Unknown location.
After waiting a while, as time passed slowly in the space created by Georg's Sacred Gear in the canon, I covered myself with thick, closed fields that completely hid me from view and teleported to where, as the third magic had indicated, Rias and the others were.
I found myself in a spacious living room with modern finishes, renovations, and furniture. However, it looked like any other room in this five-story mansion, which was a former standard Japanese house with two floors and narrow corridors.
At that moment, Rias' entire entourage was there along with Vali's group, and Vali himself had already been poisoned by Samael's poison. In addition, Ophis was missing. In other words, during the approximately six hours of my idleness, the first stage of the arc had already been completed, and, as I had just heard, it had followed the relative canon, with Vali fighting none other than Shalba. Heh.
Yes, he had already kicked the bucket earlier, but Rizevim resurrected him using the Sephiroth Grail, which, as far as I remember, could rival the 3rd magic in effectiveness, although that's not accurate. I knew this because, unlike True Magic, the Grail still left some traces on the soul of the target. For this reason, Rizevim may have been able to hide from my eyes, and I will have to deal with the Grail later.
Also, Pluto's appearance seemed strange, as I did not expect him to show up after my "conversation" with Olympus. He was repelled by Vali and Issei, who was helping him, whose training with Mo-chan and Merlin had finally paid off.
Well, summarizing everything I overheard here, everything happened almost the same as in the canon, although I was still confused by the fact that Cao Cao had not yet appeared, even though he was involved in the action. After all, I still had his spear. Heh.
After thinking for a moment, I changed my location and entered a certain room, then sent a thin stream of mana intended exclusively for Rias. She noticed it, and after a short time, she entered the room and closed the door, after which...
- "You can stop hiding, I got your message," she said, then grimaced with a twitching eyebrow. "And why are you here?"
- "Come on," I said, removing my disguise and then setting up a closed field around us, smiling as I sat down on the white throne. "It's clean here, or am I missing something?"
- "Only you could choose a toilet as a place to talk," Rias snorted, then took a deep breath to calm herself. "I didn't expect you to show up. I thought you'd prefer to watch with a bucket of popcorn in your hand and giggle."
- "Hey! Who do you think I am?! A fucking bloodsucking overgrown kid with disgusting taste in clothes and pathological insanity?! Do I look like that bastard, huh?!" I blurted out, and she raised an eyebrow and smirked.
- "I hit a nerve, didn't I, sensei?"
- "Shut up! It's none of your business!" I declared and, creating a coffee carafe, drank it in one gulp.
- "Do you really drink coffee here?" Rias asked doubtfully. "Although, why am I surprised? You've never been known for your common sense."
- "How squeamish we are," I dismissed her, and the empty jug disappeared. "Anyway, I'm here to ask you something."
- "What is it?" she asked, leaning against the wall, as there was very little space and we were practically pressed against each other.
- "What in your tiny, fat brain made you get involved in all this?" I asked with a smirk.
"Don't tell me your idiocy has reached a chronic stage, Tomato-san, and you want to infect your entire entourage with it?"
- "As if my answer will change your opinion of me," Rias rolled her eyes. "Why are you asking?"
- "I just want to understand how prepared you are for the consequences," I said, instantly becoming serious, which was so unexpected for Rias that she lost her balance and her ability to speak for a moment.
- "Are you really Romani-sensei? You know, the one who likes to have fun for no reason? You know, the selfish bastard who does nothing but lecture, mock, ridicule, and all that sort of thing? Or maybe it's you, brother? He also liked to hide from Grayfia in my bathroom or in my closet when he didn't want to work."
- "Oh, really?" I raised an eyebrow. "In any case, even if you've ruined the whole atmosphere of a wise mentor and a worthless tomato, my question still stands. You probably don't fully understand the consequences of your initiative. But it's your life, so whatever."
- "There! Now I know for sure that it's you, Sensei, and not some kind of circus act," Rias nodded as if everything had made sense, then looked at me calmly. "Yes, I understood the risks, and that's why I discussed it with the others. We all want to be useful, show our successes, and ultimately protect what is dear to us. Just like my brother or you, Sensei."
- "Oh? Are you saying it's all my fault?"
- "No, we made the decision, that's a fact. You just showed me what you're willing to do to protect the people you care about," Rias sighed. "You know, every time I read manga and learn about well-developed villains, I like them more than the heroes. Often, such villains are simply misunderstood because..."
- "Eh, no. Don't sugarcoat it for me. Romanticizing villains is still romanticizing them. In your case, you're actually putting your lives on the line, and none of you will survive the loss of anyone," I interrupted her and sighed. "And I thought that nonsense had finally left your head."
- "But you can't deny what I'm saying, can you? And I'm not saying I want to become a villain, just one aspect of it," Rias insisted. "My brother and you, you could both be called villains, but is that really the case? No doubt my brother did terrible things that I don't know about, but he did them to preserve peace in the Underworld and allow people like me to enjoy it. You... You're just the same, at least that's how I see you now, even though I used to sincerely believe you were a natural bastard and a villain."
- "Blah, blah, blah."
- "Determination and following your own path. That's what you and my brother showed me. And I want to be a part of that too. Not just me, but every heir and their entourage," she continued. "I've read about a time when power was everything to demons, when diplomacy and simple dialogue were out of the question. But now everything is changing, especially with the arrival of His Majesty and you, Sensei, who is the reincarnation of Solomon himself. This is a real hope for peaceful coexistence, and for this, for the sake of our children growing up in this world, we have decided to act."
- "Those are big words for a little girl."
- "But nevertheless, that's how it is," sighed Rias. "You know, I talked about this with the others. And like Koneko, Asia, and Xenovia, I want to have children with Isse in the future. Kiba wants the same with Sona's Queen, Akeno with you, and Gasper wants to see someone again in the future. And none of us want our children to grow up in fear."
I rolled my eyes.
Hmm... And here I thought her rose-colored glasses had been shattered by the Hundred Faces... Like, how much of a dreamer do you have to be to say that to me, of all people? Yes, her aspirations and motives are extremely commendable, but where will that praise get her when Issei kicks the bucket? Almost kicked the bucket, but still.
The brighter the hope, the deeper the despair, right? Won't she break when Issei disappears? I'd like to use Clairvoyance, of course, but I'm stopped by the fact that I'll mess something up and everything will definitely get worse.
Should I intervene? No, at least I'll let this pseudo-death happen so that Issei can get his dragon body. Well, what will happen next, considering all the changes that have taken place? Heh.
- "Fine, whatever. Do as you wish, but don't blame me for anything or cry into your pillow later."
- "Thanks," Rias smiled, and when the magic circle lit up under my feet, she added, "I think... No. I know you know what's going to happen, and you're not sharing it. But I promise, we'll get through this and come out victorious. All of us."
I looked at her in surprise.
Heh. Still dreaming, but with a hint of maturity.
- "I'll remember that," I grinned and teleported outside, covering myself with masking fields again, then prepared to watch.
Well, let's see how ready you are to keep your promise, huh? Now I need to think about when to pay a visit to Olympus, since Pluto showed up here after all. Or did Hades really think he would get away with it? Yeah, right.
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