How troublesome, Inaba Tsukiyo couldn't help but think.
With her abilities, directly killing the opponent would be no problem, and Riser's flame ability was even less significant.
However, Rias's suggestion wasn't bad. Such an excellent punching bag was hard to find, and if she missed this opportunity, she wouldn't know when she'd get another chance to find such a good punching bag to practice her moves.
She had recently gained some insights into the Herrscher of the Void's abilities. If she abandoned the idea of a one-hit kill, then pinning Riser to the ground and grinding him down seemed like a good option too.
"Hey, Tsukuyo. You really shouldn't have used the Holy Grail as your stake for this Rating Game. Do you know how many people will target you for doing that?"
Himejima Akeno looked at Inaba Tsukiyo with a serious expression. She was very clear about how much Inaba Tsukiyo's act of bringing out the Holy Grail would affect her future.
Why was Inaba Tsukiyo so powerful, yet no one or no force had sought her out before? It was because no one knew who Inaba Tsukiyo was, and she didn't possess anything that would draw attention.
But this time was different. As a human, she had a close relationship with the next head of the Gremory Family, and for Rias, she even brought out the Holy Grail.
If the Holy Grail on Inaba Tsukiyo was real, then not only devils, but even Fallen Angels or gods would come looking for Inaba Tsukiyo.
At that point, Inaba Tsukiyo could say goodbye to her daily life. Since she had shown her extraordinary side, an extraordinary future awaited her.
"Well, that couldn't be helped. After all, I'm just a human, not one of Rias's Servants/Peerage Members, so of course, I wouldn't have the opportunity to participate in your game. And I have no intention of becoming a Servant/Peerage Member."
She wouldn't be so foolish as to become Rias's Servant/Peerage Member. Even if Rias treated her Servants/Peerage Members very well, she wouldn't be so silly as to become someone else's subordinate.
If it were her old self, she might have actually been swayed by Rias's figure and, in a moment of delusion, accepted Rias's invitation.
"If I wanted to participate in this game, the only way was to produce an item that would move even devils. The most tempting thing I had was the Holy Grail."
Of course, that was also the most useless item Inaba Tsukiyo had.
She didn't know how much of a boost the Holy Grail would receive in this world, but its original purpose was to strengthen Heroic Spirits, meaning to inject the Holy Grail's power into a Heroic Spirit to grant them greater strength.
Or it could be used as an infinite power bank; as long as it was connected to the Holy Grail, the magic power inside the Holy Grail could be used infinitely, essentially like having a top-tier item that automatically restored mana.
"Can't you bring out a Noble Phantasm? Didn't you give Koneko a Noble Phantasm? Can't you bring out a new Noble Phantasm? That's not impossible, is it?"
"Hmm, that's not wrong. But I don't really have anything presentable in my hands."
Even if she could create equipment through the Herrscher's power, too many identical pieces of equipment would only make her more conspicuous. It would be better to bring out the Holy Grail; there was only one, and it was more attractive.
"Really... I truly don't know how to repay you, Tsukuyo. You even brought out something so important."
Rias looked at Inaba Tsukiyo with a complex expression. That was the Holy Grail! Even if it wasn't the "Holy Grail of the Netherworld" she was familiar with, if its function could even match half of the latter's, it would still be a treasure anyone would want to possess.
But Inaba Tsukiyo actually brought out such a treasure just to participate in this Rating Game. Rias truly didn't know what to say.
"If you really want to repay me, how about letting Koneko be mine? Since she's your Servant/Peerage Member, letting her become my little kitty should be fine, right?"
Inaba Tsukiyo playfully said, embracing Tachibana Koneko, who was eating snacks nearby.
"Tsukuyo!"
Tachibana Koneko didn't expect Inaba Tsukiyo to say such a thing, and her small face instantly turned red.
"Alright, if we can win this game, I might consider your request. Anyway, Koneko likes you a lot, so letting Koneko be with you is also a good choice."
"President!"
Tachibana Koneko angrily waved her hand at Rias. Her cute actions made everyone present laugh, and the atmosphere instantly lightened.
"Rias, don't think we'll fail this game. Since I intend to participate, it means I'm confident of winning. Don't you believe me, Koneko?"
"...Mm, Tsukuyo is the best."
Tachibana Koneko nodded. Judging by Inaba Tsukiyo's record of defeating her in every match, Inaba Tsukiyo's true strength was probably not as simple as it seemed.
Inaba Tsukiyo had mentioned that the pair of demonic eyes she had just displayed were her special ability.
And Tachibana Koneko trusted Inaba Tsukiyo. Although this trust was unconscious, she felt that Inaba Tsukiyo would definitely resolve this matter perfectly.
Himejima Akeno narrowed her eyes. She suddenly realized a problem.
If Inaba Tsukiyo brought out the Holy Grail not because she had nothing else impressive to offer, but as a means to draw the attention of the higher-ups in the Demon World… this wasn't impossible. However, given Inaba Tsukiyo's consistent behavior, she never showed any intention of causing trouble. If that was the case, then there would be no need for her to seek out the attention of the Demon higher-ups.
'What exactly is going on?'
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