Chapter 115 - It Looks Like You've All Been Completely Taken In By Mahiro!
"Well, what did you say? You found that human?"
Riser was momentarily stunned by Isabela's report, then burst into laughter.
"Riser-sama, as soon as the game began, we got some good news," Yubelluna said with a grin.
"That human was completely clueless, swaggering across the playground like we wouldn't notice," Riser snorted.
"This is perfect. A Rating Game like this, with no suspense, should be over fast. Spending too much time on a human would just be embarrassing," Yubelluna added.
"You're right," Riser nodded. "Go to the playground and deal with that human as fast as possible."
"Yes, Riser-sama," the peerage members who stayed in the office replied before rushing toward the playground.
After a moment, only Riser and Yubelluna remained in the office.
"Riser-sama, that human revealed his location way too easily. I still think we should be careful," Yubelluna suggested after everyone had left. "I'll go check it out. If something happens, I'll handle it."
Riser paused for a second, then nodded. "Your instincts are always on point. Let's do it your way."
Meanwhile, at Kuoh Academy's Student Council…
"Rias, what the hell is Mahiro planning? Right now, hiding and taking out Riser's peerage one by one would be the smartest move," Sona said, frowning at the display on the screen.
From her perspective, if she were in Mahiro's position—facing a whole peerage alone—the best strategy would be to pick them off one by one.
That's how a normal person would think.
But Mahiro did the exact opposite.
Not only did he refuse to hide, but he straight-up exposed his position, like he was waiting for the enemy to gang up on him.
"Just wait, Sona. Mahiro-kun is going to surprise you," Rias said with a knowing smirk, aware of Sona's doubts.
'Because Mahiro couldn't be judge with common sense.'
.
.
"I don't know where your confidence comes from. Is it that secret you mentioned?" Sona sighed.
"You'll see soon enough," Rias replied confidently, not offering an explanation.
"Mahiro-kun won't lose. Trust me," Akeno said, her eyes glued to the screen.
"Yeah, he's definitely going to win," Koneko said, clenching her fist.
"Mahiro-san will win for sure," Yuuto added with a calm smile.
"It looks like you've all been completely taken in by Mahiro. Now I'm really curious—what's so special about this guy?" Sona remarked. With everyone around her so confident, even Sona was starting to second-guess herself.
She couldn't help but wonder what kind of power Mahiro had that made Rias and her peerage so...
Meanwhile, Saji was on the verge of tears. He desperately wanted to stop Sona from getting curious about another boy.
***
"Mahiro, it's too late for you to run. Soon, you won't be able to escape even if you want to," Ravel said to Mahiro, frustrated.
"You talk too much. Maybe you should worry about comforting your brother later," Mahiro said, unfazed.
"Or maybe, I'll send you out first."
"You've got some nerve!" Ravel snapped.
"Ravel-sama isn't a fighter. She's a non-combatant, so you can't target her," Isabela reminded him.
Mahiro snorted. "Non-combatant" was just a title. If it came down to it, he'd take her out too.
"Isabela, lucky break finding that Human's location so fast," a voice called out. Moments later, nine figures showed up, quickly surrounding Mahiro on the playground.
"Oh look, roasted chicken didn't even show up," Mahiro mocked, noticing two of them were missing. "Pathetic. I'm standing right here, and he still won't come out."
"Don't insult Riser-sama!"
"We don't need Riser-sama to handle you!"
"We'll take care of you ourselves..."
Mahiro's words immediately pissed off Riser's peerage.
"No matter. Once I finish you all off, he'll come out," Mahiro said, raising his hand.
A weapon appeared in his grip. The blade, clear as crystal, sparkled like a snowflake. Even at a glance, it was obvious this sword wasn't normal.
"Be careful; it could be a Sacred Gear," Isabela warned, eyeing the weapon cautiously.
"Are you a master swordsman?"
Karlamine, one of Riser's knights, decked out in dark gray armor with a white cloth around her head, asked eagerly, her eyes lighting up when she saw the sword.
"Can I ask for a one-on-one duel?"
"Really, Karlamine?!" Ravel sighed, rubbing her forehead.
"All you think about is swords. Now is not the time!"
"I'm not interested in wasting time with trash. All of you can get out of the game now," Mahiro said softly. He spun the blade and whispered,
"Sit Upon the Frozen Heavens, Hyōrinmaru."
The words felt like a faint incantation.
This was the Shikai of Hyōrinmaru.
Instantly, an incredibly cold aura flooded the area, covering the entire playground.
"What's happening?"
"Why is it getting dark?"
"It's freezing!"
Riser's peerage was caught off guard by the sudden shift in the atmosphere.
The playground, now blanketed by a distorted light curtain, was swallowed by darkness that spread throughout. In the void, crystalline snowflakes started to fall from the sky.
"Snow?"
A cat-eared girl reached out curiously to catch a snowflake.
"Don't touch it!" one of the girls yelled in alarm.
But it was too late.
The moment the snowflake touched the cat-eared girl, an explosion of power erupted from within it.
The extreme cold instantly froze the girl, turning her into an ice sculpture.
"One pawn from Riser-sama's side, eliminated from the arena," Grayfia's voice echoed as the frozen figure shattered into particles of light, transported out of the Rating Game space.
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