Chapter [196]

Gremory Family Mansion

"Rias, dear, come here," Venelana said, her voice soft but with a tone of authority that Rias couldn't ignore. Venelana was comfortably seated on the red velvet sofa, her eyes focused on the fireplace, where the flames danced gently, warming the room.

Rias entered the room with quick, determined steps, her long red hair swaying softly. She held her device in one hand, her face slightly furrowed in worry and confusion. She approached her mother, but there was a slight hesitation in her movements, as if she was uncertain about what she wanted to say.

"I was checking the news on DevilNet, mother," Rias said, trying to keep her voice calm, although her mind was filled with conflicting thoughts. "Lilith was attacked, and Riser is there... He... He saved the city."

"Saved the city, you say?" Venelana responded, her voice carrying a hint of contained curiosity. She turned slightly, looking at Rias with a faint smile. "Show me what they're saying."

Rias extended the device to her mother, showing the screen where posts and news about Riser's deeds were being shared.

"Look, mother. Riser... He's being praised by everyone," Rias said, trying to focus on the news, but her voice betrayed a note of uncertainty.

Venelana took the device from Rias's hands, a gesture that, although not rude, was direct and without much consideration. Rias blinked, slightly surprised by her mother's sudden action, feeling a twinge of discomfort seeing the device taken from her hands.

"Let me have a better look," Venelana said, as she looked intently at the screen. She began scrolling through the posts, her eyes fixed on the words of praise and admiration that the devils were dedicating to Riser. There were pictures and videos of the Maou in action, destroying the dragons and leading the devils in rebuilding the city.

"He truly is impressive," Venelana commented, more to herself than to Rias. "So young and already has achieved so much… It's a pity you didn't choose him, Rias."

Those words hit Rias in an unexpected way. There was a raw truth in her mother's voice that made her feel a pang of regret, mixed with the confusion that already inhabited her heart. She opened her mouth to respond but found no suitable words.

Venelana, however, seemed oblivious to her daughter's internal conflict. She was too focused on Riser's achievements, on the comments the devils were making, increasingly impressed with what she was reading.

"Look at this," Venelana said, her voice taking on a note of enthusiasm as she found a particular post on DevilNet. She leaned forward slightly, bringing the device closer to Rias, showing a series of comments that had just appeared.

Rias, still standing next to her mother, leaned over to look at the screen. She saw that they were comments from several devils, most of them women, praising Riser quite directly.

"The strength of Asmodeus-sama is unmatched! What an incredible man," wrote a certain Lilithia.

"It's impossible not to admire such a powerful Maou and... well, so handsome," added another, named Seraphine, with a heart emoji beside her comment.

"I'd give anything to spend a night with a man like him," commented Nyria, quite boldly, without any shame. "He must be as intense in battle as in... other things," she concluded, clearly insinuating something more.

Venelana laughed softly, not hiding her amusement.

"These young devils are so… bold," she said, her eyes still fixed on the comments. "They talk about a Maou as if he were merely an object of desire."

Rias, seeing the tone of some of these messages, felt a heat rise to her cheeks.

"Mother, these devils are so… so… unrestrained!" she said, her voice filled with surprise and discomfort. She was trying to understand how her mother could find humor in such inappropriate comments.

Venelana, however, seemed to be enjoying the situation. She scrolled a bit more through the screen, finding another comment that caught her attention.

"Look at this, Rias," she said, a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "This one is even more daring."

Rias, already feeling her embarrassment rising, looked at the comment her mother was pointing to.

"I'd give anything for Asmodeus-sama to look at me with those piercing eyes... And to show me how a true Maou behaves in all areas," wrote a certain Ilyana, with a clear insinuation.

Rias turned completely red, her face burning with embarrassment.

"Mother!" Rias exclaimed, trying to hide her embarrassment. "These devils are absurdly bold… They shouldn't be talking like this!"

Venelana, still smiling, shrugged.

"Well, my dear, they're just expressing what many devils probably feel," she said, her tone still full of amusement. "Besides, Riser really is a very attractive young man... it's only natural that these devils would be a bit... enthusiastic."

Rias couldn't suppress a groan of frustration.

"Mother, control yourself! You're married to my father!" she said, snatching the device back from Venelana's hands a bit brusquely, trying to end the conversation as quickly as possible. She was mortified and wanted to forget everything she had just heard.

Venelana laughed again, but this time more softly.

"Oh, Rias, don't worry so much," she said, her tone now gentler and more comforting. "Your father knows very well that the only one who has my heart is him."

Rias sighed, relieved that her mother wasn't taking the conversation any further. She held the device tightly, as if she wanted to protect her mother's eyes from any more inappropriate messages.

"But I still regret that you let Riser slip away," Venelana continued, her tone now more serious.

City of Lilith

"Finally, a moment of peace," Riser murmured to himself as he flew over the city of Lilith. The scene below him was a mix of destruction and rebirth. Where there had once been only rubble and fire, now, thanks to the collective effort of the devils, the city was beginning to regain its former glory. The buildings were being restored, the streets cleaned, and magic flowed freely, reconnecting everything that had been broken.

As he observed the city, Riser noticed a sudden glow behind him. He turned his head and saw a magic circle had formed in the air, and, in the blink of an eye, Ravel, Roygun, and Asia materialized in the square he had helped restore.

"What are you doing here, Ravel?" Riser asked, descending smoothly to join his sister.

Ravel, with her determined expression and a touch of pride, walked up to her brother.

"I brought Phoenix Tears," she replied, her voice calm but filled with authority. "And I thought it would be appropriate to help in the recovery of those who were gravely injured."

Riser looked at the Phoenix Tears that Ravel held, and then at Asia, who stood by, ready to use her Sacred Gear to heal the wounded.

While Ravel began distributing the Phoenix Tears, some devils approached, their faces still marked by the pain and suffering of the last few hours. They looked at the vials with reluctance, their eyes reflecting the inner conflict they felt.

"We are not worthy of using something so precious," one devil said, his voice filled with humility and shame. "The cost of these tears... is something we cannot repay."

Ravel, sensing the devils' hesitation, stepped forward.

"These Phoenix Tears are a gift from the head of the Phenex family and Asmodeus-sama," she said with conviction, making sure to include Riser in the statement. "They are for those who need them most, regardless of any price. You deserve to be healed."

Ravel's words brought a reverent silence among the devils. The authority in her voice and the respect they had for her as head of the Phenex family were enough for them to accept the Phoenix Tears. They took the vials with gratitude, some even with tears in their eyes, deeply moved by the generosity of Ravel and Riser.

'That was unexpected, but smart on Ravel's part,' Riser thought, recognizing his sister's wisdom and leadership.

As the devils began using the Phoenix Tears, Asia approached the lightly wounded, activating her Sacred Gear, Twilight Healing. The soft, comforting light that emanated from her hands enveloped the devils' bodies, healing their wounds and easing their pain.

Suddenly, Roygun approached Riser slyly, and with a discreet gesture, she leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"It was my idea, Riser-sama," she said softly, her tone filled with confidence and a touch of amusement.

Riser, hearing this, turned to Roygun, his smile now widening.

"Well done, Roygun."

Roygun returned the smile, proud to have contributed to the success of the operation.

'It was a good idea to make Roygun the queen of Ravel's Peerage,' Riser thought.

Time passed, and the city of Lilith began to rise again, once more showing the resilience and strength of the devils. The buildings that had been destroyed were now almost completely rebuilt, and the wounded had been treated, their bodies and spirits restored by Asia's healing magic and the power of the Phoenix Tears.

"Almost everything is ready," Ravel commented, observing the city around her, where the frantic activity of the last few hours was beginning to subside.

"Yes," Riser agreed, his gaze still focused on the city that had nearly been destroyed by the dragons.

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