Chapter 102 - Rias: Don't Talk Nonsense!
As soon as the words left his mouth, Riser was stunned for a moment. He looked at Mahiro in disbelief before bursting into laughter, like he just heard the most ridiculous thing ever.
"What did you say? Afraid of accidentally killing me?"
Riser sneered at Mahiro.
"What a clueless human."
"How dare you say such bullshit?"
"Kill me? How dumb do you have to be to believe that?"
"Maybe he's just trying to impress the girls--it's fucking pathetic."
"Humans are even more ridiculous than I thought!"
Riser's peerage members chimed in, their voices dripping with contempt as they looked down on Mahiro, muttering insults under their breath.
Riser smirked and turned to Rias.
"Rias, I thought that even if you were desperate to get rid of me, you'd at least pick someone who isn't a total joke."
Riser shook his head, looking like he couldn't stand the sight, then laughed so hard he nearly doubled over, the whole thing clearly exaggerated.
"But this... Hahahaha!"
"No, seriously, I was wrong. I should've known--Rias, your family is messed up, and the guy you picked is just as bad."
Riser abruptly stopped laughing and shot a cold look at Mahiro. "You two really have no fucking clue about anything."
Riser looked way too pleased with himself as he kept going:
"I haven't heard something this stupid in a long time."
"Human, when it comes to talking nonsense, you're a natural! You've got a talent for being a clown!"
"But Rias, using this loser to try and break off our engagement? That's not just insulting to me; it's dragging the Gremory name through the mud. I can almost hear the Gremory Clan crying in shame!"
Riser waved his hand dramatically. "Killing someone like you would be a waste of my time and an insult to the Phenex Clan."
But despite his words, the murderous intent in Riser's eyes didn't fade.
"Riser, that's enough. You don't get to talk nonsense about Mahiro-kun. In my eyes, he's a hundred times better than you!"
Rias glared at Riser. "Besides, he wouldn't say something like that unless he meant it."
"Rias, this joke has gone on long enough. I've heard more than enough crap today. If I listen to any more, it's just going to piss me off."
Riser brushed off her words, convinced Rias was just trying to mess with him.
"No wonder Rias wants nothing to do with you. With that attitude, you don't deserve her."
Mahiro sneered and said casually, "You're just the third son of a marquis. How the hell do you think you can marry Rias, hoping to ride her coattails and become a Duke? You've been turned down over and over, but you still shamelessly call yourself her fiancé. Who's the one lacking self-awareness here?"
"Oh, let's not call it self-awareness. Let's just say you've got a thick skin. Rias is the future Duchess and the heir to the Gremory Clan. Marrying her would be the best thing that ever happened to you. That's why the third son of the Phenex Clan is stooping so low to chase after Rias."
I didn't plan to piss him off this much... but if Riser wants to be provoked, I'll go ahead and do it.
"What the fuck did you just say?!"
"Marrying Rias?"
"No self-awareness?"
"The third son of a marquis?"
Every word was like a punch to Riser's pride, smashing his dignity to pieces.
It made him burn with rage.
Because even though there were some inaccuracies in Mahiro's words, from most people's perspective, they weren't entirely wrong.
"Before you showed up, it seems you didn't bother to check me out properly," Mahiro said with a mocking tone.
"Just a lowly human--why would I bother?" Riser spat, full of disdain.
To a devil, humans were weak.
And Riser was a noble and a fully grown High-Class Devil. Why would he need to be cautious around a human?
There was no need!
In Riser's plan, all he had to do was come to the human world and kill this guy who dared to mess with the Phenex Clan's name.
As for the human's strength or background?
Didn't matter.
He was sure that as a devil, he was more than enough to deal with it.
"So, even though you call yourself a phoenix, in the end, you're just a beast acting on instinct."
Mahiro's words were cutting, no mercy.
"Human, you've seriously pissed me off!"
Riser's face darkened, anger dripping from his voice. How dare this lowly human compare a phoenix to a mere beast?
"Weren't you already pissed off?"
Mahiro blinked, looking at Riser with amusement.
Riser was momentarily speechless.
"Seems I need to reevaluate your so-called nobility. You can't even get truly angry--you're just spitting fire."
Mahiro's mock-serious tone nearly pushed Riser over the edge.
How could Riser not realize that this human was just fucking with him?
"My lord, you didn't come here to argue with a human over meaningless words."
A blonde girl in a pink gothic outfit interrupted, reminding him why he was there.
Riser shot Mahiro a venomous glare, then took a deep breath to calm himself before continuing. "Human, being good with words won't save you."
"Since you dared to touch my fiancée, you're going to pay for it."
"So, are you absolutely sure what I said was just bullshit?"
Mahiro smiled, glancing casually at Riser.
Hearing this, Riser hesitated.
To be honest, he knew a bit about Mahiro.
After all, the guy had taken his fiancée--it was impossible not to know anything about him.
But his understanding was minimal.
Mahiro had been with Rias for a while now.
Apart from the New Satan Faction's intel network, the other clans' intel couldn't provide accurate information about Mahiro, only surface-level stuff.
The intel Riser had made Mahiro seem like just another ordinary human, someone with no real threat.
But now, after this face-to-face encounter, even if it was just a verbal exchange, Riser started to doubt that.
The guy was way too calm.
And if Mahiro really was just what the intel said, Riser figured he would've crushed him without a second thought.
Rias was someone with high standards--how could she fall for someone so ordinary, so beneath her?
So, was there actually something special about this human?
The thought crossed Riser's mind, making him reconsider, a cautious look flashing in his eyes.
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