Chapter 99 - Riser Phenex
"Alright, I'll take my leave."
Standing in the magic circle, Grayfia gave Mahiro a slight nod before the silver-white light engulfed her, and she vanished from the living room.
After she left, Mahiro just shrugged. He wasn't worried about the Phenex Clan's so-called revenge.
What were they going to do? Throw some attacks and maybe a fight or two? The worst-case scenario was a showdown with Riser Phenex.
For Mahiro, that was just a minor inconvenience.
With the living room now empty, Mahiro opened the door to his room and stepped in.
Inside, Rias was pacing back and forth, her face full of anxiety as she occasionally glanced toward the living room.
But since Grayfia had put up a soundproof barrier earlier, Rias couldn't hear anything, leaving her on edge.
"Mahiro-kun, how did it go?"
The moment she saw Mahiro, Rias rushed over and asked, "Grayfia didn't give you any threats, did she?"
"Nah, she was surprisingly easy to deal with," Mahiro replied with a smirk, shaking his head.
"Easy to deal with…?"
Rias looked at him like he'd just said something insane.
This was the first time she'd ever heard anyone describe Grayfia like that.
Grayfia was known in the Underworld as the Silver-Haired Queen of Annihilation. She was strong enough to go toe-to-toe with the current female Satan, Leviathan.
Even the Satans gave her respect.
Plus, considering how pissed she was about Rias's relationship with Mahiro, Rias was pretty sure Grayfia wasn't happy.
And yet, Mahiro called her "easy to deal with"?
Rias's first thought was that something was off.
"Mahiro-kun, did Grayfia threaten you?" Rias asked, grabbing Mahiro's hand, clearly worried.
Mahiro couldn't help but laugh. He hadn't expected Rias to jump to that conclusion.
"No, you're overthinking it," Mahiro said, shaking his head.
"I just talked with her about what's next. After that, she left. You were the one stressing out too much, Rias."
Mahiro playfully flicked Rias's forehead with a grin.
Rias blushed a little as she rubbed her forehead, but it seemed to ease her worries.
"Well, that's a relief," Rias sighed, looking more relaxed. "This time, no matter how much my father pushes the whole marriage thing with Riser, it's not happening."
The anxiety that had been hanging over Rias for the past few days was gone, and she seemed a lot more at ease.
"Thanks a ton, Mahiro-kun," Rias said, hugging Mahiro. Then she teased, "Isn't it natural for a girl to look out for herself in these things?"
"..."
Despite her usual confidence, Rias was still a girl who hadn't really experienced love. Mahiro's straightforwardness made her feel a bit shy.
"Hey, Mahiro-kun…" Rias stood on her toes, leaning close to Mahiro's ear, her face turning red as she whispered, "We got interrupted by Grayfia earlier. Want to pick up where we left off?"
Even though she was new to love, Rias could be unexpectedly bold at times.
Is this what being a devil is really about?
At Kuoh Academy, in the Occult Research Club, the atmosphere was heavy and tense, totally different from the usual vibe. The laughter and good times were nowhere to be found.
In the clubroom, all members of ORC, except for Mahiro, Rias, and Asia, were present.
Yuuto stood by the window, keeping quiet.
Koneko wasn't in her usual spot; instead, she stood silently in a corner, just like Yuuto.
On the sofa in the center of the clubroom sat an arrogant-looking young man in a burgundy blazer with gold embroidery. Beneath his open blazer was a white shirt, not fully buttoned up. He had taken Koneko's usual seat.
"Here's some tea," Akeno said, still smiling as she brought out the tea set and poured a cup for the young man.
After pouring, she stood to the side with the tray, still smiling.
But for those who knew her, it was clear Akeno's smile was fake, just a polite front.
"Is this really the time for tea, Rias's Queen?" the young man snapped, his face twisted with irritation. He was Riser Phenex, Rias's fiancé.
"Where's Rias? Why isn't she here yet!" Riser's voice was low, barely holding back his anger.
"Lord Riser, getting pissed at me isn't going to help," Akeno replied with a forced smile, her tone indifferent. "You showed up out of nowhere, so it's likely Rias doesn't even know you're here. Yelling at me won't change that."
Like Rias, Akeno had zero respect for Riser.
And she definitely wasn't going to show him any.
"Fine, let's see how long Rias can ignore me!" Riser snarled. A mere servant dared to disrespect him? If it weren't for the Gremory name, he would've burned this place to the ground.
"I'll wait here. With all of you around, I don't believe Rias won't show up."
Riser gritted his teeth.
"Whatever you say, Lord Riser. If you're not interested in the tea, I'll take it away," Akeno said, unimpressed by his threats as she walked over and took the tea set away without a second thought.
Akeno wasn't intimidated by Riser's background and had no reason to be afraid of Riser.
Riser was so pissed he almost lost it, glaring daggers at Akeno. But in the end, he managed to keep his cool.
Even though he was furious, Riser knew that blowing up at Rias's peerage was pointless.
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