The Rating Game was over.
The final result, naturally, was a victory for Rias's team.
Ryuya had blown half of Raiser's body apart with a single punch, but thanks to the regenerative power of the Phoenix bloodline, combined with the extraordinary recovery effect of the Phoenix Tears, Raiser was clearly not in any danger of losing his life.
That said, judging from the dejected look on Raiser's face, he had probably been beaten into a psychological shadow.
This guy… he really hits hard.
When they saw Raiser's body get blown apart so brutally, that thought surfaced in everyone's mind almost simultaneously.
As the victor of the Rating Game, Rias naturally got her wish—she had temporarily escaped the marriage arrangement imposed by her family.
Though she tried her best to suppress her excitement, the joy in her heart was already overflowing.
After leaving the alternate space with Ryuya and Asia, she found Akeno Himejima and Koneko Toujou waiting outside.
"Are your injuries okay?" Rias asked.
"Hehe, we've already recovered," Akeno replied with a smile, her gaze drifting toward Ryuya. "And we just happened to witness someone showing off quite spectacularly."
Ryuya smiled faintly as well. With this troublesome matter resolved for Rias, he felt much more relaxed himself.
"Did you manage to capture my heroic figure?" he joked.
"Oh? Well… does keeping it etched in my memory count?" Akeno replied with a teasing smile, her eyes rippling like water, utterly charming.
"Then I'll trouble you to recall it once every day. Don't forget," Ryuya shot back playfully, and everyone's mood lightened.
Of course, where some rejoiced, others sulked.
After coming out, Ravel strode up to Ryuya in a huff.
"You've gone too far!"
Raiser was the brother who doted on her the most out of her three brothers. Seeing him beaten into psychological trauma by Ryuya, she couldn't sit still.
Ryuya glanced at her and spoke calmly.
"He's been troubling Rias for so long. Honestly, I already went easy on him."
Rias was standing right beside him. When she heard that, her eyes filled with emotion.
If there weren't so many people around, she might have already thrown herself into his arms.
"Big Brother is troubled too! You—you don't understand the devil's situation at all…" Ravel said helplessly.
"I don't want to understand it at all."
Ryuya couldn't be bothered with Ravel. With a flick of his hand, he summoned the Aegiron and said in a low voice:
"This matter is over. I don't want to bring it up again. Don't bother me—otherwise I'll strip you and throw you out immediately."
The moment Ryuya took out the Aegiron, Ravel jumped in fright.
She had already witnessed firsthand in the alternate space just how terrifying that small silver seal could be.
Her brother's servants were still grinding their teeth over that thing. She absolutely did not want to experience public clothes-blasting herself…
Without hesitation, the girl fled, afraid that Ryuya might actually use the that thing on her.
Ryuya put the seal away and shook his head lightly as he watched her retreat in panic, thinking that after this battle, he'd probably become someone universally condemned among female devils…
Well, whatever.
When it's time to use it, it still has to be used.
And besides… watching cute girls get their clothes blown off was, admittedly, quite a feast for the eyes.
"Rias, let's go."
He suggested leaving, but Rias pursed her lips, hesitating slightly.
"Um… my brother might want to see you."
"Your brother… the Devil King Lucifer?" Ryuya frowned slightly, a faint guess forming in his mind. "Is it because of my dual-class status?"
"That's the main reason, yes. But my brother is also very concerned about my situation," Rias said helplessly.
She had known it—once Ryuya's dual-class identity was revealed, it was bound to cause a huge uproar among the devils.
"About the dual-class thing—you've already looked into it too, Rias, and didn't you say you couldn't figure anything out either?"
Ryuya really didn't feel like going. After all, who would enjoy being stared at and examined like some kind of exhibit…?
Rias thought about it and agreed. She simply reached out and took Ryuya's hand.
"Then we'll ignore him. From now on, your time belongs only to me."
She smiled willfully. Only when she was by Ryuya's side could she be this capricious—so much so that she didn't even bother responding to a request from the Demon King Lucifer himself.
Of course, only she dared to do that.
After all, she was Demon King Lucifer's little sister…
"Let's hurry and go, or they'll come looking for us," Rias said, calling out to Akeno and the others. With a stealthy teleportation spell, the four of them quietly left.
After they were gone, over on Sirzechs' side, Grayfia reported the situation to him.
"They've all left?"
Sirzechs couldn't help but laugh and scold lightly. "That girl… she really never lets anyone have any peace."
"Shall I go bring them back?" Grayfia asked.
"No need. Let her enjoy herself a little longer. This isn't the time to disturb them."
Thinking of how Rias had successfully escaped her family's arrangements, Sirzechs smiled knowingly.
"As for the one under Rias's command…" Sirzechs pondered briefly before smiling again. "Looks like I'll have to personally make a trip to the human world sometime."
…
The human world, Kuoh Academy.
In the Occult Research Club's clubhouse, everyone held a celebration together.
"Cheers!!"
They all raised their glasses in celebration. After all, not only had Rias finally resolved the engagement that had plagued her for so long, this was also her very first Rating Game.
And her opponent had been Raiser Phenex—an adult devil who had already participated in multiple Rating Games.
For Rias to defeat Raiser was nothing short of a huge statement of her presence within the devil world.
"In this battle, Ryuya undoubtedly contributed the most," Rias said with a smile, looking straight at him, warmth brimming in her eyes. "You were right. You've never disappointed me."
Ryuya smiled lightly and clinked his glass against hers.
"I won't disappoint you in the future either."
"Ara ara~ If you keep flirting like this, Rias might not be able to hold back and offer herself to you~" Akeno chuckled teasingly.
Her words made Rias's cheeks flush slightly. "Akeno!"
"Hehe… I'm just stating the facts, right? Even I am tempted. Surely you, the person involved, aren't unmoved?" Akeno said with a playful smile as she looked at Rias.
"If you don't want him, then I'll go confess first, okay?"
"…In your dreams. Ryuya is my most adorable servant. He belongs to me."
Rias smiled faintly, refusing Akeno without backing down in the slightest.
However, Akeno continued to look at Ryuya with a distant, thoughtful gaze, as if lost in her own thoughts.
Sensing it, Ryuya met Akeno's eyes. She snapped back to herself and immediately gave him a gentle smile—just as always, soft yet alluring.
Akeno sighed inwardly.
She hadn't been completely honest with Rias just now.
What she said earlier… she truly meant it.
Watching how much Ryuya had done for Rias, she couldn't help feeling a faint sense of envy—and even a touch of jealousy.
As expected…
She really did like this kind of Ryuya too.
---
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