Yo we reached our goal of 100 power stones so here's a a bonus chapter. Enjoy!
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The elevator came to a stop, and they stepped out into a magnificent banquet hall. The room was filled with devils chatting among themselves, while long tables were covered with all kinds of delicious food.
"Oooh…" Soft murmurs spread through the hall the moment the guests noticed who had just entered.
"Princess Rias. You are even more beautiful than I remember…"
"Lord Sirzechs must be very proud."
"Ugh, there are so many people…" Gasper murmured nervously.
As they looked further into the hall, they spotted Adrien's Familia sitting together with Seekvaira and her own peerage. Rias and the others made their way toward them soon after.
"Hey, how are you all doing?" Rias asked as they approached.
"We're doing well. You look very beautiful, Rias." Seekvaira replied with a small smile.
"Thank you," Rias answered.
Before long, the two Familias naturally mixed together, just like they usually did.
"Did you receive any message from Adrien?" Rias asked, glancing toward Seekvaira. "Issei is still with him, and today is our Rating Game after all."
Seekvaira adjusted her glasses with a calm expression. "Well… he will probably come. At the very least, your servant will certainly be here."
"But Adrien?"
Seekvaira gave a small, uncertain smile. "I am not sure about him."
Mahiru looked at Seekvaira in surprise. "Really…?"
Seekvaira sighed softly and looked toward the crowded banquet hall. "I do not think I remember Adrien ever attending an event like this willingly."
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Asia, Gasper, Saeko, Mary, and Mahiru were seated at a table in the corner of the banquet hall. A short distance away, Rias, Seekvaira, and Akeno were speaking with a group of female devils, their conversation blending into the soft noise of the gathering.
Kiba, meanwhile, was in a situation of his own. Ladies had gathered around him from every direction, all trying to speak to him at once.
"I've brought food. Eat up," Xenovia said as she returned to the table, somehow balancing several extravagant dishes in her hands.
The girls began eating together, enjoying the food while the hall buzzed with conversation. Then, suddenly, the atmosphere shifted.
The crowd near the center of the hall started turning toward the entrance. Murmurs spread through the room one after another, and soon almost everyone's attention was fixed on the doors.
Both peerages turned to see what had caused such a reaction.
Two men dressed in black suits had just entered the hall. One had blond hair tied back behind his neck, while the other had brown hair. They were Adrien and Issei.
Issei looked noticeably different. His skin was slightly more tanned than before, and the air around him had changed completely. Adrien, on the other hand, looked exactly the same as always.
Everyone from both peerages looked surprised. First, because Adrien had actually shown up. And second, because Issei's demeanor had changed so much. He was greeting people politely and confidently, carrying himself with a level of composure none of them were used to seeing from him.
"Huh? What happened to him?" Xenovia asked, clearly surprised.
Asia looked just as shocked. She found herself staring at Issei without meaning to, and after a few seconds, a faint blush spread across her cheeks.
The reaction in the hall only grew stronger. Several girls immediately surrounded Adrien, while a few others kept sneaking curious glances at Issei. Adrien had become well-known after everything that had happened, so it wasn't strange for people to recognize him. Issei's fame had not exploded yet, but from the way people were starting to look at him, it was obvious that his name would spread soon.
Rias watched the girls crowding around Adrien for a moment before shifting her attention to Issei. She walked toward him with a small smile, studying his changed appearance and calmer attitude.
"What happened to you?" she asked.
Issei smiled back and scratched the back of his head. "It's been a while, President. Are you doing well?"
Rias blinked.
"President…?"
That single word caught everyone off guard. Issei would usually call her "Prez," so hearing him speak so politely felt strange, almost unnatural. The change was enough to make both peerages slowly approach, their curiosity getting the better of them.
Meanwhile, Adrien was still trapped among the group of girls trying to speak to him. Before he could disappear into the crowd, Akeno and Celia, who had been standing near Adrien's mother, stepped in. With calm smiles that hid very little mercy, the two of them practically dragged him away from the gathering of noble girls and back toward the others.
"Issei… y-you're looking good…" Asia said, her voice slightly shaky.
Issei turned toward her, and his expression softened almost immediately. "Asia, I've missed you."
Before Asia could respond, Issei stepped forward and gently hugged her. Asia's face turned bright red in an instant, and for a moment, she looked like she had forgotten how to speak.
"Y-you smell good…" she murmured.
Issei pulled back slightly and smiled. "Right? Adrien helped me pick a perfume."
The others watched the exchange in silence. It was clear that Issei's personality had not truly changed. His kindness, honesty, and simple affection were still there. He had just become calmer, more controlled, and far less chaotic than before.
Soon, the two Familias gathered around the same table and began talking with each other. The mood relaxed little by little, though everyone kept sneaking glances at Issei, still trying to understand what kind of training could have changed him this much in such a short time.
A short while later, Ravel approached Adrien. She looked a little nervous, but still carried herself with proper noble manners.
"I-it is good to see you, Prince Adrien," she said, lifting the hem of her skirt in a formal greeting.
"Very well…" Ravel replied, her cheeks slightly flushed.
Celia, who was standing nearby, looked at the girl with a faint frown.
At the same time, another woman from Riser's Familia, Isabella, approached Issei. Unlike before, Issei did not panic or lose his composure. He simply turned toward her and greeted her politely.
Akeno, who was seated beside Adrien, leaned slightly closer to him with a curious smile.
"What did you do to him for him to change that much?"
Adrien glanced at Issei, who was speaking politely with Isabella a short distance away, then gave a casual shrug.
"Hmm? Nothing special," he said. "I beat him up all day without breaks, threw him into a few volcanoes, made him fight a couple of legendary beasts, and left him to die alone on his own a few times. Works like a damn charm."
For a few seconds, nobody said anything. Everyone at the table slowly turned toward him with confused expressions.
Adrien noticed their reactions and frowned slightly.
"What?" he asked, looking around the table. "Do you guys have another way to train people?"
"Wait… you're not joking?" Rias asked, her eyes widening slightly.
Adrien turned toward her with a genuinely confused look, as if her question itself didn't make sense.
"Of course I'm not joking. Why would I joke about something like that?"
The silence around the table grew heavier. Asia looked even more worried now, while Akeno covered her mouth with her sleeve, clearly trying not to laugh.
Adrien leaned back in his seat and raised one finger, his expression becoming strangely serious.
"Do not question the truth, Rias. The truth does not exist to be convenient, nor does it need to be sensible. It simply has to be true."
'I always wanted to use that line'
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When we reach 200 power stones I'll drop another bonus chapter.