The girl in front of me was one of Riser's servants who had appeared. She had long, blonde hair tied in twin drills and wore a light-purple dress. It might have been a bit rude, but I noticed her bust wasn't lacking either. Not as large as Serafall's or Rias's, but certainly bigger than Asia's breasts.
I had to admit, I kinda liked this girl's courage for jumping between two guys about to duke it out without hesitation.
First she glared at Riser. "Onii-sama, you should know better than to do something as stupid as picking a fight right in the middle of the Strongest Queen."
"But he—You saw him, Ravel!" Riser pointed at my accusingly, sounding something like a child who was trying to pin the blame on someone else in front of his parents. "He called me a 'yakitori'! He has no discipline!"
Ravel pouted. "From what I saw, Namikaze-sama was only responding with understandable anger after you insulted women he cared for, you went through with such insults even after he specifically declared his passion and love for them in such a romantic way." … is she blushing? And…'Onii-sama'? Wait. She's Riser's sister!? How do you get such a cute girl from the same family as that yakitori douchebag!?
"B-But he—You didn't hear anything he said before now!" Riser complained.
"You've been insulting him the whole time I've been here. I'm pretty sure I have a good idea of what was said." Ravel-san said with a scolding expression. I found myself amused. Ha! I'm turning Riser's own little sister against him!
"Yeah, Riser's been being mean to me this entire time just because I told him once to stop being cruel to my friend, Rias-senpai. He even tried hitting me before my beloved master, Serafall, arrived."
"It's the truth!" Sera-tan chipped in, clearly sensing what I was trying to pull.
"THAT'S BULLSHIT!" Riser screeched, becoming enraged at my unfounded accusations.
Ravel-san then turned to me and curtsied politely.
"Forgive my Onii-sama for his rudeness, Namikaze-sama." Ravel-san apologized. "No matter what his thoughts, he should not speak so rudely to the kind Queen of Leviathan-sama." Ooh! She's polite! She called me kind, too! I like this girl.
I smiled softly, regaining my previous composure. "Ah, but I should apologize as well for showing such a side of myself to you. It is a pleasure to meet you, Phenex-sama." I knelt before the beautiful, blonde girl, grasping one of her hands which I brought closer to me, leaning my face downward and placing the gentlest of kisses on the back of her hand. "Truly I have never met a noble woman as kind nor as beautiful as you before now."
I felt a sharp gaze from Rias from my compliment which was also an unintended back-handed insult towards her and Sona.
Sorry, lady, but this just ain't your day. Deal with it.
"O-Oh! R-Really!? T-Thank you so much! I—" Ravel-san was blushing. She was thoroughly pleased by my flattery but seemed embarrassed when she noticed I was seeing how excited she was getting. She closed her eyes, coughing into her fist, downplaying her happiness and embarrassment. "Well, it's very nice for you to say so, Namikaze-sama."
"Please," I said softly, "Call me Haruto."
Ravel-san's blush became more profound. "R-Right then. T-Then you may also call me 'Ravel'."
"As you wish, Ravel-sama."
"Oi! Stop being so chummy with the enemy, Haruto!" Issei screeched.
"Ravel, what's with all the closeness with that guy?! Stay away from him! He's no good!"
Oh hi, Pot, my name's Kettle, have we met?
"Shut up, Issei."
"Mind your own business, Onii-sama!"
Both interloping parties grunted, but did as asked.
Riser, instead, turned back to Rias. "Rias, how about we have a match in 10 days?" He asked. "We could do it now, but that wouldn't be interesting."
"… Are you giving me a handicap?" Rias-senpai asked, suspiciously.
"Are you against it? Is it humiliating?" Riser asked. "Rating Game isn't something simple that you can win with only your feelings. If you can't use your servant's power to the fullest, then you will lose immediately. So it's not weird for you to train with your servants for your first Rating Game. I have seen Devils who lost without using their power to the fullest countless of times, no matter how great their potential and power was."
Senpai said nothing to respond and simply listened.
"10 days. If it's you, then you should be able to improve your servants." He then turned to Issei. "Don't be a disgrace to Rias, Rias's Pawn. Your blow is Rias's blow. "
I snorted, standing and jabbing a finger in Riser's direction. "Ha. You think yourself so high and mighty, but mark my words, Riser: My bro, Issei right here, will be the first person to kick your ass! I'd stake my life on it!"
I noticed Ravel straightened up suddenly, her eyes wide. She then scurried back to Riser and pulled him down by the shoulder, whispering something in his ear.
Riser seemed to give his little sister a tired look that seemed to ask "Are you serious?" while Ravel had her hands clasped together and a begging look on her face. After this, Riser immediately recovered from his tiredness and brushed a hand through his hair, turning back to me.
"Is that a wager, Queen of Leviathan-sama?" Riser asked. "If so, then I might just be willing to take you up on it."
I blinked. "... what?"
""''What?""" The others reacted a few moments after I did.
"If you're so confident that your precious friend, Issei, will pull through for you, then would you be willing to truly bet your life on it?"
I raised an eyebrow. "...Where is this going?" But I haven't declined yet.
"It's a simple wager that will depend on the outcome of my battle with Rias and her servants: If somehow your friend defeats me, then I will grant any single request."
"And if he doesn't?" There had to be more to this. What did he want in return if Rias's team lost?
"If I win…" Riser trailed off, clearly uncertain judging from his frown. "...what do I get if he doesn't…"
Ravel dragged Riser down again and started whispering again. After she released Riser, the yakitori sighed.
"If I win, then you become Ravel's servant."
"""What?"""
It felt like we were saying that word a lot lately.
"You heard my terms. Do you accept it?" Riser asked with a sense of finality.
"Hell no!" I shouted. "With such obscure prices wagered, I would never accept a wager like that! The only way I would ever consider a wager like that!"
"Yeah!" Serafall agreed, flailing her arms about lately. "Even if Haru-tan's strong and stuff, there would be no way he would accept such a thing!"
"Well…what would you want then?" Riser asked after yet more whispers from Ravel that clearly left him mildly annoyed.
"How about half your Peerage?" I said jokingly. "I'll gladly accept your wager if you would give me half the number of your servants if you're defeated."
"What?!" Riser asked in outrage, perhaps believing I was serious. "No way I would wager that many of my girls for you! Even if you are Leviathan-sama's Queen and even the rumored White Dragon Emperor, I would NEVER—!"
"Well, Haru-tan's also has a Mutation Piece, so does that even the wages?" Serafall asked. S-Serafall, I was joking…
Ravel's eyes went as wide as plates. She turned to Riser and stared in a begging way.
Riser growled and looked like he was beginning to feel a bit bullied. "F…Fine." He muttered through clenched teeth.
"What?"
"Oh! Haru-tan! You should accept! This will be very good for you!" Serafall said with sparkling eyes.
I sweatdropped. "Serafall, with all due respect, I don't wanna—"
"So do we have a deal?" Riser asked, looking like he really preferred that I would say no and save him some trouble.
"I'm gonna have to go with n—"
"You swear on your family's name that you'll fulfill your side of the bargain when Rias-chan's servants beat you?" Serafall asked.
"I'm telling you I don't wanna." I tried cutting in again.
"Of course." Riser replied. "Although it's not likely, I will fulfill my word in the case of the divine miracle that Rias's servants defy the world itself and defeat me."
"I said no."
"Then on behalf of my most adorable Queen, I accept that wager! This will be a most fortunate victory for my adorable Queen!"
"""WHAAAAAAT?!"""
Asia, Yuuki, Issei, and I all screamed in shock at my master's rash decision.
"Yes!" I think I heard Ravel whisper in a hiss, seeming excited about something, but I didn't care. I was left staring, eyes wide from shock, at my master.
Riser sighed. "Fine then… If I hadn't wanted to make my adorable little sister happy, I would've been gone by now…" He gathered his Peerage into the magic circle as it began to glow with a magic light. "Rias, the next time we meet will be at the game."
"Farewell, Haruto-sama!" Ravel bid farewell cheerfully. "I will be extremely careful to take good care once Onii-sama crushes Rias and her servants!"
And then they were gone in a brilliant light.
I didn't wait. I turned around and just stared at Serafall who was still smiling with blissful ignorance.
I was gaping at her.
"This will be really fun, don't you think, Haru-tan?!" She asked cheerfully.
"L-Leviathan-sama…" Asia looked like she was speechless.
"... What…?" Issei was the same.
"... the…?" Yuuki also mumbled.
"... Hell…?" Akeno-san finished, her shock seeming exactly the same as ours.
"Hm?" Serafall hummed.
"You… You bet me…" I said, finally getting to the origin of my shock. "I told you I didn't wanna accept the wager… and you bet me…" I was trembling. I didn't know if it was from shock, anger, sadness, or betrayal.
"W-Why are you staring at me like that, Haru-tan…?" Reality slowly seemed to seep into Serafall's usually stupidly ignorant mind.
"You… YOU BET ME!" I said, this time more outraged. "You really bet me! Just like that! JUST! LIKE! THAT!" It was definitely a betrayal I was feeling. My master who supposedly thought of me as her most precious person… just bet me! For a stupid wager with a low chance of victory on our side! I looked at Serafall with disgust. "Really precious to you…yeah right…"
"Haru-tan! Wait! I'm sorry! Come back!" I heard Serafall call after me, but I ignored her. I didn't wanna hear cliches like "I didn't think it through!" or "I'm sorry! I would never betray you like that!" or "I didn't mean it!". If she could bet me so easily, then perhaps I was wrong to even think about liking her let alone loving her… I stormed off, stomping over the shattered remains of the door I had smashed earlier.
I guess this makes two things that are broken now:
First the door… and now my heart.
Here I was thinking I could never feel this way again, but I was wrong.
Even though I promised to never treat a woman in a way that would make them do such a thing to me, it happened again. I never intended it to be this way, but that's the way that it happened.
My heart was broken.