Chapter 37

Author's Note: I'm on a family trip, this is because there haven't been any chapters in the last two days.

I got some time to write at the hotel, so send power stones for my effort. haha

---------------

Bugs are annoying, only those who have programmed know how annoying it is to have to fix a flaw in the midst of so much code.

The beta version was required to check for any irregularities.

Luckily I had Appraise Magic and I could quickly detect which part of the code needed to be modified.

However, typing was still a time-consuming and inefficient way to modify index. Certainly much faster if I had to be inside my internal world, but it still wasn't the peak I was looking for.

"This time it was almost," I said smiling.

A redhead who was a little frowning seems to perk up, but I complete...

"My lie. You disintegrated everything," I shake my head from side to side. "You're destroying an entire generation of chickens. How many so far? A thousand?"

"It wasn't a thousand," Rias has an eyebrow twitching in irritation. "617 so far."

I sighed, before saying, "I'm just asking you to just destroy the inside of the eggs and not the whole thing."

"And how do you know this training will work?" She folds her arms under her chest and says, "The power of destruction doesn't work like that. It's a destructive energy that destroys everything it touches. It's volatile, wild energy. This training makes no sense. I should be training to destroy things in full force, a rock or something."

"It's true that I understand little about the power of destruction," I confirm with a brief pause. "But from what little I know, I can hypothesize that this is possible."

"?" She looks at me curiously.

"It's a lie to say that everything it touches is destroyed. Depending on whether the target has great defense, energy, or supernatural healing like your fiance, it still won't be enough to destroy them. You'll have to put in more energy if you really want to destroy them."

Rias just fell silent, struggling to accept my words.

"If you throw destruction energy at a dragon with your current power level you would hardly destroy it. Making the opposite analogy, if you had control of your energy and powers... You would be able to make the destruction energy harmless to common objects, maybe."

"Ummm, but what's the point of learning not to destroy things? I need more power if I want to beat the games rating." The redhead looks at the floor wistfully and says quietly, "I'm not my brother after all."

I was lying.

To recap, there were only three days to go before school, I would be on my second year of High School. The recess was only 15 days.

Since the redhead called me to help them, I started to come to the mansion they live in in Kuoh from time to time. Needless to say, I've used Appraise magic on every library she has here.

Her request was only that I help with strategies, but I surreptitiously got her to slowly and surely allow me to give opinions on their powers.

I showed results and they seemed to be improving.

All except Rias.

"Keep the energy low, learn control and you'll get a lot more power with less effort. You'll get two benefits. First, you learn to put in more or less energy more easily. Second, you learn to have more power using less energy."

We were alone in the gardens of the mansion in Kuoh, the others training elsewhere for the gaming rating that would be in a month.

The redhead looks not very confident in herself and says, "I'll try, Moto-sensei."

I almost felt bad about what I was doing.

This low power training was just an excuse for me to be able to use Appraise Magic more easily on her powers. And I must say...

Karma must be getting to me for being so mean. The results obtained were very few.

If I could enter his inner world or the equivalent of it, it would be much easier to use appraisal magic.

While the redhead seems focused on her task, curiosity drives me and I decide to do something.

I take advantage of her being distracted and use [Mirror of Adonis] and a number of other mind spells I had at my disposal as my tools.

The mind is a delicate and difficult place to access.

Penetrate the mind of an ordinary human? A little easier, but not without consequences for the same.

Now a devil's mind? It was much more difficult.

I needed to summon the right emotions in her so she would show me what I wanted.

After she failing once more, I intensified that feeling of failure in her and looked curiously into her mind, to be more specific, into her memories.

I could see a girl who looked to be just over five years old, red haired and holding a stuffed dragon. I could feel her emotions through the memory and that girl was excited.

She walked down a luxurious hallway that I assumed was the gremory mansion in the underworld.

"Daddy," said the little redhead as she opened the door without knocking.

"The deal is 30% of~" Her father and another devil stopped arguing and looked at her presence.

"What's up, my little lady? Dad is in a meeting for work. Didn't I mention that when I'm in the office it's because it's important?"

Rias freezes as she didn't know her father had a visitor. She didn't feel very good around strangers without mental preparation beforehand.

"I beg you to forgive the intrusion of my little devil, Hannes," said Lord Gremory in an apologetic tone.

"Lord. Zeoticus needs no apology. My family has served the gremory clan for generations and it's an honor to meet the young heiress," He smiles in the redhead's direction who just looks down shyly.

"Sorry for her shyness. She's still learning etiquette lessons. Anyway, my daughter, did you want to tell me something?" asked Zeoticus.

"Ohh, yeah," the little redhead perks up and says, "I've learned a new trick, daddy, umm- with the power of destruction. I want you to see it."

When the word power of destruction was said, Hannes in the room got a look of excitement.

"Power of destruction? Lord. Gremory is indeed blessed. My family says of Sirzechs-sama that he was born of pure destruction," said the excited devil. "So scary and so cool. I would be honored to witness this legendary power, Rias-ojousama. If you allow me of course."

Lord Gremory gives a disapproving look to Hannes, before turning to Rias and saying, "I look forward to seeing this, my sweet devil."

Rias has an air of hesitation. She had heard her brother's stories before, but it never made her feel insecure.

That was the first time she felt insecure, "I'm going to do this," She holds out her palm and after much concentration...

Dark crimson energy ignited over her right hands, it was the size of a baseball and looked quite unstable.

They fell silent as if expecting something more and Rias says with difficulty, as she couldn't break her concentration, "Th-that's it."

"Oh. As expected from the Power of Destruction," said Hannes hastily.

"It's amazing," said Zeoticus with a smile.

"I'm really impressed," Hannes said again.

"Come here, my sweet devil," Zeoticus pulls her into a hug and says, "I'm so proud of you."

"..."

Little Rias has tiny tears at the tips of her eyes as she is hugged. She was a child, but realized this...

Although they smiled and congratulated her, they weren't really impressed.

Hannes was more evident as she realized his awkwardness very openly.

Now her father...

He tried to hide it. He did very well…except for his eyes that didn't lie. She couldn't really see the excitement in them.

It wasn't Zeoticus' fault. Like all Gremory he loved his family, but it was hard to be truly impressed after Sirzechs.

His firstborn came into this world breaking every conception they had of reality.

Just one newborn and he had the power to disintegrate an entire room.

When he was born he floated amidst the pure energy of destruction. Anyone who approached was disintegrated. The only one who could approach was his wife, Venelana.

After that day, little Rias secretly trained.

Every day after the maid made sure she was asleep and left her alone in the room, Rias would sit on the bed and start training the power of destruction.

Every sign of improvement, she showed her parents, hoping to make them proud.

He tried once, twice, three...

She lost count of how many times she'd tried.

Every time it was those fake smiles and unexcited looks.

This all lasted until the day she just gave up trying. She buried those memories and didn't even remember them.

It was only with my manipulations of making her train and with the feeling of failure that made her remember what she had left stored in her deepest being.

"I did it. I did it," Rias said excitedly, showing me the egg with outstretched hands.

Egg had small cracks and a very small part of it had been destroyed, but there was no doubt, although not perfect, only the inside had been completely destroyed.

I knew that look and excitement. It was the same one I saw in her memoirs, waiting for my reaction to her conquests.

I felt like sh*t for using a girl, who just opened her heart and asked me for help.

I just cracked a smile and looked at her truly proud.

At that moment Rias froze, a beat in her heart raced and she looked away with a slight blush. She couldn't tell what that feeling was.

Seeing her reaction, I couldn't help but scold myself internally. It was hard not to give in to temptation and make her mine. I should? I still had a lot to think about before coming to a conclusion.

But one thing I do know...

I would still reap as much benefit as I could Rias and company. After all, I didn't know why my future self had tried to approach her.

But I knew myself...

I wouldn't have approached her just because of her looks.

Nah. I have an army of beauties to myself and I feel no need for such senseless things.

There was some important reason to approach her. Was learning the power of destruction really that important? I wondered.

I decided to let this think later. But now there was a little difference.

I would really make sure she wins.