"So, magical girls do what you do, 'taru-kun? They make people less sad, like you do for me?"
[The Underworld capital of Lilith]
In an underground bunker far beneath the capital city, the Crimson Satan- Sirzechs Lucifer- eyed the paused image on the wide screen television at the far wall. A lovely looking news anchor locked in a grim expression on her pretty face. The still image of the news headline was of similar wording as those that were broadcasted to all three factions.
THE GREAT WAR BEGINS AGAIN
Sirzechs disintegrated the television with a furious red blast of his Power of Destruction. The former television and mounting and wall disappeared into nothingness- leaving nothing but a gaping hole that led to an adjacent conference room. And yet, his anger was still raging.
His large form, clad in blood-red armour underneath a flowing black cape, paced back and forth- his steps almost stomping with his boiling anger.
"Everything we've worked for in the past five hundred years, all those brave souls lost watering the fragile sapling of peace, all that blood spilled in the name of a brighter future for our children… ALL OF IT! UNDONE! In less than a year!" Sirzechs raged as he paced- fists in blood-red metal gauntlets clenched as the true weight of their burden was felt. Their entire civilization that had stood since the dawn of time was now breaking down like a malfunctioning machine.
"And it was all because of them! Those insane Old Satans! Those thrice-damned Fallen! Those gullible Angels!" He furiously snarled as- with each name- he brought his armoured fist down on the table made of solid magically-reinforced granite and sent spiderwebs of cracks along the surface. But his anger had not yet abated- having saved that worst of the bunch for last.
"And that treacherous Rias!" He spat the name like it was simultaneously poison and human feces, "I can't believe I ever called that twisted, evil thing as my sister!"
His fist slammed down onto the monumental slab of black granite, imagining her face on it as he punched the foot-thick corner of the table finally clean off where it skidded heavily across the floor.
"Sirzechs," His old friend Ajuka Beelzebub calmly called out to him from nearby just a bit to his right at the granite table, "we need you calm if we're going to steer the Underworld through this rocky course that we're now on."
Sirzechs' hardened sapphire blue eyes looked at the other Satan who bore the same dispassionate expression that had been stuck to his face since the Devil Civil War. Ajuka's light blue eyes from underneath swept-back light green hair calmly looked back at the raging Sirzechs.
Still lightly glowing with rage, Sirzechs glanced across the remaining heads of the 72 Pillars who sat around the almost 200 meter long table. Their faces a mix of nervousness, fear, and dread as they had watched one of their strongest leaders rage at the hopelessness of the situation.
Sirzechs glowered for a moment before exhaling in surrender. A momentary respite from his rage, and everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
"Yes… of course, we're not about to simply roll over and die. But everyone should know how we ended up in this situation. Go ahead, Ajuka, tell them..." He agreed, his black-gloved hand reaching up to massage the bridge of his nose as he made a sweeping gesture with his other hand to their captive audience.
"Tell them how Rias and her actions have doomed all of devil-kind."
[Several Months ago] [Kuoh Academy]
Rias eyed her counterpart seated across the table from her.
"So what was this emergency meeting about Sona?" She muttered, her long red hair still slightly damp from her shower that she was only halfway through before she was so rudely interrupted and called into an 'emergency meeting.'
Her bright sapphire blue eyes wandered around the Student Council Room: spartan, utilitarian and practical. It was a far cry from her Occult Research Club house with their wood-paneled walls and Victorian-era furniture. But Sona had always been so tense and serious, and it reflected in her interior decorating.
And so here they were.
On one side was Sona Sitri of House Sitri, one of the 72 pillars, and her Queen Piece, Tsubaki Shinra. Their glasses reflected the morning light streaming from the windows as they organized the folders and dossiers on the wide table in front of her.
And on the other side was herself, Rias Gremory of the Gremory Clan, also one of the 72 pillars. For her part, she just snacked on some Poki as she watched her friend fret over the files- every so often brushing a stray strand of her own bright red hair away from her face.
Sona glanced at her and nodded slowly- motioning to her that she was ready to start and was asking if she was as well. Rias looked over shoulder to see her old friend and her Queen, Akeno Himejima, who nodded at her- signalling that she was prepared for the meeting as well.
"We have two mid-year transferees coming in." Sona's typically stern voice said simply- directly to the point as she deftly slid a stack of dossiers and folders to them across the smoother surface of the teak table. "These are the dossiers and relevant documents for our transferees- I called for you as soon as they arrived."
Taking one of the dossiers in hand, Rias raised a graceful red-coloured eyebrow as she glanced at the profile pic of the two prospective transferees to Kuoh Academy- they were beauties that was for certain. But she recognised the first one from the news, Rias was certain that most of the student populace would.
Akeno also seemed to be more familiar with them- her amethyst purple eyes slightly widening in recognition- though for other reasons aside from the recent tragic news.
"Oho, I've heard of them- our rivals in reputation, Buchou." Akeno commented, a sultry smile on her lips. "The two Jewels of Kansai International Academy are transferring here? Would that mean that there would be Four Great Ladies of Kuoh Academy now?"
"Quite…" Sona replied as both she and Tsubaki glowered at Akeno for the veiled taunt. "Feedback from the faculty in Kansai International Academy concerning the two Jewels' performance in their duties has been overwhelmingly positive though."
Rias knew that the two of them, Sona and Tsubaki, were considered the third and fourth most popular women in the academy, but the student body had yet to put them in the same league of beauty as Akeno and herself. Now the 'Two Jewels of Kansai International' were threatening to steal their places… Rias could only sigh with an exasperated, but fond smile at Akeno.
"So they chose Kuoh Academy of all places." Rias tried to change the topic, she didn't keep up with local news that much, but it was difficult for even her to not have heard the sensational yet tragic story that had occured over in Kansai International. It has already been more than a month since it happened, and the whole country has yet to move on from it.
"And we would be glad to have them." Sona emphatically affirmed, "They met all academic requirements and then some- normally, their origin school would cajole them with incentives to stay, but..."
"But after having their entire class murdered in a gruesome mass murder?" Tsubaki grimly continued her King's line of reasoning, "One can hardly blame them for wanting to transfer."
At that, Rias couldn't help but wince at the thought.
"Attending school simply to arrive at their now empty classroom or even just passing by it- a constant reminder of what happened and how many friends they lost..." she mused- empathising with them and imagining herself in their shoes, "Yes, it's apparent why they would opt to transfer here for the privacy and distance."
The mood in the room suddenly turned gloomy, even her teasing Queen joined in the solemn mood.
"And one of them was the class representative too when it happened?" Akeno commented, skipping ahead in the dossier.
"Amamiya-san and Shiraishi-san were, respectively, the class representative and vice-representative when the murders happened." Sona answered with a cold frown as she read their credentials.
"Amamiya Akane..." Rias muttered, appraising the raven-haired girl with the ruby-red eyes in the photo. She had of course heard of the name on the news. A normal human girl whose claim to fame was to have evaded the attention of the Kansai Butcher by sheer cursed unluckiness: avoiding the same fate as her classmates as she had been too preoccupied with watching her father die on the operating table and her mother would commit suicide two days after.
Worse still, Amamiya had personally pleaded to the faculty that the perverted highschool boy could have been reformed. A few days later after she did, Hyoudou proved her wrong by murdering their entire class in a hot spring resort in Kyoto.
"What a mess…" Rias commented, shaking her head causing her long red hair swaying in the air, "That Hyoudou guy sounds like he was a real piece of work, but this is why Old Satan magical texts should be kept out of reach of normal humans for their own safety."
"Indeed." Sona replied, pushing up her oval black-rimmed glasses.
"Is that the extent of our Factions investigations?" Rias verified.
"Yes, it was conclusive." Sona responded, a slender hand on her chin as she recalled the details of the report she received, "The Kansai Butcher even had personal notes in his luggage detailing his plans on victimizing the rest of the school's female population after he gained power."
Tsubaki turned around to retrieve a folder from one of the file cabinets- offering it to Rias who only declined, shaking her head- she didn't want to read all the bloody details of the atrocity- she had heard enough on the news to make her lose her appetite for a whole day.
"The scum… Good riddance." Rias spat. She couldn't believe that someone would be so craven and leashed to their own lustful desires like that to drive them to murder 40 of his own classmates- a devil from the Old Satan, yes; but a highschool boy her own age?
"Let's just focus on our transferees." Tsubaki coughed, guiding things along.
"It's not like there is anything else to say." Rias sighed- this just killed her mood for the rest of the day- moved to push her seat back and stand up, only for Akeno to push her back down onto the uncomfortable wooden chair. Rias' red hair whipped in the air as she shot Akeno a pouty look of betrayal.
"Buchou," Her old friend half-chided and half-singsonged, "we have two transferees."
"Fine…" Rias grumbled in response, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Our second transferee should be of greater interest to you as her dossier came from Serafall." Sona emphasised in an utterly serious tone as she pushed the much fatter cardboard folder to her.
Clear blue eyes looked at the fat folder with interest- if it came from their Satan in charge of Foreign Affairs, that meant that their second transferee was from the supernatural world as well. Rias knew that Shiraishi wasn't any of the 72 Pillars or the Old Satan faction or the Five Principal clans of Japan.
Her slender fingers pushed open the folder and she appraised the cheerfully smiling girl in the photo with her soft pink hair and bright pink eyes that glittered with delight.
"Hmm… Shiraishi Saeko… 'hyperactive, but always gentle, cheerful and optimistic.' 'Capable of surprising feats of focus and intelligence despite what her initial disposition would suggest.' " Rias listed as she read through the faculty's comments on Saeko's personality traits.
"Ara Ara~" Akeno giggled as she also drew focus on how ther comments seem to be incredibly accurate judging from the girl's photo, "Shiraishi-san looks like she's the honest type of girl who wears her heart on her sleeve."
"They both sound like they'll be great additions to the student body," Rias considered, "but we might have competition for the top spots."
"Irrelevant. We'll hold onto them easily." Tsubaki immediately dismissed- her violet eyes narrowing at the thought of some upstart transferee somehow wresting the top academic spots from them.
"Yes, we won't be intimidated: we'll welcome the challenge." Sona agreed with her Queen piece, nodding along with a confident smirk.
"Is that so?" Akeno responded with a knowing smile as she gracefully flipped through the dossier to a specific page and showed it to Rias. Her clear blue eyes twinkled with mirth as she gestured to Akeno to go ahead.
"Her hobbies include… watching Magical Girls anime." Akeno read aloud- her lips curled in sadistic delight as her violet amethyst eyes locked onto Sona's own similarly coloured ones. And at that Sona couldn't help but look like she had swallowed a lemon, something that Rias noticed immediately.
"Sounds like your sister's kind of person, right Sona-chan?" Rias teased as the mood around the room lightened.
"I hope not." Sona's firm voice faltered in a horrified whisper as she shivered, "As if enduring the Magical Girl menace at home wasn't enough, now they come to torment me during my school hours as well?"
"She just likes to watch them, Sona." Rias said comfortingly, "It's not like she's actually- No..."
Sona's deadpan expression told her otherwise.
"On the supernatural side of things, if you'll turn your attention to page 7 of Shiraishi-san's dossier." Sona directed, "She's from a Magician House, so she already knows who we are."
Rias did as instructed- turning to the page, her clear blue eyes peering from underneath a fringe of blood red hair as she read Serafall's report.
"And she has some devil blood from a 72 Pillar clan in her ancestry too." Rias commented, frowning slightly, "Not willingly though- an all too common story."
The Old Satans were notorious for raping their way into family trees of humans back before the civil war happened; and even now, they sometimes still do it. Still, there were some of the 72 pillars that continued the practice, but to the stern disapproval of the rest of the more 'civilized' pillars.
Having an affair with a human that results in a child was frowned upon by the 72 Pillars for a variety of reasons. One of the more concerning reasons was that-however distant- it gave humans some claim to Devil bloodlines.
"Astaroth." Tsubaki read out loud- her light brown eyes peering past her blue rectangular glasses, "Shiraishi's mother claims to have been fathered by Diodora Astaroth- Shiraishi's grand-aunts are his current rooks."
"But he's too young to be a grandfather; after all, isn't he one of our peers?" Akeno mused, a slender finger on her chin as she tried to recall, "I saw him in the last Youth Devil Rating Tournament."
"He looks younger than he is; and besides, we're all 'young, inexperienced devils' until we're 100 years old according to those crotchety old dinosaurs back in the Underworld." Rias reminded in a bitter tone to the reincarnated half-human.
Sona only narrowed her eyes at her blatant disrespect for their traditions, but let it slide. The Sitri heiress knew very well that the only reason why she was in this Riser mess at the moment was due to those same traditions dropped onto her by their seniors.
Sensing the rising hostility, Akeno hurriedly tried to draw Rias' attention to something that she knew would interest her King.
"Speaking of Magics, what the Shiraishi House specializes in sounds interesting though..." Akeno stated as she scanned the folder, "State Change Formulae that heighten the caster's attributes such as-"
"In layman's terms?" Rias dismissed- making Sona pout as she was forced to read the full explanation herself. Rias felt that it wasn't her problem that she wasn't obsessed over proper terminology like Sona was.
"Spell formulas for Self-buffs." Akeno put it succinctly.
That immediately got Rias' attention- her fingers now actively leafing through the file on the Shiraishi House. Her bright sapphire blue eyes scanned through the formulas that the House had previously crafted for other Devils decades ago...
"Spell formulas for greatly enhancing the caster's strength, speed, reflex and senses?" Rias muttered intently with a laser focus, suddenly serious and concentrated as she read through the capabilities, "A focus on reliability and ease of use… Sounds useful- it sounds very useful..."
Out of everyone in her peerage, only Akeno and Rias herself were adept at casting magic. Kiba and Koneko leaned heavily into their physical ability to carry them through what few Rating Games they had been in. If Shiraishi's magic was as accessible as the documents in Rias' hands said... She was already trembling in excitement.
"Rias…" Sona chided with an exasperated tone of voice, "I know what you're thinking…"
"And you know that I've been on the market for a Contract Magician, Sona-chan. Well- for a Contract Magician that isn't a smelly old man- but I'm on the market all the same." Rias waved as she continued to read and plan out possible Rating Game strategies using such a spell formula.
"I know, but House Shiraishi has fallen out of grace though." Sona conceded in a patient tone before explaining further, "They haven't made a Pact with any Devil in over thirty years."
"Then I simply have to change their mind." The red-headed devil heiress once again simply dismissed her friend's concerns, "Self-buffs sounds exactly what I need-"
"To win the Rating Game against your fiance, buchou?" Akeno finished for her, and Rias couldn't help but pout at her thunder being stolen.
"Yes, to win the Rating Game against Riser." Rias forced through gritted teeth, as she laid back onto the couch with a huff, "He won't be my fiance when I win though."
"You seem to be taking it more seriously now, Rias." Sona observed- sounding cautiously optimistic in Rias' ears. Rias only huffed. Honestly, it's like her bespectacled friend didn't believe in her ability to win against Phenex.
"Only because Riser taunted buchou." Akeno mentioned with helpless sigh, "Just the other day he sent her a letter with an attached photo of the bed where he plans to take her vir-"
"And it still gets me boiling mad!" Rias deliberately cut Akeno off with a pointed, angry harrumph, "I still have a few months. But Shiraishi-san's spell formula is the silver bullet I need to win that Rating Game."
"It isn't a silver bullet, Rias. A spell formula to enhance the physical performance in your pieces won't be enough to win against Riser's full peerage!" Sona argued, and Rias knew that she was being unfairly underestimated, but Sona wasn't done with her- aiming a disapproving stare at her as she continued lecturing. "And that's only a problem because, despite you being handed hundreds of potential candidates to fill your peerage with competent talent, you refused each and every last one of them!"
"And I'll continue refusing until I find the right person." Rias firmly replied- not about to budge on the issue. "Now if you'll excuse me, I will prepare things to convince Shiraishi-san to be my Contract Magician. And besides..."
She looked back to the open dossier with the picture of a cheerfully smiling Shiraishi Saeko, and Rias couldn't help but find herself smiling along.
"...I have a good feeling about her."
[The Day After]
It was a bright and early morning at Kuoh Academy.
Rias liked the warm spring mornings like everyone else, but did Sona really have to insist for them to be out here at the doorstep of the academy more than fifteen minutes before the scheduled meeting time with Amamiya and Shiraishi?
Her own developed figure casually standing beside Sona's slender one that stood proper and stiff. Rias looked to Sona who stood beside her who was also checking her watch for the third time that minute.
Still, she couldn't help but feel giddy- humming to herself as Sona stared at her in exasperation- which Rias cheerfully ignored. After all, everything was set to convince Shiraishi to be her Contract Magician.
Right on time (minus fifteen minutes), a black executive sedan stopped past the school gates, and a man in a black suit opened the rear door for the person who could only be Shiraishi Saeko.
"No... No no no!" Sona whispered in terror as she visibly quailed in fear, her face visibly blanched white, her bright violet eyes narrowed into pinpricks, and her hands trembled as they clutched the plastic documents binder closer to her chest as if to shield her from the approaching Shiraishi.
And Rias could only smile wider and brighter.
She took it back! Arriving early with Sona-chan was the right decision and she wouldn't exchange it for all the money in the world! She only wished she could record Sona's reaction. And to think, it was all because of one thing...
Shiraishi Saeko had arrived at their meeting in a Magical Girl costume.
Yards and yards of ruffles and frills made of the softest white cotton lined her bright pink dress. Graceful white gloves covered her hands up to her upper arm. Candy pink mary jane shoes with a cheerful pink bow on top of each strap cheerfully clacked away at the smooth-cut stone of the entrance.
Being a Japanophile herself, Rias immediately recognised the various costumes that Saeko took inspiration from. Saeko had clearly taken heavy inspiration from Madoka Magica for most of her outfit- though her dress was longer than most Magical Girls. But the hat and shoes were definitely from Cardcaptor Sakura, the choker that sat just above the bouncy pink bow on her chest was definitely inspired by Sailor moon. Honestly, the only thing she was missing was a wand.
Her internal Cosplay-meter rated Shiraishi's cosplay a 9/10, missing a wand but otherwise perfect even down to the sunny disposition and the bright innocent smile.
"Gremory-san... Sitri-san…" the real life magical girl greeted each of them with a bow and a broad smile. "Thank you for having me, today!"
Shiraishi did a very familiar little pose where she did a V-sign over her winking eye. A pose that any devil who has watched Miracle Levia-tan would immediately recognise. Which Sona certainly did as she made a faint gurgling sound in her throat like she died a little inside. She was being such a baby.
"We're glad to have you!" Rias beamed even wider along with her.
Their hands clasped together and they shook hands- sharing a bright, happy smile. Internally, Rias liked the contrast between her own lush rose-red hair with Shiraishi's flowing pink as they immediately shot off into a whirlwind friendship. Sona gaping at them in horror only helped with her mood.
"Nice to meet you too, Sitri-san!" Saeko chirped as she took the hand of the still frozen Sona and shook it enthusiastically. For her part, Sona stared at her hand with a look of disgust as if a giant maggot had taken hold of it. Thankfully, Saeko didn't notice or was just too nice to take offense to that.
"Don't mind Sona-chan." Rias happily reassured her new classmate- because there was no way she was letting Sona put her in any other class, "She's not used to seeing a real life magical girl."
"Eh?" Saeko jolted in surprise before she turned to Sona with a look of confusion. "But isn't your sister Miracle Levia-tan?"
That settled it.
Saeko not only knew about the supernatural, but she also watched Serafall's shows. Something that Sona always disliked- having the intellect that she always prided herself in only for it to be overshadowed by her older sister's fame as the premiere magical girl of the Underworld was always a sore point for her.
"Don't say that name like that, you cursed magical girl!" Sona screeched as she seemed to have been jolted from her temporary cataconic state- a finger pointed right at Saeko's face who was tittering with good-natured laughter.
"Sona-chan, that's no way to treat Kuoh Academy's newest student." Rias tutted as she gently pushed down Sona's accusing finger and turned to Saeko with a bright grin. She heard the sparkle in Serafall's name too, and it only made her decision even easier.
"I think you and I are going to be great friends, Saeko-chan!" She said- smiling at the pink and white magical girl, and she actually meant it. Saeko seemed to be everything her dossier said and more!
"Let's start now!" Saeko cheered in response- a bright grin showing up her sparkly white teeth, "Let's be great friends, Rias-chan!"
"Yesplease!" Rias couldn't help but cheer back with her own bright grin- something which she attributed to how Saeko's bubbly cheerfulness seemed infectious.
"Eeeeeee! New Besties!" Saeko happily squealed, and suddenly, Rias found herself in a big hug by Saeko- which was surprisingly comfy due to Saeko's incredibly fluffy costume over a soft body that was similar in form to hers. Giving a quick bark of laughter, she found herself hugging the magical girl back as they hopped and squealed and giggled excitedly like they were already best friends forever.
And all Rias could think about was: Yes, Saeko-chan would definitely make a great addition to not only Kuoh Academy, but also to her little family in the Occult Research Club.
The look of utter disgust and horror that Sona wore as she watched her hug and squeal with their newest Magical Girl was only the finishing touch on this happy memory that she'll treasure forever.
It didn't take long for them to relocate to the Student Council Room.
Though it didn't help that since it was recess time, they were surrounded by the murmurs of the student body speculating why one of the Great Ladies and the Student Council President were walking down the halls with a magical girl. More than a few groups of students, in their white, black and magenta uniforms looked at them strangely before Saeko nonchalantly waved and greeted them a good morning.
Rias smiled in amusement as her schoolmates were helplessly drawn in my Saeko's… Saeko-ness. Sheepishly waving and smiling back at her, they seemed to be more accepting of her despite being dressed in a magical girl costume.
And it was only made better by how she could hear Sona's teeth grinding at the humiliation of being associated with a magical girl, and it was music to her ears. Rias couldn't help but wear a matching grin with Saeko. But alas, all good things must come to an end as they had reached the Student Council Room.
Pushing the door open, Rias gladly helped herself to the cream-coloured cushioned armchair that she had Kiba place inside earlier- the armchair was a black sheep amongst the plastic chairs that Sona usually had filled the room.
Rias watched as Sona locked the door behind them and took a seat on the plastic chair beside her own velvety armchair. If Sona seemed small before, she certainly did now seated beside Rias' cushioned armchair that she was sitting in.
"Despite your… unusual choice of dress, it is good to have you come so promptly, Shiraishi-san." Sona began in a level-tone, already all business. "I received your documents ahead of time via courier. And everything seemed to be in order. However… Will Amamiya-san be arriving soon?"
And at the mention of her friend, Shiraishi's smile seemed to wilt- her bright pink eyes seemed to dull slightly as she stared at the surface of the table between them.
"Ah… Akane-chan isn't coming." She muttered, a tone of disbelief colouring her voice as if she still couldn't believe it herself, "She has retracted her application to transfer to Kuoh, and has taken the time off to… sort things out."
Abruptly, Saeko bowed- her pink hair draped over the table's surface- as she pleaded to Sona, "On behalf of Akane-chan, I apologise for the last minute change in intentions and the added inconvenience, I will handle the necessary paperwork!"
Rias' raised a graceful red eyebrow in surprise at the action. And her curiosity in this Amamiya was piqued- she must have been close friends with the pink-haired magical girl for Saeko to apologise on her friend's behalf.
"I know you feel responsible for your friend, but it isn't your fault." Sona reassured the other girl who was still bowing. "After what she has been through- it would be both rude and unreasonable for us to hold such a thing against her."
"Still, I'd like to handle her paperwork so that when she changes her mind, everything will already be prepared for her." Saeko replied, still not lifting her head from the bow
"Normally, I'd say no. But Amamiya-san's case deserves some consideration." Sona graciously conceded with a nod.
"Thank you, 'Na-chan!" Saeko finally sat back up from her bow, a grateful grin on her face.
Rias couldn't help the snort of amusement as she saw how the shiver of disgust ran down Sona's spine at the nickname Saeko gave her. Rias knew that Serafall was bad enough with her 'So-tan' nickname when Sona was at home, now she had to deal with Saeko's 'Na-chan' nickname while she was at school too.
"You're a good friend to her, Shiraishi-san…" Rias reassured her in a soft voice- a small smile on her own face.
"No, I'm not. We had a bit of a... falling out and she needed some space… about a continent or two." the pink-haired girl smiled bitterly, then her smile turned hopeful, "But one day, Akane-chan will feel better. And she'll come back."
Feeling that the conversation topic of Amamiya-san had been depleted at the moment, Rias decided that it wa a good time to segueing to her plan of convincing Saeko to be her Contract Magician, "Aside from being a magical girl, what other things do you like to do?"
"I like to travel! Going to new places, eating new food, meeting new people!" Saeko beamed a bright happy smile, "I'm actually going to tropical Philippines in a few days too."
Sona seemed interested in that. Her violet eyes lit up in recognition of the country in question.
"That's the country that had that mysterious disappearance with the small cruise ship, wasn't it?" She questioned with that expression that Rias recognised. The one where Sona draws her lips into a thin pink line whenever she's trying to hide her concern.
"I... think so? Should I be worried?" Saeko supposed in a hesitant tone- clearly, it was the first time that Saeko had heard of the news. Not that Rias blamed her; after all, it was news to her as well. Sona had always absorbed international news in her free time while playing chess.
"You don't plan on taking a pleasure cruise, are you?" Rias couldn't help but snort.
"Rias, I don't believe that's the type of thing that could occur twice." Sona retorted- massaging her temples with her slender fingers.
"I was just going to visit the beaches." The magical girl shrugged. "Try the local cuisine, sunbathe in tropical weather."
Rias' clear blue eyes lit up at that opening.
"The Gremory clan would be happy to rent out a private beach all for ourselves." Rias jumped at the chance- picking up from where Sona had dropped the conversation in the 'completely too serious' category. "My peerage would love to get to know you, Saeko-chan!"
"You'd do that for me?" The pink haired magical girl gave a surprised look before switching to a grateful one- giving a brilliant smile. "Thank you!"
"You're welcome, what are friends for?" Rias responded with her own brilliant smile.
"They're for hanging out on the beach with! Will you 'Na-chan come along with us?!" Saeko enthused, looking at her bespectacled girl expectantly. Rias only steadied a pointed look at Sona- reminding her about their agreement to help her woo Saeko into her employ.
"I'll have to decline." Sona coughed awkwardly. "But please go on without me, I've been to the Gremory Clan beaches and I'd highly recommend them."
Rias mentally thanked Sona for her assist.
"Well, since Sona declined..." Rias nodded with a knowing smile. Standing up, she couldn't help but practically skip around the table in excitement to the fluffily-dressed magical a gloved wrist in her hand and tugging on it excitedly. "Why don't you follow me to the Occult Research Club house, and I'll introduce you to my peerage!"
"Yes please!" the magical girl responded, only able to smile wider at her offer as she allowed herself to be dragged along, but she turned back just as they were out the door, calling out, " 'Na-chan, I'll come back to try and convince you to come with us for the beach trip!"
And Rias wished she could see Sona's expression as she reacted to yet another magical girl promising to hound her around. The student council president may have had a lot of time building up a resistance to a magical girl's antics, but now she had to put up with the antics of two magical girls.
But most of all, it was only a matter of time before Serafall and Saeko met each other. And Rias' excitement was only surpassed by Sona's dread for that eventual meeting of Magical Girls.
For now, it was time to claim this Magical Girl for herself!
[Occult Research Club House]
"And this is our club room!" Rias proudly announced as she led Saeko in.
Walking into the main club room with its red colour scheme and plush victorian furniture with bookcases lining the walls, The pleasant feeling of pride rose in her chest as Saeko's bright pink eyes looked around, oohing and awing at her interior decorating skills that were clearly superior to that of Sona.
"It's very comfy!" The pink and white magical girl bubbled cheerfully with a bright smile, "It reminds me of the furniture we have at home!"
The sound of a newcomer's voice seemed to have roused her peerage- drawing three pairs of eyes to them. As Rias stood behind Saeko's back, she gave a quick nod and an optimistic grin. And just like she had instructed them yesterday, that was the signal to enact Plan A of "Convince Shiraishi-san into being my Contract Magician and beat Riser 'Sleezebag' Phenex".
"Alright, Saeko-chan!" Rias clapped with excitement, "Let me introduce my peerage."
"Himejima Akeno, My Queen." she gestured to Akeno who was already brewing them their tea with her usual grace. The second of the 'Two Great Ladies of Kuoh Academy,' Akeno was the one Rias had initially trusted the most to help with recruiting Saeko; because Rias had honestly expected Saeko to be a slightly more cheerful but still uptight Magician House heiress. Akeno's innate skill in etiquette and formality would have been a great help with those kinds of people.
At least, that was before Saeko showed up in a Magical Girl outfit; and proved to be a sweet girl with boundless optimism and cheerfulness. That was when Rias decided that her Knight was better suited for the job.
"Yuuto Kiba, My Knight." She gestured to Kiba who was on his phone. Her blonde knight with his light blue eyes smiled amicably at Saeko. Rias had put her hopes on him as her main backup plan.
When she had asked him earlier, Kiba had no problems with leveraging his looks to their advantage. Saeko seemed like an ordinary enough girl, maybe she'd agree to a Contract Magician if she could get a few dates with Kiba? Rias could only hope. And if Kiba finds that Saeko was girlfriend material? Well, as his King and his friend, she can only call that a double Win for her friends as well.
"Touhou Koneko, My Rook." She gestured to Koneko who had a bowl of hard candy on her lap.
"Shiriashi Saeko, Heiress of the Magician House of Shiraishi." Saeko introduced herself with a bow and a bright smile, "It's nice to meet you all!"
"Please stay with us for tea, Shiraishi-san." Kiba gracefully stepped in- stepping up the charm as he gave her that bishi smile that he was so good at. Rias couldn't help but approve.
"I'd love to, Kiba-kun!" their bubbly pink-haired guest happily chirped as she sat down with them around the table with the pristine white tablecloth they'd laid out in advance.
"Bouchou, she smells like blood and death." Koneko bluntly commented as she sat down, her soft voice in its usual flat monotone, "Is she a vampire?"
Rias raised a graceful red eyebrow at Koneko in askance. After all, she had asked her Rook to be polite to their prospective Contract Magician. To act against her wishes means that Saeko must really smell sketchy.
The atmosphere in the room abruptly shifted to one of confusion and suspicion. Out of the corner of Rias' eye, she could see Akeno and Kiba tense up in alarm. Ready to protect their King and fight Saeko at a moment's notice. After all, being a nekoshou, Koneko's nose was very accurate. But…
… Rias' sapphire blue eyes glanced at the cheerily smiling Saeko, and she honestly couldn't see it. She couldn't see this lively and cheerful magical girl as some killer assassin.
"Nope, that's a common misconception." Saeko explained with a good-naturedly smile- oblivious to how close she was to being taken down, "The Magician House of Shiraishi isn't associated with any Vampire clan: We're just naturally good with anything that has to do with the human body- like blood. I work part-time at a hospital, we often use blood from blood packs and use cadavers in both our magical and non-magical research- that's what you're smelling."
"You work part-time at a hospital, Shiraishi-san?" Akeno asked in a curious tone- the tenseness bleeding away from her as a thoughtful look settled on her face.
"Volunteer! You're looking at a certified nursing assistant with about 80 hours under my belt." Saeko proudly boasted as she grinned back. "Because caregiving and standard first aid are two of a Magical Girl's lesser known skills!"
Saeko finished off the declaration by doing that Miracle Levia-tan pose with her fingers in a V-sign over her winking sapphire-pink eye. She even had her mouth in a bright toothy grin.
"Ah, right, the chlorine smell. I'm sorry." Her Rook apologised, her gold eyes staring down at the table in shame.
"Eh, what for, Koneko-chan?" the magical girl in pink and white puzzled at the Rook's apology, "It's alright, I'd find it weird too if someone smelled like blood and…"
Saeko's words seemed to die in her throat as she seemed like she came to a horrifying realization. Immediately, she lifted up a white gloved hand and, with a look of concentration, sniffed at it. Bright pink eyes looked at Koneko.
"...is the smell really obvious?" She asked while pouting.
"Don't worry about it, Shiraishi-san." Akeno reassured her with a small graceful giggle, "Not everyone has incredibly sharp senses like Koneko."
"I see… I'm so relieved." Saeko breathed- exhaling a deep sigh of relief before smiling sheepishly, "I would have been so embarrassed if a Magical Girl like me had been walking around smelling bad."
And Rias couldn't help but laugh, loud and full of honest mirth as the tense atmosphere in the room seemed to evaporate just like that. She couldn't believe that they were so tense about it just a minute ago. Saeko laughed with her. Akeno, and Kiba joined in soon after, giggling softly and chuckling respectively. Even Koneko broke into a soft smile.
And it was at that moment, as Rias looked around and saw her little family laughing and smiling over a cup of tea that she truly set her heart into recruiting Saeko.
Her plan did not change; but now more than ever before, Rias wanted them to succeed. She wanted Saeko to officially be part of this little family that she had made in the Occult Research Club. Setting down her teacup, Rias schooled her features into a serious expression- the one that her parents taught her for her role as the Heiress of the Gremory Clan.
Her blue sapphire eyes met Saeko's pink sapphire ones.
"Shiraishi-san, I have a favour to ask." Rias told Saeko as seriously as she could. Bowing her head, she continued as earnestly as she could, "I formally propose a magical contract between you and I: For I to be your Contract Devil as you are to become my Contract Magician."
"If you'll have me, I will humbly accept to be your Contract Magician and serve you to the best that my Magic is able, Gremory-san." Saeko immediately responded without even a second's worth of hesitation.
"Eh? Just like that?!" Rias couldn't help exclaim, her clear blue eyes wide with shock as she sat straight back into her chair in surprise. That was… Rias couldn't even find the words in her own head. Magicians weren't supposed to answer like that according to Sona: They were supposed to mull over it and keep the devil waiting and everything!
But Saeko simply gave her a warm, happy smile.
"Just like that." She said softly- reaching across the table and gently took her hand in hers- squeezing gently, "After all, we're friends, aren't we, Rias-chan?"
"Yes!" Rias smiled in return- along with Akeno, Kiba and Koneko, "Yes, we are!"
Somehow, everything did not go as she had planned, and yet she ended up with everything she wanted and more. More than just a solution to her reluctant engagement, more than just a Contract Magician… she, Rias Gremory, had found a good friend.
And for the first time in a long while, Rias felt that everything was going to be alright.
[Later that Day...]
The sun disappeared into the horizon as five teenagers disembarked from the limousine.
Still in their white and black Kuoh Academy uniforms, they seemed out of place compared to their surroundings: an abandoned farming property in the mountains near Kuoh Town. Out of the beaten path, the grass was overgrown and the wooden structures seemed like something out of the typical Japanese horror films.
A stray devil had settled here at the outskirts of Kuoh Town, and by the Laws of the Underworld, they were to be eliminated wherever found. Reincarnated Devils, Devils who had abandoned their Kings and peerages to use their powers for their own ends, were unfortunately not an uncommon occurrence. Some Devils preferred to be blasé with how they choose their members of their peerages; after all, why care if some of your pieces go astray when you can simply reincarnate replacements?
Rias took the higher road. She looked to members of the Occult Research Club and knew that she had chosen well.
Under the moonlight, Rias took the lead, her red hair streaming in the mountain breeze as clear blue eyes surveyed the property. Turning back to her companions, she nodded to each of them before turning to her new Contract Magician, still clad in her pink and white Magical Girl outfit with its frills and ribbons.
"Are you sure you want to come with us, Saeko-chan?" she confirmed one more time to the Magical Girl that was at the rear of their group. Rias was hesitant to exclude their newest friend- it was her fault for putting off this Stray Devil Extermination due to how busy she was researching Saeko's Magician House.
"Of course, I want to come along, Rias-chan." Saeko beamed with a wide smile, "We're safest when we're all together."
"Well, since you're here… Run it by me again, how does your magic formula work?" Rias muttered as she eyed the building in front of them.
"For the span of 18 hours, it enhances every aspect of your physical capabilities: Strength, reflex, dexterity, stamina, agility, and what senses you have available." Saeko enumerated from memory- all while allowing her a small smile of pride for her Magician House' work, "However, it cannot be stacked and is liable to inflict damage to the body if overused. House Shiraishi recommends 4 hours of rest before reactivating our magic formula."
"And you'll have them ready by the weekend?" Akeno clarified with an interested tone- rightly so since she was the foremost practitioner of offensive magic in Rias' peerage.
"Money-back guarantee!" Saeko cheerfully reassured her, "I've sent the samples of your demonic energy back home so that the spell formulae can be attuned to your magical signatures. They'll be ready for you all in a few days, though normally such magic would need a few weeks at least."
"Sounds just about as I expected." Rias replied- nodding her head with a knowing smile.
"Huhuhu~ I guess it's only common sense that you did your research before asking me to enter into a Contract with you." Saeko responded with an amused smile.
"Yes, I actually did- reading about your Magician House was interesting." Rias admitted easily- stifling a tired yawn. She had spent most of the night before pouring over what information they had on the Magician House of Shiraishi.
And in her late night reading, Rias found something very interesting about the Shiraishi's spell formula.
In the historic battles that mentioned the Shiraishi's spell formula in their footnotes, it was always featured on the winning side. And that told her that though the spell formula's effects were not as flashy as other Magicians' who flung fire and ice, or gave its users unparalleled speed. It was a testament to the spell formula that it could be used by anyone and in tandem with other buffing spells.
All it needed was for the Shiraishi to attune their spell formula to the Devil in question, and said Devil would have a spell that they could cast to increase physical performance for the rest of the day. Rias only wished it could be cast multiple times or would last longer. Permanent even.
"And I'm sure that you've been wondering the question: 'Can you make the effects stack and permanent?'" the pink haired girl suggested with a knowing smile- seeming to have read her mind.
"Yes, I actually was; and it sounds…" Rias muttered, her clear blue eyes already glazing over at the sheer potential such a spell could do. It would be something that could make a normal reincarnated devil into a Super Devil like her brother. Hell, it could make her into a Super Devil.
"...amazing, but unrealistic." Akeno commented, popping Rias' fantasy. "It's against common sense that a spell where someone can just cast repeatedly until they're a Super Devil."
"And it also breaks almost a dozen Laws of Magic Theory." Saeko cheerfully agreed as she began walking up to the house, "But that's how it is with normal spell formulae."
"Saeko! Wait, stay back of the group at least." Rias called out as she jogged forward with the others as they caught up to Saeko quickly and regained the lead. Magicians were not as hardy as Devils after all, and she wasn't going to lose her newest friend because of an unfortunate shot from a Stray Devil.
Nodding to Koneko, Rias let her deceptively durable Rook piece take the lead- her tiny, pale hand pushing open the rickety wooden door for them with a loud wooden creak. Koneko stepped into the darkness of the house- her golden cat-like eyes scanning the darkness before gesturing them the 'all clear.'
Following Koneko's lead, they strolled through the door where Kiba vainly tried the light switch. It was too much to hope that the house's electrical wiring would have survived the years of neglect and exposure to the elements. Soft beams of moonlight streamed in from various holes in the roofing- illuminating the rotting wooden interior of a house that had been left in neglect for over a decade.
"The stray devil is a former Rook piece, so watch out for his strength, everyone." Rias cautiously reminded them in a whisper as they split up and looked for clues as to the whereabouts of their target. "He should look like someone our age."
"I don't understand…" Kiba muttered only loud enough for them to hear- his smooth voice tinged with worry. "We've done a lot of Stray Devil missions before, but this one just feels so… wrong."
"Smells evil." Koneko muttered in her monotone- her nose wrinkled in disgust.
"I don't know why that is exactly, but Sona says that the Stray Devil has most likely been the one behind the number of missing persons in the past three month." Rias quoted for everyone's benefit. "Let's check the upper floor first then we'll work our way down."
Climbing the creaking steps of the grand staircase, the group split up to check each room.
The house seemed to groan around them at their arrival. Past the moss-eaten wooden walls and the rotting floorboards they walked, entering abandoned rooms they found nothing but moth-eaten furniture and peeling wet wallpaper. Assortments of disgusting pests like rats and cockroaches skittered about as their nests were disturbed by their arrival.
But there was no sign of the stray devil, or the source of that sense of wrongness. So, they met back at the top of the stairs.
"Has anyone found anything?" Rias asked Akeno who only shook her head- her long black ponytail swaying side to side as she shook her head in a negative.
"Alright, we'll check the ground floor. Saeko-chan, you and me should stick together this time arou-'' Rias turned to her Contract Magician- only to realise that the magical girl in pink and white wasn't standing behind them anymore. "Where did Saeko go?"
"She was right behind me when we started searching!" Kiba exclaimed, his blueish-gray eyes darting their gaze in every direction along with everyone else's- scanning for the missing magical girl.
Panic washed over Rias.
"Koneko! Do you still have Saeko's scent?" She immediately prompted her Rook.
"Blood and death is everywhere, but I can still smell the chlorine." the smaller, snowy-haired girl replied in her soft voice as she pointed at a pitch black corridor in the first floor before charging ahead of the peerage as was their standard tactic.
Wasting no time, they rushed down the stairs and into the darkness. As Devils, their senses were not impaired by the dark- adjusting perfectly and turning what was pitch black darkness for humans to a dimly lit area. But that didn't make it less worrying for Rias as they hurried to find their newest friend.
The decaying structure only seemed to look even worse as they progressed, and the utter feeling of wrongness only intensified as Koneko's nose led them deeper and deeper into the abandoned manor. Eventually, Koneko led them down into the manor's damp stony cellar. The oppressive stone walls that seemed to press down all around them made it seem like they were catacombs than anything else, but still they charged onwards.
Down at the end of the storage cellar and in the middle of the absolute darkness, they saw a yellow light glowing softly through an open doorway at a right turn.
"I don't understand… what do you want me to do?" They heard the familiar sound of Saeko's voice ring through the damp air- laced as it was with sadness and frustration.
Cautiously they approached the open doorway and Rias grimly nodded at her peerage. Nodding, they complied with her unspoken command: Koneko raised her hands in tight fists, Kiba formed a broadsword sword with his power, and Akeno's slender hand began to softly crackle with lightning magic.
"You promised to help me!" A male voice growled out- deep and accusatory as it echoed throughout the cellar.
Four pairs of eyes locked at the entrance as they saw long shadows of two figures stretch out from the open doorway.
"I am! I am trying to help y- AAAGGGHH!"
Whatever Saeko was about to say was cut off by a loud 'Whoomph' and a horrid crack, and a blur of pink and white flew through the doorway and as Saeko skidded over the stone floor at high speeds like a thrown porcelain doll, and landed with a loud crash against some rotten wooden furniture near the wall.
"YOU LYING TRAITOROUS SLUT!" they heard an angry male voice shout, "I'LL CLAIM YOUR SKULL FOR THIS!"
"SAEKO!" Rias shouted- her black bat-like wings immediately spreading out and propelling her to her friend. And just as she cradled her friend in her arms, their target showed himself.
It was the Stray Devil they were looking for- walking out of the room Saeko was tossed from. Looking like any other japanese teenager with his black hair and brown eyes and another school's uniform, he would only have stood apart due to the furious expression on his face and the massive black-metal mace that he carried with just one hand.
"Kiba. Koneko. Go!" She heard Akeno order in her stead as they engaged the stray devil.
"MORE BLOOD!" The stray devil shouted rapturously as if happy to have seen them- the narrow nature of the cellar made it difficult for all three of them to contain the stray devil.
"Saeko! Are you alright? What happened?!" Rias shouted as she reached the downed magical girl, her left leg and right forearm bent at unnatural angles. She could only wince at the agony that Saeko must have been feeling.
"I- I saw him in one of the rooms on the ground floor and chased after him." Saeko explained, gulping down big gasps of air as Rias tried to set the bones straight, "When I finally caught up to him, he said that he was tricked into serving the stray devil... he looked so sad and scared."
"I was trying to calm him down…AAaaagggghhh!" She shouted in pain as Rias popped Saeko's arm back into her shoulder socket, "I-I was just trying- I just wanted to help him."
"Let me take you to safety," Rias reassured her, "the others can handle this."
"Uh, Bouchou? I don't think we can. He's really strong and tough!" Kiba called out as he slashed at the stray's side only for it to glance off as if his skin was pure metal. Caught off guard by the toughness, Rias' blonde Knight barely dodged a massive jagged mace as it swung overhead. The large mace-head, made of black metal, slammed into the stone and made a considerable crater into the ground.
"MAIM! KILL! BURN!"
His furious roar reverberated all across the dingy cellar- booming in their ears even as Koneko and Akeno worked in tandem to slow his assault.
The tiny nekomata engaged him in fist to mace- doing her best to exchange blow for blow with him, but the distress in her youthful child-like face was apparent. The stray devil Rook was stronger than her by a noticeable margin: Every successful block that she made her skid back, every blow she made was ignored, every hit he made sent tremors in her bones.
Even with a steely-eyed Akeno lighting up the darkness with lightning spell after lightning spell, he simply fought through it with the same enraged snarl like the luminous bolts of magic were nothing but an annoyance to him.
"RRAAAAAGGGGGHHH! COWARD MAGES AND YOUR CRAVEN MAGICS! I'LL HAVE YOUR HEARTS!"
For all their combined power, they were only barely holding the raging stray devil back.
"Everyone! He's highly resistant to magic!" Saeko groaned out for everyone to hear- the way she strained to even speak out loud was apparent to them as well.
"We know!" Her Queen Piece irately shouted with uncharacteristic frustration as she focused a sustained bolt of lightning at the stray devil- the smell of ozone filling the air as the crackling of high powered electric magic lit up the room in bright blue light. "Bouchou, get Saeko-san to safety!"
And it did next to nothing, and failing to distract him, the stray devil's black mace continued in its arc to smash the diminutive Koneko at her side.
"Guah!" Koneko cried out as her back met an unyielding stone wall with enough force that made the house above them shudder and creak.
"Koneko!" Rias shouted in worry, "I can't leave you here!"
"Rias!" Akeno snapped at her- a fierce look on her usually graceful features as Akeno's violet eyes turned to her, "We'll be fine! Just go!"
"YOU'RE ALL GOING TO DIE HERE AND I WILL DRINK THE BLOOD FROM YOUR HEARTS!"
His disturbing declaration was answered by Kiba clashing weapons with him. Kiba's devil blade met the stray devil's black mace as they pushed against each other- Kiba's blueish-grey meeting the stray devil's crazed brown from a mere foot from each other as they growled and put their entire might into their weapons.
"Bouchou!" Kiba grunted in exertion as he slowly lost the battle of pure strength with the enraged stray devil, "just take Saeko-san and go!"
"U-umu!" Koneko agreed with him as her deceptively tiny fists thundered powerfully at their foe's side- distracting him long enough for Kiba to slash him across the face- a shallow gash on the stray devil's youthful face.
Gritting her teeth, Rias scooped Saeko in her arms and began to evacuate her first- putting her in a princess carry as turned to her peerage who were fighting for their lives.
"I'm coming back for you all!" She promised to them- her voice beginning to crack as she ran- as she left her peerage behind to hold the implacable stray devil off; and with every step she took away from her peerage, Rias' heart ached.
"Rias, wait!" Saeko gasped out as she weakly gripped the sleeve of Rias' uniform- gritting her teeth in pain all the while, "My father will be so angry at me for revealing this, but…"
"Saeko, now's not the time!" Rias desperately warned as she climbed the stairs out of the cellar with Saeko in her arms.
"No, you have to listen!" Saeko insisted desperately, her pink eyes meeting Rias' own clear blue, "The Magician house of Shiraishi- after decades of searching for it… We finally found a way to make our spell formula both stacking and permanent."
"No way…" Rias couldn't help but gasp in awe at the revelation. That was… that was beyond. "But how?"
"The Power still comes from within rather than an outside source." Saeko explained, gasping for breath, "The energy comes from that feeling of righteousness and triumph that your soul feels when fighting against the enemies of the Powers of Love and Friendship- it channels that sudden burst of positive energy from one's soul and feeds it back into the body."
"That- That sounds so anime." Rias laughed bitterly with Saeko laughing along as well, albeit weakly and tiredly.
"We're already living in a pretty anime world." She grinned before looking up at her with her bright pink eyes, "Hey, Rias-chan? Can I trust you with it?"
"No… you're giving it to me?" Rias couldn't help but be incredulous.
"I… I don't want to lose anyone here because of how stupid I was!" Saeko cried out in an ashamed voice- her eyes glittering like pink diamonds as she looked up to her and begged her, "Please! Take it and defeat him!"
And how could Rias say no to that?
How could she say no when her peerage were in desperate need of this power? How could she say no when, once again, an ally and friend that she needed fell onto her lap like it happened with Akeno, Koneko and Kiba? How could she say no when just a mere half hour ago, she had daydreamed of using that same power to free herself from the Phenex's betrothal and change her fate for the better?
And here the magical girl in pink and white was: Offering Rias everything she needed- begging her to take it.
How could Rias ever think to say no to that?
"Yes, I'll do it. What do we need to do, Saeko?"
"Set me down right here… I just need to place my palm over your heart." Saeko tiredly answered as Rias lowered her to the wooden floor as gently as she could. The pink haired girl winced in pain as she took off her glove- revealing her pale slender hand.
"What should I expect? Will this hurt a lot?" Rias couldn't help but ask. It seemed silly to even ask considering everything, but curiosity got the better of her. She unbuttoned the first four buttons of her uniform- revealing the flushed pink skin of her cleavage and hints of her deep purple lacy bra.
"The Sparkly Friendship energies might burn a bit… or taste yellow." Saeko weakly smiled at her in reassurance as she raised the one arm that wasn't broken. Her shaky white gloved hand gently rested over Rias' heart at the top of her cleavage.
"Sparkly Friendship energies? I see that you were the one who came up with the name." Rias remarked with a small smile as she watched Saeko's glove hand seemingly go aflame with pink and purple flames, "So, in a way, you truly are a Magical Girl of Love and Friendship."
"Yeah, I am..." Saeko smiled at her weakly, just a hint of her usual cheer in her soft voice.
Rias felt a slight prick where the magical girl's hand rested, then a hot sensation wrapped around her heart like a cocoon before spreading all over her body- leaving a burning, tingling wave as it seeped into every nerve of her body.
"It burns, but it's changing from hot to cold and smooth to flickering, back and forth..." Rias muttered as she tried to keep still. It felt like her blood was boiling in her veins one second, then it was freezing the next. In one moment, it was a smoothly flowing river and the next it was like a geyser that blasted it with incredible force in spurts.
"The power… so much power!" Rias couldn't help but breathe in ecstasy- it was like every nerve in her body was alight with an unknowable magical power- sparking off at every nerve ending like a firecracker. It hurt everytime it did that, but one thing was certain, it felt good. "I can feel it swallowing me, but it's a good pain!"
Then Saeko's hand fell from Rias' chest- limply falling down to the wooden floor from where she sat.
"It's done." Saeko breathed tirely, her pink eyes lost their luster as they became unfocused- almost staring into the distance. The act clearly took a lot out of her- Rias noticed, but Saeko simply smiled tiredly back at her.
"Now be a typical shounen protagonist for me and win with this power up." Saeko encouraged in an exhausted whisper as she closed her eyes- her breathing immediately slowing as she slumped to the side fast asleep.
"I will, Saeko." Rias whispered as she stood up. The magical girl looked so peaceful as she slept in her fluffy pink and white outfit- her smooth pink hair laid out under her. "Rest easy, friend. I'll take care of things from here."
Once upon a time, her demonic energy magic felt like a massive lumbering beast, powerful and unstoppable but slow to rouse to action. Now that same powerful and unstoppable beast awoke with a speed and eagerness as it vibrated in place- just waiting for her to unleash it.
And it wasn't just her magic as well.
She also felt physically stronger- now it felt like she was to normal devils what normal devils were to humans. So powerful she felt as she strode forward that she felt like she could throw wrecking balls as if they were mere pillows.
The world seemed much clearer too. The sights, the sounds, the smells. The whole world seemed to be more vibrant thanks to her enhanced senses. Idly, Rias wondered if this was how beings with enhanced senses like Koneko experienced the world.
"So this was the magic formula of the Magician House of Shiraishi." Rias couldn't help but mutter in awe.
Turning around the corner, Rias was met by Akeno- unharmed but out of breath and clearly on her last legs magic-wise as she hid behind some dusty furniture in some kind of hit-and-hide tactic, likely the same as Kiba and Koneko were.
"Bouchou…" Akeno gasped, out of breath from exhaustion. "Please turn back, we can't stop him!"
Even the sight of her old friend in her state of distress seemed vibrantly beautiful to her. The silkiness of her raven black hair, the beautiful pink flush of her cheeks, the almost luminous colour of her desperate amethyst violet eyes, the softness of her breasts as they strained against the white fabric of her uniform, and the sinfully lustful curves of her hourglass figure as she leaned panting against the stony gray cellar walls.
Rias reached out with a slender hand, and cupped Akeno's cheek in an almost lover-like sensualness.
"It's okay, Akeno-chan." She huskily cooed to her Queen piece, "We have the Powers of Love and Friendship on our side now."
"B-bouchou? What?!" Akeno couldn't help but stammer out- a ruby red blush dusting her cheeks as sheer confusion filled her being. But their moment was ruined by the stray devil stomping into view. His black uniform had burst open from grossly muscled physique- having seemingly grown in minutes like he was pumped full of steroids. His rage-filled glower and protruding crimson eyes gave him the appearance of a monster rather than a human as his blood-red eyes swiveled in their direction.
"ANOTHER WEAKLING!"
Rias only smiled at Akeno before turning to her foe. And with the effortlessness like she was tugging on a silken red ribbon bow, she opened the monumental dam that held back the burgeoning ocean of her demonic energy magic.
And everything came surging forth.
Fire, Ice, Lightning and especially the Power of Destruction. All of it flew from her fingertips with an ease that she had never thought possible. The fiery orange, the blue ice, the white lightning and the blood red of her Power of Destruction- it was like the entire world was illuminated by her magical power as they filled the air.
Not even the Devil's freakish magic resistance could stop the onslaught that surged from her hands. Fire seared his skin black, ice froze his feet in place, lightning scorched his limbs, and the Power of Destruction disintegrated his massive black mace into nothing. All of it came as effortlessly to her as looking at him with her eyes.
Despite the cellar being cramped, Rias still found the agility to keep herself always one step ahead of him. Her mind was clear and focused- correctly anticipating the stray devil's every move and the counterspell already on the tip of her tongue just as he began enacting them.
When he would charge her, she would stumble with ice. When he would try to track her, she would blind him with fire and lightning. And when he would dare breathe the same air as her, she would wield the Power of Destruction to whittle away pieces of his limb and body.
The entire battle was a symphony. Fire, Ice, Lightning and the Power of Destruction were her orchestra. The stray devil was her captive audience. And she was the masterful conductor of it all.
Even now at the corner of her eyes, Rias could see the awestruck expression of her peerage as they watched her weave victory from what had been certain doom for them. She was their King, their hope, the changer of their fate.
Never before in her life had Rias felt so powerful. So in control of her magic, of her life, of her fate.
"WHAT is... this... power...?" The stray devil groaned in pain as he fell to the damp mossy floor, lacking his left leg, his right foot and both his arms, he was utterly disassembled by her magic as Rias simply stood over his defeated form.
"Don't you understand, Stray Devil-baka?" Rias tutted with a condescending smile as she casually cradled a brilliant red orb of pure compressed Destruction on her left hand, "This is the Power of Love and Friendship."
Then, casually as she did, she flicked her hand to the stray devil- obliterating his entire body from existence along with a good chunk of the mossy stone floor. Nothing was left aside from a slightly sizzling crater from where he lay.
"Uwahh! Bouchou got here just in time." Kiba laughed out loud in relief from where he was hidden and sat on the floor.
"So strong." Koneko couldn't help but sigh in relief as she shakily sat on the floor- utterly exhausted from the fight.
"That was… amazing. Riash-chan..." Akeno moaned, having watched the entire fight where Rias toyed with and systematically dismantled the stray devil. And Rias couldn't help but sigh good-naturedly at her old friend's arousal, even in a life and death situation.
A bright smile grew on her pink lips though- happy and relieved. Most of them had their share of bruises and minor fractures, but Rias was overjoyed at how everyone- aside from Saeko- had come out of this relatively unscathed.
"Everyone… let's go home." Rias called out with a gentle smile- her clear blue eyes glancing over her Queen, her Knight and her Rook as they smiled back. And with her little family- her peerage and her new Contract Magician- all of dreams were within reach for her now.
Everything had proceeded even better than she had planned: Her decision to hold off on entering a contract with a Magician until she met the right one, her recruitment of Saeko as her Contract Magician, House Shiraishi's magical formula being the silver bullet she needed to win her Rating Game.
Her victory over Riser and her subsequent freedom was all but assured now.
But why stop there? Why not fulfill ALL her dreams? She could take the number one spot in the Rating Games. She could be the next Satan and stand beside her older brother whose shadow she had stood in for so long. She could even lead the Underworld to a Golden Age the likes of which they had never seen before.
And Rias knew that their future- not just for her and her peerage- but for all Devils had never been so bright before.
A shimmering sea of great changes was on the horizon. And it would be she, Rias Gremory, who would be the one to herald the Change that sweeped the universe.
- Chapter 4 End -
Chapter 5 : A Rias Gremory Makes Some Small Changes Next
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