NOVEL NEXT CH 65: DETERMINATION
As always, the time for lunch arrived pretty fast.
Basara desperately wished to visit the 2nd year student, but he had said to Asia that on the first day she should stay with people in her class.
Basara knew that one of Asia's greatest wishes had always been to make new friends of her age. As such, this occasion was something she could not miss. Since she was a beauty and a foreigner, he was sure that she would become popular very fast.
It was even more so since she had such a charming personality.
Basara meanwhile was sitting alone on the rooftop with two lunches in hand.
Normally, at this time he should be giving Lunch to Koneko. But when he came this morning, he realized that the girl was absent.
"Rias nee-sama peerage is still recuperating. Rias-sama and Kiba even left for the devil world."
The door opened to a crimson-haired beauty accompanied by a small silver-haired girl
Mio and Maria Gremory. His two younger cousins, albeit of just a few months.
"What do you mean?"
Basara frowned, while he had gone a little hard with his last attack, he had made sure to not leave any threatening attack. This was even more so Akeno.
Looking at the incomprehension on his face, Mio just sighed,
"The physical wounds aren't the problem. It's the emotional one."
"Hah…"
Basara drawled in realization, causing Maria to snort,
"Hahaha, you totally crushed them one vs 4 from the start and your last transformation made the difference of power even more apparent."
"So…They are mopping?"
Basara frowned, unsure how he would feel if just one defeat was enough to bring them down so.
Thankfully, Maria shook her head,
"They aren't really downcast. I mean sure, the defeat must have stung. But they are currently pretty fired up. In fact, Rias-sama left a message for you. *Ahem* Hello, Basara-san, or should I call you cousin now? Either way, you won and I will reject the result of the bet done. But give some time… I decided that I shouldn't rely on anyone to resolve my problem."
Once she finished, Basara gently closed his eyes, the corner of his lips lifting in a smile. It seemed that this fight would be beneficial to Rias in more ways than one.
—-
In the world of devil, Rias was standing in a large room alone with her brother. Between the two of them was a cup of steaming tea specially prepared by one of the numerous "true" maids of the Gremory house.
Grayfia had decided to stay in the human world for some reason but Rias didn't ask much. She knew that sometime Grayfia would act in the stead of her brother for important missions.
"So, what brings you here after not sending much new to home for all this time."
Sirzechs was a good brother a little too much in fact.
"I was fleeing because I felt suffocated by you."
Rias blunt statement surprised Sirzechs.
"You know, be it me or Mio, the two of us are fighting to prove our worth as possible heiress of the Gremory house. But we are not blind. The truth of the matter is that, rather than me or even Mio, despite her gravity power. What people truly want is for you to lead them.
"It doesn't matter how much effort we put in or how talented we are. We will never be a match for you and you see…I resented that."
"I resented the fact that I was called the ruin-princess just because I was your sister even though I never fought nor showed any feat.
"In the end…I resented even you."
A sad expression formed on her face.
"No matter what I do, I will never surpass you. If I succeed, people will think it was expected of me as your sister and if I fail, people will mock me by saying that I shamed my brother.
"Before long, I stopped being Rias. I was just the heiress of the Gremory family and the Little sister of the Maou. For all those reasons, I resented you. But at the same time, I loved and respected you more than anyone. You were my idol, my target. The one I wanted to impress. The more I resented you, the more I loathed myself for having such ugly sentiment.
"This is why I fled to the human world. There…I wasn't Rias Gremory nut simply Rias. There, I wasn't compared to anyone but was the most respected and envied one.
"This is also why, when the problem with the Phenex family reared its head, I stubbornly refused to come to you for help. I wanted to do it alone. I wanted to show to the world and more importantly, to myself, that I, Rias Gremory did not need anyone's help. Not even from the almighty Sirzechs Gremory."
She chuckled,
"I failed."
Even though she spoke those words, her expression was surprisingly refreshed.
"You should have seen the fight, right?"
Sirzechs, who had stayed silent until now, nodded, "Indeed."
"What did you think?"
"...."
"Hahaha, no need to make such an expression. I know how horrible it was. We were absolutely crushed. Completely dominated. But do you know what made it the most painful for me?
"In the end, despite all my power, I was the most useless one."
Rias snarled.
During the fight, Akeno fought Basara and gained some time for them. Koneko used her power to pinpoint his position and prepare the trap after the guiding light vanished. Kiba used his swords as a trap and managed to do some damage.
Everyone did something during that fight. Even though they lost, there was no doubt that the member of her peerage accomplished the job they ought to do.
But then…What about her?
What did she end up doing?
Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
She had one job.
She simply had to attack with her destruction magic. But she failed in such an easy job.
There were many possible excuses. The easiest one being that Basara was too strong and too fast.
But seen in another way, it simply means that she was too slow and too weak.
"I hate this feeling. I hate the fact that I could not even help my precious peerage. I wish to fight alongside them, not behind them protected like a weak princess."
"So…"
Sirzechs muttured, "What do you want to do?"
"Big brother tell me…" Rias did not answer but continued, "Would the power of the Phenex hinder you?"
Sirzechs shrugged, "Not particularly."
The superpower of regeneration of the Phenex was impressive but in front of Sirzechs, it was just some paltry tricks not worth mentioning.
Rias smiled at his answer, "Well then, would you please teach me how to become an immortal slayer?"
Sirzechs was first startled but then immediately laughed out loud.
How many times did he try to train Rias?
Sirzechs could not remember but he did remember that she had always refused.
But now?
It seemed that the taste of this bitter defeat had been a wake-up call for his sister. Still, he had to test her.
"Since you lost to Basara, would it not be easier to rely on him to fight your fiance?"
She nodded, "Of course. I have no doubt about Basara's victory should he face him. But…"
"But?"
"I can't lose more of my prestige as a big sister, right? I was already completely embarrassed once."
Sirzechs chortled,
"Indeed. Elder siblings should always show the road rather than being carried."
He nodded and stood up,
"The Phenex family was becoming restless but I can keep them in line for one more week."
Gesturing to her he continued, "During this one week, I will teach you everything I know about the power of destruction. Are you prepared, I will not be gentle during this training."
Rias stood up with a confident grin, "I am ready."
Rias' will was firm. She would stop acting like a spoiled princess and for that, she needed to become strong. As one of the top ten strongest beings in the world and the wielder of the power of destruction….Sirzechs was the best teacher she could have.
(AN: Rias is honestly one of my favorite characters and I like the growth she went through during the story. By the end of vol 25, Rias was a very mature leader who knew her strengths and knew how to use the strength of others. She knew when to lower her pride and how to convince powerful people to follow her lead. I can't exactly go through 25 volumes of growth in my fic since If I did so LP would reach 3K chapters or more so I accelerated a little. I hope her actions and decisions during this chapter were still logical at least.
Next chapter is Mio and Maria time, then Hasegawa. I need to dev the Shinmai characters a little more lol.
Also just before anyone explodes. Rias isn't try to avoid the bet with Basara.
Also just in case people are once again confused. When she says big sister she doesn't mean it literally. Cousins can also call themselves that.)
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