Sirzechs smiled as he looked at his sister. Since the last time he saw her, she had truly grown. Honestly speaking, he felt a little depressed. Putting aside the things Rias had done when she fought Riser, Sirzechs realized how quickly she had matured. He wouldn't discuss it with her too much, but he was pleased. That growth meant Rias would no longer need his support. Even if it alienated her a little, Sirzechs couldn't help but be pleased.
Beside Sirzechs was his rook, Surtr. Actually, this was Surtr the Second, a clone of the original.
Surtr is a burly man who appears to be in his thirties and is about two meters tall with spiky orange hair. His body has a large build and emits a savage aura. His hands are large enough to fit an average-sized human head in their grips. He wears a thick, prominent coat and carries a bottle of sake.
"Why did you need to talk to Surtr?" Sirzechs asked curiously.
"Oh, nothing too important, but you could say it's a favor for a friend," Rias replied and pulled out a sword from a magic circle containing a storage space. Surtr raised an eyebrow in curiosity, as did Sirzechs. The sword didn't seem too out of the ordinary. It had patterns similar to Damascus steel, but even so, it didn't look impressive.
"Could you tell me how it was made, Surtr-san? I thought, since you were created by the Norse pantheon, perhaps you could analyze it. My friend—well, his ancestors, actually—were the ones who created these types of swords. All I know is that they used dragonfire."
"Dragonfire?... Interesting," Surtr's deep voice echoed, and he stepped forward, taking the sword as he looked at it curiously. Looking carefully before brandishing the sword slightly, Surtr raised his eyebrows before sniffing the sword and even biting it a little, causing Rias to try not to smile at the slightly silly scene.
"Hmm..." Surtr muttered as he raised the sword with one hand and ran a finger along the blade.
"You're right. The blade was created with a dragon's fire... Although, considering the power the sword could unleash in the right hands, the dragon shouldn't exceed the low level. Um... You can also see that it was created with a blood spell. The spell allows only the bloodline to use the sword's full power. It's also quite durable, potentially indestructible against ordinary swords, or even those at its same level."
"What else does the spell do? I mean, the sword's full power?"
Surtr looked at Rias before shrugging slightly.
"Honestly, I don't know. But I can guess two things: when someone of the right bloodline uses it to its full potential, it could release bursts of fire. Or, my second guess, is that it would cause the blade to heat up enough to melt other swords in a clash. And since it was made with dragonfire, the blade wouldn't be damaged."
"Ah, right. Only someone capable of using magic could unleash that potential, by the way."
"Mm," Rias murmured, thinking of Jon. The sword was actually Valyrian steel, purchased at the shop for only ten points. Rias had been curious about swords, but it seemed only with the right bloodline could one use them to their full potential. Well, not that it mattered too much; Jon had other options. Valyrian steel swords just weren't that strong, at least compared to the many other swords in the shop.
"Thanks for the help, Surtr-san."
"Ahaha! Never mind, Ojou-san, I didn't have anything else to do anyway!"
"Ah, Rias. I'd like to ask you something," Sirzechs stopped Rias as she stood up from the chair in front of the desk.
"Yes?"
"The meeting with Odin-dono is just a few days away. I'd like you to be there."
Rias raised her eyebrows before smiling. She'd been a little angry at her brother's manipulations, but there was no way she could hate him, especially since he simply wanted her to be safe. In the end, Sirzechs was just a guy who spoiled his sister too much. Now, however, he was asking for her help.
For Rias, it felt interesting, refreshing, cool. After all, when she was little, she always wanted to help her brother.
"Sure!" Rias nodded with a smile.
"But... if you're asking me to attend, it means you think there'll be trouble."
"Of course," Sirzechs snorted a little. Now that he knew the extent of his sister's power, he wanted another powerful person by his side at this meeting. He knew there were some who would definitely disrupt the place.
Rias chatted a bit more with her brother and Surtr before leaving and heading towards the Gremory mansion, where Harry was. However, when she arrived, she found her boyfriend playing video games with Millicas. The little redhead was very happy to have company and a break from all his chores.
"Ah, Rias..."
"Onee-chan!" Millicas greeted cheerfully before realizing that Harry had destroyed him in that short amount of time.
"That's not fair, Harry nii-san!"
"Hey, you just got distracted," Harry smiled in amusement.
Rias smiled at the sight of Millicas, and she squeezed his cheeks before kissing him on the forehead.
"How are you? Is your mom still strict?"
"Uh... Mom's always strict, Onee-chan. But she's giving me more time now!"
"I see."
"By the way, Harry. We have to attend the meeting with the Nords soon."
"Okay," Harry nodded as he looked at her, tilting his head. He asked the next moment, "Any trouble I should expect?"
"Maybe some god. Or the Khaos Brigade."
"Ugh... those guys are so troublesome. Can't they do anything else? Well, what can you do..." Sighing, Harry put down the console controller before standing up and stretching his back a little.
"Looks like the boys will have to train more."
Rias nodded, remembering that her peerage needed more training.
Well, on the weekends they attended Aeternum to train. Asia, especially, had seen the most results from her training, being able to heal from a distance while moving. The rest had simply refined what they already knew or had.
But they still had a lot to improve if they wanted to fight the most powerful beings in this world. It's not that it's a goal, but it never hurts to be cautious and gain enough power to avoid getting too hurt in battles or defending others.
When they left Millicas after a few minutes, the pair walked calmly through the mansion's hallways.
"Do you think his parents or yours know about the little one?" Harry decided to ask.
Rias raised her eyebrows slightly, but shook her head slightly. "Maybe my brother or Grayfia know, but I don't think my parents do. Maybe that's why she's so strict with her son."
"Well, maybe it's for the best. I don't want to think about what might happen if that little one gets really angry or loses his mind."
Rias let out a small sigh, nodding at Harry's words.
"Millicas has the greatest potential in the family, perhaps even more than my brother."
"My brother is an anomaly among the Devil race. I have the potential and talent to match him. I think you know why I can surpass him now," Rias commented, causing Harry to nod. It was the group chat. Rias had the natural talent to catch up to her brother, but if it weren't for the group, that talent wouldn't mature for a long time.
"However, if we're talking pure natural talent, Millicas surpasses both of us."
"How's the change in your soul going?" Harry asked, deciding to change the subject.
"Slow... But it's still growing," Rias replied with a small smile.
"We'll be prepared for that time, Rias. You shouldn't worry too much."
"Yes... yes, you're right," Rias smiled more broadly, glad to have so much support from Harry. Truthfully, she was worried about what might happen the moment she becomes a Goddess.
"But let's not talk about it too much! We'd better prepare for what might happen at the meeting!"
"Good, you're right about that. Gods can't be underestimated, nor can any humans who might appear." Harry tilted his head, causing a crack to resonate from his neck and his eyes to flash, anticipating what might happen at the upcoming meeting.
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