Chapter 23

The rest of the training went on without any other real shenanigans other than Artoria Alter following Rias around like my own creations would follow me around when I didn't give them a task.

But finally, the full week passed by and as I was sleeping beside Klee and Monet on the day, we were to return to Kuoh I was awoken by the unmistakable buzz of potent magical energy filling my room, and then from the resulting teleportation ring came the two figures of people I didn't imagine I would meet in such a private setting for a long while.

"Kind of rude to come in unannounced," I spoke as I held onto Monet and Klee putting them back to sleep as Sirzechs Lucifer and Grayfia Lucifuge stood stoically across the room, and I noticed that after they teleported, they actually still moved to the side to leave the door to the room unbarred from their forms to give me the illusion of the possibility of escape in order to put me more at ease.

Sirzechs lost his stoic expression as he smiled wryly and then he pulled out a couple of seats from the room's desk. "Jake, as you well know I am Rias's older brother, and I wanted to touch base with you." He said and I could feel the charisma rolling off of him as I didn't even feel that angry at the early wakeup but honestly meeting him here privately would be for the best. As Rias would hate to feel like her, oh so doting older brother was interfering with her life.

"Alright sounds good haaa." I yawned getting up from the bed and sitting in the seat Sirzechs set up in front of himself and I saw his ever-dutiful maid/wife standing behind him looking down towards me with a cool expression.

"So. What made you accept Rias's offer of peerage?" Sirzechs started off with a heavy question and I blew out an exhale of air at the loaded question.

"Wow you start off hard don't you," I said pulling my hands down my face as my mind picked half a dozen reasons to go off of. "Well for one I was lost in this life of mine. Had no family. Grew up in an orphanage. And I knew all too well that my powers would gather too many eyes, and that's not even including being a Longinus wielder." I said making Sirzechs nod in understanding.

"So, you sought out Rias for protection? Would you wish to join my wife's peerage instead to grow far stronger?" He offered and the offer completely stunned me and even Grayfia who blinked and eyed the back of her husband's neck making the man shiver at the feeling.

"No..." I said slowly as I smiled wryly as I took a glance at Grayfia. "I think I am growing at a great rate, and I much prefer Rias's laid-back management."

Sirzechs realized his little test may have triggered his wife only nodded and quickly moved on from the subject. "So how do you feel your chances are against Raiser anyway?" He asked and for a moment I thought about showing the large carpet-like fire blanket I made so we could roll up Riser in it and beat him like a Piñata but then as I took in Sirzech questioning look who all but adopted Issei as his brother and his own son loved Issei like his own father/uncle I decided to extend my trust to the man.

"Worse comes to worst. I will disable Riser's Phenex regeneration and I have plenty of ways of fighting a regenerator." I said laying out my hands with one hand filled with an ominous ball of Power of Destruction, and on the other hand was a ball of Holy Light I got from the Fallens I scanned.

Between having Holy Light, Power of Destruction, and a menagerie of samples of toxic natural substances I could infect Riser with, I wasn't scared of an upfront fight if I could bind the man and just knock him out with my Biokinesis.

After a bit of an explanation of how I could 'absorb' bloodlines with my bio kinesis Sirzechs merely hummed in thought before he burst into a series of laughter. "Hahaha, I can see Rias is in good hands then... Jake Bariss this is a world that relies on strength, whether it political, personal, wealth, or any other forms of power a person needs that in order to stand tall in this world." Sirzechs explained with his eyes looking beyond me and into the wall as he was absorbed in thought.

"I made my own power very apparent when I and my friends fought during the Devil Civil War. I did a great many things that didn't make it into the history books during that war... Do you understand?" He said leadingly and I nodded, and he smiled softly as he continued. "Become as strong as you desire, but don't leave a mess the history books cannot overlook." He finally advised and again I nodded in understanding to his sage advice.

"So! On a much lighter topic, how has my beloved Rias been!?" He asked excitedly making Grayfia's face behind him twitch as he lost his Lucifer persona and took on the siscon persona Rias was so embarrassed by.

"Oh, she has been mothering on her new peerage member Artoria, and other than that I imagine she is super excited to get out of this whole arranged marriage thing," I said shrugging as Grayfia's eyes tightened on me.

"Oh yes, I heard from my dearest Grayfia that you made a bit of a mess about the little meetup about that brat Riser getting caught with his familiar spying on my Rias... Good on that!" He said goofily sending me a thumbs up and then his head got smacked down as Grayfia took out a wadded newspaper from within her maid outfit and smacked her husband upside the back of his head with it, making the fucking Lucifer of Hell spit out some saliva in surprise.

In slow motion, I watched Sirzech's Lucifer's spit fall onto the ground and even on my pants as the man whirled on his wife and began complaining, so with Sirzech's DNA sample secure on my leg for a few minutes without any danger of it degrading.

Not making a big deal of it despite it being a possible way to the top ten of the world in terms of potential I merely smiled watching Sirzechs placating his wife. "So, what happens when we do beat Riser in any case?" I asked as Grayfia tsked and muttered something about doing what was best for the family.

"Oh well that little deal for his peerage members would go through and good one on that, real devil attitude there." He said seemingly proud of me taking Riser's peerage members away and then he continued. "Well after Riser is defeated and Rias's being on the market as it were, my father would seek to find a match for her but." Then he gave me an obvious look. "If you the Red Dragon Emperor make your opinion on that known, he will back off in hopes of you and Rias falling in love."

"We shall see... I like Rias but who knows what's going to happen." I said shrugging and Sirzechs nodded in understanding before looking to Grayfia.

"I know all too well the process of falling in love, just don't break my sister's heart or I will break your spine." He said giving the customary shovel speech and before I could retort his form Grayfia was captured by a teleportation sigil. Instantly teleporting them away back presumably to the Underworld.

Looking around the room I saw on the clock that it was only 7; AM and with everyone waking up in like two hours I decided with Klee and Monet asleep I should deal with the inevitable headache scanning Sirzech's DNA sample was going to give me.