— — — — — —
"Is it over?"
Inside an underground shelter dug out by the yokai, Rias looked toward Baraqiel, who was guarding them, and asked anxiously.
Also present were hundreds of children who needed protection.
"Mr. Baraqiel? Is my mother and the others okay?" Kunou asked, her tail swaying uneasily as she stood in her everyday clothes.
At that moment, Baraqiel, clad in armor, stared at them in a daze.
"Father?" Akeno called out, puzzled.
"Huh?" Baraqiel blinked, snapping back to his senses. He took a breath and said, "The attack outside is over. We won."
He didn't seem to notice the relief spreading across everyone's faces. Instead, he continued with a strange, almost disbelieving tone. "Governor Ryo defeated Ophis and captured her. All the attackers—fallen angels and devils alike—have either been killed or taken alive. They're currently being held at Yasaka Shrine for interrogation."
"That's great!" Rias started to celebrate, but her expression suddenly froze.
Wait… who did he say Ryo defeated?
Akeno, standing nearby, looked just as stunned.
"Father… the Ophis you're talking about… is it the one I'm thinking of?"
"Probably… yes?" Baraqiel answered uncertainly.
Even now, his mind hadn't fully caught up.
Sure, Ryo had claimed that Ophis was only "four-digit level" and that he stood on the same tier as her.
But talk is cheap. No one present at yesterday's meeting had fully believed it.
You can't just claim you're on someone's level and expect people to accept it. In a fight, only actual results matter.
So everyone had assumed Ryo was exaggerating. At best, they figured he might be able to stall Ophis. As long as the top-tier threat was contained, the three factions could handle the rest and secure a victory.
But no one expected this.
Ryo had exaggerated, just not in the way they thought. He wasn't overhyping himself. He was underselling himself while hyping up Ophis.
Who describes someone who can't even take a single move from them as being on the same level?
If there hadn't been countless witnesses, even Baraqiel wouldn't have believed something this absurd.
They'd basically picked up a "Governor"… and he turned out to be a monster who could one-shot the strongest being in the world.
This was like winning a billion-dollar jackpot from a two-dollar lottery ticket.
"What do you mean 'probably'?" Akeno shot him an exasperated look.
"…Then yes." Baraqiel still sounded like a man who hadn't quite processed winning the lottery.
"So he really defeated that Ophis?" Rias said, her tone complicated. "Doesn't that make him the strongest in the world now?"
"Probably," Akeno echoed, proving once again she was indeed Baraqiel's daughter.
Rias rolled her eyes in disbelief.
But Akeno, clearly enjoying herself, leaned in with a teasing smile.
"So? How does it feel to realize your 'mistaken fiancé' is actually the strongest in the world?"
Rias flushed instantly, raising a fist in mock threat. "…You're asking for it."
"I doubt you'd actually hit me," Akeno said, grinning. "If you do, who's going to help you become the strongest man's wife?"
"Wife? If I'm the wife, then you're the mistress. And I'll make sure you stay under me for life," Rias shot back without missing a beat, completely ignoring Baraqiel's increasingly awkward expression.
"Oh please. I was kidding. Even if there is a wife, it won't be you." Akeno's tone sounded like teasing… but there was something more beneath it.
"As if. There's no way I'm lacking in charm," Rias replied, full of confidence.
Akeno's smile deepened, "And yet, your charm still loses to a few oysters."
Rias froze.
Then she remembered what happened at the food street yesterday, and her mood instantly plummeted.
They had spent the entire day together… and all Ryo did was eat. She barely managed to get a few words in.
And she was supposed to be a top-tier beauty, with looks, figure, and background all first-rate!
"You're bothered by that, aren't you?" Akeno said, clearly amused. "Don't worry. If you follow your father's 'all-in' style, you might still win."
Rias's father, Zeoticus Gremory, had famously stripped down and climbed into her mother Venelana's bed, successfully winning over the "Madame of Extinction" in one bold move.
When that story got out, it left countless devils—who admired Venelana—completely stunned.
After all, she had been a princess of the Bael family. No one expected her to fall for something like that.
The story had become a legendary gossip tale in the Underworld.
So when Akeno brought it up, Rias immediately caught on and blurted out. "Wait, Akeno, are you saying I should—?"
"I didn't say anything. And you didn't ask." Akeno smiled sweetly, looking every bit like a cunning fox.
Even Kunou, standing nearby, glanced over with suspicion.
"Ahem!" Baraqiel quickly cut in, trying to steer things back on track. "Sirzechs seems to have been injured. Rias, shouldn't you go check on him?"
"He'll live. I need to think about this first."
Rias's immediate response left Baraqiel completely speechless.
…She's actually considering it?!
His expression turned extremely complicated.
...
Inside the shrine's inner room, Ryo sat across from Ophis at a small dining table. Both of them looked up as Ajuka walked in.
"All done?" Ryo set down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth, and looked at him.
"Most of the cleanup is finished." Ajuka let out a breath.
"The Wizards of Oz, the Old Satan faction, and Satanael's artificial Sacred Gear troops have all been captured."
"The only one we need to be cautious about is Katerea Leviathan, since she used the Progenitor Crystal. The others aren't much of a concern for now. As for Creuserey's body, I've preserved it properly using specialized equipment."
He paused, then added. "However, the Devil Council from the Underworld has sent a message. They hope we can spare Katerea and the others… to ensure the Satan bloodline isn't completely wiped out."
Ryo replied calmly, "There are ten slots for Progenitor Power next month. Distribute them as you see fit."
Ajuka's lips curled into a satisfied smile. "As expected of you."
The council didn't want the Satan bloodline to disappear?
Fine. Then just create a few more using progenitor power.
Once that concern was addressed… there'd be no reason to keep the attackers alive, would there?
The logic was simple, but Ajuka, burdened by too many considerations, couldn't make that call himself—even as a Satan.
The only ones who could were Ryo… or Lilith.
Of course, compared to the hands-off Lilith, Ajuka found working under Ryo far more comfortable.
At least Ryo treated them like people, not like ugly nuisances.
Thinking of the Devil Progenitor, Ajuka frowned slightly before continuing. "The progenitor wants to send someone to meet with you."
"Grayfia?" Ryo raised an eyebrow.
"Yes. They're hoping this matter can be resolved quickly." Ajuka looked a little helpless. He suspected Grayfia wanted to save her younger brother, but given her status, he had no choice but to defer to Ryo.
Ryo's expression relaxed slightly.
"Bring Euclid here. If Grayfia comes, have her meet me."
"Yes, sir."
.
.
.