Casting a glance at Akuto, who was still closing his eyes in quiet enjoyment, Grayfia continued:
"Rias, you probably don't know yet, right? A batch of special breakthrough items has appeared in the Underworld recently. Riser Phoenix has already used one to break through to Ultimate-class Devil."
Speaking of those breakthrough items, a trace of worry creased Grayfia's brows.
"Eh? Ultimate-class?"
Rias sucked in a breath; her chest tightened. Akuto felt a moment of pleasant numbness, then steadied his breathing and "guarded the gate."
"That's right." Grayfia nodded.
"At the High-class stage, the pure-blood Phoenix line hasn't been refined yet. But at the Ultimate-class stage, the Phoenix bloodline is refined—its dominance in the same realm is far stronger."
"Ruval is the example. By simple metrics he's only Quasi-Maou level—yet he ranks in the Rating Game among a crowd of Maou-class fighters."
"In other words, even without actually reaching Maou-class, he can already stand among long-established Maou-level powerhouses. That proves Ruval possessed the strength to challenge veteran Maou even before formally stepping over that line."
"How could this be…"
Rias's expression dimmed all at once.
She believed Akuto could defeat an Ultimate-class Phoenix once, twice, five times, even ten times—but a hundred times? That was far harder to imagine.
Thinking that Akuto might be held accountable by the Phoenix family, Rias felt a rush of regret.
She shouldn't have been so impulsive. She should have waited until Akuto grew stronger.
Sensing her gloom, Akuto reached up and gathered a handful of her red hair.
Rias wanted to say something, but what greeted her was Akuto's kiss.
The instant their lips met, she reflexively sank into the deep kiss.
After a full thirty seconds—
"Akuto-kun… what should we do?"
As a pure maiden who had just ended her first time, Rias clung to the man who took it with unusual attachment, eyes misty.
"Rias, don't worry. Ultimate-class? So what?"
"Even if it's a Maou, I'll defeat them."
To soothe her anxiety, he spoke firmly.
"Mm? High-class already?" Grayfia lifted an eyebrow.
From Akuto's first awakening till now, it had been what—eleven or twelve days? And he'd gone from Low-class all the way to High-class?!
The pure-blood Leviathan line—terrifying indeed.
"Since Akuto-kun has become High-class, I think you don't need to worry so much about Riser anymore."
"With Akuto-kun's strength, plus the Longinus, he can defeat a pure-blood Phoenix at the Ultimate-class." Grayfia gave her judgment.
Rias let out a long breath; the anxiety in her eyes melted away in an instant.
As expected—her Akuto-kun would never let her down!
"Rias, wasn't it… because of you?" Akuto's tone softened. "You tilted your Domain toward me and eased my burden when I was training."
"So my rise to High-class this fast—there's a share of credit that belongs to you." He looked seriously into the red-haired girl's eyes.
[So that's how it is…]
Hearing this, Rias's eyes grew hot. Even as the ache in her body hadn't faded, she hugged Akuto with all her strength, as if she wanted to knead him into herself.
Akuto fondly patted her head, then looked toward Grayfia:
"Grayfia-san, please inform the Phoenix family for me. Tell them I'm willing to accept the Defloration Battle anytime."
"Rias—I'm set on you."
Grayfia hadn't expected such unwavering resolve; she stared for a few seconds, stunned.
She decided to retract her earlier assumption that Akuto was just a lecher.
"All right~ If you win the Defloration Battle, the entire Underworld will acknowledge your marriage with Rias."
"However, could you give me a specific time? I'll need to arrange the relevant matters," Grayfia asked.
"A specific time? The sooner the better. I don't want Rias to wait."
The moment Akuto finished, Rias, eyes brimming, offered him her lips again.
"…I knew it. You'd never disappoint me, Akuto-kun…"
Whispering her confession through tears, the red-haired girl responded fervently this time. If before she was only passively accepting his kiss, now she was the one chasing his warmth—wanting to feel every bit of his presence and lay bare the depth of her love.
For a girl who had never dated, Akuto's straightforward courage—the vow to meet any challenge—was lethally disarming.
Unlike Rias, who was utterly absorbed and content, Grayfia went completely numb.
Were all youngsters this bold now? Just… treat her as air, huh?
Even with Grayfia right there, Rias grew only more unrestrained.
"It's fine… even though today's a dangerous day… it's fine…"
"Because… even if I get pregnant… I'm willing to bear Akuto-kun's child."
"So—"
[As expected, you two really can't see me, huh.] Grayfia's lips twitched.
Realizing she was just a third wheel, a teleport magic circle bloomed under her feet.
This place simply wasn't fit for a single person to linger! Do single dogs have no human rights?!
Thinking how she'd watched Rias grow up—while she herself was still a maiden—and yet Rias had now become a woman… Grayfia felt complicated.
[Wait.]
On her way back to the Underworld, something struck Grayfia, and her silver-gray pupils widened slightly.
[Only eleven or twelve days, and Akuto-kun rose to High-class.]
[At this rate, his future self will at least be Maou-class, perhaps even beyond!]
[A Longinus user whose true body reaches Maou-class—or surpasses it… could he defeat Alice, make her realize the path forward, and stop bearing everything on her own?]
The "Alice" in Grayfia's mind was Rias's elder sister—Alice Gremory (original name).
In looks, Alice and Rias were eight or nine parts alike—both top-tier beauties.
But in bearing, Alice far surpassed Rias; the position of Maou and her elevated life-form gave her an overwhelming presence.
[If Akuto-kun likes Rias, then he should also like Alice, who resembles Rias nine-tenths, right?]
[Akuto-kun is lecherous—that much is beyond doubt.]
[Could I use Alice as bait, spur him to strive harder, push him to defeat Alice sooner… so that Alice would finally be freed?]
[If Alice is defeated, then both she and I could be liberated from our cursed fate!]
[…]
[No, no—that's insane. One misstep and it could cause turmoil—maybe even upheaval—in the Underworld.]
Grayfia hastily shook away the dangerous thought.
Even if she abandoned the idea of "playing matchmaker" with Alice, there was something she would never give up:
Alice had borne the Underworld's future for far too long. She was exhausted.
If this continued, her mind would break sooner or later.
Grayfia had to do something for Alice.
After a long think, she reached a more reasonable conclusion:
[Let's put aside pushing Akuto-kun to marry Alice. But having him, as a brother-in-law, share some of Alice's work—that's feasible.]
[Of course, only after Akuto-kun demonstrates at least Maou-class strength.]
[This Defloration Battle against the Phoenixes—this might be the chance.]
"Mm?"
As she pondered, Grayfia felt… uncomfortable.
A brief self-check later, a rare blush rose to her face.
[That brat Rias… She even got me worked up.]
With a sigh, Grayfia slipped off her black lace lingerie and changed into a fresh set.
Her wardrobe, full of conservative maid outfits and daring underwear, betrayed a nature that was outwardly proper, inwardly repressed.
Yes—unlike the original timeline, this world's Grayfia had remained a maiden until now. Long-term repression was… inevitable.
Even so, more than the repression, Grayfia truly wished to escape her current fate.
She and Alice… could no longer go on like this.
Three days later.
Underworld — Lucifer's Domain.
Sona had accepted Rias's invitation and came to the Lucifer Maou's territory to watch the Defloration Battle Akuto had initiated against Riser.
The battlefield was set here for one simple reason—
The disputed party was the younger sister of the current Lucifer!
"I didn't expect it… In the end, it's the clichéd 'I'm actually Ultimate-class' Phoenix."
The Phoenix family had announced it in advance—so before the fight even began, everyone knew Riser had advanced to Ultimate-class.
As for Akuto?
The masses only knew he was a pure-blood Leviathan.
But the very fact that he dared challenge the Phoenixes told everyone he had full confidence in his own strength.
Pure-blood Leviathan, pure-blood Phoenix, plus the sister of a Maou—
A Defloration Battle with hot-blooded combat, a "third party," and the clashing symbols of current vs. old—it was irresistible box office.
Tickets sold out the instant they opened; many present had paid scalpers to get in.
Of course, Sona didn't need to buy a ticket.
She entered Leviathan-sama's exclusive suite.
"Sona-chan, you're here~?"
With a glance to either side, Serafall hurriedly pulled Sona into her private room.
Sona nodded, her gaze complicated as it fell on Serafall.
She'd realized something: Serafall's earlier show of disliking Akuto was precisely because he was her fiancé at the time.
If it were purely personal preference… Serafall didn't hate him—she might even like Akuto.
Sona could tell Serafall wasn't appearing with Akuto at events for political maneuvering; she genuinely loved cosplay, and genuinely enjoyed playing with him.
Realizing this made Sona feel even more conflicted.
Because if she analyzed this without Serafall's personal leanings—purely from reality—then she and her onee-sama had become love rivals. Oi?!
Sona had never said she didn't like Akuto.
She annulled the engagement only for Akuto's safety—so he wouldn't be targeted by the Old Maou due to her.
Who could have guessed that in just a dozen days, Akuto would gain the strength to challenge an Ultimate-class Phoenix!
And playing happily with her onee-sama would still draw Old Maou attacks!
In that case… wasn't the annulment for nothing?!
So Sona's mood right now could be summed up in one word—
…Crap.
(End of Chapter)
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