Hello again! So, of course, thank you for all the feedback, both positive and negative. I take it to heart, since most of it was actually constructive this time. Well, this is the beginning of the second arc of the story, with the introduction of my own elements and the reason that I began writing this story. I'll allude to Judai's objective in here, and if you want, I can hint that it has to do with a Japanese legend that's not necessarily folklore. Well, it might be, but it's more of war legends to me (pardon my idiocy if they're the same thing). So yeah, the first rating game.

P.S. Also, there was a reason that Judai had that curse thingee. It wasn't really to hinder him in any way, it was more like the thing whose cure would be the catalyst for something bigger. (Kind of a spoiler for later, but not quite sure. Oh well.)

So please, enjoy!

Disclaimer: The rights of these respective series go to their respective owners.

Chapter 8: Game Start


Judai regained consciousness slumped against the bathroom wall. Groaning weakly, he mustered as much energy as he could to stand, his blood on the tiled wall as he propped himself against it for support. The sensors caught his movement, completing the circuits that made the lights flicker, then shine with unprecedented clarity, forcing him to shield his eyes. There was dried blood on his hand, and he could see the blood that had leaked from his mouth through the mirror opposite of him. "S-Shit," he muttered. "It keeps getting closer and closer to my heart... If this keeps up, I really won't be able to do anything."

He began rummaging through his pockets, pulling out a roll of unused gauze. The condition of his bare torso was horrendous as he slowly and gingerly pulled off his shirt. Vile, black lines traced his veins, converging on a wound right below his rib cage, designed to incapacitate, not kill, him. It was already closing, he noted, but the black lines meant that the poison was still there. Other scars littered his chest, from various other fights, but none so prevalent. Without much thought, he began wrapping the bandage around his body. "If I keep on having to use my power, I'm going to poison myself… There's no human cure for it, exorcism or otherwise. Fuck me…"

"Exactly how much power is needed for this to occur, aibou?" Ddraig asked curiously. He shrugged. "From what I've seen, that couldn't possibly have been anything near your full ability."

"That's because it isn't," Yubel replied flatly, leaning against the wall, arms crossed. "It seems that the ceiling is falling. Any further and you won't have enough room to even exert the energy required to breathe, figuratively speaking. Against Darkness, you used double that power just to summon God Neos."

"In other words, Ddraig, as long as I live with this, I'll die slowly and painfully," Judai explained, wincing as he accidentally hit the injured spot with his elbow. "Dammit!"

"For someone who can destroy dimensions to be reduced to this," Yubel began with a disheartened sigh, "those bastards really did their homework… I'd estimate, by the constant tightening of that leash, you'll only be able to use three-quarters of what you used just now in the time of our next fight."

"I doubt pure martial arts will be able to win in these kinds of things. 'Rating Game,' huh? At this rate, I won't even be able to keep a monster in this plane of existence," he replied, completing his makeshift first-aid by knotting the bandage tightly. "What a troublesome parasite. Boosted Gear might be too dangerous to use as well."

"Of course, a power that doubles physical and magical ability will only make things worse for you. It doesn't help that powering up like you did would only accelerate the effects," she admonished. "This job is getting worse by the second... You'll die before we even confirm our objective."

"Go to the girl with Twilight Healing. She should be able to heal your wounds as they open, would she not?" Ddraig suggested. Judai shook his head. "Oh?"

"That won't work. This is my problem. I can't have people helping me out of my messes," he replied. "And something like that won't work with someone like me anyways."

"How so?"

"Have you seen the way Judai fights?" she asked.

"Having teammates puts too much into perspective," he explained. "It requires more planning, more thought, and for me, more reason to hold back. It's much easier for me to work alone. I don't have to worry about anyone other than myself. It's just me and my opponents, after all. If I were to rely on a cleric, I'd have to protect her while fighting. My senses would be far too spread. And what would happen if she were unavailable? I might as well surrender and die there."

"So you've already considered the idea?"

"No. It's from experience..." he replied vaguely.

"I-Is that so…?"


Judai leaned back, shifting all his weight into his upper body. The glinting blade of Kiba's sword fell between his legs as the brunette twisted his body, removing the blonde swordsman's hands from the hilt before while using his ankles to pull the tip of it out of the ground. It flew into the air, landing gently in Judai's hand before it disappeared in a flash of light. By that time, the other teen was charging forward with another sword, his sheer speed enough to temporarily surprise.

Rias watched; awestruck as her Pawn dropped to a prostrate position, seemingly suspended midair for a moment as Kiba shot directly above him, before using all four of his limbs to fire a strike that sent the swordsman into the air with a small shockwave. Despite that, the brunette never hit the floor, once again shifting his weight to his arms as he fell into a hand stand. At that point, Koneko had begun barreling forward, her small, but powerful, fist cocked back. Arms bent, he pushed into the air, just missing her strike zone while casting sharpened stones like throwing knives, effectively pinning the Rook to the ground as he crouched in the low branch of a nearby tree.

It had been nine days since Rias had taken the Occult Research Club to her mountain villa for a ten-day training trip. It had been eight endless nights of planning and consultation with Akeno. In those days, she had seen the brunette boy lounging about, reading books or sleeping by the pond. He hadn't once attempted to raise a finger to train, even when Asia was working so hard to increase her magical ability. Finally fed up, Rias had grabbed him by the collar of his jacket and dragged him to a clearing, ordering Koneko and Kiba to attack him simultaneously. The result, even though she'd seen him fighting before, was still amazing.

The Knight and the Rook resumed their assault upon the Pawn as soon as they recovered. Kiba was swinging his sword, leaving very little room for Judai to evade as Koneko attacked his other side. Even then, the boy managed to block all strikes, spinning off the force of a blade thrust so that his back was facing the swordsman. He grabbed his opponent by the wrists, throwing him harshly into the small girl. They both went flying into the nearby cliff side. Dust exploded from their points of impact, their figures charging forward, slightly bruised and battered. Koneko's eyes hardened as she rocketed forward, looking for the nonexistent opening in his seemingly sloppy guard. Kiba, on the other hand, seemed angered as he charged at the same pace, wielding two swords.

Judai yawned nonchalantly, his eyes gauging their trajectories. At the last moment, he fell into a crouching position, side-stepping the Rook's blow while sending a simultaneous reverse upward roundhouse at the Knight, where the back of his heel connected with the blonde's solar plexus, making him instantly gag and collapse on the floor. Stretching upward, he turned to Rias, staring her directly in the eye. "Are we done here? I think that this fight has already been decided," he said flatly, as Asia rushed over to the fallen swordsman to perform treatment. "Can I go back to sleep now?"

"Akeno," Rias said flatly.

"Ara ara, yes, buchou," the raven-haired beauty laughed calmly.

The sky darkened around them as lightning scorched the ground near his feet. Immediately, he began moving, spinning and rolling to avoid the fearsome strikes of electricity made by the woman called the 'Priestess of Thunder.' One more bolt fell before him, causing him to backpedal directly into another that rocked his body to the core. He let out a scream, smoke coming off his charred clothes and skin. As I thought… he's not fighting at full force. Something like that could have easily been blocked if he wanted to, the red-haired girl observed. Against close combat and physical opponents, it seems that he has no equal in his age group, but he has yet to use any of his magic.

"Holy hell, that's strong," he muttered with mild surprise.

"Considering that you're handicapped at the moment, I doubt it would be good for you to take any more shots like that. You can't afford to lose anymore brain cells from being cooked," Yubel commented offhandedly. His lip twitched in irritation. "Unless that's your intention."

"Are you going to help me think of something, or are you just going to chide my apparent stupidity?" he asked. There was no response. "Whatever."

Falling into a sprinter's position, he shot forward, kicking up dust from his starting point. Bolts danced in the air. The static about him was extremely heavy as he took to the edges of the clearing. It was almost exactly like running from Sin Rainbow Dragon and Sin Cyber-End Dragon, except he didn't have buildings to leap off. In that area, he was a sitting duck without any of his powers. Just as he was about to close the distance between himself and her, Rias snapped her fingers, signaling for both of them to stop. The clouds disappeared and Akeno's stance relaxed.

"I've seen enough for now," Rias said calmly. "Judai, you can return to what you were doing. I'd like to speak with you later." He rolled his eyes.

"Now you sound like a teacher… sure, if you'd like," he replied, rotating his shoulder cuffs as he walked back toward the forest, yawning loudly.

"Shit…" she grumbled. She began to nibble at her finger nail nervously.

"Buchou?" Akeno asked. "Is there something wrong?"

"He's a hazard," she said to herself. "He doesn't fight at full power and he doesn't know the meaning of retreat. Judging from his fighting style, he's not team-oriented either. I'll have to rework my entire strategy if this continues. But would I even have time for that?"

"Ara, are you talking about Judai-kun?"

"What about Judai-san?" Asia asked worriedly. Rias sighed.

"Asia-chan, please do not get angry with what I'm about to say, but I'm worried," she replied. "He's a solo fighter. I can tell that he thinks of us only as liabilities at the moment. If we get in his way, or vice-versa, we'll definitely lose."

"But he just beat Koneko-san and Kiba-kun," the blonde nun pointed out. "I don't understand. If he's strong, then wouldn't it be easier for us to win?" The red-haired girl shook her head.

"In a Rating Game, we, devils, are supposed to work as a team, which is the reason we correspond to pieces on a chess board. Considering that he's quite a powerful being in the first place, it's no wonder that Judai took up half my pieces, but it's also a gamble," she explained further.

"Gamble?"

"He doesn't trust us is what buchou is trying to say," Kiba interjected, downing a water as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. "His morale is low. At this point, his independence, even though he's very strong, can be his weakness. If too many powerful beings were to fight him at once, there's a high chance he'll be overwhelmed."

"That's right; Asia-chan hasn't seen Judai's magical power, has she?" Akeno asked. The girl looked even more confused than before.

"I believe that his magical ability is on par with Akeno's, at the very least," Rias agreed. "If he were serious, I have no doubt that he wouldn't have been hit by her Thunder. Against warriors like Kiba-kun and Koneko-chan, Judai has no problems, since he seems well versed in close combat. If this were baseball, you could say that he would be the cleanup. His skills are high all around."

"I-Is Judai-san really that powerful?"

"Much more so if he were to try…" Rias replied quietly, staring at the direction from which the said boy left.


He hadn't shown up at dinner time. Kiba told them that Judai wasn't in his room either, but the door was locked. When they'd managed to break into his room, it was as if no one had been sleeping there. The bed was still neatly made, his luggage widely untouched, except for a silver briefcase that he'd been carrying and absolutely refused to allow anyone else to touch. Something fell in the pits of Rias's stomach as they ate without his presence. The others had been chatting about their own training when she stood up. "I-I'm going to get some fresh air," she announced. Akeno was about to ask if she wanted her to accompany her, but she declined politely, leaving the rest of her peerage in the room.

It was a clear, beautiful night. Cicadas and crickets could be heard in the gentle serenity of the forest. It wasn't at all dark either, with her enhanced vision as a devil. The closer she got to the clearing, however, the louder odd, popping sounds got. For someone who'd never actually heard a real gun, she was curious as she hid behind a tree, carefully watching a dark figure in the clearing. "Gear up! Let's go!"

Judai leapt into the air, ripping the two pistols out of his belt. Their barrels gleamed under the light of the moon as he fired practice rounds at Yubel, who incinerated them without a care in the world. He landed on the ground, instantly charging forward, firing as he approached. The winged demon dodged each bullet as it came until he was in striking distance. One of her claws shot forward, narrowly missing Judai's cheek as he ducked. He tried to counter with a reverse roundhouse kick, but she blocked it with her left arm just before it reached her face, giving him time to holster the guns as he spun off the guard into the air, grabbing her head.

The demon had expected this, grabbing him from under the arms and sent him flying into the tree directly in front of Rias. She could hear the trunk crack under the sheer force. He changed his orientation midair, ripping out one of the pistols as he used his legs to absorb his impact with the tree's trunk. He'd used the disadvantage to his benefit, pistoning forward, while firing the gun directly at Yubel's head. The bullets disappeared with the wave of her hand as she sighed. Her eyes widened as he appeared right before her, his ankle connecting with the side of her face, which sent her crashing into the trees, streak marks in the dirt showing that she'd managed to parry a small part of the blow.

He followed without a moment's rest, firing a left feint followed by a strong, right hook, both of which were blocked as the she sent a kick straight into his side, which he blocked with his left forearm. She tried the same move on him, spinning into the air, off his arm, as she grabbed his head, except it worked. He flew for a moment, somersaulting before spinning around, flipping forward on his hands and pushing back into the air, shooting directly down at her shoulders.

Rias gasped as she watched the fight progress. This was the first time she'd ever seen Judai outclassed by anything. Not only that, but his opponent hadn't really moved on her own volition, except for the few shots from her Pawn that had connected. Yuki Judai, the seemingly invincible boy, was losing a fight. She watched as he cried out in pain, placed in a choke hold. He countered by shifting his weight forward, throwing her off him. "So this is what he's like when he's actually trying?" she whispered to herself, closely observing Yubel, who was currently in her demon form. "But what's that thing that he's fighting."

He was in an actual fighting stance, his arms close to his body and his balance near perfect. Yubel stood before him, her arms crossed over her chest, but there were no openings in either of their guards. Judai was the one to act first, once again, leaving a cloud of dust in his wake as he shot forward with his right fist cocked back. She leaned back casually, kneeing him in the stomach. He choked, falling to the floor, sweeping his left foot out to trip her. She shot into the air; her wings spreading out under the moon, making her look even more fearsome. "Oh shit," he muttered.

Rias, while watching, realized what it was as she saw the glowing heterochromia iridis of the demon. It was the power he seemed to use as his trump card. She watched as the demon's entire body began to glow, while chanting in some strange language. As that happened, she noticed that he had instantly stood up and began to run. Yubel's eyes focused, their colors glowing with an even fiercer intensity. "Eternal… Nightmare!" she yelled.

Fire erupted from the ground as he performed the same evasive tactics he used on Akeno; however, he accidentally triggered a surprise shot as he stepped in a specific area, sending him straight into the air. The demon closed the distance between them, folding both her hands together as she slammed them into his back. His eyes widened as he coughed, shooting straight into the floor with a resounding thud. Dust and dirt exploded upward. He looked up, to find her standing before him, her arms once again crossed. Letting out a weak laugh, he turned onto his back. "I give. I give. Anymore and I'll probably die, Yubel," he said. "This is not working!"

"Yubel? Is that an ally of his?" Rias wondered. She let out a surprised squeak when a pillar of fire erupted directly beside her.

"You can come out now. Judai's just about done having his ass handed to him," Yubel said flatly. The red-haired girl nodded compliantly, emerging from the darkness of the forest into the clearing. Judai had recovered enough energy to get himself into a sitting position. His clothes were different as well. He was clad in his typical black turtle neck, but there was a red, fitted, high-collared jacket that fanned out at the small of his back over it. He was also wearing dark blue skinny jeans and black boots with red accents.

"How long did you know I was there?" she asked, uncomfortable under Yubel's piercing gaze.

"We knew from the time you arrived," Judai replied. She was about to ask another question, but Judai continued. "We just couldn't be bothered to stop. And I thought I had you there as well, Yubel."

"W-Who are you?"

"I am Yubel, Judai's guardian, and a being that resides within his soul. I provide him with advice every now and then, as well, Rias Gremory," she explained. "I'm partially the reason you were able to reincarnate him."

"Pardon? What do you-"

"That's enough, Yubel," he interrupted. "She doesn't need to know any more than that."

"Understood."

"What do you mean? I don't need to know any more than that? You can't keep secrets like that if we're to be a team!" the red-haired girl yelled. "I can't afford liabilities like that."

"Then why did you want me so badly?" he asked.

"That's-"

"I'll tell you things as I see necessary, Buchou," he continued. "Right now, that information is unnecessary and would probably make things worse than before. Thank you for your help tonight, Yubel. You're dismissed."

"Good night, Judai."

Rias stared at the place where the powerful being had once stood. It was as if she hadn't existed in the first place. He laughed weakly at her amazed expression. When she turned to face him, he had a gentle smile, one she hadn't seen before. It was genuine, and happy. There was some sort of comfort in his gaze as he fell back onto the floor, placing his hands under his head. He noticed the notebook and glasses in her hand. "This is a nice place you got here. The stars are really clear out here."

"Is that right?"

"You doing some late-night studying?" he asked. She nodded. "I didn't take you for someone with bad eyesight."

"It's just that I seem to think more clearly with these on," she replied with a weak giggle. "I guess that I've been in the human world much too long."

"Is that so? What's the book about? Is it interesting?" he asked. She shook her head.

"No, I'm just reading this for peace of mind," she explained. "There is a lot of information in this book, but it doesn't help with the biggest problem, Raiser himself. He's-"

"An immortal bird, right?" he asked, surprising her. "Yeah, I know that. He's not someone you can beat with skill alone; I suppose… invincibility in battle, huh?"

"You seem to know more than you let on, don't you?" she chuckled. "Their wounds heal instantly, and their flame leaves nothing left. Raiser himself has an eight and two record, but those two loses were on purpose, out of respect. He can obtain a title in the official games if he wants. When the Rating Game was introduced, the house of Phoenix rose in the ranks because of their abilities. It was then that Devils realized the powers of the Phoenix and their fearsomeness."

"I see…" he laughed demurely. "So it will be an uphill battle the whole time, yes?"

"There are ways to beat him, it would seem," she offered. "To show him incredible power, which requires God-Class strength, or to wear down his spirit until he's no longer willing to fight, those are our options."

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Only if I can do the same with you."

"Fair enough. Why do you hate Raiser; rather, why are you so particularly against the notion of marriage?"

"I'm a Gremory…"

"And I'm a Yuki. It's written as 'courage,' by the way," he chuckled. She laughed as well.

"That's not what I mean, Judai. For me, a Gremory, that's all those devils see me as. I want to prove myself as a devil, not someone who's just 'the heiress of the House of Gremory.' I suppose that's why I wanted someone like you so badly. I think that I thought, 'if someone this powerful was under me, those nobles would have no choice but to acknowledge my existence, not only as a Gremory, but as Rias Gremory,'" she explained in a soft voice. He looked up at her, to find that she was staring into the distance, her eyes seemingly searching for something beyond the mountains. "It must sound stupid to you as well, but I just want someone who will love me as me, not as Gremory like Raiser does. That's a small dream of mine… Look at me… I suppose I bored you with my monologue."

"It makes sense," he said. "It's only natural to want to be acknowledged as oneself. I mean, I see you as you, pushy and driven. That's just how I do it, I suppose. I don't particularly care about things like status and tradition. If your feelings are that passionate, then I'll fight. Let's just call this a free service, a trial period. If it doesn't work out, then so be it. If it does, I suppose that means that I'll have to prove my undying loyalty to you as my master, right?" She chuckled. "Did I say something funny?"

"I suppose you're right, Yuki Judai," she agreed, her cheeks dusted red."Is it alright if I ask you a question, then?"

"Fire away."

"What was your purpose in coming here?" He laughed again.

"Such a question right off the bat…" he muttered. "Well, I suppose that I was here to clean up someone's mess."

"Were you going to kill us?"

"I was supposed to use what I deemed necessary," he replied. "You could say that I'm something similar to a mercenary. If I had to kill you, then I would have. I work everywhere, and it just happened to be my job that brought me back home and I had for fortune, or misfortune, of meeting you."

"If I may, can I ask you another question?" she asked.

"As long as it's not too difficult to answer."

"Your power, it's the Power of Creation, isn't it? It's the power that literally created existence, isn't it?"

"Another difficult question… It goes by many names, but that name is fitting, I guess."

"Then why haven't you fought with your full power?"

"I can't answer that question. It's a personal matter."

"I-Is that so?"

He nodded. "You know, peace like this is what I strive for. If I could spend the rest of eternity, gazing at the stars, not worrying about life, I would take it in a heartbeat, buchou. It seems that nothing in life is easy, though. As long as there's a goal, I'll keep going." Something had fallen onto his body by then. When he looked down, he found Rias asleep on his stomach and smiled. "Geez, you idiot, if you're going to be fighting such an important battle, you should at least get proper rest… Oi, Yubel."

"You called, Judai?"

The demon materialized once more, sitting on the ground beside them. She was in her human form. He sighed, his head falling back on the ground. "Well, for one, I think I'll sleep out here for tonight. It wouldn't be good to wake the leader, right?"

"Is that so?" she asked. He nodded.

"And two, I suppose we should find some way to open that gate back up, or give me a little more breathing space. Since I've just confirmed that our opponent is an immortal, we'll need all the firepower we can get our hands on. And there's a point where I pass out from pain."

"So you want me to see how much power you can release in one go, before the curse activates?" she asked.

"Yeah, like a one-off sort of deal."

"I'll see what I can do, Judai. I'll need some time for calculations, though. Your timing will have to be perfect, and we don't know if a certain amount of exertion will kill you," she said. "What good are you dead?" He chuckled again.

"I suppose you're right, as always. I'd still like to know, however. I'd be lonely if I had to live alone for eternity," he replied. It was her turn to sigh as she glanced up at the stars. "And I've got you as backup in case something goes awry, right, sensei?"

"Do our backup plans ever work?"

"That's true," he sighed, closing his eyes. "Well, thanks, Yubel. I think I'm going to get some shut eye now." She nodded, disappearing from his presence. He let out a yawn, repositioning his body so that he could be more comfortable, without disturbing the sleeping girl on his stomach.

The sun shone in her eyes when she awoke. Even though she was a morning person, Rias Gremory wasn't one to enjoy leaving a warm bed when she opened her eyes. Except, she hadn't been sleeping on a warm bed; her pillow was rising and falling, gentle breathing noises filling the still morning air. Almost instantly, she blushed, her blue eyes widening as she jolted away from the sleeping Yuki Judai. Something had fallen off her body as she sat up, his jacket. It was warm, despite its seemingly thin material, and seemed to smell of him a small bit.

She sat there for a moment, before realizing that it was time for them to return. She forcefully grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him, but he grumbled, turning onto his side. "Aww, geez! Why is it now of all times that he has to…"

"Huh? Is it morning already?" he asked groggily. Blinking, Rias tossed his jacket at his face. "Well, good morning to you too."

"C'mon, today's the day. We have to go."


Judai found himself in the Occult Research Club's room after a long, harsh scolding from his parents. Everyone seemed anxious, seemingly waiting for someone. Bored, he ambled out of the room into the main courtyard. It was already an hour to midnight, when the game would start. The air was dangerously still. His phone rang, the caller ID reading 'O'Brien.' With that, he hastily made his way to the back of the main school building, and accepted the call.

"So I heard everything," O'Brien chuckled, seemingly shuffling through some sort of papers. "Are you really in the condition to fight something like a Phoenix? That's a bird with immortality, you know, but I suppose you have a plan if that 'Fried Chicken Man' is really immortal?"

"Oh? You put a tap on my phone, O'Brien?" Judai asked casually, glancing at the screen of his phone. There was a thud, but he ignored it. "I heard that it's illegal to do that in America. I could turn you in to the American Homeland Security, right?" His informant snorted at the threat, still shuffling through the papers. "They could have a field day."

"So you'd sell out the company that pays you? You're quite loyal, Judai."

"I never signed a contract with Industrial Illusions, you know. I'm paid under the table. And why would I sell out the company that pays me to travel around the world? If I were to retire, I'd have enough money to live a pretty frivolous lifestyle for the next century, but it is risk versus reward, right?" he asked casually. "Oh well, this experience would make for a nice Duel Monsters archetype later on, I suppose. So why are you calling me?"

"I've done some research on this 'Immortal' Phoenix based on the information I heard, and, according to it, they seem to manufacture a product called 'Phoenix Tears,' which you could equate to a full-heal elixir. I managed to get my hands on one and ran some tests," he replied.

"What were the results?"

"It would be safe to assume that it heals afflictions of almost any kind, so I sent you a sample to try. It might get rid of that stupid thing that keeps bothering us. Do you know how messy your work became after that? It's cost us millions of U.S. dollars to cover up your aftermaths."

"So now you're complaining about my work?" Judai chuckled. "I wonder how hard it would be to find another Herald of Gentle Darkness."

"Yes, yes, you're definitely one of a kind," the American sighed. "You should be receiving a package right about now."

A woman came out from the corner of the school, clad in a black business suit and dark shades. In her hand was a heavy-looking silver briefcase with an electronic lock and fingerprint scanner. She handed it to him wordlessly before leaving.

"So, did you get it?"

"Man, you really need to get more personable couriers, O'Brien…"

"Good, take it."

He opened the case. Inside was a vial the size of his pinky finger, and a syringe. Placing the vial inside the slot, Judai stuck the needle in his arm and injected the liquid into his bloodstream. A brilliant sensation of warmth washed his body when a sudden pain erupted from his arms, neck, and the place of the healing injury. It felt like needles were being removed from various places.

Ripping off his jacket, he found that the black lines were slowly getting lighter, as black sludge began leaking out of the wound, onto his stomach and pants. The collar and wrist cuffs began to disintegrate in a spectacular show of flames and smoke. There was something different within him, but he couldn't detect it. "Now, Judai, activate some of your power."

"Right now? You want me to do this in public?"

"Do you really have a choice?"

"Fine," he grumbled, closing his eyes. His black aura began to flow around him, his eyes flashing gold. His clothes began to change from the Kouh uniform to his original Osiris one. Black wind began to gust through the area, as he was engulfed in a raging black fire. Something was welling in his body, something indescribable. It was threatening to explode, taking everything with it. Around him, the ground began to crumble, the plaster of the main building began to crack. The sheer release of power pushed him almost a meter off the ground. "The hell? It's… easier…"

"Are you still there, Judai?"

"What now?"

"I assume that you've been able to activate it?"

"So far, so good," he nodded. The darkness immediately vanished, but the Osiris uniform remained.

"Good," O'Brien replied. "I know this is a bad time, but it seems that we've also detected Excalibur in your area." His eyes widened. "Since your natural power attribute is Darkness, that sword is attracted to your very being. It was designed to kill your previous incarnations, after all."

"Excalibur, here? What? Doesn't that mean…"

"It means that 'it' will likely react once more. The only other time it gave off this much energy was during the Tokugawa Shogunate. It naturally attracts powerful beings, you know. You might be able to find it under these conditions, but remember, if Excalibur comes anywhere near you, it will possess its wielder to kill you. And… based on its history, it probably will kill you since you're the equivalent to a toddler. Haou had lived for hundreds of years, after all, and even he hadn't been able to master the powers of Darkness."

"This… now Excalibur… all while trying to find and destroy 'it,'" he mumbled, "by the way, how did you manage to get the Phoenix Tears?"

"I have sources. Mutou Sugoroku-san was the one who happened to know how to obtain it."

"Gramps?"

"The legend of the Phoenix is believed to have originated in Egypt. One of their gods is a Phoenix, after all. You've even faced the Sun Dragon Ra on one occasion. Who better to ask than the one who found the Millennium Puzzle of the Seven Sennen Set?"

"I guess that's true…"

"Just be careful," O'Brien warned him after a moment of silence. "There's no doubt that, because Excalibur is here, its other fragments will most likely follow. That in itself will be enough of a trouble for you. It seems that the Gremory girl knows nothing of 'its' existence. What I'm worried about is the name Himejima. They're Shinto exorcists… why would they send a direct descendant to a school if they're a highly traditional family?"

"Do you think they know anything?"

"That's why you're there. We don't know who else knows if 'it's' there. Hell, we don't even know if 'it's' there. This is exactly why I went through so much trouble to get the Phoenix Tears, so don't make it go to waste."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it. I'll find a way to get through this. Just prepare the damage control funds for when I'm done, got it?"

"Pegasus-kaichou wouldn't be very happy to hear that," O'Brien chuckled. With that, the line went dead.

He sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets as he let out a bemused chuckle. Glancing up at the sky, Judai walked slowly back to the old building with his mind wandering about. Asia was sitting at the steps to the entrance. Her bottom lip was quivering violently when she looked up. It seemed that his mere presence quelled whatever uncertainty she was feeling, but not all of it.

"Asia? What are you doing out here?" he asked curiously.

"Buchou-san told me to come get you, but I didn't know where you went," she replied with a weak laugh. He smiled noting that she was clad in her nun's outfit. It's fitting for her role in battle, after all, he thought to himself. "I-I've never seen you in those clothes before."

"It's a token of my former life," he explained vaguely, leaning against the railing beside her. "You do know that I'm against you participating in this thing, right?" She nodded vehemently.

"Y-Yes! I know that Judai-san doesn't want me to get hurt! But I want to be of some use to Buchou-san, who helped me out so much as well!" Her voice began to fade. "It was because of her that I'm able to be with you…"

"Hm? Did you say something?"

"N-Nothing at all!"

"You two, please come inside. Rias-buchou wants to go over our strategy one more time before the game begins," Akeno said from the door. "Ara, am I interrupting something?" Judai shook his head, silently climbing the steps as the blonde nun followed him closely. The rest of the Group was still in their same places around the coffee table when the three of them entered the room.

"Is everyone ready? There are only twenty minutes before the Rating Game begins," Grayfia asked. With a unanimous nod, the maid began to explain. A magic circle appeared beside her. "When the match does begin, you will be transported to the field though this magic field. Since it is a disposable space, you won't have to worry about holding back." She was looking directly at Judai as she said that.

There's supposed to be another Bishop under Rias's command, right? Judai thought to himself. No one's saying anything, so I won't either, but for it not to show during something like this, just what's going on?

"… This Rating Game will also be broadcast to both families from a different location, so that means Maou-sama will be viewing this," she finished. The face Rias made was priceless, in his opinion. Her jaw was slack, her eyes wide.

"Oni-sama is going to view this battle?" she muttered.

'Oni-sama?' So her brother is the head devil… Then it must mean that 'Lucifer' is some sort of title, huh?

"Sirzechs Lucifer, the 'Crimson Satan,' the most powerful Maou… for him to watch our battle," Kiba mused.

So the one to become a 'Lucifer' surrenders his or her family name, huh? This is why Buchou is to inherit the Gremory estate, he thought to himself.

"So this is beginning to make more sense, ne Judai?" Yubel said. He nodded. "It seems that those Phoenix Tears saved you, for now. Don't get over excited, though. You'll tear your body apart from your own ability if you go too far. You're still new to this."

Yeah, yeah, got it, Yubel…

They all stepped onto the teleportation circle. Light covered them, and he felt like he was floating for a split second. When the light faded, it was as if they hadn't moved at all. They had simply returned to the clubroom. "Oh? Was it canceled?"

"Good evening, everyone," Grayfia said over some sort of loudspeaker. "I, Grayfia, the maid of the Gremory household, will be the arbiter of this unofficial match between the House of Gremory and the House of Phoenix. In the name of Sirzechs Lucifer, I will judge this match fairly. Therefore, by the consent of both Raiser Phoenix and Rias Gremory, the stage has been set as a replica of Kouh Academy."

"This is getting rather interesting…" the brunette muttered to himself with a small smirk. "A replica, huh? These people really like putting on a show…"

"Consequently, the places to which each peerage has transported will serve as their base the duration of this fight. Rias-sama's base will be the clubroom of the Occult Research Club, and Raiser-sama's base will be the Student Council room. For the pawns to gain 'Promotion', they must enter the enemy's territory," the maid said. "This match will continue to dawn, human time."

So they already have a tactical advantage by having their base in the highest floor of the main building… By piece, I'm outnumbered eight-to-one as well. Interesting… He was handed an earpiece communicator just as the bell rang. … And this is how we'll communicate…

"We'll start by eliminating the Pawns," Rias explained confidently. "If they promote to Queens, we might as well surrender." Akeno had begun making tea. "This is just like a chess game. So our best option, with our limited manpower is a 'blitz-type' fight. We can use the terrain to its fullest. Yuuto!"

"Yes," the blonde swordsman said with a salute. He walked over to the table and laid out a map of the school. It was broken down similar to a chess board.

"There is a forest near our building, so it's safe to assume that this area is our territory," she said, circling various parts of the map with a red marker. "Also, assuming that the New Building is their territory, they'll likely have an ambush there. There'll be servants, either Knights or Rooks positioned on the Sports Ground, so it's safe to assume that they know we'll need to use an alternate route."

"Should we occupy the gym, then? It will give us a passage to the new building," Kiba asked. She nodded in agreement.

"However, there might be a Rook placed there, so we'll counter with our own," she replied. "Yuuto and Koneko will lay traps in the Forest area, so take another map and mark where you lay them. This marker will update everyone's maps in real time."

"Understood!" he replied.

"… Roger…"

"Good, then everyone else will remain on standby until they finish with the traps. Also, Akeno, would you mind casting illusions of mist and fog to react to Raiser's group? It'll likely buy us more time to gain a favorable position."

"Yes, buchou!"

"Wait… where's Judai?"

"Wow, it's really lifelike," he mused, reclining in the branch of a tree. "Hey, Yubel, we should figure out how to make dimensions like this!"

"Don't get too excited, Judai," the demon sighed from a higher branch. "We're staking out our opponents, remember?"

"I got it. I got it. You're such a killjoy, Yubel… Boosted Gear, standby," Judai commanded. His eyes flashed as the red gauntlet appeared on his arm. "Ddraig, Yubel, prepare for and detect anything that comes within five meters of my position. I'll control when you double my power, got it, Ddraig?"

"Understood, as long as the commands are at least ten seconds apart. Hold on… isn't five meters a rather small radius, aibou?" the dragon asked curiously. "Just what are you up to?"

"That's the farthest I can expend energy without making it noticeable to the enemy," he replied. It was then that he noticed Koneko traveling toward the Gym alone. "It looks like they've decided to roll out. Shall we as well?"

The brunette boy followed the small girl a good distance to the Gym without her notice, grappling one of the outside windows as she entered. Inside, he could see four people, three pawns and a rook. Two of the pawns were twins. The other was the small battle girl he'd fought earlier. With them, the rook, a woman clad in a Chinese battle suit stood tall. "Just what is she thinking? Sending her into a four-on-one…"

The twins produced large chainsaws, making him deadpan, as the battle girl and Chinese woman fell into fighting stances of Kung-Fu and Tae-Kwon-Do origin. The chainsaws themselves revved, yet Koneko still showed no emotion. "Disassembling time!" they sung happily.

A powerful fist slammed into the floor where the white-haired girl had once stood, destroying the hardwood finish. The twins followed up with a charge, their chainsaws grinding harshly against the ground as Rias's rook leapt into the air, directly in the path of the fourth battle girl. "Shit," Judai muttered, winding up his body.

Glass shattered everywhere as Judai's foot connected with the girl's face, sending her spiraling back into the floor. Koneko herself seemed surprised with her ally's sudden interference as they stood back to back. He wasn't emitting any sort of power, but the pressure around him was intense enough to make the four other girls falter. "Looks like you're in a bit of a jam," he chuckled. "Want some help?"

"Hey! Hey! No fair! We didn't expect a surprise attack!" the twins whined, revving their chainsaws once more. They had begun charging at the Gremory duo swinging the weapons without a care. The other Pawn and the Rook took the signal and began charging at them as well. "It was just supposed to be us and the Rook!"

"Boost," he commanded.

The gauntlet lit up, a Roman numeral one appearing on the main gem. Immediately, Judai's suppressed aura exploded outward, a flaming black. His eye-color changed as well, displaying Yubel's presence, as he and Koneko leapt into the air. He pulled out his two hidden pistols and fired directly at the two chainsaw-wielding girls. His aura was sucked into the barrels of the guns before the bullets shot out, leaving trails of black smoke in their wake, but the two girls managed to deflect all of his shots, closing in on his position mid-air. "We got you!"

He twisted as the first saw whizzed past his ear, dropping the guns so that he could open up his palms. The second one missed, just barely. A smirk grazed his handsome features as the gauntlet announced a second boost. Judai landed on the floor gracefully, now with the full attention of the three pawns on him. They began attacking him from all sides, but he didn't fight back. Instead, he darted about the Gym until they had trapped him in the center. The third boost activated, making his black flame stronger and denser.

"Stop running, Mousy-kun!" the twins said simultaneously. "There's nowhere else you can go!" A dark smile spread across his face.

"Explosion," he muttered, closing his palms. The balls of red energy began growing from the size of marbles from all over the room until they were as big as wrecking balls, creating a dome around the four Pawns. Their sheer number was enough to stop the fight between the Rooks. Suddenly, they shot forward, like an imploding sphere, toward each of Raiser's Pawns, creating explosions that threatened to rend the building itself. Only Judai's glowing eyes could be seen through the smoke. Of the three, none of the girls were left conscious when the dust cleared. The chainsaws were completely wrecked. He was standing on a piece of undamaged floor in the middle a crater four meters deep.

"Reset!" the gauntlet announced. Its gem was once again completely blank.

"You really need to stop watching Dragonball," Yubel sighed. "Anymore than this and you'll have lawyers trying to sue you for copyright infringement."

"Well, excuse me for trying to be creative," he chuckled, already preparing another ranged attack in his right hand. The gauntlet began, once more announcing its first boost. "Koneko-san, please move, or you'll get caught in this." The girl leapt backward just as a massive beam shot out of his hand toward the opposing Rook, sending her into the wall, breaking more than a few bones on impact.

"Koneko, can you hear me?" Rias asked through the earpiece. "What's your status?"

"… Yes, Yuki is with me," she replied. Judai smirked when he heard her choke through the microphone.

"Judai is with you?"

"…Yes. He eliminated four of our enemies in the span of sixty seconds. The Gym has been captured."

Rias's eyes widened from the base. Four had only lasted against him for sixty seconds, according to Koneko. She dashed to the window, searching for the gym. The windows were destroyed with smoke rising from every opening. There hadn't been an explosion, and she hadn't been able to detect any exposition of power. What?

"T-Then Akeno's also prepared. Please evacuate as soon as possible," she commanded. The two exchanged glances, nodding to each other as they dashed out of the building. He could sense the Queen overhead, lightning sparkling through the sky. It shot down onto the building, reducing it to rubble.

"Taken," she giggled with a devilish smile and wings outspread. The announcement that three Pawns and one Rook had retired was made over the loudspeaker.

"Wow…" he mumbled, absently kicking at a fallen support beam. His black aura disappeared as quickly as it had come. His eyes returned to their normal chocolate brown. "Reset."


And that's it! Well, same old, same old...

Transparentchaos signing out!