Chapter 10: Riser Lost the Rating Game
Issei, upon spotting Riser, tried to utter words of resistance, "Riser, Buchou will never—" Before Issei could finish his sentence, Riser, with a swift motion, launched a fireball towards Issei, cutting off his words. Kiba shouted in despair: "Issei!"
Ding - 200 luck points for publicly interrupting and humiliating the protagonist (System voice in Riser's mind).
Koneko, reacting to the assault on her comrade, ran towards Riser, while Kiba brandished a sword, promptly following her. Riser, skillfully, created a vortex of fire around him, hitting both accurately.
Grayfia, with her calm and assertive voice, announced: "Rias's Knight and Rook eliminated."
Issei, now recovered, tried to retaliate by running towards Riser to land a punch, but before he could get close, Riser ascended into the air, landing on the rooftop of the hidden research club with a disdainful expression, observing the scene with superiority.
Ignoring Issei's call, Riser directed his attention to Rias and Akeno on the rooftop. With a confident smile, he proclaimed: "It's just you three left, Rias-san."
Rias, staring intently at Riser, responded with determination: "You will pay, Riser Phenex. Come, Akeno."
Akeno ascended to the skies, preparing for battle, while Rias remained on the rooftop, ready to face Riser.
While Akeno and Rias charged their magic, Riser used the fire in his legs as a rocket booster, instantly closing the distance to Akeno, leaving them both perplexed.
Whispering in Akeno's ear, Riser said: "Don't take it personally, my dear." In a swift motion, he punched Akeno in the stomach, causing her to lose her breath and faint.
Issei, finally reaching the rooftop, yelled: "Akeno-san!"
Descending with Akeno in his arms, Riser shifted his gaze to Rias and Issei, who stood side by side.
Rias, furious at Riser's action against Akeno, exclaimed: "How dare you hurt Akeno like this, Riser?"
Riser, mocking, responded sarcastically: "Ah, I should have expected her to unleash her lightning on me. So I attacked first."
Grayfia, with her usual calm voice, announced unperturbed: "Rias's Queen eliminated."
As Grayfia's words filled the air, Akeno disappeared from Riser's arms.
Issei, with burning determination, ran quickly towards Riser, his fists clenched. Watching Issei approach, Riser internally scorned, underestimating his opponent.
"This guy is so pathetic... even the original Riser had an easy time defeating Issei at this stage. It's time to initiate my plan," thought Riser as he assessed the situation.
In an instant, Riser instructed the system mentally, "System, post the video of Rias on DevilNet."
The system responded straightforwardly, "Use 300 luck points to post the video, host."
Riser, resolute, consented, "Yes."
Issei came close to Riser, throwing a punch in his direction. However, Riser skillfully grabbed Issei's gloved hand, twisting his arm with finesse. A cry of pain escaped Issei, echoing through the surroundings.
Ding -300 protagonist luck points, for causing significant pain to the protagonist. (System voice in Riser's mind).
Issei's cry of pain prompted Rias to exclaim, "Issei!"
Ignoring Rias, Riser lifted Issei by the neck, starting to choke him with an indifferent expression. Riser's cold gaze revealed his disdain.
Ding -450 protagonist luck points for showing how weak he is in front of the heroine and the public. (System voice in Riser's mind).
**Rating Game Observation Room (a few minutes earlier)**
Lord Phenex, reclining in his seat, displayed a proud smile as he watched Riser's performance in the Rating Game. He commented confidently, "See, Zeoticus, my son is proving to be truly formidable. Alone, he will defeat all members of Rias's Peerage."
Zeoticus, maintaining an indifferent expression, cast a discreet glance at his daughter Rias, pondering the unfolding events.
Sirzechs, in the observation room, followed the battle with a complicated look, observing Rias losing before Riser's skill.
As the atmosphere weighed in the observation room, Ravel, Lord Phenex's daughter, approached her father. With a serious tone, she said, "Father, pay attention to this." Showing a video on her device, she continued, "This is about Rias, my brother's fiancée."
Lord Phenex, intrigued, inquired, "What video is this? What is happening to Rias?"
Lady Phenex, beside her husband, also showed concern for Ravel's words.
Ravel explained seriously: "Watch, Father, it's important."
Upon playing the video, the observation room was filled with a shocked silence as everyone witnessed the surprising revelation about Rias Gremory.
Everyone in the observation room watched the video with perplexity. Some were shocked by Rias's inappropriate behavior, while others were surprised by the presence of such explicit evidence, especially Grayfia, who was directly involved in the situation.
Lord Phenex looked at Zeoticus, his expression brimming with a mix of surprise and disapproval. With a deep voice, he asked Zeoticus, "What does this mean, Zeoticus? The Phenex House, one of the 72 pillars of the underworld, means nothing to your daughter or to you, to make us go through this public humiliation?"
Zeoticus, maintaining composure, responded with serenity, "Lord Phenex, this video is a surprise to me as well. Rias is my daughter, and I did not expect her to act this way. We need to fully understand the situation before jumping to conclusions."
Lady Phenex, beside her husband, added with concern, "Zeoticus, please, clarify this. We cannot allow the reputation of the Phenex House to be tarnished by a scandal."
**Rooftop of the Hidden Research Club** (Current time)**
Rias, helplessly witnessing Riser choking Issei, was about to declare her surrender in the Rating Game, feeling defeated by the situation. However, a portal with the distinctive Phenex insignia appeared on the scene, and from it emerged Yubelluna. With a serious expression, she whispered something in Riser's ear, displaying something on her phone.
Riser's gaze changed, a mix of anger and indignation. Yubelluna continued to speak, while Riser processed the information. Suddenly, a flash of understanding crossed his face, and a look of disdain replaced his previous one.
Without saying a word, Riser threw Issei off the rooftop, his action directed towards Rias. Riser's gaze remained fixed on her, as if provoking a reaction.
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**Ding -200 protagonist luck points (System voice in Riser's mind).**
As Issei fell, Riser, still watching Rias, unleashed his Haoshoku Haki and said, "It wasn't enough to just humiliate me, you had to humiliate my entire family. Congratulations, Rias, you got everything you wanted. I quit the Rating Game."