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"In the name of Sidi, I hereby declare the final winner of this Rating Game... Minato!"
In the vast, empty space of the alternate dimension, Shitori Sona's voice rang out—just slightly trembling.
And in the next second—
A glowing magic circle lit up beneath Minato and the others' feet, and their figures vanished from the battlefield.
By the time Minato came back to his senses…
He was already staring at the familiar figure of Rias.
"I knew you'd win!"Rias came right up to him, looking into his ruby-red eyes as she cupped his face in her hands.
"You must've burned through a lot of magic just now."
Her gaze was soft and seductive as she slowly leaned in.
"So... how about a magic refill?"
"That'd be great. Thanks for the help."
Minato smiled back.
"Mmph!"
Rias was briefly stunned.
This guy was getting really good at this whole 'magic refill' thing...
Still, with that thought, Rias slowly closed her eyes.
Nearby, Sona's eyes were wide in disbelief as she watched the two of them.
A magic refill?
Minato only used one move—what refill do you even need?
And could you two please stop flirting in public?
Even though she was complaining in her head, Sona's ears were already turning red.
Rias-senpai... you're really bold!
Koneko, off to the side, had her cheeks flushed too, fidgeting like she couldn't sit still, her whole body suddenly feeling hot.
A moment later…
Minato finally pulled back from Rias's lips.
Looking at the breathless Rias, he gently helped fix her slightly messy hair.
"So? How's that for a reward?"
"Hmph, it was just a magic refill."
"But if it's a reward, shouldn't it come at night?"
"Huh?"
Rias blinked in surprise—then it hit her, and she stiffened.
This idiot! Why does he have to say everything out loud?!
There were people everywhere around them!
Sure, they'd already done what needed to be done, but she wasn't thick-skinned enough to just roll with it!
Rias took a few steps back, adjusted her breathing, and pouted. "You're always causing trouble."
"Really? That's not what you said the other night," Minato replied, looking completely innocent.
"You two need to calm down!" Sona's face was bright red now. "Do you have to flirt like that in public?"
Seriously, this is way too fast for me...
She was still a pure devil girl with zero romantic experience!
"Alright, alright, quit messing around," Rias finally cut in with a playful eye-roll before her expression turned serious. "But killing Riser might bring a lot of trouble."
"If it brings trouble, then so be it. He had to die."
Minato's tone was firm and decisive.
Riser was a pure-blooded devil from a powerful family—definitely not someone to underestimate.
But so what?
Anyone who dares go after Rias... Minato would never forgive.
So domineering...
But I love it.
Even though she knew it might cause problems, Rias couldn't stop the small smile tugging at her lips.
Buzz!
Just then, a magic circle flared to life in the Occult Research Club's room, catching everyone's attention.
The next moment—
A tall, handsome man with fiery red hair slowly stepped out of the glowing circle.
"Big Brother? What are you doing here?"Rias looked surprised at the man who appeared.
"Big Brother?"Utaha blinked, eyes going wide.
Rias's brother?!
Wasn't that one of the current Four Great Satans?
This Rating Game stirred up such a big deal that even someone like him showed up?!
"With everything that's happened, how could I not come?"
Sirzechs gave a wry smile before turning to Minato. "I didn't think you had it in you to actually kill Riser."
"But now, well... you've really stirred up a hornet's nest."
"Long time no see, Sirzechs."Minato greeted him casually with a grin. "Don't worry. I won't make things hard for you."
"If anyone's got a problem with it, they can come deal with me directly."
"..."
Sirzechs was briefly stunned, then gave Minato a long, deep look.
He's changed...
"Relax," Sirzechs said at last, waving a hand with a smile. "I've already prepared for this. Those old geezers won't find an excuse to stir up trouble."
"If you've got it handled, then what are you doing here?"Rias raised an eyebrow. "Came all this way just to intimidate Minato?"
At that, Sirzechs gave his sister a complicated look.
You're not even married yet and you're already taking his side?
With a sigh, he said, "I came to meet my future brother-in-law in person. And besides, my showing up is a way of standing with Minato—let those old fogies know where I stand."
Minato nodded. "Well, in that case, guess I'll be seeing you more often."
Sirzechs shook his head helplessly. "Spare me. Just don't go too crazy, alright?"
He was starting to get the picture now—
This brother-in-law of his looked like a chill guy on the surface…
But deep down? Absolutely ruthless.
And more importantly—he had the power to back it up.
There was something inside Minato... a power even Sirzechs couldn't see through.
Probably the same power that killed Riser.
A Sacred Gear? Or maybe something even stranger...
"As long as they don't mess with me, I won't mess with them."
Minato gave a light, easy smile.
He just wanted to enjoy his harem in peace—not cause trouble.
"Let's hope so."
Sirzechs forced a smile, then finally waved goodbye and disappeared in a flash of magic.
"Well, that's that. Everything's settled,"Rias said, visibly relieved. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Minato. "So? How about a little celebration?"
"Where to?"
"Obviously my place—it's huge. Perfect for throwing a party."
"Sounds good!"
With that, the whole group set off from Kuoh Academy in high spirits.
Even Sona, after Rias's warm invitation, ended up joining them at the mansion.
"Hey, if it's a celebration... there's gotta be booze, right?"Leone's eyes lit up as she turned to Rias.
"Of course."Rias nodded. "Akeno, if you would?"
"On it!"Himejima Akeno activated a teleportation spell.
When she returned, the place was absolutely loaded with alcohol.
"Um... isn't this a bit too much?"Sona stared at the mountain of drinks, completely speechless.
For some reason... she had a bad feeling about this.
"I'll take care of the food!"
Akame grabbed a kitchen knife and charged straight into the kitchen.
"....."