Chapter 109 - Someone Please Stop Rias!

Chapter 109: Chapter 109 - Someone Please Stop Rias!

(A/N: If we reach 150 Power Stones, I’ll post the next Chapter later today...

Check out my Mushoku Tensei story: search for I Am Arthur Pendragon... Or Would I Be Greyrat? [Mushoku Tensei] or access it through my profile!)

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If she could summarize how she had felt for so long in a single question, it would be simple: imagine dreaming of Heaven and discovering that you cannot enter it simply because you were born a Devil? Although it was not quite that literal, that was exactly how she felt.

It had all begun when she became the heir to the Gremory Clan. After her older brother, Sirzechs, became the Satan Lucifer, he lost the right to succeed the family as the clan’s leader. As a result, all responsibility for the future of the Gremorys ultimately fell upon her shoulders. Shortly after she was officially announced as the new heir, she received another piece of news that would turn her life into a true nightmare: she had been betrothed to Riser Phenex.

The union was supposed to strengthen the ties between two of the most important families in the Underworld, consolidating a highly convenient political alliance for both clans. To the adults, it was merely a logical decision, a way to guarantee the stability and prestige of both families. To her, however, Hell was represented by the marriage that had been imposed upon her, while Heaven symbolized the freedom she had always desired deep within her heart.

She did not want to marry Riser. She did not want to spend the rest of her life trapped in a marriage decided by other people, much less give up her own freedom simply to satisfy the expectations of her clan. But as the heir to the Gremorys, her personal wishes seemed to be the last thing that mattered.

The responsibilities she carried as the heir were the chains that kept her imprisoned, preventing her from freely choosing her own path. Even so, she was fully aware of her duties and never tried to simply run away from them. Even when she wanted to abandon everything and seek her own freedom, she knew there were things greater than her personal desires. As the heir to the Gremorys, she had responsibilities toward her family, her clan, and everyone who depended on them.

In that situation, she was not much different from the princesses in old stories, trapped at the top of a tower and waiting for a miracle that could set them free. Otherwise, all that remained was to accept their fate and marry the terrible dragon, right?

She, however, had no intention of simply standing around and waiting for a miracle.

If she could not escape that situation simply by wishing for her freedom, then she would find a way to seize it with her own hands. She began working hard to improve her strength and develop her peerage, determined to turn the Rating Game into the opportunity she needed. If the rules of that world demanded that she prove her worth through strength, then she would become strong enough to decide her own fate.

She did not need a prince to save her. She herself would be responsible for destroying the chains that bound her.

Had that been presumptuous? Perhaps. After all, she truly believed that she could defeat Riser, a Devil with a complete peerage, far more experienced and, in many ways, superior to her. Even so, she believed it with all her might. Her pride had transformed into conviction, and that conviction gave her the certainty that she would win the Rating Game and finally free herself from that marriage.

In the end, however, she discovered that perhaps she was not so different from the princesses who spent their lives waiting for a prince who should never have existed. Because when everything seemed lost, he appeared.

Of course, he appeared in a somewhat problematic manner. After all, before becoming her savior, that boy had nearly destroyed the Gremory family itself, which, in a way, also bore some responsibility for the entire situation. She could not simply absolve them. After all, who had decided to try to use, for their own benefit, a boy who had just awakened from a coma?

How had he become her savior...? Well, everything had happened indirectly. Because of his marriage to the youngest daughter of the Phenex family, the Phenexes decided to sever their ties with the Gremorys, who had offended Lord Phenex. With the end of that alliance, the political marriage that bound her to Riser lost its purpose and was ultimately canceled. Thus, she was finally freed from that obligation because of "him."

It was a curious situation, because she doubted that he even knew he had played such an important role in her life. He probably did not even imagine that, indirectly, he had been responsible for saving her from spending the rest of her life trapped in a marriage she had never wanted. To her, however, there was no way to ignore it. He had given her the freedom she had desired so desperately, even without knowing that he was doing so.

Naturally, her curiosity about him grew after that. She began researching everything she could find about that man on the Devilnet, gathering information about his personality, achievements, appearance, and even small details of his life. At first, she told herself that it was merely gratitude and curiosity toward someone who had changed her fate. As time passed, however, it became evident that there was something much deeper behind that interest. She even dreamed about him a few times and, embarrassed, had to admit to herself that the man had begun occupying her thoughts in a much more intimate way than she had ever planned....

He had become a sort of "idol" to her. And how many people did not end up dreaming about their own idol? Dreaming of meeting them, being by their side, marrying them, and building a life together? She was no different. After everything she had researched about Alear, her admiration for him had grown until it transformed into a genuine romantic obsession.

She wanted to meet him. She wanted to be by his side. She wanted to be someone special to him, to share his days, his nights, and, above all, to have a unique place in his heart. Her thoughts frequently wandered into fantasies about what it would be like to live beside him, and the more she imagined that future, the harder it became to contain her feelings.

She wanted, wanted, wanted, wanted, wanted, wanted, wanted, wanted her Alear-sama so badly!

Perhaps it was excessive. Perhaps she was completely in love with someone who did not even know that she existed in that way. But at that moment, she could not bring herself to care. To her, Alear had become the embodiment of everything she desired: freedom, strength, security, and, perhaps one day, someone with whom she could share an entire lifetime!

These thoughts arose chaotically in her mind as Rias swallowed hard.

The discreet sound of her own throat was almost lost amid the growing murmur of the hall, but to her, it seemed far too loud. Her blue eyes remained fixed on the mezzanine, where Alear’s figure had just appeared. He walked toward the railing with the same calm and imposing posture she had seen so many times in the recordings and photographs on the Devilnet.

Then, he raised a crystal glass and lightly tapped it with a ring. The clear, metallic clinking traveled across the hall, and little by little, the conversations ceased. Hundreds of eyes turned toward the mezzanine. Rias, however, was no longer paying attention to anyone else. To her, at that moment, only one person existed.

She almost had a heart attack; her heart raced inside her chest with such force that she had to discreetly squeeze the fabric of her red dress against her thigh, trying to suppress any trembling. Seeing Alear in person was... devastating. The images and videos she had obsessively consumed on the Devilnet did not do even half of justice to his real appearance.

That slightly disheveled pink-magenta hair framed his face almost perfectly. Those eyes, of a shade similar to his hair yet crossed by an intense blood-red gleam, seemed even more impressive beneath the light of the chandeliers. And that mouth... the firm outline of his lips, curved into a faint smile as he observed the hall, made Rias’s heart race again. Even his body seemed more impressive than in the photographs. The elegant noble suit fit his figure perfectly, accentuating his broad shoulders, well-defined chest, and naturally upright posture of someone who had never needed to bow before anyone.....

Rias lightly bit her lower lip without even realizing it. Her eyes remained fixed on him, unable to look away. Every detail of his appearance seemed to capture her attention, while warmth slowly rose up her neck and reached her ears. She tried to breathe deeply and regain her composure, but her heart continued beating wildly.

Alear began to speak:

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you all for accepting my invitation. This party represents my official introduction to the high society of the Underworld. Some of you may have already seen me on the Devilnet or heard about me. Some of you may have even met me personally. However, this is the first time I am officially introducing myself before all of you."

"The truth is that I have been quite busy over the past few weeks. After all, managing a noble family is far from a simple task. There are countless responsibilities that require my attention, and I am still adapting to many of them. But I do not want to turn tonight into a conversation about work...."

"So, let us put those matters aside. Tonight, I am merely your host. My name is Alear G. H?angenti, and I hope everyone enjoys this evening. Please make yourselves comfortable, have fun, and above all, enjoy the party."

Rias’s thoughts practically short-circuited.

He is incredible...

No, that was not enough. "Incredible" did not even begin to describe what she felt at that moment. Alear had spoken for less than a minute, yet every word, every gesture, and even the way he held that glass seemed to confirm everything she had imagined over the past few weeks.

This is my Alear-sama...

Rias felt her face grow warm again. He was powerful, noble, elegant, and, above all, possessed a presence that naturally attracted the attention of everyone around him. He did not need to make any effort to demonstrate authority.... While these chaotic thoughts multiplied in her mind, the guests began applauding. The sound of clapping filled the hall, and Alear raised his glass again, causing the applause to gradually subside.

"A toast to our gathering tonight, to the friendship between our families, and, above all, to the future."

Everyone raised their glasses.

"A toast!"

Rias raised hers as well, although she could barely pay attention to what she was doing. Her eyes remained fixed on Alear, absorbing every minute detail of his figure.

He is so perfect...

Her heart was beating faster and faster.

I want to meet him.

I want to talk to him.

I want him to look at me.

I want him to know who I am.

And deep within her mind, an even more possessive thought emerged.

I want him to look only at me.

Rias immediately realized how excessive that sounded, and yet she could not drive the thought away. In fact, the more she tried to suppress it, the stronger it seemed to become.....

Alear set his glass aside and left the mezzanine. He began slowly descending the staircase leading to the main hall, where the guests were gathered. Each step made Rias follow his movements almost instinctively.

He is coming this way...

Her heart leaped.

For the first time, the distance between them was beginning to disappear.

Rias took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure.

It did not work.

She discreetly adjusted her hair, checked her dress, and then realized what she was doing.

Calm down, Rias. You are a Gremory. Behave like one.

But despite all her efforts to maintain her dignity, her eyes continued following Alear. She was so focused on him that she did not even notice Akeno silently approaching from behind, that classic and dangerously playful smile already curved across her lips. With a smooth movement, the Queen placed her hand on Rias’s shoulder and discreetly pulled her back to reality, interrupting her state of absolute fascination.

"Buchou~"

The Queen’s sweet and teasing voice made Rias shudder, as if she had been forcibly pulled from her thoughts.

"A-Akeno?!" Rias turned her head quickly, her cheeks already beginning to turn red. "Don’t do that all of a sudden..."

Akeno covered her mouth with one hand, letting out the classic "ufufufu" between her fingers, while her violet eyes gleamed with obvious mischief.

"Ara, ara... It seems someone was quite distracted. Are you finally about to meet the man you’ve dreamed about all these nights, Buchou?"

Rias turned red all the way to her ears within seconds. Her eyes widened, and she turned completely toward the Queen, speaking in a low and embarrassed tone, almost a hiss:

"Akeno! Don’t say things like that out loud... especially not here!"

Akeno merely tilted her head, causing the mischievous smile on her lips to widen even further. Undeterred by the reprimand, she moved a little closer and spoke in a conspiratorial tone, almost sing-song:

"Ufufufu~ Calm down, Buchou. Actually... I have a surprise for you..."

Rias blinked, her face still burning, but curiosity quickly overcame her embarrassment.

"A surprise...?"

Akeno slowly nodded, maintaining that satisfied expression.

"I met someone from Lord H?angenti’s peerage a little while ago. One of the girls who belongs to his peerage. We talked for a while, and during our conversation, she told me that she could introduce us to him personally tonight."

The effect was immediate.

Rias’s blue eyes lit up almost childishly. The blush of embarrassment quickly mixed with intense and barely contained excitement. Her heart, which was already racing, accelerated even further. She opened her mouth, hesitated for a moment, and then managed only to murmur, her voice trembling with excitement:

"Re... really? She... she really said she could introduce me to him?"

She could finally meet him!

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(A/N: And we officially have our Yandere! I have to admit, I really liked how this Chapter turned out. I think it was a good initial development for Rias, gradually showing how her gratitude toward Alear for indirectly contributing to her freedom eventually evolved into admiration, idealization, and, finally, a rather unhealthy obsession. She’s already starting to go a little crazy, and honestly? That suits her pretty well. In the original story, Rias managed to fall in love with Issei, so I guess intelligence definitely isn’t her strong suit when it comes to choosing a man. LMAO

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