Chapter 755: The Weight Of Being Chosen
The Weight of Being Chosen
Cassidy crossed her arms, giving Rias a look that was almost challenging.
"And don’t even think about backing out now. That’d be annoying."
A small ripple of quiet laughter passed through the group—not loud, not overwhelming—but enough to ease the tension just a fraction.
Rias let out a breath.
Long.
Heavy.
She looked back at Leon.
"...And you?"
There it was.
Not doubt in them—
But in him.
Or maybe... in what he saw in her.
Leon didn’t answer immediately.
He stepped closer.
Close enough that his voice didn’t need to be loud.
"You think I chose you because it’s easy?"
The space between them tightened. The air shifted.
Rias’s eyes flickered, just slightly.
Leon’s gaze didn’t waver.
"I chose you because you won’t let this kingdom fall."
A pause.
"Even if you doubt yourself."
The words didn’t hit like a command.
They settled.
Slow.
Heavy.
Like something sinking deep where it couldn’t be ignored.
Rias felt it.
Not on the surface—
But underneath.
In that quiet place she didn’t show anyone.
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Rias looked down for a moment.
Thinking.
Feeling.
Weighing.
Her fingers tightened, then loosened again.
For a brief second, the confident, untouchable version of her cracked—just enough to reveal the hesitation beneath.
Not fear of failure.
But fear of responsibility.
Of being the one everyone looked to... and not being enough.
Her lips parted slightly, like she was about to say something—but nothing came out.
Just a quiet exhale.
Then—
She laughed softly.
A little breathless.
"...You really don’t make this simple, do you?"
Leon smirked faintly.
"I never did."
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Rias shook her head slightly, a faint smile lingering—but her eyes were still heavy with thought.
She glanced to the side again, this time slower.
Not searching for doubt anymore—
But accepting what she saw.
Fey, standing a little further back, had been silent the entire time. Watching. Measuring.
She finally stepped forward, her expression calm—but her voice carried a quiet edge.
"You’re hesitating," Fey said plainly.
Not accusing. Just stating it.
Rias didn’t deny it.
Fey continued,
"That’s good."
That caught a few off guard.
Syra raised a brow.
"...That’s your encouragement?"
Fey looked past her, gaze locked on Rias instead.
"Only someone who understands the weight of this would hesitate," she said. "Anyone else would’ve accepted already... and that would’ve been a mistake."
A small nod came from Kyra just then.
Another step forward was taken by Fey.
Stillness between steps. A pause that listens instead of rushes. Movement follows breath, never leads. Space remains open even as nearness grows.
Still watching Rias, her gaze held firm. Not rushing, though close enough to touch. Pausing without stepping back.
"So skip the hurry to get everything right," she said, voice quieter yet somehow louder in its meaning. Yet stay close to what feels real."
A quiet shift in angle, her gaze lingered on the other woman’s face. The moment stretched, shaped by unspoken questions hanging between them.
"And don’t lie to yourself either... you’ve never been good at that."
A faint, knowing smile touched her lips.
Silence followed—but it wasn’t empty anymore.
It settled over them like something alive. Breathing. Listening.
It was steady. Grounded.
Rias let that sink in.
Not just Fey’s words... but everything behind them.
The pressure sitting on her shoulders like invisible weight.
The trust in their eyes—too real to ignore.
The expectations she had tried to laugh off before.
And beneath all of it—something quieter. Something that hit deeper than all the rest.
They had already chosen her.
Not as a test.
Not as a possibility.
As a fact.
The only thing left...
Was whether she would choose it too.
Her fingers curled slightly at her sides.
For a moment, she didn’t look at anyone.
Her gaze dropped—just enough to hide the flicker in her eyes.
"...You’re all insane," she muttered under her breath, but there was no bite in it.
A small exhale left her lips.
Not frustration.
Nerves.
Rias looked up again.
This time—
Different.
Still uncertain.
But no longer resisting.
Her eyes moved across the room—slower now.
She met Aria’s calm, unwavering gaze.
Cynthia’s quiet, assessing look.
Syra, who gave her a small grin like she’d been waiting for this exact moment.
Kyra stood composed, but her arms had relaxed—just a little.
Lira’s expression was soft, almost reassuring.
Sona gave a small nod, subtle but firm.
Mia looked like she might cry if Rias said no.
Cassidy crossed her arms, but there was a hint of a smirk—like she already knew the outcome.
Nova watched silently, sharp eyes missing nothing.
Tsubaki stood straight, disciplined... but there was respect there. Clear and undeniable.
They weren’t judging her.
They were... waiting.
"...If I accept this..."
Her voice came out quieter at first—but she caught it.
Steadied it.
"I don’t stand above them."
Her hand lifted slightly, gesturing toward the others—not as subjects, but as equals.
"I stand with them."
There was a brief pause.
As if she was testing the weight of her own words.
Leon didn’t hesitate.
"Always."
Simple.
Certain.
Like there had never been another answer.
Rias’s eyes narrowed just a fraction, searching his face.
"And if I mess up?"
There it was.
Not arrogance.
Not pride.
Just something honest. Raw.
Leon’s answer came instantly.
"Then we fix it."
No hesitation.
No doubt.
A quiet scoff slipped from Syra. "Yeah, obviously. You think the rest of us don’t screw up?"
Cassidy snorted. "Speak for yourself. I screw up regularly."
"That’s because you don’t think," Kyra replied dryly.
"Oh, I think. I just ignore it."
A faint chuckle spread through a few of them, easing the tension just enough.
Mia wiped at her eyes quickly. "You won’t be alone, Rias..."
Lira stepped forward half a pace, her voice gentle. "That’s the whole point."
Even Tsubaki gave a small nod. "Responsibility is shared."
Rias blinked once.
Then again.
Something in her chest shifted.
Silence again.
But this time—