Chương 98: Devil against Bandit (Shounen mode)

Rias's heart pounded as the sky darkened, the sudden shift in the atmosphere signaling the beginning of a fierce storm.

Her opponent's- Raven's power was palpable, her very presence radiating with the ominous energy of a seasoned warrior.

But the redhead wasn't intimidated; she was the little sister of Lucifer.

In comparison with her brother, father, mother, or even Grayfia, this woman seemed like a child

As the first crackle of the lightning that split the sky, the red-haired devil reacted instinctively.

Drawing upon her friend Akeno's teachings, she conjured a barrier of crackling electricity, the familiar blue arcs of lightning dancing across her body in sync with the storm above.

The air around her hummed with power as she reinforced her shield

Raven's smirk widened as she saw Rias's response.

With a fluid motion, she swung the Relic of Destruction, sending a wave of dark energy hurtling toward the devil heiress.

The attack collided with Rias's barrier, sending ripples of force through the air.

But she held firm, the power of destruction within her flaring up to counter Raven's own sword of destruction

"You're strong, I'll give you that," The former bandit leader acknowledged, her voice carrying an edge of respect. "But let's see how long you can hold out against this."

Without warning, Raven vanished in a blur of speed, reappearing behind Rias with her sword poised for another strike.

She barely had time to react, her body moving on the instinct Adam hammered into her as she dodged to the side.

The blade passed through the space she had just occupied, leaving a trail of black energy in its wake.

The redhead retaliated with a blast of destructive energy, the crimson-black beam surging toward Raven.

But the older woman was already in motion, effortlessly dodging the attack with a grace that made it seem like she was toying with her.

The devil heiress gritted her teeth, frustration bubbling up inside her.

She was powerful—a high-class devi with a great bloodline—yet here she was, struggling to land a single hit.

The thought of it made her blood boil, and with it, the destructive energy within her surged even more violently.

The opposing Maiden sensed the shift, her eyes narrowing as she prepared for Rias's next move.

But what she didn't anticipate was the emotional storm brewing within the redhead.

….

Rias didn't know why, and she didn't know when this started

No, perhaps she already knew.

It had already started when her first attempt to use her family name failed.

It was a stupid, idiotic, and moronic thing to do, she knew that. This was a different world, it wouldn't conform to her standards

In fact, she shouldn't be feeling this way.

From her recent experiences, there were many people that were in a worse situation than her

Actually, Adam had beat it into her head- her family name means absolutely nothing in other worlds.

Of course, she had already understood that. She was not an unreasonable person, so she easily accepted that.

But… Perhaps Adam's words cut deeper than she imagined.

Yes, she understands. It was to beat her laziness out of her without any of those cliche 'tragedies' happening, where she would get 'character development'.

Yes, Rias shouldn't be feeling this way….

And yet-

She feels melancholic, afraid, anxious, worried, uneasy, angry, furious

And exasperated, disappointed, upset, and disgusted at herself

A storm of exaggerated amounts of complicated emotions were in turmoil inside her mind

She didn't know the cause-

Perhaps she did

In fact, she has been denying this ever since

Adam was right all along

The insults he used to stimulate her and change her way? All true

And that damaged her pride

Those words punctured right through her heart.

Rias comforted herself by thinking that those words were a mere tool used by Adam to train her- she thought of it as the easier way for her to change

But the fact of the matter is…..

It's all true.

And despite trying so hard to change, a part of her mind still believes that, as the little sister of Lucifer and the Heiress of Gremory, she is entitled to something

Even if that was beaten out of her, a part of herself still has that mindset

Yes, it would take a long time to change already established views….. But she will try

And so-

She will never let anyone get in her way

Especially not a bandit out of all people- one that has stolen the sword of destruction and killed one of the Maidens to take that power

...

"Get"

Rias Gremory uttered calmly, her voice a mix of numerous hidden emotions beneath that facade that one couldn't comprehend.

"Out"

The destructive energy around her exploded outward, the crimson aura now tinged with black as it consumed everything in its path.

"Of"

The ground beneath her feet cracked and shattered, unable to withstand the force of her awakening power.

"My"

Raven's eyes widened in surprise as she felt the intensity of Rias's aura.

This was no ordinary power—this was something far more dangerous, far more primal.

"-Way!"

With a final shout, Rias's Aura had transformed, enveloping her body entirely.

Her once crimson hair now flickered with black streaks, her eyes glowing with a malevolent light.

This was no longer just the power of destruction—this was the embodiment of destruction itself.

"You… awakened your Aura," Raven muttered, realization dawning on her as she tightened her grip on the Relic. "And your Semblance is….. pure destruction."

Rias didn't respond, her mind consumed by the overwhelming power coursing through her veins.

She could feel the weight of her new abilities, the sheer destructive force at her fingertips.

It was intoxicating, terrifying, and exhilarating all at once.

Is that what her brother- Sirzechs Lucifer- wielded at the palm of his hands?

'How terrific!'

But there was no time to revel in it.

Raven was already on the move, charging toward Rias with the Relic of Destruction poised to strike.

But this time, Rias didn't flinch.

Crackle

With a single thought, she unleashed a wave of destructive energy that collided with Raven's attack, the impact sending shockwaves through the battlefield.

Boom

The force of the clash was enough to create a crater beneath them, the ground quaking under the pressure of their powers.

The Maiden was pushed back, struggling to maintain her footing as Rias advanced, her eyes burning with newfound determination.

"I won't lose." The red-haired girl turned to destruction declared, her voice resonating with the power of her newly unlocked Semblance. "Especially not to you"

Boom….Booom….Boooom

With a roar, she unleashed a barrage of destructive blasts, each one more powerful than the last.

The bandit queen barely managed to block them with her sword, the Relic humming with energy as it absorbed the impact.

But even Raven, with all her skill and experience, could feel the strain of Rias's relentless assault.

The storm above intensified, the sky now a chaotic swirl of black and crimson.

Lightning flashed, thunder roared, and the ground beneath their feet continued to crumble.

But neither woman backed down, their determination driving them forward in a battle that would only end with one of them standing.

And as Rias pushed herself beyond her limits, she realized that this was the fight she had been waiting for—one where she could finally prove her worth, not just to herself, but to everyone

And it could also be the fight that finally gets rid of that subconscious spoiled nature of hers

With a final, devastating blow, Rias unleashed the full power of her Semblance, her body becoming a living weapon of destruction.

The energy she released was enough to destroy even the molecules around her, the battlefield engulfed in a blinding red light as her power reached its peak.

When the light finally faded, Rias stood alone, her breath ragged and her body trembling from the exertion.

Raven was nowhere to be seen, reduced to atoms by her power of destruction

The only indication of her enemy's existence was the presence of the intangible mass of magic power that belonged to the Spring Maiden

And as the person who killed the Spring Maiden, she was now eligible to become the next Spring Maiden

But unfortunately-

"Sorry! Adam has already predicted this!"

Rias raised her hand, palm facing the intangible mass of magic power

As she inputted her own demonic power, a purple mark appeared on the back of her palm

Pointing at the mass of power that was converging towards her to make her the Spring Maiden, the purple mark glowed with intensity

And-

The mass of magic power was quickly sucked into her palm, right into the mark

She narrowed her greenish-blue eyes, carefully feeling the changes in herself

And…

She was a bit disappointed

This 'Maiden power' didn't hold a candle to her demonic power. It did increase her reserves, but that was it

Sure, it also augmented the strength of elemental attacks…. But that was not her main method of attacking

"At least it's better than nothing…."

The devil princess muttered as her Aura slowly dissipated, and her Semblance retreating as she regained control of her emotions.

But even as the power faded, she knew that something within her had changed

Was it the Aura and the Semblance that strangely resembled her brother's Human-Shaped Aura of Destruction?

No, this battle was won by her alone.

She didn't obtain any help from her family…. And neither did her peerage join the battle

That proved to Rias that besides her family, she was an actual, independent individual who didn't need to rely on external assistance

Though the redhead had awakened a new side of herself, one that was both terrifying and exhilarating, she only felt excitement at this moment

…. With this new form of hers…. Could she perhaps imitate Hakai from Dragon Ball?

…

—---

A/N:

This chapter reminds me of the earlier chapters of this fanfiction, where cringe was ever-present

Yeah, this is Rias' character development. But reading back on this, it feels as though I was smoking on something when writing this scene.

Sudden power-up was reasonable as it was foreshadowed. Her semblance and Aura were fully unlocked, but the way they were unlocked feels a bit sudden to me