The Fallen Crimson Haired Of Ruin

chapter 2: downfall part 2

Rias first person view

As I walked into the classroom, a sense of unease settled over me like a suffocating blanket. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong, that the air was thick with tension and hostility.

And then I saw them-all of them, my peerage-staring at me with eyes filled with hatred and disdain. Issei, Asia, Akeno, Koneko, Kiba... they all looked at me as if I were some kind of monster.

My heart clenched in my chest as Issei rushed towards me, anger and betrayal etched into every line of his face. But before he could reach me, Kiba stepped in, holding him back with a firm grip.

"You knew," Issei spat, his voice laced with venom.

Issei:You knew Raynare was a fallen angel. You knew she wanted to kill me. And yet, you allowed her to torment me, to manipulate me, all so I could become your faithful servant.

My mind reeled, unable to comprehend the accusations being thrown at me. How could this be true? How could I have been so blind, so foolish?

But then I remembered-the whispers, the doubts that had plagued me in the darkest corners of my mind. I had ignored them, pushed them aside in favor of my own desires, my own ambitions.

And now, faced with the consequences of my actions, I felt a wave of guilt wash over me like a tidal wave.

Rias:I... I didn't know

I stammered, my voice barely above a whisper.

Rias:I swear, Issei, I didn't know.

But even as the words left my lips, I knew they sounded hollow, empty. How could I expect them to believe me when I had betrayed their trust so completely?

Nissa's grin widened, a wicked gleam in her eyes.

Nissa:Oh, but you did know, sister

she taunted, her voice dripping with malice.

Nissa:You knew all along, and yet you chose to turn a blind eye, to sacrifice an innocent person perverted but still innocent for the sake of your ambition.

I felt sick to my stomach, the weight of their accusations crushing down on me like a ton of bricks. How could I have been so blind, so foolish? How could I have allowed myself to become the very thing I had sworn to fight against?

But as I looked into the eyes of my peerage, their expressions hardened with anger and betrayal, I knew that there was no turning back. I had lost their trust, their loyalty, and perhaps even their friendship.

And as the realization sank in, a sense of despair washed over me, threatening to consume me whole. For I was Rias Gremory, and I had failed them all.

Issei's anger flared like a raging inferno, his eyes blazing with fury as he confronted me with accusations that cut me to the core. The weight of his words pressed down on me like a suffocating weight, each accusation a dagger aimed straight at my heart.

Issei:What about Asia?

he demanded, his voice raw with emotion.

Issei:You allowed her to die, didn't you? You knew she had the Twilight Healing Sacred Gear because I told you. You knew they wanted to take her Sacred Gear, and yet you did nothing to protect her because you wanted it all for yourself And then, when she died, you brought her back just so you could have her in your peerage.

My throat constricted with guilt, unable to form a coherent response to his accusations. How could I explain my actions, my failures, in the face of his righteous anger?