'm connected to Rias. If it's Shinto, tell them about the Manji clan's… doings."
Shikaku finally looked at him. "You realize what they really wants. First, they'll try to reel you in—with favors or threats. But if you don't choose a side… you'll end up everyone's enemy."
Jin's eyes shifted—blood-red, a single tomoe spinning into existence. He locked Shikaku's gaze, his voice cutting like steel.
"I know. Don't play the hero. If someone comes asking about me, send them my way."
Shikaku froze, his mind pierced by Jin's genjutsu. The weight of it left him silent until he finally exhaled, "…I understand."
Jin closed his eyes, letting the tomoe fade. A dull ache ran through his head. "Fuck. Only able to manage that much… looks like it'll take time."
He dragged himself off the bench and sat down heavily at the desk in the corner. The burn in his chest and arms still pulsed, a reminder of the war he fought with the weights. He cracked open a protein shake, the bitter taste washing down his throat.
The gym was being used again by its one occupant .
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Evening settled over Kuoh Academy, the sun bleeding orange across the horizon. Rias Gremory sat quietly in her clubroom, her crimson hair spilling over her shoulders as her mind swirled with thoughts she could not push aside.
Jin.
She didn't understand why he lingered so heavily in her thoughts. To her, coming to Japan had been an escape—an escape from her family's suffocating expectations, from the arranged marriage that had been forced upon her, from the constant chains of being a Gremory. Here, she had wanted nothing more than to live the Japanese lifestyle, immerse herself in its rhythm, and simply… be herself.
But her so-called freedom was always tainted by the shadow of her wedding. And now, strangely, Jin felt like the variable that could tilt the scale.
Why? She couldn't explain it. It wasn't rational. It was instinct—her gut gnawed at her, whispering that if she wanted this curse lifted, if she truly wanted to break free, Jin was the one she would need to turn to.
Yet Jin was an enigma. Aloof, detached, impossible to read. He carried himself as if the world held no weight over him, and that unsettled her. She was used to control, to people yielding to her charm, her power, or her name. Rias Gremory had always gotten what she desired. But with Jin… she couldn't place her hands around him. And that—more than anything—felt like a thorn in her mind, pricking and refusing to let go.
He was clever. . He had depth, character. That much she knew. And yet, the more she tried to grasp at him, the further away he seemed.
Her train of thought was abruptly broken as her magic stirred. A faint pulse spread through her body, her contract seal flaring alive. Someone had summoned her.
Nothing better to do , she decided to go .
Her eyes narrowed as she wove her magic circle, teleporting without hesitation. The world twisted, and in the next instant she was standing beneath the dim light of a park.
What greeted her made her breath catch.
A boy lay sprawled on the ground, blood pooling beneath him. His breathing was shallow, his body trembling on the edge of death. Rias' eyes widened in recognition.
Issei Hyoudou.
The notorious pervert. A boy who, until now, she had regarded as little more than an annoyance. But here he was, broken and bleeding, his contract with her screaming its final desperate cry. And despite his condition, despite the mortal wound ripping him apart—she could feel it.
The sheer, stubborn will radiating from him. A will not to die. A desire so raw it seared through the magic . Stronger even than the drive she had once seen in Kiba.
Rias stood frozen, torn. Her mind raced. Should she save him? Should she use a Phoenix Tear or a piece of her peerage on someone like Issei? He was just a human boy, barely remarkable, save for…
Her thoughts tightened. A Sacred Gear. Yes. The boy is supposed to carry one. Low-ranked, perhaps. Nothing that could tip the balance of power on its own. Hardly worth the effort.
And yet…
That determination. That refusal to surrender even at death's door. Rias felt it thrumming in her bones, as if the boy's soul was clawing out for survival. She knew in that moment—this was more than chance.
Her heart hardened, her decision crystallizing.
There was no time to waste. Kneeling beside him, her fingers brushed against her [Evil Pieces]. The crimson glow of her magic circle expanded beneath them, bathing the boy in its light.
She pressed her piece into him, her will lacing with her magic.
"You will not die here, Issei Hyoudou," she whispered, her voice steady, commanding.
The air pulsed as the piece sank into his chest, his body convulsing beneath her hand.
"You will live… as mine. As a devil of the House of Gremory."
And with that, the reincarnation began.