Chapter 136— Flight To The Party
Chapter 136— Flight to the Party
Rias
When we stepped out into the garden, I could immediately see Tannin and several other Dragons.
There were ten other dragons, all roughly the same size as Tannin, who was already huge.
I stopped and stared for a moment at the sight.
It was amazing to see so many Dragons on my family’s estate.
Beside me, I could feel the shift in everyone else too.
Awe from some.
Excitement from others.
A little nervousness from a few members of both peerages.
And Ise was watching them with wonder.
He had shifted from his excitement at seeing me and the other girls dressed up, to a much more simple and innocent excitement of seeing huge Dragons that we were about to ride in.
Tannin lowered his great head enough to speak with us more directly.
“I am here to escort you and your peerage to the event, just as promised, Hyoudou Issei.”
“Thank you so much, Ossan! This is going to be amazing!” Ise excitedly replied.
It sounded like this was the highlight of his night so far.
Tannin gave a sound that was half huff, half laugh.
“While you all ride on my back, I’ll place a barrier around you. It will keep the wind from disturbing your hair and clothing. Such things are important for events like these, and it would be foolish to let the effort put into them be wasted.”
That drew a small smile from me.
It was a very small thing for someone of Tannin-san’s scale to notice, and because of that it was much more kind of him to think of.
“Thank you, Tannin,” I said. “We’ll be relying on you until we arrive at our destination. The Sitri family and their peerage will be joining us as well. Is that acceptable?”
“Oh, Miss Rias,” he said, turning to me, “you are especially beautiful tonight. As for the extra passengers, do not worry. I will be able to accommodate all of you.”
I inclined my head in acknowledgement.
“Thank you again, Tannin.”
We moved to board him after that.
While we were getting onto his back, he spoke to Ise again.
“Hyoudou Issei. You can ride on top of my head as we make our way there. I’d like to speak to you some more and it will make things easier if you are close enough to easily hear me.”
Ise lit up with excitement.
“Really? That sounds amazing!”
Tannin chuckled deeply as Ise went up his neck to his head.
Even if nothing else happened this would already be a night to remember.
Not many other Devils could say that they rode one of the Great Dragon Kings to a party.
I watched Ise scramble up into position with almost childish delight, and despite myself, the sight softened something in my chest.
For all the ways he had grown in these last months, for all the things he carried now, there were still moments where he remained refreshingly unchanged.
He held on, looked out over the estate grounds, and practically vibrated with excitement.
The rest of us settled across Tannin’s back.
I took my place with my peerage and Sona’s around me, the barrier settling over us almost immediately.
I felt only the lightest change in the air as it formed.
Then we rose.
The estate dropped away beneath us, grey paths and pools of lamplight turning miniature far too quickly.
The dark forest edge of our territory spread beyond it.
The Underworld sky, always grand and oppressive in its own right, opened wider as we climbed, and our destination shone far off in the distance like a cluster of manmade stars.
The moment would have been beautiful under any circumstances.
It became more interesting because of the people riding with me.
Koneko stayed close to Yuki.
That was something normal for the two of them, but it had become more noticeable to me since Mother mentioned that Koneko may be interested in Yuki.
And a few times in the first stretch of the flight I saw Koneko glancing at Yuki when she thought no one was looking.
They were small looks that lasted less than a heart beat each time.
I had caught myself looking at Yuki earlier as well.
Her dress wasn’t flashy or more daring like Akeno’s was, but she drew attention to herself either way.
The long black gloves and the dark portions of her dress drew a stark contrast from her pale skin.
She still looked fragile due to her seal’s affecting her physically, but her dress made her seem more ethereal instead of ill.
She had put on very little makeup, but her purple eyes drew more attention due to it.
She was beautiful, and that was another thing that I had found myself more aware of as well.
Yuki, for her part, seemed only half-aware of the glances she had been receiving.
Or perhaps fully aware and choosing not to react.
With her, the line between those possibilities was often annoyingly thin.
She was calmly talking to Akeno, Asia, and Koneko.
Yuuto and Xenovia were talking to Tomoe Meguri, a third year student at Kuoh, and Sona’s [Knight].
Gasper was being fawned over by Momo Hanakai, Rey’s Kusaka, and Ruruko Nimura, both of Sona’s [Bishops] and one of her [Pawns].
He looked happy that they liked his dress but still nervous from the attention.
I heard Akeno laugh at something that was said in her conversation with Yuki, Koneko, and Asia.
Asia held her face in her hands as it turned pink and Yuki gave Akeno a dull look.
Akeno leaned closer to her and smiled widely.
Yuki rolled her eyes and went to say something to Asia.
Akeno watched her and her smile grew smaller as she did.
It became less performative and more genuine as she watched her talk.
It reminded me of how she would look at Ise sometimes.
Akeno was a tease and flirt at her heart, and I couldn’t tell if she was simply enjoying the reactions she got from Yuki or if there was something more to it.
What’s worse is that I don’t know if she would be able to answer me if I asked her that.
I looked away from both of them before I could dwell on it longer.
My peerage had already fully accepted Yuki as one of us some time ago.
But now I was starting to see just how much she was affecting those around her.
I didn’t know if it was because of her calm, patient presence that she brought to the group, or because like most of the members of my peerage, she had a painful past that allowed them to open up to her about theirs.
I could tell that both Akeno and Koneko could see the similarities in their own wounds to hers from the small portion of her past that she had given to us.
I glanced over to Ise who was standing on Tannin’s head, and leaning forward while holding onto the ridges of his scales.
He was saying something to Tannin that I couldn’t make out, but he looked focused while he spoke.
Tannin was teaching him even now.
I thought of what Azazel had said about Kitsune and Dragons attracting others.
Part of me wondered how much of that pull each of us was feeling from them.
But I knew that both of them were the kind of people that would draw others to them regardless of that.
I looked forward to the lights of the venue that we were approaching.
Like our destination, the Rating Game was approaching quickly.
The atmosphere between the two groups was friendly and relaxed.
Sona and I were childhood friends, so it made me happy to see our servants get along, but soon we would have to fight.
Only one side would win.
I knew that Sona was intelligent and cunning.
I was not afraid to say that she was much smarter than me.
But I had strength that she could not match, both my own personal strength, and the members of my peerage.
Whatever her plans would be, we would be able to smash through them.
I turned my attention back to Sona beside me.
“Are you nervous?” I asked.
Sona did not look away from the view below us. “No.”
I knew her well enough to realize that wasn’t entirely true.
I smiled slightly.
“Then I suppose I’m the only one.”
That got her to glance at me.
“Rias.”
“What?”
“You don’t sound nervous either.”
“I’m a much better liar than you.”
That earned the smallest shift at the corner of her mouth.
Even if our match would soon be upon us, for all that both of us intended to win, I did not want the hours before to become stiff and awkward between us.
We still had time.
Right now we were just friends and rivals.
Once the match started, we would be enemies.
Below us, the lights of the hotel grounds grew larger and brighter.
It was tall, regal looking building situated in a large clearing in the woods.
Like I had told Ise and the others before, the Underworld has casts amounts of unused lands due to the low population and lack of oceans.
So buildings like this, especially high class ones, being in the wilderness, weren’t too uncommon.
The Maou had probably picked it due to its remote location.
I let the sight sit for a moment before speaking again.
“When we face each other,” I said, “I won’t lose.”
Sona was silent for half a beat.
Then, “I would be disappointed if you said otherwise.”
I turned to her more fully.
“I mean it.”
“And I intend to win as well,” She replied.
The air between us sharpened.
No one around us spoke.
I could feel the two peerages listening even if they were polite enough not to visibly lean closer.
My eyes stayed on Sona’s.
“I understand that you are fighting for your dream,” I said, “but I am fighting for my own.”
Saji visibly straightened.
Tsubaki’s attention sharpened.
A few of Sona’s girls exchanged quick looks.
I would win even though her dream was worthy of staking mine against.
Sona answered in the same clear tone.
“And I will be victorious instead. For my own dream.”
That was the Sona I wanted across from me.
My rival.
My oldest friend.
Another future head of a noble house just like myself.
Our peerages stared eachother down.
Akeno smiled with cruel grin.
Yuuto stood straighten and crossed her arms.
Xenovia smiled at Sona’s peerage like she was excited for a chance to test herself.
Koneko cracked her knuckles loudly.
Yuki watched them quietly, her eyes moving over each of them as if analyzing their potential.
Asia put on her version of a serious face and stood up straighter.
Gasper hid partially behind Akeno, but still managed a small glare to the other side.
My whole peerage seemed just as determined to win as me.
I held Sona’s gaze a moment longer, then smiled.
“Then do your best.”
“I will and I’ll expect nothing less from you.”
The air between us was tense for a few more moments.
Then it ended, and conversation started again.
The atmosphere returned to something casual, but not all the way.
A little more edge remained in the space between the two peerages.
Not hostile, but not as easy going and friendly as before.
The rest of the flight did not last much longer after that.
The venue grounds expanded beneath us.
There were other buildings around the hotel.
Some were for the staff while some were utility buildings.
There was even a small barracks for soldiers of the Uderworld army.
The hotel rose up above us in the night as we flew lower.
When Tannin descended toward the open landing grounds, the lights below concentrated on him all at once.
It made our arrival even more eye catching than it already was.
We were dressed extravagantly, riding a Dragon King, being followed by ten other dragons, and now had a spotlight on us as we landed.
I could only think it would be more eye catching if we were here to attack the party.
Then he landed.
The impact rolled up through his body and into the ground beneath us, controlled enough not to throw anyone but powerful enough to shake the earth and cause some of the nearby Devils to struggle to keep their balance.
We dismounted at once.
Once everyone had gotten down Tannin turned to speak to Ise and I.
“My family and I will be flying to the areas specifically for larger Devils. I will see you at the party.”
“Thank you, Tannin. We deeply appreciate the transportation.” I said.
“Yeah! Thanks a lot Ossan!” Isse said with a wave.
Tannin seemed to huff in amusement at Ise’s enthusiasm before throning an taking off back into the sky.
The other Dragons followed him as he left.
An employee from the hotel came to guide us to our next transportation.
A stretched limousine that would be able to comfortably fit both peerages.
My peerage climbed into the front half of the limousine while Sona’s got into the rear half.
Ise looked amazed the with our ride as he settled into a between Asia and I.
As the doors closed and the car began to move, I reached automatically for Ise’s collar.
It was a habit by now.
His collar had shifted slightly during the ride here on Tannin.
I smoothed it back into place.
Then took the comb from my bag and quietly fixed what the ride on Tannin’s head had done to his hair, barrier or no barrier.
Issei submitted to it without complaint as he was used to it.
“So what did you and Tannin talk about?” I asked.
“He told me the reason that he became a Devil.”
I nodded.
I had heard the story myself.
There is a species of Dragons who can only eat a type of fruit that became extinct everywhere but the underworld.
Realizing that the race of Dragons would perish, Tannin became a Devil and was poweeful enough to be granted land that produced that fruit by the Maou.
It was a rather famous story.
“It made me realize that my goals of creating a harem may be too small,” he said with a frown. “I still want to be a harem king, but I need to think about my future more.”
“Well either way, you’ll be with me, so you don’t have to worry too much.” I replied.
“Of corse, Buchou!” He said with a bright smile.
Then he looked around as if he just realized something.
“Hey Buchou,” he asked after a moment, “are we meeting Azazel-sensei there? He didn’t come with us on Tannin-ossan.”
“He’s joining up with Onii-sama and the other Maou,” I said. “It seems they had business of their own to deal with before heading to the party.”
Ise made a small sound of understanding.
The limousine rolled forward through the lit grounds while the forest and hotel lights slid past the windows.
For a moment, with everyone seated and the next stage of the evening not yet upon us, I let myself sit in the quiet.
I looked out the window as I thought about how I had declared my desire for victory to Sona.
I would have to stand in her way.
In the way of her dream to build a school for the lower classes of Devils.
It was a noble dream, but I had one of my own.
And after this party, I would prove to her and the rest of the Underworld that Rias Gremory was determined to never lose again.