Hello there, Skylinemaster here with another chapter of He's Only Human.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from High School DxD
Issei reviewed the footage of the Rating Games that Riser Phenex had won. The two he lost were due to him intentionally losing, so there was no purpose to see why someone lost, only why someone wins. Be it the overwhelming power of Phenex fire, tactical brilliance, or the other team simply sucking, Issei needed to know why.
Regardless of his views on Devils, he made a deal, and he intended on keeping it.
He watched the action unfold on the massive television in front of him, as well as the two smaller monitors next to the main one. The main one showed the main camera angle, while the others alternated between the secondary views. They allowed a complete view of the Rating Game battle field, showing any strengths or weaknesses.
Issei realized that any comprehensive strategy wouldn't be necessary for Rias to win versus Riser. He noticed a theme of Riser's Peerage in their fights.
Seemingly favoring physical combat, Riser sends all his pieces, excluding himself, his Queen, and his Bishops onto the main battlefield. The Bomb Queen Yubelluna acts as a roving figure on the battlefield, allowing for massive amounts of explosive based magic to be launched at certain locations.
His six Pawns, and two Rooks, with the support of the Queen, go around eliminate their opponents through teamwork, often fighting two on one.
It was very pragmatic, Issei could respect that.
Whittling down his opponents, he would then join the fray with his two Bishops and his entire Peerage would swarm what was left of the enemy's, and take their King.
Of course, anyone could see what he was doing, but whether they could stop him was another story.
Issei paused the footage in front of him. His head throbbed, a side effect of pairing a Longinus class Sacred Gear with his existence. He couldn't anchor it to his soul which he didn't have, so he paired it with the void that occupied his soul. It wasn't perfect, but it did the job well enough.
His skin tingled when he sealed it as he felt the very nature of his existence morphing within him as the seal became finally complete.
He sat down, ignoring the headache.
He focused on the task in front of him, staring at the screen as multiple strategies formed in his head. He needed to take into account the capabilities of the Devils in front of him, if any plan he made was to be successful.
He could have used the Sephiroth Graal to figure out everyone he wanted to about the Gremory Peerage, but that would lead to more questions that Issei would very much prefer not to answer. It would have to be the old fashion way of learning.
He sat still for five minutes, before turning off the tv.
He'd be ready to train the Devils and lead them to victory. They just have to not suck.
Issei impassively stared as the Devils conducted their ten laps around the track in Rias' Underworld mansion.
Now, there were some trainers who would have started off with something ridiculous like a ten kilometer run, or several hundred push ups or squats, but Issei knew better. No purpose in exhausting them at the start of the training. At the end of the training, sure, but never at the start.
As the last Devil, Asia, completed the lap, Issei couldn't help but wonder how Rias had convinced her to accept Devildom. He was pretty sure that she was just forcefully reincarnated, but he wasn't going to do anything about it, not here nor now.
The Devils formed in a little group in front of him. Issei looked at the ground as he paced. He was wearing a simple blue track suit with running shoes, much like the Devils who wore workout attire.
"I've formed numerous strategies in my head about what to do about Riser. However, I'd naturally need to see what you all can actually do before I decide which plan is right for you." He stopped, pointing at Kiba.
"We are going to spar individually. I need to gauge your abilities and see how they factor into my plan."
Issei said. He knew of their perceptions of him as a Magician, silently chuckling. There was much more to that that they didn't need to know. He would limit himself and fight completely different than he would prefer. It would be no good if your opponents could see your fighting style and your abilities while you had no backup.
"Let's begin."
The two stood across from each other, inside of the grass field of the 400 meter track. The Devils were watching from the sidelines, chanting encouragement at the Knight.
"Now, Kiba. Do whatever it takes to neutralize me.. I'll do the same." He glanced at Rias. "..Please start the countdown."
Issei focused his eyes back on the blonde in front of him.
"Three, two, one, fight!"
Kiba charged at Issei at a rate faster than the human eye could see, a Western sword materializing in his hand. Issei picked up all of his movements as if Kiba was moving in molasses, noting the distance he had travelled in less than two seconds.
Raising a palm up, a blue magical circle enveloped the soulless boy, spreading from Issei's feet. Invisible ice covered the circle before disappearing. Kiba rushed into where the circle had been, and his legs came out from underneath him.
"You're a Knight, you rely on speed." He said, as Kiba regained his footing. "..You know how quickly you'll move in ideal conditions, perfectly warm and sun shining." Issei continued, dodging a slash at his head. "..Under non ideal conditions however, you need to readjust. Wet ground, snow, quicksand, all…." He ducked underneath an arc from Kiba's sword. "…Change the dynamic of the fight."
Issei sprang at Kiba, launching a jab to his stomach and left hook to the face before leaping a safe distance back. Kiba frowned, as the ground started to quake. Issei jumped as numerous blades pierced the earth below him.
"Good on you." Issei said, falling back down to Earth. Numerous magical circles appeared around Issei, each in a different color.
When Issei hit the ground, the circles activated. Stony hands grabbed Kiba's ankles with a huge gust of wind knocking the Knight forward to the ground. He couldn't see the stump of Earth that formed up in front of his head, and when he collided with it, the force knocked him unconscious.
"Next."
Were the last words he heard before the darkness took over.
A replay of the fight happened with Koneko. Issei knew it was going to happen, but just wanted to see if she could defy fate.
That is the problem with Rooks and Knights. All the speed in the world, but no way of hitting a target that wasn't in the immediate vicinity.
To his credit though, Koneko did start lobbing chunks of Earth at him as he constantly dodged her punches.
Still, it didn't do much for her as she was unconscious on the sidelines. Issei was very curious about his next challenger, the Queen. He knew of her heritage, her Fallen Angel ability of Light would do well in this fight. That said, he wasn't going to tell her he knew what she was. That would have raised more questions than Issei would like to deal with.
"Begin!"
Rias shouted. Akeno immediately chanted a lightning spell, sending lightning from the sky at Issei. Issei ducked to the side and shot a fireball at her, which she blocked with a barrier.
Akeno attempted to hit Issei with her lightning, but he kept dodging the attacks. Every attack he dodged, he moved closer to her. When she noticed how close he was, she took to the skies with her Devil wings. Her outfit changed, changing from a tracksuit to a Shinto shrine maiden. Issei ignored the change in outfit as he used a wind spell, generating a mini tornado with a green magic circle.
Allowing himself to be caught in the tornado, he spun around at breakneck speeds inside as Akeno attempted to hit him with a water spout. Leaving at the perfect time, Issei flew out of the tornado as a bullet. Creating an earth hammer, Issei hit Akeno out of the sky and into the ground.
He launched a lightning spell at the crater Akeno fell into, stunning her into unconsciousness. Issei landed on his feet in a kneeling position before he stood up, looking at the Gremory heiress.
"And Rias, it's your turn."
Rias launched her signature Power of Destruction at the soulless boy. Issei watched lazily as the beam of energy made its way towards him.
A few inches before it would have made contact, a massive black hole appeared in front of Issei. All the Power of Destruction went inside the hole before the hole closed up.
A fraction of a second later, another hole appeared behind Rias. Power of Destruction poured out of the hole and into Rias's back, knocking the heiress to the ground. Rias remained on the ground as the hole closed up, defeated by her own power.
"Alright." Issei said, walking towards Rias. "..Let's get you fixed up."
Issei made the finishing touches on the 3D modeling software on his computer. The Devils sat behind him on two couches, eagerly waiting for Issei. Issei hooked up his computer to the tv, the screens a perfect copy of each other.
"Okay, now that I've evaluated your strengths and techniques against those of Riser and his Peerage, this is the best course of action. Please hold off all questions until the end."
Issei said, clicking on a file that read Gremory Phenex Fight Simulator. Out popped a 3D replica of Kuoh Academy. Zooming in on the Occult Research Club room, five white colored stickmen figures became visible, each wearing a labelled shirt with their names on it.
"Okay, I guess that you will start over here." Issei said, zooming out so that the club building was seen. "…I estimate that Riser will start in the Student Council area." Issei zoomed out, pointing at the Student Council room in the main building.
"This is what I want you all to do." Issei clicked on a button that said play. The stick figures labelled Rias and Akeno flew outside while the other three stayed indoors. Issei paused the screen.
"Okay, this is what is going to happen. Akeno and Rias, you will generate a tremendous flood over the battle field. I want the entire forest and the school submerged in tsunami levels of water." Issei said, before he pointed at the three other Devils.
"You three will start to dig a tunnel from your place to the school building."
Issei clicked on the simulator, and it worked as Issei said. A flood of water became visible, slowly moving over the landscape, while a tunnel was created from the club room to the main building. Issei clicked on the simulator, pausing it as the flood hit the school.
He then scrolled over to the Student Council building, making visible sixteen black stickmen, evidently Riser's Peerage. Riser and Yubelluna were labelled with their names while everyone else was what piece they were and a number.
"I imagine that while this is happening, they won't be still." Issei resumed the simulator, making the Riser stickmen move.
All the Pawns, Knights, Rooks, and Bishops moved.
"As you can see, Bishop 1 and 2 are moving away from the main area." He pointed out the Bishops moving to the edge of the map while the rest of the Peerage moved into the forest, which had a wave on top of it.
"Pawns 1 to 8, Knights 1 and 2, and Rooks 1 and 2." He paused the simulator, freezing the stickmen at various points in the center of the map.
"..Will be eliminated." He zoomed to Rias and Akeno. "…You two will launch lightning strikes, because you know water conducts electricity."
He continued the simulator, as numerous lightning strikes came from Rias and Akeno. Riser's Peerage vanished from the simulator as the water crackled with electricity.
"While this is happening…" Issei scrolled underneath the map, revealing a tunnel from the club room to the main building. The Koneko, Kiba, and Asia stickmen were inside of the main building.
"Now, it is five against four, realistically four against two. The next threat is the Bomb Queen, Yubelluna." Issei mentioned, zooming in on said stickman.
"Jack of all trades. Phenex fire might be hot and immortal, but shouldn't pose an offensive threat against you. The Queen is the real threat."
Issei continued the simulator, all the remaining pieces minus the Bishops moving around Kuoh's main building. Issei paused again.
"Rias and Asia will be on Riser. Rias you'll engage him with long distance magic, while Asia will provide support and the occasional potshot at him. Do not, and I repeat, do not get close to him."
Issei continued the simulator, zooming in on the moving Riser, Rias, and Asia stickmen. The stickmen were launching spells at each other, with none hitting. Issei scrolled over to the other stickmen. Koneko and Kiba were engaged in close combat with Yubelluna, with Akeno hovering nearby.
"As you can see, you three will gang up on Yubelluna. Due to her explosive abilities, I want you to stay close enough to attack her, but far enough from a suicidal explosion should she chose to do that."
Resuming the simulation, the Peerage watched as the stickmen versions of them continued attacking the Phenex Peerage.
All of the suddenly, the simulation popped up a message in flashing red letters, Victory.
"As you can see, this will end in your victory. Your numbers will overwhelm the Phenex peerage through exhaustion at the end." He turned off the simulation behind him and put his computer into sleep mode.
"Any questions?"
Kiba's hand popped up.
"How do you know that they will move forward?"
"Footage from all of the previous matches shows an aggressive assault built around surrounding and overwhelming with superior numbers. Use that against them."
"Don't you think they will adjust their strategy when we send a tsunami at them?"
Rias piped up. Issei put his chin on a finger as he paced in front of the now blank screen.
"Honestly no. He seems arrogant enough to deal with water, no matter the amount. It'd sting his pride as a Phenex to be deterred by water."
"What if he doesn't do this?"
Akeno asked.
"I have multiple contingencies in plan that I will share with Rias. This is the main plan that should be utilized as it is the most efficient use of your energy."
Issei remarked simply.
"So what do we do now then? Train this strategy until the game comes?"
Rias asked, crossing her arms under her bust.
"No no." Issei waved his hands dismissively. "That'd be a waste of time. Knowing the strategy is one thing, being able to do it is another. Your skills are generally lacking." He ignored the sour looks from the Peerage. "..It will be individual skills training for the better part of the month, then group training which will deal specifically with the game at hand."
Issei clapped his hands, causing the screen behind him to come back to life.
"As you can see, here is the schedule of your training."
Issei paused to let the Peerage see the structured day he prepared.
"If there are no more questions, you are dismissed."
He walked out of the room, but stopped just in front of the doorway.
"Rest up, you'll need it."
Here is the next chapter. Just a small interlude before things really pick up in the next few chapters, so just please stay patient.
Also, I'm going to start updating less frequently with classes starting up again.
Until next time, Skylinemaster out.