Elevator doors opened for the Gremory team to see a highly lavished looking ballroom with many sophisticated devils eating amazingly delicious foods and talking. Every devil then looked to see that the red haired princess had arrived.
Complements were quickly thrown around Rias. "Princess Rias. You've become more and more beautiful…" "Sirzechs-sama must also be proud." Those were some of the words he was able to hear before the shy [Bishop] caught the [Pawns] attention. "Unn, there's so many people…" Gasper said clutching his hand to the dress he wore while the other was holding onto his senior's coat.
Haru gave Gasper a bitter smile as he knew how uncomfortable he was around so many people and nobility. He patted the kid's head, making him feel slightly better.
"Haru, we're making our rounds of greetings." Rias informed her [Pawn].
"Very well… Rias-sama." Haru made sure to call her by a proper title while walking with the group and shaking hands with many other high ranking devils. The conversations were kept short and meaningless. This only made the dragon slayer trainee irritated at these stuck up individuals. His anger only grew when he realized that someone in here could have ordered the attack from before and were now sizing him up in the open; surely he wouldn't attack in such a confined space he hoped.
Damn it! Haru cursed in his head while shaking the hands of other devils. His eyes quickly darted around the room to see if anything looked out of place. [Be on guard partner.] Ddraig's voice only made him sure that it was a bad idea to come here. [I can sense something near the room.]Shit! This is a trap! Haru cursed in his head. [Just keep a calm head. Make sure not to alert anyone to your suspicion.] The old dragon advised his host. Alright. With that Haru had made sure to keep a fake smile while keeping his eyes sharp and ears open for anyone that looked bad.
After finishing the greetings, a song started to play and many devils danced with their partners. Haru and Rias were on the side, watching the dance. The redhead cast his golden eyes to his master who was looking at the dancing devils. W-Well Venelana-sama did teach me. He thought with his face gaining a pink dusting.
After a quick breath, the boy offered his crimson haired master his hand. "Rias-sama, shall we have this dance?" He asked with a blush still adoring his cheeks.
Rias blushed as well, her heart beating quickly. With a warm smile she accepted the hand extended to her. "With pleasure." The moment the two stepped on the dance floor all eyes were on them.
Haru led the crimson haired beauty with confidence as they danced. He did everything he learned in his lessons and, if the blush on Rias' cheeks were anything to go on, she enjoyed her dance with her partner.
The dance ended with many devils clapping. Another song played and Haru was asked to dance with Asia. With a smile he danced with her as well. After dancing with Asia and Rias, Akeno was the next one to offer her hand. Then Xenovia, so Haru was left with no option but to dance with the women he fancied.
"Haa. That was surprisingly tiring." Haru let out a breath while sitting down on a chair away from the action. [That wasn't too bad Haru. I'm actually impressed.] Ddraig said with a small chuckle.
"Heh. Thanks I guess." Haru said with a smile before looking into the crown. Eyes saw Rias and Akeno talking to some of the guests and Kiba being ganged up on by many devil women. Asia, Gasper, and Xenovia caught his gaze when they were walking over to him.
"Haru-san, we were looking for you." Asia said with relive that she found her crush.
"Hm? What happened?" Haru asked before he was hugged by the girly boy. "Haru-senpai is so mean! You left us all alone while you were resting!" The blonde haired boy cried.
The [Pawn] smiled a little before patting his head. "Sorry Gasper. I saw you talking and I just wanted to take a little break." He tried to explain himself to his crying friend. Asia took this time to sit on the chair next to him, resting her feet. Xenovia then came up to them with a large amount of food.
"Haru, Asia, Gasper, I've got some food. Eat up." Xenovia announced with a small smile.
"Thanks Xenovia." Haru accepted the plate the blunette offered him and ate at a slow pace. His sharp eyes still looking at the crowd, making sure nothing was wrong. The woman then gave a glass of water to her fellow believer. "Asia, drink this."
"Thank you very much Xenovia-san." Asia gladly accepted the refreshment. "Since this is my first time doing this kind of thing, I was nervous and my throat was dry…" She began to drink.
A figure soon shadowed the eating boy who looked up to see someone he didn't expect. "R-Ra-Ravel Phenex!?" It was true as the blonde haired and blue eyed Phenex sister was standing before him. Her hair was tied in twin ponytails with large drill-like curls and blue ribbons keeping them in place.
"I-It's been a while, Red Dragon Emperor." Ravel spoke to Haru with a slightly bashful look.
"H-How's your brother?" Haru asked. While he was happy he beat the guy he was worried as he had not seen the older Phenex for a while now.
Ravel let out a sigh. "… Thanks to you, he's been in low spirits. It seems that his defeat and having Rias-sama stolen by you was a great shock. Well, since he had always relied on his talent and got cocky because of it, it should have been a good lesson to him."
Haru had to laugh at this. To hear such a tongue bashing from the man's sister was too funny. "You're pretty merciless. You were a part of your brother's group, correct?" He asked, remembering how the girl had not participated in the games but was still there.
"About that, I've currently finished trading, and now I'm a part of my mother's peerage. My mother traded away an unused piece she had in exchange for me. Since my mother said that she would trade me again when I found someone whose family I want to become part of. I'm essentially a free [Bishop] now." Haru looked perplexed at the term. "Trading? What's that?"
"Trading, according to the rules of the Rating Games, it possible to exchange pieces between devils [Kings]. On the condition that they're the same kind of piece." Ravel explained before blushing a little.
"B-By the way, Sekiryuutei—" Haru took this time to make it clear he didn't like being called his title all the time.
"Hey, hey." With a wave of his arms he stopped the girl. "My name is Haru Hyoudou, not Sekiryuutei. You're near the same age as me, right? Then, speak to me normally. Everyone calls me Haru, you know?" The boy explained with a grin.
"I-I-Is it really okay for me to call you by your name?!" She asked in shock. Haru was a little weirded out by this but nodded with a smile.
She then coughed in her hand, regaining her composer. "T-Than, I shall oblige and call you Haru-sama, without reservation." She said with a nod to herself.
"Sama? No, no, just call me by my name. Nothing else." He tried to make her but she only shook her head in denial. "No! This is important!"
"Ravel-sama. Master's friends have been looking for you." A woman called out to Ravel. Looking to the voice Haru recognized the woman as the [Rook] of Riser's he beat in the game.
"I understand." Ravel nodded to her former peerage member before looking back to the guy she was intrigued about. "Haru-sama, the next time we meet, would you like to have some tea with me? A-A-A-And if it's okay with you, would you like to have some homemade cake p-p-prepared by me?" Ravel asked in a stutter before doing a curtsy and leaving Haru with her brother's [Rook].
"Heh." Haru chuckled in good nature at the blush the girl sported. "Hey, Haru Hyoudou." Isabella caught the man's attention.
"Oh, hello. I'm sorry if I hurt you in the game along with hurting your master." Haru apologized with a sad look.
The rook smiled a little before waving it off. "It is no trouble. I agree with Ravel-sama actually. Riser-sama was becoming too arrogant and needed that defeat." Hearing this also made Haru smirk a little.
"Heh. Well, I hope he gets better. I want to speak with him once more." A lightbulb appeared over his head when he remembered Ravel. "Also, could you please tell Ravel that I would be happy to meet up with her and have some tea and cake?" He asked politely.
"Really? Very well. Ravel-sama will be pleased with that. Please, have a good time." With that Isabella left the [Pawn], two [Bishops] and [Knight] and returned to her master.
"… Haru-senpai, you surprisingly have a lot of devil friends…" Gasper said with a look of admiration.
Haru let out a chuckle at his easily impressed underclassman. "Hehe. I'm not that great." He tried to be humble before his golden eyes shot over to the left.
What the hell is that? He asked himself as he saw a black cat going out the window. Eyes widened a little when he saw the small [Rook] Koneko running after it via elevator. Something's wrong here. Haru thought with narrowed eyes.
"Haru. Is everything well?" Xenovia's sudden question shook him from his gaze. Plastering a fake smile, not wanting to alarm the three, he replied.
"It's nothing really. Just an old acquaintance I want to go see. I'll be back in a little while." Asia, Xenovia, and Gasper fell for it while saying their goodbyes.
The dragon user saw Koneko go down an elevator. Seeing that the elevator stopped at the ground floor, he caught the next elevator, his destination the ground floor as well. Pressing the button, the door suddenly stopped when someone else entered. Haru was surprised when Rias was the one to step in.
"R-Rias! Wh-What are you doing here?" Haru asked, not knowing he called his master by her first name.
Rias blushed a little, loving the fact he called her by her name, she replied. "I saw you boarding the elevator after Koneko-chan. I was worried so I followed you."
"Alright. Let's get going then!" Haru said as the elevator descended to the bottom floor.