My demonic power dissipates as exhaustion fills my limbs. Panting heavily, I kneel as I try to catch my breath. "Okay… This is harder than I thought…" Closing my eyes, I center myself and slowly stand up. "One more time. I have to learn how to control my demonic power properly."

"I hate to say this kid, but you've reached your limit." Ddraig informs me. "If you push yourself even further, you'll be coughing up blood in no time."

Grunting in annoyance, I rub my shoulders. "Then, I'll cough up blood."

"Hah! Very well, partner, let's see if you can push past your limit."

With a determined nod, my eyes shut as I summon my demonic power, forming it around me. The power shakily begins to fill my body, pushing my exhaustion to the back of my head. However, the energy slowly starts to dip. "Come on…" I grit my teeth in frustration, trying my best to hold onto the power, but my concentration breaks. "Gah…" Falling onto my hands and knees, I start coughing violently, tiny specks of blood covering the ground. It took me a few minutes to stop coughing, and when I tried to breathe again, my body shuddered in pain. Guess my body doesn't like air.

I am not sure how long I stayed in this position, but I slowly try to stand when I could breathe without any pain. Only to fall on my face.

"Crap…." I don't think I can move.

"Magnus? Why are you on the ground?"

I feel my body being rolled over, and I see Asia staring at me in concern. "Oh, you know… Just giving it a face high-five."

Asia stares at me in confusion before puffing out her cheeks in irritation. "Magnus."

"Right, sorry." I grumble. "I was training, and I pushed myself a little too hard."

"You shouldn't do that." The blonde starts to heal my body. "You've already done a lot today."

As the pain leaves my body, I breathe out a sigh of relief. "I can always do more, Asia. Out of all of our fighters, I am the weakest, which is why I have to train even more."

"That doesn't mean you should push yourself to your breaking point." She points out with a concerned expression.

"I would argue with you, but I don't think I'll win." The blonde giggles as I sit up. "So, now that we know why I'm out here, what are you doing?"

Asia's expression changes from concern to 'I got caught with my hand in the cookie jar' so fast it was kind of funny. "Um… Well… I… Followed you."

"Can't you hear you if you mumble."

"I… Followed you out here."

"Once more with feeling this time."

"I followed you out here!" Asia shouts, her face turning a bright shade of pink. "I saw you were leaving, and I got worried, so I followed you. But I got a little lost."

Oh… "I'm sorry I worried you." I place my hand on her shoulder. "Also, thank you for healing me."

"Your welcome." Asia helps me stand up. "We should go back."

"Right… Hey! Wait a second, my exhaustion… It's gone. Asia, did you do that?" I ask with wide eyes.

"Mhm, I've been practicing with my Sacred Gear. Rias gave me these medical and biology textbooks; she said it would help me when using Twilight Healing. It's pretty complicated, though, and I don't understand a lot of it. But I was able to do this much at least."

"That's amazing, I bet I can-Whoa!" I try to take a step forward but nearly fell over. Luckily, Asia caught my arm and kept me steady. "Okay, what the hell just happened?" I ask in confusion.

"The exhaustion is gone, but your body needs fuel to function." Asia supplies as she wraps her arm around my shoulder.

"Ah… So… Snack time?" I ask with a grin as Asia, and I take a tentative step forward.

"No, bedtime… And tomorrow night, if you come out to train again… I'm coming with you."

(Two nights later: Kuoh Town, Magnus's house)

Sitting on the couch in the living room, I look at my phone with a frown. "10:30… An hour and a half, and it's game time." Leaning back with a groan, I rub the bridge of my nose. Despite all the preparations the ORC made for the Rating Game, I still felt hilariously underprepared. Putting my phone back into my pocket, I slowly stand and begin pacing.

"You need to relax. Stressing about things out of your control won't fix anything." The Red Dragon Emperor growls.

I lift my left arm and look at the green circle in the center of my hand. "I know that logically partner, but in here-" I tap the center of my chest. "-It doesn't matter." When the dragon didn't reply, I lower my arm with a sigh.

"Magnus, would you like some tea?" Asia calls from the kitchen.

I stop pacing for a moment to consider her offer. "No… Actually, yeah, I would." I walk into the kitchen to find Asia filling a kettle with hot water. The blonde has on her old nun outfit. Minus the habit and cross. "I haven't seen you wear that in a while." I say, gesturing to her clothing.

"I know. I feel comfortable in it." Placing the kettle on the stove with a nostalgic smile, the smaller girl turns to me. "Do you think we're ready?"

I want to tell her we weren't that we needed more time to train, to prepare. But I didn't. "We'll be fine."

Asia walks toward me and wraps her arms around my waist, burying her face in my chest. "I hope so."

'Would you… Die for me?'

Forcing the urge to pull away, deep, deep, deep down! I return the embrace as I make a mental note to seek professional help. "Riser and his cheerleaders won't know what hit them." I say with confidence, I wish felt.

"Thank you, Magnus." Asia lets go after several minutes and goes back to making the tea. When it was finished, the two of us drank in silence. It wasn't comfortable, but it wasn't precisely uncomfortable, either. It was just… Two people, trying to enjoy whatever peace they could before all hell broke loose. An hour goes by, and the two of us leave the house and make our way to Kuoh Academy. More specifically, to the clubhouse.

Once inside, we found that the rest of our friends were already here. Rias is sitting behind her desk, looking over a large piece of paper. Kiba is sitting on one of the couches, reading quietly with a backpack next to him. Opposite of him is Koneko, with a pair of cat ear headphones over her ears. Akeno is next to the white-haired girl, drinking from a teacup. As I look around the room, I raise an eyebrow in confusion. Everyone, except for Asia and myself, is wearing their school uniforms.

"Did we miss a staff meeting or something?" I ask in confusion. "Because I don't remember there being a dress code for this party."

Rias smirks slightly at my words. "No. I can't speak for everyone else, but I wore the uniform to make a statement."

"What statement is that?" Asia asks.

"That I am going to win." The older girl's eyes become as hard as steel.

Rias's sheer confidence is awe-inspiring. "Hell yeah," I reply with a grin.

My master smiles at my reaction before schooling her features. "Magnus, is it ready? Do we have enough?"

I gently pat the black duffle bag at my side. "Yes and no, two people will have to go without, but everyone else… They will have two of each."

"That is good, have Akeno place a seal on them, so they don't break accidentally." The door to the club room opens, and Sona walks in. Following behind, the high-class devil is her devil queen, Tsubaki Shinra. "Hello Sona, what brings you by?"

"It's your first Rating Game, even if it's unofficial… I wouldn't miss this event for anything." A small and rare smile graces Sona's face.

"I promise to do everything in my power to make it interesting for you."

"I wonder how they'll watch the match?" I mutter quietly to myself.

Tsubaki must have heard my question because she looks at me. "There will be a live broadcast of the fight, the Sitri family, or, more specifically, our group will be providing commentary."

"Oh. Cool. Thanks, Shinra-san… Hey, I know this may be random, but is your dad's name, Rufus?" I ask jokingly.

The older girl blinks in confusion. "No. Why?"

I open my mouth to answer, but Rias puts a hand on my mouth. "Video game reference, don't worry about it-" A red light appears in the room ending the conversation; arising from the light is Grayfia. At her appearance, everyone became alert. Kiba puts his book away and pulls out… Armor? He has armor; I guess his being the knight's piece isn't just a reference to the chess piece. Koneko removed her headphones and puts on her gloves, Akeno didn't do much of anything, but she was sitting up straighter.

"My lady." The maid bows toward Rias, then at Sona. "Heiress Sitri. I have come to inform you that it is almost time. I hope you're ready." It must have been a trick of the light, but I swear I saw a sliver of worry in her eyes.

"It seems like it is time." Rias shrugs.

"Indeed. Well, good luck." Sona inclines her head at Rias and Grayfia, but before she left the room, the Sitri family's heiress gave me a look. Before I could even question her, Sona and Tsubaki go.

Grayfia looks around the room. "In a few minutes, you will be transported to the battlefield; make sure you have everything you need."

"Um, Miss Grayfia? Where is this battlefield?" Asia asks the maid.

"The location is held within an alternate field; in there you have full license to be as destructive as you like… Oh, my lady? I almost forgot. The Great Devil Lucifer will be watching the game." When the maid said that, Rias groans in annoyance.

"Doesn't my brother have anything better to do?" She asks no one in particular.

"Um… Excuse me, but I think I misheard you…. Rias, your brother, is one of the Devil Kings!?" Hells Bells…. This is utterly insane.

Rias, for her part, looks equal parts embarrassed and annoyed. "His name is Sirzechs Lucifer, he is also known as the Crimson Satan. Because he is the Devil King, my brother cannot be the heir of our house." Huh, that makes sense and the Crimson Satan? Damn, that is a cool nickname…. Wait, Grayfia said her master is of the House of Lucifer. Does that mean she serves Sirzechs?

"So, it passed on to you." Asia nods in understanding.

"It's time, everyone." Grayfia informs us as she gestures to our teleportation room. "Once you are in the Game field, you'll not be able to leave until you are forced to retire, lose, or win." The silver-haired woman bows as we step onto the glowing circle.

"Let's go."

"Uh… Are we there?" I ask in confusion. After a flash of light, Grayfia disappeared, and we… Didn't go anywhere. We're in the same room.

[Hello everyone, my name is Grayfia Lucifuge, a servant in the Gremory household, and I shall be the referee for today's match. The battlefield is an exact replica of Kuoh Academy, an educational institution in the human world.]

"No way…" Everything looks exactly the same; hell, it felt the same too.

"How is this possible?" Asia asks in confusion.

"Take a look outside." Rias suggests. Without further prompting, Asia and I run to the window; we look outside, our mouths drop. The sky is green with an aurora borealis effect. "Remember, this is an alternate space. Riser and I-" Rias practically spits the first name. "-Chose the school as our battleground."

I turn to my master with a furrowed brow. "Now that makes sense."

"What? Why?" Asia asks in confusion.

"It's another statement." Kiba provides as he buckles on his sword belt.

"Riser wants to crush us on our own turf, and Rias wants to show that her freedom is worth defending." I say, but Rias shakes her head at my words. "What?"

The crimson-haired beauty folds her arms together. "I am not fighting just for my freedom. I am fighting for yours as well. All of yours." Our master looks at each of us with a smile. "This isn't just my fight. It's yours as well."

I… Literally, no words can describe how I feel at this moment, and it looks like my fellow peerage members feel the same. Did she reject Riser not just for herself but for us as well? I… Wow. Wait, why is my heart beating faster?

[Each team has been given a home base; Lady Gremory is stationed in the Occult Research Club, in the old schoolhouse. Lord Phenex's headquarters is located in the principal's office in the main building. Pawns will be promoted if they reach the opposing team's base; let the Rating Game commence.] A loud bell rings, and Grayfia goes quiet.

"May the odds be ever in your favor." I say as Koneko holds out a pink orb to me. "Uh…?"

"It's a transceiver." Koneko gestures to her own ear, showing she has one as well. "Just use some demonic power, and think of who you want to speak with."

"Oh, okay." I take the device and put it in my right ear.

"Gather around everyone." Akeno calls to us, laying a map on the desk. The map is of the entire school and is marked like a grid. Along with various letters and numbers, kind of like… A chessboard. I get it. "You have the floor president."

"Thank you, Akeno, now let's discuss the plan." Our master nods and leans over the map; pulling a pen from her uniform, she circles our base and where I believe the principal's office is. "Since Riser's base is the main school building, it would be suicide if we go for a frontal assault."

"If we try to go above them, they'll either shoot us out of the sky or engage us in a dog fight." Akeno furrows her brow.

"And the underground route… Well, that is for later." Rias comments. "Which means we'll need to go at it from the sides."

I cross my arms with a sigh. "So we go through the athletic field, but that's obvious. Riser will most likely have his own group set up there."

"That's right." Rias inclines her head at me. "To keep control of the field, he will have the majority of his forces stationed here and the gym. I am thinking he will place a rook in the gym, along with some of his pawns. The field will have the knights for control, bishops for long-range combat, and at least two pawns."

Koneko points at the forest near our base. "Which means the rest of his pawns will be scouting our territory."

Rias nods. "Kiba, Koneko, I want you and your familiars to go out into the forest near us. Lay as many traps as you can with Magnus's bag of tricks, oh and take a copy of the map with you and mark where you placed the traps. That way, we know which areas to avoid." Kiba and Koneko nod as they grab a copy of the school's map from Akeno. They take my duffle bag carefully and disappear out the window. "Akeno, when they get back, I'll need you to create a fog cloud that surrounds our territory."

"It'll take some work, but I can do it."

Asia looks around and raises her hand. "Um… If it's okay, I would like to help her."

I turn to look at my housemate in confusion. "Are you sure, Asia?"

"I am. President… Rias, I want to help in a way other than healing. If I help Akeno prepare the illusion, she'll have more power later."

Rias stares at the bishop in thought. "You're right, and it wasn't fair to me to push all of this onto Akeno."

"Not at all, President." The black-haired Queen bows. "Come with me Asia, I'll show you how to do the spell."

As the girls leave the room, I turn to the crimson-haired beauty. "What do you need me to do, Rias?"

Said red-head walks over to the couches and sits down. "Sit with me."

"Okay?" I do as I am told, feeling slightly confused. "Now what?"

"Put your head on my lap."

My face heats up as I tried to process what I just heard. "What? I'm not a dog."

"Just do it." Rias commands, using her 'boss' voice.

"Yes, ma'am." I lower my head into her lap, my face becoming hotter as I do…. I um…. I got nothing.

With an amused and wistful expression, the older girl chuckles at my reaction. "Despite your initial objection, you seem to be enjoying yourself. If you want, we can do this again sometime; you would like that, Magnus?"

"I plead the fifth." I mutter and look away.

Rias gently touches my face and makes me look at her. "Magnus, do you remember how I used all of my Pawn pieces on you?" When I nod, Rias continues. "The amount of power you possess is massive, but your body couldn't handle all of it at once. It would have literally torn you in half. So, until you could handle the power, I put a seal on you. That is why you're training was so intense."

"That makes sense." As the words left my mouth, my entire body tenses then slowly starts to relax… It felt like a weight was removed from my body, which I didn't even know I was carrying. My entire being felt better, stronger. This power… It wasn't a huge jump, but compared to how I was? I could definitely tell the difference. It was like I went from baseline human to professional athlete on an adrenaline rush. "Whoa…" I slowly sit up in shock.

"This just the beginning of what you can do; as you become stronger, you'll unlock more power." Rias puts a hand on my shoulder. "When you fight today, you should be able to use the Queen promotion. Hopefully, though, you won't need it."

As I look back at my master, the dream I had about the two of us comes back in full force…. Not the time brain! "Rias, I-"

"We're back," Kiba calls out as he and Koneko come into the room.

I feel conflicted; on the one hand, I'm relieved but on the other… Shaking my head, I focus my attention on the two that just entered the room. "How'd it go?"

"It was fine." Koneko shrugs and sits opposite Rias and me.

Kiba set my duffle bag on the table in between the couches and shoots me a look. "Remind me never to get on your bad side; you can be downright evil when you want to be."

I simply grin at my friend's words.

"Now, as soon as Akeno and Asia are done… We'll begin."

The plan was relatively simple but brilliant in its simplicity. Koneko and I would head to the gym to deal with the forces stationed there, Kiba meanwhile would handle any of the scouts in the forest. After we were done, the three of us would meet up in the athletic field and face the rest of Riser's team. That is when Akeno, who will be busy building up her power, would strike. Taking out the majority of his team in one fell swoop.

Rias and Asia would make their way to the main building, from under the earth, with help from Akeno's familiars. Once inside, Rias would take out Riser's Queen. The girls would then draw Riser into the tunnel, and that is when we would hit him with our secret weapon. Even if it doesn't take him down outright, he should be weak enough that Rias should be able to deal the final blow. And if not? Well, he would have to deal with the rest of our team, alongside Rias.

After discussing the plan, we all split off to take care of our tasks. Koneko and I stealthy made our way to the gym. A random thought appeared in my head as we walked. "Why does the gym have a stage?"

"It doubles as an auditorium; you've been here a year, and you didn't know that senpai?" Koneko tags on the last part mockingly.

I shrug my shoulders. "Never really thought about it until now, my cute little kouhai." Hey, we said words in Japanese… What happened to our auto-translate?

Koneko was about to respond but freezes and her hair… Twitches? "They're here."

"Come on out, and we'll make it quick." A voice taunts us.

My partner and I share a look, and with a nod, we step out from behind the curtains. Waiting for us is four of Riser's group, a cosplayer that looks like a slutty Chun Li. A blue-haired girl in a white haori, complete with a red obi, a red happi coat, bandages along her forearms and shins, black arm guards, a wooded staff, and a pair of zōri. Last and certainly not least is a pair of twins that looked young enough that I had to resist the urge to call Chris Hansen. The twins have on a Japanese school gym uniform that closely resembled Kuoh's own. The strange thing is they have two large bags over their shoulders.

"Look at what we have here? The baby pawn and the miniature rook." The cosplayer tries to mock us.

I place a hand on my friend's shoulder when I saw her eye twitch. "Easy girl. Oh, and you call that mocking? Your taunts are bad, and you should feel bad." As the woman who attempted to mock us twitches, I let go of Koneko's shoulder. "Anyway, before we get this party started, we should introduce ourselves."

The girl with the staff bows. "I am Mira, a pawn."

The Chun Li wannabe snorts. "I am Xuelan, a rook."

"I'm Lle."

"And I'm Nel."

"We're both pawns." The twins salute us both in a pose that wouldn't be out of place in an anime.

Koneko and I jump off the stage; as we walk toward them, I summon the Boosted Gear. "Nice to meet you all. I'm War and this Crime, and we will be violating the Geneva Convention tonight."

"What!?"

Grinning like a madman, I reach into my jacket and pull out a glass bottle. "Boost!" Boosting the contents of the bottle, I throw it at the girls. Koneko does the same. As the bottles hit the ground, the glass shatters. Smoke covers our opponents, causing them to scream in agony. Xuelan stumbles out of the cloud, tears streaming down her face, her wrists and ankles wreathed in flames.

Tears streaming down her cheeks, the cosplayer tries to walk toward me. Koneko slams her fist into the taller girl's stomach, forcing her to double over in pain. "What-… Did… You do?" The rook tries to attack me, but Koneko blocks her attack and throws the co-player on to the ground.

"Well… Have you ever heard of tear gas?" I ask with a smile as Koneko continues to beat down her fellow rook. "Well, this is my own homemade recipe. All you need is some chili pepper spice, vinegar, baking soda, and hot water. Instant tear gas. Though… I substituted the water for holy water. Huh, now that I think about it… This is more like mustard gas… At least for devils." I shrug.

"Don't call me miniature." The white-haired girl punches the cosplayer, and finally, she passes out and disappears in a flash of light.

[Three of Lord Riser's Pawns and one of Lord Riser's Rooks have retired.]

"Magnus? Koneko? What's your status?"

I put a hand on my transceiver and nod. "We're all good Red, just had to use two of the grenades."

"Good, move to the next objective."

As the call came to an end, I turn to Koneko. "You ready?"

"Yep." As we made our way out of the building, Koneko pulls out one of her grenades. "I still can't believe you came up with this, a holy water grenade."

"I can't take all the credit. The first set of grenades, the ones we used, come from MacGyver. The ones we didn't use, they are more like the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch… I got the idea from my sisters."

(Flashback, six years ago, Los Angeles)

"Magnus, come check this out." My older sister holds out a pair of goggles to me.

I take the goggles and put them on. "What's up?"

Morgan grins at me as she holds up a pair of tongs; gripped in between the two metal pieces is a metallic gray block. "Magnus, this is a chemical element known as potassium."

"Isn't that in bananas?" I ask as I look at the twins.

Megan nods. "Yep, but this is raw potassium. Do you know what happens when you put it in water?" When I shake my head no, a Cheshire cat grin appears on her face. "It explodes. Want to watch?"

"Yes!"

(End of flashback)

Koneko just shakes her head in disbelief. "Wow."

"I know, right?" I chuckle as we run.

"Good thing you have a good memory; that rook chick's power level was way above us."

"Power levels are bullshit." I shake my head as we get close to the Athletics field. "I wonder how Kiba is doing?"

The school mascot's eyes flash with amusement. "I am sure he is fine."

(Third Person POV: Near the old schoolhouse)

"I can't believe Xuelan was taken out." Shuriya grumbles as she moves through the mist. "I hate this fog! And all these traps." Shuriya takes a moment to remove a wad of gunk from her hair. "Whoever set this up is going to pay."

Marion nods in agreement, removing one of her shoes; the maid holds it upside, as water leaks out. "Lady Gremory must have used her Queen. No one else in their peerage could have taken her out so fast."

Bülent summons her demonic power to clean her filthy clothing. "Hopefully, she did some damage to the Priestess of Thunder."

"I wouldn't get your hopes up just yet." Stepping into view of the three pawns is the only knight of Rias Gremory. Kiba Yuuto. "Your rook was taken out by a pawn, and he barely had to do a thing." The Prince of Kuoh Academy smiles good-naturedly.

Marion stares in disbelief. "That wimpy guy? Yeah, right! There is no way he could have done that."

Kiba shrugs as he places a hand on the pommel of the sword. "Believe what you will, but it's the truth. Oh, and the traps in this area were set up by me. Though Magnus provided the supplies." All three women twitch at that, each one planning on seriously hurting the bronze-haired idiot. "Sadly, I am afraid we must part ways here." The knight walks back into the mist, the women scowl in frustration and give case.

"Get back, here-Ah!" The ground beneath their feet opens up as they fall into a pit.

The male knight appears over the edge trap, holding a smoke-filled bottle over them. "I almost forgot something, a present from the Gremory household."

(First POV: Magnus)

[Three of Lord Riser's Pawns have retired]

"Kiba's done." Koneko mutters from our hiding spot.

I look around as I stand. "Time to go then."

"I'll take point." Koneko leaves first, with me following closely behind.

We did our best to be quiet and stay hidden, stopping every few seconds to ensure we were safe. We were almost halfway to the athletic field when something happened. There was a flash of violet light, followed by an explosion. Luckily Koneko and I were not caught in the blast, but it was a close one. "That was a landmine…. "

"Bomb Queen." Koneko looks up.

Floating above us, a woman with long wavy purple hair, dressed like a fantasy mage. Complete with a jeweled staff. "I won't miss next time." Riser's Queen points her staff at us and prepares to launch another attack when a bolt of lightning streaks from the sky, striking the purple-haired woman. A scream of frustration and pain escapes her lips as the Bomb Queen tries to find the offender.

"Oh my, what a lovely scream." Akeno calls from above us. "Why don't you come and play with me? Magnus, Koneko go. I got this one." The Bomb Queen looked conflicted for a brief moment before she takes off into the sky after the Priestess of Thunder.

The two of us continue until we run into Kiba, the blonde knight motions for us to follow him. On the way, we informed him and Rias about what just happened.

"So Riser sent out his Queen already? He must be nervous."

"What should we do?" The original plan didn't count on the Bomb Queen being deployed this early.

Rias was silent for a few seconds. "Stick to the plan, and take out the rest of Riser's team."

"So, we get to fight?" Koneko's hair twitches again… What in the world?

"Yes, but don't overdo it. Okay? Things may have been easy to start, but Riser will most likely have adjusted his strategy."

Kiba chuckles humorlessly. "Don't worry, president, we'll be fine."

As the transmission ends, I look at my fellow peerage members and extend my fist out to them. "Let's kick some ass." Raping their knuckles against mine, the three of us ran to the athletic and found it completely empty.

"This doesn't bode well for us." Kiba mutters, a hand on his sword.

Koneko didn't say anything, but she kept looking around.

"Does anyone have any bottles we can clink together?" Summoning an orb of demonic power, I morph it into a chunk of ice and toss it onto the field. Three seconds go by, and the piece of ice explodes into a thousand pieces. "Well… This explains why no one is here."

"Bomb Queen is an appropriate name." Kiba shakes his head. "They boobytrapped the athletic field."

"That's the least of our problems." Koneko scans the area. "If they aren't here, then where are they?"

….

…

"The school." We shout at once.

"Rias, don't go any further; Riser has the rest his peerage with him."

"Are you sure?"

Koneko grimaces with her hand on her ear. "Pretty sure, they booby-trapped the athletic field."

"Thanks for letting us know. Can you draw them out?"

Kiba has a thoughtful look before snapping his fingers. "I have an idea." Turning his attention to the school, the knight strides forward.

"As soon as you're clear, I'll let you know." I tell Rias as I follow behind Kiba.

"We'll hang tight."

"Good luck." Asia chimes in.

"Kiba, what's the plan?" Koneko stares at the blonde, who smiles at the younger girl.

"You'll see." The Prince of Kuoh stops calls out. "Karlamine, knight of the house of Phenex. I am Kiba Yuuto, a knight in service to the house of Gremory. I challenge you to a duel. If you have any honor as a knight, you will come and face me."

Wait, that's his plan!? What idiot in their right mind would give up their defensive position to fight-"Oh, you have to be kidding me." A young woman with long brown hair, dressed in armor, walks toward us, a broadsword in her hands. Following behind her is another woman, with a zweihänder strapped to her back. "How did you know this would work?" I ask my friend, who shrugs without ever taking his eyes off the women.

"When we watched their previous matches, I studied the knights. Karlamine truly acts the part of a knight and would not back down if I challenged her honor."

Karlamine stops fifteen feet away from us. "I accept your challenge knight of Gremory; Siris will act as my second. I hope you have no objection."

"None. I will act without a second if you are alright with that." Kiba states, which causes his fellow knight to falter.

"Are you so arrogant to think that you can beat us on your own?" Siris asks with a hand on her hip.

"I am more worried about what your friends will do to whoever isn't with me." Kiba jerks his head to the building as five people walk up behind the knights. One is a road warrior/phantom of the opera cosplayer, two catgirls in sailor outfits, a girl in a kimono, and of course, the girl in the purple dress. "Magnus, Koneko, I'll leave those five to you. Oh." Reaching into his jacket, Kiba passes me his grenade and walks away. "I think you'll need that more than me."

Pocketing the item, I focus my attention on the five women. "Good luck Kiba."

Koneko cracks her knuckles with a sour expression. "The catgirls are mine." With speed belaying her size, Koneko charges the catgirls who met the charge head-on. The three of them soon disappear behind the school.

"Which leaves those three for me."

The blonde looked related to Riser huffs. "That Karlamine… All she has on her mind is swords, honor, and knightly duty. You're lucky your knight challenged Karlamine first. Otherwise, she would have done it herself. And you wouldn't have access to that field." Wait, for what? I look at the athletic field, and Kiba is fighting out there. How in the world? "In honor duels, the challenger can pick the battlefield, while the challenged picks the weapons." The drill-tip haired girl explains. "Yubelluna showed us how to disarm her bombs just in case we needed it."

"Oh. Thanks for the explanation, but why are you telling me all this?" I scratch my head in confusion.

"It is the duty of a noble to aid the common folk." The girl curtesy's with a pleasant smile. "I am Ravel Phenex, the only daughter of the Phenex family."

"And Lord Riser's sister." The mask cosplayer turns to me. "I am Isabella, a rook in the service of the honorable Lord Phenex. Prepare yourself, the pawn of Lady Gremory!" The phantom road warrior swings her arm out in a wild haymaker

"Boost!"

The Boosted Gear appears as I block her attack and promptly punch her in the face. As she stumbles back, I spin around and kick her in the stomach. "Sorry, but I don't have time to play." I move around the rook, and I run straight for the other two. If my guess is right, they are bishops of the group. This means they need to go down first; I can't get bogged down by magical attacks-"Empty Night." The kimono wearing girl summons a magic circle, and a twenty-foot tongue of flame races toward me.

"Boost!"

I try to jump out of the way, but my left leg was caught in the fire. Hissing in pain, I fall to the ground, curling into a ball, I roll and jump back up. I wanted to check on my leg, but Isabella wasn't going to give me the time. The rook kicks me into the nearby building, forcing the air out of my lungs. I think something is broken… I shake my head and push the pain down, rolling forward, I avoided having my head caved in as Isabella punches through the school wall. Popping back up, I run toward the bishop.

Take out the caster, take out the caster!

"Boost!"

Jumping into the air, I flip over the bishop who launched another blast of fire at me. Landing behind her, I spin around and kick the bishop into the ground. Before I could move in to finish the job, Isabella appears out of nowhere and kicks me in the chest. Stumbling back, I clutch my chest in pain. "I hope the others have an easier time than I am."

(Third Person POV: All around the battlefield)

Trading blow after blow with the female knight, Kiba couldn't help but smile. Despite the seriousness of this battle, the knight could not help but get some enjoyment. "You're quite skilled Karlamine, who was your teacher?"

"Sir Jacque de Molay." She answers proudly. "He is a knight under the service of Lord Riser's elder brother."

"The last templar grandmaster? When we were training together, my master often spoke of him." The two stop fighting briefly as they take measure of one another.

"And who is your teacher?" Karlamine asks, genuinely interested.

Kiba chuckles dryly. Which one? "Souji Okita."

Karlamine laughs at that. "My master's rival? It must be fate that we fight today. Come student of the Shinsengumi's last captain, let us see whose teaching is superior."

"Let's templar." Both knights stand ready, and in a flash, the two sword wielders now have their backs to one another. Karlamine's blade wreathed in flames, Kiba's blade a living shadow. As they turn to face one another, the holy eraser's s blade returns to normal and shatters. Kiba eye's his fellow knight in confusion before the realization hits him. "A sword breaker? Not bad." He gestures to a dagger at Karlamine's side. "However…" A new blade appears from the hilt of the holy eraser. This one differs from the shadow sword, as it is made from an icy blue crystal.

"Another sword?" Karlamine stares at the weapon in shock and barely blocked the incoming strike from her opponent. "How did you do that?"

The fiery broadsword is coated in ice, dousing the flames and shattering the weapon. "It's part of my Sacred Gear."

"That isn't possible! Karlamine draws her sword breaker dagger, the weapon catching on fire as she does, and continues to attack. "Do you have multiple Sacred Gears?"

The knight of Rias Gremory chuckles as his ice blade shifts into a wand-like weapon and blocks the attack. A fierce wind erupts from the sword, blows out the fire, and pushes Karlamine onto the ground. "No. My Sacred Gear just allows me to make magical swords as I please; it's called Sword Birth." The environment surrounding Kiba erupts as a veritable armory appears around him.

Picking up one of the blades, the knight tosses it at Karlamine. "I think you should call in your second in to fight with you." Grabbing one of his various magical blades, Kiba rushes his counterpart, bringing his swords down.

Karlamine raises her weapon and blocks the incoming strikes. "I will not; this is a duel-"

"Oh, shut up about all that honor stuff!" Siris shouts as she runs across the battlefield; her weapon is already drawn. The only knight of Rias Gremory jumps away, just as the Siris brought her zweihänder down.

"You nearly cut me in half." Karlamine snarls.

"But, I didn't." Siris snorts as she wrests her weapon free from the dirt.

Not wasting the opportunity, Kiba slams one of his swords into the ground. "Sword Birth!" Blades burst through the ground like weeds, heading straight for the two knights.

Koneko using her superior strength, tosses one of the nekomata into the ground. "Weak."

Ni (red-head) hisses in anger, as her sister Li (bluenette) groans in pain. "At least we aren't hiding our true selves."

"Shut up." A fiery rage erupts in the white-haired girl's eyes; Koneko picks up the fallen cat girl and swings her around like a bat.

Ni's fists and feet erupted in burgundy-colored flames as she avoided the attack. This was not her demonic power at work, though. No, this is kasha. A ki technique that only nekomata could use. "I can't believe you are one of the Nekoshou." The red-head kicks at the rook in the back, forcing her to let go of her makeshift club. "You hide what you are; you don't use our power. You don't deserve to be one of us."

"I don't want to be one of you!" Koneko bellows in a rare display of emotion.

"But you can't help it." Ni smugly points out.

Stiffening at her words, Koneko shakily reaches for the top of her head and her tailbone. "N-No…" Her ears and tail have appeared. As Koneko tries to force her nekomata side away, she never saw the attack from Li coming.

High above the fake school, an intense battle was being waged between the two devil queens. Fire and lightning flash across the sky; both combatants were trying their best to land a solid hit on one another. The Bomb Queen did her best to layer the cloudy sky with as many traps as she feasible could. However, this particular field is ruled by the Priestess of Thunder; she would not let any mine get the best of her.

"You live up to your nickname." Akeno calls out from somewhere. "Your skill with creating traps is quite impressive."

"As do you." Yubelluna begrudgingly admits, doing her best to locate the black-haired girl. "You've nearly hit me a couple of times there." As the words left her mouth, a bolt of lightning streaks across the sky. The purple-haired woman dodges and shoots out a violet light into clouds. The explosion lights up the cloudy sky blowing away the gray storm clouds, but there was still no sign of the queen of the Gremory group.

Gritting her teeth in frustration, Yubelluna shouts angrily. "I am tired of this cat and mouse game!" Yubelluna's entire body froze in place, all her muscles locked up. Unimaginable pain flooded the Bomb Queen's nervous system.

"As am, I." Akeno whispers in a sultry tone, her hand on Yubelluna's shoulder. "Let's see how tough you really are."

As waves of pain rocked Yubelluna's body, the Bomb Queen knew she had to resort to using her phoenix tears. Calling upon every ounce of her strength and will, the queen activated a seal on her shoulder pad, a magical explosion separated the two women. With the Gremory servant stunned, Yubelluna grabs a small vial from within her robe and downs the contents. Relief floods her body; all the damage is reversed.

With a content sigh, the Bomb Queen faces the Priestess of Thunder, who just recovered. "Now, let's see how tough you are." Four crystalline diamonds surround Akeno, as a circle

(First Person POV: Magnus)

Narrowly avoiding another attack from Isabella and the kimono wearing servant. I fought the urge to use my grenade. Would it make my fight easier? Hell yes… But it's not a good idea to use a grenade at close range. And to make things worse, Ravel took off somewhere. "Crap!" Isabella nearly caved my head in; I really need to pay more attention. Leaping away, I ended up in front of the girl in the kimono. "Boost!" Spinning around, I kick the bishop in the stomach before she could cast another spell. The girl slams into the ground, hard; running forward, I pull my fist back and punch her in the face. As her eyes close, she disappears in a flash of light.

[One of Lord Riser's Bishops have retired.]

"Mihae!" Isabella shouts as she charges toward me.

Reaching into my jacket, I pull out the grenade Kiba gave me and tosses it at the ground near her feet. Fire, dirt, and smoke cloud my vision. My ears begin to ring from the explosion. "Moop." I shake my head, trying to get my senses clear. "Moop… Moop… Moop." Several seconds go by, and my hearing slowly returns. "Note to self… Any closer, and I am a dead man." The smoke is gone, and laying in the dirt is Isabella, and she didn't look right. Her clothing is in tatters, blood poured from various parts of her body, and she looked to be in pretty bad shape. The only reason I can think that she hasn't disappeared yet is thanks to the power of her evil piece.

As I make my way over to her, the rook coughs violently. "No-Not ba-d…"

Grunting in pain, I kneel next to her with a grimace. I know I said I would do anything to free Rias, and I mean it. But … This isn't right. "I'm sorry… I didn't realize how… Destructive that would be."

"For-" The rook shudders in pain, . "-get it. You're trying to win, right?" When I nod, the rook grins as her body starts to glow. "Then give it all you got, and don't give a crap about the rest."

[One of Lord Riser's Rook's retires.]

Taking in a breath, I touch my ear. "Rias, you're clear to go. Rias? Asia, can you hear me?"

"You there, foot soldier."

I look around for the voice and see Ravel Phenex, ten feet in the air, a pair of fiery wings holding her aloft. "What?"

Ravel points toward the roof of the school. "You may want to watch this."

"What are you-Oh you have to be kidding me…" Floating to the top of the roof is Rias and Asia, and waiting for them is Riser. "-What happened to the plan?"

"You're little tunnel plan? All too easy to predict." The drill-tip haired girl snorts. "Well, for me at least. My brother might have fallen for it if I hadn't figured it out." Wait, is that why she didn't join in during the fighting? "Oh, and no, I just don't fight. I'm the team's strategist; in my fact, my brother owes most of his victories to-Hey! Where are you going!?"

Leaving the girl to her bragging, I run toward the athletic field. Okay, I'll get Kiba, help him deal with his fight. Then grab Koneko, and get to Rias-

[ Lady Gremory's Rooks retires.]

My heart almost stopped at those words; Koneko was taken down? Damn it. Gritting my teeth in frustration, I continue my run and see Kiba in a free for all with the two knights. "Kiba, we got a problem! Rias is facing Riser on the roof; we got to book it!"

"I'm a little… Busy!" The knight shouts dual-wielding blades, fending off various attacks.

"Boost!"

"Kiba hit me!" I shout as Riser's two cat girl pawns come into view. Avoiding their attacks, I did my best to make sure they didn't touch me. Just need to boost my power a couple of more times, and then we can…

"Boost!"

The Prince of Kuoh nods and breaks off his attack, and stomps his foot on the ground. Sword Birth!" Bursting forth from, the dirt is various types of swords, and all of them are coming straight for me. The cat girl's take off in different directions; as the weapons reach me, I punch the ground.

"Transfer!" The number of swords dramatically increased, destroying most of the athletic field. Yeesh, I'm surprised that Kiba left any ground for us to stand on. Seriously, Unlimited Blade Works had fewer swords.

[Two of Lord Riser's Pawns and two of Lord Riser's Knights have retired.]

"What was that!?" I hear someone say. I think it is Ravel.

I look up and see Ravel, her mouth hanging open in shock. "That was the Dragon's Gift. The Boosted Gear can do more than just raise my power; it can transfer it as well." I had unlocked this during the training camp, and during that time, I came up with a few combination moves with the others. "Kiba, let's-"

A massive explosion catches my attention, looking up my eyes widen in horror. "Is that… No…" … Akeno is falling out of the sky.

[Lady Rias's Queen retires.]

No… No… No… Shit, this isn't good. Another blast reaches my ears, only this one was much closer. "Kiba!" I watch as my friend's body vanishes in a flash of light.

[Lady Rias's knight's retires.]

Falling to my knees, I stare at the ground where my friend once stood in disbelief. "No…"

'We'll cover you.'

'You'll just be in our way if you stay.'

'None of this would have happened if you had just died on your birthday. It's your fault.'

"Well, that took you long enough, Yubelluna." Ravel comments in an annoyed tone.

Yubelluna bows her head with a snort as she holds up a glass vial. "Their queen was as powerful as we thought. Believe it or not, I had to resort to this."

"Understandable." Ravel shrugs with her arms, crossed.

"Should I eliminate this pawn?" The Bomb Queen points her staff in my direction, demonic power gathering at the end of it.

Ravel, however, shakes her head. "Don't worry, look at him. He's broken. Go assist my brother."

"Right away." As the older woman flies away, Ravel lands near me with a smug look.

"The Crimson Haired Princess of Ruin, Twilight Healing, Priestess of Thunder, Sword Birth, grandiose names. But in comparison to us? They are nothing-"

Gritting my teeth, I shakily stand up. "Shut… UP!" Jumping to my feet, I slam my Sacred Gear into her face. As she falls onto her butt, I consider my doing more. "Screw it… You aren't worth it." Snorting angrily, I run to the school, as Ravel shouts angrily at me. As I ran, I watch the battle between Rias, Riser, and Riser's Queen. It was… Bad. Rias, being outnumbered, did her best to defend herself and Asia at the same time. But she was losing ground, fast. "Boost!" Increasing my speed, I clear the door to the school. "Promotion Queen!" Power and speed fill my body as I run up the stairs; jumping through a window, I summon my devil wings. Rocking toward the roof, I pull the last of my grenades free. "Boost!/Transfer!" Rising above the school, I toss the projectile toward Riser and his queen.

"Gah/Ah!" Both yell and scream in pain as part of the school's roof collapses. As the two falls into the building, I land next to Rias and Asia, my wings vanish… I'm really exhausted… Even with this promotion.

"Magnus!" Asia rushes over and grabs my arm, keeping me steady.

"Are you alright?" Rias asks, out of breath.

"I will… Be. Just need to catch my breath-Ah…" Why can't I breathe? Why is everyone looking at me like I'm going to die? Why does my chest hurt? It feels like someone took a hot poker and stabbed me with it. But that can't be right… I look down and see…

There is a hole in my chest.

"You… Dare…" Floating in the air above us is Riser, his finger pointed directly at me. "You hurt Riser! You pathetic excuse for a dragon!" The noble roars as a ray of fire shoot towards us.

Rias summoning her demonic power creates a shield around us. As the bomb Queen rises up in the air, next to her master. "Asia, you heal him. You'll pay for this Riser."

"Hold on, Magnus… The wound is partially cauterized, Riser may have punctured the lung…"

… I feel like I'll pass out… Soon… Can't pass out… Not yet… Ddraig…?

'Say the words, and you'll dominate your opponent.'

I'm here, kid.

Can… Can you fix my lung?

'You desire power? Then surrender yourself.'

If you give it up to me, yes, I can. However, if you do this, you'll be turned-

Do it… Change whatever you have to…

Very well.

Heat floods my body, forcing my mind into overdrive, my chest began to burn. I wanted to scream, to curse, but I couldn't! The only thing going through my brain is pain. Shooting straight up and surprising Asia. I check my chest and see the hole is sealed shut. I stand despite the healer's protests and start to walk shakily toward the combatants. Each breath was becoming increasingly more manageable with each step I took. There was something else as well, a lingering heat that burned in my lungs. It wasn't painful, it is comforting and… Familiar.

"Learn when you have beaten Rias, Riser has won." The prick brags as he launches another attack at the red-head. "Your pawn will soon retire, and all that is left is your bishop."

Rias continues to defend us, and despite not being able to see her face. I knew she was pissed. "Don't count us out yet."

"Oh? Why because your little dragon got his second wind?" Riser sneers as I stand right next to Rias.

"Shall I deal with him?" Yubelluna shoots a glare my way.

"Riser shall deal with him." He brushes off his queen.

Taking in a deep breath, I put a hand on my master's shoulder. "Riser… You were right… I am a pathetic excuse for a dragon… " The girl's gasps at my words, while Riser just laughs smugly. "I don't have armor like tenfold shields, teeth like spears, or claws like swords… But there is something of a dragon I do have…"

When an amused expression, the noble gestures for me to go on. "And what do you have then?"

Using the hand on Rias's shoulder, I push her behind me. "My breath…" Taking in a large breath, I pull at the heat within my chest and force it to the surface. "Is… Death!" Red hot flames erupt from my mouth and slam into Riser and Yubelluna. The force of my fire breath forced them back. Ending my attack, I watch with some satisfaction as the prick looked hurt.

"H-How!? How can you burn me!? I am a Phenex! Hellfire is my birthright!"

"The phoenix's flames are those of life and rebirth. A dragon's fire is death, something you are learning first hand."

"You deal with his queen. I'll keep Riser busy till then." My devil wings appear as I fly straight at Riser; tackling the noble, I let loose another blast of dragon fire. Ignoring his attempts to pry me off (which wasn't easy; the guy hits like a tank), I kept breathing the flame, even as my lips began to crack and bleed.

"Get… Off! Pest!" With a roar, the noble slams his knee into my gut.

Gasping for air, I clutch my stomach while Riser tried to recover from his burns. Out of the two of us, Riser recovered faster. "Gah!" Something in my side cracks as Riser punches ribs. Grabbing a fistful of my hair, the blonde man pulls his fist back and hits me.

"Learn, your place, pawn!"

Staring definitely at the pure-blood devil, I spit in his face. "S-Screw you…"

"Boost!"

Grabbing ahold of his arm, I kick the douchebag in the stomach, forcing him to let go of me. "I-" Coughing violently, I start to lose altitude. No… Not yet…

You're on your last legs partner, I wouldn't push it any further.

"It's not over yet… Not by a long shot." Pushing past the agony, I circle around my target before flying into him again. Tackling the pure-blood, we crash into the school and through the wall. A groan escapes my lips; I slowly get up, panting heavily. Riser, who was just as quick to recover, tries to kick me. Catching his leg, I spin around. "Boost!" And toss him through another wall, but that wouldn't keep him down for long. This is getting old. I hit him, and he heals, I burn him, and he heals, I kick him in the dick, and he heals.

I hope the girls have an easier time than I am.

(Third Person POV: On the rooftop, moments ago)

The Bomb Queen prepares to attack, her demonic power surrounding her. She should have retired that pawn before now, but she'll rectify her mistake now. "Say goodbye-Ah!" Crying out in pain, the purple-haired woman turns to see Rias glaring at her.

"I'm afraid you'll have to deal with me." Rias fires off a wave of destructive energy; Yubelluna meets the attack head-on but despite her magical might. The Bomb Queen is no match for the Crimson-Haired Princess of Ruin, especially not after being hit by that pawn and… Whatever he hit her with hurt immensely, and now that she is fighting the Gremory heiress on her own? She will need to use the last of her phoenix tears. By then, her master will have finished off the uppity pawn, and then he would win this game.

Breaking off her attack, the Bomb Queen, fires a shot at the unguarded blonde bishop. As Gremory moves to protect her, Yubelluna flees from the noble; reaching into her robe, the Bomb Queen pulls out her last vial of phoenix tears. As she was about to remove the topper, a lance of black energy races toward the devil queen. The devil queen raised a shield, but the destructive power threatened to break it. The protection held for a few seconds before it finally shatters, knocking the phoenix tears out of her hand and onto the ground below.

Rias watches in satisfaction as the devil queen falls out of the sky. "Asia, are you alright?"

"I.. Y-yes, thank you, president." Asia bows her head thankfully. "Are you hurt? Do you need healing?"

"No, I am fine, but get ready. She'll be back up-." Rias prepares for another attack as the building shakes violently. "-What was that?" Before she could investigate, Rias's attention was drawn back to the Bomb Queen. The red-head passes two items to Asia as Yubelluna comes into view. "When I say so, throw the gas one over her head." Demonic power surrounds the noble as she launches another attack. An explosion erupts in-between the two women. "Asia now!"

"R-Right!" The blonde tosses the glass orb overhead as hard as she could; the projectile barely makes it halfway when the Bomb Queen blows it up.

"As if I would fall for the same thing twice-" A torrent of wind cuts the woman off, as the cloud of smoke blows straight into Yubelluna. "-Gah… What's wrong-" The purple-haired woman coughs violently. "-What did-" The words died in Yubelluna's throat as another orb appears right in front of her face.

"Begone!"

(First Person POV: Magnus)

[Lord Riser's Queen has retired.]

Oh good, the witch is gone. The moment I got to my feet, I fell down again, only to see Riser standing above me. Hells Bells…

"You have hurt Riser, something you shouldn't be capable of… And this is the cause." The pure-blooded devil points at the Boosted Gear. "Well, Riser will make sure you will never be able to use it again!" Intense heat bursts from his hand, scorching my left arm. Unimaginable heat courses through my body; I couldn't even feel the pain, just heat. I wanted to scream, to curse, but nothing came out.

Finally, it ended, and that is when the pain came in full force. I think I screamed, at least that is what my brain was telling me I did. But the only sound I could hear was Riser's laughter. "Boost!" A massive cone of flame burst from my burned lips, striking the devil in the face. My opponent flies straight through the ceiling and into the air; I slowly get to my feet and shakily fly upward. Or I tried to, at least. I nearly cleared the hole when I started to fall. Using my right arm, I grab the edge of the roof and "Gah…" I think I pulled my arm out of its socket.

"Magnus!" Four hands grab mine and pull me onto the rooftop.

"Look at his arm… Asia-"

"I'm on it."

Relief courses through my body, but something felt off… My left arm…. It feels dead… I try to look, but someone forces my head away. "Don't look, Magnus, don't look…" Rias eyes bore into mine, tears welling up. "You've done-"

"Move!" Sitting up, I grab hold of Rias and force us both to roll into Asia, just as Riser slams into the roof. As the three of us roll down the top, something grabs me by the collar and hauls me up. Forcing me to face him is Riser. The blonde douche has a murderous look on his face.

"Riser is done playing with you." An orb of fire appears in the devil's free hand. "Riser will kill you."

Gripping his arm, I blearily stare at the pureblood. "Hope… You… Enjoy… The victory, without your dick…" And kick him in the crotch. "Boost!" I crumble to the ground with a pained grin. The grin, however, turned into a grimace as Riser steps on my skull.

"Riser, don't you dare!" Rias shouts as she summons her demonic power.

"Stop, Rias or Riser will crush his skull. As you know, deaths that occur in Rating Games are considered an accident. Now, surrender, or…" Riser let the threat hang in the air.

"… I can just retire him-" A freaked out look appears on Rias's face. "The system… It's not working; what's happening?"

Riser starts to laugh. "Rias, didn't you know? Since it's not an official game, that system isn't active. Now stop wasting Riser's time, and admit defeat already-Grh" As the jackass monologed, I picked a sharp piece of debris and stabbed him in the ankle. "Why won't you stay down!?"

Coughing up blood, I stare defiantly at him. "Fuck… You… That's why…" An intense pressure courses through my skull, cutting off whatever else I was going to say.

"Riser, let him go! I… Resign, just don't kill him… Please…" Rias steps forward shakily.

"Very well, Riser is nothing if gracious." The dick kicks me toward Rias. "Checkmate."

Hey everyone! How are you we all doing? Well, I know you didn't ask, but I am good... And tired. Very tired. This chapter really took it out of me, I wanted to get it just right... However, I still feel like I am missing some things. Now I am sure you all have questions, but I promise the questions will be answered in due time. If you want to drop me a message, then please do so. I will do my best to give you a spoiler free answer.

I want to thank everyone who fav, followed and reviewed my stories and me. It really means a lot. Without further adieu, onto the reviews!

Merendinoemiliano: Thanks so much on both counts, and how are things for your writing?

ILikeFoxes828: Well here is the Rating Game! How do you like it?

Ace: Now that is a tough one... Hmm... I am not sure to be honest. Anything I would say would be head canon at best. I haven't yet myself, been taking a break from the dark and gritty stuff. Now, for the type of music that Akeno enjoys? Hm... Maybe traditional Japanese given her initial upbringing. Now as for the weapon that Magnus got? Well read above, I don't want to spoil anything incase people are reading the AN first.

Jehu: Happy to hear you liked the chapter! As for updating Magnus's gear? Well... I have some ideas on how to upgrade him, and the others in the group. Now will he be a free agent again? All I can say is... Wait and see :). However, you do have a good point, but I won't disparage against them for how they write. Though I am glad you liked my twist on what happened. Oh Ingvild... I have plans for her.

AdrianLee28: Thanks! A new power up or the same old one? Wait and see, incase someone tries looking for spoilers.

Ssj shadow: I have updated as soon as I can! Also you're right no one really covers that. I always believed that the peerage would have to join Rias in the Underworld. I haven't been seen a What if like that, but I do have an idea based on that. Though I will be taking it a little further. Dragoon mode huh? Well... Wait and see.

Kamen Rider W: Wait and see :)

Messiah of authors: Wait and see :) And I understand, hopefully this will be enjoyable.

Alright everyone, I am going to get to work on the next chapter soon! Oh and just to make things interesting... A little spoiler about next chapter. A character from canon will be helping Magnus when he goes to the Phenex Manor, a character that has yet to appear in this volume, but was mentioned. The question is though... Who? If you figure it out, don't put it in a review! PM me, or just wait till next chapter!

With that I hope you all be safe and have a great time!