"As if I'd give up!" - Speech

'Just do it already…' - Thoughts

"For him, it was easy." - Flashback / Emphasis

"Here we go, guys!" - Inhuman Speech

'Hah, ignorance.' - Inhuman thoughts

*Kaboom!* *Kabam!* - Sound effects

-=Chapter 13: The Phenex and the Gremory=-

The Phenex clan, as we all know, are a well-respected clan due to their constant wins in Rating Games, thus climbing the ladder of popularity rather quick.

Their victory was all due to their heir, Riser Phenex. A young noble who, unsurprisingly enough, was a womaniser.

But of course, he didn't do everything alone. He had a peerage to back him up. And in his peerage, he had his sister be part of it.

So today, we shall take a short detour, and talk not of our young protagonist, but the sister to the heir of the Phenex clan.

"Mmhaa…" Slowly, she rose from her bed, scrubbing away the lingering effects of tire from her eyes. She yawned a bit, before stepping down, feet touching floor now.

She disposed all her clothes into a basket by her bathroom door, bringing with her a towel into the bathroom to start the day with a simple shower.

Posh was the definite word for such a simple room. With marble flooring and walls, with a grand mirror above the faucet, there was the shower area to her left, separated from the room with glass, and a tub to her right, white and clean, possibly built from quartz.

She had wanted a dip in the tub, but for now, she had settled with the shower.

*Pss!*

As the water from the shower head rained down on her, she took a bit of time to think on certain things. For one, she knew that her arrogant brother would be wedding the heiress of the Gremory household, much to the family's continued worry, and she could agree—all her brother was good at was defeating those that opposed him in Rating Games, and flirting with his own peerage, all of which were purposely female-based, including her herself.

The second thing was what tasks she would be doing soon. She had begged to be brought out of her brother's peerage, but her parents had stated that they'd rather not have her so, as she was still 'not skilled enough to walk on her own' and 'your brother can protect you'.

'As if…' She gritted her teeth, feeling a slight infuriation.

It was always a thing. Constantly, she was compared to her brother. And yet, despite all her efforts, he always does get everyone's praises, it was sickening.

While she was working hard to uphold her family's legacy, he was busy flirting with his peerage. While she was making sure that no one was getting hurt, he was off to fighting some random devils in the tavern. While she was making sure her brother's peerage was ready for anything, he was busy drinking away, always looking so smug.

"Why..?" The young girl finally voiced out, wondering why her brother was always getting the limelight. "Am I really that worthless..?"

Her brother never did anything! And it was because of that she was ticked off. He, while doing nothing, was always better at her. She would forever be weaker than him, for times to come.

*Pss… Tick…*

Turning off the shower, she left the bathroom, wiping away at her petite form with the towel she had brought with her. With that done, she moved to her armoire, withdrawing her favourite clothes. She put it on, and later moved to the large mirror on the wall to look at herself.

Blond hair tied in drills, a purple gown with dark maroon stockings up to her knees, this was Ravel Phenex, younger sister to the heir of the Phenex clan. She was short, with a lithe form, but it never stopped her from accomplishing great feats.

With that done, she moved on with the day.

"So Ravel, did you sleep well last night?" Her other brother, whom she liked more than Riser, asked.

He was a dashing man, with blond hair and blue eyes. One could almost mistake him for Riser, if not for the fact that he wears an outfit that spoke of nobility.

"It was fine…" She lazily answered, swirling her teaspoon in its cup, watching the contents twist in accordance to her spoon. It looked like a typhoon of sorts.

"Come now, you can't lie to me, and you know it," he chuckled, adding sugar to his cup. "You sound distressed, so tell me, what's troubling you?"

"It's nothing, Ruval-onii sama, really…" She was lying, he knew, but how there was a slight trace of hesitation in her tone, how it was begging for him to believe her, he had no choice but to do so.

"Alright, alright, I won't pry," he drank from his cup, savouring the way the sweetness of the sugar synthesised well with the fresh blend of tea. "Mmm, delicious. A good way to start the morning. You should drink yours as well, Ravel."

"If you say so…" She lazily drank her own. It was good, but her bad mood made it almost tasteless on her tongue. "So, what are you going to do afterwards?"

"Hmmm… I don't think I have any plans," he admitted with a chuckle. "How about you Ravel?"

"I'm not sure… I was going to visit Kuoh, where Riser-nii's fiancé is, but I'm not sure if I'll be welcomed there easily…" She sighed.

To be honest, she wanted to go there not to scout on the girl or whatnot, but anything just to get her away from her brother. She needed time to think, to relax.

"I doubt that," Ruval shrugged, a look of questioning shot at him following his words. "Well, maybe some of the devils will, but I know one person who wouldn't."

"And who's that?" She asked, gaining a smile from her brother.

"In that school, there is a person called the 'Demonic Blue-blood', and he's Lady Rias's younger brother," a gasp this time.

"Wait, she has another brother?!" Ravel basically cried out. She never knew! The only one she knew was Rias and Sirzechs, who was the current Devil Maou.

"Apparently, her parents took in the child when he was young, before he reunited with his true family," he explained, emptying his cup down his throat. "And I've heard rumours that he has a SacredGear that no one has ever seen before."

"Really?" That got her curious. What sort of SacredGear would it be then?

"Mmhm. And what's more, I've heard Sirzechs-sama speak of how the boy has formed a peerage of his own, without reincarnating," he added the last part quickly, met with another gasp.

"T-That's impossible! To make someone of your peerage, you have to reincarnate them! It's using the Evil Pieces system!" She couldn't believe it. There was no way such feat is possible.

"True that, but he used a new system he calls the 'Tarot Peerage' system," he shrugged, offering a poise smile. "You could try seeing him. He's a very nice and sociable person, from what I've heard. He goes to the same school Lady Rias attends."

"I-I see…" She nodded, still not understanding what any of this meant. "Alright, if you say so."

"Mmhm. Have fun!" He rose from his seat, walking away to get on with his duties, if he even has any, that is.

'A Peerage without needing to reincarnate them? Now that is a must-see!' She nodded to herself, wanting to see what type of person this was.

She summoned a magic circle, stepping into it and letting it warp her to her destination.

Kuoh Academy

Upon reaching it, Ravel took some time to take in the view. It was clean, very beautiful, and absolutely lively. Lively, because—

"Get them!" A girl in what seemed to be a Kendo outfit—she had read magazines from the human world—yelled, holding a wooden sword as she rallied up her club members and began chasing after a bald kid and a glasses-wearing kid.

"Damn it! Where is Issei when you need him?!" The bald one yelled, letting his legs carry him forwards.

"Aargh, we are so dead!" The one with the spectacles cried out, he and his comrade shouting as they were being chased.

"W-Well, that's certainly something…" She muttered to no one in particular.

"It sure is," a new voice, prompting her to jump away.

"W-What the—" Had this not been the human world, she would have attempted a fire spell. And yet, her voice fell the moment she took a moment to acknowledge this handsome being.

He was what seemed to be a human, with black hair, his bangs white. He was wearing the academy's white, long-sleeved dress shirt with the black blazer, with black pants and black leather shoes. Instead of the ribbon, as she had seen the other students wear, he wore a black tie, adding much to his dashing effect. He wore round, black-rimmed glasses, and a cross-earring dangling from his left earlobe.

"Welcome to Kuoh Academy. You must be new here?" He asked with a polite tone, instantly captivating the girl.

"I-I, uhh…" She lacked any words to say to this being. He was just a human, but he was just so… perfect! "A-Ah, n-no. No, I'm not a student here…"

"Oh, sorry for the mistake then," he smiled, looking past his shoulder to see two of the 'Perverted Trio' getting massacred. "Eesh… That's gotta' hurt…"

"What had they done to the girls to deserve such a beating?" For some reason she didn't understand, she felt that she could trust him.

"Those two are part of the 'Perverted Trio' in this school, and tend to peep on girls," he sighed at the end of his statement. "Of course, the girls don't like it that much, and would go out of their way to punish them, severely."

"Well, if that's what they have done, then I suppose they deserve it," she huffed, before turning to this stranger, a smile on her face. "Oh, and I apologise for not introducing myself earlier. My name is Ravel Phenex."

"Haha, don't worry. And I'm Riven Hirokami, by the way," he offered her his hand, of which she shook it. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"And the same is to you," she met his gentle smile with one of her own.

She left afterwards, returning to her family's home with a happy smile that she had, somehow, befriended such a nice human.

The boy, on the other hand, was genuinely surprised that the sister to the Phenex clan came all the way here, and just returned home just like that.

"Hey Riven!" He turned around, seeing Issei jogging towards him. "Who was that?"

"Ravel Phenex, sister to Riser Phenex, who's the heir to the Phenex clan," he answered, taking off his glasses and wiping the lenses with a white handkerchief he had in his pocket. "She seemed troubled, but I didn't want to pry into her matters. Could be personal."

"Eh, maybe… Oh yeah, Rias said she wanted to see you earlier," Issei had apparently gotten used to calling one of his school's 'Great Onee-sama's' by her name through Riven himself. "Something about her engagement, or something like that."

"Ah, that," he nodded, already understanding.

"Wait, you know?" The brunette asked, a tad bit confused.

"I'll explain it to you on the way, come on," they began walking towards the old building. "See, Ravel's brother, Riser, has asked for Rias-nee's hand. Apparently, she doesn't want to marry him, so she's been thinking of ways to break the engagement."

"Really? And why's that?" He was interested in what sort of person this Riser was.

"I've never met him eye-to-eye, but I have heard comments about him back when I was still in Gehenna," the prince took his glasses in hand, wiping it with a handkerchief before wearing them once more. "They say things like how he's arrogant, a snobbish noble, and likes to make fun of the weak."

"Wow, such a prick," Issei snarled, looking mad. "There's no way that Rias should be married to some guy like him. He doesn't deserve her."

"Yeah. So Rias is looking for ways to break the engagement," with his words said, he raised three fingers. "There's three ways for it to do so. "The first one, is that the two parties agree to a Rating Game, and the winner ultimately decides what he or she wishes to do with the contract. This includes breaking the contract in the first place."

"Okay, that sounds good… But what's a 'Rating Game'?" His friend asked.

"I'll talk about that next time," he responded. "Anyways, the second method is for the family to disown the selected member. Consider this, Rias-nee is the heiress of the Gremory household, right? So, if she were disowned by her family, this would immediately cancel the contract. Though, the process of being disowned or, the safer way, relegated, is to be handled by the Devil Elders, mostly by Zekram Bael, the only one in Gehenna so far to hold the rank 'Great King'."

"Whoa, that sounds cool…" The brunette muttered, immediately correcting himself. "I meant the fact about Zekram Bael! He must be a really powerful person. But I don't like the disownment thing."

"True. And there's no one else to take her place as heir, so relegation was out of the window," his remaining finger stood. "And the final one, Issei, is possibly the easiest. If one of the betrothed dies, no matter the reason, the contract will be automatically expunged."

"Oh, that sounds pretty—Like Hell!" His sudden outburst forced Riven to jump slightly. "Sure, maybe this Riser guy sounds like a dick, but there's no way he should die, right? And if he's not going to die, we are not letting Rias die!"

"Well, at least you and I share the same thoughts about that," the prince smiled, his expression slowly turning grim. "Rias-nee is being desperate, and I had to hide every books about marriage contracts away from her. I'm worried that, if push comes to shove, she won't hesitate to take her own life."

"Wow, that sounds intense…" Though they were technically step-siblings, the bond between Riven and Rias were so close, that they truly looked like siblings—though Issei knew the redhead was trying to make her sibling her own lover.

Of course, it only strengthened his resolve to break this marriage contract. A person's happiness meant more than just some foolish engagement.

And this was his best friend's sister they were talking about. If this made both him and his sister happy, he was more than up for it.

That Night

"So, Ravel, how was your trip to the academy?" Layla Phenex, dressed in a simple white dress with a necklace of pearls, asked, cutting into her steak with her knife.

"It was fine," she sounded much more happy now, everyone noticed, and she was eating more normally now. "After visiting the academy, I decided to do a little bit of training."

"Really? And what sort of training?" Riser smirked, earning himself a leer from his young sister.

"I was training my magic. If I am to be your 'Bishop', then I should be able to heal wounds easily," she answered, venom hinted when she said your.

"Of course. My peerage, you excluded, don't have Phenex blood in em', so they won't heal as great as we do," he shrugged. "Well, at least you're being useful."

"Tch," she clicked her tongue in annoyance, her mood now soured because of her brother. "Of course."

"Now, Ravel, no arguments at the table," Rika chided, a soft look on his face.

"Of course, father…" It wasn't fair! Riser was the one that started! Why was she the one that was getting scolded at?! "In any case, tomorrow, I will be spending most of the day at the academy where Lady Rias goes to."

"Ho? And why's that?" Ruval chipped in, his tone indicating that he already knew, but he just wanted to play along.

"I made a friend there," she smiled. "He's a human, but a very nice person. Much nicer than any other boys there. They are just so perverted…"

"Really? You sure you picked the right person to befriend, Rav?" She didn't like him calling her by that nickname. "He could be a lecherous person just as the other students are."

"Before you start accusing him of such, I know him for someone who isn't. He's a good person through and through," she inwardly smirked at her brother's annoyed look.

"And what's his name?" The mother asked.

"Umm… I think it was… Riven Hirokami?" Immediately, different reactions were shot here and there—Layla and Rika looked shocked, Ruval just smiled, and Riser was curious why his parents seemed to be that way. "What? Is there something wrong?"

"Wait, you still don't get it?" Ruval's answer was met with a shake of the head. "Ah, I see. Well, it's simple, dear sister. Riven Hirokami is, to put it simply, the 'Demonic Blue-blood' that I told you earlier."

"Wait, really?!" The girl herself was shocked. She already met Lady Rias's brother then!

"Mmhm. Riven's a powerful person, being half-human half-demon," he began. "His father is Satan, the king of demons who participated in the Great War years ago."

"R-Really?" Her mind was slowing down, unable to process all the information she was receiving as well as she usually would. So Riven was actually Satan's son, Rias's sister, and the boy she met earlier? "H-How strong is he?"

"Ravel," she turned to her father, who had a look of genuine shock. "He made Tiamat, the Karma Chaos Dragon, his Familiar."

Now Riser himself joined in on the gasping.

"No way! No such weakling should be able to turn someone as strong as her into his Familiar!" The Phenex heir couldn't believe it.

"There's a few things that you're wrong about, brother," the other male of the three siblings chuckled, giving his siblings a look of knowing. "He's not one to anger. He's a very powerful person who has achieved all sorts of feats. Do not look down on him."

"Hmph. No one is stronger than Riser," the younger male huffed. "Oh, and mother, father? We're going to go see her tomorrow, right?"

"Indeed," Rika nodded. "Bring with you your peerage. Discuss the engagement with her, understood?"

"Very well," he nodded.

'So he was Lady Rias's brother…' Ravel found herself somewhat difficult to fall asleep, as her mind constantly raced back to the picture of the handsome boy she met. 'What kind of peerage does he have..? And his SacredGear..?'

There were nights that she didn't sleep well, mostly nowadays.

However, tonight, with much time spent on thinking about the human-demon halfbreed, she fell asleep, peacefully.

The Next Day

"Riven Hirokami," the boy perked up when his teacher called out his name. "It seems that you have a visitor. She is waiting for you at the cafeteria."

"Alright," he nodded, standing up. "Oh, and can Tiamat and Issei come with me?"

"…" The teacher casted a calculating glare on the other two students, quickly accepting his request when the dragoness sent him a spine-chilling leer of her own. "O-Of course. They may go with you."

Nodding his thanks to the teacher, the three made way to the cafeteria, met with several stares from the other students. Girls had squealed whenever his eyes landed on him, and he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

'The attention too much for you?' Eve chuckled in his mind.

'It's hard, to be honest. I was hoping to just be part of the background, but I suppose dreams like that never happen,' he hummed in his mind.

'Obviously. You're so perfect!' Her giggle drew a sigh from him. 'Oh, and just to let you know, the girl from yesterday? She's visiting you again, it seems.'

'Really? Ravel Phenex?' He asked, answered with a hum. 'Huh. I wonder what's so interesting about me that she's coming again.'

'A lot of things,' the dragoness deadpanned, before she spoke with her cheerful tone once more. 'Well, have fun, milord!'

'Mmhm,' he made a turn to the left, now arriving at the cafeteria with his two friends.

"So… Where is she?" Issei looked around. "The teacher said we'd meet her here, right?"

"Should be," Tiamat chimed in, sniffing the air. "Wait, I can sense her… She… went to the Occult club."

"To meet my sister? Hmm, I wonder…" The prince narrowed his eyes for a bit, before they widened in understanding. "Ah, now I get it. Riser is probably discussing the engagement thing with Rias-nee right now, considering that she's his fiancé."

"Wait, how come we don't know then?" The question was a good one.

"Must be a last-minute change. She probably did want to meet me, but seeing that I was late, she was needed to go with her brother," the prince sighed. "Alright, let's go."

"Right," both of his friends answered in unison. And so they made their way towards the Occult clubroom. After a few minutes of walking, prince, human and Familiar reached the entrance to the building, when suddenly—

"I WON'T MARRY YOU, RISER!" The screaming of a certain red-haired lass could be heard from the room where they were in.

"Wow, she must really hate him…" The brunette sweat-dropped.

"You tell me," the prince gulped.

After a moment of blinking, Riven, Issei and Tiamat made their way into the building, knocking on the entrance into the room.

*Knock!* *Knock!*

"Come in," Akeno called out.

Occult club

Rias sat on a couch opposite of Riven, with a certain man beside her, someone who she clearly wasn't really liking—Issei immediately didn't like him as well. The prince knew who he was.

The man was Riser Phenex, heir to the Phenex clan. He was a tall young man, maybe in his early 20's, with short blonde hair and dark blue eyes. He wore a red blazer with gold embroidery on the right with matching pants and black dress shoes. Underneath his open blazer is a white dress shirt with one button unbuttoned, giving a slight view to his chest.

"H-Hello, Lord Riven," the prince turned to his right, seeing Ravel sit there, an apologetic look on her face. "First and foremost, I'd like to apologise for not meeting you at the cafeteria earlier…"

"Oh, it's alright," he smiled back, taking off his glasses and putting it in his case, before pocketing it. "So, has anything happened while we were away?"

"Nothing much," Kiba answered, waving at the prince before returning to his book.

Akeno appeared, holding a tray of teacups and a teapot, and placed said tray onto the coffee table in the centre. She proceeded to pour tea into a cup and serve it to the man, despite not really feeling up to it. Riven could sense that behind the sweet smile she had showed off, she was in truth masking her murderous intent.

Riser took a sip from his cup, smiling shortly after.

"Mmm. Your 'Queen' makes quite the tea, Rias," the man complimented.

"Why, thank you," the fuka-buchou bowed with her smile still present, but she was clearly disgusted with the man.

Riven looked to his friend beside him, able to sense a slight sense of anger welling up inside him. Truth be told, he didn't like Riser all that much as well, but he was needing to keep calm. Play the role of peacemaker, if possible. If not, then, he'd have to do things as a brother would.

"Damn it, Riser! I said I will not marry you!" She exclaimed as she stood from her seat, disgusted when the Phenex heir had moved his hand closer down her thigh. Riven looked into the eyes of Riser, knowing full well that the dastard was still going to get her hand no matter what.

"But Rias, dear. You know that this is for the good of our households' future, right?" he asked, smugly. It clearly took an effect, as she bit the inside of her cheek, looking somewhat unsure

"Look, I understand but…" She looked away for a moment, thinking of the person she truly loved. She couldn't dare to look at Riven directly, lest everyone gets the message immediately, so she only casted a brief glance at him, before looking back to Riser. "You have my word, Riser. I will take someone's hand."

"Well then Rias, I—" The Phenex heir began speaking, but was interrupted once Rias raised her hand towards him, asking him to cease talking.

"BUT! I will choose who I want to marry, Riser! And that is final!" She exclaimed. Riven could see that the members of her peerage agreed with what she said earlier. Looks like they REALLY didn't like the guy.

Oh, and Issei too. He was smirking when Riser grew annoyed.

"Sir, excuse me?" Riven called, and immediately Riser shifted his attention to the prince.

"Hmm?" The blond man turned to the prince, eyebrow raising a bit. "You must be Riven Hirokami, correct? Son of Satan? The rumoured 'Demonic Blue-blood of Kuoh Academy'?"

"Y-Yeah," he nodded, but still felt that he didn't have to mention the title. "In any case, I'd like to ask you. Why are so desperate in taking my sister's hand?"

"As I said before, it's for the good of devil kind," he shrugged, plopping his right leg over his left. "You know about the Great War, correct?"

"Of course. The war between the three factions, ultimately ending with the lost of many lives. The devils took it heavily, as they lost many of their pureblooded devils," Riven nodded, recounting his knowledge of the story. "In any case, you're taking Rias-nee's hand because it is for the task of re-population, so that the number of pureblooded devils can be restored once more?"

"Indeed," he nodded. "The thing is, devils use the 'Evil Pieces' system to reincarnate other races into devils, right? Well, it may work, but it's not like they're all that powerful. For example, look at that friend of yours beside you. He may be a half-devil, but it's not like he's all that great."

"Oh, really?!" Issei stood up, looking ready to blow a fuse. "Well, how about we talk with our fists, and—"

"The battle will not be fair, because Issei is not a half-devil, nor is he part of any peerages," Riven interrupted, earning a questioning look from Riser.

"Then why the hell does he even know about devils?" Riser asked, eyes leered.

"I told him," Riven admitted, gaining particularly looks of curiosity from Ravel. "The thing is, Issei has a SacredGear inside of him, a Longinus-class no less. It was necessary to tell him beforehand, just in case."

"Yeah!" Issei piped in, looking confident. "And I'll make sure to awaken my SacredGear, and kick your chicken ass!"

"Tch, how annoying…" Riser muttered under his breath, before giving a look of smugness. "If you really think that you're that strong, why not test yourself against my peerage?"

*Snap!*

Right after Riser snapped his fingers, a magic circle appeared behind him. Just soon after, a group of girls appeared, apparently his peerage members.

"W-What the heck..?" Issei blinked, looking surprised. "Dude, all your peerage members are girls."

"So?" He scoffed, standing up and walking to his 'Queen'. "You should know that I have a peerage as beautiful as them, because I am a powerful devil. Nothing like you, of course."

"Ooh, I've had it!" Issei walked increasingly closer to Riser, until he was stopped by a girl with a mask. "What the hell?"

"You will not touch Riser-sama, no matter what," she warned, bringing herself into a stance.

"Don't Issei," Riven's eyes narrowed in worry. "She's a 'Rook', bestowed with amazing raw power, just like Koneko. You're not fit to take her on."

"Tsk, damn it…" Issei clicked his tongue, walking back and sitting beside Riven.

"Hah, I knew you didn't have the balls to do it. Plus, with you not being in a peerage, it just solidifies how weak you are. No one probably wanted to," he laughed, tick marks growing on Issei's head.

"You may be right. I don't have a peerage…" He balled his fist, before glaring daggers at the Phenex heir. "But I'll join Riven's peerage!"

"Wait, what?" Rias blinked, the brunette's words only clicking in after a while. "Wait, Issei! I wanted to make you into my peerage!"

"Yeah, well, sorry Rias. I've decided long ago then that I'm going to join Riven's peerage," he apologised, turning his whole body to look at her. "I hope you can forgive me for this."

"I-I…" She looked unsure, thinking hard. She had planned to put Issei into her peerage as her 'Pawn' for a long time now, but if he were to join Riven's peerage, she'd lose the chance to. And yet, the sigh that came afterwards indicated her acceptance. "Fine… Just make sure you don't hold my brother back, you hear me?"

"Yeah, of course!" Issei nodded, looking excited as he looked back to his friend. "Come on, let's do the contract thingamajig!"

"R-Right," Riven himself felt surprised that Issei wanted to join his peerage, but he decided to go with it if he so wanted to. But the real problem here…

Was that everyone else were watching so attentively, as if they were about to witness some form of miracle. Riser, his sister and peerage were the ones most curious about it, since everyone else had seen it before. But still the attention was pressuring.

"Okay, the give-and-take deal, right?" Issei moved his hand to his chin, scratching in thought before he snapped his fingers. "Got it! You'll help me grow stronger so to truly become the 'Red Dragon Emperor', and I'll help you out anytime you need it! Agreed?"

"It's a deal then," the prince nodded, taking Issei's hand, and allowed the contract to form.

I am thou, thou art I…
Thou hast acquired a new vow.

It shall become the wings of rebellion that breaketh thy chains of captivity.

With the birth of the Chariot Persona,
I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power…

*Khh!*

His cross-earring illuminated again, before it died down, the strength that accumulated in it fading away.

Again, everyone looked shocked, with Riser and his peerage, as well as Ravel, the most.

"I-It actually does work?!" Ravel gasped, unable to take in the information. "That makes no sense!"

"When has anything ever made sense?" Issei sniggered, proudly raising his right hand into the air for all to see. "And I am officially Riven's 'Chariot'!"

The magic circle on the back of his right hand had a picture of a king leading a chariot, being dragged by two differently coloured creatures—presumably lions. Close to the bottom edge of the magic circle, was the number seven in roman.

"Oh hey, Issei, I think we should awaken your SacredGear right now," the brunette looked to his new peerage leader with a questioning look. "I think I figured out how to do it."

"Ooh, really?! Finally!" He laughed, jumping for joy—literally—with his gaze still transfixed on his friend. "Come on, let's do it! I'm excited!"

"Alright, alright. Just stop bouncing, for one," he chuckled, with Issei following his commands immediately. "Alright, now outstretch your left arm," the [Boosted Gear] wielder did just that. "Alright, now to awaken it. Just think of the strongest being you can think of, and imagine his powers being your own."

"Really? Just do that?" Issei was met with a nod. "Okay then! Time to get this down!"

Closing his eyes, pictures of all sorts of entities flashed through his mind; humans, gods, monsters. And yet, none of them appealed to him. This went on, until he remembered of the dragon that resided in his SacredGear.

'Ddraig huh? Welp, no like I have any other choices!' He smiled, eyes still closed as the picture of the dragon flashed vividly in his mind.

*Khh..!*

Slowly, his left arm began shining a verdant glow, brightening the room beyond seeable. As such, everyone had to shield their eyes from the light. It was only after the light died down were they given a view of what sort of SacredGear the human weld.

And all were shocked.

For, in the place of his arm, there was now a red gauntlet, a green jewel in the middle with two golden spikes protruding from the side.

"Did it work..?" Issei asked, eyes still closed, before opening them, gasping at the sight of the SacredGear. "Oh my God! It worked! Haha!"

"Okay, that went splendidly," the prince whistled, running his fingers across his hair. "To be honest, I was seriously not expecting it to actually work."

"Oi, have some confidence at least!" The wielder of the [Boosted Gear] shouted.

"Not that I wasn't confident in you, Issei. I just didn't think the steps I told you would actually work," he shrugged. "Well, that's all there is. Welcome to my peerage, and congratulations on awakening your Longinus."

"Hehe, hell yeah! Now let's put my new powers to the test!" The brunette smiled, pointing his armoured finger at the Phenex heir. "Hey, I want to fight against one of your peerage members!"

Riser scoffed, and snapped his finger again. This time, one of his servants who was wearing a cheongsam and was his rook, whom Riven identified as Xue Lan, walked over until she was standing directly in front of Issei.

"Well, you want a shot at me, right? Come, show me how pathetic you really are," the female devil stood in a stance.

Not taking her insult very nicely, Issei rushed forwards, thrusting his left arm forwards, but missing her by a hair's length. Remembering closely on Riven's lessons, he ducked low, dodging her kick. He returned her attack with a right jab to her face, following it up with a kick to her shin, effectively lowering her to a kneel. He proceeded to uppercut her with his gauntlet.

"Guh!" She was sent backwards, the force enough to render her nose slightly broken, with blood seeping out of it.

"Yeah, call me weak! I'll give you even more!" The brunette cheered, crossing his arms with a look of satisfaction. "Man, I feel good right now."

"…Sadist," again, Koneko was never one to pass out the chances to insult her perverted senpai, much to his chagrin.

"…" Not saying anything at first, Riven muttered a simple chant under his breath, raising his arm towards the downed 'Rook's' way. Everyone wondered what was going on, until she suddenly began to glow, the bleeding stopping and her nose fixed. "So I'm doing well, okay."

"You can use healing magic? Impressive," Ravel smiled. When Riven looked at her, returning her gesture with his own, she had to look away, lest he saw her blush.

"Damn it… This isn't what I expected," Riser clicked his tongue in annoyance, before cracking his neck. "Hey punk, you may have bested my 'Rook', but I doubt you'd do even a scratch to me."

"Oh yeah? Let's see if your quote unquote 'prediction' is anything but false!" Riven's 'Chariot' took the challenge without hesitation, readying himself to fight. "Come at me!"

"If you say so!" Just as he was told to do so, the Phenex heir lunged forwards, fist raised and ready to smack the brunette. Unfortunately for him, Issei had a good mind to dodge the attack instead of blocking it.

However, Riser was a lot of things, one of them being smart.

He quickly dodged the 'Chariot's' own attack, before going in with a kick to the gut. The force behind it had sent Issei into a couch, spit and tiny amounts of blood leaking out of his lips.

"O-Okay, I'll give you that one, but that doesn't mean you're perfect..!" He forced out, Riven stepping near him and healing him with his magic.

"Please be a tad bit careful," the prince sighed, continuing his work until all signs of the battle was gone. "The furniture's expensive, no doubt."

"Nuh-uh! I'm going to win against that fried chicken, even if it means the last thing I do!" Issei's gauntlet shone a bit.

"Yeah, if you want to get killed so much," a voice resonated from the [Boosted Gear], with everyone looking at it in shock.

"Ahh, Ddraig. A pleasure to have you with us," Riven smiled, the Welsh Dragon chuckling back.

"You must be prince Riven, son of Satan. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," the dragon spoke, shifting his attention to Issei next. "And kid, you're seriously thinking of fighting the Phenex? You're not that strong yet, you know. Just because you awakened the [BoostedGear] doesn't mean you should get all cocky."

"Well, shut up! I can beat this guy! You'll see!" Everyone sighed at the brunette's words, watching as he ran towards Riser once more.

"Oh, come even closer, I'll give you one hell of a show," Riser smirked, cocking his fist backwards before shooting it forwards, setting it aflame and ready to move in for the kill, before—

*Khh!*

"I request that both of you stand down," a voice resonated from the purple magic circle that formed, forcing both 'Chariot' and Phenex heir to stop their advances and make distance between themselves.

This voice commanded respect, and demanded absolute abidance to her order.

And yet, despite how bone chilling the voice was, Riven found himself standing up, staring at the magic circle with shaky eyes.

There, emerging from the purple magic circle, was the same nee-san that raised him over the years. Her long gray hair tied at the tip, the outfit a regular maid would wear, and the poise she had. How she stood, walked forwards, hands clasped in front of her. Those eyes, he remembered them all too well.

"Y-You're here…" The maid turned to the source of the voice, her own breath hitched in her voice as she stred at the figure, who rushed her with an embrace. "Grayfia-nee san!"

The maid gasped at first, but soon came to realise that the boy who came to hug her; it was Riven. The same lonely child she watched over, raised and loved, who had grown up to become a fine man. He was handsome, that much was sure, and she couldn't help but smile and place her hand on the prince's hair, ruffling it by a bit.

"Riven…" She whispered, hugging him back as tightly as she could. "You really have grown so much…"

"Yeah…" He nodded, stepping away from her with a broad grin. "I-It's good to see you again."

"And the same to me as well," Grayfia smiled, patting him on the head and eliciting a few chuckles from him.

"The Strongest Woman Devil? Why the hell are you showering him with much attention?" Riser scoffed, and immediately shut his trap when he saw the maid stare at him with a powerful murderous intent. If staring at someone could kill, Riser'd be dead by now.

"Because Riven here is my brother, Lord Riser," she answered, her words dripping with coldness and unrestrained viciousness. Immediately, her gaze softened when she looked back at Riven. "You've grown taller."

"Of course. It's a normal thing to do so," Riven smiled back, before bouncing on the spot and running back to Issei. "Oh hey, I forgot to tell you! This is Issei, a friend of mine, and my latest peerage member!"

"H-Hey," the perverted kid waved back, eyes mostly focused on those damn boi melons of hers. They were huge!

*Thud!*

"Gah!" Of course, it didn't mean that he was safe, as some object, later revealed to be a book, had been shot his way, smacking his head. "Okay, who the hell did that?!"

No answer.

"So, you must the wielder of the [Boosted Gear], correct?" Grayfia asked, with Issei immediately nodding at her question. "I see. I am Grayfia, wife to Lord Sirzechs of the Underworld. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Yeah, same here!" He smiled, heart jumping up and down that, because of Riven, he was having the chance to meet so many beautiful women. 'Ah man, better work hard if I want to get a shot with the ladies!'

An Hour Later

Now, you might be thinking, why has an hour passed?

It seemed that, during the whole hour, Riven had to recount everything about his life during the three years in Assiah, as Grayfia had asked him to do so. It was a trying task, but he managed to get through fine.

After all that was done, they returned to the main topic.

"So, you wish to break the marriage contract?" Riser smirked, crossing his leg over the other. "You know it isn't possible."

"It is," Riven interjected, a look of confidence on his features. "Because there are been three ways for the contract to be broken."

"Oh? And do tell," he kicked back.

"Simply, you must either be disowned or relegate your position as heir to your family to someone else, die, or defeat your betrothed in a Rating Game," he answered, earning a hum of understanding from the Phenex heir.

"Okay, I can get what you mean. So Rias, what is your choice?" He chuckled, expecting for sure that she wouldn't choose any of them.

There was no possible way for her to get disowned by her family, and it wasn't that they would even do so in the first place. Relegation was impossible, as her brother was a current Devil Maou. Then there was dying, but she wasn't mad enough to commit suicide—dying meant the loss of the chance to have Riven love her, which would suck big time. Plus, it wasn't that he was going to die, so that was that. And last but not least, neither she nor her peerage had never experienced a Ratings Game, so there was nothing for her to do.

Was what he thought.

"I challenge you to a Rating Game then," Rias confidently spoke up, looking defiant. The look of surprise on his face quickly melted into a smirk.

"Really, now! You wish to challenge me to a Rating Game? Rias, you've never participated in one before. What makes you think that you could win against me?" He asked, his head shaking in arrogance. The red haired princess snarled.

"Don't underestimate my peerage, Riser! We are a family, and we can do anything together!" She retorted.

"Well, that, and added to the fact that anything is possible," Riven smiled, letting Grayfia play with his hair—as she used to back in the day. "Fate is not a line, it's a story. One that can be changed by an action. And as the Africans say, 'Sh*t, no matter how small, smells'.

…No words or actions for a while.

"…What does that even mean?" Riser blinked, not expecting the prince to pull out such a random quote all of a sudden.

"It means that every action, no matter its weight, has an effect," he chuckled, before a small part of his mind began wondering whether someone else had said his exact lines once or not. "So Rias-nee, if she trains hard enough, will be able to defeat you. It will only strengthen the fate-changing event. And you won't be able to do anything by then."

"Tsk, yeah right… Our engagement is predestined long before you decided to butt in," he blew a raspberry. "And you're not part of her peerage, so what can you do?"

"A lot of things, and one thing is for certain," Riven began, his eyes narrowed into a glare. His father's fire began burning around him, adding to the intimidating effect. "Rias-nee doesn't want to marry you, so I'm gonna' pour all my soul into helping her so that she can beat you. I'll help her in any ways possible, so to make sure that she will gain the freedom she deserves."

Immediately, the blue wisps died out, accompanying his sigh. Riser, on the other hand, felt himself shrink before the prince. He was… trembling? No way! This guy literally is immortal! Sort of, so how is he scared?

'Riven..!' Rias looked to her brother in admiration, her cheeks brushed with a bright blush.

*Ring!*

"Oh, hang on," the prince pulled out his phone, before picking up the call. "Hello?" There was a pause, and then a gasp. "Aniki-san! Hello!" His eyes shone like stars. So long he had not been in contact with his brother, that just his voice was enough to make him ecstatic.

Then he blinked.

"Ah, so you want me to train Rias-nee and her peerage?" The devils in question looked at him. "Really? Oh, so I can bring my family as well? Sweet! Alright, I got it! We'll do the training thing soon enough! See ya'!"

Afterwards, Riven proceeded to hang up his call and return to the couch, a happy smile on his face.

"I get to meet Aniki-san again! And it's been so long too," he smiled, shifting his gaze to his grey-haired sister. "How is he?"

"Doing well. Busy, but otherwise fine," she answered.

"If you say so," he nodded, before turning to look at Riser, who in turn faced him as well. "Would you mind giving them some time to train beforehand? At their current levels, they would have a hard time defeating you."

"Hmm?" Riser smirked, not expecting Riven of all people to request that. "So you're asking me if they could get a handicap? Hmm… Meh, might as well, but it won't change anything. In the end, I will take Rias' hand!"

The Phenex heir statement was, to put it simply, rather annoying. But Riven wasn't ticked off, no. He was just disappointed.

"Thanks, I guess," the prince sweat-dropped.

"Very well, I will give you ten days. Ten days, and that's it," he snickered, standing up and forming a magic circle to warp away. "Come on, Ravel."

"R-Right, she nodded, stepping onto the magic circle and giving a bow of her own.

At that, Riser and his peerage disappeared off through their magic circle.

"R-Riven, why would you—" Rias began, but immediately Riven raised his finger pointed to his lip, signalling for her to be quiet, and she did.

"Now listen, I'm not saying you guys are weak, honest. But tell me this. At this rate, how would you rate your percentages of winning?" Riven asked with a serious and demanding tone, something that slightly unnerved the red haired devil.

"I-I don't know," she admitted. And at that, Riven smiled.

"Exactly. That's why, if you were to train, you could probably turn the tides in your favour. With training, you'd become ready to face him. And think about it, you could win! You wouldn't have to marry him, and your peerage wouldn't have to serve under his painful reign," Riven explained patiently.

"I-I think all of us would like that... Not serving him, that is," Gasper decided to put in his words.

"Alright, alright. We'll do it. I'm expecting you to train us well, understood?" She looked confident now, and there was no mistaking the trace of certainty in her voice.

"Of course. And you'd better be prepared," he was sure that his sister can best her fiancé.

That Night—Velvet Room

Riven woke up once more, dressed in the noble's outfit, and in that one room. Not deciding to waste a moment, he left the room, walking down the corridor without stopping.

'Maybe there's a reason Igor wishes to see me tonight,' he thought in his mind, but no answers of what could possibly be the reason. 'Oh well, I'm sure it's something important. Time to go see him.'

Before he even realised it, he was now standing before the door. He twisted the knob, and stepped through.

*Final Fantasy XV—What Lies Within (Play Song)*

"So, you've come to. Please, take a seat," Igor called, with the prince doing exactly as he was told. "First and foremost, I'd like to congratulate you on forming the peerage contract with two new people. It seems that they too possess a special skill of their own."

"Indeed. Freed has absorbed part of my SacredGear, what I've called the [Magician Royal Arcana], and has awoken to his own Persona, called the Shakkoumon," Riven began. "Issei is already blessed with the [Boosted Gear], and now has the [Chariot Royal Arcana], though I am not sure what his Persona would be."

"Hmm. If I were to make an assumption, it would be the dragon that resides in his SacredGear," the man deducted, his smile ever the same. "But let's put that aside, shall we? I have important matters to discuss with you."

"Very well, if you say so," the prince has known Igor to be one who never lies. And if he calls this important, this must mean a lot.

"The first matter I'd like to highlight is that you have actually begun your steps to rehabilitation, and that you are slowly progressing. For that, I must say well done," the man chuckled. "The second thing, is that you had asked me what your 'Wild Card' ability is before, yes?"

"Indeed. I am curious what it is," he nodded. Truth be told, he had almost forgotten about it. It was thanks enough that the man before him mentioned it.

"Well, you possess an uncanny skill that is undoubtedly rare amongst the Persona users," he explained. "The 'Wild Card' ability actually allows you to form contracts with other beings to turn them into your Persona, allowing you to have more than one Persona."

"R-Really? I see…" He may have sounded calm, but it sounded amazing! With it, he would have a tactical advantage over his enemies, as he'd be able to wield all sorts of elements and powers into the battle. "Thank you for explaining it to me. Is there anything else?"

"The third issue I'd like to bring up is how Justine and Caroline will aid you in your path to rehabilitation," immediately, Riven perked up. "You see, the Velvet Room possesses many interesting aids that can serve you in beneficial ways. However, it is necessary that you equip yourself with more than one Persona."

"And how will Justine and Caroline will help me?" He asked, jumping slightly when both girls turned to face him.

"Simple. We will be taking charge over the tasks here, so to speak," Justine answered. "Of course, more assistance shall be accessible for you if your rehabilitation progress goes well."

"So you'd better not slack off on your rehabilitation, you got it? Our master is expecting you to do well in your rehabilitation, so you'd better work hard!" Caroline added. There was no mistaking how loud she could be.

"As you say," he nodded in understanding. "And Sir? I can tell that there are other things you wish to tell me, I assume?"

"Of course," he nodded. "The fourth subject I will be talking to you about, is that I shall bestow you with a new power. With it, you shall see things that the naked eye can offer. I have no doubt that it will aid in your rehabilitation progress."

The moment his sentence ended, the cross-earring Riven wore shone. It was after the light died down when his vision began to darken, highlighting only the lights.

"W-What is this?" He blinked, before his vision turned back to normal. His hand moved to his eye.

"That is the ability called the 'Third Eye'. With it, you will be able to sense things," Igor explained. "It will be an immense help for you, I'm sure. And last but not least, your SacredGear."

"What about my SacredGear..?" He rubbed his eye, looking attentive once more.

"[Royal Arcana], as it is now, only allows you to turn into your demonic form, wield your weapons, and use the powers of your Persona," he was met with a nod. "Now, I wish to bestow you with a new power, one that shall aid you immensely. Justine, if you'd please."

"Understood," she nodded, taking the contract from her master and giving it to Riven.

The prince read through the details. It had no names, but the description went on and on. And to put it simply, he was amazed and shocked.

All around the worlds, there were tombs of the previous SacredGear wielders. It made sense, as, for example, before Issei had wielded the [Boosted Gear], someone else before him had it before. Names such as Belzard and Eisha came to mind.

From there, the details grew more interesting. It is stated that, with this new ability, he could manifest their SacredGears by absorbing the mana that resides in their tombs. This meant that, as long as there was a tomb for the previous wielders of a SacredGear, and that he were to absorb the mana from it, he could wield their SacredGear.

"N-No way…" He blinked. Such power would be appreciated, but the fear that he would be consumed by it scared him. "T-This is too much. Are you comfortable of leaving such a power in my hands?"

"I am, prince," Igor chuckled, somewhat amused. "I have seen that you wield your strength not for fame, yet to bring a good future to the weak. I can say that, over this brief time, that you are indeed the right candidate for this. I am sure, you will make good use of this ability."

'D-Damn…' He was being gifted such a powerful ability, and there was no cost to it. "Sir, if I were to accept this ability, must I activate my [Royal Arcana] to wield these SacredGears?"

"Indeed. You will take the form of your demonic blood. Only then will you be able to wield the SacredGears that you have absorbed," his smile accompanied the chuckle he gave off. Riven found this way too creepy. "In any case, you can activate these SacredGears whenever you so wish it to. And you can only wield one during a time."

"I understand," he nodded, taking the quill from his table and writing his signature at the bottom of the contract, thus indicating his acceptance of this contract. He passed it to Justine. "Thank you, for this."

"It is my pleasure," Igor chuckled once again. "In any case, the night is growing thin, and you'd need to return to reality soon. I have high expectations for you, prince."

And everything returned to how it was.

*Final Fantasy XV—What Lies Within (End Song)*

That Night

After everything had been settled with, Lux had left the Velvet Room, stepping into the realm of true sleep this time. And yet, he was the only one that found himself sleep. On the other hand...

*Khh...*

"Huh..?" Eve found herself suddenly waking up, feeling woozy. The fuzzy sensation remained for a while, until she felt normal once more.

And yet... there was a feeling as if a part of her had disappeared. As if she was just who she was, and that there was nothing more to prove her as a being of three, of which she was intended to be.

"A-Adam..?" She whispered, cutting herself short when her partner let out a silent hum in his slumber. "No, no... But..."

Looking around, there was nothing there to reassure her of her sudden anticipation. Maybe... maybe this would be necessary after all.

Deciding to trust in He Who Writes, she fell asleep once more, whispering her goodbyes to those who lived in the game.

A/N: So, Riven has a new peerage member, gets new powers, and Issei finally awakens his [Boosted Gear]!

So, from his meeting with Igor, the way how his SacredGear can work now, manifesting other SacredGears, probably reminds you of Final Fantasy XV, and you're absolutely right. Just as how Noctis travels from tomb to tomb to gain a 'Royal Arm's—spoilers—Riven will do the same.

Now then, we can only hope that the prince's journey goes well. Leave a comment while you're at it, and thank you for all your time reading my stories!