Riser's face twisted in confusion as he tried to speak, but nothing came out. No air, no vibrations—just a suffocating silence. His mouth opened and closed like a fish on dry land, but there were no words, no sound, only his wild eyes darting around the room. Every devil in the room, from the seasoned nobles to the younger ones, watched in stunned disbelief.
Izashi, who had been standing quietly near the back with an almost bored expression, now held the focus of everyone's attention. His hand was casually raised, and though his face remained calm, his aura spoke volumes. He was the one responsible for the suffocation. His power was slowly pulling the oxygen from around Riser, leaving him gasping for breath.
Riser's hands clawed at his own throat as his knees buckled under him. His once fiery demeanor had crumbled in the face of suffocation, and his strength was fading fast.
For a long, agonizing minute, the room was silent, save for the faint rustle of fabric as Riser struggled. Then, with a flick of his wrist, Izashi released him.
Riser collapsed onto the floor, gasping and heaving for air. His skin, once flushed with the arrogance of pureblood devil pride, was now pale. He glared at Izashi, hatred burning in his eyes, but the power dynamic in the room had shifted irreversibly.
Izashi tilted his head slightly, his voice laced with condescension. "Pathetic," he said, his voice carrying through the room with a chilling calm. "You call the air in the human world filthy, yet when I take it away, you can't even survive without it. Absolutely pathetic."
The room was quiet, save for the soft chuckles that escaped from some of the onlookers. Riser had no retort; he was still too busy dragging air back into his lungs. His hands shook slightly as he tried to push himself back up, but the weight of humiliation was heavier than anything Izashi had done to him.
Grayfia, standing near the back with her usual composed demeanor, broke the silence. "Izashi-sama," she said calmly, her voice steady. "This arranged marriage has been decided by the head of the Gremory House along with the elders. It is not for us to question their judgment."
Izashi's gaze shifted to her, his expression one of disdain. "Sister-in-law," he replied smoothly, "I don't agree with this marriage. Why should my sister, of all people, marry such a weak and disgraceful excuse for a devil?"
A ripple of laughter echoed throughout the room, the tension easing slightly as people enjoyed the spectacle. Grayfia remained unmoved, her eyes betraying no emotion. Riser, however, was struggling to find his voice, his body still trembling from the suffocation.
Izashi wasn't done, though. He stepped forward, closer to where Riser knelt on the floor. "Do you truly think you're worthy of my sister?" His voice dripped with contempt. "Go home, Riser, before you embarrass yourself any further."
Riser's head snapped up, the anger in his eyes reigniting as he shakily rose to his feet. His pride wouldn't allow him to stay down for long. "You think you're so high and mighty," Riser spat, his voice hoarse from the earlier ordeal. "Attacking me when my guard was down, how cowardly."
Izashi's lips curled into a smirk, cutting him off before he could continue. "Cowardly?" he repeated, mockingly. "That brought you to your knees in front of everyone. But how was it an attack? I was only doing you a favor—relieving you of that 'filthy' human air you hate so much." He turned toward Grayfia with a casual shrug. "Was that an attack, sister-in-law?"
Grayfia shook her head slightly, her face as calm as ever. "No, Riser-sama. If Izashi-sama had truly attacked you, you wouldn't be standing here now."
Riser scoffed at her words, unwilling to believe them, but before he could respond, Issei stepped forward, his voice loud and impassioned. "Hey! My Buchou said she doesn't want to marry you! You can't just force her!"
Riser's expression darkened. His pride was already wounded, and now this—a mere reincarnated devil—was speaking out of turn. "You should know your place, reincarnated scum," Riser snapped, his voice filled with venom. "Pureblood devils are speaking here. You have no right to interfere in our family matters."
Issei flinched, taking a step back. Riser's words stung, and for a moment, doubt crept into his mind. Was he really out of place? Was he overstepping?
Seeing Issei falter, Riser sneered and turned to Rias, the intended bride. "Rias, keep your servants on a leash. This is exactly how stray devils are born—when they forget their place and disrespect their betters."
Rias had been silent for too long, and now her patience had worn thin. Her aura flared, the air around her vibrating with raw, crimson power. "Enough," she said coldly, her voice carrying the weight of her fury. Her power filled the room, forcing everyone to feel the extent of her strength. She was done with Riser's arrogance.
Riser, never one to back down, responded in kind, his vermillion flames igniting around him as his own aura surged. The two forces clashed, the tension in the air becoming suffocating. Issei, Akeno, Asia, Kiba, and Koneko all took cautious steps back, sensing the impending battle.
But just as the clash seemed inevitable, Grayfia stepped forward, her mere presence enough to dispel the dueling auras. Her power, subtle but absolute, settled over the room like a heavy blanket, calming the storm before it could begin. "Enough," she said firmly. "Sirzechs-sama and Zeoticus-sama anticipated this disagreement. The solution they agreed upon is a Rating Game between Rias and Riser."
The tension in the room broke as the words sunk in. A Rating Game. A fair competition to decide the fate of the marriage.
Riser, still brimming with anger, latched onto the idea. "A Rating Game? Excellent!" He grinned, his confidence returning. "This will settle things once and for all."
He glanced around at Rias's group, his eyes filled with condescension. "You don't even have a full peerage," he said smugly. "I'll give you a handicap. Ten days to train your pathetic servants. Maybe then they'll be able to put up a challenge."
His words lit a fire in the room, especially within Issei, who stepped forward once again, his fists clenched. "You're so arrogant! You think we'll lose to you and your bunch?"
Riser laughed, the sound filled with superiority. "Lose? You'll be crushed, destroyed!" He snapped his fingers, and the room was bathed in light as a bright magic circle appeared beneath him. Flames erupted, dancing across the floor. When the light faded, fifteen beautiful women, each with their own unique presence, stood before them—Riser's peerage.
The air crackled with power, the tension rising again as Izashi studied the women with a calculating look. He let out a sigh, shaking his head slightly. "You have a full peerage," he said, his voice calm but filled with disdain. "And yet, you want to marry my sister after a rigged game, where she's clearly at a disadvantage. How noble of you."
Riser opened his mouth to retort, but for once, he had nothing to say. Izashi's words had cut to the truth, and even Riser knew it. Ten days wouldn't be enough to make a significant difference, and everyone in the room knew it too.
Izashi's eyes shifted to a young girl standing among Riser's peerage—Ravel, Riser's sister. A thoughtful look crossed his face before a smirk appeared. "You have your sister in your peerage, huh? I think I've just had a brilliant idea."
Riser's eyes narrowed. He didn't like the look on Izashi's face, and an unsettling feeling began to creep over him. "What are you planning?"
Izashi ignored the question, instead turning to Grayfia. "Sister," he said, his voice light but purposeful, "the Gremory family wants to form blood ties with the Phenex family, right? Well, I propose another solution. How about I marry Ravel instead? That would solve everything, wouldn't it?"
His words sent shockwaves through the room. For a moment, everyone was too stunned to speak. Grayfia, ever the composed one, blinked in surprise. It was a perfect solution, one that hadn't even occurred to Zeoticus Gremory or the Phenex elders. Marrying the young heiress of the Phenex family into the Gremory household would form the blood ties both families desired. And given that Izashi was Sirzechs' brother, it would strengthen the bond even further.
Riser, however, was furious. His fists clenched, his flames burning hotter as he glared at Izashi. "I won't allow it!" he snapped, his voice filled with fury. "You won't marry my little sister. You can forget that idea. My marriage to Rias was decided by our fathers. You'd have to convince them both to change their minds."
Izashi shrugged casually, clearly unbothered by Riser's outburst. "That won't be difficult," he said with a smirk. "But why are you so opposed to the idea, Riser? What gives you the right to deny it?"
Riser's answer was immediate and predictable. "I'm her brother! I have every right to say who she marries."
Izashi's smirk widened, and for the first time, Riser realized he'd walked right into a trap.
"Ah," Izashi said slowly, his voice dripping with amusement. "So, a brother's opinion counts for so much, does it? Then I, as Rias's brother, am denying your marriage to her. Do you have anything to say about that?"
The smirk on Izashi's face was one of a devil who had just trapped his prey.
~~
A/N: I hope you all liked this long chapter.
(I want to request you guys to support me on my p.atreon and continue to read 12 advance chapters ahead over there.
P.A.T.R.E.O.N link: https://bit.ly/evildragon
Also, If you like Harem Stories, check out my new story, Harem Master: Seduction System.)