30 Rias Gremory

Author's note:

For all the people that feel like he is betraying the parents. He is not. He is just too weak to protect his family from future enemies. Our mc has watched anime so he knows what happens to the mc' s parent usually in anime stories.

Enjoy the chapter.

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And here I was, in front of Rias's room. Honestly I did not want to enter and did not know what to say. I've never consoled someone for their loss. I did not know where to start.

I knocked on the door and after a brief moment she came out. It seems like she had not slept in days. Her hair were disheveled and she was still wearing the same uniform.

"Can I enter?" I said.

"What do you want? " She said. It seemed like my presence was unexpected and unwanted.

"I guess I want to talk to you."

"I don't want to though. Just leave me alone." She said. It seems like Issei's death left a mark on this woman. " I know that you would never come here on your volition. We were not that much friends. I could tell that you thought I was just some lazy princess. Go away and tell my brother or my father to not send you again."

Was it that obvious? I did think she was lazy. Still that attitude did make me a little irritated.

"Well then "princess", since you are not like that, will you let me inside?" I said. Honestly after this I did not expect her to let me talk with her.

"Just a little and then don't come back." She said spitefully.

" What happened ?" I asked.

" I was unable to protect my peerage. That's what happened. Is that what you wanted to hear. I should have trained more. You were right. Is that what you wanted to hear?" She said with a mixture of sadness and anger in her voice. Her eyes were wet with tears.

"After the total victory against Riser I felt like we were the strongest. Like I could take the world. That I was right. As a king I should only support my peerage from behind. After all, you do not die in a rating game. " She said as if to reproach herself. " And then it happened. In one instant my subordinate, my new family, was on my arms. Begging to live more. I could only look at his eyes lose focus. I could only let him die in my arms. "

I was speechless. She was feeling the same things I did but I could still not come to terms with my feelings. Unsure of what to say I said the most cliché thing that came in mind.

"I know how you feel but-"

"No. You don't! You don't understand what it means to be responsible for somebody. You don't understand what it means to fail them. I have failed my family and my peerage, my second family too. I feel like I am getting crushed. I just keep getting crushed. I can't even free myself from this pain. It just keeps coming and coming!" She said. Tears kept streaming down along the cheekbones. I felt like I was watching myself on the mirror. She probably had it worse. After all, she had people worrying for her. The more they tried to help her, the more powerless she should have felt. It was in this moment that I realized that I had only judged her by my standards. I was too harsh on her.

"It will get better, but it never disappears. The scar closes but it still will remain. Even so, we must keep going forward. For our sake and for the ones who died before. Every moment you live is a way to show them that fighting for you was not a waste of their time." I said. It seemed like I was reminding myself of that.

"Wake up to reality. Nothing goes as planned in this accursed world. The more time you live in this world the more you realize the pain of existing in this world. This world is going to keep trying to crush you. " I said and looked her directly in the eyes. She was shocked. " Only one thing can make you break from this vicious path. You need strength. Enough that responsibilities won't become a burden on you. Enough to shoulder everything and still keep laughing. And I am offering you that Rias Gremory. Will you get up and become stronger or keep crying there for the rest of your near infinite life. If you can't believe in yourself, believe in me. I swear that I'm going to make you in that person."

I don't know why I said that. It just felt right helping her now.

Pure hypocrisy coming from someone who can't protect even his family. But I felt the same pain from her, so I just had the need to help her. Maybe someday, when I will be able to protect everything. When I will be able to stay with my parents without endangering them. Then I could consider myself strong enough.

She nodded weakly and then I helped her get up.

"Now that you got up. How about you take a shower before eating something. I must say that I've never seen you in such state. I'm pretty sure you would scare the others. " I said, smiling a little. She punched me in the shoulder a little and took me outside the room.