Chapter 104 - Rating Game
The silver magic circle appeared slowly, giving off a bright light that caught everyone's attention in ORC.
The tense, hostile atmosphere eased up as everyone's eyes locked onto the familiar magic circle. Mahiro narrowed his eyes, recognizing the color and pattern--this was the same magic circle Grayfia used last night.
A figure wrapped in light stepped out from the magic circle, and as the light faded, the silver-haired maid, Grayfia, was revealed.
After she appeared, she gave a small nod, bowed to everyone, and then spoke to Riser, "Riser-sama, I didn't expect you to be here so early."
"The Queen of Lucifer-sama, huh? What brings you here? You got any advice for us?" Riser asked, his tone light but with a serious edge, fully aware of the power this maid held in the Gremory Clan.
"I wouldn't dare give advice," Grayfia replied, shaking her head.
"Then what's your deal? Is the Gremory Clan planning to butt in?" Riser asked, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.
"No, the Gremory Clan and the Phenex Clan have agreed not to interfere too much. This will be settled between the ones involved," Grayfia explained.
"Hahaha, that's how it should be," Riser laughed.
Honestly, if the Gremory Clan had decided to interfere, Riser wouldn't feel so confident. But hearing this from Grayfia? His worries faded.
And about the matter at hand? He wasn't sweating it. He knew Rias didn't stand a chance.
"Then why are you here, Grayfia?" Rias asked, confused.
"I'm here to deliver a message from Sirzechs-sama and Zeoticus-sama," Grayfia replied.
"Advice from my brother and father? What is it?" Rias asked.
"Actually, Sirzechs-sama and Zeoticus-sama expected something like this, so they made a plan," Grayfia told her.
"So they knew I'd get stuck in this mess? How much more are they going to mess with my life?" Rias laughed bitterly.
"Given your situation with the engagement, they thought it was best to come up with a solution," Grayfia said calmly.
"And what's this plan?" Rias asked, sounding disappointed.
"I'm also curious what plan Satan Lucifer and His Highness Duke came up with," Riser added.
"They suggest settling this through a Rating Game," Grayfia said, looking at both Rias and Riser.
"How do you two feel about that?"
Rating Games were a big deal among Devils, based on the evil pieces. With the rise of the new satan faction, these games had become way more important. They weren't just for entertainment anymore; they held political weight now.
Lots of disputes got settled with Rating Games.
People set their terms before the game, and if they won, those terms were fulfilled.
"A Rating Game? I'm down with that, but doesn't Rias lack the pieces to even compete? How is that fair?" Riser asked.
Honestly, this worked out perfectly for him. The Rating Game was his specialty.
"A Rating Game? My brother and father really think they're smart," Rias said with a bitter laugh.
"This is the best solution for the situation. Plus, since Lucifer-sama is backing it, it's legit," Grayfia said, throwing in Lucifer's title for extra weight.
"I agree. Let's do this through a Rating Game," Riser nodded. He'd been on edge since Grayfia showed up, trying to keep himself in check.
"Then it's decided--we'll settle this with a Rating Game," Rias said, her frustration shifting to determination. "Riser, I will defeat you."
"Yeah, right... I'd love to see that," Riser smirked. "But Rias, your luck is trash! Hahaha! You can't even get a full set of pieces together--do you seriously think you can beat me?"
In terms of raw power and the number of peerage members, Rias didn't even come close to Riser.
Riser saw this as Gremory throwing him a bone, a way to save face.
A girl who couldn't even get her pieces in line, whose strength was laughable, and who barely knew how to fight--how could she hope to challenge veteran like him?
The answer? She couldn't.
"But before I take you on in the Rating Game, I've got to deal with this human who stained the Phenex Clan's honor!" Riser declared, turning his killing intent toward Mahiro.
"Riser, didn't you agree to settle this through a Rating Game? Why are you still going after Mahiro?" Rias asked.
"These are two different issues," Riser grinned.
"Yeah, I agreed to settle the engagement with a Rating Game. I never said I'd let this human off the hook," Riser continued casually.
Rias had hoped to solve both problems, but Riser wasn't playing along.
"My brother, slow as he usually is, finally figured out how to think," Ravel chuckled, covering her mouth.
"Queen of Lucifer-sama, my engagement with Rias hasn't been officially canceled yet, has it?" Riser asked Grayfia.
"No, Riser-sama, it's still in place," Grayfia confirmed.
"Rias, since you've chosen to spare this human through a Rating Game, our engagement is still intact," Riser said.
"Riser, what the hell are you planning?" Rias demanded, shaking with anger.
"Even though you're no longer... pure, I'm willing to take a bit of a loss and continue with the marriage contract. After all, our engagement is about keeping the Devil bloodline going. As long as you gave birth to an excellent heir, I don't care what you do in your free time," Riser said with a wicked smile.
"Riser, you're disgusting!" Rias spat, her face turning red in anger.
"Only someone with a brain fried by flames could come up with such a third-rate scheme. You must be proud," Mahiro sighed.
"You... You can run your mouth all you want, but it won't last," Riser shot back, barely keeping his temper in check.
"So, all this is just because you want to deal with me?" Mahiro asked.
"Do you think someone who trashes the Phenex Clan's dignity will get off easy?" Riser replied, indirectly admitting it.
Riser had no clue how strong Mahiro was. Plus, Rias still had some unused evil pieces. If she reincarnated Mahiro, he could join the Rating Game.
Letting a wild card like Mahiro participate was too risky.
If Riser lost, his reputation would be ruined.
Even if the chances of that happening were slim, he wasn't willing to take the risk.
This was a game Riser had to win.
Riser didn't want Rias and Mahiro teaming up against him.
So, he decided to force Mahiro into a one-on-one fight.
"Actually, that's exactly what I want," Mahiro said. "This is between men. If I relied on Rias, I'd feel like a coward. We should settle this ourselves."
"Miss, can I take Rias's place and fight this roasted chicken in the Rating Game?" Mahiro asked Grayfia.
"Mahiro-kun!"
Rias immediately grabbed Mahiro's hand, trying to stop him.
Even though she hated Riser, she couldn't deny his power--he was way stronger than her.
"It's fine. I got this," Mahiro reassured her.
Riser's eyes lit up--this was exactly what he wanted, a straight-up fight with Mahiro.
"There's no precedent for this, but given the situation, it should be possible. I'll need to ask both parties," Grayfia said, turning to Riser. "Riser-sama, what do you think?"
"Normally, a human wouldn't be allowed in Rating Game, but I'll be generous and let it slide." Riser said, acting all high and mighty.
Originally, Riser had been thinking about a one-on-one with Mahiro.
Now, things were turning out even better than he thought.
In a direct duel, he was eighty percent sure he could beat Mahiro. But in a Rating Game? His chances went up to hundred.
Mahiro had requested to join the Rating Game, so why should Riser refuse?
"It seems both sides agree, so it's decided," Grayfia said. "The Rating Game will be between the two of you."
"As for the time, you can discuss that."
"I don't mind. Giving you a few days to prepare is a mercy from my noble self," Riser said.
"I'm not wasting time on a beast. Let's get this over with as soon as possible," Mahiro replied.
"How about eight o'clock tonight? The location will be Kuoh Academy. You can use the time during the day to prepare for the Rating Game," Grayfia suggested.
"Agreed," both Mahiro and Riser responded without hesitation.
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