The heavy, stifling air hung in the Occult Research Club room after Riser Phoenix's departure. The smell of brimstone and perfume mixed with an aura of humiliation and helplessness. The ultimatum—marriage or public annihilation in a Rating Game—had sounded like a death sentence. Ten days. The countdown to the moment Rias Gremory would either lose her freedom or gamble everything, including the lives of her loyal servants, in a battle she was destined to lose.
...
The silence was oppressive, broken only by Asia's muffled sobs from behind Rias and the heavy breathing of Issei, his cheek still burning from the despised cat-pawn's slap.
"Bastard! Conceited peacock!" Issei slammed his fist into the wall, ignoring the pain. "How dare he?! Talking to Buchou like that! Treating her like a thing! And I... I'm a weakling! I couldn't do anything!"
"Issei, stop." Rias's voice was quiet, but laced with steel. She walked over to him, her face pale, but her eyes burning with resolve. "This isn't your fault. Riser is strong, his peerage experienced. We weren't ready."
"But the wedding, Buchou! You can't..."
"I can't. And I won't," Rias cut him off. A cold fury gave her voice firmness. "I will not become a toy in the hands of that... Phoenix. I will not let him dictate my life."
She glanced around at her peerage—Akeno, an icy mask where her smile should be; a grim Kiba; a tense Koneko; a terrified Asia; and Issei, burning with righteous anger.
"We have ten days," she declared. "Ten days to prepare for the Rating Game. We will accept his challenge. We will fight. We are the Gremory family! And we will show the entire Underworld what we are made of!"
Her words were full of desperation, but also unshakable pride. They ignited a corresponding fire in the eyes of her servants. Vows of loyalty, promises to train until they dropped, furious shouts against Riser—it all mixed into a single impulse. They were ready to follow their Queen through fire and water, even if that path led to certain defeat.
Watching this scene, I felt only a mixture of irritation and how sickeningly sweet it was. Their pathos, their devotion… It all seemed like a cheap spectacle to me. Demons playing at nobility. But Rias's gaze turned to me again. It held a plea, desperation, and that same calculating glint I had seen before.
"Izayoi…" she began, her voice trembling. "I know how you feel about all this… But Riser…"
"Enough, Gremory," I cut her off coldly. I walked closer, looking her right in the eyes. "I heard your fiery speech. The Gremory family, clan honor, blah, blah, blah. So live up to it. You are the heiress of a great house. You are the sister of one of the Satans. You are the mistress of this territory. So solve your own problems."
I saw her face flush with offense and anger. My words hit where it hurt most—her pride, her status.
"You… you refuse to help?" she whispered, unable to believe her ears.
"Help You win Your Rating Game against Your fiancé? Yes, I refuse," I confirmed harshly. "This is your battle. Your responsibility. Not mine. I'm not your piece, not your servant, and not your pet monster you can unleash in the arena when it suits you. Deal with it yourself. Prove you're worth something without your big brother and your fancy name."
A dead silence fell in the room. Issei and the others stared at me with mute reproach and confusion. Rias stood before me, her lips pressed into a thin line, a storm of emotions in her eyes—anger, hurt, despair, and… understanding? She knew I was right. At least, from my point of view.
She took a deep breath, trying to control herself.
"I… I understand, Izayoi. You're right. This is my battle." She lifted her head, and her former resolve returned to her gaze, though it was tinged with bitterness. "We will fight on our own. And we will try to win."
"Try?" I huffed. "With your current level, it'll be more of a slaughter than a battle. Your Issei can barely stand after one slap. Your Knight is good, but he won't last long against Phoenix's entire peerage. Your Queen is strong, but she can't carry you all. And the small fry like Koneko and Asia are just cannon fodder for Riser."
My words were cruel, but true. I saw how they wounded them, but I wasn't about to lie or offer comfort.
"You… you just…" Issei started, but Rias stopped him with a gesture.
"He's right, Issei. We are weak. For now."
She looked at me again. And then I did something none of them likely expected.
"But," I said, interrupting their gloomy reflections. "I'm bored. And watching your predictable defeat will be even more boring. So... I can help you train."
They all stared at me, mouths agape.
"What?" Issei asked.
"I said, I'll help you train," I repeated patiently, though that word hardly fit my usual state. "I won't fight for you in the game. But I can run you ragged so that in these ten days, you'll get at least a little tougher. I can point out your weaknesses. I can act as a sparring partner that your usual magic and tricks won't work on. It'll force you to think. To find new approaches. To overcome yourselves."
I looked them over.
"It won't be easy. It will likely be painful. Very painful. I won't go easy on you. But it might give you a microscopic chance not to be completely stomped by this Phoenix. And, well, it'll give me something to do. So? Do you agree to a training hell under my direction? Or would you rather just prepare the white flags?"
The offer was unexpected. And audacious. I wasn't offering them salvation, just the possibility of a slightly less disgraceful loss. But a new spark lit in the eyes of Rias and her team. Hope? Or just desperation, making them grasp at any straw?
"We… we agree!" Rias was the first to answer, her voice strong again. "We are ready for anything, Izayoi! Train us!"
Issei, Kiba, Akeno, Koneko—they all nodded, their faces a mix of fear and determination. They understood the next ten days would be a true ordeal. But they were ready.
"Good," I nodded. "Then we start tomorrow. And now... I need to clear my head. This atmosphere is suffocating."
I turned and left the room, leaving them to digest my offer and prepare for the coming "hell." Well, at least the next ten days promised to be less boring. Training this motley crew… It could be an interesting experiment in testing the limits of their endurance. And my own nerves.
...
Far from here, in luxurious apartments in the Underworld, steeped in the scent of gold and incense, Riser Phoenix was venting his fury. Porcelain vases shattered against the walls. Expensive tapestries were torn down and trampled. His peerage, including a pale Yubelluna, stood at a distance, afraid to get caught in their master's temper.
"Worthless! Filth!" Riser roared, his face twisted in rage. "How dare he?! Speak to me, Riser Phoenix, like that! Threaten me! I am immortal! I am all-powerful! I am eternal! And he… he is just dust!"
His humiliation was unbearable. Not so much Rias's refusal—he was prepared for that, he knew he'd have to take her by force. It was the words and the gaze of that blond bastard. Izayoi Jin. The name was seared into his memory. There was no fear in his eyes. Just cold contempt and… boredom? He had looked at Riser as if he weren't a great demon from the House of Phoenix, but an annoying insect. And his power… Riser had felt it. A monstrous, inexplicable power that had made even him, the immortal, feel a pang of fear.
"Yubelluna!" he roared, turning to his Queen. "Why didn't you intervene?! Why did you let that scum insult me?!"
"Lord Riser," Yubelluna bowed her head, her voice calm, but her eyes wary. "His aura was… unusually strong. A direct confrontation would have been risky and could have jeopardized your plans for Rias Gremory. Besides, he did not attack first."
"He didn't attack?! He threatened me! He humiliated me!" Riser roared again, his body erupting in flames. "I should have incinerated him on the spot!"
"Perhaps that would have been rash, My Lord," Yubelluna noted carefully. "We know nothing about this Izayoi Jin. Where is he from? What is his true power? Before engaging him in conflict, it would be wise to gather information."
Yubelluna's words cooled his fury slightly. She was right. Attacking an unknown opponent of such power would be foolish. But the humiliation burned.
"Information..." Riser muttered. "Yes! Find out everything about this upstart! Who is he? Where did he come from in Rias's city? Why does she keep him around, yet he isn't her servant? I want to know everything!"
Just then, one of his servants, a low-ranking pottery demon, timidly entered the hall.
"Lord Riser... forgive the interruption... But there are rumors..."
"Rumors? What rumors?!" Riser snapped.
"They say… they say there is an incredibly strong being who recently appeared in the human world, in Kuoh Town…" the demon stammered. "That he single-handedly routed a squad of fallen angels sent by Kokabiel… They describe him as a blond youth with violet eyes…"
Riser froze. The description matched the insolent brat who had dared to threaten him exactly. So, he wasn't just some random upstart. He was the "monster" the Underworld was already whispering about.
"So it's him…" Riser hissed, his eyes narrowing. "That means he really is dangerous… And he's mixed up with that Gremory girl… Interesting…"
His anger began to mix with curiosity and… excitement? If this Jin was so strong, then defeating him would bring even more glory. And if he could be subjugated… what power would be in his hands!
"Continue gathering information," he ordered, calmer now. "And prepare for the Rating Game. I will not only take Rias, but I will also show this Izayoi Jin who the true master here is. Even if he doesn't participate in the game, he will witness my triumph. He will understand who he crossed."
...
A couple of days later, Riser Phoenix, still simmering with anger but more composed, was in one of the central districts of the Underworld on clan business. He was walking down a lavish corridor toward the council hall when he came face-to-face with the last person he expected to see.
Sirzechs Lucifer. One of the Four Great Satans. Rias Gremory's brother. A demon with crimson-red hair and a calm, yet all-pervasive, aura of incredible power. At his side walked his Queen and wife, Grayfia Lucifuge, the "Silver-Haired Queen of Annihilation," whose cold beauty and power inspired awe.
Riser inwardly went cold but plastered a mask of courtesy on his face.
"Lord Sirzechs, Lady Grayfia," he bowed his head respectfully. "What an unexpected meeting."
Sirzechs smiled his disarming, almost childlike smile, though his eyes held the wisdom and power of an ancient being.
"Riser-kun, good to see you. How are you? I heard you have a happy event coming up? A wedding with my little sister Rias?"
The mention of the wedding made Riser wince slightly, recalling his recent humiliation.
"Yes, Lord Sirzechs," he tried to keep his voice even. "Preparations are in full swing. Although… I must admit, my future bride's territory leaves much to be desired. The order there is rather... conditional."
Sirzechs frowned slightly, his smile becoming a little less carefree.
"What do you mean, Riser-kun? Rias is a capable girl, she is trying…"
"She may be trying," Riser interrupted, unable to restrain his irritation. "But the facts speak for themselves! Fallen angels are running rampant, some unknown individuals are interfering in clan affairs… There's even an insolent vagrant there who dares to threaten me, Riser Phoenix, and openly... uh..." Riser cut himself off, realizing he was saying too much in front of a Satan.
But Sirzechs was already interested. His gaze sharpened, his smile vanishing.
"A blond youth? With incredible power? In Kuoh Town? Tell me more, Riser-kun. Who is he?"
Riser realized he had the Satan's full attention. He briefly, but emotionally, described his encounter with Jin, his defiant words, his inexplicable power, his independent behavior. He didn't mention the humiliation, but he emphasized the insolence and danger of this unknown.
Sirzechs listened silently, his face impassive. Grayfia, at his side, also listened, her silver eyes gleaming coldly. When Riser finished, Sirzechs spoke thoughtfully:
"Izayoi Jin… An unfamiliar name. It seems my sister has found herself another… interesting acquaintance. Thank you for the information, Riser-kun. I shall have to look into this… more closely."
He smiled his usual smile again, but Riser sensed that deep interest and, perhaps, concern lay behind it.
"Always happy to help, Lord Sirzechs." Riser bowed again and hurried away, feeling the Satan's attentive gaze on his back.
Sirzechs watched him go, then turned to Grayfia.
"Izayoi Jin…" he repeated thoughtfully. "It looks like Rias has found herself an unusual… friend. We will need to find out more about him. Much more."
The curiosity of one of the most powerful beings in the world had been piqued. The shadow of Izayoi Jin had fallen not only on Kuoh Town, but also on the very highest echelons of the Underworld. And this could have far-reaching consequences.