A three-second silence.
Riser's expression shifted to a mocking grin, as though he'd realized something. He was just about to unleash a cutting remark when Hikaru abruptly turned around—without any hesitation—and yanked Rias up from the sofa, sealing her bewildered, slightly warm lips with his own.
"?"
"???"
"??????"
For a moment, everyone's mind went blank.
As for Rias, her eyes stared vacantly, stunned.
Who is she? Where is she? What is he doing?
She instinctively resisted, but Hikaru's strength was so formidable that even a high-class devil like her couldn't break free. From an outsider's point of view, her small struggles looked more like a lovers' playful tussle.
Akeno stood there, dumbfounded.
Koneko was equally shocked.
Riser and his servants were rooted to the spot, speechless.
There's a saying about "four absolute hatreds that cannot be forgiven: murder of one's father, theft of one's wife, destruction of one's nation, and annihilation of one's clan." If Riser could endure this, he might as well be named Ninja Turtle.
Sure enough, in the next second, a surge of crimson flame roiled around Riser, and waves of magic poured forth from his body like a raging tide. The hostility of a pure-blood high-class devil filled the room. Everyone except Hikaru felt a chill course down their spines—every pore prickling. Akeno and Koneko reflexively prepared for battle under Riser's tremendous pressure.
The air was laced with the scent of scorching flames—hotter than the height of summer. At that moment, Hikaru calmly released Rias from his grip. She came back to her senses, face flushed and eyes furious:
"Riser, this is my domain—what do you think you're doing?!"
"Rias! Technically, you're still my fiancée! Yet here you are, showing no shame, getting all lovey-dovey with some outsider right in front of me!"
Fiery energy swirled around Riser like a phoenix rising, an unmistakable sign of his wrath.
"I told you: I'm not your fiancée! I have the freedom to choose my husband—no one can decide that for me, especially not you!"
Rias, after all, was the heir of House Gremory, while Riser was just a third son of the Phoenix clan. Their statuses weren't even on par. She'd been putting up with it until now—first a sudden kiss from Hikaru, then Riser's high-pressure demands. At this point, her temper had reached its limit.
"You… Rias…"
Riser's face flushed red with rage. Things were about to explode when the magic circle in the clubroom flared once more. Hikaru watched quietly. Finally, a mediator who'd been observing in secret was showing up.
However, the figure that materialized from the magic circle triggered a subtle change in Hikaru's expression. The newcomer was not the silver-haired, aloof matron he'd expected, but an unfamiliar female devil.
"Please, Rias-sama, Riser-sama—calm yourselves. The news of this incident in the human world has already reached Lord Lucifer. It's true that as the heir of Gremory, Rias-sama does hold the freedom to choose her spouse. But the marriage contract previously arranged with Riser-sama is also valid."
"Hence, to resolve the disagreement between you two, Lord Lucifer has decreed we follow Underworld tradition, adapted for human rules—a formal Marriage Contest."
"???"
Everyone froze at this unexpected-yet-familiar phrase.
"The match will be between Riser-sama and his servants versus Rias-sama's 'boyfriend' from the human world. Should both sides consent, the contest will begin three days from now. Whichever side wins will become Rias-sama's chosen groom."
"Wait—Lord Lucifer… said that?"
Rias was stupefied.
"Indeed. He has already consulted with your parents, who have no objections, and the Phoenix clan head likewise yielded under Lord Lucifer's authority. It's the greatest compromise both sides could accept."
The female devil spoke calmly.
"If even my father has agreed, then I have no objections,"
Riser growled.
"Just you wait, punk."
Ten-plus devils versus one—the advantage was on his side!
After declaring that, Riser and his servants teleported away.
Rias, meanwhile, slumped wearily onto the couch.
"What… just happened…?"
Even Hikaru hadn't foreseen it playing out quite like this. The process was along the lines he'd guessed, but the outcome was different. Still, if he won, he'd gain a fiancée for free—hardly a loss.
"If you don't want that, we can figure something else out,"
Hikaru offered.
"…No, this is definitely my brother's impulsive brainstorm. Father and Mother must've gone along with it, and the Phoenix head got pressured by the Lucifer name. But… it's still unfair, both for me and for you,"
Rias said, standing up.
"I'll go talk to my brother."
"Don't bother, Rias. Do you really think your family will let you keep dragging this out? As sloppy as this plan might sound, it's probably the best shot Lord Lucifer can give you,"
Akeno interjected.
"Even if you went, the result would be the same."
"But… I can't just watch Hikaru fight Riser alone… I—I just can't…"
"It's fine. I'll defeat him. Even if I win, I won't force you to do anything,"
Hikaru said plainly. If he didn't step in now, Rias would truly be handed over to someone else. He added:
"Anyway, I came to ask you about enrolling Asia."
The matter of Asia's enrollment was promptly settled, and then Hikaru left on his own. Rias slumped back onto the sofa in distress. Akeno, observing her state, tried to console her:
"…If Hikaru wins, Riser will never bother you again. Plus, Hikaru is tall, handsome, powerful, and backed by no particular faction. And he's polite but firm with you—where else can you find such a catch?"
"If you feel guilty about letting him fight alone, I can fill in as his fiancée in your place,"
Akeno said with sincere earnestness, and Rias stared at her. By the look in Akeno's eyes, at least 70% of that suggestion was genuine.
~~~
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