The warm scent of roasted meat and fine wine filled the grand banquet hall. Golden chandeliers illuminated the polished marble floor, and the ornate table was adorned with dishes.
Rias's first Rating Game victory was being celebrated in full force, and the Gremory household had spared no expense.
I was seated beside Rias at the long banquet table, feeling slightly awkward in my freshly cleaned uniform. Everyone around us was celebrating—Kiba, looking far more relaxed than usual; Koneko, eating sweets in a corner with her usual calm; and even Grayfia, standing nearby in her maid uniform with a faint smile on her face. It was a night of triumph.
But the second I sat down, Rias threw herself into my arms.
"Issei!"
"Bu-Buchou!?"
Her crimson hair brushed against my neck, and her arms tightened around me like she hadn't seen me in years. I could feel her trembling slightly.
"How are you?" she whispered. "Does you wound still hurts?"
Her voice cracked a little. I blinked. For all her power and pride, she looked so small right now.
"I'm fine now," I said softly, patting her back. "So what do you think about your first victory?"
She pulled back just far enough to look at me, her eyes shimmering. "Our victory. Only because of you."
Before I could respond, I felt another soft presence press against my side.
"Ise-san!" Asia cried, hugging my arm tightly. "I was so worried! When you screamed from the cross, I thought you were going to—!"
"Okay, okay, I'm alive!" I tried to laugh, feeling overwhelmed.
Not even a second later, a third presence leaned on me from the opposite side.
"My, my. It's unfair if only Asia-chan and Rias get to cling to Ise-kun, don't you think?"
Akeno, with her usual teasing tone, slid her arms around my shoulders from behind and nuzzled close. "After all, I was the one who caught you mid-air. Maybe I deserve a reward too?"
"E-Eh? But I healed him!" Asia protested, puffing her cheeks.
"I'm the one who's been with him since the start!" Rias declared, tightening her hug possessively.
Oh god. I think my popular phase has started.
Three beautiful girls were now pressed against me, fighting a silent war of affectionate competition. My poor body—barely recovered, by the way—was caught in a very soft battlefield.
"Ugh… guys, please," I wheezed. "My ribs…"
"Oops." Rias blinked.
"Ufufu. I forgot he's still injured," Akeno giggled.
"S-Sorry, Ise-san!" Asia panicked and pulled back immediately.
They finally gave me space, and I slumped back in my chair, breathing hard.
"Okay. I'm going to take a breather." I stood up, gently pushing the chair back.
"I'll come with you—" Rias started, but I raised a hand.
"I'll just be a minute. I want to be alone for a bit."
With a nod from her, I made my way toward the tall glass doors that led to the balcony.
The night sky in the Underworld was unlike any I had seen before. The stars were brighter, the moon colder, and the air had a chill that reminded me I was not on Earth anymore. I leaned against the railing, inhaling deeply.
The memory of the cross, of my flesh searing under its light, flashed through my mind.
I'd screamed. I'd bled. And I'd scared everyone.
But… we'd won.
"You chose a hell of a strategy."
The voice behind me made me flinch.
I turned to see Sirzechs Lucifer—no, Rias's brother—walking toward me with a calm smile.
"Sirzechs-sama," I said, standing straight.
He raised a hand. "No need to be formal. Just Sirzechs is fine when we're not in public."
He joined me at the railing, looking up at the stars.
"I should thank you," he said after a moment. "You didn't just help Rias win—you protected her future."
I was quiet. I didn't know how to respond to that.
"Until today," he continued, "I've never seen a devil wield Holy power in a Rating Game. Let alone survive it."
His eyes turned toward me, and his expression was no longer smiling—it was serious. Even heavy.
"You're lucky to be alive, Issei. Very lucky. Most devils would have been reduced to ash just by touching that cross. And yet… you boosted it. You weaponized what should have killed you."
"I had to," I replied. "There was no other way."
"You're right," he said. "But that's what makes it so terrifying."
I looked at my hand. The skin had mostly healed, but if I concentrated, I could still feel the burn. The pain. The fear.
"But that pain," Sirzechs said, almost reading my mind, "is a testament. You endured it for Rias. For your team. That… is the kind of madness that turns pawns into kings."
Oh, I am getting embarrassed.
I swallowed. "I'm not looking to be a king."
Who am I kidding?
"Maybe not," he said. "But one day, others will follow you. They'll believe in you. Because they'll remember the boy who faced a Phoenix with a holy cross in his burned hand and didn't stop walking."
He patted my shoulder, gentle but firm.
"Don't do anything like that again," he added with a grin. "My sister already to burn down half the mansion because of her rage."
I blinked. "Wait, seriously?"
"Oh yes." He chuckled. "Akeno too. I was impressed."
I laughed weakly. "Thanks for the warning."
"Rest, Issei. You've earned it."
~~~
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