Occult Research Club!
Ayato looked at Rias and broke the silence first: "Hold a Rating Game. Break off this engagement."
"But I'm not ready yet. His servants are really strong."
"No, I mean I will hold the Rating Game with him."
"Eh?"
Rias was taken aback, then quickly said, "Ayato, don't be impulsive. He's not like those Fallen Angels from yesterday."
"Besides, you only have one servant right now."
"Don't worry, I have confidence."
Ayato smiled slightly.
Rias hesitated, then gritted her teeth and said, "Alright then. Fight me."
She didn't want Ayato to get hurt. She just wanted him to calm down.
After all, in her memory, Ayato had only recently become a High-Class Devil.
And the magic he learned was only average in power.
"Okay, if you insist."
Ayato nodded.
...
A few minutes later!
At the open ground behind the Occult Research Club.
It was very spacious and deserted.
It had always been used as a training ground for Rias's servants.
At this moment,
Utaha and Koneko had stopped training and were standing with Akeno and Asia.
They looked towards the center of the open ground, their expressions different.
"Ayato, go all out. Let me see your strength."
Rias spread her Devil wings, floating into the air. Her magic power surged like raging waves.
'This was for Ayato's own good.'
Thinking this, she intended to give it her all.
She could control her strength.
But she believed that if Ayato really participated in a Rating Game, there could be danger.
"Bring it on."
Ayato stood on the ground, smiling faintly.
"Alright, then be careful!"
Rias shouted softly, extending both hands.
The next instant,
A brilliant magic circle appeared in the sky.
"This aura... is President going all out?"
Akeno's eyelid twitched.
She knew that Rias's magic power contained the characteristic of destroying everything.
Even among Devils, it was the most fearsome magic power.
Boom!
The next instant,
A massive magical light pillar descended from the magic circle in the sky.
"Ayato..."
Although she had slightly shifted its position, Rias was still somewhat worried.
To make Ayato not act impulsively, she had to do this.
But!
Just then, a light blue magic circle appeared before her eyes.
She saw a vast, boundless blue lightning bolt shoot up from the magic circle straight into the sky.
This lightning seemed capable of destroying the world itself.
"Wh-what is this?"
Akeno, skilled in Lightning Magic, showed a look of horror.
Wherever the lightning passed, Rias's Power of Destruction, which seemed unbreakable, crumbled like sand.
Then,
The surging, overwhelming lightning did not stop. It shot through the clouds into the sky, leaving a massive hole.
Looking up, it seemed as if the entire sky had been pierced by the lightning.
"Th-this..."
Rias hovered in mid-air, stunned. Her pupils contracted sharply, her eyes filled with shock and disbelief.
She was completely outmatched.
At the same time,
Koneko and Akeno were also shocked and confused.
'Had Ayato become this strong?'
'President Rias was a pure-blood High-Class Devil, yet she had been utterly powerless.'
'What kind of terrifying Lightning Magic was this?'
In contrast, Utaha and Asia were quite calm.
One knew her master was extraordinary, the other was simply ignorant and fearless.
"Rias, no more problems now, right?" Ayato slowly withdrew the magic circle.
Although Power of Destruction's power was strong...
It still depended on the gap in power between the two.
Not to mention, his Lightning Magic was probably even more terrifying than those Ultra-class Magic spells now, thanks to Origin Magic.
A moment later,
Rias slowly landed, retracted her Devil wings, and looked at Ayato. "You... you're an Ultimate-Class Devil now?"
"Yeah."
Ayato smiled slightly.
"It's a little unbelievable." Rias murmured to herself. "Just a while ago, you had just broken through to High-Class Devil... This is truly..."
It was more than a little.
Even now, Rias felt like she was dreaming.
She and Ayato were about the same age. Becoming a High-Class Devil already made her a true genius.
But Ayato was an Ultimate-Class Devil at this age.
Strength like this... was rare in the entire Underworld.
"Now, leave everything to me."
Ayato smiled.
After all, everything he had done today was just to put Rias at ease.
"Mm-hmm..."
Rias nodded repeatedly, her eyes filled with joy. "This damn engagement can finally be broken."
Saying this, she hesitated: "But, you still need a few more servants. Otherwise, the Game probably won't be able to start."
"Okay."
"Then I'll go make the arrangements now."
...
Ayato's Home.
It was now late at night. The room was quiet, with only the sound of pages turning.
[Origin +5]
[Origin +6]
Watching the constantly appearing text notifications, a smile appeared the corner of Ayato's mouth.
Click!
Just then, the door opened.
"Master, Asia wants to talk to you."
Utaha led a somewhat shy Asia into the room.
Ayato put down his book and asked curiously, "Is something wrong?"
"Asia wants to become a Devil."
Utaha smiled proudly.
Her expression said, "That was all my doing. How are you going to reward me?"
"Good work. As expected of my first servant."
Ayato gave her a look of approval.
He didn't know the details, but Utaha must have said something.
Just then, Asia finally gathered her courage and said, "Ayato-san, for the Rating Game, you need servants, right?"
Ayato nodded and said, "That's right. After all, I only have Utaha as a servant."
"Ayato-san, do you really like President Rias?"
"Yes, I really do."
Ayato confirmed.
He now vaguely guessed what Utaha had done.
It's workplace PUA, an old trick.
Especially for someone as inexperienced as Asia, it was devastatingly effective.