13. Deal with a Devil
Rias woke bright and early. She had taken what Grayfia said and bitterly buried it until she had some form of sleep. It didn't help that she tossed and turned throughout the night. She had broken her own rule and wound up going to sleep angry. It was kind of shameful when she thought back to it.
Of course it all came down to desires and what others thought was best for her, her Peerage, and them. She put on her clothing… a bit pissed she didn't get to go to their bed.
"Damn it…" Rias growled out as she made it out of her room and headed directly for Ritsuka's room.
He was alone, surprisingly, and his bounded field was still up. He was doing his morning exercises before he went to take a shower. It was a good thing she caught him before he did so. There were important things that needed to be discussed.
"What are you saying…?" Rias questioned her sister in law.
"It's exactly what I'm saying. They want to make a deal with you. Unlike last time, your father will not be involved in this. They even talked with him beforehand to make certain that this would be fine. They've even given me an offer… which would give you your freedom." Grayfia stated.
Rias reeled back… it was too good to be true. She wanted to immediately say yes to the ridiculous demand… but she didn't. She needed to know the details before she said anything. She knew better than to blindly accept deals. Grayfia seemed to want to say more but she was holding herself back.
"What… do they want?" Rias managed to get out. Her mouth felt incredibly dry at this point. It was too good to be true… and the price would be far too grand most likely.
"Due to certain circumstances the Phenex Head, Ruval, would like to trade for the mage that the Gremory Peerage has hired at this time. In doing so, the marriage between Rias Gremory and Riser Phenex would be annulled and never brought up ever again. Should this deal be accepted then all actions would be ceased and Riser would be forbidden from ever coming in contact with you ever again at threat of death." Grayfia recited from memory what she had been told as she held out the paper that detailed exactly what she stated.
Rias held the paper in front of her… glaring at every word. It wasn't even that it was insulting. She couldn't care less what the Phenex family thought of her. The problem was, of course, Ritsuka. If Ruval wanted him on their side… it meant that someone had found out just how dangerous he could be when pushed. He was her ace in the hole. Hers only… with some sharing with her Peerage if necessary.
It wasn't even that he was part of her Peerage. It was the fact that throughout the entirety of their time getting to know one another, he was the only one who was never referential of her. He treated her like any regular person… he was friendly with her and everyone who met him. He was understanding and kind… he didn't judge her for anything… he was accepting and heroic… and many other things.
The proof was right in front of her… she could see it in the deal that was trying to be brokered at this point. They knew he was special. She could have her freedom… and if she asked she wasn't sure that he wouldn't say no for how he tried to be heroic.
"No." Rias answered disintegrating the paper in her power. It wasn't even worth considering more than she already did.
"I see. They had a caveat actually then. If you are willing, then tomorrow bring him with you to the Gremory estate where we shall work on an actual deal that would coincide with the Ratings Game. I barely see the worth in this mage… especially with your... dailiances in his bed." Grayfia coughed out the last part. "But his eyes are sharp and I can tell he keeps many secrets. Has he not told you anything?"
"He's told me a lot… but saying it out loud without you making the effort to speak with him seems like a betrayal of his trust. I feel it is worth the effort to keep it since he's been so loyal." Rias shyly stated… feeling the shifting weight mess with her heart. She didn't like keeping such a secret from her family… but this was one of them that needed to be kept.
"So you need us to speak with him as well then? Would he even be willing to speak with us about it? Obviously, we know what happened when Sona tried to fish for information." Grayfia scowled slightly though her gaze trailed to the side.
"I think it's because she treated him like an object. He doesn't seem to respond well to that and I feel that being a friend to him makes him more willing to be open." Rias explained while coyly holding her hands behind her back. She was wringing her hands out of sight.
"Sirzechs still doesn't want to meet with him. For some reason, which I don't know, he hasn't made a move to speak with your mage. Ever since the first night their eyes technically met, he's been quiet about his plans forward." Grayfia admitted with a sad huff.
"Nii-sama feels something off?" Rias questioned clearly not liking that fact.
"Yes. For some reason he's been speaking with Serafall about moving those peace agreements faster. I don't know why though. While he wanted peace to take hold, he wanted it on our terms rather than any others." Grayfia paused as she seemed to lose herself to her thoughts. "Once again it probably won't happen quickly enough."
"I'll bring him tomorrow in the morning then." Rias answered since speculation wouldn't get them anywhere.
Rias stepped into his room and closed the door behind her. This was going to be a private conversation. Walking around the barrier she waved her hand in front of him getting his attention. He carefully undid the bounded field before turning back to her.
"Morning… you look angry…" Ritsuka commented as he wiped his face with a small hand towel he had kept nearby.
"Yes… I need you to come with me to meet with someone. Apparently they wanted to make a deal." Rias started choking on her words as her anger kept rising.
"Okay. Was I the hot commodity?" Ritsuka questioned, though he kept a jovial tone his brow was furrowed.
"Yeah. Yeah you were." Rias managed to chuckle which evaporated the anger… at least a bit.
"Sure. I've already caught up on the homework that they tried to give us. It's not very hard…" Ritsuka stage whispered the last bit louder than it should have been. Rias was smiling once more at the very least letting him feel like he accomplished something this morning.
"Get ready. Dress… intimidating, I guess. I want to make sure they think you're just being a chuunibyou." Rias smirked at that clearly coming up with a plan.
"That I can do. Uh, if you do start negotiating, do you think you can get us a field that's mostly plains? I'm pretty sure if you do that I can probably swing a clean sweep of their entire team." Ritsuka offered which Rias slowly contemplated.
"I'll see if I can swing it. I was trying to get the school to be our battleground but after our challenge I doubt I could even get that with how well you shut him down." Rias grimaced but she was managing to smile after remembering how freaked out Riser was.
"I have something really special if we get that. If not I would have to rethink everything. To be fair though, I've only seen a few battlegrounds here so even I'm not sure how to plan that far ahead." Ritsuka admitted scratching his head in annoyance. "I'm a tactician but if I have to plan on the fly the only guarantee I have for you is that everyone will be fireproof."
"That's more than I could ever hope for honestly. I was hoping to find more members for my Peerage before we met. This will work out better since it's all about quality over quantity after all." Rias assured him before exiting the room. "Get ready and meet me in the living room."
"Gotcha." Ritsuka offered a mock salute.
As soon as she left the room Ritsuka looked over the potions he made. He originally had ten, now nine. He pondered whether or not to drink another. He needed to keep six just for the day of the Ratings Game…
"It might be a waste but…" Ritsuka groaned as he drank another of his potions… eight were left. It tasted horrible. Ritsuka grimaced as he drank the contents quickly. "Gonna need to warn them that it tastes horrible…"
Taking his shower, his mind wandered over the problems that could come from this meeting. The fact that Rias wasn't distracted by him being shirtless for a moment meant this was more serious than it appeared.
Grasping at the straws he inferred from their conversation, Ritsuka began thinking. He was apparently the hot commodity in the eyes of whomever had felt the reyshift procedure happen. That included at the very least Devils and Fallen Angels… which existed. That was still throwing him for a loop as well.
Regardless, someone saw a lot of worth in him. He didn't really get why since he was just a human. A human with access to the vast collection of power grown over the course of human history… that was a lot.
"Oh boy…" Ritsuka wiped his hand down his face from exasperation. He had made himself dangerous the moment that he was attacked. Of course these organizations would have moles in their midst. He never stood a chance of being that sneaky when his direct line to Chaldea wasn't working in the first place.
Dressing in the Royal Brand mystic code, Ritsuka traveled downstairs where Rias was waiting for him. As were all the others as well. They were discussing things that he couldn't exactly hear.
"Ready to go?" Rias questioned while Ritsuka fixed the cuffs of his suit.
"Yeah… is everyone going?" Ritsuka looked at everyone who merely shook their heads.
"We got to keep up appearances. We'll be heading to the academy otherwise someone would get suspicious." Kiba answered for everyone. Akeno and Asia seemed to be put off by this fact.
"Koneko please watch over Asia. I think Aika is a corruptive influence on her… not bad but she needs to not put ideas in Asia's head." Ritsuka whispered to Koneko who twitched slightly when her name was called.
Koneko merely gave a thumbs up and there seemed to be a twinkle in her eye. That concern was dealt with alleviating some fears from Ritsuka's soul.
"We shall see you when you get back." Akeno spoke up before leading Asia away. She looked back worriedly but a quick nod from Ritsuka helped her resolve.
"Be careful Senpai. You are dangerous… they are much more." Koneko mentioned before rushing off with the others. Kiba said nothing more and with a quiet bow walked after the others.
Rias waited until the group exited before powering up a new sigil. The rune structure on it was completely different to the one used to go to the school or the training field. With a small urging of her hand Ritsuka stepped next to her and the sigil powered up. With a blink the two were teleported elsewhere.
The two reappeared standing in a large cavernous area. The ceiling seemed to glow acting like an impromptu sun for the land in which they were. Before them was a large estate that seemed to stretch for miles.
"Huh… So princess then?" Ritsuka tilted his head towards Rias who blushed lightly but seemed more annoyed by the title.
"Not even in the slightest." Rias shot down the suggestion.
"Too bad. Princesses need to be kissed awake every time they sleep." Ritsuka joked slightly teasing Rias who actually began considering the title.
"Only in private." Rias hissed as her blush got more intense. "Look… let's get inside. I want to get this over with."
"Understood… though I would like to figure out how you want to deal with this. Do you state no immediately or do you make a counterdeal that's far too rich for them to afford? If I have learned anything over the course of my time in Chaldea, it's that every conversation can be a gamble." Ritsuka stated in an almost knowing tone.
"Do you have a gambling problem…?" Rias questioned.
"...a little. Though to be fair… most of my plans the first year were gambles that shouldn't have worked… but did." Ritsuka scratched the back of his head. "I think my adventures might have turned me into a thrill seeker and danger lover but I'm not sure."
"Surely they couldn't be that bad." Rias muttered as the two entered the yard walking down the path to the front door.
"I made a near two kilometer drop from the sky to perform a cross buster on a goddess. That is like number eight on the list of dangerous things I've done." Ritsuka countered as he lifted his hand to the knob.
Rias couldn't exactly say anything to that… making a drop that far while being human was unbelievable. She was even trying to parse out the goddess part since that would mean Ritsuka won against divine beings as well. Her mind made the executive decision to just smile and nod.
"Rias! Welcome back so soon." A tall man with red hair and goatee greeted them in the hall. He looked at Ritsuka noting that his gaze was slightly in awe at the main hall. "And this… this must be your newest mage in your employ."
"Daddy!" Rias gave the man a hug which made Ritsuka pay more attention to his surroundings.
He decided to put on the professional look Irisviel made him work on, the one that embarrassed Kirtsugu for some reason. Though he didn't have his candy cigarettes with him so the look would have to suffice.
"Yes daddy, this is my mage Ritsuka Fujimaru." Rias presented him to the man. Ritsuka nodded politely and began scanning the room entirely.
"Oh ho! You found a professional bodyguard type haven't you?" The man appraised Ritsuka before approaching him. "Hello young man, I am Zeoticus Gremory."
Zeoticus Gremory, one of the presiding dukes of hell, archmage second only to Azi Dahaka was at war with his senses. The human, he didn't know if they were, before him screamed dangerous the moment their eyes met. He didn't even know why either. It was almost as if he was watching his demonic ancestors falling in battle over and over again before his eyes… and it unnerved him to such a degree that his brain immediately shut down that section of his brain before it could get any worse.
"Nice to meet you. It's been nice working on low stakes things recently." Ritsuka answered offering a hand which Zeoticus shook instinctively.
"I get that feeling all too well." Zeoticus answered though his tone was strained but his smile remained.
"Please come with me. The meeting will take place in about fifteen minutes. We've just been waiting on the Phenex representatives to show up." Zeoticus led the pair to a lounge area with a large table used for negotiations. "If you please wait here, my wife would like a word with her daughter."
"Mom would? Okay… give me a moment then Ritsuka." Rias ordered which Ritsuka nodded at and quietly began looking around the room.
The father and daughter walked out to the daughter's confusion. Her father seemed a bit… worried. It was almost the same reaction that Sirzechs had when Ritsuka had stared him down as well. That made her wonder just what everyone else saw that she didn't. His gaze had been intimidating but overtime she actually enjoyed him looking at her.
"Daddy… is everything alright?" Rias called out getting her father's attention. He took a deep breath before turning around.
"Yes sweetie?" Zeoticus turned around keeping the fake smile as best as he could.
"This is about him and not meeting mother is it?" Rias deadpanned clearly not wanting this much stress on her when something big was supposed to happen.
"Uh… yeah. Yeah it is. Look the moment I looked into his eyes I instantly saw the death of all demons." Zeoticus admitted reluctantly. He couldn't think up a good lie.
"That… that seems like a grand claim." Rias gulped slightly. It fit too well when her father said it. "Besides… we're devils and not demons."
"Rias, that's not the point. His soul is broken in some capacity and I'm more than certain a demon was the cause for it. Who's to say that he isn't biding his time until he can take care of whomever did it. I'm certain it was most likely Rizevim. He's the only one who would take such sick pleasure in something like that." Zeoticus hissed our clearly agitated by what he was feeling and his own instincts howling.
"I don't even think that Ritsuka knows Rizevim in any capacity. I know he knows about the Ars Goetia if what Kiba noticed was anything to go by but I doubt he knows any of the pillars personally." Rias argued back. She didn't like the implications being thrown around without any evidence to back it up.
"Sweetie… what even puts him on your side? Does he have any good reason to be on our side at all?" Zeoticus brought up clearly trying to at least glean some insight on his daughter's reasons for keeping such a dangerous man around.
"He said he trusts me. I have a good feeling that he wouldn't turn on me and those I care for." Rias answered completely tossing her father off his game.
"Mh… I still don't like it. Also you seem a bit more… okay with this mage then I find acceptable. Should I be worried…?" Zeoticus eyed his daughter who squirmed under his gaze.
"What if I said I prefer him to Riser? What would you say?" Rias growled which made Zeoticus stop. He already felt guilty enough for agreeing with this idea with Lord Phenex. Unfortunately, Zeoticus was stuck by politics and as much as he wanted to break this agreement… he couldn't.
"We'll discuss it after the Ratings Game you agreed to. Whatever I say won't matter until after that moment. Come… I've felt the magical pulse of the Phenex representatives appearing.." Zeoticus answering the question Rias had in mind.
Rias wanted so badly to argue… but she knew even her father was trapped by the politics governing Hell. No matter what every single one of them followed the rules set in place by the Four Great Satans. Even her brother was forced to follow the rules as well. No one could get out of them. She didn't dislike what her father did because it was a logical move for the slow decline of devil bloodlines. She disliked it because her feelings weren't taken into account and that was the thing that annoyed her most.
When they returned to the room… three people were waiting for them. Two familiar faces of Riser Phenex and his sister Ravel Phenex. Behind them was their acting head of the family, Ruval Phenex. Each shared the same blonde hair though their eye color was all different with the males sharing their father's red gaze and Ravel have pure blue. The silence between the three was palpable.
"Welcome to my humble abode! I trust everything went well on your long trip here." Zeoticus started clearly going through the motions. Riser merely nodded and Ravel curtsied. Ruval was the one who handled all the talking.
"You know how deadly those hellish windstorms can be. We might be a bit early but we wanted to beat any possible storms that would come." Ruval answered with a devil may care smile.
Rias didn't speak. She had no desire to do so even as Riser attempted to flirt with her using his gaze. Ravel stopped that kicking him in the shin to stop his childish acts. This was a serious matter.
"Well I know why you're here and while I will abide by not becoming part of this deal, perhaps you would let me sit in to make sure things don't get out of hand." Zeoticus mentioned as he waved his hand to the door where the topic of discussion waited.
"That's no problem for me. Rias Gremory, do you oppose it?" Ruval questioned the young heiress.
"Not at all." Rias answered simply as she opened the door.
Ritsuka had been left alone to his own devices. After taking a small lap around the room he quietly sat down on the fancier side of the table. He hoped that it was the right side to sit at.
While he knew he was getting far more involved than he should, he was really given no choice in the matter. Without guidance or communication from Chaldea, he was effectively blind. His sensing range for magic was next to useless in this hell, he guessed, since the air was so heavily saturated with magic. He even switched to Circe very quickly hoping she would have better range and precision. It didn't help one bit.
So he sat down and contemplated his life choices in this world. They weren't exactly the greatest. For some reason, several ladies had made him the object of their affection. He was used to it in Chaldea, but that was Chaldea.
As far as he knew the servants summoned to Chaldea had very dim views of modern humanity. The fact that he was so beloved was a complete fluke. Goredolf had sat him down once to explain how masters and servants were supposed to act.
He didn't understand a word of it. He had been so used to treating everyone he summoned as family and friends. Mash was extremely closer than that but that didn't need much repetition. That confused Goredolf though since he was a mage taught by mages through and through.
The very incompatibility of their viewpoints actually convinced Goredolf that he was a great master… if only a mediocre mage. The influx of servants also made him change his mind since most of them actually were willing to get along with him even through his stubborn bullheadedness when they first started working together.
As Ritsuka kept reminiscing, the door swung open and five people entered. Well, five devils but that was nothing more than semantic bullshit. Ritsuka kept a professional look on his face since he was before important people… probably. He didn't actually know who anyone was in the context of this world. He knew Rias was important in some way. He knew Grayfia was the strongest Queen… but he didn't know if that was figurative like Akeno… or literal like the queens he knew. It was a tense standoff as Riser met his gaze once more.
This time he was smart and didn't attack. The group sauntered in as Zeoticus and Rias took seats next to Ritsuka while the Phenex siblings sat on the other side of the table Ruval specifically sat across from Ritsuka. The moment they locked eyesight with one another the entire atmosphere went cold. The tension kept going until the two finally stopped staring each other down.
"Let's get down to business then." Ruval spoke clapping his hands if to dissipate the mood that had settled amongst the group moments before.
"I disintegrated the offer. I will not sell my allies like that." Rias stated, conviction dripping from her lips.
"Understandable… but how about trading him. He is a member of your Peerage even if he doesn't have a piece within him. With that we'll agree to what I wrote down in my offer without any more words on the matter." Ruval offered clearly keeping the terms vague. Rias guessed that they never told Zeoticus what the terms were.
Riser grit his teeth in sheer anger. He clearly was coerced into something like this and the daggers he glared at Ritsuka, so long as their eyes didn't meet, matched the ferocity of his sneer. Rias thought more about it but she knew it was all for show. She wouldn't agree to anything… but Ritsuka had told her that he liked to gamble. The gears were turning. Ritsuka didn't say anything though he did seem a bit uncomfortable at this point whenever she glanced towards him. The Phenex girl was staring at him and it made her uncomfortable...
"I'm not convinced into doing that since we've already got a Ratings Game in play. I don't want a handout." Rias firmly stated clearly trying to slide the deal off the table.
The silence returned as Ruval seemed to examine Rias with more scrutiny. Riser leaned back clearly still pissed yet Ritsuka noticed how relieved he looked. Ravel pouted with her shifting glances between Rias and Ritsuka.
Zeoticus knew when negotiations were failing. This was a plane already crashed nose first into the ground. Even so, he didn't say a word. This was Rias deal and he was already told to stay out of it. Ravel and Riser seemed to only be here to officiate from his viewpoint meaning that this wasn't either of their ideas.
"Can you give us a few minutes? I think we need some time to figure out how to come to an agreement." Zeoticus finally stated which stopped the tension from rising any further.
With surprising speed he lifted Rias and Ritsuka up from the table and ushered them out into the hall. As the host of this agreement he decided to give the guests the ability to remain at the table.
"We'll be right back." Zeoticus offered a smile though even all the charisma in the world couldn't hide the exasperation evident in his tone.
"Riser…" Ruval started.
"Don't Riser me. I don't want to do that. I already talked to everyone beforehand and I sure as hell don't want to do that." Riser growled clearly pissed at the prospective deal that was trying to be brokered.
"We have to do something here. You know what's at stake. It's not like you can lose." Ruval offered but even he didn't sound so sure now.
"Maybe this isn't as good an idea as I thought." Ravel sighed. "I don't want to be the cause of this if that's where it's going."
"I'll take the blame. But if things don't go our way we have to follow through." Ruval mentioned rubbing the bridge of his nose as he tried to keep the stress headache from coming.
"We are basically putting our pride on the line for a human! What the fuck for even!? Just because of that small amount of information we got about him!" Riser yelled out slamming his fists on the table.
"It's a reputable source and we know it to be true. Haven't you noticed what happened to the Sitri heir? This is big and we need to be on top of it for future endeavors." Ruval roared out in an even tone causing Riser to sit back in his chair fuming like a child.
"Nii-sama… what if we don't win?" Ravel finally asked since this deal would affect her most of all.
"Then we follow through on their side and keep our endeavors and growth through their connections." Ruval offered since he was focusing on the bigger picture. He knew something bigger was coming from this and he was going to make sure that the Phenex family wasn't swept away into obscurity.
Meanwhile…
"Rias… sweetie… what are you doing?" Zeoticus wondered in the softest tones that could escape his frustrated maw.
"They are undermining me. Their deal would have me trade an ally like cattle when they are clearly not." Rias snapped back.
"Yeah! I'm at the very least a prime cut sort of cattle." Ritsuka offered which threw the tension off from the whole situation.
"What?" Both responded with a deadpan expression across their faces.
"Sorry. I wanted to be part of the conversation since it's all about me for some reason and didn't know how to break into it." Ritsuka apologized. As far as he could tell he at the very least stopped the father and daughter dynamic from falling into complete teenage rebellion. He didn't want to deal with something so tedious.
"Right… sorry about that Ritsuka. I should have involved you since it is a deal about you." Rias offered as she took a few deep breaths. She was still agitated.
"Young man… What do you want to do? I mean you are right that this is about you but we need to make a deal. It's the devil's way around here in some cases… the unfortunate side effect of being an old family. Traditions hound you even when you try to be progressive." Zeoticus muttered clearly annoyed as well.
"Make a gamble that will make them walk away? Trick them into making the field into something more advantageous for us? You'd have to raise the stakes so high just to make them walk away but I'm not sure if they are worth it. Depending on where we have these games I'm pretty sure I can take out more than half in one move. If I'm lucky, I'll add to that." Ritsuka summarized as he tilted his head back and forth.
Zeoticus stared at him. He wasn't sure if it was just boasting or him being truthful. His first instinct was to laugh at the stupidity of his comment. His experience when their eyes met made instinct reconsider the validity. Rias looked confident when he said that.
"Right… I can't help you in this Rias. Aside from being barred from involving myself, there's nothing we can really gamble with. You'd have to decide for yourself whether this is worth going this far for because we both know how determined they can be." Zeoticus offered before taking a deep breath. "I'm not joining you for the next bout. Make whatever deal you can in a way to give yourself an advantage. If I'm there I'll just get annoyed by whatever deal you make."
"Okay Daddy… I think I have an idea." Rias grumbled slightly. She quietly took Ritsuka aside whispering to him. Zeoticus was a bit put off but… now that he looked at this situation better, he could tell.
It was somewhat calming now that he knew the reason that Rias was willing to go this far for her mage ally… even if he didn't approve completely of what she wanted. He was also dreading having to speak with his wife and son about this.
Rias and Ritsuka reentered the room. Ruval, Ravel and Riser were all sitting silently seeming to be done contemplating things. As they sat down once again Ruval seemed ready to say something.
"I didn't think it would come to this but how about a wager then. A little bet on the outcome of this game?" Ruval offered. Riser tensed up slightly but otherwise kept his mouth shut.
"I'm listening." Rias mentioned.
"We both want something so the winner of the game gets the prize. No other offers on the table. No marriage either." Ruval mentioned.
"If you're really going this far then you have to offer something grander than that. Allow me to mention my counter offer." Rias began speaking which made the three sit up straighter. "We shall have this game. If you win then Ritsuka will be on your side and I shall marry Riser, no questions asked. If I win, Riser's Peerage shall be transferred over to Ritsuka and any talks of marriage shall be annulled and ignored."
"What the fuck is that!? Like hell I'll agree to that!" Riser immediately screamed, standing up in sheer rage.
"Uh… I need to stay human Rias." Ritsuka offered not wanting to go along with this plan.
"Riser sit down and shut up!" Ruval yelled, forcing the petulant brother to sit back down. Rias merely held two fingers over Ritsuka's lip signifying him to keep quiet.
"If this is that big to you then this is a fair wager to make over this, isn't it?" Rias smirked.
Ruval stared at Rias scrutinizing her as best he could. Ritsuka looked uncomfortable about the deal… It seemed genuine. Ravel peered back and forth between the two. This was becoming a bit too much…
"And the battlefield…?" Ruval growled.
"Like we first agreed, Kuoh Academy." Rias stated.
"Like hell! We aren't fighting on your terms!" Riser shot back fed up with how things were going. "We're making it as fair as possible. A hell field!"
Ritsuka smiled and seemed to start planning, which Ruval took notice of. He quickly forced him to sit back and shook his head.
"Ugh… if that's necessary. A flat field. Nothing but trees as cover." Rias sighed annoyed once more. Ritsuka frowned and was about to say something when Rias shook her head seemingly admonishing him.
"Agreed. Shake on it?" Ruval held his hand out which Rias took shaking it. "Good… glad we could get that settled. We'll be seeing you tomorrow. I'll be sure to explain this to Ajuka to get things ready."
Ruval led the two out of the room. Ravel seemed solemn in her steps while Riser was agitated beyond all belief. Rias took a deep breath and laid her head on the table. It had been an exhausting turn of events.
"I'm glad they bought that… I'm worried now though. These stakes are much higher than they should have been." Rias sulked as she turned to stare at Ritsuka.
"I did say you should have made the deal over me. At the very least it would get you out of that arrangement." Ritsuka patted her back. "I will win for you so that won't happen but this was a drastic step."
"I know it was… I thought he would back out immediately when I mentioned it. I didn't think he would agree. Though that was only taking account into Riser… not Ruval. Ruval is the head of his family now and his shrewdness is well known throughout the entirety of the underworld." Rias explained before sitting back up. "I hope you know I'm doing this to keep you on my side."
"I know… I'll pay you back anyway you want." Ritsuka mentioned just as quickly… not really paying attention to his words because the glare of a pretty girl had always made him nervous… once again conditioning from Kiyohime in the early years.
"You promise…?" Rias questioned looking deep into Ritsuka's eyes. Even with how intimidating his gaze was she was determined to keep their gaze locked.
"Yes. I always keep my promise as best I can." Ritsuka answered… not realizing that he fell into the same trap Akeno had put him into. The smile that lit up on Rias' face told him as much. Ritsuka placed his head into his hands when that realization hit him.
Rias giggled and kissed him on the cheek. She was glad her mage was aware of his fate already. Said mage was also annoyed that he wasted one of those fire resistance potions.
It was quiet. Ruval dismissed his siblings as he traveled elsewhere. He didn't want them to be anywhere near him when he had to go meet with his contact. Traveling off towards a quiet area within the Shinjuku area of the human world he found the club he needed to be at.
Walking in the bouncers avoided meeting with Ruval merely pointing towards a room off to the side. The blaring music became muddled as he entered the room. It was sickening.
"So how'd it go?" A kind… yet sniveling voice came from the desk.
"I disliked every moment of that." Ruval answered with a growl. "I'm beginning to doubt your information if that's what it cost me."
"Oh don't be like that. I've got my sources and they assured me that this particular human is a danger to all of the devil kind." The voice smiled his fake smile as he always did. "After all, if you think about it clearly, how did a human get Azazel on their side so easily? How did they get devils to enjoy their company? It's all a sick plot to destroy our way of life after all."
"So why didn't you act on it then!" Ruval snapped heating the room up. "I shouldn't be the one dealing with this bullshit Diodora!"
"Easy. Easy!" Diodora placated the angry Phenex. "It's a necessary step and I have every confidence in your family to handle this problem and deal with it easily."
"Easy for you to say. I'm taking a gamble on this because you managed to catch some exorcist fop who managed to fight this human and the whispers you managed to get out of Grigori members. If this goes pear shaped-" Ruval started.
"If this goes pear shaped it will have been your fault for acting on it. Not mine. I merely told you the information and gave you the idea on how to act on it. I never forced your forsaken hands from grasping at the fruit before you." Diodora sneered glaring down the Phenex leader with a baleful gaze. The two glared daggers at each other.
"I will burn you to cinders if this goes wrong, damn the consequences." Ruval promised. "Or maybe I'll hire that human you hate so much to kill you. It's obvious that he's more a merc than a mage after all."
"Indeed, I'm certain he'll agree to that." Diodora sneered. "Just remember my payment for the information. You may not like it but you are the one who agreed to the deal in the first place."
"Yeah yeah… the bishop that joined the Gremory Peerage." Ruval growled as he turned and left the room.
"Oh scary, scary! So scary indeed!" A cruel laughter escaped as Diodora's guest came out of the adjacent room.
"Quite. I mean it's not my fault that they're gullible as can be, isn't that so Freed?" Diodora chuckled as he turned to the new person in the room.
"Please. You were masterful in your play, even if I want to cut you to ribbons." Freed smirked though the empty threat still hung in the air.
"Don't do anything stupid." Another voice called out. "We're trying to restart a war and having you two think with their literal dick and metaphorical dick is taxing on the mind."
"Come now Kokabiel. Live a little. After all, we're planning a grand welcome for the death of everyone around us." Diodora gave off a kind smile as he said those words.
"Be that as it may, your idea of instigating bigger problems in your society is flawed. Even if you two see that human as prey for whatever sick games you have in mind he has nothing to do with anything supernatural as far as I've seen." Kokabiel scoffed at the two who looked insulted.
"He took my woman. There will be consequences for that." Diodora stated with a grim frown though his eyes remained closed.
"He lived. That's all the reason I need to kill him." Freed smirked as his tongue traced his lips in perverse pleasure.
"Whatever. So long as the war restarts then I'll stomach this little alliance of ours." Kokabiel grimaced, crossing his arms in abject disgust.
"Don't worry. When this is all over you can do whatever you want to those two devil princesses. After all… what is war without a little tragedy." Diodora giggled slightly. Kokabiel merely grinned at the thought as the three continued their plans in secret.
Riser had told his Peerage the news. They were saddened by it but they knew their place in Devil society all too well. Ravel had taken them away just to make certain that everyone was able to process this turn of events.
"I didn't want it to go this far but now I have more reason to win, don't I?" Riser asked his brother who returned just moments ago.
"It wouldn't have come to this if you didn't immediately say to father, 'her, she'll be my bride!'." Ruval answered as he nursed his head against his palm. He had started drinking early which was something he normally didn't do.
"It is the right of every member of our family to get what they want! What they deserve! I'm just taking what is mine." Riser announced in a strong regal tone. He didn't even feel the least bit worried about the games. "I shall be the winner as it is so written. With how weak their members are and the lack of training that Rias put them through, we shall come out victorious."
"That arrogance is bad for making decisions. If they win? What then?" Ruval stopped his next drink looking at his foolish younger brother.
"There's no way I can lose. They are nothing and that is the only thing I need to know." Riser stated, his confidence the one thing that seemed to carry him through life.
"I expect a win if you're saying that. If you lose then you'll be helping me with paperwork for the next couple of years." Ruval glibly answered, draining another glass of wine. It was the only thing that could ease his mind.
The constant cloak and dagger of the situation had made him suspicious but at the end of the day, he acted on it. If things did go wrong he would go and kill Diodora for it, even if it would cause problems later on. Though, as he thought on it, he was starting to think that using the human they all were fighting over or about was the better course of action. It didn't matter. Everything would be settled as soon as tomorrow came.
Ritsuka laid back on his bed. It had been a tense morning and he didn't like how things were handled. His involvement had suddenly gone from partial to completely involved. It didn't help that he was seeing that things had gone completely out of hand. He didn't think that the Phenex family would have agreed to something that stupid. He released a frustrated growl as he rubbed his hands down his face.
It didn't help that when everyone finished dinner they all went to bed almost immediately. No one seemed to be in the mood to talk since tomorrow was the day everything could change. Ritsuka remained on his bed staring up at the ceiling. The door opened and Rias came into the room… dressed far too scantily for comfort.
"Ritsuka… I- " Rias started only for him to cut her off.
"Lay down next to me and let's chat." Ritsuka muttered and Rias reluctantly did so… staring up at the ceiling as well.
"Did you know what I was going to do?" Rias sulked slightly since her plan was broken before it even began.
"No. I figured it out the moment you stepped into the room. Worried about tomorrow, aren't you?" Ritsuka wondered letting his hands rest behind his head.
"Isn't it obvious? Tomorrow I could wind up marrying someone even though I did this game just to get out of it. I'm absolutely terrified…" Rias trailed off as she turned to Ritsuka.
"We won't. You should know that already. I've already told you that we're going to win this." Ritsuka mentioned clearly not as worried as she was.
"How can you be so confident…? Riser is one of the strongest candidates within the entirety of hell with only two other devils reaching that level at mid tier." Rias muttered as she curled up trying to be as small as possible.
"I just know we are going to win." Ritsuka mentioned with that same resolute tone. "I take it you came to my room so that if we lose… he wouldn't win, right?"
"Yes…" Rias trailed off feeling ashamed of what she attempted.
"Come here." Ritsuka ushered her with his arm which she reluctantly went into. "I wouldn't mind doing what you want… kind of used to women having me do as they ask already…"
"From Chaldea?" Rias reluctantly asked… she knew the answer… but his tone showed some annoyance.
"Yeah. I get your reasoning and I would say yes in any other circumstance but your reason for doing so now… it would complicate things. If anything happened at this moment before we get rid of the baggage that's trapped to you, any relationship we had would be... unsatisfying." Ritsuka sighed as he rubbed his hand over her head petting her lightly as tears started falling down her cheeks.
"Sorry…" Rias muttered.
"It's not your fault. And I'm used to being shared already. The sad part of my life is just how normal it seems to me to have so many loved ones nowadays." Ritsuka muttered and his tone took a more somber tone.
"It's normal for you to be shared?" Rias looked up… her crying had slowed down considerably. There were still tear tracts but she wasn't sniffling anymore.
"I'd have to tell you about the circumstances of my world… can you handle it?" Ritsuka peered down and Rias nodded… reluctantly at that. "Okay… when I took my job in Chaldea… it was of course under suspicious circumstances. The reason for that is that in my world… before the year 2019… the world would come completely to an end. Chaldea only survived thanks to the magic that radiated from its location and the other machinery that ran the observatory. Humanity was left to only thirty people left alive on the entire planet."
Rias stared up at Ritsuka… he wasn't smiling or even joking about such a thing… it was unbelievable. The problem was that Ritsuka didn't lie. He could bluff and stretch the truth… but he never told any lies if he could help it. She had known when Sona mentioned Chaldea. Ritsuka had told her the truth but because of how she phrased her question… she got no answers.
"But…" Rias looked closer at him.
"Thanks to… a lot of work and some sacrifice along the way, humanity was saved. I had to fight the final beast with my bare hands and a shield. I didn't have the magic I have now at my disposal but with my actions… humanity was brought back from the brink and everything returned to some semblance of normal. For a time unfortunately…" Ritsuka trailed off.
"How… you…?" Rias tried to get the words out but they didn't really register with that sort of information suddenly coming up.
"Am I alive? Sane? I'm pretty sure the alive is because of those who've helped me along the way. As for sane… I'm afraid that sanity is overrated. I'm pretty sure I've been told that my mind is broken, to my face in fact. I'd like to think I'm still a little capable of keeping a strong facade at the very least." Ritsuka chuckled… mirthlessly, hollowly even. That same tiredness that sometimes entered his voice came out in full force.
"I think you're fine…" Rias muttered as Ritsuka pulled her in for a hug.
"Thanks. I do what I can for those I care about after all." Ritsuka exhaled, relief seemed to radiate off of him.
"Even me?" Rias timidly asked.
"Why wouldn't I?" Ritsuka asked genuinely curious now. Rias didn't answer merely shaking her head. She was smiling again… which was a positive thing at least. "When we win then I'll agree to what you want, Okay?"
"Yes…" Rias blushed and curled in closer to Ritsuka happy to have that comfort so close.
Ritsuka didn't say anything afterwards merely sleeping. His mind wandered back to Chaldea but he was doing what everyone else there did. He was being a hero in some way. Though his heroism was aimed at the smaller moments, getting someone to smile even for a moment was heroic enough for him.
The field was completed an hour before the match. Ajuka Beelzebub had done it with a certain flair since both sides had met in secret. Only the Satans knew about the deal going down, but only those within that room had known the contents of said deal.
Sirzechs and Grayfia has made certain to get the best room since apparently even his father and mother were going to attend. They were very worried about Rias, probably more than they were. The problem was that somehow… the day of the match had been spread around by someone making it a spectacle for every single devil family interested in the Gremory power to show up.
Sona Sitri, her Peerage, and Serafall had made it a point to show up offering support for her rival. That hadn't bothered him in the slightest since it was natural for those two to hide their friendship through rivalry. The problem came with the other members of the peanut gallery.
Diodora Astaroth had deigned to make an appearance which pissed Sirzechs off. The smug prick was at the top of his shit list with all the instigating he did against churches. None of his Peerage was with him… although he might have killed them… again. Why he was even in watching the match was beyond him, but whatever the reason was wasn't good.
Sairaorg Bael has shown up. While they were related through his mother, Sirzechs didn't know why he had shown up. Even his Peerage seemed confused since they were watching someone who wasn't ready to join the higher ranks, but had promise of a champion.
Seekvaira Agares has also shown up. The cold blonde woman merely sat nearby to watch the upcoming match. It was rare for her to actually show up in any capacity. She had also been in the running for champion hood.
The rest of the Phenex family showed up as well. Lord Phenex looked tired with all the political bullshit that was going on. From a mere glance, he probably knew what was at stake… unlike him. Sirzechs really wanted to know, but father had shut that down just as quickly.
They had all gathered just to watch one instance of the Ratings Game. Something was completely wrong. Sirzechs looked around at his… guests. The only one who made any motion of noticing his glance was Diodora. He smiled that fake smile and waved slightly.
Sirzechs was pissed off.
Azazel was glad to get a private room to watch the upcoming match. His curiosity was running wild as he kept Issei and three of his idiots with him to watch the upcoming match. They needed to know what they dodged. Dohnaseek had mysteriously gone missing which was a bit troublesome but nothing had turned up on him even with his intelligence network working throughout the clock.
He was glad that the deal made with Serafall went so well. She had wanted to know a bit about the mage who beat her adorable Sona-tan and he offered some dubious information to get her to agree to watch the match.
"Now kiddos, we're gonna see what that mage has been hiding. I'm sure you're chomping at the bit to see, right?" Azazel nudged Issei who was still sulking over his loss of the chance of a harem. The two bombshell Fallen hadn't even tried to give him the time of day.
"Yeah. I'll beat that bastard someday." Issei groaned, crossing his arms in defiance of how his life turned out.
Azazel didn't even comfort him on that. Even with the training Issei had done, his Sacred Gear hadn't even activated. Without that Issei would have found it impossible to gain more wings.
"Yeah, I'm sure you will." Raynare snarked as she growled out at the sight of the arena. It pissed her off that she was once again in the same position, a useless nobody that was only around Azazel because she was ultimately useless.
Kalawarner and Mittelt were much quieter. Neither wanted to draw Azazel's attention since their broken attempt at growing stronger. They knew that they were on thin ice already. A shining lance of light had already been hung above their faces and only saved by a human. It was humiliating enough to want to die.
"Oh come now Raynare-san. I can do it." Issei attempted to psych himself up.
"I will skewer you with a spear right now!" Raynare snapped as her glowering turned even harsher.
"Behave… or else." Azazel muttered leaving behind his usual persona to show the four who the boss was.
Raynare shrunk in on herself and Issei kept very quiet. None of them wanted to piss off Azazel.
Ritsuka woke up to a very constricting feeling. Rias had clung to him very tightly during the night. Her fears had been far too great for her to handle apparently. A slight nudge of her shoulder did wake her up… which made her apologize for the marks she left on him.
After leaving to get ready, Ritsuka installed Medea Lily and healed the marks. They slightly stung and he didn't need to feel uncomfortable for what was going to happen soon. After his shower he decided to wear the Atlas Academy uniform. The pinstripe shirt and vest combo with the cosmetic glasses seemed like a good choice for what he needed when he fought this time.
Admittedly, he could swap his clothes magically. They were all attached to him thanks to Da Vinci's meddling. Though he didn't usually use that function because it left his body feeling really weird and tingly. It wasn't even the good tingly either.
"Uh… that's a strange outfit." Koneko muttered as she came to get him.
"It will be useful. Are the glasses too much?" Ritsuka messed with the glasses a bit. Koneko blushed slightly.
"Not at all Senpai… everyone is waiting." Koneko turned away trotting down the stairs. Ritsuka quickly chased after her making certain his glasses kept in place.
When every female saw Ritsuka they got real quiet. Looking at them made them blush and turn away. The glasses were probably too much then. Still they were part of the outfit and it fit with his look for the day.
"Today's the day." Rias sighed, breathing in and out. She was nervous.
"It'll be fine Rias-san. We have this done and we're as prepared as we can be given the circumstances." Akeno assured her King. It wasn't that convincing but any comment could be seen as comforting.
"I'll do my best." Asia piped up clearly still worried about what was going to happen. She was wearing her nun outfit.
"Pumped up here." Koneko clenched her fist ready to punch things.
"I'll make sure to hold the line." Kiba bowed slightly acting as knightly as possible. Everyone looked to Ritsuka.
"Ah me… I don't have much to say. So… before we go, here you go." Ritsuka chuckled as he pulled out six bottles. "This is a fire resistance potion. It tastes horrible but for the next twenty four hours you'll be free from flames and their effects."
Everyone took one look at the bottle and reluctantly drank the contents. They all grimaced and cringed at the taste while Ritsuka drank his own. He looked just as uncomfortable as everyone else.
"I will never grow used to that and that means I have two left." Ritsuka gagged slightly making his entire body shiver from the taste.
"Is that normal…?" Asia mentioned.
"Unfortunately." Ritsuka replied… letting his own sigh out.
A magic glyph appeared on the ground and Grayfia stepped out of the light. She looked over the entire group and for a moment Ritsuka noticed the pity she held on her face. It disappeared before Rias could notice.
"Are you ready to head out then? Everything has been prepared and once we enter… you'll be getting ready to combat them. Rules are simple. Should the King be taken out the game ends. If you corner the king into checkmate, the game ends. As for the special rule… Ritsuka Fujimaru, since you do not have an evil piece within you, should you die… you will die. Do you agree with this?" Grayfia stared down Ritsuka who merely smiled.
"I'm here aren't I?" Ritsuka answered with a question.
"Fair enough, should you die then as per the deal you made, you will be made into a devil. Agreed?" Grayfia appended to the end of her statement.
"Yup… but I'm not going to die." Ritsuka mentioned keeping that same devil-may-care smile on his face. Grayfia couldn't tell whether it was bravado or foolishness. When he became a devil, regardless of for whom, she would teach him not to be so flippant.
"Once you step into the circle you will be transported to your side of the field. Wait for the announcer and when they give the signal the game shall begin. If you please." Grayfia stepped aside ushering the group into the circle.
Ritsuka was the last one… he quietly equipped two craft essences and walked into the portal. In a flash of light, the manor was empty once more. And the beginning of the Ratings Game came to a head.