Inside Gremory territory, Adrien was lying on the grass on a small hill under a tree, looking at the artificial moon hanging in the purple sky of the Underworld.
"This is checkmate..." he muttered to himself. "I knew my actions would come back to bite me in the ass one day, but I left it for future Adrien to deal with. Fuck you, Adrien from two months ago."
Adrien sat under the three thinking, a demonic squirl jumped on his chest it looked at him for a second then left.
"Beating Sirzechs in a Rating Game... yeah, I'm getting cooked."
Even Adrien knew his own limits. As he was right now, he was not on Sirzechs Lucifer's level.
Yes, he had killed Katerea, a twelve-winged Devil, but that only happened after Vali had already divided her power in half. And even among twelve-winged beings, the difference between someone on the lower end like Katerea and someone at the peak like Sirzechs was like the difference between heaven and earth.
Adrien had considered an idiot for even trying some shit like that, and he wasn't going to do the same as her.
"Not a top 10 my ass... he would fuck your mother brains out and you couldn't do shit about." he muttered to himself.
Vali had told Adrien that Sirzechs was not in the top ten, but Adrien knew he was wrong.
Adrien knew how strong Sirzechs really was. He had seen it with his own eyes once.
The only reason Adrien acted so casually around him was because they had become friends over time. He could joke with Sirzechs, talk back to him, and even annoy him without fear. But deep down, Adrien understood the truth. Sirzechs Lucifer was not someone he could fight right now.
"Let's forget about it for now, I'll deal with it then."
Adrien looked down at the ring on his finger.
Soon, he should be receiving Azazel's research on the Vanishing Dragon. Once that happened, he could finally start preparing.
--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>
Rias lay face-first on her bed, her face buried in the pillow.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Someone knocked on her door. She didn't look up and just stayed there without moving.
A moment later, the door opened, and Akeno walked in. Her long black hair flowed behind her, tied in a ponytail.
"Rias..." Akeno called softly.
"I'm sorry..." Rias said without lifting her head to look at her best friend.
Akeno smiled faintly and sat down on the bed beside her.
"You don't need to apologize," she said. Then a small smirk appeared on her face. "I'm not giving up on him, you know. I'll just become part of his harem."
Rias sighed, then slowly sat up. She leaned back against the wooden headboard of her bed, her expression tired.
Akeno watched her quietly for a moment before speaking.
"You always knew this day would come, Rias," she said softly. "Sooner or later, you were going to be forced into another engagement. That is the weight behind being called a princess."
Rias looked down at her hands, saying nothing.
"You should at least be relieved that it is Adrien and not someone like Riser… or the heir of the Glasya-Labolas clan."
Rias let out a weak laugh. "That is supposed to make me feel better?"
"A little," Akeno replied with her usual teasing tone. "Adrien is handsome, powerful, reliable, and he actually respects you. Compared to most noble heirs, that is already a miracle."
Rias sighed again and looked away.
"Yeah… I know," she said quietly. "But I told you before. I don't like him that way."
She paused, then her expression became even more complicated.
"And did you forget about Sona? It feels like I stole her childhood crush."
Akeno's smile turned a little awkward. "Yes… Sona will probably be devastated when she hears about this."
Then she sighed softly.
"Just like Issei is right now."
Rias gave a weak chuckle. "We were teasing him on the train, but who would have thought it would actually turn out like this?"
Her smile faded a little.
"Poor boy…"
Akeno looked at her carefully. "Rias… do you like Issei?"
Rias froze for a moment.
Akeno continued, her voice gentle but direct. "I know nothing has really happened between you two, aside from you sleeping beside him a few times. And even then, it was only to heal him after his training injuries."
Rias lowered her eyes.
"I don't know… Issei is kind, he's passionate, honest, and he always gives everything he has. He's also the heart of my Familia. Everyone changes when he's around. But I always thought of it as just that," Rias admitted. "He was my servant, my precious Pawn. Someone I wanted to protect and help grow."
She held the bedsheet in her hands. "So now… I don't really know what I feel."
Rias sighed, then slowly regained her focus.
"Thanks for talking with me, Akeno," she said, her voice steadier now. "But enough about that. There are other important things we need to focus on. How is Koneko?"
"I tried talking to her, but she's still down. She barely touched her food. And even when everyone was talking, she stayed quiet."
--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>
"In other words, High-Class Devil society…"
The next day, Rias's parents assigned a tutor to Issei and Asia. The goal was to teach them etiquette and the expectations of devil nobility. They were both new members of Rias's Familia, so they needed to get used to the Underworld. This was especially important for Issei, since he was the Red Dragon Emperor.
After what happened during dinner yesterday, Issei had managed to recover a little, mostly thanks to Asia staying by his side.
"Young Master, Young Mistress," the tutor asked politely, "can either of you read devil script?"
"N-not really," Issei answered, looking embarrassed.
Asia lowered her head slightly. "I'm sorry. I can only recognize a little."
The tutor nodded calmly. "That is perfectly fine. Then let us begin by studying the characters one by one."
Click.
The door opened, and Venelana Gremory walked into the room with graceful steps.
"Grandma!"
Millicas, who had been studying with Issei and Asia, immediately looked up with excitement.
Venelana smiled warmly at him. "Hello, Millicas."
Then she turned her attention to the others. "Issei, Asia, Millicas. Have your studies been going well?"
"Yes, Grandma," Millicas answered politely.
"We are doing our best."
Issei scratched his cheek. "Y-yeah… I'm trying."
Venelana walked over and looked at the papers they had been working on. "I see," she said softly. "You are just as dedicated as Sirzechs and Grayfia reported."
Her eyes moved over their writing. "I cannot say your handwriting is perfect yet, but at least you are making a clear effort to learn."
The last part was mostly directed at Issei.
"Rias will be returning soon," Venelana said. "The traditional Demon Youth Social will be held in the Demon King's territory, after all."
While Issei and Asia were busy with their devil studies, Rias and the others had gone sightseeing around the Gremory territory.
Akeno had suggested that Rias take Adrien's peerage with them as well, so the girls could get some fresh air after everything that happened yesterday.
Issei hesitated for a moment, then looked at Venelana. "W-where is Adrien…?"
Venelana smiled calmly. "Adrien is sleeping in his room. He said he did not feel like going with the rest of the group."
Issei lowered his gaze.
He wasn't angry at Adrien. Deep down, he knew none of this was really his fault. But he still felt jealous. Being near him made Issei feel uncomfortable, especially now that Adrien was suddenly engaged to Rias.
And if he was being honest, there was another fear hiding inside him. He was scared that Adrien might take Asia from him too.
Asia seemed to notice his unease. She gently took his hand and squeezed it. That small gesture eased his worries a little. He turned to her, and Asia gave him a warm smile.