Chapter 10
Somewhere in one of the DxD Universes
It was inside an old fortress like building, on a throne-like chair was sitting the figure of the Devil Sairaorg Bael.
A few years ago this Sairaorg was not much different than most of his counterparts across the DxD worlds. After the death of his relatives the Gremories however he became different.
Very different.
Around him were sitting the members of his Peerage and their allies, sitting at a couple of long tables, drinking and spending their time.
One of the differences between him and his counterparts was his power, that surpassed most of his counterparts by far, another… was his alliance.
He and all the other Devils here had become followers of the Dark Order.
The planet they were on was not Earth or the Underworld. It was actually hundreds of lightyears away from it. This planet possessed no civilization, just primitive animal and plant life.
The place here was one of several hideouts their group possessed in this universe and others.
Under this allies was also a blonde female Devil. She was a tall and very beautiful woman. She was however not a Servant.
In fact she was a former Devil Noble as well and the Master of the second Peerage present. Actually she was Satan Level herself. Not a subordinate but an equal ally of Sairaorg.
This woman had been a member of the Dark Order for far longer than he was. In fact she had helped to recruit him.
Right now however she was walking up towards him.
She sat down right on his lap in a seductive way and kissed him.
Currently there were no missions fort hem from their Masters, so even they – Agents of Darkness – could just enjoy their free time.
"Sairaorg." They all heared the telepathic call that had just reached them.
"Lady Thenis," he said.
"I have a message for you," Thenis voice said. "Raiser has made his move. He is now about to face a counterstrike from the Guardian team he had targeted.
You know your alternatives. I will leave it to you how you deal with this situation."
"I see. Thank you My Lady," Sairaorg answered.
"We will be watching you," she said.
"It seems your time has finally come," the woman still sitting on his lap told him.
"Yes – it has," he said in a dark voice.
xxxxxxx
DxD Universe 1
The alternate Ravel Phenex they had captured was now sitting in a magical secured room.
She was currently awake. Actually she had been conscious for just some time.
She was already before her brother and his Peerage had retreated.
She had heard Sirzechs threatening her life.
And then how her brother decided to abandon her instead of trying to save her.
She had long known that the Raiser she had grown up with had changed in the most horrible way. Of course, she had seen him commit the worst atrocities with her own eyes.
She admitted the main reason why she even still followed him after all what happened, was simply out of fear. Not so much because of his Evil Pieces that she still carried inside her. In fact he knew how to negate their effects and even how to remove them from the Dark Order.
But because of Raiser himself. Because she knew he had turned into a monster.
She was afraid how he would react if she ever told him she wanted to leave his side. Or if she tried to stop any of his actions.
But at the same time, she had somehow managed to convince herself that she would always be the exception, as long as she staid by his side. That he at least would value her like he did before all that happened. Even if he turned against everybody else.
They both had left the rest of their family behind in their original world after their attack on the Devil Capital and the Four Satans. Or you could say they left the rest of their family behind to deal with the fallout of their own actions.
Mother, father, their older brothers - had they lost their positions over Raiser´s and her crimes? For sure. Had they been exiled, executed, living without status or power? She didn´t know.
Ravel knew she had no right to complain about betrayal. She could have in their original world at least tried to warn anyone before their attack on the Capital and the assassination of their Satans.
But she had been both, too blindly attached to her brother and too afraid of his reaction when he found out.
Still in the end, she had not thought that he would sacrifice her like that, unless she gave him a reason. Unless she betrayed him first.
Maybe this had been arrogant of her... and foolish.
But...
"I see you are awake," someone said to her.
She loked at the persons standing before her in the room.
The first one was Issei Hyoudou. Then their two Fallen Angels - the one called Raynare and the other one, a tall browned haired woman. Then the Holy Sword Weilder Irina Shidou and the former Nun Asia Argento and at last not surprisingly Rias Gremory´s Knight Kiba Yuuto.
"You are awake," Issei-01 said. "In fact you have been for a while, haven´t you? I see it in your mind."
"I..." They knew. There was no point in denying it.
"I have just taken a look at you and healed your injuries from the fight," Asia told her. "You are fine now."
"Fine?" Ravel-20 replied with bitter sarcasm. "My brother had just abandoned me. I will spend the rest of my life in a cell or get executed. But at least I am not injured during it. Yes - very fine."
"Do you think we will execute you?" Asia asked her sternly.
"The Devil Faction of this world for sure will," she replied.
Especially if they saw more of her memories and found out what else she had been involved in, she thought.
"Not that I don´t deserve it," Ravel said somewhat quieter.
"You should know that we are just preparing to follow and attack your brother," the second Fallen Angel - Gaeriel - said to her. "Because he has kidnapped Rias."
"And we will do everything to get her back," Kiba added.
"You know Raiser has abandoned you," Issei stated. "So if you have anything to say to us, if you have any information for us - now is the time."
Ravel-20 looked at him for a short moment. Then she turned her head away silently.
"You know the Raiser who is currently with us had just lost his Queen because of your group," Issei told her. "We had originally asked him to be here with us. But he refused. When I look at you now I understand why. And he is not the only one who lost someone," he said.
"Or is about to."
Ravel-20 knew who he was referring to.
"Rias," she said weakly.
"She and I are... close," he said. "And so are I and this world´s Ravel."
"You mean to say that the other me and Rias are both your lovers. Probably along with several others," Ravel-20 replied.
She looked at the other women in the room.
Neither Raynare, Asia, Irina or Gaeriel made any attempt to deny it. In fact the expressions on their faces made it pretty obvious. They were with Issei and proud to admit it.
"We are all Issei´s lovers. That is true," Raynare stated. "But in opposite of `others´, he cares about every single one of us."
"So if you know anything that could help us save Rias, please tell us," Asia asked her.
Ravel looked insecure for a few more moments.
"I-... you should know we are not really from the world you have just visited. In fact we have replaced the Raiser of that world and his Peerage and put them into a magical coma," she explained.
"There are also a few more Dark Order Agents with us you have not seen yet and you should be aware of and..."
"Wait," Issei said. "We don´t have any time. Just relax and then try to recall anything what you know about. Let me see right into it your mind."
"Could you not just have done this the entire time?" Ravel-20 asked him.
"Yes. But if you fought back, it could have hurt you. So I wanted to give you the chance to give us the information willingly," he explained. "Beside that - I don´t like taking things from people´s minds without their permission."
"O-okay."
And Issei saw. Not only the exact details about Raiser´s Servants and allies, but also their past. All the things she had taken part in as part of his Peerage.
She could not help the shame and fear that were coming over her now. Maybe they would overthink their decision to spar her life now
"I..." But before she could even say anything, she was interrupted.
As she bowed down in terrible pain.
"What?" Irina and Asia both called out.
"Something is wrong with her," Kiba stated.
That was an understatement. Within only a few moments, her entire world suddenly seemed to consist only of agony that suddenly broke out everywhere inside her.
Blood was flowing out of her mouth as something seemed to have bursted inside her throat.
Then Issei realized what was going on.
It had to be some kind of `security measure´ - a deadly curse. Something like a curse or a magical death switch.
And a cruel one. He could sense it. Countless very small explosions were being ignited at different places in her body - mostly close to vital organs: spine, stomach, lungs and heart – that were being destroyed in incredible speed.
It would kill her within seconds. It was quick, but it was incredible painful.
Issei-01 reacted instantly. And he used his powers to freeze her in time.
Of course that was no real solution. Just a safety-line for the moment.
He asked himself how this Raiser could place something like that on his own sister. And she was his real sister. Ravel had made it clear that they came from the same world.
"Issei – this… this is something her brother had done, right?" Irina questioned.
"Yes. It is something to make sure that none of his Servants betrays him. But that he would even do this to her?" Issei replied. "We will decide how best to save her later."
"Wait – are you saying?" Raynare suddenly spoke up. "You can not keep her in this state and go to Universe-18 to fight at the same time."
"Actually – I think I could do it. If I concentrate enough energy into the spell and keep it in an endless loop."
"But that would weaken you, wouldn´t it?" Raynare responded. "No - you can not do that. Even i fit is just the slightest bit. I will not let you endanger yourself, Rias or the rest of us for an enemy."
"Raynare…" he said.
"Don´t kid yourself. That is exactly what she is. She might look like our Ravel, but she is a part of the same group that had caused all this in the first place.
She had helped to kidnap Rias and bring us all in this situation in the first place. I will not stand by and let you weaken yourself – no matter how little – right before a life and death fight because of her."
"Do you all think the same way?" Issei asked the others.
"Honestly – I do," Irina replied.
"Raynare is right," Gaeriel stated.
Asia said nothing, but she nodded with a stoic look on her face.
"I understand. Let me try something else," he said.
"Ddraig."
("I hear you. And I agree with your Harem. Deliberately weakening yourself to save someone who was willing to kill you a half hour earlier when you are about to face an enemy whose exact power you are not even sure about is a stupid move.")
"Okay. Can you absorb her soul into the Boosted Gear?" Issei asked.
("That is possible,") Ddraig stated.
"Then Please do it. We will just find another body for her soul later."
("It is done,") the Dragon said a moment later.
Issei released his time-spell and they were all watching the gruesome sight of Ravel´s body breaking apart from the inside out and falling to the ground as nothing but a pile of broken flesh and bone.
Issei recalled the memories he had seen from her. All what that Raiser and his allies had done.
He would bring that monster down, he promised himself.
xxxxxxxx
One and a half year earlier - Issei´s training
The world Issei-01, a few members of his team (and harem) and his teacher Darien were currently being in, if it could even be called that, was easily the strangest they had seen so far.
Their presence here was actually simply part of Issei´s training.
It was a universe where the concept of time, like we know it, had never developed.
Every moment in this from our point of view strange dimension was just like the other. Because technically all o fit was just the same moment… stretched for all eternity.
In some ways it reminded Issei of the Dimensional Gap from their own DxD Universes.
While the Gap was an empty void of space between different Dimensions, this here was a universe on it´s own, filled with actual matter. It just lacked any flow of time and was frozen in place forever.
The only question was, if this world lacked any time, how had this matter formed in the first place?
The Guardians had the theory that this world might have possessed some kind of time once – maybe when it was first formed – that allowed this matter to form itself, but then dissappeared when this universe had fully formed.
The only reason they could even normally exist in this universe right now was Darien, who had created a small sphere of normal time around them all.
All what was to see around them, for a few meters, was some sort of greyish matter, ressembling gas, that filled this entire Cosmos.
But non of it was moving. Of course not. It never would.
This universe, after having fully formed, was frozen in the same state forever.
The only reason they could even see anything at all was their own time-bubble and a few light particles they had taken along.
Originally it was only Issei himself, along with Darien, who was meant to come here. But Raynare, Asia, Irina and Rias had demanded to accompany them.
Darien finally agreed that it might be good for them to experience the lesson for themselves as well.
They had asked Gaeriel, Murayama and Kiba if they wanted to accompany them as well.
But Gaeriel had said that she trusted Darien with Issei´s and their safety, Murayama replied that she didn´t thought that she could do anything to help anyway after she heard where they would be going
and Kiba stated that he just wanted them to guaranty Rias to be safe.
The point of this training was simply.
Issei would slowly leave the influence of Darien´s artificially created time. After forming a time-bubble on his own.
Should he fail, Darien would interferre and rescue him. Otherwise he might be stuck in the non-time of this Dimension for all eternity.
"Remember," Darien said, "You don´t longer need the Cronus Sword to manipulate space-time. From the start the sword was only a tool to channel the energies you already had in you."
"Yes," Issei replied.
For this he activated the powers of his Crimson Awakening. Just to be sure.
He felt the deep red armor forming around his body.
He used the techniques he had learned to form a small bubble of time around himself…
… and he stepped out into the unknown.
"I want to learn this as well," Raynare said to Darien.
xxxxxxx
DxD Universe-20 - Present Time
At the same time Rias was still in the version of the Kuoh Academy building currently controlled by Raiser-20 and his Peerage.
What she had heard during her confrontation with Raiser´s Akeno had more than surprised Rias.
Akeno´s mother? Shuri? The alternate Akeno´s words had made it pretty clear that her mother had died as well. So how?
Could this Raiser actually bring back the dead? Not just the ones who had just died, but the ones who were truly gone for years and whose souls had already left? Since he was connected with the Dark Order, there was actually a possibility of it.
Or was it something else? An imposter? A shapeshifter? Or just yet another dimensional double?
The other Akeno had just left.
Rias-01 was looking at her broken minded counterpart.
"You," she addressed her.
"I - I can not help you," Rias-18 replied instantly. "Just - just try to give in to Lord Raiser and don´t resist him. Then he will not hurt you... that much."
She said the last words a bit reluctantly.
"And over time you might even learn to enjoy it," she added.
"Or at least it will not be that bad anymore. You will see, he can be actually gentle from time to time, if you just know how top lease him."
"Shut up! I don´t want to hear this disgusting stuff from you," Rias-01 growled. "This is not what I want to ask anyway," she said, much to her counterpart´s surprise.
Still she could barely suppress her rage at her counterpart´s last statement. How dare she? Had this pathetic mockery of herself no pride left at all? She could barely believe that they were technically two versions oft he same person.
But Rias reminded herself what her counterpart must have gone through at Raiser´s twisted doubles hands.
Would she end up like this too? She shuddered at the thought.
No – Issei and the others would come for her.
"I want to ask you about that Akeno," she said.
"Akeno?" Rias-18 was looking quite surprised at the question. But at the same time somewhat relieved about the change of topic.
"Has Raiser truly returned her mother to life?" Rias-01 asked.
Now her counterpart was looking insecure again.
"I-… What I can tell you is that I was told that a resurrection ritual had happened. Master Raiser and Akeno had both mentioned it. And that Shuri is really back," Rias-18 finally responded. "She doesn´t interact much with the others. But she is here."
"I see."
But Rias-01 could not help to think that something was off about the way how she said it.
"That is all I can tell you," Rias-18 stated. "And all I really know. This Akeno is not truly my Queen, Raiser had brought her along from the world he came from," she added.
"But you should not ask any questions about her anyway. Master Raiser doesn´t like it."
Why did he not? That was the question.
"I see," Rias-01 said. "But by the way you say this, I guess you suspect that there is something suspicious about her resurrection?" she asked.
"Please don´t ask anymore questions," Rias-18 replied.
"I have already said too much. Just accept things like they are. Then it will be easier. You belong to Lord Raiser now. If you just accept it you will be much better."
"Like you did?" Rias-01 interrupted her. "You have become nothing but Raiser´s willing toy. You are disgusting."
"Yes - I know I am," she admitted. "But it is much better than the alternative," her double tried to explain.
"You know, there had been another one of us here. She had resisted. She had tried to keep her pride, even with all Raiser did to her.
But… in the end, she was like an empty shell – like a zombie. She just silently did everything she was told to, without showing a single emotion.
And then – then she had just been killed off, just to seal the deal between Lord Raiser and that insane version of Issei."
Rias- 18 remembered what had happened the day before.
xxxxxxx
One day earlier
Just a short time after she had disposed of the body of her counterpart and afterwards cleaned up the club-room.
It should have been a bizarre experience, taking care of an exact copy of her own corpse. But after everything else she had gone through, she did not even care.
Afterwards she had gone to Akeno and brought her to Lord Raiser´s personal quarters, like he told her earlier.
"Ah - Akeno," he addressed her, sitting on his desk, "it is good that you are here. I wanted to apologize to you for what happened today."
Rias-18 could barely believe what she heard.
`To her he apologised for this? To her but not to me?´ a small part of her thought. But she said nothing. Like always.
"After all Rias is your friend, not just your former Master. I hope it didn´t cause you too much discomfort seeing that. But you know her sacrifice secured us the help of a powerful ally.
Friend? Could she really still call herself that? Rias-18 asked silently.
"I will of course protect you from any side-effects her death has on the Evil Pieces inside you. The Dark Order has provided me with methods here. Or I can just remove them entirely," Raiser told her.
"Thank you Lord Raiser."
"And let us be honest," Raiser stated calmly. "There was not much left of your friend anyway. Mentally she was a broken shell of herself. As you can see it, her death had actually been a mercy."
And whose fault was that? Deep down Rias-18 felt anger growing inside her.
But like always she said nothing, ignored it, told herself it was alright, until she truly felt nothing anymore. She had learned to stay silent. To survive.
"Don´t worry about it My Lord," Akeno-20 said to him. "I know you only did it because you had to. This alliance was simply too important.
And I guess you are right, in her state her death was a mercy. If only she had accepted you like her counterpart here did instead of staying stubborn."
She knew exactly what Raiser wanted to hear. Did she truly mean that or did she just say it to stay on his good side?
Did it even matter?
xxxxxxx
The Present
Raiser-20 was sitting on the side of his bed.
And sitting on him and currently riding him fast and wild, was nobody else than Akeno-20. She was completely naked except for a pair of dark stockings and a black bra that was currently hanging loosely around her upper body.
"Ahh," she moaned loudly.
After a minute they changed positions. Akeno moved off him.
Then she walked and bend over the table in the middle of the room.
Raiser stepped behind her and started to fuck her from behind.
Her moans became even louder.
"You´re enjoying this so much. You really are a terrible friend, aren´t you?" he said quietly to her.
They both had realized she was in a very similar position like Rias just yesterday.
"Yes – I am terrible," she replied. "Please hurt me. I deserve it."
He rammed into her even harder. At the same time he grabbed both her ass-cheeks roughly and dug his fingernails into her soft skin.
This caused Akeno to let out a cry of pain, humiliation and incredible pleasure.
Then he had another idea and moved his left hand on one of her large breasts and did the same thing to it, nearly drawing blood.
This only caused her to cry out even louder.
Suddenly they heard a loud knock on the door.
Raiser hissed angrily.
"Not now," he cursed.
"Damn it," Akeno murmured as well.
Raiser made a few more thrusts before she felt him coming inside her.
A moments later Raiser had put on his trousers and Akeno her bra, panties and wrapped the bedsheets around herself.
"Yes?" Raiser said impatiently.
The door opened. Outside were Yubelluna, Kara… and Shuri Himejima.
"Intruders had just appeared outside of Kuoh," Yubelluna reported. "It is the team of our new Rias Gremory."
"I see," Raiser replied, his expression now completely serious.
"Shouldn´t you have expected this Lord Raiser?" Shuri commented drily.
She send a look beside Raiser inside the room, where Akeno was still sitting on the bed.
"Maybe Instead of having fun with my daughter you should have made preparations."
Akeno was visible emberassed at having her own mother see her like this. Had she heard them from outside?
Raiser on his side glanced at Shuri for a moment, before his expression returned to normal.
"Oh – my dear Shuri, I have made preparations. Days ago actually. I have fully expected them to come. Just not so quickly. Come," he said to Yubelluna.
They both stepped outside.
On the other side of the corridor they saw their `ally´ Issei-13, laying against the wall with Raynare-17 standing next to him.
xxx
"I see you have been serving `our´ Master?" Shuri who had staid behind turned to Akeno.
"Y-yes," she replied.
"There´s no need to be emberassed about this," Shuri replied. "It is only right to show your Master your loyalty like this after all."
"Yes."
"In fact I have done quite similar things in my old life a few times."
"Before you met father?" Akeno asked.
"… yes," Shuri replied after a short moment.
"Come here."
Shuri laid her arm around her and embraced her, while Akeno was still in her underwear.
"Mother," she said. "I am so happy to have you back."
"Don´t worry about it," Shuri told her. "Go – dress yourself and get ready. The fight is about to start. Do all you can to serve your Master. He has brought us back together after all."
"Yes – of course."
With that Shuri left the room.
As soon as she was outside her warm motherly expression turned cold as ice.
`Stupid naive girl,´ she thought.
In one of the neighboring rooms she met with Kara. And they both felt the bodiless presence of Phantom entering the room.
"I guess it means it is beginning," Shuri said.
"Yes," Kara replied.
"So our time with Lord Raiser might be coming to an end," Shuri stated.
xxxxxxx
Rias `Room´
"And you will end the same way if you try to resist him," Rias-18 said.
"No – I will not end like this. Because Issei and the others will come for me," Rias-01 answered.
"Then they will die," Rias-18 responded. "Just like everyone does who challenges him. Like my brother did. If only I had not resisted, he might still be alive… and they only end up making him stronger," she said with her voice breaking.
"How?" Rias-01 asked.
"He can absorb the life-energy of others, even their souls. I – I saw it."
"With your brother," Rias-01 said.
She just nodded silently.
Rias-01 started to understand why her counterpart was like this. But that didn´t mean that she accepted it.
"And that is not the only reason," her other self added. "My Peerage, my own Akeno, Kiba, Koneko and Gaspar, he is holding them somewhere. And if I only do anything to displease him…"
"Now – what an interesting exchange of stories," they heard Raiser´s voice coming from the door.
Both Rias instantly turned their heads around to him.
He stood in the entrance of the room with Yubelluna-20 next to him and behind him Akeno… and Shuri Himejima?
So it was true. She was back.
"It seems that you are right Rias my dear," Raiser told them with a smirk. "Your friends have just arrived."
"I told you," Rias-01 said, to her counterpart and Raiser simultaneously.
"Yes – and now you can see them die."
xxxxxxx
DxD Universe-18 – the border of Kuoh
Issei and his teammates had just arrived to the world where Raiser-20 and his allies were residing. They left the Portal some distance outside oft he town.
The town they were looking at was nearly exactly like their own Kuoh. At least at the first look. But they all could sense right away that the energies radiation from the area were completely different.
The group that had finally come with them consisted of Issei himself, Kiba, Irina and Xenovia, Asia Kuroka-06, Gaeriel and their version of Raiser- Raiser-05.
The grim and empty expression on his face however made a few of them question if it had been a good idea to bring him along with them after all.
It was clear that the death of his Queen had hit him badly. While he also wanted to rescue Rias as well, the main reason he was here was simply revenge.
"It beginns," Issei said.
They knew that their enemies had sensed their arrival and they were already reacting. Issei and the others sensed several energies coming closer to them.
"They are on the move," Kuroka-06 stated. "They all had just teleported outside. Now they are moving towards us."
They all were seinsing the same thing.
"We will deal with the others. You go directly for their leader and save Rias," Irina said.
"You know who I am here for," Raiser-05 stated. "I will deal with her. Just take care of the others."
Yes – they knew all too well who he wanted.
Their enemies just arrived. The members of Raiser´s Peerage landed right in front of them.
Who was also present was Issei-13, who was standing in some distance to the others.
"Don´t mind me," he said. "I am just here to watch," he announced. "Well – I actually wanted to take Raynare along. But somehow she was not in the mood. Something about getting killed in th crossfire.
As I see you have left your Raynare home too. Is she not feeling well?" he asked.
Issei-01 knew his insane counterpart could decided to get involved anyway and fall them in the back anytime. But he guessed it was better than having him in the fight from the beginning.
In the center of the group however was Raiser-20 himself, flanked by his Queen and the SHA Warrior Kara.
He was holding Rias in his arms, who was wearing a bride-dress and had his Devil Wings wrapped around both of them.
"Rias-" Issei called out, "are you okay? Did he…?"
"No. You came in time," she answered smugly. "Me and Rias here didn´t have our wedding ceremony yet. But don´t worry. We will have our time together soon. After you are dead."
"You are the one who will die here," Issei responded.
"Really? It seems you want to challenge me. You are not the first."
"But I will be the last," Issei declared.
"We will see. Then let us beginn."
Around them both sides begann to power up and draw their weapons.
Raiser´s Knights Karlamine and Siris were taking position close to Kiba and Xenovia. The Bishop Mihae, the Rook Isabela and two Pawns were facing Asia, Gaeriel and Irina. And the insane cat-twins were glaring at Kuroka.
On their own side their ally Raiser-01 moved in front of Yubelluna-20 and Murayama before two more of the Pawns.
The second Rook Xuelan, the Sha Warrior Kara (who was carrying another Bishop Piece) and Akeno-20 and the last two Pawns were still standing back.
"It seems we are having a Pseudo Rating Game here," Raiser-20 commented.
"But the numbers are a bit uneven, aren´t they?" Issei retorted.
"You should have considered that before making the challenge," Raiser replied to him.
Yes. Issei truly wished Raynare were here. They could have needed her.
But she had just nearly died and her powers had gotten out of control. There was no telling what could happen. She could hurt herself or accidentally wipe the town off the map – or even all of Japan.
They had even thought about asking the three former Strays they were hosting for help. But they had nothing to do with this. And after all what happened to them, they could hardly ask them to risk their lives for a Devil.
"Attack," Raiser-20 ordered soberly.
His Servants charged at them without hesitation.
Karlamine and Siris clashed swords with Xenovia and Kiba.
The Cat Twins Ni and Li attacked Kuroka from two sides.
Mihae was conjuring a spell and send it against Asia.
Most of the Pawns were throwing attacks at Irina, Gaeriel and Murayama.
"Rias – why don´t you stay with Akeno and Kara for the time, while I kill your lover?" he said to her, as he pushed her into Akeno-20´s arms.
At this moment the Pawn Marion and the Rook Isabella were making a move on Issei himself, obviously trying to use the chance to take him off-guard.
But along with a simply gesture, Issei just froze them in time… and then with a short telepathic move, knocked them both out.
"Impressive," Raiser commented.
"You still underestimate me," Issei said.
"That depends," Raiser replied. "How much energy does this little tricks cost you? Are your reserves fully recovered from your last battle?"
("He is hoping to wear you down Partner,") Ddraig stated.
`Obviously,´ Issei replied silently. `But then he is truly underestimating us, right?´
("Yes. But be careful. A deceisive bastard like him has possibly a few more tricks waiting.")
Flames were lighting up everywhere on Raiser´s body, while Issei activated his Balance Breaker and his Scale Armor formed around him.
Then both of them jumped forward and clashed their fists together.
Around them the fighting was spreading over a greater area, as the others continued their own fights.
xxxxxxx
Kuroka was still fighting both Nekomata twins at the same time.
Phisically she saw that they were nearly as strong as herself. Only in their brains their seemed to be nothing but aggression and obedience.
She asked herself how Raiser was even keeping them under control. Maybe some sort of mental conditioning?
xxxxxxx
Raiser-05 and Yubelluna were the first who had separated from the other fighters.
This was just between both of them.
"It is funny," Yubelluna stated. "Who would have thought I would ever face a version of you? Who is trying to avenge another version of myself on top oft hat."
"Yes – funny," Raiser-05 replied grimly.
"You and your Queen should have staid out of this."
Yubelluna-20 started to power up. Like her Master, she had been thought by him to absorb life-energy and souls from her victims.
As they continued to fight, she threw dozens of smaller explosions at him, that he blocked with a large wall of flames in front of himself.
She followed with a couple of larger – concentrated – explosions, which he countered with a blast of his own fire.
xxxxxx
Rias-01 was still standing guarded by Akeno-20 and Kara.
Until Kara, much to everyone´s surprise, suddenly turned around to them and said…
"I guess I will take my leave now," she announced.
"What?" Rias and Akeno both called out.
"What are you talking about, leaving?" Akeno-20 asked her.
To both their shock Kara raised her hand and a glow suddenly came from inside her body and the Evil Piece inside her came out.
She let it carelessly fall to the ground.
"How can you do that? I thought you are loyal," Akeno asked.
"I am loyal. Like all true SHA Warriors are. But to the Dark Order and the Lords. Not to Raiser," she replied.
"But Raiser…"
"Raiser is now facing his greatest challenge. To determine if he is worthy or not," Kara stated.
"Worthy to lead us?" Akeno asked.
"Worthy to live to see the next day," Kara said coldly. "And wheather he passes the test or not however, my service here is over. Me, Phantom and Shuri will leave now."
"Mother? But?" Akeno asked in shock and confusion.
"Did you not know? Shuri is one of us," Kara told her.
xxxxxxx
Meanwhile inside the school-building, there was a quite similar scene playing out.
Rias-18 could barely believe what she had been hearing.
"Leaving? A challenge for Lord Raiser. But…?" she asked confused.
"Have you not been listening?" Shuri asked her. "It is questionable if Raiser will be still alive tomorow. Lady Thenis had been preparing a fitting challenge for him for a while now. His decision to attack that Guardian group had only sped up things."
"B-but what will become of me now?" Rias-18 asked desperately.
"Who knows?" Shuri stated.
"Maybe Raiser will come out victorious after all and you can continue being his sex-slave.
Or maybe you can return to the Devils. I think Raiser had not bothered to kill your parents in this world. If they are even willing to accept you back like you are now. A submissive broken minded whore. They will probably lock you up in a room and pretend you don´t exist, like you did it with that little Half-Vampire," Shuri said to her with a grin.
She was clearly enjoying Rias discomfort far too much. It was clear where Akeno got her sadism from.
"Maybe you can go on on your own. Who knows?" she said.
"And who cares? After all you had decided a long time ago that you are contend being his toy. So why should anybody give a thought about you?"
"I-…" Rias didn´t know what to say anymore.
"What about Akeno?" she asked desperately.
"Did you truly thought I was really her mother?" she replied. "May I introduce myself. I am Shuri Himejima from the Himejima Clan – only that in my world the Himejima are a Clan of assassins for the Dark Order."
"But the resurrection ritual?" Rias-18 questioned.
"Oh – Raiser had truly tried to do it. But her soul had already moved on. So he could only bring back her mindless body. Which had Phantom been controlling for a short time to convince Akeno than her mommy had been returned.
I had replaced her in all our meetings after that and played this role since then."
She smiled at her.
"So goodbye Rias Gremory."
xxxxxxx
Issei-01 and Raiser continued to fight with each other. But so far they knew that neither of them was even close to full power yet.
Issei was worried about the possible fallout to the town if they were.
xxxxxxx
"So goodbye Rias Gremory," Kara said to Rias-01. "Maybe we will meet again. But then we will possibly kill each other."
"No – I will not let you go. I will let neither of you go," Akeno called out. "You are my prisoner." She pointed to Rias.
"And you – you have manipulated my mother. You turned her away from me," she said to Kara. "Otherwise she wouldn´t go with you."
"Have you still not figured it out? This Shuri was never your mother to beginn with. Raiser´s resurrection ritual had failed. He had only managed to bring back a lifeless doll that Phantom had been using to fool you and that was then replaced by an imposter."
"No – no you are lying!" Akeno-20 shouted.
She turned into her version of Akeno´s six-winged Fallen Angel form and attacked Kara enraged.
Rias-01 joined the fight.
After the training of the last years she was stronger than the other two. But not so much that she could take both of them at the same time easily.
Raiser had known that. So it was good that they had turned against each other.
Suddenly however a blast hit Kara in the back.
"Now Now – what an interesting story," they heard a well known voice saying.
The one who had shot her walked up to them.
It was Issei. For a moment Rias was happy. But then she realized it was Issei-13.
He must have been hiding close by and watching them.
"But I can also not just let you go. You see – there are only two ways this can end for you Rias. Either with Raiser having his way with you and you being turned into his plaything… or with your dead body," he stated.
"And since I can not longer count on the one thing," He activated his Balance Breaker and his armor formed,
"I will make sure the other one happens."
In an quite ironic turn, Rias-01, Akeno-20 and Kara were now all facing the same opponent.
His Balance Breaker form was easily outmatched by these three, Issei-13 knew. So he activated the Power he had received from the Erebos and their secret ally.
xxxxxxx
In a few kilometer distance Issei-01 could sense the situation Rias was in.
"Ddraig," he said.
("Yes.") And he used Transfer to help her out.
"It seems that your powers have weakened a bit," Raiser-20 commented. "Can it be that you transferred some o fit away? Maybe to help Rias?"
"Are you not worried that my psychopath double will kill her?" Issei asked in return.
"A bit. But if thinks turn out bad, I can always find another one of her," he replied. "But I will not loose to you. Not like my weak counterparts did. Not again," Raiser suddenly shouted.
`This guy has more than a few screws loose, right Ddraig?´ Issei thought.
("Yes Partner,") the Dragon replied.
Here is finally the next chapter. It would have probably come earlier if I had not to do extra hours at work for a few weeks because we were short of a few colleagues.
The Final oft he current Arc will follow next chapter.
The ones who red my other stories have probably an idea who the blonde Devil woman at the beginning of the chapter is. This here is however an alternate version of this OC, who is unrelated to her other appearances.