Chapter 120 - Ravel: Goodbye, Mahiro-sama!
[Congratulations to the host, the main quest: Rias's Engagement has been completed. Rewards are being distributed, please check.]
[Obtained, 2X Lottery Draw]
With Riser's defeat, the system's prompt rang out.
'The quest didn't finish at the end of the rating game, but when I revealed my identity as the Red Dragon Emperor?'
Mahiro raised an eyebrow and thought to himself.
The quest given by the system wasn't just about defeating Riser. It also required the approval of everyone.
Riser's earlier words held some truth. Rias's engagement had indeed been arranged by her father. However, as the heir of the Gremory Clan, decisions about her marriage couldn't be made solely by her father. After all, it concerned the future of the Gremory Clan itself.
This engagement was a negotiation between clans.
Rias had hinted at this before, and Mahiro had picked up on it. Comparing that with the system's quest, he had deliberately refrained from using boosted gear or its balance breaker.
After all, being the Red Dragon Emperor alone wasn't enough. Previous Red Dragon Emperors had varied in strength.
Mahiro needed to show not just that he was a Red Dragon Emperor, but one with unlimited potential, who had already matured. Even without relying on his boosted gear, he needed to prove his overwhelming strength.
Only then would the old devils in the Underworld take notice, maybe even fear him. After all, unlike Hyoudou Issei, Mahiro was human, not a Devil.
While Mahiro didn't have the restrictions of being a reincarnated Devil like Issei, he also didn't have the convenience of that status.
As a human, intervening in Rias' engagement required not just power, but exceptional excellence to silence any opposition.
Now that the quest was completed, it meant there were no more obstacles from the Underworld.
"Everyone, now that the rating game is over, we will begin teleporting you back to your original locations," Grayfia announced.
As she spoke, magic circles appeared at the feet of the three contestants.
"Thank you for sparing my brother..."
Ravel looked at Mahiro with grateful eyes and whispered, "And thank you for revealing your identity as the Red Dragon Emperor."
Mahiro nodded, understanding why Ravel was thankful.
"Goodbye, Mahiro-sama," Ravel blushed slightly as she said her farewell.
Meanwhile, Riser, supported by Ravel, looked between his sister and Mahiro with a face that twisted as though he'd just swallowed something bitter.
Mahiro glanced at him lightly, and Riser quickly averted his gaze, shrinking in fear and anxiously urging the magic circle to proceed faster.
Mahiro thought to himself.
'Did I mess Riser too deeply this time?'
In the anime, Riser was beaten by Hyoudou Issei, but this... seemed more serious.
Actually, there wasn't much choice.
Riser had likely never experienced real pain before. His ability immortality had always negated most damage.
Mahiro's attack had been the first time Riser had ever truly been injured.
Who could have known that Mahiro's blow would be so fierce, nearly turning the immortal Phenex into a "dead bird"?
It left Riser with a psychological blow. From now on, whenever he saw anyone wielding a sword, he'd probably remember today's encounter.
"Children raised in houses need to face reality sometimes," Mahiro said with a mischievous smile, nearly causing Riser to bolt out of the magic circle. Ravel had to hold him back.
In a burst of light, the three were teleported out of the rating game space.
Underworld, Gremory Territory
"It seems your daughter has chosen a fine man."
A middle-aged Devil, who appeared to be in his thirties or forties, withdrew his gaze from the screen, which had been displaying the battle between Mahiro and Riser.
"I'm deeply sorry, Lord Phenex. This disturbance, caused by my daughter's willfulness, has damaged the reputation of the Phenex Clan. We, the Gremory, will do our best to make up for it," Zeoticus Gremory aka Lord Gremory apologized, though inwardly he was filled with joy.
He had been skeptical of Mahiro at first--just a mere human with his daughter. But now, he was fully satisfied.
As an old devil, he had lived through the era of many Red Dragon Emperors. The strongest among them were feared even by the Satans.
And Mahiro, already showing signs of becoming one of the most powerful Red Dragon Emperor, was more than worthy of his daughter.
Most importantly, Rias didn't object to the match now.
"No, the fault lies with my incompetent son for not being worthy of her. In fact, I was already prepared for what happened today."
When two families marry, it's crucial to understand the characters of the people involved. Lord Phenex had long known about Rias' strong will.
Lord Phenex smiled, shaking his head. "My Son has had a smooth life, never facing hardship, which has led to some unfortunate traits. This defeat might teach him a valuable lesson."
"Oh, I apologize once more."
"This is merely a conflict between children and won't affect the longstanding friendship between our families."
Lord Phenex nodded and stood, a magic circle forming beneath him. "I'll take my leave now."
"By the way, please thank the Red Dragon Emperor for me. This time, we owe him a big favor."
Before departing, he added this with a hint of gratitude.
From the Phenex Clan's perspective, Mahiro had already won after defeating Riser. He didn't need to reveal his identity as the Red Dragon Emperor at all. He could have waited until negotiations with the Gremory.
But if he had done that, the Phenex Clan's reputation would have been severely damaged.
However, by revealing his identity publicly, Mahiro saved them.
Losing to the Red Dragon Emperor wasn't shameful.
In fact, one day in the future, when Riser said, "I was defeated by the Red Dragon Emperor," it wouldn't be a humiliation, but a badge of honor.
Mahiro's final move had minimized the damage to their reputation and could even enhance it in the future.
"I'll be sure to pass on the message," Zeoticus replied with a smile.
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