AGG: Rise Side Stories: Rias 3

Rias  3

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Commisioned by Cjdavis103

Word Count: 1067

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“Well, my sisters, I have to say that you have both exceeded my expectations.” Our brother addressed the two of us with a smile. Thankfully, it wasn’t the smile that promised a day of pain, suffering, and agony that we’ve both grown used to over the last few weeks. Instead, it was the brotherly, loving smile that Sirzechs gave us whenever he’s missed us terribly. Given his siscon tendencies, I was unsure whether that was good or bad. “Today, I proclaim the two of you masters of the Power of Destruction, and ready to return to Earth!”

“By Earth, do you mean the planet that has been mostly been abandoned in our absence, brother?” Ah, Aria, you have trained your words well over our timeskip training. Indeed, the fans will love your return, your newfound confidence, and your acerbic wit. Or, well, maybe they’ll hate you, because you’re certainly no longer the cute Imouto type. Ah, the price of character development is indeed steep. “The Earth that could have certainly used our help weeks ago, when the source of our powers devastated a whole continent? We could have provided insight in how to fight it.”

“Rias, tell Aria to stop being mean!”  Sirzechs Lucifer, the political head of the Hell, came crying to me. The man who that held the line against Archangels on the battlefield centuries ago feigns tears beneath his younger sister’s gaze. I suppose there was comedic value to be had in such a powerful character being a siscon. However, since I was his sister, and therefore part of the joke, I couldn’t really appreciate the situation. “Please, Rias! Help!”

I must apologize,  my dear older brother.

Truly, I have appreciated your aid in our training. However I must completely disabuse you of the notion that either Aria or I are routes available to you.

Please, find a wife, my elder sibling! It will be incredibly sad if the two of us are married before you!

Aria, sensing my brother’s lack of protections, and thus, my permission for her to continue, gave a very Devilish smile.

“Oh, no, brother. There’ll be no help for you today. We’re going to have a long, long talk about how situations are supposed to be handled.” Aria  advanced towards Sirzechs. I idly prayed  for my brother as he took a step back, only to find his back against the wall. Again, I must apologize, my dear brother. However, you really ought to have been more considerate of your circumstances. Perhaps, you shouldn’t have taught Aria so well? “Hmmm, now that I think about it, don’t you think I need to see exactly what I can do with my powers now?”

Given my disinterest in blatant post-timeskip power measuring contests, I made a swift exit.

I was more inclined towards reunions… IN SPAAAAAACE!

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“Rias, you’re back!” Ise proved to be as energetic and happy as ever. Truly, despite everything he’s gone through, I should’ve never doubted he’d keep being Issei. Though, I was certainly surprised when he didn’t hesitate to embrace me, or lift me up. Huh, since when was Issei so strong? Or confident? Perhaps this was an imposter before me? “Augh! Don’t be mean, Rias! Can’t a guy miss his best friend!?”

While it’s certainly true that we’ve been apart longer than we’ve ever been before, my suspicions were not allayed. Though Issei looked like Ise, talked like Ise, and sme—wore his usual clothes, his new confidence at giving hugs insinuated that he was either an imposter… or some character development took place while I wasn’t looking!

“Eh-heh, well, I guess all my training and hard work might account for that!”

Hmmm, I supposed helping save the world could result in someone’s confidence rising, but I doubted he actually trained—

“Hehe-- stop, that tickles-- Rias!”

Ah? What’s this? Since when did Ise feel like this when I tickled him? Eh, why does his body feel completely different? He feels like smooth stone—

Suddenly, I find myself three meters away from Ise.

“Oi, I don’t know how Devils greet one another in Hell, but up here, we don’t fondle one another to say hello.” A gray-haired young woman stands by Issei’s side. In the back of my mind, I know that she is Elizabeth Ulrich, the wielder of the Dimension lost, but my focus hones in on how she brushes at his jacket, as though erasing what I’ve done. There is a glare to her gaze that I don’t like. “So, Ise-kun, care to introduce me to your friend?”

Why did my heart clench when I heard her use his nickname? Aria used it all the time!

“Oh, right! I almost forgot! Sorry about that, Eli! This is Rias!” Eli, huh? It… it was a very mannish nickname! And… and I didn’t have a nickname from Ise-kun because my name wasn’t a mouthful anyway! “She’s my best friend! We’ve been together since we were kids!” Someway, somehow, Ise-kun saying I was his best friend didn’t put me at ease, even with the smile that accompanied it. “Rias, this is Elizabeth Ulrich! We’re partners! We work together in the Preservers! We’re great partner! Right, Eli?”

“Hmph, I suppose you can say that, especially if you mean I do everything, while you distract everyone with your yelling.” I was rapidly finding Ulrich-san quite… rankling. The haughty way she spoke, the way she tried to make insult into jokes, reminded me of the very worst heirs and heiresses of the Pillar families that I’d had to meet. I couldn’t believe Ise-kun laughed at her joke, especially since it was at his expense! “Well, I’m charmed to meet you, Gremory-san. Let’s get along, alright?”

Though Ulrich-san stretched her hand out to me, the smile on her face couldn’t hope to be described as friendly.

I knew, because I mirrored it on my own.

Gripping Ulrich-san’s hand in my own, I couldn’t help feel that I ought to have partaken in my sister’s discourse with our elder brother.  After all, instead of returning to my best friend, I found myself with an opponent that would have never have existed if my training hadn’t been so strict. I apologize, dearest brother, for it seems that your reward for all your hard work will be most ironic indeed.

At least, afterward, I shall be able to approach this situation with a mind bereft of anger and wrath.

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