Ainz Ooal Gown: Supreme Being in DxD

Knock over the punch bowl

Grayfia snapped her fingers in front of Lucifer's face in a way that clearly displayed her annoyance. "My lord, I believe Issei-san is not the only one you have to apologize to."

"Ah... Rias, I'm sorry, but I had to make sure..." Sirzechs seemed to bite in his tongue, confusing Momonga to the point he almost stumbled on his incantation of silent and delayed [Summon Middle-tier Undead: Elder Lich]. That spell alone, when silent and delayed, took more mana than the summons he had performed so far combined.

"If Issei-san would have been Riser, there would have been a sign from his 'real' personality due to the factors involved. I've had multiple dealings with Phenix's heir due to Phoenix Tears which are quite valuable to my research, and knew Riser's history quite well also." Beelzebub continued where Lucifer left off. "He would have never missed the chance to take the center-stage and reveal himself, it would have fulfilled his 'goal' if our theory had been correct, and for that I needed your reactions to be real. I'm truly sorry, but the circumstances were too suspicious for us to risk it."

Lucifer nodded severely. "If what I suspected had been correct, Riser's cruel plan would have destroyed your will and soul utterly once sprang, Rias. I had to do it in a controlled environment if that had been the case. Fortunately, it hadn't been. At least yet."

The sobs seemed to subside and a shaky voice emerged from behind Momonga. "Y-you're s-saying Issei..."

"Issei-san is, indeed, likely to be just Issei and not Riser, but I had to make sure. There were too many coincidences. There's still a small chance that Riser-san is indeed possessing Issei-san in one way or other, but judging from the recent actions and events I doubt Riser-san replaced Issei-san." Lucifer nodded to Beelzebub.

"Indeed, there's a high chance the two souls, Issei's and Riser's, amalgamated together into something new entirely, displaying pieces of personality from both yet not truly being either. I will have to research this further to receive any concrete results. Furthermore due to the extent of the amalgamation I doubt this exchange was initiated by Riser, but instead by Issei-san in a final act of desperation." Beelzebub paused to adjust his glasses, turning them ominously opaque while looking seriously at Momonga who hadn't really understood anything that had come out of the Great Fly's mouth. "This would also go further into explaining the instability of his body as I doubt Issei-san's body is durable enough to handle a soul that is suddenly twice as big and many times more powerful than the soul inhabiting it thus far had been. His regeneration, for example, doesn't know when to stop, so it acts more like a reactionary cancer than a healing factor"

"We all know Lognius gears are capable of truly outstanding feats, to the point only their wielders truly know the true extent of their strength, so this shouldn't come as too much of a surprise since the ownership of the gear was sacrificed to make it happen." Beelzebub continued and bowed his head to the red-headed girl behind Momonga. "I understand the rage both of you must feel for my theories and for my test. I shall gladly shoulder your disapproval, Issei-san, Rias-san."

'I didn't really understand anything Lucifer or Beelzebub said just now except that they spoke words, but are they implying they're not going to attack?' Momonga stopped casting his silent spells just before going to the part where he'd materialize a number of bone traps around the room alongside exposives around Lucifer's chair as the situation seemed to paradoxically unravel around him instead of turning into a bonus raid boss stage where you face two raid bosses at once. "Lucifer-dono, is everything truly alright? I'm honestly more confused now than I've ever been before. I'm not sure who this 'Riser' person is, but..."