Inside the Gremory castle, Rias finally spoke — truly spoke — about her predicament for the first time.
There was no other choice.
Time was running out.
Despite her quiet resistance, her family's arrangements had been moving steadily forward behind the scenes. The few tricks she'd used to stall for time were no longer working.
Koneko and Asia both listened intently. When they learned the full situation, their faces fell.
But knowing the problem didn't mean they could fix it — after all, if even Rias herself couldn't stop it, what power did they have?
Rias turned her gaze toward Ryuichi.
"You have a way… don't you?"
All eyes followed hers, and Ryuichi nodded calmly.
"There's one option."
"Really?" Rias asked, hope flickering across her face.
Ryuichi smiled faintly. "Actually, the answer's been in front of you this whole time. You just never noticed."
He leaned back on the sofa, glancing around the room.
"Among Devils, there's a traditional way to resolve disputes and determine standings, isn't there?"
The others blinked in surprise.
"You mean… a Rating Game?" Rias asked uncertainly.
"Exactly," Ryuichi said. "If you win against that guy in a Rating Game, no one will be able to object. The excuse is simple — 'Rias Gremory's fiancé can't be someone weaker than her.'"
It was a clean solution.
But Rias's brow furrowed immediately.
"Riser Phoenix already commands all fifteen of his Evil Pieces. His forces are complete."
Ryuichi gave her a knowing look.
"So are yours. More or less."
He didn't elaborate — not with Gurefia standing nearby — but everyone understood what he meant.
Compared to Riser, Rias was only missing one Bishop and one Rook.
After all, Ryuichi alone accounted for the power of two Knights and eight Pawns combined.
Just then, the air in the room shifted.
A wave of magic surged into the castle — hot, alive, and burning like an eternal flame. It spread through every corner of the hall, filling it with scorching vitality.
Everyone turned as a fiery magic circle flared to life on the marble floor.
A burst of light — and then a large group materialized within it.
At their head stood a young man.
Behind him — fifteen women, each with a different figure and charm, all radiating supernatural allure.
"Well, well," the man said casually, sweeping his gaze across the room. "It's been far too long since I last visited the human world."
He ignored Ryuichi and the others completely.
His eyes went straight to Rias — and stayed there.
"I've come to see you, my beloved Rias… my future wife."
The room went still.
There was no need for introductions. Everyone knew who he was.
Riser Phoenix.
Rias's expression darkened instantly.
It wasn't that she hated him — but she certainly couldn't stand him.
The moment she learned he was to be her fiancé, her irritation with him had deepened into something close to disgust.
Still, she restrained herself, keeping her composure. She remained seated, lips pressed tight.
Riser, however, strode right up with arrogant confidence, dropped down beside her, and reached out as though to casually sling an arm around her shoulder—
CRACK.
A flash of magic flared beside Rias.
The sofa beneath them split cleanly in half.
The section Rias and Ryuichi sat on slid two meters to the side, while the portion under Riser exploded upward — springs bursting out with a sproing!
If Riser hadn't jumped back fast enough, he might've gotten a spring somewhere very painful.
"Riser," Rias snapped, standing up with a sharp glare. "What do you think you're doing? You show up uninvited and start wrecking my furniture — did you come here to pick a fight?"
Her sudden outburst caught even Ryuichi off guard, but he hid a smirk.
A perfect counterattack.
Riser's face twisted in irritation.
"What is the meaning of this? And who is this lowborn sitting beside you?"
His eyes burned with fury.
After all, Ryuichi sat there as calm as a lord of the house, while even Akeno, Rias's Queen, was standing behind her. To Riser, it looked like this human boy was acting like the man of the mansion.
Ryuichi's tone stayed light, his face perfectly composed.
"President, perhaps Lord Phoenix isn't accustomed to the furniture of the human world. No need to get upset."
Rias blinked — she'd fully intended to use the incident as an excuse to throw Riser out, but Ryuichi's response took her by surprise.
Then she realized — he was right.
Even if they chased him away now, it wouldn't solve anything.
It'd just be a temporary victory.
So she exhaled softly, forcing her irritation down, and said coldly:
"Akeno, tea."
"Yes, President." Akeno's ever-playful smile deepened as she bowed.
Moments later, she served tea — and, with deliberate grace, poured an extra cup for Ryuichi, who was still seated comfortably.
Chaos-loving as ever.
Riser, meanwhile, remained standing.
The sight of Ryuichi calmly accepting tea while he, a high-class Devil, was left without one was enough to make his blood boil.
Ryuichi accepted the cup, gave Akeno a pleasant smile, and murmured his thanks.
His manners were perfect — but every little motion screamed mockery.
Riser could feel it. Everyone could.
He wanted to explode — yet the man hadn't said a single word that could be called disrespectful.
He bit his tongue and sat opposite them, forcing a smile that looked more like a snarl.
"Rias," he said finally, voice tight with anger. "I hear you've been causing trouble for your family."
"So what if I have?" Rias shot back instantly. "I told you before — I will never marry you."
Her words were clear, final — a blade drawn between them.
Then, almost unconsciously, her eyes flicked toward Ryuichi.
Riser noticed.
But when he looked, Ryuichi wasn't even paying attention. He was sipping his tea leisurely, chatting softly with Akeno.
"Your tea's as good as ever, Akeno," he said warmly.
Riser: "…"
Everyone else: "…"
Silence — thick, awkward, and full of suppressed laughter.
Riser Phoenix's golden eyes twitched.
This boy… this nobody… was going to be the death of him.
.
Want to unlock up to 40+ early-access chapters and exclusive novels? Join my Patreon today and dive deeper into the adventure!
https://patreon.com/zangetsu84