Chapter 20

Grayfia and Rias followed the shadow soldier without making a sound or speaking a word, just following but both were looking around with curiosity.

'I sense nothing from this mansion, not even a bit of mana or Demonic Energy.' She thought.

On the other hand, Rias was looking around with sparkling eyes because it was her first time to see something similar to her house.

But she felt a difference between both of them.

'This house, it gives me a cozy and warm feeling as if I'm being embraced by my mother.' Her cheeks reddened with this thought while some tears formed at the corner of her eyes.

This is the first time she felt like this. It was truly lovely.

Wiping her tears, a look of determination appeared on her face while clutching her hands.

Grayfia who noticed this smiled a little before her cold and expressionless face replaced the smile.

Truly fitting the image of cold beauty.

After some time walking, they finally arrived at the entrance of the living room.

The shadow soldier knocked on the door three times.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"Come in," A calm majestic voice came from inside.

Then the shadow solider opened the door and stood beside letting both Grayfia and Rias enter. Then the door closed before they saw the soldier disappear into the shadow of Daniel.

Grayfia wasn't surprised because she saw it before when her mistress and master came here, but it wasn't the same for Rias.

Her eyes were sparkling with starts in them as if saying "Waku! Waku!". It was adorable in Daniel's eyes.

He couldn't help but wonder how such a cute creature like her grow up to be a spoiled princess.

'Ah, it was her brother. Because her brother did everything to her while she didn't need to do anything she became dependent on him and her mother although smart but her love for her daughter made her blind that she didn't see how weak she was huh. And regarding her father, well, let's not talk about him. His time will come later anyway.' Daniel said with a sigh.

Both Rias and Grayfia sat on the couch opposite to him.

"Greetings, Lord Daniel." Grayfia said with a bow while Rias followed.

She knew that the man in front of her was strong and powerful so she bowed to him like Grayfia, besides, she is a little girl still learning.

Daniel on the other hand accepted their bow with a nod of him while saying "I suppose you came here to execute our deal, correct?"

"Yes, I brought Rias-sama here to train her until she becomes stronger to be able to defend herself and have her own position in the supernatural world."

"Very well. But before we start, let me ask this little girl here a question."

Grayfia nodded and let him. Not like she could prevent him tho.

"Tell me little girl, why do you want to become stronger?

For money? For power? For fame?"

Rias who heard the question widened her eyes in surprise at first because the question was asked suddenly, but after thinking about it a little, she asked the same to herself.

'Why do I want to become stronger?'

She thought and wondered until she remembered her life till now and her father conversation with her mother about her being engaged to Riser as if she was a good being sold in the market. The hopelessness she felt, the sadness, anger, despair and... Hate.

Disappointment. Not with her mother or brother for not being able to protect her but with herself for not being strong.

For the first time she felt disgusted with herself for being weak.

'I hate this feeling.'

Daniel kept looking at little Rias and observed the wheel of emotions that was swirling inside her. How her face was changing with many different emotions.

Grayfia on the other hand didn't do anything and just waited. She wanted Rias to take the first step by herself. Although didn't know what Venelana told her but she knew that Rias started to change and to the best. So her duty is to stand beside her and support her.

It didn't take much time, just 5 minutes before Rias looked up at Daniel with eyes igniting with determination and will.

Her beautiful blue eyes was filled with strong power.

Parting her small lips, she said "I want to become stronger to control my life, to make my own decisions, to be independent and powerful woman that many should show respect to for my strength not my position as an heir of the Gremory!"

Hearing this, Daniel didn't change his expression much but a very small smile almost not noticable was carved on his face while Grayfia had a look of surprise on her alluring face.

She couldn't help be proud of Rias.

"Very well, then I should respond to such determination with respect. Young girl, the training will be harsh that death will be a pleasure to you, so are you ready?" Daniel said with cold deep voice.

"Um, I'm ready." While Rias responded with fiery eyes.

Nodding to her, Daniel looked back at Grayfia making the silver haired maid to flinch from his gaze that was piercing and deep.

"And you young lady should assist her in training and I will lent you some of my shadows to train her in different aspects from offense to defense to magical prowess and which weapon do you prefer?" Daniel said while directing his gaze at Rias when saying the last sentence.

"Ah, s-sword, I like swords." She said flinching from Daniel's gaze as it was too deep as if looking at her soul.

"Then swords shall be then. For now let me guide you to the rooms where you will live in for the coming years before showing you around the mansion. Tomorrow will be the first training day, okay?" He said.

"Excuse me, Lord Daniel."

"What?"

"I don't need any accommodation because I need to return to the underworld to not raise any suspicions for disappearing for a long time. So after finishing Rias-sama's training I shall go back to the underworld beside Lady Gremory."

'Although it will raise suspicions both ways? Nevermind. It's not my problem.'

"Okay. Then let me show you around the mansion before showing the young girl here her room."

"Very well."

Then the three of them stood up before Daniel started to show them around the mansion.

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At the same time in Heaven.

Gabriel arrived at Michael's office to report about her findings.

Without even knocking, she pushed the door open.

"Hey Michael, I came to report." She said with a rather rude voice.

Michael facepalmed himself as he witnessed how his sister behaved.

"Do you know how many times I told you to knock before entering?"

"Why? Not that you are doing something secretly? Or you are, holy angel Michael~" She teased making Michael's face become red while the halo above his head flickered.

"What the—"

"Do not say it. Anyway, what did you find?"

"Tsk, so boring." Gabriel sighed.

"Gabriel,"

"Okay okay fine. Well, it seems that there was a being that managed to take the Boosted Gear from the human holder and killed the soul of the Red Dragon Emperor that resided inside it. I also noticed a trace of death energy around the place where I found that."

"Death energy? Do you know who this energy belongs to?"

"I don't know because when I tried to trace it, it disappeared out of the blue as if that being was playing with us hide and seek."

"Is it Hades or Hela? But I remember that both don't have the ability to control the souls to that extent that it can destroy the barrier that my father put around the sacred gear. My father's barrier's isn't that frail for some gods to destroy it or could even make a pressure like what we felt before," Michael began to mumble about the cause for that.

But after thinking about it for some time he didn't reach a conclusion so he sighed in disappointment.

"Anyway, whoever that being is, if it has the power to control souls to such extent and exert such terrifying pressure that it affected the heavenly realm, then the whole world will be in danger if it tried to harm it, nothing could stop it and I doubt Ophis or Great Red will care about the world anyway. We should be careful from now on and strengthen our forces as we don't know what will happen in the future."

'Fufufufu that's my husband for you~ nothing can stop him~ Ahhhhh I can't wait to do it with him again~' Gabriel was having a smug and lustful expression on her face that Michael failed to notice because he was busy thinking about plans to strengthen the forces of Heaven.

But the weird thing was that Gabriel's halo didn't flicker at all like any normal angel who had such thoughts or like Micheal.

'But first, I need to do something,'

"Ahem, Michael, I have something to tell you."

"Eh? What is it?" He said snapping out of his thoughts after hearing what Gabriel said.

"I want to quite working in Heaven."

"..." (Michael exe.)

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A/N: Sorry for being late guys. Enjoy~