Chapter 7: ...Give it up, My Friend, The Score is Settled even if You won't Admit it...
"You!" Kiba outright bellowed much to my surprise when he finally managed to regain consciousness. Funny, I didn't think he would be so loud after the tranquil fury he displayed in canon, but apparently he was a screamer too. "What the hell are you doing here?"
I, in my wisdom, decided to ignore him for the moment, and instead picked up the clipboard that was sitting on my lap. I managed to put on a considering expression, something which appeared to provoke the now conscious knight greatly if my glances at him were accurate, before taking the pen that was tucked under the metal clip and checking the third, and only, unmarked box on the paper.
"Well that makes all three then, though that isn't much of a surprise." I muttered, loud enough for him to hear while soft enough to be mistaken for thinking out loud. Kiba decided that he didn't like that very much, but before he could kill me with more Geneva convention violating vocals, or at least try to, I faced him. "Did you say something, Knight-kun? I'm not sure if I heard you properly." I replied politely to Kuoh Academy's currently fuming Prince Charming.
I was wearing a polite smile and looking the younger boy in the eye just like any civil person would, and I could easily spot the chill that went down his back as I made absolutely sure he realized what he just did. All it took was a little bit of power to remind him that I wasn't just any villain waging war against his beloved King. I was the villain who managed to completely annihilated them in what was considered a 'fair fight' though the odds and the outcome alone betray the truth, it was anything but.
It was nice to know he had most of his wits about him, the knight quickly controlling his anger once he concluded that if I wanted, he would be either a smear on the ground or, more than likely, a charred corpse.
He calmed himself with a single breath, deciding that if I was going to ignore his outburst he should as well, and looked around the room where he woke up.
It wasn't much of a room, and the rest of it wasn't even visible to him, or me for that matter. All his eyes could observe was the plain but comfortable bed that he was resting on, the plain white ceiling, and a set of simple red curtains that hung around us, almost like the ones found in their infirmary though a striking ruby instead of immaculate white. He was sitting on a simple bed, I was on a simple chair just a small distance away and yes, for the record, I was waiting for him to wake up.
"Where are we, Phenex-sama?" The boy looked nervous when he finally found his voice, along with his manners, his tone softer and more demure, if you could call a guy that. If I'm not mistaken I could actually smell fear radiating from him. Eww... "It was our first Rating Game, and I'm not particularly certain if it's normal to be talking to the opposing King after we had just lost."
"That's because, Knight-kun, it isn't exactly normal. Though nothing about our match was normal, am I right?" I allowed myself a heartfelt chuckle, not from the attempted humor, but how Kiba took it.
I swear the boy's face sported a genuine smile at one point, and then it decided that it didn't like me very much and began to frown a little bit. Then, it got caught up in the question of what he was doing here after he lost, which quickly shifted to impatience, and then shifted to fear when he realized that I could and had actually tried to kill him last time he was conscious. To properly describe his face, try imagining one of those photobooth picture sets, the ones where you manage to produce four pictures a pop and place in a smile, a frown, a grimace, and scream. Then superimpose them and that was the face he was making. Of course, I had to laugh at that, if he thought I was trying to be nice then that was fine too.
"Besides." I try to draw the awkwardness away from the situation with a more relaxed smile but there must have been some lingering exasperation in my expression since my tone came out as affectionately annoyed. "I think the question you would prefer to ask would not start with Where, but When. But enough of that, I'm sure I'm taking too much of your time; you do have a party to prepare for."
"A party?" He blinked for a moment, his head not fully present yet due to my acting civilly after everything that happened. I was already standing, a hand reaching and preparing to part the curtains. "Um... Phenex-sama, I hadn't been informed of a party being held after..." He paused for a moment before his eyes widened, almost comically. It seemed like the truth had finally sunk in, since he chose the his next few words perfectly. "How long have I been unconscious?"
"Not very long, just under two days, really." He didn't seem to like the careless way I said it, for very good reason. The average Devil's constitution was at the very least an order of magnitude better than any human's, so anything that could incapacitate a Devil for that long would have killed a human easily. "It could have been much worse, though I admit that I should have held back more. Your queen actually took the most damage, though I guess that was because of my first strike..."
"Akeno-san!" It was cute how he got all loud, his worry for the big-breasted Sadomasochist winning out over his fear of me as his face contorted in worried anguish with a touch of steel promising vengeance if he didn't like my reply. "How is she?"
"See for yourself."
A snap of my fingers and the curtains disappeared with a flourish of flame, revealing an unharmed Shirone chewing on a sweet to his left, and a positively tranquil Akeno sipping tea to his right. Shirone didn't seem bothered by the display, though she had a smile on her face as she looked upon her comrades. The knight breathed a sigh of relief, as he was the only one to witness the frightening feats of magic that forced his comrades out of the battle, his fear that they were killed was equaled only by his relief that they were safe. The queen sat with a satisfied expression on her face, the look of one who knew most of the story, but despite that there was still a sense of stoicism there.
Her guard was up then, good.
"Now that we're all together, we can have a proper conversation." I take my seat once more, and begin before they have a chance to regain their bearings and marshal their thoughts. All eyes fell on me as the sound of my chair sliding back under my weight rang in the silence. I had to make sure this conversation went according to plan, and since said plan required destroying any hope of a civil relationship with Rias's peerage, doing this should be fine. "Now that the challenge is out of the way, the wedding can finally get back on track."
That certainly got their attention, all three pieces turned stone-faced as their glares bore into me like laser beams. It became so deathly quiet that I could somehow hear my own heart beating and any amicable atmosphere vanishing with the nonexistent wind. Really, I was sure that if I made any gesture that was even vaguely threatening, none of the three would hesitate to start round two.
Mind control was always a messy thing, and dealing with a bunch of drones fanatically loyal to their King once again cemented that fact.
Well, that was fine. In fact, right now I was counting on them being offended for her sake.
"Don't look at me like that, I'm not the one who accepted the impossible challenge." Of course they didn't let up on their angry and slightly disgusted looks; I was the one who forced Rias to that choice after all, and they knew it. "Like I told your little lizard friend, if you want to blame someone for this arrangement, then go take it up with the Duke since we all know that the favoritism laws keep Lucifer from doing anything too drastic."
"You seem to be downplaying your own role in Rias-sama's unhappiness, Phenex-sama." Akeno said blandly, not trusting any of the others to keep a cool head considering the nature of this discussion. "Whatever you're planning, please do not claim to be innocent. It is... unbecoming for someone of your stature. Though, then again, when have you confined yourself to a respectable standard."
I bet she didn't expect me to pick up on the last sentence she uttered, but as of the moment the still air in the room was more my friend than hers. Her words whispered in my ear like a sweet lover would, the pain and anguish she felt almost bringing a smile to my face.
"My intentions are, and will remain, my own, Priestess of Thunder, but far be it from me to ignore an easy opportunity when one is presented to me." In response to her obvious anger, I simply smiled with an expression that could only be described as toxically sweet. "I would like to think that you children would understand that much at the very least."
There was no misunderstanding the implication I just leveled, and their reactions were as delicious as I had anticipated.
"Rias Gremory-sama isn't like that." Shirone muttered lowly, though it was more of a feral growl than a declaration as her bangs hid her eyes from me. Though I couldn't meet her gaze, the strange power welling up around her was far from friendly. "She's not like you."
"She came to us in our time of need. In the depths of our despair, she reached out to us and gave us new meaning, new purpose." Of course the vengeful knight was more eloquent, and his words sharper when he was pressed. His expression was of unrelenting fury, not unlike what would be seen when the cause of that suffering would come knocking on his doorstep. "We were gone and she brought as back. We were broken and she fixed us. We were worthless, and even today she still loves us like a family. Nobility or not, don't you fucking dare imply she's anything like you."
"I was her first." At any other time, I would have laughed at how seriously Akeno said that. "And even before that, the Gremory's took me in. Before she offered me the piece and the position as her right hand, they fed me, they nourished me, they loved me; they saved me." Her grip on the teacup was knuckle white as her voice gained strength from the outrage pouring from her. "They made sure I knew everything that would come to pass when I was given peerage, and after everything that happened and all the trouble I caused her family, they cherished me like their own daughter. I refuse to sit here and listen to you slander against my Sister!"
"Ignorance truly is bliss, is it not? As you wish, I'll refrain from accusing my fiance of outright manipulation, but come to your senses. I've seen your records, and the evidence is all there if any of you had the good sense to just look at how flimsy her so-called 'Love' is. Let's start with you, since you were, as you say, her first, Akeno." She was tense, her expression schooled around an angry flat line though her bright violet eyes spoke of hatred. "One of the conditions for your survival is that you stay beside Rias. Therefore it was only natural they cared for you the way they did since at any time, you could have easily struck her down before dying yourself."
"Their caring for you? If I wished to tame a lion of course I would treat it with love like I would one of my own, but that doesn't change the fact that I would have tamed a beast capable of mauling my enemies at my command." I've been told that spinning a story was a talent of the bards of old: to be ready to sing for one side of a conflict and at any given moment change sides and write out an entirely new tale as fortune changes her fickle mind. The uses of such a skill are obvious, and its value incalculable as one never know when twisting the fabric of truth would prove beneficial. "They knew of your situation since the Duke's own hand guarded your life, and I hazard a guess that they knew even before tragedy struck your household. Really, the only question was what piece to give you: Would you be strong enough to take the responsibilities and powers of a Queen, or would a Bishop suffice?"
Visually she appeared carved out of stone, but I could see the cracks in her spirit and the fissures of doubt allowing indignant fury to slip through. It wasn't much, but I could see my poison beginning to sap her anger, allowing hesitation began to creep in. Satisfied with my work, I gave her a last vicious smile before turning towards Kiba, who was already agitated listening to me pick the dark history of his queen apart.
"Your case is a bit simpler, Knight-kun, because of the, questionable, circumstances surrounding it." Kiba didn't pale when I began cutting into him, but painting his case in a negative light was still far easier than for Akeno. "I mean, I don't even need to discuss how they've treated you, since there is no middle-man in your story. The opening scene in your damnation starts with two actors, yourself and my fiance. But though it seems all well and good we haven't touched the How yet." I could see the gears beginning to turn as I let him ponder the clue, all the while feeling the practiced smile of treachery positively glowing on my face.
"I'm sure you can see where I'm coming from, Knight-kun, after all; what would the younger sister of the most powerful Satan be doing smack dab in the middle of Church Territory, alone and unguarded?" I allowed myself to laugh, light hearted and completely genuine since I did in fact find what I was doing funny. "It almost seems silly, right? Considering Lucifer is publicly known to be a doting brother, and one of the two reasons why the so called anti-favoritism laws are in place, something like that should never happen, and yet here you are. Your very existence is making a joke out of a serious rule that has prevented wars, Knight-kun, so I want you to think long and hard about about how it happened."
He was trembling with furious, desperate rage as I dragged his image of Rias and the House of Gremory off of their pedestals and into the mud. As great as it was his rage was without an outlet, no matter how he crafted his arguments and sifted through my own, he could find no fault in my words. As much as he hated me now for tearing open these old wounds he was helpless as that same hatred clouded his mind and left him without a proper retort. I could see desperate thought in those eyes aglow with hate, malice, and disbelief as he began tearing himself apart, the war between love and hatred proving too vicious to be quelled by will alone.
Good.
"Finally we go to you, the most blatant case of tampering among the bunch. I guess I should begin with the most obvious proof: You're name isn't Toujou Koneko, is it?" Her body stiffening was all I needed to see to know that my ploy worked. Of course, I ignored the pair glaring daggers at me and simply focused on the girl too distraught to meet my gaze. "Of course it isn't, no decent mother would ever name her precious daughter like that. I read a bit of your history and looking at everything you actually have the most potential of the three of you. "
"Hmm, well I guess you aren't the only one, considering your queen's father, and the one who 'blessed' your knight, but the point still stands that you are the most immediate threat." I made sure to sound as gentle as possible as I spoke to the little girl, though I'm pretty sure my sarcastic emphasis on certain words ruined it. She was almost at the breaking point, one more good push would do it, so I cradled my face in my hands and leaned in. "Your name though, would it have killed Rias to choose something more appropriate?"
"Your sister was Kuroka, right? Hmm, Kuro..." I smiled and if it was an expression of a demon or angel, I wouldn't know. "Following that, I guess your name would have something to do with Shiro, ne?"
That did it.
The next thing I knew, Kiba's sword slammed into the barrier I had prepared for this contingency, his patience shattering the moment I insulted each of them to their face.
His face was a mask of pure hate, rage violently throwing aside whatever fear of me was left as he struggled to force his sword through the transparent shield. His wrath warped what was an elegant longsword, causing it to grow into a harsh and savage espadon. It was with this bladed battering ram that he beat against the invisible wall a cacophony of noise blasting against my ears in vain. Kiba was desperate to strike me down, his eyes showing only a morbid expression of denial. It was like he was trying to shield his ears from the venomous words I whispered into their ears, trying could keep his blissful ignorance as I drowned them in the bitter truth.
I expected him to continue the assault for a few minutes, perhaps with a stronger or more damaging sword, but he froze when a heartbroken wail emanated a few inches to his side.
Seeing my word's effects took the strength in his arms and his massive sword dropped harmlessly to his side. He didn't even have the presence of mind to dismiss the enchanted steel as he witnessed what happens when old scars are violently reopened.
Koneko was weeping bitter tears as her fists repeatedly hammered the barrier. Rage, loss, frustration, and disbelief; all were present in her eyes as she shrieked her lungs out. Each blow could have easily crushed boulders and each strike flew faster than an arrows, but against the bulwark I created, all the strength and desperation were for naught as the child finally reached her breaking point. I'm sure she would have been willing to batter at the barrier until either it or her body gave out, but Akeno's gentle hand appeared, coming to rest on her shoulder.
In her rage Shirone hadn't noticed, but I managed to pick out the Akeno's swift movement as she leaped from her bed and ghosted over to the smaller girl. My barrier only protected me from the front, keeping them from reaching me but allowing them to reach each other, and with the speed of a knight and strength of a rook the queen possessed, it would have been child's play for her to stop the rampaging nekomata. But instead it was with a gentle hand that she quelled the rook's rage, the queen landing soundlessly as she began to comfort the smaller girl. With that simple gesture, Shirone was once again frozen solid. Tears continued to run down her cheeks as her body trembled, but with the same sense of gentleness I often saw in my human mother, Akeno smiled down at the one who wouldn't meet her gaze.
Tranquil yet firm hands traced the arm of the agitated nekomata, the light sense of touch draining her anger until only sorrow and loss remained. Those same hands lightly tugged at the smaller girl's limbs as the queen pulled the rook into her embrace, a serene and loving smile upon her face as hands I had seen wield punishment and pain spun small circles around the smaller girl's back as she ushered comfort into the little girl.
Shirone squeezed her tightly, desperately, as she bawled into the queen's chest, the Queen's Fortitude more than likely being the only thing allowing Akeno to smile gently despite the small rook's immense strength. She cried out for a sister would would never come, heartbreaking wails tearing from her throat as the woman attempted to comfort her with whispered promises of family and companionship.
That was one.
Kiba, too shocked to do anything despite his hate and rage, watched as the rook's tears continued to pour, rivulets running down her cheek even as she was being held in the queen's bosom. He could have summoned a sword and continued to strike at the barrier, he could have joined his queen's attempt at pacifying the little girl of their patchwork family, but he did neither as his empty eyes stared into the wall. He knew I had spoken the truth for Shirone, and I would bet my house he was wondering if my words to him were equally true.
That was two.
Akeno, even too busy to do anything, was definitely ready to take the largest sword Kiba could create and shove it where the sun doesn't shine. The scene of her acting out the role of the older sister to an abandoned child would be a little more touching if it didn't include her preparing for what was to be one of the strongest lightning strikes of her young life. The room was beginning to stink of ozone as power which could only be hers flooded the area to such an extent that I could feel it even behind the barrier, my skin tingling as expertly controlled charges were created before me and the markings of a circle seemed to flicker atop the magic I was using to defend myself.
That was three.
It had taken several minutes, several days if I was being honest, but I had done it.
Rias's three strongest pieces stood broken before me.
Perfect. And now that my job was done, I guess I should begin making preparations for the big party.
As I turned away I would swear that the flash of lightning striking at my barrier and the sound of thunder roaring murderously in my ears had never sounded so sweet.
It always feels good to win.
"Are you sure you can do this alone, my Lord?" Francis seemed apprehensive, although that may have been his normal voice. It was admittedly much harder to tell when he was dressed in full armor. "With all due respect, my Lord, this is a duty we took up with full knowledge when we were sworn into the service of the Phenex Family. It is an honor and a pleasure to safeguard the future of this house on the eve of this most wondrous occasion."
"Yes, I am absolutely sure, Francis." I wave him, and by extension his men, off with a gentle smile as I lean back into my seat and stare wistfully at the ceiling of my study. "This is a happy occasion and I want you all celebrating with me."
The Captain of the guard of the Phenex Household balked, which was expected considering the circumstances. I mean, this was exactly what he was paid to do, guard our family come high water, since we were already in hell, and I was telling him to take a break. I could assume that this was everything he knew, maybe even everything he lived for, but for tonight I was asking him to go and enjoy himself; his hesitation was no surprise.
"My Lord, while we appreciate the gesture, we are sworn to guard your household at all times." His voice was resolute, and though his face was not visible, his bearing was that of a soldier who would never disobey a command from a superior. "It would be our eternal shame if anything were to happen tonight while we eat, drink, and make merry. No servant of the Phenex would leave their masters unprotected, especially in the presence of company."
"Is it not equally unbecoming to speak against your Lord once I have made my decision?" I pointed out, tilting my head as a small smile tugged at my lips. "Francis, you have been with this family for as long as I remember. Both Ruval and Revive speak of you being around when they were still children, and your exemplary service to them. Is it too much to ask that you take a break and celebrate with me, now that the legendary playboy is finally getting ready to settle down?"
Francis was a strange one alright, both one of the most loyal people I have ever met, human or a devil, he was also one of the most stubborn. This man was older than my eldest brother, who had lived and breathed war since the time of The Great War, and up until the establishment of the Rating Game system. He once covered for an entire battalion during the Civil War, battling his way through the best the Leviathan could offer, all the while without as single solitary soldier watching his back. That monumental feat alone spoke volumes of his skill and his wisdom and to have survived and even thrived in such tumultuous times simply cemented it. Supposedly, he used to be the very tip of each spear hurled by the Phenex Legions: the one always in the thick of the fighting, a decorated war commander and a noble in his own right; and yet he chose to forgo his accolades and remain one of the most powerful members of our family's army.
He was my father's second in command, the wingman of the Phenex, and for all the glory he earned across centuries of battle, he stayed with us as a simple guard. Well, captain of the guard, but he spent most days tirelessly training his subordinates or patrolling the grounds despite the time of peace. Even now, he has the control of a veteran soldier over men, weapons, and, I can only assume, magic as he has the aura of a powerful demon about him, almost threatening those who wish the Phenex harm to come at him that he might dispatch them with all haste.
I was actually surprised when I heard the entirety of his tale for the first time, I had never known him as the brave soldier who fought side by side with my father, and later, my two brothers. Second-hand memories didn't paint him as a soldier who would go out into battle and lead his men from the center of the battlefield, crashing through the bodies of his enemies with might and magic and bellowing commands to the mass of troops behind him.
No, to Riser he was Francis: the babysitter.
This was the man who watched over him whenever his parents weren't around, the one who took care of him when mother or father were not available. When Revive was being too overbearing or Ruval would chide him again and again, it was Francis who became his confidant. This was the man who cared for him when he felt that his family turned their backs on him, and though those memories weren't mine there was a sense of contentment now that I could finally pay him back.
He should be Ravel's guard now, but since I had taken her into my peerage I was once again in his care. It's not as if I need it, but it was a safety net of some sort, so that if ever I got too out of my depth, I would have the... fifth strongest member of our armed forces at my back. Of course, I would have Mother, Father, Ruval, and Revive backing me up too, but it was nice to know that I had other powerful people by my side who weren't explicitly family.
"I see why my Lady was so happy when you finally called. The little boy has finally grown into a man." Francis the soldier then changed to Francis the Chief Caretaker and I could feel him smile from beneath his shadowy helmet. "It feels like it was just yesterday that I had to fish you out of the lake when you decided that practicing wind magic was supposed to be 'safer' than practicing with your flames. If I recall correctly it was Ruru-sama who once again took to the task of disciplining you. I must admit, you siblings were rather adorable when dealing with each other, though your antics were equally entertaining. Ahh~ those were the good old days."
"You're getting senile old man, you were forced to fish me out of the lake yesterday." I could hear his soft baritone rumble in a chuckle as we shared a laugh for the first time, as me and not Riser. "I'm sure that Rae would have done so herself if she knew how to swim. Seriously, that girl, of all the skills she lacks I find it hard to believe that swimming is one of them. If she knew how to swim then you wouldn't have gotten involved... again."
"True, underwater combat is always a possibility and the depths might provide enough cover to form a teleportation circle if need be." The older man nodded once, his fingers reaching for his chin as his mind wandered towards either battle tactics or my embarrassing childhood. Assuming the worst case scenario, it was probably the latter. "Ah, I remember now. Yesterday was just like the time you knocked yourself out during a training session, with an explosion no less. I always wondered how such a child could muster enough energy to throw himself over the castle, several acres of dense forests and into the lake, but now I find myself wondering when you will do so again."
"Give me a break, how was I supposed to know how much power that attack would have? And these last two times I was going for piercing damage, I wasn't prepared for an explosion of that magnitude!" Yeah, that was a dark time a few weeks back, when I was still developing the Kancho, New Name Pending. The long and short of it was that when I threw my first spear, and tried to create a copy of Ea, it blew up in my face and sent me crashing into the lake, after knocking me out. "And besides, that baby won me the game, as well as a reluctant bride, so I guess the small amount of embarrassment was worth it. Now all that's left for me is to deal with my bride."
There was a lull in the conversation, Francis humming in contentment as his mind wandered to times long past and the children he had cared for. He was always an accomplished storyteller, and I could feel that at this moment, he was reliving those happy times when we were young and stupid. Back when life was simpler, when Ruval was the bright and happy little boy who didn't know the meaning of the words privacy and restraint, Revive was a socially awkward recluse who couldn't say a word to anyone outside of family, and I was the youngest child desperately trying to claw my way out of my brother's shadows.
I wondered for a moment how I would have felt if I had lived those memories instead of just watching them. Looking through them, just glancing at those I can remember with the Thought Magic that I always kept active, I couldn't really say if I would have ended up the way Riser did. In the end he wasn't me, and neither was this persona him anymore, but an entirely different person.
My very presence altered the story, and that confuddling story I read once upon a time didn't even cover the entirety of this universe.
Francis was never brought up in the original narrative, and neither was Revive, so who knows how many things are different, even if Riser stayed the same?
No, not now. It's time to think about tonight, not the past beyond my reach or the future hidden in shadow. I needed to act freely, to be able to make the changes necessary; and to do that, I needed Francis and his men to take a break.
"Rye-sama, why are you so adamant about this?" The subject of my musings brought me out of my reverie with a soft and genuinely curious voice. Though he remained at attention, no doubt the mark left by decades of discipline, there was a worried air about him. "Even Ruru-sama wasn't this pushy when he invited me to his wedding, and that we were discussing the ceremony itself. This is but your engagement party, so I fail to see why you would push this issue."
"I heard from Onii-sama that you weren't the type to listen without direct confrontation, so I went ahead and directly confronted you about it." I could feel him raise an eyebrow at my wording as I nodded to myself at the flawlessly childish reasoning. "So I thought that I should secure your cooperation as early as now to make sure that you actually do attend the wedding."
Yes, that disbelief in the air is exactly what I need. He'll be too confused by the utterly stupid and yet somewhat logical reasoning to figure out the true reason why I want-
"Out with it." His tone of voice was forceful, and the sheer weight of his presence zeroed in on me like the gaze of a vengeful god. Screw the fact that he was dressed in the tight mail suit and the minimalistic armor of the average sentinel, the imaginary blade I felt tickling my throat reminded me that this was and still is the Supreme General of the Phenex Legions speaking to me.
And he just gave me an order, with a tone of command so absolute that if I had any less control I would have answered it immediately.
Except I obviously did not have enough control, as my hesitation betrayed the deception. Now he knew that I was hiding something, and it was only the fact that I was of higher rank than him that he hadn't tried to pry at my secrets.
Really, the fuck is up with non-canon characters reading me like an open book? It's supposed to be just me and normal characters who can be read because I did read the open book, damn it! I mean, fuck, am I really that unguarded when I don't have an unfair advantage allowing me to know the person? Does that mean mother and father know my plans too?
Okay, calm down. No need to panic just yet. It's not like he can sense that I'm plan- Oh who am I kidding?
"Someone's going to sabotage the party." I calmly reply, the jester mask of the youngest son of the family melting away to show an expressionless facade. There was no expression on my face, I know because I froze every muscle that could betray emotion and killed any inflection before it could rise in my voice.
"Do you know who would try to do such a thing?" All pressure faded when the general's presence faded and all semblance warmth and nostalgia brought by the last conversation faded away like a dream. He was doing his job as our main guardian, but there was a small hint of concern in his voice. Just goes to show that everyone has their soft spots, even hardened veterans of two consecutive wars.
"Of course I do, my problem is that I can only defend at this stage of the game, rather than counter attack." I explained patiently before sighing deeply. "Even if I do rally all the resources I have at my disposal, I highly doubt I could survive confronting Sirzechs Lucifer-sama, much less defeat him in direct combat."
Assuming it goes like it did in the novels, the boy will be endorsed by Lucifer himself, which means that only those with balls big enough to challenge the single most powerful entity in the Underworld will try to strike before the child issues his little challenge. Anyone who gets in between me and him will become fair game, including the guards. As much as they might help by sapping a portion of the boy's power before he can challenge me to a fight, I want that challenge to happen on my terms rather than his.
Only after I beat him at his best will the boy accept defeat, and maybe not even then. I could twist the situation in my favor even more if I require it, but that is more of a contingency than a part of my strategy.
"Lucifer-sama will be among the guests at the party and his station forbids him from interfering with the affairs of the House of Gremory, he cannot act directly. Who is his representative that even you seem hesitant to act?" He was a general, I guess he could follow this conversation well enough, though there was a tinge of confusion in his voice. He was still looking at the situation from the wrong perspective; I was definitely not afraid of Hyoudou Issei.
"You seem to be misunderstanding something, Francis. This isn't a fight, this is cleanup." I clarified before the thought that I was afraid of that dragon boy forced a laugh from my throat. "The Red Dragon Emperor is naught but a child, and poses no real threat; but I'm sure you know all about the persistence of youth."
"I see, that would explain why Gremory-sama insisted on taking her pawn home after we administered the tears. To think that Lucifer himself would be against us... it's a very terrifying prospect." His fears were not unfounded, even with his arms and legs tied down by the laws the Satans themselves put into effect, his reach was long enough to pose a very real threat. "If it is truly the Prince of Lies you're waging this war game against, this won't be the last time he will strike."
"True, but that fact is dependent on another variable." I allowed a smile to grace my face as I shook my head. "No matter what he can muster, as long as there is no call to action then I should be safe. I change a single mind and all my problems are solved."
"The Lady then?"
"Precisely. Once I win her approval, Lucifer-sama will have no reason to come for me. But those are plans for the future and hopefully they won't be necessary for a time." I looked him in the eye one last time before pleading with him one last time. "For now, will you please stay out of it Uncle, for me?"
There was a moment when I thought he would refuse me, and I wouldn't have blamed him. This did seem like a foolhardy plan against an impossible enemy, and I couldn't explain why I was so confident that it would work. Men didn't live through war by obeying orders, but by using their good sense and limited knowledge to choose the best possible course of action and weathering whatever consequences it may carry. All good sense would be screaming at him to ignore the child barely out of his twenties and jump to his rescue, and if he did that then I couldn't have done anything.
To tell the truth, if Ravel were to say anything like this, I would flat out refuse to leave her side until I was sure it was safe.
"If you dare die on us, I'll make sure to remind everyone of who exactly caused that fire when your brother first won his bride.." He sighed tiredly, in the way that he always did when I managed to set my eyes on a particularly dangerous course of action. "And I'm sure everyone would take a turn sharing stories of your… escapades."
"But Uncle, threatening the third heir is unbecoming of the Captain of the Guard for the Noble House of Phenex." I sang in a sweet tone, inwardly cheering as the man before me scoffed and strode forward with terrible purpose.
"Shut it, Brat."
Getting my hair ruffled was well worth it.
"Why can't we make our grand entrance with you, Riser-sama?" Strangely enough it was Mira who asked, a bit of a pout ruining the mood as she gripped my sleeve.
She would be wearing her new outfit tonight since she wasn't expected to confront Issei, that was my job, and she wanted to show off for the party a bit. At first she was quite excited that she would be making her debut in her new gear, but the moment I told them that they would be going out first, she immediately latched onto my arm and refused to let go.
The adorable 'baby' of my peerage, she was still the weakest after all, shook impatiently in her pristine purple furisode, sending the pale lavender fabric billowing around her as the long sleeves began to go everywhere. Contrary to most garments of that type, the fabric itself was very plain, the white lilies woven into the soft silk were barely visible but the sharp azure obi practically glowed as it hugged her waist, and even more beautiful was the bow on her back. The inner red fabric was visible where the kimono folded, flashes of crimson being seen as she swung the long sleeves, along with the customized slit that allowed her legs some ability to move.
Her hair was left undone and there was a light layer of make up dusted over her cheeks, but whatever refined air that afforded her was ruined as she continued puffing her cheeks and throwing her tantrum.
"He will be hosting the party Mira." It was my sister in her cocktail dress, just like in the anime, who stopped her with a quick bop to the head. "Let him handle the presentation and he will be with us before you know it. Come along now, I'm sure my brother is counting on us to entertain the guests while he is not able to." She gestured with her fan as the teary-eyed pawn finally relented.
"Go on, both of you, I'm sure that both sets of twins need your help picking their dresses. I swear, just because they once wore uniforms they're treating this decision like they will be wearing whatever they pick for the rest of their lives." I gently reassure her with a smile. "I won't need you guys till next week so you are all free to relax and go crazy. And don't worry, you look beautiful so hurry up and enjoy yourselves for the rest of the night."
They both smiled radiantly, Mira with a light rose blush coloring her cheeks while Ravel shook her head as she dragged the puppy of a girl out of the room.
If I'm not mistaken, Luna, Isabela and Xuelan were already out there waiting for the rest of my peerage. Both sets of twins were still getting ready for the night, the cats fiddling with their dresses while the kids were deciding whether to go casual or formal, there being no real dress code and Mira soon joined them. The maids were in uniform, although they told me that as members of my peerage they would be joining the celebration rather than working in the kitchen or the ballroom. That just left Shuriya, who was still preparing her own outfit and her own special mission, while my sister walked out the door to entertain some of the guests.
I was wearing my white tuxedo this time, manga clothing without the strange butt-cape, rather than the strange getup he had during the anime. No, all I had was a simple white coat, grey undershirt, white slacks and the responsibility of picking up the leading lady for tonight's performance.
Oh joy.
With the ability to teleport within our grasp, a journey of a thousand miles doesn't even require a single step, much less a few hundred meters. So with a flash of light I find myself standing in a lavish room, as luxurious as they come, empty save for two people. With the maids made aware of my change, or rather the fact that I wasn't a raging sexual predator waiting to pounce on the closest available woman, they were more willing to leave me alone with my fiance. Thus, after they had prepared her for the ceremony every maid left to help out in the kitchen or to take a well deserved rest.
It always pays to have a good relationship with the servants; it's less likely that they'll try to poison you when you keep them well fed, taken care of, and generally satisfied with their lives.
"Are you just going to stand there ogling me?" Her expression was stony as she stared at me through the mirror, her arms crossed under her luscious breasts as her tone betrayed nothing but disapproval for the entire affair.
Say what you will about Rias Gremory, she may be too innocent to be devious, actually devious and just playing innocent, too stupid, or just that morally confused, but damn did she strike a figure in that wedding outfit. The dress hugged her figure perfectly, and the lack of a neckline made sure that I had a very good view of her assets, even if the lower half of the gown puffed out so much that I couldn't see her admittedly sweet ass. I don't know why we need her to wear those strange puffy armlets and large cuffed gloves, but the tantalizing contrast between pale alabaster skin and immaculate cream was somewhat alluring on it's own.
Oh, and her Glamour may have been on at full blast, so really she was a sight to behold in spite of the utter contempt she held me in. Hell, she didn't even find me worth turning around for, her deep aquamarine eyes glaring at me through the reflection of the large full body mirror that stood against the wall.
"If you continue to act like this then maybe our guests can wait a few more hours." I smile playfully at her reflection as I take my first careful steps forward. Not too hungrily, though perhaps a bit too casual, I walked at a pace that was almost lazy as if I through a tranquil meadow being embraced by a spring breeze, rather than towards my fiancee would would sooner castrate me than sleep in the same room, much less the same bed. "You do look beautiful in that dress, even if you still refuse to smile for me."
"I'm not so forgiving as to smile for someone like you, Riser." She didn't turn away from my gaze, not that she could when doing so would just make her face me, but she spat out those words like they tasted bitter in her mouth. Even after her defeat she still had the spirit to fight, huh, if so this would not be easy. "What is with this dress? This is just the engagement ceremony right? Why does it look like I'm going to walk down the aisle and be married to something like you?"
"Ah, that spirit is refreshing, though you must relax, my beloved." I allowed my eyes to wander over her form, and she must have noticed since her emotionless mask cracked to reveal a slight grimace before our eyes locked once more. "I'm sure you don't think that I would let you get married in that drab thing. In fact, I have the oddest feeling that your brother would forever hate me if I allowed his sister to wear nothing less than the best I could provide on the day we finally say our vows. No, your wedding dress will be so much more beautiful, of that I can promise you."
"Whatever, do you have anything else to say?" She seemed eager to get rid of me now, her hand waving off the topic of the dress as she refused to meet my gaze. "I'm sure your guests are waiting for the 'star of the show' to arrive."
"Oh, I assure you my dear, they are and that is why I'm here." Alright, cheesy line loaded and charismatic smile beaming at full force. Execute attack. "I need to pick her up as soon as possible, but if she wishes to keep them waiting for a few more minutes then I'm perfectly alright sitting idly for a moment and enjoying this exclusive preview. It's nice to know that she is oh so willing to put on a private show for me, even if so many are just dying to see her light up the room."
She seemed to hesitate for a moment, pondering whether the comment was genuine or just another attempt to charm her, before the fire returned to her eyes and all before the fire returned to her eyes and her face settled into a determine mien. She turned around with a resolute expression and, surprisingly, closed the distance between us in a very efficient manner, ending at a short distance away; that is to say, out of easy arm's reach. Ah, I see she came to the conclusion that I was complimenting her to egg her on and make her come to my side, knowing that the only thing she found more uncomfortable than being seen with me was being alone with me.
That was fine, it was half of the reason after all.
The other half was that, yeah, she was beautiful, Glamour or no.
"Let's just get this over with then." She declared as she faced the door, the reflection in the mirror showing me a glimpse of the smooth skin of her back and a curtain of deep crimson hair as she stood by my side. "The sooner this is over, the sooner I can return to school and ignore your existence for a few months."
I held myself still as she made her way to the door; my hesitation starkly contrasting her frustrated impulsiveness as I stood in the center of the room while she continued to sashay forward as if she was meant to. I could have just ended it right there, you know; just led her out of the room, into the crowd and get on with the night. I could have done so easily, just rolled with it and played cool.
But I didn't, because there was this huge, perplexing question that really confused me for the longest time.
"What do you see in him?" The words flew out of my mouth before I realized what I was saying, the room suddenly gaining a harsh silence as her steps forwards stopped and I allowed the weight of my question to fully sink in. I'd already started, so there was no reason to not continue. "He's one of the Two Heavenly Dragons so despite his current strength, no one can deny his potential. Your investment in him will clearly pay dividends if he ends up as powerful as you. But too go as far as to give yourself to him just to get away from me? Do you really hate me that much?"
My eyes were sharp. With a devil's enhanced senses, I could see things more clearly and with higher definition than any human eye, and with control over magic surpassing that of another world I would say that I could see through to the truth of most things when I enhanced my vision. Through these magically altered eyes I saw her form stiffen ever so slightly as I loosed that last sentence, and though I could see surprise slowing and locking her movements there was a touch of confusion and a sliver of doubt holding her back.
Her face was beautiful like a goddess carved from marble and equally cold, but she stared at me with eyes ablaze like she, not I, was the descendant of an immortal phoenix. There was a firestorm raging in her soul, and through azure colored windows I could see doubt whip through her fanning the flames of outrage, confusion consuming everything as it bursts and flutters while doubt struggled to survive amidst the chaotic inferno.
I had to admit that she had more control of herself than I anticipated, since despite her soul being shaken by words she never thought to hear from me, she replied with all the elegance of royalty. "How is this important now?"
"Come now my dear, I've just been compared to a useless child with one sole redeeming factor. Of course I would be confused if you of all people said that." I chuckled lightly, but her expression didn't change in the slightest. "Honestly, I want to know what could make him more attractive than me."
Her face softened for a moment, her guard dropping as she paused to give the question some thought. "He's much easier to deal with for one, and his personality isn't so horribly insufferable."
"But, my love, he's a pervert; and worse still he's one actually aiming for a harem." I playfully point out, leaning into her face half teasing and completely condescending. "Good try, but try to be a bit more convincing when you reply. If it's just perversion, then I am still a much better choice, and if its personality then you should know that being a resurrected devil automatically makes them more agreeable. So I'll stand by the fact that you could have selected better; rutting with a servant isn't exactly the best way to get out of an engagement."
"I would still prefer warming his bed over yours." She all but spat, the legendary Gremory Protective Instinct kicking in. Right now, even if she didn't love him as strongly as she would in canon, she was still protective of him just as she is her nephew. "Better an unrepentant pervert than a blatant womanizer."
"Dearest, the boy wants a harem just as much as you want true love." I smiled even wider as she twitched in outrage, surprised agitation barely kept in check as I took a sledgehammer to that nerve. "Once he gets his first opportunity and recognizes it, that boy will be deeper in women than you are in this convoluted mess of plots and plans. Then again, I don't see how that matters since you grew up with that, or did you forget your father?"
"Don't you dare bring my family into this!" She demanded, throwing her hands to the side as a wave of power so palpable slammed past me. I admit that the miss wasn't due to her lack of trying and I had to erect a barrier if I didn't want to have to change. Her control was as impeccable as ever, though there were now ruinous trenches scattered over the room showing where The Power of Destruction had passed, her gown was immaculate.
Moving on.
"They are the reason we're in this engagement in the first place. Our parents chose this for both of our benefit and, quite frankly, I agree with their reasoning." I replied with a softer tone as my expression shifted from overly cheerful to solemn. "They are worried about the future of devil-kind, Rias, but my own parents are more worried about you. Your father and mine have been friends for a while, and this new bond is not just for politics and power, they believe we can have a future together. The same kind of future which drove your father to abandon his harem and mine to pursue my mother for centuries. I can make you happy, my love, beyond a shadow of a doubt, if you just let me."
Disgust burning in her eyes, she was ready to spit profanities at my attempt to woo her once more, but she couldn't hide her surprise when I shifted tactics.
A part of her dearly wanted to believe that I was speaking the truth, and that somehow the man known to be the youngest womanizer of the Underworld would actually change if she wanted him to. She was right, of course, and I would change, though I doubt she would prefer who I am to the pervert I feign to be. The other, and obviously smarter part of her, screamed that this was deception, and that I should not be trusted. The two halves were arguing so vehemently that her face was pulled every which way, leading to a strange mask which couldn't show emotion as she didn't know what she was feeling, other than thoroughly confused.
In the end, she simply gave up with a sigh, a deep one normally heard from war veterans, disaster survivors, and the parents of young toddlers after a long day.
"Let's leave this alone for now, shall we? As much as I like the idea of shaming you in public, it gets less appealing when I realize I'll be lumped in with you." The fire in her eyes dimmed as everything that happened and all we had discussed overwhelmed her fury.
"Of course, my love, whatever you say." I would count this as a win by how tired she sounded, and as much as I wanted to continue I could be magnanimous in my victory.
With a snap of my fingers, the circle once more materialized before us.
"I would say 'after you', but this situation requires both of us to enter together." I offered her my arm with a radiant. "Care to indulge me?"
She said nothing, but though I was no masochist, the fierce tug on my arm that came awfully close to dislocating my shoulder made me feel like I had finally won.
Well, not quite yet.
"Buchou, no, Rias Gremory's virginity belongs to me!"
I blinked.
Seriously, just when you think that your life can't get any crazier, and this is taking into account that I was dragged into a world where supernatural beings were both much stronger and paradoxically weaker in different ways, Fate decides to toss something like this onto my lap. I mean, no one can be that brain dead: to barge into a party with several of the strongest people you will ever meet and claim someone's virginity. Scratch that: I like pussy as much as the next guy, but even I wouldn't do something that would put me in the cross-hairs of the strongest and most influential being this side of the universe.
I'm sure that Lucy likes the boy, mostly by association since Rias likes him, but to blatantly claim the virginity of said beloved sister is just too much. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew that no matter how much Sona really liked Saji deep, really unfathomably deep in her cold heart, the moment he tried to enter a party and scream to the world that they would be making the beast with two backs that night, Serafall would kill him before he could draw his next breath.
In no reasonable reality was this supposed to happen.
But still, before me was a still living and all too determined Issei, ready to fight me the moment someone gave the go ahead. I didn't know how my canon counterpart could have possibly missed his hand pulsing with power, as well as the lingering scent of holy incense around his blessed crucifix, but I could see he was ready for this battle. From the surety of his stance, the resolve in his eyes and the power threatening to spill out and engulf the room, I could tell that this wouldn't be a curbstomp like before, but rather a real fight.
To admit fear would be an admission of weakness, of the presence of human weakness, but apprehension welled up inside of me as the boy and I stared each other down.
Of course, I still worked to save face, this was my party. It's amazing what something as simple as reputation can do, and I didn't want my ruined as much as had been done by my canon counterpart when he dragged his own name through the mud.
So it was with an impassive and uncaring face that I looked at the servant ready to kill me, my throat armed with the words meant to silence the entire room.
"Is everyone here as confused as I am?" My tone was totally deadpan though I made a point to speak before anyone could react to such a scandalous statement. I needn't have bothered since there were spit takes bursting all around the room, so most people were still too busy coughing liquor to find their voice. "Because, personally, I find it troubling that a person supposedly too weak to teleport under my fiancee's power was able to get here, and apparently no one knows about it."
There was a tinge of hurt in his expression as I mentioned one of his, numerous, weak points. Thank goodness his mind was so clouded with the smoke of anger that he didn't stop to think and question how exactly I knew something so minor. If dear Rias took that train of thought farther then maybe there would have been a bit more trouble for me, but as it stood, I forced the hand of the largest player in this game, apart from me of course.
That one comment was masterfully prepared, enough confidence and true confusion to catch the attention of the crowd and inform them of something they had no reason to doubt. I had no reason to disparage my fiancee at this point, so in saying that Issei was just that weak I implied that he had help; specifically inside help. Such doubt would rise as quickly as bamboo grows, and in an instant, what looked to be a tasteless joke would be classified as a bona fide terrorist attack.
At this point, everyone was silent and not because worry or confusion overtook them. No, this was the unity of Devils, that despite any possible misgivings about me each and every one of them would be willing to lend a hand should push come to shove in this matter. The Civil War was to thank for these ridiculously strong ties, and now if one was part of a faction it was very likely that they would give their very lives to help their allies.
As a side note, that was what made the defection of the Ice Queen, admittedly the simplest among her titles, Grayfia Lucifuge all the more surprising, to the mixed feelings of Devilkind.
Speaking of her spouse though. "Aren't you a bit too young to be talking like you've been through war, Riser?"
The man was imposing no matter how admittedly girly he looked with his mother in the room. He was the type of pretty boy you wouldn't mind meeting in a dark alley if you go by looks alone, but everyone knew not to say that to his face. The resemblance was really there and I swear if you take away a considerable portion of his height, I was taller than him strangely enough, maybe slim him down a bit more and give him a pair of melons on his chest, he would look exactly like his mother with red hair. I guess you could dye that, and it would even stay since he wasn't the type to slaughter his enemies in bloody battle.
No, he was the type to utterly obliterate them without ever dirtying his hands, with an honest smile on his face.
The Fallen God help the man who he raises his hand against.
The man on the other side of the board, Sirzechs Lucifer, had finally shown up, and he was smiling at me like it was the most natural thing in the world.
It was always those who smiled that you had to worry about most, and it's part of the reason I've been smiling more despite everything, But I've never truly felt the effects of that weapon until my gaze landed on the face of an experienced killer. The gentleness in his expression was unnerving, doubly so when I realized that he would, in the worst case scenario, leave no trace of my body after he was done with it.
No, wait.
He can't do that, not yet, and with enough work it'll stay that way.
"I like to read in my spare time, believe it or not, and strangely enough fact can be more interesting than fiction. History is nice too, and if it really is cyclical then I might as well have a head start considering how long we can live during peacetime." I nonchalantly replied, ignoring the maelstrom of power threatening to overtake my senses and smiled at evil incarnate. A quick glance around the room told me that I wasn't alone, and of the guests I could see only a handful that actually managed to weather the storm that was Lucifer's suffocating presence. "But in situations like this, I think focusing on the present would be best. As much as I would love to turn the boy into a bloody smear right now, I need information only he can provide."
"You're much too serious, Riser. This is just a little event I prepared for the occasion." Like an elder brother would, the most powerful devil laid a gentle hand on my shoulder with a smile that would break a girl's heart. I dared not trust the sincerity in that smile, he was after my blood after all. "I wanted to see the Dragon in combat for myself, so I had Grayfia make arrangements. Of course, I would have seen it during the Rating Game but..."
"Yes, yes, I understand." I waved him off as respectfully as possible, he trailed off so I didn't exactly interrupt him while he spoke. "My parents and brothers have sufficiently chided me on the ethics of these games and therefore I can promise not to make the same mistake twice."
Weird but true; I came out of that fake dimension expecting praise and accolades but what I was welcomed with was the exact opposite. Personally, I thought that ending it the way I did would be the final nail in the coffin, but if anything, it simply served as the crowbar that pried that coffin wide open.
It always confused me back then; no matter how much I tried looking at it from a logical perspective, I couldn't understand the motivation behind Riser giving Rias a handicap when he could have easily capitalized on Issei's idiocy. He was confident, sure, but what Issei did was give him every right to carry on with his previous threat and burn through her peerage. If the game pushed through despite that, then it would have been an easy victory, and if it didn't then they would have been engaged formally in no time.
No fuss, no mess, no problem.
But he didn't capitalize on that.
It was only recently that I figured out why: Riser didn't give a handicap because he was feeling generous or confident, he did it because he was expected too. I would have brushed it off at first glance, but the Sitri case was there to confirm what I suspected.
Sona's opponent for the match was on par with a grandmaster of grandmasters; the type of person to be able to play with a dozen at a time and win at least ten games if not all of them.
As the men, if ever the women try to play for their freedom, we're expected to hold back.
Surprise, surprise,apparently Devils didn't like curbstomps as much as I thought they did.
But enough of that for now, I have to focus on the Lucifer before me.
"I'm glad you understand, Riser, and of course this would give you an opportunity to truly prove your strength against a worthy opponent." He seemed proud, twisted duping delight no doubt, and turned to the other half of his plan. "Dragon, you have been granted permission to fight, so in the spirit of this occasion, what do you wish to receive when you win?"
"Hold on just a moment, Sirzechs-sama." Before any other noble in the room could raise their voice in protest, I decided to make the first move. "I know that this allows me to redeem myself from my admittedly shameful behavior, but will you really grant him your sister's virginity?"
And if any set of words could bring the conversation to a halt, it was that.
For a moment, I caught a glimpse of the killer hiding within the smile of the most powerful satan, the void eternal that hid beneath the thin veneer of human flesh he wore whenever he wasn't trying to wreck anything and everything around him, and please don't blame me for being utterly terrified. I could swear that the icy glints on his face, the portals to oblivion that were his eyes blinked the rage away in a moment as he reigned in his anger, that particular statement fomenting rage in him before he suppressed it with his will.
Everyone in the room noticed the sudden change, some of the weaker attendees spluttering as they fell to their knees, but in the monarch's anger, no one decided to speak a word against him.
No one was stupid enough to antagonize Lucifer on a warpath, even if he was struggling to get off that warpath...
Wait...
He wore a slight smile even in his rage, and at first I thought it was the cracking mask but on closer inspection, it looked more like...
"No, I will win Buchou's heart with my own merits." It was when Issei said the word 'merit' that I came the the truth. Son of a bitch, they played me: Grayfia must have given him some speech tips to make sure any argument I presented fell flat and the fight would still commence. "All I ask is that you give Buchou back to us."
I turn in time to see his trickster smile widen even more as he saw my realization of what he had done. "Very well, if you win then you make take Rias with you."
"Thank you, Lucifer-sama." The boy bowed respectfully before facing me, Lucifer himself retreating to the place prepared to grab the best seats in the house.
In short order, the portal was once again opened, and in the battlefield Sirzechs himself prepared I stared down the Red Dragon Emperor seriously for the very last time.
Now normally this was time for some pre battle banter, but since I was feeling nice I thought it would best to give him some fair warning. "Do you want to make a speech first or should I?" I asked with an extremely serious expression, despite the joking tone in my voice.
We were in a totally new dimension but I could swear I heard at least my two older brothers face-faulting.
Hehe, funny.
Seeing as he didn't even know what I was talking about, I decided to continue for him. "Alright, that means you forfeit your turn. This fight is simply for entertainment purposes, and seeing as I was scolded for what I did to my fiancee last time, I will be merciful despite the high stakes." I flashed him a cocky smile before wings of fire materialized on my back, the white tuxedo I was wearing unaffected by the billowing flames of hellfire. "The rules are same as Rating Game rules, so long as you don't break those, neither will I. I would also like this to be a Mercy Match, that is to say that the victor of the battle decides when the battle ends, either in true death or simple incapacitation. Is that alright with you, child?"
"It doesn't matter." He waved off my words with false bravado as he face the image of his King. "Buchou. I will finish this in 10 seconds."
"Well if you're ignoring me then I guess I have to play the villain who talks too much." I exaggerate my lament before facing the boy with a renewed smile and a grandstanding air. "You mean ten seconds because that's the longest you can use your trump card, right? Thanks for the clue, since now I know that as long as I wait you out for ten seconds I win. Why don't you go ahead and promote, child, it's your only chance."
"Promotion: Queen!" He yelled, looking at my face with a glare before running towards me with vengeance in his eyes. This time, I decided against taking to the air for the moment so that it wouldn't look so stupid that he was running at me. "Buchou, I-"
He looks away like an idiot and I just sigh.
Running towards an opponent and talking to another person, well I couldn't change how stupid that looked so I highlighted it by interrupting him in the best way possible.
He hadn't taken more than five steps when the wings of fire on my back transformed into something so much more useful. Billowing flames spanning a bit taller than myself expanded in a heartbeat into pillars which stretched towards the end of the battlefield behind me; even larger than the distance separating Issei from me. With wind guiding the flames and coating my form, wings became pillars and pillars transformed into thrusters hurling me towards the boy who charged without a plan.
He managed to say two words before my fist met his stomach, a little bit of creative magic application forced all the power of my dash into his body before throwing him into one of the stone pillars faster than I could say 'hit'.
Like a ball flying out of a pitcher's hand, Issei hurtled towards the pillar at breakneck speeds, because the whiplash of either impact was more than enough to break the boy's neck. I watched with satisfaction slowing time for a bit, allowing me the pleasure of watching his body crumple as it struck hard stone, and then watching the stone give way as the body that struck the pillar bulldozed through the crafted construct.
Looking down at my fist, I clenched my hand repeatedly to ease the slight ache I felt in my knuckles. Apparently I hadn't placed enough magic into the spell to completely negate the force that struck me, but what I felt in my hand was nothing compared to being thrown into and subsequently through a stone tower a split second after the battle started.
No fancy magic, no all killing blow, just one powerful punch and I had an inkling that the boy was already down for the count.
Well, maybe not, since a Queens Fortitude did wonders to increase endurance and durability.
"You going to actually do anything yet, or will I have to punch you again?" I drawled out disinterestedly, blowing air over my own knuckles as I watched the battered boy rise out of the rubble. "I'm sure a bit more than three seconds passed while you relaxed inside that pile of dust, I thought you would beat me in ten? Where is the power you promised, boy?"
"Shut up!" There was rage and desperation in his eyes as he held his left arm close to his chest, a sort of urgency within him as well as a thirst for vengeance over his first humiliation following as he yelled out these words. "Shine! Over Boost!"
Just as described in the novels, the jewel covered him in crimson light, and in a heartbeat he was dressed in the Crimson Armor of the Red Dragon Emperor. I admit that it was magnificent to behold, and the power around him quickly rose to match my own, but I still had power hidden away as he brought torrents of demonic energy forth. The power of this armor was that it truly did break the balance, and that if left alone, he would have power surpassing my own at my current peak and from what the beast told him, I assumed that the confidence he displayed was thanks to the power he would eventually wield.
"This is the power of the Emperor of Dragons! The Balance Breaker, Boosted Gear Scale Mail!" He roared with victory as the power he was excluding once more increased an entire order of magnitude instead of merely doubling, and continued to rise. With his power, so too did his confidence rise as well as his delusion that he would be able to take my fiancee away. "If you want to stop me, go and ask Maou-sama! After all, it seems like this is the The Hated Forbidden Technique! This fight is over, Riser Phenex, so take this and burn you shitty yakitori!."
The boy had enough power to eventually surpass my best efforts, and he knew it.
In a drawn out fight, he might snatch victory, but in ten seconds?
I think not.
Still, his power was a sight to marvel at, and I couldn't help but feel a strange excitement as he mustered his ever growing power between his hands and gave birth to a second sun. Fire beyond what I had previously attempted to control materialized between armored talons as bright light painted the battlefield in a fierce orange glow and long trailing shadows. I watched with fascination as he cocked his hand back and tossed the sun at me with all the might of an artillery round, the sphere of all-consuming flame itself growing as it latched onto wisps of his power while it streaked through the air like a meteor, with the size to match.
In the novels, it was said to have grown to half the reception hall in size, and I could see that was no exaggeration on the boy's part.
Perfect.
I smiled as my hand moved to intercept the steadily growing sun as it hastened its approach, the heat kissing my skin almost lovingly as it came ever closer with unstoppable speed. I made no concerted effort to stop the meteoric star when it was finally within reach, but my hand did brush the very edge of the explosive sphere as it passed and flames that were supposed to be powerful enough to burn even someone of my standing simply licked at my hand like pup would its master.
Immediately, the orb halted, and soon began to shrink as it increased its intensity under my influence, allowing me to see the trench it dug as it approached me, as well as the surprised face of the boy when my enhanced eyes finally adjusted to the light of the newborn star in my hand. If he was shocked at the initial appearance of the his own attack, then most definitely he would be surprised at my action, catching and altogether strengthening the 'Dragon Shot' he fired at me: if his own power produced a flame to approximate the sun, mine birthed a pale blue fire that burned with such power, I could actually feel the trickle of energy as the orb sapped my strength.
"Is this all? I have to say I'm quite disappointing in you, Dragon,To think that I could form flames hotter than yours." My hand raised the flaming sphere above my head as I unleashed the strength of the blue flame; the small ball formed of blue flame erupting into a massive firestorm which bathed the entire arena in azure. "Let's see if you can survive something like this, shall we?"
Such a display would be pointless most of the time, like the flashes that occur during teleportation, but the power of the flames born of both Ddraig and myself were different, the blue maelstrom ate through everything in its path as it crashed against the stone pillars and empty stands of this dimension. Through the aura I had spread across the battlefield I could see how the stone gave way to the extreme heat, the rocky ground pooling into magma in its presence while the mighty effigies in the form of chess pieces melted, eventually burning away in the face of such scathing heat.
With a gesture, the veritable ocean of flame once more condensed into a small ball as the raging heat disappeared into the ball like a blanket being folded and quickly put away. The landscape had drastically changed, from an ornate arena to a pit akin to the cooling crater of an inactive volcano than a normal battleground. I barely paid it any mind though, most of my attention focused on the one fact that was of interest regarding the surrounding area.
There was no Dragon among the ruins.
"I said this was entertainment, but it is still a fight, you know?" I directed my voice and my eyes upwards just in time to catch Issei's fist slam into the barrier I had prepared, his own gauntlet clad fist not even scratching the barrier's invisible surface despite the fact that he had his jet pack and gravity assisting him. "Even I know how to look-"
I couldn't finish the rest of my sentence as his left fist impacted the barrier with startling strength, a boost ringing loud and clear just as his holy arm shattered the entire barrier and forced me to take quite a large step back just to avoid the blow and the aftershock. With the power of his own thrusters coupled by the holy might of his arm, the barrier crumpled and once his arm went through and slammed into the ground, I could see just how much stronger he had grown in the small amount of time we'd been fighting.
So the holy arm was already Boosted to that extent, huh? I could deal with that, no problem but I needed to be able to justify my next action, and that would require trading blows with the boy.
He still couldn't end me in one strike just yet, but if that blow ever connected then I wouldn't come out unscathed.
"I will have to concede that you have gotten stronger, but then again, an ant with the strength of a hundred ants is still an an ant." The blue fire hovered around me like a wisp or fairy as I prepared my next attack. The ball began to glow brightly once more, hopefully blinding the boy as individual flames separated from the primary source, before forming arrows ready to dig into his flesh. "You have a good one-two punch, but how's your footwork?"
I gestured and the arrows rained down like a monsoon of blue fire, tens of thousands splitting from the orb before they all came at once from different directions to ensure that, even though the boy was fast, there was no escape for him. With unrestrained giddiness I watched as the boy was battered now with my assault, the arrows striking him as if they were solid objects, piercing through his form, armor be damned. I laughed as I heard him scream in such pain that I felt sympathetic goosebumps rising on my own skin and I sneered at his burning form as blood gushed from the hole where his mouth should be before immediately taking to the air as sulfuric vapor filled the hellish pit I had caused with my fire.
"Your armor is strong, child, but nowhere near invulnerable." I teased from afar as the onslaught of fire finally ceased, the blue fire I had create from his own dragon flames spent creating those arrows. "Your resilience is admirable as well, most would have given up after taking such punishment, and yet you kneel before me defiant. I never thought I would see someone slumped in pain and exhaustion, yet so determined. For that you have my congratulations. Still, I'm sure you would agree that this battle has gone on long enough, and we need to end it to get on with the ceremony. Good entertainment or not, this still isn't the main event."
Rias's engagement to me was all the motivation he needed and I had to up my reaction time by an entire order of magnitude to see the fires on his back before the armored form of a Dragon began to hurtle towards me with a left fist outstretched.
Time once more came close to a standstill, and I had microseconds to spare as I waited for the strike to approach me.
Once upon a time, this would be the turning point for everything; the beginning of the end for Riser Phenex.
This one injury, which would take days to recover from physically and months to move on from, would throw him from his lofty second place seat, heir apparent to Bael's king, all the way to below a draconic pervert.
This would be the start of the slippery slope down to madness and cowardice, which would force dear Ravel to the pervert's side while Riser would waste away, throwing all he had down the drain.
Rias would be happy and Issei would share his first kiss with his King. Everyone wins on the side of the 'Protagonists' while Riser's family is left in shame, losing both a son and daughter while his brothers would both shy away from the limelight. The crazy thing was, it looked like his father and mother reacted so violently that they went from doting parents to apathetic bystanders and at the end of it all, neither of them seemed to care about their youngest son: Lord Phenex would say that losing the engagement was alright if it taught him humility and Lady Phenex would encourage Ravel to enter the boy's harem later on, maybe even as his bishop after he passes the promotion tests.
That was the future for canon Riser, and it would be mine as soon if I land this blow on the boy and he, in turn, connects with his attack.
I crushed that future utterly with my own hands as I caught the mighty blow with one of my own, the exchange leaving us in the middle of the battlefield as I stared down into the boy's shocked mask with a maniac's grin.
A beat passed...
Then two...
Soon three...
In his shock, he allowed me to just stand there and hold his hand for three seconds as despair finally took root in his heart and all hope fled from his form. He just watched in escalating fear as my hand seemed to grip his even tighter as flames lapped away at my evaporating skin, my regenerative powers struggling to keep up with the holy damage being done even as the power of the cross continued to ascend to ridiculous heights.
I would believe anyone who said the smile I wore was worse than that of the Devil himself as I sang so sweetly that one would think that I was talking to a loved one or my very own son.
"I warned you..." I shook my head in mock disappointment, the pain never reaching me due to an enchantment I placed upon myself at the beginning of the match.
My training was hard, suicidal some would say, so it stood to reason that I would develop an enchantment to completely ignore pain.
They say that the way to break a Phenex was through his mind, well not anymore.
"I warned you and you didn't listen."
"Moth-" He looked to his left, and immediately started regretting his choice of words.
He tried again.
"That Ba-" He looked to his right and once more reconsidered.
That was fine, there were still many more.
"Fu-" The entire family across from them looked at him weirdly. That didn't work either, so he had to end up going with the last one.
"Rye is crazy!" Revive finally settled on that with a confident nod, trying his best to ignore the strange looks his mother, his father, and the entirety of his soon-to-be-in-law's family were sending him before settling back into his seat. Still, the worry in his eyes was disquieting as he spoke urgently to his brother beside him. "Ready everything you have, Ru-nii, we might have to bail the idiot out this time."
"Is he seriously going to use that now, against that Monster of all things?" He tried to mutter the last words under his breath, though an eldest brother's ear would not be denied.
"Revive, this is not the time for your dramatics." Ruval's tone brooked no argument as he chided his little brother. "Just be quiet and watch the fight. We can mock that piece of toast of his idiocy as much as we want later when it's all over. We are not interfering in this battle." Good thing that the eldest brother thought nothing of it, though he snuck in snide remark of his own.
"And what would warrant interference, Revive?" Sirzechs raised a curious eyebrow as he calmly regarded the second son of the House of Phenex. "I'm sure that there's no need to worry if you fear for your little brother. I'm sure that the Crimson Dragon Emperor wouldn't dare end his life when he is surrounded by so many friends and family. I'm sure even he suspects that killing will not be tolerated this night."
"Issei wouldn't do that-" Rias quickly came to her pawn's defense, but was interrupted as the hysterical second son flared his power.
"I'm not worried about your pawn harming him, little girl" His tone was harsh, but though the presence of Lucifer rushed forth once more, he made no move to stop. "It's the Dragon I'm afraid of."
"You had better have a good explanation for this, Phenex." Sirzechs growled as he came to his sister's side, his own power ready to crush the younger man at any moment's notice. "I am no longer part of the House of Gremory, but if you dare disrespect my family in my presence without good reason then there will be a reckoning."
"Explain yourself, Revive." The Lord of the Phenex Household requested sternly while the Lady looked to her son with barely reigned worry.
"I will need the Word of House Gremory that they revoke their right to stop the match."
"And allow your brother," Rias spat the word out like it was the most vicious insult she could think of. "To kill my pawn? Never!"
"Provided that my daughter's pawn lives you have my word that we will not force the match to stop, but there will be consequences if he is slain." Lord Gremory spoke with a sense of finality as he turned a stony gaze towards his daughter. As she gave her approval of the terms, he once more stared down the second most troublesome son of one of his best friends. "Now out with it, Revive, before all of us start losing our patience."
The second son took a breath, and all pretense of whimsy and drama was lost.
"He told me that he always wanted to converse with a dragon." The boy shook his head with all the exasperation of a boy who was helpless to watch his brother do something life-threateningly stupid. "I always thought it was a joke, but now I think he meant it."
Lord Phenex's eyes widened with realization, but before anyone in the small lounge could ask him what he knew, the youngest son of the Phenex spoke through magic from an entire dimension away.
{Now it's time to live with the consequences.}
The voice of the youngest son was so sweet and gentle, which seemed to catch everyone by surprise just as much as the flash of light when a spell normally forbidden took effect.
Teleportation was prohibited in Rating Games, everyone in the room knew this and still they watched as a magic circle burst to life to bring out something closely resembling the symbol of their greatest enemy.
"What have you done?" Both Lady Phenex and Lady Gremory looked at Sirzechs with appalled surprise as the Gremory's eldest son in all but name seemed to realize his mistake.
Rias's face paled just as much as her brother's when she realized what her fiancé had summoned, just in time to watch Riser take the fist of her pawn and slam it into the heart of the massive magical array forced into the form of a cross.
"I don't know where he found that but there's nothing to worry about." She started speaking quickly as her eyes remained transfixed to the screen. "He shouldn't be able to-"
Then Issei began screaming.
It was a horrible sound, a cross between a dragon's roar and a child's desperate call for help, both feral and broken, desolate and heartbreaking as it rang in the ears of all present. He screamed out as pain overtook him, his own body refusing to move as he fell to his knees and tore his throat with an endless bellow. A sharp contrast to Riser who shook with childish excitement, uncaring that his hand began to melt and sizzle as he held the dull gauntlet against the scintillating cross; the magical array brought to life now that everything necessary to activate it was present and magic breathed power into its veins.
"How?" She asked breathlessly as she fell on her knees, not caring as her beautiful dress was ruined with dirt.
Strangely enough, the answer came from the dimension of battle.
{Rias didn't brief you on the rules for Rating Games, did she? If she did we wouldn't be in this situation. Or perhaps not, maybe you were just too desperate, I'll never know.} He was calm when he spoke, though his voice boomed as magic fueled it's mighty sound allowing it to rise enough to be heard over Issei, who wailed as his red draconic armor began to crack and crumble away. {I did warn you about cheating, but if you're so determined to win at any cost then I think it's fine for me to do the same. For what it's worth, you have my respect for having the courage to bring a holy object into a Rating Game, as well as my thanks.}
"Holy object?" Lady Phenex whispered hysterically as she watched the scene with growing terror. "My son is holding on to a Holy Object? My baby boy is battling an opponent armed with the equivalent of a Holy Sword?"
"Sirzechs. How could you?" Lady Gremory's voice was weak as her eyes shifted from the Lady Phenex to her own son, disappointment in her eyes. "You might get them both killed."
{I told you a few minutes back that I took up reading a bit of history, right? In my reading I came across a technique that I found interesting when searching a few of the records open to me, do you want to know what it is?} He smiled sadistically at the kneeling boy, his free hand reaching down and brushing his helmet. {It was a spell that allowed for the creation of Sacred Gears, their extraction, and their insertion. It wasn't easy to get my hands on, let me tell you, but in the end since people thought it was just a piece of worthless information, or a warning when dealing with the fallen, not to mention it was a spell we can't replicate, so it was basically free for anyone with enough interest. A little more time and I will be able to prove them wrong.}
Riser's smile only widened when the helmet crumbled away in a cloud of red dust, the small particles drifting towards the glowing cross as the rest of his armor continued to deteriorate.
"Stop the match, please!" Rias practically begged her brother, tears falling from her own eyes as she threw herself against the Demon Lord. "I don't care what happens, just please end it, Onii-sama. I'll get married to Riser. I'll come back to the Underworld. He can do anything he wants with me, just don't let him kill my precious servant!"
Lucifer himself looked to his father imploringly, but it was with a heavy heart that he shook his head in the face of his sister's pleading request. The father came to his daughter and embraced her even while she clung to her brother, gently prying the girl off of the son he had lost and comforted her as she wept. His voice was pained as he spoke to his youngest, the princess of the Gremory Family, and his eyes were closed as he shared in her pain.
"I have given our word as the Head of the Gremory Family that we will not ask for the match to end." He was sorrowful when he spoke, rubbing small circles in his youngest's back as she wept on his chest. "I'm afraid that there is very little we can do in this situation aside from retaliate, but even then I don't know how that would paint us."
"We are good friends, are we not, Philemon?" The Lord of Gremory asked the Lord of Phenex even as he held her daughter tightly. "Will you give us this mercy?"
"With all due respect, Gremory-sama." It was Ruval who replied, not as the son of one of his best friends and his own honorary nephew, but as the heir of the Phenex Family. "This is a large enough mess as it is with Sirzechs-sama as regulator, I don't think anyone could have called the match to end in the first place." He faced his old friend and one time commander during the Great War. "My friend, even if Revive did not secure Zeoticus-ojiisama's permission, to stop the match before its conclusion would brand you as weak and foolish, and with where the balance of power is now, you can't have either on your name."
There was no apology though, the eldest son of the Phenex family was regal and composed as he said his piece without a hint of emotional attachment.
No, drama always came best from the second son.
"And with all due respect, Lucifer-sama," Revive looked the Satan in the eye with all the protectiveness an older brother should have. "You brought this on yourself the moment you pitted my brother against a Holy Dragon."
{Of course, at first glance it seems too good to be true for a technique found in the General Section of the archives, and that's because it's more more a recorded technique than a teachable one. Apparently, the closest anyone has gotten to using it since YHWH Himself was Azazel, but even then it was incapable of Sacred Gear Creation.} Riser explained with all the patience of a teacher, the armor completely gone by now, leaving only the gauntlet he held against the cross remaining of the once magnificent Scale Mail. {To do one of the three, I needed a special array that Azazel used himself, enough power to activate it, and a Holy Artifact powerful enough to make it work. I was a bit skeptical when Sirzechs-sama said that this would be entertainment, which is why I proposed Rating Game rules, so that there would be no real risk to either of us, but since for some reason Sirzechs-sama allowed that in, I thought I should try my hand as well.}
"The role of the regulator is to make sure things like this don't happen. They are supposed to provide enough jamming power that Teleportation won't be possible without tremendous cost, and ensure that Holy Objects aren't allowed on the battlefield in the first place. They prepare to activate the barriers around the participants so death becomes statistically impossible and they run their own teleportation array so that everyone can be whisked away should the need arise." Revive continued with righteous anger in his eyes as he stared down the Crimson Satan. "They don't just form a pocket dimension and run observation spells, and don't think for a second that we'll buy any 'I couldn't sense it' excuse. This is blatant attempted murder, Sirzechs, or extrajudicial execution in your case. Why let it go so far?" There was no trace of emotion on the second son's face,
Sirzechs looked like he would have replied if not for the disappointed stare at his back. He turned from the younger brother of one of his best subordinates as he faced the greatest threat in the room... and he cowed.
The great warrior was no longer, and in his place was the young boy who grew under the watchful eye of the Matriarch of Flame. The same one who cared for him when his own mother could not now rose against him, and for once it looked like he had no words for the mother he had known since childhood.
"Why, Sirzechs?" The Lady of the Phenex family did nothing to restrain her anger as she spoke in a deathly level tone. All in the room could see that she was seething with the protective rage a mother would only display towards a threat to her son. She was so enraged that she didn't even bother to try and speak as if she was conversing with the most powerful demon in the land. "I know you might not approve of my son, but to go as far as attempting to kill him in response to his victory in a contingency you arranged yourself? We would have honored your opinion if you spoke to us about your disapproval, so then why propose a plan when you have been against the arrangement to begin with? If you were going to dishonor your family and yourself at the end of the day, if you fully intended to cut all ties between us, why did you have to try to be discrete about it?"
"Lasairiona please," Lady Gremory spoke to calm one of her oldest friends as she glided across the floor to lay a hand on the furious mother. "I'm sure that he never had that in mind when he arranged all this-"
"Venelana, I love you like a sister in the same way I love Zeoticus like a brother. I've always admired the way you two can love your servants the way you love members of your own family, but try to understand how I'm feeling." The way the Lady of the Phenex family could jump from total calm to completely enraged was always famous in the Underworld, hand in hand with her record of having the longest courting period of any man or woman. She didn't care that she was picking a fight with Lucifer himself. "A boy I knew, the nephew I cared for when he was a child just tried to murder my son. Family or not, how would you feel if you find that one of your precious servants tried to kill your baby boy?"
"I believe you were first at the scene when a fallen found its way to Sirzechs cradle..."
The Lady of Gremory replied regretfully as she remembered how her friend personally dismembered the fallen assassin that came for her son.
Without the aid of magic.
She shook her head as she tried to comprehend the betrayal the woman must be feeling. "You did us a great service that day, and this is how we repay you. My son, I know your intentions were noble, and your heart has always been with your sister, but now..."
"And you know what's the funniest part?" Lady Phenex asked with a bitter laugh as a small fire materialized in her hand and formed a piece parchment. With a pained smile, she handed the scroll to the boy she once loved like her own nephew. "If you ever cared for me before, Sirzechs, you would read this out loud. Know the truth behind the boy you tried to kill."
The wife of the boy took over when the child didn't even make an effort to reach for the parchment in his shock. The Strongest Queen's eyes widened as she read through the document, and the Matriarch of the Phenex capitalized on that opening.
"The second to the last paragraph please, Grayfia."
"Yes milady," She gave a shaking nod before calming herself, and speaking with a clear voice.
"...Though this night we declare our intent to marry, I only wish for my beloved Rias to promise me this time that I may properly court her. All I want from her is a promise that, in the time before our marriage, she may give me the chance to prove to be a man worthy to stand by her side for eternity or until death pull us apart. I understand that we are at peace and enjoy privileges our fathers, mothers, and siblings never had, and so I want us both to savor this chance to let our love grow until such a time that she is free from her earthly responsibilities and educated enough to properly make a choice. Should she graduate from University and still refuse me, I will understand and in my love for her, I will free her from her family's promise to mine..."
"The greatest joke of all, is that despite all this resistance," Revive spoke with a slightly amused tone, though mocking barbs lined his tongue as he spat venom. "He still loved you, Rias. I never thought I would ever side with him in this, but this could be the first time that it's the lady that doesn't deserve my brother and not the other way around."
No one thought it wise to speak after that.
"What a disaster." Lord Phenex shook his head as he looked at the mess that they had found themselves in, before glancing towards the battlefield. "It looks like the shows finally over."
All eyes returned to the display and everyone fell silent.
The awful screaming had finally ceased, but the battered boy could barely keep himself upright even as he knelt before Riser, who held an orb of emerald and power in his hand. Issei didn't sport any additional bodily injuries but one could tell with a glance that he was at his limit. His expression showed determination but while his spirit was willing his body couldn't even look his opponent in the eye. Both arms dangled uselessly, his back bowed in defeat and his expression totally downcast, as Riser stood over him, his expression tranquil in victory.
{Are you still alive, Dragon?} Riser asked cordially as he regarded the orb in his hand glowing the same shade as his opponent's now vanished armor and showed no sign of fatigue or harm, the stance of an executioner calmly assessing his victim. {Why don't you give up and end this charade?}
{I... can't.} He mumbled in his weakness. It was admirable that he could even speak when looking his opponent in the eye was all but impossible now.
{Why?}
{I... have to...} Somehow, they all could make out a smile on his face as he whispered defiance at the Phenex. {She... saved me... once... I...}
{Have to save her too?} The Phenex nodded in understanding as the boy finally managed the strength to jerk his head up and look into crystal blue eyes. The Phenex gently smiled at the Dragon before idly reaching into his pocket, understanding and yet confusion battle within his expression. {Though from what I wonder? I certainly hope that you don't think you have to to save her from me?}
{You... made her... cry.} The Dragon was angered for his princess' sake, a thought that would have touched the hearts of the Phenex Family if the situation was any different, if the boy wasn't the tool that could have ended their youngest boy, their own little prince. {Asia... said that... she... cried... for us. It was... your fault.} He gasped out as his own hand reached into his pocket.
{Stop.} It was a command, not a request as the Phenex frowned. {You so much as twitch, and I'm crushing that bottle in your pants. I don't really know about the rest of the crowd but I have already tired of your screaming and I'm sure that Holy Water would hurt, especially down there.}
{How...}
{Your bishop was a nun, and devils pushed into a corner tend to do stupid things.} The Phenex explained with a shrug. {If you would boost a cross after selling your arm to the dragon, then you might have something like Holy Water in case things get too hot. I simply prepared accordingly, though if you did nothing then you wouldn't be in this position.}
{I see... so I never... really had a chance?} Rias could see the tears as they came down her pawn's face, despair finally taking hold as his defeat sunk in.
There was no mistaking it: this was definitely checkmate once again.
{No, you never really did have a chance to defeat me, but that's alright.}
Then the unthinkable happened...
A hand was lowed, and for the tears of the Dragon, the Phenex offered his own.
{Good Game and Well Played, Hyoudou Issei. Now come on, we still have a party to get to. The Game is over.}
{No... It's not-}
Whatever he had to say was lost as his face met the ground.
Longest Chapter Ever.
Two weeks, or was it three? Well, that's because I didn't know where to cut it and the entire thing just ended up being a long dragged out mess.
Sorry for any typo's really I'm trying hard to find a beta. =((
I don't know if this is my best work or my worst, so I'll have you guys tell me =))
Don't worry kids, I won't be making a habit of this, especially since dyslexia takes a bigger toll the longer the chapters. Still looking for a beta, so any interested could send me a pm and stuff. A lot of things changed from canon here, like some added background as well as well as the actual progression of the fight and stuff like that. I decided to end with 3rd person just to see your reactions, maybe for every climax I'll do something like that just so everything isn't always seen in the perspective of SI Riser and stuff.
Tell me what you guys think and all that, and the next chapter would end this one, as well as be the interlude/epilogue most of you want. After next chapter though, I would have to take a break (don't know how long) to reread all the DXD novels so I know what to change, edit, exploit, and outright remove.
Reviews are most welcome, especially this one since its the most different/longest/probably the worst one done. I'll gladly reply to any PM, just please don't sent me two of them with the exact same content/question.
Oh and quick Riser Power Guide for all you interested (It adds a whole lot of words but whatever)... Next time. Sorry but this chapter is way too long already. =((
See you all next time, maybe.
Edit: I have a beta now, and here's the improved version of 7. Enjoy, and remember to thank Vhostym if you guys have a chance.
