As the days passed, my relationship with Akeno progressed. It still wasn't official, but I could tell it likely would be. In her eyes, there wasn't just that faint curiosity anymore—there was something more. Closeness. And even though I was ready to face whatever our world might throw at us… lately, I had started to notice something else.
Rias was tense. Thoughtful. More than usual.
"The pigeon must be coming," I muttered to myself while putting on my jacket. Only one person could stir up such an atmosphere. Riser Phoenix.
Honestly? One of the worst characters. I couldn't stand him even in the anime. And in this... world, where everything was real, I felt nothing but disgust for him.
"Hey, Mephisto!" came a call from the door. Issei waved, out of breath. "Kiba wants us in the clubroom. She said something… important is going on."
"Yeah. I can feel it in the air," I replied, walking with him down the hall. The atmosphere grew heavier with every step toward the door.
When we walked in, it was like stepping into another world. The air was thick, tense—and sitting directly across from us was him.
Riser Phoenix.
Arrogant, with his usual pomp, as if the room belonged to him.
Riser lazily lifted his gaze when he saw us. His eyes landed on Issei first… then on me.
"Well, well," he drawled, amusement flickering in his eyes. "I didn't know your nobility, Rias, already accepts pets. And humans, no less."
Issei looked like he was about to bark something out, but I stopped him with a motion. I stepped forward slowly—not confrontational, just… calm. But every word of mine was sharp.
"That's kind of you to categorize me so quickly," I said lightly. "But don't worry, I have my own bed, vaccinations, and I even know a few tricks. Like: 'sit, speak, insult a noble idiot.'"
Kiba coughed quietly into his hand, clearly holding back laughter. Akeno smiled a bit more than was socially acceptable. Riser blinked, momentarily thrown off.
"You…" he began, but I continued before he could gather the shreds of his dignity.
"But I get it. You're confused. It's not common to see someone outside your noble greenhouse, is it? Out there—in reality—people aren't judged by blood or titles. Out there, people are judged by what they do." I smiled. "I know, hard to grasp. Feel free to ask for a slower explanation."
Riser was no longer smiling. He looked like someone had just spat in his wine. Then, without warning, he exploded.
"You worthless worm!" he growled, his body surrounded by flames, arms wide as if to strike me down. "I am a noble of the Phoenix clan! No one—especially not a mortal maggot—talks to me like that!"
"Enough!" Grayfia stepped between us instantly, raising her hand in a protective gesture. The air in the room thickened for a moment… but it wasn't her pressure.
Suddenly, everyone fell silent. The moment had come.
The air darkened.
A wave of pure bloodlust surged from my body like a shadow—cold, suffocating, as if the night itself breathed into the room. Even the flames around Riser extinguished, as if that power had smothered them.
Grayfia gasped, her eyes widening briefly. She turned her head toward me… and froze.
Riser stopped. His body trembled.
I looked at him without a hint of expression. My eyes—cold, silent… deadly.
"Kneel," I said quietly. Just one word.
But in that moment, it was a sentence. Riser's knees buckled. Unwillingly, instinctively—but he knelt. He resisted… but couldn't. That force gripped his throat and pride all at once.
A dead silence filled the room. Only the pounding of our hearts reminded us we were still alive.
As the pressure faded, I stepped back. The bloodlust vanished like mist. And Riser… stared. Rage and humiliation boiled in his eyes.
"YOU… HOW DARE YOU?!" he shouted, springing to his feet. "How dare you, YOU PATHETIC HUMAN?! I am a Phoenix! I am immortal! No one makes me kneel!"
"And yet, you knelt," I replied calmly. "No matter who you are, true strength isn't measured by lineage."
Grayfia said nothing. But her eyes lingered on me longer than before. In her gaze was something that hadn't been there before. Wonder. And quiet interest. Maybe even… respect?
She looked away and said matter-of-factly: "The way you suppressed his surge was… impressive. And unexpected."
"Just instinct," I answered simply. "Some things a person just doesn't have the patience for. Even when they're seen as a pet."
The corners of her lips lifted slightly. Maybe for the first time, Grayfia Lucifuge didn't seem like just a wall of icy professionalism… but like someone truly intrigued.
Though the others were used to my occasional outbursts, I still saw astonishment in their eyes. Issei's reaction was the best—speechless from what I had done, and after learning who the pigeon was and why he was here, he was completely crushed, pissed, and helpless in that moment.
The rest of the situation actually went smoothly. Riser calmed down—probably too scared. Just like in the anime, it was decided there would be a Rating Game with a 7-day preparation period. After we talked everything through, I decided to go train with them in the Underworld…
— POV Grayfia Lucifuge —
At first, it was supposed to be a routine matter. A formal meeting between two clans, writing up an agreement, confirming an engagement. Things I've mediated countless times in my long life. And yet—today was different.
From the moment he entered the room, I noticed he didn't fit. Not in style, not in expression… but in energy. Quiet. Calm. And yet—extraordinarily focused. Something about him reminded me of a broken dagger wrapped in silk.
Riser Phoenix… what else but theatrical. His insults were predictable. And I expected a few verbal jabs. But not what came next.
When he responded to him, it was with cold irony. Words like poison-laced ice. He never raised his voice. And that's why it struck so deep.
But when Riser tried to attack—without reason, without thought—I moved. Instinctively. Like a keeper of order.
"Enough!" my voice rang out as I raised my hand in defense, ready to intervene. But…
Then it happened.
Everything fell silent. Pressure… immense pressure filled the room. Not magic. Not demonic power. Something more primal. Darker. Predatory.
The air changed. The walls, furniture, even my breath felt distant. And then I felt it—pure bloodlust.
I turned. And saw his eyes.
Him.
His expression was still calm. But from him radiated absolute dominance. I had never felt anything like it from anyone not among the ruling Four. And yet… here he stood.
"Kneel," he said softly.
And Riser… Riser, the proud Phoenix, knelt.
My heart skipped a beat.
This wasn't a coincidence. This wasn't anger. This was authority. Natural, raw. And yet he didn't seem to enjoy it. He didn't do it for pleasure. More like someone who knows when to speak a language even a fool can understand.
As the pressure faded, only its echo remained. And I looked at him again. Differently now.
The knowledge I had should have given me an answer about who—or what—could wield such influence. But nothing in my records, no lineage, no ritual, no magic I know… matched what I just saw.
That man… wasn't just a man. And if he was human, then maybe we've all misunderstood what "human" really means.
I blinked and suppressed a shiver. Not from fear—more from respect.
That young man… he might not even realize how much he's disrupted the balance in a world where everything is measured by blood and titles.
And for the first time in a very long time… I felt I wanted to know more.
I will have to report this to Sirzechs.