Sakura sighed pleasantly to herself, allowing the scalding hot water to cascade down her naked body. Leaning her head on the wall of the rather fancy shower in the clubroom, Sakura idly massaged her tense muscles.
Another ten days had passed and still not a word or peep from Sasuke pertaining to Naruto and the situation with the Greek Pantheon. Well, atleast the world wasn't shaking. So, that had to be a positive, right?
Naruto would behave himself, surely. He had to right? He knew how dire this situation was and the potential fallout that could escalate should an issue rise.
Hopefully...
"Sakura? Are you almost finished?" The medic's emerald orbs shifted towards the door of the bathroom, hearing Rias' voice on the other side. "I want to discuss something before the Rating Game... If that's alright with you?"
There was hesitation in the girl's voice, almost timid to a degree. Sakura rose a curious eyebrow at that before shrugging her shoulders. In a fluid motion she turned off the water and stepped out of the shower before swiftly wrapping her body up in a towel.
Sakura opened the door a moment later, not bothering to dry herself off. A teasing smile bled to life as she noticed Rias' shocked expression, not expecting her to just come out without properly dressing herself.
Teasing Rias was enjoyable.
Crossing her toned arms against her chest, Sakura leaned against the door of the bathroom. "What'd ya wanna talk about?"
"Muscles... Big, muscles..." Rias idly commented, staring with wide eyes at the pink haired girl's arms.
"Yes, they are rather large considering my physique isn't all that impressive." Sakura responded easily, smiling to herself. "Do you want me to flex?" She made a show of uncrossing her arms, smiling as Rias seemed to finally come to her senses.
"Th-That won't be n-necessary!" Rias shook her hands, closing her eyes with a blush. "I wasn't trying to stare! They're just... There, ya know?"
Sakura smirked to herself, lowing her arms and crossing them again. "I mean, if you wanted to see 'em, all you had to do is just ask." She shrugged her shoulders flippantly. "What's the point of having these muscles if no one's gonna see 'em?"
"You mean it?" Rias asked in a giddy tone, like an excited child. She paused for a moment, noticing Sakura's growing smirk. "Mou~... Stop teasing meeeeeee..."
"Adorable." The medic commented, causing another blush to sprout on the red head's face. "I'll see you in a minute." She proceeded to step back into the bathroom, closing the door a moment after.
Sakura completely missed Rias' disappointed expression.
A few minutes passed by before Sakura emerged from the bathroom, this time though, she was fully clothed. Instead of her pink, crop top sweater, she had opted for a simple black, sports bra covered by a high cut black jacket. She still wore a pair of black leggings and a simple pair of sneakers though.
"What did you wanna talk about, Rias?" She asked curiously, noticing the other girl's lingering glance. Deciding to not tease the poor redhead, Sakura began to walk towards to the clubroom.
Rias resisted the urge to pout once more before following after the medic. "Well..." She began timidly, not truly knowing how to phrase her words. "There's been some... Unforseen happenings regarding the Rating Game."
Sakura's eyebrows furrowed at that, walking into the clubroom before taking a seat behind Rias' desk. "Unforseen 'happenings'?" She parroted confusedly. "What do you mean, Rias?"
The redheaded heiress, ignoring the urge to pout at having her seat taken, opted to seat herself on the corner of the desk, body half facing Sakura as she responded nervously. "Weeeeeeeeeell... Uhh, I might have let it slip that... Well, ya know?"
"Rias." Sakura demanded sharply, staring directly at the side of the girl's head.
The redhead cringed at the girl's tone, staring at the floor and very much ignoring the glare directed at her. "Please don't be mad at me!" She all but pleaded, turning towards her... well, her crush, and clasping her hands together.
Sakura's eyebrows furrowed at the girl's words. "Rias, what did you do?"
The girl slumped pathetically atop the desk, whining to herself and muttering various phrases and curses.
The displaced Kunoichi only rolled her eyes at the girl's childish antics. It was both amusing and adorable. Whatever it was, it couldn't be that bad, right?
After groaning for another second or so, Rias fell back unto the desk, causing her massive breasts to bounce at the action, briefly drawing Sakura's gaze.
"I might have told a few friends that... That I was able to find a way out of my contract." The girl covered her eyes with her left hand, cheeks blushing up a storm as she spoke. "I didn't think anything of it at the time! I was just so happy! I've lived with this dangling over my head for practically my whole life! Can a girl be blamed for finally being happy...?"
Her words caused Sakura's expression to soften.
Rias was silent for a moment before continuing, still covering her face in what Sakura interpreted as embarrassment. "I guess... Well, I guess my old friends went and spread the word about the entire situation. The next few days, I'm getting texts and calls from cousins I've never spoken to, congratulating me or reprimanding me! Even people I've never formally spoken to!"
Shaking her head, Rias sighed quietly. "This Rating Game of yours was supposed to be an unofficial match..."
Sakura tilted her head at that. "Supposed to be? What happened?"
The girl grimaced briefly before removing her hand and staring up at the ceiling. "Apparently, word got around. And when I mean around, I mean around." Rias paused for a moment before glancing towards the pinkette. "What's the biggest crowd you've ever fought in front of, Sakura? If you've done that, at all?"
The medic blinked at the question, tilting her head to think about it. When Naruto had gone on his three year training trip with Jiraiya, she, alongside the rest of the remaining Konoha Genin, had started their training for the next Chunin Exams.
Sakura had eventually performed in the Exams, taking place in Suna a year and half after Naruto left the Village. She had formed a ragtag team with two unknown Konoha Genin, foregoing the plan of performing with Tenten and Lee due to unforseen circumstances. That was a story for another time.
However, she had passed the initial testing, barely so due to her team's lack of chemistry. But they had passed all the same regardless. However, that's where her two teammates run ended. Following the initial testing was a rather rigorous and brutal event where the various teams were segregated from one another and dropped into the harsh desert of Suna, forced to fend for themselves whilst locating and defeating other teams.
Sakura had shouldered the massive burden of carrying her teammates through that particular event and had only passed by the skin of her teeth due to some much needed luck on the final day of the event. Her two teammates had been drained, both physically and emotionally, and she did not necessarily fault them for quitting when they did.
Sakura herself went on to the finals and made it rather decently far all things considered. She had defeated her first opponent with relative ease but the second one? Who would have thought that a Jinchuuriki was also participating?
A mocha skinned girl with green hair who went by the name of Fu had been her opponent and while Sakura didn't necessarily get thrashed by the girl, it wasn't that close of a fight either. The girl was incredibly powerful and had near full control of her Bijuu's abilities.
Sakura had come to find out during their fight that the girl was the Nanabi Jinchuuriki and didn't that just make it all the more frustrating? While she put up a valiant effort, she was eventually defeated by the girl, who then went on to win the entire thing.
No surprises there really.
But why is this information relevant? Well, there had been a rather large crowd in Suna that had watched the Final Exam. She didn't have exact numbers but perhaps it was in the low hundreds?
Sakura glanced at the redhead, finally speaking after a minute or so. "Well, give or a take a couple hundred."
Rias turned her head towards the girl before speaking. "Yeah? That's actually kinda cool." She spoke offhandedly before shaking her head. "Yeah well, you're going to be fighting in front of... 20,000 devils."
Sakura's eyes widened to saucers at the sheer number. "Rias, what?! 20,000?!"
The heiress grimaced at the girl, covering her face with her hands. "I don't know how it happened! All I did was tell a few old friends! I didn't think it would explode like this!"
Sakura sat quietly, still shocked at the sheer number of attendees that'd be watching her fight with Riser. "How... Why did it gain this much traction? By no means am I an expert of Rating Games but those numbers are damn near Professional Games."
Rias only chuckled nervously, scratching her cheek with her left hand. "Aha...Uhh, well... That number is how many will be physically attending the event, not the actual overall number."
"Rias..." Sakura spoke quietly, eyes widening. "What are you saying?"
The girl whined cutely, rolling back and forth on the desk in embarrassment. "It's going to be broadcasted on the official Rating Game channel! Every Devil who's a fan of Rating Games is going to be watching."
Sakura's mouth dropped for a moment as she spoke. "I thought unofficial games weren't streamed. Unless..."
The redhead only nodded her head as she covered her face. "It's being changed to an official match... With it being an official match, the rule format is changing and it'll have a Professional Ruleset alongside it... This match is even more unique due to the fact that you're a human... It's incredibly rare for a Rating Match to occur outside of two Devils facing one another. Add on to the fact that you're also fighting to void a contract that has been tradition in our people for thousands of years... Sakura, I'm so sorry!"
While yes, this was rather surprising and shocking, it changed very little to Sakura. She still had a duty to perform and she'd see to it. If anything, this was going to only embolden her performance. Not only would she get a chance to completely humble and dissect her opponent, but she'd get to do so in front of thousands...
A devious smile fixed itself to her face. Oh yes... This was going to be exhilarating! It'd show the devil race that even humans could stand to them. Thousands upon thousands of individuals, all across the Underworld, were going to be watching this match.
"I know that look, Sakura." The pink haired girl glanced towards the corner of the room, spotting her Sensei. "All I'm going to say is don't get carried away."
The medic's smile was all teeth. "When have I ever gotten carried away, Sensei?"
Kakashi didn't even bother giving the girl a dry stare. He knew what Sakura was capable of, more than even Naruto and Sasuke did. His pink haired student had always possessed a chip on her shoulder.
She had been saddled alongside two prodigies from the age of twelve and was essentially told to 'keep up'. She had her insecurities, her weakness and her lack of accountability growing up as a Kunoichi on Team 7.
But after her training with Tsunade, she had changed. It was a small one, nearly unnoticeable but Kakashi had spotted it. Sakura was capable of greatness and the only one who could determine how far that greatness went was the girl herself.
Sakura had been shackled with emotional drama during her time as a Kunoichi under Team 7. Only after coming to this world had she finally been freed of those weights.
And Kakashi feared what an unchained Sakura could really do if pushed to do so.
Damn the incredulous amount of Chakra in her seal, damn the lethal Taijutsu under her belt and even damn the ridiculous strength she possessed.
Sakura had a dangerous mind and she was fully capable of utilizing it with lethal precision.
Kakashi pitied Riser and his peerage... He well and truly did. The man wasn't facing Sakura Haruno, esteemed medic Chunin of Konoha under Team 7.
The man was facing Sakura Haruno, wielder of the Boosted Gauntlet and Guardian of the Yokai Faction under the Shinto Pantheon.
Nothing more was needed to be said.
"I pity the man." Kakashi stated quietly, turning a page of his Hentai Manga. "How unfortunate."
"Riser's a prick. He doesn't deserve anyone's pity." Rias replied in a snarky manner, folding her arms across her voluptuous chest.
Sakura shrugged at the comment, not truly caring one way or another. She was going to destroy Riser and his Peerage and that was that.
Closing her eyes, Sakura tilted her dead down, opting to meditate before the match. In doing so, she was thrust into her mindscape, coming face to face with her Sacred Gear.
Opening her eyes, she slowly stood to her feet, staring up at the massive red dragon. "You ready for this, Ddraig?"
"I'm always ready for a fight, partner. If you need me, call upon me. I will be happy to lend my power." The giant dragon nodded its head as it spoke.
Sakura smiled to herself before raising her fist towards the creature. The dragon did not hesitate to ball it's clawed hand, raising it and gently tapping it against Sakura's much smaller one.
"You think I'll be able to use Juggernaut Drive soon?" She asked curiously, pulling her fist away.
"You could use it now, if you so pleased." The red beast responded simply.
Sakura rolled her eyes playfully, dropping to her haunches and sitting down. "Yeah but I mean, like, being of sane mind."
Ddraig pivoted its massive bulk towards the girl as it responded. "That depends entirely on you, partner. The power of a dragon is one built upon by sheer willpower. The stronger your will, the stronger you are."
Sakura was quiet for a moment before leaning back in the mindscape. "Is that why all dragons are considered prideful?"
Ddraig rumbled quietly. "Precisely."
The medic hummed quietly, choosing to remain silent at her Sacred Gear's response. For the next few hours, the two companions remained quiet, merely enjoying the silence.
Sakura's form began to shimmer and in doing so, the girl hummed quietly. "Guess it's time, Ddraig. Wish me luck!" Rising to her feet, the girl gave a salute to the massive dragon.
"You need no luck, partner! Overwhelming power courses through your veins! We will be victorious!"
Sakura merely smiled at the prideful dragon, shimmering into light particles as she disappeared from the shared mindscape.
Sakura's eyes slowly opened, coming face to face with a pair of bright, blue-green eyes. Staring into the eyes for a moment, Sakura tilted her head, wondering why Rias was so close to her.
"Can I help you?" She asked politely.
"You have pretty eyes." The redhead complimented with a small smile. "I just wanted to see them." Rias pulled away a moment later, smiling to herself as she did.
Sakura blinked at the response, not really expecting such a simple compliment. For some reason, it made her chest warm. It was so... different being complimented. She had never received many compliments growing up in Konoha and the fact that Rias did so as frequently as she did usually left her quiet and bashful.
"T-Thank you." She responded, mentally cursing herself for the minor stutter. "Should we... Is it time?" She asked, changing the subject before Rias could capitalize and potentially tease her for her slipup.
Not a second after her question did she sense an influx of power enter the room. Her eyes snapped towards the sigil appearing in the middle of the room, followed by the familiar form of Lucifer's Queen/Maid.
Grayfia's crimson eyes traveled along the room, bowing to each and every member of Rias' peerage whilst also greeting Kakashi and Sakura individually.
"Rias-sama." She greeted with a deep bow. Her face was blank though her crimson eyes were decidedly soft. Rias offered the woman a smile and a simple greeting in return. The Queen turned her gaze towards Sakura before bowing once more and speaking. "Sakura-sama, are you prepared to leave?"
The pink haired medic glanced towards Rias for a moment before nodding her head. "I'm ready, Grayfia-san."
The Queen nodded her head, clasping her hands together in front of her. "Did Rias-sama inform you of the alterations made to your Rating Game match?"
Sakura gave a single nod at the woman's question.
"Then I ask that you come with me so that we may officially start." Grayfia bowed, gesturing with her hand towards the space behind her.
Sakura inhaled deeply, holding the breath for a moment before exhaling slowly. She slowly stood to her feet before making her way towards Lucifer's Maid. Upon reaching the woman, she pivoted on her heel, staring at Rias and her peerage alongside her former Sensei.
"Good luck, Sakura!" Rias encouraged with a bright smile, pumping her fist like an excited child. "Beat the shit outta Riser!"
"Language, Rias-sama." Grayfia chided with furrowed eyebrows, causing Rias' peerage to chuckle quietly.
The redhead merely smiled at the scolding from her sister-in-law before making an 'okay hands' gesture to her crush. "We'll be watching you here, Sakura! You got this! I... Err, Uhh.. We believe in you!"
A soft smile formed on Sakura's face at the girl's words, catching her little slip up. Rias was far too adorable for her own good. She nodded her head in thanks before shifting her gaze to her former Sensei.
Kakashi said nothing, only briefly dipping his head her way with a stoic expression.
'Give em one helluva show.'
Sakura merely smirked at the man, knowing exactly what he was asking of her.
The Maid and Medic disappeared from the room in a vortex of swirling, crimson energy.
The room was silent for a moment before Akeno giggled quietly. "Fufufu~! Do you miss your girlfriend already, Buchou?"
"Sh-Shut up, Akeno!"
When the crimson energy surrounding her dissipated, Sakura immediately tried to make sense of her surroundings. When she did, it caused her eyebrows to furrow.
She... had been here before.
Swiveling her head around the void, spotting the nigh-infinite amount of colors cascading the skies, she spoke quietly.
"The Dimensional Gap..." Her emerald orbs sharpened for a moment as she stared out into the empty void. "Interesting..."
"How did you know?" Grayfia questioned curiously, wondering how a human knew of the Dimensional Gap.
Sakura turned her attention back towards Grayfia, shrugging her shoulders lazily. "I've been here before. Though, we're likely in a barrier. Some sort of controlled space atleast... I doubt you can really control the Dimensional Gap and utilize its space for whatever you wish. A segmented zone that spans maybe a few kilometers is all your kind can control... For now." She mumbled the last part, eyes still occasionally roaming around the area.
This girl continued to surprise Grayfia. She was a powerful, chakra wielding human with no known affiliation with any Faction, who just so happened to be potentially romantically involved with a rather high-profile Devil Heiress and who also possessed no known background of any kind in Japan whilst also having been to the Dimensional Gap before...
If it was up to Grayfia, she'd have tried to assassinate the girl. A woman of this stature could only be a threat but it wasn't up to Grayfia. So, she would stay her hand. Though deep down, something told her that if she tried to carry out her action, she'd likely not succeed.
Not a moment later did another brief flash emanate in the barrier of the Dimensional Gap. From the light came sixteen individuals, one male and fifteen women, respectively.
Sakura merely ignored the group, pocketing her hands into her jacket whilst staring out into the open space, wondering how the Devils were able to utilize a particular space in the Dimensional Gap.
"Are you prepared to grovel, peasant?" Riser insulted/asked Sakura, who stood a little less than five meters away.
Sakura ignored the man easily, only rolling her eyes at his words. She was going to feed him his own teeth anyway.
"Too scared to speak now? What happened to your words from before? Were you only talk, then? Huh? Answer me, gorilla!"
Sakura's eyes flashed as she flared her Chakra.
Violently.
Crimson energy seemed to seep from her pores, surrounding her and cascading along her skin. Her power continued to rise, causing even Grayfia to take a step back in surprise.
It rose. And rose. And rose. And rose.
Grayfia's eyes only widened at the display, shocked beyond belief at the sheer power leaking from the human woman. This girl... She very nearly rivaled a Satan!
And then it suddenly stopped. The power disappeared, as if never having existed. It flooded back into the pink haired medic with ease, showcasing her finite and precise control.
"I'm gonna enjoy breaking every. Bone. In. Your. Body." Sakura threatened calmly, eyes now burning a vicious shade of skarlet with a draconic slit through the middle.
Before the situation could escalate, Grayfia managed to compose herself. Stepping between the two parties, she spoke with only a minor tremor in her voice.
"This Rating Game will be treated as an Official match between Sakura-sama and Riser-sama. Do both parties agree?"
Sakura merely nodded her head, keeping her hands in her jacket pocket.
Riser released a shaky exhale before nodding his head. "I agree."
Noting their acceptance, the Maid proceeded to clap her hands before crossing them. Holding them high in the air, she proceeded to channel an impressive amount of demonic energy, causing a translucent light to suddenly surround a large portion of the space they were in.
Sakura raised an eyebrow at the woman's actions, still curious at just how the woman was creating the barrier that they would be fighting in. There must have been Devil Magic that she couldn't hope to understand happening before her very eyes.
A minute or so passed by before Grayfia ceased her actions. Upon doing so, her voice became amplified and she started speaking in a manner that resembled a sports announcer.
"Welcome devils! For today's main event, we have an official Rating Game between the human, Sakura Haruno!" The woman paused briefly, gesturing towards the pink haired woman. Her other arm rose as she spoke, introducing Riser and his peerage. "And the High-Class Devil, Riser Phenex!"
The man and his peerage gave exaggerated bows causing Sakura to roll her eyes. She wondered where the cameras were. She had been told that everything was being broadcasted. Probably some Devil Magic that she didn't understand.
"Today's particular Rating Game will be..." The woman paused for a moment as she channeled her power. A single dice with ten sides appeared in the palm of her hand before she threw it in the air.
The small dice proceeded to grow as large as a house before being surrounded by demonic energy. It spun faster than the eye could see before abruptly dropping to the ground a moment later.
The ten sided dice ended with a large number nine on it.
"Board collapse!" Grayfia roared, completely unlike her stoic and composed personality.
Before Sakura's very eyes, the Dimensional Gap proceeded to lurch and expand, shifting and changing the terrain with ease. Her eyebrows furrowed at the action, almost in awe at the sheer control that the Devils had over this specific barrier.
"Since Sakura Haruno was the individual to challenge Riser Phenex, she will choose the terrain in which the Match takes place."
Sakura furrowed her eyebrows for a moment before shrugging her shoulders. "Uhh... Konohagakure...?"
Before her very eyes, the terrain and void space shifted and altered. A blue sky formed out of nothingness as an exact replica of the training grounds she had grew up on, formed.
The girl's lips parted, completely surprised to see a section of her home once more. It very nearly brought a tear to her eyes as she slowly stumbled her way towards a rather thick log that rested near the center of the training ground.
A small smile formed on her face as she bent her knees, standing just in front of the log that Naruto had been tied to when they were Genin. Her fingers ran along the hardened wood for a moment as she reminisced on her time as a Genin. This was the very same area in which they had become actual Shinobi for Konoha.
An area that she knew like the back of her hand.
"How very bland." Riser insulted, shifting his gaze around the forested area. A ways away, there was a rather large lake and various training dummies and other weapons affiliated with the 'Ninja' of Japan. "What is that monstrosity?!"
His peerage shifted their gaze towards the direction he spoke of, spotting an incredibly large mountain that had several faces carved into it.
Sakura stayed kneeling in front of the log, ignoring the insults from Riser and his group. Her eyes narrowed briefly before closing. Leaning her forehead against the wooden log, she spoke softly to herself.
"I'm sorry. For everything."
"Are you okay, partner? Who are you apologizing to?"
The medic merely smiled at Ddraig's question, nothing the concern in his deep, baritone voice.
"I'm apologizing to myself."
Ddraig's confusion wasn't voiced but Sakura knew that the dragon was stumped by her words. She didn't need to explain herself and so, she wouldn't.
The woman slowly stood to her feet before stretching and popping her joints, getting ready for the battle that was coming.
"An interesting and unique terrain to do battle!" Grayfia announced once again. Though this time, the woman was nowhere to be seen. "As stated previously, today's unique Rating Game will be Board Collapse! For those watching who know not what Board Collapse is, allow me to explain to you."
"Board Collapse is a unique variant of the standard Rating Game. However, the caveat is that both ends of the venue will slowly collapse at the same time until only the center of the barrier is remaining. Meaning, both parties will be forced to fight regardless of how long it shall take. Every five minutes, the venue will crumble and collapse by five hundred meters. Today's terrain is only a measley two kilometers which means that, at most, today's match will only last a total of twenty minutes!"
Grayfia allowed a brief moment of silence to pass before speaking once again. "Sakura Haruno! Are you prepared to engage in today's Rating Game?!"
Sakura rolled her neck for a moment before nodding her head and taking off her jacket, leaving herself in the simple, black sports bra.
"Riser Phenex! Are you prepared to engage in today's Rating Game?!"
Riser and his Peerage all gave their affirmatives, preparing themselves for the battle that was surely to come.
"Then without further ado... Fight on!" Grayfia roared loudly.
Sakura, alongside Riser and his Peerage were engulfed in a flash of white light before being teleported in opposite directions to their 'base'.
"Hmm... That does indeed look like Konoha. Impressive that your kind was able to replicate it, down to the Hokage Monument." Kakashi mumbled quietly, watching the Rating Game from his seat on the couch.
Rias tilted her head curiously. "Konoha is your village, yeah? Sakura brought it up in passing one day but she didn't go into much detail..." She questioned curiously, eyes roaming along the T.V and admiring the archaic Japanese Architecture.
Kakashi merely smiled to himself. "Indeed it was."
"Was...?" Yuuto questioned curiously.
Kakashi did not respond as he continued to stare at the TV, a hint of fondness in his eyes.
None of Rias' peerage pushed the issue after his silence.
Sakura opened her eyes to find herself in a room. A room that she was intimately familiar with considering she had spent so much time in it alongside her master.
So, her base was the Hokage Office... Which meant that Riser's base was the massive gates of Konoha. A direct straight shot would take her right to the man...
Her thoughts were cut off as the Dimensional Gap proceeded to rumble and quake.
Already? Well, that was relatively fast.
Shaking her head, Sakura's eyes glanced towards her old master's desk. Tilting her head for a moment, the girl walked around the desk before taking a knee and reaching under the desk. Her fingers danced along the wood for a moment before a quiet click was heard. A secret compartment snapped open, revealing an old, green bottle with liquid in it.
A small grin formed on the Medic's face as she pulled the bottle out of the hidden compartment. In her hands was revealed to be a special bottle of liquor. Not just any special liquor but Tsunade's special liquor.
Sake that could could only be created in Mount Myoboku.
Uncorking the bottle, Sakura pressed her lips to the bottle before practically chugging the sake. Gulp after gulp. Swallow after swallow.
Sakura downed the bottle of alcohol before pulling it away from her lips and wiping her mouth.
It was like liquid heaven! It nearly made her want to cry then and there. It tasted the same...
Sakura clenched her eyes shut before taking a calming breath. A bit of heat seared her cheeks, courtesy of the rather strong liquor she had just devoured. After taking a moment to calm herself, the woman proceeded to twirl the bottle between her fingers before standing to her feet and making her way towards the window.
Green eyes sharpened, flicking towards random directions with no discernable pattern. After a brief moment of doing this, Sakura proceeded to shift her feet, pulling her arm back and taking aim out the window. One of the girl's legs rose as she wound her arm back, similar to that of a pitcher.
Nodding to herself the girl proceeded to twist her hips before rocketing the empty bottle out towards the direction. The sheer strength from her throw kicked up a vicious shockwave that decimated the Hokage Office.
The glass bottle careened through the village, unable to be tracked for the brief moment it had been thrown. Less than second passed before a tremor shook the make-shift Konoha, followed by a tremendous shockwave.
[Mira has been eliminated!]
Sakura, now standing in the ruined office, grinned to herself at having nailed the woman nearly a kilometer out. Easy pickings.
Fifteen left to go.
Disappearing in a burst of speed, Sakura performed various Shunshins, skipping along rooftops and ignoring the nostalgia of being in her old home.
Spreading her senses out, she was pleasantly surprised to note that nearly half of Riser's Peerage were capable of actually hiding their signature from her.
Hmm...They must be on edge.
Sakura locked onto a random signature that was near here before skipping along the roof she was on. She easily glided along the shingles of the home, skating down the material and kicking off the adjacent wall before darting through several random alley's, wall bouncing between them to keep her momentum.
Locking onto her target, a woman with short brown hair, wearing an odd mix of a battle dress with various armor plating, Sakura dove towards the woman, blitzing the woman before she could react.
Sakura's fingers dug deep into the woman's short locks, ignoring the girl's cry of pain, Sakura slung the woman into one of the alley walls. The sword wielding woman had all but a second to brace herself before she crashed through the dense material of the building.
Sakura was quick to follow after the woman, spotting her trying to rise to her feet. Appearing beside the woman with her foot raised to the ceiling, Sakura proceeded to bring her foot down.
To Sakura's surprise, the woman dodged the attack by the slightest of margins, nose merely skimming along Sakura's sneakers.
A moment later, the building collapsed due to the sheer strength of Sakura's kick, forcing the sword wielding woman to retreat into the street.
The woman grit her teeth, watching the building collapse as a trickle of blood fell down her face. Karlamine's chest rose and fell harshly, adrenaline surging through her veins as she waited for the attack that was sure to come.
Standing in a defensive stance with both arms bracing her sword, she was woefully unprepared for the sheer speed at which Sakura moved. All Karlamine saw was a flash of pink before her vision was flipped upside down. Vertigo wracked her body and a sense of weightlessness assaulted her core as she was airborne.
Sakura grunted quietly, arms wrapped around the sword wielding woman before her spine bent backwards. A vicious shockwave wracked the street as the medic proceeded to suplex Karlamine through the earth.
[Karlamine has been eliminated!]
The body in Sakura's clutches shimmered in blue particles of light before disappearing entirely, signaling that the woman had been retired.
The medic rolled her neck at the announcement, slowly rising from her previous position.
Fourteen to go.
Sakura twitched and not a second later did she bend her body at an unorthodox angle, dodging the sword swipe that would have surely taken her head off. Emerald orbs caught sight of long, blue hair tied in several long ponytails, before being forced to dodge once more as a fist suddenly appeared on the edge of her peripherals.
Displaying a ridiculous degree of dexterity and flexibility, Sakura twisted her body before kicking off the blue haired woman's sword and using the momentum to stick to one of the various buildings that didn't get destroyed by her super powered suplex.
"Tch!" A mask wearing, well endowed woman grunted in annoyance. "You weren't fast enough, Siris."
"Hmph." The woman known as Siris replied. "You weren't fast enough. It was your idea in the first place, Isabela."
Whatever Isabela was going to say was prevented as Sakura launched herself at the woman, stepping into the woman's guard and throwing a straight jab towards her chin. Isabela proved she was no slouch in close quarters combat as she deftly avoided the strike that would have taken her head off.
The woman shifted on the tips of her toes, taking up a boxing stance before throwing her own punch towards the medic. Sakura's eyes flashed for a brief moment, as she weaved around the punch. Her left hand snaked around the first and using her absurd strength, proceeded to lift the woman off her feet.
"Hey!" Isabela cried, taken by surprise at the sheer physical strength the woman possessed. "Siris!"
The remaining Knight of Riser's Peerage flashed behind Sakura, her Zweihänder cutting the air to bisect the pink haired woman.
Sakura shifted her body on a dime, using Isabela as a makeshift bat and swinging the woman's body into the knight. Unprepared for the action, Siris could only exclaim in surprise before releasing a cry of pain as she was sent rocketing backwards, crashing into and then through said building.
"Oh shit!" Isabela swore, grunting in pain at having been used as a humanoid bat.
Sakura's left hand squeezed painfully, grinding the woman's bones together before slamming her directly into the earth. A vicious shockwave detonated the area, causing several of the surrounding buildings to fall due to the strength of Sakura's attack.
Isabela's cry of pain was muffled as she was buried through the earth before the feeling of weightlessness assaulted her once more. Her eyes widened and before she could hope to escape from the woman's monstrous grip, she was yet again slammed into the earth, causing several shockwaves.
Isabela was slammed into the earth again and again. The feeling of vertigo coming and going as she was manhandled by the pink haired woman. The only thing keeping her from being retired was the fact that she was a rook with enhanced durability.
After the fifth slam, Sakura clicked her teeth before throwing the near unconscious woman directly into the air. Isabela's body rag dolled for a moment in the air before Sakura suddenly appeared in the air, heel raised towards the heavens.
"Tsutenkyaku!"
Sakura's foot axed down upon Isabela's spine, causing the woman to scream in agony. Her body impacted the earth near instantaneously, spearing directly into the ground several meters deep.
[Isabela had been eliminated!]
As Sakura was falling back to the earth, she sensed Siris flash behind her, large sword reared back to slash through her. Twisting her body in midair, Sakura slapped the woman's sword with her barehand, causing Siris' torso to be wide open.
Siris, having not expected the action, could only widen her eyes in shock as Sakura's fist slowly raised towards her chest, merely an inch away. Time seemed to move in slow motion for Siris as Sakura flared her Chakra before attacking.
"Okasho!"
Sakura performed a simple one-inch punch that practically caved in Siris' chest, causing the woman to eject a stream of blood from her mouth. Her body careened into a various building, taking it down in the process.
[Siris has been eliminated!]
Sakura landed on the ground a moment later before cracking her neck.
Twelve more to go.
"Oh my~..." Akeno blinked as she watched Sakura utterly annihilate Riser's Peerage. "I think I'm falling in love, Buchou." Rias' enflamed face was well worth the tease in Akeno's opinion. "Fufufu! Do you think you can share her, Buchou?"
Rias glared at her Queen with red cheeks. "I'm not sharing her with anyone!"
"Hoh?" Kakashi joined in the teasing not a moment later. "What a greedy Princess, Rias. You want my student for yourself then?"
"T-That... You!" The heiress groaned quietly to herself, covering her face in embarrassment at the teasing. "Stop teasing me!"
The rest of Rias' peerage chuckled quietly to themselves, enjoying the snacks provided by the Queen.
"R-Riser-sama..." A well endowed woman with purple hair spoke with slight concern, feeling the quakes through the village. "Should we do something? She's eliminated several members before the next collapse has even happened."
Riser growled quietly to himself, eyes roaming over his remaining peerage. His face contorted angrily before he he pointed towards the center of the village. "Ile. Nel. Ni. Li. Shuriya. Bulent. Marion." He ordered through the ear piece he shared with his peerage. He received several affirmations from the women before ordering them to attack Sakura all at once.
Yubelluna was silent for a moment before speaking. "Is it wise to sacrifice our pawns so soon?"
Riser scoffed at his Queen's words before replying. "They cannot hope to defeat her, only slow her down."
Beside him, Ravel frowned quietly to herself, not enjoying her brother's treatment of his peerage.
It happened abruptly. There was a brief surge of insane power before a terrifying earthquake shook the entire village, followed by a crimson wave of energy that resembled a dragon.
[Ile has been eliminated!]
[Nel has been eliminated!]
[Ni has been eliminated!]
[Li has been eliminated!]
[Shuriya has been eliminated!]
[Bulent has been eliminated!]
[Marion has been eliminated!]
"W-What?!" Yubelluna exclaims in surprise. "A Sacred Gear?!"
Riser frowned at the ridiculous power he had sensed. This... was not good.
Sakura hummed quietly to herself, stepping through the destruction she had wrought after eliminating Siris, Karlamine and Isabela. She proceeded to jump unto a random roof before hopping to various roofs.
She sensed them before they even attacked. Seven of Riser's pawns all appeared at the same time, with various degrees of devil magic ready to be used.
Sakura scowled at the display before raising her right arm in the air and calling upon Ddraig.
"BOOST!" The draconic crimson gauntlet appeared, green gem glistening as bright as the sun. "BOOST!"
The pawns all recoiled at the sight of the Sacred Gear and the sheer increase to Sakura's power. The crimson gauntlet on the woman's hand glowed a furious red before the woman chambered her fist towards her chest.
"Okasho!"
Sakura released the pent up power as she launched her fist towards the group, sending a gigantic dragon-esque ball of energy towards the pawns. They were engulfed near instantly, being forcefully retired by the power.
Sakura clicked her teeth in annoyance before glancing towards the direction in which she could sense the remaining members of Riser's Peerage. With her Boosted Gear still active, Sakura immediately took off towards the direction, destroying the earth as she did.
Skipping along the rooftops and jumping off various obstacles, Sakura arrived near the front gates of the village, eyes darting around for any sign of Riser and his remaining peerage members.
She stood still for a minute or so before an influx of power behind her caused her to turn towards it. Not a moment later did the area that Sakura was standing in become engulfed by an explosion of epic proportion.
Ash and soot slowly fell from the sky as Yubelluna floated above the area. Her eyes strayed to and fro, desperately searching for any sign of Sakura's presence. The announcer hadn't spoken yet so it was highly unlikely th-
Yubelluna's train of thought was halted immediately as a crimson gauntlet wrapped itself around her face, squeezing with reckless abandon. The well endowed woman screamed in pain as Sakura's gauntlet clad hand continued to squeeze the woman's skull.
"BOOST!"
A vicious smirk formed on Sakura's face as crimson energy began to build up in her gauntlet. Spotting Sakura's sick smirk, the Devil Queen flexed her power, desperately trying to prevent the woman from launching her attack.
Several dozen explosions rang off emanating directly from Yubelluna's position as the woman practically kamikaze'd herself to take Sakura with her.
[Yubelluna has been eliminated!]
Riser's eyes widened at the announcement, watching as his Queen was forcefully retired. His teeth gnashed together a moment later upon, noticing that the human hadn't been eliminated as well.
Meanwhile, Ravel and Mihae watched on in horror as the cloud of smoke began to slowly dissipate, revealing a relatively unharmed Sakura. The only damage they could see upon the woman was a minor burns upon her right arm, though most of her arm had been protected by the Sacred Gear.
"T-The... The Boosted Gear?!" Ravel exclaimed in fear, watching as Sakura slowly walked towards them. "She has one of the Thirteen Longinus?!"
Ravel caught a blur of blue and white speed pass her. Her eyes widened to saucers as she screamed. "Xuelan no!" She stretched her arm out towards the woman to prevent her but was far to slow.
Ravel watched on in muted fear as Xuelan was dismantled with ease. Sakura dodged the martial artist's strike before counter attacking with her left fist. The sheer strength from the woman's fist caused Xuelan to be lifted off her feet.
Before Xuelan could even hope to hope to brace herself, Sakura's gauntlet clad hand grabbed the woman by her hair before slamming her skull directly through the terrain. A bright, crimson light emanated from the woman's gauntlet followed by the telltale howl of "BOOST!"
N-No...Please! Don't!
"HAVE MERCY!" Ravel pleaded to the pink haired woman.
Sakura seemed surprised by her words, evident by the way her head snapped towards her direction. Those emerald eyes of her bore into her very soul. The human was silent for a moment or so before narrowing her eyes and deactivating the buildup of power in her gauntlet.
Ravel almost sighed in relief before her eyes widened in horror as Sakura stood to her feet before raising her foot in the air and stomping directly onto Xuelan's skull, forcefully retiring the girl.
[Xuelan has been eliminated!]
Ravel dropped to her knees in shock, watching the sheer brutality of the human before her.
H-How were they supposed to win?! This...This woman was a monster! She was... She was too strong!
Ravel's eyes widened in fear as the pink haired woman turned her attention on her. The woman wasted no time in waltzing towards her direction, crimson gauntlet gleaming with the dried blood of her fellow peerage members.
Ravel fell onto her rear, desperately clawing her way backwards to try to escape from this... this... monster...
"Ravel!" Mihae yelled in defense, appearing in front of the downed girl with demonic energy surging between her hands. "Stay away from her!"
A dark orb of purple energy was shot directly at Sakura who glared at the attack before back handing the blast away, ignoring how it detonated against the Village gates, bringing them down in the process.
Mihae's own eyes widened at the casual display of power before charging another purple orb. If never made it to completion as Sakura's gauntlet clad fist struck the woman directly in her sternum. She was rocketed through the massive gates not a moment later, crashing into various trees.
[Mihae has been eliminated!]
Sakura ignored the announcement as she continued to stalk towards Ravel. She proceeded to raise her hand towards Ravel, fingers outstretched to grasp at the woman's face. When her hand was less than an inch away from Ravel, Sakura was engulfed in an explosion of flames that sent her body flying into various buildings. Not a moment later did the flames that had previously engulfed her, shine a brilliant gold, before abruptly exploding.
"That oughta teach that bitch!" Riser sneered angrily, calmly floating down and landing in front of his younger sister. He turned his head towards her, eyes softening for but a moment before abruptly returning towards the direction he had sent Sakura in. The sight he saw nearly had him gnashing his teeth together fiercely.
Walking out of the explosion of fire with but a few singes, Sakura seemed to be living up to the Juggernaut title she was no doubt going to possess after this Rating Game.
"Is that all?" Sakura taunted with a bored tint to her emerald eyes. "I didn't even feel that." The pink haired woman raised her hands in the air, as if to say 'What can you do?' before speaking. "Ya know, I'm curious about something Riser."
The medic paused for a moment, glancing around her surroundings before finding a rather large piece of debris and sitting atop it. "Why do you hold up traditions that you don't seem to really care for?"
Riser furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "What are you talking about, human?" His tone was acidic towards the end, letting Sakura know how he felt about her being a human.
Not that she'd ever care.
"Are ya stupid or something? Incapable of comprehending basic questions?" Sakura insulted with a raised eyebrow, enjoying how angry the man got. "Why did you care about the marriage contract so much?"
"It's none of your business, whore. What devils do or don't do is none of your concern."
Sakura ignored the basic insult with ease. "I'd say it is my business considering I'm here, fighting for Rias' freedom." She crossed one of her legs over the other, making herself comfortable. "You already know you can't defeat me. I'm out of your league. I'm stronger than you could ever hope to be... So I'm curious, Riser..." She paused for a moment, leaning her upper body forward. "Why do you continue fighting, knowing, that I'm only going to crush you in the end?"
The arrogant Devil balled his fists angrily as flames began to waft off his body. "You think I'd submit to a human?!"
Sakura rolled her eyes, speaking condescendingly for but a moment. "I never said you had to submit, you moron." She shook her head as the boy seethed in rage. "I asked you, why are you fighting against overwhelming odds? This entire match is being broadcasted to thousands upon thousands of individuals in the Underworld... Knowing this, you're allowing yourself to be humiliated in front of your peers. Even now, we're only talking because I choose for us to do so. You don't have the strength nor the power to even challenge me."
Sakura leaned her chin on her fist, resting it upon her leg as she continued. "Why not save the humiliating sting of defeat and just retire right now? It'd save you the pain I'm going to eventually cause you."
Riser's flame only grew in intensity, so much so that Ravel began to scoot away from her brother, fearing for even her own safety.
Sakura's sharp eyes caught it. "Or perhaps... I should use your sister there as a message?"
Riser's eyes widened, though not in surprise but in rage.
"What could you hope to do if I decided to take this fight even remotely serious? You'd be unable to do anything, realistically speaking." Sakura shrugged her shoulders with a lackadaisical smile. "If I wanted to, I'd mentally break her before physically breaking her body. I'd force you to watch as I dissect her. Force you to listen to her screams of pain... Her pleadings as she screams for her older brother to save her... Doesn't it pain you to hear the truth? That you'd be able to do nothing but watch? Does it not burn beneath your skin? An itch that just can't quite be scratched? Do you know what that is, Riser?" She asked rhetorically, watching as the man began to slowly lose himself to his anger.
"It's weakness. Something you have an overabundance of." Her smile grew in size as she leaned back, raising her arms lazily. "Give up, Riser. I'm only going to break you... I don't want to hurt your younger sister but I'm not above using such tactics. I'll break her. Can you cope with the knowledge that she only suffered because of your arrogance?"
"ENOUGH!" Riser screamed angrily, flames igniting around him and destroying the land. "I'm going to fucking kill you!" He launched himself at her not a second later, not seeing the disappointed expression on Sakura's face.
Sakura closed her eyes for a moment, allowing the man to get closer before abruptly opening her eyes. She caught the man's fist with ease, withstanding the heat of his flames. Her eyes became stony as her grip increased nearly tenfold, turning Riser's bones to dust.
Tugging the man's body towards her, Sakura's gauntlet speared the man through his stomach, ignoring the blood as it caked her fist and face.
"This is only going to hurt... Alot." Sakura whispered viciously.
The woman gripped the man's spine, ignoring his agonizing scream. Lifting the man by the bones in his body, Sakura clenched her fists, turning his vertebrae to dust.
Riser's scream of agony only fueled Sakura as she let his body fall. He didn't go very far as her left hand caught him by the chin, roughly cracking the man's jaw with her strength alone.
"I told you to give up. Now you're gonna suffer." She spat in his face before shattering the man's jaw and kicking him through the Village.
Sakura ran through several hand seals before flaring her Chakra.
"Doton : Goremu no Jutsu!"
The ground beneath them began to shake before a gargantuan golem of rock and clay began to slowly rise. The rock creation roared loudly before rearing it's massive arm back. Riser had only half a second to brace for the attack before the golem struck his downed position, resulting in a minor earthquake.
"Doton : Ganban Kyu!"
Sakura flared her Chakra once more, not allowing Riser to utilize his family's immortality. Several mounds of earth and rock sprang up near Riser before crushing him together, similar to that of a coffin.
Another five hand seals followed by a flare of her Chakra.
"Doton : Doryuso!"
The Earth and soil around Riser's entrapped form lurched before several dozen spikes shot out, spearing the earth-made coffin, stabbing into various parts of Riser's body.
Another four hand seals followed by a flare of her Chakra.
"Doton : Kaido Shokutsu!"
The Earth quaked and shook around Riser before a gigantic manmade volcano sprang from his position, swallowing him whole. The construct of earth rose to the very heavens before Sakura flared her Chakra once more, causing the manmade volcano to erupt in a fiery explosion.
Tilting her head, Sakura glanced towards the man's younger sister before slowly making her way towards the girl.
Ravel's eyes widened in fear before she began to launch several high powered balls of flame at her. Each and every single one of them was batted aside as if they were nothing.
"No stop! Please! Ni-san!" Ravel screamed, backing herself into a wall to try to escape from Sakura. "Ni-san please! Save me! Please!"
Sakura stared at the younger girl before raising her foot and kicking the girl's skull into the wall. Ravel's head crashed through the concrete, head lulling due to the force of the strike.
The former Kunoichi sighed quietly before steeling her heart. Dropping to her haunches, she proceeded to grasp the younger girl by her twintails, dragging her along the earth and ignoring her cries.
"Ni-san! Ni-san! Save me! Don't let her hurt me!" Ravel screamed and pleaded, fingers clawing at the soil as she desperately tried to escape. Tears streamed down her face as she grunted and cried, bloodying her fingernails as she kicked and screamed.
Sakura ignored the girl's cries, knowing that she needed to send a message. And what better way to do so than here and now? Steeling her heart and mind, Sakura ruthlessly stomped down on the girl's skull to get her to stop screaming.
It didn't work initially so Sakura proceeded to stomp on her head two more times, nodding her head when the only sounds leaving the girl were her tears.
"Ni-san..." She sniffled pitifully, tears streaming down her bloody face. "Pwease... Save me..."
"If it's any consolation..." Sakura spoke quietly. "This isn't personal."
"I surrender! I quit! Please! Take me away! Ni-san surrenders! No more!" She cried desperately, her words becoming gibberish towards the end as she became more and more frantic.
Before Sakura could further torment the younger girl, Grayfia's voice resounded loudly.
[Riser Phenex has surrendered!]
After those words, Sakura released her hold on the man's sister with a relieved sigh. Her Sacred Gear disappeared back into her body not a moment later.
"Ladies and Gentleman! Behold! Your winner! Sakura Haruno! By admission of surrender, Sakura Haruno is tonight's Champion!"
She didn't necessarily feel like a champion.
An act of cruelty, one witnessed by thousands upon of thousands of individuals in the Underworld...
Well, Sensei did say to give them one helluva show. Atleast she provided that much.