š¢ Announcement ā Patreon Milestone & Discord Launch!
Hello everyone!
I'm thrilled to share some exciting news with you all. Thanks to your amazing support, we've now reached $250/month on Patreon! š I couldn't have done this without you, and I'm truly grateful for every bit of encouragement you've given me. š
As promised, bigger rewards are waiting ahead:āØ At $600/month, we'll unlock the Double Chapter Week ā every day for one week, you'll get two chapters!āØ At $1000/month, I'll be releasing a brand-new original work alongside the current one.
On top of that, I've also launched a Discord server! It's still in its early stages (since I'm learning the ropes of setting it up), but if you'd like to check it out and be part of the first wave of members, you're more than welcome to join.
Once again, thank you so much for supporting me on this journey. Let's keep building together and reach the next milestones! š
ā Zevion Asgorath
Patreon Link: patreon.com/zevionasgorath
Discord Link: https://discord.gg/DBQ5uYRn
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I let out a tired sigh, still kneeling on the floor from the beating, but forcing my voice to stay steady.
"Soā¦ here's the truth. Devilsā¦ you're one of the most dangerous and arrogant races out there."
Rias's brow furrowed, Koneko's eyes narrowed, but I raised a hand before they could interrupt.
"Yeah, yeahāI know. Not every devil is like that. I get it. But most? Most absolutely are. The greed, the arrogance, the endless schemingāit's practically baked into your culture. Sin is mostly active in your being. Also, don't say no, I confirmed it with my summon that you have higher sin activity than most other races."
I take a breath as I continue.
"And the thing that pissed me off the most?"
I turned to Rias, locking eyes with her.
"It was the way they talked about you. Badmouthing you like you were some disloyal tramp who cheated with a human before your engagement. Even if it's true or not, even if it was just gossip, that's the kind of thing spread around faster than you can imagine. And I couldn't stomach someone badmouthing the person important to me."
I gave a small, humorless laugh.
"Soā¦ I decided to flip the script. That human in their rumors? That human became me. But not weak, not prey. Instead, I turned myself into the one thing devils fear more than anything elseāsomething beyond them. Something they couldn't fight, couldn't control, couldn't buy with politics. In their eyes, I became a Demon God."
Their silence pressed on me, but I kept going.
"Instead of wasting time playing the Rating Game like it's some noble pastime, I made a debut they'll never forget. I showed them what happens if they even think about hurting youāor anyone close to me. I made sure the entire devil race understood that crossing me means extinction."
Rias flinched, Akeno's smirk faltered, and even Koneko blinked, uncertain.
But before they could jump to conclusions, I raised my hand again and grinned.
"Relax. Of course, I don't actually plan on wiping out a whole race. Please. That's way too much workāand honestly, way too boring. It was a bluff. A terrifying bluff, yeah, but still just a bluff."
I leaned back slightly, shrugging as if the matter was trivial.
"Oh, and that dragon you saw? Giratina. My partner. Figured it was about time I introduced him properly. He's the one who covered me in that aura, who amplified everything, who made the whole act so convincing."
My grin stretched wider, though my tone remained oddly casual.
"In shortā¦ I didn't just win the match. I carved a warning into their souls. Now, no devil in their right mind will come knocking on our door thinking they can use politics, intimidation, or cheap tricks against us."
Then I added one more thing.
"Also, if you want more details, just watch the recording."
I waved my hand casually, as if the whole thing was nothing worth retelling.
The room went quiet for a moment before they all let out a collective sigh, the kind that carried a mix of frustration and resignation.
Rias was the first to break the silence, her tone sharp but almostā¦ weary.
"You are an idiot."
Before I could even defend myself, Akeno leaned in with that sly, teasing smile of hers, covering her mouth with a hand as she chuckled.
"Fufufu~ Indeed, you're such an idiot."
And of course, Koneko didn't miss the chance to chime in, her deadpan voice cutting deeper than any blade.
"Idiot."
I looked between the three of them, dumbfounded.
Beaten, bruised, and now verbally executed by the entire female cast.
"ā¦Wow. Real supportive team I've got here."
But before I could complain any further, Rias suddenly stepped forward and wrapped her arms around me tightly.
Her embrace caught me off guardāwarm, desperate, and trembling.
Without giving me even a moment to process it, she pulled back just enough to press her lips against mine, kissing me with all the intensity of everything she'd been holding back.
The world around us blurred, the sting of my bruises forgotten.
When she finally broke the kiss, she buried her face against my chest, her arms tightening around me as if letting go would mean losing me forever.
"You idiotā¦" her voice cracked, muffled against me.
"Next time, take me with you. Don't ever shoulder it alone again. IāI love you. Really, really, really, really so much. You don't have to take it all on yourself, okay?"
Her tears dampened my shirt, each drop pounding louder than any battle drum.
She whispered, her voice trembling but filled with raw sincerity.
"Thank youā¦ for saving me from that marriage. For giving me my life back."
The words carried the weight of everything she had been holding insideāthe frustration, the helplessness, the pain of being treated like a tool in someone else's game.
She poured it all into that one heartfelt confession.
My eyes widened, and before I knew it, they started to sting.
A hot tear rolled down my cheek.
I thought I wasn't the type to cryāI always believed I was above such things.
But I guess I was wrong.
I wasn't different.
I was just as human as anyone else.
And when the person I loved stood in front of me, baring her soul with such vulnerability, such purity of emotionā¦ even I couldn't stay unmoved.
I lifted a hand and gently stroked her crimson hair, letting my fingers thread through the soft strands.
Slowly, carefully, I leaned closer, my voice no more than a tender murmur in her ear.
"You can cry, Rias. Cry as much as you want. Let it all out."
My hand rested against the back of her head, holding her to me as if shielding her from the world.
"It must have been hard, right? Carrying it all alone, pretending to be strong. But nowā¦ You don't have to. Don't worry about anything anymore. Just let it out."
For a moment, silence lingered.
Then, I felt it.
A faint sob, muffled against my chest.
A single tear hit my shirt, followed by another.
And then, the dam broke.
Her arms tightened around me as she clung desperately, crying freelyāno longer the proud heiress of the Gremory family, no longer the dignified crimson-haired beauty everyone admired.
Right now, she was just Rias.
A girl who had suffered, endured, and finally found someone to lean on.
And she was crying into my chest as if she'd been waiting her whole life for this moment.
As Rias sobbed against me, the sound of her tears filling the room, I suddenly felt a shift beside us.
Two smaller forms leaned in.
Without a word, Koneko wrapped her short arms around Rias from one side, her face calm, her golden eyes unusually soft.
There was no snark, no blunt comments, none of her usual sharpnessājust quiet, steady comfort.
From the other side, Akeno slipped in as well.
Normally, she would've let out her usual playful giggle, or at least teased me with a sly comment while joining.
But not this time.
Not a single word left her lips.
Her expression was serene, serious even, as she gently rested her hand on Rias's back, rubbing small circles as if to help soothe her trembling shoulders.
I looked down at them, at the sight of Rias being comforted not just by me, but by her precious peerage, our family.
And despite everythingāthe blood, the madness, the darkness I had shown todayāthis simple scene of quiet, wordless love felt like the purest thing that meant a world to me.