In His Clutches

After a lengthy 'secret' conversation, Rias was taken by her mother to the Gremory main hall where a sitting redhead man was waiting together with some of his beloved maids.

When they saw Venelana and Rias they retreated politely and the man took a more comfortable position on his chair to address his daughter that despite the circumstances, had failed to pay her due greetings one last time before entering a period that for him would be relatively short, but for her… it was enough time to forget she even had a family outside.

"Rias, I heard from your mother what happened today in the Lucifuge Territory" Zeoticus began, waving his hands to the leaving maids to let them know they wanted some tea.

"Yes, otou-sama. I will be staying for a year, but... according to what Richter-sama said, it will be equivalent to a few thousand years inside".

Although Rias imagined her mother had already explained him a few things, she still "Which means by the time you return to the 'surface', you will be old enough to be my sister" He used a snicker to try and lessen the pressure his daughter was feeling, failing miserably.

He knew exactly why Rias was upset with him for a long time.

"So it seems..."

"I will stay inside as well, Zeoticus. Richter-sama tasked me with teaching Rias the principle of destruction. You know he and Sirzechs don't get along…" Venelana took the chance to showcase her intentions as well.

Although she knew Sirzechs would do a better job, her son was currently in no condition to do so. Which by the way, was to her advantage.

"I see, your mother told me as well about how you were able to trigger your aura of destruction against him. How did it feel?"

"I felt frustrated and angry... at that time I thought he was going to kill Akeno and my peerage members, so I-I reacted..."

"Do you think you can replicate that?" Zeoticus frowned inquisitively, slanting a sigh from Venelana who walked to him to place her hand on his shoulder to settle him down.

"Zeoticus... Rias is learning and in due time she will be able to, I believe in her. Richter-sama just allowed her to give an important step forward. Now you know your capabilities and limitations, right Rias?~"

"Hmn" Rias nodded awkwardly, glaring at her mother intensively. For her it was difficult to place this graceful wife with the lady who had been sitting with her half an hour ago, 'I also show facades in public but... this is ridiculous'.

"Very well. you know the underworld is changing. Right now, whatever marriage agreements there were have little importance, even now... after the Phenex Territory has been ravaged there is little value to your marriage with Riser"

!!!

Whatever Rias had been thinking stopped when a topic imperious to her was addressed.

"Otou-sama, d-does that mean?-"

"By the time you come out of that array, you shall be stronger than me, I won't have the capability to force you into marriage even if I wanted to... so, right now I only have one condition, Rias... within that formation and during the period of your training. Defeat Riser... with that you will earn your freedom in the eyes of the Gremory Family".

It has then that Zeoticus sighed when he saw the broadest smile on his daughter's face, it was the first time ever since a few months ago that she finally smiled.

"Thanks, Otou-sama! I will give my best!"

"Hmn, I know you will. Make sure to visit your brother before leaving tomorrow" Zeoticus had said the obvious, with how much love Rias had for her brother she'd surely do so, however... she wasn't the only one.

"We can visit him together".

!!!

Her voice was so sudden that it caused horror. Layla was powerful, but they didn't think she was powerful enough to just slip without being noticed like that through all of the arrays.

The silver-haired maid walked courtly alongside a yawning Millicas, wearing a golden attire followed by an individual they knew was the cause of her being able to slip through without being noticed.

"Millicas, Layla onee-sama, R-Richter-sama" Rias didn't know why, every time she saw him... it was as if her heart stopped, it was unfair, 'My reaction is like this every time and yet you don't even look at me'.

Much to Rias' chagrin the first person in the room Richter had placed his eyes on was Venelana.

Both she and Zeoticus immediately stood up and bowed down as hard as possible, even if he came uninvited.

"Raise your heads".

"Thanks for the honour of-"

"Cut the crap... I don't like pleasantries. I came here because of my mate's request".

"I'll go and sleep now, Richter-sama, could I take a visit to play with Ni Jie?" Seeing that the topic was going to turn harsh, Millicas took the chance to dismiss himself with a request. He had a lot of fun eating and playing with both Kunou and Ni Jie, sadly... the former lived on the Earth which was not a place he could easily go, he could however, go to the Lucifuge Territory where Ni Jie would be staying.

Richter smiled and patted the boy's head, "You can play with her whenever you want, boy... just... don't give her too much to eat, alright?"

"Yes! She can eat everything! It is amazing!"

"That girl... she's a little odd just bear in mind".

"Hmn!"

Venelana and Zeoticus were a little confused as to who they were talking about, Layla nodded to him and finally, Millicas dismissed himself in a heartbeat.

"Mother-in-law" Layla addressed Venelana first and then nodded towards Zeoticus, making the two of the awkward.

"Layla... you should stop addressing me like that, you have a different status now" Venelana begged, concealing the bit of jealousy that was seeping through.

"You're my mother-in-law, just like Zeoticus-sama is my father-in-law. The love the Gremory Family has shown him has nothing to do with Sirzechs or my private life, please allow me to keep addressing you as such, moreover... I call my mate 'brother-in-law' all the time, isn't that right?~"

Layla nudged her master a little with the 'smile' and Richter scratched his golden mane.

"She says it adds 'spiciness' to the relationship..." Looking away he realised that he did like to be addressed like that by her, especially during their glorious nights.

After a brief laughter, Zeoticus took a step forward with a more relaxed mood, there was usually an invisible barrier between the gremories and the golden dragon, all because of Sirzechs' previous behaviour and also... the fact that he had essentially taken away the maou's woman and now flaunted her as his mate without repercussions.

They only wondered how long it would take for Layla to get pregnant just like Grayfia was now. Another blessing for the Lucifuge Clan.

"It is good to see you have returned safely, Lord Golden Dragon".

"Richter-sama has come today under my request... to take a look at Sirzechs" Instead of waiting for her master to say anything, Layla went straight to the point, she knows he doesn't like meeting people, moreover... all of the girls were 'preparing' for the night, so they can't waste too much time either.

!!!

"W-Would you be willing to do that?" Both of their countenances flared up with hope. Sirzechs' condition was grave but that was not the issue... the issue was that whatever the goddess did to him couldn't be treated by any doctors or even Sirzechs' body itself.

Richter neither agreed nor disagreed, "It depends... you said there is something in his body left by Aphrodite that could interest me".

"Hmn, mother-in-law please lead the way, I will show you" Layla stated and then Venelana started leading the way for all of them, Richter passed by Rias and finally put his eyes on her only to see that she was pouting at him with an aggrieved expression.

"..."

"What is it?" He stopped and asked, wondering why she had such a glare.

"You didn't greet me".

"...we saw each other not too long ago, didn't we?"

"... t-that's the case".

Richter smiled and walked up to her, towering in front by more than a few inches and leaving her breathless. There was virtually no distance. Venelana and Zeoticus wanted to apologise, but Layla stopped then, watching her master's display with keen eyes.

"Could it be that you want special treatment?"

"N-No- I..."

She was pressed into a corner, with nowhere to go with a heart racing as fast as an F1 champion, falling in love faster than Niagara Falls with all due hopelessness.

"I what, Rias Gremory?" Richter pressed with a smile of his own, not placing any effort, merely asking questions. She had been insistent on him greeting her and yet when it came to this, she backed off.

"..."

The redhead couldn't blush any more than this, her legs gave away and she slide down the wall with her glorious butt hitting the ground. Richter smiled with amusement and started walking away, followed by the group who only saw Rias hugging her knees. She wasn't crying, she was just silent.

Layla led Richter and Zeoticus towards her ex-husband's room but Venelana remained. She knelt down in front of her daughter, thinking she was scared beyond belief. It was when a rather licentious smell entered her nostrils that Venelana realised what was really going on and sighed.

"Take a shower before going to sleep, dear".

"H-Hmn..." Rias nodded, not showing her face at all while Venelana departed, quickly catching up.

The redhead opened her legs slightly to see her panties soaking, all she could do was be ashamed of herself and touch the rather swollen area with two fingers, resisting the moan.

Her fingers now soaked went in front of her face to notice the slimy texture. Rias bit her lips and stood up, staggering with complex emotions, aware that this night wouldn't be a slow one.

She threw herself panting and resisting the urges, but the image kept coming back... then the image of him furiously ploughing her sister-in-law. The strength of both illusions together only made Rias bite her lips and quickly discard her panties, taking two furious fingers and fucking the hell out of herself while still in her uniform, placing her salivating mouth against a pillow... hoping one time would be enough yet her belief not high.

'Uhm~ t-this is your fault, Richter-sama!'