Beyond Critical - Chapter 16.2 (Patreon)

A frown was on her face.

There had been all day in fact. Actually, it had formed last night, when she'd gotten a message from her father.

Her parents had went back on their agreement. They had decided to push her marriage date up. Now, instead over having over four years to prepare, she didn't even have a week.

She was expected to return to the underworld and marry Riser Phenex come the weekend.

Her hands tightened around the cup of tea clasped in her hands as she stared out of the window of her clubroom.

The school grounds were empty and quiet, the sun already beginning to set and casting a warm orange glow over the school building.

…She didn't know what to do.

"Rias."

She flinched at the call of her name and looked over to the couches where Sona sat, a blank look on her face and her own cup of tea, now empty sitting on the table.

She blinked slowly, how long had she been staring out of the window? She was sure it was just a moment ago Akeno had poured the tea for them both before leaving them to speak in private.

"Do you have a plan?" Sona, blunt as ever, got straight to the point.

"No." Rias shook her head, and replied honestly. She had some countermeasures prepared in advance at best. Because she'd known for a long time now, her getting free of her engagement, would come down to a Rating Game.

The problem was, she thought she had until she had finished college until such a thing would come up, that was what she had agreed upon with her parents.

While she and her peerage weren't quite a match for Riser yet, she was sure at the rate they were going that by the time came, she would be well above him.

Even trying to be humble about it, Rias couldn't deny her peerage's innate potential, was far above Riser's own peerage's.

"I'm still not even sure why they've rushed it ahead." she admitted with a tired sigh, feeling the beginnings of a headache begin to form.

"It's because of Hyoudou." Sona replied without missing a beat.

"…Issei?" Rias tilted her head, "Why would he be the…oh…" she trailed off.

"You told them you had obtained the Red Dragon Emperor, didn't you?" Sona asked pointedly, knowingly, a glint shining on her glasses, "You couldn't resist the urge to brag to your family about your success."

Rias felt her cheeks heat up. While that wasn't quite all of it…it wasn't wrong either.

"I don't believe any devil has ever managed to recruit one of the heavenly dragons hosts," Sona mused aloud, "Most of them never reach their full potential because of the innate limiters that come with being human, not to mention their longevity. A Red Dragon Emperor freed from the chains of being human, under the precious little sister of the Satan Lucifer? I can only imagine the monstrously powerful beast they've imagined. Your parents know Riser Phenex has no chance against even a half way trained Red Dragon Emperor, so they're taking care of this issue before you have a heavy hitter in your corner he can't hope to overcome. Your parents aren't stupid Rias, I'm betting they've known for a long time you planned on pinning your fate on a rating game."

Rias grimaced…she was right, wasn't she? As weak as Issei was, with magic power about as strong as an average human toddler even after being reincarnated and only barely being as fit as an athletic sports playing human, he'd managed to overcome that fallen angel, Raynare who by her estimates, was on the mid-class, far from her own and Sona's level, but still vastly above where Issei stood even now.

Yet, with no training at all, having no experience in fighting at all and against such a fallen who had a power healing Sacred Gear at her beck and call, he'd shot past her momentarily with the Boosted Gear.

Such was the power of a Longinus.

One year of dedicated training, and she was sure Issei would become too strong for Riser to defeat.

"Of course, you most likely forgot to mention that your own Red Dragon Emperor, may very well be the weakest in all of history," Sona mused, "Hyoudou definitely isn't what most would picture when thinking of the Red Dragon Emperor."

"Well…you're not wrong." Rias admitted with a sigh. She had grown fond of Issei, like a silly, pervy little brother. He was not however, the hardest working person.

His growth in the last month or so she'd been training him, had been middling at best. He dragged his heels when it came to training, and wouldn't do any at all unless she personally forced him to.

With how gung ho he'd been about becoming High Class and getting his own peerage and harem initially, she was actually a bit surprised by how little effort he was putting in.

…Effort that had dwindled even more in the last two weeks. Ever since their little run in with Kaito Evander. Issei had been sulking a lot the past two weeks and was constantly hovering around Asia as if expecting the other boy to pop up and steal her away.

Which was silly, because as she'd told him after Kaito had left, he'd only put his crass offer out in the open, to get a rise out of Issei.

But, it hadn't done anything to soothe his worries.

'I really did underestimate the dislike they have for each other.' she thought. Kaito had been nothing like when she spoke to him or what anyone said about him, usually, most had nothing but good things to say about him. And Issei couldn't fathom that the boy was lying about what he wanted and was out to steal Asia from him.

…And Koneko, and Akeno and herself.

He was a bit silly like that.

Because, Kaito Evander had no interest in them like that. At least not in the vein of joining her in return. What he actually wanted, wasn't something she could give. If giving the boy her virginity would be enough to recruit him and deal with Riser for her, she'd take that offer in a heart beat.

She'd rather die than marry Riser Phenex. Even if it would be her that had all the power in their relationship, since it was him marrying into her family, it did not change she would have to sleep with him until she bore a child. And it didn't change the fact, that as a married couple, he would have equal rights to her peerage, just as she would to his.

Which was why if she did end up having to marry him, she was going to dismiss her peerage and make them free devils. She wouldn't allow Riser even the tiniest ability to force himself on the girls of her peerage or lord his 'superiority' over Kiba and Issei.

"Hyoudou can't do anything, neither Kiba nor Koneko have the ability to overcome the regeneration of a Phenex as they are, your two bishops can do nothing here," Sona listed off, "Which leaves you, who lacks the sheer power needed to fuel your power of destruction enough to keep him down and Akeno…who has the power, but…"

"But can't use it and I won't force her to," Rias denied instantly, as much as she would love for Akeno to use her true power, and Koneko too, their happiness was much more important to her than her own well being, "My only option is to take down his peerage quickly and hope to do it with enough of uf left to overpower him and immobilize him somehow."

Maybe destroy his body and freeze him solid before he could fully regenerate and keep him in that state? If Kiba made enough of his Flame Delete swords…it might be possible.

That was assuming they could overpower him though, after assuming there was enough of them to keep fighting after taking on his entire peerage. As they were, Riser was stronger than them all by a decently large margin. The only advantage she could see at all, was that from all the rating games she'd seen him participate, he let his peerage fight and only stepped in if they were defeated.

Even if her entire peerage fought against Riser himself alone right now, she wasn't sure they could win.

"Which presents you with a massive conundrum," Sona crossed her arms over her lap, and stared Rias in the eyes, "Currently, as it stands, you do not have a chance at all against Riser, not unless you can magically get Hyoudou to unlock his Balance Breaker at least."

…She hadn't even managed that with Kiba in all the years he'd been with her. Heck, she hadn't even managed to help Gasper control his own Sacred Gear yet, never mind obtain Balance Breaker.

"Quite," Sona nodded knowingly, "Which means, if you want to win, your only option is to recruit someone capable of defeating Riser Phenex one on one."

"Meaning, Kaito." Rias sighed, shoulders slumping.

"Meaning Evander, yes," Sona agreed, "Unless your brother transfers a member of his own peerage to you, he is the only viable candidate."

"Not really, I can't give him what he wants," Rias shook her head ,"Not to mention, I'm not even sure if I can reincarnate him now after the evolution his sacred gear went through."

She only had a single knight and rook left. Her best bet, was the rook, which was worth a maximum of five pawns. It had taken eight to reincarnate Issei, and measurement wise, 7.9 of the total 8 of those pawns, had been for the Boosted Gear alone while the 0.1 had been for Issei.

Kaito was not only much greater in worth than Issei without taking anything else into account, he had two Sacred Gears on top of that, one containing all the power of a Cadre within it.

The more she thought on it, the more she doubted her chances. She just simply wasn't strong enough to be confident in her chances.

…Besides, "What about you, didn't you want to recruit him?" she asked her friend.

"I did and still do, but I can always just steal him from you later," Sona smirked at her, "I after all am the younger sister of the one he's interested in and a direct in with her."

"Allegedly interested in," Rias snorted, after all, they were both sure that was just a smokescreen for his true desire, being a high class devil without having to work under another, "….Though, that might be possible…"

An idea came to mind. A crazy idea. One she would normally never even consider

They were both sure, his initial offer of wanting Serafall Leviathan came down to him simply angling for other possible ways to become High Class without having to work his way up. There was no way in creation, the spouse of a Satan would be forced to be low class or anything like that.

But, there were other ways to become High Class. For example, being a member of a High Class noble family, like herself and Sona who were considered part of the High Class of devils upon birth.

…What if, she offered to marry him? If Kaito became her husband, he would be a part of nobility and a lord of the Gremory house. He would be more a trophy husband than anything else, but he would still be considered High Class.

If possible, she wanted to marry on her own terms and to someone she loved, but, if she could work out a proper agreement with Kaito Evander, then at the very least, she could have a tolerable marriage, if not a loving one.

"You look like you have a plan." Sona's eyebrow rose above her glasses, her tone suggesting interest.

"Maybe," Rias shrugged, giving her friend a smile, "It comes down to two things, if he'll agree or not, and if I'm capable of recruiting him."

That and his express agreement that he wouldn't cause any problems with her peerage, Issei included.

…Though Issei was bound to flip his lid if he did agree and become even more suspicious that Kaito really was planning on sleeping with all the girls in her peerage.

That…would be fun, for sure.

Not.

But it was better than Riser at the very least.

"Then I suggest you get going and see about it then," Sona pointed out, "The clock is ticking after all."

"Yes, you don't need to remind me," Rias sighed and stood up, setting her empty tea cup on her desk, "I suppose I'll see you later Sona?"

"Quite." Sona shrugged her shoulders.

Shaking her head, Rias cast her hand out, a crimson glow lighting up the room as the Gremory teleportation circle appeared at her feet and she stepped inside, a flash of red obscuring her vision briefly as she left the club room behind.

__________

Sona stared at the spot where her childhood friend disappeared, lips pursed, "How annoying." she stated to the empty room.

Let it not be said, that she did not care for Rias. They had been friends since their early childhood, she was perhaps closer to Rias, than even her own sister in some ways.

That, was what made it vexing. Putting others before oneself because you cared about then, truly had no strategic value. And logically speaking, was idiocy.

Yet, she found herself about to partake in such idiocy herself, "…Couldn't they have waited a few months." all alone in the club room, Sona allowed herself the chance to whine.

With just a few months to make Hyoudou even halfway capable, Rias would have at least been able to put up a fight and everything would not be so drastic.

And she wouldn't have to give up one of her own prospects and make a fail safe for Rias in regards to Evander if she failed in her recruitment of him.

Sighing in annoyance, Sona rose to her feet and cast out her own hand, summoning the glowing blue crest of the Sitri clan at her feet and stepping in to it.

…Now she had to go talk to her sister.

Just perfect.