The extra chapter for writing a review, as promised. Everyone, say thannk you, WEIRD_stuff.
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"Why are you like this, Rias?" Lord Gremory groaned, rubbing his temples in disappointment.
"Like what?" She asked, innocently, licking the frosting off her lips, before she reached for the hem of her frock-
"Not on the frock, Rias-" Zeoticus tried in vain, but he was too late.
She wiped her strawberry shortcake-stained hands on her pure, white frock.
Ajuka Beelzebub snorted out with more laughter and wiped a tear off his eye.
"Lord Phenex, I must thank you for inviting me. This has been a truly enjoyable night." He snickered as he spoke, "But now I must bid you adieu."
My father just gave him an awkward smile, while Lord Gremory all but wilted in embarrassment.
My father turned to the crowd, and sneakily signalled the orchestra to start playing.
"Ladies and gentlemen, let us feast and dance the night away, what do you say, and leave our little couple to get to know each other?"
The hall filled with compassionate cheer with a few jeers mixed in and the party got back on its feet within moments.
On the side however, Lord Gremory was trying his best to remedy the situation.
"Didn't I tell you to wipe your hands with a kerchief? Where is it?" He snipped through grit teeth and frustration.
Rias flapped her dress.
"This dress doesn't have any pockets."
Ah, the age-old dilemma of women worldwide. No pockets.
But devils can always store it in their-
"What happened to the one I stored in your spatial storage spell?"
Rias blinked cutely in confusion for a second, before she perked up with an Ah!
"I forgot. Teehee~"
Wow.
Just wow.
Tiny tomboy Rias Gremory was not on my bingo card.
I could just feel Zeoticus facepalming inside his head.
"This is my fiancé?" I turned to my father and asked, "She's …tiny."
"I am not!" Rias protested from the side, hoisting her arms and standing on her tippy toes, "Rias is a big girl!"
"What are you? Five?" I asked, and she puffed up all proud.
"Rias is five and a half! More than five and half!" She preened, "Almost six."
"Uh huh?"
She nodded, counting on her fingers for a moment, before she raised four fingers.
"Rias will be six in three months!"
"Those are four fingers." I pointed out.
She pouted.
"Almost three months."
"But you're raising four fingers-"
Aaaand there's the tears.
"Itsh..Its three mons." She sniffled.
I caved.
"Yup. Okay, three months it is."
Behind me I could hear my father consoling Lord Gremory.
He pointed at me and laughed jovially.
"At least he knows the golden rule of marriage. Happy wife, happy life."
I shook my head, and reached into my own storage, pulling out a handkerchief and began to wipe her tears away.
Such an adorable little thing. How she grew up to become that spoiled rotten princess, I have no idea.
"Right." Rias gave one final sniffle, and raised her hand to my face.
I looked at her, confused.
"It's for kissing, silly." She jiggled her hand, "Like a prince."
"Is that so?"
"Don't you read storybooks? Don't worry, when we get married, I will read you lots of bedtime stories!" She replied and pressed her hand to my lips.
"There, see. Like that."
I smiled, took her hand and this time, kissed it properly, much to her giggling joy.
"Why don't you two go out for a walk, get to know each other, while we…clean up the mess here." My father suggested.
"Don't we need to dance? It's a ball, after all." I asked.
"No, she's too young. To be honest, I feel it was a mistake to introduce you two so young. We had planned to wait a few more years, but the situation demanded a bit more proactiveness." My father explained.
Hmm? Did that stray devil stunt of mine really cause such great ripple effects?
"Though it will be a while before you get married. Not until Rias is a woman grown." Lord Gremory added.
"I wouldn't have it any other way." I assured him.
In fact, I wouldn't have it all, if it were up to me. Which it is.
It's a shame really. She's such a sweet little girl, and I'm sure if I guided her right, we could make it work. Except there's one teeny, tiny, little problem.
I'm not a pedo.
Which really does work wonders for me, because I never planned on marrying Rias either way.
Don't know how the original Riser didn't see it- probably because the pervert was too busy ogling teen Rias' tits- but this whole situation...it wasn't just a red flag, it the whole ass Soviet Union.
A wife that was not only more talented than him, with a sis-con super devil for a brother and a higher social status.
'Yeah, I am not becoming another Iolava Amon.' should have been his first thought, if he had had the slightest shred of empathy. Or common sense. Or self control.
She'd have his balls in a death grip even if he had gotten what he wanted.
No way am I signing up for that.
But, as things are, I'm already stronger than the original Riser at just ten years old. So I think I will let it play out as it is.
With my plans as they are, I'll be far stronger than her brother by the time the marriage rolls around in 12 years. So it won't, in fact play out like this.
Still, after growing up together…no way will I be able to see her as anything other than cute wittle Rias.
"So should I take her to the garden or-"
"The garden should be the farthest from prying eyes." My father said.
"And further humiliation." Zeoticus mumbled under his breath.
----------x----------
As it turns out, Zeo-chan had raised a flag, because the garden was not, in fact, further away from humiliation.
Case in point, within moments of entering the garden we came upon a most peculiar scene.
A thin, dark haired boy, surrounded by four other boys, kicking him down.
Where's security when you need them?
I sighed.
"And stay down, you little shit!" One of them cried.
"Know your place." A second one added, panting.
"No demonic power, no clan trait, are you even a devil?" A third one taunted the boy on the ground, but he too appeared tired.
"Trash should stay where it belongs!" The fourth one, someone I recognized, kicked the boy, who appeared to be no older than nine, mid-sentence, "In the gutter."
The boy lay on the ground for a moment, gulping down as much air as his little lungs could swallow. And then, still twitching from the pain, trembling all over, bleeding from what I could count, no less than ten different places- he stood back up.
A genuine feat for one so young.
He squared up his arms and spat out a glob of blood, and through a thin, wavering grin, spoke.
"I can do this all day!"
All right Captain America. Chill.
That was when I interceded.
"I'd rather you not spit on my mother's favourite hellberry bushes."
"Oh, um…sorry?" The mini Steve Rogers replied, surprised at my presence.
"And you!" I turned to the four bullies, "Are you really doing this, here? On my birthday, you stupid Jollof Rice."
"Shut up, Jerk Chicken." Iolava Amon shot back, and sneered, "And congratulations on joining the club."
"I'm not like-" I went to argue when Rias finally jumped out from behind a hedge and struck a pose.
"Halt, villains! Magical girl Rias-tan is here!"
"Rias, I think its too late for that."
"It's never too late to serve justice!" She shouted, and jumped at Iolava, only to be smacked down like a fly.
I caught her before she fell, and put her firmly in my grasp.
"That's enough. They're my friends."
"Uuun…..But they were bullying him." Rias protested, "How can you be friends with villains?"
"Its complicated, Rias." An excuse but what else can I do on such short notice.
"Liar! That's what daddy says when mommy is mad at him but its always because he forgets to play with her or give her gifts on her special days." She pouted and I couldn't help but pat her adorable little head.
"Who's the tiny hell panther?" He asked, before recognition struck, "Aha, your brand-new ball and chain."
"That's no way to refer to your wife." I countered, "Oh wait, for some of us…it really is that, isn't it?"
That pissed him off proper, but I continued.
"I wonder what Enie will think when she finds out you prefer pounding down on twinks over your own dear little wife." He was about to speak but I shut him up, "They've started dancing you know, in there." I thumbed at the lights in the distance.
His face blanched, and he muttered under his breath, as he made for the ballroom.
"That psycho bitch will be the death of me."
"And take your three stooges with you!" I shouted behind him.
"Riser, we didn't have anything to do with it. You know how Io gets…we just want to help him." One of them swore.
"You can't let my parents know, please." Another begged.
I waved them off.
"That's no excuse for defiling my home with his blood, but…fine. Go." I turned to the first avenger, "I'll deal with him myself."
I walked towards him, cracking my knuckles, as a flame lit up on their tips. Of course, I wasn't going to do anything to him, but a guy can have some fun, can't he?
I could see the boy tense, alert and ready to bolt like stray cat.
"Now, how should I deal with y-"
"What is a twink?" Rias asked before I could play.
Aaand…its dead. The vibe is dead. She killed it. Great going Rias-tan.
I sighed, when a brilliantly mischievous idea struck me.
I turned back to her, and crouched down, patting her head.
"Why don't you go ask father-in-law about it?"
She blinked, confused as she processed my words.
"My father-in-law or your father-in-law?"
"Lord Gremory."
"Ok!" She beamed, waving at the boy, "Bye Sai!"
"Bye Rias-chan." He waved awkwardly.
"It's magical girl Rias-tan!" She huffed, "Say it."
He smiled, as if he had done this a thousand times.
"Thank you, magical girl Rias-tan!"
"Yay!" Rias jumped happily, twirling on her heels, and struck a cherub pose, her devil wings sprouting from her back, "Magical girl Rias-tan away!"
With that she flew away, no doubt to give Lord Gremory his second dose of heart attacks today.
"Now where were we-"
"I was just leaving."
My hand clamped down on his shoulder with weight of a mountain.
"No, you're not." I spoke, a little louder, so whatever interlopers were lurking around could hear me clearly, "Haven't you shamed the Bael name enough? Now you want to sully the name of clan Phenex too? What will people think when they see you leave like that? 'The Phenex clan can't even ensure the security of their guests.' is what!"
I dragged him along as I continued.
"No, you're coming with me."
"W-where are you taking me?" He asked, voice shaking as he tried and failed to break free from my grasp.
I smirked mischievously, and his face paled so much, I think he almost fainted.
"Somewhere you won't embarrass anyone anymore, Sairaorg Bael."
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Riser matches Rias' mischievous gremlin energy perfectly.
Magical girl Rias-tan makes her exit.
Finally, we meet the first member of the peerage, Sairaorg Bael.
The Big Day was supposed to be 2, maybe 3 chapters, but it has ballooned to seven now, TToTT.
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