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"If I lose the Rating Game," she explained, "and I most likely will now that Issei's Gear has temporarily lost its ability to Boost, I will be forced to become the wife of Riser Phenix. That means that I will be subservient to him, and in extension, my peerage will be as well. Anything I know I will be expected to tell him, your ability to summon Personas included. And once he finds out what you can do, he will want to add your power to his own."
He frowned. That would be… problematic.
"He is that type of person then."
"The Grilled Chicken is an asshole!" a smile of amusement threatened to tug at his lips. He could always depend on Issei to be eloquent, "Making Buchou do things she doesn't want to do!"
"Yes," Rias agreed with her Pawn's words, "His peerage is already filled, so to gain you under his influence he will have me tempt you into my peerage so that by serving me you will serve him as well. And if that includes making me do that with you, I doubt that he would care."
The amusement was gone instantly. That was not something he wanted or even desired. The mere thought of someone being forced to do something like that made him faintly nauseous. He was fully beginning to understand just how frantic she must have been.
In retrospect, even Issei's request to duel him did not seem so foolhardy now. Just desperate.
"If the two of you are to marry," he said slowly, "would that not be considered cheating?"
Rias made a scoffing sound.
"Riser's peerage consists entirely of female devils. I doubt he needs me if he wants to do that."
"So then it is all for the sake of power?"
"Yes. Devils have always desired power. And now with growing number of resurrected devils in our midst, the pure-blooded ones have become increasingly edgy. The devils that can trace their ancestry to the original Satans are now actively trying to prove their superiority, and this is what the marriage is about. That the union of two pure-blooded devils will bring forth a powerful offspring," the girl shook her head, as though she disagreed with the idea, and then smiled sadly at him once more, "If I begin to act rather inappropriately towards you, Arisato-san, please feel free to disregard me. It is most likely because Riser has made me do it."
He should be feeling grateful for the warning. Instead, he was feeling something else entirely.
"You beat Issei," the boy being mentioned winced from where he was laying, "and I will adhere to the conditions that was agreed upon. I will not try to recruit you from henceforth, but I cannot promise you what will happen after I lose the Rating Game."
"You have already accepted your defeat?" he glanced at her quizzically.
"Even with Issei's Boosted Gear, the odds were against us," Rias shrugged, "Now without its ability to Boost, defeat has become a certainty."
That had partially been his fault.
The devil gazed at him, as though trying to summon up courage for what she wanted to say next.
"I have agreed upon the conditions, but I was wondering if you would still be willing to answer a question I have."
He nodded. He could do that, at the very least.
"The dragon mentioned demons," Rias continued staring at him, "Not devils, but demons. The only beings that can classify as demons were the Great Satans and their direct underlings. You have the power to summon Nidhogg, an Evil Dragon," she hesitated, "Can you summon a Great Satan, as well?"
They were all looking at him now. And he regretted that there was genuine fear in some of those gazes. He grimaced inwardly. It was a delicate matter, what he could do and what he couldn't do, and he felt they were not quite ready to know those details. So he did something he was rather good at. He changed the subject.
"I will help you."
Rias seemed taken aback. It was clear she had not expected that for an answer. And then the realization of what he had said sank in and a slight blush appeared on her cheeks.
"Ara, ara, it appears that our Buchou's plight has moved Arisato-kun's cold heart," Akeno said for her friend when it became clear Rias was momentarily having trouble forming words. The rest of her peerage shared no such constraints.
"It will be good to have you on the team," Kiba smiled at him, and then that smile wavered, "As long as you don't make the dragon eat us."
Koneko gave him a curt nod, but the expression on her face told him she agreed profoundly with Kiba's sentiments.
"I am glad you will be one of us," Asia paused, as though considering something, "But then you wouldn't be an Angel, anymore, would you?" the former priestess looked genuinely heart-broken at that thought, "I am humbled by the sacrifice you are making, Arisato-san."
Finally she calls him by his name and it was because of something like this? It was almost laughable.
From the ground, Issei gave him a weak grin and pumped a half-hearted fist into the air.
"Operation Recruit Arisato-san is a success!"
They misunderstood.
"I will help you," he said again, "But only for this one Rating Game. I do not permanently wish to become a devil."
And just like that, the enthusiasm in the air vanished.
"That would be impossible, Arisato-san," Rias sounded a bit exasperated. He understood her frustration. He had offered to help and then seemingly rescinded that offer moments later, in her view at least, "In order to participate in a Rating Game, you must be a devil. If you think it is because you will have to die to become one, I assure you that is not the case. There are rituals that can change a human into a devil without dying."
Dying was not the problem. Dying had never been a problem. Thanatos would never allow him to fall. The aspect of Death guarded its possessions jealously, and to it, he was considered the most valuable prize of all.
"I understand," he nodded, "and I will become a devil for your fight against Riser. Then I will go back to being human."
Apparently what he said was so outrageous that none of them had anything to say in reply.
"That is… unfeasible," Kiba finally settled on.
"Once you choose to become a devil," Rias added in, her brows furrowed, "you cannot go back. The process is permanent. Devils cannot become humans again."
He smiled at her.
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