Here's the new chapter taking place in Phoenix of the Battle School Building arc. Oh wait, it isn't called an arc, is actually a volume... oh well.
Issei walks through the hallways to get back to his and Yuuto's room after drinking a glass of water. He was inside of one the Gremory's villas located in the woods in which the Occult Research Club were staying, they had planned on training themselves for ten days so they would be ready for the Rating Game against Rias' fiancé, Riser Phenex.
It all started when the members of the ORC, especially Issei, noticed how off Rias was acting as she spacing out more than ever, as if she has something on her mind. Then that one night, as Issei was busy with his thoughts when Rias suddenly appeared via teleportation magic circle in his room and what comes next was unexpecting; she asked him to take her virginity.
After hearing her said that, Issei was utterly in shocked and surprised. His composed and modest master offer him her virginity was so unusual! As soon as he finally return from shocking land, Rias has start stripping her clothes and makes her moves on him, Issei tries to talk her out but once she asked if she wasn't good enough he responded that she's a definition of beauty in which backfires him. Before she could do any further, someone else came out of the teleport magic circle and it turns out it was a maid, as soon as they saw her Rias stops what she was doing, after she apologize and left with the maid, who introduce her as Grayfia the servant of the Gremory House.
Issei couldn't understand quite yet, but he has a feeling that it must have something to do with Rias' back home, with the way she was acting so desperate and the maid certainly appeared mention that the master her brother, Sirzechs. He's a bit worry since then and he would have to ask the members of the peerage.
He had his answers as he, the rest of the peerage, and even Fuyuko and Joseph went to the clubroom with Rias and Akeno, and even Grayfia was there, that's where all is reveal.
As in turns out, Rias' father has made an arrange marriage for her daughter to marry the son of another devil family, the House of Phenex, one of the remain 72 Pillars. An arrangement as a way to ensure the future of Pure-Blooded Devils, however Rias wasn't please that her family would chose a husband for her and rushing too fast, and another reason is that her fiancé isn't much of a husband material.
Her fiancé is known as Riser Phenex, third son of the House of Phenex. When Riser came to the ORC clubroom, he attempt to take Rias to the Underworld to arrange the date of their wedding much to Rias' displeasure, the latter claimed that she'll never marry him.
To solve the solution, Grayfia proposed an unofficial Rating Game, it is a competition between two Devils with a peerage and shares many similarities of the board game Chess. If Rias win she would be off of her engagement, but if Riser wins Rias would agree to settle the engagement and marry him.
So with the agreement settled, Rias was giving ten days to train to be fully prepared for the Rating Game. Due to her lack of servants she is in completed disadvantage due to Riser having a completed set of fifteen servants, so she has her servants to train to improved themselves.
Issei also learns more about being a Devil as he train with Yuuto, Koneko and Akeno. Even Joseph and Fuyuko came one day to help them out, they brought training menus made by Shafu for the peerage and train them as well.
However he had difficulties with his magic but he improves little by little. He also secretly trains to create his own magic-based techniques. He even learned that he unlocked an ability known as Touki after a practice match with Koneko, so he also practice it in order to fully use it.
As Issei walks he was thinking about Riser. The first time Issei meet Riser, he did not like him one bit. He saw the way he put the moves on Rias and how much he wants to take her. The birdbrain is also an arrogant jerk and just by seeing his female only Peerage he can tell that he is a playboy and a lecher. In his opinion, the only reason he wanted to marry Rias is to add in his 'harem', that's just his opinion. But there may be another reason as to why Rias doesn't want to marry Riser, is true that the arranged marriage is for the benefit of the Pure-Blood Devils and she could be engage to someone else rather than Riser, but clearly she claims she'll find a suitable husband on her own.
As he walks he noticed that there was someone, whose presence was familiar, still awake despite the late hour.
Curious, Issei strolled through the villa and he spotted his master was reading a book. She sat by the window in the study room, wearing only her pink nightgown, and a pair of red-trimmed glasses could be seen on her face. Once again, Issei was captivated by the sight of Rias Gremory under the moonlight that shone through the window. Snapped out of his reverie after a moment, the pawn decided to approach his king.
"Buchou?" Rias turned her head towards her pawn. "What are you doing here at this hour? You should get some sleep", Issei said as he walked towards his master.
"Ah, Ise", Rias turned to her pawn. "I still have to look for more information about Phenex. Why don't you come here and sit with me? I can appreciate a company", Rias said patting an empty spot next to her.
Issei smiled lightly as he complied and sat next to his master. "So… Ars Goetia?" Issei asked as he noticed the book Rias was reading. The king simply nodded. "Buchou, I didn't know that you're wearing glasses", the pawn said again commenting at Rias' glasses.
Rias fixed her glasses' position. "Well, it's just for looks. It makes me able to think better and more calmly", Rias replied with a small smile, before she returned to her reading.
Issei remained silent to let his master finished her reading, then after a while, Rias let out a sigh as she closed the book. "Um… How did it go?" Issei asked.
"I could only confirm how formidable our opponent will be." Rias replied as she removed her glasses and massaged the bridge of her nose.
Issei has a confused look, and he asked, "What do you mean?"
Rias turned to her pawn and let out a sigh. "We're facing against a Phenex, and I'm sure you know what it means."
It didn't take that long for Issei to figured it out as he responded. "Like the sacred beast immortal bird, the Phoenix." He has his suspicious that Riser's family was named after the bird.
Rias nodded, "Thought they're devils, his clan has the same power of the immortal bird. They are also a Marquis family, considered elite even among the 72 Pillars." She explained. "They possess control over fire and wind, and also; immortality. Just like a Phoenix".
"So an enemy that won't die?" Issei asked with widened eyes. "Meaning that no matter how hard people try they won't be down, right?"
"Precisely." Rias nodded. "Even if you injured them, they heal right away. Even if you tear apart their limbs, stabbing their hearts or cut off their heads, none of those would work."
"But even if they are immortals, they're still Devils, right?" Issei said gaining Rias' attention. "Meaning that they still share the same weaknesses."
"That's right, even with the power to generate they are not immune towards divine powers and the element of light." Rias said. "But fortunately we don't have someone who could bring out any of those."
'And I can't force her to use that power...' She thought referring to the one person she knows and close to. "And Riser has participated 10 Rating Games since he has started."
Issei frowned over the information, he did remembered that Riser claimed that he never lost a Rating game. "So how good is that Yakitori, anyway? He said he never lost a Rating Game before." Issei asked with his eyebrows furrowed.
"By technicality..." Rias paused as she tried to find a definite answer, then shook her head, "No, not really. He's record is 8 victories and only 2 lost. But however, those lost were on purpose, he done out of kindness for the families that his clan's has ties with.
Issei was silent, so the one man who rise up in Rating Game has won 8 victories but when facing his clans' ties he lost on purpose, needless to say Riser really does looked down on people and he could have gone all out if he wasn't so arrogant.
"When the Rating Games became popular, the ones who rose the most is the House of Phenex. There weren't that many battles among devils until the games were introduced. In the games where the King also participates, the strength of the Phenex became more clear. The House of Phenex is the leading group in the Ultimate Class. They are literally immortal. Many devils found that out the hard way." then Rias continued after letting out an exasperated sigh, "This entire rating game was planned as if to tell me that I have no choice but to comply with the marriage…" Rias finished with tone of resignation.
"Say, Buchou…" Rias turned her attention again to Issei's call. "Why do you oppose this marriage so much? Not about marrying Riser particularly, rather, you oppose the entire idea of arranged marriage. Why is it?" Riser is the kind of man that no woman want to be with, but giving the circumstances of Rias' house she couldn't possibly reject the arrangement.
Rias remained silent for a second before signed. "It's because …I'm a Gremory." Issei was confused by Rias' answer. "Back at my home, people only see me as Rias of Gremory instead of myself. Many men like Riser only see me as a trophy because I'm a heiress of my family name…"
"Do you hate it?" Issei asked after taking in his master's words.
"No, I feel proud of it." Rias shook her head. "I'm proud being a Gremory. I'm more than happy to inherit my household. It's just…" Issei saw Rias' gazed at the night sky outside the window, as if she was longing something. "I wish to be seen as simply me, Rias, not as Rias Gremory. That's why I go to attend school in human world, because everyone sees me as Rias, not the heiress of Gremory household from 72 pillars. Raiser only sees me as a trophy to be obtained, and I don't want that…" Sadness appears on her eyes.
"I want to be with someone who will love me as Rias without the fact that I'm a Gremory. That's my small dream I have… Unfortunately, Riser only looks at me as Rias from the Gremory. And he loves me as Rias from the Gremory. That's why I hate it. But still, the pride of being a Gremory is very important. My feelings may be complicated, but I want to cherish this small dream I have." She said.
Issei was taking everything that his master said and understands. Rias Gremory, heiress to the Gremory household, wished to be seen and loved as only Rias. But due to her house's problems she's having complicated feelings. He knows that as a man, through the lessons of Ken, he must appease and comfort a maiden.
"I like who you are." Rias wiped her welling-up tears and she looked at Issei. "It doesn't matter to me, Gremory or the Devils' world, you are Rias the president of the Occult Research Club and the master of this Peerage." Issei said. "You know, do you remember that day when our eyes met?"
Rias immediately remembered when she spotted Issei dragging his two friends from her classroom's window. Sure, Rias had been interested in Issei ever since the pawn entered the first year of the Kuou high-school, but she did not expect that Issei still remembered that day. He remembered such a mundane event?
Issei averted his eyes the other way and a tint of red shade appeared on his cheeks. "Well… When I saw you from your classroom that day… I thought, 'beautiful', when I took a good look on your appearance, your hair, everything." Issei said as he awkwardly scratched his cheek.
Rias listened at Issei as she still managed to suppress a blush that starting to creep out on her face. "Not only that, when you saved me from dying that day…" Issei continued as he closed his eyes and his smile grew slightly. "I was really grateful… but in the beginning I wasn't really in the best of mood since I believed that I was turned by force and my freedom taken away. But hey, at least I'm not a servant of some slave driver sadistic devil."
Rias started to smile as well when she knew that Issei was glad about his resurrection. "And do you remember what you said to me in the clubroom after we rescued Asia?"
Rias blinked once before she nodded at her pawn's question. "Then, just like you and the others will be there for me, I , Akeno-san, Kiba, Koneko-chan, and even Asia will be there for you", Issei said with confidence in his eyes. "When we learned that the RinJyuDen survivors were making their moves, you didn't ignore the innocents and willing to help me and my friends in our fight to finish them once in for all."
"And in my… No, in our eyes, you're not simply Rias Gremory, you are Rias, our master, our dear friend, the third-year student of Kuoh Academy and also the president of Occult Research Club. And also…" Issei's tone turned slightly embarrassed. "You're also the senpai that I admire so much…" Issei finished with grin.
Rias could not hold down her blush anymore as her cheeks turned deep red, which was not noticed due to lack of light in the room. "So then you don't have to carry this worry alone, you know. Everyone's gotten stronger day by day, we're all in this together. Me, Asia, Akeno-senpai, Koneko-chan, Yuuto, heck even Fuyuko and Joseph." That much true, the two GekiJyuKen users didn't like Riser either in the club room that day and they have helped the Gremory Peerage with their training.
"And so, we don't want you marrying Riser anymore than you do. We'll all do our best." Issei declared.
Rias smiled wider, "Issei... come here," she reached her arms around him and pulled him into a hug, resting his head against her pillow-like chest.
"Erm... Buchou... what are you-?" Issei nervously whispered, blushing.
"Shh... let's just stay like this for a while," Rias whispered, nuzzling her face against his hair. Issei slowly nodded as he relaxed in his master's grip, feeling a little more comfort in her arms.
Next chapter will still take place in Phoenix of the Battle School Building, Honey Badger vs Fiery Bird. I was actually plan on putting the fight scene on this chapter but I'll separate them.
You remembered I mention arc earlier? I think I'll try coming up with original arc names in the future.
