Chapter 33: [33] : Forcing Cao Cao's Retreat, Rias's Troubles

~ Support & Read 17 Advanced Chapters on My Patreon! ~ If you like the story, please leave a review! ~ This Fanfic will get much better later on—Thank you all very much for the support :) .... I stood in mid-air, calmly observing Cao Cao, my expression serene and confident. "It seems that without the True Longinus, we're fairly evenly matched. Neither of us can gain an advantage." Cao Cao's expression was grim as he admitted grudgingly, "Hmph, if I could use the True Longinus properly, you wouldn't stand a chance—What was that golden chain you used earlier?" I chuckled, a hint of mockery in my voice. "Are you making excuses now? You can use your weapon, but I can't use mine? Why don't you ask yourself how much strength you were actually using? You honestly believe you can still win in this situation?" Hearing my words, Georg approached Cao Cao and said, "You can't defeat him right now. Our fight has already attracted too much attention. We should retreat for now." "It's a shame I couldn't defeat you and have you join us. It's truly regrettable. Next time we meet, we'll be rivals. I hope you'll be as lucky then as you were today." With Cao Cao's final words, the two vanished. Seeing them leave, I breathed a small sigh of relief. Although Cao Cao's True Longinus was restrained by [Chains of Heaven], he was still a student of Indra. And he had been at the Ultimate-class level for a long time—it was hard to say who would have won in an all-out fight. Besides, Georg was still there. My original plan was to save my trump cards for the—Peace Conference between the Devils, Angels, and Fallen Angels. If Cao Cao had really pushed me, I would have summoned the Azure Dragon's soul and annihilated them both! But this fight had given me a deeper understanding of my own power, which was a good thing. Sensing other factions approaching from afar, and not wanting to reveal myself to them prematurely, I left the area. .... Meanwhile—back at the Occult Research Club, the atmosphere was tense... "Hmm? Sona, you've found another peerage member? When did this happen?" Rias asked, a little puzzled, after hearing Sona's words. Then she added, "But if you recruited her, she must be quite talented. Congratulations." "It was just today. Yura brought her friend over, and I made her my peerage member." "But I had no idea she would be so gifted. It took seven Pawn pieces to reincarnate her. And as soon as she became a Devil, she awakened Vritra's Sacred Gears." Sona explained, taking a sip of the tea Akeno had prepared. A smile played on her lips. "!!!!" "Seven Pawn pieces? And Vritra's Sacred Gears?" Hearing Sona's words, everyone in the Occult Research Club, including Rias, gasped in astonishment. After all, none of Rias's current peerage members had such high potential. To awaken such a high-level Sacred Gear right after becoming a Devil was practically unheard of. Although she and Sona were close friends, they had always been competitive, both in their peerage members and in public matters. Originally, they were both still vying for Kyoya. And now, her best friend had acquired such an incredibly talented new member. Rias couldn't help but feel a little envious. So, Rias congratulated her friend, though a hint of jealousy was unavoidable. "Congratulations, Sona. You've found an exceptional member. Her future is limitless. Why can't I have such good luck?" Seeing Rias's envious and dejected expression, Sona felt a little guilty. After all, it was Rias who had first invited Kyoya, but now he had recommended Kiryuu to her instead. So, Sona quickly tried to comfort Rias. "Rias, don't worry. You'll find exceptional members eventually. There's no need to rush." Hearing Sona's words, Rias forced a smile, her expression strained. "Sigh, how can I not be worried? I don't have much time left." 'Hmm? Not much time? What does she mean?' Sona frowned, her eyes flashing, and then she understood. .... As Rias's childhood friend, she naturally knew about some of Rias's affairs in the Underworld. Rias was the heir to the House of Gremory, one of the 72 Pillars of pure-blood Devils in the Underworld. Because her brother, Sirzechs Gremory, had assumed the title of Lucifer, one of the Four Great Maous, she had become the next in line to inherit the Gremory name. But both she and Rias had arranged marriages. Sona had managed to dissolve hers by winning a game of chess against her former fiancé. But Rias's fiancé was a different story. The Phenex family, like the Gremory family, was one of the 72 Pillars of pure-blood Devils in the Underworld, and a prominent Devil Clan. Rias's fiancé was Riser Phenex—the third son of the Phenex family. Rias's marriage to him was a political one. It was an arrangement made by the two families to maintain the purity of Devil bloodlines. But it had always been a thorn in Rias's side. She hated the idea of marrying him, which was why she had run away to the human world to avoid seeing him in the Underworld. She really loathed Riser. .... After a moment of silence, Sona finally asked, "What does your family say?" Hearing her best friend's question, Rias looked utterly forlorn. "Sigh, what else can they say? You know how important family alliances are. I'm not as lucky as you, Sona. My father is constantly pressuring me to return to the Underworld and complete the wedding." "Although I've asked Onii-sama for help, he can't do much in this situation. The Phenex family is just as powerful as ours. Forcing the issue could cause serious problems. Sigh, all I can do is take it one step at a time..." Seeing Rias's troubled expression, Sona's cheerful mood dampened. After thinking for a while, she looked at her friend strangely and suggested, "If all else fails, why don't you ask Kyoya-kun for help? I'm sure he has the ability to resolve this issue." .... Rias stared blankly at Sona for a moment before snapping out of her daze. "Kyoya-kun?" Hearing Sona's suggestion, Akeno confidently added, "That's right. I'm sure Kyoya-kun has a way to save Rias. Besides, didn't he say he wanted a harem? He definitely won't just stand by and watch a 'beauty' like Rias get married off to someone else." Koneko and Kiba also nodded in agreement, expressing their belief in Kyoya's abilities. Rias also perked up, her brow furrowing slightly, then she blushed and smiled. "That's a good idea. If nothing else works, I'll just have to go through with it with Kyoya-kun. We'll make it a done deal! That should shut them up!" Hearing Rias's bold declaration, Koneko's eyes showed a hint of resentment. Akeno teased, "Rias, running away is not a good idea. I won't just hand Kyoya-kun over to you. Of course, I might make an exception just this once!" Sona took a deep breath and said seriously, "Although this is a special circumstance, and I'm letting you take the lead this time, Rias, I won't give up. You need to be prepared." Hearing Akeno and Sona "declare war," Rias also became fired up. "Even so—I won't back down! Let's see who comes out on top!" After resolving the issue and declaring her intentions, Rias felt a weight lift from her shoulders. ❁❁❁❁ ~ Push the story forward with your Power Stones ~ Every 400 PS = Bonus Chapter! ❁❁❁❁ ~ If you're interested. you can read 17 Advanced Chapters : https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx (Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)