Hello guys. I'll warn you from now, this chapters fairly short. Still, i hope that you enjoy it!
Chapter 14:
Fall of a phoenix
"So you've come to face me in the pawn's place?" Riser growled.
"No, he's already fought his battle. This one's mine," Ichigo stated in denial.
"I'll burn you to ashes, you lowly human!" Riser bellowed, fire rising from his palms.
"You know, there's a saying, fight fire with fire," said Ichigo calmly, his expression neutral. "Also, I've been wondering about something." Then, to everyone's astonishment, red flames burst up and began swirling around his form. "Which is stronger? The flames of a devil phoenix? Or… a suzaku?"
Ichigo then blasted the inferno towards Riser. The devil recovered from his flabbergasted state and responded in kind. The two opposing waves of fire collided and cancelled each other out. Without letting any time go to waste, the young substitute soul reaper dashed forward. To all the onlookers, he appeared directly in front of Riser in the blink of an eye. Taking advantage of his foe's lack of preparation for such a speed, Ichigo rammed his right fist into Riser's chest.
Just when the blond devil had gone off his feet and was about to soar away from the force of the impact, the orange-haired teen grabbed his foot with his left hand. Whipping around one-hundred-and-eighty degrees, he relinquished his hold, roughly throwing Riser into the wall of the new school building. He crashed into it with such speed that a spider web of cracks was generated.
Pulling himself free of the wall's (forced) embrace, Riser caught sight of Ichigo speeding towards him, a torso-sized fireball in each hand. Riser instinctively covered himself in flames for protection. It was almost for naught though, as he felt the flames of the teenage substitute blaze through his own easily. Roaring from the excruciating agony of feeling his flesh being seared, along with the painful feeling usually associated with holy power, the blond Phenex was blasted away.
Moments after skidding across the ground, Riser began lifting himself back up whilst muttering furiously. Quickly looking ahead, he saw Ichigo preparing to rush at him once again. Not willing to be subjected to more punishment, he countered by launching a swirling fireball the size of a man at the teen.
Seeing the incoming hazard, Ichigo promptly dived to his right in order to evade it. Springing to his feet, the soul reaper noticed his opponent barreling towards him with a burning rage clear in his eyes. Patiently, he waited for Riser to draw closer, confusing all the spectators while simultaneously making them watch closely in anticipation.
Carefully perceiving his adversary's approach, Ichigo waited until he was just a few seconds away. Then, he unleashed a raging torrent of his red suzaku flames directly into Risre's chest.
As the devil staggered back in suffering, the substitute charged forward with his right fist cocked back in preparation. When he was within striking distance, Ichigo released a bone-shattering punch to Riser's face. Next, his left fist flew into a left hook that connected with the side of his enemy's face. Letting Riser stumble a few steps, he followed it up by crashing his right foot into the blond's gut.
Riser coughed out blood. He was being overwhelmed by the power of the boy before him. His family's healing was helping, however the orange-haired demon before him was relentless in its strikes. He was continuously raining down blow after blow on his body. Just when his mind registered one strike, the next would immediately follow.
Deciding that enough was enough, and that if he wasn't given any sort of relief then he'd simply make his own, the son of the Phenex household made his body explode with flames. It had the desired result of making Ichigo halt his assault and back away a little.
"Don't you dare try to mock me, you insolent piece of trash!" Riser roared. He didn't care about anything else any more. He would crush the fool before him who had dared to humiliate him. "How dare you try to put me to shame with your absurd notion of defeating me with fire!" He would remove this obstacle in front of him with his own strength. He would prove that he was superior. Then, he'd claim Rias as his rightful reward and enjoy her as he saw fit. He'd conquer the oh-so-great Gremory heiress, mind and body. He'd practically make the girl obsessed with only him. "I'll reduce you to nothing but a smoldering corpse!" he thundered to Ichigo. "Then I'll make Rias into my bride!" He was practically fuming right now, in addition to salivating like a rabid animal.
Ichigo observed Riser. Although his body language looked calm, his eyes held a cold anger.
"Look at you Riser," he spat. "You're nothing but stuck-up wreck who only cares about getting what he wants." His facial expression then morphed into one of blatant wrath. "And I've had it with you and your stupid bullcrap!"
Riser leaped towards his target, snarling like a feral beast. Ichigo growled, igniting each hand in a crimson inferno before subsequently storming forth himself. Utilizing his vastly superior speed, the orange-haired teen landed the first hit. Then, the two combatants engaged in a furious slugfest. It was mainly Ichigo who was landing his crushing blows on Riser, throwing in the odd punishing kick here and there. However, fuelled by his mindless anger, Riser was still standing as well as getting in a few of his own strikes.
Ichigo drove his fist deep into the blond's stomach, resulting in Riser doubling over and coughing out blood. Using his other hand, he delivered a brutal uppercut to his opponent's face, causing his upper body to raise up. Then, he performed a spinning roundhouse kick to the side of Riser's head, sending him hurtling to Ichigo's left.
After laying on the ground for a few moments, Riser began struggling to his feet. His slowly repairing face was a bloody mess. The majority of his body was enshrouded in his regenerative flames. His breathing was rapid and ragged. Feeling a sudden heat emanating from in front of him, he looked up. What he saw made his eyes go wide in disbelief.
Ichigo was standing in the same place. Blazing off both of hands was a colossal quantity of red fire. Except, what caught Riser's attention and caused his mouth to hang open in awe and his body to tremble with a sense of dread, was the fact that the fire had gathered just behind Ichigo… in the fluctuating form of a majestic bird.
"Hey there King," spoke his inner hollow.
'What do you want?' he asked mentally.
"I just had a little idea," his white doppelgänger elaborated. "Something that'll make sure this incompetent moron remembers us." He relayed his suggestion to his host.
Ichigo smirked at what he was told. 'Sounds like a good plan to me,' he agreed. Drawing on his hollow powers ever so slightly, he transformed his eyes into their hollowfied state. Bright, piercing yellow irises against pitch-black sclera. Riser noticed the change and paled with fear.
"This is the end Riser!" the black-clad teen thundered in a tone that spoke of definite finality. He threw his arms forward, in the direction of the wretched being who saw others as items and playthings for his own amusement. The bird-shaped red flames raced towards the petrified Riser with its great wings stretched out. As the grand attack neared him, the devil knew that he was beaten. He couldn't overcome such a magnificent attack, especially when he was already so drained.
As the ethereal avian crashed into him, his world exploded into a sea of hurt. Somewhere, in the subconscious vestiges of his mind, Riser had one thought.
'They're both monsters! Him and that pawn!' His body then vanished in a dispersion of blue flecks.
"Riser Phenex retires," announced Grayfia whilst the fires of Ichigo's sacred gear began to clear away into nothingness. "Rias Gremory wins."
The Gremory peerage, with the addition of Ravel, looked on in awe. The younger sibling of Riser soon vanished in a similar manner to how all the other members of her brother's peerage had, since her king had been defeated.
Ichigo turned around to face his comrades, his eyes having reverted back to their natural state, not that they had seen it change anyway. He gave a small sigh. Looking at the devils, he saw the shell-shocked expressions plastered across all of their faces. His mouth formed a small smirk.
"You know, if you keep your mouths wide open like that, a fly's going to enter it," he told them good-naturedly.
His little quip snapped them all back to reality. Suddenly realizing that they'd won, they all gave a loud cheer in joy. (Except for Koneko. She simply had a clearly noticeable smile on, but since it was her, that in itself was kind of a lot.)
(ORC clubroom: Real Kuoh academy):
The magic circle shone brightly. It soon died down, revealing the victorious party, all in a happy mood.
"Ichigo, that was just amazing!" exclaimed Issei.
"Nah, it wasn't all that," the substitute soul reaper cheerfully denied. "Besides, the one who made the greatest effort was you. You're the one who's progressed the most too."
"Gee, thanks, heh heh," the brown-haired pawn said appreciatively, rubbing the back of his head with a slight blush on his face from the praise.
"Ichigo, thank you so much," said Rias with a large, sincere smile.
"No problem," assured Ichigo. "Like I told you, I don't agree with forced marriages and I hat guys like Riser. Besides, I personally think that you should be thanking Issei. After all his striving, he more than deserves it. It Riser hadn't sneakily used his sister's Phoenix tears, it would have ended there. So, the real victor is him."
Before aany more exchanges could be made, another magic circle appeared in the room. One bearing the crest of the Gremory family. All of them immediately turned their focus onto it. A figure soon materialized. It was a young-looking man, with crimson hair and turquoise eyes. Just like Rias. He was accompanied by the maid who they had become familiar with as Grayfia.
"Hello everyone," the man greeted cheerfully. "Congratulations on your victory, I'm really happy about it."
"O-o-onii-sama?" Rias stuttered in shock. That caught Ichigo and Issei's attention.
'So that's Rias' big brother huh? Gotta say, he's definitely strong,' thought Ichigo.
"What?" asked Rias' brother playfully to his little sibling. "Is it so surprising for your big brother to come and congratulate you on your success?"
"B-but… you… you're a… your needed as…" Rias stammered in desperation, only failing miserably to get a coherent message across.
Grayfia stepped forward.
"Miss Rias, do not worry. Your brother has some time off from his duties as a maou tonight, due to your rating game, which you have fortunately won."
"Oh, I see," Rias mumbled.
'Maou?!' Ichigo thought, keeping his surprise hidden. 'So he's one of the four leaders for his faction. Talk about unexpected.'
Issei, on the other hand, wasn't so subtle in masking his astonishment, letting out a small "eeh?!"
The young man then turned to face Ichigo.
"Ichigo Kurosaki, it's a pleasure to meet you," he stated warmly, offering his right hand for a shake.
"Likewise," replied Ichigo as he shook his hand.
"My name is Sirzechs," Rias' brother told him. "I'm very grateful for the help you've given my sister tonight."
"It was no problem," Ichigo assured. "Honestly."
Sirzechs stepped back from the teenage soul reaper.
"Anyway," he said joyfully, facing back to the others. "In honor of your victory, I would like to invite you all for a party!"
"A party?!" Issei exclaimed excitedly. "I'm in!"
"Hahaha! Your new pawn has a lot of passion Rias, I like that," Sirzechs remarked, causing his sister to go red from embarrassment. "Come on, follow me."
The older Gremory activated the room's central magic circle and stepped into it. Everyone else soon followed suit.
(Underworld: Sirzech's celebration hall):
The sound of people chatting and laughing was moving through the air. Sona and her peerage had joined them to celebrate their victory over Riser. There were also some other people, mainly those belonging to, or closely tied to the Gremory household, as well as good friends and their families.
Ichigo walked towards a table with some refreshments on it. He'd recently been receiving a lot of thanks from various people for helping Rias in her first rating game. Like before, he told them that it was no problem, as well as that Issei was really the one they should thank. To his surprise, even Lord Phenex, Riser's father had thanked him.
"My son had become too confident in our clan's regenerative power," he'd told the orange-haired teen. "He was too cocky for his own good. Now, he has learnt a valuable lesson. That even those of our household can be defeated."
"You're welcome," Ichigo had replied to him. "However, I believe that the truly worthy one to be praised here is the red dragon emperor, Issei Hyoudo. He actually defeated your son first after all."
Lord Phoenix chuckled. "How modest. It is an admirable quality." He then proceeded to turn around and leave.
Back to the present, Ichigo felt pretty relaxed. Although, there was something that confused him. Not anyone from Rias or Sona's peerage, but a few females had been giving him strange looks. Some of them even winked at him, or giggled when he made eye contact with them. He also heard something about "inviting" him from a few girls in some groups. He wasn't really sure why though. Those weren't the only weird things that happened though.
A few minutes ago, when he was just relaxing against a wall, a girl who looked his age or maybe a year younger came next to him out of the blue. She asked him the typical questions, what his name was, his age, etc. She inquired if he was a member of Rias' peerage. When he told her that he wasn't actually a devil, she seemed to be a little conflicted and was muttering something under her breath, as though she was debating with herself. The only things he could make out were something to do with "permission", "what would they say", and "does it really matter". She soon got over it and asked him if he planned on coming to the underworld again. He replied that he honestly didn't know if he'd visit a second time. She seemed a little disappointed with his answer. Nevertheless, she politely said that it was nice meeting him before walking away with a faint blush across her face, which Ichigo failed to notice. The event left him confused to say the least.
As he finally arrived at the refreshments table, he noticed Koneko a few paces away from him to his right. The petite girl was gathering a various assortment of sweets and desserts on her tray.
"You've got quite the sweet tooth," Ichigo commented after he'd walked up to her without her noticing.
Koneko gave a slight jump, being startled by his seemingly sudden appearance. "Hello, Ichigo-senpai," she greeted him. She then looked at what she'd gathered so far. After a second or two, she picked up a regular-sized, wrapped chocolate bar and set her tray down on the table. "Here, it's a good one," she said, offering the chocolate to him.
"Thanks," he replied with a small smile as he took the treat from her hand. He subconsciously recognized the chocolate, having seen it multiple times in the convenience stores, but never having actually bought it.
Unwrapping the chocolate, Ichigo took a bite.
"Mmm, you were right. It is a good one," he told Koneko. He calmly continued eating it. He'd probably buy one the next time he went shopping.
"That's… good to hear," the white-haired rook remarked with a ghost of a smile. She then mumbled something that he couldn't really pick up.
"I'm sorry, what was that?" he asked her upon finishing.
Koneko fidgeted nervously before barely whispering, "nii-san."
Ichigo's eyes went wide with shock. He wasn't sure if he'd actually heard her correctly. Was she trying to say that she viewed him as an older brother?
"Can I… call you… nii-san?" she asked tentatively whilst avoiding direct eye contact with him. The next thing she knew, she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her before pulling her forward. She realized that Ichigo was holding her against himself in a brotherly hug.
"Yeah, sure you can," he permitted. "I don't mind at all."
Koneko slowly raised her own arms and embraced the older teen back. "Thank you… Ichigo nii-san."
The two remained like that for a short while. Ultimately, it was Ichigo who ended the hug, removing his arms from the small girl's frame, leading her to relinquish her own hold.
"You can get back to enjoying your sweets Koneko, I'm going to go outside for a bit," he informed her. He gave her a warm smile. "I'll be there if you need me, okay?"
Koneko nodded in understanding. "Okay."
Ichigo turned around and advanced towards one of the doors that lead to a balcony.
Meanwhile, Issei was sitting at a table, quietly enjoying some of the food that was on offer. After all the fighting he'd done, he had quite an appetite. An appetite which had been fulfilled with satisfaction, since the food was delicious. It wasn't better than Ichigo's impossibly awesome cooking though.
When he finished eating, he stood up and made his way to the bathroom to wash his hands and mouth. Upon re-entering the large hall, he heard the sound of footsteps approaching him. Facing the direction that the steady sound was originating from, he caught sight of his master, Rias, walking up to him. Her expression showed that she was clearly happy.
"Issei, can I talk to you?" she requested.
"Sure you can Buchou," he responded.
"Not here, somewhere more private," Rias explained. "Follow me."
Without waiting for Issei's reply, she took his hand in her own and started leading him away. She was moving towards a door that led to one of the balconies (not the same one that Ichigo went to, just so you know). Opening the doors, she stepped out into the cool night air. Releasing a content sigh, she released Issei's hand from her grasp before closing the door.
"Um, Buchou, just what is it that you wanted to tell me?" Issei questioned.
"Issei, I want to thank you for what you did," Rias told him, slowly drawing closer to her pawn. "For fighting so hard just to give me my freedom."
"It was nothing," Issei smiled. "Honestly. It was the least I could do for you, after all that you've done for me."
The crimson-haired teen donned a somewhat sad expression. She gently touched his dragonized left arm. "Still, you didn't have to go so far. This is never going to turn back your normal arm you know?"
"I don't care," Issei refuted firmly. "I fully understood the consequences involved in what I did. I don't regret it at all."
Rias was dumbfounded by his bold declaration. "But this might not be the last time my family tries to get me engaged. There could be others later on."
"Then the next time I'll give my other arm," the brown-haired teen vowed. "Then my leg. After that, it'll be my other leg. If another one still comes after that, then I'll sacrifice my eye."
"Issei," Rias said in surprise. "But why? Why would you go so far just for my sake?"
"Isn't it obvious?" he asked her. "I owe you everything. Besides, I'm your pawn aren't I?"
That was it for Rias. The final nail in the coffin. On impulse, she cupped the sides of his face before pulling him in and giving him a deep, passionate kiss. The red dragon emperor's eyes literally bulged out of their sockets at the intimate contact. Eventually pulling away, Rias smiled at her beloved peerage member.
"That was my first kiss," she informed the awestruck boy.
"Oh, right- wait! Your first one?!" Issei exclaimed in amazement.
"That's right," his master confirmed. "It's something that girls treasure, isn't it?"
"Well, yeah. But, are you sure you that you should've given me something as big as that?"
"Yes, you deserved a reward like that after everything you did," she verified.
"…Well, I'm very grateful" he told her. "I feel honored to have received something so special."
"Oh, there's one more thing too."
"Huh? What's that?"
"I've decided to live with you from now on," she enlightened (, thereby dropping a figurative bomb on Issei). "I want to get closer to my beloved servants. After all, that's what a good king should do isn't it?"
"…"
Giggling, she turned on her heels before walking away and re-entering the hall, leaving a speechless Issei behind. All he did was carry on staring off into space. The events that had just occurred constantly replaying in his head.
"Are you okay partner?" Ddraig asked him after a while.
"Y-yeah," Issei replied, snapping out of his trance-like state. He slowly raised his right hand towards his mouth. Gently, he touched his fingers to his lips. Slowly but surely, a smile etched itself onto his face. "In fact, I'm feeling pretty great."
On another balcony, leaning against the stone railing, Ichigo was looking up at the sky. He had a calm feeling of satisfaction. Overall, things were going pretty well in his new life. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all. The opening of the door caught his attention. Directing his gaze in its direction, he saw Koneko coming out from the party to join him.
"Hey Koneko, you need something?" Ichigo inquired.
"No, not really," the small girl answered.
"Just want some fresh air and company?"
"Yes… kind of."
He motioned her over to come his side. When she arrived, he ruffled her hair affectionately, making her react by smiling and purring slightly.
"You can stay here as long as you want little sis'," he assured her as he lowered his hand.
Koneko silently nodded and embraced his arm. "Thank you." She closed her eyes and allowed her body to relax, dropping her usually ever-present guard. While she still felt sad over the loss of her sister, she was happy at the gain of her new brother.
Omake:
Ichigo and Riser stood facing each other, preparing to battle.
"You know, there's a saying, fight fire with fire," said Ichigo calmly, his expression neutral. "Also, I've been wondering about something." Then, to everyone's astonishment, red flames burst up and began swirling around his form. "Which is stronger? The flames of a devil phoenix? Or… a suzaku?"
Instantly, Riser's entire demeanor changed. Gone was the cocky, arrogant expression plastered over his face, replaced by a look of shock.
"Wait!" he suddenly demanded. "What did you say your name was?"
"Ichigo… Kurosaki," Ichigo responded, somewhat confused.
To everyone's disbelief, Riser dropped to his knees. "Please forgive me!" he begged. "I didn't know that it was you! I'm so sorry, I should have recognized sooner!"
"Wait, what?" asked Ichigo, having lost his grasp of the situation at hand.
"Ichigo? What's this all about?" Rias inquired.
"Honestly, I have no idea," he replied truthfully.
The crimson-haired Gremory heiress looked at Riser. Never in a million years would she have expected to see what was taking place before her very eyes right now.
"Would you mind explaining what you're going on about here Riser?" she queried the blond devil.
"It's him!" exclaimed Riser as he lifted his head up. "The one from the ancient texts in my family's possession! The one blessed with the power of the suzaku. Garbed in black, with hair the colour of the magnificent sunset. He who bears the name of protector. Wielding a sword which purifies evil."
All of the Gremory peerage looked at their soul reaper comrade in utter shock.
"Ichigo, is there something that you're not telling us?" Rias questioned with a slight frown.
"No!" Ichigo refuted. "I don't know what the hell this guy's going on about! I've never even heard of any text like the one he's talking about!"
By now, Riser was practically groveling at the orange-haired teen's feet.
"Please, you have to come with me! The others need to know of your arrival!" he pleaded. "I don't even care about this rating game anymore! Please, you must let the others in my family know! We've been waiting generations for you!"
"Are you sure you don't know Ichigo?" Akeno asked him whilst eying Riser with confusion.
"No! I don't know! Something like that shouldn't even exist about me!" Ichigo vehemently denied.
"Whoa whoa whoa," remarked Issei. "What do you mean something like that shouldn't even exist about you?"
"Aaargh! Damn it all!" Ichigo screamed in frustration.
Omake 2:
Ichigo was walking down the road. It was a sunny Saturday morning. He was currently moving through the shopping area of Kuoh. A few metres ahead, he spotted a familiar figure. Teenage boy who looked the same age as himself, with pure white hair and a jacket that had woolen-looking sleeves.
"Z-X?" Ichigo asked when he approached the figure.
The person turned to face him. If it was Z-X, his hair was no longer overshadowing his eyes, allowing Ichigo to see that they were a light blue in colour. "Hello again, Ichigo."
"What are you doing here?" the teenage soul reaper inquired.
"Nothing really," replied Z-X. "I'm just taking a break for a few days."
"Have you regained your memory yet?" Ichigo asked.
The white-haired teen gave a little sigh before gently shaking his head. "Unfortunately, no I haven't."
"Oh, I see."
The two boys fell into silence. Suddenly, Ichigo noticed that the surroundings had become awfully quiet. He could have sworn that a mere minute ago this place was filled with people.
"Something's wrong," declared Z-X.
"Yeah, I figured as much," agreed Ichigo.
The ground beneath them began to rumble as cracks started appearing around them. Without warning, there was an eruption of sorts a short distance ahead of the two. Something rose up out of the ground. It looked like a massive metal egg, easily twice an average man's height.
A hissing sound emanated from the strange object before it split into two halves. However, it didn't split from the top and move downwards. Rather, it went in the complete opposite way. The two halves rose up like gull-wing doors on a car would, revealing something inside.
The creature was a bone-white colour and had a highly skeletal appearance. It stood on two sturdy legs, looking at them with red eyes. Its two arms were hanging at its sides. Two protrusions came out from its back and connected with the tips of the shell. It looked vaguely draconic in shape.
"What the hell is that thing supposed to be?" Ichigo wondered out loud.
"No idea," said Z-X. "It's my first time seeing something like this. Damn, of all the times to not have my sword on me."
"Don't worry," reassured Ichigo. He materialized Zangetsu into his hands. "I've got mine."
Upon seeing the orange-haired substitute draw his weapon, the creature gave a low growl. Ichigo kept his gaze steady, ready to act if he was attacked.
"Snowy-chan!" cried an unexpected voice jubilantly. "I found you!"
Looking in the direction that the noise came from, they spotted someone running towards their location. It was a grown man with mostly black hair and gold bangs at his forehead. He was running towards them with an ecstatic expression on his face.
Surprisingly, the creature's eyes went wide with something that looked akin to a mixture of worry and desperation. Wasting no time whatsoever, the creature turned tail and began running away as fast as it possibly could, away from the approaching figure.
"Wait! Snowy-chan!" called the man. "Come back! Stop running away from daddy!"
The retreating creature gave some sort of garbled squawk in response before moving even faster, its arms flailing around wildly in a comical fashion.
"Snowy-chan, stop!" pleaded the man, who was now comically crying streams from his eyes. "Come back to me! Don't leave me alone Snowy-chan!"
Ichigo and Z-X looked at the strange pair as they carried on running further and further away from the two.
"What… the heck… was that all about?" Ichigo asked with a clueless face.
"I… don't even know," said Z-X with a troubled frown.
'Zangetsu?' Ichigo mentally inquired, hoping for some sort of an explanation. Heck, he didn't even mind his hollow giving him an answer to what he'd just witnessed.
"I'm sorry Ichigo," his zanpakto spirit apologized. "But some things in the world simply cannot be explained."
That's all. It's short, I know. Anyway, I'll leave you to guess who the guy chasing the strange white thing was.