As she walked away, Sona's violet eyes still shot a sharp glare toward Rian from the corner of her vision.
It was impossible for Rian not to notice—his Six Eyes made sure of that.
He rose to his feet with a relaxed air, brushing back his perfectly dry hair as if he'd just finished shooting a luxury shampoo commercial.
A faint blue glow shimmered softly around him, the deliberate effect of a heightened Infinity output—purely for the sake of dramatic flair.
The radiance wrapped him like a flawless spotlight, and in Sona's eyes, the sight wasn't merely irritating—it was divinely infuriating.
Her steps grew heavy, not from fatigue, but from the sheer effort of restraining herself from turning back and punching that infuriating man square in the face.
Ten minutes after Sona left the room, the Rating Game finally concluded. The results appeared across the magical display.
Winner: Rias Gremory's Peerage.
Opponent: Riser Phenex's Peerage — older, more experienced, and now thoroughly defeated.
Now, Riser and his entire team were in the infirmary. Some were still in shock, while others sat in stunned silence, unable to believe what had happened.
Ding!
A moment later, two system notifications appeared before Rian's eyes, signaling the completion of side missions.
[Herald No. 90,000 has completed Side Mission (Rank C) -Rating Game-]
[+5,000 System Points]
[Herald No. 90,000 has completed Side Mission (Rank C) -Dragon Oppai-]
[+5,000 System Points]
Only one main mission remained. Rian knew he could finish it easily… but he chose to postpone it, at least for now.
He focused his mind for a moment, and the holographic system screen before him slowly faded away, vanishing into the air.
His gaze shifted toward Rias and her peerage, who appeared moments later through teleportation magic.
There, Issei looked completely exhausted—barely conscious—as Kiba carried him in both arms.
Beside them, Rias and Asia followed with worried expressions, matching Kiba's quick pace toward the infirmary.
It seemed something had happened off-screen, something the audience never saw—most likely because Rian had spent the entire match teasing the student council president instead of paying attention.
Moments later, Koneko approached Rian, her steps light and quiet, like a kitten seeking attention.
Without saying a word, Rian simply gave a small smile and gently patted her head.
From a distance, Akeno watched them with a mysterious smile only she could understand.
Gasper, standing beside her, looked confused—clearly having no idea what was going on.
But the moment of victory was soon cut short when the group arrived at the Occult Research Club room—only to find it in complete disarray.
It was plain to see—the floor was still damp, the chairs and carpet soaked, and a pile of wet books sat miserably in the corner of the room.
Rias narrowed her eyes, scanning the area before turning toward Grayfia, who stood calmly by the wall as usual.
In a questioning tone, Rias asked, "Grayfia… may I know what exactly happened here?"
Grayfia merely closed her eyes, choosing not to answer.
Tsubaki, standing beside her, sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose before stepping forward.
"Would you believe me if I said… there was a little accident here?" she said dryly.
Meanwhile, Rian remained perfectly relaxed, still patting Koneko's head as if nothing had happened, shrugging without the slightest trace of guilt.
"There was another cat besides Shironeko who tried to scratch this handsome man's face," Rian said lightly, as if talking about a stray cat from next door.
Rias gave him a flat look.
That single sentence was already more than enough to confirm that Rian was the cause of all this chaos.
And with Sona Sitri nowhere to be found, everything became painfully clear.
With a weary tone that sounded as if she had just lost the last of her patience, Rias rubbed her temples and let out a long sigh.
"Hoping you'd sit still… that really was too much to ask, wasn't it? Rian Andromeda."
Koneko, standing nearby, shot Rian a sharp glare before muttering quietly but coldly, "...Idiot."
"Fufu~" Akeno chuckled softly, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. "You really are a man full of charm, Rian."
Rian simply gave a faint smile, closing his eyes for a moment and shrugging lightly, as if this kind of chaos was nothing new to him.
And so, this Rating Game came to an end—marked by chaos in the observation room, clashing egos, and teasing that almost caused a flood.
Happiness? Sentimentality? No one could really tell. But one thing was certain… it was a strangely beautiful ending to the day.
Grayfia bowed politely to Rias before opening a teleportation magic circle—apparently intending to report her observations to Sirzechs.
Tsubaki offered a graceful farewell bow.
Meanwhile, the others either headed home… or sat quietly, waiting for their turn to be healed by Asia if they had sustained any injuries during the match.
***
The atmosphere inside the modest apartment felt warm and peaceful.
Dim light bathed the traditional Japanese-style interior. The tatami floor gave off its familiar woven-straw scent.
In the center of the room sat a simple low wooden table, holding a few everyday items: a cup of warm tea, a small towel, and a tiny pot of aloe vera.
As part of his placement in the DxD world, the system had prepared this apartment for Rian, along with a fabricated identity as a student of Kuoh Academy.
In one corner of the living room, Rian leaned casually against the wall, wearing a white shirt and long black pants.
His expression was serious… but not because he was pondering some grand strategy or a powerful enemy.
No.
Right now, Rian was seriously applying night cream.
With slow, practiced movements, his fingers gently spread the cream across his skin, leaving behind a fresh, dewy glow.
The soft sound of cream meeting skin echoed faintly in the quiet room.
On his lap sat Ophis — the tiny Dragon God, her empty, tranquil eyes reflecting stillness itself — leaning lightly against his chest.
She wore a simple black pajama set and, without saying a word, stared ahead at the table… or perhaps at the world itself, which held no interest for her except for one thing — Rian.
Her small hand grasped the hem of his shirt, her breathing calm and steady. She looked utterly at peace there, as if Rian's lap were the safest, most tranquil place in existence.
Rian's gaze drifted downward — to the little dragon girl resting quietly on his lap.
After returning from the Occult Research Club, his original plan had been to take a shower and change clothes before meeting Ophis at their usual spot.
However, that plan went completely off track the moment he opened his apartment door… only to find the Dragon God of Infinity herself sitting calmly in the middle of his living room — as if this were her own nest.
Rian couldn't help but wonder how Ophis had even managed to find his apartment address in the first place.
But what confused him even more was how close she had become lately.
Their original agreement — to only meet at night — had long since turned into a mere formality.
Ophis now came whenever she pleased, sat wherever she liked, and stayed for as long as she wanted.
Like now: sitting quietly on his lap, her usual blank expression unchanged, as if this were the most natural thing in the world.
It had all started around the time Rian mastered the Reverse Cursed Technique.
He wasn't sure if the two things were connected… but one thing was certain: Ophis's attachment to him had only grown stronger since then.
And as a man who'd dealt with more than his fair share of women, Rian couldn't just ignore it.
Realizing silence wouldn't give him any answers, he finally decided to ask her directly.
"Ophis-chan, I'm curious," Rian said, placing his right hand gently on the girl's head. "Why have you been getting this close since that day? Did something happen?"
Ophis remained silent. There was no change in her expression—only her small hand tightening slightly as it gripped the edge of Rian's shirt.
Rian didn't press further. He simply waited patiently. A few words would be enough—enough to give him direction, enough to help him understand the most mysterious being in existence.
Moments passed in silence until, finally, Ophis spoke.
"...Not allowed?"
The answer was short—far from what Rian had expected. But precisely because of that, he smiled faintly.
"It's not a problem," Rian replied with a light shrug. "It just feels… strange. As if this isn't only about you."
"Ophis-chan remembers, right?" he continued, gently stroking the dragon girl's head. "When we first met, and in the days after that—you weren't like this. You've learned so quickly."
Knock! Knock! Knock!
The sound of knocking came from the apartment door.
Rian, still leaning back casually while stroking Ophis's head, turned his gaze lazily toward the source.
From the aura alone, he immediately recognized who it was.
"Akeno-chan?" Rian murmured, slightly puzzled. "Why's she dropping by here? I thought she was just passing through—her client's apartment is next door, isn't it?"