"Meeting in person is less impressive than hearing the name."
Among those present, there was likely no one who failed to understand the meaning behind those words.
"You've heard of me?"
Riser maintained his sneering expression, acting as though he were dismissive of Leon's remark, seemingly unprovoked by the taunt. However, in the next second, Riser's expression shifted.
"The three Phenex brothers—I've heard a bit about them," Leon said nonchalantly. "The eldest son is the successor to the Phenex clan and a currently sought-after Rating Game expert. Though he is only a High-class Devil, he possesses the strength of an Ultimate-class. He once led a team into the top ten of the Rating Games, and rumors are already circulating in the industry that he will be promoted to Ultimate-class soon."
"The second son, while not participating in the Rating Games, is an executive in the media industry. He holds a massive amount of the Underworld's media resources and is a master of manipulating public opinion."
"As for the third son—"
Leon lifted his eyelids, scanning Riser from head to toe as if appraising him, before saying with a smile:
"Supposedly, he debuted several years ago and has participated in many official Rating Games. His current record shows more wins than losses, but seeing your conduct today, it truly is a case of the reality not living up to the reputation."
"After all, what kind of industry rising star from a noble background carries himself like a common thug?"
"I suspect your win rate is either sustained by the stubborn endurance of your immortal body or simply bought with cold hard cash."
As soon as these words were uttered, not only did Riser's expression change, but even Lady Phenex and Ravel were visibly taken aback.
"You bastard—!"
Riser lost his temper almost instantly. He reached out, grabbing for Leon's collar with extreme speed. But as fast as he was, others were faster.
Hum—
Accompanied by a sudden surge of demonic power and Sacred Gear fluctuations, four figures appeared around Riser simultaneously.
"Don't move."
Yukino Yukinoshita appeared on Riser's left, one hand pressed against his waist, cold mist surging from her palm.
"Move another inch, and this sword will pierce your throat."
Asuna Yuuki appeared on Riser's right. At some point, a rapier had appeared in her hand, rippling with a holy aura. She held it against Riser's neck, only inches from his windpipe.
"If you don't want that hand, how about giving it to me?"
Utaha Kasumigaoka appeared in front of Riser, shielding Leon. She didn't move her body, but the hand Riser had extended was now bound by a cubic barrier, appearing as if he were wearing transparent glass handcuffs.
Mahiru Shiina appeared silently behind Riser, her slender hands spread open, holding purple flames shaped like crosses, looking ready to press them into Riser at any moment.
The air instantly froze. The eyes and expressions of everyone present underwent a drastic change.
Sirzechs and Grayfia narrowed their eyes slightly, their gazes filled with sharp insight as they looked at the four girls surrounding Riser. Lady Phenex and Ravel were stunned, their eyes wide with shock as they stared at the girls.
As for Riser, who was surrounded and restrained by the girls, he began to break into a cold sweat. He could clearly feel just how precarious his current situation was.
The cold aura rising from the hand on his waist was staggering, as if it could freeze even his Phoenix flames. The sword at his throat emitted a lethal sensation that made even his proud immortal body tremble. He couldn't see what was behind him, but the holy fluctuations and terrifying heat cast a shadow of death over him, telling him exactly how fearsome that power was.
Even within the barrier locking his arm, a mass of demonic power was surging, as if it could erupt at any second and crush his limb on the spot. Goosebumps broke out across Riser's skin, and his hair stood on end.
"T-This... how is this possible?!"
Riser's mind was in turmoil, screaming inwardly. He knew that Leon's peerage was a group with high potential, and their reputation in the industry was incredibly high. However, since he had the nerve to question Leon, he naturally hadn't spared a thought for his peerage.
In Riser's view, they were just a bunch of little girls who had been reincarnated as devils for only a few months. No matter how high their potential, how strong could they possibly be right now?
In fact, seeing that these girls were all exceptionally beautiful, he felt even more disdainful. He assumed the rumors were exaggerated and that Leon had surely only taken them as peerage members because of their looks. Otherwise, how could a group of "limitless potential" reincarnated devils all happen to be such stunning women?
He himself took in peerage members with the intention of building a harem; his servants were all female. Therefore, he believed he understood the baser instincts of men better than anyone. He felt Leon was just building a harem and that the "limitless potential" talk was just marketing hype.
This was another reason Riser looked down on Leon. It wasn't that he despised the idea of a harem—after all, he did the same thing—but he felt Leon was in the wrong for trying to include his sister.
Ultimately, Riser was deliberately picking a fight, feeling extremely displeased that his sister was going to serve a guy who was just building a harem. Furthermore, he truly looked down on Leon, feeling that the Eligos family had been defunct for countless years, their territory was a wasteland, and they were pathetically poor. Combined with the fact that Leon was a devil of impure blood, Riser felt it would be beneath his "delinquent noble" persona not to show contempt.
The result was clear: he had kicked a steel plate.
"Breaking down already?"
Shielded by the four girls, Leon hadn't moved from the start. He looked through Utaha's shoulder at the frozen Riser, speaking with a voice as calm as a deep well.
"You were much harsher when you were insulting me, and I didn't lose my cool. Why are you breaking down?"
"It's okay for you to criticize others, but not for others to criticize you, is that it?"
"Resorting to violence? Do you think you can even move?"
Saying this, Leon glanced at Sirzechs and added:
"I heard this man is Rias's fiancé? Lord Sirzechs, it seems your father's taste is quite poor. No wonder Rias often looks so troubled. This man doesn't look like he's worthy of the 'Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess' at all."
Leon's comment made Sirzechs purse his lips and fall into silence, while veins popped on Riser's forehead in humiliated rage.
Boom!
Unable to control his emotions, Riser's body erupted in flames, sending out waves of scorching heat. Seeing this, Yukino and the others' gazes turned cold, and their own demonic auras surged violently, ready to strike.
"Stop!"
At this point, Lady Phenex could no longer watch in silence and intervened.
"Mother—"
The flames on Riser's body faltered. He looked at his mother, but before he could say anything, a single sharp glare from Lady Phenex silenced him.
"Yukino, Asuna, Utaha, Mahiru."
Leon spoke calmly.
"Come back."
The girls exchanged glances before simultaneously withdrawing their power and stepping back behind Leon. Sirzechs and Lady Phenex looked deeply at the girls, their minds filled with various thoughts.
These girls... they already possess such strength? Lady Phenex was shaken.
They've grown so quickly— Sirzechs felt both impressed and pleased.
Clearly, the small display of skill by Yukino and the others had not only shocked everyone but had exceeded many people's expectations. Riser Phenex was a Pure-blooded Devil and a debuted High-class Devil with many victories in the Rating Games. In terms of raw power, he was arguably stronger than Rias. Yet, he was easily restrained by several human girls who had been reincarnated for only a few months. In the eyes of those who knew the composition of the Eligos Peerage, this was undoubtedly staggering.
Not just the elders, but even Ravel's gaze toward Yukino and the others changed. She was someone about to join this peerage as a servant under the same "King." The outstanding performance of Yukino and the others was enough to completely change the young Phenex lady's perspective on her future companions.
"Riser." Lady Phenex, having recognized the potential of the Eligos Peerage anew, looked at Riser with stern eyes. "Apologize to Lord Leon."
"What?" Riser's body, which had just relaxed, tensed up instantly. He shouted in outrage, "Apologize? Why?"
"What do you think?" Lady Phenex's gaze turned cold. "Think about your behavior just now. Ask yourself, is that the conduct becoming of a son of the House of Phenex?"
"But I just don't agree!" Riser said with extreme dissatisfaction. "Even if they have some strength, the Eligos territory is such a pathetic, poor place. Why should Ravel go there to suffer?"
"And so?" Lady Phenex's face became expressionless. "Are you questioning my decision?"
"This—" Riser went silent.
Though he was extremely dissatisfied with Ravel becoming a servant to a "pauper," he didn't quite dare to openly defy his mother. Don't be fooled by Lady Phenex's polite demeanor in front of Leon; in reality, many knew that the wife of the current Phenex Patriarch was incredibly formidable—a woman of her word whose dominance sometimes made even her husband hesitate to cross her.
If it weren't for this, Lady Phenex wouldn't have been able to arrange her daughter's future single-handedly, ignoring her husband's objections to finalize sending Ravel to Leon's peerage. Knowing his mother's character, Riser believed that if he dared to openly question her here, she would dare to kick him out of the house. Thus, Riser wisely shut his mouth, though his discontent was written plainly on his face.
Leon glanced at the "delinquent noble" before looking at Lady Phenex.
"It seems the Lady hasn't unified the opinions within her household. Perhaps we should end it here today and discuss this another time."
Hearing this, Lady Phenex became anxious.
"No, Riser's opinion is not important." Lady Phenex hurried to reassure Leon, sighing as she said, "It is my failure in discipline that allowed him to be so rude here."
"Please rest assured, I will deal with him properly once we return."
The coldness in Lady Phenex's glare toward Riser made his face stiffen. He knew his mother wasn't just being polite; she truly intended to discipline him later.
Hopefully my immortality can hold out... Riser felt a sudden urge to flee.
Lady Phenex, however, had no more patience for him. She signaled to Ravel, who quickly reacted.
"Lord Leon, please do not take my brother's words to heart." Ravel bowed her head to Leon in apology. "It is my honor to become your peerage member, and it is something I do of my own volition. My brother is simply too concerned for me. Please, in your greatness, forgive him this once."
Ravel wasn't being entirely insincere. Initially, she had indeed been somewhat reluctant to become a servant to a man she had never met. However, as it was her mother's decision and she was a daughter of the Phenex family, she had to make sacrifices for the clan and had no right to resist.
But now, her reluctance had largely vanished. The performance of Yukino and the others had impressed her, making her realize that this peerage was indeed as the rumors suggested—its future potential was limitless. This made her mind more active, and her thoughts began to change quietly. If she had companions like these, joining this peerage group could be considered a promising future.
Furthermore, Leon, as a Master who could cultivate such excellent subordinates, must possess abilities far greater than what the rumors mentioned. In that case, serving under him was no longer something unacceptable.
Thinking of this, Ravel lifted her skirt slightly and curtsied to Leon again.
"Please, Lord Leon—no, please, Master, grant me an Evil Piece."
At Ravel's request, everyone turned their gaze toward Leon. Leon looked at the girl bowing before him and shifted his focus to the space where he kept his Evil Pieces. He noticed that inside, nearly all the pieces were glowing.
the "Rook" piece glowed most intensely.
the "Pawn" pieces were second.
the "Knight" pieces were the weakest.
What surprised Leon the most was the "Queen" piece. This unique, one-of-a-kind piece was emitting a radiance no less than that of the "Pawn" pieces, nearly catching up to the "Rook."
There were many people who could make the "Queen" piece glow; Yukino and Utaha had done so before. However, their glow had been weak, nowhere near what it was now. Among all the people Leon had encountered so far, only the "Chaos Karma Dragon" Tiamat had made the "Queen" piece glow brighter than this. Everyone else fell short of Ravel.
This young lady... is she actually this suitable to be a 'Queen'?
Leon suddenly hesitated.