A/N: This is a little on the shorter end and I hope you aren't underwhelmed at the lack of conflict, but by the time I got to where I was planning on starting the actual game, I was halfway through a normal length chapter. It was either spend another few days making a 15k word chapter or whatever to write all the combat, awkwardly split the chapters for no reason, or make this one a bit shorter and the next a bit longer. I chose the final of those options, so I hope you understand that. Other than that, this is a pretty straightforward chapter. I hope you enjoy!

"You've all overcome many hurdles to get where you are today," Issei began. It was the morning of the rating game against Riser and the combatants were all waiting in the ORC club room for Grayfia's arrival, which would signify the start of the game. "You were, for the most part, quite mediocre before we began. Hopefully, these ten days have shown you that strength is an outcome of the work you put into it. Not everything can be gained from birth or status alone."

"In other words," Yuuma giggled from her place on his back. "He's proud of all the work you've done!"

"I was getting there," he sighed.

"Sure you were," she winked.

"Rias, you've grown into a suitable leader, though it took you quite a while…"

{Flashback}

"So, it's the ninth day. Finally have the correct answer?" Issei asked, an eyebrow raised. So far, the crimson-haired girl had gotten farther away from the correct answer almost every day. She had one answer that he actually approved of, which was that her first answer was correct and he just wanted her to be confident, but, unfortunately, that wasn't right either.

"I think-no, I do. I finally figured it out," Rias nodded confidently. "The answer is the fighter with the stronger conviction."

"Explain."

"Both fighters are equally matched in strength, which is a vague description, though it's vague intentionally," she explained. "It sets up several plausible theories, such as the better weapon, the better strategy, or the better prepared, however, each of those can fall under the description of 'strength;' Strength of arms, strength of mind, and strength of tactics."

"And would the same not hold true to the strength of conviction?"

"Conviction is different... Conviction is not something to be trained, sharpened, or practiced like you would swordsmanship or tactics. While it can dull over time, it is not something that is strength directly. Conviction is your will to fight, your purpose for continuing to stand when you fall to the floor."

"In other words," Issei nodded approvingly. "Sometimes the strongest weapon you can have is to stay true to your convictions. Just as the blade is an extension of your mind, so too is your conviction to the blade. That was your final test, Rias. You've passed all the others with flying colors. While you did cut this a little close, and I'd hoped you'd have gotten the right answer sooner, you did get it in the end. I believe you have what it takes to defeat Riser."

"I do," she agreed confidently.

{Flashback End}

"Koneko...frankly...you still freak me out a little bit," he admitted.

"Go to hell…" she deadpanned.

"If you'll have me, I'd love to visit," he chuckled. "However, you made some of the most substantial progress of anyone here. I'd probably still beat you in a fight, however, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if you were physically stronger than me by a significant amount."

"I get to praise Xenovia!" Yuuma wriggled in excitement. "I think you did great! You're so much faster and stronger now! Plus, you can use all those light weapons against the army of the FCO!"

"The what?" Xenovia asked.

"Don't as-" Issei tried to stop her, but it was too late.

"The Fried Chicken Overlord! The evil mastermind of all Fried Chicken, who preys on the weak! With his mighty army-mmph! Mmm!"

"That's enough," Issei sighed, covering her mouth with his hand as she whined about being denied the opportunity to describe the brilliant fantasy of her foe. "Kiba and Katase. You've both made immense progress in your swordsmanship. Kiba, I significantly doubt that any form of physical pain or mental torment will have any effect on you now. She's tough, but Gris-"

"DON'T SAY THAT NAME!" Kiba shouted, shivering before regaining his composure. "Ahem. Thank you for your praise, Issei. I appreciate all the training you've given us."

"Riiight…" The whole group looked at him in pity, having seen the aftermath of his training with her who shall not be named. "Ahem...Katase, your training with Minamoto has worked brilliantly. You may be the most well-rounded of the entire group. While your strength is ellipsed by Xenovia, and your speed by Kiba, you have a jack-of-all-trades ability that fits in brilliantly."

"I did my best with the old man," Katase huffed. "Geezer kept speaking in riddles…"

"Asia, you did magnificent work with Raphael. I'm incredibly proud of you. I'm sure you'll rival him in your healing talents in no time, wouldn't you say?" Issei winked.

"I-I don't know about that!" Asia blushed, smiling shyly. "But I'll do my best!"

"Finally, Akeno. I'd say you made the most progress of anyone here, wouldn't you agree, Yuuma?" he turned his head to smile at the angel on his back.

"Yep!" she nodded, grinning brightly.

"Thank you…" Akeno smiled as well, gazing at the two in fond appreciation, thinking back on the training week she'd experienced.

{Flashback}

"Hey, Akeno?" Yuuma asked, entering the bath next to the Lightning Empress, catching her by her lonesome. "Could we...talk for a sec?"

"What's on your mind? Come to get seduction advice?" Akeno chuckled teasingly. "How very daring."

"DO YOU REALLY HAVE SOME?" she gasped hopefully. "Wait! No, that's not what I wanted to talk about! Ahem. I wanted to ask you about your powers."

"Really? What about them?"

"Well...er...how should I put this," Yuuma scratched her head nervously before taking a deep breath and taking a different approach. "You know...I wasn't always an angel."

"I didn't know that," Akeno looked surprised. "But I don't know what that has to do with my powers."

"I was born as an angel," she clarified. "But I fell...along with the Grigori…"

"I...see…"

"It was a really hard time for me…" Yuuma admitted sadly, telling Akeno the story of how she fell. How afraid she was for what she'd done, it being the first time she took a life, and, even though she lived through the great war, it never made the regret of that first time go away. How she felt alone within the Grigori, petrified that people would discover what she'd done and hate her for it.

"You must really hate Fallen Angels then," Akeno smiled sadly, looking elsewhere trying not to lose her composure at having another person hate her for what she really is.

"Not at all," Yuuma shook her head, surprising the half-breed. "I can't hate them. It isn't really their fault, after all. It was my own mistake...and I was too afraid to try to do anything about it... Besides...while they weren't exactly nice or friendly to me...at least I had a place to live and work…"

"Oh…"

"I just...I wanted to say I can understand a little bit of what you're going through," Yuuma admitted. "I know...that you're a half fallen angel."

"How did you-"

"Issei told me. He can tell and I think Dulio can, too," she explained. "He's worried, you know? That you're denying a part of yourself or that you're ashamed of what you are."

"I want no part of those filthy creatures!" Akeno seethed, trying not to explode. "And he shouldn't care whether I do or don't."

"Whether you accept them is different than whether you accept yourself," the angel told her, giving her a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You're holding yourself back because you hate that part of you. Is there...any way you could tell me why you hate it so much?"

"It's because of my father!" she snapped back. "He's a fallen angel, a cadre! But he let my mother die! She was just a human... Because of him, my home looked down on us...my clan hated us! And my mother was KILLED! Because he didn't save her!"

Yuuma was silent for a moment, thinking about what Akeno had said before she spoke up. "And...do you hate him for this?"

"Of course I do! My mother is DEAD! She was murdered because he didn't save her! He wasn't even there to try!"

"I see…" Yuuma was quiet again, thinking about how to continue. "When I first met Issei, I was on a mission to kill him, you know? That was my assignment, just like Kalawarner did to Katase."

Akeno seemed surprised but didn't respond.

"It's true. I asked him out on a date so he'd lower his guard so I could kill him. It was...the best time I'd ever had...I hadn't been that happy since before I fell…" she smiled, looking down slightly with a blush on her cheeks. "Afterwards...I took him to the park. I was trying to use my name as sort of a cruel joke, you know? 'Heaven's Evening Daze'... maybe it'd be easier to kill him? Maybe if I acted evil it would be...that's what I thought, anyway. But...he gave me this necklace before I could do it."

Akeno looked at the angel's hand, where she'd summoned the necklace Issei had given to her; a silver-chained piece of jewelry, the ornament being a small heart with two angel wings coming off of it. "That's...beautiful…"

"It's the most precious gift I've ever been given..." Yuuma spoke softly, a single tear welling up in her eyes. "I just...broke down... I knew that I couldn't do it... He was just too nice...too innocent. Of course, he knew the whole time. That I needed to do something to him and that I was hesitating. So, I told him everything. And he listened. And he let me cry on his shoulder while he held me... I just felt...warm...and safe…"

"Is that why you're always so attached to him?" Akeno asked.

"Yeah...I just love that feeling...of feeling warm...safe...and loved…" she blushed, thinking of how Issei had finally admitted that he did. "But...after that...he broke the system. The entire system that the previous God had set up. He just decided that it was in the way and broke through it."

"He did WHAT?" Akeno asked, a moment of disbelief taking over the somber and serious mood of their discussion.

"Yep!" Yuuma giggled. "There's a system for forgiving angels who have fallen, but Issei decided it was in the way and broke it. It did kill me in the process, but he resurrected me as his ten afterward."

Akeno just seemed flabbergasted.

"I guess I got a little sidetracked," Yuuma admitted, chuckling nervously. "But my point is that it doesn't really matter what you are, you know? I was a fallen angel trying to kill him, but he didn't even care. He just wanted to help me before I fell the rest of the way... If you hate the fallen angels, regardless of the reason, that's fine...just...don't let them hold you back, you know? You have to accept the parts of you that you don't like in order to keep going forward."

"Our situations are totally different," Akeno shook her head. "I can't just-"

"You're right, they are different. In your case, someone failed to keep your trust. In mine, I murdered two fallen angels in cold blood. Neither deserved to die, but I still killed them. Do you hate me?"

"No, that's not-"

"Then you shouldn't hate the fallen angels as a species," Yuuma shook her head. "I don't know your father. I don't know who he was or what his intentions are, whether he let your mother die or whether he hates himself for letting it happen. What I do know is that you're blocking yourself because you're assigning blame to a part of yourself. Because you think that you indirectly caused your mother's death because you're half fallen. That simply isn't true."

Akeno was quiet for a moment, looking down and not saying a word. "You...you really think so?"

"I do," Yuuma nodded, standing to get out of the bath. "So, think about it. Try to move forward. If not for yourself, do it for Rias. And if not for Rias, do it for your mother."

With that statement, Yuuma walked off, set to show a certain angel just exactly how much she loved him.
In the days that followed, Akeno continued to think about what Yuuma had taught her, while Dulio continued to help her make vast strides with her lightning magic. She still hadn't fully embraced it, but she did some basic training to add the holy element into her lightning, trying not to let the past overshadow her future any more than it already had.

{Flashback End}

"Unfortunately, this is where my help comes to an end." Issei finished his speech and set Yuuma on the ground, hugging her to his side instead. "Rias? It's all down to you know. Good luck and give 'em hell!"

"Right!" Rias nodded confidently, watching as Issei gave a final rub to Yuuma's head before teleporting off, presumably somewhere to watch the games.

"This would be so much easier if Issei could fight," Yuuma sighed, lying down on the couch, awaiting the game to come.

"We don't have that luxury," Rias shook her head.

"Besides, if Issei could've fought, no way we would have done all that training!" Katase added, smirking. "I'll bet I could take on all of those jerks!"

"Don't get ahead of yourself," Rias chuckled. "Just because we're all stronger doesn't mean this is going to be easy, by any means."

"Rias is right," Akeno nodded. "Remember, Riser has already participated in ten rating games, and he's never been defeated."

"Are you really sure we can do this?" Asia asked timidly.

"We'll own that bozo," Koneko replied flatly.

"Well said!" Yuuma cheered.

After a short while longer of waiting, a large gray magic circle arrived, summoning Grayfia Lucifuge herself to the Occult Research Club building.

"Grayfia," Rias greeted. "Does this mean it's time?"

"Yes it is, my lady," Grayfia bowed politely. "If you will all step this way, you'll be summoned to the battlefield, however, there is one final thing before we go. Rias, you must give your stand-ins their respective piece assignments in accordance with their power levels. You have remaining; one bishop, one rook, and eight pawns to assign between Miss Asia Argento, Miss Yuuma Amano, and Miss Xenovia Quarta."

"I suppose Asia should be the bishop since she's a healer," Rias decided. "And Xenovia can be the rook. That leaves Yuuma as a pawn."

"Miss Amano will take up half of your pawn pieces," Grayfia nodded. "But that assignment is acceptable. Good luck in your games."
Rias thanked her family maid, putting on a face of determination as she and her rating game group got teleported away into the new space.

"I think something went wrong," Yuuma noted, looking around after the teleportation ended. "Is it because we're angels? We didn't go anywhere."

"I thought you said the game was taking place in some super-cool dimensional space or something?" Katase agreed, just as confused. Fortunately, however, their questions were to be answered by the very maid that had just teleported them.

"Your attention, please," her voice spoke, echoing throughout the air, similar to an intercom. "Welcome, everyone. My name is Grayfia. I'm a servant of the House of Gremory. I will be your referee during today's match. To create the battlefield you'll be competing in, I took suggestions from both Lady Rias and Lord Riser. You may recognize this place as it's an exact replica of Kuoh Academy; an educational institute in the human world. Each team has been given an area that will serve as its home base. Lady Rias, your crew will be in the Occult Research Club headquarters in the old schoolhouse. Lord Riser's home base will be located in the principal's office in the new schoolhouse. Pawns will be promoted if they can make their way to the home base of the opposing team. Good luck to all, you have ten minutes to prepare."

"I guess that explains this then," Yuuma commented, looking out the now opened window of the building.

"Explains wha-WOAH!" Katase exclaimed, looking at what Yuuma was seeing. Instead of the normal sky they expected to see, it was a dark area, filled with glowing green lights, reminiscent of an aurora.

"As I told you before," Rias explained. "The rating games take place in an alternate space, created specifically for the game that is to be played."

"That means that we have no restrictions for damage," Akeno chuckled. "We can even burn it to the ground if we want to!"

"Is that safe?" Asia asked worriedly.

"When someone is defeated in a rating game, they are immediately transported to a top-notch medical facility, significantly lowering the risk of any fatalities. Anything short of an instant-kill should be healed without issue, even the loss of limbs or puncturing of vital organs," the Gremory King reassured. "For now, we need to formulate our plan of attack."

"Here you go, president." Akeno brought over to Rias' desk a layout of the school grounds.

Rias scanned the layout of the grounds, using the analytical training she'd had over the past ten days to attempt to develop a reasonable strategy. "Utilizing Kiba's speed, we could have him lead a contingent of swordsman through the baseball and football fields along their left flank as our primary method of attack, however, this leaves the right side wide open, the center under-protected, and they can be spotted out from a large distance."

"A direct confrontation would be suicidal, as we have fewer members than they do. They could easily surround us," Akeno volunteered.

"But we can't just hole up here," Yuuma added. "If we were to play the defensive game, they could easily use a long-range area-of-effect attack to take most of us out at once while we're dealing with the frontal attack. We'd be too cornered to escape it."

"Which leaves one primary method," Rias nodded. "We'll have to split our forces into attacking key points, while also keeping our stronghold safe. Kiba, Koneko, and Akeno. The three of you will fill the woods with traps and illusions, respectively. Make it as difficult as possible for the opposing pawns to find our base and promote."

"Understood, president," Kiba nodded in approval, while Koneko summoned her familiar, Shiro, to assist with the trap laying.

"We're allowed to summon our familiars?" Yuuma asked in surprise.

"Yes, what exactly does yours do?" Rias asked, inquisitively.

"Nadee does all sorts of things!" the angel replied proudly, summoning her Yali to her side. "Don't you, Nadee? You're so adorable! Just look at you!"

The large, majestic creature purred and nuzzled the gushing Yuuma.

"Well, you can't say she and Issei aren't a perfect match," Akeno chuckled.

"Go ahead and finish your plan, Rias, and I'll have Nadee help whoever needs it the most! Although, I'd rather have her stay with me…" she grumbled.

"Very well," Rias nodded, continuing. "Once all the traps and illusions are laid, Kiba, I want you to watch over the forest. Finish off anyone that gets caught in the trap and protect the school building. Akeno, you'll return here while Koneko will begin making her way towards the gymnasium from the left flank."

"Got it," Koneko replied in her usual flat tone.

"Asia, I want you to stay close to me. As our only source of healing and recovery, it's important that you're well protected."

"Um, ok!" she nodded.

"That leaves Katase, Xenovia, and Yuuma," the crimson-haired Gremory thought for another moment, deciding how she wanted to continue the assault. "Katase, I want you and Yuuma to go straight to the gymnasium as fast as possible. It's the center-most position on the battlefield, so it's your job to lock it down for us."

"Piece of cake!" Katase exclaimed confidently.

"Aye, sir!" Yuuma saluted, emulating her favorite blue kitten.

"Xenovia, I would leave you to split the forest with Kiba, but since you aren't the one laying the traps, it runs the risk of you accidentally activating them. Sending too large a force to the gymnasium right away could make them commit harder than we can fight against or cause them to retreat prematurely, neither of which we want. For now, take the right flank of the gym. Cut off any exits and assist Yuuma and Katase if they need it. Make sure the enemy does not provide reinforcements nor can they escape to regroup."

"Understood," Xenovia nodded.

"Your ten minutes of preparation time has expired. The rating game has now begun," Grayfia announced, signifying the start of the fight for Rias' freedom.

"Alright, go!" Rias ordered, the trap-layers quickly leaving and the assault forces making their final preparations. "Yuuma, what about Nadee?"

"Well, since you have so much defense here, she doesn't really need to guard our base," Yuuma thought. "That means she can come with me! Yay, Nadee!"

The large cat purred, nuzzling its owner affectionately. "Very well. Good luck and be careful. We'll be able to communicate with each other using a standard communications circle. Make sure you listen for any further instructions."

"I understand! You ready to go, Katase?" Yuuma turned to the pinkette. "We have an army of Fried Chicken soldiers to slay!"

"Let's do this," she nodded confidently, the two high-fiving before setting off.

'Please…' Rias thought, looking out the window nervously. 'Be careful…'

{Line Break}

"Here we are!" Yuuma declared, waltzing into the gymnasium with more of a laissez-faire attitude than even Katase expected. "I wonder what the big bad chicken has prepared for us? What about you, Nadee? You're just so adorable!"

"You realize this is a battle, right…" Katase deadpanned, looking at the angel taking plenty of time to smother her familiar with affection.

"It's no big deal, this'll be easy," she waved off the pinkette.

"Is that so?" challenged a different female voice from across the gym. "And you think that despite having only brought two members to the center-most point of battle? Your king is a fool to undervalue such a place."

"Truly," agreed another female voice.

"Hi!" Yuuma greeted. "My name's Yuuma and this is Nadee!"

The Yali made a slight noise of greeting.

"Why are you being so friendly? They're the enemy!" Katase scolded.

"So? We can at least be nice to them before I skewer them!" Yuuma giggled back.

"Aren't you the cocky one," mused the first voice, as she led a small contingent of five girls forward. She wore a traditional Chinese qipao with white ribbons in her black hair. "My name is Xuelan, Lord Riser's Rook."

"Siris," the second introduced. Siris had on red shorts, a white top that looked similar to Xuelan's qipao, armored gauntlets and boots that went up to her knees, and wore her long dark hair in a high ponytail, splitting into five thin strands. "Lord Riser's Knight."

"Oh, it's Mira! Hi, Mira!" Yuuma waved, noticing the next girl in line. "Good to see you again!"

"No it isn't!" Mira protested. "I'll defeat you here and make up for my embarrassment in front of Lord Riser!"

"Aren't those two next to her the little girls Riser is into? Pedo..." Katase whispered, though intentionally loud enough that everyone could hear.

"We're not little girls!" the first protested.

"Yeah! We're almost as old as you! Lord Riser's not a pedo!" the second agreed. They both looked practically identical, each having shoulder-length green hair and wearing a gym outfit. Strangely enough, they also each wielded a chainsaw.

"Lolicon then... Anyway, why are you using chainsaws?" Yuuma asked, bringing up the obvious question. "Besides the fact that you're too young, aren't you devils? Don't you have...magic or something?"

"That doesn't matter! Just because we're not very good-"

"Ile! Nel!" Xuelan snapped. "Enough. We've finished our introductions and are wasting time. There are only two of them and that hideous walrus-cat. I'll take-"

"I'm sorry, did you say hideous walrus-cat?" Yuuma smiled a little too sweetly, exuding a terrifying aura. "I don't think I heard you correctly."

"What's it to you? You shouldn't bring your pet to a fight," replied simply. "Ile, Nel, and Siris, you three take the pink-haired one. Mira and I will take the one with the cat."

"Katase, I'm going to have to butcher this Chinese girl now," the angel informed her pink-haired comrade. "Please deal with the children and the stoic one."

'Scary,' Katase shivered. "Right…"

"Are you ready, Nadee?" Yuuma turned to her familiar. "We have a battle to win."

The Yali growled aggressively and grew in size, growing double in both height and length. Its claws drew out slightly as well, their razor-sharp edges gleaning in the gym light. The familiar licked its fangs, knowingly intimidating its opponents.

"Hn," Xuelan grunted in annoyance. "Ready for this, Mira?"

"Yes," the pawn answered, though her tone showed little to no confidence.

"Well then, let's have some fun!" Yuuma giggled and spread her wings, shooting forward towards the Chinese rook, her Yali trailing close behind.

{Line Break}

While the preliminary attack force was making their way towards the gym, Kiba, Akeno, Koneko, and her familiar, Shiro, were out in the forest surrounding the old schoolhouse with traps. Akeno had also summoned her familiar, which was a small green troll with peculiar-looking black facial features. It split into four separate entities, each looking similar to the original, however, they were all different colors, and spread throughout the forest, each turning into an exact replica of the building.

Shiro was jumping from tree branch to tree branch setting motion-activated traps that would launch high-speed magical arrowheads at anyone who crossed over them, while Kiba began to construct a magical barrier. Their goal was to bait the enemy with illusions and arrowhead traps into one of several different barriers, that way, Kiba could approach and eliminate them with relatively little difficulty.

They continued this process for some time, until Grayfia's voice came on again, announcing the results of the first conflict.

{Line Break}

Earlier, after leaving the ORC building, Issei decided to make a quick stop to invite a certain someone to watch the games with him, in addition to the training group that would already be watching. Arriving at Heaven's gates and greeting Peter, he flew through first Heaven, heading towards the elevator.

Seeing as how it was now public knowledge that he was technically the Lord, he received a great many praises, greetings, prayers, people bowing or kneeling in respect, and every other sort of gesture you could imagine.

'How do you deal with this all the time?' Issei asked Yahweh, mentally squirming at all the superfluous gestures of hierarchical respect. 'Didn't this make you...like...really uncomfortable?'

"You're forgetting, Issei," Yahweh clarified. "That I made the entire world. Before the world, I had no one to talk to, so this was normal for me."

'That's...really pathetic…'

"SHUT UP! I MADE THE WHOLE WORLD! BE GRATEFUL!"

'Alright, alright, calm down...crybaby…'

"Brat…"

Issei continued up the stories of Heaven, stopping on the Sixth Floor, the home of the Seraphim. They would have invited him to live there too, but the four of them figured he'd be happier with the rest of his Brave Saints. It definitely wasn't because Yuuma and possibly Asia would have broken the rules and gone to Sixth Heaven every night just to sleep with Issei, definitely not that.

Making the short trip to a small, but fancy, cottage, Issei knocked on the door, waiting for the recipient to answer.

"Is that you Michael?" called the voice from inside, walking towards the door to open it. "Do you have a message that needs-Issei?"

"Gabriel, good to see you," Issei smiled at the blonde Seraphim.

"Issei! You haven't visited me in forever!" Gabriel smiled brightly, quickly greeting the angel with a hug before inviting him in. "I was starting to think you'd gotten sick of me."

"Not quite, you're gonna have to work quite a bit harder if you want me gone," Issei chuckled, following her inside.

"Really? And I was looking forward to it too," she teased back, leading the two of them to a couch, where they sat next to each other, Gabriel deliberately as close to Issei as possible. "So, what business brings my Lord to visit me of all people?"

"In a good mood today, are we?"

"Of course! You're visiting me," she smiled at him. "But really, what are you visiting for? I thought that you were still working on training with that Gremory group. I'm still upset you didn't ask me to come help, you know."

"I would have, it's just that your skillset didn't really fit anyone," he scratched his head nervously. "Not that you don't have an amazing skillset! I mean, you're Gabriel! You could probably teach anything, I was just trying to match people specifically and I had Yuuma there to teach what I would have had you do and I didn't want to get another Seraphim involved since you're all so busy, because I'd already gotten-"

"Issei," Gabriel giggled. "I was just teasing you. I know if you'd needed my help you would have asked me."

"Right," he exhaled. 'Dodged a bullet there.'

"Damn right you did…" Yahweh grumbled disapprovingly.

'Butt out!'

"I'm protecting my daughter."

'...'

"..."

'...whatever…'

"So…" Gabriel gestured for him to get to why he was there. "Unless you're just here to see me, which I'm perfectly ok with."

"Close, actually," Issei nodded, not missing her big smile at that comment. "I wanted to know if you would come to watch the rating game with me and all the others that helped with training. Well, almost all of them. Dima had to go back to Russia and Minamoto to the Shinto shrines, but Griselda, Michael, Raphael, Dulio, and I are all going to watch together. I thought maybe you'd like to join me?"

"Are you asking me out on a date?" she grinned slyly. "You're not the first to ask, you know."

"And here I thought pride was a sin." Issei poked her cheek teasingly. "But sure, I guess you could say it is, even though there will be a bunch of other people there, one of which is Griselda and one of which is Michael...they can be mood killers…"

"There shouldn't even be a 'mood' to kill, to begin with…" Yahweh grumbled.

Gabriel giggled. "I thought you said you approved, father?"

"Approval and enjoyment of my host seducing my daughter are very different."

"I'M NOT SEDUCING ANYONE!" Issei protested. "I just asked her to watch the game with me!"

"Oh, sure!" Yahweh wept. "First it's just the games and then it's all sorts of things and then my beautiful Gabriel is gone forever!"

"You're overreacting…" Issei deadpanned as Gabriel continued to giggle.

"Sure, I'd love to watch it. Are we going now?"

"Yeah, it should start pretty soon," he nodded. "Everyone's down in the House of Crowns lounge waiting for it to start. Ready to go?"

"Yep!" she smiled at him, taking his hand as they walked towards the elevator.

"Curse you, Issei!" Yahweh cried.