The Protagonist System

268 Riser’s Folly

The detention was worth it and I claimed full responsibility, so Koneko was let off with a warning for listening to the evil boy that convinced her to skip class. She could really pull off the innocent look when necessary, too.

Luckily, my detention was assigned to Sona and she scheduled it for after the school club time that afternoon. What did that mean? It meant I would spent the time after school with my friends and the time between then and supper with Sona, her friends, and Serafall. I wouldn't consider that a detention at all, honestly.

When I showed up at the ORC clubhouse after school, the room was filled with tension. Since I didn't like not knowing what was going on, a brief poke into Akeno's mind let me know what was happening. Apparently, Grayfia had relayed my dying words and my desperate actions to her husband, Sirzechs, whom was both pissed and relieved.

He was pissed that his sister was knocked up by a lowly reincarnated devil and also relieved that she still had her innocence and hadn't been ravaged like he secretly wanted to do to her himself. Oh, and the Phenex Clan also found out. Sirzechs had been so happy the contract would be voided in an unexpected way that he bragged to everyone about how ingenious it was.

Impartial, my ass. He wanted it foisted off on me. I thought and walked over to stand behind Rias as she sat on the couch to receive her hastily scheduled visitors. When she gave me a questioning look, I smiled warmly. “Whatever is going on, I'm here for you.”

Rias blushed and nodded. With Yuuto, Koneko, Akeno, and myself there, she had everyone she needed to face the current crisis. Well, she thought so, anyway. I kept one little secret to myself in case it was needed for the shock value.

The teleportation circle in the corner of the room lit up and Grayfia appeared there. She gasped when she saw me and her face flushed red. I could almost see the thoughts going across her face about the last thing I had said to her, which was about not having the time to properly fuck her like she deserved before I died.

“L-Lady Gremory, I am here in the capacity of an arbitrator for the marriage contract.” Grayfia said, her voice only slightly trembling. She was surprisingly quick in composing herself after the shock of seeing me alive.

Rias nodded. “I welcome you, Lady Grayfia. Please perform your duty well.”

Grayfia nodded back and walked over to stand between the two couches in the room. Her eyes went to me and they widened slightly, because with her so close, she could feel how much stronger I was than the last time she had seen me. I also had my divine body back and her eyes dropped to the thing she had once sucked on to ensure my help in getting Rias out of her marriage contract.

Of course, that was back when I was only a lowly reincarnated devil, so she had only tasted my basic sperm as I pretended that Lust was the aspect of my demonic power. I honestly didn't know at the time what it was, making me chuckle.

Grayfia squinted her eyes at me and I bowed my head, deferring to her. I was not going to tell her that I was so far beyond that version of me, that with my charisma alone, I could probably strip her naked, claim her body on the coffee table, knock her up, have Akeno, Rias, and Koneko help, and she would be happy that I did so.

It was then I realized my previous demon slaves were also like that. They wanted strong children and would do almost anything to get them, go through any torture, and endure any trial necessary to have them. My eyes went to her belly and Grayfia blushed slightly, letting me know she knew exactly what I was thinking. I could also smell her arousal and had to suppress my smile.

The teleportation circle lit once more, this time filling with orange and red flames, and Riser appeared as the flames petered out. He gave the lit up room a quick glance and scoffed at the decor. He knew most of the things there were props and not demonic in any way, so the club was more of a joke than anything else.

As soon as he stepped off of the teleportation circle, he opened his mouth to start commenting on how disappointed he was at the lackluster environment. The circle lit up again, only normally this time, and his mother, father, and younger sister appeared in a flash of light.

“Riser, you were told to wait and arrive with the family.” His mother chided him, stopping the idiot's rant at the accommodations.

Riser huffed. “Riser waits for no one.”

“We were supposed to present a united front.” Ravel whispered and grabbed his sleeve to tug on it. “How do you think it looks when you show up with no one to back you up?”

“It makes Riser look intimidating and implies he can handle things for himself.” Riser said. Surprisingly, he did not pull his sleeve out of her grasp and Ravel slid her hand up his arm and held on like he was escorting her, which was probably how they should have arrived together.

“Lord Phenex, Lady Phenex, Third Phenex, and Heiress Phenex.” Grayfia said and bowed to each of them. “Welcome to the Kuoh Territory.”

Lord Phenex nodded and turned to face Rias. He started to frown at her and stopped when Rias slowly stood. She should have been standing from the first and it was a subtle insult to their status in comparison to hers. That was the thing with polite insults. You couldn't point them out without insulting them back and making things worse.

“Heiress Gremory, we are here to discuss the breach of the marriage contract I signed with your father in good faith to join our families together.” Lord Phenex said and Riser grinned.

I put a hand on Rias' shoulder and she looked at me. It gave her a moment to school her face and not show the anger she felt. Remind them you didn't breach it and they can cast any diagnostic spell they want to confirm you haven't had sex or broke the virginity clause.

Rias gave me wide eyes at hearing my words in her mind. We are going to talk about this later!

You mean think about it later, right? I asked and smiled at her.

Rias lost the surprised look and nodded. She turned her head back to face forward. “If you had read the contract fully, including all the clauses and restrictions, you will notice I broke none of them.”

“You're pregnant, you slut!” Riser spat at her.

Everyone on our side of the room took a threatening step forward and scowled at him.

Ravel pulled on his arm and Riser almost stumbled back. “Shut up and let dad handle this!”

“She insults our entire family by spreading her legs for a fake devil and I have to suffer the shame for it?” Riser asked her.

Ravel looked embarrassed at him calling attention to the situation like that and didn't answer.

“As stated, I've done nothing to breach the contract. You can cast any diagnostic spell you want, including a purity one, and I won't stop it or deny whatever result appears.” Rias said through gritted teeth. “If it shows I have breached the contract, I will assume the penalties of whatever the violated clause states.”

Both Lord Phenex and Lady Phenex raised their hands and formed magic ritual circles on their hands.

“Be warned.” I said in a deadly voice and everyone turned to look at me, even Grayfia. “If any hostile spell is cast, either to harm Heiress Gremory or her unborn son, your entire clan will be killed for attempting to murder Duke Gremory's heir.”

“The Satans would never allow that, boy.” Lord Phenex said, angrily.

“They have no official say in a family matter, as you very well know.” I responded.

Ravel sucked in a sharp breath when she saw Grayfia nod. “Father...”

Lord Phenex made a frustrated sound. “How do we know you haven't cast any spells to cause fake readings with her?”

“You can test me first.” Akeno volunteered.

“Why waste the magic on a half-crow we all know has been passing herself around?” Riser asked and ignored the hisses from everyone, including his sister, and pointed at Koneko. “Use the innocent neko instead.”

Koneko blushed and shook her head.

“Why not?” Lady Phenex asked. “It will prove the spells work.”

I held up my other hand to stop Koneko from saying anything. “Because she doesn't want to reveal anything. Why else would she not want anyone to know what she does in her private life?”

“Private life?” Riser scoffed. “She's a neko and Rias' slave. She doesn't have a private life.”

“She is not a slave!” Rias almost shouted.

“She was captured as a slave and was to be put to death for her crimes, except the courts gave her to your brother, the Satan Lucifer, and he gave her leash to you. She's more of a slave to the Gremory household than the ones bought and sold in the Underworld.” Riser said with dismissal.

Koneko looked a little scared at her personal history being brought up like that and started to step back, so I darted over to her and pulled her to me, hugged her close, and walked back over to stand beside Rias.

“Don't listen to him, dearest. He's trying to intimidate us with his harsh words and accusations to make us doubt and hesitate. No matter what he says, he's only showing everyone how horrible of a person he really is. Everyone will hate him as much as Rias does, justifiably it seems, as soon as the recording of this meeting is released to the pubic.” I told her and every female in the room gasped.

“This was supposed to be a private meeting.” Lord Phenex said, his face angry and his magic surging in response.

“It is a private meeting. However, your idiot of a son can't stop his mouth from digging himself a deeper hole to bury himself in, every time he opens it, even with his sister trying her best to keep him quiet.” I said and Ravel was hissing angrily at Riser, whom was ignoring her and glaring at me.

“I will perform the diagnostic spells.” Grayfia said and her own oppressive magic filled the room. She was trying to calm everyone down by making herself the biggest target in the room, and it kind of worked.

“You can easily lie about the results.” Lord Phenex said and motioned to his wife as his own magic circles dissipated. “I will let my wife handle them.”

“Agreed.” Grayfia said and stepped back. “Issei, you need to be a foot away from Heiress Gremory for the spells to not include you.”

I let Koneko out of the embrace I had her in and didn't let on that I could hear Riser's thoughts about sending his own spell as he hid himself behind his mother. It was a harmless spell normally, one used to prod cattle and horses along, except he was going to aim it at a certain part of Rias' anatomy and break her hymen, just in case she had been telling the truth and hadn't had sex.

I moved myself and Koneko back, gave myself some room, and waited for him to initiate his underhanded move to trick the spells into showing she wasn't a virgin.

Lady Phenex cast the pregnancy spell first and Rias' belly glowed blue. “It really is a boy.”

“Of course it is.” Riser huffed. “Cast the other spells, mother. Show everyone here the proof that she's a whore and spread her legs for her sole Pawn because no one else would have her.”

Ravel looked really embarrassed that he would say that and let his arm go. That was exactly what Riser wanted and a spell circle formed around his left hand, now that it was hidden from view behind his mother's body.

I stepped from where I was to appear beside Riser as I formed a black sword of disintegration magic. “I warned you.” I said and stopped his regeneration from working as I sliced his hand off.

“AHHH!” Riser yelled as his hand fell to the floor and everyone whirled around to look, even his mother.

“NO!” Lady Phenex and Ravel gasped at the same time, because they saw the magic circle around the severed hand flicker and die out.

“It's all right, mother.” Riser said with a hiss of pain as he cradled the stump. “It'll grow back.”

“No, it won't.” I said and the next slice severed his head from his body.

“NOOO!” Both Phenex women yelled and dove to catch the decapitated body.

Everyone else in the room stared and waited... and waited... and nothing happened.

“Issei.” Rias said and I stepped back across the room to stand by her side. “What happened?”

“He was trying to cast a spell to harm you.” I said and pulled my phone out to replay the video. “His mother and sister saw the spell circle, too.”

Rias looked at the circle and frowned. “Why would he try to cast that?”

I turned the phone and showed Grayfia, too.

“He was going to break your hymen and force the purity spell to fail.” Grayfia said.

“That doesn't make sense. If he thought I already had sex...” Rias stopped talking. “He was making sure.”

“Yes, and he's forfeited the lives of his entire clan because of it.” I said.

“You murdered my son.” Lord Phenex said and ignored my words as flames started to form around his hands and wisps of smoke and flame started to come from his shoulders. “I'll have you burned to ash and...”

I stepped across the room and my sword slid into his heart. The shocked look on his face as his powers cut out wasn't as satisfying as I thought it was going to be. The life left his eyes fairly quickly, too.

“Stop!” Grayfia exclaimed and grabbed my arm to pull the sword out of his chest.

I let it go and it dissolved and started to eat away at the man's body as he fell to the floor.

“No.” “Please, no.” Lady Phenex and Raval whispered at the same time.

“Issei, go back to Rias.” Grayfia ordered and I didn't move. She tried to push me and I stayed still. She let out a small frustrated sound and looked at Rias. “Rias, order your Pawn to return to your side. I need space and time to work out how to handle this.”

“Issei, come here.” Rias said and her eyes went to the floor where two bodies were disintegrating and were not regenerating like everyone knew they were supposed to. “Please.”

I turned to face her and saw her face, so I walked over to her and stood beside her again. “You do remember that I died when I blew up and I'm no longer a Pawn or a Reincarnated Devil, right?” I asked and everyone gasped, even Yuuto. “I'm only here because Koneko asked me to be here.”

“Oh no.” Akeno whispered and looked scared.

“What is it?” I asked.

“You're not tied to any devil clan.” Rias said as she proved it by having all her Pawn Pieces appear in her hands. “You are an unaffiliated human that just killed two Pillar Family members.” She said and walked over to me and tried to push the pieces into my chest. Nothing happened. “Why isn't it working? You need to be protected from what you did here!”

I chuckled and patted her hand. “It's all right, Rias. I'm not worried.”

“Issei, the whole Underworld will be after your head if they find out about this!” Rias shouted and tried to add her other remaining pieces to the pile in her hands and none of them would activate.

“It's okay, really.” I said and eased her hands and the pile of Evil Pieces away from my chest. “I doubt anyone has enough power to reincarnate me, not even your brother.”

Everyone in the room seemed to freeze at my words.

“I suppose I shouldn't hold the women of the Phenex Clan responsible for the mistakes of their men.” I said and glanced at Grayfia. “How likely is it that the two Phenex brothers will come after me?”

Grayfia looked down as the last of both Riser and his father faded away. “A hundred percent.”

“You're that sure? Okay.” I said and turned my head to the side and opened two small portals. “Say hello to your idiot brother for me.” I said and two blasts of heat vision ended both Phenex brothers. Without their regeneration, they really were quite weak.

Lady Phenex looked devastated and Ravel cried.

“I'm sorry things turned out this way.” I said and Lady Phenex gave me a pointed look. “I did warn him not to attack and both he and your husband did. I won't let anyone hurt my family.”

“What about my family?” Ravel asked and wiped at her eyes.

I sighed and knelt on one knee beside her. “I know you loved him, even when he was being an idiot.”

“I did.” Ravel said and sobbed.

“If you want, you can plot, and scheme, and try to get your revenge on me. You have all the time in the world to hate me for not letting your brother get away with whatever he planned.” I said and put a hand on her shoulder. She didn't shake me off or tried to bat my hand away. “I really am sorry.”

“I... I know... and... and I hate you anyway.” Ravel said and wiped her eyes again.

“I deserve it.” I said and she nodded. I stood up and there was suddenly a very oppressive feeling filling the room.

“You.” Ophis, the young woman wearing black tape over her nipples said when she appeared from a void portal. “You will help me...”

I poked her forehead and she gasped. “You're welcome.”

Ophis gave me a very odd look, then she glanced around the room. She kicked a nearby chair and it flew across the room and shattered, making Akeno and Koneko yell in fright, and Ophis smiled. She nodded at me and then disappeared through another portal.

“What just happened?” Rias asked.

“I made her deaf.” I said and everyone looked at me like I was insane. “It was the easiest way to give her back her silence without having to use tons of magic or creating a space similar to the void between dimensions that she claims as her home.”

“You... you just... the infinite dragon...” Ravel whispered, her eyes wide.

I shrugged and walked over to Rias to give her a kiss on the cheek, only for her to lean away from me. “It's getting late, so I need to head over to meet Sona for my detention.” I said and turned towards Koneko, whom shook her head. “I'll see you later.”

Koneko nodded and I turned to take a step and appeared in front of Sona's office. I knocked and she let me in, then she glared at me.

“Chess?” I asked, fully expecting it.

“Chess.” Sona agreed.