[The Underworld - Rias POV]
The Phenex estate was unbearably quiet.
Servants moved like ghosts through the flame-lit halls, avoiding my gaze, avoiding my presence entirely. I couldn't blame them. I was the Gremory girl whose Rating Game had ended with their heir lying half-dead in a medical chamber — and with Kokonoe's supposed death hanging over every conversation like a curse.
The higher-ups had already issued their judgment: the Rating Game had crossed the line from competitive match to political incident. An heir of one of the Great Families, had been poisoned — by my Rook.
The marriage, at this point, is set in stone. That was their decision, any future attempt would be impossible.
And Kokonoe…
Kouhai, ally, survivor of Nagano…
Dead.
I knelt beside Riser's recovery chamber, watching the regenerative flames lick across his unconscious body. He would live. Of course he would — he was a Phenex. They always survived.
But that wasn't what twisted in my chest.
My peerage had been destroyed by Yubelluna's barrage. I let the match continue long after Issei fell. I told myself I wanted to win fairly… that Kokonoe was strong enough to handle Riser. That he wasn't the same boy who barely crawled away from a massacre.
But now? Now I could see it clearly.
I was stupid.
Arrogant.
Blind.
I had put everything — my freedom, my peerage, my pride — on the shoulders of someone who should never have been cornered like that again. Someone I should've protected, not used as my final piece on the board.
What the hell was I thinking?
If Kokonoe is really dead…
If that explosion was truly the end…
Then this isn't the fault of politics.
Or games.
Or Phenex regeneration.
This is on me.
All of it is on me.
And Issei? Yes, the boy could be reckless, stupid at times, and perverted more often than not.
But beneath all that… he was earnest. Loyal. Devoted.
I could still feel the warmth of his hands on mine, the quiet reassurance in his eyes, the way he had comforted me that night. That memory made my heart flutter despite the weight of the disaster that followed.
Even here, in the cold, golden glow of the Phenex estate, with Riser's flames repairing the damage I had helped create, I couldn't help but think of him — a boy who tried so hard, even when the world seemed determined to crush everything we cared about.
He reminded me that even in failure, even in death and destruction, there were still people worth fighting for.
And maybe… that was what kept me from falling apart completely.
That night, he saw me. The real me. Not Rias Gremory, the heiress, not the Devil master whose presence made him stumble into perverted thoughts. Just… Rias.
And somehow, in that quiet, fleeting moment, he understood. Not my title. Not my power. Just me.
It was unsettling, and yet… comforting. The way he looked at me, earnest and steady, made my chest ache in a way I couldn't name.
Even now, standing in the golden halls of the Phenex estate, listening to the soft crackle of Riser's flames, I couldn't forget it.
"Buchou is Buchou!" he said, as if it were the most obvious truth in the world.
The feel of his hands closing over mine. The way his gaze lingered on me, steady and sincere, like I was the most precious thing in existence.
It made my chest warm.
I must not think that… I have to marry Riser. No matter what. That is what the higher-ups decided.
And yet… a small, stubborn part of me wondered.
What if… I could hold him in my arms without guilt? Not as master and servant, not as duty and obligation… but as something more.
Last night, I had a dream. I was walking down a long, flame‑lit aisle — not the Phenex halls, but something softer, as if memory were wrapped in candlelight. I was dressed in white, standing before an altar with Riser beside me. His eyes were polite, distant, like he was fulfilling a role, not a promise.
Then the air cracked, and the sky broke open with a roar.
A familiar figure fell from the light — one arm gone, balance‑breaker armor flickering like dying fire. Issei.
He didn't walk toward me. He ran, hitting the ground with the crippled grace of someone who would rather bleed than retreat. Behind him… shadows of fights I'd lived through — walls shattered, candles blown out, peerages collapsing into ash.
He stood before Riser and didn't even blink. His voice wasn't loud, but it was enough to silence the world:
"I won't let you marry her."
Then he fought — not like a pawn, not like someone with nothing to lose — but like someone holding everything at stake with his bare hands. His dragon arm clashed with Riser's flames, sparks blossoming like stars dying in real time. Holy water.
That was all it took for Riser to crumble.
I could feel every heartbeat — mine, his, the echo of something that felt like destiny.
And when he struck the final blow, the scene didn't shatter. It soared. We rode the griffin through bleeding skies, world dissolving beneath us, and he didn't say anything I can remember… except something warm, something quiet.
And me — in a wedding dress that wasn't mine, fleeing a future I never wanted — I leaned in and kissed him as we soared through the sky.
And then I woke up.
My heart was racing. My throat felt dry.
Am I… falling for Issei…?
It shouldn't be possible.
Not now.
Not when Asia is the closest to him.
Not when I am the one being prepared for marriage — to a man I don't love.
I sighed, burying my face in my hands.
Why? Why now?
And then, as if summoned by the question, I remembered my last conversation with Kokonoe.
How I approached him to apologize for slapping him in Nagano — an act so stupid, so desperate, born from fear and frustration rather than malice. I hadn't expected him to listen. I hadn't expected him to understand.
But he did not judge me as harshly as I expected. Neither did he bow his head or accept my apology politely.
He looked at me with those sharp, unforgiving eyes and said the one thing nobody had dared to say:
That I was rich. And spoiled.
Something inside me snapped — not anger, not pride — but something painful and honest, like a hairline crack spreading across glass.
And then he said the words I still couldn't get out of my head:
"Then turn that curse into a blessing. Raise your name so high people have no choice but to see you — not the heiress, not the Gremory, not the obligation. Just you."
I stared at him that day, stunned.
Because he said it like someone who knew what it meant to fight fate.
Someone who refused to be defined by the tragedy he came from.
I envied him then.
His defiance.
His selfishness.
His will to choose his own path — even if it meant dragging the world with him.
I never had that kind of courage.
But standing here now, with Riser burning quietly in his regeneration chamber, with Kokonoe possibly dead and Issei's earnest eyes still haunting my thoughts…
A terrifying question crept up my spine:
What if I could choose to defy my future, too?
Not the marriage.
Not the expectations.
Not the fate everyone told me was set in stone.
What if…
Just once…
…I could choose myself?
A soft knock came at the door.
"Come in," I called, my voice steadier than I felt.
Akeno stepped inside. She bowed her head slightly, her expression gentle but serious.
"Rias… Issei has woken up," she said.
My heart skipped.
So he was alive. That alone felt like a small miracle.
For so long, I'd been told what I had to do. Who I had to become. What sacrifices were "necessary" for my clan, my status, my future.
But right now…
Right now, none of that mattered.
This one moment—just this one—I wouldn't let anyone take from me.
"I want to see him," I said.
And for the first time since the game ended, the weight on my chest eased—just a little.
____________
[Issei POV]
I woke up in the Underworld's infirmary, my whole body feeling like it'd been run over by a truck. My head was pounding, my chest ached like crazy, and everything was kinda blurry.
The first thing I saw was Asia, tears streaming down her face as she leaned over my bedside.
"Ise-san…! You're awake! Oh, thank God, you're awake!"
"A-Asia…?" I groaned, my voice raspy.
Man, what the heck happened?
She was crying so hard her shoulders were shaking, and before I could even process it, she threw her arms around me in a big hug.
Her boobs pressed against me—soft, warm—and wait, no, bad timing! Bad timing! But damn, even half-dead, I could still appreciate the moment.
"I was so worried…! I thought… I thought you were gone forever…!" she sobbed into my shoulder.
I patted her back awkwardly, trying to ignore how nice it felt. "Hey, hey, I'm okay, Asia. See? Still breathing. Still your Ise."
She pulled back a little, face red and teary, but smiling through it. God, she's cute when she cries… wait, no, focus, Issei!
Then the memories slammed into me like a punch to the face.
The Rating Game.
Riser.
Yubelluna's explosion.
I forced myself up—bad idea. Pain shot through my ribs like lightning. "Gah—!"
"Ise-san!" Asia yelped, steadying me.
"The match—did we win?! Tell me we won!" I blurted, heart racing. "Come on, we had to have pulled it off, right?!"
Then I noticed her. Leaning against the wall by the window, arms crossed, way too calm.
Akeno-san.
That smile of hers—gentle, with that little edge that always made my spine tingle.
"Welcome back, Ise-kun," she said softly.
"A-Akeno-san… you're okay too?" I asked, relieved.
Wait—last thing I remembered, she got taken out by Yubelluna's blast right after me.
She nodded, but her eyes were… quieter.
I swallowed. "So… what happened? After I went down, did Buchou and the others turn it around? We beat that fried-chicken bastard, right?"
Akeno's smile didn't reach her eyes.
"The game was stopped," she said. "After Kokonoe-kun's fight with Riser."
My stomach dropped.
"Stopped…? Then that means—"
"The marriage went through," she finished quietly.
The words hit me like a punch from Kiba's Sword Birth.
"We… lost?"
"Yes."
The room went dead silent except for Asia's soft cries.
I clenched the sheets so hard my knuckles went white. All that training, all that pain, all those promises to Buchou—and we still lost. To that arrogant phoenix prick.
"Riser… got poisoned," Akeno-san said.
"…Huh?"
"By Kokonoe-kun."
My brain froze. Poisoned? Kokonoe poisoned him? Okay—yeah, that sounded like him. Totally.
But still—what the hell happened while I was out?!
"But it wasn't enough," Akeno-san continued. "Riser still won. The officials stopped the match."
Stopped…?
"Riser is unconscious. Rias… she is with him now," she said quietly. "Taking care of him."
Anger burned inside me. After everything… Buchou is still supposed to marry him? Is this Kokonoe's fault? Or… some cruel twist of fate?
No.
Fuck that.
"…So that's it?" I blurted. "That's how it ends?!"
Akeno-san didn't answer right away.
"As for Kokonoe-kun… there's no record. No magical signature. No body," she said.
My brain short-circuited.
"No body…?"
"He's listed as missing," she continued, voice steady but tight. "Presumed dead."
WHAT THE HELL?!?
"That's bullshit!" I shouted, ignoring the pain as I sat up. "Kokonoe? Dead? No way! That guy's too stubborn to die! He's always crawling back no matter what gets thrown at him!"
Asia gripped my hand, eyes wide and worried.
Akeno just gave that small, sad smile—the kind that made my chest hurt worse than any wound. She was trembling, just a little.
I couldn't say anything else. Kokonoe… gone? No freaking way. He'll show up. He has to. Right?
I stared at the ceiling, thoughts spinning. Kokonoe missing. Buchou with Riser. Marriage sealed. Everything felt wrong—like the world skipped a step and left me behind.
Then it hit me.
"Buchou…" I muttered.
Asia looked up. "B-Buchou-san…?"
Yeah. Her.
I hadn't seen her since before the match. Before everything went to hell. And now she was in the Underworld, alone with him, taking care of the guy we were supposed to beat.
My chest hurt—not poetic, just an ugly knot that wouldn't go away.
"I need to see her," I said suddenly.
Asia blinked. "Ise-san, you should still be resting—"
"I don't care," I snapped, then softened seeing her flinch. "I mean… sorry. I just… gotta talk to Buchou. Face to face."
Akeno-san had been quiet the whole time. When I looked, she was watching me closely, like she already knew.
"…You want to see Rias," she said.
"Yeah," I said immediately. "I need to hear it from her. What happens now. What we're supposed to do."
Akeno's eyes softened. That calm smile returned—protective this time.
"I'll go get her," she said gently. "You shouldn't be walking around yet. Try not to overthink things while I'm gone, hm?"
I snorted weakly. "No promises."
She left. Door clicked shut. Asia left immediately after, hugging me briefly.
And just like that, I was alone with my thoughts.
Buchou was coming.
And for some reason… that scared me more than anything else so far.
Then, the door clicked. My heart nearly jumped out of my chest.
Buchou.
Her eyes filled with tears the moment she saw me. Before I could react, she rushed over.
"Ise! You're alive… my Ise…!"
She clung to me, slipping onto the bed beside me, hugging me tight. Her voice broke against my shoulder.
I froze. My ribs hurt, chest burned, but… I couldn't pull away.
"You… you came," I managed, voice rough.
"I had to," she whispered, pressing her forehead to mine. "I couldn't… I couldn't lose you, Ise."
Her warmth hit me like a wall. I swallowed hard. She's here. She's really here.
"I… I don't even know what to say," I muttered.
"You don't have to," she said softly. "Just… stay with me."
I nodded. That was enough. Just this—being here with her. For a moment, the Rating Game, Riser, Kokonoe… none of it mattered.
"…The match," I finally said, voice low.
Buchou squeezed my hand, her grip gentle but firm. "Ise… I'm sorry. I should have stopped it, or… done more after you went down."
I blinked. Surprised by how raw her voice was. Not the perfect, composed Buchou. Just… her, scared and guilty.
"I… I know what happened," I said quietly.
Her lips pressed together. "I just… I couldn't protect you in time. I feel like I failed you, Ise."
I swallowed. "…It's okay. Really. Don't worry about it now."
She let out a shaky breath, relaxing a little. I squeezed her hand back. That's all I could say: I'm here. I'm fine. And I'm glad it's you.
"I… I missed you," I blurted.
Her eyes softened. "I never left, Ise. Even when you didn't see me."
We stayed like that. Hands clasped, foreheads nearly touching.
"…I had to see you, Ise," she whispered. "Had to know you were still here."
I closed my eyes for a second. Yeah… that was enough.
"The higher-ups… they said I should marry Riser," Buchou said quietly, voice shaky.
"That the match… went too far. With Kokonoe and Riser fighting to the death… I…"
She trailed off. Seeing her like that—so serious, so… small—hit me harder than any punch.
"…Buchou," I said, voice rough. "That… doesn't matter. Not to me."
Her eyes went wide. She didn't expect that.
"I… I don't care what the higher-ups say," I said, keeping it simple. "I just… care about you. That's it. That's all that matters."
Blinking, swallowing, I could see some of the tension finally leave her shoulders. For a second, none of the Rating Game, rules, politics—none of it mattered. Just us.
"Akeno will handle things until Riser recovers," Buchou said softly, eyes not leaving mine. "Until then… I won't be able to see you."
Her voice had that quiet, firm edge she always carried when duty weighed on her, but underneath it… worry. Reluctance. The part of her that didn't want to leave me.
I took her hands in mine.
I had to be strong. For her.
"One day, Buchou… I'll get strong enough to set you free," I said, eyes burning with determination. "I'll wait until that day…"
She smiled, soft and warm, and then—her lips pressed against mine.
When she pulled back, she whispered, "Be careful, Ise… I'll be back before you know it."
____________
[Paris, France - Kokonoe POV]
We couldn't stay after what happened. That much was obvious. But leaving was complicated in its own way.
Nelu was too exhausted to manifest after the fight. He needed rest.
I checked the time. 5:30 A.M.
A joint burned lazily between my fingers.
I'd promised myself I wouldn't smoke again—but after everything…
I needed it.
Quietly, I slipped out of the cheap hotel we'd rented for the night, leaving Suzuka and Haruka asleep behind me.
And I rolled one from my backup stash I kept for "dark days". Who knew these dark days would be coming so soon, though.
And as the body high kicked in, the question lingered. Where would we even go?
Guess in this stoned haze, I could at least brainstorm a solution.
I took another drag and inhaled, holding it in my chest for a long twenty seconds. The mix of tobacco and marijuana scorched my throat, forcing a cough out of me.
Right.
That was one weakness I'd forgotten.
Back when I was still a devil, I could hold it in without a problem.
Then, my mind raced, running through scenarios and half-baked escape plans.
For a brief, genuinely stupid second, I even considered taking a plane.
Yeah. No.
Even for three supernatural beings, airport security wasn't something you just bypassed. And we were still, on paper, Japanese high schoolers in the EU without visas.
Legally speaking, that was just asking to get deported.
Technically, we could hijack a plane.
But I was too exhausted to cling to exposed metal for hours at cruising altitude. And I was pretty sure the girls would agree.
Then—like the universe decided I'd planned enough—
a tall man stepped into my path.
Average build. Black hair streaked with gold at the bangs. A black goatee. Ordinary at a glance.
But his aura?
Faction leader.
The kind that made your instincts whisper: If you fight this guy right now, you die.
"Where do you think you're going, kid?" he asked, smirking.
I didn't answer.
His eyes flicked to the joint between my fingers.
"Yo," he added casually, "aren't you a little young to be smoking weed?"
A humorless laugh slipped out of me.
"Maybe in this lifetime," I said. "Old habits die hard."
Something shifted in his expression—just a hairline crack.
"Yeah…" he muttered. "Guess you were always like that."
I blinked.
…What?