Free Web NovelChapter 253: The Dragon Crashes In!
"ISSEI!"
Rias gasped, her lush curves trembling visibly beneath the tight, pristine white fabric of her wedding dress. She had almost entirely surrendered to her dark fate, but the sudden, violent explosion of the grand doors made her heart leap into her throat.
"YOU BASTARD! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"
Riser roared, his face twisting in absolute fury. Naturally, he recognized the boy instantly. Riser had just completely crushed Rias and her team in a Rating Game. Rias had desperately bet everything on that fight to escape this arranged marriage, but she had lost. She was supposed to submit, spread her legs, and become his obedient wife tonight, just as the ancient traditions demanded.
But Issei Hyoudou, driven by sheer, unadulterated protagonist stubbornness, refused to let that happen.
"EVERYONE! MAOU-SAMA, AND ALL THE HIGH-CLASS DEVILS GATHERED HERE!" Issei screamed at the top of his lungs, his voice echoing across the lavish ballroom. "MY NAME IS ISSEI HYOUDOU! I AM THE PAWN OF RIAS GREMORY-SAMA, AND I ABSOLUTELY WON’T LET HER MARRY THIS ARROGANT CHICKEN BASTARD!"
He took a massive breath, his face turning bright red as he pushed every ounce of air out of his lungs.
"RIAS GREMORY’S VIRGINITY BELONGS TO MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!"
Along with his deafening roar, a collective, horrified gasp rippled through the aristocratic crowd. The sheer, shameless absurdity of the declaration left the room completely stunned.
"Who the hell is this low-class trash?!"
"Isn’t that the Boosted Gear user?"
"What an incredibly stupid servant. He’s dragging his master’s beautiful name right through the mud!"
Finn remained perfectly still, leaning casually against a marble pillar as he watched the circus unfold. He had to admit, there was a time he might have been impressed by the boy’s raw guts. But seeing it in person? There were simply some things you did not scream in a room full of bloodthirsty nobles. Looking at Rias, Finn could see the heavy flush of embarrassment staining her cheeks; she was touched that he came, but absolutely mortified by his deeply lewd, provocative words.
"Do you know him, Sitri-san?" Finn asked, leaning slightly toward Sona. His low, vibrating baritone brushed against her ear, making the strict heiress shiver.
"...Unfortunately, I do," Sona sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of her nose. Her strict, perfectly composed facade cracked, clearly wishing she could deny knowing the screaming idiot.
"That is her highly prized Pawn?"
"Yes."
"Is there actually anything special about him?"
Sona raised an eyebrow, adjusting her glasses as she looked up at Finn. "Why do you ask?" Aside from him being a massive, unapologetic pervert who just claimed a noblewoman’s virginity, what else could there be?
"Because," Finn murmured, his dark, golden eyes sweeping the room, "despite screaming such a highly offensive insult at a noble, I don’t feel a single spike of killing intent from the guards. Nobody is rushing forward to execute him."
"...We are not always that brutally violent, but you make a fair point," Sona admitted reluctantly.
The Devil hierarchy was incredibly rigid. If a servant insulted a noble like that, they were usually slaughtered on the spot. Finn wasn’t exaggerating. Even Sona and Rias were entirely used to shedding blood and exterminating rogue criminals who caused trouble in their town.
"To answer your question," Sona continued softly, "he is the host of the Boosted Gear. The Red Dragon Emperor."
"Ah. The one from the Longinus Sacred Gear?"
"That’s right."
"I see..." Finn nodded slowly, his expression entirely unimpressed. "What a waste of power. It’s trapped inside a pervert... and a fragile human."
"...Why do you say it like that?" Sona asked, a slight frown touching her lips. After all, as the holder of the Boosted Gear, there should be some potential within Issei, right?
"It’s just basic math," Finn stated bluntly, dropping the complex talk for simple reality. "No matter how much that gear multiplies a human’s strength, if the boy’s body is weak, the result is pathetic. Even if he was reincarnated as a Devil, zero multiplied by zero is still zero."
The ability of the Boosted Gear was to multiply the strength of its user every ten seconds, but if the user’s strength was just a zero, what would happen?
"...That is a bit too cruel to say."
"Fine. One multiplied by two?" Finn countered smoothly. "I can even say that his strength is two if you want to, since I am being generous."
"Hmm..."
Sona desperately wanted to argue, but she couldn’t. The Boosted Gear doubled the user’s power every ten seconds, pushing them to terrifying heights. But if the physical body bearing that power was too weak, the sheer, burning heat of that energy would just tear the boy apart from the inside out; as Issei couldn’t handle the strength itself, or his strength didn’t change much.
Also, even if Issei managed to force his body past its limits to land one lucky punch, could he do it again? That wild instability and the massive risk of sudden death were exactly why Sona hadn’t wanted Issei in her peerage.
"But..." Finn trailed off, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"But?" Sona looked up at him, entirely captivated by his dark, intense gaze.
"But as I can clearly see... the boy lacks any basic common sense, and..."
"He’s an idiot?"
"He’s not very smart," Finn corrected, shooting Sona a sly side-eye. "Because he lacks basic survival instincts, he might actually do something entirely unpredictable. His sheer..."
Before Finn could finish, the hall erupted into chaos. Rias’s peerage members suddenly burst into the room, weapons drawn.
Since Akeno wasn’t there, considering Akaneo had become a member of Finn’s Peerage, it was only Kiba Yuuto and Koneko Toujou backing Issei up. Koneko was a tiny, incredibly adorable girl with short silver hair who looked far too young to be in a fight, while Kiba possessed a distinctly soft, pretty-boy elegance that almost made him look feminine despite his short hair.
What the hell am I even looking at? Finn sighed internally, rubbing his temples.
The security guards were actively struggling to pin the three teenagers down. Tired of the sloppy, noisy brawl ruining the evening, Finn finally lost his patience.
He didn’t draw a weapon. He merely tapped the toe of his polished shoe gently against the marble floor.
It wasn’t a loud sound, but a heavy, suffocating wave of dark, dominant Demonic Power instantly flooded the room. The air grew impossibly thick and hot, pressing down on everyone’s shoulders like a physical weight. Every single person in the hall froze, their breath catching in their throats.
"This is a highly important event for two noble families," Finn’s voice was calm, yet it carried a freezing, absolute authority. "This is not a playground for children."
"Finn!"
Riser almost cried tears of joy, looking at Finn like he was a savior. He nodded furiously, absolutely thrilled to have the Balam heir backing him up.
W-Who the hell is this guy?! Issei gasped, his bravado entirely crushed. His body trembled violently as an invisible, terrifying pressure forced him to his knees.
Kiba felt the exact same suffocating dread. But Koneko’s reaction was the most intense; her golden eyes widened in absolute shock as she recognized the terrifying, primal scent radiating from Finn.
"Finn-kun, please, can you stop scaring them?"
Suddenly, Sirzechs Lucifer stepped forward, his calm, gentle voice breaking the heavy, erotic tension in the room.
"They are...?" Finn raised an eyebrow, looking at the Crimson Satan.
"They are my little sister’s Peerage Members. They are simply very worried about her, so they acted out," Sirzechs explained with a soft, indulgent smile, completely brushing off the fact that they had just violently crashed a wedding.
"Worried? I suppose that is a natural emotion," Finn nodded smoothly, recalling his manners. He glanced over at Rias, whose lush chest was heaving anxiously as she stared at him. "I am just a guest here, Sirzechs-sama. If the room is quiet and no one is hurt, I won’t lift another finger."
"Thank you, Finn," Sirzechs smiled warmly.
"However," Finn added, gesturing toward the groom, "if the man hosting this wedding is angry, I can’t stop him from seeking payback."
Riser immediately stepped forward, his face flushed with fury. "What is the meaning of this, Sirzechs-sama?! These lowly servants are publicly shaming me! They should be punished!"
"I am so sorry for the trouble, Riser-kun," Sirzechs replied, his tone remaining perfectly pleasant despite Riser’s rage. "But given how deeply they care, and considering the previous Rating Game was perhaps a bit unfair... I am thinking of hosting another little game. What do you say?"
"Unfair?!" Riser snorted in disbelief. "They agreed to the rules! Even if we fought again, nothing would change!"
"So, here is my proposal," Sirzechs gently pushed the trembling Issei forward. "Will you accept a one-on-one duel against Issei-kun?"
"Hah?!" Riser gawked.
"A Dragon versus a Phoenix," Sirzechs smiled brightly, as if he had just pitched a fun party game. "What do you think? Think of it as a way to entertain all our beautiful guests here tonight!"
Sirzechs then turned his bright smile directly toward Finn. "What do you think, Finn? Doesn’t it sound entertaining?"
"....."
Finn’s lips twitched violently. He desperately wanted to curse the Satan out loud, but he held his tongue.
"Sirzechs-sama," Finn replied, his voice dripping with dry politeness. "I came here tonight to watch a man and a woman unite in one, to celebrate their happiness, and to help ensure the survival of our dying bloodlines. I did not come here to watch a circus act."
While Finn didn’t want to make an enemy of Sirzechs, the Satan’s actions were foolish. The Devil race was literally struggling with extinction, yet their supreme leader was actively ruining a vital marriage just to play a game with a teenager and his sis-con tendency.
"....."
Sirzechs’s smile faltered, feeling a bit helpless against Finn’s blunt reality check. "You are far too serious, Finn. Surely there is nothing wrong with a little fun at an event like this?"
"There are plenty of chances for fun, but this is definitely not one of them," Finn stared back at Sirzechs with cold logic. "Before you suddenly hijack the evening, common sense dictates you should have asked the bride and groom for their permission first."
It was basic, undeniable common sense.
Yet, in a world where a teenage boy literally grew stronger by sucking on women’s breasts, and the Supreme Satan endorsed it, common sense had clearly been thrown out the window a long time ago.
"..." Sirzechs remained entirely speechless.
"It’s fine, Finn. Let me handle this," Riser suddenly interrupted.
"Riser?" Finn looked at the Phenex heir, genuinely surprised by his sudden surge of backbone.
"You want some fun, Sirzechs-sama? Fine. Let’s do it," Riser sneered, stepping forward. His eyes burned with dark, unrestrained lust as he glanced at Rias, eager to completely crush the boy who dared to challenge him for her body.
Riser and Issei locked eyes, the air between them violently sparking with tension. Finn merely sighed, leaning back against the pillar. Looking at Rias’s trembling, beautiful form, he couldn’t help but pity her terrible luck. Whether it was the arrogant Phenex or the screaming Dragon, she was hopelessly surrounded by absolute perverts.
