The time for the Rating Game to begin is here! However, before we get to anything in this chapter? I need to make an important announcement, and you'll need to COMPLETELY read it, or you're going to misunderstand a lot of things. The one thing I can say it's all GOOD news, as you'll definitely understand after you do so.

Now, to start things off...

For a while now (as in since a while around last year), I've been missing the original version of LOHD, and that feeling had been growing stronger over time until it began to really to manifest itself in a way that may or may not have been causing my bigger gaps between chapter updates, both partially or entirely. Such feelings primarily grew because of seeing how great other reboots like "The Heroic Calamity" by AzureStoryTeller, and "Till Midnight" by CrimsonPyre showed me how well staying with the original storyline could go.

Around this point, I'm pretty sure that most of you are sighing and thinking that I'm about to say I'm scrapping this story and saying that a V4 of this story is about to come out. Well...

Luckily for you? That's not the case!

I've officially decided as of this chapter, that what's been V3 of LOHD until now is no longer LOHD in any form, but an entirely different story! The story's second incarnation (not the revision, but the one called Journey of the Heavenly Dragons on AO3), and this one, it's third incarnation, will be treated as having always been a different story from LOHD, which is technically already true with how different they are from the original incarnation, revised chapters or not.

So, taking what I've been saying into count, you might be realizing what I'm actually announcing, right?

Well... you're right! On April 10th, the original version of this story is going to return and become the true and official version of the reboot! Most of you have been asking me for it, hoping that it might come back, and thanks to someone who I'll reveal in the reboot's AN when I post it? I've finally managed to find the strength needed to go back to the version of the story most of you loved!

As this story is now going to be a different one altogether, it will be renamed between now and then. It will still continue as before, and besides saying that I've fully planned everything? I can't say much more. While this chapter does have official start notes that will answer some questions, like the one thing I promised to explain about the Maou heirs in this story, it won't show until I post Chapter 22, which is when I'll replace this announcement with it.

So, until then? Let's get this chapter started!


[Chapter 21 - Rating Game Rumble, Part 1]

Everyone in the crowd was going wild as they saw both teams walk onto the field. As they did, a secondary zone in the team platforms extended out for each side's advisers, which Fubuki and Elaine quickly sat in.

"Wow, how many people are in the crowd right now?" Issei asked, surprised to see so many.

"If I had to guess? Most of Heaven, the Underworld, Hell, and Paradise." Valiana answered.

He looked at his girlfriend in shock.

"Like with Ruihi's previous match against Sairaorg, we have some guests for this game, and these guests are quite the treasure! First, our game's arbiter... give a big welcome to Lord Elohim himself!" Naud announced, motioning below the screens.

The Angels all exploded into cheers as their leader made his appearance, happily waving to the crowd in response.

"Now for our guest supporting Ruihi? We have the great Lord Satan himself!" Naud revealed, motioning to his right.

Satan crossed his arms response, giving a small smile as he closed his eyes.

"I should have known my dad would be here." Ruihi remarked with a slight chuckle.

"And for our guest supporting Valiana? It's the great Devil King himself, Lord Lucifer!" Naud continued, motioning to his left.

Valiana gasped as she saw her father giving a calm smile.

"Looks like they really wanted to generate an entire ocean's worth of PR for this match." Sylvie assumed, looking at the All-Star cast they chose.

Once the cheers began to die down, Naud cleared his throat.

"Alright, for today's game? The special rulings are... the Dice Roll!" He revealed, holding out his pointer fingers.

Ruihi and Valiana held out their hands as a magical dice formed in their palms, containing the numbers 2-7 on them.

"Like always, time to explain the rules of this game. Normally, the Evil Piece rulings work like a game of Chess if there were no turns, with the goal being for each side to take out the opposing King to win. However, the Dice Roll turns an all-out battle into something more akin to an RPG." Naud explained.

The screen soon changed to show all six types of Evil Pieces.

"Each of the six types of Evil Pieces has a certain point value, and the Dice will decide who can be sent out in multiple rounds until the King of one side is defeated. Pawns are worth 1 point, Bishops are worth 3 points, Rooks are worth 5 points, Knights are worth 7 points, and the Queen is worth 9 points! The values of a King are determined by the Kings themselves and who they chose for their current teams."

"The only rule about who you send out is that together, their respective total can't exceed the combined total of the dice roll. One thing to know is that if someone is taking up multiple pieces, like both sides' respective Pawns who have been registered using all 8, require that total to be sent out. This is the reason behind why the highest total in this game will be 14 points. Now, for our respective King's values?"

Ruihi and Valiana's faces appeared on screen, showing a number generator rotating between the possible totals.

"Ruihi has a value of 14, and Valiana has a value of 11!" Naud revealed as their numbers appeared on the screen.

Seeing this, Issei was quite surprised.

"Only 11?" He said, looking at Valiana.

"Remember, this is my first Rating Game, so they have to judge me by what they know and what happened during Ruihi's last game." Valiana clarified.

"Meaning we have the advantage." Issei smiled.

She nodded to Issei, giving a smile of her own.

"Ah, and of course, let's not forget about the Star Roll, which is a special opportunity that could happen before the dice roll in each round! If we get a Star Roll, both teams get a choice between either sending out one of each type of piece they have, barring anyone they wish to leave out... or the King can choose to join the fight!" He revealed.

Bova gave a toothy grin in response.

"I like the sound of that." He remarked.

"With that, we've covered all the rules, so... both Kings? Get ready to throw those dice!" Naud announced.

Valiana and Ruihi reeled their hands back as they waited for their signal, with Elohim raising his hand up.

"The game begins... now!" Elohim shouted.

Both of them threw their dice towards the arena's center, causing them to fuse into a giant 12-sided dice. It floated in midair before falling, continuing to roll with a series of loud thuds that upped everyone's anticipation, until it finally stopped on...

"Looks like we've got a 7! However, while this is definitely a good number to start the match with? Because neither side's Pawns are worth 1, or even 2 points, each side can only send out a single participant. This decision isn't one to make lightly, as using too much of the combined total can be just as risky as using too little of it." Naud revealed.

A dome appeared over each platform, leaving both teams visually and audibly hidden from the crowd.

"The good news is that we won't rush their decision. Each team will be given 5 minutes after each dice roll to decide which members they'll send into battle, and for those who get chosen? Know that you are allowed to bring your Familiar into fight, as long as you limit them to a supporting role." Naud continued, sharing the last few rules and details.

Both sides' Kings and their Advisers began talking over who to choose.

After looking at who the opposing team could send out and who they should send out, both sides made their decisions, prompting their chosen teammates to walk onto their platform's respective transport circle.

"Alright, both sides have made their decision, so let's bring them to our first Rating Game field for the first round!" Naud announced.

With those words, both players were warped onto the battlefield, beginning the first battle.


The chosen Rating Game field was shown to be a vast plain, and the first fighter to appear from their magic circle was Kuisha.

"It looks like Ruihi's side has chosen Kuisha Abaddon!" Naud announced.

"So, who's my opponent?" Kuisha wondered, showing a look of confidence.

A minute passed before the sight of Asia appeared on the opposite side of the field, who had a look of excitement on her face.

"Her opponent will be Heaven's pride and joy, Asia Argento!" Naud revealed.

Following her introduction, Asia gave a friendly bow to Kuisha, who felt a little uncomfortable from the gesture, but said nothing.

"Let's have a good battle." She requested.

"Yes, I agree. Now... show me what you've got, granddaughter of God!" Kuisha exclaimed.

Asia nodded in reply, which is when Kuisha decided to make her move.

"Dark Hole!"

Multiple black orbs appeared in her hand before they fired towards the blonde Angel with amazing speed... who easily dodged them with greater speed, surprising both Kuisha and most of the crowd.

However, Kuisha didn't let this stop her as she raised her hands again, forming multiple waves of the same attack, scattering them to cover more ground. Unfortunately, even with the added fire giving less ground for Asia to dodge? She still managed to evade all of Kuisha's attacks.

"So fast!" Kuisha shouted in disbelief.

"I can't believe I'm seeing this! Kuisha's attacks are incredibly fast, and yet Asia moves like a pro gamer using the swashbuckler class in an RPG!" Naud exclaimed.

Once those words reached her, Kuisha let out a slight gasp.

'A swashbuckler! That means she'll focusing on dodging all my attacks until I give her an opening to attack me! If that's the case, then I have to use it here!' She realized, clapping her hands together.

Ripples formed around Asia, getting her attention as a storm of black holes surrounded her.

"This was a move I was saving for later in the game, but if it's the only way I'll survive to fight in another round? Then I have no choice but to unleash it now! So, be honored that a move of this caliber is what will defeat you!" Kuisha shouted.

Seeing this, Asia prepared to run, only for every orb to smash itself around her. The crowd felt the entire arena shake as a giant black hole formed where Asia was/is currently standing at.

"Primal Abyss!"

With those words, the field was swallowed by Kuisha's attack as it expanded into a 10-meter long black hole.

The sight of this attack shocked most of the crowd, though out of everyone, it was only a tall Devil with black hair in a bedhead style that covered his left eye who decided to vocalize that shock in any form.

"What incredible power! That attack's devouring most of the stadium's environment like it's an all you can eat buffet!" Shini shouted.

Kuisha smirked as the attack continued to smash the field apart.

"No matter how powerful you are, no one can escape a black hole of this size! Your defeat is now a matter of when, rather than if!" She declared, having full confidence that Asia wouldn't escape her attack.

However, the moment she said that? A small glow somehow made it through the black hole, surprising Kuisha and the crowd.

"A light? No, that's impossible!" She shouted in disbelief.

Unfortunately... that was the moment that Asia sped out of the giant black hole, back to her prior location, which burst like a huge bubble as the gravitational explosion reset the battlefield to its state prior to the attack's activation. It was so shocking, even Satan and Naud were surprised by what she did, while Lucifer and Elohim were intrigued.

"I... I can't believe what all of us just witnessed! Despite being trapped in what was a giant black hole, Asia broke free of it!" Naud announced, feeling his mind spin in circles.

"You escaped... but how? Like the exaggerated ones we have normal humans think exist throughout our galaxy, nothing should be able to escape their pull!" Kuisha questioned.

"Sorry, but that's not exactly true." Asia explained.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Kuisha asked in surprise.

"They say a black hole is strong enough to keep even light from escaping it because the strength of its gravitational pull is equal to how fast the speed of light can move, so using that same logic? It means the only way to escape a black hole... is to move at a speed greater than the force of its gravity!" Asia revealed.

Everyone gasped at that.

The gemstone among these reactions was that of a redheaded Demon, who showed his surprise by swinging his arms up and down at speeds that one could say matched the flapping of a Hummingbird's wings.

"Did she just say she simply ran so fast that she pushed herself out of the black hole? Amazing! That's so absolutely amazing!" Kinpari exclaimed.

Hearing this, Kuisha quickly took a step back.

"No way... if what you're saying is true, then you're too fast for my Power of Hole to work on you!" She realized.

"Yeah, I guess that's true." Asia realized.

Seeing her chance, Asia held up her hands and began to form an orb of light. However, the audience showed confusion when she didn't move any closer, especially Kuisha.

'I don't get it. If she ran up to me now, then I'd be a sitting duck to whatever attacks she... wait a minute!' She thought.

Kuisha thought back to her earlier assault, recalling how Asia had been keeping her distance not just then, but since the match began.

Almost as if...

'Of course, that's it!' She realized, smirking as she found Asia's weakness.

Forming another black hole in her hands, Kuisha threw it forward... and then jumped into it! When Asia saw Kuisha appear directly in front of her, she immediately dispelled her attack and restored the previous distance between them.

The crowd looked confused by her sudden action, which kept them from behind surprised by the trail of steam her sprint had left behind.

"Wait... am I seeing things, or did Asia just back off from what was a chance to attack up close?" Naud questioned, looking confused.

"Allow me to explain." Kuisha offered.

Asia sweated as she heard those words.

"Despite her amazing speed, Asia has kept her distance from me since this battle began, even though doing what I just did would be the perfect way for her to deal a deciding blow against me. There's only one reason for that..." Kuisha said with closed eyes.

She then opened her eyes, pointing at the Angel.

"Her whole fighting style relies on keeping her distance, because she either can't fight at, or doesn't know how to fight at close combat!" Kuisha revealed.

Asia flinched at those words, and the entire crowd let out a collective gasp.

"Going by that reaction? It looks like I'm right, meaning I've finally found my way to fight back." Kuisha smirked.

"W-Well, maybe you have, but even if you try that teleporting trick again, now I know what to look for." Asia countered.

"Or do you?" Kuisha challenged.

Hearing that made Asia flinch, right as Kuisha rose her hands into the air.

"After all, sometimes seeing is believing." She announced, forming another black hole.

That black hole quickly covered the area, leaving a black dome around the duo, and giving Kuisha the chance to disappear again.

'Wait, is she-' Asia gasped, realizing her intention.

She screamed as Kuisha appeared behind her, and pummeled her with a flurry of her power's black orb form.

"Holy hell! Kuisha has used her powers to cover the field in a black shroud, not only leaving us without any hints to when she'll use her signature Power of Hole to teleport, but no traces of where she'll choose to pop up!" Naud announced.

"Quite the clever trick. Asia can no longer predict where she'll appear next, and now she's starting to take some damage." Satan praised.

Getting back on her feet, a gold aura enveloped Asia as her wounds healed.

'I need to get around this trick... otherwise I'll lose this round!' Asia thought, seeing Kuisha disappear again.

Kuisha quickly reappeared above her, making her gasp before more black orbs struck her from above.

"Seems like Kuisha may have turned what was once Asia's advantage in this match into her greatness weakness. I hate to say this, but it may already be over." Satan stated.

"No, there's one big issue in Kuisha's technique." Lucifer replied.

Satan and Naud looked at him in surprise, with Asia once again getting back to her feet and healing herself.

"This is the end for you Asia Argento! Within this field of darkness, your speed is nothing!" Kuisha announced.

Hearing that, Asia's eyes widened.

"Of course! If I'm in the darkness, then I just need to shine some light!" She realized.

She crossed her arms, and then screamed as she unleashed a bright flash from her body. Kuisha's eyes were hit by the blinding light, making her stumble back as she fell out of her one black hole.

The entire black dome became a golden color, rendering the camouflage of the two black holes completely useless.

"Gotcha!" Asia exclaimed.

She rushed ahead, then flipped to spring her legs out for a high-speed kick.

Kuisha let out a choked gasp as she was launched out of her dome, which quickly faded as she landed on the ground. Holding her stomach, Kuisha got back to her knees as Asia landed on her feet.

"Just like I thought. Kuisha's power only held because Asia couldn't see where Kuisha's black holes where in the blackness, so the moment Asia realized that? Her powers gave her the means to turn the match back in her favor." Lucifer said, smirking with closed eyes.

"Cheeky bastard." Satan playfully insulted.

"Right back at you." Lucifer playfully retorted.

Kuisha soon got back on her feet, still holding her stomach and closing one eye from the pain, and gave Asia a smile of approval.

"I've used my powers in ways I never thought I would before, and you've overcome them each time. Truly... you are a worthy opponent." She praised.

"Thank you." Asia smiled.

"That's why... I shall take one last gamble to defeat you!" Kuisha announced.

She formed another black hole, but this time... forced it into her chest, making everyone's eyes widen in surprise.

Among the crowd, one particular Devil recognized what she was doing and began running to the announcer's booth.

"Did she just-" Satan asked.

"Yeah." Lucifer confirmed.

"Does everyone see this!? Kuisha just absorbed her own power into her body, and none of us have any ideas of what it will do!" Naud announced.

A dark explosion soon went off, and as the smoke quickly cleared, everyone saw Kuisha's skin had taken the appearance of a black hole.

"Whoa! What the hell is that!?" Naud questioned.

"I can answer that for you."

Naud, Lucifer, and Satan all turned around, letting the crowd see the Devil from before.

"Look at that! Bedeze Abaddon has made an appearance to answer our question!" Naud announced.

"Well, we're all listening, so go ahead." Satan permitted.

"Thank you Lord Satan. This is a technique I've tried, and failed, to create with my own Power of Hole. It's called Gravital Veil, and I made it to try using the Power of Hole's ability to absorb attacks on my body, so I wouldn't have to form a black hole each time I was in danger." Bedeze explained.

The crowd listened in awe, knowing how lucky they were to see the first real use of this ability.

"Somehow, and I don't know how she did it, Kuisha succeeded where I failed, which means that's all I can tell you about what this ability is capable of. Therefore, the rest of what we'll see is a mystery to even myself!" He confessed.

Hearing that, the crowd began cheering for Kuisha, excited to see what she would do with this new ability.

'Looks like it's a battle of endurance now.' Asia realized.

She swiped her hands across the air, forming a few twinkles.

"Flash Bomb!"

The twinkles shot at Kuisha, who chose not to dodge them as they burst like a series of fireworks, though her choice to take the attack was made clear when she managed to come out of it with little to no damage!

"Whoa! She's as sturdy as that Bedeze guy said she would be!" Asia realized.

Kuisha screamed as she clapped her hands together.

"Blackout!"

Multiple black holes formed and exploded around the area Asia was, making her eyes widen as she began running to try and dodge them. Unfortunately, they were appearing and exploding faster than she could.

Asia screamed as quite a few hit her, forcing her to deplete a lot of her magic to heal herself.

"Speed won't help you now! Not when I can make them explode wherever you go!" Kuisha shouted.

[Rise of the Shield Hero: RISE]

"Looks like I really have pushed you past your former limits. If that's the case, then I need to try and fight the one way you said I didn't know before." Asia decided, closing her eyes for a moment.

With one deep breath, she began running towards Kuisha!

'Go for it, Asia!' Elohim thought as he watched.

Kuisha showed brief surprise, but quickly shook it off as she formed black hole around both her fists.

"Photon Burst!"

Asia stopped and held out her hands, making Kuisha gasp as her speed transferred into a beam of light.

*"BANG!"*

Smoke formed as Kuisha stumbled back a little.

"Take this!" Kuisha shouted.

"Gravital Collapse!"

She threw some black orbs, which vanished before reappearing by Asia, exploding where she stood with a huge burst. Asia collapsed onto her leg.

"I'm not done yet!" Asia shouted.

"Flash Bomb!"

A familiar series of twinkles formed, and Kuisha prepared to counter... only for Asia to rush ahead!

"Flash Bomb!"

This time she formed them to the left, and then dashed to the right.

"Flash Bomb!"

Seeing the same attack from three different direction, a chain reaction caused three explosions, each stronger than the previous one. The smoke it left easily blinded Kuisha, who coughed as she swung it away.

"This battle will end in my..." Asia said, jumping into the air.

"This battle will end in my..." Kuisha said, clearing the smoke.

Both readied their final attacks, with Asia gathering an orb of light that began shining with an iridescent glow, and Kuisha gathering multiple black holes together.

However, right as Kuisha was about to attack... her eyes widened.

All of Ruihi's fans gasped as her Gravital Veil faded away, and her body returned to normal, taking the attack she had been charging with her.

"Oh no! Kuisha's protection is gone, and now she's wide open!" Naud announced.

"Then... I guess that's it." Kuisha sighed, closing her eyes and accepting her defeat.

Asia smiled at that.

"I'm grateful for this battle, and good luck with the path ahead of you." She whispered, closing her eyes for a moment.

Once she opened them again, she gripped her orb of light, which made it take the shape of a four-pointed star.

"Aurora Tempest!"

She threw her hands out, creating a powerful wave of rainbow energy that resembled the Aurora Borealis, making the kids in the crowd stare at it in awe.

[Insert Song End]

Kuisha was struck by the attack, letting out a scream before she began to glow.

"Thank you... for letting me see how far I am from reaching my goal." She smiled.

Her body disappeared, and then the crowd cheered.

"Kuisha Abaddon has been retired! Asia not only helped Valiana's side gain their first victory in this Rating Game, but show us the strength of her team! It looks like Ruihi's team will have quite the challenge!" Naud announced.

Asia waved to the crowd, soon being transported back to her team's platform area.


Once she returned to the platform, Asia smiled as she flashed her team a peace sign, prompting Issei to smile as he looked at Fubuki.

"Nice one sis, your guess was perfect!" He praised.

"S-Stop it Issei! It was mostly luck that gave Asia an opponent her abilities were a good counter for, especially when you remember that Ruihi's team was the one who chose to put Kuisha on the field." She bashfully replied.

The fused dice broke apart before flying back into each King's respective hands.

"I still can't believe how that first match went! If we can be surprised that easily by just Asia and Kuisha? Then I can't wait to see what the rest of their teammates can do!" Naud announced, clapping at how unexpected and exciting the first round was.

Valiana readied herself to throw her dice again, while Ruihi gave an excited smirk, briefly tossing hers up before catching it in midair.

'Looks like this Rating Game will be exciting.' Ruihi thought.

"Alright Kings, time for the second round!" Naud shouted.

Valiana and Ruihi tossed their dice forward again, repeating the previous fusion into the 12-sided dice as it landed on its second number.

"13!"

"So, almost a maximum roll, huh? I wonder how both sides will use this?" Satan remarked with interest.

The platforms were hidden again as both sides planned their next moves.

"Ruihi will definitely send at least two people out, but if she sends out her remaining Bishop with both her Rooks..." Fubuki thought.

"Luckily, I doubt she'll send all three of them out this round. After all, it's too early in the game to take such a risk." Valiana replied.

After looking over who Ruihi might send out, Valiana made her decision.


The next Rating Game field was shown to be a frigid tundra, with Ruihi's chosen teammates being Bennia and Rugal, and Valiana's being Shirone and Kuroka.

Everyone could finally see the older Nekoshou's appearance, revealing she had long black hair with long side tails that reached to her large bust. She wore a black jacket with some white over a red shirt, white shorts, and brown boots.

"Ah, so the Nekoshou Sisters are our opponents. I wonder if that's bad luck with you being a Werewolf?" Bennia remarked, giggling to herself.

"That was racist..." Kuroka said with a deadpan look.

"Yeah, I have to agree with her." Rugal said with a sigh.

A sweat drop formed on Bennia's face as she cleared her throat and drew her scythe.

"Right, then let's begin this round!" She announced, gaining a menacing glow in her eyes.

Kuroka looked at her sister.

"Leave the Grim Reaper to me." Kuroka whispered.

"Right, just give me an opening and I'll give that Werewolf a Cat-tastrophe." Shirone whispered back.

Both of them manifested their Nekoshou traits as Rugal rushed ahead, showing surprising speed as he did.

"Let's see you take this!" Shirone shouted.

Motioning her hands a certain way, Rugal found time accelerate around him as Shirone smashed a fist into his face, making him skid back. Kuroka rose her hand up as a few black Kasha formed above it like a pillar.

"Take this!" She shouted.

The kasha all hit him, causing an explosion of black smoke... only for him to smirk as he swiped it away with his hand.

"Damn, he's got a strong magical resistance." Kuroka realized.

"And my magical ability is even greater." Rugal replied.

He held up his hands before throwing them out, unleashing a storm of magical blasts at Shirone... only for all of them to miss as she suddenly appeared in front of him, which caught him by surprise.

"Then let's see how you take physical blows!" Shirone shouted.

She screamed as she hit him with a rapid fire of punches to the stomach, making his eyes widen as he was immobilized by the blows. Kuroka smiled before looking at Bennia, who didn't show any fear whatsoever.

"Alright, now I can handle you without any distractions." Kuroka smirked.

"Wrong, because this will be a fatal distraction." Bennia countered.

She pulled a skull mask from the side of her cloak and put it on her face, causing her eyes to flash through as Kuroka was suddenly forced to her knees, barely able to move her body.

"The hell!?" Kuroka questioned.

In the crowd, a Demon with green hair and casual clothing saw the sight and looked confused.

"What's going on here?" Scrulut questioned.

Hearing his question, an Angel with spiky, mid-length white hair that wore Chinese clothing turned to answer.

"When wearing their skull masks, a Grim Reaper is able to partially paralyze whatever they're looking at. While willpower can help overcome this ability, since Bennia's father is one of the stronger ones, it'll be incredibly hard to break free of her gaze." Ryuuji explained.

Bennia let out a haunting laugh as she readied her scythe, which began to glow, leaving Kuroka to gasp as she prepared to swing it.

"Game over little kitty!" She shouted.

Shirone looked behind her as she heard this, and made slight frown as she rushed forward, using the ice to slide underneath Rugal.

"I don't think so!" Shirone shouted.

Holding out her hand, the space around Rugal and Kuroka began to warp before they suddenly switched places, causing the latter to scream as Bennia attacked him instead! Hearing his screams, Bennia pulled her scythe away as he collapsed to his knees.

"Crap! Sorry!" She apologized in a panic.

Kuroka giggled a bit before looking at her little sister and rubbed her head, making Shirone smile and purr slightly.

"Way to show him that being easy to surprise isn't why we have 9 lives." She praised.

"Thanks, and the best part of all? That scythe's strike has hit his soul hard enough that he shouldn't be as resistant to magical attacks for a while." Shirone replied.

"Then let's not waste this chance!" Kuroka decided.

Both of them raised their hands into the air, causing a bunch of white and black kasha to form as they began circling the duo.

"What the?" Rugal questioned.

"Something's up here!" Bennia realized.

Kuroka soon began writing dark symbols in the air, using her Youjutsu to create a forest within the tundra, leaving the Werewolf and Grim Reaper confused as they tried to find the Nekoshou sisters among the newly created trees.

"So, you can't find us?" Kuroka questioned.

"Then maybe you should look closer." Shirone suggested.

The two turned to see them sitting on part of the trees, leaving Rugal to sharpen his eyes as he held a hand towards them.

"I am!" He shouted.

He fired a few magical blasts, only for Shirone and Kuroka's bodies to spread apart like a flying object dispelling a cloud of mist.

"Wait, what!?" Rugal said in surprise.

"Those are illusions!" Bennia realized.

"Let's see, what do we say here? Ah! Bishop takes Pawn and Rook!" Kuroka announced.

Both the black and white kasha rained from the sky and struck the two like a meteor shower.


The crowd went wild as the intensity of the attacks continued, with some of Ruihi's team looking a little nervous over the results of Bennia and Rugal taking said attack.

"How can two Youkai be so strong?" Le Fay asked.

"Because they're Nekoshou, one of the seven species that makes up what the Shinto Pantheon calls the Seven Luminaries." Bikou answered.

Le Fay looked at him in confusion.

"They're the seven Youkai species capable of taking a perfect Human form, and therefore are the only Youkai who can live among the Humans during the day with little to no issue. The name comes from how they were the Youkai species who evolved after the Great War for the sake of helping Master Nurarihyon in raising Yasaka after her mother died, up until his age finally caught up with him near the start of this century." Ruihi continued explaining.

She formed a magic circle and pushed it near Le Fay, letting her read some more information from it.

"Among the seven, the Nekomata represent the Moon, and are the second strongest behind the Kitsune, having a variety of powers. However, their specialty would be how Shirone caught Rugal off-guard both times during this round." She continued.

"Yeah, I noticed it too. Space-Time magic." Airi replied, her focus completely on the Nekoshou sisters.

Le Fay's eyes widened.

"Did you just say Space-Time magic? As in they can manipulate the flow of time and dimensional space?" She asked.

"That's right, and before you think about learning it? It's a power only a Nekoshou can possess. Not even normal Nekomata have that ability, which is why the Nekoshou are labeled the strongest of their kind." Ruihi confirmed, adding a detail she expected to Le Fay to ask next.

Le Fay said nothing as she focused her attention back onto the battlefield, now aware of the reason Valiana likely chose to use so little of the second round's total.


The attacks soon came to an end, with Bennia glowing as she began to retire from the game.

"Looks like we got them." Shirone smiled.

"Hold on, where's Rugal?" Kuroka realized.

At that moment, Shirone looked at Bennia, then gasped to see Rugal was nowhere near her.

"Gotcha." Bennia whispered.

At that moment, Rugal undid an invisibility spell he cast on himself, revealing his glowing form as he raised his arms to strike the unsuspecting sisters with a finishing blow.

"Sis, no!" Shirone shouted.

Using all the strength she could muster, she managed to move her tails, and use them to push her sister out of harm's way.

*"SMASH!"*

Kuroka gasped as she saw Rugal's body vanish from the battlefield, along with Bennia's, and dust covering the area had been standing at moments prior.

"Shirone!" She shouted.

The dust cleared to show Shirone was now glowing, meaning that one blow had been enough.

"Are you OK?" Kuroka asked.

"I'm fine. Besides, I kept him from taking out both of us, which means we still technically won this match." Shirone smiled, despite how sore her body felt.

Kuroka hugged her sister close.

"You did good." She whispered.

Shirone soon vanished, leaving Kuroka to start tearing up as she angrily punched the ground.


As the crowd could be heard cheering, Kuroka silently took her seat, with Issei looking at her.

"You alright?" He asked.

"I'm furious, but I'll save all that fury for when I fight against my next opponent." Kuroka replied, glaring at Ruihi's team.

Valiana nodded as she caught the dice in her hand.

"Despite how her team still took a big hit? Ruihi's finally dealt a blow to Valiana's side, and now it's time to see if will be her momentum or Valiana's that continues in the third round!" Naud shouted excitedly.

Valiana and Ruihi tossed their dice again, and this time the rolled result ended up as...

"14!"

That surprised Valiana as the crowd exploded in excitement.

"We've got a maximum roll here. I wonder how each side will use it? The only thing I'm sure of is that neither King is going into the battlefield at this point." Satan remarked.

"I agree. Ruihi wouldn't get the fight she wants if she joined this round, and Valiana's not going to risk who Ruihi chooses. Besides, I doubt anyone wants the game to end this early when there are still 5 other fighters on each side who haven't even fought yet." Lucifer replied.

As both platforms were hidden, Valiana felt a little more troubled with her choices than in the first two rounds, briefly glancing at her team before looking at Fubuki.

"So, who do you think Ruihi will choose?" Valiana asked.

"Hmm... I think there's only one combination she'll send out due to the losses she's taken." Fubuki answered.

Listening to what she said, Valiana made her choice.


The next battlefield was a rocky area, with Bova and Xenovia being Valiana's choice for her team, while Ruihi sent out Asuka and Bikou on her side.

"Is that swordsman the one you warned me about?" Bova asked.

"She is. Don't start fighting her until I give you the moment to transform." Xenovia replied, tightening her grip on Durandal.

Bova sighed, but nodded his head in understanding.

"Remember our plan?" Asuka asked, looking at Bikou.

He said nothing, only giving her a reply via a toothy smirk and holding up his right hand as he made a circle with it. Asuka smiled in return as she drew her sword.

Wasting no time, she rushed ahead with the intent to strike fast, leaving Xenovia to swing Durandal across the air. Waves of holy energy flew across the air, aiming at Asuka's form before she swung her own sword at them.

*"SLICE! SLICE!"*

Xenovia gasped as she saw her attacks cut in half with no effort.

"Hurry! I'll buy you some time!" Xenovia shouted, rushing at Asuka.

"Roger!" Bova replied.

His aura began to flow out as he began changing into his Dragon form, right as Xenovia swung Durandal at Asuka, who parried using her own sword.

"How did you cut my attack so easily!?" Xenovia questioned.

"I think it's better to show you than tell you, so I guess you'll have to make me use it." Asuka answered.

A loud roar was soon heard, getting her attention as Bova assumed his Dragon form and took flight.

"A Dragon?" Asuka gasped.

"No freaking way!" Bikou shouted.

The crowd was similarly shocked, along with Naud who seemed to have lost his voice, forcing Satan and Lucifer to slap him on the back before he could speak again.

"I don't believe this! One of Lady Valiana's chosen Rooks is an actual Dragon! Do we have any information about this!?" Naud exclaimed, looking at the two Maou for answers.

"That's Bova Tannin, the youngest and strongest of Tannin's children. I believe that says enough?" Lucifer revealed.

Hearing that, the crowd's cheers became explosive from their excitement, especially the half that was favoring Valiana to win.

"I hope you like your fire extra spicy!" Bova shouted.

He blasted out a wall of flames, forcing Asuka to back flip away before slashing them apart.

"Keep going Bova, I need time to prepare!" Xenovia shouted.

"No worries, my flames can't be extinguished so easily!" Bova replied.

He roared before blasting out a greater wave of flames, making Asuka nervous as they neared her, while Xenovia held Durandal out to gather a surge of power.

As the flames threatened to envelop Asuka's body, Bikou warped in front of her.

"Extend! Ruyi Jingu Bang!" Bikou shouted.

His staff extended before he began spinning it, shielding Asuka from the flames.

"Nice timing." She smiled.

"Just doing my part of the plan, now let her have it." He replied, still spinning his staff without showing any signs of fatigue.

Asuka nodded before jumping into the air, leaping over the wall of flames before landing near Xenovia, who was still charging her attack.

"Abstract!"

She immediately slashed across Xenovia, but instead of a slash mark like most expected, the result was Durandal's charge faded as she dropped the sword as if she was never a Holy Sword wielder.

Noticing this, Bova stopped his sea of flames and looked at her.

"Xenovia? What's wrong!?" Bova asked.

"Durandal isn't responding!" She shouted.

Hearing that, he blasted fire at the ground, forcing Bikou and Asuka to move out of the way before he dived at Xenovia.

Once he grabbed her, he flapped his wings, creating a dust storm that blinded Ruihi's team as he assumed his Human form and hid behind some nearby rocks. Bikou let out a chuckle as he landed near Asuka's side.

"Looks like this round is our victory." He remarked, tapping his staff on his shoulder.

"While that claim may sound a little overconfident, it's still the likely result. Abstract's effects will last too long for Bova to keep fighting us alone, and our combined strength is too much for him to beat us without Xenovia's help." Asuka replied with a smile, closing her eyes.


As Bova tried to figure out what was wrong with Xenovia, the crowd all looked surprised at what Asuka had done, since most didn't know of her true ability.

"I'm not sure what happened here, so... Satan?" Naud requested, looking at the Maou of Wrath.

"That was the power of Asuka's magical ability, Abstract, which sounds exactly like its name might imply. The strength of her swordsmanship doesn't just come from the raw talent and immense training she was born with, but this ability, which allows her to cut physical forces... and normally untouchable or intangible concepts." Satan explained.

This reply only confused everyone further, making him clear his throat.

"You all saw how Xenovia suddenly couldn't use Durandal after Asuka swung her sword at her, right? That's because she literally cut the concept that allows Xenovia to wield a Holy Sword, and while it's only temporary because she's a living creature? She's currently unable to use Durandal because her ability to wield it has been negated." Satan continued.

Everyone gasped after hearing that, with the members of Valiana's team showing the strongest reaction.

"If that's true, then Asuka can effectively shut down any of our abilities by just attacking us!" Asia realized.

"No, every power has a downside and/or restriction. We just need to find it." Fubuki replied with confidence.

"Do you have any ideas?" Valiana inquired.

"Well... I may have one, but it's an idea that will require Bova to take a big risk on his end. With how things are going right now, do you think we can risk it?" Fubuki replied with a nervous tone.

Looking at the battlefield, Valiana noticed Bova trying to continue hiding with Xenovia as Bikou and Asuka tried to find them.

"Do it." She decided.

Fubuki nodded, causing a magic circle to appear by Bova's ear.


Bova put his hand by it to make sure everything he heard by him and him alone.

"That you Fubuki?" He asked.

"Yeah, I may have an idea to restore Xenovia's ability to use Durandal, but it's a gamble. Worse, I can't actually guarantee it will work." Fubuki confirmed, her nervousness clearly reaching Bova's ears.

Bova looked behind him, noticing Asuka and Bikou were getting closer, with only his suppressed aura and Xenovia's loss of connection to Durandal keeping them hidden.

"If we don't try it, Xenovia and I will likely lose, so I'm willing to take that gamble." He replied.

Fubuki smiled from her end.

"OK, then I need you to start by drawing a magic circle in the dirt surrounding Xenovia, specifically the kind for a Dragon Gate." She explained.

"Right." Bova nodded.

He began to draw it, catching the attention of Satan.

'What is that Dragon up to?' He thought with suspicion.

After he was done, Fubuki continued her explanation.

"Now, I need you fill that entire circle with some of your blood, will you be able to handle losing that much?" She continued, looking worried.

"This much? Please, I'd need to lose ten times the amount of blood this needs to be concerned." Bova smirked.

He bit one of his claws, making it bleed, with the circle's magic quickly spreading it throughout its entire outline.

"So, what do I do now?" Bova asked.

"Nothing but wait. That means you'll have to deal with Asuka and Bikou by yourself until Xenovia regains usage of Durandal, and there's no guarantee on my end that this is going to work until it actually happens." Fubuki admitted.

Both him and Xenovia felt nervous at that.

*"SLICE!"*

Then they both let out silent gasps as Asuka cut across some of the nearby rocks, trying to find where they were hiding.

"Xenovia, better pray to the Heavens that this works, because time isn't our ally right now." Bova stated, getting on his feet.

He dashed near a certain spot, and then changed back to his Dragon form.

"Looking for me!?" Bova taunted, motioning his right claw towards himself.

Asuka and Bikou turned to see him.

"Ah, there he is. That must mean Xenovia's nearby. Want me to find her?" Bikou smirked.

"No, we can take care of her after we deal with him. For now, he's the bigger threat since he can still fight back, and my Abstract won't work on him beyond bypassing the defenses of his scales." Asuka replied.

Bikou shrugged his shoulders and readied his staff, making Bova glare at them.

"If you're asking for it? Then fine! I'll gladly give it to you!" Bova shouted.

He let out a feral roar.

"OUTRAGE MODE!"

His aura exploded out, making Asuka and Bikou's eyes widen as his slit pupils thinned out, and his scales stretched out and sharpened in an equivalent to a human's muscles bulging out for similar reasons.

"Uh oh! This Dragon's pissed, and we all know what happens when you're face to face with an angry Dragon!" Naud announced.

Bova blasted out a flaming breath that flooded the area the two were standing in, but this time, his flames were so intense that the two were blinded from the heat being emitted from it.

While the two were blindsided, Bova rushed ahead and swung his claw at Bikou, making the Monkey Youkai's eyes widen before he was shot through a dozen rocks on the field. Asuka gasped once she managed to see this happen.

"Bikou!" She shouted.

Luckily, Bikou got on his feet in almost an instant, only losing strength in his knee for a moment.

"Damn... this bastard's really going at us now." He remarked.

Bova roared as he mindless charged at the duo, unable to think as he normally would in this state.


Ruihi's side quietly watched as Bova and their teammates fought.

"Outrage Mode... the state when a Dragon lets their anger empower them to the point they will relentlessly pursue what they see as an enemy. Right now, he's clearly fighting these two in this state to buy Xenovia time until she can regain her use of Durandal." Ruihi realized.

"Will he be fast enough to do that?" Arthur asked.

"No, because despite his strength, Asuka has the means to bypass his defenses. Bikou can likewise deal big damage by combining his Touki and Senjutsu." Ruihi answered.

She then put her hand under chin.

'And yet, why do I have a bad feeling about this?' She questioned, feeling something was wrong.

Ruihi began focusing on every detail, trying to figure out why her instincts were on edge.


Unleashing another roar, Bova fired out a trio of fireballs across the sky, which unleashed stray flares that whipped against the battlefield. Bikou spun his staff to block them, while Asuka simply ran around the attacks.

"You may be powerful in this state, and you may not have been a strategic thinker to begin with to make using this less of a downside, but..." Asuka stated.

She zipped forward and readied her sword.

"It's still your main weakness!" She exclaimed.

She readied a slash, and Bova prepared to swing his fist at her for a counter... only for Asuka to stop midway. Bova stumbled a bit, making Bikou smirk.

"Thanks for the opening!" He shouted, glowing as Touki surrounded him.

"Grand Bell!"

He swung the Ruyi Jingu Bang forward, which then had a spiral of Senjutsu surround it before it struck Bova in the chest, dealing a powerful blow that sent him sliding back.

"Break Sword!"

Asuka shot forward, her sword glowing with her special ability as she stabbed into the same spot. Bova roared as the surrounding scales broke, and he was shot into the ground, now with a noticeable cut where she Asuka struck him.

'Oh no, he won't last much longer!' Xenovia realized, watching from where she was.

The magic circle under her started to glow, but too faintly for her to notice it.

Bova soon got back to his feet, preparing to unleash a powerful roar to signal his next attack... only for his scales to retract and his eyes to go back to normal, signaling him falling onto his knees. This made the crowd gasp as they realized what this meant.

"He used up too much power in his Outrage Mode, a clear sign of his age and how undeveloped his powers currently are." Lucifer realized.

"Damn it... I'm wide open now." Bova realized.

"Sorry, but I'm afraid this is it for you." Bikou apologized.

Swinging his staff up, Bikou readied a smirk.

"Royal Bell!"

He swung the Ruyi Jingu Bang down, with his Touki and Senjutsu converging at its tip, right on Bova's head. The Dragon let out a silent gasp before falling over, making the glow of the retirement system teleport him off the battlefield.

"Bova Tannin has been retired! Xenovia Quarta is now on her own, and in what looks to be unwinnable odds!" Naud announced.

However, a glow soon appeared behind one of the rock formations, making Ruihi's eyes widen as she finally realized what happened.

"Asuka! Bikou! Get out of there, right now!" She warned.

The two looked confused as the magic circle relayed her warning, right as said rocks broke apart to reveal Xenovia holding Durandal, which had already been fully charged.

"No way! Abstract's effects shouldn't have been dispelled yet!" Asuka shouted in disbelief.

Bikou then noticed the magic circle made of blood.

"Because they weren't! It was negated by that magic circle, and Bova was just making sure we didn't find out!" He realized.

"That was their plan!?" Asuka shouted.

Xenovia glared at them with tears in her eyes.

"Bova, your sacrifice won't be in vain! With all of my strength... I'll strike them down!" She promised.

"I'll just negate your power again!" Asuka stated.

She rushed at Xenovia, but right as she prepared to slice her... the magic circle vanished, and suddenly teleported her behind Bikou, to both his and her shock.

"The circle also had a trap in it!?" Asuka said in surprise.

"That's what you get for underestimating us!" Xenovia shouted.

With those words, Xenovia swung Durandal down, unleashing a powerful wave of holy energy towards the duo.

"Yep, both of us are so retired..." Bikou realized.

"No, I think I can at least save myself, but you'll have to defend me. Can you do that?" Asuka replied.

He looked at her in surprise, and she did the same, showing the determination in her eyes.

"Got it. After all, Ruihi's going to need you for what's next." Bikou replied, readying his staff.

He moved in front of her and used his staff to hold back the attack.

'I really hope that this gamble works, otherwise I'll lose for a different reason...' Asuka thought, readying her sword.

Letting out a loud yell, she swung her sword at the ground, right as Bikou was overwhelmed by Xenovia's attack.

With that, the battle came to an end.


Both sides wondered what the results were, leaving even the audience and the announcers tense as the waited for the surviving fighters to return... which is when a shock came from both Xenovia and Asuka returning to their respective teams.

"Hold on a second... both Xenovia and Asia just returned to the battlefield, but that's impossible! Under the Dice Roll, only one side's players can return!" Naud announced.

"You're right. We need a second look, so replay the footage." Lucifer confirmed.

Everyone watched as they viewed the ending from every angle, and then... it was revealed! Asuka used her Abstract to destroy the field, right before she was hit, causing the game system to send her and Xenovia back as if they both won the battle.

"She destroyed the field to escape being retired! But wait, isn't that kind of tactic against the rules?" Satan Realized, raising an eye.

Lucifer thought on it for a bit.

"Normally, it is, but she chose to do it during a 2 vs 2 match using the Dice Roll rules. Not to mention, Asuka did it when it was clear Bikou would be retired by the time she did so." Lucifer said as he looked at the circumstances.

He crossed his arms.

"I've made my decision! While this will become a rule as of the next round and beyond? For this one instance, Asuka's action will be considered within the rules, and will stay in the Rating Game without any penalties!" Lucifer decided, smiling as he did.

With those words, the crowd exploded into cheers. As they did, Xenovia looked at Valiana with a slightly guilty look.

"Sorry, I almost had them." She apologized.

"Don't be. Even if you didn't get her, the fact she pulled that last trick means you would have retired her had that attack gone through, and now she can't use it again. That's still a win in my books." Valiana reassured her.

Xenovia smiled at that.

"The downside is going by this round's defeated team members, losing Bova was a bigger loss than Ruihi losing Bikou." Fubuki stated.

"Yeah, and while we might have more members..." Valiana agreed.

She looked at Asia, Kuroka, and Xenovia, with only Asia having since completely recovered from her battle.

"Be ready everyone. Despite what it might look like, we don't have the advantage just yet." She warned.

Ruihi's gaze soon met with Valiana's, showing the battle had only just begun.


That's it for the first part of this epic Rating Game, and while Valiana's side has managed to keep the victories going, Ruihi's has still pushed most of hers to the point that only Asia's not drained. That itself isn't much of a victory since Asia's healing via the Sephirot Graal is responsible for that, and it uses some of her magic to pull that off, meaning she's used a lot from fighting Kuisha.

Just to add to the difficulty, Asuka managed to use a loophole with her ability, which managed to take out Bova because it rendered his scales' durability useless, which is going to cause problems for quite a few people on her team. She also doesn't know what Airi can do besides her general ninja skills, and Valiana's side has little idea of what they're still up against, beyond Arthur and Le Fay's basic skills from being Pendragons.

I'll admit this game is kind of like the Rating Game with Sairaorg, but this arc is based on V2 and V10, so it kind of made sense to do this. Asuka's little trick with breaking the field to escape being retired is also based on how Akeno blew up the gym in the Rating Game with Riser, so there will be a few surprises to keep it from being identical.

For those who still want to make a cameo during the other Rating Game battles? Unless it becomes longer than I expect, there will be at least two more chapters for this Rating Game, so as long as you request a cameo before Chapter 23 is released, said cameo will be able to make an appearance. Also, if you want your cameo to appear when a certain character is fighting, then you can request for that as well.

Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^