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[Ddraig talking]
[Ddraig thinking]
{Albion talking}
{Albion thinking}
|Tiamat talking|
|Tiamat thinking|
(Mastema talking)
(Mastema thinking)
Mental Communication
"Regular Dialogue"
Attacks/Spells
Ars Nova, Gehenna, March 2, 2020, 6:15 PM; Current Time: 3 Minutes and 12 Seconds Til Midnight
"This place changed since I've last been here," Asmodeus said as she walked towards the Ars Nova with the others. She glanced at the massive tower and let out an impressed whistle. She glanced at all the devils rushing in and out of the building carrying papers and whatnot. Asmodeus raised an eyebrow. None of them seemed to recognize who she was. But of course, she could just chalk it up to being busy. But the thought made her smile. If no one recognized her, it would make for an explosive entrance.
"Are you surprised at how much the Ars Nova changed?" Rias asked.
"No, I'm more surprised that there's a new capitol building," Asmodeus said. "But then again, I'm not surprised. The lower levels of Hell have been sealed off since I left."
"Lower Levels?" Asia asked.
"Do you all know of the Nine Circles of Hell?" she asked.
Everyone nodded.
"That's just a story. In truth, there are only seven circles. The first two circles are accessible by both Fallen and Devils. The levels are known as Gehenna and Tzalmavet. The Land of Perdition and the Shadow of Death are their literal meanings," Asmodeus said.
"We know that but what do you mean that the lower levels are sealed?" Rias asked.
"I mean in the sense that no one can access it," Asmodeus said. "The stronghold of Lucifer, our creator, is located in the second deepest level of Hell."
"Oh," Rias said.
"But nevermind that, I was just musing. Let's go see your brother," Asmodeus said. They entered the Ars Nova and ascended the stairs towards Sirzechs' office. Rias knocked gently on the door and heard a "Come in!" from the other side. She turned the knob and opened it, holding the door for the others as they walked in.
Sirzechs, Grayfia, Mammonm, and another person waited for them on the other side. The man had pitch-black hair like that of tar. His skin was extremely pale, attributed to someone who had spent their entire day indoors and never saw the light of the sun. His eyes were like Mammon's and Asmodeus's. They were the most toxic shade of yellow that Issei had ever seen. He wore a dark sweater with a white-collar. His pants were baggy and black which made the others think that he was wearing pajamas rather than formal wear. He wore black sneakers and had a yellow pair of headphones around his neck. He looked lazily at the group as he absentmindedly scrolled through his phone's messages and notifications. Mammon had her arms crossed as she watched them walk in. Her eyes widened as Asmodeus stepped in last. Asmodeus stood near the door, frozen as she stared at Mammon and the man.
Neither moved nor breathed as they kept taking in each other's visage. They needed to know that this moment as real. Asmodeus finally let out a sigh as she closed her eyes. She opened them again and gave Mammon a warm smile. It was a smile that one would normally see on family members that they have not seen for long periods of time. A smile that one saw whenever they were reunited with someone they cherished.
"I'm home, Mammon, Belphegor," Asmodeus said, holding her arms out.
Mammon felt something wet streak down her face. The now named Belphegor dropped his phone as he stared at her. Mammon was the first to break her composure as she dashed straight into Asmodeus. Asmodeus felt the wind get knocked out of her as Mammon wrapped her arms tightly around her.
Asmodeus looked down with a mixture of sadness and happiness as she slowly brought her arms around Mammon. She stroked her violet hair softly. Asmodeus glanced over at Belphegor, who was now walking over to her. She smiled and held out her other arm as Belphegor entered the hug.
"Welcome home, Onee-sama," Belphegor said.
"Don't worry," Asmodeus said as she ruffled his hair with her hand. "I'm staying this time…"
The others looked on with a smile. They didn't want to interrupt the moment that the three oldest demons in history were clearly having. However, they were there for a reason and time was of the essence. Sirzechs coughed into his hand to get their attention.
The three siblings broke apart and turned to face Sirzechs. He walked over to Asmodeus and bowed.
"As the current bearer of the title Satan Lucifer, I hereby welcome you, Original Satan Asmodeus, back to Hell," Sirzechs said.
"I'd say it's a pleasure to be back Descendant of Bael and Gremory, but I would be lying. I'm only here because my sister requested it so and a certain incident has forced me out of retirement," Asmodeus said.
"I see," Sirzechs said.
"Tell me. Who is the current ruler of devils?" Asmodeus asked.
"Well that would be the current Four Maou," Rias said.
"She wasn't referring to them," Grayfia said.
"What?" Issei looked at Grayfia strangely.
"There are many things that the older devils had that we don't practice anymore. One of those traditions was having a supreme ruler known as Ha-Satan. You see back then, while the Four Great Satans were recognized as the Rulers of Devilkind. There was an authority above them. An old saying even. There can be many devils but only one being can be The Devil. That's what Ha-Satan is. The Ruler of all Devilkind. Unfortunately, we didn't reinstate that position after the Civil War ended for we believed that splitting the executive power of that position was far more effective," Grayfia said.
"So there is no current bearer of that title?" Asmodeus asked.
"No," Sirzechs said. "But, since you are here, would there be a chance that you would be willing to take that title on? You are the fourth eldest child of the Fallen Archangel Lucifer, creator of Devils. It would only be right for you to assume that position."
"Me? No," Asmodeus said. "Look, I didn't come back here to do your jobs. If that is the new system, then that is the system we shall follow now."
"Um excuse me," Rias said.
The older devils stopped to look at her.
"What is it Rias?" Sirzechs asked.
"What positions are you all referring to exactly?" she asked.
"The position of Ha-Satan. The title wielded by the Supreme King or Queen of all Demons. It's first and the only wielder was our mother, Lucifer," Belphegor said.
"But we can have one again," Sirzechs said. "The reason that we didn't have anyone was that Sensei and Belphegor-sama declined the seat, leaving no one from the Royal Families other than Rizevim. But Rizevim left Hell after the war ended as well."
"Look. We'll talk about this later," Asmodeus said, shutting Sirzechs up. "Right now, we have more important matters to attend to."
She gave Sirzechs and Grayfia a look that they both instantly nodded to. Sirzechs turned to Rias and Issei.
"You guys can go. We'll finish the rest up here," he said.
"Oh," Rias said.
"Sure, um, we'll see you all later I guess?" Issei said.
"We will. Now, go get some rest. You guys have earned it," Grayfia said, agreeing with her husband. They nodded and left the room via magic circle.
"Now that we're here by ourselves," Belphegor said. "Let's discuss why we called you from your permanent vacation, Elder Sister."
"Right. I got a glimpse of it. Beelzebub," Asmodeus said.
"To think he was still alive after all these years. I thought that Raphael killed him in battle," Mammon said.
"It appears that we were wrong," Asmodeus said.
"Excuse me but… if Beelzebub-sama was still alive, is there a chance that the other original Satans survived as well?" Sirzechs asked.
"Not likely… Satanachia is for sure dead. He was there with mother when they went to go hash out a cease-fire agreement with our grandfather," Asmodeus said. "And then… you know."
Sirzechs nodded.
"Sirzechs," Mammon said. "When the finals start, prepare to increase security around the stadium. I have an inkling that he'll be after someone while the matches are ongoing."
"After someone?" Grayfia asked.
"Yes," Belphegor said. He produced an illusory image of Issei in front of them.
"Issei," Sirzechs said. His eyes widened as he connected the dots.
"I see you've deduced the reason as to why my student," Mammon said. "The Shevirat Ha-Kelim. The origin power that birthed Devilkind as well as the power from which all devils derived their family abilities."
Sirzechs placed a hand on his chin. "I'll have to coordinate with the other Maou to get more security as well as Michael and Azazel. If one of the Seven is coming after Issei, then we'll need to maximize our security around the stadium."
"Glad we have that covered. You make to be a good leader, descendant of Bael and Gremory," Asmodeus said.
"Asmodeus-sama," Grayfia said.
"Yes, dear?" Asmodeus replied, looking at her.
"Will you assume the position of Ha-Satan? Even if it is just a temporary thing?" Grayfia asked.
"No. I won't but from what I've heard. You have an eligible candidate in the form of Satanachia's descendant, Vali Lucifer," Asmodeus said. "That would make him next in line for the title of Ha-Satan… though I doubt he would accept it."
"If Vali refuses, which I'm sure he will, we have Issei's teammate and your grandchildren, Mammon-sensei, Belphegor-sama," Sirzechs said.
"Ah yes, the Leviathan from Issei's team," Mammon said.
"I don't think Roygun would be a good choice for the title of Ha-Satan," Belphegor said.
"What of your grandson Nick?" Grayfia asked.
"I'll have to think about that but… there's something that you two should remember about the title. It's not a title inherited by the eldest but by the most capable. As the remaining members of the Seven, we ultimately have to decide on who gets the title of Ha-Satan," Mammon said.
"Let's discuss this at another date. For now, I have a debut to make," Asmodeus said.
"Uwaaahhh!" Irina said as she collapsed on the couch. Issei sighed before falling on his back. He stared up at the ceiling. It had been five minutes since they arrived home and the first thing they all did was collapse. The mission had been grueling. None of them had ever taken a mission that involved tropical weather. All of their assignments prior to the Evil Dragon War were all to the other Divine Realms or to parts of Japan and Europe. Tropical terrain was an all-new thing for them. And before any one of them could say anything different, all of them knew that the beach doesn't count.
"I can't believe we got a mission like that right before the finals!" Rias said, rolling around on the floor.
"Come to think of it… this was our first mission since you know," Issei said, sitting up. Rias and the others went silent. Perhaps that wasn't the best thing to say. The atmosphere of the room was now as awkward as a child walking in on their parents performing the horizontal tango.
"It was… wasn't it," Rias said softly.
"Yeah," Akeno said.
"By the way, I have to ask Akeno. Are you alright? You had a demon riding around inside your body for months," Issei said.
"I… I don't even know how he got in there. Every time I try to remember what happened, I can't. It's like my body's actively repressing the memory or he erased it while he lived inside my head," she said.
Akeno looked at Issei apologetically. "Sorry if that didn't make sense. It was the only way that I could describe it."
"No, it's fine. But Akeno, I promise… even with what happened between us, I will give Beelzebub what's coming to him. He had no right to toy with you like that," Issei said.
Akeno smiled as did Rias. They were slowly but surely becoming friends with Issei again. Now all she needed was to help push the other girls in her peerage to do the same. Well most of them other than Rossweisse and Asia. She had heard of Issei and Rossweisse's date and she was happy for them. She truly was but part of her wished she was in Rossweisse's place.
"Hey, Rias. When we face off in the finals, don't hold back," Issei said, snapping her out of her thoughts. She looked at him with a slightly shocked face. She quickly regained her composure and grinned.
"Funny. I was about to ask you the same thing," Rias said. She looked Issei in the eye, who matched her gaze with equal force. Everyone began to sweat as Issei and Rias's moods did a complete 180-degree flip. The pressure grew inside the living room as their auras manifested. Rias was surrounded by a red and black aura while Issei was surrounded by a black and violet aura. The two laughed maniacally as Rias's eyes began to glow with a deadly shade of blue.
Irina and Akeno, despite their current grievances, agreed on one thing, they didn't want to become homeless. They each grabbed their respective kings and pulled them back.
"Please don't blow up the house, Rias-sama," Akeno said.
"Issei, don't wreck the house," Irina said.
"Fine," Issei said. He looked at Rias, who kept looking at him. "But still, I stand by what I said all those months. I don't hate you or the other girls. And don't hold back on account of our previous relationship or you think that throwing the match will somehow get you back in my good graces. Trust me. I want a true fight with you Rias. A fight where we can finally settle all this once and for all. Like in all shonen anime, let's settle this with our fists."
Rias's eyes widened before nodding seriously. "Then I hope you're prepared then. I'm not holding anything back."
Azazel Stadium, March 14, 2020, 10:30 AM
Issei stood in their team's room. A large screen was in front of them with large words being displayed telling them to wait for the program to begin. A bead of sweat ran down Issei's head as he began to think of a way for his team to make it as far as possible in the Finals match. He knew that such a feat would be extremely difficult to achieve, considering all the teams that were participating. He placed his hand on his chin as he began to think of some way for his team to survive. After all, there have been examples of them getting out of difficult situations before.
"Aniki."
Issei turned around and saw Mitsuki standing behind him. Their team had been training extensively for the past week. Irina had run off with Rikka to get some special training that she wouldn't reveal. Issei glanced at his girlfriend who was deep in a conversation in a corner of their team's room with their senpai. Ingvild, Mica, and Tohka were also there, speaking with Irina as she showed them her bracelets.
"Are you ready for this?" Mitsuki asked.
Issei glanced from Irina to the rest of his team. Risa was sharpening her katana with a whetstone while Vasco meditated in the corner with a rosary and a bible. Bova was eating some Dragon Apples.
"Yeah. Ready to lose? Probably. Win? I don't know about that. Remember all the people we have to get through in order to win," Issei said.
"I know but… we have the Heavenly Dragon on our side," Mitsuki said.
"Vali does too but the one difference between me and him is that I can summon Ddraig from my gear," Issei said.
"Using the notes of a White Dragon Empress too. How ironic," Mitsuki mused.
"Besides, I'm sure that they've all began to develop countermeasures after they saw me summon Ddraig in our match against Kali. I doubt that they all just sat on their asses twiddling their thumbs," Issei said
"That's fair," Mitsuki said.
"AND WE'RE LIVE!"
Everyone turned to see Naud's face appear on the screen.
"My my! What a week has it been! First off, we not only learn that one of the Original Maou and a member of the Seven is still alive but she's returned to the Underworld!" Naud said.
He wasn't wrong. While they were training, Issei had heard of the uproar and shock that the Underworld had gone through when it was revealed that Asmodeus was still alive and had apparently returned. Most of the remaining Original Pillar Heads such as Zekram were overjoyed at her return, taking this as a sign that Devilkind might step into a much brighter future with her guiding the Maou. There was also apparently talk that Asmodeus might assume the title, Ha-Satan, but that was currently just a rumor.
"Now let's get on with introducing our Finalists! This format is a bit unorthodox for a Rating Game! So far, we've had Imprisonments and Dice Figure games but this one is new! This was decided by the organizing committee to be more fun and entertaining for both the audience and the participants! This new format is a battle royale!" Naud said.
"So… where are we dropping?" Bova asked.
Issei and Mitsuki looked at him with amused smirks.
"Promenade East?" Issei asked.
"Obviously we're dropping at the Superstore," Mitsuki said.
"Or perhaps even…"
"Downtown?"
"Now to introduce the finalists! For the first team, we have a mishmash of various pantheons participating as one team! Team Leisure of the Kings led by the Storm Giant, the Father of all Greco-Roman Monsters, TYPHON!"
An image of a man with blue skin and oily black hair appeared on the screen. His eyes had slit pupils like that of a snake.
"Typhon, the Father of Monsters and one of the Top Ten Strongest Existences," Vasco said.
"Already hitting us hard with the first team eh?" Rikka mumbled as she walked over to get a better look.
The next team that was introduced by Naud was Team Vajra lead by Indra, followed by Team Asura lead by Mahabali. Rikka clenched her fist at the sight of her uncle, trembling slightly in anger.
After that, Rias's Team, Sairaorg's Team and Vali's Team were introduced, gaining grins from Issei and Mitsuki.
"And now we have one of the teams that has a lot of people rooting for them! Team Midnight Dragon Emperor of Crimson Truth!"
"That name sounds so long now that I think about it," Issei said.
"It's… just as bad as Vali's Team name," Mitsuki said.
Following their team's introduction, several more teams were introduced including Riser's brother as well as one team that caught Issei's eye.
"Huh. I ran into that team a couple of weeks ago," Issei said.
"Which team?" Irina asked.
"Team Black Hand," Issei said.
"Led by Katarina Alighieri. She kind of looks like Natalia and Eren," Irina commented.
"Huh. I never noticed that," Issei said.
"Do you think we'll run into them?" Rikka asked.
"Probably," Issei said.
"And now! We shall begin to countdown! Five!"
"Alright, everyone get ready. Remember, we don't hold back. Not even against Indra and Typhon! We fight them for every centimeter in the field," Issei said.
"Right!" they chorused.
"Four!"
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
"LET THE GAMES BEGIN!"
Issei and his team were teleported out of their room and into the arena.
In the VIP Box, Grayfia smiled contentedly as she rubbed the large bulge on her stomach. Any day now. Millicas would be a sibling. Speaking of which, she glanced over at her son, who was chatting animatedly with the little girl on her husband's lap. Lily Hyoudou, formerly Hofferson, was sitting in the room with them. Issei had brought her along for the other games to watch and get used to the world that she was regrettably dragged into.
The little girl never spoke the entire time she was with them but today was different. Well not so different in the fact that she still remained quiet to them but her son was a different case. Millicas had managed to somehow get her to talk to him if only in short sentences.
"Lily, the game is starting!" Grayfia said.
"Mmm!" Lily said.
Rias sighed as she found herself on a floating island along with the rest of her peerage. She looked out upon the arena. A massive valley with several islands floating in the air. A river flowed through the valley dividing it into two before ending at a large lake. An explosion went off in the distance as Rias saw several yellow lightning bolts streak across the sky
"Looks like they already started and we just got in," Kiba commented as he saw a massive fireball fly across the sky and explode. Rias narrowed her eyes and made out the flying figure of the Hindu God of the Heavens, Indra, engaging a blue giant in combat.
"Indra-sama has already begun to fight Typhon?" Akeno asked.
"The big players are all going for each other to eliminate the competition then," Hiruko said.
"Yes but they're not our goal. Our goal is to survive long enough. We're in this match for two things. Winning and facing Issei's team," Rias said.
Asia looked at Rias. "Hmm, you and Nii-san are all fired up to face each other then?"
Rias glanced at her and nodded. "Issei and I will settle things here. Once and for all."
Issei and his team jumped from island to island, avoiding all of the fights that happened above them. He saw Indra streak across the air and slam into Typhon. He grabbed the Monster God and threw him into one of the generated mountains.
"Shit…," Issei said as he suppressed his power.
"Indra-sama isn't pulling any punches," Mitsuki said.
"Let's just hope Typhon's team can keep him distracted," Rikka said as a hail of silver arrows barraged Indra, forcing him to erect a shield
"Artemis?" Issei said. He saw the Goddess streak across the sky and land a flurry of kicks before Indra swatted her away.
"Come on," Issei said.
"Do you sense Rias?" Irina asked as they made their way across the arena. Issei nodded, eyeing the large plateau in front of them.
"They're over there," Issei said.
"They're just waiting?" Vasco asked.
"No, I think they just got there but how would I know… be careful. Other than the new guys, Rias's peerage is strong. Not as strong as Kali or Thor but there's one thing that she has that they don't. She knows how I fight. How Irina fights. How Mitsuki fights. She has that advantage and she can develop a strategy specifically to work against us three. However, the rest of you are unknown variables to her… so I'm banking on the fact that we can probably, most likely overpower her with sheer force," Issei said.
"Did you come up with that all by yourself?" Ingvild asked.
"Er… well, kind of?" Issei said.
Ddraig and Tiamat snickered inside the [Boosted Gear] while Mastema floated next to Issei, smiling in slight amusement. Issei sighed, knowing that that deduction was made by Tiamat and not him.
The group landed on the plateau with their guard fully up. Issei summoned the [Boosted Gear] and scanned his surroundings.
"So you finally show up… I was wondering when you'd get here," a voice said. Issei turned to see Rias and her peerage standing there.
Issei and his team readied themselves when they saw Team Gremory ready their weapons and powers. Rias merely stood there with a smile.
"Rias," Issei said.
"Issei," Rias replied.
"Are we gonna have our corny battle speeches before our big fight?" Issei asked.
"No, I prefer that we just get on with it. After all, this is a tournament and not the end of some shounen," Rias said as she dropped into a stance. Issei's eyes narrowed. That stance. It was oddly reminiscent of the stance that Sirzechs took during their fight when he was Satan Red.
"Is that?" Issei asked.
"Onii-sama's style? No, Onii-sama derives a lot of his standard fighting technique from this style and incorporates his own spin on it since he doesn't possess the Gremory Family Power," Rias said as her eyes glowed ominously.
"I see," Issei said. Gremory Family Power? Now I have to deal with that and the Power of Destruction? Issei thought.
[Be careful Issei. The Gremory Family Power is the Power of Sight. She can easily track your movements.] Ddraig said.
"So she has fancy eye powers? Neat…," Issei replied.
Rias looked at Issei as a breeze blew in between them. Without warning, Rias rushed Issei, catching him off-guard. He never expected her to just rush him. He barely managed to raise his arms to block a powerful punch from Rias. He looked into her eyes and saw that they had changed. A floral pattern spun inside her irises as she channeled magic into her fist.
Issei pushed back, using his superior strength to send her flying several feet.
Their fight signaled their respective peerages to rush in and begin to combat each other. Risa and Vasco quickly engaged Xenovia and Kiba while Ingvild and Rossweisse dueled with magic.
Tohka and Mica engaged Rias's new pawns Hiruko and Yuu, who did fairly well considering the fact that Tohka and Mica held back. Gasper engaged Bova in a fight while Rikka weaved her way around Eren and Asia's spells.
Issei and Rias sped across the plateau, trading blow after blow. Rias gasped as Issei kneed her in the gut and sent her flying across the plateau.
[|Welsh Dragon Balance Breaker!|]
Issei jetted off after Rias and prepared to slam her through the mountain when a pillar of ice appeared in front of him, forcing him to get back. Rias flipped in mid-air and landed on the ground. Her eyes widened when Tatsuya landed in front of her.
"Tatsuya! What're you doing?" Rias asked as she began to channel violet and black energy to her hands.
"Helping you!" Tatsuya unleashed a swirl of flames at Issei. Issei formed a sphere of destruction and fired it at the flames, erasing them instantly. He appeared in front of Tatsuya and backhanded him away.
Sirzechs sighed as he watched the game.
"That boy," Sirzechs said. He felt someone tug on his sleeve and looked down. He saw Lily looking at him with her legs crossed.
"Potty!" she said.
"Eh? Oh, come on Lily-chan!" Sirzechs said, scooping her up. He turned to his wife who watched the games alongside Millicas.
"I need to go with Lily down to the restrooms. We'll be back okay?" Sirzechs said. Grayfia nodded as Sirzechs and Lily left. Sirzechs led her down the hall to the women's restroom. He knelt before her.
"I'll wait here okay?" Sirzechs said. Lily nodded and went inside. As the girl washed her hands after she finished doing her business, a hand wrapped around her mouth. She looked up and saw a pair of yellow eyes staring into her own and screamed. However, her screams were never heard as she and her kidnapper disappeared in a cloud of black smoke, leaving no trace that they were ever there.
Rias watched as Tatsuya flew back and glared as she rushed at Issei. She coated her leg in violet energy and kicked him. Issei blocked but felt the energy on her leg eating away at his armor. He pushed her back and dodged as Rias attempted to land a jab on his face. Her hand was coated in that violet energy once more before Issei kicked her away to gain some distance.
"Power of Destruction?" Issei asked.
"No," Rias said, wiping some blood off her mouth. "A nifty new trick that comes with my Eyes' unique power."
"New trick?"
"Yes, but let me just show you!" Rias's eyes glowed as she appeared in front of Issei. Issei couldn't react in time as Rias's knee dug itself into his helmet. Issei went flying across to the edge of the plateau where he managed to catch himself in time.
Issei raised his arm, blocking a blow from Rias. The force of her blow sent a shockwave rocketing across the entire mountain top, forcing everyone to stop their fight to hang on.
Irina looked at Rias and Issei, who were trapped in a deadlock.
"Issei!" Irina flew over to help Issei when Akeno appeared in front of her and blasted her with lightning.
"Not so fast, Irina," Akeno said. "Your fight is with me."
"Tch!" Irina glared at Akeno as she readied Hauteclere. Her bracelets began to glow.
"Heaven Code: Deluge Armament!" Irina said. Hauteclere was surrounded by blue magic circles, surrounding it in blue energy. Irina swung the blade, unleashing a crescent wave of power. Akeno dodged. Her eyes widened as she watched the energy travel across the arena and split the river in half.
"Out of the way Akeno!" Irina said as she delivered a roundhouse kick to Akeno's head. Akeno went flying across the air before catching herself. She rushed towards Irina and blasted her with Holy Lightning.
Irina felt an entire city's worth of electrical power slam into her, sending her crashing into the ground.
"Code: Lightning!" Irina's body blurred out of existence as Akeno's lightning destroyed the area where she crashed.
"I see you have some new tricks up your sleeve?" Akeno said, hovering above her.
"I do," Irina said. She raised her hand into the air. "Code: Solar: Death Light!"
A massive sun-like sphere appeared over Irina's hand. It was about the size of a car tire. She threw it at Akeno. Akeno felt the intense heat from the sphere and dodged. Irina appeared in front of Akeno and swiped Hauteclere. Akeno barely dodged as her bangs were cut by Irina's blade.
As the two fought in the sky, Issei slammed his head into Rias's forehead. She stumbled back a little. Issei grabbed her arm and threw her into the air. Rias spread her wings and slowed herself. She shook her head to get rid of the pain when she saw Issei slam into her. The two bulleted towards the ground. Issei let go of Rias and kicked her.
Rias let out a soundless gasp as she crashed into the ground. The force of her impact shook their surroundings as a shockwave traveled outward for several dozens of meters. Every tree within the vicinity was uprooted and sent into the air.
Rias shakily stood up, gripping her ribs. She winced when she felt pain pulsate throughout her body. She looked up, seeing Issei hovering above her in his [Balance Breaker Form]. She smiled.
"Looks like I have to get serious then," Rias said as the Power of Destruction began to manifest around her.
"Null Dance: Goddess of Ruin!"
Rias's form shifted to the form that Issei saw her use during the fight she had against Riser and Natalia. The power that radiated off her form was twenty times the amount her normal self had. If Issei had to guess, Rias was currently three times stronger than he was in his Balance Breaker without Boosts.
His musing was broken as Rias appeared above him. He raised his arms to block Rias's axe kick only to see the aura that surrounded her rapidly eating away at his armor. Rias's overwhelming physical strength in this form was also another thing Issei didn't expect. She pushed and sent Issei crashing into the ground.
"ISSEI!" Rias roared as she slammed her fist into the ground. Issei barely dodged her blow as her surroundings were completely destroyed at a sub-atomic level. She created several spears made of the power of destruction and threw them at Issei.
Issei boosted several times before firing a [Dragon Shot] at Rias.
"Shit! I have to use my second form!" Issei said.
[|Crimson Moon: Full Drive|] Issei's armor shifted again to its second form as he blocked an attack from Rias. The two flickered out of existence and became two streaks of red light that rocketed across the sky, constantly clashing with each other.
Vali stopped as he felt a shockwave coming from above him. Vali and his team had just eliminated Team Phenex from the competition. Of course, the Phenex didn't go down without a fight. Vali had to fight for every inch that he earned in that fight and in the end, he won. As of right now, Vali had resolved to fight Issei now before any of the other competitors had gotten in the way of their battle or got to Issei first. He had sensed Issei's energy spike alongside Rias's and berated himself for not getting there first.
However, it wasn't a total loss. Mitsuki was there and she would serve as an ample substitute. But he needed to get there. The Bael Heir and his peerage were hot on their trail as well.
"Come on!" Vali said as they neared the plateau.
"Vali!" Kuroka said. She pointed to Mitsuki engaging one of Rias's pawns. She fluidly danced around the blasts of fire and ice with a bored look on her face.
"Come on Tatsuya… give me a better fight at least," Mitsuki said as she swept his legs out from under him. Tatsuya fell on his back. Mitsuki raised her foot to knock him out and eliminate him when a spear of ice exploded from the ground. Mitsuki caught the spear and crushed it.
"I'm not done!" Tatsuya said as he delivered a barrage of punches to Mitsuki. Mitsuki lazily raised her hands and blocked every one of the attacks before delivering a palm strike to his chest. Tatsuya stumbled back and glared at her when she grinned.
"Vali. I didn't know your team would be making a drop-by so early in the match," Mitsuki said. Her words made everyone freeze as the group, except for Rias and Issei, who were currently in the sky having their intended match, turned to face him.
Arthur nodded at Kiba and Xenovia before turning to Risa and Vasco. He nodded respectfully to them as well.
Kuroka smiled as she spotted Koneko. Bikou leaned lazily on his staff while Le Fay sat atop Fenris, who was growling at both teams.
"Vali," Irina said, hovering in the air. Akeno gulped as she eyed the White Dragon Emperor.
Gogmagog simply stood there, eyeing them with little to no emotion as attributed to its status as an automaton fueled by magic.
"Shirone nya! Your onee-chan's been busy training in Kyoto!" Kuroka said as her left eye changed color to green. Koneko's eyes narrowed at the sight.
"Onee-sama," Koneko said as she began to gather energy.
Vali stared at Mitsuki, who stared back with equal force. Tatsuya backed away as their powers began to affect their surroundings. The two walked towards each other slowly.
"So Vali's starting? Isn't a gentleman supposed to let the lady start?" Bikou said as he twirled Ruyi-Jingu-Bang.
"Hehe, I can't wait to test my new stuff nya!" Kuroka said as blue flames swirled around her.
"Get ready!" Arthur said.
As he drew Caliburn, everyone dropped and began to ready themselves. Irina looked down at Mitsuki and Vali. Without warning, Vali and Mitsuki threw a punch at each other. Their fists impacted their faces as the two were sent flying away from each other due to the force of their blows.
Bikou took this as an opportunity and swung his staff, sending a shockwave that pushed both teams back. Bova used his wings to offset the blow and flew into the air, unleashing a torrent of flames. Vali Team scattered as they rushed both Issei and Rias's team.
Yuu erected a barrier with his Sacred Gear as Le Fay unleashed a barrage of magical blasts in his direction. Asia flew into the air and created a large green magic circle.
Le Fay's eyes widened as a hail of green energy rained down from the sky. She created a large magic circle that blocked all the bolts. Bikou rushed at Yuu, who still had the barrier up only to dodge as the Earth underneath him exploded. Stone spears rushed towards Bikou. He swung his staff, easily dispelling the stones.
Eren raised his hand as the gem on his sacred gear glowed. A massive wooden dragon erupted from the ground and snaked its way towards them.
"FENRIR!" Le fay called. Fenrir roared and engaged Eren's dragon, easily pinning it down. Eren gritted his teeth as he tried to fight against the God Devouring Wolf to no avail.
Meanwhile, Arthur engaged both Xenovia and Kiba at once. Kiba swung Gram which Arthur parried with Caliburn. Xenovia swung Ex-Durandal, forcing Arthur to dodge. He kicked Kiba and Xenovia out of the way and landed in front of them.
Gogmagog engaged Vasco and Risa as Risa kicked off its arm. Vasco grabbed Gogmagog and threw it at Arthur. Arthur glanced at the coming projectile and dodge. He unleashed a blast of gold energy from Caliburn at Vasco.
Risa created a light spear and threw it, intercepting Arthur's blast.
"Four vs Two hardly seems fair," Arthur said as Gogmagog stood back up. Its eyes glowed as it fired a massive lazer at Vasco. Vasco swung Durandal II, deflecting the lazer.
"Well, this is your team we're talking about," Kiba said.
"True," Arthur said.
The four rushed Arthur and Gogmagog to continue their battle. Gogmagog fired his fist at Vasco, impacting the priest in the torso. Vasco hugged the fist as he dug his foot into the ground, slowing his speed.
"BEHIND YOU!"
Vasco turned to see Kuroka get blasted away by Koneko's fist. She formed a massive blue fireball and threw it at her older sister.
Kuroka righted herself in mid-air before twisting her body out of the way to avoid the flaming ball. She narrowed her eyes as Gasper rushed at her to deliver a series of kicks and punches.
Kuroka traded blows with Gasper before kicking off into Koneko. Koneko jumped over Gasper's body and threw a flaming punch at her sister. Kuroka dodged but felt a series of spells hit her from behind.
She growled and turned to see Rosweisse holding her hand out.
"HAAAH! TAKE THIS!" A series of magic circles appeared in the air behind Rossweisse and all fired at Kuroka. Kuroka created a large violet magic circle and fired a barrage of blue flames to intercept her magical blasts.
The force sent shockwaves throughout the mountain. As Rossweisse prepared to fire another spell, she took to the air as a blast of water carved a trench through the mountain. She turned to see Ingvild with her hand out.
"Shit," Rossweisse said as she blocked another one of Ingvild's attacks. Kuroka sighed in relief as she saw Ingvild and Rossweisse resume their clash of magic.
She turned her attention back to Koneko when Rikka swiped her sword, forcing her to duck. Rikka backflipped as Kuroka's flaming claws narrowly missed her. She landed across from her.
Koneko and Rikka stood across from Kuroka. She narrowed her eyes.
"An Astra possessor huh?" Kuroka said.
Rikka remained silent as she leveled Obsidian Rite at Kuroka.
"At least I get to show off this fancy new form," Kuroka said. She closed her eyes and focused as a shroud of chakra surrounded her. The shroud turned red as she got down on all fours and let out an animalistic roar. She sounded like a cross between a jaguar, a tiger, and a lion all crossed together. Kuroka's right eye became green as her fangs elongated. Her skin began to peel off revealing a blood-red skin like energy. Blue flames began to encircle her entire body forming a black and blue sphere. The ground underneath Kuroka gave away underneath her creating a large crater. Everyone around Kuroka backed away as the flaming sphere expanded to about 15 meters in height and thirty meters in diameter.
Rikka's eyes widened as she looked at Kuroka.
"Shit," Rikka said. She closed her eyes and activated Code: Laevateinn.
Koneko gritted her teeth as the two women next to her achieved levels of power beyond what she could currently handle. She had no choice. She had to use her other form. Koneko closed her eyes and began to gather natural energy. She channeled that energy, syncing it with her touki. Her hair grew longer as she began to get older. Her breasts grew larger as well as an aura of white surrounded her.
"Nya? Looks like Shirone's going into her Shirone mode," Kuroka mused.
Rikka eyed the nekomata. She kicked off and dashed towards Kuroka, kicking her jaw. The massive two-tailed cat skidded backward. Kuroka roared as she swung one of her paws at Rikka with impressive speed. Rikka felt Kuroka's paw hit her as she crashed into the ground. Her eyes widened as she rolled out of the way to avoid Koneko's fist.
"Shit," Rikka said. I wonder how Issei's faring.
Issei and Rias clashed across the sky, trading blows with each other. Issei had to admit. He never expected for Rias to get so good at hand to hand combat in a matter of a couple of months. She spin-kicked Issei, sending him crashing into the valley below.
Rias raised her arms and formed a massive sphere of destruction and fired it at Issei.
[Boost!] [Boost!] [Boost!] [Boost!] [Boost!] [Boost!] [Boost!] [Boost!] [Boost!]
Issei boosted ten more times.
"Ummu Hubur!" Issei fired a blast of blue energy that intercepted Rias's sphere. The attacks canceled each other out and exploded in mid-air. Issei flew through the smoke and landed a solid blow in Rias's torso.
Rias gritted her teeth as she fought through the pain. She elbowed Issei before pushing him back. As she did, Issei landed a kick on her chest that sent her flying back a few feet.
Issei breathed as he smiled underneath his helmet.
"You know Rias. You really are a prodigy," Issei said.
Rias quirked an eyebrow. She had heard those words several times from her peers, parents, and other devils. It was true. Rias had a vast amount of natural talent that rarely required her to train. Any form of magic, she was able to soak up and learn within a short period of time. But the way Issei said it was different for she had the feeling that she was referring to something else.
"In what way?" Rias asked.
"You managed to get this good at a family power you never thought you had as well as learn your family's combat style within the span of a few months," Issei said.
"Hmph. It was my hard work and besides, you're not one to talk. You who got stronger day after day to the point where you can fight deity class beings and Super Devils," Rias said. "My progress may be remarkable according to you but yours was nothing short of incredible. To make that jump in nothing more than a year. I have to give you credit Issei."
"Aww jeez," Issei said.
"Issei," Rias said.
"What is it?"
"I know I've said it a lot by now but-!"
"I know. I forgive you for what happened. It… It wasn't your fault."
"..."
"But that doesn't mean that we have to be enemies. I still want to be close. Not as lovers but maybe as something else? Maybe we can work on our relationship again to become something as close but not in a romantic sense," Issei said.
"I see… I'm glad," Rias said, tears streaking down her face.
"Hey, wait why are you crying?" Issei asked.
"I thought you wanted nothing to do with me after everything. I thought that… I thought that everything was just you forcing yourself to interact with me and the others but to hear you say this. It makes me happy, Ise," Rias said.
"Should we?" Issei asked.
"Yeah," Rias said. She appeared in front of Issei and landed a solid blow to the side of his face. Issei's face snapped to the side. Rias didn't let up as she dug her knee into Issei's gut. Issei flew back, unable to comprehend what just happened. He looked up and saw Rias with a large swirling sphere of destruction. She slammed it into his body and sent him hurtling towards the ground.
"TCH! HAAAAH! D- Deep Crimson Spiral!" Issei managed to create a Power of Destruction sphere in front of him to counter Rias's swirling orb. He kicked his Crimson Spiral, sending both orbs into the air.
"ISSEI!" Rias coated her fist in crackling violet energy that synchronized with her Power of Destruction. She dashed towards Issei, her fist reared back.
"RIAS!" Issei boosted his power as he dashed towards her, a basketball-sized orb of destruction forming in his palm.
The two threw their hands towards each other, their attacks colliding in a brilliant display of light. Energy arced off the collision point as it razed the land around them. Trees, rocks, and soil were erased, destroyed down to the constituent part of even their atoms. The area shook as waves of power traveled across the arena to be felt and sensed by all the participants. The arena's barriers struggled to contain the power being let out by Issei and Rias's attacks as the light grew brighter. It reached a point where the bright sphere of energy formed by the collision between the two attacks collapsed in on itself and exploded. The land was enveloped in a polychromatic sphere of pure power that expanded outward. The sphere contracted and vanished, leaving a large crater that was 100 meters in diameter.
Rias and Issei fell from the air and landed on the ground, wounds all over their body from the explosion. Rias got to her feet first and dashed, disappearing in a burst of speed. She reappeared above Issei and performed an ax kick, embedding her heel into his stomach.
Issei gasped in pain before recovering. He pushed her off and hopped to his feet. He blasted Rias with golden fire. Rias rolled out of the way only to be kicked by Issei. She skidded back and fired a barrage of red energy spheres.
Issei zigzagged around them and blasted Rias with a telekinetic blast.
"Gak!" Rias flew back from the impact of the blast before firing a beam of energy the punctured through Issei's arm. Issei screamed as he gripped his left arm. He looked down and saw a hole in his armor.
Issei gritted his teeth as he began to trade blows with Rias despite the pain he felt in his left arm. Rias punched Issei's face while Issei punched hers, causing them to fly apart.
[I never thought that the Gremory Girl could push you this far in a serious fight] Ddraig said.
"Me neither," Issei said. As Issei moved in to continue the fight, he paused. Someone was coming. Two signatures. Devils from the feeling.
"Rias," Issei said.
"What?" Rias asked as she crossed her arms. Why had he halted their fight? It was just getting to the good part in her opinion.
"Someone's coming," he said.
"Someone?" she asked.
"Two people. Devils I think," Issei said.
Rias narrowed her eyes and sensed for it. The minute she did, she stumbled back. "That's massive! There's two massive power signatures heading our way!"
"You got any Phenex tears on you?" Issei asked.
"Yeah," Rias said. "You?"
"They're with Mii-chan," Issei said.
"Take it," Rias said, handing him the vial.
"No, you keep it… besides, they're already here," Issei said, looking up. Rias's eyes widened as she followed his gaze. Above them were two figures that they both recognized. The girl with black hair and yellow eyes was Katarina Alighieri, the leader of Team Blackhand. Issei glanced over at her companion. Her companion was a woman who wore black clothing. She had long red hair similar to Rias's. Her face was indiscernible due to the mask that she wore. Her mask was a simple matter. It was a white porcelain mask with two holes for the eyes and a straight red line running through each eyehole.
"Why are they here?" Rias asked, warily watching them as they descended.
"Hey!" Issei called out. "Can't you guys wait? I'm kind of busy fighting someone here!"
Without warning, Katarina dashed towards Issei and Rias, getting in between them at speeds that should've been impossible.
"!?" Rias found Katarina's hand wrapped around her face as the woman threw her into the air. Her companion caught Rias and restrained her. Rias struggled as she tried to get out of the companion's grip. "LET ME GO!"
"RIAS! YOU BITCH!" Issei attempted to punch her face and shatter her jaw in the process.
"Sit still for me," Katarina said.
Issei felt his body freeze as the very thought of not moving entered his mind.
[LUXURIA!] Ddraig said.
|ISSEI SNAP OUT OF IT!| Tiamat said.
Issei blinked as he started to move again. "W- What just happened?" Issei asked.
[Luxuria. The Naamah Family Magic. You've faced it before with… Natalia] Ddraig said.
"This person's a…?" Issei mumbled. "Tch!" He dropped into a stance as Katarina turned around and began to walk over.
"Haaah!" Issei rushed at her and delivered a flurry of punches. Katarina gracefully dodged and weaved her way around Issei's attacks. She parried one of his punches and slammed her fist into his solar plexus.
Issei felt all the air get knocked out of his body as he fell to his knees and clutched his stomach. He looked up at her and was shocked as her form began to change. Her clothes remained the same but her hair became darker. It grew longer until it reached down to her waist. A pair of curved horns appeared on her head as her eyes began to glow.
[I- Impossible!] Ddraig said.
(...)
"Ddraig… Tiamat… who is she?" Issei asked in pain.
"Who am I?" A wicked smile spread across her face. Issei's eyes widened. How did she know what he said to them just now.
"Why my dear Issei… I'm the ancestor of your sister's boyfriend. The ancestor of the one forced to ruin your relationship. I am… Naamah," she said.
"And I and my partner, Apollyon, are here with our leader to capture you," she said.
"L- Leader?" Issei asked.
Katarina- no, Naamah's grin grew wider as she waved her hand. Issei felt his entire body freeze as she pulled out a piece of paper. She channeled magic into it and a green magic circle appeared. A symbol shaped like the letter B styled like an insect's wing spun lazily in the middle.
A man appeared forth from the circle. He had dark skin and long yellowish-white hair with spiky bangs. He wore dark clothing and a long black cloak. His eyes were like the other Primes he had met. A poisonous shade of yellow filled to the brim with unholy power. But Issei knew those eyes. Those eyes he had so recently encountered just only a week prior. The man opened his eyes and a pillar of darkness shot into the sky, bathing the entire arena in darkness.
"So we meet again, Special Child," the man said.
Issei narrowed his eyes while Rias's eyes widened in fear.
"Beelzebub."
Hey guys!... I'm sorry I can't really answer reviews this chapter but I promise I will answer them next chapter! My grandmother passed away sadly while I was working on this chapter and they just buried her today. We weren't able to go due to distance and travel restrictions because of COVID-19 so if you were wondering why this chapter is two days late... there you go.