Chapter 10

  Once more I cursed my inability to recall all the information about the plot. I remembered Rias was stuck in an arranged marriage. I also knew there was a Rating Game or something. The antagonist ended up losing, and Issei saved the day in the end. Unfortunately, I did not possess all the details, not as many as I would like in any case. 18 years is a long time, and trying to remember half-forgotten ecchi anime or novels was not as easy as it may sound. I let those thoughts out of my mind; there was no reason to dwell on things that may not even be accurate. This world was very much real, and nothing guaranteed it would follow a work of fiction I knew.

  With that settled, I instead focused on the crimson-haired devil that sat next to me. At some point, she moved to sit beside me, rather than on top of me. I wished I could have gotten Rias a hot cocoa or a tea at least; she looked like it would do her good, but right now I was not willing to let go of her hands. The way her hands held mine told me she needed the support above all else right now, her grip bordering on desperate.

  "Are you feeling better?"

  "…yes." The response came out almost timid; this was not the Rias I knew.

  "That's good." I gave her another squeeze, and she looked up to my eyes again. "Now, please tell me what is wrong; I am sure we can find a way to figure it out."

  …

  "Many years ago, my parents arranged a match for me," Rias began, her voice unsure. "The man they picked… he is not someone I wish to spend the rest of my days with."

  "That bad?"

  Some fire came back to Rias, her brows furrowing. "He is a pig-headed moron, but because he is from a good noble family and our parents are friends, I was told he and I would marry."

  I let her think about her next words, offering silent support.

  "… I thought I had more time… more time to figure things out, to find a way to break the betrothal. But just a few moments ago my parents told me the date for the wedding was moving forward, and I ran out of time."

  "So you came to me," I said with an understanding nod.

  Rias let out a small self-deprecating laugh. "If Riser thought I wasn't a virgin anymore, I hoped he would have rejected me. I would be free."

  "Would it not cause problems for your family?"

  "… it would, but I just couldn't anymore; I didn't know what else to do or who else to turn to."

  She paused in her speech, looking down to our intertwined hands. I decided I did not like this Rias. For the short time I knew her, the devil in front of me was bold, audacious and kind. Not ... this. As I chose my next words carefully as Rias looked towards me once more.

  "Shortly after I became a devil, you told me something. Power is the ultimate drive in devil society." Rias nodded her head, and I squeezed her hands again. "Well, now you have me, and I won't let him take you against your wishes."

  A small smile blossomed on Rias's face. "I appreciate it, Kairos, but Riser is too strong; his peerage is complete, and the chances against him in direct confrontation are not good."

  "Then we make them better; we work for it."

  "It is not that simple, Kairos."

  "I spent most of my life hiding, keenly aware that the supernatural world would be very interested in me for many reasons. As a child, I had no way to defend myself if someone came for me. I lived with that uncertainty for 18 years… until I met you."

  I held her gaze as I spoke to her; the words coming out of my mouth were just as I felt them in my heart. "Rias, you gave me a safe place to grow, and I do not mean to let that go unanswered." Another squeeze of her hands, for myself just as much as for her. "We will find a way to deal with Riser. Power is everything for devils; you told me that yourself. Stand with me, Rias; stand and fight for the life you wish to have. Do not hide, not when you do not have to."

  "Kairos," Rias said, unable to find words of response.

  "After living just a month as a devil, not having to hide anymore, I could never go back to how I lived previously. Always move forward, Rias, never backwards," I spoke with growing passion, hoping the intent I felt was carrying through. "The freedom you wish for is out there, in front of you. The obstacles are severe, but they are known to us. The power is ours to grasp, let us reach for it together."

  I still held onto her hands, giving them a final squeeze in reassurance. Rias was looking at me intently, her eyes danced with sea green light. Before I could react, she closed the distance between us, and our lips met each other.

  The kiss was a chaste one, but it conveyed her feelings perfectly. My left arm moved on its own, moving a lock of her hair behind her ear and resting on the back of her head.

  Just then, a silver light glowed on the floor of my apartment. For the second time this evening, another magic circle with the Gremory crest appeared. The silver light gave way to the crimson of the circle. From it appeared a beautiful woman with silver hair and, of all things, a maid's uniform.

  Rias, having broken our short kiss, looked on the newcomer, an unreadable expression on her face.

  "What do you think you are doing, my lady? Do you think this will get you out of the arrangement your lord father and lady mother have made?" The silver-haired maid asked with a measured voice. Her posture was calm and collected.

  Rias's answer was an unimpressed raise of an eyebrow. "What I do with my peerage falls beyond your duties, Grayfia."

  The rebuttal came instantly, the measured tone of the maid never changing. "Your lord brother and your parents would be disappointed in you, you know that."

  Rias's brows furrowed, her answer coming out clipped, sounding almost angry.

  "You speak of things you know not. I am tired of others assuming they know what is best for me or that they know my own feelings better than myself."

  Grayfia appeared similarly unimpressed by Rias and instead turned to me.

  "Pardon the intrusion to your home; my name is Grayfia Lucifuge, queen to Sirzechs Lucifer and servant of the Gremory family. Pleasure to meet you."

  I nodded my head to her in greeting. "Pleasure is mine, Lady Grayfia. My name is Kairos; I serve as Lady Rias's pawn."

  "The Red Dragon Emperor, Lady Rias, has mentioned you."

  She then took a look at Rias before speaking to me again. "You will have to pardon me, but I must take Lady Rias with me; she seems to forget herself and her duties."

  "Do not remind me of my duties; I am done here in any case," said Rias as she stood up, and I followed suit. Before she could leave, Rias turned to me and hugged me tightly, standing on her tiptoes so she could reach my face, and whispered in my ear. "Come speak to me in a few hours, I shall be in my apartment."

  I nodded my head to her, and with conflicted feelings I was still not sure about, I watched her leave with the maid. Once they both left via the magic circle, I sat down on the sofa again, releasing a huge sigh. I brought my hand over my mouth, running my fingers over my lips lightly, unable to get the soft feeling of Rias's own lips from my mind.

  …

  Going to Rias' apartment door later that night, I knocked lightly, hoping she was back inside. With my enhanced hearing, I could hear the shuffling of feet inside. Soon the door opened, and the crimson-haired woman for whom I had so many confusing feelings greeted my sight.

  "Kairos, come inside," she invited me in, standing by the side door and letting me past. As soon as I was inside, I turned to Rias.

  "I guess you want to talk about … that?" she asked, looking bashful.

  "I do, but right now, I need to know more about the man I need to kill," I said with a determined smile, receiving one in response.

  Turns out, I could not actually kill Riser, but I hoped to at least beat him up until he understood it was not a smart idea to pursue Rias' hand in marriage. It was a general rule in every classic protagonist playbook.

  Waiting in the old school building along with the rest of Rias's peerage and Grayfia, I thought back to yesterday's conversation with Rias, analysing everything Rias said about Riser, her betrothed.

  Before my mind could wander further, magical energy flared in the corner of the room, where a set magical circle used for travel was kept, signalling an incoming teleportation.

  Flames came out from the circle, and heat filled the room. From the teleportation came Riser. I narrowed my eyes at him. The cocksure way he held himself, the smirk on his lips – I didn't like him one bit. With his theatrical entrance done, the flames of the teleportation disappeared with a wave of his hand.

  Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

  I took a moment to observe the devil. Riser wore a maroon suit, but the style of his dress was casual, his shirt was opened a few buttons on top and untucked at the bottom. Internally, I scoffed at his choice of clothing. If you are going to wear a suit, at least do it like a gentleman, not a bore. Nobility, my ass. The less said about the colour of the suit, the better.

  Riser scanned the room and smirked when his gaze found Rias.

  "Dear Rias, it has been some time since I have seen you; you are even more beautiful than I remember."

  Rias maintained a neutral expression, but I knew it was only a mask to hide her anger and scorn.

  Undeterred, Riser continued. "While the human world has its charm, our wedding will need to be in the Underworld. We can peruse the venues; you may pick something that will be pleasing to you."

  Rias kept her silence. Sitting on the sofa, her back poised and her form rigid, staring silently at Riser, emotion absent from her face.

  Riser continued to look at Rias expectantly, but seeing no reaction from her, he huffed and settled into the seat beside her.

  "You have always been difficult. I thought some time alone would have been enough for you to finally come to your senses and take your responsibility seriously."

  More silence.

  Before Riser could speak again, Akeno came in with a tray of tea, serving it around the table. Silence descended on the room. The atmosphere was tense as everyone drank the beverage Akeno had made.

  In the end, Riser broke the silence once more. "The tea prepared by your queen is excellent as always, Rias."

  "I will not marry you. As I told you on many occasions." It looked like Rias could no longer offer the silent treatment. Risers' casualness of the whole situation must have been grating to her.

  "That will not do, Rias; you have responsibilities to your house, not just yourself. Selfishness does not suit you." This seemed to get to Rias, and it looked like she would finally snap at Riser.

  Throughout the conversation, Riser kept touching her hair, hands and shoulders. The act alone was angering me. But the nail that drew the proverbial nail to the coffin was the expression on Rias's face. Fuck it, I had it with the guy. Clearing my throat, I interrupted Riser before he could speak again.

  "Excuse my interruption, Lord Riser, would you permit a question?"

  His gaze landed on me with a lifted eyebrow. "Oh? Are you one of Rias's servants? I don't believe I've seen you before."

  "My name is Kairos; I have recently joined Lady Rias in her Peerage as a Pawn piece."

  "Well then, little pawn, your master should teach you better to know when to speak; you are in the presence of your betters."

  Rias looked indignant and was about to speak, but I threw her a look, trying to convey to her to trust me. It seemed to work, and she settled down.

  "Perhaps that is the case; I have only been a devil for little over a month, and you are the first member of the 72 families I have met besides Lady Rias. In light of that, would you permit me the question?"

  "Ha, bold little devil. Very well, let it not be said Riser is not magnanimous. You are my future wife's servant, so you shall have your question."

  I smiled internally, projecting an outward look of gratitude.

  "Thank you. Lord Riser, it is my understanding that you and my master are set to marry. Lady Rias is the heiress of her family and will one day preside over House Gremory as a duchess of hell."

  I paused slightly.

  "You yourself are from the Phenex family, a very famous house."

  Riser preened slightly, and I continued.

  "While you shall marry, it is Lady Rias who will one day preside over a Pillar House, entitling her to a seat at the council of Hell, becoming one of its rulers. You yourself are a third son of the Phenex family; your brother stands to inherit your parents' seat. Once you marry, you would join the Gremory household as her consort … that is to say, you would be subordinate to her."

  Riser growled, most likely not understanding that my question was in fact not innocent but a veiled insult. Unfortunately for him, I wasn't done.

  "With that in mind, Lord Riser, do you perhaps believe yourself to be above Lady Rias in station? That you feel so comfortable to impose on her person, in her own domain. Not to say anything about Lady Grayfia here, Lady Rias's own sister-in-law, the wife and queen of Lord Lucifer … the brother of the woman you are currently laying hands on?"

  "You little shit –"

  "And lastly", I interrupted him before he could finish his sentence, "you take liberties with our master in front of her own peerage."

  Riser now looked quite angry, his previous smirk forgotten, and an angry snarl now marred his features. "Who do you think you are talking to, boy?! I am a pureblood devil, you lowly reincarnated trash."

  "I thought we already established an order of social hierarchy in regard to Lady Rias and yourself, and you have been found lesser…"

  I then turned towards Rias, whose facial expression battled with glee at Riser's humiliation on one hand and an intense look directed towards me. I took a small gulp, trying to keep my composure. Rias had a very intense look, promising many things.

  I turned back towards Riser but addressed the crimson heiress, delivering a verbal coup de grace. "Does my lady wish to remove him from her presence?"

  Riser stood up abruptly, his magic flaring in a hot white fire that enveloped his form.

  However, before he could do anything, a chilling aura consumed the whole room. "I think that is quite enough of that. Lord Riser, my master, Lord Lucifer will not suffer any attacks on Lady Rias's peerage. Control yourself."

  Riser brought his power back under control, but his look was murderous. Grayfia, her composure calm and collected, acting as if nothing had happened, addressed both young pillar devils before her.

  "Since there seems to be no equitable solution to the current predicament, Lord Lucifer, Lady and Lord Gremory, and your parents as well, Lord Riser, agreed that the current situation is not suitable," explained the strongest queen of the underworld. "For this reason, a choice is proposed to Lady Rias; if her dissatisfaction with the current situation is truly as she claims, both families would be willing to solve this via a Rating Game."

  "I accept," said Rias, without any hesitation.

  Riser managed to collect some of his calm again and turned to Rias. "You should not be so cocky, Rias. I see your peerage here, and you are a few members short, while I have the full set, not to mention that you never participated in a Rating Game, while I have won many."

  Riser now stood over Rias, who also surged to her feet in response. With a smirk, the Phenex scion towered over her.

  "You know nothing," spat Rias, her frustration finally reaching its boiling point.

  "Hoh? You think you can beat me? Without a full peerage? You always were a self-confident girl."

  With a smirk, Riser snapped his fingers, and a magical circle bearing the Phenex crest appeared in the corner of the room. Fifteen other devils, all part of Riser's Peerage, appeared from it. Riser took a stand in front of his peerage, preening in front of his servants like a peacock.

  "Very well, Rias, let it not be said that Riser is not generous. In light of your missing pieces, I shall give you ten days. Ten days to prepare, and after that you shall marry me, without the usual complaints that I keep hearing from you."

  "I shall erase you from existence, Riser," said Rias, her eyes swirling with the crimson of the Bael power, replacing the usual sea green.

  The Phenex devil sent her a smirk in response.

  "Then it is settled. The Rating Game shall take place after ten days for both sides to prepare for the match," said Grayfia.

  "Rias, the next time we meet will be at the game. I do hope you are prepared for what comes next." With that said, Riser disappeared in the light of the magical circle along with his servants.

  The game was set.

  AN: This story is being cross posted on AO3, WebNovel, Questionable Questing and Royal Road. Updates will be regular every Saturday at minimum. It is possible I will be able to write faster, if that happens I will post the chapters sooner, but 1 chapter per week is guaranteed.

  If you wish to read 5 chapters ahead, you can do so on my Patreon.