Chapter 44: I Prefer Spawn Camping (Patreon)

The connection process felt somewhat similar to making an online video call on a modern smartphone. Whether the Underworld had equivalents to the Human World's signal base stations, Hanakain Fubuki didn't know, nor did he particularly care about the underlying principles of this magical video call. All that mattered was that it connected.

Soon enough, after a few seconds, the "Connecting..." text on the large magic screen switched to "Connection Successful," and the view from the other side appeared. Though a magical creation, its resolution was easily on par with cutting-edge human technology.

The screen clearly showed a blond young man sitting on a sofa on the other end. Judging by the background, he seemed to be in some luxurious mansion, legs crossed, casually swirling a glass of red wine.

However, although both were blond, his hair color was different from Asia's pure, almost sacred-feeling pale gold. This young man's hair leaned more towards a reddish, fiery gold, especially the small tuft swept upwards right at the center of his forehead. Combined with his shirt collar, deliberately left open to reveal solid chest muscles, it was hard not to associate him with descriptions like "a spirited little rooster."

"Ah, connected, connected! Long time no see, Rias," the blond man said, raising his wine glass slightly, a wicked smirk playing on his lips.

"...You don't need to sound so eager when you talk to me." Seeing the man's frivolous demeanor on the screen and recalling that this very person once held an engagement contract with her, Rias couldn't help the look of disgust that crept onto her beautiful face. Her tone turned noticeably colder. "Riser Phenex."

Rias rarely used full names when addressing people, usually opting for either the first or last name. Addressing him like this, with his full name, was an unmistakable signal to keep him at arm's length.

Riser, on the other side of the screen, clearly understood this, but he didn't seem angered, merely shrugging nonchalantly. "Well, well~ Quite the cold shoulder. No matter what, we do have an engagement between us. There's no need to be like this the moment we connect… Mah, but before that, I must thank Lord Lucifer for creating this opportunity for mediation."

As he spoke, he stood up in the frame and bowed towards Sirzechs, seated on the side sofa, across the screen. Only after receiving a nod of acknowledgement from Sirzechs did he sit back down.

"Alright, let's get back to business. Let's talk about the engagement between us, Rias."

"Good. That's exactly what I wanted to discuss," the red-haired girl replied, sitting up straighter and leaning slightly towards Hanakain Fubuki beside her. She then stated coolly, "Riser Phenex, the engagement contract between us was ultimately just an agreement made by our parents' generation. Even my father has no right to decide my life. However, similarly, we of the Gremory family are not unreasonable. I, Rias Gremory, as the successor, can guarantee the Phenex family appropriate compensation within reasonable limits."

Rias delivered these words with resounding force. She clearly stated a legitimate reason for rejecting the engagement while also acknowledging her side was breaking the contract first by explicitly offering compensation. Such diplomatic skill was entirely worthy of the Gremory heiress. Even Sirzechs, listening quietly nearby, couldn't help but show a faint, pleased smile at his sister's performance.

However—

"...Heh, compensation?" As if hearing the most absurd joke, Riser's shoulders shook slightly, and he chuckled aloud. "Rias, I don't think you quite understand the Gremory family's current situation. This isn't something you can just refuse by throwing a childish tantrum. Don't you get that yet?"

"But it doesn't matter. Since you put it that way, I'll state my price." After a brief pause, the blond young man's gaze shifted from Rias to Hanakain Fubuki, seated in the center of the sofa. A cruel, savage grin spread across his lips. "Rias, I want you to kill that stinking brat you found in the Human World, right here, right now, in front of me. Then, return to the Underworld immediately and marry me. If you do that, I'll pretend none of this ever happened. How about it? A rather generous demand, wouldn't you say?"

"Riser Phenex! You had better not push me too far!" All semblance of calm shattered in that instant. Rias shot up, slamming her hand on an unseen surface, pointing at the screen and shouting furiously. Under the intense emotional surge, her crimson Power of Destruction flared around her, whipping her long red hair fiercely behind her.

But the next second, a hand from beside her rested on her shoulder. The familiar, gentle yet firm touch seemed to instantly dispel all her agitation, anger, and unease. Hanakain Fubuki patted her shoulder, gently pressing Rias back down onto the sofa. He then rose himself and walked forward, calmly approaching the large screen until he stood before it, looking down slightly as he spoke coolly.

"Negotiation is negotiation precisely because it aims to reach a result both sides can accept. But it's obvious from your current attitude that there's nothing for us to discuss. However, that's fine—"

"Rias will reason with you. I won't."

"Since there's nothing left to say, then let's fight!"

These three short sentences instantly pushed the already precarious negotiation atmosphere past the breaking point. Even Sirzechs, who had remained silent throughout, raised an eyebrow with a look of mild surprise. What kind of negotiation genius is this? he thought inwardly.

Riser's smirk vanished completely, his expression turning dark and sullen. "Do you know what you're saying, hu—"

"Get lost."

Hanakain Fubuki didn't even bother letting him finish. The short, forceful word caused tiny bloodshot veins to instantly pop in the blond man's eyes on the other side of the screen. However, he quickly regained control, forcefully suppressing his rage.

"Fine. Very well! Since you wish it… let's go to war, Rias Gremory! Bring your entire peerage. We shall settle this in a Rating Game!"

Beep.

After uttering his last sentence, the image on the magic screen flickered and promptly went dark.

Hm? Did he really get lost just because I told him to? Curious, Hanakain Fubuki glanced sideways at Sirzechs on the other sofa.

"It appears he disconnected the call," Sirzechs said, rising from the sofa and walking over to the screen. "Well, although the process and the final result were somewhat unexpected, the objective of this negotiation has been achieved in a sense. And since a Rating Game has been agreed upon, where do you intend to set the battlefield?"

Although his question was ostensibly addressed to everyone, his gaze remained fixed on the young man beside him.

"Let's go to the Underworld," Hanakain Fubuki stated concisely. "The Phenex territory."

He added, "I prefer spawn camping. It's more convenient that way."