Chapter 97: Underworld Turmoil, Akira's Second Childhood Fiancée
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The next day, at noon. The old school building.
Rias had asked Akeno to prepare tea early in the morning. Not just two cups, but a full four. This was because Rias wasn't meeting just one guest of equal status, but three.
As the time arrived, the red carpet began to glow with a mysterious light. In the center of the golden teleportation circle was the majestic emblem of a phoenix. The arrivals... were none other than the direct descendants of the Phoenix family!
"Whoosh."
Two tall figures and one shorter one emerged from the circle.
"Yo~ Rias, long time no see. The air in the human world is still as murky as ever," said the golden-haired man, the first to speak among the three.
"Lady Rias, thank you for waiting. Please forgive my foolish brother's lack of manners. He didn't mean to imply that your place is unclean; he just doesn't like the human world in general," the golden-haired girl coldly glanced at her brother and offered an apology with a smile.
The last of the trio was a mature woman with long purple-red hair. She was the most reserved and respectful of the three.
"Lady Rias, greetings."
After saying this, the mature woman, Yubelluna, stood behind Ravel. As Ravel's Queen, it was her duty to serve by her "King's" side during important discussions.
On Rias' side, Akeno also stood behind her King, just as Yubelluna did. Their eyes briefly met but quickly averted, avoiding any prolonged contact.
As Riser and Ravel took their seats, only one seat remained empty. Everyone present knew exactly who that seat was reserved for.
That seat... was for the heir of the Leviathan bloodline—Akira Leviathan.
In the past, Riser would have scoffed and dismissed Akira, moving straight to business. But now, after Akira and his Mechanical Digimon had made their presence known, no one could afford to ignore him anymore.
"Lady Rias, there are still ten minutes before the agreed time," Akeno said with a smile. "Since Akira-sama hasn't arrived yet, why don't you tell us some interesting stories about him at school?"
"Me? Tell you about Akira?" Rias' expression turned slightly complicated.
"Ravel, if I recall correctly, you and Akira are quite close, aren't you? You must have gathered some information about him privately, right? Why ask me?"
As she said this, even Rias didn't notice the faint hint of jealousy in her voice. This subtle jealousy elicited different reactions from those present.
Riser snorted coldly, Ravel maintained her smile, Akeno grinned happily, and Yubelluna remained expressionless.
Ravel, however, picked up on Rias' jealousy. She understood that Rias was feeling threatened by her. After all, if she were in Rias' shoes, she would also feel hostile toward her fiancé's childhood friend.
"Lady Rias is right. I have indeed been collecting information about Akira-sama," Ravel admitted.
"But aside from public information, I'm also very curious about Akira-sama's school life. Is it true that he ranks first at Kuoh Academy?"
"Yes, it's true. Akira is very talented and always outperforms Sona," Rias replied.
"Really? Akira-sama can even surpass the princess of the Sitri family? As expected of Akira-sama!" Ravel praised sincerely.
And so, Ravel and Rias delved into a detailed discussion about Akira's school life. Faced with Ravel's endless curiosity, Rias eventually had no choice but to steer the conversation elsewhere.
"Rather than Akira's school life, why don't you tell me about the Underworld's opinion of him? I've already seen two special features about Akira in the Underworld Daily. I'm sure the Underworld is in an uproar because of him, right?"
Rias knew she couldn't avoid the topic entirely, so she decided to shift the focus to the "Underworld's opinion of Akira." Besides, she was genuinely interested in this topic. While she kept an eye on the Underworld, she wasn't as well-informed as Ravel, who lived there.
"Ah, that~"
Ravel's eyes lit up as she spoke. Just as Rias had guessed, information about Akira was spreading like wildfire among the younger generation in the Underworld. There were three main topics of discussion.
The first was Akira's impressive performance during the Piece Evaluation Test, where he defeated Diehauser Belial, who had used an item to boost his strength. After that, Akira was officially registered as a "King" in the "Rating Game System," with a strength rating of... Ultimate-class Devil (High-tier).
Because of his registration in the Rating Game System, Akira's Pieces began to be used by many high-ranking Devils. In Ultimate-class Devil matches, Akira's performance was outstanding, and his reputation grew over time. After all, Akira's Pieces were incredibly effective, backed by his victory over Diehauser, who had used the "Snake" to enhance himself. Ajuka had provided high-level data, making Akira's Pieces among the best below the level of a Maou.
The second topic was Akira's engagement to Rias. Thanks to the efforts of Akira, Rias, Seekvaira, and Sona's PR teams, rumors were spreading that Akira was breaking off his engagement with Sona to marry Rias. Riser had heard these rumors and had come to confirm them with Rias.
The third topic was the incident where Akira's Mechanical Digimon defeated Kokabiel. Kokabiel was a ten-winged Fallen Angel who had survived the Great War, with combat experience and strength on par with a Maou. Yet... such a powerful figure had been defeated by Akira's contracted beast? And afterward, the Governor of the Fallen Angels had even sent a letter of thanks? Such achievements made people wonder if Akira was qualified to compete for the title of "Number One among Young Devils."
Currently, there were several contenders for the title of "Number One among Young Devils":
Sairaorg Bael, known for his invincible physical offense and defense.
Seekvaira Agares, renowned for her time magic and strategic prowess.
And Akira Leviathan, the heir of the former Maou Leviathan, known for his Sacred Gear and powerful servants.
Of course, Akira himself had no interest in competing for such a title. He had already surpassed the level of young Devils and had no time for such trivial matters.
The two incidents that made it to the Underworld Daily were Akira's defeat of the "terrorist Diehauser Belial" and his Mechanical Digimon's victory over the "war-crazed Maou-level Kokabiel." These were the main topics of discussion among the younger generation.
As for the older generation, they were more concerned about Akira breaking off his engagement with Sona to marry Rias. None of the older Devils believed Akira had done this voluntarily; they assumed the current Four Great Maous were using Akira's status for their own purposes. However... the truth was quite different. Akira's decision to break off the engagement was entirely his own, not influenced by any external pressure.
After hearing about the Underworld's opinion of Akira, Rias fell into deep thought and nodded. The younger generation's reaction was more or less what she had expected. However, the older generation's response surprised her. Despite Akira's overwhelming strength, none of the older Devils seemed interested in using his status for their own gain. This was unexpected, but it was also a relief. Rias didn't want her engagement to Akira to be disrupted.
As Rias pondered, Ravel hesitated for a moment before finally gathering her courage.
"Lady Rias, I have a question, and I need you to answer it honestly."
"Alright, Ravel, ask away. I'll answer truthfully. Consider it my thanks for sharing the Underworld's information with me," Rias replied with a smile.
"Good, I'm relieved to hear that."
Ravel took a deep breath and put on a serious expression.
"Lady Rias, my question is: Does Akira-sama... prefer women with more... voluptuous figures?"
"Huh?!"
Rias was completely caught off guard by Ravel's question.
"Why do you ask?" Rias asked, her face slightly red.
"Because... Akira-sama chose to marry you!" Ravel pressed, determined to get to the bottom of this.
What Ravel couldn't understand was why Akira had chosen to break off his engagement with Sona and marry Rias. Why not her? She was stronger than Rias! Considering that Akira didn't choose her, and given that he was the heir of the former Maou Leviathan, it was unlikely he was after the current Maou's power. After much thought, Ravel could only conclude that Akira had been swayed by Rias' beauty!
"Even if he chose to marry me, what does that prove?" Rias stammered.
"It proves that Akira-sama didn't choose me, but chose you instead!"
"I was the one who came first! Meeting Akira-sama, playing with him, even the engagement... I was the first! But... Akira-sama chose you, not me."
"Huh? When did you and Akira get engaged? I didn't know about this!" Rias was shocked. Could it be... that Akira had lied to her?
"When I was ten, Akira-sama told me he would marry me someday!"
Hearing this, not only Rias but even Riser couldn't hold back his reaction.
"Sorry, my sister can be a bit... serious," Riser said with a helpless shake of his head. Though he was a scoundrel, he was still a decent older brother who cared for his sister.
"It's fine, I understand how Ravel feels."
Rias also felt a pang of bitterness. Her situation wasn't much better than Ravel's. While she and Akira had mutual feelings, their relationship was still just that of friends, with the added layer of a business arrangement. Akira... had only agreed to act as her fiancé because she paid him.
"Whoosh."
As the group fell into a brief silence, a teleportation circle lit up on the ground. The emblem of Leviathan was clearly visible, and everyone knew who had arrived.
Akira Leviathan!
Akira's figure gradually emerged from the circle. In truth, his dimensional abilities far surpassed the need for such a teleportation circle. However, Akira had no intention of revealing his full capabilities to the Devils.
"It seems I'm the last to arrive?"
Akira glanced at the time. There were still five minutes before the agreed-upon time.
As Akira appeared, the room fell silent. Everyone's eyes were locked on him, and a few faint gulps could be heard.
After a few seconds, Akeno lightly bit her lip and smiled.
"Ara ara~ Akira-kun, you're becoming more and more charming. I couldn't help but stare."
The power of Akira's high-dimensional succubus bloodline was overwhelming. After his second evolution, its effects were even more devastating. Akira speculated that the stronger the being, the more susceptible they were to the allure of his bloodline. This was likely because stronger beings had a deeper connection to their own abilities and the essence of the world.
"Akira-sama! It's been so long!"
As soon as she confirmed it was Akira, Ravel leaped into his arms.
"Ah, Ravel, it's been a while."
Akira casually patted Ravel's twin drill-shaped curls. In truth, Ravel was also part of Akira's "childhood fiancée" plan, much like Irina. However, Ravel's "training" had been cut short. Her mother had noticed her daughter's unusual feelings for Akira and had limited their interactions, hoping time would cool Ravel's emotions. It was fine for her daughter to play around with the heir of the former Leviathan bloodline, but if she developed serious feelings, it could lead to trouble.
Note: So far this story is published up to chapter 140 on my patreon, go check it out and remember that if we reach the goal of 70 power stones I will publish the next chapter.