The moment Tenra stepped forward, he felt every eye in the hall lock onto him. It was suffocating, but there was no escape—he had to face it.
Nearly everyone here knew his story: the Phoenix family's "miracle child," the one who'd clawed his way up from the bottom, from a bloodline that once wouldn't awaken to a legend in his own right. What kind of dream could a guy like that possibly have?
"My dream," Tenra declared, meeting their stares head-on, "is to become the strongest in the world."
A ripple of laughter rolled across the dais. The dignitaries found his ambition amusing—after all, even the Demon Lords atop the Underworld never dared claim invincibility. To them, Tenra's dream was youthful arrogance, bordering on delusion. But at least it wasn't a threat to their power, so their laughter was more indulgent than cruel.
"Becoming the world's strongest, huh…"
"Only fitting for you, Tenra-kun. But I doubt that's the whole story, is it?"
Sirzechs, ever the thorough brother-in-law, pressed for more.
Tenra suppressed a sigh. What was he supposed to say—that his real ambition was world domination? Not a chance. Growing impatient, he blurted out:
"I also want to build the biggest harem in history—and become the first true Harem King!"
For a split second, silence reigned. Sirzechs looked like he'd swallowed his tongue. Then—
The entire hall exploded in laughter.
Rias and the girls beside Tenra went beet red, mortified beyond words. Really, Tenra—no matter how perverted your dreams, did you have to say it out loud?
Tenra himself felt a flicker of embarrassment but shrugged it off quickly. Building a legendary harem was one of his dreams—so what? Let them laugh. It wasn't like they could do anything about it.
"Haha—Kamiyo Tenra, I bow to no one, but I bow to you!" Jefard howled, pounding the floor and clutching his stomach as his peerage joined in, tears streaming down their faces.
To stand in front of the Demon Lords' sister's fiancé and declare himself future Harem King? Even Jefard, thick-skinned as he was, wouldn't dare. Any lingering resentment he'd held toward Tenra evaporated, replaced by genuine respect.
Sirzechs could only shake his head, a wry smile on his lips. He was already regretting pushing Tenra for more.
What was supposed to be a solemn ceremony ended in chaos, and Tenra could already hear whispers of his new nickname—"Pervert Emperor"—before he'd even left the hall.
Afterwards, mingling was supposed to begin, but Rias and the girls were far too embarrassed to stick around. They made a beeline for their temporary lodgings.
On the way back, they ran into Sona Sitri and her peerage.
"Rias, our match date is set—twenty days from now," Sona announced, stopping in their path.
"Twenty days…" Rias echoed, eyes shining. "Never thought my first Rating Game would be against you, Sona. Fate's got a sense of humor."
Sona nodded. "It's destiny for rivals who are also friends."
She adjusted her glasses, her tone sharpening. "And since we're fighting, I won't hold back. Be ready, Rias."
Rias grinned. "Confident as ever. But I'm not losing to you, Sona!"
Their gazes locked, sparks flying—neither could wait for the battle.
Sona turned to Tenra, a sly smile on her lips. "Kamiyo Tenra, I never imagined you'd have dreams like that. Even I'm surprised."
Tenra coughed, a little sheepish. "Can't compare with your grand ambitions, Sona. Laugh all you want."
Tsubaki and the other girls, who'd been holding back, finally burst out laughing. Sona's smile softened.
"As a normal guy, your dream's pretty reasonable. Honestly, I prefer your honesty to those who want the same thing but act like saints while mocking you."
She waved the topic away. "Actually, I wanted to invite you to visit the Sitri family territory. Interested?"
Tenra blinked, caught off guard. "Visit your territory?"
Sona nodded. "We're friends, aren't we? But you've never seen our home. I thought it was time."
Before Tenra could answer, Rias cut in, eyes narrowed. "Inviting Tenra now, Sona? Should I assume you're trying to gather intel on us?"
Sona didn't even flinch. "That's part of it, yes. Rias, you can wield the Red Emperor's power. If we face you head-on, our odds aren't great. Gathering information and building strategy is just common sense."
She pushed her glasses up, voice teasing. "What's wrong? Are you scared, Rias?"
Rias bristled. "Don't think I don't know you're trying to provoke me, Sona. But go ahead—get all the intel you want. I'll win anyway!"
That was her pride as Rias Gremory.
Sona turned back to Tenra, her smile returning. "So, Kamiyo Tenra—what do you say? Will you accept my invitation?"
Tenra grinned. "Since you put it that way, I'm in. When do we leave?"
"Tomorrow. Once the gathering's over, my peerage will come get you."
"Sounds good!"
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