The next morning, the sun was gentle, and a calm breeze swept through the mountains as Keiji sat beside Rias on the veranda, sipping tea while watching the training session taking place in the open field below.
'For some reason, no one ever serves me sake…' he thought, letting out a quiet sigh.
Down in the field, Aizawa was giving instructions to Rias's peerage. He'd already gotten over the fact that he was surrounded by devils, so he just did his job as if he were still in his own world. Pointing out mistakes, suggesting improvements, and correcting stances with the best of their experience.
Rias sat with her legs crossed, a faint smile on her face as she watched attentively. The breeze played with her hair, but she looked calm, simply enjoying the moment. Keiji, on the other hand, observed the group with mild curiosity.
The day before, he had briefly sparred with Rias's servants in a few short matches.
And he came to the conclusion that they were… all a little too weak.
Akeno, for instance, was skilled with demonic power. Her spells had a solid level of destructive force — the lightning she summoned was powerful and visually impressive — but still… a bit too slow to cast.
If she went up against someone like a Seated Officer from the Eleventh Division, she probably wouldn't even have time to launch a second spell before being knocked out.
Then there was Koneko, who relied entirely on raw physical strength. Her style reminded him of the brawlers from the Eleventh Division, the ones who preferred to solve everything with a punch. The problem was that, despite her strength, she lacked agility.
Asia, on the other hand, he didn't even face. Rias explained that she was the group's healer, possessing a Sacred Gear focused exclusively on healing.
Keiji didn't say anything, but he found it a bit insulting how people tended to see healers as "just support", without realizing their potential could go far beyond that.
He was also pretty sure Unohana would have very sharp words for anyone who said something like that.
And then there was Issei.
The boy was clearly the weakest, that much was obvious, but he was also the most stubborn. Unlike the others, he didn't seem to lose spirit even when he was easily taken down.
Which apparently was a regular occurrence for him.
Rias sighed softly as she watched Issei stumble while trying to dodge one of Aizawa's moves.
"Hyoudou-san really does try hard."
Keiji commented, resting his chin on his hand.
In the field, Issei was struggling to follow Aizawa through a series of basic dodges... and failing miserably every few seconds. Still, the boy kept going, panting and sweating as if his life depended on it.
Rias kept watching. She was using the time before the Rating Game to get her servants in shape — even if they wouldn't be fighting — and Issei was, by far, the one putting in the most effort.
He had no natural talent for anything he was trying, and Keiji couldn't really judge his potential, but the boy made up for it with sheer determination.
Besides taking Aizawa's advice, he also trained separately with Akeno, Kiba, and Koneko.
At the very least, that was something worth acknowledging.
Rias rested her chin on her hand, unconsciously mimicking Keiji's pose, and continued watching Issei's clumsy movements.
Even as he tripped and failed at nearly everything, the light in his eyes never faded.
"Ise might not look like much, but I have high hopes for him."
Rias spoke in a calm tone, but there was clear conviction in her voice.
Keiji turned his gaze away from the training field and raised an eyebrow.
"Really?"
Rias smiled faintly.
"After all, I had to use all eight of my Pawn pieces to reincarnate him."
She paused for a moment, her eyes softening.
The boy was there, covered in dust, struggling to get up for the tenth time. There was something both sad and oddly funny about the scene.
"He also has one of the most special Sacred Gears, a Longinus… the kind of relics that can slay gods."
Keiji blinked slowly at that unexpected bit of information.
Even among Sacred Gears, there were different classifications. Some were only useful for daily life, while others, like Asia's Twilight Healing, were entirely specialized in one area. And above all of them were the strongest, the ones known as Longinus.
"The Boosted Gear is powerful."
Rias explained, her voice carrying a touch of pride.
"Right now, Ise's weaker than even a low-class devil, but with enough time, he'll become strong. If he's patient enough to grow, one day he might even be able to defeat Riser on his own."
Keiji looked back down at the boy, who was once again being thrown to the ground, this time by Koneko.
"But time is exactly what you don't have."
Rias sighed and folded her arms, agreeing.
"True. That's why, this time, I'm counting on you."
'A Sacred Gear that special, huh…'
It seemed there was yet another person Keiji could look forward to seeing become a formidable opponent someday.
Rias tilted her head slightly, a mischievous glint flashing in her eyes as she changed the subject.
"So… what do you think about giving my adorable servants a few tips?"
Keiji let out a lazy sigh and leaned back in his chair.
"Sorry, but I'm not good at teaching other people."
Rias raised an eyebrow, clearly amused.
"And yet, you had no trouble making scathing comments about Yuuto and the others."
Keiji smirked slightly, not denying it.
"Pointing out flaws is one thing. Teaching someone how to fix them is another."
For Keiji, everything came naturally. Technique, perception, instinct… everything just fell into place with a bit of effort.
If he noticed a weakness, he corrected it himself, relying purely on visual experience or intuition.
It was for reasons like this that they called him a genius.
Because of that, he couldn't really explain what he did in an objective way. And if someone could actually understand how he thought, that person would already be a genius themselves.
And in that case, wouldn't need Keiji's help.
"Well, that's true…"
Rias didn't push the subject any further, already content that Aizawa seemed to know what he was doing, offering useful advice to Issei and the others about how to handle different situations.
Then she stood up, her expression turning serious again.
"In that case, come with me. I have a few strategies that might help when you face Riser."
Keiji got up as well and followed her back into the mansion, while Issei watched them walk inside from a distance.
Rias led him to the living room, where she sat down at a table and opened a heavy book.
"If the opponent were just another high-class devil, I don't think you'd have much trouble... not after how easily you handled my lovely servants. But that's not the problem here."
She stopped on an illustration and slid the book toward him. The image showed a massive bird engulfed in flames, spreading its wings in a majestic pose.
"The biggest problem is that your opponent is a Phoenix."
Keiji tilted his head as he studied the image, while Rias rested her elbow on the table and began to explain.
"A long time ago, the mythical beast Phoenix was seen by humans as a bird that governed life itself. It became so well-known that its legend spread across many countries in the human world. It was said that the Phoenix's tears could heal any wound, and the blood that flowed through its body could grant eternal youth to anyone who drank it."
She turned another page, revealing a crest and the description of an ancient lineage.
"But there was another clan different from the mythical beast. These were devils who held the rank of Marquis, and they were counted among the 72 Pillars. The 'Phoenix' among the devils."
Humans had named the devils' Phoenix as "Phenex" to distinguish it from the mythical creature, though both possessed the same ability.
"In other words — immortality. That's the opponent you'll be facing, Keiji."
When the Rating Games became popular, the Phenex Clan quickly rose through the ranks. Simply put, before the Games existed, there weren't many large-scale battles among devils.
"In a game where the 'King' also participates, the true strength of the Phoenix became obvious. The House of Phoenix is one of the leading groups among the strongest classes."
Immortality. Devils came to understand how terrifying that power was for the first time.
If they were immortal, they could resurrect no matter how many times they were defeated. Other devils had limits to their energy, unlike the Phoenix... meaning they'd eventually collapse from exhaustion.
Keiji let out a low whistle.
"I've fought opponents with regeneration or healing before, but this'll be my first time against someone actually immortal."
Keiji found this perspective interesting.
"There are two ways to defeat him. One is to crush him with overwhelming power. The other is to keep knocking him down until his mind breaks."
Rias continued, holding up two fingers.
"The first method requires strength on the level of a God. The second depends on your endurance. You just have to keep fighting until Riser's spirit gives out. Even if his body can regenerate endlessly, his mind isn't immortal."
She closed the book with a sharp sound, meeting Keiji's eyes seriously.
"His mind will wear down each time he resurrects."
It was a cruel method, but one that worked.
That was Rias's strategy.
[——]
All the preparations for the Rating Game between Ayano Keiji and Riser Phenex were finally complete.
The endless formalities had at last been settled, and both the Gremory and Phenex clans had reached an official agreement.
The fate of Rias Gremory's marriage contract would be decided in a single battle, a Rating Game.
If Riser won, the wedding would be moved up and held within a few days, sealing the union between the two clans once and for all.
But if Keiji won, the contract would be canceled, and he would be formally recognized by the Gremory Clan as Rias's fiancé.
At that moment, Grayfia was standing inside the office of Sirzechs Lucifer, the Crimson Maou. The most powerful devil alive, and Rias's older brother.
The man who was also her King and her husband.
Sirzechs stood by the window, his calm expression doing little to hide the concern behind his eyes.
"We've done everything we could."
Then he turned to Grayfia, a faint, curious smile on his face.
"Tell me, Grayfia… are you really confident in this man, Ayano Keiji?"
Grayfia kept her perfect posture but paused for a moment before answering.
"Rather than confident, I'd say… I'm hoping he can do it."
Sirzechs raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
"Hoping, huh?"
Grayfia didn't respond to his rhetorical question. From what she'd gathered through their interactions in the chat, Keiji was a confident man, but also someone who could judge his opponents' strength objectively.
When she met him in person for the first time, Grayfia hadn't been able to discern what kind of power he possessed, but he didn't flinch before Grayfia's own power.
That, at least, was a good sign.
Sirzechs rested his chin in his hand, studying his wife for a moment with a thoughtful look.
"So… you think he can defeat Riser?"
Grayfia took a moment before replying.
"I'm not sure if capable is the right word. But out of all our options, he's the best one we have."
Sirzechs chuckled softly.
"That's the closest thing to a compliment I've ever heard from you."
Grayfia met his eyes steadily.
"It's simply a statement of fact, Sirzechs-sama."
The Crimson Maou turned his gaze back to the window, his expression distant.
"Then let's hope he succeeds. For Rias's sake…"
And for the sake of all devil society.
Because Sirzechs truly didn't know what he would do if his beloved little sister were forced to marry Riser against her will.