Tales Of The Fearless Dragon

by streetlife34

Delinquent, Brother, Protector of the weak, Undefeated fighter, Kind, Ruthless. Add Devil to that list. There all kind's of strange beings in this new this world, but that doesn't matter, no matter who gets in my way I will be victorious. I'm the current Red Dragon Emperor, Shirou Tsukiharu and I never lose.

12. Rating Game And Results Of Training

Hey everyone and get ready for this chapter. On this chapter, the Rating Game will finally begin. And if you thought the last chapter was long, then get ready for this one.

Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit fan-based parody, Highschool DxD, Highschool DxD New, Highschool DxD Born, Highschool DxD EX and Highschool DxD Hero are all owned by Funimation, Fushimi Shobo, TNK, Passione, and Ichiei Ishibumi. Please support the official release.

---

"Shirou" Regular speech.

"Shirou" Thoughts.

DRAGON SHOT Attack names.

(Shirou) Words said previously.

"SHIROU!" Shouting speech.

[Ddraig] Dragon talking.

---

Rating Game And Results Of Training

---

Tick-Tock!

Tick-Tock!

Tick-Tock!

The clock ticked away endlessly, counting second after second.

Excitement, anxiety, impatience, joy, hatred, ecstasy.

Shirou went through these emotions in an endless cycle, experiencing one after another in a tempest of thoughts.

Shirou was sitting on the bed in his room, waiting for the time of the Rating Game to begin, he was once again wearing his combat suit.

The way they trained their hardest over the course of time they spent on the mountain. On the last night of their trip, Ren had left saying he was ready. He said he knew that Shirou had trained enough to be able to defeat Raiser and to call him, and tell him the results after the fight.

Disregarding that, he had done as he promised Rias and sent Asia back early to receive proper education, but out of the blue, Rias demanded he sits and learns with her. She didn't force him to partake in the mundane magic training (Unbeknownst to her, as he thought, he already had the basics down and could now use magic skilfully). She also had developed a habit of keeping him in whenever Asia was unavailable to join him in his private training. It was bizarre the lengths that she went to keep him from going alone.

He tried to pay no mind to it. After all, Shirou had come further than he even thought he would be able to within a ten-day period. He hadn't learned anything special, but he could feel his power was on a completely different level than before, in both magic and power, as well as understanding a little bit more about his Sacred Gear as well as its limits.

[Are you feeling confident, Partner?]

Shirou looked down at the back on his left hand a saw a circle-shaped, emerald colored glow, he knew this meant that the spirit sealed within his Boosted Gear was talking to him. Shirou wasn't expecting The Red Dragon, Ddraig to speak to him now, but he honestly didn't mind.

"Of course I am." Shirou smirked. "Because I know, I can beat this guy."

[While I agree that your power has grown more than I thought, in such a short amount of time, you shouldn't underestimate your opponent.]

Shirou raised a brow. "Oh, you're telling me you're also worried about Raiser?"

Ddraig scoffed. [Worried no, informed yes, I've faced Phoenix's before and the flames of the immortal bird can even wound a Dragon, as strong as you've become your life could still be in danger if you let your guard down]

"Enough with the hype already." Shirou responded. "I get it, everyone's concerned about this fight. But regardless, he's also going to be in danger."

[And why is that?]

"Because he's up against me. I'm pretty sure he remembers I blasted him into the wall the last time we saw each other, and that was before training." Shirou pointed out. "I trained almost to the grave for this fight, and I'm not letting it end in anything but victory."

[I see that you've resolved yourself, however, there is still time before the battle, if you would like you could make the deal.]

Ddraig offered. But Shirou shook his head.

"I told you before, while it might be tempting the answer's no."

At some point during training Ddraig spoke with Shirou and told him of an option he could use to get stronger.

If he desired, Shirou could trade away a part of his body, in this case, his left arm and give it to Ddraig in exchange for turning it into a Dragon's arm. The trade will also give him a temporary boost of power which he could call upon whenever he chose.

However, Shirou rejected the offer. In his eyes as a fighter and as a man, there was nothing more shameful then gaining power by relying on having to give up on or sacrificing something. He would rather gain power the hard and long way with everything he had, instead of taking the easy and short way by giving things up.

[You should know it is not a bad trade, if you make the deal you would have enough power to defeat a Satan-Class opponent and more than enough to defeat this current foe.]

Shirou looked at his arm, speaking to the being inside. "Listen Ddraig, you told me once that your power was mine to control and in exchange, I'd need to become stronger than my current-self, I guarantee you, this Shirou-sama will get my hands on all that power, but I'll do it my way."

Ddraig didn't say anything for a moment, and then he seemed to be at ease.

[Very well then, I will not bring this up again.]

Shirou then smirked. "Hey don't worry about it, Partner. I'm still the Red Dragon Emperor, so I've got all the power I need."

[It's true, you are an abnormal being who possesses a Dragon within you. But remember to take heed, even if you overcome this foe, there will always be others waiting in line to take his place. And there is no telling when The "White one" will make his Appearance.]

That last statement piqued Shirou's curiosity. "The "White one"?"

[Do not be concerned for now. However, I will explain it to you at a later time, I wish you luck, Partner.]

And with that, the glow on his hand went out, signalling that Ddraig ended their conversation.

"Huh, "White one"?" Shirou wondered. "I'm guessing that's not his actual title, 'cause it sounds kinda racist."

Though seriously he considered what Ddraig meant by "making his appearance", The way he was talking, Ddraig must think he's stronger than Raiser, or maybe even any other opponent he'll ever face. That notion honestly, made him a little excited for it.

No matter how strong he had been as a human, there was always someone stronger than him. Shirou knew that, there was always another obstacle to overcome and that in itself held a sort of thrill for him. It wasn't that the existence of stronger foes bothered him, not at all.

It was that at some point he felt he hit a slump, his fights were no longer a struggle, it got to the point where he had to weaken himself by wearing weights just so that they would count as a fight.

The thing that Shirou loved was fighting the strong, like a battle-maniac, there was nothing he enjoyed more than fighting and fighting those who had strength equal to him, or greater than him, nothing made his Soul cry out in ecstasy more.

That's why he loved the fact that the supernatural world was full of so many strong opponents to fight.

Of course, Mika wouldn't like him having these thoughts… Neither would Asia, undoubtedly. However, no matter how badly he tried to distract himself, his mind continuously wandered back to what he was trying to avoid. It was like an endless.

Tick-Tock!

Tick-Tock!

Tick-Tock!

Shirou still stares at the clock.

The clock still ticked away endlessly, counting every second.

One hour to go before the game.

It was maddening, his own mind, his own thoughts. It was likely just anxiety, the uncertainty before a big event. It would probably fade once the fighting started, but that was still a long ways off.

KNOCK! KNOCK!

Thankfully, a distraction came in the form of a knock on the door.

Shirou set the clock back on the nightstand beside his bed. "Come in."

The door opened, revealing Asia dressed in her nun attire, but without the veil on her head and without the Rosario for the obvious reason that a Devil is unable to wear a cross without it sizzling them like acid, and Mika dressed in a strange outfit.

"What the. Mika?" Shirou gasped. "What the hell are you wearing?"

"You like it?" Mika struck a pose.

She wears an outfit very reminiscent of Japanese Gothic Lolita fashion, consisting of a long black and red dress. Her dress contains many-layered ruffles on the skirt and sleeves; there is also space for her to place her red marbles in. Over her shoulders, Mika wears a matching, also multiple layered, ruffled shawl, with a similar piece being worn on her waist over the bottom portion of her dress. Mika wears long white stockings underneath and red Mary Jane's. She completes her outfit with multiple ribbons for accessories, with one being tied over her hair and a miniature top hat on the left side of her head.

"What even is "it"?"

"I figured since you have an outfit made for fighting, I should too." Mika answered. "So I chose this, It's the same attire as my favorite character from an anime I finished awhile back, I thought about dying my hair Sliver to complete the look, but then I decided that would just make mine a copycat and that's beneath me."

"Mika, that's basically just cosplay." Shirou pointed out.

"Which is why it's perfect for me."

"I think she looks cute." Asia chimed in.

Mika smiled, patting the former nun on the head. "Thank you Asia." She took a seat on the right of Shirou. "We thought you'd be feeling lonely before the game started, So Asia and I decided to come and keep you company."

Shirou turned to face her. "…Are you sure that's the only reason?"

"Well, I do admit." Mika sighed. "I also wanted to show off my outfit to you."

Shirou nodded. "Yep, that sounds more like you." Mika then took notice to Asia, the blonde looking nervous and out-of-place. She give her a smile before patting the empty space and Shirou's left on the bed.

Asia hesitated for several moments, putting her foot forward before taking it back. Eventually, her courage won over her hesitation and she took her seat, placing her hands on her lap.

It was now that she sat that Shirou finally realized that he and Mika weren't the only ones who made a wardrobe change.

"You're wearing your nun's robes," Shirou noted. It was hard to mistake the clothes Asia had been wearing when they first met. (Barring the veil and Rosario, of course).

Asia nodded, her smile becoming more and more nervous. "Chief said I could wear what I felt most comfortable in…" She turned away. "W-What do you think?"

"If you're asking about what I think of the outfit, then." Shirou decided to be blunt with his answer. "Personally, it brings back memories, for better or worse."

He presumed he had given the correct response considering the joyful smile on Asia's face.

"I'm glad! I know it might seem a little silly, but it reminds me of my faith." Asia said.

Shirou shrugged. "You don't need a reason to want to wear it, but I'll respect you for still wanting to believe even now. Some people just need something to hold on to." He paused. "You know, I'm still wondering why you two are here, shouldn't you be getting ready for the game?"

"Big Bro, we're about as ready as we're going to get." Mika answered. "It's not a physical preparation, but a mental one." She crossed her legs before tipping to the side, resting her head on Shirou's shoulder. "Just pre-game jitters."

"We're sorry." Asia apologized. "It's just that, well… When we're around you, we feel more confident, Shirou-san." Although a lot more humble and awkward than Mika, the former nun too, rested her head on Shirou's shoulder. "I just had a lot of trouble getting my hands to stop shaking."

"Hmm." Shirou agreed. "I can understand why, after all this is the first real fight the two of you have ever been in, isn't it? Don't worry, it's fine to be nervous when it's your first time going to a battlefield."

"Were you nervous on your first fight?" Mika question.

"…No, but that's because I'm a special case."

"Mika-san, you say you're nervous, but right now you seem carefree." Asia said, sweating. "And Shirou-san, isn't worried at all, I wish I had your confidence."

"It's not confidence, Asia." Mika corrected. "It's belief."

Asia stared blankly. "What?"

"Even if you can't will away your fear, you can instead think of something that gives you hope." Shirou explained. "You just have to avoid thinking about it."

"And I gain hope from Big Bro." Mika explained. "When I with him, I feel like we can beat anybody."

"Even though there's so much at stake?"

"Especially when there's so much at stake," Shirou said. "You've lost the moment you start doubting yourself."

"Then I guess I won't be useful in this battle," Asia responded, melancholy. "I wish I had as much confidence as you, Shirou-san. I'm afraid that… That I'm just going to drag everyone else down again."

"You won't drag us down, Asia." Mika assured. "If you fall behind, we'll just pick you up and carry you along."

"But I don't want to be a burden on anyone." Asia argued. "I just…I don't have any real talents like everyone else. I don't have any of Chief's charisma or Shirou-san's bravery. I can't create strategies like Mika-san or fight of the others. All I can do is heal people after they have been seriously hurt. I'm just…"me"."

"And what's wrong with that? What's wrong with being you? Asia, you're great." Shirou said, earning a deep blush from Asia. "You may not think that healing is much, but to me, that's something that makes you more important then even a Queen, we need a healer, that's a must on a battlefield. And you yourself are a great person to have, just like Mika, and if anyone says otherwise, then they're idiots."

"We love you too, Big Bro."

"Listen." Shirou wrapped his arms around both girl's shoulders, holding them comfortingly against his chest. It was hard to find a word to describe the shade of red that coloured both of their faces. "Everything's going to work out. Things look rough now, but I give you my word: We're gonna win this. We're stronger than anything that flaming man-whore can throw at us. We're going into this together and we're coming out of it together. And we always will, because we're a family."

""We're" a family?" Asia wondered.

"Yes we're a family." Shirou confirmed. "And that means you too, I don't think there's anyone else I'd rather have at my side right now."

For a moment, Asia beamed at Shirou silently, a mix of joy, embarrassment, and relief pumping through her heart.

"You promise, Shirou?" Mika asked. "You guarantee, when we come back to this house, it'll be all of us?"

"Mika, have I ever lied to you when I say, "I give you my word"?"

Content, Mika nuzzled her face more affectionately against Shirou's chest.

"We… We'll do our best to protect you too, Shirou-san." Asia said, letting herself sink into her friends' embrace, her fast-beating heart finding ease in the warmth that radiated from the youth.

And then the three of them stood up, ready and prepared to head to the Rating Game.

Shirou had determination in his eyes.

"Okay, let's get this show on the road."

---

"Hey, we're here."

Shirou was escorted from both sides by Asia and Mika, the former nun looking uneasy both the silence that filled the room.

Koneko and Akeno were just sitting on one of the couches in silence waiting for the game to begin, almost like they were in a trance. Kiba was no different as he was standing by the wall holding his sheathed European Medieval Sword, looking ready to fight. And Rias was sitting at her desk, her eyes closed as if she was mentally preparing herself.

Shirou looked around at the solemn faces that filled the room. Every single one of them looking anxious for the coming fight.

"Huh, feels like we came at a bad time." Shirou noted. "Seriously guys, are you that nervous?"

Shirou frowned, walking over to the couch opposite to Koneko and Akeno, joined by his two female escorts.

"It's alright, Shirou." Rias spoke up. "We're just mentally preparing ourselves after all this is our first fight."

Shirou shrugged. "I guess that's fair."

Rias then opened her eyes and looked at the three who had just arrived. However, she blinked when she saw them, noticed that they we're all wearing something different.

"Are those what you're going to wear for the game?" Rias asked.

"Well yeah, it's my combat outfit." Shirou responded. "I always wear this before a serious fight," He then gestured to Asia. "As for her, well you said wear whatever's comfortable."

"And this is new for me." Mika chimed in. "But I wanted something that looks good too."

"I see." Rias then smiles. "Well, if it's what you want, and it does suit you all."

"Thank you, Rias." Mika was glad at getting praise for her outfit a second time.

"Besides that, is that all you guys are going to wear?" Shirou questioned.

Rias blinked. "Yes, what's wrong with it?"

""What's wrong with it"?" it's just your student uniforms."

Shirou was referring to the fact that, that Rias and all the other members besides himself, Mika and Asia were simply wearing their student uniforms.

"Oh, well the truth is, we have casual clothes and formal attire, but we don't have anything that's made for combat." Akeno answered. "But since we also fight Stray Devils wearing these, we decided to make our uniforms also our fighting uniforms.

"Seriously." Shirou then groaned. "Man, it just feels like we overdressed for this."

"Not really." Mika argued. "In cosplay there are lot's of people who dress as characters from school anime."

Shirou pinched the bridge of his nose. "I told you, my outfit is not cosplay!"

The rest of the club watched this exchange between the two siblings, with a bit of amusement. They also felt a bit of their anxiety fade from the light-heartedness.

Shirou noticed this and looked satisfied. "There, that's the right attitude to have."

"You were trying to calm us down?" Rias asked.

"You've lost the moment you start doubting yourself." Asia quoted, with a smile.

"By Shirou." Shirou finished.

The others were a bit surprised that Shirou would try to boost up their morale, but decided not to question it. It was something they need, after all.

"Shirou-kun." Kiba spoke up, walking over to Shirou. "We appreciate what you're trying to do, and understand what you're saying." Then Kiba looked down and gripped his Sword. "But still…For us, we can't help but feel on edge, considering what's at stake.

"You scared?" Shirou asked.

Kiba still looked down and nodded. "…A little."

Koneko, Akeno, Asia, and Rias, were all a little saddened knowing that the same could also apply to them right now.

Shirou then decided to try something, he then vanished in a burst of speed, and before Kiba could react, Shirou was right behind him, pointing his index finger at the side of Kiba's head as if it was a gun. Kiba was shocked, his eyes widened at Shirou's speed, considering he was a Knight, speed was his speciality and yet he couldn't follow Shirou's movements at all.

The others (barring Mika) Were just as surprised, unable to understand what Shirou was doing.

Rias got up from her seat. "Shirou?! what are you—"

"Hold up, Rias." Mika held up her and interrupted her. "Just watch."

Rias didn't know what Mika apparently knew Shirou was up to, but she decided to see, hoping things would be alright.

"Tell me something?" Shirou asked, in a quiet tone, still in the same position. "Could you see me, at all?"

Kiba clenched his teeth. "No, you completely caught me off-guard."

"And do you know why that is?" Shirou questioned, rhetorically. "It's because your head's not in the game, when your nervous or on edge like that it's easier for you enemies to get the drop on you, normally you coulda seen that coming, but right now your hands won't stop shaking." Shirou pointed out.

Kiba was surprised by his words but then looked at his hands, he then saw that just like Shirou had claimed, both his hands and his Sword were indeed trembling.

"Kiba, what is the most important thing you should be doing in this match?"

"That's obvious." Kiba responded. "Protecting the Chief."

"Then stop being a pussy. If that's what you need to do then don't use "this is my first fight" as an excuse, instead shake off that anxiety and get your head back in the game." Shirou advised him. "How are we going to win, when the Knight is the first one to lose his nerve?"

Rias now understood what Shirou was trying to do, this was an attempt to motivate Kiba, though to her his method seemed a bit rough. Rias just hoped it worked the way he wanted it to.

Kiba heard all his words and understood what Shirou was trying to say. He could feel it, it was like a fire had lit inside of him, and he was inwardly telling himself, yelling at himself. "I am a Knight, I am a Sword of Rias Gremory." Those words gave him strength. And with that, he immediately stopped shaking, gripped his Sword even harder and quick like a flash he drew his blade from its sheath and slashed at Shirou who was behind him.

SLASH!

Fortunately for Shirou, Kiba's blade only slashed empty space, as he vanished with his speed again and stood back by the couch that his was standing by before.

Shirou smirked. "Heh, that's more like it."

Kiba then smiled back at him, while sheathing his Sword. "Shirou-kun, you were trying to motivate me to have more courage, weren't you?" He asked, even though he was sure he already knew the answer. "Thank you."

"Hmph…" Shirou scoffed. "I was just telling you to snap out of it." Shirou then grinned. "Besides, we got nothing to worry about in this game, not while Shirou-sama is their opponent."

His words were confident and full of arrogance. But most of them could tell that was his way of saying "You're welcome". And in truth, Shirou's words inadvertently motivated the others too, and now they could feel some of their nerves calm down about and their morale was a bit higher.

"The truth is, I'm still not 100% on this, considering what's at stake." Kiba admitted. "But, right now I feel like I'm much more ready to fight." He said, determined.

Shirou nodded. "That's good. It'd be a real pain if you weren't prepared while we're fighting together."

The members of the Occult Research Club were all a little surprised when they heard that last part.

"…Fighting together?"

"Oh that's right, I was supposed to tell you all this." Rias the walked up to Shirou. "We agreed to work together for this match, both Shirou and myself." Rias said. Asia beamed with joy while Mika smirked, her head leaning on her arm.

Koneko, Akeno, and Kiba, on the other hand, were surprised by this new development.

Shirou shrugged. "I don't get why you had to ask in the first place, that was my plan from the start."

[What?]

Shirou now just stared at them, his eyes narrowed. "What? Why's that so surprising to you guys?"

Kiba glanced at him, looking sheepish. "Well, normally you prefer to do things on your own."

"…And you didn't even want to train with us." Koneko added.

"So we assumed you would want to fight separately from us when the game started." Akeno finished.

Shirou sighed. "Then you guys obviously had the wrong idea. This is a fight none of us can afford to lose." Shirou reminded them. "So, if our best bet is together then I'm fine with it, I just trained alone because as I said, that would give me the best possible results."

"Oh, well, I'm glad everything worked out then." Akeno said now having her usual smile. "Still I'm surprised Chief, I expected a bit more of a struggle before gaining cooperation."

"I did too at first." Rias agreed.

"I'm the one who was surprised, honestly." Shirou argued. "I didn't think that when we talked, you'd act that open about it. You were a lot more, "I'm asking you", rather than the usual "I order you". What was up with that?"

Rias took a deep breath, allowing Shirou's comment to slide. "Well, you could say, I had a change in perspective."

"Perspective?"

"I mean "heart"." Rias corrected herself.

"Does this have anything to do with the baths, Che-Hmmph!" Rias went on Akeno like butter on toast, clamping her hand over the Thunder Priestess' mouth.

"I told you never to mention that." Rias whispered at her.

Shirou raised a brow at that exchange. "Huh, wonder what they're talking about." He thought, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Well, I say this, your training must have definitely work." Kiba said, impressed. "Your reflexes were impeccable."

"Nah, those are normal." Shirou said. He tapped his arm, pumping his fist upwards. "My training was all about powering up all my battle stats. Now everything is better than before."

"Wait…so…you dodged my Sword with your normal flexes."

"Obviously, I didn't have time to train on things that would take too long to get results, I had to prioritize what was important. That's why I'm fighting without my weights." Shirou explained, pulling out a large, metallic circle in his hand. He swung it around on his finger before flinging it at Kiba, the Knight caught it in his hands and almost immediately stumbled as the weight gravitated towards the floor. "If we're doing this, we're doing this right, I'm going all-out right from the start."

"Just be sure to pace yourself, Shirou." Rias advised. "We can't have you running out of stamina before we've faced Raiser."

"Oh relax." Shirou waved off her worry. "I got stamina for days, besides I already know how many Boosts I can use per fight, I personally doubt I'll need them on anyone but Raiser."

"You shouldn't underestimate them."

"I'm not, trust me." Shirou then made a fist. "I trained not just my Gear, but everything else too. Now there's nothing that Flaming Peacock and his collection of costume girls can throw at me, that I can't handle."

Rias chose not to argue further. "Well, let's hope so."

"Whatever the case, we've finally come to a consensus." Mika pointed out, sitting upright in her seat. "Even if we're outnumbered almost 2 to 1, we have an advantage in unity."

"Does that mean you've drawn up our battle strategy?" Rias asked.

"As much as I could. Without knowing the battlefield, I could only base my strategies around the personalities and fighting styles of Raiser and his servants. As long as it's a fair battleground, I should have no problem adapting the strategy to the new territory.

Rias nodded. "Good, I look forward to hearing it."

It was then that a magic circle appeared on the floor, radiating the Crimson-like colour of the Gremory families magic.

Grayfia Lucifuge stepped out from it, bowing respectfully in greeting towards Rias.

"The game will be beginning shortly." She said. "I trust you've made all your preparations, Milady?"

Rias looked to each of her servants, each and every one of them holding the same determination in their eyes as her. She smiled, turning to Grayfia.

"Yes, we're ready whenever you are."

"In a few moments, we'll use a magic-circle to transport you and your team to the battlefield." Grayfia explained. "This is an alternate space created specifically for this Rating Game, so you are free to exchange blows without restrain and without fear of collateral damage." She turned to Shirou and more clearly stated. "This means you are permitted to unleash havoc and mayhem at your leisure."

[Perfect, that means I don't have to hold back.]

Shirou and Mika both paused, exchanging looks.

[Huh, that was weird.]

"Ignoring that altogether." Rias decided, feeling chills go down her spine.

Grayfia pursed her lips, only now taking Mika's presence into account. "Lady Rias, who is this young girl?"

This is Shirou's younger Sister, Mika Tsukiharu, my Rook." Rias answered. "I can understand why you don't recognize her, the last time she was here, she was a lot less well dressed."

"Hey, I resent that!" Mika said, offended.

"I see, I do recall her face now that I think about it." For a second, Grayfia eyed Mika curiously, the Otaku staring blankly right back at her. After a brief stare-down, Grayfia politely bowed to her. "A pleasure to meet you. My name is Grayfia Lucifuge, a servant of the House of Gremory."

"I didn't get to bring this up last time but, I understand you're the one who called my Brother a "Low-born"?" Mika asked, a neutral expression on her face.

Grayfia didn't flinch at the question. "In regards to his status, he was—" She was mildly surprised by the magic circle that appeared above her head.

Even less pleased when it dumped at least a gallon of water right on top of her head.

She was soaked instantly, her Silver her becoming a damp, Silvery-grey mop on her head, obscuring the upper half of her displeased face. Her sopping wet dress clung to her curvaceous body, and what had comprised the calm, dignified image they had all observed before was now gone.

Every jaw in the room (Besides Mika, Shirou, and Grayfia's) had dropped, a high-pitched yet soft squeal of horror emitting from everyone's throats. Shirou, on the other hand, just looked like he saw this coming.

Mika smiled pleasantly in spite of the rude thing she had done to the woman infinitely stronger than her. "Okay, now we're even~ Don't do it again, okay~?"

Grayfia was NOT amused.

"Mikaaaaa!" Rias hissed into the younger girl's ear. "Do you not know who she is?!"

"I know you're going to tell me regardless of how I answer." Mika sighed out.

"Grayfia could squash you like a grape! She can get instantly violent if you push her buttons!"

"Hey." Mika said. "She called my Brother a "Low-born". I heard what happened!"

"How?!" Rias gasped. Only three people knew what had happened in Shirou's room almost two weeks ago. There was her, Shirou, and—

"Asia was told by Big Bro and she told me." Mika explained.

"Shirou!"

Shirou raised a brow. "I wasn't aware it was supposed to be a secret. And why aren't you getting mad at Asia!? She's the one that blabbed to Mika!" Shirou turned to Asia, opening his mouth and closing it just as quickly when he saw the nun staring innocently at him. "…Okay yeah, I see why. But still, I didn't know it was a secret."

"What was?" Kiba asked, trying to avoid focusing his fear on the Silver-haired maid Mika had pissed off.

"Oh, that Rias tried to—"

"Ahem." It was Grayfia who interrupted the conversation. She pulled the whole length of her hair back, squeezing a torrent of water from her Silvery locks. She turned to Mika and, for a brief moment, Rias feared that Shirou's sister was about to be turned into a bloody pile of paste and bone and that Shirou's subsequent and inevitable revenge would result in him sharing her fate. "Bad."

Grayfia Lucifuge, the Queen of Rias Gremory's older brother and a servant of the Gremory family, softly scolded Mika while pinching her cheeks.

"Owie!" Mika whined as the Silvery-haired maid pulled on her cheeks, not enough to actually injure her but enough to feel like her face was being pinched off. "Shtop iiiit!"

"You're a growing girl." Grayfia said with the same neutral tone. "Tom-foolery is fine every now and then, but that was very inappropriate timing as well as very rude, especially since you represent the name of your Household as well. Bad." She sounded as if she was scolding a young child.

"Shtop iiiit! Yahr gonna rip my fasche off!" Mika complained, tears welling up in her eyes. "Owh-kay! Owh-kay! I'm sorwy! I apelogeizes!"

Grayfia, after some consideration, acquiesced, releasing the sides of Mika's face, once Mika was free, she immediately dashed away from the Silvery maid and clung to her brother's side, tears still in her eyes. "And you." Grayfia said pointedly, turning to Shirou.

"Me?"

"You should not encourage such behavior in your younger Sister," Grayfia said harshly, wagging her finger at Shirou as a mother would. "The influences around her play a large role in her emotional development and that includes you. Be a better influence."

"Yeah well, considering I had to raise her and myself since we were kids." Shirou said in defiance. "I'd disagree and say, all things considered, she turned out pretty good."

"Ah ah." Grayfia uttered severely. "None of that sass."

"Look, just 'cause everyone else craps themselves around you, don't expect me to do the same." Shirou then looked her straight in the eye. "You. Don't. Scare me."

"Would you prefer I scold you more harshly?" Grayfia asked. "I am well within my rights as the servant with seniority to deliver any punishment to my fellow staff as I see fit."

"But the right to punish my servants in my territory falls to me, Grayfia." Rias said, shriveling immediately when Grayfia's piercing gaze landing on her. "I mean…Um…We have to get ready for the game."

Grayfia blinked, unfazed. "Of course, Milady." She agreed. "I will take my leave." The maid moved for the door. "Ah before I forget: This Rating Game battle will also be viewed by members of both households from a different location through broadcast. Devil King Lucifer-sama will also be viewing this battle. Please do not forget about it."

"Oh." Rias noted dryly. "Brother dearest."

"No Rias, didn't you hear her?" Shirou asked. "She said Lucifer, not your Brother."

"Lucifer is her Brother, Shirou." Mika said.

Shirou blinked. "…Explain."

"Oh yeah." Akeno said, snapping her fingers. "He was out alone with Asia for most of our training. Shirou didn't undergo the same education as Asia and Mika did. He missed a great deal of it, including the part about the Four Maous."

"Well, I'm both interested and curious now." Shirou then turned to the others. "So someone explain it to me."

"In the previous Great War, the four Devil Kings that ruled over the Underworld were Lucifer, Beelzebub, Asmodeus, and Leviathan. But after so many great battles they were in, all four of them passed away a long time ago."

"Damn." Shirou gasped. "All of them are dead. Wait, so who's leading the Underworld now?"

"The truth is, there were actually two great powers that ruled the Underworld, the first was the Maou's, the second, the Great King Faction."

Shirou raised a brow. "Great King?"

Kiba nodded. "The Great King Faction is the Faction in the Devils government that's centered around the Bael family of the Seventy-Two Pillars."

"Oh yeah, I forgot to ask." Shirou interrupted. "What are the Seventy-Two Pillars?"

"The Seventy-Two Pillars are the Seventy-Two Pure-Blooded Noble Family that lead the Underworld." Grayfia explained this time. "In the past, all Seventy-Two of them were stable and strong and the one that led them was the First Pillar known as the Bael Family, they are the only Nobles in the Underworld that hold the title of Great King, the highest title a Noble can get, and that gives them equal influence on the Underworld as the Devil Kings."

"When the Maou's passed away, the Bael Family and their Faction became the de facto leaders of the Underworld." Mika chimed in. "But even with them, the Underworld still needed Devil Kings to go on, so the head of the Great King Faction chose four powerful Ultimate-Class Devils from the Seventy-Pillars to take the empty thrones the Maou's left behind and became the new Maous."

"And Rias' brother is one of them?" Shirou questioned.

"That's right." Kiba continued. "In truth, after the Great War a large number of Pure-Blood Devils lost their lives, only Thirty-Three of the Seventy-Two Pillars survived. And even with the new Maous, the Underworld still has problems functioning. Though fortunately, the New Devils Kings are a huge help since they have power equal to the Old. And the Chief's Brother, Sirzechs Lucifer is the Strongest among them."

"Wait, wait." Shirou stopped him. "Are you saying that Rias' brother is the Strongest Devil King? And he's even as Strong as the Old Lucifer, the first Devil?!" Shirou asked, really excited.

"Uh…Yes?" Kiba said, feeling concerned.

Mika decided to throw fuel on the fire. "Not just that, Sirzechs Lucifer is also known as the "Crimson Satan". He is said to be the Strongest Devil in all the World."

Shirou was now trembling with excitement. "Sirzechs Lucifer…The Crimson Satan…The Strongest Devil." Shirou had a smile on his face that sent a chill down Rias's spine. "I really want to meet him… And I can't wait to fight him."

"Shirou, I don't like that look." Rias said, nervous. "Just what are you thinking?"

As if flipping a switch, Shirou's face instantly returned to normal. "Don't worry about it Rias."

Rias blinked and stared. "Somehow, that only worries me more. For some many reasons."

Shirou changed the subject. "So, since your Brother's a King, does that mean you're a Princess?"

"Rias was surprised by the sudden question. "Hmm, oh well, even though his position doesn't officially affect my rank, most people in the Underworld call me Princess Rias. So un-officially, yes I'm a Princess."

Shirou rubbed the back of his head. "Huh, well I'm gonna keep calling you Rias."

Rias smiled. "That's fine, I actually prefer that."

"It's about time." Grayfia announced, a signal to end all current conversation. "Everyone, please step into the magic circle. Once the battle starts, you will be transported to the battlefield from there. Furthermore, once you get transported, you cannot leave until the game has come to an end, or you have been rendered unable to fight. Any questions?"

Shirou raised his hand. "Yeah Ah, will this hurt? 'Cause I'm still new to this whole, teleporting thing."

"I assure you, the transportation will be completely painless. Any other questions?"

"None." Rias answered before turning to her servants. "Let's go, everyone."

Giving silent confirmation, they all followed her to the center of the magic circle.

Shirou took his place at the back of the group, directly behind Mika and Asia, the latter of whom reached out for his hand. Shirou could see it plainly on her face. Even if Asia had become a Devil, this was her first real fight.

Shirou, averting his eyes, sighed and grasped Asia's hand just as tightly.

One by one, each member of Rias's team vanished in a flash of light.

Shirou only remembered being the last one to vanish.

---

"Oh, hooray." Shirou cheered unenthusiastically. "Another club room."

When the light had faded and they had reached their destination, Shirou found himself thoroughly disappointed.

"It was agreed upon by both Raiser and I and put together by our families." Rias said, taking a seat on the couch. "He cared little where we fought, but I thought it wouldn't hurt to have a little bit of a home-field advantage."

"Well, it's not really much of an advantage, considering they also have a map of the whole School, since it's the battlefield." Mika pointed out.

The conversation was interrupted when the speakers, hidden in an unknown location, blared.

[Welcome everyone, my name is Grayfia, a servant of the House of Gremory, and I will be the overseer of this match between Lady Rias Gremory and Lord Raiser Phenex.]

"If she's a servant of your family, what are the chances of her calling a fair game?" Shirou asked. "Even if practically all the big names in the Underworld are watching, the problem is that the authority lies with the people who set this up, to begin with."

Rias nodded. "I understand your concerns, but don't worry my family wouldn't go that far even if they're siding with Raiser, the Rating Game is always monitored by the rules admen, and they are completely unbiased not matter whose fighting. So the game will be completely fair."

"So, we just have to focus on beating them?"

"Pretty much."

[In the name of my Master, Sirzechs Lucifer, I will be keeping my eye on this match. By using both Lady Rias and Lord Raiser's opinion, we created this battlefield which is a replica of the school, Kuoh Academy, which Lady Rias attends to in the human world.]

Shirou looked out the window, noticing further similarities between their Kuoh Academy and the replica. The only difference was the sky. It was neither darkness of night nor the light of day. It was a sort of dark yet glowing green sky, appearing similar to the aurora borealis in some respects. Even from the ground, Shirou could tell, was laced with magic. Signs of the barrier that their battlefield had been built within. It was colorful at least.

[The location where both teams were transported will be their "base". Lady Rias's "base" would be the Occult Research Cub's clubroom located in the old school building. Lord Raiser's "base" would be the Student Council's room located in the new building. In order to receive a Promotion, all Pawn-Ranked must reach the enemy's base to do it.]

"So, go where we were already planning on going?" Shirou wondered rhetorically. "Gee, what a great idea."

"It does give us another advantage though." Mika stated.

"What do you mean?" Rias asked.

Mika didn't respond. However, her eyes became hidden behind the shadows of her bangs, and her mouth curved upwards, revealing a malicious, toothy smirk.

[Now it's the time for the commencement of the battle. Also, this match will continue till dawn in humans time. So, Game starts now.]

"Really?" Shirou asked, skeptical "They want us to fight till dawn? They don't seriously expect this fight to take that long, do they?"

"It might sound like much, but some games do last that long." Mika explained. "The Rating Game is like a strategy game rather than an all-out brawl so it takes time to finish. There are some that end in a short time, but a long time limit just means they don't have to use a default to decide the winner."

Shirou shrugged. "I guess that makes sense."

Rias walked over to the desk resembling the one she owned back home, looking through the drawers.

"What are you looking for, Rias?" Akeno asked.

"If they're making it an exact replica of the club room, it should be—" Rias paused, smiling. "Aha!" She pulled out a sheet of paper with various shapes and labels on it. A map. "With this, we can begin setting up our strategy."

"Is that a map of the campus?" Shirou asked.

Rias nodded. "That's right, I had one in my desk, so there would also be one in the replica desk."

Shirou raised a brow. "Buttt, why didn't you just stuff the map in your pocket or something?"

Rias blinked. "Because…That's a good point and I didn't think of that."

The others looked at the two of them both amazed and surprised by the fact that even in this situation can still do their usual back and forth lingo, or perhaps they were just unaware of it.

"Anyways, hasn't the game already started?"

"Yes and no." Rias answered. "Though the game has officially begun, there's always a brief period of peace at the beginning of ones with this format. In short, just as Raiser will take time to plan his assault, we will have time to consider our counterattack."

Mika then got up off the couch and went over to the desk.

She examined the map closely, rubbing her chin. "It's not a very stable battlefield outside of the buildings. Our enemies will have an advantage in open areas due to their numbers advantage, so we should try our best to fight in secluded or crowded areas where it'll be harder from them to attack us all at once, such as a forest or inside the buildings."

"But isn't it dangerous to have us fight in so little space?" Kiba wondered. "I'm not sure I'll be able to fight to my fullest in a narrow hall if my enemy also possesses speed or reflexes that rival or surpass mine."

"That's true in your case." Mika agreed. "So those areas would probably be best occupied by people who have more explosive damage like Rias, Akeno, or my brother. Koneko is a possibility too, but not on her own. A tank's no good on her own, so I have the first phase of our battle plan be about trimming down the enemies numbers and then you and Koneko will be together on the offensive to cover each other's weaknesses." Mika informed him. "Will that work for you?"

Kiba was surprised but felt he didn't see much of a problem with that plan, so he nodded. "I guess that'll work."

"Good, now stop disturbing me," Mika looked back at the map. "I need figure out…but maybe if I…hmm…." Mika just drifted off by that point, staring intently by the piece of paper outlining the replicated campus.

"Mika-san?" Asia asked, tapping the younger sister on the shoulder. However, Mika was too deeply absorbed in her own thoughts to notice. "Mika-san?" She tried to reach for the younger girl, but a firm hand on her shoulder stopped her.

Shirou shook his head. "She said not to disturb her, just leave her. Mika gets like this when she's planning something."

"…But will we know the plan if she doesn't tell us about it?" Koneko asked.

Shirou crossed his arms behind his head. "She'll let you know about it when it's finished."

"And how do we know it will work?" Kiba added.

Shirou narrowed his eyes at him. "Really, you just asked a question and she gave you a compromise, and yet you're asking for more?" He reminded Kiba.

Kiba then closed his mouth, realizing Shirou had made a good point.

"Look just wait until you hear it before you start complaining." Shirou told them. "Remember, she's our strategist."

Rias looked at the girl mouthing an endless string of words to herself while tracing lines on the map in front of her. Then she looked at Shirou wearing his usual expression of confidence.

However, she noticed a vast difference from normal.

Whereas she had come to expect the smugness of overwhelming self-confidence radiating from her Pawn, she was stunned to see him show this much faith in anyone else, even if it was his own Sister…

(Shirou looked out into the deep starry night sky. "Of course I do. You gotta believe in your family. Otherwise no one will.")

(Mika leaned forward wrapping her arms around Shirou and resting her head on his chest. "I know you can beat him, and I know you can beat anyone. I'll always believe in you.")

Rias believed she knew why. Rias had no doubt that the trust the two had in one another was immense, as was their care for one another. Shirou would not take part in something that would endanger his own flesh and blood if he considered even for a second that their plans would not succeed.

Rias saw that now.

She smiled. "He's right, you all should have more faith." Rias spoke out, getting everyone's attention, she turned to Kiba and Koneko. "While Mika's getting our strategy prepared, why don't you two go start setting up traps around our base. I don't want Raiser's servants able to get the first shot at us while before we're prepared."

"Good plan." Mika called out of her trance. "But try to spread to avoid concentrating them, and don't make them too powerful. We want to stall, not deter. We just want a little breathing space around our territory in case we're forced into a physical confrontation early on."

Kiba and Koneko turned to Rias again, who nodded. "I trust her judgment, remember I chose her as our strategist."

Without further words, Kiba and Koneko set out, closing the door behind them.

"Akeno, are you good at making replicas?" Mika asked.

"Yes." Rias's Queen answered. "But aren't Kiba and Koneko also setting up traps?"

"I'm not talking about illusions, I mean physically replicas?" Mika clarified.

Akeno raised a brow. "I could, but why?"

"I'm planning something, and it requires a replica." Mika mumbled, her eyes glazing back over.

"Akeno, It's fine." Rias chimed in, assuring her. "It's part of a bigger plan."

Akeno noticed the look in Rias' eyes, that said she was sure this would work. "All right then, what exactly do you need a replica of?"

"In due time, both Rias and myself will help you." Mika said, surprising the two Third-Years, they didn't know what she was planning but it must be big if it needs the combined effort of all three of them. "First, we have other preparations to make." Mika then went back into her trance.

Despite the fact that they had officially started the battle, the atmosphere was fairly relaxed.

Shirou walked up to Rias. "Hey… Rias."

"Yes, Shirou?"

Shirou tried to find the right words. "This…This may not be the best time…"

"Time for what?" Rias asked, confused.

"It's just…" Shirou then breathed out, and smiled. "I wanted you to know, I appreciate the help."

Rias smiled even more than Shirou, and she didn't care to hide it. "You're very welcome."

The atmosphere was ALARMINGLY relaxed.

Between the club's president and her roommate, Asia could not help but put on her own smile. "I'm glad you two are friends now. You're getting along so well now."

Rias blushed slightly while Shirou raised a brow.

"Well, like I said, we did come to an agreement," Rias explained.

"It's true we did, but I still don't think of you as a friend." Shirou bluntly pointed out. "We're just working together."

[…Oh…]

It was hard to tell who was more disappointed between Asia and Rias.

"But couldn't you consider acting like this all the time?" Asia asked. "It's nice when you and Chief-san don't fight as much." It was hard being in the middle of an argument. If Asia had a Mother and Father, she presumed they would have been just like Shirou and Rias when they fought.

Shirou looked back and forth between them and then sighed. "I don't mind things staying like this, but I think you two aren't getting something, the two of us don't need to be friends."

Both Rias and Asia both widened their eyes at his claim.

"We don't need to be friends?" Rias repeated. "What do you mean?"

"I mean what I said, there's no need." Shirou said, with a shrug. "Think about it, when fighting together we just have to cooperate to work together, and when having a conversation like this we just have to get along, friendship isn't a necessary factor."

"But Shirou, even if we don't need to be friends, I'd still like to be friends."

Shirou looked a little confused by her words. "Well Rias, I don't why you would. But even so, there isn't really a reason for us to be friends if you just want things to be like how they are now then everything should be fine the way it is now."

"But it's not the same, Shirou-san." Asia argued. "You became my friend even when you didn't have to, and hearing you call me your friend made me happy. Why can't you do the same for Chief-san?"

"That's different."

"How?" Rias asked.

"Think about this for a minute." Shirou told her. "With Asia, even without the whole "saving her from death" thing, our relationship is different from the rest of you guys, we live together, spend time together, and look out for each other." Shirou listed. "On the other side of things, we haven't done a single thing together, Rias."

Rias tilted her head a bit, she didn't expect that response at all. "What are you talking about? we've spent plenty of time together." Rias argued.

"You might want to double-check your memory." Shirou retorted. "The only time we've ever spent together is whenever I have Devil work or during a fight."

Rias paused and thought back on it, she soon realized Shirou had made a valid point. From the moment Shirou had first become a Devil until this very moment, they had not done a single thing that friends would do. The only time they would interact would be when Shirou would come to the club room the start his work on making pacts, or when they were fighting against foes be they Stray Devils, Fallen Angels, or Raiser and his servants. The agreement they made more than a week ago and right now was the closest, fondest moments the two of them have shared and they were based around a fight that would determine both his sister's and her own fate. Thus Shirou was correct in saying they hadn't done anything as friends.

Rias was upset, but tried to hide it.

"So, you'd prefer we weren't friends?" Rias asked.

"We're acquaintances on normal days and comrades on battlefields, but friends is a bit of a stretch."

"And I can't change your opinion?"

Shirou shook his head. "Sorry, but I'm not the kind of guy who gives out his friendship to often."

Rias knew that was true.

A long silence ensued after that.

.

.

.

.

.

"You're right…. We aren't friends." Rias decided.

"Chief-san!" Asia cried.

"But I want to change that."

"What?"

"Say wha?"

Now it was Shirou's turn to be confused.

"You may think there's no reason for us to be friends. But back then, when we stood under the night sky, you told me you didn't mind lending me your strength." Rias stared expectantly at Shirou. "Right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"But you also said, you understood me, I want the same."

"What?"

Rias' gaze softened. "Shirou, looking at you now…I see you in a different light from when we first meet. You say you understand me, but I still can't say I understand you. But I want to understand, I want to know more about you as a person, and I want you to see me as someone you can trust and rely on."

Shirou couldn't see deception in her words but didn't know where this was coming from. "Why would you want that?"

Then, with dead-serious eyes, Rias answered. "Because that's what family does." Shirou blinked. "And even if you don't agree, we are family, bound by the rose sigil of my clan. That's why I want us to stand together in this battle, both as your master and your family. And more than that, after this battle is over, I want you to be able to see me and all of us as your friend. And I want us to be friends even if you don't think we have to."

"Is this a Devils pact?" Shirou wondered jokingly.

"It's a promise." Rias corrected.

It was hard to judge what Shirou was thinking given the various emotions that flashed across his face.

He leaned forward, opening his mouth to respond.

"Heh…" Shirou seemed almost amused, his lips curving upwards. "Well, we'll see how it goes."

Both Rias and Asia smiled, with relief and hope respectively since he didn't outright refuse.

"I GOT IT!"

The other occupants in the room jumped when Mika suddenly shot upwards, flinging her writing utensils into the air.

She grabbed the large sheet of paper that acted as a map, holding it as if it was some sort of glorious victory trophy.

"I've finished making last-minute alterations to the plan." Mika announced, smiling brightly. "It's full-proof!"

Rias exchanged glances with her other two servants before turning to Mika. "Alright then, I'll start recalling the others so we can all discuss it."

"What's the verdict, Mika?" Shirou asked. "Will the plan win it for us?"

The little girl pouted. "Hard to say. On paper, it's flawless. It depends on everyone fulfilling their roles." She then turned to Rias. "Can I count on you not to run off?"

"Without a doubt." Rias responded, pridefully.

"Alright then." Mika decided, taking a seat on her Brother's lap. "We're in business."

Shirou blinked. "I don't remember becoming a seat."

"Hush! This is my reward for being good." Mika decided.

"You know there's a thing called "consent"."

"And there's a thing called "restraint" too, but I don't care about that either." Mika replied, leaning on Shirou's shoulder.

"H-Hold on!" Asia stood up. "Mika-san, you shouldn't go around and say suggestive things like that!"

"Are you sure that's what you're upset about?" Mika asked, cuddling with her Brother. "Or are you more upset that you don't get to rest on the throne that is my Brother's lap?"

"Huh?" This time, Asia lit up redder than a Christmas tree. She turned away. "I-It's not like that! I just don't want to see you two fall into such depravity and develop an unhealthy relationship! I-It's not as though I feel that way towards your brother!" Her face lit even redder. "N-Not that you a-aren't a very appealing person, Shirou-san! I mean, you are! Very appealing! I wouldn't mind if it was you-Th-That's not what I meant either!" Asia wisely covered her face with both hands and stopped talking, steam rising from her ears.

"Hey, there's nothing unhealthy about our relationship." Mika declared. "Remember, we're Devils now, so this of both legal and accepted."

BOINK!

Faster than both of them could react, Shirou bonked both of them on the head, thus ending this exchange.

"Owie!" Asia whined.

"Ouchie!" Mika whined.

"SHUT IT!" Shirou yelled. "Stop making everyone think I'm some kind of Sis-con, and you," Shirou pointed at Asia. "Quit following her pace, I've got to focus on the fight right now." Shirou then sighed. "Geez… What am I going to do with you two?"

"Well, I don't know about you." Rias said, smiling. "But I'm already having fun."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Rias was to busy laughing to give Shirou a proper answer…

Silence would only come with time, and from there…

The real battle began.

---

Eight silhouettes passed through the darkness of the woods surrounding the Occult Research Club building, almost impossible to see with the naked eye.

They invaded the territory intent on fulfilling a single purpose:

To take out the enemy leader.

It was to be an easy win. After all, under Raiser Phenex, these eight women had already played in a total of ten Rating Games. They faced rookies, children.

There was, Ile and Nel, two very young girls with turquoise hair, which they keep tied to one side of their head with a yellow ribbon (opposite to their sister), and blue eyes. Both of their outfits consist of gym uniforms, which consist of white t-shirts with blue accents, black leggings, and blue sneakers over knee-high socks, similar to the Kuoh Academy's girls' gym uniforms, albeit without the logo. They also wear an orange wristband on their right wrist. Both of their chainsaws are colored blue, but they carry them in different-colored gym bags when not in use (Ile carries a blue bag, while Nel carries a red bag).

Then there was Ni and Li, two young girls, appearing to be in their teens. Being twins they sport similar appearances, with the major difference being Ni's red eyes and blue hair, in contrast to Li's blue eyes and red hair. Also, Ni ties her hair in a ponytail, while Li has hers in a braid with a pink bow tied at the end. Both of them have trademark light brown cat ears with black stripes. They also wear piercings on their ears, with Li having two gold earrings on her left ear and Ni having blue colored ones on her right. Similarly, both of them have a fang sticking out of their mouths, with Ni having hers to her left, Li having hers on her right, thus mirroring each other. Ni appears a bit shorter than Li. Both of them wear short skimpy, white sailor uniforms that reveal their abdomen, shoulders, and lower breasts, and wear short black skirts. They are also shown to tie their orange ascots in different ways respectively. Also, they're always seen wearing red and blue fighter's glove and leg guards matching their hair color respectively.

There also were the two maids, Marion and Burent. Marion is a young girl with shoulder-length light brown hair and dark brown eyes, dressed in a buttoned, sleeveless, French maid uniform with a white laced design, along with a standard maid headpiece, cuffs, and a white half-apron to go with the set. She also wears light grey tights. And, Burent is a young girl with shoulder-length brown hair, dressed in a sleeveless French maid uniform that exposes her breasts cleavage with a white lace design on the edges, as well as a maid headpiece, half-apron, and forearm length finger-less gloves.

With them was, Shuriya is a young woman with long pale blue hair and amber eyes. She has tanned skin and is seen wearing a bikini made up of a metallic underwire brassiere and a silk loincloth that exposes her sides. She also wears a silver-colored tiara and neck rings with a ruby and blue gem respectively. Other accessories that she wears include ruby orb earrings, a snake-themed bracelet on her upper arm, and a transparent pink veil across both her arms. Shuriya, notably, has purple highlights around her eyes.

Finally Mira, a young girl with blue hair and light brown eyes. Her hair is styled with four short ponytails, with two of the four-pointed up and the remaining two pointed down. The front of her hair features split bangs going across her forehead, with side bangs framing her face. Her outfit consists of a white haori with a red obi, which is worn under a red happi coat. She wears bandages on her forearms and shins and wears black guards over her hands. For footwear, she wears a pair of zori.

These eight women where all eight of Raiser's Pawns.

It was unsettling however, there was a complete lack of resistance (aside from a small trap here and there that did nothing more than stall them for a few moments), a fact which had spurred the all-in invasion by the Pawns.

Since the Rating Game had begun, thirty minutes had passed.

They had each gone to their assigned areas, anticipating to ambush or be ambushed, but not a single blow was struck.

They each waited in silence and caution, expecting some sort of elaborate trick or powerful spell to come from thin air, but there was nothing.

At first, it was amusing how cowardly they were. Their master had suspected that their opponents had decided to utilize a defensive battle strategy, but after a period of time Raiser had begun to grow impatient.

He did not say it out loud, but many of his servants suspected Raiser was actually disappointed. For all his Pride and condescending behavior to those outside of his family, he always got a sort of thrill in challenging other nobles. He considered a dual with the prodigal child of the Gremory Family, his own bride, quite enticing. A game of power and a game of wits and strategy. That was what he desired.

Unfortunately, there did not seem to be much strategy at all. They had met no challenging obstacles as they approached the enemies base.

Even as they approached, said base in the distance, now able to see it through the trees, underwhelmed by its appearance, they failed to realize any threat approaching.

Until…

"Well, well, look what we have here." A rough, almost arrogant-sounding male voice noted. "Looks like a large amount of prey have gathered around."

"Who's there!?" The Miko girl, Mira called out.

There was a rustle of leaves as a lone figure walked out from the shadows of the forest, stepping right in front of the squadron of Pawns. He was a seemingly-dangerous young man with clear Silver-hair. Dressed in his intimidating Jet-Black combat outfit.

"I'm the gatekeeper."

The eight Pawns grouped together, almost forming a circle with their backs to one another so to not leave any openings.

Mira the scoffed. "So, it looks like you were holding up in your base, after all." She said. "Not much of a strategy so much as cowering like rats."

"Don't flatter yourselves." Shirou taunted. "Whoever said that was our plan?"

The Silver-haired possessor of the Boosted Gear faced them without even a speck of fear on his face. "After all, just because we don't go all-in guns blazing trying to invade, doesn't mean we don't have a plan, besides you'll never figure it out."

"If you were putting all your hope on those traps, rest assured, they have failed." Burent taunted. "You Gremory's must be defective products."

Shirou snorted. "I guess Raiser obviously didn't pick you guys for your brains." He taunted back.

[What!]

Most of the Pawns were insulted by his remark.

"You're already in the trap." If the eight Pawns weren't on alert before, they were now. They all drawn their weapons, expecting something to leap out of the shadows. "Hmm? If you're expecting the others to show up, then don't worry." Shirou then gestured to the building a little distance behind him. "They're all still in the base and they won't be joining us here, no matter what."

The staff-wielding girl, Mira gave him a dubious look. "I see, so they sent you here as a sacrifice to stall us." She pointed the other end of her weapon at him. "I guess the heiress of the Gremory family is a little more ruthless with her servants than we gave her credit for."

Shirou smirked. "Fuck, a weak little piss-ant like you shouldn't be so cocky." Shirou retorted. "Just because you're all useless on the battlefield by yourselves, don't assume I am too."

"Are calling us useless?!" Mira yelled outraged.

"The reason I'm here is to finish you eight and cut the enemies number in half." Shirou clarified. "I'm the only one here because I alone am enough against the likes of you."

"Now whose being cocky?" They all prepared themselves to fight. "We'll make quick work of you and finish off the rest inside. We've kept Lord Raiser waiting long enough."

"Oh, what's the rush? Are you in that much of a hurry to go back a lick Raiser's ass?" Shirou taunted, his face completely calm. "Sorry, but he's in for another face-full of fist once I reach him."

Mira sneered. "You're a fool if you think we'll let you near Lord Raiser!" She then glared at him. "I still can't understand how a mongrel like you was even able to lay a hand on him."

Shirou still had his calm, arrogant expression on his face. "What I can't understand is why it's so hard to figure out something so simple…" He moved to take a step forward to his opponents. However, this instant the sole of his boot touch the ground…

"It's because I'm much stronger than him…"

Play OST Seven Deadly Sins - Hendrickson

None of them could think, none of them knew what had happened, Mira couldn't even begin to assume what had just occurred. The voice of the Silver-haired Pawn that was supposed to be right in front of them, she could hear it coming from so close as if he was right behind her. And the very instant he had finished uttering those words, before Mira could turn around, before any of them could even react, Shirou's right metal braced gloved fist carved into her face. Newton's first law kicked in and Mira was sent flying away from him, tumbling across the ground.

Then as the rest of them, all turned to see their enemy Pawn, standing right in the middle of their circle.

Shirou jumped up and kicked out his legs in a spinning attack which blew away the rest of them. Specifically, the one standing the closest to Mira, the exotic dancer Shuriya, which he hit first with a mid-air roundhouse kick, before hitting the others, though she took the most damage and was blown away like Mira. Shirou landed and stood back on the ground satisfied that their formation was broken.

The two maids, Burent and Marion, glared murderously at him, simultaneously extending their hands towards him, silently conjuring spells.

He turned to see them, his expression unchanged dashed towards the two of them and before they knew it, he vanished from their sight again.

"Where are you aiming?"

To their shock, their foe was once again already behind them. He gave them two elbow strikes on their backs, sending instant and harsh pain through their bodies and knocking them away.

Shirou then looked around him and saw the remaining four Pawns going on the offensive. The Loli Twins Nel and Ile were charging at his front, both wielding chainsaws intending to chop him apart piece by piece, while behind him The Cat-girl Twins Ni and Li were charging at him, intending to physically beat him into mush.

Shirou saw what they were trying to do and just scoffed. "Childs Play."

Shirou then rushed forward and headed for the chainsaw-wielding Twins.

"Disassembling time!" Both of the twins say that happily.

"You wish."

Just before he was in close range, Shirou quickly increased his speed at the last minute and moved beyond their perceptions. Once he was right in front of them, Shirou spread out both his arms and hit them both in the neck and chest area with strong Lariats. They both took large damage from this assault and were blown back. Shirou who was still in this position noticed Ni and Li appeared right behind him.

"Nya! You're wide open!" Li roared.

They both brought their fists down to hit him.

"Am I?" Shirou asked unfazed.

Faster than the both of them, he took his spread out arms and moved them from his sides to right in front of him, and planted them on the ground in front of him. With his center of gravity concentrated to his upper body, he moved his lower body up from the ground and in the air, using this position to kick out both of his legs at the Cat-girls behind him in their chins and knocking them away.

With that counterattack taken care of, Shirou put strength in his arms, pushed his whole body in the air, and backflipped before straightening out and landing his feet firmly on the ground.

Shirou then looked around, to see if they were done, feeling a bit disappointed by this lack-luster skirmish. "Was that really it?"

After a few moments, they were slowly getting up, they had bruises on the spots that Shirou hit them and some were bleeding. But they all looked like they could still fight for a while longer, looking more pissed off than hurt.

Shirou smirked. "Okay…Better."

"Kill him!" Marion yelled and they all went on the attack, coating their fist and weapons with flames.

With a battle yell, The Pawns charged forward towards him holding whatever weapon they had, intending to murder the man before them. Shirou didn't seem worried by the murderous intent and jumped back to dodge a swing from Mira's flaming staff. Marion, Burent, and Shuriya ran up to him and began sending a flurry of fire punches at Shirou, while he just stood his ground, easily parring their hits as if he was slapping away a kids punches. He then used Marion and Burent as platforms to flip backwards in mid-air to dodge Nel and Ile flaming chainsaws. Once Shirou landed, he parried more attacks that came from Ni and Li. Shirou dodged all of them as he blocked a kick by making a cross-shaped guard with his arms. The girls showed irritated or annoyed expressions as they angrily glared at Shirou.

[Why won't our attacks hit?!] Nel and Ile complained.

"He dodged my swings with ease." Mira muttered.

Shirou just watched them as he took a quick breath before looking at each of them with calculating eyes. His eyes shifted from one Pawn to the next Pawn before he crashed his fists together which made clanking sound when his metal brace knuckles hit each other.

"My turn…" Shirou muttered as the girls do a stance to try and evade his attacks when suddenly Shirou disappeared and reappeared in front of Burent as she was hit with a powerful straight punch and sent flying hitting the base of a tree in the forest. All the other Pawns stared in shock that even with their guard up, they still couldn't follow his speed.

"Shuriya! Why you!" Marion shouted, she and the other maid Burent ran towards Shirou. Marion tried to launch a kick only for it to be block as Shirou put strength into his right arm and raised it, when her kick connected with his arm, Shirou could hear the faint sounds of her bones cracking. With the first maid dealt with, Burent tried to punch him from behind, Shirou decided to do something flashily. Using the outstretched leg of Marion as a stand, Shirou front flipped over her leg as the heel of his own leg crashed into the chin of Burent, causing her to fly into the air from the impact. The other Pawns watched their comrade fly into the air, but their attention was pulled back to Shirou when they heard a yelp of pain as they saw Marion was sent flying as well, by a kick from Shirou.

Mira then jumped in the air and aimed her staff towards him, intending to strike him with its flame.

However, Shirou without even moving lazily lifted his arm and caught the staff as it was only inches away from his face. Mira then found herself in mid-air turning to pull her staff from Shirou's grip, which was as successful as trying to remove a lead pole from dry cement.

Shirou then gripped the staff and pulled it back, bringing Mira closer to him and then used his other arm to reach out and grab her the neck. Shirou then held Mira in a chokehold. Nel and Ile charged at him, hoping to save Mira. But Shirou removed the staff from Mira's grasp and spun it in the arm he was holding it with, then taking advantage of the staffs superior reach, he swung it left and right at both the Twins and knocked them both away. With that taken care of, he let go of Mira and dropped her to the ground like a sack of rice.

Mira coughed and rubbed her neck before glaring at Shirou. "My staff, give it back!"

Shirou didn't even look at her. "You want it? Come get it."

Falling for his provocation, Mira gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. Then started punching him on his torso, but she felt like she was punching a tree as her opponent was unmoved and didn't react to her attacks, while Shirou didn't even seem fazed by her hits were akin to just a toddler throwing a fit. Mira then brought her fist back and punched him with all her strength. But like the rest, it amounted to nothing.

Mira then took a step back and gasped, while uncontrollably trembling, as if she was now painfully aware of her lack of power and the difference in their abilities.

Shirou raised a brow. "Done? Alright then."

Shirou then quickly hit her with a fast back-handed punch which sent stumbling to the side. As Mira was on the ground, she sat up and looked at the rest of her comrades, grunting. "Don't just stand there…! Hurry and get inside! We'll be able to beat this monster once we Promote!"

"Nya! Gotcha!"

"On it!"

The two cat-girls, Ni and Li ran in the direction of the building-

"I'm not soft enough to let that slide."

Only for their seemingly unbeatable enemy to appear before them. With a strong grip, he breaks the staff he swiped in two and then holds both pieces in his hands, one for each. Now increasing his reach, he spreads out his arms and slams both pieces of the staff into the sides of Ni and Li's heads as they were about to run passed them. As they were both knocked away by Shirou's attack, they didn't get far as Shirou dropped the broken wood and grabbed both girls by their legs. He then lifted them up and threw them in the direction of their comrades.

"I told you, I'm the gatekeeper. And that means you have to get past me to advance." Shirou looked at them, with an intimidating expression. "You shall not pass."

Even though they were all injured, all the Pawns stood together, trying to figure out how they could get past this wall known as Shirou Tsukiharu.

Shirou then looked at them bored and scratched the back of his head. "Still, this is lame. I guess eight Pawns each worth one doesn't equal one Pawn worth eight. I guess the only thing you girls are good for is, "fap material"."

That struck a nerve for them. Then the eight of them circled around him until they surrounded him with each of them on a different angle.

Once again they all charged towards him, giving another battle yell as if to boost their strength. Shirou stood there with a sneer on his face, preparing himself for their next attacks. Trying to outsmart their enemy, they charged in a key-chained movement style, blocking every opportunity that may allow Shirou to counterattack them. They had different fight styles between them, which they hoped may give them an advantage over his speed and technique. To their frustration, Shirou swiftly avoided every move, he was standing in one spot without moving, simply dodging as the eight of him circled around him attacking in rapid succession, not stopping for even a second. And yet, they hadn't even some much grazed Shirou with their assault. He was hardly even breathing.

The eight Phenex Pawns persisted to keep their attacks coming, but none of them could hit the ever calm Shirou even once. After many struggling tries, Shirou decided to end this pointless struggle and flared his magic, creating a magical aura around himself.

Once he flared his aura, all the girls who surrounded him were blown away each in different directions. Hitting the ground a few feet away from him.

During his training, Ren showed Shirou this method of using his magic power. By power up his magic around his body rather than using it to cast a spell, he can create a magical aura around himself which can even act like a sort of defensive force covering his body, the intensity depends on how much magic you have and how much control you have. Since he had seen this aura before from Rias whenever she powered up, he basically got what is supposed to look like, and had learned it himself during training.

"Not bad." Shirou commented. "That really helped stretch my muscles."

"Grrr…" Mira grunted at him.

The eight Phenex Pawns struggled to get up this time, standing beside one another again.

Shirou smiled. "Looks like you've reached the limit."

They all glared at him, angry that he was right. He looked to them like he was just toying with them.

"What are we going to do?" Marion asked. "Neither our flames or our weapons have had any effect. And our fists just bounce off that smug bastard!"

"Well, of course." Shirou agreed. "After all, even if eight rabbits come together it's not like they can beat a wolf."

They clenched their teeth at his continued condescending words.

"It doesn't matter how strong you are!" Mira declared, stepping forward. "We absolutely must defeat you, for the sake of victory in this Rating Game! And for Lord Raiser!"

[For Lord Raiser!] The rest of them said loudly as they intended to keep fighting.

Shirou smirked. "I don't hate passionate people like you." Shirou's smirked then vanished and was replaced with a frown. "But I'm heartless in a fight."

Shirou then let his arms drop to his sides. "I don't believe in empty reasons like fight for myself. Or lame reasons like fighting for others. I just have something I need to do." Shirou then got into a fighting stance. "So let's finish this."

They all flared up their fists or weapons and charged forth. All and screaming out as they charged, Shirou then charged as well simply narrowing his eyes. They met in a few moments and both sides clashed.

BOOM!

Music Off

---

Back at the clubroom, Mika, Rias, and Akeno were all working on magic circles, one for each of them.

It was deemed best for everyone else if Shirou alone went to face the coming enemy.

Thus far, the plan had gone off without a hitch…

But Rias just could not help but feel nervous.

Letting Shirou fight Raiser's entire first wave on his own worried her, Kiba even offered to go with him. But Shirou assured them it wasn't needed.

Asia herself felt nervous as well. She considered praying to God for Shirou's well-being before remember it would just cause her pain.

"Is he going to be okay?" Asia asked, voicing the question she, Rias, Akeno, Kiba, and Koneko had been pondering since Shirou had left.

Mika crossed one leg over the other, appearing as though she was nodding off. "He'll be fine. As long as Big Bro sticks to the plan we just have to wait until the time comes, we're almost ready."

"But Mika." Kiba voiced his concern. "Even if Shirou-kun is strong, he's outnumbered eight to one." He pointed out. "Even if the plan is a stable one, his odds our low."

"So what?" Mika asked, surprising them all with how unconcerned she was taking all this. "Even if they're low, they're not zero so they're plenty." Mika said, without a shred of doubt. "He won't lose, no matter how many he's up against, he'll win."

"But what if he…" Asia opened her mouth to speak but quickly closed it.

Rias placed a hand on the former nun's shoulder. "Hey." She said reassuringly. "Don't forget: Shirou never gives up. He's been training himself for this fight just like the rest of us. So let's believe in him, he's never let us down before, after all."

Those words were enough to make Asia smile. It was true, and it was also something she had found admirable about her friend.

"And we're just about done!" Mika called out. "The plan's ready for action!"

"Good then let's contact Shirou." Rias decided.

Mika nodded, sitting up straight, tapped the bud in her ear. "Alright, let's go. Asia, you come with us."

"Oh, Okay." Asia said nervously as She followed her master, the group's Queen, and her roommate. Kiba and Koneko got up to leave as well. Once they left the room both groups walked in different directions.

With preparations in place, they were getting into position.

---

{Hey, Big Bro can you hear me?}

"Mika?" Shirou tapped the earbud in his left ear. "Yeah, loud and clear."

{We're all done on our end, how about you?}

Shirou smiled and nodded. "Great, everything went off without a hitch."

{Perfect, now just do what we planned and that'll be it.}

"Got it." Shirou said before their conversation ended.

He then dusted off a bit of burnt rubble on his sleeve and looked to his side.

"You know, I'm reasonably surprised." He commented. "I didn't think you guys would still be here."

What he's looking at the fallen forms of all eight of the Pawns he was fighting against. Each of them was beaten, bruised, and bloodied on the ground. Though they were still conscious they were in great pain.

"You…" Mika coughed. "Y-You monster."

Shirou shrugged. "If I had a yen for every time I heard that." Shirou just looked at them with irritation and sighed. "Well. Whatever, I think I'll head back to the base."

That immediately got their attention. They were surprised and shocked at hearing him say that.

"What? You're going to just leave?" Shuriya asked.

Shirou nodded. "Yep, this is a waste of time, so I'm leaving."

Marion sneered and lifted her head from the ground. "So you're running away?"

Shirou leaned down and picked up a pebble, he then flicked it at Marion, hitting her in the forehead and knocking her back down.

"Augh!"

"Marion!" Burent shouted concerned for her fellow maid.

Shirou scoffed. "Hmph… I can beat you by flicking a rock at this point. This isn't worth my time, so I'm heading back." Shirou then turns around. "If you still feel like fighting though, feel free to follow me."

Mira's eyes widened. "Are you an idiot? That would give us the ability to Promote."

"Yes, that's the idea."

Mira was bemused at this point. "You, want us to Promote?"

"If you guys power up a bit, this might actually be worth some effort." He taunted. "I mean, you still won't be a match for me but you'll do for a workout."

Mira then clenched her teeth. "Don't underestimate us! We don't need to Promote to beat a dog like you!"

No sooner then she said that Shirou turned around, his magical aura flared again, but this time it spread out and covered the eight Pawns. When under Shirou's aura they all immediately shut up, feeling as though a huge weight had fallen on top of them, making them completely unable to move, and they were now feeling a sudden amount of fear coming over them as if the opponent they were fighting had changed into something they just wanted to run away from.

During his training, Shirou had learned another way of using his magic aura besides just defense, if he flared up his magic and spread it outwards he had the ability to intimidate weaker opponents and even slow them down with the weight of his power. In terms of magic he still didn't have as much as Rias, but he still had a strong amount in it of itself and it was plenty to strike fear into enemies this much weaker than him and who were already on the brink of defeat.

"Don't get carried away." Shirou spoke in a low tone. "If you seriously think you scrubs can fight me, even with a messily Promotion, then you're underestimating me. "Shirou then narrowed his eyes. "Know your place, losers."

Those words felt as if they were more than just a warning, it was as if they were going to pass out soon.

Shirou then ceased his magic that was covering them. After which he turned around again and walked off in the direction of his base.

Though Shirou knew they would follow him. He smirked.

All according to the plan.

---

Raiser's Pawns burst through the entrance after a few minutes after Shirou had left their battle and returned here, though they learned two strange things while inside.

For one thing, there was neither hide nor hair of their enemies to be found.

The one leading them, Mira scowled. "Where are they?!" She knew she was the weakest of the group, but she was also the only one among them to take any kind of initiative at any behest besides their master's. So, naturally when she did not know something, neither did they.

"Nya, He said the rest of them were still here." Ni pointed out.

Li whined. "Maybe they left while we were fighting, Nya."

"We were out there for a while."

They were disorderly, that was for sure. They were so used to simply steam-rolling any foe that dared to stand against Raiser Phenex.

The two lolis, Nel and Ile scratched their heads.

"Hey, how come we haven't Promoted?"

"Yeah, I tried and nothing happened?"

The second strange thing that happened while they were inside was their inability to Promote. The moment they all entered the building, they all attempted to Promote to Queen. However, even though they were in the enemy base, for some reason the Promotion system hadn't kicked in, they could feel no change in their power, speed, or magic.

"I know, and it doesn't make sense." Marion agreed. "This is definitely their base, so why hasn't the Promotion activated yet?"

"If I had to guess, I'd say maybe we might be able to Promote once we enter to center of their base inside, in other words, the meeting room." Mira suggested. "And if we're lucky, he'll be there to for us to defeat."

Some of them looked a little nervous.

"But, will we even be able to beat him?" Nel asked, unsure.

"We have to." Mira retorted. "Lord Raiser ordered us to capture the enemy King, there's no way we can return to him after not being able to defeat even a single enemy! Let's go!"

[Right!]

Seeing Mira's point, the group made their way up the stairs, being sure to cover every square inch of the building they passed to ensure there was no trap or surprise attack waiting in the wings.

They meet at the door to the meeting room, Mira taking point at the front of the group, putting her ear against the door, listening for some sort of commotion.

She heard the sound something flapping in the wind, likely a curtain of an open window, but no sound of movement.

Mira frowned.

"Guys, I don't like the feel of this." Marion said, nervously. "This feels like a trap, we can't even Promote, let's just return to our master and think of a different plan."

"We can't." Mira said firmly. "What do you think Lord Raiser will say if we just came back with our tails between our legs, if we run away now then the Red Dragon Emperor will still be out there." Mira reminded them. "And as long as he might be a danger to Lord Raiser, I'd rather die than let him anywhere near our master!"

With a strong push, Mira blasted the doors open.

The expected surprise attack did not follow.

The eight Pawns, stood at the doorway, their nervousness increasing by what they saw. The room inside was almost deserted, the curtains were open and sitting on the couch by himself was a comfortable looking Shirou, his arms crossed behind his head, and his legs on the table.

"I didn't think you'd actually follow me." Shirou admitted, not even looking at them. "Guess you're a little brave or you still underestimate me?"

Mira glared and step forward. "Too bad, this time you've been cornered, [Promotion: Queen!]"

Unfortunately, Mira's call was once again unanswered and her Promotion did not come.

"What…? Why?"

Shirou smiled. "Why indeed."

Marion sneered at him. "Where is the rest of your Peerage?"

"Secret."

"Why did you want us to follow you in here?" Shuriya asked.

"Private?"

"Why can't we Promote?" Mira asked.

"I refuse to answer that."

They started to get frustrated. "Enough of this! Fight us!"

"No thanks." Shirou immediately replied, he then stood up. "You've got no Promotion so you're still not worth it. I'm not interested in weaklings."

"WELL GET INTERESTED!" Mira roared as she jumped in the air, intending to attack him, only to hers and everyone's surprise. She sails right passed him.

Then the form of Shirou starts to get static-like, similar to a hologram.

"A projection?" Burent asked, "Then where's the real one?"

Hologram Shirou turned to her with a grin. "You know I'd love to answer that, but we're out of time."

Mira let out a squeal as suddenly there was a stand magnitude in the ground beneath them, the whole room was shaking.

"What is this?" Mira questioned. "What's going on?"

"Your trap."

"What?"

Hologram Shirou walked in the center of the room. "You know, the moment you realize you're caught in a Spider Web, it's already too late." He then began to disappear. "I'll say it again. Know your place, losers."

And with that, the hologram was gone.

The shaking increased, and now the whole building was shaking violently. A bright like began to shine outside.

All the Phenex Pawns could feel the building shake like an earthquake had hit, and the floor was starting to shine a bright light just like the one out the window. Then a strong fiery blast consumed everything around them and coated the entire room and building.

Their bodies began to burn and writhe in agony, all senses being overwritten by pain. Sharp screams were heard inside the great inferno.

---

BOOOOOOOM!

It was an explosion that destroyed the building.

At the four corners of the building standing a few kilometers away from the building, was Rias, Akeno, Mika, and Asia.

Each was holding a magic circle.

A devastating blast detonated around the base, leaving nothing behind.

Or rather what appeared to be the base.

Observers, participants, and other parties gawked, unable to believe what had just happened.

It sounded so simple and so easy. And it was executed flawlessly.

Perhaps it was the shocked silence that kept up the tension in the air. It would also explain why the announcement was delayed by several minutes.

[L-Lord Raiser, Eight Pawns, retired!]

The four members of Rias's team flew through the forest and meet back at one spot, Kiba and Koneko were there waiting for them.

"He did it!" Asia cheered. "Mika-san, you did it!" Rias could only heave a sigh of relief, letting go of the weight on her chest.

"It looks like the playing field is just a little more even now." Akeno noted, smiling calmly, but possessing a hint of excitement on her face.

They needed the explosion to be strong enough and big enough to consume the whole building, and yet not use up to much magic, thus they split the work by making for magic circles and setting things up by making each magic user from the Peerage power up one. Rias never prepared such advanced traps before, and she had no idea where Mika learned how to.

Not to mention, they also used magic to create a new base, one that looked the exact same as the real one, but being fake the Pawns couldn't Promote, as they were in the wrong place. The fake base was on the opposite side of the forest, though the real one was hidden behind a barrier, so they couldn't see it.

Wait Raiser out, Create a fake base, make the enemy think it's real, stall them long enough to prepare the trap, bring them inside, escape, and then blow the place up.

The simplicity of this plan belied the true difficulty behind carrying it out. The entire plan hinged on whether Raiser would do as predicted and whether or not Shirou would be able to stall them long enough for the trap to be ready, in-favor of retreating. Though, none of them actually thought Shirou would be strong enough to overpower all of the Pawns by himself.

As they all gathered around, outside their real base, both Rias and Mika had the expression you would expect from someone after having executed such a high-risk, high pay-off gamble.

"That's only phase-one." Mika pointed out. "We've still got eight more hoes to smack."

Rias nodded, regaining her wits. Even if they had dealt Raiser's side a crushing blow, the battle was still far from over.

"Let's wait for Shirou to return and then we'll—"

As if on cue, Shirou appeared from the sky, flying towards them and landed by the group.

"Hey, not to nit-pick but," Shirou walked up to them. "I feel like the whole explosion thing was, unnecessary since I could have just retired them on my own."

Rias smiled. "Forgive me if you feel that way, but not even we could account for your overwhelming abilities."

Mika stepped up to him. "Short version, you're too strong for the plan to keep up with."

Shirou sighed. "I suppose."

Kiba then smiled nervously. "Heh, sorry I underestimated the plan, Shirou-kun."

Shirou smiled back at him. "It's cool, just never doubt me again."

Rias then turned to her servants. "Alright everyone, now it's time for us to go on the offensive, let's go!"

Shirou smirked. "Let's croak us some hoes."

The team of seven Devils of the Occult Research Club moved out.

---

"Lord Raiser…"

Yubelluna was by far, Raiser Phenex's favorite…

Well, perhaps beside his Sister. That territory was always a little blurry. She liked to think better of him at least.

So, she was so much better at reading his thoughts and predicting how he would react.

When the announcement came that all of his Pawns had been eliminated from the game however, she had no idea how he would react. A small part of her actually feared he would lash out in anger.

However, her master merely continued sitting as he was, his lips curved upwards as he held his Queen more closely, casually fondling her.

"Hah! It appears that Raiser's lovely Rias and adorable Mika have enough bite to back up their bark." He said. He was… Pleased. "Of course, Raiser owes his girls an apology for acting recklessly after this."

"I'm sure they know you meant no ill-intent, Lord Raiser-hyah!" Raiser's hand elicited yet another moan of pleasure from his Queen. "Th-They should be taken care of at the-Hmm! B-By the Medical staff!"

"Hmm, Raiser agrees."

"Shouldn't you be more concerned about the game, Brother?" Standing at his side, Raiser's Bishop his own sister, Ravel Phenex, scolded him softly. "Even Lady Rias could pose a threat if you lower your guard. Even if no one could ever stand before the might of a Phenex, it would still be trouble if we lose more of our forces." Though inwardly, Ravel did have concern that the Red Dragon Emperor could be a potential threat to their victory. "It would be best if we sent out Yubelluna and maybe Isabela and Xuelan to go deal with her now."

"Nonsense." Raiser replied, baffling his Sister. "As you said, Raiser could crush them at a moment's notice." Again, he smirked. "But where is the fun in that? Here's a question, when was the last time we were actually challenged this fiercely?"

Ravel presumed it was a trick question. Everyone knew that no foe had ever come even close to dealing significant damage to their side in a Rating Game before. They lost a piece here and there, but excluding the two fixed matches, never suffered anything more. Her Brother would always reveal himself and, more often than not, it would end in a duel between two Kings. Their noble Pride at work. Of course, it would always end in his victory.

Yubelluna knew there would be no reasoning with her master. There were several things that defined her master: His Pride, his temper, his lust, his family, and above all else the one thing that usually drove him to act so playfully when he did not attain victory in the first move.

"Shouldn't that mean we SHOULD act more aggressively?" Ravel pointed out. "Everyone favors the union between nobles households and the birth of additional Pure-bloods, but the committee judging the game is unbiased. If they make it here and if they somehow have a plan against you, they might clench victory through some unknown strategy, and the engagement will become void."

"Let Rias and her servants come." He said with an excited glint in his eye most of them rarely saw in most fights. "If they challenge the might of our Household, we will unleash everything in order to crush them!"

Raiser Phenex loved a challenge.

---

And that's the chapter and I cannot believe I got all this down in one chapter.

I decided to have an unorthodox way of starting the game because if you got the time and the necessary options why not use them. This way they took out all the Pawns in one fell swoop and cut the enemy numbers in half. They also showed everyone that they don't intend to fight an ordinary game and not to expect the obvious in this fight.

And as for Shirou decimating the Pawns, well Shirou has strength surpassing a Rook. Speed faster than a Knight. The Skill and experience born from years of fighting. He had everything over them even without Promoting or Boosting, and he's used to fighting while outnumbered so to me, the outcome made perfect sense.

And before you ask, no Shirou will not be gaining a Balance Breaker by sacrificing his arm. Not in the Rating Game or at any point in the story. Yes Shirou will gain Balance Breaker sooner then Issei did in the canon, but he won't be getting a bootleg armor powerup that only lasts seconds, it's not Shirou's style to rely on such a limited power with such little usage.

Anyways thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed, if you want more leave a review if you like the story click the follow/favorite, and as always have an awesome day.