If we reach 100 power stones, there will be extra chapters.
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"Strip yourself of all your current strength. Abandon it completely, and start over. That's the price you have to pay."
After those words, a thick, heavy silence fell. It swallowed the sound of the wind and the nearby stream. Even the birds that had been singing in the distant forest went quiet.
"...What?"
Rias opened her mouth and let out a sound of disbelief. The blood drained from her face, leaving her pale.
It was a completely justified reaction.
"You're joking, right?"
"No."
At his calm words, while he looked at her with interest, Rias clenched her fist. Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke.
"You're suggesting I give up the Power of Destruction of the Gremory? The legacy of my blood? The very power that defines me as a Devil and as an heiress?"
It wasn't something she could simply let go of.
To give up her power was like asking her to rip out her own heart. It was asking her to stop being who she'd been her whole life. To deny her lineage, her identity, and everything that made her Rias Gremory.
Akeno took a step forward, standing beside her King. There was genuine concern on her face.
"Yuu-kun... that's... that's too much. Buchou's power is who she is. Without it..."
Rias would stop being Rias.
She'd become someone else. And there was no guarantee that new person would be better than the old one.
Koneko stayed silent, but her golden eyes shifted between Yuu and Rias.
Meanwhile, Yuu saw the storm forming on Rias's face. He saw the confusion, the anger, and the fear.
'Well, that was to be expected.'
At that moment, Yue spoke.
"Yuu wouldn't do something without reason."
She could see Rias's power. There was still room to grow, but she'd wasted a lot of time. Even so, even if she used all her potential, there was a ceiling she'd eventually reach.
She wouldn't be able to grow past it, and her strength would be trapped there forever.
Yuu was giving her the chance to break that ceiling and open herself to infinite strength.
Rias let out a bitter laugh.
"Reason? What reason could there possibly be for this? For stripping me of everything?"
Was it really worth losing all the power she'd built over the years for the promise of greater potential? And worse, it was a promise made by someone she'd only met a few days ago.
Her gaze turned defiant as she looked him straight in the eyes.
"Is this a test? A lesson in humility... is that it?" At that point, her voice rose. "Then you can forget it, because I've faced plenty of harsh trials before, overcome them on my own, and learned hard lessons from them."
Rias was quite proud. But in a way, that pride wasn't empty. It was built on the weight of her family's expectations and the responsibilities she'd carried since she was a child.
To ask her to abandon all that...
Yeah, that was a lot.
But it was also necessary.
"It's not a test. And it's not a lesson in humility."
He lowered his hand and slipped it into his pocket.
"It's simple, really. Your current power has a limit. A ceiling you won't be able to break no matter how much you train."
He walked slowly toward her.
"To build something that can truly surpass a Phoenix, something that's yours, the old foundations must be torn down. An End to give way to a Beginning."
"And who are you to decide that my legacy is insufficient?"
There was a trace of anger in Rias's eyes.
"This power is who I am!"
"The answer doesn't lie in your ancestors' blood, or in the power that was handed to you. It lies in you. In the Rias that exists when everything else is gone."
Yuu stopped just one step away.
"I'm offering you an end, Rias. The end of the princess who's just a pawn on her family's board. And in return, I offer you a Beginning. The chance to forge your own power. To build yourself from the ground up, with your own hands. To become someone who doesn't need a surname to inspire respect, but earns it through her own strength."
Rias opened her mouth, but no words came out.
Akeno spoke instead.
"But... how can we be sure it'll work? How do we know she won't lose everything for nothing?"
Good question.
"You can't be sure. Because to you, it's a huge risk."
He looked Rias straight in the eyes.
"But tell me, Rias... are you satisfied with your current strength?"
Silence.
"Are you satisfied knowing that you'll eventually hit your limit and stay stuck there?"
More silence.
"Are you satisfied with the idea that you'll always be the 'Heiress of the House of Gremory,' the Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess,' before being 'Rias'?"
Her eyes widened slightly.
That was the weak point.
Rias Gremory had spent her whole life being defined by her family name.
When had she ever been just "Rias"?
When had she ever had the chance to be herself without her family's weight on her shoulders?
"..."
She lowered her head.
One of the reasons she'd moved to the human world was partly to be seen as a normal person. As Rias. Not just as a member of the Gremory clan.
"If the answer is that you're not satisfied, then I'll fulfill your ambitions."
True power doesn't come from what you gain, but from what you're willing to lose.
That was the price Yuu set.
Rias looked at him for a long moment.
Then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"...I need time to think."
"Oh, do you?"
Then, Yuu shrugged and silently walked toward the stream. He took off his shirt and pants, leaving only his shorts, before jumping into the water.
Cold water ran over his skin, leaving a refreshing feeling behind.
'Hah... after a bit of dramatic speech, this feels nice.'
"...He's a perverted senpai." Koneko looked at him with narrowed golden eyes.
Rias and Akeno were also speechless, probably still processing the fact that he'd just stripped in the middle of a serious conversation.
Yue walked past them, but before heading toward Yuu, she gave Rias a brief glance. Then looked at him again.
"You can ask for time... but Yuu won't wait forever."
She spoke in a calm voice.
"After all, he can always find someone else."
That was true. There were many worlds, and many people he could help.
This conversation only happened because Yuu wanted it to. Because he found Rias interesting and wanted to help her.
Yue walked toward the edge of the stream as she kept talking.
"If the other party doesn't want to be helped, then Yuu will simply leave."
Rias watched the small girl's back as she walked toward the stream.
Yue sat at the edge. She took off her shoes, slid the black stockings down her thighs, knees, and legs. Finally, only her pale legs went into the water.
She also looked at the boy floating on his back on the crystal-clear surface.
Then suddenly, he opened his eyes, jumped at his prey, and grabbed Yue's feet.
"Nn... Yuu, stop."
Yue protested weakly under the tickling on her feet, but didn't pull them away.
"..."
"Buchou..."
Rias looked at Akeno and Koneko. She saw they were both worried about her.
She looked up at the Ouroboros constellation slowly turning in the sky.
'A new Beginning, huh?'
"Could Yuu... be the Infinite Dragon God?"
Ouroboros Dragon?
"Akeno, Koneko... do you trust him? What would you do in my place?"
Akeno spoke first, her expression serious.
"It's too soon for us to trust him, Buchou. But I think you should find what you truly want. This decision's yours, not ours. And no matter what you choose... I'll always follow you."
Koneko nodded slowly.
"Izumi-senpai doesn't smell like a bad person. But like Akeno-senpai, I'll respect your decision, Buchou."
Rias let out a deep sigh. After a moment, her posture changed. She was once again the refined girl she showed at school. The Gremory heiress.
She walked toward the edge of the stream, stopping right where the grass met the water.
"An End and a Beginning... Tell me, Yuu. If I pay this price... if I strip myself of everything I am now... what Beginning awaits me? What power could be greater than the Power of Destruction?"
Yuu turned his head toward her and answered with a serious face.
"You should see it for yourself. Did you really make a decision that fast?"
Rias clenched her jaw tight. Her blue eyes really seemed to shine with tears. Her hands were trembling.
"An end..."
She closed her eyes, and a single tear slipped down, tracing a path along her chin.
"For a... beginning."
The price was too high.
What did she prefer? To marry Riser and have the devils and her family be proud of her for it? To be that piece of merchandise traded from one clan to another? To always be seen as a Gremory and not as Rias?
Or to accept the price Yuu offered, and pay it with everything she had built up until now?
To free herself from the cage, and walk a path of her own choosing...
She took a deep breath. Her back straightened. Her eyes opened. Now they were full of determination.
"Alright, Yuu. I'll—"
She was just about to speak and seal her fate with a 'yes.'
"PFFFFFFT— HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
At that moment, Yuu burst out in loud, uncontrollable laughter.
Still floating on the water, he held his stomach, tears of laughter forming at the corners of his eyes.
"Your face!"
He pointed at her with a trembling finger.
"Oh God! Your face! You looked like you were about to commit seppuku or something!"
"..."
An awkward silence followed his laughter.
Rias stared at him blankly.
Akeno's mouth hung slightly open.
Koneko just blinked.
Even Yue looked at him with a face that clearly said, "What are you doing, Yuu?"
Rias finally found her voice.
"What...? What does that mean?"
Yuu sat up in the water, still smiling.
"It means I was joking."
"A... joke?"
"Yeah. A joke. That's what people do for fun, right?"
Rias's expression shifted from confusion to disbelief. Then to anger.
"You're telling me that entire conversation was a JOKE?"
"Hmm? Not all of it, of course. The part about Égida is real. This world exists, temporal manipulation works, all that's true."
"Then..."
"The price was fake. You don't have to give up anything, Rias. You can just train here and get stronger. With the condition that you become my follower."
He wore a sincere expression, as if to say I'm not such a bad guy.
There was another long moment of silence.
Then Rias took a step forward.
Then another.
"And you couldn't... you couldn't have explained that from the start?"
"And miss your reaction? Of course not."
The crimson energy of the Power of Destruction began swirling around Rias.
"Yuu~"
She said his name with a sweet voice and a gentle smile, while her hair swayed violently.
"Come here for a moment."
"Ah... I think I'll stay here in the water, thanks."
"Izumi. Yuu."
"Yes?"
"I'm going to kill you."
"Ah... really?"
"Yes. Very seriously."
"Look, Rias, before you do something you'll regret, let me explain—"
"THERE'S NOTHING TO EXPLAIN!"
Her Power of Destruction flared in her hand.
"You made me think I'd have to give up everything! I was about to actually cry!"
"I know! And your expression was amazing!"
The crimson energy sphere she threw was dodged. The water where it hit was obliterated.
"Alright, alright! I'm sorry! But I needed to know if you were truly committed to getting stronger. If you were willing to pay a real price."
"And for that you had to emotionally torture me?"
"...Yes?"
Another crimson sphere.
"YUU!"
"Yue, help me!"
Yue, who'd been watching the whole thing with a neutral face, simply said:
"Yuu's an idiot sometimes."
"Hey! You're supposed to be on my side!"
Even Koneko nodded.
"...Senpai's cruel."
"Koneko too?!"
Akeno let out a sigh. Then she covered her mouth elegantly.
"Ara... ara ara... Yuu-kun, that was... cruel."
"Ah, I guess I deserve that."
But seeing Rias's face when she thought she'd have to sacrifice everything...
Totally worth it.
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