Staring at the older girl in confusion, I tried to process what she just said. "Have sex with you? Shouldn't you buy me dinner first-" I never finished my sentence as my devil master covers my mouth.

"Shh, you need to be quiet. You don't want Asia coming in, do you?" Rias looks at the door briefly, before she starts to undress. Rias pulls the ribbon around her neck free and tosses it onto the floor. Unbuttoning her shirt, to reveal a lacy black bra, Rias looks away bashfully. "Please Magnus, I need you to do this… You are the only one I can count on for this…"

Huh…? "Rias just…" Doing my best to not look at her breasts as she removes her bra, I try to sit up. "What is happening? Why do I need to have sex with you? Why me?" Don't get me wrong… The teenage side of me is banging at the door of his cage, not caring about why she wants me. But the part that is her friend and… Possibly wanting more, is in control at the moment, and he wants answers.

"I don't have a lot of time to explain, just know… I hope you can forgive me." The heiress of the Gremory family removes my shirt and pushes me down once more. "Just… Be gentle, it's my first time." Removing her bra and exposing her breasts, the older girl leans down to kiss me.

My heart pounds in my ears as I stare at Rias with wide eyes. I… I… I really want this…. I really do… It would be amazing, everything a guy in my situation ever dreamed of, and it would be…. Wrong. Wrapping my arms around Rias waist, I pull her down and turn my head. "Sorry… But I can't do this… I… I won't take advantage of you…"

"Magnus?" The vulnerability in her voice nearly broke my heart, but I couldn't give in.

"I don't know what's going on, but this isn't the answer." It is literally taking all of my self-control to not give in to Rias. "I… Part of me wants this… More then you know, but… I won't take advantage of you, just talk to me, please… I care too much about-" A red teleportation circle appears in my room once more. Rising from the floor is a tall and gorgeous woman in her early twenties. She has silver hair that goes all the way down her back, with four braids, two small ones over her shoulder, and two longer ones behind her. Each one is tied with a blue ribbon. The woman is dressed in a blue and white French maid outfit with long sleeves, white headband rests, and red lipstick. As I stare at this woman in shock, I meet her eyes and flinch at her gaze. Despite her youth, her silver eyes had this agelessness quality to them.

"In the end, I'm too late." Rias sighs in disappointment as she breaks free from my grasp.

The woman takes in the situation for a moment, before turning to Rias with a look of disapproval. "Why would you attempt to break the agreement by doing something as foolish as this?"

"If I didn't go this far, then my brother and father wouldn't even listen to me." My master argues fervently.

"They both would be disheartened to hear you tried to give away your purity to one so below your station." The woman clucks her tongue as her gaze shifts to me.

All of my confusion turned into anger. "Okay, lady, I don't know who you are, but-" Rias covers my mouth and shoots me a look that says, 'if you want to live, shut up now.'

"My virginity is mine to do with as I please, and I won't allow anyone to call my servant lowly. Even if they are my brother's Queen." Rias removes her hand and crosses her arms.

The way she said 'Queen'… Does this mean this woman is on par with Akeno? No, she is probably stronger, which means… Picking a fight with this woman would be stupid… "Rias, who the hell is this woman? And why is she insulting me in my house?"

"I am a maid in service to the Gremory family, you may call me Grayfia." The woman inclines her head toward me. "I meant no insult to you with my earlier comments."

Rias shakes her head and starts to get dressed, all the while glaring at Grayfia. "Grayfia. Did you come here of your own accord? Or did my father or brother send you?"

"All the above." The woman answers.

As she puts on the rest of her clothing, the crimson-haired girl turns to me. A look of defeat evident on her face. "Very well. Forgive me, Magnus. Let's pretend this never happened, okay?"

"Magnus?" Grayfia's eyes widen slightly. "The possessor of the Boosted Gear?"

"Yes, he is my precious pawn." Rias smiles fondly at me, making me blush.

Grayfia looks at me with a bit of respect and… It must be the lack of light, but I swear I saw a sliver of fear in there. "Red Dragon Emperor, it is a pleasure."

"Uh… Sure." I still have no idea what is going on, except this has to do with Rias and her virginity… "Can someone explain what is going on?"

"Grayfia, will you give us a moment? I will speak with you back in my apartment. I hope you don't mind if I have Akeno there."

"The Priestess of Thunder? No, it is appropriate that you have her with you." Grayfia bows and walks out of the room without another word.

Priestess of Thunder? Given her fighting method and what she wore when we rescued Asia, the nickname is appropriate-Wait no, focus Magnus! "Rias, what-"

The heiress bends down and kisses my cheek. "I'm sorry for doing this to you, but I have to go." With a lingering hand on my cheek, the red-head starts to leave the room.

I climb out of bed as my master walks to the door. "Please wait… Just tell me what's happening, I'm sure I can-"

Rias turns to look at me with a pained expression. "You're too sweet; just forget about this, please." Without another word, she leaves my room and shuts the door, leaving me darkness.

I didn't sleep the rest of the night; I spent the entire time thinking about Rias and her situation, but I couldn't figure anything out. I had some hunches, but I didn't want to guess. I tried to call the older girl, but it went straight to voice-mail.

'I know this doesn't make sense, but I need you to have sex with me.'

'I'm sorry for doing this to you, but I have to go.'

"Rias… What's wrong?" I mutter with a frown. The vulnerability she displayed last night was…

"Magnus, are you okay?"

Looking up, I see Asia staring at me in concern. "Um… Yeah, why wouldn't you think I am?"

"You look like your upset; did you have a bad dream?" She asks worriedly.

I shake my head with a tired smile. "No, and-" Before I finished speaking, the blonde wraps her arms around my waist and pulls me into a hug.

"I don't know what's wrong, but I'm here for you." The smaller girl looks up at me with a smile.

How is she this kind? "Thank you, Asia." I quickly return her embrace. "I'm just worried about Rias, she-" I can't mention last night… How would I even explain that. "-Has been distracted lately, like something is bothering her."

"You don't think it's my fault, do you?" Asia asks with wide eyes as she pulls away. "Could I be stressing her out?"

I shake my head and gently pat her shoulder. "No, it has nothing to do with you. Rias cares about you, Asia, we all do." As the former nun begins to blush, I start to walk again.

"Magnus, Asia, good morning." Joining the two of us is Kiba.

"Good morning Kiba." Asia greets with a happy smile.

"Morning." I nod to my friend. "Kiba, I got a question for you." As we walked toward school together, I decided to ask the knight about… Well, not the events between Rias and me, but just if he's noticed if she has been acting odd. "Have you noticed that Rias has been acting differently?"

"Koneko and I thought we were the only ones that had noticed." Kiba sighs and crosses his arms. "It could be Gremory business, and the only person who would have any idea about what's going on is Akeno."

Great… I tried to call Akeno this morning, but she wouldn't take my calls. "Guess Akeno would be privy to information we wouldn't. I would still like to know what the deal was with that Grayfia woman." I mutter darkly.

Kiba stares at me in shock. "Magnus, how do you know that name?"

Crap… I thought I was quiet. "She showed up when Rias and I were talking."

"Who's Grayfia?" Asia asks in confusion.

"Someone important in the Gremory family." Kiba answers with his arms crossed. "If she has appeared then… Well, this could be bad."

Kiba refused to talk about it the rest of the way to school and said we should just focus on our classes. Which wasn't easy to do. Periodically throughout the day, I tried to talk to Rias or Akeno, but the older girls avoided me. Eventually, I received a text from Rias, telling everyone to meet up in the club room after school. I wish I could say the rest of the day was smoother, but it was worse, if anything. The consistent worry was driving me insane… Well, not just me, but Asia, Kiba, and Koneko as well.

Finally, the school day ended and practically ran to the old schoolhouse, with Kiba, Koneko, Asia right behind me. The four of us made our way into the club room; inside, waiting for us is Rias, Akeno, and Grayfia. All three women had neutral expressions, though Rias's seemed to crack a little when she saw us.

"Good; now that you're all here, we can begin." Rias motions for us to come into the room.

Asia looks at Grayfia and then at me. "Is that her?" She asks in a whisper.

"Mhm."

Rias stands up and crosses her arms as she walks around her desk. "Grayfia, let's get this over with and call him."

"Very well, my lady." The silver-haired woman bows and creates a magical circle around her ear. "My lord, we are ready for you." A massive wave of power pours into the room, as a magic circle appears on the other side of the room.

"That doesn't look like the Gremory Crest…" I raise an arm in front of my face, to protect my eyes from the light

"That's because it isn't." Kiba grunts.

"It belongs to the Phenex family." Akeno comments in a cheery faux tone.

Rias rolls her eyes in frustration. "He always has to make an entrance."

"Drama queen." Kiba whispers harshly.

The light turned into a fiery vortex of epic proportions. To be honest, I was a little afraid the room would catch fire; thankfully, it didn't. Within moments of the flames appearing, a shadowy figure emerges, and with a swipe of its hand, the fire vanishes. Leaving in its place a blonde man in his early twenties, he has on a burgundy blazer, with matching pants, black dress shoes, and a white dress shirt with gold buttons. A few of the buttons were undone to show off his chest. The guy is my height and… He looks like a complete dick, but hey, I've been wrong before. Maybe he's not an ass-

"Riser Phenex has arrived." The blonde man lifts his head to look down on all of us.

"Who is this douche canoe?" I was wrong.

Careful kid, this guy is powerful. It would be wise if you didn't piss him off.

Everyone in the room, (except for Grayfia and Asia, look at me like I have a death wish. The former because she acted like she didn't hear me, and the latter because she didn't know who this guy is). Finally, Riser laughs haughtily. "I'm hurt, Rias; you haven't told your servant about me? If he doesn't recognize me, he must be a human. Otherwise, he would show the proper respect." Riser glowers at me.

"I'm showing you the proper respect. None." I answer with a smile.

Before things could escalate further, Rias steps forward with a frown. "Magnus, enough. And Riser, I haven't told him because it wasn't necessary."

"This is Riser Phenex." Grayfia speaks up, sensing the tension in the room. "He's a pure-blood High-class devil and third son of the House of Phenex. He is also the husband of the next head of Gremory."

"Husband!?" I turn to Rias in shock. "You're married to this clown?"

"Clown!?"

"He's not my husband." Rias snorts at the word. "He's my… Fiancé."

Now the fact she wanted to sleep with me is starting to make sense.

Riser made himself on the couch opposite of the windows, Riser tried to get her to sit with him, but the crimson-haired girl told him no. Then promptly sat away. Mentally I cheered on this move, as Akeno prepared tea for the high-class devils, Riser made 'small' talk by talking about his favorite subject. Himself.

"I won singlehandedly in my rating game." Riser brags with a smirk. "It was such a simple thing."

Asia looks up at me in confusion and whispers. "What's a rating a game?"

"A war game between devils, it was part of the reason why the Evil Pieces exist." I explain as Riser drools on without a care. "Though today, it can be used to raise your status among devils."

Kiba leans down and whispers. "However, the games nowadays are just that. Games. Nothing like the ones of old, which were used to help train devils in combat."

"But his winning streak is no joke." Koneko grumbles with her arms, crossed. "He's tough."

Akeno came back into the room at that moment, a tray with two cups of tea in her hands. "Here you are, lord Phenex." She sets the tray down and hands a cup to Riser, who takes it.

"Lovely." He says after a sip. "The tea made by Rias's Queen is simply delicious."

"Thank you, my lord." Akeno bows her head as she passes the second cup to Rias.

Rias takes the cup but never drinks from it. "Riser, we need to discuss-"

"Now, now, Rias. Let Riser finish his story." The older devil chides with a wry smile. "We will have more than enough time to discuss wedding details."

Shaking violently, I start to move but was stopped by Koneko. The smaller girl glares at me as she tightens her grip on my arm. "Cool it."

I know it's hard, kid, but the girl is right. No matter how angry you may be at him, he is much stronger than you right now.

"It'll be fine." Asia mumbles softly.

Rias stands to her feet, the anger and irritation evident in her voice. "Enough Riser. We will have this discussion now."

"Very well, Rias." The heir to the Phenex family huffs in annoyance. "What is it you wish to discuss?"

"I believe that is obvious. I have absolutely zero intention of marrying you; I wish to break our engagement."

"Yes, Riser has heard it all before, but Rias, you must consider the situation." Riser smirks and stands up. "Putting aside the situation with the old factions, this marriage is important to our families, the underworld as a whole-"

"You do not care about that; you just want another notch on your bedpost." Rias kept her eyes fixed on the blonde devil, whose mouth drops in shock. "As the next head of the Gremory household, I will choose my own husband. The ancient noble houses have a right to choose, and I will marry one that I acknowledge."

Way to go, Rias! I mentally cheer.

Riser's expression becomes dark as he grits his teeth angrily. "You know Rias… Riser is also of an ancient and noble, and Riser will not let his name be ruined. Riser didn't even want to come to the human world; the air and fire are disgusting." Flames sporadically would burst on Riser's clothing. "As a devil who rules over fire and wind, Riser can't stand it!" Fiery wings erupt from the pure-blood devil's back as the temperature rises in the room, fogging up the windows. "Riser will take you back to the Underworld by force, even if I have to kill your Servants."

Asia moves behind me as she gripped my blazer, growling in anger, I summon the Boosted Gear. "Try it, and you'll die."

"Boost!"

"I think you should reconsider." Kiba says as his sword suddenly appears in his hand.

Koneko cracks her knuckles. "Bring it."

Akeno's fingers crackle with electricity. "Oh my, this should be fun."

Demonic power surrounds Rias. "If you touch any of my precious Servants, you will rue the day you were born, Riser."

"Rias, Riser, please calm down." Grayfia, who had been quiet until this point, finally spoke as she moved toward the two pure-bloods. "If you continue down this path, I will be forced to step in for my lord's honor." Everyone (except Asia and me) went deathly still at the maid's words, weapons were put away, powers were dismissed as a look of fear passes over Riser's face.

"Riser has no quarrel with the house of Lucifer, I wouldn't want to fight that group of monsters." Riser gulps as he sits down.

"House of Lucifer? Monsters?" I whisper to myself in confusion. "I thought she served as the Gremory family?"

"It's a long story." Rias sits down with a neutral expression. "Grayfia wears many hats, but the one you should concern yourself with is her title. The Strongest Queen."

Hells bells….

"My lady, my lord, since you can not settle this matter peacefully, my king has come up with an alternative." Grayfia looks between the pure-bloods. "A Rating Game. Since you are not of age yet, my lady, this will be an unofficial match between your houses."

Riser smirks evilly. "What do you say, my darling Rias? Do you wish to do battle with Riser?"

"I accept." Rias doesn't even look at the blonde douche bag.

Riser chuckles evilly as he looks over us all. "Tell me something, Rias, is this your entire peerage?"

"What if they are?" The crimson-haired teen asks in annoyance.

"Allow Riser to show you." He snaps his fingers as a teleportation circle appears behind him, and a group of fifteen women arrived in the form of a fiery vortex. Each of them looked like a harem of cosplayers rather than a powerful group. "These are my Servants." Seriously, one is dressed like a slutty mage, another is a Chun-Li knock-off, one girl is wearing a kimono, two of them are dressed like fantasy knights, two maids… Twin cat-girls in sailor suits and twin girls that look to be Koneko's age. I feel like I need to call the police or something… Shaking my head, I scan the rest of the group but stop one girl—the only blonde in Riser's peerage.

The girl is beautiful with dark blue eyes, her long blonde hair is tied into twin-tails with large, drill-like curls and red ribbons keeping them in place. Several bangs hang over her forehead, with a 'V' shaped fringe hanging over her nose. The girl has a light purple dress, dark purple accents, and a lavender bow in the front. Three feather extensions, mimicking a bird's tail, protrude from the back of the dress. To complete the look is a pair of black tights and light purple heels. As I stare at the girl, I couldn't help but think she looked like Riser… If that girl isn't his sister, I'll turn myself into Sona for my pranks.

"Wait, there are sixteen of them against the six of us." Asia gasps.

"Yes, do you see the situation you are-Rias? Why is your Servant glaring at me?" Riser points in my direction.

"It's nothing-" Rias starts to say, but without a word, I walk around the couch.

"You disgust me." I growl through clenched teeth.

"What!?" Everyone in the room turned toward me with shocked looks.

"Rias was right; you just want another notch on your bedpost. You aren't worthy of someone like her." I cross my arms with a frown.

No one said anything for a minute straight; eventually, Riser starts to laugh. "Riser understands now, your jealous."

I look at Rias, completely dumbfounded. "Is he really that delusional?"

"Just admit your jealous of my harem." Riser smirks as he gestures to the girls, except for the blonde.

"Jealous? Why would I be jealous of scum?" I growl out.

"Scum!?" The couch behind Riser caught fire as his wings appeared from his back.

Kiba placed a hand on my shoulder. "Magnus, you need to back off, he is a high-class devil-"

"Screw that." Shrugging off his hand with a glare, I focus my attention back on Riser. "I say we end this now."

"Boost!"

My vision suddenly swam as air jumped out of lungs; gasping in pain, I crumble to the ground. I think I could hear someone shout my name, but everything was garbled, like being underwater. Coughing loudly, something came out of my mouth… I think it was blood, but it was hard to tell. "Gr…Ah…"

"Pathetic low-class reborn, you have no right to speak to me, much less in my presence." Riser shouts as his foot pressed against my skull. "You think because you possess the Boosted Gear, you are better than me? Ha! No one can master that power. Do you know what that means?" The pure-blood asks. "It means despite all the titles, it is a useless tool. Much like you."

Damn it… Gritting my teeth in pain, I close my eyes. He is right… If I had more power, I could beat him-

'Has the time finally come?'

'Will you chose the path of ruin?'

'You desire power.'

'You reject love.'

'Say the words-

Ignore the voices, Magnus! Do not give into them.

"Lord Phenex, I suggest you cease this at once." Grayfia calmly suggests. "Or do you wish to violate the laws of combat?" The room became deathly still. "If you do, then you and your peerage's lives are considered forfeit, and I will eliminate you."

Riser slowly lifts his foot and steps away from me. "Riser does not wish to endanger his peerage. Rias." Riser turns his attention to my master. "Learn to control your pawn, or he will die."

Rias gritting her teeth stomps over me and cradles my head. "Get out. Now."

"Very well, Rias." Riser smirks as he walks toward his peerage. "Oh, and to show that Riser is a good sport… You have… A week to train, you're going to need it."

After that, I must have blacked out because the next thing I knew, I woke up with my head in Rias's lap. Groggily, I look into the sapphire blue eyes of my master. Concern, anger, frustration, pain, and various other emotions burned in those orbs. "Uh… Hey…"

"Hello yourself." A small smile forms as she speaks. "How are you feeling?"

"Small headache, but fine otherwise." I mutter gruffly.

Rias nods as if excepting that. "Good…" An awkward silence hung in the air, as both of us trying to figure out what to say. "Magnus-"

"-I… I'm sorry." I close my eyes in frustration. "I caused more problems for you with my temper… It's just…"

Soft but strong fingers run through my hair. "No, I'm sorry. I have you failed you as a master and as… Your friend. I should have told you about our laws regarding nobles." As the crimson-haired girl continued to run her fingers through my hair, my headache began to slowly vanish. "However… I want to thank you. First, for saying what you did, even though it got you hurt…"

"What? Why?" I open my eyes to stare at my master's in confusion.

"You said what I couldn't say." The older girl explains. "I also want to thank you for-" A slight blush appears on Rias's face. "-The other night."

I was very aware of how soft Rias's thighs were, and exactly how close I was laying. "Um… Your welcome." I reply with a reddened face. "You were in a bad position-" Speaking of… I slowly sit up and turn to face my master. "-So, I understand why you did it, and I don't blame you… But I have to ask… Why me?" My heart began to beat rapidly, like when I downed twenty shots of espresso and five-hour energy.

Turning the same color as her hair, Rias looks away from me. "I…" A magical circle appears around Rias's ear. "Oh… Grayfia? What is it?" My master mouths 'sorry' to me and stands up. "I see, and the area will be cleared? One moment, Magnus, I have to take this… Would you mind?"

Saved by the bell. "Sure. I'll talk to you later." Standing up, my gaze lingers on Rias for a few moments before I leave.

"Hold still Noble, I need to dry you off-Ow! Don't you bite me!" I pull my hand away from the Carbuncle with a glare.

Wagging his tail happily, the purple furred creature starts glowing.

"It's not funny, you furry dragon." I lightly swat his side. "No biting."

Noble gives me a sharped tooth grin (I think he is grinning… Kind of hard to tell) and shakes his body of water.

Shielding my face, I glare at Noble. "Fine, fine… You're free to go." I open the door for my familiar who runs out. With a grunt, I empty the bathtub and begin cleaning up after my familiar. Once finished, I fill the tub back up with some Epsom Salt. "Hey, Asia!"

"Yes?" The former nun answers after a few minutes.

"I'm going to take a bath, okay?."

"Okay! I'll have dinner ready in an hour."

"Thanks." Without another word, I strip and sink into the steamy water. Closing my eyes, I lean my head back as I played back the incident with Riser. Especially those voices…

I wouldn't think about them, kid.

"Why shouldn't I Ddraig?" I ask in confusion. "You also said my name… For like the first time."

It was to make you realize how important it is that you listen, kid. Those voices are something you should ignore at all costs.

"What are they, though? They sounded… Familiar."

Don't worry about them kid, just focus on how to beat Riser.

"How, though?" I ask the dragon with a frown. "He is stronger than me, faster too… I couldn't even track his movements."

There is a way, but I don't think you could attain it in a week, not without giving something up in return.

"Give up something?" I mutter with a frown. "What is this power?"

Something that can break the balance of the world, the Balance Breaker.

I frown in thought. "Balance Breaker… What would I have to give up to get this power?"

Depends on what you chose to sacrifice. Power will be given determined on how much you offer.

"I… I need to think about this, Ddraig…" Balance Breaker… With that, I could beat Riser, but I have to give up something. The question is, what do I have to give up? A body part? My life? Closing my eyes with a deep sigh, I sink lower into the water.

You will know what to give up when the time is right. Trust me.

It's a good thing, Golden Week is starting today. Otherwise, we would have to miss school (obvious sarcasm is obvious). Still a week to train doesn't seem like enough time, but beggars can't be choosers.

"Magnus, hurry up."

"I'm coming," I call as I finish packing the last of my things. Walking down the stairs, I saw that everyone in the club was waiting with large bags. All of us were wearing casual clothing; Rias has a blue t-shirt with a beige overshirt, tan cargo shorts, long gray socks, and hiking boots. Akeno has on a button-up shirt, with a tan jacket, blue shorts, and purple sneakers. Asia is wearing a long blue shirt that is white along the edge and collar, white shorts, and black sneakers. Kiba has on a white t-shirt, a red flannel overshirt, tan pants, and boots. Koneko wore a simple white long-sleeved shirt with a Hello Kitty logo, black shorts, and sneakers. As for me, I'm wearing tan cargo pants, a green t-shirt, a short-sleeve gray jacket, and my every day sneakers.

"What took you?" Koneko asks with a raised eyebrow. "Trying to fix your hair?"

Snorting, I put my hands behind my head. "I thought about it, but why mess with perfection?"

"You're right, your hair is perfect. A perfect mess." Koneko smirks at me.

"Okay, you two enough." Rias shakes her head with a smile. "We should get going." Our group gathers together as Rias summons a magical circle, and in a flash of light, we appear at the base of a mountain. "Here we are, Koneko, Kiba, Magnus, would you mind taking the bags?"

The three of us gave confirmation and made our way up the mountain. As we walked up a trail, I couldn't help but take in the beauty of the mountain. "This place is amazing." Despite our situation, I couldn't help but enjoy the scenery.

"Oh, you're from Los Angeles, right? I guess you wouldn't be used to this." Kiba says, walking next to me.

"Yep, too much green. Not enough gray." I grin.

"The City of Angel's, an ironic place for a devil to call home." Rias gives me a quick smile.

"It is, isn't it?" Akeno giggles. "It would be funnier if he was an angel from Las Vegas."

All of us laughed except for Asia, who looked confused, taking a moment I explain the joke to her. "Oh, I get it." She smiles brightly at me.

Chuckling, I pat her shoulder as she flushes slightly. Weird. Shaking my head, I went back to looking around at the vast forests. "So, where are we exactly?"

"I'm not sure." Kiba answers with a shrug. "I've only been here once before, so I don't know too much. What I do know is that there spells that keeps where we're staying hidden from humans." Huh, interesting. I'll have to ask Rias later. Ten minutes of walking go by, and eventually, we found ourselves in front of a white European style mansion. There was even a small gazebo and pond as well.

"It's so beautiful." Asia says in awe.

"Thank you." Rias smiles at the smaller girl. "Come on, everyone, let's get this training camp started." Our master motions for all of us to follow, walking into the building, Rias directs us to our rooms. "Kiba, you and Magnus will be the first floor. Us girls will be on the second. Everyone go get changed, and we'll meet back here." Koneko and the other girls took their bags as Kiba, and I leave the entryway and head into a room on the building's right side. Setting our things down, the two of us began to change.

"Now, don't peak." Kiba grins teasingly at me.

I roll my eyes with a grin of my own. "Don't worry, I won't. You're not my type." Once we finished, we met with the girls who were all wearing their gym outfits.

Rias looks around with a determined gaze. "Let the training begin."

"Again." Kiba says with an intense look.

Grunting in annoyance, I slowly stand up. "So… Why are you moving at full speed?"

Tightening his grip on the bokuto, Kiba drops into a fighting stance. "You couldn't even see Riser move back in the clubhouse, and he is much faster then I am. This training is meant to help us both."

"Right." Dropping into a similar stance, I raise my fists up. "Let's do this-" I was on the ground before the words left my lips. "-Ow…"

"Again."

A couple of hours later, I was in a similar position with Koneko.

"Ow…" I think she broke my spine.

"Get up." Koneko grabs the collar of my shirt and tosses me into a tree.

Gasping for air, I slump to the ground with a groan. Correction… I think NOW she broke my spine.

"If you can't handle this, then you'll be useless in a fight." Koneko says harshly. "So, get up."

"Fifty more to go, Magnus." Rias tells me with a frown.

"R-Right!" My arms burned, my lungs burned, everything burned. I thought the most challenging part was he sparing with Kiba and Koneko. I was dead wrong. Rias is a slave driver of the highest order, granted… She had to be given our timeline and what we are facing, but I didn't expect this. Rias had me climbing up the mountain cliffside, running through the forest with Asia on my back, and various other exercises.

Which is what I'm doing right now.

"Come on, you can do it." Rias says from atop my back.

Struggling to push myself up, I shoot the older girl a glance. "What is… After…. This?" I ask shakily.

"Demonic power training with Akeno and Asia." Rias comments as she looks at the schedule on her phone. "Then we'll review some of Riser's past matches, and try to come up with a strategy. After that is individual training."

"Got it."

"You need to visualize it coming forth from within, form an image in your mind, and call it forth." Akeno explains as she creates a yellow orb. "Demonic power is about imagination."

Taking a deep breath, I close my eyes. I once called upon fire when… When facing Raynare… I… I didn't want to die back then, not again. Not to her…

"Magnus, open your eyes." Akeno's soft voice echoes in my ear.

I open my eyes to see a bronze orb the size of a softball floating in front of me. "Is that…?"

"Yes, it's your demonic power." Akeno claps her hands together. "Good job now try to form it into a simple element, like fire or water. I'll go and help Asia."

As the black-haired beauty walked away to help the blonde, I began to focus on my own power. The bronze orb slowly shifted and changed into a flame; I can feel the heat, but it didn't burn me. This is amazing, concentrating on something else, the flame shifted into a ball of water. "Whoa…" The question is, how do I get rid of-Just with thought the ball of water vanishes without a trace. "Huh, neat."

"Good job Asia." Akeno cheers as the blonde summons a green orb of power.

"Wow, that is amazing, Asia." A smile finds it's way onto my face as I watch her basketball size orb changes into fire, then water, and finally back into a green orb.

"Oh, thank you." Asia looks down with a blush, dismissing the orb with a small wave of her hand.

"So, now what do we do?" I ask.

Akeno smiles as electricity appears around her body. "We get to have some fun."

After learning to use our demonic power, the group got together to watch some of Riser's previous matches. Which was shocking. His team won every game with little effort, and it wasn't due to overwhelming strength or power. (Which they had in spades). It was their strategy that did their opponents in, and to make it worse… Riser hardly ever fought, and when he did, he would quickly overwhelm whoever he faced. Out of all the matches we watched, only two caught my interest. They were the only two that Riser lost. During the fights, I noticed something odd, when Riser faced the king of the groups, he seemed to slow down after they seriously hurt him.

Though maybe I was imagining things. Anyway, after watching the matches, we as a group talked about strategy. Which lasted for a couple of hours, and then we went back to training. During individual training, Rias encouraged us to develop something that could help us during the fight.

"What to do? What to do? What to do?" I mutter as I ran down the mountain trail. We needed an edge… Something that could help us take down Riser and his peerage.

"Ow."

Huh… I stop running to see Asia rubbing her head. "Hey, you okay?" I asked, jogging up to her.

"I was running when I found a small rabbit; it was hurt, so I healed it." Asia explains.

I raise an eyebrow in confusion. "That doesn't explain why you said ow… Unless you tried praying afterward… You did, didn't you?"

"Yes." Asia looks ashamed. "It's a habit."

With a sigh, I wrap an arm around her shoulder. "I know Asia, and I can't imagine how hard this is for you."

"It's tough… I grew up in the church, so not being able to pray, read the bible, or even touch holy water…" Asia sighs with a downcast look. "I can't even wear my cross anymore." I… I knew she was having a hard time, but not this bad. She looks like she is on the verge of tears.

'It's your fault.'

'If she had never met you, this never would have happened.'

Gritting my teeth in frustration, I shake my head and push those thoughts down. "It's okay to cry, Asia." That's not what I wanted to say, I wanted to know if she blamed me, but I won't be selfish. I won't make her pain about me. "I'm here for you." Sniffling, Asia buries her face into my chest and cries. I gently rock the girl, my heartbreaking at her wails. Asia continued to cry until she wore herself out when the tears stopped flowing, and all that was left was dry heaves and hiccups. The former nun slowly fell asleep. I pick the smaller girl up and carry her to the mansion.

Not once on the way there did she stir. Once I was back, I found Kiba and Koneko sparing together. Spotting us, they stop with questioning looks, but they didn't ask any questions. Instead, Koneko led me to where she and Asia were staying. Laying the smaller girl on her bed, I cover her up and leave. As I went back outside to continue to my run, I thought about Asia and her problem… She wasn't adjusting as well as she led me to believe. I just wish I knew what else to do for her, other than being there. Maybe that's all I can do.

At times like this, I wish I was like MacGyver; he could fix anything-"Wait a damn minute!"

I just had an idea!

This won't help Asia… But this may give us an edge during the Rating Game.

I need to talk to Rias.

"So, what do you think?" I ask the older girl. "It could work, right?"

Rias crosses her arms, a contemplative look on her face. "It would, but my only question is where would find some? You know we can't go there."

"What about the place in town? I bet there is plenty there, and since it's abandoned, no one would mind if we go." A wry smile finds it's way onto my face.

"That could work." Rias nods with a smile. "Fine, you have permission. Just be careful, oh, and before you go, I heard you carried Asia to her room. What was that about?"

"I don't want to go into specifics, but she is having a harder time adjusting then she let on. Maybe we could spend time talking with her?"

Concern appears on Rias's face. "Of course. Now go, have Akeno take you back to town but be back before nightfall."

"Right." I nod and take off.

Once Akeno and I were back at the training camp, it was time for dinner. Well, to be more accurate, it was time to make dinner. Rias had a schedule for who would make dinner on what night, and tonight just happens to be Asia and me. Makes me wonder if she created this schedule so we'll talk.

"Magnus, can you hand me the cutting board?" Asia asks.

"Sure." Reaching up, I grab the plastic board and hand it to the smaller girl. "Hey, how are you doing… After, you know?"

"Oh." Asia looks down and says in a quiet voice. "I'm okay, I feel a lot better!"

I raise an eyebrow at her words. "Are you sure?"

"Well… Maybe." Asia sighs as she starts cutting some veggies. "But, despite everything, I don't regret becoming a devil." Asia looks up. "Yes, there are things that I miss, but I don't regret the things I've gained. Like you."

I stop working and stare at the former nun with a blush. "A-Asia?"

Asia's face did its best impersonation of a tomato as she tries to backpedal. "I-I mean, you, and Rias, Akeno, Koneko and Kiba and my other friends at school. And I get to go to school, and oh-" Moving her hair in front of her face, the blonde goes back to making dinner. "-We should get back to making dinner."

"I-Right." Asia and I worked in silence after that, with only the occasional word passing between us. Eventually, we finished preparing the meal and brought it out to our friends. As we ate the dinner, Rias informed us that we would do some night training once our food settled.

The night training was even harsher the day one if that was even possible, and I'm glad there were spells around the area to keep away prying eyes. Because we tore up the mountainside with our fights, and by the end of it, we were all exhausted. Luckily there was a large open-air hot spring we could all relax and bathe in. Separately, of course. There is a section for men and women. (Really makes me think that Rias had a hand in the design.) The water is soothing and really helps ease the tension in the muscles.

"I haven't trained this his hard in a while." Kiba groans as he rubs his shoulders. "Not since I last saw my master."

"Master? Are you talking about-"

"The one who taught me how to use the sword. Or rather, my second master." The blonde's true face appears briefly.

Sensitive subject is sensitive. Still, I was curious about who taught him. "Who was your second master, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Rias's older brother's Knight." The mask is back up again as Kiba smiles at me. "Maybe you'll meet him one day."

That was day one of the training camps started, and I learned something during that time… I had to work even harder than everyone else. Which meant… Extra training! As soon as Kiba fell asleep, I snuck out of our room and went outside. Walking for an hour or so, I found myself next to a small pond.

This should be far enough away; summoning my Sacred Gear, I stare into the gem. "Ddraig, you awake?"

"I am a kid. So have you thought more about my offer?"

"I have, but I'm not sure about taking the deal," I mutter with a furrowed brow.

"I understand, so if you're not here about that, what can I do for you?" The dragon asks.

"Ddraig, what does it take to truly unluck a Balance Breaker?"

The dragon was silent for a few minutes. "First, you must understand what the Balance Breaker truly is. It is the most powerful manifestation of all Sacred Gears, the emotions, and wishes of the possessor are the trigger. A set level of strength is required; however, otherwise, you could not maintain the state."

I cup my chin in thought. "Ddraig, have I met the first condition?"

"Yes, but you lack the power to hold the form."

That makes sense; I'm basically an average person. "Which means I need to gain the strength necessary to use it."

Ddraig grunts in confirmation. "Yes, but I doubt a week will cut it."

"It'll have to."

(Three days later:)

Draining my fifth glass of water, I let out a sigh of relief. Water is good; water is life. Putting the glass into the dishwasher, I slowly limp out of the kitchen and into the entryway. The deadline for the Rating Game is coming up fast, and despite all the extra training I've put in, I'm nowhere close to gaining the ability to maintain my Balance Breaker. I've been able to develop a couple of techniques during my time here, and while they will prove useful, they are not a Balance Breaker.

"Magnus?"

I stop walking and look up the stairs, standing there is Rias. She is wearing a light pink nightgown, a pair of reading glasses, and a book in her arms. You know… She looks cute whenever she has those glasses on. "Hey, Rias, what are you doing up?"

"I could ask you the same thing." My master replies with a small smile. "But I'm glad you're up, I wanted to talk to you if you have the time."

"Sure."

Rias motions for me to follow as she walks down the stairs and outside, I follow behind, doing my best to hide my limp. The two of us walked toward the gazebo, and Rias told me her plan for the Rating Game. "It's a good plan." I say after thinking over her idea.

"Thank you, but even with our secret weapon, we have no idea how the enemy will react." Rias leans against one of the pillars and looks up at the sky with a thoughtful expression.

I frown at her words. "I don't know if we use the weapon on Riser, it should take him down. High-speed regeneration or not."

Rias looks at me with a worried expression. "Magnus, I still don't think you understand what we're up against. Riser, or, more specifically, his family. Phenex is considered a marquis among the seventy-two pillars of devils. His power is not regeneration, it's immortality."

"How is that even possible?" That can't be right; nothing is immortal. Not even the gods, at least according to Ddraig.

Rias shrugs and removes her glasses. "It just is. You remember the matches we watched; his ability makes him practically unbeatable."

"But, he has lost twice." I state that Riser seemed to slow down after taking some severe blows from what I remember of those matches.

"Those two losses were to families he is close with. He lost the matches on purpose." Rias explains with a sigh. "Ever since the Rating Games were started, the House of Phenex has been a dominant force in the game. Riser, while still new, has proven to be a powerful combatant."

I look down and dig my fingernails into the palm of my hand. "And I just had to pick a fight with him-"

"-Magnus, I know what your thinking, and you're wrong. In fact, I'm grateful for what you had done; not only did you not take advantage of me when I was desperate. You stood up for me. You helped give me a chance to fight for my freedom."

"No one should be forced into an unwanted marriage, especially with a guy like that. I don't even understand why your parents would do this."

"It's just part of our culture. However, you are mistaken about something. The proposal is to the heiress of the House of Gremory; because of my title, I will never be recognized as just Rias." The crimson-haired beauty stares at the sky. "The House of Gremory has and will always come before me, I've learned to adjust for it and make personal decisions accordingly. Make no mistake, my title is something I will always take pride in. But when it comes to certain things, especially marriage… I wanted to share that with someone as Rias, not the heiress of Gremory. I understand history is not in my favor, and the idea of love may remain a dream, but it's one I would like to keep."

My heart is literally breaking, the pain and vulnerability she is displaying… It's like that night she asked me to have sex with her. "Fuck'em." I say through grit teeth. "I couldn't care what your last name is, Rias, to me, your not the heiress of Gremory. Your name isn't who you are, and anyone who says differently is wrong. The Rias I know is smart, beautiful, obsessed with Japanese culture to the point she wants to be an anthropologist and perhaps one of the most caring people I've met. You didn't have to help me save Asia, but you did, despite knowing how dangerous it would be. You even saved my life." Without thinking, my hand touches my stomach. "I can't even tell you how much I care about you."

"Magnus…" Rias gasps as she stares at me in shock.

"I-What… Oh." Realizing what I just said, blushing brightly, I stare at my shoes.

"Magnus… Thank you." Rias wraps her arms around my waist and pulls me in close. Standing there awkwardly for a moment, I return the hug with closed eyes. After a few moments, the crimson-haired girl pulls away. "You should get some sleep; you're going to need it."

"I'll go if you go." I tell her.

With a musical laugh, Rias nods, and together we walk back toward the mansion. "I know this sounds cliché, but you give me strength-You all do." She quickly amends. "My strength comes from you all."

"Glad I can be of service." I chuckle as we walk into the entryway. "Well, goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Once she was out of sight, I turn around and start to head back outside. "Don't worry, Rias, one way or another, I'll help get out of this. Even if it kills me."

Hey everyone I am back, and I know I am sorry for the lack of an update. I've been busy dealing with some personal issues, but that won't stop me from updating. Now, how many of you are excited for the Rating Game? I know I am. Now I just want to thank everyone for fav, following, and reviewing my stories and me. It really means a lot. You guys help keep me going.

Now onto the reviews!

Jehu: That means a lot! Thank you so much and I try to write characters that are realistic. As for Magnus's arsenal? I am not sure on how much of it will change, but I am willing to listen to suggestions! Making Magnus like Dante!? Hmm... Not a bad thought, though let's be honest here... Magnus and Dante are a like in some regards, and would be best friends if they ever met.

Ace: I am glad your doing alright, considering what's happening. Also Magnus has a mix of music for various sources, and that song may or may not be in his playlist. As for Rias, I think she would be all over anime openings, given her love of Japan. Though, I can also see classical given her background. I am glad you like Noble and Rassei fighting! There is a bigger reason, which will tie in later and it has to deal with Asia. What do I like about the The Boys? Good question, I'm not sure I can put it into words, maybe the darker or realistic take on what super heroes would be like in the real world. As for a song for Magnus and Rias? Not sure, I will need to look in the one you suggested.

Noble6117: Glad to hear it Noble! I will do my best to keep it up and I do plan on going the same amount, and further. Though it will be broken up into the various Volumes. With one big one having the entire thing.

AdrianLee28: I am happy you approve!

Kpop1392as: Hearing that I made you crack up makes me smile. I am also happy you like Noble!

Kathadoryan: I did? Whoops I'll need to check over that when I can, I can't believe that slipped my mind. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.

Alright everyone, I hope you enjoy this next chapter and before I go... I just want to say that I hope you are all staying safe, and that your healthy! See you all in the next update!