Chapter 10: Training
We start with the Gremory peerage hiking up a mountain. . . though in a rather unorthodox manner. George is in his Plateosaurus form, with a harness at his midsection & tail, towing a Uhaul trailer, the same one that Anthony used to bring all of his stuff over from America. Now since George's eyes are on the sides of his head, Kiba was up front as his guide while Koneko was behind the trailer, ready to catch should it fall.
As for the other three ladies, they were hitching a ride on George's back. The Fallen aren't with them as George asked them to watch the house while they were gone. Now why are they heading to the training ground this way? George suggested it would be the most efficient. Along the way up, Rias explained how a Rating Game worked which the Shapeshifter summed as a mix of Team Deathmatch & Capture the Flag, but you only get one life. Once you take too much damage, you despawn in a flash of sparkles and cannot return to the game at that point.
They made it to the top where there was a small mansion with a gazebo & open forest behind a metal gate. "My family owns the place. No one will bother us here while we train." Rias explained, jumping off George's back and using her wings to control her descent. She then unlocked the gate, gaining entry to it. Once in the driveway, Kiba & Koneko unhook the harness from George before planting the spike on the bottom of the trailer hitch into the ground.
Now that he was freed from being a pack mule, George changed back to normal, revealing him to be in his work-out attire though he had shaved his facial hair and cut his hair since the bangs had started to cover his face. His girlfriends admitted to themselves that they liked seeing George with a cleaner face.
They unload their gear from the trailer after George unlocked it. While most of their stuff was stored in simple backpacks, George had the audacity to pack a lot more gear, hence the trailer. "I'm an Anderson, we always overpack for a trip, and even then we sometimes forget something." He told them once they were all packed up prior to the trip, along with calling his boss at the daycare that he wouldn't come into work for a bit.
Aside from the usual supplies of clothes for ten days, his medication, toiletries, his laptop, George brought coolers: one with meat & cheese, and another with drinks and a snack he made which he kept as a surprise.
One thing that struck out to Kiba was a sheathed katana that had a worn wooden handle and a black leather sheath. "Great-grandpa Clarence was a postal worker during WWII. He came back from Japan with this katana & a painting of Mt. Fuji." He explained. "So I guess its journey has come full circle in a way." He added.
The final bit of equipment George brought out was a case for a sheathed knife that was big and four rolls of blue paper, similar to blueprint paper. "This is all part of my 4-part training plan to win the Rating Game against that elephant seal." He announced, and it was obvious who he was referring to.
"What plan did you have in mind?" Rias asked. He brought both Sacred Gears,
"Part 1: We got 10 days of training, so I shall unlock 10 Dinosaurs, 1 per day." He started out. That made sense. "Part 2: Since I've been neglecting my Big Red Dragon, I should learn how to start using him properly." George said.
[I am honored, Sire.] Ddraig said.
[Hey! Get your own nickname, Miia!] Owen butted in, feeling jealous.
"Listen here, you scaly beasts! We got 0 time for arguing! If you want to pick at each other, do it on your time!" George yelled at them both, sounding like his mom whenever she got mad. That got both of them to shut up and the others saw how serious George was.
"Getting back on track, Part 3 is teaching you all to fight like me... kind of. I fight in a very brutal fashion since my goal in a fight is to take an opponent down fast & painful. Specifically, break their limbs so they can't fight back." That was a taste of harsh reality since both sides in this fight would be using their arms for fighting; whether hand-to-hand, weapons, or magic. "Last part, and I'll admit this one was a bit last-minute. I have blueprints of weapons for all of you and I would like your opinion on them." He said.
[Even though you already made one for your King.] Owen pointed out. That intrigued Rias. "What did you make for me?" The King asked. She knew George was creative, so whatever weapon he made would be unconventional.
He pulled out the large, sheathed knife, and her eyes widened. It was the Tyrannosaurus rex knife he had shown before but it had been sharpened. "You're giving this to me? Something you made and treasure?" She asked in slight shock.
"Correct. The King's Blade should be in the hands of a King, and as such, I find it fitting that someone of your status wields a weapon made from the King of the Dinosaurs." George explained, naming the weapon. She sheathed the knife and placed it on her waist, before she pulled George into a hug, thanking him.
"What kind of weapons do you have in store for the rest of us?" Akeno asked.
"They are made to compliment your fighting styles." George gave them the smallest of hints. For now, they placed their gear in the house before getting started on training.
XXXXXXXXXX
As they unload their gear in the house, they notice George walking all over the house.
"Since this is a new home for me, and even though it is temporary, I still want to know the basic floor plan; get to know where everything is so I don't get lost trying to find my way to the bathroom or kitchen, especially at night or morning when I have to take my medication." He explained.
"What kind of meds?" Koneko asked out of curiosity.
"An inhaler, two puffs at night and two in the morning, one pill at night, two pills in the morning, and two nasal sprays, same as my inhaler regarding when in the day." He said, counting them off with his fingers.
Once they manage to unload all of their gear, training begins.
XXXXXXXXXX
Day 1: Once George got his phone out and played Son of Man from Disney's Tarzan on loop, he starts out by seeing how much he can boost with Ddraig. He is able to boost himself 8 times, but he couldn't go anymore than that.
[Now fire out the energy from the gauntlet.] Ddraig instructed.
[Just imagine your blasting into one of your girlfriends.] Owen joked.
George fired the charged up energy from the gauntlet as a green beam that struck a distant mountain, causing it to explode in a green mushroom cloud!
"That attack could do damage to even a High-Level Devil." Rias commended.
In his head, George envisioned that, firing the energy beam down Riser's throat or punching him hard enough to send him rocketing into the sky, Team Rocket style. "What else can you do?" George, eager to continue.
[You can also Transfer that energy to an ally. There's also Balance Break, but I don't recommend that right now.] Ddraig said.
That got everyone's attention, hearing that term Ddraig had just used, even George who had no idea what it meant. "Why not?" He asked.
[You're not ready for that level of power yet. The strain from the Red Dragon Emperors power could very easily burn your body alive before you even get a chance to use it] Ddraig explained.
"Fine... How's about yours, Owen?" George asked his Mesozoic Mind, thinking perhaps Ddraig's version was too powerful for him right now. Considering the difference in size between the 2 lizards, that could very well be a possibility.
Owen didn't answer right away. [... yyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaah... about that...] This got everyone confused. [... I... I can't.]
None of the Devils said a word, they were processing what Owen had just said. A Sacred Gear... unable to Balance Break?... WHAT?! That didn't make any sense!
"Y-You can't?" George repeated.
"What do you mean you can't?" Asked Akeno.
[Exactly what I said. I can't!] Owen said, slightly snapping. This must have been a sensitive topic for him.
"So um... what is Balance Break?" Asked Asia.
[The most powerful form a Gear can have... isn't that right, Aladar?] said Ddraig, also poking fun at Owen's lack of said ability.
"But that doesn't make any sense. Sacred Gears were built to evolve with their holders. You evolve already for crying out loud!" Rias corrected.
[Yeah... AFTER.] Owen corrected back. [I was the first Gear ever created, remember? The first one God made with his own hands. A prototype. After I was such a success, more Gears were forged after me, having different effects and abilities. Because of the rate of manufacturing, it became too much for the System to handle, and caused a bug that allowed this abnormal form of growth,] He continued, as the group took this information in.
[Think about it. As nice as God was, do you REALLY think he intended a glitch that could allow mortals to destroy all of creation with a snap of their fingers?... Before he even TRY and could fix it, it was too late. This bug spread all across the system, affected every Sacred Gear after it... after me...] Owen said, his tone becoming depressed. [I'm sorry, sire... but it's the one thing I can't give you...]
While the ORC would never understand what it was like to be transformed into a Gear, they still couldn't help but feel bad for the poor Mesomorph. Because of this change to the System, such a short after being made into one, he lacked the ability that all other Sacred Gears had. But according to himself, it was never intended.
[Aw, too bad. Barney the Amber Dinosaur is just another trinket.] Ddraig teased.
...
...
...
For the first time, Owen didn't give a single comeback. This must really affect him.
"Come on, let's unlock my first Early Jurassic Dinosaur." George said, cheering Owen up. George went to the first tab of the Early Jurassic, the Hettangian. He noticed that while there were 5 dinosaurs, there was something odd about the 5th one. 'I'll remind Owen about that when we get to Day 5.' George made that mental note.
George then selected his 1st Early Jurassic Dinosaur to transform into: the Anchisaurus.
It was slightly smaller than his Coloradisaurus form, at around 3 meters long, 2 feet tall at the hips, & 120lbs. The color consisted of dark brown patches on his upper body and lighter brown, almost white underside.
'Huh. Size is bigger than I thought it was.' George noticed, looking at his new form.
He squared up to Koneko for some light sparring, as both are in a similar size range. The fight was almost even, George able to use his sharp claws on his front limbs & tail, while Koneko was a lot more agile and more brute strength. In the end, he lost after she sent him flying towards a tree and was able to change back to normal.
He then moves on to sword practice with Kiba, using the katana he brought. As they fight, it is quite clear that George had never used the katana before and he treats it like it weighs a lot, holding it with both hands & swinging in big wide arcs.
"You have no sword style, completely random, just large arcing swings." Kiba pointed out.
"Shut up! Talking in a fight is a waste of oxygen!" George snapped. While the rest of the ORC had seen George snap, this was a bit out of line since Kiba just made a slight criticism.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap like that. I just take training seriously." He apologized. "Could be worse, I'd ended up like my uncle." He added, sheathing the katana.
"Oh? What about your uncle? And which one?" Akeno asked, since George had told them that George's family could be compared to Yggdrasil with how extensive it is on both sides. Plus, they always like to know about his family, especially Rias & Akeno.
"If you think I have an anger issue, Uncle Francis, my late father's little brother is even worse. Even though he's a reporter & does 5K runs. He'll snap at you when even the smallest thing goes wrong, like a piece of food he was making falls on the floor. And let's not even talk about his speeding issues." George explained
"Why?" Asia asked.
"When he drives in what we call the Blue Whale, his huge pick-up truck, the road looks dangerous." George said, shuddering.
XXXXXXXXXX
Late afternoon, he shows his surrogate sister Asia what her weapon is: the Sonic Siren. Take a clarinet with the head of a Parasaurolophus attached to the end of it, using it to create soundwaves for offense or defense.
"The idea comes from the fact that you used to play the clarinet when we were at the orphanage and since the sound of a Parasaur has been recently identified as sounding like a foghorn, why not weaponize it?" George described.
"Oh thank you, George. I will admit that the idea of fighting is scary but using my clarinet combined with my favorite Dinosaur is ingenious." Asia thanked him.
XXXXXXXXXXX
During dinner of Chinese spicy pork, rice, & seasoned green beans,
"Uh George, since when do you eat green beans and not take them like your pills?" Asia asked, taken off guard since George has a history of not liking vegetables, especially green beans & corn, the latter of which still causes him to gag to the day.
"I now buy them frozen, then steam them, before adding season. In this case, onions & lemon." He explained, trying to eat with chopsticks which he struggled with before he switched back to a fork.
"I would like to know what we're going up against in this Rating Game. To quote the greatest general in the Star Wars Empire, Grand Admiral Thrawn: "To defeat your enemy, you must learn from them. Not just their battle tactics, but their history, philosophy, art." George asked.
"Very well, then." Rias said. She then explains each member of the Phenex Peerage, with George pointing out those that are a high level threat: Riser, his Queen & sister, and others that can use fire magic.
Once they had dinner, George passed out treats he made for them: no-bake S'mores brownies. Koneko had a glazed look in her eyes as she ate hers slowly to savor it.
"I also have some entertainment that will be useful for us: a war-based strategy game called Impossible Creatures." He said. He then got his laptop set up along with the game itself, while explaining the game & mechanics of it.
He shows them a video he recorded of a session he did, using what he calls the Perfect Army.
They watch with intrigue, with Akeno loving the electric eel + grizzly bear hybrid. The session lasted for 90 minutes or so and the strategy George used was to create 9 members of each unit and attack the enemy base and workshops once they were fully upgraded for the majority of the game, before sending out all of his units, minus the zebra + chimp hybrids since the rocks they throw can harm allies. After watching the combined creatures destroy the enemy lab, which was a train of all things, they all get ready for bed.
While Asia, Koneko, & Kiba all sleep in the guest rooms, Rias & Akeno join George in the main bedroom. "Ok promise to not laugh." George asked, as he pulled something out of his backpack... which was a stuffed T. rex. It was a bit worn down but still recognizable.
"Looks cute." Rias said, patting the soft head. "Why did you bring it with you? You'll be 18 in two years." Akeno asked.
"Quick story: when I was recovering in the hospital after the crash, my grandma bought this for me and he's been with me ever since. Rexy is my security blanket to keep me safe when I'm sleeping in an unfamiliar house." He explained, stroking the back of it like how one would stroke a cat.
"You're ok, George. We won't laugh at you." Rias said, petting him. "Besides, seeing you be scared makes you look cute." Akeno flirted, making him blush.
As they cuddle, Rias practically clung to George since she was afraid of letting him go and he would vanish before her eyes.
XXXXXXXXXX
Day 2: The second day started off with a stark surprise for George as he entered the large open-air mixed bath, wearing just a green towel around his body. The steam made it hard to see and he left his glasses behind at a bench so they don't get fogged up. But what made him nervous was the way he was eying the bath, as if he was afraid of how deep it is.
"I need to get in so I can clean up but how deep is it?" He groaned, "Curse my lack of swimming skills!" He said out loud.
"Why didn't you tell us?" He turned around and had to squint hard but he could make out the outlines of Rias & Akeno approaching, with Rias having put her hair up in a short ponytail while Akeno had let her hair down, which made it really longer than normal.
"Not exactly something that comes up in a conversation." He said, embarrassed.
[You're from California.] Ddraig pointed out. George had no answer.
[You do need to learn how to swim eventually, Sire. After all, Spinosaurs are adapted for swimming and you will have to use them at some point.] Owen reminded him.
"Calm down, George. It doesn't even go to your waist." Rias said, standing in the bath, the water barely reaching her knees. "And we know how bad your eyesight is without your glasses, so trust us to wash you." Akeno added, pulling him in.
As the pair washed him, he was able to prevent his tool from standing at attention by keeping his towel around his waist.
After washing up & breakfast, George then unlocks his second Dinosaur: Sinosaurus.
It looked similar to his Liliensternus form and same length at 5 meters but heavier at 770lbs. The pair of crests were orange and even looked like orange slices. The body was a mix of dark blue & green, thick jagged stripes. After that, he taught Koneko one of his fighting techniques which ended with her on the ground, surprisingly as he had swept a leg under her own and did a mock punch to her face. He then did more sword sparring with Kiba & ended the day with magic training with Akeno.
"This allows me to show your weapon to you, Akeno. I think you'll love it." He said, pulling out the blueprint. She practically drooled at the concept: the Thunder Whip.
"Combine Boba Fett's gauntlet with the whip-tail of Brontosaurus which translates to... Thunder Lizard." He explained. She gave him a sweet smile before she kissed his cheek,
"You are just feeding my S&M nature, Georgie; and I love it." She said, eager for her weapon... once it was made. He felt a bit creeped out but she is his girlfriend.
XXXXXXXXXX
Day 3: It started to rain but George was ok with this, for some reason. His third Early Jurassic Dinosaur is also his first Ornithosuchian: Heterodontosaurus. Small, at only 5 feet long & 22lbs.
While it did stand on two legs, have 5 fingers with only the first 3 having claws, two things stood out. One was that the skull was short, rounded, with a short bird-like beak, and with 3 types of teeth: molars in the back, incisors, and 4 pairs of canines in the front, just behind the beak. The head also has a short triangular crest just in front of the eyes.
The other part that stood out was the integument or skin covering. While the body did have light brown scale with white stripes, there was a series of black quill-like feathers sticking out from the top, going from behind the crest, longest on the mid-section, and ending on the tail.
"Never seen a dinosaur that wasn't a bird with feathers on it before." Kiba said, surprised.
"A recent discovery of a relative in China back in 2009 called Tianyulong, had feathers on it; so it is assumed that Heterodontosaurus had feathers too. In fact, scientists are calling it a "two-legged porcupine". George telepathically described.
"So why did you not mind the rain then?" Rias asked, kneeling down so she was eye-level with George since he barely came to her knees in terms of height. If he could, he would smirk.
"This!" He then started digging into the soft earth, using his beak, tusks, clawed forelimbs, back legs & even his tail for balance while creating a burrow in the ground.
Once the weather cleared up, George, having changed back, showed Rias how to use her new knife properly using a rubber knife.
"Ok I want you to follow my instructions clearly. Understand?" He asked her.
"Understood." She said, nodding.
"Now you are going to swing the knife towards me using your dominant arm in a back & forth motion when I say begin," He said, emulating the motion, "and I will defend myself." He explained.
"You sure about this?" She asked, concerned since she would never hurt George on purpose.
"Relax, the knife is made of rubber so no chance of hurting me or you." He reassured her.
"Alright if you say so." She said, twirling it around to have the blade facing George.
"Begin!" With that, Rias swung the blade towards George in an upward motion/back & forth. To her shock & the others, George did a small jump before blocking the strike with his hands in an X- fashion before lifting her arm up, trapping it between his own arms, lightly pulling her to his right, and turning the knife against her by doing a mock stab to the middle of her back. She froze, scared. Realizing this, Gabe let her go & hugged her,
"I'm sorry! My body acted on instinct!" He apologized for scaring her. She was shivering. He pets her back for extra reassurance, rubbing her shoulders. She was able to calm down,
"I'm ok. Just got a little scared there. I appreciate you teaching me that, George." She said. She looked at the others,
"I think that should be enough training for today." Rias said, still a bit shaken up.
To close up the third day, George showed Kiba the blueprints for his weapon which was the appropriately named Tricera Shield, a scaled down model of the skull of Triceratops to be used as a shield. "You may be a Knight and use a sword but you can't be a true Knight in my eyes without a shield." George commented.
"I appreciate the offer, George." Kiba thanked him.
XXXXXXXXXX
Day 4: On the 4th day, George unlocks another theropod: Dracovenator.
Once again, similar to Liliensternus, at 5 meters long & 400lbs. The pair of crests are orange and have a pair of short spurs on the back. The colors are mainly a faint ash gray with black vertical stripes on the upper body.
"You know I'm seeing a trend with some of his theropods as he has four with crests: Zupaysaurus, Liliensternus, Sinosaurus, & now Dracovenator." Akeno listed off.
[I happen to like the name of this one.] Ddraig piped in.
"Well, the "Draco" refers to its discovery in the foothills of Drakensberg in South Africa, which is "Dragon's Mountain" in the Dutch language. "Venator" is Latin for Hunter." George described the origin of its name.
[Still like it.] Ddraig defended.
The final blueprint George had is for Koneko's weapon: heels that have wedges with Dromaeosaur/Raptor talons at the ends.
"This was actually Owen's idea as he says that Dromaeosaur claws are the most similar to the claws of cats though I did have to remind him that they would be used in a fashion not unlike birds of prey, eagles & hawks as an example." George described. "Plus with these heels, you can be a bit taller and not have to worry about falling over." He added.
"Heels would mess up my fighting style no thank you." She pointed out.
"Just thinking you need to learn how to use your legs as well, don't rely on your fists or else someone who's good at using kicks will defeat you." He suggested. "If not, perhaps instead of heels, boxing gloves with the same concept in mind?" He said, pointing out an alternative weapon idea.
"I do see your point regarding my combat blind spot. As for the Ripper Gloves instead of the Ripper Heels, those will work if the former falls flat." Koneko added her two bits to his idea. "Still, I do like what you have in mind for me."
"I would've gone for either an Ankylosaurus's armor plating for a suit of armor or a mace based on its tail club but then you would have to switch between your fists & the mace and the armor would've slowed you down." He said, admitting his original idea.
"I do prefer the Raptor claws over wearing heavy armor or the mace." She said, agreeing with him for once.
XXXXXXXXXX
Day 5: George tries to unlock the 5th Dinosaur, which he could tell was some kind of large Sauropod but he gets an error message that says, "Will be unlocked on the following date: Sep 29, 2018."
"Oh well, this means that I can move to the next stage of the Early Jurassic." The Pawn pointed out.
The next stage was the Sinemurian.
[Ok Sire, this next one has had an informal name since Aug 4, 1996. However, the rules of unlocking Dinosaurs are going to be bent for a few.] Owen said.
George then transformed into the Dinosaur: Saltriosaurus, one of the few known Italian Dinosaurs.
The theropod was big: 8 feet tall, 23 feet long, & over 3,000lbs! The colors are a faint orange topside with blue-purple reticulated spots on the main body with a yellow underside. A row of short osteoderms run down the back, and there's a pair of blue eyebrow ridges in front of the eyes along with a short nasal horn. The short yet muscular arms end in 3 sharp claws, with a reduced 4th digit.
The others are impressed by the size of the theropod before George has some fun stretching his legs chasing Kiba around the forest before he almost hit him with a blast of white fire from his mouth! Kiba dodged it and it struck a tree, instantly turning it to ash!
"Where did you get the idea to breath fire?!" Kiba asked, surprised by seeing a fire breathing dinosaur.
'I got the idea after seeing a few similarities to Dragons due to the large size, horns on the head, and the row of osteoderms down the back.' George telepathically said.
"Looks like my lessons on teaching you magic are paying off." Akeno said, patting his nasal horn.
XXXXXXXXXX
Day 6: George unlocks his first armored Dinosaur: Scutellosaurus. It was small, around 4 feet long, 20 inches tall at hips, & 22lbs.
The body was primarily a dark swamp green-brown with dark red stripes on his mid-section that continues to the tail with a cream-colored yellow underside. The arms had 3 short nail-like claws. The head was small, long, rectangular, with a beak on the lower jaw. As for the armor, his upper body from the neck down to the tail was covered in dark brown sharp scutes.
He has an idea for what kind of magic to use; to do so, he has a target with a crude caricature of Riser's face on it. With rage on just seeing his face, his spikes glow a bright purple before he fires small purple darts from them, similar to the Earth move card Spike Arrows from Dinosaur King. About half of them hit the target.
XXXXXXXXXX
Day 7: George unlocks a famous Early Jurassic Dinosaur: Massospondylus. This is another early sauropod & is around the size of a horse, at 5.7 meters long, 1.3 meters tall at the hip, & nearly half a ton in weight. His body is mainly an ashen gray with a faint, almost nonexistent yellow on his neck & underside.
Like with his Plateosaurus form, he is able to shoot a blast of water from his mouth. This is good news for him as he is able to dip his head & part of his neck into the mud of the puddle he created to get rid of the mosquitoes trying to make a meal of his blood, so it appears he forgot to pack bug spray.
[Ah mosquitoes: the only females you believed you could ever attract...] Ddraig blurted out.
Owen laughed out loud, agreeing with Ddraig for once. [Oh-ho! Now THAT'S funny!]
Rias and Akeno wanted to slap them, but that would hurt George too. "Don't you dare think that again!" Rias yelled at him.
"However, should we encounter any Vampires or Mosquito-based Strays, you can be sure that they'll be put down before they can make a meal out of you... " Akeno said, showing off a bit of a Yandere personality, hand sparking with electricity.
"You have a bad history with bugs: first stinging ones, and now ones hungry for blood." Koneko deadpanned, eating a S'mores brownie.
XXXXXXXXXX
Day 8: George unlocks another fleet-footed Ornithopod: Lesothosaurus. Slightly larger at 1 foot tall, 2 meters long, but only 12lbs.
While his body had green scales, only the tip of his mouth, hands, legs past the thigh, and majority of his tail are visible. That's because his body is covered in soft fur-like feathers. His head & neck have black feathers with two dirty white bands on his neck, while the main body has light brown feathers with a white underside, similar to some hoofed animals, like antelope.
However, he spent most of his time transformed being cuddled by Rias & Akeno, as they were fawning over how adorable he looked, and also for payback from yesterday.
XXXXXXXXXX
Day 9: George tried to unlock another Ornithopod but it won't be available until October 9 of this year. Thankfully, once he sees what the next Dinosaur is, his whole face lights up with glee and he giggles with delight.
"George, which one is it?" Asia asked. "Oh the most famous Early Jurassic Dinosaur!" He said before he transformed into it: Dilophosaurus! It was much bigger than they thought it would be: 2 meters tall, 7 meters long, & 800lbs!
The body was mainly a simple brown with orange-yellow patches on his upper body and dark brown feathers from behind the head to the midsection of the tail and kept to the top part of the upper body. The head has a deep robust lower law, the notch in the upper jaw isn't as pronounced as previously thought, the teeth aren't as long & fang-like, & the pair of crests from where it gets its name are concave inwards, hollow, and large, colored in a bright orange.
While George would want to make his presence known using the metallic blood-chilling roar from When Dinosaurs Roamed America, he held back to not blow out the rest of the ORC's ear drums.
"I was expecting it to be smaller." Kiba said, surprised by how big the crested theropod was. 'That's because the one seen in the JP movie was a juvenile, the one in the novel was fully grown.' George telepathically clarified. While he does lack the frilled lizard frill, he does have feathers, along with the bright orange crests on his head that resemble an Indian hornbill's or a Cassowary's. As for the venomous spit, which is also not real, he can use magic to make it real.
George is having so much excitement about it, that he can't sleep. Instead, he heads out to the courtyard to breathe in the night air, and he sees Rias in a gazebo staring at the stars, wearing glasses. He approached her, "Can't sleep?" He asked his King.
"Something like that. Though Devils are creatures of the night." She said. He leaned against the railing next to her,
"So why are you wearing glasses?" He asked another question.
"It helps me think clearly." She explained.
"I see. I like how they look, they made you appear professional." He complimented.
She smiled, "Thank you, Georgie." Rias said, using his nickname.
'Suck up.' Owen commented, but was ignored.
Rias then went quiet and tilted her head down. After doing some thinking, George puts an arm around her back, "What's eating at you?" He asked, this time out of concern for what could be troubling her.
"This will be my- excuse me, our first Rating Game. While the elephant seal has been in 100s... and the only time he lost was due to good PR with the opponent." She said nervous for what's to come in a short amount of time.
"Allow me to brighten your outlook then." He said, catching her gaze. "Sure it will be 9 vs. 16, I will be using my Familiars to give us an edge, and are slightly stronger than us, but we have something that stupid waste of a lifeform that his mom probably regrets naming & giving birth to: intelligence. I mean, that thing is so hot-headed, I bet its brain is so deep-fried, he can't even do basic math!" George insulted their opponent, as saying its name would only stroke its ego.
That made Rias laugh hard, holding her sides.
[You know the only reason why this is even an issue is because Devils have a low reproductive rate, like elephants.] Owen spilled the beans, regarding the reproductive nature of Devils.
George, understanding how animals with low reproductive rates are endangered, like the aforementioned elephants, makes a promise to Rias.
"I, George Anderson, do swear to change that part of our biology. Perhaps create a pill to increase fertility & virility, the opposite of a birth control pill." George said, hugging Rias. Her eyes widened in surprise before they softened and returned the hug, kissing George on the cheek,
"I do absolutely love & admire the devotion you have for saving our race, George. It's sweet of you." She said, "Though, save that idea for later. We got a Rating Game to win." Rias added, getting him back on track for the main event to come up.
XXXXXXXXXX
On the last day of training, George unlocks one more Dinosaur: Scelidosaurus.
This is an armored Dinosaur, like Scutellosaurus, but bigger: 1.5 meters tall at the hips, 12 feet long, & 600lbs. The body is a mix of swamp brown & green, with dark brown extensive sharp scutes, even on the upper parts of all four legs.
However, this transformation came at a cost: he's on all four legs and only able to rear up for a short period of time, just enough to tap the gem on the chest, changing him back.
After that, they finish packing up before tomorrow where the Gremory peerage will fight against the odds to protect their King.
54Godamora: Surprise! Bet you weren't expecting a new chapter so soon, now did you? So yes, me & my bro have agreed that we'll devote our time to DinosaursXDevils until we complete season 1. . . with some rules that I agreed to. Care to list the ones that are relevant, brother?
Hareta Kuso: You do that. Remember it took courage to agree to those and you know why.
54Godamora: Well ok then. One of the rules was that after we complete season 1 of this, the same treatment for Amnesic applies: we don't stop working on Amnesiac until we complete season 1 AND until all of Imp's Harem are there, with one exception but that's spoiler territory. Now onto this chapter. This is one that changed very little from the original rough draft as most of these undergo heavy revisions that I appreciate from our editor, Bakuganmann. That said, there was more I wanted to include like a more in-depth look at George's exercise routine, but that would be more work than we can handle. Now I want your all's opinion of the Weapon ideas for the Peerage, mainly Koneko's; should she have the Raptor Heels or Raptor gloves? Your decision will change a slight detail for the next chapter. Which brings us to the next announcement. Take it away, Rias.
Rias: Thank you, 54. The next chapter will be our first two-parter, as the Rating Game will be split in two so that you aren't reading something that's so long it becomes a chore.
54Godamora: Correct. However, work on the chapter will have to be put on hold from February 3-9, I'll be traveling to Michigan to celebrate my Nana's 90th birthday, screw COVID travel restrictions, my mother says! (I'm paraphrasing.) As always, we don't own DXD, and all designs of the Dinosaurs belong to Cisiopurple, and all material referenced belong to their respective properties.
Both: Peace!
