As the sun set, people came and went at the hotel entrance. From time to time, men and women dressed in proper formalwear passed through the doors together, entering the hall where the banquet was being held.
But everyone who walked through the entrance would instinctively turn to look at the red-haired girl standing near the edge of the hotel doors, as if she were waiting for someone.
"Rias, how is it going? The person you're waiting for still hasn't arrived?"
Dressed in a soft black evening gown, completely different from her usual Yamato Nadeshiko image and instead looking graceful and elegant, Akeno Himejima walked out of the hotel entrance with a smile. She came up to the red-haired girl and spoke with a hint of teasing.
"Akeno? Weren't you in the hall with Koneko and Gasper? Why did you come out?"
Rias blinked and glanced at her Queen in some surprise. Then she withdrew her gaze and continued looking down the street outside the hotel entrance, her eyes sweeping over the passing crowd, searching for the person she wanted to see.
Set off by her crimson gown, Rias looked even more beautiful and refined under the night sky. Yet the unhappy expression on her face spoiled that beauty somewhat, while also adding a touch of melancholy charm.
"What else could it be? The banquet is about to begin. Aside from you, all the main invited guests have already entered. If you still don't go in, it'll be a little rude."
This banquet had been arranged by Diodora of the House of Astaroth to bring the heirs of various families closer together. As the heir of the Gremory family, which came from the current Four Great Satans, Rias was undoubtedly one of the main invited guests.
In other words, a principal seat had already been reserved for Rias. Now that the banquet was about to start, the main guests should already be taking their seats.
As one of the guests invited to the banquet, Rias should also have taken her seat. Otherwise, aside from the awkwardness of one person missing, the Astaroth family behind Diodora might even view it as the Gremory family provoking the Astaroth family.
"But the person I'm waiting for still hasn't come..."
Hearing the implication in Akeno Himejima's words, Rias spoke hesitantly.
"It's already this late... If he really can't make it, then I'll have to take his place. As your Queen, Rias, there shouldn't be anything strange about me accompanying you."
Akeno Himejima showed a strange expression. Looking at Rias's worried appearance, she sighed and tried to persuade her in an odd tone.
How should it be put? Each invitation to this banquet came with two places. In other words, this was a banquet that required a companion.
And for that person, the companion they brought would definitely be someone very important. Otherwise, they would not bring them out on an occasion like this.
No one had much objection to that rule either. After all, the companion did not necessarily have to be a spouse. Someone like one's own Queen also fell within that range.
"Ah, well..."
Hearing Akeno Himejima's words, Rias knew this was indeed the most suitable solution, but she still stammered without giving a clear answer.
How should she put it? She knew very well that she should give up on her original invited companion for now and choose her own Queen instead to deal with the banquet invitation. But... she still wanted to wait a little longer.
"Hah, Rias, you really are something. The moment you get a man, you forget your best friend. Are you going to cut ties with me next? How heartless."
Seeing that Rias did not answer, Akeno Himejima gave a mocking laugh. Having seen through Rias's thoughts, she stepped forward, raised a hand, and tapped Rias on the head, teasing her with a playful smile.
"Eek... Akeno, don't be like that. It's not like you don't know. Maybe he's just been held up by something."
Following the force of Akeno Himejima's hand, Rias dodged those slender fingers and rolled her eyes at her, not particularly bothered by Akeno Himejima's teasing.
"Mm-hm. Whether he's been held up by something or not, I don't know. But Rias, I think if you still don't go inside, the host of this banquet is going to start panicking."
"...Let's wait a little longer. If he still doesn't show up, I'll attend with you, Akeno."
After a moment of silence, Rias looked at the street where almost all the guests had already arrived and no one else seemed to be heading their way. She sighed and spoke listlessly.
Thinking back to when she had met Cid that morning, and how Cid had said he had serious business tonight and might not have time to come, Rias suddenly began to wonder if she had simply been unlucky enough to run into the time he had mentioned.
"Tsk, I never expected you to treat me as Cid's backup, Rias. You've really broken my heart. Boo-hoo..."
Akeno Himejima covered her face with her hands in an exaggerated act and spoke in a heartbroken tone, but the smile tugging at the corners of her mouth told Rias that was not the case at all. So Rias merely glanced at her before looking away.
"Seriously, Akeno, can you stop doing that? You're giving me goosebumps..."
Rias complained about Akeno Himejima's fake act, even rubbing her arms in cooperation. She was about to continue speaking, but the moment she looked up at the sky, she froze.
"Akeno, look!"
By now, the sky had gone completely dark, with only the faint light shining up from the ground. An ordinary person would not have been able to see the sky clearly at all.
But Rias, a Devil born from a race of darkness, was an exception. Her excellent vision allowed her to clearly see the white figure appearing from the sky, rapidly falling toward the ground, the fierce wind of the descent lifting his white formalwear.
"Oh my, looks like some late guest used spatial magic to hurry over, but because he was too rushed, he accidentally locked onto a position in the sky. Sigh, nothing we can do. I suppose we can only mourn for him..."
"Akeno, stop joking. Hurry up and save him."
Seeing her childhood friend still joking at a time like this, Rias called out. Devil wings spread behind her, and she flew toward the falling figure in the sky, intending to catch him. Whether emotionally or logically, she would never allow a guest to die right at the banquet entrance.
"Honestly, there's no helping you, Rias."
After being urged, Akeno Himejima no longer joked about the person's life. She shook her head and teased Rias, only to suddenly freeze when she saw the figure Rias was flying toward. The corner of her mouth twitched.
"Looks like Rias's luck isn't bad after all. I really thought she was going to use me as a backup."
Having recognized that figure, Akeno Himejima shook her head and walked toward the hotel hall. As for her, she was not going up there to be a third wheel. As for Rias asking her to help just now... a person had to know how to read the situation and selectively follow orders.
Still, he's clearly just an interesting younger boy, yet Rias has fallen this hard. That really is surprising. Love, huh? I wonder when it happened...
...
Cid's vision opened and closed, and he went from the pitch-black sealed prison to a place that was also dark, but at least had a little light.
What followed was a sense of imbalance like falling from high altitude, and the howling wind rushing past him. Temporary correction, it was not "like." He really was falling from high altitude.
What the hell? Why is the spatial node's transfer point in midair?
Realizing the specific situation, Cid almost cursed out loud. The spatial overlap had sent him straight into the air, and he was now falling from a height of several hundred meters. If this were an ordinary person, they would probably be smashed into paste on the spot.
So... was this a butterfly effect caused by my interference, which made the transfer position deviate?
"Whoosh... whoosh... whoosh..."
The sound of fierce wind whipping past his ears came nonstop. After the initial shock, Cid's reason came back online, and he began thinking calmly.
First, he did not need to panic. This height would not kill him, let alone break his defense. There was no need to care. He could even take the chance to experience falling from high altitude.
By the way, where am I now?
As that question surfaced in his mind, Cid looked around. Based on the surrounding lights and the towering buildings, he could confirm he was still in the city.
As for the exact location?
Sorry, he had no idea.
The tall buildings around him were all ones Cid had never seen before. It seemed he had arrived somewhere even he did not know. In that case, he might as well explore this area properly.
Just as Cid was planning to familiarize himself with the area before everyone arrived at the place where he had been kidnapped, a mature yet familiar girl's voice rang in his ear.
"Cid!?"
Surprise, joy, excitement, and all sorts of emotions were packed into those two short syllables. At the same time, Cid's falling speed began to slow. In just a few seconds, he slowed down amid a burst of softness, until he finally came to a complete stop.
Rias, why are you here!?
Passing over Rias's towering slimes, Cid's gaze landed on Rias's delicate face, which was now filled with delight.
Wait, something seems off. Did Rias just save me?
While observing her, Cid suddenly realized something was wrong. How had he gotten involved with Rias again? Were he and Rias really that fated?
"Cid, thank goodness. I knew you'd definitely make it at the last moment, haha..."
After being carried down by Rias and landing on the ground, before Cid could even stand steady, he felt a full, human-shaped figure dive into his chest.
Rias's arms hugged him tightly, and along with that, something pressed firmly against his chest. Looking at Rias's face buried against his chest, with tears at the corners of her eyes yet a deeply relieved smile on her face, Cid decided that although he did not know what was going on, the best thing to do right now was stand there obediently, do nothing, and say nothing.
"Shh, shh, shh..."
Rias hugged Cid happily. As she kept rubbing against him, her cheek made soft brushing sounds against Cid's chest.
If Cid had only appeared at the last moment, Rias would not have been happy to this degree.
But now, it was not just that he had appeared. Cid had appeared in midair, and Rias could faintly sense the incredibly chaotic environment around him.
She remembered this morning at Cid's house, when she and Cid had discussed the banquet tonight. At that time, Rias and Cid had agreed that after Cid finished his serious business, he would see whether he could come here.
Connecting that with what Akeno Himejima had said just now, Rias turned a passionate gaze on Cid.
"I never expected you to arrive at such a perfect time, Cid. As I thought, my meeting with you really is fate..."
After finishing his own business, he had worried that he might be unable to keep their appointment. Ignoring the risks that could appear in the process, he activated a spatial teleportation array, only for a flaw in the spatial array to cause him to be saved in midair by the person he loved.
Having understood the entire process, Rias now felt nothing but excitement. With so many coincidences piled together, it proved that her union with Cid was only natural. Otherwise, how could something so perfectly timed possibly happen?
This time, they had truly been running toward each other.
As for the issue with the spatial teleportation array... there was no need to care about that. How should it be put? Most factions used space Magic Circles for long-distance teleportation, but that assumed they had been made by professionals. If they had not been made by professionals... then all one could do was pray the user was the Witch of the Void.
"Cid, that outfit really suits you!"
Rias tidied Cid's clothes, which had been messed up when she saved him, and admired the elegant white formalwear he was wearing. Excited by Cid's handsome appearance, she praised him with complete naturalness.
"Huh?"
Hearing Rias praise him, Cid froze for a moment. He looked at the white formalwear on himself and chose to play dumb.
This outfit was the one he had taken out that morning to fool Nagisa Akatsuki into becoming his apprentice. After he went to pick up his delivery, he had been kidnapped before he could change out of it.
"Actually... Cid, you didn't have to rush this much. The banquet is about to start, but using spatial teleportation directly like that is still too dangerous..."
Rias giggled, touched that Cid had taken such a huge risk to make it to her invitation. But after calming down, she still began lecturing him in a gentle, admonishing tone.
How am I supposed to tell Rias that I only came here because the spatial node happened to open here, and that I'm wearing formalwear only because I got kidnapped too quickly and forgot to change? Also, I don't have time to attend some banquet right now. The other side might send people over any moment.
On the surface, Cid kept up the appearance of listening carefully to Rias, but in reality, her words were going in one ear and out the other as he quietly thought to himself.
"So, Cid, your own safety is the most important thing. Next time, you can't use spatial teleportation over something so minor. If something happens to you, not only will I have no way to explain it to Claire, I'll also be very sad."
Cid looked at Rias's smile, which was clearly overflowing with joy despite the lecture, then looked at the hotel entrance behind him. He fell silent for a moment before nodding in agreement.
"Yeah, Rias, you're right. But Akeno is already urging us. Why don't we go inside first and talk after that?"
"Huh?"
It did not matter where he went to play. Later, he could just come up with some random excuse.
With that thought, Cid took Rias's hand before she could turn around and led her toward the hotel.