Hey guys how's it going?

I'm keeping scores about Percy's potential pairing and Akeno is outright first with Rossweisse and Gabriel not far behind. There doesn't have to be a pairing though so it's all the readers choice! Just saying, it doesn't have to be a woman from the DxD universe. It can be from the PJO or HoO universe! Keep that in mind.

Okay to address a reviewer about Percy not asking what it means to be a Horsman. It was vaguely summarised in chapter 2. Read it again. I was already planning on Percy addressing that in the next few chapters.

It was also asked why Percy would trust Walburga who was a stranger to him. Think about it. The only people that would know about Great Red and him are themselves and whomever Great Red told. That will also be mentioned in a few chapters.

How high above demigods are the horsemen? Well they are the chosen four of the strongest being in existence. They'll be well above demigods. They'll surpass the Gods and Super Devil/Seraph/Leader class of the factions too.

Don't want Percy being a noob compared to them? They've had years of training and experience. Percy isn't going to just get the powers from Great Red and knowledge of how to use them. Way overused. Percy will work himself for it.

Why he doesn't have language problems? Maybe because the only person he's spoken to besides Great Red in Japan is Walburga and wouldn't it make sense for a horseman to know the world languages?

Don't like the story? Simple solution. Don't read it.

Anywho, the next chapter is a go!

(Insert line break here.)

Red grinned. "Tartarus."

Stare.

Blink.

Stare.

"Did you say Tartarus?" Percy asked, hoping he heard wrong.

"Yep." Red chuckled.

"You are condemning me to this hell hole again?"

"Well you aren't here to get out but to rather prove yourself as the Horseman of War."

Walburga giggled and clapped her hands in excitement. "Show everyone how good the son of Poseidon is, Percy!"

"Oh yeah," Red turned to Percy. "There's a no weapons rule for this tournament in the Arena."

"No weapons?!"

"Nope." Walburga cutted in. "Fist fighting and powers only."

"Why a no weapons tournament?"

"Because we already know of your current prowess with your sword but not without it." Red said calmly.

"But I'm terrible at martial arts or fist fighting or whatever."

"I'm sure you'll be fine." Red said in a tone leaving no room for argument.

Percy huffed and turned to Walburga, "Did you have to do this?"

"Nope. I had to clear the River Styx of all the corpses that had fallen into it. That wasn't fun..." She trailed off in reminiscence. "But then again, I'm the Horsewoman of Death and you're the Horseman of War!"

"Now, Perseus. I'll take Riptide off you and keep it safe." Red assured.

Percy hesitated but withdrew Riptide from his pocket and handed it over to the human form of the Apocalypse Dragon.

Red nodded and nudged him towards the giant gate. "Just go through there and tell them your name is Cole Medal. They'll take it from there."

Percy nodded a nervous smiled flickered its way onto his face and turned to the gate and walked towards it.

"Percy!"

He turned around back to Red and Walburga.

"I'll do you a favour and give you something more comfortable to wear!" Red hollored and snapped 'his' fingers.

Percy's clothes shifted from the crew neck shirt and loose shorts into a karate gi. Loose green bottoms and top with a red belt tied around his waist that helped hold his top together and wrist bands materialised on him. His sneakers also changed into green boots with red lining.

"You look good." Red commented.

"Definitely." Walburga agreed. "Do your best!"

The son of Poseidon nodded and walked through the gate into the waiting area of the Arena. He looked around noticing different species of people. He saw multiple people with angel wings on their backs except they were black rather than white. Fallen Angels Percy concluded. There were also other people with black leather bat wings and Percy recognised them as Devils. Some cyclops and empousas were also noticeable but the one that stuck out the most was a man with black hair and violet eyes. He was taller than Percy and really muscular.

"Name?"

Percy looked at the Devil that had just walked up to him. "Pardon?"

"Name?" She asked again in a bored tone, indicating to the clipboard in her hand.

"Oh uh Cole Medal."

"Cole Medal..." She muttered and wrote something on the clipboard. "You're all good." She left to the next competitor.

Percy sighed and rubbed his eyes. Why did Red this is a good idea? Oh yeah because he was the Horseman of War. He swore to himself and cursed Red. The son of Poseidon looked back up and saw the man that stuck out to Percy the most in front of him with a hand out in a friendly gesture.

"Hello. My name is Sairaorg Bael, heir to the Bael clan and high-class devil."

Percy took his hand and shook it, "Cole. Cole Medal."

"Pleasure." Sairaorg said. "Why are you here to compete?"

"Uh my master wanted me to show him my progress and this is how he wanted me to prove myself."

Sairaorg raised a brow. "Interesting that your master would want you to show it in the Arena."

"Yeah, I wasn't expecting it either to be honest." Percy exclaimed scratching his head.

Sairaorg nodded solemnly. "I hope you show them your worth."

"Yeah thanks."

"LET THE NEXT TOURNAMENT BEGIN!" Was bellowed through the colisseum.

Sairaorg gave a Percy an encouraging look. "See you out there." He said as his he disappeared from in front of him.

Percy blinked in surprise. Where did he go? He didn't think on it longer because he was suddenly on the battlefield facing thousands of roaring spectators and roughly fifty other competitors. 'Ahh shit.' Percy swore.

"NOW FOR LORD TARTARUS TO ADDRESS THE RULES OF THIS TOURNAMENT!" The announcer said through the speakers.

The crowd fell silent as a large man, roughly ten feet tall stood with grace and stepped forward from his seat high up in the stands. Cameras were trained on him as he was shown on the mega screen. Percy dreaded seeing Tartarus in the flesh again. He was a muscular as before. Smaller perhaps but still as intimidating as ever. Though he could note that Tartarus did have a face of a pale man with hair the color of the abyss and eyes even darker. Percy was surprised that the Primordial hadn't sensed him.

"I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME EVERYONE TO THIS TOURNAMENT!" The Primordial of the Pit bellowed as the crowd roared in reaction.

Tartarus raised his hand and the crowd fell silent again. "THERE ARE ONLY THREE RULES TO THIS TOURNAMENT.

NUMBER ONE: THE USE OF WEAPONS IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN! IF THIS IS BROKEN YOU SHALL BE IMMEDIATELY DISQUALIFIED AND WILL BE VAPORISED BY YOURS TRULY. HOWEVER, SACRED GEARS AND POWERS ARE ALLOWED.

NUMBER TWO: THERE SHALL BE NO KILLING. TO BE ELIMINATED YOU MUST BE UNABLE TO CONTINUE FIGHTING AND THEN YOU WILL BE TRANSPORTED TO THE MEDICAL BAY FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE TOURNAMENT. BREAK THIS RULE AND YOU SHALL BE VAPORISED.

NUMBER THREE: THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE WINNER. THERE IS NO TIME LIMIT AND THIS TOURNAMENT WILL CONTINUE UNTIL WE HAVE ONE COMPETITOR REMAINING WHERE THEY SHALL RECEIVE A PRIZE FROM YOURS TRULY.

WITHOUT FURTHER ADO. LET THE TOURNAMENT BEGIN!"

A bell chimed loudly at the conclusion of the Primordial's speech indicating the beginning of the match.

Red hadn't told Percy what a Sacred Gear was but he made a mental note to asked the dragon after the tournament. Percy breathed and shifted his body into a fighting position. His legs spread apart and his hands curled into loose fists. No one moved for a few seconds before one of the empousas were immediately knocked out and eliminated by Sairaorg on the other side of the field. He moved so quickly that Percy didn't even see him.

With that, pandemonium struck.

Competitors immediately threw themselves at each other. The son of Poseidon dodged the punch of one Fallen Angel and struck him in the face, sending him stumbling back where he held his head in an attempt to regain his bearings but Percy didn't allow that with a quick rapid fire of punches to the face and gut followed up by a roundhouse kick to the temple knocking him out and eliminating him.

"YEAH GO, COLE!" He heard Red roar from the front row of the crowd with Walburga who was watching on like a child in a candy store.

Percy ignored them and focused on the competition.

The son of Poseidon stepped out of the way of a devil who came diving in with a kick. Percy swung his fist but was blocked by another devil. A punch hit his midsection, throwing Percy back several feet from the power in it. Gasping in pain, he blocked a flying kick with his forearm and managed to grab the Devil's leg, swinging him into the other Devil who attempted to punch him.

His opponents untangled themselves from each other and sneered at him. One of them disappeared through a glowing circle beneath him and reappeared behind him. The Sea Prince pivoted his feet so he could see both attackers as they launched themselves at him. He blocked a fist and foot with each forearm and kicked one away.

Turning his attention to the other devil, he locked himself in a one on one fist fight between each other. Punches being thrown at high speeds that no normal mortal or demigod should be able to move at.

Percy gritted his teeth as he felt the other devil's presence incoming where he broke from his current opponent and dodged the incoming punch and threw a fist into the devil's face, breaking his nose. The devil gasped holding his nose as Percy raised his fists and slammed them into the back of his neck, knocking him out and eliminating him.

The devil Percy was fighting before roared in anger and sent a beam green light at him. Percy quickly erected a wall of ice from mid air blocking the beam. The ice wall was a bad idea as it took some stamina out of him. The devil came flying at him and Percy sent a blast of water into him, sending him into the wall which eliminated him.

Percy took a moment to breathe. 'How am I able to fight this well? I was shit fighting hand to hand and I'm suddenly this good? How?'

'Your body is beginning to adjust to the role of war.'

Percy looked at Red in the crowd. 'Its adjusting?'

Red nodded from 'his' position amongst the cheering spectators. 'Yes. We needed to train your stamina up a little bit so we could do this. Though you will need more stamina training in the future, we just needed that little bit to trigger the beginning of you coming to your power.'

Percy nodded at Red in understanding and turned to other competitors. He saw Sairaorg in the distance eliminate a cyclops and turned his attention to Percy. He grinned from his position and made a 'bring it' motion to Percy.

The son of Poseidon gave Sairaorg a serious look and mist travelled behind him and threw a punch at his head. The young Bael looked surprised at his method of teleportation but blocked Percy's punch and kneed him in the gut. The son of Poseidon gasped, spit escaping his mouth from the power behind the hit. He looked up to only meet a fist in his face throwing him almost twenty-five feet away from Sairaorg.

Percy landed on his back, groaning as he held his face. It was a miracle Sairaorg hadn't broken his nose. Percy climbed to his feet as Sairaorg drew closer and positioned himself. His opponent jumped at Percy but his attack was avoided as Percy dodged and landed a punch to Sairaorg's ribs.

The young Bael winced from the punch but threw one back at the son of Poseidon which was met Percy's palm as he blocked it. Sairaorg withdrew his fist and flipped backwards as Percy copied him to give themselves space.

The crowd roared in the background cheering for the competitors. Percy looked around to see about thirty-five remaining, including Sairaorg and himself.

"Cole!" The young Bael yelled over the crowd. "I say we continue our little match another time. That was a little tester for me to see your movements first hand. What do you say?!"

"Yeah!" Percy yelled back. "We'll finish this later!"

'After all. You've given me insight of yourself too.' He thought to himself and left in search of his next opponent.

(Insert line break here.)

Red and Walburga watched the tournament in interest. They were almost surprised at how well Percy was doing in it as the spectators roared in excitement around them.

"He's doing quite well." Red commented.

"Oh yes." Walburga giggled, clapping her hands. "He's really showing promise and has started to unlock and adapt to his powers even faster than the rest of us did."

"Yes..." Red drawled. "It's quite unnerving to say the least."

Walburga gave 'him' a curious look, "How so, boss?"

"Unlike yourself and the other Riders, the boy is of godly descent. I have a feeling that his godly side adapting and molding his body into the perfect vessel, fit for his coming powers."

"Interesting. How powerful is he at the current time?"

"The boy's at the level of a upper-tier high class devil. Which is quite terrifying since he has only just started to tap into the mastery of martial arts and not his other powers yet. Let's not forget that the average demigod is at the level of a mid-tier middle class devil. Perseus is truly a terror."

Walburga grinned in anticipation. "It'll be interesting to see his progress of the coming months then."

"Yes but that other one. Sairaorg I believe his name is. He's holding back quite a lot."

"Now that you mention it, he is isn't he?" The Pale Rider acknowledged.

"Perhaps and I believe the reason why Perseus hasn't been knocked out has been because that young devil is intrigued by him." Red commented.

"Does he sense Perseus's godly powers?"

"No," Red said firmly. "But he does sense something off about him. It would explain why he and our boy broke off from their fight with each other. They wanted to have a feel for each other's strength."

"I suppose then that we'll have to see what will happen next time they face off." Walburga cackled.

"Indeed." Red agreed.

(Insert line break here.)

Percy ducked under a clawed hand and landed a punch into the empousa's side. She hissed in pain and sneered at him.

"I can smell the godly blood in you, demigod. Why are you here in Tartarus?"

Percy scowled sending a blast of water at the empousa which she barely dived out of the way of. The Sea Prince redirected the water back at the empousa's and formed it into a large hand, grabbing her and lifting her up, replicating what he had done to the gorgons back when he first arrived at Camp Jupiter.

The empousa kicked her legs and struggled under water but Percy didn't let up and held her there. The Monster struggled then stopped, passing out. As she was eliminated, Percy answered her question.

"Because it's for the greater good."

Percy dropped the water that was suspended in the air into himself. Feeling the familiar effect of revitalisation, he cracked his neck and turned to the rest of the competitors. There were only about twenty-five left now.

"Let's do this." Percy said as he attacked his next opponent.

(Insert line break here.)

And that's that. The next chapter of Horseman of War completed. I'm planning on making this little tournament 2-3 chapters long.

I'm not the greatest at fight scenes so I hope it was sufficient enough for you guys.

Remember to vote!

Laters,

Heir-Emerald.