Yusuke wasn't angry at Rias being engaged to someone; that was something out of her control. What he was angry at, on the other hand, was the fact that she hid it from him.
This wasn't something he expected from her. She was a Yandere, and she had always been very open, displaying an admirable sincerity while interacting with him, never doing the kind of shit a Yandere was supposed to pull. So hearing the news about her engagement from the mouth of another person left him very upset.
Compared to Sona, who had shared her engagement with him long ago, Rias made it feel like she had no trust in him whatsoever.
"Yusuke-kun, please believe me, I really didn't mean to lie to you. I won't do it again, forgive me, please." He stared at her red, teary eyes and the face that looked desperate for his forgiveness. Yusuke calmed his emotions and patted her head.
"I believe in you." He was willing to give others a second and even a third chance. Rias hadn't done anything unforgivable; it wasn't that big of a deal, even if he felt somewhat upset. "But you are really stupid. Do you actually think you can keep me out of this?"
The impression Rias had given him this whole time was that of a smart, seductive, and somewhat impulsive woman, but now, seeing this side of her, it felt like he had to replace the 'smart' with 'naive'. Like seriously, how the fuck did she come to the conclusion that hiding something this important from him was a good way to keep him out of trouble?
How is that even possible?
Whether it was the Gremory House or the house of her fiancé, there was absolutely no way they did not know about their relationship, especially when neither of them made any effort to hide it.
"I am sorry, hehe~!" Rias wiped her tears and apologized with a wide smile.
Grayfia watched this with a deep frown. She had not expected the relationship between the two to run this deep, and at the same time, she felt a strange sense of discomfort watching Rias so close to Yusuke, as if something precious was being stolen from her.
Just then, the magic circle on the floor used for teleportation suddenly began to glow.
The symbol of the Gremory drawn on the magic circle shifted into a Phoenix encased in a circular shape. Flames burst out from the circle, and the room was instantly flooded with heat.
A silhouette of a man appeared within the fire. With a casual swing of his arm to the side, the flames vanished.
"It's been a while since I came to the human world."
The one standing there was a man dressed in a red suit. He wore it loosely, without a tie, his shirt open down to his chest. He looked to be in his early twenties.
He was handsome, but in a way that leaned more toward the bad boy type. His hands rested lazily in his pockets.
The man looked around the room, then smirked when his eyes landed on Rias, completely ignoring Yusuke at her side. "My lovely Rias. I came to see you."
He walked forward and stretched out his arms to grab her. "Now then, Rias, let's go take a look at the ceremony hall. The date has already been decided, so we need to check it before—"
Bang!
He was suddenly interrupted by a brutal kick that sent him flying across the room and crashing into the wall, leaving behind a massive hole.
"Keep your hands to yourself next time." Yusuke pulled his leg back and said. He had probably broken that man's ribs, but he felt he had let him off easy. If not for his background, he would have ripped his head off and played football with it.
BOOM!
Flames erupted, burning everything around them. Through the blaze, the figure of Riser rose to his feet. He stared at Yusuke with bloodshot eyes. "Bastard! I'm gonna kill you!" Flames burned the spot where the kick had landed, and the broken bones and bruised flesh healed almost instantly.
"Fire? Heh!" Yusuke scoffed, seeing the fire surrounding the NTR looking protagonist guy. If there was one type of magic he feared least, it was fire. Clenching both fists, flames exploded from them. He stepped forward and said, "Come. I'll show what true flames look like!"
Just then, a powerful aura engulfed both of them, freezing them in their tracks as Grayfia stepped between them. "Yusuke-sama, Riser-sama, please calm down. If both of you continue, I will not be quiet about it. For Sirzechs-sama's honor, I will not hold back."
Riser extinguished the flames surrounding his body, glaring at Yusuke. "I wouldn't want to fight you or Sirzechs-sama's group. However, that bastard attacked first!"
"That's not an attack," Yusuke shot back, his glare sharp with utter disdain. "I was only warning you to keep your disgusting hands to yourself. Who knows what you were doing with them before coming here?" He would not tolerate anyone laying a finger on what was his, no matter who they were.
"Yusuke Aoki-sama," Grayfia glanced between the two before speaking to Yusuke, "this person is Riser Phenex-sama. He's a pure-blood High-class Devil and the third son of the House of Phenex."
"You may have already guessed it, but he is the future husband of Ojou-sama, Rias Gremory."
Both Yusuke and Rias glared at Grayfia and Riser, speaking at the same time.
"Nonsense! I will not allow her to marry him!"
"Bullshit! I won't marry him!"
Riser's face darkened, flames dancing around his body as he stared at the two. "Rias, your marriage is not a matter of just you! Your house is counting on you to carry on the bloodline this generation!"
"Do you want to see the pure-blood Devils go extinct? You and I were chosen to prevent the pure-bloods from disappearing!"
"My house is safe because I have older brothers. But your house only has two siblings, and your brother left. That leaves only you, Rias, to inherit the House of Gremory. If you refuse a husband, the House of Gremory will go extinct in your generation. Are you trying to destroy a household that has lasted for centuries?"
Because of the war between the three factions, the pure-blood devils had dwindled in number, and many of the 72 Pillars had gone extinct. Furthermore, their reproduction rate was extremely slow. For this reason, the devils worked tirelessly to preserve their bloodlines.
"I'm not going to destroy my house. And I am willing to take a husband." Rias shook her head. "However, I will marry the one I acknowledge. Even Devils from old noble houses have the right to choose."
"Besides, the Gremory House doesn't rely on me alone to carry on the bloodline. Millicas is still there as well."
Grayfia stared at Rias with wide eyes. Since when did Rias become so smart? Had she finally realized that Millicas existed too?!
"Ridiculous!" Riser's expression darkened, his fury growing more intense. "You know, Rias, I am also a Devil carrying the name of the House of Phenex. I cannot allow that name to be tarnished. I never wanted to come to a small, old building like this in the human world. Honestly, I dislike the human world. Its fire and wind are filthy. For a Devil like me, who rules fire and wind, it is unbearable."
"I cannot allow your willfulness to tarnish my reputation or that of my house."
At this moment, Grayfia felt it was the best time to speak. "Master, Sirzechs-sama, and those from the House of Phenex knew it would turn out like this. To tell you the truth, this was meant to be the last discussion meeting. Everyone knew it would not be resolved, so they decided to prepare a last resort."
"Last resort? What do you mean, Grayfia?"
"Ojou-sama, if you wish to push your opinion forward, how about settling it with a Rating Game against Riser-sama?"
Rias became speechless upon hearing Grayfia. She looked genuinely shocked. "You want to use an unofficial match between me and Riser to decide this matter?"
Grayfia gave a light nod. "You are right. That is what Sirzechs-sama and the House of Phenex have decided."
"Alright then. Let's settle this with a game!" Rias agreed, even though she knew the match was inherently unfair.
"Wait a moment!" Yusuke could not stand by and watch quietly. He quickly raised his hand to stop them.
"What do you want, human?!" Riser glared at him.
"Do you have something to say, Yusuke-sama?" Grayfia asked, her eyes fixed on him. That strange feeling engulfed her heart once again. The sudden urge to pull him into her arms and kiss him assaulted her. She quickly suppressed it, burying the feeling deep inside.
Yusuke was Rias's lover, and Grayfia was the wife of Sirzechs, the man she loved, and also a mother.
"I have a better proposition." Yusuke glanced at Rias and gently caressed her face before turning to Riser. "Instead of Rias and her peerage, I will be the one taking on him and his peerage."
"Since I am her man, it is only natural that I should be the one fighting for her hand, right?"
"Yusuke-kun~!" Rias's face melted with pleasure. She pressed her cheek against his hand and exclaimed in a sweet voice.
He looked so manly and charming while defending her like this, just like the knight in shining armor from her dreams!
Her legs grew weak, and she felt as if she were about to cum!!!
"Hmph! Fight you? Who are you even?! This is a matter between my House of Phenex and the Gremory House. You are just a puny human. What gives you the right to interfere?!" Riser felt his head getting heavier the more he looked at Yusuke, as if a green, glossy hat had been placed on top of it.
"Tsk, stupid fried chicken. Are you afraid of me?" Yusuke did not look offended by his words. Instead, he stared at him with a contemptuous smile.
Akeno licked her lips, her thighs clenching tightly. She felt that Yusuke looked so hot right now. She imagined him pushing her onto the bed, staring at her with that same contemptuous smile.
Koneko was feeling the same, her body heating up so much that her ears and tail appeared without her noticing.
"Afraid of you!?!! Hahahaha!" Riser snapped, so furious that he roared with laughter. He clicked his fingers, and the magic circle on the floor glowed once more. The emblem of Phenex appeared, and multiple shadows rose from the circle.
Fifteen women, each with a distinct style and beauty, emerged from the flames.
"You think you can take on me and my cute servants on your own?!"
Riser declared arrogantly, completely oblivious to the fact that three of the women behind him wore expressions entirely different from the rest.
Yusuke immediately noticed, just as he expected. The familiar system voice rang in his ears.
[Ding]
[New Quest!]
**
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