Chapter 39: Into the Corridor
"If this is a joke, it's not a very good one..." remarked Rias, exhaling from her nose as she stood slightly in front of Vahn with her arms crossed and an understandably annoyed look.
"I'm afraid it's not," replied Grayfia, further explaining, "Approximately ten days from now, specifically at seven o'clock post meridiem on the third of May, Lady Rias's Peerage shall engage Master Riser's Peerage in a Rating Game to determine whether you will marry him or Vahn-sama."
"But that doesn't make any sense..." chimed in Vahn, his expression even uglier than Rias's as he asserted, "Rias's Peerage only has five members at the moment, and one can't even compete. And members of the Phenex Clan are said to be immortal. How is she supposed to win?"
"As a King and someone seeking to take the reins of her own destiny, that is something Lady Rias will need to figure out on her own," stated Grayfia, further explaining, "The ten days she is being allotted is to facilitate that. Under ordinary circumstances, they would have settled things the day the challenge was issued."
"I see..." muttered Rias, cupping her chin with her right index finger and thumb. Vahn saw this, so while he still found the situation unfair, mostly because he wouldn't be allowed to participate, he remained silent to give her a chance to think.
"Who even is this Phenex guy...?" asked Issei, unaware of what had transpired the previous day as he had been on a training date with the blue-haired Tsubasa from Sona's Peerage.
"Riser Phenex. He's the third son of the Marquis Phenex Clan," explained Akeno, her usual smile nowhere to be seen as she revealed, "Before she submitted a request to have it rescinded, he was Lady Rias's fiance and a notorious profligate and playboy..."
"He sounds like a real jerk..." remarked Issei, prompting a faint smile to return to Akeno's face as, in many ways, Riser was the type of Devil Issei aspired to become. Their personalities were drastically different, but both were perverts obsessed with harems.
"Are there any special rules for the Rating Game...?" asked Rias, believing she had figured out her brother's plan.
"Indeed," responded Grayfia, beaming as she revealed, "Since there is a rather drastic disparity in the number of members each King can field, the limitations regarding the use of Magic Items have been amended for Lady Rias's Peerage. So long as the items are produced by an existing member of the Occult Research Club, such as the Magical Swords produced by Sir Kiba's Sword Birth, there are no usage restrictions whatsoever."
"I understand," said Rias, beaming from ear to ear as she gave a curt nod and stated, "Please inform my brother and the Phenex Clan that I accept their challenge."