The afternoon sun bathed the mansion's gardens in a lazy, golden light. It had only been a few days since Daniel had enjoyed a simple yet perfect date with Asia. They had strolled in the park, shared an ice cream, and her innocent laughter had, for a few hours, washed away the heaviness that sometimes built up in Daniel's chest. Asia, now integrated into the household's dynamic, was blooming with a happiness that was a balm for everyone. Her little jealousies, manifested in blushes and soft complaints when Daniel paid attention to someone else, were so pure they only served to increase the affection all the girls had for her.
But this peace was, Daniel knew deep down, a precarious calm.
It was in the improvised dojo in the basement, as he trained his reflexes against Hikari and Hibiki's coordinated attacks, that his world stopped for an instant. It wasn't a sound, nor a movement. It was a vibration in the very air, a distortion in the world's flow that only his Observation Haki, honed to an almost precognitive level, could detect.
Suddenly, the immediate future—the next milliseconds where Hibiki prepared for a sonic electrical discharge and Hikari flanked him—vanished. In its place, a deep and ancient darkness loomed over his spiritual senses. It wasn't physical, but a stain of pure malice, a hatred so concentrated and cold it made the air freeze in his lungs. It was as if a dimensional door had been left ajar for a nanosecond, allowing the corrupt essence of his enemy to exhale its true power.
"Daniel!" — the voice of Ddraig, the red dragon sealed within the Boosted Gear, rumbled in his mind, not as a warning, but as a roar of recognition.
The electric twins stopped dead in their tracks, their playful faces turning serious upon seeing Daniel's expression. His body had tensed, his clenched fists glowed faintly with the scarlet aura of Armament Haki. His eyes, usually warm and full of life, now scrutinized the void, seeing beyond the concrete and beams, into the subtler layers of reality.
"Daniel-sama?" — asked Hikari, her voice a whisper charged with static electricity.
"Did we go too far?" — added Hibiki, worried.
Daniel blinked, forcing himself back to the present. The vision had lasted less than a heartbeat, but the impression was indelible.
"No, it wasn't you," he said, his voice low, with an undertone of contained fury. "It was him. Kokabiel. He just... uncorked his vessel for an instant. So far away, and yet... the stench reaches here."
The certainty was absolute. That signature of divine hatred, mixed with the arrogance of a being who believes himself above all creation, could only belong to the fallen angel pulling the strings from the shadows. Daniel had no doubt: the explosion of power he'd felt was the impotent fury of Kokabiel, probably after eliminating some incompetent subordinate or simply from the frustration of failing to undermine Daniel's position. It was a reminder: "I'm still here, and I am a force you cannot ignore."
Acting with a speed that would have been unthinkable months ago, Daniel teleported out of the dojo, leaving the worried twins behind. His Observation Haki expanded like a divine sonar, sweeping over Kuoh, then the prefecture, and beyond. He followed the faint residual trail, a thread of darkness rapidly fading in the cosmic wind.
The place it led him to was an abandoned warehouse in the docks of a neighboring city. The site was a horror movie cliché: broken windows, grass growing through cracks in the cement, and a sepulchral silence broken only by the cry of seagulls. But for Daniel's spiritual senses, it was even more desolate. There was nothing. No residual magic, no evil energy, not even the echo of a violent emotion. The place was sterilized.
He walked among the shadows, his steps making no sound. His Haki scrutinized every atom, every dust molecule. He found a dark stain on the floor, almost imperceptible. He knelt, touching it with his fingertips. It was ash. Ash of a winged being, imbued with a spell of self-dissolution so complex and brutal it left no useful trace. The prisoner, whoever he had been, had been completely erased, his essence and knowledge reduced to this inert dust.
"An automatic suicide spell," he murmured to himself, recalling Azazel's frustration. "Leaves no loose ends. Nothing to track, nothing to interrogate. You're meticulous, Kokabiel. Cowardly, but meticulous."
Rage boiled within him. It wasn't just the threat to his own safety, but the impunity with which Kokabiel operated, treating his followers as disposable tools. Daniel had gone there intending to end the threat once and for all, to confront the fallen angel in a decisive battle. But he found a ghost, an enemy who refused to show his face.
He returned to the mansion in low spirits. The feeling of powerlessness was a poison that contradicted his nature of always moving forward, of always facing problems head-on.
In the following days, Daniel noticed a subtle but constant change in Rias Gremory. The proud and confident President of Kuoh Academy's Occult Research Club was beginning to show cracks in her armor of demonic elegance. During encounters in the hallways, her smile was a little less bright, her gaze a little more distant. Sometimes, he would find her staring into the void from the window of her clubroom, a cloud of worry darkening her beautiful garnet eyes.
She didn't need to say it. The summary of the original plot that Daniel carried in his mind like a map of destiny was beginning to come to life. Kokabiel's plans, the destabilization of the factions—it all converged on Rias. The arranged marriage to Riser Phenex, the arrogant and immature Phoenix, was approaching like a slab of stone. It was the key piece Kokabiel would use to provoke a greater conflict, and Rias, trapped between tradition and her own heart, was the axis around which everything would turn.
One night, after a quiet dinner with his girlfriends, Daniel retreated to his room. The moon shone high in the sky, bathing the room in silver light.
"It's affecting you" — Ddraig's voice resonated within him, not as a question, but as a statement.
—I can't help it — Daniel admitted quietly, looking at his hands. — I see her... diminished. It's like watching an eagle having its wings clipped. And I know what's coming. I know Riser Phenex will arrive soon, with his stupid arrogance and his harem of pawns.
"The power play among the 72 Pillar families has always been complicated" — Ddraig commented, his tone that of a veteran who has seen empires fall. — "But you're right. This situation smells of a larger trap. Kokabiel wants war, and using the Gremory girl as bait is an effective move."
—I can't leave her alone — Daniel said, with a firmness that sprang from the depths of his being. — Not after all we've lived through, not after she, unknowingly, gave me a place in this world. To change the original plot, to avert the coming disaster and to cut Kokabiel's plans at the root, I must stay by her side. I must be the support she needs when her family and her own doubts abandon her.
"That is a solid strategy" — Ddraig nodded. — "Directly intervening in the catalyzing event. Your power is already monstrous, boy. Even without using my abilities to the max, you rival an Ultimate-Class. But remember, it's not just about brute force. It's about influence, politics, about demonstrating a value that transcends strength."
—I know — Daniel nodded. — Defeating Riser won't be enough. I must do it in a way that removes any doubt from the Gremory family, that proves Rias has someone more powerful and, more importantly, more worthy by her side. Or, at least, as part of her peerage.
That last idea resonated in his mind. He didn't aspire to replace Akeno in Rias's heart, far from it. His harem, built with love and respect, was his priority. But being a crucial ally, a pawn of immeasurable power on her board, was the perfect way to guarantee his influence on the coming events and protect those he considered his friends.
With the decision made and the certainty of the approaching storm, Daniel didn't sink into paranoia. On the contrary. He knew his greatest strength wasn't just the Boosted Gear or his Haki, but the bonds he had forged. His harem wasn't a luxury; it was his pillar, his source of balance. And the imminent threat made dedicating time to each of them more crucial than ever.
He continued with his round of dates, a meticulous and loving project to ensure each of his girlfriends felt unique and valued.
**Date with Sona Sitri:**
His date with Sona was a battle of minds. It wasn't in a fancy restaurant, but in the student's strategy room, over a Shogi board. The wooden pieces moved with surgical precision.
"Your move denotes impatience," Sona commented, adjusting her glasses as she captured one of his pieces. "But a calculated impatience. You're thinking ten moves ahead, forcing me to react."
Daniel smiled. It was amazing how a simple game could reflect his state of mind.
"A threat is approaching, Sona. Kokabiel is moving. And Rias..."
"I know," she gently interrupted. "I've noticed her distress. The marriage pact with the Phenex clan is an open secret among high-born families." She made her move, a masterstroke that put Daniel on the defensive. "You plan to intervene."
"It's necessary."
Sona nodded, a rare and genuine smile appearing on her lips. "Good strategy. By becoming an indispensable asset for Rias, your influence in the supernatural world will skyrocket. And, personally, I detest Riser Phenex's attitude. You have my resources, and my tactical support, when the time comes."
The date ended not with a passionate kiss, but with a handshake between strategists and a promise of mutual support. It was the unique connection they shared.
**Training with Hikari and Hibiki:**
The next day, training with the twins was an explosion of energy and camaraderie. It was no longer a reflex exercise, but a synchronization of souls. Daniel, with his Observation Haki, anticipated every discharge, dodging and blocking with his Armament Haki, which now glowed with a slightly violet hue due to constant exposure to their electricity.
"Faster, Hibiki!" Hikari shouted, launching a coordinated bolt from the other flank.
"I'm at my limit!" her sister replied, as Daniel spun, catching the bolt with his armored arm and deflecting it into a water barrel that exploded into steam.
When it was over, exhausted and sweaty, the three of them collapsed together on the dojo floor. The twins snuggled up against his sides, their heads resting on his chest.
"No matter what happens, Daniel-sama," Hikari murmured, "we are with you."
"To the end," Hibiki added, sealing the promise with a soft kiss on his cheek.
It was the fierce and playful loyalty that kept him grounded.
**Domestic Afternoon with Reynare:**
Reynare, the redeemed fallen angel, found her peace in domesticity. Their date was cooking dinner together for the whole mansion. The aroma of spices filled the kitchen as she, with adorable concentration, followed a complex recipe.
"Your knife skills have improved," Daniel commented, watching her chop vegetables with precision.
"It's because I'm at peace," she replied, blushing slightly. "When I'm by your side, all those voices... the doubts, the fear... go silent." She put down the knife and turned to him, her golden eyes shining with an intensity only he saw. "When you face that fallen angel, Kokabiel... let me be by your side. I want to be the one who cleanses the darkness he represents."
Her love was a fire fueled by the redemption he had offered her. Daniel nodded, knowing that in the coming battle, Reynare's ferocity would be an invaluable asset.
**Serenity with Sakura and Wisdom with Tamamo:**
With Sakura, the date was a quiet walk through the garden at dusk. She didn't need grand words. She took his hand, and her mere presence was a balm for his agitated spirit. She spoke softly of her magic studies, of how grateful she was for the peaceful life she had. She was his emotional refuge, the reminder of why it was worth fighting.
Tamamo-no-Mae, for her part, took him to her personal shrine, a room full of charms and scrolls. There, she taught him new, more complex purification seals, designed to sever the bonds of dark magic and corruption.
"My husband," she said in her mature, sensual tone while tracing a kanji in the air with purple energy, "the battle against Kokabiel won't be just physical. He will try to corrupt your spirit, poison your will. These seals will protect your soul." Her love was a fortress of ancient wisdom and magical power, another layer of defense for the approaching conflict.
Asia, from a distance, watched these interactions with a mix of love and those adorable jealousies. But even she understood, deep down, that each girl was a fundamental piece in the complex and loving structure that supported Daniel.
Training intensified. It was no longer just about maintaining his level, but transcending it. In the depths of a dimensional realm Tamamo had created for him, Daniel faced the most terrifying illusions the kitsune could conceive: shadows of Nyx seeking to drag him into eternity, and echoes of Angra Mainyu trying to stain his soul with the despair of all mankind.
Each time he fell, his Observation Haki was polished a little more, learning to distinguish between illusion and reality even on a spiritual battlefield. His Armament Haki became denser, more resilient, capable of repelling not only physical blows but also the conceptual attacks that had almost destroyed his being.
One night, as he meditated under the moon, he felt an awakening in the deepest part of his being. It wasn't Conqueror's Haki in its entirety, but it was a flicker. A wave of pure will, of his spiritual essence, emanated from him for an instant. The fireflies glowing in the garden went out simultaneously, not out of fear, but from instinctive respect. The flowers bowed slightly toward him. The minor spiritual entities that sometimes roamed the mansion fled at the speed of thought.
It was the seed of the power of a King. The ability to impose his will upon reality. He couldn't control it yet, but its mere existence was a declaration: Daniel Hernández was not a pawn. He was destined to be a King in his own right.
Ddraig remained in respectful silence, but Daniel could feel his satisfaction. The red dragon saw in him not just a host, but an equal, a companion reaching heights of power that resonated with the legend of the Heavenly Dragon.
Weeks passed. The tension in Kuoh's air was palpable to those who could sense it. Rias grew quieter, and her brother, Sirzechs Lucifer, had been seen near the city on an "unofficial" visit everyone understood as a prelude.
Daniel had finished his first round of dates. Each of his girlfriends was closer to him than ever, every bond strengthened, every promise of support renewed. Asia would start school soon, thanks to Sona's intervention, integrating another piece into the Kuoh chessboard.
One afternoon, standing on the balcony of his room, Daniel looked at the distant academy. His body was an arsenal of mastered power. His Haki, a perfect extension of his senses. The Boosted Gear, a latent flame waiting to be released. His soul, tempered in battles against gods and concepts, ready for the next trial.
He knew the request for a Rating Game from Riser Phenex would arrive soon. He knew Rias, cornered, would accept, desperate to escape her fate. And he would be there. Not as a simple member of the Peerage, but as the variable Kokabiel hadn't calculated, the hybrid warrior who had arrived from another world to rewrite his story.
He looked at his hands, where the scarlet aura of Haki and the emerald green of the Boosted Gear danced briefly.
—I'm ready — he whispered, not to himself, but to the world listening.
The wind blew, carrying his words away. The storm was finally about to arrive, and Daniel Hernández would not hide from it. He would face it, with his harem by his side and the power of a warrior god in his fists, to change the fate of Rias Gremory and, with it, that of the entire supernatural world.
The moon, a silver beacon in the night sky, cast long, silent shadows over the mansion's well-kept gardens. In his room, Daniel Hernández was not asleep. The night's stillness was only superficial; for his senses sharpened by Observation Haki, the world whispered its secrets. And that night, it whispered with the contained desperation of a devil princess.
He knew the moment was approaching. The script of a destiny he had once watched as a spectator in another life was about to unfold, but he was no longer a mere observer. He was a leading actor, and he had the power—and the obligation—to change the lines. Issei Hyoudou was not the Bearer of the Boosted Gear; he was. And therefore, he was the one who would stand in the way of Rias Gremory's desperate sacrifice.
He had explained to his girlfriends that he needed to spend the night alone. "Ddraig and I must synchronize at a deeper level," he had told them, his voice serious but calm. "Kokabiel's threat looms, and I must be sure there is no resistance between my soul and the Gear." It wasn't a complete lie; spiritual training was constant. But the real reason was to create the necessary space, the stage for the intervention that had to occur. To his relief, they all understood. Hikari and Hibiki wished him luck with a knowing smile, Reynare promised to have dinner ready for the next morning, Tamamo gave him a spiritual concentration seal, and Sona, with a perceptive look that almost seemed to guess his intentions, simply nodded. Asia, the most innocent, begged him not to overexert himself.
Now, in the solitude of his room, Daniel meditated. Not in a lotus position, but standing by the open window, letting the night breeze caress his face. His mind wasn't blank, but focused, reviewing every argument, every word he needed to say. He couldn't let Rias stoop to an act of desperation, selling her body and her first time as if it were a transaction to nullify a contract. She was worth more than that. Her friendship, her dignity, and the love he felt for her as an important person in his life demanded it.
"It's a risky move, boy," Ddraig's voice resonated in his consciousness, a low whisper full of millennial experience. "Rejecting a woman, and especially one of her status and beauty, in a moment of such vulnerability... could be taken as a devastating insult."
«It's not about rejecting her, Ddraig,» Daniel thought in response, his gaze fixed on the moon. «It's about rejecting the circumstances. It's as if she offered me a legendary sword wrapped in poison. I desire the sword, but I won't accept the poison. I must make her see that she deserves to be desired for who she is, not for what she can give in a moment of panic.»
"Hmph. A peculiar human analogy, but apt. Your spiritual resistance has grown, and I don't mean just against external attacks. You are demonstrating a strength of character few beings, human or otherwise, possess. Proceed. I am with you."
The praise, coming from the proud entity that was the Red Dragon of Supremacy, meant a lot. Daniel nodded to himself. He was ready.
Almost at midnight, the air in the room changed. It wasn't a sound, but a change in pressure, a tremor in the ambient magical currents. His Observation Haki, always active at a low level, captured a familiar presence approaching with determination and a heart laden with anguish. There was no doubt. It was her.
The door to his room opened softly, without a knock, as if the visitor hesitated even at the last second. And there, framed in the doorway, stood Rias Gremory.
The sight took his breath away. She wasn't wearing her Kuoh uniform or her usual casual attire. She was wrapped in a fine, sensual black nightgown that clung to her curves in a way that left little to the imagination. The neckline was pronounced, and the fabric, almost translucent in the moonlight, suggested the perfect shapes of her body. Her crimson mane, usually impeccable, fell in soft waves over her shoulders, and her garnet eyes, usually full of confidence and authority, now shone with a mix of resolve, fear, and a vulnerability she rarely allowed anyone to see. She smelled of jasmine and clean linen, an intoxicating scent mixed with the electricity of her nervousness.
"Daniel," she whispered his name, her voice a bit hoarse, charged with an emotion that tried to be seduction but betrayed pure desperation. "Can I... come in?"
He didn't flinch outwardly, though inside every one of his instincts cried out at the beauty before him. He remained standing, firm, his posture relaxed but not inviting.
"Of course, Rias," he responded, his voice serene and calm, a deliberate contrast to her tension. "The door is always open for you."
She entered, closing the door behind her with a soft click that sounded like thunder in the silence. She crossed the room until she was barely a meter away from him, her eyes searching his in the gloom.
"You know why I'm here, right?" she said, not as a question, but as a painful affirmation.
"I can guess," he replied, avoiding revealing the full extent of his knowledge. "You've been... worried lately. Something is weighing on you."
"It's Riser," she confessed, the name leaving her lips like poison. "The marriage... is imminent. There's not much time left. And there is... a way for him to lose interest. If I am no longer... pure. If my virginity belongs to another."
She paused, swallowing. Her trembling hands rose to rest softly on his chest. The contact, through the thin fabric of Daniel's shirt, was electric.
"I want it to be you, Daniel," she declared, looking him straight in the eye, defying her own shame. "I don't want it to be with just anyone. You are strong, honorable, powerful... and you matter to me. Please... can you... help me? Can you take this from me?"
The air charged with an almost palpable intensity. The offer was tempting on a purely primal level. Rias Gremory was, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful women he had ever known, and having her, here and now, was a desire that burned in his veins. But it was precisely that desire that gave him the strength to refuse her. Because true desire isn't fed by another's desperation.
With a slow and deliberate motion, Daniel raised his own hands and took hers, gently moving them away from his chest. The contact was warm, but firm. He looked her directly in the eyes, and in his gaze, there was no lust, but a deep and sincere compassion.
"Rias," he began, his voice a grave and serious whisper. "No."
The word, simple and clear, hit her like a bucket of ice water. Her pleading expression froze, then cracked, transforming into confusion and a hint of pain.
"...No?" she repeated, as if not understanding the meaning. "Why? Am I... not beautiful enough for you? Do you not want me?"
Daniel felt a pang of pain in his heart. It was exactly the reaction he had anticipated, the wound to her pride as a woman.
"No," he denied, with a vehemence that made her blink. "That is the farthest thing from the truth, Rias. You are beautiful. You are incredibly beautiful."
He paused, releasing one of her hands to lift his own and brush a lock of her crimson hair with his knuckles.
"Your hair... this color of fire and noble blood... is beautiful. It shines with the light of your passionate soul."
His finger moved gently, without touching her, toward her eyes.
"Your eyes... the garnet of the Gremory. They are as deep as aged wine and shine with an intelligence and strength few can match. They are beautiful."
His hand lowered, gesturing toward her whole being.
"Your personality... your pride, your loyalty to your Peerage, your kindness hidden beneath the mask of the devil princess... is beautiful. You are a natural leader, Rias. A woman of exceptional quality."
Finally, his gaze swept over her figure, with admiration but without voracious lust.
"And your body... Rias, your body is a work of art. Every curve, every line... is pure beauty. It is the physical form of the magnificent woman you are."
She listened, spellbound, her eyes beginning to shine with a new kind of tear. These weren't of desperation, but of an emotion she couldn't name.
"And it is precisely because of all that beauty," Daniel continued, his voice gaining intensity, "that I cannot accept. Not like this. Not in this way. What you are asking is not an act of love, or of genuine desire in a calm moment. It is an act of desperation. It is rushed, full of pressure, and your judgment is clouded by fear and anguish."
He took her hands again, squeezing them gently.
"Something as precious as your first time, Rias, is not something to be 'thrown away' or 'used' as a strategic tool. It is not a pawn in your power game. It should be a special moment, desired by both parties with clear hearts and minds, not with the clouds of a sentence hanging over your head. It should be a memory you treasure, not a transaction you want to forget."
Tears began to roll down Rias's cheeks, silent and warm. They weren't of sadness, but of overwhelming relief, of feeling... seen. Truly seen. Not as Princess Gremory, not as a trophy, but as Rias, the woman.
"But... the marriage..." she managed to say, her voice broken.
"The marriage to Riser is a problem we can face together," Daniel declared firmly. "You don't need to sell your body to solve it. We will use our power, our strategy, our will. I will help you, Rias. I promise I won't let that arrogant pig take you against your will. But we will do it the right way."
He wiped away one of her tears with his thumb, his touch tender.
"Listen to me, and listen well," he said, looking into her eyes with an intensity that burned her soul. "You are valuable, Rias Gremory. You are valuable for who you are, not for your virginity, not for your title, not for your power. You are valuable for your heart, for your spirit. And any man who cannot see that... is a fool who doesn't deserve a second of your time."
It was then that the floodgate opened. Rias could no longer contain it. A sob escaped her lips, and she fell against his chest, burying her face in his shoulder. Her body trembled with the force of her crying, but it wasn't a cry of defeat. It was a cathartic cry, of liberation. It was the sound of a heavy burden being lifted, of a lie she had been told all her life—that her value lay in her purity for a political marriage—being shattered by the truthful words of a man who saw her as an equal.
Daniel wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly as she cried. He said nothing, simply being there, her anchor in the storm. He stroked her back with slow, soothing motions, letting her vent completely.
After what seemed like an eternity, her sobs subsided, turning into ragged sighs. She pulled away a little, her eyes red but now filled with a new light, a spark of hope that had been absent for weeks.
"Thank you, Daniel," she whispered, her voice hoarse from crying but clear. "No one... no one has ever talked to me like that. Everyone sees me as the Gremory heiress, Sirzechs's sister... but you... you see me."
"I have always seen you, Rias," he replied with a soft smile.
She returned the smile, a timid but genuine smile, the first he had seen on her in a long time. She was about to say something more, probably to ask about his plan, to understand his feelings better, when the air in the room changed drastically.
A magical circle of exquisite complexity, very different from the ones Rias or Sona used, materialized in the center of the room. It didn't emit a bright glow, but a faint, cold, silvery light like the moon. Its runes rotated with mechanical precision, emanating immense and ancient authority.
Daniel didn't need his Haki to know who had arrived. His prior knowledge of the plot gave him the answer before the figure finished materializing. A quick thought crossed his mind: «Here we go.»
From within the circle emerged a woman. Tall, slender, with a presence that effortlessly filled the room. She wore an elaborate black and white maid uniform, impeccable and severe. Her hair, of pure silver, was tied back in a tight bun from which a long ponytail fell. Her eyes, the color of ice, scanned the scene with impassive efficiency, stopping first on Rias, with her swollen eyes and sensual attire, and then on Daniel, who still held her protectively.
It was Grayfia Lucifuge. The Queen of Sirzechs Lucifer, the most powerful maid in the Underworld, and a living legend of discipline and power.
Her expression was perfect marble, inscrutable. She showed no surprise, anger, or approval. She was simply there, a personification of authority and duty.
"Lady Rias," her voice said, clear and cold as crystal, cutting through the intimate moment like a blade. "Your brother, Lord Sirzechs, requires your presence. It is of the utmost importance."
Rias jumped away from Daniel as if caught in the act. A deep blush spread across her cheeks, a mix of embarrassment and surprise.
"G-Grayfia! Wh-what... what are you doing here?"
Grayfia's icy eyes rested on Daniel.
"And you must be Daniel Hernández. The Bearer of the Boosted Gear I've heard so much about." Her tone was neutral, but laden with a weight that made it clear it wasn't a question. It was a statement, and an evaluation simultaneously.
Daniel, maintaining the calm he had cultivated all night, nodded his head in a gesture of respect. It wasn't a bow, but an acknowledgment of her status and power.
"That is me. The honor is mine, Lady Grayfia."
Grayfia observed him for a moment longer than necessary, her eyes seeming to analyze every particle of his being, the firmness in his posture, the lack of guilt or fear in his eyes, and Rias's obvious emotional state. Something, a spark of... interest? curiosity? crossed her icy eyes before fading.
"Lady Rias," she repeated, turning back to the young princess. "The matter is urgent and concerns your... current situation. You must come with me immediately."
Rias looked at Daniel, her expression a mix of confusion, residual fear, and a new determination he had planted there.
"Daniel..." she began.
"Go, Rias," he interrupted gently. "Trust me. Remember what we talked about. Your worth hasn't changed."
She held his gaze for one more second, then nodded, straightening her shoulders with a remnant of her usual pride. She turned to Grayfia.
"Alright, Grayfia. I'll go with you."
Grayfia nodded once, crisply. Immediately, another magical circle, identical to the first, opened beneath Rias's feet. Before the devil princess could say another word, the silvery light enveloped her and she vanished from the room.
Only Daniel and Grayfia remained. The silver-haired maid looked at him once more.
"Your influence on Lady Rias is... notable," she commented, her voice still cold, but now with a clearly inquisitive intent. "I hope, for everyone's sake, it is for the best, Daniel Hernández. The Underworld has its eyes on you."
Without waiting for a response, the magical circle reappeared at her feet and, with the same silent elegance with which she had arrived, Grayfia Lucifuge disappeared, leaving the room plunged in a sudden, charged silence.
Daniel let out a sigh he didn't know he was holding. The immediate crisis had passed. He had handled the moment with Rias better than he had hoped. He had given her hope, restored some of her dignity. But Grayfia's arrival was a brutal reminder that the wheels of destiny were still turning. The meeting with Sirzechs was undoubtedly about the marriage to Riser.
Now, more than ever, he had to be ready. Not just for the physical battle against Riser, but for the political and social battle that lay ahead. He had planted a seed in Rias's heart. Now he had to ensure that seed blossomed into victory.
He looked out the window at the moon, which now seemed a silent witness to the twists of fate he was helping to bend.
"The game has just begun, Ddraig," he murmured.
"Indeed," the dragon responded, his tone almost... expectant. "And for the first time in a long, long while, I am eager to see how it unfolds."