"W-What was that...?"
No one specifically answered the whispered question, but the entire venue erupted in an absolute frenzy of excitement.
"AMAZING! Did you see that?!"
"Is that the true physical power of the Balam Heir?!"
"He is terrifyingly strong... we absolutely must offer him our daughter!"
"...." Finn remained perfectly silent.
While that last comment made his lips twitch in dry amusement, he could physically feel the greedy, calculating stares of the aristocrats boring into his back. In that single, overwhelming display of dominance, practically every noble family in the room had internally drafted a proposal to send their daughters, nieces, or wards straight to his bedroom to secure a political marriage.
"Let's go back and retrieve your older brother," Finn said smoothly, turning his back on the unconscious Dragon Emperor. He offered his arm to Ravel.
"Um," Ravel nodded, her cheeks dusting with pink as she delicately placed her small hand on his muscular forearm.
As for Issei? He would be fine. He was the protagonist. Even if he was brutally beaten into a coma, he had plot armor thicker than a Dreadnought. Frankly, the boy should have been immensely grateful that Finn hadn't simply crushed his skull.
So, why didn't Finn permanently eliminate him?
Because killing the protagonist was the absolute worst possible business strategy. Issei was a cosmic magnet for apocalyptic trouble. The ultimate corporate maneuver wasn't to handle the heavy lifting yourself; it was Delegation.
Instead of personally dealing with Khaos Brigade terrorists, rogue Gods, and existential threats, it was infinitely more efficient to let Issei handle the stress, the bleeding, and the near-death experiences. As long as Finn managed the macro-logistics from the shadows—manipulating the supply lines and securing the financial fallout—he could reap all the geopolitical benefits without taking any of the direct physical risks.
Issei was the perfect, highly durable blunt instrument. The Heavenly Dragon Ddraig wasn't a kind, gentle spirit; it was a chaotic, pride-driven monster that demanded constant conflict. Let the Dragon attract the world's hostility. Finn would stay comfortably behind his desk, watching the profits roll in.
I just need to ensure the idiot doesn't point that destruction at me, Finn calculated internally as he guided Ravel toward her broken brother.
"Ah, Ravel. Wait. Don't heal him with the Phenex Tears just yet," Finn ordered quietly, placing a restraining hand over hers as she reached for the glowing vial at her hip.
"Eh?" Ravel blinked, looking up at him in genuine confusion.
"Let's wait until we actually reach the infirmary," Finn whispered.
"Okay..."
While Ravel wasn't entirely sure why Finn was delaying her brother's recovery, she obediently lowered her hand. Even if Riser wasn't instantly healed, his innate Phenex regeneration ensured he wouldn't actually die from the beating.
"....." Riser groaned weakly from the floor, entirely unaware he was being used as a political prop.
The reason Finn refused to heal Riser immediately became glaringly obvious the very second they teleported back to the main viewing balcony.
"You certainly know how to make a dramatic entrance, Finn-kun."
Sirzechs Lucifer was standing directly in front of the teleportation circle, a highly unreadable smile on his flawless face.
"I sincerely hope I haven't offended you by ruining your planned entertainment, Sirzechs-sama," Finn bowed his head with immaculate, practiced humility. Before the Satan could interrogate him, Finn immediately deployed his excuse. "But when I saw that Ravel-san was directly in the path of that devastating blow, I simply could not remain in the stands."
"F-Finn-sama..." Ravel squeaked, her face flushing violently crimson. Her heart fluttered wildly in her chest at the incredibly romantic, heroic declaration.
"I see..." Sirzechs's smile stiffened slightly. The diplomatic trap he had been preparing instantly deflated. How could he possibly reprimand Finn for intervening when Finn framed it as protecting the innocent daughter of the Phenex Pillar?
But before Sirzechs could pivot the conversation, Finn took the absolute initiative.
"I recognize that violently striking a servant of the Gremory House was overstepping my jurisdiction," Finn said smoothly, turning his gaze directly toward Rias. "Please accept my formal apologies, Rias Gremory."
"Ah... um, it is perfectly fine. He was the one who aggressively initiated the attack, after all," Rias stammered, caught completely off guard by his flawless, aristocratic manners.
Rias knew perfectly well that Issei was completely at fault. As a Low-Class Devil, screaming that he was going to murder the heir of a Pillar was literal suicide. Finn had merely defended himself, and Rias was secretly relieved Finn hadn't killed the boy.
"I am deeply relieved that our Houses' relationship remains untarnished by the actions of your servant," Finn offered a breathtakingly warm, gentle smile. "Now, if you will please excuse me. Riser is still in a critical, highly unstable condition. We need to transport him to the infirmary immediately. Let us go, Ravel."
"Ah, yes!" Ravel bowed sharply to Sirzechs, completely ignoring Rias, before hurrying away at Finn's side.
Rias remained utterly silent, her blue-green eyes tracking Finn's broad back as he smoothly exited the hall.
The surrounding nobles, who had been eavesdropping intently, were absolutely floored by the exchange. Everyone in the room knew Sirzechs was entirely at fault for recklessly authorizing the duel, yet Finn had flawlessly manipulated the conversation to make himself look like the humble, apologizing party while simultaneously highlighting the Gremory servant's violent incompetence.
In the supernatural world, the strongest fist usually dictated the truth. Yet Finn, fully aware that Sirzechs possessed absolute power, had effortlessly deflected the Satan's political pressure with nothing but smooth diplomacy and a perfectly timed alibi. The older nobles nodded in deep, silent respect. Unlike the arrogant, hot-headed fools of his generation, Finn Balam was a terrifyingly slick politician who was guaranteed to live a very long, very prosperous life.
"Rias," Sirzechs said softly, watching Finn disappear down the corridor. He could have easily ordered Finn to stay, but he chose not to.
"Yes, Onii-sama?" Rias looked up, her expression conflicted.
"What is your honest assessment of him?"
"Him?"
"Finn Balam."
"He is..."
How was she supposed to articulate it? Rias frowned in thought. The image of Finn standing completely still, his tailored suit unwrinkled as he effortlessly caught Issei's ultimate punch with a single, lazy palm, was violently burned into her retinas.
"I think... he is entirely different from every other young Devil I know," Rias admitted softly.
In her sheltered experience, young aristocratic Devils were almost exclusively arrogant, bastards, lazy scumbags, narcissists, or purely driven by lewd greed. Finn didn't fit into any of those fragile molds. He was deeply respectful, yet overwhelmingly dominant. The more she tried to rationalize him, the more he anchored himself stubbornly in her thoughts.
"I see..." Sirzechs smiled, a remarkably gentle, calculating glint in his eyes. "Would you perhaps like to get to know him better?"
Far down the quiet, opulent corridor of the Phenex estate, Finn let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"Thank you for playing along, Ravel."
"No, it's fine, but..." Ravel looked up at him, her large eyes filled with genuine curiosity.
Meeting her gaze, Finn offered a conspiratorial, deeply alluring smile. "You realized it, didn't you? But let's just keep this our little secret, alright?"
"Yes," Ravel smiled sweetly, her cheeks dusted with pink. "It will be our little secret."
Ravel was highly intelligent; she had instantly realized why Finn forbade her from healing Riser. Finn needed an undeniable, urgent excuse to escape a prolonged, potentially dangerous interrogation from the Crimson Satan. If Riser had been fully healed, Sirzechs would have trapped Finn in a political snare.
For the lower-class Devils, Sirzechs Lucifer was a glorious savior—a brilliantly marketed symbol of benevolence. But to a ruthless businessman like Finn, Sirzechs was a walking geopolitical liability. If Finn lingered too long in Satan's orbit, Sirzechs would inevitably attempt to manipulate him into doing the New Satan Faction's heavy lifting.
If Sirzechs offered highly lucrative compensation, Finn might have considered it. But Sirzechs rarely paid in hard assets; he paid in 'righteousness' and 'peace.'
The return on investment is absolutely terrible, Finn scoffed internally.
If Finn were still weak, he might have tolerated Sirzechs's manipulation for the sake of protection. But now? He was publicly recognized as an absolute powerhouse. If he aligned with Sirzechs, he would be buried under the endless, catastrophic problems the Satan couldn't solve himself. Managing the Great King Faction's economy was exhausting enough; he didn't need the protagonist's headaches added to his ledger.
"Um..." Ravel fidgeted nervously, pulling Finn from his strategic calculations.
"Yes?"
"If... if it's truly alright with you... may I visit you soon, Finn-sama?"
"In the human world?"
"Yes," Ravel nodded, looking up at him shyly, her lush cleavage shifting appealingly as she breathed.
Wasn't this girl supposed to be a textbook tsundere? Finn blinked in mild surprise. Yet, looking down at her, all he saw was an incredibly earnest, breathtakingly cute young woman desperately trying to secure his attention.
"Please, come absolutely anytime you wish. I will eagerly be waiting for you," Finn smiled warmly, his voice a low, teasing purr.
"Yes~!" Ravel beamed, practically vibrating with joy.
However, as the two stood completely absorbed in their highly flirtatious, sweet atmosphere, a pained, incredibly strained groan echoed from between them.
Riser, who was currently being supported by their arms and was still in intense, agonizing pain from the Holy Water burns, forced his eyes open.
"I know... I know I am completely ruining the mood right now..." Riser whimpered pitifully, coughing up a small speck of blood. "...but could you two please actually put me in the infirmary first?"
"..." Finn and Ravel stared down at him.
"Ah! Onii-sama! I'm so sorry!" Ravel panicked.
"Right away," Finn said completely deadpan, seamlessly shifting back to his polite facade.
Letting out a helpless, pathetic sigh, the great Riser Phenex closed his eyes and passed out again.