Izuku noticed that Rias had been acting strange today, but he didn't ask. There were more important things going on, after all. The redhead told him, Issei, and Asia that their first stray Devil hunt would be tonight. They were told that they would find out what that meant later, so they were anticipating that.

For now, though, Izuku and Issei were killing time by hanging out in the clubroom, talking about various things. They compared their Sacred Gears, hobbies, and Issei even tried to get Izuku to talk about his ideal girl. Izuku's response was a bit more innocent than Issei had hoped, as the boy said that he just likes girls who are caring and aren't afraid to speak their mind.

The boys continued talking for a bit, before the discussion died down in a comfortable silence. Issei broke the silence by speaking once more. "Hey, Izuku."

The shorter boy looked up. Issei continued talking. "I think Akeno likes you."

Izuku blinked before answering. "Um, yeah, I guess her and I are friends..."

Issei put his hand on Izuku's shoulder. "Not that, I mean I think she likes you."

It took Izuku a moment, but his face turned bright red when he realized what Issei was saying. "N-N-No, it's not like that!" He remembered what Rias had said before, but he brushed it off as nothing more than playful teasing. He also remembered his time with Akeno after the dodgeball match, but he thought her actions were closer to those of a big sister.

Despite his attempts to rationalize things, Izuku couldn't deny that he had a huge crush on Akeno. He was just far too shy to ever say it out loud. There were more important matters at hand, however, as Rias and the other Devils had entered the room. He looked up at Akeno, who smiled at him.

Rias stood near the middle of the room as she spoke loud and clear to her sitting servants. "I'm sure most of you know what's going on, but I'll explain for our newer members. After I'm done speaking, we'll be heading out to hunt a stray Devil."

Izuku, Issei, and Asia all continued listening closely as their master spoke. "As the name implies, they are Devils who run astray for any reason, whether it be for nefarious purposes or just the desire for personal freedom. As members of the Gremory clan, it is our duty to rid this area of stray Devils. We tend to just execute them on the spot, but I've allowed some to leave if I was able to assure that they would return to their master, but I digress. We will be leaving now, so be prepared."

Issei turned to Izuku, whispering as the group stepped into a magic circle formed by Rias.

"Hey, Izuku. Do you think the stray Devil will be a hot lady, maybe with huge boobs?"

Izuku felt his face heat up. "Wh-Why would you ask me that?!"

Issei chuckled softly as he patted Izuku's head "No reason."

When the light from the circle faded, the group found themselves in what looked to be a dark, abandoned warehouse. Izuku slightly jumped when he heard footsteps in the distance, and he was surprised when he looked around and saw no one but his friends.

"Oh my, I wonder what that wonderful smell is?"

Izuku and Asia nervously looked around when they heard a feminine voice somewhere in the room as the sound of footsteps got closer. Issei smiled in a perverted manner when he heard the voice. Koneko, Kiba, and Akeno all looked at each other with determined expressions.

The large metal crates nearby shook as the footsteps grew louder and louder. "Come on out! You can't hide forever!" cried the voice, sounding a bit angrier now.

Akeno looked at Rias before looking in the direction of the voice. She quickly spread her wings as she flew into the air.

The source of the voice finally revealed herself as she stepped out from the shadows. She was a female Devil with a deceptive appearance. While the top half of her body was that of a very attractive woman, her lower half was much more monstrous.

"I see big boobies!" cried Issei, blissfully ignoring everything else. Izuku covered his eyes while blushing intensely. Rias tapped their shoulders, getting their attention. "I need the two of you to pay close attention. This is very important for you." The redhead called for Asia to come over, and began speaking to the trio of new Devils.

"Are any of you familiar with the game of chess?"

All three nodded. Issei liked to play it every now and then, Asia mentioned doing it once or twice when she was with the church, and Izuku said that he knew how the game worked.

"Good. Now, watch Kiba for a bit and try to figure out his patterns."

The three nodded, and watched their friend quickly attack the stray with a sword he got from seemingly nowhere. They were impressed when he began moving so fast that they couldn't even see him. Rias was unfazed, as she was used to this. "Kiba is the Knight. His speed and overall agility is unparalleled. He's excellent for overwhelming slower enemies."

Rias then pointed to Koneko. "Koneko is a Rook. Don't let her size deceive you, because she has the most physical strength of anyone in this group." Izuku remembered the time Koneko effortlessly lifted him off the ground while escaping from Raynare.

The three novice Devils cried out when Koneko was suddenly swallowed by a grotesque mouth on the stray Devil's lower half. Rias smiled a bit. "Don't worry, just watch."

Their horrified cries turned into gasps of awe when the jaws were pried open from the inside, revealing a mostly intact Koneko. She finished her job by flipping the stray over with little effort.

Akeno was about to land the killing blow, but she gasped when she saw that the stray was no longer there. She shot some lightning around the room in an effort to reveal the stray's position, but to no avail.

"Wah! Wh-What's grabbing me?! Let go!"

Rias and her other servants froze when they heard Izuku cry out for help. The stray Devil revealed herself once more, this time tightly holding Izuku in her right hand. "You're looking pretty delicious, kid." Izuku whimpered when the stray dragged her tongue across his cheek. "So tasty..."

Akeno was barely able to contain her anger when Izuku began tearing up. Her rage was well hidden by a deceptively calm smile. "You've been bad, stray Devil. Attacking my cute friend... that's unforgivable."

Akeno giggled as she relentlessly electrocuted the stray Devil, somehow not harming Izuku in the process. Izuku was abruptly sent plummeting to the ground, but Koneko caught him just in time. The short girl then jumped in front of her friend when the stray turned out to still be alive and kicking.

"Koneko!"

Koneko took a kick to the face from the stray, but her strength allowed her to retain her balance.

"I think I should step in now."

Rias calmly walked towards the stray and stood before her. "Stray Devil Viser, you are wanted for several counts of murder, as well as running away from your master."

Viser attempted to step on Rias, but the redhead dodged just in time. "I don't care! My master is nothing but a spineless coward! I could not care less about him."

The others all stood and watched as the two went back and forth.

"That doesn't explain the murder."

"They were idiots who got in my way."

"Any last words, Viser?"

"Huh?"

Viser screamed in pain when she was enveloped by a dark red light. Rias and her servants watched as the stray faded away into nothing. Izuku was a little unnerved by how calm Rias was right now, but he didn't think too much about it.

As the other Devils all walked towards the newly-formed magic circle, Izuku had a question for Akeno. "Um... what chess piece are you? I-I'm just curious."

Akeno's smile grew when she heard Izuku. "I'm glad you asked. I'm the Queen, meaning that my skills are a combination of those of the other pieces."

Izuku's face lit up. "Woah, that's so cool! I bet you're super strong!"

Akeno blushed slightly at the praise. "Yeah, I'm so strong that I can do this." Izuku let out an embarrassed squeak when Akeno effortlessly picked him up and carried him over to the circle where the others stood.

After a bright flash of light, the group found themselves back in the clubroom, but this time there was someone waiting for them. Beside the desk stood a woman with gray hair, dressed in a maid outfit. She looked at Rias and addressed her as soon as the circle's light faded. "Rias, would you like to explain why you snuck out last night?"

Rias looked disappointed to see the woman. "I already told you, Grayfia. I refuse to marry Riser and I refuse to stay home if I won't be given a choice in this matter."

The two would have continued arguing, but they were interrupted when an orange magic circle formed on the floor and the cry of a phoenix was heard. The room was now much more populated, as a blonde man and many girls had appeared out of the circle.

The man stepped close to Rias and attempted to touch her arm, but she swatted his hand away. "Don't put your hands on me, Riser. You know that I hate you more than anything else in the universe."

It was quite surprising for Izuku to hear his master speaking with such a harsh tone of voice. She wasn't even this angry when she found out that Issei developed an ability to strip women with his magic.

The man stood tall, a few inches taller than Rias. He knew that his height intimidated her, which he used to his advantage. "Don't be like that, Rias. This marriage is for the good of all Devils. Just like your father said, we have to keep our blood pure, after all."

Rias sat down on the couch behind her while glaring at Riser. "I don't care what my father says! I will only marry the one I love! Pure Devils can die out for all I care!"

Riser tried to kiss Rias, though she shoved his face away. "I'd take any chance I could get to hit you, Riser."

Rias regained her composure as she turned to her peerage. "This is Riser Phenex. He's my fiancé, it wasn't my choice, though."

Issei's eyes widened in shock when he heard what she said. 'Fiancé? Did I hear that right? President is taken?! This is a nightmare!'

Riser shrugged and stood up, walking over to the girls who came into the room with him. "As much as I'd love to have my way with you, Rias, you aren't the only one I'm thinking of. You're really just a way for me to climb the ranks." He would've continued ranting if it weren't for his beautiful queen, Yubelluna, seducing him. He grabbed her chest and passionately kissed her.

Riser paused and looked over at Issei. "Rias, why is your servant crying?"

Issei was glaring at Riser while tears poured out of his eyes in a comedic way. "It's not fair! It's just not fair! Why does he get to have that?! Why can't I?!"

Rias sighed with an annoyed expression. "Issei's dream is to become a 'harem king'..."

Riser chuckled. He nearly continued, but Grayfia got his attention, reminding him what he came here for. "Right... Rias, I just wanted to remind you that the Rating Game is in ten days. Oh, and there's one more thing. I've finally completed my peerage, and I'd like to show off my newest piece." He looked at his watch. "He should be here any second now..."

"Yeah, yeah. Don't rush me, old man!"

A new voice was heard as a smaller orange magic circle formed on the floor. The voice sounded somewhat young, but rough and aggressive. Izuku thought the voice sounded familiar, but he couldn't figure out who it belonged to.

Riser seemed quite of proud of his new servant. "He's got quite an explosive personality and abilities to match. He's going to be a very valuable asset!"

When the circle's light faded, there was one more person in the room. The newcomer was a boy who looked to be around fourteen or fifteen years old, with spiky blonde hair and red eyes. He looked down at the ground while angrily muttering to himself. "Don't know why we had to leave so early. I was so close to beating that level..."

Izuku couldn't believe his eyes. This was a surprise, but not a pleasant one. Within a few seconds, he had backed up against the wall and was hyperventilating. He then found his shirt being grabbed by the angry blonde boy. "Deku! What the hell are you doing here?!"

Izuku wanted to cry, but he couldn't. Not in front of everyone else. "Katsuki... no... please..."

Grayfia pulled Katsuki away before he could continue terrorizing Izuku. Riser made sure to warn his new servant that Grayfia was to be taken seriously, so he didn't try to fight back.

Riser smiled confidently upon seeing the interaction between Izuku and Katsuki. "This just got much more interesting! It seems our servants have some history. Well, it's time for us to leave. I can't wait to give you a taste of defeat." With that, Riser and his peerage disappeared the same way they arrived. Grayfia left soon after, leaving Rias and her servants alone.

Everyone was now looking at Izuku, who was still against the wall and breathing heavily. Akeno was especially concerned. "Izuku? What's wrong? Please, answer me!" He didn't respond, he instead fainted. Akeno was thankfully able to catch him, though.

Even though he was unconscious, she ran her hand through his hair while softly speaking to him. "There, there. It's going to be alright. I bet I can kick that Katsuki's ass." She swore she saw him relax a bit when she said that last part.

The group had gone silent, but they were all thinking the same thing. They would not lose to Riser.

———————————————————————

The plot thickens.

The grilled chicken arrives, and he brings with him the boy of many explosions.

Writing while sick is not fun. It's even more not fun when writer's block hits you hard. Updates may or may not slow down after this, because of writer's block, and that there's a lot of other things I'm writing that I may or may not publish.

'Till next time!