Chapter 12

Clash of Rivals.

It's time for the first ever battle of the Azazel Cup! But first we will have a look at the reactions of the others before the match begins. Also rules for the elimination match shall be explained but before that let's see how the others handled seeing the new Issei Hyoudou.

With the Gremory Group

Rias Gremory was inconsolable. She was sitting in the corner of their break room, with her back against the wall and her knees drawn up against her chest. Her mind replayed images of the last few months of her life. They were the happiest that she has ever known. Ise came into her life, and like a hurricane, turned her whole world upside down…but in the best way possible.

At first, she honestly didn't think much of him. Sure, he was kind of cute, in a silly little brother kind of way, but she never imagined the impact the he would truly have on her life. His strength, his determination and his chivalrous will. Those were the qualities that Issei had which allowed him to blow away the lingering darkness plaguing her peerage.

He did the impossible and defeated the Immortal Phenex to save her from a fate worse than death, in her opinion. He helped Yuuto bury his demons, he showed Koneko that it was okay to be afraid of your power but that she shouldn't run away from it because of that fear. He managed to pull Gasper out of his shell and allow him to once more be a functioning member of her peerage. He even helped Akeno get over the hatred she had harboured for years and show her true smile once again.

Rias was ashamed to admit that these issues were things that she should have dealt with a long time ago by due to her own personal issues, she allowed them to continue growing. Truly, a King in the making. But then Ise came along, and he barrelled through all of their problems with the force of a freight train and blew them all way. She could have tried, but it was impossible to resist falling in love with him. Sure, he was a colossal pervert, but she didn't mind that aspect of him one bit. If anything, it made him even more endearing to her as he never once tried to hide his true nature from anyone or pretend to be something he's not. His honesty and unthinking charisma just drew her in like a moth to a flame, and before she knew it she was madly in love with him.

It wasn't an easy road from then on though. Issei seemed to be completely oblivious to her advances and looking back, she can see how she had missed the obvious signs of his lingering trauma. A woman in love can be a little selfish sometimes, something that they are rightly entitled to. But in this case, it had backfired spectacularly. She was so focused on her desires and her needs that she completely overlooked his. She just assumed that he would be happy to be with someone as beautiful as her and decided in her mind that they would be together. A lack of communication really messed up an already delicate situation.

She still remembered the day she blew her top on in the clubroom. The combination of the stress she was feeling as well as the growing feeling of jealously towards Ravel caused her emotions to boil over. She snapped at him over something as simple as what he called her. Looking back, she can see how stupid it was of her. She was the one who told him to always refer to her as 'Buchou' even when he used to call her by her name in the beginning. She expected him to magically forget that just because she wanted to hear her name from his lips. It wasn't really reasonable even if Ise should have picked up on the signs she was giving him.

Maybe it was also a bit of cowardice of her part. She was also afraid of the rejection she could possibly face. She could have confessed her feelings for him at any time, but she never did. In a way, she was afraid that he would feel the same way she did about Riser. Her family did arrange them to be married when the two of them graduated from college after all. It wouldn't have been out of place to be outraged at the prospect of being forced to marry someone. She had felt those emotions not too long ago and knew how the resentment could eat away at you. But after the fight with Saiorag, he called her by her name and it made her so happy to hear his feelings for her that she couldn't hold back the waterworks.

And since then, they were closer than before but when the war ended. That's when things took a turn. Issei had been pushing himself so he could go to a more prestigious college than Kuoh University and she was okay with that but also nervous since their relationship had been a bit strained since college and reality started to kick in. It seemed that Issei was trying to make himself better than before and thinking back on their relationship she didn't know what she had actually done to get better. When they talked it just felt like he was drifting away from her and she was scared of losing him but she didn't know what to do.

That was until she had an idea. At first it seemed brilliant but as Akeno, Reiji, and herself continued their relationship it became more than a fake boyfriend. They actually started comparing him to Issei and began to badmouth him which they didn't realize how consequential their actions may be. But now hearing him destroy the marriage contract was the final nail in the coffin that destroyed any chance of her asking or begging for forgiveness.

She wished that she had been a better girlfriend and a better king.

Asia Argento was sitting on the loveseat across from Koneko, curled up into a ball. Her shuddering sobs were the only sounds that could be heard in the room. Right now, she didn't know what to do. The light of her life, her guardian angel, was gone. She felt so empty right now, like a part of her soul was missing.

Issei had been the one to give her everything that she had ever wanted, even some things that she didn't even know she did. Even though Rias was the one to reincarnate her, she understood that it would have never happened had it not been for Ise's stubbornness and his unquenchable desire to save her.

To be her friend. To give her the life and a reason to keep living. He believed that she deserved to live her life and make her dream a reality and if that wasn't enough, he had sacrificed a majority of his lifespan to exact vengeance on her behalf when he thought that Shalba Beelzebub had killed her. Therefore, it came as no surprise that she fell unequivocally in love with him. No, it was even before that time. When Asia truly fell in love with him...was when he became her first friend, when he wanted to save her, and he wanted to be there for her no matter what.

But for Asia, just being by his side was enough for her, or so she told herself. But as the days went on, she became greedier. Maybe it was the nature of the devil that was affecting her, but she wanted more. She wanted more of his love and his attention. She wanted it focused on her. She thought back to the day when she said those horrible things to him in the park and felt a searing pain in her heart. She remembered the look of hurt that appeared on his face at her words when she yelled at him in the club room that time before he confessed to Rias, but it was too late, the damage had been done.

Ever since then, things had changed between them. When Issei left his home for those few months she was afraid that if they reunited she would have lost that special place in his heart that belonged solely to her. As the days past she regretted the events of that day ever since it happened, especially when she lied to Ken about her relationship with Issei. But what hurt her even more was when she realised the trauma that Ise might have been carrying from what Raynare did to him. It made her feel horrible. She had so easily disregarded his feelings and his worries in favour of her own happiness. When had she become thins type of person?

And now…it was too late. He was ready to leave her behind and continue his life. She would never get to say that she was sorry. She would never have the opportunity to beg for his forgiveness. She couldn't help but wonder if this was her punishment from God. Maybe this was her penance she had to pay for being so selfish, for being so ungrateful of what she had been given that she so casually tossed it away like garbage. As the sobs wracked her body, she fell into a silent cycle of despair and self-loathing, wondering if this horrible pain and emptiness would go away.

Which was something Raynare truly enjoyed as she watched the girl drown in her tears. She laughed as if this was the greatest entertainment in the world now she only had to make sure that the girl didn't fail her in the tournament. If all else fails, she'll just possess Rias and take temporary control over her. It wouldn't be the first time she had done it and it wouldn't be that last.

Koneko sat on one of the loveseats in the room, staring blankly into space, her face more emotionless than usual. Her eyes though, couldn't hide the grief that she was feeling. She remembered that she always only saw him as an unrepentant pervert who needed a serious beating but as she got to know him she realized something crucial about him. He wasn't just the shameless pervert that she thought he was. There was more to him, a greater depth to his beliefs that attracted her like a moth to the flame. He had an inner strength and conviction that he used to blow away the years of doubt and fear that she felt of herself and her power.

He helped her overcome the trauma of her childhood along with helping her reconcile with her older sister. Something that she would forever be thankful for. But most importantly, he gave her back the smile she had long since thought she had lost.

Being with him brought a new found happiness and joy to her, one that she would have never thought possible. She was hopeful of pursuing a relationship with him. He made no secret of his desire for a harem, and she had no problems with being part of it as she knew he would treat her well.

She also knew that her Master, Rias had a claim on the lovable pervert. So it was sort of an unwritten rule amongst them that before any of them could further pursue their relationships with him, his relationship with Rias will have to first be solidified as she would act as the head of the harem. Which was why it was a little frustrating to see that there was almost no progress being made between them. Ise was as oblivious to his own charms as ever and Rias was far too afraid to make a move. It was causing no small amount of headaches and heartaches for the rest of them.

Which was why they were a little snappy at him on that fateful night in the Kuoh park. Looking back, she can't help but be ashamed of herself at her behaviour. While her frustrations were understandable, it was never any excuse to say something that could be construed as hurtful to someone, especially one as kind and caring as Ise. It was done in the heat of the moment and she realised soon after that she had stepped over the line. She thought that dating another boy would give her the experience she needed to become someone better but she knew that she would probably regret those actions for a long time.

When Ise came back from his disappearance a few months ago, she was awestruck to see how strong he had gotten once again. The power that radiated from his Balance Breaker was something that truly shook her to the core. She was amazed by how different he looked. He still had the same smile and warmth from his aura but the way he stood tall and spoke made her realize that she had fucked up big time and now there was no chance of her being with him at all.

While she was bashing herself, a certain fallen was watching from the inside of a another fallen.

Akeno Himejima was much in the same way as Koneko. She was sitting on a wooden chair, dead to the world. Her eyes were blank and she was unresponsive. She spent the entire time lost within her own thoughts. She wondered if it was her fate to lose the people that she loved. Whether it was to death or most times, her own machinations. She thought back to the years of self-loathing she endured. While she would forever be thankful to Rias for all that she had done for her, Issei held a special place in her heart.

Akeno knew that, for all her usual composure and the façade she put up, she had this horrible habit of acting on impulse and making the worst possible decisions possible. This was evidenced by the way in which she handled her relationship with her father. For all those years, she could have been comforted in his warmth, they could have shared their grief together and grew closer over time. But she threw that all away.

She could be forgiven to some extent as she was still a young girl at that point. It was normal that she had no way to deal with the horrors that she had witnessed and as such blamed the most convenient person possible. It wasn't something that she was proud of, looking back, but she had needed to do something like that or else she would have broken.

As the years went on and she matured, she could have found a healthy way to deal with her emotions and rekindle her relationship with her father, but she bottled it all up. She hung on desperately to the pointless hatred that festered in her heart. But then Ise came along…and he blew away all that negativity with his kindness and his compassion.

Even though he was one of the biggest perverts she had ever known, he had a heart bigger than anyone could possibly imagine. He took it all. All of her hatred, all of her self-loathing and all of her insecurities and shouldered them on his back for her. He gave her warmth and love, he accepted all her flaws and put her on a pedestal that she never deserved. He even repaired the relationship with her father, the one that had been so badly broken, and had given her back her feeling of belonging. And before she knew it, she had fallen deeply in love with him.

When the incident in the room with Reiji happened, she was so caught up in the heat of the moment that she allowed all the impatience and frustration of the roadblock in her relationship with Issei and let it all go as she bashed the man and cut into her beloved Ise with the one thing that he couldn't defend himself from. Her words. While seemingly inconsequential to most, they had a deep effect on the pawn. His past trauma, his doubts and his own self-loathing…all of those festering wounds were the ones that the salt of her words rubbed into. She could see, from the hurt in his eyes, that she had made a mistake. But it was too late to take back her words. The regret from saying such hurtful things to the man she hurt was something that ate at her soul from that day forward.

When he left for those few months, it was pure torture for her. She would wait, every day, hoping she would see him again. Hoping that she could get the chance to say she was sorry, to beg for his forgiveness. When he finally did return in the games, she could instantly tell something had changed. He had changed. Not necessarily in a bad way, but not in a way that would make things go back to the way they were. He was a lot stronger, both physically and mentally. She could see it in his eyes when he looked at the crowd.

She didn't hold the same place of reverence that she once did in his heart. She wasn't the 'Great Onee-sama' anymore. She was just plain old Akeno. Just another girl in his life. In most cases, this would be a good thing to her as she just wanted to be treated as another girl. But that wasn't the case. She was just another friend to him, no, not even a friend, just another stranger…and she couldn't stand that. After experiencing his love, his warmth…she didn't want to give it up. She was addicted, and she never wanted to shake the habit.

She told herself that she would give him time. Time to cool down and put what happened in the past. When he was at a good place with her once again…she would tell him of her feelings. She would beg and grovel for another chance if she had to. She would throw away her pride and her dignity for those things never brought her any form of happiness…not like he had. But it was too late.

He had called off the marriage contract. There was no chance that he would ever accept her. Now all she had left were the bittersweet memories that would plague her till the end of her days. She thought that it was a fitting punishment for a being as disgusting as her. She wished so badly that she didn't force him away from her.

Mittelt was grinning as she saw both the sadness, depression, and fear from the two. She licked her lips as she looked at the soul and was so tempted to just go ahead and be done with the fallen and consume her soul entirely. "It would be so easy to just take over her body entirely and then take the poor kitty cat down." She drew back her hand before she touched it. "But I know Ophis and it'll be troublesome if I made her mad. Enjoy your last few days Akeno and you better not lose otherwise I'll have to reveal a trick from my bag."

Let's see how Kalawarner is doing in Irina's body.

Kalawarner had taken over the girls body and used the mind control spell that she put on Xenovia to order the girl. Xenovia followed her as the two were wearing cloaks and went to see someone who they were meeting with.

They found an abandoned area and went to the shadows. "Hello? We're here. No one followed us."

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

"I'm surprised that you were able to make it. Did you have trouble getting away from the others?"

'Irina' shook her head. "No. It was easy getting away from them, especially those so called boyfriends who fell for the old sob story."

The figure stepped out of the shadows to reveal herself as Ophis but she was definitely different than her little loli self. This new transformation shocked Kalawarner as she saw the Ouroboros Dragon of Infinity. Instead of looking like a little girl, she now looked like an older teenager and had all the curves that came with puberty. Her eyes and hair were practically the same, but a small amount of dark black and purple eyeliner decorated them. She also had the Ouroboros symbol of the infinity snake shaped into a circlet like diadem on her forehead. She even had infinity sign hoop earrings on each of her pointed ears.

Her new 'skimpy' armor was even more revealing than Kalawarner could've even imagined. Black armored thigh high boots went up each leg. A similar pair of gauntlets covered her forearms and went up to her shoulders in some type of armored sleeve. Her shoulders now had snake shaped pauldrons and a cloak attached to them which flowed behind her back. Over her waist, she was wearing some type of loincloth miniskirt barely covering a noticeable armored black thong. She a matching and armored midriff breastplate over her chest

If Kalawarner wasn't in the pathetic girls body then she would've kissed Ophis and begged her to take her first time there and now. Well after Issei of course. Ophis smirked as she looked at the lustful look that Kalawarner gave her and she was hoping to get the same kind of reaction from Issei after reuniting with him.

Perhaps she could use that to get Issei to take her on a date.

Ophis held her right hand out and a snake came out. The snake slithered today Xenovia and slithered it's way up to Xenovia's mouth and entered her body without any resistance. Xenovia had her head down as she looked like a blank slate until she raised her head and the infinity mark appeared on her forehead.

Ophis smiles as she puts the girl to sleep. "Thank you for the favor. I'm sorry but I needed a way to make sure I can keep tabs from the inside and who better than the dumbest girl in the entire Gremory peerage. She's already under your control so use her well until you no longer need her."

Kalawarner smiles darkly. "Trust me. The only thing the girl is useful for is being my personal slave and weapon." She kissed the girls lips and Xenovia moaned as she was kissed by the fake Irina. Kalawarner smiles as she puts her hold back on. "We need to get back. The others will wonder where we are. I'll be sure to inform the others of the situation and the fake Reiji is playing his part very well. Raynare sure knew how to convince the clone to betray its master."

Ophis nodded. "Indeed and do keep an eye on them. Make sure the plan goes off without any issues. We need the Gremory group to make it to the final four if not then it'll make things more difficult to do the ritual and expose their boyfriends."

Kalawarner nodded as she lifted her slave and carried her back to the others. Ophis looked at them before checking the time. "I should get back to the match. I want to make sure I get the best seat to watch the match." She vanished back into the shadows as she smiles a kind one as she wishes to reunite with him.

Issei had gotten back into his battle attire. He chose who his pieces would be for the first fight and they were excited about going up against their first devil peerage. Issei remembers facing them when he was still with the Gremory faction so he knew what they were capable of.

Sona Sitri was capable of water magic and was an excellent tactician but she didn't know anything about other pieces that Issei had so she would be trying to attack him first before taking on the others.

Issei heard that Tsubaki and Kiba were participating as Sona's Queen and her second knight. It made sense since the two wanted to have some fun and enjoy the fight. Tsubaki was a difficult one since her Sacred Gear was Mirror Alice. It had the ability to reflect magical attacks with double the damage on the attacker, but cannot be summoned twice in a row without a cool-down period, however, she's grown to be able to able to use multiple mirrors at once but the problem is that it drains her magic even faster. And the mirrors don't work in physical attacks.

The bishops were no pushovers either and the two were a deadly duo in magic. Momo Hanakai has the artificial sacred gear Applause Wall which had the ability to generate strong defensive force field barriers at will within a certain distance. The other bishop was known as Reya Kusaka. Her Sacred Gear was known as Scouting Persona which took on the form of a multitude of floating masks, that can then be used for surveillance activities like searching for enemies, gathering and relaying information across long distances, and can also be made to act as a shield but they were weak to any physical or magical attack.

The Knights were another story. Tomoe Meguri wielded a katana known as the Dragon Slaying Blade of Light and Darkness. It was a sword that contained a mixture of both light and darkness attributes with high destructive powers and it possessed the ability to cut down spirits without physical form.

Kiba on the other hand was no joke since his Sacred Gears were a fused version of the Blade Blacksmith and Sword Birth. It allowed him to create demonic and holy weapons at his disposal. His Balance Breaker allowed him to summon holy knights with demonic weapons. By himself, he was a one man army.

Then came the only rook on the team, Tsubasa Yura. Her Sacred Gear was unique. It was called Twinkle Aegis. It created a giant shield that was made of light for defensive purposes, it could also be released towards the enemy while spinning while having fire and lightning surrounding it. It could also become a large barrier of light while having flames surrounding it. The Fairy within the Sacred Gear is also capable of changing its offensive and defensive abilities in accordance to the attribute of the fairy.

Then we had the Pawns Saji Genshirou and Ruruko Nimura. Saji's Sacred Gear was the Prison Dragon's Sacred Gears which consisted of multiple abilities along with Ruruko's Sacred Gear which could strengthen the power and capabilities on the users legs, granting them an increase in combat performance such as greatly enhanced speed and immensely powerful kicks. It can also leave behind after images of the user to confuse their opponents. The Balance Breaker allows her to move so fast that others around her appear to be slow.

They were a terrifying force to be reckoned with but so was his team.

He turned to the screen as Azazel explained the rules.

"Alright then time to get the party started! For this battle, the elimination shall take place in a simple plains field. Who in the audience had ever seen Narnia before?"

A few replied that they have and a few shouted how they liked it.

"Well the way the tournament will be working is that we will be having the events in different arenas that match the battle and will help either side take care of their opponents. So here we have the battle in Narnia. Kings, prepare for battle. Familiars can join the battle as well to aid their masters.

The groups were teleported on opposite sides of the field. Sona looked at her team and saw they were on a grassy plain with the sun beaming at them and the wind blew past them as they turned to see large rock formations that could provide cover for troops.

A large holographic screen was in front of Sona and it listed the pieces she had and how many allies were on her side. She noticed that her knights were in armor and rode horses as there were around 100 horsemen that were ready to do battle. Tsubasa and her Pawns were in foot soldiers armor and also had 100 troops with her that were armed and ready.

Her bishops were in Archer attire with a small squad and Tsubaki stood in a generals armor and her Naginata was in her hands as she stood by her king. "I have to admit, these uniforms look amazing on us. You should check yourself as well Sona."

A mirror was shown in front of Sona as she blushed at her reflection. Her figure had changed to where she stood taller and her three sizes had changed back to her original. Her breasts were now an F cup and her height had changed as well.

(For reference purposes, look up Iris Heart from Neptune the Animation.)

She was also in armor similar to her peerage and was alerted by a screech as she looked up and saw a hawk of water descend from the sky as it landed on her shoulder. The hawk had a note that said the other army was approaching them with greater numbers and forces.

Sona got ready as she looked at the distance between them. "They'll be here in five minutes so we don't have much time. Alright, we need to split our forces. Tsubasa. Kiba. Have half of our foot soldiers and horsemen stand in the far back as reserves for backup in case we need reinforcements. Saji, Ruruko, and Tomoe will be facing the enemy with me and the other half of our army. Tsubaki, standby with the other half and give the archers a message." She whispered in her Queens ear and she nodded before heading to the other half of the army. And prepared them for battle.

Five minutes later.

Issei had decided to ride the earth dragon that he was given in the system instead of his ship. If it's a battle of armies they want then it's a battle they'll get.

Issei looked beside him and saw Panacea being carried by a warrior made of grass and dirt. Panacea had been concentrating on using her flora abilities so she could create creatures of the earth. It was a success when she turned the tree into a warrior to carry her into battle. Besides him were his army, his knights Karasuba and Toyotama were riding their own dragons that looked similar to raptors. The two were ready to enjoy this fight.

His rooks that he selected were Yashima and Ichiya. The reason he chose them was for Yashima's hammer and gravity abilities. He had a plan to use power and the bishops that he chose for this battle were Akitsu and Tsukiumi, however they had their role to play so Miya would be taking over the second part of their operation.

They arrived to see the army in front of them and Issei was able to see Sona in her war attire and her pieces that stood by her side.

"I expected Sona to use a maneuver like this. She'll have half of her army in the reserves while the rest of us charge the others. Also, her bishops are on the cliffs with their archery team ready to attack. The information from your surveillance was spot on, Panacea. Excellent work."

Panacea bowed to him and then looked at the army. "Shall I call them?" Issei shook his head. "No. Let's save it as a little surprise for them." He looked at Miya as she drew her sword. "Remember the plan?"

Miya nodded. "Yes and I am ready to begin, as are a few of the others." They were getting excited for the fight and Issei summoned Ascalon as he lifted it above his head and then swung it down towards them.

"ATTACK!"

Miya charged into battle and the ones who were in her army charged as well. Karasuba and Toyotama were charging in as the Rooks stayed behind.

Akitsu and Tsukiumi created wings of their element and flew into the sky as dragons of their elements were formed in the air.

Sona and the others saw them coming towards them and she raised her water sword before swinging it forward. The griffins on her side were flying into battle and Miya saw them approach the battle. "Bishops. Take out their air support."

The two began to use the water and ice techniques to take out the air troops while Sona and her army began to charge in towards the others. "Attack!"

The warriors began to charge as they raised the Sitri flag as made their way to the battle. Tomoe has her sword ready as she charged to the knights to take her out before many of their soldiers were lost.

Saji and Ruruko were charging to the opposing army as they readied for the fight they've been waiting for.

Karasuba and Toyotama were ready as Miya and Sona clashes blades. The armies fought as the horsemen took out a few of the foot soldiers while Saji and Ruruko were facing many of the soldiers. Tomoe leaped into the fray and clashed with Karasuba and the Sekirei was excited. "A pleasure to meet you in person. I am Sekirei Number 4 Karasuba. Also my Masters first knight." Tomoe smirked at her opponent. "Tomoe Meguri, General Sitri's first Knight. Prepare yourself." The the two clashed as they fought with their blades and their horses/earth dragon were fighting each their to take out the other.

Saji and Ruruko were taking out a few soldiers until a spear flew and skewered ten of the soldiers until it hit the ground. The one who approached the spear was Toyotama herself the bodies disappeared and she pulled it from the ground. She lifted it before pointing to the two in front of her. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Toyotama, Sekirei Number 16." She charged towards the two and they leaped away until a blast of water hit Saji as he turned to see the water user from Issei's army approach him. "Sekirei Number 9, Tsukiumi." Ice approached the duo as Akitsu stepped forward in her dragon form. "Sekirei Number 7, Akitsu." Saji had the the absorption line fire at Tsukiumi and it wrapped around her left arm.

He smirked as he began to take energy from her. "Your mine now." He grinned as he thought he took out the first member of Issei's peerage but Tsukiumi just grabbed the line and smiled a smile that scared the pawn.

"So you want to play that way? Let's see how coldblooded you really are." Akitsu grabbed his head as she began to freeze him. Saji was going to use the Shadow Prison but the cold was affecting him too much. Ice continued to creep up his body as Tsukiumi ran towards him and hit him in the stomach before doing a few more to his face.

"If you want to dodge, then I suggest you release the Absorption Line, if not then enjoy being my punching bag." Saji was stuck in a bad spot and Ruruko wasn't doing any better. Especially since the knight was fast, much faster than Kiba and was a master of the spear. She even used two spears to fight her. Ruruko tried to stop her with her kicks but the knight was very acrobatic as she dodged the kicks and punches as if she was dancing like a ballerina but without the tutu and stuff.

Saji used the Shadow Prison while releasing the Absorption Line so he could move but his legs and feet were frozen to the ground. Tsukiumi covered Saji's head with water and Saji held his breath as long as he could but Akitsu kept freezing the boys body and continued to freeze his legs and arms.

"You believed that we only relied on our magical powers like any other bishop but you were wrong and now you lose. The water led his head as his body was complete frozen. He fainted from the excessive cold and he disappeared.

Sona Sitri's First Pawn Retired.

Ruruko and Tomoe was so shocked that Karasuba and Toyotama took advantage of their state to finish the match. Toyotama readied her spear. A dark green aura surrounded her as she smirked at her opponent.

"With this staff of my pledge. Throttle all who seek harm against my ashikabi."

The spear flowed with the same aura that she had.

"Now Fly!" She threw her spear and it flew towards the Pawn as it made its way through multiple soldiers who also kept falling to the other army.

Ruruko was stabbed in the chest but disappeared.

Sona Sitri's Last Pawn, Retired.

Karasuba kicked Tomoe's stomach as she used a knife hand and stabbed the girls chest before using her sword and slicing off the girls sword arm. Tomoe screamed as she grabbed her arm before Karasuba stabbed her in the chest. "Your finished. Thank you for playing with me."

Tomoe collapsed as she vanished.

One of Sona Sitri's Knights Retired.

Sona looks to see her army was falling due to the power of their opponents. She sent a telepathic message and the bishops shot arrows into the air to strike their opponents and a few of the soldiers did fall and it was just the break they needed as Sona and her troops began to fall back to the rocks until the earth began to shake as the troops were unaware of what was happening.

Creatures made of earth appeared out of the ground and began to drag the retreating soldiers and Miya watched as they fell one by one. She tapped her right ear. "Phase one is complete."

Issei smiles as he looks at them with the rest of his army. "Excellent. Panacea, it's time to show them your true strength. Have the soldiers run them down."

Panacea put her hands on the ground and sent energy through the earth. "My soldiers of the earth rise up and strike our enemy for their foolishness! Show them no mercy!"

The soldiers born from the earth made their way past the soldiers and began to climb the rocks towards the Archers. The bishops cast barriers to stop their advance but Issei knew this would happen.

"Ichiya. Time for the second phase of our plan. Toyotama, were doing the second phase. Retreat now!" Toyotama leaped away from the battle and flew towards her master. The reinforcements had shown up and they were able to push back the dragons forces temporarily but they were slowly being overwhelmed by numbers.

Toyotama lifted Yashima in her arms and took careful aim. "You ready, girl?"

Yashima smiled back. "Launch me." Toyotama threw her into the air and Yashima covered herself in her sky blue aura. "Here we go." She spin her hammer as the size of it began to grow. "With the hammer of my pledge! Shatter the enemy of my Ashikabi!"

She activated her gravity powers and launched herself down to the fight. Her hammer was lifted above her head and slammed it as she shouted.

"Gravity Hammer!!"

The force behind the blow to the ground was massive. The shockwave blew the ground up and as the ground gave out and many soldiers on both sides were being taken out from the blast, as were Tsubaki, Tsukiumi, and Akitsu. They knew this was part of the plan so they didn't mind being retired.

Issei Hyoudou has lost both Bishops and Sona Sitri lost her only Rook.

Sona couldn't let this go and looked at the army of earth near the Archers. If she lost her Archers and her Bishops then they would lose a serious advantage. She summoned multiple water creatures to the army as she sent a large water serpent to fight the earth creatures climbing the cliff side.

Issei saw Kiba in the battle and decided to get into the fight. He got off of his dragon and spread his large crimson wings before getting on all fours and launched himself right at him.

"I'll leave the rest to you Panacea. Take out the archers as soon as possible." Panacea nodded as she looked at the barrier that was protecting the archers until she smiled.

"Toyotama. Have Ichiya ready to launch." The two looked at her and were scared by the smile on her face. It was the scary idea face that she copied from Issei and did a pretty good job mimicking it.

Toyotama grabbed Ichiya and the lifted her as if she was a spear and threw her at the barrier. Ichiya was a bit suprised by the power behind the throw until she began to chant her Norito. "Legs and fists of my pledge. Crush everybody holding a grudge against my ashikabi!"

She was covered in a light purple aura as she got into a kicking form. Then she began to spin. She spun so fast that she became a drill that was heading straight for the barrier.

The bishops poured ally of the Magic they had into the barrier but were overwhelmed by the force behind the drill and it shattered to pieces. Ichiya was in between them and quickly took out the two bishops before Toyotama appeared behind her and the two started to fight the remaining archers as they tried to fight the duo but the two Sekirei were able to help each other in either offense or defense.

Eventually the two defeated them all.

Sona Sitri's Bishops have been eliminated.

Sona was sent flying from a punch to the face by Miya who was hardly breaking a sweat. "This is insane. How are you so strong?" Miya revealed her dragon form as she looked at her.'"I've trained much longer have and fought many more than you. You may have magical powers but it's useless unless you properly know how to defend yourself against an opponent who doesn't always rely on magic."

Miya sliced through all attacks and was about to cut down Sona until Tsubaki stopped her. "Your fight is with me now." She looks at her king. "Apologies for the late arrival but Issei was facing against Kiba and I thought you could use a hand."

Sona smiles at her loyal friend. "Thank you Tsukabi." She looked at Miya and her companion, Karasuba, as she approached them. "Well. Well. This is interesting. What do you say Miya? Just like old times."

Miya drew her katana and Karasuba received the message and drew her sword as they both glowed in their respective colors. Miya was magenta while Karasuba was black.

"May we have your names before we end this fight." Sona swallows her spit as she looks at her queen.

"I am Sona Sitri. Heiress of the Sitri Family and King of Team Sitri."

Tsukabi readied her naginata. "Tsubaki Shinra. Queen if Team Sitri."

Karasuba smiles as she lifts her sword. "As long as I live, I'll remember you two as worthy opponents."

Miya gave them both a solemn nod as she lifted her sword. "Thank you for a great match but this is over."

The four charged at each other for one final battle.

Kiba and Issei were clashing with their swords. The battlefield around them was littered with blades and swords as the two rivals and friends fought each other. Kiba couldn't believe how much stronger his friend had become but he wasn't about to give in. He still had one final card left to use but with the way his body was he could only use it for sixty seconds and he had to make every single one count.

Issei leaped away as he stared at his old friend before stabbing his blade into the ground. "Kiba. Use what truck you have left. Don't hold back. Give it all your power. Face me at your best. If you have a trump card then use it now. Show me how much you've improved."

Kiba smirked at his friend and held a plain sword in front of him. Magic began to come out of it as he chanted.

I am the spark of battle.

His power began to grow as he chanted and all of the swords that were destroyed were turned back into magic that entered his wounds. They healed as themagic entered his wounds.

Steel is my will and my heart is fire. I rule over countless weapons. Unknown to truth. Nor known to myth.

He recalled the times he almost died from using this technique and practicing it for this moment. But no matter how many times he fell he got back up and confide to train his ass off for this day. 'Watch this Issei, my friend this is my true power.'

Through pain and trial, I bring power to legend. Yet, I shall still stand on the hill, forging for perfection.

Demonic Knights were appearing around him and each were armed with both Holy and Demonic swords. Kiba opened his eyes as he looked at Issei. Confidence and resolve in them as he finished his chant.

There are no regrets. I seek the ultimate victory. My soul is... UNLIMITED WAR WORKS!"

Kiba was equipped with Gram and had multiple knights behind him as they were both a combination of Holy and Demonic. Each one held a sword that had both events within them, Kiba raised his blade and they all roared as they charged at Issei who stood still before smiling at him.

He held his hand out as a portal appeared before him.

"Yuuto Kiba. You are one of the only few kings that I truly respect and I am greatly impressed by this new Balance Breaker you have achieved but I'm afraid that this is the end. So out of respect as well as our friendship, I shall use my new sword and show you its true power." He extended his arm above him.

"Now appear Apocrypha Arms! A stage worthy of your power has appeared!"

The entirety of Issei's ultimate form had appeared and glowed bright red as it became a three headed dragon that flew towards Issei's palm and became a long sword with the dragon head between the handle and the blade of the sword. The metal was red like blood and the gem at the end of the handle was green while the dragon looked similar to Ddraig.

He lifted the new sword into the air and power erupted from the blade as he used both hands to lift it high above his head and shouted as he sent one final look of respect to the knight.

"Now Dragon Emperor...

He brings it down as they draw closer.

"Life Destructor!!!!!"

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The strength behind the blast tore apart the ground as the dragons spun as the blast left the sword and destroyed the knights, as well as stab Kiba as he was enveloped by the strike. "Thank you Issei, my friend, for giving this your all. I do hope you win the tournament." As he spoke his final words, he vanished from the arena.

There was a moment of silence after the strike until it was confirmed.

Sona Sitri. Tsubaki Shinra. And Yuuto Kiba have been defeated. Team Crimson Dragons of Wind and Wings are victorious!

Issei disappeared in a bright light and next thing he knew, he was cheered by his team and many others who were amazed by the match. Sona Sitri has stood across from him with a smile on her face. She held a hand out to him.

"Thank you for a great match and I hope you continue to do well in this tournament." Issei smiles at her and shook the hand. "Thank you for an excellent fight Sona. Your team definitely improved since that fight many months ago. Thank you and we'll continue to win." Sona was about to walk away until she remembered what the knight Karasuba said.

She walked towards Issei and grabbed his jackets collar and pulled him into a kiss that made her moan as she use a little tongue action. Issei was caught off guard and kissed back on instinct. The two moaned as Sona's new assets pressed against his chest and Issei's hands moved as if they had a mind of their own. His left hand reach down and squeezed her bottom, making her moan while his right kneaded her breast as she began to kiss deeper until their teeth were together.

Miya and Karasuba knew that the girl had a crush on their king so they would allow it. The others were resting after the fight and they were looking forward to the next fight.

Meanwhile Ophis was rewatching the fight and she was amazed by the power behind Issei, especially turning his most powerful form into a weapon that he was able to use. She could see it. His power and strength grew with each fight and Ophis knew what had happened.

Issei unlocked his Aura and it was even greater than either Ddraig or Albion.

Ophis smiles as she imagines Issei climbing to the top of the tournament and becoming a member of the Top 10 Most Powerful Beings. Her loins were getting wet from the thought of the two of them reuniting and becoming mates. The new feelings of pleasure circulated throughout her entire body.

"Issei. My mate. Continue to grow and get even stronger. Mmm. Show them who you are. And when the time is right, I'll show you how much I love you."

The first round is over and the battle is really heating up.

End.

I decided to give the Apocrypha Arms a Saber form so he could fight with a move like Gilgamesh and Ea. Also I kinda used the Unlimited Blade Works and the Last Charge of Iskandar but I thought it would be appropriate with the fight.

Next time: The Red Dragons Date with an Archangel, Magic Girl, and Devil.