Sona stepped on something and made a scrunched face. As she turned her heel up to see what she stepped on, she reflectively churned her nose back. "Oh that's unpleasant." she groaned. "This must've happened a while ago."
Tsubaki didn't know what to be sorry for at this point, the fact that she was hiding Serafall's arrival, or hiding the fact that what she stepped on happened far sooner than she likely thought. And her queen just sat and watched.
What compelled her to do so? Tsubaki couldn't answer.
She might have to catch him in the act again just to be sure. Although this time, she won't make the mistake of watching, and she certainly won't make the mistake of remembering it this often.
. Grayfia .
"How many times do I have to tell you? I won't marry you Riser!"
This meeting was going swimmingly, though Grayfia supposed only her mind would get the sarcasm at the moment. In truth, the meeting between Rias and Riser which Sirzcehs planned to be peaceful and arbitrary was going about as well as she predicted when she broke the news to Rias last night.
Kiba and Akeno seem ready for a fight right now while her strongest chance of boasting strength lay flat on ground. Folded by a bishop faster she folded Millicas' clothing. Issei Hyoudou still seemed alright, and better than what she was led to believe when she consulted Akeno for ideas.
Riser himself was putting on a show however. Presenting his completed peerage to Rias which somehow included his sister. Grayfia found herself analyzing them by sight, and out of almost what she can call sheer concern, matched them against the strength Rias had.
Considering the Red Dragon Emperor was still lying on the ground. And through observation, Akeno still dwarfed her own king in magic power, although exaggerated, the difference in power seemed practically hopeless. Which made her husbands failsafe all the more of a viable option with a lot of risk bearing to the red dragon emperor. It screams favoritism however, a trait that the enemies in the crowd, devilkind and the ones they buried would most likely chance upon to denounce him. To be fair, he lacked sleep and this seemed to be the only idea he could come up with that somehow didn't violate the contract.
The Phoenix had truly covered their bases.
It was truly a sad thing to witness for Grayfia. On both parties. Neither of them seem too keen on wedding the other, but Rias's accusations to Riser's character was visibly starting to piss him off. Issei Hyoudou had been dealt with but his hostility and killing intent still filled the room. The pressure coming from his body raging at the peerage.
Kiba and Koneko are visibly tense standing right in front of Rias, staring down their peerage member equivalent. They're getting ready to fight, despite shaking ever so little. Rias seems angry as well. Grayfia was definitely privy to the red aura practically sprouting from her body, without paying the least bit of attention to her environment, visibly destroying the room with her pressure.
Grayfia looks towards Riser's side and suddenly he's on fire.
The flame gathers around Riser's back and forms into wings of flame. The intense heat is covering the room, enough so that she had half a mind to get Issei away from the high-class devil angry enough to have a mind to vaporize Rias's peerage by the mass.
She sighed, the situation was getting a bit out of her control. Things needed to go back to a certain level of calm/
Grayfia breathed and the entire room went silent to a chill. "Rias, Riser. Calm yourselves. If you were to continue, then for Sirzechs honour, I won't stand idle."
Riser was the first to relent, pulling back his fire. As Rias refused to relinquish her aura, Grayfia forced it back with a single stare. She stared at her as if trying to complain but her voice drew quiet.
"I'm not about to think picking a fight with the Strongest Queen is a good idea." Riser said, sitting back down on his part of the sofa. While he muttered the rest beneath his breath, Grayfia managed to catch it.
"Especially over something like this."
Rias eventually relented as well. Giving Grayfia enough time to explain a few things.
"Sirezechs, Master and the nobles from the House of Phoenix predicted this reaction from you two." Grayfia said.
Riser scoffed. "I don't know what they were expecting from either of us."
Rias didn't retort, but to Riser's word his peerage members shared a nasty look at the Ruin Princess. Riser himself may not even know that his peerage managed that, and neither did Rias and any members of hers. It might've been privy to only Grayfia at the moment, and it made it grueling to go through knowing that there was nothing she could do. And yet, still be tortured by her superego that claims that there's more she could've done.
In the end, she can only recite the only alternative that all those privy have come to reach. The worst case scenario. " To tell you the truth this was to be the last discussion held between you two. Everyone knew that this cannot be solved so easily, and have unionized to offer an alternative…a last resort if you must."
"Last resort? What do you mean, Grayfia?" Rias asked.
"Mistress. It's clear that if left to your own devices, neither of you would come towards a conclusive decision regarding this contract. If you wish to pursue your own desires, then how about you settle it once and for all?" Grayfia said. "A Rating Game against Lord Riser."
Rias glares at Riser with scary eyes although she didn't miss landing her nasty glare on Grayfia herself.
She sighed. "In other words, my brother and the others decided to host the game as a last resort if I was to decline…How far are you willing to interfere until you two feel satisfied?"