Volume 3 Chapter 101 - Riser Phenex
"I've come for you, my dear Rias." The gaudy man approached Rias in a very casual manner. He then put his arm over Rias' shoulders and continued speaking, "The date's also been decided. The sooner the better, I say."
Rias immediately shook him off and exclaimed, "Get off me! Riser."
"Oh… Hahaha, your so easily flustered Rias." The man Rias called Riser just laughed at her reaction.
Watching all of these happening in front of him, Issei didn't like it and he confronted the newcomer, "Hey! You! Stop being rude to Buchou! I mean what kind of guy treats a lady like that!?"
Riser transferred his attention to Issei and glared at him, "Huh? Who the heck are you?"
"I'm Hyoudou Issei, a 'Pawn' serving under Rias Gremory-sama!" Issei introduced himself with great vigor.
"Hooh… Is that right." But Riser just replied to him with a deadpan expression. His interest in Issei disappeared.
Issei also didn't like that so he asks, "Who are you, anyway!?"
"Tch." After clicking his tongue, he faced Rias, "Huh? You haven't told your servants about me, Rias? I mean, is there anyone who doesn't know who I am? Or did you revive this one?"
"I didn't tell them because there is no need! Hmmph!" Rias snorted at his words.
"Oh dear… As hard on me as ever huh… ha-ha-ha…" Riser was pissed at her attitude but he didn't show it and it's pretty obvious that his laugh is fake.
Grayfia noticed that every member of Rias' peerage except for Akeno are confused at the appearance of the man, so he introduced him instead of Rias, "This is Riser Phenex-sama. He is a High-Class pure-blooded Devil and the third son of the venerable house of Phenex. And… He is to be groom to the heir of the Gremory House."
Issei didn't quite get her words so he confirmed again, "Huh? Groom? Isn't Buchou the heir of the Gremory Household?"
"Yes. He is engaged to lady Rias." Grayfia changed her words for Issei to easier to understand it.
" " "EHHH!?" " " Except for Akeno and Koneko, the three remaining members reacted the same to the revelation.
Rias looked away as she didn't really want to acknowledge it, but Riser continued to pester her, "Enough! Riser, I've already said, I won't marry you!"
Riser didn't immediately retort to her, he walked over the sofa and sat down, "But isn't your family already at their wits' end over this?" Grayfia prepared a cup of tea for him and set it down on the table in front of him.
"They worry too much! As the successor, I should be free to choose my own husband!" Rias won't back down as her future is in line, "They are all in such a hurry. I was promised freedom up until the time I began college in the Human world." She muttered as she shot a glace to Grayfia, but she ignored it.
Riser picked up the cup of tea and smelled it for a bit before speaking, "Sirzechs and your parents are worried about the survival of your family line. We lost many purebloods in the three-way war between God, Fallen Angels, and Devils. And several houses were driven to extinction."
Rias paused for a bit and took a sip of his tea before continuing, "Haah… So it's only natural for the name-bearing purebloods to join together to preserve our house and bloodlines, no? Surely you understand why children born to High-Class purebloods are so valuable.
"Revived Devils just like your servants have been filling the ranks as of late, but that hardly does anything to strengthen the positions of our esteemed pureblood families. New blood is good, but we can't very well allow the pureblood to all die off, can we?
"Your brother Sirzechs-sama already left your house, that leaves you, Rias, the only successor of the Gremory Household. As more of so-called 'Seventy-two Pillars' fall, you must see that the future of all Devils is tied to our impending marriage." Riser then stopped speaking and continued to enjoy his tea.
Issei almost knew nothing so he asks Yuuto who is beside him, " 'Seventy-Two Pillars' What are those?"
Yuuto looked at him and answered, "Long ago, There were seventy-two rank-holding clans that prided themselves on their power, but most were eradicated during the three-way war. The distinguished house of Gremory and Phenex are two of the small number that survived."
Issei touched his chin, looking worried, "I got pissed when I heard about this engagement, but it looks like the situation in the Underworld is pretty complex…"
Rias stayed silent for a while before speaking, "I won't let my house fall to ruin. I plan to bring a son-in-law into the fold eventually."
Riser like what she said and he stood up, approached her again and pointed to himself all confident, "Well then, marry m-"
But before he could finish his words, Rias snorted at him and said, "But I won't marry you. The one I'll marry will be of my own choosing. As a member of a reputable family, I have at least that much right." She then turned her back to him.
This angered Riser greatly who is already prideful, "Tch, I too bear the reputation of House Phenex… I won't have it sullied." Riser's aura suddenly flared up and Rias was forced to look at him again with a furrowed brows, "Though I came all this way just to meet with you, I don't much care for the Human world…"
Wings of flames sprouted from his back generating unbearable heat, "The wind and flame of this realm are foul! To a Devil who commands wind and flame, it's intolerable! I will take you back to the Devil Realm, even if I have to incinerate every last one of your servants."
From the side, Asia cowered behind Issei and commented, "Those flames… just a touch, and we'd be burned to ashes…"
Rias faced him and didn't back down from his threat, "Just try it, if you think you can, Riser."
Grayfia, who's been silently watching all of this unfold flared up her Demonic Power putting pressure on all those present in the room, "Milady, Riser-sama, please calm yourselves. I will not be able to stand by idly should you take this any further. And for the sake of Sirzechs-sama's honor, I would not hold back." She then glared at both of them.
Riser and Rias stopped what they are doing as they felt her seriousness in those words. They didn't want to take on the one who is known as the so-called 'Strongest Queen'. Riser took back his wings and Rias stepped back a bit to calm herself.
Riser is about to speak again and he was interrupted by a cup of tea hitting its plater strangely resounded throughout the room and was followed by the voice of a young man full of casualness who shouldn't be in the room, "Whew… That was scary. I almost spat out my tea…"
Everyone looked over in shock, except for a certain white-haired little girl, to where the voice came from and the young man continued speaking, "Oh hey, good day to all of you and I'm sorry for intruding. I know it's not my right to speak, but I have a suggestion. How about you do this Rating Game of yours that I hear so much about to resolve your issue?"
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