Chapter 128: The Plan (Part 2)
Facing Akeno's recruitment offer, Yuuma and the other two nodded amicably.
In reality, because Haruto possessed some foreknowledge, his plan was rather crude and simplistic, making it seem like its success entirely depended on Rias's attitude.
To summarize his plan concisely: let Yuuma and her companions take the fall, then fake their deaths, and observe the Fallen Angels' reaction.
The blame they would bear was naturally for the theft of the Sacred Gear, while faking their deaths meant pretending to be discovered and killed by Rias, who managed this territory.
After completing these steps, they would see how the Fallen Angels responded.
As long as Rias could withstand the pressure—or rather, as long as the Gremory family could handle it—Yuuma and the others could reappear with completely new identities, completely breaking free from the Fallen Angel faction.
The premise of all this was Rias's agreement to cooperate, so Yuuma and the others naturally couldn't afford to show any disrespect to their future superior.
If only they had known about the upcoming three-way summit and the Fallen Angels' underestimation of them, they would have realized how flawless Haruto's plan truly was.
Ahem...
Actually, the difficulty of this plan lay in persuading Rias, as she wasn't someone who casually took on subordinates.
But things went much smoother than Haruto had anticipated. Rias agreed almost without hesitation as soon as Haruto made his request.
Her trust in and expectations for Haruto ran deeper than he had ever imagined.
Of course, objectively speaking, Rias had many pieces at her disposal; sacrificing three Pawns was of little consequence.
Even if she were short on pieces, three mid-level Fallen Angels still represented considerable combat power.
Haruto had only recently learned that after reincarnating as a servant, there was also the option of resignation.
However, to resign, one must obtain the master's consent. Not every 'King' was willing to let go of obedient and powerful servants.
So if the cooperation doesn't work out later, they could always just terminate it—Rias wouldn't be at any disadvantage.
This was also why Haruto felt confident he could persuade Rias, though in the end, these reasons weren't necessary.
As for Yuuma and the other two...
They had always assumed Haruto was also a Servant resurrected by Rias using Evil Pieces, and from the beginning, they had mentally prepared themselves to become Haruto's subordinates.
Now that the three of them had become Rias's Servants, their status was equal to Haruto's, so naturally, they had no objections.
Moreover, they understood better than Haruto what being the next head of the Gremory family meant. Strictly speaking, becoming the Servants of someone of such high status was actually an advantage for them.
As for faction issues, since Yuuma and the others had become Rias's Servants, how to protect them was now her responsibility.
And so, a plan that satisfied all three parties was perfectly conceived and put into action.
"ROAR!!!"
Just as the atmosphere was quite pleasant, almost like a new colleague meet-and-greet, a soul-shaking roar caused everyone present to change their expressions.
Haruto, being the closest, was affected the most and was forced to interrupt the ritual.
Watching the red dragon phantom emerging from Issei's body, he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and said with a grave expression, "Everyone, be careful. This Sacred Gear is indeed dangerous."
"How could this happen?" Yuuma stared at the scene, her face filled with shock and doubt. "The book that recorded the ritual didn't mention anything like this!"
Rias stared intently at the dragon-shaped phantom, which, despite having its eyes closed, still exuded a fierce aura. "That's because the ritual described how to strip a Sacred Gear, not how to strip a Sacred Gear of the highest class."
Yuuma froze for a moment, unable to believe it. "You mean... impossible! How could a Sacred Gear of the highest class choose a kid like him?!"
As one of the only thirteen Sacred Gears of the highest class in the world, each possessed terrifying power and its own will. They chose their hosts; it was impossible to forcibly become their users.
Otherwise, given Issei's strength in the original story, even if Rias valued him, he wouldn't have been able to develop safely.
"If we're not mistaken, that should be the soul and will of one of the Two Heavenly Dragons, the Red Dragon Emperor, Ddraig."
Rias said solemnly, "In other words, the Sacred Gear of the highest class residing in that boy is the Gauntlet of the Red Dragon Emperor."
"Ara, ara..." Akeno said worriedly, "It seems the extraction ritual has agitated the Red Dragon Emperor sealed within the Sacred Gear..."
Rias nodded. "Exactly. We can kill the host chosen by a Sacred Gear of the highest class, but we cannot forcibly strip it away."
"This really is the worst possible outcome..." Feeling the significant damage to his body, Haruto grimaced. "President, is there no other way?"
"To use a Sacred Gear of the highest class, you must gain the Red Dragon Emperor's approval." Rias rested her chin on her hand, deep in thought. "The Red Dragon Emperor is still dormant. That earlier attack was likely its limit. Perhaps we can awaken Him and try to negotiate."
As expected, obtaining the protagonist's golden finger wasn't going to be easy.
Haruto let out a heavy sigh, calming his emotions before saying firmly, "Then let's negotiate with Him. If it really doesn't work out, we'll have no choice but to give up."
Hearing this, Yuuma instinctively said, "Are you planning to just leave such a dangerous thing alone? What if this brat uses it against..."
"Yuuma-chan, even a Sacred Gear depends on who wields it."
Haruto interrupted her, speaking confidently, "By the time he fully masters the Sacred Gear, my strength might have already surpassed the Two Heavenly Dragons."
No matter how powerful a Sacred Gear is, it merely seals the soul and will of the Red Dragon Emperor, possessing some of the Red Dragon Emperor's abilities—it can never match the strength of the Two Heavenly Dragons.
If one possesses strength surpassing the Two Heavenly Dragons, having a Sacred Gear becomes irrelevant.
"Surpass the Two Heavenly Dragons..."
Yuuma murmured, but quickly snapped back to refute, "No, do you even know what the Two Heavenly Dragons represent? They are beings stronger than even the Satans and Gods. To think you could..."
Her words were cut off again, though this time not by Haruto, but by the awakened Red Dragon Emperor.
"Kid, I heard what you said earlier. Impressive ambition."
A deep, mature male voice echoed in the ears of everyone present. Aside from Haruto and Rias, the other four paled and staggered back several steps, looking as if they might collapse at any moment.
Despite their A-rank strength, they couldn't even face the Red Dragon Emperor directly.
"Lord Ddraig, it's an honor to meet you. I am Rias Gremory, the next heir of the Gremory family."
Rias performed a noble curtsy and said solemnly, "No offense intended. I was unaware earlier that this young man was chosen by you."
"So you're the little girl from the Gremory family." The massive dragon's eyes shifted to gaze at Rias. "One of your ancestors had a hand in sealing me back then."
Back when the Two Heavenly Dragons stormed the battlefield of the Fallen Angels, Angels, and Devils, they devoured numerous powerful beings from all three factions indiscriminately.
In the end, the remaining forces of the three factions joined hands to slay them, sealing their souls and creating the two Sacred Gears: the Boosted Gear of the Red Dragon Emperor and the Divine Dividing of the White Dragon Emperor.
Mentioning this now, Rias simply lifted the hem of her skirt slightly and bowed without responding.
The Red Dragon Emperor didn't press the matter further—it wouldn't do for others to think he was bullying a child.
"Kid, you were the one who initiated the earlier ritual, weren't you?"
The Red Dragon Emperor's soul and will shifted their focus back to Haruto, saying, "Your attitude suits my taste. I wouldn't mind being wielded by you."
Haruto didn't get overly excited; it was clear the Red Dragon Emperor had overheard their previous conversation, and the real discussion was about to begin.
After a moment of contemplation, he replied, "Red Dragon Emperor, if you have any conditions, state them directly."
"Good." The Red Dragon Emperor didn't beat around the bush, getting straight to the point. "I can become your weapon, but I won't form a contract with you. If your growth fails to satisfy me, I can leave at any time."
Haruto agreed almost without hesitation. He never wanted another soul and will residing within his body, so this proposal aligned perfectly with his thoughts.
"Don't rush—that's only the first condition."
The Red Dragon Emperor continued, "If your strength truly surpasses the Two Heavenly Dragons as you claim, I want you to do something for me."
"I'll tell you the specifics when the time comes. I originally intended to nurture that other kid slowly, but it seems you might be more suitable now."
Although he didn't know the specifics, Haruto's goal was transcendence. If the power of a Heavenly Dragon wasn't enough, he would simply continue to grow stronger.
"I accept," Haruto nodded seriously. "Do I need to sign a contract?"
Agreements between powerful beings couldn't rely solely on verbal promises—special contract magic existed to enforce them.
Though if one's power was sufficient, even contracts might not prove binding.