11: Fiery Meetings
Grayfia wasn't exactly expecting Rias to be where she was when she came to see her. Sirzechs has made it clear that they needed to discuss strategy over the concern he was shedding with the Phenex clan. That made it imperative that she show her as much as possible before that time so she could handle any problems that would arise.
To her surprise, Rias was cuddling up next to the human she had made a Magician's contract with. Ritsuka, as he was called, was breathing steadily as if he didn't even notice what had happened. What gave her pause was the sheer elation on Rias' face. She was positively glowing as she snuggled deeper into his chest.
She bit her lip as she tried to make a decision. She loved Rias as if they were actual siblings but she knew she would also want to be on top of this developing situation. It was a conundrum overall and she settled on a decision. She would give her an hour before she would do something. A brief respite of happiness even though she knew time was of the essence.
As she exited the room, a young blonde girl stopped before her. It was surprising that she was dressed as a nun. It would have been a twitch decision to end her until she felt something familiar.
The feeling of a Peerage piece within the girl that seemed to radiate the same energy as Rias stayed her hand. A quiet bow from both and the girl kept walking… straight into his room. She looked shocked but Grayfia was more confused when the girl turned away for a second.
The girl looked left out and immediately disrobed completely. She climbed into the bed and took the other arm of the mage wrapping it around her. Grayfia had seen many things in her long life… this was in the top ten of strange things she had ever seen.
"Akeno… come with me. You will explain." Grayfia grabbed a slightly hidden Akeno who looked spooked. "Why does it seem like the ladies of the home flock towards a regular human male?"
Akeno squealed slightly in fear. She had wanted to perform her own night visit but she had misjudged the time and fell asleep. Grayfia took her time dragging Akeno down the steps. She was going to get answers.
'Why is there a squish sound again… crap.' Ritsuka knew what was going to happen if he opened his eyes. He was going to see two people who had managed to climb into his bed and he was going to be his calm self once more.
Reluctantly, he opened his eyes. Crimson and… blonde? A smiling Asia nodding off next to him surprised him a lot. The signature of devil magic also seemed to come off her. Both of them were eagerly still resting against him content in their positions. Ritsuka was a little flabbergasted since he was never this popular before. Chaldea didn't count because he had earned that recognition over the course of many years.
He didn't even have a shirt on and Rias seemed to be subconsciously tracing the scars on his torso and blushing heavily. He was certain that didn't turn her on but he didn't really push that train of thought. He didn't need her to get any ideas about what she could use to seduce him continuously.
His other guest was very different. Asia's blond locks reached far down her back. She was still growing from what he could tell but she did have a great body. Ritsuka immediately shut that line of thinking and looked directly at the ceiling. He couldn't really escape since they were both keeping him really close to their bodies. The constant pressure of flesh that pressed against his chest was a constant reminder of that.
Ritsuka, for the first time in his life, questioned why women were flocking to him now.
"So he's been overall better than most recruits?" Grayfia quirked an eyebrow at that.
"Yes… he negotiated with the Fallen getting them out of the city, defeated two of them without any help, and fought off a dangerous exorcist solo. We've actually been really worried that he would get himself killed but… he hasn't. It's strange." Akeno admitted easily enough.
"How so?" Grayfia rested her chin upon her hands keeping her mouth hidden. While Sirzechs had told her not to confront him, she could at least fish for information from those around him.
It wasn't common knowledge but there were rumors that the Sitri heir, Sona, was becoming erratic in her demeanor. She had played chess constantly for days on end just to prove to herself that she could beat anyone. Those rumors placed the Fujimaru kid around her at the point where she went full force into chess. Some even whispered that she lost to a human. Serafall was very candid with it though saying she was obsessing over a boy who beat her at chess. Grayfia was the only one who knew that they weren't rumors.
"He cares about his life but he's willing to put his out for another with little to no details. He doesn't kill either trying to find the best way possible. None of us know what to make of him…" Akeno trailed off. "I might have tried to seduce him after his fight against the Fallen... "
"Akeno…" Grayfia sighed though in a more good natured way.
"I like him… I like him a lot. He's been kind… and if I had to place a word on it… heroic." Akeno blushed as she let that word out.
"Hm… that is strange. If he is as you say then why would he work with devils?" Grayfia pondered out loud. "Do any of you know his back story?"
"Kiba might." Akeno answered almost immediately.
"Kiba might what?" Kiba answered as he trailed down the staircase. He seemed lost in his mind still but he tried to smile back at the two before him.
"Kiba… did Ritsuka talk a bit more about himself?" Grayfia glanced slightly at Kiba which caused him to stop.
"Yes… yes he did. It was quite the tale but it seemed to only be the tip of the iceberg. It was… intense." Kiba stared off trying to picture the sights that Ritsuka mentioned. It was difficult to do so but he was capable of recalling everything he was told reciting it for the others sans Rias, Asia and Koneko.
Grayfia and Akeno were silent… it wasn't something they would hear normally. Grayfia especially was more interested now. Sirzechs was wrong at times but at the moment she couldn't actually figure out if he was wrong for this moment. Akeno looked sad at hearing about what had occurred but her steely gaze remained even hearing about what happened to the girl that Ritsuka mentioned beforehand. Besides, that girl decided it was fine to share. She wasn't worried.
"That's a lot to take in… and you even say that it's not the breadth of what he's been through. For now, I need to collect Rias for Sirzechs-sama. I shall go wake them up now." Grayfia sighed as she stood up.
Kiba and Akeno remained sitting though Grayfia could tell that she wanted to ask him more details. This entire peerage chose a dangerous man as far as she was concerned… though she couldn't exactly deny that it was an exciting prospect. She climbed back up the stairs.
They were staring at him. Ritsuka could feel their eyes on him. He looked down noticing very sensual eyes from Rias and a pouty expression from Asia. So… he did the first thing he could think to do.
"Morning… when did you get here… in my bed… without me knowing?" Ritsuka trailed off. Rias very expressly looked smug. Asia, however, looked a bit guilty.
"All night~ " Rias purred seductively into Ritsuka's ear.
"This morning…" Asia attempted to purr… only for it to come out embarrassed and stilted.
"Ah… got it." Ritsuka nodded dumbly. He forcefully turned his gaze up since it was evident that neither girl was embarrassed by their body or, in Asia's case, content in how she positioned her body against his. His hands once again betrayed him wrapping tighter around them. He was annoyed that his libido was apparently stronger than his reason. He did know why though.
Throughout his time in Chaldea, every servant who has expressed attraction to him usually got their way with him after Mash's statement of sharing him.
"So… I know it's Monday but we have school. Don't want to leave Asia here so…?" Ritsuka muttered out as he turned slightly to Rias.
"Not to worry. As soon as it happened I told Sona about it and she prepared the necessary papers." Rias assured them.
"Huh?" Asia looked confused now which was actually adorable.
"Want to go to school?" Ritsuka turned to Asia who started tearing up at the statement.
"Yes!" Asia shouted in sheer jubilation but made it her mission to show how happy she was as she clung immediately to Ritsuka, nearly straddling him without a care in the world.
A cough broke the scene before it could go any farther.
"Ahem… Rias. We have a meeting today, remember?" Grayfia called from the now open door.
"Ah! I almost forgot! I better go get ready!" Rias hopped from the bed clearly not caring about her state of undress rushing towards her room.
She stared at Ritsuka who merely waved good naturedly. She was certain the pressure of her gaze would make him flinch but he didn't even seem to notice it. Asia was blushing and hiding her body slightly but also didn't seem affected, though it was more due to her not looking in Grayfia's direction.
"Hi. Who are you?" Ritsuka called out in the most nonchalant manner he had.
"Grayfia. Human -" Grayfia started only to be cut off.
"Ritsuka Fujimaru. Oh sorry, I wanted to introduce myself otherwise it would be rude. Well more rude. Sorry." Ritsuka stumbled through his words making Grayfia a slight bit confused.
Akeno had mentioned how he easily defeated two Fallen and a rogue exorcist and negotiated with the leader of the Grigori. Now all she saw was a somewhat well built young man who was not really as much of a threat her husband claimed him to be. That changed as he stared into her eyes. It was...heavier than she expected. His gaze seemed to bore into her making her want to step back. Pride was the only thing that stopped her from doing so and she couldn't explain why she felt that way.
"You two should get ready for school." Grayfia stated before turning away. As she exited the room and moved around the corner she took deep stifling breaths as quietly as she could. It felt worse when the gaze was no longer stopped by a wall. There were such things as demon slayers in the world… but his presence felt unnaturally dangerous to the point where she couldn't figure out why.
It took a bit but Rias eventually rejoined her and the two left. Grayfia didn't say a word about how she felt when she had stared into the eyes of their newest… she wanted to say ally but couldn't. She didn't know what to make of the circumstances that were growing at this very second.
Asia immediately got up though she realized she was still naked. Ritsuka politely turned away allowing her to get her robe to at least cover up.
"I'm sorry… I just didn't want to be left out…" Asia trailed off.
"You have nothing to apologize for… I'm not even sure if this counts as anything wrong, at least, not in my eyes. What guy wouldn't be happy to have a pretty girl want to share a bed together?" Ritsuka answered as empathetic as possible.
Asia was blushing even more but she was frozen in place. Ritsuka sat up ready to help her only for her to race out of the room giggling cheerfully.
"Ritsuka… you will never understand. Just smile and nod… smile and nod." Ritsuka muttered to himself hoping someday he would figure out why that seemed to happen at such weird times.
It didn't help that he was excited once more… the only saving grace was that no one was in the room with him anymore. He gathered his uniform and went to take a cold shower… if for nothing else than to calm down.
Rias was shocked. She couldn't believe that this was the only plan they had.
"Nii-sama… this better be a joke." Rias snarled though she was unused to such actions and it came out as a stifled breathe.
"Honestly, I wish it -was." Sirzechs laid his chin upon his hands.
They had just finished watching a few highlights of the matches that Riser had participated in. Each one was a curb stomp as he overwhelmed his opponents with numbers or force. To make matters worse… the few that did manage to get to Riser were incinerated within seconds. Or they would have been if the rules hadn't been put in place.
"I'm not saying it's impossible but with your strength as it is now… it might be improbable. Is there no way you can convince him to step out of the Club room?" Sirzechs mentioned which Rias cringed at.
"No… I've been trying to get him to come out and meet my mage. He froze up at the door and I had to help him lay down from panic." Rias sadly sighed as she felt this was a failure on her part.
"And even though I managed to get the other members agree to allow your mage to participate… even with how he looks I doubt he'll be able to add much to your strength. At least as far as I know. He's fought an exorcist and two Fallen if I heard right?" Sirzechs closed his eyes in thought.
"He said he did. Even brought the wings of one with him." Rias continued which made Sirzechs' interest piqued.
"Where are they?" Sirzechs clearly questioned, wanting a trophy for his sister's accomplishment in choosing a mage.
"He used them to get the Grigori to get their people out of Kuoh… they had some traitors they needed to deal with. I don't know the details though… Koneko went with him. I wasn't going to put myself in a position to be captured or used." Rias looked dejected at that confession. She was far too kind to be a devil. Sirzechs took pride in her kindness.
"Not what I would have done… but what I would have done would have started a war." Sirzechs growled. "Was that your idea?"
"Yes." Rias stated without a shred of regret. "We can't afford to have anything happen that would restart a war Nii-sama."
"Yeah… I get it." Sirzechs sighed. He didn't need to be reminded of his own shortcomings when it came to the incident with the yokai faction in Kyoto.
"And your mage? Has he been adequate?" Sirzechs asked. Grayfia had not told him anything about the boy before he had to discuss matters with Rias. She seemed unwilling to divulge anything during the small quiet moment they had while Rias had spoken with their parents… he just noticed that Grayfia had been spooked slightly.
"Yes. He has performed well beyond what I thought he would be. Did you… um… find anything out about him?" Rias spoke up… she had to make certain. She needed the certainty that Ritsuka really was telling the truth about being a dimensional time traveler.
"Nothing. We've got nothing on his background and I can assure you we've been very thorough on all fronts. None of the countries we checked had any indication that a Ritsuka Fujimaru was on any of their census forms. Certainly there were some but they were far older or far too young to be him. We even checked with Mephisto Pheles as well since he could have made a homunculus in secret. He didn't… even allowed us to check his memories as well which immediately stopped our investigation." Sirzechs growled as he picked up a few papers. "Serafall made some investigation on her own for an organization known as Chaldea which he told Sona he was a part of. It doesn't exist. We even had satellite pictures and familiars comb everywhere on the planet and they found nothing. Well, not nothing but nothing about Chaldea. I even broke several barriers just to make sure but nothing."
"I guess I'll get it from him directly." Rias muttered under her breath. Though she didn't exactly say what she would get though her brother didn't seem to notice. She didn't need to tell him that she was planning to do something with Ritsuka before he could disappear.
"Seriously… with those magical pulses and his almost supreme anonymity we have nothing on him. How are you keeping him on your side?" Sirzechs tossed the papers down.
"Oh Nii-sama, Ritsuka is still a boy. Boys are easy to manipulate with just a little skin and Akeno has proven very willing to do so." Rias lied. She wasn't going to tell her brother that as far as she knew it almost the entire Gremory group was infatuated with Ritsuka. She didn't know where Koneko stood but she knew for a fact that Akeno would give it up immediately as soon as she finished high school. Asia was also an obvious willing participant. She wasn't going to say that she was on the same level as well since her brother would try to kill him… though she didn't actually know who would win.
"Of course. I'm surprised you'd let Akeno do so." Sirzechs commented completely surprised
"She was adamant about doing whatever she could do for me." Rias mentioned keeping it very curt about the finer details.
"She's a good Queen. We've got the teleportation sigil ready for tuesday once your classes have finished. I didn't allow them to set the terms of when you would meet. That is something I wouldn't allow." Sirzechs chuckled easing the tension that had started the meeting.
With a quiet nod Rias excused herself so that she could get to school… even if a little late. She, at the very least, had some pull with the head of the school so it wouldn't be that big a deal.
Sirzechs waited until she left the room and ushered Grayfia over.
"Did you meet with him?" Sirzechs questioned… knowing the answer already.
"Yes… I didn't like his gaze. Why?" Grayfia shot back not wanting to reveal how they saw each other… and the nonchalance of the situation even as he had a girl wrapped around him already.
"What did you think now that the wall wasn't in the way?" Sirzechs smiled… as if he knew already.
"It… well, it felt like I was staring down something far stronger than it should be. He's only a human but he's intimidated those stronger than him. I'm certain Azazel is trying to take him for his own purposes." Grayfia let her outburst continue. "Not to mention that I'm certain he's just a playboy since Sona is head over heels for him just because he beat her at chess."
"Looks like Serafall is getting an in-law." Sirzechs chuckled mischievously though Grayfia glared at him.
"I'm certain that two of Rias' Peerage are going to have their way with him as well and I didn't see why." Grayfia scowled not even knowing why they would fall for a regular human.
"That's fine. They can have their own lives as well so long as they look out for Rias." Sirzechs waved it off clearly not caring.
"If you say so Sirzechs-sama." Grayfia sighed. She wasn't going to tell him about Rias' own affection. More likely than not, Rias would do something to have him as well. She would support her decision even if she didn't understand why she would do so.
Asia followed Ritsuka into the classroom hiding behind his back. The teacher had her introduce herself to them.
Like clockwork, the pervert trio made their comments and she was seated behind Ritsuka. Then there were several comments about how close they were and Issei's attempts to pick a fight.
"Don't do that." Asia immediately stated staring down Issei who backed down immediately.
Ritsuka scratched the side of his head. There were some concerns going on now in his head. That day was quiet as Ritsuka assisted Asia in everything that happened for the day. Jealous stares came from all the guys… and envious ones came from all the girls.
"Ah the new girl. How's it going?" A new girl with glasses and pigtails introduced herself to Asia. Ritsuka pushed Asia forward making her squeak.
"F-Fine. It's fine… thanks for asking. I'm not sure why so many people are so nice to me." Asia stumbled over her words as the girl merely smiled at her. "Um… who are you?"
"Ah, sorry sorry. Name's Aika Kiryu. How about we be friends?" Aika let her hand out. Asia looked back at Ritsuka only to see him nod his head out trying to get her to go for it.
"Sure. That would be great." Asia smiled as she got a new friend.
"Now come on. It's time for girl talk." Aika smirked as she pulled Asia away for their little meeting. "You don't mind? Do you Ritsuka-kun?"
"Have fun Asia. Time to have a good school life, right?" Ritsuka chuckled as he watched Asia get pulled off with a new friend. There was a small bit of trepidation but he didn't know why.
"Thank you Ritsuka-kun. I'll bring her back in one piece." Aika answered with a mock salute. Her eyes did trail down to his crotch for some reason… and she licked her lips as well.
"Yup… not touching the crazy. No way in hell will I allow that to happen." Ritsuka mumbled to himself as he walked away as fast as possible. He knew where she was and he knew that no one would touch her while she was in school.
There was one more confrontation with Issei before the day was over but Ritsuka didn't actually hear him. Though he was pretty sure that the words bastard and harem were used since Issei was pissed off.
Ritsuka just blinked in surprise and walked away. It wasn't something that needed to be talked about since it wasn't really important… then the teacher dragged Issei away for another outburst.
After classes were done Asia immediately found Ritsuka and walked with him to the Club room. There were more rumors about Ritsuka that day. Some girls spoke of how he was a womanizer… though everyone who said that actually wouldn't have minded. Guys were far more jealous and spread rumors that Ritsuka and Kiba were actually a couple… which made girls far more interested in them. Through it all, Ritsuka had no idea about the rumors because he didn't usually listen to the idle chatter.
His thoughts were focused solely on three things. The first was the impact of the Holy Grail fragment that was found in this period. It had to be somewhere but all rudimentary searches with the Storch Ritter familiars turned up nothing. At best no one said anything about the wireframe birds flying around.
The second problem was the necessity of involving himself in what constituted a political marriage. He had no experience in such things and his current lifestyle in Chaldea didn't say anything about not having multiple partners. The fact that Mash actually agreed to such a thing made it impossible for him to ever be monogamous again… it didn't help that he was also conditioned to accept that because of the intervention of Kiyohime.
The third problem was his seemingly strange animal magnetism. Even when he wasn't in Chaldea he had never really tried to date anyone and he was certain that no one actually paid attention to him in that way. He thought back but it felt like a lifetime ago and those faces didn't seem real to him anymore. Now… now he was certain that his entire group of new female friends wanted to ride him till either of them broke, or Akeno, at least, wanted that.
The day went smoothly with the club room being cleaned since the meeting was the very next day. Ritsuka assisted in moving furniture around in order to account for what was most likely Riser's Peerage.
That also meant he would have to drink one of his potions tomorrow in case he did something stupid. He probably could use Summer BB to protect him from burning instead… but there had been warnings that the Foreigner servant cards could lead to him acting like a gate for their appearance.
When that was found out Illya and Miyu placed softlocks on those cards allowing only for an hour of use every day. Mostly to keep the danger of being consumed by an Outer God to a bare minimum. He wasn't exactly certain that that would be enough protection but he trusted his servants, friends, over the matter.
After finishing things they were teleported back home. Ritsuka assisted Koneko in making dinner for the evening and everyone went to sleep.
No one entered his room that night. Ritsuka even waited in the darkness watching his door. He didn't lock it but he did close it. No one entered. Everyone was most likely on edge as far as he thought.
'Okay… I should go there now and let him have his way with me.' Rias mused as she tossed and turned in her bed. It wasn't like she was scared… okay, she was scared. It would be the first time she did anything with such… permanence.
'I mean… it would destroy Riser's interest but then he would try to kill Ritsuka. No… no I can't do that. He'll help me stop this.' Rias laid back covering herself in her heavier blankets. She probably needed to stop Akeno but she was behaving herself for some reason.
Akeno looked over her specialty outfits. A few corsets, special lingerie, a toy or two. All she needed to do was bide her time. She didn't need to go out of her way to enter Ritsuka's room even though she actually really wanted to.
She already had his word and all she needed to do was get through the school year. It wasn't like he was going to disappear anytime soon. She had this strange feeling that she would have enough time to make sure he would leave a legacy behind.
Also with how many of the others wanted him, she could indulge her own desires to have an affair without all the hard feelings behind it. It would be perfect.
Asia and Koneko looked over the contract work that was meant for devils to do. Since no one had done them lately Asia would be working with Koneko on completing them.
"That was weird…" Asia mumbled. They had seen a grown man dressed like a magical girl. Unfortunately, neither of them could get him into a magical girl world.
"Normal. People are weird." Koneko shrugged completely worried about what happened. "This happens… I will be with you to teach you how this goes."
"Thank you Koneko-chan. I was worried I wouldn't be able to do this. Thank Go-" Asia immediately felt like lightning coursed through her body and pain was all she knew. "Ow…"
"Don't say that. For devils showing worship would make you feel pain." Koneko sighed as she patted Asia on the head even though they were nearly the same height.
"Oh… aww… " Asia muttered though not even that would get her down.
"Get sleep… don't bother senpai today." Koneko ordered.
"Huh? How do you know?" Asia shuddered and was left a blushing mess. With a quiet tap Koneko pointed at her nose.
"I can smell it on everyone here. Senpai already knows but he's not acting on it because from what I have observed, he wants us to make a life for ourselves first." Koneko explained as she shook her head in exasperation.
"Wait… you too?" Asia stared at Koneko who just realized that Asia was far more attentive than she appeared.
"Sleep time! Go!" Koneko squeaked out even though she was blushing. She quickly rushed up to her room leaving a stunned Asia.
Asia quietly thought up some things… she was surprised she would think such things as well. She was going to have at the very least four sisters if what Koneko said was true. That would be wonderful. A large family to love and cherish. If only she could actually show her worship to the lord but she didn't risk being hurt again.
The sun had made her so tired after everything that happened. Had she not held on to Ritsuka's arm she wasn't sure she would have made it.
So with a few longing stares at Ritsuka's door she went to her room to rest. Tomorrow would be a very dangerous day if what she was told was actually happening.
'Yeah… something weird is going to happen.' Ritsuka stared at the door after setting up a bounding field around his bed. With a quiet but resigned sigh he decided to sleep. It would be fine… he was… almost… certain.
The next day made Ritsuka's completely justified worry useless. No one had snuck into his bed and the field wasn't destroyed. He had even woken up early enough to get through his normal workout routine without anyone catching him off guard.
He even managed to take a shower without another strange incident. He didn't need to have another weird shower scene so quickly. Everyone else had been sitting downstairs in the living room.
"Change of plans. We're having our meeting today during the classes so no one would bother us. Around eleven because of reasons that weren't detailed." Rias growled out clearly unamused. "The other teachers were informed and we'll have the day off technically."
"Got it. Give me a second then. I might as well actually get ready. Didn't think it would have been so early." Ritsuka nodded even though he was already in his school uniform.
"Aren't you ready?" Akeno questioned as she looked over.
"Not really. See I got to thinking that I should look intimidating somewhat, right?" Ritsuka chuckled as he mentioned that. "I have heard a lot of people compare me to a yakuza or something to that effect so I do have an outfit that should fit."
"Why do you have an outfit for that?" Asia questioned confused about the logistics of having an outfit that made you look like a yakuza.
"Why wouldn't I? I mean the suit I used when I went out with Akeno was meant for assassinations and I even have a space suit. It's magical in nature." Ritsuka waved it off as if it wasn't that important. "I can even magically tan my skin slightly but I don't think I would fit in as a gyaru, if that's the right term. I'm far too cheerful most of the time."
There was silence again though it was more looking at the eccentricities of someone they wanted to build something long term with.
"Is there any other random things you need to tell us so we aren't surprised?" Kiba chuckled though he was the only one who could actually voice something.
"I technically own an elephant? I think I have a sword that might be Durandal? I'm highly resistant to poison managing to eat fugu without dying and just suffering a stomach ache for a night?" Ritsuka tilted his head in confusion.
"You own an elephant?" Rias shouted out loud.
"You have Durandal?" Kiba growled out but he remained sitting.
"You survived one of the most virulent poisons in the world that has no antidote?" Akeno whispered though with her tone it was hard to call it a whisper.
"Yes. I was given a sword that was stolen but I'm keeping it that might be Durandal or just a sword that is nigh unbreakable. And yes I ate several chocolates that were laced with different poisons. They tasted weird and made my tongue numb but I liked them." Ritsuka answered in quick succession.
Kiba relaxed since he could tell Ritsuka wasn't lying… and if it was stolen then it should be fine… probably. Akeno was shocked that she went with Ritsuka on a date when he was being an assassin… but she didn't know if that actually mattered. Rias partially wanted to ride on an elephant but she didn't say so since she needed to be serious for the meeting. Asia and Koneko didn't really react by any means but looking interested in seeing other surprises.
"Okay I'll be right back." Ritsuka rushed upstairs before anyone could really parse what was happening.
"So… we're just going to ignore his more outlandish claims… right?" Akeno questioned since she wasn't really sure where to react.
"Yes. So long as he is on our side then it should be fine. Are you okay Kiba?" Rias looked over to her usually stalwart knight who seemed a bit forlorn.
"Yeah… yeah… we talked about this yesterday. I don't like the fact that a holy sword is here but since it's on one of my friends I can control myself. Besides… it's not that sword." Kiba spoke through gritted teeth clearly doing his best to suppress his anger.
"Kiba." Koneko patted him on the back. His tension was through the roof but with a deep breath he released it.
"Okay. Done." Ritsuka called out as he came back down.
He wore a large black kimono with two inner layers of blue and white. Around his neck was a gray scarf. Everyone stared at him both intrigued and confused.
"That looks like it's meant for a visit to a new year shrine Ritsuka… I mean the color does seem to match what stereotypical yakuza would wear." Akeno pointed out. Truthfully, she wanted him to wear the suit again since she enjoyed how serious he looked when he did so.
"Think so? I thought it would match pretty well given how many people get weird whenever I look at them." Ritsuka shot back looking over his outfit.
"Well… as long as you're comfortable I think we could go along with that." Rias giggle slightly under her hand.
The tension slowly evaporated. What had been tense and kind of world shattering eased back down to dealing with the eccentricities of a mage. Ritsuka looked around noting that everyone had calmed back down. He briefly thought about saying more about himself but stopped when he realized that a few of his new friends were intimidated by him.
"Come, let's go and get ready." Rias finished her giggling and started up the teleportation sigil on the ground. All occupants were enveloped in a soft red light and with a small pop disappeared from the room.
Ritsuka sat down on the couch as everyone waited in their own way. Asia sat next to Ritsuka nervous that she was getting involved in something so big just a single day after being turned into a devil. She remained still and slightly clingy to him though he didn't seem to mind.
Kiba and Koneko were playing checkers though they weren't really focusing on the game. At most they moved the pieces while they glanced over to Rias who was sitting at her desk. Rias has her eyes closed and seemed to be mentally preparing herself for the oncoming storm.
Akeno kept herself busy by making tea for everyone. Though when she had finished the sweets, there was one piece she kept out of reach of everyone. No one questioned it and Ritsuka figured it was a trap.
And so they waited. Locked in an ever encompassing silence that no one wanted to break. Ritsuka, for his part, merely pulled out a few azoth blades. They were intricately engraved with the same symbols though when he pulled them out Asia nearly squeaked in shock. She stopped herself as Ritsuka placed his free hand on her head for head patting purposes.
After she was calmed, he began polishing the blades everyone seemed to relax. The nonchalance on Ritsuka's part eased what was certainly going to be an intense meeting.
Before anyone could speak though, Grayfia teleported in.
"Rias, I am here to adjudicate. They shall be here shortly." Grayfia bowed as she started preparing several symbols on the ground.
"Okay everyone, on your best behavior." Rias called out as she took a position with the rest of us. Kiba and Koneko sat down on the couch with Asia and Ritsuka. Akeno stood slightly behind Rias eyes closed but seemingly ready to strike.
Grayfia initiated the symbols on the ground and another bright light shot out from the spot. As the light slowly faded, a tall figure stood out from the glare of the light.
He was taller than anyone in the room with messy blonde hair and a blue school uniform that was most likely from another district. The smug look on his face was a bit disturbing.
"My love! I've come for you!" The guy declared in a bombastic tone though Ritsuka could see the disgust on Rias' face.
"Shut up Riser! I told you already, I wouldn't marry you. Ever!" Rias reacted with such vitriol that he was surprised that this was the same Rias.
"Now come Rias, our parents have already agreed to this marriage. It has been agreed on already. As you know the pureblood devils have slowly started to dwindle so it is in the best interests of everyone involved. Besides, us upper devils need to stick together." Riser mentioned though the calculating look on his face was still focused on Rias.
Akeno had managed to get everyone to stand up and behind Rias before the conversation could focus back on them. Ritsuka stood slightly front and center when Riser glared at the group.
"I'll take you back even if I have to incinerate your precious group to do so." Riser glared at everyone else.
Ritsuka stepped forward acting as the vanguard for the group which worried Asia and Koneko.
"Do so and you won't live to see another day Riser." Rias stepped forward before he could address the elephant in the room.
"Do be civil or I shall have to get involved in matters." Grayfia informed the pair which caused the two to stop their tiny shows of power.
"Fine. I don't want to piss off the so called strongest Queen." Riser quietly backed off but managed to keep his dignity somehow.
"Since you two cannot come to terms… I would suggest a Ratings Game to settle the matter. Is that agreeable to both parties?" Grayfia mediated the events quickly enough that Ritsuka started to wonder if his preparations had gone to waste.
Certainly, Riser had stared at him once or twice in passing glance but didn't seem too bothered or intrigued enough to ask about him. Ritsuka was worried he had wasted one of his potions already since he did drink one the moment they entered the club building in case he needed to do something stupid.
What he really needed was information about Riser's fighting style, mana levels and Peerage members. The mana levels were easy enough. By sheer luck or a power play on his part, Ritsuka has managed to read just how high Riser's mana was. Honestly… it felt kind of low. A Demon Pillar was at the very least three times as strong and Grayfia had managed to reach that level on presence alone. If he was correct on Riser's mana level then it would take destroying him twenty three times just to deplete his mana completely. There were easier ways to do so such as Harpe but that would be far more permanent than he needed it to be.
Riser Phenex was a very poor comparison to the Demon God Pillar Phenex though. Even that particular pillar was capable of true immortality due to the legends surrounding it. If what Ritsuka had heard about how devils were low on numbers due to a Great War that the supernatural world went through then this version of Phenex was far weaker than it would be.
"A ratings game? And I suppose this is your Peerage then?" Riser pointed out behind Rias who kept her arms crossed and a glare on her gaze.
"Yes. This is the family I have formed. What of it?" Rias growled clearly annoyed at his tone.
"Nothing… I just feel I should show you my own Peerage." Riser mentioned as he pointed to the sigil still glowing on the ground. Another blazing flash of light and fifteen more people appeared from the sigil.
Every single person was a woman, each of varying size and shape. They also seemed to be dressed in very fetishistic clothing. Something that appealed to every single dress up one at the very least. Ritsuka examined every single one thinking about what he needed to plan for.
The first was a tall woman with purple hair and purple eyes. She seemed to be wearing a navy uniform of some sort and one of her eyes were covered by her bangs. Roberts would probably go crazy over the woman. She also seemed to magically be one of the strongest… similar to Akeno, so it was safe to assume that she was the Queen.
The next two seemed to be just as magical as the Queen. A young girl with blonde hair made into twin drill pigtails and similar eye color to Riser. The other was dressed in a kimono and seemed to wield a staff. She looked disinterested in the going ons. They were most likely the Bishops.
The next two weren't as magical but seemed to be dressed in armor of sorts. At least one of them was wearing armor that modeled itself after a knight. The other was wearing a cheongsam and had a large zweihander blade on her back. Ritsuka assumed that they were the knights of his Peerage. With how many different people Ritsuka was seeing… each seemed to remind him somewhat of the eccentricities he dealt with his servants.
Another two that came to sight was the woman with brown hair and red highlights seeming to wear a mask while the other seemed like a stereotypical chinese girl also dressed in a cheongsam. Neither held a weapon so Ritsuka assumed they fought hand to hand. They also had more magical power than the last eight girls which meant that they might have been the Rooks.
The eight Pawns were just as varied. A pair of twins in a school PE uniform. Two catgirls. Two maids. A belly dancer that reminded Ritsuka of Mata Hari and the last girl seemed to be dressed like a Ronin though more through the lens of a school uniform costume.
There came a problem with his observation. Every single one of them had stared Ritsuka down as well… his gaze was heavier though. It was so intimidating that none of them actually lasted more than a few seconds before turning their gaze away for fear of pissing him off. Ritsuka wouldn't have been… but they didn't know that.
"As you can see my Peerage is the epitome of a high class devil. Each person has their place and fits well within my team." Riser boasted without noticing that none of his team were actually listening to him. They were staring at Ritsuka… who had stopped looking at them. He was focused on his thoughts.
'Okay… several, if not all of them, are close range fighters. Might be best to pick them off all at once. Maybe Atalanta or Arjuna, though, I have to be careful since Arjuna shatters mountains with one arrow and that was ten percent. That means using the Indian Pantheon is a nuke option, so not gonna chance that if I can help it. Bishops would be the prime choices to take out first since they would cause the most problems if they could heal. Kiba could take care of the Knights. Queen is the biggest obstacle since she seems as magically strong as Akeno but maybe she also goes fire magic as well. Yeah I think I got a strategy ready for them. Now the Phenex one needs to be killed a certain number of times to stop his regeneration permanently. I'm probably not supposed to kill anyone so this should be fine long term at the very least.' Ritsuka tapped his fingers against his arm while he kept thinking up strategies.
"With our experience in several official Ratings Games Rias it would be best if you just agree to the marriage that our families have agreed on." Riser finished his long boast which almost no one on Rias side actually listened to.
"And I'll say that I shall fight you in the Games." Rias shot back with a glare.
"So the agreement is set then. A Ratings Game shall be in effect. When shall it occur then?" Grayfia ordered both sides.
"This weekend. I'm tired of waiting. We've been through a lot already and giving you more time than that would be a waste. So this Saturday we shall have it." Riser announced. Rias squirmed slightly. It was too soon. She hadn't even gotten Asia ready yet to handle such an event. And Ritsuka… didn't seem to care since he was seemingly lost in thought.
"So this Saturday then." Grayfia mentioned as Rias reluctantly nodded.
"A question though… what's a human doing here?" Riser finally turned to the elephant in the room… who still wasn't really paying attention.
"He is my mage. What of it?" Rias growled as Riser took a few steps towards him.
"This pathetic excuse of a mage is contracted to you? Seriously, I feel nothing from him and he's been ignoring everything that's been going on since this meeting started. I mean look at him lost in his own mind. Must be scared of me." Riser laughed though his Peerage didn't immediately answer him. Their laughs were stilted though they couldn't answer why. "Hey, what's wrong with you?"
Riser turned back to his group, noticing that they were only making a token effort. He didn't notice that Ritsuka was paying attention once more.
'Hm? Oh shit, attention is back on me. What do I do?' Ritsuka pondered as he looked towards his friends. None of them looked happy. Rias especially looked concerned with how close this guy was in front of him.
Ritsuka still had the fire potion active. He drank it and wanted it to actually come in use. From the details he got when Jason used it, it would protect him from burning and heat. That included his hair and clothes as well. He did want to test that but he didn't really know if he wanted to antagonize someone right now.
Then Riser turned back around and was nearly face to face with him. Riser stood a bit taller but their eyes locked. Riser was a man who had been through many mock battles but had never actually been in a life and death situation.
The moment their eyes met Riser's wings immediately blazed up and his fight or flight response kicked in. Ritsuka could feel the heat radiating off of him… it wasn't that bad though. It felt like a warm blanket instead of the blazing inferno that was probably what the action was trying to emulate.
"Ritsuka!" Rias called out as Riser accidentally released too much power setting Ritsuka up in flames.
"Oh shit!" Riser called out as he took a step back.
"Riser! What the hell did you do!?" Rias shouted as everyone started panicking… before stopping.
The flames remained in human shape and didn't seem to be screaming… or even showing signs of discomfort from the flames. Grayfia watched as the person within the flames calmly and easily put the fires out with several pats to his body.
He was completely unharmed with the only damage being a thin layer of soot that covered him. He let out a small cough which released a small cloud of smoke. Ritsuka looked amused.
'Oh good… it works. Thanks be to Medea. Now let's equip Moriarty and start stage two of my plan.' Ritsuka quietly installed Moriarty's card since he needed to be slightly antagonistic.
"Huh. Tiny, pathetic and doesn't last very long. Can't say that was what I was expecting but it was just as big a disappointment as I thought it would be." Ritsuka stated… though to his friends they noted how strange his tone was. It was forced and clearly uninterested as if he was doing something.
"What the hell did you say!?" Riser stepped forward clearly incensed at the bait being dragged across his face.
"Since you're yelling I doubt I need to repeat myself. Besides if you're just going to do another demonstration then don't. I will take a limb from you as payment for the hit." Ritsuka answered back. It still wasn't a threat though… it felt more like a promise of what would come.
While he could feel Moriarty's influence, Ritsuka focused it on making himself the target of Riser's ire. He needed him to be angry enough to focus his forces on him. If he did that then he could enact a more one sided plan in his favor. The web was being weaved at this moment and both sides were watching the spectacle before them.
"Why you- !" Riser was clearly ready to throw down only to be stopped by Grayfia.
"Are you not a high class devil? You're letting a regular human get to you." Grayfia stated in no uncertain terms that she would intervene.
"Don't forget about being a failure of a mage as well. He's worse than that." Ritsuka chuckled which made several of Riser's Peerage stare in shock at the statement. Most of them thought a mage would boast about their status. Though when they looked at Riser he was absolutely livid.
They realized how he said it had implied that Riser was even worse than a failure. He clearly was trying to antagonize Riser. The Queen wanted to warn him about it but she noticed the look on his face. Riser was beyond questioning and anger stemmed from his very presence.
"You will die. No questions." Riser pointed at Ritsuka who didn't seem even the slightest bit worried.
"Pretty sure a Ratings Game won't let you but you do seem confident about that. Though with how pitiful those flames were I'm sure I'll be fine." Ritsuka waved it off with a happy nod which was still shocking since he was going this far.
Kiba was the first who seemed to get what was going on. While everyone was busy being shocked by the lone human, he decided to explain to Rias.
"I think he's making himself a target for us." Kiba whispered to Rias and Akeno, who overheard.
"Part of his planning?" Akeno answered back clearly unhappy with this.
"Yes. I think he's doing this to give us the best chance possible. Trust him on this." Kiba answered though even he wasn't sure that this was the best idea. Still… what's done was done and there was no going back now.
"You talk big but you're just some no name mage. If you fail then you'll drag Rias' name down with you." Riser managed to shout back clearly trying to find something to refute Ritsuka.
"And if I wipe out most of your team in one move you'll look really foolish. But you're free to see that as all talk. After all I'm just a human." Ritsuka answered with a clear laugh and devilish smirk. Their eyes met once more but Riser could tell he was messing with him… possibly.
"Enough! We'll settle this on Saturday." Riser roared in anger.
"Okay. Kill you twenty three times on Saturday. Nice to meet you after all." Ritsuka gave a very friendly smile as if all the taunting was just a facade. That pissed Riser off still as he turned to punch the foolish human.
As if on cue a large object appeared in Ritsuka's arm. At first it looked like a coffin but the three barrels pointed at Riser's head very clearly showed that it was more than it seemed. The barrels were rotating slightly and the clicking of ammo being loaded stopped everyone in the room.
"Remember what I said… you try a hit I take a body part as payment and that was the implied promise and not a threat if it wasn't very clear." Ritsuka growled out the threat as Riser was looking down the barrel of a mini gun that looked far too heavy for a human to carry. Said human was supporting said weapon in one arm which made Riser step back.
What had made Riser step back wasn't the weapon being hefted in his face. He would regenerate whatever damage the gun would have done regardless. No… what spooked him was the glare coming from Ritsuka fully focused on him and ready to kill if he needed to. He wouldn't make threats.
"We'll settle this later then." Riser growled as he initiated the teleportation sigil and his entre party disappeared into light once more.
Ritsuka finally lowered the weapon as it disappeared into motes of golden light. Mentally, he had uninstalled the Moriarty's card which was a slight blessing. Too many insidious schemes kept trying to float into his brain. He didn't need that. As he tried to take a breath Asia and surprisingly Koneko immediately tackled him to the floor completely sobbing.
"Ritsuka!" Asia cried out and she looked up towards him sobbing almost uncontrollably. Koneko merely looked worried and she had stopped herself from crying, though her eyes were very watery.
"Ow…" Ritsuka felt his back smack against the floor hard enough to actually hurt. Both girls were fussing over him to the point he wasn't sure where they were touching him. "Please stop. I'm fine."
"Y-you're not burned… like at all." Asia managed to stifle her shock as she examined every inch of his body.
"Senpai is fireproof?" Koneko looked shocked as she said it.
"Huh? No not at all. I was cheating at that time but he didn't need to know that, now did he." Ritsuka chuckled as he patted her head.
Grayfia watched the scene before her as the unenviable silence seemed to dance through her head. She just watched a human… who apparently cheated his fireproof ability… intimidate a high class devil without even flinching. She was beginning to understand what Sirzechs was talking about when he said he didn't want to meet this human until later.
Since Riser had left everyone but Rias had gone over to check on Ritsuka. Rias was nervously looking at Grayfia who seemed to be examining Ritsuka closely now.
"I shall be back to get you ready for the game. I don't think that Riser will accept allowing you to have the home field advantage of the school though. I hope your strategist is good at thinking on the fly." Grayfia muttered to Rias though she wasn't being rude about it. There was a slight tone of praise in her voice since he had made Riser dance on the palm of his hand… like a spider does to a fly.
"Yes. I'm glad I found him now." Rias answered back almost lost in a daze since the meeting had started.
With that Grayfia disappeared as well in a flash of light and a slight nod of her head. Ritsuka was finally allowed to stand as Akeno took her time brushing off the outer layers of his outfit. She patted his butt far more than she should have though which made Ritsuka scratch as his cheek in exasperation.
"I'm good… I'll wash up when we get back." Ritsuka sighed as he grabbed Akeno's hand to stop her not unwelcome touch. A slight brush of his fingers across hers made her stop and smile at the slight affection.
"You're being a bit out of control aren't you Ritsuka?" Rias finally spoke up breaking the elation that had built up when Ritsuka had stepped out of the fire.
"A little. I'm very glad that happened. Let me figure out his mana levels and how many times I would have to destroy him just to get his regeneration to time out. Also found out my fireproofing plan worked as well. If my taunting will go as well as it did and we get a certain landscape as the fighting ground then I could literally take them all out with one attack… providing I do so fast enough." Ritsuka waved off the concern dropping a bombshell once more that he wasn't making idle threats. Rias let out a small cough.
"You can…" Rias' voice broke slightly as she regained her composure. "You can!"
"Pretty much. Though I would like to know if fire magic is their main attack force. I'm pretty sure if it is then I could make us win in overwhelming curbstomp fashion… though I'm sure that would raise more questions then it answers." Ritsuka slowly lost himself to thought as he covered his mouth with his hand. He seemed to be pondering things.
Everyone was surprised with how frank Ritsuka was about winning… like if it was second nature.
"So… now that I've placed a target on my back, shall we formulate a plan then?" Ritsuka chuckled as he pulled out a small red potion from his magical storage.
Riser kicked one of the ottomans in his room. His Peerage was avoiding him at the moment clearly not wanting to get on his bad side. He wasn't a bad master… but his arrogance sometimes made him insufferable. The only one who could stand to be around him at this point was Ravel Phenex, his younger sister and temporary bishop.
"Calm down already. He just got lucky." Ravel attempted to get Riser to calm down but he was still freaking out.
"How the fuck can I calm down when he basically walked through my flames like it was nothing!" Riser barked back accidentally burning the ottoman he kicked in his blind rage.
"Stop burning everything! It was a fluke! That's it!." Ravel argued back. "I find it weird that he was only a human but managed to do all that. I want him."
"What!?" Riser stopped his pacing instantly staring his little sister down.
"What? You said you were going to kill him. If that happens then I want to revive him as a devil. He'll be mine since he's so strong. I'd say it's a good plan to make the Phenex clan stronger in the future." Ravel glared at her brother who slightly balked in disgust. "Or should I tell father how you were intimidated by a regular human."
Riser flinched slightly, remembering how he let his flames attack the human. It was infuriating. He needed a way to stop this from getting anywhere. A flash of inspiration struck him in that moment giving him a way to stop this from going anywhere. No way in hell was he allowing his sister to be anywhere near that human.
"Rias would probably revive him herself. There's no way you'll ever get him regardless of who you are Ravel. Just let it be. We'll win and then we'll have them all anyways." Riser stated smugly nodding his head to himself with his eyes closed.
"So? That isn't very convincing if he could stop our flames. I want it to be a sure thing." Ravel muttered back. Someone strong like that that was free was not something that would be coming around every day.
"He got lucky! That's all." Riser growled as he was taken out of his confident stance.
"Are you okay sweetheart?" A voice called out from the hall. "I heard the screaming."
"Yes mother… just discussing what I want for the Ratings Game with brother." Ravel called back as their mother only know as Lady Phenex to her contemporaries stepped within. She was slightly disappointed by the ashes on the ground.
"Riser… did you burn another ottoman?" Lady Phenex sighed as Riser took a step back.
"Sorry… just got a little mad over negotiations." Riser growled out trying to keep his anger from spilling out.
"Why? Did Rias turn you away still?" Lady Phenex was sympathetic but Riser couldn't tell that she was also more on Rias' side for independence. That was her little secret.
"No mother. It wasn't that… well it wasn't only that. Rias has two new members… but one of them is only a human." Ravel announced without pause which caused her mother to look at them in surprise.
"What? That doesn't seem right?" She answered as her hand covered her mouth. "How was that a problem though?"
"It was actually very impressive mother. He stood up to Riser without even flinching, I want him as one of my Peerage." Ravel mentioned clearly not wanting to lose an opportunity.
"I said that wouldn't happen. Besides if he dies then Rias would get him and when I win the Ratings Game he'll be ours as well." Riser argued back getting in his little sister's face who returned his glare back at him.
"And I said I want insurance in case Riser goes overboard." Ravel growled back clearly knowing what her brother was planning.
"Children… no fighting." Lady Phenex clapped her hands stopping the two from going any further in their arguments than that.
"Riser, you asked your sister to stand in as your bishop so you need to respect her wishes. Ravel, you can't take someone's member unless they are actually being traded to you. If you want to discuss changing things then talk to Ruval. Since he's the head of the family right now, you know if you want to get things then you need to talk to him." Lady Phenex announced clearly not wanting this argument to get out of hand.
"That's a great idea Mother. I shall go to him at once!" Ravel cheered as she rushed out the door for her older brother's room.
"Mother… that seems like a horrible idea." Riser grimaced as he watched his mother's expression.
"It probably won't go anywhere but if she can start her own Peerage then it should be fine. Still… you can win right?" His mother questioned as she stopped her cute act.
"Of course I can win. They are nothing to me." Riser sneered clearly unhappy that even his mother had questioned him.
"Don't underestimate people. That is a very bad habit you still haven't broken." Lady Phenex scolded him raising her finger to him in mock anger. "You have a tendency to do something stupid when you get really angry."
"I won't." Riser ignored the warning. After all that human had a weak weapon that couldn't do anything to him anyways. All his talk was that, talk.
"Ruval! Ruval-sama! I need your help!" Ravel called out to her older brother who was luckily home at the moment.
"What is it?" Ruval called from behind the large stack of paperwork he had been working on. The distribution of Phoenix Tears, the premier healing agent in the underworld, was still going under way.
"I need to talk to you about something with the deals made with the Gremory household." Ravel brought up which caused Ruval to silently sigh behind the paperwork. It was enough that he had to deal with his father's old fashioned way of putting pureblood first, but he had to continue with his younger brother's stupid desire. He rubbed his eyes in exasperation.
"What can I help you with my dear lovely sister?" Ruval swallowed his annoyance… it was incredibly bitter and it felt like it was going to get worse.
"I want one of her members to be mine to start my own Peerage." Ravel didn't waste anytime dancing around the issue. She already knew what she wanted.
"The swordsman? Just wait until your brother wins and you can ask him yourself." Ruval rubbed his face as he wanted this conversation to end.
"No not him! She has a new member that's a mage. He stared down brother without flinching and it was actually really cool. I want you to help negotiate things so he'll end up in my Peerage." Ravel clarified clearly not even thinking about Rias' Knight.
"A mage? Did this mage have black hair and blue eyed?" Ruval questioned clearly more interested now than he was when the conversation started.
"Well… yeah. Why is that important?" Ravel tilted her head slightly confused by the question.
"I'll go talk with Sirzechs later about this. Have Riser know that he will be coming with me for this." Ruval stated though his business like tone made Ravel nervous.
"Brother?" Ravel looked around the paperwork noticing that Ruval had his negotiations face on.
Ruval has heard rumors of said mage beating two Fallen Angels quite easily. It had been a rumor circulating for almost a week now. Said mage was also rumored to have negotiated with Azazel as well if his spies had anything to go by.
Sirzechs had even stopped his subtle threats lately since that large magical pulse that was felt on the surface world. Now a mage has been given to Rias without much fanfare as well. Too many coincidences lined up far too well for it to be one.
If said mage was powerful enough to create such a pulse and hide away just as well, then it was worth the chance to pull him onto their team. Though, if he was being honest, any deal they made now would be costly… or downright destructive to them as well.
Ravel looked at him with concern since he had gone quiet. There wasn't a chance that Riser would lose… but that wasn't exactly a guarantee. A chance was all that he had and it seemed clear that this human mage was confident enough to stand up to a high class devil without an ounce of self preservation.
He idly wondered if this was what those gods meant about the perseverance and tenacity of the human spirit. It was one of those things that he never put much stock into if only because he was born a devil. With the newer generations being hybrids though… he needed to figure out what the future held.
"Ravel… go get Riser then. I'll discuss this with him but you will come with us when we make the final decision." Ruval ordered as he got together as many papers as he could. He needed to prepare for what he was going to say for this deal.