Not long afterward, Rias, Riser, and Grayfia returned.
Riser glared viciously at Genichi, his eyes looking as though they wanted to burn him to ash.
He stood in the doorway, furious flames dancing in his eyes. His lips were pressed into a thin line, and his chest rose and fell faintly as he suppressed his anger.
He stared at Genichi for a long time, long enough for the atmosphere to turn stagnant.
Then, without saying a word, he turned and left with his peerage. Their footsteps gradually faded down the corridor.
Grayfia did not leave immediately.
She stood in the center of the clubroom, her silver eyes fixed deeply on Genichi.
That gaze was complicated. There was scrutiny in it, consideration, and also a trace of something Genichi could not quite understand…
Expectation.
Then she turned to Rias and bowed slightly.
"Then I will return and make the necessary preparations, Lady Rias."
A magic circle lit up beneath her feet, and silver light enveloped her.
When the light faded, only the members of the Occult Research Club remained in the room.
Rias stood where she was in silence for a moment.
Then she spoke. Her voice was soft, but it reached everyone clearly.
"One week from now, we will face Riser Phenex in a Rating Game."
The clubroom fell quiet.
Akeno's hand left her shoulder. Kiba's expression grew even more solemn. Koneko set down the milk carton in her hand, and Asia covered her mouth.
Everyone knew what that meant.
"If I lose, I will have to marry Riser."
Rias's voice was calm, as if she were describing something that had nothing to do with her. "But if we win, the engagement will be broken."
Her gaze fell on Genichi, her emerald eyes reflecting his figure.
"Genichi, in one week, are you confident you can defeat Riser?"
Genichi looked at her.
Her expression was calm, but the fingers wrapped around her teacup had gone faintly white.
She was nervous. She was worried. She was placing all her hope on him.
She did not ask whether she could defeat Riser.
She asked whether he was confident.
Because the protagonist of this Rating Game would not be her.
It would be him.
Genichi looked at her in surprise. "Because Riser attacked me first? Do you want me to take revenge?"
Rias paused, then smiled.
That smile was faint, carrying a trace of something matter-of-fact.
"I do. But more importantly, I want you to defeat him with your own hands."
Her voice was very serious.
"He looks down on you. He looks down on my peerage. He looks down on the person I chose. So I want him to know that the person he looks down on can beat him until there is nothing left of his pride."
Genichi was silent for a moment.
Then he smiled as well. It was a faint smile, but it carried a reassuring strength.
"I'll kill Riser."
The atmosphere in the clubroom changed instantly.
Akeno's eyes widened. Kiba's hand froze halfway through adjusting his glasses. Koneko's ears perked up. Asia's mouth fell open.
"Kill him?"
Akeno's voice was hesitant. "Junior, Riser is a phoenix…"
Genichi looked at her, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
"A phoenix? That is only his racial talent."
His voice was calm, but it carried unquestionable confidence.
"If it were some other method, I might not be able to do anything about it. But if he relies on his racial talent for endless regeneration, then sorry—my Thou Art Dragon is exactly the thing that can break his immortal body."
Rias's eyes lit up.
She remembered that ability.
It granted the enemy the dragon attribute, greatly increasing damage dealt to dragon-attribute monsters while also heavily weakening their healing ability.
Riser was a phoenix, but as long as he was given the dragon attribute, his regeneration would be greatly weakened.
And once a phoenix's regeneration was suppressed, he was just an ordinary high-class devil.
"And," Genichi continued, "I also have Envy from the Seven Deadly Sins, which can reduce recovery effects.
"With both abilities stacked together, his immortal body will basically be crippled."
Akeno's eyes also lit up.
"Doesn't that mean…"
"That's not all."
Genichi interrupted her. "I have other trump cards too. The shadows from Shadow King, various spells from the Magic Index, the Boosted Gear of the Red Dragon Emperor, and Soul's Serenity. Riser's flames are useless against me. His regeneration is countered by me. As for his peerage, I have shadows to deal with them."
He paused, then summarized, "The odds of killing Riser are about ninety-eight percent."
Ninety-eight percent.
The clubroom fell quiet again.
Everyone looked at Genichi. Their gazes held shock, admiration, and a trace of something difficult to describe…
Awe.
"What about the remaining two percent?"
Koneko spoke up, which was rare for her.
Genichi looked at her, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
"The remaining two percent is for accidents. Anything can happen on a battlefield. I can't speak in absolutes. But a ninety-eight percent chance is enough."
Rias looked at him, light flickering in her emerald eyes.
There was pride.
Trust.
And also a kind of dependence she had never shown Genichi before.
"Genichi."
Her voice was very soft.
"Yeah?"
"I believe in you."
Those simple words carried a heavy weight when they came from her mouth.
It was not perfunctory.
It was not comfort.
It was true, unreserved trust.
She placed the fate of her engagement in his hands.
She placed her future in his hands.
She placed everything in his hands.
Genichi looked at her and nodded.
"I won't disappoint you."
Akeno stepped forward and placed a hand on Genichi's shoulder, her signature smile appearing on her face.
"Junior, if you lose, Rias will have to marry someone else."
Genichi looked at her.
"I won't lose."
"That's good."
Akeno's smile grew even brighter.
Rias's face flushed faintly, but she did not refute it.
She simply looked at Genichi, her eyes full of tenderness.
Yuto Kiba stepped forward and adjusted his glasses.
"Genichi-kun, is there anything you need me to do?"
Genichi thought for a moment.
"For the next few days, I need to focus on improving my own strength. As for all of you, familiarize yourselves with your skills and magic, and spar against my shadows."
Kiba nodded.
"No problem."
Koneko set down her milk carton.
"I will too."
Asia timidly raised her hand.
"What… what can I do?"
Genichi looked at her.
"You'll be in charge of healing. If anyone gets hurt in battle, I'll leave them to you."
Asia's eyes lit up, and she nodded hard.
"I'll do my best!"
Seeing this harmonious scene, a smile appeared on Rias's face.
These were her peerage members.
Having all her peerage members feel like one family—that was exactly what Rias wanted.
And now, there was not the slightest difference between that wish and reality.
(End of Chapter)
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