I do not own the Persona series or High School DxD. Everything belongs to their respected owners.
"Yeesh, makes me wonder how fancy this party is going to be. I mean, we have to dress up in freaking suits and dresses. Just what kind of people are Gremory-san's family?"
Of course, it was Ryuji being the more vocal one when it came down to the situation at hand. He already had most of said fancy clothing at hand just like everyone else. Despite him saying dresses however, all of them did not fit themselves into the type of apparel to being with. Ann didn't like the idea of being in a dress. Makoto thought it didn't suit her. Futaba flat out refused to wear something like that. Haru thought she should try a suit herself since she wore many dresses at many parties.
The Rating Game was a huge success. Rias had been interviewed by members of what was assumed to be Devil press immediately after the conclusion of the Rating Game. The younger Devil did not reveal their names, fortunately, but then they had been invited to a celebration party in the end. The red-head thought that was the appropriate action to take as thanks for all of their hard work and time taken out of their schedules to do so much for them.
What they expected was just a small, little party. Like how the Phantom Thieves celebrated successful heists or when they had their own party to when celebrating the rescuing of Aisa from the church. But this was more along the line of a formal occasion. Something that came as a surprise to the Phantom Thieves. They didn't even have proper clothing for such a party to begin with.
Fortunately, their clothing was provided. How it came to be however was still a bit of a mystery to them. They just assumed it was a Devil thing.
"Well, if I remember correctly, Sitri-san did say that she and Gremory-san were a part of the 72 Pillars. So I have a feeling that she is pretty important." Makoto pointed out while fitting on her own clothing. "The fact that she was in the middle of an arranged marriage was perhaps another flag we should have spotted since the beginning."
"Most likely." Akira stated with a nod of his head as he looked at himself in a mirror. Turning his body back and forth, he nodded at himself in approval. "Sitri-san told me during one of our games of chess that Gremory-san's brother is Lucifer. Not the Lucifer that we've come to love as one of my Personas but a title like a lord or noble. Remember the Four Great Maou? Lucifer, Leviathan, Asmodeus, and Beelzebub?"
"Fascinating." Yusuke commented from the side while adjusting the sleeves of his suit. Fiddling with the wrist part, he smoothed out any wrinkles he saw on his person. "So we, in a sense, just helped the Devil's little sister out. I wonder if this will affect where we go if we die."
"Not to mention that because of this party we're going to Hell. Literally in this case!" Futaba voiced her own thoughts while already sitting down and ready to go. She changed the fastest, not really caring how she looked. Sure, she still had the suit, dress shirt, and pants on. But Futaba didn't want to constantly comb herself over small details.
Haru, however, grabbed a roller with some take on it and began to run it up and down Futaba. During the process, she got rid of some dust and lint that had began falling onto their clothing. "Now, Futaba-chan, I'm sure that the place isn't as bad as you're making it sound out to be." She lightly chided the ginger but there was not anger and was with good intention. "After all, Devils are much more different than we thought. Perhaps the Hell we are going to is nice. Maybe look normal?" She then began to hum a tune when moving onto Ryuji.
"Maybe." The blonde mumbled, feeling a bit awkward that Haru was cleaning him. He shifted around but still stayed still. "Doesn't it still make anyone a bit, I don't know, nervous? I mean, we're going to stand out because we're not really rich people to begin with?"
"Well, no point in worrying about something like that." Morgana stated, scratching his neck. He didn't exactly like the fact that he had to wear a bowtie. He was a cat and they were not supposed to wear clothing. "Besides, we're all human to begin with. If we don't get looks about out social status, perhaps our racial statuses will help out with that." He then shook his body back and forth. "But as long as you don't screw up, Ryuji, we'll all be fine."
"The hell you say?!" Ryuji leaned forward, glaring at Morgana. "If anyone's going to cause any trouble, it's going to be you! Who knows, maybe you will end up tripping people and get us in trouble."
"I'm not the bumbling idiot!" Morgana countered back.
Akira grabbed Morgana by the scruff of his neck and set him up onto the couch. "Morgana, you're with me so you don't end up making people fall." He then turned over to Ryuji. "Ryuji, just keep your actions in check and everything should be fine." He ignored the fact that the cat and blonde stuck their tongues out at each other.
Makoto turned her head towards the black-haired boy with a curious look. "You seem… eager to attend this party." She stated, earning her a blank look from the boy. "Is there any reason to why that's the case?"
Before Akira could answer, there was the sound of footsteps approaching them in the living room. All of them looked over and saw that Ann was fitted into her own clothing as well. But then she was accompanied by Asia who was in a dress. The smaller blonde had a bit of a shy look since she was the only one in a dress.
"Aww," Haru cooed when she saw the former-nun in her fancy clothing. "You look so adorable."
"Th-thank you." Asia nodded her head frantically with a bit of a blush. "But I wouldn't look like this if it wasn't for Ann-san. She did so much to make me look like this."
"Come on." Ann tapped Asia's shoulder. As the girl looked over, the one known as Panther bent her neck down for a better look. "Don't sell yourself short like that. You already look good enough as it is. I just had to work on a bit here and there, that's all."
Hearing an alarm go off, everyone looked at Akira once more. The leader of the Phantom Thieves blinked at the looks he was receiving. It was at that moment he realized why he was being stared at. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his phone as an alarm was ringing from the device. "Well, it's time to get going." He pocketed the device. "Don't want to keep everyone waiting."
As everyone began to fit themselves for a final time, each of them took the moment to observe one another. All of them, but Asia and Morgana, wore the same clothing. A nice, classic look of black suits and trousers. Black dress shoes fitted their feet. The only difference between them all was the color of their dress shirts. Akira's was red. Ryuji wore yellow. Ann presented pink. Yusuke dawned dark blue. Makoto went with light blue. Futaba sported green. Haru had purple.
Walking towards the door, Akira opened up and blinked when he saw someone about to ring his doorbell.
"You look nice, Sitri-san."
Said dressed figure blinked as well, her finger hovering right above the button that would set off the bell. Eyeing the device at first, she soon set her finger down. Her eyes soon drifted from Phantom Thief to Phantom Thief before glancing at the former-nun that was turned into a Devil. "I'm surprised that you're not with Rias' Peerage right now to get ready."
When hearing those words, Asia's eyes widened. "I was supposed to get ready with them?"
Sona simply stared. Ann soon spoke up. "I'm sure that when we arrive, you can quickly find them. You don't actually have to be with them until we arrive. So no hurry, right?"
"Correct." Sona nodded her head. "I can see that all of you are wearing suits as well. The males I can understand. But, may I ask why the females are the same?"
"I don't really like being in fancy dresses unless it's for a photo shoot." Ann answered.
"I'm not sure if a dress would suit me so I decided to go the safe route." Makoto stated.
"I refuse." Futaba said bluntly.
"I want to try a suit due to wearing many dresses to many parties before." Haru provided.
"…" Sona just settled for keeping her gaze fixed on them without a change in expression.
Akira looked around behind the female. "You're Peerage is not attending?"
Sona shook her head, adjusting her glasses since they moved. "Due to the status of the party, only those that were invited may attend. Unfortunately, my Peerage was not allowed to come along." She soon stepped backwards. "But enough talk. Shall we get going?"
A blue summoning circle soon presented itself in front of them all. As they looked at each other, they began to step forward.
TakeABreak
Ryuji had to cover his mouth to prevent himself from saying a cuss when all of them were teleported to where the party was taking place.
"Welcome, Phantom Thieves and Argento-san, to Gremory Manor."
Even Akira had his eyebrows shoot off his face as all of them held a surprised look at the sight of the grand building their gazes were set upon. Indeed, it looked like a normal mansion. But the fact that it was so big was a completely different issue. Yes, they had a feeling that it was coming. But actually, facing it was a completely different scenario and situation.
None of them said a word, not wanting to be the first to voice their surprise. But then Akira decided to be the one to let it out anyways. "Reminds me of a Palace from the Metaverse." He stated while looking over to the sides to see that the building just expands around them. Probably because they were in the courtyard.
This place was large enough to have a courtyard. Fancy that.
"Dude, how could you compare this place to such a twisted world?" Ryuji raised an eyebrow at Akira's choice of comparison. "Although… I kind of understand why you got the idea. We only saw places like this when acting as Phantom Thieves."
"Guys, I think we should start following Sitri-san now." Ann poked Akira and Ryuji's shoulders to grab their attention once more. As she pointed, the two guys looked and saw that the black-haried Devil was indeed walking away with Asia beside her.
Hurrying up, all of them eventually were right behind. Still walking, they soon made their way towards the doors of the large house. All of them felt a mixture of emotions. None of them were sure how to feel. It was odd for them to be entering such a grand place and not have to sneak around inside without being found.
Sona extended her arms soon, her hands gripping the handles of the grand doors. A couple of the Phantom Thieves gulped eagerly. Sona soon opened the doors to reveal the beautiful setting they were to take a part of. Apparently, they were not the first to arrive as the party had already started a while ago. They were perhaps around the middle out of the amount of people that arrived.
As Sona began to lead them through, they already heard whispers. Most likely due to their presences. Already, they could tell they were human and decided to wonder why they were attending. Already, the hushed voices spread like a virus as they made their way through the crowds of Devils that surrounded them.
Akira looked over to Futaba who fidgeted a bit under the glances. With his arms still down, he slightly pushed Ryuji to his back-right while pulling Makoto to his back-left. Everyone else seemed to get the idea as they all soon began to form a protective circle around their hacker while looking completely fine.
Futaba looked around at them curiously but then tilted her head down slightly to hide a small smile.
"Now, remember that this is a party." Sona turned her head and showed them a small smile before it quickly disappeared. "You may enjoy yourselves to your leisure, but you must behave. If you may excuse me, I'm going to find Rias so Argento-san may be with her Peerage."
Akira and everyone else nodded their heads. As the two Devils walked off, all of the Phantom Thieves went in their own separate directions. The black-haired male however moved his feet quickly as he kept up with Sona and Asia. Apparently, Sona noticed this as she looked over while both still walking and raising an eyebrow. She probably wanted to know why.
"Parties are enjoyable with the correct company." Akira stated, looking back at Sona. "After you are finishing bringing Asia-san to Gremory-san, you may lack some company so I thought I may fill that gap."
Sona opened her mouth to answer, but then she was cut off when a familiar brunette to the three of them approached them. "Sitri-san? Akira-senpai? Asia-chan?" Issei asked curiously, dressed up like Akira with the only difference being a white dress shirt. "What are you all doing together?
"We're taking Asia-san to Gremory-san so that her Peerage may be together." Akira answered quickly, blinking once. "Question. Why aren't you with you fellow Peerage members? I thought you were supposed to be together for this party."
"Oh, Buchou said that there's no need for that." The brunette answered with a shrug of his shoulders. "She said that this is a party and that we should just enjoy ourselves. Speaking of which, there's an awesome buffet nearby! Want to go grab some food, Asia-chan? That is, if you haven't eaten yet."
Asia only flashed a smile with a bit of a blush to the brunette. "I'd love to!" She exclaimed, only to realize her volume before clearing her voice. "I mean… sure." She corrected herself shyly.
Issei blushed a bit as well before the two of them set off to where the food was. When they left, Sona and Akira were left by themselves. "…So," Akira decided to start off a conversation and leaning against a pillar. "You say that you're a part of the Sitri household? That should make you the next in line to be its head, right?" He scanned the area to see many passing Devils giving him looks and soon whispering.
"…" Sona thought about what to say. Her silence was not unwelcoming. "Yes, you are right." She answered slowly. "I am indeed the next in line to inherit the title when the time comes. Although…"
Akira blinked when he heard Sona slowly trail off. "…Although?" He asked.
The glasses-wearing Devil shook her head soon after. "Never mind. It's a detail for another time. We should be having some fun. That's what parties are for after all."
"Alright." The glasses-wearing human nodded his head in return. Hearing music play, he craned his head over in the direction and saw couples together dancing to the rhythm. Tapping Sona's shoulder, he had a bit of a small smile on his face. "Sona Sitri, may I have this dance?" He asked while bowing lowly and extending his hand.
"…" Sona only stared flatly. But still, she extended her own hand and placed it in his. "There's no need to be so dramatic."
The two of them soon began to walk to the dance floor. Once more eyes followed their every movement. It was perhaps to be expected after all. He was dancing with the heiress of the Sitri clan and he was a human as well. But he ignored it in favor of moving to the tune of the classical piece that played.
Once hand wrapped around her waist and the other to her hand. She held lightly onto his shoulder as she felt him take lead of the first dance. But despite the sound around them, it almost seemed silent between them.
The two enjoyed the relaxed silence as they twirled in between the other couples. Akira's footwork was indeed fast, but then such speed was only required to hide his mistake to avoid stepping on Sona's toes.
The Devil noticed this but decided not to say anything.
But then the dance ended, the music slowly dying down. Slowly taking steps away from each other, Sona bowed courteously and Akira followed in suit. "Well…" Sona started. "I never knew you could dance."
"Neither could I." Akira stated.
…So that explained the times he almost stepped on her feet.
Looking up from their bow, Sona's eyes soon began to widen. Akira slightly narrowed his eyes, just frowning a bit to why. This was hardly an occasion that was filled with surprise after all. Although he couldn't see behind him at the moment. When he felt a hand harshly slam down onto his shoulder though, he immediately understood why Sona had that face and felt an enraged presence behind him.
Also, maybe a dislocated shoulder.
Slowly turning over his head, he saw from the corner of his eye a woman with black hair, tied into twin tails and violet eyes while wearing a dress similar to Sona's. But as if he were in a fantasy, said face was soon shadowed in darkness as those violet eyes glowed. Not only did the grip on his shoulder tighten, threatening to break it, but also an icy feeling washed over him.
Damn, and Arsene was weak to ice as well so he was a bit more sensitive to the cold.
"Oi, bastard, who the hell do you think you are laying your dirty hands on my pure, innocent Sona-chan?"
Sona sighed weakly, wearing an expression Akira would have never expected to see on her face ever. "Akira-san… remember earlier about that detail that was meant for another time?" She watched him nod slowly. "Well, that one detail was that I do have an older sister. But she can't become the next head due to her status as one of the Four Great Maou."
"So…" Akira trailed off, wincing at the amount of force holding his body.
"Akira-san… meet my older sister: Serafall Leviathan…"
TakeABreak
Rias thought that the party was proceeding quite well, and her guests were enjoying themselves.
Word of her friends however reached her ears when rumors about humans joining the party began to spread through the entire building. All of the Devils fortunately didn't act like visitors to a zoo and crowd around such people. That didn't stop the Devils from keeping eyes on her human friends though, most likely thinking about reincarnating them into their Peerages. There was the risk however of the person being strong or having the potential to.
It mentally amused the King to wonder what their reactions would be when they try to recruit her friends – peacefully or by force – and watch the Phantom Thieves deny while proving that they could best such Devils perhaps. She shook her head though, keeping an eye out on every person.
Her Pawn was keeping an eye on his own feet, carefully stepping from side to side when dancing with Asia. It made the red-head pout slightly. She wanted to have a turn with Issei but then the blonde was taking up most of his attention.
Koneko was enjoying the buffet table together with Futaba and Morgana, the hacker sampling the dishes that Koneko was introducing to her while they both fed the cat.
Yusuke was interacting with Kiba, her Knight currently listening to a small ramble from the fellow swordsman. Although the blue-haired male seemed a bit eccentric with his movements, Kiba only continued to seem interested while watching the artist's arms.
Akeno was chatting with Ann and Ryuji. Rias could hear the scandalous shrieks and yells from the humans while Akeno covered her mouth in an attempt to hide and control her laughter.
Makoto and Haru were chatting with each other at the table, several plates of food left untouched as they conversed. Walking over, Rias smiled while nodding her head to two of the female Phantom Thieves. "Are you two enjoying yourselves?" She asked as she reached over to scoop a forkful to food and putting it into her mouth.
"Uh… sort of I guess." Haru answered slowly, looking around the room to see more eyes than before staring at them. "It's really awkward having people stare every couple of moments just because they can sense we're human. It kind of dims our moods."
"Perhaps I should have turned this into a masquerade party." Rias placed a hand to her chin while thinking for a bit. "You know, with masks and costumes? So that you all could arrive in your Phantom Thief clothing and nobody would be a bother."
"The lack of presence I feel like would be a bigger concern." Makoto stated, taking a sip from her glass before looking at it with an inquisitive look. "This isn't alcohol, right?" Her question was clearly directed to the red-head.
Rias shook her head in response to her question. "It shouldn't be." She answered with a slight frown on her face. "You grabbed your drink from the punch bowl and not a servant, right?" Makoto nodded her head as Rias had a confused look. "Then it shouldn't be alcoholic… Unless… Mind if I take a sip?"
Raising an eyebrow while looking at Haru, Makoto looked back at Rias before handing over her cup. Rias tipped the liquid to her mouth and took a small sip herself. Frowning a bit with a sour expression, the red-head put the glass down. "I think someone must have spiked the refreshments judging by your reaction." The female-brunette stated while Rias nodded her head.
"I'm going to let someone know." The Devil let out before coughing and walking away.
TakeABreak
"Onee-sama… please release my friend." Sona took off her glasses as she rubbed her eyes just trying to prepare herself for an incoming headache. "Akira-san, I am so sorry for the situation you are in at the moment."
"Ah, that's okay. I've ended up in situations as bad as this." Akira shrugged, only being able to move one shoulder. "Although this is starting to turn into the… second? No, third worst kind of scenario I've ever been in." Craning his head over to the side, he saw a face that stared back at him with an impassive look. "Hello there, so I hear you're Sitri-san's older sister. My name is Akira Kurusu."
"…I see, Akira Kurusu." Serafall seemed to state, only settling for a stare down with the boy. But a few seconds later, much to the black-haired boy's relief, she released her grip and put her arm down to her side. "And just what is your relationship with my cute, sister? Friends, correct?"
"That as well as associates." Akira nodded his head. "Perhaps the better term is business partners instead of the latter description."
Serafall slightly narrowed her eyes towards Akira. Beginning to pace around the boy, she eyed him as if he were a piece of art and she was just looking for some way to critique and say something bad about him. After a few rounds though, she stopped her movements. Looking over to Sona, she stared at her sister. To both Akira's and Sona's surprise immediately after, Serafall started hugging her sibling tightly. "I'm so proud of you!"
"Wh-what?!" Sona nearly screamed but managed to lower her voice so that it was suitable for indoors, blushing at the physical contact with her sister. "What are you talking about, Onee-sama?!"
That was Akira's reaction as well. The only differences being that he was not as vocal, he didn't say it, and he had to slowly process it through his mind. There was also no stuttering either. But he did share Sona's look of having his eyes widen with a bit of surprise.
"You always hated having to be married to that fiancé and even hated having to be married so early- So I thought that you would hate all men and judging by your letters you would write to me, you did- I was so afraid that you would never get a boyfriend and lead a lovely life- But here you are hanging out with a guy despite them being human and it's an amazing thing- Although it sucks that you two are just friends- But I'm sure with enough time you two will be more than friends even though he's human!" Serfall's speed was incredibly fast while she finally took in air after saying everything in one breath.
Immediately, Akira and Sona's surprise died down and it turned into extreme exasperation for the latter and the former spaced out in confusion.
"…Is she serious?" He asked.
Sona groaned, trying to bury her face into her hands. "Sadly, yes." She said weakly.
Serafall immediately dropped Sona and spun around while grabbing Akira's hand. "It's nice to meet you, Akira-kun!" She enthusiastically shook Akira's hand to hard that he thought she was going to rip it off at any moment. "I'm Serafall Leviathan! Thanks for being good friends with my sister, Sona-chan!" The adult then leaned in close to Akira's ear. "Hurt her in any way and I'll make sure you regret living."
Akira however didn't keep his gaze on Serafall. Instead, he chose to wear a bit of an incredulous look while staring straight at Sona. "I am impressed and admire the amount of patience you must have when dealing with your older sister. No offense, but she's even more eccentric than me when the time arrives."
"Don't take any of it seriously." Sona decided to respond, rubbing her forehead to massage the headache that had come. "Even my own patience is tested when it comes down to her antics."
Akira only blinked before looking back at Serafall. Apparently, she had stepped backwards a couple of times and watched the two of them interact. How cunning. Were these acts simply masks to hide her true intentions and personality? He assumed yes and no. "…You must really love your sister if you're this protective of her." He stated, only seeing the adult light up with another smile.
"Please don't get her started." Sona groaned with a sigh.
Before Serafall could open her mouth and even speak again, there was a flash from the window that was next to them. It was a magical circle from one of the Pillars, but it was odd. Sona knew that it was time that pretty much all of the invited Devil families had arrived. Who else could it possible be?
"W-wait a minute, Onii-sama, y-you can't come here! We're not allowed to!" A small blonde girl with her hair up in twin-tails was crying out as they were fully transported in front of the entrance of the Gremory Grounds.
"I don't care what the stuff old colts are saying! I don't recognize that loss, she must have cheated somehow!" The blonde-haired boy that the girl was trying to pull back was someone neither of the Sitri sisters nor Akira expected to be in the area.
What used to be a party filled with moderate noise became silence as their focuses were taken up by Riser, everyone also watching Ravel Phenex trying her best to stop her older brother from storming through the Gremory mansion without much success. Even Riaser's Peerage was behind him as well, a mixture of expressions among their ranks.
Akira immediately began to maneuver his way through the crowds beginning to form without a word. Sona saw this, and she too started to tail after the boy. Serafall meanwhile took her time, curious to see what was going to happen.
While the older Devil traveled though, she ran into a couple of people and her eyes lit up. "Ah, Sirzechs-chan, Grayfia-chan, on your way to give a scolding to the Phenex boy?" She asked.
A handsome young man looked over to the female and blinked while being accompanied by said maid. The man looked to be in his early 20's with shoulder length crimson red hair and blue-green eyes. "Ah, Serfall, it's good to see that you've arrived to celebrate my sister's victory." He smiled at the sight of his friend but then slowly began to frown. "You are correct. That boy knows he shouldn't be here. Not only that, but I feel like the attitude he will be presenting will be all the more reason he is not welcome to this household for now."
Serafall however only chuckled, making the man and maid give her a curious and odd look. "That is true… but I think we should give Rias-chan a chance to defuse the situation. I have a feeling that if we let things play out for now, we will be shown a very interesting display. After all, why did she invite humans to this occasion?"
TakeABreak
"What are you doing here, Riser? You are no longer welcome in this house. Leave now or face even more consequences for trespassing in our home." Rias was having difficulty reigning in her temper in at seeing how Riser had now was lacking the common sense of wrecking her party by crashing in uninvited. He was the last person she wanted to see, and she had a feeling she knew why he was here in the first place.
Most likely because he was being a sore loser.
"Like I care what you think, Rias." Riser spat angrily. "You cheated at the Rating Game, I know you did." He scanned the room while the rest of the guests gather around Riser and his Peerage, surrounding them. His eyes then spotted Futaba and he pointed at her. "Like that girl! I can sense her right now and she is human! Explain how she was able to participate in the Rating Game while not being reincarnated Devil!"
"I know that Devils are only able to take part in the Rating Games." Rias stated, wondering why her brother and Grayfia had not made their presences known yet. "You already know that there is a system that reads the people about to participate and will reject any Devil not part of the King's Peerage. She was only a Devil temporarily due to… certain circumstances." She had to trail off near the end, not wanting to give away the existence of Personas. If the Phantom Thieves wanted to keep it a secret, then she should keep it.
"Then I'd like for you to explain how you managed to get your hands on explosives then! You are not allowed any outside help when it comes down to Rating Games!"
"Any outside aid from Devils are forbidden." Rias folded her arms, her hands tightly gripping her limbs. "Our resources came from the following humans that have been invited to this party. Including the girl who was once a part of my Peerage." She narrowed her eyes, ignoring more murmurs. Such words were probably about how her friends had taken part in helping her.
All of the Phantom Thieves meanwhile were watching from their spots while Rias' Peerage began to inch closer behind their King. Ryuji looked like he was going to burst out with his loud voice, but then Ann was stopping him from doing so in order to not attract any more attention than they already had before. Yusuke observed from the side, a frown being worn on his face. Futaba was slowly shuffling out of sight with Morgana in her hands. Makoto and Haru however, since they were closest to Rias, stepped forward only once.
"In no way has Gremory-san broken the rules." Makoto stated, keeping her voice stable. But then there was a look of anger at her face. "Don't even think about throwing accusations towards her like that unless you have proof that she did cheat." She didn't care that she gained attention, her focus solely being on Riser.
"Riser Phenex, it would be wise for you to simply leave now." Haru added as well, ignoring the look of recognition that he started giving her. "Save yourself from anymore humiliation and you may be forgiven for your sudden intrusion."
"You! You're that bitch that had those-!"
Before Riser could even continue, Ravel being in tears and hysterics while pleading to her brother to just come home with his Peerage caught their attention. "O-onii-sama, please, please, d-don't say anymore! Please! You're going to get us all in deep trouble! Please, Onii-sama, I'm begging you-!
"Shut up!" Riser interrupted her with a scream of fury and lashing out with his right hand to knock his sister to the floor in such anger. The entire room was plunged into a shocked silence. None of them had ever expected Riser Phenex to calm down, but for him to lash out at his sister, who was now looking at him with shock while sobbing was something none of them could accept. Even his Peerage was unable to hide such surprised.
"You effing son of a bitch!"
Ryuji's voice roared through the building, bringing sound back to the scene. Also a bit of action at the same time. The blonde was seen running through the crowd with a green bottle of wine in his hands. With a mighty swing and fast running speed, he smashed the glass right against the back of Riser's head.
The male Phenex groaned at the impact, his head snapping down due to the force of impact. Ryuji was about to go for a punch soon after, but then Akira swiftly came out of nowhere and began holding Ryuji back while fighting the struggling blonde. "Let me go, Akira! I'm going to beat that asshole!" The blonde exclaimed, almost breaking free from Akira. Makoto had to help out their leader by holding one of Ryuji's arms while Akira had the other.
Riser looked up, his glare attempted to bore a hole right through the blonde. "You…" He growled out. "You dare humiliate me like this?!"
"Yeah! What are you going to do about it?!" Ryuji challenged back, his struggle dying down but then not being released.
"Ryuji, now's not the time and place for this." Makoto said warningly, making sure her tone was clear that he should actually start thinking about where he was.
"That bastard just hit his own sister!" Ryuji replied back, his head snapping over to Makoto before looking back towards Akira. "Come on, man! You've got to be with me on this!"
Akira however looked over to his side and saw someone approaching the scene. With how everyone was parting ways, he had a feeling that he should stop this soon. But then they just stopped and continued to watch. "While I do condone the action, we're making a scene right now that I'd rather not have us be a part of it."
"No, he is not getting away with smashing a bottle against my head like that!" Riser's words were just trying to create even more tension. "A human doing that will pay for what they had done as such a pathetic race is below us Devils."
"Bring it on!" Ryuji exclaimed soon after. "You and me, one on one, right here and now!"
"Ryuji!" Makoto hissed. "Not the smartest move! He's a King piece, remember? You're just human! Not only that, he's both a Devil and Phenex! You can't do much against him with your-"
Riser however immediately released a single bark of laughter. "If that's what you want, then let us begin!"
"That. Is. Enough."
Everyone turned their heads towards the voice and everyone saw Sirzechs with Grayfia next to him. The female was glaring at the people participating in the scene while the male did not looked pleased at all. "O-onii-sama…" Rias trailed off, bowing as did everyone else but the humans. But then they too caught on quickly and did the same.
"Riser Phenex," Sirzechs stated, slowly stepping forward towards the blonde who was still standing. "You come into my home uninvited, crash my sister's celebration, throw accusations against her, strike your own sister, and now try to pick a fight with a human? If your reputation as a Phenex isn't ruined already…" He then turned over to Akira. "You, boy, stand."
Akira peeked up, surprised at the request. "Yes… Lucifer-sama?" He added on the last part quickly as he remembered who he was potentially talking to due to the color of hair. Actually, this person looked like a male Rias.
"What do you think should happen next?" The Devil asked, once again starting a sea of whispers once more after who knows how many times. "You choose what should happen. Do you decide for Riser Phenex to be forced to leave, or do you accept your companion's challenge to fight him? The decision is all yours."
Akira blinked. "Why me?"
Sirzechs peeked over to his side while watching Serafall give him a thumbs up as her sister watched beside her. "An associate told me that you were a very unique character." He had a ghost of a smile. "So what will it be?"
Akira looked over to Riser who was glaring at him. He then looked at Ryuji who was also glaring. Honestly, this question was so sudden that Akria had to take more time to think than usual. He was just immediately put on the spot without any kind of introduction to Rias' older brother judging by the title she gave him. Soon though, he made his decision.
"Let them fight. But…"
TakeABreak
"A stun baton not only inside of the Devil's house, but also strengthened by a Devil. Fascinating."
"I know, it's freaking bizarre. Can I have it back now?"
Yusuke gingerly passed back said item to Ryuji who was sitting and had taken off his suit but leaving his yellow dress-shirt on. The blonde took in a deep breath as he was mentally preparing himself for the fight. He had to be honest, he did not expect Akira to actually say yes for this fight to happen. Feeling pressure on his shoulders, he turned around to see Haru massaging him. "What are you doing?"
"Massaging you, Ryuji-chan." The heiress stated as if it were obvious. "It's been a while since you last fought so I though doing this would be able to loosen those muscles and help get you pumped." She heard Ryuji just sigh and take it as a signal to continue on.
Ann meanwhile was leaning against a nearby wall in the room they were all in as they waited for the fight to begin. "Just what the hell were you thinking, hitting a big shot like that? With a wine bottle no less?" She questioned incredulously.
"That bastard just hit his sister for no good reason." Ryuji grumbled, tapping the baton against his leg while avoiding eye contact with the female. "Was I just supposed to just stand around and do nothing? You would have kicked him in the balls, so I think my method was better." He didn't see Ann roll her eyes but not retort back.
Hearing the door open and then close, everyone looked up to see Akira in that exact spot. "Where were you?" Futaba asked.
"Just checking a couple of things out." Akira stated, before holding his hand out towards Ryuji. "I forgot that I had these on me as a Phantom Thief but apparently there was no need for them when fighting the Fallen Angels." He dropped three tiny bottles into the palm. "A Rasetsu Ofuda, an Idaten Ofuda, and a Kongou Ofuda. Futaba will give you a buff so that you have a better chance against Riser. But if they wear off, drink those when you have the opportunity."
"Got it." Ryuji nodded his head, pocketing the bottles. "I'm kind of starting to wish we had a Khamrai Tao, an Ignis Ring, hell, I'd even settle for a Crimson Ring just to minimize the amount of pain I take from fire. He's a freaking Phenex after all."
"None of us exactly counted on being set on fire today." Yusuke stated in a matter-of-fact tone. He soon looked up at the clock. "Hmm, ten minutes is almost up. We should be leaving now."
All of the Phantom Thieves wished Ryuji luck as they began to exit the room. One by one, they each filed out in an orderly manner. Ryuji rubbed his head, thumping his chest to motivate himself. Hearing knock on the door soon though, he raised an eyebrow. Who could that be? "Who is it?" He asked.
"It's me… Ravel Phenex, Sakamoto-san. Can… may I come in?"
Ryuji blinked. "Yeah, sure." He nodded to himself.
As the door opened, the blonde female peeked in and saw the boy sitting. As she entered, she looked behind her to make sure nobody was watching. Closing the door behind her, she took in a deep breath. "Please… give up now." She pleaded, slightly surprising Ryuji. "You're a good person, Sakamoto-san, but-"
"Sorry, but no way am I just throwing in the towel immediately." Ryuji cut off the girl bluntly, getting a surprised look in response.
"But-!"
"But nothing." He stated. "That asshole needs to be properly put in his place. Seems that Rating Game thing didn't do that. Maybe this way will. Whatever you have to say, don't even think about saying it if you're trying to stop me." He then stayed quiet for a moment. "He hit you for no good reason, and no way am I going to let him get away with that."
"…" Ravel only stared before looking away with a defeated expression. "So, there's no way of stopping you…" She trailed off, unsure of how to react.
"Yeah, sorry about that." Ryuji nodded his head before getting up to his feet. "Now, if you excuse me." He started to walk past Ravel. Before he could reach the knob though, he felt his right hand being grabbed by Ravel.
"I didn't come here to stop you!" She exclaimed, making Ryuji pause and slowly turn his head towards her. "…I had a feeling that you would fight Onii-sama no matter what. It's just because that's who you are, Sakamoto-san. Which is why… this is for you…"
Ryuji soon began to feel something being slipped into his hand and Ravel made sure to curl his hand so he wouldn't drop it. Before he could speak again, she stepped past him, opened the door, and ran away.
He stood alone for a few seconds. Lifting his right hand, he opened it to see a tiny, transparent bottle with a bit of clear liquid inside of it.
"No freaking way…" Ryuji breathed, in disbelief that Ravel had just handed him Phoenix tears.
Pocketing the bottle, he felt a sudden burst of energy go through him as he began walking. He saw red, purple, and green lights dance around him. Only moments later did he find himself walking into some kind of new courtyard or arena type place that was just outside of the building and overlooked by balconies.
He saw Riser pacing impatiently for the duel to start. Ryuji soon looked up to the balcony and saw that everyone he knew had a front row seat while each of them watched with anticipation. Way to keep pressure off of him he mused sarcastically to himself. Stepping across Riser, Ryuji held up the stun baton in his hands.
"Are you two ready?" Both of them looked over to Grayfia who was standing far away yet her voice was loud enough to be heard by them and the spectators. Seeing them nod their heads, she declared the duel to begin.
An opening salvo came from Riser as flames erupted around him in an impressive display of his strength and innate control of fire. The flames coming from his body were orange red and searing hot in temperature, but what was impressive was how it was tempered and controlled around him while radiating heat. The ground around him was scorched from the intensity of the flames and from how he flared that power instantly, he was trying to catch Ryuji off guard with the first attack.
Ryuji was an experienced fighter out of practice though and he had faced tougher opponents, so he was not intimidated but certainly surprised. Still, the human just managed to dive out of the way of a wave of flames. "Holy shit," He muttered to himself while getting back onto his feet. "Screw the Crimson or Ignis Ring. They wouldn't do shit against that heat."
Beginning to break into a run, he ignored the sweat already developing on his body. Looking down at his stun baton, he threw the weapon right towards Riser's face. But just as he did that, he narrowly dodged move fire hurling towards him. Quickly gaining his balance, he watched the baton slam against his opponent's forehead and he rushed forward. Grabbing the weapon, he pressed his thumb against the button that activated the electricity to flow through the weapon.
His grip was released from the button when he was kicked on the side. "Gah!" Ryuji coughed out before being grabbed by the face. But before he could find out what would have happened after, he activated the electric current of the baton and smacked Riser's arm.
"Augh!" Riser growled at the shock he suddenly got as he snapped his arm back. Ryuji was not finished yet though as he used a back-handed swing to hit Riser's face. "Nnn!" The Phenex gritted his teeth, slipping his leg under Ryuji's and tripping the human.
As Ryuji fell to the ground, Riser kicked him right where the sun didn't shine. Ryuji groaned. If it weren't for the Rakukaja that was on him at the moment, such a body part would be gone surely and hurt even more. Jabbing Riser's leg with his baton, he sent another electric shock through the Phenex's body. Quickly getting up after that, he watched Riser raise a hand but then Ryuji smacked that down. Raising his foot, the human slammed the heel right against Riser's stomach and knocked the Phenex down.
But Riser furiously got back up while swiping upwards. Ryuji raised the baton to defend himself while activating the electricity, but then Riser used a lot more force that expected and knocked the weapon out of his hands. The Devil laughed at how he disarmed his opponent, but then ducked down when Ryuji threw a haymaker and took a couple of steps back.
Ryuji immediately moved forward and tried to go for Riser's left side. The Devil blocked way however and struck Ryuji's stomach and chest. The Devil completely disregarded his flame powers, thinking that he could now easily take on the human now that they were disarmed of their weapon. Swinging a fist downwards, he punched the top of Ryuji's head before throwing an uppercut to the chin. Both fists landed painfully on the human blonde.
As Ryuji stumbled back, he stomped on the ground as he tried to punch Riser but the Phenex did the same thing. As tier two fists collided, Ryuji hissed while retracting his limb first. But that gave Riser the perfect opportunity to slam his heel against Ryuji's stomach. Being sent skidding backwards on the ground, the human looked up and rolled out of the way of an axe kick. But as soon as Ryuji got back up, he was punched on the face and sent rolling once more.
Shaking his head, Ryuji saw that he had landed right next to the stun baton. Grabbing the weapon, he just managed to get up while dodging a punch from Riser and struck Riser's face. As the Devil recoiled back from the attack, Ryuji slammed the weapon against the head this time. He was about to succeed hitting Riser three times in a row, but then was punched in the face once again. But Ryuji did not give up. Neither did Riser.
Ryuji swung his weapon while Riser swung his arm. Both methods of attack collided. Riser broke the baton but then recoiled back as the both of them glared at each other once more. As Ryuji threw the baton away, he immediately ran forward and began to wrestle with Riser. Just as he was about the throw the Devil down though, Ryuji suddenly felt his strength dropping and swore.
He had just lost his buff from Futaba.
Riser seemed to noticed the sudden loss in power and took full advantage of the situation and nailed Ryuji's stomach with his foot once more. Ryuji once more began to fell himself rolling on the ground as he groaned at the power of a King piece striking a human. "Shit!" He cussed, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the Rasetsu Ofuda, Idaten Ofuda, Kongou Ofuda bottles. Ripping the tops off, he quickly chugged the content of all three containers at the same time.
Letting out a roar after swallowing, he jumped into the air and smashed all three bottle against the top of Riser's head. Stunning the blonde partially, the human immediately began headbutting Riser's face repeatedly. Being shoved back though, Ryuji stepped back a couple of times. Riser rolled his jaw, recovering before throwing a haymaker of his own towards Ryuji. But the human-blonde ducked down in time, slamming the arm that was swinging towards him in the same direction so it would smash right into Riser's face.
Dazed by being hit by his own fist, Riser quickly shook his head to rid himself of the feeling and quickly grabbed an incoming Ryuji by his neck. The human meanwhile suddenly began to feel his air supply being cut off as the Devil choked him. Raising his hands to try and rip Riser's hands off of him, it was not working at all. So Ryuji decided to take a different approach.
Kicking Riser's groin, the Devil roared in pain and he bent forward slightly. Before he could react fast enough, he was kicked in the exact spot again. This time he got ready earlier than expected though, stepping to the side so Ryuji would miss. Grabbing the outstretched leg, Riser spun around and hurled Ryuji through the air and against a tree that was along the side of the courtyard.
As the human fell down into the brush below, Riser came stomping over towards the blonde. Just as he reached the bushes, Ryuji popped up and had the broken top-half of the baton in his hands and he jabbed Riser's eye with it. The Devil clutched his eye as he began to bleed from the sharp, jagged ends of the broken weapon while stumbling back. Growling with anger as Ryuji ran towards him, he stomped on Ryuji's foot and kept it planted on the ground.
Punch after punch, Riser became relentless as he threw his fist so many times towards Ryuji while keeping the blonde in place. Finally lifting his foot, it only so that Ryuji would stumble and trip around as Riser continued his barrage of fists towards the blonde. But in the middle of his onslaught, Riser noticed Ryuji reaching into his pocket and pull out a tiny bottle. Just the mere sight of the object made Riser's anger rise even more.
"Don't even think about drinking those Pheonix tears!" The Devil exclaimed, smacking the bottle out of Ryuji's grasp.
Thankfully for the human the bottle didn't break at all as if began rolling on the ground. Ryuji turned around to see it getting away and he ran full speed towards the object, completely ignoring Riser. "A-da-da-da!" He made a sound while making furious grabbing motions for it before finally getting his hands on the bottle. "Don't leave me now!"
Immediately being kicked on the backside, Ryuji almost slammed head-first against a fountain. Shaking his head, he looked back for a second to see Riser grab his leg and start to pull furiously. Ryuji thought quickly and grabbed the side of the fountain without thinking. Already, the human knew he couldn't hold on enough before Riser finally figured out that actually attack the blonde when he was down.
Looking down to the Pheonix tears in his hand, Ryuji brought the bottle to his mouth. Biting down on the top, he ripped it off and a popping sound was heard only to his ears. Spitting out the inedible part out of his mouth, he placed the bottle to his lips and took a drink from the tears.
The effects immediately reminded him of a Diarahan as his entire body felt healed. All the previous injuries and pain he had felt before, gone like a fart in the wind.
Feeling Riser's strength drop by a bit due to wanting momentum to pull Ryuji, the human took full advantage. Pulling his legs over, Riser stumbled forward and gave Ryuji the time to get back up punch Riser away. Chasing after the Devil, Ryuji grabbed the handle of the baton that had been broken. Running up towards Riser as the King was getting up, Ryuji threw the piece and nailed Riser right on the face.
Riser growled. "Enough. Of. This. Bullshit!"
Screaming in anger, the flames from the very beginning burst to life and Ryuji was knocked down as the flames washed over him. Despite the heat, Ryuji felt like he could go on. But the main problem was that he felt his strength dropping once more, the effects of the drinks failing. Soon enough, he would be burning, suffering in the heat of the flames.
"Pathetic scum," Riser sneered with a smirk, seeming to be satisfied with the look of frustration on Ryuji's face. "Do you finally see where you stand. Even I have to admit, you were impressive to last this long against me. But that was because I went easy on you not using any of my flames." The heat began to increase. "But now that my fire has come into play, there is nothing you can do."
Ryuji glared. "I'm pathetic scum?" He gritted through his teeth, hissing as his body began to lose the power the drinks gave him. "If that's the case, you're a son of a bitch. If you have to go through so much effort to take on one low human, it's no wonder you lost to Gremory-san and her Peerage!"
Running forward, ignoring the scorching head and burns he was about to receive, he kicked Riser's crotch once more before retreating backwards. "You… You!" Riser growled, clutching his groin with one hand. "Shut up! How dare you interrupt me!"
"If anyone's going to shut up, it's you!"
After all of his hard work, no freaking hell was he going to let this asshole win!
"You Made Me Wait Quite a While Again."
It soon came. A burning sensation that banged against the inside of Ryui's head. The pain was sudden. "A-aaagu…!" He gasped out, grasping the sides of his skull as he slowly began to sink to his knees.
His cries of pain did not go unnoticed, all eyes watching him when his screams were released. Ryuji coughed out spit, but then it didn't help at all in the slightest. Trying to keep himself up, he stopped the attempt in favor of clutching his head once more in an attempt to dull the pain. Rolling around in agony, he couldn't shake the feeling at all.
"You Have the Power, Right? Then Let's Go over Our Contract."
Riser didn't say anything, not wanting to waste his breath on the human any longer. Raising his hands, a torrent of fire roared out and engulfed the blonde. But the feeling that burned inside Ryuji made the flames feel cold and not even harm him at all.
"Just as How You Removed Your Stigma, Fight."
To everyone's surprise, someone grabbed Riser's arm, causing the Phenex to stop and look over. "O-onii-sama, that's enough!" Ravel exclaimed, causing Ryuji's screams to be the only sound. "He's on the ground now! That should make you the victor in this duel, right?! Please, Onii-sama, you can-"
"The Other You Who Exists within Desires It."
"Don't interrupt me!" Riser once again lashed out at his sister, knocking her down and next to the human that was in complete agony.
"I Am Thou, Thou Art I..."
"Don't even try and tell me what to do when you can't even prove that you're a Phenex!" The older male continued screaming at his sister who began sobbing due to the shock of being hit again. "You weren't any use in the Rating Game and you got captured so easily! Not only that, but you gave this human Pheonix tears?! Your tears that hold such immense value and power like a cheap gift?! What kind of a member of the Phenex household are you?! Are you even a member?!"
"Prepare Yourself!"
"The Flag That Bears the Skull of Rebellion Will Rise Once Again!"
The both of them had completely forgotten about Ryuji, but then were reminded of the human when a blue flash erupted from the corner of their eyes. Slowly turning their heads, Ryuji had gotten up. But then there was a new accessory on the boy that was not there before; a grey skull mask.
"Aah…" Ryuji gasped, grabbing both sides of the mask, struggling to rip it off. But then it was a part of his skin. Like ripping out a bone or a piece of flesh off, it proved to be difficult and painful. "Nnnngh… Hraaaaaaaaagh…!"
With a roar of agony, he ripped off the mask to reveal a face smeared in his own blood while arching his back. Immediately after was a pillar of blue flames erupting below him to cover his entire body.
TakeABreak
All of the Devils watched. At first, they thought that this fight would be boring and one-sided since Riser was a King piece after all fighting against a single human. Their interests were slightly increased by a bit when they saw the human not being the owner of a Sacred Gear but then managed to stand their ground against the Phenex boy for so long. But now there were invested with what had happened to Ryuji, watching the boy be covered by the blue flames as they thought he had just unlocked his Sacred Gear.
Sona and Rias however…
"Did Ryuji-san…" Sona stared with surprise. "Just awaken his Persona?" She asked as the scene grew brighter for a few seconds. "I've never seen one in person before. It's… it's…"
"Painful." Rias was still wincing despite the cries of Ryuji already dying down as she looked over towards Akira and the rest of the Phantom Thieves. "I didn't expect you all to go through such a moment. There was Haru-san's… but then it looked so mild for her."
"Technically, it was a reawakening for all of us when we came here." Makoto pointed out. "Not only that, but then each of us deal with the pain differently. I managed to not scream or cry at all, only hissing while using all of my effort to not make any louder sounds."
"Hey, look!" Issei exclaimed over them. "It's clearing up!"
TakeABreak
Riser and Ravel both had covered their eyes as the pillar of fire was too bright for them while it created strong winds. Peeking upwards, they soon could lower their protective limbs to see the blonde. Riser was furious, beyond anger that he was having this much difficulty with a human. Ravel meanwhile was a bit worried yet curious at the same time what had happened to Ryuji.
Their first sight, which stole their attention for a good few seconds, was a giant figure floating. A boat was beneath two large black and white boots that looked like they belonged to a pirate. The boat was actually ship with both masts snapped off and several cannons pointing towards Riser. The front of the ship however had a face painted on, a mouth that looked like a shark ferally grinning and eyes that promised anything but good against those it stared at.
Standing right on top was the figure that simply stood casually. A ripped and tattered pirate trench coat was used as a cape as the inside was red and the outer part black. It's shoulder wore shoulder pads with curved blades sticking up and were flush with the material with one belt on each side wrapped around. Two more belts were seen as well, making an X across its chest and hade two cutlass' latched on so the back of the blades underlined the head of the being which was nothing more than a skull with an eyepatch that wore a pirate hat. Such accessory even wore the symbol of the Jolly Roger. In a blue outfit that reminded everyone of pirates, it had black cuffs with gold lining. The left hand was gloved yellow with metal nails at the end while the other hand was replaced with a golden cannon. For some reason, it seemed to lack some fat around the stomach, the gut literally shrinking until it looked shriveled before completing the look with black trousers that had the button and zipper undone.
Standing right in front of the odd being was Ryuji hunched over, only breathing in and out heavily. His outfit was completely different from his formal attire. Now he wore a matching black jacket and pants with knee pads, a red ascot, combat boots, and a pair of yellow gloves.
Soon, Ryuji's head snapped up to reveal a rather cocky smirk on his face.
Riser gritted his teeth. "This bastard has a summon just like that woman?" He narrowed his eyes.
But the human didn't listen. Instead he chose to look at his hands to see that there was a single weapon in each one. His right hand contained some kind of staff… if he could describe it in one word. Both ends were decorated with golden ornaments of sorts. At the bottom the two ends were red handles that spread down towards objects that looked the same as its golden relative but then were metal grey. Both sides would then soon come to meet with a single black handle in the middle.
The elongate weapon, Ruyi Jingu Bang from Hanuman was a very powerful tool.
In his left hand though was a sawn-off shotgun. But it was very odd in color as it held a shade similar to Haru's grenade launcher. Not only that, but there was one extremely odd detail about the weapon. There was no typical area to load all of the shells in. Instead, there was a magazine one would see on a tommy-gun installed onto the weapon.
But the weapon was meant to pack a lot of firepower. Shiva, the one who earned the title Destroyer, contributed more than enough to the Megido Fire.
That was not the main focus of Ryuji's though. "Right on…" He breathed, looking all over himself in an impressed voice. "Welcome back Persona…" Hopping up while spinning around onto the ship, suddenly the items in his hands had disappeared as he snapped two fists up in anticipation. "Oh this effing rocks! With it back, I'm definitely in the game now." He then looked over to Riser while cracking his knuckles. "I'm going to take you on your own level." Thumping his chest, his grin grew even larger. "Bring it on!"
Riser growled while taking a step back. "The rules state in this duel that we can use whatever we have at our disposal, correct?" He asked but didn't bother waiting for an answer. Raising his hand, he snapped his fingers and a summoning circle appeared right behind him. "To me, my Peerage!"
One by one, Piece by Piece, the Phenex's Peerage began to show themselves travelling through the circle to appear in the arena that was set for them to fight.
TakeABreak
"Oh, that is just not fair." Ann stated with distaste as they saw the scene from afar. She wore a frown and it only deepened when more members of Riser's Peerage showed themselves with every passing second.
"if that's what you think," Akira hopping up on the railing of the balcony, suddenly being seen in his Phantom Thief costume. "Then how about we help Ryuji even the playing field? We technically are at his disposal after all, being the group that we are."
"Oh, hell yeah!" Morgana exclaimed, hopping up onto Akira's shoulder. "We can't let Ryuji have the fun either, can we?!"
Sona, Rias, and several other Devils were too surprised at this sudden conversation between the humans to even stop them from leaping from their position down towards the fight. All of them not only leapt an impressive distance, but then none of them seemed to be hurt by their fall. The main reason was because several more constructs had come into existence to break their falls. Now voices began to stir among the crowd, just anticipating what the humans could do.
As Ryuji stood in place, he heard noise behind and looked over. "Looks like you guys couldn't help yourselves, huh? Couldn't let me take all of the glory?" He grinned over.
"Your fight is against Riser. Can't let you waste all of your time against his Pieces." Akira stated while rolling his shoulders. "Alright, guys, game plan! It's been a while since we've fought together so don't just go in for the kill! This time, have fun but don't get too happy!"
Ravel meanwhile stared at the groups she was in between, her gaze going left and right. "Ravel," She flinched when she heard the voice. Looking over, she saw Riser staring at her expectedly. "Get over here. Now."
"Yo, Ravel…"
Hearing another voice, she looked over to see Ryuji. The boy was bending his knees due to the height of the floating ship while extending his arm. "Need a hand?" He offered with a smile.
Looking down at Ryuji's hand before he rown, she was slow. But soon enough, Ravel gripped the fellow-blonde's hand. With a squeak of surprise, Ryuji lifted her up right next to him and the both of them were standing right on top of the pirate ship that carried his Persona. But then the male blonde hopped down before pointing a finger towards Riser and his Peerage.
"Blast them away, Captain Kidd!"
HOLY FRIGGING SHIT, 11,000 WORDS AND IT WAS A REALLY BAD CHAPTER!
Pessimistic thoughts aside, apologies for the wait. I'm going back to school in December and I'm trying to not only study, but then also pump as much content I can out before I go into academics. I'm splitting my attention between three stories (possibly four) while fighting against the idea to post more stories that have been inside of my mind that want me to write out. Not only that, but also my part-time job is always making me rest and unable to type.
So, yeah, excuses are excuses to why this took so long and is kind of bad.
In other news, finally going to complete Season 1 of the DxD franchise within 20 chapters. Not only that, full out Phantom Thieves vs Riser's Peerage (minus Ravel). Hopefully that will be better than a Phantom Thieves vs Riser's Peerage fight that has already been written.
No flames please.