Chapter 236 Dust Settles
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Facing the exhaustion of his final reserves, Riser Phoenix had reached a point where most opponents might have hesitated to strike the finishing blow.
There was no such hesitation here.
Members of the Phoenix Clan typically conceded once they recognized they were outmatched. Riser, however, refused to yield.
As long as he lived, his immortality meant he remained a valid combatant. That left Rias with only one option.
Beat him until he could no longer continue.
The spectators understood exactly what was happening. Rias’s intentions could not have been clearer. Riser had ignored every opportunity to surrender, and if he died as a result, the responsibility would be his own. Fatalities in Rating Games were rare, but not unheard of.
She had already given him ample warning.
”O Princess of Ruination, with the forbidden night and the true darkness entwined…”
Rias narrowed her eyes.
As her chant echoed across the battlefield, the air distorted around her. A sphere of pitch-black mana gathered in her palm, dense with destructive power.
”Grant the enemy before me absolute oblivion!”
The instant the final words left her lips, the black sphere shot toward Riser like a fragment of a collapsing star.
His entire body stiffened.
One look at the approaching attack was enough.
If it struck him now, there would be nothing left to regenerate.
Death.
The concept had always seemed distant to Riser Phoenix. Born into the Phoenix Clan, he had never seriously considered the possibility that it might one day come for him.
Yet standing before that approaching darkness, he finally understood its weight.
He did not want to die.
He was the third son of the Phoenix family. A future filled with wealth, influence, and opportunity still awaited him.
The haze clouding his judgment shattered beneath the instinctive terror of death.
For the first time in a long while, his mind became clear.
Only the living had a future.
”I conce—”
He tried to surrender.
Too late.
The attack was already in motion.
Pain exploded through his senses, and despair swallowed him whole.
Then the combat space twisted.
The power that should have erased both body and soul vanished instantly.
”Confirmed. Lord Riser Phoenix has forfeited the game. The winner is Lady Rias Gremory.”
The announcement echoed throughout the battlefield.
”What was that just now…?”
Aki’s expression darkened.
For a brief instant, the entire combat space had been interfered with. The pressure he sensed in that moment exceeded anything he had ever felt from Azazel.
Akeno smiled faintly.
”The Demon King. The Phoenix Clan’s representatives must have surrendered on his behalf. No one would sacrifice a member of the main family over a Rating Game.”
Aki felt a trace of disappointment that Riser had survived, though there were advantages to that outcome.
Based on everything he knew, the easiest path to obtaining the Phenex bloodline ran through Ravel or her mother. Had Riser died, that possibility would likely have disappeared forever. One did not become responsible for a man’s brother’s death and then expect a warm welcome from the family afterward.
With the game concluded, Riser and the remnants of his peerage were teleported away for treatment.
The combat space itself dissolved shortly afterward. Maintaining it consumed considerable resources, and there was no reason to keep it active once the match ended.
Moments later, Aki and the others found themselves in the medical ward.
”There is always a recovery period after a Rating Game,” Rias explained after noticing his curiosity. “If both sides suffer significant losses, this area serves as a central treatment facility.”
Aki nodded.
His gaze drifted toward the rows of hospital beds occupied by injured Devils.
Few uniforms survived battles of this scale intact. Only because Akeno and the others had possessed such overwhelming advantages had they escaped with relatively little damage to their clothing.
The members of Riser’s peerage had not been so fortunate.
Many were covered only by blankets or medical sheets while receiving treatment. Despite the presence of spectators and male Devils, no one seemed particularly concerned.
After several minutes, Aki accepted that none of them considered it worth mentioning.
”It is simply normal for us,” Akeno said with a teasing smile. “You do not need to worry so much.”
Aki let out a sigh.
”I just do not like other people looking at you all that way.”
Rias smiled helplessly.
”I understand, but high-grade defensive materials are extremely rare. The stronger the combatant, the greater the destructive force involved. Creating armor durable enough to withstand that kind of battle is extraordinarily difficult. That is why many designs focus protection on the most critical areas.”
”Fine,” Aki muttered. “Then I will just handle the dangerous parts myself from now on.”
Rias shot him a playful glare.
”Do not be ridiculous. I did not hear any complaints while you were busy looking around earlier.”
The group left the medical ward shortly afterward. Aside from mana exhaustion, none of them had suffered any serious injuries.
”Lady Rias.”
Grayfia appeared once more, her silver hair immaculate and her posture flawless.
”Regarding the wager with Lord Riser, Sirzechs-sama hopes the aftermath can be handled with a degree of discretion.”
”Oh?” Rias replied, a sharp note entering her voice. “Not ‘Demon King Sirzechs Lucifer’ this time?”
Grayfia remained unfazed.
”Titles are unnecessary in private conversation.”
Rias waved a hand dismissively.
”Do not worry. I have no intention of doing anything to Riser. I only want the engagement dissolved.”
”In that case,” Grayfia replied, “would it satisfy you if the Phoenix Clan initiated the annulment themselves?”
Rias still had no idea what her brother was planning.
Fortunately, she did not particularly care.
”As long as the engagement ends, that is enough.”
”Understood.”
Grayfia stepped aside and offered a professional bow.
Three days passed.
Riser and his peerage recovered completely, and the engagement was officially dissolved.
Because the Phoenix Clan had initiated the separation, the Gremory family even received financial compensation.
Ordinarily, a broken engagement carried considerable social consequences. That was why Riser had repeatedly invoked the honor of the Phoenix family during the match.
The higher ranks of the Underworld, however, knew exactly what had happened.
All they could do was sympathize with the Phoenix family.
They had lost face, lost the match, and still ended up paying compensation.
It was not a pleasant outcome.
For a time, everything appeared to be moving in the right direction.
Unfortunately, prosperity often attracted unwanted attention.
The explosive growth displayed by Akeno and the others had already drawn the notice of the Underworld’s upper echelons. A brief investigation quickly uncovered the likely source.
”Send someone to contact the current Red Dragon Emperor,” one shadow1 murmured within a darkened hall.
”And determine whether that ‘Dual Cultivation’ method functions regardless of gender.”
A second voice spoke up.
”Select several promising women from the major clans and test the theory.”
”Bring gifts as well. Ask whether the heir connected to the Red Dragon Emperor is interested in revising the terms of his existing contracts.”
Conversations like these echoed throughout the Underworld.
The Phoenix Clan was no exception.
(I seem to recall that Ravel and Rias are on fairly good terms…)
The current head of the Phoenix family, Lerval Phoenix, fell silent in thought.
—
Summary:
Rias Gremory narrowly avoids killing Riser Phoenix in the final moments of their Rating Game when intervention from the Demon King forces a forfeit. The Gremory family secures an annulment of the engagement along with compensation, while the Phoenix Clan is left humiliated. Meanwhile, the unexpected power growth of Rias’s peerage triggers intense interest from Underworld elites looking to exploit their secrets.
—
Trivia:
The Rating Game combat space is destroyed immediately after a match concludes to conserve resources.
Grayfia serves as the official mouthpiece for Sirzechs Lucifer in sensitive diplomatic matters.
Rating Games in the Underworld carry significant social weight, and breaking engagements involves financial and reputation-based compensation.
Riser’s peerage members were left exposed as a result of intense combat, a recurring trope in this series.
—
Translation Notes:
Notes:
• Phoenix – The Phenex noble clan, from which Riser and Ravel originate, is known for their unique bloodline abilities and the healing properties of their tears.
• Riser – A tall, yellow-haired High-Class Devil of the Phoenix clan with a punkish appearance, wearing a crimson suit. He wields infinite wealth, fire control, and reckless, near-immortal regenerative abilities in pursuit of Super-Devil status. Driven by obsession and the humiliation of losing his fiancée, Rias Gremory, his arrogance masks a near-death terror and intense hatred for Aki.
• Rias – An elegant, voluptuous SS+ rank Gremory devil heiress with long crimson hair and green eyes. As future clan head, sister to Demon King Sirzechs, and Occult Research Club President, she is a tactical genius wielding destruction mana. Possessing a commanding presence, she confidently leads her peerage while navigating a forced marriage to Riser Phoenix and an intimate, soul-bound bond with Aki.
• Y – The first initial/part of the name Y Ddraig Goch.
• Rias Gremory – Rias Gremory, a pure-blood high-class devil from the prestigious Gremory pillar, is the influential, commanding, yet occasionally lazy leader of Kuoh Academy’s Occult Research Club and its hidden hierarchy. She has a curvy, elegant figure, a large bust, striking crimson hair, and blue eyes. Wielding top-level demonic power, she expertly governs her household’s affairs and school club members.
• Gremory – Rias Gremory, a pure-blood devil of the prestigious Gremory house, has striking crimson hair, blue eyes, a curvy figure, and a prominent bust. Wielding top-level demonic power, she governs Kuoh Academy’s hidden hierarchy and leads her household in a high-stakes competition against the rival Phoenix clan.
• Aki – A tall, physically imposing Kuoh Academy strategist and Red Dragon Emperor successor, this mixed-blood Devil/Fallen Angel/Nekoshou is a handsome, dominant powerhouse with a casual yet arrogant demeanor. As the Student Council’s sole male member and Rias’s key pillar, he copies talents and uses dual cultivation and lightning magic. He protects the Naruse sisters and is in a complex relationship with Mio.
• Azazel – A decadent, arrogant fallen angel and former Governor General, this middle-aged man in a neon hot-spring yukata pairs a rogue personality with immense, Demon King-class power. Defeated by and confirmed weaker in combat than Aki via Balance Breaker, he still acts as a formidable antagonist who researches Sacred Gears, provides the Occult Research Club with data, and shapes their view of Aki.
• Akeno – Himejima is a tall, voluptuous raven-haired Orc-devil shrine maiden with red eyes, a high ponytail, and dark wings. As Rias Gremory’s fiercely loyal S+ rank Vice-President and Queen, this elegant, seductive, and playful older student handles administration and fights on the ground. Known as the “Priestess of Thunder,” her relaxed demeanor masks a violent, destructive combat style utilizing massive lightning and natural magic. She is also Aki’s soul-bound contract partner who longs for his attention.
• Ravel – The youngest child and princess of the noble Phoenix clan, this spoiled, highly talented blonde Devil girl sports twin drill ponytails, flame-themed wings, and a frilly pink lolita dress with a folding fan. Serving as Riser’s S-rank Bishop, she is intensely loyal yet highly critical of her brother. Behind her solemn, analytical demeanor lies a sharp tongue and a tactically valuable mind.
• Grayfia – The strongest Queen and a high-ranking Underworld Devil, this silver-haired maid serves the Gremory house as a medical examiner and Rias’s sister-in-law. Conveying the Demon King’s wishes as his secretary, she acts as a mature, calm, and seductive voice of authority. She balances administrative duties as a detached, neutral arbiter, announcer, and referee overseeing Rating Games.
• Sirzechs – Sirzechs Gremory, a high-ranking Lucifer-class Devil and the red-haired Demon King, holds significant political and combat authority. Serving as an arena observer for the Rating Game, he commands a regal appearance. Older brother to Rias, he navigates complex relationships with allies and rivals, manipulating events for his family’s benefit while maintaining an ambiguous political stance.
• Lerval – The current head and strategist of the Phenex family. As the elder brother to Riser and Ravel, he maintains a sharp focus on the clan’s standing while deeply contemplating the formidable strength of the Gremory peerage.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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