Free Web NovelChapter 254: Tempting The Heiress
"...It’s really happening."
"What?"
"Nothing."
Finn sighed, leaning back in his chair as he watched the inevitable, utterly ridiculous battle about to unfold. He desperately wished Akeno were by his side right now. If his beautiful Queen were here, she could have easily shielded him from the annoying company currently boxing him in.
"You know, you should really go sit next to your best friend," Finn murmured without looking away from the arena.
"Why? Are you saying you don’t want me sitting next to you?" Sona narrowed her sharp eyes, crossing her arms beneath her modest chest.
"I’m saying your friend has been staring holes into the side of my head for the last five minutes."
"It’s just your imagination. Don’t worry about her. She doesn’t have the best eyesight anyway," Sona dismissed smoothly.
"...."
Finn stared at Sona for a long moment, then casually glanced over at Rias before ignoring the Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess entirely. Honestly, instead of bantering, it was safer to just sit back, keep his mouth shut, and act like a generic background character.
Yet, he knew that was impossible now. Sirzechs Lucifer had personally engaged him.
He didn’t regret talking back to the Crimson Satan, though. In Finn’s worldview, you needed the spine to stand by your convictions—but you also needed to understand the room. Luckily, he possessed the overwhelming power to back up his arrogant mouth.
"You really are far too reckless," Sona couldn’t help but mutter, her strict facade softening just a fraction.
"I completely agree," Finn sighed lazily. "If I had an absurdly overpowered big sister like yours to hide behind, I could talk as freely as I wanted."
"Stop bringing my sister into this!" Sona hissed, sharply nudging his ribs with her elbow, even though she knew he was entirely correct.
"Instead of getting physical and pouting just because I’m teasing you, you should embrace it," Finn chuckled softly. "Be proud of your sister’s strength. Use it to look down on a poor, defenseless guy like me who doesn’t have any real family backing."
Having a powerful backer was a massive luxury. It was exactly like the other Suzukis across the multiverse, who leaned on their unique cheats and allies to smoothly conquer their worlds.
"No backing?" Sona raised an eyebrow, leaning in slightly closer. "Don’t you have the Great King, Zekram Bael, pulling the strings for you?"
"I do. But our relationship is built entirely on mutual value, you know?" Finn turned to look at her, his golden eyes heavy and intense. "The moment I stop being useful, I’ll be discarded. That’s exactly why you shouldn’t get so flustered when I tease you, Sona. We’re playing two very different games."
He reached out, his large hand hovering for a split second as if he were about to affectionately ruffle her perfectly straight hair. Sona’s breath hitched, her cheeks dusting with a sudden, pretty pink. But Finn stopped himself, pulling his hand back.
Starting a scandalous rumor with the Sitri heiress was an intense problem he didn’t need. Sona and Rias were both incredibly troublesome. There were plenty of other beautiful, vastly less complicated women in the world he could be with.
"...."
Sona remained silent, staring at the side of his face. He looked completely unbothered, entirely focused on the impending duel, yet she could see the faint traces of deep exhaustion in his eyes. For the very first time, she actually felt a strange pang of sympathy for him.
"Don’t fall asleep," she whispered.
"I won’t."
"...Were you actually planning to sleep?"
"I’m not, okay? Stop staring at me with those strict eyes," Finn sighed.
Honestly, he just wanted to go home to Akeno. Just the mere thought of her—the way her soft, heavy curves yielded so perfectly beneath him, the breathless, lewd little cries she made when he took absolute control—sent a sudden, heavy rush of heat straight to his lower stomach. He discreetly shifted his posture, crossing his legs to hide the very physical reaction his Queen provoked just from a passing thought.
"Finn-sama... I am so sorry for troubling you earlier."
A sweet, nervous voice broke his train of thought. Ravel Phenex approached him, her lavish dress pushing up her breathtaking, lush cleavage with every anxious breath she took.
"It’s fine. Don’t worry about it," Finn replied, his eyes briefly dipping to the soft swell of her chest before meeting her gaze. He didn’t mind causing a headache for Sirzechs; overcoming that kind of friction was exactly why he bothered getting stronger in the first place. But the Satan’s extreme sister complex was genuinely exhausting.
"But..." Ravel bit her glossy lower lip.
"At the very least, your older brother actually grew a spine and stepped up. He kept the situation from turning into a complete disaster."
"Yes." Ravel nodded. It was highly unexpected for Riser to suddenly act like a proud noble instead of a lazy womanizer. But tonight, Ravel had discovered a lot of highly appealing things—mostly regarding the terrifyingly dominant Devil sitting in front of her.
"Um... if-if you don’t mind..." Ravel fidgeted, her blonde twin-drills bouncing slightly.
"Yes?"
"Wh-When this event is finally over... would it be okay for me to visit your estate?" Ravel’s face flushed a deep, inviting crimson, yet she still bravely forced the words out.
"....." Sona practically choked on her own breath beside them.
Finn blinked, momentarily surprised by her boldness, before a warm, incredibly charming smile spread across his face. "Of course. You are welcome anytime, Ravel. Or better yet, why don’t we exchange contact information right now?"
"Gladly~!" Ravel practically melted, pulling out her magical communication device with eager, trembling fingers.
They chatted intimately for a few more moments before Sona loudly and pointedly cleared her throat.
"Ahem. You two, the duel is about to start. Go flirt somewhere else later."
"A-Ah! Yes!" Ravel squeaked, incredibly shy but undeniably victorious. Being scolded reminded her she needed to go support her brother, but she clenched her small fists in triumph. She had made the first move!
As Ravel hurried away, her hips swaying under the layered dress, Sona glared at Finn.
"Are you actually going to marry her?" Sona asked directly.
"...That is way too early to tell," Finn replied, completely deadpan. "I’m a man, Sona. I’m in absolutely no rush to tie myself down."
It was an undeniable truth across the multiverse. No matter how many centuries a man lived, his ideal preference rarely shifted from beautiful eighteen-year-old girls. As long as a man possessed the wealth and power, he could easily have a gorgeous college student on his arm even if he was old enough to be her father.
"Scumbag."
"We are all scumbags, Sona. Even your precious Red Dragon Emperor over there," Finn shrugged unapologetically.
"....."
Sona sighed heavily, completely unable to refute the harsh reality.
A short distance away, Rias Gremory was actively frowning in their direction.
"Are you interested in him, Rias?" Sirzechs, who was sitting gracefully beside his little sister, suddenly asked.
"What? No, of course not. But... is that really Finn Balam?" Rias couldn’t stop herself from asking. "The same one who placed a global bounty on the entire Himejima Clan, and actually survived a direct hit from the True Longinus?"
"That is him," Sirzechs nodded, his expression turning serious. "Among the entire younger generation, I believe he possesses the highest raw potential. The sheer density of his Demonic Power has already reached the Ultimate-Class... much like Grayfia."
"...." Rias gasped softly.
Was Rias strong? Absolutely. But her Demonic Power, while impressive, wasn’t anywhere close to crossing the terrifying threshold required to be labeled an Ultimate-Class Devil.
Thinking about how Finn had completely silenced a room full of furious fighters with a single, casual tap of his shoe... it made perfect sense. Aside from Sirzechs and Grayfia, Finn was likely the most dangerous entity in the entire building.
"Are you sure you aren’t interested in him?" Sirzechs teased gently.
"No... well, I am just very curious," Rias mumbled, her cheeks dusting with a faint blush. She wasn’t entirely sure what she was feeling. It wasn’t love, but there was an undeniable, magnetic pull. There was something deeply alluring about a man who radiated such absolute, unapologetic power.
"He spends the vast majority of his time in the human world managing his assets, so perhaps you two could speak later," Sirzechs offered. "Though he usually operates out of China, Hong Kong, or Taiwan."
"Why not Japan?" Rias asked curiously. "Our territory is highly profitable."
"Because he was officially blacklisted by the Shinto factions after he slaughtered a compound of Himejima Clan assassins in Tokyo when he was ten years old."
"...."
The entire Gremory peerage fell into a stunned, horrified silence.
"...He did what?" Rias whispered.
"It’s true," Grayfia, who was standing loyally behind Sirzechs, chimed in smoothly. She had personally reviewed Finn’s highly classified intelligence file. "If my records are correct, it happened the very night he acquired his Queen."
"Wait... so he slaughtered a clan of professional assassins... just to protect his Queen?" Rias asked, her heart suddenly pounding against her ribs.
"Yes," Grayfia nodded.
"Hmm..." Rias bit her lip.
It didn’t change the fact that Finn was a ruthless, terrifying young man. Yet, hearing about that level of fierce, bloody devotion to the woman he claimed... it sent a strange, electric shiver down Rias’s spine. Suddenly, the screaming match happening in the arena felt incredibly childish by comparison.
It’s a good thing he isn’t our enemy, right? Sirzechs projected the thought to his wife.
Yes, Grayfia nodded deeply in return.
Yet, hidden behind Rias, a certain petite kitty-girl with silver hair timidly glanced over at Finn. Koneko hugged her knees, wondering if what her acute senses had felt earlier was just a terrifying illusion.
Senjutsu... It was biologically impossible for a pureblood Devil to wield the natural life-force of Senjutsu, right?
"YOU ARROGANT CHICKEN!"
"YOU FILTHY, DIRTY PERVERT!"
Before Koneko could process her fear, the heavy iron gates of the battlefield slammed shut. The duel between the arrogant Phoenix and the lust-driven Dragon had officially begun!
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Early, since I have to wake up early.
Please enjoy~!
