Within the Occult Research Club, Rias Gremory sat with a grim expression as she held the invitation that had been spread throughout the Underworld. Within an hour after the family meeting, everything had been decided. When asked, her mother said that Riser was free only after ten days, but Rias knew that the ten days were granted as a countdown for her.
Loading the video through the projector, Rias and her peerage watched the one-sided beatdowns. "He trained his pieces from low class to this within three years? Unbelievable," Rias was shocked, and her frown deepened.
"Don't worry, President. We will win. I will win. What do you say, Ddraig?" Issei asked as he summoned a crimson gauntlet with a green jewel. But to his surprise, the voice from the gauntlet shot their hopes to the ground.
"How dare you say that to me?" Rias asked, and Ddraig scoffed.
"Rias Gremory, I was sealed by the biblical God, and when I say that the chances are zero, they are zero. I fought with that man despite knowing that I would be defeated, but as a dragon, I am proud. The same can be said for the Phenex, who embody the Phoenix. They are proud, but as the counterparts of dragons, they have every reason to be proud. Do you think strength is achieved overnight? This is reality, Gremory," Ddraig said with a grave voice, and Rias clicked her tongue.
"Even when he was in this room, I could tell that he had sealed away his power. His Queen too. If she released that much magic by unsealing the first layer of seals, I wonder what her true power is," Ddraig added, and Issei was immediately plagued by the slaps he had received from Yubellena.
Rias understood why Akeno had asked her to watch Riser's previous matches. Out of the twelve rating games he played, he won a one-sided victory in ten matches with a perfect score, while the other two were declared draws against Rudiger Rosenkreutz and Roygun Belphegor due to mutually conceding the match.
Out of the twelve games, seven were peerage matches, while five were individual matches, and due to this, Riser ranked fifth in the overall rating games ranking. "Perhaps I can help you with that, Rias," a voice came, and out from the crimson circle bearing the Gremory emblem came two people, Sirzechs and Grayfia.
"Grayfia, take Issei and go. We are short on time," Sirzechs said, and before Rias could say anything, Grayfia grabbed Issei and disappeared. "Issei will be training under Tannin. Only a dragon can understand another dragon," Sirzechs said, and Rias nodded as hope returned to her eyes. "However, I can't promise you that the training will be enough." The rising hope was quickly shot down.
"Why, nii-sama?" she asked with a broken voice, and Sirzechs chuckled.
"Rias, do you think power comes instantaneously?" Sirzechs asked, and Rias looked down, ashamed.
"Riser has been training throughout his life. He has been learning about magic to make himself and his peerage better. He has learned every single spell in the books at the Devil Academy, the Phenex mansion, the Sitri mansion, and our mansion," Sirzechs stated, and Rias clenched her fists.
"I don't get why you haven't given Riser a chance. He is a good kid, and he knows that you hate this marriage, but you don't understand that he is in the same position as you," Sirzechs said, and Rias was ashamed. She had forgotten that Riser was bound by the contract as well.
"Riser, from a young age, didn't take the luxury he was given for granted but at the same time knew that as a Phenex, he had responsibilities to uphold. His fate was decided even before he was born, and he was to wed you. However, he never rejected it and made efforts to understand you. However, when he finally made the time to meet you personally in an informal setting, you rejected him," Sirzechs said, and Rias was shocked and ashamed of her behavior.
"It's better if you forget about Issei," Sirzechs said, and the entire peerage gasped.
"Why, Sirzechs-sama?" Akeno asked before Rias could, and Sirzechs sighed.
"Riser's godmother and godfather are Mother and Father. Do you think our mother, the strongest woman of the Bael lineage with the greatest amount of Power of Destruction amongst women, will even tolerate her godson being insulted? Moreover, Issei insulted the Phenex household, and Mother regards Lady Phenex as her sister since they have been friends since childhood. Do you understand now? In the House of Gremory, Venelana Bael holds the reins, and when it comes to the underworld, she is one of the strongest who has ever existed," Sirzechs said, and everyone's face grimaced.
"Maybe I could apologize!" Rias said, only to see Sirzechs shake his head, which made her frown.
"You can apologize, but it won't matter. The woman you saw today did not speak to you as your mother but as Venelana Gremory nee Bael, the Matriarch of the House of Gremory. It wasn't just you whom Mother threatened but me too. If she says she will gut us like fish, she definitely will. Even I don't know how powerful Mother currently is, but I know that when Grayfia fought her, it was brutal. It was a one-sided battle. Ever since seeing Riser train harder, Mother started to train once again, meeting with her peerage in secret. Also, do you think you can cancel the match now?"
Rias started to cry, and Akeno tried to console her, but Rias knew that she had crossed the line. "Brother, can you at least try? I understand Issei was wrong, but after seeing Riser's matches, I can say that Issei isn't on their level." Hearing Rias, Sirzechs sighed.
He took a deep breath and said one word. "No." To be declined by her brother, Rias couldn't believe it.
"Rias, have you ever thought of the consequences of your actions?" Sirzechs asked, and Rias looked down, ashamed.
"You have never thought of consequences, and this is the consequence of sullying the name of the Phenex. Riser has been protecting you from the Youkai, and you insulted him and his family. You had the audacity to put Issei, someone who insulted the Phenex and is a reincarnated devil, in the same category as Riser Phenex? If the rating game that has been organized by Mother is canceled now, you will lose your title as the heiress of the Gremory, our house becomes a joke in devil society, we lose our friendship with the Phenex, and we lose our business with other clans."
Rias got the message. What she had done was enough. It was time to bear the consequences.