So, the story continues! But you know the drill, reviews!
ultima-owner: Well, that´s quite the compliment, so thank you! I hope the future battles live up to that standard!
Anon(1): I think a kiss wouldn´t have been enough motivation. She really just wants to see him embarrassed and dominated by her, so something that puts them on a level playing field wouldn't help. However, promising to take her on a date might´ve worked, wink-wink-nudge-nudge-hint-hint.
So, let´s skip the bullshit disclaimer and get right into the thick of it!
„The Queen from Rias´ peerage has retired."
Wait, what? Rider was distracted for a mere second, but that was more than enough for the Rook to swoop in and punch him right in the gut, sending him crashing into the ground, leaving a big trail in the process. Coughing, he stood up, only to see the Bishop cast her spell on the Rook. In his peripheral vision, he saw the cat girl help up her sister, who seemed to have recovered from her beating earlier. Well, shit. This was literally the worst case scenario. He was surrounded by four buffed enemies, and he was in a rather shitty mental state after the defeat of his student. Maybe he should have trained her more. He did kind of avoid training her for the most part due to her advances.
He had no time to figure out a plan of attack as the Rook immediately rushed him, eager to capitalize on his weak state of mind. He managed to block her swing, but was given no time to counter as his instincts warned him of a backstab, which he dashed out of the way of, and yet, the twin who´s attack missed was still grinning. Understandable, as they still held the advantage. Also, there was that slight issue of the other twin that was right in the man´s face. He ducked under the claw swipes, and elbowed her in the stomach, making her cough before he had to avoid a punch of the Bishop.
There was almost no time to react when the first twin dashed at him, swiping at his legs angrily, but he managed to jump just in time. Only to be nearly hit again by a punch of the Rook who had snuck up on him once again, but a slice to her arm made her recoil right before the hit landed. However, the twins were now both in an excellent position to hit him, and oh boy, did they take advantage of that. One sliced his feet open, and before he could even groan in pain, the second ran up to him and sliced his sword arm, making him lose his grip on it. He kicked them away and tried to reclaim his sword, but was interrupted by the Bishop, who attempted to hit him with a fire ball, which he deftly dodged.
He whipped out his gun and tried to shoot her, but it was blocked by a barrier. And he was quite certain that it wasn´t made by the target. In fact, that barrier looked really damn familiar. That cackle, too. He looked up, and what he saw filled him with rage. It was that bitch of a Queen! What´s worse, she looked completely fine, as if Akeno didn´t even put a dent in her! Actually, she was completely uninjured, he couldn´t even spot the wounds he himself had inflicted on her.
"That stupid bitch was quite troublesome. She actually almost defeated me. But as Master Riser predicted, these came quite in handy." She gloated, holding up a tiny flask. So that was it. She had drunk those ´Phoenix Tears´ Rias told him about. Instant, complete healing for anyone. Rider´s rage intensified. She had beaten his student by cheating?! Well, he couldn´t hold it against her, as using any advantage you have to win a fight is legitimate, but the fact that she fought without honor is what drove him crazy.
"Oh, that´s excellent, Yubelluna. Well, since you´re already here, how about you help us take care of this one, too? He is quite the troublemaker, and took out Karlamine pretty quickly." Said Ravel, giggling as the Queen immediately cast a spell which Rider dodged away from. "Gladly. I still have to pay him back for a few things, after all. Oh, and you guys, feel free to attack him, too. If Mihae did her job correctly, those auras should protect against explosions." She declared, causing the Bishop to pout slightly. "Why would you ever doubt me? Even if I don´t have fight as often as you, that doesn´t mean that I can´t cast my spells correctly."
Rider watched as they had a round of laughter. If there was any time to get back his weapon, it would be now. He dashed right into the middle of the pack, reaching for his sword. He could almost close his hand around it when it was stolen by one of the cats. Well, that was a bust. He turned his head toward her, only to feel his rage grow even further when she stuck out her tongue at him before running off again. He rolled upon making contact with the floor, when he felt energy building around him. He dashed away, the Bishop who snuck up on him being caught up in a huge blast.
He had no time for this nonsense. He needed his sword. He reached for his gun, and fired at the twin holding his gear. She danced around the bullets, and as he dashed in front of her, she threw it to her twin, who caught it in the air with her tail. Alright, Rider had already had enough. He kicked the enemy in front of him in her side, then slammed her head into the ground, knocking her out, as she didn´t really expect an attack, instead thinking he would go for his sword.
"One of Riser´s Pawns has retired." Came the announcement, causing the other to cry out in grief as her sister was whisked away by magic. Throwing all caution to the wind, she charged him, letting the sword fall to the ground. Rider smirked. Well, this made things easier. As he was still kneeling on the ground, he picked up some dust and threw it into the approaching Pawn´s face, but was instantly hit from behind by two punches, from the Rook and Bishop, respectively. Guess which one hurt more.
He flew over half the field before hitting the ground, leaving a huge crater and causing a dust cloud the size of an actual cloud in the sky. He barely opened his eyes when he was attacked once again, the remaining twin going on a rampage, slicing up his body everywhere, blood flowing from his wounds like water from a faucet. It seemed to last forever, the pain getting worse and worse. He almost didn´t notice when the explosion hit him, caused by the Queen, who was cackling madly in the distance, though he couldn´t hear it. The twin was still scratching him all over. It took a while, but once the dust settled, the Rook and the Bishop came up to them and tore the twin away from him, trying to calm her down.
He couldn´t feel anything. Blood surrounded him in the crater, making him feel like he was a giant lying in a lake. The enemy looked at him in pity. It was only a matter of time before he blacked out. And then, that son of a bitch would win, and the entire last week would´ve been pointless. His regen wouldn´t help, not in this fight. He´d taken too much damage, and once he passed a certain threshold, he blacked out for a few seconds before being healed. In this Rating Game, where you are removed from the battle when you lose consciousness, that would be fatal. He had to get up. But he couldn´t.
"The Knight from Rias´ peerage has retired."
He turned his head just in time to see his student fall from the roof of the school. He could barely see him, but that blonde hair shone like a light in contrast to the black roof. He couldn´t make out his expression, but he could imagine what it was. One of disappointment, one of hopelessness. He would hope that he´d been of use to his master.
He then observed multiple fireballs being thrown, only to explode right before the edge of the roof. He could just make out four silhouettes at the edge, right where the fireballs exploded. No. Those were his students. He had to help.
"Well, it seems our work here is done. Isabela, please take care of him, should he get up. We´ll go help Master Riser." The Queen declared, the Rook affirming her orders. No. Now they would leave as well. At this rate, it was only a matter of minutes before Rias was forced to give up. He had to stop them, somehow, with any means possible.
"Well, it seems you´re in quite the predicament, aren´t you?"
What? Who was that?
"Hm, I guess you could call me…Instinct. Yeah, that´s a good name."
That was a stupid name. Rider looked around, but saw nobody. Where was this…´Instinct´?
"I heard that! I know I suck at naming things, but come on! As for where I am, well, your eyes won´t help you with that. I´m inside your head. "
Huh. Well, that explained that, at least. Wait, did that mean that Rider was going crazy?
"Nah, you´re just fine. In fact, we´ve talked before. Remember? Those other times last week you thought you were going nuts? That was me, too. Anyway, while you´re fine in the head, there are some things in here that affect both of us. You see, there´s this seal that´s keeping me locked up, and I really want this thing gone, and you should, too, seeing as I´m essentially another part of you."
Well, that´s cool. But what would happen if it were to be removed? Wouldn´t that give him control over Rider´s body in some way? Would he want that, even if it was a part of him? What if it was a side of him he hated? Why was it sealed off in the first place?
"You shouldn´t concern yourself with that. I´ll explain later. As for the ownership of that sick body, we´d be basically sharing control. But what you should be concerned about is what it does to you. You know that weird corruption shit that spreads wherever you go? Yeah, that´s me, trying to break it. So, if we destroy this thing, you´re rid of that, forever. Sound good?"
Rider´s head was spinning. So this seal had kept another side of him shut away for who knows how long, and it was the cause for his condition which had caused him grief ever since he first stepped onto the Free World, and he could finally free himself from both chains right now? He had no doubts. He made his choice.
"Hahaha! Excellent choice! Now, I´ve been gathering energy for quite a while, so, all you should have to do is somehow get your hands on that Rook. Just grab her, and I´ll do the rest. Soon. Soon, we´ll be free. Then, we can kill the Jailer, and forever free ourselves and everyone else from this curse."
Rider paid no heed to his words, and instead focused on the Rook, which stood at the edge of the crater, observing him. He only wanted to be freed, freed of this sickness. He closed his hand up into a fist, and slowly pushed himself up. All he had to do was touch the enemy. Then, he´d be free. He was standing on one knee now, and he could hear the Rook approach.
"Still conscious, huh? It must be quite painful. Please, just let this end. There is no more reason for you to fight." She said, pity in her voice. Nonetheless, Rider continued the arduous task of standing up. "What are you doing, Isabela? Is he still trying to fight, or what?" came the voice of Ravel across the field, not a worry in her voice. "Yeah, but he really shouldn´t. He can barely stand." Answered the Rook, turning around. NOW! Rider used all his willpower and jumped. His hand grabbed the first thing it came into contact with, which was big, round, and…shit.
"Whoa dude, smooth! Couldn´t have done it any better!"
Rider couldn´t find it in himself to question anything, he just wanted this to be over with. He paid no heed to the embarrassed remarks of the girl, and instead felt his headaches return, the banging becoming nearly unbearable. At the same time, he felt the breast his hand was clasped around grow softer, presumably because the aura around her was fading. Huh. So that´s what it did. It just made their skin harder. Well, the more you know.
"Huh? Why is the spell fading? Hey, Mihae, did you somehow lift it already? Because my aura is almost gone!" she cried out, only getting confused looks from her comrades. "No, it should still last for quite a while. It doesn´t really matter, though. Just deal with the creep and come over so I can give you another."
"Alright! Well, I´m sorry, but I´m not sorry. Bloody pervert!" she shouted, rearing back her fist for a devastating punch. Rider would not be able to dodge that. He had to rely on Instinct to finish up so he could…still lose. Well, he really didn´t think this one through, now did he? His headaches were getting worse. If before, it felt like someone tried to punch through a wall, now they were using a sodding jackhammer! But he felt it. The wall was crumbling. It was a matter of moments before this would be over. The fist was inches away from hitting him. He closed his eyes.
"BOOM, BITCH! INSTINCT´S BACK IN TOWN!"
He felt something break in his head. Then, Rider blacked out.
Isabela´s punch was caught with no problem. Shocked, she tried to pull her fist out of the iron grip, but to no avail. She stared the man in the eyes, and screamed at what she saw. What was previously the steely gaze of a hardened warrior was now the piercing stare of a predator, made even more terrifying by the toothy grin. He opened his hands, making her stagger back from her own efforts to escape, but before she could even fall to the ground, she was punched in the face and grabbed by the neck and held above the ground. She could feel her very essence, her life force, being absorbed. She stared him in the eyes, and saw only relish in her fear. Finally, after a few seconds of complete terror and anguish, she fainted.
He released her, her body falling to the ground before vanishing. Sona forgot to even announce the Rook´s defeat, she was so confused. He had gone from being defeated on the ground, to acting like Rias´ Pawn, to choking the Rook into unconsciousness in mere seconds.
The Rook´s comrades, naturally, were shocked as well, but their rage overshadowed their fear. How dare he?! How dare he defile Isabela like that and then treat her like some used toy?! Yubelluna immediately cast an explosion. The man didn´t bother to dodge. She smirked, knowing he couldn´t take this amount of damage at this point. He had simply taken too many of her patented explosions. There was no way he would get up from that.
He did. And with a menacing, predatory grin to boot. They were petrified as he slowly marched toward them, each step making them recoil just a bit as blood dripped onto the floor. Finally, after he´d crossed half the field, the cat girl had enough and charged toward him, brandishing her claws. His grin grew wider. When she was just a few feet away from him, she jumped, and tried to use her momentum for a kick. He didn´t seem to care as he disappeared without a trace. Confused, the girl landed on the ground with a flip.
The very moment her feet touched the ground, was she kicked the exact way she intended to just a second earlier. She looked into his eyes, which mirrored hers as he kneeled on top of her, a foot on her neck, the other holding her mouth shut, as she felt just like her friend, her essence being drained. She collapsed even faster than the Rook, and was warped away.
He turned around, and stared his prey in the eyes. He looked at the Bishop, then the Queen. Who would go first? None of them posed a threat to him, so it was a matter of taste, really. Oh well. The Queen annoyed him more with her explosions, and he had a faible for cute, polite girls. They reminded him of the petite blonde on the roof. He disappeared again, causing the team to look around in panic, not knowing where the hunter would attack from.
Their panic didn´t help, as he attacked the flying Queen with a downward punch, creating a crater even larger in size than the one he´d lain in just a minute before, however, no dust shot up. It was simply compressed further into the ground, which had cracked open in several places, leaving deep fissures. He dropped down instantly, but instead of trying to hold her in place, he elected to kick her, over and over again, making her cough out blood after a certain point. He was barely bleeding at this point, the energy healing his wounds rather efficiently, which he used to torture the Queen who had bested his student with dishonourable means. He would never forgive her. And so, after kicking her over and over again, her friends unable to look away, he picked her up by her hair, and drained her as well. It took much longer than the others, because her status as Queen gave her much more magic power, which equates to life force, and thus gave him much more to absorb.
Besides, for dishonouring his student, it would only be fair to take it nice and slow. After seconds that felt like hours to everyone, the Queen, too, blacked out. So, only two remaining, huh? He looked at them, and how scared they were. They looked about ready to piss themselves. He took a step, which caused the kimono-clad Bishop to run off screaming, making him sigh in annoyance. He had left her till last, and this was his thanks? Only a short, pointless chase?
Well, it didn´t matter. In the time it took for him to groan, he´d already slammed her face first into the dirt. She was crying. Well, if anything, he was a gentleman. So he eased his grip, instead ruffling her hair gently as she blacked out, though it didn´t exactly comfort her.
To say Ravel was in a shitty situation was an understatement. She was alone, without anyone to protect her from this monster. She slowly backed away as he took a step toward her, and again, and again, and again. She looked at the sword she was carrying. Ni had thrown it into her hands before she ran off to… She gulped. His expression grew more and more annoyed each time she backed away, and his steps got faster and larger the darker his grimace got. Finally, he seemed to have had enough, and just appeared in front of her, barely inches from her face. She yelped, and almost backed off again, but he grabbed her hand before she could.
She knew that panicking wouldn´t solve anything. But still, every fibre of her being screamed at her to scream for help, struggle, anything to get away from this monster! But, against all odds, she kept calm, and turned around to look right at him. And what she saw was surprising, to say the least. Sure, it was the same demanding, annoyed look in his eyes, but his hand was pointing at the sword. So that´s all he wanted? Shaking, she extended her hand, and dropped the sword in his open palm. He sheathed it, and moved his hand closer to her head. So that was it. He wanted to give her hope before shattering it, to revel in her horror. She felt his hand touch her on the top of her head. She wouldn´t give him any satisfaction.
She looked him right in the eye, and found…something unexpected. She couldn´t exactly place it, but it was clear he wasn´t going to hurt her. In fact, he was ruffling her hair, like her older brother used to before he became the playboy he was. It felt weirdly comforting. He was a monster that had beaten her friends to unconsciousness, but he seemed to have some sort of respect for her only…the thought made her redden. She had to admit, it made her feel fuzzy on the inside when she was the only one to receive special treatment, even if it was from this monster. Oh no, was she going to be kept as slave, only to attend to his – his s-s-sexual n-n-n-needs? No. Nonononononononononono. She had so much more to live for! She still had to meet her knight in shining armor, the one she loved, and she still had to get her brother back to normal!
While Ravel was occupied with her own thoughts, he let go of her. He could tell what she was thinking about, the blush gave it away. So much for ´Mister Samurai´ being the only one to score with the ladies! He looked at the roof, where a giant fireball was floating over the edge, giving away two shadows, one standing over the other, which was kneeling on the tiles, barely even being on the roof.
He knew who the two were. He could tell. AND THAT BOY WAS HIS PREY! He leapt high into the air, drawing his sword, his armor glowing white as he descended upon his victim. As he neared the roof, he saw the situation. His students were huddled up together near the right side of the roof, apparently injured, except for Issei, who was seemingly unconscious at the bottom edge, and above whom stood the cocky prick, getting ready to throw his fireball. Rias seemed about ready to give up to stop her Pawn from getting beaten any more, but wasn´t able to move. Well, mainly because they were all looking at him as he shot toward the roof like a missile. While still in flight, he kicked Riser, sending him flying across the roof, screaming in pain, and grabbed Issei and threw him into his students, who caught him with some difficulty.
Before Riser had even the chance to get up, he roared, and jumped again, breaking several tiles, descending on the unfortunate devil, who just watched the monster falling on him in terror. There was a stabbing noise, and a scream that physically hurt anyone who heard it, there was so much pain behind it. The beast kneeled above his prey, drawing his sword out a bit only to embed it even deeper within the Phenex heir. Blood sprayed from the wound, the screams not subsiding as the monster´s breaths echoed throughout the whole school.
"Let go of me, you bastard!" screamed Riser, lobbing a huge fireball at point blank into his face. It didn´t do jack shit. In fact, his grin grew wider as he pushed his sword even deeper, causing more blood to spray out of the wound. The air around him rippled, and he roared victoriously as he spun around, hoisting the sword onto his back. He then swung his sword, causing Riser to fly off of it, crashing into the cross on the other end of the roof. His armor, which glowed with an intensity like never before, then flickered a bit.
"You will call me Instinct, you insignificant piece of shit."
Well, shit, here it is! The grand reveal of my carefully crafted plot! But this is only the first of many! So stay tuned! After all, there is still quite a bit to be resolved…
Short spoiler: Next chapter will be the same time as this one, only out of the perspective of our favorite devils (excluding the biggest tits…I mean, Akeno).
So, review please, and I´ll see ya next time! Bye!